You're all Rebels, aren't you?

“What? They’re caramel coated,” Marcie pouted at her friend and handed her one. “Just try it and tell me it’s not the greatest thing I’ve ever made?”

Daisy looked at the apple that was given to her and studied it for a minute, “I mean, they do look delicious, but I have ot be honest. I never knew how to get at these things, you know? Where do you even bite?”

Dylan teasingly wrinkled his nose, “No. No Justice League. We’re the Avengers. Because I want to be Iron Man - or just marry him. Either way,” he tilted his head and gave her a smirk, before pausing at her question. “Uh. Yeah, actually. You know them…very well, as a matter of fact.”

“The distinction is really a thin line with you, huh?” She smiled, “Okay, fine. Avengers. They’re more colorful anyway, and you can actually see the movies. Except for Wonder Woman. Don’t even get me started...” She waved it away, “Very well?” She paused, “... is it who I think it is?”

Dylan’s lips were still pursed into a slight pout, except the superhero comment made him smile a little. “I don’t wanna be the sidekick, though.” He sat back in the chair quiet for a moment, before letting out a breath. “Before I speak, just remember that you’re my best friend and I love you and you love me back no matter how impulsive I might be, okay?” Dylan looked at her for a moment, before continuing, “I might have talked to someone on – uh, the opposite side about getting help to take down my father and get him removed from his position. Like…forcefully removed.”

She smiled for a moment. “Fine, fine. It will be more like the Justice League. No one was a sidekick there.” She blinked at him but nodded in agreement. “Okay, yes I do and yes you are and go ahead.” Daisy’s mouth fell open, but she closed it again. “Holy shit, Dylan... who was it? Someone we know?”

“Mm, I knew you only kept me around because I’m the only one who can keep up with you,” he gave her a small smirk, but soon pursed his lips back into a half-pout as he fell into thought about his father. Dylan let out a breath, still not at all liking that Daisy was going with him to talk to Yaxley, but he knew she wasn’t going to budge, that expression on her face was evidence enough of that. He also knew the actual reason they were close is because she was just as stubborn as he was and they were probably too similar in that regard for their own good. He nodded and looked at her, “Okay. That settles it, then. We’re going to meet my psychopath of a father.” Dylan met her gaze. “I don’t know if I like this, but I literally have no fight left in me when it comes to you, so I accept defeat.” He paused, before continuing, “But honestly, if I’m going to have anyone beside me when I do this, I want it to be you.” 

Dylan squeezed her hand back again before leaning over to her desk and grabbing a pen and paper to respond to his letter “I’m not sending the owl from my place or the hospital because I don’t need him tracing it back to me like that. He’d walk right into Potter’s office if he tried here.” He kept the letter short - only a few sentences saying he’d meet at Yaxley’s office at a time he told him - and looked back at Daisy. “Do we want the second thing now, or…” Dylan set the letter down. “You might want to sit. And as I tell you, remember this sweet, tender moment we just had when potential thoughts of hitting and/or killing me come into your mind.”

Daisy wanted to smile at her victory, but the circumstances weren’t something to smile about. Instead, she nodded at Dylan’s words. “I’m sure we can handle it, we’re not two people to be underestimated. And no, before you even say it, I’m not trying to sound like some cheesy comic book superhero - sidekick duo.” She nodded, trying to look reassuring,  “I don’t like it either, but I trust the two of us more than almost any other pairing, and we don’t have it make it so public just yet.” 

Dylan opened his mouth to argue more on the CA thing, but snapped it shut when she moved past it. “Well - I’d hope you wouldn’t want me hurt. You’d be a shit best friend otherwise,” he tilted his head and gave Daisy a small smirk, his normal personality slipping back for a second, but it disappeared again as he sighed  “I thought about him yeah, but he seems so disconnected from our fathers’ family. Like, I inserted myself in this. I know he’d do it for me in a heartbeat, but my stubborn inner Gryffindor doesn’t want me inserting someone who doesn’t wanna be.” He opened his mouth again to say that no, she wasn’t coming with him to meet his father who was a convicted Death Eater - but Daisy had also been his best friend for so long he knew it’d be pointless. He let out a breath and looked down at their hands and squeezed her hand in return, before pressing a kiss to the back of hers. “Alright, Dursley,” he settled for saying. “You’ll be my bodyguard.” Dylan dropped their hands and shook his head. “But It’s political because everyone’s fucking psycho, babe. I don’t know how we could take it head-on though.” He leaned back in his seat again. “Unless you came in your auror robes so he knows we’re not fucking around, but he might not talk about anything useful.”

