place your past into a book;;

Edgar did a double take as he looked over to the customer he had initiated an interaction with. Brunette. Beautiful. Dimples. “Sinistra,” he breathed out her name in wonder and in delight. It had certainly been some time since he saw her - and a very brief interaction that had been as well. He’d have to remedy that today. She was the very embodiment of warmth and coziness in that moment. Probably much more charming than any cup of hot cocoa.

Nodding, Edgar gave a charming smile, “Indeed, it does. Anything with a hint of spiciness accompanied by sweet seems to come of there. Something with a kick.” Chuckling, he looked her over once more, unable to help himself, “It’s been far too long, but you look wonderful. What made you stop by for candy?”

Normally Sinistra would have nothing to do with someone like Edgar Bones. They were so different. Maybe more different than he knew. But he was charming and Sinistra was drawn to charm. Plus they had met away from London. Away from the proper Wizarding World. It was like they had met in another realm where she was someone different. It felt like they weren’t at Honeydukes, but some cafe in the southwest of the states.

Feeling him give her the once over, Sinistra stood accordingly. Showing off her assets. Habit. But his eyes on her body and face was worth it. “You should excuse my shabby appearance. I am normally more well-dressed. I probably wouldn’t have walked through these doors if that were the case.” She looked at Edgar with a cheeky smile, “If that were the case, I wouldn’t see this face,” she pinched his cheek.

“If I may be so bold, that description sounds a little like your present company. Something with a kick. I should put that on my business cards.” A shameless smile crossing her lips followed by flushed cheeks when answering the question. “I suppose I needed a little something to sweeten my blood. I’ve been lacking in that department lately,” she paused and inched forward, “But I have maintained the spice.”

She didn’t realize her eyes had shown so much worry in them. Of course she was aware at how expressive her eyes could be, something she needed to work on, but until it was specifically pointed out she had no idea. Daisy tried her best to relax, but the feeling of Sinistra’s cold hand touching her made that extremely difficult. It took everything in her not to instinctively pull away, telling her not to touch her, but she didn’t want to cause any unnecessary drama. She continued to smile, biting the inside of her cheek slightly as she thought carefully on how to answer her questions.

Daisy didn’t know this woman, and wasn’t sure where her stance was on muggles, so she didn’t really want to talk about the book she was working on. As much as she loved to brag about how hard she had been working on it, for some reason it didn’t feel like a safe conversation. “I’m a shop assistant at Madam Malkin’s.” She said simply, taking a sip from her tea, “And outside of work I just like to sit at home and read.” More like do research, but that was besides the point, “I also do a lot of baking, my mother is a baker and has passed that passion down to me.”

She couldn’t help but to notice Sinistra had avoided answering the question she had asked. That made her even more curious, “I’m sorry, but what did you say you do for a living? It must be exciting to travel lots. My parents are taking a trip to America soon, it’ll be their first time. They’re quite excited.”

Oh how the wheels were turning in Daisy’s head. It was too easy. She gave her another squeeze before bringing her hand back for a sip of tea. “Well now you’re biting your lip. I can’t understand why you would be so nervous. Are you like this with everyone?”

No. Ha.

“I’m here four the same reason you are, I imagine. A warm cup of tea — or coffee off that’s your preference — perhaps a bite to eat at some point and enjoying the atmosphere. It’s a sweet cafe. I wouldn’t show up in a place like this for ill intent, you know, especially since I’m enjoying the surprise company.” Sinistra said, again raising the mug to her lips.

Sinistra needed this girl needed to relax.

“A shop assistant. That must be interesting,”

Not.

“You must meet all sorts of people, seeing as how everyone needs robes for all kinds of occasions. Perhaps I should come by and visit sometime. You could show me the most fabulous things in the shop.” Sinistra tried to act impressed but, damn, what a waste. “Oh! Baking! How quaint,” she smiled delicately. “Have you thought about catering or opening your own bakery? Those would be such lofty, glorious goals.” This time Sinistra wasn’t completely blowing smoked. Quaint? Yes. But being an owner of a shop is truly something.

