Ted

[mitchellbernford]

Mitch had figured Ted would get it. It was nothing like what they'd talk about, the two of them and Dirk sometimes, about this crazy world they'd somehow ended up in. Though there was some parallels he'd realized in rehab. But unlike at school Mitch didn't have anyone who could relate to what he was going through. At least no one he trusted enough to talk to that he felt would get it. While he doubted it changed anything he was still glad he had a chance to sort of explain himself to Ted. Make sure the bloke knew it was nothing on his end. This whole messy ending of their friendship felt more on him then it had when he thought it was just them being embarrassed by his tabloid antics. He really thought that would be that. Instead Ted was speaking again. Ironically Ted's comments that were meant to be nice, he knew Ted enough to know that, just made him feel the full weight of what he'd lost. What now felt like he'd tossed away rather then lost. Just how empty and lonely his life was now felt on display. How empty and lonely it had been for a long time. He'd ignored it with parties and dates and then after rehab with a relationship and her friends. But he had nothing to distract him from any of it anymore. His life wasn't completely devoid of friendship. But he hardly saw any of the players he was still friendly with. He gave Ted a sad smile when the other told him he'd always answer his owls. "Thanks," he managed to get out before clearing his throat as if that could cover up the emotion in his voice. "Not sure I'm great company these days. And I er... I don't drink so grabbing a pint is off the table." Mitch still hadn't figured out how to word that without sounded weird. With Daphne's group he'd just blamed training because everyone always wanted a reason why you weren't having something. Even that wasn't always enough of an excuse for some. "But thanks," he added again feeling really out of sorts.

[normalted]

Ted was surprised by the emotion in Mitch's voice when he thanked him, but it made him feel like pushing the subject a little bit, giving Mitch an opening if he wanted someone to talk to, had been the right decision. A feeling that was confirmed when Mitch said he wasn't great company these days. If he wasn't great company, that meant he was going through something. And not drinking, apparently. Ted managed to hide his surprise pretty well, though he couldn't stop the slight raise of his eyebrows when Mitch said that. The last Ted knew, Mitch had been enjoying the quidditch player party lifestyle a lot. Maybe too much. That did seem to have died down lately, though. Ted had thought that was because of Daphne. Maybe it was partly. Or maybe it was because he'd decided to stop drinking. Ted wondered if that was a health thing or if there was more to it. From the way Mitch said it, it felt like there was more there. "Good thing there's plenty of other ways to hang out besides grabbing a pint," Ted reminded him with a small smile. "Maybe we could have a cup of tea and you can tell me about why you think you're not great company these days," he offered, because Mitch hadn't said no to talking to Ted and now Ted was pretty sure Mitch did need someone to talk to.

[mitchellbernford]

It was a relief to know that they'd never felt embarrassed by him. A little surprising too given some of the stuff printed about him. Especially since it wasn't all lies or exaggerations. Though he felt bad that they'd worried about him. He'd certainly never meant to make anyone worry over him. He gave Ted a small, sad smile when th eother said he still cared. That sounded like Ted alright. "Yeah, it is," Mitch agreed softly. It was a shame. But you couldn't go back and undo the past. And sadly his friendship with the blokes was in the past. "I spent a good amount of time telling myself that those things weren't embarrassing or difficult. Or at least were worth it. For what it's worth it wasn't anything personal that I didn't talk about it. Complaining about any of it felt a lot like complaining about the shitty things at Hogwarts instead of just being grateful for the opportunities." Not that it mattered now but Mitch wanted Ted to know it wasn't because of anything he'd done or hadn't done that made Mitch not talk about it. And he figured unlike Kingsley or Jacob, Ted would understand that about being grateful. Of course he might not. Ted might have always ended up in the sort of life he had now, even without magic. A lovely wife and a job as a nurse. For Mitch the world was a lot smaller pre-magic, complaining felt ungrateful and he was not ungrateful despite the bad parts. "Anyway, glad to know you and the other blokes are all doing well. Amazing about Dirk too." Really amazing.

[normalted]

Ted gave Mitch another small, sad smile when he agreed it was a shame how everything happened. For as much as Ted had wondering about Mitch, wondered what made him really decide he wasn't interested in staying mates with him and the blokes, he could hear in Mitch's voice that he meant it, that he did agree it was a shame. It was bittersweet to know that. They couldn't undo the years they hadn't talked to each other. And Ted wasn't sure yet if there was a path forward for them now, or if Mitch really wanted there to be. But it felt like there was a glimmer of hope when Mitch spoke up again, explaining more of what he was going through. It was a shame he hadn't felt like he could talk to Ted or the blokes, but Ted understood what Mitch was saying about not wanting to complain, about how it wasn't personal. There had been a lot of difficult things, coming into the wizarding world. There still were. And Ted had shielded his family from them all as much as he could, never mentioning the blood-purist bullies or the Death Eaters. They wouldn't be able to help, and it would just worry them, and it didn't feel right to complain about this amazing world he'd ended up in by sheer luck. It didn't mean he didn't love them and trust them that he kept all that to himself though. Ted nodded at Mitch's words. "I get that," he answered softly, sure that Mitch knew he did. They'd had conversations at school about some of that, with Dirk too, about how amazing everythign was but also how hard it could be sometimes. It had been nice to have a mate who understood it. He smiled softly at Mitch's addition about the blokes doing well, and Dirk being back. "It is amazing," he agreed. That could be where they left things, maybe. It was certainly an opening Ted could take to drop the conversation. But that wouldn't feel right. "And--for what it's worth," he began in a gentle tone, "I think you can be grateful for something and still find parts of it hard to deal with. That stuff all seems like a lot. I hope you have someone you can talk to about it, like we used to talk about similar stuff at school. I imagine you do," he added, because he didn't want to assume that Mitch hadn't found a good friend to talk to. But it felt a little bit like Mitch might need a friend right now, and he'd rather annoy Mitch a little bit by making sure he knew he could talk to Ted than not make the offer if it was needed. But just know, if you ever do want to talk, or if you just want a low-key hangout, I'll always answer your owls," he said with a small smile.

