Black [Theodore Nott]

Chapter 20

Seventeen Months Later
May 2003

Carina fidgeted as she waited for what could change her life. Sitting beside her, Maisie, held her hands to stop her from biting her nails from agitation, they've been waiting for what seemed forever now, and every passing second felt like years.

"Worrying won't do anything, Carina, just relax." Charity said.

"What are you worried about anyway?" Maisie asked.

"A lot of things." Carina nervously chuckled. "Like, how will this affect me, my job, Theodore."

Maisie and her mother shared a knowing look. About a few days ago, when Carina visited her childhood home, Carina fainted while setting the table, which caused the two women to panic, they both helped Carina to the couch and healed the cuts she got from the shards. Once she woke up, Carina was told about what happened and was asked by Charity to stay in their home until she felt better. It only after a few hours of rest, Carina felt fine, and insisted that she get back to her flat, and even though Charity did not want to leave Carina alone with her current state, she allowed her to leave, only if she promised to call them if something happened again.

And something did. The following morning, while she was talking with Theodore and cooking breakfast, Carina suddenly felt sick and ran out of the kitchen and to the bathroom, and suddenly threw up all the contents of her stomach. She stayed there at the bathroom floor for awhile, trying to collect herself, and forgot about Theodore, who she left at the kitchen, calling out for her, worried about her suddenly running off. At first she thought that it was just some flu that she just asked Charity if she could make some of her special soup to get her better, but after a few more morning-puking, and constantly getting dizzy due to the smell of food (one time when she was at Twelve Grimmauld Place, she ran out of the kitchen where Harry was cooking dinner and threw up at the bathroom, which offended Harry a bit, "Is it really that bad?"), she finally thought of telling Charity and Maisie about it, and immediately, the two women thought of the possibility, which she thought was impossible, and at the same time, not so impossible.

"It's time!" Charity said, jumping out of her seat.

"Merlin, let this be good." Carina sighed.

"But, what is good, Carina?" Maisie asked.

Carina paused for a moment. What was good? Was it good if she found the test to be a negative? Or was it good if the test was positive?

Charity got back to the living room with the Muggle test in her hands. The woman's look made Carina's face pale even more, and if possible, her heart dropping down to where her stomach was.

"What is it?" Carina asked.

With pursed lips, Charity handed the test to Carina. Carina's hands trembled when she held the test, she could bring herself to look at the result, but with Maisie's reassuring hold on her, she got back her Gryffindor courage and looked at the test result.

"Positive." Maisie read.

Silence came to the room. A silence that Charity and Maisie didn't know if it was a good one or a bad one, since Carina was still frozen at her spot, but when they heard a chuckle with a mix of a sob come from Carina, they both knew that it was a good sign.

"Is this even..." Carina turned to Charity with a smile.

"Yes, love, it is." Charity said.

Carina let out a breathy chuckle, she turned to Maisie, who had misty eyes and a smile on her face.