Early Afternoon, Spectre Manor


Balfour Spectre stepped out on to the front terrace in his fleece leather jacket and squinted through heavy falling snow at the little witch who had just apparated into the vicinity. The sky was already dark, as was typical in winter, and the forest around the estate cloaked in hushed white. All the world seemed at peace.

He reached Alex Carstairs in long, quick strides and cheerfully swooped her up in his arms with a huge grin.

"Little bean!" the wizard exclaimed as he swung her around, footing going wayward in the ankle deep snow, though he did nothing to stop them from stumbling backwards. "Oh Merlin just look at yoooooouuuu--!" he collapsed into laughter as the pair fell altogether.

Several heads popped up in the drawing room window overlooking the terrace, red headed children and a smirking Knox peering out while Balfour tugged the knitted hat off his god daughter's head to tousle her dark hair. She was as adorable and lovely as ever, seemed moreso every time they met.

He sat up and shook out his auburn curls. "Shall we go in? There's tea, spiced hot chocolate, a fellow for you to meet..." Balfour leaned in to knock temples, and sweetly kissed her upturned nose. "You're going to love him. I do. And he's going to love you, of course."

Because who wouldn't? Not waiting for an answer, Balfour got to his feet before offering the Ravenclaw a gloved hand in gentlemanly manner. "Come on then, ears are getting cold I bet."

Scarcely allowed a moment to re-orient herself after apparating before Balfour was lifting her up, Alex made a noise which was less than dignified. "Balfour, please put me - Merlin!"

Drunker than she had expected, then, but she knew from experience that the mirth of Spectre family events was fuelled in part - in large part - by alcohol. She didn't begrudge him for it, exactly, but she didn't like being sober around drunk people almost as much as she disliked the idea of being drunk around people she barely knew.

"Balfour," Alex said irritably, but her hat was gone and her hair already a snowy mess. He didn't seem repentant in the least, but she didn't expect him to be. He never was.
 
"Of course," Alex repeated, the words dubious rather than encouraging. Alex did not like people, as a general rule, and preferred to make her own judgements regarding the character of others. She wasn't expecting Johann to be totally awful, but she doubted that he would be as marvellous as Balfour thought he was. Which was the important thing: as long as he made Balfour happy, she would suffer him.

"Just a little," she agreed, accepting the hand but not relying on it too heavily to stand lest Balfour fall again. "Are you well? You seem in fine spirits," she said, a touch disparagingly.

She leant down to pick up her hat before making her way towards the warm house, following Balfour to locate his… boyfriend? It seemed odd to apply the word to Balfour, who was old enough that she viewed his relationship status as static. He was easy enough to pick out from amongst the Spectre clan, dark haired and unfamiliar. Alex stared at him, wondering whether his skin looked like that because of a curse or if it was an unfortunate inheritance. “Hello. You must be Johann,” she said, smiling politely.

To say that Balfour was excited to see his goddaughter was an understatement. Johann had been much amused by the increasing mentions of her impending arrival. He marvelled at the way Balfour spoke of her with such love and admiration, almost as if Alex were his own daughter, or a little sister. At least, Johann supposed, from how he had observed others speak of daughters and sisters without his own experience.

The enthusiasm induced a minor apprehension in Johann. Balfour was an important figure in Alex's life and it was very clear the two of them were close. He didn't want to intrude on that relationship, or steal time away from it. What if Alex hated him? This was more worrying than when he had been introduced to Balfour's close family.

In the drawing room, Johann sat cross-legged, leftover wrapping and coloured paper scattered on a low coffee table. A small Spectre was sat in his lap to they were able to reach, another by his side, following his folding. His eyes followed Balfour's bounding out of the door.
"… valley fold here…"
There was a scramble to the window, and Johann paused, reaching round the child in his lap. Alex must have arrived. Little fingernails scratched at his fingers through his pause, trying to copy but lacking the fine motor skills.

