Chapter Five: Blind Date

Chapter Five: Blind Date

Johannes checked himself in the mirror one more time, then sighed. He never should have agreed to Malcolm's idea. His barmy idea, to use one of Dumbledore's favourite expressions. Johannes doubted that he'd enjoy his visit with Gertrude and Malcolm with some strange witch along for the evening. He hadn't seen Gertrude since her birthday party in January, and he had hoped that the three of them could just have a nice relaxed evening together. But Malcolm would not be dissuaded, and so Johannes was going on a blind date. He didn't know which was worse, having to have a blind date with his two friends along or having to sacrifice his evening with his two friends by having a blind date.

He shrugged on a long, loose-fitting grey woollen coat, patted his pocket to check for his wallet, then grasped his wand and Disapparated for Diagon Alley, where he was to meet Malcolm, Gertrude, and his mysterious date. Other than reassuring him that it wasn't one of his former students...the thought of which appalled Johannes...Malcolm would not let on who the witch was, or even whether Johannes was already acquainted with her.

Johannes wound his way through the Saturday evening crowds and headed toward the Leaky Cauldron. Malcolm had said that they would start there, have a quick drink, and then go on to the Phoebus Café, which was going to have live music that night...some friends of Malcolm's who played folk music. After that, Malcolm thought they might go out dancing at the Glimmer Room in Cardiff, which would necessitate Flooing, unless they didn't drink. Johannes thought he might bow out before that, although he did not want to be rude to whatever witch Malcolm had enticed into accompanying them that evening. He supposed she was likely nervous, as well, and perhaps even less pleased with the prospect of a blind date than he was. Presumably, the witch knew Malcolm well enough to feel sure that he wouldn't set her up with a wizard who wasn't a gentleman.

Johannes spotted Gertrude first, her height and her grey hair making her easy to see in the crowded pub. Her back was to him, though, and Malcolm, who was standing beside her at the bar, turned and saw Johannes before she did. Malcolm's smile was instantaneous, and Johannes smiled in return.

Malcolm took a few steps towards him, meeting him with a cheery greeting and a pat on the shoulder. "Come meet a friend of mine, Johannes," Malcolm said, as though it hadn't all been planned in advance. "Katherine, this is Johannes Birnbaum. Johannes, Katherine Fellows." He presented Johannes to a slim, brown-haired witch with gold-brown eyes and a bright, lively expression.

Johannes took Katherine's extended hand and made a quick, shallow bow. "Madam Fellows, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Katherine smiled. "Katherine, please."

"Katherine."

"Katherine's an Auror, but one of the decent ones. We went to school together," Malcolm said.

Johannes nodded and was saved from having to think of a response by Gertrude, who placed her hand on his arm and said, "It is good to see you. I'm glad you could come out tonight."

Johannes bent his head and kissed Gertrude's cheek. "I have been busy, Gott sei dank, and have not spent much time at home recently, either."

Malcolm popped a nut into his mouth and said to Katherine, "Honnie's taken a commission with my grandmother. He's quite in demand."

"You are a Herbologist, right?" Katherine asked. "And you were Head of Ravenclaw for several years, weren't you?"

"Ja...a beer, please," Johannes said to the bartender when he came up. "Lager." He turned back to Katherine. "Yes, I was Head of Ravenclaw for a while."

"I was in Ravenclaw, actually." She grinned slightly. "I suppose I still am. They say the Houses are for life, after all."

Johannes inclined his head. "That is what is said."

Johannes was grateful when his beer came and he had something to occupy himself. He glanced over at Gertrude. She seemed much the same as she always did in public; it was unlikely they would have their opportunity for a good conversation that evening. He would have to make a point of visiting her at Hogwarts one evening. An evening when the Tyrees were out of the house, perhaps. Or when Siofre was. Despite wanting to catch up with Gertrude, Johannes disliked the thought of sacrificing an evening when he might see Siofre, even if just at the dining table. Lydia was sweet and amusing, too, and he was pleased to play along with her, and he enjoyed seeing her tease Siofre, but it was the thought of Siofre's company that caused his heart to beat faster and his mouth to go dry. He took a long drink of beer.

