sign of the times | sienna

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon

THE OWL HAD ARRIVED PROMPTLY TO ROSIE'S flat three weeks prior. Albus couldn't remember when he'd stopped getting his mail delivered to his mum's house in Godric's Hollow. He'd been staying so often at Rosie's that it was hard to quantify the time. Everything, of course, came back to Harry Potter. Inside the crisp parchment lay an open invitation to counsel a small 'spring outreach' program for young and ambitious wizards. It wasn't far out in Snowdonia, a simple portkey away.

Albus had thought immediately to refuse. Back when he'd been a 'wizarding teen' he'd attended the summer sleepaway camp in France twice. It appealed to the perfectionist in him, plus nobody would know who his swot of a brother was there. Alas, it had been a lot of sleepless nights and at one point a near brawl with a girl well his senior over the specifics of a Felix Felicis potion. He remembered it with a fond sort of annoyance. It was run by the same program, but Albus had never pictured himself as a counsellor. And yet...

The portkey dropped Albus three miles away from the small cluster of cabins near Llyn Geirionydd. He hoofed it through the woods with a backpack and a feeling of regret twisting up his insides. He'd only agreed because it was mere months from his Auror qualifying exam and it was distraction worth attempting. Albus had not excepted to be received by a cluster of restless teenagers of varying ages, with few adults and a general lack of order. Plopped down in the 'feeding hall' with a cup of tea and a promise that someone would be around to 'show you your quarters, mate'.

Albus sipped the tea with mild suspicion, bag still hooked over one shoulder as he looked through the opposite window. Outside, two teenagers were wrestling with wooden swords and handfuls of mud. It was all a bit mad, he thought, when a throat clearing made him turn to see just who was to 'show him the ropes'. "Uh, 'ello." Albus stuttered, a frog in his throat as he set his chipped mug down and stared up in to the sharp blue eyes of his guide. "I'm Albus, are you here to show me my room?" He asked, wrinkling his nose slightly as he felt the weight of expectation curl his shoulders. "Is it always like this?" He gestured over his shoulder, where the scuffing and grunting could still be herd. 

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Spring 2026

Summer camp had always been an important part of Sienna’s life. The idea had started with her father - Sienna had taken the magical world in stride, but her interest had paled in comparison to her dad discovering that magic was real. Buying textbooks for school? He insisted on accompanying her, which always ended with him buying more than necessary – because what if she would somehow need “The Warlock’s Guide to Fantastical Feats” and not have it? Or insisting that she brew a potion so he could watch, only to make ridiculous suggestions -- don’t you need to hop on one foot three times while stirring, or keep a black cat nearby while avoiding mirrors or ladders? He loved the idea of his daughter being part of a wizarding society – joining group chats with other Muggle parents of young witches, sneaking out her textbooks from her trunk during summer visits to learn about the Soap Blizzard of 1378, and doing everything possible to remain a relevant part of his daughter’s life.

That was why he’d been keen on the summer camp recommended by the Beauxbatons Headmaster (“it’s a fantastic opportunity to meet other young witches and wizards from all over Europe, Si!”). So she’d gone every summer since she was 11 years old, first to indulge her father, and then because she had genuinely started to enjoy it. The camp offered a mix of magical and non-magical activities, everything from sword-fighting and archery to potions and magical arts and crafts. And it had been her first real exposure to magical life outside of Beauxbatons too – students from Hogwarts and Durmstrang that happily taught her about British pop culture, or a neat little Scandinavian spell to quickly ice over an entire lake for ice-skating. Even after graduation, Si had still found ways to squeeze counselor duties into her work schedule. She had volunteered to staff the spring outreach program months ago, once it had become clear that she wouldn’t be able to leave Aware Wolf to Rob for an entire summer.

But…this was the first time that Sienna was dreading it. When she had made her plans, she’d been on top of the world! Everything was going her way, and it seemed unthinkable to skip camp when it was so close to her heart. But now, several weeks after her break-up with Gus, her heart felt like it had been trampled and abused until she just couldn’t feel it anymore. It was too late to cancel, so Sienna had moved into the usual cabin and organized the day’s schedule unenthusiastically. Merlin, she just wanted to get this over with so she could stop pretending that she was okay. As a senior counselor, she’d be expected to show the first-timers how everything worked, so Sienna tucked her phone back into her bag with a sigh and wandered outside.

