With the capture of Verandi Farley and several high-ranking Trossach members, the British wizarding world has finally caught a break. The rate of rogue werewolf attacks have started dropping at a steady rate and, hopefully, things will stay that way. The Ministry is starting to loosen some restrictions, like not arresting werewolves standing on the street for loitering, however there’s still an obvious power imbalance between wizardfolk and werewolves.
The Cotswolds pack are continuing to advocate for the rights of werewolves and petitioning to change the legislation that has been set in motion by the current Minister for Magic, whilst the remaining Trossachs members are trying to stay out of the spotlight and keep a low profile… for now.
Whilst the British wizarding world seems to have calmed down, the same cannot be said for over in Northern Europe where a rebellion of magical creatures has risen. The state of things has gotten so bad that the European Ministry has enacted protocols to protect those under eighteen whilst their adult witches and wizards fight to keep control of their countries.
Students from Durmstrang have been sent to Hogwarts to keep them safe and those not old enough to attend school have been sent to live with relatives or designated British Ministry officials outside of Europe for the time being.
Will the low rates of werewolf attacks in Britain continue? How long will Durmstrang students stay at Hogwarts? Will the creatures usurp the wizardfolk in Northern Europe? Only time will tell.
SEPTEMBER 2019 It's been a very long, eventful summer in the wizarding world. A baby was stolen, several high ranking Trossach members were imprisoned, and werewolf attacks have drastically dropped as a result. What will happen now school has returned?
MAY 2019 An attempt to capture the beta of the Trossachs has been launched. Were the Aurors successful in their mission? Go read more here!
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Sept 12, 2019 8:16:57 GMT
Considering it was only a few days past Christmas, the Leaky Cauldron was eerily quiet. Usually at this time of year, it was full of joyful and... not so joyful families coming out to eat, but a new venue had opened down the road and Hannah, Grace's mum, had shared that she'd seen some of her most loyal patrons lined up, ready to enjoy some of that 'foreign American cuisine.' Grace's mum had said once the excitement of a new place had died down, she expected them to come flocking back. 'Give it time,' she'd told Grace with a shrug, before ducking upstairs to go and floo their delivery man, something about them running low on butterbeer.
It left her and the bartender, Stew, all by themselves with a smattering of three or four patrons across the entire pub. "Nice weather we've been have," Grace said, attempting to make some small talk with one of the men sipping at his firewhiskey. In return, she was rewarded with a leer and something about... well, something highly inappropriate that she didn't want to repeat even to herself.
With wide eyes, Grace turned around, intent on beelining straight back to the bar and Stew's friendly face when she collided with another body. "Oh my gosh, sorry. I shouldn't have - I should have been looking where I was going. Goodness, I always do this. Granny Augusta says my eyes are painted on sometimes and this is probably why she thinks that," she said, worrying her bottom lip as she finally raised her head to actually look her victim in the face. It was then that recognition dawned on her and Grace murmured a shocked, "Tobias? Is that you?"
Post by TOBIAS TURNER on Sept 12, 2019 12:53:40 GMT
Winters were the worst. What used to be a season of warmth shared with his family had turned to a cold and lonely period. His friends seemed to have less and less time. They either stayed at Hogwarts or were with their family. Some nights he wondered if he would even wake up the next morning or freeze to death that night. It was a miracle he still had all his toes and fingers. Magic could be thanked for that.
He was the happiest man alive however knowing he’d be able to go to a party with Nadya in a few days. That was all he needed as reminder to take care of himself for just a little longer. It was quite a challenge he was out of money and drugs. The happy herbs didn’t grow in the wild and most dealers were away or not available.
Tobias had to be creative to get by. He decided to stay indoors when he could. Public places like pubs were good until staff asked him to leave when they noticed he wasn’t going to buy anything. Same was for shops. Libraries were a good spot too, but they were closed between holidays. Now the leaky would do. It wasn’t too crowded so perhaps he was lucky. They didn’t need the space for customers. He carried a blanket and a muggle newspaper he snatched from the subway. The young wolf could at least pretend he was just a regular customer.
