There was a certain… something in Gavin’s face that Sabrina saw, just exactly what she couldn’t say, but a lack of enthusiasm for Caitlin’s new boyfriend that led her to believe that he didn’t wholly approve. Was this just being protective, or did he genuinely not like the mystery employee?

Before the conversation could go any further, though, a call from the front of the house caught Caitlin’s attention. As Caitlin silently excused herself, Sabrina smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

That left her and Gavin, and a bit of a suddenly awkward silence. Which Gavin promptly demolished by pouring tea all over the table, and then wrecking the table in his attempts to mop up scalding water with his hands.

"Not gonna win any awards for being smooth, am I?" he asked.

“I didn’t know there was a contest,” Said Sabrina, scooting out of her seat and pulling out her wand. The water she disappeared as a matter of course, but what worried her more was Gavin’s hands.  

“I hope this isn’t the way you clean the bar in your pub,” She said. “I think maybe Caitlin needs to teach you some basic housekeeping if it is.” She had stepped to the sink, found a dish rag and turned the water on full cold.

“Come on, let’s have a look at your hands,” She said, taking Gavin by the forearm. “You’ll end up with second degree burns if you’re not careful.”

Wishing she had her reading glasses on hand so she could see better, she peered dimly at his hands and shook her head. “Idiot,’ She said gently, and soaking the dish cloth she gently wrapped it around his left hand. Holding it gently in place she looked up at Gavin’s face.

“Beer is cold. Tea is hot. Something I should have thought they taught you in… what? Chemistry? Physics?” She almost made a remark about Muggle schools but caught herself. After all, what did she know?

“ I learned that much in the kitchen before I was ten,” She said, peeling back the cloth and looking at his hand again. “That’s got to hurt,” She said. She looked vaguely around the kitchen.

“I don’t suppose you have any birch-bark and toad’s heads around? I could make you a potion to take care of this in a jiffy…”

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