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“Sounds like something a murderer would say,” she insisted, but she was smiling faintly, trying to push it down.  This guy was too nice looking, and not in a good looking way – although she supposed that he was that too, to be a sandwich poisoning, serial killer.  “It doesn’t smell poisoned, I guess.”

She shook her head, chewing on the bite slowly.  “I have to now, but if I drop dead right here it’s on your conscious.  I hope you can manage that,” she teased.  “It’s interesting, honestly.  Not as bad as I’ve always imagined, but the texture is horrible.  It’s sort of a salty, fishy pile of mush, and it’s a little slimey.  But there are crunchy bits in there too.  It’s a whole rainbow of textures.”

“and an awful murderer, i’d be,” achille responded with a laugh, “a tunafish sandwich is hardly good bait,” he concluded, allowing a smile to settle across his face as he watched the woman. their conversation had taken a very, very strange term but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying it. certainly, he’d have an interesting story to share with alyosha. 

She looked down at the tuna sandwich the other had handed her with a disgusted look.  “I –” she took a deep breath, trying not to come across as an asshole if this had genuinely been a kind gesture.  “am going to need a bit of clarification, I guess.  Are you trying to poison me, or are you doing a random act of kindness and just so happen to have horrendous taste in sandwiches?”

It had been years since she had lived at home, since she had been forced to eat the disgusting combination of tuna and mushy peas that her father seemed so drawn to.  It looked like cat food that had been partially digested, and it didn’t smell much better.  “Oh no,” she protested as they tried to take it away.  “I’ve got to eat it now, I don’t want to break your spirit or whatever.  You tried, even if you sort of failed.  Just – if I don’t make it past this moment I want you to call me beautiful and brilliant when you give the eulogy at my funeral.”  She sighed, peeling back the wrapping and taking the smallest bite off the corner.

...

perhaps offering a tuna fish sandwich to a stranger wasn’t as good of an idea as he had originally thought. after all, he hadn’t wanted to eat the sandwich in the first place- so why would anyone else? still, he maintained his smile as he glanced at the sandwich before looking at alia. “the shop gave me the wrong sandwich and they can’t take it back, so i thought i’d offer it to someone,” he explained with a soft laugh, accompanied by a shrug of his shoulders. he didn’t feel the need to mention he had just been trying to do a good deed, that felt implied. 

Alyosha brushed his thumb over Achille’s cheek. He was sure the smile on his face would be described as goofy, dopey, happy. It was a smile he didn’t wear often, but Achille was different. Special. “Be quick,” he whispered, stepping back, his hand falling to his side. Alyosha’s fingers tingled, a yearning for lost warmth as he watched Achille slip away to settle the bid.

When Achille returned, Alyosha had grabbed his cloak and schooled his expression. More reserved, but there were cracks in the veneer. A tug at his lips he couldn’t fully fight. Achille was making haste; Alyosha didn’t have a chance to respond before apparition twisted their insides and deposited them on the doorstep of Alyosha’s flat.

Feet flat on the ground, Alyosha wound his arm around his neck and pulled him in for a deep, demanding kiss. His other hand found the keys in his pocket. “How much I missed you, of course,” he whispered before pressing an open-mouthed peck to his jaw. “How much I love you.”

being apart for so long had been absolutely agonizing, and yet, achille had missed alyosha more in those few seconds than he had the entire time he had been away. he was only gone for a few short seconds, taking care of a necessary formality, and yet it felt as if their reunion had been tragically interrupted. 

and almost as soon as he had gone, he was back, a sly grin appearing across his face as he grabbed ahold of his partner and apparated away. they landed with a soft thud, never letting go as they resumed their embrace. a smile appearing across achille’s face as he enthusiastically returned his partner’s kiss. 

achille had tried to delay their meeting, even going as far as to reschedule a couple of times. but he knew that sooner or later, he would have to meet with charlotte, he feared what would happen otherwise. that wasn’t to say he was afraid of charlotte, intimidated maybe, but not afraid, at least that is what he told himself. if anything, he was more afraid of alyosha and what his partner would say if he discovered achille colluding with charlotte. 

that is what had led him to arranging to have lunch at an out of the way location, and one he was certain alyosha wouldn’t be visiting- the happy dragon restaurant. he had always enjoyed chinese cuisine, so even if their meeting was a disaster, he’d get a good meal out of it. 

