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Before Taking The Licensing Exam
Author: Jared
Date: 08-21-12 20:31
There isn't a huge number trying for an apparating license today but there are enough to make a little bit of a wait. As the order is alphabetical, Basil being a W is at the end of the queue, or would be if there were an actual queue. Most are sort of milling around the Great Hall doors or sitting on the floor, waiting to be called. Some are talking quietly. One looks to be half asleep. Another is pacing nervously. Basil notices that some of those who would be sixth years if not for Happy Haven are using the wait to get in some extra OWL study. Basil brought a Quidditch magazine to read but finds he cannot concentrate on it, his thoughts repeatedly returning to last night in the library.
The only reason Basil had even been there at that time on a Friday was because those he usually chums around with were all busy. Ivan, for instance, was busy flirting. As Basil had a little work left to do on an assignment for Monday, he was wanting to go on and get it out of the way so he could have a homework free weekend. Sitting on his bed working was making him sleepy even though it was early yet. The Slytherin common room and the Commons were overly busy, with too much talking, laughing, and the WWN playing. To get his work done as quickly as possible, he really needed a quieter environment. Though extremely packed for a Friday night, the library was also fairly quiet with fifth and seventh years rabidly studying for OWLs and NEWTs. He had lucked out on getting a tiny table for two when the couple using it had given up studying, claiming they were going to go insane without a break.
Basil was making good progress on the assignment, nearly done in fact, when Aleydis appeared at the table asking if she should share. Too shocked to speak, he'd nodded like a complete berk. That he must have turned bright red when she thanked him didn't help matters. Basil can still feel the burn on his cheeks.
He'd finished the assignment not even three minutes later. With Aleydis so tantalizing close, he'd pretended to keep working, covertly watching her work. The table was small enough that from time to time their legs or feet brushed and each time, Basil could feel the heat returning to his cheeks. At least by keep his head at an angle to make it appear he was still doing homework, Aleydis hadn't noticed. Or at least he doesn't think she did.
When he was nearly to the end of the last sheet of parchment he'd brought with him, filling it with things like Quidditch stats just so it would appear as if he were still doing homework, Basil started casting about for something else that would give him a reason to stay. Just when he was about to force himself to find some reference book that could not be taken from the library and pretend to be looking up information, Aleydis herself gave him a reason to stay.
Aleydis had made a frustrated sound, causing Basil to look up and directly at her. Aleydis had smiled shyly. "Sorry. As you know, studying for OWLs is maddening."
At first, Basil said nothing, thinking he was going to be a complete berk again. Just when the silence between then verged on embarrassingly awkward, he'd blurted, "Want me to help? I could quiz you."
"Would you? That would be great!"
Aleydis slid a list of questions across to Basil. They'd spent the remaining time until the library closed doing an extensive Charms Q & A. When closing was announced, he'd returned her list and gathered his things. With a simple, "Goodnight," he'd beat a hasty retreat from the library, barely even giving her time to once more say, "Thanks."
Feet encases in what are probably considered stylish flat sandals come to a stop in front of Basil where he's sitting against the wall. He recognizes the feet as Etta's from a squiggly scar across the left foot, gotten when they were around five and still got on well. They'd been playing when Etta cut her foot when they were climbing over some rocks trying to catch up with Jared.
Flipping a page in the magazine he's not reading Basil says, "Surprised you're here, Etta, since you can't take the test today."
"Hard as this is to believe, I came to wish you luck."
Setting the magazine aside, Basil looks up at his cousin with a snort. "You're right. That's hard to believe. Now, if you'd come to wish me splinched from here to Hawaii, that I could believe."
Etta lightly kicks him. "What changed between us that you came to hate me so much?"
Eyes narrowing as he pulls forth the memory he reminds, "There were all those times you called me a brat."
"You were a brat and still are and you know it. Obnoxious too."
Basil shrugs. "I don't know. You just got increasingly annoying to me."
"Being annoyed by someone can lead to dislike but, admit it, you have made it clear these years at Hogwarts that you have an intense hatred for me."
Basil's shoulders rise and fall again. "Yeah? So. You're a Gryffindor. I'm a Slytherin."
"For some, that's reason enough to hate. Knowing that you didn't always loath me, that's not a reason I'm buying. Or, not the complete truth of it anyway." She looks over her shoulder to where one of her friends is waiting to go in for the licensing exam then looks down at Basil again. "Good luck. Take that as you will." With that, Etta walks away to chat with her friend, leaving Basil wondering what the hell prompted her to even speak with him.
Shaking his head, he picks the Quidditch magazine back up only to stare at it, not reading a single word, his thoughts returning to Aleydis sitting across the library table from him.
