Chapter Twenty-Eight
Show and Tell
After Lunette made he threat good by buying Jennifer a Gravestone Doji, Jennifer didn't get up until noon on Saturday. Glad she now had a coffee pot in her room, she didn't bother to emerge until she had both a hangover potion and an entire pot of coffee in her, finally shuffling out an hour later.
But as close as her classroom was to the dorms, Jennifer didn't make it all the way there before Lav caught up with her.
"There you are! I thought you'd never get up! Did you go to a meeting or a Coven?" Lavender scolded her.
"Apparently, Order of Libris meetings are a bit of each," Jennifer said dryly. "And the host of our regular Coven Night decided to get even with me for being reluctant to join her order."
"Reluctant? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get in there?" Lav said.
"Yes, I do, which is why I don't want to take advantage of the fact that we are friends," Jennifer said firmly.
"Oh. Well, I can see your point in that," Lav admitted. "I think besides you, there's only three or four other members of that order in the entire school, and that's including the Healer's College. Mother is one too."
"Really? What level?" Jennifer asked with interest.
"Silver, I think," Lav replied.
"That's good, actually, because I was going over to her house later next week to ask her a favor, and it'll be easier if she's a member," Jennifer replied.
"Going to ask her to help you with your research?" Lav guessed.
"Yes, if she's interested," Jennifer admitted.
"I bet she is. Mom still likes to sink her teeth into a challenging project now and then," Lav said. "I'll go over there with you. But actually, the reason I was waiting on you was to introduce you to another member of staff... or should I say reintroduce," she explained.
"Reintroduce?" Jennifer asked, and Lav pushed Jennifer's glasses up for her.
"Yes, it's someone you used to go to school with. Don't look, it's a surprise," Lav said.
"Oh, no. I didn't know any of my classmates were a staff member. How is it that I haven't run into them before?" Jennifer asked.
"I expect because he's in a department you're not and works on the side of the garden you tend to avoid the most... with the exception of that demonstration," Lav hinted, then Jennifer noted the direction they were walking.
"So we're meeting the Sports Director?" Jennifer guessed as they neared the Quidditch Stadium.
"Good guess!" Lav grinned at her, and they stepped into the Amphitheater and began walking down the stairs.
A number of middle school students were practicing drills with their brooms just above the grassy field, and quite a number of them, mostly sixth years, were still on tri-handled brooms. Standing near them with a whistle around his neck and giving the newer students more instruction as they practiced flying the length of the Quidditch field was a strikingly tall, good-looking wizard with long grey hair pulled behind him in a braid, and an impressive physique considering his age. As he turned to face the next group of students on brooms ready to race across the field, he happened to see the two witches walking down the steps.
"Hey, Bludger!" he shouted out, echoing so loudly through the stadium that all of the students looked around as if expecting that there was one to duck. Jennifer groaned at that, and Lavender looked at Jennifer questioningly.
"Bludger?" Lav asked.
"That's the nickname all of the boys gave to me when I was going to school," Jennifer admitted sheepishly, continuing down to the floor.
"You had it easy then," Lavender decided. "They used to call me Lavatory." Jennifer gazed at her sympathetically.
"You're right. That would have been worse," Jennifer admitted.
"I figure it played a part in why I don't like men," Lavender chuckled, and she waved as they stepped onto the grass. The wizard told his broom students to keep practicing racing across the field and walked over.
"Hey, Bludger! I heard you were here somewhere!" the wizard said cheerfully as he stepped over, glancing over his shoulder long enough to make sure that the broom trainees were doing as they were told.
"Hi, Kevin," Jennifer said with a pained smile. "Nobody told me you were teaching here."
"Yes! I'd have come over to say hello earlier, but you know how crazy these first few weeks are, putting all those teams together, getting schedules made up for middle and high school football and Quidditch teams, and all that. But I've been hearing all sorts of amazing stories about you, including the fact you were the one that marked up the turf and made us replace it," Kevin Mayer said.
"Yes, sorry," Jennifer said sheepishly.
"Did you ever get over your fear of flying?" he asked.
"Oh, mostly, as long as it's not over water, but I didn't know you was aware of that," Jennifer admitted.
"I asked your mother about it once during the last Garden Party before we graduated, back when you turned me and half the male student body down for the prom," Kevin teased. "And then afterwards, she warned me that holding a grudge was in your blood and you weren't likely to change your mind about turning any of us down, so not to get my hopes up."
"Yes, well, she was right. I was quite vexed at all of you for that turn around after the way I'd been treated through school," Jennifer admitted. "But you'll be happy to know that while I'm not even close to being the fastest rider, I did get to the point where I can and do fill in as Quidditch referee at Hogwarts sometimes."
"Wow! And Euro rings are much higher than ours, too! I am impressed!" Kevin said, genuinely amazed. "Speaking of which, I'd very much like to meet the man that impressed you sometime."
"Actually, he's meeting me for lunch at Quickbrooms tomorrow at noon. Would you like to walk over with me and meet him then?" Jennifer asked. "Or I can bring him to the field if you'd prefer, after we're done."
