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Fixing Names
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 07-31-09 05:52
Making some fragments of a broken glass get together by using the Reparo spell didn’t look difficult when it was Professor Ivy doing it. But when she asked them to try it turned out to be hard.
So far Johanna had managed to make the pieces approach each others on the table but they didn’t join more in order to rebuild the glass. Felicia wasn’t having any success either-
“Psst Gus! How’s your glass so far?” Johanna called her friend who was a row ahead of her.
Two heads turned behind and not only was Gus looking at her but also a Hufflepuff student. He looked a bit surprise but understanding Johanna didn’t have called him he quickly returned to his work.
“Nothing so far…I mean they start to join together but then they separate again.”
He returned quickly to his work because Professor Ivy was now making a round through the tables and he was passing nearby.
“We have to give him a nickname or so. “ Johanna whispered to Felicia.
“Good idea. This is getting really annoying. Or Hodfuffer friends call him and Gus looks at them or we call Gus and Hodfuffer looks at us.”
“Hum…how about V.T.? You know from Van Tassel…”
“Maybe Tass?” They giggle trying to find a nickname for Gus. Professor Ivy send them a look that showed she wasn’t pleased with their chat but since they didn’t talk more during the class she hasn’t taken them points.
“What were you two plotting back there? I heard my name at least five times. “ Gus asked when the class ended.
“We’re just fixing something.” Felicia told him.
“Fixing what?”
“Your name. We can’t call you Gus anymore. Not when there are two Gus in the second year.”Johanna informed him.
“You’re referring to Hodfuffer? I arrived at Hogwarts first you should ask him to change his nickname not me.” He said in a rude tone. Gus was still mad because he didn’t managed to enter into the quidditch team, and he was being very implicative about the ones who made the team, like Augustus Hodfuffer who was now a beater of the Hufflepuff team.
“Let him stay with the Gus. We can get you an original nickname.”
“Then why we don’t find a new nickname for you too? You’re not the only Johanna around here.” Gus was referring to Joanna Porter who was in Ravenclaw at the same year of them. She had also attended Happy Haven.
“Call me Steele if you want. I don’t mind.”
“Thank Merlin there are no Felicias around the second year.”
They went to the DADA classroom. They had Professor Somerset this year.
After that they class they directed themselves to grounds for their Herbology class.
“Oh no! I just remember about the History of Magic essay we were supposed to write…fifteen inches. And it’s for today.”
“Instead of moaning about how you should have been chosen for the quidditch team, you should have worked on you that.”
“You sound like a nerdy Ravenclaw now. That’s creepy.” He sighed. “Can you help me with it Johanna?”
“What happened to the Steele? All right I’ll help you. I don’t promise it will be a good essay and you’ll owe me one.”
He nodded.
“I can live with that. I just don’t want to have a detention with that spooky old ghost. “
“He’s a nice teacher.”
“Sorry. I forgot I was dealing with your idol.”
He was teasing her passion for history.
“When I become a famous Historian like Bathilda Bagshot we shall talk.” Johanna said with the ambition that made her join the Slytherin house.
The Truth
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 07-31-09 14:15
Bronwyn began to chop up vegetables for a salad, while her father prepared a salmon filet. With the exception of the sounds coming from the kitchen, the house was quiet. Toby had gone out with some of his Falmouth Falcoln teammates, Siegfried had met up with friends somewhere else, and Aemilia had opted for a late nap.
Bronwyn cast a sideways glance at her father as he basted the filet with lemon juice and herbs.
"When are you going to tell Mum the truth?" she asked softly.
Wotan looked up in surprise and said nothing for a long moment. "I know it's wrong of me to put it off with each passing day, but she's only just come back to us and I think she needs time to adjust."
Bronwyn bit her lip to prevent the thought that had just come to mind from escaping, but then she said it anyway. "Are you sure you're not just delaying the possibility that she might not want to stay here anymore after learning the truth?"
"Is that what you want?" Wotan asked in a low, sharp tone. Very rarely did he get upset with either of his children, but he was clearly angry with Bronwyn now. "Do you want her to leave after we've only just gotten her back?"
