(no subject)

[leplusbeau]

In some healer's office in wizarding London...



Fleur is sitting on the cold examination table in her thin hospital robe, her bare feet swinging back and forth.

"You know. I even wore pantiez today to make them think that I wore them often. Thiz destroyz my entire plan to make a good impression."

She keeps tapping the table. It is day number six without smoking entirely.

Comments

[thecoolone]

Bill stops his pacing long enough to take Fleur's hand in his.

"Panties are overrated," he says distractedly. This hospital makes him nervous: what if they ask for his blood? What will they detect?

For that matter, what will they find in hers?

Beyond that, the place feels sterile. It wants flowers.

"Orchideous. There. That's better." He hands Fleur the bouquet; he smiles through his clenched jaw thinking it's fine, it's fine. It's all fine. "How are you feeling, love?"

[leplusbeau]

"Tired. A little..." she makes circular motions over her stomach. "If I did not know before, I would know now."

And she smiles fondly down at the flowers. "Mush mush mush. Come sit with me, minet. Iz cold!" She pats the table next to her and smiles even more. Sunshine!

[thecoolone]

Watching her hand on her stomach, Bill's smile relaxes. "Really? You'd know? You can feel things already?"

It's rather a marvel, he thinks, and so he sits next to her, his arm round her waist.

"This table is too bloody cold: Caloris. There. Now it's warmer."

Magic, after all, comes in handy and he can't imagine they need it that cold for any good reason.

"What does it feel like?"

[leplusbeau]

She wrinkles her nose. "Queasy."

Fleur lets out a sigh and lays her head on his shoulder. "So tired the last week. I waz some before, but I juste thought it waz the afternoon heat. But iz really heavy sleep now and hard to stay awake until night. And, well. Queasy." She wrinkles her nose again. "At least iz not morning sickness yet?" She sounds hopeful! May be she can hire someone to do that part!

[thecoolone]

And I didn't even realise it. Bill shakes his head slowly, then turns towards her and kisses the top of her head. "I wonder if we should stay here. Not go back to Luxor."

It's not what he wants, but if need be, it's what he'll do.

[leplusbeau]

"Hmmm? No, no! I do not think so--" Fleur starts.


Enter, The Healer. Who in this scene, shall be played by a Dr. Watson, HP NPC MD.


"Ah, there we are!" says Dr. Watson. "And, let me be the first to tell you congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Your tests have come back positive." He shakes Bill's hand a utilitarian shake before moving on quickly. "But there are a few concerns we should discuss. Your parentage, for one."


Fleur blinks. "My...what?" She looks up at Bill.

[thecoolone]

"She's French." Bill's face is calm as can be. "What else is there to discuss?" His arm tightens round his wife. "There's nothing inherently strange about French parentage."

Shaking his head and grinning, the Healer reaches forward and rests a hand on Fleur's shoulder; out of instinct, Bill's grip tightens even more.

Don't touch my wife.

Dr. Watson's hand shoots away. "Nothing to worry about, Mr. Weasley. Perhaps I should speak to your wife in private."

I think not. Bill doesn't move. "If it concerns our baby, then I want to be here. We don't have any secrets."

With a resigned shrug, Dr. Watson continues. "Very well, then: I'll be as straightforward as possible. I recognise Veela in you, Mrs. Weasley. That's not a problem, but it is something to be aware of and with your permission, I'll add it to your chart so that subsequent Healers have access to the information. It's a very slight possibility that things might go differently for you; full Veela gestation is a different matter entirely. You're... not half-Veela, are you? Somewhat less than that?"

Eyes flashing, Bill bites his tongue. He can be as patient as Fleur, but if she starts to seem upset, they'll leave.

Perhaps coming here was a mistake.

[leplusbeau]

"One fourth. My grandmère was a full veela," very quietly. "And, I. No, I do not mind. If it iz important. Iz...iz that all?"


"Just something to keep in mind. Some of your tests came back with some odd results. Coloring slightly off," the doctor says with a slight smile at his joke. "We assume it is because of your background, Mrs. Weasley. Inter-species breeding can be tricky at best. It has the possibility to make your pregnancy a little more complex." He flips through the chart, and seems to address it now. "You do plan to continue with the pregnancy, correct?"


"Oui," Fleur again says quietly. She tucks Bill's hand up higher on her waist. "You are squishing me, minet."

[thecoolone]

"Apologies."

The words are automatic; he's focused entirely on what Dr. Watson's saying. Some of your tests came back with some odd results... inter-species breeding can be tricky at best.

His grip on Fleur lets up, but it's replaced by a surge of fury.

"My wife is not a species, Doctor." Bill can feel his heart racing with anger and for the first time in a very long time, he starts second-guessing himself. Fuckity fuck fuck, as my brother would say. Is this me or is this some latent wolf rearing its head? Is that why the results were off? What if... what if our baby...

