Finley Shacklebolt

Finley Shacklebolt, 27, he/him/, Ex-Ministry Employee for the Committee on Experimental Charms, Currently and independent charm creator. Hogwarts Alumni, Ex-Ravenclaw

[finley-shacklebolt]

[Open] : Underground Quidditch

[finley-shacklebolt]

phoebemaddock‌:

Phoebe nodded, finite in her movements. There wasn’t any more time to waste. If they didn’t act quickly, who knew when the bastards would strike again? Not to mention, what would happen to her sister if they waited any longer? She had no choice but to abandon her more tactical approach to revenge and speed things up to as early as tomorrow. Besides, with all connections Phoebe had secured throughout the wizarding underground, getting her manicured paws on a vial polyjuice wouldn’t take her long. She just hoped the former minister’s son could keep up. It couldn’t be that difficult to borrow a few things from your wife’s closet. 

“Good.” Phoebe grabbed his hand and pointed her wand at his palm inscribing an invisible message within its folds. “Meet me at this location tomorrow at 8:00AM….” Her eyes darkened then narrowed, a crimson warning laced on her lips. “And don’t be late.”

Finley had been struggling to hide his palm ever since Phoebe’s wand had touched it. Although the message was invisible to all but him he still felt like any moment he was about to be found out, especially by Vivienne. Stealing some of her clothes hadn’t exactly been difficult though - her wardrobe was so expansive he doubted she’d miss anything - but there was still the nagging worry that everything was going to go wrong. 

Vivienne’s clothes were folded neatly in his suit case, a hair from her hairbrush in a vial ready for the polyjuice potion. The only thing left was for Finley to be up on time, meet Phoebe and get this whole thing over with. And he couldn’t even do that.

Finley was out of breath by the time he got to the location written on his palm, late by exactly 1 minute, but late nonetheless. He had barely slept the previous night, tossing and turning and after a late wake time his morning had gotten out of hand. He could only hope Phoebe wasn’t as time conscious as he was. 

[finley-shacklebolt]

Vivienne & Finley - Memory Lane

[finley-shacklebolt]

lafemme-lestrange‌:

Vivienne’s deep chestnut irises sparkled in the sunlight, widening as her future husband regaled  his own experiences at Hogwarts to her, a place she dreamed of visiting. Of course, she had heard all sorts of tales about the legendary wizarding school, but it wasn’t particularly a welcomed topic in the Lestrange household. Her mother, for example, never failed to mention how dreadful her own visit to Hogwarts had been resulting in her near death. The stories didn’t deter Vivienne, however, and she was eager to learn more.

“I’d love to hear all about your charm work. It’s a subject I’d like to study one day if…”  Vivienne trailed distracted by Finley offering her his arm. With a gentle blush, she graciously accepted. What a gentleman he was! “Well if it suits me, of course– and this Hog-a-mead-e.” she tried, her French accent more prominent when pronouncing unfamiliar words. “Please, you must tell me all about it.”

As their younger-selves chatted away, the present version of Vivienne shook her head and allowed herself an unladylike sip of wine. “Oh my goodness! Please, don’t even think on it. My mother was always giving me these ridiculous courtship tips like delaying the letters and what not. She’s even told me…” Vivienne paused as she prepared to mimic her mother’s badgering yet regal tone. “Oh Vivienne darling, to keep a boy interested you need to only seem unavailable.”

Vivienne couldn’t help but giggle at how ridiculous she must of sounded, not to mention her mother’s silly logic. Her expression softened and she placed a gentle hand on top of Finley’s. It was nice to be able to joke around like this again. 

Finley had never seen much of the inner working of Vivienne’s and Gabrielle’s relationship. He suspected Gabrielle was often putting on a show, even to him and his family who were so close to her. She liked things to be perfect, or at least perceived that way, and Finley guessed her relationship with her daughter was no different. He would never have been allowed to hear those courtship tips passed from mother to daughter, and it struck him how little he knew about Vivienne’s true childhood - the way she actually felt about the courtship outside of the things she told him which were no doubt just how she was supposed to feel. 

“Did you like all that? The courtship games?” Despite his disdain for the idea of playing games like this in a relationship he had to admit that they had worked. He’d been hurt and felt rejected but he’d certainly looked forward to his visits with Vivienne.

Young Finley was in the middle of explaining how beautiful Hogsmeade was, promising to send a postcard of it as soon as he went back. But it didn’t take long for him to bring the subject back to charms. “You really should study it you know, you’d love it! My dad’s friend told me it’s a girls subject but that’s rubbish. You just need to be precise and I think you’d be good at that...”

