Graduation Beyond Naiveté

Her little announcement to Declan earned her a squeeze, and she was sure he would later bring it up, a confirmation that she had truly meant the word and all of its implications, not just said it to expedite an explanation. Despite the dreary nature of their visit, a slight glow touched her cheeks.

Teddy, however, was not nearly as thrilled as Dom seemed to be. He had tons of grading to get through and an important meeting later that afternoon, but Dom had that ability to pull out those big 'you-are-our-only-hope' eyes, and it had been so long since any family member had called upon him, that he couldn't help but feel an obligation to let the couple in, eyeing the little girl with curiosity.

Teddy brought their over to the table, glancing towards Dom as she brought up Jag, the belgian shepherd that had been waiting in the backyard for months for its owner to return for him. Teddy smiled and said, "Jag would love some company, actually. There's some toys in a bin out there. He loves fetch." The dog had become a lovely companion to him, sleeping on the floor next to his bed at nights and waiting to eat dinner with him. But since he had been working at Hogwarts, the neighbor had been taking care of Jag, and Teddy hated to feel like the dog might be lacking company. A little girl for a quick visit would cheer the dog right up.

With her gone, Declan tested the waters and Dom nodded, glancing towards him. "When we went to Ilvermorny, Declan was electrocuted by a ward. And since then," she said, slowing as she looked towards him, not wanting to take over too much, "he's been having nightmares. And, last night, he was sleepwalking. He cut himself with a knife, thinking he was cooking."

"Interesting," Teddy said, settling down at the kitchen table as his eyebrows met. "How much sleep have you been getting? And are there any physical symptoms you've been feeling? Migraines, or nausea?"

Discomfort was undoubtedly plain on Declan's face and in the way his muscles all seemed to tighten up once they started discussing him and his issues. So he clung on to her hand as he did his best to listen to Teddy. This man didn't seem like the sort to talk about his patients, but it didn't really save Declan the anxiety.

He had to re-settle himself in his chair and clear his throat before he could bring himself to respond.

"Um, not much. Sleep, I mean. This week has been worse than normal in some ways, and better in others. I do get headaches," he determined as his forehead creased with the effort of discussing it all and trying to remember. "But only after I've been trying to remember something. I seem to keep misplacing things and- I don't know. I never did that before. the sleepwalking is the worst."

He glanced towards Dom. "It happens more than she knows about." His free hand came up to rub at the back of his head, just behind his ear. "I mean, there's the obvious stuff, like not being a fan of lightning and whatnot, but it's mostly the sleep and memory problems, I think."

Dom rubbed a thumb across the back of Declan's hand, aware that the situation must be difficult for him. He had hardly wanted to tell her his problems, and now he was having to unpack all of his issues in front of Teddy. He had met her cousin of a few occasions but that hardly meant they had any sort of relationship. She was sure he would get tired of hearing it later, when she couldn't help but remind him, but she was proud of him for stepping out to take care of himself.

(And she did know that he only did it because she had made a stink. She'd make sure she made it up to him.)

Teddy vaguely remembered hearing about Declan's injuries, but he had assumed that those involved in the extraction had ensured he had some sort of medical treatment. If he was still affected, it could be any number of things, some of which weren't at all good. His face certainly expressed this dark concern, a frown tugging at his lips. "That could be major. St. Mungo's would probably-"

"Do just as well as you," Dom said smoothly, hitching on meaningful grin onto her lips. "Besides, have you tried making an appointment there?"

She didn't have to make her point any clearer. They wanted discretion. Teddy nodded, though his worry was still present. He cleared his throat. "I have... a book. I think it covers effects of certain types of wards. Do you mind?"

Dom shook her head, smiling. "Not at all." Teddy stood and walked out of the room, the cogs clearly turning in his head. Dom turned to look at Declan, placing her other hand on top of his and let out a small sigh. "You okay?"

Major. It could be major. Declan's inability to sleep and his forgetfulness and headaches could be-

Dom cut in, likely trying to save him from something he hadn't heard. Declan didn't remember Teddy from any of her family's gatherings, but the man in front of him could as well have given Declan a sentence of two months. Maybe less.

Declan turned his chin towards the door. Anette. She needed better help than him, than someone who might forget to meet her after she asked to roam Diagon Alley as if the world was safe. As if he were safe. That brave little girl deserved more, and he decided right then to follow Henry's advice and seek out her parents with the Ministry's help. It would be disappointing to go without her, but it was the correct thing to do. Declan couldn't decide if it was the right one, though.

