stvrdsts

[stvrdsts]

Mary gave him a look of mock offense and scoffed at his words, shoving his arm playfully. "Oi, you take that back right now, it's not my fault I have the worlds most... muggle brother," she rolls her eyes, taking a sip of her drink. "He likes soccer and won't even try a chocolate frog. Not my fault I'm the cooler Macdonald."

"You know what?" he mused, leaning back against the bar. "I think that makes his terrible opinions your fault." He nodded before she could argue. "Yep, it definitely does, given that he gets all his magical knowledge from you." Sirius sighed, shaking his head in an exaggerated fashion. "I'm disappointed, Mac, I expected better from you."

[stvrdsts]

Mary raised her eyebrows at Nick's eye squint, cutting him a look as if daring her to call her a liar, resisting the urge to scoff in his face. She was never known to be a liar - choosing honesty over deception had always been a big part of her, but she always had a tendency to keep secrets to the grave; her own especially. Fear froze her heart for a moment as Nick's fingers ran through her hair and it was a moment before Mary took a step back, letting her hair fall between the cracks of his fingers as her own curled into a fist, nails digging into her palm. "Well, luckily I'm never really alone, then isn't it? I keep great company and you're not it."

If Mary hadn't wanted to punch him before then she certainly did now as his words washed over her, the jagged scar on her forearm hidden underneath layers of clothes proved how much Nick didn't care, the countless nights spending awake in the common room by the fire because she didn't want to wake her friends up with endless screaming from her nightmares. "You have a fucking hilarious way of showing it, Nicholas. Is there a reason why you're bothering me? Or is this just another twisted way of showing you care?"

That caught Nick for a loop, and he squinted at her in suspicion. It had been a long time since Mary had managed to lie to him, she'd never been that good at it. Looks like it hadn't been Alecto after all. Good thing he'd not talked to her yet. As protective he was of his things, Nick didn't actually have a death wish.

"You're too clumsy to live by yourself, you idiot." He said, stepping forward again to run a hand through her hair. "Of course I care." Nick always had, just not maybe the way Mary had always wanted him to. Especially not recently.

[stvrdsts]

"I'd say I'm quite a generous lover, thank you very much - but alas, you're right. I don't think anyone in the world could quite compete with him really." she hides her blushing cheeks behind a curtain of hair, busying herself with pouring the tea in two lavender tea cups. Picking up the firewhiskey in one hand and gesturing it to Dorcas' teacup in question.

Part of her wanted to tell Dorcas everything - the lack in remembering certain nights throughout the year, waking up the next day to marks and scratches on her and no memory of how they got there, but Mary also didn't want to admit she was probably just losing it. "That is incredibly juicy and I'm all down for it. Have you tried magically tying his shoelaces when he's not looking? It's childish but a classic. Or, you could just reply with And? every time he talks to you."

"You say that now, but do you think you can handle me on a regular bases?" Dorcas teases, a playful smirk on her lips. "Plus, we both know who you are crushing big time on. I could never compete with him." She blows her a kiss.

Dorcas had noticed that there was something off about her best friend. The way she retreated a little and she knew better than to bring it up unless Mary wanted to talk about it. "Peppermint tea sounds nice." They would always have each other, and she would make sure her friend knew that she was never alone. "I was thinking you could help me come up with a way to annoy Gideon at work."

[stvrdsts]

Mary hated how concerned he sounded, as if nick actually cared about her well being like a friend like she thought they once were. She grit her teeth and stared at him as he moved closer, taking a moment to step back from him. "Don't. You can't do that, Nick, you can't pretend you care. I don't want your fake sympathy." I want the real thing. She wanted to know the boy she befriended was still in there, even years later. Even if he wasn't.

"Besides, no one did this - i did it to myself. Fell down some stairs, I don't think you could even make inanimate objects regret things." Mary knew there were no stairs involved, and yet her memory was drawing up a blank on how else she had done it; the night with Alecto magically erased from her mind as all their other encounters had been.

