#kaari arcano

[kathrynalicemc]

Arcano Family: Marauders/HPHM Era

Annika Arcano • Born 1970? • Gryffindor • Daughter of Alatar & Else Arcano • Marries Tyr Fraye • Mother of Dayamanti, Dafne, and Dielle Arcano

Kaari Arcano • Born 1972 • Gryffindor • Son of Alatar & Else Arcano • Marries Semele Thorne • Father of Siv, Mikael, and Lennox Arcano-Thorne

Irmé Arcano • Born 1974? • Slytherin • Daughter of Azora Arcano

Kespar Arcano • Born 1975? • Hufflepuff • Son of Azora Arcano

[cursed-herbalist]

DAY 5 OF HPPE23 | THE DRAGON BOIS + role swap Hosted by @gaygryffindorgal —

➔ Aldéric, the cocky Viking wizard brute and skilled swordsman and Kaari, the to-dragons-speaking French pureblood and visiting professor: an exasperating combo but the bestest of friends (/unofficial ship 🙊)

Kaari belongs to @kathrynalicemc

[phoenixresistance]

The Phoenix Archives

Entry 1 - Silent Night

Semele belongs to @endlessly-cursed 💕

London, England - December 17th, 1997

She watched as the snow fell gently outside the living room window in the darkness of the evening. It was completely silent, the only sounds that could be heard was the resonant ticking of a grandfather clock on the opposite side of the room and her own quiet breaths.

She had white hair and her face was wrinkled from the passage of time, over eighty years in fact. The woman currently rocked back and forth in her rocking chair. Her eyes wandered around the room taking in the familiar sights of her house. The Christmas tree was the only source of light in the darkened room, its warm lights throwing a dim halo of light onto the nearby cold and empty fireplace. Dozens of picture frames were strewn across the mantle above it, the smiling faces of the woman’s children and grandchildren looking down at her. Her eyes then darted towards the front door, a gleaming golden wreath peeking back at her through the frosted glass.

The woman was alone in the house tonight as her family were away on holiday. She would normally be in bed at this time. However, tonight was different. Tonight she sat and waited.

The time passed slowly and silently. The rhythmic ticking of the clock and the dancing flurry of the snow lulled her. The clock read ten minutes past nine when the woman’s breaths slowed and her eyes drooped. The darkness took hold for what felt like forever and also no time at all. Before long, the grandfather clock chimed the new hour. The deep echoes stirred her from her sleep, her eyes flicking open and closed repeatedly as she roused.

It was a few seconds before she noticed the change within the dark room. A shadowed figure now stood in front of the fireplace, his back to the woman as he inspected the pictures.

Not even the darkest shadows could conceal the identity of this man from the woman. His long white hair shone through the darkness, mirroring her own.

“Hello, my daughter,” his deep voice finally broke the peaceful silence of the evening seconds before he turned around to face her.

A chill ran down her spine as her fathers cold eyes met hers. His face was sharp and handsome and had none of the wrinkles hers had. The last time she saw him was nearly fifty years ago and yet he was identical. It was like looking at a memory of the past.

“I knew you were coming,” Esmee Amaranthine’s voice was hoarse as she spoke to her father.

Eme answered with a deep chuckle, his hand raising up in the air as his eyes scanned the photo he currently held.

“Cute family. A shame you didn’t invite me to the wedding.”

“I would have, but you were too busy that day being locked up in Azkaban. And every day since.”

A chuckle escaped Eme’s lips, or was it a hiss? His mouth curled into a smirk but there was a hint of annoyance and anger behind his usually indifferent eyes.

“When I finally arrested you and threw you in there, I always knew it wouldn’t hold you forever.”

“It was a worthy attempt. You even went so far as to recruit your children and grandchildren to your cause. I recognized them instantly when they would come for inspections.”

“I guess fighting you runs in the family. Aunt Eleanor would agree,” Esmee replied flatly.

A silence stretched out again, the ticking of the clock taking over the room. Esmee took in her fathers face, her mind predicting what he would say next.

“They are far away from here. Don’t even think you could find them, I hid them well.”

“I guess we’ll see about that,” he shrugged coolly and placed the frame back on the mantle.

“You don’t scare me, you know. You never did. I knew you were coming for me. I’ve had fifty years to make peace with it,” Esmee stated, her eyes trailing one last time around her house. The Christmas decorations twinkled brightly, giving her comfort. Her eyes lingered for just a few seconds on the pictures behind Eme. “If you are going to do it, then do it.”

