Telling Oliver
I look down at the tiny devices in my hand, biting my lip as I think. I should have told Oliver before now...but I didn't want to get his hopes up. I still don't, but I can't really try them on Skye without telling him. I close my hand around them gently, and I realise I'm trembling as I wait for him to come home from practice. I want this to work so badly. Skye's disability shouldn't ruin her life...
I sigh and close my eyes, hoping, praying...
I don't know how long I stay there before I hear Oliver come home, but I don't open my eyes right away.
"Katie?" he calls and I can hear him put his things away in the closet.
I smile and open my eyes, looking at him for a moment before reaching my empty hand out to him, "Here...come here..."
He walks over to me and takes my hand. "Are you okay?"
I nod, tugging him down onto the bed next to me, "I need to talk to you...to tell you something..."
"Okay. Is everything alright?" he asks as he sits down.
I shift on the bed until I can wriggle back against him, nestling in his arms. I start to grin to myself as I get that smell of wood polish, leather and soap wash over me. It's him...completely, perfectly him... "Everything's fine...I missed you. How was practice?"
"It was good," he answers, arms tightening around me. "I'm getting used to their ways of doing things."
"My superstar Keeper," I murmur affectionately, turning to nuzzle into his neck. "I've been working on something...I asked Mr Weasley to help...well really he did the most important part, I just did a bit of background reading...but I think...I hope...it might be able to help Skye..."
I feel him stiffen at this. This is a sensitive topic for him. "Help with her? With what?"
I turn to look at him properly, one hand stroking over his chest soothingly as I hold out the ear pieces Mr Weasley modified. "We have these, in the Muggle world, when people go deaf. They help them hear again...I asked Mr Weasley if he could alter them so they would work around magic, like at Hogwarts."
He takes them, looking at them. "We've tried everything though," he reminds me.
"Not these, I checked with the hospital, the magical world have never heard of hearing aids like Muggle's have," I explain.
"So how do they work?"
"Um...well, since Mr Weasley modified them I'm not quite sure...originally they would have picked up sounds and amplified it electrically...I'm guessing now they just do it magically..." I tell him, wrapping both arms around him now they're free.
"I heard of these, but they said they wouldn't help. Though they were muggle things. At least, I think that is what it was. Everything they told me was via owl," he explains. He looks at them before asking. "Do you think they will work?"
"Worth a try, isn't it?" I ask, looking up at him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before now...I didn't want to get your hopes up before we had something to work with."
"How risky is it? I don't want to try something that could make things worse."
"I wouldn't risk hurting her, Oliver, you should know that," I tell him with a scowl. "At worst they'll do nothing...but if we're lucky, they'll give her back her world."
"We would have to talk to my parents first," he reminds me. "I don't think Skye will need any convincing to try it. She wants to be able to hear more than anything else."
I smile and snuggle up, putting the hearing aids to one side, "This will be just the first test though remember, Mr Weasley wants her to answer some questions so he might be able to improve them if they're not right."
"I really hope it works," he admits. "Skye deserves it."
"Do you want to tell her now?" I offer. I don't really want to move, it's comfy here and his new timetable has been difficult to get used to. I've missed him. Still, I can understand if he wants to tell Skye as soon as possible.
"Mum and Dad first," he reminds me, though he isn't moving to tell them, his arms still around me.
I smile at this, "I missed you..." I tell him honestly. Even though we've still seen each other, slept next to each other...it's been odd.
"I've missed you too. I know training has been taking a up a lot of time."
"It's worth it...you're so talented, Oliver...you're going to be great!" I assure him, nuzzling into his neck.
"Thanks," he smiles and his arms tighten around me.
"This feels nice," I tell him, giving a sigh of contentment. Snuggled hear against his chest I don't feel quite so nervous as I did before. I still want it to work for Skye, but it feels better with him here.
I feel him press a kiss to the top of my head. "I should go talk to them. You should come too though."
"Do you want to go now?" I ask, sitting up. We can always come back and snuggle later. Suddenly I feel a strange churning in my stomach, "Do you think they'll mind...they might think I'm butting in..."
