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rarepair_shorts2010-02-10 08:10 pm
rarepairs_mod) wrote in rarepair_shorts2010-02-10 08:10 pm
Fic for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
briony_tallis
Author: purelush
Recipient:briony_tallis
Title: Hopeful Hearts
Pairing: Angelina/Katie, Parvati/Lavender
Rating: R
Word Count: 1,980
Summary: Two women care for their best friends after the war.
Author's Notes: Title and lyrics are from Sarah Slean's 'Hopeful Hearts'. Katie's memory disintegration is based on a working memory disorder, not Alzheimer's. I don't know anything about Alzheimer's, so I just wanted to clarify that. Many thanks to my beta T for her help!briony_tallis, I hope you enjoy this: it's a bit angstier than I'm used to writing but I wanted to attempt some UST for you. Also, two pairings, yay!
Angelina sat at the rickety table, her hands wrapped around a cup of tea, long gone cold.
"Angelina? Can I sit with you?"
She looked up and nodded at the hesitant woman in front of her. Parvati Patil sat down and sipped on her juice. "Katie in with the Healers, then?" she asked.
Angelina nodded. "Lavender?"
"Yes. Only time she leaves the flat," Parvati said quietly.
"They can't do anything about the scars, then?"
Parvati shook her head. "They'll fade with time, like Bill Weasley's, but she'll always have them. We don't have any mirrors anymore. Lav smas— she can't stand them."
"It'll get better," Angelina said, hoping that she sounded reassuring.
"And Katie? How is she doing?"
"Good. They can't stop the memory loss, but they can slow it down. Give her more time," Angelina said and she felt a lump rise in her throat. "She'll be done soon. I should really get back to the ward."
"Of course," Parvati said, and she stood with Angelina so she could give her a quick hug. "See you soon."
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
"Accio...Accio..." Katie tightened her fist around her wand. Angelina opened her mouth to tell her the word, but Katie glared at her. "Accio...Accio...Accio...saucepan!" The saucepan flew in from the kitchen and smacked Katie in the face but she laughed. "I remembered! It took forever, but I remembered."
"Yes, although I think it would have been better to work with soft things," Angelina said, her fingertips tracing Katie's face, "you're going to be purple tomorrow."
"Kiss it better?" Katie murmured, her eyes twinkling. Angelina sighed and then gently pressed her lips against Katie's skin in little butterfly kisses.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Parvati bit her tongue as Lavender threw another pot of foundation across the room in disgust. Beauty potions had failed to cover up the livid red scars that covered the right half of Lavender's face. As a last resort, she'd given Parvati a sack of gold and sent her out to Muggle London to purchase the most expensive make-ups she could find. Parvati had done her best, but nothing was working to Lavender's satisfaction. The scars were barely visible under the foundation Lavender had on at the moment, but they weren't invisible.
"I think that's the best one we've tried all day," Parvati said, retrieving the pot and looking at the label. "Really, it's quite good, Lav."
"It's not good enough," Lavender said, staring at her face in the small hand mirror Parvati had borrowed from Padma.
Parvati sighed and sat down next to her friend, resting her head on Lavender's shoulder. "They'll never disappear completely, Lav," she said gently, stroking her hair back from her scarred face. "You're still beautiful."
"Stop," Lavender said uncomfortably, "don't lie to me, Vati. I'm nothing like I was. What bloke would touch me now?"
Parvati wanted to say I'm not a bloke, but I want to kiss you and touch you and make you feel like a goddess, but Lavender didn't need a lover. She needed her best mate. "Only the best bloke in the world," she said confidently. "Because anyone less isn't good enough for you."
Lavender rolled her eyes, but she smiled a rare smile for Parvati who felt her heart swell.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Angelina awoke with a start to find Katie staring at her.
"What's wrong, love?" She asked anxiously.
"Nothing," Katie said, "I'm trying to memorize your face." She traced Angelina's lips with her fingers. "I don't want to forget any of this."
Angelina closed her eyes as Katie explored every curve and angle of her face, relaxing into her touch.
"I love you." She opened her eyes at Katie's pronouncement. "One day I might not remember that I do, so you have to remember for me." Katie's eyes were bright and Angelina realized that she'd probably been lying awake in bed thinking about this for a long time.
"I will," Angelina promised, "and I love you, Sparrow." She kissed her.
"Eagle," Katie replied, giggling at their silly Quidditch nicknames. She pushed Angelina down into the fluffy pillows and straddled her waist. "The Healers told me repetition would help me retain memories," she murmured, tugging Angelina's camisole up to expose her stomach.
"Did they?" Angelina said, leaning up so Katie could pull the camisole over her head. She ran her hands up under Katie's nightshirt to her breasts. "So we should play a lot of Wizard Chess. Or Gobstones, then."
