@❛ katerina solovyova。 the assignment was simple: go to knockturn alley and question the elderly witch who sold human-like fingernails on a tarnished argent platter in a potion shop. benjamin was sent on this particular mission because one, it was fairly easy and two, he was an unfamiliar face to these parts of diagon alley. his mentor advised him to lay low and only speak when necessary. thus, he adorned himself in onyx dyed garments and a sable cloak draped across his shoulders; the attached hood provided a cover to shield him from the prying gazes of onlookers.

before he squeezed himself inside the dingy entrance of knockturn alley, he quickly glanced left and right, besieged by a paranoia that whispered of unseen followers. with a breath laden with resolve, he finally took his first step into the territory his parents forbade him from entering as a child. the stench that wafted from the surrounding shops instantly made him want to gag but he kept his composure so as to not draw suspicion. the eeriness of the place sent a chill down his spine while a foreboding sense of eyes watching him crept over him, as if these witches and wizards knew who he was and what he was doing there. he tried to shake off the uneasiness, alas it clung stubbornly. nonetheless, he quickened his pace down the winding cobbled path leading him further into the heart of the alley.

all benjamin could hear was the reverberation of his footsteps and the hushed whispers of clandestine conversations. it seemed that every deed done here was shrouded in mystery. he searched through many storefronts, taking a short but careful look through the glass windows and had yet to find the old witch.

when he took a gander inside an odd apothecary, there stood a familiar feminine figure. something about her visage triggered a sense of déjà vu. compelled by an insatiable curiosity, he entered the shop without hesitation, the creak of the door announced his arrival. he kept his head slightly downward as he browsed through the various potions while he took quick, short peeks at the witch. with one final glance, his mind finally pieced together the puzzle of her identity. she was a champion of the triwizard potions tournament, her brilliance overshadowed all the other previous winners he had seen. ever since then, the young wizard always held great admiration for her alchemical knowledge—and possibly for her beauty as well, though such an acknowledgement would remain unvoiced.

after figuring out her identity he thought of leaving the shop to return to his assignment but as soon as his eyes spotted a blood-replenishing potion, he recalled his sibling who is currently suffering from a curse. the local healers, even the esteemed practitioners of st mungos, said that they couldn’t do anything to help, suspecting a rare case of blood malediction for which no antidote had been discovered yet. however, benjamin firmly believed there had to be a cure to this curse and he was determined to find it, even if it meant losing himself in the process. though duty brought the young wizard here, perhaps he could be selfish just this one time. fortune found him in the form of the familiar witch versed in the dark arts. he grabbed a random concoction and went up to the counter where the woman stood.

he gently placed the glass bottle on the wooden counter and matched his gaze with hers, a subtle smile graced his lips. “just this, please,” he uttered, his entire being hoping that she would recognize him.

@❛ estelle ysolda egan。 Perhaps food should’ve been a higher priority on Annette’s list. After work, and more work, and even more work, it had taken second to last place, thwarted only by sleeping in the least of her concerns, and that is what led Annette to this predicament.

She was not one to frequent the reading of Muggle Medical Journals, but one had caught her eye. Maybe it was just a random article that she saw when passing the papers or on her phone, she didn’t quite remember, the information being the only thing that kept her attention to this day.

Going without food causes an appetite for sweet things.

Something like that. It all connected with Annette then, even if it wasn’t true. She wasn’t a doctor, either Muggle or otherwise, so she had no idea if the paper was true… Yet, it seemed to be.

Because today, Annette’s first meal of the day at around 6pm, was her sneaking off to the bakery. It was a quaint little thing, one she tried not to frequent often yet somehow always found her way sneaking back at this time on this day. Her stomach grumbling, but the idea of something savoury, something healthy, not enough to satisfy this craving.

Before entering the shop, she looked both ways, paranoid of a familiar face. She had already inspected through the window— praying to whatever God she both believed in and didn’t believe in— that she had managed to check every nook and cranny she could… Yet, there was a blindspot, for when Annette had entered, tentatively told the cashier her order, and turned around— there it was. A familiar face.

[] this room is *technically* hogsmeade but hshfd i thought it would be easier and didn't wanna ask for a diff room so... i hope it works!