"You're going to be their daughter-in-law. That makes you family," he reminds me and taps my nose before kissing me again. He gets to his feet first then pulls me to my feet.
I grin broadly, wrapping my arms around him again now we're standing up. 'in-law' sounds so strange...but I like it. "I love you," I tell him, wrinkling my nose slightly where he tapped it. "Come on, let's go, then we'll see about getting some dinner before you starve."
"Because if I starve, I will be too hungry to do things with you tonight."
I laugh at this, "You should never be too hungry to be with me!"
"But I'm much better when I am fed," he answers as he pulls me close and kisses me.
I swat at him, running one hand through his hair as we kiss, "Alright then, let's go! Else we'll never get fed!"
He hands me back the hearing aids. "I'll let you hold onto these then. And if you put on some shoes, we can apparate."
I pocket the hearing aids carefully before slipping my feet into my shoes and stepping back into his arms, ready to go. His arms tighten around me and we step and disapparate, reappearing moments later outside his family's home. "Here we are," he speaks up and, with one arm still around me, knocks on the door.
A minute or so passes and then the door opens. "Oliver, Katie," his father smiles when she sees us, opening the door for us.
"Hi, nice to see you again," I greet, staying close to Oliver. His parents are lovely, but I still feel nervous around them.
"This is a surprise," he comments.
Oliver nods. "Well, we wanted to talk to you and Mum, if she's in."
"She is. She was just helping Skye with some schoolwork," he explains. "Is something wrong?" he asks.
Oliver shakes his head. "No. We just would like to talk to you both."
He nods. "Why don't you both have a seat and I'll go get her."
"Thanks," Oliver smiles and even after just a minute, his accent is even stronger. His dad walks away and Oliver leads me to the living room.
I giggle at this, taking a seat next to him and nuzzling into his neck, "As if you weren't difficult to understand before now."
"What? I'm easy to understand. Maybe it's you that's difficult to understand," he teases.
"Auch Aye!" I retort, giving him a playful shove.
"Careful," he tells me then leans close. "Or there might be some punishment later."
"The Monarch of the Glen going to punish his maid?" I giggle, then quickly fall silent, feeling my cheeks go warm as his parents come back into the room. At least it wasn't Skye...yet.
I sigh and close my eyes, hoping, praying...
I don't know how long I stay there before I hear Oliver come home, but I don't open my eyes right away.
"Katie?" he calls and I can hear him put his things away in the closet.
I smile and open my eyes, looking at him for a moment before reaching my empty hand out to him, "Here...come here..."
He walks over to me and takes my hand. "Are you okay?"
I nod, tugging him down onto the bed next to me, "I need to talk to you...to tell you something..."
"Okay. Is everything alright?" he asks as he sits down.
I shift on the bed until I can wriggle back against him, nestling in his arms. I start to grin to myself as I get that smell of wood polish, leather and soap wash over me. It's him...completely, perfectly him... "Everything's fine...I missed you. How was practice?"
"It was good," he answers, arms tightening around me. "I'm getting used to their ways of doing things."
"My superstar Keeper," I murmur affectionately, turning to nuzzle into his neck. "I've been working on something...I asked Mr Weasley to help...well really he did the most important part, I just did a bit of background reading...but I think...I hope...it might be able to help Skye..."
I feel him stiffen at this. This is a sensitive topic for him. "Help with her? With what?"
I turn to look at him properly, one hand stroking over his chest soothingly as I hold out the ear pieces Mr Weasley modified. "We have these, in the Muggle world, when people go deaf. They help them hear again...I asked Mr Weasley if he could alter them so they would work around magic, like at Hogwarts."
He takes them, looking at them. "We've tried everything though," he reminds me.
"Not these, I checked with the hospital, the magical world have never heard of hearing aids like Muggle's have," I explain.
"So how do they work?"
"Um...well, since Mr Weasley modified them I'm not quite sure...originally they would have picked up sounds and amplified it electrically...I'm guessing now they just do it magically..." I tell him, wrapping both arms around him now they're free.
