preparing (open)

[bugock]

Safira hummed to herself, watching as the bedroom painted itself pale pink. She had spent the afternoon using her wand to move around furniture in the nursery until she found an arrangement that she was pleased with. The furniture was white, with pink cushions of course. "Miss Aurora, you are going to have a beautiful room," Safira sighed. She looked down at Delilah, who was winding between her legs and purring.

"Hello Delilah," said Safira, a bit surprised. Ever since she had gotten pregnant her cat had avoided her like the plague; but now the white Persian was acting as if nothing had happened. She bent over and scooped up the feline, holding her like a baby. "Who's a pretty kitty?" Safira said, gently kissing Delilah's pink nose. She often got lonely, as Demetri was away teaching, it was just her in the house all day. Well, her, her unborn daughter, and her cat. But Safira missed having someone to talk to.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Curious, but also relieved to get a little social interaction; Safira set Delilah down on the couch in the living room on the way to the door. She opened it to reveal...

Outift

[squiggle]

Zelphar looked around, he technically shouldn't be here. It was a Hogsmeade weekend, and he had hidden himself down an alley to transfigure a quill into a portkey. He had spent a long time tracking Safira down, but he had finally found her, and now he was looking for the answers to his questions. "Could I come in?" asked Zelphar as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, feeling a bit paranoid that a teacher would pop out suddenly and catch him so far away from where he was supposed to be that particular morning.

[bugock]

Safira's throat tightened, she had not seen Zelphar since Emily's funeral. The mere thought of it made tears come to her eyes again, she blinked forcefully to clear them. "Yes, come in, come in," said Safira, and then closed the door the second Zelphar stepped over the threshold. She wasn't sure what to do, but she felt like breaking down and sobbing on her friend. So many emotions were overwhelming her just then. "How about some tea?" said Safira, and without waiting for a response, strode to the kitchen and began filling a kettle with water from the sink.

[squiggle]

To be polite, Zelphar stepped out of his unlaced Converse before following Safira to the kitchen, he was silent as she filled the kettle, but once she had turned off the tap he was unable to hold back the question that had been in his head since September. "Why didn't you come back to school?" Zelphar practically blurted out. He then bit his lip lightly.

[bugock]

Safira dropped the kettle into the sink at Zelphar's question, sloshing out some water. She turned around, looking at him tearfully. This day would have come sooner or later, but she had hoped that it would be a lot later. She sniffed, knowing that she shouldn't be crying just then, but she was. "Zelphar, I'm pregnant." Safira said quietly, looking down at her slippers, like a shamed child in the middle of being scolded.

[squiggle]

Zelphar felt his eyes widen at the news, he had never suspected something like that. He had always had his suspicions about Safira being less than completely innocent, but her ending up pregnant... He certainly had not been expecting that, but it would make sense why she had been so secretive about her motives. "Who's the father?" Zelphar asked in a very low tone after the initial shock had worn off.

[bugock]

Safira picked up the kettle again, but found that her hands were trembling to much to successfully make the transfer from the sink to the stove. She leaned against the counter and used it to slide to a seated position on the floor. Her knees found a point bent comfortably halfway to her chest, hands atop them. She looked up at Zelphar, knowing she had to tell, but finding herself unable to find the words. Safira shook her head lightly.

[squiggle]

Zelphar wasn't sure what to do, he was having issues interpreting what Safira shaking her head meant. Did she not know who the father was? Or did she just not want to tell him? If the latter was the case, he certainly wasn't going to let her keep it from him. He wouldn't tell. Zelphar got down on the floor in front of her, looking into her teary eyes with his vibrantly blue ones. "Safira," Zelphar said gently, "tell me. What happened to you? You weren't, you know... raped were you?" The last three words were practically mouthed.

[bugock]

"No, I wasn't," Safira said firmly, that was not the case at all, even if that was what her sleeping with Demetri was legally classified as. But that didn't matter anymore, they were married, and the muggle courts believed her to be nineteen. Perfectly legal. "You can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, okay?" said Safira, and then took a deep breath. "It all started toward the end of fifth year, when I got involved with someone. Over the summer we lived together, I conceived sometime in August, but in September, he had to go back to Hogwarts. To teach. My husband, the father of our baby, is Professor Oriole." Safira braced herself for Zelphar's reaction.

[squiggle]

For the second time that morning, Zelphar was given quite a turn. Something was up, Safira would never be that scandalous, would she? He didn't know what to say, but was aware of the fact that his shock was apparent on his face, or at least in his eyes. He wasn't sure what to think. To mull over the silence he took in and released a deep breath. "All right, I won't tell," said Zelphar, paused a moment, and then began to speak again, "as long as you love him and he's not taking advantage of you."

[bugock]

"Oh more than anything," said Safira, she had nothing but the deepest love for her husband. Had she not been in love with him, she wouldn't have ever consented to sleeping with him. "Would I have kept it a secret from you, one of my best friends, if I didn't love him?" Safira added. Absently, one of her hands found its way to her stomach. Only two months along, she wasn't showing yet, but because of her thin structure would be within a month, or maybe two.

[squiggle]

Zelphar furrowed his eyebrows, he wasn't sure what to think just then. Safira seemed inches away from tears, but why was beyond him. He suddenly felt like he was in well over his head, dealing with all the things that much older people struggled with. Zelphar was just a kid, barely sixteen, he didn't want to have to deal with the fact that one of his friends had killed herself and another was pregnant with a teacher's baby. He still couldn't help but have mistrustful feelings toward Professor Oriole, Zelphar had no idea what his intentions were. "Boy or girl?" Zelphar asked after a long pause.

[bugock]

Safira's stomach felt unsettled, whether it was from the baby or the fact that she had just told Zelphar what she had been keeping secret for months. "Girl," Safira said softly, smiling for the first time since her friend had turned up on the doorstep. She rubbed her stomach lovingly, hoping that she wasn't going to throw up just then, she already had enough to deal with. "We're going to name her Aurora..." Safira paused, her throat constricted slightly and her vision blurred with unshed tears. "Emily." At the mention of her deceased friend, Safira finally burst into tears.

[squiggle]

Zelphar wasn't quite sure what to do, he didn't really deal with crying girls on a regular basis. He had only seen Azzurra cry once, and that was directly after what Alec had done to her. Cautiously, Zelphar reached for Safira's hand, he held it gently, trying to be of some comfort but knowing that it would be practically worthless. Zelphar wasn't really the comforting type, he never knew what to do when someone was upset, especially girls.

[bugock]

Safira wanted to say something, but she was too overwhelmed in her grief to make words come to her mouth. Painful, although happy, memories resurfaced in her mind of all the times that they had shared with Emily and Blaize. Safira felt horrible about it, she had been so selfish that summer, spending all her time with Demetri. She couldn't help but think that had she been there for Emily more often, that maybe she would still be alive; and they would be in their sixth year together, everyone being happy... Safira grasped Zelphar's hand tightly.