InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Squeeeeeeeeeaaak"

Candace Quaye (fullvoice) wrote in junctusic,
@ 2018-08-17 08:57:00

Entry tags:

!thread, character: candace quaye, character: oliver wood

who ? Candace Quaye and Oliver Wood.
when ? Tuesday 14th August, mid-afternoon. [backdated]
where ? Crosshaven Community Centre.
what ? Fire!
warnings/rating ? Warnings for fire?
status ? Ongoing.

"And this is when we first got Yina," Candace said, turning over the page in her photo album, watching with an affectionate smile as a young Cassius and a kittenish Yina regarded one another. "I don't think Cassius realised that cats don't arrive fully grown," she said with a chuckle. Her trip to the Menagerie had reminded her of Yina, and that of course had reminded her of her children being young enough to whine about wanting a pet. She'd brought the photo album along to the Community Centre to share with a friend over lunch, the two of them swapping pictures and stories. She paused, letting Elsbeth take her turn, making the appropriate noises over the progress pictures of her wedding dress. Elsbeth had made it herself, long before Candace had met her, and it was interesting to see it come together over the course of a dozen photographs.

Interesting, but not so interesting that Candace couldn't be distracted. Turning her head towards the cafe's counter, she sniffed, the acrid scent that had been tickling at her nose intensifying. "Do you smell that?" Candace asked, setting the photo album down on the table and standing up. Elsbeth stood up too, and Candace took a step towards the counter, looking for a member of staff. "I think someone ought to go and check that an oven hasn't been left on," she said - just as the woman who'd served them earlier burst through the door. There was a lot of shouting and shoving, the Community Centre suddenly seeming far more full than it had been a minute before. Candace watched people disapparate away, but she kept walking. Her house was only down the road, and besides, someone would probably want to talk to people about what had happened.

Once they were standing outside, a safe distance from the building, a siren started blaring, and Candace watched as MES workers in their familiar uniforms apparated in, running into the building with their wands drawn. From out here, Candace could see the smoke, rising in a dark column into the sky. Her stomach turned over as she hoped everyone was safely out of the building. It took her a few minutes to find Elsbeth, who looked rather pink in the face, but otherwise unharmed. She was still clutching her own photo album and Candace felt a sharp pang in her chest. "Oh, Rowena," she said aloud. "I left all my photos inside, on the table." She took a step in the direction of the Community Centre, having it half in her mind that she would ask one of the MES firefighters to retrieve it for her, if they could. The thought of all those pictures burning away brought a lump to her throat.

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olliewood_
2018-08-17 09:28 am UTC (link)

It had been another ideal day for flying: just warm enough with light winds and bright blue, sunny skies punctuated by the occasional fluffy cloud. At the very least the group of children unsteadily hovering on their brooms shouldn't have too much complaint about today's lesson.

"Och Mary, ya dinnae needty tie yer laces." Oliver sighed as a little girl with a head of bubble cut curls landed fretfully and began to whimper. Despite her parents' insisting, Mary simply didn't have the heart or the desire to be up on a broom. They had offered payment for private lessons as though throwing money at Oliver would could turn their shy daughter into a Quidditch star. Even if he'd had the available time to teach the girl he would never be able to teach talent or passion for the game. "Do you want to sit down for a wee bit?" Oliver offered, noting the child's attention had drifted off to a tree nearby. Mary paused for a moment, considered, and nodded hesitantly. He smiled in a reassuring way, bringing the girl's features to light as she joyfully tossed her broom aside.

"Ollie!" A boy not much older than Mary called out. "Kevin is flying without using both hands!"

"I am not!" Another boy, small and pale, protested, while his hands moved suspiciously quick towards the broom handle.

"Alright now, c'moan." As much as Oliver absolutely loved children and wanted his own nothing had prepared him for teaching. Merlin, was this what Hogwarts professors had to endure? No wonder many seemed so cross. "Kevin, the first rule of flying is keeping a firm grip so you don't fall." He repeated for what felt like the thousandth time today. "When you can stay steady we'll learn how to fly with one hand, but yo-" Oliver trailed off as smoke rose over the treeline, thick and grey streaked with black. "Goan and get down now for a wee bit." He directed, throat constricting painfully; the smoke looked too much like that day at Hogwarts.

