Life got more complicated

“Well er, it’ll be a bit of a culture shock moving over from the aurory to us. For starters we have two laptops for all of us and about four times the work. Finally was able to convince the people upstairs that we need someone around just to keep track of everything. Sort of a home base type of person who knows what our schedules are and helps us keep files and cases organized…your background would actually be super helpful too as a sounding board and just…I dunno, half the time I feel like the aurors don’t take us seriously, and you’d be a good sort of interpreter? Am I selling this to you at all?”

He snags a few pieces of cheese and thinks as he chews.

“We could do like a 3 month contract trial thing. Then you could have the baby and decide after they’re here if you wanna come back or not, and my boss would probably like that even better-less of a commitment and what not. Of course I’d have to check with the person who would officially interview you…”

Arthur makes a big show of looking over his shoulders and then grins at Andy.

“Oh right. That’d be me.”

“Two laptop, oh well there is a place to start.” Andromeda nodded the more Arthur spoke the more intrigued she became. It seemed like a job she was kind of uniquely suited for. “They have to take me seriously, or else.” Andromeda said with a laugh. She had garnered enough respect in the Aurory that even after leaving Andy was sure she get more respect then most in Arhtur’s position.

“A trail period before the baby, is an amazing idea. When did you get so smart?” Taking a sip of her tea,placing a hand on her stomach she nodded at his explanations. “As long as they know, walking into an interview like this doesn’t exactly give the impression that I’m ready to work.”

Rolling her eyes a bit at his joke, Andromeda couldn't’ fight the gratitude in her expression.

Amelia: God, that bad?

~

“Unless they’ve got some rule against using magic for it, I’d think it’d be pretty easy to do.” Regulus replied. “I had the day off and a visit has been long over due.” It wasn’t that he meant to keep away, it just started becoming easier to do so. “I can see that.” He smiled slightly as her heard the little girl quietly playing by herself. “She’s taken to repeating everything now?” He raised an eyebrow.

“There is no way they don’t use magic.” Andy pushes the paper to the side taking her take cup in her hands. “True, how’s work been? Last we spoke it was pretty new right?” She took a long sip and nodded at his question. “Yes, and she’s going to start school in fall, I can’t get a call every week saying your daughter is teaching the rest of the class curses words.”

“Hello to you too.” Regulus said with a tone of slight amusement as he sat down across from her. He managed a brief glance at the newspaper, though he couldn’t exactly read upside down. “Considering you and Ted be wrangling two little ones soon enough, I’d leave zoo keeper off the table.”

—

“Not the ones you want” Alice mused, a little smile on her face as she looked over at her cousin. She raised an eyebrow at Andy’s next words, and just laughed. She was quiet for a few moments as she recovered from her laughter. “You’d make a cute zoo keeper. Not such a cute meat packer” She murmured. “You can come clean my flat?”

“No my prides to big for that, I left I can’t go crawling back.” Andromeda said with a sigh and laugh. Glad that Alice was in good spirits, she always cheered her up. “I clean enough, I think that’s about the only job I don’t need more of right now.” Andy said with a shake of her head. “You want tea?”

“Combine ‘em; illegal zoo meat packer-I bet people wouldn’t notice the difference, at least at first.” 

Arthur smirks at himself before moving Andromeda’s phone to set down a charcuterie board and a few mismathed mugs. Ted and Andy were coming round for the night to celebrate Arthur and Molly’s engagement with some games and ‘grown up talk’ as Andy had put it-but of course, the other halves of each equation were currently tied up at work. 

Arthur fetches the kettle from the kitchen and returns to the living room, smiling at his friend. He’d known of her before this, of course, they were cousins of some sort, but it really took Molly and Ted’s friendship to bring Andromeda properly into his life-and he was quite thankful for it. 

“Didn’t know you were searching, actually.” He says as he waves his wand and the kettle springs to life, pouring Andy’s preferred flavor for her without tea bags and making Arthur a steaming cup of Earl Grey.

“If the aurory didn’t burn you out totally with MLE, we’re looking for a caseload coordinator-pay is shit, probably, and you have to work with this wanker called Arthur, but you might like it.”

He takes a sip of his tea and flinches as it burns his tongue.

“I mean, you couldn’t be a caseworker yet or anything, but you have in fact, interacted with a human child before, so you’d be ahead of the game.”

