Closed Expecting, the Unexpected: Plot ID: #30674503

Sara Moon

Former 'Claw | Auror | Grieving
Messages
3,744
OOC First Name
Maia
Blood Status
Muggleborn
Relationship Status
Engaged
Sexual Orientation
Heterosexual
Wand
12 and a half inches willow with unicorn hair
Age
5/2015
The last few weeks had been stressful. With the election, work was busy and Sara herself spent most of her time trailing Claudia Holland. She liked the woman, though she still hadn't made her final decision about who her vote would go to. Tonight though, she was free, and waiting for Mason to come home. She needed to talk to him, the last while had been worrying, she'd been feeling ill, and fatigued on the job. Sara was up to the task at hand, so over-working wasn't the problem. It had to be something else, and her suspicions had been confirmed earlier that day. She and her fiancé needed to have a conversation, and so she was waiting up, a bottle of wine on the coffee table, for him to return home.

Since the engagement, life had been quiet for the two. Both of them were busy. Sara worried that Mason worked too hard, but knew she could be accused of the same thing. This election was creating a lot more work for the department than the last one. The auror could only suppose it was because of the last election that this had happened. She had no suspicions about Holland with regards to Scitorari involvement, and since their work was confidential, she didn't know if any other assigned aurors were having difficulty with the remaining candidates. It was doubtful there could be two candidates from the Scitorari. What Sara did know, was that it was all creating a lot of work for Mason, though it wasn't unusual for him to be late coming home. She was bone tired, but wanted to speak with him before heading to bed. There was no way to be sure what time he'd arrive. So, she claimed her favourite armchair and read quietly, her ears pricked for the sound of the door.
 
Mason took little notice of the time as he went about his day. Of course, he knew when it was morning and when it was evening and when there were meetings that required his attendance, but the actual hour and minute mattered so little to him. It certainly didn’t indicate the start or end time of his day. He had more trouble recalling the last time he’d left at the hour that the job posting had indicated than he did remembering the last time he’d be called in to handle some work-related emergency. The past few months had been especially trying, the organization of a massive investigation such as the one being conducted on all of the candidates took up nearly all of his time. There were reports and reports for those reports and even more reports once they’d actually unearthed signs of Scitorari involvement in one of the candidates. Shutting one such report, Mason shut his eyes, his middle finger and thumb massaging the bridge of his nose as he let out a deep exhalation. The amount of new gray hairs appearing on his temples and in his beard had come as no surprise to the man. It was a good thing that his vanity didn’t include attempting to conceal these signs of stress and age.

Knowing that there would be plenty of time tomorrow to continue reviewing the mountain of paperwork lining his desk, Mason collected his wand and his bag. He stepped out of his office and heard the door begin its security procedures for the evening, happy that the place wasn’t as crowded as it sometimes was at this time of night. In a relatively short amount of time, Mason was entering his home, happy to see his fiancé. The Head Auror could feel himself relaxing, their home the sanctuary the pair of them had always hoped it to be. Glancing at the clock, Mason inwardly cringed. It was later than he thought. “Sorry I’m late” Mason muttered, knowing that Sara had heard that greeting more than she deserved and wondering if there would ever come a time that she wouldn’t readily accept it as she always seemed to. Mason knew that she understood the challenges of his position more than most, but he also knew he wouldn’t fault her if she one day decided that the challenges were simply too much. Until she did, he was happy to enjoy his non-working time in her presence. Moving closer to her, Mason placed a kiss on the top of Sara's head, settling himself on the arm of her favorite chair. "How are you, love?" he asked, keen to connect with his fiance.
 
Sara stared at the unopened bottle of wine on the table and willed Mason to appear. She could feel herself tiring, and knew that if it took much longer, he'd find her asleep in the chair. The sound of the door was a welcome one. At Mason's words, she found herself smiling. Mason's presence was so calming, and she needed calming tonight. "Don't be sorry, I'm just glad to see you. How was your day?" As Mason entered the room, she flicked her wand to uncork the wine, pouring a single glass. She loved their home, she loved how safe she felt in it, but it was always a happier place with both of them in it. She knew the demands of Mason's work, she knew he not only kept her safe, but endeavored to keep their entire community safe. What sort of person could chastise him for that? She'd begun this relationship fully aware of his work commitments, and of her own. She loved him for how hard he worked, how much he cared. He never need apologise to her for that. The kiss widened her smile and she re-positioned herself on the chair so that she leaned into Mason. "I'm good, I have news though. Glass of wine?" She picked up the glass and handed it to her fiancé. She'd spent hours rehearsing how to break this news, and she couldn't be entirely sure of Mason's reaction. The timing wasn't ideal, but she had an optimistic feeling.

