DUSTLAND FAIRYTALE

Mason Nash Boot Twenty-one. Ravenclaw 1979. Best damn chef. Alabama born. Bristol bred.

[masonboot]

BERTIE HIGGS​

“Maybe it’s all comparative when you live off cold soup and stale bread for a while.” The joke didn’t quite come out as intended, so he reached for the thermos, eagerly opening it up. “What’s in here?”

“Chicken noodle.” More than for the temperature’s sake, he hoped it would bring a warmth Bertie had missed whilst away from home. More than the well practiced flavor, he hoped it would taste of home.

[masonboot]

BERTIE HIGGS​

WHEN: 29 August, 1979 WHERE: St. Mungo’s WHO: Bertie Higgs & Mason Boot

“You know, the food here isn’t half bad.”

“Hey.” Mason looked up from the well organized contents of his backpack, his eyes flickering with a mischievousness that betrayed the otherwise well composed expression of offense. “Captivity isn’t a free pass to lie to me, mate.” And then, the charade fell, and Mason grinned in full as he pulled a heavy thermos from the bag. “Eat up.”

[masonboot]

ASHER AVERY​

Adelaide almost cried out when Mason took her hand, the act alone feeling so foreign that it was almost wrong. When was the last time someone had been able to hold her? The warmth of his hand was both a blessing, and a curse. She remembered what it was like to be human again. To feel the sun on her skin. For the warmth of a comfortable blanket around her shoulders. Azkaban offered no such luxuries, giving her little to hold onto, and even less to keep warm. All Adelaide had these days were memories that were fading, and conversations stretched out between months. Every word Mason said would be used as fuel, but those words, too, would fade from existence as if they had never been said at all. So was the life of a person being sent off to greet Death. The march was slow, and agonizing. “I miss your cooking,” she said at last, her words empty. “Make sure you tell your mother I love her.”

Asher wondered how much longer they would keep this up. Everything felt like a larger performance, as if they were hanging his mother on marionette strings and prancing her around like maybe everything would be alright again. Nothing would be normal. They were past the point of no return, and while Asher did appreciate Mason’s ability to hold the conversation, he was almost bitter that he possessed that sort of strength. All he would have to do is open his mouth. To give his mother assurances that, of course he was focusing on his future, of course he would do his best. The idea of lying to her seemed worse. Maybe she knew. Maybe, buried beneath the 6 feet of dirt she was working her way up to wearing, Adelaide knew exactly what her son had become under his own father’s neglect.

The door behind them was being pounded on. A warning. Time was running out.

~ fin ~

[masonboot]

REGAN HIGGS​

“Oh, heavens, your aura. Your aura, it bursts with— with something. Something big, yes, I just know it. I can sense it, can’t you, Bill?” Regan was fairly certain auras didn’t precisely work that way, but she found herself in no place to debate. Especially with Bilius particularly enraptured by this strange Dung. “I must bring you to Portenfoot, High Priest of the Children of Portree not in Portree. He won’t believe I’ve found the shining trio. The, uh—the chosen three.” 

Regan furrowed her brows. “Is Portenfoot also his Christian name?” 

At this, Mason laughed---this being either Regan’s questions, or Dung’s elaborate performance. He didn’t feel the need to pinpoint the source. It hadn’t been often that he’d laughed in the past few months, if even at all. He welcomed it. And with that revelation, he found himself tuning into Dung’s monologue, perhaps desperate for another glimpse at the sparkling, foreign emotion the strange wizard had awoken in him.

[masonboot]

REGAN HIGGS​

As Bilius gestured behind himself, a strange, stout man sauntered toward the trio. His arms flailed with a sense of mysticism that placed Regan into a daze. “Come, come. The name’s Mundungus. Dung’s my Christian name, though.” To which she moved in closer, pulling Mason along with her. “Tell me, have ye two heard of the Children of Portree? Not actually in Portree—little known fact, one I only share among a chosen few. Aye, Bill’s practically family these days, innit right, bruv?” 

Regan shook her head, but her eyes remained wide. She possessed an odd desire to hear more, although she couldn’t particularly understand why. The air of intrigue this Dung created captured her attention fully—although that could be due to the substantial amount of shrooms she took prior to this outing.    

“My ears are open, boyo.”

Mason, as the son of a Baptist preacher, one who resided in the Bible belt of the United States, had seen his fair share of Evangelicals, each as mindless and well groomed as the last. He could smell a conversion miles away. And yet, still, with some vague picture of what was going to happen all but painted in his head, he raised his eyebrows and nodded, telling the strange man to continue.

