ORDER ONLY: Private Message to Mum, Dad, Charlie, and Siz

[alt_evelyn]

I finished up the last of the observations this morning, and will be back in about an hour.

Stornoway is utterly brilliant, and everyone there was very welcoming. People let me just natter on about the projects we were working on, and Mr Emmett and Mrs Overton kept suggesting that I'd have a job there if I ever wanted one.

Comments

Private Message to Mum and Dad

[alt_evelyn]

I miss you both very much.

Being at Stornoway was exciting and interesting, but it was

Spending a few nights away was harder than I thought it would be.

I can't wait to see you soon.

Re: Private Message to Mum and Dad

[alt_frank]

I know what you mean, sweetie.

missed you too.

glad you got some use out of the visit, and got on well with the people there, but it'll be good to see you again.

Private Message to Charlie

[alt_evelyn]

I really did have a good time, mostly, and everyone was very kind. I am so very sorry I woke up everyone in the women's barracks last night, but Alec kept me company in the mess hall after and showed me his scrimshaw carving and told me about the stories in it, and asked me all sorts of questions about my research, and Sasha made sure I had plenty of tea, and it really was fine.

Re: Private Message to Charlie

[alt_charlie]

Nobody said a word to me when I came by today, so I'm sure it wasn't a problem. We tend to sleep light, because of the dragons, but we're all very used to rolling over and going back to sleep when something wakes us up -- you can't work the shifts we work without being used to it.

Nightmare, I'm guessing? Maybe Hermione has something that's a little less dangerous than Dreamless.

And Sasha's wonderful for sitting with in the wee hours. She mothers us all shamelessly. Did Alec show you the Hogwarts carving he did, or was he just sitting in the mess hall with his work bag and showed you the stuff that was in it? I swear, he's a genius at that stuff. I learned woodcarving from Greg a few winters ago -- I'm really bad at it but I'm getting better! -- and Alec keeps telling me I need to learn scrimshaw too, but the charms are about fifty times more complex.

Re: Private Message to Charlie

[alt_evelyn]

Yeah.

Nev was taking the curse for me instead of Mr Shacklebolt. And he was just standing there in front of me with his arms hanging at his sides like he was sleepwalking or dead and I couldn't see his face and I was so afraid that he'd turn round

I'll talk to her.

And Sasha was wonderful. And I didn't get to see the Hogwarts one, but Alec told me all about it, and said I'd have to see it next time round. The one he was working on really was marvellous -- I'd no idea they could look like that.

Re: Private Message to Charlie

[alt_charlie]

Oh, that's rough.

After my father died, I had nightmares for a few weeks that it was me or Mum or Bill he'd saved instead of Selwyn, or that he pushed Selwyn out of the way just fine but the blast was stronger and it killed both of them, or ... well, yeah, you know how it goes. The brain likes to taunt us with what-if a lot, I think. Especially after something huge like what we all just went through. It's as though what really happened wasn't bad enough, our brains have to come up with ways it could have been even worse.

It goes away, though. Or it did for me, and it has for everybody else who's ever mentioned that kind of nightmares to me. That's probably not a comfort now, but it does go away, and you can remember Neville the way he was instead of the way your worst-case-scenario mind likes to throw at you.

Alec's stuff is amazing, yeah. We all keep telling him he needs to sell them or something, instead of just giving them away to whoever admires them or stacking them in his quarters. I kept telling him he should get a stall in the market and get someone to sell them for him and he'd make galleons hand over fist. But he keeps saying he's too lazy to handle all the business end of things!

Re: Private Message to Charlie

[alt_evelyn]

I'd bet it isn't laziness, because no-one who takes that much care with things can possibly be lazy.

Perhaps he ought to display them in a museum or something instead.


Thank you, Charlie.

That does help some.

Re: Private Message to Charlie

[alt_charlie]

Well, he calls it laziness! So if you think it's something else, you'll have to yell at him about it. Maybe if you tell him he should do something with what he's producing, he'll listen to you!

And you're welcome. I'm glad I could help a bit. And hey, I've been playing counselor and shoulder-to-cry-on cool Uncle Charlie to most of your classmates for a few weeks now, but I've mostly been figuring you can sort yourself out with knowing what needs to get done and knowing who you can lean on if you need to lean on somebody. If you do need a shoulder, though, or just a cup of tea, you can always come find me.

Re: Private Message to Charlie

[alt_evelyn]

I really miss Mr Snape. He used to be my

I wouldn't say I leaned on him, it was more he let me sit in the corner and read while he worked, or tutted me about my breathing exercises, or talked to me when I wasn't feeling terribly calm to help me gain a sense of perspective, and what he said always made sense.

You make a great deal of sense too. Of course. Which is why you have such leanable shoulders. People can tell that sort of thing pretty quickly, you know.

I think I'm sorting for the most part, but every now and then it takes me by surprise. Dad's been good about listening when I need it. And it was better last night.

I'll let you know if I ever need that cup of tea, though.

[alt_sinistra]

I'm about to head back to Hogwarts, likewise.

Evelyn, you know where to find me when you're ready, but do take some time to catch up with people if you like.

Charlie, please do thank everyone again for both of us, it was tremendously helpful to see actual dragons being dragons and talk through some of the different theories, and hear a range of opinions.

I've got a few things I want to research in the library here before we make any more decisions, but I feel much better informed. (In particular, there's that line of thought Thom had, about whether the wards were more solidly anchored by the native species, and what that means given your population at the moment.)

I might want another visit to check on things when we're closer to an actual specific plan, but it really was a great help.

[alt_charlie]

I will do. Dree said she really enjoyed having both of you. (And Ev, you'd better watch out, I had six different people tell me that they're going to try to recruit you!)

And yeah, Thom's convinced that the anchors are stronger with the Welsh Greens and Hebridean Blacks, but of course we don't really have a way to measure it. But if that's the case, we might actually be lucky -- well, lucky is a relative term, but you know what I mean -- because we might be able to lure in a few more of the wild-born to help diffuse the load. Once they get to a certain age, you can't teach them to tolerate humans, but we've got at least four or five wild-born kits on tracking that we might be able to bring in. If we can do it without getting in between them and their parents, mind you.