Outfit

The short time between when Grace had gotten the owl from her uncle and when she was slated to meet with him in Hogsmeade hardly allowed her to think too much about the how and why of it. It breifly occured to her that it was a little strange that given she was from muggle roots, she would be meeting her uncle in magical place. And, it was a bit strange that of all of her family members to arrange to see her, it was her uncle. Not her father, not her mother and not even her brother who she was quite close to. No, it was her eccentric uncle on her mother's side who she admittedly did not know much about. She saw him at family gatherings every now and then, but usually Grace spent more time with her young cousins and and left the adults to talk about their business. She was at an age where she might have an interest in what they talked about but still felt too awkward to express it with their level of sophistication.

Still, Grace's interest was piqued and even Professor Levartian's presence close by her side could not dampen that curiosity. With her Valentine's Day transgression, Grace was thankful that her Head of House was allowing this at all. Since that time, she had felt her every move watched like a hawk and thus she had tried to keep a low profile. She didn't want to do anything that would upset Levartian further and perhaps be convinced to impose greater restrictions and punishment.

Student and teacher entered The Three Broomsticks and stood just inside. Myrni urged Grace to seek out the figure of her uncle so that she could leave the 7th year in his charge and run a few errands herself.

Though she hadn't seen him in a while, Grace looked for the one distinguishing feature for her Uncle Jonas that was hard to forget -- his reddish hair.

"Do you see him?"

Professor Levartian's voice nudged her out of her thoughtful search and Grace shook her head. "Uh....I guess we're here first. I don't think he's here yet."

Traveling was considerably more simple once magic came into the picture, even if one did not have magic oneself.  All he had to do was offer to buy Adon a pint (well, several pints - no night out with Eleor-Two ever ended after just one), and Jonas could instantly find himself anywhere in the United Kingdom quicker than he could say apparition.  Floo powder, too, had proven to be incredibly convenient even without a working wand, though it did wreak havoc on his allergies.

He'd made it into Hogsmeade early to give himself time to wander around.  With his recent change in official job title, Jonas had been doing what he could to refresh his memory of place that he might be called upon to visit.  Not everything had stayed identical as the years had passed. 

The Three Broomsticks, though, more or less looked the same as he remembered.  Plenty of Hogsmeade weekends had ended inside its walls, sharing drinks with Tait and their other friends.  It was humorously ironic to think that the niece that he hadn't known was magical likely did the same with her own friends at Hogwarts; judging by her Head of House, being a Gryffindor must run in their Muggle family.

He pulled open the door to the Three Broomsticks and started inside, nearly running directly into two figures who were cleverly standing near the doorway.  Even from behind, it was easy to immediately identify his niece and her dark red hair. 

"Alright then?" he greeted both of the females cheerfully, clearing his throat.  "Professor Levartian, innit?  Nice to meet you in person," he added, flashing the Head of Gryffindor a quick smile as he extended a hand to her.  "And thanks again for letting Grace into town for the afternoon.  I'm sure you're busy enough without an extra errand to run, but I think her mum might've had me head if I couldn't have made the trip."

Grace turned at the sound of her uncle's voice. Despite not being super close with him, she could pick a Cornish accent out of a crowd anywhere. Grace reluctantly smiled as she watched him greet her Head of House. The young Gryffindor glanced between her elders and patiently waited for her turn to speak.

Professor Levartian smiled and accepted his offered hand. "Mr. Trevelyan. It's good to finally meet a member of Grace's family. Although I was under the impression she was muggleborn like I am." Myrni reached out to give her student's arm a gentle squeeze. "But then, I suppose the magic has to come from somewhere for all of us, right?"

Grace was about to pipe up and say something when her professor sailed on and boldly asked, "So, being a Gryffindor alumni, would you say that you were a bit....unruly...in your days at Hogwarts? Perhaps that is a family trait as well?" There was a pause. "She seems to be getting into some trouble these days, which is why I owled her mother."

Grace plastered a smile on her face and pretended to be oblivious to what her professor was implying. She bit her tongue and was doing her best to think before she spoke, one of the many rules of etiquette that she had been trying very hard to abide by from her lessons with Kit.

Finally, Grace managed to squeak out, "How is mum doing?"

