February 28th, 1890 — High Street, Hogsmeade
@'Diana Fawley'

The chaos caused by Florida Man hadn't spared William in its ripple effects. Gone were his easy days of consulting investors and meandering about the Montrose quidditch pitch, and in their place was a nine to five job at the ministry. Not even an entry level position either. No, Florida Man had seen to it that William be blessed with responsibilities and possibly subordinates — it was a fucking disaster. And it wasn't as though he could simply up and quit the position, either. Such a move would appear to be utterly disgraceful and he unwilling to abide by his duties.

Will was stuck and so fucking done with this day.

He went into work for the first few hours of the day, only to struggle with comprehending just what his position entailed. After eight hours of that insanity (which ended up being only about three in reality) he threw in the towel and flooed to Hogsmeade. Mother had mentioned needing something from one of the shops nearby, and really Will was looking for an excuse to avoid returning to London. Anything - even something as menial as securing a package for his equally abled mother would suffice.

That was, at least, until he saw Diana Fawley standing only a foot away from what he instinctively knew to be a very angry and very dangerous bird. "Miss Fawley." He greeted with a stiff smile, his eyes never leaving the threatening bird. "Please, I must ask you to move cautiously towards me." The sooner she stepped away from it, the better. Lest it suddenly decide to explode or worst - attack.

  

---

Amazing Set by Lady <3

This morning had seen the oddest chain of events Diana had ever seen. First at breakfast, a maid tripped carrying a tray of food towards their table. What normally would happen is the food would have gone plummeting downwards, it all hung suspended in mid air whilst the whole family including the serving staff gawked at it. After clarifying no one had cast a freezing charm on the tray, the items were collected and given to a senior staff member to hand out.

Soon later, they heard a crash from the kitchens. Later the Fawley's had found out that the empty platter had slipped out of the server's hand, went shooting down the stairway and crashed into a maid bringing more items up. The family healer had fixed her up good and proper, but it was clear to them that this was the beginning of a very odd day.

And so Diana's responsibility became keeping her mother calm that day. They'd recently run out of her favorite tea, and Diana took Mrs. Wellington to High Street. If she was being honest with herself, she was also rather intrigued at what the day had in store for them seeing as objects seemed to be behaving rather weirdly all around.

Diana paused at the door of the tea shoppe, glancing down at her piece of parchment to make sure she had the right name, and was about to turn into it when she heard a familiar voice call out her name. She froze where she stood. Please, Merlin anyone but him.

There was no mistaking his voice though. Smooth, calm and oh so familiar to her. This time though, she detected a hint of authority in his voice and she turned towards him, her eyes betraying the calmness she knew she looked on the outside. He'd never taken that tone with her, why now? "Mr. Abbott," she greeted stiffly. "Might I ask why you must have me by your side immediately?" She knew to keep her voice light in its tone, as Mrs. Wellington was keenly unware of their past history, but her obsidian eyes flashed at him warningly. With the way this morning was turning out, she was not in the mood to be ordered about and by anyone let alone Will.

  

---

As though it sensed William's tense stare, the bird postured itself into an agressive stance. Discreetly (though likely still noticed by Diana and the despised Mrs. Wellington) Will gripped the wand stowed in the pocket of his sleeve. If the bird did decide to charge before he was able to convince Diana to trust him he was going to have to act quickly. Did stupefy even work on animals? William truly didn't need the attention killing this bird would bring.

"Di - Ms. Fawley, please." he repeated pleadingly. With his luck, the slip of her name was only going to lead to her further digging in her heels. And then what would he do? Short of forcibly dragging her out of harm's way (which he would in a heartbeat if it came down to it) he had little ability to convince her. Not to mention any movement on her part in the bird's direction could very well provoke it into charging.

Fuck.

  

If Diana was being honest with herself, she was still feeling slightly stung after Will's quick departure during their last encounter. Of course, that was what she'd wanted him to do, but petulance bowed to no one, and Diana was certainly its obliging subject that day, as well as this day of all days.

She wanted to stamp her foot in annoyance, tired of people telling her what to do (the request for tea hadn't come as a kind one to say the least, and her offering to take on the task had left one of the house maids feeling snubbed). This feeling was only expounded by the slip she heard in his voice, and her eyes flashed again in warning.

Finally, she took a step towards Will, knowing Mrs. Wellington would follow if not somewhat begrudgingly. "What is it that is so urgent, Mr. Abbot?" she questioned, in a spectacular display of being unaware of one's surroundings.

  

---

The warning glances were noticed only minimally by Will as his attention was entirely focused on the increasingly aggravated bird. Her singular step towards him wasn't enough, not when this bird was likely to rush towards her at any given moment. In a decisive move to ignore every decree Society established thus far, William reached for her wrist and pulled her towards him. His arm wrapped around her torso instinctively, his wand pointed towards the now moving bird.

"Stupefy." The spell struck the bird squarely in the chest and it thankfully fell to its side in a feathered heap.

It was only then that Will realized how tightly he had been gripping her waist and how close their bodies now were. "My apologies." He said in earnest as his hand fell to his side and he took a step back. "Are you alright?"

  

Will's quidditch days had not withered at all on him. His hand was on her wrist puling her to him faster than she could process and she squeaked in fright as she fell towards him. She shut her eyes instinctively to prepare for hitting the ground but no impact came.

Diana peeped one eye open before fully looking around to see the result of the altercation. "Oh," she said stupidly, only now just realizing what danger she'd been in. She looked back towards him, blinking rapidly to process what had just happened, only to have him let go, take a step back and leave her to sway slightly on the spot. She steadied herself, checking to make sure Mrs. Wellington was close and unharmed before turning back to Will. "Thank you," she responded, knowing the closeness wasn't his fault. "Yes, I'm quite alright, are you?" Clearly he was, seeing as he was the one who spotted the danger in the first place.

