It wasn't all that long ago that Sasha might have moved through the various booths at the career fair like pin ball.  The array of career possibilities was mesmerizing to a fledgling fully qualified wizard, especially one that was muggleborn (or, muggle-raised as the case may be.)  In addition, the breadth of his magical education had kept the proverbial doors to any number of magical careers open to him.  While many of his peers saw his ... slightly crowded ... academic schedule as simply a drive to be an overachiever, a desire for a heavy workload had not been his original driving force.  He'd volunteered to take all the electives because the classes had interested him.  His willingness to be an overachiever had merely facilitated the schedule; it made the workload possible. 

Until very recently, Sasha had worried about whether he'd ever settle on a career path.  He'd enjoyed his summer internship in a magizoology clinic and could have seen himself working with magical creatures for the Ministry.  He'd also enjoyed his internship with Johann and had considered working with the Department of International Cooperation.  This past summer, Sasha had considered asking Johann if he could help Sasha get an internship at the department's counterpart in Germany.  Preparing for A-Levels had ultimately ended up taking priority. 

He could even see himself, one day, returning to Hogwarts to become a professor though he'd recently started to wonder if Hogwarts professors were compensated significantly less than Sasha had always assumed, if their choice of residences were any indication.  The only career path represented at the fair that Sasha simply couldn't see himself following was becoming an Auror.  They, he knew, absolutely couldn't be paid nearly what they should, given the job. 

Now that Sasha knew the direction he was going, the brochures and empty calories adorning the tables were secondary priorities to visiting with the individuals who were behind the tables.  He'd lingered at his cousin's table for several minutes before students who had an interest in the department had approached the table.  His current meandering now took him over towards a table adorned with very familiar technology.  He poked at a few of the keys and looked up, offering a grin in greeting.  "Any chance this still has Warcraft III on it?  The older games are obsolete on my new machine." 

It was the biggest drawback to upgraded technology.   The new games were flashy and exciting, but sometimes there was nothing better than good old Donkey Kong. 

Next to the computer was a copy of the previous day's Daily Prophet with Dreogan Eleor's article.  Between a full schedule of classes and study sessions, he'd only had time to skim the information.  Now, he lifted the paper and unfolded it so to properly read the information. 

The tall, lanky figure Dree had known so well--had first met nearly 2 years ago on Hogwarts grounds. How much had changed for them both in that time! The good and the bad. They caught eyes a moment, Dreogan giving a small wave, and Sasha angled his way over to the table. It was good timing; he'd just finished speaking to a group of curious girls about "FaceBook." Assuring them it--to their disappointment--that it was neither a real book, nor literally filled with faces.

"Any chance this still has Warcraft III on it?  The older games are obsolete on my new machine."

Dreogan coughed in surprise, clutching at his heart.  "Obsolete!" he repeated. "Come on, Sasha! This is the height of technology!" He patted the top of the laptop screen. It wasn't hard to keep his smile for Sasha for long, however. It had been too long--and the last time they had seen each other, over 3 months ago--had been far less than happy circumstances.

AppleCare or no, Dreogan wasn't exactly willing to schlep his MacBook over to Hogwarts, where the risk of it somehow short-circuiting, even when turned off, were almost guaranteed.  "This is a backup," he added quickly, in case the young man had actually taken him seriously. Unlikely, but Sasha always had been, well... quite serious.

"I don't think I know Warcraft... But have you played on an Atari?" Dreogan asked, interest piqued. He'd love to play on an Atari. He By its name alone,Warcraft didn't sound like his cup of tea--but he knew that Sasha more than had the setup to play it with other Muggle gaming with his connections. Somehow, Akiva's Muggle girl friends had been less interested in humoring much more than his desire to watch (very, very select) movies on their Blu-Ray and flatscreens. Technology, Dree readily admitted, far surpassed anything the magical world had to offer.

