Little Brothers on Loan and Belly Beasts
Autumn, the leaves have mostly fallen from the trees and the air is crisp and nice. Not terribly cold but not at all warm. Tommy Darian sits this fine autumn morning in the great hall just as breakfast is starting. As usual the young man has his hair primped just right and he is dressed in his finest school robes. "Sally do please pass the jam would you?" He asks a Slytherin girl across the table from him who does so, politely. "I find jam on a biscuit in the morning keeps the stomach from growling too badly during the morning classes." he says lightly buttering some jam over a biscuit.
"Have you found anything to make the stomach growl more?" James Geroff calls from down the table, leaning over some poor second year boy's head to grab a piece of fruit. The second year gives him an annoyed look, but James does not move from where he's standing behind the line of seats. His hair is still a bit mussy and he's got the look of one who only recently made himself wake up. Now and then, his eyes scan both the Ravenclaw table and those entering the room, searching for Brandon. Every now and then one has to bother one's brother in the morning.
"You want beast belly candies." Tommy says this with a grin to the younger boy. "You eat one and it makes your stomach growl for about an hour. They taste pretty good but they are awfully annoying after a while." Tommy begins eating the biscuit and looks the Ravenclaw boy over. "Why are you leaning over that other boy? Is he a friend of yours?" Tommy doesn't really seem to care but it looks as though he's got some interest in Brandon since the boy spoke out to him.
James pats the second year on the head, ignoring another glare to move further down the table, rather than shouting across. "Nah," the sixth year murmurs around a mouthful, "Barely know 'im. I was just thinking it might be interesting eating a few of those before class. Professors couldn't really get you in trouble for being /hungry/, could they?" James takes another bite, then turns to survey the hallway once more; it is at this point that Brandon enters, looking rather more put-together this morning this morning than his brother is. James waves a hand filled with apple wildy. "'Ey, Brandon!"
"I don't suppose they could...." Tommy stops to think of how funny it'd be to interupt class with a beast belly candy. "But if they knew you ate the candy then they might too." Tommy looks from James on to Brandon when he waves to the boy. "Is that your brother? I've never had any brothrs or sisters. What's that like?" Tommy smiles looking to James.
"They'd never need to know, would then?" James grins. "Yeah, he's mine- Brandon, come meet my friend! - I've got loads of 'em. Awful fun to mess with. You should find yourself one, try it sometime. You can always borrow mine." Brandon, at his brother's second shout, rolls his eyes from across the room and changes direction to head for the Slytherin table.
"I don't suppose they would. But they might catch on if every student were using them." Tommy smiles a little more as Brandon comes over. "Isn't he cute!" The seventh year's voice gets a little high on the word cute and he giggles softly. "Hello Brandon." He says with a smile getting the boys name from James. He slides over to make room for the younger boy at the table.
Brandon Geroff walks up with a vaguely wary look on his face, scanning the table until Tommy greets him. That, then, must be this 'friend'. "Good morning," he says, first to Tommy and then to James - the greeting to the latter followed by, "You'll get a stomach ache if you don't sit down to eat." James doesn't answer the comment, just pushes his brother toward the cleared space at the table. "Sit down with us! My friend needs a volunteer." To Tommy he adds, "Undoubtably. Then again, if I could convince /every/ student in a class to eat them..." James chuckles at the idea. "We just have to hide the evidence."
"Now that'd be amusing!" Tommy laughs at the idea of a whole room full of growling stomachs. "Volunteer? Oh no that's okay. I don't mind sitting and chatting while I eat though." Tommy stuffs his biscuit in his face chomping away at it before washing it down with some pumpkin juice. After finishing the biscuit he begins pileing eggs onto his plate as well. "It's always lovely to have breakfast with new friends. Tell me Brandon. What year are you in?"
"I'm not volunteering for anything until I've had my toast," Brandon answers his brother, but at Tommy's response, Brandon does take the offered seat. "I'm a third year, in Ravenclaw. And you are? I'm afraid I didn't catch your name." Across from him, James finally takes a seat as one is vacated and both his companions are now sitting down. "Don't say I didn't offer. I bet I could get you in on it - should I order extra candies? It'd be hilarious if every sixth and seventh year class started that way - I'm sure I can hide the blame."
"My name is Tommy Darian and Im a seventh year." He informs Brandon with a small smile. "Toast is good. Here have some jam." He passes the jam to the younger boy offering it. He looks to James. "Well that'd be funny. Why not try it then. I don't think I'll do it though. Class pranks are so juvenile." Tommy begins quickly eating his eggs stopping now an then to drink more pumpkin juice.
Brandon Geroff selects a piece of toast for himself, and takes the offered jam. "Thank you." Following through on his earlier refusal, he falls silence, concentrating on spreading jam on his toast and selecting a few other items to consume with it. Across the table, James shakes his head at Tommy. "Again, don't say I didn't.. I'll have to speak to the sixth years. I bet they'll go along." If the pronouncement of pranks as juvenile has bothered him, he doesn't show it, though he too finally settles down to eat, finally working on the rest of his apple and finding a bit of ham to go with it. And, from his looks up and down the table, intent on spending the rest of breakfast plotting his new amusement.
Rathe Betrothal Feast
Winter's white cloaks the ground in silvery snow. Bleak and stark, the land is cold in its sleep but even in hibernation the holly, ivy and yew lend their glory to weary eyes in need of color. Stretching out in the horizon to the east is the pale shiver of water, the Menai Strait marking the edge of the island. Proud and stately, the Rathe manor sits alone and apart from the muggle community many miles distant. The building defies muggle architectural logic. Towers are stuck at odd angles in places where they ought not to belong and the citadel sprawls over the tall hill as if built into the ground itself. Clearly added to over the centuries, none of it is in absolute disrepair but the styles blend from pre-Roman occupation to late Victorian in a dizzying and haphazard fashion. Decked out in greens, there is also an enormous wreath above the entrance.
Through the spacious foyer is a wide hallway that has multiple sets of stairs, which like the house itself, is probably constructed with the aid of magic. The stairways lead in all sorts of crooked angles and one or two seem like they might be quite upside down. From here a maze of halls coils all through the manor and twists out of sight. Many of the rooms contain ancestral portraits, some of them depicting only one person but there are several that have couples or even couples and their adult children - all of them now gone from this world.
When the guests are finally summoned to the dinner it is within a medieval banquet hall that's been decked out for the occasion. It is the manor's own version of a great hall and stands in testament to the merry grandeur as well as bloody battles that took place once upon a time within these walls and upon the land. Long low tables are elegantly arranged but the patterns of china and crystal vary from table to table. In the far back there is a raised dais draped in green, black, and silver with the Rathe crest proudly featured. Behind the dais, and taking up the majority of the wall, is an ancient tapestry with rich detail depicting the bloody hunt of a dragon in front of what might be the Rathe manor.
To the left side of the dais is another set of doors, which are left open. Any who go in there will find a smaller feasting hall, probably the family's private dining quarters when they aren't standing on full ceremony. Within that room is a massive fireplace and tapestries cover every inch of wall space, some quite old and depicting the Roman invasion, others dealing with the capture of fanciful creatures. There is one entire wall that is notably bare and it looks as if one of the pieces were recently moved.
Satinka Rathe no longer lives in the Rathe manor, but her time here has made her immensely comfortable with the estate. This seems to give the woman an even stronger air of confidence as she approaches the front door to make her way inside. The young woman seems not to notice the decoration at all as she steps inside with her chum Nate Hunter following close behind. "My wee brother, engaged!" she comments with a slight smirk and a wave of her hand, seemingly ignorant of the irony of her calling her three-minutes-younger brother 'wee'.
In all of this excitement Astra is busy overseeing several small details before scurrying off to where the guests are actually going to be allowed to apparate onto the grounds. The one room, large enough to hold a comfortable gathering, is heavily guarded both by magic but also by hired hands to assist with any who might try to infiltrate. Gerald is in the background and taking a pointed interest in keeping things safe. For tonight he's allowed his daughter to take the lead and so she steps up to fill the role to the best of her ability. Her usual dour demeanor has faded and she puts on the face expected by society. Gone are her withdrawn tendencies but neither as she plays the welcoming host. Time passes as she circulates, making sure those who arrive are greeted duly before they are ushered further into the house to make themselves at home and find their respective rooms.
Smile is broadened as Satinka leads the way into the Manor. "Nice place you got here," Nate Hunter admires. "It's decorated. . . pretty-like." Flushing slightly as if to man-up his last comment he adds clearing his throat, "Very structurally sound. And. . . um. . . intact." He nods slightly at the notion of her brother getting married, "Just promise me you won't follow his lead and become all desperately domestic and get married yourself, alright Ms Rathe?"
Hope Rathe could not be more excited. In fact, she has been looking forward to today for weeks now. She tugs eagerly on Angelina Rathe's hand as she steps forward and takes in all the festive decorations. "So beautiful!" she comments, glancing up to Martin and then to Austin, stifling a snicker at the little boy's suit and tie, which look very out of place on him. Hope herself, if she were asked, looks gorgeous. Mummy took her shopping and they picked out the most lovely dress. Presently, Hope twirls on her toes and smiles. Her hair is curled for the occasion, and done up in pigtails. As if things weren't great enough already, Tess and Harper aren't here. They are being tended to by a nanny. Only Hope and Austin are mature enough to come to such a distinguished event. With that thought, Hope grins and looks once more to Austin. "How do you feel in that tuxedo, Austin?" Hope says with a grin.
Dressed in a fitting light blue floral gown, Vilivia Marqueen's hair is done up today in a tasteful bun rather than her normal pigtails. She wears a pair of white gloves to contrast with the blue. Around her neck is a silver necklace dangling from which is a silver butterfly. Her shoes are a somewhat darker blue than the dress and her bag matches the shoes. Vilivia enters alongside her parents her little face aglow from getting to wear such a formal dress and a tiny smidgeon of makeup and the prospect of seeing Seker for the first time. The little girl finally dawns her eyes upon him only to blush red and hide for a moment behind her mother. Melinda pushes her daughter out in front with a smile of encouragement and Vilivia curtsies to Seker gingerly.
"My tuxedo is awesome. Spies wear tuxedos. Dad told me so. I bet he wears one everyday at work--when he gets to work he changes into his tuxedo, it's like a uniform," Austin nods matter-of-factly. "Besides, I have to wear a uniform because I'm working for the Ministry. They've asked me to take on a very secret job and question /everyone/ at the party. An Auror's work is /never/ over." He nods sagely after describing his game for the night as he eyes the crowd for people to question. "/You/ can be my reporter sidekick. You get to ask people reporter questions, but the real questions are /mine/." He beams.
Olivia Geroff looks flustered to say the least as she arrives with her husband and the two oldest of her children. "Are you sure I look quite alright, Evan?" she asks her husband fussily, then almost instantly distracts herself with her two boys. "Stop tugging at your sleeves, Jason," she tells him gently and straightens the boy's cuffs, then his little bow tie. Once she seems satisfied with the appearance of her eldest children, she stands up and takes Evan's arm, looking about expectantly as they make their way into the main hall. Olivia takes a sharp breath as she takes in the grandeur of the decor and the added decorations. "This is... incredible," she tells her husband quietly, holding onto Christopher's hand a bit more tightly without meaning to.
Sylvie Winters-Geroff has been careful to dress in a most presentable and appropriate manner tonight, and from the gowns and dress robes on the rest of her family, has been careful to ensure none of them disgrace the family by looks. They've got enough going against them as it is. Upon entering, those too young to apparate on their own let go of older arms, and all the younger set bow or curtsy as appropriate - though the two very youngest have been left elsewhere. The adults, uncluding Matthew, Constance, Sylvie, and Ulaen, give more reserved greetings as equals as they are approached, then, with Sylvie taking her husband's arm, they head into the hall. Elsewhere, Evan responds to his wife's question with "You look lovely, Olivia," as he leads her in.
Satinka scoffs at Nate's suggestion. "Certainly not any time /soon/," she tells him with a grin, reaching over to take his arm and direct him further in. "The place could use a bit of updating. It is so /dreadfully/ old-fashioned, but mother and grandfather wouldn't let me touch it, I'm sure, even if I asked." She smirks a bit and, upon spotting her mother, she waves. "Hello mother! Grandfather!" Satinka approaches her mother and leans in to kiss the woman on the cheek. "You know Nate Hunter, of course," she tells them.
"Be on your best behaviour," Martin reprimands before any mischief has even transpired. He knows full well that there will likely be some mischief. Smoothing his own robes and adjusting his tie, he glances around the room. "Good turn out."
Standing alone in the grand room, Seker Rathe is noticeably nervous. He keeps looking around and checking his watch -- that is, until one family in particular arrives, and fairly offers their daughter to him, a small child in blue. Seker's heart races, not in love, but in foreboding. This was the girl he'd one day marry. His first impression is actually one of surprise. For some reason, he'd pictured her with blond hair. But, he decides now, things like that don't matter. After all, he probably isn't everything she expected, either. Seker has to bend over a little bit to offer his hand to the girl. "Vilivia Marqueen, I presume?" he asks politely, and kisses the gloved hand once it reaches his. "Seker Rathe," he states, rather obviously. "It's... it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Well we both know you'd do an excellent job. You do have excellent taste," Nate muses more to himself than Satinka. A nod is given to Astra and Gerald in greeting. "Thank-you for having me, Professor Rathe, Mister Rathe." He nods at each in turn. "Your house is splendid. I was just commenting to Satinka on the architecture."
Parents and wife both at hand, Samuel enters proudly, ignoring the guards to the best of his ability as he turns to walk into the main room with his wife and his parents likewise head in, moving their seperate ways. "Do you see the girl," he murmurs a quiet question to his wife Maple, looking about not at the decorations but the people present.
"Reporter sidekick?" Hope asks, wrinkling her nose momentarily. "Fine. I'll do it on one condition, and that's that you have to call me Winnie. Like my middle name, kind of like mum's last name before she was married. Winnie. Deal? If not, then I'll tell everyone here that you don't really work for the Ministry. Because you don't," Hope states curtly, "because you're five." With that, and a nod, Hope surveys the crowd of tall people. "Who should we interview first? And what are your... real... questions, anyways?"
Standing stiff and awkward, Quintus Helit doesn't seem to know what to do or say at this event; for the moment he seems to be moving extremely stiffly, walking through the area with a bit of a scowl at his lips and eyes constantly moving, inspecting all the little details - even though they have been checked a thousand times over by now, by much more qualified people than him, it feels like an important something to do.
Reaching for Seker's hand Vilivia blushes even deeper when her small gloved hand is kissed. "It's a pleasure for sure." She says in a small voice. Her normal talkative nature leaving her for the moment as she so mutely answers the young man. But a moment later she lets out a big breath and speaks up. "Oh you are just as handsome as I imagined you would be! This is going to be just perfect! I'll be married to you and I'll have your babies and it will be blissful! Just wait and see Seker!" And there is the Vilivia we all love and know talking a mile a minute.
As the other Geroffs arrive, Olivia looks slightly relieved. People she knows! She reluctantly lets go of her oldest child's hand and smooths her dress before she and Evan make their way over to the family. "Hello everyone," she tells them with a slightly forced smile. "Don't you all look just /lovely/," she tells them more happily, leaning in toward Evan a bit and reaching out to squeeze Constance's hand. She gives a smile to Alden Wexler, who has arrived along with Constance, though he does not look incredibly comfortable in his dress robes. "This should be an interesting party," she comments.
"Yes, I will call you Winni. Are you sure you don't want to be Win-a-fred?" Austin chuckles immaturely at his own joke. "Okay, fine Winnie. Well, we need to get to the bottom of this whole betrothal business. Like. . . who is this broad--that's spy talk for girl--that's supposed to marry Uncle Seker. And /why/ is he marrying her?" Glancing around the room, he points to Satinka. "Auntie Tinka should know something." Austin slides towards Satinka as inconspicuously as a five year old pretending to be a spy can. . . which isn't very inconspciuous.
Satinka doesn't linger long with her mother and grandfather, instead choosing to circulate. Once she is well away from them, she finally replies to Nate. "You know that and I know that, but how would I ever convince the stodgy old folks of that?" She sighs somewhat dramtically, then relinquishes Nate's arm. It is at this moment spots her brother. "Yoo hoo, Seker!" she calls and fairly skips over to the young man. "Hello, you!" she tells him cheerfully, leaning in to plant a kiss on his cheek as she had done with her mother. "And this must be the lucky miss Vilivia. Aren't you /precious/!" Satinka coos and leans down a bit. "I'm going to be your sister-in-law someday!"
He can't help but blush himself as Vilivia begins to gush about Seker's looks and their future together. He'd been a little unprepared for how informed she'd be about this whole thing. Had someone taken her aside and mentioned that she'd have his babies? And why were they always called /his/ babies? They'd be hers just as much! Seker's mind swims inside, but his cool exterior is more or less undisturbed. "It's a fine pleasure to meet you too, Vilivia. I'm... well I'm glad you're excited about... it. Us." He smiles. "I think we'll have a bright future, too."
"There's my wayward daughter! I thought you'd never arrive." Teasing gently Astra returns Satinka's kiss before stepping back and eyeing Nate with that quick critical gaze. "So you're the young gentleman who stole Abe's place tonight." There's a nod of approval before she adds, "You are more than allowed to just call me Astra. We are no longer in school." The woman turns away to greet each family in turn in case she's missed anyone, but she doesn't linger over long as the other family to the engagement arrives. "Ah the young couple have already met." Beaming at her son and the little girl she exchanges some pleasantries before looking around for Quintus.
"Thanks . . . Astra," the name feels awkward on his lips. Following Satinka, Nate gives Astra and Gerald a slight wave before heading towards the groom. He eyes the bride-to-be and just arches a single eyebrow, saying nothing. Not now, anyways. "Congrats, Seker, Vilivia. Quite the party. So--uh--how old are you little lady?"
Eyes narrowing, Hope utters, "Never, /ever/ call me Win-a-fred." That said, she nods about Austin's investigation. "Auntie Tinka should know about some things, yeah..." she agrees. "Well, you're the hot-shot auror, aren't you? Why don't you take the lead?" Hope asks, her shy nature manifesting itself at the prospect of talking to adults that aren't her parents.
"Brandon, keep an eye out for Miss Marqueen to greet her; she is in your house, yes? And remember," she lowers her voice significantly, "she /is/ 'Miss Marqueen' while here." Sylvie likely does need to be quite so worried over her children, but she won't take any chances at this feast. As Evan and Olivia approach, she smiles warmly at the couple. "Glad to see you've made it." Vanessa is already eagerly looking around for her same-age newphews, and after greeting his brother and sister-in-law, James excuses himself from the family's side to see if anyone he knows from Slytherin - or others his year - have shown up.
