14. Family Times
A/N: It's a struggle to write sometimes, but it usually goes swiftly once I have an idea. I wanted Tracey to have some time with Albus and Minerva, so here we go.
"A problem, Miss Cooper?" Minerva asked, studying the girl carefully.
Tracey nodded. "Yes, Professor."
"What sort of problem?" Minerva sat back in her chair, wondering what Tracey was up to.
Tracey repeated what Poppy had told her and ended with, "She suggested I go somewhere warm and quiet for the rest of the day."
"Well, the common room is warm, of course, but I doubt it will be very quiet," the Deputy Headmistress commented thoughtfully.
Tracey grinned. "That's why I came to you."
"Indeed?" Minerva raised an eyebrow.
The girl grinned unrepentantly. "Yes...Mother."
"Very well, Tracey." Minerva smiled at her future stepdaughter as she stood up. "Come with me."
"Okay!" Tracey was still grinning as Minerva led her through a door at the back of her office.
It led them into a cozy sitting room decorated in the Gryffindor colors with a fire roaring in the fireplace. Minerva led Tracey over to the sofa facing the fireplace and gestured for the girl to lie down. "You should be fine here. I'll let the others know that you're fine."
"Thank you, Mother," Tracey told Minerva quietly as she summoned a quilt with paw prints all over it.
Minerva smiled as she tucked the girl in, "You're welcome, Tracey." On impulse, she leaned forward and kissed Tracey's forehead before straightening and leaving the sitting room. By the time she reached Gryffindor Tower, she was the stern Head of House once more. Her young lions faltered in their celebration when they saw her, but she told them to carry on. Finding her youngest group of lions, she assured them that Tracey was elsewhere in the castle and following Poppy's instructions.
"May we visit her, Professor?" Dennis piped up.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Creevey, but Miss Cooper is most likely asleep by now."
"Oh, all right." He looked disappointed and Minerva wondered at that.
Telling them to enjoy the party, she left and went up to Albus' office. He was surprised to see her, but pleased all the same. "Ah, Minerva, what brings you here?"
"Poppy saw Tracey again today," Minerva told him.
He looked at her sharply over the tops of his spectacles. "She did?"
"Yes," Minerva nodded. "Apparently, Tracey's body is having some trouble adjusting to the cold."
He frowned. "It is not that cold here, my dear."
"Not for us, no," she replied, wondering if she was going about this the right way or not. "However, Tracey grew up in a much warmer climate--"
He nodded, interrupting her. "Southern California, yes, I know."
"Consequently, she is not used to temperatures dropping this low," Minerva added as if he had not interrupted her, trying to make him see.
He considered that for a moment, gazing thoughtfully into the fire. "Hmm. I see your point, my dear."
"I am glad to hear it," she replied, wondering if he truly did.
Silence reigned for a few moments before Albus stirred himself and asked, "Where is she now?"
"In my sitting room," Minerva informed him. "Poppy told her to go somewhere warm and quiet for the rest of the day."
He chuckled. "And the common room certainly will not be quiet."
"Exactly," she agreed, smiling slightly.
* * *
Tracey was disoriented for a few moments when she woke up from her impromptu nap. Looking around without moving her head, she remembered that she was in Minerva's sitting room. A movement by her feet drew her attention and she smiled when she saw the Russian Blue curled up there. Moving carefully, she sat up and reached out to pet her cat. Jestana purred and walked onto Tracey's lap. As Tracey stroked and petted the feline, her vivid green eyes closed and she began to purr like a little motorboat. "I don't know how you got here, Jestana, but I'm glad to see you here."
"Good." Albus' voice startled Tracey and she had to grab onto the back of the sofa to keep from falling off. "I apologize, I should not have startled you."
He moved forward as Tracey re-settled herself on the sofa. "It's okay, Father." She blinked as she recalled where they were. "What are you doing here?"
"Minerva told me about your visit with Poppy," Albus explained as he sat down at the end of the sofa. "I hadn't thought that you might have some trouble with the cold."
Tracey shrugged, still petting her cat. "I don't think any of us considered that. There are days when I wish I could wear my jeans instead of a skirt."
"Tracey, you could have asked for trousers instead of skirts when you got your uniform," Albus told her, his voice gentle.
She blinked and stared at him. "I could have?"
