Bright Eyes and a Long Memory

Albus Potter - 21 - Ministry researcher and errand boy

[snakeinthestacks]

dierdra-jones​:

The Muggle Spectrespect

His question about her own dreams should not have surprised her—but it was the fact that it was a question she wasn’t prepared to answer. Her mouth pursed into a thin line as she thought about the truth, though the truth wasn’t something she could put into words yet. But she wasn’t aware of that either, her mind wandering to a scenario that wasn’t as fantastical as getting the Order of Merlin or something. 

“Honestly, I’d personally want my fill of ice cream cake.” Dierdra tilted her head to clarify. “More like… I’d want to be able to make the perfect ice cream cake. Have my cake… and eat it too?”

She was misremembering the muggle phrase, but it wasn’t like she remembered where she had first heard it from to begin with. Unfortunately, she wasn’t all that interested in archiving, poking a little bit of fun at the… practicality of it. “Don’t tell me your dream charm involves the astronomical uses of charmwork for archiving. At least having the world’s most personalized coffee is something I can understand. Don’t tell me you’re using the muggle cup things?”

Dierdra lifted her hand, her thumb and forefinger separated by about two inches, as if holding a pod for the Keurig. She didn’t know much about coffee, mostly because her beverages were usually water or whatever potion cancelled out the ice cream she ate from Fortescue’s.

Albus could have prepared himself for so many answers.  So many different things that were possible there.  Who knew the caprices that the human heart could take?  But ice cream cake?  That one came from deep in the middle of no where he expected. 

“I...was not expecting that answer, but I love it.” He nodded.  “No, I totally understand.  That would be an ability rivaled by kings.” His mind had already latched onto this concept with a stubborn need.  “How does one even begin with the construction?  Is it about the icecream?  Or the cake?  Is cake even really involved at all?”  He shook his head.

Off topic, Potter. 

“No, not really.  Though the ideas do keep my mind on track at work.  Nothing keeps focus like annoyance at the system,” he replied with a grin.  And then proceeded to look decidedly offended.  

“Oh Circe, no,” Albus replied with a vehement shake of his head.  “I’ve more coffee accoutrements than I do actual cooking implements.” He blinked.  “You know, if it weren’t for my cousin, I might live on toast and coffee.  Which...not really a bad way to do it...”  He shook his head and tapped his cup.  “Which I suppose is a round about way to see if we should find ice cream cake and coffee.”  

[snakeinthestacks]

teddyalupin​:

Teddy glared at Albus and his attempted innocence. Naturally. Instead of commenting immediately, he turned back to the man, who’d taken a couple steps back but hadn’t left yet. “Waiting for me to change my mind?” Teddy snapped, then kept a neutral face as he turned and hurried away. Good. That was one less frustration than he needed to deal with today.

Finally he turned back to Albus. “I wasn’t supposed to be. I’m covering. And am I? More than your face would have been if I hadn’t been here. What the hell were you thinking?” Teddy had been in a fight or two for saying stupid things, but he usually could blame a little alcohol or adrenaline when he did. 

Teddy forced himself to stop talking, though. He did want to come off as nagging. The last thing he wanted was for Albus to tune him out or write him off. As much as he wanted to ask if Albus was simply bored and looking for a fight, he figured a little slower approach was probably best.

Albus watched the interaction with amusement.  It took everything in his power to remain mostly stoic and not pull faces around Teddy’s shoulder at the annoyed wizard.  The other annoyed wizard, since he was currently dealing with two.  As the man left, he shrugged, letting that lazy grin spread.

“Aww, worried ‘bout these cheekbones Ted?  I’m touched!” he cooed.  Though to be fair it was a rarity that a wix swung fists first and reached for lacquer second, so he should probably be grateful.  He probably stood a better chance in a brawl than a duel, and that was only because the Weasley idea of playtime was full contact.  “I’m honestly not certain that thought had much to do with it.”

Albus only chuckled to himself for a moment before he let his shoulders slump.  Best not to actually annoy Teddy or he’d end up in a world of trouble.  And then there could be legal issues too.  “Man was a prick, strolling about like he owned the street.  Clipped shoulders, clipped phrases.  There was some insult to parentage and lineage and...” he clicked his tongue and let the sentiment hang unsaid.  It was a common enough refrain amongst all the Potter siblings.  They just all handled it differently.  “You think I’d be used to comments like that after so long...”

[snakeinthestacks]

dierdra-jones​:

The Muggle Spectrespect

Albus Potter spoke in a very roundabout way that Dierdra could hardly keep up with. Talking to James was a lot simpler, but she and James were often on the same playing field anyway—and had been for years. 

“That’s wise of you, knowing what your weaknesses are. I suppose people can pretend they’re actually stronger or cleverer than they are with this, then? Go through enough charms and maybe you’ll convince yourself that you can fly, right?”

