Click your Heels Three Times. (Active/Closed.)

[becauseimboring]

Characters: Clare Edwards and Fred Weasley
Time: Right at the return to Real Chicago
Location: Anystreet, then a few shops.
Content: The return to real Chicago, and two teenagers making sure they have what they need.
Format: Prose
Warnings: Teenagers. Clare's read all the Harry Potter books so possible mild angst.

Comments

[noimgeorge]

The first thing Fred noticed was the noise. Chicago was just as bad as London - worse, actually, with this whole mess. Honestly, he hadn't even expected to still be in Chicago once Titania did her thing. Hadn't she said she'd let them go home? The Burrow was home, not this crazy city! What's worse, he'd entirely lost track of Amber and everyone he knew, and he had no idea where to begin. Again. This routine was getting bloody old.

Now what was he supposed to do? He had no idea where to find this Morgana lady or how to get rid of her for that matter, no idea where to find Titania, and no idea where to find his friends. He couldn't very well just march straight into the city without a clue, either. The only course of action he could think to take would be to Apparate to Britain and come back with a legion of Aurors and the entire Weasley line, and he had half a mind to try it right then and there.

Of course, George at least would be irritated that he hadn't stayed to do what he could. Whatever that was.

So Fred stood there for now, hands on his hips, glaring at the panicking city. Then he remembered the Egglplant, and pulled out the thing to check the network. Sure enough, people were posting there again, but still no one he knew had shown up. He heaved a sigh. Better to just help out where he could then, he thought, starting to walk toward the Bean.

[becauseimboring]

Clare moved through the crowds of civilians wondering how many actually knew what was going on. Beyond the rumors and whispers, knew about magic and how much trouble the world- worlds, were in. Who would stand and fight against the dark if they knew what would happen if they ran away. Wouldn't think she was some insane kid who had read too much Harry Potter and had a mental condition.

Whatever thought she had on the subject fell dead as she spotted someone from the fake Chicago in the crowds ahead of her. Someone she did her best to avoid in the construct. Not out of any dislike or ire, but out of pain. When she read the books, it was a powerful emotive scene needed for the narrative of the story. The world isn't a happy fun place, wars don't get won without casualties. Which made the death of a character far less painful if you look at it quite so objectively.

Seeing Fred Weasley in front of her on the street made it far less objective a view, something she knew when she spotted his name in the Eggplant lists. Worse than that she couldn't warn him, not really. The dominoes reworking from that could lead to Voldermort winning. She wanted desperately to save him... but at the same time she knew she couldn't, poking around with events like that is beyond what she should do. Which is why, for as long as she could, she kept far from him whenever possible. Except now, with everything going on, she would just have to suck it up and deal.

She made her way through the crowds to reach the red head's side, gently slipping an arm into his, "I'm Clare... I kinda have a sword I need to keep out of view. So many questions I don't have time to answer right now." She was looking away as she did this, on the one hand forward and the other hand practical. His body would better block view of her blade than her coat would on its own. Also, maybe a part of her she ignored for quite some time, was a little giddy doing such a thing with an actual Hogwarts student. "So... I don't suppose you know how we got to the- a real Chicago from the fake one?"

[noimgeorge]

The initial surprise at someone suddenly taking his arm faded quickly, and Fredput a silly, mock-hurt smile on his face. "I feel so used," he said immediately upon hearing of her sword. He politely refrained from asking about it, as curious as he was, in favor of introductions and the like.

"It's a lovely day for a leisurely stroll through the city, isn't it? Name's Fred," he told Clare, having no idea in the slightest that she might already know. Lowering his voice to answer her question, he said, "Titania did it, just like she promised. Doesn't look like we're any better off, though."

[becauseimboring]

Clare cringed at his mention of Titania, Summer's ruling Queen was not someone to be spoken of lightly, and not one to be making deals with. Which Fred had done, but that wasn't exactly his biggest issue facing him so she would have to let that go for now. "All our supplies were in the other Chicago, we need weapons and to meet up with the others."

