Heart-to-Heart

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

The owl had come just as Cyndi had arrived home to tuck Jake and Ellie in, well Ellie really. Jake had declared himself too big for such things, though she did catch him opening his door wider so he could listen to the stories she read Eleanor during bedtime. The Gilderoy Lockhart books had once been his very favorite and apparently still was, though he'd never tell his mum to her face. Cyndi enjoyed them too, as long as they were read as fiction and not as the memoirs they were still listed as. The woman knew the story she'd read to three children now like the back of her hand, so she continued reciting from memory as she opened the owl, surprise to see it was from Kiera. At this hour? Pausing in her delivery, Cyndi almost called out to her husband who was in his study, working no doubt, but she stopped herself. He'd been dealing with a lot of stress at work with the murder of the Headmistress' daughter. She would handle this and then let him know, once she had all the facts. Her daughter tugged her arm, pushing the book into the crook of her elbow. "Sorry Ellie. Where were we?"She forced a smile, a genuine chuckle coming to her lips when Jacob replied from across the hall.

Only an hour later, Cyndi was donning a cloak over her clothes and heading out. She'd peeked into the study to tell Cam, but he'd been talking to someone, their head illuminated in the floo. Stepping towards the main fireplace, in their sitting room, Cyndi made note that she needed to purchase some more powder as she grabbed a pinch and temporarily undid all the wards and spells that went up each night. They'd re-do themselves once she left. Throwing it in, she watched the flames before stepping in and declaring Kiera's address, having no idea what she was walking into. The room looked normal enough, though the silence was unsettling. Kiera's home was never silent. "Kiera? It's me" she called out softly, not wanting to wake Jemma. "Where are you?" she called out, making her way cautiously across the room, wand in hand.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

It was really over. Three years in to the marriage and he was out. Carter was not coming back, and Kiera had no idea where he had gone. It was painfully obvious to her now. She was sitting on her sofa in the living room with the lights out and a bottle of gin. Her face was tear-stained, but there were no more tears left in her body to cry. Mascara streaked across her face, but she no longer cared. Thank god Jemma was already asleep upstairs, and Kiera didn't have to worry about her.

Across the room, the fire place crackled, and Kiera heard Cyndi's voice. She had known her sister-in-law and best friend would come when she sent the note. Cyndi had helped her through her most difficult times. The Alex and James drama sixth and seventh year to losing James nearly 9 years ago, Cyndi was always there for Kiera. "I'm here." Kiera replied in a raspy voice.
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[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi knew instantly from Kiera’s tone that something bad had happened, though she was already expecting as much. Though the note she’d received hadn’t said much, she knew that it wasn’t an invitation for a spot of tea being delivered at that time of night. Lowering her wand now that she knew that Kiera was at the very least safe, Cyndi made her way closer to her friend maneuvering around the furniture without turning on the light. She knew Kiera’s house almost as well as her own, the two spending a great deal of time in each other’s homes. Spotting the bottle of gin as she approached Kiera, Cyndi frowned as she rounded the sofa and quickly sat down beside her friend. It only took a second of seeing her face before the older woman was hugging her friend, caring more about consoling her friend in that moment than about the reason behind her tears. As she rubbed Kiera’s back much like she did with her children when they were crying, Cyndi finally asked the question, “What’s wrong?”

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera knew that she had been here before more times than she could count. Cyndi had always been her strongest supporter, no matter what she did. Kiera could always count on her sister to stand by her and support her, and she needed that now. She was broken-hearted and a disaster. The former Gryffindor leaned in to Cyndi's arms and let her console her even though Cyndi was clueless to Kiera's pain right now. Kiera was sure that she smelled like a bar at two thirty in the morning with the amount of alcohol she had consumed as Cyndi asked her the question she was dreading answering. She "Carter left. He walked out earlier, and he isn't coming back. We are over." she said, feeling hollow inside. Saying it outloud to Cyndi made it real, and she didn't want it to be real.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi knew it wasn't Lyra or Link as she'd just seen them right before she'd left to head home and tuck the children in. She didn't think it was Jemma either, which left only Carter. Had he been injured doing something work-related? The man didn't have a particularly dangerous job, but he did serve on the Wizengamot which could make him a target for someone. Cyndi's eyebrows furrowed as she took in the words her friend had spoken. Carter left? He LEFT? Oh hell no..., Cyndi's thoughts went on, thinking back to how long it had taken for the Kingsley's to come to terms with Kiera having fallen in love with Cam's competitor. Eventually, they had. "Oh Merlin. I'm so sorry, K" Cyndi stated, her heart dropping at this news. Kiera had been through so, so much already. She didn't deserve this. "Are you sure?" she asked, hoping that there had been some mistake, some misinterpretation of something that had been said. Surely, he really hadn't left her and the children.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera nodded her head to Cyndi's question. It was already well in to the night, and he would have returned by now if he was intending on coming home. She knew him, and she could tell when he left that it was for good. She had pushed him past his breaking point. Kiera had made him admit things that he didn't want to admit. Things she had known all along. "I'm sure. I saw the look on his face. It's over. We're done." she said, tears forming again in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill out across her cheeks. "We thought I was pregnant, but turns out I'm not. It had been an accident, but it's clear he wants his own children, and I can't give him that." she said, knowing Cyndi would understand. Her best friend and sister was aware of Kiera's difficult pregnancies.
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