Dierdra stepped away from the line, letting others crowd forward. She didn’t have anything she wanted to experience herself with one of the charms, and the expo was more expansive than she had thought it to be. She used the same vague, coying tone she would have used with any new person of importance—even if no one from the Harpies’ PR team said she had to play nice to this particular member of the Potter family. 

“I’ll have to admit these dream charms are probably the most interesting thing so far. What brings you here, Mr. Potter?”

“Exactly.  Let’s them pretend they can do the thing.  That’s all it is really.  And for some of them?  That’s more than enough.” Albus replied, an easy smile as he watched the booth.  He didn’t have to understand the reason why it was enough, just that it tended to be.  A lot of folks seemed to be like that.

“The dream charms are fascinating, not wrong,” Albus murmured.  “But what does one dream off if they’re already working in a fantastical career I wonder?” He cast a curious eye towards Deirdra.  “Care to share?  You’re the one flying so high.  I’m just an errand boy after all.” He waggled his eyebrows, amused and curious in equal measure.  

“I’m more curious about things like the adaptive voice devices and the charmwork involved.  Infinite uses that.” He hummed, eyes roaming towards that side of the exposition slowly.  “There’s a practicality to it that I can appreciate.  Makes me hope for more ways to bring our data, our records into a more modern scope.” The uses that sort of thing could have down in the archives?  Astronomical.  “And I was seeing if I could find a decent magical coffee maker.  So far, nothing beats the muggle machine I’ve got.”  He flashed a lazy smile at his companion.  “Utterly self serving trip this.”

[snakeinthestacks]

teddyalupin​:

@snakeinthestacks​

Teddy hadn’t intended to be employed for the day. He’d shown up with the intention of enjoying himself, but someone in the auror department had spotted him and recruited Teddy to fill an empty position for a sick coworker. Now he was on security duty. At least he was only patrolling in case something went wrong.

He hadn’t expected a sudden raising of voices nearby to draw his attention. With a deep sigh, Teddy pulled out his wand and moved toward it. He kept the next sigh internal, but of course he knew one of the contributors. 

Albus Potter was a hard person to miss, especially with his voice raised and especially with that posture. Teddy watched his mouth move as he strode forward, heard the implications Albus made about the other wizard’s mother, and tossed out a shield charm between them on instinct.

The man cried out when his fist made contact with Teddy’s wall instead of Albus’ face, but before he had time to react again, Teddy was there next to them. “It would be a very good idea to walk away,” he warned low in the man’s ear. He glanced to Albus. “Not you. I want to talk to you.”

Albus was no stranger to confrontation.  He was a Potter and a Slytherin.  And those two things in concert regularly lead to him having someone in his face.  In, you know, a negative way.  And he’d been gifted with a tongue like a razer and a mind just as sharp, so wordplay came quick, vicious, biting towards honor.  Or mothers. Which...was probably a low blow, but some people fought dirty.

Case in point.

It had been a simple misunderstanding.  Really.  Or a simple bump.  Really.  

Whatever it had been it was as simple as the man who’d thrown some comment over his shoulder.  And Albus was in enough of his wits to reply with a sharp barb that lead to another and another and then calling his mother the town slag and implying....something about fellating a duke.  Probably.  That sounded like him.  It had been mostly for sport, at least until the fist came for his face. 

And then stopped.  He was almost about to quip to his savior when he saw a far too familiar face.  Well bollocks.  He did his best to summon his “I’m-not-a-total-prat” smile and turned towards Teddy.  

“Alright then Ted?” he replied, the mask to his voice only obvious to someone who knew him well.  “Didn’t know you were on duty today.” He might have skipped some of his more colourful insults then.

[snakeinthestacks]

dierdra-jones​:

The Muggle Spectrespect

It’s all about pretending about something they were not, and that didn’t sit well with Dierdra as much as she thought it would. While certainly she had her deep dark desires—the ones that didn’t have words to them—there was something off-putting about putting googles on and tricking herself that something was real. While Spudmore had the muggle spetrospecs, there was another booth that was dedicated to much more sinister kinds of self-imposed deception.

“Being a Quidditch star isn’t a fantasy, you know that, right?” Dierdra didn’t expect that she’d have to get into the weeds of all of the incredibly annoying parts of her job, but it wasn’t the point she was trying to make. “But imagine that you’ve put those glasses on, and you’ve gone and pretended that you’ve caught the snitch. Wouldn’t it be more disappointing to take them off and realize it didn’t happen?”

She frowned at the people up front—none of them wanted to pay twenty galleons to actually try the broom themselves, but with how well they were managing with the glasses on, Dierdra had her doubts. “I don’t actually think the people who think they can handle a Firebolt actually can, so maybe it is smarter they keep their feet on the ground.”

