RP: Of Future Plans and Exercise Machines

[shh_ernie]

Date: 7 December 2005
Character(s): Ernie Macmillan, Kingsley Shacklebolt
Location: Hammerside Fitness Center
Status: Private
Summary: Ernie and Kingsley catch up.
Completion: InComplete

Comments

[shh_kingsley]

Kingsley needed to get back in shape. Not that he was ever out of shape, but farm work did not require the same muscles and level of fitness required for an Auror. If he was going to return to the Auror force... the real Auror force... and train new Aurors, he was going to need to be in peak condition. To that end, he decided to work out after his afternoon class at the Community Centre instead of going straight home.

He counted off the rest of his reps then moved to put away the free weight. "So did you snag a new client?" he called out to Ernie as he returned to the gym.

[shh_ernie]

Ernie grinned as Kingsley hailed him. "Kingsley! How are you?" He'd not seen him since...Merlin, had it been since he'd come by the hospital. That was months ago. So much had happened between then and now. He stuck out his hand. "I hope we've got a new client. I don't know. Not all wizards and witches are comfortable with the idea of exercise. Even if the machines are charmed."

[shh_kingsley]

"I'm pretty sweaty. Sure you wanna be shaking hands?" Kingsley grinned.

"I think this was a brilliant idea. I was using the muggle Ministry's gym and got hooked. Much easier than the one we had for the Aurors back in my day. How long have you been workin' here? I'm in a couple time a week but haven't seen you before now."

[shh_ernie]

Ernie thought for a moment. "Since the end of October. After I...er...after Eleanor found me." He paused. "I wanted to thank you. For helping Eleanor." He shook his head. He and Eleanor had made peace about that and he wasn't going to dwell on it any longer.

"And you probably haven't seen me because I'm in my office a lot. And lately, I've been trying to do all of these wedding related things so I've been keeping odd hours." He waved his hand. "Enough about me. What about you? How is Susan?"

[shh_kingsley]

"You're welcome. Elle's a good gal."

Kingsley chuckled, "That's right. You're tying the knot the end of the month. I've been fixing up her farmhouse. Did I tell you that? We're about ready to move in. Probably could have moved in a couple weeks ago, but we wanted it done first. It's a lot easier than living around the repairs." They also didn't want anyone visiting and accidentially running into Severus so they'd decided to make the move gradually.

[shh_ernie]

"Twenty four days!" He grinned a bit bashfully. Merlin, in some ways, he thought he was worse than Eleanor about the whole thing. "I think most of the arrangements are settled. Socks is doing the food. Colin Creevy's going to take photographs. Henry, Ced, and I were fitted for our tuxedos. And the honeymoon..." His grin got even wider. "Wayne put me in touch with some people. It's..." He still couldn't believe where they were going. Eleanor was going to be so surprised. "You likely don't want to hear all of the boring details of my wedding," he laughed.

"And you and Susan are moving in together? That's fantastic, Kingsley. Really." Ernie looked at his watch. The mound of paperwork could wait. "C'mon. I'll buy you a smoothie. Dennis is quite talented."

[shh_kingsley]

"Can't say as I mind. Wayne's a decent bloke with good connections. Where are you taking her?"

Kingsley shook his head and looked down. "I haven't decided yet, actually. She's asked. But I'm not sure. If I move in, she's not going to have even less reason to get out there and find someone younger. Someone she might like to marry." He looked around to make sure they were alone. The only other people were at the far end. "I'm already holding her back, not that she wasn't doing that to herself."

[shh_ernie]

"It's in the South Pacific. Pretty much in the middle of the South Pacific. Small Wizarding resort. But we're going to have our own place on stilts over the water! And our own Jacuzzi on our deck!" He blushed a bit. Once the concept of a Jacuzzi had been explained to him, he'd spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about it.

Ernie signalled for Sam and ordered two specials of the day. As soon as he was gone, Kingsley began talking about him and Susan. "Holding her back?" Ernie repeated, puzzled. "I don't think she'd have asked you to move in if she felt that way. Susan doesn't do anything she doesn't want to do. You likely know that better than anyone."

