Chapter Three

Tête-à-têtes

When Tony answered the door, she seemed neither surprised nor expecting Anna, but smiled warmly at her and led her to the kitchen. She pushed a button on her automatic grinder and coffee maker and brought out the store-bought cookies, taking a seat at the table beside her. The house looked no different than it ever had nor any less Muggle, having every imaginable electronic appliance Anna could think of on the counters and nothing out of the ordinary in any hidden corner. Anna began to wonder, in fact, if perhaps Ollivander was mistaken after all. But something kept nagging at her inside, telling her that he was correct, even if she didn't see any outside evidence of it. They got caught up on trivialities while the coffee brewed, then Tony finally got up, smiling at Anna as she went to fetch the pot.

"So, Anna, what in the world brings you over here not a week before you have to go back to work?" she asked, pouring them each a cup of coffee.

"Do you know anyone by the name of Rigatona Danaan?" Anna asked, watching Tony carefully. Tony paused to look at her then smiled again, finishing pouring her own cup and sitting down.

"Wherever did you hear that name?" she asked.

"A wandmaker mentioned the name. Did my grandmother really name you…Rigatona?" Anna asked, and Tony chuckled.

"Why do you think I had my name changed to Tony?" she winked. "Yes, Anna, that's me. I suppose it's time you knew the truth about the family history anyhow, now that you've come out as being a witch. Rigatona is a very, very old family name, one of nine names passed into our family from mother to daughters. In fact, so is Danaan. You see, hundreds of years ago, some of us were descended from the race many people associate with the Fae. But when the call for reform came and Merlin began to encourage his followers to use the modern magic - which favored sifting magic into orderly and controlled methods such as wands and potions - some of the witches and wizards rebelled against the idea. Modern magic was also less powerful, and didn't really fall into the natural order of magic itself. A tamed animal loses a lot of the characteristics it had when it was wild, and so does magic. So they… we… stepped away from the changing society, practicing the old ways by just using what natural talents came to us instead of forcing ourselves to join the new way of thinking. Not that some of us didn't learn the new ways too, but for the most part our magic just doesn't work the same way, so it's hard to do. To some extent it has weakened over the generations as well, so much that it has gotten to the point where the magic talent seems to show up only some of the time, and only to female descendants of the original line. So, sporadic as our magic is, we typically blend in with the Muggles and our Muggle families, using our natural magic talents as a supplement to our lives instead of letting it run our lives like it does most 'modern' wizards and witches.

"Of course, our snubbing of the new ways also earned us a number of enemies over time, and earned us the nicknames of 'Weakbloods' or even 'Muggle Mutants' although that couldn't be farther from the truth. So many of us left and moved to America, where we could blend in without the criticism of those we left behind. Our roots lie deep, so deep in fact that people have forgotten we're even here. But we are here, the last descendants of a people that used magic in its raw state instead of formulas and incantations. And although some of us only bear the names of our past ancestors so we do not forget where we came from, there are others that simply try to live up to them, a reminder of the power we once had," she finished, smiling gently. "Well, I think that should answer most of the questions on your mind, yes?"

"Yes, except one… is this sporadic line you speak of the reason why I didn't get my magic until so late? Because of this weak blood?" Anna asked. Tony looked uncomfortable.

"I think… I think it would be best if you found that answer out for yourself," Tony said at last, taking a deep drink of her coffee so she could think of a way to change the subject.

For Jennifer, going back to Hogwarts had always been like coming home after a long vacation abroad. She hated when the summer came to an end and with it the extra time she could spend with her children, yet at the same time, it was also a relief to get back to the castle, office, and lab, as well as the familiar paintings that greeted her when she walked in and her large, comfortable sitting room. She had always felt a sense of belonging there that she couldn't quite explain, and it was a feeling that she didn't really want to shake.

As always, Minerva was waiting at the gates to greet them when they arrived, and they chatted about the summer and the year ahead as they walked to the Headmaster's Study. As they went up the stairs, Jennifer couldn't help but notice a familiar face appearing in different paintings as if trying to keep up with them, waving to Jennifer when she finally got her attention.

