Grace; Harry Potter: The Avery Women; R
Jan. 29th, 2009 09:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
morgynleriTitle: Grace
Fandom: Harry Potter
AU: The Avery Women
Rating: R
Timeframe: 1969
Previous chapters: One, Two, Three, Four, Five
Chapter 6: Discussions
“Albus told me I might expect you.”
Niobe stared around her as she waited in the comfy chair Madame Pomfrey had directed her to when she brought her up to the Headmaster’s office. She’d been surprised when she woke up in the hospital wing, with Professor Jemsen sitting watch at her bedside. He hadn’t said anything to her, except to ask her how she felt.
She shivered slightly as a scrap of half-remembered dream floated across her mind, with the immediate feeling of something recent. She wondered what had happened last night once more. Her dreams on the full moon had never worried her mother enough to take her to St. Mungo’s, so why had she ended up in the hospital wing here after the full moon?
“Ah, Miss Avery.” Dumbledore came up behind her, smiling as he walked to his desk, picking up a tin. “Would you care for a lemon drop?”
“No, Headmaster, thank you.” Niobe shifted, fighting the urge to pick at the robe Andromeda had left for her the night before. “Sir, why am I here?”
Dumbledore sat in the other chair, watching her over his glasses as he spoke. “Your mother came to speak with me last night. She mentioned you have a sister, Grace. Would you know why she would do so?”
“Sir?” Niobe met his gaze, her eyes wide. “Mother told you about Grace?”
“Only that she is your sister, and that she is ill.” Dumbledore’s expression was kind, inviting her to confide her worries.
“I don’t want to say what she would not. It’s family.” Niobe looked down at her hands in her lap again, chewing on her lower lip slightly.
“Ah.” Dumbledore paused, and then she heard the chink of china, the scent of tea filling the room. “Would you care for some tea?”
“No, thank you, sir.” Niobe twisted a corner of her robe a moment before looking up once more. “Headmaster, can I go? I don’t want to miss classes.”
“Madame Pomfrey would like you to come back to the hospital wing after lunch.” Dumbledore avoided her question, offering a plate of biscuits. “She’s worried your nightmares might have some lingering effects.”
Niobe frowned, tilting her head slightly. “Why?”
Dumbledore sighed softly a moment, looking over his glasses at her. “Your mother is concerned that your twin’s illness could effect you, Miss Avery.”
Niobe drew in a deep breath, sitting up straight. “Sir, I told you, it’s family. Please, I want to go to class, and I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You may go, then.” Dumbledore stood as she slid out of the chair onto her feet, his expression troubled. “If you wish to talk about it, you may always come to my office.”
“Of course, Headmaster.” Niobe hurried for the door as fast as she could without running. She bolted as soon as she was out of the room, barely feeling the stairs beneath her feet as she pelted for the dungeon.
~ ~~ ~
Marion drew in a quiet breath as she read the letter from Dumbledore, tapping one neatly manicured finger against her writing desk before setting the parchment aside, and summoning her house-elf.
"Yes, Mistress Avery?"
"I shall be visiting Hogwarts again this evening. Miss Niobe was poorly last night, do make her a proper package for her recovery."
"Would Mistress Avery require anything else from Tully before her visit?"
"Lay out my green robes for this evening, and bring up a bottle of the Sauternes." She pursed her lips a moment, thoughtful. "The 1901, I think. Do make sure the desserts for Miss Niobe will do well with it."
"Yes, Mistress Avery."
"That will be all, Tully. Ah, and I shall take my lunch in conservatory." She carefully refolded the letter, tucking it into a drawer before locking it. "Have the rest ready for just after supper."
"Will Mistress Avery be wanting Tully to accompany her, or shall Tully prepare a basket for Mistress Avery to carry?"
Marion flicked a hand dismissively. "I am quite capable of carrying it myself, Tully, no need for you to come all the way to Hogwarts with me."
"Very good, Mistress Avery." Tully bowed before vanishing with a quiet crack, leaving Marion to brood over the contents of the letter.
