Not the Way I Planned

"Prim! Get down here!" Jamie yelled up the stairs to her daughter. It was Prim's first day of Hogwarts and it was not her, but Jamie, who was terrified. She wasn't really sure why. It wasn't her who was going to a place that she had never been before. I guess it was the fact that she would be seeing other parents like herself dropping their kids off, people from her school days. They would know who she was. They would know how much she had screwed up her own life. Jamie even looked like a wreck. She was overworked, underpayed, single, and at age 28 she looked like she was in her mid to late 30's. She was eight months pregnant with her third child and like the father's of the other two, he had left her.

Prim lumbered down the stairs carring her trunk. Jamie loved Prim to death and knew she wouldn't trade her for the world but sometimes she wished that her little girl had come a few years later. "Bring your trunk out to the car, honey. We're going to be late." Jamie said. She watched Prim drag the thing across the kitchen in a way that she suspected would leave a mark. She would worry about that later. Turning to her girl she asked "Do you know where your brother is?". Prim raised her eyes in a way that made her look so much like a teen that Jamie repressed a shudder. "No" she said, like it was annoying that her mother would ask her a question. "Fine. Continue" Jamie said. She walked through the house. It was a small apartment in the less attractive part of London but it was all Jamie could afford with her job in a cubile.

She fround Patrick in the room that he shared with Prim. His side of the room was covered with toys, while hers was covered with posters of teen stars and the floor spotless. "Oh, Patrick. Really?" she asked. Patrick was 5 nd as far as she was concerned, compltely insane (and Jamie was his mother). He was currenly wearing a full batman suit and trying to eat one of Prim's old Barbie dolls. "Get that out of your mouth!" Jamie shrieked. Taking Patrick by the hand she brought him downstairs and to the car. Prim had sucsessfully got her truck in the cab. They were off.

The car ride was mostly silent. Prim was terrified and Patrick had found some sort of string product to chew. When they arrived Patrick spit the string on the back of the cab driver's head, Jamie gave him money and they were off. They found a trolly fairly quickly and packed Prim's things on it. Carefully holding Patrick in her arms (he was kicking to get down) she three Prophet's ran through the barrier.

When they got to the other side Jamie was overwelmed by the magic of it all, though she had been there 100 times before. She wondered what it looked like to Prim. Looking to see her expression Jamie realized that her daughter was already running to put her stuff in the train. She set Patrick down and attatched one of those little child leches with a money backpack on it. Holding tightly she let out a sigh and leaned agenst the wall. Prim would come back soon.

Jamie's look and outfit

Everything changes as time passes and eleven years had passed. A lot of change had occurred during the period between graduation and the birth of his first child. But along with the birth of his child came loss. His mother had gotten him to marry Mira, Alice’s sister, and just like he’d thought every day he saw Alice. When he lost Mira it was just like losing Alice all over again. It ripped him apart. For months he was a mess. He’d felt nothing for the woman he’d called wife but he’d loved her sister. When Mira died he saw Alice, her screams were ringing in his ears. Even now he could feel Mira’s grip of his hands go slack if he cupped them together. It had taken months for him to get over her death. He sat in a dark room, brooding away with a glass of Firewhisky in his hand for days on end. It wasn’t until Mira’s mother left the baby in his bedroom while he was sleeping that he really took the role of father on. Fauve had been as difficult as he had been for she had loved Mira like a mother. The two had been unresponsive but when his daughter arrived, everything changed for him.

Elijah’s thoughts were washed away when he heard the sound of a door slam. Screams came from above him and he walked out into the foyer of the manor he’d inherited from his grandfather. After Mira’s death he’d also spent a lot of time back in Paris. It was there where he picked up two twin boys off of the streets. They were terrors the both of them but they kept him on his feet and by the sounds of it, they were terrorising his daughters. He put his hand on the banister and walked up the first few steps. He watched the two dark haired boys run with what looked like their wands in their hands and Elijah frowned. He heard Cepheus cast a spell on Fauve and he yelled up the stairs, “If you say another word young man I’ll snap your wand and you can live in the cellar.” He listened to Caelum tease his brother and this time the twin’s wand was turned on his brother.

