[Open] It's A Lovely Day for a Ramble

[likedietrich]

Where: Picturesque Hawkshead, Cumbria, England (no seriously just look at this place)
Who: Marlene, any would-be Order members, and anyone who wants to gatecrash tbh
What: Insubordination Dueling Practice A Lovely Autumnal Picnic in the Lake District Nothing Suspicious Here

Proving that, once again, nothing gets done unless she does it herself, it's Marlene who sweet talks her second cousin in Cumbria to lend her some of those fallow fields outside Hawkshead. It's Marlene who puts up the wards that stop any Muggles from wandering in when people are practicing their offensive charms. It's not Marlene who caters the thing, though, so food is entirely dependent on whether said attendee remembers that the polite thing to do when invited to a party is to bring something along.

It's late in the day, and Marlene's leaning against her broom on a field covered haphazardly with picnic cloths and an incredibly odd assortment of food (someone 100% brought Muggle takeaway to this wizarding picnic). She raises a hand to shield her eyes from the sun, and if one went to school with her, it'd be easy to imagine her back in the Gryffindor Quidditch uniform she'd worn as chaser and team captain instead of the simple dress and boots she has to keep the autumn wet at bay.

Eventually, she slants a look over at whoever's next to her. "Well, are you just going to stand there, babes? Do something."

[If you want Marlene, feel free to respond directly, otherwise all the top levels ever]

Comments

[alwaysreturns]

Ron brought some salad thing from Tesco (good lord, muggle groceries are confusing and also boring and a little gross looking), mostly because it was all he could afford and he didn't want to stuff his face without bringing anything.

He's shoving a samosa in his mouth when Marlene leans over, and for a moment he looks like a ginger deer in headlights. He doesn't quite remember to swallow before responding.

"Me? Do - do what?"

[likedietrich]

She's almost entirely sure that what Ron brought is the same potato salad her mum serves when it's Her Turn to host Christmas and Boxing Day, and frankly, it would surprise her not at all to learn Josie Smythe leaned on Tescos. In any case, the day's true hero is whoever brought a quadruple order of samosas up from London. She dips hers in tamirind sauce, bites, and swallows before she replies to the vaguely intimidated teenager who is at least a foot taller than her. Then she gestures. Then she eats the rest of her samosa as she waves him towards the field.

Honestly, Ron, you're probably better at this sort of thing than she is. She's still going to be right behind you, wand out.

"Practice. Pretend it's you between me destroying your friends' hideout." Or something; she knows it's open war in the future. If it's war at all here, it's underground and cold.

[alwaysreturns]

Ron swallows hard and pushes himself up, looking around completely bewildered. Right. Do something, he can do something. He pulls his wand out when he sees hers, and - well. Destroying his friends' hideout? Is that what they think it's like, where they come from?

He wets his lips and squares his shoulders, and it's like - like Dumbledore's Army again, only it feels more like a kid's club, now. Which is stupid, he's not even the oldest one here.

Tallest, probably.

"All right then," he says, and well, he doesn't want to send her flying or anything, so-- "Expecto Patronum!" He flicks his wand just right, and he doesn't have the experience Harry does, but he does have experience. Out pops a silvery Jack Russel terrier that promptly runs a circle around him, then tries to bounce off her.

[likedietrich]

Frankly, none of them have no idea what it's like. There's no way for them to, really. But by the same token, Marlene usually has to stifle slightly bitter laughter every time someone from the future tells her she should be fighting back against the Ministry. How do you even start, when they can track every move you make and always have?

The patronus charm and the skill Ron has at doing it, though, has Marlene blinking. It's useful for exactly one thing, and Dementors are mostly found - in Britain, at least - in one place. She can still do it; before she took over the London store, she used to go on rare book finding trips, and Dementors can be found in other places where so much death and torture has occurred that they've become attracted.

"Expecto Patronum!" She flicks her own wand, and a sleek, silvery cat pops out and promptly hisses at Ron's. "Well, that's not going to work out well."

[wolfymcwolf]

Remus' contribution is in the form of a plate of cookies. Everyone likes cookies. They're easy and cheap to make, with the bonus of looking like he's put in much more effort than he actually has, too. So, enjoy that, everyone.

Merlin, he hasn't dueled since school. In dueling club. And that was hardly the same as... whatever this is. War preparations? A picnic on a lovely autumnal day doesn't seem to suit that, but that's partly the point, isn't it, to seem inconspicuous?

If there's one thing Remus is well-versed in it's seeming inconspicuous, but maybe they could have at least done this in the privacy of someone's home.

What are they doing here? He has no idea, and he suspects no one else does either. So, at least he's not alone in his cluelessness.

Are they preparing to fight a war or start one?

Either way, he's here, isn't he? On board for this something, whatever it is.