i think, i wish, i want - susan

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@susanvictoria

waiting was one of the worst parts. he was standing in a large room that was decked out to the nines, fancy dresses and gold rimmed glasses and plates covering surfaces and waiters in tuxes walking around serving drinks. he wished he had susan by his side so he didn't feel so out of place but this was her world. she fitted into his with ease, a perfect fit almost and he wanted to fit into the world she had been born into. he'd been to parties before, his parents and their friends had liked to get together when he'd been growing up but it was nothing like this. he took one of the gold rimmed glasses from the tray and smiled at the waiter who was holding the tray and he sipped the drink, sticking one hand into his suit pants pocket as he stepped from one foot to another, wondering if he should start to mingle or whether he should just wait for susan to come and mingle with her. his fear of messing this up kept him where he was, waiting for the girl he'd declared his love for before he'd known he loved her.

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Susan finished the last words of her speech and the crowd applauded her. She smiled, absolutely thrilled it was over and her eyes scanned the ballroom. There was Lucy, and Edmund, and Will of course sitting to her left as he had promised he would, their mother and finally Casey. He had asked her to the Ambassadors’ Ball after surprising her at the Yule Ball last week, and Susan had found herself incredibly grateful for his presence. Both he and Will had their way of just being there to calm her down and she truly appreciated it. She hadn’t stumbled over her words, and she had been happy for the practice just an hour beforehand.

Checking her reflection in the mirror, Susan only had to adjust her tiara very slightly before leaving the head table to go mingle, preferably on the arm of Casey Finnegan. The crowd had come together, leaving their tables and making it difficult for Susan to find anyone, much less her boyfriend. Finally, she saw him with one hand in his pants pocket and she smiled despite herself. He looked so handsome in the dark suit. Taking a glass of her own, she walked up to him and slid her free arm through his. “Looking for someone?” she asked him playfully.

@casey

[Deleted]

@susanvictoria

casey smiled when he felt someone slip an arm through his and he turned his head to look at susan. he'd known it was her from the way she'd touched him, the way her hand had been so gentle when slipping through his and he moved carefully so her hand could stay in the crook of his arm as he looked at her. “Looking for someone?” he chuckled and nodded once. he couldn't resist teasing her in that moment. "as a matter of fact i am" he said, his face turning to a look of puzzlement as he glanced around the ball room. "she's the most beautiful girl here, though she's a tad short so you'll have to look hard" he said, the grin forming on his face in a teasing fashion. "she'll be wearing fancy jewels and a smile that outshines them all" he said as he looked back at her and took a sip of the drink from the glass in his free hand. "have you seen her?" he said with a chuckle as he moved to take the hand that had been in the crook of his arm into his own.

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Susan faux gasped and smacked him in the arm. “Casey!” she exclaimed, then laughed. She knew he was joking of course; she was rather short, and the diamond necklace and tiara she was currently wearing glittered in the glow of the crystal chandeliers that twinkled above them. “I haven’t seen her but until I do you’ll have to suffice with me,” she told him, giving his hand a squeeze as he took it in his own.

Tugging on his hand, Susan led him further into the ballroom. “I’ve been told by Will I must mingle, so you’ll be my accomplice in this matter,” she told him matter-of-factly. She proceeded to greet close to a dozen people; a mix of ambassadors, counts, earls and regular people who were able to come to the ball just like Casey. Then Susan heard the orchestra start up; her mother gave her an encouraging smile and nodded towards the floor. “Well, that is our cue,” she said, taking both of his hands in hers and leading him out to the dance floor. “Just like at the Yule Ball,” she reminded him as the waltz swelled and they began to dance.

@casey

[Deleted]

@susanvictoria

“Casey! I haven’t seen her but until I do you’ll have to suffice with me,” he laughed right along with her as she got the joke. thankfully she did. he was lucky, he had a girl with a sense of humor. he walked after her as she tugged on his hand and he reached up his free hand to adjust the tie at his neck. he wasn't wearing dress robes like he had to the yule ball. this was a suit, better for these muggle occasions according to his parents. but the tie, he couldn't get over how annoying it was to have something tied around his neck again. he'd been free of one since school and he'd never thought he'd go back to wearing one so soon but he had, for susan. “I’ve been told by Will I must mingle, so you’ll be my accomplice in this matter,” he simply nodded his head at the thought of talking to people that were important in the muggle world. he walked with her, kept his hand around hers and smiled at jokes, made small talk with the people who spoke to him and stayed by susan's side while they worked their way around the room. “Well, that is our cue, Just like at the Yule Ball,” he smiled at her as they swept onto the dance floor and he took one of his hands out of hers and he snaked it around her waist with a wink. "i want to dance a little bit closer than we did at the yule ball." he said as he pressed his lips against her cheek quickly, not wanting to cause a scene with anything too enthusiastic in case it wasn't allowed at an event such as this.

