Marco! Polo! Why me?

[DayDreamer]

Location: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Saturday evening

He never really thought he would make it back in. Hogwarts to most people was a place of childhood memories that, unless you had a child of your own and were invited to their Quidditch games, would never step foot at again after graduating. Unless it was to be a professor. Marco was the furthest away from being the professor type. He would feel bad for giving people bad grades or stressing them out with homework.

Fixing the military backpack on his shoulders, Marco took a step through the giant set of doors that were not so giant anymore. Funny how age would change your perspective of size to something that was once so mundane and familiar. Speaking of mundane, the smaller of his backpack pockets wiggled and the zipper came slightly loose. Candy's head popped out. The golden haired Niffler looked around in curiosity as Marco made his way through the hallways to the Hospital Wing. Funny how nothing had changed other than his perspective due to being a man, instead of boy. "It's not time yet Candy. Go back to your bed." Marco urged the creature softly, pulling a chocolate coin from his pocket and casually bringing it closer to her. The coin was snatched faster than an occami following a roach in a teapot and Marco chuckled to himself, his hand waving the zipper shut once more.

It was amazing what magic could do and he wished the wizarding world would be a little more creative and accepting of the muggle ways. A military backpack with the right extension and weight control charms was the ideal moving accessory. No need for large, cumbersome trunks or cardboard boxes. Madam Malkin's seamstress who took his commission had wholeheartedly agreed with him, being a muggleborn herself.

"Hello? Madam Pomfrey?" Marco announced his entrance to the ward and he found it just as he had remembered it. Only, it was currently empty. A sign that the quidditch season and the prank wars were not yet in full season. Or perhaps the kids had outgrown those types of injuries these days? Nah absolutely not. Walking past the rows of beds and privacy screens, Marco found the Matron in one of the back rooms, the potions inventory to be exact. "Marco! My dear boy, welcome back!" Madam Pomfrey said as she set the catalogue aside and moved closer to have a better look at the young man standing in front of her with a large grin on his face. "It's good to be back Ma'am. Never thought I would, if I am honest." He allowed the examination to conclude without any protest or fidgeting. He was much to old and much too confident in his own skin for that. Apparently Madam Pomfrey was pleased with this, a sign he had matured over the years, and smiled at him.

"Thank you for agreeing to this. I know it is not easy to move on such short notice...." Madam Pomfrey began grateful, her eyes showing the slightest glisten of tears before she managed to compose herself once more. "Not at all. I was planning to return to the wizarding community somehow. What better way than to my roots?" Marco assured her and the Matron nodded approvingly. "Well, I am glad to hear that. I am sure you will find much has changed at Hogwarts, even if it doesn't seem that way on the surface. One piece of advise, if you'll have it." The matron looked quite serious now. "Assume you are dealing with a child until proven wrong. No matter the circumstances."

Marco looked at her puzzled, but the matron shook her head and patted him lightly on the shoulder. "I am almost done with everything you need to know to take over. My things are already taken care off. The Ward is at your disposal, though I suggest you make your presence known to the Headmaster and the rest of the stuff in the meantime. I will join you when I am ready for departure." That was his cue to leave.

Still perplexed by that advice, Marco slowly made his way to the teacher's lounge. If he remembered correctly, the room was somewhere a couple of turns away.....

 

[Nemopedia]

Adelaide Rosier

"Madam Pomfrey is to leave," headmaster Pyre had told her, a much needed heads up that was both appreciated as startling, "but don't worry, the ward is in capable and familiar hands," he had continued, which didn't reassure Adelaide all the more, for what was capable and familiar for Hogwarts wasn't necessarily so for her.

It was all the headmaster was willing to disclose to her, important as the presence of a capable and discrete nurse was in the ward. Not because she had so many accidents, or because there were so many injuries, or that her class was so dangerous, but because it was within her. St. Mungos had done a great job in healing her, but an injury healed by magic still needed proper healing from the body itself, and with that also from the mind. It wasn't that Adelaide didn't believe in the healing powers of the doctors and nurses there, but that within her she could still see the lingering expression of the escaped captive and the last look of her partner who then was suddenly not her partner or there anymore. It was this memory, and her own mentality stuck, that hurt and allowed her injuries to continue their torment on her physical shape.

Madam Pomfrey had been, though not entirely filled in, helpful despite the gaps within her own knowledge. A necessity to keep alarm low and make sure that the knowledge of the lack of control from the Ministry spread out too far. In simple terms; having a new person in on her injuries sustained as an auror was not a small matter, or something that was even within the plans of the Ministry. Madam Pomfrey's departure, though understandable, meant that Adelaide would either have to craft a lie for treatment, or worse, keep quiet entirely.