"I don't want to intrude at all. I know you haven't been able to spend as much time with him since you've been teaching here," Kevin protested.
"Well, I can spare a quick introduction, and I honestly think he's expecting it," Jennifer said. "You see, we typically meet at a cafe we partially own in New York during family days, and I think he wanted to meet me here this time because he's curious about where I work and who I work with. I keep telling him stories and I think he wants to put names and faces together."
"Great! There's a high school football game tomorrow, but I wouldn't mind walking over with you. Can I meet you at the gate?" Kevin suggested.
"Yes, alright," Jennifer replied.
"Great," Kevin said. "By the way, just let me know if you need any help with anything, including wrangling my Mason cousins," he winked.
"Thanks, Kevin," Jennifer said, and Kevin hurried back to his training class.
"That went well," Lavender commented with amusement.
"He seems quite nice now," Jennifer agreed. "He and his friends made my life quite miserable when I was in school, actually. They were all on the Quidditch team and teased me terribly about my flying skills."
"Yes, he told me some stories about it, actually. He wasn't even sure you'd come over to say hi once you found out he was working here. That's the real reason he didn't try to meet you earlier," Lavender admitted.
"I understand," Jennifer replied. "But I'm glad he did, all the same. It's a bit of a relief to know that one of those bullies turned out all right at least." Lavender grinned in amusement at that, then she and Jennifer walked to the Commissary.
Severus was staring rather mystified at the Quickbrooms menu and decided it would be better to simply wait when Jennifer arrived with a rather handsome older man in slacks and a collared shirt.
"Well, where's Quintin?" Jennifer asked at once.
"Am I not welcome without him?" Severus countered immediately, already prepared to be greeted in such a way. The man next to her did his best to hide a chuckle.
"I just got done telling Kevin that I had a child at home and that you'd be bringing him only to be proven wrong," Jennifer complained.
"I disbelieve everything that she tells me, because it couldn't possibly be true unless I see it with my own eyes," Kevin teased, unable to hide an amused smile.
"Yes, thank you very much. Severus, this is Kevin Mayer, the Sports Director. He went to school with me," Jennifer said.
"And you're actually speaking to him?" Severus inquired. Kevin chuckled knowingly.
"I had my doubts about it when we were reintroduced yesterday," Kevin admitted. "I'm afraid I was the captain of the Quidditch team all through school, and we always called her the Bludger because her flying skills were so poor."
"Yes, they were poor when she arrived at Hogwarts as well," Severus agreed. "When she managed to destroy her tri-handled broom during her first year teaching, I gave her an automatic to keep her in the air. She even refereed Quidditch games on it."
"Oh, so that's how you referee Quidditch games now," Kevin grinned.
"No! Not now! I fly much better now, don't I, Severus?" Jennifer protested.
"Yes, to be fair, she does fly much better now. She even owns a regular broom," Severus agreed expressionless. "We simply won't talk about her landings."
"Oh, Severus, really!" Jennifer said, blushing when Kevin laughed at that. "Now Ill never get him to stop calling me the Bludger!"
"You got that right," Kevin agreed. "Anyway, I don't want to interrupt your time together, I simply wanted to meet the wizard who was able to win Jennifer over. To be candid, plenty of people have an opportunity to save the world in at one time or another, but there's only one Jennifer, after all."
"Yes, I quite agree. Thank you," Severus said sincerely. Kevin nodded to him with a smile and then walked back out gain. Jennifer smiled, taking Severus' arm.
"He's nice now, isn't he?" Jennifer commented.
"He seems to have his priorities straight, at least," Severus agreed.
"Kevin was positively horrendous at school, actually," Jennifer replied. "But yesterday, he admitted that he had a bit of a crush on me at the time. I really had no idea."
"That is a surprise," Severus said evenly. Jennifer sighed at his obvious sarcasm.
"You really are in a mood today," Jennifer said. "Let me go order for us. I'm sure you're just as baffled about that menu as I was when I first came in here. Could you find us a table? Any will do."
"Very well," Severus said. He chose a table where he could easily monitor the door and yet was away from the cold breeze that wafted in when anyone opened the door. Jennifer went over to the counter, coming back with a number and two paper cups filled with coffee.
"It's not Kingler's, but I've tasted a lot worse," Jennifer informed him when he stared at the cup skeptically. "I'm afraid my opinion of the food here isn't much better."
"Yes, well, I'm here for the company and the insight," Severus pointed out.
"How long can you stay today?" Jennifer asked.
"As long as you'd like," Severus replied, unsurprised when her already lowered spectacles seemed to slide down even lower as she gazed at him intently. "Aurelius is dropping Quintin off at the Pyther's when he's done with his Seeker lesson, and Pyther will be taking him to school in the morning. I called in a favor and Tangent is taking over my Runes class tomorrow. I may have even arranged Andrew to stash a picnic basket in your cloak for later on, just in case you want to eat in for some reason."
"I might be persuaded," Jennifer decided with a smile.
"After all, you know as well as I do just how busy this month is going to be," Severus pointed out softly. "Between your research and that dance you have to chaperone and me with several sports games and a Hogsmeade trip to attend, I doubt we'll be able to get together until Halloween, and that will be mainly to drop off Quintin for the evening."
