Before lunch hour


Virgil Carstairs was looking uncharacteristically casual in a plain white t-shirt and jeans as he approached the welcome desk on level two. His eyes were distant, his mouth redder than usual, cheeks pale. A lanyard had been swung about his neck, bearing an Unspeakable badge, just so that he wasn't unnecessarily quizzed on his way to meet Blake. That was the best part about training with Mysteries so far - nobody ever asked you questions, they just assumed they wouldn't be able to get anything out of you.

"Is Auror Blake in?" he asked one of the welcome witches, who already recognised him from the few times he had dropped by to pester Abby at her desk. "She should be expecting me."

It was sheer luck that Virgil had come into work today and received a memo from Fauna, stating that she had found his stolen violin. After yesterday's events, Yavin had suggested he begin his holiday earlier but Virgil hadn't wanted to sit at home alone with his thoughts until their evening rehearsal for tomorrow's A Christmas Carol.

That is, he didn't want to be alone with his thoughts after what had happened in the Death Chamber. Not that he could even talk about that to anyone besides Abby or the other Unspeakables.

The welcome witch waved him through and Virgil smiled briefly at her before winding his way towards the Auror HQ, a distracted look on his face. He rubbed his hands as he walked, and then his chest. He was still feeling strange. Cold, like he stood in the shadow of something large. His mind drifted from one thing to another, trying to settle on the good news of the day.

He was going to get his violin back!

Fauna stood at her desk, organizing her files before she went on holiday in about five hours (but who was counting). She'd requested Christmas off this year, hoping to spend it with family, her mum's fiance, and her future little step-brother. She had some news to sit down and share with them.

She glanced up at the right moment and caught sight of Virgil Carstairs navigating the Auror bullpen. Virgil in muggle clothes? Interesting!

"Hey," Fauna waved a little. "You're here to see-" no, not Abby. Her eyes widened. "Right! Your cello. I mean, your violin."

Merlin, she needed it to be the holidays already.

She flipped the files face-down in case Level Two had any other visitors or wanderers that day. Otherwise her desk looked tidy for once. She'd pinned an array of holiday cards up with her usual array of family photos (most of them not animated), an old SAWS badge, and a few post-its that warned 'don't trust the Ministry chocolate'. Someone clever had recently doodled a vampire bat on her FLORA poster, which flitted and spouted fangs among the bright flowers.

"Um, one second," she flipped a file over. Nope. Flipped it back over.

Fauna opened her filing cabinet and rifled through. This was what happened when she tried to organize. She could never find anything in its proper place.

Aha! Under 'P' for Pilpher. Well, Pilpher with a hopeful question mark. She wanted all these annoying burglaries to be connected somehow.

Mostly, she wanted to catch the damn burglar.

"Ok, so I have a few forms for you to sign," she held them in the air. "They're not too bad. Just asks for your name, your address, your signature. A description of what's being returned. Verification its yours. Don't fill them out yet," she added belatedly. "You should see the violin first."

She gave him the forms and glanced at her desk. Everything in order? He had the forms. OK, good.

"Er, if you'll follow me? We'll just get fetch it from evidence. I'm glad you were able to stop by today."

It meant she didn't have to explain the process to someone else or get called in on her time off. She gave him a shy smile, leading the way down the hall.

Fauna didn't usually get along well with snarky, irreverent sorts, as they reminded her too much of the students (mostly Slytherins) she'd tried to avoid at school. But they were hardly in school anymore, and she was feeling kindly towards him since yesterday, since knowing that Abby had survived.

A cello, one supposed, would have at least been more difficult to steal.

Here and there, the flutter of red robes flitted about level two and acquired a double meaning so close to Christmas. Yet he hadn't seen any mistletoe hanging about and, as Fauna looked through her files, Virgil wondered if perhaps cousin Sol had banned them from the department. Not that it would have worked... Witch Weekly was banned from certain offices but the insidious gossip rag always managed to find its way into someone's drawer.

            "Don't fill them out yet. You should see the violin first."

He took the papers and was already slipping a quill out from behind his ear when she spoke. Virgil had barely said a word - he was rather out of it  - but he gave himself a mental shake, following the dark haired witch away from the bullpen.

