{ time heals all wounds }

[Benjamin Harper]

A man's age is something impressive, it sums up his life: maturity reached slowly and against many obstacles, illnesses cured, griefs and despairs overcome, and unconscious risks taken.

The edges of an umbrella unfolded as the old man exited the red phone booth. He held it above his head, blocking the downpour of rain that fell from the sky. He was on a busy road, cars rushing by, splashing water on the curb. His grey eyes shifted to the wet pavement, darkened by the rainwater. This weather brought him back to teenage years, many miles away from the bustling streets of London.

For a minute he was back in a small village in Scotland, playing the violin that his father had made by hand. Music was louder back then; notes rang perfect and the melody was smooth; not like anything that he could produce nowadays, not with shaky and feeble fingers. No. That violin was for show now, sitting somewhere idle in his attic.

The pitter-patter of rain upon his umbrella, partnered with the car horns in the distance, brought him back to the present. It was far better here than there anyway. In a leisurely stride, he began to make his short walk back to his house. Amelia would be worried sick about him. The meeting with the Minister of Magic had gone on longer than he had expected it to.

At the age of 67 years old, Benjamin Harper was in great shape (as great as one can get at his age). His stride was equal to that of a man in his prime. Sadly, the same couldn’t be said for his wife, Amelia. She had one bad knee, making every day a struggle to stand and walk. It always seemed worse on these rainy days. He kept up his pace as he made his way down the street, passing houses with gates at the end of their walks.

Upon turning down his street of residence, something sprung up in his mind. He had forgotten to drop off the Christmas present that his son in-law had gotten for his neighbors. Intending to get that out of the way, Benjamin made his way to the neighbor’s front gate, pushed it open and made his way up the sidewalk to the house. There, he knocked on the door and waited for it to open.

Benjamin could hear a dog barking inside, followed by that of someone unlocking the deadbolt. He didn’t remember his neighbors owning a dog. He checked the address. Yup, right place. The door opened. He’d been expecting to see Mrs. Sheppard’s face poke out from behind it, but instead there was a young girl standing in front of him.

“I’m here to drop something off for Mrs. Sheppard. You wouldn’t know where I could find her, do you?” His eyes were drawn down to the little ball of fuzz near her feet, growling at his presence. He knelt down and presented his hand to him. “Why, aren’t you a ferocious beast?” He smiled, petting the dog behind the ears. “What’s his name?”

[Katherine Shepherd]

On days like these Katherine enjoyed visiting her grandmother, it wasn't unusual to find her at her grandparents place as it was one of her favorite places to be. Growing up she had always been brought here, her parents would drink breakfast tea and eat handmade blueberry scones made by her grandmother herself, the fire in the fireplace would be bursting with life as little Kathy played on the hardwood floors with her muggle made toys. This was no different, well, expect for the toys perhaps. Today Katherine's intentions for being here was to visit her grandparents, to embrace herself in the scent of their one hundred year old home, the scent of dried roses and burning wood was something that she loved dearly, she enjoyed how it would find its way onto her clothes and hair and would somehow stay there for days.

But today was different... her grandparents were not home, it was strange actually, as whenever Kathy would visit they were there. Lucky for her she had a key and got in without a problem. Kathy figured it would be safe for her to wait it out until they got home, just in case something happened. Her dog was by her side, which was nothing new really, she had just recently gotten the dog and he was still in his puppy years but about the size of a toy breed. Katherine knew that her grandmother Rose loved seeing her pup as he continued to grow, it always brought a smile to her face when Katherine brought Baron around. Baron was kind of humorous really with his large paws and ears, you could tell he was still growing into his body.

Baron laid on the side of the floral chair that Katherine relaxed in, soft snoring could be heard as she flipped through the pages of the weekly paper, the fire dancing and crackling beside them. The clock just behind her ticked slowly filling the house with a calming white noise... so much so that it put Katherine into a daze, almost to the point of falling asleep while waiting. Before she knew it, Katherine was slouched in her grandmothers favorite chair, sleeping quietly but dreaming. Baron was now found on the couch across from her, which was something he wasn't allowed to do. It had to have been an hour or so now that she had been waiting and it seemed like it would still be a few more until they got home.

