Just after seven

Nearly two weeks into term, Professor Storm wouldn’t admit that it felt a bit odd not to see certain student faces in the corridors and his lessons. The first years seemed even smaller and more wilting than the previous year, and as ever he was not optimistic the seventh years would match the ones he just reviewed the exam results from. He knew it was the same every year, but through the year he’d forget how it felt.

Instead of retiring home to Hogsmeade for a Wednesday evening, the Deputy Headmaster had stepped into the floo and come to the Leaky Cauldron. Ahead of time he’d owled a few he was in touch with to put the word out, hoping that his favourites would not be on duty.

He was, regrettably, running behind time owing to a spat between some third years, so when he stepped out of the Leaky’s floo fireplace, recognisably dressed in his usual school attire, he could already see some familiar faces gathered at the bar, waiting to order their drinks.
“Ogdens,” he raised his voice, just about seeing over some of the younger heads before him. He gave the group a rare smile and nod in greeting. It was a quiet pleasure to see them all, and how they’d grown up. “Apologies for my tardiness, this round is of course on me.”

It had been an unseasonably warm day - the kind that made you prematurely suspect an Indian summer. But by the time Raine had finished with her duties on level two, the city had cooled down considerably, and she was glad to have had a warm change of clothes for the get together that evening. She was excited to see Professor Storm again! After months of Trevelyans and Pratts and Carstairs, it would be nice to talk to a teacher whose attempts to maim you felt less vindictive.

They had all gathered at the bar, former victims pupils. It was remarked that Storm being tardy was unusual; something that would have cost them house points (at the minimum!) not long ago.

            “Ogdens,” a familiar voice finally greeted.

Raine turned away from telling Fauna about an especially harrowing Defences lesson, wry smile pulling into a more delighted one at the sight of her faculty favourite. Merlin! It had only been a few months but seeing him here felt weird! He looked just as terrifying as ever!

"Professor!" she slipped off the bar stool and, before she could lose her nerve, gave the old wizard a proper hug. It was like hugging a warm teddy bear who might turn into an actual bear at any moment.  "You look well!" Raine stepped back and came down from her tip-toes, because there was no hope of her growing taller at this age and two inch heels were only slightly useful.

Moira had been mildly surprised to receive Professor Storm's invitation for a group get together. All she had done was insist on tutoring sessions once or twice a month after a fiasco of an exam. Perhaps it had been her persistence of understanding the material afterward that endeared her to him enough for the invite.

At first she wasn't sure if she would go as busy as she had become in the month of September. However, one evening relaxing and having drinks with previous classmates and friends wouldn't harm anything or cause a disaster. Her dad had insisted as much anyway. So once she was home after her shift she cleaned up, changed her clothes, and headed for the Cauldron.

She had been officially working for a couple weeks now, unlike some of the others gathered there who had started on their careers right away.  Moira didn't consider working at home actual work. If one included it as a job then she had two, working from before sunrise to well after the sunset and the average day.

The Hufflepuff alumni was relaxing against the bar with the others when Professor Storm's voice greeted them all. His tardiness was unusual considering he had stressed punctuality on them all during school Looking over she returned the smile offered them then watched as Raine bravely, or foolishly, gave the older man a hug. This could turn out to be quite the evening.

In the thick of another grueling week on Level Two, Fauna was thrilled to get away the office, and even happier when she'd found out that her friend Raine had also been invited to the outing. Which was no surprise. They often traded stories about defense class and all the tips and tricks Professor Storm had taught them, some blatant and others inadvertent, but all useful.

When Moira appeared, she greeted the younger former housemate with an exclamation about how they were both wearing Hufflepuff yellow. Fauna's dress, of course, had a silly whale pattern on it that she loved for its silliness.

The professor soon arrived with a smile and an apology, and an offer of drinks. Marriage suited him!

Fauna couldn't remember ever hugging Professor Storm, but she found herself sliding off the stool and getting in line after brave Raine. Her hug was much gentler. An 'air hug', her friends would tease. She circled her arms lightly around the professor and edged back after a few moments with a shy but warm smile.

"It's been a while!" Fauna offered her ever obvious observation. "How have the new students been treating you?"

A petite red-head launched herself at him before he had much of a chance to react, not looking directly at her until she encroached his personal space. He took a half-step backwards, thinking she just wanted to address him on her feet, but couldn’t evade her unexpected grasp. He forgot young people greeted each other with hugs. Merlin, it would only be worse if they greeted each other like the continentals, with a kiss on each cheek.

