There's always someone out there in the dark

Violet Burke, Auror. 32. Imperia rp

[roleplaymemesforyou]

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[aurorburke]

aurorharryjpotter·:

LOCATION: The Auror Office (Ministry of Magic, Level Two)

DATE: November 8, 2020

WITH: @aurorburke·

Unless this past week has gone terribly wrong, the meeting is expected to go as usual. On Harry’s calendar, the weekly planning session he has with Auror Burke is simply listed as last meeting before going home. The Auror Office knows better than to question it. After all, Harry is known to be notoriously private about anything faintly connected to his family, even going so far as shutting a conversational junior Auror down when asked where he lived. He could admit that that particular instance was a bit harsh, but when it comes to protecting his family, Harry is unbudging. This is perhaps the only time he utilizes that generally respected privacy to his advantage. From his perspective, the mention of home is strategically placed to ward off any nosy colleagues. 

The office at the end of the hall is mostly abandoned due to the fact that there is a popular rumor that a man who was being questioned in the 1800s had died and became a ghost. It’s funny how some of the bravest people Harry knows are scared of a mere spirit. He still makes a point of visiting Nearly Headless Nick whenever he visits his old school. Besides, in all of the times Harry and Violet have spent sifting through data and organizing their next plans to sink Vertias’ operation for good, he has never seen any ghosts appear. Today, he makes his way to the room first, clearing the dusty table with the nonchalant sweep of his hand. Slinging his heavy black trench coat over one of wobbly wooden chairs, his back hunches over the table to pick up a piece of paper left from their last discussion. The team Harry has assembled to track down Veritas is small, extremely selective, and secretive. While the Auror Office knows it exists to some degree, not many people are aware of much more than that. Admittedly, even Harry feels out of touch sometimes– his mission to capture the Puritans occupies more space on his over-stuffed plate, leading the younger Auror Burke to take care of the day-to-day operations, update him on the team’s progress, and pitch future plans once a week. He’s about to flip the page over when he hears the doorknob turn. “Auror Burke,” he says, straightening, “do you have anything new for me?”

It was unreal to her when she had started her Auror training that she was going to be trained by the Chosen one himself. Her father only had good things to say about the man, and still did. As she started working fully and on her own, he was a good boss.

She felt that she might get away with things not everyone would have let her. It was all to get the job done. It was far from the first time she had been told off by others, and yet Potter trusted her with something that was highly important and needed to be dealt with swift and with discretion. It was some names on this list that was high up the food chain.

Sorting through her papers as she waited for her boss, she had some Aurors beneath her that she had at her disposal. Not everyone liked being told what to do by her, but they had learnt to deal with it. Thinking a pureblood witch would be the best way in. It seemed the higher-ups in this office also agreed.

Looking up as the door opened she gave her boss a nod "Oh you know Boss, the usual," she looked over her papers.

[aurorburke]

magicterrence·:

CLOSED STARTER FOR @aurorburke·

Setting: 10th of November; TechnoFair at Carkitt Market, Diagon Alley, Wixen London.

He’d struck a bargain with many aurors in the past. It was usually for turning over information or turning over a blind eye, which were paid for with a heavy pouch of Galleons. Violet Burke wasn’t your average auror, and like so, had different motivations which Terry was able to figure out in their last meeting. No amount of Galleons would get her to conduct an investigation off the books, but a ticket to see a muggle movie of her choosing just might. 

Terry saunters through Carkitt Market in search for Violet, and finds her near the exhibition area. “Auror Burke, you made it.” Terry states pleased to find her taking an interest in the muggle technology, “I trust you are well. I’m managed to secure a ticket for yourself and another person of your choosing for the cinema installation…” Two tickets emerge from his pockets, “…as discussed.”

As this was a large event it was required for the aurors to be present. They didn’t have to be there all day and night, but they would be rotating. Having agreed to Boot’s request, she did want somethin in return. The auror office was already looking into the party, but it made her wonder if he was in on it all along. So far it had been a quiet affair, mostly people who were curious and some who perhaps missed from their previous life. She wasn’t suppose to be out in the open as an auror, the deal was that she sort of blends in a bit. Just keep an eye open for anyone who wants to cause trouble.

