cressxmclaggen

[cressxmclaggen]

Dear Lucius @luciusmalfoyx

I know you probably won't be reading this letter, but I want to try anyways.

Congratulations with the birth of your son. I hope Draco and Narcissa are okay. And you as well.

I miss you, my dear brother.

Love, Cressida.

[cressxmclaggen]

The entire day Cress had been moving around to prepare the house for the double date with Anthony and Mira. Not that she was able to cook anything but she had been cleaning and a lot of other things. All to cover up her nerves. The blonde had known about Anthony being Tib's best friend but they hadn't really officially met. And she knew Mira as being a part of the Selwyn family. But a double date was a different story.

When she heard the knocking at the door, she told her husband that she would open up the door. When Cress opened up the door, she had not expected to find a very, very sad young man standing in front of her and a bottle of wine, but without a girlfriend in sight.

And by the way Anthony spoke, he already had a lot of wine - or other alcohol - in his system. "Only you?" The woman repeated before she stepped aside to quickly let him in and she closed the door behind him. She gently nudged him in the direction of the living room before she made her way over to Tib there. "I have no idea what is going on but it is just him and I think he has had quite something to drink already. Do you have any idea what's going on?"

@tiberiusxmclaggen

who: @cressxmclaggen, @tiberiusxmclaggen

where: the McClaggen residence

tw: alcohol, tw: drunk Anthony, tw: sad Anthony

The night had finally arrived, a planned double date evening between Anthony and Mira with Tiberius and Cressida. An occasion that had been in the calendar for weeks, and now as he made his way towards the house, stumbling with an opened bottle of wine in hand, Anthony reckoned he should have just cancelled. At least if he cancelled, he wouldn’t have to experience the embarrassment of showing up alone, and detailing the even more embarrassing reason of why. The wine was supposed to be a gift, a thanks for The McClaggen’s hosting, but as Anthony sat on the Night Bus, he reckoned it would work better as his own version of liquid luck.

Finally arriving at the door, Anthony leaned forward to knock, banging slightly into the door with his shoulder as he did so. Muttering an array of swear words as he leant backwards, smoothing out his shirt in a bid to compose himself. Somehow as though he believed that he didn’t already look a mess. Squinting as the light from the McClaggen’s hall flooded around him as the door opened. Warmth flowing out from the door, and sharply nipping at his fingers. “Cress, it’s just me m’afraid.” He explained, the depth of his loneliness burrowing into his stomach as he admitted it. Tucking the bottle of wine against his chest with his forearm, mimicking an explosion with his hand. “Things have went poof…not good.”

[cressxmclaggen]

Starter for: @bbcharity Where: Dinner at 8pm, at the Fountain of Fair Fortune

The letters had come as a surprise to her, but Cressida was very curious by the time dinner had come around with Charity. Why the hell had her husband thought that she would've been the right person to be a friend to Charity in a certain situation? That was the thought that kept spinning through her head all the time. The blonde had arrived too early at the location and was brought to the table already. It was also at that moment in time, Cress realised that she had no idea what Charity looked like. When a young woman approached her table, she got up - hoping that she wasn't going to embarrass herself. "Hi, you have to be Charity? I'm Cressida."

[cressxmclaggen]

The gossip mill had sarted nearly right away when Serra Borgin had been added to the patients list of the 'curses gone wrong' department, as Cressida had started to call it. It was soon clear what had been the cause; a cursed necklace. Or at least, that was what the rumour mill had created.

It had been a few days before Cressida had finally gathered enough courage to make her way over to the department where Serra was. If the blonde remembered right; there was one with who had a very direct opinion in the society... and that was Serra Borgin. But still she had made her way up to floors during her lunch break.

