test drive meme | 001

[multigen]

IT'S BLOODY HOT IN HERE
(no, really. it's seriously hot.)

it's the summer holidays! a perfect time to travel, relax, spend time with loved ones and bask in the sun. the wizarding world is lively with energy at this time of year. everyone seems to want to make the most of their break before september comes around the corner and life returns to its normal, mundane pace. it has been especially exciting with the sporadic and strange appearances of old and new faces. some claim to be from a different world while others claim to be from a different time. then, there are the ones who have simply found themselves waking up to be remarkably younger or older. just remember to keep to your curfews, half-bloods and muggle-borns! those eerie disappearances are still happening in an increasingly alarming rate... MINISTRY OF MAGIC for the ones who don't have the good fortune of going on holiday, you won't have to worry about having nothing to do, especially if you're part of the ministry of magic! with all the anomalies happening, you're going to have your hands full registering, documenting, interviewing and/or helping with a multitude of busywork relating to the newcomers. or maybe your job doesn't have anything to do with that. maybe you're on the opposite end and you've been brought in. or maybe you're just a tourist and you want to see if you can catch a glimpse of the minister for magic. whatever your reason is, welcome and stay out of people's way! DIAGON ALLEY everyone loves to go shopping and what better place to do it than diagon alley? you'll find mills of people looking at all the different items on sale or on display in store windows. maybe you're here to purchase materials for the upcoming school year or you're out on a date with your significant other. or maybe you actually own or work at one of the many shops here. whatever your reason is, you better be ready for the crowd and the heat. KNOCKTURN ALLEY oh no! what are you doing here? turn back right now! knockturn alley is no place for you to be. well, at least it isn't if you aren't a dark arts practitioner or you're not part of some nefarious secret group. just turn around and go back to diagon alley. it's much nicer there, friendlier and safer. have you not heard about all the disappearances going on? you're only asking for trouble stepping into a place like this, even if it's remarkably cool here. M.I.A.V.I. not in the mood to go out? or maybe you're stuck in the waiting room at st. mungo's trying to figure out why you're suddenly 10 years older and you need a distraction. disregarding the reason, it's sure a good thing you've conveniently brought along your m.i.a.v.i. so feel free to browse the public network, create your own post, or private message someone! OTHER not interested in any of the options above? feel free to make up your own! the wizarding world is huge, so get creative with it. the setting is the summer of 1980. have fun testing out and shaping your characters, mingle with others, and start getting those crs down! FAQ | RESERVES | APPLICATIONS | NAVIGATION got questions? dropbox us!

Comments

[westhamwizard]

[ Probably where Harry got his bleeding heart from. ]

Can I come round now? Or are you busy...?

[fishpetals]

[ probably. also his sarcasm, surprisingly. ]

no busier than usual, which isn't very busy! You can come round whenever you like before curfew.

[westhamwizard]

Right. Forgot that was a thing.

[ spoilers: no he didn't. ]

I'll be right there.

[ It doesn't take him too long to find the shop, and when he does he enters cautiously, looking around. The place reminds him of the Potions classroom back at Hogwarts, but during the year that Slughorn taught it, not all those years with Snape. He looks around for the person who must be Harry's mum, and clears his throat to announce his presence. ]

Ahem. Hello...?

[fishpetals]

Alright.

[ lily is behind the counter when he arrives and she leans over it to wave in greeting, long red hair plaited into a braid to keep it out of the way as she works. she's smiling as she walks out from behind said counter, wiping her hands clean and weaving around a small display. ]

Hello. Did you need help with something? [ a beat and emerald green eyes train on is face searchingly. ] Unless you're Mister Thomas?

[westhamwizard]

Oh--. [ He says before he can stop himself. Because while she's wholly different in appearance than Harry-- red hair instead of black, feminine instead of masculine-- those are definitely Harry's eyes.

Don't make this weird, Thomas.

He comes back to himself and puts away his shocked expression in return for a more friendly, neutral one. Reaching out a hand, he says, ] Yeah, that's me. Dean Thomas.

[fishpetals]

[ lily startles at that, the little oh, just briefly. that and the look on his face—something flickers across hers, something that looks a lot like i won't ask, before she schools her own expression back and nods firmly.

she takes his hand and shakes it, smiling again. ] Lily Evans. It's a pleasure to meet you, though I wish it were under better circumstances. [ a beat. ] I take it things are different for you in the future.

[westhamwizard]

[ Dean lets out an exasperated breath and scowls slightly. ] Actually, some parts of it are far too familiar.

[ Things have been better, this last year. The war was over, he could go back to living his life as normal. But he didn't really know what his life was, "as normal," anymore. He was too old for Hogwarts, even though he'd never finished his final year. If he's honest with himself, peacetime was nice and all, but he felt about as listless here in this bizarre 1980 as he did the past year back home.

But that's neither here nor there. He's here for a job interview. ]

Sorry. Not exactly a fan of being made to register.

[fishpetals]

[ something falters in her expression, as though she'd hoped for a different answer. ] Damn. Is he gone, at least? [ she doesn't say his name. how funny, the tiny similarities.

... but yes, anyway. ] No, don't worry. I had to register before I could go to Hogwarts. It was... nice, at Hogwarts. Mostly. But then leaving it, you get harsher realities.

[ then!! back to a smile!! ] Anyway! Mostly I'm looking for an assistant. I do everything right now. Stocking, brewing, preparing ingredients, taking orders, bottling, so on. Anything that could be taken off my shoulders would be a great help.