“I did,” she looked at him after she had studied what muggles called a smartphone. What was so smart about it she didn’t know. All she knew is that they could record things and it gave her a headache to think about. Violet’s eyes did light up when he pulled out the tickets. It was one of the things she really wanted to experience, it was the moving pictures that they had. She was told it was like their world’s moving pictures, but it was with sound and it had a story. “Thank you,” she put them into her pocket and held up the phone “Why do they call it smart? Isn’t it just an object?”

[aurorburke]

recanteddeatheater·:

What’s In A Name?

The smile Draco gave back in response to her jibe about fine china was sour and insincere. Visitors, indeed. As if this were a social call…yes, on the surface it actually bore a few hallmarks in common: chatter about a sibling, the gossip trail of talent, the insincere compliments served-up in hopes of enticing the subject to offer assistance rather than from any genuine feeling…but while one often made social calls out of obligation more than desire, being summoned by the Ministry of Magic was a very different sort of obligation. And Draco was under no illusions that he could get out of this meeting by pleading a schedule conflict or an aching head.

What the Ministry wanted, it got. At least if your name was Malfoy, and you knew that you were one bad day away from a frame-job straight to Azkaban.

In spite of himself, in spite of the warning bells going off inside his head, Draco was intrigued by her description of the case. “Essence of Murtlap,” he blurted before he could stop himself, and then there was nothing to do but continue. “Tastes vile, of course, and it’s not exactly something one would promote for regular ingestion, but it won’t actually hurt to drink – won’t even cause discoloration, not in small doses – and blending a little into the brew would act as a perfect binding agent to delay the onset of the poison’s effects. The downside is that it also mitigates the level of harm the potion can cause…but with a virulent enough poison, that’s irrelevant.” Draco leaned back, trying to downplay his interest belatedly. “Could be a whole host of other things, of course – it depends on precisely what the poison is. But that’s the first thing that comes to mind. If I were…” He realized the danger of what he was about to say too late, and had no choice but to finish the sentence, incriminating although it sounded even in his own head: “If I were aiming to poison someone and wanted the onset of effects to be delayed for some reason, that’s what I would turn to as the easiest and most obvious method.” Most obvious to a certain level of potioneer, at least; the layman wasn’t likely to come up with such a scheme. But then, if Burke wanted ideas about what a layman would do, she wouldn’t have sent for him.

It was almost cute that she thought there was a difference between a potion and a poison. Many people talked about them as though they were two distinct things, of course – but it was all semantics. Even a beneficial potion could be a poison if administered improperly, if ingested with the wrong combination of other draughts…no, much like the spells that were classified as Dark Magick, the distinction between potion and poison was all a matter of perspective and intent, not an integral differentiation in substance. And yet, that didn’t stop their names from carrying such weight in the world.

Sipping her tea she listened to what he said. When this was over she was going to let him walk out, there was nothing to hold him there. Not that the younger Malfoy was there for that, it was true her brother had tipped her of about this. Or well, tipped their father off who asked her to deal with it. So there she was, sitting in her office with Draco Malfoy shaking in his expesive trousers. Had she been there to intimidate him, she would have acted way different than she did at that moment.

“I don’t think whoever did this would get to three people with that, it tastes terrible like you said,” perhaps it would be something there, but she didn’t know any better. It was currently gathering dust on her desk. It weighed on them and there were pressure to get it solved. If they had more cases land on their desk, it would be worse for them. This wasn’t why she became an Auror, but here they were.

Watching him as he seemed to be a bit more comfortable, Violet sipped her tea again. Either he was playing her or he was just trying to drag this out. She wasn’t going to beg.

“That’s the thing Malfoy, we don’t know what it is. It’s not possible to find anything when we can’t figure out what the poison or potion or whatever it is.” it was true, they were stuck and it seemed like the man in front of her had the answer.

[aurorburke]

recanteddeatheater·:

What’s In A Name?

Despite the potentially – probably – dire situation in which he was currently sitting, Draco couldn’t stop his lips from pursing in disdain at the clumsy, thick mug that Burke floated over to him. Maybe that sort of sturdy, formless functionality made sense in a rough-and-tumble environment like the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, with its rough-and-tumble staff and its rough-and-tumble activities – but to Draco, raised on china so fine one could see sunlight through it, such vessels merely reeked of low-class tackiness.

