[hcavyhead]

❝ 𝒐𝒉 , 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 show of emotions and everything ? ❞ holding his fingers to his chest in a mocking sort of mimicry of shock , polyneices voice drips with condescension . ❝ i feel very lucky indeed , sir . ❞ now , he wasnʻt exactly known for his respect for authority ( which was a polite way of saying that his coworker knocked him up and then went on to kind of become his boss so now polyneices had the terrible habit of waltzing into the junior head aurorʻs office whenever he so pleased ) but he tended to have a bit more decorum in front of departmental heads . the head obliviator , for example , scared the shit out of him and therefore , received his utmost respect . his own department , however , was treated with more casualty than was probably smart . then again , he was made to investigate the murder of his younger siblingʻs girlfriendʻs murder and then had to break the news to them . what were they going to do , fire him ? the hitwizards were bound to take him if they did . ❝ but respectfully , sir , i think iʻm past a little angry at this point . ”

【  𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒚  (   @hoggleswart​   )   𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅   :   ❛ youʻre allowed to feel a little angry . ❜   】

[hcavyhead]

❝ 𝒅𝒐𝒏ʻ𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 , 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 , ❞ 𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔 out , cheerfully patting the rowdy patron on the shoulder with more force than necessary . not that the man notices it in the flurry of movement that is polyneices dragging him out the front door by the scruff of his neck . the deluge of curses that spills from the manʻs lips is loud enough that polyneices has to nearly yell in order to be heard over the din of the other customers watching . ❝ itʻs well within mine . ❞ the rest of the patrons pause to watch the off - duty auror toss the wizard out past the stoop and then quickly return to their conversations once polyneices strolls back in , momentary entertainment done and taken care of . polyneices brushes his hands off playfully , wagging an eyebrow over at andie as he made his way to a stool . ❝ any more trash that needs to be taken out , then ? ❞

【  𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝒎𝒄𝒏𝒂𝒊𝒓  (   @hoggleswart​   )   𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅   :   ❛ the things that are happening here are above my paygrade . ❜   】

[hcavyhead]

𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒚𝒏𝒆𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒏 before sinking further into the couch that he had draped himself across , all the dramatics of the teenage mentee that polyneices no longer was . ❝ you were , ❞ he says , voice dripping with millennial contempt . ❝ now youʻre a l a n d l o r d . ugh . ❞ the arm he throws over his eyes is mostly for flavor , but also because heʻs indulging in playing at being a nuisance the way he was back when he first began to get comfortable under ezekielʻs guidance . hiding his eyes so he didnʻt have to look at the ex - hitwizard was a tactic he had a used often when he wanted to ask a question that he thought he should already know the answer to . muffled from beneath his arm , polyneices still finds it in himself to ask anyways . ❝ but speaking of the good old days way back when , how did you get shithead aurors-in-training to actually believe you about that ? ❞

【  𝒆𝒛𝒆𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒍 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒌𝒆  (   @hoggleswart​   )   𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅   :   ❛ sure . iʻm interesting . ❜   】

[kxbellem]

location: leaky cauldron, diagon alley

status: open

“if i told you i accidently jinxed a broom and now it’s wreaking havoc on london, would you report me to the ministry?” knox asked. although the question itself was concerning, the subject didn’t quite match the witch’s face. instead she wore a thoughtful expression at the other who had taken a seat next to her at the bar. she’d actually come here to get a drink to go, but after her little incident before arriving, her mind was buzzing and far too distracted to worry about whatever business she had been thinking about prior to this. “if yes, then i’m afraid i’m going to have to obliviate this entire conversation. or maybe frame you. whichever you prefer.”

[hcavyhead]

𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒙 .

location: leaky cauldron, diagon alley

status: open

“if i told you i accidently jinxed a broom and now it’s wreaking havoc on london, would you report me to the ministry?” knox asked. although the question itself was concerning, the subject didn’t quite match the witch’s face. instead she wore a thoughtful expression at the other who had taken a seat next to her at the bar. she’d actually come here to get a drink to go, but after her little incident before arriving, her mind was buzzing and far too distracted to worry about whatever business she had been thinking about prior to this. “if yes, then i’m afraid i’m going to have to obliviate this entire conversation. or maybe frame you. whichever you prefer.”

