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Post by Nathalia Webb on Oct 27, 2008 21:11:25 GMT -5
"Paris sounds ovely," Nathalia said to her mother. "But then again, anything sounds lovely next to a family reunion. I don't have to be intimidated by them to not like them. It's just... the questions and their comments... I know you understand. It's like, every family reunion, they have to gang up on us to make us change our errant ways. It's irritating. They make me want to run out and get every body part I have pierced."
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Post by Ursula Webb on Oct 27, 2008 21:14:58 GMT -5
Ursula laughed. "That's my girl. One of these days, I swear, I'm going to bring a woman with me to one of those things and make sure we kiss right in front of everyone. Wouldn't it be priceless to see their faces?" She shook her head. "I do love our family... well, most of them, anyway. But they're better in small doses. Very small."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Oct 27, 2008 22:06:44 GMT -5
"Very infrequent small doses," Nathalia agreed. "Can we get you a girl just for the next reuinion? You don't have to even be dating her. They'll never know the difference. Hell, I'm willing to bring a girl," she laughed. Just something to knock them all off their high horses.
"Do you ever wish my dad could see you now? You know, just out of spite or whatever?"
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Post by Ursula Webb on Oct 27, 2008 23:34:50 GMT -5
"I certainly would love to see their faces," Ursula chuckled. "It would serve them right for being such snobs all the time. But remember, darling, I want you to always be yourself, not ever put on an act because you want to shock someone or impress someone. I'm very proud of how you turned out." She smiled at her daughter, warmth spreading through her. "Ah, your father... I do my best not to think of him, actually. Although sometimes I do think about telling him about me... and you... And then kicking him where it hurts."
The identity of Nathalia's father was Ursula's greatest secret, and she hadn't even told Nathalia very much about him. There was one thing she wouldn't admit to anyone, however, and that was the fact that she had loved him deeply. He'd been bad for her, like one of the narcotic drugs that muggles liked to take. But she couldn't get enough of him, until she realized that she never would. He'd never leave his wife for her. So she left him, only to discover that he'd left the best part of him behind. Nathalia.
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Oct 28, 2008 4:25:32 GMT -5
"Merlin knows that I've never tried to please our family. And they still manage to like me," Nat added with a slight laugh.
She wanted to ask if her mother knew where he father was... not that she wanted to meet him. Not much, anyway. Sometimes she wanted to meet him and scream at him for leaving her mother to raise a child by herself, and to yell at him for never wanting to know about her. Everything a girl who never knew her father wanted to say to him.
But she refused to define heself by his absence, and she loved her mother dearly. She never knew that he was married. Never knew much about him at all, except that her mother had been fond of him at some point.
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Post by Ursula Webb on Oct 28, 2008 14:36:56 GMT -5
"Of course they like you," Ursula said. "You're beautiful and strong-willed and intelligent; how could they not? In spite of your rebellious streak, you are still a credit to the family. As long as you don't go and get involved with a muggleborn or anything like that, they'll still think you're gold. Of course, I don't care who you want to be with, as long as you are happy."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Nov 14, 2008 6:21:25 GMT -5
(*points* Future hipocrit!)
Nat rolled her eyes. "I'm strong willed, intelligent, and rebelious. That's how. Have you seen the Burke children? Even Jadon... they're so disgustingly perfect. Like Stepford children." She glanced at her mother to see if she would get the reference."
She looked at her hands when her mother talked about who she could end up with, and she frowned. "Well, I'll tell you, I'm not going to end up with anyone if I stay couped up inside while I'm in town. You and I need to get out. Not tonight. But soon."
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Post by Ursula Webb on Nov 24, 2008 23:30:40 GMT -5
Ursula laughed. "That they are," she said. She did recognize the reference, thanks to her secret addiction to muggle TV shows. "But you're just what they need to shake them up. Whether they know it or not, that's exactly what they need. Of course they adore you. Me, they're not so sure about... even my own brother has issues with my lifestyle. I just worry that they're going to start trying to fix you up with someone. You deserve the chance to make your own decisions when it comes to love. That's more than Benjamin is going to give those girls."
At the mention of a night out, Ursula brightened. "Yes, we should! It's been a while since I've been out somewhere for purely social reasons. Not since Katherine and I broke up."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Nov 25, 2008 5:04:45 GMT -5
Nat rolled her eyes. "Mum, did you forget that you tried fixing me up with Luke for a while? Merlin knows how hard we tried to make that work." She gave a laugh. "Honestly, let them try and set me up with someone. It will only frustrate them, and more then likely amuse us."
Nat nodded, encouraged by the way her mother seemed to light up at the idea of getting out. "Perfect. How 'bout tomorrow night?"
