Let's table the Amber talk then, since I imagine that Shinji might find too much discussion of this stuff while in the British Museum unwise. Let me replace it with a different question.
Assuming that the group stays together, who would Shinji like to spend his time getting to know?
[ ] Selina
[ ] Amber
[ ] Phelan
[ ] All of them Equally
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
[x] Selina
There will be plenty of time to spend with twins in Exton Hall.
[X] All of them Equally
Considering that Phelen is already hanging on her every word, something strikes a discord with me having Shinji also hanging off her trying to get to know her. It just seems rude to leave Amber out the picture. So it is my opinion that we are better served being polite and make sure we spend our limited time getting to know all of equally even if we are going to get inferior result on someone this way.
If you hang around as a group, you should spend time with the whole group and not focus solely on one person.
Not a fan of the reasoning to focus on the person that we are not saying the break with. Min maxing should not be part of the equation when people are involved, its too cold a reasoning. Not very hufflepuff at all..sure if Shinji was a ravenclaw, maybe.
Last edited by Skull Leader; April 25th, 2018 at 05:29 PM.
[X] All of them Equally
+1Originally Posted by Skull Leader
[X] All of them Equally it is then
The group continues on, chatting merrily with one another, with Phelan being much like a child in a confectionary store at the sight of odd mechanisms, suits of armor, swords and the like.
"...you really do want to be a knight, don't you?" Shinji remarked, noting the attention the earl's son paid to swords and armor and other things of mayhem.
"Or a pirate," Amber said offhandedly. "He did say something about sailing the high seas and the like, though piracy isn't quite as romantic as people describe it these days. How about you, Mister Matou? Did you ever want to be something odd when you were young and foolish?"
"Well...I did want to become a Magician before," Shinji admitted.
"Then you achieved your aim, right?" Phelan questioned. "You're a great magician, a disciple of an up and coming adventurer."
"...no, I'm not a magician," the boy from the east said in a sour tone.
"Ah, yes, Governor Malfoy mentioned that a magician was an illusionist. Is that what you meant?"
"...no. Something different. Something like...Aozaki-san."
"She's an adventurer?" Selina questioned, perking up. "I wouldn't have guessed."
"That she is."
Off to Diagon Alley. Anything in particular you want to see or look at?
[ ] Books
[ ] Trinkets
[ ] Pets
[ ] Vertic Alley
[ ] (write-in)
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
[x] Wand-holsters in the Vertic Alley
I realize that we do not actually have a good quality wand holster yet. So I figure we should go look for one and/or get one made for Shinji. Maybe something spring loaded (or magical equivalent) that goes on the wrist. If it could also serve some fashion flair or maybe even act like a wrist watch or some other utilitarian purpose that would be grand. I figure we have the money to actually get something rather nice and useful without breaking the bank by going super fancy.
And since Phelen did tell us that Lockhart recommended the knife as a useful tool for an adventurer maybe we can get a pair of these and have one for a knife and one for a wand. Cause you can never be too prepared for future Quirrell challenges.
Indeed. Did you know, in the wizarding world, many young people keep their wands either in their pockets, or in their bags?
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
+1
I like that idea. Maybe get a custom knife to go with that (now or later). Nothing with magical or specific properties though, so Shinji can use Gemino on the knife and starts to build a decent stack of cursed blades. Since we're starting to study cursed items wouldn't it be convenient? Unlock UKW.
Last edited by Daiki; April 26th, 2018 at 12:13 AM.
[x] Wand-holsters in the Vertic Alley
[x] Wand-holsters in the Vertic Alley
[x] Wand-holsters in the Vertic Alley
Since they were going to Vertic Alley, Shinji thought it prudent to drop by the Goblin-run Auction Hall and check on the lot he'd put up for sale, only for the Goblin on Duty, Mr. Snickersnack, to tell him that there was no such lot waiting to be sold.
"What?!" the boy exclaimed, wide-eyed. "B-but how can this be?"
"Ah, wizards. So excitable. There is no such lot waiting to be sold, because it has already been sold," the goblin said dryly. "Purchased this morning, by one of our preferred customers, no less. A pity."