He swallowed the urge to comment (had Astoria or Pansy been here with him, at least he could have raised his eyebrows at her and known she understood, and would be smirking back in kind – but of course, he wouldn’t wish anyone he cared about here and in danger alongside him, no matter how comforting he might find their presence) and swallowed a mouthful of hot, bitter, cheap tea to wash it down – alongside his shock and confusion.

“Your brother,” Draco repeated numbly. “Suggested me.” I was told you are good with things like this, she said, and Draco’s stomach gave a hollow lurch that was in no way alleviated by a single sip of hot tea. Far from finding her words reassuring, panic was now fluttering up inside his chest with fresh strength. Did they think he’d been the one poisoning people? Did they hope they could lure him into confessing by pretending they only wanted his help, then waiting until he said something they deemed knowledgeable enough to be “incriminating” and arresting him?

He had to say something though, didn’t he? Refusing to help would do him no good; they would only label him uncooperative and arrest him anyway. Hands shaking as badly as they’d ever done when he’d been in the throes of Dreamless Sleep addiction, Draco reached for the offered papers and flipped through them, his mind racing although he was barely taking in the words in front of him. Was this a frame-job (and if so, whose? The Ministry themselves, or someone else using the Ministry as a patsy for a personal vendetta?) or was the Ministry just taking advantage of an unexpected situation to lock-up one of the Malfoys at long last? Draco didn’t look up again, but he could feel his father’s eyes burning in the photograph pinned to Burke’s wall.

“What are you hoping I’ll find?” he asked, stalling for time.

Seeing the look on his face she raised her brow. “I’m afraid we don’t keep the fine china on hand for visitors,” she joked as she sipped her tea. If he wanted fine china he should visit her mother. Hers were so thin, if you didn’t pour milk in first it would crack. Violet called her mother's china relics from a lost time. Then again, sometimes it seemed like she still wanted the days back when the purebloods were close to royalty in their world.

One good thing about having mugs nobody cared about was if they broke and nobody could be bothered to fix them, nobody cared. Nodding as he spoke while she sipped her tea, Violet looked at the man sitting on the other side of her desk. She could assume it was scary coming to the Auror office without much information about why. “He had heard from someone he knew, that you were good with potions and such. I’m afraid we’re scratching our heads at this one,” she explained as she sat up in her chair.

“Well, this is the third case that’s landed on my desk. I know my potions to the degree I need to, but this one I don’t know. It seems like it takes a while before it starts affecting the victim. We don’t know if it’s straight-up poison or a potion of some sort. Sadly none of them has lived long enough to tell us when they could have ingested it." Violet sipped her tea again. "He said you have extensive knowledge about these things, I thought I would ask if you had any inkling about what it could be?" perhaps he thought she was trying to bait him into something? That was the cause of his shaking hands.

"I'm not trying to lure you into anything Malfoy, it's a genuine question about an investigation."

[aurorburke]

magicterrence·:

“Neither would I.” Terry concurs; his eyes flicker towards his gold pocketwatch sitting a top a book on his desk. Ten minutes, he marks, that’s how long peace between the two of them would last as Terry had no doubt Violet would directly contest the next few words coming out of his mouth, “Which is why I would request you to drop this case on the premise of unsubstantial evidence, officially.” He pauses shortly, giving her time to understand what he was asking of her.  “You haven’t gotten the chance to question him yet, which works in our favour because he doesn’t know the exact reason for his arrest. I will take of the French Ministry for the time-being.” Terry takes another puff of his cigarette, tapping the excess ash into the crystal tray, “While you do what you do best. Find convincing evidence…” He’d considered all playable moves; accusing a foreign government of espionage without concrete evidence would be plain foolish - especially in the current circumstance. Arresting the spy would set the rest into hiding - which by his assessment would prove to be even more damageable in the future. No, the best course of action would be to play the fool. Release the charlatan, then lie in wait. Like a shark in deep waters. “…and I will support you.”