Softly, Cress pushed the door open and she was indeed met with a direct question. "Hi Serra. It's been a while. I wanted to see how you were doing." The blonde had no idea how this was going to end, but it was going to be an interesting conversation nonetheless.

status: open location: st. mungos

Serra had been in St. Mungos 'for observation' for a few days now and she had grown terribly bored of this room and its decor - or lack thereof, already. It was incredibly bare, white walls, white sheets, white curtains, no decorations except for the many bouquets of flowers Malcolm and others had gotten her. The healers had forcibly removed him from her room saying she needed to rest for at least a few hours, despite the fact that she did not wish to be alone and he had not wanted to leave. Not that she had admitted that she wanted him here out loud, but she figured he already knew. So when her door opened less than an hour after he had stepped out she had assumed it was him, disappointment on her face when she saw that it wasn't, which she quickly schooled into a mask of indifference, looking as put together as one could laying in a hospital bed. She had changed into her own clothes, refusing to wear what everyone else was wearing, her hair smooth and her cheeks flushed. "Can I help you?"

[cressxmclaggen]

Dear Charity,

Thank you for the compliment. 8 pm does work. I will see you there!

Regards, Cressida McLaggen

Dear Cressida,

It certainly would've been fun if you thought I was flirting with you. I've been told you're a beautiful witch so I could have indeed, but as you are saying, it's a friend I need. Your curiosity shall be fulfilled, greatly that is.

Does 8pm work for you?

Yours,

[cressxmclaggen]

"I think that's just children in general? I mean, at that age you don't worry about sleep or getting a drink or anything, do you? We had to remind her to slow down for a bit and take a drink earlier in the night." But Tib was definitely right about one thing; it was taking a lot of energy of them. It made Cressida wonder; would it take as much energy when it were your own children? Because she always had the feeling that it was a lot easier to accept things of something of your own.

A smile was plastered on her lips as Tib kissed her and then she chuckled. "I think I would be okay with a mini you as well. Just imagine how he is going to be a heart stealer when older," Cress teased her husband. No matter the gender, she just knew that becoming a mother was what she wanted more than anything in life. "What do you think about when we will be parents? What do you imagine in that way?"

Tiberius settled onto the couch beside Cressida with a groan. He'd always thought he had all the energy in the world, but it would seem Nymphadora had bested him. He didn't know how one kid could simply have so much energy, it was like she just kept going. Still he was glad they had agreed to do this for Andromeda and Ted, he was sure they needed a night to enjoy themselves. Besides, it gave him and Cressida a chance at seeing how they fared. He chuckled at her question and turned to look at Dora, watching as her hair transformed colors right before his eyes. "She is, although I would like to know how she has so much energy. I'm ready to sleep and I've only been chasing after her." He chuckled.

His expression softened, his attention returning to Cressida and he smiled. "Yea? You'd be a great mom." He leaned in and kissed her once briefly. "Besides, I think I like the idea of a little you running around. Merlin help us if we end up with a mini version of me." He chuckled.

[cressxmclaggen]

Lovely to see you again. Despite the fact that the words were kind, it were those words coming from someone in Pureblood society, it made her doubtful about the truth behind it. A doubt that was just filling her up from time to time. It probably said more about her insecurity than about the person she was talking to.

"Married life has been good." It was exactly what she had needed in her life. To be with the person she loved without the secrecy that they had hidden it in. "I has been quite some time, indeed. How have you been?"

Cressida Malfoy. Or well...McLaggen now, she supposed. What was it like to have everything you could ever want and to just...throw it all away? For love? Please. Davina didn't need love. What she needed was a Gringotts vault overflowing with galleons. It would happen. She was quite sure of it. But she was getting rather impatient.

"Oh, Cressida. It's lovely to see you again," Davina replied. "It's been a very long time, hasn't it? How has married life been?" Was it worth it? Was it easier to walk away from all of it when you had everything that you could ever want? Davina was curious, even if her mother would probably not approve of her talking to Cressida, all things considered. But her mother wasn't here.

