* 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑𝖋𝖚𝖑 .

(madelyn cline, cis woman, 26) did you see that person over there? that’s DAPHNE GREENGRASS. they’re a PUREBLOOD and work as a CURSEBREAKER at SELF-EMPLOYED. honestly, they’re RECALCITRANT. i can tolerate them though as they can also be ADROIT. they remind me of the scent of coconuts, salt in the air, walking barefoot in the sand, and the sadness that comes from dull weather. anyway, i heard they’re POLITICALLY APATHETIC. watch your back around them.   

Astoria studied her sister’s slightly judgemental expression carefully. It was so expected it didn’t really bother her. But she didn’t generally enjoy justifying her career choices to anyone, especially Daphne.

     “I like it. It’s not as boring as it sounds. There’s lots to do,” she said, picking up one of the shots her sister pushed her way. The alcohol was beginning to drift towards her head but she felt like she could use it, especially as her sister waved off her desire to see her more often. They had never been close, not in the way you were supposed to be with sisters. Maybe Astoria was being naive thinking that having her sister around would have helped. Maybe all they would have done was fight and bicker, maybe it would have made everything worse. 

Her comment about their mother confirmed that suspicion.

Astoria might have been fundamentally more uptight and cautious than her sister but she didn’t think she was at all like their judgemental, bigoted mother. And she resented the comparison, no matter how lightly it was meant.

     “It was mum, not me,” she said shortly, reaching for another glass.

Working for herself didn’t sound completely awful if Astoria was honest, but she didn’t hate authority as much as Daphne did. And she made a good point about her superior. It would be hypocrisy after all to be mad at her for being here when they were too. 

     “I mean, yeah, that’s a good point,” she shrugged, “Maybe it doesn’t matter.”

-

“convince me,” she says matter of factly. “tell me exactly what it is you do as a...” she’s had enough drinks that it takes her a moment to recall what astoria has just said. “as an intern for the progressive front. why the progressive front and what makes them different from all the other clowns?” it was an old habit, subtlety belittling astoria’s interest. a way to be the ‘better’ sister in the eyes of their parents. most days daphne likes to think she’s past it, but she supposes old habits die hard. even now she didn’t realize she’d been doing it.

“hmmm, that makes sense. probably why i enjoyed smoking up the place so much,” she says with a laugh. “listen, i’m going for a smoke break. you can come tell me about this asshole superior of yours.” despite astoria not having spoken badly about her superior, it was in daphne’s nature to assume that all bosses were terrible and that she could do a better job of leading.

“it does matter when you’re going around spilling drinks on people to avoid them,” she laughs, teasing her sister. “when are you going to outgrow that clumsiness?” this time she notices the insult but only after having yet another shot. she reaches out, places a hand on her arm in comfort. “i didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

theo !!

his night was so far ending up to be a great deal better than expected. while theodore was generally a quiet and strong type - the small bit of alcohol running through his system seemed to loosen the pureblood up. it was a rare moment where he could feel the haunting past slip away from mind for a moment as he chatted with a few familiar faces from the ministry. he could almost feel like a normal twenty-something tonight, quite an odd moment for him. ignoring the voice screaming in his head, he almost felt in his element. a ghostly smirk teasing at his lips as he speaks. pridefulness seemed to slowly drip into him, theodore could almost feel untouchable.

daphne had broken his heart all those years ago to put it simply. the idea of marriage had always terrified him; for him, marriage had always been something for political or wealth gain, power came before love in the twisted way he was raised. but daphne greengrass had been a young woman who made that seem somewhat less scary. perhaps they could have been vaguely happy together in another life. he tried not to think about her much anymore, not ready to fully deal with those feelings again. her words hit his ears before he saw her, like a sweet ghostly melody.

memories once repressed come crashing around in his mind. his gut reaction is to shove her off himself, and escape. but his mind and body betrayed that feeling as, almost like clockwork, his free hand fell to her waist to help steady her. “ daph, you’re a drunk. ” theo finally speaks, pointing out the obvious. even though it feels like it has been forever and a day since the last time he saw her, the term of endearment still effortlessly falls out of his lips. he’s well aware of the fact he still as an arm around her waist, but the alcohol running through his system seems to fog up the reasonably part of his brain. “ it’s… it’s been awhile. ”

daphne is not drunk. at least she doesn’t believe she is. after all she was still on her feet, dancing, laughing, loving life in the way only she could. daphne tore through life with no hesitation, making decisions before thinking and somehow avoiding the negative repercussions. it was a talent of hers, pretending as if nothing was wrong. or perhaps she’d grown numb to all the ways she’s ‘ruined’ her life since splitting from her family, at least according to her mother. daphne doesn’t see her life as ruined, sees herself only as being free.