Bronwyn knitted her brows together, both out of anger and sadness. "Of course not! I don't want her to leave at all, but she deserves to know the truth. You can't hide Wolfie from her forever."
Wotan's features fell and he looked apologetic. "I know. Maybe I should just tell her tonight."
"Tell who and what tonight?"
Bronwyn and Wotan turned to see Aemilia having just entered the kitchen. She looked sleepy with slight bedhead but otherwise seemed all right.
Bronwyn looked from her mother to her father. "Should I leave?"
"No, stay," Wotan said.
Aemilia started to grow alarmed. "What's the matter?"
Wotan washed his hands and then led his wife to the breakfast table. Bronwyn stayed put, with her knife hovering over a tomato.
"Aemilia, there's something you need to know."
"Oh, God. Did my mother die?"
Aemilia hadn't yet been reunited with her mother because Emma Meyrick was on a month-long tour of Africa with some elderly friends of hers. Bronwyn's grandmother was completely unreachable at the moment.
Wotan, surprised by the outburst, slowly shook his head. "She's fine. She's on safari in Africa and won't be back for another week."
"Sergeant Pepper did, though," Bronwyn said, referring to her grandmother's little dog.
"Oh," Aemilia said, pressing a hand to her chest. "That's... well, it's a relief about my mother." She turned to her husband. "Now what is going on?"
Wotan hesitated for what felt like an eternity. Bronwyn almost thought her father wouldn't confess his indiscretion, but then he told Aemilia everything, from Annabelle Diamond coming to stay to his visits to Seattle to see his newborn son.
Aemilia's face had lost all its color. She opened and closed her mouth a dozen times but couldn't seem to find the words.
"I... I see," she said at long last. She rose, not too quickly, but still managed to knock over the chair.
Bronwyn put down the knife, wiped her hands on a towel, and went to her mother, who immediately turned to her and clasped Bronwyn's hands.
"I need to go away, just for a little while until I can adjust to the news. Will you come with me, Bronwyn? Can you take me somewhere far, far away?"
"Aemilia," Wotan started, but Bronwyn looked at him and shook her head sadly. Just let her be for now, her face seemed to say.
Wotan seemed to understand the unspoken message and said nothing else, looking only as if his world had just come crashing down all around him.
"Please, Bronwyn?" Aemilia pleaded.
Bronwyn nodded. "I know where we can go."
There were only two places she knew of where she knew people with whom she could stay: Seattle, which was completely out of the question, and New York City.
Bronwyn made a mental note to send an owl to Toby as soon as she had a chance. She didn't want him to worry, and knew that he would understand if she didn't come back for a while.
Sometime later, she and Aemilia found themselves in the heart of New York City. Bronwyn double-checked the apartment number and then pressed the buzzer. How she hoped that the boys were home and that they wouldn't mind her dropping in so very unexpectantly with her mother.
Visitors
Author: Arlington J Montgomery
Date: 07-31-09 16:12
Arley lounged on the couch as he flipped through the channels on his muggle television. He had drifted in and out of sleep for the last hour and a half. Sebastian had gone to a photo shoot and Arley was home alone. The loft was very modern, and looked like Sebastian had decorated it, but Arley had thrown in a few ‘pieces from home’ that clearly didn’t fit with the décor.
All of a sudden, the buzzer rang and Arlington was knocked out of his semi-conscious state. “Woah! That’ll wake a man up…scared me half t’ death…” He got up to answer the door, but didn’t realize he was only wearing a pair of boxers and an open robe.
“Can I hel..” his voice trailed off when he realized who was standing there. “Bron! What are you doing here?” he grinned and pulled his friend into a hug, but a blush surged into his cheeks when he noticed how he was dressed.
“Heh! Sorry about that. Hey, who’s this lovely young woman?” He flashed Aemilia a grin and offered his hand in greeting.
“Arlington James Montgomery, it’s a pleasure to meet you ma’am.” Another blush started to creep back into his cheeks, had Aemilia been checking him out?
