First Night PV | B. Collins & H. White

@Koko Riddle | @Bridget Collins

It had taken Howard a bit longer than most to get his bearings straight in this so called adult life. The safety, security and routine of Hogwarts had spoiled him and with very little family help it had all left him a bit unprepared for life all on his own. Fortunately for the dhampir he had found Tatiana who had housed and employed him for a year as he made preparations to go it solo and then he was lucky enough to find Koko and Bridget when they graduated. For the first time since he had left Hogwarts, Howard finally felt ready to build his own future.

So much had already happened this summer. Howard had established his tracking business in London and had even taken on his first contract. Now, here he was about to spend the first night in his new flat! The commute from the muggle capital to Cork had seemed daunting at first, but fortunately there was a floo chimney located at an apothecary nearby. Most of his work would take him far and wide anyways, so traveling would have to become the new normal for Howard.

When Howard came spinning out of the floo chimney with a spurt of green smoke, he clutched to the bottles of wine he had purchased earlier. It was a small gesture, but he wanted to do something to thank Koko for helping to secure their apartment. Without her financial backing he would most likely be living in a broom closet somewhere. Howard's long legs made quick work of the walk between the apothecary and their flat. "Hey, Koko!" He announced as he walked through the door. The decor wasn't finished yet, but this was surely the nicest place he had ever called home. "I got some wine for tonight. The lady said they were pretty good." He shrugged as he set the bottle down in the kitchen. "Back in a minute."

Howard made his way towards the room he had taken. It was the smallest of the three, but it would suit him well. The walls within were still bare and he needed to get some more furniture. So far it was just a bed and a wardrobe, but he'd get a desk for work at home. He envisioned a wall rack for his trusty silver arrow, maybe some quidditch posters, perhaps a small potions table for his private brews. He'd need plenty of those for work and buying them all was just too expensive. It'd all get there in time. For now, Howard changed out of his work attire and into something more casual before rejoining Koko.

"Ready for our first night! Sure to be a rager, yeah?" Howard joked with a wink. As long as his stash of fire whiskey didn't come out it would more than likely be a mellow evening. "Can I help you with anything? Bridget here yet?" He looked around to see what's what.

Date: Early July 2025
Time: Evening
Location: A flat in Cork, Ireland

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As alert as Koko usually was, she had managed to drift in and out, the soft buzz of city ambiance keeping her just awake enough to open her eyes, stretch and smile when she heard the telltale sound of footsteps. She glanced around, half-expecting Bridget to come out of her room, but instead, her gaze locked in on Howard. A bit groggily, Koko raised her hand to wave; her ever-present gold watch slid partway down her forearm, and she sighed before adjusting it.

Blinking her way back to alertness, she finally gave Howard a proper greeting and nod of acknowledgement. 'Hey! How was your day – hopefully not too busy?'

Even as she intended to maintain eye contact, she couldn't help but notice the wine he held onto. Her eyebrows lifted, and her lips curved upwards into a smile. 'Wow, okay. I can't wait.' It had been kind of him to go out of the way to acquire something nice, and definitely unnecessary. However, she was hardly the type to complain about kindness.

When Howard disappeared into his room, Koko reached backwards and stretched. The next thing she'd have to do was set up her radio, she decided, but, of course, she'd check with the others to see if they would mind. Listening to some shows in the living area sounded lovely to her, and certainly relaxing after a long day of athletic practice, but if the others weren't into radio shows...

Discomfort settled in her gut once again as she was forced to remember that this was something new, and, therefore, was entirely unpredictable. But... that unpredictability could very well lend itself to personal growth and exciting events, if she, Bridget and Howard would let it.

Koko glanced around the rest of the room. Perhaps some hanging plants would add a bit of colour and joy to the room, and a window box or two of herbs, and perhaps some cute dishes. The possibilities were endless – which, perhaps, was not necessarily as bad a thing as Koko had worried initially. She was still musing over potential decor choices when Howard sat next to her, and she turned to him with a smile, which only widened at his quip. She laughed quietly. 'Absolutely,' she said warmly, although the slightly crooked smile playing on her lips would emphasise that she, too, was just joking. She doubted anything they put on could match the intensity of Slytherin's rager last winter, anyway...

When Howard asked if there was anything he could help with, Koko couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in surprise. 'Well! Not yet, I don't think – I was just wondering if we had anything we were wanting to do to add a bit more of a personal touch. I know I've always been partial to plants, but I wouldn't mind doing some shopping or organisation if you or Bridget would be okay with that – oh, and she's in her room! I think.' Koko gave a small titter of laughter. 'I'm sure she'll be out here soon enough.'

