Castle Of Glass (Susan)

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Andy was staying with Susan at her apartment for a few weeks, and they'd be visiting the Windsor castle as well. Andy was a bit nervous about going to a castle, but felt better once she saw a pictured of it. It didn't look nearly as menacing as she had pictured in her mind. It was nice, an easy color, and no super scary spikes or gargoyles. It was a big house, really. She liked it.

For now, though, she was carrying her bags to Susans place straight from Kings Cross. She had met Natalia on the platform and Andy explained to her that she was staying with Susan for a while. It didn't take long to get to Susans apartment and Susan was going to be there already, since Andy stayed to chat with Natalia for a little while first.

She arrived, looking up at the door. Susan would be out any second to let her in.

@susanvictoria
(this is the lamest sh*t i've ever written ahhaha)

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Susan’s heart had broken a little for Andy at graduation; she and Phil had always been the perfect couple in her eyes! But...there were just some times where people needed some time apart to appreciate the thing they love most of all. She just didn’t see this coming. Not that she wasn’t excited to have Andy as her guest for the first part of the summer; both girls were also starting up at the Ministry, so it would be fun to share that daily commute with one of her best friends. She knew that Braelynn and Zander were supposed to be coming to at least visit sometime soon too - that would definitely help Andy’s morale.

She had left Andy at Kings Cross to chat with her sister, Natalia; Susan knew better than to interrupt sister time after all. She went home with her siblings and decided to check on the preparations for Andys’ room before she arrived. She swept through the room; she had made sure they had set up the guest bedroom closest to Susans’ room, and had a sweeping view of Big Ben and Parliament from its’ bay windows. The clock didn’t toll from midnight until about six in the morning, so it wouldn’t get too annoying - plus the architecture was beautiful. She had asked for Will to do her a favor and magically charm everything to be in Andy’s favorite colors, and get some books on Hitwizards from Flourish and Blotts for her to read. She had made preparations for Andy’s favorite dinner to be cooked on her first night; she wanted her friend to feel right at home, even if the apartments were rather massive.

Susan was also excited to show Andy her new trick; just a few weeks ago, she had officially transformed for the first time as an Animagus. She had become a miniature horse, much to her and Sanders’ delight. She couldn’t wait to show Andy. Speaking of, the butler announced Andromeda Lestrange had arrived. “Coming!” Susan exclaimed, racing down the hall to the front door. “Andy! How was Natalia?” she exclaimed, giving her friend a big hug even though she had spent the entire train ride with her.

@lestrange

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Susan answered, asking how Natalia was and hugging her. Andy chuckled lowly, hugging back and then stepping inside as Susan made way. "She's good. I think internally a little stunned that I'm all graduated and whatnot," she guessed. She was a little sad that she wouldn't be taking the healing route like she was going to. She would have seen her sister a lot more often in that case. But she had decided not to and was headed down a different career path. She had been accepted into the program and everything.

Now she just needed to tell everyone. She hadn't told anyone but Riley yet.

Susan place was nice, no surprise there. Andy considered trying to stay there forever, instead of going back to the Leaky when the time came... but she'd have to see how it all worked out. Plus, she didn't want to help pay rent on a place like this when she had home for free. Not that she really expected Susan to ask for rent, but she'd feel weird not doing it. "How does Will feel about you having graduated?"

@susanvictoria
(i couldn't remember if she told su the hitch witch thing but i don't think she did? correct me if i'm wrong)

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Susan giggled. “She can join the club, I think Will is also surprised that I’m old enough to graduate Hogwarts, much less hold a job at the Ministry of Magic for goodness sakes,” she replied, answering Andy’s question at the same time. She tucked her arm through Andy’s as she led her around the apartment, giving her the grand tour. “Here we have the kitchen, we do have a cook but if you want anything after ten at night or before four in the morning, you’re on your own,” she told her teasingly. She took her through the dining room, the formal living room, the tv room where they spent most of their time on rainy days, and finally down the hall to the bedrooms. “We’re in this wing; the boys are on the other side of the apartment so they won’t be too much of a bother,” she explained, pointing out her mother and sisters rooms, which were side by side.

“Now this is what I’m excited to show you,” Susan said eagerly, and flung the door open to Andy’s room with a flourish. She had gotten it decorated in all of Andy’s favorite colors, with the highest, softest thread count sheets on the queen sized bed, a soft suede chaise lounge by the sweeping windows that offered the view of Big Ben and the Parliament buildings. There was a beautiful cedar wood desk in one corner, with drawers to store files and paperwork in and a desk lamp on the table top for light at night. The room was airy and bright, but would offer a peaceful retreat after Andy’s long days of Healer training. “Well? What do you think?” she asked, bouncing on her toes in anticipation of Andy’s reaction.

@lestrange

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Susan spoke about how Will was indeed surprised and Andy chuckled a little. She could imagine the guy freaking out a bit internally, even if he didn't show it. But, then again, he may show it. The little Andy knew of him was that he could get emotional. Susan started to lead Andy on the tour and Andy took it all in. They had a cook, okay, that wasn't that strange to her. She explained that they were in this wing and the boys were on the other side. She nodded, looking toward the rooms she pointed to.