“Oh, you don’t get to rush this,” Eme grinned as he walked forward, his hand reaching into his coat.

The North Sea - Twelve Hours Earlier, December 17th

Eleanor watched Azkaban disappear into the horizon from her position on the deck of the Jörmungandr as they raced away. She didn’t know where they were going, but she almost wished she was still in there.

“What’s wrong? I thought you would be glad to be away from that hellhole,” Kaari called out from his spot at the bow of the ship.

“You have no idea what you have done,” she muttered, her hoarse voice almost lost over the crashing of the waves.

“What do you mean?”

“My brother. They will release him and he will come after me.”

“He will have to find us first.”

Eleanor could tell there was fear in his eyes that he tried to hide with a smile. She was good at reading people.

The ride was quiet after that, Kaari taking occasional worried glances at his passenger. It wasn’t until a few hours had passed that Eleanor’s tormented and confused mind started to remember the events before her capture.

“Wait! Do you know anyone named Esmee by any chance?”

“Esmee? I don’t believe I know her. Unless you are talking about that gorgeous redhead I met in a pub once,” Kaari grinned before seeing the scowl on Eleanor’s face. “But I doubt you are.”

“No, she would be around eighty or so. I don’t even know if she is still alive, but if she is you need to find her immediately. She needs protection.”

“What, why? Who is she?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just make sure she’s safe. Eme would want to kill her when he gets out.”

“Alright. Once we get to Skalafell I’ll contact the Resistance and get someone to find her.”

However, Eleanor didn’t look convinced. She hardly knew this man and put no trust in this Resistance. She owed them nothing for breaking her out so who’s to say he would keep his word?

Skalafell, Norway - December 17th, 1997, 6:38 PM

The wooden floorboards creaked under his boots as Kaari Arcano quickly dashed towards the fireplace in the kitchen of the Arcano house. With a flourish of his hand and a wave of his wand in the other, floo powder hit the stones and ignited. The flames roared from green into a scarlet red as the magic from Kaari’s wand activated a spell. Only a few seconds passed before the flames shifted and formed a face he knew all too well.

The beautiful face of Semele Thorne stared back at him through the blaze. He had to admit, she was twice as attractive when her lips and eyes were made of crimson fire.

“Calling me back so soon, Arcano? Once wasn’t enough for you? I thought you only did flings. I must have really made an impact on you,” she teased with a playful smile.

“This is strictly business, Ms Thorne. I have a job for you.”

Semele’s eyebrows shot up at the formal address, “Is that right? Why come to me?”

“Let’s just say I trust in your skill set. You are one of the most skilled people in combat and information gathering I’ve ever met. Well, besides me of course,” he added with a smirk at the end, dropping the formality and giving in to her charm so he could flirt for just a second.

“You flatter me, Arcano,” she replied with a sarcastic swoon.

“I should warn you, there is a chance you might run into a very dangerous individual. Do not engage with him under any circumstances. This is strictly a locate and retrieve mission.”

“Got it.”

“In fact, you don’t have to take the mission if you don’t feel comfortable with it. This man should not be underestimated. You will die if you fight him,” Kaari’s face suddenly became serious.

“I’m in,” Semele didn’t hesitate. “So who’s the priority?”

Esmee’s House, London, England - December 17th, 1997, 10:15 PM

The house was dark as Semele Thorne waited in the shadows across the street. Her sharp eyes narrowed and scanned her regular scouting pattern. There were no lights or signs of movement inside, nor anything similar on the nearby houses. The front door was closed and so were the windows. There was no obvious damage to any part of the house. No people walked along the street. Now was her chance.

She slipped out from her hiding place and briskly crossed the street, her head down and hands in her pockets as she tried to remain discreet. She would jump the fence and loop around to the back of the house and enter from there.

A few seconds later, after deftly unlocking the window with a wave of her wand, she found herself standing in a darkened kitchen. Semele waited and listened for any sounds of movement within the house but all she heard was silence. So she decided to enter the next room.

“Fuck,” she breathed, barely a whisper to break the silence.

A figure sat slumped in the rocking chair on the far side of the living room. Even from this distance and in low light, Semele’s deft eyes could still see the trails of blood down the woman’s face.

