never gonna repent [two-shot]

[Bianca Alia Rivera]

31 December 2026

The office was silent except for the slow movement of the clock ticking down the seconds until midnight. The enchanted window had long since switched to a nighttime landscape, little twinkles of yellow light showing the only signs of life outside while a painted moon shone its dim light over the scene. Outside the office, all the usual sounds of the Ministry’s ever-present wheel of bureaucracy were gone – there were no enchanted memos zooming through the air, or Aurors loudly discussing their case for the benefit of the eavesdropping analysts nearby, or the secretary shuffling papers while she hummed whatever hit single had just hit the wizarding radio waves. The scene was quiet, could have even been called peaceful, except for the thick cloak of tension that had settled over the two figures in the office.

One was standing, peering out the window as if there was something to see with his hands folded behind his back. He was dressed for a mission, with dark robes that clearly displayed the emblem of the Hit Wizard Office but didn’t betray any of the equipment he had hidden inside. If one could see inside the enchanted bag he had securely fastened to his waist, they would see he was expecting trouble. Antidotes that had been pulled from the back of the Ministry’s extensive stores, clever little devices from the Artifacts Office to subdue anyone that pointed their wand at him while his back was turned. Every wizard on his squad would be equipped the same, although one could see by the way his hand had come to rest nervously on the bag that the Head Hit Wizard hadn’t been sent into the field for a long time. It was a special occasion, one that didn’t happen often, but sometimes it was necessary for the theatrics of the spectacle. And this New Year’s Eve was meant to be a spectacle.

The seated figure was slowly reading the search warrant the Head Hit Wizard had just handed her, eyes scanning every line for a mistake or a technicality. There couldn’t be any mistakes, any reason for this raid to go wrong. It had a clearly defined purpose, a specific audience that it was intended for, and he would be reading this warrant carefully. So Bianca didn’t want to find a single mistake, even if she wished she could be anywhere but in the office this evening. Still, her desire to do the job right outweighed every other factor that weighed on her mind – who was waiting for her, how late it had become. Her eyes finally reached the end of the page, with the Wizengamot representative’s signature already scrawled across the bottom alongside one empty line still awaiting a signature. Hers.

The Hit Wizard’s boots thudded heavily across the floor as he came to stand across from her on the other side of the desk. “You have a high level of confidence there’s something to find?” he asked gruffly, one hand moving to scratch at his beard as he stared down at her. Bianca took a moment to stare at the paper before raising her gaze, meeting the questioning expression of the most senior Hit Wizard straight on as she set the warrant down. “You won’t find anything,” she told him evenly, her tone steely as she tapped her fingers on the desk. “But it’s all there, rotting under the surface like a disease. The raid is the message, at any rate. Make some noise, let everyone know the Ministry is watching the Burkes. Have them think twice about being there in the future.”

With that, she picked up her quill and scratched her signature onto the page in neat and tight handwriting. She folded the warrant neatly, but hesitated before setting it back down. “One last thing,” she decided, “Give this to him directly.” Bianca stopped to tear off a piece of parchment from the clean stack on her desk and scrawled a simple message across. She slipped the note into the warrant and then held it out for the Hit Wizard Captain to take. He shot her a questioning look, but at her lack of clarification simply shrugged and tucked the warrant away neatly. As he pulled open the door, the team of Hit Wizards that had been lounging in the hallway suddenly stood to attention and turned to face him. “Approved. Portkey to the Ivory Room in five.” With that, and the sudden flurry of movement that accompanied his words, the raid team swept away and left Bianca alone in her office.

She stood slowly, took time to gather her things and order her thoughts in the careful way her Occlumency mentor had taught her. Asher Burke had a habit of turning the Ministry upside-down and throwing them to the wolves. His arrest had been printed across every headline, rehashed in every talk show and gossiped about in every column. There had been some peace while the Ministry had worked quietly to take apart the Purifier network and send them to the Wizengamot to stand for their trials – until Asher Burke had walked free this week and set every corner of the wizarding community abuzz with speculation about what had happened. Was the Ministry truly this corrupt, or were they just incompetent?

