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A Little Down
Author: Furnella Hodfuffer
Date: 01-10-11 21:39
We'd debated having the Crown & Cauldron open for service Christmas Day but ended up deciding to be closed the entire day. There are a good number of people here today but unlike yesterday when we'd been open for lunch and dinner and had had a party as well, today is family. Extended family at that with relatives from both Mum's and Dad's side here. With so many on Mum's invite list for a late Christmas lunch, Lars, Phlagmelina, and I offered up the restaurant. Besides easily fitting everyone for the meal, with the space and layout the kids and adults can congregate separately.
It also means I can slip down to the office for some privacy when I start feeling overwhelmed by having so much family around. I'm not normally like this but lately I've been on edge. I'm standing at the fish tank we keep there, watching one little fish in particular as he swims from one end of the tank to the other when there's a knock as the door is pushed open. AJ comes in, shutting the door behind him then leaning against it.
"You okay?"
"Yes, of course."
"You could at least tell a better lie, like you've got a headache or are tired."
I turn from the fish tank to face him protesting, "But I am fine."
"When was the last time you've had a full night's sleep? How many times a week have you been going to Aberdeen?"
"I know I saw him, AJ. I'm not crazy."
"Did I imply I think you are?"
I go over to the couch and sink down on it. "No, but it's what everyone's been thinking. Everyone thinks I'm delusional for insisting I keep seeing a dead person."
"I don't think you're delusional but I am worried about you. If you don't start sleeping more and if you stay as stressed as you've been, you might become delusional."
"Others saw him. Forest is out there somewhere with an obliviated memory or amnesia caused by something else."
AJ moves to sit on the couch beside me, an arm going around my shoulder before saying, "Yes, but you can't make yourself sick trying to find him on your own."
"The Ministry hasn't been very helpful."
"Kingsley Shacklebolt himself has explained to you that they can only follow up each sighting for so long with no further clues."
Leaning into my baby brother's side, pulling his arm more tightly around me as I do, I sigh, "I know. It's just very frustrating. At least I have Prunella."
"You also have me and other family members and other friends."
"I really want to tell his family but with only a few sightings and nothing more I wouldn't even know how to begin to tell them."
"I understand, and that's part of why you've not been sleeping. It's eating at you not to tell them even though you know it's probably for the best not to at this juncture.:
"If I go to Aberdeen tomorrow, would you come with me?"
AJ puts his other arm around me in a hug. "Sure, if you promise that you'll take a sleeping draught tonight."
"I can do that."
"I'll come over and make sure you actually take it."
I playfully hit him. "Going to set my bedtime too?"
"As long as you're going to bed before midnight, then nope, not if you're a good girl."
"Have somewhere to be after midnight do you?"
"If Mariposa hadn't left an hour ago for Mexico, I would have plans earlier than that."
"You're seeing a lot of her."
"Yes, it's a new thing called dating."
"I've heard of that. You kids with your new fangled ideas."
After a moment of comfortable silence I shift on the couch. "Time to rejoin the others I suppose."
"Probably a good idea. I'd like some of those tasty appetizers before Uncle Hurd eats them all."
"We should get Kody Reese-Emerson in an eating contest with Uncle Hurd."
"Now that would be interesting," AJ chuckles.
As we start up the stairs to the main floor, AJ says, "By the way, I keep meaning to thank you for the Secret Santa gift idea."
"You went with the cat?"
"I did though I included a note that if his parents don't approve of the gift, to give the cat back to me and I'll provide a replacement present."
"If that happens, what would you do with the kitten?"
"Keep her. She've very cute."
AJ had participated in a gift exchange at Hogwarts. He'd drawn the name of Madoc McGonagall, a student he doesn't really know anything about beyond that he's related to Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration professor Minerva McGonagall. AJ had asked several people for gift ideas, from Minerva to Mariposa to me. One of the restaurant employees has a cat that had kittens that were ready to be weaned from the mother so I suggested AJ give one of the kittens.
The kittens are short haired Munchkins. That means they are dwarves with extremely short legs and tend to be smaller than "normal" cats. Munchkins are also sweet, playful extroverts who love people and are intelligent. Their short legs rarely pose a problem. I'm thinking of getting one of the kittens myself because, as AJ said, they are very cute.
We reach the top of the stairs where I put on a smile, hoping that by interacting with the others the smile will quickly become genuine.
Dinner Argument (Catriona)
Author: Fionna
Date: 01-10-11 23:46
Cat would love nothing more than to be anywhere else right now. With how things are going she thinks it would have been nice to stay at Hogwarts even if that meant not getting to see some of her friends. She cringes as he father tersely bites out, "If I hear you say one more thing to either of my girls about what they're eating, you'll be the one on a diet."
Willem practically snarls his reply. "If this weren't Christmas, I'd throw you out."
That statement has Cat's uncle cutting in. "Willem, this is not your house to make threats about throwing people out. Hamish, you and I are going to have words if you make another threat to a guest in my house."
