Come for Tea? Stay for Inspection?

[safinnigan]

Date: Saturday, 23 March 2001
Time: Afternoon
Location: Finnigan’s in Kenmare
Characters Involved: Seamus Finnigan, Charlotte Aurelius, NPC’s Beven and Cian Finnigan
Rating: G

Comments

[beautesolitaire]

Charlotte had been nervous from the moment that Seamus had said that they were going to have tea with his mother. It meant that she was having tea with his mother. She didn't know why Beven Finnigan terrified her. She had spent and hour going through all of her clothes for something that was tasteful and pretty. She had settled in a long skirt and demure top that she hoped didn't say dowdy school marm, but didn't say floozy either. She had fussed with her hair for a half hour. She'd pulled it into a soft low ponytail with chocolate brown ribbons

[safinnigan]

“So,” she repeated the younger woman as she came back to the table, tea and fresh scones in hand. There were dishes of clotted cream and homemade strawberry preserves already waiting on the table. She poured Char some tea and tried to give the girl a reassuring smile. “Long past time we had a chance to get to know one another, then, witch to witch, Charlotte.” She poured her own tea and offered Charlotte cream and sugar for hers. “Well then, the menfolk are all for this wedding. Mind you, they have no idea how important it is to us women. Pull on their dress trou and they’re ready to start celebratin’.” She laughed a bit. It was too true, especially for the men in her family. It was all easy as far as they were concerned. Too easy. “Aye, Char, love, then. Tell me what you’ve a mind for at this wedding and we’ll be after making it just what you want now.”

Beven sat back in her comfortable kitchen, sipping her tea and smiling patiently like a cheshire cat, waiting for her prey soon to be daughter-in-law to respond. She

[beautesolitaire]

She looked at Beven for a long moment as she patted her hand, trying to relax. Beven wasn't looking to boil her in hot tar or anything. She took her tea with just sugar in it. "I would like it to be ver simple. Frank's wedding was trés bonne, and ze church looked lovely." she said, quietly, still nervous, "Zere is not'ing specific zat I want.... I like ze flowers 'ere.... like outside... and all wild." she said, quietly, absently fiddling with the spoon on the saucer, blushing

[safinnigan]

Her answers were halting and tentative, her requests simple and easy to satisfy. She was hardly a demanding young lady, or if she was, it was not a side of her that she’d shown Beven. Beven thought her son had probably not had a harsh word from the lass, and wondered with the hindsight of age how they would fare when they did disagree. She sighed a bit. The tea was too strong, so she retrieved a container of boiling water and diluted her cup with it, offering it to Charlotte in turn

[beven_finnigan]

Beven was quick to assure the young witch that Cian would indeed be more than willing and quite honoured to escort her down the aisle at her wedding. This young lady, Beven decided, was in need of a family around her

[safinnigan]

Seamus, being considerably younger than Cian and far less wise in the ways of women and wives, kept no corresponding silence at the other end of the Floo in Diagon Alley. Instead, he had barely brushed off the last of the soot before he exclaimed to Charlotte.

“Aye, Char love, so what spell did you then on me Mum, lass? And how soon canst you be after teaching it to me?” He laughed, all the while looking at her with a degree of incredulity he could not have imagined. Whatever she and his Mum had discussed had left Beven a newly strong and vehement supporter of her new daughter-in-law to be. Seamus was at a total loss to explain her sudden conversion to his Charlotte’s best cheerleader. Beven had been agreeable and content with the match, but now his overprotective mother was actually enthusiastic. He could not help but wonder what had caused such a dramatic change in one afternoon.

[beautesolitaire]

"I... I don't t'ink zat I did anyt'ing special, ozer zen stumbling over my sentences like a stupid person." she said, quietly as she hung up her coat, dusting it off. She smoothed her hand over her hair, just to get all the little stray floo dust.

She gave him a small smile as she moved over to him. "We talked about ze wedding and flowers... and I told 'er zat we 'ad discussed enfants and a 'ome." she added before she kissed his cheek lightly, "She seemed to be nicer after zat."

"We decided zat wildflowers in ze church was best and zat zey would be around before ze wedding. And I told 'er zat I was getting my dress in Paris wit' Fleur."

[safinnigan]

Seamus reached out to flick a last bit of Floo dust from her blonde hair, watching as it fluttered off into nothingness. He protested as she hung up her coat.

“Aye, Sweetheart, no one in Kenmare thinks you stupid, least of all me own Mum.” If her last comments were any indication, she might have Charlotte confused with the Second Coming. Then she came toward him, listing off some of the things she and his Mum had talked about.

“We talked about ze wedding and flowers… and I told ‘er zat we ‘ad discussed enfants and a ‘ome.”

She reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek. That distracted him enough to keep him from sputtering his surprise out at her.

”She seemed to be nicer after zat.”

Bloody likely, Seamus thought, but he just asked in his mildest voice. “Aye, love, you used the word ‘enfants’ with me Mum?” Plural. There it was again. He was really going to have to ask Charlotte about whether twins ran in her family, but not right now. Charlotte just continued with the rest of her list…wildflowers, her dress in Paris