of the hearth

The pout was a bit much, Amos had to admit, but it was cute enough to make him wish he’d had the camera out for the moment. He released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding once Hestia turned to him.

Amos could have kissed her right then and there, but he managed to fight the urge off long enough to cross the room. He stopped behind Cedric then dropped to one knee and took Hestia’s hand in his. A joke of saying he used the kid to make sure she would say yes threatened to fly off his tongue, but a quick deep breath left him smiling at her instead of speaking.

“Will you marry me?” He finally asked, his free hand reaching out to take the box from her. She had already said yes, but it didn’t feel right to not properly do it. As if on cue, Cedric put his hand over his parents’, adding in an over dramatic please once the ring was in view.

Hestia thought the pout was sweet and she kept the box in her hand softly as she continued to look at Amos. Though they had discussed marriage before, Hestia had not expected it to come so quickly, had not realized that Amos had already been shopping for a ring. The brunette was still in awe of him, of Cedric, and when Amos moved in front of her, tears began to prick her eyes.

“Of course,” she said softly, her lips curving upwards as she looked over at him, barely noticing as Amos took the box from her. “I want nothing more than for the three of us to be Diggorys,” she said softly, her tone pleased. And then she laughed as Cedric added in another dramatic please and looked at her so beseechingly. 

The ring felt like a weight in his pocket all through dinner. Just the three of them out for a meal that required dressing up a little. He had planned to pop the question at the restaurant but quickly decided that was far too impersonal. Waiting until they arrived home seemed like a better idea than making a scene.

It took a little bit of time for them to unwind, with Amos keeping an eye on Cedric while he straightened up the flat. He gave the occasional glance to Hestia before finally finding the nerve to do something.

“Ced,” He called to his son, a small smile creasing his lips once he came running. “Can you do me a favor?”

A nod from the brunette was all he got before the toddler tried to take off running. Scooping him up left Amos beaming, his free hand rummaging through his jacket pocket until he found the ring.

“Go give that to mummy and say please.” Ced nodded once more, then Amos put him down, leaning against the doorway once he was certain Cedric wasn’t going to run off with it. The two year pulled at Hestia’s hand, his grey eyes wide once he offered the small box to her.

“Pweaz,” He pulled a pouty lip and waited for her to look at it.

@hestiapaints

There had been something off about Amos all evening, though Hestia hadn’t really been able to figure out what it was yet. And, really, it hadn’t worried her, for the look in his eyes had stayed the same. It had been nice to have a night out, though, especially as they were still settling into the new place.

And, if she were being honest, Hestia could admit that she was still a bit nervous about being a mother to a two-year-old who would know no other. He had no other memories of a mother and his earliest ones would be of her. The knowledge both humbled Hestia – for Cedric had chosen her – and made her self-conscious. She did not want to let him down.

When they got back home, Cedric seemed to want to do nothing but run around. Hestia laughed and sat on the sofa, her legs underneath her, in one of Amos’ t-shirts and a pair of sleep shorts. She leaned back as she watched the child, laughing, before turning back to her sketchbook briefly.

The next thing she knew, Cedric was in front of her, yanking at her hand. She looked up immediately, slightly confused. And then she saw the box in his hand and Hestia took it, looking back to hear Cedric say please. Tears pricked at her eyes and she didn’t even open the box before she pressed a kiss to Cedric’s forehead.

Edith looked like she swallowed a lemon. The dig had been directed at Hestia and it was just like her son to turn her words around. Amos, on the other hand, was shocked by Hestia’s bluntness. He merely raised an eyebrow and glanced down at his girlfriend, unable to bring himself to defending either woman since one of them was bound to get mad at him regardless of what he said.

The glare from his mother was enough to make him take a step back, but he still kept quiet and raised an eyebrow at her. “Well?” He asked after a moment of her not saying anything.

“For Merlin’s sake, love, be happy she isn’t asking you to apologize for what you said about her.”

