don't leave me out | Amy

[andrew ethan astor-shaw]

Early April 2028

After many letters were sent between Andrew and Amy, the former was finally walking down the streets of Hogsmeade, making his way to Spellbucks where they had agreed to meet. Amy might have been stubborn—she had insisted that she was fine and assured Andrew that he didn’t need to come visit her multiple times—but Andrew was even more stubborn. He had to admit that he found Amy’s reluctance to see him a little odd, though what he did not consider, was the weight that suggestion held coming from him. If he asked to see his sister, of course there was the underlying intention of intruding in her life and finding out how her life on her own had started.

Despite the rift his overbearing nature might have caused between Andrew and Amy, he couldn’t help but worry about her. After all, she had made such a rash decision when she decided to go to Scotland. The slight drizzle that was seeping into Andrew’s clothing reminded him of Amy complaining about the grim weather during their year at Hogwarts—she didn’t seem to be having a good time back then. So her decision had come as a complete surprise, especially how fast she had changed her plans for her future. It had been really suspicious, and Andrew had wanted to make sure that she actually was fine and hadn’t been lying in her letters just to get him to drop the matter. He was a little suspicious about Amy’s mental stability, coming up with all kinds of horrible possibilities in his mind while trying to find a justification for her weird behavior recently. It was for nothing—he couldn’t figure out what was going on with Amy without her actually telling him—but it simply was his nature. He couldn’t stop worrying.

Finally arriving at Spellbucks, Andrew pushed the door open, entering the relatively busy cafe. It took him a little while to scan the place—people lined up to order, others waiting for their drinks and some enjoying their sub-par coffee and pastries—but he couldn’t spot his sister. Well, he would have to wait for a while then. Figuring that he could order whatever disappointing coffee the chain had to offer with Amy so they could get their orders at the same time, he stepped aside from the front door, settling to wait for Amy in the comfort of the cafe, safe from the bad weather outside.

AMY ESMA ASTOR-SHAW

[AMY ESMA ASTOR-SHAW]

Spellbucks. Why did it always have to be Spellbucks? When Amy had received Andrew's directive, she had groaned, flopped onto her bed and Balthazar had come wandering over to investigate why she was making such strange noises. She'd then texted Toby, extracting a promise that they would get two delicious coffees this weekend, before penning a response to Andrew reluctantly agreeing. Amy hadn't wanted any of them to come after her - but then again, this visit from her diplomat brother was not exactly out of the ordinary. She should have expected him. But still, Amy stomped about her dorm room for a good ten minutes before giving in and going to meet her brother.

It was miserable and drizzling outside, as usual. Amy splashed through at least three puddles, cursing colourfully as her socks quickly became soaked. Muttering to herself, Amy paused outside the cafe to dry her shoes magically, before pressing onwards. It was relatively busy, and Amy scanned the room for Andrew. She knew he would be here first - he was nothing if not punctual.

Amy didn't expect the flood of relief that swept through her when she spotted Andrew standing off to the side of the door. Abandoning all pretense, Amy dashed over to him, engulfing him in a tight hug. She hadn't realised how much she'd missed him, especially since they were a tightly knit family. He'd been everpresent and overbearing her entire life - but Amy would never admit to him that she felt safer with him around. As Amy extricated herself from her own hug, she looked up at Andrew. "You look tired," said Amy flatly. "Good thing we're getting shitty coffee. Think they will put in a few extra espresso shots for free?" asked Amy, tilting her head in question.

andrew ethan astor-shaw

[andrew ethan astor-shaw]

Andrew didn’t have to wait too long before he saw Amy coming in through the front door, quickly spotting him. Greeted by a tight hug, Andrew wrapped his arms around Amy, relieved that despite her stubborn facade of independence to the point of almost cutting ties to the rest of the family, she still seemed to be happy to see him. Despite his intrusion into her new life, she didn’t seem to be completely frustrated by him.

