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Post by Ellen Leviner on Apr 12, 2010 19:18:36 GMT -5
Sometimes, a woman just knew. She knew when something was bothering her son or her husband. And right now, she was a little worried about all of her boys, as she called them.
Eric mentioned to her that he wanted out of his job, though he didn't quite use those words. Sean wouldn't return any of her owls (which she still felt weird using, to be honest). And Daniel... Though he seemed closer to Eric, he seemed to be the one holding everything in place right now.
It wasn't that anything was terribly wrong. But, as a mother and a wife, she worried when things were just a little wrong.
So she promised a good dinner and invited their sons.
Eric was in the kitchen helping her. When she turned to hand him a serving tray to take out to the table, she stopped him and asked, "Daniel will make sure Sean comes, right?"
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Post by Eric Leviner on Apr 12, 2010 22:10:34 GMT -5
Eric was worried about his boys, too. Ellen was a muggle, and as such, she didn't quite know the severity of the trouble going on in the wizarding world. But Eric knew. He'd heard the stories, seen the things going on in the world around him, and he knew that they were currently at war. And families like his were particularly vulnerable in this war--his wife was a muggle, his children were halfbloods working for the ministry, and he was a blood traitor. When the death eaters went looking to eliminate the undesirables, his family was likely to be one of the ones they targeted. For this reason, yes... he wanted to quit his job and take Ellen and the boys far, far away from here, where these evil forces couldn't touch them.
But he didn't want to alarm Ellen and he wasn't sure how else to convince her to leave. And the boys... they were dedicate to their jobs. They weren't going to leave.
All of this weighed heavily on him, and as much as he tried hard not to let Ellen see it, she was a smart woman. She knew something was wrong, and Eric didn't know what to tell her.
He took the serving tray from her and gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure Sean will come," he replied, his voice lighter than he felt. "He never can turn down an offer of dinner from you."
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Post by Ellen Leviner on Apr 14, 2010 11:32:10 GMT -5
"I know," Ellen said, sighing and following him into the dining room with a second tray. "He just usually responds unless something's bothering him, and I haven't heard from him. It's like when you're away and I don't hear from you. I worry."
It was a mother's job to worry, and anyone who expected differently from her would be disappointed.
"Anyway, Daniel said he would be here."
She set the tray on the table and gave her husband a quick kiss. "I'm glad you're home. It's been a whole since they've sent you out."
She wasn't stupid, and she was well aware that there were things going on in the wizarding world. But she was just naive enough to think that her family wasn't involved in it. They'd be okay, surely.
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Post by Eric Leviner on May 11, 2010 11:05:42 GMT -5
There was a reason they hadn't sent Eric out in a while, but he kept quiet about that. The truth was, he had been asked to go on another job, but he had turned it down. Instead, they were going to send one of the others, and he was going to assist through owl post if there were any writings or markings that needed to be translated. But right now, Eric just felt it was too risky to leave Ellen alone for any length of time. Although there hadn't been any specific threats, there was always a danger, and he would never forgive himself if anything happened to Ellen because he wasn't close by to protect her. Besides, he always missed her when he was gone, and he felt that now was the time to work on making up for all the things he'd missed over the years.
He wrapped an arm around her and held her close to him for an extra moment. "Sean has a lot on his mind these days, I'm sure. Daniel, too. But they'll both be here." Kissing her once more, he released her and smiled. "I'm glad to be home, too," he said. "I miss you like crazy when I'm away."
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Post by Ellen Leviner on Aug 2, 2010 13:45:07 GMT -5
Ellen let out a sigh as she folded up in Eric's arms. This was home to her, and she always felt safe when she was with him. Not that Ellen was ever the type to play damsel in distress, but she knew there were things in his world, and her boys' world, that she was just not equipped to deal with.
She smiled and nodded. "Good.... you better miss me when you're away."
She let the comments on their sons go, assuming that they would hold each other accountable and both show up for dinner. They knew how much she worried, even if she tried not to meddle in their lives. They could humor her from time to time, after all.
"Thanks for helping with this... I just like the idea of having the whole family together. At least for a couple of hours." Her eyes met his, a hint of something there that suggested she knew there were things she wasn't being told. She wasn't going to ask though- sometimes, ignorance was bliss. Especially if she had known about the murders her sons were getting involved in.
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Post by Sean Leviner on Aug 2, 2010 14:06:23 GMT -5
Sean, of course, would never miss a dinner that Ellen put on. He knew how important family was, especially to her (and he even took after her in that regard).
None of this changed the fact that he was tired, though. It was a physical and mental exhaustion which he was pretty certain that Daniel was experiencing, too. He couldn't help but feel like things were just moving faster than he and Dan could keep up with, and that sense of helplessness killed Sean.
He also felt like tonight might be the night he came clean to his parents about what he could do. The visions, the headaches, all of it. How he had convinced his brother to keep this a secret for so long was still impressive to him, but it was time. Maybe their father could even help, in some way. Sean was just closer and closer to the point of realizing that if he had this ability, he really needed to foster it and use it for good.
"Come on, Dan. We're going to be late. You know how they hate that," he called, leaning against the door of their apartment while he waited for his brother.
