mother, may I? || Andie

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Despite her love for Auror work, Eliss was always glad when she was able to go home to her small, little family. Judas was still out and about for today, so she had asked Andie to baby sit her daughter. Eliss adored Andie; she worked well with Anabel and was quite friendly. She really appreciated the help from the older witch; Eliss even picked her brain for parenting advice since she had been through the full stages of parenting already. Eliss and Judas had become parents later in life due to a couple of reasons. One, they had wanted to wait and be absolutely sure that they were prepared to bring a bundle of joy into the world. Two, Eliss hadn't been as healthy as they expected when she conceived their first child and that had caused a terrible event to occur. With the lost child, Eliss hadn't wanted to try again for a while. She was too afraid and too traumatized by the last try. 

Now, of course, Eliss was extremely protective of Anabel. Maybe  a little too much so. She almost always bombarded Andie with questions the moment she walked in her front door. Perhaps her hormones were out of whack with the baby on the way, but Eliss swore she worried twice as much about her little girl now than she had before. Not that she assumed Andie was a poor sitter, it was just natural for her to fret. Which was ironic since she was putting Judas through hell by working while pregnant. Of course she didn't want to bring harm to the child inside her, but there were people that needed help. She felt obliged to help them and do whatever she needed to keep them safe. The Ministry had trusted her enough to place her in the position she was in, so she didn't want to let them down. Besides, if she slowed down, Eliss might lose her touch and not be able to perform as well after she had the baby.

As Eliss fiddled with the front door to her home, she smiled. She heard her daughters little footsteps trotting to the door to greet her mum as she opened it. Grinning, she scooped the little one up in her arms and kissed her cheek affectionately. Hello, love, she said softly, a warmth to her tone. Eliss glance around for Andie, who had most likely spent the day chasing after the energetic two year old in her arms. Walking into the next room, Eliss smiled at the other witch.

Hi Andie, she greeted happily, shifting Anabel to one hip so she could set down a bag. I hope she behaved for you. She's been quite the handful recently, Eliss mused, although she could guess that Andie had figured that out by now. Did she eat alright today? She had a stomach bug last week and still might be a bit achy. Oh, and did she cooperate with her nap? It's been so hard to get her to sleep too, Eliss asked, firing questions away and not realizing how much of a crazily protective mum she sounded like. It was natural for Eliss to fear the loss of something dear to her; she just wanted to make sure her little princess was as fit as possible so she could worry just a little less.

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“I think your mother is home,” Andie whispered conspiratorially to the little girl, who giggled and took off for the door. Andie herself laughed, picking up the flowers the two had been weaving together and placing them on the table before straightening. Sure enough, she heard the door swing open moments later, followed by Anabel’s jubilant cry. Allowing mother and daughter a minute to themselves, Andie used her wand to straighten up the small bit of mess left over from her morning of babysitting, then padded into the foyer after her young charge, offering her friend a smile.

"Hi Andie. I hope she behaved for you. She's been quite the handful recently.”

Andie waved her hand absently, giving the little girl a playful grin. “She was lovely, like always.” Anabel giggled. To say Andie loved the little girl was quite the understatement- for the care and concern Andie showed her, she might as well have been her own daughter. Andie could easily remember Dora at this age, back when she still actually needed her mother, and it brought back nothing but good memories of the best time of her life.

“Did she eat alright today? She had a stomach bug last week and still might be a bit achy. Oh, and did she cooperate with her nap? It's been so hard to get her to sleep too.”

Andie didn’t seem at all surprised, nor bothered, by the long list of questions. She had been much the same, if not worse, when Dora had been Anabel’s age- though mostly she pestered her husband with questions, given that Andie hadn’t trusted anyone but Sirius to watch her daughter (and then, only for very, very brief periods of time when he had to all but shove her and Ted out the door to get Andie to leave her.) “She was fine,” Andie said gently, meeting her friend’s eyes. “Perfectly fine.” She gave Eliss a once over, her years of healer experience kicking in. Andie wasn’t one to tell anyone else what to do (Ted being the exception, and Dora when she’d let her,) but she did worry her friend was overworking herself. It was stressful enough being an auror in wartime, let alone a pregnant one, and Andie worried about her. “The question is, are you all right?” She tilted her heart shaped face to the side, her green eyes allowing no room for half-truths. It had been a surprising bit of fate that had brought the two witches together- Andie had been retired from healing the night Eliss had lost her first child and had wandered into St. Mungo’s so many years ago. Andie had been trying to visit Ted, but due to understaffing and a surge in people having a spot of bad luck manifested in plenty of forms, she had instead been hanging out in the hallway when she had noticed the lost-looking witch and her husband. It wasn’t like Andie to take people under her wing, and even less likely for her to willingly stick her neck out for non-poison related health issues, but something about Eliss reminded her uncomfortably of Narcissa, and she had simply reacted. A friendship had surprisingly bloomed out of it, and the two witches, despite being vastly different in a lot of ways, were good friends to that day. “How’s the baby?”

