Andrew Tadg McPhail (sonofinverness) wrote in snitchers, @ 2017-07-24 13:08:00 |
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Entry tags: | char: andrew mcphail |
Who: Andrew McPhail, Millicent Bulstrode (& Adair)
Where: Andrew's home in London
When: Monday evening
What: A visit was in order
Rating: Likely Low
Notes: Partially logged; will continue in thread.
Monday morning came bright and cheerful for those who hadn't spent the night in battle. Birds were chirping, cats were purring, and babies were babbling to be let out of their cots for the morning. Millie, ever the early riser, spent the day taking care of tasks around her parents home, playing with Adair, and relaxing in the sunshine as her young son napped in his cot. After lunch, Millie decided a trip was in order. She and Adair hadn't gone out much since he'd been home, but he was old enough to enjoy a trip to visit Millie's friends, especially friends who had just come back from a long, fabulous trip to Spain.
When they left, Millie grabbed her ever faithful diaper bag, a heavy blanket and chose to wear Adair in a carrying sling. She'd found that wearing her baby was much easier for her to apparate than if she were to push him in a buggy. This way she was connected to him physically, and wasn't afraid of splinching him. The poor little lad did spit up at the end of the journey more often than not, so she placed a rag on her chest to catch anything if he did.
First she went to Andrew's office. When she got to his empty office, a coworker mentioned that he had gone out for the day, probably home early. He didn't know if it was work related or if he felt ill, so Millie went right to Andrew's house. When she knocked on his door, and got no answer, Millie sighed in relief. At least he wasn't home sick. So, she decided to wait. It was more likely that she'd see him if she came to him than if she waited for him to come to her.
Millie had prepared in advance for a little bit of a wait. She tossed down a blanket in the shady rocks by the front door, and gave it a bit of a cushioning charm. She then unbuckled Adair and let him play with a few of his favorite toys; balls charmed to roll away and return, simple colorful blocks, and a stuffed animal that had been lovingly chewed on over the last month. Millie was proud of herself, she was getting the hang of this mothering thing, though she was entirely grateful to her mother's support.
It was a bit of a wait to see Andrew, but it wasn't terribly long. They cuddled, they read books, and they played for a while. Adair was napping when a soft pop of apprarition drew Millie's attention from the book she was reading.
"Hello," she called softly to the man who had finally arrived home for the evening.
--
The moment he'd found out about Sophie transferring, Andrew knew the day was a waste. No matter what he did, it would not be as productive as it should. By the time he left the Appleby pitch, he was scowling and he knew it. He'd tried, he really had, to be professional and calm and answer the questions presented to him. After all, he would be in charge of all of it at some point very soon. A firm date hadn't yet been decided on, but Peter had offered him the position that morning. It was less of a shock than the news about Sophie and would otherwise have been an unbelievable complement. He found himself wishing, on his way home, that Mara was still around. Maybe he would finally have come clean about everything. As it was, no one knew all his secrets. Some days it was difficult living that way, with no one to confide in fully. He couldn't complain; it was by his own choice.
Nevertheless, he was almost glad, as well as surprised, when he apparated inside his wards and found Millicent waiting. And Adair, apparently. In a way, Andrew wished they hadn't come. He wanted to be left alone. At the same time, he was thankful for someone to keep him out of his head for a while longer.
He smiled, first at Adair, who'd looked up at the new arrival, then at Millie. She certainly had changed from the girl he remembered at school. Motherhood seemed to agree with her, as well. Andrew didn't quite agree with the whole system - there were many things the Ministry did well, but that simply wasn't one of them - though he wasn't foolish enough to comment on it publicly. Or to those who'd participated. He knew full well that Adair would have a good life; it just should have been with his real parents, if they were capable of caring for him. For the second time, he regretted that Mara was already gone, back home for the remainder of the summer. She would have loved playing with the baby.
"Hello to you," he replied. "This is a pleasant surprise. Have you been waiting long?"
--
Millie smiled and stood, lifting Adair into her arms. Adair's fist went to his mouth and he mumbled as he chewed. She looked Andrew over and took in the weary look of her friend. Her heart ached knowing that he had so much going on in his life, and that there was nothing she could do to solve it other than be there to listen to him when he was willing to talk and occasionally interfere when necessary. Of course, she didn't know anything about her old classmate Sophie, but she did know a little about Andrew's health.
"Not too long." Millie said with a soft smile. "We spent time playing and reading, so it was time well spent." Of course it was a pleasant sort of lie, they had been there longer than she had expected, but not so long that they were in any danger of heat or boredom. They had been perfectly comfortable and content playing on the cushioned blanket in Andrew's garden.
"I'm sorry to surprise you, but I thought it might be nice to drop in and see how you enjoyed your trip. I brought a light pasta for dinner if you haven't eaten yet." They still stood in the entryway of Andrew's door, but she hoped with the promise of food they'd be able to go in and talk, since it had been quite a while since they'd seen each other. The pasta was an easy summer dish; chilled farfalle pasta with lemon and asparagus, but it was delicious and filling. Millicent had been experimenting with the taste of her food, hoping to provoke the senses in a way that sight alone couldn't manage, and some of the dishes had turned out alright if not extremely enjoyable. She hoped Andrew would enjoy this one.
"What do you say, dinner and gossip? For old times sake?"
TBC...