Susan Bones

Coda

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 17:56:41 GMT

SUSAN BONES continues her liaison work with Col. Davidson for the next few years--negotiating, coordinating supplies, assisting re-awakened Sleepers, and generally doing what needed to get done to connect with Muggle communities & get Albion on its feet.

Despite her expressed wish to never use anything harsher than a Jelly-Legs Jinx again she ends up in a couple of tough spots (and gets shot in the shoulder once) when unrest breaks out.

To her own surprise, Susan finds herself a member of several thriving social circles. She moves in to Pansy & Sally-Anne's co-housing experiment for awhile and remains close to the group, especially Pansy & Ron. Somewhat separately she also makes sure all the still-living Hufflepuffs from their year get together periodically, and hangs out with the former Moddey kids and Muggle resistance folks she knows through Davidson.

Immediately after the war, Susan and Aurelia Archer try getting back together and discover that the magic is decidedly gone. Afterward, Susan dates both men and women casually and alternates between enjoying her freedom and being sad that she's surrounded by couples and hasn't found anything lasting for herself.

Her travels around Albion give her a deep appreciation of and fascination with Muggle art & culture and she begins once again to love books and art and all the creative things she suppressed during the war. And of course, there's music. Once the liaison job gets too bureaucratic for her tastes she quits and spends about 3 months traveling around Europe seeing bands (and goes to America at least once for a big arena rock concert!)

Once she starts singing and writing music again, she's the life of the party--and eventually too much the life of the party. She remains close to Frank Longbottom and their relationship shifts again as they become partners in sobriety. Pansy (and, interestingly, Eloise) also help her through it.

She develops an interest in Muggle psychology and a second career doing music therapy. When she finds a relationship that lasts it's with Kirsty--her Muggle friend who went to sleep as a 20-year-old art college student and anti-Thatcherite folkie and woke up in a completely different world. They don't have kids of their own but it's generally understood by the teenage kids of their larger circle that they're welcome to come stay at Aunt Susan and Aunt Kirsty's when they or their parents need a break.

Their house is full of animals, musical instruments, and the odd racing broom. Susan overcomes her black thumb just enough to grow paperwhites in her front garden.

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To our Captains

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 04:00:16 GMT

I sang this tonight and it has lotsa words; this isn't the whole thing but I want to put it here so I don't forgot. And remember to thank Kirsty for letting me learn it off her and giving me the words. And thank you Mr Stan Rogers whoever you are though I suppose Kirsty will tell me for writing it.

the words for Nev and Harry and Colin and Justin and Mr Snape and Sirius and Remus and Mr Weasley and everybody all the ones that didn't make it to see the flowers of Bermuda (which sounds beautiful maybe someday I'll go there) but especially the ones who led the way:

He was the Captain of the Nightingale
Twenty-one days from Clyde in coal
He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale
When he died on the North Rock shoal

But when the crew was all assembled
And the gig prepared for sea
'Twas seen there were but eighteen places to be manned
Nineteen mortal souls were we

But cries the Captain "Now do not delay
Nor do ye spare a thought for me
My duty is to save you all now, if I can
See ye return as quick as can be."

Oh, there be flowers in Bermuda
Beauty lies on every hand
And there be laughter, ease and drink for every man
But there is no joy for me

For when we reached the wretched Nightingale
What an awful sight was plain!
The Captain, drowned, was tangled in the mizzen-chains
Smiling bravely beneath the sea

He was the Captain of the Nightingale
Twenty-one days from Clyde in coal
He could smell the flowers of Bermuda in the gale
When he died on the North Rock shoal

There IS joy though I have to believe there is or there will be anyhow

And maybe you can see freedom from where you are

I hope you liked the fireworks!

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Private Message to Frank Longbottom

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 22:31:59 GMT

Heya Mr L--

I was just wondering...

have YOU decided what you want to do now that the fighting's going to be a less regular thing?

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Right then

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 01:59:46 GMT

I slept practically all day and I still feel a lot like an Erumpent just kicked me in the face.

