Pouring Rain

[Imogen MacFusty]

Time Stamp: May 11th, 1884

"Whew!," Immie said as she entered the establishment of Rosa Lee Teabag, fastening her black umbrella closed as she did so, and brushing a few damp strands of brown hair behind her ear. It had been raining continuously since mid-morning after breakfast, and while Immie had no qualms with rain (it was her favorite kind of weather, after all), it unfortunately meant that she would be cooped up indoors with nine restless younger siblings -- eleven, if one included her twin sons in the equation, but surprisingly, her children had not given her much trouble that day; or at least not as much trouble as her youngest sister, Aliena, did.

You would think that I was her mother!, Immie thought as she laid her umbrella next to the pile of other customers' belongings, and she inwardly sighed. Being the youngest of the family meant that Aliena was given a bit more freedom than her elder siblings did, and because their mother was mostly absent from her life, it was usually up to Immie to enforce some discipline. Of course, Aliena was fully aware that she was not obligated to take orders from Immie, and so the attempt to reason with the rambunctious little girl was often futile. In fact, the endeavor was so hopeless that Immie opted to just leave the situation in the hands of their mother for once, and left her family's Wellingtonshire home for a bit of fresh air and to clear her head.

Heaving another sigh, Immie surveyed the inside of the little tea shop, noting that the majority of the tables and the seats were occupied. She was not the only one who had the idea to take tea on a rainy day, it seemed. Walking further into the room, Immie looked about for an available seat, her eyes scrutinizing the faces of many of the consumers, hoping to recognize a friendly face or at least someone she was familiar with. Of course, she knew who she wanted to interact the most with, but as he was in the Hebrides and she was in Hogsmeade, she would have to (reluctantly, of course) find another person to converse with.

Finally, just when Immie thought she would have to forsake her hopes of seeking out an acquaintance to join, a familiar face caught her eye, and she headed in the young woman's direction. Despite the dreariness of the day, Immie's usual enthusiasm was unwavering as she smiled brightly, addressing Miss Evans in a cheerful tone of voice, "Amelia! How lovely to see you here!"

Words: 430 | Tag: Amelia | Outfit: here

  

[Amelia Evans]

Amelia sat at her table, gazing into the distance, her mind far away from the present. She was still recovering from her boggart attack, thinking about why she was still so afraid of her parents. Even then she was even more preoccupied with the thought of Mr. Prewett, and his boggart. Even more terrifying than hers, Amelia cringed, wanting to not think about it. It was too bloodcurdling.

A clear cheerful voice shook her out of her reverie and Amelia looked up to see the face of her friend, Imogen, making her way through the packed tea house. Amelia smiled immediately. Immie. Thank god she saw a familiar face. It would distract her from her troubling thoughts. She stood up, raising a hand in greeting. "Immie, how lovely indeed!" she said, genuinely relieved that her friend had showed up. She could use the company. "How are you doing?"

  

[Imogen MacFusty]

Immie's smile widened as Amelia acknowledged her presence, and she closed the rest of the distance between them, her eyes never leaving her friend's face. It was quite nice to see Amelia again. Of course, she often saw Amelia during the weekdays on High Street whenever she walked to and from the Daily Prophet Offices, but their brief exchange of trivial greetings paled in comparison to an actual conversation, and Immie was glad to have been given that opportunity.

"Well enough, I suppose -- no complaints on my part," Immie answered truthfully, not quite speaking the truth but she was not unwell either. The past few months since January had been a whirlwind of mixed and tumultuous emotions. In actuality, her life had not been running smoothly since Shawn's leaving the year previous in June, and although she was steadily overcoming her heartbreak, it still hurt to know that he thought her unworthy and disposable enough to desert her without shame.

Taking a seat across from Amelia, Immie pushed those discouraging and unpleasant thoughts to the back of her mind. She disliked pondering her misfortune when it came to men, and she'd rather focus on the present rather than lose herself in the past -- it was much easier to bear that way. "And yourself, Amelia?," Immie asked with a pleasant smile, her voice still cheerful as she gave Miss Evans her full attention. "How have you been?"

Words: 233 | Tag: Amelia | Outfit: here

  

[Amelia Evans]

Amelia shrugged. She was still shaken by the boggart whether she denied it or not. Yet even with her troubles she was still glad to be in the company of one of her friends. She had little, yet it was her own fault for that.

"I'm alright," she responded lightly. "I'm alright -" for some reason she felt she needed to say it again in order to convince herself. "I had an interesting day a few days ago, but nothing I cannot handle."

  

[Imogen MacFusty]

Amelia certainly did not seem alright, Immie noted as she studied her friend's face, searching for any visible signs of distress. She did not uncover any, which was not surprising, for Amelia had always been skilled at masking her emotions -- an ability that Immie often envied her friend for. Immie had always found it difficult to conceal her true feelings and often considered herself to be an open book, but the last few months seemed to have made her a little more reserved than she usually was, and she was uncertain as to whether or not this was a welcoming development.

