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Snooping Around
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 01-06-09 17:54
Bronwyn had Desi's house all to herself on the days Desi went to work for her apprenticeship in magical law enforcement. The house was so spacious that Bronwyn spent her days alone exploring. She'd already snooped through Bianca's room, especially admiring the designer clothes and shoes in the enormous walk-in closet. Bronwyn also found Bianca's most recent diary, which had a lot of unkind things to say about Desi and was a full-account of parties attended and men dated.
Finding the diary had Bronwyn wondering if Desi kept one, and it led her into Desi's room, which differed so much from Bianca's. Whereas Bianca's consisted of pastel colors and fashionable bedding and curtains, Desi's was dark with posters of heavy metal bands Bronwyn had never even heard of (except for one) on the walls. Bronwyn stepped over a pair of combat boots and looked around.
"If I were a diary, where would I be?" she said to herself. She looked at the bed with its black comforter and wondered if the diary, assuming Desi even wrote one, was under the mattress. She discarded the thought as it seemed too obvious and scanned the room. Her eyes eventually fell on a vent in the wall. Wizarding homes didn't have vents since there weren't airconditioning or heating systems, but Bronwyn had seen them in the homes of her Muggle family members. It stuck out to her now because it was next to a Rammstein poster.
Bronwyn crossed the room and looked at the vent, which towered over her. She found a high-backed desk chair nearby and used it as a stepstool. Upon closer inspection of the vent, she noticed that the two screws that kept it secured to the wall were loose. Bronwyn turned them until they fell out and removed the vent's cover.
"Jackpot," she said, spying items inside the vent. She reached in carefully, since she was afraid she'd find spiders or some other bugs in the vent, and removed a few of the things. She carried them to the bed and sat down. A couple of things looked to be diaries but there was also a small box with magazine clippings of men. Most were attractive lead singers or band members from Desi's favorite music groups, but there were a few "pretty boys" among the lot, too. At least Desi seemed interested in men, Bronwyn thought to herself, though apparently she wasn't interested in any man with whom Bronwyn tried to set her up.
Bronwyn put down the box and went for one of the diaries next. It was from Desi's youth and spoke of dolls and tea parties and all the things with which little girls occupied their time. Frankly, Bronwyn had trouble picturing Desi ever being a normal little girl who played with dolls, but there it was in writing by Desi's own girlish hand. Bronwyn perused through the pages, which were quick and easy to read since there wasn't much substance to the oldest entries. Not surprisingly, Desi also wrote about accidents she'd been in or almost been in and which she suspected or knew for certain that Bianca had caused. Bronwyn suspected the rivalry between Desi and Bianca had started in the womb.
She picked up another diary and thumbed through it. It was from her time as a teenager before she started at Hogwarts and chronicled the further decline of her relationship with Bianca. She wrote about dying her hair for the first time as a means for making herself look different from her identical twin sister. Desi also traded out cute shoes and trendy jeans for combat boots and cargo pants.
The very same diary also spoke of a stalker Desi had had. The diary never identified the culprit and none of the other volumns Bronwyn perused mentioned the stalker again. Desi's fear was very evident in the words she'd written and was a side of her friend Bronwyn had never before witnessed. Desi had always seemed so tough and unfazed by anything that might unhinge most people.
The next diary detailed Desi's time at Hogwarts. Even though they'd been roommates, Bronwyn had never seen Desi writing in a diary. She must have done it in the middle of the night with the curtains drawn around her four-poster bed or during times when Bronwyn wasn't in the room. A few pages in, Desi mentioned Bronwyn by name and described her as "a bimbo blonde airhead who thinks she needs to be the center of everyone's attention." Desi went on to say that Bronwyn "seems to act a little too much like Bianca, minus the attitude problem when it comes to me."
Bronwyn was pretty surprised that Desi's first impression of her had been so unflattering and, in truth, she felt a little hurt, but as she thumbed through more and more pages, she saw Desi's thoughts on Bronwyn gradually change from one of indifference to one of genuine appreciation.
