Author's note: I'm thinking of writing a series of short scenes like this (not lipograms, though) focused on Lee and Angelina, but also involving George, Alicia, Katie, and Oliver. Please vote in my poll if you'd like to see more focused on the latter four in the group, or would prefer a tighter focus.

I give Alicia the idea, apparently. She's visiting and maybe hasn't seen my new, er, styles yet. She gives me a weird glance when she walks in, saying little at first yet biting her lip at times. Finally, maybe she's waiting till Angelina walks in, Alicia smirks and says "Nice ear."

"Like it?" I grin. It's large and green, this evening. "I decided if Mad-Eye had a magical eye, I deserved a magical ear." I yank it sideways, detaching it entirely. As Alicia gasps, I explain, "I have...independent ways that I can...er, extend my senses."

"Spy."

"What's a verb between friends? All I'm saying is, I didn't need anything very irreplaceable. I have twelve, finishing thirteen next week if I can. I can mix and match them, match my shirt."

"Classy," Alicia says sarcastically. "And I'll bet a few play extra tricks."

"Safe bet, that," says Angelina.

"Hey, it isn't like I'd anger my wife with them," I defend myself.

"Since six and seven left beta testing, fine. Till then..."

"Fine, fine, whatever. Let's have dinner."

I can't imagine Cleansweep gives their staff areas where they can simply draft things they aren't selling. Alicia explains, afterwards, that she gathered spare scraps as she left, stashing them in her chair and Apparating back. When she was thirty she finally left that silly flat she had been living in, Apparating past five stair flights every day, and started living in a nice single-level place. I'd visited a few times. It had a nice kitchen, and apparently a nice crafting bench as well.

The next time I see her, she's giving me many tips regarding making spare ears. I try and tell her I have many different styles already, yet this is half-hearted. She's excited, clearly, and I like hearing that. I still haven't realized what she's really spending her free time with.

Finally, it's early May, when we all visit the Leaky and have a pint. Katie is excited since her kid, Melinda, is clearly magical, Lee and Angelina are swapping rather bawdy tales, and Alicia? Alicia is reaching behind her, grabbing a...a few things, really, a pair.

"Sticks that babies can fly?" says Lee. "That's scaled really badly, if it isn't Melinda's birthday present."

"They aren't meant as flying sticks," I realize. "As far as we think, anyway. Alicia, is that—"

Grinning, she casts a weird charm that affixes the fibers at her hips.

"Peg legs!" cheers Angelina. "A pair! Brilliant! They fly, then?"

"Yep. Haven't teshted them that many times, mind— "Alicia disclaims.

Katie chimes in. "It's a pity Mad-Eye didn't have these. That eye washn't necessary, with a nice eye patch he'd have made a brilliant pirate."

"Pirate?" Angelina asks.

"It isn't a magical thing, really, it's...piratesh, right? Captain Alicia?"

"Nah, we have plenty ash far as captains matter," says Alicia. "Watch this." She takes a few steps with the pegs—

then crashes, the legs slipping away and whizzing independently past a clearly mad bartender.

"Right, that'sh that learned," says Alicia. "Drinking and teshting peg legs can't mix well."