Leslie, sick and tired of the bickering as well, reaches for a large buttery roll while at the same time looking straight at her step-father. "I am so sick of you trying to dictate what I eat and how much. I am fit and trim and until you lose 7 or 8 stone and exercise regularly and cut back on all the sweets you eat daily, do not EVER say another thing to me about what I am or am not eating."
Cat envies Leslie being able to say that. Their mum, Blair, will certainly say something to Leslie later but Leslie will blow it off as she usually does. That's one huge perk of having her own place now. Cat, on the other hand, would be in near constant misery were she to say something too. Not only does she live with Blair and Willem most of the time but she is not an adult like her sister. Thank Merlin she's going home with her dad tonight. Cat loves her father and misses getting to see him as often so despite the tension between him and her step-father she is glad he accepted Aunt Moira and Uncle Angus's invitation today.
After Leslie's order to Willem, no one immediately says anything. When someone does speak it's Blair soothingly saying to Willem, "Leslie's just in a bad mood because she and her boyfriend are on the outs again."
Leslie snaps, "This has nothing to do with that. Stop backing him up when he snipes at Catriona and me about food. If you don't mind him making all your food decisions, that's fine. I don't understand it but that's between you two. I, however, don't have to put up with it and neither should Cat."
Hamish heartily says, "Well said, Les."
Beside Cat, Fionna grumbles in a very low voice, "I knew I should have taken up Jericho's offer to spend the day with his family."
Directly across from her, Fergus eats in silence, a pained expression on his face.
Aunt Moira stands up, forcefully slapping both hands on the table. "ENOUGH! You are ruining what could be a lovely Christmas. Stop the sniping this instant or get the hell out of my house!"
The table falls silent again with only the sounds of eating for those who still have an appetite. Cat is still a little hungry but finds herself pushing the food around on her plate rather than actually eating, the joy of the day gone for the moment. At least she got off Sadie Mickle's Secret Santa gift yesterday - finally! - before everything fell apart. Cat had wanted to have Sadie's gift given before school let out but she had such trouble finding a gift she liked that she thought Sadie might also like that she needed the extra time. When Cat did find something, she found two. There were two different pairs of boot like slippers, both pair having special soles so they could even be worn outside. Cat liked them both and they were on sale so she got the two pairs - well, three really because she got herself a pair as well - and got them owled off yesterday morning to Sadie.
Glancing around from time to time, observing how her sister and father are eating as they normally would, Cat decides to hell with it. She is still hungry plus there are two kinds of pie, a Christmas pudding, and a cake. Stabbing a piece of meat with her fork, Cat resumes eating her Christmas dinner as if the argument between Hamish and Willem had never taken place.
Presents Still To Give (Mason)
Author: Pyrrhus
Date: 01-11-11 17:54
"Mason, it's almost time to go."
Without looking up from the handheld game that was a Christmas gift, Mason calls out, "Okay, Mum."
"Don't forget to bring that gift for the girl from school."
"Yes, Mum."
At a good stopping point in the game, Mason saves his progress then reluctently switches the device off. He loves being part of the Wizarding World but there are drawbacks. A big one in his opinion is the inability to play these types of games. Mason tried once during his first year even though Pyrrhus had told him not to bother. Within five minutes the fully charged batteries were totally dead. At least that's all that happened. At first he was worried that the handheld would be totally glitched as well or that the game he had inserted would be weird when played again.
Mason puts the new device on his bedside table, grabs up his coat, a scarf, hat, and gloves then goes into the kitchen to get a paper sack with handles on it. From there he goes into the living room where there are wrapped presents still under the tree. Mason sorts through them looking for the ones that go with him when he leaves to spend the rest of the day with his dad, brother, and Py's family. One of the gifts, which he'll owl as soon as he gets to where he's going, is to Julietta Wynbourne whose name Mason had drawn in the Hogwarts Secret Santa gift exchange Mason had had no idea what to give Etta. He'd thought about something he'd gotten in Sydney but it didn't really seem to suit her and of the things he got in Brazil, nothing was the type of thing to give a girl her age. Mason had ended up waiting until he got home from school and getting his mum to help with the gift buying for Etta. As she's a teammate on the IQT team, Mason maybe cares more about what he gives Etta than he might otherwise. He hopes she likes the large make-up tote that can be used as a handbag.
There's a knock on the door just then. Mason tells his mother, "I'll get it," and hurries to answer, knowing that it's his dad there to pick him up.
Getting Ready To Leave One Gathering For Another
Author: Majandra
Date: 01-11-11 18:45
Maj leans into George to say near his ear, "I'm going to run these gifts home and get the ones to take to Mum and Dad's. Is there anything else you can think of I need to get?"
"Another change of clothes for Georgie."
"Good idea." Georgie has so stained the cute little outfit Maj had put on him to come over to the Burrow that regular cleaning spells aren't fully working any longer. She's going to have to take the outfit and put it in for a good soaking before putting it through the wash.
