Comments | road_ahead: RP: Friends gather around us...

rar_verity in road_ahead

RP: Friends gather around us...

Feb 18, 2009 08:42

Date: 18 September, 1999
Characters: Verity Jackson, Lee Jordan, Anyone who wants to come by (add your tags as you arrive).
Location: Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
Status: Public
Summary: The Alley reacts to the news
Completion: Complete-ish

( ...just when we need it most... )

sibyll trelawney, lee jordan, muriel beamish, place: weasleys' wizard wheezes, ginny weasley, alicia spinnet, seamus finnigan, verity jackson, katie bell, oliver wood, angelina johnson, lisa turpin, september 1999, dean thomas, ron weasley

Comments 81

rar_verity February 18 2009, 15:42:57 UTC

Verity made her way toward Lee, the puffball cuddled in her palm, then sat on the step beside him.

"I'm so sorry," she said softly, stroking the Pygmy Puff, but looking at him. "What can I do, Lee? For you?"

rar_lee February 18 2009, 17:25:14 UTC

Lee was sat on the back steps, tugging splinters out of the handrail. Verity sat next to him and he shrugged.

"S'ok. Nothing to be done, really," he said quietly. He shrugged again but said nothing else.

The parchment and quill were still tucked into his pocket. He'd gotten halfway to the post and turned around without quite knowing why. Well, he did know, he just couldn't deal with feeling bad about another fucking thing. The truth was, he couldn't help but wonder why he had to bother his friends. They should just...be here.

"George inside?" he asked Verity, thinking about going to him, but not moving to stand.

rar_verity February 18 2009, 17:27:30 UTC

Verity bit her lip, then shook her head, looking down at the puffball. "He..." She paused, then sighed. "Bill took him. To...Greystone, he said. George found some piece of the window and wouldn't let go of it. It...was cutting his hand...and Bill took him."

rar_lee February 18 2009, 17:45:03 UTC

Lee sighed, not all that surprised. That was why he called Bill, after all. To take care of things. To take care of George.

He just...couldn't.

"I guess I should go," he muttered, still not moving.

Thread 7

rar_angelina February 18 2009, 15:56:38 UTC

As soon as Angelina Apparated to the Alley, she knew something was off. The heavy stenches of smoke, burned wood, and the nauseating scent of something acrid, like a scorched potion, choked the air. Angelina coughed.

People moved around with worried faces, spoke in whispered voices that sounded both anxious and upset. What was going on? Angelina pushed open the door of the shop. Carmilla stood behind the counter, rubbing her fingers across her collarbone. She looked just as troubled ( ... )

rar_verity February 18 2009, 16:04:35 UTC

Verity turned, the purple Pygmy Puff still cradled in her palm, then reached one arm to hug Angelina. "They're safe," she said, shaking her head. "They weren't home. Nobody was here..."

She stepped back a little, then glanced back at the shop. "George...he..." Her eyes swam with tears. "He couldn't...deal, I suppose? Bill took him. To St. Mungo's..." She wiped a tear off her cheek. "Oh, Angelina. He was so...lost..."

rar_angelina February 18 2009, 16:10:02 UTC

Angelina gratefully leaned into Verity's hug. George and Lee hadn't been home. "Oh, thank God," she whispered.

Verity explained that Bill had taken George to St. Mungo's. He was so lost, she said. Of course he was lost. He'd just lost...so much. As if he hadn't suffered enough already. "Verity, the shop...it's all gone..." she said. The tears dripped down her cheeks. "Lee? Where is he? Is he...gone, too?"

rar_verity February 18 2009, 17:02:16 UTC

Verity gestured toward the Alley. "He was sitting on the steps," she said, then sighed and turned, staring into what was left of the shop. Her fingers stroked the little ball of fluff in her hand absently, and she bit her lip.

