a heart as loud as lions

james potter twenty-six. unspeakable. older brother to albus and lily. owner of too many plaid flannel shirts. lover of all things pumpkin flavored. a heart that bleeds. a mind that wanders.. ━ ━ ( Ϟ ) ━ ━ ❝ Your heart is not wrong. Your heart is your strength. You don’t have to be ashamed. ❞

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chaserrose:

“We could just throw a large party, and have the entire world be invited. A bit of booze, some drugs maybe, and some half decent music? We’d have everyone eating out of the palm of our hands, and everyone would be too drunk to give a rats arse about who could wield a wand and who couldn’t. Although, there are always those who want to ruin it, but I’m convinced a nice party will fix everything. As long as everyone is of age, of course. Wouldn’t want to break any other laws. Or we could start smaller, but that’s far too reasonable for me, and I don’t think it’s thinking big enough. Until then, I think you’re right. We can’t keep talking in hypothetical’s. It could happen whether or not people necessarily want it to, but unless we are prepared for that in the end, then it’s doomed to fail to begin with.”

"The entire world, huh? You know of a place that can fit a few billion people? Maybe a charm that creates an infinite amount of space in a building, like the Undetectable Extension Charm? And alcohol has different effects on everyone, so we’d have to watch out for the violent ones. Sounds like it could be a lot of work.” Smoothing out relations sadly wasn’t going to be as easy as everyone having a good time together. “That’s one point that Al has about all of this, too. That it may happen sooner rather than later, being exposed, on such a large scale that we can’t keep it under control. But there are plenty of people who aren’t ready yet to let go and some have valid concerns too. So we have to decide where we stand, and go from there, knowing that no matter where we end up, there will people on the other side standing against us.”

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inkstainedblonde:

“Well, yes, but it wasn’t as though our courseloads could be considered light,” Vic conceded, a warm smile spreading across her features as she fondly recalled life at Shell Cottage; “Mum was rather adamant about us being able to speak her first language. She even had dad fluent in it.” With an ashamed little laugh, she shook her head as James queried about France. “No, I was rather bad when I was there. Not terrible; I walked quite a bit and did hot yoga at this little studio on my arrondissement, but I was usually glued to my laptop, writing. My deadlines were always pretty tight.”

“I was already enough of a slacker without adding more onto it.” Though truth be told, James did plenty of learning while in Hogwarts. It just consisted of things that weren’t on the curriculum. “It makes sense that she would want to share that with her family.” James decided to skip asking what was hot yoga and that, if it existed, was there a cold yoga too? “You were exercising your mind. And your fingers. I think that ought to count for something. That comes out soon, doesn’t it? The last installment of your book?”

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orcge:

“Speak for yourself, Potter. I debate for enjoyment. You’re highly entertaining when you have Opinions. Also, you claim you there are facts, but are all facts not presented as opinions and easily countered statements? It takes only one anomaly to shower doubt upon a fact, after all. People do make up their own information up, though. All information is made up to a certain point – based on facts and evidence, maybe – but it is the creator’s brainchild, is it not? Nothing is pulled out of thin air and completely pure information is an extreme rarity. That’s what makes it interesting, though. And politics. The fun bit is that there are no opinions or proof, so all your convictions come at a risk. You may be supporting what you think right, or you may just have been brilliantly deceived. You’re right: the choice is between the devil and the deep blue sea. There is no good choice, and you can make all the progress you want but one would believe it’s never enough, yet you believe. What, pray tell, is the point then?” It was neither that Gisèle was completely faithless nor that she believed all progress useless; she simply enjoyed playing devil’s advocate far too much to cede the point. Besides, few people got as hilariously opinionated as Ada, but James Potter was definitely one of them, making arguments amusing at least and engaging at best. “You aren’t wrong, but have you ever heard of epistemological violence? Journals are written by people who are influenced by environments which are created by people yet again. It’s a vicious cycle. We can try, sure, because learning might be the only thing that matters, but do you think true comprehension exists?”