To her credit, Almasy made it brief, though she went for the proper hug. The only person who did that in any capacity was Miranda, with her arms often slung up around his neck. They were both considerably shorter than him. In his surprise he froze awkwardly on the spot, a look of alarm on his aged features for the duration. It was only that he recognised Raine that he hadn’t abandoned his manners and pushed her aside. Once she had released him from the grasp, his expression reduced to just surprise, peering down at her with the hint of a bemused smile.

“You look well!”
“So kind of you to say, Almasy,” his voice betrayed that he was a little touched for the gesture, though he still felt incredibly awkward. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

He gave her a nod of acknowledgement, and a tentative pat of her left shoulder which meant he didn’t anticipate or expect Blake’s follow-up attempt at a hug. Onlookers would only observe another alarmed expression, and the Professor took another proper step backwards to make space once Blake released him. His hands raised before him in a polite kind of ‘please put me down’ notion. McBoid seemed to understand, looking mildly amused and surprised at the behaviour of the other two witches.

“It’s been a while! How have the new students been treating you?” Blake asked brightly.
“With respect and contempt, Blake, nothing new there,” the Professor replied, a little more formally, given his relationship with Fauna had been less recent or individual. “How is auror life treating you? Still in one piece?” He made an obvious look up and down her as if appraising she had all her own limbs, and nothing more sinister.

“McBoid,” he acknowledged Moira, who had always been a quieter one. “You well?” He glanced from her to the growing line of drinks on the bar, and negotiated his way towards it, reaching into his pocket in anticipation of paying. “Someone claim a table, maybe?” He instructed the group as a whole. Best give them a job before someone decided to try another hug or something more cringeworthy and too familiar.

Moira wasn't the only one surprised by the mini-reunion invitation but Sasha had been pleased, nonetheless.  Though he'd run into a few of his classmates on occasion over the summer (admittedly, frequently under official circumstances and occasionally under pajama-filled circumstances), it would be nice to reconnect in a social setting.  Especially before his October term at Cambridge started and he found himself navigating a whole new (highly non-magical) academic world. 

Dressed in wizarding robes he'd found at a merchant in Prague, Sasha had been waiting at the bar with the others when Raine first spotted the source of the invitation.  The motley crew went to meet their former professor with plenty of well-wishes.  Sasha grinned as both Raine and Fauna hugged Professor Storm and after a brief hesitation shrugged and caved to peer pressure.  "Ah, when in Rome, right Professor?" Sasha offered in German as he gave his former professor, and father, a brief hug. 

He gestured towards a corner booth.  "That group just left a short while ago." he offered before retrieving his pint of beer from the bar. 

As he listened to Professor Storm and the other former students greet each other, he realized that all of them had already embarked upon their very adult-like and responsible career endeavors.  In contrast, he'd had one of the laziest stretches of life he could remember.  His time had been equally divided between relaxing, traveling, fiddling in the new lab and ... well ... nesting.  In retrospect, he was glad he hadn't learned the beauty of loafing earlier; it would have wrecked havoc with his studying.  And, in two weeks, he'd have to forget about it, again. 

“Ah, when in Rome, right Professor?” Sasha asked, taking the chance beside the bar.
“And hiding in plain sight. You look well, son.” Ignan replied back in German as casually as one might when amongst those who did not know. One arm did manage to pat Sasha between the shoulder blades, in response to the more manly approach to hugging.

“That group just left a short while ago.”
“Be quick and claim it then,” the Professor nodded, this time replying in English should any of the others need to take direction due to lapsing into student mindset around him. Once he was done paying for the line of drinks he rejoined them at the table Sasha had pointed out, some extra chairs commandeered or transfigured for others.

“Does it feel as odd for you not to be boarding the train, as it does for me not to see some of you back for another year?” He asked, taking a seat amongst them. “I am sceptical your successors will fill your shoes, but I said that last year about you lot too. What are you all occupied with, or unoccupied with,” he nodded to Sasha, “for once?”

So she hugged Storm, and the world had not ended. That was a relief. Living with Abby involved unexpected side effects - hugging was one of the better ones. It was better than curtsying or hand-shaking. Raine ordered herself a pink gin and tonic, glancing back as Sasha gave their professor a quick hug. Ah, a trend! Word should never get back to Hogwarts. Nobody would believe it anyway.

            “Be quick and claim it then.”

Raine accepted her drink over the counter and then approached the table, where she drew her wand to organise the chairs around the booth. The others joined her while Storm paid, and they were all seated together soon enough. A motley crew - but a fearsome captain.

