Saul needs advice, or why tea is the most magical drink in the world.


Saul pauses in the middle of an empty school corridor and listens. It takes no more than a few seconds before he hears it again. Quiet sobbing somewhere nearby, probably in the window niche just around the corner. He hesitates for a moment. Alfea is full of teenagers, and teenagers have their own problems that they don't usually like to share with adults. Since so many of these problems seem to be of a romantic nature, Headmaster Silva is usually not very curious about them either. Of course, he tries to pay attention to his students' mental state, but he has learned long ago that teenage tears do not usually mean a tragedy on a cosmic scale, especially if they aren't accompanied by other, more serious signals. Anyway, the location of this particular teenager indicates that she is one of the fairies, and therefore not Saul's problem. So perhaps he could take a detour to Farah's office and not disturb the girl who's probably crying over her first heartbreak? But still, Saul Silva is a teacher, and in the end this instinct wins over everything else. That's why he sighs under his breath and carefully looks around the corner so as not to scare the poor student.

The pair of red, wet eyes that meet his gaze is, however, strangely familiar, and the chubby face, puffy with crying, belongs to a person too young to be Alfea's student.

"Terra? What's wrong?"

Saul immediately abandons his previous reservations and hurriedly kneels down in front of the girl.

"Are you in pain? Did someone hurt you?"

Terra shakes her head and wipes her nose with a crumpled handkerchief.

"Don't tell Dad," she asks, her voice trembling.

"I won't tell, but only if I know you're one hundred percent okay," Saul replies decisively. "Unless you prefer to talk to Mrs. Dowling?" he adds more gently after a moment, as he realizes that girls of Terra's age probably feel more comfortable confiding in someone of the same gender.

Terra shakes her head again.

"No, she wouldn't understand. Not like you," she says forcefully, then straightens to reveal the book in her lap.

Saul has yet to read this part, but he recognizes the 'Harry Potter' print on the cover and breathes a sigh of relief. Book-related tragedies are unlikely to have far-reaching consequences.

"Does it have a sad ending?" he guesses in a calmer tone and gets up from his knees to sit on the windowsill next to Terra.

The girl clearly hesitates.

"It's okay, I'll read it and find out myself soon anyway. You might as well tell me right away. Someone died?" Saul guesses. He hopes it's not Dumbledore, but after the previous book, he suspects nothing would surprise him anymore. Who'd have thought this series would get so dark eventually?

Terra nods solemnly.

"Sirius," she whispers, and she starts to cry again.

Oh shit, Saul thinks automatically.

"It's not fair," Terra continues, sobbing. "Harry was alone for so long, and he was so happy when he got his godfather back, and now he'll be alone again!"

"Hey, he won't be completely alone," Saul points out carefully. "He has Ron and Hermione. And Hagrid. And Ron's parents. And…"

"But no family!" Terra angrily hits the book with her fist.

"Terra," Saul says softly. "Family does not end with blood. Look, Sirius wasn't even related to Harry or his parents. The Dursleys are, and you can see of how little use they are. If you have someone who cares about you and who wants the best for you, that's your family."

"Like you and Sky?" Terra looks up at him with still moist eyes, but at least she's not sobbing anymore.

Saul smiles slightly.

"For example," he agrees.

At the same time, he thinks that now he'll have to find a new character in these books to relate to. Maybe Dumbledore wasn't such a bad idea? A little exaggerated, but on the other hand, it's better than the basilisk. At least there are some aspirations involved. After a few seconds, he shakes his head and stifles a laugh as he becomes aware of the absurdity of his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Terra sniffs again, then gives Saul a faint smile.

"I'm better now, thank you, Mr. Silva." She stands up and smoothes her dress, then looks down at the book in her hand, stares at it for a moment, and hands it over to Saul in a hurried, somewhat dramatic gesture. "You can give it to Sky. But you should really consider it first," she says in a disarmingly solemn voice. "I know that Sirius means a lot to him, so it won't be easy."

Something in her voice makes Saul send her a surprised look. He feels as if Ben's daughter had just managed to read his innermost thoughts. Or maybe she's just better than Silva expected at this analogy game?

"I underestimated you," he blurts out without thinking.

To his bewilderment, Terra does not look surprised, but takes his words with a serious nod. Were they really somehow both thinking about the same thing?

She is even younger than Sky, Saul realizes a moment later as he watches the girl walk away. If he underestimated Terra Harvey, maybe he underestimates his foster son as well? Could Sky have also meant something more when he made Sirius his favourite character? Saul glances at the book in his hand, shrugs, and tries to remember what he was going to Farah's office for. Whatever it was, it feels like hundreds of years ago, not just before his short conversation with Terra Harvey.

