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Tweak says, "I'm not antisocial..."

Neville Francis Longbottom (serpentslayer) wrote in irreparable,
@ 2011-02-24 22:10:00

Entry tags:

hannah abbott, neville longbottom

WHO: Neville, Hannah, Lucy, and GRAN
WHAT: Gran meets Hannah and Lucy
WHEN: Thursday Night
WHERE: Gran's House

Neville had initially planned to have Gran over to his flat, to keep it on his terms, but he couldn't pass up a home-cooked meal and he didn't want to have the added pressure of cooking for her while trying to earn her approval. So, after he got over his reluctance to meet on her turf, he told Hannah about the plans and got dressed in a light sweater Gran ad bought him for Christmas. Maybe it was sucking up, but he thought that it couldn't hurt to be polite.

He sat at the counter in the kitchen, waiting for Hannah to be ready, drinking a glass of chocolate milk for comfort. He really needed Gran to come around and approve of Hannah. He would be miserable if she stayed stubborn on the issue.

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h_abbott
2011-02-26 05:39 am UTC (link)

That was warm?! Hannah flashed a grateful smile at Aberforth, though the idea that it was a warm greeting had her feeling a little less than prepared for this exchange. "He's worth being protective of, but I only want him to be happy." She kept her tone extremely low as well.

After a moment, she moved to put Lucy down into the highchair. Lucy settled down fairly well, then proceeded to reach up toward Neville the instant she was secure with a slightly louder, "Aa!"

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	serpentslayer 2011-02-26 05:58 am UTC (link)
	Neville let Lucy grab his fingers. So long as they didn't end up in her mouth, he would endure her baby death grip. "Gran has to warm up to everyone," Neville mumbled. He heard the pot lid clatter as the spaghetti was levitated towards the dining room door. It was a long hall so they had plenty of warning. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

h_abbott
2011-02-26 06:04 am UTC (link)

Lucy, rather, started to randomly babble about a few things that were rather unrelated to anything at hand. Hannah, of course, caught "flower" and "bear" among the strains of word attempts.

"About how long does it usually take?" Hannah asked, again keeping her tone hushed. She had no issues with needing to win over the approval of her future grandmother-in-law, but she wanted a clue how long until she would have a clue if she was in the clear or in trouble.

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serpentslayer
2011-02-26 06:09 am UTC (link)

Aberforth laughed and shrugged. "Oh she hated me for years." He stroked his beard and took a seat at the table. Neville, remembering his upbringing, dropped Lucy's hand and pulled out a chair for Hannah.

Gran came in the room, just having heard Aberforth's remark. "I never hated you, Aberforth Dumbledore."

"No, you just thought I was crazy and uncouth. And you told me it more than once."

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h_abbott
2011-02-26 06:17 am UTC (link)

Years? Hannah smiled and almost let out a small chuckle, but it made the sensation of the growing knot in her throat far worse. She didn't expect this woman to welcome her with open arms, but she had hoped for a basic idea of how well things would or wouldn't go. Was it absurd of her to want to know? She, honestly, couldn't see having Neville adopt Lucy if his Gran disapproved utterly of Hannah... not to mention their wedding. Hannah couldn't think to come between Neville and his family - especially when his Gran had been the one to raise him and was one of the few people he had left in his family, distant cousins and the like aside.

"Well, so long as she came around." Hannah said lightly, then muttered a quiet thank you when Neville pulled her chair out. She sat down, then immediately turned to sit Lucy's bag down near her chair and out of the way. She pulled a spill-proof container of juice out and sat it in front of Lucy. The little girl ignored it, for the time being, her focus on taking in the room.

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serpentslayer
2011-02-26 06:23 am UTC (link)

Neville put his hand over Hannah's for a moment, trying to reassure her. He looked at Gran, but she was too busy arranging the bread basket and the pasta pot to return his gaze.

Neville finally sat down. Hannah was nervous, but Neville felt easily just as anxious. What if Gran said something? What if she drove Hannah out of here in tears? Neville wanted this night to go well. He would settle for false kindness at this point.

Aberforth opened the pot of pasta and picked up a ladle. "Pass your plates this way and I'll serve. Neville, pass the bread basket to your girl, will you?"

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h_abbott
2011-02-26 06:35 am UTC (link)

Hannah was, more than anything else, giving herself a bit of a mental kick for not anticipating the worst. Why had she thought that it would go as well as with her parents? Her father was excessively accepting, as he knew what she had gone through and wanted to see her happy in the end.

Hannah went along with passing plates and taking the bread basket, making a small plate with a small serving for Lucy off of her helping. She also made a point of carefully cutting the spaghetti. She, all the while doing it, kept it out of Lucy's reach. It was almost a force of habit with her to do it - and really, it wasn't terribly taxing to do it anymore. She was used to the ritual of it.

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serpentslayer
2011-02-26 04:31 pm UTC (link)

"So, Neville, how's work?" Aberforth asked. Neville froze and looked up from his dinner. He hadn't told them yet. "I actually resigned from the Auror squad," he said quietly.

"Why?"

