bent but not broken

“I was always hungry for love. Just once, I wanted to know what it was like to get my fill of it – to be fed so much love I couldn’t take any more. Just once.” “When you do something noble and beautiful and nobody notices, do not be sad. For the sun every morning is a beautiful spectacle and yet most of the audience still sleeps.”

[penelopepomfrey]

i’m so glad i’m not the only one whose life has reared its ugly head. i’m so sorry for my spotty activity. :/ but i honestly can’t say it will get any better in the next week or two. i promise i’m still here though!

[maestromontgomery-blog]

“Alright so, I don’t need you to teach me French because I know French, I just need help with pronunciation, like I said.”

[penelopepomfrey]

“Mhmm,” Poppy hummed dubiously. The girl’s attitude chafed a bit, especially when she was asking for help. “Unfortunately, I am not in possession of much free time. So sorry to disappoint.”

[musicalilyevans-blog]

“I dunno, do I, I’m not a Healer. I’ve also not seen your credentials,” Lily teased, smiling playfully. Thoughtfulness took over her expression, as she pondered the woman’s reply. When her reply came, her words were slow; equally as thoughtful. “I suppose that makes sense, sort of.”

[penelopepomfrey]

“Do you really think St. Mungo’s would hire someone with substandard licensing?” she asked with a playful laugh. Another laugh, then, when Lily passed judgement on her reasons. “I’m delighted you approve, Miss Evans. I can now rest easy, knowing my motivations for my career meet your satisfaction.” She smirked a bit.

Briskly, she bandaged up the wounds. “Leave these bandages on overnight; when you take them off, there shouldn’t be any scars. If you feel like I missed a piece of glass, do not try to take it out yourself. Come back here.”

[marymacmudblood-archive-blog-de]

“You’re lying to me. How am I just now hearing about this? Sweet baby hippogriffs, this changes everything.”

[penelopepomfrey]

“Many nannies use it for bedtime stories, and it has fallen out of practice in academic circles, but I like to repurpose such things. I’m surprised your mother never used it to help you to sleep.” Her smile was friendly; Mary had always seemed like a very down to earth young woman -- it was much more likely her mother took care of her, rather than a nanny.

[marjbooty-blog]

Marjorie listened, nodding as the other woman spoke. Cure creation? She was impressed, she must admit. That sort of work took talent, skill, dedication and more than a large chunk of time and effort. “Really? Cure creation? What are you working on, if I can ask?” Her admiration turned to complete awe as she watched Poppy charm the toddler into giggles. He’d been crying almost non-stop all day no matter what she had done to try and appease him. “How — I mean…” She gaped at the other woman. “He has been fussy all day!”

[penelopepomfrey]

“I often work on multiple projects at a time, because they are not very labor intensive, simply research. I’m currently looking into ways to ease the Cruciatus Curse and a non-sterilizing treatment for endometriosis, to name two.” Poppy tickled the little boy’s tummy, pulling a face that made him shriek even harder with laughter. “Oh, I love children. They are not complicated -- they simply need lots of love.” She scrunched her nose up at him, then smiled at Marjorie. “You’re lucky to have such a delightful son, even with the fussiness.”

[crouchingalice-deactivated20171]

“Harpies is the best team to support. First off you’ve got the Welsh factor which puts them well above any of the English teams of course. That’s where you get the split though, some go for the Catapults if they’re from the south, but they’ve a mixed team so if you want to support women Harpies is the best option. I’m a Holyhead girl through and through myself. ‘Course I suppose you could go on ignoring Quidditch if you like, plenty of other things to get into. I think the Department of Magical Games and Sports have really been trying to get chess tournaments to take off more, for instance.”

Alice laughed slightly at the implication. “Well, he does like to get dirty every now and again. Couldn’t hurt by any means.”

[penelopepomfrey]

“I have never understood this strange prejudice between such tiny nations. You all share one island -- would it not be better to get along, rather than constantly be antagonizing each other over such trivialities?” Poppy laughed at the idea that chess tournaments might take off -- wixen were highly visual people, and there was nothing exciting about watching two people moves small pieces around the board. “Chess would probably appeal to more people if the pieces were abnormally large. Or if it was a participation sport -- some people just want the chance to injure themselves.” She shook her head at the idea. “Don’t mind my flights of fancy.”

“Well, how lucky for him that he has such a charming bride to help him get clean again, no?”

[unseasonableaims-deactivated201]

With a slight furrow to her brow, she wondered what Poppy could have meant there. She knew that the life Edgar had wasn’t something she wanted exactly, but she knew it was normal. Other people wanted that, other people got married and had kids and started families where they could live out on farms and shite like that. But whenever Amelia thought of her brother, she just thought of how he settled— met a girl in school and got married and never thought about anything else he ever wanted to do. “Yes, of course I have my work. I’m working to make the world a better place,” she said, though Poppy’s next comment struck a cord and she found herself a little angry. Her life was perfectly fine, no matter what other people though. She was glad for the subject change. “It’s fine, no improvements but I’ve still had a little bit of nausea. That’s something I’m used to though, so it’s alright.”

[penelopepomfrey]

Poppy laughed. “I never thought you, of all people, would be such a bright idealist, Amelia! ‘Make the world a better place’? You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make them drink, and these days our horses are very stubborn indeed.” Poppy sighed, hand restlessly playing with her hijab. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for. I’ve just spoken with so many people lately who think the world can be made ‘better’ but they have no direct plan for that change. As if they could convince You-Know-Who to lay down arms with a bit of rallying at the Ministry.” Poppy was very good at not referring to him as the Dark Lord in front of anyone who might find that odd -- she wasn’t a Death Eater, of course, but the suspicious panic that had overtaken the Wizarding World would have her thrown in Azkaban for the slightest suspicion. Especially because she was foreign. “There’s a war on,” she added ruefully, “and no one seems to be willing to commit to actually fighting it directly.”

