Pandora sat in her shop, behind the counter, writing down her stock and some different herbs she would need to grow, order, and replenish. That was how she spent most of her time - growing what she sold and tending to the plants that filled shelves in her shop. Hearing leaves rustling, Pandora looked to see who had come in to cause the disturbance. Quill in hand, she offered the potential customer a friendly smile. ❝ Welcome! Can I help you find anything specific today? ❞ Ever since the war had begun ramping up, Pandora always kept a close eye on anyone who came in.
herbology had never been her strong suit, but after reading about a few miraculous remedies in a magazine the night before, alice decided it was worth a shot to try in hopes of curing her morning sickness. at this point, she was desperate, though she knew the odds of there actually being something to help were extremely slim. “good morning !” alice chirps, casting her gaze away from the jar she’d been carefully examining ( an act to pretend like she actually knew what she was doing ). “i was just looking for something that might help with nausea. morning sickness, to be more specific.” she offers the woman a hopeful smile, arms crossed over her chest.
he flopped down onto the blanket. his whole body outstretched, completely at home next to alice, a girl who had helped define his hogwarts experience. “think he’s feeling a little needy, now that i’ve gone and gotten myself a girlfriend.” gideon went from having nothing but quidditch and free time to a fully booked schedule. it still had him a little bemused. the boy wasn’t used to prioritizing. “it’s shocking and all,” he peered up at alice’s face, already present smile beginning to widen. “me managing a relationship before you and frank- oops,” he clapped a hand over his mouth, with more than a little dramatic flare “did i say that?”
“you’re a changed man. i NEVER thought i’d see this day.” she teases her friend, eliciting a laugh as she leans back on her palms. after four years of friendship, it was hard not to feel comfortable around gideon. there was something about his presence that instantly washed all her worries away, no matter how stressed she was and for that she was grateful. “i have no idea what you’re talking about.” alice shakes her head defiantly, casting her gaze to the lake in an effort to hide her now pink tinted cheeks. the girl never lies ( and especially not to gideon ), but her relationship with frank was something she’d been in denial about for years. “but you’re WRONG, we do have a relationship ! we’re friends, gid.”
even though the school year had barely begun, alice was already longing for summer again. she found herself in the company of the great lake on most afternoons, nostalgic for the sunny days spent on the beach with her parents and two sisters. she knew, in the back of her mind, it was likely she wouldn’t have another SUMMER like that ever again. but that was okay, because she had a ( well thought out & planned ) future to look forward to. at least that’s what she was reminding herself of when she noticed the presence of another, eyes squinting to get a better look. her features immediately brighten as she catches sight of him, waving her arms almost madly. “hiya, gideon !” she greets him, casting her gaze away from the sparkling lake to her approaching friend. the girl scoots over on the checkered blanket she was sitting on, patting the space next to her. “i think this is the first time i’ve seen you without frank this ENTIRE year. what’s up with that ?”
“hey, frank ?” alice calls out to him from the bathroom, peeking her head out the half open door to glance at him. it was several hours after an order meeting and the longbottoms had finally begun to wind down for the night. she was absolutely exhausted, and not only because of her extensive work day, but because of the NEWS that had been weighing heavily on her heart since receiving it that morning. of course, there had been no time during the day to share it with her husband, only adding to her long list of worries. but now, in the comfort of their own home, she couldn’t think of a more perfect time, or place to share the news with him. after all, she wasn’t sure if they’d have a quiet night like this anytime soon. “remember how i went to st. mungos this morning for the stomach flu ?” she joins him in the bedroom, watching him carefully as she slides into bed next to him. “they gave me this REALLY weird diagnosis. i’m not really sure what to do with it.” she’s stalling now, hands moving idly in her lap as she all but avoids meeting his gaze.
he listened to her words carefully, but never looking at her, his eyes much more focused on updating the enemy count and searching for potential escape routes for the victims. “they barricaded the 3rd office door, so let’s start with the others.” he’d caught a glimpse of the piled up chairs through a small window, and his mind couldn’t help but make a priority list. who deserved safety first. as she spoke, he too kept on fighting of their targets, until alastor flinched as a spell hit the desk behind him, breaking a hole in it. shit, that could have been him. his fingers gripped his wand even tighter. “i’ll cover you.” he followed her order quickly, wand ready, heart racing. as curses came in, he deflected, getting only a couple of offensive moves in but making sure she was safe to search for people in hiding.
alice had always been quick on her feet, which proved useful for her while on missions and attacks. she all but scurries to the side of the building, ducking behind a fallen table for cover as she peers inside the office. her gaze settles on a group of people huddled in the corner, her heart ALMOST breaking at the sight. with that as an incentive, she’s back at alastor’s side within seconds, wand ready to deflect any spell sent their way. ”there are about eight people in there. scared to death, poor things.” she frowns in response, raising her arm to deflect an incoming curse. “is there any WAY we can get them out without getting slaughtered ?” she always looked to him for the plan, mainly because he was the most strategic person she knew and after years of working together, she trusted him with her life.
