Who: Alicia Spinnet & Apollo Yaxley When: May, 2003 [JUMP BACKSTORY] Where: St. Mungo's & Diagon What: Apollo goes hunting for facts about his parents and meets Alicia Rating: Low Status: Complete
In a lot of ways, Apollo knew that he wasn't entirely unlike one of the former disciplines in the Yaxley household. Sure, he had a great relationship with his sister, but that was just about it-- with one lone exception. He could leave the house-- and Tinworth-- if he so chose.
Sure, his father hated whenever he took the liberty, but if Apollo timed his departures and arrivals properly, he could prevent any and all negative repercussions associated with leaving-- or, well, end up with less of them, at any rate.
Which was why he was now standing at the front desk of St. Mungo's, pleading with the witch sitting behind the counter.
"Just-- the birth records from 1977. Please."
&
Alicia waved to the little girl that she had just discharged. The poor little lamb had gotten hold of her fathers wand and, as was well known, baby babble and wands did not mix. Alicia had stayed behind after her shift so she didn't have to pass on the little girl and so she could finish the treatment course she had started. Now though was time to clock off and she had something she wanted to do. Alicia had been toying with the idea of seeing if she and Oscar had any long lost relatives, they had been alone for several years now and as much as she loved her brother, it would be amazing to find some more family members.
Overhearing a request made at the front desk, Alicia stepped over, "Don't worry, Celia, I am heading up to the records room myself, I will take Mr..." She paused, turning to look at the man beside her with a smile on her face, "to get the records he needs."
&
He couldn't very well say that his last name was Yaxley. So he did some quick thinking on his feet as he turned to look at the young woman, blinking momentarily. "Mulberry," he said with a soft nod. "Apollo Mulberry."
This really was an astonishing stroke of good luck. If this woman was heading up to the records room anyway... he'd even be able to ask for assistance if it didn't turn out to be too much trouble. And, well, the woman behind the counter-- Celia, was it?-- had been extraordinarily resistant to him looking up just about anything.
&
"This way, then, Mr. Mulberry." Alicia turned towards the lifts, knowing the record room was down in the basement. "I will make sure to do the paperwork, Celia, don't worry!" Alicia called over her shoulder. She knew the welcoming witch could be the opposite of her name; in fact, she could be down right frosty at times.
"When we get down there, I will give you the information you need to make an appointment to use the record room, that way you can skip Celia; she isn't always the most helpful welcoming witch." Alicia pressed the down button on the lift, turning to face Apollo as she waited for it to arrive. She tried to discreetly look over the man before her; she didn't recognise him. Granted, she didn't recognise everyone, but she knew that he hadn't gone to Hogwarts during the time she was there.
&
"Thank you for this. I really can't tell you how much I appreciate it." Exceedingly polite, maybe. But she really was doing him a huge favor-- especially given how hostile the welcoming witch did, indeed, seem to be.
As she kept stealing glances of him-- something he could only imagine had to do with how different he looked from most people around here-- he considered that they were likely fairly close in age. He didn't want to make assumptions, but at the same time... this certainly was a change of pace since he'd gotten out of school. Not that he'd ever really spoken to any of the girls there save for when necessary, but still.
&
"Think nothing of it, I honestly was coming down here anyway; it is too tempting not to what with so many secrets to discover." Alicia was hopeful that she would find some long-lost family, she didn't want to go through all the research to find that she and her brother were indeed the end of the Spinnet line.
As the lift finally arrived for them, Alicia stepped inside, keeping her hand in the way of the door to stop it closing prematurely, something the lift they were in was prone to do. "Was it just the records from 1977 you were needing?" Ali wanted to pry and know more about the man before her, she loved a mystery and the man before her was definitely that.
Pressing the down button Ali held her breath whilst the lift started moving; if there was one thing she hated about working in St. Mungo's, it was the lifts.
&
Secrets. She was certainly right about that. His whole life-- his youth, his origins-- they were all secrets to him. The only question that remained was whether the St. Mungo's record room could actually serve to uncover any of them.
"Thank you," he added once more with a soft bow of his head as he stepped inside the lift to stand beside her. Scientists were naturally curious, weren't they? He could only imagine that doctors would be much the same way. But whether or not this question of hers was one of innate curiosity or professionalism... unfortunately, he wasn't nearly self-aware enough yet to know that he had a preference between the two.
"I don't know anything about my parents," he finally said, Apollo chewing on his bottom lip. "Everything about my origins is a mystery to me and I'd like to learn more."
&
Alicia frowned slightly when Apollo said he didn't know anything about his parents; that had to be hard. She had a hard enough time knowing her parents for the first seventeen years of her life before she lost them. But not knowing them at all had to be hell.
"Well, here at St. Mungo's we hold the records for any child born within the British Isles, so as long as you were born here, you will be able to find something," Alicia hoped that the man before her was born here; at least that way he would get some answers. "If you need any help whilst we are down there, just let me know and I will do what I can," Alicia knew she had much easier access to the records department than he would and she could pop down before or after any shift. The only down side was that the records could not be removed from the records room, it was St. Mungo's failsafe to stop records being destroyed.
