Please Just Be.... Normal

[Fyona Richards]

August 2 -- 2:15pm


Well with a family full of witches and wizards was anything ever normal?

Fyona was not sure of the answer to this question. All she knew was that she wanted her mother to behave herself. She wanted her dad to be... Less obvious. She wanted Raithe to calm down with all the magicalness and for Jair to be... Jair. So were her wishes as she paced in front of her living room fireplace awaiting the arrival of Art. Her mother was in the kitchen and a wonderful aroma met her nose and beckoned her hither. Fyona's want was overcome by her need. She stayed in the living room, plumping up pillows and rearranging pictures. Though her family was not a pure-blood family, they still had most of the amenities of a classic wizarding family. Such as the moving photographs. From one picture a six year old Fyona played her violin, looking with great care at he music sheet in front of her. Then in another photo her younger sister Raithe gave up a gap-toothed smile to the camera, then ran away only to show up again with the same smile.

Fyona was dressed in green Capri’s with a white top on. On her feet were white Keds that her Aunt had gotten her at the beginning of summer.

"Hey Fee, I want to show him my dolly." A round-eyed seven year old came into the room. In her sticky hands was a dolly that, if anyone said the words, would jump up and become a "real" doll.

"No, Raithe go upstairs. Play house or something." Fyona said.

"Pleaseeeeeeeee!" the younger sister begged.

"No! Go away!" Fyona grabbed on of her sister's hands and then lead up the stairs, leaving the living room fireplace unattended for a while.

Fyona returned to the room, she looked at the clock on the mantle piece and then started to sit down only to jump up again. Maybe she had told him the wrong place. No, she didn't think she had, and there was no way he could have confused what she said. The mirrors were crystal clear about everything. He was just late was all.

"I'm sure he'll be here in a minute sweetheart," her father's voice came from behind her, from the direction of the kitchen. She was sure he must be write. After all, he must have visited a girl or two in his day.

Her father was proud that his little girl was growing up. Her mother on the other hand.... She wanted to know every detail about "This so-called Artemis." That's what she referred to him as, "This so-called Artemis."

Fyona said nothing to father's statement. She didn't have to. At that moment something was happening in the fireplace.

[Artemis Tayern]

Art had been nervous though it didn’t show on his face or in his actions. He had woken this morning like any other summer morning, in his bed. Today though unlike the others Arty didn’t roll over and go back to bed or at least attempt it; he sprung to life kicked his was out form under his covers and promptly showered. He quickly dressed in a pair of decent blue jeans and a plain black tee-shirt. The morning was slow but finally it was time to go, and he left with his mother for the heart of the city where he entered the Leakey Cauldron with his squib mother. Due to Art’s age he had to be accompanied while Flooing so his mother handled the powder in her small hands.

“Are you ready to see your girlfriend Arty?” Anita asked her son in a playful tone personally remembering her first boyfriend.

“Knock it off mum.” Art replied without a smile. His mother had been harassing him all the past week for that matter most of the past year because he and Fyona were ‘together.’ The benefits were few but they did exist, such as his mother finding those awesome mirrors which Fyona used to contact him and vice-versa. Even now Art carried his Mirror in a small pack he had slung over his shoulder, also in this bag was his wand amd another set of clothes which his mother mandated.

“291 Caversham Drive” Anita yelled throwing the powder to the ground as the emerald flames took them both.

Art had to admit his mother was interesting, she may be a squib but she knew about wand-less applications of magic, basic potions and a lot of wizarding history, not to mention without his mother he couldn’t have easily reached Fyona’s house. As the flames died out Art brushed the soot off of his clothes with his hands and when he looked up he smiled “Fyona!”

[Fyona Richards]

"Fyona!"

The girl's face it up at the sight of the blonde-haired boy and without even realizing the speed at which she moved she was at his side giving him a big huge.

