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bl_oliver ([info]bl_oliver) wrote in [info]bloodlines_rp,
@ 2017-09-06 19:13:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:!retcon, collin haussler (oc), dec 2002, george weasley, loc: london, loc: weasley's wizard wheezes, oliver wood, type: rp

Attack Plan
Date & Time: Sunday, 29 December 2002 | Late Afternoon
Post Type: RP
Status: Complete
Character(s): Collin Haussler, Oliver Wood, George Weasley
Location: The International Hotel, Canary Wharf, London, then Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
Summary: Oliver and Collin make plans for the press and then crash at George's place.

Oliver quickly glanced around to be sure that no one was watching, then handed the owl his roll of parchment and the appropriate amount of coin. He would have waited until getting to Diagon Alley before sending off all of the correspondence he and Collin had put together, but considering this was the third owl that had found them, there was no reason not to send responses—any potential Statute of Secrecy violation damage had been done. Given that it was a cloudy, cold, dreary day, there weren't many people lingering along the river, so he wasn't particularly concerned. That covered Caterina, The League, The Prophet, The Independent, Which Broomstick, Oliver's parents, and a few miscellaneous contacts. George's reply and Oliver's confirmation to him had gone earlier in the day. They hadn't even seen anyone else yet, and already Oliver was exhausted. So far, the media would receive some generic statements. Tomorrow, they'd truly go on the offensive.

He huffed out one white cloud of breath and watched until the bird was out of sight, and then opened the door and went back inside. Collin was still on the phone, so he waved a hand toward the door to indicate that the owl was off, but otherwise didn't speak. He couldn't tell from Collin's expression what exactly was being discussed, but he could faintly hear what sounded like a female voice on the other end—Mrs. Haussler, then. Oliver sat down on the bed next to him, leaning back against the headboard and reaching out to wind his fingers through those of Collin's free hand.


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[info]bl_collin
2017-09-07 01:34 am UTC (link)
While the owl from his agent had not been a Howler- and thank god for that- it might as well have been for what it had contained. He had been directed to meet her at the Black Locust the next day at noon, in terms that brooked absolutely no argument. She had let him know that she was coming back from her vacation to Milan specifically for this meeting, and he had handed the letter to Oliver with shaking hands. He had merely muttered a small "fuck" before turning to the next fire.

He had crafted his own statement of apology to send to the various press outlets, had let Oliver read it before letting it out into the world, and then turned to the one task he was least looking forward to. Given the hour he called, he knew his dad would be at work. Was it wrong if he'd hoped it would go to voice mail? Of course it hadn't, and he was minutes deep into a mostly one-sided conversation with his mum when Oliver came in from sending off another owl.

The other man's fingers were already cold, but he squeezed them anyway when Oliver threaded them together. Collin leaned against Oliver's side in an effort to warm him up. "It's going to be better if I stay in London," he finally put in. "With friends. I'll owl you the address. It's not permanent. O'Reilly's looking into it." A short question, delivered softly. Collin bit his lower lip to keep from pushing out a heavy sigh. "Then I'll cross that bridge if it comes to it. The Falcons are family, sure, but they're not the only team in the League. Hell, the League's not the only thing in the world. It'll be fine, Mum. Yes. Yes, all right, I'll let him know. Love you. Love to dad too. Yes, I'll let you know. Bye, Mum."

He let the phone drop from his hand and onto the cradle, and then tossed himself against the headboard a little harder than was strictly necessary, and rubbed his free hand down his face. "I can't decide if that went worse or better than I expected." He raised their joined hands and kissed Oliver's fingers. "She said you're welcome 'round theirs if you want. Get out of the madness for a few days." Collin glanced over at him, and then away again. "I didn't tell her about us, but she does know that you walked out in protest."

