Alternate RP as simple as that

[Mary Lou Layton]

Out of Character:

set before the start of sixth year

There was something about being back in New Zealand that had just truck Mary Lou as being right. Going off to live with Betty when she and Lou had a falling out had been something she hadn’t really been allowed to discuss. It hadn’t been up to her. Since Betty was the one who had custody of her, it wasn’t up to her where she ended up. So when Betty decided she’d had enough and moved on, Mary Lou had been forced to go with her and that had been that in the end. She hadn’t been sure where they were going to end up, but the last thing she’d expected was America. Being back in her home and not being in Daphne seemed strange to her, but it was something that, in the end, had been the kind of thing she’d grown to expect from her Aunt.

Unsurprisingly, their relationship only grew worse in that time.

As soon as she’d been able, Mary Lou had made contact with her Uncle Lou who’d helped her make preparations to get back to New Zealand. Now old enough to choose what she wanted to do on her own, Mary Lou left Betty. She explained the situation of course, but she hadn’t given the woman much chance to say or do anything that might have meant Mary Lou couldn’t or wouldn’t leave. She didn’t want to stay in America. She wanted to go back to New Zealand, she missed it there and that was where she wanted to Graduate. She missed the friends she’d made there and she honestly felt like she’d all but abandoned them when she’d left. Not that she’d had much choice in the matter, but that was in the past now.

At least she hoped it would be.

“Thanks, Uncle Lou.” her accent was thick again - she was going to have to try and lose it. She hadn’t seen the man in a couple of years now… but he looked different. That was more true than she’d ever thought it could be. Whilst her mother might have raised her a certain way, Betty was far more colloquial. She’d picked up a lot of mannerisms from the woman and though they hadn’t gotten along in the entire time she’d spent with her there, Mary Lou did now wonder how she was and what she was doing. They’d been alone together for a longer time than either of them thought they’d manage to survive if she was honest. It was a bit of a miracle.

“I appreciate that you’d come all this way to let me stay with you again.” she hadn’t expected it, but she’d been expecting to return to the farm… not what this was. “Where are we?”​

 

[Lou Prindeou]

Lou had gotten into a fight with Bettie as soon as Erik had moved in after his trip to Canada. Lou knew before she was upset he had moved off of the farm. But he would stand his ground with Bettie again if he had to. Lou was slowly starting to realize his own worth. He had been born and raised to work the farm. He had poured his heart, soul, and life into that patch of dirt for years. But he was human, he deserved to be happy. And if building himself a little home with a wreck of a potioneer that may be emotionally stunted was it, then Lou was going to take it. Erik might not be perfect but he was his, and Lou was nothing if not patient. He was ready to invest years into gently watering and caring for and growing Erik into the wonderful man Lou already knew he was.

But if there was one thing he regretted, it was Mary Lou. He had never liked the way Bettie had treated the girl. But he had been powerless. He had been under Bettie's thumb for so long. He had been stunted, barely able to speak. Erik had truly changed Lou, turning him into a better man. He had honestly laid awake at night every so often, worrying for his niece. Bettie had always been so cruel to her. Lou wished he had known how to contest her custody of Mary Lou, but he had no idea where to start.

So when he'd gotten word from the girl that she needed him, he had immediately pounced on the chance. He smiled gently at the girl as she thanked him, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck. "I moved off of the farm." He told her gently. "It's why Bettie and I fell out..." He hesitated. "Well, part of it. But this is my- our home." He corrected her, leading her inside. "I sent your things to your room, but- can we sit in the kitchen for a bit? We need to talk... please?" He pleaded gently with her, giving her his biggest doe eyes. Erik and Hans didn't know she was here yet, it was so sudden. They were out for the day. Lou was supposed to be working the farm, but he had taken the entire day off as soon as Mary Lou had contacted him.

 

[Mary Lou Layton]

Mary Lou wasn't sure what she had been expecting with all of this. To be honest she had kind of assumed that things would just go back to exactly how they were and she would just continue on with barely any insight into anything. Things with her Aunt had taken much of a sour turn in the last few months and it had become so unbearable that it just made more sense to leave. She’d hated to do it. She wasn’t the most comfortable person with moving around like that and she hated being on her own - mostly because she’d been on her own for so long whilst she was both with her parents and then with Bettie and it had just taken a toll on her. She was sure he deepest fear would be something akin to loneliness. Either way, she was going to try her best not to ever have to find out.

