#( 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 ) — antigone xu

[praefcrtis]

( 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 ) — hogsmeade ( 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 ) — closed ( 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ) — antigone xu ( @antigonai​ )

“wait close your eyes!” daisy yelled out as she walked up to antigone. antigone’s christmas gift was in a small plastic bag that she had grabbed at the market, and daisy shoved the bag into the tote bag she was carrying around. “all good now.” she said and pulled them into a hug. “find anything good since i left?”

[hoggleswart]

LOCATION:    the  ninth  annual  ministry  gala. STATUS:    closed  to  @antigonai

"    look  what  i  managed  to  find  us.    "    he  gravitates  towards  antigone,  like  moth  to  flame,  desperately  seeking  familiar  face  like  a  form  of  comfort.  being  around  them  is  far  easier  to  making  small  talk  with  strangers  and,  away  from  that,  he  suspects  evenings  like  this  can’t  be  easy  for  them  given  everything  that’s  happened  recently.  he  worries.  too  much  some  might  say,  but  never  enough  in  his  opinion.  two  shots  of  firewhiskey  are  triumphantly  placed  down  on  the  table  he’s  invited  himself  to  join,  sliding  into  the  chair  beside  them  with  a  soft  smile.    "    something  a  little  stronger  than  all  that  fancy,  rich people  people  champagne.  figured  we  might  both  need  it.    "    justin  is  a  naturally  social  person,  but  being  around  large  crowds    (  especially  one  as  elegant  as  tonight’s )    doesn’t  come  easy.    it  reminds  him  too  much  of  all  those  dull,  uneventful  summer  dinner  parties  at  eton  his  father  made  him  attend,  hoping  to  perhaps  inspire  wizard  son  to  attend  muggle  college  than  remain  at  hogwarts.  a  little  dutch  courage  goes  a  long  way.  his  own  shot  is  picked  back  up,  raised  in  a  cheers  notion.    "  i’m  not  sure  what  we  should  drink  to,  but  we  should  drink  to  something.  thoughts?    "

[hoggleswart]

＂    i  wouldn’t  dream  of  it.      ⸻      i  grew  up  in  a  family  that  very  firmly  believe  snitches  get  stitches,  and  i  like  to  avoid  those  as  often  as  possible.  had  enough  to  last  me  a  lifetime.    ＂      it’s  as  simple  as  that.  not  because  seamus  overly  believes  in  a  tired  motto  himself,  but  because  he’s  been  here;    clawing  at  hospital      (    or  in  his  case,  infirmary    )      walls,  desperately  seeking  an  escape  from  the  haunting  silence.  it’s  the  very  same  reason  he  refused  treatment,  preferring  to  keep  injured  arm  in  sling  as  skele-gro  works  wonders.  it  seems  antigone  hasn’t  been  granted  the  pleasure  of  options,  though  he  can’t  pretend  he’s  surprised.  images  of  them  and  their  sibling  have  been  hard  to  shake  since  the  attack,  yet  another  traumatic  memory  to  add  to  his  never  -  ending  collection.  sometimes  he  wonders  if  his  mother  was  right  to  keep  him  back  in  ireland,  tucked  away  safe  in  muggle  world.    ⸻    but  then  he  also  wonders  what  might’ve  happened  if  he  let  her,  how  much  worse  events  could  be  with  one  less  person  to  defend  and  he  knows  he  prefers  to  be  present,  even  if  it  comes  with  consequences.  hefty  sigh  heaves  from  chest,  a  slight  shake  in  breath  that  stems  from  anxiety    &    unspoken    (    could  he  have  done  more    /    moved  faster?    )    guilt,  slowly  perching  to  sit  beside  them.      ＂    no  one  would  blame  ye’  if  you  were.  in  fact,  if  you  need  help  breaking  out,  just  blink  twice.  i’ll  jump  right  on  it.    ＂

𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽  :  ( outside ) st mungo's hospital, london  !

