Chapter Twelve: The Primrose Room

Chapter Twelve: The Primrose Room

Siofre smiled as she saw where they had arrived. The Clypeum was bustling with Saturday shoppers. Glasgow's wizarding district was comprised of a nest of three main streets arranged in concentric circles and joined by several narrower alleys, and she and Johannes were in its heart, a circular park right at the Clypeum's centre. A fountain splashed nearby, and a bronze statue of a bearded, long-haired wizard stood overlooking the park, holding a staff and wearing an old-style kilt wrapped around his waist with one long end drawn up and over his shoulder. The wizard also had a round shield slung over his back.

"I thought we would go to the Primrose Room," Johannes said, gesturing across the green toward the tearoom.

"That would be lovely," Siofre said. "I didn't know that they took reservations there."

"The witch I spoke with said that they would hold a table for us." He drew out his watch. "We are a little early. Would you care to walk?"

"By the fountain there are benches," Siofre said.

Johannes nodded, and the two walked over to the closest bench and sat down. "Who is the statue?"

"Kentigern," Siofre said. "Kentigern Mackintosh, not St. Kentigern. He designed the Clypeum and cast the first wards. It's older than Diagon Alley, you know. The oldest guarded magical district in a Muggle city in Britain, in fact."

"London's an old city, though. It must have always been a centre of wizarding life, just as it has of Muggle life," Johannes said.

"Aye, of course it has been. But Diagon Alley itself and the surrounding side streets were laid down and warded in sixteen sixty-seven, after the Great Fire. It actually created an opportunity for the magical community, that fire did, because until then, there were a number of small, unconnected wizarding neighbourhoods scattered throughout the city. There are still some small wizarding neighbourhoods in London, of course, and a few major institutions that never relocated to Diagon Alley, such as St. Mungo's, but Diagon Alley gave a boost to the English wizarding community when it created a warded centre for commerce and social life."

"When was the Clypeum created?"

"It was established in twelve ninety-eight. There are many more buildings now than there were when Kentigern founded it, but the three major roads are the same as they were then." She pointed at the statue. "The shield on his back represents the Clypeum itself and the protection it provides."

"There must have been magical communities in England and Scotland before that. And in Wales. Cardiff. Edinburgh. York. London. Other cities."

"Of course, but they weren't planned, and most of them were very small and gradually grew over the years, through happenstance rather than by plan. The district in York might be influential, but it's tiny and had clear boundaries and wards only from sometime in the sixteenth century. McTavish Street became the centre of the magical community in Edinburgh very gradually. It grew slowly over the years, until eventually there were no more Muggles for the entire length of the street. Many wizarding districts in Britain, especially the smallest, most scattered ones, were only warded against Muggles in sixteen ninety-two, after the Secrecy Treaty. That treaty encouraged communities to consolidate. It's quite complicated for a magical family to maintain secrecy when they're living in a community surrounded by Muggles. Much easier when you have a neighbourhood that's got protections in place, even if they aren't completely hidden and segregated from the Muggles, like McTavish Street and the Clypeum are."

"That is true, I am sure," Johannes said with a nod. He looked around. "This is a very pleasant park. The fountain is nice."

"In the summer, the children play in it."

"You are hiring Brian Mackintosh to do the plumbing at the house?" At Siofre's nod, Johannes said, "I would like to put the fountain in good working order again. There is some work I can do, but it would be a good thing if he looked at it. When we install the greenhouse, we will need irrigation, sprays, and such. I do Charmed misters, but some of the work should be done by a plumber, unless you have a house-elf who could do it."

"Have you found someone to install the greenhouse?"

Johannes hesitated.

"You have? Or you cannot find one?"

"I thought we could do the work ourselves. With the house-elves and some help from Malcolm, I think we could do it. I don't know whether Morgan or Bertrand are handy that way...or Sally and Fiona...but between us, I believe we could manage. I have found a source for the glass. Mayfield Charmed Glassworks. They can also obtain the framing for us and do some final charms on the glass after we have completed the work."