I keep wanting to write to Lisa and Sarah and the rest of the Moddey crew to say how sorry I am about Colin and then I remember they haven't got journals. I'll owl--but it isn't quite the same; there's something well comforting about having these little books to talk to each other in.

Huh. Still haven't figured out what I want to do with my life. I guess I'll carry on liasing as long as the Colonel wants me and see what happens. Least I won't be shoveling owl poop!

I wasn't as close to Sirius and Mr Lupin as some but they were pretty brilliant and will be missed. It's a bit of a sad crew we are now--but we're here.

Pansy--who's buying the first round?

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Private Message to Units 1 and 4

Sun, 30 Aug 2015 00:12:53 GMT

Weasley called away.

We'll advance according to the original plan; knowing it might not survive contact.

Take care of each other out there and LET'S GO.

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Order Only: Private Message to Pansy & Sally-Anne

Sat, 29 Aug 2015 16:34:54 GMT

Fuck it, I know the work we're doing out here is important--Col. Davidson says it's not only doing the right thing, it's also a strategy to help prevent another war once the Sleepers are fully awakened and the rest of the world realises Britain exists again (now there's a thought to trouble your sleep at night).

But I hate, hate being away from the castle when you lot are still risking your lives. Not that I would have been much use to Justin. Or poor Honoria.

And Sally-Anne, for what it's worth, I'm glad you went.

I feel like there's a better way to put this and I'm too tired to think of it: obviously she's grieving, but has Hydra done anything to suggest she might be going to top herself? I'm not sure it would be fair to stop her if she did, but I hope she knows we care.

I'll be back tonight; I haven't packed a stitch. Heard through the grapevine about your village idea--for now I'll be kipping at Great-Aunt Mina's with the family when I'm not out and around, but I'm in if you want me.

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Order Only: Private Message to Pansy

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 22:17:38 GMT

Heya Pans--

I feel like we never see each other these days. It’s good to be busy--and not trapped in the bloody castle --but it also feels strange that we aren’t all living in each other’s pockets any more.

I suppose that’s what being a school-leaver is like really; we members of the old ISS crew probably see each other more than most former schoolmates actually. On account of being members of the same revolutionary organisation and all...

How’s it been with the Sleepers? I’m sure you’re relieved Hermione’s doing better--well not just because of that obviously! It’s so good to see her and Hydra both recovering; it was touch and go there for awhile. I’ve been enjoying my role as Apparition Lass & General Magical Dogsbody for Col. Davidson--and I think that seeing that he’s obviously my superior has gone a long way toward building trust with all the Muggle camps and free farms and various groups we’ve been meeting with.

And I’ve been learning loads about Muggle history and culture and most importantly music! I met this amazing woman named Kirsty--she was one of the first wave of awakened Sleepers and she’s still having a bit of a time wrapping her head around the fact that it isn’t the 1980s any more and she’s been asleep lo these many years. But anyhow--she hung around in folk clubs and wrote songs against whoever was the Muggle Minister of Magic (well not Magic; it was some Arithmantic-sounding sort of title) and she’s been teaching me loads of songs--just by ear since she hasn’t got any sheet music. I want to try to find her a guitar when I can.

It’s been a job keeping everyone in food and clothing though--and some places are looking pretty raggedy & hitting the turnip stew pretty hard. At least I’ve been seeing Wayne & Stebs pretty often to coordinate moving stuff. Telling them about the Abbotts was pretty rough though.

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Order Only

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 03:37:43 GMT

Sally-Anne, if you haven't already heard, unit 1 is requesting you for Hydra.

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Order Only

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 03:05:05 GMT

R Auror Brodie, should we stand down or hold our positions?

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Private Message to Peter Bones

Sun, 02 Aug 2015 20:57:05 GMT

Pete,

I'm so sorry. I have been avoiding coming home (or rather, out to Great-Aunt Mina's) but it's not because of anything you've said or done. And I'm sorry you've felt caught between me and Carrie; she's done so much for Mum & Dad. She has every right to be cross with me for not being around.

