Of Nieces and Work

[Aidan Turner]

Dear Minister Kingsley...

Aidan gave a slight huff in annoyance, scratching out what he wanted to put and rewriting the sentences. He was due to request a meeting with the newest Minister, as apart of being the new faces of the wizarding world, according to the Daily Prophet. Dumbledore had held this position for so long, that having new and unfamiliar Aidan Turner seemed to have the world wanting to know the littlest details about him. Kingsley was already known, from being apart of the Order of the Phoenix. Aidan didn't really know what to think about that. The order had fallen to the Dark Lord in the end, hadn't they?

The new Headmaster was quite up to his ears in work it seemed. He had thought about extending lessons to the former 7th years of last year, Potter's year if he remembers. Most had declined in favor of a private study. That was understandable, he supposed. They'd missed an entire year of school, forced to grow up in the harsh conditions of a Death Eater's Concentration camp of a sort. He shook his head and his eyes drifted to the picture on his desk. Thank Merlin Roz hadn't been due to start until this year. He would have never let his niece come anywhere near Hogwarts when Professor Severus Snape ran it under the dark lord's reign. They'd been cruel enough to muggleborns, he hadn't wanted to find out what they'd do to sweet little Roz being a halfblood. Or if they found of William, the unmagical child.

A knock on the door alerted the man to someone entering and he glanced at the mirror Dumbledore had attached underneath his desk to peak at it. Ah, speaking of the devil.

"Come in, Roz," Aidan said, amusement coloring his voice.

[Roz Turner]

The young girl rocked back and forth on her heels, nervous and excited and oh so happy to be here. She hadn't seen him since the opening ceremony, and even then she couldn't say hello - had to be professional, was that a professor word? It had "profess-" in it...she twirled her hair around her fingers as she waited, tips a bright silver for the day.

The call made her brighten, and she carefully slipped into the room....the office was huge! "...Un....Headmaster Turner?" She called, nearly slipping up. Daddy said she had to call him Headmaster here! She looked about curiously, trying to find him in the big office.

[Aidan Turner]

The tips of her hair were silver today, he noted. That was good. It meant she was happy at least. He almost chuckled at the slight hesitation he heard in her voice when she called out to him. Headmaster Turner coming from her sounded very bizarre, but he couldn't really correct her. It was a sense of keeping to professionalism. He didn't want students to think she was being favorited.

He sat up a little straighter at his desk, no doubt blending in with the trinkets on it. "Over here, Roz." He beckoned her over to him. He stood up and bent down to her level, smiling at her. She had certainly grown, even if it had been little over a month or two since he'd seen her, having to prepare for his new position here.

"How was your first day squirt?" he asked.

[Roz Turner]

She brightened as she heard him, turning to see him and happily heading that way, still looking around curiously. So much in here....it was really cool. It was all magical and just amazing, it felt like she fit in with all the magical stuff.

She giggled as he came to her height, gray eyes bright behind her glasses. “It was good! It's so amazing, to be around other kids who have magic in them too and don't think it's weird or freaky. I want to meet more of them and maybe make some friends, if they like me too. I miss Daddy and Will and Henry a little, but I can write them...oh, I got sorted. But you saw that. Your opening speech was really good, though the kid next to me kept mumbling about wanting to eat.” She rocked back and forth on her heels as she talked, smiling gently but brightly “There's a lot of classes and so much I've never heard about but I read a lot of them, it will be so cool to see it all and learn even more. What about you, how was your first day?”

[Aidan Turner]

He always found her rambling amusing, especially since she never missed the details she wanted to share with him. He was glad she wanted to make friends here, but he did have to remind himself to talk to William again. The first born of Emmett's children really was becoming so hateful of magic, that it bothered Aidan. He'd seen abused children as a result of magic phobias, but never with the siblings. He didn't ever want to see abused children where it was the sibling at fault. Especially not in his family.

He went back to listening to her, smiling as she asked about his own day. "Well," he began thoughtfully, tapping his chin exaggeratedly. "I had to have several long meetings with different teachers and staff members all day." That had been rather boring, but Aidan was a business man if anything. Being a healer required being politics-fluent. "Then I had to scare a few students when they almost tried to kidnap a portrait." He shook his head, remembering the incident.

He ruffled her hair and stood up to his full height, smiling. "Care to join me for a few biscuits and tea, rugrat?" he asked her, tweaking her on the nose.