❝   𝙞𝙛   𝙮𝙤𝙪   𝙝𝙖𝙙   𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙   𝙢𝙚  ,   i   would   probably   tell   you   to   maybe   dial   back   the   drinks   before   you   go   around   spilling   your   felonies   to   another   auror   ,   ❞   polyneices   quips   ,   not   even   turning   to   look   at   the   wix   beside   him   as   he   stares   into   the   bottom   of   his   glass   instead   .   at   least   being   turned   this   way   gives   him   the   illusion   of   not   seeing   who   the   voice   belongs   to   even   if   he   could   identify   them   in   a   heartbeat      (   curly   hair   ,   slight   build   ,   mid   -   twenties   ,   dark   eyes   ,   strong   brow   —      )   .   he   is   ,   however   ,   off   -   duty   and   this   seems   like   paperworking   he   doesn’t   wanna   do   .   ❝   both   the   breaking   of   the   statute   of   secrecy   thing   and   also   the   obliviation   thing   ,   ❞   he   clarifies   ,   in   case   that   had   gotten   lost   in   the   conversation   .   ❝   but   since   you   said   I F    and   we’re   working   with   hypotheticals   here   .   .   .   we’ll   just   pretend   this   didn’t   happen   ,   shall    we   ?   ❞

[hcavyhead]

             ❝   𝒐𝒉   𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒉   ,   𝒊’𝒎   𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕   𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈  out   here   ,   ❞   polyneices   says   ,   though   that   comment   falls   flat   in   the   balmy   heat   of   the   early   summer   night   .   the   leather   jacket   stretched   across   the   breadth   of   his   shoulder   only   accentuates   the   point   .   one   shoulder   comes   to   lean   up   against   the   doorway   ,   half   in   and   half   out   ,   waiting   for   his   cue   that   heʻs   allowed   to   step   in   .   ❝   still   cleaning   after   the   evening   rush   ?   ❞   he   asks   and   nods   at   the   tables   littered   with   half-empty   glasses   and   ignores   the   fact   that   he’s   been   swinging   by   the   bar   more   and   more   often   .   her   closing   schedule   is   more   than   familiar   to   him   by   this   point   .   ❝   need   some   help   with   all   of   that   ?   i’m   a   dab   hand   at   being   a   busboy   if   i   do   say   so   myself   .   ❞   years   of   lending   tessie   a   hand   has   made   an   old   hat   of   him   when   it   comes   to   helping   out   around   a   dining   room   floor   ,   though   his   offer   for   help   in   this   case   comes   far   more   easily   and   with   less   complaints   now   than   when   he’s   being   summoned   by   tessie   to   chip   in   .   in   this   case   ,   the   offer   comes   up   without   the   pretty   barkeep   having   to   twist   his   arm   about   it   .   ❝   you   can   just   point   me   to   where   you   need   me   ,   boss   .   ❞

【  𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒂   𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊  (   @woesbegone​   )   𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅   :   ❛ i hope you haven't been standing out in the cold this whole time. ❜   】

[hcavyhead]

𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂 .

𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽  :  the  three  broomsticks,  hogsmeade  ! 𝙵𝙴𝙰𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶  :  @hcavyhead​  !

the  bar  has  been  closed  nearly  an  hour,  already,  but  contessa  hasn’t  made  much  progress  when  it  came  to  straightening  everything  out  after  the  busy  valentine’s  evening.  a  cleaning  spell  here  &  the  actual  manual  wiping  down  of  a  few tables  over  there  would  do  wonders,  really,  but  without  her  mother  breathing  down  her  neck  to  get  everything  done  sooner  rather  than  LATER,  tess  has  been  rather  happy  to  just  laze  about.  only  one  of  the  corner  booths  has  been  given  a  tidying  over,  and  that’s  only  because  it’s  where  she  directed  polyneices  before  grabbing  him  a  drink  &  then  disappearing  to  do  various,  unhelpful  things  with  a  spring  in  her  step  that  contradicts  how  late  it’s  gotten.  the  jukebox  has  been  queued  up  (  copious  amounts  of  fleetwood  mac  to  the  surprise  of  none  )  /  a  drink  has  been  poured  for  herself  /  &  after  disappearing  into  the  kitchen  for  a  very  long  five  minutes  to  see  what  she  can  scrounge  up,  contessa  emerges  with  a  platter  of  unsold  desserts  that  no  one  will  miss.  this  she  slides  onto  their  table  with  a  little  “  tada-  ”  and  then  she  daintily  folds  herself  onto  the  leather  couch  opposite  him.  “  you’ve  barely  touched  your  drink-  ”  her  tone  is  vaguely  accusatory,  as  if  not  rushing  to  down  something  alcoholic  this  late  into  the  night  is  a  CRIME  of  some  sort,  “  how  am  i  meant  to  question  you  on  your  date  and  get  your  unfiltered  feelings  if  you’re  not  three  sheets  to  the  wind  before  i  start  ?  honestly,  ‘neices,  you’ve  got  no  respect  for  me.  ”

