Zacharias Smith (chasingloyalty) wrote in afic, @ 2011-08-14 19:17:00 |
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Entry tags: | character: robert stebbins, character: zacharias smith, player: jo, player: kori |
Who: Amos Diggory, Robert Stebbins, Zacharias Smith
When: Sunday, 14 August
Where: Amos' House, Ottery St. Catchpole
What: Diggory Dinner Date
Status: In-Progress
Another dinner with Diggory had rolled around again, though this time it was more surreal to be sat around a sophisticated dining table, drinking fine wine with the Minister when Azkaban escapees roamed the country and homes were searched in attempt to find the dangerous criminals. Robbie sat stiffly straight-backed in his seat to the left of Amos, holding court at the head of the table, across from Zacharias, their conversation paused as their plates were cleared.
The entire week had been a clusterfuck, if Robbie was being completely honest. The Azkaban breakout was bad enough; one of the Carrows, Rabastan Lestrange, a number of other Death Eaters, but quite clearly the worst of them all, Fenrir Greyback, all out, somehow. Then the small reprieve they’d tried to give themselves, a hush order on the escape meant to delay the panic before the Ministry had been able to find their feet on the situation, put their plans into action, crushed by that bloody terrorist group with their bloody charmed posters all around wizarding locations. They’d even dropped some in the bathrooms of the Ministry, as if the posters weren’t enough. Instant panic, undermining the Ministry’s authority and trustworthiness in one fell swoop. The public statements they’d scrambled to quickly release hadn’t been enough, Robbie knew that; the damage had been done. He’d heard the whispers in the cafeteria, hardly quietened for his benefit, ‘Hiding the truth from us?’, ‘Did they even know it had happened?’ and even one ‘Was the criminals released on purpose?’ - to which he hadn’t been able to stop from correcting.
But that was done now. There was no changing it. They could only move forward from this, work on catching the criminals, work on regaining public trust and favour. Robbie tightly smiled at Amos as he topped up their glasses, bringing his to his lips quickly to gulp some down before realising Amos meant to clink them first in some sort of toast and he forced an embarrassed chuckle out as he held his glass back up.
“Boys,” Amos said, his voice strangely calm and still authoritative after the large blow his Ministry had taken this week, “We’re in a period of great change, aren’t we?” He gave them each piercing looks, and Robbie’s eyebrows dumbly raised of their own accord, throwing a quick glance at Zacharias to make sure it wasn’t just him that had no idea what the Minister was talking about.
Zacharias shared Robbie’s cluelessness and it was reflected in the blank stare he gave the older Hufflepuff. After spending last night with Marc, Zacharias had showered multiple times before coming to Diggory’s house - given the recent proclamations, he couldn’t let Amos know that he was shagging men occasionally. It didn’t seem like Amos was expecting a response and after his slip up the other week, Zacharias didn’t want to push his luck. He simply nodded before glancing back at Amos.
"We have suffered this week. Many of our citizens are frightened, of course, but they are losing faith in us," he said, swirling the liquid around in his glass, and Robbie watched transfixed as it sloshed against the smooth sides and his measured voice washed over him in the hush of the room. "They feel we have let them down." Amos' mouth set into a disappointed line. "They do not understand our design, simply focusing on their own small worlds. It is us who view the bigger picture, us who are capable of doing so, who are responsible for leading from the front. And that is our duty in serving the public, it is a job that we accept humbly."
He fixed them with serious looks then, and Robbie felt his breath stick in his throat as he waited for the other shoe to drop.
A smile grew across Diggory's face. "Look around this table, my boys." Robbie dutifully did so, noting only Zacharias and Amos sitting there with him, and snapped his eyes back to Diggory. "We are the men who are trusted to direct this country. And it is time that you are both given the power with which to positively influence the future of Wizarding Britain."
There was an extended moment of pause. Robbie stared at Amos, his mind confused and his face no doubt reflecting that. "What does that mean?" he voiced.
"Promotions," Amos announced cheerily, clinking their glasses finally and sipping his wine with a smile of satisfaction.
Zacharias couldn’t help the smile that lit up his face at the thought of a promotion. After all, wasn’t this why he was sticking with Diggory, why he was staying here. Finally, his loyalty was being rewarded. Zacharias allowed himself a sip of wine and wished Justin were here. But Amos had approved Justin’s leave and maybe there’d be a promotion for Justin as well a little later.
“Sir?” Zacharias asked, with a bit of confusion, not understanding how a promotion within the Quidditch League would really help the cause.
“What sort of promotion?”
While Zacharias was hoping to see his loyalty rewarded, he hoped Diggory wasn’t going to put him on the front lines of the fight. He preferred to be safe, and not being in fights with Death Eater escapees from Azkaban.
Robbie's face did not light up like Zacharias'. Promotion? That meant more responsibility, more authority over the politics of the country - perhaps that was good, he thought with a sliver of hopefulness, a chance to steer upcoming laws and decrees away from the extremes that Amos often wished they would go. But truly, it meant more involvement with the machinations of their government, and ultimately, he could see that it meant more culpability when their carefully stacked house of cards came tumbling down around them. A promotion that would have him sitting right in the centre of the house when it fell, burying him in the rubble. It was a dark thought, and he felt guilty for allowing his mind to wander there, such treachery, particularly as he sat in the presence of the man he so deeply believed in.
He knocked nearly half the glass of wine back, the alcohol easing his nerves, as Amos told Zacharias that he'd be moved out of the DMGS, that he was required elsewhere. "In fact, you'll be taking over Robert's post," he said, and Robbie's eyebrows shot up once again. Logically, it made sense that his position would be filled if he was being promoted too, but immediately, he thought of losing his office on Level One - the recently refurbished and redecorated office that he'd grown quite fond of already, his desk efficiently and neatly arranged just the way he liked it, a selection of back-up suits hanging in the office cupboard, the lifts only just down the corridor. For a few moments, he didn't remember to realise that his new position would possibly mean a bigger office.
But it caught up to him and he managed a smile to Zacharias, holding his glass out to clink to the younger Hufflepuff. "Congratulations."
“Thank you,” Zacharias said, clinking glasses with Robbie and Amos. Leaving Level Seven. He wouldn’t mind getting away from the Gobstones folks, but he actually enjoyed working on Quidditch there. But he knew that there wasn’t a future there - or well, that it wasn’t the center of the action. Assistant to the Minister meant more prestige, but it also meant more risk - something he wasn’t fond of. But to have that chance - his father would be proud and Amos would be proud.
“But what about Robert?” Zacharias asked. He felt uncomfortable taking over his friend’s position without being sure that Robbie would be equally rewarded.