It had been three days for Ernie to know he was going to be a father in little more than seven months. A man with a child, it took him long enough to ask her to marry him and now that they were finally having a child of their own. Ernie had already owled both sets of parents explaining that they were going to have to have a dinner at his parent's estate as a group because the two of them had an announcement. The flurry of owls from his mother and sisters had been almost instantaneous but Ernie didn't want to discuss it by bird. That and if he took away the joy of Susan announcing loudly to a table full of their blustering family members.

He wouldn't take that from her. Not if he didn't have to at any rate. He sent off the letters earlier that morning telling them that at the dinner all would be come clear. Left a note on the table that he would be spending his day off in Diagon Alley looking for books and things of the academic nature to entertain himself. She was still asleep went he left the bed and prepared himself to go out in public. Apparating was quick enough and he was there crowded by so many in the Leaky Cauldron. Waving politely at the witch who now ran the place his dear friend Hannah, Ernie wandered outside.

Walking through the streets of Diagon Alley it was like a flashback to his childhood. If he looked quickly enough he swore he could images of Justin, Susan, Hannah, and himself running about in and out of the shops. The memories were like a flood and he smiled with a bitter sweet twinge knowing they would never be that innocent again. Stepping into Flourish and Blotts, Ernie walked past his usual sections of interest and stopped in front of the small section on parenting. It was a short list of books on what to do when your child blows up a pet and how to deal with adolescence and the growing witch. He looked over the titles of things he wouldn't be dealing with for a couple years looking for a book on what to do with a new baby when he bumped into someone else in the stacks. "Oh sorry!" He said as he realized he jostled a book out of someones hand when it hit the floor. Ernie swiftly moved to the ground picking it up and handing it to the person before him...

She had been dreading the moment for the past eight years. She half-hoped it would pass just as noiselessly as herself and Ophelia's own adolesence.  However, each individual was a tiny snowflake, and as such had to determine how its own crystals would fall.  The tiny snowflake dear to Marietta's pale heart was beginning to form its own patterns and Marietta had no idea of how to guide it. Her little girl was approaching the age of dating.  It was a scary time, particularly as Marietta had never experienced that moment.  Dmitri's daughters had passed through those stages while she was training with Noirtu. While she knew little Evie could owl them as much as necessary, it was her sacred duty to help her daughter, just as Duana had to guide Duane through the realms of flight and survival. 

She had already gathered oral advice from the few parents in the Ministry she was acquainted with.  Rodger advised locking Evie into a room for the next twenty years of her life.  While the idea was tempting for other reasons, Marietta would be hard-pressed to divide her time between home-schooling Evelyn in the small room and keeping up with her work at the Ministry.  She could only wonder how Lucien would have raised Evelyn.  Unfortunately, Flourish & Bott's section on vampires held little on their social interactions that Marietta didn't already have in her home collection.  Thus she found herself in the human parenting section, puzzling over titles such as "What Every Witch Wants" and "How To Marry Off Your Daughter in Less Than a Month!"  It was quite puzzling.

While she was debating whether Evelyn would enjoy being sold into the local marriage trafficking ring, a solid substance plunged into her shoulder.  Marietta jumped from the sudden touch of another human being, losing her grip on the precarious stack of tomes in her arms.  Down tumbled "Your Changing Body" while Marietta struggled to keep the other six books in her arms in a somewhat balanced stack.   

"Oh sorry!"

Elbows jutting out, Marietta managed to hold the stack in a somewhat ridiculous manner that only hinted at the slightest stability.  It was still threatening to fall out from under her, and as the gentle-mannered young man attempted to give her the fallen book, Marietta was only able to nod her head towards the stack as she held her arms out a bit, gesturing for him to place it atop the stack.

"I think," she started carefully, afraid that her voice might disturb the precious balance, "I am fine."  Softly shoving the books together as one might squeeze an accordion with one's forearms, Marietta was pleased to have achieved some modicum of organization.  "Thank you," she added as an afterthought, finally able to appraise the young gentleman who disturbed her harmony.  It was a rude gesture, one many would disaprove of, but Marietta could not help it when her eyes glanced upon his own collection of books.

 "If I may," she spoke again, just as cautiously, "Might I ask the the nature of your own parental ponderings?"  While history advised her to avoid being lead by those in such a quandry as her own, she couldn't help but yearn for someone in a similar predicament, that they might help each other out of such a pitfall.

Maybe his thoughts were clouded with the future or his family. It wasn't like he was in the perfect state of mind to be surrounding himself with strangers. He obviously couldn't be trusted to not slam into unsuspecting individuals.

The woman before him held a rather large stack of books. It was toppled over in her arms due to his own careless disregard for the other shoppers in the store. Placing the book on top, Ernie set his own stack of books on a near by shelf and helped straight up the ones in the stranger's arms. "I truly am sorry about that. I didn't even... I mean I shouldn't have... Well really I wasn't paying attention there is no decent excuse to be rude." Fixing the last book into place he tried not to glance at the titles the woman held in her hands.