"True," Jennifer agreed with a sigh. "Do you know what this whole situation reminds me of?" she asked, Severus gazing at her questioningly. "It reminds me of that time you were in prison, courtesy of Bagman framing you for Fudge's death."
"In what way?" Severus asked quietly.
"I suppose because I feel a bit helpless, and restricted," Jennifer admitted. "Having to push through and make my own way all by myself. And yet at the same time, I realize you're going through it as well... you're just on the other side of the glass, is all."
"I'm here now," Severus reminded her. "So let's both try to set aside our tendency to brood when the two of us are apart and concentrate on what time we have together."
"Yes, you're right, Severus," Jennifer said, then gave the number to someone who came to the table and left a tray with their food in return.
As they were getting settled and Jennifer got up to refill their coffee cups, Severus noticed three men walk in together that made a rather odd team. The first man was obviously a wizard since he was wearing robes and cloak; he had dark hair, a goatee, and a deep wand scar that ran across his cheek. The man that came in after him had a long Whitebridge jacket that fell to his boot calves. He was tall with glasses and golden blonde hair. Last came a brown-haired man that could have easily been mistaken for a Muggle in his polo shirt and blue jeans, if he hadn't a wand slung to his belt. Despite their contrasting appearances and demeanors, all of their eyes fell on Jennifer as they began walking towards the dining room. But as she walked over and sat down with the two coffee cups, their eyes fell on Severus. Immediately there was an about face and a quick scramble for the door, causing Severus to peer out the window out of curiosity as the three men took a moment to talk to one another before crossing the street.
"Who were those three just now?" Severus asked.
"Who, Severus?" Jennifer asked curiously.
"Teachers, I believe," Severus mused as they went in the opposite direction from the school. "One with a scar, one with glasses and flaxen hair, and one that looked like a Muggle."
"Raymond Eldridge, Asher Smith, and Frank Byrd," Jennifer said, peering outside when Severus lifted the blinds slightly. "Yes, that's them."
"Apparently, they wanted nothing to do with me. They left quite promptly when they saw me," Severus said. Jennifer chuckled at that.
"They're not that bad, Severus. At the very least, I'm sure you'd like Raymond Eldridge. He's the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher and a retired Auror," Jennifer explained. "He and his father, also an Auror, had lunch with Dad and me after the demonstration. Once we convinced Ray that all Dark Wizards aren't out to get him, we all got along splendidly well."
"And which one of them did Andrew threaten?" Severus asked, turning back to his plate once they went around the corner.
"Frank Byrd, the one who wears jeans on his day off," Jennifer explained. "He teaches Wizardnet programming. I have to work with him a fair amount, but he's not as bad as all of that. He's pretty focused on the school most of the time, it's just that he dates on the weekends."
"Like Andrew?" Severus inquired.
"Perhaps in a way, but he's not that extreme," Jennifer replied with a shrug. "He's just a single kid who likes to date, is all. He does tend to go on about his devices on occasion," she added, rolling her eyes. "If he obsesses about anything, it's not dating; it's those blasted devices of his."
"And the third?" he prompted.
"I don't know Asher as well at all, actually, because he's rather terrified of Truth Seekers and won't get anywhere near me if my specs aren't all the way up," Jennifer said, Severus squinting at that. "But from what I've seen, he's as addicted to those silly devices as Frank is, and from what I've read from the other two and what I have been told by Lavender, he is actually worse than Andrew was when it comes to dating," she explained with amusement. "How he got that bad, I really don't know. But I do wonder sometimes if those devices aren't to blame for it somehow."
"In what way?" Severus asked thoughtfully.
"Well, for one thing, I'm sure it's easier to keep up with a crazy dating schedule when you have a device to do it for you and you're not logging it in a few dozen journals like Andrew used to do," Jennifer pointed out. "On top of that, on those Wizardnet devices, it's very hard to tell what information is real and what's not, even when you're interacting with other people who are using it. I'm not entirely convinced that they even know what a real relationship is, actually."
"That part of it does remind me of Andrew," Severus decided.
"Yes, well, I'm sure they'll grow out of it eventually just like he did, Severus. Hopefully they'll come to their senses before they accumulate as many regrets as Andrew did," Jennifer said. "How are things going between Andrew and Laura, anyway?"
"So far, they've been too busy for anything to erupt. Come to think of it, it kept us at bay for a while," Severus said, thinking back. "And when we did find time, we were too relieved to work out any of the problems that were developing under the surface... until that silliness with you dropping down on a house surrounded by Death Eaters and that sloppy rescue caused us both to explode at each other."
"Yes, I remember," Jennifer said. "But despite your criticism of what I did, Severus, it really wasn't for nothing, you know. Dumbledore told me that the fact they stayed so long at that house attempting to deal with me gave him time to get the rest of the parents out of the way that night. Of course, he also told me I needed to start thinking things through and to stop acting on emotion as well."
"I had my fair share of getting that lecture myself those first three years we were together," Severus said. "Although most of the time, it had less to do with what was going on outside of the castle and more to do with how I reacted to your charge in and to hell with caution attitude about everything."
