Banquo Jennings Fergus

"Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam" I will either find a way or make one. Banquo Jennings Fergus. 32. Magpies Keeper. Slytherin Alum. Husband. Father.

[chaserdonechasing-blog]

Hey! Yeah, sure. A drink sounds good right now. Mal takes a step back, looking at Banquo’s outfit. Have you gone really abstract with the costumes this year? You’re night and Mal and Fleance are invisible because the night is hiding them? Usually, Banquo and his family were some of the most enthusiastic of the walpurgis goers. Tonight though, Mal hasn’t seen Fleance or Mel. It concerns him. Because I’m really not seeing the costume this year.

[bjfergus-blog]

Banquo offered him a sad kind of smile. “That’s a good one, but no.” He lead the way over to the bar and ordered a drink. “Fleance didn’t want to come.” For obvious reasons. “Mel’s with him at home. She may come later, but...” He let the sentence trail off as he took the drink. 

[chaserdonechasing-blog]

Sorry I’m late to the party. The invitation that was so carefully worded to make it clear that this was a non optional event for all Magpie employees, had said “black tie masquerade”. Mal played along, getting a new suit and a mask, but he dones’t need people to think he’s someone else. He’s comfortable being himself, he’s not terribly comfortable in his suit though. 

You find it stuffy in here? Or is it just me?

[bjfergus-blog]

“Mal!” Banquo greeted him, thankful for the familiar and friendly face, even if it was covered by a mask. Banquo’s own mask wasn’t any more decorative than Mal’s. It was simple and black and didn’t conceal his identity well. In previous years he had worn themed costumes with Mel and Fleance, but that idea had to change. Fleance had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with a night that celebrated something he didn’t have. “Come get a drink with me. It’s significantly less stuffy if you’ve had a drink.”

[lauriewestwood]

Watching with almost giddy amusement, Romeo’s grin only grew as Banquo drank. “Good shit indeed,” he agreed, surprised that for once, Banquo had a nice thing to say to Romeo. If this moment was even slightly Quidditch related, Romeo was sure that the conversation would be going very differently; Banquo would probably spit the whiskey in his face. Romeo shrugged - “Dunno, really. I give myself a half hour, you know how I am when I drink. My nearly naked body will probably plaster Witch Weekly magazine tomorrow morning. Can’t say I don’t love the attention.” He smirked into his own glass, sipping, waiting for the inevitable disdain from his teammate. “Beth will probably go after two, I’m guessing. She doesn’t drink often enough to have any tolerance - I imagine a fall or two in those clunking heels she insisted on wearing.”

[bjfergus-blog]

“Oh, I know.” Banquo commented as he swirled the drink in his hand. Had it changed color? “Take care not to disgrace the team. Again. Or, you know, your family, but I suppose that’s not any of my business. They’re one in the same though, aren’t they?” He took another drink. Long. “Beth’ll surprise you. She could out drink me for a while there.” But then Banquo became a gigantic keeper and Beth did not.

[lauriewestwood]

He looked from Banquo’s drink to his face - clearly he was a very different drinker than Romeo was, who chugged rather than sipped and preferred effect over taste. Romeo took sympathy on his teammate and, after a cautious glance to make sure his mother was nowhere in sight, tapped the glass held in Banquo’s hand with his wand. The liquid inside turned a rich amber, already smelling warmer than whatever it was before. “I can’t promise it’ll beat your traditional Wizard’s brew, but it’s better than whatever they’re serving here.”

[bjfergus-blog]

Hesitantly, Banquo tried the drink. It tasted like what three in the morning felt like, wild adventures with Beth, and being nineteen all at once. Terrible, but familiar and oddly satisfying. He hated it, but he loved it. It was certainly better than whatever the crap he had been drinking was. “Good shit.” Banquo summarized. “So how long until something disastrous inevitably happens, and how accurate will the articles be?” Reporters had a small field day after Walpurgis Night. Commenting on their robes, talking about who wasn’t there, they found something to say. “And how many drinks will it take before Beth does something she hopes no one will remember that everyone will remember.” Beth was his best friend. He was allowed to tease her. He took another large swig of the drink.

[lauriewestwood]

“I’m looking to get hammered,” Romeo says, his words calm but his mouth twisted into a frown, “and champagne is not my drink of choice when I want to get hammered.” The flute in his hand looks oddly out of place, his hands too rough to hold such a dainty glass. “Who’s grand idea was it to skip out on the open bar?”

[bjfergus-blog]

“Don’t look at me, mate.” Banquo replied as he sipped on his drink. It had cost him three galleons, and it wasn’t even that great! Was the thing made out of liquid gold? “If you’re looking to get hammered it’ll cost you an arm and a leg. Go with whiskey, but not whatever this is.” He gestured to his own drink. It was getting him nowhere. He wouldn’t make it through the evening sober and without Mel and Fleance.

