don't challenge me;

"How forward? Mind sharing your knowledge? I’ve basically hit a dead end with all my genius plans. I might go to the extent of trying to bribe you with baked good, if that’s up your alley?" Nodding her head along with what Colleen said, she couldn’t help but smile. "Exactly, and how am I suppose to do this whole blaze of glory things, if I’m not even properly trained. Anyways, if I don’t get some sort of exercise in, I might just end up gaining a wee bit of weight from the stress eating."

"Welllll.... what kind of baked goods?" She asked, solely for the purpose of being playful before she shook her head. "I'm fucking around with you, I'll share my tales. The thing is, though, I only had to convince one protective male to let me fight for myself, you have an army. I'm afraid the odds aren't in your favor." Colleen looked around, before deciding to impart some more advice. "Now, I'm not the cleverest, but, can your family really prevent you from learning self defense? You can just ask Lupin to teach you some wards or shield spells, tell him that it's just about worst case scenarios. Start off small, then get into the blaze of glory type, ease them into it. Either that or I start training you at midnight to become some super stealthy hit-witch." The last part, a joke by all means on Colleens part, brought a funny image of a ninja-like Lily to her head. 

Unlike the stuffy, cramped atomosphere of Grimuald Place, Godric’s Hollow was spacious and peaceful. Albus would of thought that the war was over while inside the village - but he knew better. He knew that this was just a place under protection from the happenings outside it’s borders, but he couldn’t help let his worries run from him as he let the silence fill his ears.

Colleen turned to catch sight of her new company, smiling as she recognized him. After giving him a little salute, she shifted her weight to one side and looked towards the bush where the rock had disappeared to. "Referees can't seem to locate the bloody ball, she scored that hard. What an amazing girl. Who's talking about herself in the third person and should probably stop," punctuating her reply with a laugh, Colleen shook her head.

"Not rusty, no, I just need to reassure myself that I can still properly defend both myself and more people if it ever came to that. I want to help some of these people, you know? I understand those with families, they have to be selfish and think about themselves first, many good people would give up any of the Weasley or Potter kids if they saw them, just so they can be safe. Sad as that is, you can understand it, they want to save their children and all. There’s nothing better life can offer you, so you gotta protect it with all you can." he explained, lowering his voice.  No one else was here,but being cautious was always mandatory. "But if you’re by yourself with no family or close ones, like some of the people in this room." he smiled and raised his eyebrows, in a way to motion towards himself, hoping it would make the conversation seem less serious and casual. "You can’t be selfish, it’s wrong to think about just rescuing yourself, you know?" Alex paused, trying not to sound discriminating "Well, at least I think that, I wanna help people in trouble and do something about the situation."

As Colleen listened to his reasoning, she thought about her own family, who are all at least safe and out of harms way, with the exception of her mother. Despite understanding the reasoning behind the selfishness of others, she couldn't want to argue that it wasn't selfishness but cowardice. Though, she supposed if push came to shove and the roles were reversed, she'd do anything to keep her family safe. "I'd kill for my family. I'd fight to the death for them, and guard them with my dying breath. But I wouldn't ever send someone to their death, someone innocent who doesn't deserve it. I'd like to think that I wouldn't at least. I love them, don't misjudge me. Family is family, no matter what. This is just... sometimes I start to thinking that there's something bigger that I should be defending. I want to contribute, not hide away. Maybe that puts me and my family at risk, but I would never be content with not acting." she shrugged her shoulders, keeping her hushed voice as casual as it could be. "I know, though. I do. Or at least where you're coming from." 

"Far different? As in it looks like someone alive might be there?" he asked. "I’m just curious if everyone talks to each other and how things go in there. I might visit one of those places in a few days. Perhaps Shell Cottage, since I know for a fact people train there." Alex mentioned, he didn’t really want to go there to help wizards train or anything, in fact he wanted to test out his skills again and make sure he’d be alright on the outside if it were to come to an attack.

"Exactly," Colleen answered, before thinking to herself about how the safe zones really were. They were safe, yes. But they always reminded her of bases more so than actual towns. But, then again, it's probably hard to find a homey feeling place these days. "Depends on which safe zone you go to. Some are more of pit stops in a way and others are there for families. As far as communications goes, safe zones are always hot with some new buzz. Shell Cottage? Feeling a bit rusty?" she asked, though she could fully understand wanting to visit Shell Cottage before anything else. 