"Well, hello Professor Dusthorn, I didn't expect to see you still awake," Jennifer said with surprise. The older woman in the painting smiled mischievously, her blue eyes twinkling.

"I still have work to do before I can sleep again. But may I say, it's rather dull here in the summer. I am so glad to see you," she said. "These halls just weren't meant to be quiet."

"Nothing is quiet with you about, Professor Dusthorn," Minerva replied, shaking her head with a smile as they headed up the last stair. "Or have you forgotten the birthday party the other paintings threw for you? I half expected that you were going to wake up the other Headmaster paintings while you were at it."

"Now then, I admit the party got a bit rowdy, but paintings get bored, you know, they needed the excitement. And I daresay the ghosts all had a good time, especially Peeves," Caprica Dusthorn said. "I am sorry we got Argus angry at us, though. He seems like a right chap… in his own way." Jennifer couldn't help but grin, trying to imagine what sort of havoc a party of paintings could cause. A moment later they had arrived at the spiral staircase, the doors to the study open and waiting.

"Ah, there you are, right on time as always," Dumbledore said with a smile, standing up. "Welcome back. I trust everything is well at home."

"A bit loud, but well," Severus said, earning a chuckle from the Headmaster.

"Yes, I heard about Corey's gift. Please don't be too hard on Sirius and Anna. They're right in that the boy needs to spread his wings a little. Not that you haven't done a wonderful job getting him on the right track, but one thing I'd like you both to work on this year is, barring any true disasters of course, you're to see yourselves as his teachers first and foremost. Let Minerva do her job as Gryffindor house advisor taking care of any problems that might come up. I also don't want either of you singling him out by being any harder on him than the rest of your students either," he said, nodding knowingly at their grimaces.

"Yes, Minerva's told me all about that as well. Now, I have kept my nose out of it up to this point, but this is really a problem with a student not getting the room he needs, rather than about family. I've had to overrule you both on one occasion or another over disciplining him, and I have had to step in much more than I'd like. You have two, and perhaps two more children of your own attending this school down the line, so you might as well discipline yourselves now on this issue so we don't have to deal with these issues again in the future," he said, an amused tone creeping up in his voice.

"Yes, sir," Severus said solemnly.

"Of course, Professor," Jennifer nodded, slightly sheepish. She knew without a doubt he was right.

"Severus, you should be happy to know that the forest patrols will no longer be needed this year. Now that things are finally back under control, the centaurs have taken over security there, and I'm sure Sagittari will help keep an eye on our interests if we need to know anything. It is just as well, for Remus has obligations elsewhere and Sirius is often abroad these days. Audacious Belle should be in and out of the school on a regular basis looking into something for me, so consider her a school friend.

"As I'm sure Minerva wrote you, Hermione passed her teaching test and will be instructing Symbology along with her regular library duties this year, so keep an eye on things just in case she needs any assistance. Now, I'm sure the two of you want to continue sparring again this year, but other than that, I ask that you keep your time as open as possible," he said. Severus frowned suspiciously, glancing at Jennifer. "There are some things stirring that might need your attention this year, although I am not entirely certain to what extent. Especially you, Jennifer, being with the Order now… in fact, we shall be holding a meeting soon, next Saturday evening. I think that meeting will be quite enlightening," Dumbledore mused.

The painting of the bright-eyed raven known as Dewhurst cawed welcomely as Jennifer got to her door and said the password, the door opening inwards into her sitting room.

The room had already been unpacked by industrious House Elves and everything was in its place, the windows open and her bat familiar Ratfly was dozing upside down on his stand. Plopping down unceremoniously into her high-backed red chair, she unsealed the envelope that Dumbledore had passed her at the end of the meeting. Severus closed the door behind him but stood by it for a moment, gazing at her with a slight frown.

"Not bad, five more galleons a month for teaching five years. How long before I catch up with you?" Jennifer teased.

"You'll get another one when you reach tenure, and another if you take a senior position if you decide to stay that long. I'm sure other opportunities will come up from time to time that'll tempt you," Severus said calmly, hanging up his cloak.

"Nonsense, Severus, what could possibly tempt me away from Hogwarts? What about you, have you ever had opportunities come up?" Jennifer asked.

