Paris, France: Mama Part II

The last few days before holiday break couldn't have come any sooner for Quinn. In the beginning of the year he had received the note from his mother, giving instructions for him and Odie to meet up with her without their father knowing about it. Quentin didn't like going behind his dad's back, but he knew if the man knew of their plan, he would put a stop to it. He just wanted to see his mother one more time and maybe she'd love him more than his father gave him. She promised him she'd meet them at a restaurant in Paris and told him to bring Odette. A few days of being home, and Quinn decided it was time. With the excuse of it being a trip to Paris for him and his sister to go Christmas shopping, Quinn managed to have their dad apparate them to the city and leave them there for a few hours.

Taking Odette's hand in his own, so he didn't lose her, he started to make his way to the restaurant which their mother had selected. He had taken care to dress up that day, even combing his unusually dyed hair to the side. He wanted to impress her, even though she promised no matter what, she would be happy to see them.

"Well, this is it," He said, pausing at the entrance. His heart was pounding in his chest. In a few moments he'd see his mother again. He was both excited and nervous. Opening the door, he lead himself and Odette inside, pausing when a staff member asked whether or not he had a reservation. "D'Angelo," He replied. The staff member nodded and then guided the pair to a table where a woman was sitting, waiting for them. Quentin stopped in his tracks. "M-mom?" Quinn stuttered. The woman smiled and stood up, opening up her arms to him.

"Quentin, my dear," She embraced her son. "You have grown so! Into a handsome young man! Just like your father." Quinn grinned with pride and squeezed her back. Then she addressed Odette. "And Odette, a beautiful young blossom," She reached to hold her daughter as well, offering for her to come forth.

Despite Odette's new look, Quentin had convinced her to get out of the house in one of her old pink dresses, to in his words. 'Look presentable.' There was nothing wrong with her new clothes, they just weren't the girly things he'd grown up seeing her wear. She sighed as he pulled her along the streets of pairs. Her usual straight hair curled and pulled out of her face. She glanced at him, he seemed too excited to be breaking the rules, in the sense of going behind their father's back. She bit her lip as they finally approached the restaurant, if she hadn't been nervous a second ago, she definitely was now.

She followed behind him cautiously, with an expressionless look. She did not know how to feel about the whole situation...their mother had left them behind before without a second glance..she couldn't understand why she wanted to see them now. As they followed the server to their table, Quinn stopped dead in his tracks causing Odette to bump into him. "Whoa...Quinn, why'd you st-" She said and then saw the reason, not like she couldn't have guessed. The woman that had abandoned both of them was sitting at the table. Standing she took Quinn in her embrace. He seemed overjoyed, happy...happier than she had seen him in a long time...but in truth, she wasn't happy to see her mother. Odette hung back and waited for them to finish their reunion, when her mother turned to her...She didn't know what to do, she was really meeting this woman for the first time...she felt very distant and unsure. She didn't know if the affection she held within her heart could love her...she wasn't even sure if she wanted to try. "Hello..." She said softly not meeting the gaze of her mother. Ignoring the open arms of the woman she slid into the booth next to Quinn.

He sat down and watched on as their mother then addressed Odette. She was just as loving and warm as he had hoped and was deeply disappointed in Odette's coldness in return to the woman. His sister didn't even humor their mother with a hug, but instead shrugged it off and sat down next to him. Quinn pressed his heel gently but yet firm enough for her to feel to Odette's ankle to show he was displeased with her attitude. How was she ever going to like their mom if she walked in with the attitude that she already hated her.

"Beauxbatons academy," Their mother said with a sense of pride, after they had placed their orders. "Feels like just yesterday your father and I were attending," She added, with a reminiscent laugh. "Oh you kids are getting so old! Quentin a fifth year! Odette, a third!" She batted at tears forming at her eyes in an elegant manner with a monogramed handkerchief. "I regret not getting in contact with you two sooner! But trust me that I did as soon as I knew it was safe. Oh I never wanted to leave either of you," She dragged her fingers gently across Quentin's cheek, sensing which child was more likely to let her touch them. "But circumstances forced me to leave you two behind."

