𝓈𝒾𝓁𝓀 𝒻𝓁𝑜𝓌𝑒𝓇

Max thought about the girl’s offer. His inclination was to say no again, it wasn’t in his nature to let people buy things for him, but he also didn’t want to be rude. And she seemed so sweet and genuine in her offer. But he didn’t want to take advantage of her. It really had been a complete and total accident, there was no need for her to make amends. He wanted to say no, but he really had been looking forward to the ice cream. “Alright,” he said slowly. “What if you buy me a replacement cone and I buy you a, well, just a regular cone?”

“that sounds... like a deal,” she smiles, hands loosening as she starts walking north with him in the direction of florean fortescue’s. she didn’t quite understand why the man wouldn’t just take her offer, but she agreed to his terms anyway. “i don’t know if you’ve tried the candied violet ice cream,” she says as she opens the door to the shoppe, “but it’s to die for and they make the best.”

laurel swallows down the some of us don’t have the luxury to believe like that that wells in her throat, and instead settles on an awkward sort of smile. “maybe you’re right.” reaching out feels novel, like some sort of joke. she looks again at the girl’s plants, and the smile becomes real. there’s magic in them - real magic, the kind that’s obvious to anyone who is really looking. “it’s not the plants - it’s more the keeping them alive.” she jokes. “not brooms, no. wands, actually - not properly though. i’m still learning.”

“even if i’m not, at least you can say you tried,” she smiles sweetly. “if there’s anything left worth saving i’m sure it will mend itself,” astoria says with certainty, although she’s not sure who she’s trying to convince – laurel or herself. “not everyone can have green thumbs,” she says good-naturedly, laughing a little at the other girl’s joke. “wow, that’s – not many people go into wandmaking. i understand it’s a rare talent,” she compliments.

raina couldn’t help the grin on her lips as she encountered the younger woman, levitating a few potted plants. it reminded her of herself when she was younger and how she’d always managed to provide a present or two for her friends. “is it national best friend day or something?” she teased with a small grin as she looked down at the other. “sure, what kind of plants are they?”

“i wasn’t aware there was such a holiday,” she responds, her lips twitching upwards slightly at the woman’s enthusiasm. astoria had always found herself attracted to people like her, the kind who smiled at strangers and teased them as if they were old friends. “daffodils – though they’ve spent so much time around magic that they’ve been acclimatized which explains the glittering petals and leaves,” she says enthusiastically, happy to talk about her plants all day. 

laurel shrugs. “what if it’s too late for that? not everything can be saved.” she looks down at the flower, head tilting in curiosity. there’s a beuty in all living things - one she’s learned to appreciate in her new life. she never thought much of plants when she was younger. she never knew them - but their magic, their inherent ties to wandmaking - they’ve become something new to her in her training. “i’m much better once their lives are gone, in truth. i can press plants, i can do plenty with a branch or a twig. thank you, for your kindness - but truly, i’m not to be trusted with them.”

“i don’t believe that it’s ever too late,” she says in a comforting manner, realizing that the girl may have some friendships of her own that she wants to save. “all you have to do is reach out and it will work out the way it’s meant to,” she advises, although she isn’t sure if it will work herself. “it’s alright, not everyone has the predilection to plants,” she says kindly, not at all offended by the girl’s refusal. “but what could you possibly be doing with branches and twigs?” she asks curiously, though there’s an imperceptible frown gracing her soft features “do you make brooms?”

“they’re lovely.” ginny’s smile is tired, even a little tense, but genuine nonetheless. ginny had only spared a glance astoria’s way, really, focused as she was on getting the weeds infesting her own neat rows pulled up manually, but clearly, it’d been enough to grab the others attention. she’d veered away from flowering plants this year - focusing more on the challenge of vegetables, herbs, things that could be useful - but that didn’t mean she couldn’t ADMIRE astoria’s. “i’d probably end up killing it anyway,” she’s a little too candid, of course, but that was ginny’s way. “i keep trying to develop a proper green thumb, but i’m sure i’m a potted plants worst nightmare.” 

