September 1st next! :)
31 July 1996
It was late afternoon, and Minerva had come to visit Pomona for a quick catch up. Her argument with Albus was still ongoing meaning that spending time at the castle was not quite as relaxing or enjoyable as it had previously been. Not that the current climate in the Wizarding World welcomed relaxing or even enjoyable days very much. The news in the Prophet nowadays was always bleak, and the news from Order members was usually even worse.
"Tea," Pomona announced, pulling Minerva out of her reverie.
It seemed that she had been staring into the empty grate for the past five minutes while Pomona had been in the kitchen; thinking about her brother, Helen, and her nieces and nephews. One had just given birth to their first child only last month, Minerva thought with a sigh. It seemed like such a terrible time to be having children - with the constant worry that one day their mother or father, or another family member, could just never come home. At the moment, it seemed to be only a matter of time before someone you knew mysteriously disappeared.
Minerva turned and gratefully accepted the mug Pomona was offering her. "Thank you."
Pomona smiled. "I put some honey and lemon in too," she said, settling down opposite her friend. "Might help with your chest."
"My chest is fine," Minerva said automatically.
Pomona raised her eyebrows pointedly. "Mmm," she said, clearly unconvinced. "There's no use lying to me, dear. You've been looking pained ever since you arrived."
Minerva pursed her lips at this comment. Mainly because Pomona was right — her chest had in fact been particularly bothersome since yesterday evening. She was not sure if it was still an after effect of the curses, because she had developed a cold, or because of the extra strain she was placing on herself now that she was no longer using a walking stick. Either way, she was not pleased that her feelings were clearly so transparent.
She wrapped her fingers around the mug. "Maybe that is just my natural resting face," she replied grumpily, before taking a sip.
Pomona smiled, though she still appeared to be watching Minerva carefully. "How did your appointment with the Healers go?" she asked.
"Fine," Minerva shrugged. She lowered her mug so that it was resting on her lap — very much aware that the lemon and honey was already making her feel better. She had to give it to Pomona, she always seemed to know exactly what everyone needed.
"Did they have any suggestions?" Pomona prodded.
"Only that I should try and rest more," Minerva sighed, leaning back slightly in the mustard armchair she was occupying.
Pomona snorted. "I bet that went down well," she muttered into her teacup.
"What does that mean?"
"Minerva you are the worst patient I have ever met," Pomona said. "Didn't you fall off your broom at school, breaking your leg, several ribs, your wrist and your skull..."
Minerva rolled her eyes as Pomona continued to list the injuries.
"...and then still escaped the infirmary the next day to go to classes?"
She sighed. "Maybe. But I will have you know that all of my bones had healed, and Elizabeth did let me go."
"Grudgingly," Pomona cut in.
Minerva nodded, conceding. She then took another sip of her tea. "Is Albert still teaching?" she asked, afterwards.
Pomona straightened. "Not yet. He has two more weeks until school resumes for him," she said. "He's gone to pick Grace up from a friend's house - a primary school friend," she added. "I was speaking to the mother on Monday when I dropped Grace off. She was talking about one of their favourite bookshops closing next week and about the family dog making a bit of a mess of their furniture."
Minerva watched as Pomona shook her head and rested her chin in the palm of her hand.
"Those seem like such trivial matters now," Pomona added with a sigh. "For most of the conversation, I was trying not to lose my mind thinking that Grace would be out of my sight for a week." She gave a tight smile. "Mind you Grace would have snapped if I'd forced her to stay home for the whole summer."
"Were you going to?" Minerva asked.
"I would have liked to," Pomona admitted, absent-mindedly tapping her ceramic mug sitting on the armrest, with her index finger. "Even Albert leaving the house makes me nervous now. Did you see the news about Ollivander?" Minerva nodded, and Pomona shook her head. "Dreadful."
"Florean Fortescue as well," Minerva added quietly. "Just vanished."