The thing is, no matter how much Mum & Dad say they don't blame me for Ed...it just hurts too much to be out at the farm without him to cut the tension and make a joke or something.

I need to be here, working as hard as I can. Not because I'm so vital to the revolution--I'm mostly a pair of hands, and a wand, sometimes a broom--but for me. When all else fails, apply Standard Hufflepuff Coping Methods, eh?

But I'll be there tonight--and yes, I'll write Mum & Dad. I've just...I was up a good half the night fighting and I realised...well, we're doing all this for strategic reasons partly, but also to give all these people who might've lost hope a chance to see their families again, and I miss mine. And once the security situation is better, you and I should go to Scrivenshaft's and get some new drawing supplies, if you want.

Love you, Favourite Youngest Brother.

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Ed.

Fri, 22 May 2015 15:40:22 GMT

Ed. Eddie My (very tall these days) little brother.

I still find it hard to believe he's gone, even though I saw ~~his him~~

We were so close as kids, we did everything together and Mum would bellow our names like they were one word when it was time to come inside.

I missed him (and all my sibs) so much my first year. And he was thrilled to be sorted into Gryffindor when he came.

I was happy for him too, as he was so obviously well-suited, but I'm also sad now because there are so many day-to-day memories of him that I don't have.

Ed loved a laugh, a good prank, as long as no one got hurt. Fred & George, he thought you two were brilliant!

And people (sometimes even me) could mistake that for being irresponsible, but when he was made Prefect, he took it pretty seriously. He hated bullying and did everything he could to put a stop to it.

He still kept all his old Martin Miggs comics under his bed at home.

He loved Quidditch and some of my favourite memories are of the way we used to play when we were home for hols.

It was hard for him to keep good news to himself--it was sort of a game with him and Carrie for her to tease him into telling her what her Christmas present was every year.

He grew up a lot, these past couple of years, but I couldn't stop seeing him as that hotheaded kid.

And I can't help wondering if he might still be alive if I'd trusted him a little more.

It was Megan's birthday today.

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Hufflepuffs & Bones Family

Sun, 17 May 2015 22:36:31 GMT

Ugh, whatever Madame P puts in those healing sleep potions is well powerful. I woke up for a minute on account of a bloody earthquake and then went back to sleep apparently.

Still a little fuzzy on how I actually got done here to the greenhouses. That slashing hex must have been worse than I thought.

Hufflepuffs, if you haven't checked in with Professor Siz yet, please do! You may have already heard that one of us was killed in the fighting--Megan Jones. That's true. I wish it weren't.

We want to make sure you're safe.

Ed? Carrie? Peter? It worries me that you're not already here bothering the healers & trying to wake me up. Please check in. Aunt Mina, you too.

I just got word that Mum & Dad are with the mob of parents in Hogsmeade, so you can probably go home soon.

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LISTEN PEOPLE SPECIALLY ERNIE

Sun, 17 May 2015 05:32:20 GMT

We haven't got time for formal introductions! There's another wave coming in!

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FUCK

Sun, 17 May 2015 04:58:01 GMT

not megan

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Order Only

Sun, 17 May 2015 04:18:23 GMT

Sally-Anne & I have got Pansy to safety in hospital wing. Thanks Rachel for taking out that bruiser--bit above our pay grade.

Healer Patil has charm on HW that only allows injured to enter; he's a good egg & I think we can trust him.

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Order Only

Sun, 17 May 2015 03:00:11 GMT

Mrs Longbottom and everyone:

Here's what's happening:

Hydra & Justin got all the wands; Justin hit drop-off points & now most everyone (except some Slytherins) has wands; Hydra handed out all of ours under Harry's cloak & made sure everyone would keep it dead secret and they have.

Pansy's still in pretty rough shape. Sally-Anne's helping her.

Oh I just heard a couple of Enforcers say that Bellatrix Lestrange was on the grounds but now she's gone off somewhere; they didn't say where though. I don't think they knew.

And something about centaurs?

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Order Only

Sat, 16 May 2015 22:43:02 GMT

Harry--

You probably won't see this since you're off doing Clever Plan things presumably but...

