| Details for A Farm in Trouble |
| Summary: | Morgana learns about Lucian's farm life, and Camilla reveals some troublesome news about the farm itself. |
| Date: | 11 November, 1938 |
| Location: | Hogsmeade and the Fawley Farm |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
   |
Morgana is stepping out of Harkiss with a medium sized bag in her hand. Apparently, she's stocking up on chocolate. Wether it's all for her, or to appease those unruly underclassmen is left up for debate. She's wearing a light grey cloak over her shoulders with the hood pulled over her hair. Behind her is a black and white cat, who seems to be watching her as she walks around. She doesn't look as dour as she has been, and even talks to the cat as they walk. "Nothing for you Bassie." She says to him. "You haven't earned a treat today."
"Deny a cat what he wants, and you'll get an irate puss on your hands." Here comes Lucian Proudmore, strolling down High Street. It seems he's taking his pet out for the day, too — a black crow, perched on his shoulder. He's looking very much the farmboy today, in workman's trousers, and a brown leather coat with wool lining. His lifts his chin in greeting to Morgana. "Are they having an after-Halloween special, or something?"
"Ah, but if you spoil him too much, he'll begin to expect treats when he does not deserve them. Granted my grandmother lets him eat at the kitchen table like a human, so my efforts are probably for nothing." Morgana says turning toward cat as he stops his walking and sits next to Morgana. The cat's eyes stare at Lucian's crow, while his tail twitches behind him. "Oh this?" She says holding up the bag. "I just like to keep it handy for when the girls come running into the tower and crying over some boy. It quiets them, for an hour at least."
Lucian gives a little eyeroll. Relationship drama. Surely it can't be as real or important as his relationship drama. "Smart move. I should try that the next time Polly starts talking…about anything, really. Maybe taffy would keep her quiet even longer…hm." The crow squawks a taunt down at the cat. "Odin, shh. That was right in my ear."
"Is she that bad?" Polly, being a person that Morgana never really speaks to. "Taffy might work better than chocolate, she might get the wrong idea if you gave her that." Looking down at her cat when Odin squawks, Morgana shakes her head and reaches to scratch his head. "He'd tear you apart, don't even think about it." She does pick him up and rest him on her shoulder, trying to keep him from looking at the bird. "What has you out and about today?"
Lucian scoffs and laugh at the question about Polly, nodding vehemently. Polly Parkinson is well known for her inability to stop talking. "It's a Hogsmeade weekend. Aren't we supposed to be out and about?" He chuckles. "Besides, I thought I might stop by the farm today. I didn't see Camilla last Hogsmeade weekend."
Morgana shrugs her shoulders. "I don't always come down, sometimes it's nice to be in the castle when most everyone is gone. I get so much work done." She says with a half smirk, trying to hold on to the cat that does not want to be held. "I didn't know you knew the farm owner out here." She says, shifting her weight to her other goot. "I don't want to keep you if you have an appointment." She says politely.
"Know her?" Lucian grins, amused. "I live there. She took me in last summer, after she took possession of my hippogriffs. Besides, I knew her before that. She sometimes stands in for Kettleburn in Care of Magical Creatures. But no, I haven't got an appointment. I was just going to show up. Want to come?"
"I did not know that." Morgana says with a raise of her brows, than again, she really doesn't know where any of her friends live. Something she plans to remedy! Eventually. "Ah, I never took the class, so I don't believe I have met her." Thinking about his invitation for a moment, she'll nod. "Sure, I have no other plans today, and I could use a change of scenery. Shall we Sebastian?" She says to the cat, who doesn't really seem to care what happens.
Fawley Family Farm , Hogsmeade
Nestled between the Scottish Mountainside and the Forbidden Forest, at the end of a long long gravel road that stretches out a few miles between the end of Crook Road and the property of the Fawley Farm is the largest of the properties in the area and it takes up near 100 acres. It's a beautiful sprawling farm. The property is completely self sustaining with plenty of meadow for the livestock, fields and orchards for growing feed for both the animal and human residents, a brook with cool water that feeds the land and the livestock and a thicket at the edge of the forest and on the mountain rise to the north side of the property. While the Farmhouse with surround porch is relatively quaint all things considered built in the usual Tudor era style it is a two story work of whimsy.
The farm is a busy bustling place. The farm is used by the resident to house and care for creatures both mundane and magical that can not live in the wild or at the Zoo. All manner of species reside in special locations sprawled out over the 100 acre property. Behind the barn that's larger than the farmhouse is a newer addition to the property being a very small lake for marine animals. Quite like a small zoo in itself every species has it's own space that's been modeled to resemble their native habitat.