Siofre nodded in approval. "I know Caroline Mayfield. She is one of Egeria's cousins. Competent witch. And I like keeping things in the family when we can. Good work, Johannes."

Johannes smiled. "I also have a new buyer for some of our herbs and produce. Two new buyers, in fact. Kyle Flatiron and Madam Puddifoot are our first customers. With the greenhouse, we will be able to continue to supply them right through the winter. We will maintain their custom."

"Excellent. Well done. And the bere?"

"Planted and fertilised. I was conservative in the charms I cast, however. I want to see how it grows, what it needs."

"I will visit it next week. I will also show you some other areas of the grounds that you likely have not seen yet. I will be home most of the week."

"It is time now for our tea, I believe," Johannes said. He stood and extended his hand to Siofre. "Your sister-in-law told me that you like the Primrose Room."

"I do," Siofre replied. She took his hand as she stood, then slipped her arm through his. "I prefer it to any other, in fact. In general, I am not fond of going out for dinner, as some folk are, but I do enjoy taking tea in the Primrose Room. Their scones are particularly good. I must warn you, however, that I have quite an appetite today. I do not believe that a single scone will suffice."

"I am glad that I have chosen well, then," Johannes said with a smile.

They entered the busy tearoom. Johannes removed his hat and spied the witch who had promised to hold a table for them. He smiled at her, and she came over.

"Mr Birnbaum, I saved you a corner table by the window. Will that suit you?" the wait-witch asked.

"That will be lovely, thank you very much, Miss Dunn," Johannes said, remembering her name. "It is very good of you."

Miss Dunn blushed and smiled. "Not at all."

She led them over to the table and plucked a small card from it on which she had written "Reserved." Johannes held Siofre's chair for her, giving her the one with the best view of both the park and the rest of the restaurant. As he sat, the wait-witch handed them each a menu.

When the witch had described the soups they were serving that afternoon and had left, Siofre smiled at Johannes. "I see now why you were able to reserve a table," she said, a teasing sparkle in her eye.

Johannes looked at her in puzzlement.

"You're a charmer, and you do not even know it." Her smile grew as Johannes looked baffled. "She thinks you're a bonny one, laddie."

Johannes glanced over his shoulder and saw Miss Dunn across the room going over an order. She looked up at that moment and saw him. She smiled, blushed, and lowered her eyes before looking up at him again.

Johannes turned back to Siofre. "I was only polite," he said, his cheeks pink. "I did not attempt to charm her for the table."

Siofre's grinned. "You do not need to." It was quite sweet, she thought, that Johannes had no idea how very good-looking and charming he was. She was sure that he hadn't flirted with the witch, but just been himself. Her grandson Malcolm, now, he wasn't above a bit of flirting to get a good table in a restaurant, she was sure. Malcolm had been that way from the time he could walk, she thought.

A different witch came and took their orders, and Johannes also ordered sandwiches.

"The scones smell very good, but I, too, have an appetite this afternoon," Johannes said.

"They do lovely little cakes here, too," Siofre said. "They have some that are filled with wonderful cream. They are light seeming, but rich. We can have those after."

"As you recommend!" Johannes agreed with a nod. "You had a very busy morning?"

"Aye, and the afternoon was, as well. To Tiree first, then to Ireland, then home this afternoon."

"You saw Phoebe?"

Siofre nodded. "We had lunch together. She will be coming to stay at the house a day or two before Bertrand and Sally said they might arrive. Her . . . friend, Declan Tyree, will be arriving a few days later, and they will both be staying for the weekend, as well. She is looking forward to seeing them, naturally."

"Declan Tyree?" Johannes asked curiously.

"Aye, he is a kinsman, too. Tyrees often marry Tyrees or other kin. Not close kin, of course." Siofre sighed. "I do wish those two particular Tyrees would either marry or move on and find others."

"They have been close friends for long?"

"Several years," Siofre said with a nod. "And they were close in school, too, but then later, after Hogwarts, they each were with others. Phoebe had been engaged to marry Bobby Fitzgerald, but he was killed in . . . I think it was thirty-five, quite a long time ago, now. Bobby was an Auror, and he was killed in the line of duty. She didn't see anyone seriously after that for a long time. But then she ran into Declan at Murdoch's funeral, and that rekindled their romance."