Feeling the lift coming to a stop she smiled, "And here we are, St. Mungo's records department." She pushed open the golden grates that covered the lift and stepped into the room, the wall sconces blazing to life as she did, revealing shelves upon shelves of manila folders.
&
Any child born within the British Isles? Merlin. That was incredibly helpful. So unless he'd been born somewhere in Asia-- or, well, elsewhere, for that matter-- he'd find answers here. That was incredibly promising.
"Thank you. Again." He really was thanking her an awful lot, wasn't he? Well. He supposed it couldn't be helped.
Of course, words left him entirely as he looked out over the records room, his eyes widening considerably at the sight of what had to be millions of records, all neatly organized and filed away. He hoped that the meticulous organization meant that things would be easy for him to find, but... he doubted it. He'd have to cross-reference these records from ones within the Ministry, see what people were accounted for... this could take a long time, that much was certain.
"Oh... wow."
&
Alicia smiled as she was thanked; she would hope if she was in the same situation someone would be kind enough to help her.
"It is a little overwhelming at first, isn't it?" Alicia remembered the first time she had been down in the records, her first week of training. They had to file some paperwork into the correct places, granted it wasn't very often done by hand by the doctors but it was still a useful skill to have.
Leading the way to a main desk and some tables, Alicia stepped up to the desk. "You have to sign in and log down which records you look at, they just like to be cautious, as a member of the public you won't be able to access the actual health records, but the birth and death records will be open to you. Not even I can access everything," Alicia understood the need for privacy. She quickly printed and signed her name in the records book, before offering Apollo the quill.
&
Overwhelming... well, that certainly was one thing to call it, if nothing else, Apollo nodding. "Yeah, there's... a lot." He had to wonder if she would be staying down here with him. It was a large space, but... he'd still be alone down here with her. That was a first for him, too.
"Of course," he quickly agreed, receiving the quill from her to sign his own name. Pulling back, he offered her another nod of thanks. "I'll let you know if there's anything I might need."
&
Alicia had wandered off after telling Apollo where he would need to start looking. She needed to start earlier, the forties to be precise. She was looking for her fathers birth records so she could look for family on his side. It would take a trip into the muggle world to find out more about her birth mother, for she had been a muggle born. Having found her father's birth records, Alicia was now looking for the records of his parents, and she had wandered deeper into the record room. Climbing up an old ladder, Alicia stretched on her tip-toes to try and reach the folder that was just out of her reach. Leaning just that little bit too far, Alicia fell from the ladder with a squeal and a thump as she landed on the floor.
"Shit, fuck, bugger it!" She swore loudly as she cradled her wrist, pretty sure that she had broken it when she had heavily landed upon it. Typical. It was her wand arm that she had damaged. Sitting up, she closed her arms and took a few deep breaths, trying to ignore the pain that was radiating down her arm.
&
There were so many names... so many children that had been born in 1977. It would take forever to find anything down here, at this rate, and he knew it, but he likewise supposed it couldn't really be helped.
At the same time, it was quiet enough down here to almost be disturbing, and so it was to no great surprise that the litany of swears that seemed to leave the woman that had accompanied him down here drew his immediate attention, Apollo setting the file down before rushing toward the noise, eyes wide as he scanned the aisles, stopping only at the sight of her.
"Are you all right--?" Moving to her side, he knelt down, taking her wrist in his hand with a frown.
&
Ali only opened her eyes when she heard footsteps coming towards her, she tried not to wince as Apollo took her wrist into his hand. "I think I broke it," she frowned, looking at her already swelling wrist. "I must remember that a ladder doesn't handle the same as a broom." Had Ali have been on her broom, it would have moved with her; however, a ladder was a completely different kettle of fish, a ladder didn't move whilst you were on it.
"I really don't want to go back upstairs to deal with this," She bit her bottom lip, knowing her next move was going to hurt. Flicking her broken wrist, and crying out in pain, Alicia called her wand to her hand from the wand holster that was strapped, charmed to be invisible, to her forearm.
"I'm sorry if I startled you, and for my language," Alicia blushed slightly as she recalled the language she had used when she hit the floor.
&
Nodding at her conjecture, he frowned, his brows furrowed as he looked down at her wrist. It certainly looked painful-- painful enough that her attempt to get her wand had to be just about agony, if not worse.
"Wait-- I'm no healer, but-- I think I can fix this." If he couldn't even fix a simple, broken wrist, what was the sheer amount of education he'd received supposed to be good for? Grabbing his hand, he leaned the tip of it to her wrist, silently casting a charm to mend it, a soft glow accompanying the likely hot-cold sensation of the Episkey charm.
"You really shouldn't apologize-- this must have hurt. Besides. Swearing is supposed to help lessen pain. In that way, I guess you were doing just what any decent healer would have ordered." Apollo smiled, finally releasing her wrist.
&
Ali couldn't help but cry out when she tried to get her wand from the holster, her wrist movement not enough to call it forth. "I would be forever grateful if you could."
Alicia watched as his wand top touched her hand, it was strange to trust some random guy she had met an hour ago to put a wand anywhere near her, but she was sure if he was intending to harm her, he would have done it before now. Plus he didn't give off that kind of aura. Shivering at the odd sensation that the episkey charm caused, Alicia beamed at Apollo, "Thank you so much; I am such a klutz at times."
