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Parvati Patil ([info]fateful_beauty) wrote in [info]sapientiae_rpg,
@ 2008-01-08 10:21:00

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Entry tags:gellert grindelwald, parvati patil

WHO: Parvati and... open to the God of AWESOME
WHERE: The Sea, Fate & Beauty pub
WHEN: Tuesday afternoon
WHAT: Parvati unwittingly offered to create a daycare centre...
Complete? Yes



The main room of Parvati's pub looked quite different from New Year's Eve. After accidentally volunteering her workplace as a day care and under the threat of the first de-aged person being brought by 'shortly' she had spent the last hour running about making the main room fir for children. Alcohol was cleared away and the only beverages available were those fit for children, the cupboards were locked with child-proof charms and she had cleared a large space in the main room for a play area as well as transfiguring half of the remaining chairs and tables to child height. The rest of the time was spent transfiguring various objects into toys until there was something for both genders and ages ranging from tots to pre-teens.

Dressed in casual clothing that was far more appropriate to romping about with kids, Parvati laid out some large sheets of paper, crayons, paints and pencils on one table before putting some modelling clay on another. Straightening, she wound a thick strand of hair around her right index finger and swept her gaze around the room. There was plenty to keep the children occupied now, and she even had a place for them to sleep upstairs, but she couldn't help feeling worried. It wasn't just the situation and the scary possibility that SHE might end up a little girl, Parvati was anxious because she couldn't remember if she was any good with children. She remembered having two, but her memory was fuzzy on how well she related to them. Perhaps she was a terrible mother and kids gave her hives!

Still, having expressed her concern and made an offer to help, she couldn't back out now. So, sitting on the chair close to the fireplace (also child-proofed), Parvati waited for the first one to arrive and tried not to bite her fingernails.

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-08 09:49 pm UTC (link)
Gellert wasn't going to bring Rita to some strange woman's house without checking it out first. After all, people might have let him swoop down on Rita and take her away with no protests but Gellert knew damn well that that had been an error on their part. His castle tried to eat him on a daily basis, it had booby traps everywhere, and he was known to perform experiments on other wizards and witches.

It was probably a tribute to how well he was blending in that nobody had protested him taking Rita.

Still, Gellert wasn't going to be that careless! He needed to make sure this woman knew what she was doing, actually had the space to take in children and had a safe residence for them so that they wouldn't be injured on their watch. He'd even made up a checklist of questions to ask her.

Prepared to quiz her as thoroughly as any pureblood mother hiring a nanny, Gellert appeared on the doorstep of Parvati's pub and knocked on the door briskly, a triple knock that was both confident and quick. He'd thrown on some black robes with golden swirls like smoke shot through the thread, catching the light when he moved, and the hood was pushed back from his face to expose his clear blue eyes and mess of golden curls. Now, as he waited for Parvati to answer, he pulled off his black leather gloves and stuffed them into the pockets of his robes.

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[info]fateful_beauty
2008-01-08 10:08 pm UTC (link)
On hearing the confident knock, Parvati whipped her index finger out of her mouth and briefly surveyed the damage done to the painted nail. One minor spell restored the polish to perfection and, tossing her long hair back, she went to open the door. She didn't recognise the handsome blond man standing there, he certainly wasn't one of her contemporaries. Having learned that Death Eaters shared the same Afterlife, even if the one she'd talked to seemed not to be homicidal anymore, Parvati was a tad wary of strangers and therefore didn't just step back to let the man in. However, her smile was welcoming - although questioning. "Can I help you?"

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-08 10:19 pm UTC (link)
...Okay, so the lady who had offered to take care of the kids was very attractive. That didn't mean that she was qualified. It just meant that interviewing her would be a more pleasant process than Gellert had been picturing.

With a grin, he held out a hand to her, "Are you the lady who so kindly volunteered to open up a day care shelter? I must admit, I was expecting someone a little more matronly."

His smile suggested that although Parvati had many fine qualities, she certainly didn't look like the plump, apron-clad, fresh-bread-smelling woman that Gellert had been expecting.

Tilting the notebook towards her so that she could see the numbered questions he had written down, Gellert asked politely, "Would you have time for me to ask you a few questions about your experience with children and this facility? I left Rita sleeping at home with Kosa to look after her, because I didn't want to bring her here until I had reassured myself that you could look after her properly. She's a bit of a handful, I'm afraid."

His smile was a little apologetic, as if Gellert didn't like having to question her, but his intent was firm. He'd shouldered the burden of looking after Rita and wouldn't just dump her anywhere at all without checking it out first.