Still, she hadn’t expected all of this. Not from Lou. This was a different man than the one she’d known three years ago. She didn’t know what that meant for their relationship, but she hoped things would be okay. She’d generally gotten on pretty well with Lou. She remembered fondly helping him in his garden and he would dutifully keep her away from the Alihotsy leaves and other issues so she would be able to keep safe. Though just touching the plant didn’t usually cause her any issues, if she touched the plant and forgot to clean herself up and then touched her mouth or her face, that could have caused just as much issue as having taken it in completely. Her severe allergy was no joke and she wanted to try and avoid it as much was humanly possible.

“You… you what?” Lou had loved that farm. In time, Mary Lou had grown to love the farm. Would this mean she would never see it again? The thought was honestly very upsetting and her face fell a little. She didn't voice the concern though, because she could see that there was more that he might have wanted to say, so she swallowed the tiny concern at the back of her throat and she nodded to him, clutching her smallest bag close to her. She had a couple of others in the back, but mostly she’d taken herself away and tried to get out as quickly as possible. If her Aunt had been able to catch her she wasn’t sure she’d have made it her and though she likely knew where Mary Lou had gone, she had the distinct feeling the woman would not come for her. There would be little point.

“We can talk, shall I put on some tea?” she liked it as something of a barrier. She’d grown used to tea with her Aunt whenever they needed to speak of difficult matters - whenever the woman had decided that it was time to do so. It was a practice she wasn’t likely to lose in herself for some time. She was surprised she even had a room.​

 

[Lou Prindeou]

Lou saw the look on Mary's face. "Oh, oh no, we still own the farm," He was quick to reassure her. "I took the day off to pick you up." He felt guilty, why had speaking with her always been so hard? He swallowed nervously, moving to the table. His tall frame collapsed into a kitchen chair. He ran a hand through his hair. "Tea?" He smiled gently. That must have been a Bettie thing. He remembered that well. It both comforted him and made him feel bittersweet. "Yes, please, would you?" He asked, his voice gentle.

Lou sat up, folding his hands in front of him. His eyes darted from Mary to anything else, his heart pounding in his chest. It took him several moments to find his voice. "Mary... Mary Lou, I'm so sorry," He apologized, his voice breaking and his eyes watering. He sighed heavily, dragging a hand over his face. "I know... I know how Bettie was to you. I could have... I should have done more." He finally turned bashful eyes up to her. "You deserved more, Mary Lou. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry that I didn't stop her." A single tear slid down his face. "I've always regretted letting her take you."

 

[Mary Lou Layton]

To hear that they still owned the farm was at least something of a relief, though it would be strange not living in her little room, with the windows that opened out onto the wide fields. She’d often looked forward to the morning routine of opening her windows and quietly slipping out and into the fields, running her hands through the long grass. She knew they were not far from the farm, but she wouldn’t be able to sneak out and back like she used to. It was… more of a shame than she had thought. She had not realised how quickly or how easily she had become attached to it until she’d no longer been involved. She would have to find out if she would be allowed to spend some time there on her own, maybe to say hello, maybe to say good bye. She wasn’t sure which it was yet.

As Lou made himself comfortable in his home, Mary Lou busied herself with preparing some tea. She looked to him for direction on where everything was, but found it was fairly simply stored. It seemed that her Uncle had not changed completely though he had still spoken more words to her in the last moment than she frankly remembered him ever saying to her before. She kind of liked it, but it was a bit like speaking to a stranger. His mannerisms were familiar, but different. It was a bit like looking into an old photo and knowing the person before they were the person you knew now. It was a little disorienting, but she was sure that with time it would become much easier to process. She was sure that the sentiment was similar for him. There had certainly been changes in her own life too. She was not the same Mary Lou he knew.

As she was preparing the tea leaves she’d found - chamomile, fitting - she looked over her shoulder as he started to speak. She didn’t think she’d ever seen her Uncle cry. This was a first. She wasn’t quite sure how to deal with it either, though she wanted to do something. Was this normal for him? She didn’t know the man very well anymore and even when she had known him, she hadn’t really. They’d barely interacted beyond a shared morning routine and a gruff welcome and goodbye whenever she’d left for school.