[finley-shacklebolt]

Vivienne & Finley - Memory Lane

[finley-shacklebolt]

lafemme-lestrange‌:

Vivienne giggled along with Finley, loose tendrils of chestnut curls gently falling from her bun to her high cheekbones as she squeezed her husband’s hand back. It had been such a long time since they last laughed together like this. All of the drama seemed to take priority over these these smaller more intimate moments they shared, but watching her five year old self meet her future husband for the first time seemed to make it all go away, and she was already beginning to feel as if things were getting back to normal. Could it truly be this easy?

“Of course, my darling. Let’s continue.” Vivienne replied, her pet name for him rolling right off the tongue just like it always had as the scene shifted before her eyes. “Oh stop! I always remember you as being simply adorable.”

Vivienne recognized the Lestrange estate again. This time her family home was in full bloom with tea roses and wisteria vines, a sight rivaling the gardens of Versailles. The change in decor certainly meant one thing: the school term had ended, Vivienne’s first ever term to be exact. Like her brothers before her, the youngest Lestrange had attended Beauxbatons in her native country, and she had quickly deemed it her favorite place in the world. School was an escape for her, and allowed her to evade her mother’s prying eyes and the social pressures she put on her. Even in that first year, Vivienne remembered how free she was to explore and dabble in all that her mother would be ashamed of, magizoology and charms to name a few. End of term, however, not only meant the start of summer but back to reality for Vivienne. Now, it seemed she was just in time for Finley’s seasonal visit. 

“I am just lovely, Finley. Thank you for asking.” she replied, graceful in her movements as she turned around to greet her future husband with a delicate smile. She may have only been eleven years old, but Vivienne was mature for her age and had already been introduced to the subtle art of courtship, thanks to Gabrielle.  

“You seem well. How was your last term? I apologize for not writing you back.” Younger Vivienne continued. It was her mother’s idea to pause her letters to Finley, deeming it a fool proof method for keeping the boy interested, even one who was already betrothed to her.  “I was rather busy, but I am so glad you are here now. Shall we take a walk in the garden?” 

Finley took a seat on their garden bench once she greeted him, sitting a little further than he would have normally. While she had apologised for not writing him back, it still stung slightly. Vivienne was his future wife, and he had been writing to her increasingly as school got more stressful. It wasn’t that he didn’t have friends at Hogwarts but it seemed pointless talking to them when he could confide in someone he knew would be in his life forever, not just until school was over. But then she had stopped replying. He had told himself that she also had a life and reminding himself that whatever happened they were to be wed. Besides, he was here now and they had all summer to talk.

“My term was fine thank you. I was top of my class for charms.” He was very proud of that fact and wanted Vivienne to know it. Finley secretly hoped it might impress her. “Don’t worry about not writing back though,” he wanted to at least act like he was cool, “I was busy too. We’ve been allowed out to Hogsmeade this year so I’ve been visiting there with friends a lot.” 

When Vivienne suggested a walk he stood and offered his arm to her. “I’d like that,” he said with a stern nod. 

Older Finley watched on as the pair started their walk through the grounds, following behind offering his own arm to the adult Vivienne next to him. “I’m glad you think I’m adorable now, I distinctly remember worrying as to why you hadn’t wrote back to me. I was more insecure than I ever liked to let on,” as he spoke he glanced over to her with a self-conscious grin. 

[finley-shacklebolt]

[Open] : Underground Quidditch

[finley-shacklebolt]

phoebemaddock‌:

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Phoebe quirked an brow, half pleased with how easily Finley jumped on board with her plan to infiltrate the ministry, half wary of how quickly he underestimated her to portray his wife. The way Phoebe saw it, that would be the easy part. 

Sure, Finley wasn’t all wrong, Phoebe was not as proper as Mrs. Lestrange-Shacklebolt. Truth be told, the women couldn’t be more different. Vivienne was a media darling, perfect hostess and socialite while Phoebe—well—was not. They may have never walked a mile in each others Louboutins, but at the end of the day their shoes were still designer, and Phoebe sure as hell could manage that. 

“Anyway— I can secure the polyjuice potion as early as tomorrow morning, and I trust you can secure a proper costume.” Phoebe paused placing particular emphasis on the word proper for its dual meaning. Merlin knew that no matter how hard Phoebe worked for her expensive taste, nothing in her wardrobe could pull off the modest, wealthy socialite look. She highly doubted she even owned anything pink. “Clothes, shoes, jewels, etc. Anything that will make them believe I’m her. And of course, we’ll need a strand of her hair.”