[Roz Turner]

She squeaked at the nose tweak, laughing softly. “I'd love too, thank you much.” She smiled up to him.

She seemed thoughtful. “Meetings can be boring or fun, I guess it depends...and oh no! They tried to take a portrait? I bet the portrait wasn't happy.” She giggled, she loved the talking ones. “Were they my age or upper class?”

She paused a little. “Henry and Daddy say hello and they hope to see you soon. Daddy told me to tell you that,” she added with a smile, then frowned. “William said something too but I'm not allowed to use those words so I don't wanna say it....but he misses you too I'm sure. Daddy said you should come at Christmas to see us and that he doesn't want you spending Christmas all 'lone again. You'll come, right?” Big gray eyes turned up to him hopefully.

[Aidan Turner]

Aidan poured a cup of tea for the 11-year-old before pouring his own cup. He made himself comfortable on one of the chairs that stood before his desk, instead of his own office chair. This wasn't a meeting, simply seeing his niece again anyways. His shoulders were slightly relaxed, happy not to have to put up a professional image really. "No, they were boring. All the planning to rebuild this place. It was really torn down before I got the job. That's why you haven't seen me kiddo. Yeah the portrait talked up a storm in anger, which is how a professor found them. I believe they were third years." He shook his head as he thought of the incident, smiling.

"I'll have to say hello to them as well, thanks for telling me Roz. Yeah I'll be over for the holidays again, but you know I'm never alone! I've got a whole school this year for the seasons," he laughed. "But I will definitely see you lot at Christmas. Anything you want in particular? Speaking of... you have all your supplies right? We didn't spend that much time in Diagon Alley as I would've liked to get your things for school." He frowned thoughtfully. He was, after all, her provider while she was in Hogwarts. He'd promised Emmett that much. Paying for her schooling and supplies was no money zapper for him, having worked tremendously during his twenties and thirties.

"Any class you like yet?" he asked, sipping the tea.

[Roz Turner]

She sipped her tea, listening. “Oh yeah, the battle.” She didn't remember a lot about it. She remembered her father arguing with her mother and brother about it at different times. Something about fearing putting them in danger, exposing them....she didn't quite understand, and Daddy seemed happy yet sad when she asked so she never brought it up. “Did the Battle break everything? Is that why sometimes things look torn, or portraits seem upset or sad?”

She blinked at that. “I guess you do have a whole school. And I want...I don't know what I want.” She blinked curiously, a little taken aback to think of it so early. “Maybe a pretty cloak for winter, I saw some of the teachers had them....oh, I think I have everything.” She kept her wand tucked in her sleeve, ready to slip it out into her hand. “I have my books, and my wand, and quills and parchment and ink....yeah, I think that's all.” She fidgeted, she didn't want to ask much of him after all....

“Well, I haven't had all of them yet, but I really like the sound of Charms. Maybe I can learn to control my hair better there and be good. And Transfiguration seems fun. I think I'll like most of them, though I am excited for Astronomy, I love stars....” A guilty look came over her face. “History of Magic is a little boring.”

[Aidan Turner]

"The battle," Aidan began, a contemplative look appearing on his face, "was brutal. You will learn more about that as the year goes on, so I might as well tell you now. The Battle of Hogwarts killed many people, both good and bad. A lot of the classrooms had been destroyed, as had a lot of the portraits and walls itself. A boy named Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord during all of that chaos. I'm just very grateful you didn't attend school here when it happened."

"Just a winter coat, eh?" he said with a small smile coming back to his lips. "I'll see what I can do then. Charms might be able to help, but really it's transfiguration that you'll learn about that ability of yours. You're a metamorphangus, believe it or not. Partial, if I'm right. History of Magic is always boring, but don't tell anyone I said that. I just can't fire a ghost, you see." He wrinkled his nose. "Won't listen to me when I tell him he's not alive enough to teach modern day. Hopefully I find a professor to replace him."

A quick tap of the window alerted him an owl was there. He smiled and stood up to retrieve it. He sipped at his tea while he read the letter.

"Never a dull moment as a headmaster." he chuckled to Roz.

[Roz Turner]

“Harry Potter....when Dad says his name he gets really proud. I bet he did really good things....why? Couldn't I have helped at all?” She tilted her head innocently. “But I guess it's okay, 'cause now I'm here....maybe I can help you clean up some?”

