the moment to fight

"as arabella just might've tapped into your mind and soul" | arabella anderson | auror | 35 | former hufflepuff

[aurcrbella]

aurorphoebeparkinson:

“Oh, did she tell you about that?” Phoebe chuckled softly at the memory of the feisty little girl. “Yes, I spoke with her and two other girls, and she made quite certain that I knew when I was overstepping my place. They didn’t know much other than the basics, however.” She was glad of that; thinking of a student assisting Charlotte was quite disturbing, and those girls in particular seemed very innocent. She turned her full attention on Bella, for a moment ignoring their surroundings in favor of reassuring herself that her fiancee - fiancee - was doing well enough. “I’m sure you were wonderful in that role. How were they faring? Addie seemed fine when I spoke to them, but the other two were quite shaken. I’m sure it will be good for them to get back to a normal schedule.” It would take time for anyone to be back at a semblance of their old selves, of course, but there were things that could help, and getting out of the Great Hall would be one of those things.

“She did. I’m impressed, actually, she’s so small isn’t she? I can tell she’s got a lot of courage in her.” Arabella didn’t know the full picture, but it seemed as if Phoebe agreed. The students these days were so strong. During her early school days, Arabella never would’ve imagined becoming an auror; she admired their bravery at such a young age. “Addie seemed to be doing fine, if not only a little shaken. She noticed my ring actually. That’s how I found out what happened.” She couldn’t help the small smile that spread across her face as she once again, recalled their engagement. “The other two weren’t doing that well. Maia, the one with the pink hair, seemed detached, while I had an…interesting conversation with the other, Hestia Jones. As for everyone else, it varied from student to student, but hopefully they’ll be able to return to normal soon. I heard Charlotte was found earlier?” Arabella was told that the Death Eater was found, by a bunch of students no less, but she’d gotten away.

[aurcrbella]

hestia-jones:

Hestia was seething. It didn’t matter to her whether or not the girl had just joined, or had been there for years when the incident had occurred. To her it was all the same. It didn’t matter who’d been assigned to her case because they’d still given up on it. Now she just found herself thinking about how her mother was just a stack of papers tucked away in the back of some filing cabinet somewhere. The girl herself never even talked about it anymore, not even to Amara. 

“You don’t get to make excuses for yourself or your coworkers.” She pointed. Hestia couldn’t even keep still as she was shaking, switching her weight from foot to foot. “You see, they gave up because the case was to hard for them. Because the only witness couldn’t talk, wouldn’t talk. And now that I can they don’t bother trying to get any sort of clues. Not that I’d probably be of much help since I very much enjoy living.” 

Arabella, while skilled in comfort, was lost when it came to what to say to Hestia. It was partly because she hardly knew anything about the case. The new recruits weren’t given any information on the cases taking place, and while she’d heard of it as talk spread around, she’d refrained from asking anyone from elaborating on the details. However, she supposed it was never to late to add to an investigation, even if the case was closed.

”I promise, I’m not trying to make excuses for anyone.” She observed Hestia’s shaking form, and made her words as calming and stable as possible, hopefully providing any necessary stability. “They had their reasons for dropping the case, I’m sure. But maybe there’s a possibility that I can help…with another investigation. It would take work, but I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, and I’m willing to listen now that you’re capable. Why do you think you wouldn’t be helpful?”

[aurcrbella]

auror-genevieveking:

WHO: Genevieve King and anyone WHERE: A second floor corridor WHEN: February 16, after dinner

The day had been a whirlwind of finishing things up, travel, and eventually, making her way back to Hogwarts. Genevieve hadn’t stepped foot in the halls since she graduated, and being back felt incredibly strange. Still, when the office had contacted her, alerting her to a new placement, effective immediately, she made the trip. She had spent the remainder of her day being caught up - she was Dawlish’s new partner (blergh.), Charlotte had gone berserk, four students had been attacked, and Jackie’s youngest sister was missing. Fantastic. After sending a quick letter to Archie - she had made it, she was fine, Genevieve had made her way into the hallways. Spotting a figure in the distance, she tilted her head to the side, before calling out. “I was one for breaking the rules as a student too, but I think they want you all to stay in the common rooms as much as possible.”

