A Moment of Calm

[Claudia Holland]

Even though Claudia had known running for minister would take a lot of time and effort, she had never imagined it feeling like this. The past few months had flown by, and she barely felt like she'd had a moment to herself during it all. In a way, she was glad her children were all at Hogwarts now. She wouldn't be able to give them the focus they would need if they were at home. Writing them letters was one of the many things she made time for on her schedule, but she did miss having them around the house a lot. She vowed to make as much time as she could around Christmas, a date that still seemed further away than she would have liked.

But today, she had an afternoon off. She was meeting up with Colin, one of her best friends who also worked with her on her campaign. She was sure they would discuss the elections today, as it was an unavoidable topic, but she didn't want to spend any time working or writing her next speech or argument. Right now, she just wanted to talk to a friend. Claudia had prepared a teapot and some biscuits on a tray on the coffee table, and was just contemplating sneaking one of the biscuits while she waited when the doorbell rang. She made her way to the door and opened it with a bright smile on her face, happy to see her friend.

 

[Colin Michaels]

In the throes of volunteering in Claudia's election campaign on top of his usual work, Colin rarely had as much as spare moment during the day, so a free afternoon seemed completely off the cards. With Winnie away at school most of the year that was exactly what he wanted, the busy schedule a reverie from the many things on his mind he wanted to bury. But somehow, and some way, despite his attempts to keep himself busy, a free afternoon appeared on his schedule and the level of anxiety it induced made him work desperately to fill it with something. Thankfully he was quickly able to organize a meeting with Claudia to catch up on their lives, and the promise of his schedule remaining busy and the casualty of spending time with a friend stifled the worries he felt of the memories and feelings he long thought were buried rising again. Everything had been consequently suffocated back down and Colin sighed with relief as he apparated from his last drama class, to the familiar door of Claudia's house, glad he wasn't left alone to his thoughts or worse, at home with his wife where his worries were the worst.

He rang the doorbell, then habitually adjusted his tie while he waited for an answer. The bright smile he was given when Claudia opened the door to greet him further made him feel relieved, and he quickly matched it and leant forward to give his friend a brief hug. As he followed her into her home he kept up pleasantries as per usual for most of their meetings. "I apparated here straight from one of my classes, so I hope it's alright that I didn't bring cakes, or anything." He had worried for a moment it would be rude of him not to bring something for them to wash down with their tea but when he walked further into the house to see the plate of biscuits on the coffee table he realized his worries were once again in vain. He should have remembered Claudia would sort everything out and laughed at how ridiculous he was to think differently. "Oh, never mind, you've organized everything perfectly as usual." He said cheerfully, smiling again at his friend.​

 

[Claudia Holland]

Claudia felt an relief at the sight of her friend on her doorstep. It was a moment of normalcy in a turbulent time in her life. Colin was always nice to spend time with, and she hope to be able to hear about his life. Sometimes Claudia had a feeling something was bothering her friend, but she didn't want to pry into anything he didn't want to talk about. She could be wrong, after all. She smiled at Colin, stepping aside after their hug so he could enter her home. "Of course it's alright, I invited you here. I didn't expect you to bring anything, I just wanted your company." She said with a slight smile at her friend. His comment about how prepared she was made her laugh, though she also felt a slight knot of anxiety in her stomach. Preparing biscuits for tea wasn't very difficult, but some of the things she would have to prepare and think about as ministry candidate were definitely be a bigger challenge. She hoped Colin didn't think she didn't need his help with her campaign. He had been a great asset so far, and she was very grateful to him for volunteering his time like this. Sitting down with him, she poured them both some tea. "How have you been? I've looked at your notes about the last debate, and they were very helpful. I know today's not about the campaign, but I want to thank you for helping me out so much. You really help me articulate my points a lot better."

 

[Colin Michaels]

With everything going on, Colin was glad to have an opportunity to talk to Claudia over tea, even if the subject of the election came up immediately after they sat down. On top of keeping him busy on what would have been a free afternoon, it also reminded him of how their time together used to be before she decided to run for minister. He was of course appreciative for the opportunity to volunteer in her campaign and was happy to help one of his closest friends, but he could admit the change in pace from what had become their norm during the last few months was entirely refreshing. It took away some of the stress Colin had been experiencing lately, if only temporarily. He smiled as he picked up the cup of tea Claudia poured, then responded to her. "It's okay, you don't need to thank me. I want to help, and you're the one I should be thanking for the opportunity. It's great to be part of something bigger, and I admire how dedicated you are to making positive changes." After sipping from his tea he quickly placed his cup back down when he realized he had completely forgotten about the question she asked. He chuckled at himself as he answered her. "Sorry, I am doing alright. Things at home are still a little turbulent, but Winnie should be back from school for the holidays soon which I'm looking forward to. How are things with you? Are you looking forward to seeing your girls for Christmas?" He returned the question back to his friend as he sipped from his tea again.​

