penxclearwater

Latest Posts by penxclearwater

Though it was definitely closer to morning than noon, Penelope felt justified in taking an early lunch break to run over to Lisa’s store and check in on her. She works through most lunches anyway, so really, she was probably due a long lunch. It was Lisa’s first day back at the shop and Pen wanted to be there for her, make sure she knew she had a support system even when the baby wasn’t around. It was the work of moments to hop over to Bewitched, pausing only to make a stop at a little café for drinks and snacks to go. 

“Absolutely nothing,” Pen smiled. She walked through the store to the counter, tugging her cousin into a side hug and shifting a mug into her hands. “How’s your first day back?” 

where: Bewitched

status: open for all 

Since Liam had been born, Lisa had been very hesistant in leaving her daughter, spending most of her time with the baby. She had read about seperation anxiety and it was real. Even now, a few months after her birth, Lisa didn’t feel comfortable leaving her with someone else for more than two hours, even if those were her parents or Michael’s. It was her first full day back at work and she was already on pins and needles, waiting for time to pass. They didn’t think she’d make it a full day before popping by and checking in, but she knew she’d have to learn to be apart from her daughter. Sure, Lisa loved her job, but there was nothing she loved more than Liam. Hearing the bell on top of the door ring, she looked up from behind the counter.

 “Hello, what can I help you with today?” 

percyweasley-arc​:

It had been a long day at week following the events of the Halloween masquerade and then a myriad of stress at the Ministry. Percy almost hesitantly denied a family dinner but it seemed the comfort he needed. Percy could easily be trapped in his work and his family always offered a keen escape that he craved. Even though he had just made amends with Charlie, he still was worried and concerned about Harriet.

As soon as Percy arrived at his former house, he gave his mother and father a chaste kiss on the cheek before heading up to his old bedroom to change. The work clothes seemed to be what he lived in, but even Percy preferred to change as soon as he left. The tie around his neck fell and the tightness loosened. 

Percy barely heard the door creak open until he turned around and saw Penelope. Penelope Clearwater was in his bedroom. Penelope Clearwater was here. Why was she here? Percy then realized he was stunned and speechless, only staring as he held his shirt in his hands. They had been talking for the last few months and Percy nearly had a moment to kiss her on the train but his insecurities got the best of him.

He cleared his throat and his brows knitted together in confusion. “Pen-penelope, what-what are you…did mother invite you?” he asked weakly, hating how surprised he sounded and knew he looked shocked too. Percy took a breath and turned to give himself a moment and to throw on the nearest shirt he had. Why hadn’t mummy told him about Penelope coming? It seemed like vital information considering Percy’s feelings and here he was looking like a speechless buffoon. “I’m sorry-I wasn’t-I didn’t know you were coming.”

◊

If there was a protocol for running into your ex-boyfriend shirtless while trying to rekindle your friendship, Penelope certainly didn’t know it. She stood in stunned silence while her brain flashed through different scenarios on how to react,  flushing bright red and ducking her head as Percy searched for a shirt. A tiny part of her brain whispered that he looked good, but she stamped it down ruthlessly and simply tried not to die of embarrassment. 

“I’m so sorry, I thought she would have told you,” Pen said, feeling awkward and out of her depth. “We ran into each other the other day and she invited me, I would have said something but we had those meeting conflicts for lunch yesterday,” she trailed off. Honestly, eating dinner with her ex’s family was a little out of Penelope’s comfort zone, but it was suddenly a lot harder to stomach knowing that Percy hadn’t known, and possibly didn’t want her there. 

“I’m sorry,” she said again, “I can go. Maybe this is just bad timing, I can create an excuse for your mum.” 

location: café on diagon

status: closed starter for @pennyhaywoodx​

Penelope felt almost lighter than air as she made her way to the café where she was meant to meet Penny. Intellectually she knew she was very much in the beginning stages of the honeymoon phase, having just confirmed her feelings for Percy were reciprocated the night before, but it didn’t stop her from feeling amazing! The only thing that could make it better was time with friends, especially friends who gave her the courage to confess in the first place. 

Snagging a table by a window, Pen put in her order and waited for Penny. She pulled out a notebook to get some work done, but only barely managed to stop herself from doodling Percy’s name in the margins. God, she felt 12 all over again. Thankfully, she spotted her friend’s blonde hair and waved, beckoning Penny over. “Penny!” 

location: the burrow

status: closed starter for @percyweasley-arc​

Though Penelope and Percy had been working on rebuilding their friendship, somehow Molly Weasley inviting her to dinner at the Burrow still caught her by surprise. She’d been to the Burrow of course, though that was when she and Percy had been... together. And they weren’t anymore. 

Still, it was more time she would get to spend with Percy and she couldn’t deny that as much as she liked the Weasleys, there was only one Weasley that she’d do just about anything for. So here Pen was, walking up to the gate of the Burrow after all these years. 