Diana glanced back at the stunned bird, wondering where it had come from. She looked questioningly towards Will, as if he held all the answers.

  

---

Despite having just taken a step from her, Will was moving towards her again as she swayed on her feet. Had his actions harmed her in some way? He hadn't thought so and there was no obvious injury suggesting otherwise, but she was still dazed. It was only after she righted herself without his assistance that Will moved to maintain respectable distance between them. Mrs. Wellington hadn't liked him much when he and Diana had first been involved, he doubted she liked him much now.

"Yes, I'm alright." Adrenaline was still coursing through his system setting his nerves afire, but he would be fine. Mostly, he was simply relieved she hadn't been hurt. Will had and could live with a many number of injuries, as was the life of a former quidditch player. However, were something to happen to her...well, that was a horror Will was certain he would never recover from.

The bird remained motionless behind her. Had his stunning spell killed it? Merlin, he hoped not. "Have you any idea where it might've come from?" Will asked hesitantly, his own questions in his eyes. Hogsmeade was her territory, after all.

  

Diana frowned towards the animal - despite its aggressive nature, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt over it's state of being. Tentatively, she took a step towards it. "I have no idea," she responded, though something about the animal struck a chord with her. Something about the vibrant plumage...

"Oh!" she turned back to him, her face bright. "Podmore Zoological Gardens!" As if that would remind him where she recognized the bird from. But they hadn't talked in a long time besides, and there was a small pit in her stomach that ached for the times when they talked more. Diana continued, choosing to ignore the ache she felt. "I used to take Tavie there occasionally on Hogsmeade weekends. I think it's from the aviary there."

  

---

As though the beast would suddenly revive itself and charge her once more, Will instinctively gripped her wrist and pulled her back away. "Don't." He warned quietly and added a "please" as an afterthought. An ocean might separate them where it used to be a mere stream, but he still would do anything to protect her. Even risking his own reputation in the process.

The bird escaped from Irvingly? How the bloody hell had it been allowed to get this far? Already, William knew he'd be confronting whomever was in charge of such things in the nearby future. Dangerous creatures weren't to be permitted to roam in such a populated area. Such was how people - Diana - got hurt. What were they to do with it in the meantime? As much as Will wanted to escort her safely home, he couldn't leave the bird to awaken and terrorize someone else.

He looked hesitantly towards Mrs. Wellington. There was little chance the woman would be willing to leave them to find help. "Is it usually this aggressive?" He asked dumbly, as though Diana had any great experience with such a creature.

  

His grip on her wrist, blocked from reaching her directly because of her silk gloves, sent a shiver through her and she shot a glance at him, her brows knitting together a fraction. "You've quite stupified it, I think it's alright and harmless at this point - look," Diana took her wand out and pointed it at the bird. Ropes shot out from it and coiled around the bird, incapacitating it indefinitely.

She stowed her wand away before turning back to Will and Mrs. Wellington. Diana made another face at his question; one that most likely occurred countless times when they were together, and she resisted crinkling her nose as well. "I wouldn't know," she said as gently as she could. "But I do believe we should bring it back where it belongs, shouldn't we?"

  

---

Binding the bird was ingenious, and yet another example of why she had always been the more intelligent of them both. He dropped her wrist once more and gave her an impressed nod. At least it no longer posed any risk to them or other passerbys. "Even so." He muttered petulantly. William wanted her near the bird like he wanted Gerald nagging in his ears. Diana hadn't even sensed the danger! Clearly, her judgement here wasn't wholly sound.

"I can take care of it if you ladies have some place to be." William offered. "You shouldn't be out with the chaos happening today."

  

---

Amazing Set by Lady <3

She knew he was just concerned for her - and true, she hadn't been the brightest flame on the candelabra just a few moments ago, but she knew this was the right thing to do. She set her jaw and looked up at him. "No." she replied definitively. If he was going to return this bird alone, what would he do if it suddenly awoke and tried to attack him? Diana was rather certain her spell would hold, but given the fact that the weirdest things had been happening all day, she didn't want to risk it.

She raised her wand again and muttered something, her cheeks slowly glowing pink as she did so. At once, a silver Whitetail doe burst from her wand and cantered around their small group once before prancing off. Diana put her wand back, avoiding Will's eyes. "Ive sent word to my family that I'll be longer than expected and that Mrs. Wellington is with me."

This last bit, she said to his shoulder, knowing full well if she made eye contact with him she wouldn't be able to go forward. The last time she'd cast a Patronus was years ago. When she was with him. It was the only spell she couldn't do and he was the one who stepped up to teach her the charm to the point where she could cast a corporeal Patronus. The memories of their stolen nights together flooded her like a tidal wave and she turned around so she wasn't facing him. "We're going with you."

  

---

Merlin, help him. Will knew Diana to be a tad stubborn sometimes, but this streak today was going to get her hurt. First, the goblins at Gringotts and now this. Even he felt as though he ought to be tucked home safe, and he would've been if it weren't for his mother.

Then, Diana had to add insult to injury by casting her patronus. Will watched in awe as the doe bounced around them, the memory of the first time it leaped to fruition playing on a loop in his head. Was she using the same memory? Did she know she was the light he focused on when casting his own patronus?

"Alright, then." He conceded with a huff. Quickly, before Diana could take care of it herself, Will levitated the stun bird and gestured for her to start moving. "After you."