“I wasn’t referring to Cedric,” Edith bit out.

Amos pinched the bridge of his nose. “Brilliant,” He breathed out. “You’re ruining my son’s birthday so can we agree to disagree or –” He groaned and leaned down to rest his head on Hestia’s shoulder. “I’m sorry about her.”

It seemed like things were going from bad to worse. Hestia took in a breath as she looked back at Edith, her eyes narrowing. If she were another woman, she would have said something more cutting. She could not deny that she felt a sharp pang in her chest from this, but she did not want to argue anymore.

Hestia took a strength from being by Amos and the fact that he seemed to be on her side made her heart swell. The petite brunette continued looking at Edith and let out a short sigh at her comment. She kept the tears from spilling, though they pricked behind her eyelids. When Amos’ head came down onto her shoulder, Hestia turned to press a kiss to his temple, allowing herself a moment to close her eyes.

Cedric gave a soft ‘tank you’ before running off after one of the Weasley boys. Amos had to bite back a grin once his son caught up to him. It was easiest to focus on Cedric, but Hestia’s needs were equally important, especially when his mother seemed set on ruining the evening.

“She’s not,” Amos shook his head. He didn’t mind the idea of adding another child into the mix, but the next one would be planned and he wanted the small family to be official before they got around to expanding.

“I’m merely making sure my son isn’t making another mistake,” Edith shook her head. The words were enough for Amos to get possessive, needing to let go of Hestia so he could face his mother.

“She’s not a mistake, and Cedric isn’t either for that matter,” He hissed out through gritted teeth. “I plan on asking her to marry me before we get around to trying for another child.”

There was an awkward silence that followed. His father broke it by clearing his throat then asking a question.

“Shouldn’t we set this aside and get to cutting Cedric’s cake? He’s only going to be two once.”

Hestia smiled down at Cedric before watching him run off. She considered herself quite blessed, though annoyance still ran through her as she turned back to the conversation at hand, frustrated beyond all belief. 

At Edith’s comment, Hestia’s lips thinned, her eyes flashing. But Amos moved first, talking to his mother in a low hiss that she had to tilt her head to hear. The comment would have made her smile if she wasn’t so upset at the fact that Cedric’s grandmother had insinuated he was a mistake. How could anyone think that? Her hand moved out to the side of Amos’ hip, wanting to ground him a little bit because she had never heard that tone in his voice.

It all came down to Edith feeling possessive of Cedric– That was what Amos assumed anyway. She hadn’t been open to the idea of Amos claiming he could straighten out and raise the kid on his own, but warmed up after a few weeks. He figured it would be a similar situation with Hestia. He just didn’t expect her to be as standoffish or upset over another woman entering the kid’s life.

He was willing himself not to get mad or raise his voice, needing the birthday to be a memory he wanted to look back on. His jaw hung open and he was ready to snap right back, but the elbow from Hestia made him stop before any words got out.

Glancing down grounded his thoughts, Amos raising an eyebrow at his mother in an attempt to challenge her into saying something rude.

“I would have corrected him if I wasn’t okay with it,” He chuckled when Edith kept quiet. Cedric reached up to nuzzle Hestia, a quick hug happening before he asked to be put down. “Besides I –” Amos glanced down at Hestia. “I’ve been looking to find a – Merlin, I don’t want to ruin Ced’s birthday but we… ” He gave up on trying to explain his thoughts. “You’re going to need to get used to the idea of Hestia being around more often.”

There was a beat of silence, broken by Edith giving Hestia a look of concern.

“Don’t tell me he got you pregnant.”

That Edith was so annoyed by this irritated Hestia to no end. She did not begrudge the other woman anything, but the fact remained that she did not want to have to be fighting Amos’ mother at every turn, no matter how supportive Amos was. 

Amos’ reassurance made Hestia smile and she pressed another kiss to Cedric’s temple before allowing him down. “Go run and play, love,” she murmured as she set him on his feet. Focusing on Cedric allowed Hestia to take a moment to center herself before she straightened and joined the conversation Amos was having. He seemed to be a bit awkward about it and she merely offered him a small smile at the corners of her lips as she leaned into his arm.

