Topic: .(i'm not crazy); just going insane

[Xaver]

"Dad."

Cody's voice made only a slight impression, through the thick, lazy haze of sleep, and Xaver grunted, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Dad.."

Xaver grunted again, and folded his arms under his head, rolling onto his belly, where he was laying in the middle of the living room. Cody climbed up onto his back, a small leg brushing either side of his ribs, and messed his hands through his father's dark, lush hair.

"DAAAADDD!"

"Cody, I can hear you.." Xaver mumbled, wincing as Cody rapped on his head with his knuckles. Gently, but the spot smarted after a moment.

"Then get up, sleepy-head! You promised!"
"I said-"
"You said today. TOOdayyy."

Xaver turned his head slightly, peering up at his son, sitting on his back, through one opened eye. He frowned, wolfishly.
"If I got some sleep, I said."
"But you've been sleeping off and on all day!" Cody whined.

He was right - much unlike himself, Xaver had been crashing, falling asleep, all over the house.
He was exhausted.
He'd taken a day to run to his realm, and work.
And work.
  And work.

Cody hopped up and down on his back, and Xaver sighed, then rolled, toppling Cody off of him, and attacking his sides, tickling him. Cody beamed, giggled, then screamed.
"Stop! Stoooooppp, okay, ok!"

Xaver let him go, settling on his knees with a chuckle as Cody scampered to his feet, and hid around the couch.
"Get dressed, you silly bird. And hurry up, alright?"

All he got was a boyish giggle, and the sound of footfalls as Cody bounded down the hall, and into his room.

[Ginny Weasly]

As Cody was running back the hall, Ginny was emerging from it, and had to move quickly to avoid colliding with Cody. She carried a large clothes basket in her arms, she had been doing chores since she had woken up. She often neglected housework until the very last moment, until she couldn't handle the mss anymore.

She glanced at Cody's back as she set the basket on the couch, and looked at Xaver with an eyebrow raised high beneath the hair that had fallen out of her hairtie. "What is that about?"

[Xaver]

"Told 'em we'd get some hot cocoa and candy in Hogsmeade today, sometime last week, I guess."

Xaver grinned up at her, from where he knelt on the livingroom floor. He rose, slowly, and moved to her, plucking the huge basket out of her arms and holding it under one of his easily, over his hip. He smiled slightly, and made toward the laundry room.

"I think I'm in over my head."

He made a low growl as he yawned, lazily bumping open the door.

[Ginny Weasly]

"You know it. He's going to squeeze every last thing from you that he can." Ginny followed him, her giggles light. She shook her head slightly in amusment.

"I swear, between you and his grandparents, he's going to be deathly spoiled!" She laughed again, as she began the washing machine. As she put soap in it, she smiled, "He's excited though...and happy..."

[Xaver]

Xaver passed a scowl, through his grin.
"Come now, I don't spoil him much."

He didn't, really. He didn't think, anyway.
Xaver beamed at Ginny, before fighting off another yawn. He turned slightly, and began shoveling clothes into the washer.

"He's always excited. And happy."

Xaver envied that, slightly. He, himself, was too mellow a creature, anymore.

All the bouncy qualities had been ruthlessly beaten out of him.

[Ginny Weasly]

"I hope he always stays that way. Always happy." Ginny smiled at him as she helped him put the clothes into the washer. They were side by side, their arms brushing now and then, but it was nice. It made Ginny happy, because a few years ago, she would have given anything to have been this close to him.

"What mother doesn't want that for her child?"

[Xaver]

"M-"
Xaver bit back his reply.

"With you around, he'll remain in his ways," he said quietly.
He looked at her, through the corner of his eye, and smiled very slightly, nodding his head.

They finished loading the clothes, and Xaver set the basket up on a shelf, stretching his arms high into the air afterword, grunting, as he sighed.

"Spring cleaning, or whatever they call it, are we, my love? It's a little early.. Snow's still falling."

[Ginny Weasly]

"Hadn't noticed." Ginny's dry sarcastic reply was coupled with a small laugh. She smiled at him, placing the basket out of the way as she stepped from the laundry room, "Not exactly spring cleaning. Just catching up on the winter cleaning I avoided..."

She shrugged, smirking at him, "I get lazy sometimes."

[Xaver]

"Mmm.."

Xaver dropped his arms with a heavy sigh, and in one step was behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her back snugly against him, bowing his face into her hair.

"I like to think I'm responsible for your being distracted. I do so love to be lazy with you."

[Ginny Weasly]

Ginny put her arms over his, chuckling, "Of course you like to think that. But maybe you are the last thing on my thoughts, hm?" She teased him gently.

He ws always on her thoughts, as was Cody. They meant everything to her.

[Xaver]

"Psh. You lie, woman."
He grinned at her, and pressed his lips to her cheek, hugging her close, before releasing her, stepping away, and to the fridge, withdrawing a carton, and swirling the contents slightly.

"But as long as I'm still on your thoughts, I suppose."

Xaver winked at her, getting a glass out of the cupboard, and pouring himself some orange juice.
He was returning the carton to the fridge, when Cody sounded in the hall, making his way toward them.

[Ginny Weasly]

Ginny laughed at him, "Who'd want to think of you?" She stuck her tounge out as she heard Cody and then grinned at him. She swiftly took a step forward and kissed his lips before stepping back into place. All before Cody had taken three more steps.

"Hey, before you go, can I give you a list of things to pick up while you are there?" She didn't know why she asked, she knew he would.

[Xaver]

Xaver grinned wickedly, warmth spreading through him from the press of her kiss. He poked out his tongue at her when she stepped back, eyes glittering in amusement over his glass as he took a sip. He nodded, leaning back against the counter as Cody bounded into the kitchen not slowing down once until he crashed into Xaver's legs, wrapping his arms tightly around them.

Xaver looked down at him with a bemused expression, not having moved much of an inch, and shook his head.

"Sure, love. I think we can make time. I know one of us will have the energy, anyway."

Xaver winked at her, nodding to Cody, and chugged down the rest of his orange juice, then waved his hand. The glass was polished, cleaned, and put away before one could blink, without the slightest noticable stirr of magic. Too tired to bother doing it by hand.

"I have to make another trip, though, to my realm, after. I should be in by early morning."

He said it quietly, almost bitterly, the fact of the business not in the slight appealing to him.

[Ginny Weasly]

"Morning...?" Ginny's face fell slightly, but she hid it quickly. She could tell he didn't want to go as much as she didn't want him to go. But being away from him the whole night wasn't something that appealed to her.

Instead, she changed the subject, "Just some of the basics...break, milk, fruit..." She went to a drawer and pulled out a pen and scrap paper, writing down a few of the things they needed.

[Xaver]

"I'll try to make it early early morning. If I can," he said softly, understanding her disappointment in the way he related so closely to it.

It was only half past eight in the morning, then, and he didn't expect he'd leave to his realm until at least one..

Xaver bent over, and pried Cody from his leg, hoisting him up, so he sat on his shoulders, either leg draped around his neck, setting his hands onto his head. Cody said nothing, oddly, and wrapped his arms around Xaver's forehead, planting his chin atop his head, smiling at his mom.
Xaver's own hands resting over Cody's feet, he sighed, quietly, watching, waiting, patiently, as Ginny wrote her list.