#nox.start

her attention draws to her side as she awaits the martini, eyes drawing towards the person standing beside her. “ are you here for the bride, the groom or both ? ”

the job was simple enough. even if it was only ever contained to the businesses around diagon and itʻs connecting alleys, for the businesses who could afford for gringottʻs quality cursebreaking. the easy thrill of it was enough to have bill looking forward to it all year long. it was like clockwork: someone or other received some sort of heirloom for christmas and immediately following into the new years—with all it’s resolutions and cleaning—foisted it on some unfortunate pawn shop to spare themselves the hassle of trying to match great aunt hildegardʻs vase with their current furniture. the fun of it was when the vases weren’t just vases. ❝ iʻd be careful if i were you, ❞ he warns, voice mired in amusement even as he nimbly plucks a rather unfortunate looking brooch out of hand-reach, just in the nick of time. the dragonhide gloves are his only saving grace, and even those start steaming at the places of contact with the silver of the jewelry piece. not so pretty an end result. ❝ nasty bit of anti-theft warding. banned now, but probably not when this little darling was commissioned. ❞ he explains, not bothering to hide any of the interest that leaks into his consonance. it was the habit, the vice, to dig his teeth onto the exciting bits of magic, especially when those bits of magic bit back. the brooch gets slipped into an acromantula silk-lined bag, with all the nullifying properties: a specialty of the goblins, who knew how to manipulate magic in ways that wixen could hardly grasp at. ❝ might i suggest those lovely little earrings over in the corner ? they should be in the clear. ❞ the grin that crosses his face is an honest attempt at trustworthy: sales associate charm for all that heʻs never actually been in sales. ❝ checked ʻem myself. promise. ❞

whilst most holidays were quiet upsetting for gwendolyn, she always found new life during the christmas period - often seeing the end of another year as a new start from the year's troubles and tribulations - even now as she continues with her work. placing down her clipboard on the reception desk, the veteran mediwitch reaches over to the pot of candycanes to sneak one out for a momentary sugar-spike - she was entering her ninth hour of her shift and was simply counting down each minute now. "nothing beats the refreshing sweetness of a candy cane, hm?" a satisfied hum passes by her lips before smiling at the nurse at the desk, spinning only to be met with a potential patient, a candy cane hanging half out of her mouth. "oh, hello there."

celebrations and commiserations alike were spread out after the game, whether privately or around the campgrounds, and minette was never one to turn down a good party. her throat was already hoarse from the screaming and hollering she had done during the match, but who needed a voice when your skills on the dancefloor spoke for themselves (not great, but having a good time). in the moment, minette grabs the hands of the nearest person and pulls them to her, bringing them into the throng of the makeshift dancefloor. "come on! get movin' will you!"

"don't touch that." her voice is firm yet hoarse as she stirs from her sleep, the footsteps that approached her bedside pulling her from the dreamless slumber the medi witch had induced hours prior. the wound on her head throbbed as she made to move, features scrunched up in a mixture of pain and confusion and anger as her body carefully shuffles up the bed until she is sitting up. pressing slender fingers to the bandage wrapped around her head, eyes willing to open as her other hand gestured to the crooked crepe paper flowers in the cleaned out soup tin. "s-sorry. i thought you were gonna take them as well . . . basil made them."

"⸻ i'll be with you in a second," the soft voice can be heard from the distance, prompted by the chime of the door bell. it takes only about a minute for them to walk out the backroom, customer service smile already in place as they greet the potential patron. "anything i can help you with? wolfsbane potion bottles are fifteen percent off at the moment, included with its own chaser of your preference" all in light of recent events, her personal way of helping while still making some galleons. "...and calming draughts are almost done brewing if you don't mind waiting a couple minutes."