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(Alanna) Saturday Morning Plans with Jared
Author: Beck
Date: 05-29-11 14:56
"I can't think of a better way to spend my Saturday morning," Jared teased after showing up at Alanna's house in Manchester. They were upstairs in her room. Jared sat on her bed, while Alanna pulled open the dresser drawer where she stashed some of her money. She counted out some coins and stuck them into a silk, drawstring purse she'd gotten from Bronwyn for her last birthday.
"It shouldn't take us very long," Alanna said to the mirror reflection of Jared. "After that, we can do whatever you want to do."
"Whatever?" Jared repeated suggestively.
"Whatever," Alanna confirmed. She winked at him and shut her dresser drawer. "Okay. I'm ready."
Jared got up and gestured for her to exit the bedroom first. She did and went down the stairs to the living room.
"Gramps? Jared and I are going to St. Emrys. I don't know when we will be back," Alanna called out.
Her grandfather came in from the patio and said, "Have fun, you two."
Alanna and Jared said their goodbyes to Gramps, who was retiring from the Ministry of Magic at the end of June. He was looking forward to spending time outside in the garden and traveling around the country and maybe the world with his wife.
Her grandfather's impending retirement had Alanna wondering if maybe it was time to move out. She had a part-time job that would help pay bills and she did have savings, too. She just didn't know where she might like to live. Toby lived in Greenwich. Anthony lived in Diagon Alley. Katherine also had her own flat in London. Ariella lived at Hogwarts. Everyone had his or her own place but Alanna.
The logical location might be some place near St. Emrys, but with magical transporation so quick and easy, it really didn't matter where she wound up.
She took the floo to St. Emrys and arrived seconds before Jared. They went hand in hand to the bookstore to purchase their textbooks for Trinity Term. Alanna had five classes scheduled, three of them legal in subject, one communications class, and another just for fun: Greek Mythology.
As promised, it didn't take very long for her and Jared to find all the books they needed. Everyone was neatly organized in the bookstore by subject and class. They paid for their expensive textbooks and then decided to go across the street to The Wyrding Way for coffee.
More Old Photos From Kristen
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 05-29-11 16:20
Briar walks across from the bakery to the park that's between the library and Blossom's. "Grace, you need to clean up so we can go to Georgie's birthday party. Charlotte, are you coming along?"
"To a birfday?"
"Yes, Georgie Weasley's. You got an invitation."
"I did?"
"Yes. Would you like to go?"
"Yeah!"
"Then go with Grace to let Aegean clean you up. I'll go tell your daddy where you'll be."
"Okay!"
Charlotte and Grace run across the lane where Aegean is waving to them while Briar goes the short distance to Twice Told Tales. Julian is standing talking with Adriana Fairchild. Briar interrupts only long enough to say, "Hello, Adriana. Julian, I'm about to leave with the girls to Georgie Weasley's party."
"Have a good time," Julian tells her.
Adriana smiles and nods as well. "Hello to you and, yes, have fun."
Briar next goes in search of Lysander, finding him in the office looking decidedly distracted. "Just wanted to let you know the girls and I are leaving shortly for Georgie Weasley's birthday party."
"That's today?"
"Yes, at noon."
"I'd entirely forgotten. Hang on a moment."
Lysander leaves for a few minutes, returning with a brightly wrapped gift. "I'd put a book aside for Charlotte to take but had to wrap it."
"Thank you. See you in a few hours."
"Thanks for taking her."
Before Briar can get out a reply Lysanders back to being distracted so she leaves him without saying anything more. Back at the bakery she calls up the stairs from the kitchen, "Ready?"
"Almost," Aegean calls back.
Returning to the front, Briar puts Charlotte's present to Georgie on the counter with the two from Grace and her then busies herself tidying a recently vacated table. She hears the door open and hearing her name turns to greet Kristen Leach. "Hi, how are you today?"
"I'm good. My husband is wanting one of your key lime pies and since I was wanting to bring you something I thought I'd do both." Kristen holds out an envelope the size for mailing larger invitations and that sort of thing. "I found a few more photographs I thought you'd like."
"Thank you. I've been enjoying going through those others you gave me and adding them to a photo album."
There's one in particular I wish to ask you about." Kristin opens the envelope and takes out one she must have put either at the top of the stack or the bottom because she doesn't have to take a moment to search for it. She holds the photo out for Briar.
It's a semi-large gathering of people, clustered in close together to have the group shot made. They're all smiling and waving, some are enjoying the drinks they hold and others are eating. A table visible on the side is loaded with food but the only thing Briar can gather from the photo is that it was a colder time of year based on the clothes everyone is wearing. She flips the photo over to find a date 21 December written there but no year and no names identifying all the people in the photo. Flipping it back over, Briar also takes in the fact that the party is at her house as she remembers it before it partially burned and she rebuilt it years later.