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the gates and headed for the door. It was a dinner with a friend’s family, Penelope reasoned, there was no reason to be so nervous. Knocking at the door, she let herself in at the call of a voice from inside. Molly was busy in the kitchen, doing something involving copious amounts of flour. Greeting her, Pen offered to help but she was shooed up the stairs to go find Percy. 

Penelope stepped lightly up the stairs to where she remembered Percy’s old room to be, trailing her fingers lightly over the pictures on the wall, smiling sadly at the young and innocent red-headed faces smiling back at her. Her heart twisted seeing Fred and George together. She didn’t know what she’d do if she lost Jason or Izzy, and the twins would never be the same without the other. Shaking herself out of her musings, Pen forced the thought from her mind and knocked twice on Percy’s door before letting herself in. 

“Percy? Your mum said you were up here—oh!” she exclaimed, as she walked into Percy’s bedroom to find him staring at her in shock, totally shirtless. 

It was strange, to be back on the Express after so many years. Nostalgia almost overwhelmed her at times, passing by the prefect compartment and the trolley, memories flooding in of a time when she’d still been insulated from just how strongly the wells of blood prejudice ran. Pen wasn’t really one to steel herself with alcohol, but she was going to be on this train for hours and didn’t particularly want to be so tense the whole trip. Making her way to the bar, she sat down in the first stool she saw, only turning when she heard a familiar voice. 

Penelope frowned at Callum, running a hand over her skirt (and a skirt she quite liked, too!). “You’re in fine form today,” she told him, eyebrow raised questioningly. 

Callum loved being back on the train, it reminded him of his years roaming the corridors looking for people to bully, it was too fun, he’d have already taken 50 points off Gryffindor before they’d even reached the halfway point of their journey. Unfortunately, he had no points to take away now, so he had to find other means of entertainment, like the lounge car, after all, there was only so many times that you could tell Percy Weasley that his hair looks greasy today. He was waiting for someone to come along that might peak his interest, but no one had yet, until someone sat down next to him. 

“I must say, their selection of drinks isn’t quite up to my satisfaction, but I’m sure it’ll do you just fine,” he smirked over at them, studying what they were wearing. “Did no one tell you to dress to impress?” 

percy & penelope 

@penxclearwater

percyweasley-arc·:

It had been too long since they had a conversation, saying more than small talk and passing comments in the corridors at work. The war had shifted their relationship and friendship but enough had happened to both of them to shift their perspectives. Being close and talking to her was only stirring the familiar memories of them together. The proximity of them being close was already kicking in Percy’s mind, conscious of it but also keen on listening to every word she had to say. “Of course. I would love to hear all about it. You have my attention and time if you ever need it.” The thought of a promise of seeing her again made him hopeful that this would be a rekindling of sorts. Percy was left stunned when she left, thinking that the short conversation and promise of meeting somewhere else was enough to make him question everything. He smiled at himself with wonder at what it was before following suit.

time jump

One drink had turned into two and Percy couldn’t stop smiling at the conversation they were having. It had been a long time since he had this much fun on a weekday after work and with drinks none the less. It almost felt as if he had stepped back into time when they would do this after graduating or on their Hogsmeade trips. It had been a while since he had felt so relaxed with someone and he kept glancing at Penelope when she wasn’t looking. “Yes, you’re quite right. A lot has changed since school…so much has happened in the last few years to change any person. I’m glad I was able to see you again. Like this. Can’t tell you the last time I let myself do something like this. I should thank you.”

-----

There was a red flush covering Penelope’s cheeks as their one drink turned into several. Even knowing, vaguely, that she should take care to keep her wits about her, Pen couldn’t force herself to revert into the same horrid awkwardness she felt around Percy. Getting to spend this time with him, both of their guards down, was something she hadn’t thought would happen anytime soon, if ever. It was kind of wonderful. Besides, she never really left much time in her schedule for spur of the moment plans, and rarely let herself let loose, so this was probably past due. Or at least, that’s what she was going to tell herself. The lighting in the pub caught the edges of Percy’s face strikingly, and it was increasingly difficult to look away. She nodded along as Percy spoke, heart-sore as she thought about all of the hardships they’d faced out of Hogwarts. Penelope reached out across the table to where Percy’s hand rested, linking their fingers together. It was a familiar gesture, almost to the point where it was subconscious, if not for the warmth it sent through her. “Don’t thank me! This was your brilliant idea, this time anyway. But I’m glad to see you too,” she said with a small if giddy smile, before taking a sip of her drink for some sort of courage. “I really missed you, you know.” 

percyweasley-arc·:

There had been times that Percy wanted to walk by Penelope’s department and fall into a conversation that they had so easily done so before. The battle at the school had been a lot especially with the after effect that came with a toll. Percy had an unfortunate fallout with her and he had been filled with guilt since. He had liked what they had even with the romantic bits aside, she made for lovely company. She was only a few levels down from where he worked and the thought usually drifted into his mind.

It could have been years since they had a proper conversation and Percy fell into the same energy as they once had. Despite him being incredibly tired and overwhelmed, Percy’s attention was fully alert to Penelope and her assignment. “That is so fascinating,” he emitted honestly. “You must tell me your findings as I would love to hear about anything that has to do with the subject. I’m sure the proposal will go well.” He was already keen to what she was saying, thinking she could talk about anything and she could hold his interest. 

