Whispers in the Hollow

”Just Meghan is fine, love. And no need, we've just finished.” Meghan smiled as she set down a glass pitcher of fresh lemonade, the ice in it chinking slightly as she did so. Ember tugged out one of the two chairs that sat along the exposed long side of the table, the other up against the kitchen counter, kind of giving a separation between it and the living area. The combination of all three rooms in one large one gave the cottage a bigger feel to it, that, and David hadn't wanted any of them to be in the kitchen without being able to see what was going on in the rest of the main living space. So, instead of three separate rooms, he'd gone with one, giving ample space for movement, having intended on having a lot more children than just the one when the cottage had been built nearly twenty five years ago.

“Come sit.” Ember smiled, indicating the chair she had pulled out before taking the one to the right of it, and to the left of her mother's. Her eyes were still on Sophia though, watching as she walked in, following her gorgeous legs and the way her hair flowed around her shoulders, less neat than she was used to seeing it. It was a nice though, still as gorgeous as ever considering Sophia never wasn't gorgeous in Ember's eyes. She adored the girl, and Meghan could see it with ease, always able to read her daughter's expressions much more easily than some people could considering how well Ember kept her emotions hidden on a regular basis.

After spooning some of the veggies onto her plate, Ember stabbed a cooked green bean and popped it into her mouth, slumping slightly in her chair as she relished what could only ever be her mother's fresh produce, most likely picked that very afternoon. She had missed it, like she always did, having grown up on it her entire life. In the fall, things got canned and sold or placed in the cellar, but Meghan still kept certain things growing in the greenhouse year round. Mainly apples and berries, some grapes, all of Ember and her favorites. ”Mouse, do you wanna go for a walk after dinner? It's nice out… You have to see the garden and some of my cousins are desperate to meet you.”

”Your knee?” Ember asked curiously, her eyes roving downwards as she leaned back in her chair to get a better look at Sophia's legs. She had been quite distracted by the shape of them to be honest and hadn't quite noticed the scrap upon one of them, but there it was. She supposed she was just so used to seeing injuries on herself that Sophia's hadn't even registered. ”When did that happen?” Pressing back her chair, the Gryffindor crouched down, taking hold of Sophia's leg and lifting her foot onto her knee so she could get a better look at the scrape. It was just a superficial thing, obviously completely minor compared to some of the ones Ember got on a regular basis and she might not have cared so much if it hadn't been the Hufflepuff it was on. But it was, and thus, the increase in concern. She frowned, dropping Sophia's leg and rising, moving her way around the table and counter into the kitchen where she turned on the tap, running it over a soft dish towel before returning with it in hand.

”I promised your mother I'd look after you.” Crouching back down, Ember patted gently at the wound, cleaning it off delicately and blowing on it to help get any debris out of it. She did this until she was content that it was clear and then leaned forward a bit, kissing it gently, even though she knew perfectly well that Sophia was more than capable of healing it herself. The Gryffindor rose slightly, taking the Hufflepuff's cheeks in her hands, gentle as ever as she brushed her thumbs over skin. ”You need to be more careful, Mousie.” She whispered before pressing her lips to the Hufflepuff's forehead and flopping back down into her own chair. She lifted her fork, taking up a heaping pile of vegetables and shoving them quite messily into her mouth with absolutely no tact whatsoever. She chewed them down quickly.

”Oh, my family is always quite excited to meet anyone new. Emmi's only said good things about you, don't worry.” Meghan smiled reassuringly, watching as her daughter behaved so strangely delicately with the other girl. She wasn't completely blind of course, fully aware of her daughter's tendencies towards other women, having noticed it several years ago when Eveleen had come to visit the summer before the girls' fourth year. Ember had never actually outrightly told her though, so Meghan simply didn't mention it, knowing it would probably come up eventually at some point if things ever went in that particular direction for her precious girl. Ember had always been quite shy about sharing her feelings though, never really speaking them outloud, at least, not since David had passed away. He had been the one she confided in.

Ember smiled, continuing to promptly shove food into her mouth until her mother grabbed hold of her wrist and gave her a stern look, causing her daughter to slow down a bit and take appropriately sized forkfuls of food instead, her cheeks tinging slightly pink at the silent scolding in front of Sophia. Meghan laughed, ruffling her child's hair and popping a bite into her own mouth. ”Oh, Emmi's a good girl. She can keep a secret. She knows all of mine when it comes to the garden, don't you my darling one? All O's on her Herbology exams, this one! Would never think it with the way she studies. I hear you' do quite well in your classes as well, Sophia.”

