Mad World Mods (madworldmods) wrote in madworldrp, @ 2007-09-16 18:12:00 |
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Entry tags: | amelia bones, edgar bones |
Thread: Sunday Brunch with the Bonses
LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY properbones)
Who: Edgar, Matty, and Amelia
What: Sunday Brunch and general chat
Where: The Zodiac, a small wizarding cafe
Summary: Amelia and Edgar decide to give Sarah some time off from being a mommy and go out to brunch with Matty in tow.
Rating: G
Sunday brunch had been a tradition for Amelia growing up. Whether it was homemade or in a restaurant, she could always remember sitting around a table with her family and eating pastries, or fruit, or whatever the dish of the day consisted of. She remembered taking a sip of her father's coffee, and promptly spitting it back on his shoes, when she was 5. She remembered how fun it had been, and how much she missed it. Well, having Edgar and Sarah over for dinner on Friday reminded her of that. She wish they could have lingered all night, but alas they could not as Matty had to be put to bed. So she and Edgar had decided to make plans for Sunday brunch, and bring Matty as well to give Sarah a morning off.
So there Amelia was, sitting outside, waiting for her brother. The sun was shining on her bare calves as she stretched them out from under the table. The place she had chosen couldn't have been more perfect. It was small, quiet, and charming. The food was good, and inexpensive, and the waitstaff was the friendliest she had met. Plus, it was child-proof, and welcomed children and families. She had seen a tiny little add for it in the Daily Prophet once, and would come every so often when she had the chance. She wasn't a regular, by any means, but she did enjoy it. And she hoped Edgar would too. The question was, where was he?
Sarah had smiled sleepily and curled back to her dreams without much hesitation after Edgar had kissed her good-bye and Matthew had put his sticky hands all over his mummy's face.
He, in Edgar's arms and in a pair of overalls and a onesie with snitches all over it, squealed loudly at the sight of his aunt as he and his father came from inside the restaurant where the floo was. "Morning!" Edgar called merrily as they approached, grinning, and Matty reached for Amelia.
"Hello hansome," Amelia exclaimed as she stood. She reached out and took her nephew from her brother's arms. Raising him up, she planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek and smiled. She balanced Matty on her hip. "I told you not to bring the old man," she chided him, jokingly.
"That's okay," she added, turning to Edgar. "You can stay. Wouldn't want to risk my reputuation leaving me alone with such a hansome young man, now would we?"
Amelia laughed and leaned up to hug her brother and kiss his cheek in greeting. "It's good to see you again, Ed. How's Sarah? Hopefully just as good as on Friday."
"Sarah's busy engaging in a torrid affair with the sandman," Edgar, grabbing a high chair from the side of the door and pulling it over to the table so Amelia could sit Matty down when she was ready to. Plopping himself down in the chair across from her, he continued saying, "But I'm not jealous. I know it's me and the sleep deprivation I entail with Matty's help she really loves."
Not wanting to waste any time Edgar dove straight into a question he'd been itching to ask since he'd been in the middle of his coffee earlier and an owl had smashed into the kitchen window. "Don't suppose you've heard about some of the new ministers proposed theories, have you?" he asked, raising a hand for the waitress. "Seems he's itching to ban us marrying muggles. Among a few other choice things."
Amelia returned to her seat, and set Matty on her knee. She quickly pushed away the serving utensils in the boy's vicinity so that he wouldn't decide to pick one up and stab himself in the eye. That wouldn't have been good. She was too responsible for that.
Instead, to keep the young Bones entertained, Amelia played bounce on the knee with him and smiled at his squeals. That is until Edgar decided to bombard her with work rumors. She stopped. Of course she had heard them. They had been circulating around all week. It was understandable that Edgar hadn't wanted to bring this up in front of Sarah on Friday, but couldn't it had waited until after she at least had her orange juice?