He had given her her first pair of gloves, of which she still had, but that was about as far as that had gone. Now it was just… something else entirely.

She didn’t say anything until she’d finished setting up the tea and moving with a try to the table. She had a system, this was how she talked about serious topics. She needed a moment to herself, and this was how she got it. She was meticulous in her focus and had selected the prettiest cups that he owned, though they were not entirely to her taste, she was not all that fussy to what she drank her tea out of. And it was only once she had placed a tea cup in front of him and poured him some tea that she spoke at all.

“You didn’t have a choice.” she sat then, and poured herself some tea, before taking a sip to continue. “Aunt Bettie was the caregiver, the name on all of my documents. She went to magic school and she was the person who had made contact when I was sent here initially. You wouldn’t have had much hope in cutting through any of that red tape.” she was trying to be mature about this, but really she was just unsure and maybe a little bit scared. She didn’t know what they needed to discuss, but she was terrified he was going to turn around and tell her he had changed his mind and this was a rejection. She didn’t think she could go back to her Aunt now. Not after the way they’d left things in the end.

“She knew what she was doing.”​

 

[Lou Prindeou]

Lou let out a heavy sigh, picking up the tea and taking a sip, finding it immensely comforting. "This is very good, Mary Lou, thank you," He whispered, taking another sip and cradling the cup. After a moment, and her very adult reaction, he sighed. "I was always jealous of you, you know," He managed softly. "You have the whole world at your fingertips."

Lou shook his head, staring into the liquid of his tea. "I was born and raised to work the farm. I never had a choice. A chance. I wasn't schooled, I was thrown into the fields." Lou ran a hand through his hair. "I was the worthless farmer boy. I always thought I would live and die within the confines of that farm." Lou peeked up to Mary Lou. "I... I never knew how to speak to you. I wanted to be there, I wanted... I saw how she was to you. But I never..." Lou shook his head, his hands tightening around his cup. "Never once did I think I was worth your time." He admitted quietly.

Lou bit his lip, and slowly offered out his hand. "Please... will you stay?" He asked softly. "Let me... let me make it up to you. We can go shopping. I have a room for you. You can design it however you'd like. I'll pay for anything. Everything. I want you to feel like this can be your home." He offered gently.

 

[Mary Lou Layton]

She didn’t know what to say. The display of emotion was foreign to her. At least for Lou. Bettie had never hesitated to let Mary Lou know what she was feeling. Usually it was frustration or anger, but never fear like this, never being unworthy or feeling lost or useless. It wasn’t something she generally knew what to do with. She watched him though, tilting her head a little. Maybe if she could perceive him differently she could see what was in his heart. Though he was trying to make sense of both their situations, this wasn’t what she had been expecting. She was completely unsure how she was supposed to act, or react, or proceed. She wanted to get to know her Uncle, yes, but this was not how she had pictured it. She’d been expecting to fight her way through some kind of gruff outlier personality. Not this. Not this… gentleness.

A tiny smile ticked up onto her mouth as she took another sip from her tea and made a pleased hum. That Chamomile was definitely one of the better leaf strands. She was going to have to make sure they continued to stock it. It was simply lovely.

She gave him time to talk, though she wanted to interrupt him, she had been raised to take turns, or at least to make sure others had the opportunity to speak first; since most of the time Bettie preferred her to keep to herself - she never did understand why her Aunt disliked her or why she’d thought bringing Mary Lou with her when she’d left was a good idea, and honestly, she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to know. If she never saw her Aunt again, she was sure she could live with that. Though there were things she would miss… maybe miss was the wrong term.

“I didn’t think I was worth your time.” she said, slowly. Looking away from him this time. It was hard, voicing her inner most thoughts like this. Aunt Bettie had never cared to hear them, but she felt like some level of vulnerability was required here. Even if it made her feel uncomfortable. She was used to having to bottle things up with her Aunt. But she was feeling like she might be able to breathe again, like she had before she’d left. “I don’t want to leave, Uncle Lou - I thought… I thought you were going to tell me that you had changed your mind. You’re so… you’re so different now. I thought maybe you didn’t want me around anymore and you were going to send me back. I don’t want to go back to her.” she would have to find somewhere else to go if that was the case.