"Yes, well, I'm a Craw," Jennifer said apologetically, smiling at him.
"Yes, and it took me years to accept that part of your personality would never go away completely," Severus admitted. "For a long time, I had hoped to break you of it, to be perfectly honest, to stop the terror that I felt at the thought of losing you. I found it a dreadful nuisance and it became a pet peeve, as you pulled us into one situation and then another. But that night came when you, your father, and the entire family stood outside that portal and had to take on Samira and her court, it was all quite plain that spirit of yours was ingrained in all of you; in many ways, it's your family's greatest strength. Not to mention that by then I had to come to terms with the fact that I had been attracted to that aspect of your personality from the start, although I didn't truly embrace it until that year with that Obol, despite the fact I pulled out more grey hair that year than any other," he finished, causing Jennifer to laugh.
"You were such an anchor for me, that year, Severus. And you have been every year since then, including this one," Jennifer replied.
"Just have you have been for me from the start," Severus replied.
"And you have always been there for me from the start," Jennifer said, immediately regretting how she worded what she had said before, especially when she was rewarded with his dubious gaze in response to her correction. "Perhaps not without some reluctance in some cases, Severus, but you always have been. We'd have been done for if it hadn't been for the fact that you, Harry, and Sagittari came that night to rescue us, and you know it. And it isn't as if some of my close calls couldn't have been avoided if I had just listened to you or talked to you, so I hardly blame you for your weariness of it all. I'm also not sure why we're talking about this again, really. I thought we were past all of this," she protested softly.
"Unfortunately, it seems that one of the side effects of this separation of ours is that it's leaving us plenty of time to reminisce," Severus replied. "And yet look at how far we've come, Jennifer... those events in our lives, both good and bad, have only strengthened our commitments to each other."
"Yes, but there's still quite a bit to sort out, isn't there?" Jennifer replied.
"There will always be something to sort out," Severus replied with exasperation. "We are two headstrong people and we're after the unobtainable goal of reaching a perfect, balanced relationship."
"Balance has a lot to do with what we're working right now, doesn't it?" Jennifer ventured. "And yet... do we truly need to work on it at all? It isn't as if I've ever felt at a disadvantage, Severus. If anything, you tend to give into my whims all too often, don't you?"
"Suddenly I feel as if I'm missing a part of this conversation," Severus replied. "You seem to be debating something but have yet to tell me what it's all about."
"Oh. Well, it's about the Order of Libris meeting the other night, actually," Jennifer explained. "You see, apparently the order has four different levels of membership, which are Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, and the levels are tiered; there are only nineteen members in Platinum, dozens in Gold, about a hundred in Silver, and bronze is larger still, although I'm not sure how many. Bronze members are mostly younger witches with college degrees and high academic performance that the order believes have long term potential, like Lucky, who got in after finishing her first thesis last year," Jennifer explained. "Well, Lunette gave me a Platinum card, but when I first arrived that night, I was shown into the rooms that the Silver level witches were waiting. I rather think it was Lunette's attempt to get even with me, to be perfectly honest, because I didn't feel like I belonged in her order. I still don't feel that I deserve to be in Platinum level, really. I think her sending me to talk to the Silver level witches rather backfired in that respect."
"In what way?" Severus asked, distractedly eating his sandwich.
"Well, I met three of the Silver members there, all from the Salem Institute in some fashion, who saw me alone and decided to introduce themselves so that I wouldn't have to stand there by myself while I was waiting for Lunette," Jennifer explained. "In the process of them telling me about their professions, I discovered they knew some of the Weasleys, and then I discovered the Hermione was a member as well, she just didn't have time to attend many meetings. They blamed her being married as part of the reason," she admitted.
"Hermione's time is at a premium, after all. She has little time to spend with her family as it is," Severus replied. "But she has always done a very good job balancing it."
"Yes, exactly, and I said as much," Jennifer said. "But one of them told me that marriage had a dampening effect on a witch's ambitions. They thought that Hermione could have easily been a headmaster at a different school by now."
"Easily, if she wanted to. You're not going to tell her that, are you?" Severus asked. Jennifer chuckled at that. "I seriously doubt marriage has anything to do with it. I believe she's happy where she is."
"I do think you're right in Hermione's case, Severus," Jennifer agreed. "But they also made a point that getting married tends to hamper one's research. I had trouble arguing that point," she admitted quietly.
"Understandable, but am I right in assuming that none of the three witches were married themselves?" Severus inquired.
"No, they weren't. One had been engaged, but she ended up walking away because he was more interested in furthering his ambitions at the expense of hers," Jennifer said slowly. "On top of which, he was a dean of the school she was teaching at, and she realized that if they did get married, he'd have control over her professional career as well and she wouldn't be able to do anything about the fact that he wanted to restrict her research."
"It sounds as if she made the right decision walking away from it then," Severus replied.
"Yes, I agree," Jennifer said with a sigh. "I realize, of course, that their opinions are coming from a place where they don't truly understand the benefits that come with marriage and a family, Severus. But at the same time, there was an element of truth in most of the points they made, even the ones I could have found some argument for. I'm just uncomfortable about how many points they made that I couldn't argue with."
