Jory had the wonderful idea for the two of them to go on a picnic that day. So, with a picnic basket (previously modified with an extension charm) in her hand, the twenty-three year old made her way to the city park. Hmm... for this picnic, she even tried to bake some muffins, but, just like it had happened a few years ago in the Hogwarts kitchen, the muffins ended up being ruined. Burned. Apparently, her cooking skills had not improved.

Oh well.

Muffins or no muffins, she was just too happy that day. Gwen just couldn't wait to see Jory. Which you could tell by the fact that she couldn't stop smiling. Yes, Gwendolyn H. Greene was indeed smiling.

After taking a few more steps, she stopped by the pond, thinking it would be a good meeting place. Taking a deep breath, she gave a quick look around to see if Jory was anywhere nearby.

SPOILER!!: Gwen! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quick Quotes Quill

Jory had the wonderful idea for the two of them to go on a picnic that day. So, with a picnic basket (previously modified with an extension charm) in her hand, the twenty-three year old made her way to the city park. Hmm... for this picnic, she even tried to bake some muffins, but, just like it had happened a few years ago in the Hogwarts kitchen, the muffins ended up being ruined. Burned. Apparently, her cooking skills had not improved.

Oh well.

Muffins or no muffins, she was just too happy that day. Gwen just couldn't wait to see Jory. Which you could tell by the fact that she couldn't stop smiling. Yes, Gwendolyn H. Greene was indeed smiling.

After taking a few more steps, she stopped by the pond, thinking it would be a good meeting place. Taking a deep breath, she gave a quick look around to see if Jory was anywhere nearby.

Him and Gwen, they were official now. Jory was slowly but surely getting over the guilt of hurting Ronnie (or so he thought). But those feelings were far away from his mind right now because he was on his way to see Gwen. They had actually gotten some free time from their busy schedules and he was so happy about that as he liked nothing better than to spend time with her.

"My eyes must be playing tricks on me because I think I see you actually smiling,'' Jory remarked as he came up to Gwen. "I still think your smirks are the best.''He smiled. "Hi.'' He then leaned in to kiss her lips. "I missed you.'' It was true. He disliked being away from Gwen. Hadn't he endured that enough while she had been off to France?

He took at look at the basket. "Did you cook something? Or should I say 'try to'?'' Jory liked teasing Gwen about her cooking. She was bad at it but it didn't bother him. But he had suggested the idea and she had decided she wanted to bring the food. With the picturesque view and Gwen with him, it was going to be a perfect day, anyway.

‘Very funny, James’, Gwendolyn replied to the comment about smiling. Middle name for emphasizing sarcasm? Check. But the thing he said next was too cute, so her smile got even bigger. ‘Hi’, she replied and kissed him back. ‘Me too’, Gwen replied and hugged her friend… no wait… boyfriend. They were official now, no? Anyways, she had missed Jory a lot.

Finally letting go of the hug, she heard Jory say something that made her face drop. Blink. Blink. Staaaaaare. ‘How… did you… know?’ He was right… she did try. Most of the food was burned or ruined in some way. ‘I mean… what’s wrong with a lunch on Bertie Bott’s?’ Hehe all those times she and Ari just stuffed their faces with sweets instead of eating proper food. How mad Ari’s grandmother got that time… Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea anymore. ‘I keep forgetting we are supposed to act grown up now’, she laughed.

‘Where do you want to sit?’, she asked Jory and looked around for a place where to lay the picnic blanket.

SPOILER!!: Gweeeen! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quick Quotes Quill

‘Very funny, James’, Gwendolyn replied to the comment about smiling. Middle name for emphasizing sarcasm? Check. But the thing he said next was too cute, so her smile got even bigger. ‘Hi’, she replied and kissed him back. ‘Me too’, Gwen replied and hugged her friend… no wait… boyfriend. They were official now, no? Anyways, she had missed Jory a lot.

Finally letting go of the hug, she heard Jory say something that made her face drop. Blink. Blink. Staaaaaare. ‘How… did you… know?’ He was right… she did try. Most of the food was burned or ruined in some way. ‘I mean… what’s wrong with a lunch on Bertie Bott’s?’ Hehe all those times she and Ari just stuffed their faces with sweets instead of eating proper food. How mad Ari’s grandmother got that time… Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea anymore. ‘I keep forgetting we are supposed to act grown up now’, she laughed.

