Friend's in Foreign Places [Gus]

[Deleted]

January 10, 2026
@auguste

Emma had settled into her new flat and was trying to grow accustomed to the... cold and dampness of England. IT was very different from France, where she'd worked the past few years, and Spain, her home. She'd been miserably cold and wet since the arrival but hadn't known where to go to potentially remedy the situation. That is, until the stable she now worked at had let her know of a shop in "Diagon Alley" that would have high quality winter gear. Such an odd name, Diagon Alley. She remembered it vaguely because she'd stayed at the Leaky Cauldron the first 2 weeks in London. 

Being fitted wasn't anything new to Emma. She was very used to it. From her upbringing she'd been having things tailor made to fit her since she was a child. Also, in her line of work they'd always made sure that her equipment fit her perfectly. The staff also seemed friendly enough. They were very respectful as they measured her, then showed her a few samples of things they had in stock. Unfortunately, nothing that would fit her the way she wanted immediately, but they could quickly make a few adjustments. So, after selecting a few items the staff left her to wait in the sitting area while they tailored the pieces.

It was while she was sitting there that the door opened. She didn't look immediately, as she'd been focused on her phone, but then she had this feeling that she should look up and see who it was. It was a rather absurd though, she still knew very few people here. But to her surprise? When she did investigate the patron that had entered the tailoring shop she realized that she did recognize him. Auguste Courtemanche. Her eyebrows raised eye. Of course, she knew him from the magazines and musical albums, but the recognition went even further back then that. They'd gone to school together. He'd graduated two years before her. "Auguste? What brings you here?" She asked in French, a language that was very second nature to her from her years at Beauxbatons and working in France. 

[Deleted]

Gus had always been vain, spoiled and more than a little bit out of the loop when it came to normal life. He had a full on walk in closet in his home that was stuffed with all kinds of clothes and he still didn't feel like he had enough to wear. In annoyance he'd decided to go shopping and while Diagon Alley was busy he knew it had some of the best places to buy clothes. He had a special pair of enchanted sunglasses that mostly kept people from noticing him in a peculiar way. From what he understood they could see him perfectly, they just didn't consider him interesting in the moment. Naturally this didn't work very well for those that actually knew him and didn't consider him interesting because of his fame. Those people were not so easily thrown off by what was essentially a complicated but weak charm. So he managed to get to the store he had in mind without any trouble, only to be recognised once inside.

He took the glasses off, smiling brightly as he recognised the woman that had called for him. She spoke to him in French and the language was music to his ears, even though he still lived in France. He liked Diagon Alley mostly because it was easier to stop by Sienna from there and well, he loved visiting his girlfriend and seeing if he could steal some of her time between the bubbling cauldrons that occupied ever so much of it. "Emma." He said, walking up to her and (as the French do) kissed both her cheeks."You look fantastic!" He complimented her easily, still speaking French, since she'd opted for that language over English. It would always have his own preference as well after all. "I got bored with my wardrobe and figured I'd expand on it. I was thinking deep read with golden trims, what do you think?" He asked with an easy smile on his face. "Would it suit me?" He twirled dramatically for a moment, smiling easily. "But what brings you here. I haven't seen you in years!" He said as he fell down on to the sofa with her. "Last I heard you worked in France still. Decided to come to the gloomy UK? I wouldn't see why, since the weather here is abysmal." He said, quite easily trying to make conversation. He'd always been a bit of a charmer, but he clearly wasn't trying to flirt this time, which was an odd change, coming from him. Well, until you considered he was with Sienna again. She always had brought out the best in him.

@emma

[Deleted]

January 10, 2026
@auguste

It was still such a surprise for Emma to run into someone she knew in England. What were the chances? Especially at some random shop in Diagon Alley? And not just someone that she'd known in passing, but a former class mate. Though they'd never been what you'd consider close friends, she'd never disliked him. He'd been a flirt, and very extroverted, but he was a good person. Now-a-days he was quite the celebrity though. That didn't really bother her. Considering her work as a professional jockey, she wasn't exactly a nobody either in the right circles.

