"You would miss Hamilton.  Besides, it's work breaking in a new scapegoat."

"Why, you offering?" Johann replied, but waved the comment away with one hand and a grin.

"Well, I think any chances of my being a champion again disappeared with my prefect badge, and, my hopes of being Head Boy."

"Mm. I caught wind of that from Ignan. I ask after you to him. Bad luck with losing it." Ignan hadn't disclosed the necromancy, but had seemed disappointed with the demotion, Johann had figured it had been more about the boy being his son than anything else.

"... Connections will get me further. What do you mean by going to the dark side? What have you heard?"

Johann grinned and shuffled his backside ever so slightly back into the sofa bed. It was so good to have Sasha to visit, he was sure the two of them would talk into the night had the Ravenclaw not had to go to Raine's birthday party. They'd discuss enough before they were acquainted as family, which just gave them both further motive. 

"That you cook up potions in strange places." Johann raised an eyebrow, oblivious to how that could be interpreted. "With Muggles. Chemistry and whatnot." He watched Sasha's expression change, still wearing his usual smile. "That dark side, the Muggles." He gave Sasha an odd look, "Or have you been listening to one too many of Ignan's stories from his auror days?"

The Ravenclaw grinned and shrugged as Johann waved away the topic of scapegoats.  Though the last thing he needed were more tarnishes and dings to his reputation, he certainly was willing to pay his dues. 

If he had to.  He certainly wasn't going to volunteer unnecessarily. 

Either Johann hadn't heard much about the various unfortunate situations Sasha had found his way into lately or he had quickly decided to display tact.  Which, Sasha had gathered by now, wasn't a trait Johann displayed too often.  Either way, Sasha was relieved and he visibly relaxed, shrugging his shoulders. 

"Chemistry is fun.  You get to melt things.  And make them change color."  And, use complex equations to explain why they did.  Then deduce and extrapolate and derive hypotheses on other situations.  But, that probably interesting to a much smaller section of the population.  "And, it's just a University - a school.  Just one where everyone who's there wants to be there.  It's not that strange.  You should come by sometime.  Especially if I end up studying there after Hogwarts." 

The Ravenclaw shook his head.  "I ... no.  I haven't really heard many stories.  I'm not really sure that would be appropriate, either."  The uncertainty was honest, though.  It still felt strange to be around people who referred to Professor Storm by his first name, let alone who discussed his personal life prior to being a Hogwarts professor.

"Chemistry is fun.  You get to melt things.  And make them change color..."

To Johann that didn't sound much different to magic, but Sasha seemed to enjoy it, and Sasha didn't seem the sort to involve himself in pointless investments of time. 

"I ... no.  I haven't really heard many stories.  I'm not really sure that would be appropriate, either."

"Nonsense, he's got some good ones, and if we were able to introduce you to the family without there being a few heart attacks, then you'd hear them told anyway, exaggerated, of course." Johann wagged a finger. "I'd tell you myself, but I always think its best from the horse's mouth." He grinned broadly.

"I'm sure he'll appreciate you preserving his enigmatic reputation at Hogwarts. But its good to see you away from there for a bit, you're welcome to come over and visit at summer anyhow now you know where I am." He reached out and clapped Sasha on the shoulder, perhaps a little too healthily through the enthusiasm to catch up with Sasha once more.

End