where's your shine?

BIO 

~

Astoria nodded. “I did.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, trying to hide her nerves. There was no denying that Colin made her nervous, but she couldn’t but her finger on why exactly he did. ( was it because his brother was one of the only people who was constantly nice to her? was it because he’d seen her at her most venerable? she didn’t think it was either of those things, but that still left her with no answer as to where her nerves were coming from ) Instead of focusing on that, she turned her attention to her visit with Dennis, however brief it may have been. 

“A couple days ago,” she said, hoping that he forgot to ask his brother about her visit. “I wasn’t there for every long, but he seemed happy to see me.” ( more than happy considering that they were only classmates back in hogwarts; maybe he considered her to be more, but astoria could never be sure ) 

That didn't surprise Colin. He wasn't setting Astoria up for failure. "Yeah?" Colin murmured, taking a moment to mull over his next words as he took another sip of his drink. The other hand idly ran through his hair as he contemplated a question. "I suppose this is what I miss out on when there's so much going on during the busyness of the holidays." His gaze fell back to meet Astoria's and he offered her another small, almost sheepish smile. "Thank you for stopping by." There was a pause. Colin briefly brought the glass to his lips again before lowering it to his side.

"Was it alright for you?"

“Good,” she said, running her finger around the rim of her glass. “That’s good.” She nodded more to assure herself that she was fine than anything else. ( she could do this; he’d been nice to her after all and helped her when’d been in need; the least she could do was be polite and speak to him like he was an actual human being ) “I’m alright. Just enjoying the festivities.” 

Tucking a curly cue behind her ear, she offered him a slight smile. “Just wine,” she said. “I need it after coming off that dance floor. It’s so crowded.” And hot. It was suddenly so hot in here. ( thought she suspected that had more to do with her nerves than the actual temperature of the room ) Gently, she pulled the hem of her dress down slightly to occupy her other hand.

“I, uh, took you advice,” she said. “I went and saw your brother. He … excited.” She’d been shopping in Diagon Alley and had passed St. Mungo’s. Though she’d tried, she’d been unable to stop herself from going in and asking the lady at the front for Dennis Creevy. He was just as excitable as she remembered him. ( a part of her was happy that at least had stayed the same after the war ) 

Colin’s eyes visibly lit up. Simultaneously, he looked surprised at Astoria’s remark. In all reality, he was doubtful that Astoria would actually go and see his brother. It wasn’t like he questioned Astoria’s character in any way - he was just very much aware that it was a big ask, with both clear physical and mental efforts that it would take for Astoria. If they went about their ways never discussing it again, Colin wouldn’t hold it against her or her character. 

“Did you?” Colin said with a slight tilt of his head. doing his utmost not to sound incredulous as he lifted his drink close to his lips. “I’ll have to ask him about that. When did you have the chance to go?”

A laugh escaped him, thinking it was such an English muggle thing to say. Drinking was a culture in the muggle world. He wondered if Colin was also muggleborn. “Maybe give her another year, huh?” he replied, ruffling her hair once more before focusing entirely on Colin. He shook off his thanks, it was customary. “She certainly is a token, all I gotta do is pull the sweet child card and people fold- but I honestly don’t do this a lot so we’ll see if it works on you.” he added taking his own sip of a pint. “I’ll be honest, I’m not too sure where to lead with this but there’s some products here, most of these are long shelf life treats and bottles, more gifting stuff than actual treatments but I’d love to consider maybe a collaboration if you can think of anything?” 

Colin took a moment to try and recall what exactly his manager had requested. In reality, he had zoned out when she had been talking - not because what she was saying wasn’t interested per say but - Colin had other matters on his mind during that specific point in time. As it goes.   “Well, I think the reason why Violet - my manager - was so interested in your product is because your product mingles with both the Muggle and magical world - a theme that our stores both have in common,”  Colin responded matter-of-factly before taking another sip of his pint. He hummed softly and added, “She primarily wanted some items to put by the register or a small display. We want to highlight other Muggle-magical hybrid businesses in our store and when I mentioned you, she was excited - particularly, because I knew you through Harry.”  With his smile growing, Colin raised his glass up in Dudley’s direction as a means of a salute and then directed his gaze to Stella. He playfully clicked his tongue. “Your business has been a buzzword, it seems. I’m sure it’s thanks to Miss Stella,” Colin remarked lightly and returned his attention to Dudley.  “And so I trust your judgment. What are your top-sellers?”

