RP: Next to her, Bellatrix looks sane Date: 3 April 2006 Characters: Miles, Daphne, Nigel, Aurelie Greengrass (NPC), Liam Location: Bletchley Manor Private/Public: Private Rating: PG (although Sex later in the thread... Miles can't help himself) Warnings: - Summary: Miles answers a knock from a strange woman at the door, only to learn that his wife comes with excess baggage (in the form of her mother - ie, his mother-in-law)
Miles had been expecting to enjoy the quiet and solitude of the empty manor for a couple of hours. Daphne had taken Liam into Hogsmeade to visit Goldstein, as they were concerned about the pox having left any permanent damage to his eyes. Rather than drag them all into Hogsmeade, Miles offered to look after Nigel as Daphne visited the healer (Daphne was only too happy to visit the man, and Miles would rather have as little to do with him as possible). Looking after the boy shouldn't have been difficult for a couple of hours, but unfortunately, Nigel took the opportunity to be wide awake and in full flight.
He should have known that any chance for peace and quiet would be gone the minute Nigel started running. The boy had been crawling and pulling himself up onto every possible surface, keeping Miles on his toes. Every time he tried to stop the boy from going somewhere, he'd let out a scream and start to cry. It was just easier to follow him around, and just encourage him not to go down the stairs, or keep out of rooms. The manor really wasn't child or toddler proof, and Miles was beginning to see that would need to be quickly rectified.
He'd been on his feet the whole time, and in the end, he felt that the entrance hall was the safest place to keep the boy - as there was little there he could break, or could break him. Miles was eager for Daphne to return now, as she seemed to be able to keep her son under control. Nigel seemed to think this was all just a big game, as he ran from Miles, only to fall flat on his face. He let out an almighty wail as tears began to flow freely. Miles picked him up to console him. It must have been frustrating not to be able to walk properly. Just as he thought about taking the boy out on a broom (that would be fun!), there was a knock at the front door.
Miles frowned, wondering why Daphne didn't just let herself in (as mistress of the manor, she could do that now). "Oh thank goodness you're back. Nigel's been a handful," he said as he flung the door wide open. The words were out of his mouth before he realised it wasn't Daphne. It was an older woman who he'd never seen before. "Oh." he said, taken aback. "Who are you?"