If I'm going down...
The sun was just starting to set when Katie heard the distinct ‘crack’ of Apparition echo in the front hallway of the home she and Stewart shared. Her husband was having dinner with Blake, having twisted the blonde’s arm into a bloke’s night -- or something like that. Knowing those two, they’d likely just have dinner and compare battle scars.
It was January, but they had magic. They could still enjoy the calm of the waves on the beach despite the cold. A plate of fresh biscuits on the low table between the garden chairs and a nice heating charm warming their seats, Katie reached for her bottle of water. “Out here, Ange!”
“Have you lost your bloody senses?” Angelina scolded. She stepped out into the frosty air and pulled her jumper tighter around her middle. “Every rag in Wizarding Britain is blathering about you being on death’s door and now you’re out here enjoying the bloody frigid sea air?”
Katie just rolled her eyes. “If you’d get your arse over here, you’ll see that it’s perfectly warm. I’ve got heating charms and fresh biscuits.” She shot her best friend a cheeky grin. “And as you can clearly see, every rag in Wizarding Britain is exaggerating. It was the flu, not spattergoit.”
With an unladylike harrumph, Angie scurried over to drop her bum into a lawn chair as quickly as possibly. She sighed happily upon contact. “Still, Kates, this seems tempting fate a bit.” She flashed a grin and grabbed a biscuit. “And that’s my professional fate tempting opinion.”
“Fate and I already shared that dance. The ship has sailed.” Katie took a bite of her own biscuit and swallowed. “Glad to see they let you out of Holyhead purgatory to visit your friend. It’s been a while.”
“It has,” Angie agreed blithely. “So, tell me, how is marital bliss treating you? Do I get to beat Stewie up yet?”
“Why? Are you looking for an excuse?”
“Always. I’m a violent beast of a woman. I don’t know how to show affection any other way.” Around a bite of biscuit, she asked again, “Seriously, Kates, how are you?”
The brunette’s lips curled. “I’m well. Quite well, really. Other than the small black mark on my soul for perpetrating mass fraud to the wizarding public, everything’s great.”
Angelina snuggled further into her chair and looked out over the winter ocean. She had to admit that it was quite lovely, in a stark sort of way.
“It’s not your fault reporters have to blow everything out of proportion. I think your soul is safe.”
“Promise me you’ll still feel that way in five minutes?”
While Katie had warmed to the idea that she was incubating a tiny life inside her right now, there were still several parts of this ‘impending motherhood’ thing that made her queasy. Specifically -- and foremost at the front of her mind -- was the task at hand: telling Angie she was pregnant.
It wasn’t that she didn’t think her friend would be happy for her. Angie would. She was pretty sure, at least. But she knew the other Gryffindor was going to take the mickey out of her for settling, more so than she had since she and Stewart had married.
Tearing her gaze away from the view, Angelina raised an eyebrow at her best friend. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Worrying her lower lip between her teeth, Katie looked out at the cold winter sea. This was supposed to be easy, telling her loved ones about her happy news. Why wasn’t it easy?
She glanced over at her friend and met Angie’s inquiring gaze. “I’m pregnant.”
Well, that wasn’t what Angelina had been expecting. Her eyes zeroed in on Katie’s midsection. “Like, with a baby?” The question slipped out even though she knew it was stupid.
“No, with a Pygmy Puff.”
“Well, that makes the question of ‘who’s the father?’ a bit awkward, don’t it?” Angelina shot back.
Katie rolled her eyes. “Yes, Angie, I’m pregnant with a baby,” she said, a touch of resignation and defeat in her tone. Maybe it would be easier if she were pregnant with a Pygmy Puff.
Angelina drooped. “I didn’t mean it that way, Kates. I’m happy for you. You’ll be a great mum since you’ve had so much practice with me.”
With a sigh, Katie reached out and laced her fingers through Angie’s. “That’s being a friend, not a mum,” she said, squeezing gently. The ever-present guilt she felt shot through her again, reminding her of all the times she hadn’t been there for her friends, the times she’d tossed aside that famed Gryffindor bravery for the easy road.
They’d all suffered loss, but none so keenly as the woman sitting next to her. Katie hadn’t been there when Angie needed her most, and it still ate away at her.
“Well, you’ll do fine anyway,” Angelina reassured her, unaware of her friend’s thoughts. “It’ll come out all red and lumpy and crying and your brain will turn to mush and that’ll be that. Total mum.”
“Total mum,” Katie echoed. It didn’t feel that way -- she wasn’t entirely sure what to feel other than intense paranoia, but maybe it would come to her.
Her dark gaze shifted to her best friend. “Maybe total godmum as well?”
Angelina grinned. “Oy, don’t you try to drag me down with you.” She squeezed Katie’s hand. “But I’d love to.”
“Good.” Katie flashed her friend a quick grin. “Don’t think I could do this thing without you there.”
