Rediscovering Reality

Quiet

"Ah!" A voice called suddenly as Mari landed in the middle of the burrow. 

Turning she found Molly and Fleur positioned strategically on the couch facing each other, knitting needles in hand. 

"Mari! So lovely of you to drop by!" Molly said quickly getting up and embracing the woman in front of her in a deep hug, "I was just teaching Fleur here to knit! A nice calming past time i think might aid her since she," 

Before Molly could finish Mari noticed the crib in the corner.... a baby. 

"A baby?" Mari felt a burning curiosity ignite in her chest as she nimbily walked over and took a small peak at the creature in the crib. The child within was a good few months old and had Fleur's trademark fair skin, and on top of its head were just a few wisps of red hair to light is was almost blonde, but red it was. 

"Her name is Victoria." Fleur spoke softly from the other side of the room.

"I'm going to go grab you some tea dear!" Molly turned to leave

"Oh no please! I just stopped by for a minute to say that... there might be reporters buzzing about later... asking questions about me.  I made an...announcement today. And they might want to know how long you and your family have known, if you accept it. All of those tedious things. Just a warning- and please, be safe around them they are rather blood thirsty."

The older witch just stared for a thoughtful moment before responding, "Is the... is the news out dear?" 

The silence for those few moments was deafening. 

But Mari understood. 

Was her time pretending she was a nobody over. Yes... she supposed it was. 

"Yes it is. I'll make sure to stop by for a Sunday dinner soon." 

Molly hugged the girl one more time before insiting that she take some biscuts and sending her on her way. 

-- Mari --

"There are probably going to be reporters milling about now. It might be best to make sure the appration guidelines are specialized to just the few people we are comfortable with barding into the home. Everyone else should apperate outside the gate." My mother said after i told her about the announcement i had made, "I think they are already set but I'll check them now." 

She unfolded a map of the estate ground on parchment onto the library table, tracing a few shapes with her wand before folding it back up. 

"Just as i thought," she placed the map back into a drawer, "Already set. After everything. We knew we would have to be careful."

"I'm really sorry for any inconvenience this has cause anyone." I knew that it would impact alot of people in my life, i just wished that it didn't. And hiding from the world felt worse than enduring a few weeks of this. 

"You, my dear, could never be any sort of inconvenience." My mother responded while sighing with a small smile, "However, if i were you, i would pick one  last thing to do tonight. After tomorrow mornings paper.... there will be no more hiding."

She was right. After tomorrow i would not be able to retreat into a bookstore when i felt nervous anymore. People would want to know everything, and they would want to have the first scoop they always do. 

I bid her farewell and headed up to my room where i found an owl waiting just outside my window with a letter. 

Mari, 

I've gotten quite a few owls this afternoon. Think I've got a solid guess at that meeting of yours this afternoon, but it would be very unbecoming of me to speculate. So if it still suits you, i would prefer to talk about this tonight. Ill buy dinner and drink. Bring your unmatched intellect and affinity for books? If so I'll see you at around 7,