‘Where do you want to sit?’, she asked Jory and looked around for a place where to lay the picnic blanket.

''Using my middle name now?'' This felt right, the teasing and everything. Jory hugged her, his face resting in her hair before they both let go of each other. He noticed the moment her face got that look... dismay, was it? "I know you,'' he said simply. He had never forgotten her attempt in the Kitchen at Hogwarts all those years ago. What a fiasco that had been.

Jory laughed. "Nothing wrong with that. But you know me... I like food.'' A like that had not died. "Who says we have to? Being teens again can be fun.'' He turned his attention to the park. "Hmmm. Closer to the pond?'' Jory did love nature and was the outdoorsy type. He held onto Gwen's hand to tug her closer to it. "Here's okay with me if it's okay with you.''

Well… yeah. She was a horrible cook. It was definitely true. But she could make decent sandwiches so there’s that. Heh. There were probably first years at Hogwarts who could cook better than her. Ugh.

Teens... ‘Hey, we make it sound like we’re old’, she joked. They were not old! Like, she could demonstrate how immature she was just with her cooking skills and lunch based on chocolate alone.

Ok. The spot for their picnic. She followed Jory closer to the pond and put the basket down. ‘Perfect’, she smiled before letting go of his hand and drawing her attention to the basket. Opening the basket, she started searching for the blanket. She did a good job with the extension charm, but now it was too difficult to find anything. Hmm… some food… a potion flask… her sketchbook… some notes on her patients… Aha! There it was! When she finally found the picnic blanket, she handed over two of the corners to Jory so that they could stretch it out and lay it on the ground.

SPOILER!!: Gwen <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quick Quotes Quill

Well… yeah. She was a horrible cook. It was definitely true. But she could make decent sandwiches so there’s that. Heh. There were probably first years at Hogwarts who could cook better than her. Ugh.

Teens... ‘Hey, we make it sound like we’re old’, she joked. They were not old! Like, she could demonstrate how immature she was just with her cooking skills and lunch based on chocolate alone.

Ok. The spot for their picnic. She followed Jory closer to the pond and put the basket down. ‘Perfect’, she smiled before letting go of his hand and drawing her attention to the basket. Opening the basket, she started searching for the blanket. She did a good job with the extension charm, but now it was too difficult to find anything. Hmm… some food… a potion flask… her sketchbook… some notes on her patients… Aha! There it was! When she finally found the picnic blanket, she handed over two of the corners to Jory so that they could stretch it out and lay it on the ground.

Jory laughed. "Old is one thing we're definitely not.'' They were both around their mid twenties so that seemed young to him. He was now just watching Gwen as she rummaged through the basket. He was transfixed by her, actually. Try as he might, he could not pull away his eyes from her.

"How many things have you got in there?'' he finally asked, edging a little closer to peer into the basket. What Jory saw were an assortment of things including food and sketchpad. "Have you started sketching again?'' He really hoped she had. Her artistic talent was one of things he loved the most about Gwen.

He collected the offered blanket ends to help spread it out. Once they had done that, he took the basket from Gwen, set it down then pulled her gently down beside him so that they were facing the pond.

This was perfect.

Greyson continued with his preliminary sketching, blocking in larger shapes and adding in gestural lines to give himself some reference for later. He could later add in the details from memory if he chose to paint at home, or if he decided to stay longer he could always further refine his drawing. But he was still uncertain and this was often the way he worked, giving himself the basic feeling of a composition on which to expand on later from his imagination.

Looking up, he noticed that the woman who had been in his line of vision was moving and he followed her with his eyes then turned a page in his sketchbook. Life studies were the best practice and often a great source of inspiration. But he paused just a moment when she spoke before he put pencil to paper again.

Giving her a hint of a grin, he realized she knew exactly who he was. Not that he was too surprised. Greyson knew he was at least recognizable among certain crowds, he just wasn't sure he'd run into anybody who'd be familiar with him here. "Neither, actually.. or maybe both." He supposed that depended on how one looked at things. Never mind the terrible collision. "Art was once my intended vocation, studied it in school even. But then I found another path." One that he immensely enjoyed, though art was still a big part of his life.