“You’re not just a worthless farmer, Uncle Lou. You’re my Uncle Lou - you kept me safe.”​

 

[Lou Prindeou]

Lou let Mary Lou speak, his heart pounding in his chest. He relaxed slowly, realizing she was willing to give him a chance. He smiled warmly, sipping his tea. "I am different," He murmured shyly. He bit his lip. "You never have to go back, Mary Lou. I've got you, I'm not going to let you go." He reassured her.

He hesitated a moment before sighing. "Mary Lou... I don't live alone." He looked shy. "It's... I met a potioneer. A long while ago now. A lot happened. He came to the farm for ingredients, we met, we talked... he showed me the world," Lou smiled fondly, his heart fluttering. "We had some issues... he has a horrible family. We were both broken... he cheated on me, I caught him. He broke both our hearts." Lou sighed. "But we worked through it. He went to therapy. While we weren't talking, I moved here. It upset your Aunt that I left. I built this house."

He hesitated, blushing and looking away. "I built a room for you. In case you wanted it." He laughed nervously. "But... when Bettie found out Erik was going to move in with me after he'd completed his therapy, I don't know, she... she was furious. And before I knew it, you were both gone," He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

 

[Mary Lou Layton]

“You… don’t?” Lou not leaving alone was a surprise. She’d really just assumed that after she’d left with Bettie that he’d been alone all that time. She supposed that was a bit of a foolish thought. It made sense that he would have collected a roommate, or even a boarder. Though as he kept speaking, she realised that he might not have been talking about someone who was simply a friend. This was a person who’d given her Uncle a smile, a life. She couldn’t begrudge that on anyone and though they seemed to have gone through some troubles, Mary Lou was just relieved that he was happy and if this was what was making him happy then she didn’t care what had happened. The important part was that he was happy.

She kept drinking her tea as they talked, hiding the bigger struggle of her emotions. The fact he’d had a room built for her was humbling, it felt like he actually might have done what he could for her if he’d had the ability and she appreciated that more than she thought he would understand. Ignoring the bedroom for now though, she set her tea in front of her and folder her hands on the table gently. “Do you love him?” it was a simple question, but Mary Lou had never been in a relationship. She didn’t know what it meant to be hurt when you were with someone. She’d never witnessed a healthy relationship like that.

True, her stepfather and her mother had shared something nice, she believed, but she hadn’t been there to see it. She’d been shipped off pretty quickly after it all. “This… Erik? Do you love him?”​

 

[Lou Prindeou]

Lou was relieved Mary Lou seemed to be taking it all well. At her question, he smiled warmly and nodded. "Yes. With all my heart." He responded easily. "Erik can be thoughtless, a bit selfish, but he's a good man." He hesitated. "Erik... has a bad family. Like... his mothers side, they... don't accept men. They abandoned him at birth." Lou swallowed nervously. "Recently... they abandoned his nephew, as well. Hans. We... just took him in, too." He spoke gently.

 

[Mary Lou Layton]

Mary Lou didn’t realise she would be intruding on so many people. It was one thing to be intruding on her Uncle and whoever he was seeing, but for there to be a child too? She wasn’t sure she would be comfortable with that… of course she didn’t know how old he was, so it was possible that she wouldn’t even see him all that much. School would be going back soon. She didn’t want to cause any problems for any of them.

“That’s not very nice, there’s nothing wrong with men, I like me-” Mary Lou stopped short and blushed, sipping her tea quickly to hide her blush and hoping desperately that her Uncle wouldn’t catch on. She didn’t need to be talking about one other reason she’d decided to return.

“If he makes you happy, I’m happy for you, Uncle.” and that was all that should have mattered to anyone else. She didn’t know the details about this other family and she didn’t really want to know as it wasn’t any of her business. She’d been abandoned by her family too, but not because she was a girl - there had been other reasons. She wasn’t sure what someone had to be thinking to leave a child for any reason, it was part of why she’d never spoken to her mother since.