"Yes," he nodded, his eyes concerned. "Did Minerva not tell you that?"
Tracey shook her head. "No, but it was all so new and fantastic that I didn't think much about it."
"I see." He looked thoughtful as he gazed into the fire.
When he turned his gaze back to his daughter, however, there was a gleam in his eyes that made her a little nervous. She turned out to have a good reason to be nervous because he grabbed one of her be-socked feet and began to tickle it. She burst into helpless giggles and began to wriggle and squirm, causing Jestana to be dumped unceremoniously on the floor. The feline stalked out of the room, tail high, as Tracey continued to try to escape her father's tickling fingers. He showed no mercy, chuckling at Tracey's efforts. "Albus, she is supposed to be resting."
"She is, my dear," Albus countered even as he continued to tickle Tracey's feet. "She is laying down, after all."
Minerva set the tray she'd been carrying down on the low table in front of the sofa. "She can hardly breathe, Albus, because she is laughing so hard."
"Well, that is true," he conceded, releasing Tracey's feet.
She lay still for a few moments, catching her breath. She finally noticed the tray on the table and the food it contained. "Is that dinner?"
"Yes, Tracey, it is," Minerva replied as the girl sat up and pushed her tousled auburn hair out of her face.
Albus smiled and stroked his daughter's hair. "Are you hungry?"
"Yes, Father." Tracey smiled brightly up at him.
Minerva sat down on the other side of the girl. "Shall we eat, then?"
"Yeah!" Tracey's enthusiasm elicited chuckles from the adults on either side of her and they began to eat.
Once the dishes were empty, Minerva took Tracey back up to the Gryffindor common room, which was considerably quieter now. Before Tracey could even make it across to the staircase leading up to the dormitories, Dennis Creevey stopped her. "Tracey where have you been?"
"Didn't Professor McGonagall tell you?" Tracey asked her friend, confused.
He shrugged one shoulder. "He just told us that you were somewhere else in the castle because you needed to be someplace warm and quiet."
"Exactly," Tracey nodded, wondering what the problem was.
Dennis ran a hand through his mousy hair. "Well, when I asked if I could visit you, she said you were most likely asleep."
"Well, I _did_ end up falling asleep," Tracey replied, still not sure what the problem was. "What's your point, Den?"
He looked down and scuffed the toe of one shoe on the carpeted floor. "I dunno."
"Fine, I'm going up to my room." Tracey finally moved past him and went up to her dorm room. The other three were there and wasted no time asking where she'd been. "I'd rather not say right now," Tracey finally managed to make herself heard, although she wasn't sure why she didn't want to say. "It was warm and quiet, just like Madam Pomfrey suggested, now please leave me alone."
They did and Tracey walked over to her bed, where Jestana was already curled up into a ball of silver-blue fur. Smiling, Tracey sat down on the bed and began to pet her cat once more.
* * *
By the time the Christmas holidays arrived, Tracey was ready to go home and spend time with her family. It got to the point where she went to the Hospital Wing every morning before going down to breakfast just to avoid getting migraines. The days she went outside for some reason or another were the worst. She usually ended up spending those evenings in Minerva's study or her father's because the common room would be too noisy. She would sit and do her homework, away from the noise, usually wrapped up in a warm quilt with a mug of cocoa nearby. If she had difficulty, Albus and Minerva were quite willing to help, although they never gave her any of the answers, just a push in the right direction.
On the train ride to London, Tracey wasted no time changing into a set of thermals, a pair of jeans, a turtleneck, a thick sweater, and a pair of snow boots. When they arrived at King's Cross, Tracey pulled on a warm jacket, a beanie, and a pair of lined gloves before climbing off the train. She was greeted by her parents, both of whom were dressed as warmly as she. Ryan had grown up in southern California, like Tracey had, and Sandra, although having grown up in England, had spent the last eleven years in southern California, so neither were used to the cold, either. They wasted no time returning to their London flat and the entire family was soon ensconced in front of a roaring fire, wrapped up in blankets and each holding a mug of cocoa. "So, Tracey, how was your first term at Hogwarts?"
"Awesome!" was the prompt reply, causing Ryan and Sandra to laugh. Tracey joined them moments later, then Lynda and Jeff joined in just because the others were laughing. It was an excellent start to their first Christmas season in England.
