Knockturn Bound - First Floor

Where Teddy's Story Begins :: Family

Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:31:05 +0000

16 June 1923
St Mungo’s First Floor
Labour & Delivery
5:00am

Gideon paced the room, back and forth in a steady rhythm. Looking far more rumpled than normal. Suit jacket tossed haphazardly somewhere in the private hospital suite. Tie discarded, white dress shirt wrinkled, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, hair disheveled after his fingers ran through the locks over and over. But the smile on his face was full of love, tired and sweet.

He hummed a simple tune, some sort of long forgotten lullaby as his blue eyes stared at the tiny bundle in his arms.

Theodore Rupert Blackwood came into the world with a war cry, very upset that someone would interrupt his perfectly lovely home. Weighing in at 8 pounds 2 ounces (3.69kg) and 21 inches (53.34cm), he was absolutely perfect.

After making his displeasure known to all those that would listen, he was placed on his mothers chest where he immediately calmed.

Gideon watched in awe at his wife during the entire delivery. They arrived at the hospital early in the morning when she woke up with the first contractions. Rose breathed through them like a practiced warrior, holding on to his hand through them all. He was the dutiful husband, terrified and worried every second that something would happen.

Just a few short hours after the contractions started Rose was pushing. Gideon would never be able to describe the strength and beauty of his wife in that moment. Pushing through the pain, literally, until little Teddy arrived.

She was sleeping now, needing every bit of rest.

Teddy’s little eyes were wide, looking at Gideon. Those tiny fingers wrapped around Gideon's much larger one. Strong little grip. For some reason making the man proud, as if a strong grip had anything to do with him.

The walk around the room continued, his exhaustion pushed firmly to the back of his mind while adrenaline stubbornly refused to loosen its grip. Every few steps, Gideon found his eyes drifting back to the hospital bed.

Rose. Still there. Still breathing. Safe.

His gaze lingered longer than he realized.

There had been moments throughout the night when he had feared the worst. Irrational perhaps, but fear was rarely reasonable. Too many years had taught him that happiness could disappear in a single heartbeat.

Swallowing hard, Gideon looked back down at Theodore, who had apparently decided his father's white shirt wrinkles needed to be studied. "You've caused quite the commotion," he murmured, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Your sister is going to insist on holding you before the day is over. Your grandmother will likely have an opinion about your hair."

He paused. "So will your aunt." The thought caused a quick chuckle, as he took in the brown hair that covered his son’s head, standing on end. There was a lot of it and it seemed to go against the laws of gravity.

"You'll learn soon enough that the women in this family generally get their way." He spoke softly, not wanting to wake Rose.

The room settled into a comfortable silence, broken only by Theodore's soft little noises and the sounds of the hospital alive and moving beyond the door. For years, Gideon wondered if he would get the chance to feel this happiness.

And here it was. Exactly one year after another of his happiest days. Their one year anniversary. June 16th was proving to be a very very good day.

Sleeping peacefully in the bed across the room. Curled around his finger. Waiting back at home with a little girl who would proudly announce to anyone willing to listen that she was going to be a big sister again.

Carefully crossing the room, Gideon lowered himself into the chair beside Rose's bed. He looked at his sleeping wife for a long moment before leaning over to press a kiss against her forehead.

Nothing ever could compare to this moment. He settled back into the chair, Theodore now asleep in his arms and simply took in the moment, not wanting to forget the smallest of details.

Hey Jude | Malia

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 01:17:18 +0000

Wednesday, May 24, 1922
Arundel Castle
5:30 AM
<3

Julia’s eyes fluttered open, a soft inhale of breath at the slow cramp that roused her from her sleep. Her hand hovered over her belly, as a small faint kick answered. A deep breath as the cramp tightened from her back, radiating to the center of her lower abdomen.

She was a week overdue, the baby apparently wanting to be fashionably late to their own birthday and make a scene about it. As the days and hours had ticked on with no sign of labor starting, Julia had begun to think she’d be pregnant forever. An eviction notice was apparently needed for the little squatter who was more than happy to remain warm and comfortable where they were.

