I'll Be There For You (Casan)

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Well, Susan had done it. She'd convinced Saint Mungos that once Casey Finnegan was no longer considered contagious with Dragon Pox that she could visit him. So here she was, dressed down in a pair of black leggings, a purple sweater and a white infinity scarf around her neck. She had her hair tied up so it was out of her face and had decided on black slip on shoes so she could take them off if need be. She felt great; the overnight in the Hospital Wing a week ago had found her completely cured and the picture of perfect health.  But of course now Casey was the one in the hospital; when he had told her he had dragon pox, she had cried and immediately owled the staff demanding daily updates on his prognosis.  She didn't know why she felt so strongly about this, but perhaps it had to do with what Casey had written in his letters.  Love, Casey.  She chalked it up originally to him being delirious and not knowing what he was saying, but what if she was wrong and that wasn't the case.  Her natural curiosity was peaking.  Besides, she owed him a bedside visit to care for him for once, instead of the other way around.

She was sitting cross legged in the chair next to his bed; she'd brought a deck of Muggle cards with her for them to play when he woke up.  She kept making sure the compress on his forehead was cool and damp to keep his fever from spiking.  While waiting for him to wake up, she had set up a game of Solitaire for herself on the bedside table.  As she was finishing up her round, she noticed him stir and she sat up straight.  As he opened his eyes, she gave him a soft smile.  "Hey you," she said, then added "welcome back to the world of the living."


@casey

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@susanvictoria

thank merlin he was no longer feeling like he was going to die. the last few days had been the worst. they had been a blur of potions and healers and spending most of it asleep. he knew his parents had come in to see him at times but he hadn't really been able to talk to them through the sleepy haze the potions had put him in. as he started to stir he heard someone shift beside him and he opened his eyes and in a few seconds it became clear who was sitting next to him. "Hey you," he smiled slightly as he used his elbow to push himself up onto the pillow more. "welcome back to the world of the living." he managed a smile and he shifted a little so he could see her better. he knew he still had the green and purplish tone to his skin but thankfully the bumps that had turned to scars were on his back so they couldn't gross her out. "thanks" he said, his voice scratchy. his throat felt like it was full of razors but at least he could talk. "didn't think i'd make it back at one point" he joked a little as he brought his hand to his head to pull the cloth off. he didn't feel like he was too hot right now and it was making him feel cold. "i'm getting a sense of de ja vu" he said softly as he looked back at susan.

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When Casey spoke, his voice sounded scratchy and unused. It would make sense since the Healers had mentioned how he’d been asleep for most of the last few days. They were optimistic about his recovery though, which Susan had been very pleased to hear. She poured Casey a glass of water and handed it to him, frowning slightly at his joke. “Well, then I would have just had to come pluck you from the Underworld to bring you back wouldn’t I have,” she told him matter-of-factly. She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear as she cleaned up the cards from her game of Solitare. “Except, for once, I get to take care of you and be your knight in shining armor,” she said, giving him a small smile. “Though I think since you had dragonpox, we’re on a bit of an even playing field,” she teased, giggling slightly. She showed Casey the cards in her hand. “Have you ever played cards before? My dad...when I was little and sick in bed he used to come teach me different card games. My mother tried to forbid him from teaching me poker but he did anyway,” she said, a fond smile crossing her lips. Talking about her father always brought a pang of sadness that hit Susan right in the heart, but it was getting easier. She wanted Casey to know about him too; she knew that Will liked Casey and liked to think that wherever her dad was, he approved too.

@casey

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@susanvictoria

“Well, then I would have just had to come pluck you from the Underworld to bring you back wouldn’t I have,” he sipped at the water she had given him and reached out to her with his hand closest to her. he saw the frown and he didn't like it when he face was twisted to look like that. he only wanted to see her smile. “Except, for once, I get to take care of you and be your knight in shining armor,” he finished the water and reached to put the glass on the table beside his bed. he had to admit he was already feeling better just after that glass of water, although it was also probable that susan had something to do with him feeling better. "no, i'm the knight." he said with a smile as he shifted and as he did the bed moved with his body, automatically lifting itself so it was always behind his back. oh the joys of magic. “Have you ever played cards before? My dad...when I was little and sick in bed he used to come teach me different card games. My mother tried to forbid him from teaching me poker but he did anyway,” it had been years since he'd played cards. his grandfather had taught him to play as a boy when he'd stayed with them as a kid so he knew some games. though he'd never learned poker. "yeah" he said, covering his mouth as he coughed. he rubbed at his chest and shifted slightly to look at her better. "teach me poker?"