Ever since the students were let out of the Great Hall, Arabella had been doing her job patrolling the hallways, trying to keep the rule-breaking students in line while also providing any comfort she could to any students she ran into the still weren’t doing well. After what she’d heard about the kids that snuck off, and the capture of Jackie’s little sister, she felt obligated to pay close attention to what was going on around the castle, just in case anything else happened. Making her way down a corridor, she spotted a student out of their common room, and was about to reprimand them for it, before she heard a familiar voice do it before her. Once the student left, Arabella caught sight of...Genevieve King? “Genevieve? I thought you were in Morocco,” She spoke with a smile, walking over to greet her. “It’s great to see you again.” 

[jamiejchung]

Chriselle x Joa.

[aurcrbella]

hestia-jones:

I’m sorry. If Hestia had even just a penny for each time she’d heard that, she’d be richer than anyone else she knew. It wasn’t that she wasn’t well-off herself. But, her family didn’t exactly come from money. For the most part her parents had had to work for what she has now. In fact, her mother had been even more successful then her father, although she’d put it all away into a trust fund for her daughter. “It’s fine, just please don’t touch me.” She cringed away from the woman’s touch. “Also, it’s been nearly seven years since it happened, don’t be sorry it happened. You should be sorry that you aurors gave up on the case.”

Arabella hadn’t been involved in the case involving Hestia’s mother. She’d just joined the training program, after all; those types of things certainly hadn’t been open to her. She’d been correct in her earlier assumption that Hestia wouldn’t want to be touched, and quickly moved her hand back to her side. “Of course.” She frowned at the mention of giving up on the case. Arabella understood that it was necessary to stop an investigation when it reached a point where it couldn’t be solved, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. “I’m afraid I was only just joining the auror program when your mother’s case was taking place. I don’t know much about it. It’s unfortunate, but I’m sure there was reason behind the decision.”

[aurcrbella]

aurorphoebeparkinson:

Phoebe had always been good at compartmentalizing when she needed to - it was how she was so good at working with Arabella even after their relationship changed. She was able to separate the auror from the woman, and she could do her job. It had been a little more difficult today though, after the events of the night before. Had it really only been the night before? It felt like so long ago now. “I questioned some of the students who found their classmates, and did some other jobs that Moody or Edward needed. It’s been a long day How was it in here?” She couldn’t imagine how tense the students must have been, and that wouldn’t have been something she enjoyed, although Arabella was much better at comforting other people than Phoebe was.

Although it had taken a fair bit of convincing to assure the Head Aurors and that Arabella and Phoebe’s work wouldn’t change, they’d both kept that promise quite well for years now. She knew there was no way anybody could’ve known how inconvenient the timing was for them to come in, so Arabella had gotten to work quickly. However, she found herself looking down at the ring a little more than a few times throughout the day. “Oh, one of the girls I spoke to mentioned the questioning. I think her name was Addie?” Arabella was almost sure of it, but it was hard to keep track of all the students crowded together in one room. “You’re definitely right about it being a long day. I mostly just walked around the Great Hall, talking to students who looked like they needed help or comfort. I think I spoke to all three of the girls you questioned, actually.” While talking, Arabella slowly brushed her thumb over Phoebe’s fingers.

[aurcrbella]

hestia-jones:

The last thing Hestia wanted to do was talk. “My mother.” She said simply, although what’d happened was not so simple. She was unsure if the auror would have heard of the story, once she told her about it. The incident had happened seven years ago, but the mystery surrounding it had caused quite a spectacle. “She was murdered and I found her.” She said it quietly as she began shaking again. Although this time was because she was afraid that even just talking about it this much would send him after her somehow. 

When Hestia mentioned her mother, Arabella suddenly remember what she’d heard about the case at the Auror Department. She’d only been eighteen at the time, and a new recruit, so she didn’t know much, but she’d certainly seen other aurors talk about it. It must’ve been horrible for Hestia, and Arabella understood the girl’s breakdown even more. It gave her a basis on what to say in order to comfort Hestia. “I’ve heard of the case before. I’m sorry.” To her knowledge, the person who murdered Hestia’s mother had never been caught. She noticed Hestia’s shaking, and decided it was safe to rest hand on the student’s arm in a small, but comforting gesture.

