When you gonna brake
Watching every move you make
And every thing you do
Evil eyes'll be on you

Open

I didn’t happen all too often that Loraine had to go to an apothecary. After all, she belonged in a family of Herbologists and Potioneers. There was almost no plant that her mother didn’t cultivate or at the very least that they had easy access to. There was also no potion her mother couldn’t brew. She was a decent potioneer herself and did plan to further her knowledge in the next years. She did focus on Herbology at the moment, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t regularly did some brewing - mostly for her experiments. Sooner or later, she would have to study the subject more thoroughly. She hated always needing to ask her mother or Ivan for help. As much as she loved both of them, she did want to be a witch on her own — able to complete her tasks all on her own. She wasn’t there yet, so of course she asked for help because it would be even more degrading to end up with mediocre work. Still, she wanted to be as accomplished as her mother one day. It was the right goal, striving to live up to her mother’s legacy.

Herbology was going very well, and soon she’d be a Herbologist in her own rights. So she could start to turn her attention towards her potions more frequently. Not that she was doing anything all too interesting at the moment — basically just testing antidotes. But to do this properly, she needed posions. The deadlier the better. And there were none deadly enough for her taste easily accessible. So she had to brew them herself, and it seemed that powdered Manticore claws promised the most interesting combinations from what she had been able to deduce from her studies and discussions with Ivan. It just so happened that Manticores were not the sort of animal that willingly lent their body parts to potions. Or more properly, they were the sort of animal that would show their displeasure at such attempts in the most bloody manner possible. Actually, Loraine had quite some respect for the beast.

Still, it was very difficult to find the ingredient. It was also not the most legal thing ever, but then these laws were written for the commons. There was no reason for her to adhere to them. She’d find her claws, and she knew the apothecary that would most certainly serve her. Without looking left or right, she glided down Knockturn Alley, lips pursed. She had lived in this hole for too long to ever spend time in these quarters without being outraged. Her family was back where they belonged, but witnessing the place of past infamy was still painful. Without any hesitation, she pushed open the door to the apothecary and entered. The employee recognized her and her mood lifted somewhat when he deferentially disappeared in the back room as soon as she had told him what she sought. No questions asked. She half-smirked as she leant against the counter, her fingers rhythmically tapping against the wood.

Time's Running out on you

template by punki of adoxography

outfit

@loraine

    Time passed and sometimes Amy had to find something to amuse herself with. Or at least stay occupied in some way that wasn't sitting with her books as always. There was only so much of that she could take before she got an itch under her skin and an urge to do something that got too close to making her do unwise things for her liking. There was only so much time she could spend with lovers before she got annoyed enough to want to set Lancelot on them, and she couldn't spend all that much time with Lance himself either because it made her want to set the entire house on fire sometimes. Something active, she wanted, that would keep her busy and amused. Amy had graduated with an E in her potions NEWTs, she was quite adept at it, but she had chosen to go into politics for her career. With an aunt like Lady Bulstrode and an Unspeakable mother, she couldn't really get away from any of it, though. Especially since sometimes her husband asked her to make certain old family recipes, he didn't have the concentration for it and they took a long time to brew. It was fine, though. Like a puzzle. She would try and then if she couldn't work it out she would write to aunt Nora and see what advise she had on the matter. 

    Finding the ingredients always tended to be a bit tricky. The Carrows were no strangers to poisons and most of what was on her list had been illegal until quite recently. Still, the shops at Diagon Alley and other main magic streets did not carry most of this stuff, so she had to go back to Knockturn Alley. She'd lived here for many years with her parents and younger brother. In fact, Dio was born here, these dark, smelly streets were the only home he'd known until quite recently. The surge of power and position, finally matching the ego their parents had raised him with, had made him a vicious little boy. Smart, a bit too energetic as most twelve year olds tend to be, and very creative when it came to ways of tormenting the little insects he had class with. He knew his manners, though, which was important, and he positively idolised cousin Jules. That was to say, he used to. Now that Jules had gone through so many months of deep... well, Amy would call it difficulties, their cousin had been somewhat distant. It'd hurt Dio's feelings until Amy told him that sometimes when people went through hard times they wanted to be alone. Not that it excused it, but it cheered Dio up to think that Jules would go back to spending time with him when he felt better. Well... she'd talk to Jules about it at some point, perhaps.

    For now, she would pay attention to what she was looking for. She had her list in a hand and she was browsing the shelves. Fingers brushing away from dust from the labels every once in a while, she tried to find something of moderately good quality. The rarer things were being ordered specially right now, but she figured she might as well find some of the more general ingredients while she was at it. That was, until she heard a familiar voice from the front of the shop. With a pleased smile, she turned on her heel and went to investigate. "My, dear cousin. I thought I heard your voice. Doing some shopping?" They had not been raised together, technically, because her mother had distanced herself from her family after Leander's supposed death. Still, their mothers were first cousins and had once been best friends. Aunt Nora started to reach back to her after the revolt, and now they were properly family, even if they left Leda herself out of the equation. Maybe not overly close, but Amy had always been a rather solitary person.

