*// you've got such a pretty face, but such a dirty mouth

Evan had been meaning to see his sister, he hadn’t actually seen her since the attacks at Christmas.  He hadn’t had the chance to make sure she was safe, everything had just happened so fast.  And then Moody had kept him within the ministry for, well he wasn’t entirely sure how long after.  Maybe a week?  Initially, he’d been in a cell, and then just watched over by aurors.  He’d been given truth potions and the like.  Honestly, if he was going to double cross them, he probably wouldn’t have marched straight into the Ministry alone.  Bloody Aurors and their insistence on causing something out of nothing, if they had just listened to him when he first walked in, the attacks probably wouldn’t have even been able to start.  

He’d sent Elsa an owl to meet him in the Three broomsticks, he didn’t exactly fancy strolling into his parents house. Aside from anything else, he knew the Aurors had him under watch, and he didn’t want to lead a group of them to the Rosier manor, their father would notice something was off.  

He sat down, he had arrived early.  He could only hope that she got his owl.  

@elsarosier​

--- this was the first time she’d ventured out of the house during the daytime with the exception of the outings she’d made to buy books since the attacks. she'd turned into far more of a recluse than she’d ever really expected, but she’d gotten hyper-focused on dragon research, and had only really paused for sleep and to go out with her friends. 

   when she’d received evan’s owl though, she’d of course dragged herself from the rosier library to see her brother. she hadn’t seen him since before the attack, and she really didn’t have a good excuse. she should have reached out, but the hyper-focus that had often found her up late studying three chapters ahead of where she was supposed to be when she’d been in school hadn’t gone anywhere. it just meant she was spending more time researching what she actually felt like researching instead of reading for class.

“But you forget, dear cousin, I live for angering our parents.” Her positive feelings for her own mother were tenuous at best. Elsa knew better than some how their own happiness tended to come with consequences. “If it wasn’t for my father and sister, I’m not sure I would even be considered part of the Black family anymore. I think my mother still might be campaigning for the change.” She put the galleons on the counter before turning back to Elsa. “How are you? It has been too long since I have seen you.” 

--- “ true, ” elsa snorted. she knew that neither of them could say they’d ever had a particularly good relationship with their mothers. elsa was still been pretending in front of her mother’s friends, but she had sort of stopped playing the perfect daughter to her mother. “ oh if that had happened you could just join my family. i am certain that my mother would rather i elope with someone suitable, at this point, since i’ve turned down every idea she’s come up with for a new engagement. ” elsa giggled. she shrugged, “ fallen into old habits. i think i’ve spent more time out bar-hopping with my friends from school in the past month alone than i have since the summer after graduation, ” she said, grinning. “ it’s been fun. how have you been ? ”  

The familiar voice gave Bellatrix reason to turn her head, her expression softening into a small smile at the sight of her cousin. “Depends what your week has been like,” she shrugged, taking a sip of her drink as she waited for the bartender to deal with Elsa’s order. “Let me guess, your mother is still devastated that your engagement fell through?” She could only imagine how her own mother would react in that scenario, if she had finally succeeded in getting Bellatrix to agree to marry only to have to start all over again. Would Druella even bother? Of course she would. Despite how stubborn her eldest daughter was, it seemed her goal in life was still to turn her into someone’s bride. 

“Maybe our mothers should get together and compare notes,” Bellatrix chuckled wryly. “I’m sure they could help one another narrow down the list of potential suitors.” Her nose wrinkled slightly as she thought of some of the names she suspected appeared on said list. “Then again, they might just put more ideas in each other’s heads.”

--- elsa laughed, “ yes. she’s already started on ideas for replacements. ” she grinned and thanked the bartender when he brought her drink over, taking a sip, “ maybe if i pretend to be a terrible drunk it’ll drive them all away, ” she mused, staring down at her drink. elsa had been good around her mother’s friends, and even most of the time around her mother, but her mother had started to notice the way the tabloids liked to talk about her daughter’s late night excursions involving bars and her old group of friends from school. the nights out had increased again since the engagement had ended, and her mother wasn’t particularly pleased to hear about them.

   she tilted her head, nodding slightly. “ please don’t suggest that to them. although, imagine if they both decide they want the same man and then there will be a whole row and there will be all the gossip and — it would actually be pretty hilarious, ” she giggled. 

