Ask me to go faster, put my foot down to the floor
Standing at the edge, I feel like I've been here before
Evening, 14th September, 1893 — Wildflowers, Diagon Alley

He’d been at the debate – both to decide whom to vote for, himself, and because his father, though a muggle, had more overt political opinions than he, and would no doubt want a full review of all the strangest principles of wizarding elections.

All of that would pale, Elias considered darkly now, to tales about dragons on the Thames. His blood had run cold from the merest thought of them loose in London – though he’d already been caught in the library, and had had no choice but to be ushered towards the Floo.

But he hadn’t said his own address, nor gone to his parents’ in Irvingly through the fireplace. Instead, he’d gone right to Daffy’s, the private fireplace to her flat, barely brushing off the soot from his clothes before the worry sank in too. He peered out the window – outside, Diagon Alley looked intact – but inside her flat was silent. He checked downstairs; of course Wildflowers was closed now, dusk was falling – but Daff wasn’t there tidying or restocking either. The fear crept in at every new minute of silence, so Elias kept pacing: back and forth in the greenhouse, up and down the stairs restlessly, Winston whining at the constant interruptions to his nap.

He would go out and look, if he had any idea where to start – besides, they’d said something about a barrier, so there was no way to tell if there’d be any way to get through, if she had ended up on the other side of it. He had just considered checking in Hogsmeade to see if any of her family had seen her, when he heard a key in the lock; he was on the stairs again before she’d stepped through the door. “Daff,” Elias said hoarsely, shaking his head incoherently. “I didn’t know where you were –”

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   Daffodil Grimstone

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look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

They'd been having such a lovely afternoon; finally taking the time to catch up on one another's lives that Daff almost didn't realize what was happening until it was nearly too late. Later, looking back, Daff would realize just how lucky she and Jack were. They had seen the ships on the Thames in the distance while they were up river picking up some supplies for the shop. Daff had watched in horror as the ships were engulfed in flames and everything went sideways. Everyone had scattered, naturally, even though they were a little ways off and she and Jack had to scramble with the crowd to get away from the river itself.

She could hear the chaos in the distance as she and Jack raced back through London, heading far south to avoid the dragons at large. The walk back had taken almost two hours, but they'd gone the long way around back to the alley (later she would learn they were outside the barrier which was good) but she'd been too shaken up to apparate and they couldn't find another floo point. The walk was quiet too, listening for any other sound of creatures as they made their way through an oblivious section of muggle London back to that side of the Leaky Cauldron. Coming in through the back and up the eerily quiet Alley, Daff realized they hadn't said much at all on the walk back, but knew Jack was likely stewing on how much he disliked her living in London. It was only temporary, she would have told him, if she had the air or the nerve to express anything other than relief at being home. Soon enough, hopefully, once she and Elias ironed out a few more things, they would all get their way and she'd be living in Hogsmeade again.

Letting go of Jack's arm for the first time since they'd first seen the dragons to unlock the front door, the last thing she expected to be met with was Elias' voice. Oh thank Merlin. Without thinking about Jack's opinion on the matter, she felt the relief at being home and away from everything overwhelm her. Her safe space wasn't the shop though, no, her safe space was coming at her from the bottom of the stairs looking just as relieved as she felt. Daff met Elias halfway across the shop floor, folding herself against him gratefully. "I'm alright, we're alright." She assured him breathlessly.

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Jack Dorset

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   Cassius Lestrange, Elias Grimstone, Jack Dorset

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The shop was familiar to him but he didn’t experience any of the relief she did at seeing it.  His ears rang with the eerie silence of the alley and the intensely fresh memory of the screams and roars they'd left behind.  It had been a long way back and at some point the surge of adrenaline had ebbed and been replaced with irritation.  This had been exactly why he didn’t like that she lived in London alone.  He'd known it wasn't a good idea and he hadn't done enough to convince her.  That wouldn't happen again. 