It was the most subtle touch, but it was from Penelope and before his arms could come around her after the initial shock, she was already stepping away. He wanted so much to chase her touch and he couldn’t understand his thoughts now. For years he hadn’t seen her and now it felt like nothing had changed. “Yes, we could probably see somewhere other than our offices. Maybe a stiff drink or two. There’s a place by my flat that we could go to. Doesn’t close until 2 a.m. Would you like that?” Percy had yet to been alone with Penelope like this and he wanted it to be right. He wanted to continue this conversation and couldn’t hide the smile that she was agreeing to go out with him somewhere. Subconsciously he was standing closer to her now as the lift descended. The floo network was still going surprisingly and Percy turned to Penelope. “Um. Three Broomsticks, alright? My place is in Hogsmeade Village…if you remember.”

-----

Penelope couldn’t stop the bright smile she shot at Percy if she tried, excitement from her research and his vote of confidence in her work sending warmth through her. It was a little unexpected, how viscerally she responded to him despite the years of absence. Pen hadn’t realized just how much she had missed him until he was right in front of her, and suddenly the minor heartache she’d nursed all these years caught fire. “That means a lot, thank you,” she told him. Penelope tugged on a loose hair that had fallen from her bun. “If my proposal makes it through the first set of approvals I have to present it. If you ever have a minute, maybe you could give me your feedback? It would be good to get an outside perspective,” she trailed off, feeling awkward and like she might have pushed the boundaries of this uncertain friendship. 

There was a light tingling sensation all along Pen’s arms from where she had hugged Percy, and she had the distant thought that alcohol would probably only make it worse. But it only took another look at Percy and she realized that even if this was a mistake, it was a mistake she was committed to making. “That would be great,” Pen said. It was a chance for the two of them to reconnect, a little break from reality. Penelope thought they could both use one. “Three Broomsticks,” she nodded, before blushing at the memories that sprung to the front of her mind of Percy’s apartment. “I remember,” Pen said, flustered. She realized how close she was standing next to him as they made it to the fireplaces and took a quick step away towards the nearest hearth. “Meet you there!” she called over to him, as she grabbed a pinch of floo powder and stepped into the fireplace. 

mollywobblxs·:

…

molly couldn’t remember the last time she had seen penelope. she had heard rumours about her and percy’s relationship and had met the younger woman a time or two. she thought, if they were true, they made a cute couple. she seemed to calm percy. they balanced each other. she also had bonded with the other woman about their respective careers, penelope being and development specialist and her being a special education teacher.

when penelope took her hand, she gave the young woman a squeeze of the hand and a soft smile. it was a small, but very much appreciated gesture. that was all she needed, really, was the small gestures. she wasn’t one to call attention to herself. “and percy’s a lot more like arthur than the rest of our kids,” she said, giving a shaky laugh. “i know, i just worry. i’m a mum, it’s second nature.”

-----

It was odd, speaking to Mrs. Weasley after all these years. In a way, she represented a life that Penelope had thought she might have, a life with Percy. It was bittersweet meeting her, when Pen hadn’t really spoken to Percy in years. But his mother was wonderful, and a great resource when Penelope was first researching the magical world’s way of handling early and special needs education. Pen wouldn’t let her feelings get in the way of her relationships with the other Weasleys though, goodness knows there were too many of them around to be petty about it. 

Penelope wished there was anything she could do to help, not only Arthur but the others who had been taken. She felt sick when she imagined what Michael and Padma might be going through. Mrs. Weasley must be feeling a thousand times worse. She smiled at the other witch, admiring her strength as she laughed despite the chaos in her life. “My dad’s the worrier in my family,” Pen offered. Thinking of his mother-henning made Pen smile, missing him terribly even though she’d visited her parents a few weeks ago. “Mr. Weasley knows you’ll be worrying though, right? So he’ll be even more motivated to get back.” 

thoughtnott·:

“It has been lately with the current climate.” Small talk with strangers wasn’t something that came easy to Theodore but with the counter separating him and the customer, words came much easier. His lips turned into a force smile at the terrible joke he had heard day in and day out. “This is Obscurus.” 

Stepping outside the counter, Theo listened before nodding. “Give me one moment and I can get you some options.” Locking your friend somewhere to question them didn’t seem like a marker of a good friendship but his job wasn’t to judge, it was to sell books. He returned with a stack of three options and placed them on the counter in front of the brunette. “We have A Broken Lock Will Always Work: One Thousand Charms and One Jinx, Gilderoy Lockhart’s Guide to Home Security though I wouldn’t recommend this unless you are truly desperate, and Password Journal: Parents Be Gone.”

-----

Penelope watched Theodore’s face twist at her accidental pun and she couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry,” she said earnestly, a smile tugging at her lips. “I really didn’t mean to say it, I’m sure you hear it all the time.” She would have used ‘rare’, but often times that resulted in particularly expensive books and that wasn’t in her budget for the day. 

