When two become five

[Olive Layton]

For Olive, her life had evolved around supporting her sister Leda, and making sure that between them they had enough to do what would make them happy, and allow the Slytherin to prosper. Since she was just a teenager herself, Olive had been like a parent to her sister in place of their own mom and dad, but now things were about to get a little more complicated. Unknowing of how it was going to be taken, Olive had been terrified to admit the truth of the situation, but there was no way around it now and all parties needed to know what was going on.

She’d asked West to bring his daughter and meet at their home in Queenstown for the day that Olive had been dreading for months. After speaking with Monty she hoped he was right and she had nothing to worry about, but it would be about a big change for their little families. Leda was due home at any moment, and it would be the first time she’d seen her sister for almost a year, and she knew it would be a shock that things were so different. Olive sat in a chair at the dining table with a cup of coffee between her hands, trying to stop the nerves that ran through her.

 

[Asphodel King]

Asphodel had promised her father she would be on her best behavior, though she wasn't really a hundred percent sure what she was behaving for. Maybe he was getting her something for school - maybe an animal! She smiled with glee at the prospect. Maybe he was buying her some new clothes, she had expressed interest in more girly clothing recently - mainly to try and impress her new crush. The ginger girl was more confused than ever though when they arrived at a house she didn't recognize. She gave a look to her father, and then one back at the house. What was this about. Her father knocked on the door, and there Pho stood - uncomfortable and concerned.

 

[West King]

West hadn't revealed to Pho what was planned for the day, a fear rising in him that she'd have run off and not come along if he did. After all, this was a big discussion. Of course he'd told Pho he was seeing someone, they'd already made it clear with each other that she didn't have to meet the person unless West thought things were getting more serious. Now with a baby on the way, how could the ginger man not introduce - well reintroduce - Pho to Olive. The man's palms sweated, and he felt like he was picking up a girl for a date as a teenager with how nervous he was.

Taking a breath West knocked on the door, and looked down at his daughter, putting a hand on her shoulder as reassurance.

 

[Leda Layton]

Leda always felt a little strange coming home at the holidays, but last year she’d been able to at least invite Mervyn over for a few weeks to pass the time. After packing her belongings and saying fairwell to her friends, she’d reluctantly travelled to the home she shared with her older sister, and to say things were still rocky between them would have been an understatement. She didn’t hadn’t forgiven Olive for leaving her a couple of years ago, and the siblings had never really recovered since. It hadn’t helped that Olive hadn’t even written to her during her time at school and all of Ledas letters had gone ignored.

She’d asked Olive specifically not to pick her up. She didn’t need the awkward conversation between them and she’d rather just get home and sort herself out there. That being said she was still slightly disappointed her sister hadn’t insisted, and as she pulled her trunk up the driveway, she frowned at the two strangers at the door. It was only when she got a little closer that one of them she recognised. Asphodel was a quiet girl in her house although why she was here she had no idea. “Get out the way,” she motioned passed with key in hand, reaching the door just as it was pulled open by the resident. Leda looked up to meet her older sisters eyes, although instantly Leda could see something was off. With a glance up and down, all the blood left her face as she put two and two together. Well this was just perfect.

 

[Olive Layton]

With a knot in the pit of her stomach, Olive had heard the knock at the door and placed her coffee cup on the table to head to the door, Nugget trailing along behind her in case she was about to open the door to some food. Olive opened it just in time to see that Leda was standing there with both West and Asphodel, although this was not how she'd intended her sister to find out. At least not immediately. "You should come in," she moved out of the way to beckon the three of them through and into the kitchen, before closing the door behind them. This was going to be tense to say the least.

Entering back into the kitchen and pouring her guests some drinks, she felt unnaturally out of place in her own home. "How was school?" she asked the girls, although she knew even herself it was a pathetic attempt to break the ice. She gave a nervous glance towards West, aware that this was already not going to plan. Olive hadn't been to Hogwarts for a few years and things had been rocky between her small family since then, and she wasn't sure if this was going to fix it. Nevertheless this was something they were going to have to face together now. The former professor put on a brave face, at sat down once more at the table, hoping the others would join her. "Listen, so I thought we should have.. a family meeting of sorts," she began, her eyes darting between the three red heads in the room.

 

[Asphodel King]

Asphodel looked the former professor up and down, seeing the bump on her stomach. She turned to her father and opened her mouth but then shut it, remembering that she had promised not to act up. There was almost nothing that could sweeten the deal enough to make her understand and accept what was most likely happening though. "Leda." She greeted, seeming just as displeased. However her displeasure turned to blatant shock. "Family?" She asked, looking at West. So it was his thing inside her stomach. Merlin.

