Chapter Eight: Our Siofre

Chapter Eight: Our Siofre

Lydia offered Johannes another sandwich, which he accepted. The two were having lunch in the morning room since it was just the two of them that day.

"So, it seems you and Siofre had a good time yesterday," Lydia remarked.

"We did. It was a most charming afternoon," Johannes replied, adding some mustard to his sandwich.

"I'll have to go take a look at the cottage soon. It's been years since I've been down there, I must confess. I just trust that the house-elves are keeping it up properly."

"It appeared so."

"And you two have plans, I understand?"

"I did agree to assist Ma–, Siofre, with the redecoration," Johannes said, "but when she showed it to me, she said that she would value your assistance. She praised your decorating abilities highly."

"Did she?" Lydia smiled brightly. "She doesn't often say much about anything I've done around the house. But that wasn't what I meant...and I do think it's a brilliant idea to have you help, too...I meant that she said something about being gone with you on Saturday afternoon."

"Ah, yes. I did suggest . . . that I might reciprocate. Tea." Johannes hoped that Lydia was not feeling left out. "As a gesture, because she gave me tea yesterday." That sounded disingenuous, since he had often had tea with one or the other or both witches in the afternoon.

"That is wonderful. I don't think our Siofre gets out enough. Well, she gets out, and she probably sees many more people than I do, really, but she doesn't go out and just have fun very often. She claims those jaunts with Malcolm are fun, but really, it's just not the same, is it?"

"No, I suppose that it isn't."

"And even if they have their tea after, or lunch, it's not being taken out," Lydia continued.

Johannes didn't know what to say. He wondered whether he should invite Lydia to join them. He had been looking forward to bringing Siofre out, just the two of them.

"It's good for Siofre to have an outing with a gentleman."

Johannes blushed. "If you would like to join us..."

"Oh, heavens, no!" Lydia exclaimed. "That's completely out of the question. No, no, no! You must take Siofre out and see that she enjoys herself."

"Ah, well, perhaps another time," Johannes said, although he was relieved that Lydia had declined his offer; her vehemence, however, was a bit overwhelming.

"Have you decided where you will have your tea?"

"I am not sure . . ." He had already considered Madam Puddifoot's in Hogsmeade, but he felt unaccountably uncomfortable with that idea. He doubted that it was a Hogsmeade weekend, since the Easter holiday had only just ended and there usually wasn't another Hogsmeade weekend right after a holiday, but Hogsmeade was small and people gossiped. Not that there was anything to gossip about. But people could make up tales out of whole cloth.

"There are a couple places where she enjoys going . . ." Lydia thought for a moment. "Do you know that little tearoom in the Clypeum, the one just next to the bookshop?"

Johannes shook his head. "I do not know Glasgow at all. I have never been to the Clypeum."

"Pity, it's a nice little teahouse, and Siofre always enjoys their scones and cakes. It's called the Primrose Room."

Primroses were Siofre's favourite flower, Johannes remembered. He disliked having to ask Siofre for a Side-Along to the Clypeum to bring her to tea, however. Perhaps he might Floo to somewhere in the Clypeum and reconnoitre before their date...their afternoon tea. On the other hand, he could bring her to the Cailleachan Café in Edinburgh. Which was just steps from her grandson Murdoch's apothecary. He frowned.

"You know, if you like," Lydia said, "we could pop over there this afternoon and you could see whether it's suitable. Just pop over and pop back so you know how to get there. Or tomorrow morning. If you like. I know you have work this afternoon, but it would only take a few minutes."

"Perhaps sometime," Johannes said. "I think we can go to the Cailleachan Café on Saturday. I've often been to McTavish Street."

It was Lydia's turn to frown. "Their tea is fine, and their coffee is quite good, but . . . well, I suppose it is up to you."

"Does Siofre not like the café?" Johannes asked.

"It would be fine, no doubt."

Johannes thought a moment. "If we can leave immediately after lunch, I could see this tearoom and compare it. I really only know the café and Madam Puddifoot's...other than establishments in Diagon Alley, and I have the impression that Siofre does not like Diagon Alley very well."

