A Light Supper
On Sunday evening, the snowy white building, Gringotts bank that towered over the shops finally closed its outer burnished bronzed doors. The secondary set of silver doors is firmly shut with an enchanted key forged by goblin magic. The goblin tellers carefully lock up valuables and place ledgers into metal cabinets, before being locked. Each goblin teller is carefully asked to turn out their pockets and is checked over to ensure that not a single knut or gem is accidentally misplaced.
In the accounting department, a young goblin wheels a cart filled with the latest ledgers to leave with the accountants. Within the brightly lit accounting office, dozens upon dozens of desks are piled high with fiscal logs and more. The majority of the goblin accountants are goblins with a few exceptions. One of them is a rather petite witch with mousy flaxen hair and light-colored eyes, Claret, (the widow of the goblin, Urlort). She carefully tides her desk and marks her spot to resume accounting on the morrow.
Claret glances over to her side to see the young goblin starting from the lowest totem poem carefully distributing the ledgers in his cart. She flashes the young goblin a reassuring smile revealing slightly crooked teeth. The young goblin offers her a brisk nod, before moving on his way.
Stretching her neck side to side, Claret watches her fellow accountants tiding up. Sitting nearby is her friend, a handsome golden-haired squib named Peregrine Mulciber. Sensing her gaze, Peregrine glances up and offers the widow a friendly smile in confirmation of stopping by to have a light meal before heading home.
The two of them clear their desks and are checked by a senior accountant as they leave through the door. The senior accountant, Bankar carefully pats them down to sure that they carry no hidden notes or information regarding the clients of the bank. Certain that nothing has been stolen, Claret and Peregrine depart from the floo, (only an exit floo exists, there is no entry floo hearth). The two of them appear just outside of Gringotts in the Diagon Alley hearths. From there, they head on foot to the Hermetic Cauldron.
Ever since the opening of the Hermetic Cauldron, the location of the former Leaky Cauldron Pub had become a popular destination to eat. One of them was that the food was excellent and the brew at the pub had quite the kick. The second was the children of the owner, Koris Feviel. The only son, Frederick was courting a damsel, but the three beautiful older daughters were still unwed. They had quite the gathering of lovestruck suitors.
he two of them arrive at Hermetic Cauldron and peek about the chic brighter side of the café. The darker end of the Hermetic Cauldron housed the bar and a more private place for those wanting a pint to drink. There is tranquil music playing from a record player with a golden horn. One of the servers comes over and takes their order of tea and shepherd's pie and a platter of tartlets, before departing.
Claret studies the younger man and says, "How goes the wedding planning?"
Peregrine flashes a warm, genuine smile. "Quite well actually. Mother is thrilled to have a daughter-in-law and treats Rosie all that much dearer."
"But…" Claret trailed off in question.
Peregrine sighed in a grimace. "I am worried about her father and mother. They have been fiercely pushing for the wedding to take place earlier. Rosie is quite unhappy with them, but she won't budge on the wedding. She wants her cousin, Terry Greengrass to be in attendance."
"Ah, the only male Greengrass heir attending Hogwarts, correct?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Well, then you have to show your support, Peregrine," Claret knowingly said. "I gave up my family when I married my Urlort," she murmured in a loving and sad tone. "Furthermore, the two of you will be married. Marriage doesn't just stop there; you will have to continue to work at it."
"I know as much," Peregrine answered in understanding having witnessed the twisted relationship of his parents vs. the excellent relationship between his Uncle Joffrey and Aunty Lucy. He knew which one he wanted to forge for his own family, but that would take plenty of hard work and effort.
"Well as long as you know," Claret gives him a pointed glance when the server arrives with a pot of steaming tea and tartlets. She pours the two of them tea, before adding cream and sugar to her own. "Although if it becomes too much for the both of you take a break. Go portkey somewhere nice to your liking."
"I might take you up on that," Peregrine admitted before a bite out of the tartlet.
"You'll ruin, your supper," Claret chided the younger man, before taking a tartlet to herself much to the dubious glance from Peregrine.
Seeing Peregrine's stare, Claret shrugged and said, "I need the sugar to fortify myself. I have two very energetic little boys waiting for me back home."
"And how are Iarx and Ilx?"
"Growing faster and faster each day," Claret sighed. "The two of them have begun to show more and more signs of accidental magic. They'll likely be wizards, but we won't truly know until their 11th Birthday."
"Is your mother-in-law in favor of them being wizards?" Peregrine asked.
"Urlaa does not mind," Claret truthfully answered. "She would rather they be safe," she paused. "And it is safer for half-bloods to attend Hogwarts than for them to request to join the clan for schooling. And even if they don't attend Hogwarts, there is the option for them to remain at the Quattor Academies for their upper studies."
"There is that," Peregrine murmured before taking a sip of his tea.
The server arrives with their shepherd's pie, and they fall silent for a time. The only sound made is the clink of their silverware. After getting through a good portion of their pie, Claret finally speaks. "I truly have to commend Koris and his wife Zeina Feviel for the food. It truly is a delight to even enjoy a simple shepherd's pie."
Peregrine hummed in agreement as Claret glanced around, before lowering her voice. "I think something's going to happen tonight?"
"What makes you say that?" Peregrine glanced up from his plate.
"I've seen Bodrig, Radnok, and the rest of the Brotherhood of Goblins meeting far more than usual," Claret whispered. "Frankly, I wouldn't put it past the Brotherhood of Goblins to try something."
"They have been abnormally quiet as of late," Peregrine observed in retrospect. However, he knew as much that something would in fact occur. Under Prince's orders, he had slipped information to old friends of his father, who were in league with Death Eaters. And whether it was tonight or not, it was out of his hands.
Claret expects Peregrine to speak further on the subject, but he does not. Sensing that Peregrine will not speak more on the subject, Claret changes the topic to more clandestine topics about work. The two of them discuss new accounting practices and formulas in place having been introduced by squibs, muquibs, half-bloods, muggleborn (or the employed muggle spouses of witches and wizards). Gringotts, Inc. was such a success in the muggle realm that it may even expand overseas.
Their meal ended on a light note as each of them headed to the floo hearths in Diagon Alley to floo home. Still, the night was far from over for anything could happen.