She'd been holding on to him for so long he had sort of forgotten that she'd pull away eventually.  When she did, instead of feeling lighter, his limbs suddenly felt heavy and leaden as he shuffled through the door behind her.  He had just enough time to register Mr. Grimstone and the way Daffy pressed against him before instinct set in and his gaze shot away.  Whatever face he made, he was unaware of it.

He stared pointedly off to the side, absently flexing his hand at his side.  His knuckles had stiffened in the grip he'd held on her for so long and an ache had settled in.

After a moment he cleared his throat.  "Mr. Grimstone." he said by way of a greeting.  "I hope you've had a better day than we have."

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   Daffodil Grimstone, Elias Grimstone

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It was only some time after he had her in his arms and glanced down as if to be sure she was all in one piece that Elias realised that she wasn’t alone. His shoulders tensed a little, conscious of how it might look that he had been here in her shop, in her flat, and of how tightly he was holding on – but he couldn’t bring himself to let go until a little of the fear had ebbed out.

Eventually, he did, though, touching her shoulder and letting it drop along her arm to quietly say I’m here as he stepped a fraction of a pace back and looked at the constable and his greeting. If Elias grimaced slightly at it, it was because he still more worried about where Daffy had just been, than being abashed about being here. “Dorset,” he said with a nod, and a quick glance to affirm that Daffy’s friend seemed unscathed as well.

“I was at the debate,” he said hastily, by way of an explanation. “They started Flooing everyone out when we heard about the dragons, but there are barriers up and I – well, I didn’t want to go home before I knew you were safe,” he said with a swallow, gaze drifting back briefly to Daff. Where had they been?

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   Daffodil Grimstone

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look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

Daff finally felt the shakes start to slow, clinging to Elias and trying to regain her composure. Knowing Jack was in the room probably should have seen her show some sort of restraint, but she was too rattled to truly care. He would get over it. Or he wouldn't. That was his problem. She eased back as Elias did, but she wasn't quite ready to let go completely yet, so she tangled her fingers in his as he dropped his hand beside her.

That Elias had been at the debate was a bit of a surprise, she must have forgotten or hadn't known, but her heart leapt in her chest anyway. "You were far closer than we were." She breathed out, shoving the panic back down; he was obviously fine, but it could have been much worse. "Jack was helping me pick up some things for the shop, we were up the river a little ways." Her voice was quiet, shallow, as she recounted what they'd seen in the distance. "Everything went up in smoke and flames. It was terrifying." She swayed a little just thinking about it, the fear that had gripped her and the horror at the little they had seen. They hadn't even seen anything up close, but that was still the closest she had ever been to a dragon and would ever like to be again.

"We had to walk back through the muggle neighborhoods." What a mess that was going to be. Dragons in the middle of muggle London, she couldn't imagine the chaos and what happened to those who were in the fray. "Can we get home?" Daff glanced between the boys uncertainly. They hadn't encountered any magical barriers on their walk back and had made it into the alley alright, but she knew neither one of them would let her stay here tonight and frankly she didn't want to either.

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He felt pretty stupid just standing there, staring at a wall while they were ... doing whatever they were doing.  Like somehow he shouldn't be there and also that looking away was the worst thing to do about it.  Plus he didn't really have enough focus left in him to keep it up indefinitely.

Did he even really care?  He'd known she was courting the broommaker for months; was it surprising that they'd be relieved to see each other safe after a dragon attack?  He gave up his examination of the wall just in time to see them pulling away from each other.  Probably for his sake, he realized.  He couldn't help the face he made but hopefully no one would notice - he was already moving towards the shop counter to hoist himself up.  Apparently knowing someone was courting and seeing it were two different things. 

"Can you side-along her back to Hogsmeade?"  he asked Mr. Grimstone directly as he settled in the unconventional seat he'd found for himself  "I can stay here until the floo's back."

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   Elias Grimstone

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The news had Laurel's blood running ice cold, ironic given that it was flames and dragons that had caused the chill. She didn't care that it was going toward the danger, all she knew was that one of her babies was in London. The rest were safe here in town, but Daff, oh Daff. There was no way she could wait for Daff to contact her, for her darling daughter to return home. She had to know with her own two eyes that her daughter was safe.