Curious, Immie rose her eyebrows and leaned forward with interest. "It sounds like your 'interesting day' is bothering you, dear," Immie commented with a little smile, her eyes softly gauging the features of her friend's face. "Perhaps you would like to talk about it over a spot of tea? We are in a tea shop, after all." She chuckled at the end of her words, attempting to make Amelia smile, though she wasn't sure how well she succeeded.

Words: 181 | Tag: Amelia | Outfit: here

  

[Amelia Evans]

Indeed, Amelia found she was good at hiding her emotions. The more she was feeling inside the more stoic and placid her expression became. It was a natural defense mechanism proved to be quite useful, especially when she had something to hide. At her friends first comment, Amelia furrowed her brow even more. How would she phrase this? She wanted to tell Immie everything. Immie was one of the few friends Amelia confided in - someone who she placed the most trust in, which for her was saying a lot. She seldom placed a smidge of trust in anyone. But Immie had proven to be a loyal and caring friend, someone that Amelia would hold close to her heart forever.

She smiled at Immie’s joke. “You and your jokes, Immie,” Amelia said laughing. She called over a waitress, ordering both of their favorite teas before lacing her fingers together and setting them on the table in front of her. Looking down, she bit her lip. How much would she tell? She trusted Immie, but in a place as crowded as this, one could not be too careful of an unwelcome listening ear. Of course she would leave Mr. Prewett out of it. That would be saved for a later conversation. Perhaps she would invite Immie over to tea that weekend. “Aunt and Uncle had yet to get rid of a boggart..." she said quietly, shivering visibly at the memory. “My….Jane and Richard….” Tears smarted at Amelia’s multicolored eyes and she struggled to keep her composure. “I…I hope I never see them again!” Her hands were white, and she quickly put them in her lap, looking down. Amelia was good at hiding her emotions, but handling them was another thing entirely.

  

[Imogen MacFusty]

At the sound of Amelia's laughter, Immie smiled. She was glad that she had been able to raise her friend's spirits even just for a short time. Immie could not bear to see the ones she cared about, especially those such as Amelia who have proven to be excellent confidantes and loyal companions, and to witness Amelia in happy spirits gave her a sense of satisfaction. Unfortunately, however, she was aware that her friend's amusement would not last, and as Amelia proceeded to order their favorite tea beverages, Immie prepared to listen to her friend's woes.

Oh..., Immie thought as she listened to Amelia's words, believing that she knew where this story was heading -- Boggarts were rarely pleasant creatures to encounter, after all, and knowing Amelia's history, the poor girl must have been wholly shaken! "Oh, Amelia," Immie sighed, her brown eyes filled with sympathy as she leaned forward, reaching out her arms to wipe away a stray tear that had escaped the corner of the young woman's eyes. "I am so sorry that you had to endure such unpleasantness!"

It was evident that Amelia was visibly shaken by what had transpired, but she was at a loss as to how to bring her some comfort without attracting unwanted attention. Amelia surely did not wish for her distress to be known, and Immie wanted to respect that whilst simultaneously consoling her. "I'm certain that you won't see them again, my dear," Immie said in an attempt to assuage Amelia's fears, but before she could go any further, she was interrupted by the arrival of the waitress with their tea, and Immie smiled and murmured her thanks. A good cup of tea was exactly what Amelia required to soothe her nerves, and with a small smile of encouragement, Immie gestured towards the steaming teacup, and said, "Drink up, Amelia -- it will do you some good, I'm sure."

Words: 318 | Tag: Amelia | Outfit: here

  

[Amelia Evans]

Immie was certainly maternal, and for some reason that always comforted Amelia. With her hands still shaking, she picked up the cup of tea Immie had gestured for her to take bue not before wiping a few tears from her eyes. "I know I'm being silly - they're in the past, I should just..." Amelia's voice caught in her throat. Her whole body felt heavy, and she attempted to shake it off. "I should just focus on the present - though that's not doing quite as well as I hoped," the witch gave a shaky laugh and wiped her sweaty hands on the napkin provided to her.

It took a moment for Amelia to calm herself, but she found slipping back into her normal self wasn't too hard - she'd recovered from it before, she could certainly do it again. One of the lucky things about Amelia was that when she stopped crying no one could really tell it had happened. Her eyes were never red, nor her nose red or puffy. It baffled her, but she thought it all in good fortune - she hardly ever cried, but when she did it wasn't in public; she certainly was not interested in starting now. "Enough about me," Amelia said, clearing her eyes, though the shakiness in her voice still remained. "How are your brothers? Doing well I hope? Or at least better than me?" Amelia had met them on occasions, though not enough surely for them to remember her - still, when she met them, they were nice and genial and Amelia had a weak spot for children and animals.

  

[Imogen MacFusty]

Immie smiled weakly in response to Amelia's words, her brown eyes sympathetic as she once again reached over to pat the witch's hand consolingly. She could understand the position Amelia was currently in, for she was in a similar place herself. While she was aware that Shawn, and even Edmond, were in her past now, she still had some difficulty in accepting the fact that they were both gone, never to return. She yearned to be able to properly put the past behind her so that she could move forward with her life, but much like Amelia had stated, it was a difficult feat to accomplish.

