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Space has been made - or has it always been there? - for a brand new garden: a memorial dedicated to those who fell in the Third Wizarding War. The garden is surprisingly quiet, given its location in a busy wizarding London street. It's calm here. Peaceful.
Most likely to immediately draw the eye is a statue in the middle of the garden, at the centre of a small pond. A tall, titanium sculpture of a phoenix stands atop a round plinth; almost two hundred names are engraved here, the names of those who fell during the length of the war, listed in columns and slowly revolving, though the plinth itself is stationary. The sculpture seems to bathe the garden around it in a warm glow, and does so year-round. There are some flashes of colour on the titanium phoenix; many of its feathers are detailed in red and gold, and the astute observer will notice that the number of coloured feathers exactly matches the number of names listed below.
Every year, on the anniversary of the 2104 battle, the phoenix can be seen to cry, shedding tears from sunset on 9th May to sunset on 10th May.
A mosaic-like path winds its way through the grass and under arches, made up of bricks and paving stones of different colours. Spaced around the garden, roughly in each of its corners, are four benches. According to the inscriptions on these benches, each has been provided by a different institution or significant area of wizarding Britain: Hogwarts, St Mungo's, the Ministry of Magic, and Diagon Alley itself. Throughout the garden, a variety of brightly coloured and aromatic flowers, shrubs, young trees, and other plants can be found, with plenty of space still left to be filled.
Jane Howard was sitting on the memorial bench donated by St. Mungo's--she hadn't felt like sitting on the Ministry bench, she was a little irked with the Ministry just at present. The summer weather was pleasant and the garden itself was beautiful, but Jane was currently busy looking over what she had written in a small leather-bound notebook. Every once in a while she glanced up and looked around, as if she were waiting for someone.
Noémi knew that Diagon Alley during the summer rush of students might not be her husband's idea of a great time, but the new mother had several reasons for venturing out with her little family of three. She knew a purposeful outing would be good for what she had to reluctantly admit was more than just a case of the baby blues. Or at least it was a start. It would be good for Nixie to get out and experience a taste of bustling wizard life, Noémi thought as she pushed her baby's stroller. And perhaps they could run a few errands while they were here.
But first, Noémi wanted to walk through the memorial garden. It was a little quieter here and she wanted to pay tribute to her fallen uncle while they were here. As she paused by the statue in the center, she reached down to pull Nixie from her stroller... stopping as she noticed her baby bonnet was not on her head. And as it was a sunny day, even though the stroller had a hood, she wanted to make sure her infant daughter's head was protected and the sun out of her eyes before pulling her out of the stroller.
She peered into the stroller, looking to see if it might be inside, before reaching down for her diaper bag. "Have you seen her little hat?" she asked Jaecar, hoping it hadn't fallen.
__________________
started like a knight in a fairytale_______________________________________________
ended like a moth in flames______________________ ______________________don't you worry I'll be fine _________________________________________________you were good for the plot line
Jane Howard was sitting on the memorial bench donated by St. Mungo's--she hadn't felt like sitting on the Ministry bench, she was a little irked with the Ministry just at present. The summer weather was pleasant and the garden itself was beautiful, but Jane was currently busy looking over what she had written in a small leather-bound notebook. Every once in a while she glanced up and looked around, as if she were waiting for someone.
The sound of polished leather shoes on stone was carried in on the summer breeze. Framed in one of the archways, the black suit cladded figure was in sharp contrast to the brightly colored flowers around it. If Jane could see past the sunlight that lit him from behind, she would see a familiar face. "The proposal for this garden was one of the first things to land on my desk when I joined the ministry. Had to cross reference every name with my ledger." Damian spoke wistfully, looking past Jane to the statue at the center of the garden.
"Have you been waiting long?" Damian asked, the garden becoming a colorful backdrop when his blue eyes finally fell upon his coworker.
__________________ In over his head
Last edited by Helios Sunrider; 12-17-2022 at 06:41 PM.
