"Typical, dry all week and then come Friday and today it rains." Camille put aside her teaspoon to gesture with both hands to the window where the rain speckled the glass and the Hogsmeade High Street beyond was slick with water.

"What is the British saying," she pressed her hands to her cheeks a moment as she recalled it, "cats and dogs?" She looked to Nona, "In my native tongue we say Het regent pijpenstelen[1], though that's not referring to falling animals but to reeds." She smiled warmly to the younger witch the other side of the table.

Nona had been there at the darkest of times in August, and Cam had ever been grateful of her listening ear and her guidance with her late husband's condition. But her time with Camille had gone past her duty to the Ministry, and as such had kept in touch. Camille was more than glad to make a friend, despite the age gap, Nona was every bit lovely and good for some chatter outside of Hogwarts colleagues and remaining family.

"I've learned more of these strange expressions in two months at Hogwarts than a lifetime." She admitted, "You must teach me a few of your favourites some time." He hand scooped up her coffee cup.

"Tell me about your week, my dear. How has London been, or have they had you out and about?"

1.	Basic Dutch for a rainy day

Nona smirked behind her teacup, brown eyes bright as she watched the elderwitch before her. Camille Storm was a wonder, a thought which was not foreign to Nona, but nevertheless always brought a happy note to her heart. When they had first met all those sad months ago the poor woman had seemed so lost, the rug had been completely pulled out from under her but in the face of that she had somehow thrived. The person sitting across from her now was almost unrecognizable as the same woman and it made Nona's heart happy. She had developed an unmistakable fondness for Cam which carried well over her typical duties.

Ironically, she had found Wolfgang to be utterly disgusting. It had been a lesson though, that she wouldn't be able to cherry pick her cases based on personal feeling about the Were involved. She hadn't encountered that before. It was, perhaps, why she had tried to do so much for Johann and Cam. Still, at the end of the day she found she enjoyed the pair on the own merits, outside her role in facilitating for the Ministry. Setting her cup down she turned her eyes to the window, "Scotland in the Fall, absolutely nothing like it"!

There were so many things she wanted to ask, but indulged the other woman's query and resting her chin against her hand, "My week was good, I've been a bit cooped up but this coming week I'll be out at safehouses for a few days which will be nice. I always prefer people to paperwork," swirling her teaspoon lazily in her cup she tilted her head to one side, "What about you? You're settled into the Castle now, yes? It's been almost two months, I can hardly believe it! Tell me everything," again she found herself marveling more than a little bit at all the changes Camille had gone through in such a short span of time. The human spirit was a wonder sometimes, the things it could overcome in the face of seemingly insurmountable troubles.

"… I always prefer people to paperwork." Camille gave a small smile at this, recalling how her own paperwork could tell the life story of a potential bank customer. Much as Camille had enjoyed conversing with customers, she preferred it when armed with a full arithmetric analysis.

"What about you? You're settled into the Castle now, yes? It's been almost two months, I can hardly believe it! Tell me everything." Nona asked excitedly.

"Well," Camille replied, laying her arms flat on the table before her, fingertips together, leaning over to speak in a low voice, "don't tell the others, but I still fall into the bloody stairs every second Wednesday." It was only because there weren't students around - when they were around, she paid close attention to the ones in front of her as to which step they missed.

She straightened up and settled back.
"Second month of teaching, yes. But I only moved in a fortnight ago. What with…" She paused, an uncomfortable look crossing her features before she pushed them away, her tone returning to the warm tone it had begun in.

"I couldn't stay in Knockturn on my own anyway. Minerva most graciously insisted I take rooms in the castle. They're very nice, considering it's a draughty old place. I've got lost to breakfast more than once, that and the stairs will be the end of me, I tell you." She shook her head, brown curls bouncing, and a hand went to her coffee.

"Strange living with so many children though. They make such noises, and the young ones insist on running everywhere. Was it the same when you were there?" She asked, looking to Nona with a curious frown.

"Still, I wouldn't swap it. It felt like home from home when I got up Thursday morning after laying Wolf to rest. Most heartening to be amongst others, even if they are children." She put a hand over her heart and raised her coffee, eyes ever so slightly betraying her happy front with a glint.

"How are things other than work though my dear? You're glowing. Any auspicious dates on the horizon? Oh! I should have calculated."

Nona's lips formed a sympathetic aww, though there was no mistaking the light of amusement in her eyes. She tried to imagine Camille navigating the tricky steps of Hogwart's ever changing staircases. It was good to see the other woman maintain a sense of humor about such a drastic change in life, considering all the other drastic changes she'd faced since August.

"It probably was, but I'd have been one of the little blighters yelling so," she genuinely giggled then, her nose wrinkling. "I suppose I didn't have much quite to compare it to. Big family, bigger clan, and Spectres are notoriously loud, always," she didn't even bother with the cool collected front anymore with Cam. They were friends proper, and she didn't think the other witch would judge her candor. Besides, eventually she'd meet the rest of them if things kept going the way they were with Johann and Balfour.

For a moment things turned a little heavy, she felt sure Cam was putting on a brave face and it made her a little sad. She understood, reaching out and placing her hand over the elderwitch's. Nona may not have cared for Wolfgang Storm, but Camille had spent the better part of her life loving the man. She saw him a way no one else probably ever had, and it had been taken from her twice... and likely the more time passed the more she would learn about the man she had loved that might continue to take pieces of him from her.

It was a grief and pain Nona couldn't fathom, not really, because she'd never been that in love. Still, she let Camille redirect teh conversation, though she hoped it was clear if or when the time came that she would be there to listen to it all, without question. Sipping her tea she considered how best to answer the question placed before her. Nona was mostly just a happy person in general, but there were a few things perking up her step to be sure.

