The entire wizarding world knew her business, and not really in a good way. It felt like her private life â which, in a way, she never kept that private because Lucy didnât have anything worth keeping private anyway. But what did it matter if people knew Molly got hurt? Or that she had to go into the castle and make sure she was okay?
Her father told her that she had misbehaved and she gritted her teeth through his tirade â because Lucy wasnât a fucking child. What did his Ministry reputation have to do with anything? This interview seemed like the only way to get everything back in control. Of course her father let her do this; she had a mess to clean up. But in a way it meant that she was the one making sure that the story was told the way she needed it to be told.
Lucy seemed more determined now when Lorcan mentioned that some of the questions were meant to shock or surprise her. While he was trying to be on her side, she didnât exactly believe that anyone was on her side right now, though she appreciated the help without actually acknowledging that he was trying. But this was something Lucy had to do on her own â just like everything else she put her mind to doing.
Her eye twitched before she pushed the sheet of questions back to Lorcan. Did they have to rehearse or something? It would give time Lucy to prepare but regardless, she had already done her homework. She wasnât going into a PR situation blind. âTry me.â
Lorcan had to admire Lucyâs confidence, it wasnât vary often he had someone come in at least acting like they were ready for anything. More often than not he felt like most people assumed he was more interested in the gossip side of things, he doubted Lucy listened in often so her confidence was certainly something to be admired.
He was still confused as to what she really wanted out of this, the interview was the rare occasion where he really got no information, sure he had read in the news what had happened and he had a pretty big hunch she was on to clear her name, as if she even needed to. Lorcan found her actions in sneaking into the castle admirable at the very least. He wouldnât have ever been brave enough to do something like that.
Then again if it was Lysander stuck in there he felt like he would have stopped at nothing as well. Still, the little he really knew of Lucy the one thing that always stuck out to him was her determination; something Lorcan himself was really lacking in.
He still didnât want her walking into this blind and when she pushed the paper back towards him he sighed âAre you sure? We have a minute before we go live...â he trailed off, as a host he tried his best to make things easy for whoever he was interviewing but there was only so much he could do when Lucy was so confident that she could handle it. Maybe Lorcan should stop doubting her, now that he thought about it if there was one person who could handle this it was the person brave enough to organize a break in to hogwarts.
Finley decided he would take Lorcanâs advise, or at least try to. He was the expert but Finley wasnât sure how he could not rehearse, he wanted the whole thing to be perfect. He didnât want a word out of line, or anything that was ambiguous and could be interpreted different ways. Perhaps thatâs why he always came across as so unemotional, because most of the time he was reading from some internal script trying to stay on the right line.
âIâm just not really sure how to do that. Iâm not very good at making it up on the spot. Iâm worried Iâll get flustered or say something wrong.â
Lorcan knew exactly how Finley felt, that was the reason for his own stress right now. the idea of being on a live broadcast was daunting to him sometimes, he had mostly gotten used to it but some of his guests certainly werenât. Being live wasnât like being interviewed for the prophet or any other news source. It was pretty easy to claim the prophet misquoted you or took something out of context, with a live broadcast it was impossible to do that. As an interviewer he personally took making sure his guests wouldnât say anything wrong as part of his job, He wasn't out to destroy anyone's career. He would try his best to steer the topic away from where it was heading before it got bad. He had a feeling the apology would be a bit harder to do that with though. That didnât stop him from wanting to help.
âMaybe make an outline of some of what you want to cover in your apology and then go further into the details unscripted. If you want Iâd be happy to help you with that. Youâd be surprised at how many people come in nervous about saying something wrong. I try my best to move the topic away when I notice it happening but with an apology it may be a bit too obvious what Iâm doing... If youâre willing to work with me on ideas Iâll help you with the outline.â he suggested.
âYou can talk canât you? I mean youâre having a conversation with me just fine. Surely you can come up with some stuff on the spot - people like improvised stuff. I mean, thatâs your worst case scenario right? And even thatâs not so bad. They wonât fire you for just chatting.â Ana really how no clue what she was talking about except that whenever she listened to the WWN it sounded like a natural conversation that didnât have a list of probing questions that needed to be rapidly fired.Â
Ana tilted her head trying to come up with something to ask a quidditch player that wasnât inherently boring. âWhy donât you ask about those big quidditch parties Iâve heard happen out of training season?â Ana was pretty sure that guyâs party she had been to with that America guy had been a quidditch player. It had been a pretty good one.
Lorcan listened to her as she spoke and sighed, sure she had a good point but it wasnât that easy for him, the plan already was to wing it but he was sure that it was just gonna be a mess. He needed at least an outline to not get nervous, honestly the job wasnât the best for him and the longer he spent there the more he noticed. He wasnât exactly a sociable person. âYeah but Iâve spoken to you before. Iâm not good at just chatting with a stranger, yâknow?â
At the question he nodded slightly, it was a decent enough idea, though he tried to stray away from any gossip, much preferring to keep the questions away from anything that could embarrass his guest but now the more he thought about it the more he realized it was fully possible for his guest to just play dumb over it if they didnât want to answer âYeah, thatâs actually not too bad of an idea, thanks.â he said genuinely.
