December 3rd, 1891 - Hogsmeade Constabulary
Jack Dorset

With the gallery opening behind them, Daffy supposed she could be doing that resting everyone insisted she do, but she had never been very good at sitting still, anyone who knew her at all would know that about her and so she jumped at the chance to run an errand when her mother asked the house at large. It also made the most sense, since it involved returning Jack's scarf that he'd left after his last visit, with of course, food enough for a small army. Daffodil swore by now they should just adopt him and let him live in the house. Having a twin of sorts wouldn't be so bad.

With a basket tucked under her good arm, as her left was still bound in a sling for another week or so, Daffy rather thought her mother making Christmas cookies by the dozens to take the constabulary was a bit much, but she would take any excuse to venture into town and not be watched like a hawk all day by whomever it was happened to be home at the moment.

With their trusty housekeeper in tow, who also conveniently had to stop by the butchers and the general store on the way, Daffy dutifully left Mrs. Benson at the shop door with strict orders to return within the half hour, Daff practically skipped up the street toward the constabulary office where she hoped to find Jack stuck on his desk duty still. Well maybe not, but at least she could leave it there anyway.

Fortunately for her, he was in and she could harass him for a few moments. "Mama must think you look peaky, with he amount of food in here. And your scarf, you left it after dinner the other night." She admonished with a chuckle, setting the basket down and rearranging her arms more comfortably.

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   Jack Dorset

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Miss Potts' sudden appearance in the Constabulary was an unexpected but welcome distraction.  With his own arm still stuck in a sling under healer's orders, he was still stuck at his desk under Chief's orders.  And it was slowly driving him crazy.  Making him do paperwork for weeks was way more effective at teaching him a lesson than having his arm nearly ripped off.

He all but pounced on basket of food she'd brought.  "She's probably right"  He said, peering through the contents to see what he was having for dinner for the next few days.  Truth was he hadn't really mastered seeing to his own meals and Mrs. Potts was single handedly keeping him from living off sweet rolls and pub food.  "Ah!  I wondered where that got to."  he said with a smile, finally moving his attention from the food to the scarf.  "I should get her something as a thank you…" he mused.  He nearly made a joke about being cold and hungry without her but it sounded more sad than funny in his head.

"So how are you getting on?" he asked with a nod to her own sling.

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"The cookies are to share," Daffy added as she watched him practically dive into the basket, an amused smile curling her lips. "But I think there's some stew and fresh bread underneath. Maybe some sort of sandwiches, I honestly don't know. It was a bit heavy though." Daffy chuckled. "Oh and some fresh cherries, the tree in the shop greenhouse is practically exploding with them." It was not the right time of year, but with the environment in the greenhouse carefully controlled, nothing truly had a season in there.

"I'm alright, bored. Looking forward to the shop being up and running again." She knew she could be honest with Jack without him giving her a disapproving look. Daff needed the distraction of work, something to give her a bit more purpose these days and without it she was kind of drifting aimlessly, which was not good for her. Daff had always been a bit of a dreamer so she needed roots to help keep her grounded before she floated away. Not to mention if she wasn't busy she actually had time to sit down and think about certain aspects of her life that she rather wouldn't.

Sighing softly, she reached under the cloth and snagged a cookie for herself. "And you? Still on desk duty?" She noted the sling with a slight lift of her own.

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He gave her a mischievous wink. "Yeah, share.  Of course."  He said with a nod and an intentionally exaggerated tone, making it sound like he had no intention of sharing.  "Cherries?" he asked in impressed disbelief that sent him digging through the basket again.  He surfaced with a small handful looking victorious.  "They can have the cookies but I'm not sharing these."  He didn't know anything about about growing food but he did know that you didn't get cherries in winter.  Unless you were friends with a Potts, of course.

He nodded knowingly, plucking a stem from one of the cherries.  He'd been one of the ones that had wanted her to stay home and rest, and he supposed it wasn't a bad idea still... but it had been 3 weeks after all.  They were both clearly on the mend and the sound of her calling out from the rubble had stopped showing up in his dreams.  Time to get over it.  "Yeah, a couple more weeks of this blasted thing."  he grumbled, pulling at the part that dug into his neck  "And a couple weeks of doing everyone's paperwork.  Woodcroft said I'm basically writing lines as punishment... and I think he might be right." he threw the cherry stem listlessly.  "If they made me stay home for a couple weeks at least I'd end up getting my herbology NEWT from your dad."

The grin from his joke about her dad only lasted a moment.  Thinking of spending time at the Potts house reminded him of something.  "Hey... have you seen anyone lingering around your house?" He asked with a sobered expression, trying to keep his voice light but direct. "Or just... being weird on your street?"

