Cat's in the Cradle (Sav)

[parvati patil macmillan]

Early November 2025

Knowing all too well that Madam Puddifoot's wasn't exactly her son's cup of tea, so to speak, Parvati had been that much more surprised by Sav's invitation. The last time that she had had an opportunity to spend time with him had been with Shreya, Dusti, and Rusti, which Parvati didn't think had solidified her track record when it came to doing things with her children. The tea shop might not have been the most common place for anyone but couples, but it was better than having to make tea and bother the elves in the kitchen for food outside of mealtimes. Although it might have been a little bit… over-the-top, maybe, the tea and food were always good, and there was nothing to complain about.

Sav seemed quieter than usual, Parvati thought, but part of that might have been that they weren't butting heads. With his Quidditch career starting, there was less opportunity for him to be getting into trouble. She would have known quickly if there were any issues with partying or worse; it hadn't been that long since she'd left Witch Weekly, and Savtaj Macmillan hadn't made himself a fixture in any gossip columns. Her initial concerns about his going into Quidditch instead of something with some greater longevity were maybe not as rooted in reality as she'd thought. He wasn't going off the rails at all.

"…And how's Quidditch and everything?" Parvati checked mid-conversation, after a sip of tea. While she wasn't a Quidditch fanatic, really, it was her son's work and what he enjoyed most in the world; she wasn't completely dismissive of it.

@sav

[Deleted]

Sav had invited his mother out for tea. Which was not something that he wanted to do, nor something he really saw himself doing unless it was her birthday or something, and then, he’d likely enlist his sister for help so it wouldn’t be just them. It was that he didn’t like this mother; but he knew that they didn’t always see eye-to-eye on things and the last thing sav wanted was someone questioning his life decisions. Even if they were trying to be helpful. Sav was incredibly hard headed and he knew that about himself. It wasn’t really something that he was looking to change at the moment and any interaction with his mom always left him feeling a little annoyed.

However, this was different. He wanted it to be different because he had some... news to tell her. And he wanted her to take it well. Or at least not cause a scene - which made Madam Puddifoot's the best place to give this news. It was neutral at least. It was a safe, public space. His mother wasn’t particularly dramatic, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

They met at the time they had set and ordered a pot of tea for the table that came hovering out fairly quickly and filled the cute, pastel cups on their table. He had chosen not to do this on a Hogsmead weekend for students - the less crowd they had, the better. The conversation went as it usually did: He asked her about work and then she asked him about Quidditch, “Oh yeah it’s going good. I’m not sure yet if we’ll make it to the championship this year, but I’m confident in the way we’re playing.” he insisted. “Maybe you and Shreya can come to a game sometime soon.” he suggested, which was his own way of trying to extend an olive branch. “I can set some tickets aside for you.” he added.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

Early November 2025

She was glad to hear that things were going well for Sav. While he explained that he wasn't sure if his team would be going to the championships for the current season, he added that he felt confident in how they were playing. Puddlemere United was a good team—and popular with the general public, as well. They could very possibly make it all the way, though that wouldn't change that Parvati was proud of Sav for how well he'd been doing. Wins and trophies were nice, of course, but she was reassured that Sav wasn't focused so narrowly on winning at all costs.

Sav said that maybe she could come to a match "sometime soon", even offering to arrange for tickets for her and Shreya. She might not have been as wild about Quidditch, but Parvati smiled; it would be nice to see him play instead of just hearing about the scores or reading them in the newspaper. "Yeah," she answered softly, eager but not overenthusiastic. "That sounds nice," and she guessed that Shreya would probably try to attend, too, as long as her schedule allowed for it. "And I promise I won't do anything to embarrass you," she noted. "I know you're a professional now, and it's not exactly Gryffindor versus Slytherin on the school pitch anymore."

