Sticks and Stones

You've always been attracted to pretty things, not because you're fragile, my dear, but because you know the true value of things in life. You know worth.

[amelian-reasons]

remus playlist

R- R.I.P. To My Youth (The Neighborhood)E- Everybody Lost Somebody (Bleachers)M- Meet Me in the Hallway (Harry Styles)U- Unlost (The Maine)S- Sometimes (Cubsport)

[amelian-reasons]

lucianollivander‌:

“I do.” 

         There was a slight nod on his end, surprised that she knew that. It was not as if the position was advertised well, or particularly talked about. Much like the people he preformed magic on, the rest of the world was inclined to forget about it. “Do you work there as well?” He asked, it seemed like the natural conclusion. Perhaps they had seen each other in the grand hallway, or at some other departmental event. He brought the cup to his lip, savoring the taste. It seemed he had good taste in the person he had found to sit across from. There were many ways in which the morning could have been sullied by worse company. A smile charmed its way onto his lips as he set the mug down onto the table. 

        Ah, the weather. He followed her gaze toward the window pane and should have realized that as the cause sooner. “I’ll have to keep that in mind next time.” Lucian said. He shook his head at her next question. “No, I don’t. I forgot my lunch at home and didn’t quite realize it in time. Hence the cafe venture.”

Amelia wasn’t discouraged that he didn’t open up more other than saying nothing more than yes. If she wanted a specific answer, she would likely need a specific question. Although, perhaps that could wait. “Yes, I work there as well,” she nodded with a warm smile. Unlike a lot of people nowadays, Amelia was quite proud of the fact that she worked for the ministry and that she was at least trying to make things right. There may have been a number of people with power that were abusing it, but that had never crossed her mind. “Not the most glamorous of work places these days,” she added, sighing softly. “But I’ve never minded it all that much.”

It wasn’t like her to normally get as flustered as she felt today. Perhaps she was just in her head, over thinking everything, but for some reason she felt like she was presenting herself less confidently than she normally would. “Well, maybe forgetting your lunch wasn’t that bad, in the end,” she offered, quickly adding to it in case that sounded weird. “I mean, sharing lunch with a stranger could be an interesting plot twist to your day. It certainly was for me, but a nice one. Sorry, that probably sounded weird,” she laughed, awkwardly. 

[amelian-reasons]

jasperthetenderhearted‌:

“What, no, I’m the one who ought to apologize.” Jasper protested as he fell in step alongside her. She had more backbone than the entire nation put together, to stay sane through everything she’d endure. Jas hoped she still had some good friends around her. He knew that Edgar and Eli had always attracted the nicest people and he could only hope that some of them had reached out to her through all of this.

“Where are you off to, if you don’t mind me asking?” He said as they kept moving. Jas hadn’t really had a purpose to his wandering so adapting his plans to Amelia’s should be easy enough. “I’m free for the next few hours if you just want some company.”

Amelia didn’t want to get into a debate with him over who should be the one apologizing and what for, so she simply let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, almost in a pathetic laugh as she shook her head. There wasn’t much more that could be said in that moment. When she realized that he had asked her a question, it threw her off for a moment. She had been headed to the scene of the break in when she first snapped, though she wasn’t sure if she should still go, now. Especially with someone with her. Then again, going alone might be foolish too. 

“I um...” she muttered, looking in the general direction of where she had been headed. “I was just... going for a walk, clearing my head...” A lie, but a protected one. She didn’t want Jasper to worry. Just as she was about to say no, that she could manage on her own, Amelia had the sudden urge to stop herself and really think about what she needed. Did she want company? It would probably keep her out of trouble, at the least. “I think I could use some,” she nodded, a few tears starting to form in her eyes. “Sorry...” Amelia added as she rubbed at her eyes feverishly. 

[miriamclearwater]

A cool breeze rustled the leaves on the tree she leaned against.  She picked at a hangnail as she did everything she could to ignore Amelia’s current activity.  She insisted she knew what she was doing, that this was perfectly safe – but Miriam wasn’t at all convinced.  She had been to summer camp.  She had sat through the archery safety briefings.  Those arrows were pointy.  