I just wanted to say that we're with you here. All of us in the Order and the galleoneers and probably even some thoroughly unexpected people. We have faith in you (and in Hermione and Draco--we know they've got to be involved in this somehow!).

And since she's not in the Order & can't say so herself & I know she'd want to: Thank you for being a friend and an encouragement to Megan. She has loads of respect and fondness for you; and you were able to be there for her and help her when a lot of the rest of us couldn't.

You're pretty good at that kind of thing.

Gryffindor's luck to you!

Susan

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Order Only

Sat, 16 May 2015 22:13:26 GMT

Er...is anyone else wondering why Harry's writing to Dolohov?

I mean--I'm sure he's got a reason...but it's startling.

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A Plea

Fri, 15 May 2015 19:17:55 GMT

To the one who now calls himself Harry Potter:

You belong to me, and always have. This has always been your purpose. This has always been your destiny. Accept it - embrace it.

Come to me and you need never know pain or fear again. Come to me willingly, and you can end this pointless conflict now and forever. Come to me before midnight in two days' time, and no one else need die because of your cowardice. Submit to my will, and understand. It's time, Harry.

Your schoolmates' lives depend on you obeying my command.

Harry---please just come back. As you can see from the journals the situation has gotten quite desperate.

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Order Only: Private Message to Justin

Thu, 14 May 2015 03:18:14 GMT

In case you were wondering why Megs was studying you so intently over dinner...she's trying to figure out if you're a member of the Order of the Phoenix.

Backing the broom up a bit...this afternoon she mentioned that she really wanted to talk. I thought I had a pretty good idea what she wanted to talk about since she and Harry are friendly; but I actually hadn't tossed the Quaffle in the ring quite as much as I thought I had.

What Megs was really on fire about was Draco's post--and especially the revelation that Sarah Fawcett was alive! It still weighs on her greatly--the things she did under Umbridge's influence I mean. And hearing about Sarah just. It transformed her. It's hard for me to explain.

And the conversation sort of wove around to asking me if I knew anyone who'd know how to get a message to Sarah. And I said I that did. I sort of wish I'd been able to pull out the Galleon & show her; both because that'd be something tangible I could share and because hopefully she'd not think we had any other kind of message-passing capability. But of course I couldn't.

And she said she wondered if you were in the Order of the Phoenix because as far as she knew you were the only person she'd ever told about Strangeweale's orders. I sort of laughed and said that if you were you were doing a good job hiding it! But that's Megs all over--memory like an elephant and dead observant and perceptive sometimes.

Oh and she was anxious to let me know that whatever else I might know--she didn't want to know if it would be dangerous to us; she has a real horror of ever betraying someone again (even accidentally). She assured me she wouldn't say a word to Ernie about it (and he's the only person who's not one of us that I could imagine her wanting to tell). But evidently she hasn't stopped trying to figure you out.

She's also thoroughly frightened of Hydra's legilimency so Hydra's image as a scary Councilwizard is definitely intact with someone.

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Order Only: Private Message to Evelyn Longbottom

Wed, 13 May 2015 21:51:16 GMT

I wish this was a proper letter where I could ask after you and Terry and Kevin (and Colin and Lisa and Mr Davidson and the others) but things are pretty mad around here as you can imagine so this is more by way of passing along a message than anything else.

I just had a really interesting talk with Megan. She was absolutely bursting to tell me how happy she was to read Draco's post and get the news about Sarah Fawcett. I'm sure she's read Harry's too though we didn't talk about him as such.

Anyhow she poured out to me about all the guilt she's carried (and it's not unjustified but I didn't know how deeply her regrets went) about Sarah's death. And then she said "Not that I'm asking exactly but--if I were asking--do you think there might be a way to get a message to Sarah somehow?"

