alt_sinistra | A short interlude

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A short interlude

I’m in New London for two days of YPL meetings. It’s hard to be away from Hogwarts - and a long list of things that need attention - but a change in routine is also surprisingly pleasant.

I’ve never been a morning person, and apparating over distance first thing is worse, so I made sure to get here in plenty of time for a walk to clear my head before we started our meetings this morning. But that’s given me time to be delighted by the shop windows, particularly this year’s fashion for sparkling light charms - so delicate - and the wider color palette.

I saw a gorgeous window in silvers and blues and purples, as well as many with more classic greens, reds, and golds. And of course, the charmed displays are wonderful: my favorite was several windows of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade in winter with a cunningly done Quidditch match in progress. And there’s the smell of pine in the air, and the clusters of little stalls, and banners snapping in the breeze... And of course, a pleasant little pastry at one of the nearby cafes to put me in the best possible mood before we started this morning.

I’m looking forward to being able to make a great deal of progress with the YPL plans for this spring and summer, but also a few chances to relax. I’m eagerly anticipating a performance tonight and then there’s dinner with my parents tomorrow, and a few other errands and tasks to finish getting ready for the holidays.

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Ugh. Stint. He’s been pushier today, not quite grabby but near it. And invitations to both lunch and dinner. Thankfully, I already had made other plans. (And dealing with people griping because we’re here on a Sunday when it’s mostly his and Helpmann’s fault is annoying. Though on the whole, I’m glad to have these meetings out of the way before the holidays for various reasons.)

He did try to throw a fit about your preparations for the first YPL event, and in general. But because of your inventories, and the report of your skills from Healer Behm and last week’s reports, and a little private strategy with others on the committee, it was quite easy to convince the rest that matters were in fine hands. I have no faith it will hold, but perhaps it will give you a little break.

We may well have an assigned healer come along for the January event, just in case something goes wrong while we’re away from Hogwarts, but Stint’s bowed out there, too.

Apparently, he dislikes the cold rather intensely, and found Hogwarts tedious to apparate to last week. I had not expected to spend the next two days declaiming my love for Scotland’s climate and glorious isolation, but there you are. I am amusing myself in boring parts of this meeting writing a list of ways to be enthusiastic about our weather.

I am, by the way, assuming you would rather not spend a day in January on a snowy hillside supervising a large number of students trying to achieve various goals. If I’m wrong about that, do let me know.

And since I didn’t have a chance to catch up with you before this - I think the CCF planning sessions went well enough, though we obviously need a bit more coordinated practice. I think everything’s in good order for the other sessions, and Felix was indeed able to find me a few of the recordings you were hoping for, so we’ll have a better variety of practice pieces.

If Facinorous Stint ever grabs you, I hope you will not hesitate to hex his bits off. Such a nasty piece of work, that one.

Thank you for your efforts on my behalf. I hate to think of your having to expend your own political chits on my behalf. But I'm extremely grateful.

Kind of you, too, to find someone to staff the January expedition. It's not that I prefer sitting at home or shudder at the thought of trekking, even in January. But, under the circumstances, it would be unwise to leave my post, even in support of the YPL. So, alas.

I will be pleased to consult with the appointed healer in advance to advise her or him of relevant issues regarding certain of the pupils who will participate--and I'd very much appreciate it if we could meet (again) following the event, however briefly, so I may update my records fully with respect to any injuries or issues that have might occurred.

Finally, I'm very glad to hear that your meetings are going smoothly--and am pleased to know we'll have appropriate music for our comportment lessons.

I am holding a good hex in reserve (I could probably get him removed from the board, but it'd be a mess.)

As to the politics - honestly, I think he's been wearing on some of them a bit. So some cost, but not as much as it might be.

I will certainly let you know when we've a healer appointed (might be a few weeks), and consult. I'll bring a copy of the plans by this week, so you can see exactly what might come up in the ordinary way of things. (Mind, I've given up on expecting any YPL event going the way it was planned.)