"Matty," Amelia said sweetly looking down at the boy, who, at the mention of his name looked right back up at her. "Tell your daddy that I refuse to talk business until after I have ordered." She stood up and lowered him into his highchair before sitting down once more. She picked up her menu and started to peruse it.
Edgar rolled his eyes.
The waitress came over and Edgar already knew he wanted bacon above all things, and ordered the house meal at the waitress's insistence, which came with a little more meat than Edgar was sure he could eat. For Matty he asked for apple sauce and assured her she had a bottle at the ready and would be happy to heat it himself, but thank you for the offer.
After Amelia had made her own request and the waitress had left momentarily, bringing back the coffee pot and pouring Edgar a cup before offering the same gesture to Amelia.
"Oh I'm sorry," Amelia remarked. "Did I ask for coffee when I ordered?" The waitress nodded. "Actually I meant tea. And I did say Orange Juice, correct? I don't know where my head is today. Thank you."
She pulled her place setting closer to her now that it was safe to do so. As she unfolded the napkin in her lap she said. "I ought to have warned you before you ordered, but the owner is American. Your breakfast comes with these two massive pancakes the size of your face, plus sausage, bacon, eggs, and potatoes," she explained. "I saw a man order one once, it's an insane amount of food for one person. It's probably very good though, everything here is. I have never had a bad meal here ever."
Amelia smiled as the waitress returned with her tea and a small glass of juice. "Now what were you saying," she asked as she took a sip.
"Could use something filling," Edgar said with a shrug, smiling. "And a bit of fattening up, according to Ma. Keeps asking if Sarah's feeding me, and Godric knows she can't cook without burning anything to save her life. Except for pot roast and potatoes, and there's only so much of either a man can eat."
Sobering a bit and handing Matty his plushie, Bobo, out of the diaper bag Edgar had put on the back of his chair, Edgar sighed before saying, "I don't like the way we're going here, even if it is just speculation and rumour. If he's looking for a bloodist uprising, he's going in the right direction."
"She's tired Ed," Amelia stressed in Sarah's defense. "And Ma's always worried that you and Josh were never having enough to eat. Bones men are supposed to be big and strong."
Shifting nervously in her chair, Amelia reflected on all that she had heard the prior week, and wondered what Edgar had as well. There had been no official changes made yet, but everyone knew that it would only be a matter of time. "He hasn't made any changes yet. I don't know." She stirred her as she fell into her thoughts. "Extreme measures might not be underway as everyone thinks. He wouldn't want to risk a complete uprising against him. He's a politician."
"I know!" Edgar said, a little defensively. "That's not what I meant, Ames. Just I don't think to eat and neither of us think to make anything, and we just don't eat enough. Anyway," he continued, dismissing the topic with a wave and rubbing tiredly at his eyes with his other hand.
"He's a bloodist politician though," Edgar reminded her, sighing at the possibility of what was to come. "And the supporters with the clout are bloodist supporters. He'll have a frightening amount of support."
"Edgar calm down," Amelia said in surprise. "I wasn't trying to insinuate that you meant anything by that at all. Expect of course that mother is always worried about something, but that shows she loves us. I'm the same way. I'm either too busy or too tired to eat most days." She would never add of course that whenever their mother saw her now, Amelia was always told how wonderful she looked. It was an unspoken rule that while Bones men were supposed to be big and strong, the women were expected to be slim and graceful.
"You seem tired as well," Amelia continued, with a hint of concern. "You should let me take Matty one weekend, or you two go away for a weekend holiday and I'll care for him at your home."
"Sorry, sorry," Edgar apologized. "I'm just. I'm so tired, and I swear everything feels like an insinuation against me. I want to give Sarah a break from the kiddo, just between him and work and the fact that I really haven't been getting enough sleep..." Edgar trailed off, running his hands through his hair.
"Sometimes I wonder if Sarah and I are really old enough to be doing this," Ed admitted.
"Edgar, no one will say no if you ask for help," Amelia gently reminded him. She reached across the table and gave his hand a squeeze. "I would be glad to look out for Matty, and so would mother. It would give her a chance to spoil her grandson rotten, and help you out. Look at me." She paused and took a deep breathe.