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Post by Ursula Webb on Nov 25, 2008 11:45:56 GMT -5
Ursula grinned. "Well, yes.... but I learned my lesson from that," she said. "And besides, that wasn't all bad now, was it? At least you got a good friend out of it that you can depend on. What can be bad about that? I just shudder to think what kind of boy they would try to set you up with. The younger Lestrange, perhaps, or a Borgin. Still, I suppose it could be entertaining to watch you toy with them."
Taking a sip of her tea, she nodded. "Yes... tomorrow night sounds perfect. Who knows? Maybe we'll both meet someone interesting..."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Nov 27, 2008 5:26:00 GMT -5
Lia made a face. "Well, we can tell them right now that I refuse to date anyone younger than me, so that rules out Lestrange. And Nathalia Borgin? Isn't that a disgusting mouthful. I would be curious to see who they might come up with though."
She nodded. "Merlin knows we could both use someone interesting in our lives. Though I won't have my mum outdoing me... if you meet someone, I absolutely will have to."
She checked the time. "You know, the Stepford family we're related to probably just sat down to dinner."
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Post by Ursula Webb on Nov 28, 2008 2:26:31 GMT -5
"Well, not to worry," Ursula said with a laugh. "I have it on good authority that Druella Black is going around telling everyone that her daughter Andromeda will be marrying Rabastan Lestrange. I imagine it's just damage control, trying to save the girl's reputation."
There was more Ursula could have said on the subject of Andromeda Black, but she was actually somewhat conflicted about it. Although Ursula was a Death Eater, and she did like some of Lord Voldemort's ideas, she was a firm believer that children should be allowed to choose their own way in life. Druella was a dreadful woman, in Ursula's opinion... harsh and controlling and severe. Whatever choice Andromeda had made, she deserved to be free of the woman.
At the mention of the Burke family dinner, Ursula brightened again. "Oh... yes, of course! Now that I remember. I think I remember hearing that the girls were coming home from school for a weekend visit. Why don't we just drop in and invite ourselves?"
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Nov 28, 2008 4:30:20 GMT -5
Lia frowned. "Yeah, I heard from Andromeda... how terrible. No wonder she's trying so hard to get away from them. I swear, I would have run off and eloped with some tattoed muggle on a motorbike if anyone had tried the arranged marriage thing on me."
At the thought of crashing a Burke dinner, Nathalia grinned. "Oh, why not? I haven't seen that horrible uncomfortable, flustered look on Aunt Emma's face in far too long a time."
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Post by Ursula Webb on Dec 5, 2008 15:59:40 GMT -5
Ursula laughed. "You really are my daughter," she said. "I practically did the same thing when my father tried to arrange a marriage for me. I ran off to Italy for a few years and came back with you."
She didn't often talk about that time in her life, and although she couldn't regret the result of her fling with Nathalia's father, she did regret her behavior back then. But then, how different her life would have been if she hadn't run away from her proposed fiance?
"Yes, let's head over and see what the Burkes are up to," she said. "After all, I'm sure they're bound to have a feast on the table, and the best I can offer you is cold pizza and warm butterbeer."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Dec 6, 2008 2:08:54 GMT -5
Nat smiled slowly. "So he was Italian. Well done, you. They can be a charming lot, can't they?" Nathalia liked Italians. They had a way of making *any* woman feel like the only women in the world.
"If I wait another 19 years, you might let slip his name sometime. And for the record, I like cold pizza. But come on." She stood up from the couch, motioning to the door.
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Post by Ursula Webb on Dec 22, 2008 0:24:50 GMT -5
Ursula smiled softly, putting her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "One day, Nathalia, I promise I will tell you everything about your father. It's not a pleasant memory for me, and I just thank Merlin that you were my reward for the hell I went through with him. You made it all worth it. You know that, right?" She kissed the top of Nathalia's blonde head.
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Dec 22, 2008 16:11:32 GMT -5
Nathalia smiled and nodded. "Yeah, Mum, I know."
She had never asked about her father, except once, when she was little, and it was pointed out to her that most little girls had a daddy at home. Even then, she only asked where he was. It was a silent agreement between them that Nat never asked questions. She would take whatever information her mother was willing to give, but she never really wanted more than that.
Afterall, he never tried to get in contact with her or Ursula. Granted, she didn't know if the man knew he had a child or not, but that didn't matter. If he had ever loved Ursula, he would have tried to find her. Since he never had, she could assume he was a git and wouldn't care for her either.
Things would have been too different with a father around anyway. She loved the way she had grown up with her mother, and would never change it for all the fathers in the world.
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