After finally getting the campfire started -- and tossing Andy a warning look to ward off any teasing that might have come from her -- Noa settled into his stump of a chair and pulled the bag of marshmallows out of the duffel bag. It was really lucky that the bay was close to the school campus and made going camping on the beach possible during the semester. He couldn’t wait until the next break to do something like this, especially when he was already bummed the water was getting a little on the cold side and made surfing almost unbearable. “Dude, this would be a dope idea for a Halloween party,” he commented, reaching back for his poker to pierce the marshmallows. “Instead of trick-or-treating, we just have a bonfire, drink, and roast marshmallows and shit. And of course, we still dress up. It’s Halloween, we gotta dress up.”
🏕️ Go camping and roast some marshmallows at the campfire | @andreatriton
It had been a hot, sunny day on the grounds of hogwarts. A perfect day for fun and adventure, but for one particular boy the was cut short after a practise curse did what was intended. The other boys offered to accompany young Peter on his journey to the Hogwarts Hospital Wing, but he just shrugged them off - he didn’t want to be the fun killer of the group. So, after much convincing, Peter made his way to the hospital.
Holding his cut up forehead, he climbed the staircase that lead the way. He hoped that madam Pomfrey wouldn’t ask too many questions about what happened. Peter knew that students weren’t allowed to use what they learned out of class, and he didn’t want anyone to get in trouble. Once at the door to the wing, Peter prepared himself. He knew that Pomfrey would lecture him about being more careful, whether or not she asked for the real reason for his injury. But he let shock consume him as he pushed open the door, revealing not Madam Pomfrey, but a beautiful young lady instead.
"I'm on my way!" Liv texted to Andy, immediately putting her phone in her back pocket. After quickly shoving some of hers' and Braelyn's clothes into a bag, she approached her bundle of joy. "Come on, Brae. I want you to meet someone." Olivia picked up her 4 year old daughter, the little girls innocent face forming a big smile. "I like your friends, Mommy." little Braelyn spoke in a soft whisper, holding onto Olivia's neck as her bottom half was being held up by Liv's arms. Olivia and Braelyn were off of the boat within a flash, and before she even noticed she had arrived to the hotel. Not as fancy as I thought, Olivia thought. She shrugged and let that though slip, not really caring.
Olivia dug in her purse and paid her driver, leaving a very generous tip, thanks to her part time modeling going better than she thought it would. Shit, I forgot to text Andy.. Before getting out with Braelyn, Olivia gave Andy a quick text letting him know the two had arrived. "It's cold, Mommy." Braelyn hid her face in the crease of Olivia's neck, All Liv could do was smile, thankful that her baby was here with her. In a hury to warm her daughter, Olivia walked quickly into the hotel lobby, smiling at the rush of warmth hitting her body. She made her way over to one of the couches that sat in the middle of the lobby and set her little one down, sitting right beside her and waiting on Andy to arrive.
would you die to heal || december, 1980 || hestia and andy
part III: the hospital
in which they succeed
Andy
“Not so bad? Pfft—- I’m hot as Hell.” Andy gives a playful wiggle of her hips for good measure, wriggling her bum with a small grin thrown over her shoulder. It isn’t the time or the place to be making jokes but it keeps her calm, helps her focus and stops her brain from rushing too far ahead of her. Aside from that flirting is crucial to ones survival, it was a healthy mood boosting conversation fuel and Andy could never turn down a good old flirt.
They reach the door and Andy draws her wand from her sleeve, gripping the wood between slender fingers as she cocks her head and listens for any unnatural sounds. Skye snarls in the back of her throat next to her and she knows that there’s trouble awaiting them inside, feet following silently after Hestia.
There’s little light filtering through the windows (mostly smashed or stained and Andy wonders how it got so bad so fast; she’d rather not know) but there’s enough for Andy to make out the slow shuffle of feet at the other end of the hallway, the hairs on the back of her neck raising. That’s the first she’s seen so far, she’s surprised and she refuses to dwell on it because she knows all about the calm before a storm.