"I'm glad you were so quick to write," he echoed her words, keeping pace. "Where did you find it? I'd lost hope, considering it doesn't have much of a high value. Outside of sentiment. Thought someone might have just binned the whole thing to get rid of evidence."

Virgil could feel a soft buzzing in his head and his arms, heart trilling at the anticipation of holding his violin again. There were songs, certain songs he'd written, that he would only play on that violin. As they drew up to the doors of the evidence room, he glanced curiously at Fauna.

Word had it, she'd been having an awful December. Her thoughts were all over the place too; not that he minded the bit about snarky Slytherins. It was compensated for by her good feelings towards Abby. "Do you like music, by the way?" he asked in thoughtful voice. "And what kind?"

"I stumbled across it while I was out holiday shopping. I was looking for a flute," Fauna replied vaguely, with a trace of humor in her smile. She'd been looking into the creepy bone flute at Pandora's and had come across a few violins displayed next to a clay xun, a ukulele, and a (said to be haunted) hurdy gurdy. On a whim, she'd peeked at the backs of both violins and been stunned to find Edgar's name engraved on one. Finally! Some luck!

When the shop owner had appeared from the back of the shop, Fauna had had such a long list of questions for her (first about the origin of the bone flute, then about the violin), that the poor woman had looked close to snapping or crying. Fauna had felt so guilty that she'd ended up buying the xun, which sounded similar to a flute, along with a few other presents to gift her friends and family. Besides, she didn't want to burn any bridges at Pandora's. She'd have to keep an eye on the shop in case the burglar tried to use it again.

Fauna returned his curious glance with one of her own. He seemed much more subdued, or earnest than she'd expected? Though she'd mainly seen him at parties. Drink and gillyweed could make anyone more outgoing.

Did she like music? Fauna's face brightened. Did she!

"Um, yes. My flatmates and I, we're always-" singing to each other! "Playing music at all hours. Three Owl Standard. Nola and the Knockturnals."

She chuckled a little, happy to make conversation on their way through the maze of halls. Archives was just ahead, and past that, Evidence.

"A lot of muggle folksy, indie stuff too. Balmorhea, The Staves, Zoe Keating, Bon Iver," Fauna rattled off, knowing it was more nuanced than 'muggle stuff' but unsure how familiar Virgil was with muggle music. "Anything that makes you feel like you're out camping in the woods and there's a castle in the distance, you know, with vampire bats flying around?"

Oops, inside jokes galore. That was how they liked to describe Sasha's Halloween party, and the phrase of the month around Level Two was 'vampire bats'.

"Oh, and Anaïs Mitchell," Fauna's eyebrows shot up. "Her Hadestown musical is just," she hesitated, glancing at him quickly in case she was sounding ridiculously nerdy. "Well, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. I hope it makes it on Broadway someday."[1]

She smiled sheepishly, but he had asked!

1.	Hadestown is now on Broadway, in 2019, folks!! Yes!

So she had come across the violin by happenstance... or fate, if he believed in that kind of thing, which he sometimes did depending on whether or not he was feeling especially Seer-ish. The emotional equivalent of being a metaphorical jigsaw piece in a picture too large for one person to grasp.

Virgil's quiet expression twitched into a grin as soon as Fauna started rambling. He opened his mind a little and let it wash over him like a healing balm: her bubbly excitement and passion for music. It was therapeutic.

             "Anything that makes you feel...camping in the woods... castle in the distance...vampire bats flying around?"

"An esoteric genre," he observed, understanding precisely what it is she meant. Music could transport you. It was the magic that didn't discriminate between muggle and wizard. "The castle has to be haunted, of course."

Blake seemed like the kind of person who would enter a haunted castle. Alone? No, maybe not alone, unless someone was in trouble. He was suddenly struck by the idea that she might be a very good auror. That thought needed digesting. Later. One didn't always picture aurors as giggly witches who get tipsy at illicit sleepovers.

"Hadestown? I'll ask Edgar if he has heard of it. Musicals are his thing." Virgil rubbed the back of his head, where his blonde hair always stuck up like he'd just gotten out of bed. "I think I know Keating, and Bon Iver. Skinny Love, right?" 

