Things were just starting to get back to normal. After giving birth to her daughter then facing potential death at the hands of a madman, and being hidden away for what seemed like a lifetime, Quincy felt like she was getting her life back. Being able to see her family again was a dream that she thought she had never wanted so much in her life as she did when she finally broke free of the prison that was keeping her and her brood safe.

Now, the little family of Pratts were back at the cottage, and Quincy felt like her old self. It was odd, having a not-so-new-anymore baby but introducing her to a new way of life. The poor thing had barely even sniffed the outside air whilst they were living in the shack, but Quincy made it a regular part of the family routine to take the kids to the park for as much fresh air as they could handle. Plus it helped them all to sleep on a night.

Eddie's visits were becoming more and more frequent, and Quincy often found that he would invite himself round just upon tea-time, especially if he suspected some home-cooked wonder would be waiting. Quincy hadn't the heart to turn him away, so - as happened so very often - she would smile and say "The kids would love it if their dad would stay and eat with them." And, as happened every time this took place, Eddie would already be helping himself to a drink and setting himself a place at the table.

It was good for the kids to have him around after the events of the last few months, and Quincy wasn't about to ruin anything that was good in their life.

"Natasha, can you pick up your toys please? Mummy needs to set the table for dinner." The little girl wandered around the kitchen and laid her hands upon various toys of pink and purple, fluff and faff. "Good girl."

Through the back door to the family cottage, a red robed figure entered, heavy black boots sounding against the wooden kitchen floor. It may have been a Saturday but there was rarely any rest for the wicked, or aurors. The little girl stopped in her collecting of toys as her eyes caught sight of the bold red robes. The toys were dropped from her arms to land in a pile on the floor at her feet.

“Daddy!” She shrieked, opening her arms wide and jumping up into her father’s. The wizard gave a heave as the young girl that had once been much lighter and easier to hold launched herself at him. He nevertheless picked her up and she wrapped her short legs around his torso. “Are you here for dinner, Daddy? Mum’s just finished cooking! There’s always enough for you and your big belly!” Natasha gave Ed’s stomach a hearty poke and he gave a small groan.

“Well I’m here, Moustash, to speak to your brother about something. And see how you are, of course.” He gave the little girl a big kiss on the forehead before lowering her back to the ground. “Maybe I should lay off yer mam’s cookin’ if me belly’s that big.” The auror pouted. “I’ll just go home all alone and sit and eat a lettuce leaf.” Natasha giggled and Eddie looked across the small kitchen to allow his green eyes to fall on his ex-wife.

“Y’alrigh’ luv?” He asked with a grin before looking back down at Natasha and crouching down to his heels. “How’s yer leg now, anyway, brave soldier?[1] I hope Noah’s been nice to you this week. And yer mam’s been givin’ ye tons of sympathy.”

1.	Noah injured Natasha's leg while playing with his new wand in  The difference between like and dislike

Quincy heard the unmistakable sound of Eddie letting himself in the back door, and the familiar sound of Natasha dropping whatever she was doing at the time (today, tidying her toys) and jumping into his arms like he was Father Christmas himself. The witch smiled to herself as she set the last pan to boiling on the stove.

“I’ll just go home all alone and sit and eat a lettuce leaf.”

"Ignore him," she advised the little girl who was now giggling uncontrollably, "He always threatened to eat lettuce, and I've not once seen him come close to eating anything green yet. At least nothing that hasn't come out of his nose." Natasha squealed in delight at the thought of her own respectable, dignified (ahem) father picking his nose and eating the produce.

“Y’alrigh’ luv?”

Quincy smiled and nodded. "I'm fine, Eddie. And I see you've landed just on tea-time - spectacular timing, as always." She threw him a knowing look, eyebrow raised and a smirk lightening her features. "I take it I'm setting the table for six tonight again?" It was only two night previously they'd had a dysfunctional family dinner. They were becoming more and more frequent, and much as though she would hate to admit it too often, Quincy liked the fact that Eddie was coming round to spend quality time together as a family. Though they were divorced and living apart, they were still - and would always be - a family.

Edward stared aghast at his ex-wife, the woman he’d had four children with and known for twenty years as she brazenly informed their impressionable, innocent young daughter that he spent his time eating the contents of his nose. The little girl seemed to rather love that idea and as she squealed, the auror’s head span around for his bright green eyes to fall upon his daughter. He was certainly not going to admit to anything of the sort and his daughter should certainly have known better about her dear much loved father!

