cherry bombs & gasoline

Can you uh, can you let me put clothes on?

Where’s my present?

“In the the kitchen with your wife’s cooking, if you’re man enough to wake up and go get it.”

“Oh true, true. Only reinvent yourself for the sake of your own ambition, eh? Of course, they were also annoying the landlord and costing me about a Galleon a month, so I suppose it wasn’t a bad change…” Rita said conversationally, nodding, then frowned in sudden thought, “Or was ‘change yourself’ a hint about the bridal gown?”

I’m– 

Quite basically five. That isn’t giving me much. 

“Five and fifty all at the same time.”

“I quit.” Rita spread her hands, chuckling, basking in the interest - as any decent interviewee ought to do, she felt, “More or less. Had an ex-girlfriend, the picky sort, you know, didn’t like the smell…” 

“- How about a question for a question, now?” Rita sidled up closer, “the colour scheme - pink, gold or white?”

I was. 

aurorlongbottom:

You say that like Alice and Lily didn’t make the fourth and fifth. Poor girls. 

“Don’t tell them that.”

“Marlene…” The gravity of war had always been ingrained in her mind, but it felt much more real now. More personal. She was sure the same could be said for the many other unwelcomed muggleborns in this world. “I don’t feel safe anywhere.”

It took a few seconds for Marlene to process the moment, but when the shock of it wore off, she realized that her heart had been broken in two. Dorcas Meadowes was no crier -- no one Marlene would bother to spend time with was -- but this was enough to break her down in the middle of the street. With shaking arms, Marlene wrapped herself around Doe, holding her tightly, as if someone would pry her away forever if she let go.

“Thank you very much!” Rita beamed, taking the cigarette between forefinger and thumb with relish, “Haven’t had one in a while…” She turned to blow the smoke downwind. “And how lovely, it’ll be the talk of the town,” Rita nodded and winked, holding the cigarette out to return it to Marlene. 

She tapped her fingers on the bottle she clutched a couple of times, “So… nothing scandalous? A drunken uncle, perhaps? Just checking! I’m just getting all the angles…” 

“The story I’m more interested in is why it’s been so long since you’ve had a proper smoke.”

Nostalgia is disgusting, I know.

“It’s not the nostalgia, it’s the old man thing. You have to be young for a wee bit at least, or you won’t have much to be nostalgic about later, yeah?”

I don’t think I’ve slept this late in that long. 

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen one of those, hmm? 

Forgetting.

“But it’s your golden year, bampot.”

I had planned– on it. 

“On forgetting, or remembering?”

No, make that twenty-four.

“Why Marlene, my dar - well, actually it has been a rather long day.” Rita started to protest then gave it up as a bad job. Eyeing Marlene’s cigarette a bit enviously, she stuck an arm elbow-deep in her hand bag and began to rummage, “And frankly these streetside jobs are making me feel like an intern again.” Pulling out a bottle of clear liquid Rita took a quick pull. Smacking her lips in satisfaction, Rita smiled glitteringly again…

“Shall we pretend that you gave me a description of a lovely reception? Fairy lights and Flitterbloom bushes?”

“When am I not! What with the wizarding public always rabid for coverage of this, er, interesting sport… But of course, I’m mostly here for the drama occurring in the sidelines of the matches - I’ll leave the scores and all the rest to you, never fear!”

That was the least of Marlene’s worries, but she figured it was better not to say so, at least not to her. “Glad to hear it,” Marlene deadpanned. With her arms still crossed over her chest, she made a beeline for the stand behind Rita---anywhere but here, with anyone but her. “Enjoy yourself today.”