âAll that is gold does not glitter; not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither; deep roots are not reached by the frost.â
-J. R. R. Tolkien
Mediator personalities are true idealists, always looking for the hint of good in even the worst of people and events, searching for ways to make things better. While they may be perceived as calm, reserved, or even shy, Mediators have an inner flame and passion that can truly shine. Comprising just 4% of the population, the risk of feeling misunderstood is unfortunately high for the Mediator personality type â but when they find like-minded people to spend their time with, the harmony they feel will be a fountain of joy and inspiration.Â
Being a part of the Diplomat Role group, Mediators are guided by their principles, rather than by logic (Analysts), excitement (Explorers), or practicality (Sentinels). When deciding how to move forward, they will look to honor, beauty, morality and virtue â Mediators are led by the purity of their intent, not rewards and punishments. People who share the Mediator personality type are proud of this quality, and rightly so, but not everyone understands the drive behind these feelings, and it can lead to isolation.Â
At their best, these qualities enable Mediators to communicate deeply with others, easily speaking in metaphors and parables, and understanding and creating symbols to share their ideas. Fantasy worlds in particular fascinate Mediators, more than any other personality type. The strength of their visionary communication style lends itself well to creative works, and it comes as no surprise that many famous Mediators are poets, writers and actors. Understanding themselves and their place in the world is important to Mediators, and they explore these ideas by projecting themselves into their work.Â
Mediatorsâ ability with language doesnât stop with their native tongue, either â as with most people who share the Diplomat personality types, they are considered gifted when it comes to learning a second (or third!) language. Their gift for communication also lends itself well to Mediatorsâ desire for harmony, a recurring theme with Diplomats, and helps them to move forward as they find their calling. Â Â Â
Listen to Many People, but Talk to Few
Unlike their Extraverted cousins though, Mediators will focus their attention on just a few people, a single worthy cause â spread too thinly, theyâll run out of energy, and even become dejected and overwhelmed by all the bad in the world that they canât fix. This is a sad sight for Mediatorsâ friends, who will come to depend on their rosy outlook.
If they are not careful, Mediators can lose themselves in their quest for good and neglect the day-to-day upkeep that life demands. Mediators often drift into deep thought, enjoying contemplating the hypothetical and the philosophical more than any other personality type. Left unchecked, Mediators may start to lose touch, withdrawing into âhermit modeâ, and it can take a great deal of energy from their friends or partner to bring them back to the real world.
Luckily, like the flowers in spring, Mediatorâs affection, creativity, altruism and idealism will always come back, rewarding them and those they love perhaps not with logic and utility, but with a world view that inspires compassion, kindness and beauty wherever they go.
MEDIATOR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
Mediator Strengths
Idealistic â Mediatorsâ friends and loved ones will come to admire and depend on them for their optimism. Their unshaken belief that all people are inherently good, perhaps simply misunderstood, lends itself to an incredibly resilient attitude in the face of hardship.
Seek and Value Harmony â People with the Mediator personality type have no interest in having power over others, and donât much care for domineering attitudes at all. They prefer a more democratic approach, and work hard to ensure that every voice and perspective is heard.
Open-Minded and Flexible â A live-and-let-live attitude comes naturally to Mediators, and they dislike being constrained by rules. Mediators give the benefit of the doubt too, and so long as their principles and ideas are not being challenged, theyâll support othersâ right to do what they think is right.
Very Creative â Mediators combine their visionary nature with their open-mindedness to allow them to see things from unconventional perspectives. Being able to connect many far-flung dots into a single theme, itâs no wonder that many Mediators are celebrated poets and authors.
Passionate and Energetic â When something captures Mediatorsâ imagination and speaks to their beliefs, they go all in, dedicating their time, energy, thoughts and emotions to the project. Their shyness keeps them from the podium, but they are the first to lend a helping hand where itâs needed.
Dedicated and Hard-Working â While others focusing on the challenges of the moment may give up when the going gets tough, Mediators (especially Assertive ones) have the benefit of their far-reaching vision to help them through. Knowing that what they are doing is meaningful gives people with this personality type a sense of purpose and even courage when it comes to accomplishing something they believe in.
Mediator Weaknesses
Too Idealistic â Mediators often take their idealism too far, setting themselves up for disappointment as, again and again, evil things happen in the world. This is true on a personal level too, as Mediators may not just idealize their partners, but idolize them, forgetting that no one is perfect.
Too Altruistic â Mediators sometimes see themselves as selfish, but only because they want to give so much more than they are able to. This becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, as they try to push themselves to commit to a chosen cause or person, forgetting to take care of the needs of others in their lives, and especially themselves.
Impractical â When something captures Mediatorsâ imagination, they can neglect practical matters like day-to-day maintenance and simple pleasures. Sometimes people with the Mediator personality type will take this asceticism so far as to neglect eating and drinking as they pursue their passion or cause.
