Aperture Of Body [James]

[james sirius potter]

it leads you here,

despite your destination

March 24, 2028
fae iona cloudbreaker

”Dragon caves?” James asked, surprise in his tone. The thought crossed his mind to ask where they were. Maybe he could see them. But fortunately, his Uncle Charlie had drilled into James young about approaching places like that solo. Still, he made a mental note to perhaps ask another time. Although, it would be difficult to justify why the Ministry would need to inspect Dragon caves. At least James’ presence with the High Druid made sense. She was an important person. They were adding to her security with their presence here.

If Vivian or one of James’ other cousins were present, they might comment on ‘phrases one didn’t often hear’ about James Potter. Merlin, it even surprised James a little. He was mostly aware of how often he opened his mouth to speak. Even Ariadne would comment now and then about his regular interruptions. James felt more self-conscious about it these days. ”That’s kind of you to say.” James half-smiled, feeling slightly (and uncharacteristically) bashful at the compliment. A certain formality was expected when leaders and dignitaries visited the Ministry in London. So far, it was just another list of how different things were in Hy-Brasil. James had learned quite a bit from talking to Fae during his time here.

James kept scanning the books; some spines were worn, and others looked almost brand new. But he felt like he’d entered a library. ”I’ve met a few Ministers. They were rather…dull.” James admitted. They only wanted to discuss politics or nothing at all. He wondered if they were somehow related to the animated dueling dummies in the Ministry basement. ”And you are quite the opposite of dull.” It probably caught some off guard. James recalled being pleasantly surprised. And he certainly didn’t make sure to bring butterbeer candies when other dignitaries were in town. As he examined another book on Dragons, a question entered his mind.

”Do you enjoy it—being the High Druid.” From his understanding, it wasn’t something one necessarily volunteered for. But she’d commented on feeling normal again, whatever that meant. James couldn’t understand such a position, but he did understand certain things. It was difficult for him to find anywhere he was merely James and not Harry Potter’s son. Carefully, he returned the book to its place on the shelf and, already imagining the glare he would have gotten from Bianca for asking such a question.

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"Yes! That is where the dragon colony lived. Some still do, but after the barrier disappeared, most decided to leave." That was why she had purchased several books on dragons over the last two years. Between her readings and what the dragonologists that visited said, it would most likely be decades before the dragons that once lived on Hy-Brasil returned. They were very particular with where they lived, and now that they felt threatened, they had found somewhere else to call home. That hurt to hear, since it was no one's fault that this happened the way it did. She hoped to see them once again before her time as High Druid was up.

Fae cracked a smile at his comment about the previous Ministers. A few of them had started out so boring, only worried about surface level issues and never truly understanding what it was that the druids wanted. She learned fast though, with the frequent changes that occurred early on in her own career, the balancing act of going from one Minister to the next had become somewhat of an art. Everything seemed stable now though. Then again, every time she assumed that, a new one would take over. "Thank you. There are plenty of boring, logistical parts of my position that you have never seen...I have been told that almost every job is like that though," she shrugged. "I try to make it as interesting as possible though."

His next question got her thinking though: did she like being High Druid? She didn't have a choice, of course, but had never felt that having it thrust on her was a burden. Was it stressful at times? Absolutely. Every once in a while she wondered if she was the druid for this. There had never been anything particularly important or special about her growing up. No indicators that she would take over for High Druid Root. At first, it even felt like she was being shackled down to the island, right at the time when she felt like she was ready to attempt the mainland on her own and find what else was out there for her. But it would be a lie to say that she didn't enjoy her position. "I do. I believe - we believe - as a people, that the one chosen as High Druid is for a reason. This is my calling whether I want it to be or not. I cannot leave it, nor do I want to. But there are times where I wonder what my life would have been like without it. Never would I have met so many interesting people, or gone to the mainland as much as I do now though...so yes, in a way I do enjoy being High Druid. It is who I am now."