"Not exactly what I had in mind," Katie said, tossing off her nightshirt. "I want to remember how you taste. The feel of your body trembling against mine. The way your hair smells when it's damp and sweaty. Even if I don't remember my own name, if I can remember that — I'll be me."
Angelina grabbed Katie by the waist and flipped them over. "Let's make new memories, my love," she whispered. She didn't want to talk about Katie forgetting her anymore.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Parvati and Lavender shared a bed. It was the only way to keep Lavender's nightmares at bay. Parvati loved and hated it at the same time: the way Lavender wrapped herself around her until they were a tangle of limbs; the feel of Lavender's nipples brushing against her back; the way Lavender's breath against her neck made her knickers feel slightly damp. Sometimes, she'd stroke Lavender's hair and press kisses to her cheek when she was feeling daring and Lavender was in a deep sleep. But never when there was a danger of her waking up.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Angelina's face was ashen.
"I'll be fine, Angie. Really," Katie said, squeezing her hand. "It's the right thing to do."
Angelina knew it was. Katie had nearly burnt down the flat the week before when she'd forgotten the roast in the oven. She wouldn't be able to take care of herself soon. Angelina wanted to take care of her but Katie had insisted on being checked into the Janus Thickey ward at St. Mungo's. "I don't want you to resent me," she'd said.
"I love you," Angelina said, "and I'm coming to visit everyday. Even if you don't want to see me."
"I'll always want to see you," Katie said. She kissed Angelina, a long kiss that felt like goodbye. "I love you."
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Parvati and Angelina often met in the Tea Room when the former brought Lavender in for her check-ups and the latter was visiting Katie.
"Seamus has been coming around a lot," Parvati said, "and he got her out to the cinema on a date last Friday."
"That's good for Lavender," Angelina said carefully. "How do you feel about that?"
Parvati shrugged. "She's getting better; that's what matters."
"Kissing Katie for the first time was the scariest thing I've ever done," Angelina confessed, "I thought she might fancy me back, but I didn't know for sure."
"Lavender's just starting to get her self-confidence back. She bought a mirror the other day. I can't confuse her or throw her world off-balance," Parvati said sadly. "I'm happy that things worked out for you and Katie, but Lav and I...it's just not the same."
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
When Lavender told Parvati she was engaged, she smiled and hugged her best mate before locking herself in the toilet for a long cry. She went out that night and got spectacularly drunk and ended up snogging Romilda Vane outside the Hog's Head. Then she sobered up and told Lavender she was happy for her and meant it. When she stood beside Lavender, holding her bouquet as Seamus stumbled nervously through the vows, she felt a mixture of happiness and sadness. She knew that she would never mean to Lavender what she meant to her and it broke her heart. But she also knew that Seamus was a good man who loved Lavender deeply and had helped her move beyond her scars. As she toasted them at the reception, she decided that it was time for her to start moving on. Perhaps Romilda would like to meet her for a drink.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
Angelina walked into the ward, stopping to speak with Neville and Frank, Jr. for a few moments while they visited with the Longbottoms. She paused before a mirror and adjusted her hair, trying to ignore the fact that it was now mostly grey. Then she stepped behind the curtain separating Katie's bed from the rest of the ward. "Hello, love," she said, smiling as Katie looked up from her drawing.
"Hello," Katie said. She never really quite remembered who Angelina was, but she was always happy to see her. "I've made another picture." She handed it to Angelina who looked down at the crudely drawn eagle and sparrow sitting on a branch together.
"It's beautiful," Angelina said. She sat down on Katie's bed next to her and stroked her hair gently.
"Would you like to keep it?" Katie asked, relaxing into Angelina's touch.
"I'd love to. Thank you," Angelina said, and she brushed a kiss across Katie's forehead.
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§
"Angelina!" Parvati cried in astonishment. The old friends embraced in the tea room.
"Hello Parvati," Angelina said warmly, "what brings you back to St. Mungo's?"
"Declan caught the Dragon Pox, but today is Clancy's graduation from the Auror training program. Malachy and Sarah have to attend that of course and Seamus and Lavender didn't want to leave Declan alone, so..." Parvati shrugged.
"You're a good Great Auntie," Angelina said, and she transfigured a cup for Parvati so she could share her tea. "Are you still with Demelza, then?"
Parvati shook her head. "No. We broke up eight years back. What about you?" she asked tentatively, "all these years, you've never dated anyone else?"
"The thought had crossed my mind. But it wouldn't be fair to someone, knowing that my heart will never be theirs," Angelina said simply. "Did you ever tell Lavender?"
"No. Seamus figured it out years ago; he said he wasn't sure if I was the most unselfish person in the world, or just really masochistic," Parvati said with a laugh, "but he also said that he would hex me blind if I ever made a move on his wife. We have an understanding."
"Smart man," Angelina said, taking a sip of tea. "Would you like to come see Katie before you get back to Declan? She won't know who you are, but she loves having visitors."