His eyes caught on her leg and held, narrowing. Alecto's handiwork no doubt. Usually he appreciated Alecto's work, she could do things with a wand he only dreamt of, but not when she broke his toys. "Someone hurt you." He said as he stepped closer. Nick didn't fake the concern in his voice. "Tell me who did it. I'll make them regret it."

It was almost a promise. If it was Alecto, there was only so much Nick could do. But if it wasn't... well, it could be a little welcome home present to himself.

[stvrdsts]

There was no one in the world Mary hated perhaps more than Nick, a long-burning hatred ignited since she was in school - he had taken her innocence like it was nothing. She had tasted the first brew of the war because of him. And yet some part of her missed him, as insane as it sounded, some part of her heart still clinging onto the fact they had been friends once.

But that didn't stop the hairs standing on the back of her neck as he approached, or the unfurl of her upper lip in mild disgust, trying not to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. "I'm not your dove," she says in a monotonous tone, rolling her eyes for better effect, though she had put too much weight on her left leg and she winced slightly. "Believe me I was dancing in the streets from your absence, it was a nice christmas present. I might not care that you're offended, Nicholas. What do you want? I have places to be, much more important people to be seeing."

where; diagon alley, post-nye whomst; mary @stvrdsts

There was always something... nostalgic about checking in on his favorite little pet project. He knew that Alecto had taken to doing something similar (and he really would have to talk with her about that, maybe once the babies arrived) but he could hardly let Mary forget him. What they had, after all, was special. They'd had such fun together. He had had such fun, ruining her.

"Hey there, dove." He said as she approached, lounging against the wall as if he didn't have a care in the world, "You didn't forget me while I was gone did you? You missed my birthday, didn't even send a card. I might be offended."

[stvrdsts]

Mary couldn't help but let out a giggle at Dorcas' words, throwing her friend an air kiss. "Careful what you wish for Meadowes, I'll fight anyone for your hand in marriage." Though her heart would always be with Peter, Mary had a tendency to love her friends a little too well.

Dorcas had a good point and Mary knew it, something deep inside her though was itching for release - feeling more and more on edge each day the mark on her leg took to heal. This, she decided, she would keep to herself. "That's fair I guess - better to savor it now until we're all scrambling to get it back," she shrugged, giving a wave of her wand towards her boiling teapot and some mugs, directing them to her coffee table in the middle of her living room, Mary's smile only widens. "That actually warms my soul, you know. Would you like some peppermint tea? it pairs well with a dash of firewhiskey."

Dorcas didn't mind a little quietness, it made work a little dull, she wouldn't lie, but then that also meant that her friends were safe. That mattered the most to her. She reached forward and took the bag from Mary. "I'm a baddie. Maybe someone will catch me." She smirks shooting her friend a wink. She wasn't going to tell her friend about her run in with Mulciber.

"I think we should both enjoy the peacefulness, I don't feel like it's going to last for long." She admitted, taking a bite of her food. "If by interesting do you mean am I annoying Gideon Prewett." A slight pause. "I can assure you I am. It pleases me greatly."

[stvrdsts]

Mary couldn't help but snort and shake her head in amusement. "whatever helps you sleep at night, of course." It didn't help that she probably aided in Mcgonagall's premature grey hairs, but she laughs in amusement at Sirius' reaction. "Okay in his defense though, Seb's barely had involvement in the wizarding world - I don't even think he knows the difference between the two. He'd be a right laugh though, trying to figure out this world."

"I like to think we kept her young," Sirius replied with a grin. They certainly kept her alert anyway, always up to something mischievous in some part of the castle. "Don't tell me he thinks a troll would win?" he asked with a mock gasp. "At least giants have the intelligence to communicate somewhat, trolls can only grunt."

[stvrdsts]

Everything inside the girl was screaming to give up, to let go to the throbbing pain running through her body and the black spots dancing across her vision, but for Mary that was every bit a reason to not give up. To not succumb to the darkness threatening the very essence of her; instead looking up at the death eater through blurry eyes, unable to respond with a smart retort.