She nodded at that, smiling. “Yes please. And really? I have Metamophi.....Metomarph....uhm....” She blinked, unable to get the word right. “I have that in me? What is it? And hee, I won't tell anyone, pinky swear. He's nice but he just keeps going and going and the room is so warm....I had to doodle to stay awake and take notes, but I did take notes I promise...” she giggled at his expression.

She lit up at the sight of the owl. “That owl's pretty...do you get lots of mail? I bet it's fun, getting lots of letters to read, even if not all of them are fun letters.”

[Aidan Turner]

"Harry Potter did... extraordinary things. Great things. He spent an entire year running, hiding, to defeat You-Know-Who. You could have helped, but you know your father would have had a damn near heart attack... Don't repeat that word." He gave a sheepish look at the swearing he always seemed to do around the kid.

"Yes. I think you're partial. Meaning you don't have the full grown ability to transform into anyone you'd like. Perhaps you could learn to control the color of your hair tips, at the very least. I will contact someone now that you're in school and have the capabilities to learn the tricks." It really was interesting that she had the untrained ability.

Looking back at the letter, he hummed. "Lots of mail, yeah." He chortled. Way more than he should have. Parents were such worrywarts for the children at the school that had once been safe. "Fun? Maybe. So you said you wanted to help clean up some? Don't be afraid to ask a professor that if you see their classrooms lacking anything. You can be my little reporter about what needs replacing where." He winked at her, although quite serious about this. Some professors weren't telling him everything that needed replacing in their classrooms, perhaps worrying over other manners. Others simply didn't want to stress the new Headmaster out. Odd ones they were.

[Roz Turner]

“He did? That's pretty amazing...and yeah, Daddy would have been really angry and upset. Plus he needed me around to help with Henry after...” She trailed off, eyes blanking out for a moment; she was quiet, then shook her head as if shaking it off. “I won't, Headmaster, promise.” She gave him a soft smile, giggling a little at his look. He swore sometimes at home too, always getting that look on his face.

“I'm a parcial Metamorophgus~” She repeated, giggling softly. What a strange word....she lit up though at the offer. “Really?! Really?! I need to control it, please help me find a teacher, I'll work really hard! I'll be a good girl and work really hard!” She had to learn! She had to learn to be in control so that William would smile at her again.....and maybe Mummy would even come home...!

“Oh, I can do that!” She grinned at that. A little reporter for the Headmaster, that was a great thing to do to help! “I'll keep an eye around for any classrooms missing anything...I can tell you Professor Binns uses a lot of firewood. Like, a lot.” She wrinkled her nose. Too much. “But I will keep an eye out for you, okay?”

[Aidan Turner]

He watched her when she trailed off, frowning slightly before she shook it off. He had to smile at the use of his new title. "You are allowed to call me Uncle Danny in private, so long as no one but you and I are around." He relented. Headmaster was a title he had to get used to, but darn it all! It was hard to get used to hearing the title come from the little girl he'd seen take her first steps around him.

"Metamorphangus," he corrected absently, shuffling the letter into the envelope to stick with the rest of them he needed to respond to. "Yes, I know of someone who struggled just like you have, their emotions dictating the colors and styles that their hair turned. In fact, a woman named Nymphadora Tonks was perhaps the most well known one of this day and age. Sadly, she is no longer of the living, but her son Teddy Lupin does retain her abilities. So you're not alone there." He'd seen the younger boy when he met Harry Potter for the first time, having been headmaster asking the boy-who-lived of all people if he desired to return.

"Atta girl," he praised, chucking her under the chin playfully before he grinned. "Firewood eh? I'll keep that in mind." What a ghost did with firewood was beyond him, but he'd find out. Maybe get the old ghost to change his mind about teaching.

[Roz Turner]

“Okay, Uncle Danny. You're the Headmaster but you were my uncle first anyways~” She smiled happily, looking up to him. It felt much easier. “I'll be careful around the others, I promise.”

“Metamorphegus.” She tried again, nodding. “Whoa, their whole hairstyle changed? That must have been really confusing and scary. I thought I was going mad when my tips started changing color...” She fingered the tips, glad to see they were still silver. “Really? He must be really good at it if his mummy was a full Metathingamabob. It's nice though. Not to be alone in it, I mean....”

She giggled at the chin-chuck, nodding. “He keeps his class really really warm and it's so hard to stay awake. The girl next to me fell asleep once but woke up when someone else dropped a book. Professor Binns didn't even notice. He just kept going on and on and on and...”

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