Jonas's smile didn't falter as he gripped the professor's hand, not sparing a look in his niece's direction.  "More like nobody said there only has to be one black sheep in the family, yeah?" he quipped, managing to look a bit sheepish. 

At her second question, he paused, eyebrows rising as he thoughtfully considered his answer.  Jonas had been to enough parent-teacher conferences for Gwenna to have a sense of what she had to be really getting it, but just like he and Anna stonewalled any hint that their daughter might be poorly adjusted - a team effort that had been maintained through even the rockiest days of their marriage and divorce - he wasn't about to give the ground here. 

"Don't know that I was ever unruly, right and proper," he replied, slanting a look at his niece.  "Can't imagine I would have lasted long in training afterwards if I had been, but there's always one or two in the House, it seems like.  And yeah, that was why Eugenia asked me to have a word with her," he added, adopting his best apologetic tone.  That was another trick learned from parent-teacher conferences; demonstrate that you were on the side of the educational establishment and the discussion went much more smoothly.  "Just took me a bit longer'n I would've liked to follow up entirely on it.  I'm sorry for that, but it's a challenge to even take weekends away from the Ministry."

Being able to throw around the weight of a respectable career was a pleasant change from previous interactions with his children's teachers, and he would have quite enjoyed continuing on that note for a while longer, but Grace spoke up, bringing the real reason for the conversation to the forefront.  Jonas glanced at his niece, studying her for a moment as he debated how best to answer.  Honesty would just encourage Professor Levartian to stay; far better to act the part of the disciplinarian and gain privacy to talk to Grace.

"As acerbic with a pen as ever," he said at last, a dry note creeping into his voice.  "If I were you, I'd give me thanks that they don't cover Howlers in the Hogwarts welcoming orientation.  Thanks again for bringing her here," he added politely, switching tones as he looked back to the professor.  "Did you want to stop in again in a bit, or shall I walk Grace back to the school gates when we're done?  Dean Bailey's running the patrol this week, yeah?"

Myrni didn't say anything in response to Trevelyan's quip and simply raised her brows. Though she did find it humorous, she wasn't about to allow Grace to see that. The prefect was doing well enough to get into trouble on her own and she didn't need adults to encourage that behavior.

Instead, Myrni listened carefully to his response to her inquiry about his own time at school. She was satisfied with his ability to present a strong, serious adult presence for Grace in light of what had been happening lately. She flashed him a small, understanding smile. "I am very sorry for the misfortune that has befallen your family. I'm sure Grace would love to be at home with her mother to spend some time with her, but perhaps until the right time, a meeting with another family member will do her some good."

Myrni reached out to give Grace's arm a squeeze. The potential for the mood to become somber was averted with the comment about Grace's mother and her diligence in getting Jonas to come. Though slightly strained, Grace and Myrni both laughed.

"Well, I will leave her in your capable hands then," Myrni said. "If you would like to escort her back to the school, that would be fine by me." Then she added in her best attempt at a warning voice, "But under no circumstances is she allowed to go alone. Unlike the rest of the school who is being restricted primarily for security measures, Grace here is further restricted due to her recent transgression. She has to earn full trust  befitting her position and her year in school back."

Myrni was off not long after those words were spoken and Grace was left alone with her long lost uncle. Or so it seemed as though that was who he was to her. Given her Head of House's departing words, it was hard for her to look at him without feeling the heat rise to her face. She quickly filled in the awkward silence that threatened to bloom. "I can explain about being in trouble...I know it sounds really bad, but I promise it's really not...and even you and mom would have understand...."

Even though he had come onto the occupation suddenly, Jonas had never had to put a lot of effort into parenting.  There were parts of dealing with children that came more naturally than others, but the cool, noncommittal tone that implied judgement without ever really outright stating it, that challenged falsity and dared contradiction, was something that served him quite successfully both as a father and in his time as a private investigator.  Get it just right and the other didn't dare to lie or argue.  (Of course, with Gwenna, he sometimes wished she would, but when the question began with 'And why were we chewing on a man we didn't know, then?', he knew from the outset that he wouldn't want to deal with answer.

"Would we?" he inquired in a perfectly pleasant tone.  His gaze drifted as he scanned the pub for a table.  "Let's find a seat, shall we?  Want a drink, did you?" he asked as he started for the bar.  The choice of beverage would give a fair indication of how daring his chastised niece was feeling at the moment.

