Closed slice of life

[Rowan Baros]

New Zealand wasn't the place Rowan had ever expected she would settle down. Looking back at her life previous to this, she would have expected that she would have married young, probably, maybe right out of school since she had been so desperate back then to get out of her life. She would have settled somewhere and probably sent her kids to Ilvermorny. Maybe set herself up as a professional portrait photographer, dancing on the side probably. She certainly wouldn't have wanted to stay in New Zealand, she'd hated the place with a passion for so long so many years ago. Thinking of anything other than being by herself would have probably set her into a tail spin of... well it was hard to imagine these days. She was so different now to the girl she had been eleven years ago. Five years ago even. It was all just so... different now. She wasn't quite sure she understood how to... well, how to even reconcile the two people she had been so many years ago.

It just wasn't a conversation she ever had. But here she way, closer to thirty than she'd ever thought she'd get, living in New Zealand, part time photography business that kept her as busy as she needed it to - though she supposed some things weren't that different to what she'd imagined. She did have Honey.

She looked over to the brunette who simultaneously looked exactly like her dad and nothing like him all in the one moment. Her mannerisms were ridiculously similar, though none of them wanted to admit it. Rowan was still... on the fence about all of it, but, honestly it was just better that Honey stay with them as and when necessary. Chrys' lifestyle certainly didn't lend to being a good place for a child to grow up. But by Merlin, how was this child already seven? In the blink of an eye she'd be going to Hogwarts. Merlin, please have mercy on her.

Rowan waved her wand and Priscilla came running. The third generation duck to have replaced Matilda in her heart (though she would never be forgotten), was a slightly speckled thing and leapt up into Honey's arms as she went about finishing up making Honey's breakfast. Vegan, obviously, because some things never change.

It was July now. Her birthday was in a couple of days - come next week, Elsie would have been dead for eleven years. Rowan didn't really feel like celebrating.

@Elio Zephyr ​

 

[Elio Zephyr]

In truth, Elio had never realized that at some point his life would have to have slowed down. Years ago, a lifetime ago even, he would have said that every year he was a newer version of the person he'd been before, a better version. There was a point in his early twenties when he felt as though any and all opportunities were at his fingertips, that he and Rowan could go anywhere and do anything, which was precisely what they had done. However in the last few years, things had changed drastically for them once again, and instead of gallivanting around on their latest adventure, it was their home they were left to explore.
That being said, Elio would haven't had it any other way. While there may have been the mundane aspects of everyday life, waking up to go to work, paying bills, and making sure that those around him were fed, watered, and comfortable, he knew he was lucky to be able to say that he did these things with his best friend. They'd known one another for almost half their lifetime, and he knew that whatever they did happen to come across in whatever life they now lead, their paths were always intertwined with one another. As the years had past, Elio had taken to explaining their somewhat complicated relationship to friends as that of a couple, and while the pair knew what their boundaries were, that was their business and not something that most needed to worry themselves about.
What had made their situation even more unusual, however, was the addition of Honey. Having the child of his former lover stay with them more often than not, Elio had moved into a role within his life that he'd never pictured, never desired, and never thought he'd be any good at. It was strange in a way, that after all this time he should live the majority of his days with two of those he cared about most, especially while Chrys was still out, doing whatever Chrys did best. Honey tied them together in an extension of their odd little family, and perhaps it was best that Elio didn't think about it too hard at all.
Elio had walked through into the kitchen just in time to see Matilda Jr leap into Honey's arms. One would have thought after so many years surrounded by animals, he would have grown accustomed, fond even, of having them around. Unfortunately though after a few incidents involving the duck family line, Elio didn't think he'd ever feel quite right as long as one of them inhabited their home. If Elio had his way, Priscilla wouldn't have been in the kitchen, nor in Honey's arms over breakfast, but he'd learned years ago that it was fruitless to argue with Rowan.
As he spotted Rowan preparing breakfast, he slipped into the kitchen and quickly slithered over towards her, helping himself to a handful of berries that had yet to be distributed. This time of year was always difficult, but while Elio always did what he could to keep Rowan's spirits high, he'd try especially hard over the next few weeks, "These ones look a little off," he teased, throwing them into his mouth before he could be forced to return them, and giving Rowan a kiss on her cheek. As far as Honey was concerned, Elio wanted to be the person that she looked up to when it came to how ladies should be treated. Merlin knew Elio adored Chrys, but he was so far from being a role model that Honey would have learned more about healthy relationships from Priscilla. ​