A/N: It's a struggle to write sometimes, but it usually goes swiftly once I have an idea. I wanted Tracey to have some time with Albus and Minerva, so here we go.
"A problem, Miss Cooper?" Minerva asked, studying the girl carefully.
Tracey nodded. "Yes, Professor."
"What sort of problem?" Minerva sat back in her chair, wondering what Tracey was up to.
Tracey repeated what Poppy had told her and ended with, "She suggested I go somewhere warm and quiet for the rest of the day."
"Well, the common room is warm, of course, but I doubt it will be very quiet," the Deputy Headmistress commented thoughtfully.
Tracey grinned. "That's why I came to you."
"Indeed?" Minerva raised an eyebrow.
The girl grinned unrepentantly. "Yes...Mother."
"Very well, Tracey." Minerva smiled at her future stepdaughter as she stood up. "Come with me."
"Okay!" Tracey was still grinning as Minerva led her through a door at the back of her office.
It led them into a cozy sitting room decorated in the Gryffindor colors with a fire roaring in the fireplace. Minerva led Tracey over to the sofa facing the fireplace and gestured for the girl to lie down. "You should be fine here. I'll let the others know that you're fine."
"Thank you, Mother," Tracey told Minerva quietly as she summoned a quilt with paw prints all over it.
Minerva smiled as she tucked the girl in, "You're welcome, Tracey." On impulse, she leaned forward and kissed Tracey's forehead before straightening and leaving the sitting room. By the time she reached Gryffindor Tower, she was the stern Head of House once more. Her young lions faltered in their celebration when they saw her, but she told them to carry on. Finding her youngest group of lions, she assured them that Tracey was elsewhere in the castle and following Poppy's instructions.
"May we visit her, Professor?" Dennis piped up.
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Creevey, but Miss Cooper is most likely asleep by now."
"Oh, all right." He looked disappointed and Minerva wondered at that.
Telling them to enjoy the party, she left and went up to Albus' office. He was surprised to see her, but pleased all the same. "Ah, Minerva, what brings you here?"
"Poppy saw Tracey again today," Minerva told him.
He looked at her sharply over the tops of his spectacles. "She did?"
"Yes," Minerva nodded. "Apparently, Tracey's body is having some trouble adjusting to the cold."
He frowned. "It is not that cold here, my dear."
"Not for us, no," she replied, wondering if she was going about this the right way or not. "However, Tracey grew up in a much warmer climate--"
He nodded, interrupting her. "Southern California, yes, I know."
"Consequently, she is not used to temperatures dropping this low," Minerva added as if he had not interrupted her, trying to make him see.
He considered that for a moment, gazing thoughtfully into the fire. "Hmm. I see your point, my dear."
"I am glad to hear it," she replied, wondering if he truly did.
Silence reigned for a few moments before Albus stirred himself and asked, "Where is she now?"
"In my sitting room," Minerva informed him. "Poppy told her to go somewhere warm and quiet for the rest of the day."
He chuckled. "And the common room certainly will not be quiet."
"Exactly," she agreed, smiling slightly.
* * *
Tracey was disoriented for a few moments when she woke up from her impromptu nap. Looking around without moving her head, she remembered that she was in Minerva's sitting room. A movement by her feet drew her attention and she smiled when she saw the Russian Blue curled up there. Moving carefully, she sat up and reached out to pet her cat. Jestana purred and walked onto Tracey's lap. As Tracey stroked and petted the feline, her vivid green eyes closed and she began to purr like a little motorboat. "I don't know how you got here, Jestana, but I'm glad to see you here."
"Good." Albus' voice startled Tracey and she had to grab onto the back of the sofa to keep from falling off. "I apologize, I should not have startled you."
He moved forward as Tracey re-settled herself on the sofa. "It's okay, Father." She blinked as she recalled where they were. "What are you doing here?"
"Minerva told me about your visit with Poppy," Albus explained as he sat down at the end of the sofa. "I hadn't thought that you might have some trouble with the cold."
Tracey shrugged, still petting her cat. "I don't think any of us considered that. There are days when I wish I could wear my jeans instead of a skirt."
"Tracey, you could have asked for trousers instead of skirts when you got your uniform," Albus told her, his voice gentle.
She blinked and stared at him. "I could have?"
