I believe in fairytales and serendipitous encounters
As captain of Puddlemere United and as a general rule, Katie didn’t believe in ‘off days.’ There was no such thing. Not really. There was always something that needed to be done; game footage to review, plays to run over, reserve training sessions to oversee -- and yes, interviews to give. But on this bright and sunny Monday, Captain Bell (now Ackerley) was not to be found in her office, nor was she on the quidditch pitch. In fact, the only people at Puddlemere’s stadium were the pitch maintenance staff.
That’s because Katie had important things to do. Very important things.
Like deciding what color to paint the kitchen walls.
“Bugger.” She’d never had issues with decorating her previous homes. She liked bright, bold colors, and she had plenty of empty wall space to play around with. The house they’d bought had been a summer home for a couple from Manchester -- two Muggles -- who’d hardly ever used it. It still looked brand new.
Then again, she’d also never decorated an entire home completely from scratch -- nor had she ever really done it with another person. For the most part, Stewart was content to let her steer the decorations to her liking, but she enjoyed having his input. Most of the time.
She glared at the four wide stripes of paint she’d slapped on the kitchen wall, as if they were the source of her ire. Which they were. “Why do you all look perfect?”
“Have you been drinking, Katie? There’s only one of me,” Cassie teased as she stepped into the room. She’d knocked, but apparently the mistress of the beach-side home had been lost in thought and didn’t hear her. “I appreciate the compliment, though. When last I saw my sister, she called me fat. Perfect is much more pleasant to hear.”
“You are tall and skinny, Cassandra Cornfoot. Any woman who calls you fat, sibling or no, is pulling your leg,” the brunette replied, immediately recognizing the voice that had materialized in her naked kitchen. Turning away from the paint swatches, she crossed around the center island to give the blonde a welcoming hug. “And you’re glowing, to boot. I hear congratulations are in order.”
Returning the hug, Cassie laughed. “I don’t know about glowing, but yes, Stephen and I do have news of the kind that usually begets congratulations. Now that I seem to have quit the morning sickness for the most part, I’m more inclined to feel like the congratulations are deserved. How are you and Mr. Bell?”
Katie snickered. Much to Stewart’s chagrin, she called him Mr. Bell on occasion. It was fun to watch him react to the moniker. “We’re fine. Settling down into this cohabitation thing. You know how it is.”
“I do.” She and Stephen had done pretty well in the adjustment period, but they’d had their share of arguments, and occasional tears on her side, as they worked out the kinks of sharing a life. “I come bearing a gift! It won’t help with the settling bit, but you know, typically a gift is in order for a new home.”
Pulling a small box out of her bag, she quickly enlarged it to its true size. “Congratulations on your new home. It’s lovely, and personally, I rather like the yellow.”
“Oh, thank you!” The brunette smiled and took the box from Cassie. She pulled the bow off and let it fall to the floor with the wrapping paper, flipping open the box to reveal the beautiful hand-crafted bowl within. “Cassie, it’s beautiful. I love the contrasting textures -- where did you find it?”
“Oh, just a little Muggle shop in Chelsea. That’s where Mira and I grew up. Well, until we were teenagers anyway. I’m glad you like it.” Not a lot of the friends she’d made through Stephen knew much of her history. It was generally known that she came from a well-to-do family, but that wasn’t always the case.
“I didn’t know that. I lived in Chelsea before we got married -- on Flood Street, near the river.” Katie set the bowl down on the counter, pleased with how well it matched the counters. “It’s my favorite area of London.”
“My sister would agree,” Cassie replied with the smile that always came when she thought of her twin. “We lived very near Fulham, close enough to hear the crowds at Stamford Bridge. Mira is a huge football fan and if she couldn’t make it to the games, she contented herself listening to others cheer.”
“I don’t pretend to know much about football, but I liked attending matches when I had the time.” Katie crossed to the ice box and pulled out two bottles of butterbeer, holding them up for Cassie’s approval. “Something to drink? It’s this or beer, I’m afraid. Or water, if you’d rather.”
Cassie sighed longingly at the mention of alcohol, but reached for the butterbeer anyway. “I miss drinking. This baby had better be a genius or a musical prodigy or something after all the sacrifices I’m making for it.” A mischievous grin grew on her face. “So, how long do you think you have before you start getting grandchild demands?”
“My mother already has one to tide her over.” Katie popped the top of her own butterbeer and took a long pull. “She and Jade both know better than to start asking. We want to enjoy being married first, you know? And maternity leave is a bit different in my chosen career path.”