The whistle of her tea kettle started to hum gently as she spoke, and she gave it an extra few seconds to really get going before ending the flame spell underneath it. The two cups levitated over and carefully the kettle poured a golden liquid from its spout. The tea itself was a mixture of herbs and spices, and she really didn't know what the actual combination was. But she enjoyed it nonetheless. "Here," she said as the cups floated to each of them respectively. "As I said, I enjoy the time we have together, even if it is for your job. The others, your colleagues, are much more formal and treat me as if I am a princess that needs to be guarded." In actuality, she often wondered how fast she could disarm the guards with a simple tap of Merlin's staff on the ground. The magical power it yielded scared her at times, though she was glad it was on her side.

james sirius potter ● 634 ● Song by Artist

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[james sirius potter]

it leads you here,

despite your destination

March 24, 2028
fae iona cloudbreaker

James hadn’t thought about dragons in relation to the barrier. It was far more likely one would run into many other magical creatures first. He wondered where they would settle if this was once their home. ”My Uncle Charlie and one of my cousins study dragons.” James mentioned. It hadn’t occurred to him to ask either if they’d visited the island before. Maybe they knew something of the Dragons that had departed. The section of books in front of James didn’t have anything on Dragons, but he supposed they could have been anywhere. ”I’ll bring you his book.” James offered since they were on the subject. And it solved the issue of what book to bring on his next visit.

He agreed with a nod. Nobody told the newly graduated Hogwarts youth of all the paperwork involved with Law Enforcement activities. It might have made James think twice about opting out of a possible Quidditch career. Fae’s answer caused James to think of his own life and career. So many opportunities had appeared in his path, yet he had chosen this one. Somedays, it felt right and other days (like the catch-up on paperwork days), a little bit of doubt crept in. After his father returned and Ariadne re-entered his life, it all felt right again—when it clearly was not. He nodded lightly, acknowledging her answer.

”Thank you.” James accepted the cup, gently blowing on the surface of the hot liquid. ”I think it’s a habit, really.” He commented. ”The formalities and everything.” Anytime an important visitor was in town, it was all the same. Increased security and ensuring nobody was offended during whatever bureaucratic chess game occurred. The only visitors to be treated with suspicion were typically journalists. ”I enjoy our time as well.” James responded, waiting for the tea to cool a bit. True, this was all part of his work—no other reason to dress in his Hit Wizard’s robes on a lovely day like this. ”I think it's not always easy to find open-minded and curious people in our line of work.” That work being politics and law enforcement. It was full of creatures of habit and those with hidden agendas. It was no wonder most defaulted to polite small talk. But James always had too much energy for small talk. Blowing on the tea again, James carefully took a small sip.

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Learning the inner workings of the mainland familial structure was certainly interesting, and she was just now at at ting to fully grasp how large families there could be. Discovering that James was related to not one, but two former Ministers that she'd worked with had been a shock, not to mention who his father was. Despite the druids not being affected much by the going ons in the nineties, the name Harry Potter wasn't unknown to them. She had yet to meet the man, though assumed she eventually would considering her position. That being said, she knew that the Potter and Weasley families were related, and that James's Uncle Charlie that studied dragons and wrote a book on the subject had to be the same Charles Weasley, who's book she had purchased a few years earlier. Squeezing by her guest as he mentioned bringing her a copy, she plucked it off of its place on the shelf and held it up to him, "This one? It has been a fantastic resource and so have shared it with some of the druids that tend to favor the dragons more than myself." Geethanjali had helped her pick it out at Flourish & Blotts when the island was still trying to locate some of the escaped creatures.

To be fair, whenever she had to visit the Ministry she absolutely took her position seriously and professionally. She simply didn't see why it had to be that way all of the time. James had seemingly cracked the mold that the others continued to follow, though she was sure her refusal to act formal around him from the start had something to do with that. He was the first one to actually take the time and entertain her curiosity for the mainland, after all. "Maybe it will change some day. So much has happened since I became High Druid, but even more has happened for the Ministry..." It was no wonder they were all stuffy and high strung. With this many changes, there was no way to be grounded. Even with the Council occasionally changing, the druids knew that ultimately very little would be effected by it.