[mitchellbernford]

"That's the only thing I can think of because I know I never heard from any of you after the wedding." That much Mitch was certain about. "When I talked them after ma got on me they told me that the extra steps for my parents, sending it someplace to be switched from muggle mail to owl was what had messed up the spell. That didn't apply to anyone but my parents but I dunno why else I wouldn't have gotten your owls. I just now I never got any." Mitch was surprised when Ted said he was a little bit jealous. His explanation made things a little clearer because had Ted been jealous of any of the other stuff he'd have been shocked ot hear it. The explanation also made him feel bad. He hadn't meant to make any of them feel like he liked his new mates more than his old mates. "I'm sorry I made it seem like that," Mitch told him. "I never meant to and I certainly didn't think any of them were better then you or the blokes. Truthfully a lot of that stuff felt more like work stuff then hanging out with mates." It was hard to explain especially since at the beginning he'd spent so much time trying to enjoy it. "I'm not saying I didn't enjoy any of it. I mean it got to my head a bit, all that attention and money when I'd never had a lot of either. I just didn't think it'd come at the risk of my friendships." Once he'd realized it had it was too late. "At first I just thought you blokes were busy. You'd just gotten married, the other two were in auror training. And then I thought you'd ditched me. I'll admit, I was a little pissed about that at first. Not really mad, just more like told myself I was mad at you. It was really just embarrassment if I'm honest. Embarrassed that you found me not owrth the hassle of the press or embarrassing because of some of the stuff the tabloids put in about me." It was hard to admit that he'd thought his mates were embarrassed of him, especially since he knew some of that made him look like a right arse so they had good reason to be. It was sad to find out that instead he'd lost out on his friendships because he'd been a flake. That one felt like there was even less he could do about it.

[normalted]

"Hm." Ted wasn't sure what else to say to Mitch's explanation that all their owls were getting diverted by his security. On the one hand, it did make him feel a little better to know Mitch hadn't been outright ignoring them. On the other hand, Mitch completely stopped hearing from all of them and just...never bothered to reach out again. So that stung a bit, but it was a dull sort of sting; that wound was an old one, mostly closed up now. "Well, we did send them," was all he could think to add. It was sad to think Mitch thought they'd just stopped owling, even if it hadn't felt much like Mitch even wanted their owls by the end. Ted gave Mitch a small, appreciative smile when he apologized. An apology didn't really feel necessary after so many years, but it was nice to get it all the same. With more life experience and perspective now, Ted could see that a lot of that stuff probably felt like work. He'd wondered back then too, whether Mitch really enjoyed any of it. It had just felt like Mitch was too far away at that point. Ted was a little surprised to hear Mitch though they'd ditched him, especially since he'd stopped owling first way before he apparently stopped getting their owls. It was sad to hear Mitch thought they'd been embarrassed by him. "Nah, we were never embarrassed by you," Ted answered, a small, sad smile on his face. "A little worried, to be honest, but never embarrassed. But it felt like you didn't want to talk to us about the stuff that might have been embarrassing, or difficult. I get it," he added, not wanting Mitch to think he held a grudge about that. "You were going through a huge life change. I mean we all were at that point, right out of Hogwarts, but you were especially. I just wasn't sure how to help when you were so hard to get a hold of. Or if you even wanted our help. But I'm sorry it felt like we stopped caring. We didn't. I still care," he added with a slight smile. "And I know you never had bad intentions toward us," Ted added. "Just a shame how things happened."

[mitchellbernford]

It was harsh to hear Ted say that he'd stopped being Ted's mate. If that was how he saw things no wonder he stopped owling. Mitch didn't know if Ted meant he'd stopped being Ted's mate because he'd changed so much or what. But he wouldn't be surprised if the blokes had found his tabloid antics embarrassing. At the time he'd told himself that was just part of the game. Because professional quidditch involved a lot more games then just quidditch. Maybe it was all part of the game. But it was still embarrassing. Most of the time he wasn't even having fun. Except no, there was Ted saying again that he'd ignored them. Mitch's face gave away how confused he was about how Ted came to that conclusion. "I don't understand," he told Ted. He knew Ted wouldn't lie about it but at the same time he also knew he'd never ignored any owls from the blokes. "I never heard from you after the wedding." At first Mitch had just figured Ted was busy being a newlywed and the blokes had auror training. At some point it had felt like too much time had passed to reach out on his end. "And yeah I figured the reporters had something to do with it. Especially with everything with your in-laws but even without that. They were a lot, even trying to trick my parents." That had pissed Mitch off. "The blokes said people either took advantage of having a quidditch player as a mate or ditched them because it was too much to handle. I knew you blokes would never take advantage, I just figured it had finally become not worth the hassle." Which had hurt but Mitch had drowned that pain out in partying, booze, and models only dealing with it when he finally went to rehab. But he had dealt with it and now he felt like it was understandable on their part. "The only time I ever didn't answer an owl was from my mum when--" Mitch stopped for a moment wondering if that's what had happened. "Ah shit. So like I said this bird from the Prophet somehow figured out how to find my parents." A feat considering they were hard to find even for muggles living out in the middle of farm land as they did. "I had to up my security after that. Really tighten up everything, including my owls. When ma didn't get an answer she made dad bring her down to check up. I think maybe that might be what happened. Cause I swear I never ignored any of you." It was the only thing that made sense even though it sort of hurt that they didn't stop by. But they all had a lot going on and well maybe they weren't upset about ending the friendship all things considered.

[normalted]