Female Quidditch players left to have children often -- especially Harpies. But maternity leave was usually at least eighteen months. It was an insurance liability to field an expectant mother, so fliers stopped playing as soon as they discovered they were expecting, and it usually took at least six months to get back in flying shape after birth.
“Stephen and I enjoyed being married a little too enthusiastically, it would seem,” the younger of the married women commented with a laugh. She’d assumed she and Stephen would have quite awhile to prepare for parenthood, but fate stepped in. Being nervous was a given, but the situation was what it was and Cassie wasn’t exactly sorry for the change in her life. Well, not most of the time. Once in awhile she lamented the loss of her figure, but her mother assured her she’d be able to get very close to her pre-pregnancy physique.
“Have you had your first big fight as a married couple yet?” Cassie asked. “Stephen’s and mine was ridiculous, but I cried so hard you’d have thought he’d told me he’d changed his mind and wanted a divorce.”
“Oh, we fight all the time. I’m not sure what the threshold for classifying it as a big fight is, but I haven’t made him sleep in the guest bedroom yet.” Katie’s lips twitched, and she shrugged. “But that’s just our relationship. We’ve always fought.” It was how they were. They were both prideful and stubborn, which made for extreme fireworks when sparked.
“Stephen and I don’t fight often, but once in awhile one of us gets our nose out of joint. Usually me,” she admitted with a hint of sheepishness. It was true, she was the more tempestuous of the two. Stephen wasn’t a Ravenclaw for nothing though, he generally diffused the situation by being sweet and understanding. It was hard to stay mad at him for long. “I suppose he’ll get his chance to be irritable when he has a little girl to protect.”
She blinked, the twitch of her lips spreading into a full smile. “A girl? That’s wonderful, Cassie. Congratulations -- again. When did you find out?”
Cassie let a genuine smile of happiness spread across her face. She couldn’t deny being rather pleased that they’d be having a girl. Girls were a known quantity. With three sisters, she felt better prepared for a female offspring, not to mention that the baby clothes were much cuter for girls than boys.
“Just last week,” she admitted. “We toyed with the idea of waiting to be surprised, but I’ve never been particularly patient.”
Katie nodded and took a pull from her butterbeer. “And now, you know what color to decorate the nursery and whatnot. You’ve got your pick of rooms. Baby Girl Cornfoot could have a nursery suite. One for every day of the week.” She grinned at Cassie’s little nose crinkle and took another sip from her drink.
“I don’t know that we need to start her off quite that much the princess. She’ll be the first grandchild for my parents, so I think she’ll have quite enough avenues for being spoiled as it is, even if she must resign herself to a single bedroom.” It was odd, speaking of the baby as if she were already a person in their lives, rather than a tiny being in Cassie’s belly.
“Have you thought about names?”
“Not really. I think we were reluctant to at first; the whole situation was a surprise and naming the baby would’ve made it too real. We’ll have to start soon, I suppose,” the blonde said with a sigh.
“Katelyn’s always an excellent name.” The brunette took a sip of her butterbeer and grinned. “So’s Elizabeth. Just to keep in mind.”
Laughing, Cassie put on a show of considering the names. “I actually was thinking that it might be nice to name her after someone. I’ll admit I was leaning more toward my mother or sisters.”
“Bah.” Katie waved her hand dismissively. “Naming her after a Quidditch player is much more sentimental than naming her after someone you share blood with. Stephen would probably agree.”
Cassie’s smile faltered slightly. Her husband likely would agree; there was nothing to be sentimental about where Stephen’s family was concerned. “You’re probably right. I am partial to my mum and my twin, though.”
Katie took in the slight fall to the blonde’s expression, but she didn’t comment. “Mira’s a pretty name. What’s your mum’s name?” Needing to brighten up the mood somehow, she reached into the cupboard and pulled out a tin of biscuits, popping the top off and offering them to Cassandra. “Bikkie? My sister-in-law sent them over.”
Murmuring her thanks, Cassie took a biscuit. She bit into it and hummed happily. “Oh, that’s good. I swear I can’t get enough sweets lately.” Once she’d swallowed, she returned to the question Katie’d asked. “My mother’s name is Scarlett, and Mira’s given name is actually Miranda. She’ll forever be Mira Sophia to me though. You know how it is with family. There are always pet names.”
“Hmm.” Katie took a bite of her own biscuit and nodded. “My dad used to call me Katie Beth. And he hates it, but Lucas is always Lukey. The pitfalls of being the youngest,” she finished with a smirk.