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[info]fateful_beauty
2008-01-08 10:27 pm UTC (link)
"Matronly? Merlin, no!" Parvati laughed then, her light eyes glittering with amusement as she took his hand. She'd never been matronly in life, not even in her older years (or so she could recall). "But yes, I'm the one, Parvati Patil is my name. And from what I know, looks don't indicate whether someone is more capable... unless it's construction work and then muscles probably ARE required," she smiled.

Glancing down at the questions, Parvati felt reassured that this man wasn't going to turn out to be some fruitloop that would try to do something awful. Surely a man who cared that much about a child who wasn't his AND was Rita 'can't resist a chance to make up a scandal' Skeeter couldn't be all bad. "I don't mind at all, it's very responsible of you to come and check me - and my place - out," she said and gestured for him to come inside. "I only had a short time to throw something together, but there are child proof charms on everything that could cause any harm," she explained as she led him to the main room.

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-08 10:39 pm UTC (link)
"I'm pleased to meet you, ma'am." Gellert returned her smile easily, even as he pointed out, "Muscles aren't a requirement for construction work either. Magic is much more efficient at moving big blocks of stone than any form of physical exertion."

"As for responsibility, I must admit, it scared me a little how nobody objected to me taking Rita in. I know that she's hardly easy to get on with, thanks to her penchant to making up stories, but any child shouldn't be allowed off to go off with the first stranger who volunteers. What if it had been Fenrir who'd got to her first?" Gellert winced at the thought, remembering Fenrir's eagerness to find an orphanage so that he could turn the children in there.

He stepped over the threshold, now that he'd been invited in and took a critical look around the room, blue eyes taking in everything as they skimmed over the child-sized furniture and toys. "Excellent. You certainly seem to have prepared well."

Gellert ticked off a box on his list, waiting politely for Parvati to sit down somewhere before he did. "I see you laid out beverages, but do you have any snacks for them? And what do you think would appropriate to feed them? I don't know if Rita has any food allergies, but perhaps some of the other children do and without their parents around or them in any condition to warn adults of that, it's a bit dangerous to feed them anything dubious such a food that contains peanuts or lactose substances."

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[info]fateful_beauty
2008-01-08 10:57 pm UTC (link)
"This is true, oh... but please don't call me 'ma'am'!" Parvati asked with a whimsical smile. "Parvati will do just fine," he'd not introduced himself yet and she gave him a pointed look. However the comment about Fenrir distracted her and Parvati's eyes darkened. Her memory of the werewolf mauling her best friend was very strong and a surge of angry rolled through her. "That is a disturbing thought, but if you needed references to my character then there are plenty of people here that know me - Harry Potter, Charlie Weasley, Remus... well, that last one is moot considering he's been affected by this... um... afflication."

Sitting down on one of the remaining adult sized chairs by the fireplace, Parvati crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knee. "I've got a well stocked kitchen out the back and can make practically anything that's required. Currently there's fruit, some potato crisps, bread and fillings for sandwiches and jalebi for sweets - that's an Indian sweet made with flour and syrup. My children used to love those!" unbidden the memory of a brown eyed little girl with pink ribbons in her hair and a mischievous little boy came to mind. Asha and Krishie... Parvati thought and relief rushed through her. She remembered her children!

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-08 11:04 pm UTC (link)
"Parvati, then." Smile warm, the same warmth in his eyes, Gellert nodded an apology and an agreement at once. Watching the shift in her emotions, he tilted his head to a side, curls brushing over his cheeks in a sweep of gold, and changed the topic deftly, "I know Harry, and trust him as a judge of character. And Remus doesn't seem to remember anyone, sadly, though he is an adorable child."

For a second, Gellert's smile turned into a slightly rueful grin, "I promised to make him a merman costume but I'm having trouble with the fins. I don't want him tripping over them all the time when he walks, but the best solution I can think of is to enchant the costume with cushioning charms for when he falls. You wouldn't have any ideas, would you, Parvati?"

As he spoke, he smiled at her again, the friendliness easy and unforced. He sat down in a chair besides her, making another mark on the paper at the mention of her cooking skills. "I like jalebi as well, though wattalapan is good too. And jaggery and curd, the kind made from buffalo milk, is much more delicious than yogurt and sugar."

As if his knowledge of South Asian sweets was of no consequence, he went on with another glance at his sheet, "So you've had children -- did you raise them yourself or leave their rearing to a nanny or other servants? And are you planning on running this place on your own?"

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[info]fateful_beauty
2008-01-08 11:14 pm UTC (link)
"Hm, cushioning charms are a good idea in any case since that sort of costume will usually have restrictions. Unless the tale is made so the fins are actually trousers that look like fins when he puts his legs together."

