Walk Along

@beforedawnstarters​

          He had promised his mother he would not spend all summer back home, so when she said she was going to London for a few days on business, he decided to join her. Kaz didn’t like London, but then again, he didn’t like anywhere that wasn’t the safe comfort of his home or Hufflepuff common room. Since his mother was busy with work, it meant he was left to find something to do. Since he promised his mother he would not spend the whole time reading in the inn. That’s how he ended up lost in Diagon Alley. “Excuse me,” he said, softly approaching someone, “I think I’m a little lost.” 

            “  doesn’t  mean  you  couldn’t  use  some  more  ,  mate  .  have  you  been  out  since  term  ended  ?  c'mon  ,  just  some  drinks  ,  hittin’  up  muggle  pubs  where  no  one  knows  us  ?  ”  merlin  ,  he  was  a  tricky  bloke  .  the  hand  that  was  waving  in  the  air  marking  her  words  didn’t  stop  as  she  spoke  ,  eyes  glinting  with  mischief  as  she  imagined  it  .  she  wasn’t  sure  why  pete  was  like  this  ,  why  he  seemed  to  try  so  hard  to  avoid  .  .  .  mostly  anything  that  didn’t  involve  him  and  the  rest  of  the  blokes  ,  but  she  thought  it  did  him  more  harm  than  good  .  some  nice  ,  absentminded  fun  wouldn’t  kill  him  .  and  as  such  dorcas  simply  rolled  her  eyes  ,  the  pencil  in  her  hand  moving  to  poke  at  the  boy’s  forearm  gently  ,  curls  popping  as  she  spoke  again  .  "  i’m  working  now  ,  doesn’t  mean  i  don’t  get  off  later  .  plenty  of  free  time  to  take  you  out  on  the  town  ,  loosen  up  a  bit  .  you  won’t  regret  it  ,  i  promise  .  gryffindor’s  honor  .  "

             "  oi  ,  if  they  were  on  a  date  you’d  be  home  .  brighten  up  ,  pete  ,  won’t  kill  you  to  stop  shittin’  on  yourself  for  two  seconds  .  "  merlin  her  mother  was  going  to  kill  her  ,  but  dorcas  looked  around  the  dining  room  for  a  moment  before  she  slid  onto  an  empty  chair  ,  eyes  rolling  and  a  hand  armed  with  a  blunt  pencil  waving  around  peter’s  face  .  she  couldn’t  for  the  life  of  her  understand  why  the  boy  was  so  .  .  .  so  that  to  himself  —  he  was  a  funny  enough  bloke  ,  he  could  use  some  confidence  .  "  nah  ,  mum’s  in  the  kitchen  with  dad  —  he  does  the  cooking  and  she  does  the  expediting  ,  beats  me  how  they  handle  each  other  all  day  every  day  but  whatever  floats  their  boat  .  i’m  just  helpin’  out  .  we  should  go  out  sometime  —  as  friends  before  you  choke  on  air  ,  mate  —  you  look  like  you  could  use  some  fun  .  "

           ❝      now   you’re   telling   porkie   pies   there   ,      wasn’t   it   ten   galleons   you   offered   me   ?      i’m   almost   certain   it   was   .      i   wonder   what   dear   little   luella   would   say   if   i   told   her   that   ?      that   a   mean   old   sixth   year   was   thinking   of   such   an   awful   thing   ?      ❞     twist   and   turn   and   lie   and   charm   ;      it   was   everything   jasmine   had   taught   her   to   do      —      if   she   had   to   .      everything   that   was   expected   of   her   ,     everything   she   wasn’t   .     but   with   words   laced   with   a   near   unconscious   dip   into   the   magic   her   mother   had   passed   to   her   it   came   oh   so   sweetly   and   naturally   to   her   lips   .      maybe   she   was   a   freak   .      just   maybe   .      but   she   had   her   own   gifts   .

THE  MARAUDERS      ╱    aciiers , pettitail,  @hvwliing​,  jcmesptter

        𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑠   𝑎𝑙𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡   𝑓𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑠       into  simply   staring  ahead   along  with  james  as  remus  and  peter  discuss .    he  snaps  back  fully   when  james  brings  him  up .       ❛     or   we  could  play  in   teams ,   ❜         sirius  grins  back  to  james ,    turning  to  cock  a  brow  at  both  peter  and  remus  in  turn .         ❛     and   you  —   ❜      he  jabs  a  finger  into  james’   chest ,    acting  like  the  smile’s  gone   manic .        ❛     get  to  play   against   me ,    if  i’m  apparently  in  need  of   practice .     we’ll   see   who’s  getting  kicked  out  next  fall ,    prongsie .   ❜      he  sits  back  in  his  seat  again ,   arms  around  the  back  of  it .       ❛     you  want  to  go  fetch  a  board ,   pete ?    or  we  can   all   just  break  into  the  library .   ❜

“you dropped something” cassian pointed out to the boy just escaping the train, in his defence it was a flood of students and parents ushering them to the side, he doubt the boy even saw that he dropped the pouch. lucius was taking his sweet time and here he was aiding the helpless, “here you go” he muttered, handing it over - there was his charitable act of the day, now if only someone could see it, then altheda, his publicist would be off of his arse about his image. 