“I am aware.” Terrence Boot is inherently nosy. If his family is asked to name his cardinal sin, it will be this: he must always know what each of them is doing, at any given time. There’s even a family joke that Terry knows your latest big news before you do. Violet Burke is not, by any of Terry’s standards considered family, but it hasn’t stopped him from finding out more about the auror’s personal affairs. You never know when information can come in handy, and Terry has a habit of mentally stockpiling it. Thomas Travers was infamous, and while the sins of the uncle are not the sins of the niece, Terry’s always been somewhat suspicious of the Travers family and the Burkes by association. Less so of Violet and of her siblings in his employ, more so her mother, “Your family’s affairs and affiliations are your own, mistakes and all.” he says dismissively, as if she hadn’t departed with sensitive information, taking another drag of his cigarette. In his next breath he continues, “Everything leaves a trace; every person, action, and inaction.” Terry is acutely aware that everything leaves a footprint, he’d taken extraordinary measures to conceal his own. The how-to wasn’t knowledge he was going to share with an auror, no matter how frustrated she seemed. “Investigative procedures are not my speciality, but perhaps some undercover work may help in your predicament?”

Hearing him ask her to drop her case made her blood boil. Doing her best to sit still, they both knew she wouldn’t like it. She didn’t like it one bit. Hearing the word officially made her stop for a second. It was the first one where they had caught some red handed and neck deep in a place they shouldn’t be. Proof that there was active espionage by a foregin government. He was asking her to let him go. The biggest fish she had caught in a while. “So,” she said as she dropped some ash and leaned back in the chair “You want me to do what I want, off the books? You are giving me permission to do something you don’t like?” she understood what he asked of her. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but for once Violet Burke didn’t go off on him. At least he seemed to take her concerns seriously.

“Fine I’ll do it,” that she did mean. She was going to let someone below her deal with the smooth talking “Just clear it with my boss first and then we’re good,” if this meant she was allowed to stick her nose somewhere she normally wouldn’t be allowed to, she would. It wasn’t really her family mistakes that bothered her, it was the suspicion. That perhaps she was like them. “I’ll get my other uncle too one day. I know he had a finger in the disapperance of that journalist, god knows what else he has going on in that snake pit he calls a shop,” she added. Violet had seen some of the letters her uncle had sent her mother. She knew for a fact that her mother had written back, behind her fathers back. He wouldn’t want anyone to have contact with him. Violet was sure the man in front of her knew everything, wouldn’t surprise her if he knew of the letters.

“Undercover work?” Violet frowned as she put out the cigarette after the last drag. “You sure you want me? I’ve put several of those people away you know.”

[aurorburke]

magicterrence·:

Terry reaches into his suit’s pocket and takes out a pack of cigarettes, he lines one between his lips while listening to Violet’s account of the arrest. Again, he wasn’t surprised. “We’ve been aware of an informant for the French Ministry of Magic for quite sometime now. We just didn’t know who. And now we do, you have my thanks.” Terry offers a cigarette to Violet, out of courtesy, appreciation, and the curiosity if she’d accept such a token. “I assume you read the news, Auror Burke?” The Magical France was dealing with it’s own Dark Sentiment problem as of late; it spilling into official business was no surprise to Terrence, “Their version of the British Wizarding Front is doing considerably well in their upcoming election. Le Front Magique already holds a substantial amount of seats in parliament, and is projected to be the Majority Leader in the next few months.” Terry shrugs nonchalantly, for attempts of foreign espionage don’t even faze him anymore, “I’m not astonished that one of theirs is rummaging through our archives, looking for support across the channel.” 

He listens carefully as Violet speaks, Terry lights his own cigarette. “Theodore Nott is a concern, yes.” He chooses his words with care; you never know who might be listening. “And only fools believe that Dark Sentiment is ephemeral.” A sharp exhale release a plume of white smoke into the air, “However, the matter stands as is. Do you have evidence connecting Mr. Boucher to Theodore Nott?” He asks raising a brow, “Conjecture and speculation will not hold up in court, let alone in my office.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more than one,” Violet gave a nod as her answer to him thanking her. She didn’t join the Auror office for the glory like many others did. As he held the cigarette package out for her to take one, she looked at him as she reached over to take one. It was better to just accept one, they had managed to sit in the same room without arguing for the past few minutes. Lighting it with her wand, she tuckes it back into her jacket. “I do read the news, and I read the reports that I recieve from people I know across the continent,” she knew about the upcoming French election, and she knew things were looking as bleak as it sounded.