Again Parvati started to ask his name, only to be derailed by his unexpected knowledge of the sweets. "You must be well traveled, sir," she commented with an impressed glance before considering the question about her own children. Her memories were still fuzzy, but the images she recalled indicated that she didn't leave their rearing to servants. "I raised them myself... their father," now she couldn't put a face to the father of her children and that was troubling. "He wasn't around much, but I did have support from my mother and the rest of my family so when I had to go away they were looked after by them, but for the most part they were with me."

"At the moment, yes, but if there are more children then I probably will send out a call for assistance," Parvati was reasonably confident she could handle four children, maybe even five, but more than that would be too much.

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-08 11:23 pm UTC (link)
"I was actually making a pair of trousers with the tail sewn over it loosely. Magic is being used to keep the tail in shape but the problem is that it narrow inwards at the ankles before the fins of the tail come out to the side, and I think the narrowed ankles will be what trips him up." Gellert flipped a few pages further into his notebook so that he could show her a sketch of what he meant, lines sketched in deftly in a light grey pencil with notes on the color (bright green) and fabric options (twice-treated scratch-proof yak hide).

He made a note of Parvati's answer about her own children, giving her one of his more charming smiles in return, mouth curved like it held a laugh in its corners. "I like traveling and learning about other cultures. I spent a few rewarding months in South Asia, once, and only wish I could have stayed there longer."

Brushing a few stray curls away from his face, he thought back to the questions he'd designed, "Have you had any mediwizard training, and do you have any medikits in the place? Children can be rather accident-prone."

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[info]fateful_beauty
2008-01-08 11:32 pm UTC (link)
"Oh I see, very inventive," she complimented the design. "Yes, that is a problem. Perhaps giving the ankle area some stretch?"

Parvati responded to his charming smile with a slightly flirty one of her own. It was a natural reaction that came as easily as breathing to the girl who'd learned to charm from an early age. "My childhood was spent in India, I remember it very fondly."

"Well, I know the basic healing charms and there is a medikit - which I put together in case someone got drunk and cut themselves on a glass, you know? Hopefully there won't be too much they can cut themselves on here since I've put cushioning charms on any potentially sharp edge," Parvati ran her fingers through her hair and then leapt to ask the question she wanted answered before he could say anything more. "And before we go any further with this, please tell me who you are?"

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-08 11:40 pm UTC (link)
"Now that's an idea! A discreet panel or two might be the solution." Gellert quickly drew in an arrow to the ankles, wrote the word 'stretch?' in his usual flowing script, then flipped the page back to his list of questions. He marked off the questions about her own experience with children and the answers to her mediwizard training, pleased with how well she was doing so far, then glanced up at her question.

For a second, startlement showed in his eyes as he widened them slightly, then amusement danced in the clear sky blue of them. "Oh, I'm sorry. How remiss of me to have forgotten to introduce myself, and how rude to have simply jumped straight into interrogating you."

Without getting up from the chair, he swept her a low bow, straightening up with a toss of his head to keep his curls away from his face and gave her another brilliant smile, "I'm Gellert Grindelwald, Parvati."

For the hell of it, barely suppressing the urge to laugh (he'd really wanted to get through this without telling her his name until the end), he added in his most polite, pureblood manner, "And I am truly pleased to meet you."

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[info]fateful_beauty
2008-01-08 11:49 pm UTC (link)
It wasn't everyday that one met the boogeyman of their childhood. Grindelwald was the dark wizard her parents would always compare to Voldemort in hush, fearful tones so Parvati's mind had always vaguely assumed he was some ugly, cackling creature with sharp teeth and blazing eyes - and the man before her wasn't any of those. Perhaps that was why she didn't scream or do more than blink, very slowly, when he announced his name. Or maybe it was due to conversing with Rosier and Salazar that the shock of meeting with those she'd been told all of her life were evil was starting to pall. "Oh my," she said finally, looking Gellert up and down and then up again. "You don't resemble your reputation, Mr Grindelwald."

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-08 11:55 pm UTC (link)
"People rarely do, though I must admit that I don't even know what part of my reputation reached you." Gellert's teeth were very white as he smiled at her, but he stayed in the chair, utterly at ease as he watched her reaction with a casual sort of curiosity. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he added casually, "And please, call me Gellert. You gave me free use of your name, and I dislike standing on ceremony in any case."