                 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆   𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔   𝒕𝒂𝒑   𝒐𝒖𝒕   𝒂  little   rhythm   against   the   tabletop   with   one   hand   as   polyneices   clutches   his   drink   in   the   other   ,   body   still   tense   in   that   way   that   means   that   he’s   not   fully   committed   to   sitting   down   yet   .   he   keeps   an   eye   on   tessa’s   movements   ,   tracking   her   as   she   does   her   little   tasks   as   if   waiting   to   see   if   there’s   one   that   he   can   jump   up   and   help   with   .   he’s   only   content   to   sit   back   with   his   drink   once   he   sees   tessa   abandon   the   last   few   tables   to   their   messy   fate   beneath   the   remnants   of   a   valentineʻs   day   outing   .   polyneices   was   bound   to   help   her   straighten   everything   out   before   they   finished   up   for   the   night   anyways   ,   if   only   to   avoid   rosieʻs   wrath   the   next   time   he   swung   by   while   she   was   around   .   ❝   how   do   you   know   that   me   being   three   sheets   is   going   to   get   you   more   information   than   usual   ?   ❞   he   counters   ,   though   theyʻre   both   well   -   aware   that   while   heʻs   a   fairly   shameless   person   overall   ,   he   did   so   enjoy   making   things   harder   for   her   .   three   sheets   was   about   minimum   before   the   gossip   really   started   kicking   up   speed      .   ❝   i   should   report   you   one   of   these   days   .   school   teacher   interrogates   poor   auror   through   coercive   methods   ?   that’s   azkaban   -   level   for   sure   .   ❞   one   plate   of   some   red   -   colored   dessert   is   dragged   in   front   of   him   as   his   eyebrow   arches   .   ❝   i’m   only   holding   back   here   because   you   also   have   a   date   that   you   need   to   be   telling   me   about   .   ❞

[hcavyhead]

𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒆 .

【   𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈   𝒐𝒘𝒍   𝒇𝒐𝒓   :   𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒆  𝒙𝒖  (  @antigonai​​​  )  】

is  it  better  or  worse  to  believe,  however  temporarily,  that  they’d  been  abandoned  ?  those  fleeting  hours  aren’t  easy,  but  the  pain  of  being  stood  up  surely  pales  in  comparison  to  what  awaits  them  in  the  not  so  distant  future.  the  malfoy  family  ball  is  meant  to  be  their  shining  debut,  shot  to  hell  when  they  arrive  &  daisy  never  does.  they  do  try  their  best  to  ignore  the  sinking  feeling  tugging  at  their  heart  /  they  don’t  refuse  a  single  flute  of  champagne  offered  to  them  by  bored  servers  /  throw  themself  into  conversation  with  peers  and  dignitaries  alike,  but  no  distraction  is  good  enough  to  make  it  go  away.  the  entire  time,  they  flit  between  the  inner  ballroom  &  the  outer  gardens,  searching  the  crowd  for  the  date  that  they  had  so  happily  announced  they  had  to  anyone  that  would  listen,  anxiously  plucking  petals,  one  by  one,  from  the  childish  corsage  picked  with  so  much  care.  when  the  purple  flowers  have  nothing  more  to  give,  they  are  forced  to  accept  that  their  girlfriend  -  though  merlin,  they  wonder,  can  they  call  her  that,  after  such  an  obvious  sign  ?  -  isn’t  going  to  turn  up.  after  being  fed  such  a  tough  pill  to  swallow,  it’s  no  surprise  that  they  apparate  home  without  a  show  of  goodbyes.  their  siblings  will  understand.

