Date: March 3, 2005, Breakfast
Character(s): Romilda, Colin, Cormac, Tiberius Ogden
Location: The house on Copper Street
Status: Private
Summary: A very eventful morning for Cormac at the 'loveshack' sees him receive lots of life altering news.
Completion: Incomplete
(
So... Daddy Mac. About the 'daddy' thing... )
It was easy to blend in with the crowd in Stoatshead Hill, Tiberius thought as he made his way down the now-familiar streets. Everyone was so complacent and at ease that even a strange face didn't cause alarm.
He was a bit concerned at the integration of Muggle society into the newly born Wizarding world. He'd seen signs of a cinema of all things, as well as a night club. This wasn't even taking into account the use of Muggle electricity, and he'd heard some young witches and wizards gossiping about the latest episode of some insipid Muggle sitcom.
Had the entire town forgotten they were Wizards, and not Muggles with wands?
Muggle culture was useful, of course, but had no place in a predominantly Wizarding community.
He had a lot of work to do, it seemed. Starting with his wayward nephew.
Nor had it been hard to track down his nephew, who seemed to be cohabitating with a Muggleborn Wizard. At least the witch in the situation came from a proper, if impoverished, Pureblood family.
He stopped before the little house on Copper Street, thinking it was quaint and too...common for one with Cormac's breeding. The curtains were open as well, and Tiberius could see a half-naked Cormac sitting at the kitchen table, a blond man and a dark haired woman cuddled in his lap.
Those would be the lovers than, he thought, disgusted at the overt display of sexual activity. Those sorts of things were best done in the dark, and in private.
He walked up the lane, and knocked loudly at the door.
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Opening the door, she smiled at the man and put on her best manners. "Good morning sir," she said politely. "How may I help you?"
Just at that moment, Liam came bounding to the door and started babbling. "Who is it Mummy?" he asked. As he looked up at the older man, his eyes widened into great pools and he seemed in awe. "Ooh, you have lots of wrinkles on your face. Are you an elephant?" he asked.
Romilda was horrified. "Liam, please," she said in embarrassment. "Go and find Daddy Mac and tell him that there is someone at the door," she added, purely to just get rid of Liam.
"Sorry sir," she said in way of apology. "Now, how can I help you?"
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"Hello there," Tiberius said, a bright smile on his face. "I'm Tiberius Ogden, Cormac's uncle, not an elephant!"
Tiberius watched, an expression of fond amusement on his face. "I'm terribly sorry to have interrupted your morning," he said, his expression changing to one of chagrin seamlessly. But inside he was glowering. Daddy Mac? It was a travesty to the McLaggen name to have laid claim to a bastard. Especially the bastard of a prostitute.
He'd collected a lot of information on his nephew's lovers over the past month, and he wasn't at all pleased with what he'd learned, the Vane family name aside.
"As I told the boy, my name is Tiberius Ogden. Is Cormac around? I know this is a bit of a surprise visit, but I was hoping to have a word."
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She recognised the name - it had often been in the papers and she had heard her parents talk often about him in the Wizengamot. To learn he was Cormac's uncle... why hadn't Cormac mentioned anything to her about him? She blushed just a little as she realised she was still in her dressing gown, and instinctively ran a hand through her hair.
"Well, sir, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said, her warmth genuine. Cormac would be so excited to see his uncle, she thought. "Please excuse the mess, but you did catch us before I could set off the cleaning charms," she added in way of apology.
"Please, have a seat," she said as she brought him to the loungeroom, flicking the tv off with her wand and banishing Liam's toys upstairs with another deft flick. "I had just made breakfast, sir. Have you eaten, or can I just offer you some tea?" She felt that for some reason, she needed to impress this stately wizard, and she offered him the full extent of her hospitality.
"I'll go and get Cormac for you," she said with a warm smile. "I know he'll be thrilled to see you!" As she turned to the kitchen, she saw Liam looking wide eyed at the man. "Please behave, Liam, Mr Ogden is a very important wizard," she said to him quietly.
Romilda raced out to the kitchen and grabbed Cormac. "You'll never guess! Your uncle's here to see you! Isn't that fantastic?" she said happily.