"You do not approve?"

Siofre was quiet for a moment. "I did not at first. Declan was engaged at the time...or at least the witch he was with believed they were going to marry. She was rather stunned when he broke off their relationship so suddenly two days after we buried Murdoch. So I thought that Declan did not behave as well as he should have, although it was preferable to drawing it out, I suppose. And I was uncertain whether he would not also treat Phoebe similarly if something more appealing came along. It does not appear so, however."

"She is happy now?"

"Aye, it seems so...and I do not criticise to her. Understand that. I worry. I simply . . . worry."

"I understand. What does Lydia think?"

"She wants the two to marry and brings it up every time she see them, either of them. She doesn't fuss about it. She simply becomes . . . enthusiastic."

Johannes chuckled. "I can see this. She has great enthusiasms."

Siofre smiled. "Aye. And Phoebe and Declan treat it with good humour."

Their tea arrived, rapidly followed by their plates of various little sandwiches.

"It was good of you to leave Lydia the flower and the note this morning. I believe the note meant a lot to her."

Johannes shook his head. "Not at all. That is, I am glad that she liked it. Yesterday your story of her early years saddened me."

"That was many years ago. She has had a happy life, Johannes."

"Ja, I know that. But it touched me. She has brought me much pleasure with her music. I wished to express appreciation and to encourage her."

"It did encourage her." She took a sip of her tea. "These sandwiches were what I needed, but your company has also been very refreshing."

Johannes went slightly pink. "Thank you."

"Are you returning to Hogsmeade this evening?"

Johannes nodded. "I had thought I would. After seeing you home, of course."

"Morgan and his family are moving in tomorrow, and we will be having a big family dinner in the afternoon, all of us together. It would be nice if you were there, too."

"Ah, well, it is a family dinner. I would not wish to intrude upon such an occasion."

Siofre shook her head. "I am inviting you because it would not be an intrusion. Of course, if you prefer not to join us, I dinna wish to press you."

"If you do not think that Morgan and Fiona would prefer it to be family only..."

"They will not think of it that way. And Lydia was saying the other day how much we have become accustomed to your company."

Johannes smiled. "I am honoured to be included in a family occasion."

"I should warn you before you commit to it that the four babies will also be eating with us. They are not old enough to be said to 'dine,'" Siofre said with a smile, "but they do eat. Messily. And David likes to throw his food at Aiden, but he always misses. So it may not be such an honour."

"It is. And I like babies. I will come to dinner. Will you need help with the removal?"

Siofre shook her head. "The house-elves have that all in hand. Fiona is coordinating it, and the elves are carrying out most of it. It should go smoothly."

"And the babies while the parents are busy?"

"Shoolie will watch them in the nursery at the main house. She is good with the bairns."

"There is a nursery in the main house?" Johannes asked curiously.

"Aye, of course there is. In the west tower. It has not seen much use in recent years, but now that the quads are so nearby, it will be used more, I am sure. I will show it to you. There's also a room for lessons. I dinna know what plans Morgan and Fiona have for the bairns' education, but p'raps they'd like to use the schoolroom in the main house, at least at times."

"Sheffy! Sheffy!" A plump witch waved rather enthusiastically from across the room.

Siofre looked up. "Mrs Campbell, née Flint," she whispered to Johannes. She focussed on Mrs Campbell and raised her hand slightly. She nodded, and a smile flitted across her face. "We were in school together," she added sotto voce.

Mrs Campbell approached their table. "Oh, Sheffy! How very good to see you out! Why, I was just saying to Roberta the other day, 'Roberta,' I said, 'Roberta, we just never see our dear little Sheffy anymore. Hiding away up there in those hills of hers,' I said, 'or popping around the country, earning a bit of silver, but never popping 'round to see us anymore,' and here you are!"

"It is very nice to see you again, too, Florrie," Siofre said as the other witch took her hand in both of hers. "Florrie, I'd like to introduce Professor Johannes Birnbaum. Professor Birnbaum, this is Mrs Florence Campbell."