Just as Katherine began to dip deeper into her mind a decent knock echoed throughout the house, which alerted Baron and woke Katherine. Baron's large ears stood right up as he jumped off the couch and ran to the door barking and protecting his surroundings. "Calm down Baron... it's probably just the paper boy... maybe he brought a treat for you." She smiled as she spoke to him, getting up from the chair and walking to the large wooden door, peering through the stained glass only to see nothing but a figure there. Curious, she unlocked the door and peeked her head outside and of course Baron pushed the door open even further so he could see as well. "Baron!" She muttered in a stern voice pushing him back a bit with her legs, noticing that he was beginning to growl at the man.

Kathy examined the person before her, he was older, around her grandmothers age but not as old as her grandfather. He seemed friendly but was someone she had never met before which made her wonder how her grandparents knew him. "That is a question I've been asking myself as well... I have no idea where they are. I'm currently house sitting. I'm their grand daughter. How do you know my grandparents?" She presented him with a small friendly smile, knowing the question was quite valid as her grandparents didn't get out much and knew of very few people in the neighborhood. Her eyes lingered down to Baron as he addressed him, kneeling down slowly to give him a pat on his head.

A small chuckle escaped her rosy lips as Baron wagged his tail and instantly adjusted to the stranger. "He might look sweet and cuddly now but he's just a pup, he'll get much bigger as he gets older." She smiled as she watched the rain fall and drip off the roof, soaking the stairs behind the stranger before her. "His name is Baron, it means young warrior. I know he'll grow up to be quite the guard dog, so the name is fitting." Her arms crossed around her chest as the cold began to seep past the door and appeared to sit just on top of her skin. Katherine was wearing nothing but a light long sleeve red shirt and some jeans, her feet bare and her hair up in a side bun -- it was one of those days where all you want to do is lay in bed all day but she attempted to make an effort.

"Why don't you come in and have some tea, it's quite cold out and nasty if you ask me..." She offered, opening the door more. This wasn't something she would normally do but he seemed kind enough and assumed he knew of her grandmother quite well, so she welcome him in only hoping that her gut feeling was correct and that her grandparents wouldn't come home upset for her letting this man inside. "I believe we have scones as well..." She continued as she stood away from the door and summoned him inside.

notes: sorry for the sucky post! I have to get back into the swing of things.

Her dog: Baron

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[Benjamin Harper]

Rain never bothered Benjamin. It seemed to take him back to another time and place, far from the streets of London’s suburb. “I can remember when I moved into this neighborhood.” The memory was playing in the forefront of his mind. “It was raining then too, harder mind you. We had to move everything up the steps, didn’t want the muggles to see us using magic.” He smiled, rubbing between the dog’s ear one last time, before standing up and placing a hand out for her to shake. “Benjamin Harper, next door neighbor to your grandmothers. I believe her and my wife attended Hogwarts together.”

“Oh, named after the Hogwarts ghost, I presume?” He raised an eyebrow, glancing down at the dog at his feet. “I happen to know a lot about the Bloody Baron. Interesting fellow, I can tell you that.” Saying this, he stepped inside and closed the door, the light in the room shifting to a cloudy grey. He raised his hand to his head and removed his fedora, his finger finding the seam in the middle as he held it. “Scones? I hope blue berry. She always sends us a batch every Christmas…three of them in a beautiful package, wrapped with a little bow. Amelia wishes she could duplicate them.”

It was hard to believe that there was once a time, a long time ago, when these neighbors didn’t see eye to eye. It was in the middle of summer one year, Benjamin couldn’t remember, but there were children playing baseball outside. Their ball went astray and destroyed the front window of the Harpers house.This didn’t make him happy. He stormed out of his house, Daily Prophet in one hand and the tie to his bathrobe in the other. He raised his voice for someone to come forward. No one did, until Mr. Sheppard came forth. He explained that it was a spell that he was casting to test earth’s gravitational pull. The arguments that followed were finally scored away in their old age.

