Who: Xeno & Nora What: The Lovegoods bond and have some much needed alone time Where: The Weasley's new home When: Monday evening, August 24th Rating: PG-13-ish Status: Complete
It had been another long and fruitless day of Ministry red-tape. Xeno had answered all of their questions, but still his house was still considered a crime scene and would not be released for the forseeable future. When he finally arrived home, or rather, to the Weasley's new home, he was exhausted and feeling even more depressed. A September Quibbler was clearly not happening, and worse yet, he felt like a burden on the Weasleys. His neighbors had been so gracious to allow them to stay, and he was helping out the best he could.
As he walked in the door, he briefly greeted his hosts, and headed on into their drawing room, plopping himself down at the table. Xeno wasn't even hungry; the only thing he wanted to do was go to sleep and lay next to his wife, forgetting the world around them.
Nora hadn't been entirely herself since the attack, but things were slowly improving. She hadn't yet given her boss an idea of when she would be back to work at Flourish and Blotts, and it was frustrating to be kept out of her home, still. She had managed to retrieve her wand and journal, with supervision from the officials in charge of the scene, but aside from that, nothing. Her experiments, the writing she'd begun for the next Quibbler, all of it out of her reach.
Spending time with the Weasley children filled her days, and she was healthy and active once more. They reminded her that there were still things to be happy about in this world, even with the notable absence of little Percy. Today had been no different. She'd run about in the yard with the boys, being tackled by the twins more than once.
She'd just taken a shower, and her hair was still wet as she entered the drawing room. "You're back," Nora noted as she saw her husband, smiling.
Xeno smiled at her when he entered the room. "Yes, I'm back," he answered wearily. "They're still not releasing the house. What they still want it for, I have no idea." He sighed heavily and put his head in his hands. He was emotionally exhausted and depressed. The war which had for so long not touched them had come crashing down on top of them in the past two weeks. First the attack on him and then the Jorkins. It was more than he could bear alone.
"Come here," he said, holding out an arm to Nora, and turning his chair around for her to join him.
It tugged at her heart, to see him like this. Nora had seen him through happy times, through the thrill of planning for the magazine and finally getting that printing press bought. They'd never had to face anything like this together. And as much as she understood his grief, she didn't believe he deserved it. She could never let herself believe that he was to blame for the attack on their home, and then against the Jorkins.
Tossing back her damp locks, she crossed to him, seating herself gingerly in his lap. "It'll all work out, somehow," she said reassuringly, running her fingers through his hair. "They can't keep it from us forever."
When she sat in his lap, he wrapped his arms around her. Xeno wanted to believe her, that everything would work out, but he couldn't help the feeling of helplessness that had been with him after the attack on his house, and had only gotten worse after the Jorkins attack. He hadn't felt normal for some time now, but his wife's touch made him feel instantly alive again. He closed his eyes, and planted a quick kiss on her lower jaw. "You're right, of course." She usually was. Xeno wouldn't know what to do without her; she always managed to keep him on track. Suddenly that thought gave way to another, more terrifying thought. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you," he said giving her a squeeze and burying his head in her neck. It was a slow realization, over the years, that he loved her. They hadn't started off there. Their marriage started as a friendship and had grown into something much more since then, and Xeno wouldn't have traded it for anything.
Nora trembled, and she tried to contain it. It was still such a terrifying prospect, and she knew that if it hadn't been for him, she wouldn't be alive today. She planted a kiss on the top of his head, her arms wrapped gently around him. "I'm still here," she said softly, her voice quivering slightly as she fought to repress the tears that stung at her eyes. She put a hand under his chin and lifted his head so his eyes met hers. "I owe that to you." No matter what attention they had drawn to themselves with the articles about the Dark Army, she'd survived that attack because he had been able to get her out. That, for her, surpassed any blame that might rest on his shoulders.
When he felt her tremble he held her even tighter. "Of course, Nora darling. You were all I thought of..." And that was the truth. As he looked in her eyes, he reached up to give her a long kiss, and it was the first time they'd really been affectionate since the attack. They'd been so busy with recovery, questioning, moving, guilt, etc. that he just didn't get a chance to really be with his wife. How he could have overlooked this simple but so important thing was suddenly beyond him. And it needed to change. His kiss got deeper, more urgent, and his hands moved to cup her face. "Nora....." was all he said, as he broke away, hoping she would get his meaning.
Nora opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't think of anything to say. And then, words weren't necessary. It took her less than a second to react, to kiss him back, and she could feel the power of it running through her entire being. It wasn't very often the two of them became passionate, but those moments were intense, enough to tide them over until the next time. Her eyes fluttered as she drew in breath when he broke away. "Upstairs?" she replied, her voice overlapping his as he trailed off.
"Mmmm," was his only answer, well, that and kissing her back. Most people would have found their relationship strange from the outside; noticing only their eccentricities like the magazine and their strange house. But a closer look would have revealed a strong foundation there. Finally he made himself break away from the kiss and being moving to a more secure location, away from both his hosts and their children. It took him no more than mere seconds to make sure she was secure in his arms before standing up to carry her upstairs.
Nora laughed as he lifted her, her arms secure around his neck, and for perhaps the first time since the attack, she didn't notice the scars on both her arms, from being bitten and burned. She was entirely preoccupied with other matters, and was rather glad she'd taken a shower to get rid of all the dirt from running around with children all day. She kissed him firmly, and breathed as she broke away, "I love you."
He too had also forgotten all of their injuries for the first time. All he thought about was her. "I love you too," he said, still holding her tight as he ascended the steps. When he reached the bedroom they were using, he gently placed her upon the bed and climbed in next to her. Painfully, he tore himself away from her and took out his wand to cast a silencing charm on the room, and magically locked the door. Better not be rude to their hosts, or have small children disrupt them. Once that was taken care of, he returned his complete attention to his wife.