A few children protested while floating back to the ground - stumbling and dismounting uneasily - while Oliver's blue eyes remained fixed on the smoke in the sky. The world seemed to quiet to an odd silence filled by the rush of blood through his body. He couldn't let the children know something was up. "Right." Somehow Oliver found his voice. "Go and sit with Mary under the tree and play the telephone game. I have to go to the centre for a quick moment. Don't move until I come back." At the very least keeping the kids at this distance would ensure their safety if... Well, Oliver didn't want to think about those possibilities. A small crack and Oliver disappeared from the sunny patch of grass.

Oliver's senses we're immediately assaulted with the overwhelming smell of flame and the cacophony of sirens and shouting. His stomach twisted and had the curious sensation of an ice cube sliding down the inside of his guts. At least there were no bodies.

Mentally unsticking himself, Oliver overheard the laments of a woman nearby. "You what?"

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fullvoice
2018-08-17 12:50 pm UTC (link)

Candace wasn't sure whether she'd been talking to herself, or to Elsbeth - who, she was surprised to find, had disappeared into the crowd once more. She turned to face the familiar-looking stranger, but the thought of wondering why she knew his face was left in the back of her mind, to be worked out later when things had calmed down. "All my photos," she said, shaking herself a little as she stared at the Community Centre. She could see the flames now, licking against the back wall where the cafe's kitchen would be. Her throat felt raw, and talking wasn't coming as easily as she was used to. Behind her, she could hear other people coughing and spluttering, and she wished she had some water with her. She patted her handbag, more to reassure herself she had it than because she needed anything from it. "The photos of my children when they were little," she added, before realising this was hardly helpful. She took a deep breath - one which made her cough herself at the sudden rush of air over her throat - and tried to steady her nerves and be reasonable.

"It's not worth troubling the firefighters for," she said, doing her best to sound determined. She had no experience with fire, really, but she'd learned enough from practice drills at venues that she knew you didn't run back into a burning building for anything less than a living breathing human being. She pressed a hand to her chest, wishing she didn't feel so short of breath, because it wasn't helping her determination to be reasonable. "I know they can't really feel anything, they're only photos," she said, reminding herself of the truth. Magical photos, the way they moved as responded to viewers, were still just paper and ink. They wouldn't feel themselves being burned, and the memories wouldn't turn to ashes just because Candace lost the physical reminders. "I think we should step back," she said, because the smoke was still pouring over them, shifting towards them as the wind blew from the river.

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olliewood_
2018-08-17 10:51 pm UTC (link)

Nearly all of the woman's words were swallowed by the frantic shouts and roar of the fire. She'd said something about photos and small children, causing Oliver's breath to catch in his chest. "It's inside?" He managed to choke out, studying the two frozen next to him. The flames continued to lick hungrily at the centre, disfiguring the familiar structure with alarming speed. Still, the cafe front looked mostly unaffected save for the pewter gray smoke tumbling out from the open door and blown out windows.

"I'll get it."

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fullvoice
2018-08-18 08:37 am UTC (link)

"Yes," Candace said, glancing at the building. She could see sparks flying from the building, and white steam that twined with the darker smoke. She felt her heart leap in her chest at the man's offer, but she reached out, taking a grip of his arm. "It's not safe," she said, shaking her head. As much as she would love to have her photos back, she wasn't going to let someone risk his life for them. "You don't have any equipment," she pointed out. She'd seen the firefighters on their way in, in their special suits which she assumed were charmed to resist fire and smoke and heat. She coughed again, feeling as if every breath was scratching the inside of her throat.

Blinking, Candace felt as if she needed to stop watching the building burn, and she worried her companion would do something foolhardy if she didn't keep her grip on him. "You want to help," she said, assuming that to be the case. "I understand that, but let's see if we can't help people, not things." She looked around, uncertain what would be the most useful thing for them to do. Most of the crowd seemed to be captivated, watching the fire, and Candace doubted that would really do anyone any good. "Let's go and get everyone some water," Candace said. "I feel like I could use it, my throat -" She shook her head slightly, not knowing how to put the pain into words.