 

[Claudia Holland]

This moment of normalcy was nice, though Claudia immediately mentally kicked herself for bringing up the election first thing. She supposed it wasn't so easy to let go of it, especially with the next debate coming up. She was nervous about it, which meant it was always on her mind these days. This was supposed to be a distraction. She was glad Colin expressed he enjoyed working for her campaign, but she was even more glad when he moved the conversation on from work. She put a hand on his arm. "Even though I'm busy, know I'm always here to listen if needed." She told him quietly. Claudia knew things weren't always easy between Colin and his wife, and she wished she could do more for them. But not everything in the world was a problem she could solve. That was something she still needed to learn sometimes. She brightened at the mention of the holidays and seeing her girls. "Very much! I still can't believe Alice is going to Hogwarts now. And Winnie too! I haven't seen her in so long, she must have grown so much." She smiled, glad to talk about something so normal. "How is she doing at Hogwarts? Diana's grades are a little on the lower side and we've been trying to look into getting a tutor for her. But I'm not sure if she finds the material difficult or if she just doesn't try her best. Or maybe she was simply adjusting to a new school." She sighed, taking a sip of her tea. Diana was hard to read sometimes, and Claudia wished she understood her a little better. "Did I tell you Rose was made prefect?" She asked, thinking back to the holidays when her daughter had gotten the letter. Rose had found it so difficult to believe, it had made Claudia a little sad. Of course she was someone capable and smart enough for a task like that. Hopefully, Rose had settled into her role by now. Claudia wanted her to succeed and feel confident about it.

 

[Colin Michaels]

Colin smiled at Claudia's comforting hand on his arm, appreciating her support but unsure of how telling her what was happening would make the turbulence of his home life easier. It was no one's fault, really, that it was turbulent to begin with and both he and his wife had different views on parenting and had grown up in considerably different ways. When Winnie was first born it seemed like neither of their pasts would become an issue but as she grew older and left for hogwarts, their pasts and differing opinions were all he was reminded of when Winnie wasn't around. That was another reason Colin was thankful to be part of Claudia's campaign, the distraction it provided and the opportunity for him to spend more time away from home until Winnie returned was an ideal situation for him. He smiled a little wider as Claudia answered his question about her children, glad to hear that everything seemed to be going well for them despite Diana's grades. Rose had even been made a prefect which was exciting, and deserved as from what Colin remembered of the eldest Holland daughter, she was nothing but sweet. "That's great, Rose is a kind girl, she deserves to be a prefect." He mused as he sipped from his tea again, waiting until he knew Claudia was done speaking before he answered her questions about Winnie. "Winnie's grades were not great last year, but she seems happy and excited to learn magic, which is all that matters to me." Placing his cup back down, he reached for a biscuit and broke it in half. "I'm thinking I'll send Winnie some cards to give your girls for the holidays, since our families can't meet up and exchange gifts like we used to." He added, before biting into one of the halves.​

 

[Claudia Holland]

Claudia knew it was unlikely Colin would tell her much. She wasn't sure if it was because he didn't want to burden her during a busy time, or if it was because he was the type of person to deal with his problems on his own. She suspected it was a mix of the two. Hopefully he would come around and confide in someone,e ven if that person wasn't her. Claudia knew how much it could help to talk to someone, even if it seemed pointless. Claudia smiled at Colin's comment about Rose, though it was a little sad. "I think so too, but she was baffled. I didn't think she was insecure, but it worried me how much she thought the position was some sort of mistake." Claudia had always thought Rose a carefree girl but one with a good heart. Maybe she wasn't the standard rule-abiding straight O student someone might expect for a prefect, but there was still no doubt in Claudia's mind that her daughter was a good pick for the job. The way Colin spoke about Winnie made Claudia remember it wasn't all about grades. Sometimes it was hard to forget, as they did matter a lot to the future of young wizards and witches, but in the end what mattered most was that they were happy. "I'm glad to hear she's happy. She could always come over and spend some time with the girls over the holidays." It had saddened her a little to realize Diana and Winnie hadn't spent more time together at Hogwarts. Of course she knew she couldn't pick her daughter's friends for her, but she liked the girl and thought her cheerful personality could be a good influence on Diana in her darker moods. The idea of exchanging cards made Claudia smile. "I'm sure they'll appreciate it. Your family can expect one of our cards too. I think James wants to make another one out of a family picture. I'm not sure what he has in mind for this year, though." Her husband got excited about family bonding moments like making a Christmas card together, and Claudia had to admit the result was often very cute. "I'm sorry we can't meet up this year, but perhaps things will be less hectic next year." Unspoken was the uncertainty behind that statement. It would only be less hectic in a year if she lost the election. Claudia knew it was a real possibility, but she tried not to focus on the outcome too much. What mattered most was sharing her ideas. Hopefully, she could make some difference with her words.

