| Details for Introducing Aunt Irma |
| Summary: | Conall meets Gabby's Aunt Irma…and she proves she's more devious than Aunt Irene. |
| Date: | July 20,1938 |
| Location: | Watson House |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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The Watson's home is an old, two-story house with light blue paint that is faded and peeling. The roof is sagging, the wooden shingles rotting and looking ready to fall in. Two apple trees are in the yard and there is a meticulously tended vegtable garden and herb garden lining one side of the tattered fence at the back of the property.
At the back of the house is a dining room, a large table covered now with art supplies. There is a china cabinet in the corner, but through the glass of the doors one can only see books instead of dishware. Beside the dining room is the kitchen, a warm room where the oven is nearly always baking something. There are cookbooks and potion books along shelves everywhere, and a pantry reveals canning supplies, spices and potion ingredient racks.
Gabrielle 's been weeding all morning, which wouldn't be too bad, except she insists on wearing those long sleeve blouses. Aunt Irma is worried, but just keeps bringing her water and lemonade, offering to take over. But Gabby will hear none of it and sends her off. she needs to get things in order, if she's to take on the third job she's found…
Seeing the weeding Gabby, or maybe hearing her or her aunt, makes him move over towards where she is. Grinning and waving. "Hi there Gabs. I'm helping." He just tells her and moves to do what he can to help. Grinning at her.
Aunt Irma, who's a tad bit shorter than Irene, smiles up at conall when he makes his way into the back yard, "Oh…such a gentleman! I'll go get you a glass of lemonade too!" She'll waddle off, although as she does, her off hand goes to her lower back, rubbing it some as she walks. Gabby's starts to argue, but just frowns as she watches her aunt walk away, "She need to go see a medical witch…" she'll turn to look up at Conall, "You don't need to help, I just have to finish the beans and clear the flower beds." It doesn't look like the flower beds have been touched yet, and Gabby has a smear of dirt on her forehead from wiping sweat off. "What are you doing here, anyway?" She'll tilt her head and smile softly as she reaches for another weed.
"I do try." Conall offers to Irma before looking to Gabby, noting that hand on her lower back. Irma that is. Agreeing with Gabby then. "I think you are right. She really should see someone." As for why he is here, he blinks. "I got an owl yesterday from you telling me to be here. Didn't you?" He asks and wonders if her aunts would really do so. Though he does smile and shrug to her. "Of course I will help out."
Irma quickly toddles off, before any questions can be asked. Gabby just frowns, "No…why would I-" She'll narrow her eyes and look to the closing back door, "Seriously?!?" She'll close her eyes and her cheeks flush with embarrassment, not just heat.""Oh Merlin, I am so sorry!" She'll look to her hands in the dirt, "I can't believe-did you cancel any plans today? If you did, they're gonna hear about it!" Her voice drops some and she'll frown, "Gods!I wish Ripley would just come visit!"
Conall blinks and as he realizes the situation he just laughs and shakes his head. "Nah, it's quite fine. I promise. No plans really." He assures her and is a bit amused. "Persistent."
Gabrielle completely embarrassed, who wouldn't be? "Well, good to know they're using Orbit…" She'll keep her head, down, "I was going to owl you later today." She'll yank on a few weeds, going around the new bean plants. "Guess who I ran into yesterday?"
Conall grins and shakes his head. "I don't mind." As she goes about saying that she would owl him today, he chuckles. "See? Now you do not have to." He tells her with a beaming smile. To try and assure her of it all being fine. "Oh, who?"
Gabrielle rolls her eyes, "Oh, please don't grin. I'd bet my weeks wages at the broom shoppe she's watching and you're only encouraging her!" She'll narrow her eyes and but can't help smiling back some, "Unless this is a huge ruse to get invited to dinner again…you could just ask, you know." She's clearly teasing him. She'll go back to weeding, making Con hold the weed basket, "Takeshi apparently went to JApan right after school let out. He's…very different." She'll frown slightly, "It's not bad…just , different. WE may have some issues controlling him. He wanted to jump right in and start asking people questions about the Family and he wanted to talk to the Auror." She'll shake her head, "I got him to promise not to, but I'm a bit worried now."
Conall nods and tries to hide his grin, unsuccessfully. "Well, the food was good." Winking at that and just holding the basket. AS she mentions Tak he does nod. "Ah, I see. Well it is good to have him back. We will need him." Raising a brow about him being a lot dofferent now.
Gabrielle laughs softly, "Well, you know you've signed up for lunch, just by showing up, right? She's probably making it right now." she'll nod at the Takesho talk, "I know, I told him that, but he was very adament about fighting and protecting me…I kept sayign we needed a healer…"She'll shake her head and smile, "But I have other, even better news!"
