Eleanor Lovegood (vividquirks) wrote in an_ill_wind, @ 2009-09-21 12:34:00 |
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Entry tags: | - 1980/09 september, eleanor lovegood, xenophilius lovegood |
Who: Nora and Xeno Lovegood
What: The best news EVER
When: Monday, 21 September, 1980; late afternoon
Where: The Rook
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
Nora had not been having the best week. As if it hadn't been bad enough finding out that she wasn't pregnant, she had still been sick from dawn to noon every day. It was frustrating, and she hadn't made life very easy for Xeno, either. She really did hate being sick with no idea why. So, this afternoon, once she was feeling well enough to go out, she (very shortly) told her husband that she was going to see a Healer, and she'd be back later.
She might as well have been a completely different woman when she walked back in the front door a few hours later. Gone was any trace of frustration or annoyance, and she couldn't stop smiling. Her hands lingered over her belly for a moment, and there was a twinkle in her eyes. How was it that one little thing could change her world so completely?
"Xeno?" Nora called out, heading for the printing press. After all, that was where Xeno had been spending most of his time, getting the machine fixed so they'd be running in time to get October's issue out. Her voice was gentle, the kindest it had been since Thursday. She didn't want to betray any of her excitement, not until she told him the news... but gone was any trace of anger.
Xeno was almost finished with the press. He was so convinced that it would be ready to print in time that he already began writing when he wasn't banging away at the thing. It just needed a bit more tweaking since the printer itself wasn't running as fast as it once did. So he was quite confident that he'd be done in a day.
Actually, truth be told, he could have had it done yesterday, but he was going slower than normal, using it as an excuse to hide from his wife. Everything he seemed to do was wrong. This simple bout of Loser's Lurgy she was suffering from was turning into quite the headache for him. So, he had taken to hiding away, going to bang at things with tools. It seemed like the manly thing to do.
Then late in the afternoon, he heard Nora coming in, but her voice sounded different. It sounded... well, not like she wanted to kill him. This is a good sign, he thought, hoping that whatever she had that had been keeping her down was passed. "Nora! Hello!" he said as he smiled at her. "So, I see it was a good idea to head to the healer. You already look like you're feeling better!"
"Yes, it was," Nora smiled. She'd been bouncing ideas around in her head since she found out. It would hardly be fun to merely come out and tell him. Hi, honey, you know how I've been snippy all weekend? I'm pregnant. It lacked style, to say the least. Instead, she leaned back against the table, smiling thoughtfully at him.
"It's quiet here," she remarked gently. "One of those things I miss about staying with Molly and Arthur. Their boys can be loud, but they made that house come to life." She wasn't being too vague, was she? It wasn't as though she'd ever really confided in him how much she wanted her own children. She always thought it was apparent enough in how she acted around little Cedric and the Weasley boys.
Xeno smiled. "Ok good. You were starting to worry me, Nora." Thank Merlin his wife was back to her normal happy self. But then she started talking about the Weasley's and that threw him for a loop. He cocked his head to side and looked at her with his eyebrow raised. "Uh, yeah. I miss them too," he said honestly. And then he let out a short laugh. "They did indeed. Those boys did bring the house to life. That's one way of putting it!" Now that she mentioned it, he did miss the boys being around, they livened up things quite nicely. In fact it had been quite lonely since they left the Weasleys. "We really need to visit them more often. Maybe give Molly and Arthur a break, you know," he said with a wink, totally not getting her hint.
Nora laughed lightly. "We should," she agreed, and fell silent for a moment. "You know, this house could do with some new life," she said softly. And not only because she still had trouble going to her study, where she could see the scorch marks from the ink she'd destroyed in an attempt to save herself from those creatures. She was so glad for this opportunity they'd have to make pleasant memories to replace ones of fear.
"Don't you think?" she added, glancing back up at Xeno, hope sparkling in her blue eyes.
Xeno paused. "Yeah... it could." He was finally getting her meaning. He tentatively approached her, curious as to what she was thinking. "So is that what this is about? You want to have the children talk?" He knew it would come soon, them thinking about children. And he didn't know what he thought. Playing with those boys had made him feel like a part of his life was lacking. "Well," he started slowly as he placed a hand on her waist. "I wouldn't be opposed to the idea. But what brought the on?" he asked as he brushed a lock of hair from her face.