Bellatrix sighed inwardly as she took a seat at the bar, summoning the bartender over with just a flick of her fingers. The young man had seen her in there often enough now to know not only who she was, but to know what she liked to drink, and so it didn’t take long for him to have the drink in her hand. 

She sipped at it, savouring the familiar burn which slowly ebbed away at her irritation. The source of that irritation, of course, was her mother. With Narcissa having eloped, it seemed the Black matriarch had once more turned her attentions to her eldest daughter. Usually Bellatrix did what she could to keep out of her mother’s way, but some days she just couldn’t get away quick enough. In the few hours they’d spent together today the woman had suggested not one, not two, but almost a dozen potential suitors. Many of them she dismissed almost as soon as mentioning them, citing their lack of funds or some other trait she deemed undesirable about their family. At least half of those dozen names had been ones she believed could truly be a good match for her daughter however. 

Bellatrix, of course, had no intention of meeting with any of those men. She knew most of them, having either met them at various society functions over the years or having attended Hogwarts with them, and not one of them had managed to pique her interest. Perhaps they could, if she was not so focused on making a name for herself before becoming someone’s wife. In spite of what society tried to tell her, she was determined to be more than just a broodmare. 

As she took another sip of her drink, she noticed a figure moving beside her, preparing to sit. “This seat’s taken.”

--- elsa had skipped out as early in the day as she could on her mother’s attempts at setting her up with a new engagement, since her previous one had fallen through. she had sent lorney and nomi home with a rather large stack of new books, not that the elves were upset. they were just as excited about the books as elsa was. but the younger rosier wasn’t interested in going home just yet since it was early enough her mother might still try to catch her. because at the rate they were going, there would never be an engagement. elsa would prefer that to be the case, if she were being entirely honest. she’d returned to her former habits, and had somehow managed not to 

   she’d wandered into the bar intending to ask if she could bartend part time — it could be fun. but when she spotted her cousin, she decided she’d just join her instead.

   “ yes, by me, ” elsa hummed, settling into the seat and ordering a drink. she shifted to face her cousin, “ please tell me you’ve had a better week than i have ? ” the blonde asked.

It wasn’t often that Emmeline had a day off. Even more so now after the second attack. One thing had become clear over the past few days, she needed something to come home to. Sure she had her owl but it wasn’t as if she could truly cuddle them at night. She made her way to the Magical Menagerie, stopping as she saw the litter of Kneazles, smiling as a few came up to the edge to look at her. “Oh you’re all too cute,” she said under her breath. 

--- elsa had been eyeing the kneazles, debating getting one or all of the animals and she’d been wandering around the shop carrying an older cat she’d already adopted with her as she avoided going home. “ aren’t they ? i want to take all of them home with me, ” she mused.

Most of the time, Narcissa liked to have her flowers delivered. But every few weeks she needed to go into the shop to see what was in season. It made things much easier when she made her orders. While she was there, she often got what she needed for the next few weeks. There weren’t many homely things she enjoyed but flower arranging was one of them. Now the flowers meant even more to her. She was at the counter paying for her mass when she noticed someone behind her. She was feeling generous and nodded to the next customer in line. “I’ll pay for their order, too.” ​

--- elsa had gathered a random bunch of flowers, all with conflicting meanings mostly to piss off her mother. she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings as she got in line, instead mumbling to nomi about plans for the redecorating they’d decided to do on her rooms at home, if she was going to continue to live in the family home. she turned her attention away from her elf when she heard a voice, smiling when she realised narcissa was in front of her in the queue. “ oh, you don’t have to do that, cissa. you’ll involve yourself in my plots to piss off my mother. ” 

--- elsa ducked her head, dodging around the people in the crowded pub as she made her way to a table in the back, grinning when she managed to claim what appeared to be the last available table. for all she tried not to look like a child, she certainly held the appearance of a student studying. the only difference ? the books she’d bundled into her bag and arms mostly in her bag, an illegal extendable charm that she’d cast on it making it possible, were higher level arithmancy texts not found applicable to any courses at hogwarts. and they were just for fun. she’d been a little a lot anxious about things and had decided getting out of the house and being a recluse while drinking in a room full of people seemed like a better plan. it probably wasn’t.

   the blonde settled into a booth at the back of the three broomsticks, dropping the books in her arms on the table and the bag on the bench before going to grab a drink from the bar. as she reached her table again, she paused when she noticed someone hovering. “ you can join me, if you want. i’ll even put the books away and be social for a while, if you’re looking for company, ” the witch offered. she could always read if they just wanted a seat.

