Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Scars can come in useful"

Miles Stebbins (soddinghell) wrote in all_roads,
@ 2008-07-02 15:43:00

Entry tags:

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

Training conversations; training HQ [MS, EM, HJ]
WHO: Miles, Ernie – Hestia in parts
WHERE: Auror training headquarters
WHEN: Friday, 25 February, 2000; afternoon
SUMMARY: In the course of their usual talk-and-train, an idea is hatched. COMPLETED THREAD.
RATING: PG

"Pair up, you know the drill," Hestia called at the end of her thorough explanation of several fight strategies, then moved to lean against the wall behind a small counter, quick wand work bringing up the customary shield right after it. As it was standard procedure for instructors, she didn't feel as obvious doing it in order to shield the baby.

Grinning, Miles reached out, punched Ernie in the shoulder and then stepped back, wand at the ready. "Now, Macmillan," he said, his stance easily and confident, "when I kick your arse – which we both know I will – you can't cry about it. It's just sad to watch."

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lost_ernie
2008-07-02 08:16 pm UTC (link)

Ernie rolled his eyes at Miles, taking two quick steps forward in order to smack him sharply on the back of the head before darting back into his position. It was risking it, taking those extra few seconds to retaliate, but it was worth it if it meant he got in the figurative last word.

"The only sad thing will be you whining to Jones after I kick your arse, Stebbins," Ernie shot back, getting himself ready for the exercise to begin. "She's not got enough time for you to cry on her shoulder about every time I've bested you."

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soddinghell
2008-07-02 09:12 pm UTC (link)

Before responding, Miles fired the first hex in the training pattern, holding position just a moment before moving several steps to the right, then a step back

"That's because all her time is taken up with you, wiping your nose and patting your back," he said with a laugh, a moment later firing the second hex easily in the during-casting movement pattern Hestia has been outlining. As always, he followed the instructions easily, but also as always, he would soon stop following the plan and get inventive. Because that was how he was, and it was funny to watch Macmillan scramble to keep up – at least that was how Miles saw Ernie's reactions in his own mind.

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lost_ernie
2008-07-02 09:37 pm UTC (link)

Ernie dodged the first hex, his slower start (no doubt a result of him having to get the last word in) making the move a bit sloppy, but he was ready for the second one and easily moved out of the way. He was normally pretty good at dealing with the moves they had been instructed on, it was only when Miles's originality came into play that things got truly complicated, but Miles kept him on his toes and he was grateful for it, after all, no heartless Death Eater was going to stick to the rules and attack using only a single technique or even a handful, no they were going to toss in every dark spell they knew.

"Classy, Stebbins, real classy," He said, attempting to fire back his own hex for the first time. "I'll mention that you need someone to wipe your own nose and to pat your back later to Jones, wouldn't want you to feel left out."

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soddinghell
2008-07-02 11:57 pm UTC (link)

That might have been the motivation of another, to prepare his fellow Auror, but mostly it was because Miles enjoyed harassing Ernie any way possible. There was a part of him that did attempt to take his job somewhat seriously, but mostly it was all a big game in the positive sense, as Miles refused to let this life get him down as he'd seen happen to others. And again, harassing Ernie. That was always good for a laugh before he never backed down and gave as good as he got. That Miles considered him his best friend, without ever saying or acknowledging that sort of thing, spoke volumes.

"Maybe I'll ask Hannah," he said with a wicked grin, curling Ernie before stepping into the next thrown curse.

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lost_ernie
2008-07-03 12:45 am UTC (link)

The next curse came closer to hitting Ernie because of the mention of his girlfriend's name. He should have expected it, given who Miles was and how much he flirted with Hannah given the chance, but it was still unexpected. "Again, Miles, classy, real classy."

Ernie was the first to venture out of the training exercise to use a hex they had not been instructed on, firing it back at Miles. "She really doesn't need another demonstration of me kicking your arse though. I don't want her to start pitying you."

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soddinghell
2008-07-03 01:50 am UTC (link)

"Ha, the boy learns," Miles taunted as he deflected the unexpected curse, throwing a hex back once he had, then moved in for the distraction.

"And no, I'll just kick your arse here, then go to her for the reward." He pretended to mull it over as though it were something it looked forward to more than all else. "Cookies. Muffins. Kisses. A back rub."

Cue next hex, aimed low, and then eh dodged to ward off retaliation.

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lost_ernie
2008-07-03 02:12 am UTC (link)

Ernie was doing well in the duel until Miles brought up Hannah, and then his concentration was shot. His too vivid imagination supplied him with images that he certainly didn't want to experience while he was hurling curses back and forth, images of Hannah handing Miles a fresh plate of warm cookies, Miles eating a muffin with zeal, her kissing his cheek and rubbing his back the same way she might do to Ernie after a rough day--

The hex hit his knee when he rolled a second too late, locking it effectively enough to make Ernie curse and fling a hex off it Miles. He cursed again when Miles dodged, clearly two full steps or more ahead. The distraction had worked wonders.