Maj had already gathered up the stuff to run home and placed it by the Burrow's kitchen door. Bundling up against the cold she picks up the two bags and steps outside. It's just cold enough that instead of hurrying across the Burrow's backyard to her own yard, Maj does a short apparition jump.
Once inside her own home, Maj places the bags on the kitchen table as their little dog Killer dances around her feet. Maj scoops him up and gets her chins thoroughly licked as a reward. Killer has a tiny doggy door so his happiness at seeing Maj is just for having her come home and not because he's been waiting to go out and do his business. She talks to the little dog, listing what she needs to get, as she goes through the house.
The gifts to her side of the family are the last Maj and George have to give. They'd done gift exchange with his family earlier in the day at the Burrow and over the course of the last week they'd exchanged presents with various friends. The first Christmas gift Maj had given had been the last week of the Hogwarts school term. That had been to her Secret Santa recipient Daniel Gelson. After that Maj had also given gifts to her co-workers. She'd made them all soft, warm throws while Daniel got an England football (soccer) jersey, shorts, and ball as well as a gift certificate to the joke shop. She'd learned from one of Daniel's many cousins that he's got a burgeoning interest in Muggle footie.
The gifts and other items to take collected, Maj puts Killer down. She gives him a large rawhide bone to chew that Miranda picked out for him and that if past bones are any indication, he'll have worked down to nothing in a relatively short time for such a tiny dog. After also filling his food and water bowls, Maj returns to the Burrow with another short apparition burst. After George, the kids, and she make their goodbyes, they'll be off to her family's for the rest of the evening.
A Small Gift With Big News
Author: Saffron
Date: 01-11-11 20:54
Re-entering the Miller's den, Saffron first refills the cup of coffee she'd left sitting there a little earlier then takes her spot on one of the couches. "She's finally asleep. Let's keep fingers crossed it's for the night this time."
Niccola has been so excited and energized the past few days that getting her to sleep hasn't been easy. She'd gone done a little earlier but had woken up after only twenty minutes, wide eyed and eager to rejoin all that she thought she was missing. She was so exhausted though that she was cranky and miserable and only after Saffron took her from the den back to the room Frannie and Payton set up as a nursery, and paced the floor with the squirming child did the need for rest finally take over. Saffron thinks Nic will stay down this time but with Nic there's really no telling when it comes to something exciting like this Christmas family gathering.
Some of Aaron's Wenlock relatives are here, though not any of the Jenkins. If they had been going to be here for part of the day, Saffron would have waited to give Alastor his Secret Santa gift. As a family Aaron and she gave all his little cousins gifts that were delivered yesterday. With the Secret Santa gift though Saffron wanted Alastor to have it before the Hogwarts term end for Christmas holiday. Upon drawing Alastor's name, Saffron had been fairly sure of what she would get the teen but had double checked with is parents, Gillian and Samson. Alastor has an artistic streak so Saffron had gotten him a new kit of art supplies along with a sketch pad and a certificate for some canvases of his choice or whatever he'd like in place of canvases.
Payton grins, "You're just in time to see your team defeated."
The group was playing some Muggle game called Taboo that Saffron found to be great fun. She grins in return and tells Aaron, "Clearly, you should have been the one to put Nic down."
"If they get this one, then we'll have lost by one point."
"Still winning," Drake smugly points out.
"And then we'll do popcorn and watch It's A Wonderful Life" Frannie declares.
Sure enough in less than a minute that particular match is over with lots of laughter. Frannie gets up to start the popcorn while Payton stokes the fire in the large fireplace and Aaron locates the movie dvd to pop in the entertainment system. A few, Saffron included, get up to help Frannie with the popcorn and soon everyone is congrated back in the den, getting settled for the movie as smaller bowls are passed around filled from the huge bowl Frannie brought in. Just before the lights are dimmed for the movie, Aaron stands up and motions for Saffron to join him.
"Mom, Dad, Saffron and I have one more gift to give."
Saffron pulls out a small box. "One of you may open it," she says to her in-laws or I can do it for you."
"I will!" Frannie says, a large smile on her face as she tries to figure out just what this gift could be. She moves to stand between Aaron and Saffron, all eyes on her as she carefully tears the paper off the small package, lifts the lid off the box. She looks in, puzzlement on her face slowly turning to understanding. Without a word she pulls out small pair of baby booties.
Natalie, Aaron's sister, is the first to speak. "Really? That's wonderful!"
"When?" Frannie asks, arms going around both Aaron and Saffron in a hug.
"When what?" Drake asks only to immediately go, "Ooooh. I get it. Baby booties. Yeah. When?"
"End of June, possibly the first part of July," Saffron replies.
After a round of hugs and congratulations, Saffron happily settles on the couch beside Aaron, munching on buttery popcorn and enjoying a movie she's seen once before when Aaron showed it at a Muggle Studies Club meeting.