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Swamped
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 01-24-09 20:41
"Take me to lunch."
Hunched over his desk, searching through a pile of work orders, Griff doesn't look up to ask, "What?"
A hand with nails perfectly manicures and painted a pale pink comes down on top of the parchments. "First, look at me. Second, take me to lunch."
Griff waits for the hand to raise, contemplating whether to move the hand or not. Fingers of the hand in question begin tapping impatiently. Griff looks up, his annoyance evident. "I'm a little busy, Dulcie."
"We've not had even so much as five minutes alone for daaaaaays," Dulcie complains.
Griff's eyes flick back to Dulcie's hand. Is it worth the fuss she'll make if he makes her move it? Not bloodly likely.
Griff forces a smile. "I know and I'm sorry. I'm just extremely busy. Even though I'm a PK tech, with the continued shifting of personnel, I'm doing all the Floo work now."
"I thought you were just doing the overflow."
"I was but more people have been reassigned."
Dulcie pouts, "I still don't see why that means you don't have time for me."
Griff sighs and reaches for the hand that is still on top of the work orders. He puts his own hand on top of Dulcie's covering the work orders. "This is nothing but Floo paperwork. And that stack too. That one there is Portkey related. Oh, and that far one deals with other things like Harriet Snider at Hogwarts requesting a license for another magic carpet."
"Another one? She already has one?"
"Not only does she have one but it's kitted out with a chair to make her travel more comfortable."
Dulcie pouts even more. "It's not fair she gets a magic carpet. By all accounts she's quite beastly. And I still don't see why you can't take me to lunch." Dulcie practically stamps her foot, close to having a tantrum.
His annoyance growing, Griff would like nothing more than to tell Dulcie off for acting like a spoiled child. The only thing that has him holding his tongue is the guilt he feels for using Dulcie. The only thing tempering that guilty is the fact that by using her, Griff not only knows where Carys is but come the weekend, if all goes right, Carys will be safely away in France with Tristan and Alun.
Dulcie folds her arms and gives Griff a stare chock full of attitude. Sighing again he says, "Fine. I'll take you to lunch but first let me locate one particular work order."
"Five minutes and we are not going to the canteen. We are going to a real restaurant."
Griff is already going through the pile of parchments. The work order he's searching for is the one he'll need when he goes to Goen Bren this weekend to get Carys. Definately more important than some damned lunch. It had been on top of the pile but someone came along and dumped more paperwork onto the existing piles.
As he searches Dulcie starts up a running stream of patter. For the most part Griff drowns it out until Dulcie says, "After the headline in today's paper, I'm betting Rita Skeeter's already on her way to Azkaban."
Griff pauses, looking up at Dulcie. "What about Rita Skeeter?"
"You know, that huge article in today's paper."
Griff shakes his head. "I've not had time to look at the paper yet today."
Dulcie's eyes widen. "That article is all anyone's talked about today."
"I've trying to get as many of these work orders taken care of as I can," Griff explains.
Dulcie holds up a finger in a wait a moment gesture. She leaves, is gone a couple of minutes then comes back with a paper in hand. By the time she's returned, Griff's found the all important work order. He sticks it into a file in one of his desk drawers then looks at the paper Dulcie's spread out.
INSIDE ANGLE ON ANGLESEY
An Upclose Look Inside A Non Community
by
Rita Skeeter
Griff scans the article then starts reading it more closely, allowing Dulcie to lead him out of the office and into one of the lifts, not paying any attention to the fact that Dulcie's decided they'll go to one of the most expensive restaurant she knows.
Twinge of Jealousy and Acceptance
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 01-25-09 10:54
Orei sighed as she watched Alanna and Jared leave the Great Hall, she knew if she didn't head out she would be late for DADA and she really didn't want to be in trouble with Professor Isuki. Eyes slid closed as she quelched that twinge of jealousy...Brett was gone, she'd hardly heard from him and might as well start seeing someone else. However, it seems that everyone that was her age was already involved with someone else. Though, she was indeed happy for Jared and Alanna, that was a long time in the making.
