#. 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 ︙ thread.

[caspark]

“ professor? ” he cleared his throat first to make himself known, then an amused smile curled his lips. he hadn’t seen her since his days at hogwarts. “ didn’t expect to see you here, ” he admitted, though really, everyone had been invited—even him. “ mind if i sit? i promise i’m not drunk or anything. ” he spoke with confidence, though the warmth in his tone never wavered. “ i can pop over to the bar and get you something, if you like, ” he offered helpfully.

ft. 𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐀𝐖𝐂𝐄𝐓𝐓 ( @pcnsieves ) 📍 ST. MUNGO'S HOSPITAL

[caspark]

he observed the other witch carefully, his eyes subtly scrutinising her features, as if searching for something familiar. then, a faintly amused smile curved his lips. “ no fright i’m not used to, ” he remarked lightly, contradicting his own thoughts, which had already begun dredging up old, unpleasant memories of people startling him for their own amusement. “ nah, what are you on about? no trouble at all. two wizards in times of—well, in dark times, i’d say that’s better than one, wouldn’t you? ” he mused, shrugging as if to downplay the matter. “ my name’s cassian park. i don’t believe we’ve met, ” though perhaps they had, but he was fairly certain he hadn’t come across her before. “ so then, ” he went on, slipping his hands into his pockets as he strolled forward to fall into step beside her, “ where are we headed? ” because she’d have to be mad if she thought he was actually going to let her walk alone. he had enough trouble just making his own way home at this hour.

despite his words, andromeda’s eyes still narrowed, fingers tightening around her wand. although, she managed to force her expression to appear calm, her heart pounded loudly against the silence of the night. she couldn’t afford to be naive, but as she recognized the warmth in his features, the cold of the beating wind, disappearing in it, she slowly lowered her wand.     “ oh …” she was glad that her cheeks were cold enough to prevent the slight heat tinting her cheeks from embarrassment. but her gaze shifted to the bookshop and she immediately realized her mistake. someone selling books couldn’t be a bad person ( speaking of being naive ) .     “ i must apologize, for perhaps giving you a fright as well . ” andromeda added. an awkward attempt of a joke to ease up the tension.     “ that’s really kind, but it’s getting dark and i don’t want to cause you any more trouble. i think i was just being paranoid, must be everything that’s going on right now. ” she referred to the recent events. her words trailed off, vague on purpose. disclosing her rather dysfunctional dynamic with her family, in a dark alley in front of a stranger, seemed a little too much.

[caspark]

even though he didn’t know many people, he didn’t feel as out of place as he’d imagined. or perhaps that was just the champagne working its way through his system. he wandered about, taking in the outfits that made everyone look so elegant. cassian was used to being on his own, so he’d learnt to enjoy himself without needing company. even so, when he spotted a familiar face, he didn’t think twice before making his way over. “ mary! ” he called first, catching her attention. “ oi, you look stunning. ” his gaze briefly swept over the ex-gryffindor’s attire. “ have you been here long? are you on your own? ” he asked with a smile, absentmindedly drumming his fingers against the glass in his hand.

ft. 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐂𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐃 ( @impcrios ) 📍 ST. MUNGO'S HOSPITAL

[caspark]

an empty champagne glass twirled between his fingers, his gaze fixed on the crystal as if it were an uncut diamond. cassian wasn’t much of a drinker, so a couple of glasses could go straight to his head. through the glass, he caught sight of someone familiar, only recognising them properly once he lowered it from his line of vision. “ oi, jae! ” he called out, making his presence known as he wandered over to the other wizard. “ i’ve just discovered i can turn into a fennec fox even after having loads to drink. want to see? ” perhaps he wasn’t stringing a particularly coherent sentence together, but he gave it a go. “ do they let animals into hospitals? ” he asked after a beat, his tone shifting to something a touch more serious.

ft. 𝐘𝐔𝐍 𝐉𝐀𝐄-𝐖𝐎𝐍 ( @petrificusx ) 📍 ST. MUNGO'S HOSPITAL

[caspark]

“ oh—i see. i don’t know, perhaps you’ve just had a bad cup of coffee. ” he shrugged nonchalantly, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. “ i could make you some one day, and i’m sure you’d change your mind, ” he added, though he wondered if he was being a bit presumptuous. still, he didn’t think muggle coffee was bad at all. “ hmm, dizzy? ” he asked, his gaze now focused intently on the other’s face, his curiosity piqued. “ how could the lift make you dizzy? do you need some water or something? ” his tone carried a hint of genuine concern.

“What isn’t wrong with it,” Arden chuckled, if he ever had muggle coffee again it would be too soon, mind you, he mostly had the instant in uni. “No, no, coffee brewed with magic has this pleasant aftertaste no other can emulate. Mind you if the person doing it is fully rotten it will taste rotten as well.” He reminded of the one occurrence his father had them both some tea, and how badly he yearned for that memory to leave him for good. “I’m fine, just dizzy from the lift.” 

[caspark]

among his weekly errands, visiting gringotts was never on the list. the place felt far too big, complicated, and imposing for someone like him—plus, goblins were intimidating. however, his desire to acquire a home in romania had him visiting the wizarding bank more frequently than he'd ever have liked. and when the kneazle approached to sniff him, his mind instantly conjured up a hundred different scenarios—each one concluding on a positive note. cassian had a habit of seeing signs in the most mundane things. “ hey, ” he greeted the creature softly, a small smile tugging at his lips. “ oh—don’t worry, it’s alright, ” he added, carefully extending his hand to let the animal sniff him. “ should i be worried? am i in danger? ” he asked, confused, finally shifting his gaze to the other wizard. “ i think it's cute. ” he tilted his head slightly before shrugging. “ it’s been a while since i’ve seen one up close. ” then, adjusting the strap of the bag hanging from his shoulder, he reached out to scratch the furry kneazle gently behind the ear.