"It's alright, mom. We understand," Quinn said, with a smile. He was eating up all the affection he lacked and craved from his mother in the years of her absence. Their mother seemed overjoyed with his acceptance.

"I do hope you will visit, see my new place. It's awfully big and lonely. You two could maybe stay for a little while. Not right now though, of course," She laughed. "We wouldn't want you two to just disappear on your father, would we?" She paused and offered a look of a pleasant surprise as their orders arrived at the table. She let the waitress place them on the table and then continued. "I want you two to meet my new husband. I've told him so much about you two! He's gonna love you as much as I do," She said, cheerfully and then stabbed her salad with a fork.

Odette felt like an outcast to her mother compared to Quinn. She seemed to be so overjoyed to see them, but shedidnt want to buy into the fact their mother had somehow changed. She couldn't.  After Odette had slipped into the booth with not so much as a second glance to their mother, she felt a slight kick to her ankle from her brother. He obviously wasn't happy with the way she'd been acting, Odette hadn't even wanted to attend this so call reunion in the first place. She was content with not knowing who her mother was or why she abandoned her, but yet, here she was.

In truth, she was just doing this for Quinn...but the thought of him and her visiting their mother kind of scared her. Not in the sense that her mother scared her, but more in the way of that if they went there was the potential that Quinn wouldn't come back. He'd stay with their mother and her husband...he'd leave her...and their father. She didn't want to think of that.

She wasn't all entirely hungry, because of the situation...it made knots tie up in her stomach and made her feel sick. So she just ordered a small salad and a water. Being as skinny and frail as she currently was, you'd be scared that she'd blow away if you let go of her hand. Sighing she listened to their mom go on about how she'd been in Quidditch and how she was so proud of Quinn, with all the attention Quinn was getting,  it made her hate the woman even more. This was her mother and all she could think of was her first child.

Odette glanced at Quinn as their mother carrassed his cheek. She looked down with an off look, she didn't even know why she'd agreed to go...this was just making her feel even worse. Finally when the orders came Odette stabbed at her salad and ate quietly as the two continued on. She felt like a meek shadow next to Quinn...not really realizing it..but she was feeling the jealousy that he had felt all of those years growing up...and he without realizing it was throwing it back into her face. Picking at her salad she sighed and put down the fork and sat back in the booth. She didn't want to eat...she didn't want to talk...all she wanted was to escape.

Once their mother started talking, Quinn had all but forgotten about Odette there. His eyes watched their mother, scanning every detail of her face and taking it in in case she was going to leave again. Quinn was so incapable of hating the woman, as he was with hating most people. He always knew there were better sides to people and though sometimes didn't particularly like someone, he never would claim that he hated them.

He smiled kindly at their mother's offer, eager to agree but knew he couldn't just visit the woman without another deceptive scheme like this time had been. Also, he only wanted to do it if Odie would accompany him again. So he simply replied with, "Sounds lovely! Though I think it requires some planning ahead of time." He would talk it over with Odette once they were out of ear of their mother.

While Quentin chowed down on his heavy in protein meal, Marni turned to Odette once more. "Odette, I know it's a bit late, but I wanted to give you this in person," She said, and then pulled a wrapped box out from her bag and handed it to her daughter. "Happy birthday, sweetie," she said, taking Odette's hand and giving it a momentary squeeze before motioning for her to open it. Quentin looked on with moderate curiosity, wondering what it could be.

Odette had been quiet pretty much the whole time, she felt alone between Quinn and their mother. Their mother seemed fabulously nice and beautiful...Odette looked like a younger version on her. Well, she pretty much was. Sighing she looked at the two and fell back, she felt as though she was a spectator rather than a daughter. She wasnt sure what to the of the situation.  She sat bored for a while Quinn ate up all of the attention. She rolled her eyes at the scene he was more than happy to go which confused her. Why would you give into the offer of someone didnt even care.

