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To-Do List
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 11-17-07 08:48
Hermione flicked her wand at a stack of gifts ordered neatly on a table in her flat. One by one, they gracefully rose into the air and compacted themselves into smaller, more manageable sizes before landing into a tote bag open on the floor. Hermione had completed all of her Christmas shopping ages ago, but had only just finished wrapping each gift this morning. They looked professionally done, though Hermione herself didn't consider gift-wrapping one of her best skills. Crookshanks had certainly tried to help, but Hermione had fended him off with paper scraps which he'd gladly torn into bits.
Once each gift was safely stowed in the tote on the floor, Hermione put away her wand and lifted the bag to make sure it wasn't too heavy. Making the gifts smaller did make them lighter as well, but she'd packed the bag full. She took out her wand again and cast a featherweight spell onto the bag and then put her hands on her hips.
What to do now?
She conjured a to-do list she'd written last night before going to bed and looked it over.
Wrap gifts
Clean kitchen
Organize bookshelf
Bathe Crookshanks
and a few other things as well.
Written at the bottom of the list was: Christmas Eve at the Burrow!
The Weasleys always had a huge family get-together on Christmas, often on both days of the holiday. Hermione had done a little something nice for herself this year and purchased a sensible skirt, sweater and knee-high boots for the occasion. She planned on straightening her hair and donning one of the many necklaces Ron had given her over the years.
But, that wouldn't be until a little bit later this evening.
First, she had to tackle the next item on her to-do list!
Breakfast
Author: Plum
Date: 11-17-07 11:49
Plum holds up a stuff animal, twirling it around and around by part of its fur as Alex watches with gurgling delight, every so often reaching out to try and grab it. Evan is stoking the fire and Mary is preparing cups of hot cocoa to go with waffles for the adults and apple flavored cereal for Alex along with a bottle of milk. When Mary calls them to the small table, Plum scoops up her brother and deposits him in his chair while saying, "I'm glad we aren't having breakfast in the Great Hall. Snider gives me the creeps."
"We're Pures and even though I'm part of the so called old staff, we would have been expected for a grand brunch later in the Pures Only Common Room," Evan tells her.
Plum shudders. "It's bad enough having been there twice now playing gigs with the band. It's such a fabulous room and to have all the special services offered that having it only for certain people makes it seem, I don't know, jaded and wrong on so many levels."
Mary hands Evan syrup, "If you'd been part of that lunch mess last day of term, do you think you'd have been invited to today's special brunch?"
"I actually think I would have. AJ and Kissy got invitations and they both ended up being involved in all that."
"How come you weren't there for it, Dad?" Plum asks.
"There was a mistake with the Secret Santa gift I was giving so I'd gone in person to fix things. I arrived back after lunch was over and everyone dispersed."
Plum knew all about what had happened during the last lunch before Hogwarts broke for holiday but had never thought until now to find out why her father wasn't a first hand witness. Instead of getting into a rehash of it all she instead asks, "Who did you have for the gift draw and what did you give?"
"Minerva McGonagall. I gave her a spa package. You know, sea salt scrub, bath oils, lotions, that sort of thing but it also included a day at a real spa. That's what was messed up. Part of the spa day pass wasn't legible and I didn't want Minerva to go there to de-stress only to get stressed if they wouldn't honor the ticket as it should be."
"A spa day sounds lovely, Dad, I'm sure Professor McGonagall loved her present... if she's opened it yet that is."
"Speaking of opening gifts, Plum, we need to figure out when you'll be with Anthony and when you'll be here so we can have family time. Oh, and you didn't forget to invite all the Becks for Alex's birthday tomorrow, did you? They know it's come and go?"
Plum grins over her forkful of waffle at her mother, "Yes, Mum, I asked and they know."
Lazy Christmas Days.. hopefully
Author: Janine Fox
Date: 11-17-07 20:49
Janine sat on the couch facing the warm fireplace. She was still wrapped in her snug pink housecoat even though it was getting close to the afternoon. Next to her, Harry sat dozing. He was still dressed in his work clothes from the day before. It had been early in the morning when Harry had finally come in from a job he hadn’t wanted to discuss yet. Which was fine with Janine. The less she knew of what he was doing the less she had to worry. She was certain he hadn’t meant to fall asleep on the couch, but the brief stop there before heading to bed had apparently been too much for his tired body. She had found him there that morning when she had finally gotten up to investigate.
Pinky was curled on the floor next to Rocko. He had his own room of course, but Pinky seemed to prefer sticking close to the massive Rocko. The dog was his best friend, something that still puzzled Janine sometimes. But if he was happy that was all that mattered. And it made her happy knowing someone was around to give Rocko all the attention she couldn’t give him with her busy schedule.