"As you can see, Ravenclaws can be pretty chivalrous themselves." he smiled, closing the door behind him and heading for one of the tables. "No particular reason to be honest. I don’t even know what it’s like in one of those places." Alex did have a reason though. It wasn’t his intention to lie, but sharing the fact that he’s a Rosier wouldn’t get him on anyone’s good side, it had been like that through Hogwarts and through the Auror Academy, he would hardly be accepted lightly at a safe zone. She hadn’t shared her last name as well, so he didn’t feel obligated to tell her his.

She trailed him to one of the tables, and pulled a chair out from under it. The safe zones were where Colleen usually frequented when she wasn't out running missions, as her blood status was becoming increasingly more dangerous to have, and as her surname was muggle in origin. "Well, you'll have to find a reason to come and see how they are for yourself." Colleen didn't have any reason to question why Alex didn't share his last name, as she hadn't shared hers either. She merely chocked it up to names being a dangerous thing to share with people these days. "I will tell you, they're far different from places like Hogsmeade. The rest you'll have to find out on your own. Spoilers and all that." 

Alex smiled at her remark. He thought about her offer for a second and decided it wouldn’t be a bad idea in any way, especially since he was going to hang around here for a couple more hours anyway, why not grab a bite? “Best offer I’ve had today.” he smiled and opened the door, in that way letting her go in first. “Does heading back refer to the safe zones? I haven’t been to one yet.” he asked curiously, since he had been wondering about going to one of those places eventually.

Colleen returned the smile, her eyes scrunching up slightly. Good company for meals was always appreciated, as was his gentlemanly act of opening the door for her. As she stepped through the door and into the inn, speaking over her shoulder. "Chivalrous. Yet another Gryffindor trait. Impressive." After looking around the room, which was practically deserted aside from a man sweeping the dirty stone floor who seemed to be no threat, she turned to face Alex. "Perhaps. And why not?" 

"I graduated about seven years ago. Man, that makes me feel old, it seemed like not that much time has passed though." he really hadn’t thought of Hogwarts that much these days, but recalling the time spent there definitely brought back some memories. "I’m pretty sure I would remember you too if we really did have classes together."

"Dinosaur," she teased, thinking of her own Hogwarts experience now. Even three years felt like forever."I left about three years ago, but it feels like seven. Time is weird. But thank you, I do try to be memorable." Colleen smiled before nodding towards The Hog's Head. "Alright, I've decided that you're pretty good company, Alex the flaming sword swallowing Ravenclaw. I was planning on getting a bite to eat before I headed back, care to join me?" 

Alex laughed “It’s not that cliché, technically it is magical, but it really did feel like that, it was very cheerful before.” he smiled at her assumption, most people thought he was a Gryffindor, perhaps he did have many of the qualities similar to those of the people from that house, but his curiosity and desire to learn had always connected him most to Ravenclaw. “Yeah, many think I’m a Gryffindor, maybe the Sorting Hat made a mistake. I was in Ravenclaw. But I’m sure you were a Gryffindor.”

"Awful really, what it's been reduced to." Colleen grinned at Alex's spot on deduction of her former house. Once one obtained Gryffindor pride, it was terribly hard to shake. "Where dwell the brave of heart. Hit the nail on the head with that one, you really were a Ravenclaw. When did you graduate? I feel like I would remember you, since I know Gryffindors have classes with the Ravenclaws on occasion. Or used to have class with them." 

"Well, if it’s any consolation, being an Auror right now isn’t the best job you can have anyway. I mean, helping people and everything is good, but almost no one trusts me at first. Which is normal, since the "new" Ministry hired so many people."  He felt like she read his mind for a second, when she mentioned what seemed like a nostalgic memory of this place. "I know, it was amazing at first. I loved coming here as a kid."

"If it helps, most people don't trust anyone at first nowadays. Some people just can't risk it. The 'new' Ministry is... probably not the best thing to talk about out here. Or with most people." She knew that Aurors these days were people that were dangerously close with the Ministry, but Colleen rationalized that if Alex had wanted something from her, he'd have gone for it by now and not continue holding a casual conversation. He wasn't exactly ringing alarm bells in her head, despite his job position.Nostalgia in it's purest form. The days of trading frog cards and battling it out with licorice wands seemed ages in the past, though. "It's magical, as cliche and punny as that sounds. Let me guess... flaming swords, Auror, brave enough to stand out here all by your lonesome... Gryffindor?" 

Alex smiled at her, she seemed like she was very easy to talk to and he definitely enjoyed that. He couldn’t help but giggle at her question, not that it was funny to him that she would think that, it was the way she said it that made him laugh. “Not really.” he shrugged. At first he was hesitant about coming to Hogsmeade but soon enough he assured himself the only thing you can see here are scared families. “I hope my Auror training will come in handy if anything were to happen” he added casually.