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"Don't think another thought about it," he said kindly, waving a hand at the mess. "It's entirely my fault for now Owling first."
He barely hid his disgust at the Muggle television, but covered it by kneeling down next to Liam.
"I'll get acquainted with the little one, while you find my wayward nephew," he said, ruffling the boy's hair. It felt like silk under his fingers.
He looked over his shoulder as she rushed into the kitchen, and wondered just what Cormac's reaction would be.
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It couldn't be...he couldn't be here. Not now. Not ever.
He knew Colin had to notice something off, as he went stiff (and not in the good way) in the chair.
His throat felt tight and he barely managed to keep from screaming as Romilda bounced into the kitchen.
"Fantastic," he whispered, feeling all the blood rush from his head. He felt a bit faint. Even though he'd been expecting his Uncle's arrival for months, he hadn't actually thought the day would ever come. "I should go say hello."
"Where's Liam?" he asked, proud that his voice remained steady.
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"Liam?" Oh, he's in the living room with your uncle.
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But he noticed the way Cormac stiffened up at the mention of his uncle, he knew something was wrong. Cormac had never mentioned anything about an uncle before which did seem a bit odd.
Colin slid off Cormac's lap to let him stand. He kept quiet trying to work out what could be wrong.
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He silently calmed himself, and made his way to the sitting room. His uncle looked the same as he had the last time he'd seen him, just before starting his third year at Hogwarts.
He steeled himself and walked forward, stilling his trembling hands by clenching them into fists.
"Liam," he said as softly as he could, "can you do me a favor? Can you go up to your room for a bit while I talk to my uncle." He choked on the last word, but didn't think anyone noticed. "Maybe Mummy and Uncle Colin can go as well."
He didn't let himself look away from Tiberius, wanting the man to think he wasn't afraid of him any longer, and wondering if he was succeeding at all.
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"Merlin, Col," she said, "we've got one of the most important wizards from the Wizengamot sitting in our living room, and we're still in our pyjamas. Why don't we go and get dressed so Cormac can say hello to his uncle in private?"
She raised her wand to clean up the kitchen dishes as she led Colin and Liam upstairs. At the top of the stairs, she turned and whispered to Colin. "I didn't know Cormac had an uncle, let alone one who was very influential. Did you?"
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"I didn't know either." Colin frowned. He wondered why Cormac hadn't told them about his uncle, it seemed like something most people would be proud of. But by his reaction to the news that his uncle was visiting, Colin guessed there was something going on between the two beyond just being family.
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"Come on, Liam, you can play in your room," she said as she changed into her best dress before putting on a little bit of makeup to add some colour to her pale face.
"Oh bugger," she said to Colin as she adjusted herself in her dress. Her breasts were sore and she remembered just how big they got when she was pregnant before.
"You haven't said hello yet, Col," she looked over at him and picked at a piece of lint on his jumper. "He seems lovely. Very nice."
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"Let's give Cormac and his uncle a little time to talk by themselves before we go back down there, ok?" He smiled. "I'll be sure to say hello when I see him, alright?"
Colin wasn't really sure who Cormac's uncle was, only what Romilda had told him, that he was a very important wizard. Colin had never been very up-to-date on who was who in the Ministry, so it wouldn't surprise him if he didn't recognize the name at all.
Yet, by the way Romilda was running around. He must have been someone of at least some importance. Colin sat down with Romilda on the edge of her bed as she tried to explain to Colin just exactly who Cormac's uncle was.
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She could see Colin had no real idea who Cormac's uncle was, so she tried to explain. "Tiberius Ogden is very high up in the Wizengamot - I'm surprised he's not the new Minister, actually. My father always spoke highly about him. I don't think I've ever heard anyone say a bad word about him, to tell the truth. One of those uncorruptible Wizengamot fellows."
"Not to mention they are somewhat related to the Ogden clans who make firewhiskey," she said with a grin." She hoped Colin understood just how high up in wizarding society this man was. Her mother's voice was in her head as she remembered all her lessons in protocol and entertaining Wizengamot members. It seemed like an age, but it hit her hard.
"But isn't it a great surprise for Cormac. Still, he took our pregnancy news pretty well, didn't he?" she said, hopeful and happy for the first time in a long time.
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