"Oh you must be Satinka!" Vilivia looks excited. "I've never had a sister before that'll be really great. We can share stories and do each others hair and nails. At least I think thats what sisters do." Vilivia can't seem to contain herself and her parents mingle with the other adults in the crowd, they seem to have cornered Charles Harper to talk to him for a bit. To Nate Vilivia smiles and answers "I'm eleven going on twelve." And turns her attention back to Seker "Oh it will be I just know it! If you don't believe me ask my Mummy. She can see the future and Im just sure we'll have a happy marriage!"
Sidling up beside Satinka, Austin looks up at his aunt expectantly. "Auntie Tinka! I have questions! You must answer them because. . . I'm . . . a spy." Probably not a good idea to tell everyone you're a spy, Austin. "First. . . who is the bride-to-be in this shindig? Second. . . um. . ." he lifts a finger to his lips ". . . uh . . . I forgot." Putting his finger to his lips he considers again, "Oh yes! Why is Uncle Seker marrying her?"
Eventually, Quintus moves to his own fiancee's side and places a hand, gently, on her shoulder, still looking around the party. In a soft undertone, he remarks, "There's a lot of people here, and not all that many that I know personally... or would care to." He nods his head slightly in acknowledgement to someone or another, his brow creasing slightly as he tries his best to recall why he knows that person or why they are looking at him.
Groaning, Seker goes through the motions of pushing Satinka and her sisterly kiss away, but what results is a very half-hearted effort. In truth, Seker is very happy to see his sister out and about /without/ "Abe". "S'tinka," Seker complains briefly as Satinka fusses over Vilivia. "She isn't a Pekinese dog," he mutters, but stops when Vilivia seems so receptive to the attention. Glancing back to Satinka, he remarks, "You... look good. I haven't seen much of you lately... how are you?"
As Vanessa makes an appearance, Olivia's sons seem to show more interest in the party and less interest in fussing over their dress robes. "If you're careful of your robes, you can play with Vanessa," she tells them, watching as Jason wrenches himself away from Evan to quickly join his 'aunt', and Christopher, the calmer one, merely walks over. They eye the girl for a moment before both of them smile and then Olivia's attention returns to the adults. "I wasn't sure about coming. I almost didn't fit into these robes," Olivia laments a bit, blushing dark red at admitting her own insecurity. She is over this in a moment, however. "Everyone looks simply lovely. I don't think I've ever seen the children so cleaned up all at once." The woman laughs a little bit as she says this, exchanging a look with one of the older in-laws.
Samuel Floens moves about the room, greeting people here and there as he comes to them. Soon enough Maple pulls at his arm, just gently, and nods toward the group congregating around Seker and Vilivia. "That must be her." They stand and watch for a moment, until opportunity presents itself to get a good look at her, then move on to keep circulating.
Giggling at Austin's interrogation, Hope adds, "I heard she's a first year at Hogwarts! But Uncle Seker is /old/! How come they're marrying each other?" Hope has no idea that the aforementioned first year student is standing right beside her now, and Hope pulls on her own pigtails as she waits for their answers, amused at how her hair feels.
Satinka merely manages to stare at Vilivia for a moment in a bit of shock. "Well, once you're married to my brother we can see about doing /all/ of that, if you want," she acquiesces, though she gives a very pointed look to Nate as a way of distracting herself from the uproarious laughter that those who know her quite well can likely see bubbling up. It is fortunate for both Satinka and Vilivia that Martin's children have chosen this moment to interrup. "Oh, a /spy/ are you?" She leans down and reaches out to tweak Hope's nose as she grins at Austin. "Well, why don't you tell me about it in a few minutes." Turning her attention back to Seker for a moment. "Why /thank you/, darling brother," the young woman states, patting her hair vainly. "I'm doing quite well. Busy as usual! If I'm not in the robes shop every other day, I can't seem to get them to do /anything/ the way that I want." She sighs dramatically. "How is your shop doing?" she asks him cordially, before looking with wide eyes to the youngest Rathes. "That's just how things are done, little girl," she tells Hope, clearing her throat a bit. "Say hello to Miss Marqueen, Austin and Hope-y. She's going to be your aunt someday!"
Looking down at hope Vilivia smiles wide. "Im a first year yeah. Seker and I are going to wait till Im grown up before we're married though. Otherwise it'd just be bad." Vilivia giggles at this and looks around the party seeing so many people and noticing the attention she's recieving she blushes once again. She greets a few more people as they come to meet her shaking hands and curtsying when appropriate.
People are beginning to trickle out of the guarded room, but enough people still mingle that it isn't an issue. A few children from other families run right out shrieking at the top of their lungs as they decide to go play and explore rather than stay close to their parents. Astra just fixes the smile onto her face and passes greetings to those who might say anything as they pass by. Turning her head toward Quintus, she dips her voice quietly enough to be heard by him but keeping her tone low enough that it would be difficult to overhear. "You know I'm not a social creature either Quintus, but it's our duty to see to them and their needs." Reaching up to touch his hand she smiles reassuringly. "I don't know most of them either, but to not invite certain families would be snubbing we can't afford to do. We'll get through this tonight and tomorrow and leave the rest of the affair in father's hands. Besides," she grins a little more, "shouldn't your own family be arriving?"
"A first year?" Austin wrinkles his nose. "Isn't that illegal? That seems like something I should make an arrest for." Pursing his lips together he then asks, "We have questions for you!" He wrinkles his nose as he's introduced to the bride, "I have questions!" His declaration is loud, but not overly demanding. "Bride, why are you marrying my uncle? Uncle, why are you marrying bride?"
Sylvie Winters-Geroff cannot help but give her youngest present a quick look and quiet reminder, "Manners," before she moves off to play with Christopher and Jason. Brandon also chooses this moment to take his leave, moving to join Seker and Vilivia, though he waits a step or two away for a proper chance to say hello. "Take a good look; you know what'll happen when we get home!" Evan answers Olivia, as Sylvie shakes her head a bit. "Give them /some/ credit. Olivia, we ought to have a portrait done, before they grow out of these outfits. I'd like to have something with the whole family together."
"Oh... no, I don't THINK they are," Quintus comments, creasing his brow and turning to look at Astra again. "Not right now, anyway... maybe they'll be coming along later." His tone is quite evasive, and he clears his throat and continues on with, "Oh - you," he steps towards someone else, speaking much louder now. "It's very good to see you again, it's been much too long."
"Oh, that would be just /wonderful/," Olivia agrees, watching as the three children run off. "Perhaps you could do one, Constance?" the woman asks her sister-in-law pleasantly. Though Constance doesn't look entirely /pleased/ at the prospect, she smiles never-the-less. "Perhaps I could work on it. It would be difficult, though - it's hard enough to convince adults to sit or stand still for long enough." She chuckles a bit. "Perhaps if you got one of those muggle photographs of them, I could give it a try." She snickers a bit. "But it could be done." She pauses. "I would even do it for free," she feels the need to add, as if she would consider anything else for her family members.
Relieved at having an actual quiet night away from work, Martin is just enjoying the evening. "Enjoying yourself, Ang? It's a good party. There are certainly a lot of people here." He bites his bottom lip. He's been distracted lately and he knows it. Everything going on has only compounded his exhausted appearance.
"Shop's going well--" Seker starts, but looks down to Austin and Hope (who appears none to pleased at being referred to as Hope-y) as the boy yells for attention. "Inside voice, Austin," Seker says gently as he crouches down to be more at the children's level. "This is my bride, her name's Vilivia," he says slowly so he's sure they've understood. "We thought our families should be good friends, so if I marry her, it'll be like our families are connected. Do you see? And then, if we have children," he says as if it's an option not to, "they'll be related to both families. Kind of neat, huh?"
As the five year old Auror questions her Vilivia just giggles. "Because he's handsome and because our familys would be good for each other. Why else would I marry him?" She asks the younger boy in return. Her eyes now settle on Brandon remembering him from the Ravenclaw gathering. "Hello Brandon!" She says loudley enough for him to hear her over the crowd of people.
"I don't want to have children," Austin thinks aloud. "They'd probably all scream like Death Harpy." He shudders. "Guess what, Uncle Seker?! She got to stay with the nanny so we get quiets tonight!" Of course, Austin isn't entirely quiet anyways. "Why is she so much little than you, Uncle Seker? Are you getting married tomorrow?" He frowns a bit and then adds, "I heard some people talking and heard that we're supposed to 'keep bloodlines pure'. What does that mean?"
Eyebrows are arched at the children who've approached. Nate sighs as Satinka introduces the children to Vilivia. "Nothing like observing someone else's chldren. Just glad I don't have any." That he knows about, anyways. He chuckles a bit as he glances down at the kids. "Not our usual crowd, but still entertaining," he muses.
Feeling a little overwhelmed by all the people, even if they are mostly her family, Hope decides it'd be a good idea to set eyes on her parents just to make sure they're still here. She finally catches sight of them, not too far away. Angelina Rathe is nodding, with a smile. "Not often you get so many families in one room... physically!" the woman notes, unaware that her children are interrogating the bride and groom-to-be. Hope, at her brother's chattering, turns back to the conversation and adds, "Yeah, we heard grandpa Gerald mention that. If you married someone else would your blood go rotten?" she asks, horrified at the idea.
Satinka leans back from the younger set to give a look to Nate. "Certainly /not/ our set," she comments and shakes her head. "These kids have a lot to learn if they're going to survive in /this/ family." She sighs. "I've got to teach at least little Hopey there some manners and tact or she will /never/ succeed in society!" Satinka crosses her arms across her front. "Well, it will be an entertaining evening for certain, if all this keeps up." She chuckles and watches as Austin peppers them with more questions. "That means that wizards should only marry wizards, Austin," she tells him. "So someday, you'll grow up and you'll marry a girl who comes from only wizard parents, not muggles." She smiles pleasantly to the boy.
Fondly kissing Quintus's hand Astra doesn't try to stretch up to reach him since he's now busy greeting someone else. "Thank you for putting up with this." She practically whispers it before whirling around and scanning the room. Many of those who have arrived are already here and she notes the youngest of the Rathe. "My /grandchildren/ are here!" Bursting with the joy she learned at her "greybeard's" knee, Astra mimics the Frenchman very well even if she isn't as tall or rotund as the bearded gentleman who is, more likely than not, somewhere making himself friendly with those he knows and those he does not. Swooping over to where Austin and Hope she falls right onto her knees before grabbing each one in opposite arms. "How are the littlest troublemakers?!" Acting quickly she doesn't kiss them but gives each of them a wet sloppy lick on the cheek before releasing them with a fit of laughter. "Do you think they make a fine couple?"
As he hears Vilivia's greeting, Brandon steps up to Vilivia and the rest of the group, nodding his head in greeting. "Hello, Miss Marqueen, and congratulations. Who else do I have the pleasure of meeting?" Across the room, Sylvie glances at Delaney, the only child still with her, and who doesn't seem ready to run off just yet. But she doesn't try to force, just looks back up at Olivia and Constance in particular. "I was hoping you would be in it; though, we could get a photograph," her voice is somewhat more quiet at the word, "that would solve a couple problems." Ulaen, by her side, just seems tolerant of the idea, while Matthew seems amused.
Nodding gently at his sister's answer about bloodlines, Seker suddenly thinks of Saphia, his muggleborn friend who helped him out so much in school. No use looking for her in this crowd even if she was held in some esteem by his mother. Apart from the Minister and her family, Seker could only see old wizarding blood here.
"Miss Marqueen?" Vilivia mouth silently curious as to why Brandon calls her this. But then she remembers the formalness of the event and blushes a little at her own ignorance. "It's a pleasure Mister Geroff to see you at such an eloquent little get together." Her eyes fall on Astra as she comes near. "Hello Professor Rathe. I mean um... future mother in law...." She giggles and smiles as Satinka explains why they must keep their blood pure.
And then Astra walks up to the children and licks them on the cheek. "Ewwww! Grandma Astra, that's yucky!" Austin cringes, but recovers quickly. "Oh! We're great! I'm a Ministry spy and Hope is my sidekick reporter for the Daily Prophet. And right now we're questioning Uncle Seker." And then changing his expression, he turns to Seker without missing a beat, adding to Hope's comment about the bloodlines and Gerald, "Yeah, except he used another word. . ." Austin looks up at the ceiling trying to remember. "Oh yeah! He said that mudbloods would make that blood dirty. Or something. Sounds like they would make it dirty, anyways." Of course, Austin uses this word callously. He doesn't know what it means.
"Oh, BLAH! Grandma Astra!!" exclaims Hope, wiping her cheek off with the back of her wrist. "That isn't grown-up behaviour!" The girl is grinning ear to ear even as she chides, and nods finally at the question. "They're a good couple." She listens to Austin's reply, and nods. This is what she's heard, too.
"Well, who would paint it, if I were in it? The photograph might work out that way, though I'm not sure that I could capture my /own/ essence as successfully as I could everyone else." Constance seems to only consider this for a few moments. "We can perhaps work out the details later." She smiles. "Tonight is a night for celebration for the, er, happy couple. We ought to give our regards," she comments. Olivia shrugs a bit at this, looking over toward where the group has gathered. "I suppose we should," she agrees.
With a smile at Vilivia, Brandon answers, "It's a pleasure to be here." He carefully ignores what the youngest Rathe's are saying - he was warned ahead of time - though he does bow to Astra as she comes up to the group. "Headmistress." He is not paying attention to his mother at the moment, though at Constance's comment, Sylvie does look over to see Brandon always there. "We can discuss it at home," Sylvie agrees, turning to make her way over as to the happy couple as well.
Looking /shocked/ at Hope's reaction Astra looks around "Oh that wasn't grownup? Oh dear me! Oh what. . ." the hell did Austin just say? Staring wide-eyed at the little boy the woman scrabbles back to her feet and looks around to make sure certain people didn't hear a certain term that just dropped out of the boy's mouth. She's not angry so much as truly shocked now and the earlier feigning is real now. Shaking her head seriously she grabs Austin, turns him to face her, and crouches so that she's making direct eye-contact. "Do not use that term ever again. It is not something one uses in public or in polite society. I don't care what Gerald says you are not to mimic him in /this/. Do you understand?" Glancing at Brandon she winces in his direction, but it's the only indication that she is aware of what is going on around her.
Winceing for poor Austin as he's gently reprimanded it was the same lesson Vilivia herself only learned not to long ago. She doesn't say anything but continues to greet folks as they introduce themselves to her. "Seker what do you think we should name our first child?" Vilivia asks this suddenly from nowhere as if it were just the most natural thing to bring up the first time meeting your future husband.
Entirely unsure what he's done wrong Austin nods a bit at Astra equally shocked. Pouting a bit at getting reprimanded even if it's not a harsh reprimand, Austin sulks, "I didn't mean to. I just want to know stuff. I won't say it again. I promise." He pouts some more, exposing two green sad-puppy-dog-eyes as he does so.
With a taken aback glance to Vilivia, Seker merely replies, "Oh! Um..." before looking around and shrugging a little. "I... hadn't thought much about that, Vilivia," Seker admits. "I think we should wait until we're... married... to discuss things like that, alright?" He cant help but smile. It was easy to forget she was only eleven. Seker half expected her to act like an adult, but as it were, she's rather charming.
"Oh I suppose you're right. That will give me plenty of time to think of a better name than Sue-anne." Vilivia giggles and looks into the crowd again spotting her parents moving around amongst the people. She decides to stay put in her little comfort zone built of the small group of people for now.
Ruffling the boy's hair Astra is all smiles again as she stands up and takes Austin with her. Flipping him upside down she manhandles him as she dangles him by his legs. "I've caught an Auror! Sylvie! I found a wild Auror running around my house and now I don't know what to do with him! Help! I think he might be rabid!"Astra calls out to the Minister with a beaming smile as she notices the other woman's approach. "He was caught trying to abduct Vilivia and give her a kiss and he was setting questions upon Seker! Don't you /train/ your Aurors anymore?" Clearly having far too much fun at the boy's expense she even goes so far as try to walk with him still being dangled.
Finally getting up the courage to make her way over to the Rathes, who seem to have all clumped together, Olivia looks to Evan as if to say 'let's go,' and turns to walk over to greet the guests of honor. She smiles to Brandon as she gets over to the group. As Asra turns the young boy upside down, Olivia seems slightly taken aback. This is a different side to her former headmistress than she is used to seeing, and she blushes a bit. "Er, hullo, Professor," she greets Astra and giggles a little, despite herself.
As Astra begins to manhandle the child, Quintus looks up and watches the two for a moment; his lip curls slightly with just a hint of a smile, and while he doesn't say anything or draw any nearer, he's clearly drawn in by the sight of her playing with the boy. A moment later, though, he looks up and away, his attention apparently having been drawn by someone talking, and he wanders across to go and speak with them.
A slight smile in response to Astra's look is the only acknowledgement Brandon Geroff gives that he's noticed anything amiss. His next words are to Vilivia again, a simple and quiet, "Excuse me," as he takes his leave to allow her to greet those coming up behind him. That done, he moves off to find others his age, just in time for his mother to walk up to the group in his place, along with others in the family. Sylvie for her part laughs quietly as she approaches Astra. "I try, but there's just no help for some." Nearby, Evan grins at Olivia's expression. "Sounds like he ought to go on trial; /abducting/ the bride to be?"
Giggling as Astra picks him up, Austin beams. "I'm really strong!!" he giggles some more. "Minister, I'm a good guy!" He grins. "I'm really well trained too! I can use all kinds of spells. Like. . . grow-a-long-nose-a-cus!" He grins. He knows no magic. He's heard his parents say spells but it's all nonsense to him.
Nodding cheerfully to Astra, Hope's smile fades as she witnesses her Grandma's stern reproach to that word Austin said. But, over as quickly as it happened, her little brother is suspended suddenly by his legs and being kidded around with. Hope shrieks with laughter as she points at the up-side down boy. "Austin got caught! Austin got caught!" she sings, still laughing.
Samuel Floens and his wife have not disappear, nay, nor have his parents. His parents have by now found another couple to converse with, and Samuel and Maple are still circling, mainly enjoying each other's company. They find themselves eventually approaching a group - near where Quintus is approaching from the other side - and pause to greet those they know, and make introductions to those they don't.
His son's giggles and daughters singing catches Martin's attention. He chuckles lightly at both of his children. He pads over to Hope and bends down to scoop up his daughter. In short order she'd be too big to be picked up. "He's not caught. . . just. . . being taken for questioning. Good Aurors never get caught." He winks.