"Well... there are ten left and I've got my own problem to deal with. It makes me a liability," he said, patting the still fresh scar on his arm. It was healed over but it was still puckered pink and white. "Well, thirteen left now. The break out was setback. But still, we got half of the remaining count this year alone... I'm going to have a family. I wasn't willing to risk it anymore and that is another thing that makes me a liability."

Aberforth nodded soberly. Gran set down her fork and started fidgeting with her napkin.

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h_abbott
2011-02-26 08:50 pm UTC (link)

Part of Hannah really wanted to duck her head down and try to keep things going as smoothly as possible, but she knew she couldn't just sit by after Neville broke the news. Regardless, she and Neville were friends before anything else. Even if something came up between Neville's family to cause problems in their relationship, Hannah still would've been Neville's friend. As his friend - and as someone who loved and cared deeply - she couldn't take his Gran's silence on the matter.

After giving Lucy a small spoonful of the cut spaghetti and watching Lucy happily eat it, she turned back to add to the conversation. "I told him that whatever he decided, I would stand behind what made him happy. He did a wonderful thing and was brave to be an auror, but the task is still in good hands even now that he has resigned. Harry and Ron are doing a wonderful job working on rounding up the last of the Death Eaters, even with the setback of the escape." She kept her tone calm - far more calm than she felt, really. She didn't want to be condescending. She just wanted to make it clear that she wanted whatever was best for Neville and would make him happy, as any friend - or love - would.

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	serpentslayer 2011-02-26 08:54 pm UTC (link)
	"We're not in a war anymore," said Aberforth, who could sympathize with someone wanting to keep their head down. "There are people to do the cleanup, and you did more than your share." Gran still had her eyes trained on Hannah. "I'm going to work on Herbology," Neville continued. "Expand the rare plant supply business I've been doing on the side." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

h_abbott
2011-02-26 09:24 pm UTC (link)

Hannah was riled up just enough to resist the overwhelming urge to back down. While she would step aside if she absolutely had to for Neville's sake, it would be a motion made out of love and a desire for the most happiness in his life. But right then, right there, the lack of vocalized support on his Gran's part seemed a direct contrast to what would make Neville happy in the present. Even without Lucy and Hannah in the picture, Neville had reasons to want to retire from being an Auror. Hannah couldn't understand the woman not supporting that outright.

She only glanced to the side to watch Neville as he talked and to give Lucy another spoon of spaghetti. She, otherwise, was quite content to hold her head up and talk. It was much, much easier to ignore nerves when a hint of temper mixed with caring. "And I'm going to continue working at The Leaky Cauldron, of course."

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	serpentslayer 2011-02-26 09:48 pm UTC (link)
	"Your mother was always good with plants," Augusta finally said, taking her eyes off of Hannah for the first time since Aberforth had served dinner. "You get that from her. I can't keep a petunia alive, I'm afraid." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	h_abbott 2011-02-26 09:56 pm UTC (link)
	"He was always the best with Herbology at Hogwarts. Some of the flowers he has now are r-" Lucy decided to cut Hannah off and chimed in with an echo of, "Flower!" As tense as Hannah had been, the seeming final approval of the new career path combined with Lucy's little outburst was enough to make her crack a bit of a smile and relax. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	serpentslayer 2011-02-26 10:01 pm UTC (link)
	Even Gran couldn't help but smile at that. Neville laughed out of relief. "I'm going to have to start looking for a place for a bigger greenhouse," he added. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

h_abbott
2011-02-26 10:14 pm UTC (link)

Hannah grinned as Neville laughed, unable to help herself. She loved hearing him laugh, even if it was just out of relief in a tense situation.

She then turned her attention back to Lucy. "Does Mr. Bear want more spaghetti? Or does Lucy?" Hannah spoke quietly to her daughter, giving her another spoonful of the saucy noodles and feeling rather pleased to see how well Lucy was taking to the food. It wasn't Hannah's sauce, after all, and Lucy didn't always go along with unfamiliar foods. It was an added relief to the night as a whole.

She took the opportunity of Lucy eating a bite to snatch a bite off of her own plate for herself. When she was finished chewing and swallowing, she added, "And I'm sure there's something out there that will be a fit."

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serpentslayer
2011-02-26 10:20 pm UTC (link)

They ate quietly for a few minutes, everyone content to eat and watch Lucy be genuinely adorable. Of course, Augusta wasn't a woman who could hold her tongue when she had something to say and eventually she lost the battle of self control.

"I will be honest with you, Hannah. I don't much approve of having children outside of marriage."

"Augusta," Aberforth said, trying to interfere.

"No, let me finish. When Neville asked for his mother's ring I told him no, that he was making a mistake. And then he told me a few things I have never heard out of his mouth since he was born. He reminded me an awful lot of his father in that moment. He's finally a man and not a boy and if loves you and trusts you then I have to have faith that you're a good woman, even if I don't agree with all of your choices."

"That said, if you hurt him, you will want to watch over your shoulder."

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h_abbott
2011-02-26 10:37 pm UTC (link)

"I could never hurt him." Hannah answered immediately and honestly, meeting the woman's gaze straight-on at the mention of it. While it all was news to her, and somewhat upsetting due to the fact Neville hadn't told her before coming into the dinner, it was almost a bit of a relief to have it out. Finally, she could address this woman's issues with her.

