UNRIG THE GAME

☀️🌙✨ tarot questions ✨🌙☀️

Make Me Choose: Dolores Umbridge or Amelia Bones - for anonymous 

Night after night, Benjy kept himself up asking “what’s next?”. He understood the risk of burnout; he heard Rishi reminding him to take a break. That time he could spend sleeping really was better directed towards this. If he went to bed anything less than dead exhausted, he relived the attacks—from Amycus, masked figures at the Ministry, in the safety of Hogsmeade—either in uncalled for memories or nightmares. He could barely stay awake in History of Magic, but that wasn’t all that unusual, and it was far better than the alternative.

It was one of those nights that he came up with this wisp of an idea, and while there wasn’t much behind it yet, it was enough for him to call the method worth it. He had about an hour of direction which was more than he’d been able to produce in the past couple weeks. Maybe nothing would come of it, but he was tired of the stagnation.

With that in mind, he left Potions practically buzzing—be it the excessive amount of coffee, the anxiety, or the unease he still felt in the dungeons was unclear. He was able to catch up with Amelia quickly, falling into step with her easily. He was more than happy explaining all of this while they walked if it meant getting out of here. They could settle anywhere else in the castle for the rest.

“Hey,” he said, pausing to take a deep breath. “You worked at the Ministry over the summer.”

Amelia was busy. Everyone knew it, she didn’t bother hiding it at this point. So during the potions lesson, while her concoction was brewing; she checked one of her planners for the third time. She had managed to scribble another note in it just while sitting in the hour long class and then had to rearrange the entire calendar system she had while she was waiting. Many thought of her scheduling tendencies to be a little bit much and unnecessary but it was one of the few things that kept Amelia’s brain from not completely flying into outer space, so she kept it.  

This new note though, this was important. She had gotten word this morning that there was an ministry employee who wanted to speak to her about her internship this last summer and just go over a few things before she applied for a position in the spring. Of course there was a mutual understanding that NEWTs also took a large affect of how well it would look, but with her father being in the position he was and Amelia being well, Amelia, her persistence was paying off and she was finally getting a little more insight on what exactly was happening in the office while she wasn’t there. So the next Hogsmeade trip was set aside for two people only in her schedule, and she was hoping that was how it was going to stay.  

She soon snapped out of her little alternate reality, finished up her potion and bottled it up for Slughorn. Packing up all of her belongings, she threw her bag over her shoulder and walked out the door. 

Amelia nearly jumped out of her skin when Benjy stepped beside her, starting conversation as if it was nothing. Honestly, it probably wasn’t, but she was known for being in her own little world at most times and walking out of the dungeons was no exception. ''Merlin Benjy, a proper hello goes a long way.'' She sighed, pushing her hair out of her face to see him properly and offering a light laugh.'' But yes, I did. Why?'' Amelia suddenly questioned, scrunching the right side of her face as they walked together. Its not that she didn’t want to go on about her summer in the best place on Earth, but Benjy didn’t seem much of the ministry type to be suddenly so intrigued. 

0Over the years Alice had spent a vast amount of time with her Uncle Florian. As a child, the Ice Cream Parlour had always seemed like some sort of magical fairyland where happiness always seemed to be found with just the right spoonful of ice cream. She’d done everything there was to be done in the shoppe from cleaning up to serving and her personal favorite assisting with developing new flavors. It wasn’t just the copious amounts of taste testing that she was a fan of, but that time with just the two of them back in his creamery lab had been some of her favorite laughs. She may have always dreamed of being an auror, but she had made a point of picking up every trick and technique that her uncle used, but she’d never quite mastered the on the go freezing charm he used. As she sat back at a little table with an unmarked carton in her hand that had been owled to her she could help both admire the frozen treat in her hand and feel the excitement build in her as she cracked open the carton to reveal something new. For a moment she’d contemplated popping over to the parlor to enjoy the new flavor with her uncle, but their winter tasting would be here soon and she knew this was just meant for her to enjoy on her own. She slid her spoon through the top of the creamy texture, taking in the sight and smells before she spooned a serving onto the plate she’d requested. Oblivious to the bustling bar around her as she savored each bite. She’d have probably stayed lost in her own mind and the ice cream for an age if it hadn’t been the sound of someone clearing their throat. With a laugh and a sheepish smile, she extended the container without hesitation. “Go on and try this. I promise it will be the best thing you’ve put in your mouth all day. All week even.”

Amelia looked like the hot mess she was currently feeling like. Both of her hands were shoved into her back pockets, but only one of them was wrapped firmly around a small baggie full of pills that she had just gotten from Mundungus. She wasn’t handling this new lifestyle very well and she needed something. Something to calm her nerves. to completely relax her body. Of course the things in her pocket wouldn’t do that, so she would just have to do it herself. This, for now, meant walking around for hours on end trying to just simply calm herself. 

