A/N: Enjoy!
Title: murmurs under her breath
Summary: When Amelia receives the charge of her orphan niece, Susan, she doesn't really know what to expect. After all, how does one care for a 17-year-old fan of rock? Muggle!AU
Word count: 1,169
Genres: Family
Characters: Amelia B., Susan B., Hannah A.
Amelia opens the door, and Susan steps in.
She wasn't really expecting to get the girl. She's barely a child any more, just turned 17, on the brink of adulthood, more a young woman. But she's lost her family, her entire family apart from Amelia, in a freak accident and she needs somewhere to go. Amelia accepts the responsibility.
"Aunt Amelia," she says, barely a murmur under her breath.
"Susan. Here, I'll show you your room," Amelia tells her, taking her suitcase and leading her through the apartment.
Susan's changed a lot since she last saw her. Obviously, she last saw her when she was 5, so 12 years do change a person. The demure brown hair braided down her back is cut into a pixie bob dyed purple and streaked mustard. She's wearing the most outrageous eyeliner Amelia has ever seen.
A teenager, she figures.
Amelia doesn't really know how to take care of a teenager. Her husband died from cancer when they were young and they didn't have any children. She didn't remarry, and didn't want any children. She's a little lost, figures it takes a lot of responsibility, but she'll give it a shot.
Thankfully, Susan seems independent enough, and Amelia can keep going to her job, an important position in the ministry. They don't talk about her parents or her siblings. They see each other in the evenings, dine quietly, exchanging a little talk about the day and that's it.
It's been a couple of weeks now, and Susan asks her to listen to her newest tape, one she recorded at a friend's house. Amelia doesn't really know what to expect, until she hears the pounding drum, the low bass the wine of the electric guitar and Susan's voice murmuring the lyrics, her voice barely audible over the sound of the instruments.
"Well?" Susan asks, "What do you think?"
"It's certainly something," Amelia tells her. She's not sure she likes it, not at all. But Susan seems to be enjoying it, and who is she to judge her coping mechanism?
"I've got some more if you'd like to listen."
"Sure," she says, even though she doesn't particularly want to. But Susan is her responsibility and she will take care of her.
After all, she's a little clueless when it comes to grieving teenagers.
For Christmas, Amelia surprises her with tickets to her favourite rock band. Susan is overjoyed. When the day of the concert comes, she decks herself out in the band's tee-shirt, even crazier makeup and dyes her hair red for the occasion. Amelia dresses the way she always does, like a 54-year-old ministry employee.
They make a funny pair the two of them.
Susan enjoys herself immensely. Amelia can't hear herself think as the noise from the concert pounds. But she guesses that kind of is the point. Even the stage quakes from the number of decibels.
When it's over (finally), Susan and Amelia leave. Susan is in an exceptionally good mood, and Amelia is ready to humour her.
"Kind of a pretty boy, isn't he?" she asks her, pointing to a lad who looks about her age and seems sympathetic enough (once you look past the nose piercing).
Susan snorts and doesn't say anything else.
It's Sunday when the doorbell rings. Amelia goes to open the door, still in her dressing gown, a cup of tea in her hand.
A short girl of the same age as Susan is on the other side of the door. She's got pink hair, though Amelia can see the blond at the roots where her hair has grown. She's also got a nose piercing. Amelia takes a sip of her tea.
"Hi, I'm Hannah" she introduces herself.
"Are you Susan's friend?" The question is pointless. She's certainly not one of Amelia's friends.
Susan bustles down the stairs at that moment.
"Amelia, this is my girlfriend, Hannah," she presents the girl. "All right, we're off then."
Susan grabs Hannah and they're out of the door before Amelia can say goodbye. She watches them get on a motorbike. Susan is not wearing a helmet, and Amelia tries to call after her, but they're off. She makes a mental note to teach her to be more responsible.
A girlfriend. Well, she was not expecting that, and she understands her reaction from the rock concert. But that Hannah girl looks nice enough, and as long as Susan is happy… It's not her business to go and meddle with her niece's feelings.
The school year is coming to its end. Amelia starts a conversation that seems only natural to her: what Susan is going to do after school. She's shown no interest in any of her A levels at school, and hasn't manifested any wish on what she wants to do.
"A rockstar," Susan states.
"A rock star?" Amelia echoes.
"Yeah, you've heard my demos. I think we could make it," she adds.
Amelia disagrees. "Susan, barely anyone makes it to stardom in music! Do you have any other plans?"
"No," Susan snorts. "Do you not trust my decision?"
"Well, not entirely."
"Don't fret over it so much. Everything's going to be fine." Susan rolls her eyes.
"Honestly, Susan, I don't think it's a reasonable career choice."
"I don't get why you're so against it!"
"Maybe you should aim for something a little more steady."
"Like what," she scoffs, "A ministry job? Like you?"
"For example!" The tension between them has risen considerably. They never fight like this.
"Please, I'd rather die than do that!"
Amelia shudders, and so does Susan. Terms like 'die' are taboo in the house. It's an unspoken rule.
"What scares you the most? About this?" Susan throws at her. "The fact that I am risking a lot, or that I'm showing you that you have an absolutely boring job, and you're jealous?"
"I'm not jealous!" Amelia retorts.
Susan knows it's true. Amelia isn't jealous at all. She just huffs and rushes up to her room.
Amelia still supports her, helps her start her rockstar dream like she promised. Susan is her responsibility after all, even if she's an adult now. Sometimes, she's a little overwhelmed, but Susan helps her around, and Amelia appreciates the fact that she will have someone to take care of her when she old and needs help.
But for the moment, she's the one helping. She comes to every single on of Susan concerts, and truthfully, though Amelia does not like it, she knows it's pretty good. She helps Susan through her heartbreak when she and Hannah break up, and rejoices with her when they get back together.
And slowly, the stages become bigger, and the public more and more numerous.
Amelia watches her niece bellow lyrics into the mic, every note a step on her journey to becoming the 'rockstar' she has dreamed of. She remembers the time where her niece would only murmur under her breath, and where she has come too. She's ridiculously proud.
FOR HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
House: Ravenclaw
Assignment #9 Thaumatology Task #5 Write about a rockstar or attending a rock concert
Gobstones: bronze stone – responsibility – 6) Rockstar!au – 15) "What scares you the most?" - 3) Amelia Bones
All aboard: 10) murmurs under her breath
Honeydukes: 10) Hannah/Susan
Helga says: 6) "Don't fret over it so much. Everything is going to be fine."
Talent: 62) 1)Rockstar!au 2) Kind of a pretty boy, isn't he? 3) clueless 4) dressing gown 5) quake
Writing club:
CA: 6) motorbike
TM: 6) non-heterosexual BONUS
Aat: 1) family
EE: 18) "Well what do you think?" / "It's certainly interesting?"
FF: 5) found family
TV: 21) Musician!au
SC: 4) an argument
Autumn seasonal:
UN: 61) rockstar
Chemistry: 96) clueless
Tarot: 10) overwhelmed by responsabilities
10th October: National motorcycle riding day: motorbike
Pizza: 14) single parent
National American history: 9) joining a pair on their journey
Colour: 14) mustard