THC S8 R8
House: Slytherin
Position: Potions
Category: Standard
Prompt: [Dialogue] "I just don't see why we couldn't have stayed by the nice warm fire"; [Prompt] The smell of peppermint
WC: 1041
Beta: bea, writes charlotteredmond99; Aya Diefair, Ash Juillet, DaughteroftheOneTrueKing
Notes and triggers: None
"I just don't see why we couldn't have stayed by the nice warm fire," Susan mutters.
"Because you are too easily bribed by peppermint tea," Parvati mumbles, moving quickly through the hordes of people at the shopping centre.
"I am your law intern buddy though," Susan whines, elbowing herself through a particularly nasty horde of people. "You are obligated to be kind to me because of our mutual suffering."
Parvati shakes her head and wonders if all Hufflepuffs are that aggressive. Susan doesn't look like it, bundled in layers of warm jerseys and wearing a bright yellow Hufflepuff beanie, but she has a nasty habit of making people like her. She plays the good cop to Parvati's bad one.
"Here," Parvati declares, shoving a flask full of peppermint tea into Susan's hand, and they manage to snag a table where Dean is running a craft workshop for children in the middle of the shopping centre.
"Why are we here?" Susan asks, puzzled.
Parvati doesn't say anything and instead takes a deep breath of the peppermint-filled air. She is trying not to come off as patronising or authoritative, but this is hard, getting Susan to open up was a mission, and Parvati knew that the topic she wanted to talk about was sensitive.
"There are rumours that you're going to take over your Aunt's Wizengamot chair," Parvati gushes out. The rumours might as well be facts at this point, considering how much paperwork Hermione is going through to make it happen.
Susan looks like she has been caught off-guard, and this time, she takes too big of a gulp of tea. She spits it back into the cup, and the children on the crafts table next to them giggle with barely concealed mirth.
"They want me to sit on the trials." The casualness in Susan's voice sends shivers down Parvati's spine. "Is that why we left the warm fireplace of my flat?"
Parvati takes a minute to soak in the information; she ignores Susan's question and breathes in again, letting the strong herbal scent of peppermint ground her in the moment.
"Tell me you're not doing it," Parvati begs. She rarely begs; she is training to become a solicitor, and while she understands showing emotion is not a weakness, begging feels like one.
"I am a Bones; people expect it from me," Susan says and then shushes Parvati as Dean begins the class.
There are scissors and glitter. Dean more than once gives Parvati and Susan a raised eyebrow as they actively participate in creating wreaths and paper chains to wrap around their tree. For a moment, Parvati can pretend that the looming weight on Susan's shoulders isn't an unfair one. Susan who smiles so brightly and helps the clumsy fingers of children make complicated designs around their wreaths.
Parvati knows that Susan isn't innocent, and she is trying to protect something that isn't there, but none of this sits right with Parvati either. The Wizengamot sessions are brutal, she has seen what some of the convictions are, and with the repeal season coming along, she is terrified that it is going to hurt Susan.
"They shouldn't though," Parvati argues as they hand in their wreaths to Dean. Parvati makes sure to give him a hug as they leave.
Susan does the same, but she grabs Parvati's hand and apparates them to her flat. Susan's flat always smells like peppermint; she has a diffuser running constantly. Parvati makes herself comfortable in front of the unlit fireplace. The flat is a lot neater than her own; Susan has a neatly labelled system for her law books and files. There are a couple of haphazardly placed Christmas decorations around the flat, and Parvati smiles when she notices the framed photograph of Dumbledore's Army.
Susan settles in front of the fireplace with Parvati and waves her wand lazily at the fireplace. It catches a light easily, and before Parvati knows it, a blanket has settled itself around her shoulders and she is holding a cup of peppermint tea.
"I'm sorry you felt like you had to ambush me," Susan starts.
Parvati opens her mouth to argue, but Susan holds her hand up. "I know, I don't owe you an explanation to my thought process, but I think you wouldn't have asked if you weren't worried."
"That's because I am worried," Parvati hurriedly adds. There is something about the bite of peppermint at the back of Parvati's throat that makes her feel dangerously brave with her words.
"I know, but we Bones have been a sign of peace during a lot of Britain's Wizarding History. We are fair, unswayed by bias, and as much as Dumbledore's Army tried to create the most resistant and revolutionary atmosphere possible, the world out there still values tradition."
Parvati understands what Susan is saying, somewhat. The law is slow and unyielding; it does not change to the demands of just anyone, and therefore, people like the Bones family are necessary to add some kind of human touch to an incredibly inhumane system.
"But you will have to relive the trauma," Parvati argues. She has sat outside the waiting room as Susan goes to therapy, and she has seen how Susan flinches when Draco takes up too much space during a meeting. Susan is trying to get over reliving the war in the best way she knows how, and Parvati feels like accepting this job will damage her efforts to heal.
Susan leans closer to Parvati and places her head on her shoulder. The scent of peppermint now tickles Parvati's nose. Parvati thinks that Susan must know how much she loves her, how much she cares about her safety.
"I don't need you to worry about that, Parvati. I talked to my therapists and healers. They have cleared me for it. I may never be a hotshot solicitor like you, but that Seat… I've trained my whole life for it," Susan murmurs into Parvati's ear as they watch the fire continue to smoulder. "But that is a problem for after the holidays."
Parvati hears the finality behind Susan's voice and she doesn't press. Not anymore today, she will drink her peppermint tea and hope that Susan knows what she is doing.