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[info]bl_oliver
2017-09-07 02:33 am UTC (link)
He wrapped his arm around Collin's shoulder, glad for the warmth and the closeness. There had been plenty of that since they'd awoken curled up together, but the novelty of it hadn't worn off. As he listened, he could guess the content of Mrs. Haussler's comments and questions, and he pulled Collin a little closer as if that might compensate for having to yet again trudge through the same sludge that they'd been trying to sort out all night and day. If today's owls were any indication, they wouldn't be getting away from it any time soon.

"It'd be good to see them again." Collin turned away, and Oliver took the opportunity to lean in and kiss the man's jaw, adding, "Maybe save that bit for when you need some good news in your back pocket?" At least, he assumed it wouldn't be bad news, or concerning news, like everything else today. He liked the Hausslers, and he definitely didn't want to bring unnecessary drama to the family.

Oliver pulled away enough to check the bedside clock. Not too much longer until they would be able to head over to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and get a little better settled, at least for the short run. "Tomorrow, when you're with Caterina, I think I'll drop in on Clinton Castlebury." He hadn't owled the man, but mostly because he didn't want the note to end of the hands of an assistant if Clinton was unavailable. "He's bound to know the best sympathetic parties to approach for support." And sympathetic parties with money, at that. Even though it felt a bit off, he'd thought about reaching out to Katie, too. Maybe if Clinton's leads didn't pan out.

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[info]bl_collin
2017-09-08 01:14 am UTC (link)
"They'll be over the moon when I tell them," Collin said, shutting his eyes briefly at the brush of lips against his jaw. "They already adore you." He held himself back from saying he adored Oliver as well, because, well, it was new, and that was a bit much.

Collin felt his stomach drop all over again at the mention of his agent, and then it went even further as Oliver told him his plans. He half-glared down at his legs spread out in front of him, self-directed frustration making his fingers spasm against Oliver's. He didn't really know of anyone with any kind of influence that he could reach out to, outside of Caterina. Even so, it could come about that she was well shot of him. He'd heard of it happening to other players with their agents, and even from Caterina herself.

He wasn't even aware he was breathing hard, but could vaguely feel his free hand clenched white knuckled against his leg as a wave of powerful anxiety welled up inside him. "That would be good," he managed to say, though his voice sounded weird and distant to his own ears. "If-If Caterina hasn't chucked me, maybe she'll be able to find a few for us as well."

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[info]bl_oliver
2017-09-08 01:56 am UTC (link)
There had certainly been enjoyable parts of being alone together today, but the overall mood had been rather sombre. Given that, the noticeable change in Collin's demeanour surprised him. Oliver worried for a moment that his mum had said something that the other hadn't mentioned yet, and he'd opened his mouth to ask what was wrong when Collin responsed.

"Caterina isn't going to chuck you," Oliver said, tone lightly chiding as he reached up to touch Collin's cheek and turn his face to meet Oliver's eyes. "But even if she did, so what? Fuck her. You're a brilliant Seeker, and you look better on a broom than Krum, Swartz, and Abington combined." He offered Collin a smile and a slightly raised eyebrow, just enough tease in his voice to indicate that he wasn't joking in the content of his words, but wanted to make Collin smile all the same. "I guarantee that within twenty-four hours you'd have so many owls that we'd have to go into hiding for real just to get in a nap." He kissed Collin softly before sitting back on the bed again. "Which is exactly why I know Caterina wouldn't drop you, and especially not for something getting this kind of press. She's harsh, but she's not an idiot, either."

And if she was really smart, she'd throw enough ideas Collin's way that it would be impossible to not hit on at least a couple of people who could exert the right pressure in the right places. "Are you hungry? I don't think the remnants of last night will be enough to bring in offering to George, so we might as well stop somewhere."

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[info]bl_collin
2017-09-08 02:17 am UTC (link)
Here he was, all set for a good wallow, but Oliver seemed to be dead set on pulling him out of it. Each touch, each look, word, and kiss penetrated the steady stream of negativity his brain had been unhelpfully supplying. Collin couldn't help the echoing smile, even when Oliver leaned away from him. "You might be slightly biased about my broom sitting abilities."