Ted didn't really understand what it was that Mitch didn't understand, and it showed on his face. His confusion only increasing when Mitch said he hadn't heard from any of them after the wedding. That wasn't right. Ted had owled several times. He frowned when Mitch said he thought the reporters were part of why they stopped owling. His frown deepened when Mitch added that apparently he'd figured they just decided he wasn't worth the hassle. At least he hadn't thought they were trying to take advantage. Ted wasn't sure where Mitch was going when he paused like that, but he waited and listened, surprised by where Mitch ended. It took him a second to understand what Mitch was getting at. "So--what? You think your security was screening out our owls?" That kind of stung to hear, even if it wasn't Mitch's fault. Maybe what really stung was that Mitch thought Ted had just stopped owling and hadn't bothered to owl him, or stop by his house, or anything to see what was up. Maybe Ted could have stopped by Mitch's place, he supposed. There was a time where Ted and the other blokes would have freaked out if Mitch had just stopped answering their owls. They would have come to his flat and pounded on the door, waited outside until they saw their mate was okay and figured out what was going on. But even before Mitch stopped answering altogether, he'd gotten more distant. His replies took longer to come, they were shorter, and they were usually either Mitch turning down plans or cancelling them. So when he'd just stopped answering altogether, it felt like a natural progression. Disappointing, hurtful, but not a reason to worry anymore. Just a sad ending. One that Mitch hadn't really done anything to stop. Ted let out a soft sigh. Mitch had been going through a lot, his life changing in all kinds of ways very quickly, and it made sense he was busier and maybe needed friends who could support him and relate to him in ways Ted and the blokes couldn't; Ted didn't want to hold that against him now. But he also wanted to make sure Mitch knew Ted hadn't just given up on their friendship. "Look, I'll admit I was a little bit jealous. Not of the quidditch or you getting all famous or the parties or anything like that," he added just to be clear, though hopefully Mitch already knew that part. "I was just jealous that you seemed to like hanging out with all your new quidditch friends more than us. But I also knew you were doing something really cool and exciting, and also probably scary and stressful, and all your new quidditch friends could probably relate and help you through that better than the blokes or I could. I never felt like you weren't worth the hassle. I'm sorry you felt like I did," he added, because he was. Maybe some of his jealousy and hurt feelings had come out a little and that was how Mitch interpreted it. "But even before you stopped answering owls it sort of felt like you'd moved on," he added, so Mitch would maybe understand where Ted was coming from, why he had eventually stopped owling. "And I knew if something bad had happened we'd have heard from your mum or dad. So I just figured you finally got too busy for us. I was sad about it, but--I dunno, it felt like I needed to just step back and leave you be. And you never owled either," he pointed out, though his voice was gentle, more matter-of-fact than accusing. Mitch could have owled at whatever point he'd noticed he wasn't hearing from Ted.

[mitchellbernford]

Mitch was surprised to hear Ted say he stopped owling, what? "What do you mean when I stopped owling," he asked. "I know I wasn't owling first but I always answered your owls." Maybe that's what Ted had meant. It was pretty shitty of him but things had been pretty intense that first year especially. Even without all the parties and clubs and models. "I know I was a pretty shitty mate," he admitted because it was true he'd been a total flake. But Mitch had never just not shown up or ignored an owl. Still he hadn't been a good mate at all. "It didn't really feel like I could say no to those blokes. I was the new bloke trying to fit in. Plus my agent said all that baloney was good to get my name and image out there. Up my profile. but I wasn't trying to ditch any of you. It was just a lot. And then any time we all tried to go someplace there'd be all those photographers getting up in your faces and reporters trying to track you down. Sorry about all of that," he added because it was to some extent his fault. He was the one in a job that came with paparazzi and gossip reporters trying to get something juicy, not the blokes. Had he not been seen with them none of those people would have ever bothered any of the blokes. Not that any of this really mattered now everyone had clearly moved on.

[normalted]

Ted frowned when Mitch said he always answered Ted's owls. Was that really how Mitch remembered things? Even if it was, at least Mitch was admitting he'd completely stopped owling first. And apparently admitting he'd been a shit mate. That was a surprise. The explanation that followed was less of one. Ted had gotten the impression Mitch was going along with what he was told he should, trying to fit in with the quidditchers. More surprising was that Mitch seemed to be suggesting part of why he'd stopped hanging out with him and the blokes was because of the photographers. That had been weird the few times it happened, but Ted didn't think any of them had made a huge deal about it. "Look, Mitch, it's--" Ted stopped short of saying it was alright. It wasn't, really. Ted didn't hold a grudge against Mitch for any of it. He wasn't looking for an apology. But it wasn't alright. "I get it. Really. You had a lot going on. I'm sure it was stressful. And I hope I never made you feel like I didn't want to hang out with you because of the reporters. That stuff wasn't ideal but it wasn't like it was your fault, I wasn't gonna stop being your friend because of it. I don't really feel like I ever stopped being your friend, if I'm being honest. You stopped being mine." There was no accusation in Ted's voice, because he wasn't trying to accuse Mitch. Ted wasn't angry, at least he wasn't anymore. It was just the truth. "Because you didn't always answer, mate. It wasn't just you flaking on stuff. You just stopped answering altogether. We kept inviting you to things after the wedding, trying to find time to get together. At least I did, I don't remember when exactly Kingsley and Jacob stopped owling." Ted did know they'd both given up on Mitch before he did. "Maybe you didn't mean to ignore us. It sounds like you didn't," Ted added. It didn't change the outcome, but he felt like he should at least extend Mitch the benefit of the doubt here if he really didn't remember at what point he'd stopped having time to reply to any of his old mates' owls. "But either way, eventually I got the message." He offered Mitch a small, sad, one-shoulder shrug. It was a bit awkward to sit here and explain to his old mate how he was the one to ditch him, but it felt like the sort of thing that it would be good to clear the air about. If only because with Dirk to look out for now, sorting things out with Mitch felt necessary. And maybe Ted was also wondering if Mitch really had replaced them with better friends, or if maybe he could use some good friends in his life again. Ted couldn't be Mitch's friend again without sorting out the reasons they'd stopped being friends.

[mitchellbernford]

Mitch wondered how much stuff with Dirk he'd missed. which admittedly led to him wondering if he'd even have heard about Dirk if the bloke hadn't asked about him. It did feel like there was a decidedly closed ranks thing happening there. His face showed his concern at the mention of Dromeda's family. Those people were terrifying. Thinking about them after all these years didn't remove any of the terror. Instead he wondered if her family weren't involved in those muggle killings. Not people he'd want to be tied to. It was a relief to know Ted wasn't in any trouble with those people. He smiled when Ted finished up with that they were alright. He was still curious if Ted was a dad like Jacob but Ted hadn't mentioned it so either he wasn't or he didn't want Mitch to know. "Can't think of anyone better to have in their corner then you if things are going rough. Hope it eases up for them." Knowing that family that was probably the rough going. But if Ted was on their side it meant they had to be mroe like Dromeda and less like those nightmare sisters of hers. It had been long enough since he and Ted had last talked that the next thing he said came as a surprise even though given who Ted was it maybe shouldn't have. "Is that what you think? That they're cooler, cause what, they play quidditch? That's bull." Never mind that now that even just going and having a beer was off the table Mitch hadn't been left with a lot of mates. Or that his current team had a lot of people who were about as friendly as a nest of hornets. Yet thankfully they managed to come together to win enough games. Mitch was so taken aback by the idea that Ted though that playing quidditch somehow made those losers cooler that what he said next slipped out without any thought. "That's not why you stopped owling is it? Cause you thought I had cooler mates?" His rookie team had better people, Theo being top of that list, but not cooler. Well Theo had always been pretty cool but not all of his new mates had been cooler. And the ones that were had also been cooler then him too.

