Part III

Yaxley went back to work for the MLE after his trial and acquittal, since his role behind the scenes was revealed. He received quite a few thank-you-letters from Muggleborns whose registrations he had misfiled but otherwise was content to be a silent hero. Whenever someone like Kingsley Shacklebolt commented on it he answered, "Tony was always the flashier one of us." Being a silent hero led to some unkind comments from people at the ministry who were not in the know therefore Corban changed his routine from eating his lunch in the ministry canteen to the Leaky Cauldron, he did not want to suffer indigestion. He kept up a correspondence with Hermione Granger, who liked to bounce her sometimes wild ideas off someone knowledgable. As stimulating this was intellectually the young woman never ever asked any personal questions, rather treated Corban as a human library. The man's infatuation had never gotten very far and therefore it was an easy process to let it fade to what it obviously was in Hermione's eyes, intellectual penpals.

But with Roddy in France, Antonin in Russia and the Grangers, who had become friends during his stay there, at the other end of the world Yaxley was desperately lonely. He had a good working relationship with Amelia Bones and also with Kingsley Shacklebolt but other than the pubcrawls with Thorfinn Rowle every other Tuesday his social calendar was quite empty. And now that Rowle was marrying into a bakery late nights were quite out of the question.

Not a fan of early lunches the crowd at the Leaky Cauldron usually was thinning out by the time Corban arrived. Sitting in his usual booth near the back but with a good view of the whole bar area he enjoyed his meal while watching people. Some months ago Tom had turned the running of the pub over to his successor Hannah Abbot. He still tended to the bar but the young woman had changed the menu. All time favourites like Toad-in-a-hole or Shepherd's Pie were still on it but the set meals at lunchtime favoured more greens and salads. Yaxley had grown up with a fairly stodgy cuisine, which was all right if one could relax for two hours after a meal. Now he came to appreciate that, while sated after lunch, he was not so full as to fall asleep over his reports during the afternoon.

One day, after a late morning meeting had run especially late, he came into the Leaky when it was empty. Hannah Abbot was just about to sit down with a plate of her own.

"Ms Abbot, I am sorry to have missed your cooking, I'm just passing through to the chippy."

"No, Mr Yaxley, sit down! We had lasagna today and I have already wondered why you had missed it. I know it is your favourite."

"A meeting ran late. Usually I transfigure the chairs to make them uncomfortable to avoid missing one of your meals but today's chap must have had a behind made of steel."

"As you suffered so much today I should bring some tiramisu as well. Sit down, I'll be back in a minute!"

It took her three minutes to come back with fresh salad, another plate of lasagna and two tiramisus.

"Thank you, Ms Abbot, for your kindness."

"Think nothing of it. You are one of our nicest guests. I appreciate that, and what you've done for Nelly, my new service girl."

The girl, for she was only fifteen, was quick-witted and reliable and found a kind word for the old regulars as well as weary shoppers. But she was clumsy. Her widowed mother could not afford further Hogwarts tuition therefore Nelly was glad to have found this job. If only she would stop dropping drinks and plates! Yaxley had seen two such instances and had gotten curious. After talking to the girl he'd written to her mother for permission to check Nelly for latent Metamorphagus abilities. Mother and daughter had called at the MLE and Yaxley had put them in contact with the senior Auror in charge of checking newbies. Nelly had indeed shape-changing abilities and since she got training to control them better she hadn't dropped a single plate.

Over coffee and tiramisu Yaxley listened to Ms Abbot's further plans, offering his opinion now and then, complementing the changes she'd already made.

"I had to be over forty to finally appreciate vegetables. Ms Abbot, you managed what three house-elves and my mother did not. But then during my childhood in Scotland I rarely saw anything green on a plate. By the time it was cooked it usually had languished in a cellar for a few months."

Hannah laughed, "It wasn't that much different in Wales. I saw a Muggle cook once on TV – that is a box that shows moving pictures."