Apparently not thinking anymore of it than that, he looked back down at the notebook. His curls fell around his cheeks again, cheekbones, shadowing his eyes blue but his mouth stayed quirked into an easy smile that he looked like he'd been born with -- the very picture of a pureblood Germanic wizard, at ease in his skin and unashamed of himself.

"How would you deal with quarrels between the children, Parvati? Rita is rather prone to arguing, and Severus and Remus don't seem to get on with each other." Without even appearing to think that she might kick him out or refuse service to him, Gellert went right back to interrogating her.

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[info]fateful_beauty
2008-01-09 02:29 am UTC (link)
"Mostly likely worst part," Parvati laughed softly. In life she would never have dreamed she would end up talking to someone like him, especially considering her war experiences and how much she had hated dark wizards for the suffering they caused. If anything was a clear indicator that she was dead then actually having a friendly conversation with this man was it. Some part of her was still revolted by the history of what he did, but at the same time she felt there wasn't any point in having hysterics. Eternity was a long time and she didn't want to face it fighting with others. Besides, Parvati was naturally someone who prefered to get along with others and had the ability to shove away the things she didn't want to acknowledge.

"Well I certainly wouldn't spank them or yell," Parvati said firmly as she scratched around in her mind for how she used to discipline her own children. "Time out and being firm is what I used... I think..." she couldn't really remember Asha or Krishie behaving like terrors and only small squabbles came to mind, ones that were put to rest with a firm command to stop it.

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-09 02:44 am UTC (link)
"I'm not surprised. People are petty creatures that like to gossip." The twist of Gellert's lips was wry, as if he was used to being maligned, "And it's much more interesting to talk about nude sacrificial rituals by moonlight than the new public schools that we opened."

He gave a shrug, as if being slandered didn't bother him too much, then returned to the more important issue. "I'm glad to hear you wouldn't resort to corporeal punishments. How exactly do these time-outs work, and what will you do if the children don't obey you? Teddy is a Metamorphagus, Rita has a sharp tongue on her, Remus is --" He paused for a moment, not sure what she knew, and went on as diplomatically as he could, "-- going to cause trouble if he bites any of the other children and Severus is only 5 but the King of Groovy and thus expects his decrees to be taken seriously. As amusing as I find them, I must confess that if all four of them are deposited on you at once, you might have your hands full trying to keep order."

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[info]fateful_beauty
2008-01-09 03:17 am UTC (link)
"Time out... is a stated period of minutes in which the child is supposed to stay in one place. Some people use a corner, but I think... I recall using a room like my parents did, one that was empty of anything interesting, but not tiny or scary, so the only thing to suffer from was boredom. It was ten minutes for the first offence, fifteen for the second and so on," Parvati had to close her eyes to remember the sequence. The method seemed to be the right one and certainly she couldn't think of anything else. "As for biting..." Parvati frowned then and opened her eyes to look at Gellert. "Is Remus a werewolf still here?" she thought that was singularly unfair. "Um... anyway, I think laying down the ground rules from the start is the best way to go... I seem to remember it helped, especially once the kids realised I was serious about carrying out the time out threat - because I would lift them up and put them in the room if they wouldn't go of their own accord."

With a sigh, she chewed on her lower lip. "I expect they would be a handful, and there probably WILL be fights... boys are especially good at that sort of thing and short of a body bind or removing them from each other, there's not always a lot that can be done to stop it."

His remark about Severus Snape caught up and suddently Parvati giggled. "Professor Snape, the king of GROOVEY? Oh sweet Merlin! That's hilarious... he's never going to live this down when he gets back to normal!" she couldn't stop the mirth, her amusement heightened by her memories of the dour Potions Master that she and Lavender had made fun of because of his lank, greasy hair and mean ways.

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-09 03:26 am UTC (link)
"I think that sounds fair enough, though I have a hard time seeing a child with the ability to do magic get bored very easily." The question about Remus being a werewolf made Gellert grin with relief, giving her an approving look, "Ah, so you know about that. Yes, Remus is still a werewolf here, but he's unable to change. However, certain symptoms remain that make life somewhat uncomfortable for those who are werewolves, or part-werewolf--"

Gellert resisted the temptation to raise a hand to his throat; under the high collar of his robes, the scar's ragged edges burnt intolerably, "--so I'd advise not letting him bite anyone. Though I don't know if he's a werewolf at this young age, and he certainly doesn't seem to have the personality type to attack the others physically judging from what Severus has said of him."

He rather liked Parvati's laughter; the sound of it made Gellert grin and lean back in his chair, waiting patiently for her fit of giggles to subside. "As a matter of fact, tomorrow's is his birthday. He'll be turning six, so I promised him a crown and sceptre and cape and robes to play with. Don't be surprised if he tries making decrees while he's in your care."