Odette propped her head up on her arm and sighed.  This was agony sitting here listening to woman say how much they love you when they had left you all those years ago, she hated the idea of her mother just trying to be relevant again. Suddenly, she heard her name and looked up to see the woman talking to her. It was about her birthday which had just passed. She bit her lip as the woman squeezed her hand in an act of love...but odette wasn't convinced. She looked at the present being taken out. If this were any other person...she'd been overjoyed...but it was the mother she never had trying to buy her affection. She took the box..being put in the awkward situation that she had to. Opening it she saw a necklace with a sapphire on the silver chain. She bit her lip knowing what it was and looked at Quinn then her mother. "I can't accept this..." she said trying to sound somewhat polite.

His jaw dropped when he saw what their mother had gotten for Odie. It wasn't a reaction of envy, it was more or less that he was amazed by their mother's generosity. The necklace was an heirloom, Quinn had seen it appear on the necks in multiple portraits of relatives in the hallways of their manor. It was the necklace that their father had presented to Marni when he was wooing her. The real sapphire necklace was more than just expensive. It was priceless and yet Odette had decided to decline it, which made Quinn gawk all the more.

"Oh but sweetie, look at how it matches your eyes!" She held up the necklace by the chain to Odie's neck. "This necklace is special. One of a kind! And it can only belong to someone with your father's family line and obviously I can't give it to Quentin," She chuckled politely. "It's yours whether you want it or not." She determined and placed the necklace back in the box and passed it back to Odette.

Odette looked at the necklace and bit her lip. She glared at it and looked up at her mother. "Why are you doing this..? Why are you giving this to me...you leave for 10 years...not loving me or him!" She stood in her anger. "And you want to show up and just be all buddy buddy with us." She glared darkly. "What do you think I, stupid?" She pushed the necklace back. "You, woman, are nothing to me...even if you are my mother...you abandoned me and him, if you can't see that," She said turning to Quinn with a glare. "Then goodbye!!" She yelled making more than a scene and storming out of the restaurant.

It was a nice gesture. More than just a nice gesture. Quinn didn't understand how Odie failed to see that Marni didn't have to give the necklace to her. If she had found that the necklace was too endowed with bad memories, she could've easily sold the heirloom for a handsome price. However, she wanted to give the necklace back to the family, which was amazingly nice of her. He was furious with Odette's rejection, though silenced by the argument happening in front of him.

"I so happen to be your mother!" She replied, looked offended. "Maybe I wasn't ready to be a parent ten years ago, but that doesn't mean I ever stopped thinking about either of you! I carried both of you inside of me for nine months. I held you both as babies for years, early into your infancy and you think that I can just forget about that?" Quinn could see tears in her eyes. He reached for her hand and held it, returning a glare towards Odie.

His sister stormed off and Quinn's ears reddened with anger. He looked towards their mother, dabbing the tears at her eyes. She handed him the necklace and then nodded that he should go after Odie. He chased her down, stopping her yards from the entrance of the restaurant and spun her to face him.

"What was that?" He all but yelled. "All she ever wanted-" he paused, and then added, "All I ever wanted was to have a nice family dinner and you go and mess things up! She was giving you a birthday present! Not trying to rip your arm off!" he was so upset, he started crying some. "She's our mother Odie! Don't you want a mother? Or have you never felt this absence due to the fact that Dad treats you so special? Huh? Well I feel it! Everything feels so empty without her and the one chance we have to get a normal family and you go and ruin it! I can't believe how selfish you are! I-! ... I..." He paused, choked a bit on his tears, and then started walking. "I don't even want to talk to you anymore."

Odette narrowed her eyes at her brothers harsh words. He was telling her that she was selfish...he was selfish. Selfish for asking her to love someone she didn't love. It wasn't her fault that their father sent affections on her all the time. She loved him, was that so wrong. She shouldn't be punished for something that her father did. It wasn't her fault, but it made her upset because of the fact that it was like her brother wasn't even her brother anymore. She just followed him miserably and decided to wait for their father in silence. She sighed and bit her lip looking at him, and then gave up in defeat.