As Amy took a step back, Andrew looked at her a little closer, perhaps unknowingly with a look that was familiar to Amy. He couldn’t hide his concern, not that he particularly tried to, but at the same time he really didn’t want Amy to think that he was there just because he was concerned about her. After all, where did the concern come from if not from love and care towards his sister. He truly had missed her.

Amy’s prickly comment in the place of a greeting got a soft smile out of Andrew. Such a great way to greet your brother who you hadn’t seen in a while. But the familiar teasing made him feel comforted, warding off some of the worries Andrew had about Amy. She seemed to be her usual self, and maybe, just maybe everything was alright, and Amy’s odd move to come study here was just her being stubborn as always.
“I missed you too”, Andrew replied to Amy’s comment, mirroring her tone.

Andrew wasn’t too thrilled about their meeting spot either. There probably was an actual cafe in Hogsmeade that served proper coffee instead of whatever this dirty bean water was, but it had been so long since Andrew had last been in Hogsmeade. He couldn’t remember the spots in town, so he’d just gone with whatever was easiest. If you asked him why he didn’t just ask Amy to pick the spot for their meeting, he probably would have blamed Amy’s clear reluctance to see him, in fear of her never making that call, but it was more likely a mix of that and Andrew’s weird need to be the one making the decisions.

After deciding that he had a good enough look at his sister, confirming that nothing about her image looked especially out of place, Andrew shifted his weight and looked in the direction of the counter. They couldn’t just be standing here, almost in the way of the other customers.
“Alright, let’s go get our disappointing coffees so we can sit down”, he stated, patting Amy’s upper back and nearly herding her in the direction of the short line.

AMY ESMA ASTOR-SHAW

[AMY ESMA ASTOR-SHAW]

Andrew fixed Amy with that look he always gave her - a mixture of concern and resignation. Amy smiled sweetly, and observed that he looked tired. "You are a big fancy diplomat now anyways," she added after a moment of thought. "Soon you'll be making more money than dad!" After a beat, Amy reconsidered. "Okay, probably not, but must be nice to not have to be the coffee guy all the time," she said at last. Despite insisting that she was fine on her own, and that she had come here to do big things, seeing Andrew drew out how much she had missed being surrounded by her family her entire life. Amy and her two brothers had been close and age, and thus often lumped together at gatherings.

"Toby and I - that's my friend, my best friend really, we've made it our mission to find the best coffee in Hogwarts Valley," Amy revealed proudly as Andrew practically shepherded her into the line. Amy shot him a frown, but made no complaint about his over bearing nature. It was only natural for him, though Amy would have thought that perhaps hard work and distance would have made him a bit more relaxed. But what did she know?

The wait was short and soon, Amy and Andrew were at the front. Amy stepped in front of Andrew. "Please can we have a small white chocolate mocha, and a small coffee frappuchino please?" said Amy. She turned to her brother with a saccharine smile. "You're paying. I'm but a student and part time shop keep. Oh, you should see some of the fashion here. It's dreadful."

andrew ethan astor-shaw

[andrew ethan astor-shaw]

Andrew half scoffed, half laughed at Amy’s comment about his work—a big fancy diplomat, huh? Well he sure was at the start of a promising career at the very least, the youngest in many meetings he had. Still, he wouldn’t go as far as Amy had put it. Well, she did go back on her words as well—he for sure wouldn’t be making nearly as much money as their successful father was making any time soon. But he couldn’t deny that his future looked quite bright.

Andrew ignored the glare he got from his sister as he guided her to the line—he was used to them, she had been giving them to him ever since she was old enough to consider Andrew’s overprotective nature as him thinking that she was a child. That was never his intention—half the time he didn’t even realize that he was being a little controlling or overprotective. It simply was the way he was, and Amy had accepted that as well—considering how she didn’t say anything to how he had just herded her to the line.