It took a moment for Finley to work out if Phoebe was serious but he still wasn’t sure if she had actually been upset with his comment or if she was trying to flirt with him. He stumbled on his words for a moment. He still had no idea and narrowed his eyes slightly trying to figure her out. In the end he left it. He didn’t want to put his foot in it by elaborating on why Phoebe and Vivienne were different. He got distracted anyway when she told him how quickly she could get the polyjuice potion. 

“Tomorrow?” He croaked. So this was really happening. Somehow he was going to have to get one of his wife’s hairs and take clothes from with wardrobe without her noticing. A hair would be simple enough. He had access to her hairbrush. The clothes he might have to be a little more sneaky about so she wouldn’t notice them missing. 

“Yes, I can get what you need,” he said still contemplating exactly how, but making the promise anyway.

[finley-shacklebolt]

[Open] : Underground Quidditch

[finley-shacklebolt]

phoebemaddock‌:

“Of course. Of course. I wasn’t born yesterday. I know how difficult this will be.” Phoebe hissed, infamous scowl spreading across her even more infamous crimson stained lips. If this was going to be easy then Phoebe herself with all her wrongdoings and misdemeanors could waltz right into the Ministry of Magic, stilettos and all, and interrogate the ministry officials herself. This was the route she much preferred, but she wasn’t daft enough to gamble her sister’s life and avenging her brother’s on her selfish pride. 

As always, Phoebe would have to be calculated even when it came to a trip as seemingly harmless as this one. She liked to think there would be heightened security measures in such desperate times. Then again, this was the same organization that was failing to keeping its own citizens safe from dark forces. Maybe security wouldn’t be as tight as she thought. None the less, she’d be prepared. 

“Which is why I’m trusting you, a former ministry man with a score to settle, to play a little dirty if it comes down to it.” Phoebe continued, meeting his gaze with a steely one of her own before dropping her voice to whisper. She anticipated playing dirty and bending the rules was not his strong suit. “I can help, but I’ll need a disguise.”

Finley was already out of his depth. He agreed with Phoebe, that the ministry needed to do something more, the violence had gone on for too long with no aurors stopping it, or even catching one suspect. If his father hadn’t been in charge he would have assumed there was something inside the ministry keeping everything secret, or even contributing to the attacks. Finley had seen minor acts of corruption in the ministry before, but he couldn’t suspect his ex-coworkers of something like this when he could just assume incompetence. Still, whatever the reason people were being hurt, and maybe he and Phoebe could stop it. They were two sides of the same coin; both ambitious and sly although Finley had always previously stuck to the rules to get what he wanted. He was going to have to chance tact.

“Alright,” he agreed willing to take on whatever was ahead of them. “If we purchase some polyjuice potion you can disguise yourself as my wife - she and I have reason to be there together.” He paused a moment. He wasn’t sure that a. Phoebe could make a convincing Vivienne, or b. that Vivienne would be ok with any of this. He decided to address the former. “She’s much more... well, proper than you...” 

[lestrangecolette]

Practically family || Colette + Finley

[finley-shacklebolt]

lestrangecolette‌:

“I am missing home. Terribly so.” Colette saw no use in hiding it or pretending that it was easier on her than it actually was. To her Britain was still a strange country and assimilating to it was taking it’s time. From the food, to the people to the language, everything was different. And the more she was getting used to it, the worse she felt. 

What she missed most was her family, when her sister wasn’t in school she was used to seeing her several times a week, or she went to dinner with her brother and his wife, stopped by her parents for a quick chat. Those were all things she couldn’t do anymore. Which made her feel even more lonely here. Avery’s and Finley’s families were here for the most part, hers was in another country, one she was prohibited in travelling to. It felt unfair.  

“Mine would have my head. They disowned my brother for disobeying them when they decided who he would marry… Who knows, maybe the shame of seeing me on a broom and being unladylike would be enough for them to do the same to me.” She tried making light of it and overplaying how much she missed her brother. It’s been years since she’s seen him and back before ran away they used to be extremely close. 

She wasn’t sure what she should think of Avery teaching her how to play Quidditch or how she should act when the  time came, but Finley was someone she considered a friend. He was trying to help her and she had an easier time accepting his help. “That would be lovely, thank you.”

Finley too was missing France, although not in the same was Colette was. He and Vivienne had often gone there to visit her family, or for short weekend breaks. It was Finley’s place to relax and enjoy a holiday, but the ministry travel ban had stopped all of that. Besides, Vivienne was too busy. He had things to do now as well, with the brooms and quidditch and his new charms. A holiday would be nice, but not vital. The situation was clearly very different for Colette although being separated from his family wouldn’t necessarily cause him any distress. He didn’t have any siblings and his parents, until recently, had been so busy he only saw them for business reasons anyway. The Lestranges were the closest thing he had to family, Colette included. 