Maddie even was involved with someone, from London. She'd met him on Winter break and they'd been blissfully happy. He went to St. Emry's and Maddie's already been accepted to St. Emry's, and with the late submission of her applications, she'll be lucky if she hears from any of them before August. Massaging her temples she picked up her bag and the rest of her breakfast which was a simple breakfast sandwich and headed to class.
Orei only kind of paid attention in both DADA (though more so in DADA becaus of the course) and Charms with Yaxley. It was Maddie tugging on the sleeve of her robe. "Are you coming to lunch?" Orei shook her head and kept walking, she intended on shutting herself in the library. She hadn't heard from her parents in three months, hell, it was like everyone she knew and cared for had fallen off the face of the planet.
She closed her eyes and headed into one of the study booths. She pulled out the Daily Prophet and read through the day's headlines. She was pulled from her thoughts with a knock on the study room door. "Yes?" She answered the door and the house elf handed her an envelope, or rather a stack of envelopes.
Three of them were what she wanted, the rest would be set aside. She'd heard from all three schools, all three of them, and so quickily. Opening the envelopes one at a time, she started with the school that was farthest away College of the Plavidsow. She blinked, they'd accepted her....So had, huh?! All three schools had accepted her, they all wanted her for her rune speciality and her stellar marks in Arithmancy and Divination and Potions. She laughed a bit and now she had to choose what school she wanted to go to.
Finally she headed back to the Great Hall and grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading to her last two classes. Maddie did a double take when Orei sat down next to her.
"What changed in the course of two hours?" She asked, waiting for an answer, their professor not yet in class.
"Acceptance letters. Three of them." Orei said and handed Maddie the three letters she'd recieved while she'd been on break between classes. "I don't know where I want to go yet, maybe to St. Emry's so I can keep the house in Hogsmeade."
The Minister Is Just a Smidge Peeved
Author: Lucius Malfoy
Date: 01-25-09 11:45
Lucius stands at the far end of the room, arms folded, eyeing Euphemia, and wondering how long it will take him to get closer to the door if he creeps towards it so slowly that no one - meaning mainly the Minister - notices he's edging nearer for a quick getaway if need be. At the moment, Rabastan Lestrange is the center of Minister Smythe-Jones's wrath. The day's Daily Prophet is gripped tightly in the Minister's hand, part of the headline visible. Rabastan, Lucius, and the others present cringe somewhat every time Euphemia slaps the paper against the palm of her other hand.
Not everyone running communities is present but most are. The meeting was called this morning just after today's issue of the paper came out. A couple of those not present were here but had to leave, not at all upset at having to miss the rest of the Minister's massive tantrum. So far, even hours later, it's still Rabastan she's railing against.
As far as Lucius is concerned, the situation can remain as is. Afterall, he's done nothing wrong. Lucius's community is well organized and running smoothly. There are no security breaches. The guards do their jobs and do them well. Certainly there are a small few who use their positions and status to gain carnal pleasure among the City of Hope residents but so long as those guards don't let that get into the way of their duties and security does not fall off, then if those few wish to debase themselves that way with Nons, then fine.
If not for the fact that Lucius is as interested as anyone in finding out how Rita Skeeter got an inside scoop on Rabastan's Anglesey, Lucius would have come up with a valid reason for leaving the meeting long ago. He might be slowly working his way towards the door now but that doesn't mean he's going to bolt anytime soon. It simply means he'll be positioned for it should Euphemia's already boiling temper get out of control.
The room abruptly goes silent. All eyes are on Rabastan. The Minister leans forward on the table, the only thing between Rabastan and her. She growls, "Well?"
Lucius momentarily stops his sideways creep. After hours of yelling and screaming, the Minister is at long long going to allow Rabastan to speak.
Smitten
Author: Zabrynna
Date: 01-25-09 13:26
Zabrynna closes the thick study guide for OWLs that her mum recently sent, shoves it into her bookbag then exits the library for the commons. Coming out right behind her is Victoria Visconti grumbling about how she'd made herself look so posh only to have Mr. Stratford nowhere in the libary to be seen. Zabrynna grins listening to Victoria though she knows she shouldn't. She is, afterall, the one who would dearly love to have stayed longer in History of Magic today and who is walking around with a love potion in her pocket and a love charmed candle and a love charmed hankerchief, among other items, crammed into her satchel.