"We are all here for you. And you know, it makes no sense to wonder about these things because you already have Matty. You have to do this. But you don't have to do it alone. Right?"
"I know," Edgar said, looking at Matty and smiling slightly. "I love him, you know I do. So bloody much. But it was just... so more much than I expected it to be, you know? And Sarah and I are just so bloody stubborn. Feels like we have to prove we can do it ourselves."
"So stop being stubborn," Amelia laughed as she playfully smacked him on the hand. "You know your fault. Part of growing up I've learned thus far is realizing our faults and overcoming them. Take me for example." She straightened up.
"I don't like being wrong. It rarely happens, but when it does happen I don't like to admit it. Because I know this though, I am working on admitting when I'm wrong. Oh look food."
"My God, the food!" Edgar said in surprise. Even Amelia's description hadn't prepared him for the mountain of breakfast the waitress set in front of him with a smile and a bubbly, "There you go, sir! And applesauce for the little man!"
"Yours looks a bit easier on the stomach," Edgar commented as the waitress left, and he picked up a spoon to start feeding Matty.
"And you're right. Sarah and I need to suck up our pride and ask for help, or we're going to be drowning in our own serious lack of sleep and increasing loss of sanity."
Amelia shrugged. "I don't eat much," she explained. "Some fruit, yoghurt, and a croissant is enough for me. I'm not a former Quidditch player turned field officer/father who needs all the energy he can get either. Mother would be proud to see you eating all that."
Noticing that Edgar was about to forgo is own meal, Amelia reached for the spoon. "I'll feed him," she said. "It's best to eat that while it's still warm, and while you can. Think of this as a step on your road to recovery."
"If Ma had her way I'd be a professional Quidditch player and she's stuff me full of as much protein as she could manage at every opportunity. Not that she doesn't do that anyway, of course," Edgar grinned tiredly as Matthew squealed and dribbled applesauce down the hippogriff bib his father had tied around his neck.
Handing the spoon to Amelia, Ed smiled. "Thanks, Ames," he said as he picked up the syrup pot and started drizzling everything. "Mmm, smell that. It's the waft of maple trees, a smoke house, and a heart attack when I'm 35. Yum!"
Amelia was currently concentrated on feeding her young nephew, and playing "Open your mouth so the broom can land" with him and his applesauce. Some dribbled onto his chin, which she promptly wiped off with a napkin, but other than that the puree of fruit stayed in his mouth. Each swallow was rewarded with an expression of glee from Amelia, and a smile from Matty.
"Edgar, you know mother is proud of you no matter what you do," Amelia replied, her concentration remaining on Matty as she tried to get him to eat, which he finally would not do. So she sighed and placed the spoon down before turning to her own breakfast. "You're a field officer, which is absolutely amazing. You worked hard to get where you are."
She bit into the croissant and wiped the crumbs from her fingers. "Mmmmm. Tastes like a summer morning in Paris," she remarked with a smile before continuing. "Besides, you're out there being big and strong and protecting the rest of us. You should feel proud of what you do. I'm proud of you."
"I'm proud of you too, sis. You'll be running the Wizengamont one of these days. But I'm hardly big or strong," he said thickly through a mouthful of goodness only knew what combination, setting down his fork and pointing to his arm muscles. "See these? These aren't worth diddly. I'm all brains. Actually, no, I'm all mouth, and I look good in the uniform." He grinned.
"Thanks you. I'm glad I have your support," Amelia said, taking a sip of tea. She would have loved to be in that position, more for the knowledge that she was making sure that justice was served rather than personal gains. "I don't know how realistic that is now. Look how many powerful women we have. Oh there are some, but it is still mostly men. And if Muggle relations are targeted first, women are probably next on the de-evolution of our system."
She sighed and leaned back in her chair, staring down forlornly at her food.
