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(Kate) Angry
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 05-16-10 18:10
Kate was really, really mad at herself. She couldn't believe that she'd blushed when she and Mark had just happened to lock eyes during breakfast yesterday morning. Now he probably thought that she liked him, which she absolutely did not. She knew the whole reason she blushed was because of what her dad had said when he'd visited for Spring Social, that when boys were mean to a girl, it meant they liked her.
She'd tried not to take what her father had said as the truth and hadn't really thought about it all that much. It was just any time she saw Mark, which wasn't really all that often, she couldn't help but remember her father's words. Kate was embarrassed, more than anything else, and since yesterday morning she'd done her best to avoid Mark. If she happened to see him coming down the hall towards her, she turned and went the other way.
For the first time, she was perhaps glad that she had been held back a year. Now she didn't have to see him in some of her classes like she'd had during their first year together. He wasn't in any of her classes now.
If only she could act normal around him! It just mad her so mad that he affected her so, and only because of what her dad had said about him. It probably wasn't even true!
Kate stomped down the hall to the Transfiguration classroom and took her usual seat. She took out her supplies, an eagle-feathered quill, a half-empty bottle of black ink, her textbook, and, of course, her wand. Each item was set down a little harder than she might normally, and earned a look from Professor Black.
Kate shrank back in her seat and looked apologetic. She knew she needed to get over it, and fast. She also knew that she would eventually, but whether or not it happened before she earned herself detention was the question!
Quick Visit from Charles
Author: Jolyon
Date: 05-17-10 07:39
Jolyon had already begun preparing the barn and area immediately surrounding it for an O.W.L. review his fifth years would be having at 2 this afternoon. Thus far, their classes since mid-April had focused on question and answer sessions and the reviewing of old material. Now Jolyon planned on giving them a taste of what they might expect come June 22, when they would be sitting for their Care of Magical Creatures O.W.L. exam.
After a quick lunch on one of the picnic benches located just outside the barn, Jolyon resumed his class preparations. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't even hear the even footsteps crossing the grounds towards him or even sense the arrival of someone else.
"Jolyon?"
Jolyon jumped and very nearly dropped the bowtruckle he was cautiously handling. He turned, recognizing his father's voice.
"Charles. What are you doing here?"
"I received your letter. I'm sorry I didn't reply." Charles started to cough and dabbed at the corner of his lips with a white handkerchief. "I had a terrible spell over the weekend and wound up spending a few days at St. Mungo's."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Are you all right?"
Charles managed a weak smile. "As well as can be expected for a dying, old man."
Jolyon frowned. He'd wanted to talk about the information Emanuel Kent had given him, but he wasn't sure if it was such a good idea right now. He worried that the conversation would upset Charles, and Jolyon didn't want to be the cause of another setback that might land him in the hospital all over again.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Charles asked. "In your letter, you mentioned that it was important and something we should discuss in person."
"I don't want to upset you," Jolyon said. "Maybe we should wait until you're feeling better."
Charles smiled. "Unfortunately for me, my health will never improve. What is it? You can tell me anything."
Jolyon still wasn't sure. He delicately set the bowtruckle down on a table and said, "It's something my father told me. Something not so nice about you."
"Ah," Charles said, moving to sit down at the picnic table. "It must be about the Muggle I killed."
Jolyon hadn't expected Charles to be so blunt about it. He sat down at the table too and said, "Yes. I know he told me about it to get me to feel like i can't have a decent father figure in my life. Merlin knows Emanuel Kent isn't and never was a good father to me."
Jolyon sighed. "I just wanted to hear about it from you. Not from him."
Charles nodded. "I understand, and I have no problem telling you about my past." He looked up, "But perhaps it should wait until later. I see you have students coming over."
Jolyon looked over his shoulder. "Those are my fifth years. They're taking a practice test today."
"Lucky them!" Charles mused happily. "Well, let's make plans to have a proper sit down later. I'll let you get to your class."
"Thanks. See you later, and take care of yourself."
Jolyon got up and helped his biological father up. He really wanted to walk with him off the grounds but held back when Charles said he could make it on his own.
With a friendly wave, Charles walked away, leaving Jolyon with his fifth year students.
Intruder
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 05-18-10 18:04
Harry apparates into Wildwood's backyard, something he nearly always does when coming home because of the long held habit of checking on Hedwig. After the fall of Euphemia Smythe-Jones and her Ministry policies, when it was safe for Harry to return to his house near Coventry, he'd quickly fallen back into some of his old routines, with this being one of them.