“You know I would help you get home if I could. With the position we’re in I don’t think my father can pull any favours right now, certainly not breaking the travel ban when there are so many he’s denied access or the right to leave. Although at least it means there’s no risk of your parents catching you in the act of flying. And I don’t think news will spread, I wouldn’t worry. Your secret is safe with me, at least.”

[finley-shacklebolt]

Vivienne & Finley - Memory Lane

[finley-shacklebolt]

lafemme-lestrange‌:

Both younger and older Viviennes’s hearts swelled at the same time. The boy was looking forward to their marriage just as much as her younger self was! Her small mind was already planning out their wedding, and the fancy dress she would wear. Just like in all her favorite in fairytales. Of course, her younger self had no idea what marriage meant, the events that would follow, and what exactly she was giving up when accepting this betrothal to Finley. All she knew was that it was her civic duty to dazzle the minister’s son, and she had a whole trove of toys and treasures in the next room to help. 

“Would you like to see my tea set?” Vivienne asked, donning her politest smile after her mother shot her a telling glance. She knew it was time for the adults to chat business and even from a young age Vivienne always thought that sort of chatter was boring and unnecessary. Besides, she had received the brand new tea set as a present from her father, a do-your-duty-to-your-family present, and the small child had been itching to get her tiny fingers on it since he brought it home special for her last night. 

Too eager to wait for a response, Vivienne grabbed on to her future husband’s hand and made a start for the corridor, one of her classic rambles already beginning as she led the pair to their destination. “This way! I promise it will so much fun. You can see the whole…um…I think in English it’s playroom? Yes! that’s it. We have all sorts of toys in there, and the best of all, mon frère aîné isn’t even home to mess it up!”

In real time, Vivienne giggled at her younger self nudging Finely ever so slightly with her dainty elbow. A light blush swelled in her cheeks. “Sweet?!” she giggled at the eager little girl practically pulling the older boy down the ornate marble hallway. “Well, I certainly wasn’t a bashful child that’s for sure!” Finally, Vivienne took her husband’s hand and smiled wistfully as she met his glance. “However, oui. We were simply precious, my dear. I cannot believe its been almost 20 years since that day.”

Young Finley was swept up by Vivienne. If he had been with anyone else he would have scoffed at the idea of tea sets. Tea sets were for babies. He wasn’t a baby! He could imagine his friends teasing him for playing tea party with this little girl, and yet he still followed. He didn’t really care what was childish or not - he was overwhelmed with everything. The grandeur of the home they were in, the confirmation that he would in fact be marrying Vivienne (although he still did not full believe or understand that), and her strange french accent and shiny brown hair. He was lead out of the room and down the corridor.

It was now that the parents got to start their conversation, in private. Finley faintly heard their muffled voices and he suspected they were discussing them but had no proof. The scene started to fade and get foggy around them. 

“Bashful? No. Precocious? Yes.” He laughed, thankful when she took his hand squeezing it gently. His plan was actually working! “20 years of memories to get through, my love-” using a pet name he hadn’t used for quite a long time “- we should move on. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to include the next one. It’s a little embarrassing.” He leaned in to say a little more quietly, as if it was a secret “teenage me was a bit of a dork.”

They were back in the Lestrange home - it was tradition now that every summer the Shacklebolt family would visit, enjoy the French summer sun and meet with the Lestranges. Finley, who was now fourteen, had been ushered outside by his father and told to join Vivienne who he had been told was somewhere in the garden. 

Puberty had hit Finley hard. In the last two or so years he’d grown considerably - so much so that he needed new robes every other month, and his voice now seemed to crack all the time. Worst of all was the surge of hormones that had made focusing on his school work more difficult than normal. Adult Finley remembered distinctly chastising himself for even thinking about other girls. He knew he was to be married to Vivienne, but even thinking about her seemed wrong. She was younger than him and she was far too pure and innocent. Instead he had just dived head first into his charms homework, attempting to ignore all the changes happening to him. Still, it was difficult to completely forget that while his friends were meeting girls, going on dates like normal teens he was already committed to a life long relationship. He did his best though.

When he finally found her out in the garden he offered her a wave and a smile in his approach, before remembering he was supposed to play it cool. At least that’s what his friends had told him to do with girls. Act totally chill. He dropped the smile. “How are you, Vivienne?”

[finley-shacklebolt]

goldentaube‌: 

“I don’t think so, but let’s get him to my office and out of the cage to take a better look.” She smiled a little at him before turning her attention to the bird, cooing softly at it and pulling a treat of sorts out of the pocket of her jacket for it that she dropped in the cage. “Based on what I can see right now though, it looks like he might just be close to his burning day though I’ll need to get a closer look at him.”

