Vines of ideas Grow
_{fate in the name of Odin}

The epidemic had taken from her the ability to apparate or cast any spell at all...but it had not taken away her sight. The seer still had her connection with the Inner Eye--she had all her divining power, but what she lacked was control over it. She spouted off prophecies left and right. Her sleep was plagued with visions in her dreams. The occlumency had protected her, had curbed the flow of information. 

Now, she had no guards. It was maddening. 

She had asked Antonin to meet her at Valkyrie to share a bottle of wine--and hopefully provide her with his council. She was at a loss for what to do. Plus, she wanted to congratulate him on the growth of his family. The impending birth had not been announced (and perhaps the child was not yet even conceived), but she had seen him with a beautiful babe in a large, unfamiliar building. It looked almost like a barn, but as she was aware of it, there was no such construction on the Dolohov properties. Not that she was any expert on the renovations completed to the castle or the lands around it...She was certain the child had been his kin and not one of the many little ones the purebloods were welcoming into the world of late. It could have meant he was to have another grandchild, or perhaps even a great-grandchild. She could not say with certainty. 

Perhaps it would be rude to ruin the surprise...The seer--when she saw her old friend--decided she might only drop a hint of what was to come today.

Hesper wore a genuine smile as she moved to greet Antonin as he was shown into the fireplace room. She had reserved the space for them for the afternoon. The witch enjoyed privacy in her conversations--which was why this was taking place here instead of at the Ministry or somewhere in London. She could no longer cast charms to protect her privacy--she had to actively seek out spots that would naturally provide it.

The embrace she offered him was gentle. She exhibited the utmost propriety in the interaction. Though Hesper was fond of the Dolohov, she did not see him as anything more than a friend. Much like he remained dedicated to the late Lady Dolohova, her eye had not lingered on any man since Regulus had passed. She had her children and in time would have grandchildren. That was more than enough to fill her heart and life with the love she needed. 

"It is very nice to see you, Antonin. Thank you for joining me," she said as she walked back over towards the seat she had occupied next to the fire upon his arrival. "I know Langton is a bit out of the way." She did not immediately share the details of why she had asked him out here--with the sommelier still in the room, she was not going to reveal anything of significance. The man presented the bottle of wine to each of them, uncorking it and allowing her to taste it before pouring each of them a glass. With his tasks complete, the vineyard employee excused himself and latched the doors closed behind him as he left, leaving the pair of them alone. "I congratulate you on your health," Hesper said, raising her glass towards her companion. "I admit I have some envy of it." It was not publicized, but nor was it a secret that she had fallen victim to Epidemic X. Her illness was treated privately (as best as it could be treated), but her work at the Ministry betrayed her loss of magic. She would assume that a man as connected as The Lord Dolohov would be aware of her state before arriving here today.

@antonin | outfit | 600+

My name and my deeds will scorch the land

Antonin didn’t have many friends left. There were the Yaxley brothers, of course, but there were actually very few of his original childhood friends left. He was a very sociable person, he’d always been one, but it was getting harder and harder to go out and spend time with other people lately. The people he saw most often were the younger generations, those of his son’s age or thereabouts. He was always in the role of a father or a grandfather or an uncle. Yes, that was something that he loved. He loved feeling like he was constantly surrounded by family. But sometimes it became a bit too much. Sometimes he wanted to relax and remember his past and be with his peers. There were few people his age, however, and even less that he could actually stand. That wasn’t something people would expect of him. Everyone thought that he was a very sociable old man, open to spending time with anyone as long as they were pureblood. Well, that wasn’t exactly the case. Yes, there were several people he appreciated, but he had very high standards when it came to anyone new. People his age, purebloods, were either veterans of the war or blood traitors. The former he knew almost all of, the latter- well, he had to keep the peace, truly. But it was hard. By now, he had very much mastered the art of being pleasant to people he’d rather see dead. Heads and spikes and all that.

But he’d recently gotten an invitation to meet one of the few younger people that he did consider a friend. To join Hesper for a glass of wine at the… Valkyrie Vineyards? He’d never been before, but he did hear that it was a perfectly proper, relaxed place. That was lovely. He only had wine with dinner as he preferred to drink vodka during the day, but he did have an appreciation for it. The visit would be a nice change of scenery, besides the fact that he had been thinking of seeing the lady Hesper for about a week now. He’d of course heard of her misfortune, though it was a common one by now. So many people had lost their magic, his son and his daughter-in-law amongst those. Pity wasn’t quite the right word for what he felt for the purebloods that lost their birthright, but neither was it empathy as he had very little of that feeling to go around. Perhaps a mixture of the two. It was a very regrettable business and he hoped it would all be over soon. There was bound to be a cure in the future, the healers would do their jobs. It not- well, he supposed that something would have to be done in order to protect their children from catching it. From what he’d heard, the medical staff were certain that it was a virus and that it was not transmitted through the air. Plenty of ways to make sure the children never got it, he believed. Precautionary measures would have to be taken in order to ensure the survival of the magic of the pureblood houses. Everyone else was of little importance to him.

At his arrival, she had embraced him gently and he placed a kiss of greeting on her cheek. Then he stepped back and sank into an armchair. “No, no- Please. It’s no trouble, my dear.” He could still aparate to and fro, it was Hesper that had likely had some trouble. Then again, she could just floo over quite easily. He didn’t think that too many places were difficult to get to when there was magical transportation available. “Thank you. Wish that I knew where it came from. My Titus and dear Florence have lost their magic. It is fortunate that my grandson has not.” Perhaps it was something on Antonin’s side of the family that saved him, perhaps not. From what he could tell, most families had at least one affected here or there. Even twins had been split when it came to magic, he thought he’d heard. It was all very strange. But instead of pursuing the matter, he reached out for his glass and brought it to his nose. Pleasant enough. “To what do I owe the delightful invitation?”

words - @ Hesper - outfit

by neverland of adoxgraphy 2.0.