~ ~~ ~
"Good evening, Mrs. Avery." Leopold Jemson smiled politely as he opened the door of his office wider to invite her in. "Albus told me I might expect you. Is there anything I might offer you? Tea? Sherry?"
Marion settled into the comfortable chair he offered before she responded, setting a small basket at her feet. "I would appreciate a cup of tea, thank you, Professor Jemson."
"Of course." He busied himself with a pot of tea, settling into the chair opposite her after handing her one of the thin china cups. "What can I do to help you this evening?" he asked after a brief moment, watching Marion.
Taking a sip of her tea, Marion met Jemson's eyes briefly before looking down at her cup. "I had hoped to speak with my daughter, as I am concerned about some information I have recieved. I understand she was taken to the infirmary early this morning?"
"Yes, by one of the prefects, Miss Black." Jemson took a sip before continuing, "She woke up this morning, and has refused to talk about it since. Albus informed me that you had mentioned Miss Avery has a sister?"
"She does." Marion took a sip of her tea, her gaze focused deliberately on her cup. "It is not something we speak much of, particularly not with those who are not of the family."
"I do understand, Mrs. Avery." Jemson paused, watching her shrewdly a moment. "If I might suggest, that as Miss Avery is a part of my house, I am in effect a surrogate parent whilst she is at Hogwarts, and therefore a part of her extended family. That what I am told in confidence, no matter how one views the arrangement of Head of House and student, will never be mentioned without the express permission of the one whose confidences they are should go without saying."
"Of that I am aware, Professor Jemson. Your reputation as a man of his word is well enough known." Marion gave him a small, polite smile. "Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to say anything of Niobe's sister. If she were, however, to confide anything to you, I should think it a good and proper thing for her to have someone aware of all the issues should something akin to last night occur again."
"Of course. Shall I send for her to come to my office?"
"I should like to speak with her briefly, yes. As well as deliver the basket which our house elf has made up for her to speed her recovery from what it was that ailed her last night." Marion took another sip of her tea. "You are welcome to keep the Saurternes should she not care for it."
"Of course, Mrs. Avery." Jemson smiled politely again before summoning a house-elf to deliver the summons to Niobe.
Fandom: Harry Potter
AU: The Avery Women
Rating: R
Timeframe: 1969
Previous chapters: One, Two, Three, Four, Five
“Albus told me I might expect you.”
Niobe stared around her as she waited in the comfy chair Madame Pomfrey had directed her to when she brought her up to the Headmaster’s office. She’d been surprised when she woke up in the hospital wing, with Professor Jemsen sitting watch at her bedside. He hadn’t said anything to her, except to ask her how she felt.
She shivered slightly as a scrap of half-remembered dream floated across her mind, with the immediate feeling of something recent. She wondered what had happened last night once more. Her dreams on the full moon had never worried her mother enough to take her to St. Mungo’s, so why had she ended up in the hospital wing here after the full moon?
“Ah, Miss Avery.” Dumbledore came up behind her, smiling as he walked to his desk, picking up a tin. “Would you care for a lemon drop?”
“No, Headmaster, thank you.” Niobe shifted, fighting the urge to pick at the robe Andromeda had left for her the night before. “Sir, why am I here?”
Dumbledore sat in the other chair, watching her over his glasses as he spoke. “Your mother came to speak with me last night. She mentioned you have a sister, Grace. Would you know why she would do so?”
“Sir?” Niobe met his gaze, her eyes wide. “Mother told you about Grace?”
“Only that she is your sister, and that she is ill.” Dumbledore’s expression was kind, inviting her to confide her worries.
“I don’t want to say what she would not. It’s family.” Niobe looked down at her hands in her lap again, chewing on her lower lip slightly.
“Ah.” Dumbledore paused, and then she heard the chink of china, the scent of tea filling the room. “Would you care for some tea?”
“No, thank you, sir.” Niobe twisted a corner of her robe a moment before looking up once more. “Headmaster, can I go? I don’t want to miss classes.”
“Madame Pomfrey would like you to come back to the hospital wing after lunch.” Dumbledore avoided her question, offering a plate of biscuits. “She’s worried your nightmares might have some lingering effects.”
