RP: Jewel of My Eye
Date: August 14th 2005
Character(s): Lavender Brown, Hyacinth Brown [NPC]
Location: Stepcote Cottage, Somerset
Status: Private
Summary: Lavender visits her mother for afternoon tea and finally gets her birthday present, one she's a little reluctant to accept.
Completion: Complete
At least, Lavender decided, she hadn't landed in the pond. Apparating to her parents house for dinner, Lavender arrived just outside the back door in the middle of the garden path, where she knew she wouldn't land in any new landscaping features or plants. Her mother was in the kitchen, kettle already on and what looked like a Victoria sponge on the kitchen table; Lavender was getting hungry already. "Hi, Mum!"
"Oh, hullo, sweetheart. Do wipe your feet." Hyacinth dried her hands on a tea towel, the afternoon sunlight glinting on her jewelled glasses as she went to embrace her daughter. Pulling back, she asked, "Have you put on weight?"
Lavender pulled a face. Charming. Was this what she got for not being able to visit her mother recently? "Possibly," she agreed. "Sometimes I'm too busy to eat properly, so I just snack." She glanced over at the cake on the kitchen table. "I suppose I can always blame you for my sweet tooth, though."
Hyacinth tutted and busied herself with the tea service, letting Lavender sit down at the table, handbag at her feet. "I am sorry that I haven't been able to visit before now. I went away for my birthday weekend with Ron and I've been so busy with work. I wanted to come round sooner." That was a little bit of a lie. Lavender had planned to visit her parents on Sunday while Ron was at his Quidditch practice, but after several (Lavender wasn't quite sure as her glass had been topped up whenever it had drained below half-full) glasses of punch, she'd been feeling a little worse for wear on Sunday morning and had actually spent her time dozing on Ron's sofa with Molly the cat curled up on her lap before she'd cooked lunch for herself and Ron.
As her mother put the tray down on the table and began to pour out the tea, she shook her head. "I think your father was more disappointed not to hear from you on your birthday than me."
Lavender frowned, knife sunk halfway into the cake. "Yeah," she said softly, nodding. "You're probably right." It was mostly unspoken between them, but they both knew that Lavender had always had a closer relationship with her father. "Tell you what, I'll have to come around and help him with the garden some time. I just spotted all those strawberries just now - they look nearly ripe. Must be plenty of other stuff that needs doing, especially after all the rain we've had this year."
"He'd like that," Hyacinth agreed.
"So would I," Lavender said honestly. "I'm owed holiday time. And I miss not having a garden. Bit difficult living in a flat!"
"Is that something that would make you consider moving into a house?"
Lavender shrugged, stirring her tea. "Maybe. I remember looking for a house months ago, before I started my training. If I did move anywhere... I think it would be with Ron."
Hyacinth set down her own teaspoon. "Are things alright with you two?" she asked, peering at her daughter and giving a slightly disapproving frown as some crumbs dropped from Lavender's cake onto the table.
"Yes." Lavender's brow furrowed. "Why?"
Her mother pursed her lips, teacup halfway to her mouth. "Because you hardly ever talk about him. And, when you do, you usually change the subject rather quickly. It almost makes me feel as though there's something wrong."
Lavender wrinkled her nose and took a mouthful of cake; this gave her a couple more moments to think of what to say. "I know," she said finally. "I don't know why. But, honestly. Things are really great between us right now. I don't know why I still feel the urge to be so protective of our relationship."
Setting down her cup, Hyacinth nodded and rose from the table, disappearing from the kitchen. Lavender bit her lip, wondering if she'd said something wrong. This was her afternoon off and the first thing she'd wanted to do was come for tea, so now why was her mother just walking out on her? When Hyacinth returned, she placed a small wooden box on the table in front of Lavender. Lavender licked a cake crumb and a spot of jam from her lips.
"This is your birthday present," Hyacinth informed her, watching as Lavender ran her fingers over the engraved wood. "It belonged to my mother."