Pomona forehead creased and she sat up. "No! When did that happen?"
"Monday, I think," Minerva answered. "Nobody saw anything - or if they did, they haven't come forward to help the Ministry. Igor Karkaroff was found too. In a shack somewhere near Dumfries."
"I hate to say it, but it really was only a matter of time before they got to him. I'm surprised he managed to hide from them for that long," Pomona said, her eyebrows creased into a puzzled and upset frown. "How did you find out about Ollivander?"
"Because," Minerva began, leaning forwards and picking up a small bag at her feet with some difficulty, "I went to Diagon Alley this morning," she said, a little breathlessly.
She clicked her fingers so that her mug of tea floated gracefully to settle itself on the coffee table, and then absently rubbed her chest while she rummaged through the bag with her free hand. She pulled out several books and stacked them up into a neat pile.
"I knew you were worried about going," Minerva continued, offering Pomona the books. "Seeing as I was getting some books for myself, I thought I could pick up some of Grace's textbooks."
Pomona gratefully took the books. "Oh, you shouldn't have, Minerva," she said, eyeing the covers of the textbooks before looking up again. "Thank you."
Minerva smiled. "It's the least I could do, dear," she said. "I know you didn't want to go back with Grace after she went last week with her friend—erm—I forget her name."
"Louise Wilkes."
"Ah, yes," Minerva said, remembering the small Ravenclaw. She frowned. "By themselves wasn't it?"
This time Pomona's expression morphed so that she looked angry - an expression Minerva had rarely ever seen on her friend.
"Unfortunately so," Pomona said, breathing a little heavily now. She leaned back in her chair and drummed her fingers on her cooling teacup. "If I'd known they were going to go, I would have expected the parents to accompany them." She pursed her lips. "But I didn't know that was their plan. You can imagine my reaction when I found out they had been by themselves too."
Minerva nodded. "I suppose they are both safe and sound now," she said.
"Right," Pomona agreed. "They went to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes actually," she added, a small smile tugging at her lips now. "You know, Fred and George's—"
"—joke shop," Minerva finished.
Pomona smiled. "Grace bought this small dragon - quite an incredible piece of magic if I say so myself. I think she has it upstairs," Pomona added thoughtfully. "I'll ask Grace to show you later. I was quite impressed."
Minerva smiled. She had seen the shop for herself when she had gone to Diagon Alley in the morning. The twins had greeted her at the door and shown her around their shop. Like Pomona, Minerva had been suitably impressed. Not to mention, proud of what Fred and George had achieved.
"Is—oh!" Pomona stopped and looked in alarm at the hallway where the door could be heard opening. A second later and voices could be heard in the corridor. "Oh, it's Albert," she said, relief etched on her features. "He refuses to do the questions," she added quietly, leaning forwards and turning to face Minerva. "So, I put some spells around the house for security. I don't know what he would do if he found out I did it without his permission."
Pomona winced but was stopped from saying any more by her daughter calling from the hallway.
"Mum?"
"In the living room, sweetheart," Pomona replied, sitting back up. "There's someone here to see you."
Hurried footsteps could be heard, and then Grace popped her head around the door. She grinned when she spotted Minerva. "I didn't realise you were coming today."
"Only briefly," Minerva replied, putting her mug down on the table so that she could properly return Grace's tight hug.
"Nonsense," Pomona said. "You're staying for dinner, dear."
"Oh, please do," Grace said, as Albert joined them in the living room.
Pomona smiled and looked up as her husband walked in and placed a hand on her shoulder. He bent over and gave Pomona a light kiss.
"There's enough food for 20, Minerva," he said, straightening and sitting beside Pomona on the arm of her chair. "Might as well?"
Minerva thought for a moment, as three pairs of eyes watched her. Finally, she gave in. "Oh, why not?" she said. "Thank you."
Grace beamed and squeezed herself beside Minerva on the sofa, to give her another hug.