"I woke up on the first, worried that I hadn't packed my school trunk." Raine admitted wryly as she sipped on her gin. "But it was just another day on level two with this one," she nudged Fauna, who was next her. "Nothing exciting really."

Which was a tiny lie because, as Storm likely knew, Raine had discovered a new relative last month. But this wasn't the place or time to talk about that. It was just nice to know that another kind-of-Almasy existed at Hogwarts for the older wizard to torture.

Fauna had hugged Storm and survived! She couldn't wait to tell Grace, though based on the professor's alarm she made a mental note to wait a while before trying that again.

"Still in one piece," Fauna glanced at one of her arms, then the other, and shrugged, smiling. Yes, even after the impulse-hug.

She raised her eyebrows when Sasha also gave Storm a hug, and looked between the two of them as they spoke in German for a moment. She hadn't known they were so close, though it was nice to see Sasha relaxed and dare she say it, casual in manner if not in dress.

Fauna followed the group to the table. This was one of those rare occasions when she felt the few years difference between herself and the other graduates, as she couldn't remember the last time she'd woken up worried about school. Most mornings she woke up, slid her feet out from under the covers, and hovered her toes above the floor in case Pez the dog had decided to leave her a morning gift.

This one? Fauna shot Raine an amused look.

"This one says that it's never dull on Level Two with us around," Fauna sipped at her drink. "Actually, I blame the Aurors for that. They're the ones pulling pranks, bringing their children into the office, and... what else have they done lately, Raine?" She paused. "Oh. Someone made dozens of copies of the team building flier and put my name at the top of them." After they'd caught her hiding the originals, but you know, details.

Fauna focused on the light-hearted happenings, rather than the more frightening events from August, cognizant of Raine and Sasha with her. Besides, this was meant to be a fun evening. She glanced at Moira, curious to hear what she'd been up to.

Moira nodded when Professor Storm asked if she was doing well. A moment later she  paused her process of grabbing her drink staring as Sasha joined the other two and gave the Professor a hug. Maybe there was something in their drinks. Or they had all gone crazy post school but at least they were all still alive from the encounter. Shaking her head she followed them from the bar to the table and took a seat.

Listening to Raine and Fauna go back and forth it sounded like they were kept busy and had their fair share of adventures already. That was good. Moira knew Sasha had been traveling and working on his house. Maybe he'd learn the value of free time at last.

Fauna had looked towards her, silently hinting that she should go next. Moira took a sip of her whiskey and shrugged. “I've been helping dad, of course, since school ended. This month I started working at Wentworth and Son's Magical Menageries. Mostly on the ranches though I've been around one of the breeding centers, in case they ever need help. I started studying magizoology as well. Not much otherwise.”

Sasha took one of the remaining available chairs and settled back, comfortably.  He spared a quick glance around the table at the assortment of them.  Oh, the interesting roads they'd all traveled to get there and there was nothing but open road ahead of them.  A daunting thought.

Despite the reminiscence (or, perhaps, because of it), Sasha couldn't help the brief, worried grimace when Storm asked if it had felt strange to not board the Hogwarts Express.  He quickly took a sip of his beer, hoping the look had gone unnoticed.  It had felt weird and almost a little sad, in a nostalgic way.  "Even when I reminded myself I didn't need to pack my trunk, I still kept worrying I was going to miss the train," he added, building on Raine's comment. 

The passing of the first of September had not only been a reminder that he was not returning to Hogwarts but that his summer of leisure was winding down.  The closer October came, the more unsure Sasha became about his future plans.  He was still excited about further schooling, but a kernel of doubt had been gradually taking root. 

"What are you all occupied with, or unoccupied with, for once?”

Sasha blushed, slightly, feeling very much like the unproductive one at the table; a wholly odd and novel experience.  "I've been doing a fair bit of traveling," Sasha offered, with a slight shrug.  There had been a spattering of post cards and owls to some of those sitting at the table, so it was hardly any great revelation.   "And, relaxing, which took a bit of getting used to.  Recovering from exams and getting ready for more."  He added, with a slight grin. 

His dig at Sasha had not gone unnoticed given the blush that rose on the young man’s face.

“… worried I hadn’t packed my school trunk. But it was just another day on level two with this one. Nothing exciting really.” Almasy replied first, nudging Blake.

Fauna was looking more mature than the last time he’d seen her, less like the student he remembered and more like a proper adult. She still had those enormous, slightly worried looking eyes.
“This one say that it’s never dull on Level Two with us around,” Blake assured the group, and recounted a summary of what had happened lately, and gave Moira a curious look. McBoid had the tendency to be quiet amongst others.

