Scorpius sat in the living for about thirty minutes, before popping his head in the 'nursery'. "Hey, how long does it take to dress a child that small?"
Dominique sent a glare his way, before looking back down at the baby. "It wouldn't be so hard if she weren't so little and fragile and stuff." She attempted to pull the shirt over her head, but couldn't quite get it over. "Ugh!" she grunted. Scorpius knew better, but he couldn't help but laugh.
Dominique frowned. "Oh! If it's so funny, you do it." She held out the squirming little girl to her friend, who looked at her nervously, before taking the child. "Oh… Hm."
He held her around the waist, before quickly and gently pulling the shirt over her head. "There. That's it. That wasn't so hard." He held Charlotte up and pulled the bottom of her shirt down, before handing her back to her mother. "It just required a little patience."
Dominique rolled her eyes, pressing her lips together. "I've been taking care of you for four months, and some random guy off the street can dress you faster than me," she cooed to her daughter.
"Hey," Scorpius said, "I'm not some random guy!"
"To her you are. She's never seen you before." Dominique slipped the small shoes on her daughter feet and a small pair of jeans, before picking her up and walking into the living room. "Come on. If I'm going to get yelled at, I want to get it over with."
The two departed from the building and walked to King's Cross ("Surely you don't walk all over London" Scorpius proclaimed, which got him a smack in the cheek) where they caught their train to Tinworth, Cornwall when they'd drive to Shell Cottage.
Once Dominique and convinced Charlotte to go to sleep in her lap, Dominique and Scorpius spoke in soft undertones to each other as the train rolled through the countryside on their way to Shell Cottage.
"What are you going to tell them," he whispered.
"I don't know," she murmured, looking down at her child. "I suppose I'll apologize for leaving, and… beg for forgiveness…" She looked up at him. "Oh I don't know. Leave me alone." She shifted away from him.
He reached out, touching her leg. "Come on Dom. Have some confidence. It'll be fine. Don't go all shun on me."
Dominque stuck her tongue out at him. "Ya ya ya. Go on mother, tell me how to make up to mumsie and popsie."
He scowled, and the two laughed before they saw Charlotte stir. They joked the rest of the ride, until they reached Tinworth. They left the train and rented a car to get to the Cottage. They drove in a solemn silence together until the cottage came in sight.
"Shit," Dominique uttered. They stared at the little house, before she gave a sigh. "I give up. Let's go."
She stood up, taking Charlotte in her arms, before exiting the car and walking up to the door. Gently at first, she tapped on the door, before knocking a little harder. Scorpius could hear her mumbling under her breath, "I'm doomed I'm doomed I'm doomed."
They stood for a minute, before Dominique turned to Scorpius. "oh well, guess they're not home. Come on-"
But the door opened and standing there was Bill Weasley. He looked distracted as his hands fumbled with his watch. Dominique had always looked a bit like her father. They shared height, and the same fiery red mane, but even more than that. They had icy blue eyes, and even the scars on their faces seemed to cross in the same areas.
"Da," Dominique mumbled.
"Victo-" Bill said as he looked up, facing defeat with his watch, before pausing. "Well bloody hell," he murmured.
Dominique's voice choked in her throat, breaking as she whispered. "Hi daddy."
His initial shock wore off, and he touched her cheek gently, which was all it took for Dominique to collapse in his arms, sobbing. "Fleur," Bill choked out. "Fleur come and see!"
When Fleur appeared, Scorpius was shocked. He had always thought that Dominique looked like Bill, but Fleur was almost exactly like Dominique. A similar face and body type, Dominique had never seen so delicate than here in her father's arms next to her mother.
Fleur opened her mouth, and never stopped it seemed. "Dominique, que faites-vous ici après toutes ces années. Vous valse retour ici et n'ont rien à dire, mais bonjour à moi. Pour moi, ta mère? Et où avez-vous été? Et qu'avez-vous pensé que vous faisiez là-bas tout seul dans ce grand monde sans même un bonjour ou au revoir à vous propre famille?" She clinged to her daughter's waist, which was just about the extent of where she could hug her child, and the three of them went babbling, in French and English.
Once they had calmed, Dominique wiped her eyes and untucked Charlotte from her arms. "This," she murmured after wiping her eyes, "is Charlotte Gabrielle Weasley."
Fleur's eyes lit, and she took her grandchild from Dominique's arms. Bill, however, was significantly less pleased. He looked from behind Dominique, meeting Scorpius's gaze. "And I suppose this child is yours?"
Scorpius looked flustered, and stammered a bit, "Ah, no sir, it's uh… well-"
Scorpius didn't have quite enough time to defend himself before Bill stepped over and promptly punched him in the jaw. A rim of black, and then nothing was for Scorpius.
A/N: I'm sorry for taking so long to post. I had a review that put me to shame and I had to write some more. Review please!