this dying light [open]

[YASMIN ZARA EL FAYED]

22 October 2029

Dusk settled across Hogsmeade like a warm blanket, shrouding the various festivities in almost darkness. Yas' long robes whispered along the dead leaves as she moved through the village, her eyes wide and interested as she looked around. There were plum cakes and fortune tellers, shamans and bards. It was the perfect place for a spiritual awakening. A soft smile curled on her lips as the took in the scenery, noting how perfect a night it would be.

Yas hadn't returned to Hogsmeade since her Hogwarts days, nearly a decade ago now. The little shops looked exactly the same, not quite standing up straight. But it was a place deeply rooted in magic - Yas knew as much from the centuries it had remained hidden from muggles. Even now, as witches and wizards gathered in the dying light, Yas felt an uplift in power. Like the village was speaking to her, feeding her magic. Yas thought silently to herself that a magical village would be an excellent place to dream walk. If only she didn't have other plans.

The bonfire was roaring, and Yas stayed well enough away to ensure that her billowing robes didn't catch alight. She crossed her arms over her chest, a serene smile on her face as she looked around at the villagers and guests alike bonding over ancient rituals. After all, this harvest fest was based on pagan beliefs, that the old gods could bring a bountiful harvest with appropriate sacrifices and prayers. The fire reflected in her dark eyes, and she was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't recognise when someone she knew approached her.

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[aurelia edith flint]

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Hogsmeade had become something of an escape every couple of months when it played host to festivals and events for the magical community. Aurelia enjoyed closing her shop down for the day and strolling around. For all of the cultural events that Horizont Alley seemed to hold, the ones in Hogsmeade felt so freeing. Probably because she wasn’t required to be in her store handling customers. Those days were always the worst for sales too. She needed people to actually buy things, not browse and hypothesize if they had the room in their tiny flats for a singular succulent. Now she could be one of those types as she wandered Hogsmeade. It was hard to deny that perusing was fun. Being on the other side, she could see the appeal.

And that was how much of the afternoon had gone, occasionally popping into one of the pubs to warm up and get something to eat or drink. The atmosphere was brilliant, and with Halloween only a week away, she could really feel the fall vibes. The best part was not being beholden to talk to anyone. Aurelia still enjoyed her solitary moments even when out in public, something that hadn’t changed much from her childhood or school years. She could thank her parents for verbally beating her that into her. It was almost funny how she had turned a requirement of only speaking when spoken to into a comfort. One therapist suggested it was a defense mechanism, but she actually quite enjoyed the quiet. Probably because once they were dead and gone, it stayed that way.

By the time the sun fell, quite a few of the festival goers had gathered around a bonfire that had been lit. Aurelia had barely paid any attention to whether this was of some importance, or if it was merely a further gathering by those that wanted to stay out longer. She didn’t really care either way and made her way around the edge of the group with a steaming cup of tea that been handed to her only a few seconds earlier. She didn’t dare sip it yet, as she could tell it was scalding.

Blowing against the boiling water, as if that was going to actually achieve anything, Aurelia looked up in time to avoid walking into a person. Not that she was actually dangerously close, but with the way the fire cast shadows, she didn’t want to be one of those kinds of people precariously carrying hot water and running into others absentmindedly. That happened enough as it were.

As she moved to go around the woman, Aurelia happened to glance up from her tea. A slight flicker of recognition hit her as the shadows of the flames danced across the woman’s face. They’d been at Hogwarts together, right? Aurelia stopped and stared dumbly, trying to place a name to the face but didn’t have anything coming to mind. It was horrid of her, considering her job basically required it. But she hadn’t put nearly that amount of effort into memorization during her school days. ”Lovely evening,” she said, unprompted, feeling like she needed to fill the silent void she had inadvertently created.

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[YASMIN ZARA EL FAYED]

The blazing fire cast ominous shadows across the quaint cobbled streets of Hogsmeade, making the village seem more menacing than it truly was. Yas silently looked around, taking in her surroundings without really focusing on any one thing. All sorts of things could hide in the shadows, only found if one knew where to look. Most of the revellers were nursing drinks, chattering loudly as darkness began to carpet the village. Yas closed her eyes for a moment, listening. So much noise, it was hard to focus on one particular thing. She inhaled deeply, the scent of cinnamon and charred wood intensifying as the bonfire raged on.

Yas snapped her eyes open at the sound of a voice nearby. She glanced over, vaguely recognising the woman from her Hogwarts years. Before she’d transferred to Castelobruxo. It seemed an age ago, though it was barely a decade. But Yas remembered Aurelia, who had been in her year but in Slytherin. ”Hello, Aurelia,” she greeted with a smile. She turned from her old school mate to cast her gaze out across the crowd once more. ”Yes, the villagers seem to really love any reason to celebrate. No matter what culture they have to borrow from,” she added, her smile shifting towards something slightly more wooden.

Clearing her throat, Yas turned more fully to address Aurelia. ”I heard you opened a shop. How is business growing?” asked Yas, fixing her unblinking gaze upon Aurelia. Yas had returned to England just a few months ago to be with her sister as she navigated muggle university, and in her time she had listened and watched to better understand how things had changed. And much had.

aurelia edith flint

[aurelia edith flint]

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Hearing her name said back to her made her feel even more guilty for not instantly remembering the woman she had approached. Of course it all popped back in with a snap of realization once the light from the bonfire played across her face better. Yasmin, a Hufflepuff, who had left a couple of years before graduation. Aurelia remembered the sudden burst of jealousy when she’d learned of the transfer to Castelobruxo, mostly because she had always wanted to attend and take advantage of their expertise in Herbology. A lot had happened in between then and now, her brief burst of adolescent anger immediately being forgotten by the time she went home for the summer break and more pressing familial matters had taken precedent. That was how life was back then; anything she thought might be important didn’t even come close to making it through breaks unscathed by her parents.

Aurelia barely caught the comment about the festival taking liberty with the cultural aspects of the event. She had always wanted to see the real thing on Hy-Brasil, but knew it was more respectful to leave them be. Especially with the way everything had been going with the druids these days. She simply nodded her head, because she sort of agreed that the residents of Hogsmeade really enjoyed putting on events. Or maybe that was just a wizard thing. Because the same could be said about Jimbo Blishwick with Horizont. It absolutely would not have surprised her if her neighbor had his galleons somewhere in all of this.

”I did. A florist. Herbology is a bit oversaturated as a field, so I figured I would put my knowledge to use elsewhere.” And everyone liked plants, for the most part. Potioneers and Herbologists needed what she could get, and then having regular old mundane plants on top of that really kept business going. ”Relatively well. I have a part-timer now, so that’s eased a bit of the front of house work I had to do at the start.” And her younger brother occasionally pitched in behind the cash register, assuming she could get Theo to sit still. He was always yapping about one thing or another, which did not need to be done in front of customers. ”Have you been back long?” Aurelia asked Yasmin in turn. What she really wanted to know was what Castelobruxo was like as a school, and what she had potentially missed out on.

YASMIN ZARA EL FAYED ● 408

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