Jukebox Hero (Royal)

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A busy lunch rush had left Susan exhaused and raveneous for a good meal. Hannah was an amazing cook and soon she was tucking into a delicious Shepherd's Pie with a large flagon of pumpkin juice to wash it down. It was nice when the Cauldron was like this; peacefully quiet and devoid of anyone else. Not that Susan would mind company, but after the dozens of people who came in for lunch that day she didn't mind either way.

The bell tinkled a few times as several witches and wizards passed through with their children to the back, on their way to pick up supplies in Diagon Alley. Susan smiled at them as they passed but didn't engage in conversation. She picked up her empty plate and walked behind the bar. With her new independence, Susan had also learned that it was impolite to leave dirty dishes in her wake; luckily Andy had been kind enough to help her out the first few days. She pointed her wand to the jukebox and let some good old fashioned rock and roll play through the empty pub. As she was washing the dish she heard a bar chair scrape and looked up to see who was there. “The bartender just ran to the loo, he'll be back in a moment,” she told him, then did a double take. “Wait a moment, I've seen you before. You work with the Minister, Victoire Weasley, don't you?” she asked him. She looked up to Victoire, even idolized her a little bit; one day Susan had the desire to become Minister of Magic as well.

@royal

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Royal needed to sleep, but he wasn’t going to. Between switching jobs and finally finishing his book, he had been blasting forward, full steam ahead, for nearly two weeks. He felt too good to stop – adrenaline and caffeine were wonderful, wonderful things, and the business kept his mind off of the less happy things. The first anniversary of his father’s death had come and gone with little fanfare, but Royal had noticed. It was part of the reason why he didn’t force himself to rest, even though he was constantly nagging Victoire to do the very same thing. Royal was worried that as soon as he came back down, he’d slip under the same rain cloud that had been plaguing him for months. The bar was a good place to escape, mostly because people were too obsessed with ignoring their own problems to bother him about his.

He winced a bit as the chair he pulled out scraped against the floor, and cast an apologetic glance at the girl who looked up when he did so. It turned out that she didn’t want an apology, though – she wanted to know if he worked with Victoire. Royal nodded slowly, feeling just the slightest bit ambushed. That was no matter, though. He was a politician, and he knew how to talk to people. “Royal Shacklebolt,” he introduced himself with a warm smile, extending his hand for a shake. “Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic.” That was enough for now – he didn’t want to flaunt his personal relationship with Victoire anymore than he had to. He was already in a precarious position, especially since he didn’t have his own security detail, and if anyone knew that killing him would hurt Vic on more than just a professional level, the risk would only increase. “How can I help you today?” Constituents liked to know they were being heard, and even if it meant listening to this girl rattle off a list of complains…well, better him than Victoire.

@susanvictoria

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Susan gave herself a little pat on the back for properly recognizing Royal Shacklebolt; when she had first been thrust into this world five years ago, she thought she would never be able to know the 'who's who' of the wizarding world.  Royal's father had been Minister of Magic when Susan had found out about her magical abilities, but he had been tragically murdered a little over a year ago.  From what she had read in the newspapers, Kingsley had been a good man and a wonderful Minister.  Most people would not even begin to understand what Royal and his sisters had been going through, but Susan did.  She still remembered vividly the day her father had been murdered; the look of urgency on the guards' face, the color draining from her mothers, and their flight from the palace to a more remote house in the countryside to be away from it all.


She looked at him as he asked if there was anything he could help her with and gave him a faint smile.  "No, I just admire Victoire greatly for being able to step into the Ministers' role at such a young age; she is someone I aspire to," she told him, a faint pink tinge glowing on her cheeks.  She thought about what sort of reaction he would have if she brought up his father.  It was a strange thing to bond over - fathers being murdered, but she thought it wasn't a connection most people shared.  "Also, I'm sorry about your father - my father was killed as well, but years ago," she said quickly.



@royal

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Royal gave a faint smile to the girl when she said she admired Victoire for stepping up. It was one of those things that he had no idea how to feel about. He had resented Vic for a while after she announced she was going to be Minister. It wasn’t his choice, though, so he supposed that it was just as well that people admired Vic for it. “She’s an amazing politician; I’m honored to get to work with her.” He said carefully. “Though if you want to be Minister, you’ll have to get in line.” Royal said with a hint of his normal mischievous smile. He fully intended to assume the position at some time in his life, even if it was only for a year or so. Call it a bucket list thing. Royal was confident in his ability to fulfill his dream. He was a Slytherin, after all; the son of a previous Minister and the best friend of another. He knew what sacrifices the Minister had to make, and he was more than willing to make them.