Stepping away from the stairs, Elijah watched as Caelum slid down the banister with his brother hot on his heels and the girls slowly made their way down the stairs. Fauve was muttering under her breath about stupid little brothers and Elijah merely smiled at her. She returned the smile and jumped the last two steps before drawing her wand and pointing it at her brothers. Elijah looked up at the stairs to see the youngest hiding behind the banister. She was the only blonde; the rest had dark hair and could have been Elijah’s children easily had they actually been biological. The little blonde was the only one people looked at with odd expressions.

“Alice...” He called to the little girl in a sing song voice and her blonde head popped out from behind the banister. A wide smile spread onto her face and she began to hop lightly down the steps. When she got half way she launched herself off of the stair into her father’s arms and he caught her easily, hugging her close to him. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled her scent. He was sure that she was his friend reincarnated. They looked the same and they even smelt the same. The only indication that she was his daughter was that she had a rim of dark brown around the sapphire blue. That and she had the same quite temperament he had as a child. He’d find her in the same trees he used to climb her age with a book in her lap and Nachash wrapped around her. “Are you alright my sweetheart?” He whispered. The little girl nodded and he kissed her cheek.

Elijah set his daughter down on her feet and swivelled her around so he could french plait her hair as he used to do with Fauve. He’d still brush her hair, plait it and play with it on occasion if they were relaxing together but she’d grown up. She didn’t need her papa anymore. Alice, however, did and for that Elijah was glad. Humouring the boys was a lot more work than it was with the girls. They were like him at fourteen which for them was only a year away. Elijah had already squared it with them though. As long as they didn’t run off to Paris then he’d let them have his studio for the summer after their fourth year. He was adamant that they weren’t going to make the same mistakes he had. When Eli finished the braid he tied it at the end with a hair band and tied a pale pink ribbon around it in a bow. “There.” He announced softly. “You nervous?”

Alice nodded and he picked her up again. The little girl pressed herself closer to her father and he whispered consoling words to the girl. He looked up to see his boys still trying to hex Fauve and he glared. Elijah muttered an apology and plopped Alice back down onto the marble floor. He strode into the room they’d chosen to turn their wands on each other in and he all but blew up on them. “IF YOU DON’T GET YOUR TRUNKS AND GET IN THAT GODDAMN FIREPLACE IN THE NEXT MINUTE THEN I’LL SEND YOU TO YOUR GRANDMOTHER’S!” Caelum stopped yelling hexes and looked sceptically at his father. “MY MOTHER!” Elijah elaborated. The boys shrieked and ran into the other room to retrieve their bags.

Elijah walked back into the foyer and held his hand out for Alice to take. Instead, she ran at him and launched herself up into his arms. He chuckled and held his daughter close to him. She was going to Hogwarts. It was her first year already and Elijah felt like he was losing his little girl forever. He’d already promised to visit her as much as she wanted him to. Money did mean something to Hogwarts and he donated enough every year thanks to his boys breaking more or less everything they could get their hands on. Elijah stepped into the fireplace as his children had done before him and throwing the ash down, the fire engulfed the two.

Elijah stepped out of the fireplace and found his sons pointing their wands at each other again. Elijah put his daughter down. He felt her hands go around his waist and he patted her hand before looking at his boy’s. “If you two so much as dare embarrass me or your sisters I’ll have you working in the dungeons.” He promised. The Gryffindor’s looked astonished and Fauve snickered from beside him. She was a Slytherin through and through but a well respected one. Everyone loved her there. He expected Alice would end up in Ravenclaw, a place her namesake had wanted to go. “But dad you can’t do that!” Cepheus complained loudly. Elijah raised his eyebrow at his son and the boy stepped back a little, knowing that if he challenged his father then the ex-Slytherin would most definitely take him up on it.

OOC: Just checking - Elijah has Faeve, twin boys, and Alice as his kids correct?
Hey - just so you know I am really not going to meet this post. Only a paragraph or two

Jamie glanced up from the spot where she leaned agenst the wall. Oh god. She remembered now why she was dreading this event. So many faces. But one strood out. One godly face. It triggered so many memories that had been stored in her brain for so long. Young Jamie Prophet and Elijah Krum laughing at the lake. Jamie meeting Faeve at Julia Traverses party. Jamie and Elijah sharing their first kiss. James Potter leaving Jamie when he learned of Jamie and Elijah. So many things that went wrong, but so much happiness. If you can call what she was feeling happiness. Emotions running wild as she ran around with the Krum boy.

