••• o j β (cockaigne) wrote in valesco,
@ 2011-08-31 21:38:00

Entry tags:

Who: Boots!
What: packing boo :(
Where: their home
When: now!
Progress: Finishing in comments

Terry sat on top of Noah’s old Hogwarts trunk, eyeing his father carefully. Noah stared back, looking just as equally frustrated.

“Could you move?”

The boy shook his head and gripped onto the handle more tightly, and Noah let out a breath before he sat down on the floor in front of the trunk, “Can I please open it?”

Again, Terry shook his head and Noah put a hand to his face. Maybe it had been a bad idea to pull this thing out, but Noah knew it was the easiest way to transport his belongings to Hogwarts and, well. He hadn’t used the thing in years, it would be nice to bring it back, look at the scratches and stickers and marks he’d put on it. He thought Terry would enjoy looking through his old belongings, but when his son had asked why he was putting his telescope in there, any sense of bonding disappeared. Terry could not understand this concept of Noah not being around, and it was making his packing up for Hogwarts quite difficult for more reasons than one.

“I’ll be back on the weekends, when Mummy plays quidditch? That’s when I’ll be home.” Terry’s frown deepened and Noah felt like this conversation was becoming pointless. “You hate me.”

Odette pulled her lips back at the sight before her. Deciding against speaking just yet, she choose to instead continue hovering half-hidden behind the door frame just outside. She hadn’t meant to be nosy and overhear after putting Anna down, but Noah’s voice had traveled through the hallway before she had even arrived.

She couldn’t say she was completely against Terry’s display. Actually, he had just beaten her to it. If he hadn’t already been sitting on that trunk, Odette would have placed herself right there too, preventing Noah from making packing progress merely in a different way. But that didn’t mean--- Odette wanted Noah to go, she had told him to go, but.... she didn’t want him to, now, at the same time. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that ten months (with some short breaks) was a very long time to be apart. In fact, it was--- wait--- she began to count hastily with her fingers, and once she finished her insides twisted uncomfortably. Noah would be away for practically as long as they had been married.

That did not help her feel better, or create inner strength to send Noah away with a wave.

Ugh, she knew she should have just refused to let him/them leave Hawaii.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Odette laced her fingers together as she attempted to settle herself. Regardless of how she felt, and her well-established plans for later that might help her case, Terry needed to know that this was a good thing happening. Yes. Once he was asleep then she could break down and continue Terry’s struggle unknowingly to him.

Well. “What’s going on here?” she spoke in a high voice, suddenly popping through the door frame and walking toward Noah and Terry. Merlin, she hated when her voice became somewhat (mostly) fake in an attempt to cover her inner thoughts.

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supernoah
2011-09-01 12:02 am UTC (link)

Noah looked up and over his shoulder as Odette arrived, and he let out a frustrated sigh. At the sight of his mum, Terry leaped off the trunk and crashed into her legs. Noah took this opportunity to grab the handle of his trunk and heft it onto the bed, watching his son cling to Odette's legs made his chest ache harder than any of these final countdown days.

He really, truly felt bad for accepting this position. Everything about it screamed opportunity, who declined a job offer from Albus bloody Dumbledore? Having Hogwarts on your resume, having a recommendation from the Headmaster...Noah could do anything he wanted in the astronomy world, but it was going to cost him a year of his life with his family.

"He hates me," Noah said bitterly, opening the trunk and keeping his head down as he started to throw some of his undershirts on top of his brand new cloaks. "Anna's not even going to recognize me."

Noah couldn't even look at Odette, his thoughts of her getting bored of being without a husband rushing forward. He wasn't going to make it through the bloody barrier at King's Cross.

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cockaigne
2011-09-01 02:29 am UTC (link)

Odette frowned, letting Terry cling to her legs for a few more moments so she could watch Noah. Those were not good sounds he was making. Nor did she like that he wasn't particularly looking at her or making eye contact. Her hand went to rest on Terry's head, brushing his hair in a comforting manner as she thought.

She didn't want Noah to be upset--- no, that wasn't true. Odette had wanted for Noah to feel guilty about leaving, but another, larger part of her wanted to make sure that he was actually excited and happy about going. She knew ultimately that he could not pass up this offer, which made it so much harder to be selfish. When had she ever passed anything up in her career? Never. How absolutely inspired would Noah become from this experience? She had no doubt he would be walking around everyday with crazed hair and a blindingly-bright smile on his face.

It would be absolutely inappropriate to act anything but positive for Terry either, that was obvious. So, Odette sighed silently, and resolved that this was one of those rare moments were she envied selfish, no moral code pre-Noah Odette. Being selfish was much easier than being responsible.

"I don't think so," Odette spoke quietly, looking down to Terry. She sent him a knowing look, which was only received by a willful one. Rolling her eyes (they were just the same), she reached down to pick her son up into his arms.

"We are not the kind of family that does things like that. Right?" She looked to Terry at the end, smiling lightly.