“My brother was always ‘Joshy’, but he was too young to ever mind it. The cutesy naming curse hasn’t really settled on my next youngest sibling. She’s usually just Abby.” As always, speaking of her long-deceased baby brother turned Cassie’s smile wistful and just a little sad. “She’s cute enough without any help, I suppose.”
The brunette saw the hint of sadness on the blonde’s face; a look she could identify with. Loss was never easy no matter what the circumstances, and she remembered hearing about the death of the youngest Montgomery during her seventh year. The twins had been the same age she had been when her father had died. She could definitely relate.
“Abby’s a good name. My niece’s full name is Elizabeth, but it’s such a big name for a tiny little girl. We call her Lizzie.”
Cassie smiled. “That’s a sweet name.” One hand rubbed absently at the still-gentle rounding of her middle. “Stephen and I will have to get serious about names for this one soon. I’ll feel better if everything’s settled before the big arrival.”
“How’s he taking to the idea of fatherhood?” Katie asked, quirking her head in question. She took another swig of butterbeer, pondering the idea of Stephen as a responsible parent. It was hard to imagine anyone in their circle with children; she’d never seen herself as the maternal type, though she could see Heidi as a mum someday. Angie... probably not. It was harder for her to gauge the potential of Stewart’s friends.
Cassie pondered the question a long moment. Her husband was not one to share all his thoughts and feelings immediately. He liked to have a bit of time to process things before talking about them. Still, she knew Stephen well enough to pick up on his emotions. “I think he took a little while to warm up to the idea. We both did. But now I think he’s getting kind of excited. He’s wanted a family for a long time. This isn’t the way he’d imagined it, but the result is the same.”
There were very few families in England that were truly pure blooded. The Cornfoots were one, and the Applegates (her maternal family) were another. She had grown up in the same circles as Stephen, and she knew a bit about the way his family treated him. Her own family had never held to the ideals of blood purity the way his did -- sans Stephen. It made him an outcast amongst his own blood.
She was glad he had finally found someone to fill that void.
Katie nodded, a small smile on your face. “Well, when you need a little break, we’ll be happy to take your little one for a night or two.” ‘Happy’ might not have been the operative word in Stewart’s case, but she’d bring him around to the idea. She had her ways.
Brows rising, the blonde cocked her head to one side, blue eyes twinkling. “Be careful what you offer, we might just take you up on it.”
“I don’t make offers I don’t intend to follow through on,” the brunette replied with a smirk, leaning back against the counter. “Stewart will get over it.”
Summary: Cassie drops by to see the Ackerley's new home.
That’s because Katie had important things to do. Very important things.
Like deciding what color to paint the kitchen walls.
“Bugger.” She’d never had issues with decorating her previous homes. She liked bright, bold colors, and she had plenty of empty wall space to play around with. The house they’d bought had been a summer home for a couple from Manchester -- two Muggles -- who’d hardly ever used it. It still looked brand new.
Then again, she’d also never decorated an entire home completely from scratch -- nor had she ever really done it with another person. For the most part, Stewart was content to let her steer the decorations to her liking, but she enjoyed having his input. Most of the time.
She glared at the four wide stripes of paint she’d slapped on the kitchen wall, as if they were the source of her ire. Which they were. “Why do you all look perfect?”
“Have you been drinking, Katie? There’s only one of me,” Cassie teased as she stepped into the room. She’d knocked, but apparently the mistress of the beach-side home had been lost in thought and didn’t hear her. “I appreciate the compliment, though. When last I saw my sister, she called me fat. Perfect is much more pleasant to hear.”
“You are tall and skinny, Cassandra Cornfoot. Any woman who calls you fat, sibling or no, is pulling your leg,” the brunette replied, immediately recognizing the voice that had materialized in her naked kitchen. Turning away from the paint swatches, she crossed around the center island to give the blonde a welcoming hug. “And you’re glowing, to boot. I hear congratulations are in order.”
Returning the hug, Cassie laughed. “I don’t know about glowing, but yes, Stephen and I do have news of the kind that usually begets congratulations. Now that I seem to have quit the morning sickness for the most part, I’m more inclined to feel like the congratulations are deserved. How are you and Mr. Bell?”
Katie snickered. Much to Stewart’s chagrin, she called him Mr. Bell on occasion. It was fun to watch him react to the moniker. “We’re fine. Settling down into this cohabitation thing. You know how it is.”
“I do.” She and Stephen had done pretty well in the adjustment period, but they’d had their share of arguments, and occasional tears on her side, as they worked out the kinks of sharing a life. “I come bearing a gift! It won’t help with the settling bit, but you know, typically a gift is in order for a new home.”