Immediately, social etiquette kicked in and she got to her feet, just in time for him to reach her and she returned the gesture, though not quite as flamboyantly as he did, of kissing his cheeks. She found herself smiling softly. While she'd never expected to see his face here, it was a welcome surprise. "Oh, please. I look frozen. Hardly fantastic." She answered humbly as she returned to her seat. He was just as flamboyant as ever, something he'd clearly not outgrown since graduating. "I think that would be quite regal." She paused for a moment, still smiling softly. "If anyone could wear it, you could." She finished. Considering his personality it would suit him quite nicely, she imagined.

He took the spot on the couch next to her and she shifted just a little so he'd have room. "I was- racing in France that is." She started. While not as widely liked as Quidditch Magical horse racing was a popular sport. "But the Fletwock family reached out to me." She paused, feeling the flutter in her chest every time she thought about the stable she was going to be racing for. Fletwock was a huge name in winged horse races. "They want me to race for them. So..." she motioned with her hands, as if to silently say "and here I am". But really, working for the Fletwock stable was basically a dream for jockeys like Emma.

[Deleted]

Emma claimed she looked frozen and Gus merely nodded knowingly. "Ah yes, the weather here. Absolute nightmare. I need more sunlight than the clouds here seem willing to give me. Immune to my charms it seems." He said with a wink at her. Since they'd been in class together she was more than well aware of his flirting and ridiculous behaviour back in those days. He was trying to be better now, although he dreaded the conversation with Sienna. He wasn't too keen on what he feared the result would be. Not that he wanted that result, so he simply pretended everything was as it always was. If things ended in a way he did not expect at least the press and tabloids wouldn't have as much of a field day as they otherwise would have. He didn't like making things too easy on them where his love life was concerned. Not that there ever had been one to speak of before, so he had pretty much no experience.

She listened to his idea for a dress robe and smiled slightly as she said it would look quite regal and that he could certainly pull it off. Well he did hope so, since he hated dressed in boring ways. How on earth was he supposed to stand out at all if he couldn't show off his sparkling personality through his clothes? It was a form of expression and he loved just how much clothes could do for a person. He loved the influence they had on the perception people had and the image they made. He wasn't exactly seen as a very regular guy and was easily known to be a bit of an outcast, which helped a lot. He was different than others, in his own way.

The topic moved to her job and she mentioned she'd switched from racing in France to racing in the UK, which seemed similar but with less pleasant weather. He nodded thoughtfully. "I vaguely remember them being big. Our family used to go to horse races from time to time when we were kids. Something something social connections. I personally wasn't interested in it, although that had more to do with the fact most people came to socialise more than to watch the races and I didn't get to entertain myself while I was there. I had to play little prodigy without showing off. Boring like you wouldn't imagine." He said with quite the eye roll. His instruments of choice had always been the guitar, but he was quite proficient on the piano as well. He'd been playing classical pieces for years before he'd discovered rock and roll in his teen years and he'd never looked back. He could still play 'für Elise' perfectly, among other pieces, but it hardly interested him compared to his own music. He'd rather play something with more anger to it, as that kind of music resonated with him far more than the pretty stuff did. "Maybe I'll come watch you race at some point in the future. Cause a nice little scandal by showing up." He said with a big grin on his face. He did love a little drama for all the right reasons. Even if he behaved perfectly the gossip column would likely find something saucy to be suggesting for a trip so highly out of character for him.

@emma

[Deleted]

January 10, 2026
@auguste

Emma was from Spain, and had spent a great majority of her life in France. That meant that she was absolutely not conditioned for this Northern weather. The cold rains, cloudy skies. It seemed Gus felt the same though. "Unfortunately I don't think you can charm the weather to be clear," she answered. His reputation wasn't just a recent event. He'd been a flirt all through school. Emma had never minded his flirting, though she'd never reciprocated it. She knew he flirted as easily as breathing and that just simply wasn't something she'd ever been interested in. But it had never seemed to bother him through school.

