all that time she was silent still

[Professor Paigi]

Isabella drew her thick black trench coat further around her body, her scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and winter gloves firmly on, her head bowed against the cold bite of the wind which blew slowly, almost peacefully, around the grassy lawns of Hogwarts. Though it was break time many of the students seemed to have, perhaps wisely, taken refuge in the warmth of the castle with it’s roaring fires as opposed to venturing out into the slightly bitter outside. The weather had been dismal the past few days and Isabella knew that she should really be inside, keeping herself lovely and warm, but she just needed to get out of the castle and away from people in general. And wandering around outside on the lawns was about as good as she could manage during the week days at Hogwarts. Sighing slightly to herself she paused, looking wistfully out over the lake. She wasn’t unhappy, far from it, but she was a lot more… melancholy and irritable lately, and she knew it must be showing no matter how hard she tried to hide it behind a tight smile. She blamed it on her ‘giving up of caffeine’ but even her brother had worked out by now what was really going on. And now all she felt was anxious and nervous- she had to tell him- it was getting to the stage now where it was becoming fairly obvious in her body and if she didn’t tell him she feared he would be hurt she hadn’t done so even though it was very, very apparent if he’d even put two and two together. She reckoned even some of her students had figured it out and that had to be a sign that Will should know from her, sooner rather than later. But how to do it? She was so worried about his reaction that she’d almost worked up the courage to do it half a dozen times that week already, when they were alone together, and she’d always swallowed the words back down at the last minute.

“Just tell him Izzy,” she muttered tightly to herself with a soft groan, dreading doing it but also, very minutely excited… because surely he’d be happy, right? She didn’t quite know what she’d do if he wasn’t and it was probably this that had stopped her from just bloody telling him before then. Her gaze intently watching the giant squid’s tentacles rippling the otherwise still surface of the water, she barely noticed the lawn around her was no longer vacant as it had been.

((ooc: Sorry it's a bit blah, but ready for Will when you are! Sorry about the weird title aswell, really couldn't think of anything so just shoved in some random Coldplay lyrics!))

[Professor Pattinson]

((ooc: That was brilliant! here is Will!))

William Pattinson walked through the grounds, his long black coat held tightly around him, with the collar raised to guard his ears from the biting wind. With his hands stuffed into his pockets, the right played with a small box flipping in over in his fingers as his mind seemed to churn with the same intent.

As usual Will crossed towards the lake to see if he could get a private viewing of the gigantic squid. With his green eyes fixated on the way in which the blades of grass bent this way and that with the thrashing wind he hadn’t noticed another was already preoccupying themselves with the same purpose. Looking up finally he saw the woman that had been overwhelming his thoughts for the past few weeks. “Izzy,” he greeted her in surprise. “Out for a walk in this dreaded weather?” he asked light heartedly coming to stand beside her.

[Professor Paigi]

((ooc: Aww thank you! Will was lovely too, as always! ))

Startled as a voice spoke up her eyes darted immediately to the approaching source of the voice, an expression akin to a deer caught in the headlights. Upon seeing Will her eyes widened even more before she checked herself and her expression softened once more, "Will," she said quietly in response with an attempt at her usual Izzy smile, at least this time she put a considerable amount of effort into it so it should be just about convincing enough. "No I actually... well I... it's not... yes I am," she finally decided on an answer with a short laugh which sounded strangely hollow to her own ears then so surely would to his too. Trying to quickly brush past this she asked good humouredly, "So are you too braving the weather for the purpose of a walk too or do you have some kind of secret affair going on with the Giant squid which I pretend I don't know about?" she asked teasingly, finally turning to actually face him as opposed to looking sideways at him. "And, hey, we match... no?" Isabella observed with a small smile over at him, gesturing vaguely between their long black coats.

[Professor Pattinson]

Will automatically smiled at Isabella’s surprised expression, appearing very much like a deer in the headlights, but a very cute deer. At her stammering he laughed, “It wasn’t meant to be that hard of a question,” he told her as he turned to her and wrapped his arms around her gently pulling her into a soft kiss, as she seemed to be looking only sideways at him. “What is on your mind my dear?” he asked light heartedly as he parted, unable to completely hide the concern in his voice, though his cheeky grin helped mask it a bit.