Bronwyn was also surprised to learn that Desi didn't like playing Quidditch for Hufflepuff at first, but she got used to it and even got a little competitive towards the end. During that same year (sixth year), Desi started to get jealous of how Bronwyn got so much attention from guys and how none seemed to pay her any attention. Bronwyn couldn't help but think that she would gladly help her friend get a date, if only Desi would let her!
Then came an entry about the girls' trip to Germany and the Rammstein concert they attended together. Bronwyn felt a little embarrassed reading about how she made out with some goth guy she didn't know and hadn't seen since. He certainly wasn't the type of guy she normally made out with, and Desi had taken note of it in her diary entry.
Bronwyn heard noise downstairs and sat up suddenly, knocking one of the diaries on the ground. She accidentally kicked it with her shoe while gathering up the rest of Desi's private things, sending it under the bed where she promptly forgot about it. She hurriedly put the other things back in the vent, replaced the cover and tightened the screws before moving the chair back to its rightful place. She gave the room a quick scan to make sure nothing appeared out of place and then stepped out of the room. She glided down the stairs a little breathlessly and found Desi in the kitchen.
"Hi!" Bronwyn exclaimed.
Desi looked at Bronwyn with a raised eyebrow. "What has you so chipper?"
"Umm... nothing. What's up? How was work? You're home early, aren't you?" The words came out quickly and forced Desi to stop and consider each one in turn before she answered.
"I stopped by the market on the way home and am restocking the fridge. Work was pretty cool, actually. We did hand-to-hand combat during a training exercise and I totally took down a 200-pound dude. And yes, I'm home early but only because I didn't want to leave you here alone all day." She shot Bronwyn an amused look. "Who knows what kind of trouble you can get into when you're all alone here."
Bronwyn smiled wide and pretended like she had no idea what Desi meant.
Reapplying To St. Emrys
Author: Plum
Date: 01-06-09 18:40
Stepping from the Floo into a corridor at St. Emrys, Plum takes a moment to get reoriented. It's been... Plum has to think a moment. Mum died one year, two days ago. Plum was last at St. Emrys when she came to take some final exams she'd rescheduled after last year's Hilary Term and soon after when she cleared out the faculty flat Mary had kept. Plum wasn't sure she'd ever be back again, unless it was to meet up with Antony or another friend.
She's only back now thanks to Kody's mother. If Laura hadn't insisted that Alex and Plum move to the Reese-Emerson household and cut back on how much she needed to work, Plum would at this very second be working. She was always working it seemed and when she wasn't she was taking care of Alex. It's amazing that as little as they saw of each other, Anthony still wants to have much to do with Plum.
Navigating through the maze of corridors that make up St. Emrys, Plum reaches the administrative offices. She could take Floo'd closer to them but wanted the extra time necessary required to walk from where she did arrive. She doesn't know why but Plum thinks it's because of the nervous fluttering in her stomach. It's daunting returning to school after more than a year. She feels behind and it's yet another thing she's been out of the loop on.
Entering the Registrar's office, Plum clutches the admissions parchment. She has an urge to stop and scan the paperwork though she's already done that at least five times already plus had Anthony, Kody, Kordelia, and Drake read over it all, including the admissions essay.
"May I help you?"
"Yes, I need to turn this paperwork in and pay the admissions fee."
"Entering when?"
"Trinity term."
"Have you been a St. Emrys student before, Miss...," the woman glances down at the parchment, "Lancaster. Plum Lancaster. You're Mary's girl."
"You knew my mother?"
"Yes, such a shame. We miss her a great deal around here." The woman shifts her eyes around the office then slides the admissions fee back to Plu. In a hushed tone she says, "Keep the fee, dear. Consider it a gift in Mary's memory."
Choking up, Plum gets out a garbled, "Thank you," accepts a receipt for a fee not actually paid then taking a copy of the schedule of classes offered next term, she makes her way to one of the canteens where she can sit down to start planning her courses. She should talk to an advisor first but the appointment isn't for today and this way she can go in with a good idea of what she'd like to take.