Fear of Splinching
Author: Maggie Hawthorne
Date: 08-22-12 14:40
The fear of splinching was one that was quite common amongst those that were still waiting to go into the Great Hall for their licensing exam for apparation. I still had a couple of people in front of me before I had to go in and, there were still people behind me as the line was in alphabetical order and I was somewhere in the middle. At least I wasn't near the end and had to wait for everyone to go in.
William was waiting in line with me, his spot was further back with the R's but we were talking about the Spring Social and our plans for the rest of the weekend. The next group got called in and it came closer and closer to my turn and I sighed lightly, leaning against William for a few moments.
Running a hand through my hair I sighed. "I think more than anything I'm worried about what is going to happen after Hogwarts, I mean I can't very well live here in the castle with Lawrence and Ariella, eventually they will be starting a family and I honestly don't want to be a third wheel."
William wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. "You'll figure it out Mags, don't let it stress you too much or you'll end up failing your exams and be stuck here another year. Besides, I bet your brother is going to get you something awesome for a graduation gift."
I laughed and brushed a light kiss to his cheek before sighing and leaning against him. "You're right, as usual. I'm going to try and stop stressing about it, and focus on passing my exams at the end of the term, and more importantly getting through this licensing exam, because tonight we have the Spring Social."
"Very true, now I'm looking forward to the social and spending a bit more time with you."
He said with a smile and hugged me close for another moment, and within minutes I had to step away from him and head into the Great Hall, it was my turn to take my licensing exam and hopefully I wouldn't splinch and I'd pass - which would be absolutely fantastic and give me one less thing to worry about.
Before the Spring Social
Author: Illyria
Date: 08-22-12 17:57
Illyria stood outside and helped oversee some of the setup for the Hogwarts Spring Social. Besides an assortment of booths, both for food and games, there would be activities like a pie eating contest. Illyria helped set up the long tables and chairs for the contest, which was scheduled to take place sometime in the early afternoon.
She'd just added the last chair to the tables when she heard somebody calling out her name. Illyria turned and spotted her youngest sister Urania approaching. Urania had a small baby bump and a healthy glow. She wore a cute, baby pink dress and kitten-heeled sandals.
"Urania," Illyria said, giving her sister a hug, "I didn't know you were coming today. Also, you're early."
"I know, and I'm sorry if I'm distracting you from setting up," Urania said. "Do you want me to go?"
"No, not at all," Illyria said, shaking her head and taking Urania's hands. She gave them a loving squeeze. "It is good to see you."
"It's good to see you too. I'm sorry that we haven't talked much lately. I don't know where the time has gone."
"I know," Illyria said. "I guess we've both been busy." She couldn't believe how good Urania looked. Clearly, pregnancy became her very well. "Is it a girl, then?" she asked, glancing at the pink dress before meeting Urania's eyes again.
Urania laughed, a melodic, tinkling sound. She shook her head. "No, or at least I don't know if it is or isn't. Nathan and I want it to be a surprise."
At the sound of her lover's name, Illyria felt her heart sink. "He's not here with you?" she asked, dreading the answer, whatever it may be.
"Oh, he is. He's in Hogsmeade, nursing a strong cup of coffee. I don't know how he can drink the stuff. Anyway, he'll be up shortly."
Illyria smiled weakly at Urania. "That's great. Do you want to sit?"
"I'm not so big my ankles are hurting just yet!" Urania exclaimed. "Can I help?"
"No," Illyria said, "but you can keep me company."
"Deal."
Illyria smiled at her sister again, this time with a bit more sincerity, and allowed Urania to accompany her while she helped set up for the Spring Social.
Morning Run
Author: Desdemona Diamond
Date: 08-23-12 01:53
I had decided not to go into work today; the quiet week had allowed me to catch up completely with all my office work. Alanna and I had not heard from Reed, and we took advantage of the distraction free environment. Secretly, I was sure that we had not heard the last of Reed, and I was worried that he was spending the time coming up with something to get back at us with.
Well, it was not worth the stress worrying over. So, I decided that I would do something unlike me. I got up early. Early as in, the time I normally got up for work. I decided to go for a run, a five mile run, or eight kilometers, as the Brits would say. Well, same distance, and granted I was estimating, but it was still fun.
I'm sure some people (everyone) thought it was weird watching me run down the sidewalk. I mean, after all, I wasn't a trophy wife or health nut. I didn't care, my ipod and Rammstein kept me in my own world. The greatest part of the run was about half way through. I got stopped at a traffic light while listening to the song Adios, which has a great guitar solo in it. I busted out in such an awesome air guitar riff, and maybe a little head banging, that the people next to me backed up so they could fully appreciate it.