While Emma would have much preferred to continue racing in more pleasant weathered countries, sometimes the stable would trump all. In this case, racing for the Fletwock family wasn't an opportunity you simply passed. Hell, they could be in Antartica and the location would make no difference. It was the name that mattered. Legends in the magical horse racing scene. She nodded as he spoke. "They are one of the biggest names in Europe when it comes to racing." As he went on to mention attending some races growing up, and how boring they'd been because they were more about socializing she chuckled softly. "It an experience, not just a sport. You don't go just to watch the race and be done like Quidditch." She didn't blame his thoughts though, as she could see how some would find it quite boring. She'd been raised on the tracks though, so it was anything but boring to her. Though, at the mention of his showing up to a current race and causing a scandal? Emma smiled a little wider then her usual shy smiles. "As long as you don't embarrass me, Gus. The tracks could always use the extra publicity." To be honest? It was always good when celebrities came to the races.

[Deleted]

Despite the fact Gus pretty much flirting with almost anything on legs, he was smart enough to know when people were not interested and didn't actually expect anybody to reciprocate any interest he showed in them. If they did? Added bonus more than anything. He was a naturally flirty guy and quite enjoyed doing so as well and most of his friend didn't mind that he couldn't hold out a normal converstation without some light flirtation most of the time. In a rare few situations he could, but it was not quite common. The idea of not being able the charm the weather had him looking playfully thoughtful for a moment as he looked at the ceiling as if it were the sky itself. "I suppose not, although if raindances really are a thing it suggests that the clouds do love to dance." He said with a wink. He had no clue of there was actually such a thing or if people had just misunderstood some rituals for their own sake. It was always possible. He liked to keep his nose rather far from that sort of terrain.

He nodded as she mentioned the stable was one of the most famous names in the industry. It made sense she wanted to race for them. Had he started his career out of desire rather than having been shoved to start he also would have cared a lot more about which label he'd signed with. As it stood, his father had hired a lawyer to ensure the contract offered was proper and he'd just signed with one of the first that offered. Not the very first as it seemed their deal had been attrocious (his fathers words, not his) so Gus had politely declined, rolled his eyes at the fact his father made him reject them and pushed through the agreed amount of gigs. By the end of that series he'd been signed on by a much better label (once again, according to his father) and Gus had simply done as he was told (up to some point) and hadn't bothered to figure out too much of the politics. He was there to make music after all. Naturally that had changed over time as he realised he loved his job and wanted to ensure he could keep doing it in a way that he enjoyed.

He chuckled as she called it an experience. "Oh trust me, we had plenty of those in the family. Experiences..." He rolled his eyes. "Snobby rich folk gathering to bet on horses as they gossip over overpriced beverages and showcase their jewelry to prove just how rich they are. I was more interested in the horses and the races but well, we went to socialise so socialise we would." He laughed and shook his head slightly. "My dad said it was good for business so we usually behaved decently. My mom would sneak in candy for us to bribe us to behave." He smiled a nostalgic little smile, although he ended his story there. Naturally they'd stopped going after his mother passed since it was impossible for their father to contain three rather emotionally unstable kids (though Meric had been an adult by then but Gus acted out enough for three separate children) so he hadn't actually been to a show in years.

The smile on her face was enough to brighten his day, as he always liked doing a little something for his friends. "Oh how you jest." He teased her slightly, nudging her playfully. "You know I'm an embarrassment looking for a place to happen. The kind usually depends on company and location. I go for a very different kind of drama in the social circles you work in." He said with a delightfully vicious smirk on his face. "If my showing up isn't enough on it's own the amount of presumptions will surely flourish depending on the company I bring or the people I show most interest in while there...." He said with a playful wink. Since he and Sienna had not yet broken up while this conversation was going on he shrugged. He wasn't sure if his relationship could last the drama but he wasn't going to admit to that before it burned to pieces. "Though if Sienna wants to join I'll surely be on my best behaviour. The snobbiest amongst the crowd will find the gossip of me bringing such a commoner plenty entertaining. Should I come alone and have a singular friendly conversation with you they'll surely have plenty to talk about to draw a bunch of incorrect conclusions so it'll bring a scandal sized to the venue. I promise I'll behave so that the publicity won't be too bad." He said with a bit of a laugh. If they struck up a conversation at any point the track would surely spend more attention on her and the actual races, so he definitively had plans to make sure they could have a short conversation after the race was done, if at all possible.

@emma