Better in Time (Clarinda)

Guest

Mrs. Jennson,

If you are reading this than I managed to find the courage to send you this letter. You see, I am known for many things, but being brave is not one of them. Your husband was brave, strong, and kind and it hurts me to send you this letter all the more because of it.

You see, I greatly admired your husband. He was a good man who saw the best in people even in the most serious situations. I found him to be a mentor in helping change the view of my world and his patience and listening allowed me to properly grow into my own deeper political ideologies.

But I know you already know all of this for you were his wife. But know that the world knew he loved you very much. He spoke about you often, even if it was to the staff, to his aids and to me. You are a fantastic woman, and in this time, I wish to extend this: the Holmes family will be there for you as a support system should you wish to have it. The thought of your husband hurts my heart deeply, so I extend my hand in anything you might need.

My deepest condolences,

Mycroft W. Holmes

Guest

Dear Mycroft,

Please do call me Clarinda. Mrs. Jennson is far too formal for someone I feel as though I already know. My husband mentioned you often. I do not know what he may have mentioned, but I do know he was impressed with you; he believed in you. He would not have taken you under his wing otherwise.

I appreciate your concerns.

I hasten to say, however, that I will not be resorted to the typical widowed women. My husband did not die in vain. He died for his country, for a vision that not many saw, and for that I do not blame anybody. We always knew the risks of his job, and we were prepared for the consequences, and while we had hoped it would not come to this, circumstances have proven otherwise. I will remain strong for my children, for my patients, and for my husband. He would not have wanted me to spend my days mourning, and I will not disappoint.

I do not need charity, but I am no fool. If I need help, I will ask. I do, having said that, have a favour to ask. My daughter, Lux. She does not handle grief very well. I will not restrict her or tell her off in these times, although I will do my best to ensure she does not cause too much damange. May I ask for your pull and weight in your world to minimize the press reports that will no doubt be written? I wish to spare her from being the subject of gossip, which will only add to her current burden.

And what about you? How are you holding up in these dark days? The times are changing. My husband knew that full well, as did my children and I.

Please do come by for dinner one day. I would love to have you over; my husband saw something in you, as do I.

Love,
Clarinda.

Guest

Dear Clarinda,

I apologizing for not responding sooner. I've been commuting between my London flat and my dorm at Hogwarts. You see, ever since the incident, I find it hard to sleep and work tends to soothe my mind.

I must say that your willingness to speak with me was a relief; at first I felt deeply worried that this would cause a greater discomfort in your life. But as I read more and more of your words, I find that you are truly a stronger woman than anyone gives you credit for. The way you remember Kamren is quite astounding as you accepted it and try to keep a sane mind.

In regards to your request, that will be handled. The power of the government (not to mention my families' power) that nothing is written beyond information given. We will also provide protection from the press without her knowledge.

As for me...I must say that the things I saw have shaken my mind. Like I said before, sleep is a rare thing for me. So coffee has become my best friend. I have unfortunately taking up smoking, but it takes the edge off of the already stressful day. It is a bit embarrassing to admit, but I cannot say this to anyone, especially not my sister.

I always thought of your husband as a mentor and father-figure in my life so I promise you to write and care for you for as little or as much as you will allow me.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Mycroft

Guest

Dear Mycroft,

You will never be a discomfort; any friend of my husband's is a friend of mine.

The truth of the matter is that I have been prepared for this since he was appointed as Minister. We knew the risks -- a phrase I say often, for it is the only way I know how to put it -- from the getgo. It is an unfortunate position to be in, to have to plan what to do if your husband is murdered before he is, but it was something we both knew would happen if he took up the position.

Thank you. I appreciate your help more than you could imagine.

Take care of yourself, Mycroft. My husband would not have wanted you to succumb to grief. If you wish, I can make a batch of my dreamless sleep potions for you; they aren't as strong as the normal ones, and so it won't keep you asleep for very long.

Smoking isn't the healthiest of habits, Mycroft. I understand the need for something to take the edge off, but perhaps something that will not put your health at risk?

And I, you. As I said, any friend of my husband is a friend of mine.

Love,
Clarinda.

Guest

Dear Clarinda,

Once more my commitment to writing to you should not be defined by the time frame in which I do so. Meeting you at the funeral was an important moment for me. And the love that the citizens was palpable in the crowd. I do hope you took advantage of the privacy that reporters have given you. My grand-mere made sure as well to not have any critical article be written, for in our humble opinion, there was no reason for those.

As a month has passed, I must say that things have changed. For one thing, I took a trip to America to take a breather before during the short break. It was good to see friends and past people who could ground me. The smoking has become a norm, but do not worry, it's something I'm considering as a rare stress-relief. Do not worry.

In turn I ask: how are you? How is your daughter?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Mycroft

Guest

Dear Mycroft,

Thank you for all you have done; it was far beyond my expectations. The privacy was much welcomed, and my two children and I are more grateful than we could ever express for your aid in that. Please do send our regards to your grand-mere as well, for the things she has done, whether we know of it or not.