[bjfergus-blog]

Diagon Alley | Open

Diagon Alley. It was the best place in the world, but also the worst. It was completely unavoidable. (Well, unless he popped into Hogsmeade, but Banquo wasn’t about to run the risk of running into a bunch of thirteen year olds hyped up on Honeydukes just for some new broom twig clippers.) It has been said that a player is only as good as his broom, and while Banquo didn’t exactly believe that, he knew he needed to keep his broom in top condition. He refused to lose the season to the Catapults due to a few out of place twigs. After yesterday’s practice he had way more than a few out of place twigs. The coach had decided to add two extra bludgers to give them extra practice. It was mad. Bludgers were flying left and right. Players had nowhere to go with two, sometimes three, after them. The poor beaters were just trying to keep up. Banquo narrowly avoided getting knocked out of the sky, and the back of his broom had felt the bulk of it. 

As if to apologize, they were given the next day off. Banquo took the opportunity to head to Diagon Alley and buy some new twig clippers. He opened the door to Quality Quidditch Supplies and was immediately welcomed with the familiar scent of  broomsticks. Between heading to the shop for fun as a kid, buying his first real broom when he made the Slytherin team, and practically showing up once a week as a professional, Banquo knew the shop better than any other.  He greeted the clerk before heading back towards the Broomstick Servicing Kits. He passed by the mock professional robes on his way to the aisle. His own black and white Magpies robe was among them. It was always weird to see his robe and his friends’ robes hanging there, waiting to be purchased. A reminder that they had fans that liked them enough to wear their names on their backs.

Banquo got to the aisle and began comparing clippers. He had forgotten how many options there were. Automatic, stylish, professional, long-distance, low-flying. It seemed endless. He picked one up, intending to look at it closer, but it tried to slice his fingers off the moment he grabbed it. Banquo yelped and dropped it in surprised. He looked around, praying no one had seen that.

[orlando-de-boys-blog]

I guess it would depend on the wizard and Jedi. Skilled aurorer vs human padawan on earth like planet is completely different than ministry worker vs a clawdite master on Dac? Different outcomes.

But really, what does Fleance think? Because he probably needs that win right now.

[bjfergus-blog]

Banquo missed too much of what Orlando had said to really reply. Something about ministry workers on Dac. He caught the bit about Fleance, however. He’s funny. He said that they would both kill each other, and that he’d want to watch the battle. I think he’s on your side though. Said the jedi would die way cooler.

[ofmanager-blog]

{ oh what a world } | open

At the back of her mind, she was worried about the impending matches the Magpies had. 

It was always worrying being one of the most highly paid people in the league. There was little to no job security when you were a manager, especially when you were the Magpies manager. It was stress like she hadn’t ever known before–but that was how she worked best. 

There were a stack of papers waiting for her at her desk (and she was sure that there were a thousand emails waiting to be answered, along with all of the calls, texts, and voicemails. But there was only so much even she could take, so she took the night off.

Her drinking schedule depended on the time of the season it was. The beginning of the season was always wine–it was best to be seen at a nice restaurant with a bottle of wine more expensive than some of your players. Mid season it was alright to be seen at pubs, but it was best to keep it strictly beers. You didn’t want to look like you were giving up on the season already. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t liquor time yet. They were smack in the middle, beer season. Not that she minded overly much, it was just tedious to find a pub that wasn’t infested with rats. However, she was lucky that her team was based close to home–her Scottish blood couldn’t stay away for long. She decided it was a nice night to visit one of her favorite pubs in Edinburgh.

The pub wasn’t packed, which she was grateful for. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw someone she noticed. “Are you stalking me?”

[bjfergus-blog]

Banquo didn’t go out drinking often. (Well, not as often as other players on the team.) Something about having a wife and a kid at home waiting for him made the whole thing unappealing. But when he did it was always a nice, clean Scottish pub. He hadn’t stepped into a pub outside of Scotland in years. With the exception of Neptune Bar, he hadn’t stepped in a wizarding pub in months. He had a face anyone and everyone in the wizarding world recognized. A blessing and a curse. To muggles, however, he was just another soul floating through the doors. (That and he had discovered that muggle liquor was far superior to wizard liquor.)

The season was stressful already, and it wasn’t even halfway over. Each game that they won raised the stakes higher and higher. Each quaffle that he failed to catch cost the team precious points. Banquo felt the pressure on his shoulders every time he played. He was used to it, of course, but it didn’t make it any less of a heavy load. 

Maybe that was why he decided to stop at the pub in Edinburgh after practice before heading home.

