RP: A Hard Run

[rar_bill]

Date: Saturday, January 28, 1999
Characters: Bill Weasley, Fleur Weasley
Location: Shell Cottage
Status: Private
Summary: Bill has a rough morning
Completion: Complete

Comments

[rar_fleur]

Fleur had a trying morning. It was home visit weekend for the first years at Hogwarts and one of her volunteers for transportation had shown her an editorial in that morning's Daily Prophet, asking for information on what to do if any of the parents asked about it. Thankfully, most of the muggleborn's parents received their Daily Prophets from her agency's mail forwarding service instead of via owl. Prophets were mailed once a week on Friday via muggle post, which gave Fleur time to include a statement for the families from Magical Equality and Hogwarts, although she suspected the Headmistress would be ahead of her with a rebuttal to the editorial she could point out in her own statement.

She knew that a few families took the paper via owl and may have seen the editorial already. Fleur prepared a brief statement for her volunteers, which was based on the information from the home visits done last summer. They were instructed to direct addition questions to herself or the school.

By the time, Fleur arrived home, her back was aching and her ankles were swollen. She wanted her husband and she wanted him now. "Bill?" She called from the entry, "Please tell me you are 'ome." She padded through the downstairs and spied him outside through the kitchen window. Fleur tossed on her older cloak she kept by the back door and went out to join him.

[rar_bill]

Instead of taking a shower, Bill took a nap. When he woke up, he felt pretty good. Enough that he decided to go outside and work on the garden for Fleur before he took a shower. He was already sweaty and gross, after all, so it seemed stupid to shower then go play in dirt.

He hadn't been working too long when he heard Fleur call his name. He wiped his hands on his denims and looked at the door to watch Fleur step outside. "Afternoon, wife. Home already?" He studied her a moment and could tell that something was wrong.

"You shouldn't be out here. It's been drizzling off and on all day. We don't want you and Boris to catch a cold." He walked towards her, glad that he felt less angry now.

[rar_fleur]

"Leetle Ursula is made of strong stuff. She 'as 'er fazzer's constitution apparently and ze feet of a clog dancer. At least today. I do not mind going inside zough if you will come with me. I am a leetle tired," she told him truthfully.

"What 'ave you been doing today," she asked.

[rar_bill]

"Nice to hear that Prunella takes after her daddy, but I don't know anything about clog dancing. I'm thinking any kind of dancing has to be from you," he told her. "We'll go inside. You can get comfortable and I'll take a quick shower before I pamper you and all that charming husband stuff. It'll be a good focus, I think. Besides, I can always use practice." He winked before he leaned down to kiss her, careful not to get too close because he was dirty.

When he pulled back from the kiss, he opened the door so she could enter the house. "I went running earlier then took a nap before I started working on the dirt in your garden. I know it doesn't really need anything done to it right now, but you know me. It was that or swimming, and it's too cold for that."

"Are you tired from the baby or a long morning at work?" he asked, slightly concerned. "I'll get you something to drink if you want to sit down."

[rar_fleur]

"Eet could be zat muggle football zough. I admit it is hard to tell if Fester is doing a dance or playing a sport."

Fleur shivered, "Definitely too cold for a swim. Ze dirt does not mind being turned as long as you do not disturb ze covered areas."

"I theenk both. I will not be doing ze transportation for 'ome visits any more. I am getting too large to do Side-Along comfortably with anyone bigger zan zese first years." Fleur sighed, "Did you read ze Daily Prophet today, Bill? I can sit down and still make some hot cocoa while you shower. Will you want some or will you 'ave sometheeng stronger?"

[rar_bill]

"I don't play Muggle football," he reminded her. "And I wasn't on the Quidditch team, either. Now if the baby has a temper, I'll accept the blame."

They went inside, and he shut the door behind them. "How much longer can you Apparate at all? I seem to remember Mum not being able to right before she was due, but I can't say that I paid a lot of attention back then. Should have, I suppose."

He tensed when she mentioned the Daily Prophet and nodded once. "I read it this morning after you'd left. Right bunch of rubbish," he said tightly, curling his fingers into his palm as he looked at her. "I can make hot cocoa while you rest, Fleur. You said you were tired, so I don't mind making it before I run upstairs to clean up."

[rar_fleur]

"I theenk zat we can both be blamed for ze temper, non?" Fleur smiled. "Yes, but ze bebe is very active. This 'e alzo gets from both of us, I theenk."

Fleur looked at Bill puzzled, "Ze 'ealer 'as already told... ah! She told me. It was ze appointment zat 'ad to be rescheduled for a Wednesday. I will be fine until March or it becomes too uncomfortable. We do not want to squeeze ze bebe too close to delivery unless I am 'aving contractions anyway. Zen I 'ad best not Apparate myself."

"Rubbish is correct. You are very brave and our friends are very brave." Fleur kissed her husband's scruffy jaw, "Bill, I am a very talented witch. I can sit 'ere at my leetle table and flick my wand just so for ze cocoa. Go and clean up, 'usband. I will let you help prop my feet up on ze kitchen chair before you go zough," she smiled fondly at him. "When you come back, I will let you feed me and pamper me zen."

[rar_bill]

"Did she?" Bill shifted and frowned, wondering if he'd not paid enough attention. It was possible, since they got told a lot of stuff during the appointments. He'd read some books, too, but it wasn't easy remembering all the details. He'd know for the next one, though, if nothing else. "Okay. March then. We'll make sure that you take the Floo if you have to go anywhere then or I'll fly you, if needed."

"I know you're a talented witch. There's this thing called spoiling my wife that I like to do sometimes, though," he grumbled. He was glad that she was home. His mood had been all over the place this morning, and she always helped him keep himself grounded. "Alright. That's a fair trade, I suppose."

He helped her sit down and prop her feet up before he kissed her. "I'll be back soon." He headed upstairs to take his shower. Once he was done with that, maybe they could spend the afternoon doing nothing but cuddling. That always put him in a good mood.