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 TERESA NOTTINGHAM on Dec 28, 2019 11:19:24 GMT
It was a slow night and Teresa had been rejected a grand total of two times, something that was more... annoying than stinging because she wasn't looking to go home with those people because of their shining personalities, but because they wore fancy watches around their wrists which meant money. Money and prized possessions Teresa could pocket after they fell asleep and she made her escape.
Letting out a small hiss between her teeth from where she sat on a barstool, Teresa's dark eyes swept over her surroundings to try and find her next mark... and she did, seconds later. She was almost certain she recognised the young man, she had seen him walking through the front doors to Gringotts dressed in uniform before and somebody who worked in such a renowned institution, well... they had to have money. He was perfect, and his age worked in her favour.
Walking over to him, Teresa gave the man her very best bedroom eyes before sidling onto his lap, one of her fingers carding into his soft hair whilst the other wormed casually to rest on his hip... inches above where she could spy the smooth leather of a wallet peeking out. If she could manage to lift that in the next few minutes, she'd be happy, even if she didn't manage to take him home. "Hey there," she said, a very slight smile curling at her lips. "Let's make a deal - you tell me your name, I'll tell you mine."
we got no money, but we got heart/we're gonna rattle this ghost town
43 posts
0 likes
Post by DAMIAN BELANGER on Dec 28, 2019 23:37:18 GMT
People weren't usually--or ever--this forward with Damian. Most of the time, when he went out, it was just with friends, or, as it was tonight, if he came alone, he would be left alone and stay alone. It wasn't what he wanted, of course. The whole point of going out was not to be alone. That was why he spent the time and money to do it. But even growing an entire beard hadn't seemed to do much to make him attractive to the general wizarding population--although he did like the way he looked with it, so it hadn't been entirely in vain, he supposed.
That was, until a girl about his age sat directly on his lap, the heat of her body suddenly all over him, and his first instinct was simply to blink at the way she was leaning into him, as if perhaps this was just some hallucination. Maybe someone had spiked his drink with some weird potion he'd never heard of?
But that didn't make her go away, and she did seem very solid, and even incredibly familiar in a way he wasn't placing quite yet. She couldn't be that much older than him, by the looks of it, and she couldn't possibly be younger, so he was almost certain it was from school that he knew her. "Damian," he said, very aware of how close her face was to his, "and I swear I know you from somewhere. You went to Hogwarts, right?"
Post by TERESA NOTTINGHAM on Dec 29, 2019 0:59:52 GMT
Teresa was being blinked at by this bearded man like she was some... alien creature, but confusion wasn't a bad thing. If he managed to stay this way, then he'd be too focused on her and not focused on her hand very slowly inching towards her his wallet. "You can touch me, you know. I'm not going to bite," she said with a hum, tone light and airy. She was being sweet which, in real life, wasn't her MO but she had a feeling if she was her regular, blunt point then she wasn't going to get very far. She didn't want to make him cry.
But then he said his name and asked if she went to Hogwarts, and Teresa froze. Immediately, her attentive eyes scanned over his face because it couldn't be. She was not sitting on his lap. But once she traced the shape of his eyes and the curve of his cheekbone and imagined him without the beard, she was transported right back to 2016 where she used to be in classes with this guy.
"Damian Belanger. The beard makes you look older," she said, before her soft and airy voice from before grew hard as brick. "Look, by the time to the Ministry gets here to arrest me for loitering, I'll be gone so there's no point." Most people would say she was being paranoid but she wasn't. She'd been kicked out of places before for loitering, and with the legislation becoming tighter each and every day against werewolves... an arrest for an act was completely plausible.
we got no money, but we got heart/we're gonna rattle this ghost town
43 posts
0 likes
Post by DAMIAN BELANGER on Jan 5, 2020 18:22:24 GMT
Damian's mind clicked through as many people he could remember from school as possible, knowing that he would be able to put a name to the face sooner or later. The speed of his brain was slightly slowed by the fact that the woman had a hand on his thigh, although he had to say that he was a little suspicious of her motivations for getting this close this fast.
It was only when she recognized him, quickly changing her mood, that the voice became familiar as well. Of course he hadn't recognized how she was acting. Damian had never known Teresa Nottingham to be sweet and flirty, although the last time he'd seen her, they'd been only fifteen. The last time--felt ages ago. Even his own time at Hogwarts seemed like some fuzzy memory from a bygone era, and he hadn't been expelled in his fifth year like she had.
"Teresa," he said simply, not sure whether to relax into her touch or sit back to blink even more. "Don't worry about me, I'm not the Ministry, I won't call for anyone." There were times when he might be afraid of werewolves, and they were during the full moons. Not now, when he could spy a crescent out of the window. "I haven't seen you since--" Since the attack.
