| Details for You Got Some Splainin' To Do, Lucy |
| Summary: | Bannon speaks to Josie about the revelation of who her father is. |
| Date: | December 24th, 1937 |
| Location: | — |
| Related: | Personal Demons, Honour and Necessity |
| Characters |
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Even with the weather as inclement as it is, Bannon is still one to take time to maintain the training regimen that keeps him in fighting trim to ensure that his duties as an Auror are safe for all concerned. With a crate of bottles kindly collected by the Three Broomsticks, Bannon sets out for the front yard. He sets his position, looking around to ensure the airspace is clear of broomflyers, hippogriffs and any number of other things that could probably be flying over the Fawley Family Farm. He takes up his wand in his right hand, and a bottle in the left. Slinging it high, Bannon tracks it with his wand and calls out, "Reducto!" The glass bottle shatters into beach sand at the well-placed curse performed by the Auror.
Josie is pretty much back to her old self, if perhaps a bit more thoughtful and quiet than before as she's tried to process everything. So, she's up on the roof of the house once again, feet dangling over the edge as she looks out. Spotting Bannon beginning his practice, she takes advantage of her enchanted shoes to jump off and float down to the ground safely, then making her way over towards him.
Bannon picks up another bottle from the crate, sending it into the air and whipping his wand from the side, "Avifors!" The bottle reforms itself in mid-air, a pigeon spreading its wings and taking flight. He glances towards Josie, and tucks his wand away in his jacket. He gestures to her to follow him, and he leads her over to a bench upon which he sits. He glances towards her, watching her for a moment and then saying, "It seems I have a lot of explaining to do."
Josie follows after Bannon, moving to hop into a seat next to him. She nods and says, "Yeah." She asks, then, "You're really my dad? You weren't just talking like adopted daughter or anything?" She already knows this answer from her talk with Camilla, but she has to ask to be sure she's understood.
Bannon shakes his head, looking across the field for a moment then peering back towards Josie, perhaps surveying how she's handling things, "No. You're certainly not my adopted anything. You're a Bates right down to your bones, Josie. I see it in everything you do." He then asks, "Are you sure you're alright? Kriegsbruder didn't curse you? Did he cast any spell on you?"
A flash of pride at Bannon's words comes through Josie's general confusion for a moment, and she sits up a little straighter. She nods quickly and says, "I'm sure. Only spell he cast on me was the one with the ropes. Don't think he wanted to hurt me until you were there to watch. Though he kinda looked tempted after I kicked him," she says with a bit of a grin again.
Bannon smiles, "There you go, then. That's an achievement I'm sure he'll be happy to hear about. He's been kicked by two generations of Bates. Maybe we'll cart your grandfather up to Azkaban and go for the trifecta." This won't happen, of course. He frowns, "Josie, I want you to know something. Your mother never told me you were in this world. It is my thought that she deemed it was safer if it was just the two of you. She knew what I did for a living." He frowns, "I found out your mother passed away, but I didn't find out about you until a friend mentioned he was bringing you to Hogwarts. I did some checking around, and thats when I decided to become your legal guardian. Until I could figure out what more there could be." He frowns, "Do you understand? Further, can you forgive me?"
Josie blinks in surprise, "I have a grandfather?" She seems even more surprised when he calls her Josie, but she doesn't say anything, looking up to Bannon as she listens to what he has to say. Then she looks down at her hands. She's quiet for a long moment, then she gives a little nod, glancing back up to Bannon with a small smile. Forgiveness granted. But it leads to another question, "Why'd you leave her?"
Bannon smiles, "Yes you do. He's a Muggle, and he is a professor at Oxford University. He is in part how I got a name that is so often spoken around these parts." He pauses for a moment, to take a breath, "My full name is Bannon Benjamin Bryson Bates. Your grandfather's name is Benjamin Bryson Brendon Bates. Your great-grandfather's name is Bryson Brendon Bailey Bates. And I'm going to stop there before this begins to sound like one of the early chapters of Genesis." He frowns, "Well, that's a fair question, I suppose. I left your mother because of work. I wanted to stay, but it was very tough to go back and forth between different parts of Britain even by apparition back then. I wasn't as good then as I am now."
Josie asks, "Can I meet him?" Then, though, she's distracted by the answer to her other question, and she thinks about this. "So… you left so you could stop dark wizards? Did she understand? Did she forgive you?" She bites her lip and then says, "She never even told me your name."
Bannon nods his head, "If you want to, but don't expect the warmest reception. Your grandfather doesn't understand wizards. Your grandmother, Louise, is only a little more understanding." He listens for a moment and then nods again, "Yes. I left to fight dark wizards. She understood to an extent, but I don't think she truly forgave me. I like to think she didn't tell you my name because she knew it could mean trouble in a number of different ways. It could have made you a target when you otherwise would have been defenseless. It could have ended up where you had been born a Muggle like your mother. I'm sure there were many reasons, least of all her forgiveness of me." He sighs, "One thing I do want you to know is that I sincerely loved your mother. Had I been able to stay for long periods of time in London, things would have been far different."
Josie nods a little and says, "Even if he doesn't like me, I wanna know *all* my family. 'Sides, I'm pretty good at making people like me. Except Pringle," she adds with a wrinkled nose. She nods then and suddenly leans over to hug Bannon. "She'd forgive you," she decides. "She never… never insulted you, or said bad things, or anything like that. Just told me stories of magic."
Bannon smiles, "Maybe we'll all go see them during your summer holiday. I'll send them a letter by Muggle post and give them fair warning. We'll see. That's the best answer I can give you at present time." He lifts an arm to receive the hug, wrapping his arm around Josie in turn, "Well, that is certainly good news." He pauses, "I have to say I'm incredibly happy to have you back in my world, Josie. With you and Camilla, it's like I have the family I never thought I could have."
Josie holds onto the hug, as if trying to communicate every feeling she can't put into words through squeezing. Finally she leans back a little and says, "I'm happy too."