Pulling a small box out of her bag, she quickly enlarged it to its true size. “Congratulations on your new home. It’s lovely, and personally, I rather like the yellow.”
“Oh, thank you!” The brunette smiled and took the box from Cassie. She pulled the bow off and let it fall to the floor with the wrapping paper, flipping open the box to reveal the beautiful hand-crafted bowl within. “Cassie, it’s beautiful. I love the contrasting textures -- where did you find it?”
“Oh, just a little Muggle shop in Chelsea. That’s where Mira and I grew up. Well, until we were teenagers anyway. I’m glad you like it.” Not a lot of the friends she’d made through Stephen knew much of her history. It was generally known that she came from a well-to-do family, but that wasn’t always the case.
“I didn’t know that. I lived in Chelsea before we got married -- on Flood Street, near the river.” Katie set the bowl down on the counter, pleased with how well it matched the counters. “It’s my favorite area of London.”
“My sister would agree,” Cassie replied with the smile that always came when she thought of her twin. “We lived very near Fulham, close enough to hear the crowds at Stamford Bridge. Mira is a huge football fan and if she couldn’t make it to the games, she contented herself listening to others cheer.”
“I don’t pretend to know much about football, but I liked attending matches when I had the time.” Katie crossed to the ice box and pulled out two bottles of butterbeer, holding them up for Cassie’s approval. “Something to drink? It’s this or beer, I’m afraid. Or water, if you’d rather.”
Cassie sighed longingly at the mention of alcohol, but reached for the butterbeer anyway. “I miss drinking. This baby had better be a genius or a musical prodigy or something after all the sacrifices I’m making for it.” A mischievous grin grew on her face. “So, how long do you think you have before you start getting grandchild demands?”
“My mother already has one to tide her over.” Katie popped the top of her own butterbeer and took a long pull. “She and Jade both know better than to start asking. We want to enjoy being married first, you know? And maternity leave is a bit different in my chosen career path.”
Female Quidditch players left to have children often -- especially Harpies. But maternity leave was usually at least eighteen months. It was an insurance liability to field an expectant mother, so fliers stopped playing as soon as they discovered they were expecting, and it usually took at least six months to get back in flying shape after birth.
“Stephen and I enjoyed being married a little too enthusiastically, it would seem,” the younger of the married women commented with a laugh. She’d assumed she and Stephen would have quite awhile to prepare for parenthood, but fate stepped in. Being nervous was a given, but the situation was what it was and Cassie wasn’t exactly sorry for the change in her life. Well, not most of the time. Once in awhile she lamented the loss of her figure, but her mother assured her she’d be able to get very close to her pre-pregnancy physique.
“Have you had your first big fight as a married couple yet?” Cassie asked. “Stephen’s and mine was ridiculous, but I cried so hard you’d have thought he’d told me he’d changed his mind and wanted a divorce.”
“Oh, we fight all the time. I’m not sure what the threshold for classifying it as a big fight is, but I haven’t made him sleep in the guest bedroom yet.” Katie’s lips twitched, and she shrugged. “But that’s just our relationship. We’ve always fought.” It was how they were. They were both prideful and stubborn, which made for extreme fireworks when sparked.
“Stephen and I don’t fight often, but once in awhile one of us gets our nose out of joint. Usually me,” she admitted with a hint of sheepishness. It was true, she was the more tempestuous of the two. Stephen wasn’t a Ravenclaw for nothing though, he generally diffused the situation by being sweet and understanding. It was hard to stay mad at him for long. “I suppose he’ll get his chance to be irritable when he has a little girl to protect.”
She blinked, the twitch of her lips spreading into a full smile. “A girl? That’s wonderful, Cassie. Congratulations -- again. When did you find out?”
Cassie let a genuine smile of happiness spread across her face. She couldn’t deny being rather pleased that they’d be having a girl. Girls were a known quantity. With three sisters, she felt better prepared for a female offspring, not to mention that the baby clothes were much cuter for girls than boys.
“Just last week,” she admitted. “We toyed with the idea of waiting to be surprised, but I’ve never been particularly patient.”
Katie nodded and took a pull from her butterbeer. “And now, you know what color to decorate the nursery and whatnot. You’ve got your pick of rooms. Baby Girl Cornfoot could have a nursery suite. One for every day of the week.” She grinned at Cassie’s little nose crinkle and took another sip from her drink.
