Searching For a Hobby

[LENORE YATES]

Now that her son was at Hogwarts, Lenore was left with a lot of free time on her hands. Free time she had no idea how to occupy. Most of her activities included her son before. At first, she was at school, then it was dividing her time between her jobs and home to be with him. But he wasn't there, he didn't need her, he was at school now. And she finally realised how little of her hobbies did not involve him.

She started to wonde, what would she like? Having a child so young meant that she never really thought about it. She tried to play with the cat living on their balcony but it was avery independent stray. What could interest her then? She didn't think she would be into painting. She was no avid reader. Movies? She could finally go for things without worrying about the rating. But was it really a hobby? Maybe, but she found it depressing for it to be her new hobby.

She recalled how much she liked swimming. She used to be good. She found a place where you could swim, they even had some classes. Maybe that could be her new hobby? Since she already checked it up, she might as well go and see.

It turned out that she still enjoyed swimming but not in a pool, not with all these people and not in a class either. But at least she checked, she thought, after she left the place. She was starting to get hungry. She was debating whether or not she wanted to cook or go out to eat when she noticed a familiar figure.

She didn't know why she paid attention to him suddenly nor why JOSH BLACKWOOD was there, but there he was, by a motorcycle. Well, at least he was a little bit the rebel she used to think he was. She could have ignored him. She wasn't even sure he noticed her. And yet, she walked towards him, her bag with her swimsuit et towel slung over her shoulder. "Didn't expect to see you around here," she let out. She knew they lived in the same town, but she didn't expect to fall on him there. In wizard areas, sure, but not here.

[JOSH BLACKWOOD]

Josh happened to have the day off and was helping Gemma with an errand. He had told her that she could stay home, once she told him what she needed to buy for the baby she had. It was a baby girl and she was the most adorable thing he had ever seen. Being the designated godfather, he was willing to do anything he could to spoil her and treat her right; she didn’t need to have the same childhood they had had and he didn’t want any of what happened in the past to happen here now.

Since Zach was working at Hogwarts, it meant that Gemma was left on her own for quite some time and it was why Josh was willing to do all he could to suffice and aid her. She had been worried so much back then that she didn’t need to worry more. It wasn’t an easy task to ease her down since it was obvious that she was still affected by what happened in the past.

He was walking out of the said store with a bag in hand and was about to hop on his motorcycle before heading back home. “Lenore, I didn’t expect to see you here either, however, it is more normal than you are than it is for me.” He conceded. It wasn’t usual to see a pureblood wizard wandering amongst the muggle streets but he was willing to do all he could for family, even if it meant going away from his usual spots.

[LENORE YATES]

To Lenore, it was strange to see Josh like this, here. She didn't take him for one who could blend amongst muggles. Maybe she was wrong. It wouldn't be the first time he proved that to her. A part of her wanted to whine, ask why he had to be here again. But it was not like she believed he followed her, which meant he had some business around here. It was weird, but clearly not impossible. Because she refused to think he came to see her. Sure, he did in the past, but for legitimate reasons. When she was forced to accuse herself of stealing magic from pureblood wizards and hand over her wand for example, he ended up finding her a new one. It was not perfect but it worked, and it felt better than having no wand at all. And she was still grateful that he got her to see her friend Gemma after she gave birth. He didn't have to do that but he did, knowing how close she was to his sister.

The question remained though, what was he doing here. Certainly not something to do with the pool like her. "Is it? I suppose it is..." she said, her gaze looking around. She could not deny that she was muggle-born, or at least assumed hse was, not knowing her real parents. Her gaze pierced through Josh. "That doesn't explain what you are doing here," she pointed out. She didn't need an explanation, he was free to do as he liked, but she was curious.

She spotted the bag and frowned, trying to see any logo on it that could identify where he got it and explain at the same time why he was here.