Recovery from transformations seemed to take longer than usual. The last full moon was almost a week ago, but he could still feel it. Hopefully he could get some peace today in here without getting kicked out too soon. The curly haired male had barely entered the pub, or he had already managed to bump into someone. This was a bad start. Right on his bruised shoulder too. “Erm, that’s quite alright,” he hissed, rubbing his painful shoulder. Toby didn’t want to pull too much attention to himself. He was about to shrug it off and move on when a familiar voice called his name. “Gracie?” Oh yeah that was right this inn was ran by her family. He blinked as their eyes met. “Well look at you, little Gracie has grown up in a real beauty,” he complimented her. It was strange to see how much time had passed sometimes. At days it felt like it was only a month ago when he still had a warm bed at Hogwarts. “Poor Artie must have a rough time keeping all the boys and girls away from you,” he teased the Hufflepuff.
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Sept 13, 2019 13:33:17 GMT
The way Tobias hissed, rubbing at his shoulder, had Grace's eyes widening because she hadn't think she'd bumped him that hard, had she? She didn't... "I... if I bruised you, I have healing paste I can let you borrow - I mean, not borrow. It's not like you can give it back once it's on your skin, but I - gosh, did I hurt you badly just now?" Grace wanted to reach out, gently touch his shoulder, but she didn't want to cause him any more pain and so her fingers stayed firmly by her side.
Before she could ponder if he was mad at her for hurting him, Tobias' was saying her name - her nickname, in fact, and then he was sprouting a compliment that had her mouth falling open in shock more than anything because... well. "I... it's... no, he - I don't think he has anyone to keep away," was what she finally landed on, before reaching up to start playing with the end of her her long braid. "I don't - I'm definitely not a... a beauty ... I, you should see some of the other kids in my year. Um, you look..." Well... she couldn't really lie and say he looked good, could she? He looked worse for wear, and she understood why. She felt guilty for it too, like... like she should have helped him somehow, prevented this.
Instead of mustering up some compliment, Grace told Tobias, "Just... wait here, one second, please? I just need to..." With that, Grace ducked out the back, working quickly in the kitchenette, before emerging once more with a bowl in her hands, the smell of chicken soup wafting out of it. "Did you want... I made some soup, earlier. We've got loads of it - not too many people about which... I guess you can see, right? I want you to have some. Please?" With that, Grace held out the bowl towards Tobias, hoping he would take it. It was the least she could do. "Are you... what have you been doing with... with yourself?"
Post by TOBIAS TURNER on Sept 14, 2019 10:02:53 GMT
Tobias grinned and waved his hand. “No, no don’t worry it wasn’t you. Although it’d be impressive,” he ended with a joke to keep her from worrying. “It was just all smashed up, feels like I’ve been hit by a truck or something. The bruises are a few days old, would healing paste still work?” He would love to try anyways. Free stuff was what he had to rely on.
“Hmm?” His eyebrows wiggled. A charming smile played on his battered physique. “I see you’re as cute as ever despite having grown up in a mature beauty. I would definitely have asked you out but I have a special lady on my mind. And I don’t think little King Arthur would cut my fingers off,” he winked at the blonde in a friendly yet flirty way. It was probably for the best. Grace reminded him of who he used was. They lived in a completely different world, he didn’t dare to stain her. But some innocent flirting wouldn’t hurt right? “Oh I’ve seen the kids from your year. Probably shared a bed with some of them at some point in time. But you have something very charming that not everyone else has,” he ended in a mysterious tone so she could guess for herself. Tobias laughed when she didn’t quite know what to say. “That’s okay, you can say I look like crap.”