Feeling suddenly brave Jamie subsided to the desperate running/pulling of Patrick on his leash. It was almost sickly to subject a boy to it but very nessesary. The docter had made the strangest things come back up from this belly. Patrick liked chewing things. It could be anything. Jamie could see his mouth moving but after seeing Elijah's face it didn't seem to matter anymore.

As she got closer Jamie could see a slew of children around him. If they were all his he had clearly not changed his ways. This thought made her smile slightly. Prim appeared suddenly at Jamie's side. She was maybe 20 feet away from Elijah at this point. "Where are you going?" asked Prim in her new teenager voice. "To see an old friend" murmered Jamie to her daughter. "Oh. Is he the tall one with the hot son?" Prim said with her eyebrows raised. "Yes, Prim" Jamie said with a hint of a smile. 10 feet. Everything would change momentarily.

OOC: How old are your sons? I think it would be really cute if one of them got together with Prim. If that didn't work Alice and Prim should be good friends.

“Keith! Dammit Keith wake up!”

Keith rolled over in his bed and groaned into his pillow, sitting up and trying to figure out where he was. He was most definitely hung over...now if he could only remember how he got hung over, he might have something.

“Keith! We’re going to be late! If you aren’t out here in five seconds I swear to God I’ll bring the door down!”

“Shut up!” Keith shouted, standing and rubbing the back of his neck. He stumbled into his closet and grabbed the nearest “work suit” he could find, a throwing a wrinkled blue button up on under it.

The suit was stylish, or so Keith had been told. Ar...Armati something or other. The brand of the suit didn’t particularly concern him, but it was the only thing Mr. Watson would let him wear while he was on the clock.

You're in my employment now, and I expect you to look at least decent while you work.

Luckily, Watson didn’t seem to care about tattoos, as long as they were visible, and Keith’s hair was his own. Keith had let it grow out for the past few months and it was due for a cut, but Keith hadn’t gotten around to it yet. Keeping the Brat out of trouble was nearly a full time job, and Keith wasn’t about to sacrifice his all too precious free time with something as mundane as a haircut.

“Three...” Came the Brat’s voice from outside the door. “Two...”

“Don’t you dare!” Keith snarled, pulling on a pair of pants and flipping open his cell phone. Three texts from someone in his phone as Bowling Alley girl....must be someone from whatever had happened last night.

Keith sighed and tossed the phone on the bed. It wouldn’t fare well at Platform 9 and 3/4 with all the magic running around. He dug his shoes out from under the bed, grabbing a pack of cigarettes as he stumbled out the door and in front of a very impatient Archer Watson.

Archer was 15 this year, and the cause of most of Keith’s newfound misery. Sole heir to his father’s multi-million corporation, Archer had been brought up on the best. The best food, the best teachers, and ever since he was old enough to attend Hogwarts, the best magical school in Europe.

“About bloody time,” Archer said, tapping his foot impatiently. Keith growled threateningly and pulled a cigarette out of its pack, lighting it with a snap of his fingers.

“Are you packed?”

“Of course,” Archer said, looking Keith up and down. “You look presentable. Barely.”

“And you don’t decide wether I look presentable. Your dad does,” Keith replied, tightening the belt around his waste.

“But my father isn’t here. And you know that, which is without a doubt why you slept so late. Meaning I’m in charge of you. And I say we only have a few minutes, and you barely look presentable.”

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch,” Keith muttered. Archer was tall, thin and tan, after long hours spent on the best quidditch courts money could buy. He was something of a prodigy, Keith had heard, though he couldn’t imagine Archer being even a halfway competent chaser, much less the legend he seemed to be. Of course, Keith had never seen him play, so it might be true.

“Let’s go, let’s go,” Archer said, tapping his foot impatiently. He grabbed his bags and stepped forward. Keith sighed and grabbed the boys forehead, concentrating a bit and suddenly feeling like he was being pushed through a tube.

A moment later, they were at Platform 9 and 3/4. Years ago, Keith would’ve thrown up from the apparation, but that was back when he was in school, and barely five feet tall. Keith had grown since then, and though he didn’t often think about it, had grown about a foot and a half. He was easily 6’6 now.

