#time:november 2027

[poppy-poppers]

“Everyone here looks like they’re at a fucking funeral,” Poppy complained under her breath to the familiar face at the bar. The place was filled with employees, owners, and patrons of various shops and bars in Knockturn Alley - people who had nowhere else to go but Diagon Alley since the incident. It’d been fun at first, but now it was just getting depressing the more they all realized what they lost. She pulled a bottle of firewhiskey off the shelf behind her and two barely dried shot glasses from the rack before placing them both down in front of her. “I’m going to pour out two shots. Either we share them, or I take both, but either way they’re both going to be gone in fifteen seconds and after that you pay for any drinks you have.”

[mia-selwyn]

@nottexactly​

“I heard a rumor you and Mr. Malfoy are already moving on to bigger and better things.”

[boo-its-radley]

@scorped-by-the-gods​

“Hey, kiddo, how’s it going?” Joshua asked, dry as could be and with no emotion on his face to convey if there was meant to be joking or serious undertones.

[allxrd]

@not-the-sharpe-est-tool​

“So,” Allard huffed out as he settled into his office chair. “Are you ready for the big interview? How are things coming with the movie?”

[garrett-abernathy]

@lawfrisk​

“I’ve talked to a lot of witnesses, but it hasn’t helped much,” he said, words coming out in a quick steam. He didn’t have time to waste...and he’d had a lot of coffee that morning. 

[feather-ed]

@maytelesslucille​

It’d been some time since Ed focused on anything outside of work with such intensity, but it’d also been some time since Ed had to buy so many presents on the one afternoon he knew he would have off until Christmas. With a pile of store-wrapped presents hovering in front of him, he was even less aware of what was in front of him until he tripped over an old used fire log and landed with a loud grunt flat out on the ground. Just before the presents hit the ground, he managed to throw up a spell to catch them, but it was followed by an aching groan as he stated to get back up. He was nearly to his feet when he realized someone else saw his debacle and offered them a sheepish smile. “Monday’s, right?” he joked softly. Unbeknownst to him, it was Thursday.

[mia-selwyn]

@the-dark-marks​

Normally there was a greater show of polite greetings and small talk whenever Mia first met with Jon, but there was no time for that. She had three different magical British newspapers in her hands that she placed down in front of him the moment they were alone. “They’re trying to make it look like we did this.”

[garrett-abernathy]

@weasleyvictory​

His breath smelled like coffee and his sweat smelled like whiskey. His clothes were noticeably wrinkled and his hands were drenched in ink. He hadn’t eaten solid food since the Knockturn Attack and hadn’t slept more than a few spare hours at a time. His fingers ached from how fast he was typing out stories on a QuikTyper and his back hurt more when he stood up straight than when he hunched. Every time he sought out a new “witness” to ask them about the attack, there was a look in his eye that begged the questions: was he diligently curious or zealously intrusive? Was he appalled by the atrocity, or excited about it?

“Have you found anyone new?” he asked. His face looked paler but his eyes never shined brighter. The usual trance that seemed to overcome him whenever he so much as glanced at Victoire couldn’t dare to push through the intensity in his expression and posture now. 

[allxrd]

@notaveryge​

“What do you think of having some people over for dinner?”

[mia-selwyn]

@attitude-mayte-vary​

Mia lightly tapped some of the rubble with the toe of her shoe before turning to the group of now former employees of the various businesses on site. “The Aurors will be here shortly for further questioning on other matters, but the International Magical Trading Standards Body has some questions regarding what certain contraband goods from other countries were doing for sale in Britain.”

[poppy-poppers]

@mccallofthemoon​

“Okay, so!” Poppy began the moment she was through the door, arms weighed down with several bags. “My sister took a charcuterie class, and I now have a ridiculous amount of cheese and cured meats I need help getting rid of. The girls are helping, obviously, but this is only half of it. And also...” She set all the bags down on a table with a thud and pulled two bottles of wine out of one of the bags. “Half the old wine from work that we’re switching out for new shit.”

[allxrd]

It’d been a long few days. It was the first time the paper reported on major breaking news under his control, and though it hadn’t gone as smoothly as he imagined it should’ve, it hadn’t been as disastrous as the incident that caused the story. When he found out more details he knew who he needed to speak to, but to go to Jon so immediately would look suspicious. He’d barely even been back to his own house, so he waited until the paper wasn’t overrun with stories about the attack before he finally initiated a meeting with Jon.

“Having fun without me?” he asked, all smiles and chuckles that masked his frustration at the prospect Jon might’ve carried out anything without him. Even if Allard didn’t necessary want to play the part of a pawn in a plan, he still wanted to be in on the planning level.

[allxrd]

@deeper-end-of-dupond​

“What’s going on here?” he demanded to know of the half-empty newsroom. “Where are the reporters? Where are their things?”

[boo-its-radley]

@alkimean​

Joshua was just getting the last of his things from his old place to move them over to the castle, operating late at night in the hopes of avoiding people. He was just about to open the back door to the Hog’s Head when he heard a noise. 

[poppy-poppers]

@the-dark-marks​

Poppy was sitting at the bar, flipping through a Quidditch magazine when she heard the door open. On such a dreary day customers had been trickling in and out, and as much as she was upset about the lack of money, she secretly enjoyed the hours of peace and minimal activity. “Sit wherever you like, we aren’t busy,” Poppy said, slowly pushing herself up to grab a table setting for the new customer.