“Now, now. No need to insult old lord Blight Scarletwound,” he said, managing to hold the chuckle in the back of his throat. “But if you wish to, I recommend reframing from touching it. Unless you want to dream of a mad, old, Victorian wizard.”

Eugene snorted. “I’d suggest spending no time with them at all, but I suppose that’s easier to say when they didn’t raise me. Or maybe you just softer,” he teased. Or perhaps Achille just had fewer issues with attachment; not that Eugene would admit to any, but well… One need only to know his history to draw conclusions. Eugene turned towards the shop counter, expecting Achille to follow as he continued speaking. “Nothing I wasn’t doing before you returned to France. Drinking, running the shop, also caring for some senile old relatives, and generally enjoying life.”

“is that actually his name?” achille asked, eyebrows furrowed together as he turned to look at his cousin, “poor bloke,” he muttered, before moving past the bust, his attention immediately shifting to another object, scartletwound all but forgotten. he stopped himself from reaching out to grab an old leather bound book with a title in a language he couldn’t read- deciding that perhaps there was a reason for that. 

“That’s not new information to me,” Alyosha mused under his breath, seconds before Achille’s lips met his. He closed his eyes, hooking an arm around his partner’s waist, thoughts of Charlotte and her dramatics disappearing into darkness. His warmth, his scent, his kiss… It was a familiarity that soothed an ache in his chest Alyosha hadn’t realized was there. Alyosha kissed him with a gentle hunger and parted reluctantly.

“I appreciate the surprise,” he said, still close enough to Achille to feel his partner’s soft breathing on his skin and the heat of life radiating from him. “I missed you. Quite a lot, actually. More than I can show you in public – but, if you want to settle your bid, I’d love to take you home.”

“i figured,” achille responded, a small laugh escaping from his lips. though, he hoped the conversation of charlotte would end there. he wanted to enjoy a brief moment of bliss before having to tell alyosha about the dinner he’d promised in exchange for charlotte agreeing to end her bidding. but that would come later, after they spent some quality time together. he returned the kiss with enthusiasm, moving closer to his partner in the process.

although reluctant to end the kiss, achille realized it wasn’t the most appropriate place for such an act. “not a day went by where i didn’t wish i was here with you,” he mused, a small smile appearing across his face as he pecked the other’s lips. “i look forward to it,” he whispered, “i’ll be back.”

“I’m sure you’re still offended, but don’t worry I won’t blame you too much.” Percy always enjoyed this casual back and forth. He loved having conversations and he loved even more when they people he was conversing with seemed to be feeding off of his energy as much as he was theirs. The comment stung a bit, even if Achille had meant it as a compliment. It was a tough line to walk between players and reporters. He tried his best to be respectful, but he knew that sometimes just being a reporter was enough disrespect.

Percy had never really been one for the artifacts auction. He much preferred the one that followed it. Either way though, he figured company would be enough to get him to go to the other one this year. “I have no experience, so I’m trusting you to be my guide.”

“trust me- i’m relieved,” achille responded with a laugh, as he reached out to place a hand on the older male’s shoulder, patting it gently. “but if you’d prefer i spend my time worrying about whether you’re thinking about me- then i guess i can give it my best shot,” he laughed, allowing his hand to fall back to his side. 

Percy had nothing against Achille. It was always hard to tell how he would fare with Quidditch players, but he and Percy had always been on a similar wavelength. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly at the other man “Hardly,” he said. “You know, I don’t think I even noticed you were out of town.” It was partially true. Percy traveled a lot himself. It was hard to keep track of comings and goings. 

“I don’t think Perseus Pembroke a few drinks in is the impulse control you need,” he said with a smile. “But I can come watch you make a fool of yourself either way.”

if achille was offended by the other’s admission, he did a good job of hiding it, instead allowing a laugh to escape from his lips. “i would say i’m offended, but honestly it’s somewhat of a relief to know people aren’t watching all of my moves,” he chuckled, allowing a smile to settle across his face. it was quite honestly a huge relief, for someone who valued his privacy especially when it came to family but he didn’t see the need to mention it, as he was certain percy would know what he meant. 