“I do enjoy debate, particularly when arguments are presented in a way that’s enlightening and engaging. You say that there are no facts, yet you follow that up with saying pure information is a rarity. Even if it’s rare, that would mean that it exists. You say nothing is true, yet you speak in absolutes. You can easily counter any statement, but that doesn’t mean that your argument is sound. Not when its littered with fallacies that, yes, make it hard to argue against only because the line of logic used isn’t sound. You claim all information is made up in the same breath that you say that the information has facts and evidence. Of course, all information is created at some point when it’s written down or discovered, but that doesn’t mean that it’s made up. And if no information is true, if truth does not exist, how can I be deceived? To be deceived, I would need to be fed false information or intention, but if nothing is true, how can anything be false, according to you?” James mostly posed the questions rhetorically, trying to follow Gisèle’s point and answer the questions that she had thrown his way.  “If you don’t see a point, then you don’t have to engage in the politics of it all. Progress has its worth and of course we as a species are not perfect, so we are always open for improvement, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t progress. That would be quite stagnant, for us to just remain standing still instead of moving forward even if there is no true end destination. Epistemological violence occurs when the Other is deemed problematic or inferior thus does not apply to all social scientific data and theory. And as for true comprehension, we may not be able to understand everything but that does not mean that we can’t be knowledgeable and that knowing isn’t better than chosen ignorance.”

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chaserrose:

“Then I do think I’ve chosen my side,” Rose stated. Saying that sounded silly, but fact of the matter was, there were sides to be had. There were elections to be won. Opinions to be changed and heard. Staying in the middle of the road never helped anyone, it usually just meant being either the problem itself, or the passive onlooker who was too scared to properly form an opinion. Rose didn’t want to be either. “I think we should integrate.” The words felt heavy on her lips, and her tongue felt as if it had tasted something off, something not quite right. It felt odd, to suddenly become so completely decided on a topic, but somehow it felt like something she had to do. She was tired of being scared, and she was tired of the wizarding world being scared of “What if’s”. “I also think that we need to have heavy discussions with the muggle leaders of the world and come up with a better plan than just exposing everything at once. Maybe a slow integration, one where people are not overwhelmed by too much at once. That way, if things go south quickly, it might still be possible to salvage the situation. But I do think you’re wrong in saying that muggles are just fine without magic. Sure they have impressive advancements, many I wish we would adopt, but we can heal injuries almost immediately. We have immediate cures, and all of theirs take time. If we could contribute to their well-being, shouldn’t we? It seems awfully selfish to me. But I’m also not the first person in life to offer up my services. I do understand the fears. But isn’t fear what contributed the most to the past wars? Isn’t fear what continues to keep everyone so silent on the subject? We can’t move on if we just keep reliving the past.”

Full of ideas and thoughts, James had always erred on the side of indecisive. There was so much to consider that there were few convictions that he held to heart that he would not budge or compromise on. For Rose to be resolute, no matter her opinion, that was something that he could respect. “You have the right idea. Should this come into law and be policy, talking to other national leaders would be important. Necessary, really, if we want the process to go smoothly as possible. And I don’t mean to suggest that muggles can’t benefit from magic. I just didn’t want to do a disservice to them and imply that they need it. We would both stand to benefit from an integration.” But James was still unsure of what the scope of that would look like. How far would they go, what would all need to change, how would people adapt to that change? Should they make such a decision all on their own? Shouldn’t the other leaders have their own say on whether or not they would want magic in the lives of their citizens? “Fear is undoubtedly a factor. Many fear the unknown. Or they fear whatever’s different from what they know. That fear can manifest into hate and that’s what can lead to wars. Arguably, violence can boil down to some kind of fear, I would think. Some fear losing control. Others fear losing power and I don’t think that should be what stops us from doing something that’s right.” But was it in the best interest for everyone? It certainly was ideal but James was still left wondering.”But one thing that’s certain is that we do need to at least start talking about the very real possibility that it’s time to end the Statute or change it in some fashion.”

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albcspotter:

      Albus kept his hands wrapped around his cup of tea for warmth as he waited for James to get his order, eyes flitting around the cafe aimlessly. At his brother’s voice, he snapped back to attention, coming to James’ side to read the headline that had captured his attention. “With a campaign like Trunsk’s, you can’t expect much else. In fact, I’m surprised that it has stayed this peaceful so far. I would have thought it get more of an extreme response.”

"You think we’ll have riots in the streets before too long?” Regarding his brother with a curious look, James curled his hand around his own cup more tightly. “It is an extreme idea. No matter which side a person lays on, that has to e acknowledged. It’s quite the proposition, yeah? But what do you think? You want to run yourself one day. Do you think running on this kind of platform is smart of Trunsk?”