Yaxley laughed, "I do know what a TV is, I even own one plus a video recorder. And quite a collection of tapes. We used to do movie nights, back when Tom Riddle was just a traditionalist and the Knights of Walpurgis a respectable club."

"That sounds nice. I used to do that with Susan during the holidays. I think we watched every Walt Disney as girls. What did you watch?"

Hannah looked as if she wanted to withdraw the question.

"Well, all the classics – Some like it hot, The Shop around the Corner, Bringing up Baby. Antonin likes everything with fencing like The Three Musketeers. Jaws was always a great favourite, Severus even developped a shark-revealing charm after seeing that film, and The Godfather, obviously. Oh, and let's not forget Star Wars! Little Reggie used to hum the Imperial March under his breath whenever Tom made a longwinded speech. That was before it became clear that he was getting insane."

"I do know Some like it hot but not the others." They talked a bit more about films and food and Yaxley was nearly late for his next meeting.

As the pub was running smoothly under the new management Ms Abbot usually tried to at least take her coffee with her latest lunch guest. Sometimes they were joined by her boyfriend Nevilla Longbottom who stopped by whenever Prof Sprout sent her apprentice to London for slug-remover or some special seeds. The boy had grown up a fine young man and yet something about him rubbed Yaxley the wrong way. Maybe it was that half-sentence about the last months before Voldemort's death where the herbologist alluded to his difficult time at Hogwarts while Harry Potter had been at the other end of the world. Or the way he took Ms Abbot for granted. A voice in Corban's head that sounded suspiciously like Antonin's told him not to fall for a much too young woman again but another argued that those young men did not have the experience to treat a gem like Ms Abbot like she deserved.

Neville Longbottom was a nice enough man, now that he had gained some confidence, and had been raised to be a gentleman. Ms Abbot and he obviously had some shared experiences under Voldemort's reign during their last year at Hogwarts that had brought them close. But sometimes he was just so clueless! Corban chastitised himself not to be harder on the boy – man – than on the MLE recruits but one did not need two decades of experience in law enforcement to notice that Ms Abbot would have liked to be more appreciated, more seen.

Sure, Longbottom was always polited and complimented her style or a new meal, but to Yaxley that felt more like good manners than honest regard. He knew how much time and effort had gone into the side-salad to the new vegetable lasagna, he had tasted all five versions of it. The ministry official felt pathetic for thinking such petty thoughts and Hermione's invitation to her graduation from Harvard felt like a good reason to put some

distance between himself and the Leaky Cauldron.

June 30 th 2003, The Leaky Cauldron

Massachusets had been pleasant this past week and meeting the Grangers again as well. Harry Granger-Potter was different from the frightened youth tossed into a war he had met five years ago in such a fundamental way that made Yaxley realise that everything had been worth it. The young man looked his age instead of weary beyond his years, talked a mile a minute about his latest plays and finally had parents to look after him. And a sister who was prone to ignore him in favour of discussing some obscure theorem with her Harvard colleagues. Which was a good thing in and of itself as she had been conditioned by Dumbledore to work hard to keep Harry Potter alive.

And yet he was happy to be back in England and even happier to see Ms Abbot again. Yet the young proprietor's answers were short and clipped. Yaxley wondered whether he had inadvertedly angered her in some way but could remember no reason. He had told her of his absence and the reason why. Well, he'd find out what bothered her over a cup of coffee and if it was some small thing his presents hopefully would raise her mood.

"Ms Abbot, would you share an espresso with me? I have brought something back from the colonies for you."

Hannah had to laugh at this, "I know that you are perfectly capable to use the correct term for the States." Her mien grew serious, "I'd rather expected that Hermione would be accompagnying you back now she's graduated. Some department heads were talking about offering her a job last weeks."