Instead of commenting on Andrew’s overbearingness, Amy mentioned her and her friend’s quest to find the best local coffee shop. Though that wasn’t what Andrew considered to be the most important thing in what she had just said—he was more happy to hear that she had found someone she considered to be her best friend. He hadn’t suspected it to be difficult for Amy to find friends, but it was still relieving to hear that her social life was now blooming after such a drastic change of scenery—moving to not only a different country, but on a completely different continent as well.
“Oh, well maybe you can find us a better meeting spot, then?” Andrew suggested, deciding not to voice his thoughts about her social life. But a meeting spot where they served better coffee would also be a good thing.

Unsurprisingly, Amy ordered, then turned to his brother to announce that he would be the one paying.
“Of course”, Andrew agreed with a small chuckle, as he had predicted that she would make him pay. Well, it wasn’t as much making him pay, as he would have paid even without being asked. He wouldn’t have made Amy pay even if she wasn’t on a tight budget as a student. Buying coffee for his younger sister was the least he could do, and maybe Amy could count this as a benefit when it came to having a big brother who took his role as the oldest sibling a little too seriously.

Andrew paid for their drinks, and they moved on to the end of the counter to wait for their order to be ready. It shouldn’t take too long, even though the place was a little busy, but surely not busy enough they couldn’t wait for their drinks at the counter. It would just be annoying to sit down, and have to get up for their coffee almost immediately after.
“So, have you been enjoying your studies?” Andrew asked, wasting no time and getting into the interrogating even before they got their drinks. But he couldn’t help it—even though Amy had already mentioned something in the letters she had sent, he wanted to hear it from her in person. He was the worrying type, and the last thing he wanted is to hear that she wasn’t happy with the decision she made—though it would give him an opportunity to say ‘I told you so’. Still, the satisfaction he would get from being right would be dwarfed by the worry he would have if Amy wasn’t enjoying her life in Scotland.

AMY ESMA ASTOR-SHAW

[AMY ESMA ASTOR-SHAW]

Amy hated being coerced into doing anything she didn't want to do - it had been the root of many foot-stomping, red faced tantrums in the past. But she allowed herself to be herded into the line, though she did shoot Andrew a glare. It wasn't really that she didn't want anything to drink, more the fact that she had explicitly told him she was fine, and he'd come to check in on her anyways. Why did boys never listen? At least Toby heeded her advice. It was what made him her best friend. Amy announced to Andrew that she and Toby were on a mission to find the best coffee in the Valley, and nodded in agreement when Andrew offered her to select the next locale. "But let me invite you this time. You can't spring these visits on me like this, I haven't time to prepare," said Amy with a frown.

As Amy had instructed, Andrew paid dutifully for their drinks and they settled into a rickety little table. Amy had started spouting off about how ghastly some of the fashion choices were here - people were mixing fabrics and prints. And the threadbare nature of their outfits! Amy wondered how Professor Burke survived surrounded by so many fashion faux-pas. At least Amy had someone to aspire to, apart from Alora. She swallowed thickly. She had promised herself not to mention their older sister to Andrew, at least not yet. She had a feeling that Andrew would not take too nicely to being relegated to middle child after a lifetime of overprotectiveness.

Amy started, realising Andrew had asked her a question. "Um..." she started, her eyes darting around the cafe before settling on her brother. "They're okay," she hedged. "I think Professor Burke likes me. But I think she thinks I'm 'too keen' whatever that means." She shrugged. "Are mom and dad cool with the uh... amount of travelling you're doing around here?" asked Amy with a grimace. As if that wasn't obvious - they'd been prevented from coming to Scotland almost their entire lives. And now, two of the three were here, just under Alora's nose.

andrew ethan astor-shaw

[andrew ethan astor-shaw]

Apparently Amy wasn’t too happy about Andrew inviting himself to visit her. It wasn’t like he hadn’t expected her to, but since she had been so dismissive of any of Andrew’s questions about her new life in Scotland, what else could he have done? But maybe from now on he could wait for an invite, if she ever sent one.
“You better promise to actually invite me then”, he commented. The surprise visits would continue if she didn’t hold up to that promise. That Amy could be sure of, if she knew her brother at all.