He and Siofre were both early risers, and her company at breakfast had already become a staple of his day. The prospect of seeing her was his first thought upon waking each morning, and when he had woken that morning in his own bedroom in Hogsmeade, he'd felt deflated when he realised that he would be breakfasting alone that day. He was on commission for them, he had reminded himself as he ate cheese and flat bread with black coffee for his solitary breakfast. Their gardener, basically.

"What do you think, Johannes?" Malcolm asked.

Johannes, who had only heard half the conversation, had no thoughts at all on whatever the topic was, since he hadn't been paying attention. He shrugged. "There is not a single right answer, I think."

Gertrude shot him a smile as though she knew that he hadn't been paying attention. "A diplomatic response," she said. She looked around. "It is becoming noisy here. Shall we go on to the café?"

As they made their way back down Diagon Alley toward the Phoebus Café, Gertrude somehow manoeuvred so that she and Johannes were walking a few steps behind Katherine and Malcolm, who were chattering away about old friends.

"You look well, Johannes."

He nodded. "I feel well." He smiled at her. "You look very well, yourself, Gertrude."

"I am happy that it is now finally the Easter holiday." She gave a sideways grin. "It is not even particularly late this year, but it felt a long time coming. It was a long winter this year."

"You have plans for tomorrow?"

"Yes. Malcolm and I are going to the estate for the day. It is a sacrifice for Malcolm, but he's being a good sport about it."

"How a sacrifice?"

"Dressing up, being on his best behaviour, not having me all to himself . . ." She paused. "And a lot of my extended family will be there."

"Ah."

"Ah," Gertrude agreed with a nod.

"He can play at pureblood, I am sure," Johannes said. "And I suppose he is one, technically, although he'd never say so much."

"Yes, but Quin will be there, and they always goad each other into worse and worse behaviour." Gertrude's lips twitched in amusement. "They are like a couple of little boys. You were there at the picnic in August."

"I believe they disrupted the croquet game and completely scandalised the Blacks, Rosiers, and various Yaxleys. Your mother seemed amused, though," Johannes said.

"Mm. Full grown men playing Shuntbumps with both wizards dressed in kilts? Yes, she was amused initially. Less so when Shuntbumps degenerated further to a wrestling match, both wizards falling off their broomsticks and continuing the match in the middle of the lawn, scattering the croquet balls and the players. They were both a mess." She shook her head in exasperation, but was grinning at the memory. "They hardly set a good example for the kids."

"I believe Alroy was embarrassed."

"At the age Alroy is, nothing Quin does could fail to embarrass him," Gertrude said. "And having his father . . . flashing his goods to the world as he falls from his broomstick, that was 'fatal,' as Alroy told me most melodramatically later that afternoon."

Johannes smiled. "But it is something that Alroy would have found amusing to do himself, I am sure."

"Like father, like son, they say."

"A chip off the old brick," Johannes agreed.

"Block, old block," Gertrude said. "Yes. Say, do you have plans for tomorrow? Easter dinner? I should have asked you earlier."

"I have no plans. I was going to go over to the Three Broomsticks. Yes, I will come. I will try to be a good influence on your two boys," Johannes said with a smile. "When should I arrive?"

"I'm staying in Hogsmeade with Malcolm tonight, and we're Flooing through from the house at eleven. Come by and we'll all go together."

"Very good."

"I'll be in Hogsmeade for the entire holiday. You should come over to the house, come for dinner. Bring a date, if you like," Gertrude said.

"I am staying at the Tyree estate during the week. But I could still come over one evening. It is an easy Apparition to Hogsmeade, not far."

"You aren't taking a holiday at all? Not even Easter Monday?"

"No, not now. I only started the work. There is too much to do. In the winter, there will be less work. I can think then about a holiday."

"You must take a few days in July, though, and come down to the estate. I'm sure they'll manage without you for that long by then."

"Of course."

They reached the café, and Malcolm opened the door for them. The musicians were just setting up, and as the others were seated at a small round table, Malcolm wandered over to talk to his friends.

Johannes held Katherine's chair for her, and she looked up and smiled at him. He nodded and returned her smile as he sat down between her and Gertrude.

"So you have known our Malcolm for a long time," Johannes said, trying to start a conversation that would include Katherine.

