Chapter Thirty
Interventions
In the end, Jennifer was so distracted that she gathered up all of her work and put her efforts into coaxing Severus to help her instead. The moment Seren was down for the night, the two of them went to her sitting room to work on it. She waited until they had gotten several stacks marked before finally filling Severus in concerning her conversation with Mage.
"I suppose you got what you wanted, since the Ministry finally came to you for advice about the thing," Severus commented with a shrug, reaching for another stack of tests. "Really, if Harry had been allowed to investigate from the start, you would have already been involved. He wouldn't have hesitated to ask you to help like Alexandria did."
"That is quite true, which is another reason I want to team up with Harry. I also need to convince Rhett to let me look at that medallion," Jennifer said.
"Rhett went straight home the moment the students were safely in their rooms. He has his own job to worry about," Severus pointed out.
"You know... that's a good point," Jennifer mused thoughtfully. "If Lockhart expects Rhett to work as his paid bodyguard again, they're going to have to do it with his teaching schedule in mind. Because of that, the next opportunity to get into anything they can't solve in one day won't be until the Christmas holiday."
"Where we will be in Villahexen until Christmas Eve for Viorica's wedding," Severus interrupted, barely glancing up from the Potions test. "Or have you forgotten?"
"Of course I have not forgotten," Jennifer said indignantly.
"If I finish my marking pile before you finish yours, I am not helping," Severus warned and tapped the tests in front of her. "Let's focus on the moment. Tomorrow will be a Friday full of one-sentence essays and half-finished homework, and there will be several students that won't make it to Hogsmeade. Those Maxens will have plenty of company in the library," Severus noted, finishing up another test.
"You do realize that we're going to need to allow at least one of the Maxens inside the Research Library if they're doing a formal paper," Jennifer pointed out.
"I may have to let one of them in, but I will pick which one," Severus replied, focusing on another test.
"Me?" Stephen said in surprise, putting on his cloak.
It was Saturday, and he had just finished getting ready for Hogsmeade when Aurelius called him over. He had been talking to Bonnibel, Broc, and Moira... Zelda, it seemed, had already been escorted to breakfast.
"You're the only one other than Antonio who hasn't been in any trouble, and Antonio is a first year," Bonnibel pointed out. "It makes perfect sense why the Headmaster would pick you for the Research Library."
"Sure, but you're the head of the project, not me. I have things like runningSlytherin errands and Quidditch practice to consider," Stephen protested.
"Well, you'll simply have to make time, won't you? Otherwise, there's no way we can compete when those Dusthorns are allowed in there to work on their project," Moira said.
"Simply find out all the information you can and write it down... with proper citations, so we don't have to go back in their later and fill all of that in after the fact," Bonnibel said.
"It's up to you whether or not you want to contribute to their research project, Stephen, but Professor Snape made it clear that you were the only one he'd approve unless your team incorporated other Slytherin in. I'm sure he'd approve Ella or Jay, for example," Aurelius suggested.
"We're not letting anyone but family in," Bonnibel told him firmly.
"Why are you calling him Stephen?" Broc wanted to know.
"That's how he's thinking of himself now," Aurelius shrugged. Moira and Bonnibel nodded at Broc in confirmation.
"Whatever," Broc said. "Can we at least let Ian help research?"
"No, he's in those Owls now and he'd likely tell them what we're up to," Bonnibel said. "So what do you say, Stephen?"
"Fine! Whatever! But if you want me to fetch you things from Hogsmeade, I need to get on that bus," Stephen said.
"One last thing, and that's about your sister Griselda. I'm sure I don't have to tell any of you that my father is particularly angry with her for attempting to harm one of his professors. If it had been up to him, she's already be out of this castle. You do realize that, don't you?" Aurelius said.
"We were already told by both Brittle and Snape that she wasn't allowed to help us," Bonnibel said.
"Don't be surprised if we take measures to insure that she doesn't, then," Aurelius said.
Exactly what does he mean by that? Zelda thought at them, but no one knew the answer.
"Okay," Bonnibel said with a shrug, doubting there was much he could do about it.
"You could start by not sharing information and by making your own decisions about where the research is going. You're the team leader, Bonnibel, you get to decide how you want to handle this project, not anyone else. You can ask for advice, of course, from me, your writing instructor, or your team mates, but success or fail, you make the final decisions," Aurelius told her.
"Understood," Bonnibel said with a smile.
A loud squawk came from the Grinning Grackle and Aurelius went over to the door, letting Eben in.
