December 25th, 1891 — Valenduris House, Wellingtonshire

In sundry ways it was a fairytale Christmas. Snow fluttered down from the navy evening sky on barely any breeze at all, settling on handsome lampposts and skeletal tree branches with a gossamer touch. And in that navy sky, a smattering of bright stars almost as cheery as the warm golden glow emanating from the houses of Wellingtonshire. Silhouettes of graceful figures, gay laughter, the clinking of glasses. Merriness abounds.

The pristine white Valenduris house stood stately but homey, quite in its element as the enormous family gathered within. Richard Everly was one of the younger ones, and he'd decided to take a moment's break from the obligatory familial revelry. A break from everyone asking him if he intended to be a Healer like his magnificent parents. A break from aunts asking him if he was interested in any young ladies, and uncles wondering why he hadn't joined the Quidditch team like that strapping friend of his.

The garden was cold, cold, cold, but pleasantly so -- such had been the heat and noise of the indoors. Richard was dressed for the occasion in sleek black, making his skin and hair seem all the paler. He remained beneath the cover of the roof so the snow didn't fall on him, but leaned his thin hands lightly on the balcony and looked out over the shadowy gardens. He should return indoors and charm his betters. But for now the solitude felt like a cool drink in a hot desert.

Meserimus Valenduris

  

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Meserimus loved Christmas! Loved the noisy, vibrant excess of it all.  He insisted on playing host to all his myriad of relatives - his many, many sons and daughters, and all of their respective children and any waifs and strays they gathered along the way - there was nothing better than a large group at Christmas - and anyone not feeling festive was often subject to a scolding from the Patriarch.  The younger children had no issue in getting into the spirit.  They would cheerfully run squealing through the house candy canes or festive chocolates falling from their over full pockets. 


Every now and then he would take a small head count to assure himself that everyone he was expecting to be in the room -and it should not have surprised him that his Richard was missing.  Differentiated from his peers by class and what appeared to Meserimus to be an uncommon lack of ambition for his clan - and yet the boy was a slytherin. 

'Is there a reason you feel the need for solitude?' he asked, closing the door to the house with a quiet click. 

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Bee is amazing

It was hard not to wince when he heard the door open behind him, for Richard knew the sound to denote the cutting-short of his pleasant isolation. He turned to regard the towering and regal form of Meserimus Valenduris; grandfather, grand patriarch, grand host... grand everything, really.

Richard knew the old wizard's words weren't meant in admonishment, but more in candid inquiry. But he still felt a little guilty at having been "found out", and a touch resentful that he had to answer for himself.

"Please don't think me an ungrateful guest", he replied graciously; "I've been enjoying myself. Just in need of some air, sir."

But after a beat he decided that his grandfather could probably see through his paltry excuse. So he decided to be a touch more honest: "I've just been asked a lot of... questions I don't know the answer to."

  

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Meserimus clapped a large hand on his grandsons shoulder - less a boy now than ever. And then leaned his forarms on the railing looked out over the darkened gardens, leaving his grandson space in which to order his thoughts for speech.

'Ungrateful.' he echoed, but it was less question and more statement. His tone was devoid of any judgement but pregnant with thought. 'Oh and what are these desperately difficult questions?' Meserimus pressed, glancing sideways over the top of his half moon classes. 'Perhaps an old man may have insight.'

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Bee is amazing

Richard glanced up at his grandfather, but couldn't look into his bright searching eyes for long. Sometimes it felt like the old wizard could gaze straight into his soul; an uncomfortable prospect.

Spilling any of his deepest questions was not a possibility currently on the table, largely because he could barely shape or articulate them in his own mind. But he wouldn't do the host the discourtesy of shrugging off his offer. For Richard had rarely met someone whose time was more valuable.

"Perhaps the most common question is what I intend to do when I leave school", he shared truthfully. "Did you know the answer to that question at my age?" Probably.

  

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He shifted to lean his forearms on the stone balastrade, the ice cold granite biting into the skin of his long arms as he stooped to get into a position to lean comfortably beside his grandson. The truth was he could barely remember what he had thought at that age - if he had known what he wanted to 'be' when he grew up, and there were times still when he didn't feel truly 'grown up' despite his years. He shook his head.

'No, I don't think anyone at your age know's what they want to be, and if they do - they don't know who they want to be, and that is the infinitely more important question' he mused, 'Is your anxiety that you're feeling the pressure to decide upon your future?'

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Bee is amazing

Richard narrowly avoided a tch! of disbelief. For he knew plenty of people his age who knew what they wanted to be: they wanted to be their fathers. Or their mothers. Richard wanted to be neither.

But the old one was right that who was another matter entirely. It was certainly a much more complex question, and not one Richard was capable of delving into in his own mind, let alone with another person. Any other person.

So he'd take the conversation back to "what". That, he felt, could be useful anyway; his grandfather was swimming in insight. "Yes -- I'm coming up to my final year at school. Most boys my age have chosen their vocation already and are working towards the necessary grades."