"Putting an Auror on trial? Only if I get to be wizengamot and executioner." "I hereby find Austin Rathe guilty of being five years old, being a rabid Auror, and being a bag of giggles." Pretending like she's going to drop the boy on his head Astra just winds up resting him gently against the floor before setting him down. That doesn't mean he's free because she kneels right by him, "Your sentence is to be. . ." "tickled!" And as she shouts that out she proceeds to tickle the boy's side and stomach. When about ten seconds have passed she stands up, fusses with her robes and grins at everyone. "Sorry for that. The Aurors and Hit-Wizards always need to be put in their place, but I think I can handle anything they try." "I hope everyone is well?"
"Grow-a-long-nose-a-cus?" Sylvie Geroff repeats after Austin, amused. "That's not one of my spells. Who's been teaching you, sir, and what do you plan to /do/ with that spell?" Though, of course, with what follows, it may be hard for him to answer. It is Evan who is first to answer Astra, as his mother is busy speaking to the child. "We've been quite well, thank you," he says, with a glance at Olivia in case she'd like to add anything. "And yourself, Professor Rathe? Aside from taking down unruly aurors?"
"Oh, very," Olivia adds, slightly dumbly, watching as Astra plays with her grandchild. It is at this that Olivia feels the sudden urge to look about for her sons, and detatching from Evan momentarily, she puts up a hand and wanders away. It's a moment or two before she returns with Jason on one side and Christopher on the other, with Vanessa following behind. "Say hello, boys," she tells the boys, who mumble greetings in response, looking at the other little girl nearby and the boy who seems to have been caught.
Speals of laughter are emitted from Austin's mouth as Astra tickles him. "Hahaha!" Curling into a little ball the boy's laughter just gets louder. With a grin he chuckles at Astra, "I know my place! I protect the streets of Diagon Alley. Just like Dad." He stands to his feet and says this rather proudly.
Smirking, Hope adds, "Except dad does it just a little better than you, Austin, 'cause you're five." She nods at this, and looks mutely at the other children, shyness overtaking her and stepping back a few feet. She looks to Austin automatically, almost for protection, and seeing how naturally laid-back he is, stops moving away.
As six year old Vanessa approaches with her nephews and Olivia, she moves to stand beside Sylvie, who gives her a slight push. The girls looks startled for a moment, then curtsies quickly, grinning at Astra and the two new children. Delaney, on Sylvie's other side, has already done the same - though at ten, much less outgoing about it.
"I'm well enough. I can't believe we have so many people here. It's good to have company and to hear children filling the halls with laughter." Astra smiles faintly before looking down at her grandson, "Oh very good. See you remember it or the tickle-monster-of-doom will unleash its wrath upon you. I asked Quintus to cage one and now I hold it in special reserve on the grounds." Speaking very sincerely without cracking a grin she keeps the deadpan expression before addressing the adults again. "It is very good to see all of you." Looking around for Quintus, she waves in his direction but isn't sure that she's gotten his attention. "My own fiance seems to be roaming around or else I'd introduce you."
Eventually, Quintus catches Astra's eye and moves back to her side; he looks a little lost at where the conversation is going, but he smiles politely to Sylvie and nods his head slightly to her, extending a hand to her. "Pleasure to meet you," he murmurs, clearing his throat softly, before glancing at Astra; he doesn't say anything to her but his expression indicates that he's been feeling a little lost in interacting with these people.
"Yeah, Dad's bigger is all. One day I will be just as good as Dad. Or better." Austin squeezes his eyes shut determined to be better than Martin. "I love Mum too though. You can be like Mum. I'll be like Dad."
Perking a brow at her little brother, Hope only shrugs and nods slightly. "If you say so. Mum's great." She seems to sort of lose herself in thought about this, the girl is suddenly angry, as Hope realizes that Austin hasn't been holding up his end of the bargain for some time. "Wait a minute! You've been calling me Hope all this time! You said you'd call me Winnie!" the girl exclaims, furrowing her brow. "If you want me as your side-kick reporter, you have to call me Winnie. You /said/ you would, Austin Martin! You said!"
Sylvie Winters-Geroff extends her hand as well, nodding to Quintus. "Pleasure's all mine. Let me introduce some of my family..." she runs through names of those that are currently standing with her, pausing as she reaches Vanessa, at which point, for both Astra and the girl's benefit, she speaks this child's full name, "...and Vanessa Astra Geroff." She reaches to place a hand on the girl's shoulder, but Vanessa laughs and shrugs away, looking curiously at Hope. "Is your name Winnie? What are you reporting?"
Shaking her head almost sadly, Hope glances to Austin before replying, "Well, my name /is/ Hope... but my middle name is Winnifred. And my mum, before she got married to my dad, her last name was Whynn and I think that sounds lovely. I wanted my /brother/ to call me Winnie, my reporter name, while we tried to figure out why Uncle Seker, he's so old, why he was marrying... V'liva." She nods.
"Sylvie this is Quintus Helit, Quintus our Minister - Sylvie Winters-Geroff. She's an old and dear friend of mine. I'm glad you two can finally meet in person." Astra's about to speak more but the children catch her attention again and she watches them quietly before turning back to the adults. She raises her eyebrows at Vanessa's middle name before quirking a smile. "I'd make more introductions but Quintus and everyone else should know each other if in passing if nothing else." Smiling she takes the man's arm and glances up at him with as reassuring a look as she can muster.
Having been standing back watching the hijinks with the children, Satinka finally steps forward and takes a look at Quintus. "I see you still haven't taken my advice, old man," is her greeting to her future step-father. "Oh, fancy that, mother. She's named for /you/," the young woman comments with a chuckle and grins down at the girl and the other children. "My, there /are/ a lot of children at this party." She looks over to Nate, who is still standing nearby. "Must be company for the bride-to-be," she tells him relatively quietly, though Satinka has no apparent shame at her own amusement about the whole thing.
Vanessa nods quite seriously to Hope. "You've got a special name for being a reporter? That's neat. I should get a job and then I can have another name." Pausing, she looks up to her sister. "Delaney, what do you think, I could be a plant keeper." She doesn't wait for an answer however, and looks back at Hope. "So did you find out?"
At Satinka's words, Quintus looks down at what he's wearing; he has dispensed with the potato sack for now and is wearing a white silk shirt with trousers, and his nicest cloak. At first he looks to be about to justify his choice in clothing, but then he just makes a disparaging scoffing sound and looks to Sylvie, adding, "That's a... fine name for a child."
Hope simply nods, explaining, "It's got something to do with blood. And children and families. Actually, come to think of it, we didn't really find out. Austin?" she asks, looking for her brother only to find that he's run off somewhere. She feels exposed suddenly, and wraps her arms around her waist. "I think I should find my mum now. It was nice to meet you," she says, remembering her manners shortly before running off to locate the rest of her family.
"Family, my dear, means children and children are the safeguard of our future." Astra gently reminds her daughter of her own views on such things but the smile is fond. Pressing a hand to her lips she turns away to hide a fit of laughter at Satinka's words to Quintus, but she's doing a poor job as her shoulders shake to reveal the laughs that she can't quite swallow. Wiping at her eyes she turns back and straightens her posture. "Hope is also a fine name for a child. One of Erica's children had that name and I was always fond of the name." But as Hope now wanders off she gives a small sigh.
Sylvie Winters-Geroff nods again, glancing at the children as they talk. "I like to have each of my kids named after someone," she clarifies, lest it seem too strange. "Hope is a beautiful name." As Hope runs off, Vanessa falls back to stand beside Delaney, the two beginning a quiet debate over whether they should go have a look around. For the moment, Delaney seems to be winning, staying right where she is.
"Pish tosh," Satinka responds with a wave of her hand. "Looks like all fun and games to me," the young woman responds with a smirk to her mother. "I wonder. Why don't we use sensible names like... like... Agrippina and... Euripides," Satinka asks, putting on her straightest of straight faces as she looks to those around her for an answer. "I think that would certainly add more flavor to these safeguards, don't you think?"
"I like plants," Christopher agrees, looking at Vanessa with a bit of a smile. "Can I be a plant keeper, too?" Olivia smiles at her son and gives him a nudge toward his aunts, doing the same for her other son to follow. Olivia, of course, recognizes Satinka, but not having known the girl personally at all and not at all understanding the other young woman. "We've done the same until Melia," Olivia chimes in. "I just liked the names. Though, I suppose Elaine and Ellen are close enough to be related." She looks to Evan for confirmation, then glances around at the other children.
Vanessa watches Christopher and Jason come over. "I /suppose/," the girl says dramatically, then grins. "But I get the ones that eat people." Beside her, Delaney is attempting to pay more attention to the adult conversation than that of the other children, though it becomes more difficult as others cluster around. However she is still able to hear Evan say, for Olivia's benefit, "They are quite close. Both versions of Helen, if I recall."
"You're absolutely right! From now I shall refer to you as Dhumavati!" Astra grins wickedly at Satinka before smiling again, "And Quintus shall be known as Ganesha! Sylvie can be," rubbing her chin she finally settles on "Providentia". "Those names are much more interesting than our regular boring ones!" Looking around to get a good fix on who is where and what is going on she finally comments, "I have to admit to liking fanciful names. Satinka is a name from the natives of America and Seker is Egyptian. I rather broke with tradition, but if I had a second son he would have had father's name. There are just some things that I find I can't bring myself to meddle with."
Raising just a slight eyebrow at Astra, Quintus is quiet for a moment - and then, a shake of his head and the simple word, "No." is all he offers by way of response. He clears his throat, then adds, "If we have another child, she won't be named something like Aphrodite or... whatever. It'll be a good, proper name."
"Moth/er/, I already /have/ an interesting name," the young woman decides to point out before Astra gets to the point of doing so herself. "Anyway, you understand my meaning. Names should have more spice!" Satinka looks to Quintus with a pointed expression. "What's insensible about Aphrodite? It's a fine name!"
"Providentia?" Sylvie repeats, raising her eyebrows at Astra. "Very well. And what shall we call you.. do you care for Athenasia?" .. "We've mostly gone for the 'normal' names. The most unusual, I think, are Melinda's; Emilia and Justinian." And even those she's heard used before.
"Seker and Satinka *are* fine proper names - /Quintus/." "I was thinking something to match Seker like Ereshkigal perhaps." Astra's views of good strong names are perhaps touched by fancy that she doesn't often reveal in public, but tonight is not a night for her usual face. "Don't mind him Satinka, he's just grumpy that his parents weren't more interesting. They may as well named him Fiver." "If I /do/ have another son it won't have Gerald's name since it won't be a Rathe so you hardly need to worry about that, but I was thinking Saraswati for a girl would be sweet or Mohit for a boy." At the mention of Justinian she twitches involuntarily "Sanctimonia".
"It's Latin," Quintus replies gruffly, narrowing his brows at Astra with a bit of a frown. After a moment, he adds, "Yes, but at least it's a - well, anyway. Something normal would be nice. Like... Mary." He folds his arms, glancing back to Sylvie and Satinka, forcing a faint smile at the two.
"Mary?" Grimacing openly the woman wrinkles her nose, "That would go so well. Satinka, Seker, Astra, Quintus and /Mary/. Oh yes, my that works wonderfully." Grudgingly she adds, "Though it would work fine with the rest - Peter, Gerald, and Cedric all had fairly normal names I suppose but they're strong good names. Interesting and not /bland/. A name should have character. What kind of character does Mary have? It sounds like a simpering thing that I'd want to lock in a closet." "Mary simply won't do. Sylvie works. We could certainly use Erica and Sylvie or Edana. All strong fine womanly names that don't make me think of someone who snivels." While part of it is meant to be flattery it really is said with conviction. "Or we could go for /Welsh/ names." "But this all besides the point since we're speaking about theoretical children."
Sylvie Winters-Geroff smiles at Astra, taking a moment to search her memory for particularly Welsh names. "Ceridwen, Isolde, Rhianon.. Nothing wrong with Welsh names. Evan, for that matter, is Welsh," though certainly not female! She turns to look at Ulaen briefly. "I rather like Rhianon."
Everyday Business
It is the end of another long day at the Ministry. Various staff move through the offices, finishing up what they've been working on, handing off paperwork for others to deal with tomorrow, and making their preparations to go home. Adding to the traffic is the charmed report box near the door to the Minister's office for auror reports, and a handful of other divisions that are now required to check in daily. The door next to this box has been closed, but now begins to open, as Sylvie Winters-Geroff, not quite ready to end her own day, sets off on some errand with a couple parchments in one arm.
Pulling on a warm fur coat over his black robes Louis Harper looks to be quite ready to end his day. His hair is tied back away from his face, usually a sign that he's been working quite hard. In his left hand there is a parchment with his reports for the day. As he makes his way over to the report box waiting behind several others. Noticing Sylvie, Louis greets her "Hello Minister. Long day isn't it?" "Then I suppose every day that sees Dark Wizards on the loose by the droves is a long day isn't it?" The auror gives a small sigh as he has his turn to slip his report into the box. "Got some leads on some today. Not sure if they are going to lead me the right way though."
Sylvie Winters-Geroff looks over those coming in and out of the hall as she emerges; everyone has plenty of reason to be careful these days. Nothing immediately attracts her interest, though as Louis speaks to her, she turns to offer a slight nod. "Good afternoon, Mr. Harper. Heading home?" The question is merely a polite one, no hint of criticism in her voice. She shuts the door behind her, and steps over toward him. "Leads? Excellent. We can/not/ let them remain loose." Sigh. "Of course, I know you are all working your hardest, and we'll have a few here off-hours too."
"I'll be heading home yes." Louis pulls his coat up a bit tighter and buttons it closed. "Yes I have a lead on where two may be hiding. I'll have to get some help tracking them of course but hopefully my efforts will prove fruitful." Louis looks to Sylvie and nods. "Well we've all been working very hard yourself included Minister." "I think everyone is pretty worried about what will happen the longer the escapees are allowed to run amuck."
"You /do/ have appropriate protections around your home by now?" Sylvie inquires, a topic that is of particular concern to her with her position and the number of children she has, both home and not. "I'm afraid too many in the Ministry are ignoring precautions still. If we can't protect ourselves, those outside the Ministry are going to lose confidence in our ability to protect them as well." She shifts the stack of parchments in her arms, then changes her mind, murmuring something quietly so that they end up floating just beside her while she talks. "I'll be able to read more about that in your report tonight, then?"
"Of course. I'm well aware of the danger posed to me as a member of the Ministry and an Auror." Louis moves away from the box to let others by as he speaks with the minister. "Yes it's in my report. I feel a little uneasy about putting off the investigation till tomorrow but I do need some sleep." Louis stifles a yawn. "We've all been working so hard but it doesn't seem to be enough." "I just hope we can recapture them all without having too many casualties." "We are already distrusted enough and lowstaffed enough as it is."
Sylvie Winters-Geroff nods, taking a few steps to stay with Louis and out of the way of the others in the area. As she moves the floating parchments bob beside her, and she counts them silently once they are settled again before speaking. "Are you teamed up with anyone staying later who can follow through? You'll only be a danger if you are too tired on the job; I wouldn't expect you personally to be on your case every second." Perhaps she's stepping on toes a little, surely Louis knows how to do his job, but her manner shows no appology for doing so either. It's all those little details that can end up causing so much trouble otherwise. "I'd prefer no casualties," she adds, with a hint of a frown. "Every report of one is too much. Do you," she glances quickly at those nearby, and chooses her phrasing carefully, "happen to have names in your reports?"
"Yes. Jenkins is parntered up with me on this case." Louis watches the bobbing papers for a moment before turning his attention back to Sylvie. "He'll be working on it tonight and we'll work on tracking in the morning." Louis doesn't seem to be bothered by the question, after all everyone is under a lot of stress not just the aurors. "I have names. I have more than a few actually but I won't go into detail here. They are all named in the report. I spent about an hour getting it ready alone."
An hour? Sylvie is silent for a moment, nodding at the mention that there /are/ names, otherwise just thinking. Finally she speaks up again. "Is it taking that long for everyone? I don't need a formal report; a copy of notes would be fine, as long as it shows a full day's worth of work. And any important information of course. Would that make it easier to handle?" Without really waiting for an answer, Sylvie continues, "I'll have to convey that to the rest of the staff. There are.. other things to be doing." And this is why it can be so important to check in with the regular workers now and then. "You do understand the necessity of the reports?" She glances around the hall again as she says this last, perhaps giving a clue as to why she doesn't get more specific, though if so she's no more obvious about it.
"Well it took me an hour today because there was a lot to report on." Louis admits this quickly. "Normally it doesn't take nearly so long for me. But as I said I have some leads and I wanted to make those as detailed as possible." Louis gives another nod to the Minister. "Yes I do understand the necessity of these reports." "We don't know who to trust even amongst ourselves. That much is pretty clear." Louis looks around as well as if to see if anyone were listening in on the conversation. "So the reports are of the utmost importance."
Sylvie Winters-Geroff finally smiles slightly. "Good. I'm glad to hear that. And I definitely look forward to reading the report tonight, if there is that much in it. Perhaps we will finally start coming across more breaks." .. "Anyway not included that I should be aware of right now? Particular needs within your department?" Sylvie asks, after a moments pause to decide she has no other specific questions.
"Right now?" Louis asks and then thinks a moment before sighing. "All I can think of that we really need are more wands and more hands holding them." "Well hands we can trust anyway." Louis looks at the Minister. "Other than that all we need is time that we don't have." Louis shakes his head. "I don't think there is much to do for either at this point. Hopefully these leads will give us more leads though. That is if the escapees have been working together."
"We'll see how many of them stay together once free. While it would be easier to catch them at one time, certain partnerships could also be a lot more dangerous." As she speaks, Sylvie gathers the parchments from the air back into her arms, stopping to count them one more time before speaking again. "If you come across a need I can supply, do let me know. I can't give you time or people, but I won't have you working without basic supplies covered." She looks Louis over once, then offers another thin smile. "Thank you for sparing a moment here. If that's all, I will let you be on your way; you must be anxious for some rest." And truth be told, she's anxious to finish her own errands.. and come back to read the list of names.
"Right." Louis nods and looks towards the other Aurors filing away their reports eager to get home. "It was a pleasure speaking to you. I only wish it were on lighter terms and topics Minister." With that Louis turns to make his way out for home. "Take care Minister. We need you more than ever." Louis says this before turning to shake hands with another auror saying his goodbyes before going home.
Ask Professor Rathe
The break in the days classes finds Vilivia Marqueen out on the front lawn enjoying the sun. She is sitting carefree in the grass her pet toad laying comfortably in her lap. "Mister Toad what do you think Seker and I should name our first son?" The girl asks absently not thinking that the toad of course can't answer. Rather Mister Toad just puffs out his throat and croaks some.
