#emmelinepast

[caitrionaebing]

when: June, 1978 where: Hogwarts who: Caitriona and @fidemaledicta​

For her entire childhood, Caitriona had known what her life would look like. She would learn all the things she needed to know to carry on the Burke legacy at her parents knees, and then at eleven she would go to Hogwarts and be sorted into Slytherin as was befitting of a daughter of the Sacred 28 and build strategic alliances with her peers, after graduation she would enter society and marry a suitable man who met her parents’ high standards. For the longest time it had been all she wanted, all she expected, this regimented existence she could waltz through blindfolded; any part of her that might have wanted more was killed off when Andromeda was disowned. 

The problem was, Caitriona had never factored in the dangers of Hogwarts and the variety of its students. Suddenly she’d found herself not just surrounded by people who’d grown up exactly the same way she did but also half-bloods and muggle borns and people her parents would consider blood traitors. No one had done more to show Caitriona the wider world than Benjy Fenwick, but just thinking his name right now hurt. And he wasn’t the only one. Emmeline Vance, so similar to Caitriona in so many ways yet different in some supposedly crucial ones, had made Caitriona question what she’d been raised to believe, too. Caitriona couldn’t acknowledge her feelings for Benjy in public, she couldn’t say goodbye to him in any way she hadn’t already; that was a wound that there was no closure for other than time. But she could say goodbye to Emmeline.

Their graduation ceremony had ended, and Caitriona’s fellow graduates were mingling on the lawn by the Black Lake. It wasn’t difficult to find Emmeline, standing off to the side with no remaining parents to celebrate this landmark moment with. Caitriona smiled a small smile that was somewhat softer than the one she usually put on for polite society as she approached Emmeline. Not usually one for physical affection, Caitriona did not throw her arms around the other girl in an embarrassing display of emotion like some of their classmates, but she did briefly take Emmeline’s hand and give it a brief squeeze. “I think we’re supposed to be excited.” She murmured, her smile turning wry.

[alessandraesmee]

where: an Order of the Phoenix safe house when: December, 1978 who: Alice and @fidemaledicta​

Alice was always excited when there were new members joining the Order. Of course, it dampened the excitement a little when they were so young and this lot was fresh out of Hogwarts. She’d had no idea what she was doing with her life when she was that age, not really. She’d only thought she did. But that was part of why she was here, because she did know what she was doing with her life now, and one of the reasons she did was the people who’d helped her along the way. Now, she had the chance to be that person for others. 

Hanging back really wasn’t Alice’s style, never had been, but she’d been watching more than anything else this evening, and she wasn’t totally sure she liked what she was seeing. There had been some raised eyebrows and not too subtle whispers when she’d first joined the Order, but by and large being an auror and a former Hufflepuff had outweighed being a Lestrange. And she’d had friends like Frank and Alastor at her back. This Vance kid, on the other hand, was on the outside looking in in a big way, and Alice didn’t like it. 

When the meeting was winding down things began to morph into socialization, as they usually did, and Alice made a beeline for this Emmeline Vance. “Hi, I’m Alice. Welcome to White Knights incorporated.”