"So, you know I've been feeling kind of tired recently, and well, I thought maybe it was the election, stress and late nights, but really Holland is fine, and she's not the hardest person to trail." She was getting off topic, but nerves were getting the best of her. Readjusting her position again, she faced her partner. Kneeling in her chair, she tried to get a read from his expression. "Well, I wasn't sure, I thought it was work, and I guess I should've realised that wasn't it, because I've never been a person who gets sick a lot, and I've been feeling nauseous a lot, I know I didn't mention it, but I chalked it up to work again." Wow, she really wasn't doing her best communication here. Merlin knew what kind of tangent Mason thought she was going on. "Well, I went to the Healer today, just for a check up, and she asked when I last had my period, and I realised I skipped my last one, but I thought that was stress too, so I shrugged it off..." Her eyes still glued to Mason's face, she began to smile, because this was a happy moment after all. Yes, it hadn't happened as planned, and this was a bit sooner than they'd imagined. She'd thought they'd be at least married before expanding their family, but life made its own plans. With a deep breath, the notorious babbler finally got to the point, "Mason, I'm pregnant."
 
Mason considered the question for a moment. "My day was long" he said with a hint of a smile on his face. He stared down at the woman, wondering, as always, how he managed to get so lucky. Sara was his anchor in the dark world they traveled together, tethering him and reminding him that, though the world might seem dark on occasion, there was also a great deal of light and happiness. She reminded him of all the good things, helping the man to remain hopeful and optimistic. "Good news though. It seems the Matthias trial might actually happen before the end of the year" he stated. With the election happening and the Minister moving closer to the transition out of his position, Mason had wondered if the man would leave the task of hearing Metrophanes Matthias' case to the next man or woman who took his place. That hadn't been the case, however, and Mason, for one, was happy that it was going to happen sooner rather than later. He accepted the glass with a nod, taking a small sip. The pair enjoyed wine and usually kept several good bottles on hand. It was such a common occurrence that Mason didn't even realize that Sara didn't have a glass in front of her. He simply assumed she did and didn't bother to check. The man was more intrigued by whatever news Sara had to share, wondering if it was news about work, though he doubted it since they so rarely spoke work at home even though he just had done so.

The man nodded his head. All of the workers assigned to candidates had been tired with all the extra hours they were pulling in. The man knew they were all overdue for vacations. He nodded again. Mason had assigned the cases with some thought about which Aurors might be able to get the most information from which candidates. Holland had struck him as the motherly type so he had figured that another woman, but a younger one, would engage the woman's maternal instincts just enough to allow Sara to do her work with some ease. It was a bonus that the woman had so easily taken to having an Auror accompany her. The same couldn't be said for all the candidates. A frown began to develop on the man's face as Sara continued. This was news to him, and he lifted his hand from the back of the sofa to brush a strand of hair behind Sara's ear. She'd mentioned being tired but none of these other symptoms. He wasn't even sure he recalled hearing she had an appointment scheduled. At her next words, Mason's frown deepened, utter shock taking hold. They'd spoken about beginning a family one day but with the election and everything going on, now was not that time. Anyway, they'd been careful. He was sure of it, not that he paid especial attention to that. Mason cleared his throat and then cleared it again, for the first time noting that she didn't have a glass in front of her. "Sara, can you repeat that please?" he stated, his voice strained and unlike his normal tone. The wine in his glass sloshed, betraying his shaking and he put the glass down quickly, his gaze never leaving the woman.
 
At least she'd caught him on a good day. Sara knew Mason didn't like delays when it came to trials like these, and the bureaucracy of the Ministry often meant that things took longer than they should. For Matthias' trial to happen before the end of the year was definitely a step in the right direction. Mason being in a good mood could only make this easier, or so she thought. As soon as the words left her lips, she could see her fiancé begin to panic. His poker face was usually better than this, but the shaking in his hands left no doubt that this wasn't the best news he could've heard. Half jumping out of her seat, she rose to Mason's level, taking his face between her hands.

"I know, the timing could be better, but then again, it could be worse? I could've gotten pregnant months ago, and have been due during the thick of the campaigning, and I'm only about eight weeks along, so we have plenty of time, and I can work while pregnant, I mean probably office work when it gets close to the due date, but I'll be fine for the election, and.." She couldn't think what to say. Mason was panicking. She'd panicked herself, to be fair, so she understood. This wasn't the plan. When she'd thought of having kids, it was after they were married, maybe a couple of years down the line. She wanted Mason's children, more than anything, and she knew he'd be a good father, but right now she worried that he mightn't survive the news itself. Looking into her eyes, she found herself beginning to worry. She knew Mason wanted a family too, and she'd expected some shock, but not this frozen disbelief. "We were careful. I don't know how it happened really, well they do say no birth control is 100% effective..." Now she was searching for something to say, and moved away from Mason beginning to pace. "I mean, I know it's a shock, I was shocked, I am shocked. I've been sitting here just wondering how to tell you, because, well it's not perfect timing... There is no perfect time though really, and I'm happy, I think, I mean I'm surprised, but I've been thinking about it all day, and we have seven months to prepare, which is buckets of time really, and the election will be over. I mean, we're going to have a baby, Mason." She couldn't stop herself smiling at those words, stopping to look back at Mason once more. "What do you think? You're panicking, but what do you think?" Anxious now, she stood and waited for his response.
 