Meters. Think in meters. Not in America anymore.

Keith shook his head and looked around. A quick scan of the area revealed no suspicious figures, and Keith gave Archer a good shove. “Alright, run along now. Be a good boy. Be sure to write daddy.” He turned abruptly and nearly tripped over a little girl that couldn’t have been older than 11. “Damn, watch it kid. Get out of the way,” he said darkly, sidestepping the young girl.

OOC: That was Prim he nearly tripped over by the way.

“Dad you’re so boring!” Cepheus complained. Elijah went to slap his son but Fauve beat him to it, clipping the dark haired boy around the back of the head. Elijah smiled and kissed his daughter’s temple. The twins both huffed in frustration and crossed their arms over their chests. Cepheus glared at his father and Elijah looked innocently back at his son. “I say we should get on the train, dad.” Caelum spoke up this time. When the dark haired boy saw his father’s face he backtracked a little. “Or maybe we’ll just stay here with you, Alice and Fauve.” Elijah nodded curtly but cracked a smile at his son nonetheless. Caelum returned it with a wide grin and he looked at his other son who was still glaring. Elijah ruffled Cepheus’ hair and the boy gave his father a reluctant smile.

He got on with his boys when they weren’t trying to curse each other or blow something up. Oddly they were gifted in potions but that was something the Bulgarian was sure they had picked up off of Rob. The strange thing was that they never wanted to do anything practical with potions. They were jokers and prospective ladies men, Caelum more so than his brother, but they could charm a snail out of its shell. It was a wonder that they truly weren’t his sons. But then again, Fauve was alike Elijah in so many ways. She had his softer side where as the boys held the overly social parts of his personality. He saw flickers of a bookworm in Cepheus but his brother kept him on a short leash. There would be no deviating from the norm and if that did happen Caelum would hold his brother upside down over the side of the astronomy tower. Elijah knew that as they grew things would change though. Cepheus was a lot more sensitive than his brother...he just didn’t show it as much.

“Papa,” Fauve’s soft voice broke through Elijah’s thoughts and he looked at her. “I distinctively remember a young woman in your past,” Elijah scowled at her. “A particular one. A pregnant one. I will never be able to stress how wrong it is to try and seduce a pregnant woman but I’m not going to elaborate on my distaste for your teenage antics. Caelum will be no different. My point is that not only do I remember her but I believe you will be presented with her if she closes the gap.”

Elijah looked at Fauve with a confused expression and she gestured with her head to something over her shoulder. It was then that Elijah’s eyes fell on Jamie. She’d changed but hadn’t they all? She looked older but that was probably only fatigue. He had to admit she looked overworked, like she needed a week’s worth of sleep to gather some energy back. Elijah felt sorry for her in all honestly. He didn’t have to do a lot except turn out sets of paintings for Arnold every month. He could sleep the day away if he so wished and sometimes he did much to the chagrin of the children’s nanny. She was half maid half nanny and treated Eli like she did his children, like he was the child along with the rest of them. He wouldn’t complain either...she made him cookies.

Once again his thoughts were broken but this time by Cepheus. Elijah looked away from Jamie and watched as Cepheus pulled a little girl behind him so she didn’t get stepped on by yet another familiar face. “Don’t talk to her like that!” He yelled angrily. Elijah pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and bit back a groan. This was truly the last thing he needed right now. His sons got into fights often enough without getting into fights with kids bigger than them. The damn Gryffindor pride was the last thing he needed right now. Elijah sent Caelum a look that told the twin not to help his brother and Elijah handed Alice over to Fauve. He stalked over to where his son was and picked him up by the scruff of the neck.

Elijah held the scrabbling teenager up and glared at him. Cepheus returned it and Elijah abruptly let go of him. Unfortunately though, he landed on his feet. “Apologize Cepheus,” He growled. “Chivalry is a classic Gryffindor trait but for goodness sake can’t you reel it in?” Cepheus avoided his father’s gaze and Elijah sighed. “You want to be a man?” The teenager looked up. “Act like one then.” Elijah hissed. “Apologize.” The dark-haired boy pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, telling Elijah immediately that his son had no intention of doing what he had told him to. Elijah heard Fauve snort loudly from where they were stood and Elijah pointed to where Cepheus’ siblings were. “Go.” The boy scrambled away with one last look at the girl he’d defended and Elijah shook his head. “I will apologize for my son.” He said to...ah, well that was a familiar face indeed. “I fear he is too Gryffindor for his own good.”