Taking a sip, she peered up from her cup to see James was also testing the tea. "It is better once it cools off a bit." She still continued with her own, nonetheless. "The elder that makes it told me that it improves blood flow and energy." She was sure it had other remedies, as that was the druid way. Having it a few times a day made her feel better after draining pints of butterbeer whenever she traveled.

james sirius potter ● 441 ● Song by Artist

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[james sirius potter]

it leads you here,

despite your destination

March 24, 2028
fae iona cloudbreaker

James nodded, a little surprised Fae already had the book in her possession. ”Yes, that one.” He tried his best to side-step out of her way. Fae’s home wasn’t so much too small as James was far too tall. Still, he beamed a little. Wait until he told his Uncle Charlie about this. Plus, he was sure his grandfather would have a million questions about Hy-Brasil and James’ time there the next time he visited The Burrow. However, this also put a damper in his plans to bring a book back to Fae. He would have to think of something between now and the next time he was back home in London.

Fae had not chosen the role of High Druid. It was thrust upon her, much as things are to certain individuals. James thought of his father or his late Aunt. Even his own experiences since his final year of school. And how much did all that help or hurt him? Merlin knew people only saw a name when they looked at him, so James felt he had to work harder than everybody else. But, the buffer to be himself still existed. Much to the chagrin of some. If the name Potter hadn’t mattered, would James have ever chanced such a casual conversation with the High Druid of Hy-Brasil?

”its been quiet since the….” James trailed off. Nobody needed to utter the word “fire” these days to know what one meant. Almost two years later, images of that terrible day still floated through his mind. And it made him pause for a long moment. Clearing his throat, he forced those thoughts out, or at least until later. ”Quiet is good, I suppose.” No news, was good news, as they said. Though James’ short attention span would disagree. Though maybe this tea would help with such things. Some might argue James did not need more energy, however. Blowing a few more times over the surface of his cup, James tested the tea again. It was still hot but not scalding anymore. And even with that tiny sip, he found it was quite good.

”That’s an interesting combination.” He tried to think of the right words for it. ”I like it.” The tea was refreshing, not too intense, but still flavorful. It was easy to see why someone might feel invigorated. ”Will you be traveling back to London soon?”

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Of all the creatures that had left Hy-Brasil, wrangling the dragons back was easily the one of utmost importance. If they didn't want to come back, that was one thing. She knew that was a possibility and trying to move them again could do more harm than good. The only issue with that was that the dragons from the island weren't integrated with ones elsewhere. Complete isolation for who knows how long. Their seemingly nonchalantness with the druids would not transfer over well with mainlanders and muggles. Fae worried about that the most. The last thing she wanted was to be responsible for breaking the Statute of Secrecy because one of the island's dragons got lost and confused. Unfortunately for Hy-Brasil, they had yet to find any of their winged friends, and it seemed like it would probably be a while until they returned. Having the dragon book helped ease her worries though. If the dragons were going through an egg cycle or two, they would probably come back once they were done. She trusted Charles Weasley and his book.

Quiet was good. Focusing solely on her duties as High Druid made everything feel normal again. After a tumultuous few years, everyone deserved quiet. James trailed off as he said that, and she decided that she didn't really need to go further into it. They both knew what the other was getting at.

Watching him drink the tea was more important than anything else right now though. When she had been an island tour guide, sharing a cup of this tea with the visitors had always been how she ended their time together. Even on the hottest summer days she found that it was refreshing and helped cure exhaustion. The best part was that there was no magic involved. Though one could argue that there was some, considering the plants used to make it came from the island and everything here was magical...the intention was that it was just tea. Plan old herbal tea that made the body feel better.