“not drunk enough,” she says, smiling looking up at him with a smile on her face. oblivious to the other’s hesitation, her mind only on the fact that he has an arm around her waist so nothing could be wrong with them. they were just theo and daphne. 

“too long,” she agrees, her lower lip jutting out in a childish pout. “i’m expecting you to ask me to dance, or for a drink.” she says with little care, expecting the other to comply as most would. it was near impossible to say no to her, she had bear witness to the many things men and women alike falling on their knees for a glimpse of her smile. she doesn’t take into account that this time may be different and continues to sway to the music, arms still wrapped around the other’s neck. “i’ve missed you, ” she confesses, laying her head on his chest and closing her eyes, the music blurring together in the background.

“Certainly brings me back,” Cho chuckles.

She and Daphne loved cheap alcohol back when they were in school. It’s one of those things where no one would sell them the expensive stuff and they didn’t exactly have the money for it. So they made do. She couldn’t remember how many bottles of Firewhiskey they’d gone through during her sixth year. Hiding under the bleachers and talking about who knows what. She vaguely remembers herself crying too and Daphne offering consolation.

“We both know you could,” she nudges Daphne once again, teasing and encouraging. Daphne is electrifying, charming and charismatic in a way that makes people want to listen to her and be near her. No one could say no to Daphne. She could make people run in circles for her. Cho has seen her do it. “Ask them for a splash of vodka and sugar in the cherries too. I’m in the mood for spiked fruits.”

“Five shots are too much,” Cho drops her voice to a whisper, careful so that whoever is or was ogling her couldn’t hear them. She takes a peek at the person, squinting her eyes slightly. Trying to bring focus into her somewhat bad eyesight. “I’m going to trust your judgement. So quick, pretend we’re immersed in a highly engaging conversation.”

Cho pulls herself together quickly. Her grand gestures of animated hands and fake, cheery laughter filling the air. When the person finally approaches them, she pays them little mind. They introduce themself but she doesn’t catch the name. “Sorry, I’m having a conversation right now.” she offers them a curt smile, firm in her rejection. When the person leaves, she turns back to Daphne. “Okay, I want cherries with two splashes of vodka now.”  

-

it takes daphne no more than a minute to convince the bartender and within seconds there is a bowl in front of them. the addition of the vodka and sugar is genius and she closes her eyes as her lips wrap around the red globe of the cherry. “this was such a good idea,” she says with a moan, spitting out the pit gracefully – if one could even do so gracefully. she takes another cherry, offers it to cho with a smile. “bear the fruit of your genius, your majesty,” she jokes, feeling giddy as the set turns into something more upbeat. she doesn’t mind this down time by the bar, but she would much rather be bouncing on her feet.

daphne leans close, furrows her brows as if cho has just said something pressing. she’s tempted to let out a tear or two, having mastered the art of crying on the spot, but she doesn’t and it’s worth it to see cho fend off the stranger. though in all honesty, daphne wouldn’t have minded being her savior for the night.

“harsh,” she kids, “couldn’t even give the lad your name, huh?” she’s smiling and perhaps it has to do with being the center of cho’s attention, or anyone’s really. she spent so much of her childhood making herself small for the men around her, it’s refreshing to finally be free. daphne smiles sweetly at the bartender and he looks at her, mesmerized, before taking the bottle of vodka and pouring a splash. “hmmm, what would you do without me?”

Astoria didn’t know if she was hurt or embarrassed when Daphne asked what she did - by which she could only assume she was referring to her job. Admittedly she had only been in the role for a little under a year, but it wasn’t as though she never spoke about what she did. So either Daphne had simply forgotten, or they really had spoken so little recently.