[JOSH BLACKWOOD]

Josh didn’t care about muggles. Not as much as he did in the past, thanks to his family. He was mad at him, for destroying the closer family he had with his father and Gemma. Luckily, they were able to get away from the poisoned core and were doing much better now. He didn’t mind going to the muggle world and didn’t feel out of place too much. It wasn’t the first time he came here, he did help Lenore and got her a wand when there were darker times. It was funny how sometimes people could get you a change of heart.

She then inquired as to what he was doing here and shrugged showing her the bag. “I went running an errand for Gemma since she’s at home with the baby.” He explained to her. He wondered if the girl might want to see her friend. “If you want I could give you a ride to see her.” He suggested as he gestured his head towards his motorcycle. It wouldn’t take long, especially since it was a magical one that could go both on the ground and off. He knew how to work his way around muggles after all.

[LENORE YATES]

Lenore caught a glimpse at the store's logo on the bag. She rarely bought from that store back in the day, but it was because she couldn't afford a lot of those things when she was just a sixteen year old. If that was not enough, Josh pointed out it was an errand for Gemma. Gemma. Lenore had seen her a few times since she gave birth but she also wanted to leave her friend with her child. She needed to create that bond. Besides, she didn't want to squat her friend's place just because she hated being alone. Funny, she thought she'd like it but she only did for a day or two. She would grow accustomed to it. At least she hoped. "How are they both doing?" she asked Josh, assuming he talked to his sister before coming here and had seen them.

She startled when he suggested taking her there. She was not expecting it. More than that, she looked at the motorcycle he had used to drive all the way to the store. "On that thing?" Lenore never drove on such an engine. She was hesitating. She was tough but maybe she was like Josh, maybe she wasn't as tough and rebellious as people believed her to be. Still, the idea of seeing Gemma... As long as she was not bothering her, of course. Seeing her once was not like clinging onto her, even if Lenore felt like she was going mostly to not be alone.

[JOSH BLACKWOOD]

Josh liked spending time with his family now that they were back on the track of being what you would call a normal one. It took them quite some time to get that feeling but now that Gemma’s daughter was born it seemed to have tied them closer together. It was good; they had been apart for so long and he didn’t want to see Gemma suffering because of him and his dad. He’d also keep an eye on Josh. “They’re doing wonderful and are healthy.” He answered automatically to Lenore’s question. It might be a silly thing to say, talking of their health but he was a Healer and you couldn’t take his job away from him the moment he was at home. He still made sure to give Gemma the space she needed considering that she had worried so much about being a mother though, he could feel his sister’s anxiety kicking at times and decided to take the lead and spend time with his niece whenever that happened. It’s not like Zach was around as much considering he was teaching at Hogwarts.

He stared at her, wondering about why she was jumpy. What did he say? He only asked her to come with him to see Gemma. Surely, she would need it and be happy to see her friend. He didn’t think anything past that and it wasn’t the first time he was giving rides to others. “Are you afraid? “he dared asking her with a slight smirk. “I thought you were a Gryffindor.” He added, only to tease her

[LENORE YATES]

Lenore knew that her friend gemma went through a lot. She tried to downplay things, but Lenore understood. She also went through a lot, she could relate. She was glad to see her friend so happy. She found a man who really loved her, always had, and who was happy to be a father. They'd be a happy family, Lenore was certain. Or at least, it was what she hoped for Gemma, from the bottom of her heart. She knew too well how hard it was to be a single parent and the judgement others had.

Gemma was stressing out though. Lenore was certain she would do fine. As she told her before, if she managed to become a decent mother, there was no way Gemma wouldn't. She didn't expect Josh to tell her that his sister was stressed though. Would he notice? Probably. He didn't seem that daft. Or more like he wanted so much to do right by what remained of his family that he must have noticed. Then again, Gemma might try to hide it from her family. "She's not stressing out too much, is she?" Gemma had a motherly touch, it was silly of her to be anxious over this. Her daughter will not have her childhood. Those people were no longer there to hurt anyone.