"… and there we go. One swan." With a turn of his wand the pink paper swan sailed a circle on the coffee table. Johann scooped up the form sat on him and got to his feet to greet Alex and Balfour.

At a glance, the young witch looked more attired for a funeral than an afternoon with extended family after Christmas. Johann did his best to keep his eyes away and smile, offering his hand to shake. He might have considered leaning in to peck her on the cheek, only the British often seemed a bit surprised by it, and he figured it might appear forward.

"And you must be Alex." Johann smiled brightly, "A pleasure to meet you at last. Balfour speaks of you often." He glanced to the wizard in question, hoping that the statement hadn't come across as suggesting anything less than positive. Alex's features were sharp, and on first impression he couldn't quite decide if she was critical of him, or whether she had an unfortunate resting expression that gave that impression.

"You are highly regarded by a certain Professor. Hogwarts Duelling Captain - or near enough - I'm told?"  He paused, realising that origami with children was possibly the tamest thing a wizard could ever entertain doing in the presence of a witch who could take down a dark wizard with the turn of her wand. She was bound to be competitive, perhaps he could appeal to it. Smile broadening he added: "Tell me you've given your godfather a run for his money?"

"Very fine spirits," he replied as the pair of them headed in from the cold - and towards Johann.

Balfour was two or... possibly five glasses of whiskey drunk. It was difficult to keep count around this time of the year and he was still so extremely pleased about being able to say he loved his lover (and to be loved by him!).

So the nuances of Alex's doubt and politeness went right over his inebriated head once they made it into the drawing room with the rest of the family. Wee Spectres ran about, the odd aunt or uncle were settled comfortably in couches and armchairs, Knox had put on the gramophone to play an old Christmas record.

"Oh she certainly has." Balfour interjected as he busily took off his jacket and scarf, glancing at the recently acquainted pair with an easy smile. "She's much more clever than I was at her age. And much more adorable, aren't you?" he refrained from ruffling her hair again, settled for pinching her sweet nose.

Lovely little bean. What were they doing, just standing around here? Balfour tossed his jacket aside and headed for a busy round table next to the fireplace, looking back at both wizard and witch as one of his younger cousins tried their best not to trip him up.

"Drink! Alex, what do you want? My love?" he had it in mind to leave them chatting while he procured beverages, hoping in his oblivious way that they'd get along fabulously.

“I hope he hasn’t told you anything too awful,” Alex said, smiling only because Balfour probably wouldn’t tell someone the awful things. Though he might not class embarrassing baby stories as such, while she would. Something to ask Balfour when he was sober. “Balfour has nothing but praise for you,” she said, regretting that her godfather was so unfailingly nice.

A certain professor. Professor Storm didn’t seem likely to gush about students – to gush at all – to Johann, which meant either he was referring to a different professor, or he was telling a polite lie. Whichever it was, asking about it seemed unlikely to have a satisfactory result. Since it was the holiday, Alex opted to remain ignorant if it meant that she didn't have to discuss Hogwarts. It had its merits, but she was trying to keep her distance from it while she could.

Alex’s expression was, she hoped, distinctly un-adorable. She had a feeling (an unpleasant one, which sat heavy in her gut) that it didn’t achieve the same effect as when, for example, Theo pulled it. While fighting with wands meant that it was speed of thought and action that really mattered, it was still hard to look intimidating without the bulk she so totally lacked. It wasn’t unusual behaviour for Balfour, albeit exacerbated by drunkenness, but it would have been nice to be treated in a slightly more adult fashion when first meeting Johann.

“Tea, please,” she requested. It was her drink of choice, and it would take a few minutes to brew. Which she could spend talking to Johann. “do you duel at all? Or do you prefer other past times?” Alex’s eyes flicked delibarately to the birds – which were elegant, if a little angular – before returning to Johann’s face.