Dislike Dealing With Data â Mediators are often so focused on the big picture that they forget the forest is made of individual trees. Mediators are in tune with emotions and morality, and when the facts and data contradict their ideals, it can be a real challenge for them.
Take Things Personally â Mediators often take challenges and criticisms personally, rather than as inspiration to reassess their positions. Avoiding conflict as much as possible, Mediators will put a great deal of time and energy into trying to align their principles and the criticisms into a middle ground that satisfies everybody.
Difficult to Get to Know â Mediators are private, reserved and self-conscious. This makes them notoriously difficult to really get to know, and their need for these qualities contributes to the guilt they often feel for not giving more of themselves to those they care about.
MEDIATOR RELATIONSHIPS
Mediators are dreamy idealists, and in the pursuit of the perfect relationship, this quality shows strongest. Never short on imagination, Mediators dream of the perfect relationship, forming an image of this pedestalled ideal that is their soul mate, playing and replaying scenarios in their heads of how things will be. This is a role that no person can hope to fill, and people with the Mediator personality type need to recognize that nobodyâs perfect, and that relationships donât just magically fall into place â they take compromise, understanding and effort.
Love All, Trust a Few, Do Wrong to None
Fortunately these are qualities that Mediators are known for, and while it can be a challenge to separate long-fostered fantasy from reality, Mediatorsâ tendency to focus their attention on just a few people in their lives means that they will approach new relationships wholeheartedly, with a sense of inherent value, dedication and trust.
Mediators share a sincere belief in the idea of relationships â that two people can come together and make each other better and happier than they were alone, and they will take great efforts to show support and affection in order to make this ideal a reality.
But Mediators arenât necessarily in a rush to commit â they are, after all, Prospecting (P) types, and are almost always looking to either establish a new relationship or improve an existing one â they need to be sure theyâve found someone compatible. In dating, Mediators will often start with a flurry of comparisons, exploring all the ways the current flame matches with the ideal theyâve imagined. This progression can be a challenge for a new partner, as not everyone is able to keep up with Mediatorsâ rich imagination and moral standards â if incompatibilities and conflict over this initial rush mount, the relationship can end quickly, with Mediators likely sighing that âit wasnât meant to be.â
As a relationship takes hold, people with the Mediator personality type will show themselves to be passionate, hopeless romantics, while still respecting their partnersâ independence. Mediators take the time to understand those they care about, while at the same time helping them to learn, grow and change. While Mediators are well-meaning, not everyone appreciates what can come across as constantly being told that they need to improve â or, put another way, that theyâre not good enough. Mediators would be aghast to find that their intents were interpreted this way, but itâs a real risk, and if their partner is as averse to conflict as Mediators themselves, it can boil under the surface for some time before surfacing, too late to fix.
Better Three Hours Too Soon Than a Minute Too Late
This aversion to conflict, while contributing greatly to stability in the relationship when done right, is probably the most urgent quality for Mediators to work on. Between their sensitivity and imagination, Mediators are prone to internalizing even objective statements and facts, reading into them themes and exaggerated consequences, sometimes responding as though these comments are metaphors designed to threaten the very foundations of their principles. Naturally this is almost certainly an overreaction, and Mediators should practice what they preach, and focus on improving their ability to respond to criticism with calm objectivity, rather than irrational accusations and weaponized guilt.
But thatâs at their uncommon worst â at their best, Mediators do everything they can to be the ideal partner, staying true to themselves and encouraging their partners to do the same. Mediators take their time in becoming physically intimate so that they can get to know their partners, using their creativity to understand their wants and needs, and adapt to them. People with this personality type are generous in their affection, with a clear preference for putting the pleasure of their partners first â it is in knowing that their partners are satisfied that Mediators truly feel the most pleasure.
MEDIATOR FRIENDS
The true friends of people with the Mediator personality type tend to be few and far between, but those that make the cut are often friends for life. The challenge is the many dualities that this type harbors when it comes to being sociable â Mediators crave the depth of mutual human understanding, but tire easily in social situations; they are excellent at reading into othersâ feelings and motivations, but are often unwilling to provide others the same insight into themselves â itâs as though Mediators like the idea of human contact, but not the reality of social contact.
How Poor Are They That Have Not Patience
In a lot of ways, this limits the potential pool of friends to other types in the Diplomat Role group, who are able to pick up on the subtle clues left by their Mediator friends, and who are more likely than not to enjoy something of a human enigma. A friendship with a Turbulent Executive (ESTJ-T) on the other hand, governed by social conventions and community participation as they are, would almost be a non-sequitur â though Mediators may find the idea of being paired with their opposite fascinating enough to outweigh the practical challenges to such a friendship.
To top it all off, ideas like networking and âthe friend of my friend is my friendâ hold little weight with Mediators. Friendships are earned on their own merit, by dint of the intuitive respect Mediators have for those with similar principles and values, rather than more practical alignments like those of coworkers. Mediatorsâ tendency to protect their sensitive inner cores and values from criticism, especially if they are on the more turbulent side of the spectrum, means that acquaintances will likely get nowhere near them without sustained and tactful effort.
