*^*No, Bad Dog *^*

[Xaver]

Xaver couldn't help the feeling of being rooted to the floor when Molly Weasley stepped outside the hospital room, his gaze beyond her, searching, even as she shut the door.
His handsome features remained passive, though his heart was drumming a bruise into the underside of his ribs.

Molly shifted, bringing up her hands as she tried to relax Ginny, and Xaver wrapped his arm, naturally, around the slender red head's waist, pulling Ginny close into an affectionate, strong squeeze, though his own insecurity was building.


Xaver hated hospitals.
It had much to do with being an empath, more than anything.
He could feel the atomosphere - littered with pain, and old age, and sorrow. It was enough to bring the unknowing to a state of discomfort. For Xaver - he knew that, even carefully sheilded, he wouldn't last long, in control, in the place.

[Ginny Weasly]

Molly clasped her hands together, "Ginny, what was that energy thing you've been teaching him?" She asked, peering at her only daughter.

Ginny's body stiffened, "An energy blast," She said lowly, "He didn't...no, tell me he didn't try one on his own, Mum!" Immediately, she began to feel guilty. She'd taught Cody how to form pure energy into a visible ball, or blast.
He still wasn't very good at controlling it, and the slightest thing caused him to lose his concentration. When someone can't control that enormous amount of energy, it usually blows up on them. It can be fatal.
"Mum, tell me Cody is ok."

Molly shifted her feet, "Well..."

"Just say my baby is ok, Mum. Please." Ginny heard herself begging, and didn't care. She leaned against Xaver fully now, her eyes on her mother.

Molly nodded, "He's in better condition than he was at first--"

Ginny's body sagged with relief and she held up her hand, cutting off her mother's words.
"I just want to see him..." She said softly.

Molly nodded, "He was asleep when I came out here." She told them, turning and opening the door. Ginny let her hand slip from Xaver's, walking to the door determined to see her child. Once inside, she practically tiptoed to the bed, where Cody lay.

In his left hand was an IV, but that was simply saline. His eyes were closed, and he was sleeping peacefully, his head tilted to one side slightly. His mouth was part way open, and he made small noises now and then. Ginny looked down at his right arm, which was covered in burns from the energy blast. Her heart caught in her throat and she sat on the edge of the bed. She smoothed Cody's hair from his face, and he moved under her touch.
In his sleep, he murmured, "Momma, Daddy..."

"Shh, angel. Momma's hear, baby." Ginny said softly, still stroking his hair.

[Xaver]

For a long moment, as Ginny released his hand, and slipped into the room, Xaver was still. Rocking back on his heels, and looking as uncertain as he felt. His gaze was solemn, following her trail, before flickering to Molly - unease coursing through his belly. Slowly, he followed in Ginny's wake, actually having to work at keeping quiet - his nerves making him clumbsy as he ever was.
Cody's voice stirred his heart to life, and Xaver moved to the foot of the boy's bed, a relieved, gentle smile touching the swell of his mouth, sweetly, though his gaze remained haunted. He looked around for a moment, taking in the linoleum flooring, and the waxy white paint spread unevenly over the walls, though a normal man might have missed it. Watching, curiously, the ticking machines - many of which Cody wasn't even connected to - his dark orbs both curious, and confused, his brow furrowing slightly.

Xaver didn't know the first thing about human machines.
Magically enhanced, or not.

Most of the things in the room, the Fallen had never even seen before.


He looked down at Cody, and his ocean blues once more softened, his handsome head tipping to the side slightly, even as he shook his head.
"You're even better at scaring your mother than I am, Bear."
The corners of his mouth lifted, though the lines about his eyes were still written over with worry..

[Ginny Weasly]

Cody shifted, opening one eyes and awaking for the most part. He smiled slightly, "Hi Dad. Hi Mom." He looked at Ginny, his smile falling, "Someone yelled and I lost control Mom. I'm sorry." He told her, obviously upset that he hadn't been able to control his energy.

Ginny kept smoothing his hair, "Hush, Angel." She leaned down, kissing his forehead. "It's not your fault."
Her's. It was her's. Yet another thing to add to that list.

Cody looked to Xaver, a smile growing back as he was told he scared his mother more than his Dad did.
"I don't try to out do you, Dad. I'm just that good." he joked.

[Xaver]

For a moment, laughter touched Xaver's gaze.
Trying to ignore the situation.
Trying to ignore the possible state of the boy's condition.
The boy could still have a sense of humor, despite the odds...
If only for a moment.
"Talent, I suppose."

His eyes moved over Ginny, knowing the self-critical line of her thoughts, even if he couldn't, or chose not to, read them.
Wishing she wouldn't.
Wishing she didn't, blame herself...
..Not knowing what to do, about it.

[Ginny Weasly]

"I spent more time knowing her nightmares than you did." Cody said, smiling. He wasn't trying to throw it in his dad's face. He was stating the truth. He knew Ginny's fears better than anyone.