"Yes, I suppose you could say that," Katherine replied. "We were in classes together at Hogwarts right from the beginning, of course, and I was Chaser on the Ravenclaw team and he was Beater on his, but we didn't really get to know each other well until fifth year, when we were paired up in Potions. He used to drive me crazy, always wanting to try out the strangest 'novel ingredients,' as he would put it. I thought I was going to Troll out in Potions all because of him and his tossing bits of things into our potions just to see what would happen...and it was never good!"

"But you did not?" Johannes asked.

Katherine shook her head and grinned. "We found some room for compromise, and he stopped sabotaging our potions."

"What was the compromise?" Gertrude asked as they accepted menus from the wait-witch.

"Oh, that I would spend time with him one Hogsmeade weekend, which turned into almost every Hogsmeade weekend for the next year." Katherine gave a sideways grin. "He was the first boy to give me a truly memorable kiss. And it was memorable for the right reasons."

Gertrude chuckled. "Ah, so were you the Chaser Malcolm chased? He mentioned something about that. Harder to catch than a Golden Snidget, he said."

Katherine laughed. "I suppose so, although there may have been another, too. You never know with Malcolm."

"What do you never know with me?" Malcolm asked as he came over and sat down across from Johannes.

"Oh, in this case, how many Chasers you've chased, or who have chased you!" Katherine teased, her eyes sparkling.

Malcolm picked up his menu and with an insouciant air said, "I don't know whatever you could be talking about." He quirked a grin and added, "I'm not saying that I haven't known a pretty Chaser or two, and come to know them rather well, but as for the chasing part, well, Katherine was the only Chaser I ever had to chase down. I became a bit more adept at charming rather than chasing after that, and I've never been so fortunate as to have a Chaser chase me . . . but there was a very cute little Finnish Seeker several years back. I did feel a bit like the Snitch in her game." He winked. "Not saying that was a bad thing, mind you!"

Gertrude rolled her eyes, Katherine laughed, and Johannes smiled slightly.

"And only one witch has managed to catch me, to really capture me and hold me." He reached over and took Gertrude's hand. "Katherine, meet the witch who tamed the wild McGonagall." He gazed at Gertrude with a soft, affectionate smile.

"It sounds as though you had your work cut out for you," Kathryn said to Gertrude with a grin.

"It wasn't hard. He dug a hole and fell in it himself," Gertrude said with a wry grin and squeezing Malcolm's hand. "He didn't look where he was going."

"But I ended up right where I wanted to be, so it all turned out well," Malcolm added.

The wait-witch came up, took their orders, and promised that their drinks would be brought over to the table soon.

"What about you, Johannes?" Kathryn asked. "Been lucky in love?"

"I was once very lucky in love . . . but my wife was not so lucky," Johannes said. He looked down and straightened his silverware.

Before Katherine's puzzlement could be expressed in words, Gertrude broke in, "She was a very lucky witch to have had you in her life, Johannes. I am sure of that." She turned to Katherine. "Grindelwald was after Johannes. Would have likely kidnapped him and tried to force him to work for him, since Johannes had declined his 'request' to join him. When they didn't find Johannes at home, they killed his family and destroyed his farm."

"Oh, I am so very sorry," Katherine said softly. "I was an Auror then, assigned to the war effort, so I know what kinds of things Grindelwald did to those who wouldn't join him when asked."

Malcolm, trying to gently steer the conversation away from painful topics, said, "Katherine and I actually were on a few missions together. She was always the master of strategy. We had a bit of fun going Dark Wizard hunting, didn't we, Kate?"

"Yes, and some of it wasn't so fun," she replied, accepting her glass of white wine from the wait-witch and taking a long sip.

"In fact, Katherine was there at the end. The ultimate mission. Missed out on that one myself," Malcolm said. "It was official, and I don't do 'official.'"

"You were with Dumbledore when he defeated Grindelwald?" Johannes asked.

"Oh, yes. And spent a few of what I hope remain the most miserable days of my life . . . almost quit the Aurors then. But after some time at St. Mungo's and more time with my mum and dad at the seaside, I was so bored, I was happy to get back to work."

Johannes smiled. "Work is always the best tonic for what ails, I find for myself."

