Saturday"Just up here." Camille's ears heard Ignan's familiar tone from just along the corridor from the open classroom door. The sun was shining through the windows of the classroom which overlooked the lake, and the rain from yesterday had cleared once more. The week had alternated from rain and shine after a long weekend of rain before it. Rain was something Camille was becoming more accustomed to in Britain, and particularly Scotland.
Seated at her long table in the classroom, normally accommodating her students and their charts and calculations, Camille had spread paperwork out, correspondence, forms, bank statements, and a copy of Wolfgang and Camille's will, updated nine months before his death.
Two figures filled the doorway, and she smiled, getting up to wrap her arms around her son. It had been such hell to be apart from him, and to tear into him that full moon in August when he had only come to St Mungo's to be of comfort to her. At the time she had felt he had come to gloat, to be sure his and Hannah's revenge had enacted. Then once she had sat through court evidence from them both, her opinion had begun to change. On the day itself, she'd been in too much shock to think about it
[1].
On the following Wednesday night
[2], she had been sat late with Ignan in his chambers, not content to be alone, but feeling an awful burden for moving into Hogwarts at such short notice, for being so ineffective as a teacher during the week but wanting to return to some routine to put her mind at ease. The wireless had been on but Ignan had gone to change the station when a familiar voice had cut through and Camille had sat bolt upright on recognising Johann.
"… The Ministry knew about these fights. They've known for so long, but I truly believe they've let them continue. I mean, who cares? Just a werewolf, and a Muggle can't be turned. Not when they're so preoccupied... doing a fantastic job of dealing with the dementors, I mean."
“Miss Bombay’s name has not been entirely cleared, Mr Storm, are you certain you are happy to publicly declare her a knight?”
"Hannah Bombay speaks more truth than anyone in that court."
“Now that is quite the accusation, alongside accusing our Ministry of being practically complicit in these Werewolf games. Are you not employed in the Ministry?”
"Perhaps I won't be by morning…" The two professors had sat in silence, Camille raising a hand frantically to prevent Ignan speaking or changing the station until the shrill banshee music had interrupted and Ignan switched off his set.
He'd turned up by Saturday as she was clearing the place at Knockturn Alley. She couldn't bring herself to feel angry, only so very sad for him, that her only child had lost his father again, and she hadn't been there to make it better in the following days. There had been tears from them both, and he had promised he was safe and staying with a close friend, not Elixa or Colin who she had met or knew of, but someone else she would meet in time
[3]. She had left that wretched place, coming back to Hogwarts alone, determined to cast off the past thirty five years of marriage. She was on her own now.
"How have you been my dear?" She asked softly, cupping his face with her hand. She was never sure he'd been sleeping, or where
[4] he'd been sleeping for that matter.
"Good, mother. You?" He replied softly, taking her hand from his face and glancing back to Ignan who stood just inside the doorway, trying not to make it obvious he was watching.
"Better." She replied with a little nod, able to be honest with them both.
"Ignan says you're back to teaching full time again?" Johann asked, slipping the strap of his bag over his head and setting it down on the table beside them.
"Yes, well, that's what I'm here to do." Camille splayed her hands to either side and gave a little shrug, looking past him to Ignan.
"Look, while you're here, I wondered if you might," she looked to Johann, reaching out to his arm to make sure he was listening, "If
we might ask you to read something on the Wednesday. Rosetti. Here, I have it." Ignan stepped into the classroom a few more paces, watching. She rounded the table, sorting through parchment to find a little poetry book which she had brought with her. Words for all times in life, well loved since her childhood, though greater appreciated in later years as her English improved.
"Remember me when I am gone away, gone far away into the silent land?" Johann quoted, recalling his mother mentioning the poem when he had resurfaced and they had spent a few hours regrouping in the room in Knockturn Alley before she had left it finally. Camille nodded,
"That's the one, yes. Here." She extended the small book to Ignan, who took it in both hands, blue eyes running over the print
[5].
"Of course, if you feel you would like?" Ignan spoke at last, sounded surprised to be asked, and looked to Johann as if to suggest he might be more suited to do so. The younger wizard's mouth had formed a straight line. To recite something like that at his father's graveside would feel like forgiveness, and he couldn't bring himself to do that. Camille could see there was still much anger in her son.
"Yes, of course." Ignan spoke again before either could reply and gave a respectful nod, handing back the poetry book to Camille as several other pages were marked.
"Thank you." She put her hand to his arm tenderly, paying him an easy compliment, "You read so well."
Later, as the sun began to dip, Camille raised the third cup of tea to her lips and sat back to fold one leg over the other. Beside her, Johann scratched out some more numbers onto a long roll of parchment, his sleeves drawn up to his elbows and jacket hanging from the back of one of the chairs.
"Johann," she spoke, breaking the silence. "I have been thinking about Hannah." The quill paused a moment on the page and Johann glanced up to her. "Your father did more than just argue with her, my darling. It's a long story, and I'll tell you in time, but I believe he may have taken money from her."
[6] Her son turned round, lifting the quill from the page.
"How?""I found out." Camille said simply, not sure it was the time or the place after so much work to discuss that she had strong belief Hannah Bombay had been the double of Wolfgang Storm sat naked in his armchair some months back.
[7] "I did some digging. Darling, once we've done the main estate I'll need your help to follow up this, but I believe your father may have been operating accounts under other names." Johann's eyebrows raised, though he did not look entirely shocked. After all, neither of them would put it past Wolfgang to do such things - he had been incredibly resourceful and knowledgeable about the flow of money and the loopholes.
"The poor girl is penniless, from what I can find out," Camille implored. "The state of her flat when you took me to visit her
[8], for Merlin's sake. I can't live with myself knowing he did something like that to her."
"You're quite sure he did?" Johann asked, though not in defence of his late father, more out of caution for his mother.
"If he didn't directly, he found a way, Johann."
She put down her tea and reached for his free hand, placing it between her own.
"Once we have reconciled, I want to ask your permission to compensate her. I mean, as we've seen today, he's had enough hidden away that he never disclosed," she nodded to the long ledger scroll he was filling out. "It won't be enough, quite obviously, but it will be something, and if I do it anonymously, she can't refuse - and if she donates it to charity then so be it."
"Or on shoes." Johann added quietly, remembering this of his old friend.
"I think that would be a great help to her, mother, if you can afford it." "I can. It is the least she deserves from getting caught up with our family."
The familiar pang of guilt returned for Johann who averted his eyes at the comment. It was he who had got Hannah involved, and he did miss her, but his mother was right, it hadn't brought her much happiness or fortune to know them.
Perhaps one day, Camille wondered, her son might reconcile with Hannah Bombay, and they might be happy together. She was a pretty young witch when she wasn't ravaged by a heavy legal process and her werewolf curse. For the sake of not acquiring grandchildren, she would be happy just to see her family happy again. It felt like a very long time since they had been.
[Oct 9] For What It's Worth [Snapshot]