“Are you sure,” she began for the tenth time.  “that this is a good idea?  Are you very sure.  If you end up dying out here the Prophet is going to find a way to pin your death on me, and I’m not sure I have the energy for all that right now.”  She internally cringed at mentioning death in front of Amelia, but she thought it might be worse if she apologized so she kept on.  “I’ll just uh – I’ll stand back here while you give it a go then?”

@amelian-reasons

[amelian-reasons]

Amelia had forgotten how much she loved archery. The cool breeze brushing against her cheeks, the rustling of the tree branches as they swayed back and forth. Leaves crunching beneath her feet, twigs snapping in half. It took a very keen ear to identify the sounds of animals walking through the forest. Something that she assumed hunters were well versed in. However, Amelia never shot to kill. Rather, she did it for the sport. Miriam had come along with her for the company. 

“Oh, you’re fine,” she brushed the girl’s concerns off. Amelia had never once hurt herself drastically while shooting, and even if she did, they could just go to St Mungo’s and get it patched up. “I’m starting to think you don’t trust me,” she laughed, pulling an arrow out of her quiver with the right hand, holding her bow in her left. “If you insist,” she giggled, shaking her head. Archery was one of the few things now that she enjoyed doing, and that took her mind off of things. Setting up her arrow, she pulled back, aiming at the target. The feather on the bow almost grazed her cheek as she pulled back, letting it fly. 

[mostlyfate]

[amelian-reasons]

@ansonwood

[annethearcher-deactivated202004]

Taking aim

[amelian-reasons]

ansonwood‌:

Her being a lady of the law was one of the reasons he worried. Not that he didn’t trust her to take care of herself, he absolutely did. Amelia Bones was a badass. But her department wasn’t exactly known for being the pinnacle of safety standards and cautious behaviors. He shook off these thoughts and tuned back in. 

Almost immediately he rolled his eyes fondly at her. “Being a kid wasn’t so great. Do you remember our first year? I kept getting beat up by that third year girl because I refused to jinx her back.” The girl was an absolute little git and had grown up to be much the same. Thank Merlin Blair had stepped in and threatened the girl off. For once his smile didn’t dim at the thought of his lost sibling. Maybe because this time was a fond memory. “That was the year I was so awful to you too. Asher would get so annoyed with me.” 

At once Anson realized his mistake bringing up Asher. Blair was his own private pain but Asher was something they both worried about. His absence now felt noticeable and worry returned to bite at Anson. His friend had been missing for weeks and there were still no clues about where he could be. How good a friend could he be, sitting drinking tea with Amelia while Asher was out there? “Are there any updates? Has the ministry heard anything?  

Amelia couldn’t help but laugh as Anson recounted their first year. Looking back on their memories at Hogwarts was always rather charming, and it oddly made her feel a lot better. Before then, she had assumed that thinking too much about the times that her brothers were still alive, and parents too, would make her miss them more. Truthfully it did, to an extent, but she was beginning to realize that not thinking about them at all made her miss them even more than reflecting on positive times she had with them. “Well, perhaps you should have jinxed her back then. I mean, she was requesting it, in that case it’s fair game,” Amelia shrugged with a smirk. 

Anson wasn’t like that, though, and Amelia knew that. She had had her own share of words with the girl on his behalf that she had conveniently kept secret from him all these years. “Well, thank Merlin you came to your senses, or you would be getting beaten up by more than one girl that year,” she teased. Despite agreeing that treating someone poorly wasn’t kind, Amelia had never taken it to heart all that seriously, having grown up with two brothers who taught her what other boys were like. Sure, some of the things others said to her may have hurt her feelings now and then, but she never let it show too often. 

Then they were talking about Asher, and Amelia’s body tensed up a bit, likely noticeable as they were still holding hands. She wished more in that moment than any other that she would have had something, anything about it to tell him, but nothing came to mind. “The most likely situation is that he fled the country. I just don’t believe he would have done so without saying goodbye... to us, at least.” Shaking her head in response, Amelia took a shaky breath and tried to stop herself from crying. “I just hope that this doesn’t become a bigger issue.”