Mason Talarico was not a man who liked to be caught unawares. In fact, his job depended on that not happening. He was meant to be on top of intelligence, prepared for activity before it happened, if he was doing his job right. Of course, even with the best of intelligence, there was always some unknown factor, something that simply couldn't be planned for. But Mason tried his best to mitigate those because in his line of work making mistakes could cost someone or a whole slew of someones their lives. In his private life, Mason was much the same, extremely vigilant and observant and yet. He felt Sara get to her feet and his hands moved of their own accord to her side, his fingers linking behind her back as she took hold of his face. The man wanted to shake his head, not to shake her off but to shake the cobwebs from his head. The words out of her mouth had him feeling almost as if he'd just been hit with a cotton- stuffing spell, her words coming to him almost as if they were in slow motion but they weren't, Sara gearing up for one of her rambles, the telltale sign of her own nerves on display. Mason could tell this but couldn't bring himself to act just yet as her words sunk in. Eight weeks. Two whole months. 60 freaking days ago his life had changed and he had had no idea that it had.

The hold he had on her was a frail and he watched as she broke away to pace. Sign two of her nerves. Mason could see it all and knew that if this was a work situation, he wouldn't hesitate to act. He'd have been one of the first to dive in, danger be damned. But a baby? Mason Talarico had sat in this very room imaging him and Sara in rocking chairs with grandchildren around them, and for that he knew there had to be children first. That was just the way it worked. But that had all been in some far future. Not now. Not in the middle of one of their busiest and most dangerous times. As she continued to pace, reasoning for both of them, Mason took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When he next looked up, Sara was smiling. She was beautiful always, but when Sara Moon smiled as she was doing now, it was a level of beauty that could only be found in artwork. Mason took another breath and held his hands out, imploring her to return to his side. Short as she was, they were fairly level with him seated as he was. "Sara" he murmured. "I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life" he said, a chuckle escaping his lips as he realized that was the overwhelming emotion he was feeling. He lifted her hand to his lips to give her a kiss and then continued speaking to her knuckles. "I'm going to be a dad" he stated before repeating the words to allow them to sink in, though he had a feeling it would be several days before it truly did.
 
Somehow Sara knew they could do this. It was a terrifying thought, becoming parents. It had always seemed so far away and yet here it was right in front of them. She knew that Mason was terrified. He liked to be in the know, to have some modicum of control. In this moment though, she absolutely knew that this wasn't some insurmountable task. They had a beautiful home, a room ready to be converted into a nursery, a strong support system, and both of them had steady, well-paid work. In reality, there were far worse situations to be in when a surprise pregnancy occurred. Most importantly, they loved each other, and surely that love could only multiply with the birth of a child, a child that was a beautiful mix of the two people who loved it. Even as she rambled, and rationalised, she could feel the nerves subsiding, being overtaken by a wary excitement. Mason still hadn't spoken. What if he wasn't happy? What if he didn't want this baby? She tried to banish such thoughts, but was anxious to hear his voice. Sara had never imagined she would have so much to love, but here she was, suddenly contemplating life as a family, as a mother, and desperately hoping that the future she envisioned would occur, and much of that future depended upon Mason's reaction.

When he opened his arms, she practically ran to him, holding a breath as she listened. "I'm scared too.." As he took her hand, she couldn't help smiling. To be scared was a normal reaction, not a negative one. All would be well. His next sentence prompted a laugh and she moved toward him, positioning herself on his lap and pulling him into a hug. "Yes, you are, a wonderful one." Leaning back to look at him, she couldn't keep the half-nervous, half-excited smile from her face. "It's going to be okay, Mason. We'll be okay, and we can do this. This baby will be the most thoroughly protected child in the country." Her hands had found his hair again. There was something so comforting about playing with Mason's hair, and in that moment she was almost perfectly happy, glad that he hadn't reacted badly, delighted that he'd finally spoken. "I know it's a surprise, but, I'm happy about this, there was never going to be a perfect time, though my parents may have preferred if we were married first." This prompted a laugh as she imagined the absolute joy which would radiate from Thomas Moon at the thought of being a grandfather again.
 