"I hope it doesn't come to that," Edgar said, taking on a bit of a wincing quality. "Have you heard about Bagnold? I think she's planning on taking things head on. Someone told me she'd rather transfigure herself into a house elf and work for a Lestrange then see Crouch get it if Cavanaugh is forced to step down. Which I hope he is," Edgar rambled.
"Millicent Bagnold is an exploding snap," Amelia said with a weak smile. "In the best way of course. She is a forced to be reckoned with. I think she would be a fantastic Minister."
"Enough work talk. It's the only thing I talk about these days. Did you hear about the hysteria at Hogwarts?"
"With the animals, you mean? Or the new rubbish that seems to start every time I pick up the journal. I swear when we were at school we had a little more tact and a lot more respect for one another," Edgar said, but couldn't help but smile. "Dumbledore's off his ruddy nut."
Amelia primly lay down her spoon and dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin, before smoothing it back into her lap. She straightened up, and reaching for her tea said "Well we knew that he was a bit off when he appointed you Head Boy." Her tone was as serious she could manage while trying to maintain an even composure and not laugh. She quirked an eyebrow as she pressed the cup to her lips, daring Edgar to defy her.
Edgar couldn't help but laugh. "And the obvious solution to my dastardly rule was to appoint you Head Girl right after me," he said, grinning lopsidedly. "What is Hogwarts' preoccupation with putting the sprog of the Bones family in positions of power, anyway? Were we born with some inate sort of leadership that I've been unaware of up until this point in time?"
"Of course," exclaimed Amelia intensely as she replaced her cup to its saucer. "You would not believe how much fixing I had to do during my year. You really left Hogwarts in shambles." The corners of her mouth turned up into a smile and she couldn't help but laugh. The laughter increased as Matty threw a handful of applesauce over his father's face, laughing gleefully as well.
"Edgar you're too modest," continued Amelia, handing him her napkin and wiping applesauce off of Matty's fingers. She moved the container of ammunition away from the little boy. "You and Josh have wonderful leadership abilities. I'm the organizer, which I am fully aware of so there is no use in trying to correct me."
Slowly wiping the applesauce off of his face, Edgar stuck his tongue out at Matty, who clapped and squealed, lifting his little arms up toward his daddy and wanting to be picked up, trying to avoid Amelia's attempts to clean him off.
"Dadadadadurrrrr!" Matty babbled happily, still reaching for Edgar. "Abur! Abur!"
"I think he's trying to say 'up'," Edgar beamed proudly, undoing Matty from the chair and lifting him up and into his lap. Matty went straight for the remainder of Edgar's breakfast, and subsequently a lake of maple syrup. "We've all done it differently, I guess," Ed said, failing to keep Matty out of reach of the plate, and ending up with smeary, sticky little handprints all over his t-shirt. "You organized, like you said, I don't know what I did... went with the flow, I guess? And Josh is preoccupied, but I'm sure he'll adjust soon enough."
"And to think you're going to be future Head Boy," Amelia said to Matty as made handprints on Edgar's shirt. "Or he will if he's anything like his daddy."
"I think every Head Boy and Girl Dumbledore has appointed was just the type of leader needed at that point in time. We're all different. You were approachable and a natural leader. I was natrually organized, and the general big sister I suppose. Josh, well he's new, and he has more things going on than we ever did. He'll be able to do it. I just wish I could be there to help him."
"Well I was never clean growing up," Edgar grinned, trying to rearrange Matty and avoid touching his sticky shirt at the same time. "You've got to get dirty and covered in syrup to really make a difference in the world, don't you Mattycakes?"
"Aburrrmo!" Matty answered, pleased with the attention, and put his hands right on Edgar's face.
"Same," he cringed at Matty, referring to Josh. "But it's an I do I don't kind of thing. I want to be there for him, but I wouldn't want to be a student again to save my life."
