Honey, I'm home. (Astrid)

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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Jan 16, 2013 8:25:47 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2013 8:25:47 GMT -8

It had been a long day for the Maxwell Patriarch; he was utterly exhausted as he waited in line for his turn to utilize the flo network to get home to his lovely wife. Valerian Quentin Maxwell was very excited over his promotion, and could hardly wait to get home to tell Astrid; no matter what means he had used to receive it, he felt like it had justly been his in the first place. But, he had been passed overly by that muggle-loving witch Millicent Bagnold, in favor of a muggle-born. She had the nerve to even call him into her office and explain that she had considered him but felt that it was time for the wizarding world to have their first muggle-born Department head. Valerian knew what the meeting had been, it had been her informing him that he would never be promoted past where he was because of his blood-status. Bagnold held a prejudice against pure-bloods, feeling that the Ministry needed more half-bloods and muggle-borns; in Valerian’s mind, Bagnold had forced his hand.

Valerian tugged on his sleeve, trying to ensure that his arm was covered; he had nothing to hide, as Lord Voldemort had decided it best not to give him the mark, saying it could cause “unnecessary complications” if it were to be seen by an outsider. They needed Valerian’s loyalty to remain a secret, which was precisely what he wanted it to remain; from everyone, including Astrid, his loving and adoring wife.

Valerian felt his heart ache as he thought about the fact that he was keeping this secret from her, but he had no choice; Valerian had to keep it a secret, she would never understand why he did what he did. He was been presented with a career death-notice and had to take action, and he did the only thing he could think of which was go to the only people that were willing to stick up for pure-bloods. One day he’d find a way to explain it to Astrid, he’d find a way to help her understand why he had done it.

Valerian’s turn had finally come up and he proudly stepped up to the chimney; “Diagon Alley.” Valerian stated clearly and stepped through the magic flames re-appearing just a block away from the Maxwell flat. He could have just used the flu network and arrived directly in the flat, but he had other plans in mind right now. He crossed the busy street over to Wanda’s Wizarding Winery, and quickly picked up a bottle of Astrid’s favorite, Monotonous Merlot. Valerian then stopped by the small florist who had a cart just outside of the winery and picked her up a bouqet of roses. He knew it was cliché but, Astrid was a sucker for the classical romance, and Valerian knew that.

Valerian practically skipped on his way to the flat, and knocked proudly at the door before opening it with a warm smile, “Honey! I’m home!” He shouted joyfully to his loving wife.

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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Jan 16, 2013 11:23:33 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2013 11:23:33 GMT -8

Astrid Selwyn-Maxwell was covered from head to toe in flour. In a whirlwind of sponenatity, Aster had decided that she wanted to make cookies this afternoon. With Zeke away for school, she often found herself lonely during the day and would frequent the kitchen where the house elves allowed her to stay and chat as well as have free reign over the kitchen. Unbeknownst to her husband, she would normally give the strained elves the afternoon off because she adored them so much. Ah how she missed her only son; he was such a joy to have around during the summer months; they would talk for hours about his career path, his wants...he really was the perfect blend of his parents. Sweet, admirable, and charming like his father and strangely light spirited and curious like his mother. Yes, Zeke Maxwell was Astrid’s pride and joy and he always had been.

”Ms Selwyn, what are you going to make this afternoon?”

[/b] One of the houselves asked, peering around her to see what was in the bowl and why the woman was cover in flour. They often referred to her with her maiden name; for some reason thinking that it made her seem more approachable to not be a full Maxwell.

”Cookies, Willow!”[/b] Astrid said cheerfully as she reached over and pulled some of the chocolate chip morsels in her direction. Willow seemed to be watching with care as she poured in a few cups, ”You know, I’ve always thought it better to use butter and this muggle invention Crisco in lieu of straight butter. But don’t tell Mr. Maxwell-”[/b] Her eyes lit up for a moment as she scooped the butter into the bowl and then began adding the Crisco, ”He’d hate to know that the cookies he so dearly loves are both made by his wife and not his elves as well as containing muggle advances.”[/b] She smiled brightly as she stuck her fingertips into the dough and pulled them out, allowing herself to get a little taste of what was to come. They were delicious, if she did say so herself, ”Go ahead, then. Try some.”[/b] She said to the elf as she moved through the kitchen looking for the baking pan. It was then that she heard the knock on the front door.

”Mr. Maxwell is home!”[/b] Willow practically yelped as she stared at Astrid, wide-eyed. Knowing that Willow’s fear was most undoubtedly warranted - because Mr. Maxwell frowned deeply upon Astrid doing anything around the house when she didn’t have to, ‘It’s for the house elves’ he used to say - Aster threw down her apron and moved toward the stairs.

