Closing his journal after writing his last reply to Giada, Graeme let out a heavy sigh, leaning forwards to place his head in his hands. He had been at his parents’ house when his journal flashed, visiting them since it had been quite some time since he had seen them. He would have invited Giada, but ever since that damn billboard went up, she had been getting a lot more publicity. That involved more work, and less time for them to see each other. He was happy, ecstatic for her even, but he couldn’t deny the fact that this whole thing had gotten to her head a little bit. It didn’t help that it made him a little jealous, too. She had been stopping on the streets to sign things when they recognized her, like the new local celebrity that she was, and he had just been tagging along. He probably wouldn’t have cared so much if the ministry hadn’t been beating down his ego little by little with each new ‘law’ they passed. It made him feel small and insignificant, especially since he was dating and living with a pureblood, but to be a poor muggleborn who was dating and living with a rather wealthy pureblood semi-celebrity was something that made him want to just crawl under a rock. He never let Giada know that, though. He didn’t want her knowing that he felt lower than her, because that might make her feel uncomfortable. She didn’t understand what it was like, to have all of her rights ripped out from underneath her, but he didn’t blame her for that. It wasn’t her fault. It was just…frustrating, when she tried to, because he couldn’t explain how it felt; how hard it was to deal with. And now she was crying, and he was just…overwhelmed.

Sitting upright, he kissed his parents goodbye, noting how upset they looked because of the situation he was in, and then grabbed his wand, apparating back to the apartment building that he shared with Giada. He climbed the steps, got to their apartment, and used the key…a very muggle thing to do, that was just second nature to him. It made him inwardly scowl. Part of him wanted to use as much magic as he possibly could, just to prove that he was a wizard, and not just a muggle who had been invited into the wizarding world by pureblood elitists. He let the negative thoughts slip from his mind as he turned the doorknob, stepping inside. Closing the door behind him, he locked it and then placed the key down on the counter nearby, along with his coat.

After that was done, he ventured towards the bedroom, where he knew Giada was sitting since he could hear her quiet sniffles. He stopped for a moment in the doorway before moved closer to her, slipping his hands into his pockets before taking a seat beside her- or, in front of her, since she was sitting cross legged near the pillows. A hand reached up to be placed on her knee while the other one was used to close her journal, which was still open in her lap for some reason, now a little bit damp due to tears. Moving it away and placing it on the nightstand, he scooted closer to her, tucking her hair behind her ear with one hand as he used the thumb of the other to wipe beneath her eyes, trying to get rid of some of the tears. “Please stop crying…”

Who: Emmeline Vance and Caradoc Dearborn
What: Snogging in the Christmas spirit gets interrupted by an Angry Patronus
Where: Her garland filled flat
When: Around the time James' patronus was sent? >>

( Just because mistletoe was stupid didn't mean you could go and not obey it )

James rapped his fingers quickly on the counter of the bar, watching the doorway as the Order members slowly trickled in. He knew it was the middle of the bloody day and people were at work and couldn't just up and leave, but seeing as the Order had a bit of a reputation of being jobless members of society, James had become accustomed to immediate reactions.

And he was fucking pissed off, so his patience was running very, very thin.

He'd been angry about the M.A.G.I.C. Act, he had been furious, but for the most part, James had kept a level head so that Lily didn't completely lose her mind. He was being a good spouse that way, remaining calm and giving some sort of clear point of view, but fuck if he could continue doing that. There was no way he would allow his wife to live in some complex that would most likely be guarded by death eaters that had infiltrated the ministry, while the rest of her rights as a witch were being stripped away and---he and Lily already had a target on their back, and sticking her in a place where they knew your every bloody mood--

His head snapped up as someone slid onto the seat beside him, and James let out a strong breath from his nose, looking back down. The wards on the bar made any visitor who wasn't in the Order turn away with the thought of missing a healer appointment, so James felt no worry in blurting,

"I'm ready to fucking kill someone."