It's getting just marginally colder outside - but this is cold enough for Courtney Moffet to have donned a jolly yellow woolen cap over his bald head, pulled down over his ears tightly as he wanders outside the castle. He looks displeased, his mouth twisted in annoyance, and walking with big steps, his arms swinging wildly out from his body - maybe he's aware of how silly he looks in his cap and is trying to compensate, or maybe something else has him upset. When he approaches Vilivia, he stops, planting his hands on his hips and announcing, "You're a silly girl sometimes."
Silly girl?" Vilivia looks up at the boy crossly at first. That is until she sees his hat. She cannot help but laugh. "What did you do to your head Courtney? What kind of hat is that for a wizard to wear?" Vilivia giggles and moves over on the grass so the boy can seat himself. Mister Toad just gives another bemused croak as he stares off lazily at the lake.
Yeah. Silly girl," Courtney repeats - and his scowl only gets all the more angry at her laughing at his hat. He rips it off his head and tosses it at Vilivia, his brow creased with annoyance. "It's a perfectly good hat, Livvy." He pronounces her nickname with unnecessary venom and emphasis, pausing for a moment to take a breath before adding, "I still haven't forgived you for introducing me as your brave orphan friend."
Forgiven. You still haven't forgiven me." Vilivia smiles at the chance to correct her friend's grammar. She takes the hat and looks it over giggling. "Well is it at least a warm hat? I imagion your head would get cold since you're balder than Mister Toad." Vilivia tosses the hat back to the boy. Mister Toad croaks again as if to say 'Is not'. "I'm sorry you haven't forgiven me. But she wanted an introduction and it's an important detail that you're an orphan. I told her so she would know not to make a big deal out of it and hurt your feelings."
You don't make sense!" Courtney fires back, catching the hat and shoving it back onto his head, over his ears. "It is a very warm hat, and besides, it's not all that important and if she didn't know then she wouldn't be able to make a big deal, and telling people IS making a big deal out of it." He pauses for a moment, before creasing his brow again and, folding his arms across his chest, adding, "Besides, you didn't have to tell her about the letter."
Oh well I mentioned the letter because it's just so heartbreakingly sad." Vilivia frowns a little remembering Courtney's momento of his mother. "I thought that if she saw it maybe you would get some better treatment here than you get at the orphanage. Because I like you and I was looking out for you. Thats all." [b]V[K]ilivi[b]a[x] seems genuinely saddened that she offended her friend so that day and looks down at her pet, stroking a hand over his head lovingly
Flopping down onto the ground next to Vilivia, Courtney looks up at her with a faint scowl. "I don't think they're allowed to play favourites on the basis of how sad someone's life was before they came here, so I don't think, somehow, that my letter will have any effect." He nods firmly to emphasize this, and turns his gaze to various spots around the castle grounds
"Oh well... I was just trying was all." Vilivia says this sheepishly as her cheeks redden. "I didn't think you would get so upset. After all I still think you are really brave even if you don't think so." Vilivia pets Mister Toad a bit more before looking at Courtney. "Your hat doesn't look THAT bad. I've just never seen one like it before. Usually wizard boys wear little pointed hats. That's all."
Reaching out with one arm to poke Vilivia in the side, Courtney nevertheless doesn't look at her, his gaze still drifting around the visible grounds, and then the sky. "My hat is great," he replies a bit absently, before adding, "I don't introduce YOU as my rich, snooty friend. And if I did, I wouldn't expect people to be nicer to me than you because you're richer and better than me."
"But I'm not snooty! If I were I wouldn't speak to poor people would I?" Vilivia sighs and flinches from the poke. "I'm not even rich. My Mummy and Daddy are. I don't have any money of my own yet. And my family is weird because we have so many ghosts in our house and everyone thinks it's weird." The girl looks out at the lake again curiously. "And anyway you should give me a break. I've never known an orphan before. How am I supposed to know how to act around you?"
Striding over the lawn and toward the castle the small form of a woman isn't much to distinguish it at first, but eventually it's no doubt that the person in question is actually Astra. Having left off the formal regalia that she wears during meals and pretty much during the entire school day she's instead dressed in her general archaic attire. Spotting the children she offers them a nod as she passes by and pulls down the collar of her coat so as to actually give them a fleeting smile. "It's good to see you Miss Marqueen," taking the time to greet the girl she adds, "And your intriguing friend . . . Mister Moffet." Apparently that particular introduction got quite firmly stuck in her memory.
"Oh..." Suddenly, Courtney is quite distracted by the approach of Astra; he jumps to his feet quite abruptly and bows deeply and rather formally to her, before extending an almost pompous hand for her to shake. He mentally notes the acknowledgment of him as the 'intriguing friend', and a brief scowl makes its way around his face, before he replies, "Yes, Courtney Moffet. Er. Hufflepuff."
"See Courtney you're intriguing!" Her voice is happy and high pitched as she too stands setting Mister Toad in her hands as she curtsies. "Hello Professor Rathe." Vilivia smiles widely and looks the Headmistress over. "I've been meaning to ask you Professor. Does it hurt you terribly that your husband is dead? I mean the father of your children passing away must be horrible. Did he come back as a ghost? Sometimes that happens a lot."
"Yes," the s extends to an almost hiss as Astra takes the offered hand and shakes Courtney's hand with a firm grasp. "I remember you well Mister Moffet and not just because of your friendship with Miss Marqueen. You boldly introduced yourself last time as I remember." "I was expecting that you would introduce yourself a first time much less a second, but now your name will not escape me in the future." There's a lingering smile on her lips but it flutters away the moment Vilivia's questions is off the girl's lips. Staring openly now she blinks once and then twice at the girl before drawing herself up to her full height which granted isn't much. "I suppose it would if your suggestion were in any way based in fact, but as I have never been married why no - it doesn't." While she speaks crisply her attitude isn't so much anger as surprised. "Miss Marqueen, where on /earth/ did you get the idea I was /married/? Surely you know I was /born/ a Rathe?"
Oh well I.... I assumed that Seker's father was married to you. I hadn't thought abot your being born a Rathe I mean I knew you were but a I thought you may have kept your name." Vilivia bites her lip. "So you never married before. So does that mean.... OH no wonder!" "Professor Helit must be Seker's father right? You must be finally getting married right?"
"You weren't married?" The words pop out of Courtney's mouth before he can even stop himself, and there's a flush rising in his cheeks before he's even finished speaking. He stammers a little as he backtracks, continuing with, "I mean - I, I don't mean to pry, but that's... unusual, isn't it!" He clears his throat, adding, "I was taught it was always polite to introduce myself!"
Looking more amused than annoyed at this point Astra has to actually bring a hand to her mouth to keep from outright laughing. "While I do laud your idea of keeping my name and indeed that is what I plan on doing no matter who I take as husband, I'm afraid to disappoint you." Clearing her throat, she presses her fingers across the top of her teeth to stop the laughter and then she pulls her hand away. "No, Professor Helit is most certainly /not/ the father of my children." "Vilivia dear," actually speaking to the girl using her first name, you know of the Whits, yes?" They are one of the families that the Rathe generally marry, "I took Blair Whit to be my paramour back when I was seventeen. /He/ is the father of my children." "Professor Helit came to teach much later and well after my own graduation." Then addressing Courtney she shrugs "Marriage is generally the course of action one follows to have children, but it isn't the only way.
"Oh wow. I didn't know people could do that!" Vilivia opens her mouth a little wide. "I thought you had to be married to have children! Do you think Seker will want to marry me Professor Rathe? He could just father children without getting married right?" The girl looks somewhat worried by this hugging her pet to her chest.
With a pitying glance to Vilivia, Courtney informs her in a stage whisper, "Adults lie about how to have babies all the time." He looks up at Astra, then, his eyes widening - and, apparently, some detail falling into place. "Oh!" He gasps, clasping his hands together as he looks up at the Headmistress, adding in a rather arrogant tone, "I know all about THAT! Like when there's a girl who wants to wait until she's married but the man says this one time won't hurt - and then she has a baby." It's not clear if he even knows what the girl is "waiting" for, but he speaks like he thinks he's an expert on this. He nods, before adding, "You must have a very supportive family to not mind that you had a baby out of wedlock."
Pressing the heel of her palm against her forehead Astra heaves a small sigh and as Courtney speaks her hands slides over her face as she mutters to herself. "If Seker agrees to the contract he will marry you, but yes, I suppose he /could/ father without marrying. However, taking that step is trickier for men than women. After all, I kept my children. How would he do the same since he isn't the one to give birth? The woman in question would have to agree to that and most women wouldn't. Don't worry so much Vilivia. You have a long time before you need to think about those kinds of things." Rubbing her forehead again she rolls her shoulders and eyes Courtney, "First not all adults lie about babies and *sex*." Yes, she said the 's' word and it doesn't end it 'hit'. "Second, my family wanted children more than they wanted a marriage." "As for your example, I suppose it is *something* like that, but I knew what I was doing and neither of us were waiting. I was betrothed, but I br
oke that contract when I turned of age because I didn't *want* a marriage."
Vilivia's eyes go wide. Did the Headmistress just say SEX?? She looks just a little more than scandalized. "Professor Rathe! I didn't think a lady was supposed to talk about .... well talk about that so frankly." "My Daddy says that it isn't very lady like for me." Vilivia calms down a little after a few deep breaths. "Maybe it's because I'm still a young woman that Daddy says that though." "I mean I'm not all grown up an thirteen years old yet." Yes apparetnly to Vilivia thirteen is all grown up. She looks to Courtney. "Boys mature slower than girls though...." "So we shouldn't be talking about such mature subject matter in front of you know who."
"Tone told me all about that word," Courtney replies dismissively, folding his arms across his chest. For all that he puts on this facade, though, he seems genuinely a little scandalised by what Astra has said. Eventually, though, he comments, mainly to himself, "I'm not sure if that's the way it's /supposed/ to be done..." He looks quite doubtful, looking up at Astra with a mix of emotions; she is the Headmistress so she must be right to say what she pleases, but he's always been taught something to the contrary. "I expect your family is /different/..."
Furrowing her brow Astra just stares at the children as if what Vilivia has said is more freakish than her own use of the sex word. "Sex is sex and it's natural and normal. You breathe, you bleed, you feel pain, you feel joy, you urinate, you defecate, and when you're a little older you'll be more interested in sex. It's just a word." A word that many adults, even wizarding adults, might shy away from using around children but apparently the Headmistress is not one of these. Shrugging at Courtney, "My family doesn't have issues with sex or sex outside of marriage or children outside of marriage." "Unlike muggles and some wizards, my family worships no real religion. There isn't any such need for a religious contract and only a political or social one if it is agreeable to all parties. Since my contract wasn't agreeable and I didn't sign the contract, but my father did, I saw to breaking it." There's a beat of silence as she looks away, "But that action came at a cost and I e
a
rned some enemies."
"Well I know it's sex...." Vilivia looks to Courtney and rolls her eyes a little. "Yeah but Tone is your age isn't he? He doesn't know anything either." Vilivia rolls her eyes again. "Boys are so dumb. Not like grownup men." "Like Seker." Vilivia sighs and gets a faraway look in her eyes, Mister toad seems to croak in agreement. "Professor Rathe you should tell my parents that. They think it's no okay to talk about such things in front of children.... or company... or anyone really."
It's possible, from the look on Courtney's face, that Astra is the first person he has ever met who is explicitly non-religious. His eyes widen a little, but he shakes his head and turns to look at Vilivia, apparently feeling that something like this is best not commented up. As for Vilivia, he scathingly informs her, "Tone is older than me, thank you very much, don't you know anything?" He crosses his arms across his chest before he adds, "You have to be older than us to do it anyway, maybe they don't want you getting ideas."
"You have to be older because your bits aren't mature enough yet and it wouldn't be fun. Really, don't people teach their kids /anything/?" Astra muddles over this because the whole idea of not knowing is as bizarre to her as it would be to most people to /know/ of it before a certain age. Shaking her head and muttering again the woman turns away and begins to walk off before speaking over her shoulder, "If you have more questions in the future just ask. I see no reason to lie - it's a filthy habit."
Watching as the Headmistress moves to walk away Vilivia looks to Courtney. "I think you must have offended her." She whispers before making a tching noise with her teeth. "Bye bye Professor Rathe! If I have any questions about sex I'll come an ask you!" Vilivia giggles softly and takes a seat back on the grass setting her toad in her lap again.
"Pretty sure you're not meant to," Courtney replies with a hint of doubt in his voice as he looks up and after Astra. "I mean, you get in trouble off your family... unless you're like Professor Rathe... and people throw things at you in the street. Oh, and God sometimes gets angry, but he knows that you don't really mean it and you can't help it really, so he gets over it if you remember to say your prayers and thank him and say sorry." He shrugs his shoulders, looking after Astra with a bit of a frown.
"I don't think God cares as much as people do." Vilivia doesn't actually look very sure of who this God person is herself. "I mean what business is it of his if people want to have a baby and not be married?" Vilivia looks up at Courtney and blinks a few times. "You should apologize to her by letter. I think you really offended her." Vilivia looks back out at the lake and smiles. "I wonder if the mer-people get married before they have babies."
"I s'pose it's not, really. That's why he forgives you so easily when you say sorry. People don't forgive you if you say sorry, they just keep throwing stuff at you." Courtney glances over towards the lake, frowning a little more. "Why would they? They aren't human. Maybe they have their own rituals and things, stuff that they have to do to have babies. I mean, dogs don't get married, they just have a tonne of puppies. Maybe if you're a merperson you have to... prove yourself or something. With a Grand Task."
"Oh like a quest to prove true love?" Vilivia's face lights up at this romantic idea that Courtney is partially responsible for. "Maybe you boys aren't so immature after all." Vilivia looks out at the lake and sighs herself. "I wish I could go under the lake and meet the merpeople. I bet they can tell you all kinds of stories. Really romantic ones.
Courtney rolls his eyes at Vilivia's excitement, and he peers down towards the lake with a furrowed brow. "What if they just thought you were going to attack them and they stabbed you? That wouldn't be very romantic. A merman could give your body to his beloved and say you were coming to attack her. Then they could have babies." He shrugs his shoulders again and looks towards the castle. "I'm going back inside. I'll see you later I guess." With that, he begins his meander back inside.
A Visit to an Old Friend
It's been a good long while since Darius announced his resignation from Hogwarts, and seemingly retired at an age far earlier than most ever would consider. He left a forwarding address, but few would have suspected where it would be: A small flat in a quiet town a bit out from London. The locals are muggles, but his place, on the outskirts, can be accessed pretty easily without drawing undue attention from locals. Overall, it's a sleepy, depressing, grey place. His place has a back door, with a small bell hanging next to it.
Late one afternoon - clearly after classes at Hogwarts have finished for the day, but before normal dinnertime - Quintus makes his way down to the muggle area where Darius has, apparently, set up camp. Surely, it would be easy enough for him to make his way here without attracting muggle attention, but just to be safe, rather than his usual robes, he's decked out in black trousers and a knee-length dark-coloured coat, which he wraps around his body as protection from the chill wind. As he reaches Darius's door, he pauses (checking the number, wouldn't want to startle some stranger) before ringing the bell once, sharply.
A short moment passes before the door opens a crack, and the familiar face of Darius Dwight, a little thinner than it once was, emerges. "Professor Helit," He announces, opening the door wider with a smile. "It's been far too long. Please, come in, come in. I'll make you a tea. What on earth brings you out this way?" Looking to Quintus, Darius pauses in the living room to flick his wand once and wait for Quintus's response. At the flick of the wand, what looks like a normal muggle house suddenly sparks into life, as what look like sheets of paper roll off furniture, desks and bookshelves to reveal old letters, paintings, an African war-shield broken into two halves and many more old knick-knacks from his days of travel.
Peering through the door with a raised eyebrow, Quintus watches as the house sets itself, revealing all sorts of knick-knacks. "Who were you expecting that you had it all covered?" He asks drily, though he does step inside moments afterwards, pulling the door closed behind him carefully and removing his coat, revealing a neatly tailored silk shirt - certainly not his usual style, not by any means. "I wanted to have a chat with you about something," he comments in turn, still looking around the living area. "You are right, it has been some time since we've spoken."
Darius Dwight waves his hand dismissively at Quintus's question. "Townsfolk drop by. I have this illusion ready at all times. I see more muggles than wizards these days, to tell you the truth." His eyebrows raise in a curious manner at Quintus's dress, and at his mention of a chat. "Indeed. Wait a while, I'll go get the tea. You take yours as coffee, if I recall? Black, no sugar?" Darius looks at Quintus and smirks, and waits for an answer before leaving.
"Tea is fine," Quintus calls back, folding his coat neatly and then laying it over the back of a chair a little uncomfortably, adding, "And no, don't you try to pull an Astra on me. Milk and sugar - plenty of sugar." As Darius makes his way into the kitchen, he continues to stand awkwardly in the living area, his gaze drifting from artifact to artifact, but not lingering on any one thing for very long.
Darius carefully waits until Quintus has explained what he wants, before heading into the kitchen. He notes as he walks in that "you can sit down if you like" but is otherwise silent until he returns with two cups of tea, one black, the other white with plenty of sugar. Darius jokes as he hands one over, "How is the old lady, anyway? You're not married yet. Taking your time, aren't you?" Sitting into a comfy lounge chair, Darius gestures to a chair directly opposite him for Quintus.
Taking both the indicated seat and the cup of tea, Quintus warms his hands for a moment in silence, considering the question laid against him. After a moment he comments, "Things have come up - most recently, there was the breakout, but there's been other things... it's still going to happen." He sips at his tea, smirking a little bit himself, before adding, "She also wants to do everything right - first we met with her father, and soon we're meeting with my mother..."
"Unusually formal of her." Darius grins, looking at a small pair of beaded wooden cups on a shelf to his right before returning his gaze to Quintus. "But perhaps that's her pure bred nature coming out. The Rathes are a proud family, what's left of them anyway. Me? I never really understand it. I'm a mutt like you." Grinning, he sips at his tea and declares, "Come on, out with it. What are you here for?"
Shrugging his shoulders, Quintus remains silent a moment longer, sipping at his tea rather than saying anything. Eventually, he observes, "Even though she bucks a lot of trends, there are a few points where... doing things the right way is important to her." He lowers his cup, considering Darius for a moment, before he continues, "...anyway, it's about the wedding that I wanted to talk to you. I know we haven't spoken in some time, but you and Astra always seemed... remarkably close."
With a grin, Darius waves his hand in that quick dismissive gesture of his. "Quintus, Quintus. I've not seen her in years. If you're jealous now, you'll never make it work!" Despite the joking admonishment, his tone suggests he's waiting for the real question.