Lenore was grateful for the invitation to come over. She was surprised he would suggest taking her there, although it was a kind gesture, something natural to do. She hesitated when looking at his motorcycle though. There was a time when bad boys on bikes might look cool to her, the perfect type. She wasn't so sure anymore. And, quite frankly, she did not ride those things before and wasn't sure about it either. He caught up on it and teased her for it. She startled again and stared at him. "Mocking a Gryffindor, what a typical Slytherin thing to do," she retorted. He was being nice though, inviting her like that. She didn't want to turn him down. He had been doing a lot of nice things to her as of late, without really seeming to. Plus that gave her an excuse to not head back to her apartment yet. "I hope you know what you're doing with this thing."

[JOSH BLACKWOOD]

While Lenore seemed to trust Zach, Josh didn’t completely. Sure, he might be supportive and around when she was giving birth but he had grown trust issues with his family drama and even if he would never admit it openly, it triggered trust issues on his part. It was rather ironic because Gemma cared and loved that man as it seemed to be and he should be happy that she did. He still felt the urge to watch over Zach when he was around. His father seemed to be more compliant on that part though.

He did notice that Gemma was stressed and on that part, he had to restrain himself for acting like the big overprotective brother that he was towards her boyfriend. Speaking of which, what was he waiting for to get engaged with her if he did love her as much as he said? “She has her moment of high anxiety but she handles it well so far. I also have potions up for her if it’s too much for her to handle but I told her to only use these at last resort.” He said to Lenore. Besides, if she could help he would gladly be happy to have Lenore be around Gemma. If there was one person who knew how to be a parent it had to be her, right?

“Last time I checked, I’m not in Hogwarts anymore.” He added, arching an eyebrow at her as she mocked him on the house he came from. He would rather forget about that time quite honestly. “Afraid I’ll drop you off, Yates?” he added, unable to restrain a smirk this time.

[LENORE YATES]

Lenore had another reason for trusting Zach more than Josh did, she grew up with him. True, she was not the one he was ever close to, but it helped her see the two of them getting closer to each other. Besides, he was not trying to get closer to her. She wasn't sure if she would have trusted Zach then. But her faith in people in general and men in particular was pretty low at the time. It barely got better with time. She had witnessed the worst people - not to say men - could do to each other. While she would never say something along the lines of 'but he looks so nice, that cannot be like him at all', knowing all too well how easily these monsters could hide themselves, she also never wanted her friend to start thinking like her. It was very difficult, she thought, yet she still trusted Zach more than Josh did. Perhaps she just really wanted to believe that it was possible, if maybe not for her, but at least for her friend.

She was aware that Gemma doubted herself, that she feared she may not be a good mother. Absurd, was all Lenore thought. If she managed to do it without messing up her son, surely she can do the same and ten times better even. She sighed though, a frown forming on her face, as Josh admitted she was anxious at times. "I do not understand her at times. She always claimed that I was a great mother and doubts herself, when she has always been far more suitable for that role than me, and not just because of the age." She got that it had nothing to do with being rational though. Didn't muggles have a name for it? Post... something. She hoped that wasn't that.

"Thank goodness for that," she let out, about being out of Hogwarts. Now it was her son who was. That made her feel so old, despite the fact she ought to have been the youngest mother seeing off her kid on that train station. Josh was still teasing her as he offered her a ride to Gemma's place. "Is that your pickup line?" she retorted. She thought of her option. Josh and his ride, trusting he was good enough of a driver, or finding a hidden spot to apparate. Besides, Gemma would be angry at her brother if he injured her friend, so Lenore supposed it would be alright. She lifted the bag she had in hand. "Where do I put that?" She didn't want it in the way and already starting the think about the fact she would have to hold onto him. She never meant for that and tried not to think about it.