"Hello, sibs, hello cousins! What did I miss?" Eben asked.
"We were just talking about their research project, actually," Aurelius explained. "Bonnibel is going to lead the team, Stephen's going to be their wizard in the Research Library, and they all understand that Zelda isn't allowed to contribute to this."
"I see. Are you ready to take on that sort of responsibility, Bonnibel?" Eben inquired.
"Of course I am. I'm perfectly capable of leading a research team," Bonnibel said, slightly insulted that he'd even think she couldn't do it without Zelda's input.
"No, no. I didn't mean it like that. I want to encourage all of you to lead your own path and make your own decisions about things, that's all," Eben assured her. "Are you ready, Stephen? Let's go on over so we can get there before the crowd."
"Great idea," Stephen said with a grin, following his brother out.
"I need to get going as well, since I'm handling castle security today. See you at breakfast," Aurelius said, stepping after them.
"We are going to breakfast, right?" Broc asked hopefully.
"Why not? Our schedule is completely open since we got banned from everything," Moira pointed out.
"That's our big advantage! That Dusthorn team has a ton of different activities to do from sports to the newspaper to everything in between. We don't have any of that standing between us and that research paper, which means we can not only catch up, we have the time to pass them up," Bonnibel pointed out.
"But Douglas... Stephen that is... just took off for Hogsmeade for the day. So we can't really get started on it today, can we?" Broc replied.
"We can, by using the research they've already done as a starting place," Bonnibel explained. "There's a lot about Bedivere O'Lauren in the Founders research article they did... and the article included references."
"Since it was published in an academic paper, isn't the article itself something we can use if we need to?" Moira suggested with a smile.
"But won't Zelda get angry if we do that?" Broc asked worriedly.
"You wouldn't mind us leeching off of Dusthorns article, would you, Zelda?" Moira asked for confirmation.
It was then that they realized just how quiet their minds were.
"That's strange. She didn't answer," Broc realized.
"Yes, it's very strange. In fact... I can't hear her at all," Bonnibel said in complete shock. "Antonio! Are you there?"
Yes, I am in the Great Hall, Antonio reported. I can't hear Zelda either, but I can see her over at the Slytherin table, and she looks pissed.
An enthusiastic cheer went up, the three students in Conspiracies laughing and even mocking Zelda out of sheer relief, imagining the tantrum she was probably having.
"So that's what Aurelius meant about making our own choices! He must have done something to her!" Broc said.
"Or to us," Moira agreed.
"Who cares? It means we can do what we want. I say we go over that article and leech from it as much as possible to give us a starting point," Bonnibel said. "You in, Antonio?"
I will meet you in the library, Antonio informed them, and the other three went to their rooms to get ready to go.
Stephen listened to his siblings for as long as he could, for when they got past the gate, Eben was quick to grab his hand and take the key to the alchemist shop.
"Was it you?" Stephen asked the moment they arrived on the street, gazing fixedly at his brother.
"Sorry?" Eben asked.
"I don't know why Zelda can't talk to us, but I'm not sure it was Professor Aurelius who caused it to happen. Did you do something?" Stephen asked.
"Let's just say that I knew what the plan was. It was put in place to give all of you the opportunity to do your own research project," Eben explained. "If there hadn't been a way to keep Zelda from interfering, the Headmaster would never have agreed to let the rest of you do it in the first place, you know."
"Oh. Yes, you're probably right," Stephen said. "Do you suppose it's permanent?"
"No, it's just so that all of you can do your project. It's only permanent if you want it to be permanent. But if that's the case, it'd probably cut you off from all of your siblings, not just her. Do you really want that?" Eben asked him seriously.
"Would I?" Stephen asked unsurely. "I'm not certain what it'd be like not having voices in my head all the time. I'm not certain how people even live without it, really," he admitted.
"You get used to it," Eben said with a smile. "Come on, let's get Honeydukes over with before the bus gets here then we can head to the bakery for a quick breakfast."
"Sounds good," Stephen said. The two of them walked down the street, their feet crunching on small pockets of frost and ice forming on some of the weeds and under the drains.
Not long after they had gone into Honeydukes, the bus arrived with a loud horn and a pop, screeching into place inside the lines reserved for busses to land in.
"Oh, it's so cold up here!" Olivia Potter complained as she stepped off the bus.
"I told you to bring your warmer cloak," Joey told her, taking out his wand long enough to put a temporary enchantment on the one she was wearing. Jack stepped off the bus and joined them.
