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Tested
Author: Finley
Date: 05-03-19 18:07
Finley stepped out of the Great Hall after enduring her apparition exam. Prior to the testing, she had been so certain that she would make an egregious mistake, like splinching an entire leg instead of something less major, though any error would cause one to fail. Finley simply felt too distracted lately.
The reverse happened, though. Finley went in, performed the apparition assignments as instructed, and didn't lose a single body part or hair follicle along the way. She passed the exam and was officially licensed to apparate.
"Well?"
Finley was startled to run into Eirene, who was alone and not attached to Phoebus like usual.
"Well, what?" Finley asked, deciding to go outside because the sun was shining. There was a Quidditch match scheduled for later. It was a good day for it.
Eirene followed her across the Entrance Hall and out the front doors. "Did you pass?" she asked.
Finley sat down on the steps and pulled off her shoes and then her socks. She stuffed the socks into her shoes and then grabbed the shoes with one hand as she stood up. "Yes." If only she could apparate off the school grounds.
"Congratulations!" Eirene exclaimed, following Finley as she set off across the grass.
"Thanks," Finley muttered.
Eirene's cheerfulness quickly wore off. "Okay, this needs to stop."
Finley slowed her steps and turned to look at the younger girl. "What are you talking about?"
"This. You. You've had a bad attitude ever since Easter and I've had enough. You didn't let us celebrate your birthday with you. You hardly even talk to us anymore." Eirene crossed her arms over her chest and added, "I think I know why, too."
Finley was curious. "Why?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Because you're jealous. You've realized that you have feelings for Phoebus and he's not available. It's all the more awkward because we're all friends, or at least we were."
Finley rolled her eyes. "I don't have any feelings for Phoebus. He's my best friend at Hogwarts."
"I don't believe you. You've been acting so weird lately because you realized you've missed your opportunity."
"That's so far from the truth, Eirene."
"Then tell me what happened for you to shut out your friends." Eirene actually started tapping her foot and then said, "Wellllll?"
Finley threw her shoes down. "Okay." She could feel her blood boiling, but she wasn't actually mad at Eirene. She was mad at the circumstances. "You want to know the real reason why I've been so distant? It's because I found out over Easter break that you are my sister."
Competitive (Bran, Estella, & Kurt)
Author: Saffron
Date: 05-04-19 20:23
While waiting for their apparition testing Brom von Roon joined Kurt, Bran, and Estella. "Figures all of you would be able to test today," he'd disgustedly snorted.
Not understanding his tone or the almost hostile attitude conveyed by Brom's body language Estella asked, "What's with you?"
"My birthday isn't until June." His expression sour, Brom sounded surly.
"Yeah, so? You're not the only one who can't try for a license today."
"But you three get to." He'd rolled his eyes and walked away, a rigidity and heaviness in his step that to Estella conveyed anger.
Confused, she turned to Bran and Kurt. "I thought Brom was a friend."
Kurt smiled and shook his head. "All these years of being a classmate, a housemate, and somewhat friendly with him and you don't get Brom is extremely competitive, especially with Bran?"
"I know he's competitive but what does that have to do with him being mad we're apparition testing today and he's not?"
"He's angry exactly because of that. We are doing something he can't do until June. We as in Bran and his two best friends. Brom would be annoyed if you or I were testing today but not like he would be if it was only Bran and not like he is that it's all three of us doing it."
As Kurt explains Bran's head is bobbing up and down so much in agreement that Estella wonders if he'll somehow manage to give himself a brain injury. She looked from one to the other, her own head shaking slowly back and forth. "The boy has issues. We can't help when our birthdays are in relation to his.
Bran shrugged then snickered, "If Brom had a twin, he'd be angry if the twin was first born instead of him."
At Kurt's own head bobbing agreement at Bran's comment, Estella once more shook her head, wondering how she'd not known just how badly Brom handles not being first in everything.
Kurt had been called in then for his apparition testing. As those waiting were being called in alphabetically by surname, Estella was next of the trio and Bran the last of the three. As he'd exited the Great Hall, having successfully earned his apparition lesson, Bran had his own want to be first moment, thinking that if the testing had been conducted alphabetically by first name, he'd have been the first of the three to gain a license to apparate.
Kurt and Estella had waited for Bran, the conversation turning from Brom's competitiveness to Kurt's and Bran's competitiveness in Quidditch as they discussed whether Hufflepuff or Slytherin would win today's game to gain the spot opposite their Ravenclaw team in the championship match.
(Ariella) Constant Vigilance
Author: Beck
Date: 05-05-19 13:56
Ariella cast her eyes through the open kitchen door and silently watched Charlotte as she handed a plate with a slice of custard pie to a waiting customer. Ever since that March day, when Charlotte was observed with Lawrence's house-elf Eloise, Ariella knew that Charlotte had only sought work at Pie in the Sky to spy on her for the Mastersons. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough cause to arrest Charlotte yet, and Eloise hadn't been seen again.