“I don’t imagine it’s one of those things that time heals completely.” Royal responded apologetically, unsure of how else to addressed the comment about her father’s death. “My father was a good person, and that’s all I can ever hope to remember him as.” Royal had remembered, that much was for sure. Forgetting had never been an option, as much as people encouraged him to let go of his past. “I’m sure that yours was as well.” Otherwise, the girl wouldn’t have made a point of mentioning him. “I’m sorry for your loss.” He added belatedly.

@susanvictoria

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Susan chuckled at Royal's comment of getting in line for the Minister position. “Well I'm certainly nowhere near ready for that responsibility, so be my guest to try your hand at it first,” she said, her eyes glinting mischievously. He didn't have to say it out loud for Susan to understand that he would be trying to succeed Victoire in the position once she chose to leave. “Though with the state of things right now, I am sure she needs all the help she can get,” she said, turning serious. The kidnappings and the death of Ethan had been terrible; she had gotten pretty badly hurt during the attacks, though thankfully not enough to have to go to St. Mungos'. Even though the students had been rescued mostly unharmed, it was obviously enough to shave several years off the young Ministers life span from stress alone.

She nodded in agreement; time definitely would never heal the gaping hole where her father lived. She had been quite a Daddy's girl, and his death had created more of a friction between herself and her mother rather than bringing them closer together. It had been this friction that had caused the final straw to break and Susan to move out and take up residence here at the Leaky Cauldron. She didn't mind so much now though; she actually had begun to like her job and the many different people she met throughout the days, including Royal. “Thanks,” she said softly. She then seemed to snap out of a reverie. “Where are my manners, what can I get for you?” she asked him, smiling sheepishly. Hannah Longbottom was a kind woman, but she'd probably get stern if she saw Susan chattering away with a customer without offering him food and drink.

@royal

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Royal continued to smile at Susan when she said she wasn't ready for the responsibility of being the Minister. "I'm of the opinion that we should always do things we're a little not ready for." He said. His father had told him that once, and so far the advice was serving Royal well. He hadn't been ready to come back to the world when his dad had died, but he had. He hadn't been ready to forgive himself for shutting people out, but he had. He hadn't been ready to forgive everyone else for letting him shut them out, but he had. There was a whole list of not readys that he had, but Royal was thankful to say that if he was ever to be asked to be Minister of Magic, he would be ready. "It's been a little crazy, but Victoire manages to do everything that needs to be done and then some." He replied. Royal was proud to call such an amazing woman his best friend, and it killed him a little that he had to be so covert with that fact to avoid either of them getting hurt.

Royal was a bit startled when he was asked what he wanted to eat. He had almost forgotten that that had been his purpose. "Anything you recommend?" He finally asked. He had been to the Leaky Cauldron too many times, and he wanted something new. "I'm sick of fish and chips, if I'm being quite honest." He laughed, glad to move onto something less serious than politics and death. "But I'll still take a butterbeer, if it wouldn't be too much a bother. That stuff never gets old." Royal needed to eat, that much was certain, but there was nothing like alcohol to take the edge off of a busy day. He was just getting back into drinking socially - if you could even call a glass of butterbeer 'drinking' - but it would be good practice to try a little something, especially while still in politician mode.

@susanvictoria

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Susan laughed at Royal's comment.  "Well, speaking of doing things we're not ready for, that's sort of how I got my job here," she admitted.  "You see, my family wanted me to return home after the April kidnappings.  They're Muggleborns and they felt that they could protect me better by keeping me locked away.  I obviously disagreed," she said with a small smile.  "My friend Andy got me set up with the job here, and so here I am.  Staying at the Leaky Cauldron and working for the first time ever."  She laughed at herself, she probably sounded like a spoiled brat, being seventeen and never having worked before.   She supposed though she had been; growing up royal had definitely had its perks, but had also left her quite sheltered she had realized.  "My family is royal, which is why I haven't worked before," she admitted.