"Like the research, perhaps?" Severus inquired knowingly.
"Family has always been more important to me than my career, you know that. And I admit it readily," Jennifer replied. "Perhaps I haven't been able to realize my full potential when it comes to my talents, but there will be time for that once Quintin is grown up... I hope," she added under her breath. "And to be fair, Severus, those decisions were also my choice. But when I step back and ask myself honestly if I think that witches in general... as a whole... have to make more career sacrifices than wizards do when it comes to marriage and having a family, I'd have to say yes. But I also don't think it's worth it to choose a career over having a family, considering that the majority of witches that choose to stay single in favor of a profession aren't really taken seriously either. If they were, there would have been a lot more witches at that Healer's Conference I spoke at a few years ago," she said glumly, Severus nodding at that. "And I also admit that sometimes you being headmaster does get in the way," she added reluctantly.
Jennifer felt Severus take her left hand under the table.
"It was never on purpose, you know," Severus said quietly.
"Oh, yes, I know that," Jennifer said with a smile. "I also know that's why you made me 'head of the family' in an attempt to equalize that, and it also played a part in sending me to Whitebridge as well."
"Yes," Severus agreed. "For both of those reasons, and so that you can explore who you are as an individual, without being an extension to anyone else."
"How I love you, Severus," Jennifer said with a smile. "For encouraging me to be my best self, even when I'm reluctant to do it myself."
"I am simply returning the favor. You have been doing the same for me for years," Severus replied quietly. "Now how about you finish eating so you can show me your classroom?"
"Yes, all right," Jennifer said. "And now that I truly understand what this is all about, Severus, I really am going to do my best and give it my all this year."
"Good, because I really don't think I can bear another year like this again," he admitted.
"Yes, I know exactly what you mean," Jennifer said emphatically, grimacing at the taste of her cold coffee. "I think I'm ready."
The two of them walked over to the school, stopping long enough to get Severus his guest badge before they walked towards the classroom, hearing the crowd from the football game even before they stepped outside.
"I suppose that's a version of American football going on," Severus ventured, getting a nod from Jennifer. "Are there any differences between the non-magic version and the one they're playing?" he asked.
"Oh yes, several differences, actually. The first one being that it's not played with any heavy equipment at all," Jennifer explained. "The Muggle version has so much padding around them that it ends up shaking up the player like a pebble shaking around a potion bottle."
"That sounds safe," Severus said sarcastically.
"Not at all," Jennifer said. "The tackling rules are closer to rugby's rules and are much stricter, and the distance between the quarterback and kicker from the scrimmage line is different as well, putting them farther away from each other. This puts more emphasis on speed and accuracy and less emphasis on pummeling each other. The other major difference is that the sport is co-ed until college, then they're split up in their own teams like they are in Quidditch."
"I see. And how are they split up in the traditional game?" Severus asked.
"They're not, because with the exception of a handful of schools who made exceptions for very specific players, girls aren't allowed to play football at all, especially not past high school," Jennifer said. "After all, the equipment is heavy, there's a lot of strength needed, there's a high risk of injury... and so on and so forth."
"Isn't it interesting how they can use the equipment as one of their excuses?" Severus replied. "And at the same time, I must say it sounds unfair to both sides of this. Yes, arguably, Quidditch has its fair share of injuries due to falls specifically... although I could easily argue that the American's lowering the height on the Quidditch rings is a problem as well since it gives less time for the staff to respond. Either way, there is an inherent risk to all sports, since it causes the player to push their own limits for their teams' benefits as well as their own. But it troubles me that any administrator or parent would be so willing to allow their male students to take on greater risks of injury than they would their female students. How can a mother or father allow one of their children to risk such injuries, while disallowing another child to play to prevent them from getting injured? To me, that doesn't only sound sexist, but highly abusive towards the male students."
"Yes, you have a point. It's one of those 'social norms' that people don't really question much, isn't it?" Jennifer replied.
"Well, one thing is for certain; the next time my sister gets on one of her tirades about how much more advanced American society is than ours when it comes to equality, I have a ready argument," Severus said. Jennifer grinned at that as they paused in front of the door of her classroom. She slid her key through and showed him inside, using the kickstand to leave the door open.
Jennifer cheerfully showed him around the room, unsurprised when he was just as interested in her work area as he was in the student projects.
"Your classroom is neater than I expected," he said stoically.
"Just don't look in the supply closets," Jennifer said with a chuckle.
"Yes, I think I'll spare myself that, knowing you," Severus said, then began looking at the device from the Wizardnet kit thoughtfully. "So how do these compare to the computer we have at home?"
"Since ours is a hybrid, ours is much more powerful, actually," Jennifer replied. "Muggle computers are extremely advanced compared to ours and are faster, with more advanced graphics and a lot more information."
"And a lot more disinformation," Severus added dryly. Jennifer chuckled at that.