Post by TERESA NOTTINGHAM on Jan 6, 2020 8:40:49 GMT
"If you're lying to me, just know that I don't forgive and I don't forget," Teresa cautioned, looking dead in the eyes with every word. If he remembered what she was like at Hogwarts... well, he'd probably know that she was capable of holding one hell of a grudge. Even by the time she was kicked out, she hadn't forgiven her roommate - the one who'd crossed her way back in third year by spreading a nasty rumour about her, and wound up pinned against a wall Teresa's forearm against her neck, Teresa's wand leveled straight at her smarmy face.
"I know you're not the Ministry - I've seen you going into Gringotts. Leveled up in the world, have you?" There was a touch of bitterness to Teresa's words because way back when before her life imploded and she lost the opportunity to complete her magical education, they'd been somewhat friendly rivals. Teresa and he had regularly battled for the top spot in classes, and he'd beat her a few times too. Seeing such ambition back then had been both frustrating and admirable, but it spurred feelings of jealousy now. If she'd never been bitten, she could be in a good job like he was - and now she'd never have a chance.
Damian mentioned it had been a while since he saw her, cutting himself abruptly and she scowled. "Since what? Since I had my life turned upside down?" she said, still not making any move to climb off his lap as her fingers finally curled around the top of his wallet. Any abrupt movements and she had no chance of sliding it out smoothly, so she kept making conversation, "Are we going to play the comparison game now? You ask me how I'm doing, I nod like I'm happy for you, and then you act like you're sad about my current state of living and tell me how unfair it is?"
we got no money, but we got heart/we're gonna rattle this ghost town
43 posts
0 likes
Post by DAMIAN BELANGER on Jan 9, 2020 4:57:00 GMT
The goblins weren't always nice to Damian, with him often feeling like they ordered their human errand boy around as if he was a house-elf, but they at least didn't accuse him of lying. (He was sure that, if they did, he'd be out on the street with no money in an instant, but still, it wasn't something they had to worry about.) "I'm not lying. I wouldn't do that." He tried to make his voice serious, even as he felt a spark of irritation. Here she thought he was someone important, and as much as the Damian of three years ago would have played it up, maybe even gloated about it in her face, the Damian of today just felt defeated at the thought that things could be so much better.
"Yeah, really leveled up," he muttered, red rising to his face. "The goblins let me bring lunch to them now instead of just tea and coffee." There was no chance of things getting better in this job, was there? Not when they were one species and he was an entirely different one. But where else was he supposed to turn? He leaned an elbow on the bar behind Teresa, letting his head rest on his hand.
"I won't ask you anything, then. I'm sure you don't want to talk about it. And I don't have much more to say. Not like we're getting any closer to leaving this place together anyway." Any hope of flirting had dissipated in the combination of shame and annoyance Damian felt. Suddenly, he didn't want her this close to him anymore. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, barely able to move with her weight still on his legs.
Post by TERESA NOTTINGHAM on Jan 9, 2020 6:18:23 GMT
Damian insisted that he wasn't lying in a solemn tone and after scrutinising him for a minute, Teresa tense shoulders dropped a little because she'd have to take him at his word. Besides, if she got arrested later, then she knew who was to blame and she wouldn't hold her tongue if she had the chance to share with other werewolves who enjoyed telling on them.
It felt like a slap in the face, the way he was complaining about his job when she had no chance to ever get one. "I'm so sorry that you earn money for doing the grunt work. It sounds like a real buzzkill," she said reproachfully, turning her face away from him because yeah, no, this was pissing her off. "There's nothing to swap you from changing jobs - there's no legislation against your kind - so why don't you do that if you're so miserable fetching lunch?"
He didn't want to talk to her because they were getting any closer to leaving and immediately, Teresa's eyes were blazing with anger. "You know what I am. I really doubt you'd want to take me home. I'm not human - I'm not your type," she said, taking the opportunity to slid the wallet out of his pocket and into her jacket. Biting the inside of her cheek, Teresa glanced away as she tried to curb her fury just a little. She hadn't wanted to talk about Hogwarts, about what she'd been up to, but she needed to calm down and once upon a time... she'd considered Damian a friend of sorts. She didn't have many... if any of those left, and he hadn't pushed her off of him yet. Maybe he wasn't as repulsed by her as she thought, and maybe she could make the slightest of efforts to try and reconnect. "I'm... life is just real fucking rough, and I shouldn't be taking it out on you." It wasn't exactly an apology, but it was the best he was going to get.
we got no money, but we got heart/we're gonna rattle this ghost town
43 posts
0 likes
Post by DAMIAN BELANGER on Jan 12, 2020 18:16:45 GMT
Teresa's words felt like a heavy weight on Damian's chest, pressing down hard with every question he had for the world. Why, if there was nothing technically stopping him from a better job, a better life, didn't he have it? And he felt like he had the answer for that--he didn't have the connections, didn't have parents who could get him a nice position from the start. His dad couldn't even work anymore, so even if he'd wanted to be at the Ministry, it wasn't like he had anyone to talk to in order to get an interview.