Wizarding World RPG Admin Minister for Magic Alley Proprietor
Romanian Longhorn
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Paths
Posts: 39,846
Hogwarts RPG Name: Briallen Ashburry-Hawthorne
Gryffindor
First Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Nyle Harden
Hufflepuff
Second Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Iris Harden
Ravenclaw
Second Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Calliope Barrington
Slytherin
First Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Diamond Marchbanks
Gryffindor
Sixth Year
Ministry Department Head:
Charles Hollingberry
Minister's Office
Ministry Department Head:
Airey Flamsteed
Mysteries
Diagon Alley Proprietor:
Zachaël Lufkin
Owl Post
x12 x12
astronomizzle ♧ gryffinDORK | & the rest is drag ♣ #badluckDerf
Quote:
Originally Posted by emjay
Noémi knew that Diagon Alley during the summer rush of students might not be her husband's idea of a great time, but the new mother had several reasons for venturing out with her little family of three. She knew a purposeful outing would be good for what she had to reluctantly admit was more than just a case of the baby blues. Or at least it was a start. It would be good for Nixie to get out and experience a taste of bustling wizard life, Noémi thought as she pushed her baby's stroller. And perhaps they could run a few errands while they were here.
But first, Noémi wanted to walk through the memorial garden. It was a little quieter here and she wanted to pay tribute to her fallen uncle while they were here. As she paused by the statue in the center, she reached down to pull Nixie from her stroller... stopping as she noticed her baby bonnet was not on her head. And as it was a sunny day, even though the stroller had a hood, she wanted to make sure her infant daughter's head was protected and the sun out of her eyes before pulling her out of the stroller.
She peered into the stroller, looking to see if it might be inside, before reaching down for her diaper bag. "Have you seen her little hat?" she asked Jaecar, hoping it hadn't fallen.
Jaecar was not a fan of summer and water was wet. It may be a bit cliché of him to dislike sunlight, but it was true. Jaecar Upstead preferred overcast skies and fog to clear skies and blinding sunlight. The sunlight he could do something about and currently adorned his face and was being pushed up a bit higher on his nose. 100% UV protected, with both UVA and UVB, and not just cheap tinted sunnies that also had polarized lenses so that he could paint by the water specifically. Not to mention the scratch-resistant and hydrophobic glazes over those uniformly tinted lenses that were nice and dark enough that he could not see his own eyes whenever he looked in the mirror. And all this perfection captured by titanium frames. Not unlike the pieces he restored at the National Portrait Gallery, they were a masterpiece.
Another masterpiece? His daughter. Even if holding her still forced him to hold his breath and his arms to go rigid, he simply could not get enough of her. The same could not be said of the bonnets his wife was so fond of. He was unable to pinpoint what it was about them that he found so cringey, but he could confirm that he had absolutely nothing to do with it missing this time. "Hmm?" he murmured, his thoughts distracted by their surroundings, and looked towards Noémi and then down to Nixie. "Oh...no...I haven't." Such a shame. "Pretty sure there is a bottle suncream in the bag though."
__________________
When you’re stuck in a moment and your spark has been stolen .................................................. ........... this is our time to own it, so own it..................................... baby we were born withfire and gold in our eyes
Jaecar was not a fan of summer and water was wet. It may be a bit cliché of him to dislike sunlight, but it was true. Jaecar Upstead preferred overcast skies and fog to clear skies and blinding sunlight. The sunlight he could do something about and currently adorned his face and was being pushed up a bit higher on his nose. 100% UV protected, with both UVA and UVB, and not just cheap tinted sunnies that also had polarized lenses so that he could paint by the water specifically. Not to mention the scratch-resistant and hydrophobic glazes over those uniformly tinted lenses that were nice and dark enough that he could not see his own eyes whenever he looked in the mirror. And all this perfection captured by titanium frames. Not unlike the pieces he restored at the National Portrait Gallery, they were a masterpiece.
Another masterpiece? His daughter. Even if holding her still forced him to hold his breath and his arms to go rigid, he simply could not get enough of her. The same could not be said of the bonnets his wife was so fond of. He was unable to pinpoint what it was about them that he found so cringey, but he could confirm that he had absolutely nothing to do with it missing this time. "Hmm?" he murmured, his thoughts distracted by their surroundings, and looked towards Noémi and then down to Nixie. "Oh...no...I haven't." Such a shame. "Pretty sure there is a bottle suncream in the bag though."
Call it a hunch, but Noémi was pretty sure that Jaecar wasn't a fan of the little bonnets she found necessary to put on their daughter during sunny days out. But that was neither here nor there as it was simply needed to keep the sun out of her eyes. And she would never even consider that he'd purposely lose it to keep Nixie from wearing one. So as she was in the process of searching the lower part of the stroller, she simply smiled up at him as he spoke, essentially resigning herself to the fact that the hat was just not there.