antigone  is  in  no  state  to  notice  when  argos  lifts  his  head  at  something  he  hears  outside  of  the  van,  but  they  can’t  exactly  ignore  his  booming  barks  when  someone  knocks  against  the  side,  loud  enough  all  else.  there  is,  of  course,  a  hopeful,  excited  little  rush  ;  a  moment  of  oh,  there  she  is,  and  everything  is  okay,  again,  that  against  their  better  judgement  has  them  using  their  pyjama  sleeve  to  wipe  hastily  at  tear  stained  makeup  as  they  rush  to  unlock  the  back  doors  and  throw  one  open.  they’re  hurt,  sure,  but  not  beyond  forgiveness,  evidenced  by  the  smile  that  barely  has  time  to  shine  before  disappearing  as  polyneices  is  lit  up  by  the  ambient  lighting  that  spills  from  their  van.  their  shoulders  sag,  and  they  allow  argos  -  unable  to  read  the  room,  as  per  usual  for  dogs  -  to  bound  past  them,  excitedly,  and  out  past  polyneices  into  the  car  park.  “  alexa,  ”  they  sniffle,  “  pause. ”  the  chorus  of  you’re  on  your  own,  kid  that  had  been  playing  through  their  bluetooth  speaker  cuts  abruptly  off,  and  though  he’s  not  exactly  who  antigone  would  want  to  see,  right  now,  he’s  still  a  pretty  welcome  sight.  “  i’m  sorry  i  left  the  party  before  you  got  there.  i  had  a  really,  really  bad  night,  and…-  is  that  what  you  wore  ?  ”

            𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔   𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈   𝒕𝒐   𝒃𝒆   𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅   about   the   domino   effect   ,   about   heartbreak   ,   and   the   way   that   polyneices   loves   his   siblings   .   it’s   something   that   set   him   apart   from   the   rest   of   his   house   at   times   .   the   way   that   he   felt   things   so   strongly   sometimes   that   he   had   no   choice   but   to   act   on   it   .   the   way   that   he’d   herd   little   first-years   away   into   their   common   room   and   let   them   cry   about   how   homesick   they   were   because   they’d   look   up   at   him   with   watery   eyes   and   all   he’d   see   is   antigone   .   the   way   he’d   pick   fights   on   purpose   with   his   own   housemates   after   any   altercations   with   the   gryffindors   (   catch   my   sister   in   the   crossfire   and   i   swear   you’ll   regret   it   ,   you   pricks   —   )   .   not   cunning   enough   .   not   good   enough   at   holding   his   tongue   .   far   ,   far   too   much   empathy   .   it   comes   into   play   even   now   because   there   is   only   the   briefest   moment   where   polyneices   attention   is   stuck   on   the   dog—he’s   a   very   good   boy   and   polyneices   is   obligated   to   give   him   a   pat   to   let   him   know   that—before   his   eyes   land   on   antigone’s   face   .   those   watery   eyes   that   he’s   never   built   up   any   resistance   to   are   plain   on   their   face   and   it’s   enough   to   snap   his   heart   clean   in   half   .  

this   was   his   job   .   he   couldn’t   help   them   when   they   were   struggling   back   at   school   .   polyneices   had   needed   the   stability   that   hogwarts   offered   and   antigone   needed   the   freedom   that   hogwarts   had   lacked   so   he   had   found   himself   at   odds   with   his   youngest   sibling   with   no   comforts   to   offer   them   .   but   this   ?   protecting   them   from   dark   wixen   and   the   fallout   of   their   actions   ?   this   was   what   he   did   daily   .   he   should’ve   done   a   better   job   of   making   sure   that   none   of   this   touched   antigone   .   ❝   don’t   apologize   ,   ant   .   is   and   i   aren’t   bothered   a   bit   ,   ❞   he   assured   them   .   one   hand   tucked   itself   into   his   pocket   ,   sweeping   back   his   work   robes   with   the   motion   ,   while   the   other   hand   came   up   to   rub   at   his   mouth   in   an   awkward   motion   .   ❝   i   didn’t   actually   make   it   to   the   party   tonight   .   something   came   up   at   work   and   -   ❞   he   cut   himself   off   suddenly   .   the   last   hurdle   of   making   the   words   actually   come   out   of   his   mouth   seemed   impossible   to   overcome   ,   especially   in   the   dim   lighting   of   some   random   parking   lot   .   but   he   didn’t   think   there   was   a   best   spot   to   deliver   some   bad   news   and   this   was   probably   the   best   they   could   do   at   the   moment   .   ❝   actually   ,   honey   ,   do   you   mind   if   we   take   a   seat   for   a   bit   ?   i   have   some   things   to   tell   you   .   ❞