Reaching the commons, Zabrynna heads straight for the table where Anne sits drinking from a mug topped off with a thick dollop of whipped cream. As she drops into a chair she says to a House Elf, "I'll have one of those."
Without so much as a hello, Anne mournfully says, "I wish I were a seventh year taking Care of Magical Creatures."
"If you'd simply said you wished you were in Care of Magical Creatures, I'd think it's because you find Professor Kent smashing. Since you specified wanting to be a seventh year, there's more to that statement."
Anne takes a drink from her mug then licks off whipped cream from her top lip. "Professor Kent's taking the seventh years to the McFusty dragon preserve."
"You're upset not to get to see dragons?"
"No," Anne says as if speaking to a simple minded child. "Indigo McFusty is going to be their tour guide."
"As in you want to jump his bones Indigo McFusty?"
"As in." Anne heaves a great sigh.
"Maybe the next Hogsmeade Saturday you can ask him all about it."
"That's not until May," Anne morosely replies.
"Right. How about our next holiday then?"
"A month from now."
"Invite him to the next Quidditch match?"
Anne laughs. "You aren't up on Quidditch around here, are you?"
"What do you mean?"
"That next match isn't until June."
"I knew that. I just forgot. Oooh, we need to hurry if we don't want to be late for Ancient Runes."
Anne shoves her chair back. "I'd forgotten I had another class today. Good thing you showed up!"
The girls dash out of the commons, making it to Ancient Runes only one second before Professor Hodfuffer begins class.
(Wotan) Wracked with Guilt
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 01-25-09 13:55
Business at Wren Inc., like at other commercial institutions, had seen a steep decline in the past year, thanks to the removal of more than half the working population of wizarding Great Britain. The demand for new construction, when there weren't enough laborers to build it or enough staff to operate inside the finished building, was virtually non-existant. Even residential construction had experienced a sharp drop.
Wotan spent his time after lunch organizing his office. He had a number of unfinished plans scattered about that either needed discarding or putting away for another time.
Busy work was all he could handle, despite it nearly being the only thing to do at the time. A number of thoughts ran rampant in his mind, including the usual ones like where were Aemilia and Siegfried and were they all right? Would he ever see them again? He also thought about Bronwyn, whom he learned was now in Seattle with her friend Desdemona. As long as she remained clear of Britain's borders, Wotan didn't worry too much about his only daughter.
The most prominent thought in his mind, however, was not one about Aemilia, Siegfried, and Bronwyn. It was about Annabelle Diamond's enormous and most unwelcome revelation.
Well over a month ago, when she was still living with Wotan, Annabelle came downstairs with her bags packed. She had not informed him of her plan to leave, not that it had been required of her, but Wotan had thought she would mention it a day or two ahead of time.
Annabelle had looked frazzled, as if something weighed very heavily on her mind. Wotan knew, as he himself felt with regards to his own missing family, that she stressed over the absence of her husband and daughter, and that she felt more and more a failure each passing day she did not find them. What she told him surprised him beyond words.
"I'm pregnant."
The words echoed in his mind now. Annabelle was pregnant with his child. The night that should have never happened, the one Wotan had worked tirelessly to forget, had produced a child.
He felt overcome with guilt, moreso now than before. What would Aemillia do if and when she returned home? What would Annabelle's husband do? What would Bronwyn and Siegfried, and Desdemona and Bianca, think of their parents? How would they feel about sharing a sibling?
Annabelle was keeping the baby, and now she was in France with her parents. Wotan didn't blame her for leaving. He wanted to believe that with Annabelle out of sight, she'd be out of mind too but the fact was, knowing what he knew, he would never be able to forget what they did together and what resulted from that night.
He feared he would lay some blame on the child, whatever it turned out to be, but he would have to remind himself that the child was an innocent. He was the guilty one, and he had no one to blame but himself.