Mason couldn't recall the couple ever speaking about fear so readily. They were Aurors, after all, a position that came with the daily suspension of this very feeling. They were required to do what others could not, to go into places to face the darkness and rid it from this world. But, it was helpful to know that he didn't feel this emotion alone. He assumed it was a common feeling, especially for first time parents. As Sara curled around him, Mason returned her hug tightly, loosening his grip a moment later, concern that it may have been too tight. Her reassurance a moment later did not fall on deaf ears. Shocked as he still was, Mason knew he needed to catch up to Sara's composure quickly. She was going to be counting on him more than ever, for now they weren't just doing their work to protect themselves. They had a baby on the way. "You're damn right" he growled. Nothing would touch this child if he could help it.

Mason would have been content to remain in this position all day. He enjoyed the feel of his partner's hand in his hair. It always felt reassuring and made him feel connected to her. Mason wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed that something was amiss before. Now that he knew, of course, he could almost see a difference in Sara. It wasn't anything specific either. She looked the same and looked different all at the same time. It was utterly fascinating and Mason found himself drawn to her even more than he typically was. He laid his head in the crook of her neck as she continued to play with his hair and then let out a chuckle at what she'd just said although his was far weaker than Sara's had been. "Your father is going to kill me, Sara" the Head Auror replied though he did so through a smile. The woman's enthusiasm was contagious.
 
Sara couldn't help but smile at Mason's reaction. He was a protective boyfriend, a protective friend. Hell, he'd been a protective boss before they'd had any sort of personal relationship. She didn't doubt he'd be doubly as protective of any child of theirs. She felt totally contented sitting there with the love of her life. Yes, things were moving quickly, much more quickly than anticipated, but they were good. Everything else could be uncertain, but Mason felt constant. They could count on one another.

She laughed again at his words, lightly kissing the top of his head, "He'll be delighted." She knew her parents loved kids, and both of them would be delighted at the prospect of a new grandchild. "We should keep it quiet for a while though, just for us." She didn't want to jinx anything. Remaining seated for a couple more moments, she slowly raised herself to standing and took her fiancé's hand, "Come to bed." It had been a long day.




Three Months Later

Standing in the spare room, Sara had the radio playing. The new minister had been announced earlier in the week, and she was happy for Claudia Holland. She was a kind woman, and no doubt would do her best. She was very nice which worried Sara a little, having trailed her during the campaign, but only time would tell. She'd stripped the room of its former furnishings in preparation for the baby, though it was a bit early yet to start filling it up. Today, she was hoping to decide on a paint colour, and had decided to things the muggle way. Her rounded belly wasn't incredibly large yet, but five months in, or more specifically twenty-two weeks, she'd begun to notice her changed center of gravity, and some backache, but nothing too drastic. Thankfully it hadn't interfered in her working life yet, though since the election was now over she'd probably focus on office work. She'd brought in yellow paint, a light blue, some green and a lovely purple. Part of her wanted to create patterns with all of the colours, but knew her skill with a paintbrush perhaps didn't match her enthusiasm.

She'd left all four tester paint pots on a table in the center of the room, and carefully prized them open. Turning up the radio, she began to let herself enjoy messing about with the paint. She had the afternoon off, though she might head in to the office later to check in on a couple of things. Laughing and dancing about the room though, she was perfectly content. The pregnancy was going well, her parents had reacted well, as had the few intimates she'd told. Neither she nor Mason lived their lives particularly publicly, though it was more difficult for the father-to-be given his position. Sara could live under the radar somewhat.
 
Light noises coming from somewhere above as he let himself in, Mason could feel his body relaxing with each step. Work had been tough, which was to be expected with a new Minister getting herself adjusted to the position. But it was even more so this time around with all that had taken place the night before the election. Mason was still working on piecing everything together and doing his best to keep the Daily Prophet from getting wind just yet. Eventually there would have to be an official statement made, and Mason was not looking forward to that day. But that was a problem for another day, he knew, as he hung up his Ministry robes and began to make his way up the stairs to see what his fiance was up to.

After the initial shock had worn off and Mason had some time to process, he had continued to be worried about Sara being pregnant. After that settled in a bit more, Mason had found himself feeling excited, more so as each day presented the soon to be parents with something new to learn and with a Ravenclaw as a fiance, there was always something new for Mason to catch up on. A smile grew on the Head Auror's face as he realized Sara was in the room they'd designated as a soon to be nursery. With all that had been happening, Mason had been feeling guilty about not being home for Sara as much. Do he gave a gentle knock at the door, not wanting to startle her as he peeked his head in. Sara knew some powerful spells. "What are you up to?" he asked, an amused expression on his face before he moved his hand from behind his back to reveal a bouquet of flowers. "For you, Sara" he said as he moved closer to give her a kiss.
 