[amelian-reasons]

delilahxcarrow‌:

Truthfully, Delilah didn’t know how much Amelia knew about her relationship with Edgar. It was one of the hardest parts of losing Edgar; she had few people that she could talk about him with. And she had so many things that she wanted to know, but Edgar was gone and she couldn’t ask him. She assumed that she knew but she didn’t want to open her mouth and cause a scene in Diagon Alley. Not so soon after Amycus’s death. Eyes were already on her. “We are,” she confirmed, nodding her head slightly. She was going to have to take Amelia’s lead on this, for once she felt like she had no idea what she was doing. 

Delilah noticed the way that Amelia’s voice changed, and she could only guess at what she was thinking. “It is,” she said after a moment. “I hated when people asked me things like that after my sister died.” She paused. She could still remember the night that she had met Edgar so vividly, he hadn’t known who she was, who she had lost and he had treated her like she was normal. It was all that she had wanted. “I just wanted people to treat me like they used to.” She had no idea if Amelia felt the same way, she had lost both of her brother so soon after one another. It reminded Delilah of all the loss that had surrounded her this year. At her apology, she offered her a small smile. “You don’t have to apologize to me, I promise.”

“You get tired of hearing it,” she said in agreement. Delilah was tired of hearing it about Amycus. But that was different. “I don’t…I don’t want to make it harder for you. But your brother loved you,” she told her. Delilah figured that Amelia wouldn’t have the regrets that Delilah had about Gisela. Edgar had always spoken so highly of his sister. “I miss him too,” she said, her voice soft. She didn’t know how Amelia would react, but it was the truth and she wouldn’t pretend otherwise.

There weren’t words to accurately describe how Amelia was feeling. None of them that she had thought of would ever do the situation justice. It was hardly after she was processing the death of Eli that Edgar had passed, and her parents in the midst of it... Amelia had cast herself inside of a void she hadn’t realized she’d been walking in, oblivious to the fact that there were other people who were in her position as well, or very close to it. Delilah had lost people as well, just as a fair number of people she knew had, be it a consequence of war, illness, old age or some other reason. 

To be treated like I used to be. Amelia repeated the woman’s words with her own arrangement in her mind. It wasn’t exactly what she had wanted to say, but it was a start. She didn’t want to be pitied, neither of them did. What Amelia Bones wanted was for this bloody war to be over, with no more lives lost. Though she was hardly in the position to be making such demands, she would do whatever she could to prevent as many deaths as possible. 

“I don’t know if anyone could make it much harder,” she managed to say, shaking her head to stop the tears from falling to her cheeks. Still, as she rose her head and looked Delilah in the eyes, Amelia realized that there was a choice that she had to make. She could either walk away from this conversation in a few moments and never seek the woman out again unless their paths should happen to cross, or she could stay, and try to get to know her better as the woman that her brother loved. She was likely one of the only people who could really understand what Amelia was going through, not in the aspect of losing a loved one, but specifically, losing Edgar. It wasn’t that she didn’t have love for Eli, or her parents. She loved them more than anything in the world, though her and Edgar had always been connected on a level that ran deeper. 

Pressing the tips of her fingers to the corners of her eyes, Amelia stopped for a moment to take a breath. “Sorry...” she muttered awkwardly, trying to stop herself from crying. “This is rather embarrassing... Would you, like to come over? I hope that doesn’t sound a bit too forward, and I understand if you’re busy,” she started to ramble slightly. “But the invitation stands, if not now, for another time.”

[amelian-reasons]

Cheers To No More Tears

[amelian-reasons]

remuslxpns‌:

There was no one to blame for his mother’s death, it being completely natural and still unforgiving. He knew cancer was a slow process and felt it burning from the inside as each day passed without any good news. It wasn’t any better when the days at the end when she was sick and hoped for a more a better relationship between him and his father. It was not the best thing to hear from his mother and perhaps the reason he didn’t return to his house in Wales until the funeral. It was a muffled promise and estranged, it never holding up until his father died as well. 

Remus wondered why he would stand if he was closer with his father. The chance to introduce him to Zephyr and Katie had never been inviting and now he would never have the chance to do so. The guilt had not weighed on him until his father was murdered in the same home he grew up in, knowing how many months had separated that promise made. While Remus was riddled with enough grief as it was, at least his father could be happy with his mother once again. It was something he told himself when he got frustrated at his father’s past doings and the act of his murder. 