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chaserrose:

“I dunno,” Rose started, her mind still not completely made up on the matter, “I understand why people are scared about the possibility. I mean, if we do get rid of the statute, and suddenly muggles know about us, and they don’t take it the right way, then I think it turns into a war very quickly. But I do think there’s something to be said for how behind we are in so many aspects, but also how sort of–selfish we are as a people. We say we’re no better than muggles, and yet, we keep our magic for ourselves. We help ourselves. We help our kind. Many people don’t even bother with muggle places at all. It’s almost like we inherently believe we are better being separated, because we’re better. And I hate that line of thinking. I hate that we protect ourselves before we ever seem to protect them, and they always seem to be the ones suffering the most, unknowingly. I also hate that I even have to call them a them, but what else are they to me? Even with how much I love muggles, we still have a bloody word for them to differentiate them from us. It’s frustrating really. It’s frustrating that we can’t know how they’ll react, and it’s frustrating that we’re the ones that have to solve it. You can tell how war weary our parents are. You can still see it in their eyes. But what if this doesn’t end in a war, James? What if this time all of these years, we haven’t been scared of how muggles would react, we’ve just been scared of how we would?” She took a deep breath, trying to form a better more coherent answer, but nothing else really came to mind. She found herself not quite minding the idea of an integrated society, with muggles and wizards intermingling, sharing ideas and experiences, becoming a peoples instead of two sides of the same coin. It didn’t sound so bad.

Slightly bewildered by the breadth of words that spewed from Rose’s lips, James took a second to chew on what she was saying, digest, and come up with a response of his own. His own stance was still so muddled it was a struggle to put it across succinctly. "Shouldn’t we be weary of how we’ll react? Isn’t the ball in our court, after all? We’re the ones with the secret. We can dig up history and bring back the fear that came with the witch trials, but haven’t we seen with our own eyes how muggles have grown? But how much have we grown? War after war over the same damn thing, over blood status, over muggle blood. They’ve been involved with our conflicts without even knowing it. Because muggleborns like Aunt Hermione are born with magic and cross over from one world into the next. Straddles both sides. And then there are people who don’t like that. This idea of blood supremacy that makes magic folk think that they are somehow superior to those who don’t have magic. I don’t quite frankly understand that line of thinking considering muggles get along just fine without magic, have advancements far beyond our comprehension and they do it with their hands and their brains rather than a flick of the wrist. But you brought up the crux of it: we don’t know how muggles will react. We don’t know if it’ll ignite violence or if such incidents will be isolated. What is it worth, integrating our societies? We have to ask ourselves that as well, and decide what consequences, what price, we are willing to pay. We only have history to go on, and with all that’s changed and all that’s not, what will a world look like without that Statute that some believe protect us from being persecuted? I’m not saying that it does, but it’s what some think. Some have concerns, valid ones, and some people are uncomfortable with what they cannot know or understand. That’s what’s so burdensome about the future, yeah? We can’t truly predict it, not to a tee, not even seers can do that. We can only carry our feet forward, toward it, and see what happens.”

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chaserrose:

“That’s because our hair is magically horrible, James, magically horrible. It doesn’t listen to anyone, and not especially hair care potion. Although, that being said, I don’t exactly do myself any favors with my hair. Did you know we’re supposed to use conditioner and all of that bullocks on it? Apparently that helps, but why would I want to waste another ten minutes of my life in the shower putting extra gunk in my hair? Bloody insane if you ask me.” Rose heaved out a heavy sigh. Her struggles with her appearance were well documented in the journal she used to keep, and subsequently threw away. It wasn’t just that her hair couldn’t be tamed, it was that after a while she gave up. Even the amount of make-up she wore was minimal. She cared about how she looked, of course she did, and she would never knock someone for spending time on things like that, but when most of her life was spent with dirt in places dirt shouldn’t be? Everything else seemed to matter less. “Mum likes the idea. I mean, it’s hard not to understand why. She grew up in that world, and her entire family is in the muggle world. And I think she understands the consequences, but I also think she believes it would be the next logical step after we all stopped kill each other. Dad on the other hand–I think he’s nervous. He isn’t as willing to tell me what he thinks, and I think he’s just worried that if something went wrong, what happens to everyone? No one wants another war, no one wants muggles to hate us. He’s just being careful, which is a bit unlike him, but I think he’s just scared. Mum’s scared too, but anything to put muggles and wizards on the same grounding, and she’s for it. Either way, they’ve had a few arguments about it already. But what don’t they argue about? When they’re ready for a statement, they’ll say something, but until then I think they’re waiting. They don’t want to sway people in either direction.” Rose looked around the restaurant and wondered if her parents words would change someones mind. Sometimes she forgot their influence. “What about you, what do you think?”