”Finish the cookies. Deliver them to the study when you’re done, Willow. And don’t worry. They’ll turn out fine under your care.”[/b] She turned and practically scampered up the stairs to the front hallway, pushing some of her dark hair behind her ears and trying to look moderately presentable. She had forgotten completely about the flour that was all over her face and the hem of her dark jeans.

The brilliant smile that greeted her was enough to practically melt her from the tip of her crown all the way down to her feet. Valerian had always been like this to her; treating her as if she was the only woman in the entire world. Immediately she forgot that she had been doing what she was not allowed and move forward to plant a kiss on those darling lips of his. She barely even noticed the flower and wine that were in his hands, ”Val-”[/b] She said into his ear, a wide smile on her lips as well. It was only when she pulled away from their half-embrace that she realized that she had gotten the flour all over his suit.
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Last Edit: Jan 16, 2013 12:10:54 GMT -8 by Deleted

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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Jan 17, 2013 12:11:52 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2013 12:11:52 GMT -8

Valerian almost dropped the bottle of wine as he embraced his wife, every time he saw her felt like the very first time he’d ever met her. A moment in his head that still stuck out in his memory as if it happened yesterday; “It’s so wonderful to be home, my love.” Valerian whispered to her softly. Valerian smiled as she stepped back, but that was when her shampoo’s scent faded which had been covering the smell of flour. A heavy smell of flour. Valerian looked down at his suit, it had been black before but it was now a greyish color as it was covered with flour.

Valerian pursed his lips as he looked up at Astrid, “Willow. Come here please.” Valerian said flatly, and in the blink of an eye the house elf appeared… behind Astrid. “Willow, it smells like someone is baking cookies. Are you baking?” Valerian’s voice was curt as he addressed the house elf,

”Yes I am, Mr. Maxwell.” Willow replied, slightly timid.

“And did you prepare them yourself?”

“Yes, Mr. Maxwell.”

“So why is my wife covered in flour?” Valerian snapped at the house elf. “Go punish yourself for lying to your master.” he commanded the house elf before looking up at his wife who didn’t need to say a word, her facial expression said it all. “Honey… we cannot allow them to lie to us.” he pleaded with her. “I know that you insist on cooking while I’m out, and I don’t know why, but we simply cannot let them lie to us.” Valerian could feel his resolve disappear as he looked into the liquid blue eyes of his darling wife, and he knew that he stood no chance in an argument against her… ever.

“I have exciting news, however, my love.” Valerian said cheerfully as he moved onto the more important matter of the evening, their celebration. “You are now married to the new Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcment.” He said with a wide smile, conveniently leaving out the part about him pledging his loyalty to the dark lord in order to get it.

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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Jan 17, 2013 20:00:22 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2013 20:00:22 GMT -8

Astrid could honestly say that she was incredibly happy that her husband was home. She had a relationship with him that most could only dream of; he was loving and kind and every moment that they were together was like a breath of fresh air. That most certainly did not mean that they never fought - on the contrary, they were at each other’s throats quite frequently, but in the end, they made it work and that was the sign of a good relationship. She look at his suit, gently chewing on her lip, knowing that he was immediately going to scold her or something of the sort, ”Now, Val, darling. Let’s just think about this before you go off and-”

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But it was much too late for that. Before Astrid even had the chance to say much more, Valerian was calling Willow to his side and scolding her; quite heavily about the cookie business. She knew that Willow had been trying to protect her - she was loyal like that - but to what end? She couldn’t have the poor elf enduring the wrath of her husband every time that Astrid felt like baking something. She felt her brow furrow in slight anger for what her husband was doing and watched - almost in horror - as Willow slunk back off to the kitchens.

Without a second look at her husband, Astrid followed her sweet elf to the top of the stairs, ”Don’t punish yourself, Willow. Please just finish baking the cookies. We’ll still take them in the study.”[/b] She gave Willow a soft pat on the head, brushed some of the flour off of her jeans, and then began walking back to her husband who was still in the hallway.

She gave him a look; one that he had seen countless times before when he punished Willow or any of the other elves. She hated the way that he treated them - as beings that were less than themselves. In Astrid’s opinion, they were every bit as much of a person as they were, despite the fact that they were a few feet shorter. She bit down on her lip, trying her best not to go against what Val was saying. She was after all his wife...but there were so many things that she needed to say, ”Val, the only reason that they refuse to tell you the truth is to protect me.”[/b] She said, watching as he seemingly melted before her eyes; her husband never was good at staying mad at her, ”Now if you would stop being such a stickler for these ‘rules’ that you put into place, they would be a good deal more helpful to you. Trust me.”[/b]

It was then that she realized the flowers and wine that he was holding in his hands. It was most obviously a bottle of her favorite merlot, with a red ribbon tied around the top and a bouquet of the most wonderful pale-pink roses. Most men would have opted for the striking red, but it had been pale-pink from the beginning with Val and Astrid. There was something so unique about the color of the roses that made Astrid giddy at the very sight. Almost immediately she felt a gentle blush creep onto her cheeks as she held out her hands for both, ”You shouldn’t have!”[/b] She gushed, ”What’s the occasion?”[/b] She knew that with Val, there didn’t have to be one; he often brought her home little gifts and trinkets just because he wanted to see her face light up.