When Grace announced she had to go somewhere, Toby simply nodded. “Yeah I’ll just take a seat here if that’s alright?” The young wolf let Grace do her thing. Meanwhile he settled down and looked at the newspaper. Before he knew it the scent of juicy chicken soup filled his nose. As he looked up and heard Grace tell him she wanted him to have it, his eyes almost teared up. “Oh Gracie, you’re an angel,” he reached up to kiss her cheek. “You’re going to be a great wifey to some lucky sucker one day.” He pulled a seat, hoping she could sit with him for a while. It wasn’t too busy, so he hoped she had a few minutes to spare.
Blinking at her question, the confused Tobias wasn’t sure what she meant with that. What he has been doing with himself? “Well… Same as everyone else I think. Keeping the little guy warm during winter- wait.” Oh she didn’t mean that. Of course not this was Grace, shit how could he forget. “Errr, forget that. Look! Apparently I’m famous among muggles.” Tobias held up the newspaper. The head line said: Farmer ran over a wild bear. There was a picture of a tractor with a huge dent in it and an old man proudly posing. That was where he got the bruised shoulder from. Now he could laugh because the man came out unharmed. But Toby knew it was only a matter of time before he accidentally killed someone. “It wasn’t a bear, it was me! I suppose the old goat was too drunk not to tell the diference between a wolf and a bear,”
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Sept 15, 2019 9:03:48 GMT
Tobias' joke about Grace causing his bruises had the blonde letting out a relieved smile, though that dropped a moment later as he brought up the fact that his shoulder had been 'all smashed up.' "What... sorry, I don't mean to pry but... but what happened? Someone didn't hurt you, did they?" she fretted, concern shining in her eyes. She nodded at his question. "Bruising paste works in whatever stage you are with the healing, but... well, since they're a few days old and still hurting that bad, they must be pretty deep. I can... I have some in the staff bathroom upstairs, if you want me to grab you some?"
The smile that graced Tobias' lips combined with the words that left his mouth had Grace's cheeks flushing with colour because they were so charming. She wasn't really used to people complimenting her like, except for Aiden and Wolf - immediately, a frown furrowed at Grace's lips and she asked, "You're not just... saying that, right? To get something out of me?" It sounded paranoid, she was well aware of it, but ever since the 'thing' had happened... she was hyper-aware of it occurring again. But then Toby said something that made her blink with confusion because, "Oh, you mean like... I'm sure you would have had a lot of sleepovers at Hogwarts, right? That's a - I don't think I'm charming at... at all. I'm not - that's... you don't look like crap though. Not... considering the circumstances. At least you don't smell?" Oh goodness. Oh no. No, no, no. She didn't just - regret spread across her face instantly, and the fingers at the bottom of her braid twined around the strands even harder.
The touch of Tobias' lips to her cheeks had Grace jumping because that was not... she... that, right there, was the closest she'd ever come to being kissed and... not that she wanted to kiss him, right? No, someone else with dark curls and light eyes came to mind instead. "Maybe... I hope it tastes alright," she said, dodging the compliments that made her want to squirm. She sat next to Tobias, her legs crossing neatly by force of habit.
"Keeping the... who's the little guy? Do you... do you have a puppy or something?" Grace asked, absolutely bewildered. Toby didn't have a brother, right? Or... well, a child. That would just be nuts, wouldn't it? Somebody so young, somebody living in a less than ideal situation, having a kid out there. Taking the newspaper, Grace's eyes scanned the article before she promptly dropped it in her lap out of shock more than anything. "Is... is that how you hurt your - did... oh, you're are so lucky that he didn't run you over, Toby, or... I... you don't have any safe place that you can... I know that people don't really like tying other people up during that time of the month anymore - I mean, it's... it's barbaric, in some ways, but surely it's better than you going out and... and... and getting... ki..." She couldn't even finish her sentence, stomach twisting in knots like pretzels because the idea of Toby dying? It made her feel sick.
