(1) Family Ties (D. Salvatore)

Chapter Four

At the dinner table, Bonnie wants to ask questions. It's obvious. But Tansy also told her to give her a day to adapt and she assumes that means that she doesn't want to talk about anything magic-related until tomorrow. It's not that. It's just that she needs time to plan out where to start. She just can't start teaching today because of that. Tansy raises an eyebrow at her and then motions with her fork that she can ask whatever she wants to. Bonnie lets out a breath and leans closer to her.

"Do you go to Whitmore?" Bonnie asks Tansy who hums, raising an eyebrow at Sheila sitting across the table from her.

"Ah," Sheila starts and shares a look with Tansy. "Tansy was a student at Hogwarts" She explains causing Bonnie to frown. She knows that her grandmother teaches at Whitmore College as an Occult professor but she's never heard about Hogwarts. "Hogwarts is a specialist school for children with magic" Sheila continues. "It wasn't something I could tell you about before"

"Why?" Bonnie asks her.

"It's illegal" Tansy explains and Bonnie looks at her. "Our world is hidden from the non-magical and it is a literal law that we're not allowed to expose them to it. Your grandmother was literally bound by law...." Tansy pokes at her food with her fork. "It's a stupid prehistoric law, but a law none the less"

"And your father made it clear that he didn't approve of all of this stuff" Sheila adds and Bonnie nods in agreement. Rudy thinks that Sheila is crazy and thinks it might be contagious so he makes sure that Bonnie barely spends any time with her. Bonnie turns back to Tansy.

"How long have you been...a witch?"

"Things started happening when I was young, little things really, but it wasn't until I was eleven that I was told what I was...." Tansy explains. "I wasn't raised in a pro-magic household" She adds and shrugs a little. "That's when I was invited to Hogwarts..."

"At eleven?"

"That's the majority" Sheila explains. "It's why I thought you hadn't inherited it. You showed no early signs and then your eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth birthdays all came and went and no magic....the latest I've heard of magic awakening is fifteen, and again, nothing..."

"Oh" Bonnie whispers and frowns. "So why now? Why did it wait so long?"

"I don't know" Sheila answers and touches Bonnie's arm. "But I would like to find out...Tansy and I will browse the books, contact people that might have access to answers...." Bonnie nods a little. "And Tansy is here for you" Sheila adds. "Any questions you have that you might not want to talk to me about....you can talk to her. I trust her..." Tansy smiles softly at the older woman. She knows why because Tansy feels the same way. They've been through a lot together. Everyone at the school in the last eight years. Everyone who was involved in the Second Wizarding War. They have all been bonded through pain and suffering and liberation. They literally went through war together.

.......

After dinner, after the table has been cleared and the dishes washed magically much to the amusement and awe of Bonnie. Sheila is no longer having to hide her magic from Bonnie. She's free to use it around the house as she would if she were here alone. And Bonnie gets to see it all. The wonders of magic. Tansy collects her nano and moves to pick up the grimoire from earlier. Bonnie turns and follows after her. Wanting to know how this is going to work. What Tansy wants to do. When they can get started on this.

"How do you want to...do this?" Bonnie asks her.

"Urm...We can spend a couple of hours after school, if that works for you?" Tansy offers. Bonnie nods. "And if you have to say anything to your dad, just say that you have a tutor in something you suck at..." Bonnie pulls a face of agreement. She can literally tell him that she's meeting with Tansy, a tutor and he'll buy it. He'll like it a whole lot more than her saying that she is spending more time with her grandmother. "So I'll see you tomorrow" Tansy tells her as she picks up the grimoire. Bonnie smiles and nods, seemingly feeling better about the whole prospect of being a witch. Tansy seems nice, normal, and well, if she can come across that way having been a witch for years, then Bonnie can have a shot at normalcy too. She's assuming that Tansy is normal anyway. Tansy waves as she heads back towards her claimed bedroom. She is starting to feel her lack of sleep and she knows she has to stay awake until later but she is not sure that is going to work. The travel and her nap earlier has only drained her. Plus she didn't really sleep back home anyway. She closes the bedroom door behind her and sinks back against it. She should call Harry as well, to at least let him know that she has made it. She pushes off the door and cross the room to her suitcase to grab her phone. She doesn't have a lot of numbers saved, less than ten, so scrolling to Harry does not take her very long. And almost as soon as it starts to ring, Harry is picking up the line on the other end.

"Hey" Harry greets. "Finally" He scolds a little.

"Yeah, I should have called earlier" She agrees as she sits on the bed, setting the grimoire down beside her. "I just crashed when I got here....and then kind of spaced...."

"Everything work out okay?" He asks, she hums and nods to herself.

"Yeah, yeah...I mean it was long but I got here without incident so a win, I guess" She comments and runs her fingers through her hair. "Did you call Ginnie yet?" Harry snorts and she can practically hear the eye roll. "I will call you every single day and push you on this...."

"I sent her an owl" He is quick to stop her. "It takes longer so I bought myself some time" She snorts and smiles because that sounds just like Harry. Put off everything until the last minute, and that apparently includes his relationship with Ginny. "I just need to work out what I am going to say to her"

"Start with...'I'm sorry it took so long'" She comments. "'Want to go and grab some coffee?'" She adds. Harry hums a little.

"Okay, that's not bad..." He agrees and Tansy rolls her eyes fondly before glancing at the clock and doing the time difference maths.

"Well, it's late on your end and you should go to bed because I know you have work tomorrow"

"I was waiting up for your call" He counters but she can hear him yawning. She smiles softly.

"Go to bed, Harry, I'll call at a better time tomorrow, I promise"

"You better" He pushes and she knows she is going to have to keep her word otherwise she will never hear the end of it. "Goodnight, Taz" He offers warmly.

"Goodnight, Harry" She counters and then hangs up with a soft sigh. She does feel better talking to Harry, even if it is short. Even if nothing was really said. It was enough to relieve some of the tiredness. Homesickness probably. Even after less than 24 hours. This is the furthest she has ever been from home, of course, it is going to affect her. She lets out a breath and sets the phone back into her suitcase. She misses Harry. The comfort of him being around, just him being there.