"Well, I'd hope not. If the flaming sword swallower is scared, then we're all fucked." When he mentioned Auror training, Colleen inclined her head to look him over rather blatantly. "Auror, huh? You know, I always wanted to be an Auror when I grew up. Either that or I'd go off to explore. Now that I'm grown up, I've decided that I have no idea what I'm doing." She pulled another smile and nodded towards empty street. "I remember my first trip here. Spent all my money within the first thirty minutes and spent the rest of the time trying to convince people to let me have some of their candy and goodies. Those were the days." 

"That sounds like such a cool title, I might as well introduce myself that way from now on." he smiled. "So, Colleen, aren’t you a little scared to be seen around here?" Alex asked curiously, since the girl seemed pretty relaxed and spoke in a casual tone, it just looked like she was out here for nothing more than a walk.

"Good. You'll get a lot more jobs that way." she returned the smile before looking out over the streets, the smile fading a bit. Scared, no. Slightly on edge, yes. Colleen didn't see a point in acting that way, though. She was used to walking and talking like she built from confidence and adopting a casual demeanor for walking around a dangerous neighborhood was something she'd do. "I'm a big girl, Alex. I don't get scared very easily. I wasn't planning on being here very long, either." She turned her head slightly to look at the empty streets. "How about you? Aren't you a little scared?" 

Raising her brow, she let out a frustrated sigh. “Big idiotic protective boys. Difference is, your father actually told you, anyways I do not get into trouble, at least not anything I get caught for. Like I said, I’ve got a plan to crack them, hopefully it works out.” Shrugging, she pulled her hands out of her pocket, crossing them in front of her chest, pulling her coat flaps together. “I don’t think it’s better to keep anything undercover, I’d rather know what’s going on than be oblivious. I want to be able to protect myself if the occasion arises, rather than be helpless. Go out with a bang, and all  that jazz, you know?”

"Yes, but not until after I made him. I was a bit more forward about the whole thing than I hear you've been. Not that it matters any. Don't be too harsh on them, like you said, they're big idiotic protective boys." She moved a hand up to push some loose strand of hair back before smiling a bit. "I understand, really I do. But I'm not the one calling the shots around here. Sometimes things just... sometimes there's situations where the less people know, the better. Blaze of glory style, huh? Yeah, I'd think I'd like to take a few of those bastards out with me. Leave with a bang. If I ever went out that is." 

James watched Colleen’s game silently, trying not to mock laugh its lack of sense. However, deep down, he understood she missed having some real fun, because he was living through the exact same feeling, but it really wasn’t James Sirius Potter chat material, so he decided not to whine about it or even bring it up. After the rock hit the bush, James took his wand out of his cloak and Accio’ed it, and used a teasing tone for the words that were yet to be spoken, with his fingers clenched on the improvised puck. “And the little league of Pushing rocks towards bushes is won by the one and only competitor, one with the mentality of a ten year old. The crowd is indeed ecstatic.”

Colleen watched the rock zip from the bush and towards the voice of the one and only James. Turning herself around to face him, she rose an eyebrow and rose a hand up to her ear. In a similar teasing tone, she mimed getting a call. "What is this? Listen here folks, breaking news. It appears a giant head has made its way onto the field. The inflated head seems to be speaking, but the only thing we can make out is that he's bitter about his history of losing, even against himself. We conclude that the giant head is a baby and needs to give the competitor her ro- ball back." 

“Not half of it, just the half you went to school with.” Raising a brow, she could help the amused smile from spreading across from her lips. “I don’t enjoy playing spy, I just don’t appreciate being out of the loop. Anyways, they were only discussing dinner, and I didn’t want to ruin the surprise of that. Though, I’m telling you, I’ll crack Teddy or Dad one of these days, maybe James, someone will decide I’m much more help when I’m involved in the discussions, not just standing around with my ear pressed to the door.”

"Still. Half is half." Colleen rolled her eyes a bit but she knew where the girl was coming from. Ah, to be young and have people keep you out of loops. "They're just being big dumb protective boys, Lily. They'll tell you things in time, I promise. But somethings are better kept undercover, yeah? You just gotta trust them. Believe me, my dad was the same exact way. Didn't want his little girl to go out and get herself hurt, but he obviously got over that. They just need time to know that you're not a damsel in distress. Try not to put yourself in distress to prove that, though. Doesn't always work out."