“Don’t say that too loudly, she’ll hire you on the spot.”  He joked, in saying that, working in the three broomsticks was one of Sirius’s favourite things.  Maybe it was the sense of belonging he felt every time he stood behind the bar. 

Sitting beside Elsa, Sirius relaxed slightly into the sofa.  There were only certain people in his life that he shared the whole truth and nothing but the truth with, and it wasn’t a reflection on others, he didn’t find trust easily.  Even with, or especially with family.  “Yeah it was kinda rough, but I’m fine… loads of people were alot worse off than me.” He shrugged as his mind wandered to the likes of Remus and Mary.  A very long time ago, before Sirius had left home,  Evan had mentioned to Sirius on a drunken night that he would leave the cause one day.  At the time he had quite believed Evan, but he hoped he had, he hated to think of him being one of the hooded figured, maybe even the one Sirius himself had fought…. no it didn’t bear thinking about.  “But how are you?”  He asked again, turning his head to look at Elsa. 

--- “ eh, it would get me away from my mother, ” she shrugged. “ can you imagine her face ? ” elsa giggled. “ elsa rosier ! what do you mean you can’t come to dinner because you got a job bartending ?! ” she tried to imitate her mother’s voice, dissolving into a fit of giggles after a second, though.

  she nodded. “ i’m glad you’re okay, ” she said softly. “ i’m sure your friends will be, too, ” she added, knowing at least some of his friends would have been involved in the fighting. she shrugged, when sirius asked how she was. she held out the gift, after a moment, to avoid answering for another minute. “ a couple muggle boys helped me pick it. we thought it would suit you, ” she offered a small smile, biting her lip. and then, “ i... i’m scared, ” she finally admitted after a minute of silence. of the war, of losing people, of what she would do if she changed sides.

Sirius had always had a soft spot for Elsa, something about her reminded him of Andromeda. He’d also had several conversation with Evan over the years, which although the older Rosier didn’t outright said it, he highly eluded to the fact that Elsa wasn’t like others in their family.  It was funny because at one point, Sirius had thought himself to be the aptly named, Black sheep of his family, which included his extended family.  

“It’s alright, aside from Marlene and Remus, not many people visit me up here, i think people worry Rosemerta will force them into a job or something..” He paused and laughed, closing the door behind them “Which is essentially what happened to me to be fair.”   Reaching for his wand out his pocket, he quicly cleared up the small mess on his sofa, and gestured for Elsa to take a seat.   At her question, he paused again, and his faint smile faltered.  “I’m alright.  Not oo badly, just afew scrapes.”  That was a lie, but he didn’t want to go into his duel with a death eater.   “How are you?  Hows Evan?”

--- elsa chuckled, “ i don’t think i’d really mind if she did, ” she shrugged. she wondered what it would be like for her, if she did leave her family. she should. but she didn’t know if she could. she didn’t have the same support that her cousins had. she bit her lip, shaking herself from the thoughts and focusing back on her cousin. 

   “ it would be better than all the stupid lunches i get dragged to, ” she hummed. although she wasn’t sure she’d actually be any good at it. she sighed, noting his smile faltering. “ i’m glad you’re okay. and i won’t push for anything you don’t want to tell me, ” she nodded. even if she was always going to be concerned even if everyone insisted that their injuries weren’t bad. she settled on the sofa. “ i... evan is alive. ” it was all that mattered. that they were alive. “ i’m fine. i’m... yeah, i’m fine. ” even if she’d spent the night worrying. “ you both came out alive. that’s what matters. ”

Sirius had a somewhat contemptuous relationship with this time of year, he had enjoyed it for the most part whilst at Hogwarts.  But since graduating he would find himself thinking more and more about the Christmases he had seen before he ran away.  He hadn’t been raised in a home where it was celebrated much, save for the sake of tradition, family events and the like.  He didn’t even realise that other people his own age had a very different expereince until he spent a Christmas with the Potters.   He’d spent most of the morning in his small room above the Three Broomsticks watching people hurry about on the street below, he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with himself.