“… started working at Wentworth and Son’s Magical Menageries…. one of the breeding centres, in case they ever need help. I started studying magizoology as well.” McBoid sounded busy, despite her attempt to add, “Not much otherwise.”

“I doubt you’d have time to do otherwise,” the Professor remarked, and looked to Sasha with expectation of a reply since the ladies had gone first.
“… bit of travelling, and relaxing, which took a bit of getting used to…”

“Almasy, Blake, the windows,” the Professor instructed, as if actually serious (and partly to see if they’d jump), “check for flying swines!” He nodded in approval at them all. “Very, very productive indeed. I am glad you are all turning out to be worthy contributors to society, furthering your studies.” He rested his hands on the table before him, feeling it was the moment to chip in an update on his side that life still went on at the school without them all.

“We at Hogwarts were pleased to welcome back Professors Greyfriar and Kesali this term, and despite our best efforts, Professors Singh, Aldridge, Duerr and Honeysuckle survived the summer to return too.” The ever revolving door of the Hogwarts staff room was a curse, but occasionally a blessing. “They send their regards, and I will pass on your best wishes, or curses, depending on your outlook.” He lifted his glass.

“So, Blake, you must be assigned to proper cases now, you two,” he gestured to Raine and Moira, “are they letting you have much responsibility or are you under supervision?”

Fauna's head turned, exorcist-swivel style, at Storm's instruction, but then she laughed into her drink as it turned out he was poking fun at Sasha.

"Best wishes, especially to Greyfriar," she smiled. Not that she hadn't already congratulated the Headmaster, but she was thrilled that he was back at Hogwarts, bellowing and belly-laughing in turns, surrounded by students who could only benefit from his guidance.

"So, Blake, you must be assigned to proper cases now," Ignan prompted.

"For the most part," she sent a wry smile at Sasha, acknowledging her snooping over the house elf mishap. "Level Two has had to collaborate with other departments these past few months. Well, more so than usual. So I've been helping Level Three and Level Four with a few things," she finished vaguely.

The dementor trouble, for instance. And Bagnold, of all people, had brought her in on a case in July.

She glanced at Raine, remembering that she'd been sent out on her own to snoop at the Sellaphix apothecary. Fauna took another sip of her drink, deciding she'd gotten the better deal with Sasha.

            "Almasy, Blake, the windows, check for flying swines!"

Much like her fellow trainee, she did in fact look over her shoulder - one hand reaching for her wand. Oh, for Merlin's sake! Raine blushed and guiltily turned back to the conversation. At least it was only Sasha being teased. She took a healthy sip of her gin and tonic while they caught up with the goings-on at Hogwarts. Having run into Kesali earlier in the summer, the redhead knew of his imminent return to school. Those students were in for some interesting times.

Fauna's tasks were much more intensive than Raine's. She was actually getting real things done!

"The only unsupervised responsibility I get allotted is paperwork," she confessed with an indifferent shrug. "And legwork. I wouldn't call it dull but it's not hair-raising or anything." Raine followed this up with a half-smile, indicating that she didn't mind this lack of excitement.

Life had been very dramatic in the past year or so. Routine tasks and catching up at the pub were... a nice change of pace. "I'm sure they give even you more hands-on things to do, Mcboid?" she glanced at Moira.

Moira gave a small shrug as the Professor commented she didn't seem to have time for anything else. She did tend to keep herself busy, there was always something to do. Days off work didn't have much meaning yet, but in a month or so the young witch would likely start anticipating them with more enthusiasm.

It was good to hear about Greyfriar and the others. Professor Duerr hadn't been one of her teachers but she liked the woman well enough. Points hadn't been deducted from either herself or Sasha and they hadn't been given detention for their rule breaking[1]. Moira also had suspicions about her father and the professor exchanging letters.

When he instructed Fauna and Raine to check the windows she couldn't help but glance over curiously, then he finished his sentence and she smiled. Still keeping them on their toes.

“They let me loose after a week more or less. Raine, if by hands on you mean making sure all the enclosures and buildings are clean, then aye.” Moira was the new employee. That meant all the vital, dirty tasks fell to her. Fortunately, dirty or not, magic made the task much more efficient and not an all day affair.

“I do get to pet babies sometimes."

Moira looked to Sasha, “Think you'll revert to stuffing your days as full as possible when school starts for you again?”

1.	Too Much To Handle