"Oh she certainly has. She's much more clever than I was at her age. And much more adorable, aren't you?” Balfour gushed and pinched his goddaughter’s nose to Johann’s mild surprise. Alex felt too old, too mature for that unless he was doing it to wind her up. Johann’s youngest maternal cousins were the same age as Alex within a few months, and although they were the sorts to fling arms around him in greeting, he treated them as adults. Still, he didn’t comment, she was Balfour’s goddaughter and he had known her since her birth. Johann would unlikely be anyone’s godfather. He opted for an uneasy, verging on apologetic smile to Alex for the action.

"Drink! Alex, what do you want? My love?”

“Tea, please,” Alex replied to Balfour’s query, and Johann’s eyes darted over to his other half, indicating he would the same, mostly out of ease. The time in Edinburgh had been a continual procession of eating and drinking in all manner of guises, and he was sure he would return to London double the weight he left at the rate he was encouraged to eat.

“Do you duel at all? Or do you prefer other past times?” Alex asked, her gaze alighting on the coffee table with the younger cousins folding swans. The pink one he had set swimming on the polished wood top was slowing to a stop as the charm wore off, and the littlest one was straining out an arm to snatch it up.
“No, it has never been one of my strengths nor interests,” Johann admitted politely, slipping his hands into his trouser pockets in a more relaxed pose now Balfour had drifted and he might concentrate on acquainting himself with this young, but most important figure in his lover’s life. “Which is why I have great respect for those who can.” He glanced back to the table and smiled gently, “origami is something to entertain the children, and very calming to concentrate on with a busy mind. The bairns like the animals best, of course.”

Johann looked back to Alex, quietly considering that many of his ‘past-times’ were not suitable discussion topics for the recently acquainted. No, best to be interested in her, yet not intrusively - for all his ease of meeting the other Spectres, with Alex he found himself trying not to overdo it all, somewhat anxious not to muck it up.
“Sorry about him, one too many…” He uttered quietly, intending to distract Balfour gently next he tried to manhandle in the hope it might ease the tension he perceived. “I am avoiding asking you what you hope to do after Hogwarts, as I anticipate you’ve been asked ad nauseam,” he gave a gentle shrug, “You travelled to Southeast Asia last summer, I understand? Is that the furthest you’ve been? How did you find it?”

Alex looked at the folded paper more closely. “It looks as though it requires precision.” She preferred metal, which was more durable and afforded greater complexity of movement, but she could recognise that this involved skill as well.

“Sorry about him, one too many…”

The apology, with the sense of care it implied, wrong-footed her. True, Balfour was more tactile than she might like, but it was... affectionate. As irritating as it might be, it was expected, and it would be worrying if he wasn't excessively emotional. Unsure if it was the sort of apology meant to be accepted, she didn’t, “they always drink a lot at family gatherings. You’ve been before, have you not?” Balfour had mentioned that Johann was there for Halloween, and she would be surprised if he hadn't been drinking then.

“I am avoiding asking you what you hope to do after Hogwarts, as I anticipate you’ve been asked ad nauseam,” he gave a gentle shrug, “You travelled to Southeast Asia last summer, I understand? Is that the furthest you’ve been? How did you find it?”

Alex’s brow furrowed at the comment. What was the point of point of mentioning that you weren’t mentioning something? And Johann seemed very well informed about her, while she knew a little about him and substantially more about his relations, and since being judged based upon one’s relations was trying, it wasn’t an appropriate topic. It was unsettling being at such a disadvantage.

“I believe so,” Alex replied. Since she had never travelled to Oceania, it seemed a reasonable assumption to make, although there were a few other countries which might be more distant. “It was an interesting trip. We had a very full itinerary.” She paused, wondering what to mention. Really, the highpoint had been the arrests, but that wasn’t something she would tell someone who was barely an acquaintance. “The floating market was fun. My cousin bought a water buffalo.” She smiled in reminiscence; Virgil’s expression when he realised that the buffalo was for him, and not some other hapless tourist, had been hilarious.

It had been intended as an educational trip, and she had learnt a lot, but Virgil’s misadventure had been far more entertaining.