When she had spotted a blonde woman, who was enjoying a small tub of ice cream more than most people enjoyed life itself. The girl looked familiar, probably only a year or two older than her, maybe an old classmate that she just couldn’t pin a name on it. She didn’t realize she had been staring for as long as she had until she cleared her throat of the mucus building up inside of it. ''Sorry, that probably seemed so rude, Merlin.'' She laughed, shaking her head. ''Oh, you’re not serious? I can’t steal your ice cream!'' She exclaimed, removing her free hand and running it through her hair. 

Meeting at the Hogs Head was never a matter of practicality for Mundungus. It was pure aesthetic: he ran a dodgy business, a dodgy pub made sense. It would suit his purposes beautifully if he was allowed past the threshold—without being heavily disguised, and not only was he not up for it today, he needed this meeting to go smoothly.

Amelia Bones had always been of particular interest to him. The perfect students who were looking for a small boost—never call it cheating, he’d learned that the hard way—always were. Some were too stressed and seeking relief, others wanted to function at their current level or do more. He had a solution for all involved, and he was surprised she hadn’t sought it out yet. It was NEWT year, but Cecilia hadn’t mentioned her to him. Not that he’d dare asked, but she was the type who’d be worth a mention.

Didn’t matter. He was here; he had a small bag of pills in his inside pocket. He’d make a pretty penny off these, mark up the price just a touch, and be on his way. He leaned back against the outside wall of the bar and dropped his cigarette, snuffing it out with his shoe. This was worth it. The cold, the spot, the waiting. She’d be here soon enough, and he’d be able to apparate away. If he was really lucky, and he knew it would be something, he’d talk her into using one of his contacts who still went to school there, not a special trip.

“Mornin’, Bones,” he said when he saw her approaching. “What d’you say we take a walk? Get away from here; don’t want it to be too public when I’ve got a guess at what you want, and I’m none too certain I can keep doin’ it for ya.” A sham, sure, but not one she’d know. This was his business for her benefit.

The letter she had sent Mundungus was straight and to the point, yet completely lacking in incriminating evidence. Meet her at the Hogs Head for the next trip, help her out a little bit and catch up. As if they were old friends who just wanted to talk. It made her seem innocent, which she is, completely. Amelia wasn’t doing anything wrong, she would fight that until the day she died. This wasn’t cheating, this wasn’t asking for help. This was just, solidified magic. 

No one knew of Amelia’s little issue, and it was going to stay that way. She didn’t even like that she had to reach out to someone to get something like this; but there was no point hiding from someone like Mundungus. He had his own reputation to withhold even if it wasn’t the best of them. Which included keeping the secrecy of his cliental. She knew a lot of his clients, half of Hufflepuff were stoners so it wasn’t to hard to find him; it was just hard hiding why. But that didn’t matter now, she was walking towards him with a purpose and this was going to be over, hopefully as quickly as it would start. 

Her boots clicking harshly against the cobblestone path, she caught the sight of the alumni and offered a bright smile. Keep yourself casual, Bones. She thought to herself, rolling her shoulders a bit and releasing as much tension as she couldn’t without actually looking like it. She could do this, is wasn’t that hard. Talk for a couple minutes, set up a plan that would benefit the both of them and go about their way. Why worry? 

Hearing his voice calmed her even more, for some odd reason. Offering him a quick nod, she lightened her smile and sighed a bit. ''How’s it going, Fletcher?'' She asked casually, shoving her hands into her back pockets and following his lead. Her jaw line tightened slightly at his mentioned of already assuming and nearly got offended before realizing why she was here. Of course he would assume why she reached out; they hadn’t talked much in school. They were never the closest of housemates. She obviously wasn’t here to prostitute herself out. Why was she getting herself so worked up about this situation? 

Oh yes, because she was Amelia. ''You’re quite confident you can help me, but let's make sure we're on the same page with this agreement, yes?'' She said, the smile still playing at the corners of her mouth, but her tone was ever so slightly harsher, warning without letting the mood shift. 

Her gaze lifted fully once the other spoke, just long enough to take in the girl before her dark brown eyes returned to the words on the page of her book. Andromeda was brilliant with names, but only when she wished to be or the moment absolutely called for it. One shouldn’t take offense if the Slytherin couldn’t remember their name, even if they had been going to school together for the past six and a half years of their life. However, she knew enough to confidently say the girl sitting in front of her was one of the Bones children. Beyond that Andromeda was at a loss and couldn’t even begin to guess the first name— nor did she have any plans of it. If the girl intended to stick around for conversation she was sure it’d come up eventually.

“I usually wait for more liquor before I start cracking jokes,” Andromeda spoke, a lightness to her tone, but blunt enough to show she wasn’t entirely kidding. Without raising her gaze she turned the page, settled back comfortably enough she had no intentiotns of moving for quite some time.