Sara's experimentation had taken a colourful turn. A corner of the room was filled with splashes of colour, swirling lines of blue, green and purple. It was oddly pleasing to the auror who enjoyed the lack of a set pattern. She was cheating a little bit, making use of the flashing paint charm so that the colours switched places, and was using a drying spell quite liberally so that she could paint over spots that weren't to her liking. As a result of her indecisiveness, only a small portion of the wall was done, but slowly and surely she was making her way around one wall. Perhaps the other walls could be block colours and this one could be a sort of feature wall? When the baby was older, they could draw on this wall freely, because it couldn't really cause too much damage. Sara didn't hear Mason arrive, she was in the midst of changing the colour of the green paint to a darker green, wand in hand. She nearly dropped the paint at the sound of the knock, but quickly placed it on the table. "Hey handsome." Walking the couple of paces it took to get to Mason, she grinned, "Mostly, I'm making a mess, but it's oddly satisfying."

The appearance of the flowers made her laugh, "Mason! They're beautiful, thank you." Wrapping her arms around her partner, she leaned up to kiss him, a smile firmly planted on her lips. Taking the flowers, she quickly raised her wand summoning a vase from downstairs, "Perfect." She placed the flowers in the vase and pointing her wand into it said, "Aquamenti." The sound of the water filling was strangely pleasing, and she placed it on the unpainted windowsill. "It may be a bit too much, all the colours," She gestured to the wall behind her as she turned back to Mason. Moving swiftly on, she returned to his side, this time wrapping her arms around his waist, "How was your day?" She knew things hadn't been the most peaceful in the last week or so, which always made life harder for Mason.
 
Mason returned her hug with a strong one of his own. Seeing the dark side of the world more often than most want easy, and during weeks like this one, Mason wanted nothing more than to go home and hug Sara a little tighter. In doing so, he would always quietly reaffirm his vow to never allow harm to come to her or their baby. He had seen Sara hurt once and that was only when she'd simply been another member of his staff. He was not sure he could deal with it now. "Maybe a little" he grinned, agreeing with her. The pair were in the midst of nesting. Mason had thought it strange but his mother had assured him that it was quite normal and his best bet was to simply go along with what Sara wanted. So if it meant seeing up furniture, he made himself available. Picking up more paint and he would be there too. Mason didn't want Sara pushing herself too much but he knew better than to just come out and say it or make her supervisor alter her schedule. If he did either of those things, he had a feeling he would feel her wrath. So he did what he could, setting up the contents of boxes when he spotted them and other work related things he thought he could get away with.

As she settled back at his side, Mason let out a sigh. He could feel the stiffness in his shoulder as he lifted one arm up to drape across Sara's shoulder. "Frustrating. We haven't made any progress with him" the Head Auror stated. "And I don't know how much longer we can keep this out of the news" he added, clearly troubled. The election itself had gone smoothly only because his team was filled with the discretion necessary to do their jobs. But leaks were bound to happen when so many people were involved and he could only demand evidence from his own people. "I think we'll find out how ready Minister Holland is sooner than later" he added, remembering all the times that Sara had described her as nice. Mason had not yet had his first sit down meeting with her, not with everything else going on, but it would need to be soon. Squeezing her shoulder, Mason stood quietly, taking in the colorful room for a few moments and all that they were building here. A family first and foremost but also love and trust and hope. Those were some of the most important things in life. Then he began to roll up his sleeves. "Ok Ms. Moon, put me to work. What can I do?" he asked, eager to leave the darkness behind him, if only for a little while.
 
Burying her face in Mason's shoulder, Sara just took a moment to breathe him in. It sometimes still shocked her that they'd found one another. He was the last thing she'd have expected. Sara had always been independent, she still was, and yet she had no interest in a life that did not include one Mason Talarico. She'd become accustomed to the thought of the baby now. The real challenge was curbing her own enthusiasm. She didn't want to jinx things. She wasn't sure when she'd take her leave from work yet, but wanted to keep working for as long as possible. Yes, she wanted a family, but her career didn't need to suffer in order to have both. She knew Mason was wary of her doing particularly physical work, but he worried too much. She wasn't in the field, not since the election, and that was sacrifice enough as far as she was concerned.

The aftermath of the election was messy. Very. She'd known that a large portion of the stress would fall on her partner's shoulders. She just hoped he wouldn't face something like they'd encountered with the Brandt woman, the backlash had been intense. Wrapping an arm around his waist, she stood quite contentedly observing the room. She could imagine what memories might be made in this space, and she just wanted everything to be right. "So, how stressed are you on a level of one to ten then?" Leaning into him, she turned to look in his face. Mason had a difficult job. A hellish one at times, and she worried that he looked after everyone but himself. Mason's question made her smile, and stepping forward she feigned thought, "Hmm, I'm not sure what's the most pressing." As she spoke, she turned and grabbed the paintbrush with purple paint gracing the tip. "I think I want to add more of this, just not sure quite where..." Quick as a whip she whirled around and flicked some paint at her fiancé with a laugh, "Y'know that might just work!"
 