[masonboot]

REGAN HIGGS​

WHEN: Monday, 3 August, 1979; afternoon WHERE: Cross Road, Cardiff WHO: Regan Higgs-Weasley, Bilius Weasley, & Mason Boot

With the conversation with her mother still fresh in Regan’s mind, she wasted no time apparating to Mason’s house to drag him outside somewhere. Where? She had yet to figure that out; the only decision she had made was to fly by the seat of her own flare jeans. Just as she yanked Mason out of his room, a destination plopped into her mind: Cardiff. Regan proclaimed this must be divine intervention, because within seconds of traipsing around Cross Road, her eyes landed on a familiar mop of red hair. 

“WEASEL!” She screamed, alarming a few passerby. Regan sprung into Bilius Weasley’s arms. “I thought ye died.” 

“Can’t get rid of me too easily, love.” Bilius winked at Mason. “I’ve got someone I want you to meet.”

Anyone Bilius Weasley wanted Mason to meet was someone Mason was hesitant to even stand in the same room as. But, for Regan’s sake, he decided he would let it go and play nice.

[bertiehiggz]

clementinerobards​:

Clem had only stopped long enough in her dorm to dump her bag from her weekend at home, and then headed straight down to Bertie’s. She hadn’t expected him to be there; she didn’t know when he’d be back, but her mind was on Rosie and if she might need a walk if Bertie wasn’t going to be back any time soon. The house had been empty when she’d arrived and Rosie was more than happy to get out. 

Now, she pushed back into the house, and knew from two things Bertie was there. First, the lights were on. That could have been anyone, but Rosie’s excitement when they got inside could only be for one person. She looked at Bertie, smiling gently. He looked tired, and she knew he’d spent sleepless nights at the hospital. But his parents had been found, that was the main thing. “Hey. I wasn’t sure when you’d be back and if she’d,” - Clem nodded her head towards Rosie, - “need a walk.”

“Thanks.” Bertie offered Clem a smile, as he crouched down to say hello to Rosie. It was small, but it was genuine, and it was warm. “I’m sure Mason slacked off on that.”

[masonboot]

[masonboot]

REGAN HIGGS​

WHEN: Friday, 5 June, 1979; evening  WHERE: St. Mungo’s WHO: Regan Higgs-Weasley & Mason Boot

Even if Mason hadn’t known what was going on, he would have readily welcomed a crying Regan into his arms. Knowing made it all the more impossible not to.

“Hey, c’mere.”

[masonboot]

REGAN HIGGS‌

Regan paused before parting from Doc and moving in the opposite direction as both. “Aye, if I don’t make it out of here, just know, from the bottom of my wee heart, that I’ve got a better arse than the two of yous.” With that, she saluted and ran off in search of victory. 

[ fin ]

[masonboot]

HATTIE HATHAWAY‌

“How loud can you scream?”

“Are you coming onto me, Hathaway? “Cause I gotta say, while I am flattered, I---”

[masonboot]

HATTIE HATHAWAY‌

“Fine, then we scream at the door.”

“Now you’re talking.”

[masonboot]

ZOE BELL‌

“Guilty as charged. I memorized every constellation in the sky, and I know how rocket engines are built.”

“All in one year?”

“Alright, what about it then? How do they get rockets up on the moon?”

[masonboot]

HATTIE HATHAWAY‌

“Hufflepuff Common Room, too. If all else fails. We can just pound on the door until someone points us.”

“Nah, nah, nah. Not with Hufflepuff. That’s how you get in is knocking. The wrong one gets you all kinds of fucked up.”

[masonboot]

ZOE BELL‌

“No–I mean I actually want to be shot into space. In a rocket, hopefully.”

“Oh.” Mason laughed. “And now we’re even. So does that make you an Astronomy major?”

[masonboot]

ZOE BELL

“I want to be shot into space.”

“Oh, come on, I was teasing.” Mason nudged the witch gently with his elbow. He hadn’t meant to embarrass her at all. “At least you’re not the guys who let him escape the library.”

[masonboot]

HATTIE HATHAWAY‌

“What’s a little detention between friends?” A lot, actually, now that she thoughts about it.

“She’s a Prefect, yeah? Probably studying, or something.”

“Library it is. With a quick peek inside the Great Hall, just in case.” Not just in case of Amelia Bones, but in case of some damn good Hogwarts food.

[masonboot]

ZOE BELL‌

“If you forgot it sooner, that’d be great. I’d appreciate it, actually.”

“You’ll just have to give me something that’ll push it out of my brain then.”