As Sasha picked up the newspaper, Dreogan felt a slight flush as a probable cocktail of emotions (pride, self-consciousness, embarrassment at shameless self promotion) coursed through him. He wasn't sure, really, how the Magical community would respond, as a whole. Probably a hearty dose of derision for those feeling crusading was unnecessary or misguided in these areas. Probably also denial, defensiveness, but Dreogan hoped enough enthusiasm and empathy to get the operation up and running. It had been no easy endeavor to gain enough traction in the Ministry, and even then, it was only a pilot program.

In the microcosm of his own family, response had been about what you would expect: Akiva was wholeheartedly and impossibly supportive, Hestia was alternatively prickly and enthusiastic. And Adon was as apprehensively supportive as he could be, adding with a vaguely ominous pronouncement that he'd support him "no matter what came of it."

Thanks, Donnie.

He was curious, though, of what Sasha would make of it. His interest in both worlds, his age group, his own personal history with the Eleors...

"So...?" he asked, trying to mask any eagerness in the tone.

"Height of technology?"  Sasha repeated, lifting a dubious eyebrow in the laptop's direction.  "Perhaps if you're only comparing it to the technology within the school grounds."  Sasha reciprocated the grin which morphed into pursing his lips in thought for a moment.  Now that he thought about it, even that might not be true.  There were a few examples of technology up in the Muggle Studies classroom, but those were both archaic and deader than a flooded Ford Pinto. 

He shoved his hands in his pocket and pulled out a small, analog voltometer and a small bundle of copper wire.  "I can't, exactly, point fingers.  It certainly has me beat.  I seem to represent the technology of the 1950s."  If not earlier.  Of course, the impact of Hogwarts ambient magical influences made any higher tech devices useless as Sasha was painfully aware of.  "I think I was the least calculator-dependent student to take the mathematics A-Levels in quite some time."  He hadn't, yet, come up for an explanation for his adeptness at calculator-free mathematics for Cambridge. 

"I don't think I know Warcraft... But have you played on an Atari?"

"Bummer," Sasha said, mildly deflated.  "I miss being insulted by peons."  And, exploding sheep.  Maybe he should get an old PC after he graduated.  "One of my friends at the IT club at my old school tracked down an old Atari.  I think we had more fun disassembling and reassembling it then we had playing it, though." 

There were many reasons the content of the article resonated with Sasha.  Dreogan had surmised some, but there were others.  Without at doubt, this would have been the type of thing to which Jacoba would have been drawn.  She'd always felt the weight of their family history and approached life with an unrelenting resolve to atone for the crimes committed two generations back.  It definitely spoke to not only Sasha's continued interest in the muggle and wizarding worlds, but his ever growing interest in how the two interacted.  But, there was a much more pointed and personal reason he connected with the content. 

"So...?"

Sasha cleared his throat and looked up.  "You know," he started then paused, taking a moment to glance over his shoulders.  The hall was crowded, but everyone was doing their own thing.  No one appeared to be lingering close enough or long enough to actually follow their conversation.  Luckily, while there was the occasional passerby, this didn't appear to be the most popular table in the hall.   

His one attempt at discussing his future plans a week ago - in an event that he'd hoped would foster a sense of family - was also fresh on his mind.

"That night, two years ago...Christmas.  My parents were preparing to send me someplace the next day to, you know, cure me.  I've long suspected that many in the wizarding community here live in a bit of bubble.  They have accepted that the world's are so separate that they don't or can't recognize how what happens in the outside world impacts them and vice versa."  Sasha had long cursed his own shortcomings when it came to expressing himself and, again, he was feeling that frustration. 

"Jacoba would say we have a moral obligation to help those who suffer.  Regardless of whether it had anything to do with us.  How can we, you know, help this campaign?" 

Dreogan chuckled at the use of the word bummer. Perhaps he'd just spent so much more time with American teens than he had British teens in the past 10 years, but with the phrase, he could almost envision the German youth in Lake Elsinore, California.[1] If it wasn't obscenely weird to propose a gaming session with kids half his age, something like the IT club sounded like a good outlet for his interests.[2] . It was good that Sasha had something like that in his life. And friends.