Remus could understand death and how it tolled more than just one victim, but he knew it must be insufferable for Amelia. Her parents had been murdered and the same with her brothers. Remus did not know enough about a healthy family but knew having everyone gone in the same way would make his stomach twist. “No, that doesn’t make you a bad person.” A sigh left him and he extended his arm around Amelia gently. “Everyone processes grief in different ways…there is no way of knowing how to do it. What matters is how you are feeling. I…lost my father long before I lost him. I thought if he ever did die that I wouldn’t care-which sounds heartless and completely awful…but I did miss him more than I thought I would. Death is an unforgiving thing, but if you feel something…confused, sad, frustrated…it’s all the same, isn’t it?”

There wasn’t a day that went by that Amelia didn’t think about her parents, and her brothers. They were on her mind every morning when she woke up, and every evening when she went to bed. They haunted her dreams with memories of time spent between the lot of them, which only made the pain of waking up even harder to bear. Even in the days that she woke up and painted on a facade of positivity, or at least, as positive as she could get, the pain still lingered in her chest throughout the day. There wasn’t much she could do to mask those feelings, other than distract herself for brief periods of time, but even then, she always found herself picturing their faces, seeing them every where she went. 

Taking a deep breath as she sat there on the couch curled against Remus’ side, Amelia closed her eyes. Words were swimming in her head though she couldn’t figure out a way to execute them sufficiently, so for now she remained quiet and listened to him talk instead. Had she ever thought that this war would cost her everything that she held dear, Amelia may have forced her family to move out of the country. Get away from all of this nonsense. She would have begged, and done her best to convince them it wasn’t safe. But now, she sat alone in her apartment each day wondering why it had to be any of them, rather than her, or someone else. By no means would she ever wish death upon anyone, and understood it was a selfish question, though she couldn’t help it.

There was a difference, however, that she hadn’t considered until that moment. Amelia was not alone after all. Not in that moment, at the very least. She had Remus with her, for the simple fact that she had asked for his comfort, and he complied. That alone was more than she had done for herself in what felt like forever, telling someone that she needed to not be alone. “What a cruel and unusual punishment, death is...” She murmured softly, picking her head back up and sighing softly. “Not only for those who succumb to it, but more so for the ones surrounding those individuals. The pain of having to process loss.” Then again, feeling anything at all was better than feeling numb, she would agree. 

[amelian-reasons]

lucianollivander‌:

With a flash Lucian sat down. 

       “I’m glad you don’t find it necessary. That sort of lunch sounds dreadful.” He confessed. She seemed to be kind enough, which was good for the most part. He did not want to sit stiffly with unkind company. The girl looked slightly familiar, but he could not place it. As he set his coffee mug onto the table he now extended the free hand to his now lunch partner. “I’m Lucian,” He said, smiling before retracting his own hand. Lucian was not used to seeking the company of others. If he could help it he kept to himself. Being alone helped him to hone his skills, plus there was something warm about the silence. 

        He looked down at his scone, taking a bite after a moment. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Lucian carried on. He seemed to be unnatural at small talk but had been forced through the exercise enough times that it appeared to be effortlessly. He leaned back in his chair, using a napkin to wipe away any spare crumbs. “Is it always this busy here ? ”

Eating alone in silence was one thing, but blatantly ignoring a lunch partner made for an awkward experience on both ends. While silence could be rewarding, casual conversation never hurt anyone. At least, not that Amelia had come into contact with. With a bit of an eyebrow raise at the formality, she smiled, extending her hand as well. “Amelia,” the blonde offered. “You work for the ministry, correct?” Though she already knew the answer, she didn’t want to come across as though she had been stalking the man. Plus, perhaps that would prompt him to open up about his department. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well.” Grabbing her mug with both hands, Amelia laced her fingers together and took a brief sip of tea before pulling away to answer his question. “I dunno, I think it’s usually fairly busy, but not like this. Perhaps the weather outside has drawn people in.” Turning to look for the nearest window, she watched as the raindrops started to glide down the glass panes. “I take it you don’t come here a lot then. No need to ask,” she teased.

