charles ** and now you're in my way

[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

OUTFIT

Living in Hogsmede was a mixed bag. On the one hand, it let her live in a little town with a lot of life. Students would come through and boost the economy and every's mood. It made her feel young and hopeful again, as if she were one of them. But then she'd feel old and stuck, like she wasn't moving forward, like she hadn't gone anywhere since she left school.

Beth decided to drop by the three broomsticks for lunch, as it was as good a place as any. The booths were all taken but she found a little table she could sit at instead of the bar. Since meeting her half brother, she felt guilty drinking alcohol, so she just asked for water when her waiter came by.

She hung her bag over the back of her chair and took one foot out of her shoe so she could cross it behind her other ankle. Her blonde hair was tucked back with a flower clip, and she carefully opened the menu, trying to figure out what to eat alone.

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

charlie's wearing
bella's wearing

He loved his job, but, if he was honest, Charlie vastly preferred the weekends. He hardly got to see his daughter during the week save for the time he spent tucking her into bed and telling her bed time stories. Today, he had all the time in the world for Arabella, and they'd decided to spend their time out. At Arabella's request, he had taken her to the Three Broomsticks for lunch.

They'd hardly made it to their seats when he noticed Arabella's gaze fixed on a woman sitting alone at a nearby table. Charlie watched the woman for a couple of seconds, trying to understand what was so fascinating about her, but, while she was undoubtedly pretty, he could not ascertain any reason for his daughter's instant preoccupation with her. Fortunately, it didn't matter that he couldn't find the reason. Arabella quickly turned back to him and began speaking. "Daddy! Why is she alone? She's very pretty. Do you think she's a princess? I don't see her crown, but not all of them wear crowns, do they?" Her small brow furrowed and she stared in wonder at the woman again.

Charlie shook his head in wonder of the little girl's imagination. Surely he would have never assumed the woman was a princess simply because she was pretty. But, then again, he'd never been a little girl and, therefore, had very little experience with princesses. "Arabella, sweetheart, don't stare. It's rude. And if she is a princess, she would probably appreciate the privacy." He had never been one crush a child's dreams like that, and if Arabella wanted to believe in fairytale princesses, it was her right to. It could hardly cause any harm. Or so he thought; not two seconds after he'd asked the waiter to bring them both glasses of water, Arabella was back to her musings. "I think she's lonely. Do you think she wants to sit with us? I like her, Daddy. I want to eat with her!" Musing about whether the woman was a princess or not was one thing, but determining that she was both lonely and in need of their company was quite another, and Charlie couldn't help but frown slightly. "Some people prefer to be alone," he explained, though he doubted the little girl would understand, and a few seconds later, he determined that he was going to have to at least speak to the woman or Arabella would certainly drive him mad.

Letting out a sigh, Charlie pushed his chair back and stood, quickly and quietly crossing the small space between their tables. "Excuse me, Miss," he said, glancing back at his daughter before returning his attention to the woman. "I'm sure this is going to sound absurd, but my daughter seems to think you are a princess who might be lonely and very much in need of company. And she's begging for you to join us for lunch." He had a feeling the story sounded ridiculous, so Charlie moved aside just a bit so the woman could see Arabella, who was eagerly bouncing in her seat and grinning from ear to ear.

[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Beth sighed as she read the menu. It was so dull sometimes, doing the same things by yourself day in and day out. Of course she'd been thinking more along the lines of catching up with a friend than finding out she had a half brother. But Bethany decided she'd take what she could get. A voice interrupted her musing however and she looked up, a little startled.

The man was quite handsome, knowledgable but still fun-loving it seemed, especially when his words registered in her brain. "Oh!" She said with a little bit of a laugh, turning to get a better look at his daughter, who was bouncing around and Beth waved to her. Beth then turned back to the man. "I am not a princess, but I wouldn't mind some company, but I'd hate to intrude." She said. Was it polite to take up nice strangers on their offers? Beth was rather taken with this girl all at once. A princess? It was adorable and unexpected and she would love to make a child's day. 

"I'm Beth," She told him. "And I work in a bookstore, and have a clean record and everything I swear." She added in case he was worried she was some creepy pervert or dangerous or something. People were protective of her kids, but maybe he wouldn't have come over at all if he thought she was bad news.

