charles longbottom

"Tell me what company thou keepst, and I'll tell thee what thou art." -Miguel de Cervantes( Read more... )

"Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.' -Mary Anne Radmacher( Read more... )

Who knows anything about albino bloodhounds? I saw one yesterday, and it was one of the creepiest moments of my life.

Warded to Augusta, Frank & Alice:

This is a bit overdue, but I'm thinking I should invite Matilda over for dinner sometime. I know you've already met her, Frank & Alice, but that was a lot less formal, and months ago.



Ah. Don't be mad about that, Mum. It was a party. You wouldn't have wanted to be there.

Warded to Mel Fenwick:

Hey. How're you doing?

Warded to Matilda Dukelow:

Since you mentioned it before, I'm thinking you should come meet my parents too. What do you say?

Warded Private:

This is right, isn't it? If I have to ask, does that mean it's not? Every relationship's different, right? And that's all right? Doesn't mean anything bad? Fuck, I am rubbish at this, and I'm a fucking prick for being concerned about this when bigger things have happened.

Warded to Frank Longbottom:

Hey. I know you're busy and all, so you can just ignore this, or get to it whenever. Doesn't matter. I just need to write to someone before I say something in public that I really want to and know I shouldn't.

Because that's just the thing, I don't know if I can keep doing this. I don't know how much longer I can sit back and just let all of this happen and not do a goddamn thing about anything. I've been a coward so fucking long that sometimes I think that's all I know how to do, but it has to stop. Has to. All of this. Me just going about my days like nothing's wrong and no one's dying or like if I just close my eyes, it'll all go away. The war, all the people being killed for nothing. I don't know if I can keep living with myself if I don't fucking do something. The problem is I just don't know what to do. I keep wanting to say more than I do, and I'm probably in a better position to speak out than some. I don't have family who'll be left unprotected and unaware. We're already on notice because you and Alice are Aurors. So what's a bit more? Not that it makes me invincible. Just look at Brutus.

I just can't turn my bloody mind off since Darby's family was killed. What good are any of us if we just kneel down and submit? I see a lot of people talking about how it's not fair, or it's not right, but how many of us are really going to do something about what's going on? Yeah yeah, I know, I'd just get myself killed. But we're all dead anyway Just seems a bit hopeless these days. Just can't keep sitting here twiddling my fucking thumbs doing nothing anymore. Mum and Dad didn't raise us to be bloody cowards.

Warded to Viola:

Hey, Viola. I know I'm the last person on the planet you want to hear from, but this is important. I don't know if you've heard, so if you have, just ignore this, but Melissa's sister was killed and I am at a fucking loss about what to do or how to help. Figured you'd know how to help, or at least she won't say no if you go over. It was in the paper to tonight, but I won't go into much detail, just that it was Death Eaters and vampires.

Warded to Friends:

This is fucking bullshit. I'm so tired of things like this happening to people who don't deserve it at all, and I don't know how the fuck to make any of it stop.

Warded to Longbottoms:

The last couple days have been nothing short of fuc awful, huh? It's been like riding a broom during the middle of a storm, up and down. One of my mates just asked me to be his best man (you lot remember Iwan? He's a clown with the circus now), and then everything with Darby's family. It's mad.

Warded to Mel:

I think I jinxed it, the other night.

Warded to Friends of Darby (but not Darby): [ooc: if your friend is one of Darby's, feel free to reply! we'll just pretend Charlie knows ~everyone~]

I was thinking we should get together and do something for Darby and Cora. I'm thinking we should start with food, since they've got Rebekkah and Phillip to mind too, along with everything else. I don't know. What can we even do?

Warded to Matilda:

Hey. You hanging in there all right?

A beast has been sitting outside of my flat for a week straight now. At first, he (she? it? it looks like a he) lingered around the steps a few places down, but every day he's gotten closer. Two days ago, I looked outside my window and there he was, sitting on the window sill, staring at me. Then I took this picture:

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What the hell do I do? It keeps staring at me like it's going to kill everything I love.

I was reading about something that happened in America earlier this month, and it got me thinking.

How come wizards aren't interested in outer space? We've got astronomy, and that's all fine, but it's still from a distance. Say what you want about Muggles, but you've got to admit, they have us beat when it comes to spaceflight. I can't really figure out why, either. With magic, you'd think we would've been able to figure out how to get up there and back safely, right? Shouldn't we be testing the limits to see what we're capable of? Reaching our full potential instead of being content coasting along where we are and never making any great strides like walking on the bloody moon? I would've thought so, anyway. We could do a lot with magic that we don't. I'd make a list, but I'm sure I'd be here all night, and it'd probably get boring after a while. Not to mention, it'd just

Warded to Matilda Dukelow:

Frank was hurt tonight in Diagon Alley. We're all at St Mungo's right now waiting. I don't know much.

You weren't anywhere near Diagon Alley, were you?

Warded to Friends:

Hope everyone's all right. Let me know, yeah? It'd ease my mind.