“What brings you here Bronwyn? Not that I mind, it’s great to see you again.” He stepped aside for Bron and her mother to enter the loft. “Have a seat am make yourselves at home ladies.” He glanced at Bron, realizing just why she was here.
“You guys are welcome to stay as long as you need, there’s a spare bedroom to the left there. Seb’ll be home in an hour or so, he’ll be glad to see you, and to meet you Mrs. Dewhurst. Now, can I get you ladies a drink?”
Lunch
Author: Charisma Stone
Date: 07-31-09 16:58
Isma for a change was eating lunch by herself this afternoon, reading over the Daily Prohpet that had been delivered for her for breakfast. Eric, Blake and a few other second years had gotten into an argument after class and had all gone to the library to find the book that would settle the score of who was right and who was wrong. She'd been distracted as of late, and couldn't quite put her finger on the cause of it.
She picked at the bowl of baked potato soup in front of her, not really having much of an appetite today, simply pushing the food around more so than actually consuming it and gaining the nutritional value of it. She'd completely picked apart the bit of crusty bread that she'd been dipping in the thick broth of the soup, it covered her bread plate and scattered crumbs around it haphazardly.
Just as she decided it was time to leave, she would see Eric and Blake entering. A light wave to them before she slipped out of the Great Hall, thus avoiding any questions either of them would pose as to her current mood and behavior. As it was, she was not entirely looking forward to spending two hours on the pitch, but she had made the Gryffindor team and they had practice tonight from seven to nine...and she was Seeker.
She still had to get through her afternoon classes and then was done until dinner and then practice.
On Being Friendly (Catriona)
Author: Fionna
Date: 08-01-09 10:36
During breakfast Castriona had caught up with Polly just as Polly was reaching the Great Hall. They'd gone in together and sat down at the Ravenclaw table. A few minutes after that Bianca entered, gave a wave to a few friends then came to sit with Polly and Cat. With Polly being stuck back in second year and in a whole other house than either Cat or Bianca and with a course schedule that's very different, Cat sometimes feels she hardly sees Polly other than at meals. This gets her to thinking about others in the same situation.
After breakfast with Polly going off to the library to go over her Charms work due that day, Bianca and Cat set out for the greenhouse where their shared Herbology class is meeting. Along the way Cat asks her friend, "Weren't you and those girls Johanna and Felicia friends during first year?"
"Yeah, of a sort. We hung out together when time allowed but with them both Nons and the way Harry the Snide segregated everyone, that made it harder."
"That's how it was with Polly and me," Cat replies with complete understanding.
She then ventures the question, "So how come you hardly ever speak to either of them? Or at least, that's how it seems."
"I do speak to them." Bianca's face crinkles up then she asks, "Don't I?"
"I never see you but then our schedules do differ some, Bianca, and you being in Slytherin and me Ravenclaw, it's not like I see you every minute."
"I thought I was at least being friendly to them though I know I've not really sat down and chatted either of them up."
"They're second year now, like Polly."
"Different schedule entirely and we aren't roommates anymore."
The girls reach the greenhouse, and having caught up with some of the others going in for the class, end up having to wait in a short queue to get in through the door. Like usual, they take spots next to each other and continue talking until Professor Ravenscroft starts class.
Just before they fall silent to give the professor their attention for the day's lesson on little brown mushrooms and spiny toadstools, Bianca resolutely declares to Cat, "I will be friendlier to Johanna and Felicia." After a short pause she adds, "And to that Charisma Stone too."
Grinning at her friend, Cat's glad to know that Bianca's efforts to be a nicer person than she'd been in first year to everyone continue on.
Dinner and then Class
Author: Illyria
Date: 08-02-09 16:05
The entire Jones family, even those abroad like Illyria's parents and her sister Erigone with husband Aidan, had come to visit and to celebrate Arsinoe's thirty-third birthday. They sat at a long table at The Imperial Crown & Cauldron, enjoying themselves immensely. After the main course, several restaurant employees stopped by the table with a small cake for Arsinoe. They sang happy birthday to her and then left to do something similar at another table.
