pomegranate seeds

    Sirius looked and saw the way the woman’s expression was. Many people didn’t see him as someone able to comfort or deal with negative emotions and while he wasn’t fond of them, he knew that there was a time and a place. Something he struggled with when he was younger. Yet he had more emotional intelligence now. At least he hoped he did. Sirius had been walking around Diagon Alley for a bit now. Helping where he could. Picking up and repairing and even trying to bring smiles but it was no easy feat.     “I figure. I just.. wanted to know if you needed anything?” 

---

Cora did recognise Sirius-- he’d only been one year below her in school, and his younger brother had started living with her cousin a few years back. Last she’d heard though, he’d not quite been on good terms with his family. This wasn’t the time to bring that up though, and quite honestly she did need some help.

“That’s very kind of you to offer,” she said with her best attempt at a smile. “If you wouldn’t mind, could you help me bring the sign inside? I don’t want to leave it out to get damaged worse.”

benjy had needed to step away from eeylops owl emporium for the time being. he had lost several owls that he had been training over the course of several months, there was blood, mostly animal blood, but he hasn’t had the heart to clean it up yet amongst the shattered windows. he couldn’t stand the sight of being in there mixed with the shattered windows and the screeching of birds. he had flinched at the sound almost before stepping out and found himself wandering towards cora’s shop. he pushed open the door and heard the familiar voice far too soon. “came here to see if you needed help with anything.” he offers, with a weak smile on his lips. his mind is still wandering to the poor muggleborn that was found dead earlier this morning. “i don’t want to be at the emporium right now, or really here in diagon alley, but it looks like everyone needs the help right now.” he says a bit truthfully, lifelessly grabbing a broomstick that was leaning on a chair, already pushing some of the glass into a pile. 

---

“Benjy,” Cora greeted, more than a little surprised he’d made his way over instead of focusing on his own shop. The explanation made sense though, and she did her best to return his smile even though she felt like she was one discovery away from tears. Merlin, at least her merchandise wasn’t living creatures. “That’s... Actually, I have something for you to do that I think would help us both. The back room’s still mostly intact; do you want to see if you can make some tea?”

»

♕ —- Mary had wished that she hadn’t looked up when the other replied. While everything around her was a complete tragedy, Mary wished she had simply stayed home. All at once, she was no longer in the streets of Diagon Alley in the middle of the morning but in a dark, abandoned corridor of hogwarts and all she could see was his eyes. Her eyes, she struggled to remind herself. Cora wasn’t him but Mary couldn’t shake the way her stomach churned even more or how the world, all at once, tilted and she struggled to keep her footing even while standing. “Risk,” Mary couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped her lips. “Yeah, still have bills to pay and honestly, it’s a risk to breathe.” She took a step away from Cora but it didn’t feel far enough. “Thanks for the concern,” she added flatly and forced herself to look away.

---

Of course the girl would be angry, but was she dangerous? It wasn’t the first time Cora had that thought, but it wasn’t easy to push it away when she’d be by herself in the ruined alley today. That was the way it had to be-- Théa couldn’t be here, and she wasn’t going to leave a ten-year-old home alone today, and she wasn’t going to put the weight of this task on Jean. Maybe she could head into Knockturn, see if one of the Burkes would come with her to check out the shop...

Cora shook her head as if to clear her mind, not wanting to go too far down that rabbit hole. It would be fine. “I’m not one to tell you what to do, but I sincerely doubt Florish and Blotts will be open for business.” Why didn’t the girl understand this place didn’t belong to her?

“By the end of the week.” Amycus hadn’t bothered trying to mask his footsteps – between all of the broken glass, and the freshness of the previous night’s attack, and how well he knew Cora, Amycus knew better than to sneak up on her just now, especially when not coming in the front door. He came to a stop a step behind her, and just to the side, surveying the damage, and the steps she’d already taken towards repairing it.

Overall, Amycus didn’t have plans to be spotted much in the street today; he’d been among those wreaking havoc the night prior, so good photo-op or not, he didn’t want to be seen. He’d known some of the people he cared about were going to be affected in some way or other. Those people, what had they done? It was collateral damage, it was, he understood that. But he couldn’t justify it, not for all of them. The woman beside him was family, of course he was here to help her. Quietly, sure, but Cora wouldn’t have wanted him to make a fuss about it, anyways. He knew that, too.

“We’re gonna need some room to work,” he said, offering no option to argue against his assistance, “so just tell me where you want me to start clearing things out. Do you know what’s salvageable, yet? Anything?”

---

Cora didn’t have words that would encompass how relieved she was to hear Am’s voice-- she’d felt so very alone standing in front of the ruined shop, but he always seemed to show up right at moments like this when she needed him most. From that first day in England to when she’d needed to convince the courts to let her keep her siblings, to now. 

“A week, huh?” Her voice wasn’t quite steady, but she tried her best to smile as she turned round to face him. She didn’t really know how to thank him for showing up, for offering the help she needed but never would have asked for, but then again he didn’t seem too interested in having that conversation. “The merchandise all has to go-- we’ve got no guarantee it hasn’t been contaminated, so it can’t be sold. If something doesn’t look repairable, just vanish it. Living plants stay, I’ll sort them out myself.” It felt better to have a plan, even one she’d come up with on the spot, so she kept going. “Damage control before anything else-- once the windows are fixed and the rubble’s cleared and the inside’s dried out, the.. mail order part of the business can start back up. That can keep us afloat a while.”

   “Why not?” Inez asked as she looked up at the dress that she had in her hands. It was very beautiful and she did think it would look just lovely on her. “I think it suits you. Sometimes what we think will least look good on us is what does. You could always return it too.” 

---

“I’ve always been told I should stay with silver.” Cora held the dress up to the ends of her hair, finding that she didn’t dislike the colours together as much as she’d originally assumed. “But I don’t like silver on me very much either, so maybe you’re right and I need a change.”

“     what  are  ye’  talking  about     ?     ”     emma  scoffed     ,     eyes  catching  the  way  cora’s  fingers  danced  across  the  fabric     .     “     while  i  admit     ,     you  certainly  suit  darker  colours     ,     i  think  you’d  look  perfectly  perfect  in  it     .     ”

---

“Perfectly perfect,” Cora echoed, finding she rather liked the phrase. Especially when it was applied to herself. “You’ve given me an idea, though-- maybe they’d be able to do those stars on a darker background. Maybe a blue?”