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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 21:25:50 GMT -5
Ted nodded. He didn't know Hayden that well either, but he stood a better chance being useful there than he would with Riley. "Sure thing," he told Andromeda. "I'll see you after."
He headed towards the back of the room and sat near the author Auror.
"Hey, Hayden," he said. There was no sense beating around the bush... they both knew he was there to see how Hayden was doing. "I'm surprised to see you this morning. How are you holding up?"
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Post by Hayden Ferrera on Apr 2, 2009 21:44:55 GMT -5
His mind was blank and his body was numb as he hands remained on the table. His eyes were showing that he hadn't slept. As Ted sat beside him, Hayden took a minute before looking over to him.
"Hey," he said tiredly. "I had to get some kind of fresh air." Hayden ran a hand over his face. He didn't really want to talk much, but he couldn't be rude to Ted after all, he didn't do anything wrong. "How are you?"
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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 21:50:53 GMT -5
Ted just shrugged. "I'm doing fine, Hayden." That was enough to tell him he shouldn't push, and he looked towards the door. "It looks like we might still have a couple minutes, and I could really use a coffee. You wanna run down to the cafeteria with me really quick?"
It had to be better that sitting in here, just waiting. The quiet, Ted surmised, had to be the worst part. It leflt you too alone with your thoughts, and Merlin knew that could be oppressive.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 21:54:44 GMT -5
Andi, meanwhile, slipped into the seat next to Riley. She looked at her for just a minute, trying to decide what to say. What exactly did you say? Everything sounded trite.
Turning her head away, she stared down at the floor. It was almost impossible to imagine that a few minutes ago, she had been happy. She barely even knew Roland or Riley and she was hurting terribly. It must have been so much worse for Riley. Even if she hadn't loved him, she was still his partner... they had a relationship.
"Hi," she said at last, her voice gentle. "How are you holding up?"
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Post by Hayden Ferrera on Apr 2, 2009 22:04:44 GMT -5
Coffee. That was something he needed. He hadn't had any coffee to keep him awake, he had just forced himself, however being alone with his thoughts was enough to keep him awake.
Hayden was thankful that Ted didn't push any other questions about what was going on with him. He nodded and started to stand up. He looked to Riley with his eyes that had a soft look. Hayden wanted to let her know that he didn't blame her for anything. He blamed the deatheaters for everything. His respect for her rose when she came to them and told them what happened right after. She looked like she could use a cup of coffee, and Hayden would make it a point to at least bring her back one.
"Coffee sounds good."
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Post by Riley Neves on Apr 2, 2009 22:07:15 GMT -5
Riley knew someone sat next to her, but she didn't look up. She was still too angry about the new girl and her funeral home comment, and too tired and still under the idea that she just didn't want to deal with anyone.
In fact, when Andromeda spoke to her, she almost snapped. But she had enough wits about her to look up first and see who it was. She forced a smile and sipped her coffee. "Hi. I'm good," she said, nodding. "Pretty tired. It's been a long day and night, but I'm fine otherwise. How are you?"
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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 22:10:42 GMT -5
Ted nodded and smiled. "Good, let's go."
He stood up, noticing the look Hayden gave Riley, but he didn't say anything about it. It was a soft look, thank Merlin. The last thing the Ferreras or Riley needed was tension between them.
"I always try and make a point of being a little early, just in case I need to stop for the coffee, you know?" He said, keeping conversation light.
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Post by Hayden Ferrera on Apr 2, 2009 22:32:33 GMT -5
"Yeah," he said. "I think my dad drank all of what we had." Hayden's attempt at a light smile failed. A smile wouldn't stay on his face for long, even if he did attempt to keep it on his face for Sheena.
While walking down the hall with Ted, he rubbed his neck. Hayden didn't want to talk about himself. "How are you and Andromeda doing?"
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Apr 2, 2009 22:51:33 GMT -5
Riley knew someone sat next to her, but she didn't look up. She was still too angry about the new girl and her funeral home comment, and too tired and still under the idea that she just didn't want to deal with anyone. In fact, when Andromeda spoke to her, she almost snapped. But she had enough wits about her to look up first and see who it was. She forced a smile and sipped her coffee. "Hi. I'm good," she said, nodding. "Pretty tired. It's been a long day and night, but I'm fine otherwise. How are you?" Andi could tell that Riley was anything but "good." Tired and probably emotionally drained were probably more accurate. But Andi wasn't going to push it. "I'm OK," she replied. "I've been out of town for a few days." Was it insensitive to say that she had married Ted in France? It felt like it would be. "Have you eaten anything? I think it's bagel day in the cafeteria... they don't usually mess those up too badly." |
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Post by Riley Neves on Apr 2, 2009 23:19:15 GMT -5
"I'm not really hungry, actually," Riley said. "But if you want one, go ahead," she added. She felt bad. She knew Andromeda was trying to involve her without mentioning Roland, but she just wasn't up to it. She didn't think she could stomach anything more than coffee right now.