He hummed a few bars, closing his eyes for a second as they continued to navigate the passageway towards Evidence. Virgil felt good about having left Mysteries for this. Maybe he'd go straight home instead. "I'll write you a song," he told Fauna with a catlike smile, "in return for finding my violin. Forest, castle, bats."

A Haunted Ode to Fauna Blake. Why not.

"Of course," Fauna nodded. Yes, haunted. She smiled hesitantly at his grin. He didn't seem to be making fun of her.

Virgil knew what she was talking about! He knew about a few of the muggle bands anyway, and his father might know Hadestown. That was a nice surprise, though perhaps the muggle jeans should have clued her in.

Her eyes widened as he hummed a few bars. What was even happening! No one sang on Level Two. No one had a soul on Level Two.

She gave him the most bemused (and amused) look of her life as he declared he would write her a song for her. For doing her duty. For stumbling upon the violin luckily. For sending him a memo early?

"Whaa-at," Fauna said slowly in a funny little low sing-song. Virgil? Write her a song? He was not. He was going to go home and nap like a cat with his violin in his arms, and then get on with his merry December in a cloud of gillyweed.

She laughed and shook her head as they passed by the archives.

She didn't blame him, but he knew not what he was saying in his sleepy state. Or perhaps he was even joking. She was ok with that. He knew the melody of Skinny Love.

"What about you?" Fauna wondered politely, stopping in front of a room marked Evidence where she flashed her badge at the window for the assistant to verify.

"Oh, I heard about your Christmas Carol? With the youth group? Er, youth troupe. Right?"

Her eyebrows inched up, hoping she'd remembered correctly. Though wait, A Christmas Carol had no carols. Did it. Or did it?

He didn't have to read her mind to clock the incredulity to his offer - but peering into Fauna's head, it was easy to see why she didn't take it seriously. Walking around level two dressed as he was, in a daze, half high off his head about getting his violin back. And he was definitely going to take a nap with the violin in his arms. So she wasn't entirely wrong.

Still getting a song, though.

"Youth troupe," Virgil confirmed as he tilted his chin up with the manner of a somewhat proud parent, "and we're aiming to slip in some classic carols between acts if we can. Silent Night, Joy to the world, etcetera. We debut tomorrow, running through until the twenty-sixth, if you'd like to come. There are always spare tickets at the door."

Edgar liked to keep a couple dozen free seats to be sold on the night. Lots of people liked to wander in and have a look, usually the sort who didn't have family (or family worth seeing) for the holidays. Sometimes smaller families wandered in after a day taking in the sights of Convent Garden.

Not sure about procedure, Virgil lifted his badge to the assistant in an echo of Fauna's actions.

"I like all sorts of music. It's important live and listen widely, don't you think?" his gaze flicked to the doors, heart rate picking up at the prospect of reunion. "Was into whale songs for a bit. Very soothing," he murmured without really thinking about what he was saying.

"Oh, thanks, Virgil," Fauna said with another look of surprise, though she took the invite seriously. Perhaps if things went well with her family this weekend she could convince them to go with her. Why not? They all needed some extra cheer in their lives, and nothing was more adorable than listening to youngsters singing carols.

"I'll try to make it."

As Virgil went on to say that he liked all sorts of music, Fauna nodded, momentarily distracted as the assistant unlocked the door and waved them both inside.

Fauna gave the older lady behind the desk a description of the violin. The woman rifled through her records until she found the correct storage bin number.

Normally, with most civilians, she'd make them wait here while she went to fetch the item. Virgil worked on Mysteries, and though he seemed a little out of it, she didn't see the harm in him following her. He'd get his violin faster that way.

"Thank you, Ethel. Enjoy your holiday. You have a few days off, right?"

"Eh," the lady shrugged.

Fauna bit back a smile. "Virgil, this way."

She gestured for Virgil to follow as she moved into the little lost-and-found library of wayward toys. The boxes they passed were neatly filed and sorted on shelves, evidence contained except when it wasn't.

They passed a music box that played a tinny little tune, a mirror which reflected a kaleidoscope pattern on the ceiling, a book that chanted Latin, and a clown doll that laughed maniacally. Startling, she waved her wand at it. Silencio! The clown paused a moment, then started up again. Creepy enchantments!