"don't tell on me," it's a simple thing, that request. almost laughable, at their age, but antigone has been subject to the whims of everyone but herself for the past week and as childish as it sounds, it's about what this amounts to - the difference between temporary freedom and a stuffy, private room that she has been forced to stand despite the discomfort that goes all the way down to bone boils down to whether her new companion feels inclined to tattle. she's not doing much. it's obvious she's not meant to be there, hunkered down on a stone bench in her dressing gown, hours past visiting and past the gardens being a warm and welcoming retreat, but anything is better than inside. she tells them, voice small, "i just wanted some fresh air. i'm not a flight risk. promise," and uses a bandaged hand to cross her heart. where would she go? the funny thing about loss is how it leaves you only wanting the person you'll never be able to run to again.

[praefcrtis]

( 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 ) — the main area ( 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 ) — closed ( 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 ) — @antigonai​

“third time’s the charm?” daisy asked, already taking out more coins and putting them down on the table in exchange for another chance at the game. she stood in front of one of the many booths the at festival, the dart throwing game in particular. “i’m getting that giant stuffled niffler if it’s the last thing i do, mark my words.” it was dramatic, of course. but who wouldn’t be whem the stakes were this high. 

[praefcrtis]

( 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 ) — wrock de seine ( 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 ) — closed ( 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ) — antigone xu ( @antigonai​ ) !!

“so,” daisy pulled antigone throw the crowd, their hands laced together. “are you having fun? any complaints?” for her own part, daisy was nearly giddy as they walked around wrock de seine. music festivals were not really her thing. she saw little appeal in packed crowds, heat, sunburn, and mind-numbingly loud music. it all really sounded like a recipe for disaster to her. but antigone had asked, had invited her along with her as  date. it was enough to make up for the thousands of times she had to stop and put sunscreen on and the back pain that had developed after days of sleeping in the van with her. 

[praefcrtis]

( 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 ) — diagon alley ( 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 ) —  closed ( 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭 ) —  “   hey  .  ..  hey ,  can  i  ask  you  something ?   ” ( 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ) — antigone xu (  @antigonai​ ) !!

coffee and an early afternoon walk with a friend. daisy couldn’t think of a more pleasant way for their break to go. she slowed her pace and turned around to face antigone but kept walking, backwards (fingers crossed she wouldn’t run into anyone). “ask away, i’m all ears.”

[hoggleswart]

＂  aye,  that  is  what  i’ve  heard.  ＂  murmur  is  low  and  thoughtful,  teeth  digging  into  lower  lip  while  fingers  drum  an  idle  pattern    (  almost  anxious  even  )    against  coffee  cup  to  keep  himself  occupied.  seamus  finnigan  is  a  cynical  soul.  the  war  left  them  all  with  wounds  that  would  never  completely  heal  and  his  loss  of  faith  in  humanity  as  a  whole  might  just  be  one.  he  doesn’t  mean  to  push  the  mindset  onto  other  people,  but  honest  mouth  rarely  ever  takes  a  minute  to  consider  words  before  they’re  spoken,  especially  when  dean  isn’t  there  to  prompt  him  with  a  subtle  kick  under  the  table.  ＂  me  personally?  i’ve  learnt  to  never  really  set  me  expectations  tha’  high.  figure  if  i  expect  the  WORST  from  people,  things  can  only  ever  get  better.  spares  me  a  lot  of  disappointment  when  they  don’t  end  up  proving  me  wrong.  ＂  back  straightens  in  chair,  an  attempt  to  stop  jittery  knee  from  bouncing  and  he  clears  his  throat,  finally  pushing  cold  drink  away  from  him  to  give  antigone  more  focus.  ＂’m  sorry.  ‘bout  what  happened.  ＂  what  else  is  there  to  say  other  than  offer  condolences?  it  seemed  no  matter  how  much  time  passed,  their  generation  would  always  be  grieving  someone;  a  vicious  cycle  that  never  broke.  was  it  any  wonder  he  didn’t  see  the  best  in  people  anymore?

𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃  :  the thing is, not everyone is great. 𝚁𝙴𝚀𝚄𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙳 𝙱𝚈   :  @hoggleswart / seamus finnigan  ! 𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽  :  diagon alley adjacent, london !

" i know that, seamus. " and he probably doesn't mean for these careless words to land the way that they do, and antigone knows it. her response comes with an air of resigned defeat & she flashes a tired sort of smile in his direction, absently swirling the contents of her near empty coffee cup. the action of it is a distraction, nothing more, from the truth of his words. " probably as well as you do, at this rate, " there, she thinks. that's good. rather than taking the whole ' my girlfriend was murdered, oh woe is me ' approach, she manages to think beyond herself for a moment : seamus has been through quite a bit more in his time and, though she's not in the business of comparing wounds, his certainly felt like they trumped hers. " i'm not disagreeing. i just never thought i'd be agreeing, either. we're meant to think the best of people, aren't we ? "

[praefcrtis]

( 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 ) — blackwood manor / haunted house party ( 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 ) — closed ( 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 ) — @antigonai​

“candy?” it didn’t fit with her costume, not at all matching the golden aesthetic she’d taken on for the night, but daisy carried around two store bought bags of halloween candy—the cheap and fun-sized sort. and much of her night had been spent eating it or offering it. she held one of the bags out to antigone. “i think i bought too much.”

[hoggleswart]

justin  is  surprisingly  relieved  by  the  delay.  it  spares  his  dignity  just  a  few  extra  moments  more,  savoring  the  quiet  before  the  storm  and  by  storm,  he  mostly  means  the  embarrassment  of  having  to  confess  what’s  brought  him  here  today.  clumsy  tragedy  follows  the  boy  through  life;    determined,  relentless.  quite  possibly  his  most  committed  relationship  which  oh,  no,  let’s  not  open  that  door.  peace  is  soon  shattered  when  antigone  appears  and  approach  becomes  nothing  more  than  SHEEPISH,  cheeks  already  gaining  a  red  tint  as  they  flush.      "      there  was  an  incident  with  the  dragons  at  work.  betty  got  a  little  singed.      "      hand  lifts  what’s  left  of  affectionately  -  named  wand,  charred  remains  suggesting  singed  might  just  be  the  understatement  for  the  century.      "      think  we  can  save  her?      "      magic  never  ceases  to  amaze  justin.  enough  so  that  he  stays  hopeful  such  damage  can  be  repaired,  rather  than  replaced,  though  uncertain  if  that’s  the  case.      "      or  should  i  be  making  funeral  arrangements?      "

𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽:   ollivanders   !

her favorite part of the month was stock take day. antigone knew that this made her an outlier amongst her fellow apprentices, but when serving customers was the usual, stock take was something to break up the monotony. each box had to be plucked from its place so gently so as to avoid the collapse of precarious mountains and each wand had to be checked so carefully as to assure that what was inside matched what was written on the outside. she greeted each and every one of them as an old friend and murmured their measurements and specifications to a quick notes quill, taking joy from the organisation every time.

the bell over the door gave a little trill to announce the arrival of a customer and from the back room antigone called, "i'll be with you in just a moment!" the oak & dragon heartstring wand that she had been studying was first priority - laid to rest once more in the box it had come from and placed so strategically back in its place that the box lined back up with the dust print it had created over its time here, and only then did she make her way to the front of the store, emerging from an almost invisible gap in the tall shelves to say, with customer service smile tacked on, "i'm sorry to keep you waiting! how can i help you?"