A further moment of silence follows, this one rather more chilly than the last, before Quintus gruffly explains, "That wasn't where that sentence was going." With a sip of his tea, he adds, "In fact, I had not considered that possibility... until you brought it up just now." The expression he sets on Darius is, briefly, one that wonders if he really ought to ask the next question, but still he carries on with, "Actually, I was wondering if that... closeness would mean you would do us the honour of participating in the ceremony."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Quintus," Darius leans closer, more serious now, looking Quintus dead in the face. "I'd never interfere with your plans. I'm a better friend to both of you than that, I'd like to hope." With a pause, he leans back a bit, still surveying Quintus's gaze as he speaks. "And I'd be happy to, although if you want me to perform, I don't think I'd do very well. Formal pieces are not really my strength, I know, I've been practising composition..." He points to a stack of sheet-music on the coffee table. Tea stains mark most of it.
"I'm not asking you to compose for it," Quintus corrects, shaking his head slightly and sipping at his tea, before adding, "In fact, I was hoping that you would be the best man -- if you'd rather not, that's fine as well." He downs the last of his tea in one mouthful, shaking his head a little and, clearly, looking for a place to put the cup aside, now that he is done.
Leaning backward, Darius doesn't speak for a small moment. Looking to the side, he juts out his chin a moment and then returns to looking at Quintus, with a wide smile. "I'd be honoured." He observes, and stands up to walk over to Quintus and shake his hand. "Congratulations, professor. I don't think anyone can make an honest woman out of Astra, but you've done as good a job of it as anyone could manage, I think."
"I don't like that phrase," Quintus replies, standing up and accepting the handshake with a faint smirk. "An honest woman... I think if she's having children at eighteen, you don't get to come along and make an honest woman of her when she's forty... or, at this rate, perhaps forty-one, or forty-two." His faint smirk breaks into a broader smile as he adds, "And save your congratulations until we find out if she survives meeting my mother."
"I doubt she'd like it either. Make sure you give me some more warning for when it finally happens, and I'll be there. You can send owls out here; they're common enough that no-one will notice it flying close to my house." Darius smiles.
"I won't trespass on your time any longer," Quintus replies simply, though he maintains his smile, now; it's plain that, for all that he's not seen this man in years, he has very little to say to him beyond the business already conducted. "I'll be in touch, I'll let you know what our plans are." He reaches for his coat, unfolding it with a shake, and shrugging it back on.
Fashion Sense and Plain, Simple Sense
Early afternoon, and Madame Malkins Robes has hit a bit of a lull - a moment where it's fairly quiet within the store. Quintus Helit seems to be taking advantage of this, peeking in the window first to see how busy it is, before striding in and moving, naturally, straight to the plate of biscuits to nibble upon as he studies the store, mostly eying the fabrics and the pre-made garments, but his eyes also flickering to the many and varied photographs that are up in display. None of this seems to please him very much - not even the biscuit! - and he views the store with a critical, not to mention uncomfortable, eye. As he looks around, he shifts his weight awkwardly from foot to foot, brushing down his rather poor robe with one hand.
Satinka Rathe has been in the shop for at least an hour, trying on the various creations that the folks at Madame Malkin's have been working on for her, and it is just a moment after Quintus that she draws the curtains back, then steps forward in a bright pink ensemble with a high sheen to it. She strides over to the mirror, looking at herself first from the front, then the side, then she examines herself from various angles, looking over her shoulder to see the back side. "It's not quite right," she says slightly testily. "This is supposed to be a reinvention of the bustle. I drew you a picture of it!" She reaches back and tries to poof up the back a bit. "It should look more like that. No, no, it's /supposed/ to look like that, darling," she tells the woman helping her, then her eyes fall on Quintus, who happens to be dead ahead, though a few feet away. "Well, fancy meeting you here," she comments. "Mum finally convinced you then, old man?"
Awoken from his critical inspection of the store by Satinka's words, Quintus looks up, eyes narrowing at her - it's plain his internal critique hasn't stopped, and he's far less than impressed with her choice in clothing. All he says, however, is a terse, "Miss Rathe," followed by a shake of his head and an intoned, "She has insisted, so I thought to finally make her happy and get... /something/ new." He considers her for a moment longer, before scoffing softly to himself and turning away to look at some different fabrics with a shake of his head and an exaggerated roll of his eyes.
Satinka grins impishly to the man who is betrothed to be her stepfather. "Well, I hope whatever you get, it won't be /brown/," Satinka comments with a slight giggle. She smooths her own robes a bit, then looks to the assistant. "What do you think, a bit of a contrast with a black and white striped scarf attached right up here at the neckline." She tugs at the neckline, then smooths the dress down her sides. "Maybe we can cinch this in a bit. I don't have much here at my hips, but I think we can create an illusion that I do, what do you think?" She seems to be bossing the assistant around more than asking for real suggestions about what she wants her dress to look like. "What do you think?" She asks Quintus, slightly cheekily.
The comment about brown is waved off without the slightest bit of consideration, and Quintus seems content to just ignore Satinka - up until she asks him for his opinion! He looks up at her, then down at her dress with a creased brow. For a long moment, he doesn't offer any advice or opinion, but eventually he grunts, "Sure, what you just said," and turns to look back at the fabric. It's plain from the slight twitch of his lip that there's a lot more he'd like to say, but that he's holding his tongue - as though to prevent himself from saying anything, he waves over another assistant and indicates a particular fabric - black silk, from the looks of where he's pointing.
As Quintus offers no real comments on her current ensemble in progress, Satinka smiles to the assitant. "Well, make note of what I said," she instructs the woman, then makes her way back to her changing area. After just a moment, the girl reemerges wearing a fully complete ensemble in a shade of light lavender with yellow pinstripes running up and down. Her robes are fitted tight through the hips, then they flare out right below her hips. The top has an oversized collar, and a little peek of lace comes out of a deep v-neck. She comes to join Quintus as he looks at the fabrics. "If you want to really shock mother with style, take the navy with the pinstripes," she suggests without being asked her opinion. "Or perhaps even that lovely shade of green over there." She looks him over. "It would suit you, and I do think mother would like it."
Uh... huh," Quintus turns to look at Satinka's ensemble, raising an eyebrow at it and just shaking his head slowly at her. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way," he begins carefully, narrowing his eyes at her, "but your sense of fashion seems... dramatically different to mine." He clears his throat and turns to look at the display of fabrics again, adding, "I like brown. And black." He informs her, though he does a raise a hand and add, in a sort of 'well, if I must' tone, "And blue. Sometimes. But I really don't need help, I'm quite capable of selecting for myself."
"Oh, well, I don't think lavender is quite your color anyway, so I wouldn't recommend it to you," the girl states nonchalantly, smirking at him a bit. "To be perfectly fair," Satinka starts, giving him a once-over for the second time. "If mother's insisting you get new robes, your taste in robes can't be /entirely/ sound. Don't worry, guy, I'll help you out. You're going to be a Rathe - so to speak - and you can't look shabby if you're going to be part of our family!" She nods decisively, then steps around him to take down a bolt of a subtle emerald green fabric, then she follows with a dark gray. "How about this one?" she suggests, pointing to the gray. "Perhaps with a modern cut robe, it could look /very/ chic."
"I would really not like your help," Quintus insists, folding his arms across his chest - looking over her for a moment, he adds, "It may be that I tend to look for practicality above prettiness, and that you may know that better than me, being a girl, but..." He shakes his head, adding, "I still do not require your help." His apparent annoyance gives way, however, to a sort of perplexed expression - the young woman seems to have a force of personality that is derailing his attempts to brush her off.
"Is this any way to treat your eventual step-daughter?" Satinka protests, plopping two bolts of fabric down onto the counter nearby. "I can understand if you want to look the /same/, and have mummy harping over your robes all the time, by all means," she comments, smoothing her own robes, then looking back to Quintus. "I'm only trying to /help/ you look like a decent sort-of-member of the Rathe family. /Apparently/ you just don't /care/ about how you represent this family!" She huffs a bit, crossing her arms and turning away from him slightly.
For a moment, it seems as though Quintus is about to apologise - but then he stops himself, shaking his head, and observes, "If you're going to poke into other people's purchases, there's no need to get all offended if they tell you they don't want your help." He shakes his head, but he reaches out for the bolts of fabric as he adds, "If I get any assistance on what I should get, I would prefer it came from a professional, not... just anyone. Even future family."
Satinka waves her hand dismissively as he speaks to her again, then turns back toward him. "The women here are very nice," she smiles to one nearby, then continues, "but they don't know true fashion and style. The only way to get anything good is to give exact directions. I know what I'm talking about, old man! You're stuck in the /past/ with those... /antiquated/ styles. /So/ fifteen years ago." Satinka seems to miss the irony that fifteen years ago, she had been only seven years old and liked her clothes as poofy and frilly as possible. "I will tell mother that you are dismissing perfectly valid advice regarding the styling of robes. See what she says /then/."
"Oh, do tell her that," Quintus advises her, his lips curling just slightly into a faint smirk. "Tell her, while dressed like that - and be sure to add it was your advice I was refusing." This comes out a little nastier than, perhaps, was intended, and he seems to realise this, for he mitigates it with a more amiable, "I don't care to be on the cusp of fashion; as you delight in point out, I'm an 'old man', and I would look even - I would look absurd," he corrects himself, "in so-called modern fashions."
Sighing, Satinka shakes her head testily. "Fine. If you must be that way, then be that way," she tells him. "But I don't want you to look common, so you better tell them to at least update your style even if you aren't going to take my very valid advice. I already told you that lavender wouldn't suit you," she tells him with a scoff. Satinka's temper is raised now, but she knows better than to take it out on the man who will, for all intents and purposes, be her father eventually. "I'll be back next week," she tells the woman that she had been working with earlier as she passes by. "Well. I suppose I'll see you at Seker's betrothal feast, then," she tells Quintus, somewhat coldly, giving another derisive look to his current ensemble before she starts toward the door slowly but decisively.
"Yes, the betrothal feast," Quintus repeats, not seeming especially bothered by the fact that she's leaving - before she does, however, he turns to look at her, calling out after her, "Miss Rathe?" He takes a step after her, adding, "On that note, I did have one question to pose to you. Are you intending to follow in your brother's footsteps and find a partner any time in the near future?"
Stopping short as Quintus poses this question to her, she turns toward him again. "And what, exactly, do you call Abe?" she asks, though few would call him much of a partner - his function is to serve as a sugar daddy in exchange for someone pretty and socially educated on his arm at social functions. It's pretty clear the young woman still spends most of her evenings out with any number of men and women getting into all kinds of silly and irresponsible hijinks and couplings. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to insult Abe by insinuating that he is somehow unworthy a partner for me."
Not being very involved in her life, Quintus didn't know about Abe, but he takes this in stride, shrugging his shoulders and posing the next question of, "You're right, I had... overlooked that. So, are you planning on /marrying/ anyone? It does not seem like you are on the road to... engagement with this man, unless I'm mistaken?" He studies her for a moment, eyebrows raised.
"What's your rush?" Satinka counters, crossing her arms across her chest. "You're much older than I am, and you're only just engaged relatively recently. It isn't like I'm past my /prime/ or something, and now Seker's promised to provide some Rathe heirs, so what's the rush?" she asks him, then waves her hand dismissively. "You just have marriage on your mind, old man," she calls him this as if it's his name. "Don't worry. When we /feel/ like getting married, then we'll do it up properly." She smirks at him.
"Fine, fine," Quintus raises a hand to Satinka, rolling his eyes and then adding, in quite a serious tone, "It's just been my experience that seeing someone with no intent to marry can be... misleading. And problematic. Just preparing to be your step-father, I suppose." By the end, there's just a hint that he's joking - but it's hard to say, and he returns to looking at different fabrics without so much as another word to the young lady.
"Don't worry," Satinka assures him with a smirk. "Abe and I have a very solid agreement, and we're both aware of what we want from the arrangement," she says casually. She watches as the man turns from her again, craning to see over his shoulder or around him. "Try him out in that charcoal," she tells one of the assistants. "Ta!" she calls to Quintus, then sweeps out of the door quickly before he can protest to her.
Helping Hands
The apartment door opens straight into the main living area, a fluffy lounge to one side, and a coffee table in the centre of the room. This room opens straight into a quite modern kitchen. To one side, the bronze-coloured walls open into a hallway, through which at least three doors can be seen - one is closed, but the other two are left open, showing a bathroom and what seems to be a master bedroom. Though quite stylish, in its way, and clearly only recently renovated, it has been left quite untidy - there's dishes piled up in the sink from at least the last two or three meals, two used coffee cups and several newspapers and magazines are strewn across the coffee table, and there are clothes draped over much of the furniture in the master bedroom. In the middle of all this is Kelly Linwood, who is lying down on the lounge with her bare feet kicked up on the arm (didn't anyone ever teach her not to do that?), reading a several months old edition of Witch Weekly.
Olivia Geroff has a bag over one shoulder, an infant in a carrier across her front and a child attached to each hand, while the oldest walks calmly along at her side. "You may play with your little toys very quietly, but don't interrupt mummy and her friend, alright?" she tells the young children in a sing-song kind of voice, trying to look cheerful, but really just looking - and feeling - slightly overpiled with things. She lets go of Jason's hand to rap on the door quickly, then, as if she's afraid the boy will be spontaneously whisked away, she takes up his hand again just as quickly.
"The door's open!" Kelly sings out in response to the quick knock on the door, but she wiggles this way and that to get herself up, and eventually makes her way to the door herself. These days, she's looking quite heavy, and she moves a little awkwardly. As she sees Olivia and her friends, she scowls a little - she's plainly not in a particularly good mood - but affects a smile as she greets them with, "This is a surprise... Olivia, was it? And... all your children." This last sounds a little more forced, but she glances over her shoulder, then shuffles out of the way to let them inside. "Sorry, it's a... little untidy in here. I haven't been much of one for cleaning lately."
Olivia looks slightly dumbstruck. "I owled you that I'd be visiting," the woman stammers a bit, then makes her way inside. "Don't touch anything that isn't yours," she tells the three older children then turns her attention to Kelly. "I imagine you're finding it harder to get around," she comments, pulling the bag off of her shoulder, but leaving the baby sling across her front, cradling it gently. "I brought some things for you." She pauses. "I'm not certain why, but I had a premonition that you'd be having a boy, so I brought mostly boys' clothes, though Evan snuck in some of the girls things. At any rate, I couldn't find some of them when I was looking. They're just in here." She gestures to the bag. Without even asking permission, Olivia busies herself with picking up the untidy area. "So, are you terribly bored with staying at home yet?"
"Did you?" Kelly asks, creasing her brow and looking at Olivia unsurely, taking her seat again on the lounge - rather than lying down with her feet up, though, she sits normally, leaving room for everyone else. "Did you tell me you were bringing your whole family?" Apparently, it's slipped her mind altogether, but she shrugs it off and watches Olivia cleaning up after her in silence. After a moment, she comments, "It's... nice of you to bring me all these things."
The three children, used to entertaining themselves for stretches of time, have plopped themselves in an empty bit of floor and seem to be playing some kind of make-belieev game involving lots of finger movements. Olivia herself has managed to tidy at least one patch of the room and she has made her way into the kitchen, where she has brandished her wand and begun to clean the dishes. "Yes, I'm sure I mentioned that. It's Cybele's day off today, and I couldn't stand being at home any longer." She pauses as she looks over at Kelly. "Well, aren't you even going to look at any of it? I believe there are a few books in there as well, to keep you occupied, if you want them. They're just some old muggle books that I have several copies of." The woman makes short order of the supply of dishes, but since she does not know the layout of Kelly's kitchen, she begins rummaging through cabinets to find where to put things away. "Is something the matter?" she asks, looking quite puzzled at
decidedly subdued behavior.
After a moment, Kelly suddenly calls out, "Oh! I remember now!" She stands up and makes her way into the kitchen, following Olivia, commenting, "You sent me a message saying that you would come visit today, but I really /don't/ remember you saying you were bringing all the children." She folds her arms across her chest, then shifts position and, instead, rests a hand on her large belly, before continuing, "No, you're right, I'd forgotten. You've been very helpful, you keep telling me things I didn't know! And your name's Olivia." She repeats this, as though trying to show off how much she /does/ remember of their past interactions.
"You're right, my name /is/ Olivia," said person comments, looking strangely at Kelly. "I thought we had established that some time back, but I suppose a reminder doesn't hurt." While the washing of the dishes themselves went quickly, Olivia is only half-finished with putting them away, since being in a strange kitchen has her somewhat disoriented. "Oh, this is Melia," Olivia finally thinks to tell Kelly. She pulls the two-month-old baby out of the sling, cradling her gently. "Would you like to hold her?" she offers, reaching her arms out slightly toward Kelly.
"Oh... I suppose so?" Kelly replies, reaching out to hold the baby; she manages to hold her carefully and in a supportive way, without dropping her, but is a bit awkward about doing so and it takes her a little while to get settled. "Melia? That's a... nice name," she comments, in an uncertain way that indicates she doesn't have much to say about it. "I'm sorry," that's an unusual thing to say for her, but she plows on anyway, "I'm not so with it today, I was thinking of dropping off for a nap, and... oh, that one goes in the cupboard over the stove, there." She nods towards the cupboard - she almost points, but remembers that she needs /both/ arms for the baby just in time and just jiggles the infant awkwardly.
"Ah, right," Olivia answers as she places the last few dishes away into their rightful homes, then starts using her wand to clean the surfaces in the kitchen - whether they need it or not. "I found that name in a book somewhere, and it just rather stuck," Olivia shares, not seeming to notice or otherwise not caring that Kelly seems only moderately interested. "Her middle name is Elaine. Evan wanted Ellen - that's his grandmother's middle name, but I talked him into Elaine. I like it better than Ellen. It's just a nicer name, don't you think?" She smiles pleasantly to Kelly as she finishes with the counter-level surfaces. The woman looks briefly at the floor, but decides it would be better to wait until there is nobody actually standing on it to start cleaning it. "How have you been keeping yourself busy?" She asks cordially as she turns toward the living room, aiming to tidy up the clutter some more.
Jiggling the baby a little in her arms again, trying to stay comfortable, Kelly comments, "Elaine has a... different sound," which is such a specific comment, of course. "More... gentle. We've been talking about names, Charlie and me, but there's not much to talk about. If it's a boy, his name is... Charles. Charles the fourth." She pauses, though, making a funny face at Melia - oh, yes, there is some good humour to her - before she asks, "Olivia? What nickname do you like for a baby Charles? Charles is such a fancy name for a little baby."