He burst into a startled laugh, and rapidly turned and climbed into Oliver's lap. He settled his hands around the back of the other wizard's neck, linking his fingers in Oliver's hair, and leaned in to kiss him deeply. "We can stop, sure," he said after he was satisfied for a few seconds, "but not before I've snogged you senseless. Dunno how much we'll get to do this in the next few days, and I wanna be selfish. Just for right now. And then we'll go back to being altruistic."

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[info]bl_oliver
2017-09-08 02:50 am UTC (link)
Oliver was glad to see his remarks had the intended effect, but Collin's retort caught him off guard, and he stared stupidly for half a second before the meaning caught up with him. He huffed a surprised laugh as he caught Collin around the waist, and it gradually built until his chest was shaking and he could barely breathe. Still, he managed to shift until they were in a better position and very willingly leaned into the touch and the kiss. They'd done plenty of snogging in the past, but the difference was somehow palpable. Maybe it was that their hands didn't hesitate to travel and direct, or the way Collin seemed to melt against him in a way he doubted would have been comfortable for them only a few days ago.

Comfortable for you, Oliver reminded himself. Collin had said last night that he'd wanted this for awhile. What Oliver couldn't quite grasp was why he wouldn't have wanted this. Collin understood his hesitation about making their relationship public, understood his attachment to his career.

"George isn't expecting us until after six," he murmured by way of agreement, nuzzling Collin's cheek and then pulling him into another long kiss. "If this doesn't blow over in the next week, maybe we can take that trip to check out the European conference." That would get them plenty of time alone and further their plans.

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[info]bl_collin
2017-09-09 10:36 pm UTC (link)
"Mm, love to see you on a beach somewhere warm," Collin said against Oliver's mouth, hardly even aware of what he was saying anymore. And maybe that was dangerous, because even though Oliver maintained a sense of optimism, it still hadn't taken root in Collin's head. More than once today, he'd been pulled up short by the idea that he might never play with Oliver or any of the other Falcons ever again. The thought left him feeling dizzy and nauseated, like he'd just been unseated by a bludger.

Even if he still played Quidditch professionally, it wouldn't be remotely the same. He supposed, morosely, that he could walk away from the game altogether, take a job at his family's aeronautics firm. They would be glad to have him, sure, and he would be good at it, but he would be dying a little every day he wasn't on a broom, flying above a pitch. His kisses became a little desperate, before he could make himself stop, slow down.

He did manage it, though, because the ice cold reality was that he simply couldn't allow himself to use Oliver to comfort himself in the coming days like they were doing now. This needed to be a welcome distraction, not an emotional crutch. Even if he couldn't quite bring himself out of it, it wasn't fair to drag Oliver down into this anxiety spiral. He gentled his movements, the sweep of his fingers across Oliver's back and arms and sides, before eventually pulling back. A pathetic bright spot was that his lungs no longer hurt, though his sides still twinged a bit.

Collin hitched a smile on his face, and cupped Oliver's face with one hand, thumb brushing across his lower lip. "As much as I'd like to sit here doing this for the next year, we probably should pop on."

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[info]bl_oliver
2017-09-09 11:53 pm UTC (link)
Things between them went quiet for awhile, and Oliver let himself slip back into that pleasant space between sleep and reality where he could entirely relax and not worry about the things to come. The intensity of Collin's kisses sent his pulse skyrocketing to the point that it was almost difficult for him to keep up without sending those few minutes well beyond snogging. He wasn't sure whether to be frustrated or relieved when the other's movements slowly calmed and came to a rather sweet ending.

He resisted the urge to bite at Collin's thumb playfully, because something in Collin's expression told him that he was not looking forward to leaving the hotel either, and with good reason. While Oliver was tired of trying to explain himself to people, even by owl, the idea of talking to people for the purpose of furthering their mission was starting to excite him. He wanted to do something before anyone else could decide to start taking more decisive actions. Get ahead of it all.

