Dining Room

((August 31, 2016))

Taddeo sat at one of the side seats in the dining room, designing a card for his half-sister and one-year-old niece. It was sort of odd, him being fourteen years of age and an uncle all at once. What was even more interesting was that Kiara and her husband - his brother-in-law - now trusted him to babysit Tatiana after that incident with Tom Riddle. He vaguely wondered how Kiara felt about their father having killed her biological one, but brushed the thought from his mind. He had to concentrate or the panther and cub drawing on the card face would be ruined...

...and he'd already drawn a rather lovely sparrow, raven, cream-colored tabby, and a white tiger on the inside of the card, too. No, he would not let distraction ruin the masterpiece he was sketching.

Carrying a basket of freshly done laundry, which she insisted on washing by hand, Eglantine passed by the open Dining Room door and paused when she saw her son. Smiling, she set the basket down and silently entered the room.

Placing her hands over his eyes, she leaned down and kissed the top of his head.
"It is a lovely card, Bärchen." she murmured, her green eyes noting how well her son had drawn what he had so far.

Taddeo thought he'd heard footsteps, but didn't initially pay them any mind. It could've been anyone in the family. Well, anyone except Kiara or Sevastyan since they didn't live here. The teen started very slightly when hands covered his eyes, but relaxed instantly when he recognized the hands belonged to his mother and felt the kiss upon his head.

"Danke, Mutter," he replied in German, the smile on his face could be heard even in his voice. "Here's the inside..." The lad didn't need to see to unfold the card, revealing the inside image of the other animals gathered around one another - the sparrow was perched on top of the tiger's head, and the crow standing between the tiger and the tabby cat, though was leaned toward the latter of the two felines. A chameleon had yet to be sketched. They were all representation of the family animagus forms, except the panther cub on the front. That one was more symbolic than anything.

Eglantine gasped as he opened the card. "Oh, Taddeo!" she breathed, removing her hands from his eyes and taking a seat beside him. "It is lovely." Wondering briefly how such a talented young man could have morphed from the wailing baby he had been only mind's yesterday, she smiled.

"Kiara and Tatiana will love it."

"Ya really think so?" he asked his mother brightly as she sat down beside him. "It'd be awesome to charm it to play music when she opens it, but I don't know how." This explained why a polished wooden instrument lay amidst various drawing utensils.


Abraxas entered the Dining Room with a relaxed, easy gait. He'd gotten used to using a cane rather quickly, and now walked in a fluid motion from one end of the house to the next if he so desired. The wounds from the battle with Tom Riddle were still newly-healed, but the wizard still saw fit to use the cane.

Behind the elderly wizard levitated a trail consisting of a plethora of party supplies: packets of balloons, streamers, confetti, parchment for making birthday banners, and the list continued onward. "So... here is where all of the art supplies went to," he stated with a chuckle to make his presence known. Abraxas stood in the archway, watching his wife and son with a smile on his face.

Eglantine leaned forward and picked up the instrument. "I would be most happy to assist you, love." she smiled. Holding out the instrument for him, she pulled out her wand and pointed it at the card. "Play and I'll weave it into the card..." she murmured.

Turning her head ever so slightly, Eglantine nodded at her husband. "Come see the card, Schatz. Taddeo has done it so wonderfully."

Taddeo nodded and took the offered instrument - an ocarina - placing his fingers over the various holes in an attempt to make sure he had the notes of the tune right. However, next second, he turned in his chair to find the source of the third voice he knew all too well was his father's.

"Yeah - I sorta nicked 'em," he replied semi-sheepishly. "We were gonna make decorations and stuff in here anyway, right?"


At his wife's urging he entered the room, leaning on the cane as he walked. The various items he'd brought with him found spots throughout the dining room to place themselves. While this was going on, Abraxas slipped on his reading glasses so he could see the illustration all the clearer. "Magnifique!" he exclaimed, patting his son on the shoulder. "They will love the card, I am sure!"

Noticing his son had a flute-type object in his hands Abraxas said no more so that what was sure to be an impending mini-concert could begin without delay or interruption. The wizard squeezed his son's shoulder gently, encouragingly. In wait for the song to start, Abraxas looked to Eglantine, wondering like she was how the crying child he remembered had grown up so fast into the young lad before them with such a talent for the arts.


When Taddeo noticed his mother was ready to weave the song into the card, the boy took a deep breath to reassure himself and began to play.

((click here for song))

Eglantine painstakingly wove the delicate notes into the paper of the card. Charming it to only be released once the card was opened.
Her magical power was hardly diminished from her younger years... it was simply tapped. She was terrified of using it... of delving into that dark passion that had stirred within her during her youth.
Tom Riddle... dead? yes... forgotten? no... She had given her very soul to the devil, attracted by his lust for power and great magical prowess. Only to have the snake bite her. The venom he had all but literally inserted into her blood still lingered like an unwanted odor...
Snapping out of her thoughts, she finished the last note into the card and smiled at Taddeo.
"Abraxas, when did our son suddenly become so talented?" she teased, knowing full and well that Taddeo knew how proud they were of him.

Abraxas grinned. "I'm not sure, dear. And here I thought we've had a boggart with an inexplicable appetite for crayons and assorted drawing utensils was sneaking about these past 'few-teen' years..." the wizard went along with the teasing of his son. Taddeo, as well as Kiara and Jocasta, knew their parents were rather proud of them. Or, rather, Abraxas hoped they knew.


