Much Needed Downtime

[Xaver]

"Some people, yes. There is no denying that."
Xaver frowned.
"But why do you think I would do that?"

[Ginny Weasly]

Cody stopped walking only a foot or so away. He looked up at Xaver, trying hard to keep his small face impassive. He couldn't help but look anxious as his eyes passed over Ginny.
"I don't know you," Cody said, with a slight shrug.

Ginny didn't say anything for a moment, then mumbled into Xaver's shirt, "Cody, you have nothing to fear. Your father would never trick you."

[Xaver]

"That's true, isn't it?..."

Xaver ran his hand up and down Ginny's back, for a moment, before twirling his fingers in the lower strands of her hair, thoughtful.

"I have given you advice and loved you - but what have I really shown you of myself, besides a little strength, here and there?"

He looked at him.

"I will not trick you. ..What would you like to know?"

[Ginny Weasly]

Cody opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, "How old are you?" He had heard from his mom that Xaver was very old by their time standerds, but he looked about the same age as her.

Ginny stepped back from Xaver, ducking out of his arms and going back to the breakfast, which was now burned black. Without saying anything, she carried the black food to a garbage can and dumped it.

[Xaver]

Xaver eyed Ginny, as she stepped away from him both thoughtful, and almost longing, before he looked back to Cody, and nodded, more to himself. He leaned against the counter, trying to produce an air of casual.. but, Xaver just wasn't a very good liar around those he cared about. And that was putting it lightly.

"I am in body twenty-one human years old."
He looked at him.
Most people never asked Xaver questions about himself.
"I am four-thousand fifteen in my years. Three of mine equal one of yours. By the seasons."

[Ginny Weasly]

Cody furrowed his brow, thinking. He decided to just accept it and ask his next question, "What was your parents names?" He turned his head to the side. These were tester questions to him.

Ginny watched them, her face expressionless. The two most important people in the world.

[Xaver]

Xaver almost smiled at his son's expression.
If you thought about it - no, it didn't make sense.
So most never thought about it much.

He was slightly taken aback by Cody's next question.
Nobody.
Not even Ginny - had asked him that.

"My father's name was Darxev. ..My mother's was Melodiey.."
Xaver smiled, very slightly, to himself. Enjoying a personal memory that even he, could barely understand.
"My mother was very melodious, too. From what I remember of her.."

[Ginny Weasly]

Cody paused, imagining the grandparents he never knew, "What were they like?"

Ginny looked at Xaver now, remembering a comment he had once made about his father.

[Xaver]

Xaver was thoughtful for a moment looking as he truly was - remembering those select memories for the first time, in a long while.

"My mother, before she became ill... She was brilliant. And gorgeous, too, just like your mom. She didn't know it, either. Our kingdom made it through many a very tough years because of her kindness, and care.. She never took much to the lifestyle she'd married into - and that, I think, is how people related to her. And it was how I was raised. She was very strong-willed in equality, even though she'd never really been of commonplace, herself. Equality, and to whatever justice she could convince.. She wasn't perfect, or anything, but she was Mom. And she was the only semblance of home I ever knew, until Hogwarts. And then until here. Until our home. ...Now that I think about it, Kylie was like her mirror image, despite the black hair.."

Xaver glanced at Ginny, seeing she was watching him, too.
He never really spoke about himself. Not too much.
And he felt awkward - but comfortable, as only he could be with them.
His family.


"My father was the opposite."
His tones hardened slightly, and he looked away from both of them for a moment.
"I to this day do not understand how a sort of... floaty person that mother was, could have married him. I remember little of him besides that scowl..."
Speaking ill of Lord Darxev seemed to be even more odd to Xaver.
"He was very intelligent. Clever. Powerful. Though he preferred to use his brute force, instead of anything else. There was no such thing as gentility with him, and Kylie often saw the end of that side, despite ..my efforts.."
He shook that away.
"He married my Mum, though - so he had something in him... All I know, is - I never want to look that tired."

[Ginny Weasly]

Cody nodded, already knowing of Kylie. Ginny had told him a story once about his passed aunt, describing her as a beautiful little princess who loved candy. He smiled at Xaver, "What was your home like?"

[Xaver]

All these questions.

Xaver found he liked it, that Cody was interested.
But, he wasn't sure into how much detail he should go..


"My home? How do you mean?"

[Ginny Weasly]

"When you were little, where you lived. Was it nice? Was it cold? Was it pretty?" Cody fired the questions off quickly, bouncing a little.

Ginny smiled a little, watching his enthusiam.

[Xaver]

"Cold, most of the time. ..I don't think it's in our nature to be too fond of the heat, anyway. And yes.. The countryside, and there was, and still is, a vast majority of it, is beautiful.."
Xaver thought for a moment.
"Think.. Of a circle. That's the way the town is generally shaped. The enormous ...what do you call it here? K.. Castle, I think? Not really the word, but... The general idea. That thing.. Where the King, and Queen, and us of that descent made home - though, really, I can't recall a true full week that I spent within the confines of those walls. It was never a home. Now, it is used for all public things. The bed quarters in the upper stories are still personal and closed off, but all the enormous ballrooms, and things of the sort have been renovated into court-rooms, storage-rooms, meeting halls, and so on... What was a village is now very much a city. Tall, and angular.. Most every building is built of of a soft white stone - it's abundant, there - and the tone is rather softening to the history, I suppose..."

Off on a bit of a tangent, Xaver smiled, finally, and stopped.

"What I remember most, though.. Is the trees. In the forest, past a few miles of meadow... There, are the tallest trees I have ever seen. Quite good for kids' games, when we could get away."

Xaver shrugged.

[Ginny Weasly]

Cody gapped at Xaver, enjoying the description. Finally, he grinned, and instead of asking another question he said, "I'm hungry!"

Ginny smirked at Xaver, "If there is no other way to tell, that shows me he is truly your son."

[Xaver]

Xaver chuckled, and grinned slightly.

"You remember, than, humm, Love?"