It had always made him envious of Teresa, when they'd been at school together. Teresa whose parents were wealthy and didn't have to pin all their hopes on their kids finding good jobs right away. Or on finding rich girls to marry, as they were trying to enforce on Rodrik at the moment. They were on different ground now, him and Teresa, but it didn't stop the little voice in his head saying you still don't understand!
"Sure, tell me when you have any leads on who wants to hire some random eighteen-year-old guy to do anything important," he said bitterly. Feeling as if he could use another drink, he reached for his wallet, only to come up with an empty pocket. Fear gripped at his heart, and he began patting all of his pockets frantically and leaning past Teresa to look at the floor. "Shit, shit, shit--I needed that, I can't ask my parents for any more--"
Post by TERESA NOTTINGHAM on Jan 12, 2020 22:10:14 GMT
"I'll do that when you tell me you have leads on someone who wants to hire a werewolf," Teresa wound up muttering straight back at Damian. But then the worst thing that possibly happen did as he reached for his wallet, only to start freaking out because she had it. It was sitting in her jacket pocket, all of a sudden burning hot and heavy. Normally, she wouldn't feel an iota of guilt for lifting a wallet of someone but she knew... had known this guy, and even though she needed the money more, it sounded like he didn't have much worth stealing anyway.
Leaning forward all of a sudden, Teresa made as though she could spy something, one of her arms reaching through the armholes of the chair and to the floor at the back where he had yet to reach. Hopefully, she was subtle as she slipped the wallet back out of her pocket and into her hand as she sat back up. "It must have fell," she said, before throwing it on the table. "Maybe you're not as well to do as I though, not exactly heavy with galleons, is it?"
What he said before: I can't ask my parents for any more had Teresa thinking, 'At least that's an option for you' because her parents? They'd kicked her to the curb three years ago. Once upon a time, she'd been sitting nice and secure, no monetary problems in the world, and now... she didn't have a single sickle to her name. Why would she? Her parents didn't want to give any money to an abomination. "I don't see my parents anymore," she told him. "When I left St. Mungo's - I've been doing it on my own since then."
we got no money, but we got heart/we're gonna rattle this ghost town
43 posts
0 likes
Post by DAMIAN BELANGER on Jan 20, 2020 2:30:53 GMT
Damian could tell that heat and redness were rising to his cheeks at Teresa's words, even as his breath puffed out in relief at the wallet being handed back to him. "Not really, no," he muttered, sliding the wallet into the pocket on the other side this time, just in case the usual one decided to let it drop again. "I can only wish, right now." Sure, it wasn't exactly normal for eighteen-year-olds to have their dream jobs already, but Damian had always let himself hope for better. He was sure he was smart enough, and he certainly had more enthusiasm than the other candidates combined must have had, whoever they were!
But the world didn't work that way. It hadn't for him, and it certainly hadn't for Teresa. All his life he'd been looking forward to being an adult, and now that he was, all he wished for was for the world to seem logical again. "It's not right," he muttered, sighing. Reaching back into his pocket, he pulled his wallet back out, opening it to reveal a handful of Sickles. He wasn't entirely sure if it would even add up to a full Galleon, but it would at least be able to get them some drinks. "Pick something to drink, on me. We both need it, although--" he paused, "--nothing top shelf, thanks."
Post by TERESA NOTTINGHAM on Jan 20, 2020 4:48:10 GMT
Teresa had embarrassed him, judging by the way Damian's cheeks were turning as red as two big cherries, and he was muttering. "Could be worse," she offered up. She could only wish she had galleons filling her wallet too right now, but wishes... they were fickle things. Rarely came true. "Maybe you could shag your way to the stop, or are goblin-human relationships frowned upon these days?" It was a weak joke, but an attempt to try and alleviate the tension that money had built between them.
"It isn't, but hey - guess they'd rather their 'daughter' starve on the streets instead of have an embarrassment in their family, right? It wouldn't look good for the Nottinghams, with all their pureblood snootiness." She glanced away as she said the words however, swallowing the bitter taste in her throat. She'd never... felt wanted by her parents, not once really, but being completely cast out and thrown away... it made those feelings a hundred times worse.
