RP: Just one block
Date and Time: 14 February 2008 Late Evening
Characters: Daphne Greengrass, Any
Private/Public: Public (Jump right in!)
Location: Muggle London
Rating: PG
Warnings: Adult situations, adult language
Summary: Daphne forgoes her anxiety potion to attempt a night among Muggles by herself.
Completion: Incomplete



Daphne dressed carefully after rifling through everything Marcus bought her several weeks ago in the Muggle shop. She liked the skirt, even if it showed a bit more skin than she was strictly accustomed to. Daphne pinned her hair back, keeping it loose.

After refreshing her makeup charms, Daphne checked the clock. It was time for her potion, but tonight she wasn’t taking it. Getty and Linc had gone off to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Daphne refused to be locked away, alone, for yet another “holiday”.

So, once she was finished, Daphne left the Manor and Disapparated for an alley outside of the restaurant Marcus had taken her to on her first trip to Muggle London. She pressed her back against the wall, listening to the muffled conversations of the people walking by. Her heart raced, palms slicked with sweat.

“I can do this.” Daphne told herself sternly. “You’re a goddamn adult, Daphne Nicolette. No one here is out for you. No one here knows you. Move. Move, damn it.”

Her little pep talk did some good. Daphne managed to move a whole metre toward the alley’s opening. Daphne laughed at herself. “Gods above, you are the silliest witch to ever crawl the earth.” But her heart beat faster still.

Daphne managed to move another metre and now stood perched on the corner of the wall. She glanced about, exhaling slowly when she realized no one was looking at her. Cautiously, Daphne put her hands back into her pockets and pushed off from the wall. The bustling crowd swallowed her immediately.

Breathe. Just breathe. No one has a wand. No one knows your face. Breathe.

She managed to move through the crowd, keeping her head slightly bent and hands clenched into fists in her pockets. If she made it one city block on her own, she could call her evening a success. Daphne stopped at the street with the crowd, peering around as much as she could. She only moved to cross in front of the loud, smelly automobiles when the others did.

Halfway. I can do this on my own.

Daphne’s heart pounded in her chest, her entire body aching with the heightened blood pressure. Fear reached up, creating an icy ball in the pit of her stomach. The heightened state of irrational terror both irritated and frightened her. For so long there was nothing she could do. Penelope’s potion eased the passage, but Daphne wanted to do this alone.

She resisted the urge to scream with joy as Daphne hit the marker of a building she’d set up for herself. She made it. One whole city block all by herself. A grin crossed her face, marred slightly by the fear still biting at her innards.

Catching sight of a pub, Daphne decided she would step inside to warm up and just…do something else to celebrate, she moved through the crowd. Her heart still beat too rapidly, but she’d done it and by the gods in heaven, she could do more.

Stepping inside, Daphne shrugged out of her coat and glanced about. The place was clean, filled with mahogany tables and murmuring voices. She located an empty corner of the otherwise busy bar and moved toward it, sliding onto a barstool.

“I did it.” Daphne exhaled slowly again. “I actually did it.”