"A...pity?" Shinji repeated. "What do you--"
"Why, since it didn't go to auction, then I must assume that whatever deal you negotiated for proceeds from said auction is now null and void, yes?"
Shinji felt a surge of raw, bitter rage welling up in him, rage he only barely managed to keep from exploding from him, even though the world had begun to sway.
"...unless your contract says otherwise?" the goblin inquired solicitously.
"I believe it was for seventy-five percent of the earnings, and that the term auction price was not written down anywhere," Amber interjected smoothly, from where she had walked up beside him. "Minus the up-front advance of 2000 Galleons, of course."
"...you would have to see Mister Gimblegyre at the bank, as he would have your contract on file. I simply manage sales," Snickersnack grunted, dismissing them.
And so, with Amber in tow, Shinji stalked through the alleys, over to Gringotts, where he demanded an audience with his account manager.
To his surprise, Gimblegyre was far more pleasant to deal with than Snickersnack, and informed him that his share of the proceeds from the sale, some 60000 Galleons, had been deposited in his account without trouble.
"We...apologize if Snickersnack caused offense. He is, after all, our newest associate, and not used to...your kind."
"I see," Shinji noted, his rage mostly subsiding at the account manager's words. "Then, I would like to make a withdraw."
"Feel free. Before you do, however, allow me to share with you some of the offers we give to our...preferred customers."
"I'm a preferred customer already? So soon?"
"It isn't how long you've been a client that matters, Mister Matou," the goblin said bluntly. "It's the size of your account."
"...ah."
How unexpectedly forthright.
The goblin handed him four sheets of paper, each with a bit of information on one of the...opportunities that he might be interested in.
1) An elegantly appointed country cottage that has become available for purchase, fully furnished and connected to the Floo Network. Not a mansion by any means, but comfortable enough even by the standards of the well-to-do, with all the modern amenities and tastefully landscaped grounds one might expect. List price: 30,000 Galleons (including House Elf)
2) The Nimbus 2001 (prototype pre-order): The most advanced broom in Western Europe, not yet available on the open market. Own one of the first ten off the production line, and be the envy of your peers. Cost: 1000 galleons per broom
3) The Duelist's Wardrobe: It is often said that clothes make the man, and while this may not be strictly speaking true, if one wants to be considered a man - or woman - of wealth and taste, it never hurts to dress to impress. In this case, if you have the means, why not look it, with a full wardrobe of bespoke garments? Includes several dress robes, a fine winter cloak, a range of clothes for day and evening wear in different situations, even underwear enchanted to keep you comfortable in climes other suffer deeply in. Price: 5000 Galleons per person
4) The Minister's Ball: A new year's eve tradition for Magical Britain, which offers the movers and shakers of Magical Britain a chance to hobnob with the Minister, his Undersecretaries and the members of the Wizengamot. Cost: 1500 Galleons/ticket or 2000 for 2 tickets (standard); 4500 Galleons/ticket for VIP access
"We do have other opportunities, but we believe that with your current funds and connections, these are likely to be the ones which interest you most. The Minister's Ball tickets must be purchased before New Year's Eve, and the purchases for the rest will need to be concluded in person, so please indicate your interest or lack thereof by the day after...Christmas, as you wizards put it."
How much does Shinji withdraw?
[ ] (Write-in)
*You may think about the other items until the day after Christmas.
Current amount carried: 300 Galleons (100 spent on Selina's Daily Quibbler Lifetime Sub, 100 on other gifts, 500 on clothes Amber picked out for him)
Current amount in account: 61000 Galleons
Last edited by alfheimwanderer; April 26th, 2018 at 02:16 AM.
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
I am thinking we should spend no more than a total of 10K, if you remove the house from the equation, this break no matter what. So that we will continue to money for the near future. At worst, we are left with 20K in our bank account or 50K if the house is not bought at the end of the year this way.
I would like us to take the cloths option and pair of tickets (non-vip) so that going to cost us 7000 on top of the 700 we already spent. We can buy those two things after Christmas so lets not worry about that for now. So I willing to spend up to another 2300 galleons at this time at the most.