She folded her hands in her lap and then shot Howard a curious glance. 'You're... a tracker, no? What's that like?'

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@Bridget Collins & @Howard White

Godmodding of Bridget's whereabouts agreed to in DMs.

@Koko Riddle | @Bridget Collins

"It was good. Not too busy, eventful though." Howard thought of the bruise forming on his shoulder and wasn't sure busy was the right word for getting a rock thrown at you by a clabbert. Merlin curse the potion maker that had let it escape into the woods near a muggle school, but at least Howard had been able to track it down and return it. The paperwork he would need to file and send to the ministry would be the real busy work. Oh how he dreamed of hiring a secretary that he in no way, shape or form could afford. One day...one day. "Hope your day went well. No bludgers to the face yet?" He finished with a chuckle.

After Howard returned from a change of clothes his eyes would linger back to the bottles of wine in the kitchen. They could joke all they'd like about letting the night get away from them, but he seriously could use a glass to unwind. "I'm gonna pour a glass. Want one? Red or white?" It would be just the trick after a hectic day at work and also just to ease the tension he felt about all of these new factors in his life. He couldn't have been luckier to have Bridget and Koko as his new flatmates as they seemed like perfect fits, but it would still take some getting used to. A bit of liquid courage to dive right into it!

He would return from the kitchen with a glass or two if she accepted. There wasn't much to do yet until they could all decide on decor. The mention of plants had him second guessing as he sat down near Koko. "I wouldn't mind some plants around here. It'll remind me of the Hufflepuff common room that's for sure. Maybe just nothing too fragrant. I've got a bit of a sensitive nose." Came with the territory of being a dhampir. He made for an excellent bloodhound, but stopping to smell the roses could be a bit overwhelming at times.

That sense of smell did lend to his new profession and the new topic of conversation. "I am, yeah. Just set my business up a couple weeks back. Already got a few contracts under my belt though, so no complaints. It's definitely an active line of work." He'd already had run ins with wild creatures and wild witches and wizards. "I didn't expect to be working so closely with law enforcement, but it's at least way more exciting than working at the library. I really do like it so far though. A little scary, but being out there in the thick of it all is a dream. Gonna need a partner soon though." Trying to tackle the work by himself had proven way too much and a bit too dangerous. Hopefully he'd find someone soon.

"What about you? Still in love with quidditch?" Koko and crew had been a menace to play against at school. Her skill would take her far if she kept at it. "I still daydream about playing sometimes. Still got my silver arrow in the room. We should go for a fly sometime." Howard raised his glass to salute the sport.

@Koko Riddle, @Howard White

It had been seven years since Bridget had first moved to Hogwarts, which was too long to really remember the specifics, and what she did remember was more the novelty of magic than the novelty of the place. When her family had moved from Edinburgh to London, they'd done it while she was at school, so she had the disorientation of an unfamiliar place with none of the chaos of packing and unpacking. But this time had it all: leaving all her Hogwarts belongings in the magically expanded trunk after graduating, sorting through what had stayed with her parents for seven years, finding furniture and coordinating moving it all, showing up in a new city with only the certainty that she was some distance out of her depth and the hope she wasn't too far out.

Bridget had not had a close relationship with her parents in years, which had been a significant driving factor behind her decision to move out of their house immediately. She had presented it to them only in terms of her new job in Cork, Ireland, conveniently across the sea. Though they had come out of seven years of magical school with the dimensions of distance it created, her mum and dad had taken the day to help her move in. It was nice to have help with the heavy lifting in the places where magic use wouldn't be discreet, and she supposed getting lunch after all her things were in her new room in some degree of order was nice, too. After that they left Cork and her to continue unpacking.

The room was reasonably sized, nice when you considered it was the first she'd had all to herself, and taken up by a bed, a desk, a dresser, and a bookshelf she'd spent half an hour assembling. Her books were still in a box somewhere, along with the trinkets she'd collected to decorate her Hogwarts dorm over the years, so the space felt a bit empty and dull, but at least she had the essentials unpacked: the bed was made, her clothes were folded in drawers, and Sherlock was sleeping soundly in his enclosure where it currently sat atop the desk. She would need to get a few more magic-compatible lights, since everything from her childhood room involved plugs, and maybe a rug. Later she'd make a list of it all.

Already, her chest felt hollowed out by all that was missing, but that feeling, for Hogwarts and not her parent's home, had already been growing. The feeling had sharpened around the realization that this room was quiet, just hers. When she was really little she'd shared with her older brother, and then with her little sister, and at Hogwarts she'd claimed the bed next to Illowy's for years. She had taken a break from organizing to sit on her bed, crossed-leg over a sea green duvet, and made the mistake of instictively looking over to where Illowy would be setting up her own space, were they still in the Scottish highlands. But it was just her, exhaling slowly and wondering how long it would take to break that habit.

It wasn't really just her, anyway. Outside of this door were more bedroom doors and living space she was sharing with Koko and Howard, who were absolutely lovely, lucky finds as she moved to a new city and had to consider rent and roommates. Bridget had gotten to know them much better over the past few months than she'd known them before, and for as unsteady as this all felt, she was cautiously hopeful that living with them would go well. They were familiar, knew where she was coming from better than her parents did, and Howard had successfully kept himself alive a year post-graduation already, which had to count for something. So she had them, and she had her wand. She'd told Koko a month ago that it was the one thing she couldn't live without and she was still sure that was true.

Through the door, the muffled noises of conversation drifted. Koko and Howard must both be out there, now, and she'd gotten enough unpacking done for now to stop being antisocial and join them. Before heading out, she grabbed one of the blankets folded on the end of her bed, a stripy knit throw in muted greens, blues, and browns. The extra blanket she'd kept with her in Slytherin's chilly dormitories would stay in her room, but she thought this one might fit on the couch if they wanted it there.

The couch, as it turned out, was where they both already were. "Hello!" She held up the blanket. "What do you think, does this go with the couch?" Bridget had yet to investigate this part of the flat as thoroughly as her bedroom, really only passing through it, but it was starting to come together. Not so cozy as the Slytherin common room, not yet, but the candles were a nice touch. And just having Koko and Howard there made it seem far more lived-in already, holding glasses and filling the space. She settled into the adjacent armchair, tucking the blanket next to her for now, interested in catching the job-related conversation she'd walked in on. Koko's position on a Quidditch team she expected to be fairly predictable in the way hers on a duelling team was, the continuation of what they'd done in school now with a paycheck, but she was incredibly interested in hearing how Howard's tracking job was going.

Date: Early July 2025
Time: Evening
Location: A flat in Cork, Ireland

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Koko imagined that she would likely grow more and more adept at the art of subject-changing the longer she remained a second-string player for Cork. Just a day in, and apprehension already filled her when she thought of how she would remain seated during games and even some practices. After years of excellence, mediocrity ached. But now was hardly the time for rumination! She nodded slowly in response to Howard's admission that his first day at his new job had been good, and she would move to affirm a similar sentiment. 'Not yet. I'm sure you'll hear me complaining very loudly when that day comes.' She chuckled.

She crossed her legs and leant against the arm of the couch, her gaze following Howard's back to the kitchen. Ah, yes, wine – that would certainly help her quit worrying about Quidditch. 'That would be lovely, actually, thanks. Red, please.'

As much as she wanted to continue the conversation while he was in the kitchen, the newness of everything held her back. She bit back a sigh and stared at the wall in front of her, but happily accepted the glass and thanked Howard when he returned. Sipping came like second nature; after the bitter taste drew her back to conversance, she nodded again to Howard's reference to the Hufflepuff common room. 'Oh, that's cute! Slytherin didn't really have much in the name of plant décor; it was more posh seating and chessboards. I was thinking maybe just some leafy plants, just a pop of green, nothing too strong on the nose.' She did make a mental note to avoid extremely fragrant perfume or room sprays. 'Just let us know if there's ever a scent that's too strong in the flat. I like scented candles and perfumes, but I can definitely look for something more subtle!'

At the very least, Howard's tracking job seemed to be going well. Koko's eyebrows lifted in intrigue when he mentioned working with law enforcement. 'Wow. It sounds like a lot. Certainly sounds exciting.' Sometimes a thrill, even if dangerous, was better than lying in wait. Plus, it sounded as if Howard was doing some good with his work, if he was working alongside the law. Surely the danger was worth it to him if he was still willing to do the job. 'Good luck finding someone to help you out!'

'I'm certainly still enamoured with it. I mean, you know what it's like to play. Nothing's beat it yet, not for me. It's weird, though, playing for a different team and all. But I'm sure it'll get easier.' She took another sip of wine and smiled when Howard said he still had his Silver Arrow. 'Hey, playing's a dream in and of itself. But I'd love to fly with you. Just let me know when. I've been meaning to actually use my Varápidos for speed or take my Oakshaft on a leisure flight.' She'd also been meaning to expand her broom collection. These days, a Yajirushi or Starsweeper XXI sounded like a worthwhile investment.

The creak of a door's hinges alerted Koko to Bridget's presence; she turned and offered a little wave with her free hand. Her gaze lit up once she noticed the blanket. 'Oh, Bridget, it's lovely – just the thing to add a touch of comfort. I might have to shop for a few pillows to go with it now!' The thought of shopping brought warmth to her chest. As Bridget got settled, she decided to inquire as to her duelling job. 'So... duelling professionally. Sounds intense. How are you feeling about it?'