He ordered his usual drink and sat as his usual place at the bar. He had been to the pub enough times to have a usual. He was about to head home when he head a familiar voice. Banquo stopped halfway to the door, grinned, and changed his path towards Beth. “Why of course I am, Beth Cawdor. You’re the manager for the Montrose Magpies. Only the hottest team in all of Europe. You’re worth a solid sack of galleons.” He was quoting a terrible Witch Weekly article on her, but then he decided to add in some of his own fun facts. “Rumor has it that at age thirteen you slapped a boy for looking at you the wrong way. When asked for a comment you said that you’d do it again. You’re quoted saying ‘that milk tastes funny’ in response to something that definitely was not milk and once ‘accidentally’ punched me in the shoulder to get my attention.” Monologue complete, Banquo took a seat across from Beth. “What are you doing here?”

[chaserdonechasing-blog]

Yeah, with the right amount of training and luck! Mal claps Banquo on the shoulder. Ah! But now that we’re team mates I have so few opportunities to beat you like I used to. Practice just isn’t the same. Mal is teasing of course.

Fine, but if I’m ever around and the topic comes up again don’t expect me to keep quiet. I will defend my stance. 

[bjfergus-blog]

Banquo rolled his eyes but grinned. “I seem to remember that very differently, dearest Mal. Few oppurtunities then, and even fewer now. But, Merlin, we’re not talking about Hogwarts. That’s ages ago. I was a kid. You were a kid.”

“Alright, but you walking into my home and bringing it up the first chance you get doesn’t count as the topic coming up.”  

[ofdrowning-blog]

“I’m twenty one, thank you.” Ophelia sighed, resigned to light her cigarette with her wand. “Aren’t you a Magpie?”

[bjfergus-blog]

“And I’m thirty-two, and believe me, you’re young.” Banquo never understood the fascination with cigarettes. It destroyed your lungs. If he had been smoking since he was twenty-one- since Fleance had been born- he probably wouldn’t still be a quidditch player. “I’m the keeper for them. Banquo Fergus. Who are you?”

[chaserdonechasing-blog]

Fair point. I feel the real question here is can the force block spells? Would a jedi knight have to use a physical object to deflect spells? And yeah, a weak minded wizard isn’t going to make it very far in a duel, no matter who their opponent is, but unless they are duelling with a highly trained wizard who has spent years on mental training and legilimency, the jedi could surely win just through manipulating the wizard. It’s stated explicitly that the force is directly connected to one’s mined and requires extensive training to master, which a jedi knight would have.

[bjfergus-blog]

“...I guess a jedi would have a significant advantage, but a wizard with the right amount of training and luck could win.” Banquo stated, a bit defeated. He wanted the wizard to win! “But do me a favor and never tell Mel I said that. And don’t tell her any of that either. I don’t need her using you as support.”

[orlando-de-boys-blog]

But would a shield spell stop a blaster?  Right, it’s plasma, light, so it could get through protego, so how do you stop it?

[bjfergus-blog]

You...don’t. You die if you get hit by one. Not much harder than dodging a bludger, though. I think?

[chaserdonechasing-blog]

Yes, but what would the point of using a lightsaber in a duel be? They’d injure, cut or kill a witch or wizard the same as another jedi. But first the jedi would have to get close enough to do so. The force would be more helpful with that. Say creating a sand wind vortex around the magic user. Then dropping something on them? If it were a weaker wizard the jedi could likely just influence all their thoughts and actions. 

[bjfergus-blog]

“Alright, true.” Banquo had to give him that. “But couldn’t a wizard do essentially the same thing with a few well-placed jinxes and curses? The jedi wouldn’t have a way to counter any of them. I mean, an incompetent wizard would lose to anyone.”

[bjfergus-blog]

chaserdonechasing

Sure, okay, but consider this - all of the force is non verbal. That gives the jedi a distinct advantage.

“Alright. But magic can be nonverbal. An expelliarmus charm would surely work on a lightsaber.”

[bjfergus-blog]

ofdrowning

“It tastes better with a butane lighter.”

“Well, I haven’t got a light.” He held back the ‘because I’m a wizard.’ “You’re too young to smoke.”

[bjfergus-blog]

“I was not aware one person could call another person ridiculous while they were discussing hypothetical Jedi sneak attacks. Huh.”

“Oh no, in this scenario, the wizard is carrying on an affair with the Jedi’s husband so, obviously, this is not an honorable fight. Sneaking up on your opponent while they’re enjoying some frozen yogurt and a cat video is totally fair game.”

“Ah. I see. You’re not taking this seriously.” Banquo had invested too much time into the argument. But, this could be fun. “Tell me: is the jedi gay or a woman? What about the wizard? What flavor frozen yogurt? These are all crucial details.

[ofdrowning-blog]

“You wouldn’t happen to have a light, would you? Bad habits–I know.” 

[bjfergus-blog]

“Are you a witch or not? Use your wand.”