"Thank you," Parvati said, "I'd love to see her."
purelushRecipient:
briony_tallisTitle: Hopeful Hearts
Pairing: Angelina/Katie, Parvati/Lavender
Rating: R
Word Count: 1,980
Summary: Two women care for their best friends after the war.
Author's Notes: Title and lyrics are from Sarah Slean's 'Hopeful Hearts'. Katie's memory disintegration is based on a working memory disorder, not Alzheimer's. I don't know anything about Alzheimer's, so I just wanted to clarify that. Many thanks to my beta T for her help!
briony_tallis, I hope you enjoy this: it's a bit angstier than I'm used to writing but I wanted to attempt some UST for you. Also, two pairings, yay! Angelina sat at the rickety table, her hands wrapped around a cup of tea, long gone cold.
"Angelina? Can I sit with you?"
She looked up and nodded at the hesitant woman in front of her. Parvati Patil sat down and sipped on her juice. "Katie in with the Healers, then?" she asked.
Angelina nodded. "Lavender?"
"Yes. Only time she leaves the flat," Parvati said quietly.
"They can't do anything about the scars, then?"
Parvati shook her head. "They'll fade with time, like Bill Weasley's, but she'll always have them. We don't have any mirrors anymore. Lav smas— she can't stand them."
"It'll get better," Angelina said, hoping that she sounded reassuring.
"And Katie? How is she doing?"
"Good. They can't stop the memory loss, but they can slow it down. Give her more time," Angelina said and she felt a lump rise in her throat. "She'll be done soon. I should really get back to the ward."
"Of course," Parvati said, and she stood with Angelina so she could give her a quick hug. "See you soon."
"Accio...Accio..." Katie tightened her fist around her wand. Angelina opened her mouth to tell her the word, but Katie glared at her. "Accio...Accio...Accio...saucepan!" The saucepan flew in from the kitchen and smacked Katie in the face but she laughed. "I remembered! It took forever, but I remembered."
"Yes, although I think it would have been better to work with soft things," Angelina said, her fingertips tracing Katie's face, "you're going to be purple tomorrow."
"Kiss it better?" Katie murmured, her eyes twinkling. Angelina sighed and then gently pressed her lips against Katie's skin in little butterfly kisses.
Parvati bit her tongue as Lavender threw another pot of foundation across the room in disgust. Beauty potions had failed to cover up the livid red scars that covered the right half of Lavender's face. As a last resort, she'd given Parvati a sack of gold and sent her out to Muggle London to purchase the most expensive make-ups she could find. Parvati had done her best, but nothing was working to Lavender's satisfaction. The scars were barely visible under the foundation Lavender had on at the moment, but they weren't invisible.
"I think that's the best one we've tried all day," Parvati said, retrieving the pot and looking at the label. "Really, it's quite good, Lav."
"It's not good enough," Lavender said, staring at her face in the small hand mirror Parvati had borrowed from Padma.
Parvati sighed and sat down next to her friend, resting her head on Lavender's shoulder. "They'll never disappear completely, Lav," she said gently, stroking her hair back from her scarred face. "You're still beautiful."
"Stop," Lavender said uncomfortably, "don't lie to me, Vati. I'm nothing like I was. What bloke would touch me now?"
Parvati wanted to say I'm not a bloke, but I want to kiss you and touch you and make you feel like a goddess, but Lavender didn't need a lover. She needed her best mate. "Only the best bloke in the world," she said confidently. "Because anyone less isn't good enough for you."
Lavender rolled her eyes, but she smiled a rare smile for Parvati who felt her heart swell.
Angelina awoke with a start to find Katie staring at her.
"What's wrong, love?" She asked anxiously.
"Nothing," Katie said, "I'm trying to memorize your face." She traced Angelina's lips with her fingers. "I don't want to forget any of this."
Angelina closed her eyes as Katie explored every curve and angle of her face, relaxing into her touch.
"I love you." She opened her eyes at Katie's pronouncement. "One day I might not remember that I do, so you have to remember for me." Katie's eyes were bright and Angelina realized that she'd probably been lying awake in bed thinking about this for a long time.
"I will," Angelina promised, "and I love you, Sparrow." She kissed her.
"Eagle," Katie replied, giggling at their silly Quidditch nicknames. She pushed Angelina down into the fluffy pillows and straddled her waist. "The Healers told me repetition would help me retain memories," she murmured, tugging Angelina's camisole up to expose her stomach.
"Did they?" Angelina said, leaning up so Katie could pull the camisole over her head. She ran her hands up under Katie's nightshirt to her breasts. "So we should play a lot of Wizard Chess. Or Gobstones, then."
"Not exactly what I had in mind," Katie said, tossing off her nightshirt. "I want to remember how you taste. The feel of your body trembling against mine. The way your hair smells when it's damp and sweaty. Even if I don't remember my own name, if I can remember that — I'll be me."