Lucian strolls down the long, gravelly path to the Fawley Farm, hands in his pockets. Odin launches from his shoulder, taking off toward the farmhouse. "Well, Camilla will know we're here soon enough," he chuckles. "I think you'll like her. She's…she's great."
Morgana has been walking along quietly, allowing her cat Sebastian to follow along at his own pace. She doesn't worry about him finding his way back to the castle should they get separated, after all that is where all the tasty rodents are. "She sounds like a lovely person. How is it that you've come to stay here?" It seems that Lucian wasn't the only one wrapped up in his own problems and not paying attention to everyone else.
Lucian shrugs, brushing a lock of his golden mane from his eyes. "It just sort of happened. She offered to let me work the farm over Christmas holiday last year, which sounded loads better than going home to Godric's Hollow. Of course, that was all after she rescued the hippogriffs from my father. After all that, it just made sense to stay. She offered, and I was old enough to decide for myself. So, I stayed."
"I can understand that." Morgana says with a nod of her head. "At least it means you get to skip the whole ride over here at the beginning of the year, and it is beautiful out here." She'll take a second to look the scenery over before she pries further. "Do you plan on working over the Christmas Holiday again? Or are you going to take some free time?"
Camilla calls from the porch of the house, "Don't make me get the sheep shears. Taking the lion thing through and through hmm?" Her tease is perhaps dual purpose, to tease and to distract as she is trying to quickly organize and put together a patio table worth of papers and bills. The usual cool foxy lady is looking for once a bit haggard.
"Actually," Lucian points out, "I have double the train ride. Prefect, and all that. I have to take the Express to London, then back again, so I can supervise the Slytherins. But yeah, I figure I'll be here for the holiday. I mean, it's home, after all." He gives Camilla a wave from afar, hollering back, "You first!"
"Well, at least you get a good seat then?" Morgana says, as they approach the house, putting on a polite smile as the owner makes herself known. "I'm having a few friends over after Christmas, you'd be more than welcome to join us, if you're able to get away." She offers before pulling her hood back and nodding to Camilla. "Isn't there a story some where about a man losing power because his hair was cut?"
Camilla folds up and flips over the last bits of threatening notices so they are face down on the table. She steps forward to stand in front of the table and lean back against it. Human meat shield between Lucian and evidence of the real and present danger the farm is in. Momma Fox protecting her kit. "Nothing could take power away from my boy. Isn't that right?" She gives a proud smile towards Lucian. "Miss Rashley, very nice to see you. Happy to see that Lucian has a friend in you. Can I get you some animal noise cocoa? Or you two are probably to old for that now, huh?"
Lucian shrugs to Morgana, obviously clueless about the tale of Samson and Delilah. "Christmas get-together, huh? I'd like that." To Camilla, he gives her a teasing grin. "That is, if my slave-driver will give me a day off. And seriously…your 'boy'?" That alone should be answer enough to the notion of animal-noise cocoa. "Morgana, this is Camilla Fawley. Obviously she know who you are." He chuckles.
"Just a small gathering, I'll let you know what day once I get the okay from my grandparents." Morgana says, seeming happy to have him agree. "It is nice to see you as well." She pauses before looking up at Lucian and his answer about the beverage. "Whatever you have will be just fine." She replies politely, "I'm not too picky." She says with a laugh.
Camilla chuckles, "Yes, I know the Head Girl of Hogwarts." A poke out of her tongue is very quickly at Lucian. "Head on in, I'll be right behind, just need to get things together out here." Because she is so outdoorsy she even does office things on the patio.
Lucian's brow furrows curiously at Camilla, sensing something amiss, as he opens the door for Morgana. "Everything alright, Cammie? You seem a little…I don't know."
"My reputation proceeds me." Morgana says with a hint of amusement, though as she is invited inside, she'll slip on through, letting Lucian have any sort of conversation he needs to have with Camilla. Her cat however hops up on the railing for the patio and settles in, deciding to hang out there while the humans go about their business.
Camilla flips open a pouch on her belt and pulls out a little feline treat and set it down before the visiting cat on the railing. "Just paperwork, you know it's my least favorite part of the job. This quarter it's even more heavy. But don't you worry about it. My man?" She smirks as she tests out calling him man insted of boy since he didn't care for it. When Morgana is in the house she asks Lucian without saying a word, just a whole lot of pointing gestures and exaggerated expression asking if there's anything more than friendship going on.