[cressxmclaggen]

Like she had said to him; it was not a subject that she liked to discuss a lot. But avoiding answering questions about it wasn't going to help her either. "It definitely has to do with it. It's my family after all that I've left behind and people I've known all my life. But at the same time... They did cut me out and I am now with the person I love. So in the end it is all perspective on what is most important to you."

He remained silent as she spoke, paying attention but not daring to interrupt until she was finished, nodding his head slowly as her words fell heavy on his own shoulders. "I didn't mean to pry, I know it must be difficult for you." Peter offered kindly with a shrug of his shoulders. "Does this new weight have to do with those you've left behind? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

[cressxmclaggen]

Cressida shook her head for a moment. It wasn't just Hestia's fault that they hadn't seen each other for a long time. It had been her fault too. She hadn't reached out as much as she should have. Despite the fact that she had had a lot of spare time recently. "I know, Tib has been making long days as well." Time together had been getting less, but at the same time... They did appreciate the time that they did have together a lot more. She could only hope that the same would happen with Hestia and her as well.

"I would love to have some tea. Do you need me to help you in getting it?" The blonde asked her friend, getting up from the couch once more. She stretched for a moment and then looked at Hestia. "Please tell me what you've been up to lately!"

Cressida, such a wonderful friend. Hestia felt bad whenever the time seemed to just slip, and days turned into weeks and months with little correspondence in between. The witch blamed a lot of that on herself. After all she had allowed the auror department and her job to become near the guiding light in her life. There was always so much to do, especially with how things were progressing all around them.

“I promise to do better. You know how it is; the ministry is a mess.” She didn’t wish to burden her friend with the reality of what it felt like to be in a place where every second face could potentially be someone ready to tear down the world they were fighting for. “Tea? Coffee?” - @cressxmclaggen

[cressxmclaggen]

Cressida raised her eyebrows in surprise when the other woman admitted that she had double booked the healer simply because of his attitude. Okay... That was a bit too much. For a moment she was at a loss at words before finally speaking up. "You do know that there are different ways to tell him to stop with the attitude instead of booking him double? Because it also means that we are selling our client short?" Her voice was soft. She was only working there for a short while so it just felt wrong to say those words to start with.

Not one to be driven by ambition, Willa Bulstrode was currently quite happy with her career as it stood. In her first year at Hogwarts, Willa had tried to seem interested in courses of study, but her best subject tended to be Potions, where she would rely on having a good partner to coast through the year with. Other colleagues had drive to rise through the ranks of St Mungos, Willa on the other hand, was perfectly content where she was.

Smiling as Cressida approached, Willa furrowed her brow as she glanced at the appointment rota. "Oh I know," She nodded knowingly, "Beck has an attitude, I do this every once in a while to drive him crazy."

[cressxmclaggen]

"Do you think you will return back to your place above the bakery in the future?" If Cressida remembered right from the time that Alara hadn't been around, her friend was still living there as well. And in the end... Running from her past wasn't going to help. The blonde knew that very well.

She was happy that Alara had friends that weren't part of the world they had left. She herself had found that in Tib and Hestia. And Andromeda eventually as well. But that still meant it were only three people and that was a very small circle. "Thank you Alara, that means a lot." Support was a fickle thing in the end.

"What are your next steps going to be?"

Cressida made a lot of sense, and deep down, Pandora knew it. But that didn’t make the feeling any easier to shake. This space had once brought her peace, now, it sometimes left her feeling isolated.

“You’re right,” she said softly. “I know it’s something I have to work through. I’ve been trying, and being somewhere that isn’t directly above the bakery… it’s helping. At least it gives me room to separate, to process.” She nodded, a small smile forming. “I’m ready to start making better memories.”

She paused before continuing, her voice warmer. “What helps the most is knowing I have friends who were never part of that world. When I’m with them, I feel like myself, really myself. On the other side, it was like I was constantly performing.” Her gaze lingered on Cressida, sincerity in her eyes. “It means so much that you’re here. I really do appreciate it. And just so you know, I’m always here for you too, whatever you need.”