"I heard of these, but they said they wouldn't help. Though they were muggle things. At least, I think that is what it was. Everything they told me was via owl," he explains. He looks at them before asking. "Do you think they will work?"
"Worth a try, isn't it?" I ask, looking up at him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before now...I didn't want to get your hopes up before we had something to work with."
"How risky is it? I don't want to try something that could make things worse."
"I wouldn't risk hurting her, Oliver, you should know that," I tell him with a scowl. "At worst they'll do nothing...but if we're lucky, they'll give her back her world."
"We would have to talk to my parents first," he reminds me. "I don't think Skye will need any convincing to try it. She wants to be able to hear more than anything else."
I smile and snuggle up, putting the hearing aids to one side, "This will be just the first test though remember, Mr Weasley wants her to answer some questions so he might be able to improve them if they're not right."
"I really hope it works," he admits. "Skye deserves it."
"Do you want to tell her now?" I offer. I don't really want to move, it's comfy here and his new timetable has been difficult to get used to. I've missed him. Still, I can understand if he wants to tell Skye as soon as possible.
"Mum and Dad first," he reminds me, though he isn't moving to tell them, his arms still around me.
I smile at this, "I missed you..." I tell him honestly. Even though we've still seen each other, slept next to each other...it's been odd.
"I've missed you too. I know training has been taking a up a lot of time."
"It's worth it...you're so talented, Oliver...you're going to be great!" I assure him, nuzzling into his neck.
"Thanks," he smiles and his arms tighten around me.
"This feels nice," I tell him, giving a sigh of contentment. Snuggled hear against his chest I don't feel quite so nervous as I did before. I still want it to work for Skye, but it feels better with him here.
I feel him press a kiss to the top of my head. "I should go talk to them. You should come too though."
"Do you want to go now?" I ask, sitting up. We can always come back and snuggle later. Suddenly I feel a strange churning in my stomach, "Do you think they'll mind...they might think I'm butting in..."
"You're going to be their daughter-in-law. That makes you family," he reminds me and taps my nose before kissing me again. He gets to his feet first then pulls me to my feet.
I grin broadly, wrapping my arms around him again now we're standing up. 'in-law' sounds so strange...but I like it. "I love you," I tell him, wrinkling my nose slightly where he tapped it. "Come on, let's go, then we'll see about getting some dinner before you starve."
"Because if I starve, I will be too hungry to do things with you tonight."
I laugh at this, "You should never be too hungry to be with me!"
"But I'm much better when I am fed," he answers as he pulls me close and kisses me.
I swat at him, running one hand through his hair as we kiss, "Alright then, let's go! Else we'll never get fed!"
He hands me back the hearing aids. "I'll let you hold onto these then. And if you put on some shoes, we can apparate."
I pocket the hearing aids carefully before slipping my feet into my shoes and stepping back into his arms, ready to go. His arms tighten around me and we step and disapparate, reappearing moments later outside his family's home. "Here we are," he speaks up and, with one arm still around me, knocks on the door.
A minute or so passes and then the door opens. "Oliver, Katie," his father smiles when she sees us, opening the door for us.
"Hi, nice to see you again," I greet, staying close to Oliver. His parents are lovely, but I still feel nervous around them.
"This is a surprise," he comments.
Oliver nods. "Well, we wanted to talk to you and Mum, if she's in."
"She is. She was just helping Skye with some schoolwork," he explains. "Is something wrong?" he asks.
Oliver shakes his head. "No. We just would like to talk to you both."
He nods. "Why don't you both have a seat and I'll go get her."
"Thanks," Oliver smiles and even after just a minute, his accent is even stronger. His dad walks away and Oliver leads me to the living room.
I giggle at this, taking a seat next to him and nuzzling into his neck, "As if you weren't difficult to understand before now."
"What? I'm easy to understand. Maybe it's you that's difficult to understand," he teases.
"Auch Aye!" I retort, giving him a playful shove.
"Careful," he tells me then leans close. "Or there might be some punishment later."
"The Monarch of the Glen going to punish his maid?" I giggle, then quickly fall silent, feeling my cheeks go warm as his parents come back into the room. At least it wasn't Skye...yet.