Patrice will make a Man out of You! (patrice_) wrote in find_horcruxes, @ 2009-12-25 15:15:00 |
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Entry tags: | lucia nott, patrice nott |
RP Log: Patrice & Lucia Nott
Who: Patrice & Lucia Nott
When: 25 December 1979, Christmas morning
Where: Nott Manor
What: Patrice & Lucia discover some eagerly anticipated news.
Rating: Low
Status: COMPLETE.
Tullia and Prisca had woken up early on Christmas morning, as many children did, and Lucia had given Yvette permission to let the children in to wake she and Patrice. The girls were well behaved, but even well behaved children were excited on Christmas morning, and Lucia was happy to watch them bounce into the room and wake she and Patrice with excited hands and childish laughter. Lucia let herself be pulled from the bed. She grabbed her dressing gown and bestowed a chaste good morning kiss on her husband's brow before herding the girls out to play until breakfast. They'd eaten together as a family, and then opened presents. Christmas morning was such a wonderful family time in Lucia's mind, and she couldn't keep from smiling. She even let the girls have hot cocoa after breakfast--she had some too, for a special Christmas treat--and she sat closer than usual to Patrice. In fact, she was curled up with her feet beneath her next to Patrice on the couch. They were the perfect picture of a perfect family, really. Then it was shortly after ten, and Lucia sent the girls upstairs with Governess Yvette to get ready for the day, and she herself got ready and then settled in the bedroom with Patrice to receive the most anticipated healer visit thus far. "I think I can feel the baby moving," Lucia said softly, hand pressed against her quickly growing stomach. She was only three months, but she was already showing some, more than she ever had with either of the girls. And three months was early to feel movement, really, but Lucia thought she could. She hoped she could. She smiled at Patrice a little and then, feeling silly, said, "Maybe it's just nerves." Patrice had joined her in the bedroom and now he stepped forward, placing his hand on her abdomen and kissing her forehead gently. "I'm certain you can feel the baby moving," he said quietly. Although it could have very well been nerves. Merlin only knew that he had enough of them this morning. Despite the rather calm outward appearance, he was both looking forward to this visit, and dreading it, and had been for weeks now. Because he knew that this was very likely one of the last chances that they would have. No matter that Lucia was quite a bit younger than he was she was getting towards the age where a pregnancy would be more difficult and if she should miscarry again Patrice knew that it might be the last attempt. After her last miscarriage it had been a long time recovering. So if this child was another girl... He kissed her forehead again, to stave away his own nerves. "You said they would be here at ten-thirty?" Lucia nodded gently and leaned against him, enjoying the moment of intimacy. She reached up and rested her hands gently on his shoulders, not holding him overly close or hanging on overly tight. She didn't want to appear needy, though she worried about that less these past few weeks. Things between them had been better than ever. "He should be here in a few minutes," she said softly, looking up at him. "I hope he brings good news." Even as she spoke, there was a knock on the door and Violet squeaked, "Healer Edgelow is here!" The disruption was both welcome and unwelcome. Lucia took a breath, offered Patrice a nervous smile, and then stepped away from him to a proper distance. She sat down on the loveseat and waited for Patrice to bid them enter. She could feel her nerves now, stronger than any sensation of movement from the baby, real or imagined. She too knew that this was likely their last try for an heir as well. She was thirty-one now, and for whatever reason, pregnancy was not easy for her. She could see that Patrice loved their daughters, and took care of their family, but it was the most important role of a wife to provide an heir for her husband. If it wasn't a son, Lucia would be very disappointed. "Enter," Patrice called towards the room's door, and Violet, the house elf, pushed it open, the Healer behind her and Patrice gave Healer Edgelow a smile. "Welcome, and Happy Christmas," he greeted the Healer and stepped forward to welcome him into the room. The smile was admittedly a bit forced, as he was frankly worried about the outcome of the day's exploration. But there was only one thing for it, and although putting off knowing would mean that he wouldn't know for that much longer it wouldn't actually change the what the reality was. The child's gender was already determined, it was just whether or not they knew what it would be. "Thank you for coming out today," he added. "Happy Christmas," Healer Edgelow had stepped into the room and he had turned his attention to Lucia. "And how are you feeling today Mrs Nott? I hope that you've been following my instructions to the letter?" "Good morning, Healer Edgelow. And I certainly have," Lucia said politely, but she did not get up. As an afterthought, she added, "Violet, you are