Hedwig was not on her perch so Harry surmises she's out hunting, being by nature a more diurnal owl. Her nocturnalness while they lived with the Dursleys was more or less foisted upon them by Uncle Vernon's notions about having an owl seen coming and going from the house. Harry stands for a moment scanning the skies for any sign of her but while the weather isn't absolutely horrid today, it's also not the best so after a few moments he turns and walks the rest of the way across the backyard. Being hungry, Harry chooses to enter the house through a kitchen door instead of the sliding door into the den.
He's extremely tired, having worked a regular day shift yesterday then called in to cover on a stakeout when one of the Aurors on the case was rushed to St. Mungo's after doubling over with stabbing stomach pains, and then Harry had gotten stuck for several hours this morning at the Ministry with solicitors once again going over a case that's set for trial on Monday. Harry wants to go to bed and sleep uninterrupted for hours but first he's going to eat something and then shower. Or maybe he'll grab a light snack then sleep then shower before leaving the house again tonight. Yes, that would probably be best because the shower would help shake off any lingering sleepiness he's feeling.
Harry quickly heats up some leftover vegetable soup. There are also some leftover rolls so he heats up one of those as well, just enough to melt the butter he spreads on it. He's got it on the table and is all set to sit down and dig in when Harry hears a noise. It sounded like someone bumping into something but with Pinky gone all day today, there shouldn't be another creature in the house at the moment.
Pulling his wand out and creeping to the door that leads from the kitchen to the den, Harry thinks back to when he first arrived home and then walked inside. None of the wards seemed broken. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
There's another bump, this time followed by what sounds like someone speaking in anger. Far side of the den, most likely near the hallway.
Whoever it is must have patiently worked through the security guarding Wildwood. Anyone doing that is either an enemy of Harry's after something in particular or is a very talented burgler to get through all the wards successfully.
Hand with a firm grip on his wand, Harry eases open the kitchen door, both glad that it's one that swings easily and that he remembered to oil the hinges the other day after noticing both were starting to squeak. The curtains on the sliding door are drawn and there's little light coming in from other windows or the adjoining living room or dining room. Still, there is enough light despite the cloudiness of the day to see across the room to the hallway.
A door to one of the hall closets is open, blocking Harry's line of sight to the intruder. From the sound of it, the intruder is scrounging around in that closet so Harry uses the combined cover of the open closet door and noise to creep from the kitchen into the den. He goes into a low crawl to the couch, the behind it, making his way closer to the hall entrance.
At the exact moment that Harry springs up, wand pointed, an immobilizing spell on his lips, the intruder takes a big backward step from the closet, hand reaching to shut the door while forcefully asking aloud, "Where could it be?"
Harry stops himself just in the nick of time from throwing the spell he'd been poised to cast, instead saying with a great deal of surprise, "Janine?"
Janine Fox jumps and whirls all in one motion. "Harry!"
Her face had gone pale enough to be noticeable even in the dim light. As Harry waves his wand to open the drapes and turn on some of the lights, he can see Janine's color come rushing back. She looks cross with him and the tone of what she says next conveys her irritation.
"You gave me quite a fright. Don't sneak up on me like that again."
Harry lets some of his own irritation creep into his reply. "Next time you break into someone's house, give a little warning. You came close to getting immobilized, maybe even knocked out."
Janine's eyes grow wide. "You woudn't have!"
"If I hadn't stopped myself in time I would have. I had no idea you were here so I thought I had a burgler... or worse."
Janine has the grace to look abashed. "I'm sorry, I simply didn't know you'd even be here. When Pinky arrived to get Rocko this morning he said he doubted you'd be home until this afternoon."
"Odd. When I fire talked with him this morning, I told him I hoped to be home by noon. Why are you here?" Harry asks, bluntly cutting to the chase.
"My pink cashmere sweater set. I haven't been able to locate it in ages and finally decided I must have left it here. I've looked all over and haven't found it though so maybe I'm wrong."
"Pink with flowers? That one?"
"Yes, the embroidered flowers along the neck, down the front where it buttons. Have you seen it?"
"Yeah, but now I can't remember where." Harry suddenly snaps his fingers. "I know where I saw it."
Harry goes back the direction of the kitchen with Janine following right behind. Stepping into the small side room that if this were a Muggle house would contain a Muggle washer and dryer, but this being a Wizarding home has more old fashioned contraptions. They might be old fangled looking but Harry's found that with the right spells, they are surprisingly as good as modern Muggle electric ones. He points to a bar that runs across a portion of the far wall. Hanging from it by some sort of fancy looking padded hanger is a pink cashmere sweater set wtih embroidered flowers.
Janine crinkles her brow. "I told Pinky exactly what I was looking for. Why would he say he hadn't seen it?"
"For the same reason he told you I wouldn't be home for hours yet."
Janine drapes the pink cashmere over one arm while sighing. "Poor Pinky, still harboring dreams of us getting back together. I've told him and told him he needs to move on as you and I have."