[caradocdickborn-blog]

“I think that’s what makes them kids. The not knowing bits.”

“Although, I’m thinking you weren’t that kind of kid.”

[penelopepomfrey]

Her lips quirked up into a slight smile. “No, not I. I was curious and precocious and asked far too many questions for my parents’ peace of mind.”

“And you? What sort of child were you?”

[lenamckinnon-deactivated2018042]

Marlene heard a lot of what she was saying from other people in other forms. A lot of people were frightened. Even her own parents had worried about her being so vocal and involved. But Marlene couldn’t be someone who hid in the safety of the shadows trying to make change without making ripples. Change made ripples and waves by it’s very nature. Marlene had never been afraid of waves. Or of fire. “I’d rather be eaten alive by the flames then sit and watch someone else be eaten alive.” Her words were emotional rather than stubborn. “You’re right that one person alone can’t but if no one stands up nothing happens. One person standing up can encourage another and another till there’s enough. Everything starts with one person deciding to do something.” Marlene gave Madam Pomfrey a reassuring smile. “I know there’s a lot of fear and it feeds into violence but I believe people are inherently good. Kindness and accurate information can defeat fear. We just have to give people a chance.”

[penelopepomfrey]

“Ah, but you are so naive, my dear. People have to want to change, and I currently see very little of that desire in anyone. No one is willing to compromise, and so the conflict continues to boil.” Not that she thought the Dark Lord was likely to compromise, but had people tried before he became who he was, perhaps things might have been different. “I hope you can hold onto that innocence, Miss McKinnon, but I fear it may soon become yet another casualty of war.” If Marlene herself didn’t first.

[asofterquantico]

everything melts. 

[trustfvlly]

Cry as hard as you want to. But just make sure that once you stop crying, you never cry for the same reason again.

(via trustfvlly)

[avosoph]

being mentally ill is so tiring even when you’re not doing anything like damn I’m just sitting here and my brain wears me out

[unseasonableaims-deactivated201]

She couldn’t help the small smile that fell to her lips then, Poppy always looking for the best in people while simultaneously knowing that it might not always be there. The guilt her friend was using was not unlike her own or that of her mother’s, but even being used to it couldn’t help her from wanting to chuck her coffee in the bin and order a real decaf. “I’d hardly say the farm is work, seeing as it’s all to do with Edgar, and he isn’t even sure they’re going to move up there,” she said, shaking her head. “But Edgar is good. The kids are good. Everything is just…good for him,” she added with a little shrug, thinking of her complacent older brother and the little family he swears he has no idea he ended up with.

[penelopepomfrey]

Poppy saw the shrug, and knew what it might mean. After all, she felt the same way almost every day. “It is hard, is it not, to see someone take for granted something you dearly desire?” She was probably assuming a lot. Amelia was a very work-driven woman -- Merlin even knew if she wanted kids; she was always so busy with work, it seemed unlikely she wanted anything else. “Oh, don’t listen to an old woman ramble. I am sure you’re happy for your brother - and after all, you have your work.” She gave Amelia a fake-stern look. “Even if I think you need something in your life other than work.” Trying to change the subject, she asked, “How is the newest potion regimen treating you? Any improvements?”

[musicalilyevans-blog]

“If I get another scar it might be,” Lily shrugged, a cheeky look painting her features. “Why d’you love it? It can’t be the missed dinners.”

[penelopepomfrey]

“What kind of hack do you take me for? A scar, for some simple glass? Bah!” Her smile was friendly and humorous. She thought for a moment, smoothing the last bits of potion over the girl’s arm. “I suppose ... I love having the ability to fix things. There have been so many times in my life that I have had zero control, but when I am Healing, I do.”

[cresswelld-deactivated20190-blog]

“No! No, you misunderstand me,” Dirk hastened to reply, shaking his head. “I’m going to get the book. It won’t help me, because I’m already fluent. I’m just taking the course for the official qualification, but I’ll get the book, if I can find it. I just mean that in the end that’s not what I’m going to end up looking at here. I’m more interested in learning new things.”

[penelopepomfrey]

She cocked her head slightly. “You mean, you could not test out of the class? That is quite odd -- when I went for my Healing Mastery, there were several classes I did not need that they let me prove.” She smiled at him slightly. “You look far too young to have mastered a language. Why, I am almost certainly twice your age and I still occasionally find myself learning things about words.”

[splendorah-blog]

“I see. I thought research for such things would need to be done in a practical manner rather than in books, or are there topics in the books that are linked closely to the practical work you need?” She asked, but the question she gave out even confused her. It was too late to go back and word it better so she hoped the woman would understand it. “No, no, it’s okay. I collected too many anyway, it’s not your fault.”

[penelopepomfrey]

“Currently, I’m in purely theoretical research. I’m looking for things from days of old that we may have forgotten in these modern days. And besides, human experimentation is still very much frowned upon.” She tapped on the spine of one of the books. “This store is renowned for being quite magical -- the shelves are never the same twice. I am hoping to find something here that will help.”

[marymacmudblood-archive-blog-de]

“I don’t think I’ve heard of that one. What’s it meant to do, exactly?”

[penelopepomfrey]

“Oh, it is for visual learners. It turns the words into corresponding images. I found it quite helpful during my Healing residency, especially with the anatomy sections.”