(1939-02-09) Snakes and Chocolate
Details for Snakes and Chocolate
Summary: Marcus meets Dora and while the two talk, there's still a hint of a nervous edge about everything.
Date: 1939-02-09
Location: Gladrags Wizarding Wear
Related:
Characters
Marcus_GoyleAdorabella

Shopping. It's not like it is a hobby, but every now and then you need to take care of yourself and today is that day for Marcus. So here he is, looking for new clothes, mostly to avoid the candy stores, or the pub.
Even though a drink right now, would be fabulous.
So as he looks at some of the new fashion, he rubs his chin and makes a face, unable to decide, it seems, between two robes. Both black. Yes. Men.

Poor Dora. She doesn't even know why she's in here, honest. She doesn't shop. Really, really she doesn't. Nor does she have the coin to throw away on frivilous things like clothes. Nor is she used to wandering about in Hogsmeade without one of her cousin's present. It's just one of those things she doesn't do. Not unless she's got somewhere to go straight to and then back. So…maybe it was just wistful, looking at sweaters, in the men's section as an excuse.

"Selwyn? Well, one of you, at least," Marcus notes as he leans back looking in her direction, thinking he had seen a familiar face. He smirks and looks well, surprised. With a shrug, he looks at the two robes he was trying to decide between.
"You're a girl. Come make yourself useful over here," he adds, gesturing Adorabella over. "I have a serious problem, and I could use the help." He rubs at his chin again.

"I'm….," not at school. Outside of her safety bubble and suddenly put on the spot by a snake and she sort of dislikes the majority of them. This one doesn't help make her comfortable either. So perhaps she tried to use the rack as a shield for her figure.
"Isn't…can't the shopkeep do it? I can get them for you, if you like."

Marcus just smirks at Dora's reaction. He shakes his head. "If I wanted their help, I'd ask them myself," he tells her, with a shrug. "Come on, I won't bite… too hard, I promise," he teases her. "I just need a little help choosing something," he looks at the robes again.
"I mean, I'm sure you can set your dislike for me aside long enough to do that, can't you?" He asks, and then arching a brow, glances over at Dora.

"Choose the one that fits," the girl murmured, inching out from behind the wrack and tucking her arms in against her middle. It was a defensive gesture, one taht she didn't seem to be completely aware of. But he made her uncomfortable. Perhaps that was why she went only as close as she had to, before stopping and still half standing behind one of the shelves.
"What is it?"

There's a roll of the eyes as he spies Adorabella coming out. "Really? What do you think I'm going to do to you, hit you?" Marcus asks, slightly annoyed. "I know I'm no saint, but I didn't think I had that kind of reputation either," he continues, almost sounded offended. He exhales, shaking his head as he considers both robes.
"They both fit," he says in a matter of fact tone. "I'm pretty sure I don't smell, so you're welcome to get a little closer if you want," he says, without looking at her. He gestures at the robes. "Which one do you like better?" The robes are pretty similar, except one has a bit of a glossy finish on the hem of the robe.

Dora doesn't answer. She's trying not to judge, but at the same time, she's trying not to judge -wrongly- too. So silence is better for everyone involved. Long fingers worry against the hems of her own soft gray robes and she peers betwen the options.
"The one with the satin against the hem looks better, but satin wears easier as far as fabrics go, so you'd have to be careful with it. Whatever you feel suits you, honestly."

"I'll take that one," Marcus notes to one of the attendants nearby, gesturing to the robe that Dora selected. He flashes her a grin, a little amused one. "See, that wasn't that hard." There's a bit of a scowl and he shakes his head.
"Who am I kidding, that was like pulling teeth," he decides. "Well, it's official my ability to be social, seems to be gone," he rubs his chin at this. "I'm going to have to do something about that." He glances at Dora and arches a brow. "Suggestions?"

Dora just…doesn't understand. Not at all. And her fight or flight instincts are suggesting flight all the way. Completely. Run run run. "Perhaps…you'll find someone at the pub? Lots of people seem to enjoy going there to be social. It might help." But she wasn't voluntering herself. No. Nope nope nope. Not at all.

Marcus studies Dora for a few moments and he walks to her. Holding a finger up, as if he was going to poke her, except he doesn't. He looks at her, with curiosity. "You really are that scared of me… why? We barely know each other," he says to her. "I don't think I've ever done anything to you… have I?" He thinks hard, just in case he did and forgot.
"Why are you so afraid?"