"How does Italian sound?" he asked, settling for turning and kissing Collin's palm before offering a hand so that they could unwind and gather their belongings. "Hopefully we can get to George's without running into anyone else and use tonight to regroup and get our bearings."

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[info]bl_collin
2017-09-15 12:49 am UTC (link)
There was something in Oliver's expression that made Collin wish, so profoundly he almost ached from it, that he could go back to kissing him with reckless abandon. But there was work to be done, even if every fiber of his being was trying to reject the idea. With the utmost reluctance, he untangled himself from Oliver's lap and slid from the bed. "'S good enough for me- there's a place right across from King's Cross called La Regina that we used to go to when I came back from school. I haven't been in years, obviously, but I remember liking it at the time."

He hadn't done much in the way of pulling a lot of things out of his travel bag while they'd been at the hotel, but Collin still flicked his wand to get them put away again. He couldn't quite hide his half-smirk as he imagined a drove of reporters camped out at the Leaky, just waiting to pounce. "I hope we can apparate to George's directly. I imagine trying to get through Diagon without being spotted at this point would be a bit like running Nic's gauntlet-drills."

Collin stopped, and then slowly turned toward Oliver. He offered the other wizard a sad, tired smile. "I swear, this is the very last time I'll say this, but I'm so sorry my shite got you dragged into this. I wish-" he struggled to find the words, but none of them seemed to be enough. He gave a small, helpless shrug. "I'm just really sorry, is all, and I need you to know that."

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[info]bl_oliver
2017-09-30 11:24 pm UTC (link)
His stomach rumbled at the thought of food, and he nodded at Collin's suggested place. Regardless of the situation they were in, at least they had food and a friend ahead of them. He tried to focus on that and their game plan, and not really think about the rest. "We'll apparate to the front door, anyway. If the reporters are smart enough to wait there for us, then they probably deserve the interview." As much as he wanted to avoid them, he couldn't stop a chuckle at the mental image of the gauntlet of reporters and Fleming shouting at them the whole way through.

Oliver finished repacking his few belongings and turned to face the other man as he spoke again. "I'm fairly sure I said apologies weren't allowed anymore." He raised an eyebrow in challenge before his expression softened again. He crossed the few steps between them, slid a hand to the back of Collin's head, and kissed him firmly. "Let's get some food and then settle in with George. This will all work out. You'll see."

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[info]bl_oliver
2017-09-30 11:37 pm UTC (link)
Food in hand, Oliver and Collin apparated to Diagon Alley just outside George's flat. Oliver took a quick glance around, confirmed that no one in particular was watching them, and nodded toward the door. He wouldn't had admitted it aloud, but being in public like this made him more nervous than he had expected. He'd been going through potential questions and his answers in his head all day, but that didn't mean he'd be as smooth in the delivery as he wanted, or that someone wouldn't hit him with something other than what he'd anticipated. The last thing he wanted to do was cause more problems for himself and for Collin by saying the wrong thing.

He tapped his foot unconsciously as he waited for George to open the door, then barely spared a greeting for his friend as he stepped inside. Out of sight, it was immediately easier to breathe, and he sighed in relief. "Thanks for taking us in on short notice, mate. You remember Haussler?" He nodded toward Collin. The two had met at the Christmas ball, but the quasi-introduction still seemed necessary. "You read the news?" He'd given George the very short version, but the press had had a lot more to say about what had happened than he had so far. "If this morning's owls were any indication, there's probably at least a couple of reporters camped out at the Leaky, so we plan to stay holed up as much as possible for the next few days, except a few strategic meetings."

