Hiding in the Glitter, Lying to the Mirror (OPEN)

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Summer was nearly over, and Tatiana had spent the majority of her months away from school in the safety of her bedroom. After everything that had happened during her fourth year at Hogwarts, she hadn’t wanted to take any chances. She knew how ridiculous it must have seemed to everyone else—her parents and her siblings, especially—but what else could she do when nowhere seemed to be safe? Tania felt as though she was out of control of her own life, and it scared her. Going into Diagon Alley to purchase her school supplies wasn’t supposed to make her feel as though her heart would pound right out of her chest, but there wasn’t much that she could do about it. She considered sending one of her sisters to get her things for her, but what would she do when the new term started in September and she had no choice but to do things on her own?

While having her wand on her wouldn’t really do her any good because she wasn’t allowed to do magic outside of school, keeping it within her reach made Tania feel a little bit better. She wouldn’t have to look over her shoulder as much, and, maybe, she could get through it. The crowd was like anything she had seen in a long time, however, and she instantly regretted having ever left home. Afraid that she might have a panic attack if she were to try to conquer it, she remained up against the exterior wall of one of the street’s many shops, trying to look as though she was bored and not thoroughly terrified of every little noise.

It was much harder to act nonchalant than Tania anticipated, though the realization that she was standing beside the entrance to Quality Quidditch Supplies helped somewhat. The woody sort of smell of the broomsticks, along with the leathery odor of the Quaffle and some of the other supplies, made her feel more relaxed, as though she were at home. Finally, she was able to take a deep breath, and, from where she stood, she glanced over at the display in the shop window.

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Jamie was having the oddest sense of déjà vu. Hadn’t it been just yesterday that she was standing in this very same spot in Diagon Alley and a little old lady asked the Hufflepuff to cross the street? Yes, it had been. Approximately twenty three hours and fifty nine minutes later, Jamie was being asked the very same question by the very same little old lady – Jamie remembered the rainbow streamers on the woman’s walker. At least it wasn’t as strange the second time, because the woman actually talked to her as they made their way, tortoise-like, across the street. Her name was Regina and she had six grandchildren, all of whom had already graduated Hogwarts. She was expecting her first great-grandchild any day now, and couldn’t believe that none of the lazy slugs wanted to help her do her grocery shopping at Diagon Alley. Jamie nodded her head throughout the monologue and clicked her tongue disapprovingly when it came to the delinquent grandchildren. Regina really was quite delightful, and Jamie was actually sad when their three minute stroll across the street was finished. She had forgotten to time it again, but whatever.

Jamie had been so enamored in Regina’s saga of her family that, when they reached the opposite side of the street and parted ways, the Hufflepuff had forgotten what her original purpose in visiting Diagon had been. She was saved from the awkwardness of standing on the street corner and pondering that when she saw her fellow Hufflepuff and Quidditch player, Tatiana Krum, standing outside one of the shops in the alley. When she finally reached said shop, Jamie was pleased to find that it was Quality Quidditch Supplies, easily the best shop on the whole street. “Hey, Tatiana.” Jamie greeted happily. “How’ve you been?”

@tatiana

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From where Tania stood, she could watch the crowd for anything unusual. She could also dart into the shop and make up a lie that she needed some more Quidditch supplies, which gave her an escape route. She had enough Quidditch supplies at home to last her through the school year, if not until she graduated, but she could always purchase another bat to keep her story from falling apart. She would have to explain the purchase to her parents, though, which only complicated things. What if they wouldn't be able to understand why she had done it? Having to do so much just to keep up her façade of being a totally normal person without any anxiety at all was tiring.

Just when her brain had begun to shrivel from overthinking, Tania jumped at the sound of her own name. Seeing that it was only Jamie Greyback, she was able to relax. The Hufflepuff Quidditch team was the only thing that she had to look forward to about the upcoming school year. She wondered if Jamie had come up with a schedule for them yet, although they still had try-outs. Failing to make the team again hadn't crossed Tania's mind before, but what if she became too distracted by everything else going on in her head? What if even Quidditch was too much for her to handle?

“How've you been?” Aside from constantly anxious, Jamie meant?

“Oh. Hi, Jamie.” Maybe she could ask Jamie about her chances. She captained the team, so she would have heard if anyone had been talking about joining. If she could just slip it into their conversation… “I'm great! Looking forward to Quidditch.” Tania kept her fingers crossed that she hadn't sounded too forced.

@jamie

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Tania seemed disappointed to see her, Jamie thought, biting her lip. The other girl quickly recovered, saying she was great, and Jamie released her lip from the vice of her teeth. “That’s good.” Jamie smiled, relieved, when Tania mentioned Quidditch. It was one of the only things that Jamie was comfortable talking about with literally anyone, and Tania was actually a willing participant in the conversation. Plus, it was way better than awkward small talk about the weather. “I am, too. I think we have good chances this year.” Unless they had someone who had done mind-boggling training over the summer, Jamie was sure that Tania would easily win a position on the Hufflepuff team. The other girl was a surprisingly good beater, given how shy she could normally be, and Jamie enjoyed having her around for practices. “Are you looking for new gear, or…?” Jamie prodded gently. Given that Tania was the child of a famous ex-Quidditch player, Jamie couldn’t find a reason why she’d need to go to a shop for any of her equipment needs; companies probably sent the Krum household Quidditch supplies by the bundle in hopes that Viktor or one of his children would be spotted using any of it.

@tatiana