Babysitting

[Arden Patricks]

“Oy! Small ones!” I say sharply as two of my babysitting charges decide abruptly to dash out into the street. I shake my head at them, frowning sternly, when they turn to look back at me – the dark-haired boy grinning just like his mother does and the blonde pigtailed girl looking about as mischievous as I remember her aunt being, but definitely not her dad. I shake my head again, letting out a sigh, and indicate that they should step a bit closer to me. “Come away from the street before you get eaten by cars, got it?”

The small boy sighs and shakes his whole upper body rather than just his head, immediately deciding that this slumped-over position is perfect for playing dinosaur and attacking Katie. She, of course, shrieks and then copies him, but at least they’re coming closer to me. I glance up and down the street, trying to decide if there’s a safer place to cross because this particular street seems unusually busy. Maybe I should just turn around and drag them all back to the park we just came from and let all their parents think I’ve kidnapped them.

I glance down to my right at the even smaller, solemn girl with curly brown hair who’s clutching my hand, and she looks up and shakes her head at me, eyes wide in apparent disapproval at her brother’s behavior. I smile slightly and then try to shift the fourth child, the baby, higher in my left arm without waking her up. There really should be a law against taking care of this many small ones at once. Or at least a law that disallows me from deciding every couple of weeks that I like children and should volunteer to care for as many as possible all at once. Because then they decide to be dinosaurs on very busy street corner in the middle of Muggle London when my hands are too full to stop them from tripping into the street.

[Ian Hunt]

I realise with a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach just as I'm about to cross the street that I'm on my own. Which I wasn't two and half minutes ago.
I've already figured out that I've lost the child that's under my 'watchful supervision' today, but of course I have to do the really stupid thing of looking down to check anyway.
No, she's not there and my hand is empty again.
How could I not notice that if she was holding my hand just a little while ago? Poppy always gripped my hand a lot tighter, so she could swing back and forth and get in the way of other pedestrians. Alex also gripped tighter because he had a lot of trouble keeping his balance. So by comparison I hardly notice Abby's hand at all, but that really is no excuse to lose her in muggle London.

Lose her. As if.
She doesn't go wandering off usually, so she can't be far, so I use this to stem the panic that's slowly building up and the self-loathing that I can manage to forget that my daughter's even with me just because I'm slightly preoccupied.
This half-hearted relief is followed almost immediately by proper relief as I turn around and realise she's stopped just a few feet behind where I am to stare transfixed up at a street sign.
I stifle a frown before it can really take root, stooping to pick her up and receiving that startled look that I always seem to be getting.

It's been over a year since I've been home. Over a year. And still Abby looks at me as if to say 'who are you?' on occasion.
I'm her father, I wish she'd remember that. I hope it'll sink in eventually, but for now I just brush her hair back off her forehead absently, balancing her on my hip and trying to remember what I was doing and where I was going in the first place.
No, I have no idea.
Apparently, I'm more than slightly preoccupied.

Glancing around in the vain hope that something will jog my memory and not particularly caring that I'm standing in the way of people trying to cross the road, I catch sight of someone who just preoccupies me further.
Now that I've seen Arden standing on the street corner, I can't very well ignore her, even if she's not seen me. I'm determinedly not walking away from anything or anyone now, it's my new temporary ambition until I feel at least a little like I've made up for walking away from my family.
I am aware that it's ridiculous, but none-the-less, it doesn't stop me from starting to make my way past people who are walking at unnecessary speeds in the opposite direction.

[Arden Patricks]

I look up and down the street for just a moment more, then shake my head again. No, this street is a death trap. We're turning around. "Oy, Micheal Maximus and Katydid," I call to the two snarling predators, waving Isobel's hand in my own because even if I felt comfortable letting her go for half a second, she'd probably act like I was abandoning her. Silly, clingy child.

"We're going back this way, all right?" I say, being sure to get cooperative nods before they turn back into dinosaurs and slouch along in front of me before I turn that direction. Micheal snaps his teeth at some little girl walking along, and I consider whether or not to scold him or just wait and see if she cries. I never do know if I'm being too strict or too lenient.

[Ian Hunt]

"Arden!" I only feel comfortable enough to be able to call out to her when I'm positive that she's within hearing distance.
Is it natural paranoia to think that people are going to turn round and look at you as if you should shut up or is that just how you're supposed to feel in a library? I don't know.
I do know, however, that my thoughts need to stop skitting off in random directions like that and I should concentrate on keeping Abby safe and not getting lost and trying to remember what the hell I'm actually doing in muggle London.

