InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "shika, shika, bang bang!!!"

erniedtmac (erniedtmac) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-09-23 20:22:00

Entry tags:

character: dean thomas, character: ernie macmillan, character: justin finch-fletchley, character: seamus finnigan, character: susan bones

Who: Justin, Ernie, and OPEN to Justin's friends (you may presume Ernie has sent them all invites!)
What: A happy badger birthday to Justin - low-key because some people have to work!
Where: Ernie's flat - food & drinks on the patio, couch and big bed available for cuddlepiles.
When: Monday, September 22, later in the evening (backdated)
Status: OPENish / Ongoing

Because Justin's birthday fell on a weekday, Ernie had decided to save the wild clubbing night for an upcoming weekend, and instead had invited some of their friends over to his place for dinner, drinks, and conversation. He loved entertaining at his Muggle-area London flat - there were twinkling fairy lights out on the patio, which he'd furnished magically (and thankfully the spells weren't set to reverse until after midnight), the bed and sofa were full of pillows and blankets for cuddling, and the place was cleaner than the oft messy Ernie tended to keep it (but if he didn't, what would Hannah have to clean when she came to visit?).

Ernie had also decided to do all the cooking himself with a little help from his Mum, who had stayed for the meal before leaving for the night. He knew that not all of their friends could make it, and some couldn't make it until later, but he was glad to have those that were there around.

But more than anything, this was Justin's day and Ernie was just glad to be able to spend it with his best mate. After dinner, he'd brought out a large store-bought cake topped with sparkling candles for Justin to blow out, then had passed around bottles of wine and soda for people to drink.

It was now after dinner, the food mostly cleared away, and Ernie was sat next to Justin and their friends - life was good. He took the opportunity to stand and hold his glass of wine aloft, calling for quiet before he made a toast.

"To Justin Finch-Fletchley, the best mate a man could ever have. Long may your chimney smoke," he began, quoting an old Scottish blessing his father used to say, but then smirked. "And may you smoke many a long chimney."

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Re: Justin/Ernie

friendlyjustin
2014-09-24 02:09 am UTC (link)

Justin nodded and sighed before cocking his head on the side. "I do. I do need to tell you this because.." he didn't really know himself when that whole thing had started, but he was ready to bet that it was the day he had set foot in the Janus Thickey Ward for the first time.

"Because I really mean it, Ernie. I don't think I'd be here without you. And it's one more birthday that I get to celebrate surrounded by my friends."

He shifted his weight on his feet for a moment, then bit his lower lip. "I went to Battlescars." He admitted softly. "Twice." He hadn't wanted to tell Ernie at first because then would come the question: why? And he didn't feel like answering this because, once again, he had tried to hide something from him.

"Working at the ward it.. it was harder than I thought it would be." By admission, he was pretty much digging two weeks of crap he hadn't told anyone about. "And nothing helps introspection like insomnia, I can tell you."

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Re: Justin/Ernie

erniedtmac
2014-09-24 02:22 am UTC (link)

"Hey, it's one of many, many you'll have," Ernie reassured, for both of them. He didn't even want to think of a world without Justin in it.

His shoulders dropped at hearing how Justin had been affected by working in the ward. And insomnia too? Ernie must have been too distracted by his own happiness at working with Justin that he'd missed it entirely. What sort of friend was he if he'd missed that?

"Battlescars is a good thing. If you need to go, then go - that's what it's there for," he reassured, trying for a supportive smile and squeezing Justin's hand in his. "And I'm sorry, I should have thought of that, warned you or something. How long's the insomnia been? Are you trying potions? Do you need to stay at mine a few nights? That helped sometimes."

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Re: Justin/Ernie

friendlyjustin
2014-09-24 02:32 am UTC (link)

Justin shook his head. "No.. it doesn't help." He replied. "I sit there and everyone talks about.." He looked away. He couldn't and wouldn't divulge anything about the meetings. Not just because of the contract, but because it would be like failing the professional oath.

He didn't answer about the potions and seeing a Healer about it wasn't in his plans yet. He had been able to sleep when Seamus had been over and it was it. "I'm not saying this.. Ernie.."

Justin had noticed Ernie's body language and knew his friend so well. By now he was well aware that Ernie's first reaction would be to feel guilty. "I'm not saying that so you'd worry or think that you should have seen it or something." It reminded him of the hospital, when he was first admitted after his release. Or when he was un-Petrified.