When she looked back, Damian was opening his wallet and she eyed his sickles speculatively. He may not have had a lot of money, but neither did she and maybe it was selfish to take him up on it but... shit, he'd offered. "Firewhisky," she decided, before jumping off his lap to go to the bar and order. A few minutes later when she returned, she had glass of each and even though sitting back on him was tempting, she opted for a seat this time. "How's other things? You had a few brothers, right?"
we got no money, but we got heart/we're gonna rattle this ghost town
43 posts
0 likes
Post by DAMIAN BELANGER on Jan 21, 2020 1:59:35 GMT
"Maybe it's worth a shot. I'll, uh, lie back and think of Egypt." It wasn't the most tasteful joke Damian had ever made, but he appreciated the attempt at humor. It was better than the awful feeling of shame at both his own situation in life and at making Teresa feel bad about hers. "Don't know how Hogwarts feels about half-goblin kids, but I'm sure we could get by without that."
He dropped a few Sickles into Teresa's hand, putting his wallet back away and waiting for her to return. It was probably a good thing for his liver that he was still waiting for payday--he didn't have the budget to get smashed right now. A little firewhiskey wouldn't be a problem, though, which was why he was here in the first place, and he accepted the glass from Teresa gratefully, immediately getting to sipping on it.
"Brothers, yeah. Three of them. Well, Vaughn's in France, doing--" successful things, Damian wanted to say, but he was trying not to turn the conversation back to bitterness. "Rodrik's a prefect now. And Hugo--I don't know if you ever met him, he's a second year now. Hufflepuff, so we managed one of each!" He started to ask after Teresa's own brother, but bit his tongue before he could mention the name, remembering the Daily Prophet headlines about the attack on Hogwarts. It seemed like a topic he shouldn't poke after.
Post by TERESA NOTTINGHAM on Jan 21, 2020 7:06:37 GMT
Lie back and think of Egypt. The joke got a startled, genuine laugh from Teresa which was... well, nice. She didn't exactly smile a lot these days, let alone laugh. "Just make sure you don't groan out Egypt and it'll all be good," she said, before raising her eyebrows. "You know there used to be a Professor who was a half-goblin? Flitwick. So maybe they're more open to accepting half-goblins than -" Werewolves. "- you think. You're in luck."
Teresa nodded as Damian went into his family and what they were up to, her mind drifting to Theo momentarily because shit, her family definitely wasn't travelling so well in comparison to his. You had the werewolf and the anarchist - not exactly a winning combination. "Vaughn -" she went to repeat before freezing because Vaughn. It... oh. Oh fuck. She stared at him for a moment before clearing her throat. "That's funny. I, uh... live with a guy named Vaughn. Bearded fellow, tall..." Looks just like you. Very possibly your bloody brother."What's your Vaughn doing in France?" Do you know you might have a brother who's a werewolf?
we got no money, but we got heart/we're gonna rattle this ghost town
43 posts
0 likes
Post by DAMIAN BELANGER on Jan 25, 2020 17:58:27 GMT
Sure, Damian could say that he was jealous of his brothers much of the time. Vaughn had gotten to live in another country, something Damian had always thought would be the coolest, and both Rodrik and Vaughn had gotten to be prefects, something that still bothered him a little even if he'd been out of school for nearly an entire year already. But there was a certain amount of pride in him too, in the fact that all the Belanger brothers were determined to do well for themselves. As long as his own big break would come sometime...
"He works at a vineyard there. Wants to run one someday. He was always good with business stuff, so I bet he'll get there. I haven't got him to send me any fancy French wine yet, but he promised me some for my birthday, so maybe I'll finally get some." Damian wasn't much of a wine drinker, but he would definitely be excited to get something out of the ordinary. He still had to wait a few months for that, though--with an August birthday, at school, he'd always been one of the youngest in his year. He was pretty sure Teresa was still older than him, if only by some months. "I can't believe you managed to live with someone with the same name as my brother. The only two I've ever met are him and my grandfather."
Post by TERESA NOTTINGHAM on Jan 26, 2020 3:13:16 GMT
A vineyard. The career choice for a wizard was odd when there were so many magical ventures to be had instead, and then Damian's mention he's only met two people with the name Vaughn - both of whom were in his family - all but made up Teresa's mind to be upfront. "Don't freak out - or if you do, cast muffliato," she said before pausing for a few seconds, deciding to just rip the bandaid off. "I think... I think your brother is living with me - not me specifically, but with my pack."
Inhaling sharply, shaking her head, she plodded on, "Damian - I think... Vaughn's a werewolf." Maybe it wasn't her place to tell him this but she'd deal with the consequences later. Screw it. Damian deserved to know there was a possibility of his brother being in the country, and that he was very likely sleeping in the tent besides her one.