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Post by Daniel Leviner on Aug 2, 2010 18:30:42 GMT -5
Tired, nor exhausted were words that could describe how Daniel felt. The murders were talking so much out of him. The thing was almost two steps ahead of them and it was driving him crazy. He had even drawn out a map to the murders but there was no pattern as to which houses were going to be hit. It seemed that it was almost random. He couldn't figure out where the next attack was going to hit. Daniel wanted so much to be ready and prepared to go after the murder but it was like he was going into a pitch black room.
Tonight, their mother was cooking dinner. As much as Daniel wanted to stay, looking over their information again and again, he knew that his mother would not really forgive him if he missed a dinner without a decent reason. She would tell him that he needed to take a step back and right now, that was what he was trying to force himself to do.
Once Daniel washed his face and brushed his teeth, he pulled on his shirt and walked toward the door. "Okay, okay," he said. "I'm ready. Let's go."
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Post by Sean Leviner on Aug 3, 2010 11:23:02 GMT -5
Sean pushed himself away from the doorframe as Daniel finally came out into the living room. As often as they were called on the same jobs, or as often as their mother just wanted to check in, it really worked out that they lived together.
"I really want to just figure this out," he murmured as they left the building, moving into a little alleyway to apparate. What was implied there was that he just wanted to figure the case out and not take the break for dinner. But their mother would kill them for that, and maybe that's what they needed... just ten minutes away from the case.
They came up in their parents' backyard, which was fenced off and safe from the eyes of other muggles in the neighborhood, and Sean let Dan go first, being the one to knock on the door.
It wasn't that he didn't absolutely adore his mother. He really did- he just tended to get in a headspace where he was tired and frustrated and tried to hide away from the world until he could solve whatever the problem was.
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Post by Daniel Leviner on Aug 3, 2010 20:16:03 GMT -5
"Me too, but you know that if we don't go to dinner Mum will have both of our heads." Daniel walked with Sean to the alleyway. "Plus, it's an opportune time we could talk to Dad, after dinner of course." He looked at Sean with a raised eyebrow. It would be a good opportunity to talk to their father about the symbol. Maybe he could shed some light. Of course they would have to leave out the horrible details, and try to talk to their father when their mother was in the kitchen, but maybe they could at least make a scratch.
Arriving at the house, Daniel knocked on the door, only to open it himself after knocking. "Mum? Dad," he called as he entered the house.
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Post by Eric Leviner on Aug 22, 2010 0:01:45 GMT -5
Eric knew that his wife wasn't stupid, and she usually sensed when something was going on. Still, he and the boys had an unspoken agreement not to tell her too much about the danger that was going on around them. But Eric was starting to question the wisdom of that. If she could possibly be in danger, she should really know about it. For now, there wasn't a direct threat, but if there ever was... Well, he wanted his wife to know what she was dealing with.
He pulled her close for a kiss, and their lips were still locked together when they heard Daniel's voice calling out to them. Eric waited a beat, then reluctantly pulled away from Ellen. "We're in the kitchen, boys," he called out.
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Post by Daniel Leviner on Aug 23, 2010 9:53:55 GMT -5
As the oldest, Daniel felt that it was his job to keep things together. When there was something wrong, he knew he had to keep on a certain face to make sure that his mother didn't worry. He knew just as well as his father and Sean that their family was going to be in danger sometime soon because of the uprising that was coming. If Daniel could, he would make them just go somewhere safe, Sean included. However, he knew that Sean would be right beside him. Daniel always thought that he worked better when Sean was there.
Today was one of those days that he was going to attempt to make everything seem okay. He couldn't help it if his face looked a little tired, but he was going to try. "It smells amazing in here," he said as he started toward the kitchen, motioning for Sean to follow. Seeing his parents, Daniel allowed a smile to fall across his face.
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Post by Sean Leviner on Aug 25, 2010 0:57:14 GMT -5
Sean nodded, knowing that Daniel was right. Their mother would not be pleased at all if they didn't show up, and as much as he wanted to just try and get a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep, he of all people knew how important family was. That being said, he smiled when he saw his parents, coming into the kitchen just behind Daniel.
He even almost laughed when their mother pulled each of them into a tight hug. Still, amusement aside, it was one more hint that made Sean understand that Ellen knew something big was happening out there. He ached for her.
The moment between his parents had also not gone unnoticed. It was innocent, and sweet, and he could almost imagine them as two teenagers in love.
"Hi Mum, Dad. Good to see you both."
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Post by Eric Leviner on Jan 18, 2011 1:42:05 GMT -5
Eric released Ellen, but didn't move away from her as he turned toward the boys. They both looked tired, and he was instantly worried. Sean, in particular, looked like he needed a good 8 hours' sleep. He wanted to pull his sons aside and ask them what was going on; why they looked so stressed. Was it their current assignments, or was there something more to it? Maybe he could help.
But for Ellen's sake, he decided to wait. There would be time later in the evening to pull one of the boys aside and ask them what was going on. Right now, he didn't want to alarm Ellen.