Riders to the Rescue
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 01-25-09 15:00
The residents of Brecqhou had been allowed a late lunch, though the guards were of half a mind to just skip the midday meal on account of the fact that nons and blood traitors didn't need to be treated like human-beings. Only because Warden Lestrange deemed it necessary to "feed the animals" so that they wouldn't be too weak to work did they grant the residents their fifteen-minute lunch break.
Hardly sated, but at least having something, however disgusting it had been going down, in his stomach, Ethan stepped out of the lunch building with Maverick at his side. A number of community members were in front of them and had started to disperse to their various tasks when one of them cried out, "Look there!"
As one, heads swiveled in the appropriate direction, and those in the back surged forward to have a better view.
"What is that?" someone asked.
"Looks like birds," someone else replied.
"Those aren't birds," Maverick murmured after a moment of watching.
"What do you lot think you are doing?" barked a guard who had come upon the stragglers. Several more converged on the group, and a few through out Cruciatus Curses as punishment for the dawdling.
"Get to work! Your job isn't to stand around here..." The voice trickled to a stop as the guard took in the sight that had held the attention of the community members.
Clearly visible in the distance were winged horses. Abraxans, Aethonans, Granians... all bearing riders clutching wands in their hands. Not only were winged horses approaching, but also wizards on broomsticks.
A jubilant cry went up in the air at the sight, followed a second later by a bright burst of red sparks, a call of alarm from one of the guards.
Ethan's gaze flickered between the approaching riders and the guard nearest him. He launched himself at the guard just as the first onslaught of horses and broomsticks flew overhead. Spells rained down on them and were shot upwards from the guards. Ethan wrestled with the guard for his wand and jabbed him in the eye with his elbow to get him to release it.
He jumped up and stunned the man before he could make any move to reclaim his weapon. As Ethan whirled around to take on the next guard, he noticed that many of the other prisoners around him had already taken matters into their own hands. Many, like him, had been aurors or hit wizards before arriving at Brecqhou and already knew a thing or two about dueling. Even as weak as they were, the adrenalin that now coursed through their veins made them strong, effective fighters.
"Ethan!" called out a familiar voice.
He turned and saw Dierna soaring past him on a gray mare.
It was not the time to catch up on old times so Ethan, though grateful to see her, merely nodded to her before turning his attention to another guard.
A long day
Author: Cailyn Spicer
Date: 01-25-09 15:05
Thursdays where the days that Cailyn hated the most. She had four classes on Thursdays. Her classes started at nine in the morning and ended with Astrology at midnight. Usually, these classes loaded her with homework she would have to have done by sometime the following week on top of all her other homework. She could not wait to graduate and now that her father was no longer going to marry Muffy, she was certain her summer would be much better than she had planned.
Nicko had talked of taking Cailyn to Paris and to Italy where she had a crazy old aunt who supposedly was her mother’s great aunt. He had even talked of going home to Washington DC for a little while but that wasn’t high on his list of things to do. He had said that either way, he planned on leaving England for the summer. Cailyn didn’t even have to ask why he wanted to leave England. She knew why.
The ministry was probably very angry at Nicko for cutting off his engagement with Muffy and they knew of his flirtations with Muggle women and his engagements inside the casinos he so loved. She knew that the marriage to Muffy was supposed to tame her wild father. But she also knew that Nicko would not go back to his old life style until he thought it was safe to converse with Muggles again.
With a soft yawn, Cailyn stretched her arms and her legs out to try and decipher the time. She squinted but couldn’t read the clock. Her eyes were blurry from yawning and she had to rub them to get her vision back. She bit down on the end of her quill pen and coughed up feathers. Nice. She quickly looked around to see if anyone else was watching and was relieved to find no one else had seen that.
Looking back up at the clock, Cailyn realized that she had a long time yet before the day ended. She gave another sigh and tried to concentrate on what her professor was telling her but found she totally couldn’t concentrate.
With another glance at the clock, Cailyn realized that it was going to be a very long day.