"So long as I keep my hair clean, I don’t see why the rest should matter. It’s easier to just accept our fate rather than fight against it.” If someone chose to upkeep their appearance and spend more time on it, then that was their prerogative and James would respect it. He just had neither the eye for fashion or the want to spend the money. He was comfortable in his skin and that was what mattered to him. He wasn’t out to prove himself to anyone, so if they poked fun at his wardrobe at his hair, he would let them have their fun without really blinking. Hell, he could even poke fun at himself. “I can see why they wouldn’t want to rush in publicly declare one position or another. Dad also hadn’t really said his own piece but I think he’s a bit torn about it? Even though he’s not muggleborn, he did grow up with Muggles. I think that has offered him some perspective.” But, from what he knew of them, his extended family had never warmed up to his father having magic. “It is a delicate matter though. There’s a lot to consider, a lot that would change for both worlds. I think, ideally, both of my parents seen the appeal in the proposal but honestly I think Mum’s opinion lies closer to Aunt Hermione’s than Dad’s does. I’m not surprised Aunt Hermione is such a proponent for it. I’d rather see her try and execute it as well because I know with her every corner and aspect would be covered, but as it is, I’m not sure of my own opinion. I need to hear more from the candidates and their positions before I make up my own mind.” He could see the merits in joining the muggle world and the wizarding world. He was pro-muggle. How could he not be in the way that he was raised? But exposing themselves to them in such a way was something that left him erring on the side of caution. There was more to consider after all than just the fact that they had magic. “A lot of progress has been made with our generation, in part thanks to our parents, but we still have a way to go and seeing some reactions to this proposal does leave me worried. I don’t think we should stop change just because people cling to tradition necessarily, but I do think we need to look before we leap. And what about you? You got a stance on it?”

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aurevs:

@noctivcgus

❝Okay rope, tape, cable ties. You’re the complete serial killer.❞

"This would look rather suspect to an outsider, wouldn’t it?”

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chaserrose:

Rose responded to James by merely smiling. Sometimes she forgot how nice it was, the just being. Even with her craving for adventure, she did spend most of her life moving from one place or another, never stopping unless to sleep or eat. She went from practice to practice, to friends, to family, to anything that kept her moving. The reasons for this were still unknown to her, but for now it suited her life style. There were no pets to take care of, no boyfriends to worry about, all she had was herself. Occasionally Rose told herself that this was what the perfect life was–it was this kind of freedom. And yet, all the same, there was no freedom in her constant routines. Most of the time she was sure there was no freedom at all, everything came with a price, but sometimes, when she was feeling particularly cheeky, she figured that maybe freedom was cutting yourself off from everything of this world. Freedom was dying. “You know–” Rose started, “I think you’ve got more freckles than I have. But I think you still got off easy. I got the Weasley temper, the Weasley eyes, the Weasley hair. Sometimes I’m convinced the only thing I got from my mum is the volume in my hair.” She trailed off, still in thought. She knew she wasn’t unintelligent, but sometimes she wondered if she had too much of her dad in her for her own good. “How’s Uncle Harry? I haven’t seen him in a bit. I miss him. He must be trying to stay out of the spotlight even more these days with the election hovering about. I know my parents keep getting asked their opinion.”

His mind wanted to grow wings and take flight; his heart wanted roots, a foundation to sink into and call home. The conflict in his head that resulted could often be insufferable, leading to nights where he merely wandered the streets and paved a path to nowhere. The world around him was confusing, something that he couldn’t understand no matter how hard he tried to. There were always more questions lurking in every corner and he could never hope to have answers for them all. It was a difficult pill to swallow sometimes, but he kept his feet moving forward. His family grounded him, kept him rooted where he stood. It was the only way that he could focus, his own smile to his cousin easy and light. He had a hearth and that was more than he had a right to ask for. “I think there’s more of Aunt Hermione in you than you think. Not like her temper is anything to laugh at either.” James’ own temper was more even and controlled. “You do have the Weasley look to you though..” He waved a hand through his dark strands. “But I’m not sure I’d call my own inheritance getting off easy. There’s some kind of irony to the fact that my great-grandfather invented a hair care potion that doesn’t work on our own untamable Potter locks.” He’d gotten his mother’s nerve and, perhaps, his father’s capacity to feel more intimately and intensely than others. And his mother’s ability to lock up those feelings and contain the flow of the river that spilled from his heart. His lip quipped upward further. “I’m not at all surprised. Our parents, particularly Aunt Hermione and Dad, have played a heavy hand in changing things in politics and worked closely with Shacklebolt, so of course people are wondering what they think of the new candidates. Dad’s good though. Probably has sprouted a few more grey hairs since you last saw him, but as I keep reminding him, he does turn the big 50 next year. He’s trying to mostly take a neutral stance though and keep his lips sealed. He’s Head Auror, so no matter who’s elected, he’s going to at least need to be civil with them. Have Uncle Ron or Aunt Hermione said anything at all to you about what they think of all this hubbub?”

