winners never quit

"Who exactly did you think I was, dear?" Narcissa cocked her head to the side ever so slightly, more intrigued than she was annoyed.

"Just a friend from school, you looked a bit like her from the back and she said she'd meet me here so I just assumed it was her," Emma replied, cheeks flushing slightly. She blamed the cold. 

Upon seeing her reaction, Daniel had seen all he needed to know, and all she was willing to give. It was only natural for one to be shaken up after such a horrific event. He’d seen many people walking around, haunted by what they saw. He could only be grateful that many were able to get away before it became truly dangerous. However, Daniel’s misery only continued; the Aurors were getting a lot of stick, which, added to the responsibility Daniel already felt, made him feel guilty, and angry. But he knew his place. He would have to bear it, and help rectify the problem calmly, as directed by the Minister. He was lost in his thoughts when it dawned on him that she had responded with a question of her own. “Y-yes, I was. Just a few scrapes and bruises, though…”

Emma merely nodded in acknowledgement that he had spoken, silently thinking he was lucky. She did not comment, however, preferring instead to move on from the topic entirely. She just wanted to forget it, move on with her life and prepare for the upcoming Quidditch trials -- Puddlemere was her dream, and she was going to make it. She would be the star she dreamed of being, and nothing was going to stand in her way. Plastering a polite smile back on her face, she turned her attention to the man opposite her. "So Mr...I'm sorry, I don't think I ever caught your name? I'm Emma." 

"It’s odd to think that the next time I leave these walls behind it shall be for good.."

"Leaving Hogwarts is one of the strangest sensations in the world in all honesty," Emma said with a friendly smile. "What are your plans for after Hogwarts?"

The winter winds that blew through Diagon Alley were bitter, stinging Rita’s skin as she exited the Daily Prophet offices and made her way to the Leaky Cauldron now that the work day had finished. Sh was positive that parts of her skin were bright red by the time she stepped inside and made her way to the bar, taking up a seat near the fire as she brushed the last of the snow from her hair. 

Seeing Rita Skeeter had not, in all honesty, been on Emma's to do list for the day. She'd come to Diagon Alley to buy supplies, specificially for her broom, and then maybe get a drink. It was a bitterly cold day, and the young woman didn't want to be out in the cold for any longer than she had to be. So far, everything had gone to plan. Until she heard the voice of the other blonde behind her, presumably talking to someone else as Emma certainly wasn't trying to get her attention.

Ana had been flying aimlessly around the pitch for a good hour or so, having desperately needed to escape from reality for awhile after yet another day of hiding away in the library, studying for her OWLs. Talks with her parents over Christmas had lead to the apparent possibility that she would soon find herself betrothed to someone, and so all the brunette really wanted to do was forget about everything for a little while, hence why she had found herself on the quidditch pitch once more. The petite brunette was quite happy to just fly and fly until the skies grew too dark, though the feeling of someone watching her was soon causing Ana to turn her head, eyes scanning the ground as she looked for the intruder of her thoughts, her cheeks flushing bright pink at the unwanted attention.

"I’m sorry, what was that?"

"Sorry," Emma said apologetically and a little bit embarrassed. "I thought you were someone else."

"I’ll see you in a few weeks, yes?" Adella looked up to find her eldest brother looking at her expectantly. She pressed her lips together before nodding slowly. Audric looked upon his sister in quiet acknowledgement before kissing her softly on the crown of her head. "Au revoir, mon cher." He murmured against her hair before patting her cheek and moving away only to disappear with a loud pop.

Watching all the students rush around getting reading for the starting of school had been one of the strangest sensations Emma had ever experienced. For the past seven years, she had been one of those students and suddenly she wasn't. September was the first time it had really hit her that she was no longer a student, protected from the world by the strong, stone walls, and she'd felt somewhat disoriented ever since. Life was not as easy as she thought it would be, to say the least.

Daniel allowed a small smile to turn up the corners of his lips as the girl backed down. “It’s been a chaotic week for everyone, I believe. Were you at the Halloween Party?” he asked. The idea that this battle between them and the Death Eaters was becoming more and more of a threat to the civilians angered him; as the days passed more and more people were becoming involved or being attacked. “Or, perhaps, something else is on your mind? In which case, I shouldn’t intrude.”

The mentioning of the Halloween Party caused Emma to scowl, and her hand instinctively went to her neck where a ring of bruises had remained for a few days after the attack. She'd never felt so powerless in her life, and it was a feeling she never ever wanted to experience again. "Yeah, I was there," she responded curtly, and while she didn't verbally offer any more information an intuitive person would have gathered all they needed to know from her physical reaction. "Were you?"

"It is rather odd, yes. But it means I can get things done quickly without being pushed by children."

"That's a fair point, actually. It just feels weird not going back to school with them. Do you have many jobs to do?"

"Smart girl; you’ve figured me out," Antonin offered, chuckling low in his throat as he pulled her tighter against his chest in her attempt to struggle away from him. Shame, that she was smaller than him; even the body he had chosen was large enough for it to have strength, and he was never more glad for that. "I prefer the phrase… homicidal Pureblood supremacist with a death wish, though. I do believe that was what the Prophet touted me as just last year. I like the ring of that one." Leaning his head down closer to her ear, his voice sounded now as little more than a whisper. "Are you frightened, miss Vanity? Do I terrify you? Or does it give you a rush as well? Almost like a free fall in air, innit?"

Emma stayed tense and alert despite the fact the redhead was no longer holding a wand to her throat. The situation was still far from under control, and Emma wasn't about to let her guard down in case Alecto was waiting for some moment to strike. Logically, Alecto wouldn't attack her - it seemed absurd to do something so provoking when the rpice on her head was high enough as it was. Then again, nothing about this situation was logical and so Emma wasn't taking her chances.