They told me this is a free country, but now it feels like a chicken factory.

[blankrevolution.livejournal.com]

With the sun shining bright on this spring afternoon, Diagon Alley is bustling with people.

And Davey can't fucking stand it. All they do is push and shove as if the shops are closing at two in the bloody afternoon. Florean's is packed so he can't get a chocolate fucking ice cream cone (or a small container of the mint chocolate chip Emmeline fancies) and he's in no mood to wait for a cold butterbeer in the Leaky. So he strops off down the road, cigarette in hand, a satchel full of new books on his shoulder, a scowl on his face, and sweat on his brow. He's about to get out of the hell hole when he spots Xenophilius outside of Madam Primpernelle's.*

Oy, Xeno!

Comments

[mindtheplums.livejournal.com]

*Xeno only shrugs, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand.*

Me too. Don't worry about it.

[blankrevolution.livejournal.com]

I'm sure she was something special. Not everyone can say they've had someone like that in their lives.

*Davey's grin is wry as he reclaims the joint and takes a long drag.*

She'd have to be a right saint to put up with your fucking Birkenstocks.

[mindtheplums.livejournal.com]

*Xeno bursts into a peal of rough laughter, coughing another plume of smoke. When he speaks, it's a little weakly.*

Yes, she was! Fuck you, Davey. Sit and spin.

[blankrevolution.livejournal.com]

*Davey laughs too, glad to cheer Xeno up at least a little. Then he nods, eyes steady on the rooftop silhouettes in front of him.*

But I'm going to take your advice. You know, when I feel the time is right. Not sure if she'll say it back. Emme's a bit of a odd duck. I'm an overly sentimental basket case compared to her. We'll see.

[mindtheplums.livejournal.com]

It is what it is. I asked Clover to marry me fourteen times before she said yes.

*But he's smiling, now, as he stubs out the joint and Vanishes the blackened butt of it.*

Sometimes you've got to let your ass hang in the wind and see what happens.

[blankrevolution.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I reckon you're right. Though she's seen me make an arse of myself enough times already. One even made it in the paper if you remember.

*It was a shit article that Rita Skeeter wrote about his altercation with the Minister for Magic, but he's got no regrets about what he actually did. He just wishes that they'd left Emmeline out of it.*

[mindtheplums.livejournal.com]

Prophet's not worth the paper it's printed on, Davey, you know that.

*This is said with a shrug, and a certain amount of professional pride.*

[blankrevolution.livejournal.com]

True. It's worse than shit, really. How's that one of yours coming along? That Lily Potter mentioned it to Emme, who mentioned it to me.

*He refrains from mentioning that Emme thought that it was rubbish, save for the bit of anti-Ministry related articles.*

[mindtheplums.livejournal.com]

It's coming along. I've just quit the shop, actually, the Quibbler's keeping me so busy.

*What he doesn't say is that he also seems to have lost his knack for it. The women who come into the shop are ashes to him in a way they weren't, exactly, before, and the unique and undeniable beauty of each--and the ways to bring it out--don't interest him the way they used to. But the truth is also that the Quibbler has been doing well, and between that and his savings, he doesn't need Madam Primpernelle's anymore.*

Ah, I'd been hoping that Lily would write a piece. I know activism is her bag, Muggle-borns and such. We're always looking for submissions.

[blankrevolution.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she's got a bit of a collective going on. I've tried to get involved as much as I can but I think we've all been busy.

Which is no excuse, really. I ought to be in the streets every fucking day until my voice is heard, yeah? All they talk about on the wireless and in that shit of a daily paper are about the Minister and murders. Nobody is talking about how the treatment of Muggle-borns is getting worse with the increase of violence or the fact that these fucking terrorists systematically attack Muggles and Muggle-borns. Sure, not always, sometimes they use some fucking Dementor to spice things up, but it's us that they want rid of in the end. So we're enemies of these fucking terrorists, society, and the government. I don't give a fuck if Crouch doesn't hate Muggle-borns. As long as he does nothing to directly combat our concerns, he's just as bad as the rest of them.

You know what I mean?

[mindtheplums.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

*He raises his eyebrows a little at this sudden tirade, but it's in an impressed sort of way.*

Sounds like you should be the one submitting.

[blankrevolution.livejournal.com]

I don't know. I wouldn't want to get you into any trouble. You'd be publishing the writings of an "extremist."

[mindtheplums.livejournal.com]

I already publish an awful lot. No one's taken much notice of me yet.

Knock on wood.

*He actually does rap with his knuckles on the bench--an old habit he'd gotten from his father--and shrugs. His house is warded to within an inch of its life and there is a not-quite-legally bewitched shotgun filled with rose quartz and rock salt right by the door, should any unsavories come to call. Xeno's gentle, but he's not an idiot.*

[blankrevolution.livejournal.com]

Huh, maybe I'll take you up on that then. I wouldn't mind getting a few things off my chest for more people to hear than Emmeline.

[mindtheplums.livejournal.com]

You know where to owl.