As she eyed the numbers below each box, Fauna thought about what he'd last said. Soothing whale songs, huh? Did he find the whales interesting to listen to, or was he was telling her something else?

"How have you been?" She glanced at him, keeping her voice light. "I mean, since October and the robbery. Everything been alright?"

From what she remembered, Virgil had come home after the robbery had taken place, and Nicholas had faced the brunt of it.[1]

1.	When Nicholas visited Abby on October 10th

As much as he looked forward to reuniting with his violin, Virgil was immediately distracted by the contents of the evidence room. He stood a little straighter - suddenly as alert as cat who tail has been tread upon. His gaze darted from one strange object to the other, dancing in surprise and delight as the clown cackled persistently. It was a treasure trove of the dangerous and strange! What a place!

            "How have you been?"

He looked away from an especially macabre skull that still had most of its musculature on the bone. "Me? Oh, fabulous." Virgil drawled and rubbed his chest distractedly.

"Rather busy with training, I think I've bit off more than your average hyena can chew," a shrug as he turned to squint at a scorched tapestry illustrating a Cyrillic family tree. "Nothing the holidays won't fix."

It was good of Fauna to ask, though it reminded him that they had never caught whoever robbed them. That didn't worry Virgil much because he knew the robbery was unlikely to have personal motivation... but then again, he hadn't been the one hexed in bed.

"What about you?" he resisted the urge to touch the tapestry, not wanting to break the trust entrusted to him by being allowed in the room. "Trading in your black for red soon, is it?" Virgil glanced over his shoulder and smiled with some of his usual lucidity. "Ought I keep my gillyweed out of sight when that happens?"

No longer in-training but a real Auror. That would be him some day: a proper Unspeakable. The thought sent a chill right through him.

"It's been a busy month, hasn't it. I just hope the holidays are quieter."

She smiled sympathetically. Level Nine hadn't had a chance to breathe, what with the landing at Loch Monar and the pentral exorcisms. Virgil looked like he'd been very involved in both, though he perked up at the enchanted evidence flying and rattling on the shelves around them.

Perhaps his mention of whale songs wasn't a cry for help. Ok good!

Fauna found the row of shelves labeled musical instruments, just past a burnt tapestry. This should be it.

She glanced at Virgil, eyes widening, a smile flickering on her face. "Shh, Ethel might hear."

Ethel did not care. Ethel might want some.

"Um, you should be sharing it, not hiding it, I think. I'll need it when I get my red robes. If you're offering? Very generous of you, thanks Virgil."

Right row, right shelving unit. Fauna looked up. She glanced at the ticket in her hand.

"Who put it at the very top. Not me," she muttered under her breath. Pointing her wand at the ticket, she floated it upwards, and waited a moment for the numbers on the ticket to overlap the numbers printed on the side of the box. Then the box scooted off the shelf, and gently lowered itself in the air.

She caught it, and set it on one of the low, empty shelves. It could have easily fit there earlier!

"Do you want to open it?"

Happy Christmas! Fauna chuckled.

            "If you're offering? Very generous of you, thanks Virgil."

His sleepy mouth relented to a smile and he decided that he liked Fauna Blake. It would have to be a worthy song when he wrote it. After he fell asleep with his violin on a cloud of gillyweed. Merlin, he was tired. Was he getting sick? That was going to be such a pain if he had to perform with a cold. At least his voice wouldn't be missed in a choice of younger, high voices.

Virgil waited patiently, eyes following the progress of the box from top to bottom shelf. Tapestry and laughing clowns were quickly forsaken. He was holding his breath the entire time and only realised when Fauna asked if he wanted to open it.

"Yes please," the wizard said in a soft voice, the lightest of touches on her shoulder as he stepped forward. He lifted the lid and set it aside quickly before reaching in to unclasp the leather case inside: there she was, a weathered teal fiddle with silver strings and tuning pegs that had seen better days.

His long fingers cradled the neck and body, and Virgil lifted it to his face so that he could kiss the slope of the chin rest. It still smelled like rosemary wood polish and his own honey shampoo; and the dustiness of a shop that traded old wares. He turned it around to run a thumb over the engraving on the back of the neck: EDGAR "ALOYSIUS" CARSTAIRS .