Not that Dreogan doubted the ability! It just seemed like... Sasha seemed, by nature, so solitary. But perhaps that had just been by circumstance, for most of his life. A ghostly echo of his train of thoughts cut through: "That night, two years ago... Christmas." Dreogan blanched slightly, looking about. A girl at the next booth over, looked over the swag--quills and gumdrops, finally settling on a gumdrop before moving on. Dreogan flickered a grimace. This hardly seemed the time or place to bring up talk of his family's murder.

"Yes, I remember," Dreogan said, voice low. He'd been there. Seen the corpses; he'd bee near certain Sasha would number among them. How did you recover from something like that. Had he?

Dreogan closed his eyes, returning his focus to Sasha's analysis, nodding emphatically. "It's specifically designed that way. The ignorance of the other side of the Statute cuts both ways." That the Ministry didn't see this as detrimental, after all it had been through, after obscuri and cases like Sasha and Fawza and Victoria...[3]

The pain didn't stop there, though. The mention of Jacoba, so recently deceased... Adon had, in ways, been closest of the Eleor brothers to the elder Schlagenweit, but Dreogan had felt a very deep kindred. It wasn't just that he'd been the one to bring her into the magical world. Jacoba was always the easiest person to agree with. Their boundaries, principles, drives were so similar--inherently aligned.

"Jacoba wouldn't have just said it," Dreogan rattled off, easily. "She did say it. Many times."

A student began to meander towards his booth. There was a momentary meeting of eyes; the girl seemed to realize what she was stumbling into, and, sensibly, made her way towards Level Nine's booth instead.

Clearing his throat, Dreogan returned his attention to Sasha, gracing him with a genuine smile. He liked the use of 'we,' just there. "I've been thinking about that. I know you probably have things pretty well lined up for after school..." Sasha would have no shortage of options, with his wealth and background, and no shortage of courting agencies and businesses for career prospects, with his smarts, "but my contacts in Africa--Nigeria, specifically--have been long at work on these efforts, and I'm starting the campaign off in a collaborative mission there. Two weeks. Volunteer-basis, of course. We'll be helping to build some orphanages, providing some training." To not only the magical folk there... "Like most humanitarian effort, there's a heavy educational component for the community, as you might imagine. But I hope we can learn from it, too. Bring it here."

Dreogan wet his lips. "And, of course, once things do take off here, depending on how things work out..." Like if the Ministry would continue to give him funding. Or support his mission. Or his methods, "there may be opportunities for longstanding volunteer work here, and other forms of philanthropic contribution."

Like money.

Dreogan sniffed, cleared his throat, looked down, rearranged the stack of Prophets, shaking his head to clear it. He could do no more to ask financial support at present. It smarted, for one, but it was also inappropriate. "But that's a ways off." He gave a flicker of a smile, regaining composure.  "What are you pursuing after school? Perhaps your areas of expertise will be of particular assistance. We can use all the help we can get." Healers, counselors, lawyers, builders, caregivers, donors, marketing...

His head was spinning just thinking about it.

1.	Location of Laevenstrome.
2.	It reminded him of the IT Crowd. Adon was binge watching just about anything on his phone the past few weeks. He routinely heard the catch-phrase "Have you tried turning it off and on again" uttered any time Dreogan approached anything electronic.
3.	Let there Be Light article

Dreogan had mimicked Sasha’s glance around their vicinity.  It was remarkable how quickly the conversation had transitioned from lighthearted discussions of computers and Warcraft to much more weighted discussions about lost family and the tragic consequences of viewing people as Others.  Of course, the article was unlikely to prompt casual banter; that hadn’t been its purpose in the first place.  Besides, Sasha couldn’t remember having too many wholly lighthearted banters with Dreogan.  Despite how much had happened and changed over the last couple years, that didn’t seem to have changed.
 