"People make me nervous," Dora defends, taking a step back when the boy approaches. Which was true and wasn't. Boys from Slytherin made her nervous and uncomfortable and they were all part of the same big ole group. "It's not you. I just…I should go. I was only killing time anyway and I think I'm late now."

"Why do people make you nervous? I thought you Hufflepuffs were all about interacting with people," Marcus waves a hand at this. He narrows his eyes at the girl and frowns, looking slightly confused.
"Late for what?" He takes another step, well, more like half a step.

So she just…stared. A little wide eyed and a lot confused. There was that one Nice Slytherin, but she'd known him before the rest proved what sots they could be. And of course there was Alphard but…well no, that wasn't nice at all, was it. So his half step, drew another half step from her; away rather than to.
"Good luck with your robes!" One step, two, three; turn.

Marcus considers, thinks but in the end he exhales. He's about to let her go, when he suddenly turns to face her departing form. He doesn't go after her, but he offers a, "Wait," followed by a, "Please."

"What?" Dora asks, pausing to look back with a little hint of a frown. It's not much, but it's there. Ghosting across her features while her heart beats like a hummingbird against her ribs. It'd been a bad idea to come out alone. It just had. She's not happy here, not even a little and her arms hug about her ribs just a little bit tighter.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you," Marcus says, in a matter of fact tone. "It's been… well, it's been a crappy week. And a crappy weekend," he says, and then raises both his hands. "I'm not going to stop you, if you want to walk out on me. You wouldn't be the first person that's done that recently," he purses his lips. "But, I was trying to be friendly and I obviously have forgotten how. So, I'm sorry," he mumbles that last part with some difficulty. "That's all I wanted to say. Now, I'm going to go get some candy, I think."

Bottom lip caught between her teeth, Dora watched him, her head canted to the side while those dark locks tumbled down across her shoulder; that pink ribbon in her hair glinting in the afternoon light. She seemed to be thinking and perhaps, trying to decide if this were some sort of nefarious trap.
"I'm sorry you had a bad weekend," the girl murmured, when he explained but that natural inclination to reach out and help on blind faith has been tempered by harsh lessons painfully learned. "And I'm sure that you're prefectly friendly." For a Snake.
"You should try chocolate, if you're feeling down. It works against more than simply the sad left behind from dementors."

"I'm not that super friendly," Marcus admits, with a bit of a shrug. "I get along with the right people. But… Well, it's time to get those skills back," he muses, flashing a grin.
He arches a brow and nods. "I'll give chocolate a try," he says. A pause. "Would you care to join me for one?" He asks, and from his expression, he seems to be expecting a no, but, he still gives it a shot, even smiling at her. "I promise to seat two stools across, if you want."

"Knowledge atrophies." It's as if she's quoting it from somewhere. She was. "But that doesn't mean it won't come back." Hopeful. Helpful. But still unsure.
"Uhm..I should..probably…be going. But..that's good." A touch warmer, her expression then. After all, he had a reputation for being one of the not nice ones and she didn't much care for that pendant around his neck that marked him as Magijugend. "That's better. That's a step towards being uhm. Warm. And social."

He considers and nods. "So it does," Marcus says of knowledge. "Who knows, if it'll come back, but I refuse to sit around just wishing for it to," he notes, with a smirk.
He doesn't seem very surprised when she offers the good old, 'should probably be going'. "You said should, which doesn't mean, have to. You sure you don't have time for one chocolate?" he flashes a grin. The rest of her words cause him to chuckle once. "I don't know that I'll ever be warm to be honest, but social? Sure, I think I need that."

"Oh you can work to get back anything you've lost, really," Dora helpfully supplies to the topic of atrophied knowledge. "That's one of the beautiful things about life. Nothing's ever really gone for good. Uhm, unless someone steals the memory, I'm not entirely sure how you get those back but I wouldn't rule it out as impossible."
"Well…," for talk of chocolate. "Probably…I could but I don't know if I really want too, or if I should," Dora admits, frowning again.

"Not anything," Marcus says, with just a tinge of nostalgia. But, that's quickly dismissed. "Oh, yes, we're speaking of knowledge," he remembers and nods. "I guess that's true." As for memories. "Sometimes, you want to lose those on purpose," he muses, with a shrug.
"And there you go, not being sure if you really want to. Which means, there might be a chance that you do." He raises a finger. "So, how about we get there, and if you at any moment just feel like you don't want to be there, you just leave?" A pause. "My offer to sit down two stools apart is still up, by the way." He looks at the exit. "So, what do you say?"