Lavender looked up from the box, eyes widening. Grandma Rose had died when she was eight, somewhat young for a witch, but, despite being a mediwitch, Lavender was of the same romantic opinion as her mother - she'd never got over the death of her husband, Lavender's grandfather, during the first war and her broken heart had finally given up.
"Her jewellery box," Hyacinth elaborated.
Lavender breathed out slowly, the vague sense of realisation that she had felt upon seeing the box blossoming fully.
"I kept it for you," Hyacinth told her as Lavender lifted the lid, taking in the sight of the contents. "I always remember how much you loved going through her jewellery when you were younger and we used to visit it." Hyacinth was quiet for a moment as she saw her daughter getting tearful, eyes brimming as she picked out the ring that nestled amid the rest of the jewellery. "I think she'd have wanted you to have it." She reached up, brushing the hair from Lavender's face. "Our beautiful little flower."
"Mum," Lavender breathed, the engagement ring still clutched between her trembling fingers. "I can't accept all this. Grandma Rose left it to you."
"And I am giving it to you." Hyacinth sniffed. "Well, you don't have to wear it all. Some of it won't suit your colouring and a couple of those necklaces are just going to make your neck look chunky."
Lavender giggled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and smudging her mascara in the process. "You're just saying that to make me feel better about accepting this."
"Of course. You're like a little stick, Petal." Hyacinth pulled her glasses from her nose, letting them dangle around her neck by their chain. "I don't think you could look chunky if you tried. You get that from your grandmother."
Lavender gave a small smile and replaced the ring, closing the lid. "You should keep something of this," Lavender told her softly. "It was your mum's."
"I have my parents wedding rings," Hyacinth said, shaking her head. "And I've taken a few pieces. Trust me, there was a time when you could barely shut that lid. It seems the women in this family have something of an attraction to shiny things. Beside, as your father keeps telling me, I have plenty of jewellery."
Laughing, Lavender leant over, hugging her mother and nearly knocking her tea over as she did so.
Character(s): Lavender Brown, Hyacinth Brown [NPC]
Location: Stepcote Cottage, Somerset
Status: Private
Summary: Lavender visits her mother for afternoon tea and finally gets her birthday present, one she's a little reluctant to accept.
Completion: Complete
At least, Lavender decided, she hadn't landed in the pond. Apparating to her parents house for dinner, Lavender arrived just outside the back door in the middle of the garden path, where she knew she wouldn't land in any new landscaping features or plants. Her mother was in the kitchen, kettle already on and what looked like a Victoria sponge on the kitchen table; Lavender was getting hungry already. "Hi, Mum!"
"Oh, hullo, sweetheart. Do wipe your feet." Hyacinth dried her hands on a tea towel, the afternoon sunlight glinting on her jewelled glasses as she went to embrace her daughter. Pulling back, she asked, "Have you put on weight?"
Lavender pulled a face. Charming. Was this what she got for not being able to visit her mother recently? "Possibly," she agreed. "Sometimes I'm too busy to eat properly, so I just snack." She glanced over at the cake on the kitchen table. "I suppose I can always blame you for my sweet tooth, though."
Hyacinth tutted and busied herself with the tea service, letting Lavender sit down at the table, handbag at her feet. "I am sorry that I haven't been able to visit before now. I went away for my birthday weekend with Ron and I've been so busy with work. I wanted to come round sooner." That was a little bit of a lie. Lavender had planned to visit her parents on Sunday while Ron was at his Quidditch practice, but after several (Lavender wasn't quite sure as her glass had been topped up whenever it had drained below half-full) glasses of punch, she'd been feeling a little worse for wear on Sunday morning and had actually spent her time dozing on Ron's sofa with Molly the cat curled up on her lap before she'd cooked lunch for herself and Ron.
As her mother put the tray down on the table and began to pour out the tea, she shook her head. "I think your father was more disappointed not to hear from you on your birthday than me."
