InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "He's so old!"

Hannah Abbott (puffprincess) wrote in all_roads,
@ 2008-02-11 00:15:00

Entry tags:

*thread-completed, dominic abbott, ernie macmillan, hannah abbott, hestia jones, miles stebbins

Massacre aftermath; Ministry & Ernie's flat [EM, HA, HJ, MS, DA]
WHO: Ernie, Hannah – also Hestia, Miles, Dominic
WHERE: Ministry; Ernie's flat
WHEN: Saturday, 1 January, 2000
SUMMARY: The Death Eater's massacre ends, those involved regroup and Hannah comforts Ernie. COMPLETED THREAD.
RATING: PG-13

"There, now you and Stebbins can go back to arguing over whose face is prettier," Hestia said to Ernie, angling his chin upward a moment to double check her work on his jaw, the largest of his dueling wounds but thankfully nothing life-threatening. Satisfied, she patted his cheek, the action softer and maternal than it would have been between her and another, but then most of what Hestia had said and done since the Aurors and trainees regrouped had been decidedly maternal. It was better that then give in to the urge to curl up and cry at the loss of one of her first year trainees.

Behind her, Miles folded his hands under his chin and mouthed "aww" at Ernie in the best approximation he could muster of mock-feminine, then folded and moved his arms as if holding a baby he was rocking. This pantomime continued as he made silent kissy faces and then pretended to make out with his hand, managing to mock Ernie for both being mothered and accuse him of having the hots for Hestia all in the space of a few gestures. Not that Hestia wasn't a total babe of course, but she was a bollocks-buster. Hence why the pantomine was going on behind her back, rather than in front of her face.

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lost_ernie
2008-02-11 05:35 am UTC (link)

Ernie watched Miles as he made his faces and gestures behind Hestia's back. Truth be told he appreciated what Stebbins was doing, fighting so hard to lighten the mood because he could hardly think of anything other than the motionless face of that trainee. Had he taken the other side of the fight, had he wandered that way...but here he was and here Miles and Hestia were and they were fine.

Wanting to return the favor for Miles and Hestia, Ernie cleared his throat, trying to find some measure of levity. "My face is, of course, but you might want to check on Stebbins, Hestia. He's become rather amorous with his hand and I fear that his actions may become quite alarming if we don't stop him soon. Poor bloke isn't used to going more than ten minutes without making out with something, I'd watch it were I you, Jones."

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soddinghell
2008-02-11 05:48 am UTC (link)

"I know," Hestia replied calmly, not even turning around. "The third eye in the back of my head, remember? In fact, he's probably doing the ridiculous hourglass motion while he waits for me to turn around, so it's good the Minister is busy."

Behind her, Miles dropped his arms and let out a low whistle. "Damn, Jones, you're really a bit freaky."

Hestia laughed, the sound stilted. "I know your secret wish is to snog me, Stebbins, it's not a secret," she teased, a carefulyl affected dryness in her tone.

Miles' grin was unholy and wholly unrepentant. "If you're up for it, I could make it good for you, baby," he said, waggling his eyebrows.

"I didn't just hear you call me baby," Hestia said with a quelling look then pointed over to where Kingsley was gathering the group that Miles had been a part of. "Now go over there and listen."

She turned back to Ernie as Miles ambled off, still grinning, but even it didn't completely blot out what lingered in his eyes, the same thing that was so openly in Ernie's, sitting so heavily on Ernie's shoulders. "Hannah's asleep in Dominic's office, if you want to wander up there. He'd worry less if she weren't at the Ministry and we're going to be here a long while, so take her back to your flat? The house hasn't been secured yet."

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lost_ernie
2008-02-11 06:11 am UTC (link)

Watching Miles go to be with Kingsley's group, some sort of manly macho ego forced him to keep up his teasing facade until Miles was safely away, and then his face fell to something more neutral, more somber and less jovial. He had seen one of his friends die, a boy who could well have been him, a young man who he had viewed as an ally, one of his auror trainee friends (and that organization alone was like a small band of brothers) and that had a way of sombering a person pretty quickly.

He wasn't sure at first if it was the right idea, after all, he wouldn't be much company and he didn't want to worry her by moping around all night, but he reconsidered before even speaking. Hestia was right, the ministry wasn't the safest place to be just now. "Alright..." he said, nodding without further protest. "When should I have her home? I wouldn't want the minister hunting us down..." Despite his new attempt at humour the joke fell flat and he sighed, unsure of what else to say. This had gone better than it might have, better than expected, but there had still been loss, and that was hard to bear.

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eagleofdelphi
2008-02-11 06:28 am UTC (link)

Hestia watched his expression crumble, seeing beyond the neutrality to the pain. Tears pricked her eyes. Focus. She needed to focus. "We'll Floo call when we're back and the house is secure. I'm going to send one of Hannah's guards ahead to check out your flat, then they'll both take shifts between your outer hall and their base flat across the way. Ward the Floo – not that you should need to worry, but it's a good precaution – but not so it's completely closed down so we can Floo call."

She off at a clock and then back at him. The sun would be rising shortly, but there was hours still of work. "It's likely not going to be until lunchtime or after, you both should get some sleep."

The instructions were done, as much as she wished they weren't, as it was easier to hold it together when she was being more businesslike. She fell silent, studying him a moment, then had to fight the urge to gather him up. Damned pregnant emotions.

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lost_ernie
2008-02-12 04:03 am UTC (link)

Ernie too wasn't sure what to do. He knew that he should just go take Hannah and go home, he was tired and wary of the world, but there was just something so wrong about leaving her here alone. It wasn't a lack of capability on Hestia's part, she was strong and fierce and even he was frightened of her anger at times, but he knew that she cared for them all like friends and companions and perhaps even children in a few fortunate cases...and she had suffered a large tonight as well.

He rested a hand on her shoulder, but impulsively pulled her into a brief, tight hug. "Take care of yourself, Jones, make that damned minister of yours take care of you before you let him ask for Hannah. Don't worry, I'll take care of her."

Turning swiftly with an impish smile, he made to go. He jammed his hands in his pockets, lest he use them to pull her out of there. Frowning when his fingers touched something unfamiliar there, he pulled out the slip of paper that Hannah had somehow managed to plant before the battle. The paper had kept him safe, he was certain of it. It had been a warm weight, an anchor to keep him steady and grounded and focused on what he needed to focus on. Because of it he HAD been careful, because of it he was alive and safe now. It was only after the battle was over and he saw the trainee, felt the tug of guilt that he had not been there to protect the boy, that he momentarily forgot about the note. Now, rereading the note, he smiled again. It was time to get Hannah off of that damned uncomfortable couch (Ernie thought it was more for show than comfort anyhow) and take her to his home, protect her the same way that she had protected him. That's what you did when you loved someone.