[aurcrbella]

iversaddie:

When it was clear that the wasn’t going to be confiscated, Addie relaxed a little bit. It was making her feel better and she thought that was a good thing now. She braced for a scolding or something, because she had yelled at an auror and she really shouldn’t be doing things like that, but this one didn’t seem upset, just surprised. “Parkinson? Like - is she related to Pinky?” Addie knew about Pinky’s brother but didn’t know much about the rest of the family. It probably shouldn’t surprise her that Pinky would have an aunt, though. “She was talking to us and my friends just weren’t able to answer the questions and I wanted her to leave them alone.” Frowning, Addie looked down at the puppy; in the moment, it had seemed like a much bigger deal than it probably was. “They were both really upset. I wasn’t as bad off so I thought I should just answer the questions.”

Arabella nodded in confirmation to the girl’s question; she wasn’t surprised that the student knew who Pinky was. Arabella had met Pinky before, and was sure Phoebe would find her niece at some point. “Phoebe’s her aunt. Are you friends with Pinky?” She grew more intrigued as the student began to explain what had happened, unable to help being curious as to what Phoebe had been doing. They had to separate their personal lives from work, but it seemed much harder this time around. Her lips twitched upwards as she imagined the situation, although she was still taken aback that the small girl in front of her stood up like that. “I see. That was very nice of you to do. Questioning can be difficult if the people are too upset.” Arabella tried to make sure the student knew she wasn’t going to reprimand her for yelling at an auror; she thought Phoebe might’ve been a bit amused by it too. “You were involved in finding the victims, I assume? What’s your name?” She had to thread carefully, but this girl seemed to be better off than the other one she’d spoken to.

[aurcrbella]

darcy-saoirse:

It was an auror, Darcy quickly realized, who had come to join her. She supposed they would be more of a common occurrence now. And while the woman sitting next to her seemed kind and decent enough, Darcy couldn’t help but wish it would have been one of her friends, someone who would have understood the feelings she was having, even if she wasn’t quite sure she understood them herself.

“I - yeah. I wasn’t close with any of them, really.” She said, in reference to the four students. Realizing that her words may have sounded harsh, she quickly shook her head. “Not that that makes it okay or better or -” She stopped speaking, and looked down for a brief moment, before her eyes returned to the other woman. “I’m sorry. It’s.. it’s been a long day. For you too, I’m sure.”

Arabella wasn’t sure if the student would want to talk to her; many people deflected help from ones they hardly knew, and some from the people they did know as well. With other people, it was always a game of figuring out how they tick and the best way to interact with them. It had been a challenge at first, but Arabella had accumulated her skills over the years. 

“It’s okay, you’ve got nothing to apologize for.” She didn’t think she’d run into anybody who was close with the victims just yet. The incident seemed to be having different effects on people whether they knew the ones targeted or not. “It certainly has.” Arabella nodded in agreement, glancing down at her ring before looking back up. “I’m glad you’re doing alright, but I’ve been open to listening all day if you’d like to talk about something.” 

[aurcrbella]

hestia-jones:

She nodded, knowing what the women said was true. Hestia had said it herself that Zelda would be fine. Plus she didn’t even particularly care for Zelda, and although she would be upset if the girl had died, she was alive. Truthfully, her meltdown was related to other more personal issues. “Hestia Jones.” She told her when she could finally breathe again. “I found her this morning and it just looked so much like-” She stopped herself from saying it. Mainly because she didn’t want to talk about her mother, not when she was already feeling emotions. “It doesn’t matter. Thank you for calming me down.” 

Luckily, Arabella’s words seemed to be working. She knew what to do if they didn’t, of course, but it was always good if things didn’t spiral out of control. She stayed by as the student composed herself, nodding when she learned the girl’s name. Hestia’s breathing had become a lot more regular. As she’d suspected, Hestia had found one of the victims earlier, although her unfinished sentence rang in Arabella’s ears. She wasn’t going to force Hestia to talk, but it seemed like something was bothering her. “Of course, it’s what I do,” Arabella responded to Hestia’s thanks, though she was hardly done with the conversation. “It’s helpful to talk, sometimes, though, which means whatever you were saying before does matter. What did she look so much like?” 