It wasn’t difficult to find the newest counselor– he was sipping tea and watching everything with a wide-eyed ‘deer in the headlights’ gaze. He looked incredibly lost, like he didn’t quite know what he was doing here, and normally that would mean Sienna would treat him more gently to ease the transition. As it was, she couldn’t quite muster a smile as she approached. He’d have to make do with ‘barely keeping it together.’ “Yeah, that’s me,” she confirmed, eyes drifting down to his unfinished tea and his bag tossed carelessly over one shoulder. She wondered if Albus was supposed to be a common English name – she’d once known an Albus at camp, although he’d been quite the little twat who thought he could keep up with seventh-years. Her eyes drifted to the wrestling teenagers as Albus gestured uncertainly behind him. “No,” she said, real amusement creeping into her tone. “Those campers are actually where they’re supposed to be and doing what they’re supposed to do. That doesn’t happen much. We can stop by your cabin to drop off your things, then you’ll need a proper tour.” Without further ado, Sienna turned to make her way out of the hall, dodging a counselor being followed by a frantic preteen holding two fistfuls of tadpoles – better not to ask. “I’m Sienna, by the way,” she called over her shoulder as she checked to make sure Albus the Newbie was keeping up.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon

THERE WAS SOMETHING FAMILIAR ABOUT HIS tour guide. Though Albus hadn't caught on immediately, he kept staring as she spoke. Soft accent and the kind of posture that made it look as if she might've been looking down her nose at him. She wasn't. Albus's head turning to follow her attention back out of the window. The campers fighting in earnest, an opponent on the ground by this point. It looked ruthless, and Albus had the creeping sense of deja vu as he stood up from the table slowly.

"Guess nothing really changes," He muttered under his breath, brows lifted in mild amazement. Tearing his gaze away from the carnage, Albus's eyes caught on the girl's face again. Staring almost unabashed, frowning as if he'd seen something stuck in her teeth. One hand clutching his backpack strap as he shifted away from the chair and edged it back in with the toe of his shoe.

Sienna, the name was a revelation in and of itself. Albus dropped his gaze and brought it back all at once. "I know you." He exclaimed harshly, as if accusing her of something. "Did you- I mean, from camp. I remember you." He was almost scowling at her now, the realisation coming like a blow to the back of his head. Sienna, the Beauxbaton know-it-all. The girl he'd almost went to bat with over a simple potion recipe. So infuriatingly smart that Albus couldn't figure out, at his age, whether he'd fancied her or hated her guts. "You look the same."

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Albus was still staring at the two teens in the middle of a duel as if he’d never seen something like it before. It might be a shock to someone who hadn’t been to camp before, she supposed, especially since the counselors tended to be former campers themselves. That meant that they understood the schedule and what would be expected of them, and most of the newer counselors caught on quickly too. That must mean that he was a true newbie here, which was unusual but not impossible. As a former camp kid herself, Sienna couldn’t imagine what the scene must look like to someone unused to spending so much time with campers from wildly different magical backgrounds. As she contemplated this fact, a rogue spell went flying by, with a shout of apology from the counselor running the dueling circles on the other side of the lake. Oh yeah, welcome to camp.

Still, his muttered statement made her raise an eyebrow, because it did in fact sound like he was familiar with the camp atmosphere. “Have you…” Si began to ask, although she trailed off, unsure how to politely finish the sentence. Had he been to camp before, or was this his first time? If it was the former, then he must be terribly out-of-practice and would be difficult to train. If it was his first time, then Sienna wondered if he’d made the right choice, considering the open way he stared at everything. Including her, since he was now staring as if she’d suddenly asked him to dive into the lake and wrestle with merpeople. Sienna gave him an unamused look as she stopped walking and crossed her arms, determined to get to the bottom of Albus’s strange behavior. “Was there a Befuddlement Draught mixed with your tea?” she asked, although that wouldn’t exactly be his fault if some camper had decided to prank the new counselor.

His accusation that he knew her, combined with her own mention of a potion, suddenly jolted her memory. The polite smile slipped off her face and she narrowed her eyes at Albus, because yes…she remembered the little twat from Hogwarts who had been so convinced he knew better. He’d actually had the nerve to stop her in the middle of a potions seminar to accuse her of mixing ingredients incorrectly! As if he knew better than a seventh-year, and from Beauxbatons no less! They had the finest Potions Masters in Europe, thank you very much. “You’re that boy,” she accused, matching his scowl with one of her own. She spent a moment puzzling over his last statement that she looked the same, because it seemed fairly neutral…but knowing him, there was probably an insult in there somewhere. Finally she gave up on it and moved on. “Well you don’t, thank Morgana. I thought a strong breeze might knock you over back then.” He’d certainly grown since their camp days, and in fact looked a good deal more athletic now. Not that she’d give a know-it-all like him any sort of compliment. “Still the same attitude, though. So, did you become a world-class potioneer or was that all talk?”