“You just tell me when Stewie needs a good walloping,” Angelina laughed. “I’ll be happy to oblige.”
“Oh, he always needs those. Luckily, I’m still quite handy with a hex.”
It was January, but they had magic. They could still enjoy the calm of the waves on the beach despite the cold. A plate of fresh biscuits on the low table between the garden chairs and a nice heating charm warming their seats, Katie reached for her bottle of water. “Out here, Ange!”
“Have you lost your bloody senses?” Angelina scolded. She stepped out into the frosty air and pulled her jumper tighter around her middle. “Every rag in Wizarding Britain is blathering about you being on death’s door and now you’re out here enjoying the bloody frigid sea air?”
Katie just rolled her eyes. “If you’d get your arse over here, you’ll see that it’s perfectly warm. I’ve got heating charms and fresh biscuits.” She shot her best friend a cheeky grin. “And as you can clearly see, every rag in Wizarding Britain is exaggerating. It was the flu, not spattergoit.”
With an unladylike harrumph, Angie scurried over to drop her bum into a lawn chair as quickly as possibly. She sighed happily upon contact. “Still, Kates, this seems tempting fate a bit.” She flashed a grin and grabbed a biscuit. “And that’s my professional fate tempting opinion.”
“Fate and I already shared that dance. The ship has sailed.” Katie took a bite of her own biscuit and swallowed. “Glad to see they let you out of Holyhead purgatory to visit your friend. It’s been a while.”
“It has,” Angie agreed blithely. “So, tell me, how is marital bliss treating you? Do I get to beat Stewie up yet?”
“Why? Are you looking for an excuse?”
“Always. I’m a violent beast of a woman. I don’t know how to show affection any other way.” Around a bite of biscuit, she asked again, “Seriously, Kates, how are you?”
The brunette’s lips curled. “I’m well. Quite well, really. Other than the small black mark on my soul for perpetrating mass fraud to the wizarding public, everything’s great.”
Angelina snuggled further into her chair and looked out over the winter ocean. She had to admit that it was quite lovely, in a stark sort of way.
“It’s not your fault reporters have to blow everything out of proportion. I think your soul is safe.”
“Promise me you’ll still feel that way in five minutes?”
While Katie had warmed to the idea that she was incubating a tiny life inside her right now, there were still several parts of this ‘impending motherhood’ thing that made her queasy. Specifically -- and foremost at the front of her mind -- was the task at hand: telling Angie she was pregnant.
It wasn’t that she didn’t think her friend would be happy for her. Angie would. She was pretty sure, at least. But she knew the other Gryffindor was going to take the mickey out of her for settling, more so than she had since she and Stewart had married.
Tearing her gaze away from the view, Angelina raised an eyebrow at her best friend. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Worrying her lower lip between her teeth, Katie looked out at the cold winter sea. This was supposed to be easy, telling her loved ones about her happy news. Why wasn’t it easy?
She glanced over at her friend and met Angie’s inquiring gaze. “I’m pregnant.”
Well, that wasn’t what Angelina had been expecting. Her eyes zeroed in on Katie’s midsection. “Like, with a baby?” The question slipped out even though she knew it was stupid.
“No, with a Pygmy Puff.”
“Well, that makes the question of ‘who’s the father?’ a bit awkward, don’t it?” Angelina shot back.
Katie rolled her eyes. “Yes, Angie, I’m pregnant with a baby,” she said, a touch of resignation and defeat in her tone. Maybe it would be easier if she were pregnant with a Pygmy Puff.
Angelina drooped. “I didn’t mean it that way, Kates. I’m happy for you. You’ll be a great mum since you’ve had so much practice with me.”
With a sigh, Katie reached out and laced her fingers through Angie’s. “That’s being a friend, not a mum,” she said, squeezing gently. The ever-present guilt she felt shot through her again, reminding her of all the times she hadn’t been there for her friends, the times she’d tossed aside that famed Gryffindor bravery for the easy road.
They’d all suffered loss, but none so keenly as the woman sitting next to her. Katie hadn’t been there when Angie needed her most, and it still ate away at her.
“Well, you’ll do fine anyway,” Angelina reassured her, unaware of her friend’s thoughts. “It’ll come out all red and lumpy and crying and your brain will turn to mush and that’ll be that. Total mum.”
“Total mum,” Katie echoed. It didn’t feel that way -- she wasn’t entirely sure what to feel other than intense paranoia, but maybe it would come to her.
Her dark gaze shifted to her best friend. “Maybe total godmum as well?”
Angelina grinned. “Oy, don’t you try to drag me down with you.” She squeezed Katie’s hand. “But I’d love to.”
“Good.” Katie flashed her friend a quick grin. “Don’t think I could do this thing without you there.”
“You just tell me when Stewie needs a good walloping,” Angelina laughed. “I’ll be happy to oblige.”
“Oh, he always needs those. Luckily, I’m still quite handy with a hex.”