It was moments like these that Mason loved most, their quiet comfort. The fact that every moment between them need not be filled with sound, though he did love her voice and hearing her explain what she was thinking about at any given moment. Mason loved those moments most too. He knew that he had to answer her question honestly, loath that he was to do so. She would worry either way, he knew. "This is a hard seven" he admitted, the only bright point being that they had very nearly cleared his Aurors of causing the damage that had been done to Finch. Every moment mattered and though everyone was moving quickly, it was just not enough to contain everything that needed to be contained and investigate everything that needed investigating in any given moment. Mason loved his work, but times like this did give him pause to question his sanity in that sentiment.

He was glad when Sara didn't press too much and instead began to look for work for him to do. It was what he needed, to keep busy and to do something that he would enjoy. Preparing for a baby was more enjoyable than he had thought it would be. The tiny clothes still frightened him. Could something really be that small? And he worried after Sara when he saw her reach for her back, but this was proving to be more interesting than his brothers had expressed. Perhaps it was his age and knowing he'd waited a long time to find himself in this position, where he actually wanted a child. He began to look around the room, genuinely wondering where purple might suit nicely when he found himself the favored locale. "Sara!" he exclaimed, a laugh escaping his lips, born of pure shock. He looked down at his shirt, speckled with purple paint and laughed again as he summoned a free paint brush. "Two can play at that game" he teased, wondering which color to go for. Green seemed a good option.
 
Sara's heart went out to Mason upon his admission. The man gave his heart and soul to this job, he worked tirelessly for the safety of all, with very little thanks. Standing on tiptoe she pulled his face to hers in a kiss, "New Zealand truly doesn't deserve you," a small mumble, but a smile broke across her face. She adored the man standing in front of her, and the stress his was under mightn't have just been about work. She knew he'd been terrified when she first told him about the pregnancy. She'd been in the office quite a bit and there was an air of quiet urgency around the place. Everyone seemed on edge. Nobody was fully informed about what exactly had happened, as was fair, and it was classified information, but there was a feeling of unease. Much of the stress fell on her fiancé's shoulders. She wished sometimes that she could make him forget everything, but he cared so much.

A laugh escaping Mason's lips was such a joyful sound. She dipped the pain again and quickly moved so that the table lay between her and Mason, "You forget, I was a seeker, I'm speedy." Laughing, she began to duck and dive, like a boxer preparing for battle, "Purple suits you, goes well with your hair." Another laugh bubbled into the air and she jumped forward, intending to run past Mason to where she could use the doorway as a shield.
 
Months later...

Mason had never regretted the safety measures he had gone through to secure the home he shared with Sara. It was unplottable, under charms to prevent people from apparating or disapparating on the property, and more than a handful of measures that meant that Mason could mostly let his guard down when he made the turn off the main road. Mason loved being able to provide this safety for his fiancee and unborn child, and he had backed in that knowledge over the past few months. He knew that whatever other challenges lay ahead, worrying about a home invasion was one he could put well down on the list. But in times like this, Mason regretted it. He knew Sara was in more pain than she was letting on, and he knew that until he got her beyond their gates, there was little he could do to help her. Even then, they had a long journey to the hospital. Apparating was dangerous at this stage in her pregnancy and Mason was scared to floo travel with her. Inaction was not the way of an Auror, however, and Mason used magic to hover her go bag before them as they made the slow walk. "Ok, Sara?" Mason asked as they left their home.

Mason was trying to appear calm for Sara's sake, but he was quite worried. His brothers had both separately told him about this moment, about the intensity of it that was mixed with the excitement of knowing that soon new life that he had had a hand in creating would be in the world. Mason wasn't feeling that excitement however. He didn't like Sara feeling this way. She was his world and it didn't matter that they hadn't yet exchanged the vows to make them husband and wife. He had vowed to ensure her safety, to protect her always and he was finding this a humbling experience. He could do nothing to ease her pain, fear of doing something to hurt either her or the baby making him pause. Mason allowed Sara to lead and moved at her pace, letting her use him as a crutch if she needed.
 
The sensation in Sara's abdomen was indescribable, a sort of pressure rather than pain, and yet painful. She could still move, and walk, but felt almost as though she were looking at her body, rather than inhabiting it. Why on Earth was her back hurting? Stopping outside the doorway, she leaned for a moment against Mason, feeling almost faint as another contraction overtook her. "I'm, I'm fine." Sara was not fine. She was worried, she couldn't explain the fear. Yes, it was a bit early, but babies were often born early. She herself had been born early, though her Mother had put that down to their being twins. "Okay, let's, let's go. How do we? Do we get a car?" She hadn't thought about the transport part of the birth, focusing rather on the baby at the end of it.