"Blame it on nargles then, I suppose," she said, joking lightly as she reached into the diaper bag. She didn't really believe in the creatures, but it was a fun figure of speech and she was trying to not let anything bring her down or dampen their day out. "Suncream, it is... though I hope we can keep the sun out of her eyes." Finding the tube of suncream from the diaper bag, she leaned down over their daughter and applied just a bit with a light touch to her nose, cheeks, and forehead before carefully lifting the squirming baby into her arms.
"Maybe we can find a pair of baby sunglasses so you can match Daddy," she said sweetly to Nixie, before turning her twinkling eyes to Jaecar. She wasn't sure that was even a real thing and it would probably be a better use of their time to just buy another baby hat, but she did have to admit that her husband looked very striking in his very cool shades. Even if she was a bigger fan of his smoldering hazel eyes.
__________________
started like a knight in a fairytale_______________________________________________
ended like a moth in flames______________________ ______________________don't you worry I'll be fine _________________________________________________you were good for the plot line
"Have you been waiting long?" Damian asked, the garden becoming a colorful backdrop when his blue eyes finally fell upon his coworker.
"Hmmm?" Jane replied absent-mindedly, looking up at the sound of Damian's voice. Then, registering who it was and what he'd said, she answered him (not necessarily in any particular order): "I didn't know you had been involved with the memorial...Uh, no, I haven't...at least I don't think so." Sliding further down the bench, Jane made room for Damian to sit if he wished, and began to collect her thoughts.
Damian stood, taking a moment to adjust his tie, gently tugging at his silver ankh tie clip. It wasn't like Jane to be caught daydreaming, but he wasn't going to worry yet. She didn't have any holes in her neck, and she wasn't obsessing over water.
There was a lot he wanted to say. They seem to have inadvertently been avoiding each other in the wake of their respective Atlantean adventures. It was easier to distract themselves with their work. Dang. Now he was lost in thought.
Damian sat quietly down on the bench, hoping Jane didn't catch him silently narrating their recent history to himself. "Jane.." Breaking the silence of his inner monologue, the wizard waited to hear what was on the witch's mind.
Jane smiled back at her colleague, who was still quite cordial despite having been held hostage by merpeople last year, at least partly because of her actions--though since she'd been under the influence of a magical object at the time, it could hardly be considered her fault. Still, a less generous person might have held a grudge.
"Nothing particular going on," she began, though that was not strictly the truth. "I just wanted to get out of the Death Chamber, out of the Ministry for a while. Working on the Black Phase of alchemy tends to be very claustrophobic. And depressing." And she'd had to embark on these particular experiments--how many times was it now? First her work had been ruined because she'd gotten bitten by a vampire, and another time it was--what? Some new disaster or emergency. And most recently, that blasted magical trident, which Airey Flamsteed would thrust right into her hand, even as she was in the process of warning him it might be dangerous. Of course, he had been under its magical influence already, so was no more to blame than she had been later.
"Maybe this year I'll actually finish this experiment, unless something else gets loose in the Ministry," she remarked wryly to Damian, who at least knew enough to take weird events seriously. "I just thought we should talk. You know, after last year." She looked over at Damian to see what, if anything, he might care to share with her, or whether he had anything he needed to say to her about it all. Having it all out in the open was much better than both of them walking around on eggshells forever and pretending that nothing had happened.
"Ah." Damian breathed, taking a moment before speaking again. "I don't know much about alchemy." His greatest alchemical feat was turning hot water into tea. "But I am well versed in the dark night of the soul. "
Looking to Jane, and back to the garden, he continued. "The Death Chamber isn't just about physical death. It's about ego death. That transformative state that lies between our respective realms of expertise." It probably wasn't something she didn't already know, but it was something unspeakables didn't speak about openly.
Fidgeting with one of his scarab beetle cufflinks, Damian watched as the couple pushed their baby in its pram. "Our line of work isn't very conductive to family life. You ever think about it?" Leaning back on the bench, his foot tapped rhythmically.
Fidgeting with one of his scarab beetle cufflinks, Damian watched as the couple pushed their baby in its pram. "Our line of work isn't very conductive to family life. You ever think about it?" Leaning back on the bench, his foot tapped rhythmically.
