| Details for Of Ministers and Babies |
| Summary: | Tim and Annie look over pictures he's taken of the new Minister of Magic, and the baby moves for the first time. |
| Date: | 11 August 1940 |
| Location: | The Moody Home, London |
| Related: | Unexpectedly Expecting |
| Characters |
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With the start of the new school term just around the corner, things have been active in the Moody household in the heart of London. Annie's had to make sure her work robes were properly cleaned and pressed, she had to stop at a shop in the Mysticked District to have a pair of shoes charmed one size larger to accommodate her usually-swollen feet, and there was a pre-term staff meeting just yesterday to make sure everyone was getting prepared for their new duties. It's just as exciting as last year, when Annie was beginning her first term as Assistant Librarian in the Hogwarts library.
The looming school year also sees Annie's little home library, already filling nicely with books on the shelves, a bit cluttered with some new arrivals, stacked on the floor in short towers. One such tower is within arm's reach of Annie's chair, and there's a tome open in her lap. What lap remains, as the new life within has grown enough to start a soft swell in her belly. Her attention is intent on the book, one hand absently resting, almost protectively, over the baby.
Tim comes up from the basement with several photographs dangling from his fingers. "Darling?" He calls, "Are you able to come give me an opinion?" He gives a few little puffs of blown breath through pursed lips over the still slightly moist pictures. He lays them carefully on the table in a row and does a little pace back and forth as he looks each picture over while tapping and rubbing his chin.
The answer drifts down after the slightest pause. "Be right down, love." Marking her place, Annie sets the book back onto the top of the stack and pushes herself up out of the chair. Even with just a slight bump, she's starting to learn to move a bit differently than normal to make up for the change. She's already sort of leading with the tummy to get out of the comfortable chair. Her slippered feet scuff lightly on the stairs as she descends, appearing in the doorway with lightly flushed cheeks. Again, there's a pause as she looks Tim over in an exaggerated way, finally declaring, "Yeh look smashing. Is that the sort of opinion yeh wanted?" The tone, her impish smile, tell that she's teasing.
Tim is in a bit of a distracted mode, the usual way he gets when the Art has him. But when she compliments him he breaks out of his trance and like an owl looks up at her. "Who?" He says reflexively and then ohs and gives a soft chuckle and he blushes. Shuffling over quick like himself he offers his hand to her to help her down the last few steps. Doting husband puts how he's been since he opened that dearest shoe box very mildly. When he escorts her over to the pictures he even uses his wand to neutralize the strong odor the pictures are still giving off. "Trying to decide which picture to use for the Minister's interview…" He gestures to each picture and they are indeed of the newly elected Minister for Magic, Leonard Spencer-Moon; Different angles and of course different poses on the minister's part. Each of them looks rather natural and candid. Not starchy like most political portraits. "Trying to convince Hardwick to go with something a little more loose, for the people sort of portrait rather than the usual ones Kogrod's shutterbug takes. Think they are any good?"
With one hand clasped with Tim's, Annie's other hand again absently settles on her belly, and his kindness with the fumes earns him a smile and a soft, "Ta." She's over the stage of being queasy at the drop of a hat, but still finds herself more sensitive to some things than she usually is. Annie's head tips down, her eyes falling to the five pictures laid out, studying each in turn. "Yes, I like how he looks… approachable," she observes with a nod. Looking up to Tim, she asks, "How'd he seem? Was he easy t' work with?"
Tim while she looks he takes up position in standing behind her with one hand on her arm in a slow gentle rub while the other hand has snuck around to add another supportive and affectionate hold to her belly, fingers fanning. It can be said that he's gotten quite a bit more tactile with her as well, not to mention the pictures before bed every night to have a daily photo journal of her progress. With a little dancing spin after her posing to end the moving picture. But it's the more serious pictures at hand so he hmms at her question. "He was, quite actually. He very much is that sort of for the people sort. It's very genuine, there was another man, looked familiar, in the room, they were joking about ending this war by whatever means necessary so Cricket could be brought back." He chuckles and taps the fourth picture. "That's when I captured this shot. You can practically see the glimmer of the joke in his eye still. Hope for the end of the war. Merlin's beard I hope that he can do it."