But, if Mediatorsâ shields are properly navigated and they decide to open up and trust another person, a strong, stable friendship will ensue, marked by passionate support and idealism, subtle poetic wit, and a level of emotional insight that is hard to match. Mediatorsâ friends will be rewarded with calm, sensitivity and depth, and an ever-present desire to help, learn, and grow. But even the most confident and assertive Mediators will only be able to keep up this relaxed and present exterior for so long.
Even as friendships grow stronger and deeper, and friends are lulled into a sense of mutual understanding, Mediatorsâ enigmatic qualities will never truly vanish.
Mediators will always need to disappear for a while, removing themselves from others so they can re-center on their own minds and feelings. Often enough people with the Mediator personality type will emerge from this time alone having come to some momentous decision that even their closest friends didnât know was weighing on them, evading even the option of receiving the sort of support and advice they so readily give. Such is Mediatorsâ way, for better or for worse.
MEDIATOR CAREERS
It is perhaps more challenging for Mediators to find a satisfying career than any other type. Though intelligent, the regimented learning style of most schools makes long years earning an advanced degree a formidable undertaking for people with the Mediator personality type â at the same time, thatâs often whatâs needed to advance in a field that rings true for them. Mediators often wish that they could just be, doing what they love without the stress and rigor of professional life.
Oftentimes, as with so many things, the answer lies somewhere in the middle, in a line of work that begins with passion and dedication, but which comes to require training so that the academia feels intimately linked to that passion. Too many Mediators drift in frustration, ultimately succumbing to the necessities of day-to-day life in a job that wasnât meant for them. But it turns out that, despite such exacting demands, modern economics places a premium on the very keys to Mediatorsâ challenges: their creativity, independence, and need for meaningful relationships with individuals who need their help.
Thereâs Place and Means for Everyone
First and foremost is seemingly every Mediatorsâ dream growing up â to become an author. While a novel is a classic choice, it is rarely an accessible one, and there are many viable options for freedom-loving Mediators. The internet brings to the world the opportunities of blogging and freelance work â as organizations expand their reach beyond their native tongues, they will come to depend on Mediator personality types, with their gift for language and written expression, to take their rougher translations and stale pitches and inject them with a sense of beauty and poetry. Smaller organizations will need more than ever to express with elegance the value they bring to local communities.
Most any cause, idea, or field can benefit from the artful and natural expression that Mediators bring to the table, and Mediators have their pick of the world in choosing who they work with.
The real beauty here is that it takes a core interest that people with the Mediator personality type share, while helping a cause they believe in, independently, through creative expression and personal growth, and makes it applicable to any interest there is. There will always be a need, and now more than ever, to win peopleâs hearts and minds with the written word.
Some Mediators will prefer a still more personal touch, being able to work face-to-face with clients, seeing that their personal effort really impacts anotherâs quality of life. Service careers such as massage therapy, physical rehabilitation, counselling, social work, psychology and even academic roles and retraining can be exceptionally rewarding for Mediators, who take pride in the progress and growth they help to foster. People with the Mediator personality type have a tendency to put othersâ interests ahead of their own, a mixed blessing by itself, but when a patient takes their first unaided step in the long road to recovery after an accident, nothing will feel more rewarding than that selflessness.
If to Do Were as Easy as to Know What Were Good to Do...
Where Mediators will not thrive is in a high-stress, team-heavy, busy environment that burdens them with bureaucracy and tedium. Mediators need to be able to work with creativity and consideration â high-pressure salespeople they are not. It can be a challenge to avoid these roles, as they are the basis for so much starting work, and itâs often a risk to break away into something less dependable, but more rewarding. To find a career that resonates with Mediatorsâ values though, thatâs more than just a job, sometimes itâs just what needs to be done.
MEDIATORS IN THE WORKPLACE
In the workplace, Mediators face the challenge of taking their work and their profession personally. To Mediators, if it isnât worth doing, it isnât really worth doing, and this sense of moral purpose in their work colors everything from how they respond to authority to how they express it. Though the way the Mediator personality type shows through depends on the position, there are a few basic truths about what Mediators seek in the workplace: they value harmony, need an emotional and moral connection to their work, and loathe bureaucratic tedium.
Mediator Subordinates
As subordinates, Mediators prefer latitude, and would much rather immerse themselves in a project, alone or with a close team, than simply be told what task to do and move on. People with the Mediator personality type arenât looking for easy, forgettable work that pays the bills, theyâre looking for meaningful work that they actually want to think about, and it helps for their managers to frame responsibilities in terms of emotional merit rather than cold rationalization or business for its own sake. Mediators would rather know that their work will help to deliver a service they believe in than to know that the bottom line has been boosted by 3%.