“Look for a sign with the floors on, we’ll figure out where to move first.” Andy murmurs softly, a quick lumos illuminating the reception area they’re in, one that leads to a waiting area that sports a now green and noxious looking fish tank. Andy can’t resist going over to it and peering through the glass, knuckles lifting to softly hammer against it when nothing seems to be moving inside.
Hestia
When Skye begins to growl, Hestia knows that there's likely to be something unfriendly within the quiet hospital building.
Hestia and Andy enter as quietly as possible, footfalls light, but there's a noise coming from the hospital. It isn't them. There's someone else here, and though Hestia hopes against hope it's someone alive, that's not likely. "What about that sound, Andy?" Hestia says, wand arm up and shaking slightly. "Isn't that one of them?"
At Andy's instructions, however, Hestia moves. Years of bullying have taught her to move swiftly but unnoticed, and as they move she quickly scans the walls for a guide to the hospital's layout. She searches for the receptionist's desk, confident that the map would be there, and she is right.
She beckons Andy over, and the two look at the map together. Second floor is for clinics, so it's likely they have individual stock there, but there is a store room marked on the fourth floor that would be more efficient to check. Hestia points it out and says, "P'raps we ought to go here first, then here, to the second floor, if we're unlucky and there's nothing there."
A groan comes from a couple of hallways away and Hestia is antsy. Staying in the same place feels dangerous.
Andy
"They're everywhere, Hestia. Just because you can hear them doesn't mean they'll come for us." Andy has been through this enough to know that walkers will mostly keep to themselves if they're quiet enough. Hestia on the other hand likely doesn't know this so Andy gives her a smile and a thumbs up, following when instructed to peer down at the map in Hestia's hands.
"Sounds like a plan." Andy likes how Hestia thinks and she takes the map and folds it up, stuffing it down her shirt so it's secure in her bra. Once that's done she takes the other womans hand in her own and begins to edge towards the hall to their right where she can see a set of stairs, her head popping around the doorway to search the hall before they pass. She can see right down to the end and there's bodies littering the floor, the scent of it almost has her gagging but she squashes it down and casts a quick spell on the pair of them, one she modified herself so that rather than removing all of the senses for 30 seconds like it's supposed to it just removes the ability to smell for an hour. Once that's done Andy urges Hestia forwards, tipping her head towards the stair way and they rush across the hall, feet almost silent against the floor.
Hestia
Hestia isn't completely reassured by Andy's words, but they are enough to calm her down. Her heart rate lowers to a little faster than usual, which is normal for a situation like this. Normal, Hestia muses, is such a silly word, especially after everything that's happened. Nothing about this situation is normal: not the infected, not the skulking in an abandoned hospital, not even the magic. If six-year-old Hestia had heard about this, she would have thought it a fairy tale.
'It's more like a nightmare,' Hestia muses to herself. But there's no time for this, no time for thinking. There is only the mission and the smell of the dead.
The stench grows stronger as they walk to the hallway hand in hand, and Hestia struggles to keep conscious. Her keen sense of smell always came in handy as a child, but now it works against her. She breaths through her mouth, and stays Andy's movement for a moment to rest against the wall. Andy looks round the corner before casting a quick spell, and Hestia wonders why. As they walk through the hall, dead bodies littered everywhere, Hestia cannot hold back her tears. These people did not deserve to die, and yet, they did.
The two duck into the small storeroom near the stairs and find bandages, pain relievers, and rubbing alcohol. Without saying a word, she pulls an enchanted bag from her pocket and begins to fill it with things, though she does not take it all.
"If ever we can't return here, we'll have these," she tells Andy, looking to the woman for their next move.
End Plot: In the end, the two left Blackpool with nary a scratch, though both were shaken up. Hestia's confidence in her ability to leave the premises has increased, though of course she would never do it alone. She does end up having nightmares about the dead bodies, as she had the last time she'd seen the Infected, but they aren't as terrible as before.
would you die to heal? || december, 1980 || hestia and andy
part II: blackpool
in which hestia almost has a panic attack
Andy
Nodding in agreement Andy slots her hand into Hestia’s and watches for the count down, eyes peeled on the sky for the dash of red sparks that signals their 60 second window to leave. Red lights up the sky which is only just showing its first sign of dying down and Andy hesitates before snatching Skye beneath her arm and twisting on the spot, dragging the three of them through the uncomfortable experience of apparition.