Johannes rose in his seat and took Florrie's offered hand, bending over it. "Mrs Campbell. Honoured to meet you."

"Pleased to meet you, too, Professor," Florrie said, smiling and squeezing his fingers. Johannes thought the number of rings she wore created a danger to anyone she shook hands with. "You must be Siofre's new garden wizard!" She looked down at Siofre. "I'd thought he was some ancient Herbology teacher. Lydia didn't say he was so..."

"We are fortunate to have Professor Birnbaum using his talents on our estate," Siofre said briskly. "He is making great strides with it."

"Quite different from Drew's grandmother," Florrie replied. She looked back at Johannes. "Have you known my husband's grandmother, Professor? Professor Zoe Campbell? She was our Herbology teacher."

"I did not have the pleasure," Johannes said.

"She wouldn't have taught you, anyway," Florrie said. "She retired back in the eighties, I think." She looked him up and down. "You likely weren't even a twinkle in your daddy's eye then."

"I did not attend Hogwarts, ma'am. I grew up in Germany."

"Really?" Florrie seemed astonished. "But Lydia said that you had been Head of Ravenclaw...there was something in the papers about that, but I don't remember what."

"I was Sorted into Ravenclaw after I began teaching at Hogwarts," Johannes said.

"What brings you here, Florrie?" Siofre asked.

"I'm meeting Philomena here. She's another one who's never out...all that silly Ministry business of hers!"

"Philomena is Head of the Department for International Magical Cooperation," Siofre said sharply. "Hardly silly business."

"But she could make more time for her cousin," Florrie said.

"I am sure she does what she can," Siofre said.

"There she is now," Florrie said, looking over at the door as the cheerful bells rang and Philomena Yaxley came in. Florrie looked at Siofre. "Would you like us to join you?"

"Ah, we are almost finished with our tea. And we have some business yet to discuss. Tyree estate business," Siofre said, plainly discouraging Florrie. "And as you have so little time with your cousin, I am sure you want to have her to yourself whilst you may."

Philomena came over. "Siofre! Good to see you...and Professor Birnbaum. No, no, don't stand. How are you enjoying your new business venture, Professor?"

"It is most satisfying," Johannes said. "There are new challenges. It is different from teaching at Hogwarts."

"I think our table is ready, Florrie," Philomena said. As Florrie turned to look toward the table the wait-witch had prepared for them, Philomena leaned close to Siofre and said, "See you soon, Siofre." She squeezed her shoulder and winked.

The two witches took their leave of Siofre and Johannes, Johannes rising respectfully.

When he had sat back down and rearranged his napkin on his lap, Siofre asked, "Would you be having a taste for some of their cream cakes now?"

"As you recommend them so highly, I have left space for them," Johannes said.

Siofre smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Good to leave room for the sweet today."

Johannes gained the attention of their wait-witch, and he requested some cream cakes and a fresh pot of Darjeeling for them both.

"Do people often call you 'Sheffy'?" Johannes asked. "I haven't heard Lydia call you that."

"Nay. They do not. Florrie has insisted on that . . . that nickname since we met when she was a silly first-year, and she persists in using it more than one hundred years on. I used to try to correct her, but then I realised she found it amusing to hear my protests, so I ceased providing her with amusement. She does occasionally introduce me that way, and I try a gentle correction at that time, but I do not press the point."

Johannes smiled up at the wait-witch when she set down their teapot, fresh cups, and their plate of cream cakes. "Thank you."

The wait-witch bobbed a quick curtsy. "Very welcome, sir. Would sir or ma'am like anything else?"

Johannes looked at Siofre, and after the slight movement of her head, he replied, "No, thank you very much."

Siofre reached for the pot and poured their tea into their fresh teacups.

"Thank you...Sheffy," Johannes said with a teasing smile.

Siofre laughed. "From you, with your accent, it sounds rather nice."

"I do believe I prefer your full name, however," Johannes said, accepting the milk pitcher. "Although until I saw the contract with your name spelled out, I thought it was 'S-h-e-e-f-f-r-a-h,' I admit. I had never heard the name before."

