Kicking Off the Summer Right [Open]

Apollo had not really found time to leave the flat above Quality Quidditch Supplies - or, better put, the store itself - since moving there after graduation. Somehow, the boys had not killed each other yet. Then again, the elder brother hadn't exactly been up for a lot of arguing after what had happened so close to graduation. Scars, like everything else, took time to heal. But living with his brother and spending so much time around Lily had brought out a rather interesting side in him. Of all of the things he thought he would be doing this summer, attending the Quidditch World Cup with his brother was nowhere near his first guess.

Christian hated Quidditch. Or, he used to. His fear of the sport had kept him away from it until now. Working at the store and being around the people who loved it had slowly managed to convince him that it actually wasn't as dreadful as he had believed to be. Bad experiences aside, and although the sport was no longer for him, Christian could understand the excitement of it.

So the boys were headed for the first game of the World Cup, the Italy versus France match, and thanking whoever scheduled the event for planning it in the evening. At least the sun would go down fairly soon and they wouldn't be blind during the match. Even if Italy went down in flames, they wouldn't be able to complain, additionally, about the weather. Because, believe it or not, the sun was out and shining. Apollo briefly wondered if there had been a spell cast over the grounds, and concluded that there must've been, because there wasn't a cloud in sight. It was rather nice, really.

Just outside of the stadium, stands of merchandise for the two teams, and the boys were immediately drawn to the Italian booth, having decided to attend the match because of their holiday home and the country that one of the only father figures Blaise had ever known. Having experienced the entrance and death of at least six men who were not Blaise's own father, the boys decided to not really question which one it had been. Besides, they did have a thing for Italy after spending so many holidays there. Apollo picked up a scarf and Christian chose a hat, which his older brother quickly made fun of.

"Shove off," Christian returned, turning away from the stand. He lifted a hand in thanks, directing it not towards his brother but towards the woman who had helped them with their purchases. "Let's just get in the stands, alright?" He suggested, gesturing towards the stairs.

Ducky Baker, obviously, could not afford tickets to the world cup. He did, however, know people who were looking to score major amounts of Spice, which he happened to have on him since his supplier had been so happy with his latest haul. And Bev had managed to get in by promising to sell some merchandise… which Ducky knew was going to end up becoming another way for Bev to rack up some quick, illegal cash and meet some ladies.
 
Ducky had asked Lydia to come along, but she apparently had to do something with Alison and Jenny. What those three did every week, Ducky could not imagine. But Lydia would not turn him down without good reason, so he accepted it as it was. He was going to meet up with Nora sometime during the events, as there was no way he could go without his best friend during such an exciting time. This was the world cup! He wasn’t sure what exactly, but some sort of crazy shit was going to go down, and he had plans to be at the center of it.
 
Bev had put up a small tent between two spots, where they weren’t technically supposed to be, but Bev had managed to con his way into by flirting with the women on either side. Ducky got there and found a note from his friend, commanding Ducky to find him in the stadium itself, promising that there was no way Ducky could miss ‘them’. Ducky, even thick, dumb, Ducky noticed the use of a plural when he was only expecting Bev.
 
What had his idiot mate done this time?
 
Ducky dropped off his things and nicked a pair of omnioculars, figuring that they would be the best bang for his steal. It made sense, since it was like stealing the game forever.
 
He pushed into the crowd, looking about, when he suddenly heard a loud “Alright, love? Count of three, then?” Oh boy. That was definitely the voice of his friend. He looked about and finally caught sight of Bev, who was leaning against the stairs, staring at a girl with a scrawny frame and an attitude in her posture. Bev raised a glass, as did the girl, and they downed their shots. Ducky rolled his eyes and approached the pair. Bev glanced up and spotted him, a smile cracking across his face. “Ducky, mate!” He threw his arms up in the air.
 
The other figure turned around. Bright blue eyes with a sort of dull glaze, as though he was denied access to actually look at her as anything more than a body holding some vital organs, draped in cloth. Ducky stopped, suddenly feeling rather exposed. Then a small twitch of a smile, and Molly Weasley lifted a cigarette to her lips. “Hey, Baker.” She puffed on the cigarette and dropped her arm to her side, blowing smoke out towards him. “You forgot your smile at home.”
 
