#ashesstart

Location : open

        “No judging, but I’ve got something of a foolish question.” It was more foolish, given they’d gone this long without ever figuring it out, but if they were honest about it it hadn’t ever been something they cared much about. “And possibly a bit insensitive. With the Minister’s passing, will there be an election? Or an appointment? Or is there some chain of command?”

Abe loved the faces of people realizing they were seeing him outside of the pub; playing up the part of hermit was one of the things he enjoyed most, so, naturally, their shock (and sometimes confusion) fueled him. He exhaled a cloud of smoke, speaking with a grin, “It’s okay, you’re not seeing things. I’m allowed to leave the pub, I double-checked with my legal counsel.”

It had been a long morning. Filing the paperwork after her cases was always the worst. Normally, she could get Agnes to do it but it was her birthday. The least she could do (other than the extravagant gifts she had been giving her) was do this. After another fight with Charles in records, she was in a sour mood. He didn’t like her. Not at all. And he didn’t keep it secret. She really needed to get in good with one of the secretaries to know when he was manning the desk to avoid him. The file of papers that (now) needed editing were tucked into her briefcase as she made her way to the tea cart. The line wasn’t long but she could see there was only one chocolate croissant left. With the morning she had, she needed it. The line moved until there was only three people in front, the paistry still there. The older wizard ordered an earl grey, not the crossiant. Not wanting to take any chances, Georgie tapped the person in front on the shoulder. “I will pay for your drink and give you ten galleons if you don’t order that chocolate croissant.” 

    Diana drew her finger absently around the rim of her tea cup. She hadn’t so much as taken a single drink of it, and it had cooled considerably. She’d need to reheat it before she drank it, but she wasn’t interested in drinking it at all. It was barely nine in the morning, and yet Diana felt as though it was nine at night. Every part of her felt heavy. Her mind wouldn’t quiet. She’d fallen asleep, she knew that, though it had only been due to pure exhaustion. She’d cried harder than she had the day her parents went to Azkaban, and she hadn’t thought that was possible. Now she just felt heavy and numb. And overwhelmed. Questions swirled in her mind, but she wanted none of the answers that went with them.

    “I’m afraid I’m not likely to be good company today.” She murmured, voice a bit hollow as she tried her best to offer a polite smile, eyes lifting to greet her company. “But you’re welcome to stay, if you like.” 

“Hey, sorry I’m late, but some things simply can’t be avoided,” Agnes said as she slid up next to her companion, heels giving her the extra inches necessary to put her nearly at eye level. “Some diplomats and lawyers simply must be kept separated ... by several counties and countries, and that is busy, time consuming work, I must say. Did you still want to grab lunch? I’m not too late am I?”

     “I don’t know anything more than you do,” Ziya insisted, again. It wasn’t the complete truth, he’d been debriefed twice since the news broke about the Minister’s passing, unfortunate as it ought to be, but he was just trying to enjoy a pint in peace. He didn’t mind gossip, it had it’s uses, but he wasn’t in the mood to feed into the squawking and squabbling going on. The pub was filled with the familiar din of conversation, but nearly half of it spoke of the Minister, the snake in the sky, and whispers of what could have happened. Ziya had his own questions, but he wasn’t going to find the answers there. 

     “That’s not quite true, is it?” He quipped, eyes taking on a hue of mischief. “Bet ya a galleon in about ninety seconds that door there’ll burst open and a woman in red will come storming in, yelling about her missing husband.” He grinned, leaning in conspiratorially, “he’ll duck out the back before she notices him, and if we were to go back with him, he’d say,” he paused, changing his voice to mimic the wizard. “she’ll run me pockets dry, the old bat, always howlin’ about how expensive Diagon’s got, how I haven’t ever given her enough to purchase quality items, and how ever is she to silence my mother if she doesn’t have another handful of galleons?” He repeated, before lifting his pint to his lips. “You’d think she’d have caught him at least once by now.” He shrugged, eyeing the door he’d spoke of. 

Location : The Hog’s Head Inn

        “I’m not saying we shouldn’t be concerned,” she lets a sigh slip past her lips as she stirs her drink, half-glaring at the passerby that’d decided to interrupt her conversation. “I am saying that I’d rather speak on other things. It’s all anyone’s been talking about and I hardly see how the gossiping of the average person is going to do anything other than stir the pot.”

who: open to anyone

She had seen it. Seen the bright green symbol that illuminated the sky. She knew what it had meant. Of course, she had. Persephone was on edge now with the deed being done. Though her nerves had never manifested in the way that everyone else’s did. Hers manifested as anger. Along with every other feeling she ever had. Tom had asked her, as a birthday gift, to use her own ‘gift’ to see what she could. But she was in no way a seer, just very good at divination. She always had been. However, Seph was terrified of telling him no and after all... What were friends for? That was what Tom said every time he extended an olive branch her way. She needed a favor done? Tom was on it. Needed a place to stay? She was always welcome at his. Though she as beginning to wonder if his kindness and olive branches were more of a manipulation than out of the kindness of his heart and friendship.