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Going Off Topic Again
Author: Travis
Date: 10-23-10 21:33
Indigo reaches for the wine bottle on the coffee table but then changes his mind. "I'd really like something stronger but have had enough wine I'm starting to feel it. Maybe some coffee? I'll be happy to make it if you have any." he says to his older sister.
Travis gives him a need you ask look. "The question isn't whether there's coffee. The question is what sort do you want?"
Lisianthus tells Indi, "There's a Hawaiian roast that's heavenly. What's it called again, Travis?"
"Heavenly Hawaii."
"Seriously."
Travis grins at Lisi. "Sorry. Couldn't resist. I think the one you mean is the Kona Paradise."
Indi gets up. "Kona Paradise it is. You want some too, Travis? Or tea? Or sticking with the wine?"
"There's only a little left so seems a shame not to finish it off but then I'll have some coffee as well, thanks." As she says this, Travis leans forward for the wine bottle, pouring what's left into her nearly empty glass. "I can't believe we drank two bottles of this. I wonder what Mum would say if she knows she drives us to drink."
"She'd say make sure it's a good vintage. Or in the case of scotch or brandy, make sure it's nicely aged."
From the kitchen Indi says, "Scotch. Now there's a liquor I've never had a taste for. Mum and Dad both love it."
Travis leans back against the couch cushions, stretching her legs out to prop her feet on the coffee table. "My dad's favored spirit is bourbon though gin is a close second."
Indi rejoins his sisters. "Won't be long on the coffee. Bourbon is eh, gin is tolerable in some mixed drinks."
Rum is better though I don't particularly care for much alcohol, even wine," Lisi tells them. "The red tonight was good and I do prefer it over white, but all in all, I'm not much of a drinker. As much as I've had this evening I'm surprised I'm not more gone."
"Is it the taste or the aftereffect or what?" Indi asks.
"The taste is a big part of it. I've rarely drink enough to have any bad aftereffects though ask me that question again in the morning. Mostly though if I have more than a couple of drinks, especially if it's something strong, I find it harder to block everything out," Lisi says, one finger making a looping gesture at her temple.
"No wonder you never have more than one of something alcoholic at one of Mum's parties," Travis comments with a sympathetic wince. "And speaking of Mum, we've gotten off topic again."
"Right, but we keep getting sidetracked because none of us have a clue as to how to get Mum to back off." Indi says this as he's getting up to return to the kitchen.
"Have you told her yet that Tess Janson is a lesbian?"
"No, because as long as she thinks her bid at matchmaking between Tess and me is a success, the more time I have to date on my own terms."
"But you aren't dating much and I don't understand that. You've got females of all ages swooning after you, Indi."
Lisi smiles knowingly at Travis and informs her, "Indi's interested in someone."
"I am not," Indi shoots back, standing in the kitchen doorway.
"So you aren't going out with all those women you do find attractive and interesting because of a certain Hogwarts student."
"No."
"This would be Anne Kendrick?" Travis asks Lisi.
"Yes," Lisi nods at the same time Indi repeats, "No."
"And here I thought the attraction was only on Anne's part all this time."
Lisi glances to the kitchen where they can now hear Indi rustling around finishing up the coffee and lowers her voice. "I think maybe at first that was true but she's sort of grown on him and he did promise her a date after the graduates."
"I can still hear you."
Lisi colors, but only slightly. "Sorry. But you know it's true."
"Let's not talk about my love life, thank you."
"How can we not when we're talking about all our love lives and Mum's constant interference?" Travis laughs.
Indi returns to the kitchen doorway. "Our time would be better spent if you would put your evil little minds to constructive ideas. You know, Lisi, you should work on not only getting into people's heads but planting suggestions. You could do it subtly, like when they are asleep and plant the ideas in their dreams."
"You'd have me willingly enter Mum's heads? Worse, her dreams?"
"If it helps our cause."
"Wouldn't it be simpler to find Mum a hobby that doesn't involve some gorgeous male instructor?" Lisi replies.
"Yes, no gorgeous male instructors as that would have Mum once again deciding she should get divorced simply because she needs a new hobby that involves having a lovely younger man on her arm at parties."
Indi brings a tray from the kitchen with the coffee. Travis sits back up straight and offers to do the pouring. "Grab that tin off the end of the counter, would you, Indi? It's got biscotti."
A few seconds later they are fixing their coffees to their personal tastes and munching on the biscotti. Indi says again, "You really should think about the dream suggestion thing, Lisi. You could use it not only to get Mum to stay out of our love lives but you could use it to suggest suitable hobbies for her. Like lace making."
"Lace making?" Lisi gives an amused snort. "How about home canned fruit?"
"Antique button collecting," Travis offers.