"Eat up, then," Lydia said, "and we can take a quick trip and you can see if you like the tearoom."

A half hour later, Johannes was back working in the gardens, wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat with his work clothes. Fandenz and Gweller were both helping him that day, and Mynok had popped out for a few minutes to inspect the work of the younger elves and ask Johannes, whom he called "Master Professor," whether their service was adequate. Johannes had reassured the old tufty-eared house-elf that their work was exemplary, far better than adequate, and Mynok had Disapparated again, beaming with pride.

Johannes could hardly keep himself from beaming, either. The Primrose Room had been perfect. It was simple, elegant, and charming, and sunlight streamed in through the large front windows. The Cailleachan Café was atmospheric, but the café was very narrow and deep, and it tended to be dark, even in the afternoon. It could be romantic, but there was something cheerful and pleasant about the tearoom. The smell of scones had been tempting even though Johannes had just eaten lunch. Glad that he had slipped on a robe over his work trousers and jacket, Johannes had even inquired whether reservations were possible. The witch had hesitated a moment, then said that they did not usually reserve tables, but she could hold a table for them if they were prompt.

Setting a spade to turning the earth in the centre of the area he was working that afternoon, Johannes cast his attention on the spare outdoor furniture and the conveniently placed large rocks and boulders that ringed the lawn. He had promised Siofre that the area would be ready in time for the May Day eve bonfire and for the family picnic the first weekend in May. He didn't want to change the basic character of the spot, since the bonfire had been traditionally held there for years, but he did think that cleaning it up, rearranging things, and perhaps adding a few new pieces of furniture, could spruce it up. Since they always had music and singing...Morgan played the fiddle, Malcolm played the recorder and penny whistle, and there was always a Tyree or two with pipes...Johannes thought that having a slightly raised wooden platform for the musicians would be nice, as well. Before the next bonfire, he might make additional improvements, but May Day was in just two weeks, and for the time being, this would do.

Although his training had included a little about garden planning and garden architecture, that had not been its emphasis. There were few Herbologists who specialised in gardening per se, and some even looked down upon it as something one hired others to do, but Johannes enjoyed it, and although his greatest enjoyment came from the more magic-intensive tasks, such as creating microclimates, he also found satisfaction in deciding the layout of the gardens, what to plant and where to plant it. He had used the existing grounds layout as a base and had consulted the original garden plans...the large formal garden would be very much like one that had been designed in the mid-eighteenth century...but he had added many ideas of his own. He was looking forward to the new greenhouse, but that would not be erected until at least July, and he had not yet found a builder for it.

Johannes called Gweller and told him to finish preparing the area for the actual bonfire and to line the pit with stone, then he left for the artist's cottage that Siofre planned to give to Minerva. No time like the present to begin clearing out weeds and determining what to plant and how the soil might need to be treated. He thought that once he had a plan of action, perhaps Multry might find time to work on the weeding and basic preparation. She could bring Duster and Kilbeena with her, and they would have fun helping her with the work, he was sure. The two wee elves had spent time helping him in the gardens a few afternoons each week, and they had proved more useful than Johannes had anticipated, and it amused him to watch them as they worked, occasionally using house-elf magic with varying degrees of success.

He had learned that the nonsense they talked when they whispered and giggled together wasn't nonsense at all, but a house-elf language, for which Multry had scolded them when she caught them speaking it in the gardens with him there. Siofre explained that there was a house-elf taboo on speaking their language in front of humans...or in the presence of any other sentient beings who weren't house-elves. Until they were five or six years old, house-elf children often still spoke it together regardless of who they were with, and the taboo wasn't strictly enforced until they were eight, at which time house-elf children were viewed to be old enough to carry more of the responsibilities of an adult house-elf, including following the house-elf imposed taboos. By the time they were fourteen, they were considered old enough to serve as a fully adult house-elf, though Siofre explained that although the young elves were given many of the responsibilities of an adult, house-elves considered adulthood to begin at the age of twenty-two, and in a well-run household where the house-elves did not have other codes imposed upon them by their wizarding families, mating only occurred after passing that milestone...provided that a suitable mate was available.