he grinned at the sight of his friend, an arm embracing her tightly before being stuck with hers, the other holding a small notebook - instead of going to that order meeting, to which he hadn’t been invited, as was the case with many far out of the secrecy level of what was barely an associate of the order, he’d been sharing the latest intelligence passed to him by an order spy, back to someone who’d know what to actually do with it. “likewise.” something felt off, and it was confirmed by her words, which quickly muted his smile. “you know you don’t have to ASK for a minute of my time, allie.” try as she might, the auror couldn’t comfort him once she’d opened her mouth. by the end, leo was more than convinced that she’d drop some terrible news, and was slowly bracing himself for the impact. “by merlin, just tell me, please.”
alice blows out a breath, anxiously casting her gaze around the room as she waits for it to clear. she’s NERVOUS now, her stomach twisting into a jumble of knots in anticipation. “this is totally not where i envisioned telling you.” would she rather share her news over tea in the comfort of her own home ? absolutely. but due to their chaotic schedules and leo’s awkward relationship with her husband, the order headquarters was the next best ( and safest ) option. but regardless of the location, alice was guaranteed to be a nervous wreck no matter what. “it’s really HAPPY, i swear. okay, i’m just going to say it.” another pause. it feels like forever before she can utter a sound, the hushed words falling from her lips quickly. “i’m pregnant. frank and i only found out a few months ago, but we decided to keep it a secret. i probably shouldn’t even be telling you right now, but i just can’t keep it to myself any longer and you're one of the people i wanted to tell first.”
i. both of alice’s parents were well respected healers, so from her birth, it only made sense that she would follow in their footsteps. they were never pushy, but that was partly because they never expected she would want to do anything else. but when seventh year alice approached them about being accepted into the auror’s training program, it was hard for them to hide their shock. alice knew what they were thinking - their timid daughter wouldn’t last a day in the program. but much to their surprise, she did. though the young woman looked weak, she quickly showed she was anything but and managed to stay towards the top of her class all the way through.
ii. alice is a strict rule follower when it comes to work. she’s probably memorized all the laws and can recite them like the back of her hand. she doesn’t like to deviate too much from the instructions she’s given, but she will make exceptions when lives are at stake. she doesn’t want to get in trouble for stepping out of line, so she prefers to stick to the book ( though that may not be the most popular strategy at the office. )
iii. alice’s favorite part of the job is getting to investigate & put the pieces together to solve cases. she can spend hours upon hours in her office trying to pick things apart in order to put them back together. she doesn’t really like interrogation that much, but she does it if she has to. mainly because alice being mean to someone ??? is like something that never happens. but she’s learning and improving every week so stay tuned for more fiesty work alice ig ?
iv. she’s a senior auror, so she has a bigger office than most which she cherishes. as expected, it’s very clean and organized. she cleans it every day and is constantly re-organizing things when it feels too cluttered. the office consists of a desk with two chairs, a huge corkboard that varies daily, several file cabinets, and an extra table she uses for organizing cases. of course she’s personalized it even more by decorating it with many pictures and pots of random flowers she filters in and out every other day. every item that rests on her desk or in the drawers has it’s own designated space that she tidies every day. the amount of time she spends in her office varies depending on the day and her assigned task, but if she spends too much time there she feels very stir crazy because she wants to be out in the action.
v. she really tries to get along with all her coworkers, sometimes too much. she gets paired with frank a lot bc lbr they’re unstoppable together. but she really is good at teamwork and is obviously a very reliable partner to have out in the field. always has your back no matter what. she’s the one who always brings baked goods to team meetings and is the first one to volunteer to train the new aurors. she’s an excellent teacher too, partly because she loves it so much.
vi. since she is fairly along in her pregnancy, she’s kinda been forced to stay out of the action more than usual and is often stuck at the office filing through paperwork. she knows it’s for the safety of the baby, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t hate every minute of it either. she’s so excited to be a mom, thouugh so deep down she’s totally fine taking a backseat for a few months to ensure the safety of her baby.
vii. she gets to work like super super early every morning and usually stays pretty late depending on the day. she loves being one of the first people there, mainly because she can get a head start but also because she just loves her job so much ok. she feels pretty lucky knowing she gets to work somewhere she loves & with people she loves?? and she’s just so proud of the department and everything they’ve accomplished so catch her gushing about it all day long tbh.
“it’d be miserable if i didn’t have a sense of humor,” remus chuckled gathering a handful of coffee stained napkins onto an abandoned paper plate. most of his nights that were not spent hiding away from the full moon or drinking, was in the shared loft with little to do so he had not given it much thought to stay behind and help alice clean up. “it’s impressive but not going to lie a good amount of these must be mine.”
