Ernie gave Neville a gentle, playful shove. "Be careful, I might just ask that for real one day." He did know exactly what Neville meant - there were plenty of dangers in having too much time on one's hands.
"Paperwork," Ernie groaned sympathetically. "But yeah, I can see that." He also knew that Neville hadn't quite answered Ernie's question, which was a sort of answer in itself. He decided not to push the issue, at least not right now - definitely not before he was fed, that was for sure. "At least it sounds like the department knows a good bloke when they see it."
He then ceased resisting and glanced back at the food on the stove. "So, how long till we get to dig in?"