There were many apothecaries all over Britain and several of them were interesting to visit once in a while. And yet, whenever she needed something more toxics, she had to make her way into Knockturn Alley. It wasn’t like it was an uninteresting street, on the opposite. Some of the most useful shops in the whole country were situated there, and it was a place where she was usually met with all due respect. Now. It wasn’t long that the situation had been the complete reverse. Maybe at some shops, they would have still be treated honourably, but she didn’t know because they hadn’t had a chance back then to buy anything. Forced labour wasn’t payed. She had spent too many years of her youth in this street, shut away in dirt and misery, to ever feel comfortable again here. She might have only had to be here during the holidays while at school. She had been able to get an education afterwards, so that had also meant spending a lot of time elsewhere. But that didn’t change that these buildings had witnessed her family’s degradation. This was the place where her mothers had been humiliated day after day. It almost made her wish that she could tear down these walls and eradicate all signs of the past.

It would be a waste of time. The place was perfectly serviceable to their needs, nothing could be gained by its destruction. What angered her were just memories. The past. It didn’t matter anymore, for those who had caused this were dead. Still, whenever she came here, she always tried to finish her task as efficiently as possible. Not that she thought that any shopkeeper here would think it a good idea to try her patience. She hadn’t stood at the counter for more than a few seconds when she heard footsteps approaching and her expression darkened. She was hardly a person that anyone in their right senses would think was up for a chat. But then the other person spoke and Loraine’s dark rising displeasure dissipated quickly. Family was something different. “Cousin,” she greeted the younger woman. “Yes, I’m in need of some non-herbological ingredients. And this is the only apothecary in this country that sells them. Sadly.” She shook her head. It was undeniable and she fully understood that dangerous material should not be easily available for everybody, but she could hardly count as everybody. She had not only the knowledge to handle potion ingredients safely, she also had a name that shouldn’t be denied anything. It had to be hoped that it was only a matter of time until the Ministry would officially recognize certain family’s unlimited right to all magical resources and make their obtention as easy as buying a quill. Until then, she’d have to go to this place where she was at least met with the appropriate compliance by the employees.

“I’m researching antidotes at the moment. Mostly work related. What brings you here? How are you anyway? It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.” For their mothers having been very close when young, they had not spent much time together in their childhood though Loraine had naturally looked out for her when she had come to Hogwarts — at these times there had been enough students who would gladly bully a first-year of Amalthea’s heritage while she had already had five years of keeping her head down behind her. But with five years age difference, there hadn’t been much interaction between them. Now Amalthea was already married and a Carrow. Thinking about this, it almost made Loraine wonder what she would have done had this been an option when she finished school. She wasn’t a procrastinator and a task should be completed the sooner, the less welcome it was. She was far too happy about her own long engagement. But things were as they were, and there was no point in dwelling on what had to be.

TIME'S RUNNING OUT ON YOU

template by punki of adoxography

outfit

@ lori - WORDS: 733

    Was Amalthea a wonderfully skilled potioneer? No, but she was very decent at them. She'd not grown up with a potionologist for a mother, and her aunt Nora had come into contact with her properly only in time for her NEWT year, so it hadn't really made much of a difference. Still, she liked to say that she could hold her own. She could make several of the more normal healing potions and salves at home without issue, she could make a few poisons, and she'd graduated with an E on her potions NEWT. There was even a potions lab in their house, even though neither Amy nor Lance actually worked with potions at all. It was just one of those things that they enjoyed doing. To her, potions were methodical and anything that was methodical and automatic and required a lot of concentration was soothing. After all, it took her mind off of anything else she might be thinking and it kept her focused on a single task. That very good, in her book, so she preferred to brew all the potions in the house herself. From headache cures to pepper up potions and anything of the sort. Doing the shopping was also something she preferred to do the same, punishing house elves for bringing back sub-par ingredients was not something she wanted to spend her time doing. It was far less annoying to step out and quickly get everything herself.
    Going out in Knockturn Alley usually had her running into familiar people, which was usually a good thing. She tried to have a good relationship with as many family members as she could, really, so it was nice to run into Loraine now. Her older cousin reminded her much of herself, really. Out to have a proper career, independent, knowing that she must be a lady and had a duty but also knowing that she was planning on doing it all in its own time. Amy herself had gotten married right out of Hogwarts, Loraine hadn't, but Amy thought that it had more to do with the time period than anything else. Back when Lori turned of age, purebloods were under scrutiny and arranged marriages between families were always delicate questions. With two marked, Death Eater mothers, perhaps it had been more prudent to let it slide. After all, Loraine had a good blood line, powerful mothers, and that wasn't going to change any time soon. She'd had time to build up her career before anything happened. Amy didn't know if she'd have preferred it, really, but she knew that she wouldn't have been against it for any reason other than to get out of her family home. As much as she loved her brother, she couldn't see the day she stopped living with her parents. She knew that Lori would not feel that way. After all, she had two very loving mothers. If Amy had allowed herself, she would have been jealous.
    "That's unfortunate, but at least it allows for run ins like this. It's always lovely to see you." Amy offered a pleasant smile, leaning casually against the counter beside them. She often saw aunt Nora, having lunch with her aunt at the Ministry often enough. She also often saw Ivan, since he also worked at the Ministry and went to Lufkin with her. Jules as well, though less since classes had let out. Lori, though? She didn't often have the pleasure, which was unfortunate since she really did like her older cousin. "I'm just getting ingredients for the usual household potions. I enjoy doing it myself, I find it soothing after a day's work or studying." Shrugging, she held up the basket in her hands, filled with little jars and pots and clumps of herbs. She would have asked Lance to prepare some with her, and on occasion she did, but usually she liked the time for herself. Besides, it was also the time he used to work away any frustrations in the basement. "I'm well, I'm keeping busy as usual. You may have heard I'm working at the Ministry now? It was a whole hassle to get a proper job there. After all, getting a job that fits with your position is... complicated. It had to allow me time for my studies but it also couldn't be some common clerk job in a tiny department, you know?"