“well, you definitely keep me entertained during meetings. strategy talk just gets so BORING sometimes.” partly because she’s forced to hear it all day every day at work. it was like there was no escape for the young woman. “not that i don’t enjoy it, of course. but i enjoy coffee so much more.” she agrees with him, using her wand to wipe the table clean of any dust. “does the caffeine even affect you anymore ? i’d be up for ages.”
a well experienced vet on pregnancy molly understood why alice might’ve gone to her for it, in general molly did not know if she’d ever protest against taking care of everyone. it was second nature for her but unfortunately this was not something anyone could control. “everyone is different, it was the worst with me for the twins. bed ridden for weeks but it leaves eventually. give it a few more weeks,” she couldn’t promise that she’d feel brand new but at the very least the nausea would pass.
“for a FEW weeks ?” alice’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, jaw dropping with shock. she couldn’t imagine continuing like this for a few more weeks, not when she had work and order meetings to worry about. “isn’t there some sort of potion i can take to make this go away ?” she feels as if she already knows the answer, but it can’t HURT to ask. she was almost desperate at this point. “i can’t imagine how you’ve done this so many times already. going through it once is enough to make me want to never be pregnant ever again.”
“i count three incoming,” he spoke as quietly as he could in the midst of screams, most of which just casting curses, some more tragic, but they couldn’t be everywhere at once. the large auror group had dispersed and while the fight was incredibly balanced so far, the civilians caught in the middle stood very little chance. “to your left.” his own curses were silent, save for the grunts and screams of those hit by them. a few more masked figures were climbing up the stairs and into the large corridor they were on, and the intensity of the fight grew - interrupting the eater’s attack on that office building should have been a small-scale conflict with only a few injuries, let alone casualties, but with neither side backing down, it just dragged on. another spell, a pool of blood surrounded the target after being hit, but alastor didn’t look a second time.
@ofalvces
adrenaline was pumping through alice’s VEINS, fingers tightly clasped around her wand as she crouched behind a fallen desk. though the scene would seem frightening to most, it was one of many she had experienced since becoming an auror. the curses, the screaming, the death ––– she hated that she was so used to it. “we need to get these people out.” she muttered through grit teeth as she raised her wand to deflect an incoming spell before sending her own out. that was often the thought that crossed her mind when they were caught in battle. “there could be some people still TRAPPED inside some of the rooms.” she barely dodged a curse as the words left her mouth, hardly missing a beat. her voice rang low, disguised by the chaos that surrounded them. “we need to go. now.”
“leo ! it’s so great to see you.” she gives him a side hug before looping her arm through his and tugging him off to the side. an order meeting had just adjourned and worry was evident across her features, but then again, when was it not ? she was a worrier, constantly thinking about the FUTURE and the endless possibilities it entailed. normally, she found no difficulty internalizing her anxiety, but tonight was different. she just couldn’t hold it in anymore and leo was one of the few people she actually wanted to confide in. “do you have a minute ? it’s okay if you don’t and i know you’re extremely busy, so feel free to say no. i just have this thing and i’ve been dying to tell you and lem for weeks, but it’s kind of a secret.” she was rambling now, but she was just so NERVOUS. “i’m sorry, i’m probably not making much sense, am i ? it’s nothing bad, i promise. it’s quite exciting, actually.” @lvonardo
james spins around in his chair, feet lifting from the desk where he had been resting them. “for sure thought i saw fear in your eyes back there for a second, longbottom,” he replies, voice equally as teasing, a smile tugging at his lips. “ - ‘ course, i got your back. “ a grin is fired in her direction as he reluctantly picks up the case file and flips through the pages, quickly scanning through the information. “ - wouldn’t let alastor hear you say that, “ he warns and puts down the file, before grabbing a quill. “ right,” he says, his gaze wandering to the clock on the wall. “ —– if we get this done by six, drinks are on me.”
“well, you usually NEVER know what to expect when you take a trainee out. i have some real horror stories to tell.” she almost shudders at the thought, beginning to fill out the first page of her portion. “he’s heard me say worse.” alice shrugs her shoulders lightly, the page in front of her now covered with her elegant script. though she absolutely despised paperwork, she always made sure she did it right and for her, that usually took TIME. “now you’re talking. i knew we kept you in the program for a reason.” her lips curl into a soft smile as she meets his gaze, chuckling softly.
“i like you ––– you know how to laugh.” the woman breaks out into a smile as she empties a half empty cup of coffee before tossing it into the trashcan. it was after an order meeting and alice had volunteered to stay behind to tidy up, mainly for the purpose of her own SANITY. thankfully, she had someone to keep her company. “it’s crazy how much coffee a group of people can through in two hours. i mean, it’s understandable, but WOW. i think we set a new record tonight.” @howliingwolf
“today will be different. it has to be.” though alice’s words were full of hope, the facial expression that accompanied it seemed to say otherwise. she was nearly four months into her pregnancy, yet her initial nauseous symptoms had yet to dissolve, and she was beginning to think they NEVER would. “i know morning sickness isn’t supposed to last the entire pregnancy, but i SWEAR it feels like it’s never going to end. it gets better, right ? please tell me it gets better.” she relied on molly for guidance, releasing an exasperated sigh as she stirred her tea. @motherbearisms