As it turns out Andy lands a lot closer than she had first believed, ankles protesting when she lands awkwardly, a squirming dog beneath one arm and Hestia at the end of the other. The scent is the first thing that hits her, the rotting acrid stench of the undead and she hastily pushes them off of the road and into a narrow gap between two shops, ducking down into a crouch and tugging Hestia down with her. “I didn’t see anything, did you?” Andy asks in a hushed rush, already creeping forwards to peek around the edges of the walls.
With every gust of wind through the City it also carries the loud groaning of the inferi and walkers within the city and it’s familiar to Andy and she wishes so desperately that it wasn’t. Wishes that she hadn’t been around this enough by now to know that from the volume of the noise they’re fairly far away from the main hoard. Red brick digs into her shoulder as she gazes up and down the street, litter and debris the only thing to be making a move or sound around them. “I think it’s clear… We’re bloody lucky, I know they’d said it was bad but…”
Hestia
When Hestia had visited her village those months ago, during her first encounter with the infected, there had been a faint smell of death. Now, the air was full of it, blood and pus and torn muscles. Hestia is only able to stop herself from gagging because of her months as a Healer, but her eyes tear up nonetheless. It is too much for her, the sights and scents, and Hestia is frozen until Andromeda pulls her into an alleyway.
"I’m sorry. I didnae see anything," Hestia says, taking deep breaths through her mouth. Andromeda’s next words hit her hard with the reality of their situation. This is already the best-case scenario. Hestia is horrified, and she curls up on the dirty ground of the dark, damp space. She closes her eyes for a few seconds to regain control, but it’s not working; the terror is too much.
She reaches out once more to grasp Andromeda’s hand, an instinct from when she went with Alastor. The feel of the other’s hand in hers was soothing, as was the measured breathing of the dog beside them.
"Let’s go?" she asks, looking at Andromeda.
Andy
Andy feels trembling clammy fingers slide against her own and she squeezes on instinct, turning to look at Hestia over her shoulder with what she hopes is a reassuring smile. She’s unused to having to make anyone other than herself feel better when she’s out of the compounds so she can only hope for the best, “We’ll be fine.” Andy’s tone is firm and she’s surprised by how steady and sure she sounds, dark eyes holding Hestia’s for a long moment.
Skye’s snuffling of the floor reminds Andy of their true task and she switches her reassuring smile for something a little cheekier, standing up and using her grip on Hestia to pull her out of the alley behind her. “You got my rear, alright?” She keeps her voice low, eyes scouring her surroundings for even the smallest of movements. “—-And not in that way… Not that I’d say no actually, the accent does it for me I won’t lie but just cover my back.”
Skye will do most of the work Andy knows, her dog already stalking the back of their little party, nose to floor and ears hitched high above her head. They head up the road until one of the signs with a big H in the middle of a red square alerts Andy that they’re nearing their destination. “Think it’s about another 5 minutes or so from ‘ere.”
Hestia
It is what she sees in Andromeda’s eyes that calms Hestia. In it, there’s the reassurance that no matter what, they’re in it together, and that Andromeda wouldn’t leave her behind. This is what propels Hestia to stand up and move, overcoming her own nausea and terror.
"We’ll be fine," she repeats, chanting it in her head, a mantra, a prayer. They will be fine, will come out safe and none the worse for wear.
Hestia wonders if Andromeda can see her blush in the dark. No one has ever complimented Hestia before, and even with this odd timing, she feels a bit of herself perk up at it. “Yer not so bad yerself, Andy,” she says, daring to use the nickname she’s heard people throw around.