[x] Withdraw 1500 galleons/ ask for a goblin silver knife (500 galleons)
So that gives him the 2300 limit that I want for now. The knife cost was the amount that Alf said it would cost by IRC. Simple no frills unbreakable knife to go in one of the pair of wrist holsters I want to pick up.
Its not like he really should go crazy with impulse shopping for now so that should be serve his current shopping needs. At least until we buy the special items. This should be more than enough.
Last edited by Skull Leader; April 26th, 2018 at 03:03 AM.
[x] Withdraw 2000 galleons
[x] Withdraw 2000 galleons
[x] Withdraw 1500.
Feels a bit overkill though. Maybe convert some of that for muggle money.
Last edited by Daiki; April 26th, 2018 at 08:52 AM.
Money vote is still open
Chapter 23. Unexpected Thoughts
To reach Exton Hall, ancestral seat of the Earls of Gainsborough – and the place where Shinji would be spending his winter holidays, required two and a half hours by car, three hours by train, or just one and a half hours if took the East Midlands train to Leicester and was picked up from there. Whichever method one chose though, getting there took some doing, which left Shinji and the Noel twins with quite some time to talk.
“You have a family motto?” Shinji was asking, as the train pulled out of St. Pancras International and began making its way north.
“Most of the old families do, since we have to put something on our coat of arms,” Amber explained, smiling at the boy as she took a journal from her bag and showed him said bit of heralry. “Ours is ‘tout bien ou rien.’”
“And what does that mean, exactly?” the boy from the east inquired. “I don’t speak French.”
“At least you recognize the language,” the copper-haired girl noted. “Anyway, the motto means ‘do everything well or do nothing.’”
“Or ‘All or Nothing,’ which is the interpretation I prefer,” Phelan interjected with a wan smile. “Suitable for an adventurer, wouldn’t you say?”
“…you would say that, wouldn’t you?” Shinji asked dryly, remembering some of the more reckless stunts that the earl’s son had been involved in. “But whether its suitable…I’m not sure.”
“Oh? And why is that, Matou?” Phelan questioned, turning the fullness of his attention on the boy sitting across from him.
“Because you only live once,” the boy from the east responded pithily. “And if you ever come up on nothing…”
He trailed off meaningfully, though Phelan looked unconvinced.
“As you say, we only live once,” the young noble rejoined. “So why not seek to have it all?” Phelan chuckled. “I aim to be an adventurer, Matou, boldly going where no one has gone before, rather than some clerk in the Ministry.”
“Well, it’s not as if I have any particular desire to work as a clerk,” Amber quipped dryly. “Though I suppose even a good enough clerk can achieve a measure of fame.”
“Oh?”
“Sir Thomas Bond has a street named after him in Westminster,” the copper-haired girl offered as an example. “And he was but comptroller to the household of Henrietta Maria – the wife of the much unloved Charles I.”
“Comptroller?” Shinji echoed. “What is…?”
“Accountant,” Amber explained.
“Bond, you say?” Phelan mused. “I have heard that name before, but where…?”
“Perhaps one of the Ian Fleming books you received some Christmases ago?”
“…ah yes. James Bond.” Phelan paused. “Sister, are you telling me that there is an actual family of Bonds?”
“Yes. To this day, they live in Dorset, and like the fictional James, are descended from Thomas, and the Elizabethean spy John before him,” Amber supplied with a thin smile. “Their family motto was something of a joke, as I recall.”
“Oh?”
“Orbis non sufficit – the world is not enough,” the copper-haired girl recalled, with Phelan raising his eyebrows.
“And how is that a joke?” Phelan demanded. “It sounds properly ambitious even by your standards!”
“Too ambitious,” Amber corrected, shaking her head. “It was meant as an insult to the King of Spain, who at that time, controlled an empire on which the sun never set, and was accepted as such. Had it been taken seriously as a motto…well, let us say it would have been seen as…overstepping.”
“Ah.”
