Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Everything you know is wrong."

Hestia Abbott (eagleofdelphi) wrote in all_roads,
@ 2008-04-30 23:27:00

Entry tags:

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

Reactions; the Abbott's [HJ, DA, EM, MS]
WHO: Hestia, Dominic, Ernie and likely Miles
WHERE: the Abbott's
WHEN: Monday, 17 January, 2000; evening
SUMMARY: Reactions to the ongoing journal exchanges and owls. COMPLETED THREAD.
RATING: PG-13

Though brief, it seemed Hestia had at some point slept, as when she woke, the light in the room was different and both Ernie and Miles were passed out on various pieces of furniture. Dominic, however, wasn't within sight, but she had a guess where he was, the same place he had retreated to several times when it had become too much and he hadn't wanted her to see him drinking to blur it all a bit. Getting up quietly so not as to disturb the other two, she left the room, ignoring the Aurors in the hall. Ultimately, they hadn't been able to keep them entirely out of it and it was a constant source of fear, despite being certain Rodolphus and Bellatrix would know the guard staff would know, but Hestia had kicked Shacklebolt out of the house herself rather than having more Aurors involved.

At the door to Dominic's study, she pushed the door open, finding him at his desk, drink it hand and head bowed. She went to him, bare feet making no noise on the thick rug.

"You know, that's not fair, as I can't have any," she said quietly, leaning down to kiss the top of his head as she slid one arm around his shoulder.

Two days, or just a few hours short of two days, and it felt as though it had been a lifetime.

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regretfulde
2008-05-01 04:12 am UTC (link)

Dominic absently turned his face a little, pressing his lips against her stomach. He had to remind himself of what he did have. He had Hestia, and he had their child, and he had the knowledge that Hannah had been alive long enough to write a note about how nice Lestrange had been at the very least. Her handwriting was something he knew quite well, from her letters when she lived with her grandparents, or little notes she would send from Hogwarts, even from the first awkward looking words she learned to write as a child. The letter was no forgery, and that was something. If he dwelled on the positives perhaps he would live to see that day that Hannah would be home.

"I can't sleep." He sighed quietly. He had dozed off several times over the last two days, but the events seemed muddled together to the point where he couldn't remember sleeping, only the waking hours of living hell, waiting, hoping.

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eagleofdelphi
2008-05-01 04:20 am UTC (link)

"I know," Hestia said softly, curling downward for a moment to press another kiss to the top of his head before tightening her grip on him again. She needed the contact too right now, had since Hannah was gone, as though letting go would let something happen. She imagined it was starting to unsettle Ernie with that fact, as she had hugged him several times for absolutely no reason, as well as when the owls had arrived. Miles had already brought it up several times when he too found himself the focus of random hugs or touches, but she had been gratified that the jokes about her 'wanting him' hadn't been followed by him edging away.

"Anything new?" she asked, even as her gaze fell to the open journal on his desk. The silence since the last, disastrous owls had been almost a day now and she has refused to think about why that was.

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regretfulde
2008-05-01 04:40 am UTC (link)

Dominic sighed heavily, looking at the open journal. There was more that he could show her, but it was hardly flattering to him. He had known when he began to beg that it would have no effect, and yet he had not been able to stop himself. There was nothing that one wouldn't do for a child, even if it was humiliating, even if it was impossible.

Quickly he unlocked the journal's spell so that she could read the entry that had been warded to him, he handed it to her, and scooted his chair back a bit so that she could read it without him so close. He turned his chair closer to the fire, gazing into it broodingly and waiting on her to read it.

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eagleofdelphi
2008-05-01 04:53 am UTC (link)

Grabbing it almost greedily, Hestia read it all quickly, then again, thinking nothing of Dominic begging. It changed nothing about her for him, for she would have done the same, done that and more. With a fingernail she traced Hannah's words, blinking back tears. Of course she knew Hannah loved them all, but seeing it right there, in her own hand writing, brought new hope to Hestia. She laid the journal on the desk and rounded Dominic's chair, pulling him close to her again.

"We're going to get her back. Somehow. We will."

What she couldn't shake was the idea Rodolphus Lestrange wasn't being his typical bastard self with Hannah, given the past and his actions in toying with her.

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regretfulde
2008-05-01 05:12 am UTC (link)

Dominic held her tightly, closing his eyes. He could still see Hannah's words, still hear the sound of her voice in his memory, so it was almost as good as hearing her speak once more.

"She was alive after they took her, she was alive long enough to think Lestrange a kind man, so perhaps she's still alive now." It was something to hope for, but with Hannah's forgiving nature, it was entirely possible that she forgave Lestrange a moment after he apologized to her, as that was his little girl's nature.