Please, Goddess, let her be alright. Laurel prayed as she made her way for the fireplace of the shop. Her lips moving silent appeals as her feet caused the floorboards of florist shop to creak. The emerald flames of the floo powdered fire wrapped around Laurel's body as she stepped into the fireplace, "Wild Flowers." She stated clearly, her voice reminding her of when the girls had been toddlers and she'd needed to scold them. Her body spun and twisted disorienting her for a moment before she burst out of the fireplace, still trying to catch her breath from her haste to get here and almost crying at the sight of her darling daughter.

"Daff!" Already her arms were open for a hung, when she realized Daff wasn't alone. No. Yet again she found her daughter surrounded by men. (How was it this kept happening yet she had not found herself married yet?) Mr. Grimstone was standing much too close to Daffodil and her hand was snug in his. Under normal circumstances Laurel wouldn't have minded the breach of etiquette, she might have pretended to simply to watch the man blush, but today wasn't normal. And then there was Jack, perched on the counter as if he were a child waiting treats (another thing Laurel found herself annoyed by) and yet all annoyances faded to find them all safe. "Oh my dears, I'm so glad you are alright." She breathed, giving Jack a fond smile and even a smile for Mr. Grimstone. But then her attention focused on her daughter and she marched up to her and pulled her into an embrace. Mothers took priority over beaus. Mr. Grimstone could let go of her for a moment.

Laurel then pulled her face back and cupped her hands around Daff's jaw, "You are okay, aren't you?"

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   Daffodil Grimstone

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Mama Potts' is a joy thanks to Bee <3

Daff heard her before she saw her. The rapid approach of her mother hurrying down the stairs; the quick appraisal of the room; the bone-crushing embrace. Daff was forced to untangle her fingers from Elias', patting her mother on the arm to let her know she was indeed alright.

"Yes, we're fine," she managed through the little air she could find before coming face-to-face with her mother's apprehensive expression. "Jack and I weren't very close." And Elias had gotten out quickly enough. Nobody was worse for the wear, save for the fright and the soreness in her feet from trekking halfway across London.

Her mother's arrival answered their question about getting home as well. "Looks like the Floo works just fine?" Laurel had come from her apartment, which likely meant that was how her mother had gotten here in the first place. Fortunate, as Daff wasn't so sure she wanted to attempt apparating with the little shake still in her hands. She surveyed the room at large, knowing she was vastly outnumbered about choosing to stay in her own flat tonight (not that she really wanted to), so Daff sighed softly, "I should probably go pack a bag." Not much, just enough for a day or two, she'd come back tomorrow for work, if allowed, but she wasn't sure what London would look like in the aftermath.

"Play nice," she intoned, looking mostly at her mother, as she wiggled free of her mother's grasp. "I'll be right back." The quickest packing job ever, she determined, as she hurried up the stairs.

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If Dorset’s presence hadn’t hindered them much, the arrival of Mrs. Potts had immediate effect. Elias stepped away from Daff, shifting away as the conversation between mother and daughter took precedence, and he felt suspiciously like an interloper again. But she was safe, she was alright; hopefully her mother would be too preoccupied to question any propriety.

Anyway, dragons in London had to put everything else into perspective, surely.

But Daffy just had to go and leave him here alone, didn’t she? And there was no escape, either – it was not as if he could volunteer to go upstairs and help her pack, was it? Better that he didn’t even look towards the stairs. 

At something of a loss, Elias had tucked his hands loosely behind his back, half wishing he could sit up on the counter like Dorset was, but not about to try that now. Instead, he cleared his throat and looked at Mrs. Potts. “Did you come from Hogsmeade?” he asked; he thought better of explaining that he had let himself in through Daff’s flat to wait here for her. “Are the rest of the family there?” Hopefully Daffy had been the only Potts daughter anyone had had to be concerned for.