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olliewood_
2018-08-19 03:11 pm UTC (link)

It had been a wild thought born from the reckless impulsiveness all Gryffindors seemed to possess. Of course running into a burning building was ludicrous and the firm grip on Oliver's arm seemed to bring him back to reality and suddenly he became very aware of the stinging in his lungs and the heat prickling at his skin.

"Right." Of course she was right. Shaking his blond head as though to clear the frantic fog clouding his judgement, Oliver peered around at the crowd gazing at the fire. Of course he wanted to help, and the best way to do that was staying out of the way. "Well, I'm not terribly good with transfiguration," Not to mention he had nothing on him to transfigure. "Open your mouth." At the very least he could perform a simple aguamenti spell.

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fullvoice
2018-08-19 03:39 pm UTC (link)

Candace tried to laugh, but the sound scratched her throat horribly, making her wince in pain. "You're very sweet," she said, once she'd recovered herself. "I was thinking we could go and get bottles from the pub. I'll need stronger arms than mine to carry enough back for everyone." Candace could have used a spell, of course, but she wanted to make sure her regret over losing her photo album didn't inspire any reckless heroics, and the best way to do that seemed to be to keep a firm grip of the young man. She coughed, her chest heaving uncomfortably, and she looked around at the rest of the crowd, seeing other people coughing as well. "And then, I think, perhaps we ought to consider getting some healers from St Mungo's," she said, trying to keep her voice low. She wasn't thinking of herself, but of the others who were looking far from entirely healthy, as they stood around still breathing in the smoke and the steam.

"Perhaps we ought to get the healers first," she said, suddenly uncertain of her own decision. She'd never been in such an emergency before, and she didn't know whether water would even be the right thing. "What do you think?" she asked. She glanced at the building, where firefighters were sending jets of water against the walls, wondering if they ought to interrupt to ask them. They, after all, would be the experts. "I saw people disapparating, but I'm not sure that I can by myself." The smoke was making her eyes sting, and the thought of being squeezed by the apparation was not one Candace looked forward to.

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olliewood_
2018-08-19 03:50 pm UTC (link)

Despite the situation Oliver also released a hoarse bark of a laugh that dissolved into a coughing fit. Merlin was he ever useless in a disaster. With watery eyes he suppressed another cough - mostly out of his own pride to not appear weak - and nodded. Heading to the pub would probably be for the best, he could easily charm a tub or two full of pints of water.

"Healers are probably already on their way." Oliver pointed out; there simply was no ignoring the belching smoke angrily unfurling from the ruined roof and blown out windows. He'd been around enough Healers in his life to know they were not slow to respond. "C'moan, hen" now it was Oliver's turn to place a reassuring hand on the woman's arm. "It's a quick walk." Really more of a quick run, though he omitted that fact.

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fullvoice
2018-08-19 04:42 pm UTC (link)

The mention that healers would be on the way made Candace give a short-lived sigh of relief. "Of course. The MES must have a system, they must let healers know if they're needed." There weren't any there yet, at least as far as Candace could see, but just knowing they would be coming made her feel better. She let herself lean into the hand on her arm, finding the nickname reassuring. "Candace," she said, with a smile. Mostly, she was thinking of how her more proper friends would not allow total strangers to call them 'hen'. "And you are?"

Walking quickly was not necessarily something Candace felt up to, but she nodded. It was a relief, at least, to be away from the heat of the building, and away from the smoke. "I hope no one was too badly hurt," she said, with a glance back. "Were you inside?" she hadn't seen where he'd come from, but he must have been quite close, to arrive so quickly.

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olliewood_
2018-08-19 05:17 pm UTC (link)

"I'm Oliver." He matched Candace's smile with one of his own as the panic began to release the painful grip on his chest; at the very least the act of walking and putting physical distance between them and the burning building helped. With one more lingering look over the Centre, Oliver turned and began walking.

