Welcome to Until The End. We are a moderate Harry Potter role-playing site set in the Marauder's Era. Our plot is generally derived from details in the book, but as an AU site we do take liberties most anywhere we like. Those who died in the books can have a second chance at living, and those who lived are always at risk.
Tom Marvolo Riddle has long since disappeared and in his stead Lord Voldemort has risen, bringing a small army with him. The Ministry of Magic has thus far ignored the growing menace that is the Death Eaters and Albus Dumbledore has taken it upon himself to defend the wizarding community from an evil he knows is building. War is coming. Pick a side!
School's Out For Summer
The Hogwart's Express has pulled up to the station in King's Cross station and the summer holidays have officially begun. What mischeif will you get into in the warm summer sun?
*Coming Soon* - Summer Solstice Carnival
Travel by portkey to the biggest summer celebration in wizard society - The Summer Solstice Carnival! There will be food, games, prizes, fun and more!
Skies are blue, and the dreams you dare to dream, really do come true.
T
he Malachite was a full service hotel for wizards and witches of a certain prestige. They had all the regular amenities - full bar, restaurant, robe cleaning etc - but it was still a hassle and a half to round up a decent scone. British pastries weren't all that common in Egypt, so it was something of a struggle to acquire the baked good, and Christine could only hope that her auror in tailored clothing would appreciate it.
"Good Morning Agent Humbert." she addressed him in the lobby before holding out the box carrying her baked gesture of good will.
It had been a few nights since Christine's arrest, and not much had changed in the case. Jabare's apartment had been picked clean by the time an agent was sent to investigate and Ramses was laying low, but every morning Dorian was in the Lobby as Christine went to check her messages and get breakfast.
She preferred leaving her suite and eating at the restaurant to ordering room service, stopping to chat with the hotel staff learning about their lives and interests. They made many tourist recommendations, but Christine wasn't quite ready to leave the safety of the hotel. There was another reason she was hesitant to leave, but it was far more impractical. She wanted to be around the handsome auror.
Though she rarely spoke to him, she thought about him often. She took care of her appearance before leaving her suite and was working up the courage to ask him to breakfast or lunch or dinner. But every time she approached him with an invitation in mind, it always ended in a smile and simple nod. Sometimes a hello or other brief greeting. For the first time in Christine's life she was shy and also concerned. Was inviting the auror to breakfast crossing some professional line? Was she delusional for thinking that he'd even say yes to her invitation?
It was during a conversation with Qamar - the receptionist - that Christine discovered a unique bakery that specialized in worldly treats and arranged to have a box of goodies sent to the hotel.
Standing in front of her dashing hero once more made her knees a little weak, but her smile was unwavering, "How is your investigation coming along?"
Post by Dorian Michael Humbert on Jul 25, 2019 20:05:21 GMT -8
The stakeout at the Malachite was yielding no new tips and the proverbial well seemed to have gone dry where Ramses and his thugs were concerned. The nightclub where Christine had been forced to dance was still operating but the Egyptian Aurors had done extensive background checks on all of the employees. In the end, two more trafficking victims were identified, their stories remarkably similar to Christine's tale of being tricked into meeting with a stranger, and they had given their statements before returning home. Sadly, their information was nothing the investigators didn't already know, and it proved of little use in tracking down the kingpin of the operation, nor any of his lackeys. Dorian took solace in the knowledge that three women were on their way back to their families (or two, technically, as Christine was rather vague about her plans to return to England) but he would have been more pleased to shut down the whole operation. They were stalled and Dorian was aggravated.
His mood improved only slightly as Christine sauntered up to him. Timidly approached was probably a better way to describe it. The last several days, with Dorian camped out in the lobby of her hotel (working in shifts with two other agents) she'd seemed as though she was going to speak with him but she never did. They'd given small customary smiles and head nods of acknowledgement to each other, but that was it. It had been a rather dull week to be honest, and Dorian was open for a change of pace. "Good morning, Miss Mikaelson." He looked up at her from his newspaper as her voice broke his concentration, then to the pastry box she offered him. "What's this?" he asked, the tiny hint of delight in his eyes as he took the box she'd handed to him and lifted the lid to peek inside. She asked after the investigation and he gestured for her to sit on the sofa beside him, offering her first choice of the scones inside. "I cannot speak of an open investigation with a civilian," he explained, but he had news to inform her of regardless. "But I can tell you that this will be my last day stalking your hotel."
Skies are blue, and the dreams you dare to dream, really do come true.
C
hristine was not an awkward person. She didn't have Elara's grace and killer instinct, but she was bold and passionate and conversation typically came easy to her. But it all flew out the window in one man's presence. Suddenly she was shy, her movements timid sometimes jerky, and her thoughts were perpetually scattered. He sent flutters through her stomach and made her nervous. It was a crush, but it was so much more than that.
