After Work

"You're both going to do fine," Robert said confidently as the server came over to the table.

"Your usual, Robert?" she asked. He looked at the others.

"Anyone interested in a sirloin burger? I usually get mine with portabello mushrooms, swiss cheese, lettuce tomato, and steak sauce. I'll buy if anyone's hungry."

"Me? Turn down food? You've got to be kidding," Brian laughed. "I'll join you. Make mine medium." He told the server. "Oh, and I'll try the same trimmings on mine as Robert. Never had it that way, and it sounds good. Anyone else? Might as well get in on it if he's buying."

Daniel smiled, "Sure, but I don't want tomato on mine. No sense in wasting stuff that could possibly go to someone who needs it more, eh?". He was really hungry, he had nothing to eat the entire day. "So, uh, how big are the burgers here? I feel like I could eat a horse right now." It was true, and his stomach growled loud enough for all to hear throughout the Leaky Cauldron. He blushed in embarrassment, "Sorry".

"Third of a pound," Brian replied. "Pretty hearty. And they come with a whole basket of seasoned fries with ranch dip. Its a good meal for a night when you don't get a chance to stop at home. Especially after Sparks is closed. I try to eat at Sparks a bit more because I do honestly try to eat healthy. But every so often I just want a big thick juicy burger and fries. Steven? Skeeter? What about you two? You both eating with us?"

"So you want the seasoned fries, then?" the server asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Brian grinned. "That's the best part."

Steven chuckled as he heard Daniel's tummy rumble " Daniel don't worry its sign of a health apitite , mines well done with tomatoe, all hell just dress it up with everything" he said patting his tummy " and some of those sesaoned fries too " he grined finishing his beer.

the watress brought another and took his empty away he just smiled at her then looked around the table he played with a small black box that now sat in his hand as he flipped the lid gently open and closed .

Daniel giggled nervously, then said "I guess it is. Thanks!"

He saw the box, "What's that?" he inquired. Of course, Daniel had a curious item of his own which he shrunk down. He inadvertently took out his diary, a black book which returned to normal size once he took it out of his pocket. The two pages he vowed he'd never read weren't stuck together, though. They didn't stick together for a long time now. He wondered why. These pages contained the tragic events that lead to his boyfriend's death and were marked in red. The book laid upon the table where anyone could see it.

Steven looked at Daniel as he thumbed the box "ow this its an engagment rig , I know this woman shes really sweet , we've know each other awhile now and well " he smiled looking at Brian and Robert feeling alittle like a small boy again "well... I notn't know how to ask her , I was married before for a long time but in a dragion attack she was killed well Ronata's the first woman who ... any way im stuck in how to ask her" he said opening the box to show him the ring that sat inside.

Daniel stared at the ring in awe, it was beautiful. He smiled warmly, "I'm sure she'll love it no matter how you present it. Maybe you could put it on top of a cupcake, then say something like 'That cupcake will never rival you in sweetness' or something like that. Then when she's surprised and really happy, you pop the question. I saw it once in a movie, too bad the couple got eaten by the giant mutant lizard after he asked." Daniel's memory went back to the time he watched that same movie with Stanley, he sneaked Stanley into the Gryffindor common room, turned on the TV and set it to a random channel. He shook his head to go back to the present time. He patted his book that he set on the table, "This is my diary, I've been writing in it ever since I was around 11 or so." He didn't bother to mention the red pages that stuck out like sore thumbs.

Skeeter shook his head when Robert asked if he wanted something to eat; he had grabbed a bite to eat before coming here so he would not be clutching his stomach in hunger. He kicked himself now, seeing how cordial and friendly everyone was over food, but what could you do? Instead, he ate some more almonds.

He watched the ensuing conversation with a playing onto his face as Steven showed the engagement ring and talked to Daniel about figuring out how to propose. Dee down, somewhere, Skeeter was a hopeless romantic. But he was so terrible with knowing when women liked him that he had trouble acting upon these romantic urges. Instead, he liked to hear about people's successes and failures.

Robert caught the look on Skeeter's face. A case of young nerves. Not so unlike himself at that age. He understood it well. And Daniel kept a journal. Robert and his brother had always kept journals. He had Remus's journals all safely locked away now, and most of his own past volumes. That never stopped Khaat from finding a way to get to Remus's journals and read them incessantly when she was younger, particularly after Remus's murder. He understood Daniel's pain in a way. He himself had lost Remus much too soon, and it had nearly taken Robert's only child along with it.

"Keeping a journal," he said to Daniel. "Its a good thing. Its a wonderful way to deal with those things that you don't want to talk to anyone else about. And sometimes we all have things that it seems no one else really understands. So you and Skeeter both know, my door is always open to a friend. Steven and Brian already know that. But if you and Skeeter ever need it, don't ever be afraid to ask."

Then he looked at Steven. "You know, I had all sorts of grand plans when I wanted to propose to Katherine. And they all went right out the window when I saw her that night. I took her to dinner, and when I saw how beautiful she looked in that white dress, the words just tumbled out like I was 13 at my first dance. She laughed. I was so awkward. But she was so gracious and lovely that she just took the ring and said yes. Not my best moment, but definitely my best decision."

"Th-thanks. Those two red pages are an even so horrible, that I try not to remember it. That's why they're in red. The rest of the journal is readable in my eyes. Nothing really private, chronicles of my life through Hogwarts, and good times with Stanley. Times I'll always look back to and smile" Daniel said, remembering another time when Stanley had given him a special necklace he kept locked away to this day. "Somehow, the name Remus sounds familiar. I can't quite put my finger on why though."