Immediately, her wand came out and she scanned the room top to bottom and left to right. Once she was certain she was truly alone, she quietly crept closer to the woman.

This was indeed Esmee Amaranthine. She was too late to save her. Blood dripped from her eyes, nose, and ears but there was no other obvious sign of injury. Semele knew this was indicative of the cruciatus curse. She was tortured with extreme pain until the stress on her system killed her. The blood itself was still bright red and fresh, so she must have just missed it.

Semele sighed deeply, shaking her head and hanging it remorsefully. What a terrible way to go. Kaari was right, the man who did this was dangerous.

She stood up and looked around the room again, this time taking in the small details of the woman’s personal life. The elegant grandfather clock ticked away as Semele looked upon the faces in the photos. Esmee had a wonderful and full life by the looks of it.

A thought struck her and Semele grabbed a picture frame, the same Eme once held only minutes ago. She flipped it over in her hand and undid the back, pulling the photo from its frame. She smiled as she found the names of the people within the photograph inscribed upon the back in loopy cursive handwriting.

Semele put the frame back down and tucked the picture safely into her coat pocket. She would report Esmee’s fate to the Resistance and then try to locate her family. They deserved to know.

Then, as quickly and quietly as she arrived, Semele Thorne left the house and disappeared into the cold winter night.

[lifeofkaze]

BTS (writer ask) for PR Allies and Old Friends (22 Jan 1998)?

[ellie-e-marcovitz ☺️]

Thank you for the ask! It was so much fun revisiting the PR for a look at this. BTS, here you go!

The original chapter discussed in this BTS can be found here.

New Year’s Eve had come and gone and the Christmas lights had vanished from the streets of Greenwich. Without anyone noticing, the new year had taken over and Ava still hadn’t had a single word from Kaari Arcano or his ominous underground organisation.

So, we enter Book 2 (or rather, my contributions to the story) almost a month after Ava, Artemis (@the-al-chemist) and Kaari (@kathrynalicemc) have run their coup at Azkaban. Kaari left Ava on the beach with the promise of getting back to her about joining the PR, but that has still to happen.

Ava tried putting her mind back to the catalogue of found pieces from her latest excavation site, but her mind kept returning to the Phoenix Resistance. She wondered why Kaari hadn’t contacted her yet; when they had parted ways in Scotland, he had said that he would find her. Ava had waited for news somewhat apprehensively after getting home, but her apprehension had soon turned to impatience and eventually to indignant indifference. She had better things to do than sitting at home waiting, after all.

Ava is a person who loves being in control and having things in order. Kaari is very much the opposite. So her having to wait for HIM to go and contact her is grating enough as it is, and him seemingly not bothering to do so is making her a lot more annoyed than she would ever care to admit out loud.

The air outside was cold and smelled like it was going to rain soon. Ava flipped the collar of her coat up and snuggled deeper into her knit red scarf. She walked past the dark trees of Greenwich Park and into the direction of the Thames. She weaved through the crowds on her way along the King William Walk, past bustling pubs and shops.

Anyone who read my other Ava stories or the little ask on symbolism in my writing a little while ago might notice my reference to Ava's red scarf, which she wears in almost any short I have written for her so far (if the weather calls for it, ofc). It was given to her as a Christmas present by Charlie, who knitted it himself before they began going out. It started as a reference to the sock-knitting from the game but turned into a symbol for their presence in each other's lives when they can't be physically. Also, perusing the streets of Greenwich on Google Maps to get an idea about Ava's neighbourhood honestly was so much fun.

Ava chose not to answer him. She had spent Christmas with her parents in Castle Combe, but had skipped the annual dinner with her extended family in Lancashire. Christmas with the family was nice, but it wasn’t where she had hoped to be for the festive season. Distracting herself from the hollow feeling inside her chest, she nodded at Kaari.

One of the biggest challenges of the PR was to write it in a way that wouldn't sever all ties to canon characters for each and every respective OC while also not contradicting others. Hence, I never named Charlie as Ava's boyfriend directly, but only ever referenced him to not clash with any other content creators who had definite headcanons for Charlie and their respective characters, too.

Struggling with herself and her instinct at self-preservation, it took Ava a moment to do what Kaari had suggested. She couldn’t take her eyes off the play of light on Ryoko’s scales and how close he was standing to Kaari without so much as looking tense. Everything she knew about dragons and their behaviour was running through her mind, but none of it seemed to add up to what she was seeing in front of her.

