Andrea & Bella's Home

[kiska166]

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Rosabella Winthrop
Gryffindor Alumna - Thirty Nine - Muggleborn - Seer - St. Mungo's Welcome Witch
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Rosabella smiled back at Danica when she had informed her that her aunt Bella used to make this for her when she’d return home from Hogwarts. She began to think back to when she and her siblings would return home, and their parents always had a huge welcome home dinner for them and a million questions about the adventures they had been up to while away for school. Rosabella’s muggle father was always astounded with the stories they’d tell him. The last two years of school, however, were rough, following the death of her step brother Dalton. But Bella didn’t want to think about that right now, so she tried to push the memories from her mind. If it wasn’t for Dani, Bella didn’t even know if she would have made it to today. “Well, it looks amazing,” she said, forcing her smile while Dani prepared the crust. Hopefully she wouldn’t have noticed Rosabella’s shift in her mood.

Luckily Rosabella hadn’t started seasoning the chicken or vegetables yet when her best friend suggested they make a stir fry instead. “You know what, let’s do it.” After quickly washing her hands, the seer had made her way to her bedroom and came back out with her wand. It was just so much easier to debone chicken using magic rather than a knife. Once the pieces of chicken were deboned and the vegetables chopped up, Bella transferred the chicken from the baking dish and into a wok, and began cooking up the meat before adding in the veggies. “I’m pretty glad that it’s a bit of a walk to the closest restaurant around here,” she commented. Having to walk twenty minutes in one direction (and that was walking fast) prevented Gaspard from picking up something unhealthy to snack on every day. However, the whole family was full of walkers, so the twenty minute walk didn’t stop him as often as Bella and Andrea would have liked.

Rosabella looked back up at Danica with her eyebrows raised before returning her friend’s chuckle with one of her own. “Looks like you’ve got a mini Quidditch player on your hands. He’s going to Hogwarts next fall, right?” she asked. Bella was almost certain he wasn’t starting next month although Ronald did grow up right in front of her eyes. Hell, even Gaspard was going into his fourth year, which was absolutely wicked. Briefly, Bella wondered if her parents felt like their kids grew up too quickly. Maybe that was why they decided to start adopting.






((OOC: Outfit in left picture))



Don't hate your nature, hate the fact that you can't change it
Minor playing with the majors, you can't make it so you fake it

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Graydon Ironshield

 

[Graydon Ironshield]

Danica Quinn-Smith
Gryffindor Alumnus │ Healer at St. Mungo's │ Proud Mother of Two │ Married to Andrew Smith



Dani did her work with the same speed and efficiency she would were she creating a potion, and she glanced up and gave her friend an appraising look. Having known each other for the better part of thirty years, Dani had gotten good at sensing her friend's mood changes. "Are you feeling all right, Bella?" she asked her, with a note of concern.

She laughed when she saw her friend rush off to fetch her wand to use it to speed along the work of prepping the chicken for a stir-fry rather than simply baking it, and agreed with Bella about how it was good thing there was a goodly distance between were they were and various restaurants. "Yeah, no kidding. Bad enough there's that coffee shop around the block from the hospital. Think I almost lived there early-on when I started at St. Mungo's, and I still get coffee and pastries there almost everyday as it is."

"Oh, yes. I've been having a hard time of it, wrapping my mind around the idea of it too. I mean, wasn't it, like, last week I was carrying him around in my arms?" Dani answered rhetorically, shaking her head with a bit of bemused dismay. In her mind, there was no way Ron was old enough already to be having little magical effects starting up around him (considering she was pretty sure he actually flew a few inches off the ground for a couple paces when he was pretending to be the ace Quidditch star), and yet, he was indeed, and it wouldn't be long before that letter from Hogwarts would be arriving for him. "He loves the game, we let him stay up to listen to the matches on the Wireless, and I've never made it a secret that I played when I was at school, but I don't think he really made the connection until he found that stuff up in the attic. Now, he's just bombarding me with questions about matches I played in."

" Thing is, I don't want to make it sound like I was really all that, because I really wasn't that bloody brilliant at it. I played well enough to win us a few matches, but I wasn't like Kenneth Blake or Ashley Yaxley, for goodness sake," added Dani, the names of school Quidditch luminaries rolling out of her as though it were only yesterday they'd been playing, and not fully two decades on. With a sigh, she then confided, "Problem becomes, how to handle it when the time comes, and he wants to go out for Quidditch. Part of me wants for him to have that experience of being part of the team, having those friendships, and all the fun which comes with it. Then there's the part of me which recalls all the trips to the Hospital Wing after matches because I had broken bones needing to be mended and I was harfing up blood...again. I'm not sure how to answer that question when it comes, and it will come."