"Like hell you will," he growled, knowing that Miles was just trying to rile him up. "I'm going to kick your arse and then go home to her." He fired another hex, awkwardly moving to hopefully prevent another attack. "Maybe she'll bake a plate of cookies to console you while you're on sick leave."

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soddinghell
2008-07-03 03:52 am UTC (link)

Miles could only laugh, clearly thrilled with his latest win over Ernie. He ignored the yell from Hestia, signaling the first round of the training exercise was over and prepared to continue on as he had.

"Exercise over," Hestia yelled again, this time amplified so the sound reverberated. "Stebbins, Macmillan, if you both aren't interested in doing as you're told at least the first time, maybe you'd both like to sit out the outdoor maneuvers and do written work?"

Rolling his eyes, Miles ended his attempted attack and looked over at Ernie. "She treats us like ickle firsties," he grouched in a whisper, elbowing his friend.

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lost_ernie
2008-07-03 04:24 am UTC (link)

Ernie groaned when Hestia called off the first round before he had a chance to reclaim victory. He didn't even elbow Miles back, as he was too busy suppressing the urge to glare at Hestia. He was GOING to win, he just hadn't had time yet. Still, the threat of written work was not a casual one, and Ernie didn't want to spend the rest of the day researching or scribbling notes on parchament paper, so he schooled his face in one of appropriate sheepishness.

"Ickle firsties would be better," He whispered back, trying to keep his words from Hestia's ears. "Sprout was never this much trouble!"

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soddinghell
2008-07-03 11:33 pm UTC (link)

Reluctantly, as Miles didn't want to be stuck inside or writing, he followed the next maneuver without deviation. It made for a predictably boring fight in his mind, as he and Ernie worked to well together to score any hits. However, it was over shortly and then they were let outside to do the same in open air and with obstacles such as the trees if they moved to the far end of the training area. This was where Miles headed.

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lost_ernie
2008-07-04 12:06 am UTC (link)

Ernie grinned when Miles headed toward the far end of the training field. They were out of Hestia's earshot now, so they could practice more freely and toss out insults as well without being threatened with essays like they were still in Hogwarts.

"When I win, you're buying Hannah and I, hell, the whole pub, a round of drinks," His teasing smile faded a bit when he thought about the sort of effort it would take to get Hananh into a crowded pub, the nervousness that she would feel, but most of all he thought about how she would only go if she knew it was important to him, that she would suffer through her fear bravely moment after moment for him. Instantly regretting the words that came naturally with the playful sort of dueling banter, Ernie shook his head. "Or you can try not to poison us by cooking us dinner." he finished lamely.

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soddinghell
2008-07-04 03:47 am UTC (link)

Miles grinned. "Figures, you were on to a good plan – with the minor modification of you buying when I kick your arse – and you traded it for a bad one," he said with a snort, casting a relatively simple jinx to get them started. Once in motion, he stayed in motion, circling a tree to obstruct Ernie's vision without remaining behind it long enough to be considering hiding behind it.

"She still isn't coming out on her own?" he asked, emerging on the other side in a crouch.

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lost_ernie
2008-07-04 03:56 am UTC (link)

Chicken. Ernie thought, watching Miles circle the tree. He might not be cowering behind it, but it didn't stop Ernie from hurling the playful insult at him as he moved to avoid the jinx, and to shoot back one of his own.

"No..." he said quickly as he shot a slightly more complicated hex Miles's way. He groaned when he missed by slightly more than was considered dignified. "She's not come out unless she knows we want her to since that bastard Lestrange got ahold of her. It makes sense, I guess, I'm sure he'd just love to capture her again." Tightening his grip on his wand at that thought, Ernie circled his own tree, not wanting to make the same mistake twice and allow his musings to let Miles get the upper hand.

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soddinghell
2008-07-04 04:26 pm UTC (link)

Thoroughly enjoying Ernie's mishaps, Miles moved away from his tree, considered the layout of the area a moment, and then fired a hex into a tree trunk, counting on it's rebound to both reach Ernie and be slightly weaker when it did, for effectiveness. The revelation about Hannah didn't pause him, and even thought the conversation had turned serious, it didn't throw off his grin. This was just the way he and Ernie often talked.

"Seems we ought to just kill the fucking bastard once and for all," he observed, taking two steps back from the expected retaliation.

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lost_ernie
2008-07-04 04:47 pm UTC (link)

Though Ernie would tease Miles later about being an unrepentant geek later, more fit for Ravenclaw than Hufflepuff, he could appreciate the skill that went into firing off the shot and having it rebound off of the tree. His side, though, now tingling as though it had fallen asleep thanks to the weakened shot, didn't appreciate it as much, and he fired off another shot, missing when Miles took two steps back.