“thank you,” she beams with pride, as she continues to admire her own colorful flowering plants. she turns her gaze towards ginny’s little garden and inspects the thriving plants with a smile. “that’s nonsense, i think you’d take care of them just fine. you at least seem to be doing well with your vegetables.” if she’s taken aback by ginny’s blunt nature, she doesn’t show it. “it would take some serious skill to kill these – all you need to do is keep the soil moist and make sure it gets sunlight for at least a few hours a day,” she chirps, looking fondly at her plants. “of course i understand if they’re not to your liking,” she hesitates, realizing that she might be coming off as too pushy. “well that’s easy,” she says in response to the girl’s comment about developing a green thumb, “the plants speak to you if you pay attention.”

“they’re gorgeous,” lavender replies, the bright colours of the plants had been enough to stop lavender in her tracks. she hadn’t seen anything like them in her mother’s garden at home, nor in any of the apothecaries she’d visited. “that’s a lovely gesture, i’m sure it’ll make up for it.” lavender spoke with confidence, despite not having a clue what the other girl could have done to make her feel that way. “i doubt they’d be low maintenance enough for me,” lavender said with a lighthearted giggle. “i spend my days with animals that squawk or bite when they need attention. if the plant doesn’t yell at me when it needs something, i’ll definitely forget about it, and they’re much too pretty for me to kill.”

astoria’s face blooms with pride as if the compliment had been directed at her. although these particular plants were easy to grow and didn’t require much of a green thumb, she still feels proud every time she takes a glimpse of them. “i’m hoping they do, but if i’m being honest i think i’m the one getting the most enjoyment from them,” she frowns slightly, realizing that not all of her friends were inclined to flowering plants or plants in general. “perhaps i should have gone with something store-bought instead.” lavenders giggle is infectious and she can’t help but smile despite the girl’s refusal. “animals? what exactly do you do for a living?” she asks genuinely curious. “if you change your mind, all this needs is a bit of water and some sunlight.” 

one of the best places in the wizarding world was undoubtedly hogsmeade. luna had loved going there as a hogwarts student and even more now. the little village was just so charming. as a surprise to absolutely no one,  she’s found herself there in the middle of the day. the fact that it’s packed with people is no surprise either. hogwarts student alike seemed to flock around. luna sees the floating plants before she sees astoria. she’s proudly a plant mom and just can’t resist going over. “tor, you know my apartment is already overrun with plants.“ she replies with a playful roll of her eyes. "but you grew them, so how can i say no to that?”

astoria’s face lights up as she envisions luna’s home, a charming place filled to the brim with plants. “well these will look perfect in your apartment, and just one more won’t turn it into a forest just yet,” she insists, having had luna in her thoughts when she first placed the seeds into pots. the plants eventually grew into differently colored daffodils that had been magically acclimatized into shimmering plants. it was lucky that she had bumped into her in hogsmeade rather than having to make a separate trip. “you know, i was going to your apartment later today, but i’m glad i ran into you here and you can get first pick.” 

“that makes two of us.” laurel hasn’t been a good friend for years - in some ways, she thinks she never was. she selected her friends for their shock value - sure, it turned into genuine friendship, but she’d never had honest intentions. “oh, i would, if it weren’t for the fact that i can’t be trusted to care for anything. not even a cactus.” she smiles, the feeling strange and tight. “you ought to give them to someone who’d keep them alive.”

