It had been a funny few days. On the Friday, he had been summoned to the Minister herself to try and translate a thick document full of demands, threats and conditions from the goblins. They were being pretty darn intolerable, if Johann put it politely, not only in the ridiculous layout of their paperwork which he had painstakingly worked on, but also for their silly demands.

He had almost put his foot in it that day, but thankfully he'd escaped obliviation and had set to work up on level 1, where the documents could be kept securely, along with him, in a locked room. He'd had to beg one of the undersecretaries to let him out to take a leak.

Thankfully matters were translated, well, the important stuff was, by Saturday afternoon, where Johann suspected he wouldn't be getting paid for this overtime, because the Minister would probably deny he was there in the first place.

On Saturday night it had been Layla's birthday, so caution to the wind, and a surprising number of men with very little clothing too. Sunday morning had been a hangover, but worth it.

On Monday he had finished the last bits and was checking everything over once more, cursing quietly that he had work for the Department stacking up on his desk in level five. Undoubtedly Hamilton would have filled his in tray with ridiculous requests in the afternoon he'd been away on the Friday, and he'd probably have no desk by the time he got back.

It had been a very long day indeed on the Tuesday, catching up on his usual duties, and also waylaying the fact he would take a little time out of the office on the Wednesday to see a client. Inconveniently, the client had left a dragon egg under the table, but it had resulted in a fine chat with Ghastly, who he needed to find excuses to speak to more often.

Owing to his hard work over the past few days, Gabrielle had signed off the day's leave for Thursday, which was essential. She did have to drop a note to the Minister to inform her in case she needed him for further documents, or something.

As he headed to Gringotts from Colin's flat, Johann wondered if the Minister received updates of when he breathed. No, he decided, that would be ridiculous. He was an interesting man, but Zephyr had no interest in him.

The goblins all looked as grim as ever in the bank. Johann cashed some private payments from his own clients, and enquired on his account balance, pondering for a moment as to whether he should consider withdrawing the lot and investing it in something physical, if the goblins were really going to carry out their plans. His pause as he read the ledger was met with impatience by the goblin serving him, and for one ugly moment wizard and goblin stared at each other, Johann's look very much trying to convey I know what you're up to.

He withdrew enough to cover sending the stack of invoices to his regular clients, and some more for the household bills. As he turned to leave the bank, he thought he spotted someone he knew amongst the other customers, but on second glance decided his mind had misidentified.

The post office had a bit of a queue, so he spent time consulting a list of things he'd drawn up to do on his day off, scribbling some more items on as he waited. Soon half a dozen letters were attached to lightweight letter suitable owls, and they were heading off.

Half an hour later he met two clients together at The Leaky Cauldron, advising on travel routes, currency and all manner of answers to their anxious questions.
"I don't trust goblins." one explained, leaning back a moment and shaking his head before leaning back towards Johann to ask a more reasoned,
"But I'll get a better exchange rate at the moment you say?"

He met a girl outside Ollivander's at 11 o'clock sharp and handed over a pile of papers bound in string. They did not exchange much than a few words in greeting, and she hurried away down the alley, carrying completed import paperwork for her employer, not that anyone nearby would have been the wiser.

A good forty-five minutes was spent in Flourish and Blotts examining books in History: Goblin Uprisings, Business: where he examined a number of books relating to investing in property, before buying none.

After checking at the counter regarding some of his international subscriptions to publications, he purchased a pocket map of Godric's Hollow. He would mark on it the family homes of any of Ignan's students in the village, so he could give it to his cousin, enabling him to give these houses a wide berth once he moved into the village. He left chuckling to himself.

The afternoon was spent visiting three Knockturn shops which Vedir Prideaux had a hand in. He was helping each to fiddle monopolise on loopholes in wizarding law to save money on taxes and duties.

Finally, one grubby pub became the venue for a meeting with a wizard in his forties on parole with level 2. He had to brush up on his reading to be of good use to Prideaux, and years in Azkaban and a poor attainment at Hogwarts with few OWLs to his name did not help. Teaching someone their own language wasn't quite Johann's usual thing, but he didn't get to question Prideaux, because the man paid well.

It was almost six by the time he left, and half a dozen paces away from the door, he doubled back, suddenly wondering if he ought to visit one more place, and came face to face with Mihai Zamperia, a friend and an obliviator.