Hearing a knock on his door, he wondered if it was Madam Rosemerta needing help on the bar, so hurriedly opened the door.  Opening it, if he had a thousand gusses, he wouldn’t have guessed it would be Elsa.   “Hey.”  He said lightly, tilting his head.  “How are you?”   Stepping to one side as he spoke.  “Come in”

--- with the events of the previous night, she’d half expected her cousin to slam the door in her face — which she couldn’t have blamed him if he had. because even if she’d been openly friendly with pretty much anyone she came across, she had still spent her years in school acting as if she’d cared about the same prejudices her parents had. she hoped that his holidays had been good up until the attacks, at the very least. she wasn’t sure how other families really spent them, and her own family’s were never very festive, mostly just parties where they tried to be better than the other pureblood families. she’d grown tired of her mother’s attempts at parading her around rather quickly. 

   she smiled, “ thanks. sorry to show up unannounced. i brought your christmas gift, though. ” she held up the box, carefully wrapped in the festive paper lorney had picked out. she stepped through the doorway, glancing around. she’d never actually visited sirius. she’d been in the three broomsticks and run into him on occasion, but it wasn’t as if she’d really reached out much, which she did feel bad for. “ i... i’m alright. glad the holidays are over, ” she shrugged half-heartedly, but offered a smile. “ how are you ? ” she asked. “ did... you aren’t injured, or anything, right ? ” she added, biting her lip.

with all of the family events and the ministry ball, she hadn’t managed to actually send out anyone’s gifts. now, she used it as an excuse to check on her cousin. she’d found a muggle leather jacket — recommended by some muggle boys she’d run into in the music shop she’d started to frequent — and charmed it so that it wouldn’t wear out so easily, as well as adding some weather-proofing to it to make sure it really lasted. she’d wrapped it up carefully and apparated to sirius’ home, knocking on the door and hoping that it wasn’t too bad of timing.

Elsa dragging her along snapped her out of her spiral. She shouldn’t be here. They both shouldn’t be here. “I was coming for the celebration,” she admitted softly.  There was no reason to lie to her cousin. It seemed she knew what was going on. Malachi must have told her. “I thought that…I didn’t think they would attack here. Not again.” 

--- elsa shook her head, “ if no one’s expecting it, then it’s the perfect plan. ” she sighed. “ if they just did what people expected, then they wouldn’t get their point across so well, would they ? ” elsa asked.

Winter was ready to fire of a curse at the blonde until she made out her face. Her hand lowered quickly and she moved slightly to allow Elsa to heal the boy. He was just a child. “You shouldn’t be here, Elsa. Your brother would be livid if he knew I saw you and didn’t send you home.” Evan might not kill Winter for it, but she was certain he’d be beyond upset. He’d always seemed to care so deeply for his sister. Sometimes, she wished her own brothers would feel so strongly towards her well being. They hadn’t even warned her of this attack. But there were more pressing matters than Evan’s anger and her brothers’ lack of care for her well being.. “Can you take him? I-I can’t. I will end up splinching us both. Then, you need to go home.”

--- elsa shook her head, “ malachi is going to kill me, when he finds out i’ve even left the house. ” the blonde grumbled. “ do you know what actually hit him ? ” she asked after a moment, ignoring the way her skirt was crumpling under her and surely going to be disgusting as soon as she stood --- something dorna would scold her for later. she wasn’t a healer, certainly couldn’t claim to be anywhere near as good as those who did it for a living. but she knew enough from having spent so much time studying whatever she could get her hands on that she knew enough to keep the kid alive until he was with the healers. “ you need to go home. didn’t anyone tell you to stay home ? ” the blonde asked, glancing around.

Lucius had told her to stay home. Whatever was going to happen, it had to be closer to midnight. People wouldn’t really be around until then. Most likely somewhere muggle. Halloween surely should have knocked some sense into the megalomaniac her husband had sadly aligned himself with. She decided to take a trip to Diagon Alley, earlier than she would normally go out on New Year’s Eve. She apperated into the Alley and was met with turmoil. This couldn’t have been it. There must have been something else going on. Her wand was tight in her hand as she looked around, trying desperately to find someone she knew to see what was going on. @morsmordrestarters​

--- she wasn’t ignoring malachi’s warning. she’d just received the message from his friend telling her to go get her own friend out of diagon alley. she wasn’t expecting to find narcissa, of all people. surely lucius had warned her. “ what are you doing here ? ” elsa hissed, grabbing her cousin’s arm and dragging her further to the side, away from the chaos that was the alley.

