Backdated to July 30th because I fail and keeping track of the current date

[infourbooks]

[Phone A, filtered from Lily, James, Remus and Sirius]

Has anyone else have people show up in Mayfield from... really far before them? All these people keep showing up that are about my parents' age, but here they're barely older than I am. I'm... really not sure what to do about it.

[Action: Around Mayfield]

[Neville really is just trying to go about his business, but it seems the drones just won't leave him be today.]

Happy birthday, Neville!

Uh... thanks?

[Person I don't actually know...]

[Action: In front of 1486 Kramden]

[And how is Neville spending his birthday? Tending his garden, of course.]

[Phone B]

So, uh... could someone explain to me why all the drones keep asking me if I'm going to get my license now?

Comments

A

[balaton]

That sort of thing seems to happen a lot here.

Re: A

[infourbooks]

Really? By more than a year or two?

Re: A

[balaton]

My ex husband arrived in my house a few months ago, but he doesn't remember much of our present. He's so far back from our past that he's still a child.

Re: A

[infourbooks]

[Oh... wow...]

That must be... very strange.

[balaton]

It's like babysitting...

[infourbooks]

And you used to be married?

[balaton]

And then divorced. [She adds pointedly, but Neville is right. It is weird.] But it shows that it could happen to anyone.

[infourbooks]

I guess... it's strange, seeing one of my teachers running around doing teenager things though.

[balaton]

Well, that can be amusing, as well, if you choose to look at it that way.

[infourbooks]

It... is a bit funny.

[balaton]

And they have no idea how well you know when they're older, so the joke's on them.

[infourbooks]

There's so many things I could probably tell them and they would just never believe me.

[balaton]

That's the privilege of the future. Many of my comrades are from my own future. You learn to live with it in a place like this.

[infourbooks]

I just hope I don't let anything slip I shouldn't...

[balaton]

No one wants the burden of the future, but in being wary of the future we forget to live our present.

It will be alright if you do. Don't blame yourself too much, son.

[infourbooks]

I just have to be careful when they talk about my mum and dad...

[But he so wants to know about them]

[balaton]

They don't wish to hear about them?

[infourbooks]

There are things they... probably shouldn't find out.

[balaton]

It must be something profound, then.

That must be hard on you.

[infourbooks]

It would probably be better if I just... avoided the subject of them at all. But I can't help wanting to hear about what they were like... back then.

[balaton]

They're no longer around, are they, your parents? [She's never grasped that longing, not being human herself, even if she senses it in others.]

Perhaps if you can keep it to how they were back then, then everyone would be happy.

[infourbooks]

No, they're... not, exactly.

[Sometimes he wonders if it would be easier if...]

I do want to know what they were like.

[balaton]

You mean well. I don't think there's any harm in asking, and if you feel you've said too much, then it's up to the other person to learn how to take it. We can't shield other people forever, son.

[infourbooks]

I guess... even if I didn't say something they might guess from everything I don't know.

[balaton]

If they do guess...

If they do so, then at least you've tried.