#belloopen

[moody-constantvigilance]

As much as Alastor hated the days leading into an inevitable war, he also hated the days where nothing happened. Days of silence made him feel on edge, frantically waiting for the ball to drop and the next death to be reported. Anymore, he couldn’t sit still to finish a report without his hands shaking. Though, some might say that was from his rather generous intake of whiskey, he knew it was fear. Fear that he was missing something, missing a chance to save someone or put someone deserving of punishment into Azkaban.

Today was one of those days. He sat at his desk, filling out paperwork and reminding himself that he had to do these tedious tasks if he wanted the Head Auror position. It wasn’t an open spot, yet, but the time was coming. His friend and mentor, the current Head Auror, Talmage Macmillan, was fastly approaching retirement.

Alastor was stirred from his thoughts when he felt a presence coming towards him. He gripped his wand under the desk, assured that it was always better to be prepared for an attack. “Are you planning on standing in the doorway all day or do you have something you would like to discuss?”, he asked barely bothering to look up from the report he had been looking over.

[starry-amelia]

The days where Amelia caught herself looking at the clock more than her actual work were the worst. Sure, it obviously meant that she was bored, and being bored always got on her nerves. Being bored at work, though, was a special kind of bad for Amelia. It started with her wishing she was somewhere else, and usually quickly evolved into her spiralling about her career and ambitions. This had been one of those days since two hours into her shift, so as soon as her clock rang 5 o’clock, she was quick to gather her things and leave her office. 

Amelia didn’t intend to end up at The Leaky Cauldron, but then again, when did she ever? She had quickly changed out of her work clothes before leaving the Ministry, and her wandering through London just so happened to lead her to the magical inn. She entered and looked around, it wasn’t quite busy yet but had a fair amount of witches and wizards, and that was typically the pub atmosphere Amelia prefered. She walked right up to the bar, setting her bag down next to her stool of choice, and glanced at the person sitting near. “I’ll have whatever they’re having.” 

[pxtterjames]

 Sun shining, James made his way along the cobbled path of Diagon Alley; the quiet street a vast contrast to the hustle and bustle of Charing Cross Road just on the other side of the Leaky Cauldron. A kitten tucked under his arm and his free hand clutching a carrying case full of various cat treats and toys, he thought he had everything. James had only popped into the Magical Menagerie to get some treats for his mother’s owl when the tabby kitten had caught his attention, and he had tried to walk past, he honestly had, but he was only human and in the end had decided she would be the perfect little addition to the flat he was moving into with his mates. Sirius was going to go barmy, he was sure of that. But his best friend was a big softy really and James was sure—or at least he hoped—he would warm to her. “Can’t disapparate with you, can we? The last thing we need is to bring an irate cat into the house if mum’s Owl is still loose, the poor bird will be done for,” he was saying to the kitten, and as he looked up he realised somebody had been addressing him. “Sorry I was miles away - did you say something?”

[astrasirius]

The back table in the Leaky Cauldron was an ideal place for him to go over his current research. Sirius had been in the field fairly late, and had missed dinner. Here, he could get some of his notes finished up and get a bite to eat in the mean time. Working with rescues was his favorite part of the job, especially when it was with the younglings. Nuri was the first dragon he’d actively helped rescue, and the one that had bonded with him the strongest. At two years old, she was still playful and spritely, and Sirius was able to do the most research with her. He learned her habits, favorite foods, moods, and the different mannerisms she had. Sirius had kept detailed research over the past couple years and had worked hard to keep the trust he had earned form her. 

While he spent some time with Nuri in the morning, most of his day had consisted of tending to some of the older dragons. Most of the older ones that ended up in their care had been injured in some way, shape, or form. Sometimes trust could be earned, but more often than not they had to be cared for from a safe distance and with caution. Common Welsh’s were fairly mild mannered though, so Sirius had actually been making progress with this one. Sirius had gone through a plethora of nicknames before the dragon has seemed to respond positively enough to Knox so that was what he’d stuck with. 

For the last hour, Sirius had been diligently bent over his food and notes. It was easy for him to get caught up in the data and research he had complied and was adding to. If it hadn’t been for his name being called he might not have looked up for ages. Blinking for a moment to let his eyes adjust he responded, “Sorry, I was caught up. What’s up?” he asked.

[ofblackdaffodil]

          « Are you trying to hide ? » Soft question went past Narcissa’s lips quickly as she took in the sight in front of her. She had briefly gone out to look for a powder room to make sure not a single one of her hair was out of place ( contrary to popular belief, having flowers in your outfit did not make your entire look inherently laid back or easy maintenance ) and was on her way back when she caught this. She was not yet at the stage of the night where little phased her, so this might not be off to a great start. 

         Right eyebrow raises slightly before pointing towards the room she was heading towards. « The ball is that way. You’re missing out. »

[fallenstar-andromeda]

Once upon a time, picking out dresses for balls had been one of the only things Andromeda had loved about the socialite world. It didn’t being her the same joy as it once had when she had her sisters there with her, twirling about and laughing. She looked on the racks, picking up the dresses and putting them back, over and over. As she meandered through the aisles, she spotted a familiar face. “Shopping for the fundraiser, too?”

[coronamacnair]

The Ministry of Magic always seemed to be bustling full of people. The floos constantly being used, some days a line forming just to get home. Normally, Corona found herself to be quite lucky. The Floo Network Authority department had their own fireplace that they could use straight from their office. It meant getting to avoid the mass crowds. Unfortunately, some idiot new intern had gotten himself splinched, forcing their fireplace to shut down momentarily, and forcing Corona into the masses of people. She was hardly paying attention when she felt herself being slightly nudged by someone, “Is there something you need?” She asked before turning around to see who was behind her.

[poppybagman]

Daylight was just sneaking through the large glass window in the front of the bakery when Poppy finally put down her dough knife. The baker had already been at work for several hours, liking things to be baked fresh when it came time to open. Daylight seemed to be a good time; she could sleep in a bit during winters and leave earlier in the summer. Today, at least, Poppy didn’t have a plan for after work, and so she’d decided to go the extra mile and cut the danishes into cute pinwheel shapes. They’d still take a bit to bake, but she had the general shape down, ready to fill with sweet cheese and fruits when she’d heard a knock at the store front door. 

“Coming!” Poppy chimed as she’d covered the exposed dough with a damp cheesecloth. Her apron was covered in flour and blackberry preserve, which was a regular trend in her appearance. She’d danced her way as quickly as possible, unlocking the door with her elbow as to not get everything covered in dough. “Sorry ‘bout that. Didn’t expect anyone this early.”