  

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Meserimus nodded, it was a tough question and he supposed Richard had a point. It was perhaps easy when one had lived a life as long as his to be full of circumspection and philsophy about the expanse of ones life and what to do with it. Richer boys might have had more options, might have bought themselves time through funds.

'Have you thought of a grand tour?' he asked, 'A trip around Europe to find yourself or your vocation?'. Meserimus' old bones did not repel the cold the way they once did and he cast a warming spell on himself and raised a wand to question if his grandson wanted one of his own, or if the cold was bracing him.

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Bee is amazing

A trip round Europe? Richard's fair brow rose in surprise, for no he hadn't considered such a thing at all. Only in his novels did he ever go adventuring or exploring. It was a somewhat tantalising thought, but no doubt ill-fitting in practice. Didn't the world prefer strapping, outdoorsy young men engaged in such pursuits as travelling?

"That's... an idea", he responded, then couldn't resist a slight smile of amusement at himself when he realised how unconvinced he sounded. "Perhaps... in a group", he conceded. "I've never found my own company all that valuable."

  

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'Yes, with a companion, it's generally more fun with a large group' he observed to his grandson. His own grand tour was a literal life time ago - but he was sure that young men got up to hadn't changed all that much - a little too much drink and a few too many women but there was little problem with that in the long run and it usually did young men good to sow their wild oats and 'get it out of their system'.

'It was the making of me' he admitted to the young man, 'WHen you first set off the freedom can rather go to your head and you will wake up more than one morning with a blinding head ache and 'beer regret' - but after a month of rabble rousing, I went on an expedition in the forests of Labuan*, it helped me confirm that research was to be a big part of my future.' He recounted, with a fond smile for the long lost days of his youth.

Of course the difference was that Meserimus had been the eldest son of a wealthy family, the Everly finances were not as elastic as his fathers had been, 'Perhaps as a birthday gift from me' he offered, trying to mitigate the awkwardness when it became clear he wouldn't be able to afford the sort of tour Meserimus was suggesting.

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*Labaun is now Borneo

  

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Bee is amazing

Richard's venerable grandfather had a habit of getting others to open up, probably by opening up himself, and thus Richard found himself admitting that he didn't altogether respect his own company the way he perhaps should. But luckily Meserimus did not take issue to his unseemly bout of modesty.

It was a little funny to think of his grandfather off gallivanting with other young people. Merlin, it was funny to think of him as a young person at all. Richard couldn't imagine him without his trademark long white beard. Richard smiled faintly at the recounting of his adventures, though he could not relate to them.

Pale eyebrows rose in surprise at mention of this being a birthday gift. "You're very kind, Grandfather", he said with a grateful incline of his head. "Of course I will gladly follow your advice. Though if you don't mind my asking... what is beer regret? Regretting haven taken too much beer?"

  

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Meserimus laughed heartily, 'oh Beer regret!' he chortled 'it is entirely because you've had too much beer, but the headache, the dizziness and nausea make you feel the regret. it had been decades since he had beer fear, that feeling when hungover that you were about to be violently sick. He had grown out of it a long time ago and was now able to look on the situation with a degree of fondness. 'A punishment from the gods for your over indulgence.' he chuckled

Meserimus smiled and clapped a large and aged hand on the young man's shoulder. 'All in your future' he chuckled again, 'All part of the journey from a boy to a man'

He looked out over the balcony 'Shall we settle the matter then? I can speak with your father and we can have a talk around easter to start to plan out the itinerary and what friend you intend to accompany you, I'm almost jealous!'

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Bee is amazing

Richard returned a smile of amusement, feeling a little childlike to have not known the concept of "beer regret", but at least being glad that he knew now. He enjoyed alcohol, largely because it brought him closer to those who would help him excel, but was always careful not to overdo it. He had too many secrets for that.

The towering professor clapped a grizzled hand on Richard's rather meagre shoulder, making him wonder briefly if he'd ever be seen as a man; not that he despised his slight aesthetic. It was just... not for everyone.

"I-- thank you", he said again, otherwise at a loss for words. Richard couldn't really think about it, the concept of a great trip abroad without any accompanying adults was both thrilling and alarming at the moment.

  

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Meserimus smiled fondly at his grandson. This was going to be fun. He could already think of an entire list of places that would be most enjoyable for a foot loose and fancy free young man to visit on the continent.

Merlin he was envious! He wondered if old men were permitted grand tours - after all the point was to see the world for the first time - and it had been so long that it was a whole new world to the one he had visited more than 100 years ago.

'have a think about who you want to bring with you' he iterated, 'and we can discuss it again in a few months'

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ol'grandad looked pretty waif like himself back in the day

  

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Bee is amazing

OOC: Gotta love Ian McKellen. <3 Shall we wrap up here and start something new for them in the near future? ^__^


"Yes sir", he replied with a small but really quite genuine smile. His grandfather had -- as always -- given him a lot to think about. Certainly Richard didn't need to think about who he intended to invite on his adventure, but the sheer content of that adventure... that was almost beyond his comprehension. Merely the imagination of a young novelist.

Half an hour ago, when he had stepped outside into the solitary cold, Richard couldn't have imagined he'd be confronted with such a prospect.

Happy Christmas to me, then.

  

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