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Susan laughed as Casey pulled her close and kissed her cheek. “My mother is watching,” she chided, but still smiled all the same. “You clean up nicely by the way; I know you probably don’t attend events like these well...ever. But this is my life outside of Hogwarts, and that’s not going to change,” she told him, sounding a little more serious now. Dating a Windsor was not quite like any normal relationship. At Hogwarts, Susan was just Susan, a Ravenclaw student who loved to read and did relatively well in classes, and held an ambition to join the Ministry of Magic. Outside of Hogwarts though, she was sister to the fifth in line to the throne. She had a civic duty to her country to appear polished, demure and a proper lady. There had been times in the past where her relatives had of course rebelled and were promptly torn apart by the press in public, and by the Queen in private. She knew Will was currently struggling between his duties to the crown and being a cursebreaker; Susan hoped that by joining the Ministry she would feel less of the struggle since the duties would hold some similarities. “How is work treating you now that you’re back in the swing of things?” she asked him curiously as they spun around the dance floor.

@casey

[Deleted]

@susanvictoria

“My mother is watching, You clean up nicely by the way; I know you probably don’t attend events like these well...ever. But this is my life outside of Hogwarts, and that’s not going to change,” he raised a brow and made to slow his dancing down, just so they could stay in the middle of the floor while they talked, so they weren't focused on anything but each other. he brought his hand to her cheek and rested it there, looking down at her with a tender smile. "i never said it should. or that i would want it to. susan i fell in love with you. which means i take every part of you .. including this." he said as he motioned to the ball room and the people around them. "as for the fact your mother is watching .. she's been married .. i'm sure she knows what happens when people are dating .. or courting?" he'd heard that word get tossed around before in leiu of dating but he wasn't sure if that was a term they used. “How is work treating you now that you’re back in the swing of things?” he smiled as he dropped his hand from her face and made to take her hand again, still keeping her close as they moved about the floor, spinning and twirling between the others couples that were there. "pretty good. i mean i've only worked a few days since being cleared but it's been okay .. i'm off light duties next week if i handle the next few days well." he said with a smile as he moved to spin her away from him.

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Susan’s heart swelled to hear Casey’s words. She didn’t necessarily need the reassurance, but if he was going to be in a relationship with her, she felt that she at least owed him the straight reality of her life. She wasn’t a werewolf or a vampire of course, but being royal came with its’ own set of rules and responsibilities; she’d shoulder more once she graduated Hogwarts, but her brother was the one that had the biggest burden of them all. Out of anyone though, Susan believed he could handle it. “I’m so happy to hear you say that,” she said, leaning in to kiss him gently on the lips. “It’s still my mother though so...keep it PG," she said teasingly, twirling in a small circle before continuing to waltz. “I’m glad they’re letting you ease on back into things; your job isn’t exactly a laid back type of profession,” she told him with a small smile. Mediwizards were the EMTs of the Wizarding World; one of her childhood playmates had a brother who was an EMT, and he’d told her how it could be incredibly stressful, depending on the day. She supposed holding someones life in their hands while racing to get them to the hospital would indeed induce stress.

@casey

[Deleted]

@susanvictoria

“I’m so happy to hear you say that, It’s still my mother though so...keep it PG," he chuckled and nodded slightly, stepping back slightly to give her room to spin before closing the small gap between them again. "okay. PG it is. promise." he said as he rested his forehead against hers as they danced across the floor. “I’m glad they’re letting you ease on back into things; your job isn’t exactly a laid back type of profession,” he had to agree with her. but then there weren't many jobs in the medical field that were laid back. in fact most of them were high pressure and stressful. though any job could be like that and if a person managed to score one that wasn't, then they were lucky. "i work with some great people. they've all been good about my coming back." he said as the music in the background slowly changed out to another song. "does this mean we change dances?" he asked her with a smile as he looked down at her. honestly he'd rather see if she wanted to take a walk somewhere else in the building with her. it had been so long since he'd been able to have a proper conversation with her. the ball had come close but they had been distracted by everything happening there. it had been a while since it had been just him and her and he was craving that. her presence in a capacity when he could have all of her.

