don't be shy ((ginny))

If they were going to be in each other's life forever, outside of the standard press relationship, they'd have to learn to at least tolerate each other for the grandchild's sake. Edith had spoken to Ginny and Harry a couple of times since the news broke, but it was obvious which of the two she needed to forge something amiable the most. They already had rough relations from when they both did their share of quidditch-related reporting. Now they were going to become grandmothers at incredibly young ages. It had been a rather stressful time for Edith as she did what she could to ensure the rest of the journalism industry didn't get their hands on her eldest daughter. There was no way she was letting her contemporaries hound Evelyn when she'd be joining the profession in a few years herself.

She had sent Ginny a message to meet her at Urban Cup Cafe for some drinks and pastries. Due to its more pretentious reputation, it would feel more confidential and personal without resorting to visiting each other's residences. Edith sat at a table farther away from the door and windows as she stirred a bit of sugar into her tea. The seating in here was, well, peculiar. It wasn't everyday when one of the better seating options looked as if it was stolen from an ancient castle. At least she could feel like a queen considering the circumstances...

@Ginny Potter

It would be the first time she had met up with Edith Grayson in a casual sense. Although Ginny was always friendly and accommodating of Edith and her press, she also worked tirelessly to ensure her children were spared a lot of the attention they received. There were times in the past where she had to get a legal team to help her, and sometimes she regretted ever allowing the press to take photos of them, or get statements from them. They were children after all. All of them had been affected by it in their own way, but particularly James.

That's why she was nervous. She would have to filter her words. She couldn't just be herself.

The setting wasn't somewhere Ginny would have chosen, but it was nice to see people welcoming her to their cafe. She gave a cheery smile to them. Then, crossing the floor, she spotted Edith's blow dry very distinctly.

"Hello Edith," she said happily, as though they had been doing this for years. She caught a chair with her hip as she sat down. "How are you doing now?" In other words - has it sunk in yet?

@Edith Grayson

"Hello, Ginny," she greeted with a small smile as she stirred more sugar into her tea; Edith was going to need the energy and sweetness if she wanted this to go well enough. Edith typically took her tea straight and more on the decaffeinated side, but she needed the kick as of late, and she wasn't going to succumb to coffee if she could help it. Edith ran on coffee the earliest years of her daughters' lives, and she vowed to never let herself reach that point again.

Taking a sip, she thought for a moment before responding, "I've been all right. I've been working on arranging all of the appointments for Evelyn so she wouldn't have to worry about setting them up herself. She's been focused on her studies, as you are aware." If only the same could be said about James from all of the anecdotes she heard over the years... "How about you?"

@Ginny Potter

Ginny couldn't help noticing her tone when she spoke about Evelyn concentrating on her studies. It was very much my child has far more sensible priorities than yours. However, on the outside, she appeared just the same: her eyes browsed over the menu items and she curled her tongue inside of her cheek, wondering what she fancied.

"I've been worried about both of them, I can't deny that. Harry keeps trying to tell me that everything will be all right, but it's so difficult to imagine our children being anything but that - children."

Don't get tearful in front of her. Don't get tearful in front of her.

She looked back at the menu.

"I think I'll get a pot of tea and a scone - clotted cream and jam. Sounds delicious." She smiled up at her, then alerted a waitress to take her order.

"Evelyn is a very brave and headstrong girl, but I know that she must be very scared about it. James is scared too. He might not show it, but I can tell that he is."

@Edith Grayson

"I know how Evelyn feels since I had her straight out of Hogwarts..."

And she spent the past 16 years trying so hard to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes! Where did she fail? Edith was coming to terms with her baby having a baby, but she really wished Evelyn said something earlier. if she did, maybe everyone involved would be feeling a lot better about the situation...

It was hard for her to not feel at least a little snarky towards James for getting her daughter into this, but she had to accept the fact that they both could've backed out at any time and didn't. "She is. She hid it for months out of fear... How's James doing? When I saw him last, he looked awful!"

@Ginny Potter

How long ago was that, she wondered, as her tea and scone arrived. She immediately took a bite of it, feeling the tension had mounted up to the point where she needed to occupy herself with something. Usually that something was food with times like these.

"He's been doing a lot better," Ginny was proud to say, taking a sip of her tea. "He's looking healthier, from what he's told me and going by what his cousins are saying, he really is making an effort to kick all his bad habits for the sake of this child. I- I never expected him to show such maturity, he being a child himself. But he has. He really has changed a great deal, for the better."

If that wasn't enough to reassure Edith, she didn't really know what else to say. Perhaps she just needed to see him.

"I never knew that his dependencies were so intense. I'd just thought he was... going a bit wild, as teenagers do, so I do regret not having put a stop to it sooner. I just know he will start making better choices from now on."

@Edith Grayson

He was doing better and making a serious effort to kick the habit? She would have to see it to believe it, but murmurs of it were enough to provide some reassurance. Edith was going to have to find out what both of their plans are now that there was time for the news to settle down.

"That's very good to hear, Ginny. Has that translated to his schoolwork any? I'm sure you've received countless letters about his skipping over the years..."

Edith took another sip of her tea before adding yet another spoonful of sugar. "Is he known for being secretive about his antics?"

From the impression she got over the years, James appeared to be more forthcoming to Ginny.

@Ginny Potter