Walden placed both of his hands on his hips and met Achille’s smile with one of his own. “Uhuh, you’re just a ball of mysteries, aren’t ya?” Achille was a hot young piece of ass, but he could also be quite the tease. Walden forgot about that. “What? You gonna tell me you invented Christmas next?”

The man sighed. Walden apparently has also forgotten how Achille can be so lofty. Of course, the man has money. There’s old money from old wizarding families with wealth that is handed down generation after generation. And then there’s money from the Flamels who just never fucking die. “I see,” Walden replied, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. “Good to see people are still selfish even at a charity event like this,” he teased.

achille had always been good at keeping secrets- it was part of what made him such an effective spy. but even he had to laugh at the idea of purposefully acting mysterious. yet, he found himself going along with the gag. “i suppose you could say that,” he teased, a twinkle clearly visible in his eyes as he playfully nudged the older male. “i think somethings are better left a mystery,” he laughed, “but if you don’t mind having to rethink everything you’ve ever known-” he continued, trailing off as he lifted his gaze to look at walden, “i suppose i could share a few secrets.”

“For your—” Artemis trailed off with a frown. It took her a beat too long to realise it was some sort of joke but she couldn’t work out how funny it was without knowing who he was. “It’s been planned a while, I think. Return from what?” She glanced over his clothes, wondering if he really had only just found out about it today. There was nothing wrong with the outfit that she could see but Artemis knew some people were more picky about their appearance than she was. She’d had weeks to dredge up memories of last year’s carnival to remind herself that wearing her spa uniform all day was a bad idea and she was better in jeans and a t-shirt for the daytime and to change for the evening. “Um.” She felt all wrong-footed. First that wizarding humour that she had never been super great at interpreting but now an invitation to join him at the auction thing. She didn’t know much about it, having not paid a lot of attention. “I don’t know that I’d be able to tell you what a bad purchase would be but I’ve not seen one of those auctions before so it could be fun. Do you mean the one where people get, uh, dates?” Dates wasn’t the word she would use around someone she knew better but it seemed to be the one most people had been using for tonight’s most mature auction.

location: backstage of the auction tent who: @atelphobiias​

The auction tent buzzed with excitement as the next bachelor up stepped onto the stage. In contrast, Alyosha felt like a boat untethered and set adrift as he thanked one of the organizers and found himself alone backstage. Of course, Alyosha had volunteered – it was good fun and good publicity, and that was before his date had gone for five hundred galleons. Before Charlotte and Achille had practically gone to war over him. Charlotte was unsurprising. Achille was, given Alyosha hadn’t even known his partner was back on British shores.

After taking in a few deep breaths he didn’t need and collecting himself, Alyosha turned to slip out from the backstage area and find Achille, but he didn’t even make it beyond the curtains. Achille had seemingly had the same idea. Stopping a foot and a half away from him, a grin tugged at Alyosha’s lips. “Well, that was exciting wasn’t it?” he said, taking one step forward. “Was it your plan? Is that why you didn’t tell me when your portkey was arriving?”

achille’s original plans had involved him returning to london AFTER valentine’s day, but then he heard about the carnival and a certain someone’s participation in the bachelor auction, and well, things had changed. of course, he didn’t tell alyosha about the change in plans, that would have ruined the surprise. 

of course things hadn’t gone according to plan- but he’d never been one to rely too heavily on plans, he enjoyed the unexpected. and five hundred galleon bidding war was certainly unexpected, especially to those who knew him and charlotte- meaning alyosha. the subject of their bidding war, his partner, the only person he had ever truly love and the reason for his return to the isles. 

location: borgin & burke’s who: @atelphobiias​

Stood atop a ladder organizing a collection of oddities on a high shelf, Eugene barely blinked when he heard the bell charm ring. A customer. “I’ll be down in a minute!” he called to whoever had entered. He finished straightening the petrified mandrake bookend, the books full of curses, and the glass display of a fake fairy skull before taking one step down the ladder and glancing in the direction of the door. Eugene squinted then raised his eyebrows as he recognized the person who’d entered. “Well, well,” he mused in a sing-song voice before descending the rest of the ladder.