[hcavyhead]

              𝒊𝒕ʻ𝒔   𝒂   𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒆𝒕   𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆   :   𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒐   veering   off   from   the   other   aurors   first   on   the   scene   in   order   to   whisper   in   polyneiceʻs   ear   of   a   face   he   recognized   ,   someone   polyneices   had   mentioned   to   him   because   she   might   be   around   theseus   every   so   often   .   even   before   arturo   finishes   saying   the   name   ,   polyneices   has   his   phone   out   ,   scrambling   to   text   ismene   ,   to   check   up   on   her   ,   to   urge   her   to   check   up   on   antigone   (   because   the   sibling   thatʻs   actually   near   them   is   better   then   the   sibling   on   the   phone   )   .   itʻs   a   sinking   feeling   that   sits   in   the   pit   of   his   stomach   .   itʻs   a   fervent   wish   that   antigone   isnʻt   near   any   radios   .   on   the   flip   side   ,   itʻs   also   a   small   hope   ,   selfish   as   it   may   be   ,   that   it   isnʻt   him   that   they   have   to   hear   the   news   from   .  

it   takes   a   few   hours   for   the   crowd   to   thin   out   and   for   polyneices   presence   to   be   a   little   less   missed   .   the   lack   of   any   messages   from   his   youngest   sibling   does   not   bode   well   for   him   and   polyneices   takes   the   first   opportunity   to   apparate   to   where   their   van   was   parked   last   time   he   popped   in   to   say   hello   .   he   nearly   sags   with   relief   at   seeing   it   still   there   ,   even   as   he   remains   wired   with   tension   .   he   holds   it   all   in   his   shoulders   and   in   the   small   furrow   in   the   middle   of   his   brow   .   with   a   deep   sigh   that   seems   to   come   from   his   whole   body   ,   he   reaches   a   hand   out   to   knock   on   the   metal   .   ❝   hey   ,   ant   ?   ❞   he   calls   ,   ❝   you   still   awake   in   there   ?   ❞

【   𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈   𝒐𝒘𝒍   𝒇𝒐𝒓   :   𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒆  𝒙𝒖  (  @antigonai​​​  )  】

[hcavyhead]

he's a ten but he unironically enjoys chaps

HE'S STILL A TEN ! LOOK AT HIS SMOULDER ! COWBOY POLYNEICES IS ON THE SAME LEVEL AS MY MINNIE THE RIDDLE FUCKER AGENDA !

[hcavyhead]

           ❝   𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒉   ,   𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕ʻ𝒔   𝒐𝒏𝒆   𝒘𝒂𝒚   𝒕𝒐   explain   it   ,   ❞   he   drawls   ,   one   elbow   propped   against   the   flat   of   his   desk   as   his   head   rests   on   the   curve   of   his   fist   .   his   free   hand   comes   up   to   move   the   pile   of   files   off   one   end   of   the   table   ,   clearing   a   space   for   hermione   to   lean   against   .   these   visits   never   were   long   enough   for   him   to   pull   up   a   chair   for   the   woman   .   the   aurors   were   working   on   a   recent   case   of   an   occamy   egg   smuggling   ring   and   ,   therefore   ,   working   rather   closely   with   hermione’s   department   .   these   were   paths   that   frequently   crossed   and   polyneices   took   the   opportunity   to   poke   fun   at   her   every   time   .   ❝   i   might   have   used   a   different   word   for   it   ,   maybe   ,   ❞

【  𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒆   𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓  (   @dolors​​   )   𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅   :   ‘  i’ve   been   told   i   have   character   .  ’   】

[hcavyhead]