Thoughts, Fears, & Friend-Boys
Author: Don Thomas
Date: 01-06-09 20:07
The WWN played in the background on Curtis’ favored ‘secret station’ and while Don knew she should listen to it (to stay informed and what not), she couldn’t. Her mind kept wandering. So much was coming up and she didn’t feel ready for any of it. While her grades were doing alright, not the best, she felt that teachers would soon begin preparing their students for their final exams. Most of her knew this wasn’t true, since they had 3 months until school let out anyway. Perhaps it was her still not being used to the schedule of Hogwarts. Middleton Magic got out in May. Getting out in June felt new, even odd, to Don. Even then, Don had other things to dread.
One of these things was Don’s upcoming encounter with her father. Don’s mother, Madeline, had offered to join Don and bring some moral support for the young adult, but Don had refused. She had agreed to this meeting. She’d agreed to spend the summer with him. Don thought those were both very adult decisions (though the second one needed coercing before the 1st was even proposed). She had to face him like the adult she now was. But what would she say? Don had compiled a large list of things to say, but none seemed natural when she said them aloud. None of them seemed like her words. No, they seemed like words out of a manners or etiquette book on how to talk to long lost friends. Curtis kept telling Don not to worry about what to say or how to treat the man that walked out of her life. Point was that he wanted back in. He suggested her father even felt regret for ever leaving her, but Don doubted that. To her, her father had been like the Boogeyman since she was 6 years old. He was the devil. Don had never imagined her father to have a nice thought or any human emotion besides hatred, malice, and carelessness.
Curtis’ turning off the WWN quickly made Don snap out of her web of thought and look straight towards him. She was in his room, as she normally was at night. Not like Freya minded too much. Freya had a new friend-boy. That’s what Don called him. Boyfriend was too official sounding and they weren’t exclusively dating. Freya was just fooling around with him behind closed doors, preferably her bedroom one when Don was away.
Don’s stare met Curtis’. He stood up and ran his fingers through his hair. Don only stared, admiring his form. He was tall, almost taller than Don remembered him being when they first met. He was lanky, yet muscular. His face was handsome enough and Don felt that if she was the dating type, she might even have a sort of attraction towards Curtis. Not that she didn’t. She just wasn’t about to act on it was all. She didn’t feel the want for any of that relationship/dating stuff at the moment. She was too focused on working through her stresses and her own issues, as well as paying attention to the current affairs of England and the BWW Nazis.
For a moment, Don let her mind wander back to her worries. How amusing that she was afraid of seeing her father and nervous for finals, but felt nothing whatsoever for the apparation exam. Though, many would suppose she wouldn't. Don felt she'd taken quite naturally to the introduced mode of transportation, and unlike others, had only splinched herself (actually the shoulder of her sweater once and the tip of her shoe another time) twice in the first and second lesson. Never again.
“You better get back to your room,” Curtis said. Don was pulled from her thoughts again. “Don’t want you to be caught in my room after hours.” For the first time since she’d arrived in Curtis’ room, Don looked at the clock. No wonder Curtis had turned off the WWN. It was past time for Don to leave and an occasional random room check could easily reveal them both as blood traitors if it had still been on. If they were caught now, Don knew the punishment would be much weaker.
As Don entered her room, Freya’s boy-toy walked out. He stopped to look at Don. He then nodded with a smug smile on his face. All he said was “Nice hair. You look good as a redhead. Pretty fit, actually.” Don ignored him. Freya only smiled and agreed with her friend-boy.
(Oise, France) Ponderings and Wantings (Isma, Blake and Eric)
Author: Charisma Stone
Date: 01-07-09 05:58
They were in a safe place in Oise, France they'd been here since they'd been freed from Happy Haven. They were staying with a relative of Charlie. Isma, Blake and Eric were staying with his Aunt and Uncle, the family that he usually stayed with when he had short breaks from school in Paris.
The trio had not been allowed to listen in on what had been said to Elan and Jezabelle Hart when the three had arrived, it was the first place that Isma thought to come, because she knew they'd be safe here, how she knew she couldn't say, but this would be where they were safe until things settled.
That had been almost a month ago, and she was getting restless. She wanted to see her family, wanted to be home, sleeping in her own bed, not crashing in the guestroom at Charlie's Aunt and Uncle's house like some unewanted house-guest or something.
