SO ELECTRIC !

( cis male | he/him/his | keith powers ) —— isn’t that HAKIM DUMA AKELLO ? yeah that is them, outside the three broomsticks! they used to attend UAGADOU INSTITUTE OF MAGIC but apparently they now work as a DRAGONOLOGIST / DRAGON CARETAKER for the NORTH AFRICAN SANCTUARY FOR DRAGONS  . sybill once said that they reminded her of wearing seven gold rings to represent each person in his family , a compulsion to feed his need for adrenaline , tea leaves arranged on a tea cup soaked in a despair that is inherited , speaking to ghosts of family members you never met , generational wealth that never really belonged to you  which seems about right. anyway i’ve heard they’re still a bit  DAUNTLESS, REVERENT and ERRATIC, they’re TWENTY-EIGHT now but some things never change! i wonder how being a PUREBLOOD  is affecting them after school, especially now they’re NEUTRAL ? i guess only time will tell…    

any  sudden  call  was  bad  news  ,  but  the  urgency  of  this  one  had  left  dorcas  on  edge  —  the  tightness  in  her  throat  a  vice  grip  as  she  reached  to  the  quidditch  match  and  set  to  work  .  she’d  been  trained  for  this  ,  she  knew  what  she  was  doing  :  yes  ,  she  felt  the  panic  rustle  inside  her  uncomfortably  but  there  was  no  room  for  it  now  .  later  ,  when  the  dust  settled  and  she  was  alone  ,  but  not  now  .  it  was  not  the  wisest  decision  —  running  through  the  thick  smoke  in  search  of  those  concealed  by  the  black  wall  —  and  the  dry  ,  burning  cough  was  far  from  pleasant  ,  but  it  was  worth  it  as  she  nearly  bumped  into  someone  .  "  hey  ,  hey  —  apparating  won’t  work  ,  but  we  need  to  get  you  somewhere  safe  .  i’m  dorcas  ,  field  mediwix  .  "

“I’m the wrong person to ask– I’m deaf, I had no idea there was a jukebox in here to begin with.” Dmitry laughed, hoping that would keep the other from doing some drawn-out awkward apology. 

         ❝ i  could  have  easily  picked  one  myself  ,  never  you  mind .  ❞  they  say   with  a  genuine  smile  ,  digging  a  hand  into  his  cloak  to  find  a  loose  coin  to  insert  into  the  machine .  even  though  hakim  only  minds  shuffling  through  the  records  for  a  few  seconds  ,  anything  is  soaringly  better  than  the  techno  beat .  ❝  my  mother  would  always  tell  me  that  it  was  always  how  the  music  vibrated  into  the  world  that  mattered  most  .  how  it  effects  the  body  -  you  don’t  even  need  music  to  dance .  but  this  music ,  sort  of  takes  that  spiritual  aspect  away  i  feel  .  i  still  am  struggling  to  wrap  my   head around  that  since  i’ve  moved  here .   ❞   

                  ❝   it’s   a   scary   world   out   there      ❞

who: open where: knockturn alley

“I didn’t say I have a dragon egg,” Baz phrased carefully, “and I certainly didn’t tell you where I might have gotten one, if I did have one. Which I never said I did, even though it would be fucking rad.”

        ❝  maybe  you  didn’t  say  you  have  one  but  you  might’ve  had  one  ? ❞  hakim  cannot  help  but  gear  interest  in  the  chatter  they  had  overhead  while  walking  by  ,  wondering  if  this  was  even  something  they  should  get  involved  in .  dragon  egg  or  not  ,  it  would  lay  on  their  conscience  if  they  didn’t  at  least  ask  .  ❝ and  this  hypothetical ,  of  course .  if  you  had  one  ,  where  would  it  go  ?  would  be  a  shame  for  you  ,  me  ,  and  the  dragon  for  it  to  land  in  the  wrong  hands .  ❞  

“Ah, fuck. That’s a lot of pressure, mate,” Ned replies with a chuckle, scrunching his nose a little as he considers the songs the jukebox has to offer. Ultimately he just jabs his finger at a random button, hoping for the best as a new record slots itself into place. “There, how’s that?”

            ❝  there  is  no  pressure  when  there is  no  wrong  choice .  my  ears  are  simply  two  more  seconds  away  from  bleeding  if  i’ve  got  to  listen  to  the  same  song  again .  ❞   hakim  says  with  an  exaggerated  sign  ,  merely  taking  the  opportunity  to  watch  over  ned’s  shoulder  to  make  sure  that  the  other  would  simply  not  use  that  to  play  said  song  once  more  .  ❝  see  ?   it  wasn’t  that  hard .  ❞   a  grin  now  that  another  record  plays  through  the  speakers  .  ❝  i’d  ask  you  to  serenade  me  next  time  if  i  did  not  think  your  voice  would  be  shite  .  ❞  

standing outside the ministry with a hot coffee in her hands, she was debating on going inside now or waiting the hour until she was actually due in to her desk. it had been difficult leaving her son and even harder knowing she was not returning to friendly faces. but she’d done hard things before and she would again. she heard someone clear their throat behind her and stepped aside. “right, sorry, ‘m in the way.” ​

“Includin’ when I saw ye the other day? Seven.” It’s no secret that they don’t want to do the whole pureblood marriage thing, especially at the behest of their shit-stain of a father, but there is a part of Finn that does feel a little bad for Hakim and his family’s involvement in all of this. He could’ve had his pick of brides, looking like he does, and he’d still ended up with them. It’s a bad hand to have been dealt.