They talked of this and other things, and soon enough, found themselves at Leicester. A short conversation about Exton and the Rutland holdings of the Noel Family later – something which Amber somewhat seriously suggested should be explored by horseback, and which apparently included a rather extensive park, groves of trees, the largest free-roaming herd of deer in the United Kingdom, some ruins, and an old mine – they arrived, with the household staff greeting the young lord and lady – and their guest.
To Shinji’s mild disappointment, it was nothing like a scene from animes involving wealthy young heirs, in which a veritable legion of maids or butlers would line up and bow, welcoming the young master of the house home, but it was pleasant enough nonetheless.
After being introduced as a guest of the family, the boy was shown to a rather large room, rather more ornately decorated than his own at home, and was told that the twins would meet him in the sitting room downstairs over tea.
‘…so this is how the nobility lives, huh? On rich estates out in the country.’
An estate spanning 6000 acres of land – though once, it had been 14,000 – a full eighth of Rutland, which for all that it was the smallest county of England was still very much a county.
There was so much space out here, so much green, unlike in Miyama Town in Fuyuki, that it was a little unnerving.
The daimyos of old had lost their lands and power after the Meiji restoration after all, with their holdings becoming the prefectures of today – and they the first governors, before they were stripped of that duty and called to Tokyo. As such, there were no grand estates that remained in the hands of the daimyo families, much unlike here, where officially or not, the nobility still held very real influence.
‘Though I suppose magi aren’t unlike nobility in that way…’
They were much concerned about bloodlines, heirs, territories, and the like – but then that was a world to which he didn’t belong. Couldn’t belong, since he had no talent as a magus.
‘I’m merely a practitioner of witchcraft, though we haven’t really covered what I think of as such in detail.’
After all, when magi thought of witchcraft, they didn't think of transfiguration, the charms one tended to learn in Professor Flitwick's classes, or herbology – ok, well perhaps some herbology. They thought of potions...and they thought of curses.
Not curses as in the spells that Granger and Weasley had used against another on the train, or the mere cantrips they learned about in Defense against the Dark Arts.
Curses as in spells and abilities which could shape destinies, bend fates, twist minds.
That was why, when Matou Shinji had learned he had been accepted to an institute focusing on witchcraft (prudently ignoring what the letter said about wizardry, since that had to be an empty boast – and from what he’d seen, he’d been right to do so), he'd spent what spare funds he had on two items: a book on Occlumency, the art of protecting the mind from outside influence, and a comprehensive book on curses, entitled Digging Two Graves.
Knowledge was power, and he hadn’t wanted to fall behind his peers, who no doubt would all come from lineages which had practiced these dark arts for centuries.
…reality, however, proved much stranger than fiction.
And for all that he was a good student, and had never failed to rise to an academic challenge, the boy had found that the practical aspects of protecting his mind took up quite a bit of time and effort, enough that he hadn't been able to spare time for more than the most basic exercise in Digging Two Graves, a charm designed to allow budding practitioners of the Dark arts to create disposable items they could use for practicing their arts.
‘Well…at least Gemino is useful for something.’
Enchantment, after all, was best done on a blank object - something which isn't already laced with prana and intent, lest there be...dangerous interactions. It was a complex, subtle art, especially when one was working with more deadly effects, since the enchanter was not immune to the effects of his or her cursed items.
Some of these effects might be as simple as heating an object when exposed to someone's life force. Others might require something a bit more to trigger, like shocking someone who tried to pick a lock or reducing someone who supplied a wrong password to ashes.
It was no small thing to imbue objects with such effects, after all, sometimes requiring a bit of soulstuff - either your own or another's - to make it stick (which was typical of true curses, given that to cast a curse was to dig two graves, as the old saying went).
'Huh. Maybe that's why the Dark Arts - the proper stuff, not the watered down business Britain talked about today - has fallen out of favor. They don't want power, just versatility.'
Too much power in the hands of individuals made it difficult to have a proper society, as it would make enforcement of law or regulation quite difficult.