Laughter escaped her lips at his words, "Oh most definitely, a good laugh and swearing are the best pain killer available, but don't let our secret out; we won't be needed then," She winked at him, giving her wrist a tentative wriggle.
&
"It's no trouble at all," he says, smiling despite himself as he shakes his head to try and reassure her. All that tutoring, all that work... it should be good for something, after all. And this... this was a good start.
Her laughter-- Merlin, the wink-- both threw into sharp relief for a moment the precise situation he was in, and he smiled as he leaned back a bit on his haunches, unable to help but chuckle. "You know... I think this is the longest I've ever interacted with a girl that wasn't my sister or my cousin." Not that he was technically related to either of them, but still.
&
"Really? Are we females as scary as we appear?" She asked, still with a cheeky grin on her face, although her mind was moving at a mile a minute, he must be around the same age as her, maybe a little older. If this was the longest that he had been around girls, that must mean he didn't go to a co-ed school, either that or he was home schooled. Ali really did want to unravel the mystery that was Apollo Mulberry.
Ali reached over and grabbed the folder that she had pulled off the shelf when she fell, pleased to see it was the one she had been reaching for.
&
"Oh, that's not it," he said, unable to help the small smile that graced his features, his eyes downcast as he shook his head. "Just-- wasn't allowed to." Even with his sister, for years their sole interactions almost entirely revolved around his tutoring her. He shrugged. He knew that wasn't normal-- not by any stretch of the imagination. But then again, he also hadn't really had the occasion to... tell anyone about that before now.
He really needed to get out more.
&
Ali leant forwards slightly at his words, "Well, that rule obviously sucked; rules are there to be broken, so I think it is time you broke that rule." Ali wondered if she had been spending so much time with the twins lately, as they were the ones in her friendship group that broke rules; she was usually pretty good.
Ali wanted to get to know the person before her, not just because she was a nosy Gryffindor, but because it seemed like he needed a friend, nobody should be without friends.
&
"Seems like I already am," he noted, a small smile playing on his features as he leaned back against one of the file cabinets. It wasn't even like he was doing anything particularly... deviant. And yet... it did feel rather fun to be breaking the rules-- more so, even, than simply based on the fact that he sneaked out of Tinworth to look up his birth records.
"I... don't actually know your name," he finally said, half-marveling, the realization striking him as he looked at her.
&
Alicia leant back against the filing cabinet she had fallen in front of, her search for historical data forgotten at the moment. "How does it feel? Breaking that rule?" she enquired, knowing that people reacted differently to rule-breaking.
"Alicia, Alicia Spinnet," she smiled at him, almost wanting to slap herself upside the head for not introducing herself earlier on. Despite the fact they had only met each other a little over an hour earlier, Alicia felt like she had known the man before her for an awfully long time.
&
"Novel," he said, unable to help but grin, his dimples getting the better of him. "Pretty fun. I mean-- I'm not even really doing anything that scandalous, but... technically I'm not even supposed to be here, either. So this is sort of a two-fer." There was a beat before he decided to add a remark of his own. "You seem like the sort of person who likes breaking the rules once in a while."
Alicia Spinnet? He was half-tempted to taste the name on his tongue, so oddly familiar did it feel to him. "Spinnet... did you fight in the war?"
&
"Oh, at times I love breaking the rules, but I do think there is a time and a place for it," Ali knew rules were put into place for a reason, but some were just silly, they had no purpose other than to be a royal pain in the arse.
Alicia frowned and looked down, "I did," she paused looking back up at Apollo, "I fought in the battle of the Hogwarts Astronomy Tower and I returned to Hogwarts to fight in the final battle of the second wizarding war. I couldn't let the younger students be in danger, I had trained with a lot of people that were going to be there, it was our chance to make a difference, I wouldn't have been anywhere else." You could hear the passion in her voice; Alicia knew that she had done the right thing returning to Hogwarts to fight in the final battle, but she still had nightmares about it, still saw the dead in her sleep.
&
So it was like a know-it-and-you'll-see-it situation of sorts? That would be hard for him to discern. He'd only ever followed his gut thus far on when it was really, really worth breaking the rules, but this felt a little... outside of that realm. After all, he'd felt an intense need to learn more about his family... but talking to a girl? That seemed far more self-indulgent.
Frowning as he listened to the description of her involvement in the war, Apollo slowly nodded. "That's very noble of you." He knew that his family was rather on the other side of that conflict, but... he felt so tremendously detached from it, geographically and emotionally alike. It wasn't as though, through all his teaching, anyone had ever asked his opinion on anything. It was just a matter of information, not ethical or moral right or wrong.
"I went to Durmstrang," he ultimately explained, "and... since then, I have kind of just been shut away at home." Talking to someone outside of the family... felt like a damn breath of fresh air, really.
&
Durmstrang, that answered the question. Alicia knew very little about the foreign school, except for that it taught their students the dark arts. Surely, though, not everyone that came from its darkened halls were dark; the man before her certainly didn't seem to be. Viktor Krum certainly wasn't dark.
