| Details for Escape Through Tea |
| Summary: | Gus brings tea to Eibhlin. |
| Date: | 1938-11-26 |
| Location: | Grassy Knolls |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Afternoon. Some might have classes yet, but others don't depending on their schedule. Eibhlin is one that doesn't. The cool weather might not be all that conducive to being outdoors for a long while, yet sometimes its needed. The girl did come prepared though it would seem as while she's found a place to settle out of the wind she does have a blanket to sit on which is also wrapped about her legs. While she's focusing on her studies, or trying to, the chill is starting to sink in.
"A little birdie told me you were out here and might be a bit cold," Gus says, coming up to her from the direction of the castle. "I have a thermos of piping hot tea, if you want." And nothing else, apparently. Just simple tea. He grins at her. "Your cheeks are all pink."
Eibhlin looks up, a bit startled by the sudden sound of a voice. A smile is given the boy however and she nods, "Tea would be lovely," she agrees, closing the book to set it beside her. With the distraction from its pages however the cold seems to register with a shiver.
Gus pulls up the hood of his own robes and snugs his scarf a little tighter, then joins her on the blanket. He hands over the thermos. "What are you doing out here in the cold, anyway?" he asks. "Surely there are more comfortable places to study." He shoves his hands into his pockets.
Eibhlin nods, "There are," she agrees about more comfortable places to study, accepting the thermos and trying to turn the cover off. A task not so easily complete in mittens. "I like the quiet," she replies as to the reason. "Less chance of running into people and discussions on petitions and responses to and.." she sighs. "I needed a break."
"Ah, I see," Gus says. "Well. I can go…" he offers. He watches her try to unscrew the lid with a little grin.
"No," Eibhlin replies with a shake of her head, "you can stay." The top does finally come loose and she pours some of the tea into the cup that otherwise covers the top to take a sip. The shift in expression is one that tells its still plenty hot.
"Why don't we walk a bit?" Gus suggests. "It'll keep us warm."
Eibhlin nods, "Sounds good," she agrees, passing the thermos back to him to give herself a free hand with which to unwrap the blanket from her legs and collect both it and her book after finding her feet.
"Oh, let me carry that stuff," Gus says once they're up. "You can keep the thermos, keep your hands warm." He'll pass her the thermos and take the blanket and the book if she'll let him. "What were you studying?"
"Not a lot," Eibhlin replies, again giving a slight shaking her head. "Just that he was charming and that I must take after him in some respects because she was never good at learning her letters," she goes on with a shrug. "What about your parents? They own a vineyard. Yes?"
"Is your mum a red-head?" he asks curiously. "Because if not, it means your father must've been." Mendelian genetics aren't really explained to students in Hogwarts, but that particular trait isn't a difficult one to have sussed out through observation. He nods. "Yeah, down in Kent," he tells her. "But they were both born and raised in France."
Eibhlin nods, "She is, really though I don't know much about my father. Theories, yes, but really some of them never were very plausible." An eleven year old's imagination can come up with quite a few fanciful ideas after all. She nods as he confirms about his parents, "And a sister, right?"
"Two sisters," Gus says. "An older sister, Francine, and a younger sister, Lizette. She'll be coming here, next year," he says. He puts his hand at the height of a first-year. "Little blonde thing. Cute as a button." After a few steps he asks, "So, what are your theories?"
"THey aren't important," Eibhlin says of those theories, brushing them off with a shake of her head. "She must be excited. Lizette?" she asks, trying to remember the names and get them straight.
"Yeah, she is," Gus says. He tilts his head toward her. "Your father was a wizard?" he asks. "Do you know his name?"
Eibhlin nods. "That's what makes the most sense, that he was a wizard. Its what they figure, what the liaison that came from the ministry after I got my letter said anyway." The tea in the cover finished off its placed back on tip of the thermos leaving her with a free hand. "That's about all I know," she says of a name.
"Well," Gus prompts. "What's his name?" Then he suddenly looks concerned. "Is this alright, me asking? I don't want to upset you."
Turning her head Eibhlin sends a smile towards Augustin, "Liam, his name was Liam Shine. And you're fine, just not many people have asked is all. I've talked to Gerald about him, aside from him its not something that's come up really."
"Good," Augustin says with a bit of relief. "Liam. Hm. Liam Shine. Have you tried finding him?" he asks. "Assuming he's still alive?" Then he pauses. "Er… do you want to?"
"I have," Eibhlin replies with a simple nod, shifting just a bit closer with her next step. "It's just proving.. difficult."
Gus shifts the load he's carrying into the arm away from her so that the hand closes to her is free, just in case she wants to hold it, or something. "I'm sorry to hear that," he says. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Eibhlin shakes her head, "Its alright, not like it's your fault or anything," she replies, slipping her hand into his. "While I appreciate the offer, I don't know that there is right now. But like I said, Its really not that big of a thing." She's gone this long without knowing. "Tell me more about your family?"
Gus grins brightly when their hands join. "My family's nothing special," Gus says. "We grow grapes. Lots and lots of grapes. Green and red and little purple ones. We have a few other things, too - a little greenhouse for flowers and vegetables for ourselves. Mum likes to garden. Then we harvest the grapes, and then we turn the grapes into wine. A lot of it is just regular wine like you can find anywhere. But some of it is actually magic wine. The kind used for potions, you know. Dad has a secret ingredient that he's not going to tell me about until I take over the business, or he's on his deathbed, whichever comes first."
"I'd hardly call that 'nothing special'," Eibhlin replies with a shake of her head, rolling her eyes upward for just a moment. "Not everyone grows wine grapes or makes wine, much less magic wine. That's actually rather impressive."
"Eh," Gus shrugs. "I guess if you're around something all the time, no matter what it is, it doesn't seem all that impressive." He squeezes her hand a bit, and since they're near the castle now, he leads them toward it. After that, since they're around people, he'll talk to her of mundane school-related things, like which NEWTS he wants to take, the latest rumors going around, and what he hopes he'll get to eat for the Christmas Feast.