"Your server will be here shortly," the maître de said and left.
                              
Harry wished he'd hurry. The restaurant was dark, and there were a lot of people talking. He just took deep breaths. Joel kept talking to him, but he wasn't paying attention.
                              
Finally, the server came over, and before he could say anything, Harry said, "A double firewhiskey, please."
                              
"Oh, of course, sir, and you, sir?"
                              
"I... umm... water."
                              
Harry gave him a look. "Order a drink, Joel."
                              
Joel blushed. "Pumpkin ale."
                              
"Very good," the server said and wandered off.
                              
Harry just told himself to wait until his drink came back.
                              
"Sorry, I didn't want to presume," Joel said, quietly.
                              
"You can order ten drinks and five dinners, Joel and I wouldn't care," Harry said, quietly, though relieved that he was talking.
                              
"There you are," Natalie said and slid into the bench seat. "Joel, this is my husband...."
                              
"Dennis?" Harry said as Dennis Creevey sat across from him. "You're married to...?"
                              
"Yeah, Harry. But you didn't guess from Nat's last name?"
                              
"I... umm... didn't know," he said and looked at Joel, realizing he had no idea his last name either.
                              
"Honey, I told you... he calls me Natalie. He never calls anyone by their last name. It's why all the wardens love him and the healers hate him."
                              
"It is?" Harry said.
                              
"Well... a big reason."
                              
"It is nice to see you, again, Harry. I haven't seen you since..." Dennis trailed off.
                              
Harry stiffened, and chanted oh fuck in his head. Talking to people was hard enough, talking about the war was worse. Joel gave him a concerned look.
                              
But he kicked in his Auror training. He can do this. "I'm sorry about your brother. He was a good friend."
                              
"It meant a lot that you found me to tell me in person, Harry."
                              
Harry nodded and was relieved when the drinks came. He did his potion checks and even sipped it experimentally before he took a large gulp.
                              
"Did you just check your drink?" Dennis asked incredulously, and Natalie blushed.
                              
Harry felt better with the influx of alcohol and nodded. "After you've been poisoned once, you get paranoid."
                              
The three of them looked, and Harry ignored their looks and took another long drink.
                              
"Well, I could imagine. Nat talks about you a lot. A healer and an Auror... that's amazing."
                              
Harry took another drink.
                              
Natalie sighed. "Oh, I'm sorry, Harry."
                              
"What? She says that you're the most dedicated healer in the hospital. The most ethical and caring one that she knows. That you follow the rules of etiquette to the letter and will do everything you can to help your patients."
                              
Harry looked at her and she blushed, "Sorry... I just...."
                              
It reached Harry, though, more than the alcohol did. "I'm flattered... really. But I have plenty of faults. I didn't even know her last name."
                              
"Yeah, that seems weird," Dennis laughed. "It's stitched on her robes."
                              
Harry looked and, indeed, it was. He had never bothered to do his. He preferred as little conversation as possible. He finished off his glass and set it down. "Sorry, I didn't look. Nat and Cass are probably the only two people I talk to in the whole hospital. Joel just came onto my service a few weeks ago. I usually just try to keep it... professional."