"It is a variation of my mother's sister's name, which was 'Siofra.'"

"I hear no difference," Johannes said.

"Her name ended with an 'a.'"

"Ah. I see. Does it have meaning?"

"'Changeling.' It is a common name in my mother's family."

"Very interesting. Siofre . . ." He smiled softly. "The first year that I taught at Hogwarts, I had a Connolly in my fifth-year class. Her name was 'Siobhan.' You may imagine the giggles from the students when I read the class roll and pronounced her name 'See-oh-bahn.' I likewise mispronounced 'Sean.' Called the boy, 'Seen.' 'Aoibheann' completely baffled me. The spelling of these names is even more peculiar than most English orthography, which I confess often makes little sense to me."

"Mm. I imagine so. Lydia says that reading German and Italian is easy in part because a word is always pronounced just as it's spelt."

"She is correct. I have only a little Italian, but that is my experience of it. Minerva assisted me in recognising the Scottish and Irish names and how the different combinations of letters give different sounds, such as the 's-e' and 's-i' do. So now when I see them, I can usually read them."

"So no more embarrassing titters when you call out 'Seen,' 'See-oh-bahn,' or 'Sin-need,'" Siofre teased.

"No, although I do say that my pronunciation is not always correct. I have worked more on it since teaching, however."

"I thought your English was remarkably good," Sioffre said, "with a most charming accent, but well-pronounced."

"Thank you. You flatter me," Johannes said with a slight blush.

"Not at all. I've heard English who murder their own mother tongue, so it is pleasant to listen to you speak. How did you learn it?"

"My Charms master was English, and I lived with him for almost two years, speaking only English. He lived in Oxford. Deceased now, since three years. But I studied it to read when I was a child. English, Latin, and Greek, although only a little Greek. Then I have French cousins, and I learned that to speak, as well."

"Very good," Siofre said approvingly. "I speak Scottish Gaelic and Irish, and I can make my way a bit in Welsh, and, of course, I speak English and Scots."

"I confess that sometimes when I am in Edinburgh, I hear people speaking, and I think it is English, but I cannot understand a word of it," Johannes said. "It is a very unusual dialect."

Siofre smiled. "Aye, each area has a different dialect. Even in England, they do, as you have noticed, I'm sure."

"It was a challenge for me when I first started teaching," Johannes said. "Some children seem to drop half the letters in more than half their words. But my ear developed, I think, and they learned to speak clearer if they wanted me to understand them."

"Did they laugh then, too?"

"Sometimes, but not often. And I would laugh, too. We laugh together. I liked the students . . . I did enjoy teaching, very much. I could see the children change and grow, make new discoveries and realisations. It was very satisfying in its way."

"You miss it, then?"

"Only a little. I would not mind taking an apprentice one day, when I have the . . . the capacity."

"Or if you have your own children, teaching them for the years before you send them to school."

Johannes nodded. "Perhaps."

"Connor and Elisabeth are sending Liam to Muggle school for the first five years. I will be interested to see whether that lasts."

"How old is Liam?"

"Almost six. He's been in kindergarten this year. I daresay his teacher thinks he comes from a peculiar family."

"His grandparents are Muggles, though," Johannes said.

"Aye, and that will make it easier for him to blend in, they think. He knows enough not to talk about certain things, but you know children. They can be forgetful...and quite literal. Someday, he will say something that he shouldn't, I am sure. Or have a magical accident. That could take some explaining."

"That is true," Johannes said. "You were schooled at home, I presume."

Siofre nodded. "Half the time at home at the estate and half the time on Tiree Beag with the cousins. Most of them stayed on the island for all their schooling, but I went to Hogwarts as both of my parents had, even my father, though he attended back in the nineties, when it was very rare to see any Tyree go to Hogwarts to school."

"The nineties . . . the seventeen-nineties?" Johannes asked rhetorically, doing the math.