Sasha dropped his gaze to the table between them and exhaled deeply through his nose.  It was absolutely no surprise that Jacoba had said as much; it really should have been her having this conversation with Dreogan.  The article, Dreogan’s efforts with the Ministry and this current goal were the types of things that she thrived on.  Sasha, on the other hand, had never considered himself an activist or rebellious; he’d always been much more a theoretical problem solver than a boots-in-the-mud doer.  Even within their own family dynamics, Sasha had always tried to keep the proverbial waters a calm contrast to Jacoba’s rebelliousness.  For what Dreogan hoped to accomplish, Sasha knew he was a poor substitute for his sister.  He missed her, dearly.
                                                                                                                                       
"It's specifically designed that way. The ignorance of the other side of the Statute cuts both ways."

Sasha hesitated, glancing over his shoulders.   He slipped the wand he’d won off of Ashford that night two years ago from his pocket and cast a charm around them that would distort their conversation into a simple, inaudible murmur for anyone that happened upon the table.   “I think it’s only a matter of time before the Statute of Secrecy fails.  I don’t think it’s imminent but I’d be surprised if it lasted more than another 15, maybe 20 years.  They should be preparing for that.” 

He glanced down at the items laid out across the table and nodded.  If the Ministry was smart, they’d be using Dreogan’s office to prepare for that eventuality.  There were things they could do to protect the Statute as long as possible, but most of the possibilities that Sasha thought of required acknowledging the technological advancements of the muggle world.  The longer they ignored the other side, the more abrupt the failure would be.  And, from personal experience, Sasha believed that was what would cause the most trouble.

He nodded along when Dreogan explained his plan, shrugging casually at the brief remark about financial contributions.  To the young Ravenclaw, the prospect of spending two weeks in Nigeria seemed far more daunting than handing over money.  The later was painless and could be done from the comfort of one’s study.  The former sounded hot, buggy and culinarily interesting.  A trend of thought that further confirmed that he was a poor substitute for Jacoba in this endeavor.  “You’re looking for volunteers to go with you to Nigeria?”  It was possible Dreogan was coming to the same conclusion; he hadn’t exactly specified his intended targets for any of the activities.  He might not have even had Sasha in mind.
 
Which, of course, brought up the topic of post school plans.
 
"What are you pursuing after school? Perhaps your areas of expertise will be of particular assistance. We can use all the help we can get.”
 
“Long term, I’m...”  Despite the muffling charm, Sasha reflexively chanced another quick glance around the table.  “I want to study and research the grey area between the wizarding and muggle worlds.  Primarily on a natural level.  Evolutionary history and interrelatedness of magical and mundane creatures.  How magic and things like magnetic fields, electricity and such interact on a molecular level.  I have a journal with a growing list of theories and applications I want to explore.  So, higher education is the next step, but it depends on what happens with exams.  I’ve applied to Cambridge, Oxford and the University of Munich and want to study physics and biochemistry.  I sat A Levels last week, so I won’t know if I’ll be accepted to any or all of them until later in the summer.  I’d like to continue with higher level magical education, but that’s harder to find.  And, will be dependent on NEWTs.”
 
He shrugged.  “Summer will be mostly waiting for exams and figuring out what to do with myself.  Rebuilding a house.  Figuring out finances.  Pretending to be an adult.  I’ve been in some sort of boarding school since I was five so,…”  He felt a significant amount of trepidation towards post-school life; life without anything planned or due.  He wasn’t sure he was prepared and was going to have to figure out a lot of it on his own.  “I don’t know if what I’ll be doing will be directly helpful.  At least, not in the short term.  But, I’d like to help any way I can.”

“I think it’s only a matter of time before the Statute of Secrecy fails.  I don’t think it’s imminent but I’d be surprised if it lasted more than another 15, maybe 20 years.  They should be preparing for that.” 

Dreogan shook his head with a glimmer of a wistful smile, perhaps masking a grimace. Whatever his own feelings were on the matter--and they might not be all that different from Sasha's, at present--the Ministry's official stance was plain on the matter of the Statute. And it wouldn't serve for Dreogan to take up such a subject while serving in an official capacity--and trying to encourage young people to Take up the Cause.

