chromosomes | CONTACT ;; eachdraidh

[ Wide awake. Middle of the night. ~~BOOTY CALL.~~ Time to bug her favourite bro. ]

[ John doesn't sleep much. He certainly doesn't sleep well, and he's awake when the call comes through. Flipping open the locket and seeing who the caller is makes him smile. ]

Hey.

[ Neither does she, truth be told. Her quarters are comfortable enough but she misses home; that's what drives the call tonight. She's sideways on the image in John's locket because she's lying on her side, arm shoved under a pillow and both under her cheek. Ginny's smiling, though. ]

Hullo.

[ She thumbs at her nose, considering for half a beat before saying: ]

You never told me about your sister.

[ John's got one arm under his head while the other stretches out, holding the locket over his face; hopefully he doesn't drop it part of the way through the conversation. ]

No?

[ Hm. He supposes he didn't. ]

Her name's Sam -- Samantha. She's blonde; one of the guys in my unit thought she was my ex when he first met her, since the resemblance is hard to spot at first glance.

[ Her laughter is soft, more a huff into her pillow than anything else. ]

No denying how related we Weasleys are. Same hair, same freckles. [ She considers him for a moment, eyes narrowed. Then she grins. ] Can't picture you with blonde hair. If you ever decide to, I don't know, visit— [ Teasing. ] —I could make you one. If you were curious.

Who's older?

A blonde? [ He laughs, shifting a little under the locket. ] I think I'm good.

She is. By two minutes. Never let me forget it, either.

Neither would I if I were her. [ She smiles. ] What's your favourite thing about her? I reckon it's so easy to say what's so obnoxious about our siblings, but even if it's been... What, ten years, right? There's still favourite things. Memories.

[ She pauses. ]

Sorry. It's a lot, I just— [ A shrug. As much of a shrug as someone can do lying down. ] I miss my family. I wanted to hear about someone else's.

[ He'd been prepared to turn her down, but- well. She's homesick. She's a teenage girl and she's homesick, and John remembers not having anyone but Sam when he was her age.

So he gives in. ]

When we were kids, we were staying with a relative while our parents were at the dig site. I'd done well in a track and field event, was waiting to hear something from our dad. Sam managed to get into his e-mail and send me something saying he was proud of me. I didn't figure out she'd actually done it instead of him until a few years later.

[ Ginny can see herself doing the same, writing a letter and owling it off to a brother if the situation ever called for it. She's imitated her parents well enough. But her parents were (are) always proud of their children — even Percy, regardless of what he's done to them. ]

I think I'd like to meet your sister. [ What's email. ] If you want her in this place, I mean. I don't know if I'd like my brothers to be stuck, too; more idiots to keep an eye on. [ Said with a teasing little smile. She exhales, eyes closing. ] What if she turned up at the Station?

[ Their parents were always so absorbed in their work. If they had lived, John's sure they'd have things to say about his career choice. If they had lived, however, his career choice may not have been the same. ]

I don't know if it would be better or worse than home. I think she'd like you, though.

[ What if Sam turned up? Well, she'd get mobbed by elves, probably. ]

My guess is she'd immediately try to learn as much about the fairies and magic as possible.

[ She laughs, eyes closing. ]

Ask me to demonstrate. I'm a horrible show-off when it comes to magic. [ She cracks an eye open to look at the locket. ] D'you still think it's weird?

What, magic?

[ John frowns a little, thinking. ]

I dunno. You're told your whole life that something's not real and then one day there's fairies leading you away. Kind of hard to reconcile that with everything you thought you knew. If magic's real, then what else don't you know about?

That make any sense?

It makes sense.

[ Ginny exhales, considering. ]

The world's a lot bigger than people think it is. It's got this one in it, after all, and mine and yours. You can't know everything. I think it's a bit exciting, knowing there's something out there to learn; always will be. I'd be so bored otherwise, you know?

Sometimes boring's okay.

[ It seems hollow even to him, an excuse. ]

I just -- the last time I learned about something that wasn't supposed to exist, it didn't go well.

But it isn't too terrible now, is it?

[ She hopes not. He seems to be settling in so much better than some others. ]

Witches don't exist for a lot of people. I'm not about to draw my wand on you. I wouldn't ever.

No, it's not too terrible now.

[ Other than the nightmares, but that's not this place. ]

I know you wouldn't.

Sometimes I'm not sure who to trust, and I think that's because of the war back home. But I do trust you.

[ Her gaze turns somewhere off-locket, quiet. ]

Maybe I'll explore this place soon. Fly by the Station and say hello.

[ His own voice lowers to match, gaze dropping. ]

I know the feeling. Both of them. But if you want to come say hi, I'll be here.

[ Except she won't get around to it. Except she'll vanish and leave a shard and there will be more questions than answers, as always. ]

I'm just getting restless. Merlin knows what my place is in all this. I knew, back in England. Maybe my parents didn't agree but I knew. It's hard when you feel like you haven't... got ownership of what's going on, if that makes sense.

[ And then her smile twists as if to say, I'm sixteen, what do I know? ]

[ And he will miss her. He will mourn the little sister, the friend, the comrade; he will keep the others closer, because he couldn't help the first one he met.

And John will never forget. ]

It makes sense. It's- honestly, it's the opposite for me. Back home, it was- follow orders, don't argue, do what they tell you no matter what you think of it. Here... I can choose, here.

[ She will, but not by choice. If she had it her way, she'd leave a letter, would never dream of disappearing without goodbye. Back home, she thinks she'll write one to her family if the Death Eaters take her. No such back-up plan here. She would be so sorry. ]

Choice is important.

[ Maybe she knows more than a sixteen year old ought. ]

We were told to do all that, follow with no questions asked. We didn't agree. [ She smiles. ] So we started a rebellion. I've never done very well with being told what to do in the first place, but more than anything, I like to know why. Still not sure I know what that is, here. Maybe I'm not asking the right questions.

[ She rolls onto her back so that she's profile to the locket. ]

If you were wondering why I couldn't fall asleep, I reckon you know now. Can't shut up.

Yeah, but you're not in the military. It's my job -- protect, serve, do what the higher-ups tell you to because they've got information that you don't. But it turns out they didn't give a shit about protecting or serving anyone but themselves.

[ And by the time it really sank in, by the time he was ready to do something about it, everyone was dead or dying. ]

I know the feeling.

But you're happy here.

Right?

Happy?

[ You know... he hasn't thought about it until now. ]

... Yeah. Yeah, I am.

[ Ginny smiles, then, pleased. ]

Surprised?

CONTACT ;; eachdraidh

» late night facetime (or w/e)

» skype??

» magic skype

» it probably loses the connection less

» until john drops it on his face

» weeps

» smooth moves reaper

» at least he's not flirting

» god forbid

» is it less weird in psls now- /shot

» do it do it

» worst influence

» it's not wrong if it's oh so right

» i repeat. WORST INFLUENCE.

» mmhmmm

» face in hands

» come at me always

» leaps into arms

» sexily

» well yes

» this got sad

» yes :c

» john :c

» ;;

» alskfsalj

» moe marine

» HAHAH NEW PLURK NICK RIGHT THERE

» LMFAO

» :)

» /nibbles

» RAR