As always, Farah greets him with a warm smile that reminds Saul that he didn't need to worry about the reason for the visit, that he doesn't even need to have one. He nods back and makes his way straight towards the cupboard where Dowling keeps her tea. He'll leave brewing to the hostess, as always; he wouldn't be able to use this annoying magic-powered kettle anyway. But he can at least take care of the more prosaic part of the preparations. Which is why, in line with their long unwritten arrangement, he gets out a can of tea, a teapot and two cups. When he returns with them to the desk, the water in the kettle is already boiling.

When the tea is brewing and Saul is seated comfortably in his favorite spot, Farah notices the book he has abandoned on the cupboard and brings it over.

"'Harry Potter'?" She raises an eyebrow. "And I didn't believe Ben when he told me you were a fan."

Saul shakes his head in amusement.

"I wouldn't say I'm a fan. Sky is. I'm just trying to understand."

"Potter? Or Sky?" Farah drops gracefully into her chair and pours the first cup of tea.

"Both," Saul answers after a moment's thought. "You'd be surprised how many similarities there are."

"Yes, I read an article somewhere where the author wondered if this Rowling was from a fairy family who had emigrated to the First World. Though these aren't the similarities you mean, I suppose?"

Farah smiles encouragingly.

"Hey, what exactly did Ben tell you?" Her earlier words reach Saul only now.

"That you treat these books almost like a parenting handbook." Dowling's tone is light, almost playful, but the look of her amber eyes makes it clear that the woman is not mocking him at all, but trying to understand.

Saul shrugs his shoulders a little and takes a sip of his tea to gain some time. The drink is hot and burns his tongue, so Silva winces slightly before answering:

"Laugh if you want to, but let me tell you, since we both started reading these books, it's become much easier for me to talk to Sky. As if I have been given some kind of key to his world."

"Maybe I should read them too, then?" Farah smiles again. "A key to Saul Silva's thoughts?"

Saul smiles back.

"You don't need a key," he says simply.

There is a barely perceptible gleam in Dowling's eyes, which Saul knows perfectly well. It still fills him with both joy and sadness. He involuntarily thinks back to everything that is left unsaid between them. Unsaid, yet still so obvious. If life turned out differently. If Aster Dell never happened. If it wasn't for Alfea, if it wasn't for Sky… But what happened can never be undone, and Farah and Saul are not free people anymore. Each of them has their obligations, their fair dose of guilt, and neither of them has room for additional complications. So all they are left with is an eternity of 'ifs' and that pot of tea which works like mind magic, allowing them to exchange even these thoughts that neither of them will ever utter aloud. That's more than we deserve, Saul thinks bitterly, forcing himself back to reality.

"I think you're doing a great job with Sky," Farah says quietly, looking at him over her teacup.

Once again Saul wonders if she knew what he was thinking about and deliberately brought him back to the topic.

"I'm doing the best I can," he answers, frowning slightly. "But I think I need your advice," he adds after a moment, when his eyes fall on Terra's book.

"Oh, that's new." Farah raises an eyebrow and Saul laughs softly.

"You're a teacher, Farah, a headmistress even. I'm sure you have some tricks up your sleeve when it comes to dealing with teenage drama."

"Sky and teenage drama?" This time, Dowling seems genuinely surprised.

"Not yet, luckily," Saul replies, drawing 'The Order of the Phoenix' toward him. "You see, there's a character here. The godfather of the main protagonist, actually. Harry's parents have been dead for many years, and Sirius is kind of a substitute father for him."

"Oh." There is a flash of understanding in the woman's eyes. "I'm beginning to see what you mean by similarities."

Saul snorts under his breath.

"Well, for some reason this Sirius is Sky's favourite character," he continues.

"For some reason?" Farah smiles slightly.

"For some reason," Saul repeats pointedly. "And for some reason the author of this thing decided to kill him. Sky hasn't read this one yet. And I'm not sure if he should."

Dowling sighs softly, her expression completely serious now.

"You know, I think kids can handle such things even better than us adults."

"Oh, really?" Saul's voice drips with sarcasm. "Then tell it to Ben's daughter, whom I just caught in some dark corner bawling her eyes out over this book."

Farah looks unconvinced.

"I always cry when I watch 'The Fox and the Hound', although I've seen this movie dozens of times, and I don't see anything wrong with that."

Saul raises an eyebrow.

"Well, you still don't know everything about me," Farah laughs at his reaction. "When I was a little girl, I loved First World cartoons."

"I'm not saying anything!" Saul defends himself, but not very convincingly. "So you mean I'm unnecessarily complicating the whole thing?"

"Overcomplicating things is the specialty of us adults, don't you think?" Farah points out. "Anyway, look at the fairy tales we grew up with. The bad wolf ate the grandma, the crazy witch almost ate Hansel and Gretel, and somehow we grew up to be normal people despite it all."

"Mostly normal at least." Saul sends her a crooked smile. "But that's not the fault of the fairy tales."

"Unless you take Rosalind to be the crazy witch."

Silva snorts softly.

"I see that you've caught up with my analogy game?"

