Summer drawing to a close
Aug. 31st, 2010 12:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_mollyI've been so busy it's been hard to sit down with my journal. We got back from the Stornoway Sunday afternoon (our visit with Charlie). I was afraid we would be forced to leave early, since some people ventured somewhere that they definitely didn't belong. But eventually, the dragon in question settled down and went back to her eggs and it was determined that they weren't hurt at all. The twins (once they ventured to reappear) took their punishment stoically (we won't go into details) and then spent the rest of the visit doing their utmost to charm all the dragon handlers so that they would be forgiven. And they managed it, too, drat them. Singing songs, telling jokes and funny stories and the like, peppering the handlers with questions. I swear, sometimes I think those two could charm a dementor into joining a sing-along.
I saw one of the few women dragon handlers even pinch George's cheeks right before we left. And Angus Peabody (Charlie's immediate superior) actually told the boys he hoped they would return soon.
Charlie was rolling his eyes so hard behind his back I think he might have sprained something. He hasn't quite forgiven the twins yet.
But aside from that awkwardness (and it was really awkward at first) our visit was wonderful. Stornoway is a beautiful place, with lovely hiking paths all over the island, and every where you turn, of course, you can look out over the sea in all its moods. Lews Castle overlooks the harbor. It was used as a naval hospital back in the 1940s but it was closed before the Protectorate arose. The grounds used to be lovely, they told us, although now they're rather scorched by dragon fire. Apparently there has been a continual tussle with the Ministry about moving the dragon handler quarters into the castle itself, but somehow the budget to make it possible keeps receding into the next financial year. Charlie says that he rather likes the barracks they use instead anyway.
Dragons are fascinating to watch, and of course their scales, hide, eggs and blood are so valuable. I'm tremendously impressed by the caliber of the men and women who live at Stornoway to care for them. It really is essential work that they do. Charlie has obviously well suited to this life, although it can be arduous and sometimes lonely, since the Reserve is rather small. His fellow handlers juggled schedules with him so that he could devote a few days to showing us around the Island. We toured the village of Gearrannan on the north side of the island, where there are still some houses left with the original blackhouse architecture from the 1700s (well, aside from the thatched roofs of the cottages, which the dragons kept setting alight for fun. They've been replaced with slate roofs. Much less flammable.) And we had a picnic and camped for a night beside Loch Langabhat and stayed up late into the night, talking as we watched the stars overhead.
It was rather a let down to come home. But I know that the bustle here at the Burrow will quiet down when the children head off to King's Cross tomorrow.
Mercy! It's so noisy here today that my ears are ringing--Percy is haranguing the twins because they've hidden his Head Boy badge--but I know I'm going to miss them all horribly once they're gone.
I saw one of the few women dragon handlers even pinch George's cheeks right before we left. And Angus Peabody (Charlie's immediate superior) actually told the boys he hoped they would return soon.
Charlie was rolling his eyes so hard behind his back I think he might have sprained something. He hasn't quite forgiven the twins yet.
But aside from that awkwardness (and it was really awkward at first) our visit was wonderful. Stornoway is a beautiful place, with lovely hiking paths all over the island, and every where you turn, of course, you can look out over the sea in all its moods. Lews Castle overlooks the harbor. It was used as a naval hospital back in the 1940s but it was closed before the Protectorate arose. The grounds used to be lovely, they told us, although now they're rather scorched by dragon fire. Apparently there has been a continual tussle with the Ministry about moving the dragon handler quarters into the castle itself, but somehow the budget to make it possible keeps receding into the next financial year. Charlie says that he rather likes the barracks they use instead anyway.
Dragons are fascinating to watch, and of course their scales, hide, eggs and blood are so valuable. I'm tremendously impressed by the caliber of the men and women who live at Stornoway to care for them. It really is essential work that they do. Charlie has obviously well suited to this life, although it can be arduous and sometimes lonely, since the Reserve is rather small. His fellow handlers juggled schedules with him so that he could devote a few days to showing us around the Island. We toured the village of Gearrannan on the north side of the island, where there are still some houses left with the original blackhouse architecture from the 1700s (well, aside from the thatched roofs of the cottages, which the dragons kept setting alight for fun. They've been replaced with slate roofs. Much less flammable.) And we had a picnic and camped for a night beside Loch Langabhat and stayed up late into the night, talking as we watched the stars overhead.
It was rather a let down to come home. But I know that the bustle here at the Burrow will quiet down when the children head off to King's Cross tomorrow.
Mercy! It's so noisy here today that my ears are ringing--Percy is haranguing the twins because they've hidden his Head Boy badge--but I know I'm going to miss them all horribly once they're gone.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-31 07:02 pm (UTC)Have you seen my broom kit? I can't find it anywhere.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-31 07:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-31 07:40 pm (UTC)Wait.
Where's my broom?
Oh, blast! She'd better not--
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-31 07:03 pm (UTC)Oh. And yeah, I don't have any socks. D'you know where they are?
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-31 07:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-31 07:36 pm (UTC)er, yeah
but
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-31 07:57 pm (UTC)Order Only
Date: 2010-08-31 07:12 pm (UTC)As I said, I nipped over there as quickly as I could when I discovered what she had written in her journal. Thank goodness the Browns weren't there. Once I'd scratched out her entry and scrawled that apologetic message at the bottom, I'm afraid I scolded her quite mercilessly, telling her that she mustn't ever EVER mention Sirius Black in her journal again.
She took it back meekly and then stared down at the journal, open in her lap. And so help me, I went right on scolding her...until I suddenly realised that tear drops were dropping down on the parchment, making the ink run.
She looked up at me and the expression in her eyes--oh, I can't even describe it. 'She said Daddy was a traitor,' she said in that clear, calm way of hers. 'That's why they killed him, didn't they?'
I didn't know what to say. I hadn't any idea that she has managed to put things together like that, but somehow she did. The inside of her mind is such a mystery, but she is a Ravenclaw, after all, and so clever. I just stared at her at a total loss for words until her face crumpled and she collapsed into my arms, and then she cried and cried into my lap as if her heart was breaking. I suppose it was. I haven't ever seen her cry like that for her father, nor for her mother either.
I held her for a long time until she actually cried herself to sleep, as if she were years younger than she was. I was almost frightened by how badly I wanted to tell her about Moddey Dhoo. I know she wouldn't get as solid a magical education there, and Merlin only knows what sorts of trouble could happen if she should simply disappear. But I can't help but feel it might actually be the best place for her. I did extract a promise from her that she won't mention Sirius Black again, and I do think she will keep it. But she's so much like Xeno--her thinking is so odd that it doesn't even occur to you to warn her against doing or saying something that seems absolutely hare-brained that could get her into a cauldron full of hot water, simply because it doesn't even occur to you that she would do such a thing.
Re: Order Only
Date: 2010-08-31 07:53 pm (UTC)We'll keep an eye on her too.
I do think that even though it's a hard lesson learned, it's probably better she know that her father didn't die of the sickness, and that she isn't really halfblooded. Not that it changes her situation, but it might answer some questions she's had about her family, and help her understand how careful she has to be.
Re: Order Only
Date: 2010-08-31 09:18 pm (UTC)At least she has you, Mrs Weasley. I know that must be a great comfort to her.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-31 09:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-31 09:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-31 09:12 pm (UTC)And I don't have to think very hard to guess who.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-31 09:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-08-31 10:25 pm (UTC)Could you mend some stuff? I forgot I'd left some things in my trunk from last term.