Christine had never been boy crazy. She had normal teen romances, but they quickly burned out. No relationship seemed to stand up to the standards she had set for herself. Her parents had a whirlwind marriage and grand love affair, and while her mother had often wished for Christine to avoid the same heartache and misunderstanding, Christine would settle for nothing less than true love - even if it was two parts ecstasy and one part the worst pain you can imagine.
She sat when he offered her a seat and smiled when he took the box. She hadn't expected him to share, actually she had half expected herself to throw the box at him and run, but she was delighted by his offer and chose a medium sized scone from the pack.
Christine nodded, "Oh yes of course." she said shaking her head at herself. He couldn't share details about the case - even her uncles kept their work under wraps when on an active case no matter how much she begged to hear all the gory details.
His next words stopped her mid bite and she had to cover her mouth to finish the dry baked good before speaking again, "You're leaving?"
Already? So soon? She didn't ask the question out loud, and for all her awkwardness she seemed rather composed, but there was definite disappointment hidden in her words.
Post by Dorian Michael Humbert on Jul 25, 2019 21:06:31 GMT -8
Once Christine had a pastry in hand, Dorian set the box down on the table in front of them and plucked a small scone out for himself. "I'm needed back in England," he explained before taking a bite of the moist yet crumbly treat. He made a pleased "mm" sound, acknowledging how good the breakfast was. "These are brilliant. Where did you find scones in Cairo?"
Skies are blue, and the dreams you dare to dream, really do come true.
C
hristine nodded and answered immediately, though her mind was far away, "Makhbiz. Special order." The wheels were turning in her mind. She had taken too long to speak to him, and yet she didn't have anything to say to him, not before and not now. She could ask about the investigation, but he couldn't give her details. She could ask about his job, and that too was classified. So many times she wanted to approach him, finally working up the courage to do so, and he's leaving.
She had to tamp down the bitter disappointment, in all likelihood her crush was doomed before it began. Nothing would come of it, he was far too old for her and much too composed. She was also a verifiable idiot whenever he was within ten feet of her anyhow. It was best that he was leaving, but suddenly Cairo seemed a lot less interesting.
"Sorry...um... Makhbiz, it's a bakery a few miles from here. Qamar told me about it and put in a special order..." she said less distracted, "So you're leaving tomorrow then. That's fast...or um... I mean, I suppose eight months isn't that fast is it?" she laughed at herself and seemed to collect her thoughts.
"Well I'm sure Britain's finest has more important things to do than babysit a five star hotel."
Post by Dorian Michael Humbert on Jul 25, 2019 22:05:32 GMT -8
There were several local businesses that Dorian past each day on his way to and from his shift at the hotel, and while he had seen the sign for Makhbiz, he had never taken the time to go inside. He had a hotel of his own, though nothing as lavish as this one, and it included a little kitchenette where he cooked his own meals. He had no reason for eating out and didn't want to risk being seen too often around the city in case Ramses had spies watching. Of course, had any of those spies come into the Malachite, they would have been met with an intricate system of security charms installed only a day after Christine was returned from the jail after her little breaking and entering stunt. There had been no movement whatsoever and the Ministry was prioritizing other cases over this one. Dorian knew from experience that cold cases often stayed that way, but he intended to follow up on his own time if need be. He had poured eight months into this investigation, traveled to multiple countries. He was loathed to let it fall to the wayside but without any new leads the Ministry couldn't afford to continue wasting their resources perched inside a posh hotel, hoping for a bit of luck that clearly was not going to just fall into their laps. "Perhaps," he acquiesced to her babysitting remark, "but no one in Britain has ever bothered to bring me scones."
Adopting a more serious tone, Dorian attempted to soothe any worries she may have been feeling. "Rest assured, you're still very safe here regardless of my presence or lack there of. Officers Makalani and Sef will check in with you daily until you depart." She'd been cryptic about her travel plans but it seemed to fit what he knew of her personality. She was spontaneous and moved on a whim. Planning ahead didn't seem to be a strong suit.
Skies are blue, and the dreams you dare to dream, really do come true.
S
he grinned earnestly when he said that no one in Britain had brought him scones before. An offer to bring him more back home was close to leaving her lips, but she caught herself. Their relationship, if you could call it that, would end in Egypt, and she would be lucky if she never saw him again, though her uncles would undoubtably run into him in the office.
She didn't feel lucky though. She felt rotten. She had gotten used to his impeccably dressed figure sitting in the lobby with a newspaper and coffee in hand. She had fantasized about his smile - though she didn't see many - and thought of ways to bring more of them to the surface. She had become addicted to his presence even if this was the first time she dared approach him. Now, before anything could really happen, he was leaving. It certainly put a damper on things.
When he began to assure her of safety she nodded, "Thank you, I know I'm in good hands."
She gave a half smile and shrug, "To be honest, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be staying either." With Dorian leaving, Christine wasn't even sure what her motivation to stay was. Perking up a bit she remembered the plans she had made tomorrow.