"Maybe we could find a way to change that? Being shut away surely can't be all that fun," Alicia knew that being shut away was not a way to live, it wasn't a way to thrive.
"You already know I was a Hogwarts baby, I was a Gryffindor; did you have a house system at Durmstrang?" Alicia was both nosy and naturally inquisitive.
&
"It's not," he answered simply as he sighed, the sound almost exaggerated as he shook his head. "It's really quite boring. Sometimes I'm allowed to tutor people around-- but... that's about it." And she was right, it was no way to really live life. But it wasn't as though anyone ever asked his opinion on this sort of thing. He didn't matter. And really, that wasn't about to change, either. If there was anything he knew, it was at least that much.
"We didn't have anything nearly that interesting," he said, shrugging softly. "They didn't really care about us having a self-identity, I don't think? That wouldn't have jived with my father's view of things, either, anyway. To him, school was supposed to be about me learning as much as possible and not getting distracted with things like friends or-- you know, girls." He grinned, nodding to her wrist. "Didn't all turn out to be useless, though."
&
Alicia wanted to hug the man sat before her, he seemed so lost, she wanted to be the one to help him find himself. Just from the few words they had shared it seemed to her that he had been controlled far more than anyone should be.
Grinning at Apollo, she gave her wrist a wriggle. "Nope, it definitely didn't turn out to be useless. It seems that your schooling taught you well," Alicia wondered just how much stricter it was at Durmstrang when compared to Hogwarts. She thought back to the Tri-Tournament, thinking of how the Bulgarian school had represented itself; they were so controlled, at the time it had been mesmerising. "Friends are important; how about I am your first female friend?" She asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
&
"Oh, that wasn't my schooling," he admitted softly, grinning despite himself. Merlin, he really was strange, wasn't he? At least, that's what all of this had to sound like to someone unfamiliar with his upbringing. "I just had some really... intense tutors." Free time had been a mythical sort of thing, really.
Her offer surprised him, though, Apollo's grin fading only to be replaced by a look of utter amazement as he looked at her. She couldn't be serious, could she? "Wait-- really?" Well, if she was serious... "All right."
&
"I had some tutoring at school; Harry Potter taught me how to cast the patronus charm." Alicia smiled at the memory; that evening in the room of requirements was amazing, the amount of patroni running around was truly beautiful. If it wasn't for Harry teaching them the charm, there would have been so many more deaths at the battle of Hogwarts.
Alicia couldn't believe the look on Apollo's face. "Yes really, I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it." Alicia gave him a cheeky grin when he agreed, "Good! Now we just need to get you out and about a bit more, explore the world!"
&
"Oh?" His eyes practically lit up at her words as he grinned. "What's your patronus?" It had been a while since he'd last cast the charm, but he imagined he could still do it.
"Okay," he readily agreed, this time grinning from one ear to the next. He knew what it was like to have his sister as a friend, but someone not in his family? That was completely new to him. "I've always wanted to try Florean Fortescue's, so it would be great if we could do that at some point."
&
Alicia flicked her newly-fixed wrist and her wand descended into her hand. She focussed on her happy memory, a smile gracing her lips as she did. "Expecto Patronum." Bounding out of her wand appeared a large Dog De Bordeaux, bounding down the aisle and back, coming to nuzzle her hand before slowly fading away. "I call him Rocky," she giggled softly. "Are you able to cast one?" That would be the tell-all; dark wizards were more unlikely to be able to cast a patronus.
"Their ice cream is to die for, the peppermint chocolate is my favourite. Fortescue is great; he will let you try the flavours if you are unsure of what you want." Alicia could remember the first time her father took her and Oscar to the ice cream parlour; she had tried so many flavours that she hadn't wanted an ice cream in the end, but Fortescue didn't mind that.
&
"It's been a while. We'll have to see if I've still got it in me, huh?" Apollo beamed, pulling out his cherry wand to give it a well-practiced flick alongside the incantation, a horse coming galloping out of the tip of his wand. "I haven't given him a name yet, though."
The thought of an ice cream parlour being so open and welcoming made Apollo smile. "I'm not too well-versed in ice cream myself, so that would probably be a pretty good thing for me... although I imagine my indecisiveness might cause some trouble."
&
"He is beautiful." Alicia couldn't help but smile at the large horse that galloped down the aisle. "Ares. He would be a good Ares," Alicia pondered aloud.
"We should go; it should still be open at this time, he stays open until late," Alicia had spent many evenings in the ice cream parlour when she was younger; it was a good place to meet up with friends. "Maybe I should just pick one for you!"
&
"I like that," he nodded, grinning as he looked after the horse. It made sense, in a way. Saddled and restrained, horses were useful to humans in very controlled ways. And yet, there was an unmistakable urge to run free...
Deciding not to dwell on the thought lest he depress himself in her presence, he turned to look at her with a smile. "Deal." Moving to stand, he brushed his pants off before extending a hand to help her up.
&
Alicia took the hand that was offered to her and carefully got to her feet. With a flick of her wrist, she wandlessly sent the file back to its place, a silly notion, since you couldn't summon the files with magic but you could return them.
