The red ribbon was cut ages ago (Victoire)

[BART CALCHAS SHACKLEBOLT]

Bartholomew really needed to find someone to take over his damn job whenever it was getting too stressful. Lately he found himself working overtime and having to deal with so many papers. Hating to have to do all that paper-work when what he really signed up for was to basically deal with dark wizards and apprehend them. After that, it was usually the Wizenmagot that usually dealt with the people he brought in to bring them to trial due to the accusations presented against them. A very brutal process, but one he was all too familiar with since they had wanted him to sit on a few of those trials just for him to see what it was like in the middle of a trial to see how easily someone could be read. Victoire would have been there, but she had busier things to do it seemed.

Bart was doing another visit to the local tavern, and then looked towards the time realizing he was pretty early for a change to meet up with Victoire. Yes, this wasn't his usual routine but it was normal for him to hit up a pub on a weekend. That much was a given since his last few escapades within these said things. Bart had no reason to go back to the office at all today and wanted to keep it that way since he wanted to make sure his friend showed up again. Their last encounter had been incredibly astonishing and was surprised she had even made her way over towards him. If Victoire wasn't so set on being with Teddy, he would have stood a chance, but he had been down that road before. Leaving him completely wide open for anything to happen, and soon just leaned against the counter.

Moving towards the bartender he ordered his favorite drink of the night, a fire whiskey and then took a seat to wait for Victoire.

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[VICTOIRE JACQUELYN WEASLEY]

Victoire looked at herself in the mirror. Big blue eyes stared back at her, framed by a face with sharp features. Her chin was angled, her cheeks bones high, her lips small yet full. A tentative hand reached up to touch her cheeks, touching the skin there. She felt like all this trouble at Hogwarts was giving her early and unnecessary wrinkles. Sighing, she pulled her hair down from its severe bun from work. It immediately released the tension in her face and head.

Standing from the vanity in her newly purchased house, Vic walked to her closet and pulled out a pair of jeans and a teal turtle neck. She shimmied into the jeans and pulled the thick sweater down over her head and fitted it to her torso, rolling the neck to its right position. She pulled her hair out from the sweater and fluffed it up a little, her long nails running through her thick golden curls. Shoving her wand up the sleeve of her sweater, Vic skipped down the stairs to her fireplace, a common Wizard household item. Stepping into it, she grabbed a fistful of green powder and with a determined voice said, "Diagon Alley!" Her fireplace erupted with emerald flames and transported her to the most common Wizarding shopping arena.

Exciting the fireplace she flicked a few pieces of ash from her sweater. Walking down the crowded streets, she made right for the Leaky Cauldron, where she was meeting her best friend Bart yet again. Ducking into the old building, she brushed snowflakes off her shoulders and walked over to Bart. He was already drinking, a sure sign that he'd had a rough day. She sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder, staring out a window. "Rough day huh?" she said quietly, knowing he would still hear her.

[BART CALCHAS SHACKLEBOLT]

Bartholomew was just relaxing at the bar and heard the footsteps approaching him and started to realize when she was behind him. Then he decided to be cruel and just pretend he hadn't seen or heard her at all. Continuing to drink his butter beer even with her arm around him, correction, this was a fire whiskey, durr. Anyways, Bartholomew's mind was still waking up from all the work he had just done, but it put him in a easier mood. At least knowing Victoire was here now, he could let loose a little more instead of holding his business like manner. Looking towards her for a moment he made it rather exaggerated as if he were a puppet being made to turn his head slowly. The motion was so stiff that he was basically just amusing her already in hopes that he'd at least have some notion of a connection to their mischief.

Weasleys weren't known just for their looks he was sure, but their pranks too. Bart knew she still had some of that part left in her too, but she had to control it a little more than most would. Amusing to him, would to actually be able to see her pull off a successful prank that wasn't on him usually. Anyways the way he turned his head was fast and his eyes were open wide as if he were surprised going, "AH OH MY GOD! DON'T DO THAT!" was all he said. Although he made it incredibly fast to the point he wanted to scare her too after jerking around like that as soon as she touched his shoulder. Bart just wanted to see her jump in all honesty.

Sure, it was mean, but you don't sneak up on someone drinking their fire whiskey...that was now on Bart's front since he was holding his drink when he had turned to do this splashing himself in the face too. Probably doing Vic's work for her, but he no longer cared as he instantly had his wand out cleaning up his own clothing. Finally getting himself clean, and knowing he deserved it since he had tired to scare Victoire not sure if he had gotten her with any of the fire whiskey or not. His throat was burning and soon Bart just ordered a glass of milk to help him keep down the swelling since the sauce they used in that stuff left a crazy burning sensation. Eyes watering and nostrils flaring, the whole works as he soon drank down a large glass of milk to keep himself from tearing out his own throat.

