Order Only: Private Message to Remus and Dora

[alt_sirius]

So, how did everything go? I'm guessing you had to leap straight back into delivering drinks. Sometimes I think we ought to stop replenishing the heating charms in the garden but then, we really do need the dosh.

Anyway, I hope that it was fairly straightforward.

We've had quite an exciting day here, on the other hand. Seven hours of contrariness punctuated by tossing two meals right across the kitchen, a 'nap' that I later learned consisted of popping the heads off all her dollies, tearing the pages out of three books and breaking the present Uncle Charlie gave her last year. And attendant crocodile tears, of course.

Then there was the whole scene when Harry, Justin and the other flyers came back here for a cup of cocoa and I forbade her coming down to visit them all. Last thing we need is for her to overhear their reports or to connect the faces she saw here with tea at Laszlo's.

Add to that, Snape was banging about in the still room complaining about the noise (a 'distraction from important endeavours' and other choice phrases) and bloody Kreacher acting all miserable again. No idea what he was on about this time. Wailing almost as loudly as Albia and apparently with just as little reason.

I've finally got her bathed and in bed but not without another row about it. Merlin, I've never seen hair that shade of green, or a face so purple. She even grew little horns when she was really going for effect.

When you do shut down for the evening, bring me back a pint or two, will you? If I'm still awake, I could use the drink.

Comments

[alt_lupin]

She grew horns? I'll be sure to bring you back a pint.

Things went really well today. We lucked out and found ourselves in the middle of a festival, so we were even less conspicuous in the crowds.

[alt_sirius]

No one fell off the carpets, then? Good.

Horns. I didn't half expect her to cover herself in fur and grow claws after that. Next it'll be scales in the tub, I'll reckon.

[alt_lupin]

Now that's a really interesting question. Just how far do metamorphmagus abilities extend? Could she turn herself into a tiny, adorable werewolf regardless of the phase of the moon?

[alt_sirius]

Right. Because it's not bad enough that she still shouts 'Sirius Black!' once in a while. Let's by all means have her impersonate her father who's supposed to be a completely normal wizard.

[alt_lupin]

Well she's never seen me transformed, has she? So we're probably safe.

[alt_lupin]

If she decides she wants to be a lizard, could she turn herself into one without having to learn the animagus transformation?

[alt_sirius]

I don't know - but if I were you, I wouldn't put ideas in her head.

Especially since I'll be the one Dora blames for it

[alt_lupin]

I'd say what we really ought to worry about is that she's going to try to look like Kreacher.

Think about THAT possibility the next time she decides to grow horns.

[alt_sirius]

Well, I don't think it was really a question of her deciding to do anything. Joys of wandless magic.

And the moment she makes herself look like that ugly tosser we can trot out the chestnut that her face could freeze like that. I bet that'd put a stop to it.

[alt_lupin]

Oh, also, I meant to say -- there were enchanted sleighs and whatnot available for hire, at the festival! So the girls who didn't want to ride on carpets didn't have to.

[alt_sirius]

Oh, that's a stroke of luck! I wonder why Terrie didn't think to tell us about it. Maybe she thought we already knew and chose the date based on the festivities.

Is she doing all right? And her mother and the little boy? Or did you not get a chance to catch up with her?

[alt_lupin]

I didn't really have a chance to catch up with her, sorry. Too much else going on. She seemed fine. I didn't see the kid.

[alt_sirius]

Oh, that's all right. I just hope she wasn't upset I didn't come along with everyone.

[alt_nymphadora]

I think she was a bit wistful about that, actually.

We had a nice chat once everyone had got there safely and were off getting situated and settled. I hadn't thought about it before, but she pointed out we have a bit in common.

[alt_sirius]

She always was too clever by half. Guessed right off that Moony would join the Order when he disappeared from his Hogwarts job (of course, she didn't know he'd been a member, years before). And she's the one who got us all those permits from the camps when Arthur's source dried up.

Or were you just chatting about having children so close in age?

[alt_nymphadora]

Hm. Yes, a bit of that. Hers seems a bit of a handful. Stubborn and smart. But she's got her mum to help with him, though I thought she may find that a bit stifling, having her mum with her. I suppose that's the way it is: she's grateful and feels burdened all at the same time.

Apparently her mum thinks Terrie missed a good thing with you. Thinks she misplayed her hand, and says so once a fortnight or so.

But that's where she was glad to have a chance to see what I'm about, I guess. Another one who got attached but wasn't the right one for her bloke. Not to worry, though. We didn't waste much breath on that sort of thing. Mostly it was thinking what might come of these things we're all doing, and hoping that we can keep it up long enough to make a real difference before we get caught and stopped.

[alt_sirius]

Well, I am that irresistible. But I could help explain to her mum how hopeless it would have been if that'll take one burden off Terrie. She's always been a good lass.

As for getting caught, it'll never happen. Every victory gives us momentum. If we can get the press running we'll be that much better off. Still. I missed my Christmas address this year. Think I should throw another Grim Truth out there to stir things up?

[alt_nymphadora]

About Strangeweale? or something else?

[alt_nymphadora]

We did have a bit of a tense moment with my group, just after we'd left the station. There was a woman who came up to us--a Roma woman--who wanted to tell our fortunes. Very insistent that we should let her read our palms or weigh our wands and she could tell us what Fate's got in store for us. Wouldn't take no for an answer. (She'd have given Bea a contest for who's harder to turn down!) And there we were with a quartet of false wands in the group.

Honestly, it occurred to me she could as easily have been MLE as an actual gypsy. And we just kept walking and saying we weren't interested, thanks. Eventually we got clear of her, but it was an anxious few minutes, I promise you. Some of the others said they'd met her, too. I suppose a midwinter fair is a rich field for fortune tellers.

As far as I know that was the most ticklish moment any of us had. Really it was quite a pleasant trip out there and back.