[cressxmclaggen]

SYDNEY SWEENEY On-Screen Looks with Glamour Magazine, October 2024

[cressxmclaggen]

"Because St Mungo's had an easier access. I know Andromeda Tonks and she did a good word. And being here means that I can do something to help people." And helping people felt rewarding. That was something that Cressida had always known that she liked to do so. The blonde slowly nodded when he said that his parents made his return sooner than he had anticipated. She knew the reasoning behind it and it meant that she didn't ask. Just as he knew why she had been cast out of her family and didn't ask about it. "I've been to France. The family has a house there and we went nearly every summer. But other than France, I don't have many abroad trips behind my name."

The programs in both places had been extremely helpful to his learning and where he went after some recommendations from professional healers. Barcelona is where he had been the longest and learned more about what different kinds of herbs and potions helped certain wounds and where he was met with very strict mentors, but it didn't deter him. Berlin had been a blur of two years. "Why a welcome witch then? If you could have any job out there?" He held the door open for her as they entered a tavern near the hospital. The question came with some impediments and there was a delayed moment of silence. "I always wanted to come back. Eventually. But my parents. That's why I came back sooner." He didn't need to mention that his mother died fighting for the Death Eaters recently and his father was arrested. It wasn't the best conversation starter. "Have you ever been outside of the country?"

[cressxmclaggen]

Dear Rabastan,

I kept my wizard a secret as he is a Halfblood and my family did not exactly approve of it, but I don't have to tell you that. But yes, he's been a constant for years now.

Love, Cressida.

Dear Cressida,

Don't fret. I assure you, the embarrassment didn't last. I've quite recovered from the ordeal, though I'll admit my teenage ego took a hit. Figuratively as well literally.

I see. I thought it was strange that you kept your wizard a secret. Now I know why.

With best wishes,

Rabastan.

[cressxmclaggen]

Starter for: @tiberiusxmclaggen Location: Andie & Ted's home

When Cressida had offered to Andromeda to look after Nymphadora for a night, so the two of them could have some time to themselves, she had not expected to get the question to do so, so quickly. But Cress had happily said yes. So that was the reason why Tib and her were now seated on the couch at the Tonks' household, as they watched how Nymphadora was playing with some toys before they would take her to bed for the night.

"She's so precious, isn't she?" Cress said with a bright smile on her face as her gaze is set on the child in front of them. She then looked up to her husband. "I would love for us to have children in the future."

[cressxmclaggen]

// END.

Andromeda was right; Tiberius had always been supportive of her and she wasn't expecting that to change any time soon. Not that she was going to take it for granted.

A support system was the solution to being able to raise a child, to be with the man you love and to be able to work as well, it seemed. Cress had given up a big part of her support system. Her gaze was set on the little ice monster sitting at the table with them as she listened to the other woman.

"A trial run sounds like a perfect plan to me. The two of you deserve it. Just let us know how we can help out and I will check with Tib to see how it can work."

Her gaze moved back to Nymphadora once more when she was done speaking and a chuckle escaped her mouth. "It doesn't matter you just cleaned her face, the damage is already done once more," the blonde mentioned as the ice was smeared across her cheeks again.

[cressxmclaggen]

Dear Charity,

I've checked with Tib and he explained the situation as well. I do have to admit; without having had that information this was quite the interesting letter to receive. Dinner sounds lovely, because I would quite like to know as to why you need a fake friend for an evening. Call me curious.

At which time at the Fountain do you want to meet?

Regards, Cressida McLaggen

Cressida,

Apologies, I thought he would have shared our encounter with you. I do cause an impression on people. The thing is as follows: your husband and I met at a bar, drinking, and I asked him to be my fake friend for the evening. He didn't think he met the requirements but certainly believed you would, hence why I am asking you out for dinner instead.

All the best,