Mother and Child Reunion (Linleys)

[Deleted]

Barbara Linley hadn't been able to fall asleep the night before. The empty spot on the other side of the bed, where her husband should have been, felt like a gaping hole that would swallow her up if she were to fall asleep.

If not for the mop in her hand, she would have fallen to the floor when one of the other Hit Wizards had come to the Leaky Cauldron to tell her the news. There had been an accident. They had taken Art to St. Mungo's—the magical hospital at which all of the Hit Wizards had beds reserved for them—but he had passed away upon arrival.

Having to claim his body had been the worst part, and Barbara had nearly vomited. All she could think about was how her children hadn't even gotten the chance to see him alive. The next time that they would see him would be at his funeral, which would have to be held there in Britain.

She imagined that she might be widowed someday, decades into the future. The possibility that Art could be gone so soon had never felt real to her, even when she was working in law enforcement at his side in America. They weren't even in their forties. They were supposed to grow old together; that had been the plan.

As soon as she could, Barbara had sent an owl to Freddie Cache to request that her children be taken out of school long enough to attend the funeral. The orphanage was still responsible for their care, but she had asked that they be allowed to stay at the Leaky Cauldron with her. She had even paid for both of them to have their own rooms while there.

Georgie and Lance had hopefully spent the night at school without knowing of their father's death, though Barbara anticipated that they would learn of it the next time they received mail. By her estimation, it would be sooner rather than later, and it wouldn't be long before they would arrive at the inn.

Pacing the small room that she had shared with Art ever since they had come from America, Barbara was at a loss for what to say to her children, especially Lance. She had changed out of her pajamas and into No-Maj clothing, although it had taken considerable effort. Barbara sat down on the end of the bed and rubbed her face. The world seemed to be at a standstill.

Art couldn't have been dead, but he was. He was gone, and their children were all Barbara had left. She was still too shocked to shed any tears, though she wished that she could cry instead of thinking about how she was supposed to gain custody of two teenagers and make a living off of her meager earnings as a maid. Still, a plan for the future would have to wait until after the funeral. The costs of that alone would be astronomical, Barbara was sure, but Art would have wanted a proper burial.

Just as she was beginning to lose all hope, Barbara was saved from her thoughts by a knock at her door, which must have been Georgie and Lance. She got to her feet and crossed over to open it, preparing herself. The doorknob felt like ice in her hand, and there was no way for her to greet her children under the circumstances.

@georgiana
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

Her father was gone. Georgie was slowly reaching acceptance on that matter, but she was beginning to worry more about the other people in her life, her mother especially. When her parents had left, they had been all each other had had for the time when they were playing dead. They had spent their lives together, and now her mother was...alone. Of course Georgie could spend her time thinking about herself and how she had never gotten to see her papa again, but she would much rather focus on other people. It was easier that way. Going to the Leaky Cauldron had been a strange experience, especially since Georgie was aware that she ought to have been in classes. She had bid Max a goodbye after making her best friend promise to go to the funeral, but Georgie hadn't been able to bear the thought of telling Louis about her papa. He would have felt bad, and then she would have cried, and Georgie really, really didn't want to cry. She didn't want to see her mother's fate, and with all the tears built up inside of her, Georgie was sure she was going to drown in her visions. Professor Delov hadn't gone over how you could control visions when you were emotionally exhausted. When she got to the Cauldron, Georgie led her brother up the staircase, and knocked mechanically on the door, waiting for it to open so she could throw herself into her mother's arms.

lancelot ray linley
@barbara

[Deleted]

@georgiana & @barbara

Everything was a daze. That was the only way Lance could even come close to describing it, if he could even find the words to do so. He wished it was a new feeling, but it wasn’t. This wasn’t even the second time. It was the third. The first being when their parents disappeared, the second when they returned, and now their dad was dead. He and Georgie hadn’t even been able to see him. The worst part about it all was that he wasn’t even sure if he had wanted to see his parents again after they came back from the “dead”. Now one of them actually was. He had heard the no-maj phrase that all bad things came in three, but he was hesitant to chalk it up to that. The more he thought about everything that had happened over the last few months, the more he realized that their parents returning wasn’t actually as bad as he had made it out to be. Georgie seemed to have had an easier time adjusting than he had, but then again they hadn’t really talked about it. Unfortunately the now realized blessing of their parents coming back was cut short by…this.

He wasn’t even sure how they arrived in London, but there they were, standing in the Leaky Cauldron. That’s where she was waiting for them. Barbara, the lady who abandoned them for six years then came back suddenly like it meant nothing at all, hoping they would forgive her and return to being one big happy family again. He didn’t know why he placed so much blame on her over his dad. Maybe he would have blamed both of them, had he ever seen his father alive again.