It appeared that he was ready to answer her with his response about his promotion. She felt her jaw drop in surprise as well as the bottle of wine falling from her hands and smashing upon the floor. But she didn’t mind; she was far too proud of her husband for that. Immediately, she flung her arms around him, ”Valerian Maxwell!”[/b] She knew that he had been gunning for that promotion for more than a couple of years and he most certainly deserved it. He was one of the most hardworking men that she knew. She kissed his cheek over and over again, yet again getting flour all over his suit and ignoring the shattered glass that was all over the floor, ”I can’t believe you kept this from me for the entire day! You should have owled! Have you told Zeke yet? He’ll be so proud of his father!”[/b]
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ooc;; I. LOVE. ASTRID. She’s so giddy!

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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Jan 18, 2013 12:33:26 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2013 12:33:26 GMT -8

Valerian scowled at Astrid as she went and told Willow not to punish herself, how dare she undermine him like that and deliberately usurp his authority. Valerian grit his teeth together, fully prepared to give Astrid a piece of his mind when she got back from the stairwell. But as soon she returned to him with her own scowl on his face he felt his heart melt, it was as if he hadn’t seen her in years even though it had only been just a few fleeting moments. His scowl turned into a look of apology, “I’m sorry, love; It’s just, I hate the thought of you having to do work around the house, it’s the very reason we have those creatures.” Valerian knew that he was a sucker for his wife, but he also knew that there was no other way he would rather have it. Astrid knew how to stand by him in public and correct him in private without demeaning him in front of his colleagues like other wives will attempt to do; it’s part of the reason that the Maxwells worked so well together.

”Willow, do not punish yourself. But I’ll need you to clean my suit for me since you allowed my wife to get flour all over herself.” He said half-heartedly still trying to be upset with the house-elf. He never understood why Astrid was so fond of the creatures, he remembered the argument they had all those years ago when she had tried to give willow a sock for Christmas. A sock. Why would Valerian want to free his house elves? Their families had served the Maxwells for generations and she was willing to just give them their freedom and let them decide whether or not they wanted to work? The house elves had their place in society and they understood that, Valerian just wished that his wife could.

”These rules have been in place for generations, my love. There is a reason that things are the way that they are, and that’s how they have to be in order for our society to survive.” Valerian knew that his pleading was pointless, so he just planted a soft, feather-light kiss on Astrid’s forehead. “I’ll try to be more understanding of your wishes however.”

Valerian smiles as she flung her arms around him and he wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her in a wide circle, “Why would I owl? I’d miss this glorious reaction if I did that!” Valerian softly placed a kiss across Astrid’s lips, melting like warm butter on contact. Every kiss with Astrid was like the first time, he still got the butterflies in his stomach, and the sweaty palms. He’d never grow tired of kissing this woman; Valerian Maxwell couldn’t begin to imagine life without his lovely and adoring wife. “I sent an owl to Zeke at school before I left, he should receive it in the morning. The prophet won’t be notified until tomorrow, which means it won’t make the paper until the following day.” Valerian would have likely just let Zeke find out via the Daily Prophet but Astrid was a stickler for making sure that Zeke was kept informed, she absolutely hated the thought of Zeke having to read the paper to know what was going on in his parents’ life. Valerian thought that was normal as, he too, had been a Slytherin and that’s just how Slytherins found out about their parents.

Valerian scooped up his wife to ensure that she wouldn’t step on the shattered glass, he would let Willow pick it up later (he would also ensure that the elf understood it was not to use a broom). “I assumed that we would be able to celebrate tonight by ourselves, and perhaps go visit Hogwarts this weekend? I won’t be starting until Monday so I’ve got the rest of the week off.” Valerian said with a smile as he nuzzled into her neck, still carrying her towards the study; “More importantly, I don’t have to work in the morning.” He said with a playful growl.

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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Jan 19, 2013 8:32:50 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2013 8:32:50 GMT -8

Astrid looked at Valerian with those bright blue eyes of hers, knowing exactly what she was doing. She could melt her husband in an instant if she really needed to; and right now, she wanted nothing more than for him to not punish their dearest house elf Willow. That darling creature had gotten her through so much and always seemed to come out stronger than before. Astrid had a very close relationship with Willow, considering she was the only one that knew about Astrid’s miscarriage when Zeke was 8, ”Sweetheart, it’s not work if I love to do it.”