“hmmm, well we can always be better friends to them now, can’t we? that’s what the gifts are for, a symbol of a fresh start,” astoria smiles sadly as she examines laurel, the magical equivalent of a daffodil now resting in her hands, their delicate petals shining in the light. “i’m sure that’s not true, you’re just a little hard on yourself,” she answers, wondering whether anyone had ever taught the girl how to care for cacti. “all a cactus needs is sunlight, and water once a week. if it starts changing color or leaking, you’re overwatering. i know london’s gloomy, but some artificial sunlight will work just fine.” she pauses, smiling as she hands the girl, a pot anyway. “i can owl you instructions on how to keep them alive. having plants in your home is good for your sleep and overall wellbeing.”

astoria’s smiling as she levitates half a dozen potted plants beside her. they’re of the decorative variety, a species she grew strictly for pleasure rather than the potions ingredients she usually grows for work. “they’re gifts for friends,” she says in response to a curious stare or a glance – she couldn’t quite tell. “i figured i haven’t been a very good one lately,” she adds, more to herself than the other, referring to her constant travels and tendency not to send word about where she’s going or for how long. “would you like one? they’re very low maintenance. however, i do suggest you talk to them to make sure they grow good and strong.”

“i don’t think i’ve ever known a woman with so many opinions,” she says to makena, voice coated in admiration. “and to share them so freely,” she added, “it must be invigorating.” astoria knew of the other briefly in her time at hogwarts, saw her make a number of scenes in the slytherin common room, and always wondered what it would be like to be able to share one’s thoughts so freely. it was something she admired, but didn’t think she could ever emulate. “i think it might prove embarrassing if i were to do the same,” she says, knowing that her own thoughts could never be as articulate or eloquent as she would want them to be. 

Max hadn’t meant to yell. Well, he had, but he hadn’t meant to yell at someone. He knew that he couldn’t possibly be angry with the person who had caused him to drop the ice cream. It was an accident, caused by the busy streets. He noticed the girl’s reaction to his exclamation and took a deep breath to calm himself. “It’s alright, really,” he replied calmly. “No, no, don’t trouble yourself,” he said in response to her offer. “It’s not like it was my lunch or anything.” This was a lie. It was definitely his lunch.

“it’s really no trouble,” she smiles, fingers twisting together. raised voices had always made her feel nervous, as her parents had never done so when she was a child, often using long, drawn-out silences and icy tones when showing anger. however, the man had clearly calmed down since his outburst and it was clear that he had not meant to yell at her specifically, so her fingers halted. instead, they were now clasped primly before her. “i think i would like a cone myself,” she adds, hoping that it would convince him to let her make amends. “i know i always enjoy dessert after my meal.”

“ i think, “ draco pauses. he looks away from astoria, glancing up at the sky, to the noise and commotion of the grounds around him. the truth is that draco doesn’t know what to think, but none of it seems good. but part of him, the part that spent upwards of a year as one of those people, THAT PART OF HIM KNOWS. “ i think i don’t want to find out. “ he doesn’t mind the question. draco knows that astoria doesn’t mean anything by it. draco begins to lead them forward, but he’s not even sure where he’s going, just that they need to get away from there. “ do you ━ how about we apparate ?  i’ll take us to my apartment.“

astoria understands and she agrees to an extent. she wants answers, but isn’t desperate enough for them to risk their safety. she follows him in the crowd, holding onto his hand like a lifeline – she doesn’t want to lose him and she refuses to let go despite the crowd trying their best to pull them apart. she takes a few elbows to the ribs before he speaks. “we have to get to hogsmeade first – or outside the wards.” she’s embarrassed to say that she hates apparition, always gets nauseous after it and is always in danger of splinching herself even in stable conditions. it’s something that she’s yet to master and doesn’t think she ever will. “i – i’ll have to side along.”

despite the words she utters, dennis can’t help but feel astoria is far from okay. she looks twice as exhausted as he feels but for the life of him he can’t think why. maybe the dark mark truly scared her that much? he looks at her in disbelief. “you… you don’t look fine. did you get hurt in the crowd or - or did i pull too hard? you can tell me, honestly, i mean i was kind of not focusing on my surroundings so i wouldn’t be surprised. or offended.” he watches as she leans against the wall, his concern rising. “i don’t have any water, sorry, but i think sitting down would be a good idea.” dennis says, almost apologetic. the raw energy of adrenaline has faded but it is fast being replaced with the rising flood of panic. which he doesn’t need. which he won’t deal with. not now. now is for astoria, he has to help her. his hand clenches at his side, nails biting into his palm to keep him grounded here. “oh no, it’s nothing, all good. i mean i should really be thanking you” he responds, with a weak smile.