Briar points to one couple standing not all that far from her parents. "Are those "
"The Lestranges? Yes."
Briar's not surprised to see Bellatrix and Rudolphus Lestrange in her childhood home. Her parents were huge Voldemort supporters, dying for his cause.
Kristen tells her, "That was that last Christmas before everything really went to hell. By the following Halloween You-Know-Who was believed dead and by the next Christmas many in that picture were in prison, dead, hiding, or trying to convince the Ministry of how they'd been forced into his service."
That statement tells Briar what year the picture is and the more she looks at the smiling faces, the better able she is to identify the much younger versions of people still well known today, such as Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. There are Lysander's parents and next to them are Tiberius and Lisette Valentine, Grace's grandparents.
Using the tip of one fingernail, Kristen taps the photo over one woman who bears a striking resemblance to Briar's mother Claudia. "Your mother's first cousin. Do you remember her?"
"Melisande, yes."
"Forgive me for saying but she was rather odious."
"Much as I hate to do so, I have to agree." Briar tells Kristen about how the virtually magicless Melisande pretended for a time to be Claudia in an effort to blackmail money from a lover Claudia had had while still a Hogwarts student and whose love child she'd given birth to, Briar's half-brother Byron. She also mentions how once found out Melisande tried to get into Briar's good graces only to then threaten to expose the Wizarding World to the Muggles if not paid an exorbitant number of galleons.
"What became of her?" Kristen asks.
"The Ministry Obliviated her, set her loose in the Muggle World, and keeps tabs on her to make sure she never remembers we exist."
"Amazing and sad."
"Very much so," Briar replies.
"Here's who I'm really curious about though," Kristen tells her, tapping her finger on the photo again.
This person is a tall, broad shouldered, very good looking man with thick rich brown hair that's slightly longish and curling. He waves at them then turns to say something in the ear of Kristen's younger self.
"I can tell you who every single person is this picture is and aside from Melisande, knew what became of each one and now I know about her as well. Him, though, I have no memory of and if you ask the photo, no one's any help, particularly him. Do you recognize him? Another relative perhaps?"
Briar studies the man before shaking her head. "No idea, sorry."
"It's silly of me but I find it frustrating. I took this photo around to the few people I could, such as Lisette, and asked but none remember him. I made a copy of it and have been tempted to pay a visit to Azkaban to ask a few others." Kristen laughs as she says all this.
"I'll look through what few photos didn't burn in the fire and I have some that Melisande used as part of her blackmail scheme against Copernicus Dippet. Maybe he's in one of those. "
"Please do, it's killing me not knowing," Kristen laughs again.
Grace and Charlotte come running from the kitchen then. "We're ready!" Grace loudly announces.
"Inside voice, Grace," Briar chides.
"We're ready," Grace repeats in a much lower tone.
"That's better, thank you. Girls come say hello to Mrs. Leach before we go." To Kristen she explains, "We're off to a birthday party."
Briar turns slightly to address one of her employees. "Cora, would you please box up a key lime pie for Mrs. Leach? Thank you!"
Looking at Kristen again she says, "I'm sorry to rush off on you. If I find anything out about him I'll let you know."
"Thank you, Briar. Have fun at the party, girls."
"We will," Charlotte and Grace chorus, now holding on to the presents for Georgie.
Briar leads them out to the pavement in front of the shoppe and instructs, "Hold tightly to the gifts and hold tight to my hands." Within seconds they are appearing not far from Majandra and George Weasley's front door. There are sounds coming around from one side of the house. Briar points and says, "Go around that way, girls," even though Grace and Charlotte are already turning the corner. Following them, she pats the envelope of pictures in her pocket to make sure they are still there, her mind on the stranger in the photo until she too rounds the corner and starts telling others hello.
It's a Date
Author: Ronan Eastwick
Date: 05-30-11 08:49
Ronan had decided to devote his weekend to cleaning out the house of items he no longer needed. His mother had never boxed up Caden's things, and with her in prison for the time being, it seemed unlikely to happen unless Ronan did it himself. Sorting through Caden's old clothes and belongings was a painful but necessary task.
By late morning, Ronan had decided to take a break. He grabbed his basketball and stepped outside to shoot some hoops.
It was a beautiful, spring day. The sun was shining, though there were a few clouds scattered across the bright blue sky. The temperature was comfortable, and Ronan had no trouble warming up the longer he played basketball.
He'd just started to break out into a sweat when he heard somebody call his name.
"Ronan? I went to the front door but nobody answered."
Ronan caught his ball on the rebound and approached Solange.
"Solange. What are you doing here?"
He was really glad to see her but also a bit surprised by her visit. He didn't know that she knew where he lived.
"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by for a visit," Solange replied. "My grandmother lives down the street from you."
"How did you know I lived here?"
