Behind the scenes - Part 1- Harry's Sorting Results
The absolute shit eating grin that Severus had on the first night of school - in his private chambers, of course - made Cecily want to punch him.
"And you thought he was going to be in Ravenclaw!" He laughed. His visage in the flames flickered out as he grabbed his celebratory drink before coming back into view. His eyes crinkled at the ends as he took a sip.
"Oh, shut it, you nit!" Cecily said, giving him a faux glare as she tried to hide her own grin at Severus' proud expression.
Remus chuckled and leaned into the frame so the man could see him.
"Now, you can keep a proper eye on him, too."
"Well, that's a given. If he'd gone anywhere else, I'd have to give him detention just to keep him out of trouble." Severus replied matter-of-factly.
Cecily made an indignant noise at that.
"You wouldn't!"
Severus leveled her with a look.
"I absolutely would. Can't have him pulling what he pulled in Nepal, running around Hogwarts in the nude with mud symbols painted on him, now can we?"
Remus hid his face in her shoulder as he tried to muffle his laughter. Cecily shook her head and groaned, her head falling into her hands as she, too, began to laugh.
"I am glad, though." She said after the laughing fits died down. "It sounds like he's going to be surrounded by some of his friends."
"I wouldn't get my hopes up. Yes, Draco and the Weasley boys are in my house, but there are avid followers of Voldemort as well." Severus said somberly.
Remus sighed and nodded in agreement.
"There's bound to be followers in all the houses still. He'll be as protected as he can be, without us there." He replied, running a hand through his hair and making it stick up in various places.
Cecily snorted and combed his hair back into place.
"I can only hope his first year is blissfully uneventful."
Behind the Scenes - Part 2- S.C.Chaulin-
Sarah Chaulin was, as she almost always was stressed . Her clients were imbeciles at best and were absolutely, positively grating on her last nerves.
If she got one more notice that one of her clients skipped bail or broke their Wizarding Promise, she'd kill them herself just to be thrown in Azkaban. At least then, they wouldn't be her problem anymore.
She angrily muttered as she hunched over another bail paper, her fingers cramping as she filled it out hastily.
A knock on her door jostled her out of her pessimistic and quiet tirade.
"What is it?" She called out, not taking her eyes off the paper.
A young wizard poked his head through the door, a nervous expression on his face. He coughed softly to clear his throat; an anxious tick that he had.
"S-sorry to bother you, Ms. Chaulin, but there's a Cecily Graemark here to see you." His voice was squeaky and high pitched as he spoke, eyes darting away from the exasperated and annoyed look Sarah had on her face.
She groaned, feeling the beginnings of a headache coming on, and pushed her chair back from her desk.
"Oh, just send them in!" She replied, waving him off. "And bring me a tonic for my headache, would you?"
She had a feeling her day was about to be that much more stressful.
Behind the Scenes - Part 3- Lucian and Death -
Lucian had always had a mild fascination and appreciation for Death. Morbid, he knew, but it didn't stop him from studying the different ways Death would strike.
Slow, quick, horrifying, and beautiful, he found that he was more and more interested in how Death worked. So much so that one day, Death paid him a visit.
"You're a weird one, aren't you?" Death said the first time they saw Lucian.
The man gaped at the ethereal cloaked being in front of him.
"There's many people who worship me, but very few who just... watch ." Death continued, boney fingers clicking against one another as they tapped them against their chair.
"I'm sorry if I have offended you, my Lord." Lucian said, bowing his head as he got his bearings back. His pulse thrummed quickly in the deity's presence.
"On the contrary, you've garnered my intrigue. I'd like to offer you a small boon." Death replied amicably.
Lucian's brows raised at that, but he knew what he wanted.
"A game." Lucian blurted out.
Death paused his tapping and shifted his attention to the man fully.
"A game?" They asked curiously.
Lucian nodded his head firmly.
"A game of chess."
While Lucian couldn't see the face of Death, he got the impression they were smiling.
"Let's play."