The door to the teacher's lounge opened, the place where all of the faculty were told to gather to meet the new addition to the team. Instinctively Adelaide turned around from the window from which she had been staring, the door clear in view so that she was first to catch a glimpse of the newcomer, but the newcomer wouldn't have of her. A convenient angle. A great angle even as a familiar mob of blond hair comes in view, messy and unkempt, but so very characteristic accompanied with shocking blue eyes.

"Marco!" she exclaimed, once more acting on familiar instinct as that rush of adrenaline from her teen days, almost forgetting that she wasn't a student anymore and that the last time Caia had tackled the man with her help was nearly a decade back.

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[Ritual Lobotomy]

CAIA WATKINS
Location: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

"MaYbE yOu ShOuLd CoNsIdEr A nEw JoB, mY DeAr."
An excessively mocking note of her voice was barely more than a whisper, filled with bitterness over the survived encounter.

"Well, maybe, you shouldn't raise a good-for-nothing-piece-of-" Madam Watkins paused her monologue when the object of her scorn crossed her path, followed by the Head of Ravenclaw. Behind them, Hildegard remained calm, unbothered. A glance across their faces made it apparent that the kid's parents did not catch any of it.

"A very productive conversation," Caia spoke up, finding an acceptable-enough tone that would mask the irony. "Have a wonderful evening," she nodded lightly, maintaining a military-grade attention stance. Luckily enough, the pair's heads were so far up their asses that they wouldn't have heard it, regardless.

Her eye twitched ever so slightly when the mother of the little bastard gave her a once-over and huffed. Nevertheless, Caia maintained her stance until the pair proceeded. Receiving a mischievous wink from Virgil, she responded with a puking motion and moved away from the group. As it always was, he had her back.

Even though Madam Watkins wasn't the person that would readily admit that she was in the wrong, she was undoubtedly even less of a person to remain quiet on senseless accusations. The Ravenclaw lad was a dunce, and being a dunce was a taught choice. Being a spoiled, whiny brat may have gained him favors with others, but not with madam Watkins. She didn't hate to break it to them: their son wouldn't be getting close to flying a broom any time soon, let alone playing Quidditch. And that was the hill she would die on - whether they believed it or not - for the health and sake of the exact brat that projected his incompetence onto her.

Sighing away the annoyance, she mumbled a spell and waved her wand in haste, changing into relaxed clothes as she marched on. A cup of coffee and a good rant were in order. Potentially even conjuring a glass of whiskey if the opportunity arose. Same shit, different day. The boy would walk out of the Infirmary, lay low for a couple of days, then get right back on her nerves. Hell, even Madam Pomfrey was so tired of it to the point where she just decided to up and leave. Yes. Caia was certain. The boy at least played a part in it. Walking towards the lounge, Madam Watkins made a mental note to give a heads-up to the fresh blood. She had to admit, it was only slightly annoying: having to go over getting used to a new face within Hogwarts after so many years spent with Pomfrey.

Another lonely figure crossed her path and disappeared across the hall, turning exclusively towards the teacher's lounge. Dumbfounded by the audacity of a stranger walking in on what she deemed a sacred sanctuary after a long day, she pumped her fists and marched on authoritatively. She wouldn't alert them of their error, but oh boy! Once she got her hands on them...

She could hear the figure stopped in its tracks, just in front of the door, as she all but held her breath, sticking against the wall. A tiny peek around the corner was enough for Caia to notice a full head of crazy blonde hair and a backpack more enormous than any other she had ever seen. One of those would be able to see in adventurous muggles or the kooky Anderson. Her eyebrow tilted upwards at the sight of the strange male. Now that she thought about it, there was only one person with whom she would connect all of the seen attributes.

As he opened the door, a certain insecurity in his movements pinned the image in her mind even before Addy's disembodied voice sounded from within the room, addressing him by his name.

Marco!

Just like a hunting instinct of a predator, a sly thought formed in her mind as she leaned forward. She'd like to believe she stopped to think it through, but the matter of fact was that it couldn't have been further from the truth. Conditioned for the majority of her school years to respond to the call in a specific way, it was almost entirely on instinct that she rushed from behind the corner straight toward the golden-haired man. Assessing that he was now well above her height, Caia adjusted her speed and determination to make it count.

While his attention was fixated on their friend somewhere in the lounge, a swift wave of bright red fabric rushed toward him from the side, shouting.

"POLO!"

Chest first, Caia attacked his lanky frame like a rabid rugby player, fully intending to swipe him in the process. The only greeting she saw fit, and he had no say in it.

 

[DayDreamer]

View attachment 231197Location: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Saturday evening

Marco had never been in the teacher's lounge as a student. Not mischievous enough to try and sneak in nor outstanding enough to be invited in. It was a feeling of excitement and intense curiosity as he now had the privilege of walking into places he never thought he would get the chance to see.

