mending {nat/erik}

[potter]

Elliot had only once taken a day off that wasn't mandatory since beginning her career as an Auror, but now... She had gotten herself a full week. Nat was back, and she had gotten the sudden need to tend to the girl, an undeniable maternal instinct that had made it damn near impossible to think about work. She was now preparing a simple meal, knowing that Nat would need to work her way back up to eating, just as she had at the height of her anorexia. Though Elliot wouldn't admit it, she was struggling with it again, severely. Her menstrual cycles had gotten light and irregular, she'd been having dizzy spells on and off.

Elliot had gotten help again, in the form of a healer being called after she'd fainted at work, and it had even reconnected her with an old friend from school. Sighing lightly, Elliot poured the broth she'd prepared into a bowl, and placed it on the tray where she'd put a small piece of bread, cup of applesauce, and a glass of ginger ale. Elliot slightly grimaced when she calculated that the tray of what most people might call meager had more substance than what she would eat in a sitting. But this wasn't about her, this was about Nat and her recovery.

Quietly, Elliot made her way to Nat's room, the tray floating beside her. She paused before it, lightly knocking even though it had been left ajar, mostly to announce her presence before entering. "Ready to eat a little something?" asked Elliot, going to lightly sit beside Nat on her bed, the tray floating down to settle on the girl's lap.

[natalia]

Looking back on life, it seemed to have shot by at a lightning speed. Her eyes were heavy, despite the hours of sleep she had found, her giant, plush blanket wrapped tightly around her in a cocoon. It had felt like yesterday when Erik had taken her in, giving her this room larger than she could ever imagine, books lining every wall with gothic era decor. Still, she felt as if this room was brand new, having been at school...and then at that place. Even swathed in the mountains of blankets both Erik and Elliot had piled onto her, she felt shivers run down her spine, but she had forbidden herself from even thinking of it, yet it still hovered, inked into the recesses of her mind.

A knocking at the door made Nat jump, pushing herself up into a sitting position as she looked around, but quickly realized that it was only Elliot at the door. Nat rested back against the headboard, watching the bowl of broth with mixed feelings. Food, any food, even the thought of it, let alone the smell could bring her mouth to water. Her stomach, on the other end, gave her a warning squeeze, informing her how much Hell it would be giving her for this bowl. But her watering mouth was informing her every last bit of it would be worth it.

Ready to eat a little something?

Although it felt like it had been forever in that cell she hadn't forgotten the fear she had felt, knowing Elliot and Erik would be married. She also hadn't forgotten the vases she had thrown and lamps she had broken when he had told her. Now, with the blankets and broth, Nat wasn't sure what had possessed her. She looked from the broth up to the concern creasing Elliot's face, and she felt like the guilt might make that morning's broth reappear. "Thank-you, Elliot," she said, trying to mask the shakiness of her voice as she did so. Silently she willed herself to dip her spoon into the soup. Eat it. But sure enough, that stinging sensation in her eyes signaled the threat of tears, causing her to duck her head, pushing the spoon into her mouth. The warm liquid trickled down her scratchy throat, bringing the heat with it as it did so."Thank-you so much," she said again, this time a few hot tears squeezing out of her eyes as she did so.

[potter]

Again caving to the maternal instincts, Elliot lightly stroked Nat's cheek with the side of her hand before moving to tuck her thick raven tresses behind her ears. Her heart gave a deep pang, both because of the state that the girl was in, and because she was suddenly reminded of her own mother who had been dead for three years. Elliot hadn't known that she had that sort of doting nature in her, it must have been locked away deep within her and the bedridden fourteen-year-old had had the key to release it. She withdrew her hand, however, so Nat could eat.

The progress that the teen was making was encouraging, though Elliot's inner pessimist whispered that things would never be quite the same, as was her own case. She'd never fully recover from her anorexia, always struggle with it, just as Nat would have to grapple with her own personal demons. Such was life. But they would get along the best that they could, what other option was there? Elliot smiled lightly as Nat thanked her, nodding lightly, though really, she didn't think that it was necessary. Soon they would be official family, and to her it sort of felt like that already, like Nat was her little sister.

"There isn't anything I'd rather do right now," Elliot said gently, her heart aching all over again when she noticed the girl's tears. Momentarily forgetting that she was a witch and could summon a tissue, she instead wiped them away with her finger, her own eyes giving forth warning stinging. Seven long months Elliot had been a wreck, not knowing where she was, not having any leads, not knowing if she was even alive... Now it seemed that things were beginning to go right for a change, as if a massive weight had been taken from her shoulders, she was still burdened, but it was much lighter now.