 

[West King]

It was so strange to West that every time he saw Olive's face, even now that it was serious, that she always looked quite stunning. Pregnancy had a certain glow on her dewy skin, adn it never ceased to make the ginger man smile. West made sure to support Olive however he could, and followed to her side at her glance, giving her hand a squeeze to gently tell her it was okay. "Pho." He calmly responded to his daughter, whom looked incredulous to say the least. "Olive and I both thought it was best that this was done as a group, and without anyone feeling left out."

 

[Leda Layton]

All Leda had wanted to do, was to come home and make amends with her sister and find out why she'd been so secretive, but apparently Olive had other ideas and was springing new information on her doorstep too. Leda dumped her belongings in the hallway before leading the others toward the kitchen and leaning against one of the cabinets. She didn't feel like getting all cosy with this new family thank you. If Olive wanted to expand, and Leda wasn't good enough to be her only family member then that was fine, she would have to do it without Leda. "Who even are you?" she asked the man who seemed to be all over her sister. "And really, you didn't think to tell me before I came home?" she turned to Olive, a frown stuck on her forehead, "Oh wait I forgot, you don't tell me anything anymore." She'd been left out of it all since their father died.

 

[Olive Layton]

Olive still wasn't sure where she and West stood. Everything had gotten so complicated. She still squeezed his hand back though, appreciating his comments towards the Slytherins before glancing up to Leda, "I was trying to wait until I could tell you properly. I didn't think reading about something like this on paper would have been suitable," she tried to explain calmly. She could udnerstand why her sister was angry but in time perhaps she would understand. With Monty's word still in her mind, she pressed on. "West and I, we're having a baby. She'll be due in August," she announced to those who didn't know, a small smile on her lips as she was finally allowed to reveal it to those who would be directly affected. Olive still hadn't told Leda either that she was unemployed and struggling financially, deciding instead to reveal just one issue at a time. Leda didn't need to stress of it all.

 

[Asphodel King]

Asphodel felt the color drain from her face and looked at Leda. "First of all that's my dad so maybe instead of shouting at him, you can tone it down." She said, easily angered. "Second of all, you!" She pointed her finger at her dad. "Why couldn't you have told me you spawned?!" She shouted, clearly just as out of the loop as Leda. "I mean, come on, you're always telling me I'm too young for makeup and you're over here... doing... this?!" She asked, referencing the act of making a child rather than Olive herself.

 

[West King]

West could understand and take snotty children in stride. "My name is West." He offered to Leda, though allowed Olive her moment rather than pressing who he was. "It wasn't planned, but it doesn't mean I'm not sticking by Olive and out soon to be little one." He said before being taken aback by Pho. "Woah, first of all, having a baby is a beautiful thing, secondly keep raising your voice in a house where we are guests and you'll be grounded." He then took a breath. "There isn't a reason to stress this anymore than it needs to be. Olive and I are not changing anything with your lives. She will care for the baby half the time and I will as well." He looked to her for nods or looks of approval, allowing her to explain more if needed.

 

[Leda Layton]

"I'm not shouting at him. I don't care if he's your dad, you're the ones who are interferring here!" Leda shouted back at the Slytherin, who clearly thought she was having some jab at her or something. Leda was angry at Olive for upsetting their lives just when they had a chance to settle down again, and she didn't need some fifth year telling her that she was in the wrong. Apparently however, Leda wasn't the only one who hadn't been told, as Asphodel seemed just as shocked to find out what was going on. Leda had been doing everything, everything to prove that she was worth being told secrets by Olive, believing that's why she'd been kept in the dark for the last two years, but here she was showing again that the prefect wasn't quite good enough to be kept in the loop. "No, nothing is changing is it." Leda was shouting at this point, it was completely useless trying to get through to her sister these days, "Hope you have a lovely time playing happy little families," she had stormed off by this point, slamming one of the doors that separated her and the rest of them, vowing that whatever happened next in their lives, Leda didn't care. Olive could have that stupid man and his daughter in her family, where they'd be able to bond over their new addition, and Leda had been pushed out once again, the light at the end of the tunnel plunging once more into darkness.