It was cosy and spacious enough despite the majority of the staff being present in order to welcome him. Puffy couches and high back armchairs were laid around the space with coffee tables cleverly arranged to create personal nooks or group spots. "Marco!" A familiar voice called and suddenly a feeling of instinctual dread took over his mind. His stance widened as he turned to look at the direction of the voice. Addy was not immediately seen as she had positioned herself in a nook outside of view from the entrance, but Marco knew it was her.
"POLO!" the war cry came from behind him and he braced for impact as something feral and red tackled him and his backpack alike, aiming to take them to the floor even if it killed it. A voice that he had not heard in years, yet was immediately recognised, as was the predicament he found himself in as he struggled to keep to his feet. A valiant effort with a familiar result.

The thick carpet muffled his fall and this time the zipper of Candy's pouch opened fully and the golden haired Niffler rolled out, chattering in protest at the sudden rough handling of her sleeping nook. "Why me?" Was Marco's customary question as he grunted from the floor. Candy looked at her surroundings for a moment, trying to process where she was, while Marco was trying to upright himself again. "I thought we had grown past this?" He demanded as he was now in a position to really see Addy sitting by the window and then look at the red feral thing that was Caia. He quickly grabbed Candy as the Niffler had decided that the redhead had been the cause of her interrupted sleep and that biting measures had to be taken.

Marco scooped the angry little fuzzball up in his arms and pulled another chocolate coin, to redirect Niffler's energy to something less violent. "Looks like we couldn't stay apart forever huh?" He addressed his best friends from school, soothing the Niffler who still seemed mad at Caia, but less inclined to attack her.

@Nemopedia @Ritual Lobotomy

 

[Nemopedia]

Adelaide Rosier

For a bit Adelaide felt her heart still, fear clamouring it as she feared the awkwardness that was to follow. Marco had been the neutral party in the split between Caia and Adelaide, yet he had been a victim as well, having to watch his two dear friends apart for so long. Was he going to question the sudden reconciliation? Was he going to proceed like nothing had happened and there had been no gap and absence of a decade of the three of them together? Adelaide knew that she could trust Marco to take it all in grace, to never comment on it, but she still feared when Caia tackled the man to the floor.

"By now it is second nature," Adelaide said instead, her heels rap on the floor as she managed to maintain a walking gait into the direction of her friends (though a little faster than usual). "You have come just in time as well. I was already worried about the influx of injuries Caia is prone to, and my balms," she jests, giving the Niffler an affectionate pat and a coin from her purse as part of their greeting.

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[Ritual Lobotomy]

CAIA WATKINS

Giving it her all, Caia took no precaution to maintain her balance after she had collided with Marco, sending them both on the ground. Admittedly, the impact was a lot more notable than she had remembered. The boy she used to know was built much like an overgrown bowtruckle. It barely took a fair effort to send him rolling.

"Why me?" Marco whined from the ground, trying to get up. Ecstatic over that little time travel to simpler times, Caia laughed out whole-heartedly, sitting up. "I thought we had grown past this?" Marco was adamant, but it only provoked a bright grin from the Firecracker. "Yeah, right," she exclaimed confidently, effortlessly rising back to her feet. "As if I'd let you get away with it so easily just because you're a few thumbs taller. Come here, you!" She stepped forward, offering Marco a hand, just a ball of crazy rolled out of one of the infinite pockets that Blondie had packed, immediately making it its objective to harass her.

"Woah," Caia stepped back instinctively, sensing the creature's determination. "Hey, no! Down, you fur bag. Jeesh," she exhaled once the Niffler was back in Marco's possession, still seemingly holding a grudge against her. "Well, okay, fine. My bad. So bloody sensitive you are. Don't look at me like that," Caia mumbled, observing the creature briefly to make sure it was no longer inclined to come after her.

"Looks like we couldn't stay apart forever huh?" Marco spoke again when the dust had settled. "Heh," she scoffed. "I mean, it was really only a matter of time." A mischievous smirk graced her face. "If either of you thought you could have survived longer than this without me, well. You were obviously proven wrong," she jested, giving Marco a friendly but formidable fistbump against the shoulder.

"By now it is second nature," Adelaide joined in as she exited the room. Everything about it felt so good. And while such a long time away meant a lot of catching up, Caia found that she hadn't felt happier in a long time. Perhaps it served to emphasize the loneliness she hid so well all of those years, but instead, she chose to see it through the eyes of a simple youth that still lingered in moments like this one.

"You have come just in time as well. I was already worried about the influx of injuries Caia is prone to and my balms," Adelaide found an opening for a witty tease that did not escape Caia. With a chuckle, she leaned against the entry between the two. "Don't worry, don't worry. I only break the non-essentials. Nobody died or stayed crippled just yet. That's serious games only," she elaborated with a jest. "I'll go easy on ya, Blondie. At least for a few days."