With no other ideas coming to mind on getting Morticia Munch to leave her children's love lives in their hands, Lisi, Indi, and Travis spend the rest of the evening coming up with amusing hobbies for their mother.
New Baby
Author: Illyria
Date: 10-24-10 12:22
Annabelle Elizabeth Crumm had been born in the early morning hours of October 14th. She had a full head of hair, wide blue eyes, and looked like the newborn version of her older sister Alexandra. Big sister was absolutely delighted about Annabelle's birth. She was especially elated because Aunt Illyria had given her a baby doll as a present, so that she could have a little girl to look after too.
Now, two weeks later, the novelty of Annabelle and the baby doll had worn off a little bit for Alexandra, but only just. When Illyria came to visit, Alexandra came over with the doll in hand and said, "Hungy."
So, Illyria sat down with the baby doll carefully resting in her arms and took the toy baby bottle her niece gave her. She pretended to feed it to the doll who'd been named Gertrude, though Alexandra called it "Gert".
Arisnoe, being on maternity leave, sat next to Illyria on the couch. Annabelle was napping in a nearby bassinet.
"Practicing for when you have your own?" Arsinoe teased her younger sister.
Illyria said, "I think I will just live vicariously through you and Erigone."
"Oh, did you hear? Olympia thinks Lyell is going to pop the question any day now."
Illyria looked up in surprise. "Really? Have they even been dating that long?"
"I think so. You know Olympia's been really quiet about it. I think it's been going on longer and more serious than any of us realized."
Alexandra held out her arms for her baby. Illyria carefully transferred the precious cargo to her niece but held onto the bottle since Alexandra didn't want it.
She turned back to Arsinoe. "How does she know he'll ask her to marry him?"
"Just a hunch, she says. Whatever that means," Arsinoe mused. "I guess we'll just have to see if it happens or not."
"I wish I knew the guy better," Illyria said. She'd gotten to know both Arsinoe's husband Quin and Erigone's husband Aidan rather well before they joined the Jones family. "We should all go out to dinner sometime."
"Or maybe I should host something here at home," Arsinoe suggested. "Might be easier with the babies."
Alexandra looked up sharply at the word "babies" but then decided that the babies in question were Annabelle and Gert. She was, after all, a big girl herself.
"If it's not too much trouble, and I can help, of course."
"Sure, and see if Ronan might want to come. He's part of the family too."
"I will."
"Do you have leave soon?" Arsinoe asked, changing the subject.
"My office hours don't start till 2," Illyria replied, "but I'm expecting more than the usual crowd since I'm giving exams all this week. I can stay until lunch, or even after depending on when lunch is."
"Alexandra's always hungry early, so an early lunch it'll likely be," Arsinoe said.
"Baby hungy," Alexandra said, taking the bottle from her aunt. Then she held it out towards Illyria's mouth. "Ria hungy?"
"Not yet," Illyria replied with a smile. "Feed baby first."
And Alexandra did. Meanwhile, the two sisters talked about all sorts of things until Alexandra herself got hungry, which wasn't too much later.
Seeing Agnes Halford Again
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 10-24-10 12:50
Stepping from the boat onto the island housing Azkaban Prison, Griff does what he always does when first arriving. He tries to imagine what the island was like when the prison was run by Dementors. He makes his way up the path, going through various checkpoints that weren't there the last time he visited. On that day, and the times before, there was the initial checkpoint at the boat and one at the entrance to the physical structure of the prison and several once inside. He's not heard of anything happening that would cause a step up in security but maybe this is simply something that they meant to do long before now. Whatever the cause, it's a good idea to have increased security.
When Griff is finally installed in a spartan room that has two wooden frame chairs, each bolted to the floor, and a very basic, small rectangular wooden table, also bolted to the floor, he sits in the nearest chair, facing a door that's directly oppposite of the one he's just come through. When no one's come through that door after he's been waiting a good ten minutes, Griff impatiently gets up and goes first to that door and tries it but finds it locked as it should be. Walking over to the door he entered through, Griff looks out the inset window and knocks, getting the guard's attention.
As the guard swings open the door Griff asks her, "Is there a problem with Agnes Halford?"
"Not that I know of. Let me check."
"Thank you."
Griff sits back down, idly flipping parchment pages in a file he's brought. Three minutes later the opposite door opens and in shuffles Agnes. A guard just behind her apologizes. "Sorry for the delay. Halford had a check-up this morning and the healer was running behind."
That door shuts and Agnes, who'd continued to stand just inside the door, sighs heavily in a dramatic fashion then takes plodding steps to the chair on her side of the table. She moves as though to pull it out further from the table, frowns down at it as if just then remembering the chair is bolted in place, then sighs dramatically again before making a show of wilting down upon the chair.