If these standards are met, managers will find an extremely dedicated and considerate employee in Mediators. As idealistic opportunity-seekers Mediators may not always work well in technical applications, where the facts and logic really matter and critique is often necessary, but they work beautifully in more human and creative endeavors. While some types, especially those in the Analyst Role group, respond favorably to negative feedback, taking criticism as an opportunity to not make the same mistake twice, people with the Mediator personality type would much rather hear what they did right and focus on what to do, rather than what not to.
Mediator Colleagues
Mediators feel most comfortable among colleagues â they arenât interested in controlling others, and have a similar distaste for being controlled. Among their colleagues, Mediators will feel freer to share their ideas, and while they may maintain some psychological distance, they will make every effort to be pleasant, friendly and supportive â so long as their coworkers reciprocate. Mediators donât like conflict or picking sides, and will do everything they can to maintain harmony and cooperation.
Most of this comes down to good communication, which Mediators prefer to conduct in person, for that personal touch, or in writing, where they can compose and perfect their statements. People with the Mediator personality type avoid using phones if they can, having the worst of both worlds, being both detached and uncomposed. Mediators also like to feel like their conversations are meaningful, and while they enjoy exploring philosophy more than most, their patience for arbitrary hypothetical brainstorming or dense technical discussions is limited.
MEDIATOR PERSONALITY â CONCLUSION
Few personality types are as poetic and kind-hearted as Mediators. Their altruism and vivid imagination allow Mediators to overcome many challenging obstacles, more often than not brightening the lives of those around them. Mediatorsâ creativity is invaluable in many areas, including their own personal growth.
Yet Mediators can be easily tripped up in areas where their idealism and passion are more of a liability than an asset. Whether it is navigating interpersonal conflicts, confronting unpleasant facts, pursuing self-realization, or finding a career path that aligns well with your inner core, you may face numerous challenges that at times can even make you question who you really are.
Alice grinned when Lorcan agreed, there were times that Lysander did side with her when they were younger. The family siblings were pretty close growing up, there were times that she and Lorcan were against the other two âGlad you understand.â she said, lightly giggling as she then listened to his mention of not wanting to lose a limb. Thatâs one thing the Longbottoms and Scamanders were greatly different in, the Longbottoms apparated all the time. The siblings werenât into the idea of riding brooms, it has come to the point where they donât even notice when the other appears beside them. The Scamanders on the other hand, they preferred their brooms over their magical ability to disappear and re-appear. Either way, the two families got along. When the man mentioned candy, she nodded âOf course!â she said, lightly giggling. He of all people knew that she had a sweet tooth, she used to hide candies all the time. Who said she didnât still do that though? âAre you telling me that youâll buy me steak if I wanted you to?â the girl teased now, smirking then nodding when he mentioned to just ignore the girls that just passed by them âWe can just head on home if thatâs the case.â she then said, referring to the Leaky Cauldron as their home. The Scamanders visited them so much before, she didnât mind referring to her home as their home when it came to the twins.
âIâd be an idiot not to,â Lorcan said with a laugh, Though he knew when it came down to it Lysander wouldnât hesitate to pick his side, that was just the twin way of things. This wasnât a legitimate fight though so Lysander could very well just side with Alice to annoy him so he wasnât gonna risk it, whatever it was. Lorcan chuckled at her question âwell if I had to choose between buying you a steak and buying you candy Iâd choose steak, itâd be cheaper than letting you go through a candy store freely.â he teased.  âWhatever you want to do, though we did just get here so it would make it a pointless trip if we headed back now,â He pointed out.Â
Dom topped up his cup, tilting the teapot to fill it up as she listened trying to work out what his problem was - working out if she could help him would be more fun than going behind the bar and polishing the cutlery that the kitchen had just left for her to do. She could do that later.Â
âI guess so, yes. I mean I talk to people here all the time. Why?â Dominique had always seen Lorcanâs job as glamorous - working for WWN. People got to hear his voice and he got to be in charge of what people listened to day to day. He was practically a celebrity. âAre you struggling with an untalkative guest?â
âThanks,â Lorcan said with a small smile when she added more tea to his cup, sliding it closer when it was filled again, the now hot cup warming his hand. He hoped by talking he wouldnât get Dom in trouble but at the same time he wasnât gonna turn down a conversation with her, it was pretty much impossible for him too.Â
âMore like untalkative host,â he answered, honestly he was pretty antisocial, sometimes he wondered how he managed to get his job in the first place, he certainly didnât have the qualifications at first. âI canât for the life of me come up with questions that havenât been asked a million times before.â He said with a sigh.