"Let's get signed out then. If you don't mind, I need to go up and grab my bag and get changed out of my uniform." It wasn't that Alicia minded being seen out of work in her uniform but she liked to keep work and personal life separate when ever she could.
&
"Why would I mind?" he asked, grinning as he helped her up. "I mean, I assume you wouldn't be comfortable out like that." If he were in her shoes, he certainly would want the time to decompress following a long day at work.
So, with his hopes of discovering something about his parents momentarily shelved, he threw her a smile. "I just need to go return a file I was looking at and then we can get me signed out."
&
Alicia shrugged her light summer coat on as she came out of the staffroom, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. "Right, let's go get ourselves some ice cream!" Alicia moved to step towards the entrance of St. Mungo's, but paused. "It will probably be easier if we floo to the Leaky Cauldron first; then we can just walk through to Diagon, what do you think?" She asked, not sure how well Apollo would know Diagon Alley.
&
The two of them had made their way to the exit, Apollo turning to look at her as she stopped in her tracks. "Hm?" Her suspicions were accurate, Apollo offering her a small, if somewhat sheepish grin. "I'll let you lead the way, how about that?"
&
"Ok, this way then," Alicia wandered towards the floo, grabbing her little pot of floo powder from her bag. "We are going to the Leaky Cauldron." She carefully opened the tub and offered it to Apollo. "Do you want to go first?" she asked before closing the tub and tossing it back into her bag, the green glittery powder held securely in her hand.
It was so strange to be explaining something such as Diagon Alley to someone around her own age. The magical world was truly a sight to behold and she felt that everyone should be able to experience it properly.
&
"Sure. Thank you." Nodding, he reached into the pot to grab some floo powder before stepping into the fireplace. "Leaky Cauldron!" he enunciated clearly before throwing the powder down and disappearing in a puff of smoke.
He was spat back out as expected at the Leaky Cauldron, Apollo stepping out of the fireplace as he blinked, trying to take in the sights around him. This was all stunningly new and remarkably exciting to him, and he swallowed back the urge to stare as he turned instead to look back at the fireplace to await his new friend's arrival.
&
Alicia watched as Apollo vanished in a whoosh of green flames, she counted to fifteen in her head before stepping into the fireplace, letting her green powder fall from her fingers as she called out 'Leaky Cauldron'. Alicia closed her eyes as she spun through the floo network; despite it being her suggestion, Alicia wasn't too fond of the floo.
"Eek!" She squeaked as she tumbled from the grate at the Leaky Cauldron, arms flailing slightly as she tried to regain her balance.
&
He'd expected her to arrive, but the entrance that she did make nevertheless still came to him as a bit of a surprise, Apollo's eyes widening somewhat as he caught her in his arms to help steady. Glancing down to ascertain whether she was all right, he was instead met with the realization that she was, in fact, quite close to him.
Realizing how impolite he was being just a moment later, he slowly eased her back onto her feet, his eyes wider this time than they been even before. "Uh-- are you-- are you all right?"
&
Alicia blushed as Apollo helped her back to her feet. "I am, thank you for catching me; seems I can't help but make an arse out of myself today." She giggled a little.
"So are you ready for your first Fortescue's ice cream?" Alicia bounced up and down a little; she was excited to show Apollo the Alley that she had spent a fair deal of her youth in. Stepping towards the hidden entrance to the Alley, Alicia drew her wand and tapped the required bricks, a pattern that was burnt into her memory. "And here we are, Diagon Alley."
&
Smiling as he pulled back a bit once he was sure that she was on steady feet, he shook his head. "Nonsense. The floo always jostles people around a bit."
It was downright endearing to see how excited she was to show him this part of her world, Apollo finding himself grinning as he slowly nodded. "I sure hope so." Still, he knew there never was a way to predict the inevitable sense of awe and wonder that accompanied getting to see new places-- especially magical ones, Apollo literally laughing out loud as he saw Diagon Alley for the first time, his whole face seeming to light up, dimples and all.
&
Alicia stepped just inside the Alley and turned so she could see Apollo's reaction to it, and she wasn't disappointed. Seeing his face light up reminded her of seeing muggleborns being brought to the Alley for the first time by Professor McGonagall whilst she was at school; they were so mesmerised just the memory of it could cheer her up.
"Let me show you around, there is so much to see!" Alicia knew there would be so much that could catch Apollo's eye; luckily the ice cream parlour was open late.
&
He could already see just how right she was-- before him, countless shops seemed to stretch on and on, the likes of which he'd never before seen. It wasn't like he'd ever had occasion to go to a place like Diagon or Hogsmeade-- that would have only served as a distraction, after all, to his overarching education.
Throwing Alicia a warm grin, he nodded. "Lead the way."
Never in his wildest dreams could he have ever predicted that his trip to St. Mungo's would end up this way, but, all the same, he wouldn't have it any other way, either
&
Alicia bounced on the balls of her feet whilst she let Apollo soak in the sights of Diagon Alley. The place was so busy even in spite of all that was going on, and she loved it. Alicia knew that times were hard, but she was proud of the way that people were carrying on despite the risks.
"Come on then," Ali stepped into the Alley, hearing the brick wall close back up behind them.