[normalted]

"Thanks, mate," Ted smiled when Mitch said Dromeda's cousins were lucky to have him in their corner. Ted wasn't sure they'd agree with Mitch; they seemed to find him odd on good days and irritating on bad ones, but he appreciated the sentiment from Mitch all the same. And he was more interested in figuring out if Mitch wanted Ted in his corner again or not. He wasn't expected Mitch to say it was bull for him to think quidditch players were cooler. "Er--" Ted wasn't quite sure what to say to that. He definitely didn't think quidditch players made for better mates, but they did seem as though they likely made for cooler ones. And Mitch had seemed to prefer that over hanging out with his old school mates once he started to get caught up in all the quidditch stuff. So Ted was even more taken aback by Mitch's addition. And what felt like an accusation buried in it, as if Ted had been the one to stop owling Mitch. He had stopped eventually, to be fair, but he'd only stopped after it became clear Mitch was never going to respond to any of them. Ted didn't try to hide the surprise on his face. "What? No, of course not. I just figured that was why you stopped owling, because you thought your new quidditch friends were cooler and you were too busy with them to hang out with us. I only stopped owling you after I stopped hoping you'd answer them," he explained honestly, because it didn't feel fair for Mitch to say Ted stopped owling when Mitch was the one who'd started that.

[mitchellbernford]

Mitch laughed and nodded when Ted said it's Kingsley. "True." He never could understand how the bloke managed to be the most intense person he'd met, even now, yet fun and a great mate to boot. Mitch missed him. he missed all the blokes. Wasn't a new revelation but before the missing had felt similar to the way he missed Dirk. Now it was feeling fresh again. His laugh at Ted's reply to his non-answer about the paparazzi was rueful. Ted hit the nail on the head right there. "Yeah it can." Mitch sighed softly. By now he would have thought the paparazzi would stop being annoying but it hadn't. Instead it was annoying in new ways, like how he needed it to stay relevant. It was much nicer to talk about Ted getting wiser. Even though it felt like a natural end to the visit. Ted had said what he wanted to say. Mitch was going to owl Dirk and invite him and Leo over. There was no reason for Ted to linger with a bloke he wasn't mates with anymore. Yet that seemed to be what Ted was doing. The answer was automatic, no thought to it. "Great!" Because he was supposed to be great. He was making insane gold to play a game. "Good." He added because it felt wrong to just give Ted the expected answer. "You know, can't complain." Now he was just making it awkward fuck. "How about you? Things been good?"

[normalted]

Ted was a little surprised when Mitch agreed that things could be good and still annoying. But he wasn't entirely surprised, not by Mitch's agreement or the rueful tone to his laugh, or the soft sigh that followed. Ted had always wondered if that stuff got to Mitch; he couldn't see how it wouldn't get to someone, even though when he'd tried to check in back in the early days Mitch always insisted it was fine, or a laugh, or that he liked it even. Ted had never quite bought that. But this was probably the closest to honest Mitch had been about it with him--surprisingly at the point where their relationship was the most distant it had ever been. Ted just offered him a sympathetic smile. But there was something there in Mitch's answer, or maybe his demeanor when the did answer, that made Ted hesitated and decide to linger a little longer. He'd rather impose a little bit and try to check in than just leave. At first he thought maybe he'd made the wrong choice when Mitch said he was great. But then he was good. A moment later and he just couldn't complain. In Ted's experience, that was not what people said when they were particularly good, especially not the way Mitch's answer had started at great and then careened into something that was probably closer to the truth. "I've been pretty good, overall. Obviously things with Dirk have been a little stressful, even though it's good stress. And then we've been dealing with some stuff with Dromeda's family. We're not in any trouble or anything," he added quickly, because Dromeda's family were scary but those weren't the ones Ted was dealing with these days. "Just, her little cousins have been having a rough go of things and we're doing what we can to help them out. But we're alright," he added with a smile, because they were. Dirk was alive, Regulus was alive, and he and Dromeda were together at their cottage. His answer was maybe more than Mitch had been looking for, but Ted was hoping maybe if he gave a little more Mitch might feel like he could open up about what it was he felt like he couldn't complain about. If he even wanted to talk to Ted about it. "Look, Mitch, I know it's been awhile, and I know you're busy, and you've probably got a lot of way cooler friends now, but you can still talk to me if you want to. Or just, you know, tell me to get lost if you don't, I don't mean to pry," he added with an awkward chuckle.

[mitchellbernford]

Mitch laughed at Ted's answer. "No way, really? That's intense." He nearly asked if Ted saw much of Kingsley these days but stopped himself. It was starting to sound like maybe he was the odd bloke out. If that was the case he couldn't blame them. Was sure it was a combination of them not wanting the hassles that came with a friendship with him now and probably embarrassed over his tabloid headlines. Best not to think on it. Mitch shrugged at Ted's comment. "I'm told it's a good thing. Means I'm still a money maker." Important for the money side of being a quidditch player. But annoying was right he just didn't feel right complaining about something that came with all the perks of being a player. Mitch laughed at Ted's remarks. "I believe it," he replied, Ted probably was a bit wiser. He certainly felt wiser but it had come with a lot of work and effort. Still did. Things were a lot harder now that he wasn't just going out and partying all the time. Which felt self indulgent especially in light of something so big as Dirk being alive but unchanged.