The two move quickly, following Skye to a sign that indicates they’re near the hospital. They walk for a few more minutes and find it, a small dingy building, faded white with a sign reading, “St. Mary’s.” Hestia draws her wand as they prepare to enter, and she looks to Andy before moving in.
would you die to heal? || december, 1980 || hestia and andy
part I: hogsmeade
in which andy and hestia find each other in the crowd
Andy
It's just another setback Andy tries to argue with herself as she's yanking on thick leather boots, stuffing the decimated laces either side of her already throbbing feet. She's already been out today, to Dorset to harvest from a massive vegetable garden she'd found last month and she’d spent the day elbow deep in who knows what. The place is pretty much sustaining itself so she's kept its existence a secret from the others, somewhat selfish she can admit but she’d rather ensure that the place keeps on growing so they can all continue to get at least some sort of steady diet than have some fucker trash the place or over harvest.
Still— The message was clear over the WWN, help is needed in Blackpool. Andromeda can still remember her first trip to Blackpool with a friend before it happened; laughing so much her stomach ached, running along the beach barefoot and breathless, riding on a donkey and eating so much pink fluffy cloud stuff that she almost threw up all over the poor things head.
Andy had been holding off on having to travel to that specific part of Britain, some memories she wanted to preserve for as long as possible before reality had to come and ruin it. So here she was, awkwardly stumbling out of Caradoc’s place, leather jacket hanging off of a shoulder and eyes squinting against the too bright sun.
Remind her to not try napping ever again, that was a luxury she didn’t seem to be able to afford anymore.
Hestia
The sea had played a strong part in Hestia's childhood. The smell of salt; the feel of sand under her feet, in place of human company, she had these. Instead of playing with other children, Hestia would walk along the shoreline, looking for different shells and playing with Pina, her dog. Though her last encounter with the ocean had been a terrible one --- the day she'd found her father infected --- she was still very fond of her memories of the ocean.
It is unfortunate, then, that on the day Hestia Jones finally accepts the challenge to go out and get her own supplies, there is a breakout of infected at Blackpool. No one asked Hestia to do this, but she feels the need to go, at least once. The other Healers are far too busy to pay attention to the stock in the supplies room; the only one who remembers to do this is Hestia. She knows that everyone out there is busy retrieving other things, trying to save people, but if no one replenishes their stock, what will there be to heal with? Healers are oft-forgotten till they are needed, and then that would be too late. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That was the only reason Hestia was going out today, regardless of Infected.
Still, she feels only apprehension and fear with each bit of preparation she does.She puts on her most battle-ready clothes, making sure that no part of her skin is uncovered aside from her hands and her face. Taking a shot of Firewhiskey and removing the scent from her breath, she goes to where she knows people will be leaving, hoping to find someone to go with her.
Andy
Having had an apple stuffed into her hand by a passing acquaintance Andy stands and watches the streets erupt in mild chaos, her teeth crunching through the too crisp apple. She watches as people pair up and she dimly notices that there are more smiles than are strictly necessary considering the occasion but she understands; half of these people probably haven’t left the compound in a month. They’ll be feeling the excitement that will last all of ten minutes, until they’re face to face with their enemy once more and remember the true terror of it.
Callused fingers itch for a cigarette and they twitch around the apple, dropping the core to Skye who is sat obediently at her feet, fluffy head rested against the bare skin poking out from a rip on her jeans. Her little pooch has barely left her side since the day they met and she’s amazing for elevating any guilt about food waste which has become a serious problem as of late so Andy drops to scratch behind black floppy ears.
Andy knows that she’s probably feeling too casual towards this, the devastation she knows is promised in Blackpool, knows she should probably be nervous if not afraid but all she can feel is an impatient energy. Plus, the baby has been making her feel odd for the last couple of days so between that and the fact she’s been volunteering left and right for missions for the past month; she’s exhausted to the bone yet seemingly caught up in a battle between doing everything and doing nothing.
Everything usually wins out; Andy is like the wind, never truly still.
Hestia
Hestia cannot believe her eyes. The people here look excited. Happy. Is there something wrong with them? Do they not know how likely it is that one or more of them won't be coming home? As a Healer, Hestia has seen the extensive damage the infected can do, lethal or not. It's not something that inspires the joy that she sees on the faces around her. She's confused, to say the least. Is she in the right place?
