Jodie finished wiping down a table and tentatively smiled at one of the men who always appeared around eleven to eat lunch. Mac called him one of their 'regulars'. He was sweet and always indulged her when she rambled on about potion theorems. As she finished up the table when went back towards the bar, she nearly ran into Daphne.

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't paying attention." Jodie paused, biting her lower lip. This was as good as any time to attempt to be social. "How are you?"

"Nauseous," Daphne snapped.

Everything was making her feel puke-y today. Brody knew her condition, but no one else around here did. Most of the villagers still harbored some ill will. She did not want it creating negative energy that little Nicholas would feel. Daphne didn't know why that name seemed to be stuck in her head for the baby. Nicholas Weasley. Nicholas Arthur. She liked it. She wanted Charlie's father in there somewhere because he always made her feel welcome.

Brody was watching her too carefully. Especially since her crying jag all over him earlier. Now Dorny was following her around. Daphne sighed and turned with a glare.

"I don't need a babysitter. Just because I am pregnant does not mean I am now feeble or fragile."

Jodie blinked. "Does pregnancy imply being feeble and fragile? I've never been pregnant so I wouldn't know." She paused, her brow furrowed. "Doesn't the babysitter come later?"

Daphne snorted. This one was so literal. "Brody has this unfounded need to protect me since he saved my life once. He's also friends with the baby's father. Some people do think pregnant equals fragile. I am not fragile, nor do I ever plan to be."

Daphne leaned back against the bar.

"So if you aren't watching out for me, what's with the following? Did you need something? Because I don't brew those kinds of things anymore."

"Brew what things? I wanted to ask you about brewing techniques, but I guess that will come when we're not working." She blushed a bit. "I'm trying to be more social. Did I not do it right?"

Daphne closed her eyes for a moment. It was almost sad.

At the same time it amused her though, and precious little did that lately.

"First, when you want to talk to someone, don't follow them around like a freak. It's kind of creepy. Second, some people are not social. Like me. But I see you need help, so go on. Start your conversation. I'll try to respond like a normal person. At least you can get some practice in."

Brody snorted with laughter.

"I've never actually gotten anyone to respond yet. Mostly I talk about things people don't understand, such as transfiguration theories or the delay on charms work when they're used with certain runic symbols. It's fascinating, but it doesn't interest other people. I don't know what qualities I can share with them that will aid in communication socially."

Daphne started snickering.

"You need to have long conversations with Charlie's brother Percy. He's also entirely too smart for his own good. You probably could talk about that stuff, but dumb it down for the rest of us. I could wax poetic all day long about stirring techniques to get different results with the same potions, but I don't because the only other people who'd care are other potions masters. Don't you have any hobbies?"

Jodie fidgeted nervously. "Not... really. I work all the time so I can afford my apartment. I'm usually only there to sleep and get ready for work. I like to read, but I hardly have the time anymore."

"So all you do is work, eat, sleep and occasionally read? Dorny, that is the saddest thing I have ever heard. You know they have live music here on the weekends. You should come. Get out of your flat."

She supposed she could do that. Her life was a little sad, but at the same time, she never really knew anything else. Instead of school, now she was working. "I'm supposed to be working on the weekend. I'll just listen in between my breaks. I've never had an ear for music anyway. Do you like the music they play?"

"Sometimes. Look, it's real crowded on the weekends. Brody could sue the help and you get to be around lots of people to practice on. Mac plays, and someone everyone refers to as Holly who is really Hera Warbeck does. Sometimes Brody's cousin Duff plays his bagpipes. I heard when they have private parties, it's wild. They did this whole dinner thing for Robert Burns and Mac got pretty drunk. Lots of people do here though."

Jodie steadied her shoulders. She could do this. She had set out to be social and she would be. "I think that's agreeable. Like you said, I could use the practice." Jodie looked down at Daphne's stomach. "So how far along are you?"

"About six weeks, give or take a few days. Not far at all. He's in there though. He's been making me sick and eat celery."

Making a face, Jodie leaned back. "Babies make you eat celery?"

"I don't know," Daphne said. "I usually avoid children, but this one likes the green stuff. I crave it. I'll eat it with anything, and I hate celery normally. I eat it with marshmallow creme."

Just talking about it was making her hungry. Daphne jumped when Brody handed her a long piece of the stuff.

"I keep it for th'Bloody Marys. I dinna have any marshmallow creme though. Should I start keepin' it?"

Daphne glared at him even as she started eating.