“Of course it is.  Or at least to most people it is,” Albus replied, his grin growing as he took in her glances at the booth.  In his experience, people didn’t tend to factor in the reality of...well most things.  They just saw someone as a professional Quidditch star or the Minister or the son of the Boy-Who-Lived and the fantasy was that front.  That veneer.  “The logistics of anything isn’t sexy after all.  Seeing how it works?  That renders the fantasy real.  Tangible.” 

After all, what made something a fantasy was that it was so unreachable.

“Some people wake up from the dream unsatisfied.  Some people want to go back to sleep immediately,” Albus murmured, watching someone doing a very good imitation of a penguin slipping on ice.  He smirked into his coffee.  “Rather makes you wonder just how many health and safety forms they had to fill out to put up that booth.” The paperwork alone probably felled a forest.  

“Of that fact, I don’t think there’s any illusion,” Albus replied with a nod.  “Circe, I barely trust most wix with a wand, let along some twig hurtling them along near the sound barrier.” He gave a shudder, only somewhat mocking.  “Unlike those folk, I prefer my magical transport instantaneous.”  He paused.  “Or you know, with a windscreen.” He flashed his companion a grin.  “I’m living proof flying ability is not genetic.”

[snakeinthestacks]

lily--potter​:

“Oh don’t Al! Our family doesn’t have skeletons. We’d known about it if we did, they’d all be dug up by now. They’ll always be people trying to do harm to dad’s reputation and they’d all be frothing at the mouth if there any skeletons. It’s the quiet ones we need to watch. When was the last time the Selwyns were on everyone’s lips. Never. They’re hiding something.” 

Her revenge plot would have to wait for now. She’d finished her glass and refilled it and could already feel the effects of it. She didn’t want to be angry and planning anymore, it would kill the good mood she was in.

She laughed at Albus’ assessment of them. “That’s our whole family, isn’t it? I can’t imagine mum being afraid to go after what she wants. Dad too. And I wouldn’t want to get in grandma’s way!” 

Lily snorted at the memory of being told off for the mess they made with that eyeshadow. She’d forgotten all about that. “I think my application technique has improved since then. I’d give you a beautiful green eye look now.” Lily had already taken several large gulgs of her glass, not caring that it was meant to be sipped anymore. “Yes! Lets put on some music!”

She pulled her phone from her pocket playing it as loud as it could - which still wasn’t especially loud from her phone. 

“I...well fuck you’re not wrong,” Albus replied with a little frown.  That was way too true.  People far too invested in their lives would carve through everything they could to figure out what was in the darkest corners.  Hell, they might be the only wizarding family as old as theirs that was out of secrets.  “Well there goes the dramatic story I was hoping was next for me,” he said with an overly dramatic sigh.  

Honestly, coin flip if he wanted the story or not. 

“Right?  We all just sort of grab for it,” he said with a laugh.  “But like...in different ways right?” He huffed out a laugh and shook his head.  “Potters.  We’ll do what we want?  Common sense be damned.” He hummed, and pushed to his feet, walking towards his sister and holding out a hand.  He was going down a maudlin line of thought.  Time to avoid that.

“Dance with me and then we’ll see.  I think mum went shopping and she only buys the best,” he teased, starting to bounce to the tune.  “Troubles into bubbles, let the music send them away.” 

[snakeinthestacks]

dierdra-jones​:

The Muggle Spectrespect

Madley Magical-Muggle Expo December 5th, 2027 @snakeinthestacks​

Dierdra’s appearance at the Madley Magical-Muggle Expo wasn’t mandatory yet, but it was going to be as soon as news had broken out about the Firebolt Premier. Usually the Harpies were one of the first to preview the new line of brooms for the upcoming season, and Dierdra herself had photos taken for Seeker Weekly as part of the first rollout of publicity. 

Quidditch teams, it seemed, were becoming less relevant when it came to broom sales. It was not going to be Dierdra’s problem, but it was going to be soon.

A small crowd of passerby, held back by a thin rope that levitated in front of the stage, ogled the broom—almost like they were in front of Quality Quidditch Supplies. A man in front offered a boxy pair of glasses to someone up front, touting a virtual experience.

Dierdra scoffed, though only loudly enough that the person beside her could hear. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been disdainful about technology before, but this partnership with Madley Industries was getting ridiculous; people were just making everything more difficult for themselves, finding pretend ways of living.

“What’s the point of putting on a pair of muggle spectrespects? You can’t fake flying on a broom with both feet on the ground.”

Albus tended to regard brooms with the same sort of distrust people reserved for larger domesticated animals; temperamental and more dangerous than he was personally willing to deal with.  Not when he could just literally pop across the country.  Or drive.  Driving was fine.  

In theory.  He had like...a permit?  Of some kind.  Utterly not a fake.  That’s illegal. 