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Susan laughed as Casey proclaimed he was still the night. "Okay fine you can be the night I'll continue to be the princess," she told him, taking his hand when he reached across the blankets. She watched as he readjusted himself, making sure the mattress never parted from his back. She had read up on dragon pox since the moment she received Caseys owl and she knew it could leave scarring. She couldn't blame him for not wanting to flaunt those.

"Right. Poker," she said and dealt them each two cards. "You start with your hole cards. These first two here," she began to explain to him. She continued to explain, dealing the cards and instructing Casey when to bet. After the first round, she smiled shyly up at him. "So...how bad is it?" she asked quietly gesturing to his back where his scarring would be.

@casey

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@susanvictoria

"Right. Poker, You start with your hole cards. These first two here," he nodded and looked at his cards. he wasn't sure what he was doing but he felt like he was getting a pretty good handle on the game as they played in mostly silence for a while, except for when she corrected him or told him something about the game. it was nice to just relax and play the cards, it wasn't too tiring and he was having fun, though he had a feeling that he'd find anything fun while he was with susan. "So...how bad is it?" he looked up from his cards in time to see her gesture toward his back and without thinking he pressed more back into the bed. he shook his head sligtly and shrugged one shoulder. "not too bad" he said as he lay his cards on the table before them. "is that a full house?"

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Susan frowned slightly as Casey readjusted himself almost in a way as to hide something. She knew of course what it was he was hiding but she wished he’d be willing to show her. Perhaps one day; maybe it was still fresh and oozing or something. But at least he wasn’t still breathing fire! Susan looked down at his cards and her mouth opened in shock. “Well..yes, yes it is,” she stammered. She looked him in the eye and made a face at him. “Are you sure you haven’t played this before?” she asked, teasing him a little. She picked up the cards and began to shuffle. “So, the Yule Ball is coming up and according to the Headmaster, we can ask anyone we like to come with us, including former students,” she said, trying to sound casual while hoping Casey got the hint. She dealt another hand and smiled at her own. “Straight,” she said triumphantly putting down her cards. There was no way Casey would get that lucky twice in a row, right?

@casey

||MAZE DIRECTION: Left Turn #2||

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@susanvictoria

“Well..yes, yes it is, Are you sure you haven’t played this before?” he grinned slightly and shook his head. he'd never played poker but he'd played blackjack and other card games. it was all simple really. his grandfather had taught him to keep an eye on which cards were being played and what was left in the deck. "scouts honour. never played poker .. though i have watched my father and grandfather play it for years" he laughed and coughed, hiding his mouth behind his mouth as he teased her slightly. he hadn't meant to mislead her but she had been so cute when asking about poker that he'd had to play it up a little. what could was being sick if you couldn't use it to have some fun. he rubbed his hand over his chest lightly when it ached and looked at the cards she laid down for him. “So, the Yule Ball is coming up and according to the Headmaster, we can ask anyone we like to come with us, including former students,” he nodded slightly and only raised an eyebrow slightly. "oh?" he asked. he was thinking though. thoughts were turning in his head. she couldn't ask him, he had to ask her. that's how it worked. the guy asked the girl. he sorted the cards in his hands and looked at the ones she laid down. “Straight,” he grinned a little and leaned back against the bed a little more. "that's a good hand windsor." he said as he laid his hand down over hers. "flush."

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Susan raised an eyebrow at him; she wasn’t quite sure she believed he’d never played before, and then he explained about how grandfather and father played. “That’s…..only partially cheating,” she teased. She watched, looking concerned as he coughed and reached over, rubbing his shoulder. “Well...you don’t sound completely like you’re on Death’s door at least,” she said, trying to sound positive. She saw Casey keep his back flattened to the back of his bed and frowned a little. “I heard dragon pox can leave scarring,” she told him softly. It wasn’t a question of asking to see them, more of letting him know that she knew and it didn’t bother her.


“It is, and if a certain former Head Boy wants to come, I’m sure there will be more than one person excited to see him,” Susan confirmed, continuing the conversation pertaining the Yule Ball. She would not be so bold as to ask him outright, but if he asked her she would absolutely say yes. “I mean, technically I am going with Andy because Phil and I are planning for him to surprise her that night by coming home early, but since Phil will be there I do need someone to dance with,” she said with a delicate shrug of her shoulders. Her mouth dropped in shock as Casey produced a flush. “You suck,” she said before she realized what was coming out of her mouth. She looked up at him sheepishly and started laughing.