@sav

[Deleted]

His mom insisted that she wouldn’t do anything to embarrass him since he was a professional now and it was different than when it was just Gryffindor vs. Slytherin out on the quidditch pitch at Hogwarts. Sav shrugged, sure it was different, but he wasn’t really concerned about it. What could his mother possibly do that would ruin his career? “I don’t think you’re that embarrassing.” he replied, putting a little bit more emphasis on “that” mostly just to see if he could get a reaction out of her. But it was also the truth, he was never embarrassed of her. Or by things she did. He was distant because he didn’t want to hurt her with his choices, and he didn’t want her trying to talk him out of anything he had his heart set on. “It’d be cool to have you guys there sometimes, a lot of players bring their families to games.” he certainly wasn’t going to invite his father. Maybe his half-sisters, but, they weren’t really close enough for that. He wouldn’t assume they’d want to come watch him play. “Though for most of them it’s their spouse and children instead of their mothers.” he segued slightly, figuring he’d need to drop hints somewhere so it didn’t seem completely out of the blue when he did finally tell her.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

Early November 2025

"I don’t think you’re that embarrassing," Sav told her, which was a change from a year prior. She had always felt as though he thought that she was in his business too much. She was his mother, so of course she anticipated that he would find her embarrassing some of the time; that was how parents were, but anything was a step up from complete and total mortification. "It’d be cool to have you guys there sometimes," he added, mentioning that a lot of the players brought their families to their games. "Though for most of them it’s their spouse and children instead of their mothers."

Parvati smiled a little. It was sweet of him to think of her and Shreya first, especially when it wasn't as though he didn't have a girlfriend with whom he was living. "…Are you sure you don't want to bring Katherine?" Things seemed relatively serious between the two of them, but they didn't exactly sit around and talk about Katherine Kowalski, the former Ilvermorny student who had caught her son's eye. "I mean," Parvati hesitated suddenly, "if you would rather bring her along, I understand, Sav." She wasn't trying to get in the way of his relationship. "She's your girlfriend. I get it, really. I'm not going to be offended if you'd prefer that she be there."

@sav

[Deleted]

Sav was a little surprised when his mother insisted that he invite Katherine to his matches instead of her. Maybe she just didn’t understand. “She’s been to some this season, Quidditch isn’t her favorite thing in the world. She’ll come if I ask her to, but I knew she’d love an excuse to skip a match.” he admitted. And that was fine. He knew Katherine supported him, but she didn’t need to be there to support him. They celebrated his wins on their own and her having witnessed it wouldn’t add or subtract from their experience. It worked for them. They had made a lot of different choices that worked for their own relationship. Including bringing Anna into the mix. Though, he wasn’t sure how to tell his mother that they had another partner. “My friend Ana came to a lot of them when she wasn’t playing in her own matches…” he admitted. “I’m sure you remember her, Ana Krum…” he watched her face to see how she thought of the youngest Krum daughter since that would influence a lot going forward.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

Early November 2025

Sav mentioned that Katherine had already been to some of his matches, though she wasn't a fan of Quidditch. Parvati found that sort of surprising, but she wondered if that was because of the American interest in Quodpot instead. Katherine would attend if he asked her to, Sav explained, but he said that he knew that she would love an excuse to skip out.

Nodding, Parvati understood the situation. Sav didn't want to force Katherine to do anything that she wasn't comfortable with doing, she thought, which was awfully considerate of him.

"My friend Ana came to a lot of them when she wasn’t playing in her own matches," Sav added. "I’m sure you remember her, Ana Krum…"

Of course Parvati knew who Ana Krum was. The girl had been in Hufflepuff, but she had known of her. And it wasn't as though she was out of the spotlight post-Hogwarts, since Viktor had become Minister for Magic following Hermione's death. While Parvati wouldn't have envisioned the teenage Viktor Krum she had met decades before as a politician, he was a better choice than most. He had always had a soft spot for Hermione, and Parvati knew that he was someone that Ouroboros needed to keep in their corner.

She smiled to Sav, glad that he wasn't so caught up in the Quidditch world that he'd forgotten his school friends. "How is she doing now?" she asked after her. "It's been a while, and of course with her dad as Minister…" That must have been quite a change.