"I'm afraid I can't take much credit for the dinner. But your mother did let me toss the salad," he teased, glancing back at her.
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Post by Ellen Leviner on Jan 19, 2011 17:20:37 GMT -5
"Boys!" Ellen pulled away from her husband, letting him greet the boys first. She pulled Sean into her arms, and he humored her with a kiss on the cheek. Daniel was next.
She kept a bright smile at seeing them, but the state of the both of them nearly broke her heart. They both just looked so tired, to varying degrees. Daniel looked weary... Sean just looked like he hadn't even seen a bed in a week. She shot a nervous glance at her husband, but decided not to say anything. If they wanted to bring up work, they would.
"It's an amazingly well tossed salad, though," she added. "You know the drill, boys. Make yourselves at him. Can I get either of you anything to drink?"
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Post by Daniel Leviner on Jan 19, 2011 17:47:44 GMT -5
"Mum," Daniel said as he wrapped his arms around her. He pulled back and returned her smile. It was obvious she knew something was going on, after all both boys looked the way they felt. Sean was more so in a worse state considering what they had been doing. He was glad that Sean could keep it together. It was an unsaid agreement between Sean and Daniel that they wouldn't bring up work around their mother. Daniel didn't want his mother to be involved in what was going on. He rather her be protected than knowing the details of what had been recently occurring.
He gave a small laugh about the salad. Daniel was putting up his usual front so that his mother wouldn't really start asking questions. It was best if she didn't because no matter if Daniel was an excellent liar, his mother would be able to see right through it.
"I'll take anything you have, mum," he said. "And do you need help setting the table?"
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Post by Eric Leviner on Jan 20, 2011 18:59:40 GMT -5
As soon as she gave him that look, Eric knew she had noticed. Not that he had believed for one second that she wouldn't, but he didn't want her to worry. The stress that the boys were going through was something that she couldn't do anything about, and that would only frustrate her more. She couldn't help them; they had to fight this battle on their own.
This is not to say he wasn't also worried. Sean, in particular, looked as though he'd been wrung out. Eric tried to give his wife a reassuring look, silently promising to find out what was going on and if there was anything he could do to help.
"No, let us handle it. Why don't you boys sit down? You both look beat."
It was subtle, but he wanted to make sure they knew that he had noticed how tired they looked. Maybe it could open a conversation.
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Post by Sean Leviner on Jan 21, 2011 11:54:33 GMT -5
Sean hugged his mother, kissing her on the cheek and holding her tightly for a minute. Like the rest of them, he knew she saw something wrong. He also knew she hated being out of the loop almost more than anything, but he couldn't tell her. They all knew it was better if she didn't know.
"Mum, do you have any coffee?"
He nodded to his father, and they both seemed to disappear into the kitchen. Sean sighed, sinking easily in a chair at the dining room table. "I'm going to fall asleep half way through this dinner," he joked with little to no amusement in his voice.
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Post by Daniel Leviner on Jan 21, 2011 12:37:07 GMT -5
Daniel sank into a chair across from Sean. He gave a half smile at Sean's comment. "If you fall asleep, that means I have to fight harder to stay awake." If he could just take a small nap, things might be a little better. Daniel was thinking of attempting to make Sean go to bed once they got back. His brother needed sleep more than he did.
It was obvious that their father wanted to speak with them after dinner. Daniel knew the look he gave them from before. He didn't want to give out too much information about their case to worry their father, but he had a feeling that he would be telling a lot more than he planned on telling.
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Post by Ellen Leviner on Jan 21, 2011 17:26:07 GMT -5
Eric beat Ellen to the punch, telling the boys to take a seat, and she nodded in agreement, turning and heading into the kitchen.
When Eric followed just moments later, she was pouring a cup of coffee for Sean- black, just like he liked it- and she glanced up at her husband. "Can you grab a pop from the fridge? Daniel will probably want that."
Her eyes lingered for a moment, she hoped making Eric quite aware that she was worried and not thrilled with the state that her children showed up in, but she didn't bring it up. At least, not for a moment.
The full ccoffee cup set aside, she pulled the remainder of their meal out of the oven, and then she couldn't help it.
"You know this is going to be the elephant in the room for the entire evening."
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Post by Eric Leviner on Jan 25, 2011 19:47:04 GMT -5
Eric knew exactly what she was trying to say with that look, and he did his best to reassure her with his eyes.But he knew that wasn't going to be good enough. It was a difficult situation they were in. It was simply impossible for a mother not to worry about her children, especially when they showed up looking the way Sean and Dan had tonight. They couldn't expect her not to worry or to want to know what was troubling them. But they couldn't tell her too much about the situation. The boys had a tough job. They were on the front lines in a growing war that Ellen couldn't possibly understand. And if she did know more of the details, she would only worry more. So what were they supposed to tell her? How could they possibly reassure her when there were very good reasons to worry?
Eric was at the refrigerator taking out a couple of cans of soda when Ellen finally spoke about the subject that was on both of their minds.
Straightening up, Eric turned to face his wife. "I know. And.... I wish I could tell you not to worry. I'll talk to the boys and see if I can find out what's going on, but I'll be honest, honey. This is probably only the beginning."
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