Post by OSUSprinks on Sept 26, 2007 18:17:11 GMT -5
Title: From Darkness To Light
Rating: Everyone
Summary: There is this awesome poem in the book Star Bright (I think that is what it is called) by Father Andrew M. Greeley (who I love) and I was reading it last night. The idea for the title sort of came from that. The story is from the many plot bunnies that cropped up after Milly posted her challenge response. I hope you enjoy. There will be another chapter, but I'm not sure if there's more than that coming or not.
Thanks go to the state of Ohio, which pays me to be here, even when there is absolutely nothing to do. lol
“Filius, would you like tea or coffee with your dinner?” Pomona came out of the kitchen of her home to find her friend asleep, one sleeping baby girl in each of his arms.
Her youngest sister, Holly, had asked Pomona to baby-sit the tiny twins so that she and her husband cold have a night to themselves. Pomona had agreed immediately and offered to take the girls all day, excited to spend time with her newest nieces and happy it was summer so she had the time to help out the young family. It had taken a whole day for her to remember she had also invited Filius Flitwick over for dinner that same evening. She had firecalled Filius to reschedule, but the dear man had offered to spend the day helping her watch the children.
They had known each other at Hogwarts, but only in passing as she had been a few years behind him. It was not until they were at university and placed as peer reading partners in an introductory writing class they had both hated that the two had become friends.
At the time he had just begun growing out his beard, which looked a deep auburn against his dark brown hair. She still remembered the brush of his soft whiskers the first time they kissed, the only time they had ever kissed. It had been two years since their English class, but they still got together for a drink or to study at least two or three nights a week. They had become close friends and confidants in that time.
That particular night, Filius had invited her over to his tiny flat for a “fancy” dinner of macaroni and a cheap bottle of wine. She had been complaining about a horrible date she had been on the previous weekend with some long since forgotten boy, when Filius had kissed her.
It had not been a long kiss and as with any first kiss there had been a bit of nose bumping and maneuvering before they were adjusted to each other, but it had certainly made Pomona forget what she had been talking about. The fact that she had been questioning her no longer platonic feelings for her friend and had gone on the date in order to prove to herself she was just lonely – she wasn’t – made it that much worse when Filius had abruptly broke off the kiss, sputtering apologies and promises never to kiss her again.
He had not, not even close. They were still close friends, though it had been a bit difficult right at first. Still they had moved on. They never talked of it and Pomona could almost believe it had never happened until moments like this one.
He looked so exhausted and so adorable leaning back against her sofa. He would make such a wonderful father. She could almost believe the girls were his, theirs, and the thought made her want to smile and cry at the same time. The smaller of the twins, Gloria, woke and started playing with Filius’ fluffy beard. The slight tugs she made as she gurgled and cooed woke Filius. He looked up at Pomona and smiled dreamily for a moment, before Gloria gave a swift, hard pull and Filius nearly came out of his seat.
Pomona bit back a laugh as she watched Filius try to keep himself under control.
“This one would make a lovely alarm clock.” He laughed quietly as Pomona removed his beard from Gloria’s tiny fist. She took the baby from him.
“More like a dinner bell.”
Filius got up carefully and laid the remaining twin, Grace, into the bassinet Pomona had set up for the girls. He checked his pocket watch as he stood up. “Is it really that late? I’m sorry I napped so long, Mona. I meant to help you with dinner.”
“That’s okay. You helped a lot by getting these two to nap!” She had settled Gloria on top of a receiving blanket on the floor and was changing her diaper. Filius watched as she tickled her tiny belly and distracted the little one while swiftly cleaning her and putting on a new cloth diaper. If he had not known better, he would have been sure the baby was hers. Pomona was so good with her, with both the twins. He knew she enjoyed babysitting her nieces and nephews and he often wondered why she had yet to settle down and have a few of her own, not that he was ready for her to do that.
