"It did come with some preservation instructions, so it shouldn't be gallivanting about the house any time soon." Aisling did have to admit that such was a bit of an amusing image, at least when she had distance from it. "Though I may need to find some birds to test certain of the rituals. That can become messy, but I think I could find space for them in the garden. Somewhere." As if she needed something else to do; a sentiment which showed itself in a soft sigh, in a small slump in her posture.

The teapot made her laugh, a soft, relieved sound as she watched its spindly legs appear. "It's delightful, no need to apologize. I do find the flying dishware a bit disconcerting myself. Most of ours tends to stay where we put it." She didn't need everything enchanted. There were times where she wished nothing in the house was, but it was so hard to live in both worlds.

"We do have so much time to catch up on. And I would love to just get out for a bit, without it being some sort of high society engagement. My feet begin to hurt after a while. Always makes me grateful that I can avoid the taller heels." There were a few benefits to her height, mostly in terms of obtaining books off higher shelves.

"Birds." Morgana wasn't really the kind of person for animal testing; it made her wonder exactly what sort of book it was before remembering what she'd learned in her travels - especially the Haitian wizards who would use bird entrails for divination. "At least it's not old enough that it would suggest experimenting on humans, but by then I think the book would be of the Dark Arts by then."

She tapped the teapot with a finger, and it sat down and angled its spout up as it turned its fat body to face both of them in turn, as if watching the two women like a puppy. "I used to keep everything non-magical wherever I stayed, even if it was a wizard house. After I had a few suitors of mine complain that it was too unmagical, I enchanted the teapot to serve them. That got people to complain that a pseudo-sentient teapot was too unnerving. You can never please anyone." She sighed, but there was a playful smirk on her lips. "Needless to say, though, it was the best way to find out if a possible suitor of mine would be able to handle my quirks. I washed my hands of them fairly swiftly, I'll tell you that." She took a sip from her tea.

"Yes, it's such a pain that high society looks down on you if you wear sensible shoes. As if they're snubbing you for having some sense of practicality." Morgana smirked again. "I find a good average heel will do, not one of those tottering stilettos that seem to be in fashion these days, but I agree that afterwards it's just a huge relief to be able to kick them off. And really, Ais, if you put on heels any taller than what you've got now I'm going to feel seriously dwarfed by you." Regardless of who was older and whatnot, Morgana had always felt that Ais had had a much greater presence than she did. It made sense, in a way - Ais was now a formidable presence in her workplace, from what Morgana was assuming, while she herself had learned how to blend in with her surroundings and go unnoticed.

She looked out of the windows facing Diagon Alley. The noise down there was much more subdued; since it was Sunday plenty of shops weren't open and there wasn't much of a reason to step outside. She felt the day growing late, judging by the lengthening of the shadows in her living room, but she wasn't sure about seeing off Aisling just yet. It had been a long time.

Still, out of politeness.

"I have to wonder," she said, "if I'm keeping you from anything today. What with the sun casually moving towards the west and all. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, but if you have other engagements later on in the day just let me know." She smiled, a little sadly to herself at the thought of having no one to talk to except a two-legged teapot that was now entertaining itself by puffing steam out of its spout until their next meeting.

Human sacrifice. That was something Aisling had encountered information on before, but it was too dark for her to wish to speak of it. There were very few cases where she could think of contemplating such an action. But still a few. Enough for to prompt her to worrying about her own state of mind. But those concerns were something she pushed away, hid deep deep down. "No, nothing on such experiments that I've found. Fortunately. I'm trying to study, not to to fall afoul of Level Two."

As if she'd ever do that. The topic of romance was a bit more pleasant. "It's hard to find someone right. Only took me twenty years, and I still think I was lucky on that account." A faint blush spread over her cheeks and she smiled. "It was worth being particular, though. I've become even more certain of that over the years."

And shoes. Aisling gave in to temptation and kicked hers off with pleased sigh. "I get all my shoes charmed these days so I can stand them. What I'd give for one day to be sure that no one would make a political incident out of me wearing something comfortable. It's ridiculous, really. And I still have to dress for work. Can't go off wearing high wizarding fashion when I'm popping in and out of Muggle London all the time." It felt remarkably good to have her shoes off.

She frowned a little at Morgana's next question. "No, no obligations today. The girls are back to school already, and I'm not looking forward to going home to find them gone." After everything, she couldn't help worrying. This world could be so harsh.

Morgana smiled. "Being Muggleborn has its advantages when mingling amongst the Muggles, no? It was hard enough pretending to be Muggle when I was in Europe and still move in wizarding circles. And it was during the war. I don't envy you." She looked down at her cup, and then suddenly looked back up at Aisling. "I'm sorry if I'm bringing back any bad memories for you. I guess as someone who left the country before the war I don't have much of a right to comment on it as much as those who didn't." Like my brother.