 

[Rowan Baros]

Rowan wasn't fast enough to slap Elio's hand away as he went to touch her breakfast ingredients. She pointed her wand at him (with the same sort of emphasis that one might point a fork at someone) and shook her head. "You'd take the food out of Honey's mouth huh?" the tone was slightly in warning, but Elio knew her well enough to know how she sounded when she was actually upset about something. None of this really mattered, and the thing is that she knew what he was doing too. It was getting close to the anniversary of her sixteenth birthday - she'd stopped celebrating her birthday that day. These days she just went all out for Honey, making it her priority that Honey's birthdays should always be the best days of her life. Someone in this place should enjoy their birthday, so why shouldn't it be Honey? Her birthday had just passed by in April after all. It was far enough away that Rowan didn't have to think too hard about anything else whilst it was happening.

"There's nut free butter in the pantry," she said over her shoulder at Elio. These days nut free was almost second nature. As a vegan, before she'd met Elio a lot of the food she'd eaten had contained nuts, but his nut allergy made that impossible and so she'd started looking into other alternatives. When she couldn't buy them, she'd learned how to make them herself. She'd come a very long way since that day she'd tried to celebrate his sixteenth birthday in the tower.

"I spoke to Zennon the other day, Finley is due to start school next year, he was asking if we wanted to go on one more family trip before we have to let him run wild." It was still so weird to her that her one year older than her brother had a baby. Well, little Fin wasn't so little these days, but it would never not be weird. Sam had still been in school. Merlin, that could never have been her. Trying to study, dealing with all of his Headboy duties at the same time? Merlin, no. She genuinely couldn't have imagined anything worse. "I thought it might be... well, I was thinking we could um, go to a recital? There's one with... the old troupe, in Canada..." she trailed off. She didn't have to say the rest. Elio would know what she meant. Was she ready to go and see them? After all, that was where Elsie should have been, if things had been different.

@Elio Zephyr ​

 

[Elio Zephyr]

"Honey doesn't mind sharing her food with her favourite uncle," Elio retorted, turning to give Honey a wink, met with small smile from the girl who was watching the scene unfold. He had to admit it was nice when Honey stayed with them, she was fun company to have around the house and while Elio could never imagine having a child of his own, Honey's presence had given him a burst of energy. Glancing back at Rowan, he knew she seemed a little quieter than normal, although that would have been a given. They'd been through this dance multiple times over the years and Elio knew when it was his turn to hold the fort together. It was still strange to think back to the days when Elsie was still hanging out with them. Elio had only known Rowan's sister for about a year before her passing, but they'd been friends too and he occasionally wondered how different their lives would have turned out if that accident had never happened at all.

The man slinked across the kitchen towards the pantry, picking up a number of items before turning with the butter in hand, and laying them out on the counter beside Rowan. "Thank you," he flashed Rowan a smile, knowing the effort that would have gone into accommodating to all his specific needs. All the energy he had meant he was often hungry, and he added a few unconventional things to the breakfast mix, not daring to glance at Rowan in case she tried to tell him to put it back. "Budge up baby girl," he nodded to Honey, sliding his butt into the vacant seat beside the blonde, still snaffling the snacks as he did so. Sometimes he wondered why Rowan put up with him at all, the one that would make more of a mess than the child in the house, but then he would quickly remember that despite his chaotic nature, he was a delight. Elio and Rowan had never married, but they both knew there was no one else they would have preferred to share the majority of their lives with, and after twelve years, Elio was more than comfortable with where they were at.

His blue eyes glanced up to meet Rowan's face as she spoke about Zennon and Fin, shock written across his face as he wondered how on earth that boy was old enough to start Hogwarts already. It seemed only yesterday he was a first-year himself, taking part in the yearbook club and being pinned to the floor by unsuspecting friends trying to leap onto his back. He could have sworn it had never fully recovered. Elio knew why Rowan wanted to go, for multiple reasons. It would have meant a lot for her to be able to visit the troupe and besides if it was the last time the family would be able to for a while, Elio had never been the type of person to turn down an experience.