Jodie just kept a disgusted look on her face. "I never did like celery. It was too stringy for my tastes." She sighed. "I avoid children as well. Lucky for me I'm the oldest, and I doubt my sisters are about to race off to have children."

Turning to Brody with a thoughtful look on her face, she leaned on the bar. "I don't suppose you have any bananas and peanut butter? I could use a bit of a snack. Unless you don't like employees snacking."

Brody grinned. He walked to the back and produced one slightly-browning banana and a jar of peanut butter. "Snack away, lady... and Daphs."

Daphne glared. Brody MacDougal might look rough, but he was a soft-hearted as they came. Especially about women. A buried part of her was happy that Penelope Clearwater had such a person.

Jodie grinned as she peeled the banana and took a bite, then dipped her finger in the peanut butter. She pulled out a small amount and licked the snack off her finger. When she looked over at Daphne, she blushed because of the look the woman was giving her. "Sorry. I just really like bananas and peanut butter."

"You know, being all blonde and adorable as you are, you could probably make some money charging for that show on weekends."

Cullen choked on the water he was drinking. Daphne had already noticed he stared at Miss Jodie Dorny pretty hard.

"Why would people want to watch me eat bananas and peanut butter?" Jodie asked, her words a bit slurred from the sticky snack.

Daphne made a face. "Seriously?"

She really didn't know.

Daphne sighed. She would have to be blunt. "You licking your fingers is kind of hot, that's why."

Jodie just stared at Daphne until realization dawned on her face. "Men find women eating peanut butter sexually stimulating. Well, that's something I never realized."

"What do you think, Cullen," Daphne hollered. "Do men find women eating peanut butter sexually stimulating?"

"If it's the right woman, even sheering sheep is sexy."

Daphne snickered. His accent was nowhere thick as Mac's or Brody's. But from what she understood, cousin Cullen had not spent most of his life in Scotland. He'd gone to school at Beauxbaton's.

Jodie laughed. "Well, I've never sheered sheep. I've never done much outside of school." She looked at Cullen. "You really think sheep sheering is sexy? Or peanut butter?"

After she asked her question, she grabbed a nearby spoon and put a large dollop of peanut butter on the edge of the banana and attempted to get all of the treat off.

Cullen dropped the glass he'd been holding.

Daphne started laugh so hard she nearly fell off her bar stool. "You are too unspoiled for words. That's the point. It isn't. It depends entirely upon the person doing the activity. It doesn't help that you've the banana. Now he's likely thinking about smearing peanut butter on himself and seeing if you'll go after that like you did the banana."

Cullen glared at Daphne and stalked to the back. Brody was just cleaning up and chuckling to himself.

She stopped, the banana near her mouth. Jodie hadn't understood why Cullen was so embarrassed. If he found peanut better and sheep sexy, then he just did. "I just missed something very big, didn't I?"

Daphne snickered. "I think you might have."

She was not going to tell Jodie that Cullen wanted to shag her. Daphne was feeling a bit protective. Because if the Scotsman did that just to do that then she'd have to hex him. Jodie was like a fawn. She was all stumbling and unsure in the world. Previously Daphne would have relished her falling and getting a dose of reality.

Gods, motherhood was already ruining her.

Until she figure out more about Jodie, the girl didn't need to know scruffy yet handsome Scottish men had lusty crushes on her and stared at her arse all the time like he'd like to take a bite out of it. Not that Daphne blamed him. If she was not so sure Charlie would not want to share, she'd be bringing the little blonde smartie home as a surprise.

But she and Charlie had enough on their plates without her bringing other people into the bedroom. Besides that, SHE didn't know if she wanted to share.

Jodie finished her banana with a slight pout. She hated it when she missed big things. "And you're not even going to tell me, are you?" Carly never told her if she was too oblivious to things around her, instead enjoying when she finally caught up with the rest of the group.

"Not today," Daphne said with a wry grin.

She could not believe Dorny was this sheltered.

"Not ever. Carly does the same thing. Sometimes I figure it out, but I doubt I will now." Jodie finished the banana and tossed the peel into the trash bin behind the bar. With a sigh, she turned back to Daphne. "I guess it's back to work?"

"It's like you're brand new. I don't want to spoil you," Daphne said pushing off the bar. "So yeah, get back to work."

Jodie made a face. She didn't get the 'new' reference. Perhaps she was viewed as a toy of some sort? Shaking her head, she grabbed a rag to wipe down tables with. This was unlike any job she'd ever had.

She was beginning to enjoy it.


{SUMMARY} Jodie is trying to make friends... with Daphne. Someone should probably speak to the poor girl about that.