âEnlighten me then.â she asked him, curious about his point of view on the matter. The way she was brought up, if you want to give up on something then you failed. Instead of saying you give up, you should just say that you need to try harder when you regroup. It was not only the Horned Serpent way but the Zabini way as well.Â
âSo no play book at all? Not sure if Iâll ever be brave enough to do that. So kudos to you thenâ she teased. She could hear it in his voice how annoyed he was that nothing was going as planned with whatever he was doing. âNo need to apologize. Youâre upset about the situation at hand and donât know how to move forward. It happens.â she reassured him. âI have nothing to do right now. Why not talk things out with me? Since Iâm an outsider, I can give you another opinion. Sometimes that can help with solving an issue. What do you say?â
Lorcan shrugged slightly âI think youâre only a failure if you actually fail, winging it can go well in some situations, as long as you accomplish the end goal and you do it well is it really failing?â He asked. âWinging it is just... taking a risk and sometimes thats the best thing you can do.â
Lorcan chuckled slightly âNope not really. I mean I guess plan b could be just copying the questions I asked the last quidditch player I had on but that feels like a cop out, and also kind of rude. Iâd feel like a failure more then than I would just winging it.â he explained. He was thankful when the girl didnât seem upset with him over his attitude, the last thing he really wanted was someone thinking he was just a git for no reason.Â
When she offered to help he smiled and nodded âIf you donât mind that would be great actually,â he said âIâd definitely owe you one.â
âGryffindor: the house of the recklessâ, Charlotte agreed. She ignored the corner of her mind which protested that avoiding what happened to Alfie was anything but the bravery that was typical of Gryffindors. During her Hogwarts years she had grown used to revelling in the easy definition that came with belonging to her house , and was loathe to consider that she might not be as brave as she had so proudly claimed she was for the past six years.
Charlotte nodded as she listened to Lorcanâs view on his job. He didnât sound bitter or unwilling, which she took to mean that he really was comfortable with it. She was a little bit surprised at his definition of lacking magic as a positive, but she shrugged it off. Not everyone was comfortable with it for a whole range of reasons, so it didnât bother her. âA jobs a job,â she echoed in agreement, Alfie and his Quidditch position suddenly coming to mind. She tried to shake off the accompanying feeling of loss and dread and focus on Lorcan. âItâs pretty normal to reconsider it every now and then.â
She laughed at his fumbled quote. âThere are a few like âsuccess is a journey not a destination.â Charlotte had first heard that from one of the Ravenclaws in her year when everyone had been stressed studying for OWLs. The idea that it was the journey - simple enjoyment in just meandering through life - that was meaningful had felt like a validation of her own philosophy, and stuck with her until now.
Charlotte smiled brightly at Lorcanâs question, glad that he wanted her to stay. âOh, I have nowhere else to be, and this is fun,â she said truthfully, meeting his eyes before dropping her gaze to his glass. âMaybe next Iâll haveâŚwhatever youâre having.â In the half-lighting of the bar, she couldnât quite make out exactly what drink was in the glass, but it didnât look too bad.
Lorcan chuckled lightly at her agreement, of course, he knew a few Gryffindors who werenât reckless but a majority of them would definitely take risks, even if said risks could end with them getting hurt. Lorcan himself wasnât a big risk taker but that was probably the reason he wasnât sorted into the house of the brave.
Lorcan could see the girl battling with something internally as they spoke, he had his guesses as to what, he wasnât stupid. He had read in the papers what had happened, part of him wanted to see if Charlotte was okay but he didnât think it was really his place to ask, let alone what a stupid question it would really be. Lorcan couldnât imagine losing his brother, and sure, Charlotte and her brother werenât twins but Lorcan figured it was pretty much the same.
Lorcan couldnât help but smile when she laughed, happy that he was at least able to do that. âThat one sounds better,â he said said with a shrug âEither way though pretty sure he meaning is the same though,â he said simply.
He was happy when Charlotte seemed willing to stay, catching up with his old friend was fun and it gave him an excuse to drink more âOh itâs just wizards brew,â he answered before ordering her one, he figured if she ended up not wanting it heâd drink it and she could order something else so he wasnât too concerned.
Lucy was stressed enough as is, but she didnât remember Lorcan to be this much of a jerk. First to leave her on her own to figure out how to even get inside on time, but to be so blunt about all of this? She raised a brow â but her expression softened some. Not everyone could be raised with manners. The Scamanders were family friends, but she had heard that they werenât exactly the disciplined sort.
She narrowed her eyes skeptically. Was that shit even allowed? Even if it were, Lucy wouldnât buy it; thatâs just more opportunity for people to shit talk behind her back â or this time in public. She wasnât sure which would be worse. Lucy was here for a reason, to dispel rumors, to turn the tide of public opinion in her direction.