Instant relief flooded Mary's body as the death eater ceased using their wand, barely being able to catch her breath and flinch away from their touch. "Wh-what are you-" she barely had time to murmur out, realisation slowly dawning on the girl that perhaps, this was not the first time after all, as the scar on her right leg was revealed - as if they had known it was there the whole time.

Mary had thought she'd done it during a mission, she'd sworn she'd remember - and then, it felt like mary's skin was on fire. A clenched scream rattles through her bones as she felt the wand dig into her skin, flinching away in automatic response - sweat beading down her forehead, coating the front of her hair. "Why - why don't I remember?" Mary managed to pant out, her sentence broken by screams of pain. "Why are you doing this to me?"

This was why she was rather fond of Mary Macdonald, the piercing scream that would echo from her, fill the space around them, and it brought a sense of comfort to the witch. This was what mudbloods were good for, a form of entertainment when they were bored. "Bold words coming from you." She spoke with a sickly sweet tone, a contrast to the pain she was inflicting on the one tied to the stone slab. If it were not for the babies she was carrying, Alecto would have climbed up on the table and taken another approach.

Instead, she ceased the unforgiveable curse and went another route. "Why stop the fun there." The dress that Mary was wearing, she hiked up enough to expose her thigh, the right one sporting a scar, one that was given the first time they were together. A spell whispered to set the tip of her wand hot, scolding hot, that she let it press into the inner thigh of the other leg, dragging it downwards. "We must have a matching side."

[stvrdsts]

Mary had survived far greater battles than this one with Bellatrix, though it felt more personal and targeted than her run-ins with masked death eaters had been, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible would happen. If not now, then later, Mary would bet on that. Her cheeks hurt with the cheery disposition she had put on, but her smile never faulted once even when the scroll was shoved into her chest; Mary simply shook it off as if it didn’t hurt, and looked into her dark eyes with mild uncertainty. “I would say that he might think there is an ulterior motive behind it, but I do not know him well at all, so who's to say?” Stepping away to break the close proximity between them, Mary followed behind her into the room, glad for the silence between them. 

It finally felt safe enough to let out a breath, her fingertips tracing the patients form lightly as she paced around the room in thought. Muggleborn. All patients were muggleborns, her eyes travelled to him in the bed in guilt - as if it were her fault they were there. It wasn’t, but Mary could feel the pressure of muggleborns all around her too afraid to speak. And one thing about Mary was she was never afraid of speaking out, but the consequences that now came with it. The world shouldn’t be built on torture and manipulation, but it seemed to be the consensus in Mary’s daily life. “Poor thing,” she murmured out loud enough for Bellatrix to hear, as Mary stepped closer towards the patient to push in a few more vials of potions. Her hands were quick and fingers even quicker as she went to work, a crease forming in her brow as she concentrated on getting the correct doses, holding a few syringes up to the light to get a more accurate reading - feeling satisfied, Mary grabs a quill from her coat and jots down a few notes on the chart before turning to Bellatrix, her gaze firm. 

“I have to check up on the rest of my patients, I trust that he will be left in your very capable hands, I assume? I’ll be back in approximately two minutes. Then I can take you to the next on your list.” Mary shakes the scroll in her hand and resists the urge to roll her eyes - knowing that would do no good for anyone.

Bellatrix had a sixth sense when it came to fear. Drawn to it like a fish on a hook, she couldn't help the spark that ignited her expression at all the little signs. Shivering and stalling, pupils widening and lips parted in hesitation. Mary was like an open book, though her fortitude was an admirable mask. Bellatrix supposed she'd been a Gryffindor for some reason, after all. It seemed this mudblood had more balls than most wizards. Not that it was much to brag about - there were not many men who impressed her with their strength of character. Flaunting the power granted merely by their gender, Bellatrix did not think twice about stamping them down a few pegs; just as she did not reconsider forcing muggleborns into their graves. Or as close to graves as they could get.