“i said, i’m fine!” she snaps. astoria had never been short with him before, but she had been taught her whole life that the reason for her tiredness, the greengrass curse, was a shameful thing and it was not something she wanted to reveal. she didn’t want him to think less of her or to have him watch her with pitying eyes as her family always did. “you did nothing wrong,” she added without the initial irritability. “i’m fine,” she insists in an effort to convince both of them. she sinks to the floor, resting her head between her knees as she breathes deeply. she closes her eyes and for a moment all she sees is black before she comes to and opens them once more. she sees dennis and wants to apologize for how short she was with him, but the apology gets stuck in her throat so she pretends that it didn’t happen. “we can’t just sit here and continue to thank each other,” she says, knowing that she’s in no position to leave, let alone stand. “you don’t have to stay with me – i’ll be fine. i’ll find my way.”

[ location: diagon alley - magical menagerie ]

it wasn’t like he needed another creatures, rolf had too many to count. however, he managed to keep track of every single one. still he found himself at the register of magical menagerie, a baby pygmy puff in his hands. he hadn’t come looking to buy anything more than a tonic for one of his creatures, but the moment he met the eyes of the little purple ball of fur, he couldn’t resist. “well aren’t you just a little darling.” the puff chirped in response. “i think i’ll name you lucy.” he said, reaching out for the puff before walking over to the register and setting down the proper amount of galleons. “hello! I’d like to purchase little lucy here, as well as some flobberworm tonic please.” 

astoria didn’t usually make a habit out of going to the magical menagerie. she didn’t have any pets of her own and didn’t currently have the desire to own one. it wasn’t that she didn’t love animals, she just felt that she didn’t really have the time to take care of herself, let alone another creature that would be wholly dependent on her. she did, however, have owls – or at least her family did and she made it a habit to buy treats for the sweet creatures for whenever they came to visit her and drop off a parcel or letter. she had planned to mind her own business, bag of treats in tow at the queue, when the purple pygymy puff poked it’s head out. she couldn’t help but coo over it. “she’s adorable. can i pet her?”

“Excuse me! Excuse me!” Max said loudly as he squeezed between all the people in Diagon Alley. He was just trying to get back to the apothecary without dropping his ice cream, but it seemed impossible. The Alley was unusually crowded that day. Just when he was reaching for the door handle, someone smacked into him from behind … and the ice cream toppled to the ground. “Oh, come on!” he yelled, entirely frustrated, and spun around to face the person.

“i’m so sorry,” she said, his raised voice causing her to flinch. “i honestly didn’t mean to – someone also bumped into me and –” she trailed off realizing that no matter the explanation she gave the man before her, he would still be without his ice cream – something he seemed to be excessively fond of. “you know what? let me buy you another cone. i kind of owe you one.”

“it’s fascinating isn’t it?” astoria muses, tucking her hair behind her ears she looks up at hermione. “how pride can be both virtue and fault.” she wants to pick at the other’s brain, wants to know her opinions. she’s always thought the dark-haired girl had a beautiful mind. “what do you think hermione, is it more virtue or fault?”

01.  the magician  :  how does your muse feel about fate ? do they believe they can change their own destiny ?

astoria believes in fate, but has mixed emotions when it comes to it. she’s accepted her own, that’s for sure but that doesn’t mean she’s happy with it. she puts on a strong front, but she hates that she can’t change her destiny. her parents are still hard at work, looking for a cure, hiring and firing more cursebreakers in the past five years than she could count on one hand. she doesn’t believe any of them will figure out how to cure her.

09.  the hermit  : how introspective is your muse ? how often do they self - reflect ?

answered here.

21.  the world  : is there one thing in life that your muse must accomplish ? what will they do when they complete that goal?