Harry’s laugh is brief at first and turns into something a lot more real the longer the word ‘vigilante’ sits in the air between them. “I feel like I already did the vigilante thing,” he says, remembering with all too perfect clarity opening up Umbridge’s desk drawer at the Ministry a hundred thousand years ago and seeing the words ‘undesirable number one’ printed on a picture of himself, along with a disturbing little note affixed to it reading ‘to be punished’. “But I appreciate the vote of confidence. And I would definitely hire you,” he adds. “I need someone around to tell me how bad and half-formed all my plans are before I go ahead and do it anyway. It’s kind of a tradition at this point. Oh, but no pictures, Colin.” In spite of it being an entirely light-hearted joke, Harry maintains a straight face when he says it. “If you want I can pay you in autographs, though.”

Ernie did his best to try to remember everyone’s name, but when it came to being the little social butterfly that he was, it was hard to keep all of them straight. When you were just as sociable and popular as him, remembering all of your friends’ names wasn’t an easy task. But he knew he knew this boy, and he was going to figure out the name to go with him.

He turned his head to think. The smile never left his cheeks. “Callum?” he started before shaking his head and giving the man a light nudge. “No, no… Colin, right? It’s Colin.”

Colin’s instinct was to fuck around with Ernie a little. Just a little. His expression shifted into one of halfhearted skepticism and dismay. He leaned back against the other side of the counter while keeping his gaze on Ernie. “You sure about that?” Colin asked Ernie with a perked brow, as he folded his arms over his chest. “Are you locking in that answer, mate? If you’re wrong, I won’t be giving you that Hogwarts acquaintance discount. Might up-charge you, actually.”

Dudley looked slightly embarrassed, straightening up in his seat as he cleared his throat some and shot Colin a look of an apology. But it seemed being completely professional was becoming a game, by the way Stella looked up at the stranger like he was the newest toy she was allowed to play with and let out a giggle, looking towards her dad once before looking back to the boy. 

“Stella.” she stated, before giggling once more, taking the offered hand in her small grasp and shaking it as firmly as she could. Which, for her age, wasn’t extremely firm but that’s how she watched Daddy do it. “I’m the cute one.” she added, before dropping his hand and zeroing in on the sundae,  lifting the spoon rather awkwardly and taking a mouthful of the treat. 

“Cute and a menace” uttered Dudley, but still looking at Stella like the proudest man in the world. A blush though was on his cheeks from watching their interaction, wondering if this would work in his favour or not. “I’m sorry, single parent life. Where I go, she goes. I got you a pint, is that okay?”

That got a small chuckle out of Colin. His gaze fell to the second pint of beer that sat on the table. He was well aware that it was for him but it didn’t stop from remarking a playful, “Ah, I thought that was for Ms. Stella. Thank you for clarifying.” Colin brought the glass closer to him and after offering Stella one last teasing smile, turned his attention to Dudley. “Thanks, mate. I appreciate it,” Colin said lightly, before taking a small sip of his beer. “Not a problem at all. I’m sure she motivates all of your business deals to go through.”

Harry rolls his eyes at the suggestions but it’s not without a grin. Colin isn’t wrong, necessarily, that there are other careers which might suit his needs, but it’s more than that. It’s deeper than that, Harry just doesn’t like digging. Whether Colin realises it or not, his question is so eerily perceptive that Harry turns a raised eyebrow on him.

“I … dunno,” he says slowly. Realising he’s tapping his fingers against the side of his glass, he stops and takes a drink. “I s’pose, yeah. If I had good reason to. Problem is, I like the job, I just don’t like my employers. In fact, I don’t like working for people in general, if I’m honest. I have this thing where I just, like, black out when people try to tell me what to do. The Imperius Curse barely even works on me, my body just rejects it. Wild stuff.”

~

Thankfully, Astoria took the goblet from him. ( she never thought she’d be thankful to a gryffindor except for that one time ) Slowly, she took a sip of the water. Then she closed her eyes. Stop being dizzy. That was all she wanted. 

When she opened her eyes, she was still incredibly dizzy, but the water had helped her focus a bit. “Could you grab the potion out of the bag?” she asked. She’d do it herself, if she thought that she could pop the cork and not spill the whole thing down the front of her shirt. Then she would have to wait for the potion master to brew another one. ( that would not a good time for her ) 

Harry laughs, partly out of amusement and partly out of self-directed derision. “Yeah … thing is, I’d go crazy inside three months. If something’s not giving me an adrenaline rush or taking me within an inch of death at least once a week I break out in hives, it’s the weirdest thing.” Hesitating only a second, he orders a beer this time after reminding himself he can’t just go around getting shitfaced in public in the middle of the day. “Then again, working for the Ministry is about as soul-crushing as it gets, so. Six of one, half a dozen of the other, really.”

