Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand | Parvati

[parvati patil macmillan]

Luke explained that he had been adopted. His parents, he said, had gone on to have two more children “a few years after” his adoption. “And somehow they ended up here in the UK…” The story sounded almost fictitious, yet Parvati kept listening.

When he finished by apologizing that he hadn't meant to share his life story with her, Parvati shook her head. She was accustomed to hearing people's life stories; it was just that this one seemed strange. “It's my job,” she assured him. She didn't mind.

Assuming, as she did, that Luke must have been about twenty, then his siblings would have been more likely older, rather than younger. If he was twenty, a possible age gap of about eight or nine years would have been too long to consider “a few”. If his siblings had lived in Britain for their entire lives, there was a good chance that they wouldn't have stood out to her. The parents might have, but the few with whom she did interact enough to know their voices (or any American accents) were largely the people whom she knew in other capacities, and most of them were from her school days.

His siblings, they must have been about fifteen to seventeen, if she had to take a guess, putting about five years—at most—between them. There were two students in Hufflepuff who fit that description: Georgiana and Lancelot Linley. They were siblings, a brother and a sister, though they were orphans themselves. From what little she knew of their family's situation—none of which she had heard directly from them—their parents had been dead since before they were old enough to attend Hogwarts, although Parvati was almost certain that another student had mentioned something about having attended the father's funeral… Or had that been someone else?

Maybe she was going mad or confusing the Linleys' story with everything else that had happened. She had students in and out of her office every day. If she was correct at all, then it was all just as bizarre as what Luke had told her, which made Parvati inclined to believe that she was on the right track. She had no notes in front of her that she could reference, just her own recollection as she tried to fit together the pieces of a very strange puzzle.

The speculation could only continue inside her own head, since revealing any information about any of the students would have jeopardized her promise of confidentiality. There was nothing to suggest that anyone was in danger, though Parvati knew already that she would be mentioning her conversation with Luke to Calliope Stephanidis at the first opportunity. That was, of course, if he responded in the way that she expected him to when she asked for their names.

Still operating as though she had no clue—and with no way to confirm Luke's identity without enlisting Padma for assistance—Parvati maintained her same demeanor. “Have you got photos or names?” she wondered, guessing that he knew something significant. “I might know them.” She hoped that her offer would be enough of a reason for him to tell her. He must have found something that had led him across an ocean. Otherwise, he was an exceptionally talented actor.

@luke

[Deleted]

Luke was beginning to wonder if he had jumped in over his head to quickly. She asked him what their names were and Luke wasn't entirely sure what to say. It was so confusing, especially since he only had limited amounts of information himself, proving who he was and that he was actually their sibling would be a difficult venture. But he knew it had to happen. He wanted to be there for them and get to know them all. He wanted to know if their parents were still around or if the other two had been adopted also like he was. He had missed out on so much, he didn't even know their first names. he just wanted to be there now if they would let him, which he hoped that he would. And in order to do so, he knew it would be best to have as many people that they knew and respected on his side and liking him as possible. And Parvati MacMillian was the first of the lot. "All I've got is a family name, to be honest. My parents, well my adopted parents, couldn't find out anything more... Linley's the name." he told her. He felt comfortable with her knowing this, she was the councilor, after all and it was her job. She was someone who could really help and he was looking for as much help as he could get.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

“All I've got is a family name, to be honest. My parents, well my adopted parents, couldn't find out anything more… Linley's the name.”

Linleys. They were the Linleys. Knowing that she was correct brought plenty more questions to the forefront than it answered. All he had, though, was their surname. He had no names for their—his—parents. He had no names for his siblings, either. He could have found out that the Linley children were orphans, but he seemed too genuine. Parvati almost felt bad for being so skeptical of him.

“My sister's the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, Padma Patil-Thomas.” Parvati told him, not that he wouldn't be able to find that out for himself somewhere down the road. “Her department have got records,” she advised him, and they would also be the first ones to know if something didn't add up. “I can't promise you a meeting with my sister,” she gave as a disclaimer, considering that Padma's schedule was almost booked solid with the Triwizard Tournament, “but someone there ought to know something.” If they didn't, someone else within the Ministry would have to. Two American children couldn't just show up in another country without there being any record of their origins whatsoever.

@luke

[Deleted]

She didn't say anything else about his siblings, even if she knew them or not. But instead she gave him other information. Her sister would be able to help him get any records that she needed, if he could manage an appointment with her. His biological parents hadn't been seen in America for a really long time and so they didn't have any records of them, at least not records that either of his parents could access at their current standings within the MACUSA. "Thank you, I appreciate that information. I'll look into that." he nodded, thankful for her time and advice. He wanted to ask more, he had so many questions, and honestly he was sure that she had questions of her own also. "So do you, uh, know them then?" he asked. He understood of course, if she couldn't talk about it. If it violated some confidentiality agreement to discuss students with a stranger in a pub or anywhere else. But he just had to ask, he felt compelled to do so. He would have regretted not taking the chance to ask. 

