Gardens in Spring

[Monty Pendleton]

Monty had only a small handful of close friends at the castle, but he cared for each of them deeply. It had not slipped his notice that Cyndi's fortieth birthday was fast approaching, and after discovering she had made no plans he had proposed they spend the afternoon out and away from the school. Settling on an activity had not been hard, their idea of a pleasant trip out being conveniently similar, and two tickets to Kew Gardens were promptly booked.

Though in New Zealand the temperature was falling, England was enjoying a pleasant spring, and the colourful gardens were teaming with tourists and locals alike. Actually, it was quite a bit busier than Monty had anticipated. He had only visited the gardens once before, when he'd been too young really to remember anything but the chocolate sundae his parents had bought him afterwards. Still, crowds did not frighten him as they once had, and most of the gardens were set outside, where the lawns were so vast that most of the visitors were scattered far apart. Monty smiled as they approached the rose pergola, which looked stunning in the spring sunshine, flanked by beds of peonies and crocuses. Up on a hill to the right, the Temple of Aeolus rose beneath a canopy of limes and birches. "Ooh," Monty said, pointing out a bed of purple-and-white flowers. "Hellebore. You don't suppose anybody would notice if I helped tidy those overhanging leaves, would you?" Then he grinned. "Happy birthday, by the way. I'm sure I've already said it, actually - forgive me. I, er, wasn't quite sure what to get you, but I thought we could stop at the gift shop on the way out. After the tea room, obviously." They still had quite a lot of the gardens left to explore, but Monty believed in planning ahead - especially where tea was involved.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

Forty. The thought of that number had been on the woman's mind in an increasing manner as her birthday neared. She knew that forty was young for a wizard, but there was something about reaching a new decade in life that made a person reflect on their entire life. At least it did for Cyndi Kingsley. It didn't help that a few new grays had decided to spring up right where she parted her hair. So it was with her hair parted on the opposite side that she met with Monty.

Eager for the day, Cyndi was happy that they arrived so quickly. They'd easily settled on plans once Cyndi had gotten over the shock that not only had Monty remembered her birthday but he'd also wanted to do something with her. She'd have been happy with a simple thank you, but this was even better than that. Walking alongside her friend, Cyndi chuckled at Monty's comment. "I'll distract them for you" she replied easily. "You have, but thank you!" she declared, a smile on her face. "Oh Monty, no, you don't have to do that. This, and tea, is more than enough" she said, I've been meaning to get here for ages and have never found the time." The flowers were in full bloom, bees buzzing happily around. "It's so beautiful here" she added with a content sigh as she looked at lovely blue flowers.

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Monty laughed, relieved Cyndi had found his comment funny. He didn't worry about her opinion of him so much as he once had (he could still recall a time he'd scarcely been able to stand in the same room as her without having a panic attack), but he still felt a habitual flutter in his chest whenever they spoke, as he always did when he admired a person. He smiled, and nodded. Gift giving was hardly his speciality, but he supposed the trip out sort of counted as a present. "It is. It's lovely," he agreed. "Sometimes I forget how easy it is for us to travel the world. We could see so many things, but we get caught up in routine, or we can't find the time." He shook his head, as if to dispel that train of thought, and smiled again. "Have you travelled much?" Cyndi didn't strike him particularly as someone to have done much travelling, but perhaps she would surprise him.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

This was nice. Cyndi rather liked Monty's company, especially now that they were generally comfortable in each other's company. There had been a fairly long stretch of time when that hadn't been the case, but their mutual friendship with Ava had helped bring them together. As they walked, Cyndi listened to Monty, simply enjoying the pleasure of the breeze on her face and the beauty of their surroundings. She nodded, a murmur of agreement escaping her. Travel was easy for wizards. They had so many options, but try as they might, wizards had not conquered time in a way that was easily accessible to wizards. Time turners did not come as easy as broomstick and floos.

"Ehhh" she waved her eyes, glad that she and Cameron had laid down roots for their children, preventing them from the constant moving she'd grown up with. "My parents moved us around a lot up until the time I started school. I think I lived in 3 or 4 countries before then so I'm not a big traveller. Sometimes I think that's why I'm so attached to the castle. It was my first really stable home" she explained. "Now, I mostly just travel here to visit my parents and siblings or to the States when we go to see Cam's father." Stopping to read a small sign next to some ivy, Cyndi glanced at Monty. "Do you? Travel a lot, I mean."

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Monty nodded as they walked, alternating between watching Cyndi and absently reading some of the signs planted in the flowerbeds. He could certainly imagine how moving around frequently as a child might deter a person from travelling in adulthood. Like Cyndi, Monty had also considered the castle his first stable home, though for very different reasons. Though he had been born and raised in one small house in England, his childhood had been turbulent, and the school had quickly become his escape - somewhere safe to absorb himself in books and magic and learning. Perhaps that was why he'd decided to stay on as HNZ's Potions professor beyond the original six months he'd intended. It wasn't the same castle that had protected him all those years ago, but it still felt more like home than anywhere else ever had.