Bev laughed. “You know him? Oh, right! You go to school with him.” Molly flicked her eyes to him, amused smile still toying on her lips as she informed him with her eyes that he was thick. Bev threw his arms out, tossing the shot glass into the crowd as he pulled Ducky into a hug. “You made it, mate! Glad you could join us!”
 
Ducky was suddenly a bit worried. He hadn’t thought this whole… hanging out with Bev thing in public. Bev represented a whole part of Ducky’s life he had done a fine job of hiding. Hell, one slip and his actual identity slipped out to the whole school. And he couldn’t have that. “Come on, dummos, let’s go!” Bev called, turning on his heel and running up the stairs. He managed to smile at Moly but she just stared at him. He blinked – did she know? She quirked another smile and then dropped her cigarette, stepping on it. She turned and hurried off Bev.
 
The found their row and began sliding in. Ducky led the way, smiling and joking as he went along. He finally sat, Molly between him and Bev for heaven knew why… when he recognized a mop of hair in front of him.
 
“CHRISTIAN!” Ducky cheered, throwing an arm around his friend’s neck in an attempt to ruffle his hair. Molly was busy pulling out another cigarette. Bev glanced at Ducky with his eyebrows raised and lips puckered, as though disgusted by the thought that his friend had other friends. Ducky noticed this and released  Christian, waving a hand. “This is my friend Bev.”
 
“Hellooooo,” Bev called, saluting.
 
Ducky glanced at Molly, curious as to whether or not they knew her. She was only a year or so younger than the two of them. Still, better safe than sorry. “And you probably know Molly.”
 

Molly brought the cigarette to her lips and blew out some smoke, staring down the ex-Hufflepuff. “Probably."

[ooc: I'm only slightly sorry. I had a thought, though. So yolo. Side note- my phone turned Yolo into Yolk and I almost didn't notice]


Christian's hate was nudged aside as an arm came around his shoulders, and he was so surprised that he couldn't find a response at first. Apollo rolled his eyes, asking where his brother's Hufflepuff kindness had run off to, which only brought him a fake shove. Christian may have been increasingly more irritated with his brother as of late (and really, who could blame him now that Lily was around so much?), but he wasn't about to actually hurt the guy.

"Hello," Christian put in finally, turning to look at the others. He was about to glance over at Molly when Apollo huffed.

"Thanks for the introduction, mate."

"Oh, hush," a third voice chided, the sound far more feminine than the other two. "You can't handle yourself enough to offer your own name? That's pathetic, Apollo."

Both boys looked over Apollo's shoulders, surprised to find one of the more unknown dropouts from Hogwarts standing there. Nessa had essentially disappeared, leaving right as rumors started flying about a supposed night in the woods with Dylan. It had been the hushed talk of classrooms and dormitories alike - especially the Slytherin one, as her housemates were nosy as hell about it.

Christian's eyebrows rose, but she sat next to Apollo without question or any sort of real greeting. The ex-Slytherin smirked, though, saying that she had just done the introducing for him without meaning to.

"Oh," she replied lightly, "I meant to. You can thank me later."

Sheer confusion overcame Christian as he tried to determine why she was there, and why Slytherins were so bloody strange. So he turned away, finally looking up at Molly. There was something fairly interesting about her, but aside from the fact that she was obviously related to Lily somehow or other, the boy - well. He was more like a man now, wasn't he? - couldn't determine what made him so curious. So he just offered a smile that only lifted the right side of his mouth.

"Yeah, I remember you. Sorry, didn't mean to ignore you."

Ducky Baker always loved a good surprise. That was why seeing the Zabinis was not completely horrifying - sure, he liked to keep Bev as much as a secret as possible seeing as the boy was exactly what people suspected Ducky would turn into. Lovable, sure, but undeniably a criminal. But if anyone from his little gaggle of friends could meet Bev, it would be the one who had just graduated. Ducky had attempted to throw a special little graduation party for Christian, but only Nora, Finn, and Alisha had come. Everyone else thought it in bad taste to throw a party... considering everything. Finn and Nora had only shown up on Ducky's behest... and Ali never turned down a party.

As much as Ducky wanted to say graduation would not change friendships, he had the gnawing suspicion that he would rarely see Christian again. The voice of reason finally had an out, and he couldn't blame Christian for taking it. So this last little meeting, unexpected as it was, could prove nice.