Then she said she was excited and Andy raised an eyebrow as a door opened. Andy stepped in, pulling away from Susans arm. Her eyes glazed over everything, trying to take in as much as possible in just one sweep of the room. Once her eyes found the window, though, her feet started to move toward it. She looked out at the buildings and the clock, then placed her hands on the window sill, "you didn't have to do all this," she said softly.

@susanvictoria

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Susan watched, positively beaming from ear to ear as Andy took in her new room. She could tell her friend liked it just from how speechless she was. She saw Andy notice the view outside her window and was immediately drawn to it; she was happy to see that her intuition had been correct. “Will pulled a few strings to get it all done in the past twelve hours; most of it was finished of course, but I had wanted to be here for the supervision. It doesn’t matter though because it turned out just like the sketch I had given the designers last month,” she rattled off happily.

Susans’ smile turned softer as she scuttled over to Andy as her friend said she didn’t have to do this. “Maybe not. But I wanted to,” she said, looping her arm through Andy’s as they both looked out the window towards Big Ben. “Things happen, but our friendships lasted this long, and I wanted you to feel completely at home here,” she explained. She didn’t have to go into more detail than that; the rest of Andromeda’s family was at the Leaky Cauldron, but so was Phil. So Susan would make it her mission to ensure Andy had a safe, calming and beautiful bedroom to call her own while she stayed with the Windsors. “I hope you like the desk, I don’t know much about Healing but hopefully you’ll be able to use it,” she added, pointing to the wooden desk in the corner. “Are you excited to start your training?” she asked curiously.

@lestrange

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Susan explained how William helped set this all up, which made Andy feel a little awkward. She barely knew the guy and he did something so nice for her... but maybe that's just what nice people did. Andy couldn't help but smile a little as Susan mentioned giving designers a sketch. That was just so Susan.

Susan was at her side at the window within seconds of her speaking, and Andy turned to look at her. Andy nodded as Susan said she wanted her to feel at home, not speaking just yet. She wasn't sure anywhere really felt like home right now, but she had a lot of places that were halfway or so there. Then Susan mentioned the desk and Andy turned to look at it. Susan mentioned healing and Andy squinted a little, her expression guilty as she slowly turned back to Susan. "Actually... I'm not doing the Healer Training Program... I got accepted somewhere else," she started. She relaxed her face a little, but her tone was a bit tight. "I'm going to be a Hit Witch, Susan. For the Ministry."

@susanvictoria

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Susan turned around as Andy turned to face her. Why did her friend look so guilty? Then...she said she wasn’t going into the Healing program anymore. She was surprised to hear that; she knew it had been the girls’ dream for ages to become a Healer! She wondered if the fight and break with Phil had had anything to do with it, but she just decided to let Andy finish her train of thought before jumping to any more conclusions. “Wait...Hit Witch? So...you’re going to be at the Ministry?” Susan repeated back, eyes wide as saucers. Suddenly, she squealed and threw her arms around Andy. “Don’t you see what this means? We get to commute to work together! And we’ll be able to grab lunch if we want to, and attend Ministry meetings together. Ohh this is so exciting!” she said, jumping up and down like a schoolgirl. “But wait,” she said, pausing momentarily. “When did this all happen? And...well, why?” she asked. She had had no idea that Andy was even considering the Hit Witch program, much less had been accepted to it. She felt like a bad friend for not knowing about it, but as she racked her brains for the conversation, she realized it had never happened. She wondered why her friend had felt the need to keep the news to herself for so long.


@lestrange

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Andy winced as Susan repeated it, but then Susan was squealing and hugging her? Oh, oh. Susan had a good point. They could go to work together and have lunch and attend meetings and whatnot. Andy couldn't stop the smile from growing on her face. She wasn't expecting such a positive reaction. But then, she paused, asking Andy when it happened and why. "I realized... I don't think it's right for me to lock a part of myself away, just because I'm scared of it," she explained. She meant the part that needed to fight, physically fight. The violent part, for lack of a better term. "I wanted to be an auror so bad when I was a kid until I met Phil and got into Herbology, and that's where the healer stuff came in but..." she slowed, "but then last fall and... therapy this year. I started to box, right?" Susan would know that, she hadn't really kept it a secret. "And It just felt right, I guess. I feel more calm than ever and I think if someones willing to do the hard job than they have the moral obligation to do it," she spoke proudly now, quite confident.

@susanvictoria

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Susan listened as Andy explained what made her come to the decision. It was...honestly, relieving to hear Andy talk, somewhat vaguely, about what she had done last fall. She knew it was part of the healing process, to admit what one has done and to accept it before moving on. She was glad to hear that Andy was channeling that physical power into becoming a hitwitch. That way, she could fight down the really bad guys, get as physical as she wanted, and it’d all be perfectly legal! “I remember when you, me and Bay would dream about our lives twenty years from now. All of us married, me the Minister for Magic, you my top Auror, Bay our loyal wandmaker supreme,” Susan said with a small giggle. She understood the appeal of being an Auror; it was linked to a lot of famous people, like Harry Potter and Alastor Moody, but she herself never wanted that job. “I’m really proud of you Andy, and I think the job will suit you perfectly,” she told her sincerely. She looked out the window towards Big Ben almost wistfully for a few moments, then turned back towards her friend. “Do you want a snack? Our chef makes some pretty amazing food, although I am quite biased,” she asked, giggling softly.

