July 22, 2009
8:24 am

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Zora Roh was waiting at the Leaky Cauldron's large floo for Waverly to come on through.  Waverly was her teenage daughter and had just arrived back from a school tour to Egypt a couple of days before.  What with her schedule and with Waverly's travel recovery, the two had hardly seen each other.  Zora had just come off a long overnight shift and a breakfast at The Leaky with her daughter was going to have to do for now. 

She had mixed feelings about it, to tell the truth.  She wanted to hear all about Egypt, but she also had some disappointing news to tell. 

Tired from her long shift, she checked her watch again.  The way Waverly often reacted, being asked to be awake before noon in the summer was tantamount to slaying a dragon solo and blindfolded.  Zora just hoped for a pleasant breakfast without too much whining. 

Waverly was unsurprisingly irritated.  She had only been back from Egypt a few days so her sleeping schedule was still out of sorts.  Yet her mother Zora still insisted on an ungodly early breakfast.  A stick of dynamite and a blasting curse couldn't prompt Waverly to jump out of bed.  Rather, she'll slowly (inch by inch, limb by limb) creep to the edge of her bed, still under the covers, until the majority of her body weighs the rest of her onto the floor.  It was a little unnecessary, but by the time she hits the floor, she'll have incentive enough to move a substantial amount an untangle herself from the blankets.

This particular morning was no different.  Though rather than prettying herself up as usual, she let her hair go every which way and her face Au-natural.  Slipping on a simple loose-fitting sundress and sandals, she made her way to the fireplace and used the Floo network.  Good thing she was conscious enough to say the right words, otherwise she'd end up in God knows where (like many times before).

She wasn't a big fan of Floo.  She always felt there was a brief moment when she was completely naked.  It made her uneasy.  Once at the Leaky Cauldron, she took a big yawn and stumbled her way to her mother, collapsing in the chair across from her.  Groaning, she rested her head in her hands and looked up at Zora as if to say 'why do you do this to me?'.

"Morning, sunshine," Zora greeted Waverly as she blew through the floo and skulked to the table looking deliberately shaggy.  Zora wasn't the type to harp on her daughter about dressing up - hell, wears sweats every day if you want to - but knowing Waverly, this was an unusual state.  Or perhaps exactly what she should have expected this early in the morning.

"Coffee's on its way," she reassured her as she leaned forward to shed her red Auror's robe.  It was a bit too warm during the day, but at night it was just right.  "I also got us some crepes.  You know, with that hazelnut stuff on them." 

She raised her eyebrow at her daughter and she pouted.  "What - don't you have scads of stories to tell?  Did you see the sphinx?  Look anything like the real thing?"

Waverly perked up slightly at the promise of coffee and her favorite food: crepes with hazelnut.  Though it wasn't enough to bring her out of her funk at the moment.  "You want me to talk about Egypt when I'm sixty percent asleep?" she said lowly, rubbing her temples with half-lidded eyes.   "That's like asking smiley McGee to stop smiling."

Waverly was cranky.  Zora should know well enough by now what mornings like these did to her.  But, she had spent a month away from her mom, and Waverly wasn't a complete brat.  "At least until I've had my coffee," she added, not wanting to endure a lecture so early in the day.

Speaking of which, here came her coffee.  Waverly took her cup lazily, inhaling the amazing aroma a few times to awaken her senses.  Preferring her coffee black, she kept the mug between her hands and looked at Zora expectantly as if to say, 'Well, aren't you going to cool it?', since Waverly couldn't use her wand outside of school.

Zora had ordered for herself an herbal tea - taking coffee when she fully intended to sleep for the next eight hours would be counterproductive.  As it was, she'd had plenty of coffee throughout the night, enough to drown a squid.

She shook her head imperceptibly as her daughter complained about the hour.  But honestly, seeing her there at the moment was enough, no matter how surly she was.  Waverly was incorrigible sometimes, but when she was gone, she was missed.  Just like every fall when she left for Hogwarts - that first few weeks was an adjustment for both her mothers. 

Waverly taking the trip had been a Roh-Ballentyne controversy.  It wasn't so much the cost but losing four precious weeks of Waverly time, only to lose her again for Hogwarts.  But as they say, you've got to let the ducklings go...

"Then I'll talk," she said, tapping her wand on the rims of both their cups so they'd keep from burning their tongues.  Then the middle-aged Auror sat back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other.

"Remember how I put in for solo duty? How I'd be more flexible with my hours that way.  Well, bad news is instead of clearing me for solo, they gave me a new partner." 

Zora's last partner had been a rookie straight out of training and her family had heard all about it, how it made Zora feel old, like she was babysitting.  And so when they transferred him, she'd been going solo and found she preferred it.

"So that's a pain in the arse..."  she said with a note of commiserating sympathy. 