But he swallows it back. If he starts telling that story now, life as they know it is over. They'll be ostracised, cast out, banished from normal society.

Well, Bill. Do you want to risk it on your unborn child or do you want to tell them what happened to you in the catacombs? He shakes his head: this is not a decision he can make by himself. No: it's something he and Fleur need to discuss, and the sooner they do, the better they'll both be.

[leplusbeau]

"I think. I think, thiz iz done now. Thiz conversation." She is already slipping off the table and picking up her things, piling them into Bill's arms. "My 'usband and I will like to talk before. We continue any further with you, doctor."


"Madame, these are things that you should--" the doctor starts.


"We know. Would you excuse us?" She has her dress draped over her arm, looking expectantly at the doctor.


The doctor lets out a sigh. "As you will. Mrs. Weasley. Mr. Weasley." And exit Dr. Watson.


Fleur is still standing in the middle of the room, cuddling her dress.

[thecoolone]

Bill simply watches her; there's little else he can do. In fact, he doesn't know what to do: he's never been an expectant father before.

He's not certain anyone in his position has been an expectant father before. How many people, historically, have been bit by untransformed werewolves? How has it affected their lives? He doesn't know the answers. He doesn't know if any of them went on to become fathers or mothers, and if the births were successful. He only knows he hasn't seemed to have any lasting effects, at least not physical effects. The emotional component? Well, that's an entirely different can of worms, so to speak.

"Look," he says finally, softly. "Look at how I'm acting, and you're the one carrying our baby. I'm sorry. I don't want to talk in this room."

Walls, after all, have ears.

[leplusbeau]

She rubs at her eyes. "Oui."

And she simply shucks off her hospital robe and shimmies into her dress. She doesn't look heavier but her breasts are much fuller, and Fleur makes a face when she makes sure they are tucked into her top. "Would be nice to relax a little. ...For thiz. I am tired. And ache. And want a pie."

"Ready to go home?" She tucks a strand of hair behind her eye and bites her lip as she turns back to Bill.

[thecoolone]

"I am." He slides down off the table, moving swiftly to her side. "I'm sorry. It's just... well. Let's don't mind about it now; we can talk at home."

Where it's safe. Where it's protected. Where no one will overhear us. Where I can speak to you with perfect honesty about things I've been too fearful to bring up to you before now.

Before they leave, though, he studies her: she's a combination of so very sad and so very beautiful.

He never wanted to ruin this for her. Never.

[leplusbeau]

She nods once. And Apparates with a snap the moment she steps outside the office door.

She appears in the hallway outside their flat, and unlocks their front door with a tap of her wand. It gets left wide open after she goes inside.

Fleur is heading straight for the bedroom and stealing her favorite fuzzy blanket from the bed. Her mother and little sister gave it to her ages ago.

[thecoolone]

Feeling more inadequate than he's ever felt a single day in his life, Bill follows Fleur to the bedroom. The four words he utters are not ones that ever inspire confidence or the hint of a happy conversation to come:

"We have to talk."

I love you, my dear, and I have no intention of letting things tear us apart.

At least, I hope they won't. He reaches for her shoulders, rubbing cautiously, feeling like a stranger in his own home.

With his own wife.

[leplusbeau]

She twitches. Almost like she was surprised.

Then she slowly turns around. Her face fits neatly into the curve of his neck, and her hands come up to curve about his hips. The blanket is bunches over her arms like shawl and falls low to her waist.

"Oui. Juste. A moment. Juste us. Please? Juste."

She squeezes her eyes shut and hides her face in Bill's neck.

[thecoolone]

For this moment, he simply holds her, his hands pressed to her back beneath the long rivulets of hair cascading over them.

As far as Bill's concerned, she can take all the time she needs because he loves her. However, no one said that love was easy.

[leplusbeau]

She takes several deep breathes before leaning back, rubbing a little at her eyes.

Her grip moves to the front of his belt and she looks up. "Oui. We talk. I am...we can talk now."

[thecoolone]

He speaks so very softly. "Are you all right?"

First things first, after all. Fleur and her well-being are his main concern. "Because if you didn't like that Healer or his approach, we'll find another."

It isn't that he doesn't want the questions asked, but he does want them put properly. "You're not some sort of medical curiosity, Fleur. You're not a creature..."

Stopping, he swallows hard. "...but I might be."

[leplusbeau]

"He waz juste...humain. British and humain. Please, later. What are you...?" She lightly touches the many spirals of faded white scars along back of his hands. "But you have showed no symptomz."

[thecoolone]

He can't bring himself to meet her eyes.