Oh? Was he going to draw her now? Because he was welcome to. She might not be a model like her little sister but Aina wasn't shy of attention. None of the Banners were. Okay, except maybe Gabriel to some degree, but none of the rest.

She wanted to get a good look at his drawing though, if he was apparently educated in art then he had to have some kind of skill right? Unless that was why he quit it, because of suckage. Hmmm. She'd sneak a peek soon, or outright and boldly ask if the need was pressing enough.

"Oh so the art came first?" Nice. "I'm Aina by the way. No art or sports for me though." Mmnope.

‘Just eh… a few’ she mumbled as she continued searching in the basket. A few… That was the understatement of the century. ‘I have, actually’, she answered Jory’s question with a smirk. She did start sketching and it made her wonder why she took such a long break from drawing. It felt right to hold the quill in her hand and sketch again. ‘I’m glad you made me start sketching again’

Smirk.

‘I’ll show you the drawings in a minute.’ As soon as they would pick a spot for the picnic. That is, if he actually wanted to see the drawings?

Ah, the spot by the pond. It really is perfect, she thought as they sat down on the picnic blanket. ‘Jory?’, Gwendolyn mused. ‘Is this umm…like… our first date?’ It was no usual first date, was it?- since they had actually known eachother for what… thirteen, fourteen years?

SPOILER!!: Gwen! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quick Quotes Quill

‘Just eh… a few’ she mumbled as she continued searching in the basket. A few… That was the understatement of the century. ‘I have, actually’, she answered Jory’s question with a smirk. She did start sketching and it made her wonder why she took such a long break from drawing. It felt right to hold the quill in her hand and sketch again. ‘I’m glad you made me start sketching again’

Smirk.

‘I’ll show you the drawings in a minute.’ As soon as they would pick a spot for the picnic. That is, if he actually wanted to see the drawings?

Ah, the spot by the pond. It really is perfect, she thought as they sat down on the picnic blanket. ‘Jory?’, Gwendolyn mused. ‘Is this umm…like… our first date?’ It was no usual first date, was it?- since they had actually known eachother for what… thirteen, fourteen years?

Jory laughed as he took a peek back into the basket. "I think I may need glasses but that certainly does not look like a few.'' Ah, there were those smirks again. Weren't they so beautiful? He liked that Gwen had started to sketch again. It would be a shame to waste such a great talent. Jory what itching to take a look at her work but he need not even ask. Gwen seemed to know exactly what he was thinking.

This was a question he had actually he had not considered. "I think it is,'' he said smiling and leaning in to kiss Gwen again. He could still not believe how things had turned out for them after all this time. "I also think we waited to late to have a first date though.'' The universe conspired against them before. That's how Jory saw it.

Greyson paused in his sketching a moment, somewhat more focused on adjusting the value in his shading than anything else, though he was well aware of his surroundings and present company. He’d admit that she was quite lovely and could add just what he was looking for in his composition.

“The art came first,” he nodded, glancing up at her over his sketchbook. “Is that surprising?” He often found people to be at least a little taken off guard, or perhaps that was his perception, as if the two were polar opposites. But he felt the two complemented each other nicely and knew of a couple other athletes who enjoyed artistic endeavors in their time off as well. Grinning a bit, he added, “Greyson.. though I’d guess you’d already know that?” At least that was what he figured, unless she was a casual fan who just recognized faces without the name. “No? But a fan of at least one then... And it’s nice to meet you, Aina.”

"Not surprising exactly, but its always nice to find out when a Quidditch player isn't just a dumb jock." Aina smiled so that there wasn't any sting in her words, her tone was more playful than anything else.

"Mhmm. I do. I follow Quidditch pretty religiously actually. I'm not a rabid fan but..." She shrugged one shoulder and trailed off. A fan, of the game. Of watching it anyway.

"No. I'm finishing my masters at the moment, eternal student it feels like." But she had a plan and she was sticking to it. And she enjoyed what she was doing anyway.

"Likewise. You know, you do a pretty good job of staying out of the tabloids, I've noticed. Is that because you like to go muggle every now and then?" Like right now for instance. There wasn't anything in sight, aside from a Quidditch Player and a Witch who happened to recognize him, which might suggest there was anything beyond the mundane world of London.