WHO: morcant nott & open WHERE: diagon alley, street near gringotts. WHEN: late afternoon

Morcant had a day off, which rarely happened for the unspeakable squad in the Ministry. He considered himself a very productive person, so he decided to put his financial affairs in order. After dropping by to see Alecto, he headed to Gringotts. He had several investments and assets in his name, and although goblins were very reliable to make money, they weren't very trustworthy. There, things went as expected. Some of the most important investments had major drops due to the war, so he had to rearrange a lot of things. When he left the bank, it was the late afternoon and his head felt like exploding. During all of this, his familiar, a black kneazle named Odin, walked dutifully by his side. Right after they left the bank, however, the feline stopped to smell someone. "Odin, no. Come on, stop being rude." He chastened the kneazle, who promptly ignored him and stopped right in front of the newcomer. "I'm so sorry about him. Are you in a hurry? He's being trained to detect magical imbalance, so I think he might be worried about you."

[caspark]

“ oh. ” he let out a barely audible whisper. the story of how he’d ended up lost in the forbidden forest was left unfinished. interruptions to his anecdotes and trivial ramblings were a constant in his life, and a familiar sense of embarrassment settled in his chest. “ yeah, sorry—people have told me that before, ” he admitted, though he still hadn’t quite learnt his lesson. his gaze drifted from the other wizard’s features to his own glass, now practically empty. “ i reckon it’s time to stop drinking—or i’ll end up even more of a chatterbox. ” he spoke with an attempt at casual ease. he wasn’t particularly bothered—he was used to it, really—so the only sign of change was the faint flush across his cheekbones. “ sorry, yeah? d’you want me to get you another drink? ” he offered, perhaps as some sort of compensation—or gratitude—for putting up with his ramblings.

location : st. mungos grand opening status : open

krum felt stupid and out of place, the celebration not his usual kind of party & chaperone who dragged him along nowhere to be seen. cup of firewhisky refilled for the second time now, vlad observed the mingling crowd as he brought it up to his lips once more, treating himself to few more than generous gulps. he had met a few people already, one currently talking his ear off - not particularly chatty himself, krum had began to lose track of the conversation. " has anyone told you you talk too much? " he turns towards companion suddenly, no hint of malice or irritation in his tone, merely a simple observation, bluntly stated in typical fashion. " because you do. "

[caspark]

being near the ministry always left a sour feeling in his stomach, a faint but persistent discomfort he could never quite shake. there was an energy in the whole place that simply clashed with his own. it reeked of corruption and lies. however, he needed to ask about a suspicion he had regarding dark magic. he lingered at the entrance, unsure of where he was meant to go—or if he even wanted to go at all. the uncertainty sat heavy in his chest, giving him the perfect excuse to hesitate. that was when he noticed the silhouette of a wizard by the fountain, a fleeting distraction that he was all too willing to entertain, if only to put off his real purpose for a little longer. a slight furrow appeared between his brows as he caught the remark. " what’s wrong with muggle coffee? " he asked, though there wasn’t any real weight behind the question—more curiosity than anything else. " i’ve had it all my life and—don’t reckon it’s bad at all. " he shrugged, brushing the matter off easily. after all, so he supposed the wizard might have been confused or in need of help. " you alright there, mate? need a hand? " and while it could’ve been a simple misunderstanding, there was no harm in looking a little deeper.

PEOPLE: Arden and open PLACE: Atrium of the Ministry of Magic

Arden was sure he had stopped breathing when a spike of pain hit him while he left the Ministry after lying through his teeth to his supervisor about his medical license. He managed a to sit by the fountain while his mind left him for a moment in the effort to no externalise whatever he felt. Sounds were echoing in his head even the closest of them distant. When he came back too, he realised someone was actually talking to him. "Uh... Yeah, the nearest coffee shop is muggle though, you should try flooing back to diagon alley for some good coffee." He tried the one answer he had given many other times before.

[caspark]

cassian was never too keen on heading home early, so he usually kept the shop open a little past closing time. he didn’t mind working a bit longer���in fact, being surrounded by books always did him good, keeping any intrusive thoughts at bay before they had the chance to creep into what had been a perfectly fine day. “ oi, no—i'm not— ” he raised his hands in surrender, as if calling a truce. dueling had never really been his thing, and he hardly ever reached for his wand when he felt threatened. “ sorry. didn’t mean to give you a fright. ” his brows knitted slightly, but his expression remained calm and warm. “ was just locking up the shop. thought—well, i don’t run into anyone at this hour. ” he admitted, letting his gaze drift around before settling back on her. “ d’you reckon someone’s following you? want me to walk with you for a bit? ” he offered, a small smile softening his features.

location : diagon valley status : open

the day had faded into a quieter night, and the cobbled streets of diagon alley seemed darker than usual. ever since she'd left home, paranoia had followed her—along with arrogance, the lingering belief that she still mattered, that she hadn’t been entirely forgotten. with her hands buried deep in the pockets of her cloak, steady steps accompanied her, ignoring the flicker in the glass of a shop window, the sound of footsteps falling into rhythm with her own as she tried not to fall back into old patterns of mistrust. and yet, her fingers twitched towards her wand, allowing her figure to be swallowed by the shadows when she turned precisely into an alley, spinning on her heel, wand raised .  “ why are you following me ? ” her voice was sharp, cutting through the air in a way that once felt more familiar than it should have.