[JOSH BLACKWOOD]

Josh couldn’t say that he was hitting on Lenore right now. He did enjoy spending time with that woman but while they were seemingly on and off he never tried to do anything more. She was always on her guard, ever since what she had been through and he couldn’t blame her. He too had issues on his own after what his family made him go through. He didn’t know if he could consider that on the same level as Lenore’s life but it certainly was something that determined some of his past and present actions. He also trusted her judgment more than he was willing to admit. She was fine with Zach, and she was the one who had seen the man more often than he did. He had to give her that much credit for now and it was why he wasn’t being too fussy about him and Gemma being together. He made sure to let him know that he would remember if he did any wrong to her though.

He thought about it for a moment as they talked of Gemma. “I think she doesn’t forgive herself for that kid’s death during a war, but it wasn’t even her fault.” He tried to talk her out about it. It was their family and while there might have had a slim chance to protect the kid, it wasn’t their fault. Besides, weren’t they the ones who decided to fight along with them?

“I’ll let you decide either it is or not.” He didn’t even intend to flirt with her at that time and he opened up the back seat that he had managed to change into a small storage unit. “In there.” He simply said.

[LENORE YATES]

It hit Lenore like a ton of bricks. She had forgotten about that event. She had not been part of the war. First, because the Death Eaters took her wand and her job and cast her away from the wizard world. Sure, Josh got her another wand, but that wasn't easy to always keep in touch with what was going on when she was in danger whenever she tried to be around wizards. Also, she had her son. She couldn't leave him to fight. Maybe it was a coward's excuse as no doubt several parents joined in the fight, but she is the only parent her son has, she cannot risk her life easily.

She heard about it though, from Gemma. She frowned, feeling sorry for her. "Those two events are very different. From what she said, every teacher tried to get the children out of the school but several chose to stay regardless. I cannot believe in such chaos, it was possible to protect everyone. The amount of losses prove it. Survivor's guilt won't change it." But that apparently did not stop Gemma. If she wanted to blame herself, Lenore would say she was wrong, but it was something she had to work on. She didn't need to second-guess everything else about her though, especially not her ability to be a good mother.

She was not sure what to think about Josh and whetehr or not he was flirting. It happened sometimes between them, than things changed completely. But he was on her good side lately, since he kept her company after her son left for Hogwarts. And how he warned her for Gemma giving birth. Yes, right now they were on good terms. Who knows how long that would last. But for now, she would have to trust him and his motorbike.

She was still a bit hesitant. It was not so much the bike than the trust that made her hesitate. She didn't think he was flirting with her or hoping to take advantage of this at one point, but it also happened too often for her not to fear it. She didn't know how much Josh knew of her past. She didn't tell him much, other than the whole teen pregnancy thing. But maybe he guessed some, or heard it from his sister. Still, for now, she had to put that aside if she wanted to see Gemma. She placed her bag in the storage unit he showed her and waited for his directions on how to mount the thing, hoping she wouldn't end up wrapping herself too tightly against him. She didn't need to give him any ideas.

[JOSH BLACKWOOD]

Josh wasn’t judging Lenore because she didn’t attend the battle of Hogwarts. He could understand where she was coming from having the kid and being the only parent. Besides, he couldn’t say that he was better than she was on the matter. Gemma was the only person that was decent in the family and while he and his father were making amends for their past, he still thought that he didn’t deserve any kind of medal for participating in it considering the kind of family drama he was stuck with at that time. Luckily, they had been able to put all of that behind them and he just wished that Gemma would overcome her anxiety that their family had gotten her through.

He nodded, agreeing with it but no matter what they would say to Gemma, she would always think of it. He tried to talk to her, tell her that it wasn’t something she should dwell about. It had been something sad yes, but she couldn’t constantly think of it, or else she was going to ruin her life and future. He hoped that Zach was doing a decent job in calming her on the matter or else he would have to have a talk with him.

He was clearly amused when she seemed to hesitate at first to climb behind him. He wasn’t a killer! Besides, if he ever ended up dropping Lenore he’d definitely have a word from his sister and she would never forgive him so he would rather stay in check. “Come on already.” He said as he sat down. He told her what she needed to do if she didn’t want to fall off the bike and gave her a helmet before putting on his own. “Keep your grip on me if you don’t want to fall off.” He added teasingly before they took off to see Gemma.