[amelian-reasons]

fortunexflower‌:

“We can’t have you losing your job, for Merlin’s sake.” Lily gave Amelia a bit of a crooked grin. “I may not be a natural at distraction, but James has taught me a thing or two. Perhaps I can stave off actions of reckless abandon? I heard Allegro Music is hosting some new live music acts tonight. Lose yourself in some music, as they say?”

The entire world grows weary with war. Lily would admit that much to herself. But it is that constant fear that is driving her. Perhaps is blind optimism, but she simply won’t let it get her down. At least, not outwardly. 

“Or, if you’d rather, I was going to be brewing potions today if that more you’re vibe. The choice is yours!” Lily shifts her purchases to one arm. A small parcel of herbs daring to tumble out of the pile. She tries to rebalance it haphazardly again, “You’d think I would’ve remembered to bring my own bag…” 

Amelia wasn’t used to hanging out with other witches as she was with wizards, though she imagined that for Lily, it might be similar, since she had always been surrounded by the marauders. By choice or not. “I’m sure he has,” she answered with a bit of a laugh this time, remembering all of the chaos he had caused at school. Still, it was never anything too dangerous or life threatening. At least, it could have ended up a lot worse. 

It wasn’t until Lily started mentioning potions that Amelia noticed the bundle in her arms. Things were tilting every which way, as if she were one swift breeze away from dropping the lot. “Here, allow me,” she offered, extending out her hands to take some of the weight. “Potions sounds lovely, actually.” Music wasn’t a bad alternative, though Amelia wasn’t so sure that was what she was in the mood for. 

[amelian-reasons]

zahishafiq‌:

Zahi still felt a bit defensive as she commented, especially since she was calling him out. “That’s a fair statement,” he said with a tip of his head. He knew Kamal wouldn’t go eagerly to a stranger, so he wasn’t terribly concerned as she walked closer.

“His name is Kamal. He’s just been to the vet and isn’t having a great day. He’s not giving me a particularly great day either.” Zahi kept his tone neutral as she approached. He hadn’t expected anyone to actually want something to do with them, but he supposed a coat as fluffy and well-kept as Kamal’s invited a desire to pet him if he’d allow it. Zahi doubted that he would.

Amelia knew better than to run up to any unfamiliar animal, be it cat, owl, toad, or anything else of the sorts. Invading a creature’s space was something that, if you weren’t careful, could end very badly. So, even though she stepped closer, she kept a safe and admirable distance. Giving a softer smile in thanks for sharing the cat’s name, Amelia adjusted the bag on her arm. 

“That’s a rather lovely and unique name. Much more clever than most people likely could come up with.” Complimenting strangers most often put them in a better mood, especially if they sounded genuine. “I’m sorry to hear that his day has been unpleasant. Is that why you’ve taken him out on the town?” A little pampering could never hurt after a rough day.

[amelian-reasons]

yuki-yamashita‌:

She knew that official job duties at the Ministry had blurred a bit in recent years – especially in the more active roles.  Death, defection… unfortunate things like that kept them woefully understaffed.  But surely whatever imbecile that had sent her down here knew the difference between a hit witch and an auror.

Although, perhaps not.

But even if they didn’t, Amelia Bones, as shady and annoying as she was, certainly knew that she probably wouldn’t have the answers to her questions, especially when there were no known deaths involved.  

Her lips twitched as some of the anger made its way to her voice – although, she did a fairly good job of keeping it pushed down.  Miss Know-It-All had a temper.  That was a fun piece of knowledge for another day.  But even she wasn’t enough of an asshole to harass her so soon after her brother’s death.  That was surely still painful.

“Unfortunately not.  But I have nothing to do right now,” she shrugged.  It was a lie. She had a lot of paperwork to do, but she fucking hated paperwork.  She’d take hanging out at a crime scene with Amelia Probably a Secret Vigilante Bones to doing paperwork.  “We can go check out the scene if you’d like.  There’s probably not much there, as it was a few days ago.  And if we get caught I’m totally blaming you.   But we could probably pull it off.”

Amelia was used to playing innocent. She would allow people to make their own judgments about her, as it hardly bothered her. If people wanted to think a certain way, that was on them, and she was not going to waste valuable time and energy trying to change their opinions. That was something that people had to learn on their own. Unless it came to law. In that case, of course, Amelia was always the first to enforce it and make sure that all laws were being abode by. However, in this case, she was willing to bend a few rules if it meant she got answers.