She grimaced when he mentioned Lockhart’s book, remembering her sixth year DADA professor less than fondly. “I agree wholeheartedly,” Pen said. “After his year teaching I don’t have a particularly high opinion of his works.” Lockhart’s books, often filled with misinformation and questionable scenarios, were one of the things she was hoping to improve about the magical world. It was lucky no one had gotten hurt from acting on the garbage in his books. “I’m sure I can find one spell among a thousand that will work though, thank you. Have you read it?” 

location: a restaurant in hogsmeade 

status: closed starter for @moonylvpin 

Penelope had arrived at the restaurant over an hour before she’d asked Professor Lupin to meet with her, making sure she was organized and ready. It was probably overkill, but Pen felt much better when she was prepared, and she didn’t want to waste Professor Lupin’s time either. It would be good to see him though, she hadn’t seen him for longer than a passing conversation since he first taught at Hogwarts, her last year. She had been thrilled to have a competent teacher in DADA, and spent a decent number of afternoons in his office to get his perspective on issues she was having as Head Girl. 

She’d invited him to lunch to hopefully get his perspective on how he thought Hogwarts could be improved, and maybe see if he had any input on some of the proposals she was going to be submitting. At the very least, it would be good to talk to him. Penelope’s watch chimed that she had five minutes left to their appointment, and she quickly put away her papers save for a single sheet of parchment to take notes on. Just in time too, as she spotted the wizard heading towards her table. “Professor Lupin!” she said, standing to greet him. “Thank you for coming.” 

littlexlunalovegoods·:

Luna had enjoyed working at the apothecary over the last few months. It was somewhere that was paced evenly enough for her to breathe, but she knew her ingredients and potions fairly well. Even though there were still some parts she was learning, she loved brewing new things when she had the chance. The customers who came in were mostly a delight as a simple conversation could easily sooth her. 

When the door chimed, her mouth fell into an easy smile and when she saw Penelope she beamed. The woman seemed distressed by her words as well as her physical appearance. “Oh my goodness, Penelope. Are you alright?” Luna asked with concerned, already moving from behind the counter to look at her features. “What was it? Plant? Animal? Food?”

-----

Penelope sniffed miserably, trying to smile at Luna despite barely being able to see through her watery eyes. She would normally never show up in public looking like such a mess, but she needed both medical help and a friend, and Luna would be much better company than a healer. “Hi Luna,” Pen greeted belatedly. She rubbed a hand across her eyes, hoping that would help with the itching. It only made it worse. She sighed, feeling entirely defeated. “Animal. My new kitten.”

Penelope was bent over a book, taking notes in a well-loved journal as she read, all but blind to her surroundings. It was lucky that she had long perfected the art of automatic note-taking, or her notes would resemble gibberish at best. It was so nice to spend an afternoon outside of the office (god knows she spends too much time there as it is). She was totally absorbed in her reading, and nearly jumped out of her skin when someone tapped on her shoulder. Penelope spun, letting out a relieved sigh when she saw Hermione Granger. “I haven’t, I’m sorry,” Pen answered the other witch’s question. She could empathize, she had favorite writing utensils too. Pen held up the muggle pen she was using as additional proof. “Do you want help looking?” 

Hermione liked doing paperwork at a cafe, she found the ambient noise of it to be similar to her time in the Hogwarts Library, where she really trained herself to study and work. Working in silence was great but sometimes a little eerie. The only thing she had to make sure of was that the paperwork wasn’t anything confidential, not that she thought anyone would be particularly enthralled by the confidential documents pertaining to SPEW anyway. Reaching for her quill she was confused when her hand only felt the table. “What-” where was her quill? No it was her favourite quill! Her parent’s had bought it for her 18th birthday. “I’m so sorry-” she said, tapping the person beside her on their shoulder “you didn’t accidentally pick up a quill just here did you? I’ve managed to misplace it within twenty seconds of putting it down” she asked. 

rowleing·:

The table was more writing desk than lunch holder, but he was quick to gather all crumpled pieces of parchment close to him, to give Penelope room to sit and eventually have food be brought to her there. Sebastian loved solitude, but he could never turn his back on spontaneity, happenstance, soft daily surprises. When someone asked to sit next to him, there was no answer other than yes. One never knows where true inspiration lies. “I would absolutely love that. I ordered a second strawberry lemonade and dreaded the thought of having to drink it by myself.” He sipped the last quarter of the previous lemonade he already had in front of him. “I’m Sebastian.”

-----

Penelope felt relief wash over her when her unusually-imposing question was met with not only grudging acceptance, but maybe even welcome. She sat quickly to avoid a passing family also looking for a table and smiled gratefully at her new dining companion. “Thank you so much,” she said honestly, already feeling more awake with the sun shining above her. She flushed a little at his offer to share his drink, already feeling like she’d put the wizard out enough. “Oh, are you sure? I’m already imposing on your table,” Pen said, waving a hand vaguely at the area around them. “It’s nice to meet you Sebastian, I’m Penelope.” 

aterryboot·:

“She had fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, I’m assuming they know she isn’t on their side,” Terry offered. He felt really bad that he was the one having to tell Penelope about all of this, she was a good person she didn’t deserve to find out this way. On the flip side, Padma didn’t deserve to be taken either even though the details on her being missing were still unclear. There was no proof that she was taken just a simultaneous event and an assumption. Along with that also came no reason on why Padma specifically.

