Catch The Snitch

To say it had been a day would have been putting it mildly and the idea of going back home to that endlessly empty house made her anxiety spike like never before so Selah had decided to find a drink elsewhere. The Leaky Cauldron had looked, well, far too busy for her taste this evening and she continued to wander until she stood outside The Curious Chimaera. She absently worried her bottom lip staring at the door, this she felt was Dorian’s place. He’d mentioned it on several occasions, especially a lot before their separation because he’d started going there in the mornings instead of coming home.

That had stung but by then Selah was already fraying at the seams anyway where their relationship was concerned. He wouldn’t be here now though at least that much she knew so with that in mind she took a deep breath and stepped inside giving the place a once over as she made her way to the bar. It wasn’t exactly what she expected but then again she’d been getting surprised by things a lot lately it seemed. Taking a seat she folded her hands on the counter and gave the bartender a polite smile, “Good evening.”

It occurred to her then as well that they likely might not even serve the same things as the Leaky Cauldron but there were worse things than discovering a new way to numb it all for a bit, ”...any recommendations for shaking off a particularly difficult work day?” It wasn’t exactly work that kept her bent out of shape; hardly, she loved her job. Working with the kids and their families; making sure their needs were taken care of and everything was still kept hush hush took a certain finesse. And given she’d gone through it herself although she had lived in ‘their’ world so to speak her half-blood status had still made an impact in her school life.

“If not, may I get a glass of Elderflower wine please?” It was enough she felt, an option to be surprised or go with an old stand by. Selah was usually a bit more cautious with anything beyond mead or wine but it wasn’t as if she was expecting any kind of issue when she got home after all. Adjusting her messenger bag she carried to rest in her lap she pulled the tie she’d held her hair back loosely with and shook it out with her fingers briefly. Tucking the tie into her bag she almost appeared to zone out for a moment or two before blinking and focusing her attention back on her surroundings taking it all in for the first time.

It was a peaceful start to the evening at the Curious Chimaera. There weren’t too many patrons, and none of them had imbibed enough to cause any trouble. Not yet, Mal thought absently to himself as he polished a wine glass and hung it on the rack behind him. It was much easier to just use magic, but he found it more therapeutic to do it by hand. Besides, it was a good way to pass the time on a quiet night.

The door of the bar opened, and a lone women entered. She looked somewhat familiar, but if they were acquainted, her name eluded Mal. “Good evening to you too,” he returned the greeting as he set aside the cloth he was holding and gave her his full attention. She asked for a drink recommendation, saying that her day hadn’t gone too well, though her words revealed next to nothing about the exact nature of her worries. “I have something in mind…” he began as he started shortlisting a few options, letting his instincts and experience guide his choices. Just then, she kindly offered him a back-up option: elderflower wine. It was a fine choice on its own, but Mal decided that he could do better by mixing a bespoke drink for her instead. “Yes, that should do nicely,” he said as he began to put together a recipe for a highball in his head, starting with some elderflower liquor. Vodka… no, gin. Gin would be a more interesting. And something with pear and honey as well – elderflower paired well with them.

Setting aside a Collins glass and the larger half of a shaker, Mal began preparing the drink while an enchanted ice scoop autonomously added some ice into the two vessels. Into the smaller half of his shaker, he poured in two ounces of gin, followed by some elderflower liquor, pear liquor and pear puree, honey syrup, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Once that was done, he closed the shaker securely and gave it a few vigorous shakes. The Collins glass was nicely chilled by now; he emptied it and added in some fresh ice, before straining in the mixture and topping it off with club soda. Giving the drink a stir, he proceeded to add in the finishing touches: a thin slice of pear, and freshly grated cinnamon. “Please, enjoy,” he said, as he presented the drink to the customer.

“Is this your first time here?” he asked, still trying to recall where he might have met her before. Perhaps they had attended Hogwarts at roughly the same time, or maybe she had visited the Curious Chimaera before.

She watched as he began to work, well him and his magic, it was always entertaining to see how different wizards used magic in different ways. Watching as he selected the different ingredients Selah head tilted a bit curious to see just what he’d come up with. He was making some interesting choices to be certain given she couldn’t quite swear by all the bottle labels. By the time the drink was put in front of her she was genuinely curious, “Thank you. It certainly looks interesting.”