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

Charles had a tendency to worry that people would think he was crazy when he went around making requests on his daughter's behalf. This woman seemed nice enough, though, and she didn't seem to think that he was either demented or repulsive, which made him all the more willing to invite her to their table. "Well, Beth, you're more than welcome to join us. You wouldn't be intruding at all. But you might not want to tell her you aren't a princess. She'd be horribly disappointed." His eyes twinkled as he grinned at her.

He'd already known she worked at the book store. He'd seen her there before. But Charles wasn't stupid enough to think that telling her so wouldn't be awkward. "I'm Charlie. I'm a professor at Hogwarts. Transfiguration," he explained. "I'm not married, and I'm not using Arabella as a ploy to talk to you." It probably sounded blunt and uncalled for, but he figured he might as well get everything out in the open before Bella started sharing details without his permission.

Charlie led Beth back to their table and pulled out one of the extra chairs for her. Arabella immediately pounced on the woman, an excited smile lighting up her eyes, which were not at all like her father's. "Hello, I'm Arabella Elise Palmer. I'm five years old and I love princesses and puppies. You look like a princess!" Arabella announced, hardly stopping for breath between statements. Charles chuckled at his daughter and offered Beth an apologetic smile. "Bella, give her a chance to sit down," he insisted, though there was never much he could do to slow the girl down.

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[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Beth chuckled at his bluntness. the thought of using Arabella as a ploy was comical to her, no man could bend the will of any five year old girls she knew in her life. Professor, single, had a cute name and an adorable kid. Beth couldn't help but be a little excited, but she didn't want to seem like she was trying to pick him up right away so she didn't mention she was single. She smiled at him. "Well...Charlie," She said, uncertain at using a nickname. "I would be happy to join you and your daughter for lunch." She smiled softly, got up and went over to the table thanking him for the chair he pulled up. 

The little girl started talking to her very fast and excited and it took Beth a couple seconds to catch up. "Well hello Arabella Elise Palmer," She said with a smile. "I'm Bethany Anne Heavensbee, and thank you, you look like a princess too." She told the little girl. Beth was a bit jealous of her shiny dark hair, it was breathtaking. His ex must have been quite a looker...

Beth sat down and smoothed her napkin in her lap. She placed her water on the table and wondered what exactly princesses ordered for lunch. 

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

From her reaction to Arabella, Charlie could tell that Beth was good with kids, and he couldn't help but smile. Arabella was practically fawining over the woman, and Charlie tried not to laugh. His little girl was a bit excitable, but he wouldn't have changed her for the world. He glanced at his menu and let them continue their conversation.

Having been taught good manners, Arabella thanked Beth for her compliment and smoothed her skirt before finally sitting all the way down in her chair. She followed Beth's example, placing her napkin in her lap and smoothing it over her knees. She watched Beth carefully, mimicking her every motion.

Charlie gave them a bit to look over the menu before waving the waiter over. He ordered a sandwich for himself and waited for the ladies to decide what they wanted. Bella perked up the moment the waiter turned his gaze on her, telling him, "I'll have whatever the princess is having." She beamed at him, and Charlie suppressed a chuckle. Surely the waiter thought they were all delusional. To his knowledge, there wasn't a princess anywhere in here. But the guy was a good sport and turned his attention to Beth. "I assume you are the princess?" he asked her with a smile.

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[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Beth had to smile as Arabella copied her table manners, spreading her napkin out carefully. It was adorable, and the smile won out. Beth rather liked this little girl, she had spunk and class--which was unusual for a five year old. Plus, she thought Beth was a princess and that did wonders for her self esteem.

Then the waiter was called over and Charlie ordered first. Arabella then informed their server that she would have what the princess was having. Beth's mind went into scramble mode, what could she eat that a little girl would want to eat too? She had no idea what Arabella liked and if there was even any overlap. Beth threw a look at Charlie but recovered, she'd just have to wing it. "Yes," She said with a little laugh as the waiter played along. he was a good sport. Beth liked knowing people still had some whimsy and kindness. 

"I'll have the..." Beth looked at the menu again, looking for something sort of kid friendly. "Fish and chips, with a side salad." Bell would probably rather have fries but Beth wanted a salad to balance out the fried food.