Monty came to a halt beside Cyndi, his eyes following hers to the ivy. "Oh, no," he said. "Well - not for pleasure, anyway. I travel occasionally for ingredients, but rarely on my own initiative. Unfamiliar places tend to frighten me." He said it with a smile, but there was a sadness underlying the comment. "How is your family?" he asked, looking at Cyndi. "I suppose it must nearly be approaching Jacob's eleventh birthday? Or will that be next year? Sorry - I can't recall." Either way, time had a habit of passing more quickly than to Monty's liking.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi gave a slight nod, an indication that she understood why Monty didn't travel often. In getting to know the man, she'd come to understand just a little bit about his anxiety and knew that traveling must be difficult. It made her all the more happy that he'd made the effort today. For her. Really the more she thought about it, the more touched she was by all of this. They were in an open enough space that it wasn't apparent how many people were around, but by no means was the place empty today.

"It's this year. He's so excited about it as well, especially because he'll be sorted with his cousin, Jemma. He's hoping for Slytherin like his brother " she rolled her eyes slightly and then chuckled. For the pair, September could not come soon enough. "I don't know if Noah is all that happy about it, but I think it'll be nice to have so much of the family in the castle next year." Cyndi smiled as they began walking again. "How is your daughter doing?" she asked, having learned quite late that her friend had fostered and then adopted one of their former students.

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Living away from Saveli was strange enough, so Monty could imagine Cyndi would indeed be looking forward to having more family around the castle. Since Ava had left, the two professors had lost the company of a good friend, and Monty was sure Cyndi missed her as much as he, if not more. Still, he was grateful that their friendship with Ava had brought them together, and hoped that Cyndi would remain his friend for years to come.

Monty chuckled - though his smile quickly faded when Cyndi reversed the question. He hesitated, starting to walk again. "She's... she's pregnant, actually," he said. Then he shook his head and sighed. "Unplanned - which I can't help feeling is my fault. I tried to talk to her about all that a few years ago, but... well, I was naive, and desperate for any excuse not to have to. So when she assured me she already knew it all, I believed her - idiotically." This had really been bothering him for weeks, and it showed in the tense lines of his face. "I feel as if I've failed her in one of the most basic parental duties, and I can't forgive myself for that." He sighed again. "It's a bit of a mess, really. But never mind. We'll manage, somehow. We'll manage."

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

One of the nice things about Monty was that he was such a good listener. Most if her friends were, but Month was particularly good at it. Cyndi never got the feeling he was asking a question out of simple courtesy. Rather, she always felt he was interested in the response.

Her eyes widened at his news, not expecting anything near that surprising to pass his lips. "Oh Merlin" she murmured, knowing the girl was still a teenager or just out of those years. Far, far too young to have a child. As Monty continued, Cyndi's thoughts flashed to her niece, Lyra, and she wondered for the millionth time about whether she had made the right decision in not telling Kiera about what she'd come across that one night. Lyra and James were no longer a thing, she'd learned recently, but Lyra had already moved on. Cyndi chanced things and put an arm around Monty's shoulder, giving him a squeeze. "You will. She's lucky to have such a supportive parent." Cyndi sighed. Parenting really was such hard work. "You can't blame yourself, Monty. Maybe she did know it all and something happened." Merlin knew how many accidental pregnancies she'd seen in the school. "I think we can probably both use that tea right about now, yes?" she asked, leading them in that direction.

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Monty smiled fractionally as Cyndi gave his shoulder a squeeze. With children of her own, he'd been sure she would understand the kind of horror that rushed over a parent when their son or daughter entered a serious relationship - and most of all, the worry. Of course Cyndi knew. He still recalled her asking his advice about how to deal with that very horror when Noah was merely interested in a girl! Nothing quite stirred the emotions like it. The discomfort was made all the worse by the fact Saveli had no idea whether the child was Reuben's or Gabriel's. He did not judge or reprehend his daughter her actions, but he certainly knew whose he hoped the baby belonged to.

"Thank you, Cyndi," he said. "I think that's a terrific idea."

Twenty minutes later, the two professors were sat at a small table in one of Kew Garden's many cafes, sipping their tea of choice and, at least in Monty's case, eating a slice of carrot cake. The place was beautifully decorated, with red-plaid tablecloths and floral china, and large windows that let in tremendous amounts of light. "So," Monty said after a while, "you've been working at the school for quite some time, now, haven't you? How long has it been? Do you suppose you'll always teach?" Monty certainly hadn't intended to stay as long as he had. But something about HNZ made it difficult to leave. Perhaps it was the staff, perhaps the students, or perhaps the atmosphere, but something drew him back every time he considered leaving. He was curious to know Cyndi's stance.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi was enjoying her time with Monty, glad that they'd gone through with these plans. Maintaining friendships as an adult was a difficult thing, and she appreciated him giving her a few hours of her time, especially when he had so much else going on. And she'd been wanting to visit here for ages. "Mmhmm" she agreed, enjoying another bite of the cupcake she'd chosen to go along with her tea. She thought for a moment, having to attempt some mental math and then giving up. "I actually never wanted to be a professor. I had plans to become an Obliviator. I applied for the runes job on a whim, wanting to simply have a job while I waited for the Ministry to call me. And then I was accepted and only intended to stay on a year and then that became two, then five, then ten..." she gave a small half shrug.

"The Obliviators did eventually call, but by then I was Gryffindor Head of House and the thought of leaving felt wrong." She lifted her tea cup, her pinky lifting slightly as she went to take a sip. "I know I'll leave eventually. When it feels right. I don't feel quite done yet" she indicated, the cup making a slight clicking sound as it came in contact with the saucer. "And Kahurangi and I are working on an exciting project together, so I very well couldn't leave now even if I wanted to" she smirked.