She looked back into Jory’s eyes. Ah, how could he be so perfect? He was honestly the nicest, kindest person she ever met, and also someone she could have a good laugh with, definitely an interesting person, brave, loyal… And he really was Gwen’s best friend. She just started smiling at that thought.

Hmm. They kind of did wait for too long. ‘I guess’, Gwendolyn mused. But anyways, she would have waited even longer if it meant they could finally be happy. They were together now and that was important.

Alright. So now… about the food. She knew she couldn't postpone it any longer. ‘Please don’t laugh at my cooking skills’, she said as she began to take different items out of the picnic basket. First were some sandwiches that looked pretty good, then some tupperware containers with decent-looking salad and Bacon and Brie omelette wedges with summer salad, Bertie Bott’s, some slightly weird-looking cauldron cake and finally the most disastrous muffins seen by mankind.

After the food was taken out of the basket, she pulled out the sketchbook as well. The sketchbook looked like it had been used a lot recently, but it was also stuffed with old photographs in between the pages, charmed not to fly out as someone flipped through the notebook.

SPOILER!!: She and her cooking xD

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quick Quotes Quill

She looked back into Jory’s eyes. Ah, how could he be so perfect? He was honestly the nicest, kindest person she ever met, and also someone she could have a good laugh with, definitely an interesting person, brave, loyal… And he really was Gwen’s best friend. She just started smiling at that thought.

Hmm. They kind of did wait for too long. ‘I guess’, Gwendolyn mused. But anyways, she would have waited even longer if it meant they could finally be happy. They were together now and that was important.

Alright. So now… about the food. She knew she couldn't postpone it any longer. ‘Please don’t laugh at my cooking skills’, she said as she began to take different items out of the picnic basket. First were some sandwiches that looked pretty good, then some tupperware containers with decent-looking salad and Bacon and Brie omelette wedges with summer salad, Bertie Bott’s, some slightly weird-looking cauldron cake and finally the most disastrous muffins seen by mankind.

After the food was taken out of the basket, she pulled out the sketchbook as well. The sketchbook looked like it had been used a lot recently, but it was also stuffed with old photographs in between the pages, charmed not to fly out as someone flipped through the notebook.

"Better late than never, right?" But then Jory was laughing at what Gwen had said to him. He couldn't help it and he flashed back to her baking effort at Hogwarts. "Sorry. It just sounded funny. I don't remember laughing at you back at Hogwarts and I won't now.'' He promised, Gwen.

He turned his attention from Gwen (which was difficult because he liked looking at her) to the food she was digging out of the basket. "These look great.'' But then all his attention was focused on... where those muffins? They seemed to be. Jory felt a smile creeping onto his face. "Muffin making skills haven't improved much, I see,'' he teased.

Jory reached for the sandwiches and then the sketchbook. "Any photos of me in here?'' He smiled as he began flipping through the book, happy at being greeted by Gwen's sketches most of all.

Lost in his thoughts, Mordred was sat on one of the benches under a big tree, with a cup of hot muggle coffee in his hand. The dragonologist traced the rim of his cup with his finger, his eyes staring intently at the pond in front of him. He was feeling a bit...disappointed with himself. He thought he could go through and overcome his personal obstacles, but he just couldn't. He felt useless, and incredibly small.

Bringing the cup to his lips, he sipped the dark liquid slowly, and cringed when it burned his tongue. "Merlin's bloody underpants..." he murmured to himself, and looked at his coffee cup with utter disgust. Even his coffee didn't taste good. It was bitter, much like how his life is slowly becoming.

Today had been one of those days that Sophie managed to not have any crazy thing done to her thanks to experimenting with Charms. Hooray! She was now done for the day and was about to head home. Mordred said he'd meet her just outside the Ministry, right?

...Right?

She was... pretty sure...?

...

What was the spell she had been experimenting with again? Uh... She couldn't remember.

Oh well, NO WORRIES. It was time to go home anyway and surely her husband would be waiting for them to go together because that was what they usually did. Right? ...She hoped supposed so.

As she walked towards the park - because that felt like it was the right way to go - she tried hard to remember what the spell she had been working on was. Some sort of... memory cha- MEMORY CHARMS, that was it, she REMEMBERED! And LOOK, Mordred was there as well, which meant she had been successful. HOORAY!