It could have just been she was in the right place at the right time but Terry had no idea. He was even more out of the loop since he hadn’t decided to join the New Order, his parents still sending him constant letters almost as if a reminder of what they’d said to him. He really didn’t know what the right choice was. “Anthony’s been pretty worried since then so he wants me to check in with him every so often. You might want to talk to him– um, he can probably update you better than I can.”

-----

Pen felt a familiar guilt creep up on her when Terry talked about the Battle of Hogwarts. She hadn’t been there, she hadn’t even been in the country. It was an unexpected extra pain in her chest that she tried to ignore. Padma was what was important here, not Penelope’s own failures. “Of course,” she said quietly, trying to reconcile all of this new information. “The Redeemers must have long memories.” 

“I’ll go talk to him, check in,” Penelope promised Terry. It had been years since Hogwarts, even longer since she was their Prefect, but it still made Pen warm with pride and fondness when she saw ‘her’ Ravenclaws, especially together. “I’m glad Anthony has you. Padma, too,” she said, before pausing, the words almost stuck in her throat. “Are you going to be okay?” she asked, before rephrasing, “At least, will you be safe?” 

task 001

GENERAL

Name: Penelope Elaine Clearwater  Nicknames: Pen, Penny  Age: 24  Place of birth: oxford   Spoken languages: english, latin, conversational french  Sexual orientation: bisexual  Occupation: education & development specialist at the department of magical education 

APPEARANCE

Eye color: brown Hair color: brown  Height: 5′6″  Scars: mainly old scars from childhood accidents  Piercings: an earring in each earlobe, usually with simple silver jewelry  Tattoos: none 

FAMILY

Sibling(s): jason & ismene clearwater  Parents: henry & elaine clearwater  Relationship with Family: extremely close, she would do anything for them  Spouse/Significant Other: none Children: none  Pets: a white kneazle kitten, marie 

MAGICAL

Wand: alder & phoenix feather, 10 3/4″, reasonably supple  First Spell: scourgify  Favourite Spell: summoning charm  First Magical Experience: causing her drawings to dance around the page, around age 4  Patronus (if they have one): swift  If they were a Magical Creature what would they be: sphinx  

HAVE THEY

Had sex in public: yes  Had a broken heart: yes  Been in love: yes  Cheated: no  Stayed up for more than 24 hours: yes  Broken a bone: yes  Bullied someone: no  Been fired: no  Got into a physical fight: no Got any grudges against anyone?: yes A dark secret: none 

ARE THEY

A virgin: no  A cuddler: yes, but she also gets too warm. loves hand-holding    A kisser: yes  A smoker: no  Scared easily: yes  Jealous easily: no  Trustworthy: yes  Dominant: likes to be in charge, especially leading teams, though she gets nervous sometimes  Submissive: generally open to compromise, around superiors  Forgiving: yes, but she has a good memory  Single: yes 

RANDOM QUESTIONS

Have they wanted to kill someone: not seriously  Have they actually killed someone: no  Have they ridden a beast: she rode a horse once  Do they prefer private or public praise after helpings others: private praise is more meaningful, but she recognizes the power of public praise  What keeps them up at night: worries about her family, fear that she isn’t enough, her latest research obsession  Guilty Pleasures: fried food, romance novels, beauty & bath products/spells  Last time they cried: last week, watching forrest gump with her mother  What event would you choose death other living through: her family being killed because of her If they died today would they be happy with the life they’ve lived: yes, though sad at the lost opportunity 

percyweasley-arc·:

The action had been innate and Percy felt his hand lightly on Penelope. It was only a moment and yet he was immediately captured in it. They had both been working at the same place for years now and Percy had done little to reach out to her since after the battle. Acknowledging his feelings was not something he did often and had walked by her department, glancing in to catch a glimpse of her whenever possible. 

“Anytime, yeah,” Percy replied, feeling flustered and putting his hands back to his sides. It had been years since they might have had a proper conversation and many had gone just like this. Percy didn’t have the confidence to do much more than have a brief exchange, not trusting his words to refuse him. “Oh, really the Founder’s? That’s exceptional, what did you find?” Percy asked, his tone fascinated and distracted to the point a stranger would think he was a different person from the one before. It felt like it used to for a moment. His head dropped down and gave a tight smile. Everyone had been giving him condolences as if Arthur was already gone. Every time Percy just gave a brief response to a complex question. “I-yeah, I remember. I am the same. I’m fine, fine. It’s been…an adjustment, yeah.” The lift continued to descend for a moment. “-I’m not fine actually. I’m…scared-do you want to grab a drink…with me? Now?”