Knockturn Alley could not be avoided as a witch who had a vivid interest in the darker aspects of magic, and though Loraine highly disliked to be there, it was a feeling that she was not very content with. It was a place that had witnessed their humiliation, but it didn’t matter anymore. They had put everything back in order, and thus Knockturn Alley should be viewed again as the practical place that it was. The past only existed in her memory, and it was in her power to make it the fluke in history that it had to be. She couldn’t allow herself to feel the injustice so poignantly. The principal offenders had been punished, and the Mudbloods were where they belonged. She didn’t have to think back to what had been done to them. What was over was over and not worth sullying her thoughts or even give her uneasy feelings when walking down a street, only because crimes against her kin had been committed there. Fear was for the weak. She had no reason to feel any dread, she was the one inspiring it like in the employee here, who had obeyed her immediately. She deserved this respect because her parents had taken care that she would grow up as a worthy member of their family. She would never have been able to live it out if she had disappointed her mothers. After all they had done for her and her brothers, failing them would be unpardonable.

Nothing mattered as much as family, and that they were able to cultivate their family ties more was one of the smaller but nevertheless important delights of the recent changes. She wasn’t a chatty person, but her cousin was one of the few persons she wished she had more opportunities talking to. “It is a pleasant surprise to see you,” replied Loraine, returning the smile and relaxing a little. As long as there was nobody else but the two of them, she decided she could allow herself a little ease. “We’re both so busy nowadays. Not that I’m complaining, it is a relief and satisfaction that we can at last fill our days with activities of our own liking.” She peered into her cousin’s basket and nodded. “It has the same effect on me. It’s a sort of accuracy that goes well with relaxation.” She wouldn’t say so in relation to what a real potioneer did — creating and improving new elixirs did require an alert mind — but she and her cousin didn’t intend to break new ground, only to follow a recipe. The actual potion making almost went by itself at this point. “I avoid buying potions whenever I can. They more often than not use cheap ingredients at some point unless you make yourself very clear.” A death threat was sometimes the only way that ensured optimal work. It was a little silly, but she didn’t really care about delving into the psyche of halfbloods. She supposed they were just not mentally able to dedicate themselves a hundred percent to a magical task. She’d never understand why some people didn’t see the point of keeping a line pure. As if their whole civilization didn’t depend on it.

“Oh, I understand,” she said, her unusually friendly expression darkening for the moment. The many despicable, low jobs she had to fulfill the first few years after finishing school still resonated very bitterly with her. But what else had been left for her to do. At the hospital, several people had made her feel that she was supposed to feel grateful that St Mungo’s had accepted her, considering who her parents were. They had had almost no money back then and somehow to finance the education of her and her brothers. It felt like a nightmare now, but that didn’t lessens anything about her indignation. It was unhealthy of her to think back to these times, not when everything was finally in order. Her cousin did not have to go through the whole ordeal. She had had to suffer the ridicule at Hogwarts for six years, but compared to what would have awaited her afterwards, that was nothing. She could now live in the way that was her due, and to witness that was very gratifying. They had won, and a new generation was there who would make sure that the past couldn’t repeat itself. They had learnt. They were at the centre of power and they wouldn’t give up easily. “Assistant to a Department Head, isn’t it? In which department are you again? The only thing I know for sure, it’s not education. I’d hear of you more often if it were.”

---

Words: 784