"Saul, you know Sky best," Farah says after a moment, back to serious. "If you think this book will be too painful, then don't give it to him. But you probably already know that you won't be able to protect him forever. Life is brutal, which is probably why these tales are like that too. To help children get used to topics such as death in an accessible way."

"Sky is familiar enough with death, thank you very much," Saul protests, but deep down he knows Farah is right, as usual. Besides, he realizes, Sky is looking forward to the next Harry Potter book, so if he doesn't get it from Terra, he will obtain it some other way. And if Saul directly forbids him to read it, the kid might do it behind his back, and then Silva won't even have the chance to help Sky deal with his emotions afterwards.

"Well, I guess a lot of kids have read this book, and I haven't heard about anyone being hurt," he admits reluctantly.

In the evening, he weighs the pros and cons again, until he finally takes the book out of the cupboard he has hidden it in, just in case, and brings it to Sky.

"Here. A gift from Terra," he says, trying to maintain a light tone, but when the boy reaches for the book, Saul instinctively moves his hand back a little. "Sky," he begins hesitantly. "I want you to know that if you come across something difficult in a book, this one or any other, something you don't understand, or that affects you deeply, I'd like you to come to me and talk about it, okay?"

"Silva!" Sky rolls her eyes and tries to take the book from him.

"Okay?" Saul repeats pointedly.

"Okay, okay," the boy agrees, and only then does Silva finally release the volume from his hand.

This book is a thick one and it takes Sky some time to get to the final chapter. Saul, still concerned, keeps reading every night after sending the kid to bed, and thus he finishes the book long before Sky. He doesn't know what to think. Sirius' death is sad, but after Terra's emotional outburst, he expected even more drama. However, it's difficult to predict what a child's reaction could be, so Saul surreptitiously and anxiously watches Sky whenever the boy reaches for 'The Order of the Phoenix'. When Sky finally reaches the last page, Silva can't stand it anymore and just asks him directly about his reading experience.

"Are you sure you don't want to ask me anything?" he presses after Sky has given him some vague half-answer.

Sky hesitates for a moment, and Saul already knows there's something there. Or at least he thinks he knows.

"Yes, Sky?" he therefore encourages.

For a moment, the boy is silent, playing with a strand of hair falling over his eyes, but finally, without looking at Silva, he quietly asks a question Saul hasn't expected at all.

"Silva, did people like my dad?"

Saul gives him a surprised look, wondering what this has to do with the book.

"Andreas was a good friend," he finally replies. "You could rely on him both in battle and in everyday life. He was great at what he did, and he had a huge sense of humor," he tries, having no idea what the kid really wants to hear.

"But I'm not asking about his friends," Sky explains, emphasizing the last word. "I don't think even Dad was friends with literally everyone at school, right?"

Saul thinks for a moment.

"No, of course not. But I think even if they weren't friends with him, everyone respected him at least. He was one of the best Specialists at Alfea. And he threw the best parties." He winks, hoping to make Sky laugh, but the boy's expression is still solemn.

"And he was never mean to anyone? Never hurt anyone, not even just with his words?"

Shit. Saul seems to be finally realizing which chapter of 'The Order of the Phoenix' has touched Sky the most, and it turns out it's not the one with the battle at the Department of Mysteries. His thoughts involuntarily take him to the past. Saul stops them and forces out a smile.

"Relax, Sky, I can promise you Andreas didn't bully younger students, and he definitely never tried to hang anyone upside down."

Sky watches him intently, and Saul thinks there is something suspicious about the look in the boy's eyes.

"And if for example someone was really bad at fighting, what then? Wouldn't Dad make fun of them?"

Saul shrugs.

"I'm not saying that Andreas has never said a mean thing in his life. Like I told you, he had a wicked sense of humor. But they were just jokes, nothing more. I assure you no one has suffered too much because of them."

Move your ass, Silva, you're waving this sword around like my grandma with her umbrella!

If I were you, I'd give up right away, Saul. We both know who's going to win, so if you give up now, at least you'll look less pathetic at the party in an hour. Okay, as pathetic as ever, but at least less sweaty.

Hey, Farah, did you see your beau land on his butt in the puddle? Because if not, I can show you again!

Headmistress, I should be the one paired with Dowling! Silva wouldn't defeat a Burned One even if it just laid down in front of him.

I'm going with Farah. You and Ben can cover our back. I guess that's a job you can do without killing yourself by accident? Or killing each other?

I was just friendly teasing, Saul reminds himself, holding back the flood of memories. Teenagers are often quite cruel in their jokes, but this does not mean they don't have friends. Besides, he would pay Andreas back in kind at many occasions as well. And that Andreas didn't grow out of it even after they left Alfea? It never mattered much; after all, Saul had learned to ignore his jibes long before that. In fact, he could even say that Andreas had helped him in a way. Nothing motivated him to train harder more than wanting to avoid landing ass in the mud in front of Farah Dowling again. And in the end, it worked, didn't it? It was Saul who bested Andreas in their last fight. And to think there was a time he would have been proud of it...