She finished her tea and stood up to take it to clean. “I don’t want to be in anyone’s way. If there’s other people here maybe I should…” could she go and live at the farm alone?​

 

[Hans Drage]

Hans had spent the morning exploring outside and adding to his rock collection. He’d found one with embedded pieces that glittered when he held it up in the sunlight. With his new find stowed away in his trousers, he walked back to the house. He had worked up an appetite over the last several hours, and now he was just ravenous.

Hans was starting to settle in with Erik and Lou, even though he missed Hilde terribly. She’d recently written to him and said she wasn’t supposed to be sending him so many letters anymore. Hans knew deep down that it wasn’t Hilde’s choice, except for the voice in the back of his head that said otherwise. He worried his twin was going to forget he ever existed. Hans hadn’t shared it with either his uncle or his boyfriend. In some ways, it made him feel ashamed.

When the boy reached the house, he entered through the back door quietly. He’d learned from a young age not to make too much noise. Hans slowed when he heard Lou talking to someone. A girl, someone he’d never met before. Then when he heard what they were talking about, a knot twisted his stomach. It was embarrassing to hear his story explained out loud to a stranger. Although he was tempted to slink away to his room, he decided he was too hungry and too annoyed.

Stepping into the kitchen with his head held high, he said matter-of-factly, “My family isn’t bad. They’re just different.” Hans didn’t know why he was so defensive. What Lou said was true, but it didn’t change the fact that he was lumping everyone together, including his sister. And at the end of it all, he still couldn’t bring himself to hate his mum- even after she’d happily given him up.

With that, he stepped to cupboard, getting together the ingredients for a tinned asparagus sandwich. He could feel that his face was turning positively red.

 

[Lou Prindeou]

-godmods approved-

Lou was surprised by Mary Lous' words. He quickly got up to follow her, but before he could respond, Hans was there. Lou paled but held his ground, turning to face the boy. "Hans. Can you come here please?" He asked gently, kneeling to Hans level as he did. "I'm sorry if what I said upset you. This," he waved to his niece. "Is Mary Lou. I would very much like it if she could stay with us." Lou looked between them, biting his lip.

He stood and walked over to Mary Lou, his hand hovering gently over the small of her back. "Mary, sweetness, would you please stay? It might take a bit to adjust to each other, but... I want us to be a family. All of us. Hans is nine now." He looked between them, biting his lip a little harder. Erik might kill him. But Lou was going to stand his ground on this. Mary Lou deserved a home. To be taken care of. He couldn't bear to leave her alone again.

 

[Mary Lou Layton]

Mary Lou stopped in her tracks as a boy appeared out of seemingly no-where and declared his family weren’t bad. Honestly, she understood how he was feeling because ultimately she felt the same way. Even though her parents had willingly given her up, she still loved her mother, even if she had no real desire to see her at the moment. She also still loved her Aunt, though that had come in several different variations these days. It wasn’t hard for Mary Lou to understand what this kid might have had going through his head. But she didn’t really know him - she just remembered what it had been like for her when she was his age.

She had nothing in common with a nine year old she was pretty sure.

“If you think it’s okay… I really don’t want to live somewhere by myself. I could move to the farm if you prefer but,” she didn’t really want to. She wanted the chance to get to know her Uncle unlike before. She wanted to learn his favourite tea, his favourite food. All the things she felt she should have known before. It was the bare minimum of things she felt she needed to make up for starting as soon as she could.

But if the boy didn’t want her there - she didn’t want to fight him. “But… uh, is Hans okay with it?” she asked, looking to where the boy was now and moving closer to the kitchen, itching to get her fingers into something she could make. This wasn't the first time she'd been in a situation where she'd had to move around quickly after all. The anxiety was building up and she needed to release the tension. But it was hard here, this was not her safe place. She needed something to take her mind off.​

 

[Erik Drage]

Erik had just finished a run to the Apothecary for ingredients Lou couldn’t grow. It was high time for some lunch. In true Erik fashion, he’d skipped breakfast, managing to sneak out before Lou could realize it. He waved his wand as he stepped through the door, levitating his bag of ingredients towards the back porch. The potioneer didn’t need chicken lips and dragon dung stinking up the front hallway. He took off his boots, setting them neatly on the shoe rack, and padded into the kitchen. His eyes widened when he saw the group already gathered there.