Turning back towards the lake then he still held his arms around her, “Mmm, you’ve caught me. Yes the squid and I have a very intimate relationship, except she rarely wants to see me anymore, I think she’s fallen out of love with me, aye? What do you think?” he teased, not exactly talking about the squid any longer. He then snorted at her joke, “Yes, we do match, I planned it, you know so we can start acting like those elderly couples who wear the same gaudy Christmas sweaters every year,” he joked in return.

((ooc: Aww thank you, they are so cute together!))

[Professor Paigi]

She shouldn't have appeared as taken aback as she did as he then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him for a hello kiss. Feeling his lips move over his she responded perfectly warmly enough but with a kind of hesitancy at first that probably suggested something was wrong, if he picked up on it that is. "Nothing, nothing is wrong, my mind is wonderfully blank today... well aside from it muttering as many Italian curse words as it can remember, all conveyed my displeasure at the horrid British weather," she remarked lightly as she broke away from him slightly though his arms remained comfortably wrapped around her waist. She was glad of this, it made her feel comforted, giving her a little boost of courage that made her think 'of course he'll be happy about the news'.

"I see," she said, critically raising an eyebrow in a joking manner, before she caught on to his tone and realised he wasn't strictly discussing the squid any more. Shaking her head slightly she piped up in suggestion, "Maybe the squid is just feeling a bit worried about something, maybe she has something to tell you but she's not sure how you'll take it so she's kept putting it off and putting it off and the only way she could see to do this was to avoid you. Maybe she's scared of facing you to tell you what she's been thinking about telling you... maybe she's been thinking of how to tell you all along but never quite got up the nerve to do it?" she suggested quietly and then cast a guilty look at him, averting her gaze from his for a moment as she felt awkward and anxious again. "As long as those gaudy jumpers aren't lime green in colour, I don't mind," she commented, as though returning to the joking manner though her mind was still acutely aware of the rather serious comments she'd previously made.

Gulping slightly her eyes fluttered closed and she bit her lip, taking a deep breath before she said hesitantly, "The squid has something to tell you, Will," she stated, opening them once more to meet his. "And the squid was just being silly before when she was avoiding you, I'm sure she's very sorry about that because she loves you really," she spoke, her tone a tad sad.

[Professor Pattinson]

Will’s smile softened as she admitted that everything was alright. Perhaps it was just the weather that was getting her down. He didn’t worry over such things, and had no reason to believe she was lying, why should she? He was a very trusting person, and didn’t often pick up on everything women conveyed, or didn’t understand them when he did. Men weren’t mind readers as women so often thought they should be after all.

Suddenly as Izzy no longer spoke of the Squid either, as they usually did speak about each other through their little jokes he turned sliding his arms around so that he was facing her, “Izzy, what is it? You know you can tell me anything?” he asked his brow furrowed with concern. He’d noticed she’d put on a few pounds, but that didn’t bother him, and he was of course avoiding the obvious, and denying his suspicions of what it really was, but the way in which she posed the question suggested it was something bad. Will didn’t consider pregnancy a ‘bad’ thing, not that he was thinking that. Instead his mind flew to all the worst possible conclusions. At her joke however his gaze softened and he slipped his hand in hers staring at the lake again. “Hmm, no I was thinking red and green, you know, holiday colours, maybe with some bells and ribbon,” he teased flashing her a sidelong glance with a cheery grin.

As her tone turned serious and if he must admit a bit sad the worry returned to his usually playful eyes. “You can tell me, you shouldn’t have any reservations,” he encouraged.

[Professor Paigi]

As Will moved so they were now facing each other, his arms wrapped securely around her, she looked down anxiously, chewing her lip slightly as she frantically tried to remember what she'd planned, how she was going to say this and in what order. But it didn't come. "I know I can, I mean... the squid knows she can," she corrected herself in a weak attempt at a joke, the faltering smile brightening as he slipped his hand into hers easily. "Red and green should never be seen," she spoke, one of those childish nursery rhymes before smiling, "But bells and ribbon sure do sound stylish, count me in," she replied light heartedly enough, feeling she had to make the extra effort because of his unfalteringly cheerful smile.