"I overheard you talking to Rocco about it once. Is this a bad time?"
"No, not at all. I was just taking a break from something."
Solange noticed the ball in his hands. "What were you playing?"
"Basketball. It's a Muggle sport I'm fond of."
"How do you play it?"
"Want me to show you?"
"Sure!" Solange was dressed casually enough that she didn't have trouble moving around and jumping. Ronan explained the basic rules of the game and showed her how to shoot hoops.
It had been so long since he'd had somebody to play basketball with at home. Solange was a fast learner, and she was quick too.
After a while, they both grew tired and decided to go inside for something cool to drink.
Ronan handed her an ice-cold butterbeer and sat down on a stool at the island counter in the kitchen. "That was fun."
"Yeah, it was," Solange replied with a smile.
Ronan had been wanting to ask Solange out but he'd doubted whether she would be interested. She was older and probably wanted to date somebody her own age. Now, after playing basketball with her, Ronan felt confident that she just might say yes.
He bit his lip and then broached the subject. "Solange. I was wondering... would you like to go out sometime?"
Solange smiled. "Are you asking me out on a date, Ronan?"
"Yeah. Is that okay with you?"
"It is, but I should tell you that I'm 30, and you're...?"
"20."
"20."
"Almost 21... in September..."
Solange smiled. "I just want you to be aware that there is an age difference."
"I knew there was before and it didn't bother me," Ronan said.
"Okay, then. Let's go out sometime."
"Great. How about tonight?"
Solange laughed. "Sure. Can I suggest a place? I've been craving Chinese food."
"I like Chinese food."
"Great, then it's a date!"
Ronan felt elated and couldn't stop grinning after that. He and Solange talked until both had drained their butterbeer bottles. Then, Solange excused herself to run some errands before their date and Ronan went back to cleaning up––and he did it with a smlie on his face.
Relaxing and Dinner Plans
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 05-30-11 14:59
I slid a hand through my hair, Trinity was due to start in a handful of days, and while Jim and I were already prepared, he wasn't the one carrying a baby - that would be me. At the moment, I was perched on a bench in Hogsmeade Park, now that I'd finished painting the nursery's boarder while Jim was at work.
"So, are you on indefinite maternity leave then until the baby is born or have you steeply cut your hours that I never get a chance to see you?" Came the voice of my best friend at the Ministry, Christian.
I laughed, shifting to look over my shoulder and then pushed up off the bench to give a hug and kiss on the cheek to both him and his boyfriend. "I'm down to two days a week, and a handful of hours on saturday morning. I'm on severe light duty, though how my day could get any lighter than sitting at a desk and transcribing statements, I have no idea." I teased leaning against Christian who guided me back to the bench I'd just vacated.
"And you start Trinity term on the twenty fifth don't you?" He asked, and I nodded. "Jim as well right?" Again, another nod as I sighed and leaned back against the back of the bench.
"Yeah, we both start back on the twenty fifth, books purchased and I'm only taking two classes this term and probably the next as well." I said lightly, letting my hand slide lightly over the growing bulge beneath the maternity robes that I had selected from Gladrags earlier in the month.
"Well, Christian and I wanted to take you and Jim out for dinner tonight, and we've arranged a surprise for the pair of you after."
I blinked and peered at the pair of them, what in the hell could Christian and Daniel have planned for her and Jim. "Alright, however, that promise of surprise makes me nervous." I said, pushing myself up.
"Walk me home. I'm ready for a nap, and what time is dinner?" I asked, waiting for each of them to take an arm which they did.
"Dinner will be at six-thirty, meet at the flat and we will go from there." Christian said and the three of us walked in silence to the house, which was a lot farther from the park than I thought it had been. Christian and Daniel left me at the flat and I curled up in my favorite chair and after a few moments dozed until Jim woke me coming in from work.
"Hey sleepy head. Daniel came by and said we have dinner plans, and we are to dress formal." He raised a brow, peering at me and this time I could, unlike Jim's birthday dinner, could feign innocence.
"I have no idea what else they have planned, I have no idea where we are going for dinner. Don't ask because I have no information." I said, fighting to get out of the chair, and ultimately winning the battle with aid from Jim.
"Alright then, now, you want the shower first or should I?" He asked, sliding an arm around me, letting his hand splay over my growing stomach as I leaned into him.
"You go ahead, I have to figure out what I'm going to wear." I said, ultimately breaking free of his embrace and heading into the bedroom to begin looking through my wardrobe, settling on a pair of dress robes that were a rich emerald trimmed with snow colored lace and accentuated by glittering gems at the cuff and hem. I selected a pair of matching slippers that would go with the dress, glad I'd also gotten some formal maternity robes while I'd been shopping.
Visiting With The Demarcos
Author: Saffron
Date: 05-30-11 16:43
Eleven year old Marion DeMarco flops down in one of the leather chairs, arms folded, lips scrunched into a semi-pout, and brows drawn together, causing her forehead to crease. "I don't see why I can't live with you like I did last time," she huffs.
Saffron holds up the teapot to Margeaux DeMarco, asking nonverbally if her friend would like more while at the same time soothingly telling her goddaughter, "All the first years stay in the dorms and I'll be here should you ever need."
Margeaux holds her cup out to say, "Yes, please," without speaking.
Saffron puts the teapot back on the tray then frowns. "I thought I'd gotten a plate of biscuits. They're your favorite chocolate and peanut butter, Maron."
She prepares to push her pregnant body up to go get the cookies but Margeaux says, "I'll get them," then uses the wand she's already got out to summon the platter before asking, "Should I rescue Sage from the boys yet?"
"They've hardly just gone," Saffron laughs.
The boys are Clarence Junior, often called CJ, age 5, and Clark, age 4. They are currently in the hallway just outside the flat playing catch. Niccola was so grumpy since breakfast, Saffron was somewhat relieved when she fell asleep not ten minutes before Margeaux and her children arrived. Marion's bad mood has only just come on when she asked what room would be hers in the fall since Saffron is now married and living in a larger flat from when Marion lived with Saffron for awhile here at Hogwarts.
Marion stirred from her angry slouch long enough to grab a couple of biscuits. Back in place, still looking very pouty she says, "Maybe I just won't come to school then."
Margeaux warningly says, "Do not talk with your mouth full and straighten up that attitude. You are far from being too old for discipline." Before Marion can roll her eyes Margeaux says, "And don't you roll your eyes at me if you know what's good for you."
Marion ends up shutting her eyes for a moment as she readjusts her postion, wisely not retorting anything back.
Saffron offers, "You will be in a dorm room with other girls your age. Your bed will be this lovely large four poster tester."
"What's a tester?"
"Those are the four posters that have the top and not only will yours have a top but it has velvety curtains you may draw shut."
"Pink?"
"I don't think any of them are pink but you are allowed to bring things from home if you wish."
"What colors are they?"
"The dorms, as far as I know, tend to be decorated in the house colores. Gryffindor has scarlet and gold, Hufflepuff is black and yellow, Ravenclaw's colors are blue and bronze, and Slytherin has a sort of emerald green and silver."
"Pink would go okay with any of those except the first one." Marion has not yet outgrown her pink princess phase.
Just then the door swings open and Sage asks, "Marion, we're going to go outside to walk to the stables to pet some of the animals there and maybe to the lake to see the giant squid. Want to come?"
Not really all that interested in just sitting here while her mum and godmum yack until her dad and Aaron get here, Marion hops up, ready to bolt for the door. "Yeah."
"Hang on. Take biscuits for everyone. No more than two each. We don't want you spoiling your lunches," Margeaux tells her.
Marion counts out the chocolate peanut butter biscuits and hurries out. Sage says before closing the door, "We'll be back around the time the apparition lesson ends."
"Thanks you!" Saffron tells him. Her sentiments are echoed by Margeaux.
Alone for the moment the two women settle back to talk without children interrupting. "So what's this study Clancy and you are part of?" Saffron asks.
"It's designed to help people retreive memories. Neither of us normally has a Saturday appointment but the person who sets up each appointment accidently double scheduled when she gave Clancy his time for last week. Today was the best time to reschedule."
"Retrieve memories. So you are both trying to access those memories from the Antarctic expedition?"
"Yes, though so far neither of us have had success. We know some in the study are making breakthroughs, but I have no idea what sort of memories those people needed or wanted to restore."
Margeaux and Clancy had worked in the Muggle world doing scientific research. They'd been put on a government contracted project that took them to Antarctica for what was to have been a year. The entire group vanished after having been there a fairly short time and was believed lost and everyone dead. The group turned up months later, not a single one of them able to tell where they'd been that time or what had happened. All this took place at a time when Saffron's abilities still worked well, though she's always had trouble getting clear pictures of those closest to her. When she tried getting an idea of what had become of Clancy and Margeaux, things were even worse than normal when a close friend or family member was involved. All Saffron would see was solid, blinding white. The tarot, tea leaves, etc gave vague, almost indecipherable readings.
Marion and the DeMarco's miniature labradoodle Grover had come to stay with Saffron. For a time there it looked as though what was to have been temporary would be a permanent arrangement.
Margeaux fills Saffron in on the techniques being used in the memory retrieval study. With such this interesting topic and others to talk about the time until Aaron is done with the apparition lesson in the Great Hall, Clancy arrives, and Sage comes back with the three DeMarco children goes by quickly. It seems to Saffron that she's hardly blinked before it's time to get Niccola, who is thankfully in a far better mood, and they are all leaving to go out for fun afternoon of lunch and a Muggle children's amusement park that Aaron had found.