Jane was nodding as Damian set off on one of his poetic philosophical musings, but was brought up short by his uncharacteristic comment. Family life?! Somehow Jane had never imagined Damian Pendragon thinking about such things. "Well, actually, no, not really," Jane finally answered, when she'd recovered from her surprise. She had never really been romantically interested in anyone, although she did have a number of deep and intense friendships with both men and woman. As for children, she'd had enough of that being governess to Violet Blackthorne--not that she didn't like, even love, the young woman, but Jane had to admit that she enjoyed the company of her former charge much more now that she had reached adulthood, more or less. "There are different types of family, after all," she continued, thinking of the Blackthornes and of her old potions mentor and all her former colleagues back at the Alchemical Institute. "The typical brand of domesticity isn't for everybody."
"Of course, of course." Damian was nodding along before giving a little chuckle. "Always so practical, Jane. You should allow yourself some flights of fancy on occasion." The sun was warm on his face as he smiled.
"I had a lot of time to think while I was in Atlantis." Performing a small flourish with his finger, a bubble formed on his fingertip, magnifying the vibrant colors of the flowers near them.
"As the days dragged on, I had nothing better to do than daydream. I quit the Ministry a hundred times. Sometimes I was a traveling musician. Other times I was a freelance ghost investigator. I even thought about staying at home and starting a family. I just knew that once I got back to the surface, things were going to be different." The sunlight shimmered on its surface when he blew at the bubble, allowing it to drift off lazily towards the flowers.
"But everything turned out ok, didn't it? We get caught up in the Ministries misadventures, and then we just carry on until we're involved in the next crisis." Leaning towards Jane, Damian gave her shoulder a little nudge with his own. "And there is nowhere I'd rather be."
__________________ In over his head
Last edited by Helios Sunrider; 12-31-2022 at 05:45 PM.
"Of course, of course." Damian was nodding along before giving a little chuckle. "Always so practical, Jane. You should allow yourself some flights of fancy on occasion." The sun was warm on his face as he smiled.
Jane cast a quick glance at her colleague--Damian and his flights of fancy. Jane indulged in many such flights, they were just never about having a husband or children. Her dreams lay elsewhere.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Helios Sunrider
"I had a lot of time to think while I was in Atlantis."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Helios Sunrider
Performing a small flourish with his finger, a bubble formed on his fingertip, magnifying the vibrant colors of the flowers near them. ... "But everything turned out ok, didn't it? We get caught up in the Ministries misadventures, and then we just carry on until we're involved in the next crisis." Leaning towards Jane, Damian gave her shoulder a little nudge with his own. "And there is nowhere I'd rather be."
Jane watched Damian form the bubble and then cast it off into the sunlight. Of course, he would use his time underwater to master some new 'tricks'. She was just glad he hadn't managed to anger the merpeople over something else, besides the more easily rectified situation with the artifacts. Damian did like to go off pursuing rash fancies now and again. Which reminded her... "By the way, do you know why that Ronan in the Aurors' Office has taken such a dislike to me? He seems to view me as some sort of conspiracy monger, though I can't think why." Jane looked over at Damian again, trying to gauge the look in his eyes. Because truth be told, she'd gotten the impression from things she'd overheard that Ronan considered her to be the instigator of some of Damian's quests, which, if true, was quite unfair. Damian Pendragon was quite capable of instigating his own adventures (or misadventures, as the case might be).
"Hmm?" Damian never gave much thought to people disliking him. Jane was so well regarded amongst her peers; this was probably unusual for her. "Broadly speaking; unspeakables are practically anathema to aurors. They view mysteries as problems to be solved. By design, we are on the fringes of the rigid structure they operate within. It must chafe to know that our leash runs much longer than theirs." He pondered aloud after he hopped to his feet and began slowly pacing in front of the bench.
Every time he reached the end of the bench, he would sharply turn on his heels, his every gesture animated as he spoke. "But to single you out personally? You do find yourself near the center of most of the major happenings around the Ministry." Damian had stopped pacing at this point, standing before Jane, and leaning slightly towards the witch. "Cui bono ? Who benefits? Certainly not you. You've been attacked, cursed, lost coworkers, lost months, if not years, of work. You give so much of yourself to the Ministry of Magic, and what have you gotten in return? Respect from the higher ups? Maybe a few extra galleons in your bank account for your sacrifices?" He scoffed, while his normally cool and calm demeanor was slowly melting in the summer sun. His protective side was starting to show, tougher than the cobblestones beneath his feet.