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Susan was glad to hear he worked with some pretty great people; she could remember sometimes her father coming home from meetings or banquets and complaining about all the people he had to pretend to like for appearances.  She never wanted a job where she had to pretend to like someone, but then again even at school she sometimes had to fake it for appearance sake.  Absent-mindedly, she touched the necklace she still wore that Neville had enchanted; Desirae was dead but Elaine was still out there.  Who knew what Elaine knew about her?  She didn't think the woman would have much interest in her as a Muggleborn, but she did the unexpected.  Either way it was never too cautious to continue wearing the protection.

Susan could tell that Casey was tiring from dancing and she giggled a little.  "Let's go on a walk, I can give you a tour of the grounds," she told him, sliding her arm through his and leading him outside.  The grounds here were rather different than Hogwarts of course; the grounds at Windsor castle were open to the public for a certain period of time during the day, but obviously Susan was allowed to travel around as she pleased.   As they walked, she pointed out the different parts of the grounds, filled with memories from her childhood.  "Ohh, over there is where Will and Edmund used to practice sword-fighting with wooden swords.  I think I asked once to join and they said no," she said with a laugh.  She pointed out the archery lanes.  "That is what I did instead; I got rather good if I do say so myself," she told him, sounding just the tiniest bit smug.


@casey

[Deleted]

@susanvictoria

"Let's go on a walk, I can give you a tour of the grounds," he couldn't hide the relief on his face when she said she could give him a tour of the grounds. if she'd needed him to dance more he would have but as much as he'd practiced and as much as he'd do it, it didn't mean he'd wanted to. most of the time they'd been dancing he'd been worried about standing on her feet. that would have been good look. "do we need to keep it PG out there?" he teased her as he tucked his arm close to his side and walked outside with her and took in the grounds around them. "Ohh, over there is where Will and Edmund used to practice sword-fighting with wooden swords. I think I asked once to join and they said no," he laughed when she said her brothers hadn't let her fight with them. he had to admit he'd have probably said the same thing to sao if she'd ever wanted to join in on him and one of his friends hitting each other with swords, something about being her big brother wanted to keep her out of harms way and then something about being older than her had wanted her to go away at the same time. "well .. i can understand that. i'm a brother after all." he said with a laugh as he kissed the side of her head. "That is what I did instead; I got rather good if I do say so myself," he looked over the lanes and he raised a brow slightly, a challenging smirk sliding onto his face as he stopped walking and took her hand. "want to show me how? see if i'm better at archery than i am at dancing?" he said as he looked back over to the lanes.

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Susan giggled a little at Casey’s evident relief; she knew he wasn’t the best dancer, but that was what she was for! For however long they were together, Casey would be her accomplice at these sort of events; eventually he’d turn into somewhat of a talented dancer. As he asked if they need to keep it PG outside, Susan grinned rather devilishly. “Hmmm,” she said, pretending to think about it before lacing her hands around his neck and standing on tiptoe to bring her lips to his. She lingered for longer than she would have in public, but in the cover of the dark grounds nobody noticed them.

She pulled away reluctantly and took his hand again. “Let’s see what you got,” she agreed. She opened up the shed where they kept the bows and pulled two out, one for herself and one for him. Handing one to Casey, she grabbed a quiver full of dulled arrows and slung it over her shoulder. “They’re not super sharp so that you can’t really harm yourself or anyone with them,” she informed him. She plucked an arrow from its quiver and drew the bow expertly back. “It takes precision and patience,” she said quietly, then without warning released the arrow from the bow. It thrummed through the air and landed just centimeters from the bullseye. “Darn, just missed,” she said, turning to Casey and giving a small curtsey. “Your turn,” she said with a smirk.