Picking up the glass she gave it a visual once over before she took a sip and let it slide over her tongue a bit slower than she might have normally before swallowing and smiling, “It’s lovely. Is that… pear?” It wasn’t precisely what she was expecting but it was very nice and she took another sip before sitting the glass down for a moment. When his question came she gave a little nod, “It is actually.”

Selah had passed by so many times but she’d always just gone to her usual haunt, “Leaky Cauldron was just a little too busy for my tastes tonight.” He was familiar to her of course but for more reasons than just the fact she knew her husband frequented this place and had told her about him. She found herself regarding him a bit more quizzically for a moment before she smiled, “I know we don’t work together so… we had to have gone to school together..”

Picking up her drink she took a few more sips before she thought better of it and set it down, “Supposed I’d better pay first, probably not a wise decision to start a tab.” No, even if she wanted to do so, she had no plans to drink too much, just one maybe two and then she’d go home. Ugh she hated the sound of that anymore but at least Cailleach was there so she wouldn’t be entirely alone. “How much do I owe you, Mr?” Sure, she knew his name but it was polite if nothing else.

The thrill of presenting a new drink to a new customer never got old. Even though he was quite a seasoned bartender by now, he still enjoyed watching the curious anticipation of the customer turn (hopefully) into surprise and joy after they had a taste of the novel drink. As the customer savoured the bespoke highball, he knew that his decision had been right. The inclusion of pear liquor and pear puree was probably unexpected, judging from her question. “You’re absolutely right,” he confirmed, though in the name of protecting his trade secrets he didn’t reveal exactly what he had added.

She nodded when he asked if this was her first visit to the Curious Chimaera, and added that the Leaky Cauldron had been too crowded for her taste. Mal nodded thoughtfully: the old establishment was wizarding London’s most popular watering hole, and it was fairly lively even on the slowest of days. “It’s almost always busy at the Leaky Cauldron,” he noted. “It’s great if you want to soak in the atmosphere. Not so if you want to clear your mind.”

It was as though she had read his earlier thoughts, for she suddenly mentioned that they might have gone to school together. “Perhaps,” he replied. “I graduated from Hogwarts in nineteen ninety-five. A whole decade ago, come to think of it.” It definitely felt longer than that, with the Second Wizarding War escalating into open conflict and irrevocably changing people’s lives forever. But now wasn’t the time to ruminate excessively about the past. “How about you, if I may?” he ventured, chasing the dark thoughts out of his mind and returning to the present moment.

The customer offered to pay for the drink first, and asked for his name in the process. “Where are my manners; I’ve forgotten to introduce myself,” he said sheepishly. “Just call me Mal. And don’t worry about the payment. The first drink’s on the house, just for you, Miss…?” A free cocktail was a small price to pay for a repeat customer, and he hoped that the pear and elderflower cocktail had been enough to convince her to return in the future.

“Don’t feel obligated to get a second drink,” he added with a warm smile. “I hope your day hasn’t been rough enough for you to need a stiffer drink.”

She nodded when he confirmed he had in fact graduated the same year she had, “I knew it, I graduated in 1995 as well. That explains why you look so familiar.” Watching him closely for a moment she looked as if she was trying to picture him younger for a moment before she shook her head, it was so hard given all the bad things that happened back then. Holding up her free hand with a little smirk she shrugged, “Slytherin.”

Taking another sip of her drink she smiled when he told her to just call him Mal, “Very well Mal. You can call me Selah.” Only just catching the second part of his comment, first drink free on the house? It brought an eyebrow to raise and she gave a little appreciative nod, “Well that’s very kind of you and I certainly think that at least earns a second drink if only for a decent tip.” Besides, it was actually a really good drink and he’d come up with it on the fly which was impressive.

His comment about her day brought a little chuckle and she shook her head, ”If it was that bad I’d have gone home. I won’t drink stiff stuff in public, it isn’t good for anyone, least of all me.” The only one who’d ever seen her bad was well, Dorian. He didn’t necessarily help in a sense but by the time she went to sleep whatever she was in a bad mood about was generally long forgotten. The thought of him had her absently twirling the simple gold band around her left ring finger briefly where her hand had rested back against the bar before she stopped herself and sighed.

