Friday. It was a little past four, and  Camille wondered whether any lessons should ever be scheduled for a Friday afternoon. Minds wandered on the best of afternoons when teaching teenagers. The fifth years had been a little difficult to keep focused on the analysis of the number twenty-two.

The ladder to the top of the North Tower seemed a little bit of an effort to reach a classroom at first, but it was not the first time she'd ascended it to visit Stella. She only hoped Professor Elphick was still there - she taught her last lesson an hour before Camille did.

"Are they always so raucous on a Quidditch match Friday?" She asked, emerging out of the trap door and straightening out her shirt and skirt. "Possibly the longest hour I've taught all week, that fifth year lesson." Camille looked about herself at Stella's altogether more intriguing classroom than her own on the floor below.

"Still, another week survived, Stella, and I've managed to find my way to breakfast without getting lost." Since moving into the castle at the start of the week, Camille had managed to get lost more than one from her assigned rooms to the Great hall. It wasn't her fault, the staircases vanished on particular days of the week.

"Cause for a minor celebration." She suggested with a shrug and a smile grew gently on her features, although it felt ever so slightly alien it made her feel better.

"How was your week, Professor?"

Stella's dark head was bent over her Tarot deck, lips pursed to one side as she heard the faint creak of the ladder. She knew instinctively who it was, not because of any great skill of Sight but because, really, who else would it be. When Camille poked her head up the other witch's lips ticked up in a pleased smile.

She found she enjoyed Camille's company quite a lot, their personalities were well suited to friendship. Also, there was a strong quiet dignity with which the other woman carried herself that Elphick greatly respected. Also, it was nice to have someone else about who understood the art of Divining (especially considering both their bosses feelings on the subject.

"If Dizzy is any indication, they're that raucous in their sleep," she came out from behind the desk, hands extended to the other witch, squeezing her fingers in greeting before ushering her to one of two wing backed chairs near the fire place. "Still another week survived is clearly cause to celebrate," any excuse for wine before dinner time, really!

"Now if yyou want to be sensible I can break out the biscuits and tea, or" she almost giggled (but not quite) as she motioned to the wine rack strategically placed behind her desk and generally cloaked from view, "Of course if we don't go with tea there might be the hilariously implication about how we get down from the tower".

Camille took Stella's hands gently and smiled warmly at her friend and colleague.
"Heavens," she replied to the description of Dizzy's sleep. "How glad I am not to share a dormitory."

The wine rack was a masterpiece, Camille did agree. Stella was very clever at this - Camille would have felt much temptation to pour a glass when her sixth years forgot how to add up mid lesson as they had that week.

"... get down from the tower..."
"Ah well, I always keep a little on hand," she reached into her suit jacket to the pocket which, with the blessing of magic, allowed her to store a purse. Out came a little purple bottle of 'insta-sober'.
"Most vile thing you've ever sipped, but gives you enough sense for ten minutes to get yourself out of a fix. I'm convinced the taste is to discourage and teach you a lesson." She slid it back and tucked it away with a smile.

"One won't hurt." She told Stella.

But it wasn't always one.

"Did I interrupt your reading?" She asked, sounding apologetic as her eyes caught sight of the cards. She didn't want to study them too closely, should she intrude on a reading.

Camille had turned to numbers and calculations of late for events in her own life, but there was something comforting about an ability to consult tarot on decisions as well as numbers.

Stella laughed, flicking her wand and levitating over a deep green bottle of vintage Chabis, "I cannot imagine having a whole hoard of them to look after. Isa and Emilia wear me out more in one evening than Isa probably ever did as a toddler and she was one of those babies who walked early and got into everything," she was complaining sure but there was no mistaking the deep affection in her tone.


She was in the middle of pulling the cork from the bottle when Camille produced her cureall, which lead to an outright cackle from Stella, "A woman after my own heart, come prepared or not at all". These little chats were becoming the highlight of the week. She knew Maiko wanted to have everyone around for wine and food, but she rather liked the quiet conversation over a glass or two in her recently acquired sanctuary. The new blood had to stick together after all!