[/b] She returned, batting her eyelashes at her husband who still stood on the other side of the hallway, ”Willow is a good elf and is playing the protectorate, you above anyone should understand that. Plus, you always love how my cookies come out, even when you think that the house-elves did them.”[/b] She opted for a joke instead of trying anything else, knowing that he would be far more inclined to listen to her when she was playing to his humorous side.

She wanted to roll her eyes as he explained the dutiful generations before them that had adhered to these rules. Valerian had always been a stickler for the ideas that his parents had put into place; he refused to move forward and accept new ideas despite the fact that the very Wizarding World was changing around them. She bit down on her lip, trying her best to remain the dutiful wife that she knew he would want her to be but it was growing increasingly hard to just turn a blind eye to the way that he treated their elves and servants, ”I will never understand you, you madman.”[/b] She breathed as he placed a kiss on her forehead - a most endearing gesture. The way that she could melt him was similarly felt when it came to her. He managed to banish all the ill-feelings that she had been having about the situation with a simple kiss and a promise to be more understanding, ”All I ask is that you take into consideration my point of view, Monsieur Maxwell,”[/b] She looked up at him with a sparkling grin.

Suddenly, Val was spinning her in a circle, letting her feet fly off the ground with his apparent enthusiasm. She hadn’t seen him so excited since the day that Zeke had told him that he had made the Slytherin Quidditch Team. Merlin, she was proud of her husband. He deserved that promotion and she had known that he was going to get it from the very moment that he had applied for the position, ”Oh quite right!”[/b] The woman giggled, but her words were stopped by Val’s lips on her own. Even after twenty years of marriage, there was still a shock-wave through her spine every time that he kissed her. Instinctually, she wrapped her arms closer around his neck and pulled her body against his, savoring the moment with her husband. These were the days when she was happy that her darling son was at school; there were very important boundaries to keep in public company and if their son had been there, her reaction would have been far less...intense. She pulled away and looked up at him, eyes sparkling with delight. Their son would be so proud of his father, ”Val Val Val!”[/b] She was still in shock, unsure of what to say besides how proud she was of him over and over.

Val picked Astrid up and she let out a squeal of delight being carried around the house bridal style. She knew that it was to avoid her delicate feet being sliced open by the glass that was on the floor but she couldn’t help but still feel as if she was the luckiest woman in the world, ”I would love to go to Hogwarts. You know how much I’ve missed Zeke.”[/b] The woman breathed as she placed her head on his shoulder. The very thought of a mini-vacation had her mind reeling. Seeing her son again after he had been gone for a little over a month would be a refreshing change. No work in the morning? Astrid felt a devious smile run across her lips as he carried her through the study door, ”Valerian Maxwell, what are you suggesting? I was hoping that you would at least wine and dine me first.”[/b] She winked.
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Last Edit: Jan 19, 2013 8:33:46 GMT -8 by ? QUINN

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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Jan 19, 2013 9:15:28 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2013 9:15:28 GMT -8

Valerian knew that the battle was already lost, he should just run up the white flag and surrender before he lost the war, or worst… lost Willow, or well, Astrid’s famous cookies. He playfully put his hands up in surrender, “You win, love. You win. Just don’t take away my cookies.” He gave her a playful smile, he still had no idea why she cared about willow the way she did; but he knew that Willow’s treatment was important to her, and as a result it was important to Valerian. “Although, maybe I’ll be able to convince Willow to finally give me the secret now if I’m going to start being nicer to her.”

Valerian pulled Astrid closer as she kissed him back, reaching below her waist and lifting her slightly off the ground and pressing her against the nearest wall. Even though she was a formal lady in public, Valerian knew exactly how to push her buttons, and this was most certainly one of those ways. She managed however to break the kiss and Valerian let out a low growl in disapproval, but he couldn’t help but smile as she said his name over and over. The sound of his name on her lips drove Valerian crazy, it was the most incredible feeling ever for him to hear her say his name. Despite over 20 years of marriage, Valerian couldn’t help but feel like a love-sick school boy when it came to Astrid, and her glorious voice was one of those reasons.

Valerian smiled at Astrid, “Then it’s settled, I’ll have Willow pack our bags and we can leave tomorrow after lunch.” He wasn’t particularly fond of going to Hogwarts, but he knew that Astrid would love to be there and see Zeke, and making Astrid happy was something that Valerian was fond of doing. He laughed slightly and gave her a playfully innocent look, “What are you talking about, Mrs. Maxwell? I was saying we could just play exploding snap or wizard’s chess all night… unless you have something better in mind?” Valerian flicked both his eyebrows at her playfully as they finally reached the study.

Willow was waiting for them with the cookies on a tray, ”Here are the cookies for you requested.” Valerian gave Willow a stern look and it quickly bowed it’s head in shame before beginning to slink off, “Willow, you should thank my wife; she has told me that I need to be nicer to you. So, please, do not punish yourself for your dishonesty with me, let’s just agree that it will not happen again… correct?” The house elf looked up at Valerian in amazement and shock, and nodded it’s head enthusiastically. “Yes, Master Maxwell.”

