i'm wide-eyed and so damn caught in the middle ;

Lavinia chuckled as he made a face. “Are you really surprised that I want to disturb the neighborhood?” She raised an eyebrow, turning around to face him fully. She wrapped the end of his tie in her hand and pulled him down gently to kiss him. “Oh, that’s the next newly married activity. Don’t worry, love.” 

Her arms reached out to her sides, the warm summer breeze against her face. Her voice echoed in the wind, attracting a few annoyed gaze, but nothing really out of the ordinary. She laughed when he pulled her back. 

“Alright, alright. One day I’ll get you up here.” She jumped down, holding onto his tie once more. “Your turn to pick a newly married activity.”

Garrick shook his head. “No, it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest,” he told her with amusement. He chuckled, but leaned over and kissed her, his hand moving to wrap around her waist. “I’m not worried. I’m quite excited, really.”

Lavinia could fill a chill could down her spine as he called her that and she would never be over it. “Well, follow me right this way and you’ll find out.” She giggled, looking up at him with an idiotic smile. “Oh, absolutely. Did you expect anything less?” Lavinia walked over to the edge of the roof, looking down at the city below. Bustling a bit from the morning commuters. She laughed, clearly her throat before cupping her hands around her mouth. 

“I, Lavinia Ollivander, am in love with my husband! And I don’t care who knows it!”

Garrick made a face, but he followed her loyally up the stairs to the roof. “I mean, I was kind of hoping it’d be something slightly less disruptive to the neighborhood,” he said. “And something that involved less clothes, but alright, go ahead and shout.”

She hummed pleasantly as he send her new full name. It sounded, right.  She wanted to listen to him say it on repeat. Instead, she kissed his neck gently before pulling him toward the door. “It’s a very important part of our honeymoon. At least top three on the list of things to do, just trust me.” She winked, popping her shoulder before pulling him out of their townhouse up to the rooftop garden of their building. “Garrick, you have honestly made me the happiest I have ever been. And it’s about time I screamed it from the rooftops.” 

Garrick couldn’t stop laughing. “Oh?” he said. “Please, enlighten me, Mrs. Ollivander.” He didn’t think he’d ever stop saying that. He followed her up to the rooftop. “Oh, Rowena, are you actually going to scream it from the rooftop?”

Lavinia couldn’t stop giggling, stop smiling. He twirled her in circles and she just laughed brighter. “Yes, Mr. Lavinia Ollivander, “ she snorted, raising her brow at him. “We both know it’ll never be Mrs. Garrick Ollivander. Mrs. Lavinia Ollivander, though. I can get used to that.” She kissed him again, this time wiggling herself out of his grasp. Breaking off the kiss as she hopped to the floor. “C’mon. There’s something I need to do before we hide ourselves away inside all day to enjoy being…married.” She laughed as she said it in glee, holding his hand in her own and pulling him toward the door.

It felt so stupid, to feel like this, to be this happy. He didn’t think he’d ever get this kind of happiness, and now that it was here, it didn’t feel real. But it was, and Lavinia was here. “Lavinia Ollivander it is,” he said, perfectly happy with that. He raised his eyebrows. “Oh? And what’s that?”

Why does anyone need a boggart? [ he looks at the trunk as if he’s keeping a secret before looking to garrick again ] Thank you. I think it suits him well. [ he nods ] And giving you space to decide for yourself.

I don’t know, really bad parties? [ he follows lucius’ gaze to the trunk again, frowning, before he looks back at him and nods ] Fits the pureblood tradition, too, which is always important, I suppose. [ he nods again ] I have decided. But Lavinia can’t know.

“So hating your potential future brother-in-law is… fine with you?”

It’s not my choice, it’s hers. I’ll support her no matter what. That doesn’t mean I have to be thrilled about it, though.

No one wants to come face to face with a boggart if they can help it. Though at least you know where to find one now if you need one. [ he looks from the box to garrick ] Thank you. I do. His name is Draco.

How have you been, Garrick?

That one? No, but it helps hold down that chest that comes boggart included.