He looked like he was deep in thought - as usual - so she approached him quietly, refraining herself from jumping on him and giving him a tight hug because that was a public place and she was trying her best to be proper. She was a Mordaunt, after all.

Merlin, that was DIFFICULT. But she managed. She let out a soft chuckle when she heard him muttering. That language was very Mordred-like, wasn't it?

To make sure she wouldn't give him a heart attack, Sophie sat down next to him before speaking. "What happened to poor Merlin that he now has bloody underpants?"

Clearly, he needed some help. As a married man, of course, he would want to share his troubles with his wife...but, the fact that involves her happiness makes it more difficult to open up to her. He turned to his father already, and as always, his answer was an elusive one—he didn’t have the luxury of time to wait and see things unfold. He simply must do something about it.

As he swirled the dark liquid inside his coffee cup, a grin slowly graced his face, knowing full well who it was who arrived. He’d know his wife’s scent from a few feet. “Merlin would get his underpants all bloody if he took this.” He said turning to the most beautiful woman in the world, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her on her temple. “I missed you today. Been very busy in our department...” and obviously, he had to do unnecessary extra work to keep his mind off from wandering. Mordred pulled his wife closer to him, and sat comfortably on the park bench. “How was your day today, Mrs Mordaunt?” he asked, while his stupid grin was plastered on his face.

Every single time, Mordred was amazed at how things turned out for him. Who would’ve thought that the girl he met under one of Hogwarts’ ancient trees—much like where they are now, will one day be his wife? He found her annoying at first...but after spending time with her, he found himself...wanting to see her more. “This is nice, isn’t it?” he murmured, imagining they were back in Hogwarts, in front of the lake. “Does this moment...remind you of something?” he continued.

"What's wrong with it?" Sophie asked as she got pulled closer to him and looked at his coffee. "Does it taste like dragon dung... again?" She added, wrinkling her nose and looking back up at him. Yuck. That must not taste very nice at all. And he had been busy? "What did you do today?"

Oh, and he just asked her the same question, haha! She beamed and was about to tell him, when she stopped as she looked towards the pond and sort of deadpanned. ...Wha? Then she snapped back to reality. "Oh, right! Yeah, today I tested some um..." She started to explain and held up her index finger and... slowed down her movement again as she pulled a thinking face and looked slightly confused for a brief moment. Ah! "AH, memory charms!" Nod nod nod. "Nothing too serious." She finished, grinning. She had dealt with more serious things before, so she wasn't really worried at all about memory charms.

He seemed a bit happier and not too focused on his thoughts anymore so Sophie smiled and looked at the pond too. "It is! It's lovely!" She beamed again and got comfy next to her husband. She liked how it didn't feel like they had just got out of work, all stressed and stuff like lots of people did. It was a nice moment indeed! Did it... remind her of something? Oh no, OH NO, was she supposed to remember something?? Sophie blinked several times as she looked right as her husband's eyes. Wha?? "What? What day is today??" DID SHE FORGET SOMEONE'S BIRTHDAY??? Anyone from his family?? OH SWEET MERLIN, LET HER NOT HAVE FORGOTTEN HIS RELATIVE'S BIRTHDAY! WHAT A TERRIBLE IN-LAW SHE WAS!

“I’m not ready to say that it tastes like dragon dung, because I haven’t had the opportunity to taste a dragon’s fermented manure.” But since it is a magical creature, who knows? Maybe it doesn’t taste that bad. “I’d say it’s cheap, that’s why this coffee tastes horrid.” A very Mordaunt thing to say, isn’t it? And why did he even buy a cup of cheap vendo coffee in the first place? Oh yes, he wanted to keep warm while waiting for his wife. Unfortunately, tea wasn’t available, so he had to resort to another kind. “Coincidentally, I’m doing a research whether or not a dragon’s dung can be part of our drinks. Coffee and tea, particularly.” He said, sighing in exhaustion. So far, he hasn’t come up with a good theory for it.