[hoggleswart]

＂      That  only  makes  me  hate  them  more.      ＂         It’s  petty  and  childish,   and  it’s  Lavender  Brown  summed  up  to  a  perfect  tee,    something  along  the  lines  of  if  I’m  not  having  that  much  fun,    how  dare  anybody  else?      The  one  consistent  trait  she’s  carried  with  her  from  kidulthood  to  adult.      Stolen  bottle  of  tequila  is  hugged  closer  to  chest,    as  if  finding  comfort  in  it  and  she  follows  Anitgone’s  lead,    turning  away  from  the  free  show  before  the  temptation  to  throw  things  at  over  -  affectionate  couple  grows  impossible  to  ignore.          ＂      Not  yet,    but  give  them  another  half  an  hour.      Ugh,    people.      Is  there  anything  worse?      ＂            Strong  words  spoken  in  bitter  venom,    as  if  she  considers  herself  so  far  from  the  category  despite  very  much  being  a  person  herself.  

𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃  :  first  of  all,  ew.  second  of  all,  ew. 𝚁𝙴𝚀𝚄𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙳 𝙱𝚈  :  @hoggleswart​  /  lavender  brown  ! 𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽  :  beaumont  court,  marjoribanks  road !

“  at  least  they’re  having  fun,  ”  antigone  says,  in  that  way  where  it’s  kind  of  obvious  the  person  speaking  would  rather  said  individuals  die  or  suffer  a  serious  case  of  painful  boils  than  actually  be  enjoying  themselves.  the  two  that  are  actually  tangled  up  together  don’t  seem  to  notice  their  unwilling  audience,  and  though  she’s  tempted  to  heckle  them  -  at  least  to  tell  ‘em  to  get  a  room  -  she  manages,  just  barely,  to  bite  back  the  instinct  and  turn  away  from  them  entirely.  the  kitchen  of  the  flat  they’re  currently  hanging  in  isn’t  well  stocked  by  any  means,  but  antigone’s  able  to  empty  the  last  of  a  cheap  bottle  into  the  same  shot  glass  she’s  already  used,  which  is  kind  of  a  win  (  not  really  ).  “  it  could  be  worse.  ‘least  they  haven’t  reached  third  base.  ”

[hoggleswart]

The  last  thing  Justin  wants  to  do  is  pry.    He  knows  he  worries  too  much,  but  given  recent  events,    it  would  be  worse  for  him  not  to  check  in.    What  happened  at  the  apothecary  remains  at  the  forefront  of  his  mind,    haunting  his  thoughts,    which  means  he  can  only  imagine  what  it’s  been  like  for  Antigone.    Wasn’t  this  part  of  their  lives  supposed  to  be  all  over  now?    They  fought  a  war,    they  earned  their  peace.    Naive  heart  wishes  that  could  be  true.    Lips  rub  together  thoughtfully,    observant  eyes  taking  in  their  expression  as  if  searching  for  any  signs  their  fine  isn’t  as  fine  as  suggested.    Eventually  though,    he  accepts  answer,    head  nodding.    If  they  want  to  talk,    they  hopefully  know  they  can.    He’ll  leave  that  door  open.        ＂      Well,    I  like  it.    The  new  look.    It’s  very  bold,    very  daring.    You  look  awesome.      ＂        Hufflepuff  opts  to  offer  compliment,    shoulders  relaxing  as  they  ease  back  into  seat.    Hands  stay  wrapped  around  his  own  warm  tea,    holding  it  close  to  chest  for  full  comfort.        ＂      What  made  you  switch  it  up?      ＂        Justin  suspects  it  may  be  linked  to  the  part  of  the  conversation  they’re  avoiding,    but  he  still  asks,    not  wanting  them  to  think  he’s  tiptoeing  around  the  subject.

𝙿𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙿𝚃  :  i’m  not  bothering  you,  just  checking  in. 𝚁𝙴𝚀𝚄𝙴𝚂𝚃𝙴𝙳 𝙱𝚈  :  @hoggleswart​​  /  justin  finch  fletchley​  !

