Leigh!fic- Like Mother, Like Daughter (1/1)- Katie Bell
Category: Harry Potter Fic
Title: Like Mother, Like Daughther (1/1)
Author: Leigh, aka
leigh_adams
Characters: Katie Ackerly (née Bell) and Megan Ackerly
Rating: Any age
Summary: It was fitting, watching her daughter fence in the same room that her own father had taught her the intricacies of the noble sport.
It was a brilliant spring day in Woodstock, and the bright sun shone through several of the great windows in the hall that Katie and her eight year-old daughter Megan, along with her little niece Maggie, had commandeered for the afternoon. The elves had laid out all their equipment: jackets, breastplates, masks, gloves, swords- everything the three would need for an afternoon fencing lesson.
"Sword tip up, Megan," Katie said as she circled the two girls, both of them in the en garde position facing one another. "It's too easy for an opponent to capture your blade and land a touch with your sword tip down."
"Yes Mummy," her daughter said, correcting her position. "Better?"
"Much. Now, control exercises. Megan, simple attack. Maggie, parry and riposte. Arms length first, then we'll add a lunge in."
"Yes Mummy," and "Yes Aunt Katie," chimed in unison as the two girls did as instructed, executing the most simple, yet the most crucial, of fencing manoeuvres.
Katie continued to supervise the pair, correcting mistakes and making suggestions as she saw fit. She'd been a bit sad that Sean had never showed an interest in learning how to fence, but delighted when her little girl had. Megan had taken to fencing like a natural, and her competitive drive only fueled her fire to be the best.
Once the two had finished their set of drills, they took their places on opposite ends of the makeshift fencing strip. They were adorable to watch, miniature versions of their mother and father who had spent many a day in this exact room, learning the intricacies of this noble sport from their father.
"Fencers en garde," Katie called once they'd saluted one another. The formal niceties were always to be observed, even if it was just an informal bout between family members. "Fence!"
Brows knit with concentration behind their masks, Megan and Maggie went after each other, both girls intent on landing a touch. Even though they were both only eight, they already had the intensity and fervor of two dedicated competitors, each of them highly competitive.
"Remind you of anyone?" a voice murmured in Katie's ear, making her jump and spin around in surprise.
She smacked lightly at her brother's arm and turned her attention back to the bout at hand. "I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about."
"Oh come on, Kates," Jonathan said with an easy smile, "Megan is practically a doppleganger for you at that age."
"You think so?" she asked, turning her head up to look at him.
"In nearly every way, although she is a bit more arrogant than you were at eight. I think we can blame that on her father."
"Stewart isn't... okay, so he is," Katie said, changing her choice of wording at the look her brother gave her.
Jonathan chuckled. He'd had his doubts when Katie had first brought the tall Keeper round to meet the family; after all, he'd heard numerous things about the man's bed-hopping ways. Katie had gone through quite enough before, and it was his duty as a brother to protect his baby sister, even if she was quite capable of doing that on her own.
He needn't have worried, though. Despite the four year difference in age between Katie and him, Stewart Ackerly had been good for his sister. And even though they weren't overly affectionate in public, his feelings for Katie were plainly written in his eyes.
"Besides," she said, "some would say that arrogance is just confidence in disguise."
"There's a thin line between confidence and arrogance, Kates, one that you yourself often tread," he commented. An error in footwork caught his eye, and he stepped between his daughter and his niece to show them the proper technique. They were still learning, after all.
"Well, when you're good, you're good," Katie commented, giving her brother a cheeky grin.
"Speaking of arrogance and your husband, where is he?" Jonathan asked.
"Daddy took Sean to training," Megan piped up, pushing her mask back and brushing her sweaty bangs out of her face. "He's taking me on Thursday."
"Oooh, I want to go!" Maggie said. "Daddy, can I?"
"You'll have to ask your Uncle Stewart when he gets here, love. If he says it's alright, then you may go."
"Yay!" the cousins exclaimed.
Katie chuckled at their enthusiasm. Clearly, the intensity from earlier was lost. "Alright you two, there are treats in the kitchen. Take off your gear and give it to the elves, then you may be excused."
"No running with the blades," Jonathan warned. Glancing back sheepishly over their shoulders, the girls slowed down to a walk.
"They remind me of us," Katie commented once the children were out of earshot. "Remember, when Dad was teaching us how to fence?"
"Like the one time you got frustrated because you couldn't get your counter sixte parry down, so you just decided to wallop me with your blade?" her brother quipped as he slung his arm around Katie's shoulders.