While it was fairly obvious that Amelia would get more answers by talking to the aurors, a part of her was nervous to ask them. What if they gave her the run around? What if no one was allowed to tell her anything? As a woman who worked in magical law enforcement she couldn’t go around demanding information, and would have to respect whatever decisions were being made. As a concerned friend, she was willing to work around the system. 

The idea of going to the crime scene herself both thrilled and terrified her. What if whoever had attacked the office was still there, or close by? Amelia wasn’t by any means doubting her dueling ability, but some witches and wizards were surely more powerful. Even more concerning, did she want to go with Yuki? The woman’s profession would likely be beneficial,depending on whether Amelia trusted her enough to help keep the both of them safe, and not just herself. “There will be no need for blame if we were to get caught,” she said quite simply. “I know an obliviator.”

[vampyshrimp]

hufflepuff + autumn

slytherin + autumn

ravenclaw + autumn

gryffindor + autumn

[amelian-reasons]

Amelia Bones && Anson Wood

School bell rings, walk me home Sidewalk chalk covered in snow Lost my gloves, you give me one "Wanna hang out?" Yeah, sounds like fun Video games, you pass me a note Sleeping in tents

It's nice to have a friend It's nice to have a friend

Light pink sky up on the roof Sun sinks down, no curfew Twenty questions, we tell the truth You've been stressed out lately? Yeah, me too Something gave you the nerve To touch my hand

It's nice to have a friend It's nice to have a friend

@ansonwood

[amelian-reasons]

ansonwood‌:

“At this rate there won’t be any magic blood left.” He snorted. “If there is a such thing. Judging from the muggleborns it could just rely on chance.” Anson himself was a pureblood but the Wood family wasn’t exactly long-lived or noble. His mother had tried and she couldn’t trace it farther back then four or five generations. Compared to some of his peers that was nothing. 

 “I forget sometimes that this isn’t the normal. We shouldn’t have to go to work afraid and come home afraid. Worry for our families whenever they aren’t in our immediate sights.” The fear sometimes felt so ingrained Anson worried that it was becoming something permanent. “I keep seeing the family announcements in the paper, have you seen them? Who would want to bring a child into this.” His last few words ended in a sneer as he surveyed their surroundings. 

He felt grounded by her small hand in his. Staring at it momentarily his eyes met hers. “You’re being careful aren’t you Amelia? You’re one of the last ones I ha-” He stopped himself realizing he sounded selfish. “Order or the others. Death comes to those who seek it out. Please make sure you aren’t looking for trouble.” 

Amelia noted that Anson made a good point. Killing all of the muggleborns wouldn’t necessarily mean that they would end this problem of purification that the death eaters seemed to be obsessed with. Magic seemed to be rather fickle at times, and there was no telling that preventing the marriage of wizards and witches to muggles —or, to get to the specifics, prevention of sex between them resulting in children— would guarantee that muggleborns wouldn’t still pop up here or there after a few decades, give or take. 

Nodding her head to confirm that she knew exactly what he was talking about, Amelia took a breath, letting it out slowly. Reading about all of the happy marriages only felt like a cover up for what else was happening behind the scenes. Sure, she could be happy for those who were achieving such things. But the amount of good she had read lately didn’t outweigh the bad. Having to read about the deaths of her parents and brothers in the Daily Prophet had tore her apart. Then, to read that Asher had gone missing... it only reopened the wound that hadn’t healed yet. Amelia didn’t even want to think what would happen if she read Anson’s name in the paper. 

“I don’t know. I couldn’t even imagine it...” Maybe if Amelia had been seeing someone and in a serious relationship, the thought might have crossed her mind loosely, though even then she wasn’t sure. A laugh slipped from her lips as Anson looked up at her, asking if she was being careful. “I promise, I am. And you better promise me too,” she turned the conversation back on him, poking him lightly in the chest. “Besides, I am a lady of the law. I don’t look to get myself into trouble.” She smiled softly, though it started to fade after a moment. “I miss when we were in school sometimes. We’re not kids anymore, but sometimes I think it might be nice to be.”

[300foxwayhelps-blog]

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