"As far as I know she has no plans to leave Harvard. They offered her a research grant to further research the topic of her thesis. I do not think she would be happy with all the bureaucratic red tape a job at the ministry involves. The Department of Mysteries might tempt her in a few years, I guess."

Ms Abbot looked puzzled. And relieved? Yaxley seeked her eye, cocking his head questioningly. The publican sighed, "I expected you to offer for Hermione after her graduation."

"You what?" The spoon full of tiramisu stopped halfway towards his mouth, "What could a young woman who has the world at her fingertips expect from an old reprobate like me?"

Hannah raised her eyebrow, "Do not fish for compliments! You're hardly old. As what to expect, I don't know – experience, maturity, steadfastness probably? Appreciation, too? And from what I remember about Hermione, she doesn't care for the whole world, she'd prefer an interesting problem, resources to solve it and someone who can understand what she's currently working on."

"There you have it. I was well-read enough to be a good sounding board when she started to stretch her wings academically but in that area she surpassed me some years ago. I imagine she still writes out of habit."

"Mayhaps. But she's still the person you talk most about."

"Ms Abbot, do not make me wish for whiskey during a work day. Tony's in Russia, Thorfinn's up to his elbows in dough learning to bake, at ungodly hours, mind you. I admit my social calendar ist quite empty these days. The highlights are my lunches here and getting a letter every four weeks or so."

"Oh hush!"

"Would I lie to you?"

"Maybe. You really like my tiramisu and I guess that you realise that I always keep a portion for you. And you would like me to continue doing so."

Yaxley cursed his ancestors for his reddish-blond hair and fair complexion. It was embarrassing for a man his age to blush so fiercely. He withdrew a shrunken parcel to distract from situation and enlarged it in front of Hannah.

"I found something you might like in Boston."

The two books were wrapped in a colourful silk scarf, impractical in a kitchen or a pub but otherwise very fetching with Ms Abbots honeyblond tresses and fair skin. She absentmindedly caressed the soft silk but her attention was on the books – Alice Waters´ "The Art of Simple Food" and Enda Lewis´ "The Taste of Country Cooking". Thumbing through them both she got mesmerized. When after a few minutes she still did not say anything Corban's nerves got the better of him.

"You see, there was this bookshop in Boston, specialising in cooking books and gardening. I told the very knowledgable sales-woman there what kind of pub this is and what your visions for it are and she recommended these. The Lewis-book is probably not directly applicable but she assured me that Mrs Lewis´ approach to ingredients is something you might appreciate and - " Ms Abbot finally looked at him. There were tears in her eyes. She took his hands in hers and said, "That is the singularly most thoughtful present I have ever gotten in my life, thank you so much, Mr Yaxley!"

"Call me Corban, please."

"Hannah."

Ms Abbot's beau, Neville Longbottom, finished his apprenticeship with Professor Sprout at Hogwarts. And while the professor would eventually like to see her protegée as her successor she was too young to retire. She recommended furthering his knowledge in other climates. So, after securing an internship in a remote wizarding enclave in the Amazon jungle and asking his grandmother for his mother's engagement ring he took Hannah for a fine dinner at the "Unicorn" and proposed. It was frowned upon after all, if a young couple lived together without formalising their union. He was honestly surprised by her refusal and her angry tears. They Apparated behind the greenhouses on Longborn grounds and after hexing a few boulders Hannah was calm enough to explain her reasons for refusing, the main one being his presumption that she would drop all her plans to sit in the jungle while he researched chinin or other plants. The "Leaky" could very well run without Hannah, she had trained her staff well, and Tom was available, too. What hurt her most was that her boyfriend of two years hadn't even talked with her about is plans, hadn't tried to find a way to combine both of their ambitions. Which would have been possible, Japan for instance had interesting plants as well as a whole new world of culinary to delve into for Hannah.

Told like this Neville understood her reasons all and was quite ashamed of himself. Somewhere on the way to grow into his breetches after beheading Voldemort's Horcrux he had taken Hannah Abbot for granted. They decided to take a break in their relationship but both knew that it was over.