@casey

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@susanvictoria

“It is, and if a certain former Head Boy wants to come, I’m sure there will be more than one person excited to see him,” he smiled sadly and looked up at her. he'd love to go ball with her but he wasn't about to tell her that. he had an idea forming in his mind but he didn't want to give anything away on it. "i'd love to but i'll have a lot of hours to make up .. i'll be in here for at least another week so" he said as he reached out to touch her hand, hoping she wouldn't be too disappointed. “I mean, technically I am going with Andy because Phil and I are planning for him to surprise her that night by coming home early, but since Phil will be there I do need someone to dance with,” he nodded his head slightly, he didn't know how to keep talking about it while keeping his mouth closed about what he was thinking of doing. but if phil was going to be surprising andy maybe he'd right the longbottom a letter. as he showed his hand he grinned and raised a brow slightly. “You suck,” he started laughing when she did, the sound a welcome relief even if it did hurt his throat a little. though he laughed a little too much, his eyes widened slightly as he sat forward suddenly, coughing as his lungs decided they didn't want to draw in air properly. he dropped the cards onto his lap and covered his mouth as the coughing fit persisted.

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Susan wasn’t going to outwardly speak of her disappointment but her shoulders did sag slightly at the thought of not being able to dance with Casey at the Yule Ball. That probably also meant the New Years Ball was out too; she wouldn’t ask though for fear of another disappointment. “I’m excited to see the look on Andy’s face when Phil taps her on the shoulder. She really has no idea,” she said, starting to feel happy again. She could really tell just how much Phil loved her best friend, and that made her delighted to be a part of the surprise.


As Casey’s laugh turned into a cough, Susans’ senses sprang into action. Moving from her spot on the foot of his bed, she went and sat next to him. He was covering his mouth, leaning forward slightly so his back was exposed. She knew there was probably scarring and tenderness, but she knew how to be gentle. She reached over and began rubbing his back, her fingers just a whisper against his skin. She thought against patting him on the back as she doubted that would really help. She didn’t say anything, just kept on running her hand up and down his back as his coughs subsided eventually.

@casey

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@susanvictoria

casey didn't notice she had moved from the chair beside his bed till he felt her hand on his back. he flinched a little at the sudden touch but was too busy coughing into his hands to tell her to stop. he didn't want her too, it felt nice and while he was glad he had a shirt on and she couldn't see the scars the illness had left on his back he knew she'd be able to feel them and that was something he hadn't wanted. it was too late now .. the only thing he could do was to keep from seeing them. slowly the coughing stopped and he relaxed slightly, resting his head in his hand for just a moment before a wave of exhaustion pulsed through him and he found himself shifting to settle backward, essentially trapping susan's hand behind his back. of course she'd be able to move it if she chose too though. he shifted slightly as he rolled onto his side, rolled toward her and rested his head back against his bed, his forehead coming to rest against her shoulder as he lay back against the bed against her side, his eyes closing as he took a few slow deep breaths.

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Susan noticed the flinch but she hadn’t stopped; if he has tried to stop her she wouldn’t have listened anyway. She knew the scars were there, she could feel the raised skin under her fingertips. She didn’t mind scars though; they showed that he survived something difficult, and made him a fighter. She smiled softly as he settled back; she moved her hand so that it was wrapped around his waist. She kissed his forehead before he moved again to face her and scooted down so they were at eye level with each other. “Hi you,” she whispered, before leaning in to give him a kiss on the lips. He wasn’t contagious anymore after all and with him looking so adorable and slightly vulnerable, Susan could give into her temptations.

@casey

ooc: these two <3

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@susanvictoria

“Hi you,” he smiled tiredly as she shifted so they could be at eye level. he felt her arm around his waist and he shifted his arm so he could drape it around hers. she couldn't catch what he had so he felt okay in being this close to her. if there had been a chance she could catch it he wouldn't have let her in the room. he closed his eyes as she leaned forward to kiss him and he kissed her back, shifting toward her slightly as the kiss went on. after a moment he pulled back and rested his head against the pillow and he let out a breath and smiles slightly. "this is the most comfortable i've been in days"

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Susan couldn’t help but smile as he kissed her back, and sighed softly as he rested his head back on his pillow. “Glad to have helped,” she said softly, snuggling closer to him and laying her head on his shoulder. She let her free arm drape over his chest and smiled a little to herself. She felt her eyelids get heavy and she closed her eyes, falling asleep feeling perfectly content.


All too soon, Susan was woken up and realized how long she had spent in the Hospital and knew it was almost time to go.  Still, it was very comfortable just lying there in Casey's arms, and as she looked around, she saw a potion sitting on the bedside table and knew a Healer had been in and hadn't wanted to disturb them.  Smiling slightly, she looked back up at Casey.  "How do you feel?" she asked him, reaching up and brushing her fingers through his hair a little.

@casey