A shame, as his reading suggested that a powerful enough practitioner - who had a very clear vision of what one wanted - could even affect concepts or categories without a physical object needed. As an example, one might be able to say...curse anyone who was appointed to teach History of Magic at Hogwarts, or say, whoever became the heir of a family.
Not that he’d be performing any such curses – or much in the way of practical witchcraft – here over the summer, since apparently the Ministry had some sort of restriction on students using their abilities at home.
‘Oh well,’ he thought to himself once he’d unpacked the few things he’d brought with him from Hogwarts – and the rather more sizable number of things he’d bought in Vertic Alley, including 500 Galleons worth of new clothes (on Amber’s insistence). ‘I might as well see what the twins are up to.’
As the boy learned when he arrived at the sitting room, the Earl of Gainsborough, his wife the Countess, and their eldest son, the Viscount Campden – who was only fourteen, were apparently out for the day, meaning that Shinji and the twins would be left to their own devices.
“Shall we take that horseback ride I spoke of?” Amber asked him over tea, to which Shinji idly found himself thinking that Miyuki-senpai’s tasted better. “It would be lovely to do so before the sun set.”
“Would be a bit much for someone who’s never ridden a horse,” Phelan commented phlegmatically. “If we wanted to do that, we should probably start earlier in the day. We only have another hour of light or so left. Maybe two.”
“And what do you suggest, brother?” Amber questioned.
“We should show Matou the ruins of the old house, and some of the other sights of the estate. Perhaps even the chest that inspired the Legend of the Mistletoe Bough?”
“The legend of the mistletoe bough?” Shinji repeated quizzically. “What’s that?”
“Nothing you need to know for now,” Phelan noted coolly. “If you want to see the chest, I can tell you then.”
The earl’s son gestured to a map of the Noel’s family’s holdings, showed a number of lakes, groves of trees, ruins, a historic house or two, and sweeping gardens, in which it was said that Shakespeare had once performed.
“But you’re the guest, Matou,” the young noble pointed out. “What would you like to do?”
“…well, you’ve both mentioned that you know how to use swords, right?”
Both Amber and Phelan nodded, not quite sure where their friend was going with this.
“Do you think you could teach me?” the boy asked, with Amber and Phelan sharing a very expressive look at the boy’s request.
"You want to learn how to use a sword? From us?" Amber questioned, her slim fingers caressing the hilt of the rapier she held in her lap, with Shinji's face reddening for some reason as he noticed. "But..." she looked him up and down. "For what purpose? You don't have a blade."
"I...I'd still like to learn," Shinji stated, firming his resolve. "I mean, you know how to use a blade, Lady Gainsborough. I assume you do, Phelan?" The earl's second son nodded. "And Natsumi, well, Quirrell gave her some kind of saber, so I guess she knows...?"
"Some," Amber admitted, her lips quirking up slightly at the thought of her old friend. "Though she's more interested in kendo than the western styles Phelan and I prefer, and somewhat less practiced, since there are no...kendoka, was that the word? at Malvern St. James."
"Kendo?" Shinji echoed. "Oh. Because of Miyuki-senpai?"
Amber laughed softly, a very pretty sound, Shinji thought.
"Oh no. Lady Tsuji doesn't practice any sword arts," the copper-haired girl noted. "She much prefers other pursuits, and using her wits as her weapon of choice. The pen is mightier than the sword, they say."
"Anyway, if you say you want to learn how to use a sword, I don't mind showing you a few things, and I suppose we could get you some training gear, but..." Phelan hesitated. "I trained in backsword, a style which focuses on slashes and cuts, while my sister's rapier training focuses on thrusts."
"So, what we're asking really, is who you want to learn from," Amber concluded.
"I think I'd need to know more before I choose," Shinji temporized. Just knowing that someone focused on slashes and cuts versus thrusts wasn't really all that useful when one wanted to choose a blade style. Not that he absolutely wanted a blade style yet - he'd just thought it would be nice to learn.
"A fair point," Amber admitted. "Phelan, why don't you start with the backsword."
"Hmph. I would have done so even if you didn't ask, sister of mine," the second son of the earl noted, shaking his head. "In any case, yes, I trained for some years in how to wield a backsword. Instead of using foils or epees, we start with something more solid."
