A RELENTLESS PHOENIX.

Frank who had braced himself after accidentally crashing into someone in the middle of the Atrium, until he heard a familiar voice and let go of the breath he was holding. It had been too long since he had seen Mary; outside of business, though really the Order kept him so busy that even when Mary was around he rarely had time for a hello, let alone any real conversation. He smiled to himself for a brief moment before letting his eyes roll, “Yes, very original Mac.” He said sarcastically, “I’ve certainly never heard that one before.” He said though he wasn’t really sure if Mary had called him this, he could only assume in the years of knowing each other that it must have come up.

He cleared his throat for a moment, shifting uncomfortably before guilty slipping his pack into his pocket. His fingers tapping away against the pack sitting in his coat. “Oh I’m sure you’re fine, I didn’t hit you that hard.” He said, “Though, I suppose I owe you another coffee.” Frank said, sidestepping from the cigarettes. He hated giving in the to habit, but he hated, even more, being caught. 

“Oh, now you’re NEVER getting an apology from me, never again are you getting an admission of guilt from me. I should’ve aimed the coffee for that big head of yours,” Mary saw how he didn’t even mention the fact that he’d been smoking, which, she’d let him get away with for now. There was obviously shame in the action of trying to hide it from someone who knew you well, which Mary liked to think she did. 

“Fine, fine, I guess I can suffer through a coffee with you. Or at least, you buying me a coffee since you’re so busy out here walking like a zombie,” she teased, though she offered him a smile. Was she worried about him? Of course. Finally getting a good look at him, he looked exhausted, not that she was surprised -- they all were exhausted. Still, she loved Frank like a brother, so she couldn’t help but nag & notice things, trying to use her concern to help better take care of the people she cared about instead of it driving her sick with anxiety. “You look like you need a coffee too, fucking hell. Did an Inferi come and inhabit your body for a bit? You look like the lost member of KISS with how dark those eye circles are getting, mate. Agrippa’s hairy sack.”

Closed Starter @rebellxon

Running a hand over his face, Kingsley was actively fighting the urge to go home. Although he hid it well under his well-composed facade, the way the war was going had filled him with an intense feeling of urgency. A need to try and fix everything, single-handedly if he must, to try and save as many people as he could. It had led him to taking on more and more responsibilities, far more than he should have, and he wasn’t sure how exactly he was keeping himself functioning at this point. But even while all the logic in his possession - and he possessed quite a bit - told him that he needed to cut back and take care of himself before he crashed, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. There was a nagging voice at the back of his mind, telling him that if he slowed down for even a minute, something would go wrong, someone could die, and it would be all his fault for not doing enough.

He glanced towards the upper right corner of his desk, where there was stationed a single, bright yellow flower in a small planter, sitting underneath of it’s sun lamp. At least he had managed to keep that alive, even as out in the world people were being killed or going missing at an alarming pace. The flower had been a gift from Mary, and truthfully he treasured it. While not generally a demonstrative man when it came to how he felt about people, or things in general, she was one that could usually find a way to make him smile. That, of course, when he wasn’t too busy worrying about her. She had been through a lot for someone so young, and ever since he’d been sent to investigate her attack while she was in Hogwarts, he had felt like it was up to him to keep an eye out for her.

As he was thinking about this, still staring contemplatively at the small plant on his desk, there was a quick knock on his door. His eyes flicked over to the clock. Three-thirty in the morning. “Come in,” he called out, trying to make himself look more awake than he felt. But then Mary stepped into the small office, and he felt himself relax slightly. But instead of telling her that, or saying he was glad to see her, he asked instead, “What are you doing out at this hour? You should be in bed.”

Mary almost wanted to burst out laughing, because there he was, where she expected to find him -- at his office at 3:30 A.M. “You know Kings, that would hold a LOT more weight if your arse was in your own bloody apartment! I swear,” of course, even at this time of night ( or morning ) she was still lively, she was still every ounce of energy she was expected to be. Hilariously enough, looking at Kingsley, he looked ever so like the Auror that he was expected to be as well  -- alert at 3:30 A.M. ready to answer the call of duty in a moments notice. To an extent, she could understand -- she’d do anything she could to help the cause. To help end this war. The guilt of not being able to do more than she was often propelling her to have nights like these ( though, there were other factors involved ). Mary could only imagine how Kingsley felt, with how long he’d been fighting the good fight, for how long he’d pushed himself to the brink of death only to come back & do it again the next day. The idea of losing Kingsley to this war was beyond devastating, so, she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that didn’t happen. That he had support the way he’d supported her for years. She knew how much of an honor & privilege it was to be let into his space, his life, his head, she was determined to protect him as much as she could.

Taking a deep breath, she properly walked into the office, the newspaper articles she’d accumulated over the last week -- muggle & otherwise -- along with some food, a blanket, and a cushion. Lifting them up, she started, “I couldn’t sleep sooo I brought some goodies. No pot though, I didn’t want to get you fired. I figured neither of us needed to be alone at 3:30 A.M. acting as if we don’t know the other is awake somewhere brooding or working themselves too hard. I figured you’d maybe be hungry too, so I brought food as well. Muggle newspapers, wizarding newspapers, we can research. Not go too batty or at least, not go too batty alone,” looking around her, Mary plopped some what she brought on the desk ( & yes, possibly on Kingsley’s work ) and chairs in front of them. 

“A blanket as well! In case, you know, you’re ready to actually sleep. The cushion’s for me though, I’ve got a lot to go over as I’ve been slacking so I thought I’d utilize this nice floor,” her hand motioned to the floor in front of his desk, her mind already thinking of ways to organize her work space. The nervousness was obvious, Mary knowing her busy work and attitude would be pointed out as she now walked around the room, mentally planning. 

Not many got to see when Mary was such a nervous wreck, literally scrambling, but there was no way she was able to bullshit around him. This was how Mary was most nights, she hid it best she could from most of her friends, but there was not a chance she’d be able to hide it from Kingsley. Besides the fact that he was a fantastic Auror with an uncanny ability to see people, he knew her far too well for hiding to be an option. For performing wellness to be acceptable or convincing. It helped her to be able to be this way around him, Mary often preaching the values of honesty though unable to follow her own advice due to her own issues. This practice in being herself at what she felt was her worst was as freeing as her being herself at her fullest when loud and unapologetic.  She was grateful every night like this that they’d shared that he just accepted her for it. That he let her be. 

Finally, her eyes settled on him, then the sunflower that had been kept in tact -- Mary finally pausing just to admire the fact it was ALIVE. “I’ll be mad when I have more energy at the fact that this isn’t at your place but it means you went to your apartment, then? At one point? Progress. I’m so happy you’ve kept it alive, I think if you’re not going to commit to a garden in your flat, you could make a small one here. Liven up the place. Maybe you could grow a fruit in it too, so that you’ll actually eat a fruit every now and then. Even I eat fruit, Kingsley. ” 

Having three older kids, all very much like their father, and two month old twins, Molly needed to get out of the house. She wasn’t sure how much more she could take of her kids fighting with each other, screaming and running around. Even going outside seemed to have lost her kids interest, as they were constantly fighting who can fly which broom. Even Percy was getting cabin fever, a feat not often achieved as he was usually happy when he was at home reading his books.

So Molly decided to take them to the all wizarding town of Hogsmeade. She wasn’t entirely sure what they would do once they got there, but she needed the time out of the house as much as her kids did. For once, since she had given birth, she was up to the task of taking three boys and two infants out for a few hours.

Packing the essentials and making sure she brought extra jackets just in case her boys got cold (which she knew they probably wouldn’t because they were always running around), Molly flooed herself and her five kids into The Three Broomsticks. Had she not just given birth, she would have apparated, but she found apparition made her nauseous (yes, even after a month after giving birth) and that was the last thing she wanted to be outside of the comfort of her own home while she had to wrangle three kids and make sure her newborn twins were comfortable.

They quickly walked out of the crowded pub and Molly found a table outside in the sun and sat herself down, her kids running around and looking into the shops aligning the cobblestoned street. As it was Percy’s nap time and he couldn’t keep up with Bill and Charlie, he pulled himself up on Molly’s lap, cuddled himself into her body. She set the twins down in their traveling bassinet right next to her, comfortable swaddled in their blankets.

Honeydukes had the best chocolate frogs, there was no denying that. 