Johann's initial expression was that of horror and alarm, and he took a pace backwards instinctively, before his paranoid mind took a sidestep and realised Mihai could have perfectly reasonable business in Knockturn, and that it was a mere coincidence they'd run into each other.

"Fancy meeting you here!" He greeted, though it sounded a little hollow. He wasn't too keen on lingering, and he cancelled all thought of going elsewhere in the alley at that instance. He took a step to the site, turned on the spot to fall beside Mihai.

"Never like to linger here long, were you on your way back to Diagon too?"

Mihai and Johann had always been friendly, or at the very least cordial. Although they had very different careers, their work sometimes overlapped.

After Friday, Mihai had been sent to follow the linguist; he was aware of some vital information, and it was imperative that it didn’t get out. It was the oblivatior’s personal job to make sure that this Johann Storm didn’t leak it out, intentionally or not. This sort of job fell into a morally grey area—and many of his jobs given to him by the minister was similar. When he moved to London, he had thought that he would leave the unsavory nature of his previous work behind, but that wasn’t the case.

It seemed that he was meant for this line of work, and it was going to follow him to the grave.
Sometimes, Mihai thought that his stealth abilities would’ve made him more suited for life as an auror. He was very rarely caught unless he was intending to be seen.

Throughout the week, it didn’t seem like Johann was doing anything out of the ordinary. He had gone to the bank, like plenty of other witchces and wizards. It was perfectly normal.
Giving  a woman paperwork who hurried away was only mildly suspicious at the most.

It was when Johann ventured into three different Knockturn shops that Mihai’s interest was finally piqued. Knockturn Alley wasn’t a place that many wished to be seen in—being caught there by others tended to lead to embarrassment.  After Johann’s meeting in a dodgy, dusty, rather disgusting pub, Mihai decided it was time to ‘bump into’ his dear friend. In the obliviator’s opinion, Johann’s work drew in more seedy folks than it should’ve.  Why would anyone want to meet in a pub in Knockturn Alley, if the work wasn’t morally questionable?

Upon bumping into Johann, Mihai put on the most chagrined expression he could, looking down sheepishly. “Ah—yes!” He looked around anxiously, “I was supposed to.” He muttered under his breath, “Meet a lady friend, but….” He cleared his throat and gave the linguist an embarrassed smile.

 “Nevermind about that.” Mihai clapped Johann on the shoulder, “Yes, yes . I’m on my way out. You’re right, it’s best not to linger.  I’d rather not get mugged today.” He ran his fingers through his thick curls and relaxed his shoulders. “I’m thinking about getting some dinner, you should come.” Mihai wasn’t the sort to ask people to do things with him, he typically told them (usually in good nature.)

Johann jumped beneath Mihai's touch, unable to hide it. He had not been expecting the clap of a hand, and he was jumpy enough being stood in Knockturn with an obliviator - even if it was Mihai.

"I'm thinking about getting some dinner, you should come."

"Really?" Johann asked, idiotically, he'd forgotten it would be time to eat dinner soon. When he was working, his stomach became a rather ignored part of his body while his mind was distracted.

"I mean, of course, yes I would be very glad to join you for something. Jus erm, not down here." He suggested, and gave a very uneasy smile to his Ministry colleague. To the other man, it might even look guilty.

"Shall we?" He asked, gesturing back over his shoulder to the direction of Diagon Alley, feeling  as if the walls of Knockturn Alley were closing in on them both.

He turned on the spot and fell into step with Mihai, as they headed up the slope.
"You meet lady friends in Knockturn?" He asked the obliviator, puzzled, "aren't the ladies down here…" he glanced to one side where one such lady was passing by, blowing them both a kiss as she judged whether they might be interested.

"Not her then?" Johann asked, watching Mihai's reaction.

If this man frequently forgot to eat dinner, it was no wonder that he was so skinny.  Still, Mihai wasn’t going to comment on that. Johann was jumpy enough as it was, and apparently embarrassed to be seen in Knockturn. To be fair, the linguist wasn’t the onlyone who’d be unhappy with running into a familiar face in this area.

“Yes, really.” Mihai responded carefully, “Of course, not down here. I’d rather not eat stew with suspicious bits of meat in it.” He shuddered at the thought.  Then his companion finally put two and two together to figure out why the obliviator was supposedly here in the first place. 