He'd already teetered precariously close on that "philanthropic contributions" bit, just now. The muffling charm did him no service, either. With a smile and dismissive wave of his wand hand, the charm dropped. "It's a valid concern," was all he could throw Sasha's way in response. "And a conversation for another time. I'd like to hear your thoughts--especially as your studies come underway. That's quite a lot to take on yourself," he said, his voice cautious, but unsurprised. Sasha'd buck at the notion that he couldn't take on the world, or at least its responsibilities. It was something that he admired and perhaps related to a little in him. But it worried him to no end.

How to break this down in terms Sasha would understand. Ah--rules. "In my understanding of academia, you'll need to get rather specific on your foci. I'm afraid you may need to end up picking one of those projects...but," he said more lightly, "that's a ways off yet. I'll get you in touch with my successor at Laevenstrome--" he broke off, giving a self-aware, earnest grin. "Not to sound too grand on the line of inheritance, there. Professor Hawke; she now teaches Muggle Mage Relations at Laevenstrome, and last I'd checked, they were looking into the possibility of some sort of satellite education program. Maybe some coordination of your studies to bring in the magical component could be managed on their end. But you'd have to get in touch with the school on that, I'm afraid. Policies and all that. I'm sure she'd be interested in the work you aim to do at the very least. "

And despite the fact that it was a career fair, Dreogan was a bit appaled at just how easy it was to turn this into a networking event. Sasha had always been about 20 years older than he was. Dreogan understood it; it was comfortable. He was an old soul himself. In the sight of ambitions and goals and traumas, it was easy to forget things like being young. So when "pretending to be an adult" came up on the list of prospective summer topics, Dreogan puffed his cheeks dismissively.

"Overrated. Pretend to be a teen, Sasha." He smirked. "I'll let you know as things on the summer humanitarian efforts pick up. We'd love to have you in any capacity, but you've got a lot on your plate." Worry naturally crept in. His brows furrowed. "Are you even finding the time to sleep, these days?" His expression grew even more serious. "Or, more importantly: ride?" There had been a time when that had been more important than things like sleep or breathing to the teen. Had that changed? Dreogan didn't even know, he realized with a drop in his stomach.

Sasha nodded as the older wizard dismissed the muffling charm and deferred the conversation to a later time.  It was, of course, a touchy subject and one that not all wizards welcomed – a fact which Sasha completely understood.  He did believe the Statute of Secrecy was necessary and he was worried about all the possible ramifications that the Ministry warned against.  But, The Fates cared little about what was best.  Regardless of whether it was in wizarding kind's best interest, Sasha foresaw an inevitable breech that would be beyond the Ministry’s ability to rectify.  It was a matter of ‘when,’ not ‘if.’
 
But, yes.  A conversation for another time and place.  And, a worry that Sasha could put aside until NEWTs were done.  Talk of academics was far more enjoyable.
 
“At least for the purposes of earning a degree, I know I’ll have to narrow my focus.  And I’ll have to narrow it to something muggle-appropriate.  As far as I know, most of what I really want to delve into doesn’t fit with any academic programs.  But, there will likely be a bit of freelance experimenting on the side,” Sasha offered with a slight grin before shrugging.  “But, I want to take my time with narrowing down on a thesis topic.  I’ve been displaced from a real muggle classroom for long enough.  I'm look forward to just getting to explore some topics at first.”  And, he had the luxury of taking his time with classes.
 
Oblivious to Dreogan’s dismay, Sasha met the prospect of being connected with Laevenstrome with noticeable enthusiasm.  “So, being a part time student there might be an option?”  He repeated, just to ensure he understood Dreogan’s meaning.  “It would be fantastic to be able to pursue a proper education on both sides.  I’d be happy to work with them to make it feasible; I was afraid I’d have to continue pursuing one side of things on my own.”  And, he’d managed so far but part of the draw of education was being able to collaborate and bounce ideas off of colleagues.  Aside from his recent summer programs, that’s what his muggle education had lacked.  “I would appreciate that.”

