Katie Bell (katieflies) wrote in snitchers, @ 2018-01-22 09:41:00 |
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Entry tags: | char: katie bell, char: oliver wood |
Who: Katie Bell & Oliver Wood
What: House Hunting!
Where: Olivers Flat then Wolland House, Dorchester
When: [BACKDATED] 16th January ???
Rating: Low, Fluffy
Status: In Progress
Katie felt like a balloon. A big, round, girly balloon who felt just a bit lost at knowing she’d passed the point of no return when it came to slackening off her old jeans with magic. It was bad enough that they’d even ripped at all- a sure-fire sign that she’d been in denial about how quickly her stomach was growing- but the fact that they’d given way whilst she and Oliver were smack in the middle of a house viewing and with the estate agent present when a brass button clattered to the ground from the vicinity of her midsection was just that extra bit mortifying. Still, she’d laughed and had luckily been wrapped up warm and wearing a jacket and scarf that meant they hadn’t needed to leave, but now they had another house to see and all that Katie had that she was sure would fit was the new dress that Fred had bought her for Christmas.
“Right,” She announced, emerging from the bathroom. “I feel completely overdressed but at least I'm not at risk of taking somebodies eye out with my giant belly.” Katie liked dressing up. She wore dresses for parties and special occasions with no problems at all, but in the stark light of day and to attend something like a house viewing and there was no doubt she’d have been a hundred times happier in jeans or a pair of dungarees. Given more time and she’d have dragged Oliver out shopping for a pair of one or the other, but they’d wanted to see as many houses as they could while both of them were off work and by the time they’d finished viewing the garden at house number one they had barely half an hour before they were due to meet the owner of number two. “Ol? Are you ready?” She called, boots tapping on the ground as she headed towards the front door, summoning her coat and scarf and catching them mid-air with very little effort.
~~~
"Yeah, hen, just wrapping up." Oliver smiled while looking up from a stack of papers splayed across the kitchen island. One house brochure after another after another, each perfect in their own way: white picket fence, large garden, several rooms, by a park, quiet street. He was finding it hard to choose and truthfully all were starting to blend together at this point. Katie's wardrobe malfunction had been a welcomed excuse to go back home and decompress. Who knew crafting the perfect life was so difficult? Picking up the half-full glass of brandy - just to take the edge off - and downed the rest. At the very least it would help with the overly chipper housing agents.
Oliver pulled on his coat, contemplated a scarf before deciding it wasn't that cold, and walked to the door. "Aw, Kates, you look lovely." Definitely not overdressed, but like the perfect young housewife he'd always imagined having. Soon their baby would be born and she could quit work. They'd have a great house in a great neighbourhood with a cute puppy and everything anyone could ever want to live the ideal life. He'd been tempted to snatch the end of the floating scarf but thought against it; pregnancy had a way of making one's spouse a bit unpredictable.
~~~
“Of course I am.” Katie smiled, winding her scarf roughly around her neck and shrugging on her coat. “I could be wearing an old sack and you’d think the same. It’s hormonal.” She stated, trying to look serious as she fastened the one button that would; the one that sat just below her breasts and atop of the curve of her tight round belly. “Your brains wired so that you see this,” She added, resting a hand at the height of her bump and giving it a playful pat. “and all you see your own good work. You finish with what you were looking at?” She asked, nodding towards the kitchen and drawing in close ready to apparate. Normally it would be her doing the honours, her skill with such magic surpassing his simply because years without access to the floo system whilst in hiding had meant apparating had been a necessity rather than a luxury, but her ability to do so safely had been steadily getting worse and the alternative was to rely on others.
~~~
"Well I think that must say a great deal about your astounding beauty," Oliver quipped. "The face that launched a thousand Nimbus 3000s." How had Oliver never noticed her before last year? Had he really been so one track minded like Alicia always teased? These days looking at Katie created a swooping feeling in Oliver's stomach as though he'd dropped several feet despite standing still: it was the realization that he'd almost missed something incredible.
"It is good work, isn't it?" A playful smirk followed an affectionate pat on Katie's firm, round stomach. Merlin, their son was in there. Soon he would be in their arms in a home if their own. Everything would fall into place. "Yeah hen, just looking over some papers. You ready for this house? It's called the uh," Oliver consulted a paper folded up the pocket of his trousers. "Wolland House. Apparently formerly owned by Dame Elizabeth Frink... I think she painted or sculpted or something." He tucked the paper away once more. "Ready?"
~~~
Katie rolled her eyes and shook her head, fighting the urge to give him a playful smack for his ridiculousness and instead letting him continue, his proximity almost guaranteeing he’d move to do what he did next.
“Considering where you finished up I’d say it was amazing work.” She grinned, placing her hand over his and waiting while he rooted around for the paper. Katie thought she knew which place Oliver was talking about. They’d had dozens of files for all sorts of different houses spread over most of the flat surfaces in Oliver’s flat the past couple of weeks, but there had only been a couple of places that were old enough to suit a name like ‘Wolland House’. That and to have been owned by a dame…
“I remember. It’s the one with all the bedrooms.” All the places they’d visited had plenty of bedrooms, but Katie remembered this place because it had seven. That, and because with acres of land and a lake nearby it was more the sort of house she imagined herself living in compared to the huge glass boxes they’d seen plenty of that week.
Nodding she moved to take his arm, her other hand staying put at her stomach as if to brace herself. “Just- take it easy. I’m okay, but all this to and fro-ing isn’t making me feel too great.” She frowned as if to demonstrate her point.
~~~
Oliver nodded. "The one with all the bedrooms; so we can have one for the dog, and the bunny, and for us and the babies..." Because the idea of expanding the family beyond the three of them excited Oliver. He'd want a girl next, ideally. Maybe two. Another boy would have been acceptable as well.
For now, though, the rest of their afternoon would be dedicated to a house both he and Katie were very excited about; Wolland. It met nearly every criteria the two desired in a house. "You'll be alright, hen. We have a bit of a walk though; I told the realtor we are getting dropped off by a hire car. Ready?"
~~~
“Bay-be, not babies.” She corrected him, nudging him to get on with it and bracing herself for the shift, not speaking again until they arrived at their destination- or at least close by, the signage for the house within view though a dense patch of trees obscured what she assumed was the entrance to the estate. “Let me get this one cooked before you go planning the next.” She grimaced, squeezing his arm tightly as she willed a strong bout of nausea to pass.