I hate muggle London, which is very hypocritical because I'm muggle born, but I really don't like it out here and I don't really like muggles as a whole either.
Individually it's okay and no different from talking to anyone else, obviously, but when I'm here and surrounded by loads of them I start to think of them as a different species and that's another reason I don't like being in the muggle world. My head starts working weirdly when I am.

Hoisting Abby up further in my arms as she starts to slip and does nothing about it apart from clench her fist tighter around my shirt, I sidestep a small child with a brief wry glance down at him, as seems to be delusional and thinking he's...well, I don't really know, something violent and antisocial that likes to snap their teeth.
"Hey," This seems a bit anti-climactic after the epic journey that it seems to have taken me to battle my way here, but it's occurred to me that I don't know why it was so important I caught up with her right now anyway.
I really don't know why I'm so scatterbrained today.

[Arden Patricks]

I jump a little bit when I hear my name, which makes me shake my head at myself because not only have I not done that in a while... or I hope it's been while... but I've also woken up Melody, at least briefly. Brilliant.

"Oh, hey," I say finally, noticing Ian with a small child of his own. At least he has only one, I think vaguely resentfully, and shake my head again. I've been a little... I guess you could say annoyed... with him since that disappearing act, probably in part because it was right around the time Travis died so I have to be angry with someone for doing something stupid at that time. But it's only mild annoyance and I try not to let it show.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, pretty sure he isn't normally in the Muggle world and that's why we run into each other less often than we used to. I'm a little bit distracted making sure Katie and Micheal don't go wandering too far off, but I still manage to smile vaguely at him.

[Ian Hunt]

"Good question," I reply, glancing back over my shoulder at the small children I've just walked past and considering the possibility that they're with her as well as the two she's got attached to her person.
But then again I can't really see why Arden would take on four children all at once...and then I remember that I barely know her anymore.

Or at least it feels that way. Since I left and then came home again, I've seen her only a few times.
I think that she lives in the muggle world, I'm pretty sure. I don't know. Although it'd explain if she did and that'd be why we don't see each other very often at all.

"Are these...all with you?" I ask almost hesitantly, gesturing vaguely at the two older ones with my free hand.

[Arden Patricks]

"Unfortunately," I nod, rolling my eyes slightly. "That's Katie Gracieux and Micheal Stewart over there.... Isobel Stewart and Melody Patricks here," I explain, jutting my chin out at the first two, then nodding at the solemn hand-holder and sleeping baby in turn. I honestly don't think it matters what their names are or expect him to remember, but I can't just not introduce them just because they're small and won't notice.

"Hey, Abby." I smile slightly at his daughter, then shake my head again. "Remind me, anytime you can please, not to volunteer for this again."

[Ian Hunt]

"That's very brave of you," I nod, glancing at each of them in turn as she introduces them and then instantly forgetting their names straight afterwards.

I only turn my attention briefly back to Abby as she's greeted when it becomes obvious that she's still in one of those moods. Just once I'd quite like to have a child that is semi-normal, but I seem to have failed so far. Poppy's unhinged, Alex has mastered scorn at the age of ten, Vi's...Vi, and Abby won't talk very often at all when she's around me. A sure sign that I'm doing well at this parenting lark.

I laugh slightly, "Don't volunteer for this again. Why did you in the first place?"

[Arden Patricks]

"I have no idea," I shrug, shaking my head. "Though I do like kids in small doses, especially this one since she's quiet," I add, glancing down at Isobel as she smiles shyly. I don't know if a two-year-old can feel rejected or not but I won't risk it.

I would, however, like to pull my hand out of her grip for just a second to switch Melody to my other arm because I think my left one's fallen asleep. Stroller, Arden. Remember that next time. If Fitzy even has one.

[Ian Hunt]

"Ah," I nod again.
I hesitate a moment, before finally nodding at the smallest one in her arms, as I seem to recall that her surname is Patricks, not that I can remember her first name.
"This would be your niece?"

I'm pretty sure that I would know if it was her daughter, so it must be her niece. But then again, I wouldn't really have thought that Fitzy would ever procreate.

[Arden Patricks]

"Along with this one here," I nod, holding up Isobel's hand again. I still find it somewhat odd that Fitzy of all people has a kid, and try not to really think about it much. Unfortunately, I think he has a similar policy, so I wind up taking care of her more than any of the others. Luckily she's pretty quiet... most of the time... and is a pretty heavy sleeper.

