Open Hopeful for No Messes

[Lena Williams]

OOC: Open to other adult chaperones but students are cool, too!

Lena had agreed to chaperone another dance, feeling like it was a good opportunity for her to socialize with actual adults while also becoming more familiar with the students. She wondered if she'd still be teaching here when Charlotte was old enough to attend and if Henry even wanted her to come to the castle or maybe attend another school. Lena thought attending Hogwarts built character, but lately, Henry had found alternative forms of education to be more appealing. Either way, it would be a while before they truly had to worry about that. Taking a sip of tea from her favorite mug, she leaned against a wall, smiling at a few third years she recognized dancing together and laughing.

 

[Professor Kahurangi Josephs]

As much as she had once dreaded the thought of leaving Hogwarts for months, Kahurangi was now quite glad her maternity leave was about to start. It was getting harder and harder to navigate the staircases of the castle, and she was close enough to her due date now that she didn't want to be exerting herself too much. Still, looking out around the Great Hall, Kahurangi was glad that she had timed things so chaperoning at Valentines would be her last duty before leave. School dances were always fun to chaperone, and it felt like a fitting closing celebration before heading home to finally meet her new baby.

That didn't mean it was an easy job, and she stood at the outskirts of the dancefloor for as long as she could before retreating slightly to find a chair, just for a little rest. She gave a cheerful smile to the younger professor nearby as she sank into a chair, sighing in relief. "Oof, this one's enjoying the music." Kahurangi laughed softly, patting her stomach. "She's doing a real dance on my ribcage..."

 

[Lena Williams]

Lena took another sip of her tea before watching Kahurangi take a seat, unable to stop smiling at the baby belly. While she didn't miss any part of being pregnant, the whole expecting experience was fun. And even though she felt complicated feelings about being a mother so young, she wouldn't trade Charlotte for anything. "Oh! Are you having a girl?" she asked excitedly before taking a seat next to the older professor so they were at the same level.

 

[Professor Kahurangi Josephs]

Kahurangi smiled at Lena's question, nodding as the woman sat down next to her. "Yep, due in a couple of weeks." She said warmly, rubbing her stomach gently. "Though I think she's about ready already, if she's this active." Kahurangi added with a gentle chuckle, as the baby kicked her lightly in the ribs again.

 

[Lena Williams]

Lena was glad to see one her colleagues so happy. "I can't recall, is she your first?" she asked curiously. Some other professors had children, but very few seemed to have young kids. Although, she did heard that there was a new baby amongst the staff during the break. "My Charlotte used to kick and keep me up all night as her birth got closer. The only thing that seemed to calm her down was playing music." Lena had been rather surprised to know babies could hear music and voices while inside the womb. It also helped that Charlotte would stop jumping on her bladder.

 

[Professor Kahurangi Josephs]

Kahurangi smiled warmly at Lena's question, nodding. "I know I left it a bit late, but she'll be my first and probably only." She said softly, one hand on the spot her daughter was currently kicking to death. She chuckled softly as Lena talked about her own pregnancy, nodding in sympathy. "Ohhh yeah, this one's really not keen on me sleeping." She laughed softly, rubbing her abdomen gently.

 

[Lena Williams]

Lena enjoyed having siblings, but she also could see herself having a good time as an only child. "Well, that just means she'll be extra spoiled." She took another sip of her tea, keeping an eye on the students and noticing one particular boy basically drowning in flowers while doing some sort of dance routine. She wasn't that old, but it was obvious she didn't understand what it was like to be a teenager anymore. "I'm sure it'll be a relief once she comes. Any names yet, or are you keeping that hidden until you see her?"

Lena was having a good time chatting with Kahurangi when she heard an unusual squawking noise from the dance floor. "Uh, I'm going to go check that out," she said, quickly excusing herself for a moment.

 

[Professor Kahurangi Josephs]

Kahurangi chuckled softly at the younger woman's comment, nodding in agreement. "Well, she's got enough cousins to keep her humble." She smiled, glancing out into the crowd to see if she could spot Manaia, but he was nowhere to be seen. She smiled slightly when the younger woman asked about names, nodding. "I've picked a name, but I've only told a couple of friends and family." She explained, though there wasn't all that much reason not to say, other than it felt... unlucky, somehow.

Kahurangi looked up at the strange sound from the dancefloor, already exhausted at the thought of getting up to go deal with it. It was a relief when the younger woman said she would handle it, and Kahurangi smiled gratefully. "Thank you..."