Someone else had also been lacking her attention lately. Janine gave a guilty sidelong glance to Harry. With her crazy school schedule coupled with the insane workload from her university job, it felt like she barely saw Harry anymore. His work schedule didn’t help matters much either. He was usually up early, and home late. Thank goodness it was Christmastime. Both had a whole week off, hopefully to spend with each other. She was keeping her fingers crossed that no one from St. Emery’s would disturb her while she was on holidays. Hopefully they would be too busy with Christmas to think of her. She hoped.
As Harry gave a soft sigh, Janine turned to wrap her arms around his waist.
“What time is it,” he mumbled still trying to wake up.
“Almost lunch,” Janine said softly, snuggling closer.
“Lunch!”
Harry sat up straight, slipping out of Janine’s grasp.
“I can’t believe I slept in!”
Janine slowly sat up. “You barely slept, Harry. What time did you get in?”
Harry frowned as if trying to remember. “Eleven? No, after twelve. Uhm… one? Maybe two?” He gave a sheepish grin.
“Exactly,” scolded Janine lightly. “Which is why you slept in til noon.”
“Still,” Harry frowned. “That’s almost ten hours of sleep!”
Janine raised her eyebrow. “Maybe your body is trying to catch up.”
As Harry rubbed his face tiredly, Janine thought he didn’t pick up on her hint. But she wasn’t going to press things today. Afterall, today was Christmas Eve.
“Still up for Christmas Eve at the Burrow?” Janine said lightly, already knowing the answer.
“Of course! Wouldn’t miss it for anything. I hope everyone makes it tonight. And tomorrow we’re going to Sirius and Dru’s, right?”
Janine smiled. “Yes Harry.”
Harry frowned suddenly.
“And don’t worry, I already picked up their gifts.”
Harry’s frown suddenly turned into a huge grin. “Janine, you are the best, you know that?”
Grinning, Janine answered again, “Yes Harry. I know.”
Leaving a smacking kiss on her cheek, Harry stood up and headed for the shower.
Full House
Author: Anthony Beck
Date: 11-18-07 09:26
Bundled up in his warmest coat, Anthony stood outside on the back porch with a steaming mug of hot chocolate in his gloved hands and looked out at the snow flurries that danced around him in the wind. He heard the glass door slide open and shut behind him. Ariella and Alanna stopped on either side of him, also holding steaming cups of cocoa and dressed in their warmest.
Both girls had wanted to participate in the mass protest at Hogwarts well over a week ago and had nearly done so. However, they'd both remembered how their grandfather was sacrificing what he believed in to protect them and that he would be sorely disappointed in their actions if they'd gone ahead with it. As long as he felt the risks were too high to speak out against the rules, they could only protest silently.
Which was exactly what Anthony and Katherine were doing at St. Emrys. Although St. Emrys was one of the more lax institutions in the wizarding world in terms of the new rules, things were slowly shifting in the same direction. Katherine was the brainchild behind everything. She'd started up petitions and arranged for supporters to sign it, not with their real names but with pseudonyms so as to protect their identities. She'd also started a letter-writing campaign mainly targeted at the administration at St. Emrys.
Katherine also authored a newsletter called the Daily Riot under the nom de plume Spin Girl. Katherine mainly wrote everything herself but accepted articles from supporters. Anthony didn't consider himself the best writer, but his half-sister twisted his arm occasionally for a piece. His byline was always Anonymous Boy.
The glass door slid open and closed again. This time the peaceful serenity of nature was broken by the rustle of parchment and Katherine clearing her voice.
"Hot off the press," she said, squeezing in between Anthony and Ariella.
Four heads bent over the newsletter.
They silently read Katherine's cover piece about how St. Emrys shouldn't bend to the Ministry's absurb laws and separate itself from the government as its own ruling body, etc etc. She often ended her pieces by saying Let's put a new spin on things!
The door slip open and shut again. Katherine hastily folded the newsletter but relaxed when she saw it was only Toby. Gramps and Nana didn't know about her involvement in the protests at St. Emrys. Even though she worked hard to protect her anonymity and those of the people who supported her, she knew what she did didn't come without great risk.
"What are you hiding?" Toby asked, grinning. "Christmas gift for me?"
Katherine handed him the newsletter. "Just something I've been working on. Have a read."
Anthony watched as his elder brother read the newsletter. Toby's eyebrows arched higher and higher as his eyes traveled down the page. When he finished, he looked at Katherine and grinned. "I'm impressed. Just don't let them––" he jerked his thumb to the door behind him "catch wind of it. I know he's been really uptight about speaking out openly against the new laws, but that's mainly because he worries about Ariella and Alanna still being at Hogwarts. I'm sure once you've both graduated, he'll take on a different perspective."
"We can take care of ourselves," Alanna said, "but we are doing things his way until he says otherwise."
"I know you can," Toby replied, draping his arm around Alanna's shoulder. He kissed her hair. "So, what say you all to getting out of this cold and helping Nana prepare lunch?"
The siblings agreed and stepped inside one by one, leaving the cold and the snow flurries behind them.