"I take it I'm setting the table for six tonight again?" The lovely lying lady spoke and Eddie’s shocked expression twisted into a smirk. He stood up slightly straighter and took a few steps towards his ex-missus and the food on the stove.

“It depends.” He stated as his eyes fell on Quincy. Two hands dug deep into the pockets of his auror robes as he thought for a moment. It was obvious he wanted to stay for tea. It was no secret that Eddie Pratt couldn’t cook. Despite the fact that him and Ms St.James were now divorced, he still very much appreciated her offers to let him eat her well cooked food. “Is it newts’ legs and snails again?” A grin was brought to his lips as behind the couple the squeal of “ewwwwwwww” erupted from the little girl.

Quincy raised an eyebrow at her growing girl as she exclaimed her disgust at the thought of having to eat newts legs and snails. "Natasha, what have we said about being grateful for anything that we're given?" The little girl scuffed her toe along the floor sheepishly.

"Yumm?" she tried, an attempt to retify the situation.

Quincy chuckled and gently flicked the tip of Natasha's nose with her forefinger. "Don't worry, I'm not going to feed you newts legs and snails. Your father is just trying to wind you up." The little girl cast a scowl in her father's direction, but her attention was quickly directed to whatever was bubbling in the pot.

Quincy watched Natasha stretch up onto her tippy-toes in an attempt to see what was in the pan. "It's sausages and mashed potato with gravy." Quincy rested a hand gently on Natasha's warm head as the girl grinned, upon hearing one of her favourite dinners was coming her way. "Why don't you go and tell your brothers to come and sit at the table?"

Natasha didn't need telling twice, and ran off up the stairs, her little feet pounding each one with the strength of a hippogriff, and screaming like a banshee about dinner being ready.

Quincy flicked her wand at the ladle to stir the gravy. "So, anything new going on?"

"So, anything new going on?" Edward Pratt’s ex-wife demanded the morning after he’d had a somewhat eventful first date with a very interesting French witch.

The auror visibly stiffened as he, without missing a beat, responded “No” To her. It was flat, plain and no doubt sparked a curiosity within the witch to whom he’d said it. Eddie, however, had no plans on expanding for the mother of his children. No, Eddie didn’t believe he had anything to feel guilty about, yet at the same time he didn’t feel it fair to tell her so soon. He wasn’t even sure if Vivienne would wish to see him again after he’d basically bullied her into a date and exploded a very large pot of stew all over her lovely dress.

No, Quincy was better off in the dark and this was why Eddie scooted closer to the hob and took a nose at what was boiling inside the large pan. “I’ve got some tickets for me and Noah to go to a Quiddtich game tomorrow afternoon.” That was something new going on. “Hope ye don’t mind me stealing ‘im fer a while, luv.”

But Pratt didn’t wait for an answer because of course Quincy wouldn’t mind, and even if she did, the tickets were non-refundable and she would be the dragon if she didn’t let Noah go. The auror leaned against the work surface and crossed his arms.
“So yer back at work now? They ask much about yer disappearance?”

Quincy, being the kind of witch who noticed many things around her, saw Eddie stiffen considerably at her question. A small smirk came to her lips, amused that he would be so secretive. His short, sharp "no" in response forced his ex-wife's eyebrow to rise slightly as she carried on stirring the gravy. Eddie clearly realised that his tone and mannerisms had been more revealing than the one word he had uttered, and backtracked, saying he had tickets for Noah and himself to go and watch quidditch.

"Of course," Quincy responded smiling. She wasn't going to push the subject of whatever it was making Eddie uneasy, but she had the distinct feeling he was uneasy for her rather than for him. Whatever he was hiding was something he thought she might not deal with well, and she was pretty sure she knew what it was. She bit her lower lip to stop herself from laughing as Eddie asked her about work.

Straightening her face as much as she could, she shook her head. "They had no need to ask - I told them everything that happened, and they were very understanding." She turned the flame down on the hob and set the potatoes to mashing. "Though they did request that the next time you decide to kidnap me, if you would please give them some indication as to when you may be returning me?" She grinned as she called for the boys from the kitchen door for dinner.