Niobe frowned, tilting her head slightly. “Why?”
Dumbledore sighed softly a moment, looking over his glasses at her. “Your mother is concerned that your twin’s illness could effect you, Miss Avery.”
Niobe drew in a deep breath, sitting up straight. “Sir, I told you, it’s family. Please, I want to go to class, and I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You may go, then.” Dumbledore stood as she slid out of the chair onto her feet, his expression troubled. “If you wish to talk about it, you may always come to my office.”
“Of course, Headmaster.” Niobe hurried for the door as fast as she could without running. She bolted as soon as she was out of the room, barely feeling the stairs beneath her feet as she pelted for the dungeon.
~ ~~ ~
Marion drew in a quiet breath as she read the letter from Dumbledore, tapping one neatly manicured finger against her writing desk before setting the parchment aside, and summoning her house-elf.
"Yes, Mistress Avery?"
"I shall be visiting Hogwarts again this evening. Miss Niobe was poorly last night, do make her a proper package for her recovery."
"Would Mistress Avery require anything else from Tully before her visit?"
"Lay out my green robes for this evening, and bring up a bottle of the Sauternes." She pursed her lips a moment, thoughtful. "The 1901, I think. Do make sure the desserts for Miss Niobe will do well with it."
"Yes, Mistress Avery."
"That will be all, Tully. Ah, and I shall take my lunch in conservatory." She carefully refolded the letter, tucking it into a drawer before locking it. "Have the rest ready for just after supper."
"Will Mistress Avery be wanting Tully to accompany her, or shall Tully prepare a basket for Mistress Avery to carry?"
Marion flicked a hand dismissively. "I am quite capable of carrying it myself, Tully, no need for you to come all the way to Hogwarts with me."
"Very good, Mistress Avery." Tully bowed before vanishing with a quiet crack, leaving Marion to brood over the contents of the letter.
~ ~~ ~
"Good evening, Mrs. Avery." Leopold Jemson smiled politely as he opened the door of his office wider to invite her in. "Albus told me I might expect you. Is there anything I might offer you? Tea? Sherry?"
Marion settled into the comfortable chair he offered before she responded, setting a small basket at her feet. "I would appreciate a cup of tea, thank you, Professor Jemson."
"Of course." He busied himself with a pot of tea, settling into the chair opposite her after handing her one of the thin china cups. "What can I do to help you this evening?" he asked after a brief moment, watching Marion.
Taking a sip of her tea, Marion met Jemson's eyes briefly before looking down at her cup. "I had hoped to speak with my daughter, as I am concerned about some information I have recieved. I understand she was taken to the infirmary early this morning?"
"Yes, by one of the prefects, Miss Black." Jemson took a sip before continuing, "She woke up this morning, and has refused to talk about it since. Albus informed me that you had mentioned Miss Avery has a sister?"
"She does." Marion took a sip of her tea, her gaze focused deliberately on her cup. "It is not something we speak much of, particularly not with those who are not of the family."
"I do understand, Mrs. Avery." Jemson paused, watching her shrewdly a moment. "If I might suggest, that as Miss Avery is a part of my house, I am in effect a surrogate parent whilst she is at Hogwarts, and therefore a part of her extended family. That what I am told in confidence, no matter how one views the arrangement of Head of House and student, will never be mentioned without the express permission of the one whose confidences they are should go without saying."
"Of that I am aware, Professor Jemson. Your reputation as a man of his word is well enough known." Marion gave him a small, polite smile. "Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to say anything of Niobe's sister. If she were, however, to confide anything to you, I should think it a good and proper thing for her to have someone aware of all the issues should something akin to last night occur again."
"Of course. Shall I send for her to come to my office?"
"I should like to speak with her briefly, yes. As well as deliver the basket which our house elf has made up for her to speed her recovery from what it was that ailed her last night." Marion took another sip of her tea. "You are welcome to keep the Saurternes should she not care for it."
"Of course, Mrs. Avery." Jemson smiled politely again before summoning a house-elf to deliver the summons to Niobe.