Once the tune had been woven into the card, Taddeo placed the ocarina back down on the table and grinned at his mother's - and subsequently his father's - teasing. "I watched and learned from the best, of course!" he chimed in, referring to both parents. Despite his recent - and highly secret! - foray into the realm of the darker arts, Taddeo still retained a modest and charming demeanor.

Eglantine smiled at both her husband and son's comments, rising from her seat. The laundry needed to be put away and the decorations had yet to be hung... not to mention, the cakes sat, yet unfrosted on the table. "That you did, Taddeo. Your father's son." she gently kissed his forehead before turning to Abraxas.

"Where is Jocasta?" she asked, having called for her daughter several times throughout the house. The young woman had either left the house without informing her or had simply vanished. "I thought she was going to wrap the gifts?" On her way to through with the laundry, she had noticed the unwrapped presents sitting on the family room table.

Taddeo grinned. There was still a lot to do, and he still had finishing touches to make on the card. "I meant you as well, Mom," he stated with a slight laugh as she kissed his forehead.

"Do you need help with the laundry?" Tad asked, basically offering his assistance.


At the question presented to him, Abraxas turned thoughtful but did his best not to look too concerned. "I... you know, I'm not certain, Μελι," he replied honestly. "That's what I thought, too. Hmm. Do you want me to look around for her? Perhaps she's simply listening to music on the whatchamacallit... eye-pod, or something?"

Nodding slightly to Taddeo, she sighed. Jocasta usually didn't hide away when there was work to be done. Unless perhaps she had become wrapped up in her writing...
"Thank you, Bärchen. Would you mind?" the laundry was heavy and she really would not mind if he carried it up to the master bedroom.

"Yes, perhaps a gentle reminder would be best." Jocasta and Taddeo usually did as they were told and were hardly forgetful. Eglantine and Abraxas being the older generation forgot things quickly, but it was a rarity that their children actually forgot a chore or a request... unless it was convenient for them.

The moment his mother nodded, Taddeo stood. He had yet to add a poem or something of the sort to the card, and the break from working on it would be just the thing he could use to refresh his creativity. "Kay, I've got it," Tad muttered when he felt certain he had a good grip on the basket. "You guys' bedroom with this, right?" he asked with a smile, waiting patiently for his parents to finish speaking with one another. As he did so, the youth cast a nonverbal charm on the load of laundry to make it lighter.

"Very well," Abraxas replied. "I'll start at her room and go from there," he described his 'plan of action' before leaning forward to kiss his wife.

Taddeo, meanwhile, averted his gaze... He was going to offer to put up the streamers, and thus needed to kind of pre-plan how he was to go about that.

Eglantine smiled softly as Taddeo took up the basket. "Yes, if you would just set it on the bed, Bärchen." Later on she would distribute the clothing to its proper dressers and such.

"Sounds brilliant, Schatz." she teased, closing her eyes as he kissed her. Wrapping an arm around his waist, she gently ticked him under his ribcage.

"Mkay, Mum," Taddeo replied and headed up the stairs with the basket.

"Why thank you, dear," Abraxas chuckled lightly at the teasing, and then again much richer upon being tickled. He reached a hand up to gently caress her cheek, a pair of fingers trailing down her jawline, and then tickled her neck in return.

Eglantine leaned into him, her eyes fluttering closed as he tickled her neck. After being an animagus for so many years, she almost purred at the delightful sensations he was causing.
"Darling, do you think Kiara will like our gift?" she asked.

Abraxas couldn't help but keep the wide smile on his face as Eglantine leaned into him and nearly purred her delight. "I am positive she will, dear," he replied warmly.

"Do you by chance remember what time she and Sevastyan said they would be floo-ing in?"

Chuckling softly, Eglantine opened her eyes. "Oh lovely..." she murmured.
"Lunch time, around 1300, yes?" Eglantine replied, half asking, half unsure.

"I believe so... sounds familiar at any rate," Abraxas replied lightly, though there was a splash of uncertainty in his voice as well.

Eglantine chuckled softly, gently patting his cheek before pulling away as she headed for the door. "We really should write these things down." she called over her shoulder. Human, magical or muggle, memory loss.
"Perhaps Jocasta or Taddeo remember?"

Abraxas smiled at the chuckle from his wife, happy to see her unconcerned over the surprise party they'd intended to throw for their eldest daughter. The wizard did not consider Kiara a step-daughter, Merlin no! She was just as much his daughter as Jocasta regardless of who had fathered her. Regardless of what time Kiara and her husband arrived, the four of them would have everything ready in relatively no time! Unless of course she was arriving in the next 5 seconds... then it'd be another story.

"Yes, I suppose we should..." Abraxas replied as Eglantine headed for the stairs. He really didn't like the idea that he was tending to forget such things, and really didn't want to admit that he forgot them. The wizard preferred the notion that the information he'd forgotten would come back to him eventually - it always used to.

"I shall ask our little sparrow when I speak to her," he offered as he made his way toward Jocasta's bedroom.

Watching as her husband went off to find their daughter, Eglantine headed for the kitchen. The cakes needed to be frosted and lunch finished.