[aurcrbella]

aurorphoebeparkinson:

Who: Phoebe & Bella ( @aurcrbella ) Where: The Great Hall When: February 15, evening

The students were mostly quite - Phoebe had spotted several of them moving about the room still, but none seemed to be attempting to escape so she thought things were going as smoothly as could be expected. And with everything so quiet, she thought it safe to seek out Bella for a few minutes. They’d been busy with their respective duties throughout the day and she didn’t resent that in the slightest, but it was a relief to have a moment for the two of them at last. After their celebration had been interrupted, it felt almost like the proposal was a dream, except the ring on her finger reminded her that it had actually happened. “Hey,” she said softly, reaching for Bella’s hand. “I wanted to check on you while we have a moment to breathe.”

Arabella had spent the rest of the day making her way around the Great Hall, checking on student after student who looked like they needed help or consolation. A few encounters stuck out in her mind over other ones, but most of them had been normal. She’d forced herself to focus on her job throughout the hours helping, which wasn’t particularly hard since she’d been doing it for years without a problem, but the proposal from the other night was constantly in the back of her mind. She found herself looking down at the ring often, smiling to herself. There was something good amongst the chaos. As night arrived, Arabella kept an eye out for Phoebe, just in case she’d get a chance to talk to her fiancée. Bella spotted her coming over just a second before she spoke, and her lips tugged upwards when taking Phoebe’s hand. “Hi. I’ve been doing fine, mostly checking on students. What about you?” 

[aurcrbella]

iversaddie:

Addie had found a puppy and taken to wandering around with it in her arms, because it made her feel better. She knew she should let someone else take it soon but she wasn’t quite ready to let go yet. She’d bothered a few of her friends enough, and was trying to work up her courage to go see Pinky for a few minutes, although that might be safer to do later. When people weren’t watching. And when it wouldn’t be as easy for Pinky to see Addie’s heart in her eyes. She’d stopped beside the auror mostly by accident and started, looking up a little guiltily as her arms tightened slightly on the puppy. “I don’t need anything. I’m just - walking, I guess.” Her gaze dropped to the puppy briefly and then her attention was caught by a ring on the auror’s hand - one that was familiar. “I saw another auror wearing a ring like that,” she said, surprised to see two of them. “I - I might have yelled at her a little. It’s a bit of a blur, really.”

The puppy the girl was holding looked quite familiar, and it took Arabella a moment to realize it belonged to Kingsley. She thought she’d seen him letting students hold his dogs, which had been a great idea on his part. Animals could be therapuetic often, and it seemed like the students were enjoying their presence. She was also fond of the ridiculous names Kingsley gave them. The student seemed a bit lost, though her answer showed that she didn’t need anything. Arabella nodded slightly; she’d seen many students walking around the Great Hall. Her gaze dropped down to her ring at the mention of it, realizing this girl must’ve encountered Phoebe as well, though she was definitely taken aback by what followed, and couldn’t help the way her eyes widened in surprise. “That was my fiancée, Phoebe Parkinson.” The girl was small, and while she was clutching a puppy in her arms it was hard to imagine her yelling at Phoebe; she was sort of impressed. “What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?” Arabella kept her smile in case the student thought she’d take offense to whatever the girl did. 

[mcrgotrcbbic]

Jamie Chung at the WeWork Congress during SXSW in Austin, Texas, on March 10th 2018.

[aurcrbella]

nrcissvblvck:

Narcissa was highly inconvenienced by this entire debacle. She sent her father an Owl, a move that she typically avoided like the Plague, begging him to allow her to come home. She didn’t want to be here, not when everyone stared at her as though she had done it. Or perhaps not everyone was staring, it only felt like it because for so long all she’d known was the idea that they were. She shuffled in her bed and that was, apparently, enough to draw the attention of an Auror roaming around. “Like what you and your crew of merry men did for my mother?,” she said snidely, a smile gracing her lips as she did so. “Thank you so much for offering, but I think it’s been made quite clear how the Auror department feels about protecting people like me, or like the victims of the attack. How low we are on your list of priority. So, considering the majority of the room I’m in sees me as a great target, I’d rather you leave to stop drawing attention to me.”