@casey

[Deleted]

@susanvictoria

“Hmmm,” he chuckled as she made herself taller in order to kiss him and he responded, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer as she tip toed up to be able to kiss him. he knew they were far enough away from the building to be covered in the darkness of the night and he was going to take advantage of that for as long as she'd let him. after all he did understand they were at a formal and official event, he didn't think they'd want the first time her family met him to be marred by a scandal. he couldn't help but turn his mouth down into somewhat of a pout when she pulled away but he didn't try and kiss her again, just brushed his lips over her forehead as he dropped his arms from her waist and made his way to the archery shed with her. “Let’s see what you got, They’re not super sharp so that you can’t really harm yourself or anyone with them,” he laughed and shook his head, taking the arrows and bow she handed him and he looked at them quizzically for a moment. he'd seen it done, but he'd yet to experience the joy of shooting an arrow, apart from the tip of his wand. this would be different though and to him a lot cooler. "it's a good thing i'm a medic then, isn't it?" he said with a chuckle as he watched her loose the arrow and it hit the target. "nice shot babe." he said as he drew an arrow too. “Darn, just missed, Your turn,” he grinned and looked at the target. "doesn't look like you missed to me." he said with a grin as he copied what she'd done, putting the end of the arrow against the string and resting it against the curve of the bow. he knew there was every chance he's miss the target all together but that's what this was about. trying something new. he kept his eye on the target and drew back the arrow, letting it go when he thought he had a good aim on the target but he couldn't help but laugh when it landed at the feet of the target, sticking up out of the grass. "well .. i missed better than you?" he said with a grin as he stepped back so she could take another turn.

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Susan laughed as Casey commented it hadn’t looked like she had missed the target. “Well to someone who is supposed to be good at this, I should have hit the bullseye there,” she told him, pointing to the center of the target. “I can’t even use my big skirt as an excuse; I’ve had to shoot a bow and arrow in a gown before for a ceremony,” she told him, grinning. That had been fun; the arrow had been on fire and Susan had had to shoot it through a hoop, lighting the hoop on fire, and she had done so in a gown. The event had been one of those medieval celebration tournaments the castle held sometimes during the summer; people were wildly fascinated by the kings and queens of the middle ages, and Englands’ currently royalty was able to do its part by putting on mock jousts and tournaments for the publics’ viewing pleasure.

Susan held back another laugh as Caseys arrow missed the target completely and landed in the grass. “Your stance is a bit off; here, let me help you,” she told him, sliding up behind him; she probably didn’t really need to get as close as she currently was, but she doubted he minded. She grabbed an arrow and guided his hands to notch it on the bowstring. “When you draw back your bow, you want to relax your elbow a little,” she told him, guiding so that he drew the bow and tapped his elbow so it dropped a little. “You also only want one finger above the arrow and two below to aim; once you’re ready to loose the arrow you move your finger so it doesn’t get in the way,” she instructed, adjusting his fingers to their proper stance. “Okay, and aim…” she said, moving his arm so that he was more on target. “And loose!” she finished, signalling for him to loosen the arrow from the bow.

@casey

[Deleted]

@susanvictoria

“Well to someone who is supposed to be good at this, I should have hit the bullseye there, I can’t even use my big skirt as an excuse; I’ve had to shoot a bow and arrow in a gown before for a ceremony,” he chuckled and shook his head a little as he rested his forearm lightly on the top of the bow, not enough to bend it though, he didn't think that would go down well if he broke it. "you know, if you'd have told me that before tonight i wouldn't have thought it possible. i do now though." he said as he got himself ready to shoot his own arrow. he did as badly as he thought he would but that didn't matter. the first time at trying anything was never going to be perfect, usually. “Your stance is a bit off; here, let me help you,” he turned his head a little to look at her as she guided him to show him what to do and he let himself relax and go with the flow what she told him. “When you draw back your bow, you want to relax your elbow a little,” he nodded slightly as she moved onto his fingers and he made sure to pay attention, so he'd know next time he did it on his own. “You also only want one finger above the arrow and two below to aim; once you’re ready to loose the arrow you move your finger so it doesn’t get in the way, Okay, and aim…” he looked at the target and shifted slightly as he aimed it toward the target, keeping his eyes on the smallest spot in the center. “And loose!” he let go of the arrow and couldn't help the whoop that came out of his mouth as it hit the target. even though it hit the white around the circle he couldn't help but feel that was progress. he lowered the bow and moved to wrap his arm around susan's waist, hugging her to his side as he looked at her. "thanks susan."