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Post by Raphaela Dominguez on Jan 2, 2010 12:34:10 GMT -5
(I only tag Patrick here because the open threads hardly ever get answered).
If there was one thing that Rafi didn't like about her job, it was how often she found herself having to go to Knockturn Alley. Everyone knew that all matter of dark deeds happened there, which was why, she supposed, the majority of muggle artifact misuse took place there. She was just coming back from apprehending a piece, alert and watching around her because the area never really made her feel at ease. It was like everyone knew she was an outsider and they all had their eyes on her. It gave her the chills.
Picking up the pace of her feet a bit, she turned a corner and just barely avoiding bumping into someone, coming up short as he startled her. "I'm sorry," she said, glad that their two bodies had not collided.
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Post by Patrick Feeny on Jan 3, 2010 1:01:04 GMT -5
Patrick, on the other hand, had only recently discovered Knockturn Alley. He had found Diagon Alley a few years earlier, after reading a book that detailed the way to get into the magical street, but Knockturn Alley had not been discussed. In fact, it was so well-hidden that he had not noticed it for quite some time. When he finally did, it took him a little while to decide to check it out. If he was to go through with the documentary, he needed to show all about the wizarding world, especially the darker aspects of it. His only concern was how he could get his muggle camera down there without getting caught. He really wished cameras were smaller.
He was currently on a scouting mission, just checking out possible locations. And like everyone who came down Knockturn Alley, he was wearing a black hooded cloak to cover his face. And even though he now knew he really needed to keep his eyes forward in this place, he was surreptitiously looking around as he walked. Because of this, he didn't notice the woman until he nearly crashed into her.
"Don't you know you're not supposed to apologize in Knockturn Alley? It's like announcing that you're not a regular."
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Post by Raphaela Dominguez on Jan 3, 2010 1:11:10 GMT -5
Rafi straightened out her robes and her hair. She was too eager to get out, that was her problem, ultimately. If she'd been calm and casual about leaving, she wouldn't have nearly plowed into this man... and she was suspicious of anyone who wanted to keep themselves hidden.
So she straightened her spine as well. "Yes, well, unfortunately I am a regular," she replied, enunciating her words clearly, though her accent was still evident. Besides, it wasn't really a lie. She may not have been into Dark Arts, but those who were tended to curse muggle objects, so yes, she was a regular here. "I just happen to be a polite one. If you'll excuse me..." she gestured towards a little side alley that he was standing in front of, clearly blocking her way.
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Post by Patrick Feeny on Jan 3, 2010 2:08:14 GMT -5
He raised an eyebrow at her, not that she could see it. "You have to admit that it's pretty unusual," he said. "So is the fact that you're not hiding your face. It shows that you're either really confident... or really dense. Or maybe you just like the thrill."
The light in Knockturn Alley was always dark, and wearing the dreaded hood didn't really help. It was a little bit hard to see her, even without the standard black hood. But as he squinted through the darkness at her, it occurred to him that she was very beautiful. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't intrigued.
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Post by Raphaela Dominguez on Jan 3, 2010 2:19:55 GMT -5
He was still blocking her path, and she was starting to tense up. It was supposed to be a quick run... she had a few allies here as well, and it was one of them that held onto the item for her. So it was supposed to be in, out, and done with it. So why was she so bloody unlucky that she ran into someone who would give her trouble?
"Let's go with confident," Rafi replied, fingering her wand in her robe pocket, ready to grab it quickly if she needed to. "It shows that I don't have anything to hide. Now will you please move?"
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Post by Patrick Feeny on Jan 3, 2010 16:55:27 GMT -5
Patrick chuckled. "Ok, fair enough," he replied and abruptly removed his hood, revealing his face. "To tell you the truth, I just wear the hood so I can blend in, not because I'm trying to hide anything. Some of the people that come down here can be pretty scary, you know. But since you're not afraid of them, maybe you can protect me."
There was a mischievous smile on his face that made it clear that he was teasing her slightly. But the truth was, he was definitely intrigued by a woman who could walk down Knockturn Alley without a hood to hide her face and who wasn't afraid to talk bakc when challenged.
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Post by Raphaela Dominguez on Jan 4, 2010 15:13:10 GMT -5
Rafi felt more at ease when he showed his face... but only a little. It meant he was confident, too, and confidence could be dangerous. The reason she didn't wear a hood was because she didn't want to be mistaken for having the wrong loyalties here. "Well, you should be careful," she said, still trying to assess him. "Fitting in around these parts can be dangerous, too. You can get caught up in some shady things. Anyway, I'm on my way back to the Ministry."