@pettitail​

He told his parents to still meet him at the train station, even if it was a day later. If apparation was a NEWT instead of one measley exam he’d probably have done great. But this was a hassle, carrying all of his things.Trying to imagine himself with everything at one in his hand right on the platform. So upon his pop in - a few things scattered. But he turned rapidly at the appearance of another and when he turned....MERLIN. “Yeah, thanks.” Voice nothing but a little squeak when the chocolate frog card was given back to him. He quickly shoved it back in his pocket because...why look at the card when the real person was right there. And he didn’t want him to see....”Hello.”

              "  no  ,  unless  you're  buying  .  my  parents  own  the  place  ,  i'm  on  strictly  work  duty  .  “  she  waved  her  paper  around  ,  the  grin  on  his  lips  matching  the  twinkle  in  her  eye  as  she  rested  her  hip  against  peter's  table  —  she  really  ,  truly  liked  the  boy  .  sure  ,  he  was  a  bit  .  .  .  well  ,  a  bit  something  ,  but  dorcas  had  grown  to  appreciate  his  company  over  the  last  year  .  the  witch  moved  to  pat  his  shoulder  as  her  gaze  moved  over  the  table  ,  brow  raising  when  she  turned  back  to  the  boy  she  now  considered  a  friend  .  "  you  here  alone  ?  pretty  big  table  just  for  you  ,  pete  .  oh  —  please  tell  me  i'm  not  crashing  a  date  .  ”

“i don’t doubt that, i’m just telling you i haven’t heard that name in this department before. these are the obliviator offices and i’m pretty sure you’re lost.” and he’d chosen to bother her, of all people. did she seem approachable? that was both good and bad, but for now she’d take the distraction she supposed. “the fireplaces? the floos?” she laughed at that a little. “i could tell you but i’m concerned you’d get lost again, so why don’t you just follow me and i’ll take you back down to the floos?”

“Obliviators, right, yeah.” As if that at all cleared up his confusion about this maze of a building. Was it even really a building? He swallowed down any more embarrassment to give the young woman a polite nod. Peter stepped away from the doorway, half convinced he’d end up on another floor without her in front of him. “Please, yeah. Thank you, yeah. Don’t know it well enough.”

           ❝      are   you   helping   prove   my   point   little   petey   ?     oh   how   sweet   of   you   .      i   asked   if   you   would   but   i   would   never   do   that   !      ❞      she   lied   ,     a   look   of   mock   affront   across   her   face   .      ❝      but   you   asking   me   to   ?      i   wonder   ,     what   are   you   capable   of   ?      ❞

“she watched him, she could practically smell his nerves from where she stood as she planted her hands on her hips, waiting. did she intimidate the child? or was he nervous for another reason? “sorry, never heard that name before. try another floor perhaps?” surely he didn’t need an escort.

He hovered in the doorway, unsure if leaving entirely or entering was going to help more. “I mean, yeah. He works here, yeah.” Which that much was obvious, but the specifics of ‘here’ were not. Maybe he could just go one home? Surely he could manage that. “Um is there...the, yeah. You know hall with the...” His hand gestured, as if throwing something down. “The fireplaces?”

she sighed softly, this was clearly a mistake on the boys fault but she felt a little badly for him. still he looked a bit young to be wandering around the ministry, so she tried to be understanding even though she didn’t really want to be. she had plenty of work to get to but instead her time was being taken by this, and she began to wonder ( as she often did ) if he was muggleborn or not. you look a bit lost love, where is it you need to be?” she could get him out of her hair if he’d just spit it out. 

Peter’s eyes circled the room, looking for something familiar but came up on literally nothing. In fact, he was sure he was on the wrong floor and it didn’t help that he could not even imagine what division is father actually worked in. “Um, Andrew Pettigrew?” He blurbed to the tall girl who seemed sweet enough. “Is this...” He trailed off not really hving any other questions.