“Ah, yes. you could say I do my own kind of reading at home as well. But being in public is just as inspiring as anything a book could tell me. It helps since I’m a bit of an entrepreneur. I suggest you ought to try not getting so bogged down with — what do you read exactly? Surely you could do it in public to give yourself a change of scenery.”

There was something Daisy wasn’t telling her and Sinistra wanted to get it out of her. All this small talk. She hated small talk.

“Oh, they are sure to love the states. Will you be joining them?”

There was no mistaking the look of pride Sinistra took on when he kissed her hand. But then again, Rodolphus knew how good being the better part of Pureblood society was. How invigorating and powerful it could make one feel. And as her benefactor, he wanted her to feel that way. After all, that was the deal. A fair trade for the work she was putting in. Plus, she took on the role beautifully in all of her grace. He could only look on with a satisfied grin.

Your approval is an honor. What a phrase! Something Rodolphus Lestrange clearly needed at the moment. He appreciated the flattery beyond what any words could convey. “An honor?” his voice was lightly surprised, mostly happy at the choice of words she’d used, “Why’s that?” he couldn’t help but want as much of the flattery he could get.

It was true. All of it was time consuming. However, multi-tasking was something Rodolphus had mastered at a young age. Especially with needing to work in his goals for the cause - recruiting for the Dark Lord. Although when she said they he and his wife made quite the couple, a small smile flickered on his lips briefly. Yes, from an outside perspective, they might have been what people only dreamed of. Or feared. “Yes, well, that’s mostly due to my wife. But like most things in life, there are two sides to it.” As she leaned in, Rodolphus grinned, following suit, “You could say that…” he lingered there for a moment, “What else do you genuinely hope for, Sinistra?”

The way Rudolphus responded to Sinistra’s touch was palpable and a bit surprising. Moreover it was flattery in and of itself. She enjoyed being treated as a royalty and something in this particular setting made her feel as such; from the time she kissed his cheek to —

“Of course an honor. Anyone pretending to think differently when you walk into a room is either dense or the wrong type. Or both, I suppose you could say.” Sinistra was used to stroking egos and his was no different but that statement wasn’t a line or a lie. The Lestrange family were one in their own. And Rudolphus knew how to play the part beautifully. Sinistra sat straight up, “There are not many left in the community to admire, Rodolphus. Surely you know that.” Her eyebrows raised and a mischievous grin crossed her lips. “Good thing it has us in it.” Sinistra couldn’t help but give herself a nod. She may not have been on the same tier as Rudolph but she was on a tier nonetheless.

...there are two things to it.

Sinistra didn’t know if he was referring to married life or their connection with the Death Eaters. “I suppose there are two sides to everything but I’m curious. What specifically are the sides of your life there are two sides of?” She didn’t know what she expected the answer to be, though anything would be enlightening.

Clicking her teeth as he leaned in to her, Sinistra couldn’t help but notice the look on his face. “That’s an awfully devilish grin if I’ve ever seen one, Mr. Lestrange,” she said lingering on his name poignantly. She leaned in as far as she could without sitting up in her chair. “There are a number of things I genuinely hope for. But telling you after one little question would be too easy. I think you might have to work for it.”

WHO: Edgar & OPEN WHERE: Honeydukes  

Hogsmeade. An old stomping ground for Edgar Bones. During the summertime, between terms at Hogwarts, he took up jobs at both Zonko’s Joke Shop and Honeydukes to make some extra coin. It was a good thing too. Helped pay for his ventures around the world with his career as a Curse-Breaker out of school. And, of course, to alleviate his own sweet tooth. Even when the whole world seemed damned, there wasn’t a cure he couldn’t find within the candy shop he used to work at.

The bell rang as he entered the familiar shop, with the owner Ambrosius Flume - and his wife - both over excited to finally see him again. They flogged him with hugs and showered him with a couple of new treats to try out. It had been a while since he set foot even near Hogwarts - let alone Hogsmeade. Now, he entered the underground world of London and much of the Muggle scene. Although, perhaps with everything that happened at Puddletown, he felt nostalgic, wanting to return to something familiar.