"But I will finally get to explore the Ayn Ghazal though." she grinned, "Legally." she added quickly then laughed.
Turns out money talks, and a lot of money sang and danced too. It took a bit of funds, but she would get to explore the excavation site that had caused her so much trouble initially.
"My flight - carpets by the way - leaves first thing tomorrow."
A lot of people didn't have the stomach for enchanted carpet riding, but Christine couldn't wait for the adventure. "I have a private tour scheduled tomorrow. It's still a restricted site, but I've been promised an all access badge."
Post by Dorian Michael Humbert on Jul 26, 2019 13:40:35 GMT -8
A second bite of his scone left crumbs on his suit jacket, unnoticed by Dorian as he conversed with the young woman. He would be more perturbed by his appearance later but for the time being he was content to listen to the witch talk of her tourism plans, even if he was a tad suspicious of how legal her route had been. She had admitted to him during an earlier interview that she had been trying to gain access to the site illegally, and it was that action that had allowed her to become a victim of human trafficking. His jaw tensed. "You're sure it's done legally, then? Through a proper travel guide?"
Skies are blue, and the dreams you dare to dream, really do come true.
C
hristine's amused nod was overly confident.
"Of course Agent." she said, as though he were silly for thinking otherwise. "Probably." she nodded with a little less confidence.
"Maybe." she said unsure of herself.
"I only met him yesterday, but Ahkmed seemed totally legitimate." she nodded earnestly then paused as though she were second guessing herself, "I did find it odd that he asked for me to wire my donation directly into his account. But as the cousin to the Prince of Jordan I'm sure he's very responsible. Do you think it's odd?" she took another bite of her scone while keeping her face straight, "Fifteen hundred galleons is quite a bit of money." she asked sounding concerned.
Post by Dorian Michael Humbert on Jul 27, 2019 17:59:20 GMT -8
Dorian nodded approvingly as Christine confirmed her travel plans had been made reputably. He had just popped the last bite of his scone into his mouth as she began to express concerns with the legitimacy of the man selling her these supposedly legal tickets to Ayn Ghazal. He nearly choked as she claimed to have wired fifteen hundred galleons directly into the man's Gringotts vault, coughing up flecks of pastry and trying to cover his mouth with his hand. He swallowed after what seemed like several minutes though in actuality was only a few seconds.
"Miss Mikaelson," he said finally, having recovered from his shock, "I'm afraid I am going to have to ask you to direct me to this 'cousin of royalty'. This does not sound like -" He paused, staring intently at her and catching for a moment just a glimpse of something off. "You're taking the Mickey out of me, aren't you?"
Skies are blue, and the dreams you dare to dream, really do come true.
C
hristine could only keep a straight face for so long. She patted his back when he began to cough, but his expression and his earnest desire to meet her 'cousin of royalty' was too much and a laugh escaped.
She felt torn between amusement and guilt. He made it too easy, but something told her that not many people joked with the austere Auror.
"I'm sorry Agent Humbert -" she giggled though was straining to compose herself, "I apologize. That wasn't kind. You've done so much for me, the least I could do is assure you that I won't be running headfirst into any more trouble."
She took a deep breath, and gave him a solemn nod, "You can hang up the shining armor - at least for this damsel. I have effectively been rescued and intend to remain far away from distress."
Post by Dorian Michael Humbert on Jul 27, 2019 19:27:48 GMT -8
Dorian didn't often partake in jokes, having little in his life worth laughing about since the murder of his parents. Even rarer still was people playing a joke on him. He wasn't accustomed to it and it took him a few seconds before his expression softened. "Your sense of humor appears to be just as impulsive as the rest of you, Miss Mikaelson." He reached for the styrofoam cup of coffee in front of him. "I do hope that is true. And," he added, almost as an afterthought, "I hope you enjoy your sightseeing."
Danger? I laugh in the face of danger. Hahahahaha.
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Post by Christine Aine Sayre on Jul 27, 2019 20:48:26 GMT -8
"I want adventure in the great wide somewhere"
Christine waited for Dorian to break into a smile and partake in the innocent joke she had played on him, but he was austere as ever. Belatedly, Christine realized that Dorian was even more unaccustomed to humor than she thought, or he was far more annoyed with her than he let on. In either case she questioned the wisdom behind her little joke and hoped he knew that she was sincere about staying out of trouble.
She had enough close calls.
When he softened and called her impulsive she gave a small guilty laugh, but when he wished her well on her travels she thanked him with a sincere smile. Then, before things could get too awkward she held her hand out for his, "Thank you Agent Humbert. For everything."
A handshake. It wasn't the contact she wanted with the handsome auror, but it was appropriate. They were never going to ride into the sunset together, but as Christine walked away from him she felt regret grow heavier in her heart as though she were walking away from something or someone important.