                ❝  𝒏𝒐𝒕   𝒕𝒉𝒆   𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆   ?   𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅   𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕   one   would   be   pretty   memorable   ,   ❞   he   points   out   ,   arms   crossing   beneath   him   as   he   leans   himself   across   the   flat   of   the   bar   .   the   smile   he   paints   across   his   cheeks   is   his   best   try   at   debonair   when   he   knows   full   well   that   his   charm   lay   in   other   directions   :   earnest   grins   ,   booming   laughs   ,   the   kind   of   boy   youʻd   like   to   pat   on   the   head   .   he   didnʻt   spend   all   those   years   in   the   snake   pit   ,   however   ,   to   not   try   his   hand   at   that   kind   of   smoothness   ,   that   kind   of   serpentine   sharp   .   ❝   the   hair   was   different   back   then   too   .   plus   ,   we   didnʻt   exactly   run   in   the   same   circles   .   ❞   breaking   the   barriers   of   house   rivalries   were   only   easy   when   his   sisters   were   there   .   making   friends   with   a   random   gryffinndor   that   he   did   not   know   ?   beyond   his   capabilities   at   the   time   .   ❝   i   remember   your   face   well   enough   .   though   it   does   help   that   your   brother   was   in   my   house   ,   maybe   .   ❞

【  𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒂   𝒎𝒐𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊  (   @woesbegone​   )   𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅   :   ‘  his      eyes      were      really      mean  .  ’   】

[hcavyhead]

𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒚 .​

𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽  :  fortescue’s ice cream parlour, diagon alley  !

“i hate to say it-” he gives the impression of really meaning it, too - eyes wide and earnest, lips curved into a sympathetic frown, he gestures helplessly towards where he just came from the back of the ice cream parlour, “but we’re all out of that flavor. sorry for getting your hopes up, but seems somebody cleared us out before you got here.” truth be told, a lot of people were clearing a lot of unused flavors, and henry couldn’t actually find it within himself to be mad about it. fortescue’s did good business during the summer, but the colder months were difficult. gimmick or not, midnight on diagon alley was likely going to tide them over through the holiday season - which was probably why he felt compelled to offer, “freckle & hyde’s just as good. d’you want a sample scoop?”

             𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉   𝒉𝒆   𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔   𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓   𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕   he   is   a   grown   man   and   not   at   all   scared   of   his   beloved   tiny   gremlin   that   is   only   about   a   third   of   his   size   ,   it   does   not   stop   the   wince   that   steals   across   polyneices’   features   at   the   news   .   he   knew   he   should   have   sent   arturo   on   this   particular   errand   instead   but   he   hadn’t   exactly   wanted   to   suffer   through   waiting   in   line   for   the   apple   bobbing   .   ❝   freckle   &   hyde’s   not   gonna   save   MY   hide   ,   ❞   he   sighs   ,   resigned   even   as   he   fortifies   himself   for   the   inevitable   look   of   devastation   that   thea   will   aim   at   him   when   he   comes   back   without   her   favorite   flavor   .   there   weren’t   to   be   any   tantrums   but   she’ll   be   sure   to   drape   herself   over   him   in   anguish   and   then   give   him   the   eyes   .   he   knew   halloween   was   a   bad   play   .   he   sighs   once   more   .   ❝   i’ll   take   it   though   .   can   i   please   get   a   double   scoop   sundae   with   .   .   .   i   don’t   know   ,   whatever   you   got   back   there   .   throw   in   the   works   .   ❞

[hcavyhead]

              𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒚𝒏𝒆𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔   𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚   𝒉𝒂𝒔   𝒕𝒐   𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉   a   little   bit   to   place   his   ear   in   range   to   hear   antigone’s   complaint   but   the   pointed   straightening   of   his   shoulders   in   response   to   her   words   is   still   noticeably   threatening   .   it’s   less   to   do   with   his   stature   and   more   to   do   with   the   loose   way   he’s   holding   himself   ,   all   smooth   lines   and   a   pronounced   set   to   his   jaw   .   absolutely   ready   to   throw   down   at   just   a   SINGLE   word   from   his   sibling’s   mouth   .   ❝   which   one   ?   ❞   he   asks   ,   eyes   roving   over   the   entire   crowd   ,   narrowing   in   on   a   few   people   that   he   judged   ‘   shady   characters   ’   .   polyneices   was   what   one   would   consider   an   easy   -   going   guy   but   it   was   never   that   simple   to   leave   his   job   at   home   even   on   his   days   off   .   ❝   i’ll   kick   his   ass   .   ❞   then   again   ,   he   was   like   this   before   the   job   .