The cup of coffee in his hand, his omnipresent accessory in the cold months, was steaming as he watched a crowd of people press towards the booth, looking for new ways to injure themselves on twigs.  It was impressive how much people wanted to zip around on something designed to provide a use for skelegrow.

And the Ministry thought the muggles had the death wish.  

He huffed out a laugh at the comment next to him, tilting his head as he watched someone with the goggles on run into a the cushion charm on a wall.  “Suppose it’s about tricking the mind then, innit?” he mused aloud, nodding towards the people seeming to be enjoying themselves.  “Like an illusion charm or something from the divination side of magic.  Convince yourself it’s real?” He frowned for a moment and then shrugged.  Another thing their counterparts sans-magique seemed to have a better grasp of.

“It’s playing pretend, right?  Not everyone is some ace Quidditch star or some hot shot Auror, but kids still run around with toys pretending.” He shrugged.  “This one’s for adults I guess.  For the one’s that are totally sure they can handle a Firebolt.” He grinned and someone let out a squawk of worry from behind their headset.  Pretend was only good until it was real he supposed.  

[snakeinthestacks]

raphaelselwyn​:

Raphael snorted. Of course Albus wanted to visit New York. He was right, though. It seemed like everyone interested in traveling wanted to hit New York sooner rather than later. Raphael didn’t have much interest in America, but he could see the appeal in a general sense. “Haven’t we all,” he said as a moderate way of answering. He wasn’t going to be contrary about someone’s goals just to be contrary, regardless of what others thought of what he might enjoy based on his job.

Albus had clearly figured out who he was, but Raphael hadn’t expected that to turn into Albus playing with him. He bristled at the comment. It had clearly been designed to get under his skin, but Raphael wasn’t quite too proud to admit it had worked.

“As I recall, you’re the one who started this chat,” he said, trying to sound neutral about it all. The last thing he wanted to do was get himself worked up when Albus hadn’t pushed any accusations at him.

His eyes snagged on the movement of Albus’ finger, and as Raphael forced his eyes back up, he caught the look on Albus’ face and knew it had been intentional. Pressing his lips together, Raphael glanced away, looking out toward the rain. ‘And I’m sure there are some who haven’t decided what they’re doing with it yet. Some cards are still being drawn.” Perhaps his were hidden, but Raphael wasn’t about to take that as an insult. Making the smart choice of keeping things close was something he refused to be indirectly shamed for.

“Oh I did indeed,” Albus replied with a little hum of faux-thought.  “After a few weeks with the livestock, any chat is good chat,” he all but purred, looking through his lashes and flashing a devil-may-care grin.  It might be the sudden rush of caffeine, or the fact that he wasn’t speaking fucking welsh for the first time in weeks, but he was leaning hard into old habits and letting things just fly.  “Might be a little odd, but that hardly qualifies as...uninteresting.”    

Look at him, playing nice with the media.  His parents would be proud.  Right?

And then, he scented blood.  That look, that drag of a finger.  

Oh.  Oh.  Could be nothing.  

Could be plenty.

Albus watched the other man break contact first, looking away.  And the analogy took a turn for the melancholy.  And decidedly more interesting.  Well fuck.  He clicked his tongue and nodded slowly.  “Depends on the game then...doesn’t it?  When the cards are dealt.  When the hand is full.” He gave a gulp of his coffee, the last dregs of warmth hitting a little different in that moment.  “Eventually though, you’ve a choice.  Play.  Or fold.” He shrugged, an amicable thing wrapped in nonchalance and a bit of some need to explain himself.  “Doesn’t mean it’s the only hand you’ll get though.” He raised his cup.  “But that’s the only card I’ll offer tonight.” His grin turned cheeky once more.  “Gotta earn the rest.”

He winked, backing away and into the rain, feeling like he’d skirted enough uncertain edges tonight.  Fuck, he really needed to sleep.

[snakeinthestacks]

julian-wood​:

Caution Wet Floor

“Sure, you can grab the next tab—but you may as well just buy a whole handle from the liquor store. As much as I wanna keep bar hopping, I’m going to forget this train of thought if we don’t get to it right now.” Julian didn’t realize that he wasn’t clear about what he wanted to do, because he didn’t really have a plan. Other than going to buy a pack of ballpoint pens. Even if he didn’t succeed in getting the charm right, he could at least start a lecture on projectile motion and coordinate spaces. 

He was on his way out, turning his head to look for the nearest convenience store. The statute of secrecy be damned though; there was another place dark enough to try a little bit of charmwork without anyone looking in their direction. Julian had gotten good at being discreet. 

“And if you want me to explain gravity, that’s gonna take a little bit of… well…” Julian thought back to the basic physics equations he learned from his early classes—even if those didn’t need calculus, it was still a lot of derivations, but that was different from having to teach a whole semester of mathematics. “… we’ll figure it out!”