Erik swore he’d seen the girl with curly blonde hair, but he’d never had the pleasure of being introduced to her. “Why, hello,” he said, looking between the three and wondering what was going on. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Erik,” he added, not waiting for Lou to introduce him. He leaned against the doorway and glanced at Lou. He hadn’t been expecting a guest. Not that Erik, of all people, would reject a visitor. If he was good at one thing in his life, it was socializing.

 

[Hans Drage]

Hans was spreading cream cheese onto a slice of bread when Lou called him over. His face still hot, Hans obliged. Obedience had been drilled into him by the Kvalheims and it was hard to shake. He swallowed hard when Lou knelt in front of him and apologized. Hans nodded, feeling it was easier to do so than argue further. He looked to the girl, Mary Lou. She seemed all right. When she asked if she could stay, Hans managed, “That’s fine.”

It wasn’t like he had a choice in any of this even if he wanted to. He couldn’t exactly go back to his home, where he’d grown up with Hilde. But he wasn’t going to make Mary Lou feel bad about it. He walked back to the counter, taking a fat asparagus spear out of the tin and slathering it onto the bread, rolling up his sandwich and going back to the table.

 

[Lou Prindeou]

Lou smiled warmly at Mary Lou, and at Hans. "Sweet, I want you here. With us. Let me take care of you," he murmured to her, starting to reach out to brush her hair back. Eriks voice startled him, causing him to jump. He swallowed loudly. Without meeting Eriks eye, Lou murmured a quick introduction to his niece. "Mary, this is Erik. He... Doesn't know you're here, give me just one moment please," he pleaded gently.

Lou walked over to Hans first, putting a hand on the back of his chair and leaning down to catch the boys eye. "Hans. Thank you," he spoke tenderly. "Your opinion matters very much to me. Thank you for letting her stay." He smiled warmly.

Unable to avoid it any longer, Lou straightened and walked over to Erik, trying to turn the man slightly. "Erik... I didn't tell you before, I didn't want you to worry... When you moved in, Bettie took Mary Lou and left the farm. I don't know where. Bettie... Bettie was very harsh with Mary Lou. Always. I couldn't stop her. But Mary Lou contacted me... She's living with us now, butterfly." Lou gave Erik his biggest doe eyes. "She's Reece's daughter..."

 

[Mary Lou Layton]

Mary Lou seemed to be meeting the entire family in the first moments of her return to New Zealand. She didn’t hate it, but it was a lot and to try and get her mind off the way her chest seemed to twist around her heart, she shoved her face into the cooler and found some eggs and dropped them onto the counter carefully. She had never felt better than when she would have her hands in some batter and so she moved to find flour, turning around the kitchen to find it.

The boy was eating some kind of sandwich and honestly that just wasn’t right. She knew nothing about him, but she was sure this wasn’t something he desperately wanted. And then there was the man himself, the Erik person.

She was suddenly feeling very out of place in her pretty dress. It certainly wasn’t the kind of thing one usually wore generally, but it was her favourite dress and she’d needed the encouragement to actually get on that plane. Now as she stood in the kitchen with two men and a boy who were clearly not dressed up for some maiden voyage, Mary Lou felt as though she was grossly out of place. Though she could not currently do anything about it as much as she might want to.

Her curls bounced around her head as she watched her Uncle pull Erik aside, but said nothing and turned her attention back to the kitchen again. She was accustomed to letting grown ups talk whilst she was ignored. Things hadn’t changed much from when she was younger with her Aunt around.​

 

[Erik Drage]

Erik watched Lou as he moved around the kitchen. His eyes narrowed when Lou thanked Hans for letting Mary Lou stay. So that was what this was about, then. Erik didn’t exactly have a hairy heart. And he’d sprung Hans on Lou unexpectedly. He listened as his partner explained the situation. Really, overexplained; Erik was never going to say no, and Lou had to know it.

“All right,” Erik said with finality. He figured he’d ask Lou more questions later, when they were out of earshot of the young ones. “Do I smell chamomile?” He could really go for a hot cup of tea and some sweets.