Annie's hand absently slides to cover Tim's, the other rising quickly to muffle a little hiccup of a burp. Just as absently, she murmurs, "Pardon." It's become a routine; the nausea gave way to bouts of indigestion and heartburn after almost everything she eats. But her appetite is back up, and she's willing to deal with a little discomfort to see that the baby gets properly fed. "Oh, that's lovely t' hear. It's so much nicer, thinkin' yeh could actually approach someone and be listened to, rather than just ignored because they know everything." Her own vote, on faith, went to the new Minister, and she's very pleased to feel she backed the right horse. "That is a wonderful picture," Annie agrees, and she points to the first in the lineup. "Or that one. They're all good, but I think those are the two best. They really capture that sense of him bein' one of us."
Tim uses his freer hand to reach and tap-flick the other three pictures towards the center of the table and then he brings the two she's picked closer together before them. "Ta darling. I think you are very right. Down to these two. They are different enough that I think Hardwick will see the range and feel safe in picking. If she does at all that is. It would be nice for a bit of change from the starchy. But I'm biased." Soft warm lips tilt to kiss the side of her neck. "As are you, thank you." The burb goes pretty much ignored, just a tiny little smile from him, because he thinks it's adorable. But that's all. "Would you like to sit? I'll give you a foot rub?"
Annie leans back against Tim, her head resting back on his shoulder, "If she doesn't choose one of these she's daft, and y'ought to sell them off t' someone who appreciates them." Of course, with the Prophet being the only 'real' wizarding newspaper, prospects are a bit limited, but there are always the 'entertainment' papers. Her free hand lifts to stroke Tim's cheek over her shoulder. "How'd I manage t' get so lucky to have such a thoughtful man like you?" she muses lightly. "I think that sounds lovely. Maybe Bowie would like t' bring up tea." Which is, of course, tea for her and whisky and a fag for Tim. "We could settle in the lib…" The thought cuts off abruptly with a surprised intake of breath, her blue eyes widening. "Tim! Did yeh feel that?! That wasn't just my dodgy stomach!" Her hand lightly presses his more firmly to the round swell under her dress.
Tim looks all panicked at first when she exclaims so. "Are you alright darling!? Is there something the matter?" The first time father that has never ever been around a pregnancy and very well could have assumed a stork actually did drop a baby off on a porch looks about ready to scoop her up and whisk her off to floo away to Mungos! The pressed hand then feels the movement this time and his eyes bulge out. Emerald eyes stare up at his wife in worried wonder. Is that normal!?
"The baby," Annie almost whispers, her lips curved in a smile and tears shimmering in her eyes. "It's the baby. Moving." She doesn't look at all worried, but she was warned about what to expect. She was actually getting more anxious that the baby hadn't moved yet, at 21 weeks in, but she'd have never shared that with Tim unless she absolutely had to.
Tim still looks concerned but it's quickly sliding into a sort of concerned adoration. "She's? Oh…wow." At the wow it really does finally sink in and she's not the only one with tears in her eyes. Both hands go to her belly and slide about it trying to find more movement. "Does it hurt Darling?" He leans over to put his face closer to her belly, "You be good, gracious gave your Da a fright!"
Annie sniffles the happy tears back, then giggles at Tim's reaction. "Or he's," she notes gently. "No, it doesn't hurt. It's just… odd. And wonderful." There's another slithering movement under Tim's gentle hands. The baby isn't big enough yet, but in time the moving will get more robust, and then a well-placed kick might hurt, but just a bit. Annie combs her fingers through Tim's hair, a caress of tender affection. "We've got a baby." Every now and then, even with it growing inside her, she wonders at the very notion.
It is a rare occasion that his boyishly charming grin goes above and beyond the normal, when they were married, when he found out they were having a baby and right this moment. "We've got a wean!" He does a little excited giggle as he rights up so he can give his wife a smooch. "Bowie! Tea time please, in the Library." The Irishman calls to the kitchen before he gives his wife another smile. "Your chariot my lady." With that he scoops her up into his arms and starts for the stairs.