When he returned to the table with drinks in hand -- in the interest of setting a better example for his young and moldable relative, he had gone for something decidedly less alcoholic than he would have chosen otherwise -- Jonas pulled out an empty chair, easing himself carefully into it to take a seat.

"Your mum does send her best wishes," he told Grace, relenting in his serious manner as he passed her a drink.  "I think she would've liked to come herself if the trip wouldn't've been such a trek."  He cleared his throat, looking unabashedly amused as he raised his mug to take a sip.  "She really just asked me to stop in and have a word with your Head of House, but I thought we could do with a spot of catching up, you and I."

After Professor Levartian left, Grace waited for the ball to drop. Uncle Jonas had to be planning for just the right way and time to lace into her about her bad behavior. That's how adults worked. They had a secret code and mission for how to teach misbehaving youngsters like her lessons.

She followed her uncle to a table and took a seat. Grace recognized his offer of a drink as being a test. But Grace was also aware of how little her uncle might actually know about her. Even as rebellious as she had been of late, the seventh year had never been much of a rebel as far as drink choices went. She was always the one who took care of her friends when they got properly snockered.

Grace grinned. "Pumpkin juice is fine." Her brows shot up quizzically when he returned and her hands molded around the mug that he passed her. It became a way of curbing her nervousness. Soon, she ducked her gaze to the liquid as soon as he mentioned her mother. Eugenia's health was the proverbial elephant in the room for both of them

It was hard for her to think about her mom for too long without getting sad and ultimately having her mind go off on a bunch of thought tangents about her. She tried her best to deflect the conversation away from anything that might trigger that.

Grace propped her elbow up on the table and rested her chin in her palm, thoughtfully looking over at her uncle. "Sometimes I wonder what kind of witch she would have made..." She smirked and then seriously asked, "How did you know that you were....you know....a wizard? After a beat, she added, "And how come no one told me?"

"How did I know I was a wizard?" Jonas repeated, giving her a bemused look.  That was a far preferable question to address with her to start, seeing as how it did not beg any analysis of how well he paid attention at family gatherings in the same way that the second inquiry might. 

"Got a letter, didn't I?" he asked, leaning back easily in  the chair.  "It was a bit of a shock; as far as I know, I was the first one in the family, so none of us really knew what to expect.  Never really believed it much meself until I was walking through a wall and wandering down a street that sold magic wands and flying broomsticks.  That settled it properly," he added, cracking a smile.

Pausing, Jonas took a sip of his drink as he considered her second question.

"I left during the last war," he said at last.  "I don't know how much they teach you lot about it, but things were bad for Muggle-borns.  I'd been an Auror, and the Ministry was requiring anyone who couldn't prove wizarding ancestry to report before a committee.  Didn't want any part in that, so I laid low."  He cleared his throat, doing his best not to look sheepish.  "For a few years.  I've only recently taken on the job at Level Two again, and it's not entirely the sort of thing that you bring up at family gatherings."

The explanation was a bit hasty, but considering that he was the elder present, he could trust that seniority would make it less likely that anyone would question the slightly illogical reasoning.  Jonas shrugged, glancing at her over the top of his mug as he raised it to take another drink.

"So what's this trouble you've gotten yourself into, then?" he inquired, keeping his tone as mild as he lowered the glass again.  That was a trick well learned from raising Gwenna; don't let on that one knew any details and avoid acting judgemental, and information was far more likely to be forthcoming.  "Almost the end of schooling for you, innit?  Must be quite the event to take your mind off of NEWTs."

Grace smirked at his amused response to  her questioning. She let go of the mug and crossed her arms in front of her, hoping that he would take this more seriously. She really did want to know how they had both gone so long without really knowing about each other. Was it her fault? Had she, who prided herself on being observant and attentive to detail, failed at noticing that her uncle was a wizard? Or had it been her parent's fault? It wasn't that they were ashamed that Grace was a witch and had been invited to a special school, but explaining the differences between what she did an what Cadan did to friends, neighbors and colleagues took some creative thinking on their part. Grace wondered if they had used it when talking about her uncle Jonas as well.

She hardly had time to think that deeply back to conversations with her parents about him as he began to talk about how shocked he was. Then he spoke about what he did in the magical world and his struggles as a Muggle-born, and Grace's annoyance about not knowing about him waned. She dropped her arms and clasped her hands in her lap before looking down at them. "Yeah, I guess it's not."