"No doubt about it, we're going to have snow earlier this year. I wish we had gotten a trip in October like we normally do," Jack said.
"It's the price we pay for having more sports than we used to, I suppose," Joey said. "Think of it as saving money."
"Speaking of money, if we're going to buy supplies for the Snow Festival, I'm going to need more of it," Olivia said. "Granddad Harry said he was off today and was planning to bring Aunt Maggie shopping and visit at the same time. I'm sure he'll give me a few galleons once he knows it's for a school fundraiser."
"There they are, Olivia... outside of the tea room," Jack pointed out. "Better move if you want to corner them before they go in."
"Right, let's go," Joey agreed, and they hurried over.
Jeremy and Quintin, who had just gotten off the bus, looked around to see why the three of them had taken off in a run, watching when Olivia caught up to them. Maggie looked around curiously at the bus, then noticed Quintin and Jeremy peering around the side and stuck her tongue out at him.
"What a brat," Quintin said.
"She does seem like one," Jeremy agreed. "Looks like Olivia was able to talk her grandfather into giving her some money for that booth she wanted, though."
"Great! Should be a good snow festival this year... if we don't run out of time," Jeremy added, noting the patches of ice.
"Why don't we check the paper real quick? Essie's good about giving us a heads up to when she thinks the festivals' going to be," Quintin noted.
"I'm all for seeing what's on the news stand," Jeremy agreed. "We can wait for Honeydukes after everyone starts breaking for lunch."
"Right," Quintin agreed, and the two of them walked towards the Daily Prophet. "It's rather nice to be able to walk around by ourselves for a change," he added, waving when he saw his mother in the tea room.
"You can say that again," Jeremy agreed, waving as well when Jennifer made the baby she was holding wave back at them.
"Mum, could you be a bit more careful with Beatrice? You almost put her foot in your tea," Alexandria said with exasperation.
"Don't be silly, she was nowhere near my tea. I just thought I'd show her off in case Quintin wanted to come by," Jennifer said.
"It's his first time walking around on his own, there's no way in hell he's going to come by," Alexandria informed her. "You haven't touched your plate yet. Are you going to need me to hold the baby while you eat?"
"I assure you, Alexandria, I can handle multiple tasks at once," Jennifer told her. "I'm quite used to juggling multiple responsibilities and have been for a while, as your father can attest to. In fact, there are a lot of times recently when he ends up holding the baby," she admitted.
"And how does he feel about getting left behind to take care the baby?" Alexandria asked.
"He's perfectly content with it. If anything, he's done nothing but encourage me to take whatever time I need to handle my other obligations. He already knows about our shopping plans, and to be perfectly honest, I think he would much rather that I shop by myself or with a friend than drag him along when he has no interest in going shopping whatsoever," Jennifer assured her.
"That's not much of a surprise," Alexandria said dryly. "He's never liked shopping. If anything, he's always tried to talk you out of shopping."
"Well, he doesn't any longer," Jennifer said firmly. "He knows that I can handle my own expenses without him, and he trusts me to make the right purchases. He also trusts me to know when it's time to contact him to help me carry the bags if they're over my head. You wouldn't mind if I called him to help if I bought more than I could carry, would you?"
"Of course not, but I'm also hoping that by letting you bring a friend with you, that situation won't come up in the first place," Alexandria said.
"I am quite confident that it won't, but it always helps to have a backup when one goes shopping at a store I've never visited before, just to be safe," Jennifer said. "You never know when you might want a package deal."
"True," Alexandria said, looking up at the door. Jennifer did the same and smiled brightly, making the baby wave at Harry and Margaret as they walked into the tea room and ordered a table.
Telling Maggie to go ahead and sit down, Harry wandered over.
"Hi," Harry said. "Sorry to interrupt. I have a date with my daughter today, but I was wondering if you could come in and pull a flag board shift in the Auror department tomorrow, Jennifer."
"Oh, Harry, really! Must you always give me such short notice?" Jennifer protested.
"Sorry, you know how it is in the office. I never know what I'm going to be into from day to day," Harry said.
"Hey! It's my day!" Maggie protested, squinting at her father from the small table where she sat.
"Sorry, Maggie! I need to go do the Dad thing now, Jennifer, so I'll be free to do the Harry Potter thing tomorrow," Harry said. "Can you be there around noon?"
"Alright, Harry, thank you," Jennifer said with a smile.
"No, no, thank you," Harry said sincerely, then walked back to the table. "Good morning, Mr. Jack," he said as he past a wizard reading the paper at a table for one.