Siofre chuckled. "Aye. It's no spring chicken you're looking at now, laddie, but my dad, he was older than my mother by a good many years...indeed, by more than four decades. He worked for the Irish wizarding patrol guard, you see, and was living in County Meath with the other Tyree cousins...he'd had a few problems with a few of the English pureblood families, so he couldn't get a job with the British Ministry law enforcement...and he met my mother when he was on duty. He was with a few others who had been sent to negotiate with some clauricorns who were living too close to a Muggle village and drawing attention to themselves. My mother was just eighteen, a country lass. My father caught sight of her and was struck by her beauty. He fell in love with her at first sight. She thought him a fine, strong wizard, gallant and well-spoken, she said, and so my father wasted no time. They married a year later, they returned here to live, and then the next year, I was born."

"It sounds very romantic."

"His mates teased him that the clauricorns had enchanted him to fall in love so to distract him from his work. But aye, 'twas romantic enough, and my mother was beautiful. I will show you her portrait in the gallery when we return to the house...if you are staying for dinner?"

"I hadn't thought I would . . . I have things in my flat in Hogsmeade, a few books, that I need to fetch. I was going to see you home and return to the flat for the night."

"We could fetch them together, then," Siofre said. "An you want to come back to the house today. Otherwise, we will see you tomorrow afternoon?"

"Ah . . . we could fetch them. It's just a few things. And you can see that my flat is quite cosy and not at all barren and empty, as you say...though it is not a castle. Simply a humble apartment."

"Just between us, sometimes at the end of a long day, I could wish for a humble apartment," Siofre said. "The castle brings many responsibilities, and not simply the care and upkeep of the house and grounds. But they are good, too, these responsibilities. Just occasionally . . . wearying. Keeping this between us."

"Of course."

"I would not want Lydia to feel a burden...she offered to go back to teaching piano again, and accompanying voice students. She hated accompanying voice students. An she took a few private piano students because she wanted to, because she enjoyed it, that would be fine, but I don't want her to think she has to . . . to chip in, you know?"

"Indeed. I understand."

"And it's not as though I do find it a burden, not usually, and I certainly don't find Lydia one, but it is a lot to think about. I worry, too, about my family on Tiree, and about my responsibilities toward them, and I worry about my clients, even ones from years ago."

"You must miss your husband," Johannes said. "Someone to share it with."

Siofre nodded and shrugged. "Herbert was a sweet wizard, a very dear man, and clever, too. Wrote histories of oracles, of discoveries, of great teachers . . . didn't write about wars, though. Never liked to write about . . . violent conflicts. Intellectual heroes, though, heroes of peace and wisdom, they interested him. He was a good man. And an emotional support to me, that too."

"But not . . . practical?" Johannes asked tentatively.

Siofre smiled wryly. "You are a sharp one, Magister. Aye, not very practical. But I didn't marry him to marry a practical man."

"Many have said I am not a practical man. Professor Dumbledore has said it."

Siofre snorted a laugh. "That man . . . he is a great wizard, and don't mistake me, I respect him, but he isn't unfailingly correct. You're practical enough. You got us customers for our produce, after all. And you saw the potential to grow bere again."

Johannes blushed. He would not tell her how difficult he found that side of his work...selling was quite a different thing from growing plants and casting charms, or from writing and research. He knew its necessity, after all, and at least people seemed to be willing to listen to him...he also liked people, and he knew that he had good potions ingredients, or good produce, to offer them.

"I hope that the bere is good," Johannes said.

"I spoke with Young Jacob this morning. He will look at the field when he is here for Beltane."

"You know, Siofre, if you wish to talk . . . to have someone to talk to, I am not family, but I would listen and be discreet, as you wish," Johannes said.

"I have found you to be a good listener," Siofre replied. "I enjoy your company. In fact, this has been a lovely afternoon. Thank you."

"I have enjoyed it. You were right about the cream cakes. Lecker."

"Pardon?"

"Very delicious. Tasty," he said with a nod.

"Aye, they are gusty," Siofre said with a laugh. "Now to Hogsmeade and your humble abode?" she asked as the wait-witch brought Johannes the bill.

"Aye," Johannes echoed. "To Hogsmeade."