"Dedalus, have you seen Elphias?"

Phoebe stood in the doorway of Dedalus Diggle's office, hands clasped together in front of her, a nervous look in her eyes. She was using every fiber in her being to maintain her composure, to keep her cool. She just needed to know if--she wasn't sure what she really needed right now, because the thought that Elphias had explained his...his...if he had told Dedalus and not her, Phoebe wasn't sure how well she would be able to handle it.

She simply didn't understand. She didn't....she knew that they'd had their fights, which were mostly her letting out her frustrations, but...but she'd always tried so hard to be with Elphias, to be there for Elphias, so what...what had changed? Was it supposed to be so hard? Phoebe couldn't honestly believe that she'd missed the signs, she knew she hadn't ignored...Her eyes shut for a moment, and she let out a shaky breath, trying to seem concerned, but not give away how ready she was to lose absolutely control of herself.

Her eyes shot open and she batted them prettily, smiling quickly at Dedalus to keep his concern at a minimum. She straightened her back and looking quickly around the office. "I'm sorry to bother you so late."

WHO: Jake Bexley and Dedalus Diggle
WHAT: Dedalus is getting participants for his trial
WHERE: St. Mungo's
WHEN: Now?

( I imagine being an auror can't be easy. )

“….Healer Diggle?

Dedalus grunted as a way of recognizing that someone was calling to him from the doorway of the on call room, though he couldn’t place who it belonged to. He was half asleep, with his arms folded over his eyes to keep out the minimal amount of light that had entered the room when the door had opened, turning over onto his side to face the wall a bit. He had a pounding migraine that he had only just taken something for, seeing how he had been suffering through it for the last couple of hours while with a patient. He didn’t like becoming dependant on them, and because he was a healer, he thought it was irresponsible of him to not practice what he preached to those he prescribed things for.

These late nights were taking their toll on him though, and having people’s thoughts floating around his head all day in addition to his own never helped keep his stress level low. Thankfully things were much better now than they were back in Hogwarts, when he had no idea what he could do, or how to control it after he did. He had gotten a much better grasp on it since then, though when he was extremely tired he often times caught a snippet of someone’s thoughts in passing.

“Um…I know you told me not to disturb you sir, but you have someone here to see you.”

A visitor? He furrowed his brows, and dropped his arms to look towards the door, though he immediately regretted it when he was blinded by light, since his eyes had never adjusted and his head was still pounding.

Eliza was finding it much easier to stay silent and let Dedalus do all the talking. She had never had a baby before, so why should she have anything to say to the healers, who obviously knew what they were doing? Nope, she was going to keep her mouth tightly shut, no matter how much she wanted to let out moans of pain. Moans of consistent pain, as her contractions were growing closer and closer. This was good, though, because that meant Eric would be here soon, and she wouldn't be a whale anymore, and they would have their baby boy. This was good, and she wanted nothing else than for it to go as smoothly as possible, so she would remain calm.

Her hand's grip on her husband's hand was telling another story, however. Eliza hadn't let go of Dedalus' hand since he appeared in their flat hours before. She refused to let go of him and even if she had to only hold onto a finger, she was not letting go. They could allow her that, right? She was about to have a baby, she should be able to hold her husband's hand.

Right now her hand was clenching Dedalus' in pain as another contraction hit. Her healer had told her she wouldn't be able to start pushing for just a bit more and right now it was just her and Dedalus in the delivery room, biding their time.

Having been sitting in an empty room the entire time, Dedalus closed his journal after he confirmed that he would go to Eliza, instead of her coming to him. He leaned over, resting his head in his hands as he let out a long breath, trying to compose himself. This wasn’t going to be easy, what he was about to do; walk into a closet to talk to his girlfriend about whether or not they were ready to have a kid or not. He didn’t want to think about the consequences that could come from whatever option they chose, or whatever decision they came to…but he knew there would definitely be repercussions either way. People spent months, years even, planning for a baby…didn’t they? People were always trying to get pregnant, they went off their birth control and were constantly trying to create a child…but these two, these…kids, were able to get pregnant without even meaning to. How was that right? Why did things always work out like that?

Rising to his feet, he hid away his journal in the room. It was where he came to think sometimes, so he knew no one would be going in there, and no patient would be admitted into it. Opening the door, he stepped out into the hallway, his hands slipping into his pockets as he made his way through the hallways. Everything was different, now that he was an official healer…but the journey through those halls were still the same. It still took forever to get where he needed to go…especially when he was going towards something he was a little bit afraid of; that conversation that Eliza had been so scared of having herself.