Aloma motioned for Finley to follow her, leading him through the grounds to her office. “Just set the cage down on the desk while I grab some things.”

“Burning day?” Things were going a little over his head, and of course Finley knew that phoenixes burst into flames and were reborn from the ashes, but he’d never considered what that might look like. They were pretty rare animals he didn’t see all that often and he expected their flames to be impressive and purposeful, almost like a display. He hadn’t expected the bird to look so dishevelled beforehand. “How often does that happen?”

Finley followed behind her, asking another question - “do you think his feathers are alright? Do I need to help him clean them?” By the time they had reached her office he’d already bombarded her with more. “How do I keep the house safe when he’s burning - should I keep him outside?” There were so many things he should have asked before getting this blasted bird, but he couldn’t give it back now. He put the cage down on her desk taking a seat. 

[finley-shacklebolt]

raxlestrange‌:

“Aw, yes. Call him a chaser, folks– another goal in the books! Who’s the grandpa now?”

“We are still literally the oldest people here Avery.”

[lestrangecolette]

Practically family || Colette + Finley

[finley-shacklebolt]

lestrangecolette‌:

“Well, it looks like I’m gonna be stuck here a while longer, so I do hope that it won’t be as much time passed from to the next time we see each other.” She didn’t know how to tip-toe around the imperius subject, so she was glad that he was joking about it now, it made it less awkward. It certainly wasn’t an easy subject to approach and she hadn’t been how she would do so, or if she should just act like it didn’t happen. Clearly he was able to handle discussing it, which she was glad about. He went through a traumatic situation and it was good that he wasn’t bottling up his emotions. 

“I’m good. I think.” She shrugged, taking a sip of her drink. It’s been a while since she talked to someone she considered a true friend of hers in person rather than over the fireplace or through a letter. “My mother would curse me into oblivion if she found out about this.” Colette’s nerves were obvious. She had always wanted to play in an actual Quidditch game, or fly a broom, but she had never had to opportunity to do so until now. There was both fear an excitement when she thought about it. “Avery said he would help me. He told me he used to play in school.” She vaguely remembered that from the beginning of their courtship, perhaps he mentioned it, but she hadn’t listened to much coming out of his mouth at that time. Now things were different… she didn’t know how to put it into words, but she was feeling a shift and she wasn’t sure what she should do about this. It was daunting, to put it lightly. She’d always pushed the thoughts of being married to him to the side as he had given her the freedom to do what she wanted back in the Riviera. None of her friends had been given the same luxury when they got married. It was something she had taken for granted before. They had spent some time together recently, probably more than they had in the entirety of their marriage until this last year. 

“Yes, I’m sure you’re missing home.” The travel ban had never been something that Finley had thought all that much about. He knew it was necessary because he had been told as such, and he trusted his father’s decision making abilities. He knew that Kingsley was a good leader and he put his faith in him to do the right thing. Or at least he used to. Finley was now questioning the methods of the ministry and as soon as Colette mentioned her inability to travel, he considered the ban in a new light for the first time.

Aside from being unable to go on holiday, it hadn’t impacted his life. He had assumed that everyone else would feel the same way, completely forgetting people like Colette, and even his wife, who had family and extended family overseas. He thought that over for a while, not sure how he should feel about the ban anymore. It wasn’t like they were any safer - things had only been getting worse since it was instated. 

“Yes, I’m sure my father wouldn’t be too happy. After quidditch was cancelled I’m not sure he’d want me breaking the rules just for a bit of fun. I guess neither of us are the people our parents wanted us to be.” Despite the negative sentiment of this statement, Finley said it with a smile. It was nice to not be his father’s golden boy anymore. It was kind of fun. And Finley was even more delighted to hear that Avery would be helping Colette learn how to play.

Avery and Colette’s marriage had been arranged much like his and Vivienne’s, and because of the similarities he had always been rooting for the pair to end up happily married. He wanted someone else, going through the same thing to end up happy as well. “I’m sure he’ll do a great job - but you know if you want an extra boost I have a few new brooms that could help out...”

[finley-shacklebolt]

[Open] : Underground Quidditch

[finley-shacklebolt]

phoebemaddock‌:

“Something like that.” Phoebe mused as she concealed her wand and smoothed out the edges of her brother’s charcoal leather jacket. In due time she could reveal her secrets, but for now she would continue to keep things vague. Sure, the wheels were always turning but there were still a few missing pieces that Phoebe herself couldn’t obtain on her own. “I want to go after the bastards, but we will need to do our research first…”  

Phoebe nodded at the man, parting her lips as placed a steady hand on her hip, mindful of the way they swayed. “We will need to see what the Ministry knows, and well—I’m not exactly welcome on the premises, so that’s where you’d come in.” 