-----

She hadn’t seen Percy this close in years. They both worked in the Ministry, so Pen would see him from across rooms, but nothing like this, where she could meet his eyes and talk to him, even awkwardly stunted as it was. She thought he might’ve gotten taller somehow, or maybe it was that he was more confident. Either way, even though he was clearly stressed and tired, Penelope felt a little flustered at the sight of him. He even smelled good, for Merlin’s sake. 

Pen felt the familiar energy of a new interest take hold of her when Percy asked about the journal. It was half of why she’d stayed so late, completely caught up in it. “It’s a journal of a student who attended just after the Founders left the school,” she explained excitedly, lost in the familiar feeling of sharing her findings with Percy. “The translation is hard to read, but I’m hoping I’ll find something to support the new curriculum I’m proposing.” It was a little exasperating to Pen, how she could fight bitterly for her proposals, only to find them quickly accepted if she spun it around the Founders. 

Watching Percy visibly shrink, Penelope was surprised by the force of her unhappiness at the sight. Whatever might have happened between them, he had still been her best friend and she couldn’t stand to see him like this. “You’re not fine,” she told him, warring with herself over if it would be weird to hug him. When Percy admitted that he wasn’t fine, Pen threw out her book on propriety and hugged him quickly, a brief but tight thing where she tried not to get distracted by being so close to him. “I’d love to grab drinks,” she said, pulling back. “We could both probably use a real break.” There was a reason they were still at work in the middle of the night, after all, and it wasn’t because they had too much free time. Pen was determined that this could be a new start for them, to at least find their way back to the friendship they once had. She pushed the button on the elevator for the main floor, finally setting it to move again. “What’s still open, do you think?” 

mollywobblxs·:

molly looked over to the voice that had just spoken to her and smiled. it was always nice to see a familiar face other than her family. yes, she loved them to death. and yes, she appreciated everything they did. but they were pretty good at getting on her nerves.

“a personal favorite of mine is mixing salt and sugar,” she said as she laughed. truth be told, when she stress ate, she didn’t care what she was eating. she would eat just about anything. she just happened to be passing honeydukes. “hi, honey,” she said with a soft smile still present on her face. “i’ve been better.” she couldn’t help but to think about when arthur had been attacked by nagini and how he had recovered, allowing some hope that her husband was safe. 

-----

Penelope could imagine what Mrs. Weasley was going through, to an extent. Her fear of having the same or worse happen to her own family had lead to Penelope taking her family and leaving the country entirely. A coward’s move maybe, but her family had been safe. Those who’d been taken were a harsh reminder of what could have been, and what might be again. 

“There is something irresistible about the combo,” Pen agreed, taking a box of the truffles she’d been considering off the shelf. Now that Mrs. Weasley had mentioned it, salted caramel and dark chocolate was exactly what she needed. If only she knew what Mrs. Weasley needed, though. Pen hadn’t seen the other witch in years, really, not after she and Percy... And the woman’s husband had been taken, there were no words or gestures in the world that would make that okay. In the end she settled on clasping the other witch’s hand in hers for a moment, wishing silently that things would get better soon. “If Arthur is anything like his son,” Penelope said quietly, “He’s smart and resourceful and he will find his way back to you.” 

“The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.” - Bertrand Russell

location: a bistro on diagon alley

status: closed starter for @rowleing​

Penelope picked up her order from the counter, thanking the wix behind the counter and sliding her change into the tip jar. She rarely took the time to actually have lunch, let alone outside of the Ministry. But the sun was shining and Pen couldn’t resist a sandwich from one of her favorite little restaurants along the Alley. 

Luck didn’t seem to be on her side when it came to seating. There was no open table to be found, and Penelope didn’t feel quite like another lunch in her office now that she’d left. She spotted a relatively empty table with only one occupant and steeled her nerves, pushing away her anxiety as far as she could before she approached. Penelope got to the table and forced herself to ask, “Would you mind if I shared your table? It’s so nice out and there aren’t any other tables open.” 

The worst part of having errands to run in Hogsmeade was the glaring temptation of Honeydukes. The doors seemed to have some sort of summoning array carved into them, the pull was so irresistible. (Or at least that’s what Pen would say, if she were asked.) It was therefore completely unsurprising to Penelope when she found herself walking right through the doors. 