“Well, not to be a stereotype, but yeah,” Finn says, producing the bottle of firewhiskey and unscrewing the lid, offering Hakim the first mouthful. “Sláinte. Drink up.” If they’re going to hang out together, they figure they should at least be drunk - it is a party, after all.

        to  be  a  person  that  always  struggled  with  patience  ,  hakim  knew  he’d  have  to  wait  this  one  out  .  and  even  with  their  obvious  disdain  for  the  arrangement ,  hakim  knew  he  was  in  no  power  to  break  the  agreement  between  their  families .  it  always  felt  so  strange  for  someone  to  have  such  autonomy  over  their  life  ,  and  even  his  own  sisters  did  not  have  much  say  in  who  they’d  marry   but  this  ?    this  somehow  felt  right  .  so  he’d  continue  to  entertain  finn’s  bicker  even  if  it  burned  more  slower  than  a  cauldron  .  hopefully  they  would  make  their  mind  up   before  he  ever  considers  an  alternative  .  

      ❝   you  are  supposed  to  be  my  equal  ,   ❞  he  says  as  hakim  regards  the  bottle  of  firewhiskey  that  is  being  offered  .  there  was  the  occasional  alcoholic  beverage  at  home  but  those  were  for  celebrations  -  as  rare  as  the  full  moon  .  no  wonder  his  mother  always  warned  him  .  ❝  but  you  will  almost  always  best  me  in  this  game  ,  finn  .  ❞    one  more  hesitant  glance  at  the  bottle  and  having  to  face  that  it  was  probably  comparable  to  the  bottles  of  waragi  he’d  steal  with his  mates  .  so  when  he  takes  a  sip  ,  it  only  brings  those  wretched  memories  back  .    ❝  if  you  wanted  to  get  rid  of  me  ,  you  should  have  just  me  know  ,  finn  .  there’s  probably  ten  different  ways  to  off  me  that  is  more  humane  .    ❞  

                       godric,   was   arthur   glad   he   hadn’t   hit   the   dance   floor   yet.   ❝   oh,   i   know.   down   right   despicable,   it   is,   ❞   he   replied   with   a   nod   of   his   head,   knowing   how   full   of   it   he   was.   but   it   didn’t   matter,   he   was   glad   to   finally   have   hakim   in   his   home   base   for   a   while.   ❝   does   this   mean   you’ll   be   hosting   dancing   lessons   for   us   here   ?   i   may   need   a   lesson   or   two   before   the   wedding.   really   want   to   impress   molly,   you   know   ?   ❞

Though she’d lived the entirety of her life in the wizarding world, Ismerelda rarely visited Diagon Alley, except for before the school year. Her father didn’t want her hanging out with potential blood traitors, and her other caretakers didn’t, well, care to take her out of the house. In her own opinion, she hadn’t missed out on much. As she stood on the side of the main pathway, surrounded by street merchants and people who didn’t care that they were invading someone’s personal space, she couldn’t help but be grateful for never being forced to come here.

Crowds weren’t a big problem for Izzie, but she was alone, she had slim to no idea how to find her friends that she’d come with, and she was getting more and more frustrated with every second that passed. Her throat tightened, and the ice princess started to tear up from emotions she wasn’t used to overwhelming her. Just as she was preparing to just elbow her way to the Leaky Cauldron, she felt a tug on her shirt, and she was pulled backwards towards one of the many alleys. Panic seized her, and she turned around as soon as possible, her wand out and pointed at whoever had grabbed her shirt, but they were gone. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and she quickly whipped around, wand still raised, but she lowered it as soon as she recognized the face in front of her.

“Did you see you who grabbed me?” She asked, turning her head to see who had grabbed her harshly so randomly. “This place is a zoo, I swear.”

