Gabrielle sighed as she packed the last of her toiletries into her trunk and glanced around, looking for anything she might have forgotten. The only thing she didn't have packed, that she was aware of, were her robes. She couldn't find them anywhere, and she'd checked everywhere.

She stood and walked from the room, down into the kitchen. Bill was playing with Fabian, but Fleur was nowhere to be found.

"Bill, I can't find my robes, 'ave you seen zem?" she asked, perching onto the chair next to his.



The tops of Bill's ears flushed to a deep scarlet. "I believe Fleur went to get them pressed. All packed then?"

"Oui, I think I am." She rested her chin on her hands and traced the designs in the wood. She was feeling blue today, and she didn't want to go back to school.

Bill turned to his sister in law, plunking Fabian into her lap. "We're going to miss you," he said. "I mean, who's going to look after Fabian? Remember, we're losing our slave labor here."

She smiled and let him grab her finger, trying to stick it in his mouth. "Well, I'm going to miss Fabian, and Fleur, too." She said, looking at him beneath her lashes.

"What about me?" he asked playfully, laughing as his son drooled all over the finger.

"Maybe I will miss you a little bit," she said, holding her thumb and forefinger about an inch apart.

"I'm hurt." Bill reached over and ruffled her hair, ignoring the squeals of protest. "Whose going to bring me tea in the morning when they call me in during the middle of the night?"

Gabrielle glared and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get it back to the way she liked it. It was rather difficult to try and balance the baby and do it at the same time, but at this point, she like to believe that she was an expert.

"Maybe I'll owl Rose, and 'ave 'er do it," she said, naming a fellow Gringott's intern. Her smile turned slightly malicious, as Rose was infamous for burning tea.

Bill scowled and took the baby from her arms. "You're being mean. I'm not going to let you play with Fabian any more."

Gabrielle pouted. "You started it," she said, taking the opportunity to fix her hair. "Maybe I will leave instructions for someone other than Rose to fix your tea."

"I did not." Bill stuck his tongue out at his sister in law. "But that's not really what I wanted to talk to you about." He let his son grab at his finger as his expression turned serious. "You know you can come to me and your sister if you want to talk, right? About anything?"

She grew more somber as well, the smile fading, and she started to trace circles onto the table again. "Oui, I know."

"Because of Beaubaxtons is anything like Hogwarts, you'll have to decide on a career soon. And I think I speak for your sister and myself in that we won't be upset if you decide to do something different." He laid a hand over hers. "Really, we won't."

Gabrielle's eyes widened, and she frowned. She hadn't thought of that, and the school year was looming ahead, and now she had one more thing to fret about. She groaned and covered her face with her hands. "I 'ad not thought of zat," she said, though it was slightly muffled by her hands.

"You have a few months," Bill promised. "Besides, it usually takes people a few years to settling into what they love. You'll find something."

"Bill, I don't want to go back," she said miserably. "I 'ate zat stupide school."

He paused. "You need to go to school, Gabby." He sighed, cursing his in laws silently. Wasn't he supposed to be the fun relative? "It's just for one more year, not even. Nine months, with a break in between for Christmas."

She sighed heavily and nodded. She understood what he was saying, but she didn't like it. She really didn't like it.

"Is it okay if I come back on weekends?"

"Of course." The words were already out of his mouth before he realized what he was saying, but Bill just shrugged it off. Gabby would probably forget what he had promised. She would get back to school and become so wrapped up in all the drama that hundreds of teenagers attracted that she wouldn't remember why she hated it so much in the first place. "Now, don't you have a date or something that you have to get ready for?"

She squeaked, jumping to her feet. "I forgot. Merci, Bill," she said over her shoulder as she dashed from the room.

"Ten o'clock tonight! We have an international portkey to catch!" He yelled after her, knowing she would break it. And for once, he'd let her.

{Summary: Bill and Gabrielle have a moment before she has to go back to school.}