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look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

The plan had come to him and out of his mouth quickly and without much thought. Jack's only goal had been to get Daffy out of London and home where she was safe and their options were pretty limited but did that mean he trusted that Mr. Grimstone to do just that? And should he push harder to be the one that got her there?

He didn't have much time to wonder or wait for an answer. The awkward quiet was traded for the flurry of activity that Mrs. Potts always seemed to bring with her. He noticed - and he hated that he noticed - that they were quick to pull apart for Mrs. Potts at least. It was kind of funny. And annoying.

He returned Mrs. Potts' smile with a tired one of his own and welcomed the sense of relief she brought. She would take charge, whether or not anyone wanted her to. It was obvious Mr. Grimstone didn't feel quite the same relief but Jack could only offer a sympathetic shrug.

There was nothing he could say to help.

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   Daffodil Grimstone, Elias Grimstone

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"Thank the Goddess." Laurel breathed in relief pulling back to inspect Daffy's face again, and then turning slightly to take in that Jack was alright too.

"Good plan." There was no way that Laurel would be leaving her daughter her in London given the circumstances, but given Daffy's words it sounded as if the boys had at least come to the same conclusion and were already making a plan to get Daffy out.

Did she ever not play nice? But the words, as her daughter slipped up the stairs, echoed in her mind. It was as if Daffy thought she'd be interrogating the boys, but now that she had been reminded it was unusual that Mr. Grimstone was here... with only Jack. What was Daffy thinking to be alone with two men? Her thoughts were torn between that and being grateful to the boys for thinking to take care of her daughter - if that was what had happened. Laurel was always looking for the best in people.

Laurel turned around and looked at both boys, considering them. Mr. Grimstone was the first to break the silence. "I did." She nodded, "They are. Is your sister and her family still in Irvingly?" She knew that Ruth and her husband had settled there, but occasionally people moved, or visited the city.

Then, having figured she disarmed the boys enough, she looked pointedly at both of them, "Shouldn't you both be in Hogsmeade?" Away from danger and the news? Had they been here before or after the news of the dragons broke out?

  

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Mama Potts' is a joy thanks to Bee <3

Jack shook his head with a bit of a shrug. 

"It's my day off." 

Work was his only obligation in Hogsmeade and her fishing went right over his head.  While he was better about some elements of propriety like addressing Daffy properly while in public, he didn't quite have the same awareness for when it was ok to be around her.  Because after 10 years it always felt ok.

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   Daffodil Grimstone

“They are,” he had answered, gratefully, about his family.

Dorset sounded entirely nonchalant about this little interrogation, perhaps with good reason – after all, he was practically part of the Potts family already, that much was clear – but at least Elias had a more compelling excuse than it being his day off. “I was at the Ministerial debate,” he explained. “When they started evacuating, I thought I would – make sure that Daff was safe, if she was here.” Best not mention that he had taken the liberty (more than once before) of turning up to her house alone; best not mention that he had been able to let himself in.

He looked from Laurel Potts to Dorset, to hopefully fill in the fact that she had apparently already been with Jack.

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look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

As soon as she'd reached the top of the stairs, Daff had begun to rush around, grabbing one of her bigger bags from under her bed to throw a few things in, a nightgown, a dress for tomorrow, it wasn't like she wasn't coming back, at least for work, she hoped. If the alley was shut down she'd still have to come back and check on the greenhouse and the basement plants.

Tossing her hairbrush and a ribbon or two in the bag, as if her parents didn't also have these things, Daff grabbed her slippers from the end of her bed and threw them in there for good measure. It was probably only ten minutes of running around, but it was probably long enough for her to leave Elias at the mercy of her mother; she was sure Jack was being of no help. She could only hear the murmur of voices from the first floor, but she had a feeling that things were tense on some level.

With her bag in one hand, Daff scurried back down the stairs and around the corner back onto the shop floor. She came up behind Elias and put her other hand on his back. "All packed, we an use the floo upstairs, right?" She eyed her mother with a smile, before casting a knowing look at Jack.

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