He wondered if she ever though of that night a few years before. She had been so beautiful that night, as always, but the wine they had consumed had allowed him to admit it to himself. She had made him so jealous that night and anytime she talked about another man, even in passing. She probably never realized it and he knew it was not fair of him to feel that way, but he could not help himself. Pomona was special, too special for him, and much too special for the imbeciles she usually dated.
He would never forget the look on her face when he pulled back. He knew the kiss was a mistake, but he still would not change it. He had apologized, but even as he spoke, he had known he was only truly sorry he could not kiss her again. Pomona, on the other hand, had been on the verge of tears and he could only imagine how violated she must have felt. He had promised himself and her that he would never act on his feelings again and he had not. But, there were times like this one, when he wished he could.
There was something about seeing a tiny baby in the arms of the woman you loved that made any man long for something more than he had. It was just part of being human, whether muggle or wizard, Filius thought. He watched Pomona rock Gloria back to sleep, holding her to her chest and softly singing a lullaby. He allowed himself to daydream for a moment what it would be like if Pomona was his wife and they had a little girl or little boy of their own. He only let the thought linger for a moment, but it was long enough to allow the pain of longing to bubble to the surface.
“Fil, are you okay?” She had settled little Gloria into the bassinet with her sister without him even realizing it.
“I’m fine.”
She looked at him doubtfully. “I appreciate all you help, but if the girls and I wore you out, it’s okay. You don’t have to stay.”
“And miss your famous chicken and sweet potato pie? Never.”
A small bell sounding in the kitchen sent a smiling and blushing Pomona in after their dinner. Filius took a moment to check the twins once more. They were both asleep. Gloria was sucking her thumb and Grace had flung an arm over her eyes. Filius realized again how precious and adorable these two were. He leaned closer and began thinking of a few charms to dim the light entering the basket and to let him know if one of the girls woke while they were eating.
“You two are beautiful, you know that?” he whispered to the girls as he began casting charms. “Just like your Aunt Pomona.” Grace scrunched up her face and whimpered a bit as he dimmed the light, but she stayed asleep. “Yes Pomona is and a wonderful cook, too.”
Pomona entered the room and saw Filius talking to her nieces. She heard the charms he was muttering and smiled. He really would make a great father. She had not even thought about applying them. She heard his comment about her cooking and shook her head slightly. He was such a sweet man. Then he went on, and she nearly stopped breathing.
“Don’t you think she would make a wonderful mother? I’m sure you are biased toward your own, but if you can keep a secret I’ll tell you I wish she were the mother of my children.” Grace continued to fuss, waking herself up, and Filius wondered if she needed changed as well. “Maybe an adorable little girl or two like you, with my talent for charms and her beautiful brown eyes?” He picked Grace up so she would not disturb Gloria and turned toward the light to check her diaper. When he saw the mess she had made, he thought for a split second about calling Pomona, but decided that would not be fair, so he set about cleaning her up and finding something else for her to wear.
As Filius started to turn toward her, Pomona stepped back into the kitchen. Her breathing returned to normal, but her heart was now racing. Could he have possibly meant what he said? If so, she had no idea what to do. If not, she was going to smack him. It was not as if she had not complained over the years about being single, the lake of dateable men, and her despair of ever getting married. Though she realized it might have been awkward, he could have said something, anything to let her know how he felt. Unless he did not feel that way… But, then why say anything at all?
“Mona, do you know if Holly left any extra clothes for the girls? I can’t find anything in this bag.”
His voice brought her out her thoughts and into reality. She glanced around her kitchen for the second bag her sister had left and saw the candles she had just placed on the table and lit. Where they a good idea or bad one? She decided it was too late as Filius entered the room, holding Grace who was wearing only a fresh diaper. In between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand, he held the cute yellow robes the little girl had been wearing.
“Was she that big of a mess? You should have told me!”
“Worse,” Filius said as she took the outfit and began washing it out in the sink. “But we took care of it. Didn’t we, Miss Grace?”