"I... well yes, it does concern you so I should... I should just come out with it, no?" she asked for reassurance before nodding firmly once more, now decisive about the matter. "Will I..." she hesitated, her hands on where his rested wrapped around her as she moved to clasp both of his hands in hers gently, "I'm pregnant," Isabella revealed with a nervous, almost apprehensive smile as she looked up at him, scrutinising his face as the moment between the admission and his reaction seemed to stretch out into what felt like days.

[Professor Pattinson]

Will smiled brightly at Izzy before slipping his hand into hers in a loving and comforting gesture. “Right, when we’re old and grey I’ll be sure to remind you about the bells and ribbon then, aye?” he teased jokingly.

Looking at her still confused, “Yes of course you should, why shouldn’t you?” he asked, really having no idea why this was so hard for her and hoping to Merlin she wasn’t dying of some horrible disease or something, he didn’t know if he could live after that.

Turning to face her fully, he gave her hand a little squeeze as he held hers in his. “What is it my dear, sweet Isabella?” he asked kindly, his green eyes shining with their usual playful cheerfulness. As soon as the words came out of her mouth he panicked. No! Why did she have to be pregnant now! He hadn’t asked her yet, it was too soon, he wanted to ask her! “Shit,” was the only word that uttered from his mouth, and he dropped her hands, his eyes no longer holding that lusty cheeriness. It probably wasn’t the best reaction, and definitely not the one he had intended.

[Professor Paigi]

Reassured and warmed by his hands squeezing hers she found herself smiling much more softly as she told him the wonderful news. Or not so wonderful it would seem as all she could see in his eyes was sheer panic. Freezing it place her eyes pleaded with him to at least say something! When he dropped her hands that only confirmed it and she spun on her heel with the intention to walk away without another word.

Shaking her head fiercely she turned back to him suddenly, adding in a blurted out way, "No, you know what, Will? I actually don't care whether you think me being pregnant is 'shit' or not because I'm having this baby because I love you and this is an expression of that. So I am really sorry if having a baby is so horrible for you to imagine, if you think that is shit then you don't have to be part of its life," she concluded snappily, exhaling lowly before shaking her head in disbelief once more. "I never had you down for being that cruel, I at least thought you'd hide your disappointment," she spoke in a deathly quiet tone, nothing but disappointment in him showing through her sad expression, her eyes brimming with tears as they began to escape shakily as she turned away from him, starting back towards anywhere (anywhere away from him!) again.

[Professor Pattinson]

Will’s gaze turned apologetic and guilty as she whirled around and yelled at him. “Izzy,” he began but felt it was best to let her finish. At the finish of her rant he turned his gaze shamefully towards the ground hurt by the fact he had been so careless with his thoughts and chiding himself for being so with his words. As she turned away from him for a second time however he lurched forward.

“Izzy,” he called, starting after her, “Izzy, wait!” he said catching up to her quickly, “You sure are fast for a pregnant lady,” he joked light heartedly with his usual cheeky grin that faltered knowing this was not the time to joke, “Please, stop,” he pleaded coming to stand in front of her and held up his hands. “I didn’t mean to… I meant… I wanted to… it shouldn’t have come out that way… I, I’m sorry,” he began flustered and not able to form a complete sentence. “Please let me explain,” he begged, his eyes desperate.

“There’s something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time and… I didn’t want you to think I was doing it because you were pregnant,” he told her rather vaguely. Stepping hesitantly closer to her he brushed a strand of hair from her face and gently whipped the tears from her cheeks, “I love you Izzy, I want to grow old with you and wear terrible matching sweaters, and wake up beside you every morning, and have a family of six rambunctious kids,” he told her sincerely but with his usual light hearted edge to his voice, playing upon the joke they made when they were kids when Isabella once said she wanted to have an ungodly amount of children someday with her Prince Charming, who Will insisted at the time, would never come along because that ‘fairytale’ stuff was a load of crap.

Whipping out his wand he muttered something inaudibly as their surroundings transformed into a childhood memory, Izzy’s favourite place in the whole world. He hadn’t been an illusionist for nothing! Replacing his wand into his pocket his hand reemerged with a little black box, “As I said before, I meant to do this earlier, but never exactly could muster the courage, but I’m asking now, if it’s not too late,” he said as he bent to one knee, “Isabella Elizabeth Paigi, will you marry me?” he asked as he opened the box to reveal a very beautiful ornate ring that glittered even with the clouds shading the sun. As he gazed up at her his breath caught in his throat. It seemed like time had stopped, even his heart for those few moments as he waited for her answer.