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[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

Charles smiled as the waiter scurried off with their order. "Nice choice," he commented, glad the woman had comp up with a simple way of getting his daughter to eat some vegetables. Arabella wasn't a particularly picky eater, but children often went through a phase where they disliked things that were good for them. Across the table, Arabella nodded emphatically. "I love fish and chips!" she agreed.

Just when Charles was starting to get comfortable with their company, Arabella got excited again. She leaned on the table, careful not to muss her napkin, her gaze intensely focused on Beth. "Princess Bethany?" she asked, and Charles suppressed a chuckle, "Do you have to marry a prince? Because my daddy says that I might need a new mommy one day when I get older and if you married him thenI could be a princess, too!" The smile on Charlie's face faltered and he choked on the sip of water he'd just taken. Arabella cast him an annoyed glance as if to tell him that she didn't need his input, but he was too busy trying to settle his sudden embarrassment to say much of anything. A moment later, she was right back to talking. "I think you'd be a wonderful mommy!"

To be honest, Charles wasn't entirely sure how to handle the situation. Arabella had no idea what marriage entailed, and she really didn't know what she was requesting. He didn't want her to feel bad for having asked, but he also didn't wan this line of conversation to continue. "That's quite enough, Bella," he told her. "You don't want to go scaring Princess Beth away, now do you?" Hopefully that would be enough to stop her from pushing the issue.

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[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Beth was greatly relieved to hear that Arabella loved fish and chips. Things seemed good and she was glad that she had decided to eat with them, it was different and it was nice. "Yes?" She answered when Bella said princess questioningly. But at her following words Beth blushed and chuckled a little nervously. Granted, he wasn't married and he was handsome and she rather liked him, but you didn't propose marriage on your first non-date. Beth supposed she could suggest an actual date... But not all for Arabella, but for herself too. She'd had a run of bad boyfriends recently.

"Well thank you for saying I'd be a good mommy, but for now I'm just your friend, and I can make you an honorary princess. How about that?" She offered. She was flattered that Bella thought she'd be a good mom because she'd love to be a mom one day. Maybe sooner than she thought if things progressed with Charlie. Beth unclipped her hair, the golden locks bouncing over her shoulder. She leaned over and pinned the flower into Arabella's hair. "There, now you can be a princess too." She said. It wasn't a crown, but it would work, hopefully. She could tell Charlie felt a little uncomfortable too.

Beth wished she had an easy way to tell him that she was single and would be interested in having an adult meal with him sometime. "Oh she couldn't scare me away, she's very sweet." Beth said, to both of them. That way Charles wouldn't think Bella's antics were making her too nervous. Kids were great, and their bluntness was part of it.

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

The sight of Beth's blush had Charlie feeling even more uncomfortable, and he suddenly found himself wondering if inviting her to join them had been the best move, after all. Granted, he was quickly finding that he enjoyed her company, an his daughter obviously liked her, as well, but he wasn't exactly actively searching for a wife, and he didn't need Arabella engaging in that search on his behalf. Charlie cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, offering Beth an apologetic look. "Arabella, this is pretty grown up stuff," he said at last. But he knew it wouldn't be enough to get her off of the subject entirely.

Lucky for him, Beth seemed to adapt pretty well to the situation, offering to make Bella an honorary princess. The little girl was practically glowing with excitement as Beth placed her hair clip in Bella's hair. "Daddy, daddy! Look, I'm a princess!" she exclaimed, bouncing around in her seat. All at once, her face turned from excited to a little bit worried. "Daddy... I need to go potty," she whispered. He chuckled at her and shook his head. "I'm sure a big girl like you can take care of that," he assured her, gesturing toward the restrooms. Arabella hopped out of her chair and quickly ran off.

Once she was gone, Charlie directed his attention toward Beth. "I'm... uh... sorry about that," he told her. "She doesn't really understand... you know?" He wasn't sure what he ought to say, but he knew Beth at least deserved an apology now that Arabella had dumped such an awkward proposal on her.

[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Beth giggled at her total excitement and a little harder when she said she had to go to the bathroom. It was such a typical kid thing and it was adorable. She bit her lip so Bella wouldn't be embarrassed as she dashed off, Charlie assuring her that a big girl like herself could do it alone. It did give her a chance to talk to him slightly outside dad mode.