@sav

[Deleted]

Sav had nearly forgotten that her father was the new minister of magic. It would almost make the situation worse now that her father was in the spotlight as much as he was. He had of course been aware of and following the situation in the ministry, but it was still odd not to think of his best friend's mother as Minister. Now it was his girlfriend's dad. He needed to evaluate his unconscious need to have friends with connections, he decided. “Yeah, she’s good. Well, actually, she’s pregnant.” he decided to tell her. Not saying yet that it was his. Maybe she would ask, or maybe she’d have something else to comment about it first. It was fairly commonly known that Sav and Ana had been friendly and flirty when they were at school.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

Early November 2025

"Yeah, she’s good. Well, actually, she’s pregnant."

That wasn't what Parvati had expected to hear—for one of the girls in his year to have gotten pregnant so soon after leaving school—but she supposed that it happened. She wondered how Ana's parents had taken it—and Viktor in particular. He seemed like the sort of father who would have been thoroughly protective of his daughters, probably trying to hex anyone who tried to get close to them romantically. It wasn't her business to pry into exactly what had happened or with whom, especially when Sav hadn't mentioned if the Krums knew already, so she gave a short nod.

"Well, I'm glad that she's got friends who are so supportive of her," Parvati replied. It was nice of Sav to have thought of her. Being pregnant at that age must have been absolutely terrifying, even under the best of circumstances. "Is it still early days, then?" she paused. "Do you know if her mum and dad know?" It was mostly to check if it was something that wasn't meant to leave their conversation.

@sav

[Deleted]

Sav’s heart began to race as she asked questions and said that it was nice that ana had a support system in him. He nodded. “Yeah it’s early, about 8 or 9 weeks, I think.” he said. They themselves had just found out a little bit ago, well, she had just told him recently, at least. “No, her parents don’t know yet... “ he admitted. “It seems pretty hard to tell someone that they’re going to be a grandparent...” he scratched the back of his neck. He wondered if she was picking up on anything he was trying to say without saying it. “Especially since, you know, she’s so young and it obviously wasn’t planned.” he added.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

Early November 2025

Sav explained that it was early—still eight or nine weeks, he said, which meant that it was well before it would have become apparent by her appearance. At least there was that. The media would jump at any chance they had, and Sav added that her parents didn't know. Ana would need to find a way to tell them, Parvati supposed. Anything that she could do to maintain her privacy while she still could was ideal. "It seems pretty hard to tell someone that they’re going to be a grandparent," Sav noted, and Parvati nodded. Viktor and Elena weren't much older than she was, and she couldn't even imagine what that would feel like.

"Especially since, you know, she’s so young and it obviously wasn’t planned."

"Of course. It's… You don't exactly expect for your child to have a child," Parvati agreed. It was a lot for anyone to handle—even more so when they were in the public eye and scrutinized already. "And the father?" she asked. Again, she didn't want to make any assumptions about how it had happened, if he was in the picture… It didn't seem like a bad idea for him to go with her when she broke the news. So many men didn't want that responsibility, unfortunately, especially not if he was just a kid.

@sav

[Deleted]

Parvati asked the question he was both hoping she would ask and was dreading answering. She asked about the father. Sav nodded and then sat back in his chair. “That would be me.” he admitted cooly, trying to maintain his calm. He was a very passionate person. It wasn’t uncommon for him to get angry and let his temper take control. But this wasn’t an angry situation, though his heart was still racing and he was sure he could hear the beating. He watched his mother, wondering what she would say or do with this new news. She had been cool so far, but now it wasn’t just about a random girl that she was somewhat acquainted with, it was her son. Her only son. Her impulsive, usually unreliable son. Though Sav was sure those days were behind him. "I told you it was hard to tell someone they were going to be a grandparent..." he added.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

Early November 2025

"That would be me," Sav said. "I told you it was hard to tell someone they were going to be a grandparent…"

Parvati breathed in, but the air hardly reached her throat before stopping. She wished that she could have replayed what Sav had said, only to make sure that she hadn't misheard him. Her face was devoid of expression as she attempted to make sense of what she had heard, and she didn't know how she was supposed to react to it. She didn't want to cause a scene, but she had plenty of other questions, most of which were difficult to put into words for the shock of it.