So to Mary's possible disappointment, she smiled more broadly, enjoying the fight, as passive aggressive as it was. It was a wild entertainment that curved her lips unpleasantly. Softly, she chuckled, following behind Mary and observing the way she moved, the Ministry's scroll trailing behind them both like an unwanted herald. It would have been easy to do something outrageous. But she could control herself, though temptation was a mighty sin. As much as she yearned for a quick release, her aim today was far greater - and so was her need to please the Dark Lord.

Halting beside the patient's room, she peered through the door, satisfied to see them still sleeping soundly. Then she promptly rolled and caught the scroll, and shoved it into Mary's chest.

"Just the two of us, sitting around an unconscious body?" Barely a foot apart, her blazing stare drove into the younger witch's eyes. "Why, that's almost scandalous, Miss Macdonald. What would my husband think?" And with that, she snorted and made her way into the room, focussing on the patient as though Mary were not there.

[stvrdsts]

She had high hopes for the New Year - Mary was going well at St Mungos, she was sure the long hours were about to be traded in for a promotion. In premature celebration she had of course graced the streets in her most glittery outfit, a black and pink dress paired with rhinestones in her hair and hope lit up in her eyes, walking the streets with a drink in her hand, searching the crowd for her friends and finding Peter instead; cheeks turning slightly redder than usual.

A tinkle of laughter escaped her lips at his response, giving him a cheeky smirk. "Not even to commemorate my hottest outfit yet? that's a damn shame, P." She makes a tsk sound with her lips, before waving her drink towards his and then towards her own lips, "Well come on then darl, drink up. Take in the new year in all it's glory, or whatever they say."

where: Diagon Alley NYE

who: open to anyone

Peter Pettigrew didn't mind working parties, they were often fun nights with plenty of people lining up to get their photo taken for the Daily Prophet. Occasionally, you stumbled across people who sought that you would be their personal photographer for the evening. To that, Peter couldn't help but pat their shoulder and bid them adieu. However, he did tend to turn a blind eye when they were his own friends. His camera around his neck, Peter felt a tap on the shoulder around ten minutes after the countdown. Just when he had the first pint of the evening in his hand.

"Oi, not now. It's a new fucking decade, and I clocked off in the 70s." Not bothering to look turn around to see who was behind him.

[stvrdsts]

She was always grateful for Dorcas' company, and she couldn't fight the smile that appeared on her lips whenever she was around, digging into the bags of food she had brought before settling down on the couch. "You'd think there would be some baddies to catch in this day and age, when did everyone get so sneaky?" Mary manages to say through a mouthful of chips, trying not to choke as she swallowed, before offering the bag to Dorcas with a shake of the bag.

At her question, she shook her head no and made a face. "Is it bad of me to wish someone got badly injured so there would be something to do? I've been counting the amount of potions in stock just to pass the time," she said rather mournfully; she'd never known a month so slow at work - mary had even caught up on her paperwork for once. "Please tell me you've had a more interesting time at work."

The second the door was opened, Mary walked in like she lived there, kicking her boots off and hanging her jacket, before following her friend into the living room with the bags of food. Dorcas had been here plenty of times, that most of her friends places, were second homes to her. A couch that she had crashed on once or a thousand times. She had lost count.

The witch places the food on the coffee table before finding her usual spot in the oversized chair, reaching for her blanket to place over her lap. "Nothing too much. It's been a little quiet." Both at work and the Order. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. "Has the hospital been busy?" That was usually the last place she would go, unless she was being admitted; which was at least three times a month.

[stvrdsts]

Mary liked to use any excuse possible to dress up - spending most hours of the day stuck within the walls of st mungos, holidays were really the only time she could be herself, and the street party was the perfect place to show off her new dress robes.

She looks up at a passing voice and lets out a little laugh, "I'm thinking you can get that in a minute and a half surely. Believe in yourself a little more and you can do big things."

for: anyone where: outside area of florean fortescue's ice cream parlour

Ludo did not have a favorite holiday, perhaps his birthday, but this would be a close second. An excuse to party with anyone who was around was always welcome for him. Which was why, after quite a few shots, he had left the comforts of The Three Broomsticks and decided he was really craving ice cream.