She rolled her eyes but smiled, “Yeah, well obviously dummy. Who else is supposed to eat copious amounts of food with me weekly?” She also grew more serious as the conversation shifted back to his father. She sighed but nodded, “Yeah, as soon as I said it I thought the same thing. I mean, you only just found out who he was, and that was only by accident. It’s likely your father doesn’t know where - or who - he is.” 

Dylan furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, more interested in picking a lose thread on the chair than talking about what he needed to talk about. “Is it bad, though?” He looked at her. “If we teamed up with one of them to somehow get my father out of office? We both want the same thing.” Dylan shook his head, they weren’t taking about that first though. “We’re starting with one, right.” He shrugged and leaned back in the chair. “I don’t know. He wants to talk to me. I mean, my mum said it was up to me, she just didn’t want me hurt.” Dylan paused and thought for a moment, “Which I can’t say that he wouldn’t because part of me still thinks I saw him that night at school when – “ He trailed off, not wanting to relive any of that. He was being paranoid. “But he’s a high-ranking Death Eater, because I’m not buying any of this reformation shit, so it might be useful to us if I did. I just don’t know if I want to, or if I want to go by myself because he might be less likely to try something if I’m not alone.”

Daisy focused on his sight, seeing how distracted he seemed to be while spitting out his answer. “Yes, one. But we can get back to that point later.” Daisy had to admit that she was curious who this mysterious CA defector was, but the Death Eaters proved a more apparent enemy. “I don’t want you hurt either, and we both know your father probably is capable of that.” She pursed her lips and nodded, understanding what he meant. She put a hand over one of his own and gave it a squeeze. “Hm, you know I think some form of back up is a good idea. We just need to figure out if that backup will be hidden or not. I mean... what about your cousin? I think that's your best bet. The only thing there is we’d get him into this whole mess...” Daisy sighed, “Dammit, just take me with you. Can’t we just take it head-on? Why does all this political nonsense make you have to triple check all of your plans.”

—- Rose caught the tube with ease and gave Daisy a thankful smile. “You and me both,” Rose chuckled as she squeezed some lotion on her hand. “Never seems to be enough.”

“Nope, it never does.” Daisy started rubbing in her own sunscreen, making sure to get her nose and shoulders. “Someone should invent a spell for that. You think someone already has?”

Dylan dropped down in the seat by her desk. “Well, actually there’s two things. First thing, I’m thinking about going to talk to my dad because if he’s still an active Death Eater, maybe I can get something from him. And second, someone with the CA wants to help us.” Dylan looked at her. “Pick which one you want first.”

Daisy blinked at Dylan before responding, completely understanding why he wanted to be talked about of whatever crazy idea this was. “Dylan,” She began, “Okay, CA isn’t good news, but I want to say I pick number one. You are going to contact your dad?”

—- Rose caught the tube with ease and gave Daisy a thankful smile. “You and me both,” Rose chuckled as she squeezed some lotion on her hand. “Never seems to be enough.”

Daisy grinned, “Well if you’re buying SPF 100, you’re wasting your money - I hear it only really works up to fifty.” She held out her hand for some lotion, “And the sun is so brutal to your poor skin.”

“I’m closest to my cousin Teddy and my best friend Dylan. They both are people I can trust and I truly believe they want the best for those around them... even if Dylan hit on me for years straight in school.”

“Come on, Dursley,” he gently tugged at her arm to get her up. “first of all, you need a break. You look like you’re going to have a nervous breakdown in a minute and I’ve not been trained to deal with that,” he gave her a small smile. “Let’s eat and then I’ll help you with the paperwork. Ava’s with my mother so I can stay after hours.”

“It’s not a nervous breakdown, it’s a... frustration break down.” She sighed, then closed the file she was currently working on, giving in to his persistence. “Fine, you win. Break time.” She got up and got her bag, “Well, can’t say no to food. It goes against everything I stand for.” She smiled, tucking the files into her bag, “You’re too kind, you know that right?”

Hearing someone say that they actually read his work, and not in the teasing tone that Hugo or some of his friends used, made him visibly a little uncomfortable. Mainly because he knew a lot of people found astrology silly or they were more intense about it then he was. “Oh no-” He shook his head. “It really doesn’t take me that long, just a bit of research. It’s just a weekly article.” 

Daisy raised an eyebrow, “Uh-huh. I think you’re selling yourself a little short,” She tucked some more papers into her desk and sighed, “It can all wait for now, I have decided. What type of research do you do before writing your articles?”

Hunter blinked after getting scolded, “Er–yeah, yeah,” he said. “What are we doing? I’m not going to have to duel anyone, right? Because that’s, like, your job.”

Daisy shook her head, “No, you think my job is going to give me exciting jobs? Those were the days, right? I get to get out in the field only if I am very, very lucky.”