"I never intended to go against the Ministry of Magic or Mr. Breen!"
John slammed his hand on the table and sprang to his feet, glaring furiously at his wife.
"Don't you understand, Evelyn?
"Our fields are only enough to keep our family from starving, but they can't improve our lives. I need a job. But I don't have any other skills. All I know is work involving brooms. I just—phew. I just—"
Seeing the frightened look on Evelyn's face, John suddenly came back to himself.
His raised shoulders slowly lowered, and his expression softened.
"I just want to keep doing my job. You want Pona to live a more respectable life in the future too, don't you?"
Rain poured outside, washing mud and sand down to bury the cobblestone path before the door.
"But... what exactly are you planning to do?"
Evelyn raised her face, her hazel eyes misty.
"Promise me, John, don't do anything dangerous. Pona and I can't live without you."
"Don't worry—"
John wrapped his arms around Evelyn and gently patted her back, keeping her from seeing the gloom in his eyes.
"You know I'm not a fool, Evelyn.
"I'm not going to wave a shovel or a broom handle around and duel Ministry enforcers or wizards like Mr. Breen, am I? I'm just going to voice some opinions and hope the Ministry will pay more attention to poor people like us."
Evelyn's long fingers gripped her husband's back tightly. Her brow drew together slightly, and her lips pressed into a line.
The two embraced by the door for a long while, while the rain outside showed no sign of stopping.
A heavy rain before the autumn harvest meant that a reduced yield was now unavoidable.
Looking out at the world shrouded in what seemed like