Another challenge for me was how varied the perception of dragons is in the HP universe. I know that Ryoko was intended to be more like Toothless from HTTYD (who is the best, let's be real), but personally, I always stuck more to dragons as these wild and completely dangerous/uncontrollable beasts, how they are described in the HP canon. So, to get these two different ways of interpreting them to work together was a challenge, but I think in the end, it worked out quite well.

“No back rooms but an alley is fine? Curious where you draw the line,” Kaari laughed. “And we’re not strangers, we’re friends. Or allies, at least,” he added when he saw her look.

The dynamic between Ava and Kaari was just too much fun. Ava tends to be a little too serious at times, so having a goofball like Kaari to challenge her and bicker for a couple of lighter moments was really needed, I think.

“What can I say,” Kaari shrugged, “people are thirsty these days.” Ava only made a sceptical sound in response, but Kaari didn’t seem to mind. He just carried on talking. “We have barrels just like this one in Skalafell. Okay, maybe not that big, but pretty big. My friends and I used to ride them down a stream when we were kids.”

Considering Kaari's faceclaim, I just couldn't resist a nod to the infamous barrel scene from The Hobbit, and I ain't gonna apologise for it 😂

The dark corridor was even more narrow than the one above and stretched further than Ava had expected. It probably ran beneath the adjacent buildings as well and Ava itched to look at a floorplan, if one depicting this secret cellar even existed. There was a faint, rhythmic noise in the air she couldn’t quite place. Every now and again doors were leading off the passageway and she asked Kaari about their purpose.

Seeing as @kathrynalicemc didn't have any specific headcanons about the more detailed architecture of the headquarters, she kindly let me run wild here, and oh boy, I had way too much fun with it.

Kaari looked between Devon and Ava with a puzzled expression. “Where did you learn how to sign?”

So, Kaari was obv at Hogwarts at the same time as Ava and Devon, but to make things fit, I headcanon him to have been in the year above Ava. (That's actually a common thing that I/a couple of other creators do when trying to fit OCs with conflicting timelines into the same universe). That explains why Kaari and Ava don't know each other or about each other's friendship with Devon. You could argue that they must have seen each other, at the very least, but Kaari transferred to Hogwarts in the year that Ava's brother died and she just had a LOT going on. That and being in different houses, I think, is enough reason for them to have passed each other by.

“Still enough time to do it now,” Kaari said cheerfully. “We’re going to get you ready for your first raid. Consider this your trial of fire.”

Fire is a big theme in my PR chapters, more so for Mina than it was for Ava. But throwing the imagery in there every now and again is something that makes me smile looking back.

[the-al-chemist]

The Phoenix Resistance - Book 2 Chapter 16

A Warning from a Friend

A/N: Artemis finds herself unknowingly at risk from Death Eaters. Kaari Arcano belongs to @kathrynalicemc and Ava Campbell (in mention) to @lifeofkaze. Warnings: discussion of war, imprisonment, starvation, and innuendo. Chapter written as part of the @phoenixresistance project.

30th March 1998, 9.15pm - Central Birmingham, West Midlands, England

A loud crack echoed in the darkened alleyway, and in the shadows a young woman appeared from out of thin air, her skin dirty and dark hair matted. Quietly, she crept forward to the entrance of the alleyway and looked out into the bustling street.

The most recent Muggleborn child Artemis had helped to smuggle out of Azkaban prison lived in the flat above the Indian restaurant across the road. That was promising, she thought as her stomach rumbled loudly. She hadn’t eaten in three days, having given her last meagre portions of gruel to one of the other prisoners, a teenager who looked far more emaciated than she did.

The street was packed full of people, and usually Artemis would have waited for the crowds to clear before she started breaking into the Muggles’ homes, but her hunger was her priority today. Besides, she got the feeling that this street was never completely quiet. If anything, she would be more inconspicuous this way, hidden in plain sight amongst a throng of people. It made more sense to go straight away, really.

But as she went to step out of the alleyway, she found her path blocked by a tall man, his face hidden by the shadow of his hood. Before she could push past him, the man grabbed her and forced her back into the alleyway, towards the wall of one of the two buildings. Instinctively, she kicked his shin and used her split second advantage to duck under his arm and spin on her heel,causing him to lose balance. The moment he stumbled, she pressed her left palm against his chest and pushed hard so that their positions were reversed. Wand already in hand, she pointed it at her assailant’s still-covered face and heard him chuckle. The sound was familiar.