Cedric must have picked the word up from playgroup, as Amos hadn’t made a point to use it around him. He could have said that and gotten defensive by saying he wasn’t encouraging his son to use it, but that would have been rude to Hestia. The three were functioning well as a family, Amos’ knowing that was the main thing that kept him from trying to appease his mother.

He could feel the distaste in the word fuming off Edith. She had yet to speak, merely clicking her tongue at her husband’s comment.

“You could call her Hestia,” He muttered, feeling the need to close the little distance between the two of them.

“Amos,” His mother went to continue, surprised to have her son shake his head and cut her off.

“She’s practically family at this point. I don’t blame him and I–” He paused to glance down at his girlfriend. “We’re planning on moving in together.”

Edith looked like she had swallowed a lemon, gaze darting from her son to Hestia then back again.

“You can’t be serious,” She snapped out, making Amos tighten his grip around Hestia.

“I think he is serious, love,” Nathaniel placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder and cast an apologetic look at Hestia.

Hestia had always gotten the impression that Edith didn’t exactly approve of her, though she was not sure why. What woman wouldn’t want her son’s happiness? Who wouldn’t want her grandson to have a mother? It was all very strange and she was still not sure why Edith disliked her.

Amos’ support spoke volumes to the young woman and she continued to hold Cedric in her arms, her own eyes filling with tears – whether at the emotion of Cedric’s admission, or the impact it had caused, she was still not sure. The young brunette nodded at Amos’ comment about them moving in together and when she heard Edith snap at Amos, her hackles rose. At least Nathaniel seemed to want to diffuse the tension, though Hestia personally thought it was too little too late. If this didn’t calm soon, they’d ruin Cedric’s birthday.

Cedric’s nap proved to be short lived, as the screams of “DADA” were overheard half an hour into the party. “Right, if you’ll excuse me,” Amos pressed his tongue against his cheek and made a quick exit to his son’s room.

It took him ten minutes to wrestle the toddler into his party clothes, Amos arriving back to the party with a slightly flustered look. The first stop was his parents’. Amos’ mother took Cedric into her arms and peppered the child’s face with kisses. It took several seconds for Cedric to become distraught, the two year old having spotted Hestia from over his grandmother’s shoulder.

“What is it?” Edith asked and lowered Cedric to the ground. He took off running, screeching happily once he reached Hestia’s side. The toddler wrapped his arms around her left leg, clinging onto her with a big grin.

“Mummy,” He declared loud enough for Amos and his parents to hear and clung on tighter.

Amos felt his ears go bright red, feeling his mother’s gaze on him. She didn’t look happy and he didn’t care since the day wasn’t about her anyway.

“I should uh–” He cocked his head toward Hestia, finding that far easier to do than trying to find an excuse for his son’s choice in words, and ran off after his son. He didn’t expect his parents to follow.

“Sorry about him,” Amos chuckles nervously once he reached Hestia. “I–” The rest of his thought was lost to his father clearing his throat.

“I wasn’t aware things were serious enough for his calling her that,” Nathaniel murmured, causing Amos to shift closer to Hestia and slip an arm around her.

@hestiapaints

While Hestia wasn’t fantastic in the kitchen, she’d wanted to make things go well for Cedric’s birthday. However, it seemed his grandmother had different ideas and though she’d tried to help, Hestia had found herself kicked out of the kitchen sooner than expected. She’d frowned, of course, though this wasn’t her home – even if she spent most nights there – and had moved on to socialize with others who had arrived. She’d talk to Amos about it later.

She heard Cedric wake up and had stifled a smile before taking a sip of her water as she spoke to one of Amos’ friends. In the distance, she saw Amos carry Cedric to his parents and the love that they displayed toward Cedric made her heart swell. But then poor Cedric seemed to lose his good humor and ran toward her, arms wrapping tightly around her leg. Hestia offered a sheepish look at Edith and a what should I do? look at Amos. And then Cedric spoke. And Hestia stilled, her eyes on Amos before moving down to Cedric.