"Ronan is a great auror, but he's not a great judge of character. He can be an invaluable ally if we find a problem to point him at." Ronan and Damian tended to bicker whenever they were in the same room together, but they got results.
"... You do find yourself near the center of most of the major happenings around the Ministry." Damian had stopped pacing at this point, standing before Jane, and leaning slightly towards the witch. "Cui bono ? Who benefits? Certainly not you. You've been attacked, cursed, lost coworkers, lost months, if not years, of work. You give so much of yourself to the Ministry of Magic, and what have you gotten in return? Respect from the higher ups? Maybe a few extra galleons in your bank account for your sacrifices?" He scoffed, while his normally cool and calm demeanor was slowly melting in the summer sun. His protective side was starting to show, tougher than the cobblestones beneath his feet.
Jane mused over this reasoning, then smiled slightly. "I would hardly think my being unfortunate enough to be involved in those incidents makes me a 'conspiracy-monger,' as our colleague likes to call me when he thinks I'm not looking. Unlucky would be more like it." Jane paused a moment longer at the mention of the lost co-workers--poor Nykto was the really unlucky one. Maybe if the Ministry hadn't made excuses to look the other way and investigated earlier, he might not have been lost. "But as for why I do what I do--I took this job purely for the opportunity to have the resources and scope at my disposal to delve into the mysteries, to expand my knowledge. The work I'm doing right now couldn't be done anywhere else, and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity. As to what others think of me, that is immaterial," Jane concluded, "except for my close co-workers, of course," she added, smiling at him.
"But speaking of mysteries, look at this." She flipped open the notebook she'd been looking at when he arrived and showed him a list of names and countries and dates. "I've received correspondence from all these people--mostly former colleagues throughout Europe--complaining about the unavailbility of floo powder where they live. And now the same thing seems to have happened at the Ministry. I mean, it could just be a coincidence, but still--it does seem to be happening more frequently than the law of averages would allow. I even went by Floo Pow on my way here to inquire--no one there, of course, as usual, but I thought I'd better try. Their office seems even more vacant and deserted than usual."She stopped and looked at the fountain for a few minutes, apparently thinking, then added, "Of course there are other ways for magical folk to travel, but still--there are enough occasions where the floo is necessary for this to eventually cause a real disruption if it continues." Jane had sometimes toyed with trying to recreate floo powder herself, just as an idle experiment, but she hadn't had much time to be idle the past few years.
Last edited by MadAlice; 01-28-2023 at 12:14 AM.
Reason: typo (I just can't stand it!)
Wizarding World RPG Admin Minister for Magic Alley Proprietor
Romanian Longhorn
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Paths
Posts: 39,846
Hogwarts RPG Name: Briallen Ashburry-Hawthorne
Gryffindor
First Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Nyle Harden
Hufflepuff
Second Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Iris Harden
Ravenclaw
Second Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Calliope Barrington
Slytherin
First Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Diamond Marchbanks
Gryffindor
Sixth Year
Ministry Department Head:
Charles Hollingberry
Minister's Office
Ministry Department Head:
Airey Flamsteed
Mysteries
Diagon Alley Proprietor:
Zachaël Lufkin
Owl Post
x12 x12
astronomizzle ♧ gryffinDORK | & the rest is drag ♣ #badluckDerf
Quote:
Originally Posted by emjay
Call it a hunch, but Noémi was pretty sure that Jaecar wasn't a fan of the little bonnets she found necessary to put on their daughter during sunny days out. But that was neither here nor there as it was simply needed to keep the sun out of her eyes. And she would never even consider that he'd purposely lose it to keep Nixie from wearing one. So as she was in the process of searching the lower part of the stroller, she simply smiled up at him as he spoke, essentially resigning herself to the fact that the hat was just not there.
"Blame it on nargles then, I suppose," she said, joking lightly as she reached into the diaper bag. She didn't really believe in the creatures, but it was a fun figure of speech and she was trying to not let anything bring her down or dampen their day out. "Suncream, it is... though I hope we can keep the sun out of her eyes." Finding the tube of suncream from the diaper bag, she leaned down over their daughter and applied just a bit with a light touch to her nose, cheeks, and forehead before carefully lifting the squirming baby into her arms.