And part of me wanted to go the route of protecting my cover and say something like "What makes you think I'd know?" But--it just seemed like a moment for trust. And truth. At least some trust and truth anyhow. So I allowed that I thought I probably knew someone who could get a message to Sarah. Since she hasn't got a journal of her own that person's you ;). I figured you could show it to Sarah (if you think she would want to see it--but Sarah's always seemed like someone who'd rather know about things than not) and Sarah could respond--or not. So this is Megan's note:

Sarah, it is Megan. I know I don't deserve even to talk with you because I betrayed you and got you killed. Only you didn't get killed and I am so glad. And I am so sorry for what I did, and I don't deserve for you to forgive me but I just wanted you to know that I am not like I was before and I am not doing what people like Umbridge say, and I would do anything to do all that over again. And I am so glad you are alive. I hope you have everything you need. And I am so sorry I did what I did, and if those Order of the Phoenix people got you to a safe place then I owe them more than I will ever have. I am so glad you are alive. - Megan

I really wanted to show Megan the Galleon at least; but I couldn't without breaking the oath.

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Order Only: Private Message to Bobby Stebbins

Thu, 07 May 2015 19:40:43 GMT

Heya Stebs,

How's Dover treating you? I was reading Mrs Longbottom's report the other day and it sounds like there's lots going on and you're right in the middle of it.

That's quite a load, being Secret-Keeper and all. Good show, mate. I know a lot of people are going to be thrilled about getting those wands & supplies & all. What's it like working a mission with Mr Dumbledore? I feel like I haven't really seen much of him as himself, you know, and not Professor Brutka.

It was pretty wizard to see you at the Order meeting over hols--it's nice having someone from the sett that I can talk to about this stuff. Justin's here, of course, but as much as I respect the hell out of him as a person & member of the Order, we don't really talk, and we probably wouldn't even if he didn't have to maintain his cover as Dolohov's favourite. And it was neat to get to hear about the stuff you've been working on with Pansy, from your side. It always makes me happy, seeing my friends get on.

I wish I could say more to Megs & Ernie--Ernie was dead worried after you went missing, did you know? It's well ironic, given that I told him once before (well, told him a little) and he doesn't remember because he asked to be Obliviated. But, I'd like to assure that we're not the side that's murdering people by the dozen, you know? And it seems he genuinely cares about Megs, as much as he can be an oblivious pureblood sometimes.

Not that purebloods are the only ones who can be oblivious--I've been thinking a lot lately about the other intelligent beings we share the world with--Goblins, House Elves--and feeling a right idiot for not having ever thought much about them before. I mean about who they are, how they live, what they want, how they see the world. I guess there's no end to learning new things, and then feeling a bit of an idiot for not having learnt them sooner. What about you? Have you found out any more about France & the Muggle outside world? Maybe one day soon we'll be able to see it.

Give Wayne a shout from me, yeah?

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Order Only: Private Message to Pansy

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 02:15:02 GMT

Pansy...

I know you've had a hell of a 24 hours. I doubt the best words in the world could help.

You're incredibly brave you know--I think having to go on with regular life and school and act like things are normal is really difficult. Your friends love you & we're here for you if you want.

I'm really sorry about Hitty.

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Order Only: Surprises of the Not-Good Variety

Tue, 07 Apr 2015 22:51:12 GMT

Has anyone else had a load of bad news at home? Mum & Dad both met us at the train, which is unusual and they both looked dead glum.

Finally, Ed asked what the matter was, and Mum told us she'd been sacked from her position at the infant school. Said she was taking a role that ought to belong to a pureblood, and put her teaching assistant in her place. It would be almost funny if it weren't so ridiculous. Her assistant doesn't even want the post! She just got engaged and only plans to work until she marries.

Dad said all the Quidditch team owners are lobbying the Council for a sporting exemption, and normally there'd be no question, since people tend to get cross when anyone messes about with the Quidditch. But he sounded worried.

And they decided not to go through the hoops to keep me on at my holiday job at the Owlery, which at least means I have plenty of time to train.

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Order Only: Private Message to Pansy

Tue, 24 Feb 2015 04:03:16 GMT

Hey Pansy--

Do you have any of that Small Mercies potion? It'd be handy to have and to give to other Prefects who might need it for their Houses after all the rumours flying around.

I'm still out so I can come by the dungeons.

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