Ah. [ he releases the paperweight immediately, and makes sure that it settles before he looks back at lucius ] I’d rather avoid boggarts, if possible. Not that seeing Atticus doesn’t sound lovely, but... [ he grimaces, and shuffles for a moment before he looks over at lucius ] I’m just here to say congratulations. I heard you have a son now. 

T O G E T H E R. they were not happy together, but they stayed that way for his sake, for a few years to give their son a little sense of stability. between the fights they would pretend to get along, they would try to show him what a family looked like. and he learned, learned in those shallow early years, that family was hiding the fights, hiding the things that did not work and pretending that things were okay.

A P A R T. no more screaming, no more arguing. quiet, quiet, quiet in the old mansion, standing on the stairwell, asking “ where has my father gone ? “ his mother would hardly look at him. “ he left, “ she would tell him. “ he didn’t want either of us. “

A L O N E. days spent by himself, trying to figure out where he belonged. mother attending galas, pulling him along, ignoring him as he stood in the corner by himself while she sipped wine and laughed with wealthy bachelors with enough spite and wit to be her equals. father working, working nonstop, distracted from paying any attention to his son, attempting to find himself instead of helping his boy find his way. summers in the library, in the workshop.

R E P L A C E D. she remarried first, to a rookwood. his step-father was not a cruel man; he did not hit him, he did not speak harshly to him, he did not despise him. he did nothing. the step-son was pushed to the side; he had his new wife, and her boy was part of a family she no longer belonged to. his step-father ignored him, and after his half-sister was born, so did his mother. he stopped talking; no one noticed. he ghosted the halls of the rookwood manor, friendless, silent, waiting for someone to pay him any attention. one month, two months, three months. no talking, not so much as a whisper, just staring up at them with his big blue eyes, waiting for acknowledgement that never came. “maybe he should go live with his father, “ his step-father said. his mother looked at him, and he stared at her. pursed lips, gaze dropping. “ i think that would be best. “

A C C E P T E D. his father had remarried too, brought in her, the new wife. he wanted to hate her, he wanted to feel like she was stealing his father away, expected her to be just like his step-father and let him hang in the background of the new family portrait. but she liked him, she paid attention to him, she wanted to get to know him. they spent nights up in the kitchen, and she taught him to cook, she taught him french, told him stories. she did not call him her step-son; he was her son, alongside claudia. claudia, his half-sister, smiles and pale blue laughter, chasing each other around the workshop, not caring that they were only half brother and half sister; it was good, and it was enough for them. he started to talk, slow and haltingly, stopped fearing being sent away. this was his family now. he did not have to be afraid.

“I just wanted your opinion on something. Eddie and Claudia, what do you think of it?”

Honestly? I don’t really like it. But it’s none of my business, and it’s my sister, so if it makes her happy...

He shakes his head. “Because you look so panicked when I try and talk to you,” he says. “I’m not trying to startle you.”

You’re just confusing me, is all. 

Lavinia laughed brightly, shaking her head. “I could never get sick of you, you should know that by now. I guess I can wait until tomorrow. You have already made me wait since my birthday, though.” She teased, unable to even fake a scowl as she couldn’t stop smiling, stop giggling. Lavinia put both her hands on his cheek as he said it, her name. Her would be name, anyway. Her heart filled and despite all attempts to keep it together she started to cry a little. A happy cry, of course. And she kissed him, if at all possible with more enthusiasm than before. “Lavinia Ollivander. I – I love it. Babe, I’m going to be an Ollivander. Tomorrow.” 

Garrick laughed softly and nodded. “I do know that,” he agreed. “But it’s nice to be reminded now and then, just to be sure. Hey, it’s not my fault you took this long to figure it out. I literally spelled it out for you.” But nothing could make his expression less giddy than it did right now. He grinned at Lavinia, shifting her in his grasp so he could wipe the tears from her face, but she kissed him before he got the chance, and he happily kissed her back, all other thoughts abandoned. “You are,” he agreed. “It’s been long enough, that’s for sure.”