Meeting with the others would be easier, they would be heading toward the Bean or the Blackstone. ...It wasn't hard to guess that would be happening. Clare pulled out the eggplant to see what sort of activity were available on it. But... before she checked what sort of plan was going on she spotted a new button on the home menu. A bright grin spread across her face as she tried it. Fingers dancing over the plastic screen, finding something they lacked in the construct. While her plan wasn't perfect... it could be made to work anyway, and it would be much easier to do with access to one thing over all else.

The Internet.

"Fred, I think we can find some weapons and supplies for everyone," Clare held the device up for Fred to look at, a map on the screen with a few locations marked off. It was lucky she found him, he can apparate. Which means traveling point to point without actually walking, meaning less chances they would be asked about their purchases. "What do you think about a shopping run? The basics, swords, guns, first aid supplies?" That grin on her face was as wicked as Clare's expression ever got. This was, by far, the least parentally approved thing they would ever do. Why was this going to be so much fun?

[noimgeorge]

Personally, Fred had no need of weapons. He had his wand; what other weapon could possibly be better? But he was aware that some of the people here were just Muggles, Clare included. They would need better weapons than just their fists. And given who they were all supposed to be facing later on, it wasn't too bad an idea.

"I'm all yours, Clare. Just tell me where to go, and hold on tight."

[becauseimboring]

Clare pulled up the address and a picture of the first shop they were going to visit, a gun shop and range in what she thought was downtown Boston. Giving Fred a chance to be sure they landed in the right spot and in one piece. Then her phone went back into her pocket and she made sure she had very firm grip on Fred's arm.

Apparation seemed interesting in reading, but also very scary from how Harry reacted to it the first few times. She... was not very inclined to feel this first hand, but it was the best way to go shopping at three stores that wouldn't sell to them anyway, "Oh, Fred, we will probably have to rob the stores to get what we need, I hope you don't mind that?"

It was after mapping it out Clare realized she hadn't carried any money with her since she arrived in the fake Chicago... and even if she had money it wasn't American money... and that Fred, if he had money, wasn't American either. It wasn't even exchangable as it was wizard money. ...All of which didn't matter, neither had a proper combination of age and identification to purchase restricted items. However, what's a little robbery when the end of the world is at stake?

[noimgeorge]

He examined the picture on the phone and nodded. "Not at all. A good Disillusionment Charm should be all we need for that. Now, try not to get too sick."

This would be Fred's first time trying Side-Along Apparition, he realized. But he pushed that thought aside, focusing instead on their first destination, and waved his wand. Clare might feel an odd pulling sensation and find herself a bit disoriented at best; at worst, she would suddenly find herself feeling rather sick. Fred, for his part, wasn't bothered by it at all. Side-Along wasn't all that different from regular Apparition, he noted, looking up at the store for a moment before casting a quick Disillusionment Charm on them both. "You alright, Clare?"

[becauseimboring]

Clare tried to think of the best way to describe the feeling, she wasn't coming up with an exact comparison. So instead she went for the first literary reference she found in her head that was on point, "Just the most unpleasant feeling of being drunk." Clare coughed, she wasn't sick, but she still felt like her head was spinning a little.

...and that someone had cracked a raw egg on her head. Why- right, Disillusionment charm. "I'm good, let's go shopping. That always makes a girl feel better," she got up, still feeling all sorts of uncomfortable between the apparating and the psuedo-invisibility charm. However they had some things to do. Although... Clare saw a problem that she might need to fix. "Hold on."

Clare glanced into the doors of the gun shop. There was an electronic chime security setup. The kind that makes noise every time someone enters or leaves the shop to let the owners keep track of customers. Spooky as it might be to enter invisible, they weren't invisible enough for Clare to trust that. Blue-white motes of light centered around her hand as she just poured cold air into the sensors, frosting them over. The side-effect of this being that magic like this is bad for technology. So the sensors should, theory holds, be dead. "Now we can go in."

[noimgeorge]

"Not bad," Fred commented. "Lots of first-timers vomit afterwards." He watched curiously as Clare worked her magic, bowing and giving her a "ladies first" sort of flourish. "You know what you're looking for, right?"