It might have helped if Dom had reached for his face. As it were, he needed a few moments to recognize the question was for him. Clearing his throat, he looked back at his girlfriend. The woman he had loved through everything and couldn't stop loving through all of this. She wanted to make him okay, and he wanted to be okay for her now when he had retreated so strongly the night before.

It was lucky she couldn't read his mind.

"Sorry, I was thinking that Ant must be having a great deal more fun than we are." A gentle smile.

He lifted a hand to her cheek before leaning in to kiss her forehead. "I'm fine, my love. Just want to see what your friend knows, so we can try to fix this. Why? I thought I was being quite good about it. I'm trying to be. I know he doesn't need my frustration about work. But, I'm fine, Dom. Really. I can handle it."

She watched him carefully, feeling a little distant considering the circumstances. As much as she wanted to be apart of the solution and support Declan, at the end of the day it was his problem. She couldn't take that from him. However it would affect her, and considering their proclamations from the night before she planned on being around long enough for that too happen, it would be worse for him tenfold. He would struggle through it firsthand, and she'd be the stranded bystander, helpless to do anything but remind him she was there for him.

A smile flickered onto her face at his words and she gave in to his gesture, allowing him to place a kiss on her forehead, squeezing his hand. Her eyes searched his, sensing something darker behind his words, but she couldn't figure out if it was just her fears about what Teddy could turn up. "Nothing is beyond solution," she said, her face serious. "C'mon," she said, jiggling his hand and trying to tempt a smile from his lips. "We saved two whole schools. Nothing can beat us."

But looks where we are now.

Teddy's timing was impeccable, arriving just as she began to chastise her own statements, his glasses slipping down his nose as his fingers traced a line in his book. He cleared his throat, saying, "Regular electrocution can have long lasting effects on your nerves. This can end up affecting cognition, sleep, as well as pain receptors." He bumped into his chair and finally lifted his nose from the book, taking his seat and placing the book.

"It was a magical ward, so it could have also messed with your magical system. Obviously, the best way to figure out exactly what's wrong is going to Mungo's - which I must insist you do, just in case. But if you don't, it might be wise to start off with just trying to hurry along the recovery of your nervous system. This means foods rich in B12 - seafood, lamb loin, calf liver - as well as any food heavy in antioxidants. You could probably find it beneficial to take supplemental potions for those as well, and stay as hydrated as possible. And to help with the sleep, sleeping draughts until you get back on a schedule." He frowned. "I'm sorry, that's about as much as I can do with this little information."

Delcan inclined his head towards her a little sarcastically, knowing full well that she couldn't possibly mean what she said and believe it. They had played a part in it, as best as they could. But he had been the one to make the first big mistake. So he wasn't sure how well her claim applied to both of them, so much as just her. She was the one with the connections, the drive to help her family. His cousins weren't part of the wizarding world, didn't know it even existed.

He had merely done what she would've wanted someone to.

Still, he cracked a smile and brushed her hair behind her ear as Teddy came back into the room. Of course, Declan was grateful for the information they were given, but he wasn't sure how much changing his diet would really help him.

St. Mungo's was hardly an ideal alternative, and he knew Dom would expect that sort of reaction. So he didn't bother to express it in front of someone who'd been trying to help. Instead, Declan nodded slowly.

"Thank you," he said seriously. "I'll be sure to try all of that. I didn't realize that foods and that sort of thing could be so helpful for something like this. That's really helpful."

Looking to Dom, he tried to smile encouragingly. But to Teddy, he added, "Can we write you again if we have any questions? Or maybe I can find a similar book just to have around," he suggested, gesturing at the book in hopes that he could perhaps offer the other man an escape if he wanted one. "You've probably got.. y'know, plans and things for the day. And we've got a few people we need to see as well," he decided, leaving Dom no real room to argue, considering he hadn't told her what he'd come up with a few minutes earlier. "So, really, we should probably get out of your hair. Dom just thought you'd have some insight, and it seems you did.

"I'll go see a healer if it continues," he promised as well. Not necessarily at St. Mungo's, but eventually he would cave if Teddy's suggestions failed, and find someone else that they could trust to come in and help him. "Genuinely, though. Thank you."

Dom lifted her head when Teddy stepped back into the room, face crumpling with concentration as she followed along with his advice. There it was again, a push to visit St. Mungo’s. Part of her suspected that it would all be over in a second if he just trusted that people wouldn’t think any differently of him. But, when it came down to it, she and Declan were in the same boat. They didn’t have much going for them, so any threat towards what they did have was a serious one.

She wouldn’t push him unless she got scared. Proper scared.