Then, she spots an axe in someone's hand. In another's, a hammer. These people have more hardened expressions, but still exchange a word or two with the people around them. Hestia has come with her switchblade in one hand and wand in the other; she feels both underprepared and out of place. She wanders around, considering asking one of these people to retrieve supplies for her instead of doing it herself.
Having weighed the choices, she turns to the person next to her to ask him to do it for her, when she realises that she recognises him. This is the amputee from three weeks ago, fresh off the battlefield and still here. Since she healed him herself, she could probably ask for a favour, but his determination has motivated Hestia to go on. She decides to move before he spots her and bumps into someone familiar.
"Andromeda," she says. Everybody knows Andromeda Black, one of the best during the war and after it; Hestia would be safe if she stayed with her, but she didn't know how to ask.
Andy
Crouched down beside her dog into a position that’s a lot more comfortable than it looks Andy almost topples over at the soft bump, steadying herself with the use of Skye’s collar and she looks up ready to give whoever it is a mouthful about looking where they’re going because she’s just not in the mood for this but then she spots it’s Hestia and she softens, mouth closing from its halfway open position and instead spreading into a chagrined grin; as if she’s 5 years old and had just been caught putting wax into her big sisters hair in her sleep.
“Alright, Hestia?” Andy asks as she pushes herself to her feet and she swears something in her knee actually cracks and Merlin, she’s only twenty six. She should not feel this old. Skye bounces around her legs and Andy reaches inside her jacket to pull out an old tennis ball, chucking it down the high street with her grin still in place as Skye barges after it, barrelling through the legs of unsuspecting people in her excitement and almost toppling a few of them over.
Hestia
"Sorry about that. Aye, I'm alright," Hestia says, tilting her head to look at Andromeda properly. There's something different about her. Hestia can't put her finger on it, but the soldier seems to look a little softer than usual. Hestia had treated her herself, once in a while, after particularly terrible trips outside the safezone, but this was not the same. It wasn't like she was injured or tired, but like she was glowing.
Hestia decides to say nothing about it. It's not her business.
"I need...to ask a favour of you, m'afraid," Hestia adds, all politeness and shy smiles. Inside, she is quivering with fear. If she has to go out there alone, she might pass out as soon as she's left the warded area. Hestia is on a mission, true, but that doesn't mean she has the constitution for it.
Andy
The gentle scrutinization of Hestia is still enough to have Andy shifting in place, clunky leather soles brushing against the stray stones littering the pavement. Thankfully it’s over almost as soon as it began and she’s reminded that Hestia has probably seen more of Andy than most, whoever said war and survival were glamorous had obviously never been in one.
A favour, that wasn’t a new word and someone who did the sort of work Andy did ended up hearing it a lot. “Sure, go ahead —- What can I do for you?” Sure Andy could be a little selfish sometimes but only when it came to protecting herself and her own, she still had an almost pathological need to do as much as she could with what abilities she had. Plus, favours kept her busy and being busy kept her from thinking too much.
Skye bounds back over, ball held proudly between her teeth and she drops it, saliva and all, atop of Andy’s boot. Andy looks afronted on principle but she couldn’t really care any less than a bit of dog spit on her boot so pulls her foot back and kicks the ball flying down the street again, the excitable Border Collie taking after it without hesitation.
Hestia
"If ye don't have something too important to do today, could ye come with me to the hospital in Blackpool?" Hestia swallows, unaccustomed to speaking more than one sentence at a time. "We're running a tad low on supplies, y'see, and I'm afraid to go there alone."
To someone as experienced as Andromeda, Hestia probably seemed a nuisance, a burden on the battlefield. If she hadn't spent so much time familiarizing herself with the layout of Muggle hospitals --- she'd gone to a few as a child, and as a Healer, had taken interest in them --- she would have asked if Andromeda could get them herself. Unfortunately, Hestia had to go, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Hestia looks away, watching Skye run off to chase the ball. She wishes that surviving this war were as easy as chasing a ball. All these complications and chances of death make each and every day a dangerous one, as safe as they feel in the warded zones. Hestia pockets her wand and begins to fiddle with the switchblade, waiting for Andromeda to answer.