“Wouldn’t shock me if they were looking for black mail as well,” she shrugged. Nott was more than a concern, his message as like a sickness that was spreading through their community, and it seemed to be linked to many other such infections. “I haven’t brought him in for that, neither have I asked any questions on the matter. I know I have nothing that would hold anywhere. It’s a...it’s a hunch. I know a hunch isn’t enough for anything,” Violet dropped some ash into the ashtrey on his desk.

“He’s impossible to pin down. I’m sure you’re aware I have an uncle who is currently serving his life sentence in Azkaban,” most people knew. Thomas Travers, one of the most devoted Death Eaters. “He was convicted before I was born for the murder of the entire McKinnon family. Escaped during the mass breakout, and wrecked more havoc than before. My father hunted him down and dragged him back where he belongs. He still sends my mother letters,” she took a long drag of her cigarette. “He’s a violent man, those are easy to deal with," it was true. Those men made mistakes. “Nott isn’t a violet man, he doesn’t make mistakes. He makes others do things for him, that way his hands are clean. I have nothing and it frustrates me.”

[aurorburke]

palm, her smacking zach lmao

Nonverbal starters || @zachariashsmith || Accepting

It wasn’t often Violet had found herself doing this. Yet, she found herself realising that the palm of her hand made contact with the others face she knew he deserved it. There would be no apologising. He deserved it plain and simple. “Do you often talk to women like this?” Violet felt herself fuming. Perhaps she was always still afraid that someone would come for her due to her name, but it didn’t matter. She had built her own reputation, and she wasn’t planning on having that stepped on. 

[aurorburke]

open, viktor holding a door open for her

Nonverbal starters || @imperiasviktor || Accepting

It took Violet by surprise when the man held the door open for her. That wasn’t something she was used to, most of the time people just thought of themselves. Having bought some things having one arm it wasn’t easy. “Thank you,” Violet smiled at the stranger. He was familiar. As she stood there it was difficult to place him. Then it clicked. When Violet realised who he was her eyes grew. It wasn’t every day a famous Quidditch player held a door open for you. It had been a moment since she truly studied the sports pages of the paper, but that was a face she had seen enough times. “T-Thank you again.” she realised she was staring and quickly looked away.

[aurorburke]

CHERRY

Nonverbal starters || @recanteddeatheater || Accepting

They had warned her when she became an Auror that it was dangerous. That they might end up having to give up everything to bring someone down. Violet had always done that, gone in like it was the last time she would ever do so. To be willing to give it all. Perhaps it was to live up to her name, to what her father had done before her. To show them that someone with a family legacy like she did she wasn’t like them. It had been tricky, the man they were after wasn’t going to give in without a fight. Fight the man did, and he probably used every single nasty curse one could think of. One of her co-workers ended up losing, and the others were injured. That could be said about her as well. As something came flying she felt it strike her. Looking down a piece of what she thought might be wood was sticking out of her skin. Violet didn’t have time for this.

He ended up getting away. There simply weren’t enough of them left to bring him down. Promising to see a healer she left. Of course, she didn’t do as she was told. Having found a bench to sit down on at first Violet didn’t look up when she heard someone approach her. As she did it was a familiar face. For once she would admit she did look like shit. He never did. “Just your average workday Malfoy.”

[aurorburke]

recanteddeatheater·:

What’s In A Name?

A greeting, an offer of tea…Burke was definitely acting nicer – more gentle – than she had yesterday, but Draco couldn’t allow himself to read too much into that; she might well have mellowed her tone solely in hopes of lulling him into a false sense of security. She might even just be toying with him for her own amusement; she wouldn’t be the first Auror to take pleasure in baiting a Malfoy without any deeper purpose.

So he gave her a short, terse smile in return and obediently slunk into her office and to a seat. He wasn’t sure if the offer of a drink was genuine, and he wasn’t much interested in quaffing the too-strong, cheap, bitter brew that passed for “tea” in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement but at least holding a cup would give him something to do with his hands, so he said, “I wouldn’t object to a cup of tea, if you’re pouring already, thank you.”

Draco couldn’t stop his eyes straying to her wall of dishonor – as he’d heard other Aurors call such displays before; who knew what “clever” name she undoubtedly had for it – the assorted photographs alternately leering or cringing against their borders as he glanced at them. There were a few familiar faces but fewer than there would have been even ten years ago, let alone twenty…

He tore his gaze away from Burke’s collection of undesirables at her words, flinching at the mockery. He hadn’t been looking for his own photograph – had he? Was he really so used to being viewed as a criminal that he was even doing it to himself, now? The thought was chilling…but it was driven almost completely out of his head at Burke’s next words.

