“Well,” Nick deadpanned, gratified that she understood her presence was a burden on him, and was not too much of a priss to take the couch – he wouldn’t let her, she could have the bed and would hopefully go straight to sleep and not go moseying around in his things – “let’s still both hope it doesn’t come to that.” They could just... stay up until the Floo fixed itself.

(It was a little bit of a shame his hospitality had not instead been put-upon by some beautiful debutante who had a dowry the size of Africa and would somehow be improbably charmed by meeting him, but some things were too far-fetched even for an opium dream, never mind reality.)

“So why an Auror, then?” he asked. To no particular end, this time – he was merely wondering.

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