‘Okay’ wasn’t exactly the answer Andrew wanted to hear when Amy answered his question about her studies. At least the answer wasn’t bad, but Andrew would have preferred a more enthusiastic reply. Still, he didn’t have to say ‘I told you so’.
“That’s…good”, Andrew muttered, nodding. His tone was a little hesitant as he wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Amy’s slightly vague answer. However, he had to grace her with a little trust. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, she was a capable young woman, and didn’t need her older brother sticking his nose into her business. Though he did try.

When Amy asked about their parents, Andrew couldn’t help but shift his weight. It had been an interesting conversation.
“Well…you know them”, Andrew muttered as an answer. It was vague, but Amy already knew their parents’ stance. “But they also know that this wasn’t an opportunity I could pass.”
“But they don’t have to know everything. Like the fact that I’m visiting you.” It was out of character for Andrew to lie, especially to their parents, and he had to do some mental gymnastics to justify hiding the truth from them. After all, he wasn’t lying, he just wasn’t telling the whole truth. Their parents wouldn’t be too happy to hear that their son started traveling around the Isles, not just sticking strictly to his work life, and he would rather skip that conversation if he had the choice.

AMY ESMA ASTOR-SHAW

[AMY ESMA ASTOR-SHAW]

Amy huffed indignantly. "Fine," she replied, though she stifled a smile. For as much trouble as she gave Andrew, she did love him. And she knew he had her best interests at heart. He was her protector, always making sure that even when the worst happened, she was shielded. Just like an older brother ought to do. Amy divulged that her studies were going alright - what else was she supposed to say? That she was excelling? They both knew that would be a lie. Amy had always struggled with academia. Andrew sounded hesitant, but he didn't press the matter.

It came as no surprise that their parents were not exactly pleased that two of their three... or was it three out of four... children had travelled off to Scotland, despite their dire warnings. "Good..." said Amy distractedly. "Are they still mad at me?" asked Amy in a quieter voice, staring down at the table. "Wait, they don't know you're visiting me?" That felt strange. Andrew was usually reliable to a fault. He didn't like keeping secrets. "I'm becoming a bad influence on you!" Amy crowed with delight, beaming at him. "Oh, soon you'll be spinning funny stories about vacationing on the south of France but really, you'll be here nosing in on my business. Oh, this is great!" said Amy.

andrew ethan astor-shaw

[andrew ethan astor-shaw]

Amy reluctantly agreed to meeting up with Andrew every now and then, and he nodded with a smile. She better actually deliver on that promise, otherwise he would keep his mental promise of visiting her anyways. He had given her enough time to grow used to her new life, now he couldn’t keep pushing away his worry about his sister. Besides, he hoped that Amy had missed him as much as he had missed her.

The fact that Andrew was lying—no, hiding the truth from their parents seemed to hit Amy with a delay. Well, that wasn’t a surprise, considering that if you knew him, it was one of the last things you would expect from him.
”Hey, I’m not—” Andrew started defending himself, his tone rising just a little too high to hide the fact that he was actually finding justifying his lies tough. However, he managed to take a second to sigh and compose himself before continuing: ”I’m not lying to them, I’m just…not telling them the whole truth.” Well, now that he said it out loud, it really didn’t sound as good as it did in his head. But he was only thinking of everyone’s best interest in this situation. Andrew was just making sure that his sister was doing fine—he had good intentions and therefore their parents didn’t need to know. It was fine, they didn’t have to know.