Johannes Apparated to the cottage, but spent only a little time clearing away dead plants, fallen limbs, and weeds. As he worked, though, he envisioned what he could do with the area around the house that would be both attractive and productive, and yet also not require Minerva's on-going attention. He was sure that Siofre would spare an elf once a week or so to come down and do any maintenance that was needed, but he wanted to make the upkeep minimal.

Since he had brought no Charmed garden implements with him, Johannes used his wand to prune back the scraggly looking primrose bushes, then he cast a spell and incinerated the trimmings. He took his handkerchief from his pocket, waved his wand to create a small bag, and collected a soil sample to bring with him and test later. Finally, he selected a primrose that was healthiest and trimmed off a shoot. Although there were some fine primrose bushes in a few of the gardens nearer the house, Johannes felt a curious affection for these old primroses. He doubted that Siofre was speaking of these primrose bushes specifically when she said that the Scottish primrose was her favourite flower, but nonetheless, for what he had in mind, he wanted at least one cutting from these plants. He could transplant or start new plants from other clippings from the main gardens, but there would be one plant sprung from this garden.

Before he left, Johannes strolled around just outside the garden area, examining the surrounding trees, including the apple orchard. He found an old, neglected coppice, and made a mental note to ask Siofre how she wanted it treated. It was an overgrown mess, and he doubted that any of it had been cut in several decades. He wondered whether Siofre's uncle had used some of the coppiced wood to make charcoal for his kiln, or whether he had used the wood for some other purpose...perhaps for making some kind of bent-wood sculptures, or even for furniture or fencing. Siofre might remember.

Johannes smiled as he prepared to Disapparate for the main house. In two days, he would be taking Siofre to tea in the Clypeum. It was good to be making friends with the two witches...some clients whom he might have had could have been far less pleasant and amusing. Lydia was certainly amusing. And Siofre . . . there was something about her that made his heart beat faster, his skin tingle where she touched him, and his mind and heart and eye and ear all pause to capture her, to savour her. It seemed that his thoughts were constantly turning to her, and now, as he held his wand and Disapparated, her name was in his mind, on the tip of his tongue, the whisper of Siofre a breeze through his being.

He almost laughed as he opened his eyes and found himself gazing at the witch herself, coming up the walk toward the front doors. She smiled up at him as she approached.

"You had a good day, Professor?"

"I did, indeed, Madam Tyree," Johannes replied with a bow. "And you?"

"It was . . . eventful," Siofre said.

"Eventful? It sounds as though there is a story behind those words." He offered her his arm.

"Aye, there is. And perhaps you shall hear it," Siofre said, placing her hand on his wrist, her fingers grazing the back of his hand. "You are joining us for dinner this evening?"

As he attempted to respond, Johannes's breath caught at the sensation of her magic tingling from her fingertips. "Ah, ah, ja, ah, I eat dinner with you this evening." He tried to control the shudder in his breath.

"Good. I hope you will also join us in the sitting room later. Lydia enjoys your company, and she appreciates having a larger audience when she decides to play the piano after dinner."

"Lydia is accomplished," Johannes replied, opening the front door for them.

"She is," Siofre agreed with a nod. "You will join us?"

"I will . . . if you like." Johannes placed his free hand on Siofre's and caught her eyes with his own.

"It is not only Lydia who enjoys your company," Siofre said briskly, dropping her hand. "I will go see what Multry is planning for dinner. I'll see you later."

Johannes nodded, his nod becoming a slight bow. "Until then, Madam Tyree."

Siofre disappeared down the hall in the direction of the kitchen, and Johannes stepped up the stairs to his rooms. He entered his sitting room first. He had created a miniature greenhouse on a long table by one of the windows, and he took out his sprig of primrose and, after placing it in specially Charmed water, he put it in the glass enclosure. The small bag of soil he placed on the table next to the greenhouse. He could analyse it later that evening.