OOC:

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kiska166

 

[kiska166]

╔══════════════════════════════════╗
Rosabella Winthrop
Gryffindor Alumna - Thirty Nine - Muggleborn - Seer - St. Mungo's Welcome Witch
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“Hrm? Oh, yeah. I’m good,” she said, forcing another quick but subtle smile that was more convincing than the last. And really, she was good. She was in a good place in her relationships and career, and she had learned to deal with her depression and trauma over the years. She felt all of the emotions from that day over and over again, and although it still made her sad to think about, her emotions hadn’t spiraled in a very long time.

Rosabella chuckled, thinking about the coffee shop around the block from their place of work. “Are you talking about Jumping Beans Cafe? We always have the newest Welcome Witches fetch us coffee from there,” Bella mentioned, her chuckle turning more into a laugh. “When I was new, I was the one going on coffee runs almost every day, so it isn’t cruel,” she added in defense about using the newbies. What comes around, goes around, she supposed.

Bella smirked when Danica reminisced about carrying her eldest in her arms. As she prepared a pan with water and quinoa, she listened to her best friend’s concerns about Ronald playing Quidditch once he attended Hogwarts. “You can’t protect him forever,” she said softly before continuing. “Besides, sports will do the kid some good. You said it yourself – it’s fun and he’ll make some amazing friends that he otherwise wouldn’t necessarily have a bonding experience with. Plus we both ended up fine, even after all of our injuries.”






((OOC: Outfit in left picture))



Don't hate your nature, hate the fact that you can't change it
Minor playing with the majors, you can't make it so you fake it

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Graydon Ironshield

 

[Graydon Ironshield]

Danica Quinn-Smith
Gryffindor Alumnus │ Healer at St. Mungo's │ Proud Mother of Two │ Married to Andrew Smith



Dani's relief was palpable when her friend told her all was good, and she tried to hide the deep breath she'd taken by slowly letting it out. They'd been through a lot together, Bella helped her through her traumas and her bouts of depression, as much as she'd helped Bella through her tribulations. She didn't want to think about where she might be now were it not for Bella being there. Before she could start dwelling on such things, Dani made an effort to shove such dark feelings into a corner in the back of her mind where they belonged. Tonight was going to be a good night.

'That's the one," confirmed Dani, as she located some wonton wrappers in the refrigerator, and the makings of some vegetarian dumplings for a quick appetizer she could drop into the wok when Bella was done with making up the entrée. "Good thing they keep such late hours, I don't know how many times I went in there for coffee and a sandwich after a late shift. I love their chocolate-filled croissants. I used to do the coffee runs back in the day too. Crazy to think how long we've been there, huh?"

I know I can't take the bludgers for him," answered Dani quietly. 'And, we did come out of all that in pretty good shape; it's just...I don't know...it took me so long, and a lot of coaching from you and from Andy, before I felt I could trust myself to even have Ron, and Brianna, I'm just not so sure I'm ready yet to let him go out into the world on his own. Thankfully, I've still have a full term yet to work on that, hmmm?"

OOC:

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kiska166

 

[kiska166]

╔══════════════════════════════════╗
Rosabella Winthrop
Gryffindor Alumna - Thirty Nine - Muggleborn - Seer - St. Mungo's Welcome Witch
╚══════════════════════════════════╝





Rosabella nodded when Danica had confirmed that she was indeed talking about Jumping Beans Cafe. “That place is a lifesaver, honestly,” Bella added, agreeing that their late hours came in handy. The hospital staff on late shifts had to be the cafe’s best customers at night considering it seemed like all of the departments went there for their coffee runs. “Mmm. The chocolate filled croissants are the best,” she agreed, practically drooling. Maybe sweets and desserts weren’t the most ideal topics to discuss prior to eating dinner. Bella nodded, biting her lip lightly when Dani pointed out that they’d been working at the same place for a very long time. “Tell me about it. I applied for the Welcome Witch position when I was 18 years old, and I thought it was going to be a temporary job.”

Rosabella originally applied because she didn’t have the right NEWTs to be a Healer, but she wanted to help people. She really didn’t think being a Welcome Witch would be very helpful, and had all intentions of finding something better at one point. However, life continued on, and she kept pushing back the job hunt later and later, and eventually, she came to realize that being a Welcome Witch did in fact help people. And so, the seer worked her way up to being a manager in that department, but she never left. Quite frankly, she didn’t even want to leave anymore. The only change she would have made, however, was working day shifts only.

Rosabella continued listening to her best friend’s concerns regarding her son playing Quidditch at Hogwarts next year as she continued to cook the chicken and vegetables. Dinner was almost ready, yippee! “Dani. Ron will be just fine,” she said sternly in an attempt to reassure her. “Besides, he won’t really be there alone. Gaspard will be in his fifth year when Ron’s in his first, so he will at least have someone to go to if he needs help.” Bella knew how worried Danica could get, especially when it came to her children.