Harry, who at times accepts that Janine and he are long over while at other times still hopes they will rekindle their relationship, ends up merely nodding wordlessly before stepping aside to allow Janine past him to go back into the kitchen. Only then does she notice the bowl of soup and bread on the table.
"I inadvertently interrupted your lunch. I'm sorry."
"No need to be. You didn't know. I was going to eat a little something then get some sleep. I've pulled a long shift and have plans tonight."
"Oh?" Janine questioningly says before hastening to say, "I mean, oh, I hadn't realized you'd had a long shift. Pinky didn't say. Well, don't let me keep you any longer. I wouldn't want you falling asleep on your date."
"It's not a date like that. I'm just meeting Dudley for dinner."
"Dudley? As in your much hated cousin Dudley Dursley?"
"The same. Only we are getting along fairly well these days. He's changed. And he's engaged. To a Witch no less."
"You're joking!"
"Nope."
"Your aunt and uncle must be beside themselves."
"I was there when Dudley broke the news to his parents. I thought Uncle Vernon was going to have a stroke on the spot. Aunt Petunia wasn't much better. They still aren't happy about it but neither one gives the impression of needing immediate medical attention."
"Wow. That's sort of mind boggling." Janine glances to the soup again then back at Harry. "I'll get going. Take care, Harry. Thanks for helping me find this sweater."
"Good to see you, Janine, though next time you think you've left something here, maybe let me know without going through Pinky first."
Janine nods, a sad smile on her lips. "Yes, I'll do that. Be seeing you."
Janine steps through the back door and disapparates, leaving Harry to think about the talk he's going to have to have yet again with Pinky.
Many Questions, No Answers
Author: Illyria
Date: 05-19-10 18:22
After Officer Eccleston's murder, which remained unsolved on account of their being no witnesses, or perhaps no one willing to step forward with information, Illyria had refused to step foot off of the Hogwarts grounds. She didn't feel safe anywhere else, particularly since she hadn't gotten a replacement bodyguard. She didn't even want another one, for fear that he would get killed too.
Of course, Illyria had no way of knowing for sure if the wizard behind Eccleston's death was the same wizard who had threatened her via anonymous letter. Could be, it was just a coincidence that the man assigned to protect Illyria had gotten himself killed. Perhaps there'd been an altercation of some sort in Knockturn Alley, or maybe someone had identified him as law enforcement and killed him just because he was the law. There were a lot of questions and no answers.
Even though she now secluded herself at Hogwarts, Illyria didn't necessarily feel safe there either. The grounds were vast, the castle itself large. It wasn't impossible for someone to come onto campus and harm her if they wanted. Unlikely, perhaps, but not impossible.
Illyria just wished she knew what to expect. She knew so little about Roland's issues, and it didn't help that he was still MIA. The longer he was gone, the more she believed he'd made himself disappear, not that someone had gotten to him first. She almost believed that if he'd been captured by the enemy, she would have known it by now.
If she couldn't get the answers directly from him, she wished she knew a way to learn what he'd been up to. She knew he'd gotten into gambling, but she didn't know who he usually gambled with or where they usually met. All this she'd already told the aurors looking into her case, and she was sure they'd already checked out the locations of known or guessed underground gambling rings.
It drove her mad, not knowing anything about everything seemingly important in her life right now. She also became extremely restless from her self-imposed imprisonment at Hogwarts.
It being evening time, but a Friday night and not a night when she had classes to teach, Illyria left the confines of her quarters and headed for the Great Hall for supper. She made her way through the semi-dark corridors and jumped when a figure stepped into her path.
"Ronan! You scared me!" Illyria exclaimed, squeezing a hand to her chest, underneath which her heart beat uncontrollably fast.
"I'm sorry," Ronan said, extremely genuine in his apology. He'd been worried about Illyria for a long time, and since learning of her bodyguard's murder, he'd been even more concerned for her safety. He fell into step beside her. "Going to dinner?"
"Yes. I was tired of being couped up in my rooms, and I was hungry besides."
"You don't have to be alone if you don't want to," Ronan said.
Illyria shot him an amused grin. "Normally, I would think that Professor Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall especially, wouldn't approve of a student being in a teacher's quarters."
"It's not like that and you know it," Ronan replied, laughing. Then he clamped his mouth shut. "I probably shouldn't even joke about it."
"That's right, you shouldn't! And yes, I know it's not that. I'm basically your second mum!"
"Except you're not old enough to be."
"Details, details. Tell you what. How about we meet in the commons after dinner? I could definitely use the company."
"It's a deal."
Once in the Great Hall, they parted ways, Illyria going to the staff table and Ronan over to the girl Illyria suspected was his girlfriend, or at the very least his almost-girlfriend.