Although Parvati knew that it was highly unlikely that she would conceive another child again at her age, it wasn't completely out of the question. Of course, she wasn't in a relationship with anyone, which limited that possibility well enough. She hadn't thought of herself as being old enough to be a grandmother, yet there she was, staring that possibility in the face.

Still, her children weren't exactly children anymore, and Parvati knew that she had to accept that. Sav was an adult; he had a lucrative career in Quidditch ahead of him. She just hadn't expected to hear that from him until he was a few years past eighteen, at least. She knew that she needed to be happy that he was telling her and that he wasn't keeping it a secret. He was being mature about it, and she felt like a horrible parent for her doubts.

She breathed out a sigh, trying the best she could to sort through her thoughts without going completely silent on her son. Attempting to make up for her initial reaction wasn't easy, but she consciously tried to soften her demeanor enough to show that she understood and was supportive. "Sav," Parvati began, her voice lingering on his name. She wasn't angry at anyone but herself, and she averted her gaze from his direction. "I'm sorry, I—" It was hard not to feel overwhelmed.

The media… Ana… Katherine… There must have been plenty that had been going through Sav's head, too, and he must have been waiting to know her response. She strongly doubted that he had said anything about it to Ernie, which left her as his primary support. She looked back up and rubbed her face. "Are you with Ana now, then?"

@sav

[Deleted]

Worse than explaining to your mother that her 18 year old son was going to be a father, was trying to explain that you were a part of a three person relationship without it sounding weird. She didn’t sound upset, but he couldn’t help but think that even if she was upset, it wasn;t like she had any say in this. They had already made the decision to have the child. But, he couldn’t say that he wanted anyone to be upset with them for making that decision. “Yeah, Ana and I have been together for a good part of the summer…” he explained. And then he added, “Katherine knows. It’s um… unconventional.” though he knew that while Katherine and Ana had their own relationship separate from him, he was fairly sure they were both mostly into it based on a mutual connection with him. He was, after all, the one who had brought Ana into it.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

Early November 2025

Polyamory wasn't really something that Parvati had ever discussed in regards to her personal life, so to hear Sav describe his relationship with both girls as "unconventional" was… Well, that was one way of putting it. She supposed that it didn't really matter and that it wasn't really her place to judge what decisions he made for what he did with other people, as long as everything was consensual and that all three of them were happy in that arrangement. Even though she accepted it, she couldn't exactly say that she understood it. Having had the experiences that she had had in her marriage to Ernie and then following their divorce, it wasn't something that she would have chosen for herself, nor did she think that her side of the family was likely to accept that lifestyle.

Swallowing a little, Parvati nodded. It wasn't really the most appropriate topic of conversation for a public place, in her mind, and she doubted that Sav would have been comfortable discussing it at much length with her even if they were back at her flat. "Alright, erm, well…" she said simply at first. "I can't say that I was expecting that, either," she admitted, still trying to work that one out. "But as long as you're all happy…" It was uncomfortable from her perspective, but being hit with one realization after another was uncomfortable. But no one was hurt or in danger, at least from what Sav had said till that point, so that was reassuring.

"Look," Parvati started softly, lowering her voice to a whisper. "You're my son, and I will always love you," she reminded him. "But I don't know if the rest of the family"—her parents, in particular—"are going to understand." She was firmly on his side (and his girlfriends', plural), but she felt that she needed to caution him that his choices might not be received with the same acceptance. "Or the media, you know? Having a child at your age… unmarried… with two girls…" The blood purists would riot. "People are going to talk, Savtaj." He had to prepare himself for that. "I'm happy to do whatever you need me to, but we've got to start planning everything…"

@sav