Hollow Legs

with their voices soft as thunder

Nowhere made burgers quite like the Hollow Tree Inn. Kit liked his food, and he liked to cook it, too, which meant he took an extra interest in how well things were made in whatever restaurant or pub he was eating at. He'd tried his fair share of places over the years, and had favourites depending on what he fancied. Today he was really craving a burger, and the ones they made at the Hollow Tree were just his favourite. He'd first discovered them when he'd came here with Lunete a few years ago. She lived in the village, and though he visited her enough at home, they'd never actually thought to go and grab tea out, instead of making something at her house, or ordering in. The first time he'd suggested it, she'd taken him to the local pub, and he'd quite liked the look of the burgers. They were bloody enormous, too. Filled the whole plate just on their own, and with a side order of fries, it was a real fill your boots meal. Luckily Kit had what his father called "hollow legs", and could put pretty huge meals away without any trouble at all.

More often than not he stayed at the Ministry for lunch. Some days he would take in his own food, others he would make the most of the cafeteria, but there was only so much on the menu there that was actually edible. For the Ministry of Magic, their food standards were just awful, and he didn't know how people could eat half of the stuff on the menu there. He usually just opted for a sandwich. Bringing his own lunches in was by far the best option, but sometimes, maybe once a week, he would treat himself to an actual lunch, on a plate, in a place dedicated to serving good food all day long. Sometimes someone from work would tag along with him. Lunete or Evie more often than not, but he'd found himself in cafe's with others over the years. He'd even met Dora for lunch on work days a couple of times. He liked those times, because it meant he had to leave right on time to get back to work, and he got her in the perfect small dose and walked away happy with the encounter, rather than the flustered and chaotic feeling he was left with after longer stints with the tiny brunette.

Today he was alone, not having bothered to even mention to anyone that he was going out for lunch. He left the building, long legs carrying him out the doors ahead of the crowds, and out into the summer sun. He left his jacket open, and immediately apparated into Godric's Hollow. The pub wasn't too far from the graveyard where he'd landed, and he made the walk through the village quickly, knowing he was limited on time. An hour wasn't really much time for lunch at all, not when you had to place an order, be served, and eat without making yourself choke. He entered the inn and blinked, sensitive eyes adjusting to the dim light, which was a vast contrast to the sunny street outside. Bobby was working today, and the young waiter gave Kit a happy grin in greeting. "Kit! Let me get you a table," Bobby smiled, waving Kit over as he scanned the room. Bobby was only nineteen, and had worked at the pub for a year, a way of making money after leaving school. He was a bright lad, and really easy to talk to, plus he always gave Kit top ups on his drinks when they were low, which wasn't really allowed. He'd said he thought Kit being an Auror was just bloody amazing, and he was so brave, and thank you for looking out for everyone and putting his life on the line every day. Kit had found it all a bit embarrassing, but he'd been very flattered, and had taken a real shine to Bobby, who had clearly been raised the right way.

Bobby showed Kit to a small table over by a window, sun shining through onto the polished table top, though Bobby gave it an extra wipe with a rag that was tucked into his apron anyway. Kit took one of the two seats and waved his hand when Bobby offered him a menu. "I already know what I want," he told Bobby, a twinkle in his eyes as he anticipated how delicious his lunch was going to be. "Burger with all the trimmings?" Bobby guessed, pen poised over his notepad, ready to scribble. Kit chuckled. "Am I that predictable?" he asked as Bobby scribbled Kit's order down. "Nah, you just have good taste," Bobby told him, "So a burger with all the trimmings, extra sauce, large fries, and what about a drink?" Kit was impressed as Bobby wrote down his order from memory. "Fresh orange please, Bob," he said, opting for something slightly healthier to try and balance out the amount of junk he was about to consume. "That'll cancel out those calories good and proper," Bobby laughed, giving Kit a little salute and crossing the pub to put in Kit's order.

He reappeared a minute later with a tall glass of fresh orange juice, and Kit gulped some of it down while he waited for his food to come. He gazed out of the window, the view nothing but the sides of other stone buildings and houses, which stood in crooked little patterns in the distance. He had often thought Godric's Hollow would be a nice place to live, but he really didn't fancy moving that far from his dad. Maybe one day if Sera or Roma decided to settle close to home, Kit could spread his wings a bit and get a nice place in the village. It would be quiet and peaceful, and a vast contrast from his hectic work life. For now, he was happy with Ollie in their townhouse. It was a pretty beautiful house, and he really couldn't complain. He wondered if he would find an attic quite like his current one anywhere else. It was perfect for training, and could be easily set up with guest beds. How many bedrooms would he get in a new house in a small village?



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tag: open
words: 1091
notes: <3
outfit: Dark and delicious.