"Well, let's see. There's always Charlie, but I suppose that might get a mite confusing." The woman stops her tidying, holding a few magazines in her arms for a moment as she ponders. "There's always Chuckie. I've heard that one used, and it does sound right for a child. Or perhaps, hmmm. I believe Carl is also sometimes used." She continues straightening things up, stacking the magazines neatly on the coffee table and then stacking the newspapers neatly beside them. Olivia glances briefly toward the bedroom, but something tells her that it would simply be rude to invade someone's bedroom just for the sake of tidying things up. She takes a seat on the sofa, perched at the edge as she looks toward Kelly with a smile. "What about if it's a girl?" she asks. "Though I still have a feeling it will be a boy, but it never hurts to prepare!"
"I don't mind Chuckie, but I really don't like Chuck, and it would just get shortened, wouldn't it?" Kelly replies, looking down at the baby Melia rather than up at Olivia. She shifts the baby again, now looking a bit more uncomfortable, and looks up at Olivia again. "Well, we haven't discussed names for girls half as much - but you know, I think it would be appropriate to name it after someone, if it's a - well, if it's a she." She pauses, before adding, "His mother's name is Ann, which works as a middle-name with everything, but she's a bit..." She shudders, but doesn't elaborate.
"Well, I suppose if he wanted to, but I imagine Chuckie would stick to him clear through Hogwarts. He could choose after that what he wanted to go by. OF course, you could always go with Carl." She smiles cheerfully to Kelly. "Perhaps someone who meant a lot to you?" Olivia suggests with a slight shrug. "All of ours have middle names from someone in the family, and I think I have some ideas for another girl's name for if I have another girl sometime down the road." Clearly the woman is not opposed to the idea of that. "I'll take her," Olivia tells Kelly, reaching her arms out to receive the baby.
Though she quite happily returns the baby to her mother, Kelly doesn't say anything for a moment, just shifting her weight a little - and, after a moment, placing a hand on the small of her back with a slight cringe. She moves to take a seat on the lounge, taking some of the weight off her feet, before she asks, "How many children could you possibly want? You already have," she glances around, counting, before finishing, "Plenty. I couldn't deal with nearly that many. One - maybe two! - is enough for me."
Olivia shrugs vaguely in answer to this question. "As many as we have," is her very specific answer. "Evan comes from a large family, and I've no problem keeping track of the ones that we have." She pauses. "Though, I'll need my own dedicated office if we have too many more. My cubicle is quite crowded on days when Cybele isn't watching them in the afternoon as it is." She pauses. "There's nothing wrong with having only one or two, though. Lots of people don't have this many. Just happens that we have." Olivia seems quite comfortable in the status of her family. "Evan is the oldest of eight so far, so I suppose it just came with the territory that we would probably also have a large family."
Shrugging her shoulders slightly, Kelly observes, "Charlie is the second-youngest of five, and I'm the second-oldest of four, but believe me, we're still sticking with only one or two." She yawns, raising a hand to her mouth to stifle it, before she continues, "I know it sounds awful to you, you having so many more kids, but I'm thinking of looking into a nanny... so both of us can work, you know, without getting interrupted. I can't imagine a little baby Chuckie tagging along with Charlie at work, know what I mean?" She laughs, lightly, before asking, "However do YOU manage?"
"I suppose every family is different," Olivia replies with a nod. "Before I saw Evan's family, I had no intention of having more than one. Now, I couldn't imagine being without all the children and their, erm, aunts and uncles." She chuckles a bit, having clearly got used to the fact that some of he children are older than their aunts and uncles. "I keep a cradle in my cube," she starts. "And I always have a fair supply of small, quiet toys and little snacks for them. When there was only one or two it worked out alright, but when Arista came along, we hired Cybele to watch them while I'm at work. Some days she can't watch them in the afternoons, and we give her one weekday off as well, so I just have to take each moment as it comes on those days." Olivia shrugs and looks at her children for a moment. "They're fairly well-behaved, though, and I've never hesitated to take them out of the office for a few moments if they get restless. But they got used to it from a young age so
I suppose they're more aclimated to it than another child might be." She pauses for a moment. "I don't know what I would do without Cybele, and then Constance - she's Evan's younger sister - helps me out from time to time, though she's planning her own wedding so I suppose that will be over fairly soon." She sighs a happy sigh. Domesticity is Olivia's whole life, it would seem.
Kelly raises a bit of an eyebrow at this; it's quite plain that she wants rather more than this herself, and she shakes her head slightly at Olivia's happy sigh. "Well, I can't say I'm all that keen," she replies, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "I'd rather keep work a place to get away from them. The problem is, who could we get to watch them? We could rotate between my mother, Ann, Patty, Cassidy, Lenore - but Patty is so young, I doubt she'd want the hassle of a baby, and really, Cassidy and Lenore are still very young, too." She stretches out, shaking her head. "Besides, I don't really want - you know, in /that/ environment."
Though Olivia isn't entirely certain what Kelly is talking about - not being yet privvy to that part of her life's history yet - she nods sympathetically. "I'm sure you could find a reliable nanny. The really experienced ones cost a pretty knut, and they tend to charge based on how often and long you want them to work, and what tasks they'll be expected to perform." Olivia pauses for a moment. "I can take a look and see if I filed away the names and resumes of the nannies that we interviewed before hiring Cybele. She is such a help, really. I'm not sure how my mother-in-law manages - Minister for Magic and all of those children as well?" She shakes her head. "She doesn't even employ a nanny, and I'm sure I'd lose my mind if I didn't. Or at any rate, our home would be a terrible mess." She smiles a bit to Kelly. "There's certainly nothing wrong with having help."
There's a brief scowl that colours Kelly's face at the mention of the house being a mess - for a moment, wondering if that was some directed comment on the state of her apartment - but she relaxes after a moment and smiles again. "We'll work something out. We bought a little bassinet the other day, you know. Would you like to see it?" She begins the slow, awkward process of standing up, one hand on her stomach and the other on the arm of the lounge for leverage. "We decided to set it up in my bedroom, more convenient if he needs feeding in the middle of the night, and apparently there's more dire consequences if we have sleep-deprived aurors running around, so it can't possibly go in Charlie's room." She motions Olivia towards the open bedroom door.
"Certainly!" Olivia agrees, standing fairly easily. There's only a slight trace of surprise as she remembers that she is not the one pregnant in this case. Perhaps she is feeling sympathetic toward Kelly's "plight." "Yes, I could imagine that things might go more wrong if an auror didn't sleep well, though I would hope he's planning to help at least /some/," Olivia comments without judgment. Olivia's eyebrows raise as she realizes that Kelly and Charlie have designated rooms, but not knowing how to ask the question politely, particularly when there are little ears about, a surprised expression is all that she shows. She takes a moment while Kelly readjusts her balance to put Melia back into the sling still over the front of her person.
"On his days off, he'll be handling everything," Kelly announces, pushing the door a little more open and, then, pushing some clothes out of her way, taking a seat on her double-bed. "Will they be alright if we leave them unattended for a moment?" She asks, creasing her brow with concern, and peeking out the door - but it's short-lived as she waves a hand at the bassinet, a delicate, pale blue thing that doesn't especially match her rather bold decor. "Look, isn't it lovely? Apparently it's the latest thing, it's extremely safe, and there's a charm on it -- it'll grow, so there's always just the right amount of space for anything you put in it." She frowns slightly, adding, "I was a bit worried about that, but apparently it's perfectly safe, there's no way for it to just go out of control."
"Oh, I see," Olivia replies, nodding as she follows Kelly. "Oh, certainly. They know not to touch anything that doesn't belong to them. Besides, I'll know if they're getting into something they oughtn't." She sighs happily as she spots the basinette. "Oh, I've heard about those!" she agrees, looking into it and running her fingers along the fabric gently. "We still have the large one that we've had since Chrissy was born. It still works so I don't see the harm in keeping it." She seems particularly interested in the basinette, however, looking over every bit of it for a few minutes. "This is very nice. I can tell it's top quality, and I hear the company that makes them is very reputable. A reader sent in a letter about them, but I hadn't gotten around to doing any investigation about it yet." She smiles. "Are you going to have a mobile for him at all?" Olivia has now just given up calling the baby by a gender-neutral pronoun.
"Well, I suppose this way it doesn't get in the way until you need it to be bigger... and I suppose the baby doesn't get all lost in a bigger one until they're ready to fit?" It's clearly a bit of a guess, but Kelly shrugs her shoulders and continues on, "I never thought about mobiles, do you think they're important? I suppose he'd get bored of looking at nothing... but he's a baby, anything could entertain him." She puts a hand on her stomach, correcting herself, "He's not even a baby yet, but... he will be." She glances over at Olivia, smiling faintly, and adding, "You've been a big help to me."
"I suppose that would be the purpose," Olivia agrees. "It is sensible not to take up more space than necessary, for certain." She nods cheerfully, then starts to ponder. "Well, as they grow older, I believe it helps with their development. If you don't stimulate a child to be interested in its surroundings, how will it learn that it should be?" She nods very strongly at this. "Besides, they're something to look at while you try to get a cranky child to sleep." She grins a little bit. "We got one that was Quidditch brooms when Chrissy was born, then I found one of dragons. Arista had the Quidditch brooms, too, and now we've been given one that swirls different colors around depending on the time of day for Melia." She pauses as Kelly makes her statement about the child-to-be's baby-ness. "Of /course/ it's a baby," she comments. "Haven't you felt it kicking and all of that? It's certainly a baby." As Kelly gives Olivia what the woman would consider to be the highest compliment,
she blushes a bit, her cheeks turning a beet-y red. "I'm glad to have helped. I enjoy helping where I can, especially with things like this. I have a fair bit of experience, after all." She laughs a bit nervously, as if she isn't quite sure how to receive compliments, even still.
"It's almost a baby," Kelly replies, in a vaguely agreeable tone. "I'm not sure if he's really a baby until I can see him... until then, he's just very uncomfortable." She looks around the room idly, before shrugging her shoulders slightly and adding, "I suppose a mobile would be nice... depends on what it is, nothing sickly baby-ish like cutsey little animals or something. Swirls or something could be nice." She doesn't say any more about the compliment, just letting it hang there.
"Perhaps you could find a lovely one with magical creatures on it. Unicorns, hippogryffs... perhaps a kneazle or two," Olivia's own mind seems to have wandered to the possibilities of mobiles that could be that she hasn't even seen yet. "That would be interesting to watch for a while anyway. The lights are nice, but they've been putting me to sleep a bit," Olivia admits slightly sheepishly, as if admitting this makes her a less than wonderful mother. At this moment, Melia begins to fuss a bit, and Olivia looks down at her thoughtfully. "Oh dear. It's time for her to eat again." She pauses, as if considering that it would be worth it to try to feed her in a stranger's home, then seemlingly decides against it. "I had better get going before this becomes more than hungry. I wouldn't want you to be frightened so soon with a full-on tantrum." She chuckles to herself, apparently finding this quite amusing. At this, the woman begins to move slowly toward the main living area once ag
ain.
"Well, I was thinking about having that nap," Kelly replies, a little uncertainly, hefting herself off the bed again and following Olivia out into the main living area. "I'll go through those things, and - I don't know, would you like me to return anything that I don't - I mean, that I can't use?" Just in time, she manages to correct herself before saying something a bit tactless. She stands back a bit uncertainly, glancing at each of the children in turn, and then at the door. "Charlie will be surprised when he comes back, he'll think I've cleaned up everything..."
"Oh, certainly. Wait until after the baby comes, of course. There are some different sizes in there - I wasn't sure how big he might be, so I put in a variety. When you come back to work you can return them. I'm not in any great need at the moment." Olivia smiles pleasantly as she gets her children out of their game and ready to go once again. "You don't have to tell him that you didn't, of course," Olivia tells her with a slightly sly grin. "But you might look over some of my columns. One of those magazines in particular has a good column about organization. I imagine you'll find it helpful once the baby arrives!" She nods cheerfully, then looks at her three children. "Well, it has been nice visiting, but we'd better be off. I hope you'll have a pleasant nap." With this, she makes her way toward the door, slightly awkwardly as only Jason is tall enough to actually reach her hand without the necessity to stoop. After a moment, she steps out, and, offering a wave to Kelly, she
closes the door behind her.
Operation: Impending Doom
It's late evening and the buzz of the school life is starting to quiet down even if there are still older students out and about doing various chores, homework, or gossiping. For her part Astra's retreated to the quiet of her private quarters instead of her usual rounds of checking the castle, the grounds and heading to her office or to some other diversion. Having pulled out a few glasses and a bottle of brandy she pours out a glass for herself more as something to do with her hands than to actually drink Pacing as she waits for the expected arrival of her son the papers she's been reviewing since before supper are sitting out on the table.
Rapping twice on the door, Seker Rathe makes his way into the room before he's properly acknowledged, only because he was summoned here specifically. "Good evening, mother," he says upon sight of Astra, smiling faintly. Stepping up to the woman he's now taller than, he fairly offers himself up for inspection as he adds, "How's the new school year?"
"Bothersome as always, but only because I'm not teaching." Grousing about her position the woman stands there with the snifter in hand and eyes the now-young-man with a gritty appraisal. "I'm glad you finally came to visit. You know, you and Satinka *are allowed and encouraged* to come by and visit your old and very-out-of-date-and-probably-embarrassing mother. Waving her hand to dismiss the topic she gesture to the table, "Feel free to help yourself." Wandering back to the table even as the offer is spoken Astra picks up the papers and reviews them again, only now drinking from her own glass. "I hear you're finally taking your rightful place in the family." Looking up sharply to her son she offers a smile, "I was beginning to worry you wouldn't settle down and choose a profession. I'm pleased and so is grandfather."
Seker's ears turn a bit pink as Astra insinuates about his and his sister's absence. He never thought that his mother would be the type to miss her children, but pondering it now, he supposes he could picture it. "Actually mum, even I haven't seen much of Satinka lately." Truth is, he hasn't seen much of anyone. He's been too busy making a starting stock of violins to sell, but he doesn't say this. His mother would probably only encourage him to get out more, something he has no desire to do at the moment. Pouring himself a modest glass of brandy, he sits down and looks to Astra. "I didn't feel like I was talented enough to sell my violins yet," he admits, a bit sheepishly. "But it's been going well enough I suppose. I've only sold one violin so far. It doesn't seem like very much, but I guess that violin is a fairly hard instrument. Not many people rise to the challenge," he remarks with a nod and a sip of his cup. "I'm glad you and grandfather approve, though," he adds quie
tly, earnestly.
"Grandfather less so but I told him to shut his gob and mind his own business. He'd rather have you placed in the Ministry, but you will do better where you are. Your temperament is far more artistic in nature." Astra was the dry to Blair's sweet and never one to overly dote, but there are times when she did and now is one of those times in her own manner. "You'll do well, but don't give up and give it time. You're younger than most and with time, patience, and practice you'll become a master at what you do. You're a Rathe. It's in your blood to excel and be a leader in whatever you choose to do." There's certainly no humility in those words and clearly the woman believes them wholeheartedly no matter how arrogant they might sound to an outsider. Finally taking a seat she doesn't lean back or kick her feet up on the table as is her wont, but instead she sits forward and in an expectant pose. "Before I get to the exact business I've wanted to discuss," here she sips at the liq
uor, "tell me something. Do you want the tattoos? You've stepped up with one duty and now you've earned the right to bear them if it's your desire. I'll just need to arrange the rite with your grandfather."
"Da-dum da-dee-da, da-da-da-dum," The sound of a man humming to himself is audible before Quintus Helit steps out of the room, a dark blue dressing gown wrapped around his large body and cinched tightly at the waist with a paler blue silk rope. His feet are bare, and his first words to Astra plainly indicate that he was not expecting company - "I know you're not such a fan, but I still prefer you in wh -" he cuts himself off there, eying Seker, and considering him silently for a moment, adopting a considerably more stoic expression before adding, stiffly, "Master Rathe; it's a pleasure."
"What is the rite?" Seker asks quickly, almost fearfully -- once more a child but just for a flash. "I mean, well, yes, I want the tattoos," he says, sitting a bit straighter after his mother's encouraging words. The woman's opinion of him is everything to the young man and to hear that he's within her graces only makes him wish that he'd steeled himself and opened the shop sooner. To hear that Gerald Rathe would have preferred him in the Ministry is no surprise to him, but Seker agrees that he would hardly have been useful there. Seker looks to his mother, awaiting her reply before he hears Quintus' humming, and then, sees the man. Seker reflexively turns away as if seeing something he shouldn't be, and has to force himself to reply. "Mr. Helit," he says curtly, still not quite used to the relationship between his mother and the man. "Er, good evening," he adds.
"Oh by my great-grandfather's whiskers you two are as bad as ever!" Rolling her eyes and standing up, papers still in one hand and brandy snifter in the other Astra takes a drink before walking over to Quintus with a small smile. "Don't you remember I sent for Seker?" Then fretting over something she furrows her brows, "No. Damn it. I'm sorry dear. There's been so much going on lately it slipped my mind to tell you." Handing the drink off to the older man she hints at a smile, "I'm sorry." She certainly has never easily apologized in public, but here between family members it is another matter. "You two should get used to each other anyway and I suppose now is as good a time as any." Turning back to Seker she does lean in slightly to Quintus as she wraps the hand holding the papers around her stomach. "The rite? I don't know dear, I'm not a man but I've been pestering father for the tattoos for years. Maybe he'll finally buckle and allow me to have them?" "I don't think it is
/terribly/ painful, but I know it takes place over about a week. They're rather large."
Raising an eyebrow at the two Rathes, Quintus is silent for a moment - before he confirms for his fiancee, "No, no, you didn't seem to feel the need to mention that." He considers Seker for a moment, stiffly correcting him, "Professor Helit." Without asking for permission to do so, he moves to pour himself a class of some spirit, before taking a seat and watching the two silently.
Simply nodding, Seker mulls over the idea quickly but doesn't wind up recanting. "Alright." He's seen the tattoo on his grandfather before, and always hoped he'd have one to match. He bragged to Satinka about it once, but she didn't seem very broken up that she'd not be allowed to get one, too. Regarding Quintus as he pours his drink, Seker shrinks back only slightly and repeats, "Professor. Sorry." A silence ensues for a moment before Seker glances up to Astra and asks, "Is that what you wanted to ask me about? The tattoos?" Given Quintus' attire, he doesn't want to linger unduly lest he be interrupting other plans. As his mind wanders, he actually shakes his head. Don't go there, Seker!
"Darling, surely /he/ can call you Quintus now? We're to be married and this whole thing is rather oddly formal given that he's my /son/." Shaking her head again a small sort of sigh flutters from Astra's lips and then she addresses her son. "Hm? Oh no that was side business really, but I'll set it up with father. You should get those as soon as possible really. Especially now." Those two words carry a weight that the previous chatter didn't have. Wandering back to the sitting area she lowers herself into a chair and leans forward again, this time extending the papers to Seker. "I won't force this upon you, but as you and your sister have yet to see fit to do your real duty to the family I've decided to take action. It's high time one of you do your familial duty to provide the next generation and since neither of you seem inclined to take a suitable spouse I thought you would have an easier time with it than your sister. Children are more a burden to women than to men and wi
th a wife to bear them for you it spares your sister of that pain." "It's a contract for marriage with the Marqueen family."