Getting information from the Ministry was a little more than he signed up for. He thought that guarding public events with charmed up brooms to help would be a useful cause, but Pheobe wanted to get to the route of the problem. Finley admired her for that, but he wasn’t sure it was something he wanted to get involved with. Could he back out now? Probably not. But even if he really tried, there was something egging him on to side with her, to spy on the ministry and take the investigation into their own hands. 

As much as Finley liked to pretend otherwise, he loved power. He had witnessed everything it did for his father growing up, but Kingsley had always emphasised that there was responsibility that came with power and those who were most power hungry shouldn’t be the ones in charge. That was how the war happened. So Finley had pretended he didn’t want power, even to himself. He’d sat in that charms office hoping he’d just make his way up through the ministry. And hey. If it became minister of magic then it was to be. It wasn’t until he lost his chance to power that he realised just how much he wanted it and had been denying his own reality. Pheobe was offering a chance to get that power back. If they caught whoever did this the praise would be enough to give him the reputation make over he so desperately needed. And so he agreed.

“I still have some contacts. I’ll see what I can find out from them, although I doubt they’ll give up much. Protected secrets and all.”

[finley-shacklebolt]

Vivienne & Finley - Memory Lane

[finley-shacklebolt]

lafemme-lestrange‌:

Vivienne smiled, effortless and graceful, as she set her wine glass down and followed Finely’s lead, leaning forward in anticipation towards the pensive. She couldn’t help but squeal as the memory materialized and she watched the scene unfold before her eyes. Just by the first image of a young Finley, Vivienne knew exactly the day her husband had wanted her to see. She brought a hand to her painted lips in sheer nostalgia, “What a handsome young man you were!”

The next image showcased a five year old Vivienne as she giggled nervously from behind her mother’s skirts. The small child wore a pale pink dress that brought out the most adorable blush from the apples of her cheeks. Her hair hung passed her shoulders in loose chestnut ringletts secured to one side with a lavish pink barrette. She was slow to step out from behind her mother which earned her a stern glare from the woman. 

It took a young Vivienne all of five seconds to look passed her nervousness and turn on her most dazzling smile. She knew her family was counting on her. This was the boy her mother had been taking about, the one mummy dearest claimed would be her prince charming and knight in shinning armor. The one who would most importantly help save her family from their crumbling reputation. Not to mention, the extra ballet classes she was promised if she did well gave her all the more reason to smile. 

With a prompting hand from Gabrielle, Vivienne skipped towards the Minister of Magic’s son as she had practiced. Instead of taking Finley’s hand, Vivienne stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her cheek to the boy’s just like her mother had instructed her to do when meeting someone for the first time. 

“Nice to meet you, too.” Vivienne greeted, excited to use her English with someone other than her father. She brought her hands to her sides and clasped them together in front of her before lifting her dainty shoulders upwards then pointing her toe out to the side, twirling it back in forth with a polite girlish grin. “Mère says we are to be married!” 

A small chuckle escaped Finley when Vivienne comment on how handsome he had been. He remembered a time where he would have agreed with her. The younger Finley was much more confident and sure of himself than the current one, who now couldn’t imagine acting so relaxed in front of the girl he knew he’d marry. He watched the younger Finley return the smile, not even spluttering when Vivienne kissed his cheek. He’d taken it all in his stride - or at least he had appeared to. He could faintly remember that upon the kiss he had been a little confused. It was a French greeting rather than an English one and he wasn’t used to it, although he didn’t say anything. It helped of course that the age difference at that age seemed so much larger than it was now. Finley had felt like he had some sort of upper hand in the meeting because he was older. He understood what was going on, unlike Vivienne who was three years younger than him! Still, the young boy couldn’t keep his composure when Vivienne declared they were to be married.

Finley had been under the impression that this was just an introduction, to see how the pair got on. His father had told him not to think too far ahead, that marriage would be considered later. It wasn’t the first lie that Finley had swallowed so readily. He didn’t want to seem like the one out of the loop though and just nodded and smiled in response. “Yes. And I look forward to it.” 

Younger Finley didn’t seem that phased by the whole thing, but watching the interaction it occurred to the now jaded man just how strange everything was. If this had happened to him now he would be freaking out and tripping over his words. He took inspiration from his younger self, reaching for Vivienne’s hand as they watched. “You were very sweet. I can see why our parents put us together, we make a cute couple, don’t we?”

[devinwolfi]

same energy

[finley-shacklebolt]

devinwolfi‌:

same energy

I think I had a different FC as Kingsley but now I’ve seen this... Holt has to be Kingsley!