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As her daughter wiggled free of her grasp, Eliss let her down and watched lovingly as she dashed into the other room to do whatever it was that pleased her little heart. With a soft chuckled, Eliss looked back at Andie and smiled. It was always nice to know that someone worried for her. Eliss didn't worry at all about herself; she left that to Judas, and now apparently Andie. It was much appreciated, but sometimes Judas drove her up the walls with insisting she relax.

Always fretting, but I'm fine none the less, Eliss told her, returning the gentle tone. Her hand rested on her swollen belly for a moment before giving Andie a little smile. It wasn't at all a lie; Miss Eliss was feeling fine and was in tip top shape. At least in best shape she could be for a woman with child. While she was still in the early stages of pregnancy, Eliss could hardly wait to welcome the baby into the world. She was bugging Judas to get a nursery set up already, but they weren't sure of the gender yet. She supposed a little boy wouldn't want unicorns all over their room like Anabel had.

She grinned and nodded, confirming to Andie that the baby was indeed well and healthy. The baby is wonderful. We're excited to be having another little one running through the house, Eliss told her, removing her hand from the bump on her midsection. She did feel slightly guilty for doing such dangerous work while holding her baby, so she often covered up her body with a large petticoat or something of that nature. She was still petite enough to hide it, but come a few more months, she'd need to come out with it.

Eliss supposed Andie would be one to listen to when it came to health. She was a healer at one point in her life, after all. The two women had met over Andie's kindness to a very vulnerable Eliss. For a short time after her ill pregnancy, Eliss had been very heartbroken and generally depressed. It hadn't lasted long, thanks to Anabel, Judas, and her work; but she still had her doubts and overall fears about it possibly happening again. The last thing that needed to happen was Eliss losing herself to a wave of depression once more. She knew how badly Judas had hurt too, and how she hadn't helped at all with her mourning.

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It didn’t take long for Anabel to lose interest in the adults, and Andie watched as she took off into the other room, no doubt to reinstate herself among the flowers they had been playing with. Taking the time to stretch lazily, Andie pulled her long hair over her shoulder and quickly began to rebraid it.

Always fretting, but I'm fine none the less.

“Just don’t push yourself too hard,” Andie chided her gently, but otherwise seemed willing to let the subject go. She knew that Eliss would be careful, particularly after the first incident- those sorts of things left scars deeper than memories. Eliss wouldn’t do anything stupid, and if she did, well, Andie would be there to pick up the pieces. It wasn’t Andie’s job to tell her friend what to do- Eliss had to take the responsibility into her own hands and take care of herself. Andie knew she’d make the right decision in the end. “I don’t want to have any emergency owls pulling me away from my gardening,” she joked. They both knew the minute Eliss called for her, she’d be there, no matter what was going on in her own life- that was simply who Andie was.

The baby is wonderful. We're excited to be having another little one running through the house.

“Just as I ‘m excited to spoil it,” Andie grinned. She couldn’t really say why she and Ted had stopped at one. They had both come from large families, and they had both been so madly, hoveringly, in love with Dora that for long periods of time, Andie was fairly certain she hadn’t even spoken to another adult because she was too busy with her daughter. That said, Andie had always suspected she had mentally sabotaged herself- she had been so terrified (in fact, still was) that she would be a horrible mother to her daughter that, upon finding out she was pregnant, Andie had gone into staunch denial for well over two months. By the time she had made her peace with it, Ted had nearly had to talk her down off the ceiling at least eight times, and nearly had to force feed her a sleeping draught to keep her from talking his ear off about how horrible she’d be at it. Things had fortunately calmed down after a few months with her daughter, but it had been enough to keep Andie from really pushing to have another one. In some ways, Eliss truly was braver than she was. “You know I’m living vicariously through you, right? Dora doesn’t need me anymore, and it’s not like she’ll be having any of her own anytime soon… say, you wouldn’t notice if I just kidnapped Ana once the baby is born, would you?” She winked to show she was clearly teasing. “I do think I’d like the chance to be mum to a little one again.”