When I returned to my apartment building, I shot up the flights of stairs. Traveling at a pace that would probably kill Bronwyn; and just about everyone else I knew for that matter. I made it to the top of the stairs only to find I had a guest waiting outside my door.
"There you are, I thought you had gone to work."
"Not today," I replied walking up to Xavier, "You know if you keep dropping in like this, people are going to start talking."
"Bah, let them talk," he said.
I opened the door to my apartment, "Well, as long as you're here…" We walked in, and closed the door behind us. "You ever get that interview worked out?"
"Yeah, I talked with them, and they agreed to let Bronwyn do the interview, but the normal hosts have to be there too."
"Sounds like fun. So, did you have something fun planned for today?"
Waiting (Etta)
Author: Jared
Date: 08-23-12 13:12
Of Etta's close friends Jill Prewitt and Alexa Wenlock are taking their apparating license exam today. Marjani and Olive, like Etta, have their seventeenth birthdays in the summer. She's not seen Marjani yet today. At breakfast Olive said she's using the time before Spring Social to get in extra OWL study, doing her best not to grumble every time the topic of the exams comes up about how she should have taken them last year. Every once in awhile Jill makes a similar comment but for the most part she's not been overly verbal about being a year behind where she should be.
After speaking with a few people outside of the Great Hall, Etta had come outside to await Jill and Alexa completing their apparition testing. As she sits on a garden bench to wait, activity buzzing all around as booths, tables, games, and rides are being readied for Spring Social to kick off, Etta thinks back to the brief conversation she'd had with her cousin Basil a very short time ago.
Basil has been an elitist pig who treats most everyone horribly shabbily and meanly, rather hatefully really, for such a long time now it's very easy for Etta to think of him as always having been that way. She spoke the truth when she'd said he'd always been something of a brat and on the obnoxious side but there was a time that despite those things, he'd been tolerable, sometimes even quite fun. They'd got on decently enough until that year leading up to the two of them coming to Hogwarts. Try as she might, Etta cannot think of a single reason to have caused Basil's behavior and attitude to verge on the extreme. Of course, she admits to herself, there could be an event or some situation that took place that she knows nothing about. If it's something she did, she't imagine what she might have said or done.
Etta puts these thoughts on hold when Jill exits the castle, pausing on the steps to scan for any sign of her. Half rising, Etta waves and calls out though she's just far enough from Jill and there's enough other noise going on she's not sure Jill can hear her. Fully rising and waving both hands does the trick. Jill spots her, waves back, and hurries over, wearing a huge smile.
"I'm guessing you passed. Congratulations!"
"I was so nervous at first but once I took a few deep breaths and concentrated on the three Ds, I was fine. I'm glad I didn't have to wait long after the lessons ended."
"Like me, you mean?" Etta asks with a grin. She has to wait until nearly the end of August before she's eligible to take the licensing exam. "I hope I'll be allowed to get in some practice before then."
"You must not have been listening the time that came up. You have to do it supervised like during the lessons, but you will get to practice if you want before your test."
"As I have no memory of that whatsoever, yeah, I must not have been listening. Or, maybe I was but my brain had turned off, expecting more of the same old thing from Professor Twycross. On a totally different subject, have you seen Marjani today?"
"I waited for her this morning to come down to breakfast together. When she didn't show I went to her dorm. I never actually saw her as Marjani was just a lump under the covers but we did speak, if you can call it speaking. Her voice was muffled and she was mumbling. Something about sleeping in since she'd probably eat way too much today anyway."
Etta glances around at some of the visible food booths, where even now food preparation is underway. "Yeah, I have a feeling I'll be doing some overeating today too. I can't imagine entering something like the pie eating contest and being able to eat much at all because by the time it gets underway, I would have gorged on everything else here already."
Jill and Etta would like to start roaming around to see what booths, games, and rides are scattered around the grounds but want to wait for Alexa, who shouldn't be all that much longer. They spend that time wondering aloud what Spring Social related might be going on inside the Great Hall today and trying to decide where they want to camp out on blankets with a portable WWN later this afternoon to listen to the Quidditch match the British National team is playing in Jamaica, with their friend Wiggy on the team, and Deak Bennett's brother Kody. Also on the team is the brother of Jared's girlfriend, Toby Beck. Etta wonders if Jared will come today and if he'll be with Alanna. If so, she'll have to be sure to invite them to join her group listening to the match.
Alexa emerges, her grin as big as Jill's had been. After Etta and Jill spend a couple of minutes talking with her about her exam experience, the three friends start walking around the grounds, eager for Spring Social to officially kick off and keeping eyes opened for other of their friends.