”This isn’t a bad little place you’ve got here, it’s been here what…” Selah actually did have to stop and think about that one, not entirely sure about when the place had opened officially. She only knew when Dorian had started coming there every so often at first then slowly more and more over time. Shaking her head absently she chuckled, “Seems I’ve completely forgotten the passage of time at all.”

Based on the lady’s age, and how most British wizards and witches received their education at Hogwarts, he had guessed that they might have attended Hogwarts at around the same time. But for them to have been from the same batch? What were the odds of that happening? “Truly? What a coincidence,” he replied, his eyes widening in surprise.

Upon learning that she was from Slytherin, Mal reciprocated in kind. “Ravenclaw. I suppose I must have spent so much time cloistered away somewhere studying that I didn’t recognise my batchmate,” he added with a slightly abashed shake of his head. That was partially true: he had taken quite a lot of extra Occlumency and Legilimency lessons to learn to control his natural gift. But he also did spend a bit too much time with his ex, only for their relationship to end in a heartbreak.

She then revealed her name – Selah. While it sounded familiar, he guessed that their paths must have rarely crossed when they were students. And as she said that he was very kind to offer the first drink for free, he gave a modest little bow. “Bars and pubs are places for people to relax and unwind,” he said. “If I could brighten someone’s day with a small gesture, I'd do it in a heartbeat.”

He nodded and smiled as Selah mentioned how she wouldn’t want to have a stiff drink in public, and how it wasn’t good for anyone including herself. “It’s not good for us bartenders either. We encourage our patrons to drink responsibly, but every now and then we have to deal with folks who get too deep in their cups.” Just as he was about to share with her a story about how alcohol could impair someone’s judgement but not their ability to cast spells, he noticed Selah twirling the band on her left ring finger briefly. It was a telling act – and unfortunately a rather common one – that clued him in about another potential issue that was weighing on her mind, and decided not to continue on with the frivolous story at this juncture. “But I must say it is people who care about us who would suffer the most,” he noted, choosing his words carefully such that it would sound like a generic piece of advice, rather than something targeted at a topic she hadn’t even broached. “I’ve been a bartender for a decade, and I’ve seen too many worried and concerned people looking for their utterly sloshed family member or friend.”

Selah’s subsequent words about his establishment seemed to suggest that, despite this being her first visit to his establishment, she had been aware of its existence for quite a while already, despite its location at the junction of Knockturn and Horizont Alleys. “Three years, actually. May I presume you visit this part of wizarding London often, or at least occasionally?” he ventured out of curiosity.

A Ravenclaw, well that wasn’t entirely a surprise but she’d almost pinned him for another house. When he confirmed precisely why he tended to offer the first drink free she smiled, it was a good gesture to make and mindset to have. If others did as much they might find themselves in better standing than they probably were but it was likely better for him they didn’t. “In my case it’s more I don’t handle my straight liquor very well and my temper gets the best of me. Which does no one any favors obviously as I said.”

She nodded when he continued on about the concerned family, Selah had seen it too in her years. Those who crawled into a bottle more often than not tended to drag their family members with them whether they intended to or not. “Crawling into a bottle does no one any favors, that's why I just stick to mixed drinks in public spaces and limit the number even then.” Taking another sip she relaxed some even if she didn’t plan on making this a habit she didn’t want to seem standoffish towards him.

After all he was being nice enough to her and it wasn’t his fault Dorian preferred to hang out here instead of come home before the whole ‘separation’. Which she still hated the thought of, the fact she hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him since made it even worse. Separation was one thing but complete and total radio silence was another and it was slowly driving her crazy. Blinking when he responded she gave a little half smile and a nod, “Often enough. I’ve heard about the place frequently, just never had the occasion to stop by before this evening.”

When Mal revealed that he was a Ravenclaw, he had a vague feeling that it wasn’t exactly what Selah had been expecting. “I don’t seem like a Ravenclaw, do I?” he asked. Back then the Sorting Hat had taken quite a while to make its decision, and in hindsight Mal could understand why. “My parents were Thunderbirds during their Ilvermorny days, and as an eleven-year-old boy who didn’t know any better, I thought the Sorting Hat simply chose to put me in a house that was represented by a bird too.”

