The day was actually warm in London when Jenn stepped off the Knight Bus near her flat. Normally she would have preferred traveling a different way from Southampton, but it was only a short hop -- literally -- back home, and she was anxious for a rest, and a chance to catch up with some of her friends at the Ministry. She decided that next time she was in th Far East she would take the longer route home in comfort aboard one of the big new skyliners run by the Ministry.

She felt like she'd been wearing the same travel clothes for a week since leaving Singapore, so, once at her flat, she quickly showered and changed, looked into the woefully understocked fridge at least three times. Since it was empty, she decided to head for the nearest eatery. A pile of little mail packets sat on her kitchen table, and one she picked up was a fancy one.

The Red Hawk

Visit Diagon's Alley's finest new gastropub!

Present this coupon, and receive 10% off your total bill!

There was a couple of pictures that showed happy witches and wizards of the young moderns vareity drinking and laughing in a comfortable looking common room.

It seemed like just the kind of place she needed, and maybe -- just maybe -- if her message got through, a certain someone would come and they could see one another for a while until she had to report back to the Ministry for her next assignment.

Exactly thirty minutes after arriving at her little flat, she was back out the door in a floral dress. She arrived at the Red Hawk and had a seat at the booth to grabe a bite and a drink of something.

Damian was working the tables today as a waiter. His usual chef's garb was hung up in the back if he ever felt he needed relief from all the people, but that wasn't likely to happen; he loved interacting with people too much for that.

As he made his way to a booth where someone had just sat down, a menu followed after him obdiently, hovering in the air. "Welcome to the Red Hawk!" He started cheerfully, grabbing the menu and set it in front of her. He was about to continue on when he stopped and tilted his head to the side. Well, there was a familiar face; her hair had been cut shorter than it had been at school, but there was no doubt about it being his old classmate. "Jen? Is that you?"

The atmosphere was just what she had hoped for; and at this time of day it was quiet. The maitre'd or host came up. He was young, cheerful, and carried a very important item for the hungry blonde. She recognized Damian almost instantly, a fella who had been a little ahead of Jenn in school. "Damian Mitchell! So you did go into business after all! I just got back from a long posting overseas, and found the coupon thing in the mail pile. I didn't know it was your place...I assume so, knowing your fondness for cooking?"

She smiled warmly.

"I'm tired and hungry, what do you recommend?"

"Seems like everybody under the sun has gone into the Minsitry, huh? Guess I missed the boat for that one." Damian commented with a warm smile of his own pleased that she had remembered his talent for cooking. The whole overseas thing explained why he hadn't seen the blonde in since he had opened up either.

Upon her question though, Damian snapped back into professional mode and the menu opened gracefully at the same time. "Well, right now seeing as the customer flow is a bit slow, we'd be more than happy to cater to whatever you fancy. I do recommend the lemon sole with real mash, parsley and capers unless you prefer something lighter."

Truly pleased that Damian had found a great outlet for his cooking, Jenn scanned the menu while he described the dish he prescribed for her hunger. Honestly the girl could eat almost anything, including the tablecloth, as the food on the Knight Bus was fast food (as the muggles called it) at best; and there hadn't really been time to eat it.

"That sounds perfect, Damian, thank you. If you have a nice dry wine, I'll take a glass to go with it."

She folded up the menu and handed it back to the young man. She could recall the daring days of Quidditch, zooming around the skies, and making death-defying catches. Damian had been a Beater, and later captain of the squad. She owed him a few points for saving her ass from a few bludgers during those years.

"You haven't seen anything of the old crowd, have you?" she asked. "I've been in China for nine months, and communication is difficult, even with the new messeging system. I'm horrible at keeping up with people."

"Lovely choice then," Damian replied grinning as he took the menu back from Jennifer before sending it back on its way to the hostess stand that stood at the front of the gastropub. "As for your dry wine, I'll have it sent along in a moment. I have the perfect one in mind to go with the meal."

He whistled when she mentioned her post to China and his blue eyes widened. "Well aren't you lucky? How's the food over there?" Crossing his arms over his chest he smiled at the mention of their old Hufflepuff gang. "Well, Hugh and Auri finally decided to tie the knot. About time too. Being in the Ministry though, you are in touch with Hugh, aren't you?"