"Seems to be," Mr. Jack grunted, well aware of how that greeting put too much attention on him. Feeling Alexandria's eyes on him, he decided to shove the rest of his morning bun in his mouth, then paid his bill and left.
"Did he get anything out of that?" Alexandria murmured softly to her mother.
"Not enough to be concerned with," Jennifer assured Alexandria, handing the baby back to her mother.
When Mr. Jack stepped out, he couldn't help but notice Jeremy and Quintin looking at newspapers at the newsstand. But before he could over, he saw Severus and Seren come out of the toy shop and thought better of it, taking a turn down the alley instead.
"Don't you dare get into that bag until we get home. If I see you trying to open it, I will put your bag in my cloak," Severus warned her.
"I bought it myself," Serendipity said, hugging the bag protectively.
"That is just another good reason to keep it safe until we get home," Severus pointed out. "Did you want to go visit your brother at the alchemist's shop or your sister at the studio next?"
Serendipity gasped at the suggestions, running across the street to Honeydukes before he could stop her.
"Or... we could could go to Honeydukes now that the bus has arrived and students have had the opportunity to pack into it," Severus said dryly. Sighing in resignation when the girl squeezed in the door, he reluctantly walked over.
TJ opened the door carrying a large bag of premium chocolates, then held it open when she saw Severus walk over.
"Good morning! Are you really going in there?" TJ asked with surprise.
"Seren ran in before I could stop her. She's so like her mother," Severus explained with exasperation.
"Did she? I didn't notice... oh, there she is, with her hands in strawberry sprite jars," TJ said, pointing her out.
"I'd best get after her, then," Severus said, and TJ stepped aside.
"Good luck!" TJ said. "Oh, and the new Frog Cards are out! There's a new one of Jennifer in there!"
"Thank you," Severus said, then went inside and worked his way over to her daughter.
TJ stepped out with a smile. Fond memories followed her as she walked down the street and saw all of the students stepping in and out of the shops. Despite the frigid air, she could only feel the warmth of the excitement. It was so nice to have the morning off so she could enjoy it; it simply wasn't the same shopping in Hogsmeade when it wasn't a Hogwarts Day.
After stepping into Lasting Impressions long enough to pick up a new cloak, she donned it so she wouldn't have to carry it and then walked down to the Tinker Shop to see if it was open yet. Despite the fact that several students had turned away from it, she saw it clearly enough, and she stepped in to see Toby putting out a steaming hot cocoa dispenser and a tray of small mugs. A sign was dangling from it that said, "Free sample for customers!"
"Good morning, Mr. Toby! Welcome back!" TJ greeted warmly.
"Oh, good morning, TJ! Thank you and so good to see you. I hope you don't mind, I'm still setting up... Ashley told me the school will be in today, and I discovered this thing and a crate of cocoa, as if it was longing to be filled," Toby explained.
"It's probably because it's quite cold outside today, if you haven't noticed," TJ informed him.
"To be fair, I haven't been out of the shop in the day or two. I am still getting used to my shop because not everything is exactly where I left it. And for some reason, I have a worse than usual whiplash from the Rip Van Winkle Effect."
"Well, you were gone for quite some years, after all," TJ pointed out.
"No, no it's more than just that. Sometimes I get the feeling that I get ahead of myself, but what's causing it, I've yet to put my finger on," he confided to her. "Cocoa?"
"Thank you," TJ said, taking the offered cup and using the dispenser to get a cup and take a sip. "That is quite lovely! Very rich, but not so much that you want to put it down. It reminds me of the cocoa stand I ran when we first started the Snow Festival."
"Oh, well, the students are welcome to it... I seem to have boxes, bags, and even crates of it for some reason," he said, and TJ smiled, looking over at the display.
"Looks like there's enough for both a student fair and for Christmas gifts," TJ agreed. "Speaking of which, Ambrose really loved the new writing desk the two of you gave him. He was telling us about it as his birthday dinner last night."
"Oh, yes! It was Ashley's idea, really, now that he's Hogwarts History teacher," Toby said.
"Well, one of them, anyway," TJ replied.
"And you're at the WHAT Museum, correct?" he asked.
"Oh, yes, I quite adore it there, but it helps to be a part of such an enthusiastic team," TJ said. "Would it be alright if I looked around?"
"Yes, now's the time. I expect others will be finding the shop soon enough," Toby said. "Faculty first, of course."
"Of course. Thanks for letting me in early," TJ added.