“Many people become worse versions of themselves when they’re drunk,” he said when Selah confessed to not holding her liquor very well and being an angry drunk. “When I drink too much, I’m either giggling non-stop, or bawling my eyes out. Sometimes both at the same time.” He shook his head with a self-deprecating chuckle. “Thank goodness I don’t get drunk often.”

And as she noted how drinking did no one any favours, and that she made it a point to keep her alcohol intake in check, he nodded emphatically. “I wish more people had the same level of maturity and self-restraint as you.” He motioned to a small group at the far end of the bar. Though the night was still young, they were already slightly tipsy, and he watched as they waved down one of his staff. Doubtless they wanted more drinks; he’d have to keep a close eye on them.

Returning his attention to Selah, he listened as she divulged that she had visited the area often enough, heard about the Chimaera frequently, but never had the occasion to stop by until now. “Better late than never,” he grinned. “I presume you know one of our regulars,” he continued, his casual tone belying how carefully he had chosen his words. Not everyone wished to reveal personal information such as who their close friends or loved ones were, and he had phrased his sentence so that Selah could avoid mentioning any names if she didn’t feel comfortable doing so.

When he mentioned how he behaved after imbibing too much Selah couldn’t help but giggle some, “You sound like a few I know. At least it’s those two emotions rather than just the red eyed monster.” She could almost deal with turning into a giggling loon or crying her eyes out, anything was better than the ways she tended to get angry when she got drunk. Granted it didn’t help that her favorite person knew precisely how to push her buttons there.

Giving a little bow of her head when he commended her maturity and level-headedness she chuckled softly, if only it applied to everything but then again everyone had their weaknesses. Sipping her drink Selah sighed at his subtle non-question setting her glass down, it was only fair wasn’t it? Setting the glass down she held her hand out for him to shake, if she was going to do this she would at least do it right. Waiting for him to take hold of her hand she smiled, “I should at least do this right. In school I was Selah Chen… though now it’s Selah Innes.”

She knew it wouldn’t take much more than that for him to realize exactly who she was or to answer his own question; any of them if she was being honest. Once she released his hand she gave him a half guilty smile, “Now you can see why even if I knew about this place I avoided it… but I just couldn’t do the crowd at the Leaky Cauldron tonight and I knew he wouldn’t be here.” Setting back in her chair she sighed a bit heavily, picking up her drink and finishing what was left in the glass before she sat it down on the bar again.

“One more and then I’m out of your hair… and you don’t have to worry I won’t ask anything.” No that wasn’t the point of coming here, she genuinely just wanted to see the place for herself that had kept her husband company so many times and of course get a drink without too much ruckus to subject herself too. The day had been rowdy enough for her with work stuff anyway about it. Glancing at him she gave a faint shrug of her shoulders, “I still want him to have a safe place to come to especially if he doesn’t feel like that’s home.”

There was certainly more than met the eye about Selah when she offered her hand and reintroduced herself… but the revelation had Mal blindsided, and while he usually was good at concealing his true feelings, a slight raise of his eyebrows gave him away. He had correctly guessed that she knew one of his regulars, but for that regular to be Dorian? That he did not see coming, and he allowed himself a second to let the gravity and extent of the whole situation sink in before he spoke. “Nice to finally meet you, Mrs Innes,” he said as he shook her hand.

He gave a resigned shrug when Selah said that she knew Dorian wouldn’t be at the Chimaera tonight. “He hasn’t been here in a while,” he confirmed, “and as a friend I couldn’t help but feel worried.” When they last met, Dorian had to return to Hogwarts because of an emergency, and out of concern he had been checking with his informants about what had happened and whether the Aurors stationed there were safe. Information on the former had been scarce, but he had at least been able to confirm that Dorian was ‘carrying on as usual’, even after a second crisis – the recent wildfire and boggart incident – occurred. “If it sets your heart at ease, I heard from a friend who works at Hogwarts that he’s safe,” he added, using a half-truth to sidestep the topic of how he had gotten that information. And he had deliberately chosen the word ‘safe’ over ‘well’, if what his source had told him was to be believed.