“  i’m  fine,  ”  they  dimple,  though  even  they  have  to  concede  that  their  very  freshly  shaved  head  will  undoubtedly  factor  into  how  much  justin  believes  that.  they’re  doing  better  than  they  were,  which  is  something  ;  they’re  out  of  the  van  and  they’re  dressed  weather  appropriately,  which  is  to  say,  they’ve  actually  managed  to  remember  to  layer  for  the  cold  front  &  have  gone  one  step  further  in  ordering  a  hot  drink  to  hold  onto  while  they  sit  outside  of  rosa  lee.  actually  getting  around  to  drinking  it  is  another  story,  but  antigone  can  only  do  so  many  ‘normal  people’  things  in  one  run.  “  honestly,  ”  they  double  down,  though  their  intent  from  the  get  go  is  to  steer  the  conversation  elsewhere,  “  i’m  just  a  bit  chilly.  turns  out  longer  hair  kept  my  ears  warm  -  who’d  have  thought  ?  ” 

[hoggleswart]

"you're not in much danger from me," she tells him, and she actually manages a tiny smile. she might even be able to make a more off color joke about it, someday. something about how she doesn't bite or at the very least that she won't when it comes to seamus finnigan. it'll take a while for the grief to become manageable, longer still for her new normal to sink in enough to allow it, but antigone's resilient. she thinks she is, anyways. not in the same way that her WAR HERO peers were, exactly, but she's been through enough to be close, hasn't she ? eventually it'll be enough. she's wanted to see seamus this whole time and now she doesn't even know what to say to him - typical - and settles for scooting up a bit to give him some room to sit down, which also, thankfully, puts some distance between them. she wonders if that matters to him, and tries not to dwell on the thought. it will, to others. funny, that. "i think i should stay put," it's hard to admit that when she so desperately wants to leave, but that feeling is outweighed by the terror of what awaits her outside the hospital walls. sometimes, at night, she works herself up so much just thinking about it that she spirals worse than ever, and she's not sure she's ready to deal with that alone. "but if i do decide to make a break for it, you'll be my first call. you're kind of my hero, aren't you ?" it'd probably be cringy to say aloud if it weren't also the truth.

he  settles  down  beside  them  with  little  hesitation,  arms  coming  down  to  rest  against  parted  knees,  head  slowly  nodding  in  agreement.    "    yeah.  yeah,  i  guess  staying  put  is  the  sensible  option.    "    it  isn’t  something  seamus  is  overly  familiar  with  himself.  he’s  unpredictable,  reckless.  antigone  seems  wiser  than  that.    ⸻    or  maybe  it’s  something  else.  fear,  uncertainty.  the  aftermath  of  the  werewolf  attack  still  hangs  heavy  in  the  air  and  he  wouldn’t  blame  them  if  st  mungo’s  felt  safer  than  the  real  world.  brows  momentarily  draw  together  at  the  word  hero,  quick  to  rebuff.    "    i  wouldn’t  go  that  far.    "    it  feels  wrong  to  accept  such  a  title  when  it  comes  from  just  one  xu  sibling,  not  both.  the  bitter  taste  of  failure  creeps  up  on  him  and  head  rolls  to  one  side,  trying  to    (  unsuccessfully  )    ease  out  the  crick.  battle  wasn’t  unfamiliar  to  seamus.  neither  was  loss.  that  didn’t  mean  it  ever  got  any  easier  though.    "    i  was  just  in  the  wrong  place  at  the  right  time.  we  all  were.    "    blue  eyes  stare  ahead  for  a  few  silent  moments.  they  watch  as  people  bustle  by;    some  rushing  to  work,  others  arriving  with  get  well  soon  presents  clutched  tight  in  their  hands.  it  never  ceased  to  amaze  him  how  the  world  kept  on  turning,  even  in  times  when  it  felt  like  everything  should  stop.  nail  picks  at  cuticle,  a  bad  habit  his  mama  hated,  right  left  starting  to  bounce  as  throat  finally  clears.    "    i’m  sorry  about  your  sister.    "