--just a visit

[Captain Darcy Potter]

• Yet again, Darcy had been held up at the office by coworkers jokinglyùalways jokingly, of courseùinsisting he was far too young to run for Minister. Yet again, Darcy had smiled and laughed as expected, doing his best to ensure he was not too eager to get away, not too pressed for time to talk and joke with those who, until the bloody election was out of the way, had nothing but power over him. Impulsivity was not something foreign to him, and itùand ambitionùthat he had to blame for placing him with far more stress and work (on top of the endless paperwork his superiors had for him to file) than he had anticipated running would saddle him with. Between the Ministry headache that was a killer on the loose the month before, and his campaigning this month, the wizard was a tired one, and one relieved to be spending the evening with his younger sister.
  
  Dinner was to be held at the family homeùeven though his brother would be notably absentùrather than his own apartments; this was in part due to the fact that Ella would likely find it more comfortable, in part due to the fact that his own home was something of chaos between campaigning materials and plans for the ball he hoped would further his bid for the position of Ministerùalso to be held at the Potter estateùand in large part due to the fact that he could not guarantee his lodger would keep herself out of sight for the evening, a matter he had not yet broached to his sister or had to address to the public. That particular headacheùone that had lessened, but not disappeared, in the weeks since it had formedùcould certainly be saved for another occasion.
  
  The wizard was, upon arrival, quickly informed that Eleanor was already awaiting his arrival in the parlour; quickly, he dashed upstairs to change into something more suitable for dinner before finding his way back downstairs. "Ella!" he greeted cheerfully as he strode into the room, bending to kiss his sister lightly on the cheek. "I'm terribly sorry to have kept you waiting! Work has proved to be somewhat more hecticùat least, for meùof late, making it something of a bother to escape the building on time!" Darcy poured himself a brandy before taking a seat on the couch opposite her, sprawling somewhat more than he would of if he had had company. After all, sisters were hardly guests; he had always felt quite at ease around her.
  
  "How is Hogwarts treating you?" Darcy inquired, assuming the pair might as well get the standard conversational fare out of the way.