After draining her glass, Selah reassured him that she wouldn’t ask him anything about what he knew of their troubles, he smiled. “Thank you for being understanding,” he replied, as the drink menu magically slid within reach of Selah with a simple gesture from him. It generally did nobody any good for a batrender to relay to anyone the irrational words uttered by their other half under the influence of alcohol, and he wished that more people would see things that way. “Is there any particular drink that you’d like?” he asked, “or would you prefer for me to recommend something instead?”

“So do I,” he nodded as Selah said that she wanted Dorian to have a safe place to return to. But it’s not your flat, for that matter, he thought dryly to himself, recalling his offer to put Dorian up at his own home. Brushing aside that thought, he continued, “I’ll let him know if I meet him, if that’s all right with you. But as you might have figured, I haven’t seen him in these parts recently.”

She nodded, “Likewise Mr. Lee… or Mal if I am permitted of course?” When he mentioned Dorian hadn’t been there in a while she sighed, “He’ll be back, this is the one place aside from the school he’s least likely to completely abandon.” Selah didn’t mean it to sound irritated or offended, hardly it was simply that she knew her husband’s habits. Regardless of his complaints about his job, he wouldn’t abandon his post and despite having not been to the bar in person in a while obviously she doubted he would give up his favorite watering hole for anything.

When he confirmed he’d at least heard that Dorian was safe she nodded absently, “That’s at least some good news then.” She really wished she could see or hear that for herself but more and more Selah was becoming convinced that was wishful thinking. The separation she’d hoped just meant time apart, not never seeing him again which seemed to be what it was turning into and it was slowly driving her deeper into that mindset she’d been avoiding for so long. Giving him a little nod when he thanked her she shrugged, “I want him to have someone he can talk to so I should be the one thanking you.”

At his comment about the drink she head tilted some and looked thoughtful, the drink he’d fixed her first had been pretty enjoyable. She could have asked for a usual but given his creative ability she decided to let him try that out again, “You did so well the first time. Surprise me.” Crossing her arms she leaned on the bar and smiled faintly, waiting to see what he might come up with this time. “Obviously this will be my last one, but I am curious to see what you come up with this time.”

“Please, just call me Mal. I only addressed you as Mrs Innes because I was never able to put a face to that name all this while,” the bartender explained, hoping that it would make sense to Selah. “Usually I’m acquainted with my regulars’ partners, but you’re one of the few exceptions. I admit that I’ve often wondered what you were like, and how you were doing when Dorian was going through a rough patch.” Even now, though Selah was right in front of him, there was still much about her that he did not know, especially since everything he knew was from Dorian’s point of view.

He nodded with a hopeful smile as Selah said that it was unlikely that Dorian would never come back to the Curious Chimaera, despite what his prolonged absence was suggesting. For some reason Dorian had been avoiding him. Had he made Dorian uncomfortable with his offer to put the Auror up at his own home? Was it something he had said? Or was it something else entirely? There was only so much he could learn from his informants, short of looking for Dorian himself – and even that would have been a terrible idea if Dorian had indeed been avoiding him intentionally. At the very least, Dorian was safe, and Selah could take some comfort in that knowledge.

Selah then thanked him for being her husband’s listening ear, to which he shook his head to downplay his role. Her words reminded him of the day he decided that he’d open his own establishment. While it was true that he partially intended for it to be a base of operations for his information brokering services, he also wanted a safe and comfortable space for people to relax and temporarily forget their worries. Life was tough, but sometimes a word of concern or a small gesture of kindness could make someone’s day, and as a barista and a bartender he could do that regularly to bring a bit of joy to the people around him. “I’m just glad that he trusts me enough to share his worries with me,” he said. “Besides, it’s the least I could do for a friend.”

When Selah asked him to mix yet another drink for her, he nodded slowly as he thought about what else she might like. “Let’s see…” he began, as a few options came to mind. It would definitely need to be something different, of course, while taking into consideration her preferences. Something suitable for autumn, perhaps, and without too much alcohol. Choosing a classic cocktail as a base, he began to pick out the equipment he would need as he altered the recipe in his head. Two glass mugs, an old-fashioned glass, and of course a mixer. Into the glass mugs went some boiling water to warm them up, and the latter two were loaded up with some ice to chill them down.

