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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 15:06:21 GMT -5
"I don't know," Ted said, shaking his head. "But if Angelique gave the Ferreras time off, she had to have offered it to Riley too, right?"
He nodded in the direction of the meeting room. "Did you get the notice? We should go. The meeting will be starting in a few minutes, and if it's about Roland, which I suspect it is, I don't want to stroll in late."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 15:09:55 GMT -5
Andi nodded. "Yeah, I was really only here to check in before going back to the school... Good thing I did, or I'd have missed the meeting... and probably found out from someone else." She sighed. "This is really sad. I'm glad you're here with me." She squeezed his hand, then got to her feet.
"Poor Riley. I really thought those two were going to end up together."
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Apr 2, 2009 15:15:17 GMT -5
Angelique looked up and saw Riley sitting in the corner. Shaking her head, she walked over to the girl. "You know you don't have to be here for this," she said gently. "You've been through enough... you really need to get some rest."
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Post by Hayden Ferrera on Apr 2, 2009 15:19:48 GMT -5
Hayden was getting restless in the house. He had to get out because it was really all depressing. Yes, Hayden was sad, but he was also angry. Before he got his siblings and cousins, he allowed himself a moment to cry. After that, however, he didn't cry again. He was being strong for his family and it was probably the toughest thing that he had ever done.
There was an auror meeting today and he was going to it. It was going to keep him busy. He needed something like that rather than just sitting around doing nothing. Sure, he had been keeping Ama and Sheena company, but he couldn't really stay in the house for that much longer. Work was calling for him and he had to answer it so he could attempt to keep himself sane.
Appearing at the Ministry, Hayden walked by people, not even looking at them. He was tired of hearing that people were sorry. What could they have done to stop it?
Hayden's eyes were still dull and lifeless-like, and his hair was all astray moreso than it usually was. He hadn't slept either. He had to make sure that the younger ones were sleeping.
Walking passed a few more people, Hayden walked into the Auror meeting room and took a seat near the back. His glance fell to Riley then to Angelique. He was back to that stone statue that he made himself to be. Only giving Angelique a small nod, as well as Riley, he put his hands on the table and laced his fingers together as he waited on everyone else to arrive.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 15:21:46 GMT -5
"I'm always going to be here with you, Andi." It was a promise... a promise that he wasn't going to leave her, ever. Nothing was going to tear him away from her.
"I think everyone thought they were going to end up together," Ted said. "Arthur and I had drinks with him one day... the day I asked you to marry me... he sort of admitted that he loved her. Well, he refused to use the word love, but it was close enough. I wonder if he ever told her," he said, voicing Arthur's thought.
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Post by Riley Neves on Apr 2, 2009 15:25:40 GMT -5
Riley shook her head at Angelique. "I slept last night," she said. "I can't stay holed up in that apartment, Angelique. Please don't make me leave."
Like Hayden, she had to do something, or the emptiness that Roland's absence left in her would knaw at her, inside out, and it would destroy her. She was scared to be left alone with her thoughts even, and all she had was work.
She couldn't even look at Hayden as he entered, and the guilt made her want to cry.
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Apr 2, 2009 15:30:23 GMT -5
Angelique nodded. "Yes... I understand. I'm sure I'd be doing the same thing if I were in your position. Just remember... if you need to take a break, please don't hesitate to do so."
She glanced at the door nervously. "Look... I have something to tell you, and I know you're not going to like it. But I want to warn you... there's a new auror coming in. I swear... She was supposed to come in before this happened, so she's not his replacement... She's American..."
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Post by Riley Neves on Apr 2, 2009 15:34:57 GMT -5
Riley sat up a little straighter, her brow creasing. "What?" She asked. How could they bring a new Auror in already? She heard Angelique swear that the new Auror wasn't a replacement for Roland, but her heart felt like it was being ripped out again, and she shifted in her seat. "He only just died yesterday!" She said quietly, but a spark of anger shone in her eyes. It was the most life she'd shown since before Roland died. "Make her wait."
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Apr 2, 2009 15:51:19 GMT -5
Angelique sighed. "I tried... I can't reach her. Maybe she won't show up today.... I haven't heard from her yet. She was supposed to arrive today... and I swear, I arranged this two weeks ago. I had no idea. If I could have stopped her from coming for a while, I would have. But no matter what, everyone would have thought of her as a replacement. And I promise, Riley... I'm not going to give you a new partner."
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Post by Riley Neves on Apr 2, 2009 15:56:23 GMT -5
Riley felt like she had been sucker-punched, and that all too familiar feeling of not being able to breathe was back.
It was something of a relief that Angelique promised not to give her a new partner... she was nowhere near ready for that. But she wasn't ready to welcome a new Auror today either.
"Don't let her have his desk," she said, and it sounded pitiful and childish to her, but it was suddenly very important that Roland's desk was left alone, for a few days at least.
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Post by Kit Cunningham on Apr 2, 2009 15:58:02 GMT -5
Kit had been in Britain since New Year's Eve. She arrived just in time to find the coolest local bar, and she spent the evening getting utterly trashed with the locals. All in all, a good night. The morning after was not so great. She woke up with a stranger and spent the rest of the day finding her way to her rented apartment.
Now, this morning was to be her first day at the Ministry. It took her some time just to find the place, and when she arrived, the place was eerily quiet. People were walking around looking miserable. She assumed it was some sort of British "stiff upper lip" deal, but still, it was annoying. Everyone seemed so depressed. She was half tempted to ask someone who had died. If this was the way the British Ministry normally was, Kit didn't think she could bear it.