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inkstainedblonde:

“Don’t feel bad about it-  it wasn’t like learning another language was ever part of our curriculum at school. It was just easier to pick up at home when mum spouted it and we had an entire other bit of our family that could hardly say hello in English,” she offered dismissively, following shortly with a grin and shrug. “What can I say? Nothing motivates oneself like the fear of looking like a complete prat in front of people who could bench press twice your weight.”

"That’s a fair point, but I could have done some studying on my own.” Knowing more than one language came with a lot of advantages. “I think you can hold your own regardless of how much you can bench press. Physical strength is only one kind of prowess, right? And you keep in better shape than most of us. Did you do similar kind of classes when you were in France?”

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chaserrose:

“Does that mean you would fully support me if I decided to take up sky diving–or um, a profession in exotic dancing? Maybe I should just try jumping from the tallest buildings in the world, and see how close I can get to the ground before using my wand. That seems like it could be a nice goal to have. Really get the blood moving, you know? Or maybe I’ll just start with changing my name, dying my hair, and going completely incognito.” Rose tapped a finger on her chin. “I think I’ll start taking your advice after we go to Egypt. That way I can live in a state of denial for as long as possible, and pretend that everything is just fine and dandy. Especially if we end up being killed by ancient booby traps. That seems like it may not be the worst way to go, and if we know Ancient Runes well enough that might not even be the case, but I think I could accept that death. I’d rather die exploring than in some freak Quidditch accident. Can you imagine how bloody boring that is in comparison?” She turned her head towards James once more, “No, James, you don’t stay smooth for someone else’s sake, you did it because you like who you are. What I meant by that was, you’re integral to who we are as a family, but that doesn’t mean you would be any less integral if you changed. We’d love you just the same, you tosser. But don’t stay smooth on our account.” She rolled her eyes slightly at her cousin, before picturing herself with missing hair. Although, the idea of Dom, Vic, and Louis being partially bald made the picture far less horrifying. “I could live with wearing a wig. Or I’d just buy some hair-grow. That’d be the simplest solution, although, it wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining. Maybe I could just slip something into their shampoo bottles. Merlin. I bet they’d look good with any hair color. Bloody frustrating attractive lot.”

"If that’s the kind of thrill-seeking that you want to do, I would advise you to err on the side of caution, but I wouldn’t stop you. Though, okay, maybe I wouldn’t let you go as far as changing your name. You’re stuck with the Weasley name and the Weasley hair, but that’s not a bad thing, I don’t think. Even if I do say that as someone who has neither of those things.” He had inherited from the Weasley side of the family other traits, however. His back was littered with freckles and his eyes were distinctly from his mother, round and an endless swirl of dark brown. “That would be an adventurous death, all things considered, but how about we aim for higher than that and go for dying of old age? May be boring, perhaps, but who cares if you have a boring death so long as you had an interesting, adventurous life?” James, quite frankly, longed for more adventure in his life. He kept his mind stimulated with his work, but there was a longing to see more of the world that he didn’t often indulge. There was also a jaggedness looming underneath his otherwise transparent surface, deep into the murkier corridors of his being. Ones that he kept locked up on purpose. He did not doubt that Rose’s sentiment held true, that he would be loved by his family all the same, yet that did not stop him from keeping them hidden. “I think I’m an alright bloke most days, so I think I’ll stick with that.” Shaking his head at Rose’s scheming, he pushed his plate in front of him once he had finished his pie. “They probably would, yeah. So you may just have to win this competition the old fashioned way: fairly.”

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orcge:

“Oh, I’m not saying one shouldn’t reach for information. My point is that the truth doesn’t exist, though, it is only opinions. You should always reach for knowledge, but it’s never going to come in the form of pure, unadulterated information. History, literature, politics, they are made up entirely of opinions. Even factual areas like economics and potions, or whatever, are transitory truths at best, liable to be disproved at the slightest anomaly. So you can debate as much as you want, but what point is there to it without any proof? You can enjoy it certainly—” And here, she raised her brows pointedly, glancing at the space between them. “—But there is little purpose to the debate without real proof that anything is real. And political debate is the worst of all, constructed entirely on a bed of lies formulated just for the voters’ benefit. You can discuss things with others, yes, but it’s futile, isn’t it? You’re all being fed the same amount of farce. Besides, have you read an academic’s research in your life? It’s all contradictions; against contemporaries and themselves. Experts know about as much as anybody else, I’d wager, only they are more likely to show off. There is no point.”