At his request she bustled off and got him a butterbeer.  The mug foamed at the top but didn't spill over, a sign that perhaps she actually was getting better at this.  She set it down gently in front of him and though for a moment of the other options on the menu.  "The fish and chips are good, but I can certainly see getting sick of them," she agreed.  "Hannah makes a mean Beef, Lamb and Guinness stew, but my personal favorite since being here has been what she calls the Ploughman's, which is a Scotch egg, 3 kinds of cheese, fresh bread, miniature pickles, chutney, grilled tomato, green salad and creamy horseradish-mustard dipping sauce," she rattled off.  Her stomach grumbled a little bit at the mention of her favorite dish; perhaps she could convince Andy later on to share it with her.  "As a heads up though, the Ploughman's is meant to serve two, though there have been people known to finish it themselves," she added, not mentioning she had definitely polished off one on her own before.


@royal

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Royal winced sympathetically when Susan mentioned the April kidnapping. There were a lot of overprotective parents, though he was proud to say that his mother wasn’t one of them. He was probably more protective of his sisters than his mother was. “My sister was taken in the kidnapping.” He told her quietly. “So while I think it’s horrible that your parents tried to lock you away…Sometimes it’s hard to think straight when the ones we love are in danger.” If Royal knew that locking Adelaide away would keep her safe, he would do it. Maybe her heart would never beat, but it would never break either, and she was his everything. Sometimes you did irrational things for your everything. “Well, I’m Royal.” He teased her. “So I know the feeling.” In a way, it was true; he had been the son of the most important person in Wizarding Britain, though the position wasn’t hereditary. He still had his hopes of becoming the Minister himself, though only when Victoire was ready to give up the position. Maybe.

He nodded in thanks when she put the butterbeer down in front of him, picking it up immediately to take a tiny sip. “You had me at Scotch egg.” Royal said when Susan described the Ploughman’s to him. “If you’ve got a break soon, I wouldn’t mind sharing with you. I’m not that hungry, so I’m not sure I could eat it on my own.” He offered. Royal liked hearing stories of other aspiring politicians, especially because they might end up working together when Susan graduated Hogwarts.

@susanvictoria

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Susan laughed heartily at Royal's 'royal' joke.  With Andy and Phil entwined with each other and Leigh being his usual stoic self, she realized that it had been a little bit since she had a good laugh.  "In all serious though, I understand why she was so worried, but I still stand by my decision to stay within the Wizarding World.  Being seventeen now means I can use my magic outside school, and I can defend myself if need be," she told him.  Her wand currently was stowed away in her skirt pocket - the one thing she had promised her mother before she left for the Leaky Cauldron for the summer was that she would have it with her at all times, just in case.

Susan looked around; there was another waitress working but otherwise it was empty.  She gave Royal a smile.  "I'll get the food out for you, then I can take my break and enjoy the Ploughman's," she agreed.  She went off to the kitchen to put in his order, and waited around - normally this sort of dish would take over 20-30 minutes to prepare, more if busy.  But they were in the Wizarding World, and after just five the food was ready.  "I'm going to take fifteen," she told the cook, who nodded and waved her off with the dish.  She carried it carefully and set it down in front of Royal, then got herself a Butterbeer before sitting down across from him.  She smiled and lifted her mug.  "Cheers to good food," she toasted.



@royal

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Royal was pleased that his joke had gone across well; some people would have found it a little too cheesy, but Susan had the humor to match his, or at least the politeness to know to laugh. He nodded along when Susan said that she stood by her decision to remain in the Wizarding world. Royal had never been given the choice to leave magic behind, but he would never give it up. It was as much a part of him as breathing was, and he hated the idea that someone was ever put in the position that they felt they needed to leave their natural talents behind in order to be safe. “Magic can’t always protect you.” He warned sadly. His father’s wand had been in his hand when he had met his unfortunate end, if Royal wasn’t mistaken, but there was no known protective spell that would be able to stop the Killing Curse. He couldn’t imagine that someone would use that on a seventeen year old, but times were getting darker.

He waited patiently for Susan’s return to the table, raising his butterbeer when she toasted. “To good food, and better company.” Royal replied with a smile, tapping his glass against hers. “So, you’re going into your seventh year at Hogwarts.” He began conversationally. “Do you know what classes you’re taking? I hope your course load is ambitious, if you’re looking to be the Minister someday.” He said, reaching for a slice of bread to nibble on. Royal couldn’t see this girl being a Slytherin, not with her demeanor, but he hoped that using one of his house’s so-called buzz words would jolt her into mentioning her own Hogwarts house.

