Impulsive, But With Love

[Aurora Night]

With a couple of spare days left in her mid-year school break, Rory was finding it hard to find things to do around the house that would keep her entertained. She had already burned through most of the activity-based things she'd been given for Christmas - and most of the chocolate - and now she was just waiting around, wanting to spend time with her friends again. Kicking her legs idly against the sofa arm they were currently draped over, Rory was having a rather boring time examining the ends of her hair... until she looked up and noticed her sister walking past the lounge doorway carrying a bucket. It seemed an innocent occurrence, but Rory sat bolt upright in her seat listening for the tell-tale signs. There was nothing for a moment, and then... the scrape of the hallway cupboard door. Dashing from her spot on the sofa, Rory practically jumped the length of the lounge towards the fireplace at the other end, hurriedly sinking her hand into the pot of floo powder as she called, "I'm going to see Grandfather, I'll be home in time for dinner!" Hurriedly throwing the powder into the grate and calling for Chelville Hall, Rory was into the green flames and on her way through the network before the far-away sound of her sister's voice could reach her, and she burst out of her grandfather's fireplace into the entrance hall with a proud grin. If her mother wanted to make her clean or vacuum, she was going to have to chase her through this entirely too large house to do so. After quickly brushing the wayward fireplace soot off her clothing, Rory headed straight towards the stairs leading to the upper floor. "Hello, Grandfather? I came to visit!"

 

[Gneiss Night]

The trouble with residing in such an extensive house as the one he owned, Gneiss had realised many years ago, was that once his sons had grown up and moved out the place was far too quiet for his liking. Oh, he had always enjoyed peaceful noise over boisterous hijinks and loud bickering, that was certain, but there was something rather sad about a house that no-one else made their home in... the silence lead to remembering far too many memories that were best left layered in the recesses of time. There were house-elves around of course - there was one approaching his potions laboratory even now, the wards told him - but they made their own home in the rooms beyond the lower kitchen and were not very inclined to bother him beyond the standard necessities. It seemed they felt they had very little to converse about with an increasingly elderly man, Gneiss thought to himself with a smile. He supposed he couldn't blame them - some days he felt that he didn't have much to say beyond the same old topics either.

Putting his paring knife down so he could wash his hands in preparation for the likelihood of being taken away by the house-elf's news, Gneiss inclined his head to let the creature know it was safe to approach his work-station, drying his hands with a small towel as he turned to face it. "A visitor, sir," the house-elf declared. "Miss Aurora, currently making her way up the main staircase." Gneiss chuckled, then dipped his head in acknowledgement that the creature's duty was done. "And on her way to this very laboratory, no doubt. Thank you, Presley - I do apologise for the mess she will have left you." He waited until the house-elf had disappeared with a crack, then closed up the potions room behind him as he set off to meet his granddaughter. Rora's visit was a surprise, but a welcome one. He had seen her at Christmas, of course, but it was nice to know that she felt like visiting beyond the usual familial obligations - he'd had to coax Sophia into visiting by buying her a pony, after all. Making his way through the house it didn't take long before he spotted Rora approaching from the other end of a corridor, her bright red hair heralding her arrival from this distance, and he smiled as they drew closer towards one another. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, my dear? I don't believe I've forgotten a scheduled arrangement."

 

[Aurora Night]

Although she kept calling for her grandfather intermittently as she made her way throughout the house, Rory knew where she was most likely to find him considering the fact that he hadn't answered her as of yet. She was just about to yell out again when she turned a corner to see the older man coming towards her, and though she was glad to see him she was also a little disappointed that he hadn't been in the potions laboratory where she'd hoped he was. Never mind - she was sure she would get in there one day. Right now she was going to spend time with her dear beloved grandfather, and who would have the heart to tear her away from such quality time to do something as measly as cleaning?

"Hi," she said, bounding up the corridor. "Nope, no arrangement; I came just because I could." She left out the fact that she had been motivated by escaping from cleaning, but there was a reason her first thought had been to escape here instead of any of her other relations dotted about the place. "It's boring as at home, there's too many days left till I go back to school and see my friends, and I thought you might be doing something interesting, like... how're your potions doing?" Rory tried to ask the last question innocently, but such attempts were always a bit of a stretch for the girl. She always loved to hear about the things Grandfather was experimenting with, or just about how a particularly tricky potion was coming along. He had a way of describing things that made it sound like the greatest thing anyone could ever do or know about, and having that feeling wash over her always made Rory feel special and excited, like she was only one step away from unlocking the mysteries of all potions herself - that step usually being getting into the potions lab, in her mind.

 

[Gneiss Night]

Gneiss listened to Aurora's spirited complaint of boredom with an indulgent smile. It was the usual story, then. He was pleased she had made so many good friends that she was eager to see at school once again, and from the tales he had heard about them they all seemed to suit his eldest granddaughter very well. Her query about his latest potions projects was also usual, and Gneiss let a pleasant but ultimately confidential smile cross his face at the question. "They are doing very well my dear, thank you for asking. In fact... why don't you give me a small hand with one of them?" The way Aurora almost physically swelled up with excitement at these words was much to his amusement, and he could just see the thoughts that were bound to be crossing her mind at this moment. Unfortunately for his granddaughter, however, they were not on the same page as his own. "I was just about to go down into the garden and harvest some of the ingredients I'll need fresh." Clasping his hands behind his back he began heading down the corridor with the intent to do just as he had said, though he stopped to turn and smile at his no doubt disappointed granddaughter. "How have your Herbology classes been coming along, Rora? You'll be able to show me some of what you've learnt." It was always a treat to be able to share any part of his grandchildren's lives with them, and hearing about Aurora's classes was never disinteresting - her view of school life was rather electrifying when described in her own words.