Now, Edgar’s favorite candy would always be peppermint toads. However, this time, a particularly spicy hot cocoa seemed to pique his interest. Must have been the influence of Arizona. Edgar bit down softly on his own bottom lip, finding himself saying his thoughts aloud as he wondered, “Bet a cup of that will get you nice and cozy.”

She threw on slacks, a loose blouse and oversized sweater before walking outside in the crisp, cool air. Sinistra didn’t look like her normal self, not expecting anyone to recognize her. There was some comfort in that. It had been so long since she looked in the windows of the shops surrounding her, not focusing only on her reflection but gazing at the wares they had to offer.

Sinistra passed by Honeydukes, not wanting to look inside. She didn’t want to feel like a child. She was a grown woman, one on a mission, once that candy had nothing to do with. When that thought disappeared from her mind, she accidentally glanced up and saw an unexpected familiar face. Edgar Bones. She hadn’t seen him since traveling. Since they both traveled. It was a brief interaction but one Sinistra remembered.

Walking in the shop, she looked at Edgar, wondering if she should approach him. But it was too late. He saw her first. Sinistra gave him a small smile. “Does that happen to be a drink from the vast lands of Arizona?” 

Her emphasis on the word cute made Daisy feel as though this woman was making fun of her. Using her own words against her. But she was never the type to confront things like that, so instead she simply smiled and nodded, “Daisies are my favourite flowers, although they’re quite simple and a lot of people don’t appreciate their beauty, I tend to find beauty in the simple things.”

There was just something about her, something slightly out of place that was putting red flags off in her mind. Her head was telling her to get up and leave, but Daisy knew that was rude, this woman was being nothing but… Nice? To her, despite the strange feeling she got from her. Daisy attempted to continue to look about the cafe, noticing little paint chips here and there, trying to focus on anything else…

Until Sinistra leaned in, her eyes piercing directly in to Daisy’s. Daisy could feel her eyes widen, feeling even more uncomfortable than she had just a moment ago. She cleared her throat, another smile crossing her lips as she spoke, “Oh I’ve only just graduated last year, and I tend to lay pretty low. Times like these you never know whats going to happen, so between work and home I don’t do a whole lot.” She wasn’t exactly lying, she did spend majority of her time at home when she wasn’t at work, she was spending that time researching, but she wasn’t sure if that would be a topic of interest. “What is it that you do that causes you to travel so much?” Continue the conversation, move it away from herself. Seemed like a better plan.

Sinistra could feel Daisy cower under the use of her words. It delighted her but she wasn’t about to share that. Instead she placed her hand on her chin as though she cared about Daisy’s thoughts on daisies. Inside Sinistra’s eyes were rolling. “Seeing beauty in the simple things is important. I was relentlessly that way once. Then again, I look like an old lady compared to you. Unfortunately life isn’t simple, but that’s why we still must find those things, no matter how difficult it may be.”

Life wasn’t simple. Life kicked the most unsuspecting people to the ground without lifting them back up. Our lifting them up in a way they would never expect. The girl was eighteen and obviously had no life experience. Not like Sinistra did at her age. She was life’s victim but since growing hard she was now a victor and would only continue to be so.

Sinistra could feel the air change around Daisy when she leaned in. Damn this was fun. “Oh. I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m sorry, I just noticed your eyes. They seemed a bit worried for a moment. We mustn’t worry, now should we?” She reached out and touched the vile young thing, “we’re just having a friendly chat.” She continued to listen. “You don’t do much? But you’re so young. This is the time to celebrate life.” Sinistra leaned back. “I understand the state of things,” her insides laughed with joy, “but that shouldn’t stop you from living your life, Daisy. Why, at your age I was traveling anywhere outside of England. Love life,” she exclaimed with an outlandish smile.

“So, if you don’t do much outside of work and home, I must know where you work and what keeps you busy enough to stay home.”

