| AGE | BLOOD STATUS |
| 0 | Seawater |
| SHIP STATUS | HEIGHT |
| Complicated | 7 ft. |
| POSTS | LIKES |
| 309 | 0 Likes |
- Jameson Potter had not set foot upon English soil since his retreat to Paris in '79, and his younger son was rather anxious as to the wizard's reasons for returning home, however brief he claimed the visit would be. Apprehensively, Darcy Potter made his way to his father's homeùthe home so dutifully occupied by his elder brother that it didn't even seem to belong to Jameson anymore for the first "family dinner" since his father had departed for France almost two years prior. Jameson had always been an honest and reliable man, but he wasn't prone to frivolity or sentimentality; Darcy knew his father would not have returned without good reason, and given the reasonably stable state of himself and his siblings, the young Ministry worker found himself completely at a loss as to what that reason might be. Suspense was not a feeling he had ever much liked.
One of the house elves that had been on staff for as long as Darcy could remember, Birch (his late mother had always liked to name her elves after plants), led him promptly to the lounge upon his arrival, making apologies on his brother's behalf ("He was occupied at work, Sir, but should be along before long") and informing him that the patriarch had not yet arrived, but that the fireplace in the dining room had been left clear in case Jameson should choose to arrive via the Floo Network. Elvera, Birch insisted, was around the house somewhere, though the elf was not entirely certain where the witchling had wandered off to. With a quick bow, Birch retreated from the room, leaving Darcy alone to ponder what the evening might have in store for him. With a sigh, he sank onto one of the antique couchesùthe more comfortable furnishings favoured by his brother had been put into storage as soon as their father's visit was made known to themùwith a glass of wine in hand as he awaited the arrival of the rest of his family.
It was not long before the large, wooden door to the room swung open, entered this time by his younger sister, rather than one of the denizens of the house. "Ellie," he greeted with a smile. "So kind of you to join me! I hope you weren't off pestering the cook?"
Elvera had been helping out in the kitchens that morning, and was quite delighted with herself that she had actually had some success in the baking department. Birch had tried to distract her, although persistant as she was, Elvera made a victoria sponge, perfect for the "family dinner" that was being held here shortly.
After washing her hands and changing from her apron into her dining dress, she made her way down into the dining room. She had an urge to sneak back into the kitchens for what was cooking felt delicious, however instead she pushed open to doors, and was reunited with her brother. "Darcy" she returned his smile, walking across the clean carpet to take a seat opposite on a similar antique couch. "Of course i haven't. Quite the contrary. I've been helping" she insisted, adjusting herself so she was more comfortable in her seat. Birch entered the room, handing her a glass with some kind of brew floating around in it. She was still disheartened as being the youngest child, it was always her that had to wait the longest to join in with the rest of the family properly. She took a sip and grimanced. Not even she could tell what that was. Setting down aside, she turned back to Darcy. "Have you been here long?" she asked polietly, hoping she she hadn't kept him waiting."Why has father called this meeting?" she was well aware her father had not seen her since she had been in a state of mourning, and Elvera was attempting to contain her excitement for this date as well as her nervousness for her fathers appointment. "I trust your work is proving to enlighten you?" she smiled, her dark eyes resting on his, as they waited for the rest of their families presence.
![[Image: 34djyp1.png]](http://i52.tinypic.com/34djyp1.png)
i still press your letters to my lips
The Words: 455 The Outfit: ministry robes The Notes hope it's okay
When Laurence had received the letter in his father's familiar, sloping hand informing him that his polished soles would be setting foot on English soil once more, his first reaction had been, rather embarrassingly, to panic. It had been two years, give or take a couple of weeks or so, since he'd seen the man in person or rather, as the cause for more alarm, since the man had seen his home in Wellingtonshire. The house elves, naturally, had kept the place in tip-top condition, day in day out, compensating for the lack of attention Laurence himself had given the house in recent weeks, but that was not to say that he hadn't taken the liberty of adding his own quirks to the place, so to speak. Once it became apparent that Father was returning in the uncomfortably near future, there had ensued a sort of mad dash for wands and levitating furniture, hastening to return the house to its previous state before he had left for France.
Of course, in spite of all of his best attempts to make his family dinner run as smoothly as possible, Sod's law said that something, somehow prompted his attempts to falter. Work had kept him, yet again. It seemed that the old lags higher up in the Auror offices had deemed it appropriate that those below them, poor fellows such as Laurence himself who had only recently acquired the rights to claim to be a fully-fledged Auror, ought to be lumbered with the most menial, yet taxing of duties; relatively useless responsibilities that also happened to be the most time-consuming. By the time he had finished with the umpteenth pile of paper-work, Laurence Potter was running decidedly late, the observation of such prompting a faintly annoyed scowl to grace his forehead. Dotting his eyes with a flourish of his quill, the young Auror couldn't have gotten out of there quick enough.