"While I have made some mistakes in my past, I've learned from those mistakes and become a better person for it. I do love your grandson and I care greatly about him and his happiness - and I know he loves me even though I've made mistakes. Lucy also loves and adores him. While I can't express how much I appreciate you putting that trust in his judgment in relation to me, I have one slightly selfish thing to ask on that note. I hope that, eventually, both of you would be open to and comfortable with the idea of him and I together and with the idea of having Lucy around as a granddaughter. I don't want to take him away from what family he has or have you any less involved in his life. I would like this to stay a family - just extend it a little. You would also both, of course, be welcome to meet my parents long before the ceremony if you would like." And now it was all out on the line.

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	serpentslayer 2011-02-26 11:26 pm UTC (link)
	"Is Neville officially adopting her?" Gran asked. She saw no point in keeping Lucy's birth father as her legal father. He wasn't much help to her now. "Yes, mam," Neville said. "She's going to be my daughter. Completely." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

h_abbott
2011-02-26 11:46 pm UTC (link)

Hannah couldn't help but feel a certain sense of pride in hearing Neville say that with such a lack of hesitation on his part. She knew that he loved Lucy like a daughter and had for a long time. "She's already as good as your daughter."

Then she glanced toward Augusta Longbottom, "But we have discussed and taken the steps to get the legal documents to start the process. I wanted to meet you first, though, and for you to meet myself and Lucy."

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serpentslayer
2011-02-27 05:16 pm UTC (link)

"When are you two thinking of having the wedding?" Aberforth asked.

Neville shrugged, "Dunno. Right now we have some things to get in order before we worry about dates."

"People always wait to get their lives the way they want them before they get married," he said, his tone indicating that he found the idea ridiculous. Of course, he wasn't married, so he wasn't really talking from experience, "You're getting married, shouldn't that be one of those things you want to set with your life? You don't have to be perfect before you get married."

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h_abbott
2011-02-27 06:50 pm UTC (link)

For a man talking with absolutely no experience, his words seemed awfully true to Hannah. Still, so many things immediately popped into Hannah's mind at the very idea of getting married anytime soon. Winchester, planning the actual wedding, Neville's business aspirations, having enough to pay for the wedding without taking a dent into their financial situation (which Hannah still wasn't terribly sure on) -

"The friend I have helping me figure out wedding planning details is a professional Quidditch player and a new mum, so she's a bit busy. Even if we set a date, I'm not quite sure what I'm doing and it would probably have to be awhile off anyhow." It wasn't arguing or even patronizing Aberforth's comment, simply stating a simple fact. Hannah had no idea what she was doing. She didn't remark that she shouldn't really be running about to do errands relating to a wedding due to Winchester being about, but that was because - honestly - Hannah had no intentions of paying any heed to that regardless. If they decided to get married a day or a year from then and Winchester wasn't caught, her reaction was going to be the same.

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serpentslayer
2011-02-27 07:43 pm UTC (link)

Neville figured he had better tell Gran no than have her find out through the grapevine and so he took a long drink of water before plucking up the courage to speak. "Hannah and Lucy have moved in since the Azkaban Break-Out," he said. "It's just not safe to be at the Leaky Cauldron, considering that I already arrested Winchester once trying to get into her flat."

"Well that's nice," Augusta said, much to Neville's surprise. Aberforth raised his eyebrows at Neville. "You've got space," she went on, "With that extra guest bedroom all made up."

Neville couldn't tell if Aberforth was choking or laughing. Neville just decided to let Gran assume what she would about their sleeping arrangements.

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h_abbott
2011-02-27 08:26 pm UTC (link)

Even if there were wrong assumptions on sleeping arrangements, Hannah saw no need to correct that and find herself back on the woman's bad side. She and Neville had technically never had sex - they just slept next to each other and snogged... aggressively... on occasion. But still, that was their business.

"Hopefully Winchester will be caught sooner rather than later. We won't skip getting married if she isn't, but I'd feel a bit safer with things if I knew she was -" Hannah continued to feed Lucy a few more bites, ignoring Aberforth's choking - or laughing.

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	serpentslayer 2011-02-27 08:29 pm UTC (link)
	"Aberforth, dear, drink some water," Augusta said. Neville was starting to think, though, that it was indeed laughter. "This is delicious, Gran," he said as he finished off his plate and grabbed another slice of garlic bread. "Thank you, Neville." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

h_abbott
2011-02-27 08:40 pm UTC (link)

Hannah wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or not at the whole matter, so she figured it was time to duck down again and hope things would go smoothly from there on out.

"It is. Lucy rarely takes so well to someone else's cooking, either." Hannah added quietly after a moment. Lucy, of course, chose that moment to reach for her cup instead of taking the bite of spaghetti Hannah offered her. Granted, most of the spaghetti Hannah had set aside for Lucy was gone. Hannah simply sat the spoon back down and went about having a bit of time for her to eat. Neville had finished his plate and Hannah had taken two bites.