Dom knew a little about how specific nutrients affected the body and she was certainly going to stop at Flourish and Blotts to pick up a more in-depth book. If the right combination of foods in his diet could help him, she would throw herself into the task. She was sure she could find some recipe for calf liver that was more appetizing than the sound of it.

Teddy nodded, face still crinkled with concern but he pushed the book towards the couple. “You can keep that. It’s the first time I’ve opened it since I brought it home, anyway. And of course you can write me.  Aunt Hermione’s been advocating for more inter-family communication anyway,” he said, casting a small grin towards Dom who returned it with ease.

But her eyes flickered towards Declan as he excused them, curious as to his sudden haste to get out of there. She nodded, saying, “I’ll get Ant. Thank you, Teddy.”

“Of course,” Teddy said, smiling after her. She gave Declan’s shoulder a little squeeze as she stood and exited. Teddy stood, supposing they weren’t going to loiter very much longer, which was good considering he still had a few hours to overthink his meeting later in the day. He cleared his throat and then glanced after Dom. “So… things are going well with you two, then?”

Declan took the offered text with a rather cautious hand, as though just touching it could mean he had to accept what was happening to him. The idea that a diet change alone could help him, truly, was bizarre. But what did he know?

Actually, you'd think a chef would have at least some idea about it, but whatever. This book could be the start of his research, he supposed.

Teddy seemed really nice, and Declan wished he remembered more about the other man. It did feel like they'd met before, but he just couldn't say when. Of course, mention of Hermione did suggest a family gathering. So he figured it must have been one of those and let himself skip past the issue before it became that much more worrying.

When Dom left, he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself, but Teddy easily filled that gap for them. Declan stood as well, not wanting to seem like he was more out of place than was already the case.

"I, yeah. I mean, she's been really great. Don't think I've made it particularly easy on her, even before all of this Ilvermorny stuff. But... yeah, things are good."

He nodded firmly at that, realizing that he may not have sounded very convinced. He did mean it, even if he couldn't get the wording up to par. At least he was honest, though, right?

Teddy always hated small talk. He always thought he was worse at it then he was and always wished he could seem less awkward and more interesting. An outside perspective might have deemed his skills, at the least, satisfactory. But he felt even more hesitant when it came to people attached to his family, as he had gotten to an age where he somehow suspected (but mostly feared) that maybe he had outgrown the right to call them his family. They were a family, but he didn’t share their blood.

He wasn’t sure if Declan was in the same boat and just didn’t know what to do with himself, or if there was just too much to the story between Declan and Dom to explain. Teddy had to assume that things were at least okay between them. The last he had heard, they weren’t officially dating or anything, and now they were here… with a child?

Teddy should have probably asked-

But Dom was returning with Ant, their faces pink from the cold but a relaxed smile playing on Dom’s lips. “You need to get that dog a friend,” Dom said, looking at Teddy.

He shook his head with a bashful grimace. “Not totally my call.”

“Right,” Dom said, before turning to look at Declan. She strode over towards him and reached up to rub his shoulder encouragingly. “Ready?” She glanced at Teddy. “Thanks, Teddy. We owe you one.” She took Declan’s hand and Teddy led them out, trying not to look like he was rushing them.

The door closed behind them and Dom lifted her chin to look at Declan. “What’s the plan, captain?”

Declan turned his head towards Dom with a warm smile, his hand reaching up to catch hers only to meet her halfway. Teddy seemed a bit withdrawn, but Declan couldn't blame him, and knew better than to comment on it even after they thanked the man and left. It wasn't until the door closed that Declan realized he knew Teddy - and not from a Weasley party. No, that was the young man who had been a few years ahead of him, who joined James Potter in flirting with girls and all that until things changed. Merlin. Poor man.

Declan looked back at the door like he could see through it and apologize for being oblivious. But Dom was suddenly ready to move on, so he decided to drop that. Instead, he let go of her hand so he could bend down and lift Anette into his arms. She blinked at him in surprise, but was mainly just looking concerned, rather than afraid. He noticed that much too late as well, like his mind was moving slower than the rest of him somehow.

What a nightmare. Literally.

He gave Ant a little pat on the back as she held on and he stepped closer to Dom. "Captain?" He asked, attempting to keep things light in front of Ant. His lips pulled up into a near smirk, but he moved on to the answer. "I thought we'd go see Henry at work, if you wanted. I said I'd come by sometime soon, but you two don't have to go if you've got to study or would rather stay at the flat. Or at the Leaky or wherever, in your case," he added in regards to Ant, a smile appearing. "Whatever you ladies want is fine by me."