Our American Cousin

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Calling Home

Sara shivered, her fingers barely able to hit the right buttons. She had flown 30 miles in the dead of night through frigid Scottish weather just to use a pay phone. She gave a cough, and did her best to smother it. It was bad enough nearly getting caught by Filch, but she didn't need to explain to a passing constable why someone he didn't recognize was using the phone in the wee hours of the morning.

After several tries and what seemed like an eternity, Sara heard a ring on the other end of the line. The phone was quickly picked up.

"What?" a voice snapped on the other end.

"Nathan," she whispered harshly. "It's Sara." Sara could hear the rustle of covers thrown back and the click of glasses shoved quickly onto his face.

"Dear God-what time is it there?" Sara smiled slightly. Nathan may have spent most of his youth and all of his adulthood in the States, but he was still English by birth, and it could always be heard in little phrases like 'Dear God'.

"Don't ask. I need a favour and I can't wait for post."

"What is it?"

"England's burning."

"I've heard."

"How much?"

"Bits."

"Well, you haven't heard the half of it. I'm here and I haven't heard the half of it. 'Bits' is all anyone's getting."

"How bad is it?"

"Hogwarts will be under attack before the school year's out. I'd bet my broom on it.

"Get out of there!" was Nathan's immediate response. Sara smiled again. For someone who couldn't even hold his own in a bar fight Nathan was always strangely protective of her, though she was never sure why.

"I can't come back and you know it. I set foot on American soil and Edwards will figure out some way of shipping me to Siberia." On the other end Nathan let out a long sigh.

"We caught two hunters last week." Sara leaned her head against the dirty glass of the phone booth.

"Fuck." She drew out the word into a sigh. "Anything useful?"

"No, low end lackeys."

"Look, I have the funny suspicion that I've been shipped here not just for my own good, but also as some part of a lend lease program."

"I'd believe that."

"Yah-well, I find it annoying, mainly 'cause I'm not getting paid for it, but that's not really here or there now is it?"

"I suppose not, so what do you need?"

"I need my notes, and I can't ask my folks for specific ones 'cause they'll worry."

"Okay."

"Are you writing this down?"

"Yes."

"Good. Go to my house and in my room, find some excuse. At the back wall of my room there's a bookshelf. You'll find stacks of spiral notebooks."

"Okay."

"I need the last three years of defensive strategy notes, offensive spell notes-Actually, send me anything in a green notebook. I've been colour coding for a while."

"'All green notebooks'. Got it."

"All my Occlumency texts."

"How many do you have?"

"Just first through sixth grade."

"Got it. Anything else?"

"Also..." Sara took a breath. "Bottom of my closet there's a box. It has all my group magic texts and notes." Nathan was grimly silent on the other end. "I need the two beginning exercise books, and there should be a white notebook with my thoughts on magical bonding." There was a long pause on the other end, where only the scratching of a pen could be heard.

"Do you need your book of shadows?"

"No!" Sara answered too quickly. "It wouldn't be of any use."

"I'll send those as fast as I can."

"Thank you." Over the miles Sara heard a rustling in the background.

"Who is it?" a voice said.

"No one," Nathan answered quickly.

"Nathan-is that David?" Sara asked more harshly than she intended.

"Come on, who is it?" the voice whined.

"It's not important. Go back to bed."

"Nathan, why do you do this?"

"What else have I got?"

Sara gestured in frustration to the Scottish night. "Nathan-I swear to all gods listening that I'm going to find you a man who isn't a schmuck."

"Is that Sara?"

"You're going to fall in love..."

"Is she callin' me a schmuck again?"

"Get married, move to the suburbs..."

"Tell her to fuck off."

"...have 2.5 Jack Russell terriers and 'his and his' SUVs...(1) "

"Sara..." Nathan pleaded, having heard the rant before.

"...and be happy."

"Sara, I'll send the stuff. Good night," and on the other side of the planet a phone was hung up.