[snakeinthestacks]

lily--potter​:

“Mhmm, maybe.” The attractiveness of Raphael Selwyn was not something she was going to admit easily. Besides, she had something more interesting to discuss. “You know Roxanne thinks he’s hiding something. I think he has some whole secret life we don’t know about. You know that family must have secrets of it’s own. More than ours! They should be on the front covers.” It made her feel better to imagine Selwyn’s secrets on the front page. They were part of the Scared 28, she was sure they had Death Eater ties. Maybe Raphael had the dark mark on his wrist. She’d make sure to look out for it next time. 

“Oh yelling is very cathartic. Even when nothing comes of it sometimes it just feels good to know someone heard you.” Lily found it difficult to imagine Albus yelling. He was always so calm and good spirited. “You’re not the kind of person who needs to yell though. Everyone listens to you, they respect you. You’re so smart and witty and…” she’d had enough wine now that she was going down the too many compliments at once route. “Well, anyway, lets just say we have different ways of getting what we want.”

“Blah, lets not get all soppy. It’s not that time of night yet. When we’re both messy drunk we can cry about our failings - could you imagine mum and dad’s face if they came back and found us like that?”

“Anyone with blood that dates back to the conqueror has almost as many skeletons as they do hidden bank accounts,” Albus replied with a grin.  He’d prowled amongst members of that ilk for his schooling after all.  “Who knows what secrets are hiding in the depths of some forgotten Potter vault.” Which was always something of an intriguing thought.  He hummed and nodded with a little sound of agreement.  “Really seems only fair that it’s another family’s turn, doesn’t it?  We’ve had more than our fair share of time on the front pages of the world press.” Was it even the world press?  Did anyone care about the Potters if you wandered across the Channel?  Things to possibly experience one of these days.  

He’d always liked French blokes.  And French wine, clearly.  He grinned into his glass.  

Albus blinked rather owlishly at the string of complements from his sister, smile only growing with each dropped word.  He clicked his tongue.  “We do at that.  Though we both go after it with both hands.  I think.” He grinned.  “Makes us dangerous to those in our way.”  His smile turned just a little feral.  

“Oh Circe no, not at all,” he said with a laugh.  “Though it might rival that time we were kids and got into Mum’s makeup.” He hummed.  “I did think I looked good with the green eyeshadow.”  He grinned and reached for the bottle.  “Why don’t we start by getting giggly and breaking out into song?”

[snakeinthestacks]

nikhailollivander​:

Nikhail had to stop for a moment to catch his breath as he fumbled to open the door and walk inside letting the other follow along after him. He was confused for a moment about what he could possibly be talking about. He had forgotten that wand accessories were popping up in his shop now. He had never thought to move into that field but people had been asking for them so he decided it would fine. 

“Holsters I think they’re called.” He answered absentmindedly as he moved to set a few things up behind the counter. He had a few wands that needed repairs that day and he was already running late on them. Normally he would sneak down and work on them in the middle of the night after Isabella went to bed but he hadn’t gotten around to it last night. He had fallen asleep instead and hadn’t woken up on time either. It was rather embarrassing. 

“Wait I’m sorry. Did you say it was getting mixed up with your pens? That’s rather dangerous. Are you quite serious?” He was concerned now if that was a thing. It was partly why he still wrote with quills. There was less chance of something like that happening. “Well we can certainly find a holster for you. I don’t know the style you’re going for but this is a popular one.” He held out a black leather holster that didn’t have much design to it but was high quality. “I’ve never used one myself but I think the younger people like them.”

“Yeah?  Sounds like something from one of those Wild West flicks from Hollywood,” Albus replied, following after the harried shop owner with a bemused little smile.  It was nice to know he wasn’t the only person who wasn’t truly on board with an early morning.  He looked about the shop, a faint little smile crossing his lips.  

It had been ages since he’d been in here.  10 years really.  Holy shit he was getting too old. 

“Hm?  Oh yeah.  Ends up in with the pens if I’m writing or reading.  And then gets knocked over if an owl shows up.  Or an overzealous coworker.  Or I get mad at what I’m reading.” He grinned and shrugged.  “I mean, beats sitting on it if it’s in my back pocket, right?” He looked over the holster, taking it and turning it over.  “Is this like...hip or arm?  Under the shirt?”  He grinned and looked at the shopkeeper with a teasing grin that faltered a bit.  “Uh...so considering that I’m practically sitting on my wand, any other care tips I probably wasn’t taught?”  He huffed and looked at the pretty leather in his hands.  Not everyone got to repair their twig with the Elder Wand.  And then snap it.