“I’m sorry – you want my help?” Draco’s heart sank. Had they caught another Death Eater, someone who had somehow avoided detection all these years? Draco had told the Ministry everything he knew, confessed every scrap of evidence he could think of, back during his own trial after the war; all the Malfoys had. They’d “sung like auguries,” as the Prophet had sneered, turning on their former allies in hopes of buying their own freedom in exchange – as well as from desperation to have said former allies locked-away before they could take revenge for his family’s betrayal at the end of everything. His mouth was so dry he doubted even tea would help, but he forced out the despairing words: “Help with what?”

"Tea it is," Violet said and with a wave of her wand sure enough two mugs appeared on her desk. Grabbing hers as she looked at him Violet did notice that he looked at her wall. Though his image was not there, his fathers were stuck up there.

Lucius Malfoy's image would be on every single Auror's wall of dishonour. He was the one they all wanted to get, despite them forgiving him so many years ago, he was still not forgotten by the office. Draco was a boy when he was turned into one of them it was a difference.  Would it be forgotten? No, but then again he would have to live with it hanging over his head for the rest of his life. Perhaps that was punishment enough.

It still made her wonder why he was at the shop the day before. Nobody walked in there for a birthday gift, not unless you liked cursed objects and whatnot. Sipping her tea, she placed her wand back on her desk. In a department full of Aurors nobody would dare to try anything. Violet knew her family's hands were far from clean, her uncle was currently serving his life sentence in Azkaban for his crimes.

"We do, some people have been poisoned. They asked us to look into it. It was my own brother actually who suggested I consult you," she fished out some papers from a pile on her desk placing them in front of him. "I was told you are good with things like this," it wasn't her forte. As an Auror, she needed to know many things, potions and such yes but she was far from an expert.

[aurorburke]

magicterrence·:

All warfare is based on deception; even the subtle attempts of espionage by the French, which Terry was very well aware of. You have to offer the enemy bait to lure them, now courtesy of Violet Burke, he now knows they’ve bitten it. The formerly grim miserable line twitches into a smug smile, “Finally.” he announces, no doubt confusing Violet with his proclamation of relief. “I’ve been waiting for this for quite some time.” 

“You are very well correct, Auror Burke,” Terry agrees with her assessment of the supposed Magizoologist’s peculiar behaviour. “Centaurs and Humans are two different species; but I hope you have more concrete evidence to arrest this wizard for being a foreign spy, rather than just someone looking through the Ministry’s phonebook for an old friend.” At her allusion to, what he can surmise is Theodore Nott and the British Wizarding Front, Terrence’s eyebrows furrow. He knows of the whispers of an uprising, purebloods banding together to preserve magical heritage, factions forming against the Ministry. Which one was she talking about? Terry inquires, “Do you care to elaborate?”  

It did take her by surprise to see him almost look excited. He reminded her of someone who got what they wanted for Christmas. It was her job to make sure the community were safe. She knew it had been a risk to pull him in, but she had to stop him. Whatever he was there for were there for he was going to get it.

"He was looking at names of high ranking people in departments all around the Ministry. He was stopped before he could take any information with him of course, but why was he looking for them?" Violet might as well just tell him. "He was looking at blood status, where they lived, who they were. Mistakes. Whatnot. It seemed like he was just gathering all the information he could, what stood out is why would he bother with blood status? That doesn't really matter in work-related instances," It was true, it didn't matter.

When he wanted more she didn't know if she could. Not even in his office. It wasn't safe to say the words out loud, they could come for her family for all she knew. "You and I both know it. People are looking towards Nott, they listen to what he says and they agree. They didn't just go away and change overnight when Voldemort fell. They just went into hiding and pretended it was all fine, their hands clean. Why was the man looking for blood status on high ranking people, it only seems like one who shares those views will think that important," Violet sighed as she sat up straight "It's in the air again, my father fought twice against this and he says its the same feeling in his gut. Something nasty is brewing."