Once he apparated onto the Potters' grounds, a quick glance at his pocket watch informed him that his younger siblings would undoubtedly already be there -- and perhaps his father too. Sweeping into the sitting room, Laurence mumbled a hasty, "Apologies!" and made a beeline for the closest mirrored surface at hand. Squinting into it, he tapped his wand over his head in order to sort out the mess that apparating had made of his hair. "I trust you're both well. Has Father arrived yet? I don't suppose I've missed him and he's off checking that the elves have been doing their duties properly," Laurence continued with a wry grin, turning to sink heavily into the chair opposite his siblings. Call him sentimental, but it was nice to have the family together again.
| AGE | BLOOD STATUS |
| 0 | Seawater |
| SHIP STATUS | HEIGHT |
| Complicated | 7 ft. |
| POSTS | LIKES |
| 309 | 0 Likes |
- Darcy couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in slight disbelief, unsure that the house elves particularly needed his sister's æhelp'ùor that she was particularly adept in the kitchens. Nonetheless, he sat through her barrage of questions with a lazy smile, cutting in with his own reply when Elvera allowed herself a moment in which to breathe. "Undoubtedly, if I knew why Father was so intent on a family gathering, I would have been less inclined to be prompt. It's only suspense that has gotten me here," he assured her, leaving out that the suspense had given him a slight desire to apparate very far away instead. Though the wizard very much doubted that the patriarch had any particularly frightening proclamations to make, the eldest of the Potter clan had chosen to make his arrival so out of the blue that his son was not altogether certain that the reason wasn't of great importance.
"I was actually out in the field the otù" he began with regards to his work at the Ministry, however Laurence's arrival put a stop to the words. "If Father were here," Darcy continued dryly instead, "I'm sure he would already have a list of infractions here waiting for youùof he hadn't already dragged Ellie and me to the dining room out of sheer impatience."
That they worked in the same Ministry departmentùalbeit in varied occupationsùmeant that he saw his elder brother often enough, for all that Darcy didn't make a habit of swinging by the homestead for a chat. Nonetheless, seeing him, not to mention their sister, in a social context was something of a treat (well, provided it went well, at any rate), and hardly something that occurred regularly outside of the holiday season. Even their father's unknown intent looming above them couldn't fully diminish the occasion, and Darcy was genuinely at ease with his siblings.
"Little late aren't you, Laurence?" the wizard teased. "I don't suppose you know why our father's deigned to grace English soil with his feet again, do you?"
OOC: Deciding why their father has deigned to grace English soil with his feet again didn't actually occur to me. We should probably get on that XD
OOC: Heh xD Hmm.. could be something like he wants to remarry and has come home to make it easier for his children -shrug-
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them...
Elvera looked up at the door as her oldest brother Laurence joined them, and she fell silent. As a young child, she knew it was best to let them discuss together before intruding. She smiled to them, before straightening out her dress and paying close attention to what they were talking about. She'd always managed to learn most when ear-wigging. She rarely saw any of her family now.
Once, they'd been perfect, the five of them living under one roof, but all that had changed now. El was secretly glad to be seeing her father again, and she hoped tonight she could repair family bonds. El was interested in her brothers work, even if they wern't so much in hearing the repetive stories from Hogwarts. Hogwarts almost felt like a home to El now, and prehaps it was.
On hearing some comotion coming from the hallway, El listened and her heart jumped at realizing it was their fathers arrival. Would their father come in and talk to them here? Or should they go through and greet him for going to the dining room. As the youngest sibling, El did what she always had before, and turned to her brothers for guidence.
OOC: I like the marriage idea! Maybe he's met a lovely French woman? XD
i still press your letters to my lips
The Words: 423 The Outfit: ministry robes The Notes hmm
The fact that he was running late had careered through Laurence's mind a dozen times once it became apparent back at the Ministry offices that he was not going to make it home with ample time for a last sweep of the house before his father's arrival. It was not, as he had insisted a dozen times already, through a since doubt of the house elves' ability, but rather an eagerness to please the man he had spent a lifetime admiring. Even in adulthood, there was nothing quite like observing the pride on his father's face, an honour bestowed upon him alone. Despite the regular, if a little slow, correspondence that he had taken up with him, letters that mainly consisted of Laurence inquiring after his father's travels in France, to see the man in the flesh once more would be both a delight and something that prompted an atypical fretting.
"Work again," He conceded, the concave dip of his shoulders betraying the exasperation to such a revelation. In the company of his siblings was generally the only area of his life in which Laurence felt he could truly relax and, while he would keep disparaging remarks concerning his co-workers to himself, forever the gentleman, it was a relief to cease the highly-strung manner with which he generally carried himself around the other men at the MInistry, at least until his father's arrival, of course.
Rubbing his eyes, Laurence shook his head and confirmed the negative. "I did inquire, but he feels that it would be best for the three of us to hear it together, in person. He did mention that it concerned the entire family quite prominently, however, hence, I suppose, this dinner." He waved his hand in a vague arc, a gesture that, in retrospect, hardly meant a thing.
Laurence opened his mouth to ask after Ellie's studies at Hogwarts when a small commotion just out in the hall prompted him to snap it shut once more. He rose to his feet out of a habit that had not faded in the slightest despite the sheer length of time that had passed since they had been in their father's company. Barely coherent through the thick, wooden door to the sitting room, the squeaky voice of Birch, their eldest and his most dearest elf, greeting "Mr. Potter, sir". Straightening out his robes one final time, Laurence moved to stand behind Ellie's chair, resting his hands on the back and training his eyes onto the door. The moment of truth.