Now they were walking up the stairs. Lance followed Georgie quietly. They hadn’t really said much since they were told the news. The aforementioned daze had clouded over everything in his head, he assumed the same thing was happening to his sister too. They stopped at a door, Lance, occupied with staring at the floor, almost running into Georgie as she knocked on it. He assumed this was where Barbara was. Waiting silently, he anticipated the door to open any second.

[Deleted]

Swinging the door back, Barbara then stepped into the doorway to keep the door from closing. Her children were together. They were right there in front of her. Both of them. She breathed in weakly. “Georgie… Lance…”

For the first time, she noticed every little thing about them that reminded her of Art. Barbara would have commented on that thing in her son's lip and who in his or her right mind had allowed him to get it, but all that she could think to do was to pull her children towards her. She couldn't think of their father as being her late husband, nor could she think of herself as being a widow. It was too soon. It would be too soon until Art's shirts no longer smelled like him and the rest of his things were gone from the room. Until then, he was still there, and the kids might have something that they could hold onto that had belonged to the father they hadn't seen in six years.

The daze in which she had been living for the past twenty-four hours made her motions stiff as she went to hug Georgiana, who was closest to her and must have been the one who had knocked. Lancelot was just behind her, and—as Barbara wrapped an arm around her daughter, she reached for her son, too.

@georgiana
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

When her mother opened the door, Georgie didn’t hesitate. She threw herself into her mother’s arms, which wrapped easily around her. Georgie didn’t care what Lance did. She was ten years old again, and her papa was gone, but this time she had her mama to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. She was ten years old again, but this time the ending was different. The ending was permanent. “I’m sorry, mama.” Georgie didn’t know what she was apologizing for – for her father’s death, for her own stubbornness, for Lance, for all of the above – but the words came out surprisingly steadily. She wished that she would just break down already, and make this so much easier for everyone involved. “I – I hope it’s okay that I invited Max to the funeral?” Georgie asked. She hadn’t thought about asking her mother for permission before, but now that the day was in the immediate future, Georgie thought it was best to double check. It didn’t make sense for the funeral to be family only, since any family that might have still been alive was back in America, but Georgie didn’t know. If Max wasn’t going to be allowed, maybe that would draw the emotional reaction out of her that she so desperately wanted. She wanted to kick and scream like the ten-year-old she was inside, but instead she just let her mama hold her.

lancelot ray linley
@barbara

[Deleted]

@georgiana & @barbara

It felt like it took ages for the door to open after Georgie knocked. A few times Lance heard another doorknob down the hallway click or rattle, each time making him catch his breath a little. The foggy daze he had been in all morning still hadn’t worn off yet. Everything felt so unreal still. Then, without realizing what was going on, the door popped open in front of them. There she stood, their mother. What little he had seen of her since her reappearance was now completely erased from his head. That didn’t matter right now. Unable to move from his spot, Lance stayed where he was as Georgie managed to run into their mom’s arms.

Watching in silence for a few seconds, he hadn’t even realized that there were tears streaming down his face. It wasn’t until they hit his mouth that he actually noticed. Trying to wipe them away, he quickly realized that there was no stopping them at this point. For all the emotions that had happened since they found out this morning, this was one that had seemingly bypassed both him and Georgie. There had already been a lot of that in their lives. Apparently it was time for a little more. Choking back a teary laugh as Georgie asked if it was okay if Max came to the funeral, Lance continued to try and stop the flow. He wasn’t really sure who else would show up. Maybe Freddie and some of the other workers at the orphanage.

Finally clearing his eyes enough to see that his mother had an arm outstretched for him as well, he found that he was able to move his feet again, crossing the threshold of the door and wrapping his arms around his mother and sister. His once clear vision was clouded over again. “Bar-Mom…”

[Deleted]

Georgiana immediately apologized, but Barbara wasn't sure for what her daughter had to be sorry. Barbara just kept hugging her, wanting to be able to tell her and Lance that it was all going to be okay. She couldn't tell them that, however, when she couldn't be sure of it, either.

It was Georgie's mention of the funeral that made the truth hit home. Art Linley, her husband, was truly dead. Barbara hadn't thought about the day much. She hadn't realized until Georgie had spoken up how afraid she was that there wouldn't be anyone there. No one knew him in Britain; they had met people, but the only person who actually understood where they had come from and the struggles they had faced was Freddie Cache. Yet Georgie had invited one of her friends. Barbara, who couldn't believe that she had cared that much, nodded her head to signal that inviting Max was perfectly fine.

Hot tears had begun to fall from Barbara's eyes as Lance accepted her hug. “Barb—Mom.”