"Maybe we can find a pair of baby sunglasses so you can match Daddy," she said sweetly to Nixie, before turning her twinkling eyes to Jaecar. She wasn't sure that was even a real thing and it would probably be a better use of their time to just buy another baby hat, but she did have to admit that her husband looked very striking in his very cool shades. Even if she was a bigger fan of his smoldering hazel eyes.
She always saw the best in him which had almost been to her detriment initially as she was entirely too malleable to his fire but eventually turned into the thing that saved him from himself. He ought to feel bad that he did, on occasion, purposefully lose those bonnets and gave little regard to how their absence may impact Noémi. He did not do any of it, of course, with malicious intent. Just...it was not an Upstead aesthetic, okay?
"As good a theory as any," he chuckled, believing in the creatures even less than his wife did. "Probably consider our outings prime retail therapy. The bag is overflowing." Seriously, was all it really necessary? Says the man who never once packed the diaper bag or really paused to consider how much went into taking their daughter out. Weren't just a couple of diapers enough? Oh, and the wipes. Done.
"Hmmm...how about we..." Jaecar considered as he knelt down in front of the pram and slipped his chic sunglasses off, turned them around, and slipped them on to Nixie's face. Naturally, she barely had a nose, so they did not sit on her face at all and it was laughable the way the temples and temple tips extended well beyond her head. They were also horrendously lopsided, and their daughter looked very confused at the way the lenses changed the way she saw the world, but for once he did not mind things being a little imperfect looking. Furthermore, when it came to their daughter, lopsided or otherwise, everything was always perfect.
...maybe minus her trying to chew on them. That was...okay...that was less cute.
"...maybe not..." he said while reaching forward to gently pluck his sunglasses back, resulting in Nixie's immediate tears. The red faced crying sort and her little tiny hands and fingers to flail in the air for them back and his ears to ring. "...is there something else she can chew on?"
__________________
When you’re stuck in a moment and your spark has been stolen .................................................. ........... this is our time to own it, so own it..................................... baby we were born withfire and gold in our eyes
"But speaking of mysteries, look at this." She flipped open the notebook she'd been looking at when he arrived and showed him a list of names and countries and dates.
"Hm?" Stopping mid-pace, Damian turned on his heels to face away from Jane, before falling back onto the bench next to her. Leaning in, he pored over the notebook. "Conley would love to have you in International Cooperation with contacts like these."
Gears were turning, but he couldn't see the full shape of the machinations taking place behind the scenes. "So, it's not just us." It was hard to tell if Damian was relieved or disappointed. "Is this some sort of corporate play? Is somebody trying to make some coin, or is this something more sinister? Cui bono?"
"Hm?" Stopping mid-pace, Damian turned on his heels to face away from Jane, before falling back onto the bench next to her. Leaning in, he pored over the notebook. "Conley would love to have you in International Cooperation with contacts like these."
Jane gave a small smile. She rather doubted that Conley would want the sort of contacts she had--misanthropic alchemists and eccentric sorcerors and cranky wood-wives and the rest--but they did provide useful information on things that sometimes went under the radar elsewhere.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Helios Sunrider
Gears were turning, but he couldn't see the full shape of the machinations taking place behind the scenes. "So, it's not just us." It was hard to tell if Damian was relieved or disappointed. "Is this some sort of corporate play? Is somebody trying to make some coin, or is this something more sinister? Cui bono?"
"I don't know," Jane replied thoughtfully. "I just got curious after that incident at the floos and thought I'd look into it. But it does seem curious, doesn't it? I've long thought it was probably a mistake to rely on just one source for something so many rely on. At any rate," she continued, flipping shut her notebook and tucking it away in her reticule, "if doesn't hurt to be alert and aware, does it?" After the past few years at the Ministry, Jane was not inclined to just pass over strange incidents, no matter how minor they appeared at the time.
"It doesn't hurt to be alert and aware, does it?" After the past few years at the Ministry, Jane was not inclined to just pass over strange incidents, no matter how minor they appeared at the time.
"Sometimes." The wizard breathed the word more to himself than the witch next to him as he stretched out his right leg.