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon

IT HAD TAKEN ALBUS FAR TOO LONG TO REALISE who he was paired with. The obvious confusion on his face was not something he thought to cover, too surprised to attempt manners. She caught on to his staring quickly, and her lack of amusement was quick as she regarded him with disdain. He blinked rapidly, her question ringing in his ears as he flinched and reared back slightly. "I don't know, was there?" He replied dryly, but he followed it up with his quick realisation - he knew her.

She did not immediately share in his familiarity. Al didn't know if he should feel insulted by this. Her disbelief plain to see on her pale, pretty face. Was he so utterly forgettable, even as a terribly confident preteen? He pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes in thought a moment, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. "That boy?" He snorted, as she regarded him with nothing less than a curated, French disgust. He licked his lips and crossed his arms defensively. "Well, I'd certainly hope not." He remarked with haughty derision. "I think I've grown a little bit." Though perhaps not as much as he'd hoped. He had been something of a weedy, short thing back then - though he'd certainly made up for it in his surety at that age.

"I-" Albus was at a momentary loss for words. He quickly decided he preferred it when he did not remember her. Her sharp tongue lashing out at him the moment she recalled their differences all those years before. "Are you?" He asked bitterly, though he knew the moment he said it that knowing his luck, well she probably was. "I see you remember me as well as I remember you." He added, hiking his bag strap up his arm. "I'm not," He sniffed, warmth heating his cheeks at the admittance, but he added with a slight curl of his mouth, "Meeting you put me right off." 

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Sienna was supposed to be giving their newest counselor a tour, since even for an experienced camper it could all look wildly different from the perspective of staff. She’d even had a route all mapped out in her head, along with a few tips and tricks to make sure he could have some semblance of control over the kids. But the whole plan flew out the window at the mutual recognition that they did, in fact, know each other – and not exactly on the happiest of terms. Camp had been Sienna’s first exposure to wizards and witches from other parts of Europe, and a fine opportunity to practice her English by being introduced to the greatest hits from the Weird Sisters and the Hobgoblins. But nothing could have prepared her for the British – tight-lipped and stiff-backed, not to mention proud and highly defensive of their subpar culture. Hogwarts didn’t hold a candle to Beauxbatons, after all, and there was no question over who had the superior cuisine.

And Mr. Know-It-All was the best and worst of that culture shock. He was your quintessential British boy, with a polished accent and spades of (undeserved) confidence in his own abilities. Sienna matched his stance and crossed her arms as he responded defensively to her barely veiled insults, to which Si scoffed lightly and gave him an obvious once-over. “Maybe a little more grown,” she acknowledged with a sniff, “But still just a boy.” She thought she’d grown quite a bit since her camp days (in the metaphorical sense, this time) but seeing Albus again was like she’d suddenly been flung back in time. To a period of her life before she’d moved to a whole new part of Europe and been humbled by everything she thought she’d known but didn’t really, back when everything was simpler and she'd had a greater mastery over her small corner of the world. Moving to London hadn’t done wonders for her ego, although she’d learned so many important lessons about life and herself that it'd all been worth it in the end.

But seeing Albus again? She suddenly felt like a teenager again – bold, self-assured…and needlessly petty. He returned her question quickly, derisively asking if she’d made it to world-class status in her potioneering yet, and Sienna gave a casual shrug as she smirked at him. “Don’t read the paper, do you?” Si asked, recalling with a warm sort of pride the articles that had been published about Aware Wolf over the last several months. Small pieces, mind you, but it was a healthy sign of success to know that a potion you’d invented was causing a splash in the right sort of circles. Her smirk grew slightly as he admitted that he hadn’t quite reached that level, although it slid off her face completely at his last comment. Her face grew red as she made a ‘hmph’ sound. “Let’s just get this tour over with,” she finally grumbled, unable to think of a good enough insult to sling back so deciding to sidestep the issue completely. She whirled around and, without any care for if he’d be able to match her pace or not, began to walk towards the dueling circles on the other side of the lake.

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon

THOUGH HE'D ONLY ATTENDED TWICE ALBUS figured the opportunity to return to the camp would provide a reprieve. Something to occupy his mind that wasn't Auror related, separate from his father and his best mate. Rosie had never come to the camp, it had just been Albus and his misplaced sense of superiority. This notions, of course, was quickly humbled by the appearance of the one person Albus had hoped not to see.

It was as if she existed solely within the camps grounds. Though she surely looked older, Albus fit her face in with the younger version so quickly it was as if she hadn't changed at all. Hair a little longer, face sharper. Eyes the same piercing, shrewd blue that made Albus tense as she looked at him with familiar disdain. Though, this time, he had a few precious inches over her. He scoffed as she commented on his miniscule growth, sick of the same old joke even so far from home.