As she shuffled across the garden, with her partner by her side, she found moving was easier. In between contractions, the pressure was still present, but the pain less so. "Mason, it's early though. It could be too small, or need help." She could've cursed herself for speaking. Sara knew Mason was already stressed, and her belief that the birth would take place after all the election drama had proved false. Since the election, his stress had only increased. How would they manage a baby on top of everything else? Opening her eyes, she could see they were almost at the gate, "What's the plan? I'm sorry, I never thought about how to get to Mungo's." Mason always had a plan. Always.
 
Mason heard Sara's words, her declaration that she was fine, but he knew her well enough to hear the sentiment behind it. The man struggled to not tense up, to remain as calm as he needed her to be. From what he'd been told, this was just the beginning and they were in for hours of this before their child would finally arrive. Mason had made plans for transportation, his need to have as much of what he could control, under control for this moment. Mason hadn't truly expected to have to put any plans into play this soon. It was too soon, but as Sara voiced a similar concern, he rushed to shush her. "No, no, love. The baby is going to be fine" he reassured her, happy that she was moving slightly easier than she had been just a moment before.

Mason did have a plan, and as they headed through the doors of St.Mungo's, he was happy that his plan had gone off without a hitch. At least, that had gone according to plan, even if the rest of this wasn't. "We need a Healer" Mason raised his voice as they entered, a hint of the anxiety he was feeling slipping in in spite of his best efforts. He repeated his words, glad when a Healer came forward and began asking questions.
 
Plot ID said:
# 30674503
Once they were in the door, things began to move very quickly. A lot of people were saying a lot of words, and Sara became increasingly less aware of what was going on around her, and more focused on what was going on inside her. The pain was more than she had every imagined it would be, the contractions more frequent now, and lasting longer. She gripped Masons hand as they were rushed to a room. Someone nearby was saying something soothing, but she couldn't make out who it was, her eyes were squeezed shut so tightly that the only thing visible to her was the red of her own eyelids. The world had become a distant place.

Some time later.

When the healer left, Sara found herself suddenly immobile. Again, words seemed to have lost meaning. Her hands lay idle in her lap. She gazed at them, suddenly aware of her cruelly empty stomach. "We didn't pick a name." The words left her without her having chosen to say them. Everything seemed blurred, and yet in the highest focus imaginable. "Do we-do we have a funeral?" She didn't really expect an answer, didn't really know if she was asking a question. Her eyes didn't move from the hands that should have been holding a baby. Every part of her was a should now. She should be feeding her child, she should be picking a name, she should be calling her family with good news. "Did I..." Did she stay in work too long, or not take things as easily as she should have? The healers had said it was fine. Everyone had said it was fine, until it suddenly wasn't. Sara hadn't even considered this possibility. She'd assumed all would be well. She'd painted the nursery. The picture she'd painted of their lives lay shattered in her arms, instead of the wriggling new life she'd anticipated.
 
There was no way Mason was going to let Sara be shuffled away, lost in the maze of the hospital. Thankfully, a Healer recognized him as an Auror and waved him in. Mason had planned to go anyway, but was glad to not add any more to the chaos. This wasn't his world, and the noise and succinct orders that traveled from Healer to nurse and back again were foreign to the man. They seemed to be putting forth their best effort, however, and Mason concentrated his attention on Sara who did not look well. Mason felt her squeeze his hand, and he murmured some words of encouragement to her, wishing he'd retained more from the books she'd read aloud to him. Mason had hoped to really begin preparations for the hospital in the coming weeks. He'd thought they had plenty of time, plenty of time to let their families know that the baby was on the way, to do more than make the initial preparations for a go bag. Now, it was just them. There hadn't been time to contact Kate even, who lived closest of all of Sara's family. Though the words were foreign to his ears, the tone wasn't and Mason looked up sharply when he felt the atmosphere change to one filled with a sense of urgency. It lasted only a few moments and then the Healers continued with their regular, to his ears, cadence as they settled Sara into a room. Then, they'd pushed him aside, the urgency returning and his demands for answers falling on deaf ears.

