(ಥ_ಥ) that's my boy

I’m really proud of him too. And of you. My Diggory boys. [ she chuckles, sitting down at the counter ] Scared the shite out of one of the new chasers, but no tears today. Hestia’s alright, yeah. I love having her on the team with me. Oh, that absolute saint. I shouldn’t eat this, but I’m starving and it smells amazing. I’ll work it off later.

He grins at her. “We’re a very proud little group here, it’s true,” he agrees with amusement. “Of course you did. You’re very small but you yell very, very loudly. It’s terrifying; I don’t blame them for being scared. Good, she should come over for dinner soon. Been a while since we had a Jones-Diggory get-together.” He leans against the counter. “Want help?”

You drew me a– oh, there he goes. Never mind. [ she laughs, shaking her head before she looks up at amos. she lets out a breath and sighs ] To be fair, you’re really awful. Practice was good. I’m starving, though, is there anything to eat?

“He’s been working on it all morning. He’s really proud of you, you know.” He nods his head. “Just good? Uh oh, did you not make anyone cry today? How’s Hestia doing?” He chuckles, and produces a bowl of macaroni, which he places in front of her. “Cedric demanded that we save some for you.”

Oh no, a seeker. I’m calling it now. He’s too quick. Aren’t you? [ she smiles at Cedric ] Maybe later, alright? I just got back from work and I’m exhausted I’d say your dad can take you, but he’s one of the worst flyers I’ve ever seen, aren’t you? [ she grins over at amos ] 

Cedric giggles, and Amos smiles at both of them. He scoops Cedric out of Gwenog’s arms. “Yeah, c’mon, buddy. Did you finish your picture for Gwen?” Cedric wiggles. “I forgot. Put me down.” Amos deposits Cedric on the floor, and watches the little boy waddle off towards his room. He looks back at Gwenog. “See, he didn’t even notice the shit flyer comment. That was just rude.” He kisses her temple. “Good practice?”

It’d be insane if you did. [ she shakes her head slowly ] I-I don’t know if I can be, Amos. I don’t know if I’m tough enough for that. What if we do this and it’s all just a big mistake?

“When have we ever been a mistake? We’re right. We knew that in school and I think we know it now.” He shakes his head and closes the final distance between them. Her lips are soft against his, the kiss too fleeting and too tentative for him and for the moment, but Gwen bolts. And the last thing he wants is for her to run. “Does this feel like a mistake?”

“Hmm, I stand by it.” She shrugged, her nose scrunching up tight. “Hey, I can be responsible when I have to be. Maybe I don’t have the best…track record. But I’m growing up. It’s gross but she’s cute so it makes up for it.” She laughed. “How old is he now? You’re lucky you’ve got those long arms so you can scoop him up when he starts to bolt. He’s good. Everything has been settling and so we’ve had some peace which is nice.”

“Of course you do.” He shakes his head. “You have a terrible track record. I’m not sure I trust you with Gwen given said track record.” He grins. “He’ll be three in October. Well, fortunately, I’m a giant, so it doesn’t take long to catch up to him. Good, glad to hear it.”

[ she stares at him ] You can’t be serious. You would never ask. And no, that’s not a challenge. [ she lets out a breath, closing her eyes and rubbing her hands over her face before she looks at him again ] I can’t change who I am to fit into your life. Do you understand that? If we did this, if we ever got together, I wouldn’t change for you. I won’t. Can you live with that? Actually, not just because you want to. 

“Would it really be so bad if I did?” He shakes his head, letting out a frustrated sigh. “I’m not asking you to change. I don’t want you to change. I wouldn’t ask if I couldn’t live with it, Gwen. Be impulsive with me. Just this once.”

Then what the hell are you asking? For us to get married and raise Cedric? You’ve got war brain, Amos, if that’s what you’re thinking. I don’t know what this is, honestly, but we’ve always been impulsive, and it’s never worked out for us.

“Would you?” he said, raising his eyebrows even more. He crossed his arms over his chest. “If I asked?” He frowns at her, and his arms uncross again as he steps closer to us. “What part of this is impulsive, Gwen? We’ve never been brave enough to be impulsive. We’ve never done anything impulsive. You went for your career. I got Cedric. We get here and we dig our feet in, nothing more. Ever. How’s that impulsive?”

“Literally no one, ever. You’re an actual giant. Are you sure you’re not just a giant?” She squinted her eyes at him in a teasing way before shaking her head. “Hey, yeah! Don’t act so surprised, I can be responsible when I have to be, plus she’s too cute not to take care of.” She shrugged. “Your loss. Right, okay, fair, you did. You were constantly black and blue in school. How is the little munchkin?”