She could think all she wants that she was good at that, but the opportunity was rare. Having war-hero family sort of helped with that, and what the hell was sneaking into the castle supposed to get her in trouble when Harry Potter had done it for basically the same reason? The list didnât phase her now that she had a way out, but even then she knew that she didnât have a choice to actually leave. âI mean, if you say that, then I could walk out right now and thatâs it?â
She didnât even really look at the list, so much as she had a strategy. âTell me which questions you want me to answer,â she snapped back. Maybe there was sort of compromise they could manage despite the circumstances. Â
Lorcan could tell by the girls tone that this wasnât coming off how he wanted it too and he was actually succeeding in making this entire situation worse, he couldnât honestly pinpoint what he had managed to say that seemed to piss the girl off so much but he was probably past the pointÂ
âYou could if you wanted to, I know you probably have a lot of better things to focus your energy on,â he stated carefully, he really didnât want to upset Lucy but part of him felt at this point it was just gonna happen.Â
At he snappy tone Lorcan sighed âI donât... Lucy my main goal is for you to not have to answer anything you arenât comfortable answering. Generally when I interview people on here I tend to stick to questions about their jobs or about what theyâve requested I talk about âThe questions I want you to answer are the questions you want to answer.â
âIf you are fine answering all of these, fine, Iâll ask them and Iâm sorry for assuming you werenât,â he said simply. âWhen I saw them I thought some of them were purposefully written to get a dramatic reaction from you and I didnât want you put in that position.âÂ
He guessed it must have been very obvious what he was after when Lorcan assumed that he wanted on air, all of Finleyâs tact out of the window. Well it wouldnât help him to deny it now.Â
âYes, if youâd be so kind.â Finley hadnât come up with an exact plan considering heâd only had the idea when spotting Lorcan. He would have to wing it and try to explain to Lorcan what exactly it was that he wanted.
âIâm sure youâve read the papers. Iâm sure you know why I might need to clear my name and saying something to the public, but I donât exactly want to use official ministry channels. I just want to read an apology, explain myself. I guess that thereâs not that much to say except that I was under the imperius curse. I could write something up before hand if you wanted to read it and make sure itâs ok for air. Although I donât want it to come across as scripted. I want it to seem sincere.â Finley paused for a moment wishing he had thought this through just a little before sitting down at the table with Lorcan. Maybe he was becoming more impulsive since the incident.
âWhat do you think? Whatâs the best way for it to seem natural but sincere?â
Lorcan wasnât cruel enough to deny the man a chance to clear his name, or at least attempt to, he didnât know how well it would actually go over but he had the platform to let him try and he obviously wanted to try.Â
He listened as the man explained himself and explained what his plan was and he nodded slightly âYou donât have to run it by me itâs fine. I think youâd be better off just speaking from the heart. The more rehearsed you sound or the more you sound like youâre reading from a script the less people are gonna believe you.â Lorcan said.
âAs unprofessional as it may feel an apology isnât supposed to be a professional thing, itâs supposed to be emotional and merlin knows you canât rehearse those.â Lorcan said, chuckling to himself.Â
Sometimes Ana forgot that other people had proper jobs where they had to do all these things to a deadline. Anaâs only deadline was the rent or her rumbling stomach. She wasnât sure she could stick by the strict deadlines that jobs like his had, she liked to work at her own pace and in her own time. She eyed the paper he was working on suspiciously.Â
âDonât stress, whatâs the worst that could happen if you donât get it done? Youâre more important than the work you do, it shouldnât always come first. Chill out. Get a drink or something.â Ana wasnât sure if he would take her advice but it was worth trying.
âWhat kind of questions do you need? Who are you interviewing?â
At the question Lorcan raised his eyebrows âuhh... I could lose my job, I need to have questions for a live interview or else itâll just be silence,â he said with a nervous laugh, at the mention of having a drink Lorcan honestly debated it but he didnât think it was a good idea, especially this early in the day.
âSome quidditch player,â he answered, he honestly didnât even remember which one, at this point if he didnât know them personally they all just blended together in his mind which he knew was horrible but there were just so many of them. âPreferably questions that arenât the usual âwhen did you learn to fly?â or âwho are you dating?â but now Iâm starting to see why theyâre all asked those questions in the first place.â
âThereâs gotta be something new that hasnât been asked before! I mean, itâs been a while since Iâve been in an interview, but I remember the questions about how many hours we trained and whoâs flirting with who got pretty old.â She didnât remember him from the Prophet interviews back when she was an athlete⌠maybe he was new?
There was something vaguely familiar about the stranger but she couldnât quite put her finger on it. Perhaps she had seen him in the hospital before â definitely not one of her more recent trauma victims, thankfully. She figured it was rude to ask when the last time he had gone to the healer was and squashed that thought quickly. Vegas flushed a bit when she realized she was doing more staring and blinking than conversing.
âSorry, I justâŚhave we met before? You sound so familiarâŚâ
Lorcan nodded in agreement as he listened to the girl, that wasnât a surprise to him, he tried to stay away from generic questions for that exact reason but now the non-generic questions were getting old, at least to him they were. âYeah, if I had a sickle for every time Iâve seen those questions asked I wouldnât need to work.â he said in an attempt to joke but it was honestly true.
It was then that he noticed the girl was actually just staring at him at this point, he could practically see the wires connecting in her head as she--he assumed-- tried to figure out who he was, she had the look of âalmost recognitionâ that he had become used to on her face, still though her staring was making him a bit flustered so he was thankful when she just asked.
He chuckled nervously âuhm... Youâve probably heard me on the radio.â
âHe doesnât mean that.â Lysander assured a rather sad looking spider plant. He was more than thankful to Lorcan for having taken care of his plants while he was away. Honestly, heâd expected to find them all dead by the time he got back. And while they were rather gray looking, theyâd survived. Lorcan deserved some credit for that at least. Theyâd started to flourish again since Lysanderâs return and that meant overgrowingâŚjust about everywhere.
