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Tweak says, "There have been...accidents."

dragonhideboots (dragonhideboots) wrote in quaffle_rpg,
@ 2009-09-09 22:23:00

Dinner and dancing around awkward subjects
WHO: Bill and Fleur Weasley
WHERE: Fleur's office, then potentially Shell Cottage
WHEN: Wednesday evening, 7:30pm
WHAT: A dinner on the go, and some talk of relationship and futures
RATING: Likely a PG-13 for potential language and possible snogging
COMPLETION: Finished

A chicken tikka masala, a saag panier, a lamb vindaloo, and a hearty portion of naan were safely packaged in foam boxes and tucked under Bill Weasley's arm along with a bottle of wine as he stepped into the floo, emerging at the offices for the Winbourne Wasps Quidditch Team. The Indian takeaway was a necessary evil so long as Bill was in charge of dinner. Despite growing up as the eldest of seven, his mother ruled the kitchen and Bill never properly learned cooking spells. He could change a nappy, mop a floor, and de-gnome a garden with his eyes closed, but when it came to a simple boiling spell, he could barely get the water to turn tepid.

Oh well. Curry was one of his favorites, so he never complained when it was his turn to pick food. With a nod at the security desk wizard, Bill ducked down a side hall and arrived at the office marked "TEAM MEDICAL STAFF". Pushing the door open with his hip, he strode through the exam room and to the office at the rear marked "FLEUR WEASLEY- STAFF MEDIWITCH". He tapped on the door with his elbow.

"Delivery for Misses Fleur Weasley. One redheaded husband, a bottle of wine, and an order of curry!" he called through the door.

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mediwitch_fleur
2009-09-14 04:20 pm UTC (link)

Molly had sent over a casserole. Fleur's blood ran cold. Molly was cooking for him. That meant Molly knew she hadn't been. She began to eat slower as her stomach tried to revolt. She'd have stopped all together, but that meant thinking about something other than the methodical nibbles of cake she was eating.

She felt more than saw Bill move over to her on the couch, closing her eyes as his fingers moved through her hair. It was heaven. She'd always loved when he played with her hair. If married life could just be this moment, she'd be set.

"I love you," she whispered in response, tilting her head slightly to give him better access. How long had it been that he'd kissed her like that? Too long, was the answer. Any amount of time was too long if she had to think about it.

She didn't feel the plate shift until the fork clattered to the ground. Fleur winced, pulling away reluctantly. She wanted to just give in. She wanted to remember what it was like when they were first married, when the nights were filled with stars because they were together. Instead, she kissed him sadly on the lips. "I want to..." she offered, her voice trailing as she shifted to get up and look to see if any cake had fallen to the floor as well.

Cake was never on the floor at Molly's house. Fleur winced again.

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dragonhideboots
2009-09-15 02:28 am UTC (link)

"Mmh," Bill sighed as she pulled away. "Leave it."

Pulling her back towards him gently, he pushed the plate across the floor with his foot.

"I'll clean it later. I can handle cleaning spells."

He could see the distant look in her eyes and knew she wasn't entirely present. Something was bothering her and she wasn't talking to him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, burying his face in her hair and breathing deeply.

"Why don't you go get ready for bed and I'll clean up the cake," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Or you could run the bath if that sounds better? I'll be there in a minute."

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mediwitch_fleur
2009-09-15 03:05 am UTC (link)

Fleur closed her eyes as he pulled her back, lids tightly shut against the burning tears. "Bill," she protested, sinking against him. She wanted to let him pull her back, to forget, but not now. She had to be a wife, had to be responsible.

Shaking her head, she stood up, drawing her wand, "No, it's...my job. I won't have your mother knowing I don't clean my house." Saying the words themselves spun her into a frenzy and she whipped the plate to the kitchen so fast it broke.

Fleur screamed in frustration, turning her wand on the carpet and beginning to scurgify it.

"I will not have your mother judging me and talking about me behind my back to the perfect little would-be Weasleys. Just because I don't want to spend all day being a housewife!" The last few words said in French as she lost her temper.

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dragonhideboots
2009-09-15 03:16 am UTC (link)

Bill's eyes widened for a moment and then quickly narrowed as he scowled.

"What does my mother have to do with this?" he said, standing and grabbing Fleur's arm. "Do you think she's got eyes on this house or something? No. You're being ridiculous, Fleur."

He let her arm go and watched in disbelief as she soaked a patch of the floor with cleaning spells.

"No one is judging you," he said harshly. "I'd rather you not bring my family into this. I haven't said a word to them about anything being wrong with you and I don't want you assuming they speak poorly of you, because no one does. But they will if you act like a child."