His rooms were spectacular, richly appointed and beautifully decorated. Even his rooms at Hogwarts had not been so beautiful. The fireplace was large, and the rich wood surround was intricately carved by some master artisan long ago. The heavy velvet draperies were a rich green with gold fringe and matching gold-tasselled tie-back sashes. The furniture was chiefly upholstered in similar hues, and the carpets' designs picked up the colours of the furniture and draperies. The walls, though, had hand-painted scenes depicting life in the Highlands. Above the large fireplace was a massive landscape with wall sconces on either side of its gold frame, three Everlasting Smoke-free Charmed Candles in each sconce. His bedroom was no simpler than the sitting room, and had Johannes been a hedonist, he would have been well-pleased with it; as it was, he was satisfied, and even felt somewhat spoiled by the lavish surroundings. It was quite a contrast with his simple but cozy flat in Hogsmeade.

Johannes went through his bedroom to his dressing room...he'd never had such a thing before and felt it was completely superfluous, but the house-elves had hung his robes in one of the wardrobes in the dressing room, and so he used it. Since it had a marble sink with a well-lit mirror, it was a convenient place to shave, though he also had his own separate bath and toilet. He doubted that royalty could be treated any better than he was there at the Tyree estate. He certainly was wanting for nothing and had more than he needed.

He disrobed, putting his clothes in the hamper provided, then he washed quickly, brushed his hair, and shaved, using just a bit of a sandlewood aftershave potion. Though he usually just wore his work clothes to lunch, he had taken to changing for dinner, at least cleaning up his trousers and putting on a fresh shirt and a different over-robe. That evening, Johannes selected his deep azure blue robes and his well-polished black boots. He examined himself in the mirror once more, then he took a blue ribbon, charmed it to be the same blue as his robes, and he tied his hair back using a slip knot. He felt tidier, but he still took just a smidgen of a hair potion and lightly smoothed back his hair at the sides. He shrugged at himself in the mirror, seeing no real difference in his appearance, and chuckled at his sudden attack of vanity. But then he recalled the sensation of Siofre's fingertips grazing his wrist, and he shivered involuntarily at the mere memory of her touch.

Johannes pushed the memory aside...and any connection it might have with his careful attention to his appearance...and returned to his sitting room to read until the dinner bell rang.

"You said that today was 'eventful,' Siofre," Johannes remarked as he set his soupspoon down.

"Aye." Siofre nodded and took another sip of her soup.

"Weren't you at the Terwilligers' today?" Lydia asked, pushing her soup plate away slightly. At Siofre's nod, she said, "I thought you said that it was going to be a simple spell-casting job. Lengthy but straightforward, you said."

Siofre finished her soup and rang the small bell by her place. The soup plates vanished and a moment later, their dinner plates appeared in front of them, followed by bowls and platters of food.

"'Twas supposed to be simple and straightforward, but Gwyneth has a fool of a neighbour. Bad enough the husband she has, but her neighbours are all fools, from the evidence I saw today." She offered the platter of fish to Johannes, who indicated that she should help herself first. She took a large piece, then passed the platter to him. He served Lydia, then took the last piece for himself as Lydia took the vegetables and passed them on to Siofre before helping herself to the potatoes.

"Don't keep us in suspense, Siofre," Lydia said. "Why are her neighbours fools?"

"Well, p'raps not all of them," Siofre said grudgingly, "but one wizard certainly is. Decided he wanted to know why I was there, but instead of coming up to the front door and knocking...we'd have sent him away with a flea in his ear if he had, of course...he decided to spy through the windows. Fool of a man." Siofre shook her head in disgust. "He didn't understand what he was seeing, and alerted the Ministry. The MLE was swarming all over the place, convinced we were performing some kind of Dark Magic. I should have been home by mid-afternoon, but they held everything up. They didn't appreciate that I wouldn't tell them precisely what I was doing and why, but they did finally leave, since they could find no evidence of Dark Magic, other than a pinprick on Gwyneth's finger, which could have been from anything. Fools everywhere."