Winter had been planning to enjoy the celebration, but had an order to finish before she could leave the apothecary for the night. She thought she might catch up with Alecto, or Dirk and Jack. Maybe her brothers if they were around. It was shortly after she’d finished brewing the potion and had started to get the vials ready that all hell seemed to break loose in the cobblestone street. No one had told her anything was meant to happen that night. Not her brothers, not her father, not her friends. She turned quickly, grabbing her wand from the workbench and her messenger bag that she used on the occasions that she delivered potions in person. She grabbed as many healing potions as she could find to stuff into her bag. As soon as she had what she hoped was enough, Winter ran out of the shop. She spotted someone a ways off on the ground and the brunette made a run for it. Luckily, she didn’t seem to draw the attention of a hooded figure that was down the street a ways. Dropping to her knees next to a boy that seemed to be school aged, she noticed that he was unconscious and had lost a lot of blood, but the rise and fall of his chest reassured her that he was alive. Carefully, she pulled out a vial from her pack, eyes darting around her. There was someone approaching, so she worked faster, opening the boy’s mouth and pouring the potion in. The steps were close now and Winter turned, shielding the boy with her body, clutching her wand tightly in front of her. “Don’t touch him!”

@morsmordrestarters​

--- alecto carrow of all people had sent her a partonus — elsa hadn’t even been aware the girl was capable of that — to demand she come get winter and take her home. that was how she knew what alecto was. she’d had her suspicions, but if she wasn’t, she knew the older girl would have just dragged her friend home herself. malachi was going to kill her when he found out she’d left the house. merlin, dorna was going to kill her. she’d promised to stay home. promised not to go to the new year’s eve party. but she’d come out at the request of elsa found her friend shielding a kid, and the blonde sighed, “ he needs the hospital, ” she knelt above the boy, casting healing charms over him as she did.

“Ms Elsa,” Avery started as she looped her arm through the other’s and started leading them both towards the door leading outside. They had both made their appearance at the holiday party, but it was about time they made their escape. Well, Avery was ready to go and that was a good enough reason to make a run for the door and she wanted company from someone she actually liked to be around.

“There is a fresh layer of snow out there, what do you say we go leave our footprints in it as we make our getaway?”

@elsarosier​​

--- “ ms avery ! ” elsa beamed when she heard avery’s voice, immediately allowing her to lead her out the door. she’d already had enough of her mother’s friends, and malachi had been dragged into some conversation with another wizard who she’d forgotten the name of. 

   “ i do believe the snow needs some footprints in it. the first ones ought to be ours. ” 

“It’s the Christmas season. I’m feeling charitable. Might as well give some of these bored women something else to talk about.” She downed the rest of her drink before giving Elsa a small smile. “It’s been a rough night if you can’t tell.” She knew Elsa was on her side. There was no way she wasn’t. “I swear if one more of Mother’s friends looks at my stomach, I may actually hex someone. Truly. I barely ate anything because I didn’t want anyone to think I was eating for two.” 

She leaned back in her chair, looking down at the tabletop. “I just want something else to happen. Nothing too bad but just enough that we will not be the topic of gossip. That’s all I want.”

--- elsa nodded, “ things will get better. maybe let me hex them, though, because then if that turns into gossip, they can put all the attention on me, and you and lucius can have some peace, ” elsa hummed. she took a sip from her drink, sighing. “ i can sneak you some food. or sneak you out to get food elsewhere. ”

   “ a new scandal can be arranged. although, will it make it worse if the scandal is mine, do you think ? or better ? because i have a few things that they would consider scandalous, ” elsa offered, entirely serious. there had been so much commentary early in her engagement on how she’d been seen out with another wizard or out drinking with friends instead of being good that she was sure that anything now wouldn’t bother her too much. and nothing recent was about  the possibility of cheating, anyways. so it wasn’t like it would be something to jeopardise her engagement. malachi already knew all of her secrets.