 

[Colin Michaels]

The change of subject to each of their children was welcomed and Colin sipped from his tea happy to listen to Claudia's words. He thought Rose would be a good candidate for a prefect so hearing that the girl was baffled enough to wonder if the choice was a mistake was saddening. He nodded when Claudia suggested Winnie visit the Holland girls over the holidays, thinking it would be a great opportunity for Winnie to socialize and make more friends for when she returned to school as he understood thus far finding other students that were like minded had been difficult for her. It could help for Winnie to be closer to someone like Rose who was a student leader, no matter whether Rose still believed she deserved the prefect badge or not. "Hopefully Winnie giving cards to your girls would help them spend time together, it would be lovely to see them become closer friends before the holidays if it's possible." He said, then smiled as Claudia mentioned that year's holiday card. The Holland family's holiday cards, although cheesy in some ways, were sweet and entertaining to receive every year. They almost inspired him to attempt to take Christmas card photos with his own family if it weren't for how worried he was they would seem staged. The Hollands had enough genuine happiness going for them to make the cards seem real, at least. It would be nice for an opportunity to share in their happiness and christmas cheer by visiting them, but with all their children in school now there wasn't near as much time to do so. "That's the downside of our kids growing up, and the election." Colin mused in response to Claudia's apology. It was expected with all that was going on, that they wouldn't be able to continue their traditions like they used to. Though it was disheartening to know the way their families were used to spending the holidays would change eventually, Colin understood it was unavoidable. All they could do as parents was adapt to the changing circumstances.​

 

[Claudia Holland]

Claudia sipped her tea during a break in the conversation, already feeling herself relax a little more. She was glad Colin seemed to like the idea of Winnie staying over during the holidays. She was sure Alice and Diana could be good friends for the girl, as both were close to her in age. "I hope so too. It's a shame they haven't really connected so far." Claudia mused, though she had her suspicions that Diana wasn't the most welcoming person to students in other houses. The girl talked about her friends sometimes, but as far as Claudia could tell they were all in Slytherin with her. She sighed softly, nodding as Colin pointed out the downside of the election. "It's true, but in many ways I'm glad I'm running now that the kids are growing up. If they were younger, it would be a lot harder to stay away from home when it is necessary." She knew she could always count on James, as he worked from home, but it would still have been difficult. "How's your work?" She asked him instead. Claudia wasn't too familiar with the world of theatre, but she was always eager to hear Colin talk about it. Lately, she probably hadn't been doing a great job of asking his side. Everything seemed to be focused on her and her campaign.

 

[Colin Michaels]

The longer Colin sipped his tea and conversed with his old friend, the more relaxed he felt, the ease of the situation reminding him of better times when he and Claudia used to have tea together before her election campaign. Despite many things changing over the years and more so recently with her running for minister and their children starting school, it was nice to find some sense of calm among the chaos. Colin agreed it was a shame their daughters weren't closer. He had hoped Diana would be one of the few friends Winnie had while in school as they were the same age, but it seemed like the girls were happy to fair on their own. He found himself nodding at Claudia's later comment, understanding that if his friend ran for minister any earlier it would be significantly more difficult to balance time between family and work with children in the house. He had experienced such difficulties with Winnie when she was younger, often including her in work related things when he had no other choice. In that way he was relieved she was in school now, but it was the only part about her absence during the year that was easy. Being reminded of his home situation again, Colin was relieved Claudia took initiative in asking about his work, the opportunity to talk about what was busying him away from her campaign another distraction for him. "Ah, things are going well. I'm glad that this is the time of year where I'm teaching less classes, because it gives me a chance to focus more on your campaign." He answered, smiling slightly at amusement towards himself for bringing up Claudia's campaign again. It seemed a subject they couldn't escape if they tried, but given it had taken over both their lives as of late it was hardly surprising.​