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[info]bl_george
2017-09-30 11:51 pm UTC (link)
George stepped back to avoid being trod upon, then shut the door behind his friend. "No worry. Hey..." He nodded at Collin as he ushered them into the flat. "I mean, it might be a worry, if I throw a party or something, but it's hardly likely right now." His nose twitched at the scent of something very dinner-like - better than tinned stew and stale bread.

"I try to avoid the news, unless we're lining the Pygmy Puff cages with it. Mostly crap anyway. Something I should have read?"

He swept some bits of bookkeeping off the table and shoved them into a box, setting it off into a corner, then gave an apologetic shrug. "Sorry, housekeeping spells don't work real well for me right now, and I didn't want Verity coming up to tidy. You can toss your stuff in the left hand bedroom there, though, for now. I figure we can make up the sofa too. So please tell me that's something that's going to taste as good as it smells?"

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[info]bl_collin
2017-10-01 12:17 am UTC (link)
The fact that Collin had and continued to gravitate toward Oliver had yet to even register in his brain. Honestly, he was just proud of himself for his ability to keep his desire to reach out and take Oliver's hand, to link their fingers in an intimate, grounding way, in check, though it was a close thing. He'd been around Oliver long enough to know the other wizard's nerves, and it was starting to get annoying, just how badly he felt to being a contributing factor to that, no matter how much Oliver would have argued to the contrary.

He offered George a very small nod and an even smaller smile as Oliver introduced them again. Collin's expression became puzzled, however, as he glanced around the space. It didn't look so bad, just lived in. And then he remembered. Oh. He shrugged a single shoulder. "I know my way around a few household charms," he said. "Least I can do for letting us crash for a few."

Collin turned and snagged Oliver's bag from him, shouldering it along with his own. "I'll stow these while Oliver sees to dinner," he said as he walked to the room George had indicated. "I don't mind sharing. Oliver can tell you- I can sleep anywhere."

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[info]bl_oliver
2017-10-01 12:52 am UTC (link)
"Plenty to be read," Oliver said with a bit of a sigh. "Though half of it is complete shite, another bit is fluff, and only the tiniest part is real journalism. So other than the bits I mentioned in my owl, I guess you just need to know that Collin and I are going on the offensive to try to get the League to back off of its anti-disease stance and stop condoning related sentiments." Though it wasn't specifically the reason yesterday's fight had started, he knew it was the largest contributing factor. "And until we do, we're both temporarily unemployed."

That wasn't quite the truth, but it was the easiest way to sum it up. If George actually wanted some details, he could sift through the articles or just ask. Probably it didn't matter.

Oliver turned a smile on Collin as he spoke, then immediately felt awkward about it—which was complete bollocks, because they'd been friends for bloody years. Nothing about this should have felt strange, but it did. He shuffled on his feet but was still unable to keep himself from watching Collin head toward the bedroom. He'd have to do some judicious expansion charms on the bed, unless George had changed it out for a different one since the last time he'd crashed here. "It's true, he can," he said, more for time to think than any real need to corroborate Collin's statement. After a brief pause, he added, "We'll, uh, share."

Maybe it was the coward's way out, but he couldn't think what else to say, so instead he took the bag of food over to the spot George had cleared on the table. "We got Italian. Some little Muggle place I'd never been, but that smells amazing. What'll you have? We got a selection." He pulled out half a dozen containers and started popping off lids.

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[info]bl_george
2017-10-01 02:10 am UTC (link)
"Stupid illness is bullshite all the way 'round," George said mildly, shaking his head. "But you guys are welcome for as long as you need. Not like I do anything up here but sleep anyway."

He watched Collin head into his old room with their things, then turned to pull out plates and forks. "Feel free to duplicate that bed, or whatever, if you're sharing the room," he added, shrugging a shoulder toward the room. "Nothing in there's sentimental or whatever, no sense squashing into one bed." Which was true. Anything that he didn't want changed now lived in his own room, formerly Fred's room, and although it had been filled nightly at one point in his life, now it was pretty quiet.