She, on the other hand, was fed up. She’d found, early on, she wasn’t a fan of being pregnant. It limited the woman’s abilities to get on with her day, and while she was excited for the new little one coming into their lives, it had been a difficult and physically exhausting nine months.

Maddox was still at Hogwarts, needing to finish out the school year as much as he could, while Julia had retreated to her family’s estate to await the birth. Her husband - as strange as it still was to call him that - had insisted he’d come the moment she called for him and they kept in touch nightly with owls and more urgent messages via Fidele when required.

Their home was ready, and they’d be settling in as soon as the baby made their entrance, but until then, Julia wanted to remain with her family.

She rolled over when the cramp subsided, her eyes falling on the outline of her sleeping daughter beside her. She worried about Kathryn. Everything was changing so fast for her little girl who didn’t handle such things well, and she was innately invested in making sure Kate understood this changed nothing between them.

Of course, there was the other worry that had gripped her from the moment she’d learned she was expecting. Her own mother had died giving birth to Julia. A placental abruption that resulted in uncontrollable hemorrhaging. She’d never had the chance to feel her mother’s love or know what it was like to have one in the first place.

She didn’t want to leave her children in the same way.

She snapped her fingers as another cramp began to take hold and within a moment Fidele appeared at her bedside.

“Is it time for Lady Julia’s baby?” The elf’s eyes widened with hope, having been through this experience multiple times over through the years with the family. She nodded, pursing her lips as she forced herself to sit upright. “Call for the family Fidele. And go to Maddox. Tell him we’re heading for the hospital.”

The elf vanished with a snap of his fingers.

St. Mungo’s
Labor and Delivery Ward
6:30 AM

“A ways to go yet. Baby’s taking his time.”

The nurse smiled as she replaced the sheet over Julia’s legs. “It could be a girl,” she insisted in a breathy protest, grimacing as another contraction hit, stronger and more intense this time. The nurse nodded patiently, waving her wand to cast a cooling charm over the woman who already felt like she was burning up.

At her side, Edith sat in a padded chair, holding Kate in her lap. Julia had insisted when the time came, she wanted her daughter nearby - not necessarily in the room, but close enough to come in after and be the first to meet the baby. She knew part of reassuring the anxious girl was having a private, quiet moment with her after, where Kate could sit with her and see the baby for herself without several pairs of eyes on her.

“Fidele sent him for him, right?” Julia asked, taking a sip of water from the cup the nurse handed her. Edith nodded, busying herself by fixing Kate’s bun so that not a hair was out of place. “He did. I’m sure Maddox will be here soon.” Edith smiled, a rare one that spread to her eyes. “Try to relax. These things take time.”

Edith would know. Her labor had gone on for two days at home when she’d birthed Adi. Amelia’s labor with Claire had been speedier, but she’d still spent most of the day in her bed at the castle. It wasn’t until she was ready to push that the midwife had actually arrived.

Aside from Gretchen, Julia was the only woman in her family to have chosen the hospital to give birth, but all things considered, she didn’t want to take the chance of something going wrong at home.

Julia sighed, tilting her head back on the pillows as she took another sip of water.

Guess Who Decided Not to Die Today :: Invite

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 04:13:21 +0000

7 July 1920
6:00PM
Paediatric ICU

It had been two weeks since the plant attack. Two weeks since her eyes had been open. Two weeks since she had eaten a single morsel of food. Two weeks since Benji had watched her nearly die. It was hard to wrap her mind around all that had gone down. Bram told her the full story, the plant, the rescue, the jungle hospital, her weeks unconscious, fever, convulsions, Ren visiting, not knowing if she would wake up or if she did, if she would be the same Matilda that went into the jungle that terrifying day.

She remembered nothing from that day. The walk the day before she could piece together. Dinner by the fire, funny stories with Benji, sleeping in the tent… then nothing. Her next memory was waking up in the hospital bed, exhausted and starving.