dismissed." The house elf disappeared, sensibly shutting the door behind it, and Lucia took a deep breath. She wanted to reach out for Patrice, though she wasn't sure if he would welcome such an action, regardless of the situation. They did have an audience, after all. "Please, we are eager to know the results," Lucia said then, wishing not to waste time. She didn't know if she could handle small talk for much longer, and surely Healer Edgelow would prefer to finish and return home on Christmas. "Ah, yes. I undertand," Healer Edgelow said with a smile and pulled out his wand. "Please, lay down on the bed." Lucia rose then and moved to follow the directions, moving past Patrice. She sat on the edge of the bed and then shifted gracefully to lay down, propped up by the multiple pillows behind her so she could still feel engaged in the situation. Patrice stepped around to the other side of the bed and although he didn't sit down - after all, the Healer was in the room and Patrice was not going to sit down on the bed with his wife with another man in the room - he stood next to the wall. The casual nature of his posture did nothing to give way how anxious he truly was. If the child was another girl, he didn't know if he would be able to hide his disappointment from Lucia. But he needed to be prepared in case that was the situation. He watched as Edgelow stepped up on the otherside of the bed so that he was standing next to Lucia as well. He reached for Lucia's hand then, giving it a small squeeze and trying to let her know that regardless of what news the Healer might give them today, that she was still his wife and it would be all right. And to be honest Patrice had no idea what he would do if it were a girl. Because a lack of an heir for their family - well, there was no one else to carry on the Nott line and there was a sense of desperation underneath all of that calm. "You may as well proceed," he said with a smile to the Healer. "We have been waiting for this news for a while." "Of course, of course," Healer Edgelow said, and his wand lit up yellow as he began murmuring spells. Lucia knew it would be improper to close her eyes, to make any indication that she was so overly concerned. Of course the healer knew, as did Patrice. It was obvious that it was important to them, and Healer Edgelow knew the importance of discretion. He wouldn't be their healer if he wasn't, but that didn't mean there weren't still appearances to keep up, regardless of whether or not she was praying in her mind, pleading with... with what, exactly, she did not know. But Lucia wanted so badly for it to be a boy, that when the healer first said the words, she almost missed it. "It is a boy," Healer Edgelow said softly, as though making a conscious effort to respect the weight of the situation. Her hand flew to her mouth as though she had to physically hold her reaction in though her every instinct made her wish to shout with joy. Her hand squeezed Patrice's tightly and she felt her heart jump alarmingly in her chest. She desperately wished the healer wasn't there so that she could react properly, but for now she just cleared her throat and blinked back her intense emotions. "You're certain?" she asked, the hand moving from her mouth to drop and press over her swiftly beating heart. "Should you do it again, just to make sure?" Patrice was wearing the face he so frequently wore in mixed company when he was speaking to people who had no comprehension of Wizarding culture or the importance of traditions, although today it was simply to hide his potential disappointment - or as the case turned out to be when the Healer spoke, his extreme delight. A boy. The Healer had said that it was a boy. An heir. His hand tightened around Lucia's and he fave the Healer a look. "I can do it again, if you would like me to," Healer Edgelow said quietly. "But I am fairly certain of the tests results. It is nearly always accurate." "No, of course. It's fine. We will do it again at our appointment early next week to be certain. Thank you, Healer Edgelow," Lucia said, and to her credit, her voice only shook slightly. She took a deep breath and wondered if it was impolite to ask him to leave. She promptly decided she didn't care, and she would make any necessary apologies later if she had to. "Violet will be waiting in the hall to show you out." Lucia moved to get to her feet then, smoothing her upswept hair with shaking hands. Her eyes found Patrice across the room and she was waiting, just waiting for the healer to leave so she could cross the room and share this moment with him. "Of course. Good day Mr Nott. Mrs Nott," Healer Edgelow said, nodding first to Patrice and then Lucia before crossing the room and stepping out of the bedroom. There was only one brief moment of hesitation before she all but ran, throwing her arms enthusiastically around her husband's neck and stretching up on tip toes to press a kiss to his mouth. "Oh, Patrice," she breathed, eyes squeezed shut as she hung on. He slid his arms around her, unable to hide the smile on his face as he almost swirled her around. "Lucia, my love, we are going to have a son!" He pulled back and looked at her, raising his hands to cup her face in his hands. "A son, Lucia!" There