         hakim  should  have  known  better  than  to  loiter  around  the  hustling  diagon  alley  ,  especially  so  close  to  the  lunch  hour  .  it  was  also  nearing  the  beginning  of  the  school  year  and  he’s  spotted  several  families  making  their  way  with  lists  in  hand  .  after  all  ,   children  wixen  lined  outside  olivander  was  still  a  spectacle  for  hakim  .  the  wandmaker’s  reputation  was  still  quite  notable  outside  europe  -  but  to  think  that  they  were  so  accustomed  to  a  wand  ---  

      his  attention  is  drawn  elsewhere  ,  however  .  an  accidental  bump  and  he’s  instinctively  grabbed  onto  the  nearest  thing  for  balance .   hakim  is  instantly  apologetic  when  the  witch  comes  into  sight  ,  especially  when  her  features  appear  to  be  more  frazzled  than  he  felt  .  ❝  to  be  truthful ,  i  have  not  a  single  clue .  ❞  and  even  when  the  male  gives  a  look  to  the  side  to  find  some  evidence  of  the  culprit  ,  it’s  merely  deemed  a  hopeless  venture .  even  their  stilled  stance  was  enough  to  disturb  the  steady  flow  of  magical  folk  on  the  street  .  it  had  some  uncanny  resemblance  to  the  markets  he’d  go  with  his  mother  when  he  was  younger  .  the  only  thing  that  was  missing  was  the  art  of    haggling  .   ❝   i  should  have  probably  waited  for  another  time  for  a  casual  stroll  through  diagon  alley  .  ❞   there  was  still  much  for  hakim  to  see  but  he  should  have  known  that  it  would  be  busy  on  a  weekend .  ❝ what’s  got  you  roaming  this  madness  ?  ❞  

“Ah shite, ye’ve caught me, all this time I’ve just been usin’ my barely-concealed contempt for ye to throw ye off the scent. I’m obsessed with ye, Akello, what can I say?” Finn answers with a sardonic smile, barely resisting the urge to roll their eyes. He’s too reasonable for his own good. “Are ye drinkin’, then, since I can’t seem to be rid of ye?” They’ve got a nice bottle of Ogden’s tucked inside their jacket for such an occasion.

        ❝  you  are  just  laying  that  modesty  on  so  thickly  , i  barely  noticed  the  obsession  with  me .  how  many  times  have  you  told  me  off  now  ?   ❞    the  smile  is  still  playing  on  his  lips  as  he  continues .  ❝ never  met  someone  so  keen  on  getting  married  .   ❞      baba  had  truly  made  a  remarkable  choice  in  his  selection  for  a  spouse  for  hakim .  the  only  difference  was  that  hakim  had  now  lost  the  sense  to  fight  it  anymore   .  it  would  be  incredibly  difficult  to  get  a blessing  for  any  other  person  .  ❝  that’s  the  next  solution  ,  then  ?   ...  fine  .   ❞     he  shakes  his  head  as  if  he  had  been  defeated .  but  he’d  brave  anything  if  it  meant  more  time  with  them .  

“What, are ye following me now?” Finn asks, their tone just barely on the side of teasing as they turn to confront their new shadow.

       hakim  cannot  help  but  laugh  at  the  accusation   .  it  did  rather  seem  strange  that  the  two  kept  running  into  each  other  .  ❝  i  have  started  to  notice  that  you  are  always  so  quick  to  blame  me ,  finn .  ❞   and  maybe  he  would  have  missed  their  presence  if  it  hadn’t  been  for  their  interruption  but  he’ll  take  company .  ❝  should  i  be  worried  that  you  are  the  one  following  me  ?  ❞ 

“i’m not sure i’m supposed to be here, but someone said it was open invite? i brought a present.” maybe she should have just stayed home today but she had been invited by someone who had been invited by someone else and although she felt like a third wheel she wanted to blow off some steam and have some fun. ​

       ❝ i  will  admit  that  i  came  through  word  of  mouth  ,  and  did  not  even  take  a  moment  to  consider  it  might’ve  not  been  an  open  invitation  to  begin  with  .  ❞   hakim  feels  strange  for  even  coming  now  ,  especially  as  he  surveys  the  room  and  its  brimmed  with  music  he’s  not  familiar  with  ,  people  he  had  just  met  ,  and  everything  else  in  between  .  ❝  and  you  brought  a  gift  ?   well  shite   ,   you  think  i’m  the  only  one  who  didn’t  think  to  bring  one  ?  ❞ 

“It’s not what I call dancing, no.” Dajo hadn’t gone out since he settled in, and he had missed it. All the music, the beats, the dancing. It made him feel alive. He grinned at the man across from him. “We could show them what dancing should look like.”

–

“Not everyone’s been forced into dance lessons their whole lives.” Reg shrugged– he’d actually quite liked them, once the instructors had stopped trying to shove him into heels and make him do everything backwards. “Deeply embarrassing for them, yes, but it’s not their fault.”

❝  i  have  simply  never  understood  the  animosity  many  hold  for  dancing  around  here .  even  you  use  the  word  forced  ,   ❞   even  when  hakim  had  visited  central  and  south  america  did  they  casually  maintain  a  beat  better  than  the  english .  ❝  the  only  time  i  can  remember  taking  a  class  where  we  learned  how  to  dance  would  have  to  be  when  i  was  in  primary  school  and  we  had  the  oppurtunity  to  learn  of  the  baganda . ❞  that  still  fostered  nostalgia  even  years  later  .  the  memories  were  faint  but  hakim’s  attachment  to  his  home  had  once  been  not  so  complicated .  ❝ but  you  are  telling  me  that  you  enjoyed  what  you  learned  ?  ❞