All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them...
Elvera looked between her brothers, and stood smartly between them, waiting for their father to appear in the doorway. After a moment, she began to take a step towards the door. Somebody was going to have to greet him sooner or later, however instead, the door opened from the other side, and in walked a lady wearing a beautiful saphire dress, her hair done up high in ringlets that balanced on the top of her head.
Elvera didn't move. Who was this woman who had entered there home. What happened to their father. As if he heard her question, he walked in through the door after the mysterious woman, and Elvera gave a small curtsey of welcome. "Good evening" he said, extending an arm to place around the womans waist, gesuring her to come forward. "This is Laurence, Darcy and Elvera, my sons and daughter whom i spoke about." he nodded to each of them in turn. The woman smiled and did a small curtsey back. "Pleasure to meet you" she said, a thick french accent pouring through her voice. Elvera looked up to Laurence before back at her father. Surely he couldn't be bringing other woman around. Their mother had only passed away two years previous, and this woman was young enough to be their sister. "And this, is Belle Therrien, my good friend" he smiled. Elvera couldn't help thinking that she was a little more than a good friend and had to hide her disgust at her father as well as the loss she still felt for their mother.
| AGE | BLOOD STATUS |
| 0 | Seawater |
| SHIP STATUS | HEIGHT |
| Complicated | 7 ft. |
| POSTS | LIKES |
| 309 | 0 Likes |
- It was usually work that kept one Potter or the other from arriving when expected, though it was mildly embarrassing for the host to have been the one tardy to the party. Then again, Darcy reasoned, if their father was returning for long, his brother would hardly be the æman of the house' for much longer. He hoped dearly it wouldn't come to thatùthough, as should any son, he loved his father dearly, Jameson's absence from the village made Darcy's lifestyle much more carefree, and his... hobbies criticized much less frequency. Laurence might ignore some of his behaviour, but the eldest Potter did tend to lecture.
That Laurence was as oblivious to the reason for the meeting as the rest of them did not matter, as it was only a few moments before their father made his entrance. As the sound of footsteps could be heard outside the sitting roomù æSurely there are too many for more than one person?'ùthe young wizard rose to his feet, though he did not move himself towards Elvera as his brother did. He was more perplexed than surprised when two people entered the roomùbut then quite startled when he noticed that Jameson's companion was a woman. He paled quite visibly for a brief moment, as his mind raced at the possible implications: æB-but I'm only eighteen! Merlin, he could have at least given me time to find a woman on my own! Wait. No. Laurence is just as on the market as I amùand him getting married is far more crucial than me. Plus he's older. Plus he has a better job. Plus he lives in the good house. But it's not as if he has a hard time finding women...'
He nodded his greeting when Bell was introduced, and his mind quickly snapped to a possibility much more plausible, though the young woman truly was a young woman: he and his siblings were about to get a new Mummy. It wasn't, in theory, a ludicrous optionùafter all, it was typical for men to remarry, even women considerably younger than they themselves. Darcy had always thought, however, that his father wouldn't fall into the category of engaged widower. After all, he had two fully grown sons and teenaged daughter rapidly approaching adulthood. All were healthy, respectable, and affluent, so it wasn't as if he needed more. If anythingùif he did intend to marry this Miss Therrienùtaking on a new wife would simply saddle him with more expenses. Mistresses and fancy pieces weren't as costly as a permanent fixture in the long run, particularly one who might bring more children into the mix.
"And how did Miss Therrien come into your acquaintance, Father?" he inquired, with slightly less tact than the situation warranted. It was not without some annoyance that Darcy noted the woman responded, rather than Jameson himself, but he did his best to keep the irritation to himself. "Your father æas taken it upon himself to see to the care of my family after my fatherùthey became well acquainted in my father's days at the British Ministry. Perhaps you remember Pierre Therrien?ùafter my father unfortunately passed away, at least until my brother comes of age. Alphonse is the youngest of six of us if you can believe it," she chuckled. Even her laugh was accented in Darcy's ears. "'E is only twelve! Anyways, Jamesonù" that she used his first name was not lost on Darcy, and he doubted it was lost on his siblings either "ùwas kind enough to look to us in our time of need. Quite the æero, your father is."
The eighteen year old didn't need to have passed his Divination OWL to see where this was going, and he immediately held out his goblet for a refill of wine. Birch, mercifully, obliged promptly.
OOC: Sounds good. Laurence's new mommy can be his age =P Though I'm not sure how his coming home would make it easier on them ("Oh hi, Laurence, we're taking over the house again.")ùmaybe he's just there long enough to do introductions and inform them they're due in France on such-and-such a date? Or he could plop Wifey into the household after the wedding whilst he prances off to do something abroad.
|
![[-]](https://old.charmingrp.com/images/collapse.png)
![[Image: SPEgpvs.png]](http://i.imgur.com/SPEgpvs.png)
