Absit Omen RPG

“Dragons have always been my favourite…” Theta was reminded of family friend, Balfour Spectre, who was now Head of Creatures at the Ministry. He had started out in dragons, according to the speeches at his wedding earlier that year. “No, I’ve got all my original parts….”

“That’s a relief,” Theta agreed politely, though smiling to herself at Ace’s mildly suggestive terminology. She changed tact, given the lights were changing colour on the stage, almost ready for Send No Crows to take stage. “So, are you here to see the band?” She asked, “I’ve only heard them a few times on the wireless, but my sister was raving so much about them last time she saw them that I thought I’d come along and see what the fuss is about.”

“It’s not my real name. I got the nickname from the other dragon handlers on the reserve in France…”
“Oh, you’re a beast are you?” Theta remarked as he continued.
“I can’t remember how many times I’ve been burned or bitten.” Theta raised her eyebrows and put a hand to her mouth in second-hand embarrassment. “… was asked politely not to return … after the opaleye burned down half the cabins trying to chase me…”

“Merlin!” Theta exclaimed. “So not such a positive nickname after all. But at least your nickname isn’t ‘dinner’, well, not yet anyhow.” She gave another sip of her drink. “So why do you keep doing it?” She asked, “Dragons I mean, if you’re so awful at it? Are you just waiting to run out of limbs? I mean, I assume these are all your limbs and you’ve not got a wooden leg…!”

“Ah!” Theta smiled, latching on to the explanation. “That’ll be it. Probably seen you in the atrium.” She wiggled a dainty finger at him, and glanced behind the bar again, watching the busy movement of the staff and other drinkers.

“That’s a beautiful name.” Ace complimented her. Classic line, but hey, Theta didn’t get out enough to hear these things regularly, so she took it.
“Hah, thanks.” She grinned, “It’s kind of a family joke though, my sisters are called Zeta and Eta. You know, greek alphabet and all.” She tossed her long hair over her shoulder, aware of his gaze on her. “And is yours a decent evaluation of you, Ace?” She winked and gave one of those self conscious little laughs that girls did when they were checking a guy out as a possible creep.

As Ace’s drink arrived, Theta set one of the pints aside. Josie could wait for hers. Instead she lifted hers to meet his drink once it arrived.
“Cheers!” She proclaimed brightly as the glasses rang. “So what did you say you do at the Ministry?” He hadn’t, but asking questions was one of the ways of making conversation flow, after all.

“No problem gorgeous.” The wizard didn’t skip a beat, and Theta adopted one of her vanilla smiles, unsure what sort of guy he was right now, so erring on polite. Her cheeks blushed at the compliment.
“Thank you.”
“.. I wouldn’t mind having a pretty girl buy me another drink.”

Oh hell. Why was he pretty? He was also somewhat familiar, like she’d seen him before but couldn’t remember why.
“I’m Ace.”
“Theta,” she replied automatically, rather than giving a pretend name to escape.

Stuff it. She had to remind herself that being spontaneous did sometimes yield results.

“What are you drinking?” She pointed at his emptying glass. The two pints she’d requested were arriving before her on the bar, and she added Ace’s drink. “.. for him,” she gestured.

“Have we met before?” She asked, curious, “You look familiar. What do you do?”

“Two pints of dragon’s tail please,” Theta ordered at the bar. She dipped her hand into her purse to count out coins and one slid from her grip, falling to the floor.

“Damn it.” If the bar hadn’t been so busy she might have pulled her wand to summon it, but instead she landed her foot on the rolling coin and dipped down to retrieve it, her head almost colliding with Ace’s pint on the way back up.

“Sorry!” Theta exclaimed, glad he’d had the foresight not to let her head meet the drink. She was a little flustered for it, but perhaps more for the fact the wizard was one of the good looking types. “Someone must have hexed my coins,” she joked, smiling. “Almost ended up needing to buy you another.”

“Bottoms up!” Theta agreed, clinking their glasses and trying to knock it back in one. She managed it in two and screwed up her face at the surprising feeling as it went down. She blinked hard twice as her nose tickled.

Gamp sounded like Arahanga, Arahanga sounded like Virgil and then Abbott sounded like Gamp. She sounded like…

“Like how… oh Merlin…” she had a Cornish accent and it was much deeper! “How by .. oh this is sooo strange!” She pointed to Jules, whose voice she had adopted, eyes wide and cheeks flushed. “Does it work like with only those who drink … like?” She was instantly on the investigation! “Why do I keep saying like?”

“Is it wrong that I both want to try that, and simultaneously don’t?” Theta asked her uncle and mentor in a low whisper.