However, despite him getting just a little too upset over Amy’s teasing remarks, Andrew couldn’t let her comment about their parents’ feelings towards her decision to come to Scotland go unnoticed.
”But, mom and dad—uh, I don’t think they’re mad at you, they’re just…” Andrew paused for a second to consider how he worded his thoughts. ”worried, or something.” He wasn’t exactly lying, as he genuinely hoped this was the case. He didn’t want to believe anything else.
”They still love you, it’s just…well, I’m sure they have their reasons.” It was still a bit of a mystery when it came to why their parents hadn’t been too happy about Amy’s change of plans, but surely the love for their daughter hadn’t disappeared. This all would blow over eventually and things would be back to normal. That was the thought Andrew clung onto.

In the meanwhile, Andrew would make sure that Amy was alright, for as long as their parents would continue to be stubborn and punish her for going against their wishes. It wasn’t like Andrew had been happy to hear about Amy’s new plans either, but he wasn’t about to make it harder for her. Well, maybe he was, considering that he was there practically snooping on her life. But that was just the byproduct of the love and care he had for his sister—what their parents had done seemed completely irrational. Amy had made her choice, and Andrew didn’t see any sense in punishing her for it. All she would get from him was support from now on—even if it was in his own, strange, overbearing way.

AMY ESMA ASTOR-SHAW

[AMY ESMA ASTOR-SHAW]

Amy narrowed her eyes, a smug smile crossing her lips. She was definitely having a bad infulence on Andrew. How exciting was that! The younger sister shaping the overbearing brother. "Whatever you say," said Amy, mollified. She asked if they were still mad at her for running off, and Andrew hesitated before answering that they were more worried than anything. Amy rolled her eyes. "That's a cop out. It's like saying I'm not mad, just disappointed. And we both know they actually are mad," she reasoned. "And they still love me? Just not as much maybe?" she shot back, arching a brow.

Amy wanted to announce what she'd discovered about their sister. About Alora. About how mom and dad had hidden it for years, and they had abandonded her and now Alora had all this money that had nothing to do with dad's Hollywood career and everything to do with the grandma they'd never met. It was such a convoluted history, Amy knew she couldn't do it justice. So she resisted, partly because she didn't know what to say and partly because she still didn't know how to feel about the whole situation. It had taken her months to rack up the courage to speak to Alora. And their budding relationship was lukewarm at best.

"Probably the most shocking thing for them is that I opted for further education," said Amy at last with a grin. "I'd made it pretty clear that if I never had to open a book again in my life, it would be too soon," she added with a snort of laughter before sipping her drink. "How they spawned you and I is beyond me. Or --" she cut herself off. She was about to compare herself to how academic Alora was, but she wasn't quite ready to talk about it. "Well, if I'm honest I'm not sure how great it is all going. I still hate all the homework, but I've had some help," said Amy, taking a deep drink of her coffee to hide the growing grin across her lips as she thought of Toby.

andrew ethan astor-shaw

[andrew ethan astor-shaw]

Amy saw right past the little lie Andrew had crafted, not only for Amy’s sake, but also to support his own sugarcoated view of the situation. Not that his words had been too convincing anyways, but Amy had still shot them down immediately. Nervously Andrew’s fingers tapped the table a couple of times as he looked away, sighing. She was right. They both knew it, but Andrew didn’t want to believe it.
“Maybe you’re right, but...they’re not like that, really.” Andrew liked to believe that their parents wouldn’t disown their child for a change of future plans, no matter how miniscule or drastic. That wasn't like them, right? He knew their parents, they wouldn’t do something like that on a whim, right? There had to be something else, and their parents would eventually come to their senses.