There was no point living in the past when the sun was shining brightly on the present. Some missing floo powder was a welcome distraction compared to the trials and tribulations of the last few years. "I would tell you to be careful." Damian spoke, reaching into his suit pocket. "But we both know that the world won't get safer by us living safer."
Producing a small brass bell, Damian placed it in Jane's hand. "If you ever need me: Ring this, and I'll hear it. Damian Ex Nihilo. Wherever you are is where I'll be."
Producing a small brass bell, Damian placed it in Jane's hand. "If you ever need me: Ring this, and I'll hear it. Damian Ex Nihilo. Wherever you are is where I'll be."
Jane opened her hand and examined the bell Damian had placed there. Well....really, how...charming. Just when you thought the man could not be more exasperating, he would get all sweet and courtly like this. She could almost see how a woman could become enamoured of such a man, if she were into that sort of thing. Which Jane was not, not particularly Too bad he was a bit old for Violet, who was still smarting from the collapse of her school romance after graduation. But no, that might be a dangerous combination--dangerous for Damian, that is).
Bu, romance aside, t it did feel good to have someone on one's side, and to have another pair of eyes on this potential problem. "Thank you, Damian. I'll keep it handy," she finally responded, tucking the little bell away in one of her many inner pockets and giving him a calm smile.
A notorious charmer from his days when music paid the bills, the Ministry of Magic had made a professional out of Damian. Having no illusions about the nature of his fierce loyalty towards his fellow unspeakable, he gave it very little thought. Jane was his opposite number in the Death Chamber, and any harm to come to either of them threatened the delicate balance between Life and Death.
"I have a date this evening." Rising back to his feet, Damian motioned to his fine black suit. "Been some rumors of a stray dementor showing up near Trafalgar Square at night. Going to see if I can't convince it to take it's melancholy somewhere else." He added with a smile, reaching his hands towards the sun, absorbing the rays and positive vibes.
"Keep up the good work, Ms. Howard. Give me a ring sometime. I do enjoy the distraction."
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
The Memorial Garden had always been a place Claudine Blaze avoided. It was a reminder of all the pain caused to the few she called her friends, to Hogwarts in general. It was a reminder that the family she had originated from was absolute filth; for that reason, guilt weighed heavily on her. The guilt of her family actually fighting on the side of the Neo Alliance always ate at her though she spoke of it to no one but Heath.
Time after time, Claudine would stifle the voice that told her she should at least visit the Garden out of respect to those good people who had lost their lives. It was something she had always done up until this somewhat cold day in the tail-end of January 2110. Sitting here on one of the benches had to count as something, right? Sitting here and thinking that it didn’t matter where she resided, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the Blazes sought her out and ended her for not being like them.
She always saw the best in him which had almost been to her detriment initially as she was entirely too malleable to his fire but eventually turned into the thing that saved him from himself. He ought to feel bad that he did, on occasion, purposefully lose those bonnets and gave little regard to how their absence may impact Noémi. He did not do any of it, of course, with malicious intent. Just...it was not an Upstead aesthetic, okay?
"As good a theory as any," he chuckled, believing in the creatures even less than his wife did. "Probably consider our outings prime retail therapy. The bag is overflowing." Seriously, was all it really necessary? Says the man who never once packed the diaper bag or really paused to consider how much went into taking their daughter out. Weren't just a couple of diapers enough? Oh, and the wipes. Done.
"Hmmm...how about we..." Jaecar considered as he knelt down in front of the pram and slipped his chic sunglasses off, turned them around, and slipped them on to Nixie's face. Naturally, she barely had a nose, so they did not sit on her face at all and it was laughable the way the temples and temple tips extended well beyond her head. They were also horrendously lopsided, and their daughter looked very confused at the way the lenses changed the way she saw the world, but for once he did not mind things being a little imperfect looking. Furthermore, when it came to their daughter, lopsided or otherwise, everything was always perfect.
...maybe minus her trying to chew on them. That was...okay...that was less cute.
"...maybe not..." he said while reaching forward to gently pluck his sunglasses back, resulting in Nixie's immediate tears. The red faced crying sort and her little tiny hands and fingers to flail in the air for them back and his ears to ring. "...is there something else she can chew on?"
Perhaps Nixie's diaper bag was stuffed a bit too full and perhaps if she really made the effort, Noémi might have found a sunbonnet stuffed at the bottom. But maybe not. She had dug through it fairly thoroughly. But the things that were in it were necessary to this first time mother. It was important for her to make sure that it contained everything their infant daughter needed.