[LENORE YATES]

To say the two had a complicated relationship was putting things mildly. Lenore would always be on Gemma's side, which meant she often clashed with Josh. Or was it their personalities that made them seem to get along one minute and argue the next? There was, of course, the fact he was a man too. It was always difficult for Lenore to be truly comfortable around them, after everything she went through. Gemma liked her brother though, so while Lenore would sometimes fight with Josh, she also didn't want to go too far and hurt her friend in the process.

Their sibling's relationship changed though, as well as Gemma's relationship with her father, making Lenore perhaps suspicious a bit but also willing to be more lenient towards them. Then there was all Josh did to her in the last few years. The man had not done enough bad towards her for Lenore to refuse to take all of this into account. Even now, when he could just dismiss her, or say to come see Gemma whenever she wanted, he actually suggested to take her there. Funny how far he was from the bad boy image she had of him as a teenager.

She didn't intend to hold on tightly to him. She kept a normal grip at first to try and stay balanced, but it didn't take long after he took off that it surprised her and she ended up holding on more tightly, getting closer to him in the process. She didn't want to cling too much and be a burden, but she was not as confident as he was and it resulted in her pressing herself against him more than she intended to. And while there was some excitement to it, she also wished they would arrive soon.

[JOSH BLACKWOOD]

Josh never expected he would be baby crazy until he met his niece. It was funny how he changed and enjoyed spoiling the little girl. He even noticed changes in his father’s behaviours as he enjoyed spending time with the kid too. She was so tiny and fragile, he didn’t remember kids could be so small and thus, even if he had seen Lenore’s son. He appreciated Lenore’s company though, she was a strong and capable woman, not someone who would constantly depend on him and that was a plus. While they would argue a lot of times, he was willing to let her see Gemma as much as she wanted.

He would never say that he was some sort of bad boy, perhaps in the past, but he had a job that certainly didn’t fit the description. He was a healer and took his job seriously but there were times where he could use a break and now was one of those. It amused him to see that she had yet to trust him, no matter what he went through. He’d think that by now she would trust him with all the things he did for her but he knew very well that women didn’t forget, unfortunately.

She was now holding onto him and while he didn’t hate the feeling, he made sure that he wouldn’t be too rough with the ride and they made it smoothly to Gemma’s place. “Not feeling too bad?” He asked her wondering whether she had transportation sickness. He would rather not have her puke onto her motorcycle if possible.

[LENORE YATES]

Lenore had no idea Josh was the type of uncle that would spoil his niece and be completely overtaken by how cute kids could be. She never would have believed it, if told. Then again, she didn't think Josh had been around kids much before. Hers, maybe, but she was so young when he was born, and so was he. They were not at an age then when you were normally crazy for babies. Plus he was not his, nor from his family. Still, even now, if Josh were to show that side of himself to her, she would find it odd. Luckily for him, he had yet shown too much of it. Buying stuff was not that odd, and Lenore believed he might have gone for Gemma. Her focus was on her friend.

Part of her wanted to justify her reaction towards him, but it would imply she had something to explain and she didn't think so. He was not the only person she distrusted. She acted that way with all men. In a way, she might even trust Josh more than others. But there were times when she reverted to fighting with him. It was a defense mechanism she had yet managed to get rid of.

She didn't know if he rode that way all the time or not. Was he more careful because she was there, or was he speeding to show her? He constantly said he was no show-off though, so Lenore forced herself to push that thought aside and assume he was being careful. She needed to trust. Plus Gemma would have his head if she chose to complain too much. She took a moment, once arrived, to collect herself. "Yes," she assured. "But I do not get the appeal of such vehicles," she admitted. She did not abandon herself to the point of enjoying the feeling. She did however stopped caring about the fact she was holding onto him and just accepted it. Now that she was back on her feet, she brushed her hair after removing the helmet and looked at Josh. "Where's the mother?" It was why she came after all.