"Well, lunch it is then. Though they really shouldn't." Wanting them to use money on themselves. Raising a brow about Takeshi. "I know that he is good and all. But… Yeah. IF we have no healer we might die either way. Not that he can not help some." He offers before looking quite curious about the better news. "Oh?"
Gabrielle huffs softly, but laughs, "Please, you'd insult them if you didn't at this point." She'll nod, "I know and agree. He got a little weird when I mentioned I was being tutored, and kept saying he could tutor me."She'll frown, not really sure if this is normal behavior for someone when they like another. Her frowm quickly disappears and she'll smile , glancing around to make sure her aunts indoors. She'll even lean a bit closer, "Do you remember the pink broom Mr.Toulson was working on? I met the lady who bought it, helped her out and talked to her a bit. Turns out, she's a reporter. And friends with Auror Cohen. And is helping him investigate…something. I think she's helping him look in to the possible leak in the Ministry." Gabby's grinning, not even having gotten to the really good news. "She's going to have me help research some thing on the Goblin wars for her…getting me access to a fully stocked library." Gabby finishes with a huge grin, and a soft giggle.
Conall frowns a bit at Tak's reaction, "IS he trying to make you lose all your friends and just keep you to himself? Seems… Reckless." He offers his own assesment of things. As she leans closer he cocks his head to the side. "OH? That is nice." Finally understanding what she mean. "That is quite good news."
Gabrielle Frowns, "I know…I don't know what to do. He knows, so it's not like we can just not involve him…" she'll sigh, "I know where he's staying, I'll just try to not walk by there alone until we figure out if he's just being weird, or what." She'll nod, "Yes, it is. We need to decide what I need to look for. I don't know how much time I'll have, and I'll still need to look up the Goblin War stuff. If they have Potion books, I think the Liquid Luck needs to be first, but what's second? The origin of Magic? The first person to use magic?" She'll shrug, but is smiling and excited.
Conall nods slowly and sighs as well. Uncertain what to do as well. "At least he can help. But he needs to learn to be a team player." Scratching his head as he tries to process the information. As for the origin of magic, he shrugs yet again. Holding the weed basket in his hands. "I doubt that it has only one origin point though. I think it is like evolution. PArt of it at least. We are born differently. "
Gabrielle nods, pulling at the last weeds , "I know…I just hope he's not doing this in hopes of getting me to date him…" She'll sigh, "I know, but there has to be a moment, that we can dissect, figure some of this out. If I can understand why the Family feels the way they do, what the 'threat' is, it can be fix in a non kill everyone kind of way. Or not , and then we understand and can use it against them."
"We will manage, I hope. And yeah… He should at least understand the situation right now. And as you figured, if we do need someone to read ancient texts, especially if we want to read back in history, we might need Morgana at some point." He offers and shrugs. "Are the Vengals the main guys though? OR are they part of something larger?"
"I know…I don't know what to look up first though, is the problem…Do you agree the recipe for Liquid Luck is my first priority? We may be able to get the history info in the restricted part of the Library at Hogwarts." She'll give Conall a knowing look, that's going be on him to get those books. Biting her lower lip she'll, shrug, "I…I don't know. they may be connected to Grindelwald. I don't think we'll be able to tell till we have more info…till I'm in."
Conall nods about the recipe. "Indeed that sounds wise. IF we have more brewers we could make several potions at once. IT feels like we will need it. And… I hate to say it but we might need to take the firsties so we can find them somewhere safe to be. If things turn worse where they could get hurt." He tells her and nods slowly again. "Concealment charm perhaps? Along with vanishment spells. Think that will work?" Moving with the weed basket to find somewhere to put it down. As for her last, he raises a brow. "Careful." He tells her.
Gabrielle frowns, she's not at the point yet where she feels they need to involve firsties. "Let's just see. If we don't have a plan, there's no need to involve anyone." She'll blink and then smile, "Or you could use your big shiny prefect badge to get books?" She'll roll her eyes, "Oh course….but you have to know it's going to come to that." She'll not look up, but has a resigned look about her. She knows. She'll start to stand a bit wobbly from kneeling for that long, and looks up to conall, but then her eyes go up a bit more as small elf owl drops a letter into her hands. She'll look at it a bit curiously, "huh."
"They are curious. They might try and get in the way. So we need to be careful." Conall tells her. As for his badge he does nod. "I might. We will see about all other things." He says before sighing and putting the basket down and crossing his arms over his chest. Looking at the letter with interest.
Gabrielle unfolds the letter adn frowns slightly, "It's from the reporter…" She'll sigh, "What would she mean, age appropriot? I'm 16." She'll frown and hand the letter over to Conall to read.Dear Gabrielle, I have spoken with Mr Toulson and he is happy for you to help me with my project. I will send an owl with a letter of introduction to the librarian at the wizarding library in London. You of course, will only have access to age appropriate materials but that should be sufficient for what I require. For each hour of research I will pay you the same rate Mr Toulson does. I will be paying for time spent in the library but also the time you spend at home writing up the reports.Yours sincerely,Philomena Rowle (signed)
Conall shrugs a bit as he reads it. "Yeah. I think it should be fine." He shrugs though and just continues to read all of it and hand it back over to Gabby. "I suppose it should all be quite fine then."