Pomona looked up in time to see him place a kiss on the sleepy baby’s forehead and felt her heart melt. She nodded to the bag beside her and Filius opened it to find a pink jumper and denim pants lying on top.
“Are these for her?”
“That will work.” She scourgified the sink after hanging the outfit up to dry and took Grace from him. “I’ll dress her if you want to wash up and have a seat.”
They ate dinner and chatted as they would normally do. He complimented her cooking, but Pomona just smiled a bit. Filius thought she seemed distracted, but decided she must be tired. He was and he had taken a nap. As soon as they were done washing the dishes, the twins were ready to be fed and then changed once more. By the time they were bathed, in their pajamas and asleep, Filius was feeling drained. He and Pomona settled on the couch in front of the fire.
“I don’t know how Holly and Abram do it. Those two are a lot of work.” She leaned her head back against the cushions and closed her eyes.
“They are younger than we are.” He watched her shake her head and smile, her eyes still closed.
“By four years, not one hundred and four!”
“And they also created the little darlings, so I’m sure loving them and each other that much helps.” Her only response was to bite her bottom lip. He could tell she was thinking about something and he waited for her to tell him what was on her mind. After a few moments of silence he laid his hand on top of hers. “Penny for your thoughts, my dear?”
She turned toward him, her eyes filling with tears. “If you loved someone like that, would you tell them?”
He squeezed her hand, wishing he could take her in his arms. “I would hope she would be able to tell, but yes, I would tell her.” …If it wasn’t you and I hadn’t already tried, he added silently.
“That’s what I thought.” She turned back toward the fire and was silent again.
He continued to watch the flames, thinking about their evening and what could have upset her so. He hoped she was not too hurt whatever it was. He had just realized it was getting late when he felt her head against her shoulder. Careful not to wake her, he put his arm around his sleeping friend and held her close. Soon he was asleep, resting his chin against her head which lay on his chest.
The fire in the grate slowly burnt itself out, leaving them in darkness, though perhaps, they were there already.
Rating: Everyone
Summary: There is this awesome poem in the book Star Bright (I think that is what it is called) by Father Andrew M. Greeley (who I love) and I was reading it last night. The idea for the title sort of came from that. The story is from the many plot bunnies that cropped up after Milly posted her challenge response. I hope you enjoy. There will be another chapter, but I'm not sure if there's more than that coming or not.
Thanks go to the state of Ohio, which pays me to be here, even when there is absolutely nothing to do. lol
“Filius, would you like tea or coffee with your dinner?” Pomona came out of the kitchen of her home to find her friend asleep, one sleeping baby girl in each of his arms.
Her youngest sister, Holly, had asked Pomona to baby-sit the tiny twins so that she and her husband cold have a night to themselves. Pomona had agreed immediately and offered to take the girls all day, excited to spend time with her newest nieces and happy it was summer so she had the time to help out the young family. It had taken a whole day for her to remember she had also invited Filius Flitwick over for dinner that same evening. She had firecalled Filius to reschedule, but the dear man had offered to spend the day helping her watch the children.
They had known each other at Hogwarts, but only in passing as she had been a few years behind him. It was not until they were at university and placed as peer reading partners in an introductory writing class they had both hated that the two had become friends.
At the time he had just begun growing out his beard, which looked a deep auburn against his dark brown hair. She still remembered the brush of his soft whiskers the first time they kissed, the only time they had ever kissed. It had been two years since their English class, but they still got together for a drink or to study at least two or three nights a week. They had become close friends and confidants in that time.
That particular night, Filius had invited her over to his tiny flat for a “fancy” dinner of macaroni and a cheap bottle of wine. She had been complaining about a horrible date she had been on the previous weekend with some long since forgotten boy, when Filius had kissed her.