Taking a slow pace she made her way along the Alley, giving Apollo time to nosey in the shop windows as they went. "So, here we are!" She stopped in front of a reasonably bright store front. She could feel her mouth watering already at the thought of an ice cream.
&
It was true, this was a lot to take in, but Apollo was enjoying every last bit of it. And while he'd only met her today, he knew fully well that, in no small part, Alicia's presence by his side was likewise to blame for how fun all of this felt.
"Brilliant," he said, still beaming, his gaze still wandering until it finally managed to return its focus on Fortescue's. "No idea how we're going to pick just one flavor, but... I guess it'll have to be an adventure, huh?"
&
"I am going to get strawberry chocolate chip with Bertie Bott's Beans as a topping," Alicia grinned. It had taken a long time for her to decide on a go-to ice cream, but she had finally made up her mind.
Stepping into the store, Alicia waved at the store owner, "Hi Mr. Fortescue, I bring you a bit of a challenge... Apollo has never had your ice cream and doesn't know what to have!" Alicia looked into the chiller cabinet filled with so many of the mans amazing flavour combinations.
Leaning against the counter Ali watched as Mr. Fortescue started to create a board covered in lots of little bite-sized pieces of each of his flavours, she turned to look up at Apollo. "Told you so!" she winked at him once more.
&
"Bertie Bott's? That's pretty brave of you, isn't it?" He grinned down at her before returning his attention to the massive array of ice cream flavors in front of him. This did seem like a truly monumental task, if not an insurmountable one.
"Nice to meet you," he told the man before him with a polite nod of his head before turning his attention to the sample plate. Merlin. She hadn't been kidding.
"Well, you were right," he grinned, grabbing the small spoon and starting to taste a little bit of each flavor before finally deciding. "Pistachio with nougat chunks. Please."
&
"I live for danger!" Alicia chuckled. Ever since being little she had loved Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans; she saw them as a challenge.
"Just my usual, please, Mr. Fortescue." Ally reached into her bag for her purse, quickly swapping her ice cream for payment. "My treat; you can't pay for your first ice cream!" Ally popped her purse back away and licked her ice cream, her eyes closing in pleasure at the amazing taste.
"Shall we grab a table?" She figured they could snag a comfy booth together and she could continue to learn more about her new friend.
&
To say that he was surprised by her eagerness to pay for the two of them was putting it lightly, but then, she had been almost unerringly kind since he'd met her. How amazing women could be... no wonder his father hadn't wanted him to get distracted during his time at Durmstrang.
"Are all girls as nice as you, or are you just special?" he finally decided to ask, smiling despite himself even as he couldn't help but assume that it was, most likely, just that she was special. "Either way, thank you."
Nodding at her suggestion, he moved to take a seat, his long, gangly limbs almost getting in the way in the process as he threw her a grin after taking a bite of his ice cream. "Mm. Perfect."
&
"I am just special, but you are welcome." Alicia would hate to think that anyone had to pay for their own ice cream; her brother had been insistent on buying her her first ice cream, though considering at the time she had been around six months old, her parents hadn't allowed it. But when she was a little older they let Oscar have the privilege of buying her her first cone.
Sliding into the booth, Alicia curled her feet underneath herself, a gentle flick of her wrist and a whispered spell making sure the soles of her heels were clean first. "The ice cream here most definitely is."
"So, my newest friend, I suggest a game of twenty questions so we can find out more about each other." Alicia really hoped that this meeting wasn't a one time thing, she wanted to get to know the man before her as she really enjoyed his company.
&
He knew it. There was something innately special about her, after all. Apollo grinned, taking a gratuitously long lick of his ice cream as he looked her over. What sort of luck was this, where his first real meeting with a woman that wasn't related to him-- whether through adoption or otherwise-- was with such a remarkable one? Perhaps it was karma, a reward for all that time spent studying all those years and never disobeying his father...
"I've never played," he admitted after a long moment. "But you're welcome to ask me anything you'd like." Granted, he probably ought not to tell her that he lived in Tinworth-- or that his adoptive father was a Yaxley-- but beyond that, he couldn't think of anything that would be off limits.
&
"You can ask me, too, of course." Alicia licked her ice cream, taking a bean into her mouth at the same time. "Hmmm, coconut flavour... not bad!"
"Hmm, what to ask, what to ask? Oh, I know, what is your favourite colour? I best start you off easy." Alicia didn't want to go too deep with her questioning, she wanted to stay friends and not to scare him off.
&
"Maybe we can take turns?" he offered, trying to think of where he would want to start when it came to asking her questions. If he was a legilimens like his sister, this would be a different story altogether, of course... really, sometimes he envied her. It wasn't like it was appropriate for him to simply ask, so, what sort of person are you?
"Green," he finally answered her after taking the time to consider it. "Which is pretty convenient if you think about it, because most things outside are green." Satisfied that he had answered her question thoroughly enough, he thoughtfully turned his attention to licking his ice cream as he frowned. "Hmm... what made you decide to become a healer?"
&
"That sounds good to me." Taking turns was always best; it allowed you to think of good questions to ask, as well as time to digest the answers you had been given.