“Have you ever been? Or, perhaps, somewhere further afield?” Alex enquired, perfectly politely.

“The floating market was fun. My cousin bought a water buffalo.”
“Really?!” Johann replied, perhaps with a little louder tone than he’d intended, more for the unexpected response.”Intentionally?" He was rather amused at the mental image of someone unexpectedly presented with a water buffalo at a market. It distracted him momentarily from trying too hard to get on with Alex.

“Have you ever been? Or, perhaps, somewhere further afield?”
“I have,” Johann nodded, smiling gently, “In my late teens, early twenties, Japan - saw the cherry blossom, magnificent, you should definitely go, spent some time in China, immersing, then a few months through Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, barely enough time to see much more than a few highlights.” Not overly helped by the start of his reliance on sleeping potion to balance out the anxiety of travel and self-doubt shrouding his memories in a bit of a haze.

"I can appreciate why your itinerary must have been so busy, so very much to see. Work has taken me to strange corners - South America recently. I’m hoping that I’ll have stepped foot in every country before I turn up my toes.” He exhaled, realising his initial anxiety of talking to Alex had eased ever so slightly with discussion of travel - a potential safe topic with some mutual interest.

“Spent Christmas island-hopping in the Caribbean once, very different to all this snow. Brilliant weather in the high twenties. You can apparate between islands when they’re close enough, but it’s tricky to get right. Some of them, like the Caymans are on the floo, though.” He gave a little shrug, and realised his passing interest in the transport networks of islands was probably not a shared interest, " Caribbean Magic is such a mix, makes our European approach look very restricted. “

Feeling he had babbled on too long, Johann cleared his throat gently, and posed a question. “Where would you like to visit? Do you think you’ll travel much after you leave Hogwarts?”

Gentleman wizards did not, as a rule, eavesdrop.

But if Balfour had incidentally overhead the odd line or two from his god-daughter's conversation with Johann as he drunkenly waited for the tea to steep, that was perfectly within the unwritten code of conduct. His hands moved on their own accord - he liked to claim he could prepare a cuppa with eyes closed - and the Scotsman retreated from the corner drinks table with a cup in each hand. His gaze flicked between the pair.

Johann had been looking less than at ease earlier though he seemed... better, for the time being. Balfour knew that Alex was naturally acerbic but he'd never considered it an obstruction to friendly feeling.

Largely because his own were often overwhelmingly affectionate.

"Milady?" he interrupted them with a little bow to offer cup and saucer to Alex, steady hands giving away his sobriety as being more sensible than earlier implied. Black as a loch.

Balfour straightened and passed Johann the other matching cup, meeting him in the eye warmly. "And you, my love..." Lots of milk, no sugar. A quick peck on the cheek.

"Did I hear mention of water buffalo?[1] You can tell Virgil it's getting along fabulously in Cornwall." The long couch before the great fireplace was vacant now and he gestured they move over there, keen for Alex to rest. "Let's sit," and then aside to Johann: " apparently he had a lingual misunderstanding - hasn't your tongue love."

The wizard sank into the far end of the sofa with an oof! stretching his legs out. Someone had set the grate up on the hearth to keep the fire from giving off a glare but it was still pleasantly warm. Behind them by the cards table, one of Balfour's uncles was dancing with his wee daughter to a festive tune.

"But now that Johann has brought it up, Alex..." Balfour eyed the young witch in a manner that said she could reply with just about anything and it would still be perfect. "Any plans to travel after school? Can't keep you all to ourselves."

1.	Wayfarer Across the World - July 2010

Alex’s eyebrows lifted; even in a room where several conversations were taking place, Johann’s exclamation had caused a few heads to turn, albeit briefly. Perhaps Johann was less sober than she had first thought.  “No. He meant to buy a charm, I believe,” she explained.

Johann was evidently well travelled, as a linguist should be. Balfour had mentioned that he was German, so she had assumed that he primarily spoke Germanic language, but there was no reason that he might not speak other languages too.