A rather gorgeous and scantily clad women walked by, with impeccable timing—only to blow a kiss. He practically blushed. Mihai put his hands in his pockets and looked at his feet, almost guiltily. “Could’ve been her.” He muttered, “What, you’ve never… Met anyone like her here before?”

"Met, or met?" Johann asked without hesitation. "I've met in passing more than my fair share of women who sell themselves, but never engaged one in conversation, or 'arranged to meet' one, no." His blue eyes examined Mihai and his downward gaze with confusion.

"There's an auror on level two likes to 'arrange to meet' those sorts of ladies but from High Diagon Alley, not down here, if you wanted I could describe where they meet -." Not immediately realising the implications of what he was saying, Johann realised he'd overstepped the mark by Mihai's expression.

"Apologies. I forget it's one of society's unspoken aspects in polite company. Still, you brought it up." He gave a shrug, and glanced back over his shoulder at the retreating form of the woman who was looking down her nose at a grubby looking wizard who could hardly keep his tongue in his mouth.

"I'll show you later," he persisted, remembering a conversation with Colin about that sort of urge, "can't have you crossing your legs."

With that, they emerged from Knockturn into Diagon and Johann gave an audible sigh of relief. It was as if the air was cleaner up here.

"Whose memory have you wiped lately?" He asked jovially, "or was it mine and I've forgotten?" The joke sounded almost forced, nervous. "After all, your victims can't exactly tell me."

“Met.” Mihai clarified, his smile becoming less embarrassed and more amused. It seemed, that he was getting a bit more comfortable with Johann. It seemed like the linguist wouldn’t be making any judgments based on his supposed meetings with the women of knockturn. And now, Mihai was very curious about which auror Johann could possibly be talking about. It could’ve been all of them, for all Mihai knew. He didn’t know most of his coworkers very well—mostly just on the surface. And they probably viewed him as a workaholic who spoiled and doted upon his daughter. Neither of which was untrue, but it wasn’t like he was going to let his coworkers know everything about him, to his core.

"Apologies. I forget it's one of society's unspoken aspects in polite company. Still, you brought it up."

Mihai managed to let out a laugh and he simply nodded his head in agreement. He was indeed the one who brought it up.

“Just don’t go around telling everyone about this.” He said, though Mihai honestly didn’t care if people knew. It’d make for interesting gossip, that’s for sure.

They left Knockturn rather quickly, though not as quickly as Mihai would’ve liked. He opened his mouth to crack a joke, but Johann made one of his own. An off-colour, decidedly unfunny joke—even if the tone was jovial. His expression darkened, and his shoulders stiffened.

“These days? Just muggles. Can’t say the same for my previous job. "   His irritation was genuine, and he made no effort to hide it. “That wasn’t funny. It’s best, not to make those jokes to me from now on. Erasing memories is serious business. It forces people to forget important aspects of their lives, and that changes their entire future and who the are.” Mihai said brusquely.

He glanced around the area, until they reached a small little restaurant with cute outdoor seating.

“Will this place do?”

Johann's nervous attempt at a joke went down like a lead balloon, and one of his feet sidestepped in preparation for bolting. Not that he was a bit on edge that Mihai should have run into him on his day off, in Knockturn, and also be a very proficient obliviator.

"That wasn't funny. It's best not to make those jokes to me from now on. Erasing memories is serious business. It forces people to forget important aspects of their lives, and that changes their entire future and who they are."

Johann gave a grave nod and pressed his lips together into a straight line, feeling like he was Zamperia's trainee and had mucked up on his first job. He'd decided to seal his mouth shut so much that he almost forgot he had to answer to Mihai asking if somewhere would do to sit.

"Oh! Yes." Johann agreed, and glanced about himself before taking a seat, now looking decidedly sheepish and nervous. This meant that he rushed his words, glanced about and didn't sit comfortably.

"Are you working today?" He asked eventually, it being a Thursday. "I've got the day off to do a few things, wouldn't usually have to go places on a work day like that." The Ministry didn't like business conducted in Knockturn, but a high percentage of Johann's private clients did, because he was recommended by the likes of Vedir Prideaux and Ira Almasy for discretion where the law was bent or loopholes had to be abused.

"It feels a little odd not to work for the Ministry on a weekday."

