"Musgrave?" Johann asked, giving Hannah a queer look, "Your uncle? No.. not that I've heard, but I've only heard what the word was in the street. We were - I was out with colleagues but we weren't there." He sipped his wine, setting it aside to grasp at his wand instead. "You seriously not heard? Boom, place gone up in flames."

He pointed the wand in the direction of the dining room table, where sat beneath it, temporarily without a proper home, a wireless set sat on one of the chairs. It came to life, glowing in the low light, the voice of the evening news reporter covering the details.

"… recap for those just listening in…"

Johann glanced to Hannah as if to say 'such fortunate timing' and lowered his wand to his lap.

"… there has been a series of large explosions at The Leaky Cauldron in London. The Ministry are on the scene with Mediwitches and Healers, but witnesses confirm a large number of casualties -"

Another voice, with noise behind it as if recorded right at the scene, was replayed, describing three blasts, and the height of the flames. The speaker was scared, they spoke too quickly, stammering. It didn't make for an easy listen but conveyed the fear that Pinn and Johann had felt when they had come above ground and observed from a distance.

"Why did you ask if Lawrence was involved?" He asked Hannah, lifting his wine glass again, blue eyes not leaving her face.

"You seriously not heard? Boom, place gone up in flames."
Flames and an explosion that had been caused by a wizard she’d just been forced to save.
If it was possible for Hannah’s skin to go any paler, it did. Her face lost any of the colour it had gained since her bath and she stared at the wireless Johann had just flicked on.

The wireless became the only thing in the room. Johann was forgotten as Hannah listened to the words, her mind imagining the horrors her own uncle had caused. She could see bodies on the floor, bleeding, burnt; uncle Lawrence escaping with his own tortured healer to save his life while all those lives perhaps perished.

Johann’s voice pulled Hannah from her own mind. She glanced at him, lost for words for a moment, surprised to see him there.
“He’s…” She was distracted, “He seems to be involved in a lot lately.” She brushed his question off and untangled herself from the blanket. The wine glass was clumsily placed on the floor and she stood.
“I need to go, Johann.” Her voice was distant. Hannah Bombay was no longer in the room.
“Thank you for…” she paused, looking for the words as she neatly folded the blanket and placed it over the arm of the sofa. “being there.” A hand gently squeezed his shoulder and before he could say another word, she was leaving, bare foot and shrouded by his shirt.

"He seems to be involved in a lot lately." Hannah had got to her feet, the blanket discarded. He swallowed a mouthful of wine and looked up at her in surprise. She was leaving, even the gentle squeeze to his shoulder wasn't enough to convince him she was fine and he scrambled, putting down his wine to follow her, the wireless still burbling on behind them.

"It's fine, I …" He followed her petite figure draped in his dressing gown into the hallway where she was about to reach his front door. "Are you sure you're alright? There's nothing else I can do?" His long legs closed the space between them as he spoke, hands open at his sides and brow furrowed in concern. "I haven't seen you in months and now this. You can stay, if you're not safe, don't feel you need to run away. I -"

He could see by her face that she would not reply. His shoulders sagged. "You can apparate from the foyer." He explained, "If you need anything, you know where I am."

Without giving her a chance to stop him, he pulled her into a hug for just a second. Behind, at the other end of the flat, the wireless was playing a clip of the pandemonium at the scene, the sound of crackling fire and shouts. It gave an unreassuring backdrop to the brief hug.

Stepping away from her, Johann reached to unlatch his front door, leaving it for Hannah to pull open if she still wanted to leave.
"Good luck." He uttered quietly, arms by his sides, worried for her.



End