Ginny bit her lip, "Baby, maybe you should sleep." She looked down at his burnt arm, swallowing around a lump in her throat. Her baby was hurt, badly. Because she had taught him advanced magic. "I'm sorry, Angel." She told him.

Cody stopped in his laughter, narrowing his eyes as he was confused.
"What? Why are you sorry Mom?"

Ginny shook her head, kissing his forehead again, "Never mind it. Just go to sleep, ok?"

Cody sighed, slumping back against his pillows, "I've been sleeping since I got here, Mom. A good half hour."
He watched her suspiciously, suddenly noticing the all too recent tear tracks on her cheeks. Her red, swollen eyes. She'd been crying, and by the look of it for a while.

[ChoChangHP118]

(Wow. Ignore me, I'm just gonna keep up with this thread because it is really good.)

[Ginny Weasly]

((Well, I'm glad your still reading at least.  ;)))

[Xaver]

Xaver became still at Cody's reply, and became silent. His mouth pressed into a thin line as Cody and Ginny spoke, his dark gaze flickering over the boy. Assessing the damage..
As if knowingly.
As if the sheets and bandages were no veil at all to what lay beneath..

He blinked as Cody moved, frowning.

[Ginny Weasly]

Cody leaned back, his narrowed eyes taking in every aspect of his mother's disheveled appearance. He looked to Xaver next, noting how he too looked a bit ragged. After a long tense moment, his look of suspicion turned to one of surprise. And then one of suffering sadness.
"You guys had a fight, didn't you?"
He sounded so...disappointed.

Ginny's face lost all expression, and she blinked a few times. But instead of agreeing with him, or even disagreeing, she stood, smoothing the front of her shirt.
"I'm going to speak to the doctor. We need to let him know that you aren't fully human.
She gave Xaver a pointed look, meaning that she didn't want Cody to know of their fight. Then she left the room, in search of Cody's doctor.

Cody however, brushed aside the hint and looked directly at his father.
"You guys aren't supposed to fight." He accused his father, "You made Mom cry."

[Xaver]

"You guys had a fight, didn't you?"


Blue orbs flickered upward, the dark, moody depths of a gaze far more intuitive than ever given credit, rather shuttered. His very creature at odds, within, with everything and more that he didn't even understand.. Everything, besides the true adoration of Ginny, and of his son. An almost tame sense of gentility creased the corners of his eyes, though a wildness pounded beneath his ribs.
His heart stuttering, as Ginny cast him a fierce gaze, and excused herself away.

Xaver rocked back onto his heels, falling into a more set stance, the bredth of his shoulders taut as the chords of tense muscle streaming down his back.
He denied nothing.

"How are your injuries?"

Blatantly ignoring the question.
Very Xaver-like.

[Ginny Weasly]

"Dad." Cody pulled the word out, leaning forward with the weight of it. He searched his father's eyes, suddenly looking very afraid.
"Are you leaving again, Dad? For how long?" He sounded upset, "Can't we go with you?"

His mind jumped to another possibility, "Wait, you guys are still getting married, right?"
He bit his lip, a nervous habit picked up from his mother.

[Xaver]

Xaver's heart pulled, the pounding beat that sang in his eardrums hiccuping with a mix of surprise, tenderness, and aching remorse. Cody's words taking him slightly off guard, though the underlying frustration and self-disgust that raked through him quickly overlapped as much. Cody drummed at him quickly, and Xaver let him, waiting until a long pause, before he slowly shook his head.

"I'm not going anywhere, Codium."
His low, lilted octaves were heavy with both emotion, and the seriousness of his assurance.

His feet padding soundless over the floor, Xaver leaned onto the side of Cody's bed, leaning slightly over the boy, and running a hand through the boy's thick locks. Missing, briefly, his own hair, and the sense of normalcy.

"If your mother will have me, of course we will be getting married. Nothing has changed enough for that. Though, your healing up will have to be the first step in getting the show on the road. Nothing goes on 'till you're one-hundred percent."

Xaver tried a smile, though he was as good at forcing them, as lying.
And the Fallen lord was in no way, a liar.
..Though he sometimes pushed the truth, or simply avoided it altogether. Beating around the bush.

[Ginny Weasly]

Cody relaxed as his father's hand touched his hair, and he nodded.
"Okay, dad." He said, his voice sounding rather shaky. He moved his arm, then winced as it throbbed with pain.

"My arm feels like it's on fire." He complained quietly, "Don't tell Mom, but it hurts really bad."

[Xaver]

Xaver's strumming heart eased slightly, as Cody's head bobbed in acknowledgement, though the pounding returned sharply, and he tensed when the boy winced.

"..On fire?.."
His head tipped to the side, slightly.
His gaze intense.
"Have you healed on your own noticibly, at all?"

He tried to be as impersonal as he could.
Tried not to remember it was his child, hurting.
Not his boy..

The though was almost too much to bear.