the alcott household, 2020

[william jameson alcott]

November 13^th, 2020

It had been a splendid day. The autumn air was crisp and carrying an inviting breeze, and the sun was warming the air. The newest Charm being investigated by the committee hadn't singed off William's hair, which was an added benefit. He whistled while he left the office, cheery despite the utter failure of a Charm that the Committee had been working on. He had no reason to be unhappy.

It was a Friday, which meant a family dinner with his parents, his siblings Patrick and Josephine, their spouses, and their children. Instead of Flooing or Apparating home, Will walked, passing a florist on the route and stopping to pick up a bouquet of Chrysanthemums and a bouquet of Black-Eyed Susans. The mums were for his wife, who loved having flowers on their table at home. The Susans were to go to the women of his family, two flowers each, at dinner that night. The little girls would use them to decorate their hair or make into something. It was always something new each time.

The tune William whistled continued on his way home, as wandless magic opened the door so he didn't have to. The briefcase in one had was set down by the boot rack next to the front door, which the house magically moved to the closet, and an enchanted coat rack unraveled his scarf before sliding his coat off his shoulders.

My, my. Someone's happy this evening.

William grinned upon hearing his wife's voice from the kitchen. Ivy typically worked shorter hours, to spend more time with their children, Irene and Samuel. Irene was about to turn six in a couple of weeks, while little Sammy was just now two. While William's siblings were happy to look after his little tyrants, Ivy always made sure to spend one day a week with their children.

"Well, no one ended up severely injured at work, so that means it must be a happy day," he responded, walking up behind Ivy and nuzzling his face into her neck, planting a kiss on her cheek. "And, it's family dinner night. What reason do I have to be unhappy?"

DAAAAAADDYYYYYYY!

The shriek was followed by a blur of long, blonde hair that latched to Will's leg like velcro. It was followed by a babbled "Daa-dee" and a wobbly, toddling brunette that mimicked his sister in attaching himself to his father's limb. Will passed the flowers off to his wife with another peck, this time to her lips as she thanked him and went off to put the mums in a vase.

"Help!" William yelled, feigning distress. "I've been attacked by the Reeny monster! And she brought backup! What am I going to do?" His daughter giggled, clinging to her father's pantleg and looking up at him, such unadulterated glee in her eyes. "I know," William said, crouching slightly and with a look of playful mischief in his eyes. "I can tickle her!" The statement was punctuated by Will scooping his daughter into his arms and scritching his fingers along her tummy, eliciting squeals from the little angel. Sammy, never one to be left out, started wailing until his father scooped him up, too, balancing one child on each hip.

"Oof, you two are getting too big for this," he murmured. "One day, I won't be able to pick you up anymore."

You say that every time, and yet, the children get older, and you still do it, Ivy mused as she entered the kitchen carrying the children's coats. Irene wriggled in William's arms until he set her down before taking her coat from her mother and putting it on with a proud smile, waiting for her parents to acknowledge what a great job she did.

Daddy, are we going to see cousin Cherish and Lili tonight?

"Yes, sweetie, we are," he answered as he tucked Samuel into his coat. "And cousin Irving and cousin Joey and cousin Russel."

Gross his six-year-old answered with a wrinkled nose. They always like playing with the cat droppings or pulling on the dog's tail. And they never want to join our tea parties! Irene stomped her foot, indignant, to receive a warning from her mother about her manners. And Sammy is too young to understand that there isn't actual tea in the cups. He knocks it all over with the toy broomstick anyways.

"Well, I'll join you at your tea party, okay, sweetheart?" William said after zipping Sam up.

William! The portkey is leaving in one minute!

"Coming dear!" Will called back to Ivy, who had gone outside to check and make sure the little tin can had shown up in their yard. "Alright, kiddos, we've gotta go, or we'll be late to see Uncle Patrick and Aunt Josephine!"

Still carrying Samuel in one arm and the other holding Irene's hand, the family joined their mother out in the yard, where the setting sun had brought a bit of a chill. Ivy, bless her, he thought, had remembered to get the bouquet of Black-Eyed Susans for the girls. Without her, Will knew he'd probably forget his head somehow, if it wasn't attached to his body.

Okay everybody, hold on.

The portkey began to shake, which William knew frightened Irene a little bit, so he squeezed her hand, the other one holding the can in the same arm that was hoisting up Sammy, who had a finger on the object. Bravely, his little girl took a deep breath and put her entire palm over the lid, and Ivy placed her hand over the center just as the object whisked them away.

The house, little and bright, merely watched them as they left. Nobody could have predicted that it would not be seeing its members altogether again.