Barbara had waited for so long to hear him say that. It had been years since she had been able to hold her children so close to her, and she tightened her hold on them. Letting go of them wouldn't cause them to vanish into thin air, but it certainly felt like a possibility.

After a few more moments of silence, Barbara pulled away and straightened up her posture. “I love you,” she told them quietly, unable to find any other way to express her gratitude. She reached to hold the door open with one arm and wiped her tears with her free hand.

Once her vision wasn't clouded, she looked out to the hallway. It took her much longer than usual to string her words together, and she rubbed her face again. “Do, um… Do y'all have your things? I can… show you to your rooms.”

@georgiana
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

Her mother was crying, and her brother was crying, and still, Georgie couldn’t manage to wring herself out of all of the tears that she had. Lance had even called their mother mom, something that Georgie wasn’t sure she would ever hear. It still wasn’t as familiar as mama, but it was a step in the right direction, and that alone should have been enough to turn on the water works. But it didn’t. Her mother pulled away from the hug, proclaiming that she loved them, and that also should have been enough to make her cry. But it still didn’t.

When her mother asked if she had her things, Georgie nodded silently. She hadn’t packed much, since she didn’t know how long she was staying for, but she had a change of clothing and her toothbrush. Her mother mentioned showing them to their room, and Georgie balked. “Can I…can I stay with you?” She asked meekly. It was horrible even to think it, but Georgie worried that if she didn’t sleep at her mother’s side, come morning, she too would be gone. Escaped to America again or gone like her papa, Georgie didn’t know, but childish fear was nipping at the edges of her mind, and it was easier to fathom than the sadness lurking just beneath the surface. “If not, that’s fine too.” Georgie added quietly.

lancelot ray linley
@barbara

[Deleted]

@georgiana & @barbara

Lance thought things would be easier once he actually let out his emotions, his tears, but that didn’t seem to help at all. Not with his mom crying the way she was after he finally accepted her being back with them. Maybe if he had done this earlier…no, he couldn’t think like that, not now. Things were as bad as they were already, thinking that way would only make it much worse for all of them. He felt awful that he couldn’t reciprocate his feelings until it was too late, until it was under these circumstances. Now wasn’t the time to continue to ostracize her either. Even though their parents had been gone for all those years, only one of them was left now. The least he could do was actually give his mom a fighting chance to win back his trust. Especially now. He would have preferred to do that for both of them but that wasn’t going to happen anymore.

Their mother eventually pulled away from both of them. Apparently she was going to show him to his room, since Georgie wanted to stay with her. She needed that now more than anything. That much had been made clear over the last few months of school. He had been resistant to “going back to normal”, like how things were supposed to have been from the start. He understood what Georgie meant now.

Lance was unsure if the tears had stopped, his vision was still blurred slightly. Reaching back, he grabbed both his small bag and Georgie’s, unsure of where his sister was going. He needed his own room right now, to mull things over. The shocked state he had been in for the last few hours was gone now. While he desperately wanted to be with his family, he also needed his own time to try and come to terms with everything. And he didn’t want them to see him completely fall apart. Right now it was almost impossible to hold himself together. “I’ll take my own room.” He said quietly, staring down at the bags in his hands, unsure of where he and his sister were both going.

[Deleted]

Georgie asked if she could stay with her, although she said that it was fine if she wasn't allowed. There were some things that hadn't changed over the years, and Barbara was comforted to find that her daughter still wanted to be by her side. After the many times when she had felt as though she had failed at protecting her and Lance, she could do something right. Even if it was one very small thing, it was hardly insignificant.

Barbara bobbed her head in a motion that wasn't entirely a nod, and she had the desire to pull Georgie into another hug. “Of course you can, baby,” she affirmed, trying to mask the sound of her voice's breaking. She was truly touched, particularly after the past day had been so rough. If Georgiana decided to change her mind, the other room would be there for her to take. Lance, meanwhile, had already decided upon getting his own room, and Barbara nodded again.

“Lance,” she suggested while trying to gather her thoughts, “why don't you put your sister's bag on the bed for now?” He had grabbed both of their bags before Georgie had expressed that she wanted to stay put. “There's no sense in draggin' it around.” They could figure out a better place to put it once she got him situated in his room.

@georgiana
lancelot ray linley

[Deleted]

Georgie breathed out a soft sigh of relief when her mother said that she could stay with her. She would’ve been fine with Lance, probably, but there was a great comfort in knowing that her mother was alright, even if it did seem horribly childish. Georgie chose to ignore the way her mother’s voice nearly broke halfway through the sentence, choosing instead to worry about her mother’s instructions to her brother.