"Were the spells effective?" Lydia asked.

Siofre twitched one shoulder. "I think they will be. But I will pop over tomorrow and see her, then again on Monday. The last thing I did before I left was owl Egeria to come and Heal her jaw. Gwyneth had tried to do it herself, but you could tell she hadn't completely healed it, and that was with a Glamour over it."

"He broke her jaw?" Lydia asked, eyes wide.

"Gwyneth said she 'fell.'" Siofre snorted. "As if a simple fall could break a witch's jaw! Believe me, even before today, I'd wanted her to leave Cadoc and report him to the Cornish regional gamot or to the MLE, but she wouldn't. She blames everything but her husband. She wouldn't even let me lay any spells directly on him. She remembers a different man, the one she married, and she wants that man back. We'll see how that goes . . ."

"You don't sound hopeful," Lydia said.

"I may need to take additional measures," Siofre said. "And the spells I cast will only be effective as long as they are in the house. From what I understand, he drinks, then comes home mean. On good nights, he passes out before he does more than shout and make a scene. The nosy neighbour turns a blind eye to the husband's behaviour, though he surely must know of it. Any road, I did what I could to make sure that if he does come home drunk, he passes out straightaway upon crossing the threshold. If he tries to take a drink at home, he'll become ill. Gwyneth claims that when he's not drinking, he's moody, but otherwise fine. Most of the spells I cast were aimed at his drinking...making the consequences miserable for him. I cast a few protective spells around Gwyneth, and I gave her an emergency Portkey, as well. If Cadoc becomes violent or frightens her in any way, she can Portkey to her brother and sister-in-law's home."

"Why would she stay with such a brute?" Johannes asked.

"She does love him, or the man she remembers marrying," Siofre replied, "but she is expecting a baby. It was partly for her baby's sake that I tried to persuade her to leave the man, but she . . . she has her reasons, I suppose."

"He hits her or hexes her and she is pregnant?" Johannes asked, even more appalled than he had been. "The man should be . . . he should be . . . I do not know a suitable punishment, but he does not deserve the family if he cannot treat them with the love and respect that he should. He should be their protector!"

Siofre twitched a slight smile. "Perhaps a lecture in gentlemanly behaviour might do him some good . . . in a few weeks, after the man has ceased drinking. If we can manage that."

"If you cannot?" Johannes asked.

"Then I will take other measures, if I canna' convince Gwyneth to leave him and go to her older brother. I believe that the Bowens would take her in. Dylan has a strong sense of family, and Violet seems a good witch. But if Gwyneth would not go to them, then . . . I may cast a few spells to directly effect Cadoc, whether Gwyneth would have it or no."

"Would that be . . . legal? Those spells?" Johannes asked.

Lydia laughed, and Siofre's eyebrow rose in amusement as she gave a narrow, crooked smile.

"I would not want to see you in trouble," Johannes said. "This man is bad, but I do not want to see you have trouble, neither from the Ministry nor from him."

"Don't worry about legality," Lydia said, reaching over and patting Johannes's hand. "Our Siofre will be just fine."

"And from that wizard? If he learns of it? If he hears that she was there today and guesses something? He could try to . . . to venge himself."

Lydia laughed again. "Then in that case, I do pity the man!"

Johannes cocked his head. He remembered well what he had learned from Minerva about Tyree witches and their reputation, but then he looked at Siofre, petite and slight of build...though not slight of magic...and he couldn't help but worry about her. Nonetheless, he did recognise that she could take care of herself, and take very good care of others, as well. It would be unwise to seem to suggest otherwise.

"I hope that you can help Mrs Terwilliger," Johannes said.

"Siofre will," Lydia said confidently.

"I hope to," Siofre said more moderately. "I usually find some way of achieving my aim . . . but not always."

"When was the last time you failed?" Lydia asked, apparently rhetorically, but Siofre looked at her seriously.

"You remember young Simon Hapsby-Fuller," Siofre replied. "I would say that I failed him."