Perhaps we might find a time to talk over it (and I can show you the robes I'm picking up tomorrow?) after one of the sessions this week, if you can be away from your ward for that long?

I'm to bed now, so I'll be up to dealing with more meetings in the morning.

Poppy -

A few more thoughts from the morning.

The new robes are glorious, painful as it is for me spend this much on clothing. (I'm waiting on a couple of final alterations at the moment.) But I'm now quite confident I won't shame anyone at the Ball, or various other invitations.

I do have a favour to ask you: do you have a recommendation to help me get through the next ten days or so? What with one thing and another, I've got a tremendous amount to do, and being here last night reminded me exactly how tired I am already.

You know I hate to rely on anything like a regular potion (both you and Mum have rubbed off on me that way), but the more I think about it, the more I think that might be the best choice. (Once we get through the next week, everything eases up a bit.)

I've also got something I'd like to talk to you about - in person, by preference, though if we had to, it could be the journals. But privately.

Hey you- keeping a subtle eye on your side of the castle. An empty tower and personal quarters might be sorely tempting for our pink-parchment quill friend.

When I'm in the city I'll have to have a look at that keen-sounding shop window with the quidditch match. And speaking of- got another invite in the post this morning. It's a New Years gala by the National Quidditch Association, and a lot of my old mates are sure to be there. I'd love it if you came with me, but there's that... well, New Years Eve, yeah? And you not knowing many others there, and having no reason to meet them, it'd be pretty evident to all and sundry that you're along as my date.

So if you have another party you'd like to go to by yourself, or if you'd rather ring in the New Year with family, I'd understand.

Thanks for the watchful eye, love. I feel better knowing that.

For New Year's... I'd like that, I think, as long as you promise to help me catch up on who's who beforehand. (I never thought I'd regret not following Quidditch properly, but there you are.)

The meetings today went decently, and the concert tonight was glorious. That and some walking today also gave me space to think about a lot of things. I'm still nervous about going public, but I think I've got a better idea why now, and how we might fix that, together.

Miss you. Miss just knowing you’re nearby, particularly. Should be back sometime around eight tomorrow evening - depends how long dinner with my parents goes. I’ll have some things to drop off in my rooms, but after that want to be up the top of the tower for a bit. (You’d be welcome once the place is clear of students, if you're free.)

I know it sounds like it will be terribly blokey, but there are a good deal of female quidditch players, coaches, strategists, promoters, and whatall too. And since the quidditch world exists within its own separate sphere, there's not quite so much jockeying for position- that stays on the pitch, see? The person I want you to meet most is Cal, though- Cal Pummel (Falcons strategist), an old and dear mate of mine. The rest of them aren't too shabby, either.

Ah, and on that next bit: how do you plan for us to fix the Peter Purvis? Or should we talk about it tomorrow night?

Glad to go, honest, and no other plans I actually wanted to go to even. (And I do want to get to know people who are important to you, you know.)

On the nerves: we'll need to talk some tomorrow night, but to put it in my own field's terms, being a binary star's different than being solitary, and my sense of gravity's still off. Which makes me feel all shaky.

I could show you easier than tell you, really, but I think talking through how to answer the obvious questions, and getting them in perspective will help the nerves a lot.

Some of it, too, is just overwork - dinner, tonight, Campanella and I were talking about the number of things that got dropped in my lap, (even without Pink Parchment Girl), and, well, it's no wonder I feel scattered. There's fixes for that too, and it should only be particularly bad for another week or so.

Well how do you reckon I feel, going from the protectorate's most eligible bachelor to "officially dating?" I'm leaving Barty all alone to shoulder the burden by himself, and it's bound to make him sour. Granted, I've officially dated various others off and on over the years, but you're the first woman who waited for me to suggest going public first, and then took some time to decide how she felt about that, too.

For the record, despite my choice of words we are not required to do anything official, or even verify anything for the press. It's more that we can just be "us" a little bit more in front of other people, I figure. That's all.