Colin finishes his beer, just as Harry orders his. He doesn't order another one, yet. He'll wait till Harry gets his.

"There are plenty of jobs that could give you the adrenaline rush and take you within an inch of death, no?" Colin retorts with a raised brow, "Dragon tamer, hippogryff groomer...trying to haggle Madame Rosmerta for something free...the list goes on."

Colin's teasing but he definitely eyes Harry with concern. Colin is having a difficult time, himself, with other life circumstances but at the least he enjoys his job.

There's a lengthy pause as Colin mulls over what the best thing to say to Harry would be.

~

Astoria hated this. She wasn’t weak, but her stupid curse made her look it. ( there was so much more to her than her illness and how it affected her life ) Of course, it had to be in front of this near stranger, too. ( almost stranger; she’d known his brother in school and he’d always been kind to her; they’d laughed together and that had surprised her for a gryffindor ) “No,” she ground out. And that had been stupid of her. She knew how she was after her treatments and she still hadn’t brought anything with her. ( daphne would kill her ) “Do you mind getting me some?” 

Colin doesn't mind. "Of course," he said simply. He straightened up and headed in the direction of the store where he spotted the goblet.

Colin reappeared in front of Astoria in a flash but what could have felt like forever and a day to the younger girl.The goblet he had purchased from the store was filled close to the brim with water. Transfiguration wasn't Colin's strong suit but he was very, very glad that Aguamenti was one of the spells he mastered. He took a seat next to Astoria and carefully extended the goblet to her.

"Here."

“Like I give a shit,” says Harry drily, and only after it’s already out does he feel like a prat for it. He’s never cared much for material things apart from his weakness for a really good broomstick and in the last eleven years he’s gotten well used to not having to worry about anything, for the gold in his Gringotts vault is more than enough to cover his modest living expenses for the rest of his life. It’s easy to forget that not everyone is so lucky. “Anyway, at least the bookstore is less of a headache probably. I thought you liked working there.”

"I do," Colin assures Harry, softly clicking his tongue. "It's a small store. Owner has a good amount of money and mostly built the store because they had a dream. Most of the purist prats either don't know the place exists or avoid it like the plague from knowing it's loaded up on Muggle text - so I usually get to avoid the bad company and get to read."

Colin takes another sip of his beer and takes a moment to have his gaze flicker over Harry's face. Colin could see that he is tired. Of course Harry's tired.

~

Astoria thought she was imagining things as she watched a bench fly toward them. ( maybe a new side effect of her treatments? ) She realized that Creevy was the one had brought the bench over here. Merlin, this was embarrassing, having a bench pulled over to her in the middle of the Diagon Alley. Her sister wouldn’t be off her back for weeks if she heard about this. Sit. She just needed to sit down for a bit. On wobbly legs, she made her way over to the bench and ungracefully plopped down. ( she thanked merlin it wasn’t theo who had caught her like this; she’d never get over that humiliation ) 

“Yeah. I just need a second.” Breathe. She needed fresh air and a moment to relax and get her wits about her.

Colin hummed quietly to let Astoria know that he heard her. He didn't say anything else for a bit. He gave Astoria the time to recover a little, without overwhelming her with his questions. Everything about his expression was unreadable Though, his eye caught small goblets in the display of a store not too far from them. After a good moment of hesitation and a long look at the younger girl, Colin asked Astoria, "Do you have any water with you?"

~

Astoria was surprised by his holding the door open. She half expected him to slam it in her face. ( that was what she would have done if the situation was reversed ) Instead, he held it open for her, and Astoria wanted to claw his eyes out. This boy had appeared countless time when she was going to St. Mungo’s for her treatments, and had seen her at a time when she didn’t wish to be seen by anyone. 

“I’m fine,” she gritted out, trying to keep her balance by holding onto the door frame. Breathe, take a step and keep walking, back straight. They were her father’s words and they’d served her well through the years. 

Except for now it seemed. As she glanced down to watch the floor under her, it spun in circles under her foot. Merlin, she was pathetic. “I just need to sit,” she mumbled pointing in the general direction of a bench that next to the building. 

Instead of attempting to guide a very evidently disoriented Astoria to the bench, Colin chose an alternative route. He pulled out the wand from the inner pocket of his coat and flicked it in the direction of the bench. Without an issue, the bench pulled itself to smoothly across the floors of Diagon Alley, to situate right beside the apothecary doors. Colin's hand hovered over Astoria's shoulder, but didn't quite touch her. There wasn't a need to unless she stumbled, and he didn't want her to be further overwhelmed.