Lucian just rolls his eyes at Camilla, in that aggravating way only a teenager can manage. Not that it actually answers her unspoken question one way or the other. Slipping in after Morgana, he called out to her, "Just grab a seat, and if it squawks or growls, just find another one. I'll get us drinks." Heading into the kitchen, he looks for lemonade or something else less childish than the voice-changing cocoa.
Morgana was already inside, so she of course misses the whole non verbal communication, which is probably for the best. She does find herself a place to sit on the love seat that does not squeak or squawk at her, and even removes her cloak from her shoulders. "The house is lovely." She says honestly, looking around at all of the curious creatures and things she sees.
Camilla has water, milk, buttermilk, apple cider, and hard apple cider. "Thank you very much. It gets so empty when school's in session. At least of the human variety." She winks and pets the mane of the young male lion that comes strolling out from around behind the couch. "I hope you like animals." Is remarked with a soft chuckle.
Lucian settles on the not-so-hard apple cider, bringing out a tray with three glasses on it. Lucian chuckles, giving Godric the lion a knowing smile. "She likes one. Cammie…I told Morgana. That I'm an Animagus, I mean. Actually, I showed her. So, we can speak freely."
"Oh I have no problem with Animals." Though she is slightly surprised to see a Lion in a sitting room, but, she is on a farm! She'll take the not-so-hard with a quiet thanks before nodding her head. "It was absolutely fascinating, I had never seen it performed before. Though he nearly had me believing that he was going to turn into a rabbit." She says lightly teasing the Slytherin boy.
Camilla has a lightly playful if defensive tone. "I happen to know a very nice rabbit." In the tone of 'what's wrong with turning into a rabbit!?' tease. The sort of thing a family member would do to haze the new girl brought home. "It is a process of dedication combined with just the right virtues and flaws and wha-lah." She looks like she is just ducking down for a romp with Godric but then a grey fox jumps up onto the back of the couch. The creature bows and then in another leap towards Lucian in a blink she goes from fox back into Cami. With a smile she lifts up her glass. "Welcome to our home Miss Rashley."
"Show-off," Lucian groans at Camilla. "So there it is, Morgana. We're more zoo than household. A little later, I'll show you around a bit more. I want you to meet my hippogriffs. Have you ever encountered one? There are things you'll need to know."
Morgana watches as Camilla also shows off her trick, laughing as Lucian calls her out. "From what I read it is not an easy feat to achieve, I applaud you both." Though it's easy to see that inner Ravenclaw working behind her eyes. "I'll take a zoo over a greenhouse any day." When he mentions going to see the hippogriffs, she'll stand and shake her head. "Not in person, but I know that they are prideful animals and to show them nothing but respect. How many do you have?"
Camilla grows a bit tense at talk of the Hippogriffs. "She'll have to sign a waiver Lucian before that." She sounds absolutely miserable to be having to force such bureaucracy on his guest, but it also sounds like she's got no choice. A gulp of her cider is chugged in a way that makes it clear she wishes it was the hard stuff.
Lucian nods to Morgana, smiling approvingly at her knowledge of hippogriff pride. "There are twelve in the herd. Though we'll have to start with Dragon. He's the herd leader, and he won't let you near the others until he's approved of you." He gives Camilla an annoyed frown. "Waivers again? This isn't Creature Camp. I vouch for her. It's fine."
"Twelve? That is quite a herd." Morgana does look excited about meeting the hippogriffs. "The leader is named Dragon? I'm amused by that name." When Camilla mentions paperwork, and Lucian protests, she'll shake her head. "I'll sign whatever you need me to sign. I know that this is your business as well as your home. Lead on!"
Camilla pinches the bridge of her nose. "Please don't Lucian. She'll have to sign a waiver. I'm sorry, but that's how it is. Anyone that doesn't have training needs to sign a waiver now. Ministry Policy." She reaches out to rub his arm and even lean in to give the side of his floppy haired head an apologetic kiss. "It's just a quick harmless little squiggle of a quill on a piece of paper…" She smiles apologetically over at Morgana, "Sorry, if I had my way you'd be able to visit them freely. But if you want to meet the hippogriffs you will have to sign, if you want to ride them, I'll need to run you through a four weekend training course." Again the haggardness of a free spirit being chewed up by the bureaucratic machine comes through. "Thank you for your understanding. Just right here on the table by the window." Sure enough there's a fresh stack of waiver forms and a quill right next to them.