"      Then why do it, if there is no purpose? Enjoyment isn’t the only reason to debate. You claim that there is no truth, but there are facts. Things that happened, history, while it may be distorted to some degree, do carry a truth to them especially when given from the direct source. Why reach for information at all if there is no merit to it? Then people may as well just make up their own information, yeah? If that’s all that can be provided to them, according to you. We don’t need proof to have convictions. Politics isn't’ so much about what’s true and isn’t true. It’s about what one stands for, about what stance one deems better rather than which one is wrong. Or that’s how it’s supposed to be, at any rate. To say it’s all futile would render it pointless and would be a disservice to all the progress that has been made over the years.” James was no politician, did not wish to be one, but he was not so much a pessimist that he believed them all to be corrupt. Slanted, perhaps, but that didn’t have to be a bad thing. “And research that is credible has empirical evidence and has to meet a threshold of correlation, causation, etcetera before it can be published in a proper journal. Perhaps we cannot understand the world, but there are concepts of it that we can begin to comprehend.”

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tempcstates:

“Objectivity is near impossible, it seems,” Ada mused, still not bothering to greet James with proper pleasantries. “Politicians can be brought, and the supporters are always going to be influenced cognitive biases whether they realise they are or not. It’s difficult, after all, to unlearn what you spent your entire life learning. It’s also difficult to align yourself with a view that you might consider detrimental to yourself. Makes you wonder about how fair these elections really are.” Politics was all a game to Ada, though it was one she preferred to observe than play herself. The better politicians knew how to use these flaws to their advantage. An honest man would never succeed in such a cut throat, corrupt industry, Ada thought with a touch of amusement. The fairness — or lack of it, rather — of the system didn’t bother her too much. It had yet to prove itself a problem. “They do, although not all see it that way. Whether you’re a conservative or more liberal, regardless of which side the proposal falls it should always undergo scrutiny. Just because it agrees with your ideology doesn’t necessarily mean it will be beneficial to you. Especially with such a contentious proposal as Trunk’s — as you said, the ramifications of it would be dramatic, to say the least. No one would be unaffected. The practicality of such plans need to be seriously considered, not just how it should work ideally.”

"Objectivity isn’t near impossible: it is impossible. All of us have our biases, our own set of ideals, our own perceptions, and politicians should run on those platforms, on their own views, rather than anyone else’s. But just because objectivity is impossible doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t strive to be open-minded, be able to find compromise. Or change our minds. The unlearning process can be hard, sure, but it can also be what’s best for society as a whole, which is what politicians are supposed to look out for.” But what they were supposed to do and what they did do were quite different. “That doesn’t mean that corruption can’t be slowly eradicated bit by bit. Shacklebolt made a lot of strides with that during his tenure in office.” Him, along with his father and Aunt Hermione had put in a lot of work to reduce the pureblood bias that had run rampant at the Ministry. Progress was not impossible. “Well, I wouldn’t reject a proposal just because I would have nothing to stand to gain from it. I just need to hear more about his proposition and how he plans to implement it. Does he plan on just opening the flood gates and having the two worlds integrate entirely or will it be done in increments and over time? Does he plan to just replace the Statute of Secrecy with a different kind of provision to decide our relationship with the Muggle world? His proposal would, after all, not just affect the United Kingdom, but all the world. Has he discussed this with other Ministers? These are the kind fo things I would need to know before I can properly consider what I think of the plan.”

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opulcntia:

“Not stuck with. We would’ve chosen them for their willingness and ability to make difficult decisions under stressful conditions. I’m sure you can agree that those are essential qualities for any leader,” she replied, snickering quietly. “And besides, describing our society as civilized is a matter of opinion, wouldn’t you say? There are plenty of marginalized groups who would just as quickly pronounce their treatment as far from civilized as you could get.” Candice paused and glanced down at her coffee, surprised to find that her fingers had tightened considerably around it while she was speaking. Exhaling softly, she made a conscious effort to uncurl them, smoothly placing her cup back down on the table and flashing a small teasing smile at James. “You, being a responsible adult? Be still my heart.” So maybe he had grown up more than she’d noticed, in a subtler way. She scrolled through her mental file on James Potter, but most of her information was pretty dated. “I suppose that’s what happens when you have to become a grown-up. But, dare I say, I imagine you’re enjoying yourself more than most, what with such an exciting profession.”