Nora's smile broadened when Xeno caught on. She really hadn't wanted to have to say it outright without preparing him for it. Her heart beat faster. She'd been right, hadn't she, in thinking he wanted this as much as she did? Her smile spread as he confirmed it, and she couldn't contain the news--or her excitement--any more. "Xeno," she said softly, staring up into his eyes, "I'm pregnant."
Xeno stared at her for a good thirty seconds. His brain short circuited and he was left in limbo. She was pregnant. He was going to be a father. Wait... he was going to be a father? HOLY SHIT HE WAS GOING TO BE A FATHER! Suddenly Xeno gave a shout and grabbed her in a hug, lifting her off her feet and swinging her around. He put her back down quickly and looked at her in the face. "Really? Nora, really? You're pregnant? Really? We're going to have a baby? Oh Nora!"
Being lifted in the air and spun around caught Nora off guard, and she laughed slightly as she tried to re-establish a sense of equilibrium. But his excitement was contagious, and she smiled, wrapping her arms around him. There really weren't words for this, and all she could do was nod. Leaning in, she kissed him. They were going to have a baby. And the Healer had explained why her test had originally come up negative.
"We're having a baby," she whispered. It hardly seemed real.
Xeno kissed her back, with a fierce excitement. So much would change, but it would be wonderful. He had to admit, being around the Weasley boys had ignited that desire in him, but he wasn't sure if they were ready. But all that didn't matter. Nature had determined that they were ready, and he would answer that call. Suddenly, his mind went to all the things he had to do. "Oh Nora this is excellent!" he exclaimed as he started running around the study. "But we have to build a nursery, and child proof the house, lock the study, cause it's hands might get stuck in the press, and... I should get started," he said as he ran about picking up various tools and putting them down immediately.
Nora laughed, watching as he ran around. "We have time, dear," she assured him, but she couldn't really blame him. It wouldn't hurt to get started early. But they still had to finish fixing the printing press, and get back to publishing the magazine. She held out her hands to take his. She wanted to enjoy this moment and take care of what they needed to deal with now. "Can you do me a favor, love, before you do all that?"
Xeno stopped, with a hammer dangling from his hand. "Right. Yes. I suppose we do have time," he said with a sheepish grin. Ok maybe he was freaking out a bit too early. They didn't need to draw up architectural plans just yet. When she held out her hands, he put the hammer down on the nearest flat surface and went to her. "Anything Nora. Just name it," he said with a grin.
Nora smiled, squeezing his hands. "Don't tell anyone yet," she said, her eyes searching his, hoping he would understand. She wanted to shout it from the rooftops, really. She was going to be a mother, and she couldn't think of anything she would want to share more. But there were risks, and this would give them time to adjust to the news before they told the world. "Not even family. Just for a little while?"
Xeno squeezed her hands back and gave a little whine. But he wanted to immediately scream it to everyone, shout it out loud that he was going to be a father! "But why?" he asked breathlessly. "This is good news, the best actually! Why can't we share it with people! I mean, our friends, Arthur and Molly! Charity! Not even our parents?" he asked, still a bit shocked that she wasn't as excited to tell people.
Nora frowned and bit her lip. She didn't want to think about it. Positive thinking was key, she was sure of it, but she couldn't just ignore the possibility that something could go wrong. Twelve weeks, that was what the Healer had said. "Xeno," she said softly, her voice commanding and gentle at once. She wanted to share this, too, but she would have her way this once. "As soon as we're sure the baby will be healthy," she assured him, bringing his hands down to rest lightly on her belly. "Just a few more weeks, I promise. Then you can tell anyone and everyone."
Xeno looked down, as her words sunk in. It was then that he remembered that the first few weeks could be a bit touch and go for a pregnancy. "Right... I'm sorry, Nora. Of course, we don't want to..." he trailed off, not wanting to finish. He was about to say, 'we don't want to get people's hopes up,' but he thought better. "I can wait a few weeks. And I promise I won't publish our good news in October's Quibbler," he added with a wink as he wrapped his arms around her.
She laughed lightly, sighing as she settled in his embrace. "You'd best not," Nora replied lightly. Pulling back, she kissed him once more. Nothing could keep her mood down for long. Not now. "Speaking of," she mused, "you have a press to fix, and I have an article to write." They couldn't ignore the magazine now. With how the week had gone, she had no way of telling when she'd be able to return to work in Diagon Alley. For a short while, at least, this would be their only source of income.