“I don’t know that we need to start her off quite that much the princess. She’ll be the first grandchild for my parents, so I think she’ll have quite enough avenues for being spoiled as it is, even if she must resign herself to a single bedroom.” It was odd, speaking of the baby as if she were already a person in their lives, rather than a tiny being in Cassie’s belly.
“Have you thought about names?”
“Not really. I think we were reluctant to at first; the whole situation was a surprise and naming the baby would’ve made it too real. We’ll have to start soon, I suppose,” the blonde said with a sigh.
“Katelyn’s always an excellent name.” The brunette took a sip of her butterbeer and grinned. “So’s Elizabeth. Just to keep in mind.”
Laughing, Cassie put on a show of considering the names. “I actually was thinking that it might be nice to name her after someone. I’ll admit I was leaning more toward my mother or sisters.”
“Bah.” Katie waved her hand dismissively. “Naming her after a Quidditch player is much more sentimental than naming her after someone you share blood with. Stephen would probably agree.”
Cassie’s smile faltered slightly. Her husband likely would agree; there was nothing to be sentimental about where Stephen’s family was concerned. “You’re probably right. I am partial to my mum and my twin, though.”
Katie took in the slight fall to the blonde’s expression, but she didn’t comment. “Mira’s a pretty name. What’s your mum’s name?” Needing to brighten up the mood somehow, she reached into the cupboard and pulled out a tin of biscuits, popping the top off and offering them to Cassandra. “Bikkie? My sister-in-law sent them over.”
Murmuring her thanks, Cassie took a biscuit. She bit into it and hummed happily. “Oh, that’s good. I swear I can’t get enough sweets lately.” Once she’d swallowed, she returned to the question Katie’d asked. “My mother’s name is Scarlett, and Mira’s given name is actually Miranda. She’ll forever be Mira Sophia to me though. You know how it is with family. There are always pet names.”
“Hmm.” Katie took a bite of her own biscuit and nodded. “My dad used to call me Katie Beth. And he hates it, but Lucas is always Lukey. The pitfalls of being the youngest,” she finished with a smirk.
“My brother was always ‘Joshy’, but he was too young to ever mind it. The cutesy naming curse hasn’t really settled on my next youngest sibling. She’s usually just Abby.” As always, speaking of her long-deceased baby brother turned Cassie’s smile wistful and just a little sad. “She’s cute enough without any help, I suppose.”
The brunette saw the hint of sadness on the blonde’s face; a look she could identify with. Loss was never easy no matter what the circumstances, and she remembered hearing about the death of the youngest Montgomery during her seventh year. The twins had been the same age she had been when her father had died. She could definitely relate.
“Abby’s a good name. My niece’s full name is Elizabeth, but it’s such a big name for a tiny little girl. We call her Lizzie.”
Cassie smiled. “That’s a sweet name.” One hand rubbed absently at the still-gentle rounding of her middle. “Stephen and I will have to get serious about names for this one soon. I’ll feel better if everything’s settled before the big arrival.”
“How’s he taking to the idea of fatherhood?” Katie asked, quirking her head in question. She took another swig of butterbeer, pondering the idea of Stephen as a responsible parent. It was hard to imagine anyone in their circle with children; she’d never seen herself as the maternal type, though she could see Heidi as a mum someday. Angie... probably not. It was harder for her to gauge the potential of Stewart’s friends.
Cassie pondered the question a long moment. Her husband was not one to share all his thoughts and feelings immediately. He liked to have a bit of time to process things before talking about them. Still, she knew Stephen well enough to pick up on his emotions. “I think he took a little while to warm up to the idea. We both did. But now I think he’s getting kind of excited. He’s wanted a family for a long time. This isn’t the way he’d imagined it, but the result is the same.”
There were very few families in England that were truly pure blooded. The Cornfoots were one, and the Applegates (her maternal family) were another. She had grown up in the same circles as Stephen, and she knew a bit about the way his family treated him. Her own family had never held to the ideals of blood purity the way his did -- sans Stephen. It made him an outcast amongst his own blood.
She was glad he had finally found someone to fill that void.
Katie nodded, a small smile on your face. “Well, when you need a little break, we’ll be happy to take your little one for a night or two.” ‘Happy’ might not have been the operative word in Stewart’s case, but she’d bring him around to the idea. She had her ways.
Brows rising, the blonde cocked her head to one side, blue eyes twinkling. “Be careful what you offer, we might just take you up on it.”
“I don’t make offers I don’t intend to follow through on,” the brunette replied with a smirk, leaning back against the counter. “Stewart will get over it.”
Summary: Cassie drops by to see the Ackerley's new home.