[normalted]

Ted laughed when Mitch said Kingsley sounded intense. "Of course it's intense, it's Kingsley," he answered with a chuckle. Some things didn't change. Mitch was not one of those things, clearly. Ted just wasn't sure how much he'd changed, or in what ways. Other than being followed around by paparazzi. Ted remembered Mitch saying something similar about them back when he was new to quidditch and still talked to all of them. He'd said it was a good thing, made him relevant, that it was funny. Ted hadn't fully bought it back then, and he wasn't sure he bought it now. Mitch had been told it was a good thing, but it didn't seem like he felt that. "Things can be good and annoying," Ted pointed out, but he didn't say more than that. Maybe Mitch didn't like that stuff but didn't want to get into it with Ted, since Ted wasn't a good friend of his anymore. He chuckled when Mitch said he believed that Ted was wiser. Ted really did hope he was. He wasn't wise enough to know exactly what to do now, though. He'd told Mitch about Dirk, which was what he'd come over to do. Should he take this lull in the conversation as an excuse to leave? That felt wrong, to not even try to catch up with his mate. But did Mitch even want him here? Ted hesitated, then decided he'd rather try to catch up with an old mate than just leave without trying. "So how've you been, mate?"

[mitchellbernford]

Mitch laughed at Ted's response to Kingsley being a writer. "Me and you both. But yeah, Kingsley always had intense focus." Something he'd wished he had a little more of back at school when they had a lot of studying to do. "Yeah, never know when they'll pop up. They've got enough without that added trouble." While he had gotten used to talking about paparazzi without feeling like a prick he still hadn't gotten past feeling bad for unleashing paparazzi on unsuspecting people. It had been one of the reasons he hadn't hung out with the blokes much when he'd started getting attention. And here they were all these years later with Mitch knowing next to nothing about any of them. Clearly Ted and Leo were close. But that made sense given they worked the same place, apparently doing the same thing. He smiled at what Ted was saying. "Glad to hear he's doing well and that you've kept up the nursing gig. I always thought it suited you." If you were hurt or sick you'd want someone with Ted's personality helping you out. "You don't seem like you've change much." It was nice seeing Ted again and him being more or less the Ted he remembered. A little older but still Ted.

[normalted]

"He still does. Might have even more focus now than he did back at school, if you can believe it," Ted answered Mitch with a grin. Kingsley hadn't changed much since school, but auror training had definitely refined his skillset. And his paranoia, a little bit, but who could blame him for that. It was weird to think about Mitch being chased around by paparazzi, even if Ted had seen plenty of the photos that came of that. But he nodded his agreement that Leo and Dirk had enough to deal with, glad that Mitch had thought to make sure those two wouldn't get caught in the paparazzi crossfire. "Sounds annoying," he commented, though he didn't say more than that. He wasn't always sure how Mitch felt about all that stuff; he'd blown it off back when they were still hanging out, but Ted always wondered if it really didn't bother him. Ted grinned when Mitch said nursing suited him; he agreed, it did suit him. Wouldn't want to do anything else. He laughed when Mitch added that he didn't seem like he'd changed much. "I don't think I have changed much. Just gotten older. I like to think a little bit wiser, but I'm not always so sure about that," he added with another laugh. Ted couldn't say the same about Mitch not changing. Just in this conversation there had been a lot of familiarity, but Mitch also seemed different from what Ted remembered. The Mitch that Ted used to know sure wouldn't have dated Daphne Meadowes and let her get rid of his plants, not that Ted thought that was bad. He didn't know her well enough to think she was anything but surprisingly intense for someone like Mitch. Or how he remembered Mitch. It was hard to say how much Mitch had or hadn't changed.

[mitchellbernford]

Mitch nodded to Ted's words. There was no denying that one. It's why it had seemed utterly hopeless by the time they were on the train home. And yet here they were seven years later with Dirk back. He still couldn't work his mind around that one. Ted's comment about Kingsley made him wonder if it was just a Ted comment, thinking his old mate was brilliant at what he did, or if Ted knew . Did they still hang out? Mitch focused on what else Ted said. "Or a writer," he added with a smile. It felt odd hearing about Leo getting Dirk started on tutoring with other kids. But not nearly as odd as Dirk being back. "Here would probably be better, yeah. The last thing he or Leo needs is some tabloid knocking on their door because I was spotted." It had taken him a little while to get used to that not sounding completely full of himself. Now it was just a fact of life. He wasn't as interesting to htem any mroe thanks to not going out partying but there was always interest in quidditch players. "You said friend from the Hospital, did Leo end up becoming a healer after all?" Mitch felt hopelessly lost when it came to what any of them were doing these days. A reminder of just how many years it'd been.

[normalted]

Ted laughed and nodded his agreement when Mitch added that Kingsley would also make a good writer. "Agreed. I'd never have the focus to sit and write a whole book but Kingsley sure could." His laser-focus on the cases that mattered to him had always impressed Ted. And made him very glad Kingsley was his mate and not someone he was working against, because Kingsley was a formidable foe if you asked Ted. "Oh, right, that's a good point," Ted answered when Mitch pointed out that his showing up at Leo's flat might attract attention. As much as Ted saw Mitch in various tabloids, it was easy to forget about all that when he was just sitting here chatting with the bloke he'd grown up. And still weird to think about Mitch being flocked by paparazzi. So, that was settled, they should definitely meet at Mitch's place. Ted was taken aback once again when Mitch asked about Leo. But it was a reminder how far they'd drifted, that by the time Leo graduated and the blokes had all jumped in to help him out however they could, Mitch was already out of the picture. Ted just shook his head. "Not quite. He started healer training but decided it wasn't quite for him, ended up switching to the nursing route instead. We had a lot of conversations about it when he was trying to decide what to do. And I'd say he made the right choice, he's a great nurse," Ted added with a smile. He liked working with Leo, not just so he could keep an eye on Dirk's little brother but also because Leo was a good bloke, a friend of his now beyond just being Dirk's little brother.

[hrhprincerichard]

He chuckled at Ted's comment about should have led with it being good news. Nice too to know he hadn't been the only one who hadn't thought there was any hope left."I dunno how much that would have helped, honestly. Even after you said it was good news I had no idea how it could be. Seemed unfathomable that Dirk would still be alive." And yet he was. Mitch chuckled at the except Kingsley. "Some of his theories would have made for some crazy film." He wondered if Kingsley was the same or if being an actual auror had put that out of him. He gave Ted a small smile. "Thanks. And he always did like quidditch, so that'll be good. Pretty much all I know about." Now that he didn't drink quidditch was pretty much all he did too. Especially now that he didn't have Daphne making him go out to what felt like an endless round of pointless dinner parties. "So how do we do this? Where do we do this? Here?"