"You're not much older yourself, you know." Albus grumbled, nose wrinkled as he glared back at her. Every memory of the camp surging back to the forefront of his mind. Sure, he'd been certain of his own skill set, but she'd been determined to shoot him down even as a snotty little boy. Evidently, this had not changed as they slipped into a familiar pattern of back and forth. Her expression unamused, and his as confrontational as ever.

"Couldn't have been a very big article," Albus threw back, though by her reaction it likely was. "I don't have much time for the footnotes." This was a petty jab, he'd known as much the moment it left his mouth, and yet Albus couldn't help himself. She just kept looking at him like this, a rare feat when a woman could look down her nose even when she was 5 solid inches smaller than him. He gripped his bag strap with renewed ferocity, knuckles white. "Yeah, why don't you just do your job and we can get this over with." Albus sniped, waving his hand towards the doors so that he could follow behind. The sooner his stay was over, the better. 

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Sienna gave a ‘humph’ but decided that his insult wasn’t clever enough to deserve a response. No, she probably didn’t look much older now than the last time she’d come to camp as a seventh-year. And that, as far as she was concerned, was a compliment for any quarter-life crises she might have as she worried about what exactly she had achieved by the ancient age of 24. But Albus certainly didn’t mean it as a compliment, his mouth pinched into a frown and eyebrows drawn together like she’d just asked him to pet a manticore with his bare hands. Instead, she shot a glare behind her shoulder as she followed the beaten path around the edge of the lake and tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. But as he continued to poke at her about her success in potions, declaring that he didn’t bother to check the footnotes, Si felt her temper rise and she whirled around to face him.

“Aware Wolf is not a footnote!” she snapped crankily, prodding him in the chest as she (only somewhat metaphorically) wagged a finger in his face. “It’ll change a lot of things, a lot of important things, and you wish you had the potion-making ability to understand that!” Sienna sucked in a breath as she processed those snippy comments. She was usually quite good at holding her temper, even when it was being so obviously provoked. And her patience was somewhat legendary at camp, which was a key quality for a counselor when you had to watch over troubled kids and keep them alive until it was time to leave. But she’d been barely keeping it together these last few months, still sore from her breakup with Gus and the humiliating album he’d released barely a month after their break-up. She heard it playing everywhere she went, those explicit songs recounting his wildest flings and affairs and proudly proclaiming that he couldn’t be tied down. She thought she was over it, but as she glared at Albus and the way he poked fun at the only achievement she had left in her life…maybe not quite yet.

She grit her teeth at his final comment. “I can’t wait to watch the kids eat you alive,” she said disdainfully, already wishing this camp session could be over so she could go home. She wanted to vent to Heleen about all the nightmarish things that had happened to her since January, and mope at home for a while before it was time to restart her exhausting schedule at the apothecary. Most of all, she wanted to wipe any trace of smugness off Albus’s face, and she was tempted to push him into the lake and simply walk away. Instead, she came to a stop in front of the dueling circles and gestured at them crankily. “No jinxes or curses allowed, and if a camper doesn’t stop when you tell them to then they’re banned for a week. Think you can handle that?”

Albus Severus Potter

[Albus Severus Potter]

don't speak too soon

HOW QUICKLY ALBUS'S REFUGE HAD BECOME A brand new prison. Sienna's appearance proved to be the thorn in his side, catapulting him back to his preteen years, where she'd stepped all over any childish credibility he'd had at the time. And there she was, sharp eyed and even sharper tongued, ready to stomp all over him again. Just his luck, he reckoned. The bitterness almost outweighed his desire to nip at her. Almost.

Rearing his head back, Al scowled as she snapped at him. Aware wolf wasn't a footnote, she was right. Albus just hadn't known she'd had anything to do with it. He'd taken an interest in the new potion mostly for his sister, wondering how quickly it could be distributed and how thoroughly it had been tested. He hadn't thought to connect his summer camp nemesis with the potioneers responsible for its creation. "Well, I didn't know you meant 'aware wolf', did I?" He grumbled back, rolling his eyes at her passionate tirade. "Are you done showing off?"

Albus realised with some surprise, he couldn't admire the skills required for such a potion. Mostly, he couldn't acknowledge it because she was just so bloody smug about the whole thing. "Good to know you're as up your own arse as you've ever been," Albus scoffed, feeling both offended and disgusted that he had to associate her with such an accomplishment. "And I'm sure you're a real fan favourite." He tittered back, realising they were both resorting to their old petulant back and forth. It was such an easy skin to fit into, Albus would soon realise.

Thinking of handling no more than her attitude, Albus didn't dignify her with an answer this time. Instead, he cleared his throat and turned his head to catch her eye. "Do they duel often?" Albus asked, resenting that he had to ask her his questions. "I'm sure you just love handing out punishments." He mused, staring out at the duelling circles and thinking of his defence/offence training at the Ministry. "You strike me as a real sadist." 

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!