Katherine nodded and accepted the basket of bread that Malcolm passed her. "I know. I'm the same way. Take my work away, and I become depressed," she said as she buttered a roll. "But as I was telling Malcolm a couple days ago, I'm thinking of breaking out on my own. I need some new challenges, and the way things are going in the Ministry right now, I'm not likely to find them there."

"I told her I could give her referrals," Malcolm said. "I do some investigations on the side, as you know, usually simple jobs, like finding errant husbands...or wives...or recovering stolen property, but some of it can be a challenge. I'd be happy to throw some of those jobs your way, Katherine, or bring you in on them. I have more than enough to do with the various beasts, pests, and curses to take care of."

"I still haven't completely decided whether I'm going to make the leap or not. It's a big decision with a lot to consider."

"You Ravenclaws, always so cautious, have to examine things from every angle...twice...and then you still aren't sure," Malcolm said.

"Not so, we just don't dive in head first like some Gryffindors," Katherine countered.

The argument was interrupted by the arrival of their meals; a few minutes later, the musicians began to play, and conversation was sporadic and focussed on the food and the music. Their dessert arrived as the musicians were taking a break, and over chocolate souffle, walnut torte, and vanilla ice cream with fresh berries, the four chatted generally about various things, and Malcolm asked whether anyone was up for dancing at the Glimmer Room. Although Johannes had found Katherine a pleasant witch, he didn't want to extend the evening beyond dinner, and he didn't want to give Katherine any idea that he might be interested in her romantically, so he demurred, claiming fatigue. It turned out that Katherine lived in London not far from Diagon Alley, and she also preferred to go home rather than go to the Glimmer Room, though Johannes was unsure whether that was because she did not want to go or because he was not going and she felt like she'd be a third wheel going along with Malcolm and Gertrude.

Katherine was going to leave through the Leaky Cauldron and walk home, so the four walked back down to the pub together. Johannes had drunk very little, and since his flat wasn't on the Floo Network and he would have to Floo to the Three Broomsticks and then walk home, he decided instead to Apparate, but he accompanied the other three down to the pub anyway.

After Gertrude and Malcolm had Flooed to the Glimmer Room, Johannes turned to Katherine. "Would you like me to see you home?"

"No, that's all right, thanks. It's a nice night and I'll enjoy the walk. I've done it many times before."

"If you will be fine . . ."

"Auror, remember? I'll be fine. Thanks, though. You are a gentleman, just as Malcolm assured me. It was good to meet you."

Johannes nodded once. "Likewise."

"I'm sure we'll run into each other again sometime. Good night, Johannes."

"Good night." He watched her leave the pub, then he exited back to Diagon Alley, where he immediately Disapparated for his flat.

Katherine was pleasant, and if it hadn't been a "blind date," with all the implications that held for him, he would not have minded seeing her again sooner than just "sometime," but only as a friend. She was nice looking, intelligent, almost his own age, and independent...which he liked in a woman...and she seemed to be a kind person, as well. Nonetheless, he felt no spark with her, and certainly no strong desire to spend more time with her.

Johannes was relieved that the evening hadn't been torturous, and was happy, too, that it had come to a natural, and relatively early, end. The next day was Easter Sunday, and if he were going to accompany Gertrude and Malcolm to the Gamp estate in the morning...likely to watch youngsters rolling Easter eggs or some such thing...then he wanted to pack up a few books and other things that he'd left in his flat and had missed at the Tyree estate. He hadn't told Siofre or Lydia when he would return, and he hoped that his arrival on Sunday evening, Easter Sunday evening, would not be an inconvenience for them. He could go straight to his suite of rooms if they had guests or were out themselves.

Johannes smiled to himself. He had a lot to look forward to: an Easter Sunday at the Gamp estate with some of his closest friends present...and a few rather odious acquaintances, as well, but that could not be helped...followed by his return to the Tyree estate and the prospect of breakfast with Siofre on Monday morning. His new life was shaping up quite well.

Author's Note: To see the first time that Johannes and Siofre met, read "A Spree with Albus," available on my WordPress site under the "Read Some Fanfic Now" tab, or read the chapter in Resolving a Misunderstanding, "A Spree," which is here on TPP.

If Katherine Fellows seems familiar to you, she was mentioned a few times in Resolving a Misunderstanding, including her role in Grindelwald's defeat.