The sight must have looked quite bizarre – it was something Mal rarely did, despite how flamboyant it was. Emptying out the glass mugs, he added into one of them some cask strength bourbon and sugar, before diluting it down with hot water. “Let me step back a little,” he said as he picked up the filled mug and snapped his fingers. Immediately the mixture ignited, and he grabbed the second mug. Taking a moment to steady himself, he began to transfer the burning mixture from one mug to the other. As the stream of fire poured forth, he gradually raised the first mug higher and higher into the air, stretching out the burning stream as much as he could to maximise the visual flair of his stunt.

The sudden appearance of a flaming drink caught the attention of many of the bar’s patrons, and a hushed silence fell as he repeated the process a few more times, letting the flames burn off some of the alcohol while caramelising the sugar and imparting a smoky flavour to the bourbon. Setting down the mug, he replaced the ice in the mixer and poured some of the still-burning mixture into it, before adding in the other ingredients: an equal amount of apple cider, a bit of lime juice to brighten the flavour, and some agave syrup. Closing the mixer, he extinguished the last vestiges of the flames and gave the drink a few vigorous shakes.

The old fashioned glass, which had been untouched up till this moment, magically emptied itself of the slightly melted ice. A single spherical piece of ice floated over and plopped itself into the glass, just before Mal strained the drink over the ice ball. All that was left now were the garnishes: a sprinkle of cinnamon, a slice of apple, and – for good measure – a stick of cinnamon. With that, the cocktail was complete, and Mal presented it to Selah as he beamed. “I must admit, that was quite a bit showier than usual,” he said, referring to the impromptu fiery display earlier, “and I hope it's to your liking.”

She sat back in her seat more than once at the display before he placed the drink down in front of her making her chuckle softly, “Even if it isn't, the show alone was worth it.” Granted she doubted it wouldn’t be at least something she could drink, he hadn’t gone wrong with the first one. Picking it up she gave it once over visually before taking a sip. It was a bit sweeter than the previous one but even that didn’t make it unpleasant for her, just not something she would drink a lot of. Sugar and alcohol she knew from years of experiences tended to make her hangovers worse.

Another sip or two and she smiled, “It’s good.” Might not have been exactly to her usual tastes but she wasn’t in her usual place tonight so she could step out of her comfort zone a little. The knowledge that Dorian had been avoiding him wasn’t entirely lost on her but she’d focused on the fact that he’d referred to him as a friend. That was important. He needed those probably more than she did.

Setting the drink down she pulled out her wallet to pay him for it as she fully intended to do, he’d said the first drink was free and this was not her first after all. Plus it would give the attention sometime to die down before she felt like the wandering eyes were off them that she returned to their topic at least in general, “It’s good he has you. I mean that. He doesn’t trust easily…” Maybe that had changed?

Selah wasn’t sure so, anymore things seemed a throwback to how Dorian had been before they’d gotten married that it was almost hard to believe now he’d been different at all. “He’ll come around again. I heard from some of my kids there was an incident at the school so that’s probably what kept him tied up.” She was still waiting to get specifics herself but whatever it was they were being rather hush-hush which usually wasn’t good.

The fact that Dorian was involved and it had caused him to withdraw made her anxious but given he was avoiding her entirely it wasn’t like she could ask him if he was okay. Even if she owled him the odds of getting anything more than a ‘fine’ were slim to none and she kind of hated it that someone else would know how he was before she did but at least he would talk to someone. Picking up her drink she took another sip, a longer one to swallow down the knot that had come up at the train of thought.

To Mal’s delight, Selah liked the second cocktail that he had mixed, and his smile broadened. Getting a second guess correct wasn’t easy, especially since the first highball had been his best bet.

As Selah said that it was good that Dorian had a friend in Mal, he gave a half-nod. Having a listening ear was important… but a friend was no replacement for a spouse. “But he needs you,” he replied simply and matter-of-factly, turning the spotlight back on her. With Dorian avoiding the both of them now, the ball was now in Selah’s court. “In a relationship, one person must always take on the role of the level-headed and rational party, the one who initiates the reconciliation even if it seems unfair to them, and the one who ‘takes one for the team’ to protect the relationship.” For a fleeting moment, there was a flash of regret in his eyes. He was speaking from experience: quite a few of his past relationships had ended in shambles, and he had learnt much and matured from each experience. “Dorian's a good man. But you already know that, don't you?”