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

“So do you, uh, know them, then?”

Parvati's response wasn't entirely a nod. She knew of them; she knew that they were students at Hogwarts, and she knew who they were well enough that she could have pointed them out, but she didn't know them.

As far as she could recall, she hadn't ever spoken with either of the two of them at any length. From what she knew of them, they mostly kept to themselves. As students, they had never stood out in any way to her, whether positively or negatively. They blended in, she thought, as well as any of their peers. The boy had a facial piercing of some sort, Parvati remembered, but it wasn't anything that had been concerning. (No one had brought it up to her, at least. Then again, she did occasionally wear a nose ring, herself.)

“I can tell you that they're students at Hogwarts. Yes.” Parvati confirmed what Luke had already told her, hearing the sound of her own voice and finding it quite formal. Other than that, she had to impose a dead end upon the young man's search, at least temporarily. “I'm sorry, Luke,” she added, lowering her guard—and her tone—slightly. “I know it probably isn't what you want to hear, but I really can't tell you any more than that.” She could tell that Luke had been grateful for the information about the Ministry, but she couldn't divulge anything more without the consent of the students in question and, in the Linley siblings' case, the permission of the orphanage.

There was no way for Parvati to know whether or not they might grant her that permission, either. She knew what an absolute mess it had been when she had gone about explaining to the Flint twins and then to her own sons that they shared a father. The likelihood that they would readily accept some young man whom they had never met before's arrival from somewhere in America to meet his siblings wasn't the greatest, in her view. Still, that was part of why she was in the position that she was, to provide support where necessary.

@luke

[Deleted]

If Luke knew that the two were Orphans, he would have taken matters to a more governmental standpoint from the very beginnings. Proving that he was blood related to the two of them wouldn't have been an issue and from that point he could have filed for custody. It was still something he would consider, but something that he hadn't yet since the American officials hadn't know the full story, or, weren't able to release it to him. But perhaps he was going about it the wrong way by allowing his parents to try to gather information instead of taking his case directly to the MACUSA himself. He wouldn't make that same mistake now, he would go to the Ministry of Magic himself and file his case.

She told him that the two went to Hogwarts and that was about as much as she could tell him. He nodded, he was disappointed, but he wasn't going to push or argue it. He wasn't here to make any enemies. He was here to make friends and Allies that could help him if he needed assistance, like this woman was so kindly doing. "I understand that." he insisted. "I really do appreciate your assistance up to this point." he smiled at her. A part of him wanted to ask if she could even just tell her their names. Or ages. Or anything little and trivia, but he didn't want to risk it. 

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

Luke didn't persist when she explained to him that she couldn't say more about who his siblings were. He didn't push for more information; he just left well enough alone. Had he any malicious intentions, Parvati imagined that he would have tried for more, perhaps even threatened her. Instead, he said that he understood and appreciated the help that she had been able to give him.

“You're welcome.” Going directly to the Ministry, seeing as it was their magical government, seemed to be his best chance of finding anything. “If there's a quill somewhere, I can write down my sister's name for you?”

@luke

[Deleted]

She asked if Luke had a quill so she could write down her sisters name. He glanced around and then decided that he'd just get the small notebook he had carried in his carry-on backpack out. There was a pen hanging on one of the pages on which he had written the directions to get to The Leaky Cauldron from the airport. He turned to a new page and handed her both the book and the pen. "Yeah, I'd appreciate that." he nodded. Maybe dropping her name would get him a little further, though he hated taking advantage of people like that, so he wasn't sure that he would, at least not to try to get a leg up.

"Mr. Maebury, your room is ready for you." The bar maid told him, leaning over the counter. "I'll have your bags taken up." she declared. Luke turned back to his conversation partner and nodded to her. "I'm gonna go get some rest. Thank you kindly for your assistance, ma'am." If he had been wearing his cowboy hat, he would have tipped it to her, however, it was still packed away in his bag. Instead, the man took his notebook back, keeping the pen in the book to keep the page, and tucked it away before following the bar maid up to his room, feeling exactly how he thought he'd feel on his fight night: in completely over his head. 

((Luke out))
parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

Instead of having to go searching around to see if anyone had a quill and parchment that she could use, Luke produced a notebook and pen from his bag. He handed both over to her, and, after having to scribble in the corner of the page to get herself used to the feel of the writing instrument, Parvati promptly wrote down Padma's name and department for Luke.

“Padma Patil-Thomas, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation,” she repeated, after having written it for him. She then added her own name a bit down the page, just in case he needed it. “I've put my name, as well,” she let him know, “if you need it.”

Once finished, she handed the pen and notebook back to him, just in time for the woman tending bar to inform him that his room was ready for him. Luke said that he needed to go get some rest, which was perfectly understandable, and thanked her again before departing.

Parvati nodded, knowing that he was probably grateful to have a bed to sleep in and not whatever he had gotten on the airplane from America. “Cheers.”

@luke