[snakeinthestacks]

julian-wood​:

Caution Wet Floor

snakeinthestacks​:

Albus gave a rueful smile and raised his glass in salute.  “It does seem deliberate right?  Like the way they don’t teach arithmetic at Hogwarts.” He never understood the lack of formal training in anything other than magical courses.  If it wasn’t for his Aunt Hermione, he’d be a much less well rounded human.  Even if he wasn’t quite as worldly as the Wood across the table.

He listened intently, tracing slow circles along the rim of his glass and watching Julian with a thoughtful expression.  He was passionate, that much was certain.  “I’ve never heard of a spell being stored in that capacity.  Not claiming to be the font of all magical knowledge of course.” He grinned.  “But that would be something worth working towards.  I…has an absolute ton of applications, wouldn’t it?  An automated spell system?” His mind rolled through current possibilities, through applications.  “Maybe one of those vile quote quill things?  Might be a place to start, charmwork that reacts to stimuli.”  Just a thought, really.  But it had his mind clicking.

“That almost sounds like a challenge,” Albus all but purred, his grin turning towards the obscene.  He had his moments of adventure, and they tended to involve a fair amount of skin and vague flashes of the previous evening.  But then again, that wasn’t always what people thought of as exciting.  Or dangerous.   

“Sooo…I need to calculate launch trajectories to get you hooked?” Albus asked after a beat, tilting his head with a teasing grin.  That sounded right, given his recent devouring of muggle science fiction literature.  

Julian groaned and leaned his face into his hand. “You have no idea how much remedial math I had to take to survive university–the most anyone can really do is convert from sickles to galleons, but…” He dragged his hand down his face,  though it didn’t hide his exasperation at all. “The less people know, the less they trust anything outside of what they know. Intentional or not, it’s clever.”

Julian spun the ice cube around its glass after he finished the whiskey, studying the centripetal forces from the glass. Except he finally put the glass back onto the table and sat up. “Merlin–that’s fucking genius, mate–I completely forgot that we already have one of those!”

It was not the time to go quill shopping; it would be a waste of time, and Quick Quotes Quills seemed to have a mind of their own. But he was eager now to test the idea right fucking now. He stood up and adjusted his coat again. 

He returned Albus’s smile with a laugh, but tilted his head a little–he had underestimated how much Albus actually knew for someone who literally lived in the bowels of the Ministry. 

“Yes, launch trajectories. There’s so much gravity does to fuck around with those. Now come on, let’s get ourselves some pens. We’re doing this today. Charm the pen to write what I want it to write, that can’t be hard, can it?”

“That bit right there?  Albus crowed, pointing a finger at Julian.  “That’s why I’m not attempting to set foot in a uni.  Waste of time.  Even if I like arithmancy.” His eyes crinkled with mirth before he found himself nodding along with the other man’s opinions.  He wasn’t wrong.  “Sounds like how a lot of pro-Ministry and pureblood propaganda spread in the Second War.” He blinked.  “And the muggle wars actually.” He grinned.  “That one I know.” He had a lot of reading time.  And history was all around him.

He smirked and leaned back against the banquette, raising his glass in a quick salute and draining the last drops.  “Every once in a while, I’ve got a little flash of something that might not be idiocy.”  Oh but he liked that look of excitement.  No one in his department got excited about anything but the tea trolley and the end of the day.  

He didn’t mind the curious look either.  

“Right.  We need more napkins.  And another round, my buy I think?” Albus asked moving to stand.  “Then you can explain how fucked gravity it is.” 

[snakeinthestacks]

lily--potter​:

“Depravity and nonsense. Sounds like fun!” It was true that Lily had somewhat taken after Albus. Certainly now that they were adults and Lily felt like she had found her own place in the world, she could recognise the similarities between them. And even better she appreciated them instead of trying to cast them off. 

She accepted Albus’ claim that he hadn’t no interest in anyone in particular. There was no reason for her to doubt it. James’ public break-up had given Lily a reminder that if she were to get into a public relationship it had better be the one, or her heartbreak would be gossip. She supposed Albus felt the same. 

“Flirted? With Selwyn? Disgusting! Seriously, have some self respect.” It was a joke. Kind of. “Although your strategy might be better than mine. So far screaming at him has made zero difference to the drivel he comes out with.”

“The Albus way really,” he replied with a grin.  Albus was indulgent, that much was true.  But he tended to dive into those wants outside of wix society.  Too often he ended up at a bar by himself if the cocktails were magical.  People too scared to play.  

“It kinda happened by accident?” he admitted, flashing her a lopsided smile.  “Look, I was undercaffeinated and he’s not not fit you know?”  He clicked his tongue and gave her a sheepish little shrug.  “I mean...it wasn’t any less awkward than your encounters?  I don’t think.” He’d never done the shouting thing.