It had not been a long kiss and as with any first kiss there had been a bit of nose bumping and maneuvering before they were adjusted to each other, but it had certainly made Pomona forget what she had been talking about. The fact that she had been questioning her no longer platonic feelings for her friend and had gone on the date in order to prove to herself she was just lonely – she wasn’t – made it that much worse when Filius had abruptly broke off the kiss, sputtering apologies and promises never to kiss her again.
He had not, not even close. They were still close friends, though it had been a bit difficult right at first. Still they had moved on. They never talked of it and Pomona could almost believe it had never happened until moments like this one.
He looked so exhausted and so adorable leaning back against her sofa. He would make such a wonderful father. She could almost believe the girls were his, theirs, and the thought made her want to smile and cry at the same time. The smaller of the twins, Gloria, woke and started playing with Filius’ fluffy beard. The slight tugs she made as she gurgled and cooed woke Filius. He looked up at Pomona and smiled dreamily for a moment, before Gloria gave a swift, hard pull and Filius nearly came out of his seat.
Pomona bit back a laugh as she watched Filius try to keep himself under control.
“This one would make a lovely alarm clock.” He laughed quietly as Pomona removed his beard from Gloria’s tiny fist. She took the baby from him.
“More like a dinner bell.”
Filius got up carefully and laid the remaining twin, Grace, into the bassinet Pomona had set up for the girls. He checked his pocket watch as he stood up. “Is it really that late? I’m sorry I napped so long, Mona. I meant to help you with dinner.”
“That’s okay. You helped a lot by getting these two to nap!” She had settled Gloria on top of a receiving blanket on the floor and was changing her diaper. Filius watched as she tickled her tiny belly and distracted the little one while swiftly cleaning her and putting on a new cloth diaper. If he had not known better, he would have been sure the baby was hers. Pomona was so good with her, with both the twins. He knew she enjoyed babysitting her nieces and nephews and he often wondered why she had yet to settle down and have a few of her own, not that he was ready for her to do that.
He wondered if she ever though of that night a few years before. She had been so beautiful that night, as always, but the wine they had consumed had allowed him to admit it to himself. She had made him so jealous that night and anytime she talked about another man, even in passing. She probably never realized it and he knew it was not fair of him to feel that way, but he could not help himself. Pomona was special, too special for him, and much too special for the imbeciles she usually dated.
He would never forget the look on her face when he pulled back. He knew the kiss was a mistake, but he still would not change it. He had apologized, but even as he spoke, he had known he was only truly sorry he could not kiss her again. Pomona, on the other hand, had been on the verge of tears and he could only imagine how violated she must have felt. He had promised himself and her that he would never act on his feelings again and he had not. But, there were times like this one, when he wished he could.
There was something about seeing a tiny baby in the arms of the woman you loved that made any man long for something more than he had. It was just part of being human, whether muggle or wizard, Filius thought. He watched Pomona rock Gloria back to sleep, holding her to her chest and softly singing a lullaby. He allowed himself to daydream for a moment what it would be like if Pomona was his wife and they had a little girl or little boy of their own. He only let the thought linger for a moment, but it was long enough to allow the pain of longing to bubble to the surface.
“Fil, are you okay?” She had settled little Gloria into the bassinet with her sister without him even realizing it.
“I’m fine.”
She looked at him doubtfully. “I appreciate all you help, but if the girls and I wore you out, it’s okay. You don’t have to stay.”
“And miss your famous chicken and sweet potato pie? Never.”
A small bell sounding in the kitchen sent a smiling and blushing Pomona in after their dinner. Filius took a moment to check the twins once more. They were both asleep. Gloria was sucking her thumb and Grace had flung an arm over her eyes. Filius realized again how precious and adorable these two were. He leaned closer and began thinking of a few charms to dim the light entering the basket and to let him know if one of the girls woke while they were eating.
“You two are beautiful, you know that?” he whispered to the girls as he began casting charms. “Just like your Aunt Pomona.” Grace scrunched up her face and whimpered a bit as he dimmed the light, but she stayed asleep. “Yes Pomona is and a wonderful cook, too.”