He laughs. “I’m not a giant, no,” he says, chuckling. “Just very tall. I’ve never seen you be responsible ever, Lavinia, sorry. I’m sure she is.” He shakes his head. “Cedric? He’s great. Been running around the house like a little devil, but he’s good. How’s Garrick?”

I can’t be a stay-at-home mum. My career is important to me, and now that I’m captain, it’s even more important that it comes first. I can’t put you first, Amos, I can’t put Cedric first. Is that really what you want? I love Cedric like he’s my own, but I can’t be the kind of mum that he deserves. You’d both end up resenting me. 

He shakes his head. “I’d never ask you to be a stay-at-home mum. If that’s what you think, then I don’t know if we’ve been friends all this time.” He frowns at her and sighs. “We wouldn’t resent you. We’d be proud of you. We are proud of you. Make the choice for yourself, alright? Not for us. I know what I’m asking.”

[ she sighs ] Because I… [ she shakes her head ] You know I love Cedric. I just… Amos, I can’t be a mum. And I know that you want more kids, and if that… it’s different, if it’s just Cedric. But you shouldn’t have to give up what you want for me, or for this. Or for anything. 

He frowns at her, shaking his head slowly as she talks. “I have Cedric,” he tells her. “That’s all I need. I’m happy with just Ced. I can’t have more children, and with things the way they are, I’m okay with that. I’m not giving anything up. The only one that seems to think that is you.”

I’ll look over these at my earliest convenience. [ he slides it to the right side of his desk without looking at it ] So a travel ban will arrest poachers after the fact? You can’t bother to catch them before?

He nods, though he sincerely doubts it. “That’d be appreciated, yes.” He shrugs. “We can’t catch poachers before they poach. When, sure, and after, but preemptively catching them is a bit difficult with the resources we have.”

Peter grins. “It’s just weird to think about the fact that, like, somebody at some point came up with that, you know? That was somebody’s idea and now we all just go with it.” He nods. “It’s just…we never know, you know? If you want kids, you can’t…you can’t really wait anymore. No, for sure, me neither. I mean, I’m sure they’re great and all, but no way.”

He nods. “I just can’t believe people thought that was a good idea. There are other orange foods, I mean, it seems a bit ridiculous that you’d only name one orange.” He shrugs. “We don’t know, no,” he concedes. “There are a lot of people using that logic to become parents when they really shouldn’t be, though. To get married too, though I’ll confess that I was nearly one of those people. Ah, content to be the doting uncle?”

“Yeah, orange threw me for a loop for a while. Because of the fruit and the color thing – like, you don’t call apples or strawberries ‘reds’, you don’t call bananas or lemons ‘yellows’. It didn’t make sense to me.” He gives a little smile. “Yeah, they’re all great. Edgar is brave as  hell, I don’t think I could ever do it on my own. I mean, that’s a good idea in…you know, normal times.”

He chuckles. “That never made a whole ton of sense to me either,” he admits. “It just sounds a bit stupid.” He shakes his head. “In normal times, sure. I mean, it’s still difficult, but not as dangerous as it is right now. It’s hard enough to have just Cedric, but three kids? I don’t envy him that.”

[ she pauses before pulling back slowly ] I’m sorry. You know that wasn’t what I was trying to do. You’re just… [ she shakes her head ] Why is it so easy to fall into this pattern?

He shakes his head. “I know, but it still happens,” he says, before shaking his head. “Why do we try so hard to stay out of it? If it’s how you feel and it’s how I feel, why does it have to be so damn difficult for us to be okay with? Is it because of Cedric? It’s not because you don’t love me, I know that.”

I’m never done making fun of you. [ she looks up at him, teasing before her gaze softens a bit. she shakes her head ] How am I being mean? I’m just messing with you, Amos.

“Gwen...” He looks up at the ceiling, trying to avoid meeting her gaze. “You know exactly what you’re doing. And if it’s just messing with me... stop.”

Peter laughs a little. “Yeah, I guess not,” he says. He chuckles and shakes his head. “No, I just wasn’t quite up to date on what colors were back then. I’ve got a pretty good grasp on them now, I think.” He gives a little smile. “I mean, there are people like Sirius’s cousin Andy, or you, or the Longbottoms, they definitely should have kids. I dunno if I could handle it.”

He nods. “Colors were kind of confusing, to be fair,” he says with amusement. “At least you got it eventually, that’s what’s important.” He smiles. “Andy’s a great mum, she and Ted are great parents. The Longbottoms too, and Edgar, bless his heart. Wish he wasn’t doing it on his own, but he’s done alright. I think people should wait until after they’re twenty at the earliest to have kids.”