She forced another smile. "I'm not going to fall apart. I promise."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Apr 3, 2009 0:03:15 GMT -5
Andi nodded. "I know," she said gently. "You're unbelievably strong. If it were me... well, I wouldn't be sitting here right now, that's for sure. Just know... if you need someone to talk to... or you just need to let it out... I'm here for you. Remember what I said about us girls sticking together. I meant that."
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Post by Riley Neves on Apr 3, 2009 0:09:52 GMT -5
Riley smiled, again. She was faking so many smiles that her cheeks hurt. "I appreciate that, Andromeda. But I'm fine. We all signed up to be Aurors knowing the risks... Roland and I both knew that something like this could happen one day. He died fighting for something, and that's more than most of us can say."
It was practiced and the words were even, methodical. But that's what people wanted to hear. They didn't want to hear that you were breaking down on the inside.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Apr 3, 2009 0:21:00 GMT -5
Somehow, just hearing his name from her lips was painful. Andi felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. Merlin, this was real. He was really gone. And it could have been any of them. Andi wondered to herself whether she really had the guts, the strength of conviction, to give her life for the cause, as Roland had. She'd always thought that she did... otherwise she certainly wouldn't be here. But it was one thing to say it and another thing entirely to actually do it. Roland had done it, unashamed and unafraid.
"He's a real hero," Andi said softly.
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Post by Riley Neves on Apr 3, 2009 0:26:31 GMT -5
Riley nodded. "He really was. But he would hate to hear you say that. Or anyone. He never saw himself as a hero."
Even in the short time she had known and worked with Roland, she knew that he never wanted the title of hero. She sighed deeply, and in a candid moment, she lowered her eyes.
"You know, I keep expecting him to just walk in the door like he owns the place."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Apr 3, 2009 1:10:07 GMT -5
"That just proves that he was one," Andi said, smiling slightly. "He didn't do it for fame or glory or any of that. He did it because he cared. Because it was right. That's a true hero."
Andi hoped that talking about Roland was helping Riley. It seemed to be, at least a little bit. You couldn't keep that sort of thing bottled up forever.
She smiled a little bit more. "He did kind of act like that, didn't he? He gave off an air of arrogance... I always found him kind of intimidating. But he was a really good guy, wasn't he?"
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Post by Riley Neves on Apr 3, 2009 1:17:50 GMT -5
Riley rolled her eyes. "He only tries to act intimidating. He's kind of..."
She shook her head. "Sorry, he was. He was kind of a marshmellow deep down. At least, I thought so."
But she watched how others treated him, and they did think he was intimidating. He could posture with the best of them, as she recalled from Rookwood's office.
"I'm sorry," she told Andromeda. "I'm not really good at this. He was a good guy, and he was a hero." It was what she wanted to hear, right?
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Apr 3, 2009 1:40:57 GMT -5
Andi was still smiling gently. "He probably wouldn't like to hear you say that, either," she said.
Tears were glistening in her eyes. She found herself wishing she'd gotten to know him a little better. They all worked together; shouldn't they know each other better than they did?
"Oh, no..." she said as Riley began to apologize. "You're doing fine. I just thought... maybe it might help to talk about him, just a little bit. You know... so you don't forget him."
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Post by Riley Neves on Apr 3, 2009 1:45:52 GMT -5
Sp Andromeda didn't want to be comforted? She was doing it for Riley's benefit, but then why was she so close to crying?
Riley closed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair. She really didn't know how to do this. She didn't know how to deal with herself, and she didn't know how to deal with everyone else trying to figure out how to deal with her.
She turned and looked at Andromeda, and then quietly asked, "I know it's kind of different, but if it were Ted... would you ever forget him?"
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Apr 3, 2009 2:00:20 GMT -5
Somehow, hearing those words brought home what Andi was feeling; a nagging fear in the back of her mind. She blinked, causing the unshed tears to slip from her eyes and trickle down her cheeks.
Forget Ted? It was impossible. His eyes were burned into her heart.
"No," she said. "Never."
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Post by Riley Neves on Apr 3, 2009 2:41:58 GMT -5
"Then you'll understand if I feel safe enough not talking about Roland for a while," Riley said, trying to sound as polite as possible. She wasn't going to forget Roland. How could she? She would remember him everytime it got quiet, and he wasn't there to bug her or tell her how self righteous she was, and he would never steal a kiss from her again.
"I'm sorry, Andromeda. Please don't cry. If you want me to tell you how brave he was, I can, or how good of a guy. If you want to hear those stories, I'll oblige. But please don't do this for me."
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