Alicia nodded, filing that little piece of information away for a later date. A small frown came to Alicia's face as Apollo asked his question; talking about why she wanted to become a healer always brought back some unpleasant memories for her. "My father was a healer; I grew up wanting to be just like him, but with the war, I felt it was my duty to help in that way. I had always been taught little bits and bobs that, at my age, I would be able to do, so I threw myself into the healing programme." Alicia left out about the part of having to keep her brother alive the day she found her parents murdered and Oscar with grave injuries on the lawn of their home.
"Okay, if you could do any job what would it be?"
&
It seemed that a person's reasoning was always a great deal more complicated than it appeared at first glance, just as it was true for Alicia now. The war... the war hadn't really been a motivating factor for anything for him, and yet, here she was, the very picture of a noble soul who would pursue a profession-- at least in part-- in order to help people.
"I guess I would be a teacher. It's all I've ever really known. But..." he sighed. "There's something miraculous about escapism, isn't there? A good book or a painting..: they can practically transport you into another world with their magic. I daresay it's even more powerful than our magic. If I could have all day to read and paint..." he leaned back in his seat, a smile forming on his features as he interlinked his hands behind his head, "that would be perfect."
Realizing a moment later just how rude he was being, he sat up straight once more, returning his attention to Alicia with a bright smile. "What about you? What do you enjoy doing more than anything else in the world?"
&
"I don't think I would have the patience to teach; I have had an intern following me the last couple weeks and I could have murdered them at times," she chuckled softly. It was just little things that got to her, but those little things soon mounted up. "Being able to read all day does sound pretty perfect; I can't remember the last time I finished reading a book for pleasure."
Alicia licked at her ice cream as she thought about her answer, "Erm... I think I would have to say spending time with my friends and family. It has become a bit few and far between since school. What with everything that has happened, I can't remember a time when the original six of us were all in the same place at the same time, just being together. Granted, there are many more than just six of us now, so many marriages and little ones born." Alicia knew her answer was a little deep, but the truth was expected in twenty questions.
"So, question number three... how many siblings do you have?" Alicia knew he had mentioned a sister, but there could have been people he hadn't mentioned.
&
"I didn't really have a choice," he remarked, recalling his father's words all too well. Those who could teach a topic knew it all the better as a result than those who simply learned the material. Which was precisely why he'd been forced not only to learn and study, but to then teach his sister and later his classmates-- at times, even his father-- what he had learned, so that the elder Yaxley could ascertain that he had indeed done an adequate job taking in the information.
Her answer was one that he supposed he should have predicted, but it likewise paved the way to all the more questions. If this would continue, he wasn't certain that twenty questions would cut it, after all.
"Just one-- but I'm adopted, so she's not my biological sister. But... she's always been the closest person I had to a friend, even if my father did anything he could to discourage that bond." He sighed before promptly shaking himself out of it and smiling once more. "You mentioned you have a lot of family now. Who in your family matters most to you?"
&
"Oh?" Alicia spoke without thinking, wondering who would force someone into teaching others; surely they wouldn't learn so well if the teacher didn't want to teach.
Alicia didn't want to voice her thoughts on Apollo's father; she was beginning to think he was a bit of a bastard. "That would have to be Oscar, my big brother. He is the only blood relative I have left; the rest are just very close friends, but I suppose friends are the family we choose for ourselves." Alicia knew that, without her brother and her best friends, she would struggle to cope with the world as it was at the moment.
"What is your favourite season?"
&
"It was part of learning, for me, according to my father," he explained, even in spite of fully knowing fully well that it was a sad excuse for bad parenting. Then again, it wasn't like he could complain.
Hadn't she just said that there were many more then six of them now? Why, then, was it that her brother was the only on left? Still-- if it was true, it just meant it was something else they had in common, with only one person they could really consider themselves close to...
"Spring." The thought alone brought a smile to his face. "I like the feeling of hope in the air." Turning his attention back to her, his smile widened. "Favorite food."
&
"I suppose it can help you understand a concept better," Alicia nodded at his explanation; it seemed his father had the last say in the majority of what Apollo did.
"My favourite food is sweet and sour chicken, my brother makes an amazing homemade version, and I return the same question back at you." Alicia nibbled the cone of her ice cream; the cones were almost as good as the ice creams themselves. Knowing someones favourite food was always handy.
&
"They served the most amazing gravlax back at Durmstrang," he admitted, grinning despite himself as he thought back to the memory. "But if we're counting desserts, I have an awful sweet tooth." He lifted his own cone as if to mock-toast her with it as he shrugged somewhat apologetically. "I have yet to meet a sweet food I don't like."
Thinking on his next question, he cocked his head. "Favorite... type of weather."
&
A large grin came to Alicia's lips as Apollo said he had a sweet tooth. "Well, that's good to know, as I bake; I bake a lot and I often need taste testers." Alicia loved to experiment with the flavours she used; her latest was a cupcake flavoured with bananas and strawberries topped with a buttercream containing both fruits.
"Despite my love of flying, I would have to say that light warm rain that you get in the summer. I love being out in that, walking through nature; I think its beautiful." Alicia paused for a moment to think of her next question, "Have you ever broken any bones?" She hoped that it was a safe topic to ask about.