“Is it always necessary for you to greet me this way?” he asked, and Artemis used the tip of her wand to push his hood back, revealing the stubbled face of Kaari Arcano.

“Was it necessary for you to try and push me up against a wall?” she retorted, and Kaari smirked at her.

“Necessary? No. Fun? Yes.”

“You have a strange taste in what’s fun, Kaari.”

“Really? I’d have thought you would enjoy that sort of thing,” Kaari raised his eyebrows. “Honestly, I’m a little disappointed.”

Artemis rolled her eyes and stepped back from him. “What do you want?”

“To talk to you.”

“Fine. Can we go inside the Muggles’ flat first? I’m hungry.”

“You might want to find your meal elsewhere.”

Artemis stopped walking back down the alleyway and turned to face Kaari, frowning.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Here,” Kaari walked to the entrance of the alley and shrunk back against the wall. He beckoned Artemis with a forefinger. “Come and see what I mean.”

Artemis joined him, peering out into the street. “What am I supposed to be seeing exactly?”

“Well, look at those two,” Kaari nodded his head at two men standing outside the Indian restaurant above which the Muggleborn ex-prisoner’s family lived. “Now, would you say that those are wands in their pockets, or are they just really excited about getting a korma?”

“No one gets that excited about a korma,” Artemis muttered, but as she looked closer she could just about make out the outlines of wands concealed under the men’s Muggle clothing. “Death Eaters?”

“Almost certainly.”

“What are they doing here?”

“The same thing as I was doing. Looking for you,” Kaari pulled Artemis back into the alleyway, out of sight of the disguised Death Eaters. “Though, of course, I came here as a friend, and them… Not so much.”

“But why are they…” Artemis’ voice tailed off as she realised what that meant. “They know, don’t they?” She asked, and Kaari nodded his head, though she didn’t need him to. The look in his eyes was answer enough. “How much do they know?”

“They know you’re the one breaking them out, and they have an idea of how you’re doing it. Sort of, anyway. They know about your Animagus form, and they’ve been monitoring the Apparition point, so they know what you look like. It’s only a matter of time before they are able to put a name to your face.”

“They couldn’t find out who I am just from a quick look at my face, surely.”

“Maybe not, but they’ve put out an alert for someone matching your description. There’s a poster and everything. Don’t worry, they’ve made you look very pretty.”

“So what does that mean for me?”

“It means that you probably shouldn’t go out wearing make up until this has all blown over,” Kaari grinned, but at the look on Artemis’ face his smile faltered and his expression darkened. “It means that you are in danger. More so than ever. You are a target now, and if you turn up at that flat, or at Azkaban, or fail to keep a low profile… Well, they’ll have you.”

“They might.”

“They will.”

Artemis pursed her lips and crossed her arms, eyeing Kaari sceptically. “You want me to leave the country, don’t you?”

“I can smuggle you out. Get you back to Skalafell, or to anywhere, really. The network goes all the way out to Eastern Europe.”

“To Romania,” Artemis nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

“We can sort you out with an international Portkey by tomorrow,” Kaari told her, but Artemis shook her head.

“No. Tomorrow is too soon.”

“What, do you need more time than that to pack your suitcase?”

“I have something I need to do here first.”

“Are you crazy, or did you not hear what I-”

“Ava and I… We are going to Hogwarts,” Artemis told him, and he stared back at her incredulously. “There’s something there - or, at least, we think there’s something there - that could actually help to kill him. For good, this time.”

Kaari blinked. “Oh, so you’re crazy then,” he stepped backwards and held his arms out, looking around him as if he were addressing an invisible audience. “She is crazy, this woman here.”

“Oh, come on, Kaari. It’s got to be worth a try, hasn’t it?”

The two of them stared at each other in a silent standstill, neither wanting to be the one to back down. Eventually, Artemis’ nostrils flared and Kaari sighed loudly.

“Okay, okay,” he said, frowning. “How about this? We get you a Portkey tomorrow, and I will go with Ava to find-”

“No,” said Artemis, glowering at Kaari in lieu of providing him with an explanation as to why she wanted to be the one to search the castle for the research. “I will go with Ava, and then I will get your Portkey.”