[memetaped]

nonverbal starters prompts featuring nonverbal scenarios.

guide take them by the hand, arm, or shoulder to guide them.

shelter protect them.

shove push them.

loop drape an arm around their shoulders.

touch a gentle touch like rubbing their back, hugging them, holding their hand. 

kiss a kiss on the cheek, knuckles, forehead, in their hair.

palm smack them upside the head.

bed rest gently push them back down when they try getting out of bed.

aid help them with a task.

note pass a note to them.

cry wipe away their tears.

wash wipe something off their forehead, cheek, so on.

bandage patch them up when they get hurt.

heal take care of them when they get sick.

book silently read a story with them. 

carry pick them up. 

scrap punch them.

cherry find blood on them.

sit help them sit down.  

medical wake up in the hospital and find them holding their hand.

steer place a hand under their chin to make them look up. 

beat dance with them.

stare stare them down. 

off track get lost with them.

no shaking their head in disagreement. 

yes nodding their head in agreement.

rush tackle them to the ground.

open hold the door open for them.

[aurorburke]

oflupinx·:

     As Teddy heard Burke’s voice echo in the room, his blood ran even colder. Just the simple ‘Hello’ sent shivers down his spine. “Mmm, hello, I guess.” He grasped his wand even tigther, knowing full well this was about to be a disaster. It was the first maor exam in his training programme which made the big cut when it came down to its candidates. The programme itself took three years to finish with exams of importance in the summer of each year. Was he going to be part of the big clearance and good ridding? He hoped not ( thought deep inside, he knew this was not his place and that instinctively, he flinched from the professions that the Aurors practiced ). It was all or nothing and Harry better be proud of him for doing this. ( So that’s it, Lupin, huh? You want to make somebody proud? Why don’t you make yourself proud for once, brave boy? )

     He readied his stance, knowing what the modules of the exam were. Basically, he had to try and save his skin from Burke, which was not gentle, even if she was training entry-level Aurors. Were, not technically Aurors, but trainees, more like. “Is there some speech that’s gonna happen or, you know… we start the death chase right away?” Teddy inquired with uncertainty. He was probably going to have to lay in bed for a week after this little encounter.

It seemed they both knew this wasn’t going to end well. He was too sweet for this job, it was a tough job. Probably the toughest there was, they all wanted him to succeed cause of his connection to their boss, but she also knew that his talents lay elsewhere. She had set up a list of challenges for each of them, they wouldn’t get the same one. That meant that they could tell others what to do. They needed to learn how to think of things for themselves if you were caught alone or you were the only one left you had to figure something out yourself. There would be nobody else to tell you what to do, there was no set rules or a manual to follow when you were in the field. Looking at him she listened to what he had to say and shook her head “I’m not one for speeches, I’m just going to explain to you what’s going to happen,” Violet explained as it seemed he knew as well. Despite it, she was going to give him his chance to prove her wrong. “You will be asked to defend yourself in pitch darkness. If you are in a dark room you have to expect the unexpected, to use your other senses than just your eyes.” She had to sometimes just rely on her hearing, how far away were they and if she fired of something would she hit them.

[aurorburke]

recanteddeatheater·:

What’s In A Name?

Shame, resentment, and relief boiled in Draco’s gut in equal measure – as familiar a brew to him these days as the Attisgalli Corrective Draught, if decidedly less positive in effect. A younger, brasher Draco Malfoy would have snarled, protested, perhaps threatened her with retribution from his father for this unwarranted harassment…but that Draco hadn’t made it out of the war, and Lucius Malfoy’s name was no longer the currency it had once been. So he swallowed the sour, bitter taste of her petty torment and said nothing. It could have been worse, after all – and while Draco hated that he was grateful that it hadn’t been worse…he was. That was the life he lived now. Burke wasn’t the first Auror to amuse herself at his expense, and he knew she wouldn’t be the last.

The resentment was still there the next morning, along with a faint but distinct flush of shame – but mostly what he felt as he sat in the Ministry of Magic, waiting as the time of his summons approached, was fear. Fear that someone had caught him doing something he shouldn’t be; fear that someone had found a way to frame him for something worse. Fear that the Ministry had recanted on its earlier decision to spare the Malfoys from Azkaban – not something which they technically had legal recourse for, but would that stop them?