The sitting room that Benjamin had stepped into was decorated in the usual house-hold stuff; there were moving pictures on the wall, a fireplace with a roaring fire in it and a vase on a stand, filled with magical roses that always put off a pleasant smell. They were probably from Veneficus Vigeo, the flower shop in Diagon Alley. “My daughter informs me that your grandmother collects wine. Quite the collector. She was in France and Italy with her husband this holiday and sent some home for your grandma.”

Benjamin had been in this house on different occasions, but this time was different. It was empty, apart from Katherine and Baron. “I’m sorry,” he said, folding some of his hat in his lap. “I must have already forgotten your name, comes with age, I suppose’.” He stepped into the kitchen with her, the aroma of freshly made scones greeting him. “You bake these too?” He asked, reaching the round table in the middle of the kitchen. He sat down. “My table at home has butterscotch candies on it – muggle of course. There’s a little sweet shop down the road, got’em in stock.”

[Katherine Shepherd]

The freshly made scones had been sitting on the marbled counter in the kitchen, just beside the window on a fairly large plate that had a floral pattern of roses and peonies in all different colors. The scones were drizzled in a clear frosting and had a strong and sweet aroma that filled the kitchen -- they were as fresh as fresh could be. They were lined carefully in a row from lemon to blueberry and lastly vanilla and cinnamon. "Have a seat." She kindly offered as she stood on her toes to grab the vibrant yellow kettle up above her. "I'll make us some tea... is earl grey alright with you?" Her accident seemed to dance in melody like a song, the perfect mix of English and Scottish, which was blended from her father and mother perfectly. Without question she dipped a tea spoon into the white pot on the counter and gathered just the right amount of earl grey for the both of them. "Should only be a few minutes." Her lips curled into a smile once again as she pushed a few strands of her chocolate brown hair behind her ear.

"The name is Katherine... I sometimes wish it was Riley though. I don't like being called Kathy." Katherine groaned at even saying it out loud, it was her nickname when she attended Hogwarts. Katherine had always adored the name Riley and she couldn't pinpoint as to why... perhaps because it was the name of her first doll which was a gift from her great grandmother whom she had never met. "Oh well though, I can't argue with my mothers decision." Her shoulders shrugged as she turned on the faucet and let cold water run into the yellow kettle, the stove flame was on and dancing from the slight cold breeze sweeping in underneath the small crack coming from the kitchen window.

"You must know my grandmother well. You know what is funny about this whole wine obsession? She doesn't have the taste for it, she just really enjoys the bottles. Now my grandfather on the other hand...." She let out a chuckle "He opens them when she's not looking and has some for himself." Her smile seemed to brighten the room as she pushed the curtains of the window open and set the kettle on the flame. Even with the rain drowning out the sun, the kitchen remained bright and airy, it was quite uplifting really. Twirling around she now faced Benjamin with the plate of scones in her hand, quickly she placed them on the aged wooden table and took a seat. "I thank you and your daughter very much for the thought of my grandmother, she will love the gift." She said truthfully as she watched Baron come around to the side of her and sit down only to brush up against her legs, staring so curiously at the plate hoping to get a scone for himself as well.

"I always encouraged my grandmother to open a bakery, she has such an art for baking. I know of her recipes but I haven't gotten them down completely but I do indeed attempt to make her scones as good as she does." The sun peaked through the clouds and shined through the window, the warmth brushing against her skin and illuminating the room even more so than before. "Butterscotch muggle candies you say? I don't think I've tried those... I am quite the fan of muggle things though. I've tried a lot of muggle candies, they're a lot different than what we have in the magical community." Her hands reached out and grabbed one of the lemon scones, only to split it in half and put the other half back down on the plate. The stove started to creak as the water began to boil softly in the kettle, as a loud humming filled the room signalling that the water was just perfect for tea. "Aw, rats!" She let out in a sigh "I was just about to take a bite too..." Katherine stood, setting down the scone she was just about to eat and brushed herself off -- quickly making her way to the stove. "I guess the water couldn't wait one more minute."