Post by TOBIAS TURNER on Sept 19, 2019 13:30:40 GMT
The only way Tobias could talk about his full moon experiences was through jokes. He didn’t feel comfortable about it otherwise. The exception being whenever he was drunk or high but even then, jokes were more likely to appear. However, in moments where humor failed him, Tobias didn’t quite know how to respond. So he stood there until it came. “Nah, no biggie. I just tried to kiss a tractor when I wolved out. Would advise against if if you ever consider doing it,” he chuckled, trying to keep the mood light. Because in a way that was exactly what happened. “Gracie, you’re the best. Don’t worry, just do your work. I’ll stay here waiting, it’s not like I have plans for today,” he casually tried to get a double win out of this.
Grace’s next reaction took him off guard. Heck, she wasn’t this paranoid last time they saw each other. What happened to the bubble airhead? “Well, I’ll have to admit I was hoping to see a smile and a glow of pride on your face,” he admitted, still feeling a bit strange. Apparently, the compliments of a homeless werewolf didn’t do it for her. Auch. He should stop being honest. Merlin, he needed some alcohol. “Yeah no. I’m not really welcome at Hogwarts anymore. Usually we’d just meet in Hogsmaede but I’m afraid there will be lonely times for me ahead,” he pouted like a hurt puppy, because that was exactly what he was. Grace’s fumbling had him burst into laughter. “Damn right I smell good, do I?” He joked to make it worse, now he was just teasing her. Of course, there could be done more so he leaned into her. “I really like the way you smell too,” he winked like the tease he was.
“I’m going to dig in!” Tobias was already drooling at the scent of it. Besides fresh food tasted better than the stuff he fished out of the trash. When he took his first bite, the young wolf was left crying tears of happiness. “It’s like an angel is peeing over my tongue,” he sobbed happy tears. “You have blessed me with your grace, Grace,” he leaned sideways to gif her a half hug. His affection was all he had left to give as a thanks.
“No obviously I’m talking about my-” Perhaps not very flattering to tell the sister of your mate about your wang, Tobias. “-self,” he finished painfully. “I’m a big sad puppy that needs warm hugs,” he said cringy stuff to cover his sexual comment. Grace was still so pure. Tobias remembered a far distant day where he used to be like that. So he wanted to protect her innocence as his was broken in the worst ways possible. This he promised himself. “I’m glad it ended this way. Nobody got seriously injured,” he told her, not liking where the atmosphere was going. Tobias was aware the wolf-him would have ripped the farmer to shreds if the tractor wasn’t there to protect the man. How many more near misses before he killed someone again, no! Don’t think about Jim. STOP. Tobias really needed something strong, stronger than alcohol. Why was he out of money now of all times? “Than getting kissed by a tractor, right?”
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Sept 22, 2019 14:06:11 GMT
Tobias was eerily quiet for what felt like a long time after Grace had asked him what had happened and eventually made what seemed like a half-hearted joke about it too. "I'll try to refrain from doing that then," Grace joked back weakly, but then fortunately the conversation kept moving. It was a blessing - Grace didn't really want the mood between them to become even more uncomfortable. Tobias said he was happy to wait and after a moment of glancing at the bar, then upstairs, she decided to grab it later. She didn't want to leave Stew all by himself, after all. "You can stay here as long as you like. I mean, so long as it's not too boring. I... if it picks up, I'll have to start wiping down the tables again, and grab food if people order it but... I mean, you can hear crickets in here. I don't think it'll happen anytime soon."
Grace felt bad when Tobias pointed out that she hadn't smiled or looked prideful and immediately, she was looking down at her feet. It wasn't him, per se, it was just..."I'm sorry. I... something happened earlier this year and - it's not... it's not you. It's me. I... I'm sorry." She had grown less trustful, less naive since the whole thing with Wolfgang despite Rodrik's advice that not all men had fleas which was still a really bizarre analogy but worked. Suddenly, Tobias was leaning in close to her and for a really strange moment, Grace thought that he was going to kiss her but then he was saying something that made her blush all the way to her ears. It wasn't the words, so much as the way he said it with a wink and all. "I... um, I... I have... I shower. I mean, of course I - but I have soap. In the shower... um, that I use to... to... to wash myself. So I'm not dirty and -" Holy Merlin, she needed to shut up and following her own advice for once, Grace's lips clamped shut.