As much as Anthony had wanted to investigate Charlotte himself, he officially wasn't allowed to. That didn't stop him from doing what he could, especially now that he wasn't taking turns surveilling Menelaus McGonagall. He dropped in at the pie shoppe often and hounded the auror in charge of the investigation for updated information.
Ariella acted vigilantly herself. She never brought her children to work anymore, unless they were with another family member. Ariella didn't want to risk Charlotte or Eloise abducting the kids and taking them to Lawrence and Maggie in Australia. It was another reason why she was working on getting sole legal custody of the children, in addition to finalizing her divorce.
Charlotte, feeling herself being watched, turned her head. Ariella resumed rolling out dough and then wiped the flour off her hands onto her apron. When she turned back around, Charlotte was in the kitchen.
"Were you going to go to St. Mungo's during your lunch break?" Charlotte propped herself up on a counter and plucked a freshly washed strawberry from a bowl.
Ariella, acting nonchalant, nodded and said, "That, or after work."
"Still no change, huh?" Charlotte bit into the strawberry and regarded Ariella sympathetically.
"No," Ariella answered.
Alanna was still in a coma. All things considered, she had recovered nicely; she just wouldn't wake.
Ariella visited her sister on a daily basis. When at Alanna's bedside, Ariella talked about whatever was going on in her life. She told Alanna about Charlotte, Eloise, and what she suspected it all meant. If Alanna was listening, she never gave any indication.
"Do you want to go early? Take a longer lunch? I can finish that pie for you," Charlotte offered.
Ariella shook her head. "Thanks, but I've got it." She looked through the open door and saw someone waiting at the counter. "Looks like you have a customer."
Charlotte followed Ariella's gaze and then went out to serve a slice of pie to the wizard. Ariella watched her for a moment and then turned back to the pie crust she was making. She hoped that the auror investigating Charlotte would dig something up very soon.
Hard To Get Any Exercise
Author: Christopher Chant
Date: 05-05-19 20:29
"Hi, Devon. Going to the match later?"
Devon looks up from the Theory of Defense Against Arts NEWT preparation book over which she has a brochure spread. "Hi, Vincent," she smiles at her cousin. "Yes, have to cheer on my house to win so the team can play for the championship cup. Being a seventh year I think it would be grand if Hufflepuff won both the House and the Quidditch cups. What about you? Going to attend?"
"Yes, can't wait. I'll root for Hufflepuff because of Duncan. I think I'd pull for them anyway even if your boyfriend wasn't on the team."
"Not a Slytherin fan?"
"Some are great but some are right wankers. 'Course, that's true really of all the houses. Guess I'm just partial because you're in Hufflepuff." Vincent shrugs.
Devon lightly laughs. "Thank you, I think."
"What's that," he asks of the brochure she's closed and moved from on top of the NEWT study book then placed on top of the small bookbag she has on top of the library table.
She hands it to him. "It's for Primrose Manor. It's where Christopher is getting married and where the reception will be. I was taking a break from studying, the NEWTs are almost here, you know. I was looking through the brochure thinking what a lovely place it is. Maybe if I ever marry that's where we'll have the wedding and reception."
"If? I figured you and Duncan would have talking about marriage by now, at least a little anyway."
One side of Devon's mouth quirks up. "We have, sort of. It's complicated." She suddenly sighs. "We're best of friends but we aren't so much boyfriend-girlfriend any longer. I'm not exactly sure when it happened. We just sort of gradually fell out of being romantic towards each other. We're together so much that odd as it sounds we didn't notice for awhile. When we did, we talked about things and decided we should be open to dating others. We ," Devon shakes her head. "Sorry. As I said, it's complicated. Putting it all into words trying to explain to others isn't easy."
Vincent reaches out and pats her shoulder. "It's okay. I don't need all the gory details," he chuckles. "I'm sorry though that you two aren't a couple any longer."
Devon shakes her head again. "No, it's all right. It's better that we see others. Christopher and Catriona may have been together all through Hogwarts and university, neither ever wondering what it would be like to go out with someone else, to have feelings for someone else, but most people need to explore a little to know if someone is the right one."
She closes the NEWT study aid. "I need to study more before going to the match but I am so very tired of it all right now. I'm going to dump this in my room then go on down to the pitch. Grab a snack and get a good seat."
"I need to check out these two books and take them to my dorm. Meet me in the entrance hall and we can walk to the pitch together if that's all right with you."
Devon gives Vincent a quick, one armed hug. "Of course it's all right. See you in a few."
She parts ways with Vincent as she heads out of the library and he goes to the counter to check out his books. Devon wishes she could magically whisk the satchel to her room so she could head on to the ground floor but she's not adept enough with that particular spell just yet to send an item the distance from the library to Hufflepuff House, through the password protected house entrance, and not only to the correct dormitory but to the correct bed in that dorm room. As she reaches the first set of stairs she'll use getting to Hufflepuff House Devon grins thinking that she should jokingly complain sometime about how hard it is to get any exercise in attending Hogwarts. She ends up doing just that when Vincent and she are walking from the castle to the pitch. Vincent at first looks confused and surprised but upon realizing she's joking and being sarcastic, he finds himself snickering about it the entire rest of the way to the pitch.