"But who knows what I might carry in my blood?" Fleur's hands on his are endlessly fascinating; he doesn't shift his eyes from them. "I chose not to be examined by any Healers after the whole affair, Fleur, because I didn't want to have our chances at a normal life ruined. You see what happens to people who end up on the werewolf registry: they're outcasts, pariahs. Had I ended up there I'd have lost my job with the bank. They'd never let a suspected werewolf anywhere near their treasure, real or perceived: goblins are about the least trustworthy lot I've ever met. But all that aside..."

Bill pauses, still looking down, still speaking in little more than a hush. "I chose not to have anyone analyse my genetic makeup. Who knows what they might have found? But, you see, I came to the conclusion that it didn't matter because you'd said you didn't want to have children. And I'm certainly so very thrilled that we will, that we are, but it brings all my decisions into question, because I thought..."

Finally, his eyes lift and meet hers. "...I thought you were dead-set against it, and I thought you were using the charm. I thought we had time. I thought..." His voice trails to nothing.

"I don't know what I thought."

[leplusbeau]

"It waz. It waz not on purpose. Sometimez, I do not use charmz because iz. Um. Nicer. And I can control it. And. I. I do not know! It waz after our talk and we both thought it would be nice, and, you know. Valentine'z Day waz very." She smirks. Just the tiniest bit. "We were very busy. I must have. I must have slipped. I did not mean to. But I must have."

The corners of her mouth droop. All the tightly strung energy goes out of her body, and she slumps against Bill. "Oh, minet. Why did you not tell me?" She leans her forehead against his chin. "I am so sorry. So sorry. Thiz iz my fault."

[thecoolone]

"No!"

Moving back, he tilts her face up so they're looking at one another. "Don't you think for a minute that you need to apologise to me. Listen to me very carefully, Fleur. I'm going to tell you three things."

At least he hopes they will be three things; he's doing this off the top of his head.

"First, I love you. Don't ever forget that." He presses a finger to her lips. "Second, I'm ecstatic that we're having a family of our own: it's something I've always wanted. And third..."

There's a pause while he collects his thoughts; he said three things and he wants to make the third thing count. "Third, I wouldn't change a thing. There's no blame. No blame at all." Leaning down, he kisses her on the lips. "Remember those three things, Fleur. Remember them always."

[leplusbeau]

Snort. "You had to think about that."

Fleur squeezes her eyes shut and kisses him again. Clinging there. Then leaning their foreheads together, her nose bumping against his. "Are you sure? Are you very sure?"

[thecoolone]

"I am very sure." His hands fuss with her hair now, smoothing it back. "I wouldn't change a thing. I could no sooner do that than... oh, I don't know, cut off my own hand, do you understand? Whatever the truth of the matter is genetically, we'll find out. We just need to find a Healer we can really trust. I'm not so certain about that Watson fellow. But perhaps I was being rash."

There's a bit of tightness growing in his throat; he swallows. "It's our child. Our own child. I love her or him already. I wouldn't do anything differently."

The fears get pushed far away. He can deal with them some other time.

But not now.

"Remember those three things, my love. Remember them."

[leplusbeau]

She slides her hands up his wrists and offers a small but lovely smile. "I love you."

"I worry about you. Very much. But you are mine now. For the rest of your life. Iz all I want. We can. We will make thiz work. Will be like new adventure, oui? You will just be changing dirty nappiez instead of opening tombz some dayz."

She tugs one of his hands down touches her stomach. "Even with all thiz...we are having a baby. We really are. Iz real. A person!" Her smile has just gotten a tiny bit bigger. A little watery but bigger. Because it could be a tiny Bill in there!

[thecoolone]

"It feels like... like a miracle." Every time she places his hand on her stomach, his heart jumps. "Just thinking about it... it... I..."

Words fail him and the tears that threatened earlier get swallowed back once again. A series of images race through his head; he smiles so very quietly: they will have a beautiful family.

He kisses her right on the temple. "I've seen a few tombs that would be better served as repositories for the nappies, love."

It makes him laugh, that thought, and the laughter feels wonderful.

[leplusbeau]

"See? You will have fun with thiz."

Now she's cuddling against his chest.

"We will find our way. It may be hard. But," she pats his butt, "I have thiz...thing for you. So, you are stuck with me. Iz impossible to say no. There iz no escape for you, minet."

[thecoolone]

For most of his professional career, Bill's made a habit of escaping: from tombs, from Sphinxes, from traps, from age-old hexes and curses. It's been rather a specialty of his, in fact, and one he's very pleased about. Escape of sorts has been a motivating factor, a skill, a source of great pride.

But this thing is one he's got no desire to escape from. It's no trap: it's really pretty much a dream come true. She's got a thing for him; he's got a thing for her. It's why he married her.

Without a word he dims the lights, sending a locking spell to the front door of their flat. What happens next... well, it's between himself and Fleur, but none of it -- not even a bit -- has anything to do with either saying no or with escaping.