Once more, Monica Darney came to her son’s rescue. Jacob needed a break from Tamora, Jamiel, Liam, and sadly even Maggie. Having spent a few days to process that Hugh and Auri were finally engaged, he decided that his original need to be giddy was perfectly fine. There was a small hint of jealousy, which was understandable in his mind and in Alan’s. He just wished Alan would stop being a jerk about the whole thing.

In desperate need of someone to make his laugh that did not sleep a floor below him, Jake ventured to the Red Hawk for a drink. He walked through the door, asking the first worker he saw if Damian was working. The girl stared blankly for a moment before pointing him to a table. Thanking her, Jake walked in the direction and immediately recognized the Damian’s figure but who he was talking to caught his attention more. Sure, he had not really seen her in quite some time, but there was no way Jake could not tell who it was.

For a moment he almost changed his mind then Jake decided that he needed go grow up and grow a pair sooner or later. With an awkward sigh he walked behind Damian, holding his finger to his lips quickly.

“Hey pumpkin,” was all he said, looking at Damian with a smirk.

Jenn thanked Damian for the menu choices, and for the wine.

"I'll leave it up to your good judgement," she said happily.

On the subject of food during her long stay, she was just glad to be back at home. "Not that there's anything wrong with the cuisine in China, but it does make you want to eat something very hearty and-- comforting, you know?"

Then Damian dropped another piece of news.

"Oh, my God! Really? Oh, I'm sooo glad. Those two have had a long courtship, haven't they?"

Ever since her days in Hufflepuff, Jenn had known the couple were always hand-in-hand. In fact, so much so, that Jenn had often wondered when their souls had known each other in a previous life. She related this to Damian, and added that she wasn't much of a Seer herself, but this she could believe.

Damian looked as if he was going to reply when a tall figure loomed over the conversation at the table.

"Hello, pumpkin?" said Jenn with a huge smile. "Is that all you have to say to me Jake Darney!?"

She slid smoothly from her seat, and gave Jake a warm hug, and then quickly invited him to sit down.

"Don't put away the menu just yet," said the blonde, laughing. "Look at this, the Badgers reunited!"

"I personally wouldn't mind going there to study the cuisine there; gotta keep an open mind, am I right?" Before he could say anything else though, Jacob's familiar voice cut in and he couldn't help but let out a laugh as he saw his friend give him a smirk. He returned his smirk with a hurt look.

"Yeah, and a smirk is all I get? You wound me Darney. I was in a generous mood too, guess there goes the half off of the drinks, hmm?" He moved aside to make room for Jacob to slid into the booth seat opposite Jennifer and passing him the menu, his face dissolving into a grin. "Didn't bring your little girl along? I haven't seen her adorable little face for a while now."

Jacob was not expecting Jenn’s comment and it left his mind and his stare blank for a moment. He recovered with the hug and returned it happily. Though not his original intension, he gladly joined the blond at the table. He was about to defend himself to Jenn when Damian voiced his complaint. Slightly defeated, the man looked between the two, holding in a smile.

“Well, I would offer you my number Damian but you have it,” he responded before turning to Jenn. “And as for you, I haven’t seen you since I was dragged into the ministry by Liam’s aunt three years ago. Where have you been?”

Jake listened with his blue eyes sparkling. The Auri/Hugh news plus having some of the old team together in the same room was a bit overwhelming and he loved it. In a way, Jacob wanted to know what he interrupted, but the other two were playing 20 questions. He would wait for the questions to die down before he brought up the other conversation.

And as usual, the cute face was brought up. He was not sure if Jenn read the gossip magazines and if so, hopefully she believed the one where Liam set the rumors straight on the origin of his little girl. Jake did not wait for her reaction and explained to Damian where she was.

“Maggie is with her grandma for the night. My house was getting too loud,” he explained. “I have her picture if that will make you feel any better.”

Damian's thought about Chinese cuisine were worth pursuing with him.

"I brought back some menus...you might be able to give something on them your own spin. I'll send them by owl as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, Jake had settled into the booth. He looked fit, and well, and she commented on that fact to him, and gave him a nice smile.

"I don't think I've seen a good picture of Marguerite, Jake." said Jenn. "I heard through the office that you adopted her in Brazil, but that's all."

"You see, Damian, this is typical Darney; he likes younger women," she smirked. "I'm kidding! I'm sure she's adorable."

She sipped her water, and listened to what Jake had to say. Almost everything at this point was news.