"More solid?"
"A cudgel, otherwise called a singlestick."
"Something like a bokken," Amber interjected, with a flicker of irritation crossing Phelan's face at the interruption.
"Yes, whatever that is," Phelan grumbled. "Anyway, the backsword is a simple but effective weapon. A weapon that was carried across hundreds of battlefields by thousands of common soldiers as a sidearm, and used by cavalry. An adventurer's blade, unlike the rapier."
"I can handle describing the rapier myself, brother," Amber noted coolly.
"Yes, well. As I said, the backsword is a blade for the common man, versatile and proven," Phelan concluded with a huff.
"The rapier, by contrast, is a more refined weapon," Amber commented wryly. "A weapon that emphasizes quick, precise strikes, to disable an opponent with the utmost efficiency. There is no wasted effort with a rapier, no wild swings and desperate lunges. A useful weapon, even by the exacting standards of those more gently born."
"Well if you put it that way, I think a rapier sounds like a better fit for what I had in mind," Shinji commented, with Phelan grimacing as the Japanese boy made his declaration. "I'll be in your care, Lady Gainsborough."
"A good choice," Amber murmured, giving the boy a smile that made his heart race. "I will arrange for a full set of training gear for you, though it may take a few days to get that sorted."
"What, you have his sizes already?" Phelan exclaimed, narrowing his eyes. "But how...oh right. You did help pick out clothes for him, didn't you?"
"Mhm," the copper-haired girl confirmed, much to her brother's discontent. "We'll give you some directions about how to take care of your new training weapon, and show you how to wear the protective garb, when everything comes in. No need to do waste time by having to repeat ourselves, right?"
"...right," Shinji agreed, though inwardly, he was a little disappointed, as he'd thought the lesson would start today, with Amber perhaps loaning him her sword and correcting his posture, holding his hands in-- "Shall we all go for a walk?" he asked, trying to distract himself from rather inappropriate thoughts about the daughter of a noble house.
"All of us?" Phelan asked carefully. "Or just..."
"All of us," the Japanese boy said brightly. "Perhaps you could show me around?"
"Ah, certainly," the Earl's second son agreed. "What would you like to see? The grounds about the manor? The ruins of the old house? The lakes?"
"...maybe the village?" Shinji asked instead. "We're going to be around the manor all winter, so I wanted to see what things were like in Exton."
"It's well...there's not that much to see," Amber supplied.
"Oh?"
"Only a few hundred people live here," Phelan noted, shaking his head.
"Which I think is part of why you wanted to be an adventurer, right? To see the world?"
"...you've got me there, sister."
"Wow. That's...not a lot of people at all," the Japanese boy mused aloud. "Especially since there a million and a half people in the city I grew up in."
"And what brought you all the way to Britain, and to Hogwarts?" Amber asked curiously.
Shinji sighed and looked away, unable to meet her curious green gaze.
"...my mother's legacy," he said after a few moments. "Let's leave it at that, shall we?"
Deciding to humor their guest, the twins did as Shinji asked, leading the boy from the manor to the quaint little village just outside the grounds of Exton Park. To the boy's surprise, it only took about 15 minutes to go from Exton Hall, the ancestral home of the Earls of Gainsborough, to the tree-planted green just outside the Village Hall - the social center of the village.
"I had my graduation from primary school here," Phelan recalled, shaking his head as he walked up to the doors. "Right before I came to Hogwarts. I grew up here, in this small town, unlike you, sister."
"Well, it’s true, you attended the village's school, while I went to Malvern St. James," Amber noted with a thoughtful expression. "Three hours away from London by train. But it was one that went direct, unlike the one here."
"Hogwarts and Hogsmeade...they remind me of Exton, actually," Phelan admitted. "Mostly in how small they are, and how everyone knows everyone else. I thought the world outside the village would be grander, full of wonders. But it’s just full of people, same as every other place. People with their worries. People with their cares. People too caught up in the details of their lives to appreciate the world around them."