He smiled a weak grin, "Good I'm glad you are alright. Like I said I really am sorry, thankfully none of the books were damaged. " When her eyes went up and down his frame he felt a little awkward standing there but he brushed it off as a reasonable reaction to someone you have never met.

"Ah," he gulped down, "Seems that I am going to be a first time father..." The words left his mouth feeling as dry as a desert. "Not very sure of what I can do, or what I can help my wife do. I figured that if there was a book with the answers in it the future won't seem so nerve wracking." Ernie found himself rambling on unsuccessful in sounding the least bit intelligent.

"Ah, Seems that I am going to be a first time father...Not very sure of what I can do, or what I can help my wife do. I figured that if there was a book with the answers in it the future won't seem so nerve wracking."

Marietta's smile brightened, displaying her white teeth.  Her cuspids still bore a slight disfigurement, if one were of the more observant species of humans, from an admittedly crude attempt at sharpening them.  She had merely succeeded in making her mouth rather sore rather than developing them into fangs as she had hoped.  It had been a very disappointing weekend.  However, the glow emanating from her expression stripped away that disappointment as Marietta found herself gazing upon a new parent.  Although she hadn't had time to prepare for their arrival, her children being more of a spontaneous decision than anything else, Marietta still felt a bond developing between herself and the young man.

"It will come naturally to you, don't worry about that," she replied, speaking from her impromptu experience,  "My children were practically dropped in my lap without a moment's warning, and we managed to muddle through."  Of course she was given children, not infants, sparing her most of the trials of motherhood.  Unfortunately, she hardly bothered to think of the differences in parenting care between the two ages. 

"If you're truly interested in seeing what the future holds, you should owl my sister, Ophelia Grimlish.  She's quite gifted at reading the tarot, moreso than myself.  When is the fortunate day?"  The arrival of a new life into the world always brought a brilliant spark of positive energy. 

What could have been an awkward conversation was turning more positive than he could have hoped. Ernie gave her a warm welcoming smile. "I hope it comes naturally, I have a feeling I might very well be like my father in the long run..." His father was the strict, rule maker. He didn't want his child to have as many rules and regulations to live by but he couldn't keep back the need to guide them. "Not that he wasn't a fine parent mind you, I came out well enough, I just don't want to force my hopes onto them if that makes sense."

Ernie remembered all the days he spent trying to reach his father's expectations. It was like he was stretching all the time to reach something he couldn't grasp. It wasn't till he was older that he felt his father finally approved of him. Ernie never wanted his son or daughter to feel they have to stretch to reach his arms.

"Children? Dropped into your lap?" Like a puppy Ernie cocked his head to the side with interest. "Would I be acting too forward in asking you about the situation?" He didn't want to seem prying but she peeked his curiosity. It didn't sound like she was prepared for it, he wondered internally how that might feel.

His cheeks flashed red, "I don't know if Susan would like that.  Knowing the future might not be the best for her." The smile played on his lips as he thought of how excited Susan had been when they discussed their baby. "Well looks to be seven months from now.  Or at least that's what the medi-witch said, she is about two months pregnant. The other night she wanted to know what I wanted a boy or a girl..." Ernie trailed off a little smiling slightly at the fuzzy memory.

"I hope it comes naturally, I have a feeling I might very well be like my father in the long run.... Not that he wasn't a fine parent mind you, I came out well enough, I just don't want to force my hopes onto them if that makes sense."

Marietta's small head tilted slightly to the left as she heard the hint of a story.  Others' families were so intriguing, simply because so many were far different from her own.  Having spent most of her childhood in a caravan, she was incredibly close to her family.  Her interests had rarely varied from her father's, as the world of the occult never ceased its intrigue.  Yet she attempted to empathize, partly because it seemed to be the standard social reaction, and partly because she also wanted the best for her children.

"Children? Dropped into your lap?  Would I be acting too forward in asking you about the situation?"

"Not at all," she responded, glancing about to find a rather handy, empty table nearby.  She carefully deposited the books on the table, cautiously sliding them onto the hard surface.  Once they were out of her hands, she began digging into her rather deep left pant pocket.  Feeling the surfaces of a variety of pocketknives, Gnazy Glue, Spell-O-Tape, she carefully traced the glass surface of her bottle of Eternal Sunshine before lighting upon a small leather wallet. 

"I don't know if Susan would like that.  Knowing the future might not be the best for her.  Well looks to be seven months from now.  Or at least that's what the medi-witch said, she is about two months pregnant. The other night she wanted to know what I wanted a boy or a girl..."

"Oh, a November child!" she softly exclaimed, pulling the wallet out of her pocket and thusly ignoring his flash of nervousness regarding the tarot.  "They're more apt to be left-handed," she added, as a slight afterthought.  Opening the wallet, a slew of photographs unfolded themselves, dangling almost to Marietta's feet.  She held it up to him, a beaming smile upon her face.  "This is my Evelyn," she spoke proudly, pointing to a waving brunette with pale skin and dark eyes.  Marietta smiled back at the picture before folding up the next one over it, accordion-style.  "And this is Elijah."  A young man of similar features stuck his tongue out at Marietta before running out of the frame into one of the lower pictures.  As he startled his sister with a Wet Wizard, Marietta laughed softly. 