He could feel the anger rising up his neck. It was true what they said about redheads...he could get feisty, and fast.

"You know what, Fleur?" he added. "I'm a little tired of your dramatics. You don't need to be perfect and you need to obsess a little less over your job and stupid things like this, okay? Because, frankly, I'm not really a fan of how you've been acting lately."

Shit. He said it. The only thing feistier than a redhead was a hot-blooded French woman, and Bill knew this too well. He'd opened a can of worms this time.

But, he'd take it. It was time they had it out. Things had been left unsaid too long.

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mediwitch_fleur
2009-09-15 03:39 am UTC (link)

Fleur pulled away from him, unable to actually wrench her arm from his grasp until he released it.

"I'm not being ridiculous! Your mother is cooking for you! She knows, you don't have to say anything!"

When he attacked her personally, she turned on him, brandishing her wand. Blue eyes fired up and brimming with tears.

"Child? A child am I? I realize I'm younger than Percy, but I am no child! Perhaps you should have married someone older?" She clapped her hand over her mouth and turned away, hurrying to the kitchen.

"So what is it you want me to be? YOu knew what I was when you married me, but now you want something else, something I can't be." She sobbed, holding her stomach and staring into the sink. She thought she was going to be sick. She was acting dramatic? She was being stupid?

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dragonhideboots
2009-09-15 04:13 am UTC (link)

"My mother cooks for everyone!" Bill said incredulously. "She sent me casseroles when I lived in Egypt, for Merlin's sake! She sends food to people who aren't even related to us! She used to cook full dinners and owl them to Lupin and Tonks unannounced. That's a ridiculous thing to say, Fleur."

So that was what this was about. She was feeling like his mother was trying to fill in where she was lacking in the 'duties of a wife'. It certainly wasn't how Bill felt. Clenching his fists in frustration, he shuffled into the kitchen and sat down at a stool nearby as she leaned on the sink sobbing.

"Fleur," he said, trying to keep his voice even and gentle. "I didn't mean it that way. I don't think you're a child, I just want us to be happy, okay? What I meant is that you seem unhappy lately and I don't like it. And maybe I'm being selfish, but I'd like a family, Fleur. We talked about this. It's been a year since you finished mediwitch training and I know the job is important, but our life together is important too."

He was keeping his voice even and calm in the hope that some peace could be reached. He knew from years of watching his parents raise his six siblings that yelling got nowhere.

"I'm going to get ready for bed. If you want to talk, I'll be in the den."

He stood and crossed to towards the bedroom, intent on putting on his pajamas and grabbing a blanket for a night on the couch. If she wanted to talk, they'd talk. But he was done if she wasn't willing to be rational about it. He wasn't in the mood to fight with a tearful spouse. He wasn't in the mood for anything anymore.

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mediwitch_fleur
2009-09-16 01:13 am UTC (link)

Bill's defense helped Fleur somewhat, but she couldn't keep from thinking it was a lie, something to make her feel not so horrible.

When he came to the kitchen, she couldn't look at him. His gentle voice, the care he felt, and the pain she felt all mixed in her mind and tightened the vice around her heart. She wasn't happy. She wanted the adventurer, the one who was only holding down a desk job so that he could be near his family to help with the war. She wanted to be swept off her feet.

All she could do was nod as he spoke, clutching the sink and keeping her gaze far away from him.

She heard him leave, soft footsteps retreating toward the bedroom. Turning, she sank to the floor, back against the cabinet. What was going on? Couples had been married for years more than they were and were still happy. Had they moved too fast? She didn't know of many other couples who were in this position, so she had no basis for comparison.

How long she stayed there, she wasn't sure. She had to collect herself. He was right. They'd discussed a family. She just wasn't sure she'd been ready. She still wasn't sure, and she certainly wasn't sure she wanted Molly raising the kid.

After her back began to hurt, she stood up and headed to the bedroom. He wasn't there. She sighed and made her way to the den, each step made with a weary heart.

He was there, blanket already in tow. "Bill, come to bed," she offered softly. She wasn't ready to talk more, but she did want to try to move past it.

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dragonhideboots
2009-09-16 01:29 am UTC (link)

He was seated on the sofa with the blanket over his legs, flipping though a Quidditch magazine. Looking up at the sound of her voice, he set the reading aside.

There was really nothing more to say. He left the spare quilt in the den and followed her to the bedroom in silence.

With the covers turned back, he climbed into his side and switched off his bedside lamp. He could hear her getting ready across for bed across the room. When her weight sunk into the mattress beside him, he didn't turn or speak. They'd fall asleep with many things unspoken, but lots on their minds.

It was another problem for another day.

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