“I’m hoping that I’ll have stepped foot in every country before I turn up my toes.”

“How original,” she commented.

Johann’s discussion of the Caribbean was far more interesting than his vague future goals. She knew that wands, while favoured for their precision, speed, and broad capabilities, were not the only methods of using magic, and she would be interested to discover what else was used – if that was what made Caribbean magic mixed; it could be something else entirely. She was about to enquire further, but before she had the opportunity to ask a question, Balfour had returned.

Thank Merlin. She didn’t know how she would get through the evening without tea. “Thank you,” she said, reaching out to take it. She smiled as she sipped it, glad that Balfour had remembered that she didn’t like milk. Milk in tea was for infants and the weak minded.

“Virgil will be glad to hear it.” Though Virgil had claimed it was an imposition whenever he mentioned it, that her laziest cousin had mentioned it was more important.

While Balfour settled himself comfortably, Alex sat in a chair next to him. It was within reach of a table, so she would be able to set aside her cup when she finished her tea.

Inevitable it might be, but it didn’t endear Alex to the topic of her future any more. “Theo and I have plans, but the house is a little behind schedule and we both have other projects.” A word which covered a number of sins. Although the current delay was unavoidable, Alex worried that it would continue to be delayed ad infinitum. “We hope to visit Prague and Vienna.”

“Do you have plans to travel? Or are you preoccupied?”

Johann felt relieved to have Balfour return. Not just because they were close, but because he felt he was unlikely to win Alex over alone. It appeared the young witch had already made up her mind about him, which meant an uphill battle to convince her otherwise - if she could be convinced.

A glance between teacups suggested that Balfour had added enough milk for two cups into Johann’s teacup, rather than adding any into Alex’s. He decided not to say anything, glad of something to occupy his hands for a moment and an interruption. Before he and Balfour had got together, Johann would rarely drink tea, and had discovered the same for Balfour in terms of coffee. Since he was meant to be not drinking anything of either, Johann was begrudgingly not drinking coffee as far as possible, and resorting to tea in desperation.

”Did I hear mention of water buffalo?” Balfour slipped into the conversation. Clearly he had been listening, Johann’s heart momentarily sank, thinking that Balfour had heard everything of his awful exchange with Alex. |”Apparently he had a lingual misunderstanding - hasn’t your tongue love.”
“Oh, I see.” Johann replied quietly, following the other two, taking a seat beside Balfour while Alex elected for the adjacent armchair.

”But now that Johann has brought it up, Alex…”

.. no please don’t… oh dear

”… any plans to travel after school? Can’t keep you all to ourselves.”

… no really we can’t, she ruddy hates me Balfour.

Johann’s top lip was saved from a scalding from the tea by the additional milk in the teacup, for he took a generous sip to hide the frown he wore. Pretending to observe the two nearby relatives dancing while they spoke.

"Theo and I have plans, but the house is a little behind schedule and we both have other projects. We hope to visit Prague and Vienna.” Alex explained effortlessly, though Johann had little idea as to what she was discussing, having not seen ‘Theo’ nor ‘the house’. He had a fear that if he queried either he would get another withering look.

“Do you have plans to travel? Or are you preoccupied?” Johann glanced sidelong at Alex for the ‘preoccupied’ description. His instinct was to answer for them, but he bit his tongue. Balfour was now part of the conversation and who Alex had really come to see, along with the rest of the Spectres. Best to let him take the lead - observe and learn. He didn’t want to hate Alex, or for her to hate him, but it was hard to undo a first impression.

He had, in spite of growing confidence in his own sobriety, forgotten to prepare a drink for himself. Possibly a good thing as he would only have poured himself another dram of whiskey instead of something sensible.

Balfour smoothed a hand down his partner's thigh without putting much thought into it, and generally lacking something to do with his hands. It was good to hear that Alex was keeping herself busy - he smiled and nodded approvingly at these plans. "The coffee shops in Vienna, gods. All those pastries."