Fantastic smells emerged as Oliver started opening containers and George poked into the bag to help, then became distracted with spooning out a bit of something, then a bit of something else. "Beats the hell out of leftovers and my own attempt at cooking. Mastered the can-opener though, so tinned stew is on the menu."

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[info]bl_oliver
2017-10-07 07:26 pm UTC (link)
Oliver cringed over the food as he realised that George either wasn't picking up on the hint, or he was pretending he hadn't for some reason, maybe to avoid embarrassing Oliver. Either way, it was obvious this wasn't going to explain itself. He might have been tempted to not explain at all, and let life continue the way it always had, but his thoughts drifted to the spare bedroom and to the person in it, and he wasn't sure he could look Collin in the eye if he didn't tackle this in full-on Gryffindor style.

"It's, uh, not just that." Despite the hesitation in his voice, Oliver forced himself to look directly at George as he spoke, and resisted the urge to fidget or rub his neck or any of those other things he always did when he was uncomfortable. "Collin and I are...." Together? Dating? Somehow none of the phrases that first came to mind seemed to fit. It was new, sure, but it was still more. He glanced toward the bedroom, as if to catch the other wizard's eye and get the word from him, but Collin hadn't yet reappeared. "We're more than just mates. Have been for years, I think, but only just recently in any sort of 'official' way. It's not public knowledge." Obviously, he thought with a mental eye roll at himself. "I don't want the press to get wind of it, if I can help it. It might confuse the issue."

There. He'd said it. Sort of. Only once that was out did he let himself turn back to the food and start dishing it out.

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[info]bl_george
2017-10-07 08:27 pm UTC (link)
George nodded absently from a spoonful of what tasted like lasagne but looked like a seashell, then looked up sharply. "You're... oh. Well..." He chewed carefully and swallowed before setting the plate aside for a moment.

"You're together, then. Newly so, I'm assuming?" He turned to pull a couple bottles of ale from the icebox and turned, handing one to Oliver. "Because I imagine if you'd been public, Collin would be out here already?" He turned toward the door.

"How long does it take you to stash a bag, Haussler?"

He returned to the food, waving his fork as he spoke. "Not that you'd think I would have a problem with it, I'm sure. You know as well as anyone the variety that's seen this flat for a right few years there..." He shrugged. "Just keep it down after ten, if you would."

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[info]bl_oliver
2017-10-07 08:52 pm UTC (link)
Oliver blew out a breath of relief that seemed altogether ridiculous, now that he really let himself relax. He'd already known George wouldn't have a problem with it—precisely why he was the first to know—but it had been more difficult to express than he'd thought it would be, too. The relief showed in the little laugh he had at George's teasing call to Collin.

"No, I didn't think so," he said, and settled down at an empty place at the table with his beer, taking a long drink. "It's just—" Oliver glanced toward the bedroom door again, and he felt warm all over at both the thought of the man behind that wall and the fact that someone knew. He'd never told anyone who wasn't involved with him. Ever. "It's never mattered before."

Oliver took a bite of fish and chewed slowly to let his racing heartbeat slow a bit before continuing "You know I'm not much for attention, unless it's about the game. Can't say that's changed much over the years, except that the reporters want to know more these days. I have a feeling that's only going to get worse this week."

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[info]bl_collin
2017-10-07 09:56 pm UTC (link)
Okay, yes, Collin had taken an inordinately long time in getting his and Oliver's bags situated in the room George had offered, but it was more so that the two old friends could hash out whatever it was that might need hashing out. And if Collin was inadvertently eavesdropping it was only because the walls were pretty thin, and any kind of silencing charm that may have been on them wasn't very useful at the moment. He had stilled when he heard Oliver begin to explain about the two of them, and wasn't even aware he'd been holding his breath until it pushed out of him in a huffed laugh when George called out for him.