Relieved that her friend seemed to be regaining her composure, though Amelia's outward appearance did not display the evident distress she had been enduring only moments earlier, Immie took a sip of her hot tea, relishing the taste of sweet berries and hibiscus. Immie had never liked the tea when she had been younger, but she had since developed an acquired taste for it, and now could not fathom ordering any other tea beverage.

Unfortunately, Immie's moment of relief only lasted for a few short moments before Amelia inquired into her own affairs, and she sighed. Her "brothers", as Amelia delicately put it, were her twin sons whom Immie occasionally brought with her on outings with her friend -- not to mention that Roy, in particular, had taken an immense liking to the young woman, and Immie enjoyed watching on as the two of them interacted together, amused by the little boy's obvious crush (though she was certain that Roy did not know as such). "They're doing very well," Immie answered with a proud smile. "They grow faster each day, and as of a week ago, Leo had shown his first signs of magic, and my mother and I could not be more proud."

Words: 310 | Tag: Amelia | Outfit: here

  

[Amelia Evans]

Amelia's face broke into a true smile. Leo's first sign's of magic! She clasped her hands together excitedly. Immie's brothers were such sweethearts, and she knew they would be as intelligent as their older sister. "His first sign of magic! How wonderful!"

Although Amelia's first signs of magic were proceeded by the worst chaos she'd ever experienced, Amelia could remember the feeling of excitement of what the small bit of magic had given her. It had given her a harsh life, though it was for the best, Amelia figured -- it was still difficult not to be bitter towards her family. "I'm certainly glad it was not as fear inducing as mine was!" she jested lightly, taking a sip of her tea. "Pray what was his first act of magic?" She asked eagerly.

coding by Olive -- graphics by Ladybug

  

[Imogen MacFusty]

Immie's lips twitched up into a fond smile at Amelia's enthusiasm, answering, "Yes, Mother and I were very proud." Indeed, a child's (especially when it was your own) first display of magic was always a memory to cherish, and like many other parents, Immie's heart swelled with pride every time she thought of it. It really was unfortunate that she had to keep her children's parentage a secret, though she would not be astonished if Amelia had her suspicions -- after all, it was not as if she was very good at keeping the secret hidden, anyway.

Immie could only just barely remember her own first act of magic, as petty and childish as it had been, and it resulted being on the receiving end of her mother's anger for the first time, and thus began her first punishment ever at six-years-old. Being older now, and reflecting back to the past, Immie could now understand her mother's actions, and she felt a trifle disappointed in herself for having resented her younger brother's existence enough to 'accidentally' set Adrian's crib ablaze. Thankfully, the baby had survived with minimal injuries, though Immie would never be able too look at her younger brother without feeling some semblance of shame and regret.

Chuckling at Amelia's eagerness, Immie indulged her friend's curiosity by saying, "That's quite an interesting story, actually." She took a sip of her tea before continuing, her brown eyes dancing with mirth. "It was actually rather dangerous, but I assure that it's amusing. The nanny found him one morning floating in mid-air near the ceiling, and apparently he was asleep! From what I gather, Leo must have been dreaming about flying, and ended up near the ceiling. Fortunately, the bed was beneath him, so he didn't suffer too great a fall when he finally woke up, but it is amusing nonetheless."

Words: 309 | Tag: Amelia

  

[Amelia Evans]

While some may remember joy upon being discovered they could perform magic, Amelia's experience was quite the opposite, and she remembered it with slight contempt. Rosa-Anne and her had been playing together in their room, when Rosa had made Amelia laugh so much, the dolls they had been playing with started dancing.

Their mother, who had come to see what was making the girls laugh so much, was white faced as she dragged her youngest daughter out of the room and proceeded to yell to her father. It wasn't exactly a happy memory, but it marked the beginning of her seeing her family's true nature. But now wasn't the time to dwell on the past – she'd had enough of that in the past few days.

Shaking those thoughts from her mind, Amelia listened to Immie's description of Leo's first act of magic. She laughed. "Can picture it quite clearly," she responded, taking a sip of her tea. She continued after a pause. "Your poor nanny! That must have given her quite a heart attack, I imagine."

---

@Imogen MacFusty – I suck at replying, I know xD but tag! <33

---

coding by olive, graphics by lady

  

[Imogen MacFusty]

Immie laughed. Indeed, the nanny had certainly been very shocked, though Immie had reason to believe that the older woman had encountered more distressing displays of accidental magic. The middle-aged woman, along with two others, did look after eleven underaged charges, after all. They've probably witnessed accidental displays of magic that were worse than Leo's! ”It did give her quite a fright,” Immie answered, bringing the fragile teacup up to her lips, ”and her face still looked a bit white after me -- er, us I mean, my mother and I.”

She inwardly cringed at her mistake, hoping that Amelia would think nothing of it. That was one of the disadvantages of her situation -- she couldn’t refer to the boys as her sons, even to her closest friends, without putting their futures at stake and driving her family’s disreputable reputation further down the toilet. It was one of the things that made her feel guilty for having not given them up like she was originally going to do, but even though she felt properly foolish for clinging on, she couldn’t bear the thought of letting them go.

Words: 196 | Tag: Amelia | Notes: @Aurelia Herondale -- you're perfectly fine! <33