“I can do it.” Georgie said hastily when her mother asked Lance to put her bag on the bed. She didn’t want her older brother to be any more inconvenienced by her than he already was, and it wasn’t like her bag was that heavy. Thrusting out her hand to accept the bag from Lance, Georgie set her face in a stubborn line. “I can just stay here and unpack while the two of you go to Lance’s room.” She said. Maybe if they got to talk together, they’d both feel better. Maybe Lance would say things in front of their mother that he didn’t want Georgie to hear. She understood it, really. She just hated that she was still making everything harder for everyone. And maybe when she was alone, Georgie would be able to cry.

lancelot ray linley
@barbara

[Deleted]

@georgiana & @barbara

He watched as his mom and sister hugged again following Georgie’s decision to stay with her that night. Understandably so. Thinking everything over and over again was all he had been capable of doing for the last few hours, and probably all he was going to be able to do for the next few days. He didn’t want to say it wasn’t fair that this happened, but it kind of wasn’t. Having to go through the process of thinking your parents were dead only to have them come back and then one actually dying in the field was preposterous. The sick dream that he had been stuck in all day could end at any moment now. Unfortunately it was probably only going to get harder throughout the week.

Lance looked up at his mother as she asked him to put Georgie’s bag on the bed, but his sister was too quick for him in his zombie-like state, ready to take hold of it. He dropped the handle into her hands, allowing him to readjust his own bag better. It wasn’t a big deal holding both of them even if it did feel like he had zero energy left in his body. Dealing with death was more draining than he had ever hoped it would be.

At Georgie’s comment to stay and unpack, allowing their mother to lead him to his room, Lance nodded. He wasn’t sure if there was going to be anything said during their little detour; he had only managed to mutter a few dozen words all day, most of them being during their current conversation. Stepping to one side of the hallway, he waited for his mother to lead him to his room.

[Deleted]

Georgie said that she could take her own bag instead of needing her brother to carry it for her, and Barbara gave a short nod. “I can just stay here and unpack while the two of you go to Lance’s room,” she suggested.

“Alright.” Forgetting how independent her children were anymore, Barbara double-checked that she had the key to the room that would be Lance's and went out into the hallway with him.

They didn't have far to walk, since the room was just across from her own. It was only a few steps—five or so, probably—and Barbara turned the key in the lock. “Here,” she said. Her tone wasn't particularly upbeat, but it was a nice enough room. She stepped inside first and held the door open for Lance.

“Your own room,” Barbara commented, almost smiling. “You haven't had that in a while.” She didn't know what to do to make the situation more normal for her children, but she hoped that Lance would see the slightest bit of humor in her tone.

lancelot ray linley
@georgiana

[Deleted]

@georgiana & @barbara

Lance had anticipated his room to be down the hall and around the corner or something. He wasn’t sure why he had expected that, just that he did. Instead, it was only a few feet away from his mother’s. He guessed that made sense, seeing as if he needed anything she would only be a few feet away. The door was quickly unlocked and his mother walked in first. It was spacious, more than big enough for just him. Sometimes he wondered how a room like this one would compare to the dorm rooms. They were pretty spacious, enough to fit all the boys in his year, but at the same time it was never enough room. At least that’s what everyone else was used to saying. Lance had practically grown up sharing everything, seeing as it was also impossible to get a moment to himself even at the orphanage. All of that changed as he got older though, eventually leading to his own room as of the summer. It was nice being able to walk away from a situation and close the bedroom door behind him. Privacy had never really existed in his mind.

Apparently his mother was thinking the exact same thing. She probably didn’t know about his own room at the orphanage though, unless Georgie had said something about it. Those weren’t really the details he assumed would be talked about upon finding out that your parents weren’t actually dead. Lance stepped over the threshold and made his way towards the bed, tossing his bag up on top of it. He wasn’t really sure what to do, or what to say for that matter. Sitting down on the bed next to the bag, he glanced around the room for a few seconds before looking back up at his mother. “Thanks.”

[Deleted]

Barbara was happy to see that Lance seemed to find the room to his liking. There wasn't much that she could do about it if he didn't, of course, but it helped to make the circumstances a little more bearable. He tossed his bag over onto the bed and then sat down beside it, surveyed the room, and then looked back at her. “Thanks.”

“You're welcome,” she smiled back. “Do you want any help getting unpacked?” she asked, looking at his bag. “I—” Barbara glanced back towards her own room, where Georgiana was. “I know it's been… a while, so, if you want me to leave, I understand…” Lance was an adult, technically, and she was sure that he didn't need her help. If he wanted it, though, she wouldn't hesitate; she hadn't been able to help him or his sister with anything in years.

lancelot ray linley
@georgiana