Andrew turned his attention back to his sister once she changed the topic. What she was saying was obvious, their parents hadn’t expected Amy to go through this route at all. It had been a shock to the entire family, if Andrew was honest. It had felt like they didn’t know Amy at all, since pursuing further education really seemed like something she would never do. Maybe that’s why the comparison she made between her and Andrew made him chuckle a bit. He had been glued to whatever book he’d been reading at any given time, whereas Amy had done everything in her power to do literally anything else.
“To be fair, I wasn’t convinced either”, Andrew added. Of course he had been skeptical as well, but he didn’t have the heart to cut all contact with Amy just because she seemed to be making a rash decision. That Andrew couldn’t understand about their parents’ reaction.
“But it’s good to hear that you’re…doing okay?” Andrew huffed amusedly as he parroted Amy’s choice of words from earlier. Amy’s words still brought him little comfort, as they implied that she was still struggling a little, even if she had help.

Andrew couldn’t help that little spark of curiosity lighting up as Amy mentioned her new friends, though he was completely oblivious to the slightly telling grin hidden behind Amy’s cup of coffee. He just was a little nosy, especially when it came to his siblings’ lives, so it was no wonder Andrew would have liked to know more about the people Amy had gotten to know, maybe even meet them. But that seemed like a bit much right now. All Andrew needed to know was that Amy was happy and doing okay—or just that her life wasn’t in shambles and burning down, that was enough.
“Also I’m happy that you’ve been making friends, but then again, you always were better at that than I ever was.” Andrew’s smile was a little off as he reminisced on his school years. Well, at the very least he could be proud of how far he’d come. Thinking back on the shy, quiet child he had been once upon a time, it was honestly impressive how much confidence he’d gained in just a decade, not to mention how well he had learned to mask his awkward personality—-though maybe not from his loved ones.

“And”, Andrew added, though he hesitated a little, looking at his cup of coffee instead of Amy, before lifting his eyes back to meet her. “If I can help you in any way, just let me know, okay?” That had always been an unspoken fact, but somehow Andrew felt like he had to say it out loud. After all, Amy wasn’t always exactly eager to get help from Andrew, and now after everything that had gone down with their parents, he at least thought she needed more support than ever.
“I’ve been busy with the new job and everything, but I can promise that I’ll always find time for you.” Andrew found it a bit difficult to get the words out, as he wasn’t exactly someone who could speak openly about how he cared about his loved ones. He much rather showed it by intruding in their lives, making sure that they were doing okay—words really weren’t his thing when it came to showing any kind of affection. He’d rather let his actions speak for themselves, but this time he wanted to make sure that Amy knew she could rely on him. Even after the relationship between her and their parents had gotten so strained, he’d still be there for her.

AMY ESMA ASTOR-SHAW

[AMY ESMA ASTOR-SHAW]

Amy watched Andrew as his emotions and thoughts played out across his face. She looked down after a long moment, wondering how much or how little he knew. How much their parents had hidden from them their entire lives. A whole sister was no small thing. A sister who had lived in New York City, who was magically gifted, and who was right here, right now! Well, a few hundred yards away in the castle greenhouses. However, instead of dwelling on that particularly unfortunate thought, Amy deftly changed the subject to how shocking it was that she had chosen to further her education. She didn't mention the real reason she'd come, but alchemy was fun enough anyways.

"Oh, I can be smart sometimes," Amy claimed, but it was a lie. The only reason that she was doing okay in her studies was because she idolized her professor and she had a super clever Toby to help her when she needed it. And she admitted as much to Andrew, who she knew could read her like one of those dreaded books. Just like him, Amy's emotions played out directly on her features. It was a curse of the Astor-Shaw clan.

Amy snorted into her coffee, which then led to a bout of coughing. "Of course I'm making friends. I'm new and exotic!" Amy arched a brow at her brother, pushing away the rest of her coffee. That had been traumatizing. But Andrew's voice softened, and Amy's manner did as well. She reached out, touching Andrew's arm. "It means a lot, you know. To have your support when I thought I had none," said Amy in an uncharacteristically quiet tone. "You always were my favorite brother anyways," she added cheekily. "The same for you. If you need me, just message me and I'll be there as quick as I can. Great thing about this place is the huge floo network."

andrew ethan astor-shaw