&
"That... sounds like a really great way to tempt me," he admitted, a soft laugh leaving him. Sweets... his true weakness. "Any time you need a taste tester... you have but to ask me."
At her mention of light, warm rain, he laughed. "There was one summer that we got a ton of rain all of a sudden... like we lived in a southern climate, you know. And my sister and I ran outside and practically took a shower in the stuff. We got in so much trouble, but..." He grinned, shaking his head. "It was worth it."
Her question gave him pause; he never had been the type to do much of anything physical, Apollo finally shaking his head. "Not a one, actually." Thinking of a question for her, he finally smiled after finding one he considered satisfactory. "What was your favorite thing about going to Hogwarts?"
&
Ali grinned. "Oh, I will. My brother keeps telling me I am going to make him fat the amount I make him eat!" she chuckled; baking was something she did to relax, and it seemed she was stressed more often lately. She supposed it was to do with the trouble that was raging in the wizarding world.
"I love going out in it. Whenever there is rain like it our house elf puts towels around the house, near the door, near the fireplace as she knows I will be coming home dripping wet!" Ali just laughed at her antics.
"Hmm, I would have to say meeting my best friends. They are my family; if it wasn't for them I don't think I would have survived when my parents were murdered and Oscar was in his critical condition... he is okay now, though; that was a long time ago."
Nibbling her bottom lip Ali thought of her next question, "What is your favourite book?"
&
"I seem to have an unnaturally fast metabolism, so we'd probably make a good pair," he admitted softly, wondering why his stomach felt a bit tighter at his words when he hadn't said anything particularly inappropriate or scandalous.
He'd wanted to answer her, of course, but... her answer, silenced him almost entirely, Apollo blinking as he stared at her from across the table. She'd said that her brother was the only blood relative she had left, but... murder was something else entirely. "Your parents were murdered?"
&
"We do!" Alicia was amazed at how much they seemed to have in common. She was sure it wasn't normal to seem to gel with someone so quickly.
Alicia had been expecting an answer to her question, but his own question left her frowning. "They were. I had just finished my seventh year at school. I was out for the day, interviewing for my training at St. Mungo's. I came home to the garden destroyed, my parents' bodies near the front of the house, pools of blood around them, their eyes devoid of life. My brother was bleeding out on the ground, it still fuels my nightmares to this day." Alicia shivered at the memory; it was something she tried not to think about.
When she had been going through counselling after the event, the mediwitch had suggested she remove the memory, but Alicia refused.
&
He had no idea why she was even telling him this. Why did he deserve to know? What right did he have to make her relive that memory?
Apollo stared at her for a long while after that, unblinking-- at least until he managed to remember to swallow again, the feeling in his mouth almost foreign. It was hard to listen to, but-- Merlin. If it was hard to listen to, he could only imagine what it had to have felt like.
Finally finding some semblance of physical autonomy once more, he reached forward to place his hand atop hers. "I'm sorry."
&
Alicia wasn't sure why she felt the need to tell Apollo what happened that day. She had told her friends, but that had been hard work; truth be told, there was lots of alcohol involved. What made Apollo different, she didn't know, but for some reason it was easy to talk to him, easy to confide in him.
Biting her bottom lip as she waited for him to say something, lost in her thoughts of that day, Alicia didn't realise she had made her lip bleed, a bad habit she had when she was lost in thought.
Jumping slightly when she felt his hand cover hers, Alicia lifted her eyes to meet his. "Thank you, but you have nothing to be sorry for; you weren't one of the ones that destroyed my family that day." Alicia didn't know who it was, but she did know that it was three white men that had attacked her parents-- her brother had told her that much. He said he couldn't remember their faces and that he hadn't heard any names, but Alicia was sure that was just to protect her.
&
It was easy for her to say that it wasn't him. Of course it hadn't been him that day. But the chance was high that he knew the people who were responsible. He wasn't stupid-- rather the opposite. He knew the sort of person his father was, the sort of people he was around day-in and day-out in Tinworth.
What was worse, it once more brought up his own question about his parentage. What had happened to his parents? He'd always been told that they had died and that he'd been left in his father's care, but... it did seem an awfully convenient excuse.
"Maybe not," he conceded with a soft shrug of his shoulder. "But I know how it feels, not having your parents around. My dad's white; it's not like that one took me a long time to figure out."
&
Alicia turned her hand over and took his gently in hers, "We seem to have more in common than we thought," Alicia trailed off, at least she had had her parents with her for seventeen years, Apollo had been without his for far longer. She could understand his need to want to look into his family; she was looking for distant relatives, he was looking for much closer ones.
Alicia looked over at the man before her, "We should find a date when we can both go looking through the archives again," Alicia knew that sets of eyes looking through the records were better than one.
&
The simple intimacy of their hands, one in the other, felt nothing but innocent to him, and Apollo didn't think anything more of it than it likely was meant to symbolize-- the desire for some sort of connection, a shared sense of comfort and, well, hope. Because she was right. They had a lot in common.
Smiling, he offered her a slow, deep nod. "Yes. I think that sounds like a great idea."