"Don't carry the weight of my well-being with you." He sighed and shook his head. "It came to me the other night. Since the moment I step foot in the Hufflepuff Common Room after the Sorting.. You were there. Every time I felt like giving up. Or.. no matter what happened, you took care of me." Justin liked his independence quite a lot, but would always go to Ernie if he needed help with something.

"Part of me.. I didn't.." he lifted his gaze towards the ceiling and and released a breath. "I wouldn't be here.."

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Re: Justin/Ernie

erniedtmac
2014-09-25 01:23 am UTC (link)

Ernie did his best to keep his bloody mouth shut as Justin talked, as it sounded like he was trying to speak from the heart, but Ernie just didn't understand what he was trying to say. He let go of Justin's hand to grasp him softly by the upper arms.

"Hey, you'd be here. You're strong, and you went through shite, but you're here, and it's all your doing, not mine. I'm proud of you, you know."

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Re: Justin/Ernie

friendlyjustin
2014-09-25 03:56 am UTC (link)

Justin wondered if Ernie understood what he meant and was pretty sure he didn't, though he didn't know if he should explain himself better or something. "Even the strongest needs support through the worst, you know." He replied with a smile. "You, Susan, Hannah, Seamus.." It wasn't Ernie alone, but everyone that had worked together to make him feel safe again.

"You know, I saw you working the other day and you reminded me of him." He admitted softly. "You are so patient and sweet with them." His work wasn't like that most of the time. It was about getting things done quickly, assessing patients do they could be transferred and such. "You do a fantastic job, Ernie." And not just with them, with him too.

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Re: Justin/Ernie

erniedtmac
2014-09-26 12:45 am UTC (link)

Ernie shrugged. "Well, I suppose you're right, but hey, you made the brilliant choice of having us for friends, after all," he said, trying for some levity.

As he then listened to Justin, he was in turns confused and flustered. "Who do I remind you of? And, well, I have to be, you know? And you know better than anyone what they're living through, how could I not be? They're just like us, just different is all."

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Re: Justin/Ernie

friendlyjustin
2014-09-26 02:45 am UTC (link)

Justin chuckled. "Are you okay, Ernie?" he asked softly. "You seem.. unsettled." He wondered if his friend was reacting like that because Justin was mildly drunk and thus, very susceptible to say a bunch of stupidities.

"Healer Hannigan. You remember him, right?" Healer Hannigan had spent so much time trying to persuade Justin that his release was real, and Ernie would come over to visit and do the same. Sometimes, Justin felt like maybe he had been Ernie's first patient.

Either way, he hadn't been surprised to know his mate was choosing that path of career.

"I'm sorry if.. Maybe it all sounds funny, but it my head it made sense earlier. I do hope you know how much I appreciate having you in my life. And I always believed that my birthday shouldn't be about celebrating the fact that I was born, it was about celebrating everything I have in my life that matters."

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Re: Justin/Ernie

erniedtmac
2014-09-27 12:40 am UTC (link)

"Oh, I remember him." Ernie remembered spending a lot of time with the healer, trying to figure out how best to support Justin, and not even realizing at the time how much what he learned would affect his future career decisions. "He was pretty brilliant. I see him sometimes, though our schedules don't always mix."

He resisted the urge to place the back of his hand against Justin's forehead. "I admit I'm wondering if I need to cut you off the wine already," he said with a playfully threatening look, then reached out to pull Justin in for a hug. "I don't say it often enough, but I appreciate you too. And you know I love you, and I'll celebrate anything you want with you. Now, come on, enough of the mushy stuff? You've got guests to dazzle with your presence, you know."

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Re: Justin/Ernie

friendlyjustin
2014-09-27 01:14 am UTC (link)

Justin hugged Ernie back squeezing a little tighter than usual. "Nah, I'm fine on the wine." He said. Thankfully he wasn't working the next morning, only at the end of the afternoon. "I should pop in to say hello at some point, I think." Justin pondered about Healer Hannigan. "I haven't seen him in a while. I know it's a good sign though, but I don't know.. I owe him a lot too."

"Okay, yeah, we can't get mushy." He said, shaking his head. "So here we go!"

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	Re: Justin/Ernie erniedtmac 2014-09-27 01:55 am UTC (link)
	Ernie let go of Justin with a playful shove in the direction of the patio. "Now go, get your cake on, and you know if you need it, my bed is your bed." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Re: Justin/Ernie friendlyjustin 2014-09-27 01:58 am UTC (link)
	Justin laughed. "If I didn't know better, I'd say it sounded kinky." he said with a smile as he left towards the patio to take a breath of fresh air. (Reply to this) (Parent)

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