[shh_kingsley]

"If you're over the water, why do you need a Jacuzzi? Never mind. I can imagine." Kingsley grinned. "You'll both come back looking all tan and tropical. How long will you be gone? Do you have someone to look after the house yet?"

Kingsley shook his head, "I know she wants me to move in. I don't doubt that, Ernie. What she doesn't want though is to marry me. She's made that pretty clear. Susan deserves to have a husband and a family. If I'm not who she wants for the job, I can't say as I blame her. I am a lot older, as you and Ron both pointed out."

[shh_ernie]

"Well, Orla Quirke--d'you know her?--she lives next door. I reckon she can keep an eye on the house for the week we're gone." He smiled. "But if you happen to patrol, I wouldn't object if you made certain things were alright. The shop, too. I think that Eleanor's brother, Henry, is going to work for her that week

[shh_kingsley]

"I've met Orla. Fell right into my arms," Kingsley chuckled. "Literally. She tripped and I caught her. I might not be patroling much longer but I'll be sure to pass by both the house and the shop anyway. I'm considering going back to the Aurors full-time." There. He said it out loud. Maybe now he could finally exorcise the idea or accept it.

Kingsley nodded. "I think 'I just want to shag you, not marry you' is pretty clear. She does want children, Ernie. She wants me too. She just doesn't want to marry me." Bugger all, the young man had to go and bring up trust too. He'd be damned if he brought that can of worms up in here though.

[shh_ernie]

"The Aurors?" Ernie hadn't ever thought of Kingsley going back to the Aurors full-time. The man seemed so content with his adult education and his farming and delivering groceries to the older people of Stoatshead. But he had other, more pressing issues to discuss.

"Wait," he said, feeling confused. "Does she want to have your children? And you didn't answer my question about her being against marriage in general." He may have been a bit snappish on that last bit, but he hated not understanding something. He made a face and apologized. "I understand wanting to be married, I do. When Eleanor turned me down when we thought she was pregnant, it hurt. But maybe Susan doesn't feel like marriage is as important as you do?" he offered.

[shh_kingsley]

"Keep it down, Ernie. Susan would flay me with a rusty knife if she heard this being discussed around Stoats. You have to keep this to yourself too." Kingsley pinned him with a look that meant he was serious about that. "Look, I can't tell you what all she thinks. You know what it's like getting that one to tell you anything she doesn't want you to know." Kingsley consider that, "Maybe. I know she cares about me. I know she wants kids -- and again you keep that to yourself -- she'd be happy to have mine. I'm just not sure I'm comfortable with that not bein' married, you know."

[shh_ernie]

Ernie gave Kingsley an apologetic look. He hadn't meant to get so loud. "Have you told her that? That you want to get married?" he asked in a much quieter voice. "Or has she just told you what she wants? Because that doesn't seem very fair. Relationships are two-way, Kingsley. At least the good ones are." He smiled wryly. "I...er..." He glanced around to make sure no one was in earshot. "I've been seeing Orla...er...professionally."

[shh_kingsley]

"I don't rightly know if I want to get married. I just think that if there are kids that are mine... well I should be." Kingsley didn't know if he wanted to talk about this with anyone, but he reckoned Ernie would be a decent choice if he had to. "Maybe if I knew she wanted to marry me it might be different. I don't want to be married only because of babies. I don't know if I want to be married at all. Only thing that I do know for sure is that I don't want kids growing up not having a real father."

[shh_ernie]

Ernie grew quiet at Kingsley's last statement and he concentrated on his drink for a long moment. Finally, eyes still firmly fixed to the bar, he said, "Just because a man and woman are married doesn't guarantee that the children have a real father, Kingsley. My parents were married..." He cleared the lump from his throat.

"I sincerely doubt that you'd not be a father to your children. Regardless of whether or not you're married." He shook his head. "I dunno that I'm the best person about whom to talk about this. Frankly, I'm still frightened by the thought of having children." He gave a small shake of his head.