Waverly mumbled a thank you and began sipping her drink as if it were the elixir of life (which for a morning like this, it really was for her).  The bitter goodness slithered down her throat with ease, engulfing her in warmth.  She hummed appreciatively and listened to her mother talk about work.  It's always about work with her, she thought lowly, letting out a sigh and taking another large gulp of coffee.

"Why would you want to be solo, anyway?  Sounds really boring.  I'd want someone to spend my day with." she commented flatly, idly tapping her long fingernails on the tabletop, resting her head in her other hand.

"I mean, it's not like you've been around much anyway since you've been without a partner.  What would it really change?" she added coolly, eying her mother blankly.

Waverly wasn't too bitter about not seeing Zora much since she worked practically non-stop.  Not that she was going to admit it to herself at all, anyway.  She had Althea, her other mother, who was constantly a presence at home.  Though honestly, sometimes it was as if Althea was her mom and Zora was her workaholic dad.  Sure, she knew she loved her and Waverly loved her, too, but sometimes she felt as if she didn't even know Zora.

Zora's apology fell on the cold calculating counter-attack from her teenage daughter.  She felt like adding that her new partner was an immature man-child, but refrained.  She was supposed to be trying with Ed. 

"You've been in Egypt," Zora responded flatly.  "It actually has been better and now it's not going to be.  Bad timing."

Even though she was complaining at least Waverly was talking now.  The bad news had broken better than she'd expected (or worse?).  Maybe now that she had her coffee she'd share about her trip.

"So how was Egypt? Take any pictures?" 

Waverly rolled her eyes again, emitting a small scoff as she peered into her black drink, her thoughts drifting to Egypt.  "Egypt was beautiful.  So many colors and scents and flavors.  It was like... a whole other world, another planet." she said thoughtfully.  "I want to make a scrapbook out of all the pictures I took and then show them off.  There are so many it's going to have to be a series.  No, a saga."  Taking another sip she remembered the shopping spree she went on and debated whether or not to tell her mother.

She always thought fashion was overrated.  I mean, look at what she's wearing now.  She wouldn't understand, she'd probably just get up on her high horse and lecture me on being sensible. she thought, looking up at her mom.

"I adore their clothes.  You would not believe how many stands and shops I almost fainted in just by looking at their clothes.  Oh!  And their accessories!  So.  Adorable.  I would've bought out all of Egypt if I could." she said all in one breath, clearly excited just to think about it.  "This one shop-owner thought I was Cleopatra's reincarnation.  He gave me a bunch of free stuff, it was so funny." she went on with a fond smile.

As they often did with Waverly, the discussion turned away from architectural marvels and exciting ancient magical cultures to.... fashion.  Zora smiled tolerantly as Waverly's face lit up as she went on a rapid ramble about all the clothes and jewelry there was to see.  Zora sipped her tea slowly.

Checking over her, Zora didn't immediately see if anything she was wearing was new - it looked like her scrubs this morning.

"Did you spend much?" she asked.  And then almost wished she hadn't.  It had come out a little too pointed.  But they'd given Waverly a chunk of gold to spend - on food and gifts and things.  Of course they'd told her she didn't have to spend it all, and to save some of it for food or emergency... But now Zora's fears that her galleons had been transmuted into the cutest earrings ever seemed to be confirmed. 

"I mean, what'd you get?" 

Waverly braced herself for what could turn into a parental outrage.  Finishing her coffee in one swoop, she sat back more in the chair, a little worried her mother might lose it and attack her face.  Of course, that was absurd, but Waverly didn't want to take any chances.  She was, after all, the reincarnation of Cleopatra.

"Well, I did get a few things here and there..." everywhere, she started innocently, attempting to find a way to ease the blow.  "I had to get a couple mobile coat hangers because there wasn't enough room in my closet.  But a lot of them were free, so I didn't go over my budget." much.  Her other mom, Althea, had been more understanding of her need to look pretty.  Waverly had already put on a fashion show for her in her new clothes and showed off all her sparkly jewelry.  "Mom loves them," she added lightly with a little smile, hoping to divert the topic into something better.

Waverly would offer to let Zora borrow some whenever she wanted or put on another fashion show, but she knew she wouldn't go for it.  Instead, she waited for the crepes to arrive, twirling her fingers in her chocolate waves.

Zora smiled and shook her head.  Waverly knew just what buttons to push and Zora had to admit - Althea was a fashionable witch herself and would probably look fantastic in something Waverly found in an Egyptian market.  Zora had few occasions to dress up - it was all red robes and boots with her... At least she accessorized - didn't men's sunglasses count anymore?

"You spent all of it didn't you?" Zora accused lightly.  "I know that look." 