They'd have to do without the hat for today though, even if the thought of buying another along with a pair of baby sunglasses, if they could find some, was already forming in her head. She watched though as Jaecar slipped his own sunglasses off then onto the baby's face. She peered around to try to see from the vantage point of her holding Nixie, finding it very adorable if not very practical. Noémi laughed gently. "I think we'll have to find her a pair that are just a bit smaller." And maybe ones that wouldn't be so susceptible to being chewed on. Her smile faded when the baby started crying in protest over the sunglasses being taken away, but she knew it was for her own good that she didn't keep them.
She bounced her in her arms while shushing her gently and murmuring in French words of endearment to try to quell her tears. "Let's look for Uncle Milo, shall we?" she suggested as she began to carry her towards the memorial of engraved names, hoping the movement and distraction would help.
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started like a knight in a fairytale_______________________________________________
ended like a moth in flames______________________ ______________________don't you worry I'll be fine _________________________________________________you were good for the plot line
The Memorial Garden had always been a place Claudine Blaze avoided. It was a reminder of all the pain caused to the few she called her friends, to Hogwarts in general. It was a reminder that the family she had originated from was absolute filth; for that reason, guilt weighed heavily on her. The guilt of her family actually fighting on the side of the Neo Alliance always ate at her though she spoke of it to no one but Heath.
Time after time, Claudine would stifle the voice that told her she should at least visit the Garden out of respect to those good people who had lost their lives. It was something she had always done up until this somewhat cold day in the tail-end of January 2110. Sitting here on one of the benches had to count as something, right? Sitting here and thinking that it didn’t matter where she resided, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the Blazes sought her out and ended her for not being like them.
It had been quite some time since Blake had returned to Diagon Alley. After graduation at Hogwarts, he had attended a Uni in the States - worked his tail off and graduated early. Now he was back looking for a job. It was always his intention to come home, but he needed a bit of a change of scenery after Hogwarts. Alot had happened during his time there. He lost track of pretty much everyone - but that's okay. He could also send a owl .. if he even knew that they would want to talk to him.
None the less, the memorial Garden seemed liked a good place to end his trip. He had updated his potion supplies and was ready for the week of interviews. He had looked around for an empty bench ... and did a double take .. okay no it was probably a triple take. Did his eyes decieve him or was that Claudine Blaze in the flesh at the same memorial garden at the same time. It had to be, there was no one else like Claudine.
"Hey there." Blake said smiling with a wave. Maybe they could after all these years get past their differences .. then again ... maybe no who knew.
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Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Honey!
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
SPOILER!!: Blake! <3
Quote:
Originally Posted by love-for-HP
It had been quite some time since Blake had returned to Diagon Alley. After graduation at Hogwarts, he had attended a Uni in the States - worked his tail off and graduated early. Now he was back looking for a job. It was always his intention to come home, but he needed a bit of a change of scenery after Hogwarts. Alot had happened during his time there. He lost track of pretty much everyone - but that's okay. He could also send a owl .. if he even knew that they would want to talk to him.
None the less, the memorial Garden seemed liked a good place to end his trip. He had updated his potion supplies and was ready for the week of interviews. He had looked around for an empty bench ... and did a double take .. okay no it was probably a triple take. Did his eyes decieve him or was that Claudine Blaze in the flesh at the same memorial garden at the same time. It had to be, there was no one else like Claudine.
"Hey there." Blake said smiling with a wave. Maybe they could after all these years get past their differences .. then again ... maybe no who knew.
There definitely was not anyone like Claudine, Blake Ryan. Don’t you ever forget it.
The young woman had actually not seen Blake when he entered the gardens, so observed in her thoughts she was. Sometimes, Claudine did allow herself to mourn for the family she had lost and to feel the great regret that she hadn’t been able to do more for her sister and younger cousins. Then she grew mad at herself for even thinking like that when they each were capable of making their own choices and her family had made theirs.
That voice broke into her thoughts. It was one she hadn’t heard in years and could not immediately place. The face, however? The face was in an instant matched with a name. “Blake?” Yes, Claudine was surprised. “Hi. Long time no see.” There was no hostility in her voice, and she was actually happy to see him.
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