The lad was surprisingly well behaved. Oliver had been a terror at that age, bickering with his numerous siblings, driving his poor mother spare with his antics. When the lad mentioned Katie, he arched a brow to Ryan. Suddenly, he connected the dots between distant stories.

“Dae ye mean Katie Bell? Merlin, ah didne realise thes was th’ infamous Ayden. She talks abit ye all th’time, ye know,” He grinned to the lad, rather amused. Small world, their Wizarding London. Katie had gushed over being named the lad’s godmother, and he distinctly remembered her vow to “spoil the ever loving shit out of the boy”. He was privately rather pleased that she had yet to turn the child into an unholy brat.

She mentioned the files and Oliver sobered instantly. Kearney Stevens. The thought made him feel almost ill. He accepted his tea from Padma, nearly draining the cup. He considered his thoughts for a long moment, before finally answering.

“Manpreet, th’ team manager, she’s bin daein’ everythin’ she can. It’s toogh—she jist got it o’ Azkaban herself only two months ago. She’s got th’ ear ay Griselda Marchbanks on the Wizengamot, but it’s bin a struggle.” He was silent for a long moment before he added the thought he’d been dreading to even consider, “He hasnae written back in a lang while. It’s possible ‘at he’s nae wi’ us anymair.”

Ryan presented him with paperwork. Oliver eyed it cautiously, reading through it steadily. He didn’t _distrust_ her, per se, but he certainly trust her either. It was very dense legalese, but Oliver was determined to read it through. He wasn’t signing anything without knowing what it really said.

He didn’t realise his old Hogwarts Quidditch captain had joined them until he’d reached their table. Oliver looked up and smiled wide, nodding in greeting. It had been too long indeed—he hadn’t seen the man since the Battle of Hogwarts. He stood to greet him properly, clapping each other on the back in a warm hug. Charlie had been his idol throughout Hogwarts, had given lanky second year Oliver the shot that had changed his life.
“It’s alright, mate. He was nae trouble at all. Ginny,” he greeted warmly, grasping her hand in a firm shake. He’d never played with the girl, but he’d heard she was as fierce as Potter, and he’d seen her duel. She was good people. “It’s guid tae see ye again.”

Padma didn’t even blink an eye at their additional company when she arrived with a platter of food. She placed Oliver’s curry gently on the table, waving her wand as an additional cup of tea floated over for Charlie. He’d not known the lass in Hogwarts, but she had been a good friend to him since the war. She never pried, simply squeezed his shoulders when he remembered the Creevey lad.


She brought him more paperwork, and Oliver began perusing it, letting his curry cool. When Charlie took the lad, he raised a hand in an absent minded wave, working through the documentation. Padma silently kept his teacup full as he worked. He finally reached the last document, and what he found was surprising. He raised an eyebrow at her.

“Says haur ye worked fur th’ Department ay Mysteries. ‘At’s a respectable job. Why’d ye leave?”