Stopping in front of what seemed to be an ordinary closet, Dedalus quietly sighed before he reached out to turn the doorknob, using his other hand to knock gently. “…Eliza?” He murmured quietly, pulling the door open to see her sitting there pathetically with her journal. He knew where she was not because he had read her mind, but because someone had noticed her slipping in there every now and then, and thought he had a right to know that his girlfriend was hiding around in a broom closet. His side leaned against the door, and he just watched her for a moment before stepping forward, closing the door behind him.

“…I feel like we’re back in Hogwarts…”

He gave the most pathetic attempt at smirking, before looking down at the floor between them. He was trying to lighten the mood…maybe focus on something else, but it wasn’t working. His hand rose up to rub at the back of his neck, gnawing at the corner of his bottom lip.



Now what?

Who: Eliza Alderton and Dedalus Diggle
What: A not so smooth reveal
When: This afternoon?

( It wasn't until she found out she was pregnant that she realized she had never thought about having children )

Who: Eliza Alderton, Dedalus Diggle, annnd some death eaters
What: Attack on their flat!
When: Today

( 'Holy shit' was her last thought before her eyes rolled into the back of her head )

It was a rare, boring Monday. Eliza hadn't had a quiet, nothing-to-do Monday in what felt like months, and she was spending it alone. Which, really, made sense, because the reason she hadn't had a Monday to herself was because of St. Mungo's, and her boyfriend was a healer intern at St. Mungo's, so of course he was busy. They were always busy. How did people at the hospital have relationships? How could they make relationships that didn't get exhausted and tiring when they dealt with that hospital all the time?

Oh, right--they weren't members of the Order of the Phoenix.

Eliza had accepted the fact that Dedalus was going to have to put the Order before some things, before a lot of things, and she did admire him for it. She didn't think she'd be able to fight like he did, and someone had to, so---it might as well be the smartest wizard of their year, right? Right. She had to support him for the greater good, but she sure as hell wished he could take a day off (especially with all the mess going on right now. She wanted to move to Antarctica, or something).

"C'mon," she said to their dog, patting her thigh. Spunky trailed along behind her and dragged the rope she'd tied the small bundle of laundry to. See, pets were completely useful around the house, and came especially in handy when there was a ton of housework to be done. Maybe she could get another load or two done before dinner.

Who: Eliza Alderton and Dedalus Diggle
What: Apologies, tears, and kisses, oh my!
Where: Outside of their flat
When: Today!

( He was like that before he was with Eliza, wasn’t he? He was just as ridiculous, and abnormal, right?  )

Who: Dedalus Diggle and Eliza Alderton
What: Fights and secrets
Where: Their flat
When: This morning

( ---now he was scolding her for something he'd been doing for...for who knew how long. )

James sat in the corner of the Order house's living room, bending his shoulders in to fit against the walls. With his knees up and head pushed as far back as he could, it seemed that he was literally trying to disappear between the cracks, to become one with the stagnant, unfeeling wall. He couldn't hear the soft murmuring that was going around the house, he'd tuned himself out of that what felt like ages ago. If he dared pay attention again, it would only force him to listen to the crying and horrible mutterings of the rest of the Order. The only reason he'd left the house was to await any sort of news from the Longbottoms, who had apparently come up with a valid way to capture Travers, the fucking bastard---

"James."

His eyes lifted to stare up at Emmeline Vance, who was far too dressed up to be here.

"Why are you wearing that?" he muttered. She looked down at the green dress and sighed, pulling at the ponytail that looked like it'd been done and undone a hundred times.

"I was at Jugson's wedding when--everything."

"Oh." James looked down and across the living room to try and garner the other members' faces. He didn't want to deal with them, but felt this unnerving need to. "What?" he asked when Emmeline didn't move.

"I took a calming serum from the basement," she said quietly, "for--Anneliese, my friend? She's--Jugson, and...pregnant, and--"

"Fine."

He watched her twitch and then she turned to cross the room again, and James' gaze dropped back down to the ground. What the hell did it matter, anyway? Not like they did any sort of good any more, the Order. They'd let one of their own get taken, right out from under their noses. What was the point?

( OOC )