In a hoarse voice he apologized and offered the seat up beside him that she may have already been sitting on, "Yes, rough day, and sorry bout that, just up to my usual antics," he said calmly taking another sip of the milk as if nothing had happened while the rest of the tavern was looking at him like he was completely insane. Some parts of that were true, but most of the insane wizards had become legends.

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[VICTOIRE JACQUELYN WEASLEY]

Victoire giggled and tucked a curl of blonde hair behind her ear, glad to see that work hadn't gotten Bart all up in a tizzy, and that he was his same old crazy self. She pulled a chair out from the table and leaned on her elbows, just watching Bart. He always was the jokester, never leaving behind that part of himself as he advanced in his career. She had forced herself to push aside the prankster gene and put her career first. How else had she advanced to Senior Undersecretary? If the Minister died -god forbid it- then she would be the next in line to become Minister of Magic. She had to keep up a good rep.

Waving her hand in the air and looking towards the bartender, a butterbeer shot to sit in front of her. Taking a swig off of it, she looked around. Tonight there weren't many people there, most of them were off working, or at home with their families. Her family consisted of dozens of people, but she was here with Bart, who was like her older brother. Swirling the beer in the bottle, she looked back at Bart.

"So what brings us back here tonight Barty?" she said, reverting to his nickname she'd given him back when they were kids. She patted his arm and took another drink, enjoying the bubbles that tickled her tongue and throat on the way down. "What are we doing tonight? Anything fun and daring, as a night out with the great Bartholomew should be?" Vic smirked and stretched her arms, ready to get her prank on. She always had a great time with Bart, no matter where they were or what they did.

[BART CALCHAS SHACKLEBOLT]

Bart wasn't going to justify his actions by opening up to her just on a whim that she thought he'd be able to eagerly get along with whatever she did. At least she was drinking right now and not leaving Bartholomew in the dust, but he had a weird particular name considering it reminded him of Barty Crouch just a little. At least the name he had seen a few times before, but no one made fun of him for having the name that he did. It was always an epic name to him, but he had to keep his mind away from thinking about work at all. After all, it was always depressing signing that paperwork after catching the criminals that tried to go against the ministry of magic.

Bart wasn't sure if he should continue with this job considering it was the one his father wanted him to have, but now he had a choice to do whatever he wanted with his own life. Tempted to just give it all up for a dream he knew he would have to fight for. In the end it wouldn't be too long for him to actually start considering a career that was much more intriguing than this. Having taught at Hogwarts would suffice to help a lot in a career opportunity, and having the expertise of an auror behind him even more so. At least, Bart knew he was able to get a decent career already as is.

Even as another fire whiskey went down his throat and was burning his insides asunder. It was astounding how great he felt, but he wouldn't be that way in the morning after pounding away so many shots. Yes, he was still standing, but as usual was too hammered to really move correctly anymore. Holding back his liquor was one thing, but his acting was still top notch as he noticed Victoire talking to him. Soon he was walking towards her without a skip in his stride or any doubts that he would fall. Instead, he was walking smoothly and soon sat down beside her again. "Well, aside from drinking, not a whole lot, and as far as pranks go I really have none up my sleeve tonight, just a good ol fashion drink for now until I do decide to get rambunctious," he said calmly to her.

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[VICTOIRE JACQUELYN WEASLEY]

Vic sipped her drink slowly, not really wanting to get drunk tonight. Things were intensifying at the Ministry, what with another student being attacked. She had to help the Minister get this investigation under way, and she was personally going to Hogwarts to help out. She thought about suggesting bringing Bart as one of the Aurors, but didn't know how to bring it up. She'd probably have to talk to her Uncle Harry and see if he could pull some strings. Of course Harry Potter himself was likely to show up if he thought something was going wrong with the students again. As far as Vic knew, students were showing up petrified. And last time that had happened was when Ginny Weasley had unknowingly released a basilisk upon the school. Vic hadn't been around for it, but she hoped to god that it wasn't what was happening again. Harry barely survived that attack and only did so because of Fawkes being there. That bird hadn't been seen since Dumbledore died.

Swirling around the last few drops of her drink in her glass Vic looked up at her best friend. No pranks tonight? That was unlike him. Though she wasn't exactly ready to be throwing drinks back and running off like last time. She had learned her lesson the hard way. Luckily for her, word hadn't gotten back to Draco Malfoy, her boss and Minister of Magic. "Well I guess I'm game for whatever crazy plot you have in mind, even if the mood doesn't strike you until later." Smiling Vic ordered another beer.

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