April 7th, 1890 — Padmore Park

It was such a beautiful day that Bragi Holm had decided to take his morning newspaper and mail to the park. The flame-haired youth sat on a bench by the trees, the Prophet open beside him — and on that newspaper sat his big ginger cat, Maid Marian. He'd bought her a tiny bow-tie for her birthday, and she was wearing it now with incredible aplomb.

Using the ornate letter-opener his mother had given him, Bragi opened his final piece of mail. After a moment of such stillness that the cat began to fall asleep where she sat, Bragi sprang to his feet. Forgetting all regard for the others in the park, he exclaimed breathlessly: "Marian I got it! I got it, and I start on Monday!"

  

---

The afternoon promised to be a busy one for Tristan. He would be trying out for the National Team and there was to be a part afterwards which he planned to attend. His morning was a busy one and he had found himself in Hogsmeade to do some last minute errand. His nerves were singing through his system as each tick of a clock ticked closer to it being the time that he would have to report in at the tryouts. He just hoped he would not be running late.

He had been cutting through Padmore Park when he heard a vaguely familiar voice exclaiming quite excitedly that they had 'got it'. "Mister Holm, what has you so excited?" He couldn't help asking curiously as he came to a pause and set his bag on the ground.

  

---

Bragi paled, immediately embarrassed that he'd said this outloud. But all he got was a gently amused chuckle from a passing lady, and some curiosity from — oh, was that Tristan Michaud for real this time? And not his uncle?

"Good morning, Mr Michaud! Erm, we were just celebrating..." he gestured to his cat, "my new job. I've just been accepted onto an internship programme with the Department of International Magical Co-Operation." He could not help but beam, clearly delighted by the news.

  

---

Tristan spared a glance to the cat and his interest was piqued when Mister Holm mentioed a new job. "How delightful! My uncle used to be a translator there." The other man had quit after the Ministry explosion a few years back and devoted his full time to his art after his injuries had healed. "Will you still be a landlord?"

  

---

When Tristan mentioned his uncle, Bragi brightly recalled meeting Jacques Michaud just the other week — was this the uncle he was talking about? It would make sense for the Britain-bound Frenchman to be a translator, but Bragi thought he suited his work in the arts much better.

And thinking about perfect vocations made him smile again. He had a new job.. a new job!

"Oh yes, I'll still keep both my properties, but... I don't think I'll work on expanding my portfolio. I don't think I'll have time", he mused outloud, half-questioning himself. He looked up at Mr Michaud. "Do you think I should? Or would I be taking on too much?"

  

---

Tristan was glad that his new friend seemed so happy about his new job. He really was making his own foothold in Britain, wasn't he? It was nice to see. Tristan could somewhat remember his own adjustment period when his family had first moved.

"I think you should wait and see how this job goes. How much time and energy it takes and then decide if you have it in you to expand your portfolio," Tristan said thoughtfully.

---

  

---

Frankly, Bragi was just grateful to receive any advice at all — for he realised as soon as he'd spoken that this was a lot to ask of a stranger. But, even better, said stranger offered some solid thoughts, and Bragi nodded. "Thank you, that seems very sensible. Do you live here in Hogsmeade yourself?"

He very much assumed so, but what Bragi was really looking for was an insight into which neighbourhood Mr Michaud belonged to. He didn't want to voice an assumption, for to do so in these parts was also to have a guess at one's social standing. And that was just rude.

  

---

Tristan chuckled when Mister Holm asked if he lived in Hogsmeade. "I used to live in Bartonburg with my uncle but have since moved into my family manor in Wales. I do sometimes stay the night in the Bartonburg residence, though." His uncle had kept it for when he desired his privacy as well as a place to paint.

They were not among the wealthiest but they were definitely more than comfortable financially.

---

  

---

"Oh, Wales!" he exclaimed with interest. He did not think of Mr Michaud as Welsh in any way — not with such a French name and accent — but families had all sorts of different sides and lineages. What an exotic gentleman.

"I've read all about Wales, but I've never been there. It seems like an ever so romantic country."

  

---

"We moved there from France when I was a boy of nine. I'd say France is a lot more Romantic country but it has become home, I suppose," he said with a chuckle. He had told Mr. Holm this when they had first met - about the move from France, that was - but that had been almost a year ago. So it was no surprise that neither young man remembered this fact. Actually, he had also told the young man about how he used to live in Bartonburg and now lived in Wales too and that he remembered doing. "Wait a second, I think I have told you this about me before, when we met. A sign that we should socialize together a lot more frequently."

---

  

---

Bragi was rightfully abashed to find his memory had failed him in the moment; he'd been too charmed by the renewed concept of Wales to remember their conversation a year previously. "My apologies", he chuckled, owning his slip-up. Truth be told, Bragi had met so many people since moving to Hogsmeade that certain handy facts about certain handy people sometimes ended up being misplaced.

"But I gladly accept the consequences. Do think of me should you be invited to any exciting Quidditch functions", he said hopefully. He'd never had a professional Quidditch player for a friend before. "And I will be sure to invite you to anything like that at the Ministry, should I have the chance." This was accompanied by a gentle lurch of glee in his chest as he remembered his brand new Ministry job.

  

---

"Oh, certainly!" He said in agreement when the man asked that he think of him for any Quidditch events. He did sometimes get granted a +1 which he tended to extend to his uncle. But Mister Holm would probably get a lot more enjoyment out of it then his uncle who was not usually the most social. "That would be greatly appreciated though I am not sure what I would do at such things. Quidditch events tend to be a more rowdy affair than Ministry to-dos," he said with a light laugh.

---

  

---

"I'm in such a good mood I'm sure I could even manage 'rowdy'", he joked. Sure enough, with his new job confirmed Bragi felt like the world was his oyster!

"Are you going this way?" he gestured out of Padmore Park. Perhaps he and Michaud and Marian the cat could walk together for a bit before (hopefully temporarily) parting ways.

OOC: Fade? :)

  

---

Tristan chuckled as the other man said that he could manage rowdy. "I am sure you could besides, most of us are a fun-loving, easygoing bunch." He was sure Holm would make himself quite the friends-base. "Yes, I am. Shall we head out together?" He suggested as he began walking in that direction.

ooc: wrap <3

---

  

---