     "I work for The Progressive Front, as an intern,“ she said, her intonation one of trying to prod her sister’s memory, "That’s…that’s what I do.”

It didn’t sound very exciting or glamorous compared to Daphne’s globetrotting adventures as a cursebreaker. But she was proud of it in her own way. Even though recently her telling people of her job hadn’t been provoking the best reaction. Something which was both surprising and disappointing to her. Rather than react to her comment about their parents, which truthfully she couldn’t disagree with, Astoria picked up another shot off the bar. She kept her eyes on her glass as she spoke.

     “Still, it’d be nice to see you sometime,” she said quietly before she knocked back the shot, grimacing again but feeling like she needed it.

     “I think it’s the fact that it’s illegal Daph,” she said, almost laughing at her sister’s assessment of her predicament, “Bringing disrepute onto the faction is grounds for dismissal and I’d like to keep my job.”

❥

daphne  who  had  always  been  politically  aversed  couldn’t  help  but  grimace  at  her  sister’s  words. though  thinking  back  ,  she  could  recall  astoria  saying  something  along  the  lines  of  working  for  one  of  the  bullshit  factions  that  existed  . “  sounds  like  a  snoozefest. you  can’t  possibly  enjoy  that. ”  she  drinks  the  shot  in  front  of  her  ,  gestures  for  more  and  slides  them  over  to  her  sister. “  don’t  you  think  you’d  enjoy  something  a  little  more... ”  she  wanted  to  say  exciting  or  maybe  even  dangerous  ,  but  thought  better  of  it. “  well  ,  i  mean  ,  as  long  as  you’re  happy  i  suppose. ”     

 “  you’re  seeing  me  now  ,  “  she  smiles  ,  as  if  their  short  interaction  could  make  up  for  her  years  of  abandonment . you  see  daphne  wasn’t  completely  oblivious  to  the  fact  that  her  sister  had  wanted  her  home  ,  she  just  simply  decided  that  the  other  was  strong  enough  to  handle  the  situation  on  her  own. besides  ,  daphne  had  never  been  the  most  comforting  of  people. at  least  not  towards  her  sister  who  she  had  been  raised  to  see  as  competition. “  besides  ,  you’d  get  sick  of  me. and  aren’t  you  always  complaining  about  the  smoke  ?  or  was  that  dear  old  mum  ?  sometimes  you  two  sound  alike. ”  she  realizes  the  insult  immediately  after  the  words  leave  her  mouth  ,  but  doesn’t  bother  to  correct  it. only  attempts  to  ply  more  alcohol  into  tori.

 “  yes  ,  precisely . your  superior  is  at  an  illegal  rave . they’re  in  the  wrong  as  much  as  you  are . ”  she  turns  around  ,  leans  her  elbows  on  the  bar  to  casually  observe  the  people  on  the  dance  floor. “  working  for  someone  is  overrated  anyway  ,  i  much  prefer  working  for  myself.  you  might  too. ”

“  like  you  did  in  fifth  year  when  i  snuck  out  to  the  gryffindor  party  ?  ”  she  added  in  ,  taking  a  sip  of  her  drink  with  the  gracious  memory  of  her  drunkly  returning  from  an  absolute  memory  of  a  rager  .  hogwarts  had  been  some  of  viridian’s  favourite  moments  ,  the  people  ,  the  classes  and  most  of  all  the  lifelong  memories  .  daphne  had  been  something  viridian  truly  coveted  from  her  old  life  ,  they  had  related  far  before  the  stirring  of  the  war  made  face  within  them  .  she  remembered  always  looking  at  the  other  at  parties  on  how  she  could  act  but  she  was  never  one  to  keep  her  mouth  shut  and  instead  ran  circles  of  charismatic  words  around  people  for  their  graces  and  attention  .

she  smiles  at  the  other  ,  “  you  did  look  like  your  were  having  quite  a  time  ,  ms.cursebreaker  .  ”  while  their  jobs  kept  her  far  from  the  other  ,  she  always  did  enjoy  sending  the  other  a  little  update  owl  on  everything  but  between  the  confusion  on  where  the  other  was  and  viridian’s  dedication  making  a  mockery  of  political  parties  they  had  seem  to  ran  different  live  .  “  i  didn’t  expect  to  see  you  here  ,  in  fact  .  ”  she  giggles  as  daphne  spins  her  around  and  like  they  were  young  girls  free  of  everything  she  spun  with  her  friend  .