Beth turned to him as he spoke and smiled softly. "It's really alright, I know she doesn't understand. I think its sweet that she worried about you though." Arabella was a perceptive little kid if she thought maybe her daddy needed a mommy to go along with him. "Um, I'm not usually so forward, but if you are trying to get into the dating scene, I would be interested... I mean, I'm single..." She clarified. This was awkward, but it was the one time they had away from his daughter. Beth chuckled awkwardly and tucker her hair behind her ear, now that her clip was gone, it was a little loose.

"You seem like a nice guy and you have a really wonderful daughter." She decided on with a smile, and she took out a little piece of paper and little quill from her bag and jotted down her first and last name and her address in Hogsmede. "You can send me an owl sometime... for a date or if Arabella just wants to see a princess." Beth cracked a little smile.

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

For a moment after Arabella scurried off to the restroom, the tension seemed to lift. But it only took a second to return, as Beth decided to indicate that she was both single and interested. If he was sure that he actually wanted to date, he would've immediately taken her up on the offer, but, as it was, his only interest in dating was to ensure that Arabella had a suitable female figure in her life when she needed one. He didn't want to lead Bethany on. But here she was scrawling her name and address on a piece of paper so that he could contact her later.

"Right... Bethany... uhm... Beth... I don't want you to take this the wrong way," he started, mentally kicking himself. That was always the wrong way to start something. It put people on the offensive. But it was already out of his mouth. "It's just... I loved Arabella's mother very much. And I'm not... sure if I'm ready for... you know, the... dating scene." It was true enough, and he followed it up with an apologetic smile. "But I can assure you that when I am, you'll get the first owl." He was surprised to find that that was also true. It might have been the easy way she got along with his daughter or simply the fact that she was undeniably beautiful. Either way, though, he was sure that he'd be seeing her again.

[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Bethany blushed a little. She totally understood what he was saying of course, it made perfect sense, and she wasn't offended, she was just a little embarrassed after putting herself out there. "Of course, I totally understand." She said. Beth almost reached out to touch his arm to assure him and then realized that would only make things worse, so she just used her hands to gesture that it was fine. "I uh, just wanted to let you know." Things had taken an awkward turn and she found herself hoping the little girl was coming back soon. Not because she didn't like Charles, but because it was just a strange situation. Arabella was the reason the three of them were together.

"Well Arabella can write me anytime if she wants." She said. Of course, could five year olds read or write? Maybe a really smart one...Whatever, it was a way of making things slightly less awkward. And thankfully, the food arrived and she busied herself in her salad.

[CHARLES EDWARD PALMER]

He'd hated to turn her down, and Charles hated even more the way that it changed the atmosphere. At once, things were no longer comfortable. In fact, they were very awkward, and he wasn't sure if he should try to speak or leave things as they were. Fortunately, he didn't have to make that decision because the waiter arrived with their food. Bethany's attention focused on her salad, and a moment later, Arabella rejoined them. She smoothed her napkin over her lap again and watched Beth for a moment before following her example and spearing a bit of lettuce with her fork.

Arabella wasn't good at silence, so a couple of bites later, she was talking again. "Princess Beth should come over some time," she told her father, nodding emphatically in support of her idea. "We can have a sleepover! And she can share my bed!" Charles very nearly choked on his lunch. Arabella was certainly full of ideas today. "Don't you think she's a bit big for your bed, sweetheart?" he asked her, trying to figure out how to steer them back toward a less awkward conversation. "But Princess Bethany wouldn't mind!" she insisted. "You wouldn't mind, would you Princess Beth?"

[BETHANY ANNE HEAVENSBEE]

Beth laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "I think your dad is right, I'd be too big to fit in your bed." Of course, she might have a huge bed, but she had no idea. However, she couldn't totally crush the girl's dreams, or imply that she'd be sleeping in their house after the awkward moment about dating she'd had with Charles. "But maybe sometime if your dad needs a baby sitter, you can come stay at my house." Her bed was big enough. Or she could always sleep on his couch while he was working but maybe he'd like some time alone for once and she'd be happy to watch Arabella, even if they had just met.

Their main courses arrived and Beth started to cut up her fish and chips, steam rising from the flaky soft meat of the fish. She put a bit in her mouth and chewed delicately. It occurred to her while Bella might think her a princess, she did have good table manners... Beth made sure to eat her salad too since Charlie would hardly complain about his daughter eating veggies.