"Nonsense, girl, you're always welcome," Toby tsked, getting out a piece of wood to carve.
"Oh, isn't she marvelous?" TJ said, bending over to look at a doll in a frilly witch's dress sitting on the shelf. She picked her up and made her legs straight long enough to hug her. "What a beautiful doll, and so huggable! I really wanted a doll like this when I was little, but when I asked for one my parents didn't take it seriously. They thought I was joking," she admitted.
"That must have been hard," Toby replied sincerely.
"Oh, yes. Look at those dark eyes and that lovely hair! I hope it's charmed to never get so messy it can't be brushed out," TJ said.
"That and more. Are you thinking of purchasing her?" Toby asked with a smile.
"No, that wouldn't be fair. I'm sure a doll this special was made for a child who really needs her. I'm sure she's here for someone else," TJ said, making the doll sit again and putting her on the shelf. She glanced at a row of books and sighed with a smile. "There, that's what I was truly looking for... 'The Magical World of Art, Appraiser's Guide, Romanticism Movement.' I was missing this volume and we're expecting a shipment of paintings from the eighteen hundreds. But Ambrose told me last night that you were going to be open during the Hogsmeade trip today and it was just another excuse to go shopping."
"In that case, I hope you enjoy your shopping trip, even if it's all by yourself," Toby said.
"After spending so much time lately chumming with Ambrose, Beth, and Maurice, I was ready for a bit of time on my own. I love being with my friends, of course, but there are also times I prefer my own company when I need to unwind," she explained.
"Yes indeed! I understand that entirely, especially after spending five entire weeks entertaining my wife," Toby said with amusement. "I was more than ready for some quite time here in my shop by the time we got home. Enjoyed every minute, of course, but ..."
"Yes, exactly," TJ said with a chuckle, pulling out some coins.
"No, no, don't you dare pay more than a sickle for that silly book, save it for the rest of your trip. You paid for it by keeping me company," he protested.
"On a day we both needed some alone time," she pointed out, putting two sickles in the jar rather than leaving without putting in anything. "Have a good morning, Mr. Toby! And thank you for the cocoa and the book!"
"Oh, anything for Ambrose's fiancee. Happy shopping!" he waved as she walked out the door.
She had taken three steps out of it before she stumbled.
What did he say? Surely he didn't say what she thought he just said, TJ thought to herself, shaking her head to clear her ears. No, surely she misheard him, because what he had said was impossible. Ambrose was already in a relationship with two people already, and they were a cosmic match at that. What in the world could have possibly given Toby the idea that the two of them were anything more than friends?
The more she thought of it, the more strange it seemed. Maybe that last trip had rattled him just as badly as Toby thought it had, TJ mused, and attempted to shrug it off as she walked towards Alicia's studio. But the comment had been so unexpected and bizarre, she knew she'd have a hard time putting it out of her mind.
"Good morning, TJ!"
She looked up to see Andrew with a bundled up little girl in his arms.
"Oh, good morning, Andrew! Happy shopping day! Hello, little one! Which one is this?" TJ asked.
"Emma Elizabeth. I'm taking her out for the day because she couldn't go to the Halloween party," Andrew explained.
"That's right, Maurice told me about that. He said that Emma Elizabeth is very prone to getting sick because she had severe Tangerine Flu as a baby. Such a shame," TJ said.
"Her doctor thinks she'll grow out of it eventually, but right now we have to keep her away from large events if she has so much as a sniffle," Andrew said. "But she's feeling well today, so I'm looking for something special for her."
"I know the very thing! You should try Toby's Shop. I'm certain I saw something on his shelf meant just for her," TJ said quite insistently.
"Okay, okay, I'm going. Thanks, TJ," Andrew said with a smile.
"Just know that he's a bit odd today," TJ warned.
"So what else is new?" Andrew chuckled, walking towards the shop.
Down the street, Jennifer and Seren waited outside of Dragonwing Deli until Severus brought them a tray with an early lunch.
"She's used up most of her spending money already, but let's not give in and give her any more," Severus suggested as he filled Jennifer in on how their morning went. "I don't want to get countless letters from her begging for more funds ten years from now like Rus has been doing lately. The earlier we start teaching her about being responsible with money, the better."
"Oh, I'm not worried about me giving in. I'm more worried about you giving in when she gives you those eyes that destroys your resolve," Jennifer teased him.
"She gets that from you," Severus said evenly. "Fortunately, it's your turn to look after her, so you will be the one that must deal with what to do when she gives you those eyes."