She was standing between displays, trying to decide between dark chocolate and salted caramel truffles and lemon and raspberry cauldron cakes when she realized she’d stopped next to an achingly familiar head of red hair. Penelope smiled at Mrs. Weasley’s little quip, knowing a little bit of what the other witch must be going through. “Salty foods are my stress go-to,” Pen admitted. “Sugar’s up there too, though. Hi, Mrs. Weasley. How are you holding up?” 

molly wasn’t quite sure what her head space was. she had been told that there was still hope. kingsley had been let go, afterall, safely (albeit, with his memory erased of the incident). arthur was one of the strongest people she had ever met, having not only put up with the bullshit the ministry had thrown at him over the years, but also being attacked by nagini. she still worried, though. she couldn’t lose her husband so soon after losing her son. he was her rock.

not being able to stay in the house any longer, she made her way to hogsmeade, needing some time to herself out of the house that reminded her so much of her husband. spotting a little pop up full of chocolate, molly stopped and got some. when a person stopped next to her, she casually said, “unfortunately i’m a stress eater and i also love chocolate. it’s not a good combination.”

percyweasley-arc·:

It had been a long day to capitalize a long week. He was steeped in stress about his father missing, his family under the need to find him, and the work that deterred him from focusing on what was happening. It wasn’t unusual for him to find other things to distract him from what was going on. There was a time that his father had gone missing a couple of years ago and his heart dropped to his stomach, his mind already tailing the last time. 

Usually Percy left when Kingsley left and when the Minister had told Percy to go home, it was what it took for him to finally leave his desk. Everyone had mostly thinned out by then, it being well past time to be home and yet Percy took his work seriously. He didn’t want to show Kingsley how tired he was, how much the news was weighing on him. His face changed, becoming more candid with emotion when he knew no one was watching. The idea of going back to his own apartment seemed attainable but he knew his presence might be needed at the Burrow. 

As he was debating where to go while he waited in the lift, he brought his attention to the company added to the lift. Percy’s arm innately reached out to catch her, releasing the hold on the strap for his briefcase. “Late night,” he commented, giving a small smile as to both of them staying late. “By your own admission or your department? Kingsley asked me to leave hours ago.”

-----

Penelope relaxed into the hold that had caught her almost automatically, before her brain caught up with her body and harshly reminded her that her days of laying in Percy Weasley’s arms had long since passed. She coughed, flustered, and tried to remove herself without seeming spastic. Pen wasn’t sure she had been altogether successful, but when faced with your ex-boyfriend, ex-best friend? She’d like to see anyone be completely put together. 

“Thank you for the save, Percy,” Penelope said, cobbling together a smile she thought was both genuine and calm. She took a moment to rearrange herself, shuffling her bag back onto her shoulder and pulling her jacket back into place. “No, it’s my fault, I found the most fascinating journal, from the Founder’s era! It’s incredible, I—” she cut herself off. They weren’t like this anymore. Percy didn’t need to hear her ramblings about her latest fixations. Pen tucked a loose hair behind her ear, lips quirked in a halfhearted little smile. “Sorry, I’m talkative when I’m tired. Um, how are you? I heard about your dad, I’m so sorry.” 

thoughtnott·:

With orders coming in at an alarming rate and people turning to protection guides, the shop was busier than ever. Theo was thrilled by the time closing came around. It had calmed down somewhat, giving him time to read through the book clubs latest novel. When the shop door opened, he stood from his seat and placed his bookmark in the novel. “Welcome to Obscurus Books and publishing. How can I assist you?” The woman who entered seemed determined and Theo’s mutterings seemed lost to her.

“Stay Out. A Compendium of Locking Spells and Wards by Edith Fowler.” Theodore repeated, mostly to himself to make sure the title stayed in his mind. He turned to the book that housed a list of all the titles currently in the shop and muttered the title once more, waving his wand over the tomb until the pages flipped to display the book information. “It seems we’re out of that title. A lot of people have been coming in for it. We should get a new shipment in tomorrow. Would you like us to owl it to you?”

-----

“I didn’t realize it was that popular,” Pen told the wizard across from her, squinting slightly as she tried to recall his name. Unless she’d had disciplinary issues with them during her time as a prefect, and later Head Girl, Penelope wasn’t always tuned in to the students of other houses. She glances around quickly, eyes finally lighting on a small nameplate. Theodore Nott, yes, a Slytherin five years behind her at Hogwarts. Just knowing who she was speaking to made Penelope feel more at ease. 

“Actually, do you have anything more, well, obscure?” Penelope asked. “My friend is keeping secrets and I need some locking spells that’ll stall her until I can get it out of her.” Normally she wouldn’t explain herself like that to more-or-less strangers, but Pen didn’t want him to think she needed anything dangerous or illegal. 

aterryboot·:

“Yeah, I was just visiting Anthony. Making sure he was okay,” Terry told her though even he himself could hear the lie in his words. There was no need to really tell her the full story, that maybe if he checked in with his best friend once or twice a day he’d give up on the plan of locking him inside his house. That would probably just confuse and worry her though there was no way to avoid the bad news in answer to her question.

With a tired look, Terry tried to make his next words come out softer. It was already bad enough that she hadn’t heard and he’d have to tell her, and he didn’t want her to freak out if she could help it. “Oh um, you haven’t heard? The night at the celebration… she was taken.”

-----

Was there something wrong with Anthony? This conversation with Terry was starting to feel decidedly ominous. Penelope felt her shoulders tensing, fingers clenching around the handle of her bag. She had absolutely no idea what was going on, but it was becoming very clear she had missed something big. 