She threw that out there so that if he was thinking of doing anything, he would hopefully thing twice about doing it to a Ministry official. She swore, next time, it was Weasely's turn to come down here.
"Are you... looking for something in particular? I may be able to point you to a shop in Diagon Alley."
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Post by Patrick Feeny on Jan 13, 2010 16:54:06 GMT -5
Patrick smiled. Although he had been raised a muggle, his research had taught him all about the Ministry of Magic, so he understood what she was doing. She was trying to assert her authority to warn him against trying anything. He doubted most of the really shifty types who frequented the alley would be intimidated, but he gave her an A for effort.
“Oh, I was just looking for some slug-repellant,” he replied without blinking an eye. “My poor garden is getting eaten alive, and I heard that there are some good slug-repellants in one of the shops down here. I think one of my friends might have been playing a trick on me, though… I haven’t found any yet.”
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Post by Raphaela Dominguez on Jan 21, 2010 15:28:46 GMT -5
(Oh my god wow. I opened it up and saw his banner and just died a little)
Rafi frowned at his answer. "You probably should have questioned it when they mentioned where it was," she told him, not without a certain amount of judgement in her voice. Could he blame her, though? He'd given her every indication that he wanted to start trouble just a few minutes ago, and she was still a little on edge, a little suspicious.
"There's a shop in Diagon Alley right next to the Apothecary that may have what you're looking for. Or even the potions store that the children shop at... you'd at least find the ingredients for your own repellant. I could show you the way."
Mostly, she offered because she wanted to make sure that he wasn't doing something shady and trying to shake her.
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Post by Patrick Feeny on Jan 22, 2010 16:38:01 GMT -5
He had actually come looking for a book on dark magic. Being self-taught in magic, he was anxious to learn whatever he could of it. He even had a wand that he’d bought on the black market, since he would have raised quite a lot of suspicion if he walked into Ollivander’s to buy a wand without ever having been there before. Besides, Ollivander’s wands were all registered with the Ministry, and, since he was not actually licensed to practice magic, he didn’t want anything to be traceable.
All of these reasons should have been enough to tell him not to mess with this beautiful Ministry worker. He should just make an excuse and walk out of the alley and come back again later. But no, he found he just couldn’t resist the danger.
“You know, I looked in Diagon Alley, but I must have missed that store. I’d be very grateful if you could show me the way.” He followed this up with his most charming smile.
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Post by Raphaela Dominguez on Jan 23, 2010 3:01:06 GMT -5
Rafi fully expected him to make some excuse to get away from her and back to whatever he was up to her. And yeah, she was still very suspicious of him. So when he accepted her help looking for a shop in Diagon Alley, her eyebrows rose in surprise.
But after the show she just put on, what did they call it in English? Posturing? Yes, that was it, she couldn't say no to him now.
"All right. Come on," she said, nodding in the direction she was headed. She regarded him once more and then held out her hand. Know they enemy... or potential enemy, right? "My name is Raphaela," she said, expecting him to give her his name in return.
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Post by Patrick Feeny on Jan 26, 2010 16:50:42 GMT -5
“Raphaela,” Patrick replied, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Patrick.”
He could be very charming when he wanted to be, and right now, it suited him. The last thing he needed right now was a member of the ministry of magic investigating him. If she was suspicious of him, he wanted to throw her off the scent.
“I’m really very lucky you came along. I wore the cloak and hood because I was told that was the way to fit in around here… I really didn’t want to get the attention of any of the regulars. I take it you’re here on official business?”
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Post by Raphaela Dominguez on Jan 28, 2010 2:59:29 GMT -5
Rafi's eyes narrowed just a little at his charm. Merlin, she hated coming down here. It always set her on edge, and encounters like this made her... well, just wary. But she was a strong girl, and could handle it.
"It's nice to meet you, too, Patrick," she said politely, gesturing their way back towards Diagon Alley.
"I was here on business," she explained. "But I've... completed my assignment, yes? I don't have to be back at the Ministry until tomorrow." She wasn't quite ready to tell him what department she worked in.
"Where are you from?" She asked rather blatantly. "I'm obviously not from here either... that means we have something in common." Her accent clearly gave her away, not that she minded.