Pomona entered the room and saw Filius talking to her nieces. She heard the charms he was muttering and smiled. He really would make a great father. She had not even thought about applying them. She heard his comment about her cooking and shook her head slightly. He was such a sweet man. Then he went on, and she nearly stopped breathing.
“Don’t you think she would make a wonderful mother? I’m sure you are biased toward your own, but if you can keep a secret I’ll tell you I wish she were the mother of my children.” Grace continued to fuss, waking herself up, and Filius wondered if she needed changed as well. “Maybe an adorable little girl or two like you, with my talent for charms and her beautiful brown eyes?” He picked Grace up so she would not disturb Gloria and turned toward the light to check her diaper. When he saw the mess she had made, he thought for a split second about calling Pomona, but decided that would not be fair, so he set about cleaning her up and finding something else for her to wear.
As Filius started to turn toward her, Pomona stepped back into the kitchen. Her breathing returned to normal, but her heart was now racing. Could he have possibly meant what he said? If so, she had no idea what to do. If not, she was going to smack him. It was not as if she had not complained over the years about being single, the lake of dateable men, and her despair of ever getting married. Though she realized it might have been awkward, he could have said something, anything to let her know how he felt. Unless he did not feel that way… But, then why say anything at all?
“Mona, do you know if Holly left any extra clothes for the girls? I can’t find anything in this bag.”
His voice brought her out her thoughts and into reality. She glanced around her kitchen for the second bag her sister had left and saw the candles she had just placed on the table and lit. Where they a good idea or bad one? She decided it was too late as Filius entered the room, holding Grace who was wearing only a fresh diaper. In between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand, he held the cute yellow robes the little girl had been wearing.
“Was she that big of a mess? You should have told me!”
“Worse,” Filius said as she took the outfit and began washing it out in the sink. “But we took care of it. Didn’t we, Miss Grace?”
Pomona looked up in time to see him place a kiss on the sleepy baby’s forehead and felt her heart melt. She nodded to the bag beside her and Filius opened it to find a pink jumper and denim pants lying on top.
“Are these for her?”
“That will work.” She scourgified the sink after hanging the outfit up to dry and took Grace from him. “I’ll dress her if you want to wash up and have a seat.”
They ate dinner and chatted as they would normally do. He complimented her cooking, but Pomona just smiled a bit. Filius thought she seemed distracted, but decided she must be tired. He was and he had taken a nap. As soon as they were done washing the dishes, the twins were ready to be fed and then changed once more. By the time they were bathed, in their pajamas and asleep, Filius was feeling drained. He and Pomona settled on the couch in front of the fire.
“I don’t know how Holly and Abram do it. Those two are a lot of work.” She leaned her head back against the cushions and closed her eyes.
“They are younger than we are.” He watched her shake her head and smile, her eyes still closed.
“By four years, not one hundred and four!”
“And they also created the little darlings, so I’m sure loving them and each other that much helps.” Her only response was to bite her bottom lip. He could tell she was thinking about something and he waited for her to tell him what was on her mind. After a few moments of silence he laid his hand on top of hers. “Penny for your thoughts, my dear?”
She turned toward him, her eyes filling with tears. “If you loved someone like that, would you tell them?”
He squeezed her hand, wishing he could take her in his arms. “I would hope she would be able to tell, but yes, I would tell her.” …If it wasn’t you and I hadn’t already tried, he added silently.
“That’s what I thought.” She turned back toward the fire and was silent again.
He continued to watch the flames, thinking about their evening and what could have upset her so. He hoped she was not too hurt whatever it was. He had just realized it was getting late when he felt her head against her shoulder. Careful not to wake her, he put his arm around his sleeping friend and held her close. Soon he was asleep, resting his chin against her head which lay on his chest.
The fire in the grate slowly burnt itself out, leaving them in darkness, though perhaps, they were there already.