[normalted]

Ted nodded his understanding when Mitch said that even leading with it being good news wouldn't have helped that much. He didn't blame Mitch for that; Ted wouldn't have expected to find out Dirk was alive either. "Yeah. If he was alive he would have found a way back to Leo," he agreed in a quiet voice. He had found his way back to Leo, as soon as he'd been able. Seven years later as a kid still. Ted chuckled at Mitch's comments about Kingsley's theories making a good film. "He's a brilliant auror, but I sometimes think he missed his calling as a filmmaker," he agreed. That part almost would have felt like a normal conversation, the kind they had before Mitch ditched them all, if not for the fact it was all revolving around Dirk coming back. Dirk wondered about Mitch's comment about only knowing about quidditch, but he just nodded his agreement that Dirk liking quidditch would help. "That's up to you, really. The rest of us just went to Leo's to see him, he's been staying there obviously. I've been by a couple times. But I think it could be a good idea to invite him over here, let him see you in your new space. Well, new to him." It felt new to Ted too, even though he'd been here years ago. "Leo got him started tutoring with some other kids, a friend from the Hospital's younger siblings, but other than that he doesn't have many places to go. Probably be good for him to get out a bit."

[mitchellbernford]

Mitch wondered if Ted cursed more now too. Back at school neither one of them really had, none of their group were big on it. He did a lot more these days. The locker room had a lot of it. Hard not to pick up on it. Instead of wondering how much Ted had changed in the years since they'd last hung out he listened to how Dirk hadn't. Leo being older then Dirk was something. The most vivid memory he had of Leo was unfortunately from the day Dirk went missing. But before that there had been a lot of good times with Dirk's little brother tagging along. A sort of unofficial mascot for their room. Talk about jarring. Despite all the weirdness Mitch smiled a little when Ted talked about how it was amazing. He wasn't wrong but it also was just so Ted. Mitch wasn't sure how a seventeen year old kid would fit into any of their lives, aside from the fact that it was Dirk. But Ted's words caught his attention. "Jacob has a kid? Damn." No wonder he wasn't an auror. Mitch did not feel ready to have a kid but he supposed they were at that age. Daphne sure talked a lot about how he was old enough that he needed to start thinking about the future. At the time he thought she meant post-quidditch but now felt like she was probably thinking about stuff like kids. Though he couldn't really see Daphne wanting kids. Ted, though, that's who he'd have thought would have kids by now. But Mitch felt too weird to ask that. "sounds like a bigger mess then kind of," he said instead. "But you're right, it is amazing he's alive. Aftre your first owl I thought for sure they'd found his bones." Macabre probably but he'd stopped thinking Dirk was gonna come out alive a long time ago.

[normalted]

"Er. Yeah," Ted nodded, taken aback by the fact that Mitch didn't even know about Kit. Probably didn't know about Jacob's ex either. Then again, that made sense since he didn't know Jacob wasn't an auror. Still, it was weird to realize how little Mitch knew about their lives anymore. And how little they knew about Mitch's. Just what they got from the magazines, and most of that seemed like made up rubbish. He smiled a sad smile and nodded when Mitch put it plainly, saying it sounded like a bigger mess than kind of. "Yeah, probably." It was, but Ted wasn't willing to call Dirk's life more than kind of a mess. They'd figure it out. He was glad when Mitch agreed that it was amazing Dirk was alive. Another grim nod following his addition. "Yeah, sorry about that. I should have led with the fact it was good news. I thought he was dead too," Ted added. They'd looked for him for the rest of their seventh year, but once they left Hogwarts it felt like that was it. They'd never said it out loud though, not at the time. "I think we all did. Except Kingsley, maybe." Kingsley never wanted to give up a case, but even he had seemed to think it was a long shot they'd ever see Dirk again. But here he was now. Seventeen still. "I wish I had some advice about how to make seeing him feel less weird, but I dunno. It's been hard to figure out. He'll be glad to see you though. And you can talk to him about quidditch, maybe that'll be more fun, make things a bit easier."

[hrhprincerichard]

Dirk. Alive. That was wild. So wild that Mitch almost missed the comment about Kingsley, and only Kingsley. He wondered what happened to Jacob. The bloke had wanted to be an auror just as bad as Kingsley. And finding out Jacob was apparently not an auror made being the last to find out about Dirk sting a little more. It seemed sort of obvious that the aurors would know first. But there was only one auror. "Damn," he said after Ted finished with Dirk. Alive. It was a shock. Mitch couldn't wrap his head around Dirk still being seventeen when they'd all grown up, Leo included. Sometimes it was weird for him going home and seeing how different things were. This was like that but worse. Way worse. Mitch didn't know what else to say about it. It was something of a surprise to find out that Dirk had been asking about him. "He has?" Except of course he had because things had been a lot different back then. "Um yeah, I think so. It's going to be weird isn't it? I mean you've seen him, how weird was it?" Mitch would see him, of course he would. But if he was the last one to even find out he might as well try and prepare himself to see Dirk. Prepare for the weirdness so he didn't come off like a jerk.

[normalted]

Ted nodded. Damn summed things up pretty well, Ted thought. Mitch had always been good for that; Ted missed it. The loss of Dirk had been abrupt and jarring, out of their control. Losing Mitch had happened slowly, but at a certain point it felt just as inevitable. It felt odd, seeing him for the first time in years at the same time that Dirk had reappeared. But this was about Dirk, not about Mitch ditching them. Mitch's apparent surprise that Dirk was asking about him came as a surprise to Ted. Of course Dirk was asking about him; last he remembered, the five of them had been inseparable. At least Mitch still wanted to see Dirk. Ted was glad to hear that. And he couldn't blame Mitch for asking how weird it was. Ted had worried about that too. "It's really fucking weird," Ted said honestly. Ted wasn't usually one for cursing, but really fucking weird felt like the best way to describe seeing Dirk for the first time, completely unchanged from Ted's memory. "It's like...we didn't realize how young we were when we were all seventeen, back at school, excited to graduate. But Dirk is young. He's still a kid. It's jarring." Ted shook his head; it was a brainfuck. "And from his perspective it must be even stranger," he added. "All his best mates are adults now. We've got so much life that he doesn't even know about anymore. Not to mention his little brother is older than him. Hogwarts is closed. It's a lot." Ted let out a sigh. "But--it's also really, really amazing. Because it's Dirk, and somehow he's still alive," he added with a small smile. That part would never not be amazing. "I think the best thing we can do is make sure he knows how happy we all are about that. And make sure he knows he fits in our lives, even if things are different now. I think that's what he's struggling with most right now, is figuring out how he fits. I'm honestly trying to figure out that too," Ted confessed. "He does fit. He's Dirk. But he's also a seventeen-year-old and I'm married and Kingsley's an auror and Jacob has a kid," Ted let out another side. "It's kind of a mess, honestly. But Dirk needs to know we're here for him to help figure it all out."