【  𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒈𝒐𝒏𝒆   𝒙𝒖   𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅   :   ‘   his      eyes      were      really      mean   .  ’  (   @antigonai​   )   】

[hcavyhead]

              ❝   𝒄𝒉𝒐   ,   𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆   .   .   .   ❞   𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒚𝒏𝒆𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔   𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒔   ,   𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔   held   out   at   his   side   in   bemusement   over   this   attack   on   his   character   .   the   bottle   in   his   hand   drips   condensation   over   his   knuckles   ,   only   still   chilled   because   of   the   spells   he’s   recasted   over   it   multiple   times   .   it   was   later   in   the   year   but   the   parisian   sun   beating   overhead   certainly   made   it   easier   for   drinks   to   grow   tepid   and   for   polyneices   to   start   REGRETTING   the   double   layer   of   trousers   he’s   currently   working   with   .   still   ,   the   biggest   problem   he’s   got   with   the   day   is   with   cho’s   mother   -   henning   .   ❝   i’m   a   single   father   ,   not   a   puritan   .   ❞   and   an   auror   on   top   of   that   .   surprisingly   ,   the   auror   bit   has   probably   landed   him   in   less   strange   situations   than   the   father   bit   has   .   that   title   certainly   took   precedence   .   ❝   i   have   been   to   festivals   before   ,   you   know   .   ❞

【  𝒄𝒉𝒐   𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈   𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅   :  ‘   i   know   this   can   be   a   little   overwhelming   ,   but   you’ll   get   used   to   it   .   ’  (   @indemnae​   )   】

[hcavyhead]

𝒆𝒛𝒆𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒍 .

‘     I’m  not  too  old  to  still  put  you  on  your  ass,   Polyneices.     ’           Zeke  doesn’t  need  to  look  up  from  book - keeping  to  know  who’s  there.   They’re  familiar  enough  to  one  another  that  presence  is  easy  to  recognise,   as  is  voice  when  it  calls  out  playful  taunts.           ‘     You  best  remember  that  the  next  time  you  walk  into  my  shop.     ’           Words  are  as  EMPTY  as  the  store    (    them  not  included    )    and  they  surely  both  know  it,   the  high  regard  he  holds  the  other  in  far  outweighing  any  possibility  of  offence.   Ezekiel  is  a  man  with  few  friends.   Personal  choice.   He  likes  it  that  way.   The  less  people  dependant  on  him,   the  less  favours  he’s  asked.   However,   there’s  a  special  selection  that  has,   overtime,   come  to  form  a  connection  with  the  retired  Hit  Wizard  and  Polyneices’  name  is  respectfully  high  on  that  short  list.            ‘     If  you’re  tryin’  to  ask  me  out  on  a  date,   insulting  me  might  not  be  the  best  approach.     ’           Head  finally  tits  up  and  there’s  a  smirk  twisting  up  the  corner  of  mouth,   finding  amusement  in  the  bold  approach  of  his  former  protegee.           ‘     I  can  be  free.   What  exactly  did  you  have  in  mind?     ’

                ❝   𝒂𝒘   ,   𝒚𝒐𝒖   𝒄𝒂𝒏   𝒕𝒓𝒚   𝒊𝒕   ,   old   man   .      i’ll   even   go   easy   on   you   for   your   first   go   ,   ❞   he   grins   ,   sauntering   through   the   aisles   before   he   slumps   against   the   front   counter   ,   head   leaning   over   the   edge   of   his   mentor’s   book   and   reading   through   the   text   upside   down   as   if   he   knew   or   cared   about   what   zeke   was   currently   working   on   .   ❝   cause   i   like   you   ,   ya   know   ?   i’ll   tie   one   hand   behind   my   back   and   MAYBE   you’ll   have   a   shot   at   it   .   ❞   there’s   a   confidence   there   —   an   assurance   ,   almost   arrogance   —   in   polyneices’   countenance   that   wasn’t   there   before   ezekiel   nurtured   it   under   rough   ,   yet   steady   hands   .   it’s   no   surprise   then   that   polyneices   refused   to   let   the   man   shuffle   off   back   into   his   hermit   tendencies   after   the   official   bounds   of   their   mentorship   ended   .   instead   ,   he   wiggled   his   way   into   the   older   hitwizard’s   good   graces   and   planted   himself   long   enough   until   the   man   consented   to   polyneices   sticking   around   for   the   longer   term   .   ❝   don’t   even   play   ,   old   man   .   we   both   know   your   type   runs   on   the   feistier   side   .   this   is   definitely   the   way   to   get   you   on   a   date   .   ❞   both   hands   come   down   on   the   countertop   in   staccato   ,   playing   out   on   jaunty   little   beat   on   the   wood   before   he   pushes   himself   back   into   a   standing   position   .   ❝   lucky   for   both   of   us   though   ,   this   isn’t   a   date   .   it’s   just   drinks   .   on   me   .   in   a   completely   PLATONIC   ,   manly   fashion   .   ❞