There's a soft, "Oh," from Quintus as Astra begins speaking about the contract, and he steps in before Seker can say anything with a somewhat exasperated, "He STILL doesn't know about this?!" He glances at Seker, apparently judging for evidence of being shocked, before he shakes his head and adds, "If you do this to our children, I'll be telling them promptly. I hope you realise that." He shoots Seker another glance, this one rather more sympathetic; he's met Vilivia by now, and looks concerned for what the poor young man is getting himself into.
'Taken aback' would be a bit of an understatement. Seker got a cold feeling of foreboding as his mum leaned in, and now that feeling has more or less hit him in the face. Astra's earlier speech of being proud of Seker's profession is forgotten for the moment as Seker stares, unseeing, at the paper in front of him. Probably half a minute goes by before the young man even moves. When he does, it's to look at Quintus and shrug meekly. He's too stunned about the contract to properly process Quintus' implication of children between he and his mother. Now, he looks to Astra and replies, "Contract for marriage," flatly. "Well..." he starts, now looking more closely at the paper. "It's... well this is quite... sudden. I don't suppose I can think it over, can I?" he asks, surely feeling like his life is being turned upside down. He admittedly hasn't been thinking about getting married, especially now, as he's starting up his new shop.
Stiffening at her fiance's words Astra almost looks affronted. "First, there was the matter of the dowry to attend and then there was the matter that I had a /school year/ coming up and then the Board breathing down my back. I haven't had the time I need to see to this business as I ought to have and father's been busy in his own right so I couldn't ask him." Continuing, "Quintus, dear, if we have children they won't have to deal with any of this. They'll be taking your name and not mine." Then, as if that settles things she addresses Seker's concerns. "I would rather that you put your name to this contract as soon as possible to make the betrothal legal, but I suppose I could give you a little time to think on it. Dear, it really would be good for the family and the marriage wouldn't happen for another seven years. That's plenty of time to settle into the idea and start building toward family life. The girl *is* only eleven." None of this seems to faze Astra in the least, mu
ch less the idea of the age difference. "She's from good stock, she'll take care of your home, she'll bear you many children, and raise them for you. Plus, the Marqueens have promised us one-hundred and ten acres to add to our estate - land that will be yours and your children's no matter who becomes the heir. In addition, they've agreed to cover half the costs of building and outfitting your own family home on said land. It's a good investment dear, please think it over. It would be good for us politically."
His expression now changing as he turns to look at Astra, Quintus raises an eyebrow and shakes his head slightly. "Are you saying you wouldn't want our children to marry well unless they are named Rathes?" He pauses for a moment, before adding, in a more compromising tone, "Granted, my older siblings have already carried on the family line, but really, is that any way to approach the issue? I thought you liked being controlling." He glances back to Seker, barely able to conceal a smirk as he adds, "Besides, boy - young man, Seker, she's better than your current options, she won't stop talking about how fantastic you are, and how many wives and girlfriends will do that? I'm sure she'd be quite a catch if someone could ever teach her how to shut up."
"Eleven?" Seker says, a bit louder than he intends. That changes things. It makes her... well, eleven years /younger/ than him. "So, this won't happen for a while," he says, more to himself. Still, he's listened closely to the rest, and Seker nods at what Astra says to him. Despite his shock, he's vaguely aware that his mother has probably never called him 'dear' so much in one sitting before; she must really want this. Shifting in his seat, Seker sips once more at his brandy and looks to Quintus. "She knows about it already? Oh..." he says. Considering it though, he's oddly flattered. She really thinks he's fantastic? Quintus has a point. No girls seem to gush over him presently. And he doesn't mind talkers. If the girl could fill an awkward silence, it meant that he wouldn't have to. After a final look to his mother, he merely says, "Have you got a quill?"
"Oh hush you," directing a fond look at Quintus. "I was as bad as she was at that age but not so stuck on love. She's sure to grow out of it in time." "As for any children we /might/ have," putting the emphasis directly on the word, "I won't *need* to worry about them marrying well. They aren't going to inherit and they aren't going to be Rathe. They'll be able to marry as they like unless *you* take issue. If I didn't fulfill this duty toward the family my father would step in and who knows who *he'd* pick out." Giving a slight shudder at the very idea she settles back only a little, but not enough to be casual. Beaming at Seker as if he's the world's greatest gift Astra stands up and crosses the room quickly. Retrieving a box, she presents it almost with formality and opens it up. Inside is nestled a quill pen crafted from a swan's feather the nib itself magically enhanced against common breakage. An inkpot, unopened, holds a small quantity of golden ink. "Thank you Seker
. You've settled the matter of the next generation and put my mind at ease." "Grandfather will be thrilled and I couldn't be happier - or prouder."
"Of course she knows," Quintus confirms for Seker, "because darling Vilivia's father can't keep his mouth shut - or because, perhaps," he adds, a little grudgingly, "they knew that you would rise to the occasion and everything would work out for the best." He sips at his own beverage, his gaze flickering between the two, before adding, this time directed at Astra, "We'll wait and see if anyone good enough for them comes along." He turns his glass this way and that, his eyes now drifting to the liquid therein, watching the way it moves from side to side carefully.
Nervously, Seker picks the quill out of its nest and unscrews the inkpot. He smiles back to his mother, though it surely wouldn't be described by most as 'beaming'. "To the Rathes," he says, hesitating only briefly before dipping the quill and signing his name in a small, slightly cramped but perfectly legible hand. Seker Rathe -- it reads quite plainly now, and the young man looks upon it, inhaling as he wipes off the quill and replaces it in its box. "It's good for us politically," Seker repeats his mother's words to Quintus as if the reason is more than good enough a reason to sign the rest of his life to. Sitting back as well, Seker looks to his pocketwatch and then to his mother. "Well, I trust /that/ wasn't side business," he says, trying to lift the tension he feels.
There is a hint of sorrow to that otherwise happy expression that Astra carries. "Duty is as heavy as a mountain." It's all she says for the time as she retrieves the quill box and ink, placing everything back carefully and returning it to the shelf from which it was plucked. "Thank you Seker. I know that it's a heavy burden I ask of you to marry for politics rather than love." Finding her snifter she returns to the chair and nestles back into it now far more casually than ever. "I wish most marriages were for love," hear she turns to smile at Quintus, "but those are rare and few and not without their own set of troubles." Turning back to the young man she raises her glass at him, "May you give us plenty of children." With that she takes a hearty swallow and then adds, "I fully expect you'll want a lover or two on the side," as if this is a perfectly *normal* conversation topic after the business is completed. "Just be discreet and use an infertility charm. I shouldn't want t
o deal with the trouble of bastard Rathe running around born from who-knows-what-heritage."
"And if you get a start before you're married," Quintus continues this line of thought, his expression and tone extremely serious, "make sure you're the one to cast the charm yourself, even if she insists that she is already making efforts to ensure that a child does not result. That is a common trick to get an uncertain man into a marriage, and if you fall for that, then you will have to marry her for being so foolish." He sips at his drink again, looking up at Astra and adding, a little softly, "I wouldn't suppose they are all that rare... would you?"
Nodding at first, and then blushing a little at the thought of 'plenty of children', Seker drains his glass at the toast, and sets it down lightly. He doesn't, for the time, feel too badly about not marrying for love. After all, there was a chance he'd never fall in love. If he waited for that to happen, he might disappoint his family. And that was far worse than marrying for politics. Seker actually feels strangely secure in this arrangement, the more he thinks about it. It's as if something looming has been taken care of. He balks at the next words of the two adults though. A lover, or /two/ on the side? Seker stands up abruptly, thoroughly embarrassed, and checks his watch again, but this time, only for show. "Yes! Yes, well, I'll be sure to do that. Err, not be lured into another marriage, that is. Well mother, Professor," he says, nodding once to each, "I best be going. Oh--" he stops as he thinks of one last thing. "When do I, um, meet her?"
"Among my family they are. Among most purebloods they are. It's a rare and lucky thing if a pureblood manages to find love *and* a suitable marriage. Like Martin, he's lucky in that way but most of us aren't. We're either tied to a marriage we'd rather not be part of, we compromise for our families, we take lovers, or we have children out of wedlock. Sometimes any number of those combined." Astra considers her son's discomfort as he suddenly stands up and looks amused. "Listen to Quintus on this one. It's true and if any young woman comes along thinking she can snare /my/ son she has another thing coming." Then, in response to his question, "Hopefully soon." "I'd like to have a betrothal feast as is common in these matches, but that might have to wait until Christmas holiday. However, if you'd like I could arrange a smaller affair first? Perhaps tea here with the two of you if you like?"
Quintus raises his glass to Seker with just a faint hint of a smirk, now, nodding his head slightly. "That would be even worse than having a child through an affair once you're married; both would be awful, but at least if you're married you have plausible deniability, and you're merely an irresponsible cad. If you have a child and have to marry another woman before you're married, then you've just ruined your mother's contract as well as being an irresponsible cad." He drinks down the last of his drink, falling silent at this point - waiting for Astra and Seker to finish making their plans/.
Freezing up a bit at the initial thought that a betrothal feast would be the first time he'd meet his betrothed, Seker eases noticeably when Astra mentions an intimate tea. "Yes, the second. If you could arrange that, I'd be much obliged. I have to admit, I'm quite curious." In fact, Seker will have a hard time not thinking about it, but try he will, lest he be too nervous for that important first impression especially if Vilivia already thought highly of him. "In any case, I should be going. Have a good evening," Seker says, shutting the door on his way out and sighing once he is.
The Revelation
Having left Gilbert at home with the children Kalika Fallon-Wexler marches to Eva and Tommy's house. Her curly hair has been pinned back, but she appears particularly harried with hair frizzies sticking out about the pins (nothing like unruly curly hair). As she reaches her destination, she quickly smoothes her robes, attempts to smoothe her unruly hair, and sighs. In her hand she's carrying the latest installment of the Daily Prophet. Frowning the freckled woman, raps urgently on the Fallon's front door.
Expecting the knocks, Tom Fallon is nearly poised at the door, and opens it at once. "Oh good, you're here," he comments with a quick smile. He steps away from the door to allow his sister room to step inside, and glances at the newspaper in her hand. "Well, we'll have enough copies of it..." he remarks, motioning for her to follow him into the living room where he last saw Eva several minutes ago.
Eva's own hair is anything but tidy, though it doesn't hold a candle to Kalika's. "Kalika, hello!" Eva greets her sister-in-law with a relatively quiet voice. "Do you want some tea or anything?" the woman asks, her voice slightly strained as she paces slightly aimlessly through the livingroom, her arms crossed over her front. She approaches the woman and leans in to kiss her cheek, giving as care-free a smile as she can manage. It's almost as if Eva doesn't want to be the one to bring up the fears that have been already expressed.
"Yes I'm here. Always try to come when asked, you know," Kalika answers quickly before glancing around the street and then stepping into the house. She sighs a bit as she pads into the living room. "Thomas Porter certainly is the talk of the town, isn't he?" her voice as a sarcastic edge. She offers Eva the warmest smile she can muster given the circumstances, and returning a cheek kiss in return to her sister in law "that would be lovely!" With a sigh, she welcomes herself to a seat on the couch--it's her brother's house, afterall. She opens the paper to the article in question. Before saying anything else, she just furrows her eyebrows, "I assume you've both read it."
"Over and over," Tom answers with a nod, picking up his copy of the Prophet before also sitting down. He faces Kalika almost grimly as he flips to the article in question. "Thomas Porter. Well, what do we make of this one? I guess I was sort of expecting some kind of hidden message for us if it really was Lindsay, assuming Porter published anything else. But nothing really stands out to me." Tom's voice is calm, hopeful even. Maybe this isn't connected to them after all.
"Yes." Eva answers slightly tersly before she disappears into the kitchen for a moment. Some clanking is heard while she prepares the tea, but after a few minutes, she returns with tea for the three of them, setting a tray down on a side table near Kalika before taking a cup for herself and sitting down. "This whole thing scares me to death," Eva admits, her voice shaking a bit. She clears her throat as if to hide the shaking, but her face is pale as she looks to Kalika. "What do you make of it?"
Eyes are narrowed at Tommy as Kalika tries to decide if he's kidding or not about the hidden message. After several moments pass, the women quirks an eyebrow and leans back in her seat. "So. . ." she wrinkles her nose ". . . you really /don't/ remember?" Kalika sideglances Eva and then Tommy and frowns. "I'm nearly one hundred percent certain it's Lindsay now." Her frown deepens and the woman sighs. "Do you remember Avery's wedding at all, Tommy? I was a flower girl and Lindsay was the ring-bearer." She leaves the story here for a minute as she nods at Eva. "It's frightening because Lindsay seems to have himself wrapped in something far over his own head and capacity. He's always been a selfish dolt, but I never never never thought he'd be /this/ selfish!" Kalika picks up her cup of tea, takes a deep breath, and manages a single sip before returning it to the table.
"Woah! Hold on Kalika, back up!" Tom says, holding up his hands in defense. "You're going to have to remind me about Ave's wedding. I know I was there and all, but don't you remember that gorgeous bridesmaid, Catherine, that she paired me up with to walk down the aisle? I spent half that day mustering up the courage to ask her on a date! Err..." he stops, glancing at Eva. "Before I met the love of my life of course. Come to think of it, Catherine wasn't that pretty...!" he stammers, momentarily his old, jovial self. But one look at Kalika brings him back to reality. "Lindsay was the ring-bearer, yes, I remember that. He was just a kid. The article mentions a ring but... it's a bit of a stretch, Kali."
Eva snorts wryly at Tommy's backpedaling and she leans over to pat him on the hand affectionately, forgetting for a moment the reason that Kalika has come by. It doesn't take much to bring her back, however, and she looks from Kalika to Tom and then back again. "What? What happened? I haven't heard this story that I recall." Eva's voice sounds strained again and she nervously takes a sip of her tea. "Please tell me. I can't stand the suspense of not knowing right now."
"It's /not/ just the ring Tommy!" Kalika uses her brother's childish nickname while rolling her eyes. "/Clearly/ your attention was elsewhere!" she exasperates as she takes another deep breath and sips at her tea. She returns it to the table, and then her anxiety seeps through once more. "Lindsay--like all young ring-bearers--/misplaced/ the rings! It was absolutely unbelievable! And then when he couldn't find them he accused /me/ of eating them! Consuming a ring!" She raises her fingers to her temples. "He's saying who he is to /us/. I don't know why now when he's been gone so long, but this is Lindsay. I'm almost certain of it."
Recollection dawns on Tom like a wave, a cold wave of bleak certainty. He remembers now, the look of panic on his cousin's face when Lindsay stood before her with an empty ring pillow and accused Kalika of eating the rings. Looking back down to the newspaper in his hands, he re-reads the lines mentioning the rings. Kalika was right. Inhaling slowly, he looks to Eva wordlessly, his eyes surely conveying his emotions. Turning to his sister, he says, "So... what do we do now? You're right. It is Lindsay. It is."
The look on Tommy's face inspires pure terror in Eva. She sets down her cup of tea with a loud CLACK onto the table next to her and looks from Tommy to Kalika and back again. "If it /is/ him... he's putting us /all/ in danger," the woman whispers raspily. All the color has now drained from her face, making her freckles appear even more prominent and stark against her skin. "Oh, Merlin. Oh, /Merlin/!" The last is said a bit louder than she had intended, and Eva looks worriedly toward the direction of the childrens' rooms before looking back. "What do we do?"
Kalika brings the cup to her lips, but her han ds are shaking so much that she can't manage to actually take a sip of tea. With another sigh she places the cup on the table. There's no point in accidentally spilling tea all over herself. "Is there /anything/ to be done--besides murder Lindsay whenever he turns up?! Honestly! If we go to the authorities we effectively put our families in danger by leaking Lindsay's identity! Are there any authorities either of you would trust? Gil and I came up empty when we discussed this in code in front of the children--which, by the way isn't the best way to discuss such thing, I think we have to buy the children a puppy now--" She croses her arms over her chest as she leans forward in her seat. "Gilbert and I are open to suggestions. We're working on new security charms around the house."
"Calm down, Kalika," Tom says automatically at hearing his sister's murderous sentiments, but unknown to him presently his hands are balled up into fists. How dare that little snot endanger his family like this? "We're probably in danger even if we don't go to the authorities. Honestly, I don't quite know what to do. It seems to me, though, that Lindsay was trying to warn us. Why else would he have slipped in this message? And written under that name? He wants us to know it's him. I don't know... do we try to contact him? Is he going to show up sometime?" Tom shakes his head as he notices his fists, and makes to take Eva's hand in his instead. "The kids at Hogwarts are safe. We'll take extra care here and put up some charms too. Maybe that's all Lindsay wanted us to do." Even as he says this, Tom doubts his own words. This is bigger than security charms.
"The kids at Hogwarts are safe, but we have more of them home than at school, and then your four," Eva gestures with her free hand to Kalika. "And Freddie has six at home right now, and Henrietta isn't strong after this last one, and then there's little Felicity at Basil's house..." Eva trails off and blinks tears out of her eyes as she takes deep breaths. "We are /not/ safe." She pauses and breathes in very deeply and slowly. "What do we do?" she whispers.
"What authorities would we even go to?!" Kalika exasperates and then adds in a quieter tone, "Who would we even speak to?" She frowns as she wrings a corner of one of her sleeve. "But--" she begins and then stops. "So our brilliant plan is to sit and wait, then?! I hate this! Why is he such a self-ish dolt?! Why can't he think of someone other than himself for once!" With a sigh she nods at Eva, "Gilbert and I discussed it, and I'm thinking of quitting work and staying home. I'm no Auror, but I'm not an /untalented/ witch." She frowns a bit and then smirks, "I'll have to stop saving the world one legal brief at a time." And then she shrugs, "Perhaps we should consider pooling resources in /one/ home. . ."
Nodding, Tom agrees with Kalika. "I could get behind all staying in one place. It'd be a mad house, but it might be the safest option. The more adults we can have guarding the children, the better. No one should leave the house alone." Pondering, Tom mentions, "Didn't someone mention Martin Rathe last time we met? He's an auror isn't he? He's at the ministry in any case, and if he has Astra Rathe behind him, maybe he could help us."