Mordred pulled away a bit from Sophie, to give her a proper look. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, noting that his wife isn’t entirely okay. She’s got a better memory than him, so why...did she almost forgot about the things she did for the day? “When we get home...I’ll go do the cleaning after supper. I think you need to have a good sleep tonight.” He said, getting a bit worried for his wife. “And probably go easy on the Memory Charms you’re working on...please?” he continued. “It’s...the 23rd of September. There’s...no occasion.” Okay, Sophie. What IS going on? “It’s nothing...I’m just...” Mordred let out a sigh, and gestured his head toward the pond, “Reminded of our school days in Hogwarts. Particularly the day you found me sketching near the Great Lake.”

And...what else did he do that day? Mordred felt a lump formed inside his throat as he reviewed the events of the day, particularly the last activity he did before coming into the City Park for his wife. “Also...” he started slowly, swallowing the after taste of his coffee, “I visited the Ministry’s daycare this afternoon.” Mordred bit his lower lip as he continued to stare at the pond.

Sophie made a face at her husband's response about dragon's manure. She was half amused, though, because what kind of conversation were they having just now?? Eek! She nodded when he said it tasted bad because it was cheap, but his next sentence made her cover her face with her hands for a brief moment. She quickly brought her hands down again and gave him a half disgusted, half amused look. "Really??? As in... if it has any magical properties that would benefit us?" Still, that sounded... gross. Well, they did use dragon dung in Potions sometimes, did they not? ....................She couldn't remember.

"I'm great!" The brunette beamed and finally gave him the tight hug. They were already conversing and sitting down together so it was normal to do so now. Of course it was. And awwww, look at him being cute! Did anyone else see that? ...Oh, there wasn't anyone else there with them. Oh well, SHE had seen how cute he was. "Will you? Aw, thanks! ...But... why's that?" Why did she need to sleep? She didn't feel like she needed to sleep? Whaa? "Okay..?" ...Okay? She supposed? She trusted Mordred so he was probably right. No, actually, he WAS right. As always. He was always right, yes. "Okay!" She said more firmly and smiled.

Oh, there was no special occasion then. Sophie blinked and calmed down a little; she hadn't forgotten any of her new relatives birthdays, then. She sighed in relief and listened curiously as he explained why he had asked her that. Ohhh, that! "Hogwarts! I miss that place." She smiled and also looked at the pond to imagine it as the Black Lake. "Yeah, I remember that day." Sophie added before chuckling. "You taught me the Engorgement Charm!" How could she forget that?? It seemed like it hadn't been her long term memory that had been affected.

...

......

....

Blink.

Blink blink blink blink blink.

"Sorry, you what?" Sophie asked, shaking her head slightly. Had she heard right? Mordred had visited the... Ministry's daycare? As in, the place where all the tiny kids stayed? What? What what what what. "You- Wha-- Why?" Huuuuuuh???

Mordred watched his wife’s reaction, and threw his head back, letting out a silent laugh as she covered her face in disgust. Not everyone totally understands the properties of Dragon dung, but yes, it might have properties that can benefit them. Plants do get healing benefits from it, so why not humans too, yes? It was totally possible. Or maybe not, entirely. Mordred simply nodded, chuckling as he did so. His wife’s being extra cute that day, and he just wants to snog her right then and there. Ahem.

“That’s…good to know.” But he was still worried over Sophie’s mental state right now. She’s got a sharp memory, so how come she was being slightly forgetful now? Mordred, who now knew what Sophie’s been up to, could already pinpoint the culprit of her being forgetful. She was working on a Memory Charm, and the charm might’ve backfired at her somehow. He knew those charms to be powerful, so a tiny amount of error could be disastrous to the caster. “You’ve been doing all the cleaning lately. I ought to help out with the dirty clothes and dishes.” Though, yes, he’ll be asking Calen to cook for them.

Mordred collected her wife into a warm hug, and placed a kiss on top of her head. “Thank Merlin, she hasn’t forgotten that one.” He said to himself, calming his thoughts at the same time. “Charms Queen.” He mumbled, grinning at the memory.

And onto a more serious conversation.