"From time to time," Severus admitted, closing some of the windows.

"Well I have every intention of staying and seeing our kids get in school," Jennifer said, putting the envelope in the drawer, looking over at Severus thoughtfully. "Do you think we should hold off on the schedule this year? Dumbledore seemed concerned about something… it seemed to have to do with all the artifacts that are showing up out of the blue. And something to do with Caprica still being awake."

"Jennifer…"

"And I'm quite sure all these things coming up with your sister have something to do with it as well. Do you think perhaps her being here is triggering some of it? And I keep getting the feeling Fudge knows more than we do still."

"Jennifer, do we really have to get into this now?" Severus asked irritably.

"No, I suppose not. Besides, we won't really learn anything new until Anna gets back anyhow I think," Jennifer said getting up and glancing at her class schedule. "Conferences are on Tuesday and Friday this year. Ugh! And I have a double first year class first thing Monday mornings, what in the world did I do to annoy Minerva that badly? Oh, well, I'm more worried about half the students showing up with Sludgebat ingredients more than anything. Do you believe they let him in Diagon?"

Sighing with exasperation, Severus strode back over to her and kissed her deeply, throwing her completely off guard. Then he put his finger to her lips while she stared at him in surprise.

"Do you hear anything?" Severus asked her.

Wondering if she'd missed something, Jennifer paused to listen.

"No," Jennifer admitted. Severus nodded, leaning over her slightly.

"Precisely. No crying, no wailing, no horrid twanging noise from Corey's room, not even the sound of anyone yelling up the stairs to quiet down," he said. "When was the last time the two of us spent any time together without being interrupted?"

"Do you want an exact date?" Jennifer asked, trying to keep a straight face.

"Yes, well, I'm not about to let you clutter up our first night back with work and schemes of looking into things," he said stubbornly, although his voice suddenly took on gentler tone. "After all, it's your birthday, you could try relaxing a little."

"Very well, if you insist," Jennifer said, clearing her throat slightly and tossing her paperwork on the table. "Did you have something specific in mind?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Severus said with a sinister smile.

Bright and early the next morning, Hermione had found herself on her way down to the staff room, too nervous to sleep longer. She was carrying her a copy of Symbology: The Patterns that Bind Us, reading over her notations in the column and correcting her wording as she went. It was, in fact, the fifth time she had started reading it again from cover to cover, making sure she wasn't leaving out anything important.

It was some time before anyone else made it down to the staff room. Finally Rolanda Hooch rolled in more asleep than awake, followed by Alvin Archibald, who looked overly amused about something.

"Of course I'm not a morning person. Falcons are nocturnal. Now get away and leave me alone, you have a syllabus to write," she said, trudging over to get a cup of coffee.

"Go ahead and rub in the fact that you're the only instructor not required to write one," Alvin said. "You are a grouchy one this morning."

"Maybe I don't have to write a syllabus, but I have to spend the entire day checking over and doing inventory on all the sports equipment, and probably ordering a whole new stock of brooms. These have had it," Rolanda said.

"They were bad back when I was still a student," Hermione joked, but got a nod from Rolanda.

"Exactly. We need new balls too… the students have tried to charm them once or twice too often, and those Bludgers are really starting to lose their touch. I swear that last game they weren't hitting anyone even half as hard as they normally do."

"Well, we can't have that, it wouldn't do to have the hospital wing empty after a game for once," Alvin teased.

"Hey, a Bludger hit now and then is a great deterrent to keep students from getting too cocky out there. Even the most daring of them get more cautious after a nasty hit," Rolanda said, sitting down next to Hermione with her coffee and a roll. "Heard you got a perfect score on the teacher's exam."

"Yes, first time that had happened since Minerva took it, from what I understand," Hermione smiled. "It's going to be nice to actually be able to teach this year, and such a fascinating subject too. Did you know that even Quidditch itself is filled with all sorts of symbolic representations of magic, even down to the names and positions themselves?"

"Sure, Hermione, sounds interesting, but could we not get too philosophical this early? I'm not sure I can handle it yet," Rolanda protested.

"Good morning everyone," Jennifer said from the doorway, beaming warmly at them as she headed over to the table, grabbing a cup on her way by. "Good to see you all again! How was your summer?"