Bram Had been sitting in a chair next to her bed, eyes closed, snoring softly. Her blue eyes stared at him, puzzling out what was going on, where she was, why her leg burned as if on fire. Matilda tried to adjust herself in the bed, jostling her leg just a smidge, sending a sharp zinging pain through her body. A strangled sob left her lips, causing Bram to jolt awake, eyes blue and bloodshot found hers immediately. Bram, letting out his own sound of shock, suddenly looked relieved and… happy? Exhausted, but happy.

“Matilda, gods you’re awake. Are you ok, how do you feel? Are you in pain?” His hands hovered over her, eyes scanning her body looking for something, she wasn’t sure what.

“My leg.” She said, in a gravely voice. Sounding like a pack a day smoker, she was shocked by how scratchy her throat felt. “Water?” She managed.

Bram scuttled around the room, coming back with a cup that she greedily gulped down. “I’m going to get a healer, I’ll be right back.”

Matilda, exhausted from the brief interaction closed her eyes and breathed, trying to take stock of her body and mind. What hurt? Well… everything honestly. Her leg most of all, but the muscles in her body were tight and achy. Her right leg on the other hand pulsed with pain. Bram rushed back in with a bedraggled healer in tow.

“Miss Nordstrom, so glad that you're finally awake. How are you feeling?” Trying to sit up was outside of her capabilities, but Bram noticed her struggling to move, and thankfully helped her readjust on the bed, adding a couple pillows behind her head. “I don’t know. What happened? I feel exhausted, weak. Everything hurts, but my right leg is throbbing. I don’t understand.”

The healer went about their job, checking her over, shining a light from his wand into her eyes, checking for a fever, taking her vitals, administering a pain potion. This went on while Bram told her what brought them to St Mungo’s.

A plant attack. Blood loss. Seizure. Fever. Unconscious for two weeks. She could barely believe her ears, but when the healer removed the bandage off her lower right leg, a small gasp left her lips. The plant, thankfully was gone, but an intricate series of scars wound around her leg in a leafy pattern. The scar, which would normally be red or pink, was a light pale green color. The skin around the scar red with irritation, raised and angry looking.

“Well, the good news is you’re awake. Getting your strength back will take some time. The pain and achy muscles are likely from the seizures and your body laying sedentary for so long. I’ll order up some tests for tomorrow, after you’ve eaten properly. Then we will hopefully get you up on your feet.”

’On my feet?’ She thought. Was he nuts? Talking for ten minutes had her ready to pass out, and he wanted her to walk?

Roughly an hour later things had calmed down. Bram had been ushered out of the room, a couple of female healers came to help her to the bathroom, brush her teeth, take a shower while thankfully sitting down, then changed back into a fresh gown, and into bed with clean sheets. Matilda was exhausted when she laid back down, but was happy to see a bowl of broth, some water, juice and crackers waiting for her.

While Matilda ate (drank?), Bram filled her in on everything that had happened. Her friends came to visit, not knowing if she would wake up. Bram staying with her until he had been forced to leave and stay at home. He had aged ten years since their first day in the jungle.

“It’s getting late, my love.” He said, giving her a sweet kiss on the forehead. “I’m going to head home so you can get a good night's rest. I will send word to Ren and your friends that you’re awake. Hopefully the camp will allow them to visit. I’ll be back in the morning." Tilly smiled gave her Grandfather a weak hug. "Love you," she whispered. She wanted nothing more than to see her friends. Ren, he must be so worried. She couldn't imagine what she would do if the roles were reversed. And Benji, from what Bram said, it was a traumatic experience for all involved.

Finishing her broth and crackers, Matilda’s eyes got heavy. She was exhausted from the simple tasks. Getting comfortable in the bed, pulling the warm quilt up to her chin, Matilda shut her eyes and fell asleep, this time, with a much brighter outlook at the end of her rest.