InsaneJournal

RP: Some news for the family before the Auction
Who: Adrian & his father (Ryan Pucey, NPC)
What: Flooing about Alicia before the whole wizarding world hears about it.
Where: Adrian's flat in Monument
When: Friday evening, Oct 10 2004
Rating: SFW

Adrian begged off his mother with assurances that he'd be over to St. Thomas to visit them soon and promised her his conversation with his father was nothing to worry about. With pointed utterances about how he never floo'd enough anymore, Maia went to get Ryan.

Ryan settled down in front of the floo with a questioning look. "Normally you floo to catch your mother up when you absolutely have to. Potions quandary?" Ryan Pucey was still a handsome man, despite nearly being a grandfather. He was also, still it seemed, short on words and rather old fashioned. The Puceys had been in potions as long potions had been brewed, if you asked Ryan, and it was the only thing the two men had ever really had in common, if you asked them.

If you asked Maia Pucey, she'd tell you the two were about as alike as father and son could be.

Adrian shook his head, "Not much quandary in the usual Pepper-Ups and diet potions, is there?" When Ryan rolled his eyes, Adrian jumped in quickly with, "I know, I know, wasting my talent and all that, but I didn't call for advice anyway. I wanted to tell you something." His voice grew serious and this caught Ryan's attention.

"Is everything alright, son?" Ryan waited, and Adrian nodded.

"I'm seeing someone, and it's going public tomorrow." Adrian said, the words coming out with a breath like a sigh. It didn't seem that big a statement, now that he'd said it out loud, but he knew the implications would sink in to his father soon, and the with it the difficulties.

Ryan took his time. And then, "And if you're telling me about it, it's serious." It wasn't a question.

Adrian nodded. "Alicia. I know Mum's told you about her. She's been a good friend, and things have become... More." He wasn't sure how to explain it, but more seemed to do it for the moment. "We've only told her children. She's a widow, from the war." Adrian figured his mother had told his father other details about Alicia over the years they'd been friends, but wasn't sure how much. "She's only told a close friend or two, I haven't told anyone yet, but with the Auction coming on behalf of the Fawley Foundation, I thought it right to tell you. We've donated together, publicly."

Again, Ryan thought, deliberately. "Have you told her..." He didn't finish the question - they never spoke of it as a family. Ryan's service during the war, as a sort of Potionsmaster on call to Voldemort, in exchange for his family's safety and relative freedom. Ryan would be summoned, no doubt, and the family would be questioned as well. And that was of course the least of their problems if it was all to be found out - once questions began, there was never any knowing which way it would fall.

Adrian shook his head, though. "Of course not. Family is family." Adrian had been feeling that Alicia was family - he felt it, he knew he did, along with the more, but the look on his father's face now, he knew he wouldn't ever be able to risk it. Ryan looked... scared. For just a moment, and then it was gone, but he'd seen it through the flame anyway. Nodding this time, Adrian just said, "I know," hoping to allay his father's fears, and then coughed. "Here's hoping the Auction goes well, right? Our family anonymously donated 500 Galleons, by the way," and gave Ryan a smile.

Ryan, pleased with the changed of topic, nodded. "As well you should, it's a good cause, and this Alicia sounds like a nice girl." It wasn't something his father would normally say, and so Adrian took his cue as the conversation ending.

"She is," he said, and then looked behind him as if at a clock. "I should run, but my best to Sera and Will of course." When Ryan just nodded in return and cut the floo connection, Adrian let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in.