She still wasn't sure what Charlie's reaction was going to be, beacuse she hadn't heard from him or seen him since she'd left for Hogwarts at the beginning of last school year, or whenever it was because it's been so long since she's been home.
"What do you think will happen when or if we can actually go home?" Blake asked, it had been a common question between the three, each coming up with more fantastical theories as the days go on. Most of which revolved around the removal of that stupid woman as Minister of Magic and abolishing all the stupid laws she put up to segregate the witches and wizards of Britain. Most of this conversation of course was done out of ear shot of the muggles that they were staying with. "It won't be safe for us to go home until the Minister of Magic is gone, and there is someone in that position who holds different views, better views than the current Minister."
The clouds rolled in over the playground where the trio sat, not far from the house and a rumbling of thunder threatened, which did not look good for the rest of the afternoon's prospects. They really were not looking forward to spending another day cooped up in the house as the rains drizzled down. Perhaps they could convince Jezabelle to take them shopping, they needed new clothes and it would get them out of the house for a little while.
She's Up to Something
Author: Desdemona Diamond
Date: 01-07-09 08:56
Yesterday Bronwyn came downstairs a few minutes after I came home. She was exploring my house, obviously. Even though Bron had been here before, she’d never been alone. So, no surprise she’d want to explore my house. It was big, a lot of rooms, so plenty to explore.
I don’t know if I’ve been around Bron just a bit too long, but she seemed just a tad fishy when I came home. Not like, she was trying to hide the fact that she was exploring, but that she was doing something she wasn’t supposed to be doing. Maybe she went somewhere she wasn’t supposed to? Nah, there’s no locked doors or anything inside the house, so she could go anywhere. I’m going to have to figure this out…
“Desi!” I snapped back into reality, “Desi, are you having another one of your visions?”
“Uh, no.” I answered, “Just deep in thought.”
“Whatcha thinking about?” My co-worker Angela asked, “Some hot girl maybe?”
“Nope. Trying to figure out what my friend might be hiding.”
“Oh? This friend the foreigner? The one you brought home?” she asked with a hinting tone.
I sighed, “Yes. And no, I’m not doing anything with her! She’s married and no into girls.”
“Bummer.”
“What is with you? You’re almost as bad as she is. Just cause I haven’t had a boyfriend since I’ve been here doesn’t mean I’m into girls!”
“That’s what they all say. Besides, when are you going to introduce me to your Aussie friend?” she asked eagerly.
“She’s British, there’s a difference. She just lives in Australia now. Her husband is on a pro sports team….”
“Oh right! So, when do I meet her!?” She asked and only waited a second before she kept going, “I know! Friday! If I wait for you to decide she’s going to go home first. So, this Friday I go with you after work. Besides, I’ve never even been to your house.”
“Let me ask her, but if she’s ok with hanging out with more strange Americans!”
“No stranger then you Desi…”
Weston visits Georgia
Author: Marzipan
Date: 01-07-09 18:36
Georgia stood at one of the bay windows in her South Kensington home and gazed out at the barren landscape, wondering if winter would extend past spring and into summer. Although the snow had gone, it drizzled or rained constantly, and the air seemed just as cold as ever. Normally Georgia's garden bloomed with flowers of all kinds and in every color, but everything had long-shriveled and died.
She turned away from the window at the sound of someone arriving via the fireplace. Weston brushed the soot off his pants and then used his wand to clean the black ash from the rug. He looked up as Georgia crossed the room to meet him and braced himself for what she would say or do next.
"Well?"
She posed the one-word question often and usually didn't greet Weston first.
"I still haven't found her," Weston answered sullenly. He hated that he didn't know where Marzi was, but he didn't feel as helpless as he had before joining up with Alastor Moody and Bill Weasley. Weston hadn't told his mother anything about his current project but had implied that he had managed to get his foot in the door to gaining valuable information. He just hadn't hit the jackpot yet.
Georgia, not knowing the specifics therefore didn't think he was doing anything helpful at all. She turned away from him in disgust and moved the sideboard to pour herself a drink from a crystal decanter.