Arabella hadn’t known who the student was at first, when she spoke, she thought she had a pretty good idea. She resisted the urge to frown at what Narcissa was saying, instead keeping a neutral expression. “I can assure you that the attack on Hogsmeade and your mother was completely unprecedented. We did everything we could, and I’m sorry for your loss.” She didn’t think anything could’ve been done about it at that point; they hadn’t known about the attacks at all. “Your needs are just as important to use as anyone else, and I specialize in the aid of others, so I’m currently concerned with everyone’s well-being. If you truly feel like you’re in danger, we may be able to have you stay in another room. Although I don’t think anything would happen with so many people here.” Narcissa had looked uncomfortable when Arabella came over, which was what drew her to the student, and providing help for her was Arabella’s job.

[aurcrbella]

hestia-jones:

It was like all the emotions were escaping the girl all at once. She tried to at least stop herself from hyperventilating but it was hard. “Zelda…” Hestia was trying to at least form a sentence, but it was hard. “Blood.” Usually the small girl was much more articulate. Each word precise and calculating, always carefully thought over. But her thoughts were to scrambled at the moment. She took a breath, “There was so much blood.” 

Arabella bit the inside of her cheek, recognizing the panic that the student seemed to be going through. She said a name that Arabella was almost sure was one of the victims, and as the student continued to try and speak, a wave of realization washed over the auror. This girl must’ve been one of the people to find the victims. “She’s okay now, and you’ll be, too.” Arabella actually wasn’t sure if the victim was alright, but she couldn’t say that. “Keep taking deep breaths, and I’m here to listen if that’s what you need. Can you tell me your name?”

[aurcrbella]

darcy-saoirse:

WHO: Darcy Keane and anybody WHEN: February 15th, 1978. WHERE: The Great Hall

Darcy’s eyes were scanning the Great Hall rapidly as soon as she entered. She had heard that there would be additional aurors sent to the school in wake of the attacks, and as much as she knew they were necessary, there was one face in particular that she had no desire to see. Luckily, in her glances, it seemed that Roland had not been one of the aurors assigned to Hogwarts. She supposed there was still a great chance that he would hear and try to contact her, but she resolved to deal with that issue when it arose.

For now, she sat on the edge of her cot, eyes almost glazed over as she stayed trapped in her own thoughts. When she felt the weight shift she turned to her new companion, before offering a small smile. “Sorry - a bit lost in my own world there, I suppose.”

Arabella had been walking around the Great Hall for a while, talking to a few students here and there who looked like they needed consoling. The thought of Charlotte being the one to do this was constantly on her mind. Charlotte Fawley had been her colleague. While Arabella hadn’t known her as well as some of the other aurors, they’d worked together for years, and she was being hunted down at this very moment. Arabella, or any of the aurors stationed in the Great Hall, hadn’t yet recieved any word from the people searching for her. 

As she walked, Arabella spotted a student sitting with a sort of lost look on her face. The girl looked alright, but Arabella wanted to make sure, just in case. “It’s alright. I’m just here to make sure you’re doing okay after everything.” 

[aurcrbella]

hestia-jones:

Hestia was doing her best not to talk to anybody. Usually she’d be doing the opposite, but she’d already thrown up that day and was not about to add anything else embarrassing to that list. She’d already talked to a few aurors, or rather listened. Addie had done most of the talking, her and Maia just stood there shaking. She was still shaking. She didn’t know where the other girls had wondered off to, but she knew that she would probably find them later. She jumped when she heard someone talking next to her. She started shaking her head, not even realizing that she’d begun crying at some point. 

Arabella had approached the girl because she looked so shaken. The student had looked very closed-off, which made Arabella wary when going over to her. She specialized in helping in this type of situation, but that meant she also knew when people would like to be spoken to, and it didn’t seem like that girl would. But as she got closer, she noticed the tears sliding down the student’s cheek, and was compelled to help in whatever way she could. She took a seat next to the girl, careful not to touch her in case she reacted negatively. “I need you to try and breathe, alright? Relax your body, and take deep breaths. It’s going to be okay.”