“That does sound a bit more interesting then either on their own.” Andy agreed with a laugh. “I imagine I’m not really cut for either.”

Andy took a piece of cheese as Arthur placed the board down. Leaning into her hand she let out a long sigh as he poured the steaming tea into her mug. “Thanks Arthur.” She said deflated wrapping one hand around the warm mug.

“I go back and forth on waiting till after the baby gets or starting to work, but I don’t think expected being home all the time to be this hard.” There was a vulnerability in her answer that wasn’t common for Andromeda but she was among friends. “I like being a Mum, I do. It’s just, it feels like I don’t get to be anything else right now.”

His answer surprised her and Andromeda turned to him. “I-I are you serious?” Shaking her head. “The pay doesn’t matter much honestly Ted does alright.” Andromeda’s face lifted lighted smiling at him. “It’d be nice to have friends at work again.”

Amelia: [Latrice Royale Eat It Gif]

Amelia:....wrong person... Sorry about that!

Dora continued to pout, her hands getting lost inside Ted’s coat. “Sweetheart, if there were two babies, you would only be able to hold one at a time anyway– wouldn’t it be better to have one baby that you can love and spend time with?” At the sound of that Dora perked up again, excited by the idea of only one younger sibling– the tips of her hair flared purple. “Do you think that you’re going to get a baby brother or a baby sister?” He asked, tickling beneath her chin. 

“One baby is good for now.” Dora admitted with a sigh. Andromeda wait curiously as her little girl giggled considering what her father had asked. Androemda wanted another girl, she had a sister and she wanted that for Dora. “If it’s a baby brother we could call him Cedric my friend at the park.” Dora answered eagerly. Andromeda laughed and shook her head. Rather laboriously Andromeda shifted to a more up right position on the couch. Her belly still out not wanting to ruin the game completely.  “I’m sorry sweet pea but Mummy and Daddy are going to pick the babies.”

Dora nodded firmly, now taking on the serious role of healer– which Ted tried his best not to laugh at. “Alright, Healer Tonks,” He said with a large sense of importance, “Where should we begin?” He bit back a grin as Dora placed her hands on Andy’s stomach, starting to feel her bump. Secretly, Ted loved the idea that Dora might follow in his footsteps, though most other signs pointed to something a bit more high energy for their oldest. “Mrs. Mummy is getting bigger every day, Healer Daddy. Do you think she’s having twins?” The light in Dora’s eyes was unmistakable but Ted could only chuckle and shake his head. “I don’t think so, my love.” 

Dora studied her Mother and her hands laying on top of her stomach. It was a rather cute idea, Dora following after her Father becoming a Healer. Though this was the fist time she had expressed any interest in it. Andromeda didn’t know how much of that was just excitement for new sibling or real interest. “Twin!?” Andromeda said with shocked face putting on a bit for the game now. Dora looked a bit disappointed at her parent’s reaction. Propping herself up she gave Dora an encouraging peck on the cheek. “Mrs.Mummy can only handle one baby at a time Doctor.”

Another day that weighed on Ted, his trudging footsteps leading him home to the haven of his family– the one thing that he had been looking forward to was the embrace of his wife and child. He wasn’t disappointed to walk though the door to see Dora wrapped in one of his coats, the only part of her visible her tiny head, hair askew. “I didn’t realize that Healer Tonks was in the building today– I should be so lucky that such a master healer such as yourself is here to teach me all about medicine.” He dropped his bags on the ground and walked over to Dora, sitting behind her and pulling her between his outstretched legs to give her a bear hug. “What’s on the schedule today, Healer Tonks?” 

Ted looked tired Andromeda always knew when it had been a long day, but the tension seemed to wash away when he saw Dora dressed up.  Dora grinned with glee as her Father joined in the game right off. Their little girl wasted no time running into her Father’s arms for a quick squeeze. “Check on Mummy’s baby.” Her Little voice explained as she took Ted’s hand and leading him to the couch where Andromeda was laying. “I hear you are the best pair of healers in London.” Andromeda said rather glad this game was mostly just her getting to lay down for a few minutes after chasing a four year old around all day.

–

“It’s very endearing that you still live in the past.” 

“Are you pregnant?” She asks staring at her obviously pregnant stomach. “That’s…certainly a choice. Same man or did that blow up yet?”

“Be real convenient for you if we all forgot.”