He'd just been on the cusp of offering to charm the walls again at George's quip about 'keeping it down', when he heard Oliver continue. Shame and frustration dropped like a jagged barb in his stomach, despite his promise to Oliver otherwise. But Collin had promised Oliver, so he hitched a sheepish smile on his face, relaxed the tension that was threatening to create a taut line between his shoulders, and ducked back into the room.

"Oi, leave some for me," Collin tried for light, jocular, and squeezed Oliver's shoulder as he passed him to take the other chair, not bothering to hide the way his hand lingered for a moment. "Don't suppose you've got anything in that joke shop of yours that would make the press easier to handle?"

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[info]bl_george
2017-10-08 04:34 pm UTC (link)
"Plenty left," George managed, waving a fork around the small mountain of food that Oliver had provided. "Ale in there," he added with a vague wave toward the icebox.

"You know, people used to come around, right after I reopened the place. Old customers, new folks, people from the Prophet. Mostly I think they wanted to see the place with just one of me, instead of two of us. Get a look at what was different, I dunno. People always want to nose into stuff that's none of their business. Good for the shop, back then, but it got old real quick." He shrugged vaguely, looking at the pair of them. "And this isn't anything but your business, I guess. You're welcome as long as you like."

He took a few more bites, washing them down with the ale, head tilting as he thought of Angelina and wondered what she'd say at the instant locker-room that his flat had become. Well, they could always hang at hers; it wasn't as if his flat held any particular appeal, anyway. He rubbed his nose absently and grimaced; it was still a bit painful although the bruises were mostly subsiding. What a mess...

He shook his head as if he could throw that thought aside. "Only thing I've got that might be helpful is some Peruvian Instant Darkness. I think there's a bit. You might be better off with some of Verity's creations. She's getting good at the hair-colouring sweets and has almost managed to turn your skin a pretty fair tartan. Might be good on you, Wood..."

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[info]bl_oliver
2017-10-08 05:10 pm UTC (link)
Oliver breathed a little easier when Collin came back into sight. He smiled up at the other man and gave him him a tiny raise of the eyebrows, punctuated by a glance at George. He knew Collin had to have heard most or all of the conversation, so he couldn't help wondering how he'd done.

"Might look good, but probably draw more attention than I want at the moment," he said with a laugh. He liked Verity, the little that he knew of her, but he didn't plan on being a test case for any products she was developing. He'd gotten enough of that from the twins in school. He took another bite of his food and washed it down with the ale. "We're probably going to be out a lot these next few days, but let's call dinner on me while we're here. Least I can do is save you—and us—from tinned stew."

Oliver hadn't paid much attention to George's appearance until he saw his friend rub at his face. Even then, the bruises were only visible when the light hit them just right, but Oliver couldn't help being curious. "But enough about us. How's life, Weasley? Haven't seen you since our date." He waggled his eyebrows and laughed, throwing a glance at Collin.

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[info]bl_george
2017-10-09 01:26 am UTC (link)
"And I haven't had a good overdose on pizza and beer since then," George laughed. "Nothing to be jealous of," he added, giving Collin a look. "Seriously, I bought him fair and square, but trust me, he's yours."

He poked at his food a bit more, then sat back with the rest of his ale. "Life is, right now. Working, trying to keep production up and teaching Verity to do some of the spells and charms for stuff. I mean, I can brew, but if something needs a charm, I'm fucked without her. Got Justin and a new girl going between shops though, so it's going fair.

"Just wish they'd figure out this bloody disease. I mean, I was sick, thought I was dying, then felt fine the next morning, just no magic..." He shrugged. "But enough of that shite, sincerely.

"Things are just things. Nothing worth talking about anyway."

Yet.

He wasn't entirely sure he was ready to talk about anything real, like Angelina. He'd rather keep it to himself until there was really something to tell.