"I don't feel as though she's gone. I don't feel as though I've lost a child." He took a deep breath and then opened his eyes, looking up at her."We have to get her back. Every time Lestrange sends us something..." He didn't finish his words, he couldn't. Every time he opened a package or envelope, he had no idea if it was Hannah's clothing, or lingerie, or, as the Lestrange bitch kept suggesting, a literal piece of his daughter.

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eagleofdelphi
2008-05-01 05:20 am UTC (link)

"You haven't," Hestia said, cupping his face with both her hands, bending so her face was quite close. "You haven't lost her, she isn't gone – she's out there and we'll get to her. She wouldn't have lied about him being nice and she wouldn't have been able to write that much if half of what they imply is true." She couldn't think about the dirt of the earth doing those things to Hannah, or she would fall apart as she had the night they took her.

She kissed him, a reassuring firmness rather than amorous intent, then stroked his cheeks with her thumbs. "Maybe it's time to involve someone else, Dominic."

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regretfulde
2008-05-01 05:43 am UTC (link)

Dominic leaned into her touch, looking at her curiously. "Involve who?" He didn't know who else they could involve without making it obvious to Lestrange that they had not followed their end of the bargain.

Feeling a bit stronger from her steadying touch, he rose to his feet before she even had a chance to answer, freeing his desk chair. "You should be sitting, you know, not catering to me." Dominic knew that Hestia was quite close to Hannah as well. Though she wasn't Hannah's mother, she had been acting a great deal like a mother for some time, and before that Hannah and her had been good friends, almost sisters. Hestia's family was gone now too, and he was being very selfish if he thought for a moment that it was otherwise.

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eagleofdelphi
2008-05-01 05:58 am UTC (link)

"Stop it and sit back down," Hestia said gently, compromising by guiding him down to the chair again and perching on his lap. Had she known what he was really thinking, she would have scolded him. Though she had known Hannah since the day Hannah had been born, in her mind, his relationship so far trumped that that it wasn't even possible to compare them. He had been there when she went to pieces the other night and she had strove since then to be there for him, she wasn't about to stop now.

"As for who, I don't know. The Order. Morgandy Yaxley. Hell, even Rabastan Lestrange. Just someone who might be able to help but can do it without alerting the world or the Lestranges."

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regretfulde
2008-05-01 06:15 am UTC (link)

Dominic sat, though he was about to protest before she sat on his lap. This, though, with them both relaxing, felt right.

"The Order, and Yaxley, I can agree to. I know that I can trust them, and that Yaxley will recognize that this could easily be her daughter that they've taken." He paused, thinking hard for a moment. "I don't know about Lestrange though. Hannah seems to trust him a great deal, and she even gave him papers that allow him a bit more freedom, but he's a largely unknown entity in this." He thought a moment longer. "Perhaps Narcissa Malfoy as well?"

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eagleofdelphi
2008-05-01 06:24 am UTC (link)

Hestia tipped her head to one side, then they other, stretching her neck muscles as she considered it. She was far from relaxed, really, and she didn't think she would relax voluntarily until Hannah was home.

"Does she even speak to the Lestranges?" she finally asked, turning to him. "After Carina was kidnapped, if she still did, I would be surprised. Maybe neither of them are good choices, just because these are their siblings doesn't mean they can help us."

She rubbed her face. "We need someone who can give us information like the locations of hideouts, things like that. Ultimately, we need someone inside. Yaxley may be our safest bet, but if we get her help, we won't be able to use the Order, not fully."

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regretfulde
2008-05-01 06:28 am UTC (link)

So this was the proverbial rock and hardplace that everyone was always talking about, the devil's choice between involving good forces or evil ones when only one could really be chosen.

"Yaxley." He said, clearing his throat. "Yaxley would know them better than any of us would know, if she's the one they chose to try to replace you, and we'll ask both the younger Lestrange and Malfoy in a very discrete way if they know anything." He could only pray that his decision was the right one. "If Yaxley is of no use then we will turn to the Order." If they had to, he would let it slip that he had been the Death Eater informant as a last choice desperate measure. Even if he served a day, a year in Azkaban, having Hannah home would be worth it.

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eagleofdelphi
2008-05-01 06:36 am UTC (link)

"That's what we'll do then," Hestia agreed. Sounds at the door made her look up and over the chair, finding Miles standing in the doorway, apparently trying to be nonchalant.

He cleared his throat. "I just, you know-"

Hestia tipped her head to the side. "Wanted to make sure we hadn't been kidnapped?" she said, a soft look on her face.