[mitchellbernford]

Mitch had seen magic do a lot of mind bending, previously thought of as impossible things. He'd heard of a lot more. Most of it good, some not so much. Yet this still felt beyond possible. Time travel had never been so much as hinted at that he'd picked up on. And while it might have been years since he and Ted last talked, the look on his face was sincere. This was real. Somehow their missing mate had time traveled or been frozen, something, and was still seventeen. Could magic really do that? "So Kingsley and Jacob think it's really him? I mean they're aurors right? They'd know if it was some weird trick? Supposedly those muggle killers do shit like pretend to be other people. Daphne had this whole security thing we had to do." The last he knew Kingsley and Jacob were both in auror training, which had to be done by now. Surely they'd know better than he or Ted owuld about if it could really be Dirk. Not that he knew why they'd pretend to be Dirk. But he didn't get why the went around kiling random muggles who didn't even know about magic either. "Fucking hell. Just when you think you've heard all the weird shit magic does." Mitch leaned back against the sofa not sure what to think or feel about this. Other than obviously being happy Dirk was alive if it was really him. It was just, well exactly like Ted said, insane.

[normalted]

It was a little jarring to realize Mitch was still operating under the assumption that Jacob was an auror. Which meant not only did he not know Jacob dropped out of auror training, he also didn't know why. Did he know anything about how Jacob's ex went psycho? Did he even know about Kit? Probably not, Ted was realizing. But now wasn't the time to bring all that up, not when he'd just unloaded the biggest shock of all on Mitch. "Kingsley is an auror, yeah. He and Jacob both think it's Dirk. We all asked him questions only Dirk could have answered. So did Leo." Ted assumed that was the security thing Daphne had done, or at least something similar. "Kingsley even tried to trick him by bringing him a burger with onions. It's definitely Dirk. As impossible as it is to believe, talking to him it'd be impossible for him not to be Dirk. I mean--he's not exactly doing great. He's clearly trying to be strong for Leo, but he's pretty freaked out by everything, understandably. But he's got the same mannerisms, he talks the same. It's Dirk. Alive." It felt like a gift and something of a tragedy at the same time. Dirk finally alive, but in a world he didn't recognize anymore. But they would make sure it wasn't a tragedy. They'd make the most of it. Dirk would find where he fit, because he absolutely fit. Speaking of that. "He's been asking about you. I know he'd like to see you, if you're up for it."

[mitchellbernford]

He smiled at Ted's comment about his plant. "Just felt too weird without any." Maybe he'd get more. But that was getting ahead of himself. And right now he was listening to how Andromeda Tonks was an avid gardener. Domestic life sounded like it was suiting both of them. Mitch smiled at Ted's comment about her being full of surprises. She certainly was years ago. It wasn't that he'd forgotten why Ted was here it was just that he hadn't minded catching up with an old mate. But he did have a reason for being here so Mitch nodded when Ted said he felt like he should tell him about Dirk.

His face showed his utter shock at finding out Dirk was alive. Anyone who'd seen him with his brother would have found that impossible. Dirk would never abandon him. There had to be some explanation and Ted's added details about him being at Hogwarts felt like the start of it. Like Dirk had somehow ended up like one of those soap shows where someone was always forgetting who they were. Mitch didn't harbor any love for Dumbledore. It had really felt like the old man didn't care at all about muggle born students after Dirk disappeared. He was right with Ted until Ted said Dirk was still seventeen. It really felt like there should be some kind of punchline to this very unfunny joke. "What the fuck, Ted? That's really unfunny. Still seventeen?" Mitch scoffed. He would never have thought Ted would try and pull some kind of joke about Dirk of all people. But maybe Daphne had been right and his old mates had changed completely since school. "So is Dirk really alive and well?" That felt way too far of a thing for Ted to joke about. Even in light of this still seventeen nonsense.

[normalted]

The shock on Mitch's face reflected the shock Ted had felt, and the shock on Kingsley and Jacob's faces, when they'd all learned that Dirk was still alive. Ted could only imagine that Mitch was thinking the same thing they all had: that there was no way Dirk would have left Leo like that if he was still alive. Only he was. Alive and seventeen. Ted wasn't surprised that Mitch was having trouble with that one, though it actually stung, just a little, to think Mitch would think Ted would even joke about something like that. But Ted reminded himself just how fucked up the news was; of course Mitch would think it couldn't be true, try to rationalize it. Ted was still trying and failing to rationalize all of it. So Ted pushed that feeling aside and nodded patiently when Mitch asked if he was really alive and well. As if Ted would joke about that either. "He's alive, yeah. And--he seems well enough, he's been looked over by healers, but no one knows what the hell happened. I wasn't joking, Mitch," he added, his voice and gaze serious. "Dirk is still seventeen. It's like he got frozen in the forest or something. I dunno. Kingsley has about a dozen theories already but we're all at a loss, and Dirk doesn't remember anything other than hearing a noise in the common room that night and going down to see what it was. I know it sounds insane, mate. I didn't believe it at first either. Not until I saw him. But..." Ted shook his head a little, still shaken by seeing Dirk for the first time, unchanged after so many years. He looked so young, a glaring reminder of how young they'd all been when he vanished. "It's true. He's back, and he's exactly the same as he was the day he disappeared."