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469 • andie• done• <3

Eliss always liked to know the deeper meaning behind things. Perhaps that's why she enjoyed books so much. Her patronus was a Dove, an animal that symbolized peace and maternity. Being peaceful, she supposed, would be difficult with her line of work. But if she looked at it from a different perspective, all Aurors were really doing were keeping the peace. They did their best to prevent trouble and to keep innocents out of anything dangerous. Eliss was much like a mother lion in that aspect.

The gentle reminder from Andie only made Eliss smile. Not that anyone could really irk her with a simple reminder like that, but Andie had a way of softly admonishing her as opposed to bossing. Even though Eliss responded to either tone, it was much more easy to listen to someone who was kind about it. Judas was kind too, but it was the fact that every time she got up to go somewhere, he was on her tail telling her not to do anything insane. Normally, Eliss would simply brush him off and kiss his cheek, shoving the repetitive advice to the back of her mind. You're sounding like Judas, Andie, Eliss teased, shortly sticking her tongue out as if she were six years old. Maybe she spent too much time with her daughter.

Curiously, Eliss peered into the next room to see what Anabel had gotten herself into. Thankfully, it was something harmless and productive. She smiled as her little one fiddled with the flowers and then returned her attention to Andie. She let out a short giggle and shook her head, Of course not. I'll keep your garden in mind the next time I pursue a Death Eater. It was lucky that Andie had been available when Eliss had needed her years before. If not, she wasn't sure she'd be here today. If alive, maybe not pregnant. Who knew; but Eliss was forever thankful for the older woman.

Oh I am certain that Anabel wouldn't mind a surprise visit or two to Aunt Andie's house, she chuckled, hugging her arms over her chest. It might actually help the first few nights go a little smoother if Ana was away. With a newborn and a toddler, she and Judas were bound to be running on minimal hours, even minutes, of sleep. Eliss wouldn't miss it for the world, though. And apparently neither would Andie. It made her feel somewhat sad for her; Andie had been a good mother to Dora. Eliss hadn't ever held a true conversation with the young Auror, but from what she had heard she was quite the brave soul. Well, I assure you there will be many more chances for you to spoil Ana and the baby soon enough, Eliss told her friend, touching her shoulder lightly. 

Lyrics from Turning Tables by Adele. Picture by Aurora. Table by (( Aurora !! of Caution 2.0.

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You're sounding like Judas, Andie,

“Glad to hear it,” Andie smirked. “I always knew Judas was smart.” While she had met Eliss’ husband several times, and she knew him well enough to hold out a conversation with him if they were left alone together that comprised of more than the weather, her friendship lay with Eliss. “He loves you- don’t take that for granted.” She smiled at Eliss, “It’s rarer than you think, these days.”

How close had she been to living in a loveless marriage? Andie had been truly fortunate, though many people seemed to think otherwise. Ted had saved her in a lot of ways, though she knew her husband didn’t view it that way. Ted thought she had traded down, giving up her money and status for him- Andie knew it had been a trade up.

Of course not. I'll keep your garden in mind the next time I pursue a Death Eater.

“I appreciate that. My nightshade is looking rather peaky this year.” She toyed with a loose strand of hair, leaning against the wall to watch her friend. Though Andie no longer had access to her family’s vault or the hospital ward, her fascination with poisons ran deep. She carefully made batches, studying them for her own interests, and then disposed of them discreetly, where no one could use her creations for ill. It wasn’t something she broadcasted outside of her family, as she knew most wouldn’t understand- but she had trusted Eliss with her odd hobby. “It requires a bit more attention than it normally would.”

Oh I am certain that Anabel wouldn't mind a surprise visit or two to Aunt Andie's house,

“We’d be more than happy to have her- Ted and I both.” It wasn’t the first time that Anabel had spent the night at the Tonks’ house, and Ted adored the girl nearly as much as Andie did. Besides, Andie allowed her to stay up a little bit later, and have sweets before bed- a secret strictly between the two of them, as it was a treat for being away from her parents and behaving. “Besides, it’ll give you time to settle down and get things in order. Keep it in mind, won’t you?”

Well, I assure you there will be many more chances for you to spoil Ana and the baby soon enough,

“I look forward to it,” Andie answered honestly, glancing up when Eliss touched her. She gave her a small smile. “This will probably be the closest thing to grandchildren I’ll ever get, if Dora has her way.”