Angelina grabbed Katie by the waist and flipped them over. "Let's make new memories, my love," she whispered. She didn't want to talk about Katie forgetting her anymore.
Parvati and Lavender shared a bed. It was the only way to keep Lavender's nightmares at bay. Parvati loved and hated it at the same time: the way Lavender wrapped herself around her until they were a tangle of limbs; the feel of Lavender's nipples brushing against her back; the way Lavender's breath against her neck made her knickers feel slightly damp. Sometimes, she'd stroke Lavender's hair and press kisses to her cheek when she was feeling daring and Lavender was in a deep sleep. But never when there was a danger of her waking up.
Angelina's face was ashen.
"I'll be fine, Angie. Really," Katie said, squeezing her hand. "It's the right thing to do."
Angelina knew it was. Katie had nearly burnt down the flat the week before when she'd forgotten the roast in the oven. She wouldn't be able to take care of herself soon. Angelina wanted to take care of her but Katie had insisted on being checked into the Janus Thickey ward at St. Mungo's. "I don't want you to resent me," she'd said.
"I love you," Angelina said, "and I'm coming to visit everyday. Even if you don't want to see me."
"I'll always want to see you," Katie said. She kissed Angelina, a long kiss that felt like goodbye. "I love you."
Parvati and Angelina often met in the Tea Room when the former brought Lavender in for her check-ups and the latter was visiting Katie.
"Seamus has been coming around a lot," Parvati said, "and he got her out to the cinema on a date last Friday."
"That's good for Lavender," Angelina said carefully. "How do you feel about that?"
Parvati shrugged. "She's getting better; that's what matters."
"Kissing Katie for the first time was the scariest thing I've ever done," Angelina confessed, "I thought she might fancy me back, but I didn't know for sure."
"Lavender's just starting to get her self-confidence back. She bought a mirror the other day. I can't confuse her or throw her world off-balance," Parvati said sadly. "I'm happy that things worked out for you and Katie, but Lav and I...it's just not the same."
When Lavender told Parvati she was engaged, she smiled and hugged her best mate before locking herself in the toilet for a long cry. She went out that night and got spectacularly drunk and ended up snogging Romilda Vane outside the Hog's Head. Then she sobered up and told Lavender she was happy for her and meant it. When she stood beside Lavender, holding her bouquet as Seamus stumbled nervously through the vows, she felt a mixture of happiness and sadness. She knew that she would never mean to Lavender what she meant to her and it broke her heart. But she also knew that Seamus was a good man who loved Lavender deeply and had helped her move beyond her scars. As she toasted them at the reception, she decided that it was time for her to start moving on. Perhaps Romilda would like to meet her for a drink.
Angelina walked into the ward, stopping to speak with Neville and Frank, Jr. for a few moments while they visited with the Longbottoms. She paused before a mirror and adjusted her hair, trying to ignore the fact that it was now mostly grey. Then she stepped behind the curtain separating Katie's bed from the rest of the ward. "Hello, love," she said, smiling as Katie looked up from her drawing.
"Hello," Katie said. She never really quite remembered who Angelina was, but she was always happy to see her. "I've made another picture." She handed it to Angelina who looked down at the crudely drawn eagle and sparrow sitting on a branch together.
"It's beautiful," Angelina said. She sat down on Katie's bed next to her and stroked her hair gently.
"Would you like to keep it?" Katie asked, relaxing into Angelina's touch.
"I'd love to. Thank you," Angelina said, and she brushed a kiss across Katie's forehead.
"Angelina!" Parvati cried in astonishment. The old friends embraced in the tea room.
"Hello Parvati," Angelina said warmly, "what brings you back to St. Mungo's?"
"Declan caught the Dragon Pox, but today is Clancy's graduation from the Auror training program. Malachy and Sarah have to attend that of course and Seamus and Lavender didn't want to leave Declan alone, so..." Parvati shrugged.
"You're a good Great Auntie," Angelina said, and she transfigured a cup for Parvati so she could share her tea. "Are you still with Demelza, then?"
Parvati shook her head. "No. We broke up eight years back. What about you?" she asked tentatively, "all these years, you've never dated anyone else?"
"The thought had crossed my mind. But it wouldn't be fair to someone, knowing that my heart will never be theirs," Angelina said simply. "Did you ever tell Lavender?"
"No. Seamus figured it out years ago; he said he wasn't sure if I was the most unselfish person in the world, or just really masochistic," Parvati said with a laugh, "but he also said that he would hex me blind if I ever made a move on his wife. We have an understanding."
"Smart man," Angelina said, taking a sip of tea. "Would you like to come see Katie before you get back to Declan? She won't know who you are, but she loves having visitors."
"Thank you," Parvati said, "I'd love to see her."
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