Lucian scowls in frustration. "Training course? Since when? I can teach her everything she needs to know for a quick ride in less than an hour. The Ministry won't know a thing." He gives Morgana an apologetic look. "It'll be fine. If you want to ride, you can ride. Cami…come on, this is your farm. My hippogriffs. To Hades with the Ministry."
Morgana listens quietly to Camilla's instructions while she grabs her cloak and puts it back on. "No I completely understand." She says, walking to the wavier and looking it over. She can't help it, she's a Ravenclaw, but at least she reads quickly. "There we gone, one signature for you. I don't want to get her in trouble Lucian, I know how annoying that can be. I'm happy to just meet them, if they even like me that is." She says, trying to find that nice middle ground she so loves to walk in.
Camilla looks like she could very well just burst into tears right now. She lowers her voice as Morgana steps across the room to plead with her foster son. "Not now Lucian. It is my farm and I would like to keep it that way, so you will do what I say or they won't be your hippogriffs any more." She reaches to take him by the wrist. "Do you understand what I'm saying? The second she's on the back of anything on this farm without the proper procedure as it's no been dictated to me and everything is gone. You can play the Rebel and say to Hades with the Ministry, but I don't have that luxury. Not any more. One feather out of place, one horseshoe nail bent at 48 degrees instead of 45 and it's over. So please, just take your friend to see the herd. Please?"
Lucian bristles, his hackles raising and getting ready for a row. But as Camilla explains, as he sees the glimmer of fear in her eyes, realisation dawns upon him, and his wrath suddenly has a new target. "That effing…this is my father's doing, isn't it? He's after the 'griffs again, and he's putting pressure on you!" He gives Morgana an apologetic grimace. "They were legally my father's, before Camilla rescued them. But the great idiot took the whole thing as a blow to his pride, so he's making trouble for the farm now." He looks back to Camilla. "Isn't he?"
Camilla lifts her hands up to cup both of Lucian's cheeks, "You let me worry about this. Alright? It's nothing I can't handle. But I need you on board with me. We will make it. We can't let him get to us, or he will win. Some of the brood mares are expecting, the whole herd is full health now, I'm sure he wants them back, yes. But he won't get them back. I run a clean ship. We know this, so we just embrace that and move on. The ministry will get tired of being told what to do. They and he won't have a leg to stand on. I know you are angry, but you and the herd are safe now, I won't let anything happen to you or to them. Help me? Don't be angry please. Just follow the rules. You are good at that. It's all we have to do to win."
It's hard to not listen into a hushed conversation, and Morgana does not want to seem rude, so she'll try humming quietly just to keep herself from doing so. However Lucian's words are not hushed at all and she frowns. "That's… I really don't even know what to say to that." Well, she does, but it isn't polite. "You know, I can always just hop on a broom if you want to go for a flight Lucian, so long as you don't think that will agitate the hippogriff." Though she feels a pang, she can understand that frustration that Lucian is feeling, having felt it herself many times before.
"I wanted you to be able to ride, Morgana." Lucian clenches his teeth in frustration. "I warned you, Cami. I told you he had influence. He doesn't stop when he doesn't get his way. Don't think for a second that he won't stoop to sabotage, either. I'd bet my wand on it. Just following the rules won't be enough to beat him." He stands up, pacing back and forth in agitation, muttering, "I knew it would come to this…"
Camilla allows Lucian to pace, "I know honey. But it's then that we'll be able to gather evidence and proof that he is the one behind this. Scamander doesn't think for one moment that there is any truth in the reasons why every single little sub-division of a sub-division of a sub-division is sending me new paperwork and fine print to hash out. How about you and Godric take Morgana for scamper in the back meadow with Godric, get some wrestling done. Godric has missed his wrestling pal. Hmm?" Once more a very apologetic look is angled at Morgana. "Thank you for being so sweet and understanding about this." She then looks to Lucian, "I like her." A nod of permission - blessing is given before she is interupted by some loud clomping down the hall. "You two have a good time. The Granian yearling needs her poultice." She leans in to give Lucian's floppy head a quick kiss before she goes to swing open a door and there's a little winged horse in a guest room — inside — a winged horse!
"Than next Hogsmeade weekend, I can start Camilla's training. As much as I'd like to try and ride one, if it caused you to lose the herd, I wouldn't forgive myself." It's easy to see how agitated he is, and Camilla's suggestion is a great one. "Besides, I think he could take you. Would you like to prove me wrong?"
Lucian snorts as Morgana successfully pulls him a few inches out of his fit of temper. "I'm not in a wrestling mood. But…fine. I'll take Godric out." And maybe he'll even wrestle…but only because Godric will give him those big, pleading eyes.