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[info]fateful_beauty
2008-01-09 10:53 am UTC (link)
"Well, I could hardly not know, he was my DADA teacher in my third year and was dismissed because of being a werewolf," Parvati explained after she managed to control her giggles. "I'm glad he doesn't change here even if it hasn't gone away completely."

"I shall take note and be aware," Parvati covered her mouth and giggled again, briefly this time, still extremely amused by images Gellert's words about Snape conjured up. She raised an eyebrow. "So, have I passed the test then?"

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-09 07:01 pm UTC (link)
"Really?" Gellert had to laugh now as well, throwing his head back and looking so very much like that photograph of himself and Albus in Rita's book. He shook his head with amusement, casting Parvati a rather wry look, "And here I thought that I had to be discreet lest I give away his deep dark secret."

He looked down at the book again in answer to her question, "Mediwizard training, adequate safety precautions, previous experience with children, disciplinarian, food and drink safety -- I think the only issue we haven't tackled is what you would do if this place came under attack, such as when Riddle tracked down James and performed the Cruciatus curse on him repeatedly."

Frowning, he tapped his quill lightly against his lower lip, biting the edges thoughtfully, "But that's unlikely to happen and you are not in an isolated area. It should be simple enough for you to call for help, so we can skip that."

With a decisive nod, he stood up and bowed to her, "Congratulations, Parvati. You passed with flying colors."

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[info]fateful_beauty
2008-01-09 09:57 pm UTC (link)
A hard light entered Parvati eyes. "If someone tried to attack me and the children then they'll not find me easy to take down. I don't know if you heard about the battle of Hogwarts in 1998, but I was part of that and gave a good account of myself," she frowned slightly. "Riddle?" Parvati murmured. She didn't know Voldemort's true name, she had always known him as You-Know-Who or Voldemort, so the person Gellert refered to meant nothing to her.

His announcement that she passed wiped the frown away and Parvati smiled, also rising to her feet. "I'm not sure if I should be happy or concerned," she said with a teasing smile and then, after a moment's hesitation, she held out her hand. "Thank you, Gellert. Whatever opinion I held about you in life, I am pleased that it's changed completely today."

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-09 10:26 pm UTC (link)
Gellert considered mentioning that he'd already been dead by then, but decided against it. Talking about one's own death was such a mood killer. Instead, he slanted her a bright, teasing smile to match hers, "You're going to be in charge of magical little children from several different cultures. I'd be terrified rather than concerned."

The laugh that accompanied his words made it clear that he was only joking as he took her hand and bowed over it, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand in the courtly manner that he'd been taught. Straightening up, he clicked his heels together with nearly military precision and gave her a quick grin, "Thank you for opening this facility, Parvati. And for having an open mind. I wish you luck with it, and I shall bring Rita by when she wakes up, since I left her asleep with Kosa to come here."

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[info]fateful_beauty
2008-01-09 10:39 pm UTC (link)
"They can't be worse than Blast-ended Skrewts..." Parvati smirked and then she chuckled when he kissed the back of her hand. He reminded her of the Beauxbaton boy who'd rescued her from boredom at the Yule Ball so long ago. "Well, if nothing else this will keep me from being bored."

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-09 11:01 pm UTC (link)
"All of the fates that are worse than death, boredom must surely be the worst." Gellert deadpanned as he shut the book and bowed to her again, "Thank you again for your time, Parvati. It was pleasant to meet you, and I hope we shall converse again soon."

His eyes lingered on hers for a moment, Gellert appreciating the dark beauty of them, then he smiled at her once more and turned to leave.

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[info]fateful_beauty
2008-01-09 11:20 pm UTC (link)
"I hope so too," Parvati said and meant it as she met his regard with an equal appreciation of him. Gellert was fun to talk with and she certainly had no objections to his looks. Although she was probably going to laugh at herself and this mixed up, crazy afterlife where one could end up being friendly with the most unexpected people when he was gone. "And hopefully neither of us end up as children otherwise that might cause all sorts of problems," she said drily with a half smile as she escorted him to the door.

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[info]diemrationis
2008-01-09 11:27 pm UTC (link)
"The blind leading the blind down history's avenue." Gellert quoted with an off-hand laugh as he reached the door and stepped outside. "Until we meet again, then, Parvati."

If he had been wearing a hat, he would have tipped it to her. Instead, he swept her another bow at the door, then concentrated on the thought of his castle's grounds, disappearing with the sound of his merry laughter lingering in the air for a moment.

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