I always worry about my friends, Mycroft. It would be a useless task to tell me not to, although I suppose you have taken over that role; it was something my husband would tell me often.

I am coping. I will not lie; it is difficult, without Kam. Still, life goes on and so must I. Forgetting someone is vastly different from letting them go, and I shall strive to do the latter without ever doing the former. He always told me that, if he should pass, I was free to find someone else to love and care for me. I must confess I do not think this possible; my heart was made for one man alone, and Kam has it all.

Do you mean Lux? She is coping. I have not spoken to her in a few weeks, but that does not mean she is alone. Serenity has often paid her visits and reports to me. They are both still grieving in their own way. This is not the first father figure that Lux has lost, and I know she is strong. It is Serenity I am more concerned about, but she, too, is strong. They will both pull through.

And I, you. The offer for dinner still stands. In fact, I would have to insist -- do not fear you are opposing on me.

Love,
Clarinda.

PS: I have included with this letter a selection of cupcakes I recently baked. I absentmindedly made a batch far too large; I was still using the recipe for four. I do hope you enjoy coffee-flavoured cupcakes.

Guest

Dear Clarinda,

I hope you are impressed at how quickly I got to your owl. I feel as if the grading is getting better and allowing me to take some quiet time to write.

I must say I am thankful for you considering me a friend. I do too feel the same for you. I recently read your new study in Healer's Research Reports and I must say was truly admirable. Even my sister took interest as I caught her reading this. My sister is quite the fan of your work and Healing in general. I hope I can have hear become more accepting of her learning. But we will see.

Kam was an admirable individual wasn't he? I believe that if I am too find love one day, (whether it be forced upon me through marriage or real love), I will only give my heart to them. I am curious, how did you find love with him?

In terms of dinner...well I definitely do not mind. I think that now, that time has passed and the heart still mourns, but with time, I think it would be great if I can visit. Please let me know when I can visit. Also, should your daughters need anything else, please as always let me know.

All my best ,

Mycroft

Guest

Dear Mycroft,

Time is of no issue to me, although I must say there is a slight bout of worry when there is no reply for lengths of time. A character flaw I have never been able to rid, I'm afraid. Ah, that's right; Kamren mentioned you took up the task of Potions in Hogwarts. How is it going? I apologise for not asking earlier; that piece of information slipped my mind.

Thank you. Like you, I've been pouring myself into my work. Idle minds are the devil's workshop, as they say. At the very least, I can do some good with my research. If your sister would like, have her send me an owl. I can arrange for a tour of the hospital as well as my department. She could spend a few days, if she wanted; I do not mind, and neither do my healers. In fact, we rather enjoy passing on knowledge to those interested. More and more of the younger generation are not showing interest in this department.

I like to say love found us. I was in the hospital and he had come in. I saw him in the waiting room and felt compelled to walk over. His father had just passed away, and we ended up talking for my entire break. He asked me out a short while later. It's a simple story.

How would this weekend sound? Serenity is coming back for a visit; she spends weekends at home instead of at uni or with her boyfriend. She needs the company, I think, whereas Lux needs time alone. I usually cook a nicer dinner when she's home; it's easier to cook for two than it is one.

Thank you for your offer. Likewise, if there's anything I can do for you, I am but an owl away.

Love,
Clarinda.

Guest

Dearest Clarinda,

I thank you for you for your inquiry on my other job. At the moment, I have taken a leave of the government, as you know and concentrate solely on teaching. Potioneering at Hogwarts is both a pleasure and a torture. For one thing, the children often times come with more expectations, not in their own work but rather feel the privilege to simply sit and get passing grades. As you can assume that is not how I run the show in my classroom. I remember my own potions professor made it very clear to me that potioneering was never something to take lightly and I follow the same mantra. It's clear that if I did not like it, I would have not stayed in the job, so despite the hurtles, it's a job that does not way heavy in my heart.

And dinner this coming weekend sounds divine. At the moment, I am finishing up grading for the first round of classes so your invite falls on a perfect schedule. I hope this letter reaches you as soon as possible. I think it's time we properly spoke in person.

All the best,

Mycroft

Guest

Dear Mycroft,

Potions is a vital part of life, I would have to say. There are many things that can be accomplished through their use that cannot otherwise. I must admit that while not my favourite subject, the techniques I learnt have proven useful in my field. I'm sure you make an excellent teacher; Hogwarts is lucky to have you to pass on your knowledge to the next generation.

That's great news! I shall look forward to setting the table for three. Shall we say Saturday, around six?

Do let me know if you have any food preferences or allergies.

Love,
Clarinda.

» My Time Is Up (TW: Illness, Near Death Experience - Clarinda, Summer, Victoria & Zander)
» The aftermath. (Clarinda)
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