"It's not nearly as easy as you think," Weston expressed vehemently, "and I don't see you doing anything to find her." He didn't add that ever since his father's death, Georgia hadn't cared what Marzi did or didn't do.
Georgia's shoulders slumped and she turned around slowly, looking sad and not angry like she had before. "She's my eldest," she murmured softly. "I know I did her wrong more than once and that I missed most of her life, but she's mine, Weston. She's a part of me. I just want her back, safe and sound." She set her glass down and met him across the room, where she placed her hands on his shoulders and looked into his eyes. "You'll find her, won't you?"
Weston found himself nodding, because he wanted it more than anything else in the world. He just had to take care of business at Goen Bren, and then he'd resume searching for Marzi, leaving no stone unturned until she was once again in their lives.
A Delicate Situation
Author: Carys
Date: 01-08-09 16:31
Carys gently pressed a hand to her stomach and closed her eyes. She didn't feel sick or cramped, but she did feel something deep inside of her, something she wished wasn't there. By now she was absolute certain of her situation, if the slight bulge in her belly was anything to go by. Luckily, no one had noticed yet, not even the warden who hadn't called Carys to his quarters in a few weeks.
The feeling passed and she opened her eyes to find Urania standing in front of her, gazing at her with concern and curiosity. Carys automatically dipped her spoon into a vat of yellow, chunky goo that was an objectionable form of macaroni and cheese. She scooped out a hearty spoonful and dumped it onto the plate on Urania's tray.
"You okay?" Urania mouthed, slowly moving down the line since she knew the people behind her were starving for the food, as disgusting as it was, and she didn't want to hold up the line and get in trouble for dawdling or for socializing with the buffet-workers.
Carys nodded and dumped faux-macaroni onto the next person's plate. She didn't look at Urania, instead looking down into the vat and wondering if she could use the wand Griffin had given her to magically make it taste better. Unfortunately, she didn't know a spell for that and briefly wondered if flavoring spells were covered in the years at Hogwarts she'd missed thanks to her expulsion. Carys sensed that Urania didn't believe she was okay and had a feeling Urania would question her again later.
Carys didn't want to tell her about her situation because she was embarrassed. As far as she knew, she was the only one to have taken the warden's fancy. She didn't know why he'd singled her out above the others but at the same time didn't wish what had happened to her on anyone else she'd gotten to know while at Goen Bren.
She also feared what the warden would do when he found out. After all, she couldn't keep her pregnancy a secret forever. He would find out, sooner or later––especially if he commanded she see him again.
Carys shook her head in an effort to rid herself of her worries and reminded herself that if Griff was successful, she wouldn't be at Goen Bren for much longer. The thought made her feel immensely better.
Pleasant Conversation
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 01-08-09 17:30
"Ready to talk, Potter?" Warden Bulstrode barks.
Harry's thoughts go off on a tangent of how it's appropriate the woman sounds like she's barking when she's barking mad and looks like a dog at that.
A stinging blow to the face is hard enough that Harry's head jerks sideways. Bulstrode clenches her fist as if hoping Harry still doesn't respond to the question.
"I'm always happy to converse with you, Warden Bulstrode. Lovely weather we're having."
The fist smacks Harry's cheek again.
"Discussing the weather is a little clichéd. I apologize for my choice of topic."
"Always have to be so difficult, Potter," Bulstrode snarls, smacking Harry a third time.
"If you want to choose the topic, just say so, Warden. I'm not picky."
"You know what I want you to tell me about."
"Give me a hint?"
"Would thirty lashes be hint enough?"
"I've told you everything I know."
"I don't believe you."
"I can't help if you believe me or not. I don't know anything about the appearance of that House Elf."
Bulstrode nods at the guard looming behind Harry. The guard grabs Harry and shoves him towards a pole. Facing the pole, Harry's hands are tied above his head. Bulstrode has her wand out, a whip-like light already eminating from it. Grinning she tells Harry, "For once I'm glad you're being so difficult, Potter. I'm going to enjoy every single one of these thirty lashes."
Gritting his teeth, Harry keeps his eyes fixed on the pole and lets his thoughts carry him far away as the first of the thirty lashes cuts into his back.