“Dunno.  Sometimes I think that yelling might be more fun.” He shot a look at his sister.  “Does it ever feel good, just letting loose like that?  I...don’t know that I have it in me...” He flashed Lily a little smile.  “Kinda jealous you can ya know?”  She had a spirit that wouldn’t be snuffed, and damn did he envy that.  “Walk with a purpose,” he murmured, looking at his glass before making a face.  “Does wine make me maudlin or did Uncle George do something dodgy with this?” he teased, flashing a little smile. 

[snakeinthestacks]

lily--potter​:

“Doing something wrong?! Speak for yourself!” So perhaps it was true that the reputation Lily had earned herself did not vibe well with her attempts to find a long term stable relationship but she didn’t see how that was her fault. She was acting like any normal 20-something. Having fun! Doing her thing! If her dad hadn’t been Harry Potter no one would have batted an eye-lid, her antics weren’t that outrageous. Lily told herself if she were a normal girl with a normal family she’d have no problem finding someone - it couldn’t possibly be something wrong with her.

“Yes, I’m beginning to think so. Until I find a true romantic I’m happy as I am I guess.” It could be lonely though. She wanted a partner, someone she could share everything with. Until then she’d have to whine to family about her tragic situation. “Do you have anyone you’re eyeing up Albie?”

Hard to improve on perfection. She laughed at that and while she knew he was teasing it made her feel better. Her grin only grew when he informed her about his civil conversation with the press. What a wild idea. 

“Oh? And how did you manage that?”

“I rather think I am,” Albus replied, turning to stretch in the chair, legs dangling over an arm.  “But then I’m pretty sure I’ve been doing that wrong since...ohhhh...6th year?  When I made out with that Hufflepuff in the greenhouses?”  He gave a somewhat dramatic sigh, flashing a teasing glance his sister’s way.  “Beginning of my descent into depravity and nonsense.” Truth be told, he was probably making that worse for his sister.  His lack of direction, his somewhat public acts of indiscretion and vitriol.  Hell, even his schooldays might cast the younger Potter in a bit of a shadow.  There was probably guilt he should have there.  

“Exactly!  Quite the right plan too.  Damn the press and pour another round!” He drained his glass and reached for the bottle, a bright grin on his lips.  He liked his sister bright and smiling.  “Me?  Oh I’ll eye up every fit chap that crosses my path,” he teased, waggling his eyebrows.  Best to deflect that one from some...curious desires that bubbled in the background. 

“Well...I did what I usually do.  I flirted.  And then led him on a merry circle around my mind.  Very easy to get lost there.  Though...I suppose Selwyn isn’t the dimmest candle?  Even if he is a shithead writing about my baby sister.”

[snakeinthestacks]

julian-wood​:

Caution Wet Floor

Beyond their comprehension. Julian knew how incompatible magic could be with technology sometimes. “They might not have comprehended what was coming, but they definitely so screw around with enough that it feels like all of it was a little on purpose. Make change so hard to manage, and eventually they’ll give up trying.”

Julian sloshed at the liquid left with a sad smile, trying to put the idea of giving up out of his mind with another crack at the weather problem. He had a vague memory of being in a computer lab and solving something that was less programming and more logic problem. “See, muggles automate just about everything. Why shouldn’t there be a spell created that just–does it for you already?”

Julian scoffed at the idea of danger. His six years on the house team was probably the most dangerous thing he could have done, a little night out didn’t scratch the top of the list of the near-death experiences one had at a magic school. “Please, I was born on a broomstick. There’s not much more that can surprise me.”

His smile was thin; he hadn’t considered really… looking. It felt like a detour that he wasn’t sure led back to the main path he was on. “I’m not looking for anything–except…” And Julian paused for dramatic effect, mostly because he was already going to sound ridiculous anyway. 

“… a trip to the moon and back.”

Albus gave a rueful smile and raised his glass in salute.  “It does seem deliberate right?  Like the way they don’t teach arithmetic at Hogwarts.” He never understood the lack of formal training in anything other than magical courses.  If it wasn’t for his Aunt Hermione, he’d be a much less well rounded human.  Even if he wasn’t quite as worldly as the Wood across the table.

He listened intently, tracing slow circles along the rim of his glass and watching Julian with a thoughtful expression.  He was passionate, that much was certain.  “I’ve never heard of a spell being stored in that capacity.  Not claiming to be the font of all magical knowledge of course.” He grinned.  “But that would be something worth working towards.  I...has an absolute ton of applications, wouldn’t it?  An automated spell system?” His mind rolled through current possibilities, through applications.  “Maybe one of those vile quote quill things?  Might be a place to start, charmwork that reacts to stimuli.”  Just a thought, really.  But it had his mind clicking.

“That almost sounds like a challenge,” Albus all but purred, his grin turning towards the obscene.  He had his moments of adventure, and they tended to involve a fair amount of skin and vague flashes of the previous evening.  But then again, that wasn’t always what people thought of as exciting.  Or dangerous.   