“Excellent. Also, we will be leaving tomorrow afternoon for the weekend, could you prepare our bags and pick up… I mean, sweep up the glass in the hallway?” Valerian ordered before looking at his wife, and quickly looking back at the house elf, “uh…please?” He asked almost as a question and he was pretty sure the house elf was on the verge of fainting. Valerian smiled at Willow and then at his glorious wife, “Was that better?”

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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Jan 20, 2013 20:07:48 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2013 20:07:48 GMT -8

Astrid, as it was, gigged when Val picked her up and pressed her against the wall. She would never grow tired of her husband’s antics. She couldn’t help but fall even harder for him when he did these things to her; it was as if he knew exactly what drove her mad, ”Merlin what you do to me, Valerian.”

[/b] She managed to breath, watching his eyes carefully. She could see the desire plain as day written all over his face. The Maxwells had been like this from the very moment that Astrid had given him a chance at Hogwarts. At first, she had been timid and afraid to let him in because of what she knew of his reputation, but the longer that he tried to gain her attention and get her on a date, the more that she realized what a sweetheart he was. He was gentle and kind and always cared for her feelings, something she could say was quite rare for a gentleman from Val’s social standing.

She was practically giddy when he said that he was going to have Willow pack the bags. Zeke was such a darling part of her life; he was her pride and joy. Everything he did made her feel like the proudest woman in the world. He was going to go far in life; that much was for certain. He had his mother’s openness to the world and his father’s charm. With those genes, it was impossible for him to fail, ”Can’t we leave sooner, sweetheart?”[/b] She asked, not sure if she could wait until after lunch to see her darling son, ”After breakfast?”[/b] She knew that if she simply batted her eyelashes then she could have anything in the entire world that she wanted, but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to play that card quite yet, she might need to save it for something larger that she might want later in the conversation.

Astrid laughed heartily as he suggested a game of exploding snap for the entirety of the night. She could only imagine that the pair of them would grow weary after a few rounds. After all, they weren’t the youngens that they used to be. Not that exploding snap required too much physical activity anyway, but Astrid often found that it was much easier to play in her younger years, ”I could think of a hundred and one things that I’d like to do tonight, and none of them involved organized games.”[/b] She said as they entered the study. He let her down slowly and she placed her hands on both of his shoulders, leaning in to press a light kiss onto his lips. She pulled back and winked, just as Willow entered the room, ”We’ll pick that up later.”[/b] She said with a laugh and went and draped herself on the chaise lounge that was in the corner of the room. Willow placed the cookies on Val’s desk as he spoke with her.

There was a definite tension in Val’s voice, but she could most certainly tell that he was trying to be better about the way that he spoke with her darling Willow. There was even a please attached to the end of his sentence which caused her eyebrows to shoot up almost immediately. She clapped her hands together, all stretched out on the lounge, ”I’m so proud of you, sweets.”[/b] She giggled and Willow excused herself so that she could go sweep up the glass that was on the ground outside in the hallway.

”Now, darling-”[/b] She beckoned for him to come over to where she lay and join her upon the lounge, ”Tell me all about your promotion. What did Bagnold say? Where’s your new office?”[/b]
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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Jan 21, 2013 15:01:46 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2013 15:01:46 GMT -8

Valerian smiled softly at his wife and shook his head, "Honey, I know you're excited to see Zeke but, He's got a lot of classes in the morning and it wouldn't be fair for us to interrupt his classes." Valerian hoped that this might be the way to convince her that waiting until after lunch was the best route, but he was pretty confident that he should go ahead and tell Willow that they'll be departing BEFORE breakfast and that they'll eat in Hogsmeade or at the castle with Zeke. It wasn't that Valerian wasn't excited to see Zeke, he was very proud of his son, but he felt that by visiting frequently they were actually hampering him rather than helping him. The Slytherin house was quite different than the Hufflepuffs, any sign of weakness would be taken advantage of. Valerian Quentin Maxwell had not raised a weak son. "I know that you miss him, but we can't coddle him. It'll cause more harm than good." He knew that he was pleading a hopeless case to Astrid. She missed her son and she wanted to see him, she'd leave this instant if she thought it was at all a possibility .