Mordred felt his wife release him from her hug, and he did the same, feeling his cheeks flush with embarrassment. He ought to be honest with her, and he knew that telling Sophie early on was the best route. “Yes. The Ministry’s Daycare. Where children and babies stayed while their parents worked?” Mordred started, keeping his eyes on the pond. Wait, Sophie knows where it is, right? Or did she forgot that one as well? “I…” he continued, but paused to composed his next words. “You know how much I’m scared of having children, right?” he asked, glancing at her wife, then back to the pond. Mordred laced his fingers with Sophie’s and sought strength from her touch. “I wanted to change that…so…I went there earlier to ask…things…about…” a pause, “Children, infants…and pregnant women.” Okay, this was embarrassing, but acknowledging his fear was the first step, yes?

"I'm not sure I'd want to try it." She said, biting her lower lip and giving him a somewhat apologetic look. He wouldn't mind her not wanting to try the coffee or tea with dragon dung, right?? She hoped he wouldn't. Eeek! It wasn't even a thing and it already made her stomach turn. Though they did have some nasty things as potions ingredients so who knew.

Sophie chuckled because Mordred was acting funny right now. Or so she thought. An adorable funny, obviously, because Modrd couldn't be anything else. She gave him a warm smile when he explained why he was offering his help. "You're sweet. Thanks!" She said as she interlaced her fingers with his because holding hubby's hand <33

skdfjnsdkjlfd Merlin, she loved him. Did he know? "I love you!" She told him with a smile juuust in case. And she loved him like, a lot. She felt like she would explode sometimes. And this was one of these times. HUG! She loved his hugs. She loved him, did he KNOW?? "I love you!" Wait, she had just said that. Oh well, didn't matter, it was true anyway. She loved him. A lot. A LOT. Was that clear? She hoped so.

But then. What. It was back to confusion because what in the world was happening? Why would Mordred go to the daycare? Sophie's confusion was plastered all over her face. Then the weirdest theories started popping into her mind. Did he have a new baby cousin he was supposed to look after, like he did with Ethan? Merlin, if that was the case, his family was even more complicated and scarier than she could imagine. Yes, she knew what the daycare was, so she nodded. Didn't mean she was any less confused, though. And now she was worried too because ANOTHER baby cousin??? That felt overwhelming already! But then... he was talking about... him being... what. What. "I-- Yeah?" Was all that Sophie was able could say now because after his sentence nothing made any more sense in her theories. Feeling him lacing his fingers with hers, she gave his hand a gentle squeeze to show she was there for him. Even if it broke her heart and he told her he was too terrified to have children or anything like that. She would stick with him no matter wha-- "What??" He what even?? Okay, now Sophie was more confused than ever and she had to look at him intently to try and understand what was going on. Then it hit her. "You know I'm not pregnant, right?? I mean, it's okay, you- you don't have to worry, it's okay!" She wasn't panicking, she was just trying to make sure MORDRED wasn't panicking. He wasn't, right??? Was he okay?? Was he MENTALLY okay?? "I mean, I mean-- I know you-- I mean, it's fine. Really, you don't need to worry!"

AAAAHHH, DON'T PANIC, MORDRED, EVERYTHING WAS FINE!!! [/panic]

If Sophie was confused, then he was more confused. Mordred thought that his wife would be…happy to hear that he’s trying to get his fear out of his system, so that they could finally start trying to have a baby. Who would’ve thought that it would be this complicated?

Mordred just sat there, listening to what Sophie had to say. Of course he appreciates the fact that his wife was being extra supportive of his plight about her getting pregnant, but he wanted that to change. Merlin knows how hard it would be to have a child, but he had to acknowledge the fact that sooner or later, Sophie WILL be pregnant, and he’d rather be prepared for it. It’s not as if he could push back the baby to where it came from, right???

Mordred stroked Sophie’s knuckles with his finger, as his hand was interlaced with hers. “I am not panicking, Sophs. I’m doing something about it now…should you get pregnant.” Was that…an okay explanation? “Silly, I would know if you were.” He whispered to her, as he kissed her temple.

Then it hit him.

Could it be? Is it…possible that Sophie didn’t want to have children?

“I know that you don’t want me to panic and worry. I know too that you know of my plight, it’s just that…I am not okay with it.” He confessed. “I married you, because I knew you were my better half. I want to share your joy. If that meant having children, then we should start to try having one. My fear shouldn’t stop us from starting a family.” He said, rubbing Sophie’s arm comforting her. She was the one who shouldn’t panic. “So…what I’m saying is that…maybe we can prepare ourselves for parenthood together? I wouldn’t want to do it alone.” He said looking at the pond, trying to be as clear as possible to Sophie. “The big question is…do you want to have children?” Because if not, then all of his words would have been in vain.