"Yes," he nodded, his eyes concerned. "Did Minerva not tell you that?"
Tracey shook her head. "No, but it was all so new and fantastic that I didn't think much about it."
"I see." He looked thoughtful as he gazed into the fire.
When he turned his gaze back to his daughter, however, there was a gleam in his eyes that made her a little nervous. She turned out to have a good reason to be nervous because he grabbed one of her be-socked feet and began to tickle it. She burst into helpless giggles and began to wriggle and squirm, causing Jestana to be dumped unceremoniously on the floor. The feline stalked out of the room, tail high, as Tracey continued to try to escape her father's tickling fingers. He showed no mercy, chuckling at Tracey's efforts. "Albus, she is supposed to be resting."
"She is, my dear," Albus countered even as he continued to tickle Tracey's feet. "She is laying down, after all."
Minerva set the tray she'd been carrying down on the low table in front of the sofa. "She can hardly breathe, Albus, because she is laughing so hard."
"Well, that is true," he conceded, releasing Tracey's feet.
She lay still for a few moments, catching her breath. She finally noticed the tray on the table and the food it contained. "Is that dinner?"
"Yes, Tracey, it is," Minerva replied as the girl sat up and pushed her tousled auburn hair out of her face.
Albus smiled and stroked his daughter's hair. "Are you hungry?"
"Yes, Father." Tracey smiled brightly up at him.
Minerva sat down on the other side of the girl. "Shall we eat, then?"
"Yeah!" Tracey's enthusiasm elicited chuckles from the adults on either side of her and they began to eat.
Once the dishes were empty, Minerva took Tracey back up to the Gryffindor common room, which was considerably quieter now. Before Tracey could even make it across to the staircase leading up to the dormitories, Dennis Creevey stopped her. "Tracey where have you been?"
"Didn't Professor McGonagall tell you?" Tracey asked her friend, confused.
He shrugged one shoulder. "He just told us that you were somewhere else in the castle because you needed to be someplace warm and quiet."
"Exactly," Tracey nodded, wondering what the problem was.
Dennis ran a hand through his mousy hair. "Well, when I asked if I could visit you, she said you were most likely asleep."
"Well, I _did_ end up falling asleep," Tracey replied, still not sure what the problem was. "What's your point, Den?"
He looked down and scuffed the toe of one shoe on the carpeted floor. "I dunno."
"Fine, I'm going up to my room." Tracey finally moved past him and went up to her dorm room. The other three were there and wasted no time asking where she'd been. "I'd rather not say right now," Tracey finally managed to make herself heard, although she wasn't sure why she didn't want to say. "It was warm and quiet, just like Madam Pomfrey suggested, now please leave me alone."
They did and Tracey walked over to her bed, where Jestana was already curled up into a ball of silver-blue fur. Smiling, Tracey sat down on the bed and began to pet her cat once more.
* * *
By the time the Christmas holidays arrived, Tracey was ready to go home and spend time with her family. It got to the point where she went to the Hospital Wing every morning before going down to breakfast just to avoid getting migraines. The days she went outside for some reason or another were the worst. She usually ended up spending those evenings in Minerva's study or her father's because the common room would be too noisy. She would sit and do her homework, away from the noise, usually wrapped up in a warm quilt with a mug of cocoa nearby. If she had difficulty, Albus and Minerva were quite willing to help, although they never gave her any of the answers, just a push in the right direction.
On the train ride to London, Tracey wasted no time changing into a set of thermals, a pair of jeans, a turtleneck, a thick sweater, and a pair of snow boots. When they arrived at King's Cross, Tracey pulled on a warm jacket, a beanie, and a pair of lined gloves before climbing off the train. She was greeted by her parents, both of whom were dressed as warmly as she. Ryan had grown up in southern California, like Tracey had, and Sandra, although having grown up in England, had spent the last eleven years in southern California, so neither were used to the cold, either. They wasted no time returning to their London flat and the entire family was soon ensconced in front of a roaring fire, wrapped up in blankets and each holding a mug of cocoa. "So, Tracey, how was your first term at Hogwarts?"
"Awesome!" was the prompt reply, causing Ryan and Sandra to laugh. Tracey joined them moments later, then Lynda and Jeff joined in just because the others were laughing. It was an excellent start to their first Christmas season in England.