"I suppose,” James conceded, “But I’m not so sure I want them to make those decisions under such distress that it’s quite literally life-or-death.. Those type of decisions aren’t made very rationally. And you are right about that. We have a lot of strides to make in terms of how we treat each other. We’ve come a long way, but society is a work in progress.” They had laws and government, but they could not force individuals to abide by them. And the laws they even had could use reform or they could benefit from improving their relationships with other types of beings. There was a lot of work yet to be done, but James knew that he for one was not qualified to make those kind of decisions. Switching his weight from one side to the other, he brought his cup to his lips and took a swallow of his coffee. “Shocking, I know.” James didn’t find it particularly surprising, but there were those, it seemed, that had assumed he would remain a mischievous troublemaker all his life. “Well, I don’t know about all that. I certainly enjoy what I do, but I imagine that you could say the same? You have quite a bit of success all your own. Like me, it’s something different every day with what you do. Interviewing new people and the like.”

[noctivcgus-blog]

chaserrose:

“It’s easy, though, it’s easy being comfortable. One time, during a summer between school years, I spent a straight week, in my bed, just doing nothing. Just reading, or writing, or studying, I dunno. I didn’t bother moving. Once I was laid down, I didn’t much feel like getting back up. I had gotten into a routine, and maybe it wasn’t the best one, but once you get comfortable, breaking that up, making yourself uncomfortable, it’s a bit terrifying, you know? Which sounds cowardly. But I am not a bloody coward. I’m just, I dunno–what about you? Are you happy with your job?” Rose was beginning to tire of talking about herself. She wasn’t a private persona, necessarily, but she kept at least half of herself hidden away, cooped up in a tiny portion of herself where no one could ever see. Sometimes she wondered if the sorting hat was more right than she realized. If maybe Slytherin had been just as good as an option as Gryffindor allowed. “How were you in Ancient Runes? That wasn’t my best subject, I’ll be honest, but I’m decent enough at it that if we run into anything not in English, I could potentially translate it. Shame neither of us became a Curse Breaker.” Rose looked up at James sharply, “You don’t need jagged bits. I like smooth James. He makes me feel less insane. He’s easy to talk to. He buys me pie. He offers me trips to Egypt. Hell, he helps keep this entire family together. Don’t try to fix something that doesn’t need to be fixed.” She turned her head towards her food once more, slightly embarrassed at her rant. In reality, she was the pot calling the kettle black. She had no reason to tell James not to try and fix himself, when Rose had gone back and forth with the same issues. “I could take them in a fight. I’m absolutely positively sure of it.”

"I can understand that. I have been known to be a lazy sack of bones myself before. I could probably spend the entire summer laying in front of a fan with a stack of books and not be bothered by it one bit. But we’d miss out on a lot of lief that way, wouldn’t we? Once you break the routine, I imagine that it’s not near as scary. Might even be a bit of an adrenaline rush. It’s perfectly reasonable, the fear of the unknown, but considering my own profession, I embrace that, try to understand it.” That was his ultimate longing: understanding. To unearth mysteries, explore the hidden caverns of the world. He may never get to do as much actual exploring as he’d like via travelling, but he could explore many things as an Unspeakable. “Sometimes, it’s frustrating, yeah, because you don’t find an answer.” And that unnerved James more than he cared to admit. “But sometimes yo have to push yourself, just to see how far you can go.” But he could not, and would not, dictate Rose’s life for her. All he could offer was advice and support. “I was pretty good at Ancient Runes, all things considered. Theory was never my forte though. But between the two of us, we should be alright, unless Evie has the time to tag along with us.” As much as he liked to hypothesize and find answers, being so constricted to equations and the like were not something he excelled at. Neither were recipes, thus his complete failure with Potions. “Well, smooth is my middle name. James S. Potter. James Smooth Potter. Has a nice ring to it, right?  But I’ll see to it that I keep my head on straight for everyone else’s sake.” That, really, suited him just fine. It was what he wanted, to be the support beam for his family that they knew they could lean on. “Oh, I bet you could, but I would have to be the one to break up that fight, I’m sure, me and Teddy. And who knows how much hair would be lost in the scrimmage, and then how would you keep your title as best looking in the family with a bald spot?”