"So this is him," said her mother entering the room from the direction of the kitchen with a tray of warm cookies. As Sian placed the tray on the table in front of the couch she had to admit that she thought he would be a little taller. From what she had heard of the boy, and Merlin knew she had heard a lot, she was less anxious to meet him. Not that her dear daughter had said anything bad about him. It was just... Her daughter was growing up so fast and she didn't want any boy stealing her young and fragile heart before it was time. Brodie was all smiles and he had no problem with letting their daughter be "free" as he put it. Sian was no fool though. She was not going to let her daughter go meandering around Europe with someone she didn't know. That was the biggest reason why she allowed this so-called Artemis to visit. Fyona insisted that she wanted him to come, Brodie had pushed and supported it, and so now he was here. He looked pretty much like what Fyona said he would look like, but Sian still had her guard up.

Taking a swift look at the mother Sian quickly saw the resemblance, as did Brodie and Fyona. "Hello Mrs. Tayern," said Fyona. She smiled too just happy to finally see Art again before school started. She wondered if he would notice that she had grown, not by much but enough to not be considered on the short side anymore. Of that she was proud. She was also pulling herself out of the terrible slump that she had been in during the final quarter of the school year. Of course she could not redo the classes that she had been so close to failing, but she didn't care about that.

"Hello Artemis. Mrs. Tayern," said Brodie sticking out his hand to the woman. "I'm Brodie Richards, Fyona's father. This is my wife Sian." Sian gave a small smile to Art's mother, still unsure of where they stood. She would never rule out someone as being part of that horrible organization. That Deva that has been terrorizing everyone. There little family of two could have just been a cover up.

"What is it that you do Mrs. Tayern, I can't remember my daughter ever telling me," asked Sian trying to be polite.

Fyona hoped her mother wouldn't do this. Give Art's mom, or Art, the fifth degree. For now she had her green eyes set on the mother, so Fyona grabbed Art's hand and pulled him over to the couch, whispering in his ear as she did, "Told you that you were going to have to win my mum over."

[Artemis Tayern]

Art knew that Fyona’s mother was going to be a bump in the road and to be honest it failed to surprise him due to what Fyona had told him about the woman. He didn’t miss the opportunity he was given when Fyona pulled him aside to the couch after muttering a ‘hullo Mrs. Richards.’ Anita though got hit by the brunt of the storm and it caused Art to wince as automatically they went after the job.

“Call me Anita, Please.” She said quietly to Fyona’s parents taking Brodie’s hand and shaking it rather carefully. With both art and Anita in the room one could quickly tell relation, Anita had the same pale skin, slightly up turned nose, and piercing blue eyes not to mention the same blonde hair which she had in waves falling to her shoulders. “I work part-time a waitress other than that I stay at home.” She said in response knowing that this was indeed the truth; let the Richards assume she was a witch working in some wizarding restaurant you know what they say about assumptions. Anita smiled when she saw Art and Fyona together, indeed Anita knew more than what Artemis told her, she knew there had been an attack on Hogwarts soil in the winter, despite that she remained calm and cool, knowing that Hogwarts was as safe as it got for young witches and wizards.

“I’m not too worried about her to be honest.” Arty told Fyona as he smiled letting his mother take the brunt of the parental storm knowing she had somewhat planned to do so. “Anything interesting?” He asked her quickly hoping that perhaps this might lead him out of this room and way from overtly critical parents.

[Fyona Richards]

After shaking hands with the apparently kind woman Brodie took both his hands back and reached out for a cookie. There was no use in letting them just sit there like that. While Brodie ate quietly and observed the interaction between his daughter and Artemis, Sian continued to look at the mother. As a mother herself she just wanted to get to know the people who her children were surrounding themselves with. If Art's mother had lived in the neighborhood Sian would have already invited her over a dinner a few times or something like that. Anything to "get acquainted" with her.