the  silken  dress  swirls  around  her  in  a  comfortable  feeling  ,  the  green  brightening  at  the  angles  of  specific  lights  .  she  missed  this  .  she  missed  the  freedom  ,  the  joy  and  the  quaint  memory  of  the  slytherin  female  dorms  and  the  innocent  memories  they  had  .  “  i  feel  the  spinning  might  make  more  more  drunk  than  this  drink  ought  to  ,  daph  .  ”

❥

"you  know  i  always  will,"  she  says,  rolling  her  eyes  fondly  at  the  blonde.  daphne  didn't  have  many  fond  memories  of  hogwarts,  having  contained  her  personality  for  the  sake  of  appearances.  often  times  she  had  lived  vicariously  through  her  friend  who  showed  early  signs  of  rebellion  from  pureblood  agenda.  very  much  unlike  daphne  who  surprised  everyone  with  her  defection  and  complete  one-eighty  after  the  war.  the  change  in  daphne  had  been  like  a  light  switch.  one  minute  she  had  been  turned  off,  hiding  in  the  darkness,  the  next  she  was  an  entirely  different  being.  

"it's  better  now  that  you're  here,"  she  says  genuinely.  though  viridian  was  not  the  first  person  she  called  after  making  the  permanent  move  to  london,  she  was  still  someone  daphne  would  consider  a  close  friend.  despite  the  fact  that  she  was  a  friend,  she  had  not  bothered  to  owl.  her  defense,  her  flat  was  still  a  mess  and  she  had  only  been  around  for  about  a  month,  having  tied  up  loose  ends  from  her  previous  employment  only  a  week  prior.  that,  and  the  fact  that  daphne  was  notorious  for  being  incapable  of  keeping  a  conversation  going  via  owl.  "funny  story,  i  meant  to  tell  you,  i  quit  my  job."

she  giggles  as  she  takes  another  sip,  nearly  spilling  the  drink  onto  her  chest.  she  laughs  at  her  own  clumsiness  and  spins  her  friend  into  her  chest,  then  back  out.  “but  that’s  the  goal  isn’t  it?”  for  daphne  getting  drunk  truly  was  the  goal.  she  loved  the  feeling  of  invincibility  it  gave  her,  the  way  it  felt  as  if  she  could  take  on  the  whole  world.  “i  hope  you  saved  up  your  energy  because  we  will  be  doing  a  lot  of  dancing  tonight.”

liar – are you good at sensing when someone is lying to you?

“i like to think my bullshit detector is pretty strong.”

cupboard – are you petty?

“do you breathe air?”

killer queen – what’s an outfit that makes you feel sexy?

“my glittery chainmail dress.”

maracas – what’s your prized possession?

“between you and me, i’ve stolen a few trinkets from the digsite. i display them like trophies in my bedroom.”

rainbow – best concert you’ve ever been to?

“i can’t even choose a top ten. but sets with mostly magical dance music would be ranked highest."

seven seas – where have you always wanted to travel?

“i heard brazil is paradise for those who love to explore the outdoors and i’ve always wanted to experience carnaval.”

withouth hesitation or forethought, “marry theo, fuck draco, kill ron.”

hot space – what’s an unpopular opinion you have?

“you don’t owe your parents anything. if they don’t respect you, you don’t have to respect them. also, i don’t like kelly clarkson. sorry,  cho.”

jim – are you in love?

“that’s a little personal don’t you think? but if you must know, i care very deeply for someone.”

mary – are you friends with any of your exes?

“not unless i still care – a rare occasion.”

all dead – when was the last time you cried?

"i honestly can't remember. i've just never been a crier. when i'm sad i get angry and when i get angry, i don't cry, i break things."

1977 – long hair or short hair?

“long. 100%. i like something i can grab.”

garden lodge – what’s your dream home?

“it’s not the house that matters, it’s the location. my dream home would have to be somewhere warm, preferably with an ocean view. but i guess i’d love an open floor plan and lots of windows.”