It was too easy to fall into a restless daze after graduation, sitting around at home and waiting to begin at work. Better to travel or else find some other thing else to apply oneself towards.

The song on the old gramophone skidded into a slower, gentler tune. Something drowsy you could fall asleep to as the snow came down in the holiday season. Relatives dwindled. If they stayed, it was only to sit about muttering to each other. His hand found Johann's spare one and fingers intertwined.

“Do you have plans to travel? Or are you preoccupied?”

Travelling? In the safety and comfort of Edinburgh it seemed a distant idea for them. Johann was curiously quiet; something subdued in his mannerisms. Balfour couldn't blame him, it did seem like Alex was trying her hardest not to be won over - fickle as a cat. To the best of his recollection, he had never found himself in a position to apologise for his goddaughter's behaviour.

That was, apparently, going to change.

"Not at present, no -" Balfour replied after a thoughtful pause, squeezing the other wizard's hand and glancing at Alex. "- we're happy to relax. Preoccupied with one another, you might say." A soppy smile: full of familiar warmth. "We've every intention of staying here until after first footing. Johann is to be our tall, dark - and handsome, mind - stranger[1]. He helped burn the tree at Samhain as well[2]."

That had been an excellent adventure, one that prepared Johann to spend Christmas here - and Balfour was keen for him to be comfortable in the manor. He smiled gently at Alex, hoping the little Ravenclaw would grow on his lover in time. And vice versa of course.

"How are you bringing in the new year?" he thought it a safe subject for the time being. "Come along to the Hogmanay if you'd like. You can both," Balfour indicated the pair of them humourously, "split a whole haggis at the table."

The Scotsman turned to Johann with a dramatic sigh, brimming with exaggerated nostalgia. "I used to swing wee Alex about at the Ceilidh but I fear she's become too grown up and embarrassed of her foggy old godfather nowadays..."

1.	Scottish tradition in which a tall and dark stranger is the first to enter a household after the stroke of midnight on New Year's. He usually does so with a bit of coal and a bottle of whiskey.
2.	Spectre Clan tradition at Halloween, to burn the only leafy tree on the estate every year after bonfire celebrations.

The move of Balfour’s hand – the gesture of reassurance – did not escape her, but she stayed silent.

Balfour was sentimental, Alex knew, and yet she still felt awkward at the fresh reminder. She bit back a platitude, aware that it would sound sarcastic – that it would be, at least in part, sarcastic.

She wasn’t entirely sure that Johann deserved to be called handsome, but love did lend a rosy hue to such opinions. Beauty was in the eye of the beholder, and so on. But she didn’t comment on that – or on the ridiculousness of pre-planning with your boyfriend that he would be the stranger chosen to bring good fortune. It was a superstition, but surely if you were going to prescribe to it at all, it should be followed in spirit rather than in letter, assuming that Johann counted as a stranger despite staying in their house.

It would be easy to accept, and she did miss Balfour during term time, but she had things to do before term started, and even for Balfour, there was only a certain amount of family – any family – that she could tolerate. The veiled barbs that passed for normal amongst her relatives were preferable – just – to the boisterous Spectre gatherings. Even though she’d been to many throughout the years, she still didn’t feel comfortable during them. “Thank you for inviting me, but I have other plans,” she said, though not without reluctance.

"I used to swing wee Alex about at the Ceilidh but I fear she's become too grown up and embarrassed of her foggy old godfather nowadays..."

Alex resisted the temptation to scowl at Balfour’s comment. If he wanted to dance, it would be better for him to ask outright rather than approaching it from the point of nostalgia. She took a sip of tea before speaking, “I’m sure Johann would be a much better partner than I.” Regardless of skill, he would be less grudging, and that would make all the difference.

Perhaps Balfour could encourage him to speak more, too. If he was so precious that a single unkind comment turned him mute, Alex would be forced to question Balfour’s taste.

