You silly ass!

He sighed, he should have expected this but Thess wasn’t going to ignore him if he ignored her too. The lack of attention broke his heart, but she wasn’t without her own faults. She was after all the horribly jealous type. “Fine, I don’t need this. Things were going good while I was gone. Seeing some old friends. Thought I was hot as fuck too.” He said turning from her crossing his arms over his chest. “I’ll go back and see them I guess.”

She whipped around to seethe at his back, curling her hands into fists at her sides.  “Fine! If you’re leaving, then go!  But you’re taking the kids with you.  They’re your responsibility.  You wanted them.  You can take them!”  At some point, she had slipped of her shoe and picked it up, punctuating her sentence by throwing it at Peter’s back. “I hate you.”

“And what is that?”

“I don’t need to spell it out for you.  We’re both smart women.”

“I suppose you’re right.  I never knew my father.  It’s good for the kids that you’re there for them.”

“Yeah...  It’s really great.”

“Ok, fair enough. But sometimes all people want is the mixture of feeling good/feeling superior they get from helping someone. What else would I possibly get out of this?”

“I think we both know exactly what you want out of this, Jane.”

“I wasn’t worried about him, I was worried about you. Alone, with that many kids?”

“...it’s a nightmare.”

“What? Is it so hard to believe someone would want to do something nice for you without any ulterior motives?

“Everyone wants something.  If you think they don’t, you’re wrong.”

“Oh come on Thess.” Peter said moving towards her. “You had to have missed me.” He approached her, rubbing her back gently. “I missed you.” He gave her a soft smile, buttering her up. He had royally fucked up. He knew that. But what else was a man to do? He was healing and Thess did not need to know the true form of the man she shared a bed with every night. “I might have brought gifts. But only if you stop giving me that look.”

“I’m not giving any sort of look.  I’m not looking at you at all.”  She very pointedly turned her face away from hi, just for good measure.  “We don’t want your gifts.  Asshole.”

“What? No of course not. I was just walking by when i heard what you said, and I thought you might want a listening ear.”

“Of course...”

“I’m not a huge fan of children, so I can totally understand where you’re coming from with that.  I don’t know how you do it.”

“I don’t have a choice.  My husband wanted kids and now we have them, I can’t not take care of them.”

“Actually, I was just dropping by to say hi. He’s been gone awhile and I was worried.”

“I wouldn’t worry about him.”

Peter tried sneaking back into Hogsmeade, but a man who had been missing for nearly a month there were sure to be rumors. “Yeah, yeah I’m back. But the real question is… Did you miss me?”

Thessa had been dreaming of this moment for days.  Weeks.  Peter would come back, tail between his leg, and she would scorn him.  Scream, yell, throw things.  Everything would explode just as usual, and then they would make up.  Because that’s just how they were.  But, when he finally came slinking back in, she had no words.  She was tired--the kids were more trouble than they were worth, and more time-consuming and exhausting than she had expected.  She didn’t have the energy to blow up on him.  Instead, Thess just narrowed her eyes at him, staring at him for a long time before turning her back to him.

“Jane.”

“And what are you here for, Jane?  Are you looking for my husband?”

“Maybe some space isn’t such a bad idea. Just go on a long vacation and not tell him where you’re going until after you’re long gone. Make him sweat a bit you know? See how mad he gets. If he’s worth spending more time one he’ll be fucked up if you’re gone and if not…” he shrugs, “well, you know. The distance would probably help to clear your head too.”

She laughed bitterly, rolling her eyes.  “Right.  Just leave the kids.  Brilliant, Michael.”  She wished she could just up and leave--get away from here and to wherever Peter was--without those stupid kids.  But, it wasn’t an option.  Unless Peter really had left.  Then, she could just leave, to.  Leave them and Hogsmeade behind.  She didn’t need them.  “You don’t want to hear about my marriage problems.   What did you want?  Tutoring?  Peter’s goodies?”

thessabell:

“Something stupid, I’m sure.”

“I’m sorry…you deserve better than that.”

“I do.  Maybe I should leave him.”

thessabell:

“…what would you know?  You’re just a child.”

“Doesn’t mean I haven’t had time to learn what its like to try and trust people and get let down by them. Sometimes even children are expected to work for their place, and that’s especially true of foster kids like me.”

“Right....what was your name, again?”