[hcavyhead]

𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒙 .

location:  the  eighth  annual  ministry  gala

status: open ( @startertms​ )

“no bets this time around. my business is closed for the time being. tonight i’ve come to enjoy the festivities that await.” knox can’t help but smirk amusingly as she grabbed a drink from a server as they passed. it was both surprising and amusing how her betting games had managed to give her quite the reputation. a reputation that she could be prideful of, instead of the one her mother and devilish family left behind for her. it felt like a rebellion of sorts. and knox couldn’t help but bask in all of it. she merely spared the other a glance before returning to watching the nicely dressed guests roaming about. “that is, unless you have something interesting for me. perhaps to liven up this…party.”

           ❝   𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕   𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔   𝒂   𝒃𝒊𝒕   𝒏𝒂𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒚   ,   doesn’t   it   ?   quite   a   bit   of   aurors   around   for   you   to   be   playing   those   kinds   of   games   .   ❞   he   pointed   out   ,   mouth   tilting   in   a   teasing   smile   .   not   that   polyneices   was   particularly   concerned   with   the   small   details   of   legalese   .   as   far   as   he   was   concerned   ,   there   were   probably   worse   crimes   occurring   behind   the   closed   these   elites   than   some   harmless   gambling   done   at   the   expense   of   said   higher   ups   .   still   ,   poking   fun   had   never   hurt   anyone   .   ❝   i   can’t   imagine   what   kind   of   bets   you   get   at   this   sort   of   gig   though   so   color   me   CURIOUS   .   is   it   on   who   going   home   with   whom   ?   how   many   free   champagnes   that   bird   over   there   is   going   to   make   off   with   ?   or   maybe   you   place   bets   on   who   you   think   is   gonna   end   up   in   the   societies   tomorrow   ?   ❞

[hcavyhead]

            𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆   𝒊𝒔   𝒂   𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕   𝒐𝒇   𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒚𝒏𝒆𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔  that   he   will   always   owe   to   ezekiel   burke   .   the   parts   of   him   that   are   sharp   and   ragged   and   and   cruel   and   quick   -   tempered   were   not   something   that   he   was   born   without   and   later   found   ,   but   they   were   never   quite   as   nurtured   as   they   were   when   under   the   guidance   of   the   eldest   burke   sibling   .   maybe   these   parts   could   be   considered   flaws   .   maybe   these   parts   were   the   UGLIER   parts   of   himself   and   maybe   he   should   be   working   on   fixing   them   .   he’d   consider   it   ,   really   ,   if   they   didn’t   make   him   so   damn   good   at   his   job   .   alas   ,   they   did   and   so   ,   polyneices   felt   like   he   perpetually   owed   zeke   a   drink   about   it   .   ❝   yo   ,   old   timer   ,   ❞   he   called   out   ,   waltzing   into   borgin   and   burke   like   he   owned   the   place   .   the   regular   customers   have   seen   him   often   enough   that   the   sight   of   an   established   auror   among   the   —   somewhat   less   than   legal   —   wares   was   no   longer   shocking   .   neither   was   the   playfully   disrespectful   words   that   spilled   out   of   his   mouth   as   he   wove   through   the   aisles   .   ❝   can   i   steal   you   away   from   your   adoring   fans   for   the   night   ?   or   is   it   too   close   to   your   bedtime   for   you   to   be   going   out   ?   ❞

【   𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈   𝒐𝒘𝒍   𝒇𝒐𝒓   :   𝒆𝒛𝒆𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒍 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒌𝒆  (  @hoggleswart​​  )  】