At least, that's what he was trying to tell himself. "When?" was all he said, trying to place various dates in his head. He didn't want to be the reason that some of the family didn't go, but running your own business meant that it wasn't always possible for them to up and leave whenever they wanted. They had responsibilities at home now, people they needed to look after, and jobs to attend to. Over the last few years, they'd both worked hard on their client list and they couldn't exactly turn away from those with bookings. Maybe if nothing else, he could convince Rowan to take the trip and he'd stay here, ready for her return.​

 

[Rowan Baros]

There was a time, admittedly not actually all the long ago, where the words babygirl being directed at anyone who was not her, would have sent Rowan into a rage. She could remember quite vividly the way she would be jealous around anyone else in Elio's life. Some of that was why their school years together had been so terribly tumultuous, especially in their fifth year. Gaining Honey had been the start of a change in her, and a seething jealousy she once had towards anyone in Elio's life (even Chrys to be honest) had simmered away over the many months they'd had the little girl in their company and when the day had first come for when babygirl had come to mean more about Honey, than about Rowan, she'd been genuinely surprised that she'd felt... little more than a bit sad. It really wasn't feesible to continue with a silly little nickname he'd given her when they were kids. It had served it's purpose at the time when they'd needed it to - as had her nickname for him.

These days, mostly she called him butthead. But not really.

"Honey adores you, she'd sit there for hours and let you plat her hair if you were so inclined," she said, rolling her eyes to the heavens as she watched the pair together. Sometimes, when Rowan thought about the argument of nature versus nurture, she would only need to look at the pair in front of her to know immediately that despite being almost the spitting image of her father, Honey was every bit the image of Elio too. She had his spitfire attitude and his keen eye, though Rowan could certainly have done with out her budding interest in witty humour and teasing one liners. She was even years old, she wasn't supposed to be this sassy.

"September, end of. Just after school starts." It would be another year yet before they would have to say goodbye to Finley at the station - and then a couple of years after that it would be Honey's turn. Rowan had been trying not to think about it, but really her entire academic career rested on the shoulders of two and a half drop outs (because Chrys had hardly been present in the end to be honest) and that probably didn't give her much of a leg up on any of it. She was mostly just glad that Honey seemed to be smarter than all of them. Perhaps, somehow, perhaps the power of osmosis, she had inherited Elsie's genes. Maybe it wasn't a genetic possibility - but with magic? Who could tell really. "Elio, I don't want to do it on my own." She had been thinking she was ready, that she had to be ready - finally, maybe, she could let it all go. There were days now that she could look at a photo of Elsie and just... smile. Thinking about everything they'd ever said to each other and the possibilities of the life they could have all had if things had been different, and it didn't make her angry anymore. She could feel the emotions these days, let them sit in a place that she could hold.

But she wasn't ready, not yet, to do it all on her own.

@Elio Zephyr ​

 

[Elio Zephyr]

What Rowan didn't know, was that Elio had spent hours plaiting Honey's hair just a couple of weeks ago. The girl had managed to get some fuzzy toy balls stuck in her hair, and after finally freeing them from her long locks while discussing all the things Rowan and Elio used to get up to in their younger days, he'd settled on braiding her hair to stop her from getting anything else caught up in it. By the time Rowan had come home, they'd mutually agreed they wouldn't mention to Rowan why there was an extra bag of trash outside and why Honey's hair was an inch shorter in some places. Being adept at his own hair care had come in handy for others after all.

Elio shot Honey a knowing look, a picture of innocence spread across his face as he wondered whether she was about to spill the story, but she continued to focus on the food, leaving Elio to pay attention once more to Rowan. Sometimes Honey reminded him of Chrys and his mischievous nature, but that went hand in hand with his own, too.

September was long enough away that if there were any existing bookings, they'd have a chance to change them. As long as they weren't away for too long their business suffered, nothing like the trips they used to take, that would have worked, wouldn't it? Before Elio had a chance to reply, Rowan told him she didn't want to do it on her own. The chills that went down his arms as he caught the pain in her voice were enough to stop him from his own breakfast, swallowing apprehensively for a moment. "Well, you never have to do anything on your own," he announced, "you know that." It was true. Elio had always been there for Rowan if and when she needed him, and he wasn't about to abandon her if it was something she needed him for. "Neither of you do," Elio added in, conscious that Honey was still present and not wanting to make her uncomfortable. "We'll take the trip, it will be a good chance for me to try out the new camera," he added with a smile, fixed upon his face for the mask alone. He knew what Rowan really meant and how much it would affect her to visit. At the end of the day, whatever was going on in their lives, Elio always had and always would, choose Rowan.