"Yes, well, that goes with the territory, I suppose. Anyone can put up anything they like, which leaves a lot of room for um... creativity," Jennifer said with a grin. "But the truth of the matter is there are pros and cons to whether you use a USB plug-in to access the Wizardnet like our computer has at home, or owning a Wizardnet magic device like this one. These don't depend on wires or satellite signals to work, which makes them ideal for locations with a high saturation of magic, such as wizard schools, wizard government facilities, Magical Creatures reserves, and other areas with enough magic concentration where Muggle devices won't work at all. Also, since these devices and Wiznet sites are wizard and magical races only, so no one has to worry about saying the wrong thing on the wrong site about our society."
"Yes, but even if someone does accidentally mention it on a Muggle computer, what's a bit more disinformation, after all?" Severus replied, Jennifer grinning at that.
"Yes, I'll admit, it's probably easier to ignore, isn't it? Anyway, our devices are also a lot simpler than they might seem on the surface; it's really just a collection of magic devices that we use all the time, but microtransfigured and then charmed to work together in a way that simply mimics a computer," Jennifer explained, using her wand to loosen the top of the device so she could pull the case off. "The keyboard is similar to the device they use at the Daily Prophet to write and store information they're going to print. This larger metal box here is the Witchboard... it's basically an information storing device, not unlike a Pensive, really, only it stores information coming in and out of the device rather than memories. It's also vital to make certain that everything is functioning properly and is 'communicating' with one another... meaning, it's charmed to make sure everything does what it's supposed to when someone punches a key. That part of it is based on something similar to a Postmaster's Owl Post sorting device, if I had to compare it," she said, lifting the top of the box to show there were other boxes nestled inside of it. She carefully put it back on again. "The sound comes from a typical crystal resonating device rather like what a Wizard Wireless uses. And the visual element is basically a charmed mirror that's not much different than a contact mirror, really. In fact, it can be used as one, along with performing basic monitor functions." Severus squinted at that.
"So there are both viewing and listening devices embedded in this thing, as well as stored memory as to what the person using it does while on it. Just how much security is on this thing to keep someone from tapping into the contact mirror portion and then retrieving information straight out of the device?" Severus asked, already knowing he wouldn't like the answer.
"Well, since this particular kit is just for learning, it's nonexistent," Jennifer replied. "Generally speaking, security ranges from 'not much,' to the ones made for business and government, which are about a secure as the average Muggle computer."
"Yes, that's comforting," Severus said sarcastically. Jennifer chuckled and nodded. "And if it's anything like the Muggle computers, once a piece of information is on the thing, it seems to be on there forever. I was at Alex's house the other day, and Benjamin was talking about how many people don't check the date on articles and treat things that happened five years ago as if it just happened yesterday."
"Well, information tends to fragment, after all. If you send information out, then it gets stored not only by your device, but the device of everyone who looks at it. Not to mention that every time you do business on a device, those catalog companies store all sorts of information about you so that they know where to send things to," Jennifer said. "That does have one bright side, though, Severus. If something goes wrong and you lose your computer or all of your information, it's all still probably stored on other people's computers so that you can get it back again," Jennifer pointed out, then grew thoughtful. "If only people's memories were that easy."
Severus paused at the sudden change of subject, his look of disdain for the device in front of him turning more attentive.
"Would you really want all of your memories stored and given out to everyone?" Severus pointed out.
"No, of course not," Jennifer said, stepping away from the device and wandering over to her desk while Severus pulled a stool over for himself. "I was just thinking of that time before Christmas when I was so desperate to get my memories back after losing them that I emptied the Pensieve full of my worst memories and put them in my head so that I had something there rather than nothing," she explained. "And while it did have the effect of triggering even more dreams at night, having a Pensieve full of memories wasn't enough to make the bridge I needed to get them all back."
"If the problem was easy, Jennifer, you would have figured it out a long time ago, as motivated as you are to find the answer," Severus replied. "Married or not," he added for good measure.
"Well, if I don't find a solution this year, Severus, I'm not sure I ever will," Jennifer admitted.
"The effort is worth something, Jennifer, I'm sure you learned that lesson already when you were researching Lycanthropy therapies," Severus pointed out. "Just give it your all, and make sure that your detail your research to its fullest, so that if you do need to pass the torch, the next person to take it up won't have to backtrack."
"Ugh, that part of it will be harder for me than the research itself, you know that, don't you?" Jennifer said with a grimace.
"Did I know that you couldn't organize a sock drawer let alone a stack of research notes? No, I had no idea whatsoever," Severus said so sarcastically that Jennifer would have laid into him if she hadn't heard heavy footsteps as someone came up to the open door.
Kay peered in curiously, and Severus saw a girl in a dark ponytail with half her face painted red and the other half painted white.
"Hey! You didn't go to the game? It's half time, and Rose Quarter is winning, you know. I just ran to the Potion Lab to give Lav an update. Wait, is that him?" Kay said loudly, not giving anyone time to respond before continuing. "Hey! He's better looking in person! That is totally not fair! I'm so jealous, you've got everything going for you! I'm going back to the game," Kay said, and stomped away, grumbling. Severus looked at Jennifer quizzically, and she grinned.
"That's Kay Sinclair, Magical Creatures Instructor, and one of the fill-ins for Veterinary Science. She's in my Coven, too," Jennifer added.