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Watching Jack go through the food was akin to watching a child open presents on Christmas morning. It wasn't like her mother would ever let him starve, so he should be used to it by now, but perhaps not. "You know Papa would love that," Daffy chuckled again, still nibbling on her own cookie. Her father really was one of the smartest academics she knew, even if he was a bit of a scatterbrain.

"I'm almost done mine," Daff mentioned of her own sling. "Just making sure all the fractures are healed." And everybody knew she'd be back to work in the greenhouse with both hands as soon as she was allowed to, so they kept staying the go ahead.

At his last question, Daff quirked an eyebrow, "Aside from you?" She teased lightly, wondering whatever it could be that he was going on about?

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Jack scrunched his face at her in a comical sneer "Very funny."  Of course she was right.  He did fit that description and if he were younger and talking about anything less serious he might have stuck his tongue out at her.

"No, it's just - I already told your dad.  Couple days ago actually.  But you remember your old potion's tutor?  Greengrass?"

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It took every ounce of Daffy's concentration not to let her shock show on her face when Jack mentioned Noble. The circles in which Daff had befriended each of them had never really overlapped, though she had spent copious amounts of time with both, her relationship with Noble had been far more subtle while Jack's friendship was loud and out there.

"Noble Greengrass? There's a name I haven't heard in a while, what of him?" She wondered if her feigned innocence was too thick, if Jack could see right through her, but she had no idea what else to do other than play dumb. "The heard he's a potioneer these days." Not to mention her former flame, the one whose heart she wound up breaking in the process of shattering her own. But Jack couldn't know that, nobody could.

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"That's him."  he confirmed with a nod.  "I ran into him when I left your house after dinner last week."  He casually lowered his voice enough to make eavesdropping harder but not so much that it would bring suspicion.  "He wasn't doing anything exactly... but he was acting weird.  Especially when I asked if he was there to see your dad.  And I was just..." he waved a hand in her and her sling's general direction.

"He was your friend right?" he asked, giving up trying to put to words why he'd been so worried about a bit of strange behavior. 

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That was sort of odd. As far as she knew Noble didn't know anyone else that lived on her street, but maybe he did. Daff couldn't think of a reason as to why he would be in her street anymore. She hadn't seen him since she had run into him at the park and that had simply been awkward at best. His letters had come as a surprise, but to hear that he was near the house was something else entirely.

Still, she couldn't tell Jack this, so instead said, "He was always very nice, I'm sure it was nothing." Even if it was something to her. "For all I know he buys ingredients from Papa." She shrugged casually, nibbling on her cookie. That she would know, as she handled all of her father's business transactions, in addition to those of the shop.

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He looked up at her, absently playing with the cherry stems, his mouth pulled to the side by his silent misgivings.  Something about that whole encounter still didn't sit right with him as much as he wanted to believe her reassurances and his own better judgement.

"Yeah, I'm sure it was.  I just wanted to make sure you hadn't seen anything strange... felt like you were being followed or anything like that."

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"I think you've been on desk duty too long," She teased lightly, trying to keep her expression neutral. "I'm not that interesting anyway." Daff chuckled as if the thought were ridiculous. Nobody would bother with her. The whole fiasco with Mr. Smith had been an unfortunate incident, but he was all taken care of.

"Your concern is appreciated though," She passed him a more genuine smile. "You've been nothing short of splendid these last few weeks, thank you." The whole family thought so, hence the giant care packages her mother kept sending.

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He was at least somewhat satisfied that she hadn't picked up a stalker and he felt better now that she knew so if Mr. Greengrass did decide to be weird again she'd be aware. 

"I have!" he agreed with feeling, slumping down in his seat until his head rested on the back of his chair to glare dramatically at the ceiling.  The makings of a mischievous grin appeared on his face when she mentioned his concern but when her smile turned genuine he pulled himself upright. 

"Of course." he said with all sincerity and a somber shake of his head.  There had never been any question.  "Just try and stay out of trouble and we'll call it even."  he added with a grin, diverting his own troubled thoughts from spiraling.  He stood up from his desk, straightening his waistcoat and sling before tapping the basket with his wand.  It was a harmless jinx that would holler indignations if anyone tried to open it while he was gone. 

"Walk with me? I want to stretch my legs."

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"Trouble? Me?" Daffy feigned mock innocence. She had never had so much drama in her life and she was quite set with it. It could all vanish and she would be perfectly happy. "I am due back to Mrs. Benson at the butchers in a few minutes," Daff chuckled. Her housekeeper wouldn't like to be kept waiting and Daff had run her errand. That she got to monopolize Jack's company for a few more minutes was a delightfully unexpected bonus.

"If you insist then, so I stay out of trouble." She said as she started back toward the door. She had a lot to think about too, thanks to Jack's innocent tidbit of information, and this would keep her from spiraling until she got home at least.

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