SKDJFLFNKJLSKSJDFNKSJ

Oh. Oh, he wasn't panicking then? He wasn't?? Sophie looked at him closely to make sure that wasn't just a neutral-Slytherin look he had on his face. He wasn't trying to hide it from her? He really wasn't panicking, then. Right?? Sophie took her time loooooookiiiiinnnggg at her husband just to make sure.

He actually seemed alright. Oh. Oh! Oh, good! EXCELENT even. The former Hufflepuff let out a long sigh of relief and chuckled almost nervously. "That's good then." Merlin, was she relieved. But still didn't want him with any doubt at all. At all. "I'm not going to get pregnant until... you know, until... you..." She shrugged before continuing. "...want a child." Meaning 'until he wasn't scared anymore', basically. But Merlin, just saying that to him made Sophie very nervous. She has been feeding this idea that if she ever even mentioned anything to do with having children it would only make things worse.

Apparently she was wrong?

The confusion was still there, but now, instead of panicking, Sophie had a feeling she would enjoy this conversation. She couldn't help but feel oh so proud of her husband for facing his fear. Honestly, she could feel the pride in her filling up in her chest like a balloon! The feeling soon spread to her face in the form of a bright smile, just when he whispered something. He would know if she were? "Not necessarily." She grinned but then immediately regreted saying it. "But I'm not!" JUST MAKING SURE HE KNEW!

Then he continued to explain it all. Sophie listened intently, nodding every now and then. When he mentioned his 'plight' she couldn't help but smile sympathetically. She wanted to say that it was okay, but he had already carried on talking and was now melting her heart. Ugh, she couldn't have married anyone bet-- wait, what? What. What had he just said-- He wanted to start... trying, what. That caught Sophie so off guard she even felt a bit lightheaded and her heart skipped about seven million beats or something. Had she heard right?? Was Mordred... was he... was he really???? "You mean you-- " She started after blinking several times while she tried to believe what she had just heard. Wait, he hadn't said anything about having children yet, he was just considering the possibility of it happening sometime in the future. Right? 'Prepare ourselves for parenthood together.' Yeah, that was probably what he meant. She would go with that for now, no need to make this any harder for him. "Yeah." Sophie answered weakly, still not fully believing that they were having this conversation. Her answer was first directed at his first question, about preparing themselves for parenthood. Although it also answered his second question. "Yeah, of course I want to have children! Our children!" Fruit of their love! So unique and special and it made her bubble with happiness already, but she wouldn't get her hopes very high yet. Baby steps. slkdjfnsjkd BABY

The tables have been turned, apparently. In a, sort of, good way, that is.

Mordred had to concentrate on his breathing, trying not to panic when Sophie was obviously panicking. He knew it won't do them any good. Besides, he was the chill one in their relationship, so it was easy to keep his emotions at bay. He had prepared himself for that conversation anyway. Just like in any game, the outcome of their conversation will either be a win or lose situation.

So far, so good.

The dragonologist had a grin on his face, as he massaged Sophie's hand. While they were both silent, Mordred was already imagining things like...massaging Sophie's back when her belly's gone too large...or maybe her feet when she can no longer walk properly...Merlin. All those things, he knew, Sophie will have to endure while she carried their child. The former Slytherin then looked at his wife, and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Sophie." Of course, he wanted for them to have a child. He just couldn't imagine the things that she has to go through to give him one. How in the world can he even repay her for that, yeah?

It didn't take long for her to give him an answer. Mordred knew she wanted to have kids, but his wife was too kind to consider his reluctance. "We'll do this together." he finally said, hugging the woman beside him. "Though, I may have...cheated a bit. I did some light reading months ago about pregnancy, so...I won't be too...shaken." Mordred held his breath, hoping that Sophie won't get mad about his secret stash of parenthood magazines in his office desk. "I just...needed a bit of self help to get through my anxiety..." Well, she can do some light reading too if she wants? Mordred will be more than happy to give the semi-battered magazines to her.