August 30th, 2003, The Leaky Cauldron

Corban had noticed that the Longbottom boy wasn't here as often as before but he did not ask and Hannah did not offer an explanation. That day her red-rimmed eyes told him all he needed to know. When Hannah went back into the kitchen for some late customers Tom confided in him that shortly before midday Neville had been by to take his farewell before catching his Portkey to Brazil. They had ended their relationship officially then.

The next day Yaxley was back with a Muggle newspaper and whisked Hannah away for an afternoon Billy Wilder double-feature in the Prince-Charles-cinema – Some like it hot and The Apartment. The publican cried some more but most of these tears were from laughing.

The MLE office got used to Yaxley randomly making use of his accrued over-time during the week. Of course those were not taken randomly but coincided with yet more double-features and one memorable night of the Godfather trilogy.

After the cinema the pair used to dine in different new Muggle restaurants. Sometimes Thorfinn Rowle and his wife Eleanor Fawley met them there and a mutually beneficial cooperation between The Leaky and Fawley's Foibles sprung up. From then on Hannah, who's heart wasn't into baking, only did the tiramisu herself, other confectionaries and deserts she ordered from Fawley's.

Yule Yaxley spent in Russia with Antonin and his family, becoming proud godfather of their first son Alexej Antonovich. Before leaving he had left a gift with Hannah. While the Yaxley family was one of the Sacred Twentyeight – not that he cared about that – Corban was the second son of a fourth son, he had some jewellery from his mother and a trunk of books, mostly on law. That, some savings and his flat was all he had to his name. For Yule he had selected a lovely necklace from his mother that had been in the family for generations. He was sure that Hannah would understand it's meaning, that of a courting gift. During the last six months, when it had become apparent that he might have a chance at winning her heart, he had taken a closer looks at his personal finances. His savings might be enough for a down-payment for a cottage somewhere – Hannah's inheritance was tied up in the Leaky – but his flat was worth something. It was situated in a Muggle building in Islington. He had bought it cheaply before the area had become trendy and he would net quite a sum if he sold it on the Muggle market. In short he could afford to offer marriage to Hannah.

And if she wished for children Susan Bones, now Mrs Finch-Fletchley, was working on establishing day-care at the ministry. Corban supported the endeavour whenever he could. Over some particularly dry reports he allowed himself a daydream of fetching a blond toddler from daycare after work, then walking together through Diagon Alley to fetch Mummy from her work before going home. And yes, they could make a small detour to look at the kneazle kittens but no, icecream before dinner was forbidden.

January 8th 2004, Nopi restaurant, London

Hannah said yes to courting, enthusiastically so. She had one provision - that the rules of courtship permitted whatever they wanted. Of course Corban acquieted and thus was frantically trying to make his bachelor pad presentable a scant three weeks later. His beloved had proposed to try a new place serving a fantastic breakfast come Sunday. When he asked for a time to meet she had offered to come to his place the evening before as it was always nicer to go for breakfast together, wasn't it? And that she did not feel confident modelling what she got from that new Muggle shop in her old childhood bedroom. Then the minx let him glimpse into the pale pink bag from Agent Provocateur she carried.

Corban tried not to fan himself but loosened his collar.

Hannah Abbot and Corban Yaxley got married on the eve before Beltane that year. Their first child of three, Jeremy, was born six weeks after Cecily Fawley Rowle. By the time Hannah went back to work the creche at the ministry was running. It was a wild success and was eventually extended towards a wizarding primary. The Yaxleys bought a cottage in Kent with the money from the Islington flat. When their youngest, a girl named Susannah, was off to Hogwarts Corban retired from the ministry and helped his wife opening and running a chain of restaurants and food-trucks all over wizarding Britain where Hannah could finally spread her culinary wings in a way not possible in the "Leaky Cauldron".

Fin