Any summer activity, including this trip, was perfectly welcome.  "That would be excellent.  I can also try to drum up some interest among other students, if you'd like.  I can think of a few older students that might be interested."  Sasha offered, initially ignoring the idea of pretending to be a teen in favor of more summer plans.  Lately, an overly full proverbial plate worked best; it continued to be his most efficient coping mechanism, even if not the most effective.  A full schedule of NEWTs and A-Levels left blissfully little time for thinking about anything else.  Or, even, doing anything else like eating or sleeping.   

A topic Dreogan astutely broached.  Initially, the Ravenclaw blushed, shrugging slightly in an awkward, non-committed response.

Those moments when the mind began to relax and wander right before proper sleep were Sasha's kryptonite.  He had yet to figure out how to deal with those thoughts.  Dreams, when he finally managed to fall asleep, were even worse.  Early the previous year, Landis Morgan had helped Sasha learn to brew sleep replenishment potions.  Between his class schedule, preparing for the Tetra-wizard task and his extra lessons with the librarian, it had been easy to convince the man of the need.  And, their particular arrangement made it difficult for the librarian to decline.  The previous year, Professor Trishna had taken to giving Sasha detentions force him to sleep but, now, with an endless supply of potions and the Astronomy Professor's absence, Sasha couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his bed in Ravenclaw tower. 

Sasha didn't feel comfortable outright lying to Dreogan but, again, this didn't seem to be quite the time or place for the full truth.  Ill humor would have to substitute.  The Ravenclaw cracked an awkward grin and shrugged.  "Between five A-Levels and thirteen NEWTs, there hasn't been a lot of free time for anything.  I figured I could catch up on such things over the summer."  And, yet, the prospect of so much free time was sometimes a greater source of anxiety than his upcoming exams.  He had been desperately trying to find things to fill his time. 

Dreogan should have known that any mention of adding responsibility to Sasha--particularly of the academic sort--would be readily accepted. Trying not to laugh at Sasha's eagerness, he attempted to backpedal as much as he could. "I'm not sure how it all works, or if they'd even advise a double-degree; they may be able to coordinate your efforts at straddling both areas of study, is all." The boy had an air of a pup waiting for table scraps--peering up, eager, tail wagging. He hoped Laevenstrome's academic advisor would at least sort it out, make sure he wasn't biting off more than he could chew.

Dreogan frowned when he heard about his summer plans: catching up on such things like... sleep.

Dreogan made a show of rubbing his temples, his voice teasingly tired: "Why do I feel the need to remind you Sasha," he sighed, "without sleep, you will die." The phrase was an inside joke--but not with Sasha. While a prefect, Dreogan and his friend Aleron would patrol the hallways, often finding the more studious students asleep on books, tucked away in empty classrooms, corners of the library, study carrels. They'd started leaving sanctimonious notes hanging overhead in the air: "Without sleep, you will die. --Your Friendly Sleep KGB"

It wasn't his place to parent anymore, he knew, but such instincts died hard. He'd happily impart the wisdom he'd learned. A notorious sleep evader himself... "You'll need to make sure you're not catching up on too much this summer, or you'll need to catch up from your catch up." He gave a lopsided smile before adding, "That said, I hope we get a chance to catch up. Where are you going to be this summer?"

“At the very least, it sounds like something worth investigating.  I’ll certainly have plenty of time over the next couple months for that.”  If there was a way, Sasha knew he was determined to find it and make it work.  He had heard Dreogan’s cautioning to moderate his enthusiasm until Sasha knew more about the feasibility, but it was easy for that to be overshadowed by potential.  Doing, engaging, learning were easy.
 
Relaxing was an entirely different story.
 
"Why do I feel the need to remind you Sasha, without sleep, you will die."
 
Again, Sasha fidgeted uncomfortably before shrugging.  He opened his mouth to respond before closing it, again.  He didn’t feel comfortable talking about that in such an open and exposed situation.  Finally, he deflected to casual humor.  “You sound like my dormmates,” he offered with an uncomfortable grin.  “Wish it was that simple.  It’s not really a matter of … choice.”
 