Valerian turned back towards Astrid hoping to pick up where they had left off only to find that she had crossed the room and was now stretched out on the chaise lounge in the corner of the room. Valerian growled his disapproval of her walking over there and furrowed his brows at her; "I'm interested in your list… I dare say I would like to cross each one of those off your list, one by one." Valerian walked over to the door of the study and closed it swiftly and locking it to ensure that the elves would not interrupt them. Valerian gave her a broad smile as he slowly began to cross the room towards her; "Well, Bagnold said she apologized for it taking so long and that she was excited to be able to appoint me the new head of magical law enforcement. Blah, blah blah." Valerian smiled playful as he conveniently left out the part where she told him that he had been their second choice but the first choice had disappeared for a month before he was found dead in the woods, apparently eaten by a werewolf. "My office is on the sixth floor, I even have a painting that has a window charm on it. It's a lot like the ceiling of the great hall at Hogwarts." Valerian sat down at Astrid's feet and skillfully slipped off one of her shoes and begin to lightly rub the soles of her feet. "Now, about that list of yours…" he teased playfully as he leaned down and lightly bit her big toe.

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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Jan 21, 2013 21:32:30 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2013 21:32:30 GMT -8

Astrid pouted slightly as Valerian tried to ease her around the idea of going after breakfast, but she just couldn’t seem to stop thinking about it. No matter if Zeke had class in the morning; that would give them a few hours of settling in and then they could spend the rest of the mid-afternoon with their son. There was nothing that she would love more than to have more time with her darling offspring, ”Well I suppose-”

[/b] She was genuinely considering his offer...especially since she knew that he didn’t have to work in the morning. They could stay up pretty late and sleep in a tad, have breakfast in bed, and then make their way to Hogwarts around mid-morning. That would leave time for them to settle in and get to see Zeke before the day was too far gone. Astrid smiled at the very thought, ”Let’s make a deal, shall we?”[/b] She knew full-well that Val would be game for whatever she put on the table, ”We’ll leave after we have breakfast in bed.”[/b] She breathed and raised both of her eyebrows, ”I’m thinking some of Willow’s blueberry pancakes sound heavenly right about now, don’t you?”[/b] As if his wife wasn’t a weak-spot enough, Astrid knew that he had such a love for blueberries that that was sure to hook him.

”He’s our only son, Valerian.”[/b] She said cooly as he mentioned that they couldn’t baby him. Astrid had perhaps always had this problem when it came to her darling offspring. Zeke was her child and she always wanted to make sure that he was doing alright. He meant the world to her, ”And I’m not coddling him. I’m simply saying that he might have missed us!”[/b] She held up her hands as if she was conceding the matter, ”But I digress. I suppose you’re right.”[/b] Her eyes twinkled with sudden delight, ”We’ll leave after breakfast.”[/b]

She saw the look of shock in his eyes when he realized that she was no longer standing behind him but already on the lounge, ”I’m sure you’d love to get your paws on my list. And maybe you will. In due time. After all, we’ve only been married for 20 years, Valerian.”[/b] Astrid giggled as he locked the door and then started walking toward her. She knew that look in his eyes...she saw it more and more often and she knew that she wasn’t going to get away that easily. Slowly he came toward her and she felt her heart in her chest, beating a little faster the closer that he got. Somehow, despite the fact that they were growing into their middle-aged years together, he managed to make her feel like a sex-deprived teenager all the time...desperately in want of him no matter the time or occasion.

He seemed to be skimming over the details which made Astrid want to pout, although she was happy to hear about his new office. He always complained about how his previous office didn’t have a window, ”Well aren’t you lucky. I’m sure that Bagnold has some big plans for you in the new office. Next thing you know, You’ll be minister yourself!”[/b] She was of course, joking. He slipped off one of her gold ballet flats and began rubbing the soles of her feet and she almost instantaneously relaxed, ”What about my list-”[/b] She growled and pulled her foot away from him, tucking it up against her chest where he couldn’t get to it, ”Valerian...”[/b] She warned, playfully, still seeing that look in his eyes.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Jan 22, 2013 15:07:45 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2013 15:07:45 GMT -8

Valerian raised both of his eyebrows as Astrid talked about breakfast in bed and blueberry pancakes. “Now Honey… That’s cheating, you know that there are two things on this planet I can’t resist, that’s you… and blueberries.” Valerian smiled playfully at his lovely wife, “You’re a cheater, but you have a deal.” Valerian knew he had caved, but he couldn’t help it; he loved to see Astrid smile, and getting to see her son was a guaranteed way to make her smile; and if that meant that he had to let her coddle him by pulling him out of class once in a while, then that’s what would happen. “But, I think the heavenly part is the part about waking up in bed next to you.” Valerian added with a soft, genuine smile.

“So it’s settled then,” Valerian stated with a sense of mock defeat, “We will leave after breakfast, and pull Zeke out of class for the rest of the day and take him to lunch in hogsmeade? I’m guessing he’ll need to be back to the school grounds by late afternoon, I’m sure that they are training hard for their opening match.” If there was one thing Valerian couldn’t allow, it would be for Zeke to skip quidditch practice; they needed to be working twice as hard this year after losing two chasers and their keeper, who was also the captain. He hoped that Zeke would back him up on this one, even if his Mum tried to convince him otherwise.