 

[Lou Prindeou]

Lou was feeling entirely overwhelmed. He felt raw, on edge. He wanted to pull Erik in, draw comfort from the mans warmth and familiar frame in his arms. But he knew now was not the time. "Yes. Mary Lou made us the most wonderful cup of tea," Lou summoned the rest of his cup and offered it to Erik, before moving over to Mary Lou working on... something or the other. "Do you need help?" He asked her gently. He looked over to Hans, not wanting to have him feeling left out. "Hans, bud, do you want anything in particular for dinner tonight?" Lou asked, trying to decide what to feed the four of them.

 

[Mary Lou Layton]

Mary Lou shook her head at the offer of help. She needed to just take her time with this, let the feelings wash over her so she was feeling better. All of this was so much, there was a lot. She was going from having no one but her Aunt to having a whole house of people - it felt strange, but also nice. She wanted to want it, but at the moment all she was feeling was overwhelmed. She would feel better when she had some batter in her hands, and then she could properly think about all of this. She felt like she’d been given a lot to think about and having so much attention on her threw her right back to her first year in potions class and the moment her whole life had changed.

She knew that even if Luxen was still at the school she would be have a better time dealing with him than she had before and though she still got weird feelings when on the train, she wasn’t worried about that either. “No, I have it. I’ll make some cupcakes to have after dinner. Would you like me to make dinner too? I can do that.” she needed to feel helpful, useful. She didn’t want to take advantage of their generosity.​

 

[Hans Drage]

Hans looked up as Lou asked him a question, his mouth full of sandwich. The boy shook his head. He tried not to be demanding and had learned to deal with what was given to him. If he’d demanded a specific meal at his family home, he would have received whatever punishment his mother, aunt, or cousins felt appropriate at the time.

His expression brightened when Mary Lou said what she was making. “I like cupcakes,” he said, his voice eager but quiet.

 

[Erik Drage]

Erik accepted the cup of tea from his partner and moved to the table, sitting next to Hans. He sipped at the hot beverage; Lou was right, it was delicious. He watched the goings-on at the counter. Mary Lou must be like her uncle; needing to stay busy to keep her mind straight. Erik didn’t blame her- baking was meditative, not unlike brewing a potion.

“Me too,” Erik echoed. If the Drages loved any food group, it was sweets. He wondered if he and Hans should leave the room to give the two some space, but he didn’t want to make either of them upset. Instead, he drank his tea and simply existed with his little patchwork family.

 

[Lou Prindeou]

Lou felt restless, biting his lip as Mary insisted she had it. He saw the boys sitting at the table, and he wavered between sitting down and staying with her. He wanted to stay close to her, feeling protective after so much time apart. He was floundering and he knew it. Lou ran a hand through his hair, his eyes darting wildly between them. "Erm- I..." Lou felt like he didn't fit into his own skin. "I'll help you with dinner, why don't you decide what you'd like and I can help you,"

Lou started scratching at his arms, leaning against the counter to try and find some balance. "I- er- I'll let you think," He straightened quickly. Feeling absolutely overwhelmed in a very short amount of time, Lou quietly excused himself and rushed from the room.

 

[Mary Lou Layton]

It had been a while since Mary Lou had made anything for anyone else’s pleasure. Her Aunt had never appreciated it no matter how hard she’d tried, and if she had, she had never shown it. It would be nice for her efforts to be appreciated again, and she was almost willing to allow Lou to help, but something in side her told her she needed to be alone for a moment, but not… on her own. She wasn’t sure how that made sense, but it did. She wavered her hand at him. “No, no I have this. Um, do we have ingredients to make a pie?” the last time she’d made a pie was when her Aunt had told her they were leaving for America. It felt right that Lou should be the one to get her to make a pie again.

She looked over as her Uncle left, looking over to Hans as he sat at the table. He looked so… young. She remembered being him, not all that long ago. Something clicked in her head and she waved him over. “Hey, have you ever made anything before? Like cupcakes or cookies, or anything?” she felt like Lou wanted them to bond, or something and it had been a very long time since she’d been around kids. She loved kids. Maybe she would also love Hans.

Yes, it was time for Mary Lou to be an adult in this situation. And all it took was one tiny ounce of courage.​