"Who else is going?" he added, trying to lighten the mood to save anyone from feeling down. There would be a time and place to digest more than just their meals. ​

 

[Rowan Baros]

Rowan spent several moments not saying anything, basking in the thoughts she preferred to leave unsaid. She picked up what Elio had brought her and set it how she liked, adding in just a little extra for Elio for the times she knew she could be difficult to deal with. They might have spent all of this time together and he might remind her constantly that they were in this together (now more than ever) but Rowan still remembered, and probably always would, how much cr@p she'd put this man she loves through, and anything she could do, here and now, so many years later, to help ease those painful moments in their relationship (even if it meant cooking some bacon every now and then) she would do it. There were days sometimes when she couldn't even stomach the thought, an animal that was not alive? In her kitchen? These days, and with Honey being allowed to choose for herself, Rowan was... less interested in an assorted morality and more interested in what got the people in her life to eat.

She was still completely vegan herself - she was just... less restrictive with Elio and Honey. She'd seen the way Honey would sneak chocolate into the bedroom.

She still wasn't ever sure where the little thief got it.

"I know, and thank you," she said, smiling up at him now that she'd finished her preparations. She slid the food in front of the bossom buddies and leaned against the counter. "Us, Honey is coming too, Zennon and Finley, I think he wants to invite Leda and Mervyn and the triplets and... Agnes." Agnes had been a bit of a surprise actually. He was also considering adding Sam and her two daughters as well, but Rowan was doubtful about that because Zena was only a little baby still. Agnes was an interesting choice. Rowan hadn't spoken much to her since they'd all graduated and sort of gone their seperate ways. It wasn't because she didn't like her or didn't want to contact her - at least not these days. It had just sort of happened that way. They'd all had their own things going on, Agnes had gone abroad to study, she was sure, and Rowan and Elio were travelling off and on for months at a time. She hadn't seen Agnes in well over a year, probably more.

She hadn't realised Zennon had kept much contact, though she supposed it made sense. He'd told her once he'd often felt rather like a brother to her. Especially after they'd learned about her relationship with Elsie. It might be nice, all of them, a way to say goodbye properly - shepherding in a new world.​

 

[Elio Zephyr]

Elio said little as Rowan finished their breakfasts, knowing there was usually little good in pushing subjects until she was ready. Instead, Elio was just considering that it would have been nice to see Zennon again. Elio only had a sister of his own whom he wasn't close to in the slightest, and so it was even more appreciating that he considered Zennon like a brother too. He was never quite sure how Zennon felt about Elio and Rowan being more than friends, but he knew that he'd already proven himself to be able to look after her, even if her older brother was skeptical at times about the nature of their relationship.

Hearing that Zennon wanted to invite Leda, Mervyn, and their triplets, Elio had to swallow yet additional uneasiness. He'd never met the girls, but he knew Leda and Mervyn well enough to know that being brought up in that environment was always going to cause some unusual activity. He supposed he had to give them some credit now that he knew what it was like to bring up a child, especially given they'd already taken on Eluned years before the triplets had even made it onto the scene. Eluned was a strange girl, but he knew now how much it took to raise a daughter that wasn't technically your own, even if there were family ties involved. At least if Amortentia wasn't involved, perhaps the girls would be more inclined to pay attention to other members of the family. Here's to hoping.

"Agnes?" he repeated, not having heard that name for an eternity. It made sense when he thought about it, but it had been years since the girl had been on the scene. "Have you even heard from her since she left for Sydney?" he asked, thinking back to however long it had been since Agnes decided to hide amongst the muggles. Things had been hard for her too when they were younger, but as far as Elio knew, Agnes didn't want to be a part of their world anymore. She may have carried the Baros name in dedication, but hearing that she was still interested in knowing them? That was a surprise. "Family reunion or not, there are more people going that we don't talk to," he mentioned, "do you think Zennon has something else up his sleeve?" Maybe there was a reason he wanted them to all be under the same roof beyond just time passing them by. There was nothing to say they couldn't slip away and have some time to themselves, but it certainly seemed a little peculiar.

"It will be good though I think, for Honey to meet the others," Elio knew she spent far too much time around the company of adults, and while she would eventually be off to school with her own new friends, it would be nice to see her spending a trip with those close to her own age. ​