"Yes, but he's out of Azkaban now, and from the letter you received from him last month, he has a very good life in Toronto now, a fiancée, a good job," Lydia said. "And if it hadn't been for you and your advocacy, I'm sure his Azkaban sentence would have been much longer than it was."

"Azkaban?" Johannes wondered what kinds of people Siofre commonly consorted with. He had a vague memory of a Hapsby-Fuller who had been a student the first couple years he taught at Hogwarts, but he had not taken NEWTs level Herbology and so Johannes hadn't come to know him.

"He very nearly killed his uncle," Lydia said. "But for good reason..."

"This is not talk for the dinner table," Siofre said softly.

"You're right, of course," Lydia agreed. "But Simon is happy now and doing well, and that's important to remember."

Johannes, despite his innate curiosity, was happy to leave the subject behind, particularly if it was one that made Siofre uncomfortable.

Their dessert arrived, and conversation turned to the imminent arrival of Morgan, Fiona, and the quads in just a few days. The house itself was ready, and Johannes had done much to start the kitchen gardens for Fiona, and he'd overseen the house-elves in trimming back the bushes and planting some annual flowers near the front door. Lydia had taken charge of renewing the paths and drive between the main house and the lodge. All that really remained was for the McGonagalls and their furniture to move in.

They rose from the table and started out of the dining room together.

"How would you feel about some nice, melodic Brahms this evening, Siofre? Or perhaps a little Liszt?" Lydia asked, putting her arm through her sister-in-law's. She gave her arm a squeeze. "After the day you've had, I think that might be just the ticket for you. A little romantic music and a nice novel, you'll forget all the worries of the day."

"I have work I was going to fetch from my study," Siofre said. "The income and expenses. There's the plumbing coming up..."

"No, no, not tonight," Lydia said firmly. "Read something light tonight." She looked up at Johannes and reached out with her free hand to take one of his. "You'll persuade our Siofre, won't you, dear? And no work for you, either! You're a pair, you two are! Working dawn to dusk isn't enough for you, you want to work half the night, too...well, not tonight! Tonight, you relax."

Johannes smiled and Siofre let out a good-natured groan of capitulation.

"Now, I'm going to go sort out the sheet music. You two run along and find something light to read...or not to read...whilst I play." Lydia stepped out in front of them and brought their hands together briefly before letting them go. "I'll expect to see you both in a few minutes, then!"

She bustled off through the sitting room to the music room, and Siofre looked up at Johannes with a wry grin. "I believe we have been given our orders, Professor."

"Indeed, just so, Madam Tyree," Johannes said. He touched her hand tentatively, letting his fingers just rest on the back of her hand. "Shall we fetch something to read?"

Siofre nodded. "There is a new book on the myths and history of the warrior witches of Skye that I bought three months ago and haven't started yet. It's by my bed, waiting for me to find the time for it."

"In my sitting room, I have a book I was reading before dinner. It is not light reading, as it is a new Herbology text on Dendromancy, but it is in German, so perhaps Lydia will not notice."

"Aye, she will notice," Siofre said, removing her hand from his, but placing it on his elbow and leading him toward the stairs. "She often reads novels and such in German. French and Italian, too. Lydia is quite clever in her way. Never underestimate a Slytherin, I say."

"Ah. Then I will find something different. I would not wish to disappoint her," Johannes said with a smile.

At the top of the stairs, they paused, and Siofre said, "I will meet you downstairs in a few minutes."

Johannes nodded, still smiling. He took her hand between his. "Light reading and melodic music, as Lydia promised us, 'aye,' Madam Tyree?"

"Aye, Professor, light reading and . . . romantic music." Siofre gave him a crooked grin, then turned quickly and walked away down the hall.

Author's Note: I posted a new one-shot, "It's not the heat," to the "Cheering Charms" set of drabbles and flashfics. I was suffering in a heat wave when I wrote it. Temps in the low 90s are very welcome "cool" weather at the moment, it was so hot and humid.