Balfour’s squeeze of his hand eased the knot growing in Johann’s stomach.  Silly to be uneasy about a seventeen - eighteen year old witch.  A moment of not being able to see the wood for the trees.  He nodded in agreement with the response about relaxing and a tentative smile broke out at the suggestion of preoccupation with each other.  He had been on the cusp of saying don’t sicken her, Balfour but his voice took too long to sound and Balfour had carried forwards.

“… you can both split a whole haggis at the table.”

She could with a mere look, Johann thought to himself, but externally managed a thoughtful nod and hum of agreement.
“We’ll make it whissle[1].”  He suggested quietly, but to his personal relief, Alex declined the invitation for other plans.  Johann was just composing a sorry expression when Balfour looked round.

“I used to swing wee Alex about at the Ceilidh but I fear she’s become too grown up and embarrassed of her foggy old godfather nowadays…”
“Did you?"
“I’m sure Johann would be a much better partner than I.”

Johann averted his gaze from Balfour to Alex beyond him.
“I am sure you are a perfectly wonderful dancer, Alex.  Unless, Balfour means to swing quite literally, by the arms, when you were very little.”  He glanced back to Balfour with a raised eyebrow.  He'd seen Balfour do similar with the bairns over Christmas, and obliged some himself as they headed out on a walk with them until his arm tired.

“I expect Alex has plans to see in the New Year that foggy old godfathers and their weird other halves could not compete with.”  He looked back to Alex and gave her a sincere nod, “and that’s precisely what one should do at your age.  The novelty of réveillon wore thin, so many other customs, calendars to see new year in through once you go away."  He shrugged, teacup rising to his lips.  It didn't make it, stopping just beneath his chin.

"Do you study divination at all?”  He asked Alex, mind having leapt ahead to a related thought on a new year’s tradition from his own childhood.  "I was explaining Bleigießen to Balfour the other night, but he says it's not a thing here.  I looked it up," he looked to Balfour, tilting his head a little, "the English is Molybdomancy - divination with lead.  One of our stranger customs from home, one heats it up in a spoon, then drops it into a bucket of cold water and divines from the shapes it makes.  I used to laugh at how ridiculous it was, but I'm no divination scholar."

1.	Address to a Haggis - Robert Burns

He didn't have to look at the wizard next to him to feel the tension from earlier diminish, likely a sign that Johann had either made up his mind about this newfound dynamic with Alex or simply ceased caring altogether. Balfour wasn't certain which he preferred. His goddaughter was naturally prickly and grown-up in a way that wasn't entirely due to maturity; she was an acquired taste.

Anyway, he suspected she was still going down the gullet like a medicine that is not flavoured as previously advertised.

"Dancing is only minimally about skill-" the Scotsman asserted cheerfully, disappointed that Alex wouldn't be at the Hogmanay but impervious to further discouragement. "- although I'm afraid you're right darling." This was was directed at his lover in a sheepish tone. "Rather guilty of swinging the bairns about. Hard to resist, as Alex was positively adorable. Well, still is."

Balfour glanced away from Johann, giving the young witch a fond smile.

Behind them, Nathaira had taken the needle of the gramophone to change records and there was a lull of silence in the big drawing room. Fire crackled. Aunt Vanora sitting by the window armchair began to snore. He listened to the conversation with an even countenance until the other wizard brought up a subject that the pair of them had discussed sometime over Christmas - at which point Balfour bit the inside of his cheek to repress a laugh.

Alex did not like Divination. And that phrasing was an understatement. His own opinions on the subject were vague; he put stock in certain superstition, snorted derisively at others. This particular form was not something he was used to - the sort of thing Knox enjoyed better.

"We should try it after first-footing." Balfour suggested mildly before Alex could answer, deciding to intercede on what might either be a reticent or scathing response. "I can never take these things seriously but it would be a bit of fun for the small ones. Certainly sounds more exciting than staring into a crystal ball."