But there was another surprise in store.

Bev and Ducky openly stared. Bev for the sole reason of the attractive nature of the sudden dark spectre approaching, Ducky because this was another Lily Potter, but one that had managed to maintain some anonymity. I mean, Bridgewood had the leg up on that one, but still. And then she was suddenly here?

While everyone's attention was on Nessa, Molly Weasley was carefully studying the faces of the two twins, locating the differences, memorizing the similarities. Twins had always interested her. They were a fascinating study of identity, after all.

"You came back for me!"

Ducky's thoughts were a lot more sincere than his cocky exclamation as she looked at Nessa. He jumped up, shoving Bev's head as squeezed in next to Nessa to throw an arm around her. "Everyone had said you ran off with a Russian mobster but I told them that everyone regretted not trying their luck with the Duck."

Molly Weasley placed a single finger on her tongue. Gag.

Although Nessa had, admittedly, noticed the others sitting behind Apollo and Christian even though she had not made any move to greet them. After all, she didn't miss the looks they gave her, though she only made notice of them out of the corner of her eye while she pretended to listen to Apollo's grumbling at her. When Ducky got up, though, she looked forward and pretended to watch the other spectators filing in.

When his arm fell over her shoulder, she looked at his hand, a slow smile curving her lips. Ever since her time with Dylan, she had begun to realize how much influence she could have over people who appeared interested in her, even if that concept had never applied to Nathaniel. She had not been able to work him out yet. Baker, on the other hand, seemed quite aware of the fact that she had been gone for the past year and a half. Saying she had been properly gone was rather iffy, though.

The hand closest to him settled in her lap as she shifted to face him slightly, and her left hand reached across to rest just above his knee. "You're so right," she said rather sarcastically, "I just... couldn't stay away."

Apollo had essentially decided to ignore everyone and was waiting for the teams to come in, but Christian caught Molly's gesture and he chuckled under his breath. Nessa drew her hand away, facing forward again and trying her best not to allow a smirk to appear. She had forgotten just how amusing Gryffindors could be.

People were unfair to Ducky Baker. They claimed that he was lazy. They claimed that his main concern was his ego. Neither of these were true. Ducky worked hard, just in ways people did not appreciate. Rather than focusing on studies or work, Ducky invested in people and bringing them alternative methods of happiness – often found in substances, adventures, and sex. And Ducky had never been concerned about his ego. He had denied himself his own name and gone by Ducky, after all. No, Ducky’s main concern was finding pleasure and finding fun. Anyone who said differently was underselling the boy.

However, there was one point on his ego right now. Bev and Molly… there was something there. Ducky wasn’t always the most perceptive person, but Bev had helped him grow up, so of course Ducky could catch on when his friend was doing the sex with someone. And even though Molly seemed casual and aloof, there was this lingering look on Bev that indicated there was more than friendship or flirtation there. They had seen each other naked.

So, there was a tiny part of him that wanted him to show Bev that he had moves of his own. But, really, most of it was because Ducky was glad to see the former Slytherin, and he had always found her cute but now she looked just… damn good. Ducky smiled at her, actually looking sincere now. “Really, Bridgewood, you doin’ alright? I mean, Potter scampered off and came back a depressed werewolf, so I really am concerned.”

Bev rolled his eyes. “You lot are lame. I’m going to grab us some beers.” He hopped up and slipped through the crowd, a bounce in his step. Molly’s shrewd eyes glanced at the row in front of here, now crammed together because of the addition of Ducky. She slid over slightly and stuck her head between the twins, hair falling around her. “There’s more room on this row, if you’d rather.”

Nessa's lips pursed momentarily as he mentioned Lily's werewolfish tendencies, unsure if he knew about what had happened to her or not. "You don't need to be concerned about me, love," she replied lightly, leaning towards him as though their conversation was something secretive. "I've got a place to stay and everything."

Christian turned his head when Molly's hair found his shoulder and she spoke. Without hesitation, Apollo gave his brother a nudge, and although Christian was going to offer anyway, he shook his head and pushed himself off of his seat. Moving to settle down on Molly's left, he wasn't entirely sure what to say other than, "Which team are you rooting for?"