[finley-shacklebolt]

Vivienne & Finley - Memory Lane

[finley-shacklebolt]

lafemme-lestrange‌:

Vivienne followed Finley into the sitting room, eyes aglow not only from the glass jars but with all the glee and wonderment of a school girl. A wide grin followed as she took in her surroundings once more, a show of affection she could not help even despite her best attempts at maintaining her dignity through this rough patch and the chair stunt Finley had pulled. None the less, Vivienne accepted her wine glass and made herself comfortable as she brought it to her lips. It was her favorite Burgundy, after all.

“Oh Finely. How thoughtful.” Vivienne cooed. Her eyes widened at him, sparkling with all hope she had kept suppressed ever since her husband had left her and become a chair. It was no secret that all Vivienne really wanted was to be wooed and a grand romantic gesture just like she had seen in muggle pop culture was certainly the way to her heart. Her expression softened and she giggled lightly. “It’d be like we were starring in our very our muggle film together!”

With her opposite hand, Vivienne placed it gently on Finley’s shoulder, allowing the delicate ring he purchased for her the night of the Valentine’s Day party to be put on full display. She could tell by his demeanor that sharing emotions like this was difficult for him, but she also wanted him to know that his efforts were beginning to work. Nodding towards the mason jars, Vivienne offered him another gentle smile. “Why don’t we get started, oui?”

The hand on his shoulder was all he needed in confirmation that he was doing the right thing and winning her back. Or at least they were approaching a point where he might win her back. Not that he ever ‘had’ her to begin with. He had to keep reminding himself of that. Not only was he trying to make up for the time he had been gone, he was also trying to make a move. Romantically. It was not his style.

Finley nodded in response to her question opening the first jar and pouring the contents into the pensieve, leaning over the bowl and being sucked into their old memories.

He was 8 and she was 5. It was the first time they had ever met, or at least it was his first memory of them meeting. Adult Finley watched as a significantly younger looking version of his father lead child Finley through the large mansion that Vivienne had grown up in. The younger version of himself was clearly a little shy to be in this new, strange place, especially since it was so grand. The little boy tried not to show it though, walking quickly behind his father and the woman who had been a stranger at the time, but he now knew to be Gabrielle. The pair were chatting all the while but Finley was struggling to keep up with what they were saying, especially with Gabrielle’s accent. All he knew was that this meeting was important.

He was lead to a large sitting room where he was introduced to a young girl. “Finley, this is Vivienne,” his father said.

Adult Finley tried not to get distracted watching his father. He wondered what he had been thinking to marry the pair at such a young age. He wasn’t sure it would be something he wanted for his own children, even if it had ultimately ended well for he and Vivienne. He was grateful for the match in some respects, but increasingly resentful of his father for many things, the arranged marriage included.

“It’s nice to meet you,” young Finley said offering a hand to the girl to shake. He had been told that it was the polite thing to do and so he had followed his father’s instructions. His nervousness still shone through though. He knew this was important and he didn’t want to let his father down.

Originally posted by anthatesyouall

[finley-shacklebolt]

[Open] : Underground Quidditch

[finley-shacklebolt]

phoebemaddock‌:

Phoebe’s darkened charcoal irises flickered between Finley and his creation, a sinister grin sprawling across her features as a plan began to take shape in her mind. The narrative made sense. A former Ministry man, fallen from grace with a secret love for charms. With his talents and his connections to the Ministry combined with Phoebe’s knowledge of the underground and her ruthlessness perhaps they could form a lucrative alliance after all. That is…if she could trust him, of course.

“I know I’m right.” Phoebe quirked a manicured brow. It wasn’t a display of arrogance, just facts. The Ministry had continued to fail them ever since her brother’s murder. Like hell she was going to let them fail her again, not when her sister’s life now hang in the balance. She knew how bastards like these operated. There would be torture and mind games first before anything drastic. Charlotte had some time, but not much, which meant Phoebe would have to place her own bets now. 

“The time for just looking out for ourselves is not enough. Action needs to be taken, and you seem hungry enough, former ministry man.” she added, a tactic and a reminder, as Phoebe extended her hand. “What do you say you put this passion of yours to real use instead of towards brooms for a fake quidditch league?” She flashed her wand form beneath the leather jacket she inherited from Alfie, a show of power she would not hesitate to use if it came down to it. 

Action needs to be taken... What did that mean? Finley should have learnt from the pheonix disaster that he shouldn’t just jump into things without considering them properly. It was in his nature to do his research, plan ahead and make decisions rationally, but Phoebe was right. He was hungry for some new purpose and she had made it all sound so intriguing. When her hand out stretched to his he had little option but to take it, giving it a firm shake and a nod.