I think that I should say something in return, but I don't know what, and my arm is really starting to go dead so I finally extract my hand from Isobel's, steering her around to my other side and switching the still-sleeping baby before shaking it out.

[Ian Hunt]

I decide to stop with this line of inquisition, as I doubt I really want to know all that much anyway.
It's starting to really bother me that I can't even remember why I'm here, and that I can't remember my reasoning for coming to speak to Arden anyway.
I don't even know when it became essential to have to have reasoning to speak to a friend anyway.

"I don't suppose...you heard about Logan?" I ask after a moment, idly tucking a loose strand of Abby's hair behind her ear in that way that it's second nature to do so.
I don't see why she would have heard about Logan, and I don't see why it's important that she knows. It just seems to be.

[Arden Patricks]

I glance down at the sidewalk, frowning faintly. No, I haven't heard about Logan. I don't want to hear about Logan. I've disliked him off and on, of course, for about eleven years, but I've been disliking him too since about the time Travis died and it's easier to dislike him much more than Ian.

"Hasn't up and died or something, has he?" I ask, shrugging, but a little too stiffly to be flippant. Isobel looks up at me, round-eyed, then shakes her head solemnly and detaches herself from my hand for once.

[Ian Hunt]

I think that maybe I shouldn't have mentioned him at all, and I just frown slightly down at Abby who's now buried her head in my shoulder.
There's not really anyone who I can mention it to. Maddie refuses to talk, Poppy screams and claps her hands over her ears because she remembers him all too well, Alex doesn't talk to me anyway, and everyone else in the English speaking world seems to hate him.
It's been bugging me since Adalia turned up on the doorstep yesterday to tell me, and then she flounced off before I could say anything because she won't talk to me either.

I'm not even sure why it does bother me at all. I should be really happy about this, and I sort of am, but it's more disturbing that he's not as untouchable as I've always sort of thought of him as. It's also disturbing that if I'd ever come home, I'd still be with him right now.
"Azkaban," I say, swallowing dryly after a moment to force the word past the lump in my throat.
It's one of the few things I have little protest with admitting to being scared of.

[Arden Patricks]

I raise my eyebrows at that, biting my lip. If I let myself admit it I suppose that sort of bothers me. No one deserves that place... I think. But on the other had maybe he does and I'd really rather not think about it.

"Hm," I say finally, looking at the sidewalk and hoisting up Melody a bit now that I can use both hands. Micheal and Katie are thankfully staying close and preoccupied, while Is looks up solemnly at Abby. "Bothered about it, are you?" I ask with careful indifference.

[Ian Hunt]

I shrug, trying very hard to do so flippantly, "Not a great deal," I lie, "Are you?"
I'd really quite like to go and see him, so I can at least figure out if I am bothered or not, but that is out of the question because I won't go to that place when I threw away everything to avoid it.

Noticing second smallest child looking up at Abby, I decide to preoccupy myself further and also give myself a reason not to look at Arden, so I detatch Abby's fist from around my shirt and set her carefully on the ground again.
Chances aren't high that she'll say or do anything, but might as well give it a shot.

[Arden Patricks]

"Not really," I shrug, giving a quick little shake of my head as if daring me to challenge me on that statement. And really, I think it's true. I won't let myself think through it to find out otherwise, not right now. I briefly consider going to see him, but there's no way in hell I'm voluntarily going near dementors. Not for him.

Glad of the distraction, I smile faintly down at Isobel as she half-hides her face behind my leg, eying Abby. It's not as if she talks yet, anyway, but since Abby seems rather mute maybe they can be friends anyway.

[Ian Hunt]

"Good," I nod, "I should think at least."
Now I almost feel sorry for him though. Because now that means that no one cares that he's in that despicable place and that's really bleak.

And now it's bothering me that Abby's being mute. She can speak, she can speak very well. She seems to be choosing to keep silent and that bothers me for some reason. Poppy and Alex wouldn't shut up at her age, I guess that's why.
"She won't bite, Abby," I tell her after a moment of weighing up the pro's and con's of whether this will frighten her more or at least get her to stop looking at the other girl who's name I wish I could remember, as if she's about to grow an extra head. But then I glance up at Arden to verify this, "Will she?"

[Arden Patricks]

Oh, yes, very good. Absolutely lovely. Way to keep up that loyalty, Arden.
I shake my head at this, and focus my attention on the small ones instead, laughing slightly at his question. "Hardly. She's too shy."
I nudge her forward slightly. "Abby, this is Isobel. Isobel, that's Abby. She isn't as scary or clearly half as ugly as her daddy."
Isobel grins slightly at this, and I wonder if it's weird that she seems to have an adult's sense of humor already, or if she's just grinning for another reason. I really wish she'd speak.