If she recalled correctly enough she had a few run-in’s with the other girl, but even with the Bones family being Purebloods they didn’t run in the same crowds. The Blacks were selective with who they allowed their children to grow up around, and even though her options expanded once she got to school (only in a figurative sense seeing as the rules still applied without the watchful eye of Druella and Cygnus), Andromeda was only so friendly and usually kept to the few she kept in her circle along with her family. Since she had started school there had only been a few exceptions. She was good with people, so even if she wasn’t able to list off the girl’s name off the top of her head Andromeda would be able to say she was a Hufflepuff (even without seeing the tie), and that the girl was rather good in most of her courses.

“You’re welcome enough.” The smile which turned up on the Slytherin’s lips didn’t quite reach her eyes, but the act was there. “I don’t recall you ever doing anything which would cause wish for you to suffer from someone’s lack of common hygiene.”

Amelia didn’t shrink back when Andromeda looked up at her, even just slightly. She knew that was a common practice with people and the Blacks. They were a strong family, with everything about them. From wills to looks, they held themselves to a standard that not many Pureblood families could relate to. Amelia completely understood that and even some parts respected that; but it didn’t mean she was going to cower in the slightest. 

Giving her a sharp, slight drop of her chin in a nod, not quite sure if she should crack smile and go with the mood or just completely drop any attempt at having a conversation. Andromeda was one of the hardest people she had ever had to read and it drove her a little mad if she was being completely honest. She didn’t enjoy the offhandedness, the lack of emotion radiating off of the Black sibling. Amelia didn’t know if it was apart of her ‘aesthetic’ or just the way she chose to project herself, but it truly rubbed her the wrong way; not that it really mattered. 

The two didn’t run into each other enough for Amelia to say she had a true opinion on the middle child. Their circles didn’t run close, the Bones’ weren’t elite enough for the Black’s to consider them for tea parties. So maybe Amelia really didn’t know enough to have such a back handed opinion about her, but at this point and time, and in her life, Amelia didn’t care. 

So when the smile didn’t quite hit her eyes, Amelia nodded quickly once again and closed her book with a slight harshness that for once, she actually didn’t intend. Looking back up at the girl, she let a light laugh and smiled a bit, an actual smile. ''I appreciate that, it means a lot.'' She joked, hoping the girl would lighten up even the slightest to have a real conversation. ''Who even leaves this stuff though? I mean I get its gross, but someone has to eventually do something right?'' 

AMELIA SUSAN BONES (1996)

she’s fair…

a great witch…

 she put up a real fight…

It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence for Andromeda to be completely checked out of reality. The Slytherin could get lost in her own mind in a roomful of people and have to be brought back several times before she’d finally pay attention to her surroundings completely. One could see it as a fault of being ‘easily distracted’, but Andromeda would claim anytime she checked out it was on purpose and therefore not a fault just because she didn’t wish to pay attention.

Her mind went to far off places— usually to whatever book she had her nose stuck in that past day. It switched with each week, but lately it was a muggle story. A romance she had actually read a few times now but had a big enough soft spot for she didn’t mind reading it several more times likely enough. The book was tucked away in her bag, but rather than reading in a crowded room she had every intention of holing herself up in her dorm.so long as it was mostly empty. Worse come to worst she’d find a secluded corner in the common room— nobody would bother her there.

The female Slytherin just started to collect her things when someone stepped in front of her, reaching for a discarded piece of fabric which had caught her attention no more than ten minutes past. “I wouldn’t touch that if I were you— a third year used that to tame their cold just a little while ago,” she commented, eyeing the garment briefly with a mild look of disgust before going back to putting her books away in her bag.

Amelia had her nose buried in her book for the better part of three hours, and it was the same book. She had been reading and rereading the law enforcement book until she basically had it memorized cover to cover. She had been told by the internship leader that it would probably be the best book she could read. Completely informative on just about every law, magical spells that were allowed to used while others in custody and old cases from the Wizard Gumaut. It was extremely dull reading to the point where even Amelia could acknowledge it, but she was determined to know just about everything she could before even stepping foot in the door.

It had gotten to the point in Amelia’s night where even she couldn’t continue reading anymore and she closed her book. With a silent, covered yawn, she started packing up all her things. Reaching for various objects including her planners, assorted quills and what she assumed was one of her crumpled up papers that she had tossed aside earlier in her night.

At the other girls words, Amelia was shot back into reality where she hand was snatched back and her nose crinkled in minor disgust. “You’re joking, yeah?” The hufflepuff asked as she threw her bag over her shoulder, not really letting her eyes off the fabric like it was going to jump out at her. Rolling her eyes at the situation, Amelia looked up to see who had given her the warning to offer a gentle smile. “Thanks for saving me from a life full of misery after that moment.” She chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ears to keep it from falling in her face. She realized she was talking to Andromeda, but that didn’t change her reaction.

The two didn’t have much experience with one another, mostly just seeing each other in the halls and of course with Andromeda’s last name. It was hard to ignore that kind of connection.