My brother was pretty badly hurt tonight. I don't know how many of you might've heard already. We're just waiting now. I'll let you all know when he wakes up. He's got to

ATTENTION WIZARDING WORLD:

My mum (Augusta, in case you didn't know, but I worry about you if you didn't) is the most brilliant mum the world will ever know. She's strong and smart and makes people tremble in their shoes on a daily basis.

Well, she does that to me, anyway.

I cannot contain my excitement about that new nail polish I heard about. Emotipolish? I am going to be all over that.

Actually, you know, it'd probably be useful as hell if you're on a date with a girl and she's wearing it, because you'd be able to tell how she's feeling about the date without trying to pull it out of her and getting the run-around.




I think I just guaranteed none of you will wear it on a date, didn't I?

Warded to Ava Warwick, Veronica Smethley, Miriam Strout, Patrick Dawlish, Iwan Baines, Portia Dawlish, Fiona Rookwood:

Right, I've been putting this off with no good reason other than I forgot, and that I got caught up with work and this bloody team building stuff we've got to do. Last month, Miriam and I were talking about throwing some sort of 1972 reunion when it got warmer, but then I thought a group of us should get together and go out to see Patrick and Iwan. I'm sure it's going to be a headache trying to find a time when more of us are free, but let's give it a go anyway.

Cheesecake, what did I ever do to make you hate me so much? I always try to show you how much I love and appreciate you, so why are you making me feel so terrible?

I'd say it was the Italian food instead, only I saw someone else wrote about dodgy cheesecake and now I'm worried I'll never be able to look at cheesecake the same again. Did anyone else get sick after eating at Fontana's? If they're reading - I'm not blaming you yet, but the timing fits.

Warded Private:

Can't stop thinking about what was in the Prophet the other day, and what was on the wireless, about what happened to them, about the attacks and the broadcast last week. Suppose that's why I can't seem to find anything to say whenever I open up my journal. People being told to stop loving the people they love because they're not Purebloods, it's all bloody ridiculous. So they have problems with Halfbloods now? I shouldn't try to make sense of it when there's no sense to be found at all, but Merlin. I can't help trying to figure out what it is they expect us to do or what the hell their problem is. I just don't get it.

Then I think about Mel and about how easily that could have been us in the way of their ridiculous idea of how this world should work, and as much as it kills me to think about it, I'm glad it wasn't us they're after. I'm glad it wasn't her.

The part that's been haunting me most is what the Death Eaters wrote about Muggles and the environment. That's exactly what I look into every day and it's been my biggest fear that someone'll take what I've written and twist it into something I didn't mean. It's -- it's a bloody nightmare. I've never been out to go after one group of people and place all the blame on their shoulders, because we have a part to play too, and what they're doing is not helpful.

Warded to Matilda Dukelow:

You free for lunch or dinner on Friday?

Warded to Benjy Fenwick:

How's Hope doing?

I spent most of the last week here:
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Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland. It's an interesting place. Most of it's pretty shallow, but we have a brilliant colony of merpeople in the deepest part. It's the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, and it's a pretty important place for Northern Ireland. 5 counties have shores along the lake, and over 40% of N. Ireland drains into it, and that could have really bad effects on things are looking good. Can't say I'm much of a fan for working in the water in February, but it's better than the Scottish Highlands in January.

And at least it wasn't frozen like it was early last January when I stopped by.

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Warded Private:

Charles Longbottom, you're the biggest bloody idiot on this side of the English Channel.

Of course she'd be there. Your brothers are friends, you run in the same bloody social circles, it was inevitable. Not like it was the first time you've seen her since - well, it wasn't the first time, but it was the first time when you had another girl with you, you inconsiderate prick.

So, maybe she didn't seem too upset, but she's Mel, of course she'd put on a smile but I felt like a huge arse the entire time even so. Trying to have a good time and not suck the life out of the party when your new girl and the l the girl whose heart you broke are in the same room is fucking difficult.

Don't think I deserve either one of them, truthfully. And with everything else going on, this should be the least of

Warded to Frank & Alice:

So, what'd you think? No more keeping you two out of the loop.

Warded to Veronica Smethley:

You up?

Warded to Frank & Alice Longbottom, Benjy Fenwick:

Any of you manage to catch the broadcast that was on the wireless today? I'd call it bullshit, but it's not bullshit if they want to go after Mel. Or anyone else, for that matter.

Warded to Melissa Fenwick:

Hey. Did you How's your week doing?

Warded to Simon Greene:

You hear that you're on notice?

Warded to Frank & Alice:

How's my favourite nephew? Has he learned to say "Charlie's the best uncle ever" yet? We've been working on it.

Another thing. Neville would have made a much cuter ringbearer. I'll include him in my wedding, whenever that happens. If it does.

I love snow as much as the next person, but I will say this: surprise snowstorms really hamper our ability to check up on a couple projects in the Scottish Highlands. I try not to bring any unnecessary magic out into the field when we're trying to keep a site free from contaminants of any kind, but it's impossible to stay warm up here no matter how many layers I put on. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Yes, Mother, I know you're reading and I promise you that I still have all of my toes.

I think.

What are the symptoms of frostbite again?