[mitchellbernford]

It was a surprise when Ted knew the ex he was talking about. Not entirely a bad one. Nice that one of his old mates kept up with news about him. Thankfully most of that news wasn't terribly embarrassing any more. "Uh yeah, Daphne. I guess Ravenclaw tower didn't have plant life," he replied making what was probably a lame joke considering how far removed from school they were. "Anyway she thought they were messy and unkept looking. But well..." Clearly he didn't agree. Mitch smiled at Ted's comment about his sad little plant. Very like Ted to be nice. There was no just being nice vibe when Ted talked about his wife. It was clear even to Mitch that the bloke loved her just as much now as he had on their wedding day. Maybe mroe if that was possible. He was happy that things were good there and that she'd maybe proved them all wrong about her. A cottage with a garden behind it sounded very Ted. "That sounds nice. Wouldn't have thought of her as being a gardener I'll admit. Though now that I'm thinking on it I think she did good in herbology, unlike most of her house." It had been a long time ago but that had been Mitch's best subject thanks to already knowing a lot about soil and farming stuff. Herbology was a lot different than the farm in a lot of ways but there had been surprising similarities.

[normalted]

It wasn't until after he asked that Ted wondered if it was weird for him to know about Daphne, seeing as Mitch never told him anything about her. But it was all over the magazines, it felt like it would be weirder to purposefully avoid any news about his old mate. It would certainly feel weirder to pretend he didn't know any of it. Thankfully Mitch didn't seem put off by Ted's question. Though Ted felt a little put off about Daphne's thoughts on plants. Still, he let out a light chuckle at Mitch's joke about plants in Ravenclaw tower. It didn't feel like his place to comment on Mitch's dating life, least of all about an ex. "Glad to see you've brought some back," was all he said before mentioning his own little garden. He chuckled when Mitch said he wouldn't have thought of Dromeda as being a gardener. "She's full of surprises," Ted answered with another fond smile. There were the obvious ones, of course, but Ted enjoyed all the little ways she still surprised him--and sometimes herself. But right, Ted hadn't come over just to talk about how wonderful his wife was. "I'd really love to catch up more," he began, because it was true even though he doubted Mitch was interested given how he'd just slowly stopped replying to Ted's or their other mates' owls. "But I do feel like I should tell you about Dirk." It would feel wrong to sit here and chat while sitting on the knowledge the friend they'd assumed dead for seven years was still alive. Ted set his water down on a coaster and cleared his throat a little. He'd thought about how best to break the news to Mitch, then realized there wasn't really an easy way to do it. At least it was good news, even if it was weird good news. Best to just come out with it.

"Dirk is alive," he said, pausing a moment to let that sink in. "He was found on the Hogwarts grounds about a week ago, walked out of the forest and into the castle. Dumbledore found him." Ted grimaced at that. He was glad someone had been there to find Dirk, but that was the only helpful thing Dumbledore had really done when it came to their missing friend. "The thing is," Ted continued, because it felt like the best thing was to lay it all out there first, "He's still seventeen. Like, he looks exactly the same as he did the last time we saw him. Hasn't aged a bit. Doesn't know anything about what happened to him either. He didn't even realize seven years had passed until Dumbledore told him the school was closed. Apparently he woke up in the forest and tried to go to the Great Hall for breakfast thinking it was the morning he went missing. No one really knows what happened, but he's at Leo's flat now and he's--well, he's alive, and he's healthy. So it's good news," he added with a gentle smile. It was a lot to process; Ted was still trying to process all of it, and seeing Dirk had only kind of helped. But it was good. Dirk was alive. He was safe, finally. Back with Leo, back with the rest of them. They'd figure the rest out.

[mitchellbernford]

It was no surprise to find out Ted was still married. While the choice of bride had his groomsmen wondering he'd never thought Ted would bail on the marriage. Nowadays he knew people who had gotten divorced, or their parents had. Even been on a team with a bloke who'd only been married a week before divorcing, though he'd insisted he hadn't thought it was a legal marriage at the time. But those people were not the sort of people Ted had been. And it seemed still was. "Coming right up," he replied before heading into the kitchen to grab them both some water. Anyone else he'd ask if they wanted lemon or something else in it. Daphne had been big on fancying up water and Mitch hadn't completely shaken the habit. But he doubted Ted wanted a sprig or slice of something in his water so he just got them both a glass of cold, plain water. He was surprised Ted was still standing when he came into the living room. Mitch laughed a little sheepishly about the plant wall. Decorating was not his thing. "I don't really have a lot of time to keep up with plants," he replied handing Ted his water and gesturing for him to have a seat. The truth was that most of them had died while he'd been in rehab but he didn't talk about that. "And my girlfriend, well ex now, didn't think plants made good decor outside of cut flowers. So she cleared out the survivors." He hadn't put up too much of a fuss when he'd woken up to a living room in the midst of redecorating because she'd wanted to throw a party at his place. The plants had been missed. 'I ended up getting that one," he said pointing to a plant in the corner, "it felt a bit odd not having any plants." More like his flat had felt dead without any sort of life but his own in it. Except now his one plant looked sort of lonely and sad.

[normalted]

"Understandable," Ted answered when Mitch said he didn't have time to keep up with plants. He wasn't really sure what Mitch did with his time other than quidditch practice anymore--maybe partying, but he wasn't sure that was still happening--but he'd been too busy to keep in touch with his schoolmates so it made sense he also didn't have time for plants. As soon as he had that thought, Ted internally chastised himself. It wasn't fair to hold it against Mitch that his life had gotten more interesting and he hadn't had time for his schoolmates. Lots of people didn't stay in touch with their Hogwarts mates. But quietly losing Mitch so soon after they lost Dirk had hurt. Only Dirk wasn't gone anymore and Mitch had answered his owl. Both good things. Ted took the water with a thanks and sat down when Mitch gestured him to do so, surprised when he mentioned he had an ex girlfriend who'd cleared out all his surviving plants. He wondered if that was part of what made her an ex; Mitch hadn't grown up with aspirations of running his family farm, but him in a place completely devoid of any plant life just felt wrong. "Was that Daphne?" Ted asked, curious. He'd seen some photos of them together in magazines. And while Ted never knew her well, she seemed the type who would think plants were bad decorations. "I like it," Ted said when Mitch pointed out the plant he got for himself, after the breakup it sounded like. "We've got some plants in our place, though I can't take credit for keeping them alive. Dromeda's actually got a whole garden behind our cottage, it's quite impressive," he added, a fond smile pulling at his lips as he spoke about his wife and they little life they'd built together.