Thread 6

rar_lisa February 18 2009, 16:27:36 UTC

Lisa could tell before she and Ginny even reached the shop that they wouldn't be able to help with the structure itself. She could see at least one man in Auror robes examining something in front of the blackened building, and it was unlikely they'd be allowed to go inside, maybe not even close. The shop front looked...worse than she'd expected. Maybe she'd secretly been hoping that something would be salvageable, but now she really doubted it.

She glanced back at Ginny as they approached, wishing she could say something but completely unable to find the words.

rar_ginny February 18 2009, 16:42:07 UTC

The smell was horrible, but still Ginny was not prepared for what was left of the shop. She walked beside Lisa like a puppet pulled on strings that were leading her to the devastation.

There were a few official-looking people taking notes and picking through charred items. Ginny legs stopped moving. She stared at the mess that had been George's shop--the place he and Fred had started together. They'd been so damn proud of what they'd done.

Ginny couldn't breathe. She bent over, putting her hands on her knees. She gulped in air and then she began to cry. She cried for what George had lost, now and before. He must be dying.

Ginny felt too overwhelmed to even think properly. The old wounds had just started to heal, just started to scar over, but every one burst open. She might as well be bleeding all over the street. She covered her face.

"Oh, George," she whispered into her palms.

rar_lisa February 18 2009, 17:53:29 UTC

All the sudden Ginny was sobbing, and Lisa felt completely out of place. She barely knew the girl, had really only accidentally ended up bringing her along, and now she couldn't do anything but put an arm around the other witch's shoulder and squeeze. Fuck, this was a mess.

rar_ginny February 18 2009, 18:05:45 UTC

Ginny felt someone's arm around her. She stood up straight and tried to see who was near her, but her vision was blurred by the tears. She wanted to apologise for crying, especially in front of strangers, but wouldn't they understand? She blinked, and Lisa's face came into focus.

"I-I can't breathe," she said, tugging at the collar of her robes.

Thread 12

rar_oliver February 18 2009, 16:48:28 UTC

Oliver and Alicia apparated to the shop, or, what was left of the shop, as early as they could. He owled his boss saying he was taking the day off, giving no real explanation. He'd figure it out eventually, and honestly Oliver didn't give a fuck if he was pissed. This was way more important.

Verity and Lee were standing around, looking totally miserable. Fuck. Giving Al a last squeeze he tried to stand behind the two, not wanting to interrupt but wanting to make sure he could be supportive.

rar_verity February 18 2009, 17:04:36 UTC

Verity couldn't look anymore. Not now...it was too sad. The shop...it had been her first job... She turned, tears on her cheeks again, nearly bumping Oliver as she did.

"Oh!" She stopped, then wiped at her cheeks roughly, swapping the Pygmy Puff into her other hand. "Oliver..." She trailed off helplessly, trying very hard to give him a smile, but she wasn't sure it was working.

rar_oliver February 18 2009, 19:11:06 UTC

"Hey. You all right?" It was probably a stupid thing to ask, but Oliver didn't know what else to say. He put a hand on her shoulder and tried to make eye contact with Lee. "I'm so sorry."

rar_verity February 18 2009, 19:20:51 UTC

Verity wiped her eyes again, nodding. "Sure. I'm..." She gave him a halfway smile, then gestured over her shoulder. "Okay... You know."

She blinked. "It's just...horrible."

She couldn't keep crying. She was...something. Needed to be helpful, and reliable, and sturdy. Not fall apart like some girl.

Thread 12

rar_muriel February 18 2009, 17:32:24 UTC

Muriel needed to go to the Ministry. There were people she knew there - one in almost every department, actually - and she was damned if she wasn't going to stick her nose in everywhere and find out what on earth had happened here. An accident? Pish. George hadn't been running this store for so long without knowing how to safely store his chemicals. She was willing to bet that someone had done this deliberately, and when they found out who it was, Muriel was going to put some large bricks into her handbag and beat the culprit with it ( ... )