She seemed insistent. 

           This did not seem like an instance in which Antonin wanted to engage in a disagreement with such an ardent proposition. Instead he took his seat dutifully, bringing the cup of coffee to his lips. What a reprieve it was to ingest the bitter liquid. The girl looked like someone of acceptable stature, and Antonin could almost place the face but not necessarily a name. He imagined as the encounter continued that would naturally arise. He set the cup down, using the napkin to wipe the excess from his lips. It was a bold move, that was not overlooked, that she had approached him to sit at her table. The once spread out Prophet was now half folded at the corner of the table. Longingly, he almost wished that his morning had remain undisturbed. 

        Ah, the waitress. Although Antonin was quite privileged in the London sphere of wizardry, he had not always been so. The memories of Belarus lingered and influenced his unconscious actions. It was such a little moment, he was surprised she had caught it at all. “You think I want another pair of dirty hands near my bagel.” He said with a coarse chuckle. Which for the most part was true, there was no need to involve another being. “That leaves so much room to error.” Antonin finished. Between calling the waitress over and watching them carefully move a cup and a plate – it seem more tedious than doing it himself. For the most part the Dolohov man was not in the business of wasting time. 

        While Antonin appreciated the flattery it did little for his ego as it might have another. He nodded, a Cheshire grin on his features. “I think you underestimate how much I need the caffeine.” He mused, bringing the cup to his lips once more. She was right though, perhaps the encounter was unique. There were few instances in life where Antonin felt this charitable and amenable to the general public. “The question is now if I’m here to listen to you talk for your own purposes or not.” He said, the distinction was quite important to him. He leaned back in his chair, offering his hand out. 

        “Antonin Dolohov.”

        “Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He said lightly, retracting his hand after a moment. Antonin straightened himself in his chair, eyeing the bagel before opting for the coffee once more. For his day had just begun. 

Looking at Antonin, Sinistra was drawn in. There was something more intriguing about him than other people she came across. It was refreshing. There was something about him she found enlightening but wasn’t sure what. There were a lot of questions. It was a good thing Sinistra enjoyed questions. When he joined her at the table, Sinistra lowered her chin, gazing at his chiseled face. His strength.

She noted his every move. It was in her blood to do so. The glance at the paper. The sip from his mug. Wiping his lips. He held his stature with more grace than she knew how to handle, thus reminding herself she ought to do the same. Except she didn’t want to act. It was strange. But she couldn’t let her guard down. She wouldn’t. That was also in her blood. At least now it was.

Sinistra sat up straight, shoulders back, head held high and a flip of her hair behind her neck. She puckered her lips to show them off fully. She was a pureblood and he was reminding her how she ought to act as one. It was a gift he didn’t know he was giving.

Her voice was soft but strong — there was no way she would let anyone see any weakness in her. Though to be fair there hardly was any. If her life had taught her anything it’s that life will kick you to the pavement if you were too soft. “I suppose I do underestimate your need for caffeine. Perhaps I underestimate you,” she said with an eyebrow raised and taking a delicate sip of her tea. “Not to be rude but do you find it better to believe in someone’s strength before you get to know them?” Sinistra said those words but knew he was strong. She damned herself in her head but wanted to know him. Yes, she wanted to know him. And maybe not just for acknowledgment from someone who held such a stronghold in the community.

“Everyone has some reason to talk to another. The difference is what it’s for. I think my reasoning may be ...undetermined. As I said, I wasn’t expecting a man of your stature to come into a place like this.” Sinistra leaned forward ever so slightly and in a hushed voice continued her reply, “to be quite frank, I find myself intrigued by you. That’s not something I would use for my ‘work’ purposes.”

When he reached out his hand, Sinistra gladly took it, making sure not to be too firm but not weak either. Before he had the chance to retract his hand, she said her name almost poetically, “Sinistra Lowe.”

She looked him in the eye. “I must say it’s a pleasure to meet you as well Antonin. If I may be do bold as to not call you Mr. Dolohov.”