"I…don't know." Not to memories. Not to chocolate. She still looked slightly ill at ease with the idea but she was managing. "I think that…I'll just uhm, I…," Damn it. Dora didn't know what to do and it made her just a little uncomfortable.
"Alright. Alright we can go." But her little nose was still wrinkled and she still hadn't unwound her arms from around her waist but it wasn't a no, either. The stool thing was still up for debate.

"Good. Alright then," Marcus says, grinning at the girl. "I'd offer you my arm, but, uhm, I don't think you want to take it," he notes quietly, but with a shrug. "So, let's go," and with that, he walks to the door, holding it open for the girl, ready to follow her out.

Marcus holds the door open for Adorabella as they come into Harkiss' Candy. He leads the way to the malt counter. "Chocolate fudge?" He asks, to Adorabella, and gestures to one of the stools.
And without prompting, he sits two stools to the side of the place he gestured to. "I think I'll have some chocolate fudge," he notes. Looking over the counter, that's what he orders for himself. He waits for Dora to settle down, if she settles down.
"So, why are you so scared?" He asks, curious.

"Chocolate shake," Dora replied, looking thoughtful and already turning her attention towards the malt bar. And whilst she's short, the way she almost has to bounce up into her seat is almost cute; her satchel settling onto the floor at her side. It landed with a gentle thunk, as she adjusted her robes.
"It's kind of neat," she completely ignores his question, "The way something so simple and non-magical has food has such amazing healing properties, isn't it? I mean, there aren't many things in life like that and yet, there it is."

"Chocolate shake it is," Marcus places the order, along with his and then turns at his stool to look her way. He arches a brow as she ignores his question, but shrugging nods to her words anyway.
"It is kind of neat," he admits. "But… while we think of it as non-magical, maybe there is magic involved somehow, we just don't understand it yet," he says. "It makes one wonder, about the very first wizards, how it must have felt, to make such discoveries."

"There's still such discoveries to be found," Dora murmured, looking thoughtful. "I think…it's just in the way you look at things. I mean, if you look at snowflakes just right, like one days when there's a break in the clouds so that the sun can cut through to hit them, then all those little bitty pieces of frozen glitter and glisten in all sorts of colors like rainbows, but…it takes a rare moment to see them. Oooo, or frost flowers! They look like magic, only..only they aren't. And they only happen at certain times of the year, like when the cold wooshes in really fast and there's still warmth and moisture left in the grass, so that it freezes outward and it makes the most amazing things." She sighed with it. clearly happy with her thoughts; short legs swinging back and forth. "The world's such a wonderful place."

"It is the way you look at things," Marcus agrees. "I think," he starts and pauses, frowning. There's a little exhale. "I like to think, there's magic in everything around us. Magic is everywhere, strong in some places, very fragile in others. And it's our responsibility, as wizards, to take care of it," he offers.
"The perfection of snowflakes, for example. Who is to say that magic isn't involved in some way?" He shrugs. "But like you say, it's the way you look at it. Same with people, I guess." He nods to her words. "The world is amazing. Once I wanted to see it all, experience it all. Maybe I'll want to do so again."

"There is magic everywhere," Dora agrees and her voice still holds that dreamy quality. "I think it's in everything. But in chocolate," because she hadn't forgotten the base for the conversation, "I think it's probably more in the things that go into it, rather than the end result." A thoughtful little nod and then the server was sliding their respective treats onto the counter, even if the girl seemed to find it somewhat strange they were sitting two stools apart.
"Oh, I don't want to see the whole world. There's just, there's too much of it and too many places where things…well, things aren't nice. If I had my way, I'd stay right here. Well, not right here. But you know, not travel." A little nod and then she used the end of her straw as a scoop to gather up some of the froth and creme that floated at the top of her glass.

"See, no. I want to see the good things and the bad things," Marcus says, lost in his own little journey, and offering a small nod to the server as his chocolate fudge is delivered. "I want to be a hit wizard," he smirks, half expecting Dora to laugh at him.
"So I want to see everything good and bad, that way, I know what to expect. Some people think I don't care," he frowns darkly, briefly. "But I do. I do care. I want to protect magic," he shrugs. "It's a dangerous thing, a dangerous job, but… someone's got to do it, I suppose," he chuckles.

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