Selah asserted that Dorian would drop by at the Chimaera again, before citing the recent incident at Hogwarts as a reason why the Auror hadn’t done so in a while. “I sure hope my bar’s not his first port of call though,” he said. “By the way, I’ve heard that the case is pretty complicated,” he added. “I’d send Dorian a bottle of Liquid Luck if I had one, but all I have is liquid courage. Even if I did, I’m sure even a word of concern from you would trump anything I could give him.”

His comment made her shrug her shoulders absently, “He doesn’t think so.” Sipping the drink some more, a brow lifted when he continued bringing up the whole ‘take one for the team’ and she snorted despite herself. Setting the drink down she didn’t hesitate to lock her gaze with him, “I’m already taking one for the team, I’m not the one who wanted the separation or to date other people.” Selah wasn’t going to pretend she was on board with any of this, she was doing this because he’d brought it up and when she’d pressed he’d made it seem like it was what he’d wanted.

She didn’t want to make him unhappy or force him into something he didn’t want, so she’d agreed hoping it was a bluff but given she hadn’t even seen him it was starting to seem like it wasn’t. Picking up the drink again she finally broke eye contact with him and glance down into her drink, “ Besides hard to fight for it when the other person won’t even talk to you… thus why I said it’s good he talks to you and I don’t wanna screw that up, because at least he’s talking to someone.” Obviously it certainly wasn’t ideal but Selah knew if he didn’t have someone to talk to it could only get worse.

Another few sips of the drink and she lifted her gaze up some, “Believe me I’d love to do more but if I push we fight and I don’t wanna fight, I just want us to talk but he doesn’t want to talk so I’m doing the only things I can to make it clear I care about what he wants.” Granted she’d been trying to show him that she cared about what he wanted but she’d wanted him to care about what she wanted too, the biggest of which was for them to be able to talk. To communicate.

Nodding absently at his comment she sighed, “I wouldn’t have married him if he wasn’t, he just has issues… we both do, I’m not an angel either.” No if some of their fights were any indication she was just as capable as he was of being difficult and hostile. But Selah had been trying as of late not to fall into old habits, she wanted more for them; better if they could manage it. Except it wasn’t working out so well and she wasn’t sure what else she could do, “I send him messages, I get one word or one sentence responses.” It didn’t stop her but it was wearing on her his complete lack of desire to communicate with her. Sipping her drink she sighed softly, “I always try…”

Predictably, Mal’s words about how one party in a relationship needed to be rational didn’t sit too well with Selah. Nor had it sat well with his younger and much less mature self back then. It wasn’t easy being the party who always had to give in, and ultimately he had decided that the relationship was not worth the price he had to pay. While he was more or less over it by now, from time to time he found himself wondering about all the what-ifs, and whether he had made the right decision all those years ago.

For that reason, he didn’t want Selah to do anything that she’d eventually regret. But in light of her reaction to what he had said, perhaps tonight was not the best time for him to push any more of his opinions on her. Besides, based on what he was hearing (and had heard from Dorian previously), their problems weren’t something that could be solved with some advice from their friendly neighbourhood bartender. No, it was like a Gordian knot, a complicated entanglement of misunderstandings that could only be undone with patience, time, and honesty. Thus, he kept his peace as she let out her frustrations, and instead offered a listening ear. And a glass of water too; some people tended to drink a little too quickly when they were agitated.

“It’s been tough on you,” he said as Selah lamented about how Dorian’s lack of communication was wearing on her. “And I agree: he has to try too. As one of my regulars used to say: ‘it takes two hands to clap, else it becomes a slap.’ Any good intentions that one person has can easily be seen in a negative way by the other if they don’t reciprocate.” Yet, Mal still believed that Dorian wanted to fix those issues just as badly as Selah, and his apparent inaction was due to him not knowing how to do so. And with the recent happenings at Hogwarts taking up much – if not all – of the Auror’s time and energy, it was even less likely that things would improve.