Valerian pursed his lips as she pulled her feet away from him, he gave a playful growl and pounced on top of her, this time his hands went to her sides as he delicately ran his fingers up and down her sides tickling her. “If you are going to try and withhold your list from me, I might have to torture it out of you!” Valerian grabbed one of her wrists lightly and held it above her head so that she was unable to guard against his tickling onslaught. His fingers running up and down her ribs over and over again as he chuckled like a little school boy. Valerian loved to horse around with Astrid, it reminded him of all the times from their youth when they use to splash each other in the black lake, or have a tickle fight on their bed. Even after twenty years of marriage with Astrid, he was just as in love with her now, as the day he first met her.

He lowered his lips to her ear and nibbled delicately around her ear lobe, “Are you going to tell me yet, or do I need to continue your torture?” he whispered softly into her ear before resuming his nibbling. He nibbled down to her neck and then finally reached the base of her neck and passionately kissed her collarbone, biting ever so lightly; just enough to help send her over the edge.

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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Jan 30, 2013 21:17:41 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2013 21:17:41 GMT -8

Astrid giggled loudly when he accused her of cheating; she couldn’t exactly deny the fact. She had always been good about playing to Valerian’s weaknesses and making them her strengths. That was what made their relationship so functional, although there was a constant push and pull, it never got too out of hand because Astrid could calm his nerves almost immediately. And he did the same for her. She leaned forward and managed to place a feather-light kiss on his nose, ”Darling, it’s not cheating. Simply playing to my strengths. Same thing that I do at bridge each week.”

[/b] She hated going to Bridge with all the other pureblood women, but it was a chance for them to gossip and network, so she did it for Val’s sake. She wanted to make him happy and would do anything if it meant that it would bring a smile to his face. She returned his smile with one of her own when he told her how heavenly it was to wake up next to her; there was something so true about what he had said. Waking up next to the man that she had treasured for twenty some years was the most perfect part of her day. Except of course the days in which she got to see her darling Zeke.

”It sounds like a perfect plan to me, Val.”[/b] Astrid said as calmly as she could, only her insides were jumping around like a woman who had just won the lottery. Zeke was going to be so excited to see them and would likely praise his mother for getting him out of class so early. She wanted to pout when he said that they were not allowed to keep him away from Quidditch Practice. Astrid knew better than anyone else that her son was ready for anything that the Quidditch universe had to throw at him and was hardly in need of practicing with the rest of the team...at least for one day, ”Valerian Maxwell, I do wish you’d ease up on that poor boy. All he ever does is practice Quidditch when he’s home.”[/b] She breathed as she placed the back of her hand to her forehead, as if she was feeling for a fever. She sighed loudly, knowing that this was perhaps the one battle that she was most certainly going to lose when it came to Val, ”Who’s the new captain this year anyways? I can believe they passed up Zeke.”[/b] She didn’t care much for the politics of the Wizarding world, but she did fear that they had robbed Zeke of a title that he had so greatly deserved.

She could sense his growing frustration - hating that she was keeping something from him - and then she saw that look in his eyes. The look that he got before he was about to do something particularly nasty to her in order to get her to tell, ”No! Val no!”[/b] She tried to protest, but it was all too late. Before she knew what hit her, he had managed to pin her down and was running his hands across her sides where she was ticklish beyond belief. Astrid Maxwell was above all else ticklish. And her husband knew right where to place his hands in order to make her squirm under his grasp, ”This - Isn’t - Torture!”[/b] She managed to say in-between her fits of giggling. Leave it to her husband to attack her in the worst way that he knew how. She suddenly felt like she was that carefree sixteen year old again - roaming around Hogwarts with her darling Valerian and falling head-over-heels for him all over again.

”I’m afraid that I’ll never give up my secrets, Monsieur,”[/b] She managed to breathe, although she was trying her hardest not to continue laughing. It was then that Val decided it would be a good time to seduce her and she felt something deep in the pit of her stomach respond, ”Val!”[/b] She giggled when he bit her collarbone and she yanked on that greying-blonde hair of his, ”What do you think you’re doing? What did I tell you about wining and dining?”[/b]
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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Feb 22, 2013 8:36:20 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2013 8:36:20 GMT -8

Valerian gave Astrid a look as she told him that he was too hard on Zeke, “He practices when he’s home because he wants to. Zeke loves quidditch and he wants to be great.” He smiled at his darling wife as she mimed feeling for a fever, knowing that she was faking it. “And if I dare say so myself, I think that all of my pushing has done the boy good. He received six OWLs and is quite possibly the best chaser in the history of the Slytherin house; from my understanding he’s going to receive more than a few offers once his senior season is over from professional clubs.” Valerian smiled proudly. As badly as he wanted his son to get into politics at some point, he would much rather Zeke turn professional in quidditch and delay it for a couple of years to avoid all of the mess that was happening at the ministry. The last thing Valerian wanted to see was his son with a dark mark on his arm. “That black girl.” Valerian practically seethed, “Zeke was furious originally but the last time I talked to him about it he said that she was a deserving captain, and that she was doing a great job.” Valerian rolled his eyes, he knew that his son was only saying that because he knew that if he wasn’t behind her the team would fall apart; that was true leadership and that was something that Valerian was damn proud of.