Elijah looked at the girl that Keith had nearly tripped over and instantly connected her to Jamie. Well that was weird. The fates were working against him and for his idiot son. Elijah didn’t feel he had to apologize on behalf of Cepheus to Jamie. After all, Cepheus had defended the girl he’d just gone the wrong way about it. Eleven years...that sounded about right. She must have been the woman’s eldest. He smiled slightly at the girl and beckoned Cepheus back over. The moody teenage boy stomped over and Elijah grabbed him by the shoulders. He squeezed them; non-verbally telling him to wind his neck in if he knew what was good for him and pushed him forward a little. He’d humour his son regardless of what the boy had done. “Jamie,” Elijah smiled, his eyes settling back on her. “It’s been far too long.”

Jamie still had her head in the cloudy place of memories when Prim was nearly chrushed under the feet of a 6'6 foot man. Unlike many of the faces around her that had fremilier features this man was a mystry to her. As her brain flew through faces of her school years it couldn't settle on one. Prehaps he was from out of town.

The rest happened quickly. Jamie was about to start yelling at this strange (mildly frightening) man when there was already a young boy doing it for her. With a closer look Jamie noticed that it was none other than the boy Prim had been calling hansome. Elijah was talking now. Jamie remembered that voice. When she had been intoduced to the Krum boy his voice had already changed, so it sounded exactly the same. Jamie stopped listening to the sound and started listening to the words. He talked to his son in such a harsh way. It almost made Jamie shudder. She had always been a easy to please parent. Minimum disapline.

Jamie took Prim's hand in hers when Elijah's boy scuttled off. I could see her making goo goo eyes at him as he left. Great - five minutes into her first year she already had a crush. It sounded too much like Jamie's expirance at Hogwarts. "Um.. Yeah" said Jamie looking mortified. "I can't believe we didn't run into eachother sooner". It WAS kind of amazing with the wizarding world being so small. It must have been the fact that Jamie worked in the muggle world. Maybe she would be more connected now that Prim was part of it.

Jamie currently felt like her life was on fastforward. The first child at 17, the next five years later (23 years old), and her third coming at a mere 28. No normal person had three children at age 28. Normal people waited. Normal people were also happy.

Small things like Elijah always brightened her day.

"Christ," Keith muttered. A small boy was now yelling at him, from what Keith could make out it was the way he had been talking to the young girl he had nearly tripped over. "Keep it down," He moaned, rubbing. Usually he would've found humor in the situation, but Keith was far too hungover to laugh at someone shouting at him. He was having far too much fun dealing with his now pounding head.

"Ach, wait a second," he said to a tall man, presumably the young boy's father. "I have something for this in my pocket somewhere." He took a small puff on the cigarette and began searching his pockets, eventually coming up with a silvery vial. Uncapping it, he removed the cigarette from his mouth and down it, grimacing as the taste hit his tongue.

"Horrible," he said, looking back up at the man, "But I don't know what I'd...do...without..." He cocked his head, trying to remember where he had seen that face before.

Elijah

Keith frowned, and Eli stepped past him, speaking to the girl behind him. Keith didn't really know what to think about Eli - he himself had been to young to have many opportunities to interact with the man directly. However, Keith was (or had been) on very good terms with the older Hogwarts girl, and had gotten the impression that Eli was a good person, if somewhat of a...womanizer.

If the number of children behind him was any indication, he hadn't changed since Keith had seen him last. He shook his head and was about to apparate away when he overheard the woman behind him speak.

"I can't believe we didn't run into each other sooner."

Keith paused, a slow frown spreading over his face. He had definitely heard that voice somewhere before...sometime during his stay at Hogwarts.

Keith cursed under his breath, not wanting to turn around until he was certain. Over the years, his memory of Hogwarts had grown...fuzzy. Partly from the passage of time, and partly...other things. But he had definitely heard that voice somewhere. Or at least a younger version.

Jamie?