[westhamwizard]

He is, now. [ But he was never Minister for Magic! Dean wants to shout. This version of the past is so messed up, he doesn't know what to do with it. It's all so... polite, in its cruelty. He's not sure he likes that any better than the way Vol-- He did things in Dean's time.

But Lily's moving on, so Dean will too. ]

I can do that. I follow instructions well, or so I've been told. Just show me what to do once, and I'll do it from there.

[fishpetals]

Good. That's good. Small favors. [ someone like lily being stuck in this polite hellscape is like watching a graceful creature of war defanged - she would be at the forefront of a fight to take back autonomy but instead there's no fight to be had.

someday. ]

Aces. [ maybe it's interesting, hearing the midlands accent from her—petunia left cokeworth behind entirely but lily still has some of the sound of it clinging around the edges of her speech. ] You can start tomorrow if you'd like, and we can try to figure out longer-term housing then too. Do you have a place for tonight?

[westhamwizard]

[ Dean smiles at the offer of an actual job, but then his smile deflates somewhat at her question of where he'll spend the night. He looks away and shrugs, trying for nonchalance. ]

I was going to go find a bus station somewhere, sleep on a bench. I've done it before, it's no big deal really.

[ He needed to save what little money he had on him for food, couldn't afford to rent a room as well. ]

[fishpetals]

Absolutely not.

[ lily shakes her head, crossing her arms across her chest. ]

It's not good enough for them. They'll ding you for it and bring you in for the night and the fine will put you back. Either take my sofa for the night or help me finish up today's shift and it'll be plenty for a room at the Leaky tonight.

[ another beat. ] They look pretty far out.

[westhamwizard]

Into muggle London? [ He doesn't know why they would care. Just another supposed-muggleborn slumming it for the night. But he guesses with the curfew in place, sleeping at a bus station is technically being out past hours.

He frowns. ] You don't have to do that.

[ He's not saying no. Just letting her know she doesn't have to help him any further than she already is. ]

Just... tell me what to do, yeah? I'll work the rest of the afternoon.

[fishpetals]

Statute and all. [ a wry smile. ] Not bright enough to not cast magic in front of Muggles, I suppose. Far enough out it wouldn't matter, but they track Apparating too.

[ sighing.

but then she shakes her head. ] I know I don't.

There are a lot of things I don't have to do. Doesn't worry me any. [ it's time to try and get their minds off the subjects that are terrible. lily gestures for dean to follow her back behind the counter and then nods to a grouping of stoppered bottles. ] I made a batch of sleeping draughts that needs to be labeled but I need to start on a couple of special orders. We can start with that.

[westhamwizard]

[ Dean sighs again, following her behind the counter. ] That's alright. I don't much fancy going on the run again, anyway.

[ He picks up the closest bottle of sleeping draught. ] Just label them? I can do that.

[fishpetals]

If you just go they don't care too much. It's existing on the fringes where they still get you. I could go home to my sister, but I could never use magic again.

[ a shrug. ... anyway. she nods. ] Exactly. Should be good for an hour or so's work while I start the new orders.

YOU SAW NOTHING

[westhamwizard]

[ Vaguely, Dean knew that Harry's mum had a sister. That he lived with a muggle aunt and uncle who weren't great. He didn't know the details, but he knew enough to know he didn't want to think of Lily going to stay there. ]

Alright then. I'll get it sorted.

[ Once he finds a quill... He looks around the countertop. ]

[fishpetals]

Thank you so much. It might seem like a small thing but it's things like this that take up a lot of my time. [ bringing a book up onto the counter, she starts flipping through the pages. everything looks horribly complicated and there are scribbled notes in the margins of practically every page.

a pause.

she slides a quill and ink across the counter. ]

Sorry. [ with a smile. ]

[westhamwizard]

Cheers.

[ He takes the quill and ink with a smile and a nod, and sets to labeling. ]

[lechiennoir]

[While all this is going on, the front door opens. It's not a customer that comes in, however, but a large black fluffy dog, who pads over to give Lily a friendly lick and then proceeds to flop down in the bed intended for him. Don't mind him, Dean, he's just here to keep an eye on things and possibly nap.]

[fishpetals]

[ lily looks up when the door opens but instead of being alarmed by the grim large dog she just laughs, scratching him behind the ears when he comes over to say hello. ] Done being a menace about town? Have your break, then.

[ right, there is another person here. ] Dean, this is Padfoot. He comes 'round and stays in pretty often. Totally harmless except to burglars and threatening Ministry employees.

[westhamwizard]

[ Dean looks up when the door opens, ready to greet a customer like the good employee he's trying to be, but it's just... a dog.

Some kind of wandering one, apparently. ]

Sounds like he's a good one to have around, then. Who's his owner?

[lechiennoir]

[The dog looks to Lily with interest at this. Mostly just to see what her answer's gonna be, because he might have to have a few words with her about it. Looks like he's definitely smarter than your normal average dog.]

[fishpetals]

[ lily raises her eyebrows slightly, glancing toward said dog with her lips pursed before she smiles a little wickedly. ] He's a shared effort between my friends James and Remus. Bit of a handful, he is.

[westhamwizard]

[ Her "friend" James. Are Harry's parent's not even together? ]

Professor Lupin? That's not surprising. He was always the best at handling rough situations and troublesome creatures.