keep it in check , [samuel]

[graysen zaine marlowe]

the weekends were always when zonko's was busiest. during the week, graysen didn't have much work, then as soon as the weekend came along, it felt like there was never enough of anything on the shelves. graysen was running back and forth with boxes for things that had run out of stock over and over. when it was down to only a few people in the shop, graysen slinked behind the counter and pulled a vial out of his pocket. he looked to make sure none of the customers were looking, and downed the potion that kept him in check. he could tell that a full moon was getting close, and it had him on edge at work. he shoved the empty vial back into his pocket and leaned his head against the wall behind him.

graysen checked out the few people that were there, and sat back down, scratching his neck and sighing. he could feel the moon coming on, it was only a night or two away. he'd be off of work for the next few days, he knew that. he just had to make it through this saturday shift, and he would be able to head back to his home and not spend any money on his potions for a while. they got annoying, having to take them every day, but at least they kept the young man in check. he pulled the vial back out of his pocket and twirled it around in his hands, waiting to hear the ring of the door opening once more.

[samuel owen bentley]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 500px; height: 250px; background-color: ededed; border-top: 5px #000000; border-bottom: 5px #000000;] like any other goofball, samuel's favourite place to visit in hogsmeade was zonko's joke shop. most people tended to think it was an immature place to waste time, but samuel chose to ignore the opinions of others, especially when it concerned immaturity. you see, sam had always been an awkward, immature kid, and he wasn't about to stop just because someone frowned upon it. besides, it was hard to hate zonko's, even if it was immature and filled with children. with all it's odd ends and knick knacks, it was any awkward seventeen-year-old's dream. which was exactly why sam beelined for the shop every time he visited the small village. trudging through the crackling leaves to the familiar front entrance, sam's face was plastered with his signature lop-sided grin. he was alone, as usual, but the lack of company never seemed to bother him - he'd always been the type of kid to strive on his own. c'mon, sam. walk faster! turning the corner, sam's eyes practically danced as the store came into view. hello, zonko's! pulling his hands from his baggy pea-style coat, the boy pushed open the glass door and grinned from ear-to-ear as the familiar chime sounded his arrival. stepping inside the warm space, sam slipped into the first row of isles to search for his usual liquorice wand and batch of bertie bot's every flavoured beans. as he dipped under floating displays, the boy peered around the corner of the first row of shelves and smirked, "isn't it a little early to be having a drink?"

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[graysen zaine marlowe]

most of the people that graysen worked with were first through third years, but there was always the occasional older student who just wanted something to either mess around with or pull a prank with. zonko's was a lot more work than graysen had always expected, but he didn't mind. it usually kept him busy enough to keep his mind off of anything that found its way there. his mom had been writing him more lately, and it had him slightly on edge as to why. he didn't talk to his parents anymore, mostly because he was scared he would hurt them or he would set off his father, whom he got his wolf traits from in the first place.

graysen blinked and looked up at the voice, having spaced out and missed the sound of the bell. "oh." he shoved the small vial into his pocket. "s'not alcohol." graysen stood up and swallowed, looking to see if anyone had entered with the boy, though he didn't spot anyone else. "d'you need help with something?" he asked, looking over his face. he was cute, but knowing gray's luck, he was not only too young but probably straighter than a ruler. he scratched at the back of his neck nervously for a moment before leaninging against the counter a bit awkwardly.

[samuel owen bentley]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 500px; height: 250px; background-color: ededed; border-top: 5px #000000; border-bottom: 5px #000000;] "s'not alcohol." with a shrug, sam dipped back behind the shelf to grab one of the many trinkets the store was famous for. fiddling with it, he peered curiously at the employee through his lashes. finally deciding on what to say, the boy cleared his throat awkwardly and stepped back into the isle. "you must be new here." with a smile, he replaced the prank mouse on the shelf and wandered up toward the counter. "oh, and i don't need any help." placing his items in front of the man, sam crossed his arms over his chest. "there's usually a girl with bright purple hair working here... what happened to her?" his brows pulled together in thought, and though the question may have seemed rude, that wasn't sam's intention. the boy was unnaturally curious about all things, and most times he let it get the better of him. "i'm sam, by the way. you'll probably see me in here a lot. well, unless i die unexpectedly." shifting awkwardly from foot to foot, sam waited for a response. anything would do at this point, unless it was a comment that questioned his sanity. the boy had never been very good with introductions to begin with, and part of the reason he liked zonko's so much was because of the familiarity. yet here he was, standing in front of some complete stranger. it made his heart race just a little bit, but the man behind the counter didn't seem all that threatening. at least, not for the moment.

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