Draco sat, limbs stiff and locked in tight, fingers drumming against his knees, face pale, eyes fixed to the clock on the far wall, breathing…breathing…

The click of the office door opening sounded in his ears like a Reducto charge and Draco flinched. He leaned-in on the motion, rising with it but not approaching – not until invited, not until commanded. “Auror Burke,” he said, and was relieved that his voice did not shake to match his hands. He would have hidden them in his pockets, but that would have caused more problems than not; better to keep them visible and let them tremble. “Good morning.” It wasn’t – but what else was he supposed to say? What do you want from me now and how much will I have to sacrifice to survive it?

“Good morning,” she gave in return. She could see he was nervous, for once it wasn’t anything bad. She had later been told why she was sent to summon Malfoy. Not that it was ideal, but she couldn’t deny his expertice in the field. Holding the door to her office open she looked at the man sitting there “Why don’t you come in,” she tried to keep her demenour different than yesterday. This wasn’t a time to banter or throw words around. She didn’t want someone who wasn’t suppose to be afraid of her sit there shaking.

One thing she had to say about Draco Malfoy was that he was a different man than his father was. Having had the pleasure of meeting the older Malfoy once, the tension could be felt in the air. Every older Auror knew who he was and what he had done. She did notice a few looks sent Draco’s way, but not at the same level. Perhaps people had decided to look the other way. Looking over at one of her co-workers who kept staring he finally looked the other way.

“Would you like some tea or coffee?” she asked him as she walked over to her desk. Looking at some of the papers there, one of the walls in her office were filled with images of criminals, either those she was looking for or those she suspected. “You’re not going to find yourself up there,” she said as a joke hoping to ease the tension.

Sitting down by her desk, she had managed to clear some things away from it. Normally it would be stacked with papers, warrents, leads and memos. Not spending that much time in her office, things tended to pile up. Careuflly checking her drawer was locked she looked at the younger Malfoy “The reason why you were summoned here was cause we need your help.”

[aurorburke]

magicterrence·:

Terry’s tight-smile lifts into a small smirk out of amusement, “And in matters of international importance, even the great Harry Potter answers to this department.” The Auror Office loved to throw their weight around on account of their leader. Terry found it often painful to argue with such righteous Wix, as if being under his authority gave Aurors permission to do anything they please. He too once fought under the banner of the Chosen One, which a lot of people conveniently seemed to forget. “There are checks and balances in place to avoid this exact situation, and by overlooking them you just end up creating more messes than solutions.”

“He’s here as part of a cultural skills exchange, a program sanctioned by the International Confederation of Wizards. He’s a Magizoologist sharing his expertise in…” Terrence looks back at his parchment for reference, “Ah, Centaurs Relations to help our Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.” Terry looks back up at Violet, “Now Magizoologists do have a tendency to poke their noses where they shouldn’t be, it’s part of their job.” Their very own Newt Scamander was a testament to that fact, “Open investigation or not, I will have to know the particulars to respond to the French Ministry appropriately. And I’d hate to pull rank.”

Did she want to be there? No. She knew her brother would get en immense kick out of seeing her exit his office. That was of course unless he decided to unhinge his jaws and bite her head off. Not that she wouldn’t give in without a fight. “I’m sure Potter will be delighted that I visited your chamber,” Violet knew her grounds for the arrest were thin, but it was enough there to give her enough room to make the decision. It was so easy for someone like him in an office like this to throw around rank, he didn’t have to go out there to face them himself. “Or I just saved you a massive embarrassment so you take it how you want it,”

Listening to him about the reason why the man was here, she didn't believe for a second that he was what he said he was. "I knew that he keeps telling us. Thing is yes he will have access to ministry records, but when does A Magizoologist go look for people? Looking through people's records that he really shouldn't be looking at, that gave me enough grounds to pull him in," he wanted to know, she was going to tell him.

Of course, he'd hate to pull rank. "You can ask him why he kept looking for people. Their names, addresses and whatnot. Last time I checked a centaur and a human are two different species. He could be one of those who follow you know... and his views. The message is still out there. I have contacts in all the Auror offices they all say the same." she was being serious. No snarkiness, no sarcasm. She hadn't said it out loud in any other office, it would get out. This may perhaps be the only one where it wouldn't.

[aurorburke]

Ministry issued Identification Card for Violet J. Burke, Auror.