Lily Luna

Phoebe drew in a frustrated breath, her impatience growing with each word the Potter girl spoke. Did she seriously not remember the favor Phoebe had gone out of her way to extend, or was she just playing dumb? Whatever the reason, the brunette didn’t have time for either option. Huffing, she cast her deep brown irises at Lily just long enough to catch the other woman off guard.

“Oh no, not at all.” Phoebe pursed her lips willing to entertain this conversation for the hell of it, her words dripping with sarcasm. “Just genuinely curious as to why I’d go out my way to meet up with the Potter girl who wasted my time. Please, enlighten me.”

“Who wasted your time?” Lily bit out, feeling suddenly defensive. “Oh...” Her anger dissolved for a brief moment as she remembered Phoebe reaching out to her at school, asking her if she wanted to join her team, help her with... distribution. And then the emotion returned full force. “Are you kidding me?” She demanded. “I know I bought a few things from you in school, clearly I was an idiot, but I never wanted to become tangled up in- in whatever you had going on! I hardly think that’s wasting your time! Are you seriously still upset over that? ##” 

Ethan eyed the spunky redhead barreling towards him, keeping his arms folded tightly across his chest as she closed in on him and got straight to business. He was excepting a much more positive reaction to his generosity than barked orders and glaring looks. It wasn’t everyday the Ethan Wood went out of his way to associate his brand and reputation with lesser broomstick companies like Cleansweep. None the less, it was exactly the angle his team were going for: relatable and a quidditch player of the people, perfect for rehabilitating his broken image after the World Cup attacks. 

“Mornin’ to you, too, Potter.” Ethan grumbled, cocking his head to the side at the parchments that now scattered the pitch. He deliberately ignored the girl’s requests to get started, now towering over her from behind, arms still pressed against his chest. Two could play at this game. “Wouldn’t bloody kill ya to say please first, yeah?”

Lily rolled her eyes, repressing a smile at Ethan’s predictability. “Good morning.” She muttered begrudgingly, once again trying to push the broom onto the wizard before her. “Now, fly. Please.” She eyed him carefully, trying to show him she was serious about her work. She knew Cleansweep wasn’t exactly a desirable brand but she was desperately trying to change that during her time with the company. 

@ethanwoodx

“Ay dios mio.” Phoebe rolled her eyes, remembering the Potter girl from her school days having sold to her on a few occasions even extending a favor to recruit her into her trade. For a moment, Phoebe considered ignoring the redhead she had gone out of her way to land a spot among her crew, but Phoebe was no longer a naive school girl learning her trade and she also was no longer one to let those who had snubbed her get away with it so easily. 

Instead, she folded her arms beneath her chest, curling her lips into a wicked sneer and seized the opportunity as it stared at her with a sickening smile. “And what possible reason would I have to for seeing you again?”

Lily knew she hadn’t seen Phoebe in years but the hostility of her response took her by surprise. She blinked, taking a moment to process the girl’s words. “I know we weren’t exactly close...” She started, unable to hide the fact that she had been taken off guard. “But I don’t get it.” She continued to hug her paper cup, unsure how to stand or what to say. “Have- have I upset you?”

Since Julian had been released from the hospital and had returned to his family’s home for the holiday, Roxanne was left feeling a strange sort of emptiness upon returning home to her flat. Sure – she had more than enough family around to keep her company, and the threat of an unbridled power lurking in the shadows just waiting to strike again meant her work with the Ministry’s investigation was far from over… but the weight she had placed upon her own shoulders since Julian had been injured had become all too familiar and she wasn’t sure she liked how it felt to be without it. Roxanne had primarily been working from home, holing herself up in much the same way she had been in her office before all hell had broken loose (though less than she would have liked considering the insistence of her mother and grandmother that she be around for the festivities). Even so, the air became too stuffy at times, the thoughts stagnant and words blurring after hours upon hours of scouring the same materials. The walks to the closest coffee shop were sometimes the only fresh air she got most days, and she wasn’t surprised to find that in her unfocused state she had almost missed the flash of red hair in her vision. Tired as she was, she found it in her to smile at her younger cousin – pleased to see her despite her own disarray. 

“If I tell you I was, could you forgive me for lying? Though I suppose the only plans I’ve had lately are coffee dates with myself and beating this case into the ground, if it makes you feel better.”

Lily laughed at her cousin’s response. “Of course I could forgive you for lying.” She grinned over her coffee cup. “If you could forgive me for using you to kill my boredom?” She countered, her grin only growing. “Ugh,” she groaned. “Cases, always with the cases! Come on!” She linked her arm through Roxanne’s dragging her back towards her apartment. “I’ll share my coffee with you if you agree to just relax for a second!” She teased. “We can have an actual coffee date. Y’know, with talking and everything!” 

Jace stopped juggling​ one of the bottles and flipped it up onto the back of his hand. “Always Lily. You can always count on me. I got bored and just decided why not learn something cool. I’m also trying out jobs to see what I’m good at and what I want to do after I leave Hogwarts.”

“People do this for work?” Lily asked curiously. She’d never heard of that before, although she didn’t exactly know much about the world of alcohol outside high content Butterbeer and Firewhiskey, the two easiest drinks to smuggle into the castle “Why? Where?”

“Will she though? You said it yourself. She has more important things to worry about than her miscreant son ditching class.” Al grumbled, staring at the ground as they walked. “Let’s just not talk about mum, yeah? I’ve ditched how many classes and still haven’t gotten caught or a howler? We’ll be fine.”

“Okay, fine. Subject dropped.” Lily said, frowning slightly. “Am I allowed to ask how badly your grades are suffering?”

“No, what’s weird is you keep telling me knowing full well that it won’t stop me from talking. Which I wasn’t even going to do, so good job jumping the gun on that one. Don’t dish if you can’t take.” Al shrugged. “Like Mum cares. I don’t care what she thinks anymore honestly.”

“Fine, you win.” Lily shot her brother a worried look, linking her arm through his after a moment of hesitation. “It isn’t like that and you know it. She has more important things to worry about but she does care, she will care... if she finds out we’re getting into trouble she’ll be upset.” She said quietly, trying not to let on that she was feeling the same way. 

“You’ll get a free drink no matter if you’re impressed or not."Jace smiled

Lily grinned, watching as Jace continued to juggle the bottles. “Good to know I have somebody I can count on. How do you know how to do that? Why did you learn?”

“Okay, one if you’re trying to gross me out, you’re failed attempt at spontaneous sex isn’t gonna do it. And two, don’t share sex stories unless you wanna hear sex stories, got it?” He smirked at his sister before walking away. “And if you haven’t noticed, I don’t care about getting in trouble.”

“That was an attempt to gross you out and stop you from telling sex stories.” Lily rolled her eyes, watching Albus as he began to walk away. “It’s weird that you don’t find your little sister talking about having sex weird, you know?” She called, hurrying to fall into step beside him. “I know you don’t, but the last thing Mum needs is a letter home about one of us...” She said, becoming serious.