Mummy. It was such a strange – and welcome – word for Hestia to hear. For while she’d thought of Cedric as hers for some time, the three of them had kept from vocalizing it. Though she could practically feel the heat of Edith’s gaze, Hestia bent down anyway, picking up Cedric as her eyes pricked with tears. She’d never thought she could love someone like this. She was idly aware of Amos moving toward her, of him speaking, but instead of turning toward him, she merely pressed a kiss to Cedric’s temple as she considered what it was she should say. 

“We love you too,” Amos smiled. “A garden, space for you to paint – We could skip painting his room one color and have you do something instead.” He had been thinking about it. Not so much about the selling part of it, but his wanting something more with her. The bachelor pad was serving as a reminder of his past than anything else. It wasn’t suited for once his son decided to start getting into everything.

“Brilliant,” Amos grinned and shifted to kiss her lips, pulling away after a moment so he could murmur against hers. “We could finish the morning off with a shower,” He paused to peck her lips. “And brunch once we’ve cleaned up.”

She smiled at him, pleased that Amos seemed amenable to the idea of a larger place. Hestia let out a soft hum. “I’d like that,” she said softly at the thought of painting something for Cedric. “I’ve been experimenting with paint and spells. Maybe I could make something move on his walls.” The thought was a fleeting one, though Hestia stopped to think of it. 

“ Something like that, ” Dorcas responded with a teasing grin as Hestia asked about her connection to Fabian and Gideon. “ As a matter of fact, that is who I am shopping for right now, ” she continued, her wild eyes still lingering on the bright colors displayed on the canvas. When Hestia spoke next, Dorcas’ smile expanded as she shifted her full attention back to her. “ I’ve always loved the water too, ” she concurred with a glint of enthusiasm. “ I’ve never really thought about it that way before, but you’re right. There is definitely something very therapeutic about it. Is that how you also feel about painting? ” The Hit Witch inquired. Dorcas had always been a genuinely curious individual; she loved figuring out how the world worked, and what drove people to do the things they did. Within minutes, she could tell Hestia was unlike any other person she ever had the pleasure of meeting before. Maybe it was something in the stroke of her brush, or the pure expression twinkling in her eyes.

Whatever it was, it was a much needed breath of fresh air for Dorcas who would do anything to get away from the war raging outside those doors; even if it was only for a few minutes. “ Well, it’s perfect and I’ll take it,” she confirmed as her eyes travelled across the gallery to the darker painting propped up in the corner. Her muddy blue eyes immediately lit up in wonder as she took a step closer to the canvas. “ Oh wow, that one is equally amazing and it would probably make my poor flat look a hell of a lot better, ” she chuckled, biting down on her lip as she mused over the rest of the paintings. “ It’s funny, because I came in here for a birthday gift for the twins and I think I am going to be leaving with some gifts for myself instead, but purple is one of my favorite colors to be fair. ” She explained with half a shrug before an idea came to mind, which caused her facial features to light up. “ Say, Hestia, you don’t happen to do custom pieces, do you? ”

Hestia smiled, thinking it rather fortuitous that the woman in front of her was shopping for a mutual friend. Her head tilted to the side and she let out a soft breath. “Well that’s very fascinating,” she said with a shrug of her shoulder, still slightly self-conscious as she considered how much Dorcas seemed to love her painting. “Yes, water is extremely therapeutic. My reading says even muggles find it so. There was something I read once about reducing stress – stick your hands under a running faucet of cold water. It truly works. But, of course for me, painting works just as well if not better, because I have something to show for it.” Hestia’s cheeks tinged pink for a moment, though she tried to temper it as she looked over at the other woman. She didn’t want Dorcas thinking that she had no way of dealing with attention.