“I really-”

“Final offer, Arcano.”

Kaari sighed again. “On your head be it. How quickly can you girls get into the castle?”

“As soon as they close the school for Easter.”

“That’s what, a few days away?”

“Ten.”

“Ten days?” Kaari’s mouth dropped open. “Do you not understand-”

“Yes, I understand. I just don’t care,” Artemis said shortly. “Now, are going to organise that Portkey or not?”

“I will.”

“Good. I want it to take me to Sofia, Bulgaria. I can find my own way from there.”

“And where will you go in the meantime?”

“I dunno,” Artemis shrugged. “I’ll figure it out as I go, I guess.”

“You could try Bill Weasley. He’s Secret Keeper of” - Kaari opened his mouth and closed it, as if he were unable to say the name of the house - “his and Fleur’s place.”

“Absolutely not. I am not putting innocent people’s lives at risk.”

“They are in the Order. They know-”

“I said no,” said Artemis, her voice a low growl. She took a deep breath and softened. “I’ll be fine, Kaari. I can take care of myself.”

She walked deeper into the alleyway, ready to disapparate away, but stopped when she heard Kaari call out her name.

“Artemis.”

“What now?”

“Good to see you’ve still got that knife,” Kaari looked pointedly at the goat horn hilt of her dagger - the one he had given her in Skalafell - tucked into her belt. “Keep it close, will you?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

Artemis nodded, and Kaari gave her a small, tense smile, before speaking once more, his soft voice seeming to echo through the shadowed alleyway:

“I just hope you don’t end up having to use it.”

[carewyncromwell]

“You are shameless -- A shameless flirt! Showing some interest couldn't hurt! Some? You show the maximum. And you'd prefer I act like you? Afraid to show interest -- afraid it's taboo?”

~“Vaudeville: Leave Me Alone” from Sideshow

x~x~x~x

brief mention of Kaari Arcano @kathrynalicemc​

x~x~x~x

Once Jacob Cromwell passed all twelve of the NEWTs he sat for with flying colors in the spring of 1991, he left Hogsmeade village to travel the world. Mia was very glad to see him go -- those months of having to see his stupid, smiling face behind the bar of the Three Broomsticks had been an absolute headache to get through. And for the next few years, Mia didn’t collide with Jacob Cromwell once -- something she was very grateful for.

That didn’t mean that she didn’t hear anything about him, in those years. Rosmerta still received letters from Jacob and so spoke of him frequently (and fondly) to Jenie and Ambrosius Flume. There’d be times Mia would overhear some of the Hogwarts professors discussing Jacob, on their trips to Hogsmeade -- talking about how he’d been invited to lecture at Beauxbatons or some such and sounding pleased that he’d turned his life around for the better. Then of course there was the stuff Mia heard through her younger sister Callie.

Callisto “Callie” Flume was the youngest of the Flume sisters, and easily the most outgoing. People warmed up to her very quickly for her sense of humor and amiability, as well as her pretty smile and bold, slightly cheeky attitude. There were those who considered her a total flirt (Mia included), but that didn’t make her any less successful at the Wizarding Wireless Network, where she made her living as a radio host. Although yes, she primarily introduced each song played on the network and announced Network-sponsored contests and products, Callie also tried to arrange and broadcast interviews with well-regarded and/or famous wizards, to spice things up. Some of the interviews she’d arranged -- such as talking to the Irish National Quidditch Team when they first qualified to compete in the 1994 Quidditch World Cup -- had been rather fun to listen to, but others were far less so. Mia had to pause in her work and stroll to the other side of the kitchen so she could switch off the radio playing Callie’s interview with the Weird Sisters’ front-man Myron Wagtail in utter exasperation, after hearing her sister do little but pepper him with pointed compliments for nearly twenty minutes. 

One of the people Callie liked getting input from as a contributor, though, ended up being Mia’s sworn enemy, Jacob Cromwell. And yeah, Mia didn’t care for that at all. She was sure to remind Callie of that after she heard her younger sister had once again hosted Jacob on her radio show last month to ask him about the history of the Triwizard Tournament, in anticipation for the climatic Third Task. 

Callie, true to form, laughed the whole thing off. 

“Oh, come on, Mia,” she teased. “You’re not still all bent out of shape about Jacob, are you? Really, you snap your jaws so much whenever anyone brings him up, one would think you two are bitter exes or something...”