Glancing back at the cards, she shook her head, "No, I was just finishing up. Every so often I like to deal for my ex, just to be sure he's adequately suffering," she was joking of course, lips smirking as she produced two glasses from a secret compartment in the fireplace.

 "Actually. I've been a bit worried, shall we say? About Juni Zamperia. My interest is probably entirely misplaced, but she's entering that stage were a girl needs a mother, at least when her father is Mister Zamperia," there was absolutely no mistaking the smirk in her voice (she knew Mihai a little too well for her own good).

"Every so often I like to deal for my ex, just to be sure he's adequately suffering."
"Oo! You scoundrel." Camille replied, enjoying the word on her tongue. It was a new one she'd learned this week. She paused after saying it and looked to the ceiling, waving a hand, "I feel that perhaps was the wrong word my dear, forgive my shortcomings with the language."

They settled and glasses appeared.
"Actually. I've been a bit worried, shall we say? About Juni Zamperia." Stella explained. Camille frowned, not recognising the name to be one of her students, but concerned all the same if Stella was.

"My interest is probably entirely misplaced, but she's entering that stage were a girl needs a mother, at least when her father is Mister Zamperia." Camille recognised that sort of look and tilted her head in question.

"You know De heer Zamperia well do you?" Camille asked, deciding to be direct on the query, though produced a little pocketbook and self-inking quill from the same pocket the 'insta-sober' had appeared from seconds before.

Juni Zamperia
1359 81475991
62
8

"Eight, hard worker, great success or great failure." She remarked, folding away the pocketbook thoughtfully. "Her mother's absent, you say?"

Stella watched with amusement as Camille rolled the new word around on her tongue. It was an enjoyable pastime, watching the witch filter between the two languages, "Mmm, no Scoundrel sounds just about right! Much nicer than a bitter ol' bint at any rate". If there was one thing Stella was good for, it was a laugh at her own expense. It was easy when you came right down to it sometimes.

"Ah, I might have partaken of De heer's charms on occasion, yes. But actually, it's more observational than all that. Dizzy and Juni are so close in age that Lovise and I became friends. I was so much more comfortable in the muggle world at that point, fewer strange looks and all that, by proxy I became very close to Juni. She owled me in hysterics over the summer because Mihai had completely mortified her while trying to shop for, shall we say, growing-girl underthings? It was such a mess," there were trace amounts of amusement in her voice but also a sadness.

Thoughtfully she listened to other Professor's final calculation, smile soft and warm, motherly even, "That's our girl," and she really did think of Juni has hers, at least partly. She'd spent the last five years watching her grow and change into the person she was now, and while the girl's anger worried her, it made Stella profoundly sad as well.

Handing over the wine glass she nodded at Camille's question, though not totally sure how much she should divulge, "She died, last November," chewing her bottom lip she wondered if the other woman would make the connection between that time frame and the first of the fight deaths. Not everyone did, in many cases, Stella had noticed that few cared about the handful of muggle names, as though they weren't attached to people with families. It made her heart very sad, but she knew Cam had her own feelings about losing a loved one to Werefights and didn't want to bring up any additional pain for her newly found friend.

"… in hysterics over the summer because Mihai had completely mortified her while trying to shop for, shall we say, growing-girl underthings? It was such a mess."
"Gracious." Camille responded, thinking of her brother and his girls when they were Juni's age. He had stayed well out of it, but it sounded like Mihai had no choice.

"… died, last November."

Camille took a sip of her wine and swallowed. The comment just before it took the edge off acknowledging the taste, admittedly.

"Poor child." She uttered quietly and cleared her throat. "And he lost the mother of his child, how terrible. Approaching a year. I feel for them both. Despite the hysterics, which I doubt any parent would avoid with teenagers, they are on good terms? It sounds as if she has a mother-figure in you, at the very least, to owl such things." The Arithmancy Professor set aside her glass a moment, scribbling further in her pocketbook.

ui aeia
39 1591
28
10
1

"Oh, a high striving perfectionist too. All the hallmarks of a great success, though if not, she will tear herself apart." Feeling it rude to read too much further into the girl with numbers, Camille quickly tucked away both and cradled the glass of wine instead.

"Something in particular happened of late to feel worried for her at this point in term?" She asked, returning to Stella's immediate worries.