Yearly Check-ups (Madeleine)

Ella brushed the girls blonde hair and french braided it. Her hair reached the middle of her back now and it was fairly thick, much like hers. She smiled. The girl was growing up and there was no way Ella could deny it, especially since today was her three year old check up. It seemed like just yesterday the woman had given birth to her and now all of a sudden she was a toddler, the sweetest toddler ever imaginable. Ella peeked around and saw the girl cradling the teddy bear in her arms. She'd been asking her a baby budder of sifta but unfortunately, Ella couldn't give her one even if she wanted to because Rhys and her had divorced and Norman had moved away causing them to grow apart. Ella sighed, the girl was sweet and out of the goodness of her heart Ella wished she could give her a sibling because Ella also missed having a baby. The more she thought about it, the more she realised how hard it would be if she had to go on maternity leave and the more she contemplated adoption instead. There were plenty of children who needed good homes and that was one thing Ella could definitely provide.

Ella had originally planned to take Lucas and Emma both to Hyde Park today until she remembered Emma's appointment. She canceled the plans with Elita and told her she'd make up for it and instead, promised to take Emma for ice cream after, knowing very well that besides her check up, she'd need an influenza vaccine. Emma didn't do particularly well with vaccines, but what child did? Needles hurt adults much less children so Ella couldn't exactly expect her to be good. However, she did wish that Emma didn't flip out every time she went to the Healer's and saw the alcohol wipe. Her arms instinctively went around the chattering girl after finishing her hair. Ella thought too much these days, however, her thoughts never made her sad. They merely made her wish for more than she could have and sometimes, it wasn't bad. In fact, wishing about the things she didn't have made her see alternative paths that she could have taken. She could've become a lawyer and lived well off or she could've become a Healer and helped people out, however she chose the Auror life and it was a busy life yes, but it was comfortable. Ella liked comfortable.

Ella had dressed the young girl in a long sleeve pink dress and put some white tights under it in order to keep her warm. Winter was blowing in and Christmas was just around the corner and Ella couldn't be more excited, mainly because she'd get to spend her holidays at home. She had already done her Christmas shopping and she couldn't wait to see the faces of Emma and Lucas when they opened their many gifts. As Ella finished getting herself ready, she scooped up the young girl and together, they made their way to Mungos where Emma would undergo her checkup. Ella long dark hair was pulled into a tight bun and as she pushed opened the door to the hospital, warm air brushed her face. It wasn't extremely cold outside, or at least Ella didn't think so, but when she felt the inside of Mungos, she realised just how strong the winter cold had already been and she shivered. She looked over to the girl she was carrying and tried to see any sign of discomfort in case she too was a bit cold but Ella saw none so she simply placed a kiss on her forehead. Not long after signing Emma's name were they greeted by a witch with fiery hair and a bright smile.

Madeleine wasn’t feeling so well that day, that was the truth. The baby was making her feel more than sick, but there wasn’t exactly anything that she could do about it. But the blazing red head didn’t think there was anything she could do about it, especially seeing as she was a Healer, and they’d needed her that day at Mungos.

It wasn’t as if she had such a long day, but she did need to be there for a check up for a little one, who made Maddy not want to say no to the chance to help. Or at the very least, make it possible for a little girl to be surely safe and sound. She wanted that for her own child, even if her supposed husband didn’t.

And she was very clear in her heart that he didn’t.

“It’s alright sweetheart… I don’t mean to hurt you, though it’ll be a pinch…” Maddy said to the little girl in front of her. She knew how it felt, and the last thing the red haired witch wanted to do was hurt someone else! She didn’t like the fact that she could hurt someone, but it was there, and she didn’t want to hurt anyone, she never had.

Especially not when she didn’t feel well to begin with!

Emma grabbed Ella around the neck as the lady approached them and began to talk to Emma. Ella had a feeling that the girl knew what was about to happen because she was an intelligent girl. Ella was thankful to have such a smart daughter. Ella was also lucky enough to have a nephew that was smart as well. Emma's favourite past time was often drawing and reading. The books Emma read weren't incredibly huge but they weren't small either. They were more so the first chapter books like the Muggle series 'The Magic Treehouse'. Ella enjoyed their nightly routine of Emma reading a few pages from one of her books to Ella, often they ranged from boring Auror books to some of Ella's old school books. As Ella thought about all the right things she had done with Emma, she also thought about the few wrong things. She disciplined her child first and foremost. Ella couldn't stand disrespect and she would not get it from her own daughter. She also didn't co-sleep like Elita did, nor did she breastfeed because her job didn't give her that kind of time. However, she was able to bring Emma quite often when she was in the office, however on the days she was in the field, she had to leave her with Elita. Another "wrong" thing Ella had done was that she didn't take a year off of work. She didn't use a year to make a strong bond with Emma, however the two bonded perfectly fine, especially since Ella was a single mother.

The nearly four year old girl looked her mother in the eyes as her eyes began to brim with tears and Ella held her close, wanting nothing more than to comfort her. It was necessary, the vaccinations and check up, in order to keep her healthy and well. Ella slowly rolled up the young girl's sleeves before hugging her against her again. She tried to make it not so obvious, but it was hard to do. "Mommy no," Emma began to cry as the witch's words apparently had begun to make sense to her. "Emma, you'll be fine. We just don't want you to get sick, okay?" Ella's voice was soft as it always was wen she spoke to Emma. Te woman had two voices, a soft one for normal speaking and Emma and a harsher, more stern one for when she was being an Auror. Ella hoped to never have to use the more stern one around her daughter, she hoped she'd also be smart and respectful enough to stay on Ella's good side.

Ella glanced up to the Healer in front of her that had been preparing the girl's vaccine and noticed that she didn't look so well. what was her problem? Couldn't she heal herself? Thoughts raced through Ella's mind but over all, the main thought that surfaced and stayed was the thought of, should this woman really be dealing with her toddler child? Toddlers, babies and the elderly got sick so fast that one moment tey could be fine and the next they could be hospitalised and if this woman was sick, Ella did not want Emma sick. Emma had been sick before with a minor case of the flu and that had practically killed the woman, she couldn't imagine what she'd do if her daughter got something much worse. Ella glanced back up to the woman, "Are you okay?" She asked not because she cared but because she was worried Emma would get sick. Ella rubbed Emma's hair and brushed a short blonde wisp of hair from the front of her face. She planted a kiss on her forehead and looked her in the eyes as a sign to let her know she'd be okay.

Maddy felt awful, and she hated feeling so badly. The baby that was growing inside of her was making her feel so ill, that she wasn’t sure how to deal with it. Sure, she was a Healer herself, but that didn’t make this any easier on her, even if she wished that it did! Which, she sure as all get out did! She hated feeling ill, being ill, or getting sick from the get go, but this didn’t help her work.

But there was a little girl who needed her, needed her to stay strong, whether she was feeling sick or not, and the red headed woman was more than determined to be strong, for the little girl and for her mother. Because THEY were what was important right then, not herself. And maybe that was all her little one would need to calm down? At least she could hope??

Maddy felt so terrible though, both within herself and also for having to end up hurting the little girl. Because she wouldn’t want to see anyone hurt her own little baby either. "All your Mum and I want sweetie, is that you’re safe and happy and healthy, just like I do for my little one that’s growing inside of me.” she said, a little bit of gentle softness in her voice, mostly because she felt so awful!

“Yes, I’m alright, I’m just very newly pregnant, and this little one is my first, and it’s making me feel pretty roughed up so far.” she said, trying to be calm, and she was glad that her hands were strong and not shaking as she guessed they would. “I’m alright, I promise.”