[noctivcgus-blog]

chaserrose:

“I dunno, I’ve thought about retiring but it feels weird to even say that sentence when I just turn twenty-three. You know? Seems like I should’ve already settled into a job, and have wanted to stay there for a while. But I guess I was never the type for long term commitments. However, even if I don’t retire, of bloody course I want to go to Egypt with you. It’s bloody Egypt! And I’m rubbish with heat as well, and I burn as soon as the sun touches my skin. The best part is it’s not near the ocean, so I don’t have to hear people try and convince me to try swimming. Instead we can just get trapped in a pyramid, which I consider to be much more fun than drowning.” Rose rolled her eyes dramatically, “James, you wouldn’t hurt a damn fly and you know it. Your problem is, you’re too nice. There are no sharp edges on you.” Rose hoped James didn’t take that comment the wrong way, but it was the truth. The James she knew was the one that would drop anything to help someone else. He gave unconditionally, because that’s just who he was. He never expected anything back. “Veela’s are cheaters. They have extra magic for a head start. Us mere mortals only have regular old genetics, and a helluva lot of luck. Bloody Vic and Dom, and Louis.” Rose grumbled into her pie.

"There’s nothing you should have already done. Don’t box yourself in like that. We all take our own path, you know? You have to follow your own and let it take you where it will, even if that does mean a career change, if that’s what feels right.” James wasn’t the best one to give career advice, considering that his own choice was made largely in part because it meant that he could explore his curiosities. He’d never had much in the way of ambition. “See, I was hoping you’d say that. Going on my own would have been fine, but I’d be happy to have someone to trek through those deserts with me. Let’s do try to avoid life-threatening situations. I do like a thrill from time to time, but I’m not the strongest swimmer either myself. We can talk to the mummies rather than the mermaids, yeah?” Scrunching up his nose, James’ face thinned out as he threw his arms up into a shrug at her compliment, settling on his shoulders. The expression was minute enough, but for a moment, his face was darker, shadows lingering before he turned on a bright, toothy smile to show off his pearly whites. “Maybe that’s my problem, huh? Maybe I need more jagged bits, push down an old lady or something. But, no, I’d be far more likely to carry her groceries instead. Never did understand the peal of being purposely mean.” He was too warm to treat people with such blase regard. “They do have that starting edge over you, but are you really going to back down from the challenge? Veelas also have those tempers about them, so don’t forget that. Not that your own can’t also a force to be reckoned with.” 

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chaserrose:

“We should do something then! We should do something fun, and interesting, and different. Between you and me, I’m getting bloody sick of doing the same thing every single day. I mean, I’ve been in the league for five years, and you’d think I’d still love it as much as I did before, but there are only so many times I can run laps around a Quidditch pitch without wanting to bash my own head in. We need an adventure, Jamesy, an adventure for the ages. Or we could just go for a nice walk. Either way, your life is too dull, and my life is too focused on,” Rose punctuated each of the next words with air quotes, “being ‘healthy’ and staying in ‘shape’.” Her exasperation over Quidditch was a long time coming, and her feelings weren’t exactly private over the subject. She loved the sport, and she loved playing it, but she also felt as if every day she played Quidditch, she was missing out on something. “You mean you aren’t in a cult? Color me surprised, you always seemed the sort to turn bad. I mean look at you, you’re the poster child of evil.” Rose shoved her pie filled fork into her mouth, “I like surprised, I do, I’d just like to know that come fifty years, I’m still the best looking in the family. It’s a very real concern.”

"Routine driving you up a wall, huh? Ever think about possibly retiring early like Mum did? She managed to stay involved in the sport without playing. But it’s just a momentary break that you need, I can think of a few things that we could do. You know that I never say no to an adventure. Though a walk is you still somewhat sticking to what you know and helping you stay in shape. But, you know, Mum was talking to me the other day about a trip her and the rest of the family took when she was younger to Egypt and I was thinking of possibly venturing out there one day, if you wanted to come with me? Prepared to listen to me probably complain about the wretched heat though.” But the idea of seeing the pyramids, exploring such ancient ground outweighed his distaste for warmer weather. He’d just pack a bunch of tank tops. “I do have that dark and mysterious vibe about me according to some. So maybe you should be concerned that I’ve gotten myself involved with the wrong sort of folk.” Hardly. He spent more time with his owl than he did with any other person in particular. “Well, I do think you have a fair shot. I’ve been called the grandfather of the family for how many years now? So I assume that I’ll be out of the running because I’m expecting my hair to grey any day now. But we do have some Veela blood in the family, so you might have some competition. Maybe that can give you some more initiative to keep up this health streak of yours.”