Nessa, by then, had seemingly gathered her wits and was ignoring the fact that Apollo might overhear her. Why she decided to share anything with the Gryffindor was entirely beyond her, but it was too late once the words started tripping out. "It's entirely possible that Lily isn't the only frustrated werewolf anymore. She's just lucky she's graduated and is free from the confines of the castle. ..Why do you think I left?" she asked after a moment, turning to look at him with an oddly knowing expression.

Ducky was finding himself seizing this opportunity with great zeal, as he often did when an attractive female was involved. However, Nessa wasn't just a pretty face. She was a mystery, and something about the nature of dropping out appealed to the part of Ducky that wasn't as traditional as he pretended to be. And, in all honesty, he did not come off as very traditional at all. But people had no idea about the criminal blood flowing through his body, keeping him from making the right decisions, always spurring him towards trouble and failure.

Someone who dropped out of school was someone who rejected the usual understanding of normal, of traditional. And for someone who was so fearful of being the one rejected from those who craved the normal, Nessa was full of potential for Ducky.

And there was the attractive feature too. That could not be forgotten.

"Your own place," he quipped back. "Look at you, in your big girl clothes." He smirked widely. "You think you're clever."

Molly scooted over, allowing Christian to sit next to her. He asked after the game and she turned her gaze onto him, the gaze that seemed to neither reach his eyes and also penetrate deeply. "I have more fun cheering against everyone," she said, the smallest of smirks twitching at the end of her mouth.

But she heard a familiar name, once again, and found she could no longer ignore it. Ducky was beginning to say something about Hogwarts castle being where the party was at when Molly cut in, not using volume or rude tactics, just relying on conviction, and some protective instincts, when she said, "Why are we all discussing my cousin?"

Nessa considered correcting Ducky on his guess about her living arrangements, but thought better of it. It wasn't her place, but instead Nathaniel's. She would give him a part of it, though. So he wouldn't decide she had been lying about everything if he found out otherwise. "Well, to say it's mine would be fairly inaccurate. But I'm staying there. So I suppose that counts."

Christian, on the other hand, was finding himself more surprised than amused. While Nessa gave her best attempt at flirting - which, to be fair, she had not done a great deal of - Christian was trying to decide if Molly Weasley was someone he could get along with. It had never really been a question before, due to lack of interaction with her, but now that they were sat next to each other, he realized there was something interesting about her. It was more... confusing than curious, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Before he could react to her answer, she leaned over to talk to Ducky and Nessa, surprising him. Lily?

"Nothing in particular," Nessa cut in quickly, wanting to avoid the werewolf subject if she could. It had been foolish to mention it at all, and she knew that. But it had caught Ducky's attention, hadn't it?

Apollo finally started paying attention. He had told Lily quite firmly that she had to come to him if she needed anything. And something in her eyes made him think she really would. But he hadn't heard from her in the weeks after graduation, and that just seemed wrong. So he turned around to face Molly head on. "Have you heard from her? She said she would- Well, that's not true. But I expected to see her after graduation."

She could feel the shift in the conversation when she cut in with her question, quite suddenly the outsider, the one not amused. Everyone else seemed to enjoy the fun of the adventure until she came crashing in, the stick in the mud. But she could not find it within her to care. She knew Nessa and Ducky meant nothing by their comments, but she had grown up hearing her family's names tossed about like there wasn't a person behind the fame. Frankly, she hadn't really put up with it in quite awhile. Now was no different.

Apollo suddenly turned to look at Molly, and the mild concern was evident in his expression when he spoke. She considered the question. "I saw her... on graduation night. She-" She told me to stay away from Roxanne Weasley. "She was by herself."

She reached into her pocket, pulling out her mobile. It wasn't often put to use but it was times like now that she appreciated Aunt Hermione reminded everyone to always have a phone on them. A quick inquiry after Lily was sent. Meanwhile, Ducky had read into the concern and was a bit unsettled by it. "I'm sure she's fine. Probably bacpacking or something." He grinned.

I never see her anymore. Haven't seen since grad.

Molly stared at the text. Regardless of how much Lily had withdrawn, Casey should have seen Lily. The two used to be inseparable and that wasn't severed so easily.

She had told her to stay away from Roxanne Weasley.

Molly stood. She muttered something that sounded like excuse me and squeezed herself passed the people on the benches, dialing Teddy's number.