In response to Ais' remark about her daughters, she smiled, although a little tentatively in the wake of her pre-emptive apology. "You haven't told me much about your girls, well, as far as I remember. I've wondered about how much it is to have a family, and as far as I can tell you seem to be the only one in my circle of friends who's actually qualified with the experience." She chuckled lightly. "I wonder what that tells you about my friends."

"I still visit my family often enough. It's hard to keep a foot in both worlds, though, even with my work." Aisling held her cup out to the charming little teapot for a bit more to drink. "And no need to apologize. Let's just leave the war be for another time."

She gave Morgana a teasing smile. "Presuming, of course, that you can ever get me off the subject of my daughters. Rowena is the eldest, though not by much. She has such boundless energy, and so little fear. It's hard not to worry. She was the one who was so excited about a kitten, about the prospect of Hogwarts having so much land to explore." And now they were back there again, away from her and all her hopes of watching out for them.

"Sophia, on the other hand, thinks she needs to be the perfect young lady. Proper and all wrapped up in her books. I wish that she would relax more, she is only twelve." For twins they were so very different from each other. And yet so closely intertwined.

As the teapot got to its feet and tipped its spout over Aisling's cup, Morgana smiled in relief that she wasn't doing damage as she had thought.

"Your daughters sound lovely." Don't let me near them. "I can just imagine how different they are. And they get along well, I presume? Or do you deal with the occasional sibling dispute?" Morgana took a sip from her cup. "I can only shudder at how you'd be if you got angry, just knowing how you'd react.

"Reminds me of someone else, in fact." She absently traced circles on the table with a fingertip. "Two people entirely different in personality, yet still close to each other. It has...interesting dynamics, and I can only imagine what you experience when your daughters are around. Maybe. I don't think I can be very exact, just that I've been there before." She shrugged.

"They're far better behaved that I was at that age. And they usually get along. But they're close enough that if they get truly upset with each other, it can be very difficult. At least it was when they were both in the house together, Hogwarts seems to provide them both with more space of their own." It had seemed to be a positive thing, so far, but it had only been a few months.

"And I think I understand. My sister and I were always very close, even after I started at Hogwarts. She's the clever one of the family, the doctor. I need to write her again, it has been a few weeks." Letters from Teagan always improved her mood,  and she could use that with the girls away again.

She sipped at her tea, and shook her head softly. "There's not shortage of complications even with us getting along well. We live in very different worlds, these days." And it did seem to be getting rather late. She couldn't hide away here forever.

Morgana was fairly sure Aisling knew who her brother was. Hollingbury was not a common name, and the same went for a wizarding family that originated from what could be the least magical place in Great Britain. Besides, since they had been at school together and Morgana was only a few years younger than her brother, it was only logical to think that Aisling would know who he was anyway.

"Complications. Yes." She knew all too well what that one word meant. "Though I can imagine that to bridge such a gap between both worlds is an impressive, if difficult, feat. It's hard enough dealing with the difficulties of one world. Even I can't think of trying to put up with the worst and best of two."

Morgana lifted the teapot lid up to check its contents, an action that the teapot responded to by attempting to puff steam at her face in annoyance. She leaned out of the way of the cloud of steam. "Seems the tea's out. Thank you, little pot." As she replaced the lid, the teapot settled down, apparently contented on having done a good job.

She nodded absently to herself. "Good days. Such good days."

"I despair of bridging it at times, but there are people on both sides I could not stand to lose." Aisling smiled softly at her friend, and tried not to think too deeply on that. Today had enough of a sense of loss.

One which she eventually needed to face. Perhaps it was that time. Perhaps she was strong enough for that. She finished her cup of tea with one lengthy sip, and slipped her feet back into her shoes. "I hope we'll have more good days. You really must come over for tea at some point, keeps the house from being too quiet."

She glanced over to the door, still hesitant to leave, to return to the world where she had to adjust everything so much for politics, for Tarron's position. "I should probably leave, though, return to the mundane. And to uncomfortable shoes." But Tarron would be there. That was what mattered, above so many other things. Home and bed and to sleep with someone else there to keep the dreams away.

Morgana understood her friend without asking further details, just as she used to in the days when they had been in that wonderful, if short-lived relationship. She was only glad they had broken up on good terms; Aisling was worth having as a friend and she was grateful for the woman's presence in her life.

But even so, everyone had their own lives, and Morgana knew when someone wanted to leave - be it on their own terms, or even due to the uncomfortable atmosphere. She smiled warmly. "Go then, Ais. I'll come one day, I promise. I'll let you know when I can come. For now, your family and work need you more than I do." She got to her feet. "I'll see you out. I led you in, it should only be fair."

Long after they had bid their farewells, Morgana continued smiling in a good mood, contented to have met her old friend - and old flame - after so long and so much.