"Magic or not, people are people, you know," Amber quipped, shaking her head. "It's strange. You were much more excited than I was when you received your letter, and yet you seem...disappointed."
"While you're never really disappointed because you never expect anything of people, sister," Phelan grumbled. He glanced apologetically at Shinji. "Well, maybe not never, I guess. You do get along with that Natsumi girl."
From there, the two made their way to the War Memorial Garden just off the village green, dedicated to those who had died in the Great War - a number which included one Robert Noel, son of the Third Earl of Gainsborough, many years ago, where they encountered someone they - or at least two of them - hadn't expected to see.
'Is that...'
"Greetings of the season, Miss Tonks," Phelan greeted, his cheeks tinged with just a hint of red as he graced the young woman with a gallant bow.
"Ah, back from school, are ya, Phelan?" the young woman replied, a bright smile gracing her features as she curtseyed to the boy, glancing over his companions. "And you even have friends from school! Did they come to visit for Christmas?"
"Heh, well, one is," the earl's son admitted. "The other...Amber is my sister."
"...Auror Trainee Tonks?" Shinji asked quizzically, with the newcomer's expression going slack with shock as she took a closer look at the two besides Phelan.
"Oh. Oh. The school-age couple, yes!" Tonks said brightly, as Phelan tried very hard to keep his expression from curdling. "Makar Shini and Amber Noel."
"Matou Shinji, actually," the Japanese boy corrected, with a nod. "What a pleasant surprise to see you here!"
"Heh. I'm more surprised to see you two again, since I live close to here, on the other side of Exton Park," Tonks pointed out. "While you two--" Her mouth closed with a click as her thoughts caught up with her tongue, and she turned to Phelan. "Wait, if you all know each other, then when you sai you were going to school, Phelan, did you mean...to Hogwarts?!"
"...yeah," Phelan admitted sheepishly. "You...you're a witch then, Miss Tonks?"
"An Auror, actually," the Metamorphmagus said proudly, puffing out her sizable chest - with the motion drawing Phelan's eyes as certainly as a moth to a flame. "What House? I was a Hufflepuff, which these two know already."
"Gryffindor," the Earl's son said stoutly. "But...how do you know my sister, and...Matou?" He frowned then. "And why...a couple?"
Tonks chuckled, a very pretty sound which made Phelan's cheeks heat up yet further.
"I gave them a tour of the Ministry some time ago, but they were in dress robes then," she recalled, looking them all over. "In more casual clothing, I didn't recognize you."
She smiled impishly.
"Certainly didn't recognize Miss Noel without that sword of hers," Tonks cracked, with Amber smiling just a hint.
"Few people do," Phelan jibed, with Amber shaking her head and Tonks snorting.
"Heh."
"So how you know my brother, Miss Tonks?" Amber inquired. "You said you live near here, but..."
"Your brother used to visit the memorial garden every weekend, much like I did," the Auror trainee related with an odd expression. "I come here often enough myself, but I didn't know why a schoolboy would. There aren't any pretty girls about, after all."
"I wouldn’t say that…," Phelan mumbled, going red at the admission. “There was always one…”
"Heh. I was curious, and asked him one day why he looked at the memorial stones, and do you know what he told me?"
"What?" Amber asked.
"That he was reminding himself that the world outside was dangerous, and that when he went on his great adventure, he would need to make sure never to end up on a stone like this, because otherwise, his sister would cry," Tonks recalled softly. "I didn't know you would both be going to Hogwarts. Have any adventures yet?"
"Oh, just a few..."
There was a bit more conversation, with the young woman revealing that this would be her last winter in Exton, as she and her mother would be moving to London as soon as they sold their cottage – something which had once belonged to her aunt.
"I'll miss it but...I think I like the city more," Tonks admitted. "It’s much more...lively.”
Oh, does Shinji buy holsters for his friends as well?
Last edited by alfheimwanderer; April 27th, 2018 at 12:45 AM.
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." - A.A. Milne
[x] Buy holsters for his friends too.
Might as well.
[x] Buy holsters for his friends too
[x] Buy holsters for his friends too
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote