Friends in France

[Kasey Blake]

With a lot of courage, Kasey had planned another trip to the supermarket to get the necessary supplies for her house. She hated this, always fearing for her health and health of her baby but what was needed was needed and therefore she put on a knee length coat and after a fifteen minutes drive from her manor she reached the city center supermarket. She wished she was social and she had a few friends to help her around during her pregnancy but it was her first year in France and housework and her job took most of her time.

She parked her car and getting out she breathed in the cool air. Once she was into the supermarket she pulled out a trolley and started getting the necessary items out of the rack. There were very few people in the supermarket and she saw that the area was clear and therefore with a wave of her wand she summoned the butter packets as it was too far down the supermarket. She hoped no one had seen it.

 

[Alex Corvus]

They had not been in France for very long, and Alex and Liberty were only just settling in. Alex knew he would need to find work and the place they currently lived at, was cramped and no good for the baby. Liberty had started at Beauxbatons and Alex had not received a single letter since she had begun attendance there, so he believed that all was well. Many ideas for their new life in France had crossed his mind, but Alex was only focussing on one, about a pub.

He was in a dream-like state in the supermarket, checking the shelves, not sure what the young couple would need: They had both made the decision to live like muggles. It would be difficult enough raising a child at such a young age, without the added issue of magic. No, the less magic around, the better. Sadly, this meant that Alex had to begin looking for muggle jobs, and the main problem with this was his lack of grades and the black marks upon his name. The only places he could try for a job would be those that required only common sense and were mostly hands-on. No pubs seemed to need staff.. Or restaurants.. Or undertakers, even. It just seemed like there weren't enough muggle jobs to go around.

Alex was deep in thought. He rounded a corner, looking into the next aisle. His eyes did not immediately understand what they were seeing. He couldn't help but stare at the only woman present, who had just put the butter packets into her trolley. Alex knew what she was. He also knew that this was a dangerous thing to do. He approached her, briskly, pushing his own trolley to stop a short way in front of hers. For a moment, he pretended to be shopping like a normal muggle. Then he turned to look at her, holding the bottle of milk in his trolley, up near his face, to pretend to others that he was just reading the bottle. "You shouldn't be doing that in such a public place." Alex's voice was lightly gruff and friendly, but it was obvious that he meant what he said. His eyes briefly glanced over what he could see of the woman. Then, it occurred to him: Being unable to speak French, how was he ever supposed to get a job in muggle France? The only solution was the one he had contemplated, and now it was final.

 

[Kasey Blake]

Kasey was done summoning the butter and yet she jumped when she saw a muggle beside her and then speak to her. His words however gave his identity as a wizard and she smiled, flushed as she had been spotted doing magic in a muggle area. She also noticed that he spoke English. "I...well I know" she begun as she put a packet of cheese in her trolley. "Can't help it sometimes, can we?"she asked him with a chuckle.

She was curious about who the wizard was and where he came from. It was not often she met wizards speaking English. "I am Kasey Blake" she introduced herself. "I am an Auror in the Ministry" she said lowering her voice ensuring that no muggles could hear that.

 

[Alex Corvus]

Alex smiled. He had no intention of dobbing her in for performing magic in this place. She seemed like a nice enough person. "An Auror?" Alex tilted his head, slightly, in amusement. He had once ended up in a muggle prison for two months after a fight and the other offenses he was in trouble for. Kasey was someone who was paid to stop people like him. But Alex was no longer an active criminal- Liberty's pregnancy had made him go clean.. Which was why he was struggling to find a muggle job that would take him.

"Wow. They probably wouldn't take me as one," he gave a slight laugh. "Although, the wife and I have decided to live like muggles- makes things less complicated. I've noticed there isn't an amazing number of wizarding neighbourhoods in the area. I was beginning to wonder if we were the only ones living here." A smile. It was warm and friendly. Alex could be warm and friendly when he wasn't stressed. And, right now, he felt mostly at ease, the fabulous idea still swirling around his head, making a nest to sleep in.

 

[Kasey Blake]

Kasey smiled as the man tilted his head on hearing that she was an Auror. Many people did respect Aurors highly due to the dangerous work they did but in Kasey's view everyone in the society was holding the same place because without one of them the wizarding community wouldn't be complete. She laughed as the man said that the Ministry wouldn't accept him as an Auror.

She was happy to know that another wizarding couple had shifted to France. "Good to have you here" she said with a kind smile. "There are a few of us but they are spread out all over France. Paris might hold maybe ten families or so" she explained hoping that she could be of some help to the new settlers. "My husband was born here and I moved here a year ago. Not so social since then especially because New Zealand was so lively always and packed with wizards" she told him as she imagined the wizarding areas of New Zealand where one didn't have to hide their magical powers. "You and your wife settling in Paris?"she asked him as she put two packets of spaghetti in her trolley.

 

[Alex Corvus]

By the sound of things, meeting another member of the wizarding world, was going to be a rare occurrence. Maybe she was just exaggerating? Who knew? Alex didn't press her any further as he listened to the conversation moving on and her telling him about her husband and her. She mentioned New Zealand and Alex twitched a little. Liberty and Alex had lived there just previous to moving here, though they had met in Bulgaria. "Yeah," Alex said, at first he was a little unsure, but a smile soon crept upon his face. "Yeah, we are. She's a couple of months pregnant, so by next year, we should blend in pretty well." He winked in a cheerful way.

Liberty and Alex's unborn son had changed this man so much; he no longer constantly smoked (though he did have the occasional cigarette here and there) and he took his responsibilities as a father-to-be, very seriously. If one were to have told Alex, a few years previous, that he would be married and expecting a child by the age of twenty, he probably would have laughed and said something rude.

 

[Kasey Blake]

Kasey smiled as the man said that his wife was pregnant. She felt very happy for whoever the woman was. She must be young as well. She was glad that the men were being responsible. "That's sweet" she said with a grin. "Congratulations for that" she told him. She really meant it and wondered where his wife was currently. "Did you and your wife get a job?"she asked wondering about the couples plan on their ways of finance because France was expensive. She couldn't wait to tell Hadan about this couple who could be their friend because she really needed to be social, the past last year had been very lonesome for her.