Lysander turned to face his brother, leaning against the counter as he did. âIâll be sending Soren off today. Want to come along then?â Soren was the baby water dragon Lysander had brought back with him. Heâd acquired the egg on the way back from Romania. And while he only meant to hold the dragon egg for a few days before sending it off to the Swedish reserve, heâd never counted on the egg hatching. Naturally, Lysander had grown a bit attached. It might help to have Lorcan around when he said goodbye to his new friend.
âOh no, I do mean it,â Lorcan corrected, almost immediately feeling like an idiot for having talked to the plant but hey, his brothers weirdness was contagious. He didnât actually mean it though, he would never take to cutting the plants himself, at most he would just make Lysander think he would. He knew if he actually attempted to he would end up killing them and he didnât want the plants dead, just smaller.
At the mention of the dragon Lorcan sighed, at first he had been furious his brother had brought back a dragon but like most animals Lorcan quickly warmed up to him and he was actually sad to hear he had to go now, but he knew the bathtub was no place to keep a dragon âOf course, Iâm not gonna miss saying goodbye to the little fish.â He said.
Alice shrugged at that âWhoever isnât fed. Iâm confident enough that heâll side with me over you, if you donât feed me.â she started, giggling as her eyes wandered and her feet followed the other âHeard youâre not much of an Apparator either?â she then said, as she looked up at the other and raised an eyebrow at her. She was all about Apparition, she highly prefers it over a broom. Hell, she hasnât touched a broom for flying since her first year. The girl now thought about where to eat âCan we have candy?â she teased, giggling once more as she did so âNo, uhm I donât really mind.â she now added, as she let her eyes follow a group of girls who seemed to be looking at her and Lorcan while whispering to each other.
Lorcan chuckled âYeah youâre probably right, I better feed you then,â he said with a grin. He shook his head at the question âNope, Iâd rather not risk losing a limb...Or my hair, I hear thatâs probably a bit more common, Iâd be the one to lose a limb though.â he said seriously. âOut of all the places we could eat you just want candy? Cause I mean sure but I feel like youâre just picking a cop out answer.â he teased âWell youâre the one whoâs threatening to tell on me so you pick.â He said, noticing the group of girls at about the same time as she did, he recognized them as some of his girlfriends friends âDonât worry about them,â he said, waving in their direction as he and Alice walked by them.Â
ââYou look troubled. Can I seat with you?ââ Nikki announced herself before sitting in front of him. The Leaky Cauldron was almost her house, since the attack. She couldnât go back to Sofia, since she had to come back to St. Mungoâs every week. And, even though she had money to buy or rent a house of her own, she was afraid what could happen to her mind if she was all alone. At the Leaky Cauldron, there was never silent times nor boredom. There was always a person at Nikolina could talk to or, at least, she could always sit at the bar and drink or eat something. At that day, her distraction of choice was to sit at Lorcanâs table.
ââWhatâs wrong, ŃĐşŃпа? The paper said something wrong to you?ââ it was a joke, obviously, and she smiled at him to reassure that. She let the shopping bags she was carrying drop at the floor beside her. It was still hard for her not being able to use one of her hands, so her left one was kind of overloaded. ââCan I help with something?ââ
When Lorcan heard someone speak he nodded at the question âgo for it,â he answered the girl who was now sitting in front of him, Lorcan could swear he recognized her from somewhere but he couldnât place where it was, maybe in the paper?Â
He halfheartedly chuckled at what she said, as frusterated as he was he could appreciate the girls attempt to joke around; âYeah, itâs taunting me,â he joked back though in a way it was true, the lack of words written on the paper was taunting him. He sighed and shook his head âunless you have a long list of questions to ask a quidditch player for a radio interview no probably not,â he said with a shrug.
Ana was only passing through for once, using the entrance to Diagon alley to get back to her apartment in Knocturn alley, when she spotted Lorcan. She recognised him, knowing that they went to a couple of the same bars and decided since she wasnât doing anything she may as well say hello. She saw a lot of what she thought of as kids who were around his age, some of which were so lost and vulnerable. It reminded her of her early 20s and how lost she had been barely scraping by. Still, that had been her life up until only a month or so ago but she felt like she had things more figured out than some of these kids. She at least knew who she was.
âYou alright there?â She asked taking a seat opposite him looking at the crumpled paper and his obvious frustration. âNot beating yourself up right? What are you working on?â
When Lorcan heard the familiar voice he was honestly a bit relieved. Looking up when Ana took the seat across from him, they hadnât run into each other outside of certain bars until now but the girl had a presence about her that was reassuring so he was thankful she was here now and willing to talk.
âOnly always,â Lorcan chuckled slightly, it wasnât even really a joke, there wasnât really a time where Lorcan wasnât beating himself up over something. âSomething for work. Iâm trying to come up with interview questions and failing terribly at it.â