“I would love to catch up,” Sasha quickly offered, his haste a combination of genuine enthusiasm and an eagerness to change the subject.  “I’ll be home, mostly.  I’m staying in the flat above the barn, until the new home is built.”  Given everything that had transpired over the last year, Sasha wasn’t sure if Dreogan knew about the house fire on Christmas Eve[1].  It had mostly involved muggle authorities and reports so Sasha had assumed … hoped … that it had gone unnoticed in the wizarding world.  But, then, somehow his father had found out.  “Maybe the occasional trip back to Germany, but there are a lot of official matters to take care of.”

1.	Fires At Midnight

Dreogan cringed inwardly at Sasha's response, casting him an apologetic glance. He'd meant to lighten the mood with some prodding. He'd spent enough time with Adon to know, though, that if something was preoccupying a person, it was going to surface regardless.

Wish it was that simple.

"It isn't--I get that." Dreogan emphasized firmly, reaching up--he supposed he ought to get used to this growth spurt--to clasp the boy's shoulder briefly. Dreogan'd always been a troubled sleeper-- a combination of nerves, an overactive mind, and a rather dominant Sight from a young age. His time in captivity hadn't helped quiet that overactive mind. He had long since decided that there was no shame in seeking a little help; even Adon, who'd always slept like a rock, had had to turn to potions since last month. "My advice was well-meant. And from experience." When he was living with them, Sasha would have seen his nightly rituals of tea, potions, meditation before sleep.

"Look, if you want to go horseback riding sometime," the corners of Dreogan's lips began to quiver, already holding back a smile in anticipation of his own joke: "I happily volunteer Adon. But if you'd like to go walking, once school's out, get out in the open air..." there was so much they could discuss. "Hertfordshire's not so far from London, and I'll take just about any excuse to visit the country." There was a time he'd have laughed at the idea of becoming a city dweller. He'd always felt more at comfort in the mountains, hillsides or, in a pinch, even the beach. "...When does the school year end, anyhow? Do you need help moving your things out?" It could give him a good insight into Sasha's living situation... and social life. Dreogan still felt a little guilty, doubting Sasha had much of one. He just always seemed so... solitary. Transitions between phases of life were always hard enough as it was with a strong network--there were bittersweet farewells, shifting of relationships, sometimes the complete dissolution... Dreogan'd left most of his friends behind at Beit Gaddol, never really to rekindle those friendships. A few had reached out: weddings, births, funerals... but it was a mere handful--and even fewer still were in England, where he could regularly catch up. He wasn't visiting the Middle East like he had been when in his previous position.

He didn't want Sasha's friends to drop away. What was more, he didn't want Sasha to be one of the friends that dropped away.

"It isn't--I get that."

Sasha nodded and made to speak, intent on asking Dreogan how he managed.  Managed to sleep.  To eat.  To stay normal.  To stay himself.  Yes, Sasha had observed the nightly patterns but even his fifth year felt a lifetime ago.  Or, like an entirely different life.  He’d been traumatized then, but he’d been the same person.  He’d made so many mistakes since then.

That was all a conversation for another time and place, assuming it was a conversation Dreogan wanted to have at all.  This setting was much better suited to conversations about plans for the future and transitioning out of Hogwarts.

“Does he know you just made that offer?”  Sasha glanced through the sea of tables to where, presumable, the representatives of Level 2 were tempting future punishment-seekers into their ranks.  “I’d love to go for a walk.  Even without horsepower.  We have plenty of trails to choose from.”  He was grateful for Dreogan’s offer to help him with moving out at the end of the year.  For his first five years at Hogwarts, Sasha had been limited in his ability to take things home during the summer.  And he had all the textbooks and paraphernalia of both a wizarding and muggle education.  And, at the start of the year, Jacoba had helped him get to Kings Cross station.  He’d been so focused on exams and only the big picture elements of his post Hogwarts plans.  He hadn’t given a lot of thought to the logistical minutia of getting home.

In short, he had quite a bit of stuff and no real plan for getting it all home.

“I think I might take you up on that offer.  Our last exam is on the tenth of June and we take the train home on the eleventh.  After thirteen exams, I might be a little … dead.  If you're really offering and don't mind, I won't pass up on the offer of help."