Shadow & Love

3* Things of the Past

Mía slept soundly in Leonor's arm when a gentle voice said, "Good evening! It appears that you and my daughter are inseparably."

Leonor looked down at the sleeping girl and answered, "She's a clever girl, very witty. She will be good if she joins the Brazilian school for magic. She's looking forward to it."

"Oh yes, I am sure of it. Luiz will take her to bed. I must thank you for taking care the whole night. Most adults have soon enough of Mía's constant talking."

"She took my mind off," said Leonor when Luiz picked Mía up. The sound of the mother's voice had something familiar too. The woman sat now next to the dark-haired witch and in the corner of her eye Leonor saw a huge baby bump.

"I'm Martina. I'm sorry for being away tonight. I'm too exhausted in the heat and stay mostly inside," said Luiz' wife.

"I'm Leonor," replied Leonor mechanically without looking up. She surely didn't want a talk about the last days of pregnancy tonight.

"Luiz spoke a lot about you. He'd like to hire you and Brian permanently. Luana Borage doesn't accept everybody in the laboratory. She's a descendant of Libatius Borage, who wrote 'Advanced Potion-Making'. She knows how to use that celebrity for success. Young potioneers wait for an apprenticeship, but only the best gets it. You convinced her. The Russian Potions Master had more trouble to use the exclusive space in Luana's laboratory."

"Luana is brilliant. She could write a sequel with her knowledge easily."

"Castelobruxo always made good potioneers. Mrs Borage taught me at Castelobruxo. I got good marks in potions, but I was better in herbology. That's the other discipline where we are good here. The forest gives so much. I worked in the greenhouses of the school before I married Luiz and before we had a family. I still help at Castelobruxo if there is time. Luckily I have my own garden to plant whatever I need."

Leonor started to trust that the conversation didn't turn the expected way and looked up to Martina; a round freckled face with fawn eyes examined her friendly. Martina had the same strawberry-blond hair as her daughter; only the age added a deeper shimmer of copper into it.

The two women looked at each other and the atmosphere was absorbed by a sudden silence. Martina frowned and after a moment of speechlessness she stammered, "You look like somebody I knew — a long time ago."

Leonor remembered too, and the surprise deprived all powers of Occlumency. She went to Brazil because she felt save to remain undiscovered and now the opposite was the case. It was even worse; the cognition to be Ana García Hernández was visible in her face and Leonor knew it. It was more confirmation than any word. Luiz' wife put both hands to her mouth and shook her head.

"It's you, Ana! Is it really you?" whispered Martina.

"I'm Leonor now." The harsh answer confirmed the revelation.

"Of course, you are — I'm so happy, it's unbelievable. You are alive!" Martina said nothing anymore; she was stunned in agitation and grabbed Leonor's hand to hold it until the tears in the eyes run dry.

"It's been more than twenty years since we spoke the last time. We've been best friends and suddenly you didn't want to talk to me anymore. When I studied at Castelobruxo, my father wrote that you died in an accident. He never understood why I clung to the friendship. I missed you." The smell of loss and perplexity resonated in the now calm voice. "There is so much to talk about! Do you mind telling me?"

"I cannot! I shouldn't!"

"I never forgot you, Ana. The flowers on your grave never shrivelled away. I go there whenever I visit my parents. I now understand why!"