Mason didn't even know how many hours later it was, he nodded as the Healer backed out of the door, though it was very distracted. He'd not looked at the person the entire time and couldn't even say for sure if it had been a male or female Healer. He hadn't been paying attention. Mason sat in a chair that was just slightly too small for him, and nowhere near as comfortable as he'd hoped it to be. Though nothing would bring him comfort right now. He looked off into the distance, out the window, though the glare of the sun prevented too much from being seen. He remained that way, thinking about all that had transpired, the many advances in magic that existed in this day and age, and how none of them had been able to save his child. Mason's visions of coming home to Sara and their child were never going to come to fruition. It was as many people had told him. He'd simply waited too long for any of this to become reality. Mason should have known better. "What?" he said, his head turning slowly, almost as if it was moving through a thick syrupy substance, his brain in a fog. He hadn't heard anything Sara had said. Mason knew he should say something comforting to Sara, but he was at a loss, his own grief not even allowing him to comfort himself let alone another human being. He stared at his fiance, at how very small she looked in the hospital bed, and then he could look no longer. Of course, it was a comfort that he still had her, that the Healers had been able to keep her alive. He knew she wasn't well though, and he knew even less what comfort to offer her. What exactly did you say to someone in this situation? His Auror training had prepared him to handle dark wizardry, not this. He didn't know what Sara was feeling, knew he could never understand what it was like. Mason couldn't look at her any longer. It was too painful and he felt too incompetent, and he returned his gaze to the window and the world beyond, the grief constricting his throat in a way that no spell he'd been hit with during training ever had. Unawares, Mason rubbed at his own chest for a few seconds before his hand fell back onto the too tight chair.
 
He wouldn't look at her. Mason wouldn't look at her. The man who had so often seemed impenetrable to Sara was invisible now, it felt like a wall lay between them. She fell silent and simply stared at him as he looked away. He'd been excited, and scared, and all of the things she had been, but now he was like a stranger. She couldn't translate his silence. She couldn't look away. Did he... Did Mason blame her? She'd been so adamant that their personal life not intrude upon her career. Had she done this? she'd stayed working right up until the last. She'd gone into the office to check on things even when she'd gone on leave. Were these thoughts in Masons mind too? Had she done this? The irrational, intrusive thoughts wouldn't leave her. She didn't know how long she sat in that bed, staring at Mason and allowing this bubble of guilt to grow. People came, people went, and there she sat, silent, immobile.

Some months later...

Her favourite spot in the house, the little window seat. Outside it rained and Sara watched in silence. Silence seemed her constant companion now. She was going into work a couple of times a week, but there too silence prevailed. She could see other aurors looking at her, imagined them whispering among themselves. Her face is so drawn. Why was she gone so long? Her and Talarico-are they? She couldn't think about Mason yet. They spoke, they continued, they coped. Sara lived in a strange limbo, afraid she would say the wrong thing, afraid to talk about the only thing that occupied her mind. Her parents had offered to come, of course, but she couldn't see them. She couldn't see Kate, with her happy family. She couldn't talk to Mason about it, for fear of what they might say. How could she apologise for this? Part of her felt he would say she was wrong, that it couldn't be helped, but a small fear lived within her that he thought the same, that he was with her now out of pity not love. They'd postponed the wedding, to give themselves time they'd said, but she worried. She worried it was a postponement that would last a lifetime. Everyone felt so far away, as though she were seeing them through a veil, their faces blurry, their voices muffled and indistinct.
 
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The gentle taps of the raindrops against the windows were soothing, but the silence that reigned throughout the house was deafening. Mason sat in his office on the second floor, finishing up a few letters that needed to go out. Life hadn't slowed down at all since, and in fact, Mason had pushed that. He'd thrown himself back into work, putting in his usual, long hours and increasing his own training time though he hardly did field work anymore. He simply felt the need to be prepared in a way he hadn't when Sara had gone into the hospital. Mason hadn't spoken about it to anyone, avoiding lunches and dinners with his family, ignoring in their letters when they offered an ear or advice or attempts to push him and Sara towards counseling. It was unwelcome and unnecessary. He and Sara were fine. Sure, they'd postponed their wedding but, as he'd explained to his parents when they'd frustrated him enough in their questions, they were still together. It wasn't as if this had broken them up. They were fine, and he really needed everyone to stop asking him about it. And slowly they had. The urgency sliding into more hesitant questions about how they were doing and then drifting to how he was doing. A curt fine was the answer to both.

Moving towards his owls, Mason attached the letters and threw open the window, a treat to each before they headed out into the light rain. Mason watched them in silence for a few moments before sliding the window shut, the noise falling away. The house was silent, Mason's footsteps the only noise he could hear. He pointedly ignored the nursery they'd worked so hard on, the door tightly shut, locked by both muggle and magical means. He continued down the steps, knowing Sara was probably in her favorite spot, the window seat. Yet Mason turned the opposite way, heading into the kitchen to quietly rummage for a snack. Quiet was the prevailing tone of the home these days. Any noise was too much, a painful reminder of the noise they'd been expecting to bring into the home. A noise that would have meant love and happiness replaced by a silence full of their loss and guilt. Mason tried not to think of it too much because the guilt he felt was overwhelming. He was more than just her fiance; he had been her boss too. Double the responsibility for all of this had meant double the failure to him.
 

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