So this raid was as much a message for them as it was for Asher Burke. Bianca had a long memory, and she knew how to hold a grudge. Asher seemed to work constantly to make her life more difficult, but this time she wouldn’t wait to react. She never took any abuse, especially from men who thought they were untouchable, and she intended to do something with this power she’d been given. Ruining one of the most important nights of business for Asher’s club was only the cherry on top. And for the note she’d written? It was brief, but each of the simple three words she’d chosen spoke volumes. It was a warning and a promise, a reminder that she at least wouldn’t let this go.

asher rowan burke

[asher rowan burke]

I've seen angels fall
from blinding heights

But you yourself
are nothing so divine

December 31, 2026
Bianca Alia Rivera

Asher Burke didn't mind his face on the front page. Though he wished there had been some consultation on the chosen picture—but nonetheless, a pleased expression appeared on his face as his eyes scanned the headline. This past week of freedom had been spent regaining his footing and control. Hazel had managed to keep the place open and afloat, but The Ivory Room needed work to return to its former glory. Though it satisfied him greatly that his activities were mere rumors and nothing that Bianca Rivera could act on. The mudblood needed to be put in her place, and what better way than parading his freedom so publicly.

The Ivory Room was a place of business, after all. And New Year's Eve always brought guests from near and far who simply wanted the best whiskey or their choice of beverage and place to squander their Galleons as if they were infinite. Asher put the paper down on his desk, and he stood, fastening the buttons of his jacket as he did. The dueling rings were active tonight, but despite everything, New Year's Eve was high stakes. Nobody could resist the big rewards and bigger bets. A sizeable reward of gold to the winner of this annual little tournament.

Overall he felt good. Hazel was upstairs, likely attracting the attention of many of their esteemed guests with whatever shiny gold outfit she'd managed to make for the occasion. Sipping his usual glass of top-shelf brandy, Asher felt good. Things were on the up and up, and soon this minor imprisonment deal would be a thing of the past, though always a stain on the Ministry's record. But, as a contestant went down and a winner declared, a man bolted through his office door. " What is the—" His face was pale, and he'd likely sprinted down the stairs since The Ivory Room had wards against disapparating to protected areas such as his offices. ’Sir—they’re here—the Ministry is here.’ Asher clenched his jaw. She wouldn’t. As rage built in his chest, Asher put his glass down.

This was clearly something Asher had to deal with, and he glanced behind him at the rings. If this were found out, there would be no pardon this time. ”You know my instructions.” The man nodded and raced back through the door he came from, and Asher straightened his tie and made sure he was squared away before walking through himself and up to the main floor. Behind him, figures raised their wands and disappeared. The tournament was over. Normally Asher didn’t allow such magic in the ring, but he had protocols for such events.

The main floor was abuzz but not with the typical energy of a holiday or a party going well into the night. Many whispered and watched with curiosity at what was happening. The thing was, many of these guests and partygoers were not actually engaging in anything illegal. Their mere presence was due to the Burke family’s acceptance of less progressive views, which was not a crime. Asher’s eyes flared dangerously with rage, and the crowd parted as he walked through—finally seeing the Hitwizard in his signature robes. ’We have a warrant, Burke.’ Haze stood off to the side, the same rage visibly in her matching blue eyes. Asher shot her a quick look and nodded. There was no need to fight tonight unless Hazel wanted her turn in a cell.
Asher wordlessly accepted the scroll, and he unfurled it, skimming the text. It was a lot of wordy nonsense, but nothing threatened his real business. ”Well then. Who am I to stand in the way of due process.” Asher’s eyes looked up and met the Lead Hitwizard’s. An older man and one that likely had no business in the field anymore. Raids and the like were a young man’s game. ”This warrant states nothing about my guests, so I’m assuming you will let them undisturbed.” With narrowed eyes, he once again challenged the old man. The man merely gave a grunt as a response, though contempt clearly in his expression, and as his guests began to leave, the Hit Wizards began to move.

Asher turned to watch the commotion, but he was stopped. ’One more thing.” The man held out a small folded piece of parchment, and Asher took it suspiciously. There were only three words, but he knew that handwriting, and he could visualize her face so clearly and the tone she would have used. Months of only speaking to that insufferable face as she tried to break him. Where the previous anger had settled, he now felt rage building in his stomach. With a clenched jaw, his hand slowly closed into a fist around the piece of parchment, shaking ever so slightly before he opened again, and a pile of ash simply lay in his hand. ‘See you soon’. Oh, Asher was counting on it.

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