These little gatherings as new unspeakables ‘graduated’ or got their stripes, wings, tentacles or whatever was the appropriate term for their specialism, were always pleasant but curious. Theta didn’t really go out drinking with people from Level 9 apart from the minority who she knew from school and were around her age. There had been Chris, who she’d dated for a bit, and then a spontaneous outing or two with Virgil. Everyone was older than her, and had to find something else to talk about other than work which could make conversation artificial and stilted. That, and there were some rather eccentric wixes down here…

“Rather you than me,” Francis shook his curls. He had never warmed to Hyperion Gamp. He was one of those old school pureblood sons and Mortimer Gamp, their old Department Head, had always shown favouritism. Then again, Yavin showed some to Virgil in a similar way.

Hyperion Gamp was well to do, intimidatingly intelligent as far as Theta had gleaned when she had interacted with him. But was it wise to get to know a Gamp? Especially one who worked on Nine. Was he any better prospect than the Head Auror with his divorces and quidditch team’s worth of children?

“Stuff it,” Theta grumbled, the conversation group she was with was discussing the finer details of medieval magical heraldry and genealogy and Theta had already zoned out of the topic and been staking out a new conversation group. She just lacked that little bit of confidence to interrupt. Rainbow coloured drinks of unknown quality it was!

“Hey,” she slipped in beside Virgil, “congrats,” she smiled politely, making a weak attempt to cover her motivations for joining the group before fixing her eyes on the tray of shots. “What are you all drinking?”

"I am nothing to do with this!" Theta cried after Josie and Ariadne, still perched on the cushions in the middle of the tent. She screwed her face up, willing herself to stay put and not get involved, forcing her feeling of responsibility to stop Josie doing whatever mischief she was doing to go away. Josie was not Zeta or Eta.

Theta opened her eyes and realised Ambrose was in conversation with Andromeda Gamp, who seemed strangely old for the party. There was someone's dog at their feet, eyes fixed on the barbecue.

"Are we the sensible ones?" Theta asked, approaching. "Or the boring ones?"

“Totally!” Eta exclaimed, and then sobered, “I mean, I will do a thorough reading when we get back.” She nodded in an assured way, keen to use any opportunity to try and use her divination skills (or lack of).

“He was rather irate,” Theta agreed. “Perhaps he wasn’t the person who wrote back to you all?” She hadn’t seen the replies but understood from the others that they had been fill in the gaps exercises and not at all personal or thoughtful. Then again, could you picture the complaints department at Zonko’s? The number of prank victims seizing their quill and parchment to write about how cruel or unfunny the pranks were? It was no wonder they had turned to that response.

Theta didn’t share her insight on being the other side of the ‘adult veil’ so to speak. To learn that the real world was murky grey and not so black and white clear cut that your childhood had you believe could get you down when you were on a mission.

“Josie certainly seemed to ask enough questions of everyone to get enough information for a story. But be prepared for it not to be picked up, she will have to sell it. It might end up in the Snitch, but it could then get picked up… Have you tried writing to the letters page of the Prophet? I definitely feel Nicola Bourbaki could get behind this.” She winked at Zeta.

Her sister was in on it - that regular Prophet letters page correspondent, Nicola Bourbaki, who wrote in eloquently on inequality and other current affairs, was Theta. It had begun when she was at school, aware that if she wrote in as a student her letter would end up in the dragon shredder, but adopting a pseudonym and posing as a grown-up would give her a chance. The name had come from her arithmancy book, where a collection of mathematicians had written under the name Nicolas Bourbaki.

Theta often wondered if ‘Nicola’ would find it easier to find a decent wizard to date…

“The Fijian national quidditch team has a shape shifting one for a mascot. It’s like animagi, it shifts between human and shark form.”

"But it's not an actual wix?" Theta asked Ariadne, receiving a drink.
"They have a guy who is a shark animagi? Is he fit? I need a picture." Josie demanded.
"Glad to know your freaky Valentines experience hasn't put you off the search, Josie." Theta teased gently, glad that Josie had seemingly bounced back. Her friend was an endless ball of energy.

The conversation about sharks, swimming and skinny-dipping had already accelerated with the new arrivals who seemed more familiar with the birthday girl, Theta thought.

Speaking of the birthday girl...
"Did she start early?" Theta whispered, observing Hericho's grabbing arms and slurred speech.

".. I don't think you've noticed, but some people here are soorta wasted..."

"Yikes..." Ariadne's eyebrows jumped up before she averted her eyes at the grappling.
"Let's just hope nobody has a camera. Don't - just don't Josie, shh." Theta reached out to grab her friend's arm.

Eta giggled at her middle sister, pleased of the validation of her long-sought seeing abilities (even though she was marooned in a family of artists and metalworkers.)

“Auror Warrington?” Theta echoed, “Oh yeah, he’s quite the catch isn’t he?” She gave that smile that read ‘I know what you’re thinking’ to Zeta. Their letters had exchanged thoughts and suggestions of who Theta should try and date in a dry spell after her first long relationship. It was nice to gossip a little in person, even if Tim and Ambrose got to hear it.

“You know he came to question Josie at St Mungo’s when she couldn’t remember what happened for three days,” Theta added, not sure if she had mentioned in one of the letters. “Put it this way, she wasn’t as worried when he was around.” Josie had just spent a while with them in the pub getting all she needed to write what they hoped would be a decent article for whoever would buy it.