On the overwork, let me know if there's anything I can do to help out, will you? I reckon that if you hadn't had to apparate early this weekend you'd feel a lot more sorted out. And the stars just aren't as crystalline in New London, are they? Good thing they'll be waiting back here for you.

(Imagine me sitting here and laughing, and trying to figure out how to answer you, would you?)

I keep telling you I'm not like lots of other women. I'm glad you're patient with me.

And no - we don't have to do anything official. But people will ask, and it'd settle me to be flat out clear on what I say, and how I say it to handle that well. And there are a few people that, if we're being a tiny bit more public, I really should tell before it gets picked up by the papers as a fact.

And you do know, if I dance with you at the Yule Ball (which I certainly would prefer to do, thank you, given the effort involved in what I'm going to be wearing) that it's going to be undeniable to not only our students but our colleagues? I'm not that good an actress.

It helps Minerva took it well, too. (Though now I'm wondering what my parents are going to ask tomorrow. They're being entirely mysterious about why they really must have dinner on Monday.)

On the overwork: unfortunately, not too much you can do without more gossip. It's those cursed etiquette and dance lessons, and the fact that at least a quarter of the girls in the upper years seem to see me me as the nearest convenient agony aunt. I can scarcely turn them away, but it does take time. I've got a plan for getting my lesson plans and marking so they don't take much time next week now though.

As to the stars - quite. (And I've a lousy view from this window, anyway.) But I've got a projection up, and it's quite soothing. Tomorrow will be much nicer.

Trust me, love, I am bloody thrilled that you are not like the other women I've dated.

We can sort out what to say and practise our dancing all in one go, if you like. Though I don't know that I can help you deal with the upper year girls. I've had a few of the boys come round asking me about how to avoid the clap (at least they haven't forgotten it went around last year), to which I cheerfully tell them to see Madam Pomfrey, "because there's nothing that gives her greater pleasure than helping a young lad avoid strange oozings from his knob."

Being a teacher is really more fun than it ought to be, on occasion.

And now that I've left you with THAT pleasant image, I suggest you concentrate on your projection for a while...

Glad you're all right with that, then.

I'd much appreciate the dancing practice, yes. I've had the proper lessons, and brushed up, but I want to do you proud, and that's easier with practice.

I am glad you're finding amusement dealing with the boys - and that's much simpler than what they ask me, as disturbing as the image is. ("How do I know if he actually likes me, or is just saying yes because he'd like to spend time with my best friend?" is not a question Poppy has tremendous patience with.)

But yes. Projection and sleep for me, so tomorrow will go well (and so I'll have plenty of energy left for talking, dancing, and other things in the evening.)

Mum, Dad -

I didn’t say this enough at dinner, but thank you again. I can’t tell you what it means to be trusted with pieces passed down through the family - however did you round them all up from the relatives? And the charms on them will certainly make me feel more confident at the Ball!

I tried on that belt from Great-Aunt Imogen as soon as I got home, and she did stunning work, both with the design and the charms for grace and elegant movement (and it looks like it could have been made to go with my new robes.) And the earrings are amazing - you’re right about how they cast the face in the best light possible.

I’m stunned you got Auntie Alphecca to part with the topazes - she’s clung to them for so long. (Do you think all her friends will notice at the next tea party if she spills while pouring?) I particularly love the pearls, and I promise, I’m not offended by the charm design at all. A little subtle help with the social graces is much appreciated given the circles I’m moving in lately.

And thank you, too, for trusting me enough not to ask details about my relationship with Raz. I care about him a great deal, and you know I don’t say that lightly about anyone.

But being more precise about it is still complicated right now and it’s such a gift to have you not press me for details before I’m ready. I do think I’ll have more to tell you soon - just not quite yet.

I’ll certainly let you know when I might be free at least for an afternoon’s visit, as soon as I can get my social obligations to stay put for more than a few hours. It was wonderful to see you, and I'll be writing soon, I'm sure - with more about the Ball and the Malfoy's party, if not before.

Much love,
A.

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