@lestrange

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Susan spoke about when the trio used to talk about their lives and Andy smiled, shaking her head at the memory. Bay was beautiful, still was, but the rest of the world wouldn't know that. Not for a long time. Being Auror wasn't out of the cards, but it wasn't the plan anymore. "Someday all that could happen, in a sense," she said softly. Then Susan said she was proud of her, saying that she thought the job would suit her. Andy nodded, turning back towards Big Ben as Susan did. When Susan offered a snack, Andy remembered her friend saying she wouldn't let her starve herself while here. Andy laughed at the memory and reached over to take Susans hand, "lead the way, beautiful."

---

Andy had finished her first day of training and was waiting for Susan in the Ministries Main Concourse so they could head home. She was bouncing on her toes, ecstatic to tell her best friend all about her first day on the job. She looked over the crowds, smiling as she saw people she recognized. Some looked at her with smiles, others raised eyebrows. Andromeda Lestrange, at the Ministry, with the Hit Witch Department. What a world they lived in.

@susanvictoria

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Susan had loved every minute of her first day at the Ministry. She was interning with the Department of Regulation for Magical Creatures, which was perfect for her as her Lysander was an aspiring magizoologist. She looked forward to many conversations with him on how they can make the world a safer place for magical creatures, and what they can do to help. She’d be starting off assisting the Beasts Division specifically, as there were rumors swirling around that the terrorists were collecting Beasts to use in their next strike. Susan felt awful; those poor beasts made to do humans bidding. It simply wasn’t right!

The day flew by, and Susan felt like she was on cloud nine. She really felt like she belonged here, and better yet, everyone treated her as a regular human being! Nobody bowed or curtsied to her, everyone treated her kindly, though she would have to get used to a particularly demanding Ministry worker in the department. Nevertheless, she came out onto the main Ministry concourse with her head held high on a job well done. She found Andromeda almost immediately, and rushed over to her friend. “Andy!” she exclaimed, linking arms with her. “I want to hear ALL about your first day,” she added, graciously allowing her friend to go first, so she wouldn’t overtake the conversation.

@lestrange

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Susan was suddenly there, linking arms with her and Andy was grinning so wide she felt like her cheeks would crack. She led the way to the phone booth, which was the best way to get to the street without ending their conversation to jump in a fireplace or something. "It was great, Su. I really think I belong there," she said. "I'm working with this Hit Wizard, Stephen, and he is... well, he's a piece of work," she chuckled as if she had an inside joke. "He's basically a high functioning sociopath, and doesn't really think 'bad guys' think clearly... it's hard to explain. Anyway, we have a lot in common," in fact, Andy was sure he was the only person who understood how she saw all those people she had attacked. She saw deranged animals more than human beings. Animals that needed to be put down before hurting more.

@susanvictoria

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Susan squeezed into the phone booth with Andy, loosening her friends arm so they could stand comfortably side by side together. She was of a mind to walk home either way since the Windsor apartments were so close to the Ministry’s entrance, and was glad Andy didn’t seem to mind this either. “It’s so good to hear you say you belong here. It’s almost as if the Hitwitch position was made for you,” she told her, being completely serious. Andy was a badass, there was no other word for it. Being an Auror, from what she had learned, was very similar to being a police officer, perhaps even a detective depending on how high up they were. A hitwitch, or hitwizard was more like a special agent, like James Bond, that fictitious 007 agent her father had loved so much. Perhaps Andy would be interested in seeing one of those films sometime; Susan stored the thought away mentally for later.

“Stephen sounds like an interesting fellow,” she commented; a piece of work sounded exactly like the sort of person Andy needed to work with. “High functioning sociopath - your words or his?” she asked with a raised brow. The phone booth dinged and they got out, joining the bustle of the Muggle street above the Ministry. “Is he attractive?” she asked, grinning slyly. Andy was single now after all; what would be better than having a devastatingly handsome instructor?

@lestrange

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Andy agreed that she belonged there, and nodded as Susan said so. Then, as they spoke about Stephen, Andy chuckled. "His words. And yes," she said with a little eye roll, answering about the mans attractiveness. "A bit older than us, of course. I think we'll be working together a lot. There isn't anyone else from our class in the program so I get a lot of one on one time with the team," she explained. They made it to the telephone booth and stepped in to make their way up to muggle London. "What about you? How was your first day?" she asked, though her mind really was on her day more than anything else. She had seen Claire Slater, but didn't really speak with her... and she liked the guy she was working with and even the small things she learned that day were speaking to her insides more than anything she had learned in her life. Her days of being a pacifist were over. That was for certain.

@susanvictoria