 

[Olive Layton]

Olive had warned West this might have happened with her sister, but she didn't expect it to unravel as fast as it did. She was trying to remain calm as the girls around them began shouting at one another, and Olive was resting her head in her hand as she massaged her forehead. She could understand completely where Leda and Pho were coming from, but it didn't help that they couldn't see things from their perspectives. Once Leda had run off, she looked back up to the remaining two red heads. "I didn't mean for all this." she told them both honestly, grateful that West seemed to have an air of calm around him too. He certainly had his hands full with four women soon to be in his life. "I'll.. speak to her again later," She didn't even know how to talk to Leda these days, Olive had been nothing like her as a teenager. "You should know that things are still going to be taken slowly. We're not rushing into anything.. despite how things may look. We want you to be part of this," she spoke to the student, wondering how different their lives would have been if Olive had stayed at Hogwarts; she'd be teaching Pho at school now.

 

[Asphodel King]

Asphodel looked at the two of them, feeling both confused and upset. She was not nearly as garish as the other ginger though, who stormed off like a child. Rolling her eyes Pho looked at the two of them "Someone's on their monthly." She spoke crudely. Then Asphodel turned her full attention to the issue at hand. "Listen, I get it - what's happening is normal and stuff. But like, I don't know. Maybe you guys should be certain how this is going down before you bring in the moody monster and me. Also - I'm now allowed to wear makeup if you're allowed to bring surprise babies into the family." She glared at her father before turning her head toward where Leda went. "I'll go scavenge the other one and see what's up." She said, wanting out of the uncomfortable situation quickly.

Pho left the room, and approached where Leda had shut herself away. Knocking gently, she didn't wait for an answer to enter. "I'm knocking to be polite, but entering to assert that I'm checking on you anyways." Spoke the Scottish lass. Pho walked into the area and awkwardly looked around. "So you didn't know she was knocked up either?" She asked, trying to assess what kind of reaction the girl would even have to her. Pho hadn't scrapped in years, but she would if she needed to.

 

[West King]

Everything about the meeting fell apart rather quickly, and while Olive was apologizing - West didn't think there was a need to. He didn't think the day was going to be perfect - not even close. He let Pho leave and turned toward Olive and sighing gently before speaking. "Listen, this isn't perfect - but there isn't a family in the world who is." He said. "Regardless of what happens, and how slowly we take things, and how they react I am going to be here, right by your side. The girls will need some time, and that's okay. I'll support you in any way I can." He spoke this gently before laying a hand on her stomach. "Both of you. I promise." He reassured, hoping she felt how earnest he was about making sure she was taken care of.

 

[Olive Layton]

Before Olive could register what was going on, Leda had uped and left after a dramatic rage, with Pho chasing after her. She supposed both girls were in their teens and it was natural for them to act this way, but she still wished they'd be a little more supportive. It was different with West though, and she watched as he spoke to her, her blue eyes looking up to meet his. She smiled as she appreciated him saying so, glad that at least one person seemed to be on her side throughout all this, and once again she was glad she'd listened to Monty and opened up to him about everything going on. "I didn't mean to make things so complicated," she added quietly, her own hand resting on top of his. She hadn't wanted to come between his family, and none of this has been planned, but at least they were in it together. "I don't want them to go back to school angry," just the idea of Leda heading off to Hogwarts without speaking to her again was enough to make tears appear in her eyes.

 

[Leda Layton]

Leda didn't hang around for long enough to even hear what Pho said about her. The Slytherin instead slumped into a chair, angry and confused with her arms crossed over her chest as she frowned at one of the pictures on the wall. It was an old one, back from when Leda was just nine years old and Olive had taken the pair out for the day. Things weren't like that at all now, Olive never told her the truth, the sisters hadn't spoken properly since their dad died, and no matter how much Leda did, there was nothing she could do to make her sister think she was worth keeping her in the loop. She didn't look up when the door reopened and another red head wandered into the room. At least it seemed Pho had been left in the dark as much as her. "No. I didn't." she said venomously. There was a time when they used to tell each other everything and now Olive had waited to tell her she was going to be an Aunt too. She didn't feel much towards the girl who was going to be her future step something. Everything was just weird now. "Why didn't your dad tell you?" she asked, still staring intently at the photograph.

 

[Asphodel King]

Asphodel approached semi-cautiously. She'd heard stories of Leda and her deadly feet. She didn't want to get kicked or punched. The ginger sank onto the floor near the chair, not trying to look over her shoulder at the photo. She thought for a moment when Leda inquired about her father not telling her. "I mean, he didn't tell me why he didn't tell me but I have some guess. Last Christmas he'd asked me how I would feel if he started dating again. Since my mom died I don't think he's even looked at another woman." She thought again, pausing. "But I guess maybe he thought it was too soon. I mean I'm proper mad at him. I've never had a sibling, never had to share anything. It's been me and him since I was wee. I'm sure you feel the same." She muttered, staring at her freckled hands.