Drinking Tea and Thinking

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella walked to Hogsmeade after finding out the news. She was still stunned and confused and needed some time to think. Her first instinct was of course to go to the Three Broomstiack and indulge in some Firewhiskey, but she knew she could no longer do that. Instead she walked to the little tea shop and ordered a cup of chamomile tea, hoping it would settle her stomach and help her relax. She had a lot of thinking to do, and she needed her head to be clear.

She took the cup and sat down, staring blankly out the window and sipping the hot tea.

[Rori Logan]

Rori walked into Madam Puddifoot's and saw Isabella sitting there. Yeah, she knew she probably shouldn't be in Hogsmede, but oh well. "Hey Ms. Rothschild. Mind if I sit?" said Rori nodding.

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella managed a weak smile. "Hi, Rori," she said. "You know you shouldn't be in Hogsmeade unprotected, right?" She sighed. "Anyway, have a seat."

[Emily Alchemia]

"Yeah well, I can't stay in the school forever." Rori said taking a seat.

[Isabella Rothschild]

"Well, I understand that, but after what happened... When we're done here I'll walk you back to the school. Voltaire..." She shivered as she said his name, "would go crazy with worry if he knew you were here alone."

[Rori Logan]

"Yeah, I know that. I thought I'd come here anyway to see what you were up to. I figured you were here, I saw you come out of the hospital wing, and I sort of followed you here. Yeah, yeah, I know, I should've, but I did. I thought I'd come see if you were okay." said Rori.

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella took a sip of tea. It tasted bland, but at least it didn't make her gag. "OK..." she repeated. "Yeah, I haven't been OK since Voltaire and I broke up..."

[Rori Logan]

"Yeah, I kinda can tell that, but do you mean something else? I ran into Myrtle in the bathroom, and she said something about you being sick........"said Rori looking up at Isabelle.

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella sighed and ran her hands through her hair. "I'm fine, really, it's just stress..." She looked at Rori and found she couldn't lie. "OK, that's not true. It is something. Not serious, but... I just found out and I don't know how to deal with it... If I tell you the truth, do you promise not to tell Voltaire? I want to be the one to tell him, when the time is right."

[Rori Logan]

Rori nodded. "I promise I will not tell a soul!" she said placing a hand over her heart.

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella smiled at Rori. "I trust you, Rori. I don't know why, because I don't trust easily." She leaned in closer and looked around the shop for a second before whispering, "I'm pregnant."

[Rori Logan]

Rori's mouth dropped. "Are you serious!?" said Rori smiling. She went over to Isabelle and hugged her. "Voltaire will be so happy!" she whispered in her ear.

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella hugged her back, feeling awkward and uncertain. "I know he will, but please don't tell him yet. I have some... things I need to deal with. I'm going to get him back, but I need to do a few things first. I just need to figure out how to start." She pulled back and looked at Rori, tears in her eyes. "I have to admit... I'm terrified! I don't know the first thing about being a mother..."

[Rori Logan]

"Aw, don't worry about it! You'll do fine! Plus too, Anna and I will be there, cause Voltaire is adopting us." said Rori smiling.

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella smiled. "That's great, Rori. He should adopt you two. If I get this worked out... I guess I'd be your mother." She laughed nervously. "Hard to imagine, huh? I don't think Anna likes me very much..."

[Rori Logan]

"No, actually it's not hard to imagine." said Rori smiling. "Well, Anna will get used to you, I promise, and no worries! Don't worry about if you won't fix you and Voltaire, cause I know you will." she said still smiling.

[Isabella Rothschild]

Isabella sighed softly. "It isn't us that needs to be fixed; it's me. Rori... I'm not what you think I am. I've never been a good person.... If I want Voltaire back--and I do--I'm going to need to change that. It's just... it's hard to let go of the person I thought I was. And if I'm going to make a change, I want it to be for the right reasons, otherwise I still won't deserve him..." She smiled sadly. "I know none of that makes sense. But just know this, I want to be the kind of person who deserves to be your mother... It's just going to take a little bit of time, OK?"

[Rori Logan]

"You are a good person, but you just try to tell yourself you're not." Rori sighed. "I know it's going to take time. You will be a good mother, even though you may think you're not. I mean sure, you're my teacher and everything, but here lately, it's sort of like you've been my mother to a certain extent. Voltaire's always been more like a dad than a cousin to me anyway."

[Isabella Rothschild]

"Thanks for saying that," Isabella said, smiling softly. She took a sip of her tea. "I had a terrible childhood, and I guess it's still sort of with me, trying to drag me down. It's still amazing to me that Voltaire could love me at all... I just want to be worthy of his love. He's a strange one, but he's got such a good heart. He adores you and Anna and talks about you all the time."

[Rori Logan]

"Yeah, Voltaire is a strange one, but it sort of runs in the family, and well you get the picture. You are worthy of is love. You didn't see the way he was whenever I woke up. I haven't ever seen him cry that much. He loves you Ms. Rothschild. He has since he first saw you, and he always will. He wouldn't shut up about you." said Rori smiling. "Oh yeah, I know this is completely random, but if you two you know, go walking after you get back together, and I know you will, um, don't go in the forest, cause last time me and Voltaire went walking and he walked right into a low branch and it seems like the trees are out to get him. So yeah." said Rori laughing at the way the story sounded.