Johann absolutely sobered up at Mihai’s little lecture. He gave the linguist a small nod of approval and took a seat.  It seemed like Mihai’s previous comment had made the rather skinny fellow before him rather nervous. Mihai almost preferred him this way. Part of him wanted to see just how uncomfortable he could make him.

“I’m on call today.” Mihai clarified. “If there’s a disaster—“ He reached into the pockets of his robes and pulled out a golden pocketwatch with his name and department engraved on it, “I’ll be informed.” His watch would vibrate and turn red when he was needed. It was easy enough to carry around, and Mihai was thankful that the watch was useful for more than just telling time. “It’s dreadfully boring sometimes.” He did find himself hoping that the statute of secrecy would be broken in a big way when he was on call. He was not a man who was content with doing nothing.

The waitress came over to give them menus, and Mihai thanked her kindly before she left to give them time to look over their options.

“It does feel odd,” Mihai continued, “I hate being idle.”

It was difficult to navigate another topic of conversation when Mihai's job played on his deepest fears, and as such the worries were forever bubbling beneath the surface of his thoughts.

As Mihai showed the pocketwatch from his pocket and explained how it worked, Johann inclined towards him out of curiosity.
"Fascinating," remarked, peering down at the object in the other wizard's hand. He'd have reached a hand out to inspect it further, only he anticipated it wouldn't be proper.

The menus arrived and the two of them paused a moment to examine.

It does feel odd, I hate being idle." Mihai eventually remarked, and Johann nodded, feeling much the same. Even this day off was filled with private work.

"I concur on being idle, it feels so very odd to be at a loose end. I end up doing something daft or start a project that will take me more time than I have to finish. I can't stand it - have to work." His hands were busy, rifling through his jacket pockets to find a quill and note something down, one of the back layers of the parchment he pulled out included the receipt for Gringotts.

"Is there not something you can do while you wait? Do you all not have a mountain of paperwork to go with every obliviation? One would think you should if you don't?" He asked, folding it all away.

He examined his menu a bit longer, and then set it down on the table to indicate that he was ready to order.
Mihai was—well, not glad that Johann could relate to the unnaturalness of being idle, but he was comfortable with it. It was almost a relief that there was someone else who had as strong a work ethic as Mihai did.

“Paperwork.” He sighed, “I only wish I had more paperwork. I completed it all last night.” The wizard wasn’t one to procrastinate, and paperwork was such an easy task, regardless of how utterly boring and repetitive it often was. “I should learn to pace myself, but—“ Mihai shrugged, “I prefer a rushed lifestyle.” The waitress came back and took the order for their food before leaving to serve other customers. 

“Being an obliviator is my retirement job. I led a more exciting life for the last twenty years or so. It paid well. I moved here to be… More available to my daughter. Unfortunately, no amount of money makes up for the boredom when I’m not…. Active.” He ran his fingers though his curls, “I’m afraid she’s taking after me, in that aspect. She’s only fifteen, I wish she’d settle down and have fun, like adolescents are supposed to do.” Little did he know that Juni actually spent a fair amount of time goofing off and hanging out with friends.  All Mihai knew was that she focused so heavily on schoolwork, and lamented getting anything less than an ‘O.’

“Children, do you have any?”   

"Unfortunately, no amount of money makes up for the boredom when I'm not… active." Mihai explained, and Johann nodded, feeling much the same.

"Children, do you have any?"

Johann almost choked on nothing at the question. His complete disinterest in romantic relationships or procreation in any sense as understood by his circle of friends meant that they didn't even poll his opinion on these kinds of questions. He suspected that he might be the butt of jokes once in a while though. Johann, look after a baby? He'd read a book and probably hold it the wrong way up!

"No!" He exclaimed, "Merlin, I don't get asked that very often. Not even crossed my mind, well, save from the bother at the start of the year with the Bombays." He waved a hand to dismiss it all. Madam Bombay had a lot to answer for with the notion Hannah had been pregnant, when the only time they'd shared a bed Johann had been face first into a pillow from sleeping potion.

"Good on you for having one," he ventured awkwardly to the obliviator, "but no, never seen myself as a father or anything like that. Is your daughter at Hogwarts then? She'd be a bit young for the tournament I suppose."