“Sooo...I need to calculate launch trajectories to get you hooked?” Albus asked after a beat, tilting his head with a teasing grin.  That sounded right, given his recent devouring of muggle science fiction literature.  

[snakeinthestacks]

julian-wood​:

Caution Wet Floor

Julian looked thoughtful. There were apps to scan documents, but the unfortunate fact of the matter was that everything that the magical world operated on was beyond archaic. 

“Do you think that they put some kind of disillusionment charm on it that a phone camera can’t scan over it and turn them into PDFs?” He did feel for Albus; while Julian worked surrounded by arithmancers, he knew that there was an uphill battle outside of the office building. Julian’s own fight with the Prophet was probably just a fraction of what Albus had to deal with, but they were in the same war. “Sounds like you’re in a place that can’t–or won’t–be convinced.”

He took a long sip from his glass and leaned back into the seat. “I mean, if you could get a vanishing charm to work over an aggregate area, I think that would do it. But then that would mean that you’re not the only one needing a grant and an army.”

Julian’s mouth pursed at the question. “You know, I’ll let you decide–since you’re the one who’s being so gracious about accompanying me. As long as I get my Doritos at the end of the night, I don’t actually care what happens. What’s the difference between needing a wingman and a target? Isn’t it the same endgoal?”

Now that was a thought he’d not considered.  Albus tapped the edge of his glass and looked thoughtful.  The idea that the information itself was what was holding up the digitizing was...interesting.  Novel even.  “I’m honestly not sure they’ve thought that far ahead.  The idea of something being digitized is a whole factor beyond their comprehension,” he admitted with a dramatic sigh.  They couldn’t even understand the idea of a filing system that wasn’t marked on parchment.  

“Legacy dies slow in the bowels of the Ministry,” he teased with a little quirk of his eyebrow.  Which helped in some ways, for him at least.  

“That’s not a bad idea.  But you’d have to fine tune and tailor that vanishing charm down to a level of specificity that would make it maddeningly complex,” he mused.  “And could you even contain that into something that could be activated remotely or would you need someone to manually cast that spell when the time is right?” He tilted his head thoughtfully.  The theory here had him interested.  

“You’d leave that in my hands?  Dangerous possibilities, mate,” Albus teased, fingers tapping out a rhythm on the stem of his glass.  He was always up for a new and curious entanglement.  But he honestly didn’t know much about the man across from him. “Well...suppose I need more lay of the land.  What you’re looking for?  If you’re looking?” He shrugged.  “Or I can grab some napkins and we can start looking at the ratio of magic necessary to blanket a city block against rain.”

Which...honestly both sounded like a fine night.

[snakeinthestacks]

lily--potter​:

Lily had no idea what constituted a good wine and she was convinced most people lied when they claimed they did, but Albus was wise in those regards and nodded as if she agreed it was a good bottle. She only hoped it wasn’t too good and she’d ‘borrowed’ the best bottle on the shelf. 

She put her legs feet up on the coffee table relaxing back into the sofa and looking at the bubbles rising in her wine, contemplating her brother’s questions. “No paramours, entanglements or pets to speak of! Except well…” There had been that time she’d turned up at an exes place after midnight and she had found herself in a dark corner of a party with a beautiful woman. She hadn’t got her number though. “Maybe one or two, but nothing really worth noting. No romance. Is that so hard to ask for? I want someone to sweep me off my feet!”

“I guess you’re right, I should focus on being my fantastic self.” She clearly had some resentment in her voice. She had been told enough times to ‘focus on herself’ and it usually came from people who were telling her to stop dating, stop partying and think about her reputation and her career. 

“No?  We must be doing something wrong then.  Only answer,” Albus replied with a bemoaning little sigh.  “We’re awesome after all.” He flashed his sister a roguish wink.  They were awesome after all.  Exceedingly awesome.  Honestly, there were few people he liked being around more than his sister, save maybe his best friend.  “Ahhhh romance might be a dying art.  Like calligraphy?” He frowned and looked at his glass thoughtfully.  That was a depressing thought really.

He liked pretty handwriting.  Not that he himself had it...

The tone of Lily’s voice had him turning to watch here with a shrewd eye.  Too many fights as kids, too many times where they’d sought each other out for comfort or support.  He listened, more than anything else these days, and he prided himself on knowing the most important people to him and their tones.  He knew when there was something...amiss.  Like a creaky floor board.  

“I mean, only if you want to sister.  Hard to improve on perfection,” he teased, light and breezy and watching for a tripwire.  He’d rather not end up with a face full of bubbles.  “Did I tell you I had a mostly civil conversation with the press recently?” He grinned.  “I felt very adult.”