Illyria had stuffed herself silly and had absolutely no room for dessert. She could only watch as Arsinoe ate a slice from her birthday cake and how, across the room, Weston Ravenscroft enjoyed his. He and his wife Marzi had also gone out to celebrate his thirty-first birthday, which coincidentally fell on the same day as Arsinoe's.
Illyria kept a close eye on the time. After all, whereas the others who were not on vacation had already finished their work day, hers was nowhere near finished. She had two classes tonight, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff second years and Ravenclaw and Slytherin fourth years. She knew the party would long be over by the time class started, since little Alexandra had come along and she had an early bedtime, but Illyria also wanted some time to do a little preparation work.
Before dinner even began to wind down, Illyria excused herself from her family and headed up to the castle alone. She went straight to her quarters to abandon her purse and freshen up and then went to the Astronomy Tower to get ready for her two classes.
Sometime later, well after nightfall, the first students trickled into the Astronomy classroom. Tonight, Professor Quigley would make use of the Observation Deck, so Illyria's students would have to conduct class inside the tower rather than on top of it.
Once everyone had taken their seats, Professor Jones raised her wand to the ceiling, where an illusion of the night sky suddenly appeared.
"Good evening, class. Today we're going to discuss the constellation Equuleus. Does anyone know what Equuleus means?"
Kate Dewhurst raised her head. "It means 'the foal'."
"That's right, Kate. 5 points to Hufflepuff."
Professor Jones again raised her wand to the illuminated ceiling above her head and caused the constellation to glow brighter.
"Can anyone name any of the stars in Equuleus?" she asked. "Yes, Charisma?"
"Kitalpha."
"Which means?"
"Part of the horse," Charisma answered.
"Very good. 5 points to Gryffindor."
Professor Jones went on to talk about the constellation in depth and at the end of class, asked her students to chart the constellation for homework.
Guests
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 08-02-09 16:27
Bronwyn closed the door to the spare bedroom in the apartment Arley and Seb shared and padded quietly to the living room, where she found Arley channel surfing. She plopped down on the sofa next to him and sighed.
"How's your mom?" Arley asked, putting the TV on mute.
"She's decided to take a nap," Bronwyn replied.
Arley had been very hospitable yesterday in allowing Bronwyn and Aemilia to stay, especially when their arrival had been unannounced and completely unexpected. As much as she'd wanted to tell Arley everything––and later Sebastion when he came home from his photoshoot––she'd found herself more preoccupied with looking after her mother's needs than anything else.
The boys knew all about Wolfie from Bronwyn's letters, so they guessed correctly about what might have happened to cause Bronwyn and Aemilia to suddenly appear on their doorstep. They asked no questions, knowing that Bronwyn would fill them in whenever she found the time and energy to do so.
Now with her mother napping, a combination of her emotional weariness and the fact that she was still on European time, Bronwyn found the opportunity to vent to Arley, and he was most willing to listen.
"I knew she would take it hard," Bronwyn started by saying. "After all, wouldn't you if you'd come back from prison-like conditions and from having lost a good chunk of your memories to find that your husband had fathered a child with another woman, and not just any woman but the mother of your own child's best friend?"
Arley ran fingers through his hair and sighed. "Yeah, I imagine so."
"I guess I just hoped she'd be okay. I mean, I didn't expect her to just accept things as they are, but I really didn't want her to run away from home."
"Maybe she's not really running away," Arley said, after a long pause. "Maybe she's just trying to come to terms with things in her own way. And she did ask you to accompany her..."
"I know. She did say that," Bronwyn admitted. "She said she just needed to deal with things away from home. I get that, I really do, but..."
"I know," Arley replied, with a small smile. "I think things will get better in time. And as I said yesterday, y'all can stay as long as you need. I think Seb's especially glad you came. He wants to show you around the city."
"How's he going to manage that if he's always got some photoshoot?" Bronwyn replied with a smile.
"He'll make some time. Besides, I think getting out my help your mom too."
"Yeah, I think you're right. We could get a tour of the city, see a musical or a play... what else?"
"Shopping?"
Bronwyn's eyes lit up. "Now you're talking!"