Damian's eyes lit up at the mention of menus. "Yeah? That would let you have a good few meals half off with a few drinks thrown in on the house. Cheers, Jen." He grinned at the thought - just the mere thought of food usually put him in a good mood.

Rolling his eyes, laughing ever so slightly at Jennifer's comment he handed Jacob the menu before pulling up a seat beside Jacob. He wasn't sure when he was going to be able to put in Jennifer's order at this rate, but it was probably a better idea to wait to see if his friend ordered anything too. Letting out a bit of sigh he grinned, "Ah well, pictures work too. You have to meet her Jen, she's a little beacon of light she is. Her smile lights up a room and could cure world hunger."

Jake looked at Jenn after her comment feeling a little bashful. He thanked her, of course, and shifted awkwardly for a moment. She followed up with announcing she knew the real origins of Maggie, which made him feel better, knowing that she did not think him sleazy. Of course, in true Jenn style, she threw him for yet another loop. He wanted to argue, though he knew she was teasing, but he had no good rebuttal. In defeat, he huffed over dramatically at her and moved closer to Damian with a smile.

“Well, if she could cure world hunger, I wouldn’t have to cook for the house every meal,” Jake said with a laugh.

He lifted his hips slightly and dug his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. He flipped it open, the first picture was of Maggie and the other was he and his once twin cousin Alan. Jake passed the wallet to Jenn. He smiled at her, knowing full well that his little girl was adorable on many standards. While waiting for his wallet, he looked over to Damian with a grin.

“I heard you got a visit from Hugh and Auri, so I’m guessing that’s no news to you and Ike and Aiden are unfortunately over publicized’” Jake told him. “I don’t have much to say, but I’m glad to say Honeydukes has a sale on all of their chocolate bars.”

"Thank you, Damian, but no, I don't need any discounts. That wouldn't be fair, I haven't patronized you fine establishment at all ...yet. Give me time, though! I'm going to be back in the country for a while now, so I'll be able to drop by now and again. I know Hugh and Aurelia were traveling together, but not about the engagement. That's good. I ran into Aurelia a few months ago, and she seemed happy that they were back together."

Indeed, in the short few minutes, the blonde girl had picked up a lot of news. Not the least of which was the engagement. It was something she had expected, but there were few couples that had endured the test of Hogwarts, and life thereafter. Now, when Jake handed over the pictures of little Marguerite, she was pleased to look, but also curious. She hadn't really taken Jake for the fatherly sort, not with his Quidditch career, and all. But time changes people, that much she knew.

"She's darling, Jake, and I've no doubt what Damian says is true. I come from a big household myself, and my sisters and brother all have children now. Good lord, too many to count! Do you think she'll be a witch, Jake?"

“Oh abuse the discounts, I do. Let me tell you, Liam eats a lot and it gets pricy,” Jake told Jenn, eying Damian with a grin.

He barely ever used the discount but he liked to make it sound like he had. Liam had gone overboard with eating once and that was when he and Jamiel enjoyed bringing up… repeatedly. Jake gave Damian his wallet so he could see the new picture before looking back at Jenn.

“I was intercepted by Hugh at Hogsmeade a few days. Snuck up on me in Honeydukes. He actually had a little doubt about her answer for a moment and I told him he was a prat for it.” Jake shrugged. “The rock he got her… wow, all I can say.”

Jake got his wallet back and stowed it in the back pocket again. He was not sure why, but it seemed like she was more popular than his career choice had ever been. Not that he cared, really. Bragging about his little girl was a hobby more or less.

“I don’t really know, doesn’t matter either way, though. She’s turning six in a few weeks so she starts school in September. I had to wean her off of me because she went everywhere I did for the first two years I had her. That’s why Damian and everyone saw her so much.”

He blinked a few times at the mention of more of his old classmates. Lately he hadn't had the time to read the news or even remotely pay attention to it. Things had been hectic with the pub and he hadn't taken to reading anymore than the front page of the Prophet in the mornings before rushing off to help open the Red Hawk. "Is bad that I haven't? What's going on with those two anyway?

Damian couldn't do anything but roll his eyes at Jacob's comment about abusing the discounts. Yeah, he always moaned and complained about the discounts, but in reality, he honestly didn't mind that much if they were his mates. Besides, lately it seemed that he had the rest of London knocking down his doors for his food. What was a few discounts here and there?