((ooc: Hope that was alright!))

[Professor Paigi]

((ooc: Hehe of course it was! I love Will's new av by the way, very nice! ))

The tears now coming thick and fast, as much as she tried to control herself, Isabella attempted to storm back up the lawns with no clear destination in mind except for the stipulation that it was to be as far away as possible from him. The fact she was shaking and her vision was cloudy with tears did not help matters, nor her sense of direction, but she walked on regardless, even as he called after her, using that nickname she’d always loved so much. In her murky peripheral she saw him catch up to her and she shook her head, “Don’t joke Will, now is not the bloody time for it!” she retorted rather snappily and so unlike herself. She’d probably later blame it on the raw emotions you felt when you were pregnant, because she never snapped at anyone (let alone Will) and hardly ever swore. As he stopped in front of her she shook her head quickly, “No, don’t Will, just let me past. You’ve made your feelings quite clear enough,” she murmured sadly, looking up at him unwillingly. And then it was that begging, that pleading tone to his voice and the despair in his eyes… how could she say no?

“I… I don’t understand,” Isabella said uncertainly, her voice a tad hoarse with emotion as she gazed up at him confusedly, surely looking more defeated and vulnerable than he’d ever seen her before. When he stepped closer to her she had half a mind to step away from him in response but when he wiped away her tears with his fingers she knew she couldn’t leave now, as angry and upset with him as she was. His joking manner as he told how he loved her brought a weak smile, but a smile nonetheless, to her lips and she shook her head slightly, “Then why would you say ‘shit’ at the idea of me carrying your baby?” she pointed out quietly though she was soon silenced as he seemed to be nervous about something, “Will… what is?” she asked worriedly.

Gazing at the illusion he’d produced around the two of them, she gasped in reaction. It was the little cove near her grandmother’s house in Italy that they’d spent many a long summer hiding in together, plotting the mischief they‘d cause her grandfather that day, talking about anything and everything together and sitting watching the waves as though they had absolutely nothing better to do. That seemed centuries ago and yet the thing that linked the past and the present was stood before her, or rather, kneeling before her now. “What?!” she exclaimed, her voice high with surprise, “I thought… I don’t understand why… oh,” she breathed out as her mind quickly made the connections and she gulped, realising now why ‘shit’ had probably been his thoughts. Of course, if he hadn’t said it, she probably would have assumed he was only proposing because he thought it was the ‘right’ or ‘honourable’ thing to do with a woman who was pregnant with your child. But it was completely different and she knew that as she looked down and saw him there on one knee with a beautiful ring, waiting for her answer. “Of course it’s not too late, William Pattinson, you idiot,” she said fondly with a laugh through the tears, “If anything it’s perfect timing, no?” she pointed out happily and then nodded, “Oh and that was a very firm ‘yes of course I will marry you’,” she added in teasing confirmation with another laugh.

[Professor Pattinson]

((ooc: Thank you very much, I’m really quite proud of it, even though it’s really simple it sort of got me out of my rut and lack of inspiration. Aww I love Will & Izzy, they’re so adorable, and your post was fantastic!))

“Sorry,” Will apologised clearing his throat slightly, his cheeky smile softening into one of sincerity. “Please, Izzy,” he started as he stood in front of her, and then his brow furrowed as a small flicker of anger and hurt flashed across his eyes, but was soon replaced by his cheerful yet apologetic expression, “No I haven’t,” he retorted in a low voice, feeling horribly guilty for hurting her.

“Then let me sort it out for you,” he remarked, desperate to explain how he felt about her. He knew it would be the end of him if he lost her. The look in her eyes made him want to embrace her, tell her everything was alright, but he knew he had to talk fast. As she interjected he said, “Eh, I’m not finished,” he smiled down at her showing all the love he had for her through his gaze, mingled with the terrible guilt he felt for letting her think he didn’t love her.