“For now, we can only hope that the incident at Hogwarts gets resolved quickly,” he said, even though he knew that the case was much more complicated than what the public might think. His own investigations were running into dead ends, and he and his team were no amateurs at sleuthing out the truth. Nonetheless, he trusted that they would be able to get to the bottom of the incident eventually. “Once Dorian’s done with the case, he’d have one less reason to be uncommunicative.”

She snorted softly and took another long sip of the drink he’d fixed her, “You’re regular had it right to be sure, starting to feel like I am screaming into the void at this point.” It didn’t matter what she’d done before he’d even brought up the whole separation thing, Dorian wouldn’t talk to her. Again. Selah had hoped they were past that but obviously old habits die hard despite whatever attempts she made to head it off, granted she would fully admit to not being the best but she’d made efforts to communicate better with him.

Actually communicate at least which was more than she could say for his part. His mention of perhaps him becoming more communicative after the case at the school wrapping up made her chuckle and she shook her head, “You are an endless fount of optimism, aren’t you? I think I can see why he likes you.” Taking another sip of her drink she sighed, “He was checked out before the case where communication was concerned, despite my best efforts but I am still trying.”

Selah wasn’t going to be the one to give up completely but there was only so much effort she could give when she got nothing back from him. Especially with everything that had been going on for her as of late and she had effectively no one to talk to but that was neither here nor there as she sat nursing her drink. “Just don’t mention you’ve spoken to me, that’s all I ask.” The crowd wasn’t getting too rowdy yet but she knew she’d need to finish her drink and head home soon. Better to be safe than sorry even if she knew Dorian was working.

Upon hearing Selah saying that he was an endless fount of optimism, Mal couldn’t help but laugh. “Me, an optimist?” he said as he shook his head. “I see myself more as a realist actually. The things you see and hear from sufficiently inebriated people are enough to douse any sparks of optimism within you.” And indeed, it wasn’t optimism that led him to say that Dorian would have nothing to hide behind once the case was closed. “We all know the case is just one excuse for him to bury himself in work and avoid the issue. Even he knows that, I’m sure.” As someone who dealt regularly in information, Mal was keenly aware that the truth wasn’t always important, and sometimes all that mattered was people’s subjective perception of the truth. “Once he runs out of excuses, he’d need to face these issues head-on,” he reasoned.

When Selah asked for Mal to keep their conversation a secret, he nodded. “Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.” Having played the role of an agony aunt to both halves of numerous couples before, it wasn’t an unusual request made of him. “While I highly doubt Dorian’s going to drop by here anytime soon, we could meet somewhere else if you need a listening ear,” he said. “Of course, you’re more than welcome to visit the Chimaera,” he added, feeling the need to explicitly state that he wasn’t discouraging her from coming by to look for him.

Shaking her head absently she chuckled, “It will always be something else, Mal. The sooner you figure that out the sooner you figure out my biggest gripe with my husband.” Much as she loved Dorian and Merlin knew she did, there was always something else when he was avoiding the obvious like a conversation with her. Her drink was nearly finished when he mentioned that they could meet elsewhere if she needed a listening ear and she smiled at the thoughtfulness.

“I appreciate the offer but I’d hate to put you in the middle intentionally or otherwise. I’ll find my own therapist, eventually in some form or fashion… Merlin knows I need one.” Selah wasn’t at all above admitting such, she had her issues and she was aware of them but she’d been trying to deal with them on her own. Picking up the glass she sort of tipped it towards him with a little smile, “Might come back when I know he won’t be present for another one of these or that other one though.”

Finishing the rest of the drink she set the empty glass down then pulled enough to cover the drink plus a rather nice tip as well, pushing it towards him and she held up her hand before he could argue. "Dept of Muggle Affairs pays well when you work as much as I do lately, please I insist. And thank you, take your pick for what, I’m sure you’d argue I don’t need to thank you for any of it.” Putting her wallet away she resettled her bag back over her shoulder before slipping out of her seat, “It was nice to finally meet you, Mal.”

There was still things to do at home and she needed to try and at least get a response from him again. More than likely she’d wish him goodnight or wish him a good shift before she crawled into bed. Then at least if he didn’t respond she wouldn’t be terribly disappointed until morning, the drink at least helped with that part. Making her way to the door she gave a little wave before stepping out and mentally sighing; lately all it felt like was trying to ice skate uphill but she wasn’t giving up just yet.