Making a face, though that had been partially his thought when they had both disappeared, just as it had been anytime anyone wasn't in the room when he woke up and realized he'd dozed. "Fuck no. I was looking for the good alcohol!" he said, snorted derisively, and then retreated quickly.

After a moment, Hestia shook her head, the ghost of a smile there for a moment.

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regretfulde
2008-05-01 06:52 am UTC (link)

Dominic snorted at Stebbins as he left. He wasn't such a bad kid after all, and Hannah was lucky to have a friend who would stick around to try to find her, even if he did have a rather foul mouth.

"I miss her." He said honeslty, playing with Hestia's hair for a moment. "I missed you too, when you were gone, but I never thought that you weren't coming back. I was worried, but I knew that you were a strong auror. Hannah's strong too, but she's just a child, she's no match for those people, people who have been killing since before she was born. I'm so frightened for her."

Ernie woke up alone and, all but jumping to his feet, he made his way down the corridor to the Minister's study where Dominic usually was, figuring that everyone else was there. In the hallway, he all but ran into Miles, and an awkward look came over his face. He really should apologize for punching Stebbins in the face, but he was so tired and stressed now that he couldn't really seem to find the words.

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eagleofdelphi
2008-05-01 07:07 am UTC (link)

Hestia wrapped her arms around his necked, hugging him tightly. "I know you do, I do too," she said softly. "And it was different because you could talk to me, you knew what you'd get me back. We can't do those things right now. But she's better prepared than most, what with the training she had to be at the Centre and the things she and Ernie were working on. She might even still have her wand, you know how many times we've told her to keep it concealed even if she has to lie."

It was a slim hope, made slimmer by the fact her dress had come to them shredded and they had no way to know if it had been done while on her or taken and done alter to provoke them. She prayed, with all she had, that it was the latter.

Stuffing his hands into his pocket after all but colliding with Ernie, Miles nodded over his shoulder.

"The Minster's drinking the good alcohol and not sharing and Jones is being all "Stebbins, take me right now" again, so I'm escaping, in case you wondered where they were."

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regretfulde
2008-05-01 07:42 am UTC (link)

Where Hestia saw hope, Dominic saw despair. Yes, Hannah might still have her wand, but odds were if she had not had opportunity to use it now, there was a reason. Perhaps they discovered that she had lied about having it and punished her severely. Perhaps they used her own wand to hurt her. His jaw clenched.

"We've nothing to do now but hope that they are kind to her, that they return her unharmed and show her mercy."

Ernie nodded, his hands going into his own pockets and his fingers brushing against the delicate metal design of Hannah's bracelet. He smiled slightly at Miles as his hand closed around it, holding it tightly. "Well glad for you that you escaped then before the situation reversed and it was Hestia hoarding all the good liquor and the Minister shooting you 'Stebbins, take me now,' looks." It was a poor attempt at a joke, and mostly fell flat, and it instantly made him feel guilty. What right did he have to be laughing when Hannah was out there, frightened and in the hands of Death Eaters?

"Any new news?" he asked hastily.

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eagleofdelphi
2008-05-01 07:51 am UTC (link)

Hestia shook her head. "We do have things to do, Dominic. Owl Yaxley, meet with her, see what she knows, if anything, about Hannah and get the locations of hideouts." She kissed him again and slid off of his lap. "Owl her, find a place we can meet her without anyone catching on, like your office or something. Ministry business cover."

Out in the corridor, Miles grinned back, somewhat heartened Ernie could joke, even if the look Ernie had been wearing for two days came right back. A flat joke was better than thinking his best mate was slipping to some point of no return.

He shrugged at the question, however. "I don't know, I didn't ask," he said, nodding back toward the study. "They were talking about something, I figured it could wait." He certainly wasn't going to admit he had even thought to ask, that his concern had been locating people before he backed out quickly from the Minister and Jones' private moment.

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regretfulde
2008-05-01 08:22 am UTC (link)

Dominic scooted closer to the desk, quickly summoning parchment and paper to write Yaxley an owl. He read over it once, thankful of the brief distraction the task had given him, and then handed it to Hestia to read. She had a hand in this too, and if she thought something was missing, or not well expressed, he would fix it, but the note was so brief and to the point that it was highly unlikely that any changes would be needed.

Ernie turned to go toward the Minister's study, but he paused, looking over his shoulder at Miles. "I'm glad to see that your nose is looking better. More accurately, I'm sure that half of Britain's female population is glad to see it looking better." He said it sheepisly, as it was the closest thing that he could manage now in way of apology.