That was one of the downsides of being out of school, when she went to Hogsmeade to shop now, it was such a treat that Mary couldn’t help but indulge. She missed Hogsmeade weekends, she missed having a designated time to go to Hogsmeade ( & not just the Three Broomsticks ) with the real world calling, having to now schedule time. So, she didn’t spare any expense, buying enough from the store for people to give her looks as she walked by, Mary of course shooting them a look back while furiously chomping on her Chocoballs as she did. 

Then, she saw Molly Weasley, a goddess among wixen kind as she looked fabulous and was out of the house with gaggle of children walking out of Three Broomsticks, only two months after giving birth. Mary never knew how Molly did it, but she knew that Molly Weasley was Wonderwoman in disguise. She couldn’t help as she lugged her haul trying to follow after them, following the flurry of red heads that signified the Weasley Family’s presence. 

“Molly! Goddess Molly! Queen Molly of the Weasley Family!” Mary called out, a smile on her face, though she quickly put a hand over her mouth when she realized Percy was trying to take a nap ( he was fairly persnickety about being bothered ), and that the twins may have been asleep. When she got to them, she smiled at Molly, her voice considerable softer, “it’s good to see you all out together, you’re quite the endearing and cute lot all together like this. I mean, you look fantastic as always, but I’m happy you’re having some time like this. You deserve it.” 

Giving a wave over at Charlie and Bill, she went back to turn her attention to Molly once more, “Moll, I’ve got at least a bucket load of candy but I won’t share it with your rapscallion children unless you give me the okay. I’m perfectly fine hoarding it all to myself. You can take as much as you like first though, Mum always gets first pick,” she started to open her bags, revealing the lot of candy. “Really, take as much as you like. I was going to bring some over for the next time I saw you all, but, as fate would have it I’m seeing you now.”

It was just nearing 7:30AM, the time when the Ministry just started to get busy with witches and wizards on their way to work, and Frank Longbottom was asleep at his desk. 

He had been completely swamped with work lately, whether it was for the Auror’s Office or for the Order, there was rarely a night Frank got a good nights sleep, however last night had been one of the worst he’d had yet; full work day, straight to the Order dealing with business that had kept him until 5AM. Making an exhaustion-induced judgement call Frank decided the long trip to his flat wasn’t worth the hour of sleep he would end up with and went straight back to the Ministry to in what in his mind he presumed would be “getting a head start” on the days work, which ended up being him face down on his desk, being sheepishly woken up by a co-worker around 8:45AM, to Frank’s horror. 

By 10AM Frank had had more caffeine then he could handle, barely able to focus on his work, his mind tuning in to exactly how fast his leg was bobbing up and down. He needed a cigarette. Determined to quit his habit though he unwrapped a piece of chewing gum, chomping on it until the flavour was gone and he was really just grinding his teeth. He sighed digging into the bottom drawer of his desk, pulling out his secret pack before quickly making a break for the door. Taking a lift down to the Atrium, preemptively pulling out a cigarette, in his hurry he barreled straight into someone. 

“Sorry, sorry-” Frank said breathlessly, quickly jerking away barely holding onto his pack, barely even registering who it was he bumped into. 

Another sleepless night, another day with too much useless shit to do. 

When Mary ran into Frank, the collision felt like something akin to waves crashing into the shore, violent, dramatic but not at all a pretty sight. Half of the files she’d been holding fell from her grasp, her cup of irish coffee falling along with it. Call her irresponsible for drinking on the job ( & in the morning ) but she wasn’t about to have a hangover, plus she figured she was just adding some challenge to the mindless drivel she would probably be assigned to do that morning. How else was she supposed to keep things interesting? “Ugh, Longarsehole, I can’t even yell at you, that was my fault too. Which, for your information, is the last and ONLY time I’ll ever admit to something being my fault, so savor it.” 

Frankly ( ha ), Mary was too tired to fight, the semi-recent Easter holiday having drained enough energy from her to power a small horse. Now, she was sent to do useless errands for her boss’, while it was something she could do with her eyes closed, it was still something that required effort and energy she didn’t want to give. Picking up her things, she sighed, pulling out her wand to do a quick cleaning charms on them, throwing the now empty coffee cup in the nearest bin. Mary allowed herself to relax in Frank’s presence, stretching her neck out as she tried to get a good look at him, “well, I’m quite impressed you managed to hold onto your cigarettes after that. No wonder you’re an Auror, you passed the ‘Holding Cigarettes During Collisions’ Unit with flying colors.”