Terry’s words sent a shock of ice down Pen’s spine. What? Taken; a word all too reminiscent of the last war. Penelope’s thoughts spun wildly in her head as she tried to reconcile the terror from only a few years ago with Padma, one of her Ravenclaws and a friend. “Taken?” Penelope whispered, almost to herself. “But, she’s a pureblood, why didn’t that protect her?” She had always mentally counted her pureblood friends as safe, and this revelation threatened to shake the uncertain footing she’d found again in the magical world. 

location: estelle apothecary

status: closed starter for @littlexlunalovegoods

Penelope wanted to cry. Technically she already was, but uncontrollable eye watering did not count. She had been so excited to finally adopt a kneazle kitten, after toying around with the idea for years. And Marie was the best, most adorable kitten she could have ever hoped for, and everything should have been perfect, except it turns out that Penelope is allergic. 

Giving up on looking presentable, Pen apparated across the street from the apothecary where Luna worked, the company almost as desirable as the potions. She stumbled into the shop, distracted by a series of violent sneezes. Penelope spied what she thought was Luna (at the very least, saw a blurry shape that was probably blonde) and beelined for her. “Oh Luna, please tell me you have allergy potions in stock,” Penelope nearly begged.

location: obscurus’ books 

status: closed starter for @thoughtnott

Penelope walked out of the Ministry, pulling her hair out of the tight bun it had been in and shaking it out, a sign that she was considering herself off the clock. Casting a quick glance at her watch, Pen was pretty sure she would have time to run to the bookstore before she was meant to have her weekly call with her parents. 

Of course, this was somewhat of an error in judgement, since the moment Penelope opened to door to Obscurus’ all she wanted to do was spend hours browsing, tracing her fingers along the spines and breathing in the aging pages. She mentally shook herself; she was on a mission. Figuring it was safer to ask for what she wanted than to search for it herself and become distracted, she turned to the man she’d seen by the counter. “Hello, sorry to bother you,” Penelope said, always leery of imposing, “But do you have a copy of ‘Stay Out! A Compendium of Locking Spells and Wards’, by Edith Fowler?” 

aterryboot·:

Terry had somehow managed to escape Anthony’s plan to lock him up inside of his house forever, rubbing one of his temples with his hand. He was taking the elevator down from Anthony’s office after checking in with his friend and letting him know it was safe. Now that he was alone he could finally digest everything that was happening. Michael and Padma, snatched up at the festival and now who knows where they were being kept. Terry sighed, the heavy weight of two friends being gone finally resting on his shoulders. No matter how much that he and Michael argued, Terry still cared about him and Padma was too nice of a person to deserve something like this.

He felt exhausted, and not to mention out of the loop since he wasn’t a part of the New Order. His parent’s words of warning were fresh in his mind from the amount fo times he’d gone over them, their warning to not ruin his father’s political career. 

It was then that Penelope came through the open elevator doors, the movement causing Terry to slowly look up. “It’s no problem,” he told her, shuffling to make plenty of room for her in the small space. In normal circumstances he might have tried to be friendlier, or given her a polite smile but now he couldn’t help the feeling of helplessness.

-----

Terry was one of the last people Pen would have expected to run into in a Ministry elevator, but she hadn’t seen him in ages, and if it took running into him in the middle of the night Penelope wouldn’t complain. Terry’s age group of Ravenclaws had a special place in her heart, her first group of first years when she was made a prefect in her fifth year. It was good to see him, even if frankly, he looked terrible. 

“Terry! What are you doing here, is everything okay?” she asked concernedly, knowing that no sane person should be in the Ministry at this hour. And he really did look out of sorts. But while she had him, “Have you seen Padma recently? She missed our lunch date earlier, but usually she sends a note when she’s caught up in a project.” 

location: cho and marietta’s apartment 

status: closed starter for @choeilidh

Penelope knocked twice on Cho’s front door, before letting herself in. Setting down a to-go box of pastries on the table, she wandered over to the coffee maker, pressing the start button and watching the machine with a little more interest than was probably healthy. It was only after Penelope had a mug of coffee clutched in one hand that she pulled a stack of newpapers out of her magically expanded bag, tossing them on the table. 

Turning to eye her friend skeptically, Penelope asked (not for the first time), “Are you sure reading through all the quidditch sections is going to make you feel better?” 

location: ministry elevator 

status: open

Penelope fought another yawn, her eyes tearing at the strain and blurring the words on the page in front of her. It was far past the time when any normal employee would have (and should have) gone home, but Penelope had become utterly sidetracked by a translation of a journal from a Hogwarts student who had attended just after its founding. It was a fascinating if confusing read, the Old English translation a learned taste. Rubbing a hand against her forehead, Penelope knew she wouldn’t be making anymore progress tonight. 

She packed up her office quietly, carefully placing the journal into a locked preservation box. Locking her office behind her, Penelope sleepily made her way to the elevators, making the journey on autopilot. This sleep-deprived walk was so familiar to her that when the elevator door opened, Penelope walked straight inside, never expecting that she’d run right into someone. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Penelope said, wide awake now with a hand pressed against her rapidly beating heart. “No one else is usually in here...”