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eagleofdelphi
2008-05-01 08:31 am UTC (link)

Scanning it quickly, Hestia handed it back and leaned in to kiss his temple. "It works, go ahead and send it, " she said, then went to the window to whistle for one of the owls. When the one that came was Scheherazade, she had to take a deep breath to keep from reacting. Fetching an owl biscuit, she fed it to the owl, talking softly.

Miles grin turned a bit repentant. "Well, it's the price of being an arse," he said, touching his nose gingerly, even though it didn't hurt anymore. That was about as close to an apology as he could get. "Would have had to kick yours had you fucked it up, though."

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regretfulde
2008-05-01 08:45 am UTC (link)

The bird certainly didn't need two biscuits, but Dominic got another one, feeding it to the owl nonetheless. They would spoil Hannah like this when she came back. She would never leave his side and he would never take his eyes off of her again. She would have everything she could wish for.

I wish you could find her, he thought, looking at the owl. I wish you could find her and bring her back here where she belongs

Sighing as wishes weren't granted so easily, he fastened the note to the bird. "Be quick and careful."

Ernie snorted, glad that the tension in the room had dissipated a bit. It took too much energy to stay angry with Miles, energy he'd rather be devoting to getting Hannah back.

"I'd like to see you try."

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eagleofdelphi
2008-05-01 08:56 am UTC (link)

Cocking its head, the owl let out a soft trill and then took flight with the letter. After watching it go, Hestia turned and slid her arms around Dominic, resting her chin on his chest. "I love you," she said softly, "and Hannah loves you and she knows we all love her. If anyone can keep faith they'll be rescued, it's her, and we won't breath that faith because we'll get to her."

Miles waved his hand dismissively. "Not now, I'm hungry. Later, I'll kick your arse while Hannah watches." It was a promise without devolving into what Miles would term 'nancy emotions' – they would get Hannah back and she'd be around for all sorts of joking fights in the future.

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regretfulde
2008-05-01 09:45 am UTC (link)

"I love you too." Dominic answered, wrapping his arms tightly around her as though by the force of his grip alone he could keep her there forever. He knew that she was right, and yet, somehow, hope seemed too far off to even begin to touch. This was to the point of touching the children now, and that alone was enough to make things seem far more bleak than they had ever been before.

Ernie turned, giving Miles an appreciative look. There was a reason this was his best mate, and it was because Miles could be meaningful and pass it off as a joke all at once. Somehow, though he wasn't sure how or why, he felt a little better.

"Fine, go get something to eat, pad your arse with cookies and cake and prepare yourself for the arsekicking of your life when Hannah gets back." It felt more comfortable to talk about it like this, as though Hannah was just gone on holiday and he missed her, yes, but that there was a definite end date in sight. It, if nothing else, was worth thanking Miles for after this was all over.

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eagleofdelphi
2008-05-01 10:03 am UTC (link)

Not even protesting the fierceness of his grip, as she understood where it was coming from, Hestia rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. It would be so easy to pretend this wasn't happening, that Hannah was safely upstairs watching movies with Ernie or working at Hogwarts or baking in the kitchen, but it wouldn't be fair to Hannah to do so. Their baby – while she would never replace Teaghan, would never be Hannah's 'mother', Hannah meant as much to her as she knew her own child would – was out there with many odds stacked against her and they couldn't afford to forget that, no matter how much it hurt.

Miles laughed outright. "I know you're jealous you can't be a master of carbs like I am, but all the more for me," he said, saluted with a cocky air and then wandered off down the corridor toward the kitchen.

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regretfulde
2008-05-01 10:21 am UTC (link)

Dominic closed his eyes. Gods, but he was tired. He was tired and hungry and exhausted (which was really the same thing as tired only amplified) yet the thought of eating made him feel ill and the thought of sleep filled him with panic over the thought of missing one of Rodolphus's communications. "Two days...." he sighed. Tomorrow would be three days, Hestia had been gone three days. One could hope that this time would be the same as the last, that something would happen and free Hannah and he'd go to find her unharmed. Frightened, ready to go home, but safe and in the same condition he had last seen her in. If he could have one more birthday present, one present to last him for the rest of his days, that would be it.

"All the more of you."Ernie said to Miles's retreating back, and then he was alone once more in the corridor, and reality set in again. As often happens when something bad happens, the grief seemed to come in waves, and when he was again alone he felt as though he were drowning. Not wanting to disturb Dominic and Hestia from what sounded to be a private moment, he went instead to Hannah's room, where he could sit and feel close to her and try to think of some solution.

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