"Now that's an idea," Ernie said, trying to convince himself that they were only joking though he himself had considered it more than once. "You and I could go hunt the rat bastard down, and then we could all go out to celebrate." He was only joking, he reminded himself, if he and Miles so much as considered such a plan for even a moment Hestia would have their arses on a silver platter.

Squinting for a moment in concentration, Ernie fired first one hex to Miles's left, then one to his right, hoping that Miles would dodge the first one only to be intercepted by the second.

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soddinghell
2008-07-04 05:11 pm UTC (link)

It was a skilled move, and it was Miles' distraction with the plan forming in his head that let the second one find its mark. Though he voiced a soft grunt at it on impact and the resulting freezing feeling, the grin never slipped from his face. Just as quickly, he retaliated, a straight on attack meant to capitalize on the swiftness of his own recovery more than anything else.

"Or we hunt him down, take care of him, and celebrate ourselves while we lay low from the dark-haired dictator," he said, nodding across the property toward where Hestia was demonstrating something.

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lost_ernie
2008-07-04 05:43 pm UTC (link)

Ernie groaned as the swift attack hit him, firing off one of his own, though not quite so quickly as Miles had. Already he was beginning to be distracted with this plan--because he had to admit it was more of a plan than a joke.

"She could never know." He said, looking back at Hestia as well. "She'd have us writing so many essays that our hands would fall off in exhaustion." He could see how it would happen, Lestrange dead and gone, and Hannah having her life back, her ability to leave the house at her own free will, he and Miles finally pulling one over on Hestia and the world celebrating Lestrange's demise. His thoughts depended on a great number of things going right and nothing going wrong, but he didn't care. Hannah could have her life back, if only he and Miles could do this one simple thing.

"When?" he asked, firing off another hex more for looks sake if Hestia were watching than to try to hit Miles.

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soddinghell
2008-07-04 06:40 pm UTC (link)

Easily deflecting the next attack, Miles' attention was on Ernie still more than the fight, as it wasn't a difficult fight to begin with. He nodded at keeping Hestia out of it, as the less involved during and after, the better – and though Miles would use the writing exercises as an excuse, part of him knew full well that would be the least of their concerns. As for it solving everything, he just knew that Rodolphus gone would solve a lot of things for a lot of individuals – there were always more plans if this didn't do the job entirely for Hannah.

"Fucking soon, is my plan. When we can get it put together," he said, only putting up the appearance of training exercises now.

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lost_ernie
2008-07-04 06:56 pm UTC (link)

Tomorrow, Ernie wanted to say, but he knew that it would be impossible and far too impulsive if they did things so soon. Instead he cast a few more hexes half heartedly for appearance's sake, going over the details in his mind as he was silent for a moment. This would be enough, he was certain of it, to convince Hannah that venturing out into the world again was safe again, and he would do anything to ensure that she got her life back again.

That THEY got their lives back again. Hannah being trapped was as if they both were, and he longed to be able to bring her places, to show her things as he once was able to. "I want to be the one to do it," He said fiercely, hitting a tree with a hex with a bit more venom than was necessary. "You can help, but I want to be the one to end him."

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soddinghell
2008-07-06 06:15 am UTC (link)

Continuing with the bluff training of throwing hexes and curses without a real intent to hit of deflect, Miles rolled his neck and considered. It wasn't really like him to go in a situation and then take the back seat, but this wasn't just any fight. This was personal. In the reverse, though he was never attached to any woman long enough to be her 'protector', he'd want Ernie to do the same.

"Deal. But that means I get to take that fucking bitch of his down if we get the chance," he said.

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lost_ernie
2008-07-06 06:29 am UTC (link)

Ernie was glad that Miles agreed to let him take down Lestrange. While he had long since accepted that the man had tried to kiss Hannah (because dwelling on such a thing would only hurt the woman he loved more), he had not stopped holding it against Lestrange, nor had he forgotten all of the sick, twisted mind games that the man had tried to play with her, the way he had taunted them all while she was gone. No, Ernie had accepted that Hannah had been forced to endure certain obstacles to be home again, but that didn't mean that he had forgiven her captor for them, and he would gladly heap revenge onto Lestrange's head until he was dead.

"Agreed." he said, tossing Miles a wide, almost elated smile. They were really going to do this, get rid of the two worst threats to any sane person on the continent. "The bitch is all yours. And thank you, Miles." He knew how hard this must be for Miles, to let him do this (even if he got to kill Bellatrix), and he appreciated it a good deal. Perhaps as a reward he'd actually let Stebbins beat him during their next training session, he thought.

Not a chance...

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