Grace's eyes widened as big as saucers as Tobias dug into his soup, and then started crying and then announced that it tasted like angel... urine. "How... how do you know what that tastes like?" she whispered, sounding absolutely scandalised.
"Oh, and you... want to keep yourself warm. Because... gosh, I hope you're not a... I like puppies. They're cute. I've always wanted one, although dad said I couldn't sleep with one in my bed," Grace yammered on, completely missing the fact that Tobias' reply wasn't so organic. She nodded in response to him saying he was glad that the whole tractor thing had ended without anyone getting seriously harmed because she was glad too, even though the entire scenario made her stomach turn. "I'm glad that... that you're both alright then."
Post by TOBIAS TURNER on Sept 26, 2019 12:00:42 GMT
Tobias grinned widely when Grace told him he could stay as long as he liked. “Then I’ll take my merry time here. This place has everything a simple man like me could ask for. Warmth, food and great company,” he nudged Grace at the last sentence. Tobias wasn’t very picky when it came to company. However, he really loved those who could make him smile. Grace had this wonderful quality, she cared for people even if she didn’t owe them anything. It was unconditional care. “I’ll just take a nap and dream about do when you need to get back to work,” he winked in a teasing way. Grace reminded him of his older sister whom he hadn’t seen in almost a decade. He tried to forget about his siblings but sometimes moments like this made them pop up. Perhaps that was why he was awfully found of Grace’s company.
Holding up his hands, Tobias shook his head. “It’s alright, you don’t have to explain yourself. Sometimes I forget how much time passes and people change,” he told her but then tilted his head. “Are you okay? Do I need to bite someone in the butt for being mean?” Even if he kept it light, he wouldn’t mind hurting someone a little if they hurt his friends. Next thing he knew, Grace was back to her adorable stuttering self. “Damn right, personal hygiene is bloody attractive,” he finger gunned and chuckled. Was it bad that he considered her stumbling adorable and entertaining?
Arthur would kill him if he saw this. So, Toby reminded himself to behave a little when around the purity named Grace. He shrugged at the question. “Drugs,” he simply stated. “It all happened in here,” he pointed at his head. “By the time I’ll see a real angel, you’ll be the first to know. Oh, and don’t do drugs please.” He went back to eating his soup and finished it way too fast. That was good. The soup warmed his body and brought a healthy colour back into his face.
“I’m not a what?” Tobias asked in curiosity when she didn’t finish her sentence. Grace always left many openings to tease around with. When she talked about wanting to own a puppy but not being allowed to have one sleep in her bed, he saw another golden chance. “I’m the cutest puppy! Don’t worry, I can sleep on the floor,” he winked. The floor of a warm room sounded way more inviting than sleeping under a cold bridge. Of course sleeping next to Nadya would be the best option but her dad terrified him.
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Oct 6, 2019 9:51:47 GMT
Tobias was reassuring her that it was okay, that she didn't need to explain herself yet... she still felt guilty, and she likely would throughout the rest of the night about her reaction... and for the next few days as well. She just had an innate ability of not being able to let things go. "I'm okay, I just... and no, you can't bite someone in the bottom. That'd hurt them, and I don't condone hurting others, even if Arthur does and that's why I can't tell him about what happened even though... 'cause he'd likely end up hurting... and it's not okay," Grace said, all in one great big breath.
Drugs. Did Tobias do drugs? Didn't he know that drugs were bad? "I... I don't intend to do... I don't think that's safe," she said, voice as quiet as a whisper because what if someone heard her talking about illicit substances? By Merlin, what if someone heard her and then told her mum? She'd be in trouble for sure. "Do... do you need, um... do you want me to take you to St. Mungos or... cause I think they have potions to help with, um... that."