She had told their tale many times, although after the 5th retelling she found the details needed to be altered.  She would presently be incarcerated in St. Mungo's Lunatic Ward if it weren't for the timely intervention of her Department Head.  "I was in Canada eight years ago, Unspeakable business and all that, when I happened on the two most delightful street urchins in Alberta.  I fell in love with them, and brought them back, legally adopting them by the end of the year."  Of course she didn't mention she had received a sign that they were destined for each other, but the rest was true.

The was a story there but since he hardly knew the woman before him he wasn't in a position to spill his life story. Nor did he think it would be proper to explain his father and his disciplinary ways. It was much easier to make it sound like a non-issue.

Ernie smiled and placed his books down next to hers. The titles of his books ranged from 'What to expect when you're expecting a witch or a wizard', 'How to raise a child and not end up with a goblin', and 'Fairy tales and the true intentions'. He looked at them and let out a deep sigh, this was something he was in over his head. It was like he was drowning but he didn't feel overly scared just unprepared.

"November is a good month for a child to be born?" He was curious now, this girl was odd but not in a bad way. In someways she reminded him of an old professor of his except she seemed to actually have some knowledge to back the odd behavior. It wasn't uncomfortable by any stretch he was just finding himself crane his neck a bit more to understand the conversation. "Really, left-handed? How odd." He wondered briefly how his son...or daughter would write their name. Sure now he wanted a son but he wasn't about to tell that to Susan and get her worried about what he wanted. Every father wants a son, he was no different.

When she pulled out the pictures, Ernie eagerly looked at them. Sharing a smile with the stranger he nodded, "Cute little tikes. They look happy," he watched as they goofed about in the picture frame. Ernie felt a pang of guilt for not giving Susie a child sooner. His eyes locked on the playful games and he longed to see his own children behave that way. Perhaps not as rough but still fun was just that...fun. Ernie remembered how he and Justin once behaved in school and it was a pleasant memory. "So you adopted them, a noble action for sure." It was something, growing up, Ernie himself wondered if he would be strong enough to do.

Absentmindedly he flicked a page of one of his books, it's old leather cover pulling at the binding. It was the type of book he would have liked from the exterior but the moment he opened it he would be reading something he never experienced before. "So how is it? I mean going from alone to having someone else to tend for. I know it won't be easy and there will be rewards to it but I think the unexpected is what scares me."

"November is a good month for a child to be born?  Really, left-handed? How odd."

Marietta smiled at his wonder, finding the questioning affirmation to be quite endearing.  "Oh yes, Voltaire was born in November.  I find that most of my associates born within the winter months are more apt with their sinister hand."  While she was certain there was a reasoning behind it, Marietta had not deemed it as high a priority for research as others.  However, now that she was thinking on it, perhaps it might.

"Cute little tikes. They look happy,"

The pride behind her smile could hardly be contained.  "Thank you," she responded simply, her cheeks beginning to ache .  The last photo was finally folded back up into the wallet.  She slipped it back into her pocket, with a small twinge of sadness at their absence.  It was only for a little while longer, then the twins would be back for the summer.  She could hardly wait.

"So how is it? I mean going from alone to having someone else to tend for. I know it won't be easy and there will be rewards to it but I think the unexpected is what scares me."

"It's different, of course," she started, her eyes slightly glazing over as she reminisced of her first years with the twins.  "But fun.  There was never a dull moment.  We had our fights, of course, but they're easier to get over as you get accustomed to one another.  There's absolutely nothing I wouldn't do for them.  And once they understood that, that I was there to stay, then it became much easier." She smiled dotingly upon the young man, excited for his new upcoming adventure.  It would be quite a ride.

Ernie nodded absentmindedly just happy to get a little more feed back. Even if it was about a November birth and how his future child may or may not write. He took it all in, finding the bits and pieces that made sense and clung to them. He wasn't worried about how his child would write, though he wondered if that would be the case when he finally started teaching them penmanship. "Voltaire, you don't say..." his voice was far away with his thoughts.

Somewhere in the store a clock chimed and Ernie sighed, he didn't want to leave Susan by herself the whole day. What sort of husband leaves the wife to do all the house work when they find out they are newly pregnant. Surely he didn't know if they were ready, sometimes it felt like he was drowning in the fear that washed over him now and then but he would be damned if he didn't take care of her while she was pregnant with his child. Their child.

"I hope that I am the father he or um she deserves," he gave the woman a sheepish grin. Picking up his book he gave her a friendly nod, "I really must be heading home. I have a feeling that my wife will be trying to do a million and one things when I want her to rest, and I can't be having any of that." He held out his free hand, "It was a pleasure meeting you" he paused, "Oh my name is Ernie by the way. How terribly rude of me to forget my manners, Ernie Macmillan."