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[info]bl_collin
2017-10-09 02:25 am UTC (link)
Having snagged one of the offered ales and popped the lid off without bothering with his wand with a mumbled "cheers" at George, Collin had pulled a couple of the cartons his way and made a show of getting some of it on his plate. His polite smile warmed incrementally when Oliver caught his eye, and Collin nodded minutely at him, cheeks going just the tiniest bit flush.

He was sure it wasn't intentional in the slightest, but as George began speaking about the types of people who would come to the shop after re-opening, he suddenly found himself losing whatever meager appetite he'd been building when they finally left the hotel. There was no way he could imagine losing someone like that- not that he was any stranger to picturing the world without him. Probably more often than was strictly healthy, Collin had thought about being caught by Snatchers and being sent to Azkaban, probably forever, never to see his team, or friends, or family ever again, or- more mercifully- just being killed outright.

Collin was temporarily pulled out of the silent spiral of his thoughts by the mention of a tartan-skinned Oliver, and he chuckled, grinning at the two of them, and then laughing outright at the mention of their date. Jealousy hadn't so much occurred to him to feel when he thought of George and Oliver together, but the idea wouldn't even take root now that it had been introduced. If he was secure about nothing else in the whole wide world right now, well, it was Oliver.

But the levity was broken again as George spoke up about his current woes, and didn't Collin just feel like the universe's most colossal arse. He managed a couple of bites of something that might have been delicious if it hadn't turned bland and almost ashen in his mouth, and then washed it down with probably half of his ale. The disease was shite, and the last thing that George probably wanted were ineffectual platitudes, so he stayed silent- about that, at least.

Collin glanced over at Oliver, then back at George. "If we wind up with any time on our hands before this is all over, and you'd like, I've a fair hand at charms. I can help in the shop too." He offered George a wry grin. "Gotta do something to try to pay my board, eh?"

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[info]bl_oliver
2017-10-09 02:41 am UTC (link)
Oliver couldn't help once again considering how lucky he'd been—so far, anyway—when it came to this bloody disease. Vickers, Percy, George, Harry...how many dozens of other people he knew, if not to whom he was particularly close? And somehow he'd dodged that hex so far. He and Collin both. He glanced sideways at the other wizard once again, unable to help himself.

"Nothing to talk about actually sounds preferable, considering," he said with a shrug. There were far worse things that could be happening. Hell, even his own situation wasn't as bad as it could be. After all, some good had come of it. This time he didn't let himself look at Collin. He was a grown man and not some mooning fifth year. "I have to admit I haven't paid as close attention to the news on the disease research as I probably should have. Mostly because I only understand about half of what the HMDC puts out in those pamphlets. Don't they have you on some committee? Anything come of that?"

Oliver wagged a finger at Collin when he volunteered his services. "Oh no, I've already claimed any free time. I seem to remember a mention of a beach. Not forgetting that one. Besides," he added with a chuckle and a thumb jabbed in George's direction, "you forget that I've shared a pitch with this one. You do not want to work for him, room and board or not."

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[info]bl_george
2017-10-09 02:54 am UTC (link)
"We were working on trying to come up with some kind of protective spell, like those pendants everyone was buying up? They're shite, by the way. I was wearing one when I got hit, and fat lot of good it did. But anyway, I was trying to deconstruct it, I guess. Figure out the workings of it and try to make it more affordable. But there's so many other people working, trying to figure out how it works."

He rubbed his nose again and groaned, giving up and going for a quick dose of potion to try to settle it down. "Anyway, I'm not sure what they've come up with. Some people haven't any magic at all, some still do, some still feel like shite, and I'm lucky enough to feel pretty good.

"I think they're still figuring stuff out though, becuase they took another blood sample when I was at St. Mungo's the other day. Like, they keep checking to see if something has changed."

A deep drink of ale washed down the vile taste of potion, and he flipped Oliver off with a cheerful grin. "Nothing wrong with working for me, ask Verity and Justin. I'm fair and buy lunch most afternoons, as long as someone goes and gets it that isn't me. But yeah... you'd probably rather not."

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