@susanvictoria

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Susan smiled and inclined her head towards Royal, acknowledging his cheers.  She wondered if everyone at the Ministry would be as nice as him - probably not, but it'd be nice to have a friendly face around should her ambitions play out the way she'd like them to.  "Sometimes, nothing can truly protect you, except yourself," she said wisely, taking a sip of butterbeer before she tucked into the food.  It was even more delicious than the last time she'd eaten it; she imagined the cook put in a bit more of an effort with a high-ranking Ministry official dining with them.

She couldn't help but laugh when Royal asked her if she had an 'ambitious' courseload - the underlying question didn't go unnoticed.  "Next year I am taking Alchemy, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology & Transfiguration.  Quite a load, but I mainly am keeping on Astronomy and Magical Creatures because I truly enjoy them," she told him, ticking off the names on her fingers as to not forget.  "And I am a Ravenclaw," she added with a chuckle.

@royal

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Protecting yourself was sadly much more complicated than Susan made it seem with her sage comment. Royal wasn’t going to contradict her again, though – it was impolite, for one, and he also didn’t want her to get the impression that he disliked her, because he didn’t. It was nice to meet someone who was prepared to take on the burden of being Minister, especially because it seemed like, for the time being, the Ministers of Magic were going to have to be younger. Most of the older wizards were either content in their position or too scared of the possible ramifications (i.e., death) to want to take up the mantle, and knowing that there was another in line for the position took the pressure off, if only a little bit.

Her course load sounded rigorous enough, and Royal smiled a bit when she said that she was keeping on two of her subjects just for enjoyment. “You need to have something to break up all of the heavier subjects.” He agreed. For him, that had never been a problem. Defense Against the Dark Arts was his poison of choice, so to speak, and he drank it up. Most of his subjects had been chosen in case he wanted to be an Auror, but obviously that dream had never been realized. “Slytherins are better.” Royal challenged, finishing his last bite of food. “Though I suppose a Ravenclaw isn’t too bad.”

@susanvictoria

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Susan laughed at his house comment; it was unsurprising that Ravenclaws had a competition with Slytherins, as Ravenclaw was considered the 'smart' house, but Slytherins were quite ambitious.  "Well my brother is a Slytherin, so he'd certainly agree with you," she said, thinking fondly of Edmund.  The two had originally had a rocky relationship, but this past year the fences had mended and they had grown quite close  "Either way, I hope my coursework and subsequent NEWT grades will be enough to impress the Ministry," she added, finishing her portion.

She stood up and began to clear the plates, bustling off to the kitchen to hand the remarkably clean dishware back to the dishwashers.  She crossed back and picked up her Butterbeer.  "This might sound a bit ambitious of me, but do you think I could write to you this year?  I'd love to have advice from someone who woulds so close to the Minister on my next steps after graduating," she asked him, only hesitating slightly.  It may have been bold of her, but she figured it did not hurt to ask.

@royal

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Royal chuckled a bit when Susan said that her brother would agree with his Slytherin philosophy. He loved when siblings were put in different houses. Sometimes when people were in the same house as the rest of their family, it resulted in an echo chamber of sorts. All people ever saw and heard was what they thought was correct – there was never any challenge to what they thought was most important. A variety of perspectives was necessary to cultivating a well-rounded (and accurate) worldview.

“Ambition is what I like best, Susan.” Royal said as the Ravenclaw girl cleaned up their plates. “I’d be happy to answer any questions you have.” Normally he wouldn’t agree so readily to a request like that, but he had obviously taken a shining to the girl, and he wanted to support a young politician with such obvious passion and talent. People needed mentors to get where they needed to go. Royal had been lucky to have nepotism on his side, and had no problem admitting it was such. “Listen, Susan, I have to run, and I’m sure you have to get back to work, too, but I’d love for you to write. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble…could you put the word ‘lynx’ at the bottom, so I know that it’s you, and not someone meaning me harm?” Damn. He really did have to go. Royal felt bad making such a ridiculous request, but it was for his safety. He raised a hand in farewell before ducking out of the Leaky Cauldron, a smile on his face.

@susanvictoria

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"Lynx, got it, no problem. Have a good day!" Susan called as Royal left. She smiled to herself as she busied herself with the cleanup.  When she had first started at Hogwarts, she had expected her brother to find her a job, or marry someone wealthy or in high standing so that she could always be comfortable.  But look at her now; working for money and with a contact at the Ministry she made on her own!  Perhaps she truly was on her way to making a name for herself - not just because of her title or her wealth, but for her own self.

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