THE  MARAUDERS      ╱    aciiers, pettitail,  @hvwliing​, jcmesptter

        𝑠𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑠  𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑠  ℎ𝑖𝑠    attention  on   peter   a  moment ,    contemplating   a  bit  before  he   suggests   a  plan .       ❛     isn’t  she  always  sending   far   too   much ,    anyways ?    we  can  always  make  for    one  last  feast    before  taking  off   after   the  moon ,   too .    merlin  knows   i’ll   need  it .         ❜         even  if  his  house  elf    did   try  to  feed  him   without   poison   instructed  to  be  included  this  time   —    if  fed   at  all   after  this    —    he  wouldn’t  want  to  bother   checking .     at  the  jibe ,     he  gives  prongs  a  quick   snap   of  his  head ,    hand  coming  out  in  accusation ,    masking  the  bubbling  laughter  threatening  to  leave  at  the  memories   gobblestones   caused  them .    ❛     that -    was  a  result  of   nothing   but   pure  luck .    ❜    sirius  huffs   belligerently ,    leg  coming  out  to  kick  at  james’  .

𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧  𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫       /      @beforedawnstarters​

              “  i’m  going  ,  merlin  ,  you’d  think  i’ve  been  sat  on  my  ass  all  day  .  ”  eyes  rolled  as  dorcas  jumped  off  the  stool  she’d  been  sitting  at  ,  her  mother’s  order  to  get  her  butt  moving  a  little  too  pointed  for  the  young  woman  to  ignore  —  until  money  started  coming  in  the  easiest  solution  was  to  help  out  at  pestle  and  mortar  and  while  dorcas  wasn’t  the  biggest  fan  of  waiting  tables  .  .  .  it  could  be  worse  .  the  summer  rush  had  started  and  it  was  all  hands  on  deck  at  the  meadowes  household  .  she  was  humming  as  she  exited  the  kitchen  ,  the  pencil  she’d  used  earlier  to  attempt  to  keep  her  hair  back    (   her  mother’s  doing  ,  there  was  no  reason  to  use  a  quill  when  pencils  were  much  easier   )    finding  her  way  to  her  hand  as  she  approached  the  table  ,  taking  a  second  too  long  to  recognize  the  face  looking  up  at  her  .  "  hello  ,  i’m  dorcas  and  —  oh  .  hey  .  "

THE  MARAUDERS      ╱    jcmesptter ,  aciiers , pettitail,  @hvwliing​

        ❛     𝑛𝑜𝑡  𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒  𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡'𝑠    saying  much ,     is  it ?      we   never   nick   enough   sweets ,❜         sirius  responds  to  james   idly ,    lips  curling  up  to  a   roguish   grin  in  the  process .       ❛     we  won’t   need   the  cloak   —   or  elves   —   for  more  food .    we   have   enough   —   we  just  need  to  find  something   else   to  do  to   distract   us  from  just   sitting  here ,   ❜         he  insists ,    leaning  back  and  discarding  the  apple .     he   snaps   his  fingers  toward  remus  as  well  at  the   insistence   he  gives ,     although  still  addressing  peter .       ❛     and  don’t  listen  to  him ,   ❜         he  says .       ❛     moony gets   first  dibs   on  food .   ❜

sitting down at her desk, she took stock of the paperwork already there. she was mostly caught up and was simply preparing for a meeting later in the day when someone approached and she smiled “did you need me for something?” she said kindly, ever the people pleaser and more than happy for a possible new assignment perhaps. but she wasn’t fond of her time being wasted either. 

@beforedawnstarters​

Wrong office. Why his dad thought bringing him to work was a brilliant idea he’ll never know. And he was anxious...waiting on a owl from James which he was sure his mother was going to find first if he didn’t get home soon. “Sorry, wrong office, yeah...I’m looking for...” Bloody shite, he really didn’t know what exactly his dad did for a living. “Its fine, yeah...I’ll get it....” Hopelessly lost in a maze, he was.

Plot and Connection Ideas

THE  MARAUDERS       ╱    jcmesptter, aciiers,  pettitail , @hvwliing​

      ❛     𝑎𝑡  𝑡ℎ𝑒  𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒       you’re    headed ?   ❜       sirius  brings  an  arm  over  james’  chair ,    leaning  in  when  he   nabs   the  disregarded   fruit ,   eyeing  it  and  james  like  he’s  seriously  considering   dropping   it  down  his  mate’s  shirt  for  the   audacity .     ❛     might  as  well    try   and  replenish  our    stock .    we  don’t  have  anything   left   laying  around  here ,    do  we ?❜     he  directs  his  question  to   peter ,     as  if  he  were  the   resident   hoarder    —   which .    well .