Valerian laughed carelessly as he tickled her; her giggling only encouraged him. He absolutely loved to tickle his wife, it reminded him of the care free times that they had once had in the beginning of their marriage. Valerian loved his son, but it was no secret that he had not wanted children; he had wanted to end his wretched bloodline. “You can end this at any time, my love.” he playfully growled to her as he continued to tickle her.

Valerian stopped for a moment, pulling back and then looking down at her as she said she would never tell her secrets and he gave her his most devilish look; “Oh… I have ways of making you talk.” He flicked his eyebrows at her and then began to kiss down her jawline until he reached her chin and then he planted a feather-light on her lips before quickly pulling back out of reach. “That’s part of my torture. You don’t get dinner… and you broke the wine.” He grinned devilishly before leaning down and pressing his lips passionately against hers.

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Honey, I'm home. (Astrid) Feb 23, 2013 21:08:09 GMT -8

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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2013 21:08:09 GMT -8

”But, simply because you love something doesn’t mean you should do it all the time.”

[/b] Astrid retorted as she raised both of her eyebrows at her husband. She sat up slightly, so that she had ample view of his face perched over hers on the chaise lounge, ”I mean, take my obsession with bridge for that matter. I adore it, but I wouldn’t find myself feeling inclined to play every moment of every day.”[/b] She winked just to let Val know that she was joking. She knew that they were doing right; their son was practically at the top of his class, excelling in transfiguration and everything else that he put his mind too. But she couldn’t help but feel as if they pushed him too hard sometimes. She firmly believed that if they didn’t poke and prod at him, he would do just as well in school as he had been. Val mentioned pro quidditch and Astrid raised both of her eyebrows. This was the first that she had heard of her husband wanting their son to go professional, ”Which do you think will pick him up?”[/b] She asked, tilting her head slightly to the side. As for the mention of the new captain, Astrid could do nothing but suck in a breath of air, ”Do you think that he’s given up on Bellatrix yet?”[/b] She asked, reaching up to run her hands through her hair. She had only assumed that Val knew about the feelings that Zeke had developed for Bells over the years - it had been obvious from her maternal stand point, ”I mean, he’s so darling about the way that he cares for her. But it’s quite obvious that she reciprocates but feels too inclined to her father’s wishes to do anything about it.”[/b] She shook her head, letting some of her brown curls fall loose from the hair pin that was near the back of her head.

Valerian seemed to relent with the tickling for a moment, leaving Astrid breathless, her chest moving up and down every time that she took in a breath - her heartbeat elevated quite high. Her normally pale face was flushed with color, giving her a glow of sorts. These were the moments when she thought of herself as most beautiful in Valerian’s eyes - she was natural and she was real. She didn’t have to pretend that she enjoyed bridge or wanted to wear those devil’s traps that were high heels. ”Well for one, the first thing on my list is to get you out of this blasted suit jacket,”[/b] Astrid said as she reached up and ran her fingertips in-between his blazer and his button-up shirt. She could feel his muscles underneath his shirt; for being a man growing into his middle age, Val seemed to have lost nothing of what he used to have in his younger years. Something that made her feel extremely blessed. She slid his jacket down off of his shoulder blades as best she could from her vantage point of under him. Her breathing was finally starting to calm down, but her heart rate was most certainly still up, giving her classic anxious anticipation.

She groaned against his lips as he kissed her, knowing full-well that he was trying to delve out her secrets with his charm. The couple had been married for a large sum of years and she was not about to just...let him squeeze her secrets out that easily. No, Astrid firmly believed that mystery was a far better way to live her life, ”So you’re just going to starve me now?”[/b] She breathed as she smiled up at him, watching that darling twinkle in his eyes. He was a clever one, she would give him that. He knew how to get what he wanted, but Astrid also knew that she knew how to make him cave should the need arise. He mentioned the wine and she rolled her eyes, ”Come now, we both know that was an accident.”[/b] She breathed as she watched his lips hovering above hers. In her fit of excitement, it had been no surprise that Mrs. Maxwell had dropped the bottle; she was easily excited and rather butter-fingered when so, ”Mr. Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, what are you -”[/b] She was cut off by the sweet taste of his lips upon hers. Instinctively, her hands reached up and knotted themselves in his slightly greying blonde locks.

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