"That you're not a dad or anything, I suppose. That'd just be so crazy, wouldn't it? I mean, we're only young. Not that young people can't make good parents or anything like that but gosh, it'd be just so much responsibility, don't you think?" She didn't judge young parents, or she liked to think that she didn't, but... well, the thought of being one herself? At this time in her life? It was overwhelming.
Grace nearly choked on her own saliva a second later as Toby said that he was a puppy because was he wanting to sleep in her... oh, nope. No, he didn't. That was good. "I... mean... you can, but I'm not allowed to have boys in my room at all - or, well, at least I don't think I am. I've never really... tried or had the chance or anything," Grace said thoughtfully, her nose scrunching up. Even if she did have one in her room with her parents approval, that didn't mean Arthur would be on board. In fact, she could picture him quite clearly dragging Tobias up by the neck of his shirt and pulling him out of her room to the lounge instead.
Tobias raised an eyebrow because she didn’t sound okay. However if she didn’t even talk to Arthur, he didn’t want to poke answers out of her. He did wave his hand at the biting comment. “Don’t worry I wasn’t actually going to do that. I know it’ll likely get my butt kicked. If people like me are already injured before the full moon, it lowers their chance of survival.” His eyes turned towards the now empty bowl. He let a lot of people take advantage of him just to prevent getting hurt. Tobias had never been a fighter so he didn’t want to wager it.
The curly haired young man smiled in her direction. “That’s very wise. I’d say they can be harmless if you know where to get them from and how to use and not use them. But it can wrong very quickly and a lot of people start to abuse them after a while.” Toby was one of those people himself. Of course it did depend on what kind of drugs but that's another story. He shook his head at the offer. “That’s very sweet but I’m going to pass on that. At this point I kind of need them to keep my will to live,” he whispered the last sentence in embarrassment.
His face visibly played at the dad comment because Grace didn’t know how close she was to the truth. Tobias lacked the heart to tell her. So far he only told Jack because he was hoping for help. “Yeah… That’d be so crazy wouldn’t it,” he said with a nervous laughter. At this point he wanted to bury his face in his hands.
His face lit up at the adorable reaction about boys. “That’s okay, most people wouldn’t even consider me a human boy,” he laughed but realized how bitter the undertone was so he shut his mouth. “How about Artie? I surely missed cuddling with my old buddy. I could stay in his room?”
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Nov 8, 2019 1:47:01 GMT
It was a dark thought that Tobias' chances of surviving were significantly smaller after being injured. With the life he and many other werewolves lived... they'd be getting injured daily, or at least several times a week. "I... I don't want... I don't want you to get hurt," she said, blinking back the tears that welled up in her eyes. She didn't want him to be killed either, but she didn't want to say that out loud because what if she did, then he ended up... it was a horrible thought. "Can I give you some healing pastes and... and maybe a book on healing magic? To help if you do get injured, Tobias?"
"I don't... think that most drugs are harmless. They wreak havoc on your body. I mean, like... even prescription potions do," Grace said. Was she naive when it came to drug taking? Maybe she was, but she didn't think that it was a harmless hobby and she didn't dare dabble in taking them, even just once. The way Tobias was talking about drugs, that he needed them to live, made Grace's heart break just a little. She could... somewhat understand that it was an outlet of sorts, a way to help deal with the constant hate thrown his way, but she found it tragic that he had to resort to using them in the first place. "What if you take too many though?" she asked, voice soft.
"I don't think I'd be allowed to have any boys," Grace admitted, glancing down at her hands. "I... I guess it's lucky, that I won't ever have the chance to... I mean, I don't think I would ever... you know?" Probably not, given she was speaking complete gobbledygook. When Tobias brought up sleeping in Artie's room and cuddling with him, Grace blinked. "I didn't know the two of you... I mean, are... were you two... er, dating?"