Andy
It’s a good idea no—- A great idea. Hospitals are a gold mine in supplies from medicine to blankets to food and plus she knows a lot of survivors think of them as safe places so maybe they’ll be able to get a few people out. Andy is aware of the fact a lot of the dead tend to loiter around them, raised there or drawn by the scent but she’s experienced enough to hopefully be able to get them through it and while she had no clue whether Hestia had battle skills or not they were both going out there anyway.
Two is better than one afterall.
Skye is back at Andy’s side by the time she replies and she reaches down to ruffle the soft fur on the back of a warm neck, comforting in a way Andy never expected when she met the mutt. “Sure thing, I actually think I can remember a place near it too so I can apparate us if you’re up for it?” She herself isn’t a fan of side-apparation but sometimes it’s the only thing available.
Absently she wonders if she should bring Skye, the pooch has a nose for the dead and has been known to do her fair share when out with Andy but still; she can be a distraction and if she’s already going to be with somebody unfamiliar in the field then it could cause complications.
Hestia
For the first time that day, Hestia finds herself smiling properly. She knows that there is still danger out there, far worse than she's ever seen before. She's heard the stories from her patients; things have gone downhill outside, as impossible as that may seem. Hestia feels safe around Andromeda, and she breathes a sigh of relief at the thought of someone capable being with her. The last time she left the safety of the wards, she'd been with Alastor, and though that had been terrifying, never did she feel like she would die.
She feels the same around Andromeda. There is something about the other woman that exudes a safe kind of danger, the kind that would and could protect you. Hestia doesn't know if it's the Firewhiskey, but the fear is seeping out of her slowly, replaced with determination.
Hestia nods once. "Aye, we ought to go soon." The people around them were beginning to disappear, wardskeepers ready to keep the wards up in case the infected sensed the magic. She holds out her hand and waits for Andromeda to grasp it.
It had only taken a few days. Ted had written to his parents, regarding him and Andromeda visiting for a meeting and possibly an evening of fun. Trusting his owl to find it's way and bring back a positive response, he cracked open their letter in anticipation-his parents were ecstatic. They wanted to meet her at once and talk to her about the family problems that were plaguing her. Despite Ted's detailed letter, they wanted to hear it from her lips and Ted thought it was a good sign. Andy and him planned to go on a day they had no classes, they found the perfect date and Ted woke up in a state of clear excitement. Having slept together in their little room, Ted looked down at Andy wrapped in his arms. Kissing her head, he woke her slowly. Whispering sweet-nothings in her ear, he roused her.
After a short breakfast, they left their room in a staggered fashion and met in Hogsmeade an hour later. Together they walked to an abandoned hillside and, standing upon it in the bright morning light, they apparated to Ted's home. His house was of medium size. Compared to the Black Manor, it was small and dingy, but to Ted it was a palace that housed his family. Taking Andy's hand, they walked together to the bright red front door. Ted flung the door open without knocking and let out a shout of greeting. "I'm home!" he called.
Marlene glared back at Andromeda, arms crossed over her chest. It was taking all of Marlene's self-control to not punch her or hex her right there and then. "What the fuck do you think this is about? Lily told me what you said to her" Marlene said. Andromeda's eyes widened. "She- she told you?" she asked, before shaking her head. "This is between Lily and I, Marlene. I suggest you stay out of it."
Marlene let out a bitter laugh. "Stay out of it? You call one on my best friends a.. a 'mudblood' and you expect me to just 'stay out of it'? And here I thought Slytherins's were supposed to be cunning" she spat. "You're such a two-faced bitch Andromeda. There was a time, where I thought you were my friend. I thought you were Lily's friend. Or does that all mean nothing to you now?" Marlene glowered, shaking her head. "What about Sirius? You're close with him. You think he's going to be happy you called someone a 'mudblood', never mind the girl his best mate has been chasing for years?"
