One week had collapsed into two in the midst of juggling work and bringing up a child. It wasn’t something that Theodore had ever felt he’d be good at – both subjects, in fact – but he’d somehow managed to get his act together and he found he’d neither mucked something up nor killed his child so, for all intents and purposes, he’d been doing well. Nevertheless, there was one aspect of his life which had gone unattended in the space of the fourteen days and that was his marriage which had suffered with the sudden introduction of the latter of the aforementioned subjects. For you see, the child which Theodore was raising was not theirs. Esme Carolynn Rookwood was his, in fact. In this marriage, solely his – both to his detriment and elation.
If there was one thing that Theodore had been surprised about in the two weeks that had passed then it was how easy it had been to look after her. She wasn’t a high maintenance baby – being as she was quite a bit older than the infant that would all too soon enter his life, borne out of his marriage. She had certain desires, certain preferences, but Theodore learnt to dance to her tune and in turn she found her even keel and moved in his peculiar circles also. The two had come to understand each other and they’d gathered themselves a routine. Theodore had never gotten around to building up the nursery. Instead, once Esme was snoozing she was set down in his bed and he’d join her eventually after a few more drinks. Then, the pair would slumber away, wake up at Esme’s behest and their day would start with breakfast and then she’d be taken off to her auntie’s house before he went to work.
Adriana had been the biggest help of all. Theodore still hadn’t entirely gotten out of her what had precipitated her rapid change of heart on the subject of things less than pure. She had fallen in love with the little girl, though, and anything that made it easier for Theodore to juggle his life and his livelihood would do him nicely. Adriana had recently, however, upset the apple cart with whatever had created that change in her and Theodore found her, within the last week or so, taking up residence in the spare bedroom on the upper floor. Then it had been a case of making three breakfasts and once again dealing with his sister in the mornings. He didn’t mind it. In fact, he was grateful for the company. In truth, they’d never had a better relationship.
Work had never been better, either. Theodore had been thrown into the role of head chef when the former went onto paternity leave with no showing of returning and he ran the kitchen methodically and, needless to say, well. There wasn’t much to complain about in Theodore and it was truly something he’d begun to love. Still, he felt as though all of the apprenticeships he’d done in his late teens were beginning to go to waste. There was part of him that was beginning to miss the Ministry – and the law unto it. That was part of what made his steady relationship betwixt the Order and the Death Eaters equal parts terrifying and enthralling. He was weary though. Weary of the fight. Part of him just wanted to go back to basics, go back to law. Retrain.
Hallie was meant to be coming though, after closing. Theodore hadn’t had chance to make up any dinner for them by the time closing came around, either. There was part of him that was still a little irate. Nevertheless, he was willing to have dinner – or meet, whatever it was – and that was a start. He brought dessert, at least, and set it out on the table. Something within him was making him feel a little bit impatience. He supposed that, looking at the clock clicking away on the wall, it was because at this point in time he would’ve been home making dinner with Esme while Adriana read her magazines or the newspaper, beginning to make her way through her first bottle of wine for the evening. Even if he was lingering on to see Hallie, he still didn’t like it.
“Hiya love,” Theodore called out to Hallie as he made his way into the restaurant. “How’s your week been?”
by 