Gabrielle sighs, "I may not be able to get to the potions books after all, but history I'm sure should be fine. I can say I"m doing prewar research." She'll frown slightly, "Maybe I can use the time there research our stuff, and bring home the books and get someone here to help me write the papers…" Gabby's trying to manager her time here….Tutoring is already looking like it may have to g on the back burning..along with her painting.
Conall rises a brow. Not sure as to why since she should have access. He shrugs a bit though. "I am sure that could work. I will do what I can to help you out with anything you nee help with. As always."
Gabrielle smirks, "I know. Thank you, I-"and the back door opens and Irma is walking out with an apron wrapped around her waist, "Lunch is ready, come get cleaned up!" She sounds cheery and will wave them both in. Gabby will raise an eyebrow and smile, "Told ya." she'll turn and walk into the kitchen.
"You're welcome." And then they need to be heading in. Starting to move with Gabby as they start. Grinning wide to her words. "Complaining?" He asks in a teasing tone
Gabrielle just mutters "Shut up," and chuckles and walks to the bathroom to wash her hands…and then face when she looks in the mirror and sees the dirt smudge. Aunt Irma will smile softly at Conall and offer him a seat at the kitchen table. She has a plate full of sandwiches and cut carrots and apples. It's not fancy, but it's good. "Now tell me Conall, what is it you are planning on doing after Hogwarts? Gabrielle's going to be a famous artist. " She says this with a certainty that only old relatives can. She'll sit down, leaving the chair open next to Conall for Gabby to sit.
Conall does move to wash his own hands as well. Having been amused by Gabby's mutter. Taking a seat and smiling over at Irma with a bright smile, "Thank you." As for what he will be doing he just thinks it over before answering, "Singer most likely. Artist. But I do know magic if I would need that instead." A bit surprsied at the chair placements perhaps.
Irma smiles brightly, "Oh…Gabrielle's mother had such a lovely singing voice…she used to sing for our father all the time. I miss that. Now Irene and I, when we sang, birds dropped from the sky, but still…it was nice to have someone in the house that could." She'll push over the tray of sandwiches, “now eat up. You need your strength, I can tell. You need to eat more…I have an eye for such things." Gabby's gotten quiet, she's standing in the door,clean but with a slightly upset look. Her aunts never talk about her mother…
Conall smiles and nods, "That sounds quite nice. Gabby should be proved then." He offers and glances to Gabby as she arrives Giving her a kind smile and gesturing her to sit with him.
Gabrielle looks down at the ground a moment , then walks over and slowly sits down. Irma will pat the table once , "Oh, Let me get you two something to drink. You must be so thirsty dear, you've ben out in that heat all morning!" Gabby will just nod softly.
Conall looks to Gabby with worry and does try and cheer her up. Nodding to Irma as well. "Thank you. It is quite nice of you." Though his attention is quit to return to Gabby. "Talk to me."
"Oh , no trouble at all. " Irma will patt Gabby on the shoudler as she turns to get the lemonade. Gabby will look up at conall and shake her head no, but answer, "I think I"ll have enough to buy the canvas after this week. I have a few paints, so can start on the trial paintings. I'm thinking about doing a scenery…maybe go to Hogsmeade and paint something there." Her voice is steady, adn if Con was looking at her, he wouldn' be able to tell anything was wrong."
Conall nods and looks skeptical still and just sighs. Leaning in to whisper. "Do talk to me if anyone is off." He tells her. Nodding about canvas as well. "All sounds nice. I do hope you can get enough to paint a whole bunch of things."
Gabrielle nods, but he agreement doesn't quite reach her eyes, "I just need one or two to practice, then the big one for the Leander portrait…"She'll look down, feeling a bit sad that she's excited to be painting it, Dumbledore said if it turns out, they'll hang in in the trophy room along with his award." Aunt Irma comes back and sets two glasses down, "I think it will be lovely dear, no matter what.
"I agree. I am sure that it will turn out great." Smiling brightly to her. Though not fully sure what to offer. "I am sure that we could all do well from remembering LEander." As for the part about Dumbledore he just shrugs. "Oh. That sounds quite well."
Gabrielle gives a smile, and nods, "It will be. It has to be." She'll nod about Dumbledore, "I just hope Ripley will be ok with it." Irma watches both students, slightly worried, and will push the food towards them, "There is a time and place for those things. Right now is the time for you two to eat and get energy. You're both too skinny!" She'll then spend the rest of the meal trying to get both of them to eat more.