"I'm moving! Margo and I found the sweetest little place in the city. I'm starting to feel like a proper adult finally," she grinned from behind her teacup, "It's perfect, though she did already nix the idea of a Crup. Such a pragmatic spoiled sport," her tone was obviously affectionate as leaned back against her chair, "Other than that life really is work work work, and planning for the Spectre Samhain festivities". The rest of her exploits were best not mentioned in public, "I was thinking though, if the Castle can spare you, you really should come. I'd love to introduce you to everyone, and it's the highlight of social season, I mean at least until the next Spectre family gathering"!

"… Spectres are notoriously loud…" Nona explained and Camille raised her eyebrows as she sipped her coffee. At some point her son would feel it polite to introduce Balfour, and she might be able to compare if Nona's description fitted both members of the family.

"Moving!" She echoed Nona's exclamation, delighted for her, and listened attentively to the explanation.
"It's perfect, though she did already nix the idea of a Crup. Such a pragmatic spoiled sport," Camille pouted in response to that news, a little dog might be the sort of thing she needed as a companion, to kindle that maternal instinct Nona applied to her young cousins she'd described on previous occasions. Wolf had never abided animals in the house, but Camille had always considered something small, a little playmate for Johann when he was young, but her husband had never agreed.
"Shame," she interjected in sympathy.

"Other than that life really is work work work, and planning for the Spectre Samhain festivities. I was thinking though, if the Castle can spare you, you really should come. I'd love to introduce you to everyone, and it's the highlight of social season, I mean at least until the next Spectre family gathering!"

Camille lowered her coffee in surprise of the offer.
"Goodness! How very kind of you darling. I have no idea yet of what I am expected to do at the turn of the month, but I would be most honoured to come across to - Edinburgh was it?" Nona had mentioned before but Camille had begun to get lost with all the different Spectres.

She reached out to Nona across the table top and clasped her hand between fingers and thumb.
"You really are a sweetheart, you've no idea how much I've been looking forward to today." Camille gave a smile though her eyes betrayed her true feelings. "Now," she spoke, focusing once more, "What does a Spectre Samhain consist of? Like cats and dogs," she gestured to the window, "I wish to know all, and," she lowered her voice and gave Nona's hand a little squeeze before releasing her with a gentle tilt of her head, "who one might encounter…"

Nona nodded in agreement, it was a shame. She understood Margo's reason of course, they were both very busy witches and puppies took a lot of work. Still, it would have been nice to have someone besides Lizard (the skinny cat) to come home to in the evenings...not that Nona often made it in at a respectable hour of evening.

She was pleased by Cam's reaction to the invitation and nodded eagerly, "Yes! Oh you'll love it Camille. Big stone estate, and green only the way it can be in Scotland. Gingers running every which way, magical beasts, and endless conversation with the funniest people I've ever know in my life," she paused, lips upturned with obvious affection, "Of course I'm horribly biased. I've always been a bit smitten with the Clan".

The fondness she felt for the elderwitch wasn't like any other she'd ever had. She felt both nurturing and nurtured. Her relationship with her own mother wasn't bad exactly, it was just complicated. It had been contentious for a good many years, and while Camille seemed to find her darling and kind, Abigail Spectre spent much of her time still trying to convince Nona she needed to keep striving to better herself and her situation. Deep down Nona knew it was because her mother wanted her to have all the things she felt she had been denied but it was discouraging in many ways.

Rather than focusing on that, of course, her face lit up at the chance to talk about the celebration, "Costumes of course, that's always been my favorite part after the dancing. When I was a wean I'd fight sleep all night to get as many dances as I could. Of course there's bonfires, and the night always opens with the Hippogriff walk - did I ever tell we raise them"? She gestured excitedly, unsure what (if anything) Camille knew about Johann and Balfour. After the blow up at the end of September between her cousins Nona was trying to be mindful and careful where she treaded when it came to the two wizards.

"You'll meet my siblings of course, well Eoin - he's the oldest, and the twins Finnella and Lachlan. You may have already met Katie, she's a third year this year, of course she won't be there, but she'd kill me if I failed to lump her in with the rest of us," the deep affection she felt for her siblings was obvious as she paused to sip her tea. Despite the fairly large gap in their ages (which could account for some of the alienation Nona felt at times), they'd always been a close lot of siblings.

"My parents of course, I think you'll like my paps and mam. He's forever charming, and she's darling, if you're not the daughter denying her grandchildren," she snorted a little at the thought. "Everyone will be there of course," she didn't say Balfour's name, but she imagined it was implied. "Knox too, you'll really like her. She's brilliant, writes regularly for the Scottish Journal of Magizoology. She's very opinionated but they're interesting opinions at least," she decided to stop there, they'd be stuck for days if she really listed everyone who would be there.

Nona was most forthcoming with her explanations, and Camille gave her undivided attention for this very reason.

"… the night always opens with the hippogriff walk - did I ever tell you we raise them?" Nona asked, Camille paused, trying to recall and shook her head gently, though waved her on.

Her head continued to nod gently as Nona continued on with the descriptions enthusiastically.

"Goodness!" Camille spoke at last, "It sounds quite the evening between hippogriffs and dancing. I should very much look forward to it if I can leave Hogwarts for the evening." She raised her mug for a sip and contemplated quietly.

"You have plenty of time to contemplate their grandchildren later. Goodness me, it is not something one needs to rush into, motherhood." She set down her mug, "You are twenty … f.." At Nona's confirmation Camille sat back.

"Well, the very same age I was when I had Johann. I tell you, if I had my time again, I would have hung on a little longer. We witches have more time." She gave Nona an encouraging smile.



End