”Mam.” Ember groaned, her face going even more red at the mention of Herbology. In truth, she was an absolute dork about it, nearly as obsessed with flowers as she was with brooms, though it was purposely kept to herself to avoid looking like a nerd and having her classmates ask for her notes when she, honestly, rarely needed to take notes in class. She already knew it all, raised with such knowledge to the point where she'd actually been more at a fourth year level when she'd entered school, advanced enough to get special assignments that the Professor kept her after class to give, everyone usually assuming it was over a bad grade or missing homework that was the usual for having to stay after. She knew more about plants than Eveleen and Sophia combined, the top of the class in the subject despite keeping it to herself. ”Don't,”

”Don't what? Brag about my brilliant girl?” Meghan rose from her seat, hugging around Ember's shoulders and kissing at her head. ”My sweet, lovely, beautiful, reckless, precocious, precious, ridiculous, wonderful girl.” She kissed her again, hugging her so tightly Ember's ability to breathe was inhibited. She lifted Ember's face, kissing at her cheeks and forehead and attempting to detangle her hair a bit with her fingers, though it never worked very well. ”I missed you.” She smiled, releasing Ember and moving over to Sophia to give her a hug as well, though it wasn't nearly as suppressive. ”And you, are so lovely. It's wonderful to finally meet you and have you here. Now you two, finish up and go take your walk. I'll take care of the dishes and then the lilacs need watering, it's the perfect time of day for it you know.”

Ember's face was a brilliant scarlet now and she hung her head slightly as Sophia punched her. She laughed at that, swatting her hands away, but gentle, always gentle with the girl who could be triggered if she played too rough. ”I'm no swat!” She proclaimed seriously, pushing back her chair and picking up her now clear plate and crossing around the counter to place it into the sink. She turned around, leaning against the counter on her hands, gazing at Sophia and her mother, the redness of her cheeks fading a bit. She gave a gentle, dismissive kind of shrug, tilting her head to one side. ”So I like plants.” She smiled though, pushing off the counter and moving across the room again. She ran her fingers over the top of the painting Eveleen had made for her seventeenth birthday, her mother having hung it upon the wall by the hallway. Most of the walls were decorated, old moving photographs, several more of Eveleen's art pieces from throughout the years, the refrigerator absolutely covered in polaroids the girls had taken together over summer's past that Meghan had deemed necessary to keep. 'Her girls', she called them. Her Ember and her Eveleen, and now, hopefully, her Sophia as well. The woman had lost so many pregnancies that she tended to adopt the young ones who came around, filling in the gaps that would never quite go away and had been merely bandaged by her only child's presence. It didn't matter that they belonged to someone else, so long as they were under her roof, she'd treat them as her own.

”I'll be on the stoop when you're finished, Mouse.” Ember stated, tugging open the front door and heading outside barefoot. She breathed in the summer evening air, not too hot but not cold either, just the perfect weather for taking a walk. A gentle breeze blew through her hair, bringing with it the delicious scents of green things and dirt, all the smells of home that made her feel completely at ease with where she was.

Shortly after the front door closed, the back sliding glass door opened, and a curly-headed fellow, his face pretty freckled, eyes a vivid brown, strode in completely unannounced. He crossed the kitchen and reached right over Meghan's shoulder to swipe a piece of chicken off the serving dish, biting into it without a word. He stared at Sophia for a moment while Meghan simply swatted him gently on the arm with her fork. He batted back at her, leaning to speak, his voice quiet and gentle.

”Where's my girl?”

”Stoop.” Meghan stated, pointing to the front door and the young man simply nodded, his mouth full of chicken as he turned, heading for the door opposite the one he'd just come in. He opened it, letting it stay that way, and flopped right on down next to the redhead who'd just taken a seat on the stone step. He tossed a lazy arm over her and Ember leaned into him without a single word, biting into the half eaten chicken breast in his hand. He laughed, leaning to whisper something in her ear that had the redhead snorting and giving him a playful whack before he stuck out his tongue and kissed her cheek, wrapping both arms around her tightly to tug her closer. Ember closer her eyes, resting her head down on his shoulder, completely comfortable with the nineteen year old.

”Donnacha. Please excuse him, he's a bit shy. Absolutely adores Emmi though, can't tear them apart most of the time.” Meghan explained with a laugh, shaking her head slightly at the boy's attitude as she watched the pair. He was fine around those he knew, hopeless around strangers for the most part.