"You deserved it," she said simply.
Title: Like Mother, Like Daughther (1/1)
Author: Leigh, aka
leigh_adams
Characters: Katie Ackerly (née Bell) and Megan Ackerly
Rating: Any age
Summary: It was fitting, watching her daughter fence in the same room that her own father had taught her the intricacies of the noble sport.
It was a brilliant spring day in Woodstock, and the bright sun shone through several of the great windows in the hall that Katie and her eight year-old daughter Megan, along with her little niece Maggie, had commandeered for the afternoon. The elves had laid out all their equipment: jackets, breastplates, masks, gloves, swords- everything the three would need for an afternoon fencing lesson.
"Sword tip up, Megan," Katie said as she circled the two girls, both of them in the en garde position facing one another. "It's too easy for an opponent to capture your blade and land a touch with your sword tip down."
"Yes Mummy," her daughter said, correcting her position. "Better?"
"Much. Now, control exercises. Megan, simple attack. Maggie, parry and riposte. Arms length first, then we'll add a lunge in."
"Yes Mummy," and "Yes Aunt Katie," chimed in unison as the two girls did as instructed, executing the most simple, yet the most crucial, of fencing manoeuvres.
Katie continued to supervise the pair, correcting mistakes and making suggestions as she saw fit. She'd been a bit sad that Sean had never showed an interest in learning how to fence, but delighted when her little girl had. Megan had taken to fencing like a natural, and her competitive drive only fueled her fire to be the best.
Once the two had finished their set of drills, they took their places on opposite ends of the makeshift fencing strip. They were adorable to watch, miniature versions of their mother and father who had spent many a day in this exact room, learning the intricacies of this noble sport from their father.
"Fencers en garde," Katie called once they'd saluted one another. The formal niceties were always to be observed, even if it was just an informal bout between family members. "Fence!"
Brows knit with concentration behind their masks, Megan and Maggie went after each other, both girls intent on landing a touch. Even though they were both only eight, they already had the intensity and fervor of two dedicated competitors, each of them highly competitive.
"Remind you of anyone?" a voice murmured in Katie's ear, making her jump and spin around in surprise.
She smacked lightly at her brother's arm and turned her attention back to the bout at hand. "I haven't the foggiest idea what you're talking about."
"Oh come on, Kates," Jonathan said with an easy smile, "Megan is practically a doppleganger for you at that age."
"You think so?" she asked, turning her head up to look at him.
"In nearly every way, although she is a bit more arrogant than you were at eight. I think we can blame that on her father."
"Stewart isn't... okay, so he is," Katie said, changing her choice of wording at the look her brother gave her.
Jonathan chuckled. He'd had his doubts when Katie had first brought the tall Keeper round to meet the family; after all, he'd heard numerous things about the man's bed-hopping ways. Katie had gone through quite enough before, and it was his duty as a brother to protect his baby sister, even if she was quite capable of doing that on her own.
He needn't have worried, though. Despite the four year difference in age between Katie and him, Stewart Ackerly had been good for his sister. And even though they weren't overly affectionate in public, his feelings for Katie were plainly written in his eyes.
"Besides," she said, "some would say that arrogance is just confidence in disguise."
"There's a thin line between confidence and arrogance, Kates, one that you yourself often tread," he commented. An error in footwork caught his eye, and he stepped between his daughter and his niece to show them the proper technique. They were still learning, after all.
"Well, when you're good, you're good," Katie commented, giving her brother a cheeky grin.
"Speaking of arrogance and your husband, where is he?" Jonathan asked.
"Daddy took Sean to training," Megan piped up, pushing her mask back and brushing her sweaty bangs out of her face. "He's taking me on Thursday."
"Oooh, I want to go!" Maggie said. "Daddy, can I?"
"You'll have to ask your Uncle Stewart when he gets here, love. If he says it's alright, then you may go."
"Yay!" the cousins exclaimed.
Katie chuckled at their enthusiasm. Clearly, the intensity from earlier was lost. "Alright you two, there are treats in the kitchen. Take off your gear and give it to the elves, then you may be excused."
"No running with the blades," Jonathan warned. Glancing back sheepishly over their shoulders, the girls slowed down to a walk.
"They remind me of us," Katie commented once the children were out of earshot. "Remember, when Dad was teaching us how to fence?"
"Like the one time you got frustrated because you couldn't get your counter sixte parry down, so you just decided to wallop me with your blade?" her brother quipped as he slung his arm around Katie's shoulders.
"You deserved it," she said simply.