The quick pace died into a slower though still determined one as his lungs immediately protested to any kind of use. "Nah," Oliver puffed, looking over his shoulder and then to Candace. "I was with some wee bairn just over the way." His insides squirmed once again, though this time with guilt. Hopefully the children had stayed put and not seen the smoke, though he doubted they hadn't seen the hovering black clouds. It's alright, his mind soothed, they're smart. They'll stay away from the fire. Comforted by this reassurance, he pressed on. The pub wasn't too far. "You were, yeah?" A beat of silence filled the air before offering an apology. Of course she had been.

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fullvoice
2018-08-19 06:26 pm UTC (link)

"Oliver," Candace repeated, her attention still half on the fire, and the pain in her throat. Her eyes widened as her brain finally processed. "Oh. Oliver Wood. Of course. I thought you looked familiar, and I couldn't think why, but I must have seen your photograph a dozen times in various papers and magazines." Candace had enjoyed quidditch at school, and she'd followed it as well as she could from the confines of what was deemed acceptable for a pureblood woman of society.

The idea that Oliver had been with children was enough to put Candace on the alert, immediately looking around as if she might spot them. "Are they alright?" she asked. "Should we-" She wasn't quite sure what. "Are they old enough to know they shouldn't go running into the fire to look for you?" She paused again, finding it quite difficult to quiet her racing mind. "You don't have children, though, do you?" Candace was sure there would've been a media storm had Oliver Wood become a father. Unless, of course, it wasn't public - but in that case, he'd hardly be so casual about mentioning it. "Yes, just in the cafe," she answered, almost automatically. "I'm supposed to teach the choir there tonight, but I suppose I'll have to find an alternative venue." It shouldn't be too hard, one of the other Witches' Institutes would loan her their hall, she was sure.

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olliewood_
2018-08-19 08:58 pm UTC (link)

Another smile, more embarrassed than warm, tugged at the downturned corners of Oliver's lips. It would have been impossible had Candace not seen a photo of him in some sort of advertisement or gossip rag. Sometimes Oliver was tired of seeing himself, though he would have been lying if he said he didn't find some sort of comfort in the aggressive marketing Puddlemere insisted upon. In many ways Oliver believed it validated his success and served as an observable roadmap to his life goals.

Any jokes Oliver had formed regarding which publication Candace had seen his photo died with the paling of his face and the return of that horrible feeling in his stomach. "T-they're clever." Though he wasn't sure if he was convincing himself or Candace of that. "There are a few older ones. They'll keep them safe." It had to be true for the simple fact Oliver needed it to be so; the amount of guilt would shatter him if anything happened to the children. "I don't," a weak flicker of hope flashed across his features. "Though I will. Soon." Maybe once the divorce was final he could meet someone new... Someone better suited to what he desired most in life: having something to come home to.

So she taught choir; suddenly the strength and richness of Candace's voice made sense. "You might need to rest your throat. You inhaled a lot of smoke." He walked several more paces, worry gnawing at his consciousness before halting once more. "Should we - or I - go back for the children?"

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fullvoice
2018-08-20 11:48 am UTC (link)

The further they walked, the more Candace found herself leaning on Oliver's arm. Despite her size, she wasn't exactly unfit - she could dance and sing on stage long into the night without needing to rest, but right now even the slow pace they were walking at was making her feel winded. Perhaps she'd been in shock and it was wearing off, Candace had heard of such things happening, or perhaps it was the smoke, making it hard to get a deep enough breath into her lungs. Without knowing how old the oldest of the children was, Candace wasn't sure she felt comfortable saying they'd keep the younger ones safe. "That's quite a responsibility to put on a child," she pointed out. If anything were to happen, she wouldn't want any child to feel guilty that they should've done more, kept a better eye on the younger ones. Not that Candace really expected anything to happen. "There's lots of people still outside the centre," she said. "I'm sure they'll spot them if they get too close. And they'd be more likely to go and talk to someone than run straight into a building, anyway." Still, Candace felt a little uneasy.