((OOC: Outfit in left picture))



Don't hate your nature, hate the fact that you can't change it
Minor playing with the majors, you can't make it so you fake it

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Graydon Ironshield

 

[Graydon Ironshield]

Danica Quinn-Smith
Gryffindor Alumnus │ Healer at St. Mungo's │ Proud Mother of Two │ Married to Andrew Smith



"Yeah, no kidding," was Dani's response to Bella's comment about how that coffee shop and café was a real lifesaver; maybe not literally, but it made some of those long shifts at St. Mungo's much more tolerable. Nobody wanted to have to deal with a 'hangry' healer, whose had little sleep on top of it. With a chuckle, she added, "Keep talking about it, and I might just call in an order to pick up a dozen of them. Dinner smells too good already to decide to chuck it for coffee and croissants."

When they started reminiscing about the start of Bella's career, Dani couldn't help smiling about it, thinking about how they were when they started there. "I remember you telling me that at the time. It was just fine until you got another job somewhere else. Funny how things work out, you know? We work some pretty crazy shifts, but, I'll tell you what, the staff there has been pretty good to us over the years. I'd thought about transferring to the Pediatric Ward, but then I couldn't find it in me to leave Cora's staff to do it. She's been almost like a second mom to me."

Dani nearly said 'a second, better mom', but didn't; she didn't want to dwell on negatives tonight, and she didn't wish her mother ill, even despite having all the reasons in the world to do so. Her parents were the reason why she'd taken so long to decide to have children herself, and why she swore she'd do all she could to be a better parent to Ron and Brianna than they'd been for her. She prayed every night she was doing right by them.

As they talked, Dani was assembling dumplings and then got out a pan and coated it with sesame oil to start cooking her potstickers. If she had her timing right, they'd be done just as Bella was done with the main course, yeah. She took to heart what Bella was telling her, knowing her best friend was right. She nodded, and said, "Yeah, I know. Gaspard will be like a big brother for him, and Aria will be there too. I'll need to coordinate things with Cathy, so we can maybe put the kids on the train together. Wow, all three of us, the next generation. Yikes. I'm not so worried about him, he'll make friends, and he'll be all right. It's just the idea of coming home from work, and seeing only one kid there instead of the two of them, because Ron's off to Hogwarts. I'm having a bit of trouble preparing for that adjustment; it's silly, I know, maybe even a bit selfish, but there it is."

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mc2

Just a courtesy quote, as Aria was mentioned in the conversation, as was Cathy

OOC:

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kiska166

 

[kiska166]

╔══════════════════════════════════╗
Rosabella Winthrop
Gryffindor Alumna - Thirty Nine - Muggleborn - Seer - St. Mungo's Welcome Witch
╚══════════════════════════════════╝





Rosabella chuckled along with Danica when she joked about having pastries instead of their almost finished dinner. “No, no, no. Don’t even try it,” she cautioned, stirring the chicken and vegetables in sauce as they cooked. “Maybe next time, we’ll do that instead.” She did say maybe, so it didn’t really classify as an empty promise. Nothing was promised, and Dani knew Bella well enough to know that she wouldn’t dare pig out on chocolate-filled croissants and spoil her appetite for dinner. And so, she closed the discussion on pastries.

Rosabella smirked when Danica said that she had remembered when the seer had said that she would be working in that position temporarily. Life was funny that way, she agreed. To this day, Bella hadn’t any idea what she would have chosen instead. Maybe what she would have chosen wouldn’t have made her feel like she was living out her purpose in life. Maybe she would have disliked her colleagues. Dani was right – the staff at St. Mungo’s, for the most part, was great. Of course there was drama and politics, but every job had that. Her team was awesome at least, and she didn’t find herself butting heads with others too often. “I know what you mean. I almost feel like a second mother to the kids that work in reception,” she admitted.

Bella moved to the side and out of the way for Dani to cook up some potstickers as they continued talking. “Oh, I know. It’s crazy how quickly these kids grow up. Oh – Jess and Penny will still be there, too,” she added, remembering that her adopted sister was about to go into her fourth year, and that Alexandria’s daughter was heading into her fifth year. God, were they that old already? Bella really only saw Jessica when she visited her parents, and she saw Penelope even less since she and Alex weren’t exactly besties. But, those kids also grew up right in front of her eyes. That was when Bella realized that Syd wasn’t far behind, and that he’d be heading to Hogwarts in a few years as well. Ron was going to be just fine. His mother, on the other hand, Bella wasn’t so sure about. As she had mentioned, the adjustment to coming home to one kid instead of to two was going to be tough.






((OOC: outfit in left picture))



Don't hate your nature, hate the fact that you can't change it
Minor playing with the majors, you can't make it so you fake it

show spoilerhide spoiler

Graydon Ironshield