was nothing more he could say. He knew that she knew how excited he was, knew that she was perhaps equally so. Their family was perfect, and if they had a son, it would be complete. The Nott line would not die with Patrice, and they would have a son that could pass on the name. "We must tell Mother, Lucia, please. We do not have to tell anyone else, but we must at least tell Mother." Lucia kissed him again, eyes filling with tears of happiness and she immediately felt silly for the second time that morning. She broke the kiss and laughed, wiping the tears from her blushing cheeks and clearing her throat in an attempt to compose herself. My love, he had said. He had never used such words before, and to Lucia, it felt almost like I love you. If she was his love, after all, then surely she was in his heart. If she had thought herself happy before, her spirits now soared and she simply basked in the feeling for a moment, taking it in before she was even able to address his request. She would have given him anything in that moment, and agreed to anything he could possibly desire. "We should tell your mother, I agree. And my parents, and the girls, and Portia and Laelia, and everyone else who is at dinner," Lucia said, smiling widely. "I know... I know I said I wished to wait another month, but I am already showing, and this is such good news, I don't want to keep it a secret any longer." To be certain there were times when Patrice felt Lucia's tears overly emotional and silly, but although he didn't precisely have tears in his eyes, he certainly did not feel that they were that silly at the moment. In truth, he was relieved, ecstatic, and a bit worried all thrown together at once. There was a certain relief that at last they would have an heir and he would have done his duty by his father - tinged with perhaps a bit of regret that his father would never know his grandson - ecstatic of course for much similar reasons, and worried because they were not so far out that something could not go wrong. That was true, perhaps, even after a child was born, they could become sick, they could get injured, but with Lucia's history they would need to be very careful. He kissed her forehead, then leaned to kiss her on the lips. "Lucia, you very well may have to tie me to that bed to keep me from running and telling the world," he said with his voice a bit low and conspiratorial. The comment implied other things that might go over Lucia's head, or if they did not, would likely make her blush a great deal, but let that be as it was. Patrice was hardly in a mood for absolute adherence to pureblood bedroom etiquette. "But yes - let us tell the family, they are here. And then you may tell your friends as you feel comfortable doing so. In fact, shall we go and tell the girls now? They are old enough to understand I believe, and perhaps to appreciate that they were told first?" The underlying suggestiveness of his words did not go over her head, and her face did warm at the thought. Patrice had always affected Lucia a great deal, inspiring intense emotions of both love and anger in turns, depending on the situation. Now, overcome as she already was with emotion, her often easily turned attentions didn't stray. She was too ecstatic with the news to be deterred from her happiness, even if the emotion tempting her was a strong affection. There would be time for that later, she was sure. "I think that would be lovely," she said, and she was veritably beaming at him. He was such a wonderful father, thinking of their girls like that, and soon he would have a son to raise, an heir to teach, and Lucia knew he would be similarly wonderful with him. She was so glad that she could give him that. Of course, logically they were not guaranteed a healthy child yet, but logic wasn't exactly at the forefront of her mind in that current moment. She was sure her crushing worries would return soon enough, as would the pressure in tenfold, but with the good news and the Christmas cheer, she was going to allow herself to be perfectly, wonderfully happy. Still, she couldn't help but address it. "I feel that... I feel well. I feel healthy. And I will be so, so careful. I will do everything I can to keep our son safe, Patrice. Our son." Their son indeed. Patrice gave her a smile, kissing her again. This would stand out as a superior Christmas, he thought to himself as he stepped back. "Good, Lucia. Good. I think we may want the Healer to come in frequently to ensure that you still are well and healthy, but I know that you will be." He knew that she knew how important this was. And he would simply need to ensure that she had every comfort, every need taken care of, and that there was nothing too strenuous. "Happy Christmas, Lucia. Shall we go tell our girls that they will have a brother this time next year?" "Yes, lets. I'm sure they will be excited at the news as well," Lucia agreed, leaning into him even still as they exited the bedroom, her small arm curled around his waist and his hand warm on her back as they walked down the stairs together. She could hear her children laughing, and she couldn't help but think she would have, perhaps, the most perfect family after all, and all the waiting would have been worth it. |