“We have an agreement, and it sounds like you have a plan. Or a suspicion?” He wasn’t sure she would reveal everything at once, much like politics it was important to keep your hand secret in these kinds of dealings, but he hoped he’d get a hint at what she knew. 

[finley-shacklebolt]

Vivienne & Finley - Memory Lane

[finley-shacklebolt]

lafemme-lestrange‌:

Vivienne hummed as she let herself in through the front door, Halkey already waiting to take her coat once she arrived. It had been a long yet riveting day of event planning, securing venues, and ensuring that tea napkins came in ivory and not pure white. She had come a long way from her afternoons spent drinking the tea at charity functions. Now, she was planning those afternoons instead of simply attending them.

Her husband’s voice sounded from the sitting room just as Vivienne handed the house elf her designer trench coat. It took her a moment to gather herself at Finley’s request, raising a brow at Halkey before calling back to husband through a wary smile, “Just one moment, dear. I’ll be right there.”

A surprise? For as long as Vivienne had known Finley, she had never known him as the surprise-your-wife type. Well, at least not with the kinds of surprises Vivienne found exciting.  At her apparent hesitation, the house elf smiled knowingly and urged her on. Vivienne didn’t want to get her hopes up, but Halkey’s demeanor was certainly a promising sign. Her mind began to race with possibilities.

Eager to assuage her curiosity, Vivienne scurried over to the sitting room, heels clacking hastily against the marble floors of their grand estate. As Vivienne peered through the doorway, her heart nearly stopped, eyes widening in childish wonderment as they fell upon the newly arranged sitting room. Roses. Candles. Wine. The absolute works. It was like a scene straight from one of her muggle films. The kind where the hero tries to win back his lover’s affections with a grand gesture. 

“Oh Finley. Comme c’est beau!” she clapped her hands together unable to contain her growing excitement as it radiated through her and brought a subtle blush to the apples of her cheeks. Her eyes flickered over to several small jars twinkling in the dimly lit room surrounding an ornate pensive. “What is all this?”

The nerves that had been growing inside Finley as soon as he had heard the front door open were quickly extinguished when Vivienne clapped. He was happy to see her so excited and knew immediately he’d made the right decision. Maybe he was good at this romance thing after all. He guided her through the dimly lit room to the couch, sitting down and tapping the cushion next to her suggesting that she sit too, the light of the silver liquid in the pensive illuminating both of their faces.

“I thought it’d be nice if we relived some old memories together.” He gestured at the little glass bottles of memories, “I was thinking about how long we’ve known each other and how our friendship has changed since we were kids - I got a little nostalgic.” As he spoke, he uncorked a bottle of wine, pouring two large glasses and handing one to her before taking a sip from his own. He had explained his first reason to her, he really had been nostalgic and wanted to relive some of their old memories. It was a lot harder to admit the other reasons.

“I also want you to know how important you are to me. I mean, after I left for so long, I need you to know that it wasn’t because of you, or us. It was a me problem. And I want to make it up to you.” As he said all this he knew he should be looking at her, saying all these heart felt words, but instead he was looking at the line of bottles picking on up, nudging the others in line as if checking them. In reality he just felt uncomfortable expressing so much emotion. It was exhausting. 

[finley-shacklebolt]

Finley & Victoire - For Old Times Sake

It had been about a decade since Finley had left Hogwarts, but his experiences at Hogwarts had shaped him in many ways, particularly his love of following the rules, being praised by professors and collecting achievements. As an adult Finley had still been desperate for approval from authority figures and eager to ‘win’ whatever he was attempting to do at the time, the same way he had ‘won’ the head boy position. Old habits died hard for Finley and although he had grown and changed a lot in the last year, many of his school boy traits had stayed with him. In particular he had found himself seeking advice from Victoire Weasley.

Victoire had been a year above him at school and head girl the year before he’d taken over as head boy. He’d been a prefect under her leadership and the two had developed a friendship and he had admired her greatly. At school she had been something of a mentor, but now that they were older the one year age gap didn’t seem large at all and the two had been put on more even footing. Still, he had recently been going to her for advice. While in different fields both of them were in research, Finley just starting out properly, researching and inventing his own charms as a full time job rather than a side project in his ministry position. Naturally he had picked up his friendship with Victoire again. He knew she’d be useful.

They had arranged to use their lunch hour to meet inside the St.Mungos food hall - it would be easier for Victoire to meet there, since Finely worked for himself he didn’t have to worry about being back anywhere on time. As soon as he spotted her he waved her over to the table he’d found.

“Victoire! Hello, it’s lovely to see you. I hope works going ok. Good day?”

@lavictoirenouveau​