Keith shot a quick glance behind him, confirming his suspicions. The woman looked older than Jamie would be, though the children around her and her swelling belly could be the reason for that. The girl certainly looked the right age, and if Keith looked closely he could see distinct traces of James Potter in her.

Keith couldn't help it. He started to chuckle. "Think she would've learned after the first one..."

Everything had changed when Elijah had graduated. He could no longer be a child. He had to grow up and he had done so abruptly which is why he came out a bit wonky. He’d been a father since he was fifteen so he knew what he was doing in that section but everything else was a mystery to him. Staying with one woman hadn’t nearly been as hard as he’d thought it would be but she hadn’t been long for the world either so he was once again companionless.

He was twenty-six-years-old and he had four children and several hundred paintings sitting on his shoulders. Anyone else would have been happy but now all of his children were going to Hogwarts he felt more alone than ever. If there was one good thing about the place it was the fact that his boys got into trouble often so he was flicking between the house and the school for most of the year. But without Alice he’d only have his work to immerse himself in so he’d probably return to Paris until Christmas then return home for when they arrived at the station. It would be a lonely year.

Elijah heard Fauve take her leave and he felt Alice come up beside him. Eli leaned down and dropped a kiss to her head as her arms wound around him. She had his genes where growing was concerned so she’d be smaller than her classmates until she was at least fourteen. That was a long way off though and Elijah did feel sorry for her. But she had her mother’s looks, or rather her aunt’s looks, so she would be fine he was sure.

“Yes,” He nodded to Jamie. “It is a wonder why but perhaps we have had conflicting schedules over the years.”

(( A hell of a lot shorter...sorry. I thought I’d get something out though. ))

OOC: Ah. Whatever. Makes me feel better.

"Yeah. So.." Jamie said with a slightly confused expression on her face "What have you been up to? Still painting?" Elijah had been an amzing artist as a student, something that Jamie had always been jealous of. Come to think about it, Eli had been sketching when she first laid eyes on him. It was funny to think back to that sunny day on the lake, so long ago.

Jamie noticed that all of Elijah's children were of Hogwarts age. Sending them all away? It was hard enough that she had to send Prim away, but all of her children? Patrick? The unborn child? The house (no matter how small) would feel quiet and empty. Jamie knew that when that time came she would have to seek the companionship of another man or of the wizarding community. Living like a hermit so young would not be good for her mental health.

Jamie heard the mumble from the boy. Something struck a memory. Keith? He might be rude but she remembered that they had used to be close for a small part of her sixth year. Ignoring his comment (and the flash of red on her face) she kept her gaze trained at her feet.

OOC: short but I have to go *face palm*

After eavesdropping for a few more minutes, Keith was able to confirm that it was indeed Elijah and Jamie standing behind him. It figured. Sooner or later he'd have to run into someone he knew from Hogwarts, especially now that he was back in the UK.

He hadn't known much about Eli, beyond the boy being somewhat of a rebel during his time at Hogwarts. Drinking, smoking, dating seemingly dozens of different women...Eli was the kind of person Keith had (tried) to model himself after. He still wasn't sure if he had been successful or not, in that regard.

Jamie had been different. She had been the older girl who had opened up to him early in his first year, but after graduating from Hogwarts they had grown apart. She had a baby to take care of, and Keith was too busy building the foundations of his short-lived empire. He had a brief flashback of hanging upside down on the ceiling, and Jamie coming to rescue him...she had needed a shoulder, if he remembered correctly. It had been shortly before she had gotten pregnant with the girl Keith had nearly squashed.

Keith felt a brief flash of pity. He squashed it.

He had two choices. He could apparate away, put this behind him, and drink himself into stupor until Watson found something for him to do. Or he could stay here, have a conversation, and have a legitimate reason not to go back to the Manor. Of course Watson wouldn't approve of him socializing...but Eli was wealthy. (was he still?) Maybe Keith could pass it off as "brushing up on some old influences". Archer would love it if he could somehow suck Eli's fortune into his own buisness...maybe Keith would even get a raise.

To get a raise, you have to be payed in something more than favors.

So Keith took a puff of his cigarette, glancing dow at Jamie's oldest kid. He considered offering it to her, but eventually just stuck it back in his mouth.

"Eli," he said, stepping into the circle he and Jamie had created. "Jamie. Long time no see."