“Tsh, witches.” Tim teased from behind, looking to his brother for reaction, and shook his head. Ambrose, ahead of him, was looking confused for some reason, piecing something together on his own, lips apart as if he had been about to say something.

“Next time you’re over in the holidays I’ll suggest Fauna invites him over for you.” Theta suggested, winking at Zeta. “Talking of wizards, don’t know what Bagnold’s thing was though, seemed like half of Hogwarts wanted a word.” Theta shrugged and shook her head.

Theta’s wand had sent a stripy cushion right at Ariadne at the drinks table in retaliation for bringing up her blind date pairing with Ed Pratt. Lovely as he had been, they were at a party for his subordinates, and dating the boss was not something Theta wanted them to bring up.

“You did not invite your boss did you?” Josie was a natural alliance to Ariadne. Theta was doomed.
“Why do I have such loud friends!” Theta hissed at them both.
“No. I did not.” Fauna confirmed.
“Thank you.” Theta replied, a little more loudly than she had intended, and made a face at her reporter friends. “Please ignore these two!”

“Your sister is awesome… I am thinking a proper interview… Think you can get her aside?” Josie was in full reporter mode, and part of Theta felt terrible for trying to curb her friend doing what she loved.

“I can, I can see Jose - I just don’t want her painted as some troublemaker when you do write it up. That’s exactly how the manager’s going to frame her, especially as someone let the stink bomb off.” Theta gestured to the shop window, appealing as best she could to Josie.

“Three Broomsticks?”
   “Sounds good-”
      “Yeah, great idea Zeta. Let’s go.”

The group were collecting their placards and leaving the area, though the banner still hung between the lampposts above Josie and Theta’s heads.

“Why don’t you come with us to the Broomsticks. I doubt Zonko’s has any more on the matter if they’ve closed for lunch. It Zeta wants to talk, you’ll find her there, and I’ll buy you a drink either way, make it worth your while.” Theta bargained, glancing from Josie to SAWS and back again.

“… Has it taken my soul? How do you know?” Josie jumped to conclusions. Theta felt her own heart lift into her mouth at the possibility. It seemed unlikely, but this was all proving rather strange.

“No, ya haven’t dated a dementor… I don’t think it’s the magic measles either. It doesn’t usually make yer lose whole days of memory.” Auror Warrington put them both straight, and Theta couldn’t help but feel slightly lumped in with Josie’s sudden exclamations and blushed again, turning her attention back to the notes.

It seemed they were off to Spell Damage to check about Josie’s apparent obliviation. Marrowbone was an expert in bites from what she explained, though she had been practical and kind, Theta appreciated.

“.. I think this has been done deliberately to ya… do ya have any enemies? Anyone who ya think might want to hurt ya?”

Josie could be mighty annoying if she turned her mind to it, Theta thought inwardly, but she had never known her friend do anything that could drive someone to harm her physically. But despite Josie’s out of sorts state, she was quick on the uptake. Theta scribbled down her words suspects - Queen G (nothing to gain?)

“… What if it was my date? You just said his mum tried to break his dad out of here?! Peps get this down! What if they were doing experiments on me!” If being soulless wasn’t enough of a chilling thought, Theta was suddenly reminded by what had happened last year. Her cousin Ambrose had been caught up in it all. He’d not been snatched, but his then girlfriend, Juni, had been, and several other people she knew.

“I can say that a bit more rest and a mite of chocolate won’t hurt anyone.” Marrowbone had another practical, sensible suggestion.

“Yes, agreed,” Theta quickly interjected, hoping to bring Josie back down to earth before she went into a full-blown panic again. “Let’s get you sorted, perhaps they can lift the obliviation and find something in your memories on the Spell Damage ward.” It seemed super likely she would need to send an owl to Uncle Francis about the afternoon’s work. Perhaps she could work extra on a weekend or he’d let her turn a timeturner back tomorrow morning just because.

“Thank you,” she spoke directly to Marrowbone, smiling patiently, “both of you. We better head up to Spell Damage. Josie, you up for walking?”

It turned out Ariadne and Josie knew Shade, or at least saw him as one of their own being from Gryffindor.

“So what you want to paint portraits of people and make them move like?” Josie asked, direct as ever. Shade was gracious but bashful in his response[1]. But it appeared that Theta was not the only one who knew Shade has he was soon swept along by someone else at the gathering for more introductions.

“Catch you later,” Theta suggested warmly, smiling brightly and waving a dainty hand. “What? No… it’s not like that, you can both stop looking like that.” Theta chastised her company, wagging a finger at them. Yes she’d gone for a ride on the back of Shade’s magically enchanted motorbike at the end of Francis and Gabrielle’s wedding last summer, but there had been nothing more. If she gave Josie an inch she would take a dragon’s mile.

1.	Angel is on a break, so going to write the conversation moving on