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@Bridget Collins & @Howard White

@Bridget Collins | @Koko Riddle

"I'll have the bruise removal paste handy." Howard chuckled, but it surely would only be a matter of time until Koko came home black and blue. He remembered many trips to the hospital wing in his playing days. "Coming right up." Howard dashed back into the kitchen and poured them both a glass of the red. "Here yeh go." He offered her the glass and took a long sip of his own after returning to the couch. There weren't any party plans swirling around his head, but it should help everyone relax in a brand new space.

Howard held back a sarcastic expression when Koko spoke of the Slytherin common room. Posh seating and chessboards...typical snakes. Surely the hat had chosen the right vibe for him with the coziness of Hufflepuff. "Thanks, Koko. I don't mean to be a pain in the ass, but some pops of green sound great and I'll let you know about the candles. If I survived the smells of Hogwarts this should be easy." He finished with a wink.

When the topic shifted to their new jobs, Howard did sit forward in his seat as it was all still quite exciting. He could go on for hours about the intricacies of his job, but he was just as happy to hear about her Quidditch adventures. "Yeah, I'm sure its weird not to play with your housemates and not captain anymore too." The shift from school sports to professional must feel like going from the driver's seat all the way to the back. "I haven't been up in a while. I'm dyin' for a good long flight. Maybe we could get up to the Cliffs of Moher or something like that?"

"Hey, Bridget!" Howard met her gaze with a warm smile when she made her entrance. He felt so lucky to have been able to find such good roommates. Well, they hadn't lived with each other for more than just a few hours now, but he had a good feeling about the pair of them. "That blanket looks good to me. Snuggly and what not. Really ties the room together." That was about as much input as Howard could muster over decor. Thank Merlin he had them to help with all that or he'd probably just live in a barren room. Hopefully one or both of them would help with his room too, but perhaps another time.

"Want a glass of wine?" Howard popped up off the couch ready to serve before she even said anything. "Oh yeah! Tell us about the dueling team. You kickin' ass or what?"

@Koko Riddle | @Howard White

For someone so quiet, Bridget wasn't all that fond of an empty room. She cherished time to herself, certainly, and had found her share of quiet Hogwarts corners over the years, but she was much happier to exist with someone familiar around. Silence had rarely been a solo activity for her; she studied amidst students in a library, trained in an always active duelling room, read or sketched for pleasure in an armchair in the Common Room. She would probably go a little crazy if she had a flat all to herself, and she relaxed quickly from some of her other worries now that she was with Howard and Koko. It would have been different if they were complete strangers, but she knew them both enough to know they could carry a pleasant conversation. Between their presence and their collecive decorating efforts, this place would be cozy in no time.

Howard hopped up pretty much right away, offering a glass of wine, and Bridget nodded. She craned her neck to peek at the two bottles in the kitchen, then called after him, "I'll have red." Same as both of them, she noted. It wouldn't be her first taste of wine, but this would be a very different drinking environment, in her own place with only peers. She'd thank Howard when he returned, accepting the glass carefully as she held it over the armchair and blanket, though she supposed now she could clean any stains much easier with magic. Pros of being a grown witch in an all-magic household.

With the snatches of conversation she'd heard coming in, flight-related, and the circumstances that had led them to the same city, she was unsurprised to be asked about her start in professional duelling. It was intense, more hours of practice than they could ever fit in at school, and she was already sore in muscles she hadn't entirely known she had before. Really, it felt off. Different place, different teammates. She couldn't actually tell if she liked it, yet. "It's still duelling!" Bridget said, running a nail over the bumps of the blanket's stitches. She didn't really want to talk about anything negative, and this early on, she thought she might be a bit dramatic in the face of a disrupted constant. "It's not the Vipers, but it is nice to have all my teammates on a professional level. I'm learning quite a bit from them. Kicking... moderate amounts of ass." She laughed softly. "My teammates are quite good, I've only won a couple of spars."

More could be said about the teammates, about her coach (a first for her in duelling, given Hogwarts' organization around captains) -- but only so much filtered from Bridget's head to her mouth. Besides, duelling was a topic she was slightly off-foot on presently, so she wouldn't mind a change in subject. She took a sip of her wine, then asked, "So, Howard, you've made it a year post graduating. Learned any tips and tricks for survival?" Bridget wasn't too terribly worried about navigating the basics of adulthood, she'd been independent of her parents for years, but she knew it would be different when they were the only adults looking out for them.

Reducio

so sorry for delaying all our fun roommate plans by taking forever on this