His feet hit the floor with a muffled thump. Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned against the ladder and eyed Achille from head to toe. “Here I thought you were with the family,” he said. “Did their battiness finally drive you away again?”

achille had always fought to see the best of his family, but nowadays, he had little patience for his relatives. with the exception of eugene, that was. so much so, that he’d made a visit to borgin and burke’s one of his biggest priorities upon return to england. “take your time,” he called back, his voice trailing off at the end of the sentence as he found himself distracted by a particularly vile looking bust. the inventory seemed to be different every time he entered the store, though, that was the purpose of a store. 

Upon seeing Achille, Walden decided to approach the familiar fellow. He just wanted to give a simple greeting but Achille started talking and leading him somewhere before he could even get a word in. “It’s good to see you too, Flamel. And unless you invented Valentine’s, I don’t think it’s for you, mate.” Walden countered even though he fully understood that it was a joke. “Maybe you did. Who fucking knows with you Flamels,” he joked back.

Hesitantly, Walden decided to follow, pulling a flask from the inner pocket of his jacket as he did so. “Might as well,” he muttered. “You do know those artifacts are up for auction right? You can’t just purchase them from the get-go?”

in truth, achille really hadn’t given much thought to anyone who wasn’t alyosha or eugene during his time away. it wasn’t that he didn’t care about anyone else, rather, he had just been preoccupied with family drama. however, he would be the first to admit it was nice to see a familiar face. “who’s to say i didn’t,” he teased, the corners of his lips turning upwards into a smile as he moved towards the older male. “i recon there’s a lot of things you don’t know about me,” he continued, deciding to play along with the charade, though the mention of his family did cause his smile to momentarily falter. 

“ah, would you look at that,” achille couldn’t help but laugh as he spoke, a wide, and somewhat uncharacteristic smile appearing across his face as he surveyed the scene in front of him. “they decided to throw a festival for my return.” it was rather narcissistic, he’ll be the first to admit, but he saw an opportunity for some humor and thought he’d run with it. “i only wish they would’ve given me an advance notice- so i could’ve put on something a little nicer,” he laughed, this time poking fun at himself and his travel outfit. 

There were days when Percy was on and days when Percy was off. And yes, Percy was on a Quidditch pitch watching players practice, but he had no intention of interviewing anyone. Sometimes he just wanted to be around the sport with no other strings attached. If he got an interview out of it, that was a win for him. He never led with an interview.

Achille had always been one of his favourite players. Maybe it was because he was always willing to stop for an interview, but it might have been for another reason entirely. It was always a bit surprising when players stopped to talk to him. He usually expected them to ignore him entirely. “Nice to see you too,” he said. While he had his instruments out to write, he made no motion to do so. He valued the conversation over any sort of notes. 

Percy nodded. He didn’t know much in the way of professional Quidditch training, but he had trained for most of his years at Hogwarts and even that had been quite grueling. 

Percy smiled. He noticed after years of interviewing that the tone changed after he put his quill away. It made sense. This wasn’t an interview to him but rather a conversation. He hoped the other realised that too. “Quite well, considering…” He trailed off. The events of The Cup hadn’t effected him as much as he’d let on other than the loss to their community. At this point it felt like the answer he had to say. “How about you?”

careful not to damage the bristles of his broom, achille shifted his position so he was placing more of his weight on the broom. it was a peculiar stance, but his legs were shaky from hours spent on a broomstick, and he had reached the conclusion that falling flat on his face during an interview would be a bad look if not incredibly embarrassing. 

he debated suggesting they sit down, but he decided against it for the time being. after all, he hoped the interview wouldn’t be particularly long, and the suggestion of sitting own would suggest he expected a lengthy process. he did find the absence of a quill to be reassuring, enough so that he managed to smile as he listened intently to what percy had to say.