"There won't be any trouble, Severus. After we're done here, I'm going to go to Toby's where she will more likely spend the rest of her coins, then we're off to the Three Brooms to sit at the teacher's table and play tea party again, isn't that right, Seren?" Jennifer said.
"More tea parties!" Seren agreed.
"Once I'm done there, I'm going to take her back to the castle," Jennifer said. "That way you can take as much time as you like with the rest of your errands."
"I won't be so long as all of that," Severus assured her. "I have no intention of waiting until the bus pulls out to see Toby as I normally do. On the contrary, I prefer the shop full of customers so that the meeting will be brief."
"Do you mind explaining why you're trying so hard to avoid him since he's returned?" Jennifer asked.
"It isn't so much as avoiding as I simply don't need his advice right now," Severus replied, but Jennifer could hardly miss the fact that she couldn't read Severus at all any time they spoke about him. "I'm only checking in just in case he has another one of those scrolls for me. In a way, I hope he doesn't. I would prefer to concentrate on what Albus and I are working on instead."
"I must admit, that is quite important," Jennifer agreed with a more serious expression. "To think of what might have happened to Dawn had Albus not been here. And how many other close calls have we had involving that sort of dream manipulation over the years? Not to mention what could have happened to Icarus... he's absolutely right to want to pass down that knowledge. In a way, it reminds me a lot of what I went through, Severus, back when I was worried about all of the Dark Magic spells I knew that I was afraid that wouldn't get passed down if something happened to me."
"Yes, I remember the discussion quite vividly, in fact. You didn't know then that your father was alive, and we were quite early in our relationship," Severus recalled.
"True, but I knew enough about you to know that I could trust you with it, and that you would help insure they wouldn't get abused... just like Aurelius won't, either," Jennifer said thoughtfully. "I wonder why Albus chose now to pass down this... what is the proper term for it?"
"I'm not sure there is a proper name. Albus calls it Soul Guarding, since that's what he's always used it for... making sure that souls stay with their proper hosts and not taken over by outside forces. But from the bits and pieces I've learned from saving Pyther to releasing the spirit of Felinetta from that cat mummy, there is a great deal more it can be used for. In all cases, it is highly dangerous and requires a very strong will to keep it from turning on you. In fact, that is probably the real reason he waited so long to pass it on... he felt like no one was ready and didn't want to pass on that sort of risk unless it was certain they could handle it."
"Yes, I can relate to that as well," Jennifer admitted slowly. "In fact, I was really hoping that Lunette would have come home with the others last summer, because I wanted to ask her about when it came to passing on the Sentinel of Dark Magic, and how she knew when it was the right time to let it go, especially considering that she held that position for centuries."
"Ah, yes, that. I've been thinking about it myself from time to time, Jennifer," Severus replied. "It isn't wearing on you, is it?"
"No, it isn't that... I'm just looking ahead, knowing that I will have to pass down the Cauldron to someone eventually, and I wonder who it might be, especially since..."
"You know who my successor is," Severus finished knowingly.
"Actually, I'm fairly sure I know who all three of the next Sentinels are going to be," Jennifer said in a low voice. "Which is probably why I'm rather anxious to figure out who mine is."
"Well, Jennifer, if you know who the next Sentinel of Ancient Magic is likely to be, you'll know we have at least a decade before we have to cross that bridge," Severus pointed out. "When it's time, you'll know."
"Yes, of course you're right," Jennifer said with a smile, turning her attention to lunch.
True to his word, Severus waited until later in the afternoon when he knew the Tinker Shop would be packed with students before finally wandering in that direction. But before he could, he saw the tall unmistakable figure of Viviane standing next to the dress shop, waiting patiently for him to come in that direction. No one else seemed to see her at the moment, not even Joey and Jack as they walked back from the Tinker's shop.
"Good afternoon, Aunt Viviane," Severus said when he walked over to her. "Did you need to speak with me?"
"It is less about the fact that I need to speak with you and more about the fact that you should not speak with Toby just yet," Viviane informed him.
"I see. Well, I have no urgent need to go over there, but as his apprentice, I do have an obligation to check in now that he's settled in," Severus pointed out.
"Did you not greet him at the portal? That was more than enough contact," Viviane said, shooing him with her hand. "You know perfectly well you have other lessons right now that are more important, and now is no time for diplomacy. Let him come to you."
"Yes, Aunt Viviane," Severus said and walked the other direction, despite knowing that it letting Toby make the next move was going to be nothing short of an unpleasant conversation.