Taking Jacob's wallet he grinned at the picture of his friend's little girl before handing it back to him. "Hey, I don't mind babysitting for you every now and again, you know that Jake. She's a sweetheart like I said."

Jenn thought about her own nieces and nephews and how quickly they'd grown since she'd been away. They'd gone from small annoyances to talking machines, last she had checked. But she'd barely been home yet. She listened to the two guys bicker about pricing, and was also curious about Liam, and the 'rock' Hugh had gotten for Auri, but for the moment, she stayed silent, her mind on the changes that she was hearing about for the first time. How old she felt, all of a sudden, and yet her life on her own had just begun.

"Six? That's a fun age. But I'm a bad aunt. I don't see them as often as I should. Goodness me, everyone's got kids or getting hitched. How about you,Damian? Someone in your future?"

Damian's gaze shifted from Jacob to Jennifer and he couldn't help but laugh at the question with a shake of his head. "No. Kind of difficult when I don't currently have anyone in my present. With the Red Hawk and everything that's happened, I just don't have a lot of time for dating." He leaned back in his seat and took a stretch. "But I do know what you mean about everyone getting together these days. How about you Jenn?"

He wasn't usually the type to worry about his relationships in the future, and even in Hogwarts, Damian had been laid back about those kinds of things, doing whatever he fancied on his terms. If he liked someone then he'd ask her out for date and see what happened from there, but if they didn't work out, well he never got worked up over it. Even with the recent engagement of Hugh and Aurelia though, Damain didn't feel like he was missing out on anything. He was just simply too busy at the moment.

ooc: sry, missed this.

Running a restaurant was hard work, so Jenn certainly appreciated Damian's situation, as she listened to his current 'availability'.

With a look at Jake, Jennifer replied to Damian's inquiry about getting hitched, first with a laugh, and then with an explanation:

"Oh my God, how should I answer that? Generally no, I'm not planning on anything permanent any time soon. I went through my first 17 years with a matchmaker aunt that tried to fix me up with all the wrong people. I was practically promised to another family's son when I was 11, if you can believe it? Thankfully, my parents didn't fall for that idea. In fact, I have to hand it to them, they really came around after I joined the old team at school."

Then she looked at the two young men, both handsome catches for someone, but not her.

"Jake was one of my earliest true boyfriends, and a very fine one he made, too. I like stability, and always have. Right now I'm enjoying my freedom, although I have seen somene on and off for a while now, but I am a marrying sort of girl."

In a rare flash of coquettishnes, she batted her eyelashes, and flipped her hair in a joking sort of way.

"If you two think any man would have me, of course," she said laughing.

The dating conversation was an awkward one for Jake to be listening in on. In a strange way, he still had a small thing for Jenn. Something that he hid proudly from her at all costs. He also had no luck with the dating department after he got Maggie and especially since Satan’s Mistress herself lived in his house. He really had no time for women once he’s done babysitting, then watching his daughter. Jamiel was the dating type of the group and Liam needed to get shagged. Badly.

When Jenn mentioned their relationship, the man’s ears heated to a bright shade of magenta as his eyes looked toward Damian for any kind of help. Fangirls he could handle. Fanboys he could handle. Friends complimenting him because they actually know him… Jacob reverts to Hogwarts Jakie… just as he was doing. The Brazilian rubbed the back of his head with his hand awkwardly with a cockeyed smile.

“Yeah the only males I keep up with either went to school with us or are older and usually smell like bad laundry or too much cologne at my place.” That and if any of the guys tried dating her he was sure they would find she is not easy like the girls that daunt over them daily.

It also did not help that in a sick, twisted way Jake did not want to tell her about some hopeful perspective. He had been a part of her personal life; he had no business deciding if someone fit her. And he was slightly (very) biased.

"I'll let you know, Jenn. All the boys here are as obsessed with food as I am, so no luck there." Damian let out a laugh at Jen's little joke but caught Jake's eye and noticed the colour of his ears which were at a very dangerous shade of magenta. His laugh turned into a cough as he pushed the menu at Jake and as a couple of glasses floated over from the bar and settled nicely in front of his two customers.

He knew very well that the two Puffs had been in a relationship during school, and while Jenn seemed comfortable with the idea, Damian knew Jake well enough to know that it was still a soft spot for him. "So. Drinks on the house, yeah? And Jake you still need to order, mate. Don't want to keep Jenn's order waiting."

Jenn grasped her napkin and laid it in her lap, and then picked up her knife and fork, as if to signal that she was ready for the food.