So with a cone in hand, he was settling in one of the tables as he spoke to a near passerby.

"Oi, how fast do you reckon I could eat this whole cone? Because I'm thinking less than 2 minutes, tops."

[stvrdsts]

After a beat, Mary’s quiet laughter had joined Andromeda’s and she couldn’t help but smile at the long forgotten memory of childlike laughter and what true peace had felt like, in a time before magic tainted her view on the world. “Do you suppose there are any creatures that could beat a hippogriff in these hypothetical scenarios? Surely they’re not that overpowered,” She sips on her own drink while deep in thought, before opening her mouth to pipe up, “what about the giant squid?”

Andromeda laughed as the other explained that her father had done the same. It was one of her favorite things in the world, to watch Ted with Dora. It healed a part of her that had felt broken when she had been cut off from her family. “They are extraordinary creatures that is for sure.” She agreed, taking another drink from her glass. She laughed as she was asked another question and she shook her head. “I think the argument would still stand, don’t you? Giants while large and formidable, I think the hippogriff still has the upper hand.”

[stvrdsts]

Mary let out a snort at Sirius’ reply, shaking her head in mild amusement. “Well she would’ve had to do something after dealing with you lot for years,” as if she had been the picture perfect student herself, Mary liked to think of herself as a favourite student of Mcgonagall’s. “At least that’s something we can both agree on then. I asked my brother the same question and he looked at me as if I’d grown two bloody heads.”

"I always suspected she was up to something nefarious to keep her cool all the time, I just never thought it would be that," he said with a thoughtful sigh, holding back a grin. Sirius paused in thought at her next question, tilting his head slightly. "A giant. I think they're quite evenly matched, and a troll would have the advantage at night, but sheer size would give the win to the giant."

[stvrdsts]

She tried not to flinch at the sharpness of the death eater's words but Mary's skin still crawled at the cold words thrown at her. It wasn't the first time she had been tortured - Mulciber had taken that award and held it over her head everyday since, his face showed up every night without fail to haunt her dreams, but some part of her had grown familiar with the darkness he provided ; even if it was a figment of her imagination. Mary wondered if this hooded figure would join him in her nightmares too, opening her mouth to speak - - and yet all that came out was a piercing scream as the spell made contact with the target. Her.

It felt as if every nerve in her body was on fire, searing pain shooting through her body like she had never known before. tears welling in her eyes - Mary clenched her jaw shut to try and keep silent, not wanting to give the death eater anymore satisfaction. Her wrists were starting to chafe and turn red with how hard she had been pulling against the restraints, but Mary looks through bleary eyes towards the death eater, a shaky smile on her lips despite the pain that ran through her. "Fuck you." She spits out weakly, heart thumping out of her damn chest, the thought daunting on her that perhaps this was going to be different than Mulciber's schoolyard games.

Mary was more than just a healer. She was a mudblood who thought they belonged in their world. The woman was sorely wrong and she was here to remind them of their place. "You are a no one." Alecto spoke with a sharpness that could cut there. "You breath our air that you do not deserve to."

The rise in tone and the sarcasm laced behind the vile woman's words cause her to sneer. "We are here to play my game." A flick of her hand. "Crucio." Sending a searing pain with in the witch held captive on her stone table.

[stvrdsts]

Exhaustion rattled through every crevice of Mary's body, the bags under her eyes were also carrying bags and she hadn't brushed her hair in three days, but she still managed to crawl out of bed and put the shower on at least.

By the time Mary had stepped out of the shower and dressed, Dorcas was at her doorstep and Mary couldn't help but smile as she padded towards the door, wet hair trailing down her back, flinging the door open to greet her friend. "It's always cold, darling Dorcas, how are you not used to it by now?"