Once again on her tip toes Katherine pulled two mugs out from the cabinet above the stove, one mug was shaped like an elephant from her grandfathers trip to Africa and the other was a small delicate white teacup that had details of lace on it, the difference in her grandparents were so astonishing "Um... you either can have the elephant mug or the very girly mug." She laughed as she set them down on the counter and poured the steaming hot water into each mug topped with the earl grey tea.

Once the tea was perfectly brewed she turned again to face Benjamin and automatically gave him the elephant mug. "I figured you might want to keep your masculinity." Katherine smiled wide and provided him with a plain white plate as well for some scones. "Help yourself!" She pushed the plate of scones his way and sat back down with her mug in hand, the warmth of the tea warming her delicate hands. On the table there was some sugar, creamer, butter, and jam... something her grandmother had always kept on the table for guests. Katherine picked her half of her scone back up and began to eat it, it was so soft and delicious... the taste brought back so many memories of her childhood. "So tell me..." She mumbled with her mouth half full. "Do you have any funny stories about my grandparents... any dirt on 'em?" Katherine grinned and gave a small crumb to Baron as she kept eye contact with Benjamin, she was sure he had to have something.

[Benjamin Harper]

It wasn’t a holiday without Mrs. Sheppard’s freshly baked scones. • That is where the smell and taste led him back to. He reached out, took one and broke it with his hand, before placing it on his tongue. The taste was on par with her grandmothers. Blueberry was his personal favorite. “My wife and I partner these up with a cream tea. You simply must try that combination.” His hand shook as he tore another piece from the scone and placed it on his tongue. “If you don’t mind, may I bring one home to my wife? She loves them, even though she tried to lay off them this year.”

The sound of the kettle screeching made Benjamin jump in his seat. He had totally forgotten that she had put the kettle on. “Blimey, you sure know how to give an old man a heart attack.” He clutched his chest, flashing a friendly smile. She was quick to stand back up, moving across the room with such grace. His age restricted such movement, and for a brief moment, he found himself envious of this woman’s youth and beauty. “I’ve always fancied the name Madeline, myself, but I would settle for a Madison.”

Finished with his first scone, Benjamin placed his hand on the wooden table and drummed his fingers upon its surface. This was out of habit, not boredom. There was much to talk about and share. She had returned with the tea, sitting back down across from him. Baron was sitting patiently on the floor, hoping to snag a bite of scone. “I just about forgot to drop by. I passed this place on my way to the Ministry of Magic. Thankfully, my mind isn’t complete rubbish, and I remembered on the way back.”

With the elephant mug in hand, Benjamin took a sip of the warm earl grey tea and chased it with another bite of blueberry scone. “Do you know who Roland Smith is? Your grandfather used to get up to mischief with him all the time. You name it, they did it. They single-handedly kept Zonko’s in business. Trouble makers they were.” The tea came off a bit drier than he liked, but he nursed on it as he told Katherine this story of her grandfathers prankster escapades. “I worked there at the time. It was my first job and they would be there every weekend – they weren’t that much younger than I was – really, and they'd buy up the whole stock."

“Well, one day, there they are with their hands full of Galleons and the shop prime for their pick’n. They cleaned house, together their minds worked to devise the most exquisite prank that I have ever heard of. They still talk about it. It’s said that the Headmaster’s office still smells of dung.” He downed the rest of the tea in his cup, grinning at the thought. “I take it you won’t repeat this in front of him. Ah, but it all worked out, once they got their lives together. Roland's now retired from the Ministry of Magic – and I don’t have to tell you what your grandfather does for a living.”

Liam Sheppard was quite popular in the magical world. He wrote for the Daily Prophet, but his love of poems had taken him higher than one could imagine. There were works of his framed throughout the house, hanging among the awards that he'd received. “Speaking of the Smith family, I happened to bump into one of them on my way out of the Ministry this afternoon. It had to have been Harold’s son. He was young, but I could tell that he was a Smith." The weather outside broke up, spreading rays of sunshine through the kitchen.