Coffee Coffee Coffee

Thank God he was drinking orange juice. It meant he could take a decent mouthful without fear of becoming completely inebriated, and just now, he needed that moment to gather his thoughts.

"Calm down," was what he finally decided to go with.

Selwyn and Jack clashed not because they were different, but because they were too similar. Both had short tempers, both liked being in control, neither of them could stand being wrong.

"I'm not accusing you of foul play," he waved that idea away as though it went without saying.

"I know you wouldn't do that. I also know you've a history of diving into things without thinking them through."

She rolled her eyes, unable to help it. She had kept her head pretty cool, considering. Selwyn knew her well enough to know that the fact that she had remained seated, avoided curses or threats, and hadn't made any rude gestures was an amazing feat of calm for her. Hadn't she just remembered how angsty and gun-ho she had been in Hogwarts. If she could remember that time, surely he did too. He had been on the wrong side of her too many times not to remember.

Calm down, my ass.

Despite her mild irritation, she did remain calm. Her expression was her usual - quirked eyebrow, chin lifted (because short people problems), eyes narrowed and focused.

"I've grown considerably," she said. "I'm sure you wouldn't want me to hold you to any childhood vices. And where I still lack, I have made sure to surround myself with those who complement my strengths and weaknesses."

"But you still think dropping people into Azkaban without trial is a good idea," he countered.

Childhood vices, that was a good one. Selwyn's childhood vices had consisted of making a mockery of the prefects, attempting to seduce anyone he thought would be susceptible to his veela charm and trying to make a quick buck in between. He was only ashamed of one of those things.

The only thing he knew about Jack's childhood vices was that she'd spent a lot of time in Knockturn Alley and one of her best friends had managed to get herself killed.

Should he use that? Jack would probably kill him if he used that.

"I hope you have."

This is why Jack didn't talk to people about the stuff she was doing in her life. She wasn't a politician. She was a woman with essentially three jobs, and a bunch of people who needed her home. She didn't have time to diplomatically explain herself to everyone who asked - and there were more than a few, as she had a lot of explaining to do. She could have explained all of this, but her new found patience was running thin.

She had read something about people reverting to old ways when people from their past confronted them. Her irritation was serving to prove that point.

"Not permanently," she said. "The people we go after are typically not held by the so-called Ministry holding cells. They get their trial."

She was so infuriating. Jack was the kind of person who couldn't see the long game, which wouldn't have been so bad if she actually listened to people who could. Which she didn't.

Why was he having this conversation, again?

"You are not that stupid, Jack," he told her.

"I'm the first to admit I have a problem with the Ministry. I have a problem with the Order, half the time. I get that you think you're doing good but you've gotta get past this infantile concept of good and evil. The world isn't split up like that," he said.

Another draught. His glass was mostly empty.

"Look, say you drop this criminal into Azkaban. Even if he gets his trial, you're still taking it to the Wizgamot, which is all tricked out with Lupin's loyalists. There is no way they're going to clear someone on those kind of charges."

"That isn't justice, Jack. You know it's not."

"Nobody is good or evil, but there's a hell of a lot of people ruining lives because they just don't notice, or they need to get by," he mused, looking into his glass so he didn't need to look at her face. "And most of those probably think they're the good guys. They probably take their kids to quidditch on the weekends."