Virgil's delicate smile broke into a grin, cutting through the pretence of his maturity, and he turned to Fauna almost giddily.

"Thank you, Fauna. I thought I'd lost it for good," he strummed a couple of the strings and sent a few funny twangs! through the evidence room. Poor Ethel. "If you ever need a favour, do let me know."

And before she could make another one of her incredulous exclamations, Virgil added in a haughty voice that would have been right at home in Hogwarts dungeons: "I'm a wizard of many talents."

Fauna stepped back, feeling a bit awkward as Virgil embraced his violin, though she would feel much the same if anyone ever stole her paint sets or artwork or piano (the last of which was safely at her mum’s house).

Had he just kissed it? Her mouth twitched, and she glanced to the side, clearing her throat.

Fauna smiled warmly at his grin. At least something was going right this month! Auror training wasn’t all blood and gore and strife! Take that, senior aurors who loved to say that no one thanked an auror until they were dead!

She let out a long laugh at his haughty Slytherin-esque tone, shaking her head. She’d never heard it juxtaposed so nicely with an offer to return a favor.

“Ok, I’ll let you know.”

Fauna removed the ticket and wafted the empty box up to its usual place. Virgil had many talents. She did believe that, actually. Violin-playing, unspeakable-training, carol-directing, gillyweed-procuring, Abby-cheering, and who knew what else. Troublemaking. Obvious.

As she started her way past the rows of evidence again, she had a thought.

“There might be something,” she lifted a shoulder. “I’m getting the feeling that a prank is going to happen on Level Two soon. Pratt has been quiet for too long. He might not act in December, when so many people have time off, but in January, I think, when everyone comes back.”

Some dreamed of sugar plums, others of tormenting trainees.

“So I might, you know, ask you and Abby to help me plan a counter-prank whenever,” Fauna glanced at him, a sparkle in her eye. She felt less shy now that Virgil had his violin back and was so pleased about it.

And why not ask the prank experts? Maybe their reach extended beyond crimes against chocolate, or so Fauna suspected.

            "There might be something..." Fauna began as they made their way back.

Virgil had returned his fiddle to the case and was carrying it blithely by the handle now, too cheerful for even an imminent cold to disturb. He was going to go straight to Stardust later and show Edgar - though they'd have to tune it before a celebratory song. The young wizard smiled at Fauna.

"I would be more than happy to help you counter prank Pratt," he bowed his head a little, "I mean, if Abby and I could get away with the chocolates, why not something else?"

Technically he didn't get away with it. Yavin had temporarily banished him from the Love Chamber, and given him tasks in the less popular rooms on nine. Which had eventually lead to the general madness of December. But Fauna didn't need to know that. He nodded at Ethel as they left the evidence room.

"Just send me a memo when our services are needed, I suppose?" Virgil turned to Fauna, doll-like Fauna, and pictured her somewhere faraway and eerie.... yes, that would suit her rather well in a song. "Or let Abby know and she'll rope me in."

Fauna stopped short. Chocolates!

"You," Fauna turned towards him, her eyes bugging out. "You two!"

Chocolate criminals, Virgil and Abby!

She crossed her arms and slowly shook her head at him. Shake, busted! Shake, she knew it!

Send a memo or ask Abby, he said. Ok, but first!

"I mean, you two had me all starry-eyed over the most ridiculous people in the most, I don't know, unprofessional way. Embarrassing! I'm embarrassed just thinking about it again!"

She clapped a hand over the side of her warm face, and after another moment, moved her pinky over the smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.

"Um, anyway," she sighed, letting it go in one breath. "Yes I will. I will be reaching out. Keep it top secret. In the meantime," she walked past the last few aisles until she reached the desk where Ethel raised unimpressed eyebrows at her but let her borrow a quill.

"Sign the forms and you're free to go. I'm sorry-" she blinked.

"Of course you're free to go. I'm too used to saying that. Er, I will catch up with you later, Virgil. Right. And have a good holiday."

She smiled, then wrinkled her nose as something in the air made her want to sneeze. Fauna held it in, catching Ethel's warning look.