"Ah, I see. I am into publishing. Mostly muggle." A waitress would not have been her ideal job, but if that's what she wanted to do then who was Sian to make a judgment. It was the staying home part that Sian was curious about. "So you stay at home to watch you child then? Or just to relax... You know, have some quiet time?" Sian asked, with an eyebrow raised.

Brodie shook his head slightly. "Anita here have a cookie. They are delicious," he said gesturing towards the tray.

Fyona, as if he was speaking to her, took three and then motioned for Art to follow her, she was headed in the direction of the other part of the house, where they could really just lounge around. Plus is would be out of the way of the adults who seemed to be having there own thing going. "Nothing interesting, but something new. Come on," she answered him. She got up and tried to slip away unnoticed; she didn't want her mother to suddenly whirl around start to give Art the same shrewd, questioning look that she was giving his mom.

[Artemis Tayern]

Anita was feeling the pressure she knew Sian wouldn't be trusting and to be honest she didn't blame her. She knew how it was when she was younger and she had a boy interested in her. it had darn near killed some of them but for now she could take the hit and let her son go off and enjoy. She took a single cookie after a muttered thanks and continued with her smile. "Oh Art is my only child so during the school year I just relax and keep the place ship shape." She wished Frank had been alive, then this would have sounded more believable, with a husband to support her and Art.

Art took a cookie as well and quickly followed Fyona through the clean house noting the many pictures on the walls. He hoped to remain as far as he could from Mrs. Richards and her many questions, but Mr. Richards seemed very relaxed, like someone Art could really get to know and like. "Your mom is more uptight than I thought." He muttered to Fyona insuring that nobody but Fyona and himself could hear it.

[Fyona Richards]

"Yes... Ship shape," was the last thing that Fyona heard before her dad interrupted once more to ask Mrs. Tayern on how she felt about the current Minister of Magic.

Even though there was no wall to separate the two sides, the discussion noticeably died down. On any other given day Jair would be down here playing with something that he shouldn't be, and Raithe would basically be asking all sorts of questions and being a seven year old in general. Today the downstairs area was all to them, unless her younger sister decided to venture down here. In that case Fyona had something that was sure to send her away at least for a little while. Munching on one of the three cookies she led Art over to the other side of the room where the telly was, weaving in and out of scattered toys as she did.

"Not really uptight," she said. Uptight was not the word she would use. "Just really careful. She kinda doesn't trust anyone these days. Look there."

Leaning against it was a broom stick, shabby looking and clearly not new. Trail Blazer 100, was emblazoned on the handle in faded gold lettering. The "sticks" to the stick were all frayed from too much use. It didn't look like it could ever fly, but looks could be deceiving.

"Hmm, well it's actually not new," she said picking it up and blushing slightly. Now that they were actually alone she felt his presence even more. "But it's new to me. This here is my dad's old broom. He figures that if my baby brother starts now that he can be a world famous player. That's not what makes this interesting, what does it that...." She was good at some things, decent at others, but flying was one of those things that she just SUCKED at.

"I've been practicing a little on it." This was something that she had not told Art during one of their conversations through the mirrors. Nor was the other things that happened this summer, but she would get to those later. Though she did tell him about the music festival, but she had yet to tell him of the most recent of events at Diagon Alley.

[Artemis Tayern]

Art noticed the drastic reduction in their ability to hear the conversation. Art followed the Auburn hair with a soft smile as he nibbled on the cookie. They were soft and warm, just perfect, Art thought to himself as he caught up with Fyona quickly and looked at the old beat down broom; it was nothing like Art’s new race broom he had gotten two years ago, and he doubted it could fly but hey, Fyona liked it so it couldn’t be as trashy as it seemed right? He ran a hand through his blonde hair pushing a few of the thick locks behind his ears and out of his eyes. “I don’t blame her from not trusting me or my mother, especially after last January.” He muttered to her not wanting to bring up really bad memories if he could help it. He didn’t tell his mother but he had a gut feeling she knew as he had seen a few Daily Prophets hidden in her room; if she didn’t say anything neither would he.