"In July, I believe. I have a few days scheduled at the Ministry and then one at Hogwarts to plan for the fall term." Despite some hiccups from a couple of the druid children during the spring term, everything seemed to be running smoothly and a few more had convinced their parents to allow them to attend. "I cannot travel freely on my own, but I was wondering...I was wondering if you would maybe want to visit during the summer solstice. Not for work, but as one of my guests."

james sirius potter ● 430 ● Song by Artist

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[james sirius potter]

it leads you here,

despite your destination

March 24, 2028
fae iona cloudbreaker

James made a mental note of July and perhaps the fall. No doubt, he would escort Fae around the new campus as before. He was happy to, and at this point, Bianca stopped arguing on the matter. But, he supposed such practices were standard now. When an important guest visited, the Ministry wanted them to feel comfortable, which included familiar faces. Since the school’s reopening, James had tried his best to drop by for short visits. Walking the grounds of his former school felt strange and unfamiliar. If he stared at the horizon long enough, the outline of the old castle sort of appeared like a daydream, or maybe it was just seared into his brain.

He sipped again from his cup, the risk of a serious burn was gone, but the tea had not cooled completely either. The liquid was at that perfect temperature for tea. And he had to admit, suddenly, he wasn’t feeling as weary as before. Not that he ever could around Fae. Something about her energy and perspective never left him feeling bad. His eyes moved to his host after her question, lingering for a quick moment as his brain registered the question. Quickly, he nodded. ”Sure, I’d love to.” Immediately, he was energized at the thought of attending an actual event on the island and seeing it all firsthand. And he couldn’t wait to tell Lily. James’ younger sister seemed to be one of the few to share his level of excitement toward things.

The very light shade of pink that crept onto his face was either from the invitation or the tea. Nobody would ever claim that James Potter was short of energy, despite the lack of pep in his step these last few months, much like giving a hyper child candy. Who knew what would happen. A moment passed before James asked his next question. ”Does it bother you? Not being able to travel?” The attention she received must have made it difficult, or at least James assumed. ”I mean—“ He wanted to finish his tea first but felt he needed to clarify. Setting the cup down, he spoke again. ”I’m here for work, but I’ve enjoyed my time here so far—away from London.” The clear and fresh air had done wonders, and James hadn’t realized putting some distance would do him good. ”I haven’t had a day like today in a long time—a good day…” He admitted, looking away as he did.

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"Excellent!" A bubble of excitement could be felt in her chest when James agreed to being her guest, and she knew that her eyes cycled through several bright colors before returning to her preferred blue. Not that there were many restrictions currently on what he could or could not do while on Hy-Brasil, but she had a feeling it would be a lot more normal if he wasn't working. She could tell from the way the other Ministry workers were around her. It was the same sort of stiffness that her own druid guardians had whenever a new one was assigned to travel with her to the mainland. The unknowing and new place, slight confusion about customs, and then the final acceptance that Fae was going to ultimately do whatever she pleased. That was why she was always excited when Silas was attached, because he had given up years earlier and just went along with what she wanted now. His last attempt to wrest any sort of control over the situation was two years prior when they went to the Merlin museum. He seemed to be okay with James being around her on the mainland though.

Fae didn't have to think much about James's question on travel. It had once been her dream to explore the world in an unrestricted fashion. While she certainly went to the mainland more often than the average druid did, she still had her limitations on where she could go. Responsibilities kept her as close to home as possible. "Sort of," she began, as she tried to think of the best way to put it into words. "Before I was named High Druid, I was saving to travel. At first, it was only going to be to the other druid communities. That way I could be around something familiar. But the more visitors I showed around the island, the more I wanted to see the rest of the mainland..." And then she was named High Druid and all of those plans were nixed in an instant. The only positive to come out of it was that the money she had saved now went towards new books and candies whenever she left the island. A way to treat herself for her hard work. "I am glad you like our island. Though I have yet to find someone who dislikes it," Fae laughed. "You are always welcome back. And not just for work. I find a relative peacefulness from our conversations, which I do not get from others." Though that had more to do with the two of them than it did the island and it's magical relaxation that it tended to charm mainlanders with. Not that Hy-Brasil wasn't helping her out here...

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