"She seems to have plenty of enthusiasm. About what, I'm not quite sure," Severus observed.
"Yes, she's always like that," Jennifer chuckled. "I don't suppose you want to go over to see Lavender?"
"Very well," Severus replied.
Jennifer secured the room so that they could leave, taking a leisurely stroll through the garden to enjoy the fall colors. Radiance dropped down from one of the trees, landing on Severus' shoulder and warbling at him.
"Good afternoon, Radiance. Yes, I've missed you both as well," Severus told her, Jennifer leaning on his arm with a smile.
"Radiance loves the gardens here, Severus. But she does get homesick from time to time," Jennifer said.
"She simply misses her family, just like you do," Severus replied, obligingly scratching her neck. "Are we getting close to the Potion Lab? It's rather hard to tell from this direction."
"Well, it'd be a lot faster if I could get you to climb trees," Jennifer teased him.
"Fancy me up in a tree," Severus said critically. "I'd rather enjoy the walk. However, if you want to go that way, go right ahead. I wouldn't mind the entertainment."
"You can behave yourself for just a little while longer," Jennifer chided him, then noticed that he seemed to be debating it. "Besides, we're just about there," she assured him, and as they turned the corner, Severus could see now that they were just on the side of the stone building that housed the Potion Lab. "I should warn you, this lab is not as state of the art as the one you toured in the Healer's School. I don't think the board wants to foot the bill for the renovations it needs. It really hasn't changed much since I've been in school, actually," Jennifer said, and the two of them stepped over to the door and went inside.
While the room definitely looked bigger than the building outside, the room itself reminded Severus greatly of the Potion Lab at Hogwarts before its demise at the hands of Dale Chance. The half windows along the back wall didn't seem to be doing much to help the straining ventilation fans in the the ceiling, leaving the air inside the room hazy. The desks were crammed into the back of the room, while glass cabinets, probably temperature controlled, housed bottles filled with components, all with factory labels on them. They were as neat as could be expected in cluttered room; the cauldrons in the back were small in comparison to the batch cauldrons they had at Hogwarts. Of course, since they didn't brew their main stock, they probably didn't need it to be any larger, either, and it did help to conserve the space. Lavender Carmody was standing next to the cauldron closest to a Bobart brand lab table which had seen better days.
"Hey! I'm so glad you brought him by!" Lav said, still stirring the cauldron. "Come on over, I'm doing some test batches... and I bet you can guess what it is!"
"I can tell what it is from the smell alone, it's the Lycanthropy Recovery Potion," Jennifer chuckled.
"I'm going to teach it to my pre-med potion class," Lavender explained. "I'd have taught the Preventative dose, but the Wizard Department of Alchemy hasn't approved the other two yet."
"Oh really? All three of those have been approved in Europe for a while now," Severus pointed out.
"True, but we Americans are a suspicious lot," Lavender said mischievously. "And the WDA realized that if they take their time and stall approval as long as they can, people are more willing to believe the potion is more thoroughly checked over and therefore safe. Typically, they try to hold out until either they get some cushy job offers from the Potion Manufacturers waiting to produce it or until too many people start smuggling it in from Canada."
"Job offers?" Severus asked with a frown.
"Let's just say that office has a high turnover rate," Lavender replied, then turned down the cauldron for the final simmer. "Nice to see you again, Professor. I've been hearing a lot about you lately," she added mischievously.
"Yes, I have heard a lot about you as well," Severus replied.
"Probably not as much," Lav teased.
"Lav has been doing a lot to help me get comfortable with working here, actually," Jennifer said. "And she's been helping by introducing me to the staff too."
"And she, in turn, has been going out of her way to stir things up around here," Lav said. "And if you ask me, it was long overdue, so she's had plenty of staff support. All of the witches are rallying around her, while most of the wizards are eating out of the palm of her hand," she added wickedly.
"I believe it," Severus said expressionlessly.
"Lav, really! You're going to give him the wrong idea," Jennifer chided her.
"No, I understand perfectly well. I've hardly forgotten your nature in the last six weeks, you know," Severus replied, then looked over at Lavender, who had an amused expression on her face. "Her father and her brother have the exact same talent for getting people on their side when they want something done," he explained. "The Craw family charisma is virtually unshakable."
"Are they just as good looking as she is?" Lav asked with interest.
"Oh, yes, and her brother as well as her newborn siblings are a quarter Veela on top of it. I wonder if the family's good looks aren't a hereditary adaptation to balance their Dark Wizard heritage? It's probably there to help them get away with murder, quite literally on occasion," Severus said so matter-of-factly that Jennifer was standing there with her hands on her hips.
"Well, don't worry, Professor. I'll make sure she doesn't murder anybody while she's here," Lav replied, quite entertained. "I just won't make any promises that she won't do anything else, that's all."
"Yes, it's always better not to over-promise when it comes to containing Jennifer," Severus agreed.
"I'm sorry, Lav, but as you can see, I have to go get even with my husband now," Jennifer said dangerously, wrapping an arm around his.
"Don't be too hard on him, even if he does have your number," Lav chuckled at her. "Nice to meet you, Professor."