"That's the understatement of the century," Amelia quipped as she watched the interchange between father and son. "Mother was forever yelling at you about how you tore your robes, or there was mud and grass marks and whatever else you happened to be rolling in on them. 'Matthew Bones,'" she said, mimicking her mother's tone. "'That is no way for a proper young boy to behave. Oh my. He takes after his father. This is impossible.' Always had to be the one to go out and save the world with syrup hands. I'll continue to make sure you don't do anything too stupid, how does that sound?"
"But no. I would not want to be a student again. We must have been the end of a generation. Really. Letting animals loose, attacking people on stairs, and goodness only knows what else. We had nothing of this when we were there. It really makes me feel like an old fuddy duddy when I say this, but kids these days are nothing like we were!"
"Remember that time I fell it that old bog we found and came home smelling of pea soup and dog poop?" Edgar asked, laughing at the memory. "Ma was tempted to do a de-skunking charm on me I reeked so bad. I still maintain that you can't learn anything about nothing without getting right into the thick of it. Matty's got that spirit. Two of the walls in our kitchen can attest to that."
"You're right, though. And to me all these journals have seen fit to do is alienate certain people more and offering a new medium in which people can bullshit even more than usual. Boggles my mind."
"How could I forget? You smelt something fierce, I wanted to die. I still can't believe you did that," Amelia said in disbelief. "I mean really Edgar. You can learn a lot by not doing as well you know. Not everyone can go out and study dragons, but we can learn about them. I suppose then that the seven years you spent in Hogwarts were completely wasted then? Well that's lovely to know."
Amelia sighed. "If this is what the world is coming to I would hate to be a part of the future. I just hope that once they leave Hogwarts things will change, though I sincerely doubt it. I have the worst trouble trying to picture Sirius Black for example in the real world. With his luck he would end up in jail for corrupting behavior. Really, the way he keeps insinuating that every female wants to go into a broom closet, or spread her legs for him. He better watch out in the future. He'll say something like that one day to the wrong person and will regret it."
"I know you can learn by not doing, I just prefer to be right in the thick of things," Edgar said with a shrug. "I learned lots at Hogwarts, but I did things like spending an entire day transfigured to be a beaver, practicing accio from the top of the astronomy tower, stuff like that, you know? Can't do those sorts of things anymore, though I don't doubt Sarah would turn me into a beaver if I pissed her off enough," he joked.
"I know what you mean," Edgar agreed. "I can't picture them even remotely adjusting to real life. But either they'll manage, or it'll hit them hard in the face and they'll flail and eventually manage to get a grip, or they'll fail and be living in a cardboard box on the side of the road somewhere. They have to learn, or they're screwed. With Sirius I think a lot of it is a front he puts on, like a way to protect himself, you know? A lot of them do that. A lot of them need to learn that ultimately those sorts of fronts don't end up helping whatsoever."
"I'm sorry. When did you spend an entire day as a beaver," asked Amelia, half in amusement, half in disbelief. "By whom? And you actually enjoyed it? Who is this brother I thought I knew? Any other secrets I should know about? Do you moonlight as playing Merlin for children's birthdays? Is that why you're really never with Sarah?"
She laughed. You think you know someone, and then. "You're right," she conceeded. "I couldn't imagine myself outside of Hogwarts, and now look at us. But really, when did we grow up?"
"Sixth year, by some little Slytherin git in the halls who name I can't remember. Tried to take points from him for harassing a firstie and the bugger turned me into a beaver," Edgar explained. "And as a beaver, I ran away. Sarah found me in a classroom a few hours later gnawing apart table legs and brought me to McGonagall to fix. And I don't know about enjoying it, because all I remember thinking the entire time was 'Build the dam! Chew the wood! over and over again."
"I'm not with Sarah enough because I moonlight as a male prostitute. Geez, Ames, get your facts straight," Edgar teased, waggling his eyebrows.
"I don't think I grew up until Sarah told me she was pregnant," Edgar admitted softly. "Until then we were, you know, still sneaking around, and giggling at our parents not catching us, and stuff like that. It changed pretty fast."