melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
“You have been hurt during the attack. Can you identify or at least make a justified assumption? Did you recognize something?”
“I recognized who attacked me, and yeah, I can definitely identify him. Alexzander Archer. A stupid fucking mudblood with no control over his powers or his actions. He attacked Olivier Dupond and I. Nearly killed me, the fucking arse.”
Before he could ask anything or comment, Melinda held up a hand. “But don’t bother acting like you care. I’ve lived here my whole life. I know shit only gets done when it’s done to a Weasley. No one bats an eye when a Pucey is attacked. I’ll see Alex walking down the street next week and you’ll spew some bullshit about no proof or hearsay or whatever the fuck, and I’ll probably have to fend for my life again. And if I die, no one will care.”
Tilting her head, she gave a shrug. “Are we done?”
melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
Scarlet Letters / Zonko’s
“So cute of you,” she smiled almost warmly for a moment before the smile dissolved into nothingness and her facial expression hardened. It wasn’t that the story of the lost girl didn’t touch her. It was that she didn’t care enough to waste money on it, no matter how tragic it was. “But I’m not interested. Beg somewhere else.”
Melinda was immediately annoyed. Her eyelashes flickered in irritated little bursts... but then the flame died out. “Go be a raging bitch in someone else’s store. You don’t live upstairs anymore, and I’m not in the mood,” she grumbled, turning to walk away.
melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
Scarlet Letters / Zonko’s
“That’s nice. I think she would be very happy with that. Yeah, that’s all. I won’t use the ink so it’d be better for me to donate directly but I like the gesture. “
Giving a nod, Melinda sucked in a breath and tried to hold herself higher than she felt. “You can follow me to the counter, then. I’ll box these up and wrap them for you.”
So much was still on her tongue. She fought the urge to say anything at all until she reached the counter and started to put each quill in their designated boxes - each designed to go with their designated quill - and then she couldn’t take the silence anymore. It was deafening. “I’m sorry,” she blurted at first, out of character and odd, but what wasn’t off about Melinda nowadays? “About your... uncle, or whatever, I mean. Your uncle and your cousin. Whatever, whoever- It sucks. I should have said it a long time ago, but...” She let it hang in the air as she finished tying a bow on another box, moving on to the next.
melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
Scarlet Letters / Zonko’s
Put on the spot, Sam froze for a fraction of a second. “Um.. I’m afraid I’m only browsing today. My little brother, I want to get him something for when he finishes his third year exams. So… don’t worry, I can just take a look around.”
“If he likes pranks or gag gifts, we’ve got a section for that,” Melinda replied, turning with her arms crossed and giving a nod towards the shelves filled with all sorts of merry-makers. “What’s your budget? Finding something shouldn’t be too hard. Most pre-pubescent boys are easy to please.”
melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
The Lake
No. I am earth. All this is is skimming stones? No magic involved? You know… just throwing a rock?
“You said you and the lake had an understanding. I thought maybe you meant it literally.” Melinda sighed as she sat down at the edge of the lake, just out of the shoreline’s reach. “I’ve never gotten along well with water, myself.” She held up a hand, let flames sprout from the skin and stay there, cackling for a moment, before she closed her palm and the fire snuffed out, nothing but smoke rising from her fist. She opened it again as the last of the smoke trailed out, watching as it disappeared up into the air. “Do you come out here a lot? To skip rocks?”
melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
He followed her to the couch, still struck by the softer image of Melinda. “You’re ‘ealing. It takes a lot of energy. You’re entitled to your rest. I would tell Lawrence the same,” he added the last quickly before she could accuse him of coddling her because she was a woman. “Do you ‘ave enough cover for Zonko’s?”
“I ‘ad no intention. You are a fierce, strong warrior and all I would dare be is grateful I ‘ave you at my back,” he threw up his hands in mock defense but was careful not to sound mocking or teasing with his voice as he gave the only answer that didn’t lead to fighting. His body was turned to face her and his head leaned against the backrest of the couch too. It was harder to hold back the apologies she said not to give or the argument neither of them meant everything even if they had. Instead he focused on a strand of hair that was hanging by her face and other desires he resisted to tuck it back behind her ear. He nodded absently, understanding exactly what kind of tired she meant but not wanting to increase the echo of hopelessness and dissatisfaction with life he felt by giving it voice. “Where would you go?” He voiced a slightly more safe question instead. “What moment do you think is the best or you would change?”
“I have enough. I’m working when I can. Darius is doing better, even if he’s still not completely the same, so there’s him. He’s being good with it all.” She rubbed at her forehead, trying not to think about work. “I need to hire more staff though. I don’t care how long it’s been, Darius will still need breaks, too.”
With a soft chuckle that seemed so out of character, Melinda nodded. “Damn right,” she mumbled back, and sighed as she looked over at Olivier, facing her from his place on the couch now.
The question he asked was a loaded one. So many answers sprung to mind. Back, before Scarlet went missing. Back, before she burned WWW. Back, before Darius had been attacked. But none of them seemed right.
She knew exactly what she would change.
“I would go back to sixth year,” she said softly, looking down at the floor. “I would... just... be better. Tell myself to be better, I don’t know, however it works. I wouldn’t ruin everything the way that I did just because I was burning from the inside out.” I would be a better friend. To Scarlet, and to Roxanne.
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Scarlet Letters / Zonko’s
“That sounds beautiful.” He was honest and his mind jumped to how he would have created a line of scorpion patterned clothes or anything if his best friend, not Melinda’s, never returned home. He understood her, even if for a moment only. “I would like one of each, if possible. How much do I owe you?”
Melinda took a moment, eyeing him up and down, before she gave a nod and gathered up one of each quill delicately. It was odd - how she suddenly felt that odd tug, the need to talk to him about what she was going through - but she couldn’t. “Since there are five quills, and they cost roughly ten galleons each, I’ll round the price down to fifty-five galleons. We are running a special on the companion glitter ink collection when you purchase a quill, if you need any. Half-price on the ink.”
melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
badass female character aesthetics: amma preaker/crellin, sharp objects
melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
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melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
Eiza Gonzalez for Harper’s Bazaar
melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
I don’t want to set things on fire anymore. / That’s all. That’s all.
Darshana Suresh, from “Birds on a Power Line,” Howling at the Moon (via lifeinpoetry)
melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
qvakewrites
eiza gonzález for latina magazine, may/june 2017.
melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
Scarlet Letters / Zonko’s
“The proceeds should go to the orphanage she was volunteering at.” It’s just her opinion, shared to be helpful if anything, not to imply or judge that Melinda didn’t know best about her best friend–not to imply that or judge much at least. “I’ll take those two.” She pointed out which.
Melinda clenched her jaw and swallowed thickly as she gathered the quills Roxanne had pointed to. “That’s where the proceeds from the glitter ink Scarlet came up with are going to, since we sell more of those on a regular basis. It’s why we’re offering a deal when you buy them as a pair.” She tried not to sound as snippy as she reflexively wanted to. “Can I interest you in any of the new colors of glitter ink we have in stalk, or will that be all?”
melinthedarkness-blog reblogged
Scarlet Letters / Zonko’s
“Five of each.” She repeated under her breath, looking at the quills for a moment. She blinked and turned her eyes to the woman, “I’ll take whichever two you pick.”
Melinda’s lips twitched with a genuine smile momentarily. “While that sounds very generous of you, there are only five of each kind. And as such, we’ve limited the purchase to two of one style per customer.” She started to gather two of each quill, however, looking between them and the girl. “Gotta say, I’m confused by that second bit. Do you mean you don’t want to keep all the ones you’re purchasing - just two? Or you only want to purchase two of the styles?”