Bent on one knee he felt his lungs fill with air again as she said it wasn’t too late, a small smile twitching at the edges of his mouth which grew as she confirmed that ‘yes’ she would marry him. Rising from the ground he pulled her into a passionate kiss and spun her around (carefully of course, she was carrying a very special little person after all) before parting slightly as he said, “I love you, and our child,” and then plucked the ring from its box he gently slipped it onto her finger. “Now the question really is, would you prefer to keep your name or take mine, or if we are being very modern I could take yours,” he teased as he brushed her cheek with his hand, gently caressing her cheekbone with his thumb and kissed her again. Will had never felt more elated than he was at that moment. Now that he knew Isabella loved him he couldn’t keep his hands off her, he wanted to hold her like this forever, and kiss her a hundred times. He felt like screaming it to the world that he loved Isabella Paigi, as cliché as that sounded, but he supposed that’s what clichés were for.

[Professor Paigi]

((ooc: Sorry I cut down the reaction to the first bits of your post hehe, but Izzy was basically just feeling hurt and disappointed and I felt that was a given already haha))

Grinning as Will's usual smile returned she wrapped her arms around him, another laugh escaping her lips as he picked he kissed her and spun her around. As he parted from her she pouted in dissatisfaction, kissing him softly once more before inching away to let him speak. "I am so so relieved to hear you say," she breathed out happily as he slipped the ring onto her finger. It was perfect, not too showy and not too plain, and it fit her perfectly. She wondered how long he'd been thinking of proposing for and how long it would have been until he'd worked up the courage to do it, if it hadn't been for her little news.

"Hmmm, well I don't know," she mused aloud with an unfaltering smile as he tenderly stroked her cheek with this thumb, "I think it would get confusing for the students if we were both called Professor Pattinson, no?" she suggested light heartedly, shaking her head. "Isabella Paigi... Isabella Paigi-Pattinson... Isabella Pattinson... hmm I like the latter, how does that sound to you?" she asked with a smile into the kiss as his lips met hers once more. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, careful not to cause the growing baby in her womb discomfort by squeezing herself as close as possible to him (even though right now she desperately wanted to), Isabella kissed him back, her hands lazily wrapped about his neck and gently caressing it as she retracted her lips and instead remained with her forehead touching his. "I think it's a girl," she whispered delightedly, "I don't know for sure yet but I have a feeling that we have our little girl growing inside me," she spoke fondly with another soft giggle escaping her lips.

[Professor Pattinson]

A small smile twitched at the edges of his mouth as he gazed from the ring to Izzy. “You’re welcome,” Will replied, “And I’m glad,” he continued with that hint of light hearted teasing to his voice, as was the playful glint in his eyes, “Because I’m bound to say it a lot more,” he laughed.

“Hmmm… this is very true. See I knew you were always the smarter one,” he chuckled with his usual smirky smile, “I am happy with whatever you want-” his sentence was cut short as she kissed him, and he couldn’t help but smile into the kiss. He’d never felt happier in his life. The only moment that compared was when he realised he was a father for the first time, and he saw Connor… after he nearly fainted of course. But he’d stayed upright thanks to a small coffee table in the room, and Amanda squeezing his hand until there was no more feeling in his fingertips.

As she parted slightly he sighed happily. “A girl aye? What should we name this wee little girl, or boy, if it’s a boy, but I’m happy with either, really,” he added not wanting to make her upset and think he wanted a boy, he already had a boy, and would gladly have another one, but in all honestly he rather wanted a little girl to spoil rotten.

((ooc: Alright, now that I got thinking about it, I really do want to make his ex-wife... must resist, must resist, hehe. ))

[Professor Paigi]

Isabella smiled as he teased her good naturedly, "Well, good, I think I'll enjoy you saying it too, I could never tire of hearing it. Us women like to feel valued by being told every second of every day that we're loveable, no?" she joked back easily as they slipped into their usual good humoured mocking of each other.

Parting from the kiss she gazed happily at him, nodding once more, "Yes, I think so, and so does my grandmother, she is insistent that I have a baby girl and, you know my grandmother, whatever she wants, she gets," she remarked with a light laugh. "I don't know... I haven't even really thought of any names yet... I sort of... wanted your input and opinions first," she admitted with a smile, "How did you chose the name of Connor, was it you who decided or Amanda?" she asked curiously, "Because for all I know you are about to jokingly suggest odd names which would cause our child to be bullied for it," she joked with him, the overjoyed smile lingering softly on her lips as she inched away further to meet his gaze properly.