"You as well," Severus replied, and followed Jennifer out.
"Honestly, Severus. What a mood you're in," Jennifer said with exasperation.
"I have no idea what you're referring to," Severus said stoically.
"I'm sure you don't," Jennifer said, leading him further into the garden. Radiance wisely decided to hop off Severus' shoulder and perch on a nearby dogwood tree.
"Where are we going next?" Severus inquired.
"To the dorm building," Jennifer said with an enigmatic smile.
"Oh, really. Isn't that the other way?" Severus asked suspiciously.
"Not this time it isn't," Jennifer said, walking him over to a small copse of trees near the greenhouses. Then she began climbing the maple tree.
"If this is some attempt of yours to try to get me to climb a tree, you are very much wasting your time," Severus warned her, but then found himself wondering if she had good enough purchase on the branch she was standing on. She easily hopped over to a different branch and sat down on it.
"If you don't follow me, you won't be able to get back to my room," Jennifer challenged him with a smile.
"I will simply go back the other way. I'm sure I'll find it eventually," Severus said unconcernedly.
"You forget, Severus, that I teach here now. I have some basic access to the security in these gardens," Jennifer informed him. "So when I say you won't find your way to my room any other way, I mean it. You might as well get it over with and start climbing."
"I'll get even with you," Severus threatened.
"You can't get even with me for doing something to get even with you, Severus, that's not how it works," Jennifer reminded him, wagging a finger at him. "Now, stop being naughty and start climbing."
"I'll show you naughty," Severus said dangerously. Jennifer stood back up again as he attempted to climb the tree, something he hadn't quite gotten the hang of even as a boy. Still, he was stronger now, and was able to pull himself up on the first branch, wondering if the garden had any protections that would prevent him from casting a balancing spell.
"Come now, Severus, you can do better than that," Jennifer said, standing precariously at the edge of one of the branches and making Severus wonder how it was even holding her weight.
"To be fair, Jennifer, I am wearing robes and you are wearing trousers, so you had an advantage over me going in," Severus complained.
"Don't be silly. I've seen you do complex defensive forms in your dress robes, Severus. And the leaps in some of those forms are much higher and more precise than what you need to do this," Jennifer said. "Now watch," she instructed, and seemed to jump off the tree into thin air with nothing in front of her.
But before Severus had time to even cry out a warning, her feet landed on a great oak tree that Severus didn't remember seeing anywhere in the garden before. Jennifer put a hand on a branch just above her to steady herself and looked back at Severus.
"All right, Severus. Work your way over here," Jennifer said. "Come on, now. I know you're not scared of heights at all."
"Don't patronize me, witch," Severus said, stepping over to the second branch he saw Jennifer step on. "I notice you at least have your barrette on."
"I'm in no danger of falling out of this tree. I simply can't say the same for you, is all," Jennifer teased, then stepped over to the next branch before Severus could reach her.
As Severus carefully followed behind, he couldn't help but watch in fascination at how easily Jennifer landed on each tree as it came, sometimes with only her toes gripping as she stepped across. So this was where she mastered her skill with the staircases, he realized, shuffling down the branch he was on to get to the next as she moved over to a very colorful ash tree with leaves of both gold and red. That was when he realized exactly how high up they were.
"We're almost there, Severus," Jennifer told him, taking an impressive jump over to a giant poplar. "Last tree!"
"You really don't expect me to make that jump, do you?" Severus asked flatly.
"Don't be silly, of course you can," Jennifer said. "Besides, it's your only choice. All of the other trees have already reset to a different pattern," she explained. Severus looked behind him, noticing there were no other trees around but the ash that he was in and the poplar tree.
"I believe this is an unfair amount of getting even," Severus complained.
"It pales in comparison to some of your penalties, Severus Snape," Jennifer taunted him mercilessly, making room on the branch for him. "Now, come on. I promise I'll help steady you when you get over."
"That branch isn't likely to hold both of us," Severus warned.
"Don't be silly, of course it shall," Jennifer replied, holding out a hand coaxingly.
"If you say, 'don't be silly' one more time, I swear I will at least get even with you for that," Severus warned Jennifer.
"Are you coming, or are you going to stay up in that tree all night?" Jennifer taunted. "I'm perfectly content with the idea of going inside and eating whatever is in that basket all by myself."
Seeing that he had no other choice at this point, Severus worked his way over to the nearest branch and gauged the jump carefully before taking a large leap. He nearly stumbled when he overshot the landing a bit, quickly finding Jennifer's arm around him.
"There! That wasn't so bad, was it?" she said mischievously, then nodded towards a balcony just a couple of branches away. A pair of students were sitting on it having a snack and talking about what homework they still had left to do. "Don't worry, Severus. If we step lively once we make it to the balcony, neither of them will notice us at all," she promised. She made her way across the two thicker branches and stepped onto the balcony, waiting for Severus to do the same before leading him inside and past the sitting area and down the hallway to her room.
"I hope you know that is the one and only time I will ever climb a tree, even for you," Severus murmured, quietly but resolutely.
"Is that a challenge?" Jennifer asked flirtatiously, getting out her key.
"A promise," he assured her, following her into the room.