She did smile, though, when Oliver said he would have children. "That's wonderful." She couldn't remember right now whether Oliver was married, and it wasn't terribly polite to start asking invasive personal questions. "I have three, almost all grown up now. My youngest is sixteen. He'll be getting his apparition licence and leaving school soon enough. Too soon, as far as I'm concerned." It would be strange to no longer have any children young enough to depend on her, Candace wasn't quite sure what to do about it. She'd heard the phrase 'empty nest', but never really given it much thought. Oliver's comment about her throat made a lot of sense, and Candace paused. "Oh. I hadn't thought of that. That explains why it hurts, I suppose." She touched her hand to her throat, as if that could somehow take away the pain. She'd have to make an appointment with her doctor, he could probably prescribe something to make sure she wasn't out of voice for too long. "Where are they?" she asked. "We could fetch some water first, and then check on them on the way back?" Only, of course, if that route made any sense. "Or could we check on them on the way?"

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olliewood_
2018-08-21 10:55 pm UTC (link)

Oliver hadn't realized just how much Candace had been leaning against him until he realized her pace had slowed considerably. The fatigue of stress and smoke inhalation seemed to zap him of any strength to continue, and he stopped.

"I know." It was a lot to ask of a child, even a responsible one. He'd always assured the students he would never ask them to do something he wouldn't do himself, and yet if put in the same situation as them Oliver would never want to be left scared and in charge without an adult for guidance. Worrying his bottom lip, he exhaled guiltily. Other people shouldn't have to stop them and the children shouldn't have to find someone else to talk to. He should have been there.

Oliver stood rooted to the spot, head turned in the direction of the small glen where the children were left. I should go back

"We should go back."

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fullvoice
2018-08-22 12:28 pm UTC (link)

Candace wasn't sure how much help she could be to small children right now, her nerves felt frazzled, and in the back of her mind that worry about her throat had lodged uncomfortably. 'You inhaled a lot of smoke,' Oliver had said. On the other hand, Candace liked to think of herself as being experienced with children. She'd had three of her own, after all, and she'd managed to keep them out of harm's way, for the most part. Except, her guilty conscience reminded her, Julius. He'd been at school under the Death Eaters' command, and Candace had never been able to convince him to tell her about the harm he must've suffered - not to mention what he'd witnessed.

Oliver sounded sure of his decision, so Candace nodded. "Alright," she agreed. "We'll go back." She turned in the direction he'd been looking, still leaning on him to help her walk. The sirens had either stopped, or they'd gone out of earshot of them, so the surrounding area seemed quiet. It might even had seemed calm, had Candace not been able to still smell the acrid smoke, and taste the ash at the back of her throat. "The firefighters must have put the fire out by now," she said. "I suppose it will take time before they let anyone back into the building, they'll need to check nothing's going to fall in."

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olliewood_
2018-08-27 07:14 pm UTC (link)

"Can you apparate?" They'd walked a distance from the centre, and even further from the clearing. The air around them seemed eerily quite, a contrast from only moments ago when the cacophony of sounds had made Oliver's head spin. Of course they could have walked, but the sooner they reached the children the better and less likely for them to wander off in confusion or fear. "Here, hen, sorry..." He wrapped an arm delicately around her waist, careful to grasp at a polite area. Candace seemed worse than she looked. "Want to rest?"

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fullvoice
2018-08-28 12:07 pm UTC (link)

Candace wasn't sure she could apparate by herself right now, but Oliver looked little better than she felt. They'd probably both spent too much time around the smoke, not to mention the stress of the building being on fire. She let Oliver support her for a moment, then gathered herself. Women did all sorts of things when they were protecting their children, and while Candace wasn't mother to any of those who were waiting somewhere nearby, she could imagine all to easily how their mothers would feel if they were here. "Yes, I think so," Candace decided, before frowning slightly, "but I won't know where I'm going." She reached for her wand while she concentrated, trying to puzzle out the best solution. "We could do a joint apparition." It was harder than simply being passively side-alonged, but it would allow them to support one another, as well as letting Oliver be the one to direct them to the right location.

"Are you up for it?" Candace asked. Perhaps she should've let Oliver use a spell to conjure water, but it was too late for such thoughts now. "If we do it together, it should be a little easier on us both, and it'll mean we don't get separated." Right now, Candace wasn't particularly fond of the idea of wandering the wooded area of Godric's Hollow by herself. At least, should worst come to worst, she could send up coloured sparks.

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