"I've had better," Rolanda admitted.

"I've had worse," Alvin said.

"And why are you in such a cheerful mood? Glad to be away from your kids too?" Rolanda asked.

"No, of course not, I miss them already," Jennifer said, glancing up as Severus came in the door. "Although I am glad to be back, just the same."

"I know what you mean. I'm going to miss all the extra time I got to spend with Ron over the summer helping him with his newspaper work, but there really isn't anywhere else like Hogwarts, is there?" Hermione said.

"Even Severus has the audacity to be in a good mood," Rolanda said in an almost taunting tone. She was looking a tad more alert now, having already downed her first cup and was halfway through on the next.

"How can you tell?" Alvin said in a low voice, leaning over to her.

"Because he's been standing there listening for nearly fifteen seconds and he hasn't insulted anyone yet," Rolanda explained.

"What happened over the summer that was so terrible? You did go to visit your daughter, didn't you?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Rolanda said glumly. "She's pregnant."

"What's so terrible about that?" Jennifer asked.

"I'm too young to be a grandmother," she muttered.

"You obviously aren't too young to have a daughter that age," Severus said snidely, earning a very icy glare from Rolanda. Jennifer gave him a dirty look as well, and he decided to sit on the other side of the table, suddenly absorbed in his book.

"It's not all that bad...I mean, if Corey gets married after he graduates and settles down the first year, I might be a grandmother as early as thirty five," Jennifer said, sitting beside her.

"Ha! As if Corey would settle down. That boy has a dozen plans in mind and none of them involve girls. Besides, that'd also make Severus a grandfather and personally I can't think of anything scarier than that. Actually, yes I can. Severus with a beard." Rolanda taunted.

"Now why would he want to cover that handsome jaw line of his?" Jennifer asked, gazing at him with a loving smile. Rolanda stared at her.

"I take that back. You are scarier than he is," she decided. Seeing the look that Severus passed to Rolanda, Jennifer decided it would be wise to change the subject.

"So how are you coming on your syllabi, Hermione?" Jennifer asked.

"Oh, I got those done yesterday and turned them in already," Hermione said. "And I went over and highlighted my book during the summer," she added, drumming her fingers. "All I have to do now is finish charming the new library books and I'm done. I say, what do you do with all this spare time before school begins, anyhow?" she looked up to see everyone staring at her. "What?"

"Sounds like someone's overdue for a wakeup call," Rolanda grinned at Alvin.

"Happens to the best of us," Alvin agreed.

"Hermione, being a librarian is one thing, but teaching is quite another. Some of these students were Sorted before you were out of school and they're not going to let you forget that. You never know what they're going to bring up to haunt you," Jennifer warned. "I remember my first day here… goodness, I thought I'd never survive it. Of course, I got thrown in a major subject after only teaching first year Potions as an assistant… I certainly wasn't ready for that."

"Amadeus started a fight in one of your classes that year if I remember right," Rolanda grinned.

"And they kept pressing me terribly about my father," Jennifer nodded. "Severus wasn't exactly helping matters either by looking over my shoulder ready to criticize me every time I looked around." Severus looked up with genuine surprise.

"As I recall, I believe I complemented you after your first day," he said defensively. "Besides, I had to make sure you were trustworthy. After all, your family's reputation preceded you. And don't try to blame what happened later that month on me, either. It was your doing confronting Malfoy at that first Quidditch game. I only made sure you weren't a target for awhile, which wasn't easy considering you were always into trouble."

"And you were already in it up to your nose," Jennifer pointed out, turning back to Hermione. "All I'm trying to say is, Hermione, don't get too many preconceived ideas on how the students are going to behave, and expect things to be bumpy the first few classes. It's not as easy as you may think."

"Firm discipline always worked for me," Severus shrugged, going back to his book.

"Don't just talk at them, keep them on their toes with questions," Alvin agreed.

"And don't expect them to get everything right the first time," Rolanda said, "then you should be fine." Hermione propped her head up in her hand.

"Maybe I should go study my book on proper teaching techniques again," she said, earning a round of exasperated sighs from the other professors around her.