She finally found her way to the meeting room and burst in. If it was possible, the atmosphere in here was worse than in the rest of the Ministry.
"Man... this place is like a funeral home," she blurted out.
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Apr 2, 2009 16:07:31 GMT -5
Angelique nodded. "I won't. There's a desk already set aside for her. I'm going to need someone to clear out his desk... It should really be his parents, but I have no idea when they're going to be able to come in. They haven't even scheduled the funeral... I think they're waiting for the results of the tests on the body..."
She shook her head. It just didn't seem real. She kept hoping that it would all turn out to be a mistake.
Before she could say another word, however, an unfamiliar-looking woman came into the room and promptly stuck her foot in her mouth. Oh, Godric... way to make friends.
"Kit, I presume?" Angelique said, standing up. "We need to talk. Now."
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Post by Riley Neves on Apr 2, 2009 16:33:01 GMT -5
Riley was quiet for a minute. Then she said, "I'll do it. There are leftovers from his mom in his desk... I don't know how Mrs. Ferrera would react to that... I can clean it out and take what's left to his parents."
It hadn't been that long, not even two whole days since Roland had died, and it just seemed unfair to ask his parents to deal with all of this. Someone was going to have to clean out his apartment, too... maybe she would offer to help. His desk she didn't mind doing... his parents really should take care of the apartment.
Her eyes shifted when the blonde walked in, her accent unmistakeably American, and announced that the place felt like a funeral home. Riley's eyebrows went up, and she shot a look at Angelique. She had an immidiate dislike for this girl, and Heaven help her if she even spoke to Riley right now.
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Post by Kit Cunningham on Apr 2, 2009 16:41:04 GMT -5
Kit was blissfully oblivious to the shocked stares she received for her comment. She was focused on the woman who was speaking to her. "Yeah, I'm Kit. Kit Cunningham. Short for Katharine, but please don't call me Katharine. Are you Angelique?"
Then she got a look at the face of the woman next to Angelique, and Kit suddenly realized that she had said something wrong. Oh, no... what if it really was a funeral? Kit would feel horrible if that was the case... But shouldn't someone have said something sooner?
"Yeah, all right. Should I step outside or something?"
So typical. Her first day on the job and she was already in trouble.
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Apr 2, 2009 17:00:16 GMT -5
Angelique led the girl out into the hallway. "Look, Kit... I tried to contact you. It's not a good time for you to start. You say it feels like a funeral home... well... that's because one of our aurors just died. On New Year's Eve. So the meeting that was supposed to be to welcome you is now pretty much... his wake."
She sighed. "He was young... younger than you... and he was very well liked. You starting today... well, you're going to look like his replacement."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 20:31:25 GMT -5
"I'm always going to be here with you, Andi." It was a promise... a promise that he wasn't going to leave her, ever. Nothing was going to tear him away from her. "I think everyone thought they were going to end up together," Ted said. "Arthur and I had drinks with him one day... the day I asked you to marry me... he sort of admitted that he loved her. Well, he refused to use the word love, but it was close enough. I wonder if he ever told her," he said, voicing Arthur's thought. Andi felt tears burning in her eyes. "That's so sad," she said softly. She couldn't help but think that, just a few weeks earlier, she could have been exactly in the same position Riley was now in. Ted could have died in the attack, and she wouldn't have known that he still loved her. Even worse, he wouldn't have known that she loved him. Grabbing his hand, she stopped abruptly in the hallway and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I love you," she said. "I don't want you to ever have to doubt that." |
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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 20:42:51 GMT -5
Ted sighed, kissing her back softly. "I never would doubt it. I love you too, Andromeda." He considered the possibility that he wouldn't have the chance to tell her how much he loved. It was as heartbreaking for Roland to have died with the words still in his heart as it was for Riley to have never heard them.
"I almost wonder if someone should tell her how he felt about her," Ted said. He didn't know if she would want to know or not. He kissed Andi again, and finally lead her inside the room. The only other two there (not counting Angelique and a girl he didn't recognize outside) were two people that shouldn't have been here at all... Riley and Hayden.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 20:50:09 GMT -5
Andi considered this. In one way, yes.. it seemed wrong for Riley not to know that Roland had loved her. But what good would it do her now? All it would do was break her heart. Even if she didn't return his love... it would hurt Riley to know that he had loved her and she'd never get a chance to learn whether she could have loved him, too. It was so unfair...
Seeing Riley, Andi glanced at Ted. "I don't think so," she whispered to his question. Riley looked distraught enough as it was. She couldn't imagine what knowing of Roland's unrequited love for her would do to the girl.
"I kind of want to sit with her," she said.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 21:05:31 GMT -5
Ted glanced at Riley. He still wanted to tell her. Not now, of course... now would be cruel. But he thought she should know eventually.
Ted squeezed Andi's hand. "Go sit with her... I think I'll stay back. I don't want to crowd her, and I don't even know her, really." Andi was subtle and compassionate and probably better suited to deal with Riley than Ted was at the moment. He just wouldn't know what to say.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 21:14:33 GMT -5
Andi nodded, glancing past Ted to where Riley was sitting. It was entirely possible that she'd rather be left alone, but Andi felt obligated to give it a try, anyway. If she didn't want to talk, then at least she would know that Andi was there for her, if she ever did. No one should have to go through something like this alone.
"OK. Why don't you sit with Hayden? He looks like he's still in shock."
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