Stepping aside to let Dorcas in, Mary walked towards her living room area and made herself comfortable on her couch. "You know the way to my heart, though, I love offerings. Have I missed anything important from the outside world?" It was rare for Mary to go quiet on her friends, but work was pulling her down more than usual, and it was easier to hold the weight of exhaustion by herself.

where: mary's home who: @stvrdsts

Dorcas was one of those overprotective friends, even more so when it came to Mary and what happened to her in Hogwarts. She had made it her life mission to make sure Mulciber never has a moment of peace for what he did.

She had finished up work, gathered some of their favourite food, and in true fashion, turned up to her friends house uninvited, but knowing they would be home. Knuckles rap against the door.

"Look Marigold, I know you're home. Open up. I bring an offering." The witch calls out in her usually bossy tone. "Are you really going to leave me out here standing in the cold?"

[stvrdsts]

Mary was no stranger to torture, her experience with being taunted by Mulciber and eventually cornered had left her with scars unseen on the skin but entirely on her heart and in her mind. It changed her perspective in life the moment her sea-blue eyes opened in the hospital wing when she was fifteen, and even more so later in life. Perhaps if she knew what Alecto had been doing to her during their little sessions together she would be smarter in her approach to other Purebloods. Yet Mary had no idea so the fire in her eyes only grew as she stared at Bellatrix, watching the others smile lose their fake politeness, revealing one of a cruelty Mary could only imagine; suddenly she was the prey caught in the light of its predator and a shiver ran up her spine.

“It would be a shame, would it not? Magical lives lost, how terrible,” Her tone remained cheery if only to combat Bellatrix’s cruel undertones, her eyes dropped to the woman's hand as she pulled out her wand, momentarily freezing as the wand was pointed to her for a moment, before focusing on the scroll hovering in front of her. 

She was not about to have a stand-off with Bellatrix at her work and Mary briefly wondered for a moment if she’d ever have the nerve to duel with her, not realising that they’d already had over multiple battlefields, so she smiled as if they were good friends, knowing it was better to not argue with a Ministry Senior. Mary hoped it infuriated her. “Well I will wait with you then, if you don’t mind. I need to check on their vitals and administer any further potions required; let me lead the way.” Knowing she would have to leave Bellatrix alone for a few minutes eventually made her insides turn with nerves, there was just a bad feeling that she couldn’t shake off. Mary was simply hanging onto the simple fact that she was here on behalf of the Ministry, as she neared the first patient's room. “After you.” Her mother did raise her with manners after all.

Had Bellatrix known what tricks her sister-in-law was inflicting on this mudblood, she'd have thrown back her head and laughed like there was no tomorrow. Sadistic fantasies were hardly strangers to her corrupted mind. Moreso, they were rarely fantasies at all. Bellatrix was not a witch who merely thought of blood and glory but went no further. She stopped at nothing. Hellbent on destruction for her own indulgence, she caroused through life with glaring selfishness and an insatiable thirst for savagery. But as it happened, she knew nothing of Alecto's games. It was perhaps for the best. If she'd known, she'd have wanted to taunt her about them.

Still, at least Mary showed some manners. She appreciated her polite deference, though it was far from the total enslavement she desired. The spark in her eyes was an incitement that gripped her, the young witch's determined boldness a tempting lure to break. Her smile intensified, broadening and losing all fictitious sweetness. What remained was a lightly predatory glaze; the glimmer of what lay beneath her pristine and respectable appearance. It was the sort of cool sheen that could be mistaken for wealthy pureblood arrogance, but for the cruel tint that coloured her next words. She was toying with the girl. She didn't bother to hide it.

"And what a shame it would be if they don't wake. Muggleborns, weren't they? The latest ones brought it? The ones I'm supposed to interview." Withdrawing her wand, she directed it between them. Even in the split second that passed, the energy from the Dark Witch was palpable. Impending threat oozed from the action, though a rapid swish of her wand had a list appearing from nowhere, a scroll unravelling, bearing instructions from the Ministry and the names of the patients to be examined. "I will wait in their room until they wake." Bellatrix Lestrange did not wait with commoners.