[Ian Hunt]

I laugh slightly, "Thanks for that Arden."
Abby seems reassured at least that Isobel is grinning and apparently this seems to mean that no, she won't be eaten after all so she stops trying to twist my fingers in directions that they're not supposed to bend and let's go of my hand completely.
I think this is as friendly as she's going to get, before she introduces herself rather belatedly and with pride I didn't know a three year old could inject into their voice, "I'm Abigail Claire Hunt-Speare."
I wonder who taught her the full nam, but at least it's something.

[Arden Patricks]

"Anytime," I say, grinning at him, then glance down at Isobel to see what her response is.
Nothing terribly impressive, unfortunately. she merely sticks her fingers in her mouth and stares wide-eyed at Abby, eventually grinning again around the fingers. I frown slightly.
"She doesn't talk yet," I explain. "At least not to me, and I think Lilith would've mentioned it. She's very shy." And possibly this generation's family Squib....

[Ian Hunt]

I grin back slightly, then shake my head slightly, "Lucky you then, I guess. Maybe."
Abby seems to have taken a liking to Isobel now, and even though she doesn't get much of a response and apparently can't think of a reply, she grins widely back at her.

[Arden Patricks]

"Easier than those two, at least," I shrug, nodding over to where Micheal is stalking around a light post as Katie clings to it. I can't tell if they're dinosaurs anymore. And it's not like she'd turn out like Trisha anyway.
Isobel takes her hand out of her mouth now and holds it out to Abby, possibly to see if she's real and paying no attention to the fact she's got saliva on this offering of friendship.

[Ian Hunt]

I glance over at the other two and I can't help but laugh slightly, "Who's are they again?"
Abby glances at the slightly damp hand she's being offered, then quickly licks her own hand to compensate and takes hold of Isobel's hand firmly as if to say that they are now friends.

[Arden Patricks]

I can't help but grimace slightly at the germiness of this friendship handshake, but I suppose it's better than blood brothers or something, and it'll build up their immune systems. I shake my head again. "The boy there is Micheal, my nephew and Issy's older brother. And the blonde one is Chance's little girl, Katie."

[Ian Hunt]

It takes me a moment to figure out why she's even grimacing, because my children tend to do things like that all the time. They're probably all diseased by now anyway from the amount of time they spend biting each other and their cousins and things of similar calibre.
"Sorry about that," I nod down at Abby and Isobel, "I think she's the cleanliest out of all of them, so it should be fine, but I recommend getting her immunisations done soon, just in case."

I glance back at Micheal and Katie and half-nod, half shake my head at the same time, as I know none of their parents anyway. I think I met Chance briefly, once, over a decade ago, but I can't match a face or personality to the name.

[Arden Patricks]

I shrug, then shake my head at the apology. "No, I'm sure it's fine. I'm just the OCD aunt, I'm sure her mother wouldn't care. Kids do that all the time, don't they?"

Isobel has now sat down on the grass at the edge of the sidewalk and is patting the place beside her for Abby to sit down as well, and the other two are still keeping occupied. I wonder if anyone would notice if I managed to conjure a stroller or something to set down Melody in.

[Ian Hunt]

"I hope so, otherwise there's something wrong with my entire family," I grimace slightly.
Abby sits dutifully down next to Isobel, beaming down at her shoes as she sways her feet back and forth, back and forth. I hope all children smile at their shoes like that, or at least that's she doing that to avoid eye contact and there's a rational thought process behind it, or I may have to worry about that as well.
"Have you been carrying her around all day?" I ask after a moment when I can think of nothing else to say and have just noticed the lack of stroller of any kind at all. I would have thought wish such a small child that she would have one with her, although apparently not.

[Arden Patricks]

"That's kind of a given," I murmur, shrugging, but it's an easy enough comeback and more automatic than anything. I smile again slightly at the small ones and decide to leave them to it, whatever they're doing. Then I nod, hoisting Melody up again. "For about an hour or so anyway," I shrug. "It's the first time I've really taken her out anywhere and apparently I didn't think ahead."

[Ian Hunt]

I tilt my head slightly in acknowledgment of that, "Good point, well made."
I spare a brief in glance in Abby and Isobel's direction, just to make sure that they are still there because I'm not losing my daughter again all in one day.
"No," I nod, "Apparently not."