"Freddie mentioned that they spoke at the Daily Prophet," Eva chimes in quietly, looking down at the floor for a moment before she looks back at the other two. "I think we're going to have to all get under one roof. It will take a lot of work fitting everybody into one house, but I would not feel safe otherwise." The woman sighs a bit. "Whose house do you think would be able to accomodate /everyone/, though?" This, it seems, will be the difficult question.
"An Rathe auror? Yes, I vaguely remember hearing something about him--do either of you know him? I don't think I knew a Rathe younger than Astra when I was at Hogwarts. . ." Kalika wrinkles her nose as she considers that while biting her bottom lip. "I don't know whose house would be most appropriate. Not ours--it's too small to house everyone. Who has the most kids? Presumably they'd have the most space--"
"I can't say I've ever met him in person... or at least I don't think I have. But Ave's at Hogwarts, so maybe she can get a hold of him through Astra. Or, well, Freddie seems to have access to him as well. Maybe we'll just shoot him an owl... or not, I guess that could be intercepted. We'll have to be careful with communication from now on, now that we're certain." Sighing once more, he adds, "I suppose we could fit everyone here. Or try at least. We'll have to conjure up some extra beds, and maybe create an addition or two at the back..." he trails off, home renovation the last thing he wants to think about right now.
"I can't say I've ever met him in person... or at least I don't think I have. But Ave's at Hogwarts, so maybe she can get a hold of him through Astra. Or, well, Freddie seems to have access to him as well. Maybe we'll just shoot him an owl... or not, I guess that could be intercepted. We'll have to be careful with communication from now on, now that we're certain." Sighing once more, Tom adds, "I suppose we could fit everyone here. Or try at least. We'll have to conjure up some extra beds, and maybe create an addition or two at the back..." he trails off, home renovation the last thing he wants to think about right now.
Eva pauses as she thinks of their house being invaded by the whole family - all her brothers and their progeny, and then Tommy's family as well, and she pales a little bit, but gives a decisive nod. "It only makes sense. We already have the most bedrooms..." She trails a little bit. "Anyone with kids under Hogwarts age should come here certainly, but who else? How can I possibly leave out Jared and Logan, even though they haven't any kids. And what about Basil's older kids - Briony, and of course, Gabe. Alice and Alden, too." Eva sighs a bit and seems to be doing some math in her head. "If we put all the little girls in one room and all the little boys in another, that would save a lot of space, and then we could leave rooms enough for the parents..." She pauses. "I'm going to have to get more protections on the shop. Maura and Felicity have been living in the apartment and I certainly don't want them to be in danger. Ariena is probably safe, and Oliver is at Hogwarts this ye
ar..." Eva trails off, then looks a the others. "I assume that Christine and her husband would come, too?"
"Yes. Avery. Avery can help," Kalika sighs a bit and leans back in her seat. "We have each other. That makes us strong, right? And yes, I suppose your house is the best option at this point. Especially with the children away at Hogwarts soon." She moistens her lips and then nods a bit, "We will have to put the children altogether. We'll make sure that we get bunk beds for them. That's the only way there will be enough space." Kalika shrugs a bit at the notion of Christine, "I don't think Christine will bend to this plan easily. Her and Ryan have tended to be away from all of us--"
"Niamh will be at Hogwarts too, anyways," Tom adds. "The only reason I can see Christine being a target is that she's the youngest sister. I don't know how these people think. I guess symbolically the youngest female in a set of siblings is the most vulnerable, but I'd say they could fend for themselves. Sorry to say, but same goes for Gabe and Briony. We can't physically fit our entire family under one roof, no matter how much we want everyone to be safe. The children are the priority. They're the ones who couldn't defend themselves for an instant, wandless and untrained." Tom feels a terrible sense of helplessness just now. He can't protect his family alone, and it's an awful feeling.
Eva looks more fearful as she is reminded that her older nieces and nephews should be able to fend for themselves. "I don't know," she admits. "I suppose we'll just have to see how many we can fit." The woman closes her eyes for a moment and thinks. "I think that's everyone. "That's ten boys and eight girls. Surely they'll fit into a room each - they're still all small enough. The older ones can fit in where there's room for the holiday. That leaves three rooms for adults, plus the office could be converted, so four... Logan and Jared could share, and Alden. If Alice stayed with the little girls, that could fit her in, then we might have room for Gabe and Briony, too, since there would be room for you and Gil, and Basil and Sibyl and Freddie and Henrietta... It would be tight but then they would still fit." Eva's hands are shaking a bit. "I don't want to leave /anyone/ out," she finally admits. "How could he do something so /selfish/?" she asks, her voice cracking as she fina
lly breaks down into tears.
"Yes, the concern really is the children. With more of us it guarantees more than one of us will be around during the day to watch the children," Kalika nods at Tom while she considers what she would do to Lindsay if anything happened to any of the children. She then nods a bit at Eva, "You're right. Ideally we would all stay here. Considering the material in these articles. . . I wouldn't put it past any of Lindsay's newfound friends to hurt any of us." She sighs and then tries to soothe her sister-in-law, "He's always been like this. He just. . . he doesn't think. He's a stupid dolt, especially with this nonsense--"
Letting go of Eva's hand in order to wrap an arm around her, Tom squeezes Eva to his side and kisses her face. "We'll make it through, don't worry. I'm as mad as you are at Lindsay, but the only thing I can think of is that he's got some crazy idea in his head that he's taking down a greater evil and that risking our family's safety is something worth doing. His outlook always was a little skewed that way." He shakes his head disapprovingly. "I know you want everyone in one place love, but that could be dangerous, too. If they have us all together, they could wipe out each one of us if they had a large enough attack."
"But there would be /more of us here/ to protect ourselves!" Eva counters, choking back a sob. "If they cornered Briony, or Gabe, or Alden..." She falls silent for a moment. "There would be nothing they could do to protect themselves if they were alone, or with only one or two others. I imagine there must be scads of these evil people." Eva takes a deep breath and wipes her face. "There's safety in numbers." She states, very firmly. "If we have to live in close quarters until this ordeal is over, however long it takes, we can deal with it. I want our family - /all/ of it - to be safe." She sighs as they share about Lindsay. "I can't imagine he wouldn't think of this." She pauses. "Though I suppose it's possible he doesn't even know how many nieces and nephews he has. He's been gone for so long..." Eva hiccups, then sighs.
"He's been gone for over ten years," Kalika agrees. "It's been a very long time. When he left I was only just pregnant with Chance." She sighs again. "Tommy, I agree with Eva. If we're altogether we can protect each other. I know that we all have talents when put together. Plus we only have to worry about security in one house in that case. While the children are the primary concernt, anyone connected to Lindsay could be considered a target. We don't know who these Dark wizards are and why Lindsay is so interested in them in particular, but we know that they have sinister plans."
Although he shudders to imagine living with so many people in the same house, Tom is wise enough to recognize when there's no arguing with Eva -- and Kalika agreed, so it was more or less decided. "Well, alright then. We'll try our best," Tom says. "We'll wait it out for a while and see what happens. If Lindsay does show up, maybe he can shed more light on what to do. If not, we'll just have to ride it out."
"If we need to, we can add a couple of rooms, just to keep things from getting too cramped." Eva perks up just a little bit. "Just think, you'll have help from Basil and Henrietta, at the very least, and Alice would probably help, too. She's always been a very helpful girl." She sighs a bit. "I suppose she's a young woman now." Eva shakes her head. "If Lindsay shows up, he had better not come /here/," she says sternly. "He'll have to meet up with us /somewhere else/." Eva shakes her head, then leans in to Tommy and puts her head on his shoulder. "I suppose there's really nothing else to do but wait."
"And wait we shall!" Kalika states as she stands to her feet and smoothes her robes. Running a hand absently over her hair, the woman pads to the door. "We'll weather this. We've weathered worse, I think." She furrows her eyebrows a bit at her own lie. "It may still amount to nothing. Even if it is Lindsay, they might not know. . ." She shrugs a bit as she opens the door. "Take care you two. And stay in touch so we can organize a temporary move." That said, she pads out the door and into the night to return to her own family.
The House Elves Might Blow You Up!
It's a weekend, around mid-morning, and those students who aren't taking the opportunity to sleep in are scattered far and wide around the castle and its grounds - playing sports or games, working on homework assignments, or just hanging out and exploring. Among this latter group is Danielle Baker, who finds herself in a series of underground tunnels apparently entirely by accident; one of her thick plaits held in her hand as she wanders along, until she comes face to face with the still life of the fruit, which she considers with her head canted to one side.
As she wanders along the corridor, Indira looks as if she's on a mission. The girl is looking very closely at any deviation in the norm along the walls, admiring cracks in the floors and peering at any imperfections on the ceiling. She continues along this way until she finds the painting of the fruit and comes to a stop next to Danielle. "Hullo," she greets the older girl. "Are you looking for something, too?" she asks politely before returning her gaze to the painting with intense concentration.
With a bang and a splutter, Jack Brown stumbles backwards out of one of the storage rooms in the corridor, falling soundly on his behind. Muttering to himself, he slowly pushes himself up from the floor, and stands up straight. Once standing straight, he starts to brush off his robes, before he suddenly notices the two girls standing in the corridor staring at the wall. Snapping up straight, he peers over at them. "Hey, what are you doing down here?" he asks inquisitively, seemingly annoyed that these two girls have interrupted his ~exploring~.
It's with a start that Danielle looks up at first Indira, and then Jack, her eyes going wide at the both of them. "I - oh," her brow furrows as she considers the two of them, "I was just... looking." She shrugs, though she turns and looks at the painting again, her lips pursing at Indira's words. "/Is/ there something to find here?" She reaches out and touches the painting, running her fingers along the outside of the frame, as though she's searching for a secret panel.
"I'm looking for, er..." Indira pauses. "Something." She looks slightly puzzled for a moment, as if she has forgotten what she was looking for. Indeed, the girl has forgotten, if only for a moment. "Oh, my brothers told me that if I was really keen, I could find the entrance to the kitchen down here. But they wouldn't tell me what I needed to find to get in." The girl sighs and shakes her head sadly. "I'm not even sure," Indira answers Danielle. "My brothers might be playing a joke on me." She sighs and steps back a bit, as if doing so will reveal the secret to her. "Maybe you need to know a password."
Wandering closer to the girls, Jack tilts his head to the side, staring at the painting. "Do you think it's in the painting?" he asks, reaching out to touch it, before snatching his hand back. "Hey, wait. The kitchens? Does that mean /snacks/?!" He's so excited, it's almost sad. Apparently, snacks are the most important thing in the world.
"Of course it does," Danielle replies pompously, turning to look at Jack with an almost supercilious expression. "There wouldn't be any point in letting us access it if there were no snacks!" She turns her expression back to the painting, creasing her brow in confusion and considering it. "Maybe," she stage-whispers to Indira, "you need to be... really hungry to get in. Or there's some sort of... trick to it." She continues to run her fingers over the frame curiously.
"I hope there are," Indira answers with a happy smile. "Well, it's hidden, isn't it?" she asks Danielle. "Maybe we're not /meant/ to find it." This gives the girl pause for just a moment and she looks from Danielle to Jack then back again, then looks toward the painting. "I'm not /very/ hungry, but I sure would like a snack," the girl admits, reaching out to touch the bowl portion on the painting. "Oh, I suppose I oughtn't touch it. But what if there's a button or a switch /on/ the portrait?" The girl looks conflicted.
Jack Brown begins to say something, and then cuts himself off when his belly gives a loud rumble. He grins sheepishly at the girls. "Well, I think /I'm/ probably hungry enough..." he comments, before turning towards Indira. "Why do we think it's on the picture anyway? It could be anything, right? Why not, say... that bit of wall over there that's stained?" he finishes, gesturing wildly at the wall on the other side of the corridor, managing to drop his wand, which he seems to have stored up the arm of his robe.
"It could be," Danielle replies, a little disdainfully, but she hurries to the wall to press her hand against the indicated part anyway. When this achieves nothing, she returns to the painting of the fruit and considers it a bit more. "I don't think it will be the painting - after all, they don't want you to get your grubby hands all over it! It must be a password... or a catch of some sort. Hey! What's the paaaaasswoord?!" She hollers at the painting, scowling a little.
"You can try that, but when I prodded at it, it didn't do anything," Indira admits. "I haven't found much else in the corridor that has anything that seems out of the ordinary, and this painting /does/ have to do with food..." The girl quirks her head at it and then starts examining the sides of the frame carefully. "We must be close, though. I think I can smell raspberry tarts." The girl grins happily at the idea of one of her favorite sweets and continues examining the wall around the portrait. Indira looks a bit startled as Danielle shouts at the painting. "Does that work for your common room?" she asks in a bit of shock. "I don't think it would work for /mine/," the girl states blandly as she returns to looking over the painting itself. The first year lets her fingers drag gently over the picture, as if trying to find this elusive button, and in the process, manages to run her fingers over the pear in the bowl of fruit. As she does this, the portrait starts to swing open,
and Indira gapes openly. "I /found/ it!" she breathes excitedly. "I found it!" As she gets louder, she clamps her hand over her mouth, then looks to her two unexpected companions. "Come on, let's go in!" she tells them and bolts into the newfound entryway.
Catching his breath, feeling blasted by the hot area, Jack stares at the room around the trio, trying to drink everything in with his eyes. "Oh my gosh!" he exclaims, turning with wide eyes to the girls in his company. "Have you ever seen anything LIKE this? Oh my gosh, look at all those house elves? Do you think they'd give us food, or do you think we have to get it ourselves? Because I smell PIE!" He seems to be searching the room with his eyes, looking for easily accessible pie, or perhaps any other food.
It's with a bit of a pout that Danielle makes her way into the kitchen; it's quite plain from her expression that she wanted to be the one to discover the way into the kitchen, and she's not all that pleased about Indira stealing her discovery. Her eyes widen with awe at the sight of the house-elves, and her bitterness is forgotten; it couldn't be plainer that she's never seen a house-elf before, and her mouth is popped open with awe. "They're such little sweeties!" She squeaks, not even thinking about the food now.
Indira quirks her head as Danielle makes this statement, but doesn't swell on it long as she looks around the bustling kitchen. "Wow, look at all of them. I imagine they must have /so/ much work to do to prepare the food for us..." the girl's voice is awe-filled as she looks around the warm room. "I don't know, /do/ you think they'd give us anything?" she asks the boy, slightly apprehensively. "I don't want to upset them, but I really would like one of those raspberry tarts I was smelling earlier." She looks at each of the other students in turn, waiting to see what they'll do before she makes any movements.
Looking back towards Indira, Jack takes a step forward, towards the nearest house elf he can see. "Um..." he starts off hesitantly, unsure of how to approach them now that he's decided to do so. However, he's unwilling to back down now, especially in front of a year mate, so he takes a breath and starts again. "Excuse me? Would it be possible to get some food? Tarts, maybe?" He looks around to see what's happening, although the answer seems to be "not very much".
"I think it's too early in the day for them to be /really/ busy..." Danielle replies uncertainly, looking around, though she does still seem quite enamoured with the house-elves; as one draws near, she coos audibly and declares, "You are adorable!", which doesn't exactly net a great response. Her cheeks flush vibrant pink at this, but she does add, "I - I think they don't really want students in here, though."
As Jack mentions tarts, one of the house elves appears to take notice of the students. None of them look to pleased as they are bustling around, looking quite busy, but one does shove a plate with some sweet things on it as well as a few small sandwiches into Indira's hands. "Th-thank you!" she tells the house elf, looking a bit uncomfortable, then she glances at the other two. "Does this look good to you?" she asks them. "Because I think we ought to get out of here before they get /very/ mad at us."
"I think we're probably just getting in their way..." Jack suggests, staring at the food that Indira has just recevied. "And, provided you're willing to share, I'm sure I could stomach some sandwiches in return for not... being blown up? What is it that house-elves do to people, anyway?" he begins to question, before he starts, and shakes his head violently. "I mean, never mind, let's just get out of their way. We know where they are now, right? So we could come back if we needed to..." he trails off, staring at the piles of pots and pans and foods in the kitchen, seeming to lure him in with their appearance.
"They blow people up all the time," Danielle whispers to Jack. "It's very true, they're quite frightening, they're just also very cute... to summon you in, you see." To one of the nearby elves, she speaks loudly, asking, "Can we have a few sandwiches before lunch? We promise we'll go away very quickly after!" She grins broadly to her two companions, her expression plainly indicating that she is waiting for her accolades for this move.
"You're asking for /more/ sandwiches?" Indira asks incredulously as she looks down at the plate before her. "I'm going to get out of their way and maybe come back after supper or something when they're not as busy." She looks around, then down at her plate, plucking a tart off of the plate - just what she was hoping for! - before handing the plate to Jack. "You can have the rest," she tells him. Indira hesitates just a moment, mostly to see if Danielle gets blown up, then starts to inch her way out of the kitchens through the doorway behind the portrait.
Jack Brown looks intimidated by Danielle's confession of house-elves' activities, and stares outright at her for her request for more food. Carefully, trying not to be noticed by anybody, he tries to move backwards, and away from Danielle, so that he misses whatever punishment or retribution that comes her way. Suddenly, there's a plate in his hands, and he looks at Indira, similarly moving backwards. "Thanks!" he exclaims, so loudly that he winces, and then whispers it again: "Thanks.."
"Well, so we can take them /away/ with us and share them, there's not enough here," Danielle replies earnestly, glancing at Jack, adding a little snidely, "Especially if he's as hungry as he looks, there won't be any left for me!" She seems to be getting rather nervous at the other two backing away, and it seems to occur to her that maybe - oh no! - maybe she's /right/ about the house elves blowing people up. Even as the elves move to provide her with more food, at the last minute, she squeaks, "I was just kidding, you don't need to give us more..." as she backs out of the kitchen.
Indira doesn't wait any longer to see if Danielle is plied with more food, though she hasn't been blown up, and the house elves seem as if they're ready to comply with her request. within seconds, the girl is out the door of the kitchens. "Bye!" she hollers to the other students, and then her shoes are heard clacking down the hallway as she runs back to her commonroom, as if in fear of her very life.
Even though the house-elves don't look that menacing, something about the way they moved in the kitchen - or maybe the stories the students were telling each other - made Jack a little scared, and he couldn't be more eager to escape. Looking after Indira, and then back to Danielle, he takes slow strides backwards towards the door, not wanting to upset the house-elves - or his plate - any more. "Um, bye.." He kind of mutters at Danielle, waving an awkward little wave as he opens the door to exit. "Thanks for the help with the food?"
As much as the reactions of the young students seems to confuse the house elves, Danielle is behaving no differently; left alone in the kitchen, she pauses in her hasty retreat only to accept the tray thrust into her hands by an eager-to-please elf. With a blurted, "Thank you, don't explode me!" She manages to hurry away, all her bits still quite intact and not blown up.