A server dropped off the food, adding a comma to their conversation.  Once dishes were settled and sorted, and chairs scooted in, Zora went back into the fray.

"So.  Didn't get up to much trouble I hope.  Did as your professors told you?  I'd hate to find out it was my daughter who had caused any of the ruckus I heard about.  Really wasn't as safe as they said it would be," she said.  Leave it to Zora to be grim.

But it was true - the Headmistress of Hogwarts had apparently gone missing halfway through the trip. [1]

1.	Snark Missing?

Waverly rolled her eyes and shook her head, scooting up to the plate of crepes.  Like with her coffee, she inhaled the sweet aroma of her favorite food, allowing it to fill her senses before digging in.  She chewed slowly; savoring every flavor before swallowing: the gooey goodness slithering down her throat gloriously.  She thought a moment before answering her mom about the trip and how much trouble she got in.

"Well, let's just say I wasn't caught doing anything wrong." she said mischievously with a slight smirk.  In truth, Waverly had a fairly laid-back vacation in Egypt.  There was a lot to do that she didn't feel the need to get into trouble by sneaking off.  "Yeah, poor Headmistress Snark.  I really liked her." she added softly with a shrug as she took a bite from her crepes.  "Is there any new development in the case?" she asked sincerely after swallowing.

Waverly found it quite exciting--however tragic--that her headmistress disappeared on a school trip in a foreign land.  Though she hoped nothing bad happened to Analiza Snark, she couldn't help feeling her kidnapping made the already intriguing trip that much more awesome.

Zora, in kind, was picking through her crepes.  She was hungry off her long shift and so wanted to tuck in now that she could.  Later, she'd head home, cast a heavy darkness spell over her bed, taking a sleeping potion and get some serious shut-eye.  But for now...daughters, tea and crepes on a bright Diagon Alley morning.  It was a strange life, but if Zora kept her mind in the moment, it almost seemed normal.  Breakfast with her daughter.

Zora smiled.  She was a beautiful girl, easily someone's Cleopatra.  She wondered... destined for greatness?  (Something on the mind of Slytherin mothers like herself, even if just a little bit.)  Similarly destined to a tragic death?  Morbid thoughts to be put out of her mind.  Her daughter was beautiful and bold.  That was subject enough for a light breakfast.

She chuckled when Waverly baited her with notions of un-punished tomfoolery while in Egypt.  She shook her head and gave her a warning glare that was more play than parental wrath.  But the stern look that followed her question about Headmistress Snark was more solid.

It was an impatient little glare she reserved for 'you know I can't tell you anything.'  If it wasn't in the paper, there wasn't much more Roh could say, even to family.  But there were some boring facts and details that might add some light to the story for Waverly.

"We're still looking," she said, her mouth full of crepes.  "I honestly don't know where all this is going to end up.  Like was said in the Prophet, we're well past routine investigation.  I think your schools' going to have to find someone to take her place if they haven't already."

"What do you think about that Tournament coming up?"

Waverly was a little disappointed in learning nothing from her mom, but understood even if she did know something it would be classified.  So, with a sigh, she took a bite of her crepes and thought about what her mom asked her.

"I'm excited for the Tournament.  I've always loved French-style clothing and am curious about Durmstrang and Salem outfits." Waverly said excitedly, poking at her food.  Then she realized her mom was looking for a more substantial answer than resorting back to fashion.  "And, I'd like to learn firsthand about different cultures again.  Egypt really opened my eyes to new things and I think I've decided to travel the world someday." she answered a-matter-of-factually, grinning at her mom before taking another bite.  "You know, absorb another way of living, get out there and experience... everything."

Waverly really was excited about what she was saying.  She had always wanted to live life to the fullest and do something different everyday.  As soon as I graduate, I'm taking a year off to circle the globe, she decided and grinned even wider at the thought.

"Maybe meet some cute French boys," she added on purpose; wanting to see her mom's reaction.

Zora was smiling warmly as Waverly mentioned dreams to travel the world - seemed the trip to Egypt had lit a spark in her!  She was still smiling and almost chuckling by the time Waverly brought up French boys. 

"Oh ho ho," she laughed as she stood up from her seat, making ready to leave.  "How will you do all that when you're still my little baby girl forever and ever?  You think we 'gotcha' just to let you go off and become a grown up?" 

Zora was teasing,  mentioning Waverly's infant adoption as their 'gotcha' day.  "C'mon, then.  We've got time to hit a shop or two.  Anything open early."  Out of her pocket, Zora produced enough silver to pay the check and leave a tip, and shrugged her heavy red robes back up onto her shoulders.

She raised her eyebrows.  "Maybe a spellbook.  Get ahead of those fancylads coming to lose to Hogwarts."

Zora was competitive as any Slytherin, and even moreso did she have faith in her daughter.