 

[DayDreamer]

Two coins and a head scratch were enough to redirect Candy's energy to happier things and the niffler remained happily pre-occupied in Marco's arms as the man finally got up with a large grin on his face. The boyish toothiness had lessened with the years. Grown softer with the role of a caretaker. He took measure of his friends, side by side as if the last decade had never taken place. They looked good. Healthy and happier than he remembered them and that widened his smile. Of course, he would have to catch up with Addy's medical file, but no immediate causes for concern were noticed at this moment.

He took the greeting punch better than when he was still a student. It hurt less than he remembered, but one look at Caia would verify that the reason behind this change in perception was not that his firecracker friend had grown soft but that his hours in the gym had finally paid off putting some meat on his bones. He still winced though. Proof that some things would remain the same no matter how many years have passed.

'Assume you are dealing with a child until proven wrong' Madam Pomfrey's words echoed true in his mind as Caia promised she kept serious injuries for official games only. He could tell he was going to be busy. "Hm, I'd say you stay easy on the injuries unless you want to have your students in Hamsterballs for the remainder of the year." Marco threatened laughing, but there was a glint in his eyes, the 'fuck around and find out' kind. "I will get to brewing ASAP before we run out of balm though." He assured Addy before setting down Candy so he could prop his backpack on the wall.

The golden haired Niffler did not protest but immediately set about exploring the room and its occupants, surprisingly well behaved for its species. "Sorry about Candy, she gets feisty whenever she is startled awake." He told Caia and extended his arms at his friends, now that he was free from his pack and pet. "Bring it in!"

 

[Nemopedia]

Adelaide Rosier

Caia's jest earned a scoff from Adelaide, incredulous as she was about the remark. Her friend had, in all the years that they hadn't been friends, not changed in her brashness and way of engagement, and Marco and Adelaide both remembered reading in the Daily Prophet about the awful crash Caia had during a game, effectively ending her athletic career.

"Ah, we cannot vouch for students like miss Watkins. They have a hard time following instructions and like to dance on the edge of the Dark Forest during a full moon," Adelaide joined in on the joke, which was unfortunately only half a joke, for the gross of the injuries did come from students that didn't listen.

But when Marco opened his arms for a hug Adelaide froze a little, like she did every time at the intimate gesture. By now she had grown used to it, having been friends with Caia and Marco for so long forced her to, yet, the Rosier could never adjust to their liberal expressions of adoration, finding herself sorely lacking in being even able to express a gesture of 'like'.

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[Ritual Lobotomy]

CAIA WATKINS

The light-hearted joke did not escape her as she chuckled smugly. Regardless, an unyielding, never dormant Gryffindor pride worked its way onto the surface through Madam Watkins' straightened stance that made her feel giant with all of her meter and a joke of height. "You may cage our bodies, but our spirit will always find the way." The latent fire in her eyes grew stronger as she grinned in return for Marco's challenge.

A brief moment of confidence flooded her as Adelaide approached...

"That's righ- Wait. What?!"

...and faded just as quickly once her words registered.

"E-excuse me! You should be on my side," Caia let out an overly dramatic whine. "Thanks, friend," she snickered in disbelief. An involuntary, intrusive thought occurred that Adelaide Rosier, who stood there now, no longer thought of her as good of a friend as back then, but the rest of her actively refused to deal with the idea. "Well, in that case, look who's talking," she laughed out, making a mocking face and sticking her tongue out: a good old immature gesture with which he used to annoy her entire circle back then. Only a handful ever believed her to be less of a brat than she presented herself as.

"Guess neither of us can stay away from trouble for too long. One way or the other," she gave Adelaide a quick apologetic smirk, full of understanding for the situation she had tried so hard to be angry about and yet found herself on the understanding side.

"The only difference is that Blondie here is the only one smart enough to end up on the right side of trouble," she jested again, gesturing towards the newcomer. "Well, except for the part where he packs a murderous Niffler. Now, that's just looking for trouble."

Caia had to admit, however, that it was a fascinating creature to have. She understood how it would have been an appealing companion despite coming off as an acquired taste. She quickly waved off Marco's apology for his feisty pet's actions. "Don't sweat it. Kinda had that coming," she grinned, scratching her scalp awkwardly. "Did not expect a plus one."

A promise of a long-awaited hug, however, was enough for her to forget a potential assault from the creature yet again.

"Oh, hell yeah! Come here, you," Caia exclaimed giddily, invading Marco's personal space without questions asked. The thought of how much she needed a good hug only occurred after she wrapped her arms enthusiastically around the man's neck. She gave it a nice squeeze, not uncomfortable but eager. Brightfeather had to be the best hugger in the group. After her, of course. It also helped that others were not huggers in the slightest.

"I've missed you, lad," she spoke with a muffle. "And so did Rosier, but she is too cool for hugs. You know how it is. So I'll forward her regards," Caia jested, squeezing him tighter. The incoming year was looking good.