Mihai couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh at Storm’s rather… Dramatic reaction. Was it really such a ridiculous question to ask? Mid laugh, the waitress came to take their order. Red faced and jolly, Mihai ordered the soup of the day with a side of bread before facing Johann to resume the conversation.

“If you do not want kids, don’t have them. There’s no shame in that.” Mihai replied, fiddling a bit with his napkin before placing it in his lap. “But good on me for having one?” The obliviator shook his head, “Ah, Juni was an accident.” Mihai ahd never been married, had never settled down. He was not the sort to stay in one place for long, but being a father didn’t exactly allow him to go where his heart desired. Not anymore. And especially not now that Juni’s mom was gone. He was a full time father now.

“She’s a Ravenclaw, fourth year. Nearly fifteen years old and she acts it.” He let out a sigh, “Sometimes I have half a mind to send her to Beauxbatons—she’s not fluent in French, unfortunately.” A source of frustration for Mihai. “And Hogwarts is… It’s a good school, certainly. But the staff is inconsistent. How can we expect students to learn when there’s constantly a new professor?” The Zamperias traditionally attended Beauxbatons, though Mihai had a few distant relatives attend Durmstrang as well. None attended Hogwarts, except for Juni.

If she hadn’t been raised in Scotland, it would’ve been a different story.

An accident, he said, rather than fate, Johann noted, suggesting Mihai was less consigned to reading cards and fortune just like Johann. He was beginning to feel a little more at ease with Zamperia now that they were talking and food had been ordered. The more nervous ticks of his mannerism were subsiding and he was settling.

As Mihai described his daughter Juni, Johann's mind matched up children of colleagues to the same age, and matched a couple of Pepper children as her classmates amongst others. He couldn't recall any particular comments against Mihai's offspring, which presumed she was generally likeable and academically successful, or good at keeping her nose clean.

"Quite." Johann agreed to the inconsistency of the staff. "I've heard many a joke about revolving doors on the front of the castle." He chuckled. "My cousin Ignan says much the same, he'd be your daughter's Defence professor. And as for French, well, a long summer holiday immersed in the language abroad would probably bring it on leaps and bounds." He smiled, and stirred the cup of tea that had arrived for him.

"We are both products of schools other than Hogwarts, so we're rather more impartial. Next year she'll be sitting her OWL examinations, will she not? Are you hoping she'll stay on?"

“Ignan.” Zamperia repeated to himself, ah yes. He knew of Professor Storm. “My daughter likes him well enough, she says he’s strict but that’s hardly a complaint.” He shrugged, “She.. Has a sass mouth on her, she needs a professor who would shut that down.” He wished that Juni would work on her tact, but he did admire that she spoke her mind so freely. Sometimes, he wished that he could be as open with his thoughts and opinions as she was. It reminded him of his mother—it was strange to see how much blood affected personality—Juni rarely got to see his parents.

“She’ll be sitting her owls, yes. I expect she’ll do well in charms.” The Zamperias were an old family, particularly well known for their proficiency in charms. Specifically, charms that had anything to do with mind magic.

“But… I don’t know if I want her to continue her education at Hogwarts. She won’t want to leave, all her friends are there. The Trishna girl, a Desrosiers… She seems popular there. It’s surprising, as she’s not… Tactful.” Mihai chuckled, “And she aspires to be Minister of Magic one day."

When Mihai referenced that his daughter was not tactful, Johann decided it wasn't a good moment to reassure him that Johann was often said to have little or no tact but he still got on with the world and was successful. Sometimes being blunt or cutting to the chase was required.

"Minister? Admirable!" Johann remarked with surprise and delight, his eyes glinting with excitement. He'd never been so bold as to consider such a job, but he'd grown up with a few in his class who had. He was one for getting things done rather than debating and one upping against the opposition. Government was a slow beast.

"How fantastic to have such high aspirations as a teenager. If she's anything like you then I'm sure she'd be ripe for the job." He nodded to himself, feeling this was a complimentary thing to say to his lunch companion.

They were interrupted a moment at the arrival of Mihai's soup and a rather suspicious looking fried breakfast for Johann, who had figured he could eat now and forget again for a day or two. He asked for another cup of tea having washed the first one down - remarkably thirsty.

"Has she met Minister Zephyr at all? I could see her inspiring young women to follow in her footsteps." He leaned over ever so slightly to explain further, "Scares the crap out of me a bit if I'm honest."