It was on her tongue to ask him more about his struggles as a Muggle-born when he inquired about what she had been doing to get into trouble. She was sure that her face was turning as red as her hair. She knew that line of questioning was coming, but to have it directed at her was still something of an embarrassment for Grace. It still took some getting used to for her to be the one in trouble these days. Usually she was the one scolding the likes of George, Chance, Lou or Quinn for that.

She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Well, it's a long story really," she began, slowly raising her brown eyes to his face. She studied his expression for a moment and while she was sure that her mother and her uncle were quite different with their own personalities and qualities, she couldn't help but see part of Eugenia Eddy sitting across from her.

Grace hastily reached for her mug again and took a sip, alleviating how parched her mouth had become suddenly. "I...uh...guess it started shortly when we returned from holiday break. And I stormed out of DADA class because the professor was teaching us something that made me think about mum....well....dead." Grace grimaced. "Some of my friends left too and Professor Storm gave us detention. Although I don't know if you'd call giving us a riddle to find out which glass a poison is in is really detention," she said with a hint of her own inquiry. Barely pausing to let her uncle jump on that bit of information, Grace continued on to tell him about her biggest offense, "And then for Valentine's Day, I sorta....kinda....hexed one of my classmates. She totally deserved it -- she's been horrible to me since the day I arrive here and she's horrible to so many others too and I just couldn't help myself in the moment. All I could see was red -- and not Gryffindor red either, Uncle Jonas. Just....red....from being so angry, yanno? I didn't even plan to hex her but it just happened."

Grace released a sigh, her shoulders slumping. "And now Professor Levartian is making me do Etiquette Lessons so that I will be forced to be more ladylike." Her uncle's mention of the end of the year was sobering and she sighed again. She abruptly asked, "Were you glad to be done? Or did it make you sad? Sometimes I think I'm glad NEWTS are coming. And other times, I wish they weren't...."

He'd learned years ago that 'a long story' usually meant 'something I don't care to talk about.'  During the worst of the years with his wife, Jonas had used the excuse plenty of times himself; it had been thrown in to explain anyway anything from why he'd never attended university to why he had been so jumpy about returning to London.

Grace, though, seemed perfectly willing to plunge right in.  The first bit was something that he felt a twinge of sympathy for; of the many things in his life that Jonas Did Not Think About, his older sister's current condition was one.  Even after the shadowy threat of the Ministry had faded and well before the embarrassment of his failed marriage had shadowed any trips home, he had avoided going back down to Cornwall for a reason.  It was far easier to turn his back on anything that he didn't want to face than to confront it directly, over and over again.

Before he could open his mouth to express his understanding, Grace had rushed on.  Something about a detention -- a what? -- and then hexing her classmate.  Jonas blinked at her, opening his mouth to interrupt, but his niece was wasting more time.  Before the suitability of her punishment had even registered on him, she had already moved on to firing questions.  He had no doubt that even Gwenna would have been impressed by the dexterity and speed.

"Yeah, I was glad," he replied, his forehead creasing as he attempted to rewind the speech in his head.  "Reckon I was ready to get on with Auror training at that point; it was all we'd been thinking about for years.  You want to back up to what you said about a poison?" he asked with a deepening frown.  This was, in many ways, letting her steer him off subject.  Hexing someone, whatever the reason, was not something he intended to let slide -- but neither was this.  "What did they have you do for detention?"

Grace thought that simply pouring out the entire story without a pause for breath might help mask some of the more unsavory bits -- the need for detention....hexing Maeve...being required to take etiquette classes -- none of those things would sound very positive. And if her Uncle Jonas was any bit like her mother in the reprimand department, Grace could only imagine what his reaction would be. She cringed and waited for the use of the determining factor -- the use of her full name, Grace Merryn Eddy.

But it didn't come out like that. In fact, it didn't come out at all, even as Grace briefly considered that her uncle might not even know her middle name anyway. Instead he was asking about her detention. She gave him a quizzical look. "Well, Professor Storm....he made us do this puzzle. We had to figure out which containers had poison in them but we couldn't use our wands. It was a puzzle. Or riddle." She shrugged, having no idea that the detention activity might not be a good thing. "But we did fine. Fauna and Chance and I figured it out."