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Post by Patrick Feeny on Jan 28, 2010 16:58:31 GMT -5
He actually didn’t mind her attempts at small talk. Maybe she was feeling him out for information to determine if she was someone she should be checking into, but turnabout was fair play. He could question her just as easily, and he intended to.
“Ireland, originally,” he replied. “All the way up north, in a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. But I’ve been living in the area for the past few months. I’ve a little house in Godric’s Hollow, with a tiny little garden. I’ll admit, I’m not much of a gardener, but I’m giving it a go. And you? Where are you from? Spain? What brings you to England?”
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Post by Raphaela Dominguez on Feb 1, 2010 3:47:09 GMT -5
Rafi's eyebrows went up as he turned the interrogation on her. Not that it was really an interrogation, but she still wanted to figure Patrick out. He made her incredibly nervous one minute, and now he was just very friendly. Maybe it was just the relief of finding someone who could help him and who was nice in return.
"Yes, I am from Espain," she replied, not quite losing the "eh" sound in front of the country, despite the careful way she always enounciated her words. Despite having lived her for a while, years, in fact, it was still painfully obvious that she wasn't from England. It was because she had too much contact with people from Spain, and went there so often, even if she never went 'home.'
"I went to Hogwarts and started work in the Ministry as soon as I graduated. Well, I was a waitress for a year first. I'm afraid I don't know much to help you with your garden, though. I tend to kill all my plants."
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Post by Patrick Feeny on Feb 3, 2010 23:30:27 GMT -5
Patrick nodded. "So you attended Hogwarts, then?" he said. "I am afraid I did not attend Hogwarts. My father sent me to Durmstrang instead."
It was, of course, a total lie. But it would be harder for her to check up on him, if she decided to do so. Of course, he understood that Durmstrang had a certain reputation, and he hoped that wouldn't be another black mark against him for her. Right now, she was a contact, and any contacts he could get would be useful. He tried to ignore the fact that she was also beautiful.
"That's quite all right. I'm doing fine with my garden, except for the slugs. A little of that slug-repellent should really help me."
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Post by Raphaela Dominguez on Feb 19, 2010 16:41:33 GMT -5
"Yes, I did go to 'Ogwarts. For a couple of years, anyway."
She smiled here, unsure what else to say to him. But the smile at least meant that she wasn't ready for an attack or anything like that... even if he did mention going to a school notorious for turning out Dark wizards, his charm was slowly letting him off the hook.
"The shop is just up there," she told him, pointing to the quaint little building, her eyes remaining on him. There was still some underlying suspicion in her eyes, but it was probably just her habit of being too overly cautious about things. "I'll go in with you."
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Post by Patrick Feeny on Feb 22, 2010 0:11:57 GMT -5
Patrick's smile didn't waver, even if her continued presence meant that he was actually going to have to buy slug-repellent. Still, it made good sense to keep this woman on his good side. What was the saying? Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer? Not that this woman was exactly his enemy... but unbeknownst to her, he was her enemy.
Besides, she was beautiful, and who could resist the urge to spend time with a beautiful woman?
"Thanks. Really, I appreciate it. Who knows what trouble I could have gotten into down there? That's the last time I listen to my idiot friends."
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Post by Raphaela Dominguez on Mar 8, 2010 15:32:48 GMT -5
"Si, you should be more careful listening to whatever friend of yours that was. It's not funny, you know. Knocturn Alley is dangerous. It gives me the... what's the word for the little bumps on your skin? Chills."
Was she babbling? Merlin. She didn't feel the threat from Patrick anymore, though it was her nature to be wary anyway. It couldn't hurt, especially in the times they were in now.
"I'm sorry. Here," they were standing in front of the shop, and she reached out, opening the door and slipping inside first, her hand on the glass to keep it open for him to walk through.
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Post by Patrick Feeny on Mar 14, 2010 11:51:49 GMT -5
"Well, if it's any consolation, I couldn't tell that you were nervous at all," Patrick offered, smiling at her. "It takes guts to walk down the alley like that, not even wearing a hood and looking the way you do. If you don't mind me saying so, you are a very beautiful woman."
He added a charming little wink at that statement before he walked into the shop. He could have also commented that it was supposed to be the man who held the door open for the woman, but he refrained, knowing that she was only doing it as a way of reminding him that she still did not entirely trust him. And she shouldn't. He was already wondering just what he was going to do with slug repellant. He was also hoping that the small amount of wizard money that he was carrying was going to be enough.
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