Lavender frowned, knife sunk halfway into the cake. "Yeah," she said softly, nodding. "You're probably right." It was mostly unspoken between them, but they both knew that Lavender had always had a closer relationship with her father. "Tell you what, I'll have to come around and help him with the garden some time. I just spotted all those strawberries just now - they look nearly ripe. Must be plenty of other stuff that needs doing, especially after all the rain we've had this year."
"He'd like that," Hyacinth agreed.
"So would I," Lavender said honestly. "I'm owed holiday time. And I miss not having a garden. Bit difficult living in a flat!"
"Is that something that would make you consider moving into a house?"
Lavender shrugged, stirring her tea. "Maybe. I remember looking for a house months ago, before I started my training. If I did move anywhere... I think it would be with Ron."
Hyacinth set down her own teaspoon. "Are things alright with you two?" she asked, peering at her daughter and giving a slightly disapproving frown as some crumbs dropped from Lavender's cake onto the table.
"Yes." Lavender's brow furrowed. "Why?"
Her mother pursed her lips, teacup halfway to her mouth. "Because you hardly ever talk about him. And, when you do, you usually change the subject rather quickly. It almost makes me feel as though there's something wrong."
Lavender wrinkled her nose and took a mouthful of cake; this gave her a couple more moments to think of what to say. "I know," she said finally. "I don't know why. But, honestly. Things are really great between us right now. I don't know why I still feel the urge to be so protective of our relationship."
Setting down her cup, Hyacinth nodded and rose from the table, disappearing from the kitchen. Lavender bit her lip, wondering if she'd said something wrong. This was her afternoon off and the first thing she'd wanted to do was come for tea, so now why was her mother just walking out on her? When Hyacinth returned, she placed a small wooden box on the table in front of Lavender. Lavender licked a cake crumb and a spot of jam from her lips.
"This is your birthday present," Hyacinth informed her, watching as Lavender ran her fingers over the engraved wood. "It belonged to my mother."
Lavender looked up from the box, eyes widening. Grandma Rose had died when she was eight, somewhat young for a witch, but, despite being a mediwitch, Lavender was of the same romantic opinion as her mother - she'd never got over the death of her husband, Lavender's grandfather, during the first war and her broken heart had finally given up.
"Her jewellery box," Hyacinth elaborated.
Lavender breathed out slowly, the vague sense of realisation that she had felt upon seeing the box blossoming fully.
"I kept it for you," Hyacinth told her as Lavender lifted the lid, taking in the sight of the contents. "I always remember how much you loved going through her jewellery when you were younger and we used to visit it." Hyacinth was quiet for a moment as she saw her daughter getting tearful, eyes brimming as she picked out the ring that nestled amid the rest of the jewellery. "I think she'd have wanted you to have it." She reached up, brushing the hair from Lavender's face. "Our beautiful little flower."
"Mum," Lavender breathed, the engagement ring still clutched between her trembling fingers. "I can't accept all this. Grandma Rose left it to you."
"And I am giving it to you." Hyacinth sniffed. "Well, you don't have to wear it all. Some of it won't suit your colouring and a couple of those necklaces are just going to make your neck look chunky."
Lavender giggled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand and smudging her mascara in the process. "You're just saying that to make me feel better about accepting this."
"Of course. You're like a little stick, Petal." Hyacinth pulled her glasses from her nose, letting them dangle around her neck by their chain. "I don't think you could look chunky if you tried. You get that from your grandmother."
Lavender gave a small smile and replaced the ring, closing the lid. "You should keep something of this," Lavender told her softly. "It was your mum's."
"I have my parents wedding rings," Hyacinth said, shaking her head. "And I've taken a few pieces. Trust me, there was a time when you could barely shut that lid. It seems the women in this family have something of an attraction to shiny things. Beside, as your father keeps telling me, I have plenty of jewellery."
Laughing, Lavender leant over, hugging her mother and nearly knocking her tea over as she did so.