Who: Noah Boot and Noël Carmichael
What: Cemetery Talks
When: Early this morning



Noah Boot wished, beyond everything that he might have wanted right now in his life, that his mother could be around to talk to. She'd always been the only one who could truly understand him and his ways, and losing her two years ago had been the end of his only constant and stable support system. These years were supposed to be some of the happiest times of his life, but all he was finding himself doing was worrying and dreading what was coming next.

He stared across the short pathway in front of him and focused on the tombstones. His parents had been slaughtered for what? A few galleons worth of belongings? Why did God or whatever the hell it was that was controlling the universe think that was fair? Noah stayed hunched over as he mentally ranted at the belief of destiny and other bullshit like that. Things didn't happen for a reason, things happened because stupid people did stupid things, and others suffered for it.

The crunching of leaves behind him made Noah shut his eyes tightly; it could only be one person.

"I was just leaving," Noah said over his shoulder to his sister, who he knew was standing there, eyes as wide as saucers. Noah turned and found that yes, Noël did look as if she had been sneaking up on him and had been suddenly caught, and he stood to get ready to leave.

"No! I mean---" Noël let out, hurrying forward, "I don't like being here by myself, please? Please stay."

Noah's mouth turned into a thin line, but Noël's pleading gaze forced him to sit back down. She squeezed beside him on the small bench and sat with her back straight, hands resting tightly on her lap. He could imagine what they looked like: two complete opposites, a pair that no one would believe were twins except for the uncanny resemblance to one another.

"Where's Bacon---I mean," Noah ducked his head; Odette had found much amusement in the rhyming of his brother-in-law's name. "Macon."

"Macon is making the bacon," Noël chirped, not seemingly moved by the comment. Noah forced himself not to roll his eyes at the poor attempt at a joke, and simply widened his gaze across the pathway. "He offered to come, but I said I'd be fine...but I think I lied."

Noël continued to stare straight ahead as he turned to her, and Noah realized this was the longest he'd been alone with his twin in...well, probably years. The thought clenched at some heartstrings he hadn't dealt with in some time. While Noël never fully understood him like his mother once had, she had always attempted to, and would never give up...except she had. Since she and Macon eloped, it felt like there had been no real attempts to reconcile. Noah would admit he hadn't exactly attempted to either, but he'd always been that way.

Noah was the one who made the mess, and Noël cleaned it up and made it pretty again. Maybe since it was Noël that had caused the rift, they hadn't been able to figure out what to do. It had never happened before, and more than two years later they were still sitting awkwardly besides each other, like relatives at a gathering who barely knew each other by name.

"Macon and I are having a baby," Noël let out, breaking the silence with a quick and startling breath. Noah nearly fell off the bench as he turned to completely face her, and he saw that his sister's face was completely red.

"Are you serious!"

"No!" she squeaked, turning to Noah with her eyes watery and mouth turned into a great pout, "He doesn't know that I want one yet!"

He realized he'd been holding his breath, and Noël's quick response made him--laugh. Noah let out a loud, relieved laugh and he fell against the back of the bench. "Why would you do that!"

Noël seemed to be battling her own laughter, but she too fell victim and slumped back. Her hands went up in apparent confusion at herself, "I dunno! I just...I guess I just wanted to let you know. Before I let my husband know. Which sounds weird when you say it out loud."

Another silence fell upon them, but this time Noah didn't feel the same awkwardness as before. He was actually glad for it, it gave him a chance to think of his sister carrying a child, getting huge and being insanely irritating at all hours of the day, and a nephew or niece for Terry to play with. It would be fun, and Noah found himself liking the idea more and more.

"You'd be a great mum," Noah admitted, causing Noël to smile and straighten up, "I mean, Eddie's a great kid, and...yeah, it'll be great."

"Thanks," she breathed, "I haven't said anything because I want to be sure, and I feel like Eddie was just perfect before I even got there, and my baby would have to start from scratch." Her eyes widened, "With me."

"Yeah, well," Noah shook his head with a smile, "Terry only had me for a while, and he's relatively normal."

Noël smiled and nodded, "And now with Odette, it's like a perfect little starry and quidditchy family."

His smile faltered and Noah shifted away, eyes going back to the tombstones. He immediately felt Noël's gaze harden on him, and without waiting for her prompt, he began to explain his shift, "I'm bloody terrified of all of that."

"What--getting married?"

Noah shifted uncomfortably once again and nodded. His sister let out a surprised sound, "I always figured that you'd only ever propose when you were a hundred percent sure...you're not?"

"I am, I definitely--am," Noah started to explain, rubbing his hand over his face, "There's just a million things going on, and then when I sit and think, nothing is actually going on. Not a thing."

He could tell by Noël's silence that she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, so he continued, "We haven't talked about living arrangements, we haven't even tried to talk about a date, or a place, or--anything that has to do with a wedding, and I don't think I mind, but then people keep asking me about it and making me wonder if I should care that we haven't and---"

Noah realized that he was rambling and shut his mouth tightly. His worries about his engagement to Odette had been kept quiet for some time, and he knew the only reason he was ranting was because of a certain run in with a certain idiot the other day at the petting zoo.

"I...think..." Noël started slowly, putting her hand on Noah's, "if neither of you are doing anything to prevent any of that, then you shouldn't be worried. Not everyone has to jump the gun like me and my idiot self."

Noah laughed and shut his eyes, silently agreeing with the statement, "It doesn't help that I've got Seth Wadcock lurking behind every corner."

"Seth Wadcock is a gigantic, stupid toerag," Noël let out immediately, and Noah turned to her, eyes wide with surprise. She sat up primly, "What? He annoys the crap out of me, too."

He lifted up a hand, giving Noël the universal sign of approval with a thumbs up, "That is what I like to hear."