"Come on, Jake, just order your usual," chided the blonde. "And you can put his drink on my tab."

The mild embarassment that Jake felt about their old school romance was rather touching, and so she put down the knife and fork a few momnets later, and picked up the drink list, and pushed it towards her old friend. It was a pleasant time, just sittnig there with the two young men, and not feeling any particular pressure to do anything important. She'd almost fogotten what it was like to be schedule-free.

"We have to celebrate with at least one drink," she said. "I'm in town for a few days, but I'll likely have to head back for foreign lands soon."

Jake raised his eyebrows at Damian. The man knew that Jacob barely touched a drop of alcohol since he became a father. The only exception was red whine at meals with his family. That was merely tradition. That and playing babysitter for Tamora meant he could not drink when he told her not to... Then again, by the time he got home, she would probably be asleep. He had a feeling Jenn and Damian had no intentions of letting him leave any time soon. It was bad enough when his ex-Beater was here alone never mind a friend he had not seen in… far too long.

“Alright then, my usual. Only not rare please, with the way Liam’s been cooking steak I think I will be traumatized by rare steaks for a long time.” Jake told him, leaning back.

Jenn wanted to take the tab of the drink. Something told him that she did not make as much money, or roughly the same as he did. Yes he spoiled his daughter rotten and his beloved lab was no better but he also saved up. Arguing was not in order, so he let her in on it. However, he get a weak drink, nothing more than a small fruit cocktail. He was not coming home off center and smelling like Alan did every Friday. He had little shame in his ability to drink a neon colored beverage and still look manly. He swore it was a talent.

“What about you then, what will you be eating, or are you not going to eat your own food. Never trust a skinny cook, you know.”

Damian nodded noting Jake's order onto a piece of paper before sending it on its way to the kitchens also making a note to bring it out with Jenn's order. He winced at Jake's comment, his usual light tone still in his voice as he spoke. "Ouch, Darney. Just cause I'm a skinny bloke, doesn't mean you can pick on me." He winked, "And just cause I don't play qudditch on a daily basis anymore doesn't mean I haven't lost some of my old muscle."

Despite the light tone to his voice, Damian knew that Jake was partly right. It wasn't like he never ate his own food - he had to eat to live after all, but he usually bowed out of his eating his own food when his friends were around. His attention could always be directed and seeing their expressions as they ate it, and Damian wanted to be attentive so that he could tweak whatever little thing to make the dish the tiniest bit better.

Three glasses drifted over from the bar and settled onto their table, Jenn's wine, Jake's drink and his own lemonade with a splash of raspberry and lime. "If you want me to eat something, why don't you order for me? It's not often someone else does that for me."

The blonde listened the banter of the two men for a while, and was amused. The menu had a few of the house specials, but obviously, Damian liked to do chef's specials. She flipped through the little card that was attached ot the menu, and noted the sauces and things that were prepared especially for each dish. When Damian suggested ordering for him, Jenn took up the challenge, and watched as the drinks drifted over to the table.

"Let's see, what does Damian like? Lemonade, and something like fish, perhaps? White fish to balance the citrus, maybe? And a salad as well. And I agree with you, Damian, I was the skinniest on the Quidditch team, but I was able to handle kids twice my size and weight when I was on a broom."

“I’m not mister macho, myself. I just have height on my side,” protested Jake with a grin.

Mitchell did have a point. Jake was always the biggest on the team back in school. He grew upwards fast and stayed one of the tallest in the school until he graduated. Not that it helped him any. He had to accomidate his size on the broom because everyone else had more natural agility. Auri and Jen, for example, moved with no issue. Damian had plenty of strength with half the size.

“I think Jen wants the honors of choosing your meal. Good thing, I’d try to beef you up a bit,” he teased, peaking over Jen’s shoulder to see what she was looking at.

The meal looked and sounded good. Not exactly something he’d try without some convincing, but Jake was not a fan of trying new food unless he made it. He hated it going to waste and Liam ate anything. Jen took Damian’s side and Jake gave a sigh. He had dug his own grave with this topic. The Brazilian gave a dimpled smile.

“I am well aware of that, Jen. You came in handy when we needed agility. I was not saying being small is bad. Look at Liam, kid’s a twig but he’s golden. His mum is not all that big, either.”

Come to think of it, most of the Harpies are tiny as Hell…