Mia shuddered in utter disgust. “Ugh, the idea! Who in the world would want to date that prat?” 

“Quite a few people, actually,” said Callie amusedly, adjusting her glasses on her nose with her middle finger. “Myron Wagtail, for one. And Kaari Arcano, at least casually.”

“Kaari Arcano?” scoffed Mia. “Why am I not surprised -- he’s always been a total flirt -- ”

“There’s nothing wrong with flirting -- get off your high horse,” Callie scolded, her voice dusted with rather cool passive-aggressiveness. “Kar’s a sweetheart: just look at him with his dragons. I frankly think whoever wins his heart for the long term will be very lucky.”

“Love isn’t a sport,” said Mia coolly, “so it’s not about ‘winning’ anything.”

At that moment, Madam Rosmerta came over to the two girls’ table and dropped off two mugs of butterbeer.

“Hello, Callie -- Mia,” she greeted pleasantly.

“Hi, Rosmerta!” Callie said brightly. 

She then lowered her voice a bit. 

“...I don’t suppose...you’ve heard anything from the school lately, have you? I’d love to have some contributors on about what the Daily Prophet reported, about Albus Dumbledore’s declining mental state, but I wondered if the professors have been ‘round much...”

Rosmerta frowned. 

“No, in fact, they haven’t. But frankly, given the intense criticism the Prophet has been lobbing at Dumbledore, I can sort of understand why.”

There was something faintly disapproving in her voice. Callie clearly noticed it too.

“Do you think it unjustified?” she asked. “The criticism Dumbledore has faced, in the light of Cedric Diggory’s accidental death?”

Madam Rosmerta’s lips knit together a bit more tightly. 

“Professor Dumbledore has certainly earned his fair share of criticism over the years,” she said solemnly, “but I think it’s a bit tasteless, for people to use someone’s death as ammunition against the Headmaster. Cedric Diggory is not a weapon to be used against others -- he was just a boy, and he deserves to be remembered as such.”

Callie’s eyes had brightened significantly. 

“That’s a lovely sentiment,” she said, sounding almost a little too eager for Mia’s liking -- rather like an obnoxious journalist, rather than sounding the least bit empathetic or gentle. “I don’t suppose you’d want to come on my show tomorrow night, to discuss the matter?”

Rosmerta’s expression cooled slightly as she rested a hand on her hip. “Thanks, hon...but I think I’ll pass. I’d hardly consider myself any sort of expert contributor, on this matter.”

She tucked the tray she’d brought their mugs out on under her arm. 

“You could always reach out to Jacob about it, though,” she added with a dewy smile. “He should be around, for the interim.”

Mia choked on her butterbeer. 

“What?”

“Jacob’s back in Britain?” asked Callie, sounding delighted. “I had no idea! He usually only stops by briefly for the holiday season!”

“To make sure Father Christmas drops off the proper coal in his stocking, I suppose,” Mia said rather coolly.

Callie turned to Mia, her mouth open and fully prepared to correct her, but Rosmerta had pressed on.

“He came back just about a week ago. Said he wanted to come home so he could take some time to reconnect with his family...his sister’s been working at the Ministry, you know -- she’s a fine lawyer...”

“Ah yes, Carewyn!” Callie said brightly. “Jacob speaks so fondly of her...give him your ear, and he’ll talk it off about her!”

“Give him your ear and he’ll talk it off, period,” Mia said dryly.

Callie shot another slightly irked frown at her sister, but Rosmerta paid Mia’s snark no mind. 

“He’s found himself a flat in London and he’s just been getting himself settled in. I’m sure if you wanted to talk with him about what happened at the Triwizard Tournament, he’d have some valuable insight on the matter.”

Callie beamed. “Oh, most definitely! Jacob always does seem to have an exciting take on things. Thank you, Rosmerta!”

Rosmerta nodded to the two girls, before heading off to deal with the next round of orders. Mia returned to drinking her butterbeer, rolling her eyes off toward the far corner.

So Jacob Cromwell was back. Great. 

Now I have all the reason in the world to avoid London, she thought dully. 

Callie turned to Mia, her mouth fixed into a girlish pout. 

“I just don’t understand why you’re so determined to pile on poor Jacob,” she said. “Sure, he got into trouble at school...but you know, he really has turned his life around, since then! He’s really been very well-regarded for his Potions lectures -- not to mention the cursebreaking expeditions he’s helped with, for Gringotts! He’s doing a lot of good work, for people...”