Post by TOBIAS TURNER on Dec 29, 2019 10:51:18 GMT
“Stuff happens whether we like it or not. I’m used to it by now. Don’t think about it too much,” he mumbled without looking her in the eye. Tobias didn’t expect he’d get frustrated over Grace’s gentleness and naivety. When the initial emotions shot through his body, he was quite shocked. It was just plain jealousy. The same jealousy he felt when he saw his group of friends having fun while he was dying in the streets. Despite the jealousy, he wanted his friends and former classmates to be happy, he just wished he could be a part of that. His sad smile returned to his face as he shook his head. “That’s very kind of you but I cannot promise to keep your stuff safe. I get robbed all the time and would feel awful if someone took your belongings because I couldn’t watch them.”
Her words on drugs made him think for a second. Part of him wanted to explain how some drugs when used properly were less damaging for your body than alcohol, sugar or tobacco. However he was way beyond the innocent drugs category and the words would mean nothing coming from him. At this point he didn’t even want it to stop because what else does he have left? He bit his lip and decided not to say anything until the question was asked. What if he took too many. “It’d probably be the most peaceful death possible for me,” he whispered, not even sure if she could hear him. Tobias knew he was a coward he was scared of dying but he knew he won’t live long. It was very likely that he’d die because of a bad transformation, an illness or wounds. Dying, feeling nothing because he pumped too many narcotic stuff in his body sounded peaceful. Still he wouldn’t do it intentionally, death was scary.
Tobias blinked, this time he was the clueless one. “How is having boys different from having girls or people off the spec?” She literally had him gasping at her because what the heck was she trying to say? He tilted his head like a puppy and studied her in awe. “I don’t think I know?” Then she had him bursting into laughter. “My, my. Would you like it if I became your brother in law?” He teased and shook his head. “Nah, Artie and I are only platonic lovers. He is the most wonderful idiot I’ve ever met,” he laughed a little.
Suddenly a burning desire popped up in his head. He looked around the place and then to Grace. Both Grace and Arthur were very kind people, he wondered if the parents who raised these kids…. The people who owned this place… “Hey, Grace.. Umm.. I was eh.. wondering,” he started stumbling over his words and nervously pulling his curls that bounced back. Toby cleared his troat and tried again. “Do your-” Why the hell would her parents want to hire him? Hiring a werewolf brought all kinds of risks. Even if they were kind enough to look past what he was, he could cause all kinds of trouble even if he stayed out of sight of the guests. “N-nevermind.”
Post by GRACE LONGBOTTOM on Jan 4, 2020 7:54:49 GMT
"Healing pastes are a dime a dozen. Really, it's not a big deal if you take some with you - I promise," Grace insisted, shaking her head. The book - well, that was slightly harder to replace. Even though they owned the Leaky Cauldron, the Longbottoms weren't well-off. They probably fell into the middle-class section, and they lived by fairly humble means. "Can... perhaps for your birthday, Arthur and I could give you a magical lock box to keep you belongings safe? And if you ever need someone to heal you - I mean, there's always St. Mungos but when I'm of age..." She trailed off, hoping he'd catch her drift.
Toby didn't say anything in reply to Grace's question and that in itself spoke volumes. He'd die. He wouldn't be there with them - with her - anymore and even though Grace knew he was miserable right now, the prospect of having someone she considered to be a loved one just... stop being in her life was devastating. Maybe she was being selfish, but... taking a step into his space, Grace wound her arms around his middle without thought, squeezing him tightly.
"Mum and dad think I'm -" Straight. But Grace didn't finish her sentence, swallowing hard because if she put it out there that she might not be, she had to explain that she wasn't sure and it was a bit confusing at times and... it just wasn't what she wanted to talk about. His words about Arthur had her ducking her head and smiling because her brother was definitely a wonderful idiot. "You could become my brother in law, and we could... uh... I don't really know what brothers and sisters in law do but then I'd see you all the time and that'd be lovely, wouldn't it?"
All of a sudden, Tobias was fumbling over his words, starting and stopping like she often did, before telling her to nevermind. If it was truly important... perhaps he'd have the courage to ask her later, and she didn't want to push. "I should get back to work, but you'll stay for a little bit, won't you?" she asked hopefully, giving him a kind smile.