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supernoah
2011-09-03 12:21 am UTC (link)

Noah let out a breath from his nose, his hands jamming down into his trunk to avoid having to turn around and face Odette and Terry. Maybe it was good that Anna was so little and couldn't really react. Terry knew enough to be sad about it, and Odette, as good as she was being about everything, was easy to read. As much as she liked to think she wasn't (or maybe she didn't, maybe she was just good at sending him mixed signals or he was just too off his game lately---), Noah could feel the tension. Was that the right word? Neither of them really wanted to say what they felt; Noah knew she was upset and he was terrified of going and being a failure and ruining everything.

To go back to Hogwarts, the place he'd fled from because of how horrible most of his time there was. What if Odette grew angry at him for choosing Hogwarts over her and the kids? Shouldn't a father, a husband, be there at all times for his family? Merlin's bloody---Noah hadn't had to make such a decision, take on such an obligation, and now less than a day before he was supposed to head off to this venture he was beginning to panic. To freak out. He hadn't even felt like this before their wedding, because he'd been sure and---

He sat down on the bed, his elbows lodging into his thighs with his hands covering his face. This was going to be so hard, and he had no idea if he was strong enough to go through with it. Ten months, ten months was a long bloody time.

"I can't do this," he mumbled, feeling his anxiety grow.

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cockaigne
2011-09-04 03:21 am UTC (link)

Despite not hearing what Noah had said, Odette could have ventured an easy guess on what it had been. The hunched over, hands-in-your-face posture didn't exactly scream positive mumbled responses. You did not slam and make loud noises with a suitcase when you had cheery thoughts in your head, either. And Noah was still turned from her, something Odette was beginning to realize bothered her more and more by the minute.

This was going to be a long night, wasn't it? Either way, there was no reason for Terry to have to experience it.

"I think it's time for bed," she said gently, looking away from Noah's back as she spoke. Terry, as Odette had expected, began to cry in protest, immediately beginning to wiggle fiercely to free himself from her. However, he had no such luck; with every squirm, she tightened her grip on him. "Terry," Odette warned, turning on her heel to march out of the room. "If you don't go to bed, then how will your birthday start, hm?" Walking out of the room had been surprisingly easy. In fact, Odette had even allowed herself a heavy sigh. If Noah wanted to be like that, then fine, but this mood would only continue for.

When she returned (there had never in the history of England been as much bribing than had just occurred in her son's room), Odette saw Noah had not moved from his spot. Wonderful. Briskly clearing her throat, she did not wait for his acknowledgement of her to speak. "Well?"

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supernoah
2011-09-05 03:26 am UTC (link)

He needed her to say something. Noah tried so very hard to be the man of the house, to try and have some control over things and to be the one that remained logical and calm in most scenarios, but right now, he needed Odette to tell him what to do. His nerves were jumping all over the place, he couldn't stop worrying. Noah couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this way, and he felt like an idiot for being so obviously unsure in front of his wife. He was supposed to have the answers, and he didn't. This was the biggest job he'd ever taken up on, even running the planetarium wasn't as daunting as this.

There would be kids to take care of, other professors to befriend and impress, essays to grade, tests to give, and that was all after he figured out if he could actually teach instead of just rambling off everything he knew about the stars in the night sky. If you couldn't teach, how could he be in charge of a class room of kids? Numerous classes, it was----and he couldn't go home to Odette at the end of the day and have her rebuild his confidence just by being there.

"You're a lot braver than I am," Noah softly admitted, finally looking up at her. He felt hot, and ashamed, and his shoulders slumped, "I don't---I don't know if I can do this," This, leaving her, leaving the kids, doing this job.

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cockaigne
2011-09-05 11:45 pm UTC (link)

That definitely caught her off guard. Odette had been expecting as sharp or brazen remark, not--- that. It actually left her a little bit confused. What did her bravery have to do with any of this? Noah was the one that was leaving, doing something different than before, she was the one---- oohhhh. He hadn't meant specifically, just--- no, but--- Odette shook her head, suddenly finding herself more jumbled despite thinking she understood better. What did he mean he didn't know if he could "do this"? What was--- teaching? But this was what he wanted! Her brow furrowed, simply confused on how Noah could be wavering now.

No! It wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to be the one excited and happy, and she the one wondering if this had been a good idea and silently moaning around about it. No. Odette stomped her foot, producing a rather aggravated (albeit confused) look. He had made a decision, promised his word to Dumbledore-- a contract! You did not break contracts. Especially good ones.

"Yes you can," she spoke firmly, snapping her eyes open to look at him. A part of her hoped Noah wouldn't take her fierceness too poorly, but if he wasn't going to have his best interest at heart, then she would. Hopefully this was what he needed to hear. And if not, a fight would no doubt sprout and he would leave much easier because of it anyway.

"You can, and you will! It's what you want to do and you promised Dumbledore you would be at Hogwarts starting tomorrow until June, so-- so--- I will kick you out if you don't go. There's nothing--- that--- " Odette felt herself fumble, unable to think of what else to yell at him. "You just-- can!" she finished, and finally took a few steps forward to him.

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