“Good work would involve him settling down and getting a real job so he can support his family, rather than running away from them,” Mia said coldly. 

Callie gaped. “Running away from them? Oh, Mia, that’s just not fair!” 

“What else would you call wandering the world aimlessly by yourself like a homeless man and leaving your family to wonder where you are at any given time?”

“Spreading your wings, perhaps? Traveling, exploring?”

Mia sniffed contemptuously. Callie crossed her arms, resting them down on the table between her and Mia as she fixed her older sister with a reproachful eye. 

“Mia, Rosmerta said the whole reason Jacob’s come back to Britain is to reconnect with his family. Does that sound like someone who’s running away? No!”

“It does sound like someone who knows he has been running away, though,” Mia said dryly.

“It sounds like someone who loves his family!” Callie shot back hotly. “Just because he didn’t wimp out like you did and decide to never chase any dreams in the outside world doesn’t mean he doesn’t care!”

Her gaze hardening significantly, Mia put her mug down with a harsh clank.

“Dreams are for sleeping, and I’m not going to sleep while I’m awake,” she shot back harshly. “Dad’s become frailer than ever, in case you haven’t noticed. You don’t think it would break his heart if we weren’t there for him, when he needed us? He didn’t have any family, before he married Mum. He didn’t have anything, before he went to school -- got his job here at Honeydukes! He needs us -- and even if you’re the type to swoon over some bloke for his romantic-sounding adventures, I’m not.” 

Callie flinched ever-so-slightly, but she didn’t break. Instead she and Mia stared each other down coldly from across the table. 

“Choosing to support your family isn’t wimping out,” Mia said lowly. “It’s taking responsibility. And that’s something the likes of Jacob Cromwell doesn’t know anything about.”

She turned away from her younger sister and took a very long sip of butterbeer. 

Callie, meanwhile, had gone very red in the face. She looked like she was having trouble not screaming. 

“You’re -- you’re so judgmental, you know that?” the youngest Flume said petulantly. “Honestly, it’s no wonder everyone at school liked Jacob more than you!” 

Callie slammed her still largely full mug of butterbeer down on the table with a loud clank of her own and then swept right out of the pub, her kitten heels clacking harshly with each step. 

Mia watched her sister go, her sharp green eyes narrowed and her lips tightly knit together, and she took another long sip from her mug, trying hard to ignore the sick, hurt-stained anger twisting her up from the inside. 

[ellie-e-marcovitz]

11 November 1997

I shivered in the cool air of the Underground, as I headed towards one of the airports. I needed to get out of London, out of the UK, but not by portkey.

Or maybe by rail.

But first, I wanted to drop off a message for Marlowe, wishing the happiest birthday possible at the moment. I wasn't giving up, on the Phoenix Resistance, or with teaching, or on my Muggle friends.

I just needed to refocus. And maybe Romania wasn't the best place to do that, but its where Charlie is.

The bulletin board at Aldgate already had several cards on it, and I took a moment to fill out the card before pausing.

It would probably be better to hand this to her myself, along with the few messages I had gotten at the coffee shop. I'd even pulled information from north England, hoping there would be more, but it was equally scant.

Leaving Aldgate, I paused, squinting. While enough time with Charlie left me with a pretty good knowledge of the dragons known to the British, that was probably only a part of existing dragons.

And I didn't recognise the dark blur on the horizon.

It's not like I recognised everyone in the PR, considering I maybe knew Marlowe. I was more familiar with Tonks, the Weasley twins, even some of the older members of the Order. Bill, Mr & Mrs Weasley, Kingsley.

And now they were spread out, all in some form of hiding since August or September. Add in Ron missing off the map of the UK, along with Hermione, and the dude who's supposed to end all this, left me feeling very out of place.

I exited the station and wound my way to the pub, almost walking into Henry, who I recognised from the first meeting.

@phoenixresistance @kathrynalicemc Happy birthday, Devon Marlowe

[kathrynalicemc]

Kaari + Star Sign (Aries)

For @carewyncromwell sorry it’s so late but you know how Uni is 😩 Your other request is also coming eventually! Also laughing at how his Star sign fits him and I didn’t pick his bday for it originally ahdjdh fate ig.