"You're not very subtle, Agnes."
"Being in this place eats at me. The food is awful. The bed is hard. There's no entertainment."
"Hard to believe that you haven't gotten the spa treatment."
"Ought not to get sassy with your elders, Griffin Price," Agnes sniffs.
"Ought not to expect prison to be comfortable."
"I shouldn't even be here."
"Agnes."
"So I parted a few people from their money. It's not as if they couldn't afford to help me out."
"Agnes."
"It's not as though I truly hurt anyone."
"This is tiresome, Agnes." Griff rises, tucking the folder under his arm.
"No! You can't go yet! What about my reduced sentence? My early release? Why hasn't there been anything."
Without sitting back down Griff says, "You know why."
"I've cooperated. I've given information."
Griff pulls out the folder, flips it open, finds a particular page of parchment then, turning the folder around, places it on the table. He leans placing both hands flat on the table. "You call this information?" he derisively asks. Straightening up, Griff slaps the open page. "A male wizard. Mid-forties. Graying at the temples. Con artist targeting Muggles. That's helped us out sooooo much. Minister Shackleford will be here himself to shake your hand, give you a commendation of 5,000 galleons, and a full pardon."
"There you go getting sassy again. Sarcasm does not become you, Griffin. Poor Susannah must be turning in her grave at how her baby boy treats a poor soul such as myself."
Griff leans flat handed on the table again, giving Agnes a hard stare. She shifts uncomfortably, sniffles again, then taps the open folder. "Told you he's killed Muggles. Least one in Tavistock. 'nother in Stonehaven, and I'm pr't sure two in Dundee."
Griff lets the tension go out of his arms and sits back down. He reaches for the folder and closes it, pulling it back to him. "We've been looking into all this but as you've been told, without more information forthcoming, you stay here on your current sentence. If we make a break in the case without you saying more, your help will be taking into account."
"An' I've tole you I've not more to say until the deal is signed."
"Then we're at an impasse."
Agnes pouts. "T'ain't fair, Griffin. Just t'ain't fair. An' you didn't even bring me chocolates."
Griff rolls his eyes, reaches into one of his pockets and pulls out a paper bag. He slaps it down onto the table. "Chocolate bars."
Agnes greedily reaches for the bag. "With raisins?"
"With raisins."
"You always were a dear, sweet lad, Griffin Price," Agnes coos, hugging the bag to her chest. "You'll bring me more next week?"
"I won't come back unless you decide to tell us more and if you say you'll talk and I show up and then we go through all this again, not only will you not get your chocolates but I'll speak to the warden about putting you in solitary."
Agnes's eyes widen. "You wouldn't?" She sounds almost scandalized at the thought of Griff playing hardball.
"I would."
Agnes haughtily sniffs. "I take back what I said about you being a sweet lad. If your mum were here, she'd smack you across the back of your head."
"If my mum were still alive, I doubht I would have ended up working in law enforcement so you'd be talking to someone else who might not bring you chocolates."
Agnes starts to make a retort but something about the look on Griff's face has her pursing her lips. When she does speak she asks in a very quiet voice, "You ever see your uncle?"
"Since being put away here? Once or twice."
"He ever say why he done it?"
Griff looks away, saying nothing. When he looks at Agnes again it's to find her intently studying him. He gets up and in an equally quite voice tells her, "I have to go."
Griff walks over to the door he came through and raps on the window pane. Behind him, Agnes says, "Thank you for the chocolates."
Griff nods in acknowledgement without turning around and then the guard is opening the door and he's stepping out of the visitation room. Griff wastes no time going back through the exit security checkpoints and down the path to catch the boat, never once looking back.
(Alanna) I cannot go to school today
Author: Beck
Date: 10-24-10 13:36
With her back against the headboard of her bed and her covers over her legs, Alanna sat in bed and read from one of the textbooks required for the Muggle Relations course she was taking this term. She should have been in that very class right this moment, but she'd woken up incredibly sick. Alanna hated not being able to go to class, but she'd hardly managed to get up to use the bathroom earlier and her grandmother had expressly forbidden her to leave the house. It was kind of a miracle that she was even sitting up and reading right now.
Of all the Beck "kids", Alanna was the only one who still lived with her grandparents. Toby had his duplex with Bronwyn in Greenwich, Anthony lived in Diagon Alley with Plum, and Ariella lived at Hogwarts with Lawrence. Alanna wondered if she and Jared would ever move in together, and if so, where? She wasn't in a hurry to move out, though. She sort of worried that her grandparents might get too lonely without at least one of their grandkids nearby.
Then again, they'd all gone off to Hogwarts and left the house empty more often than not. So maybe Alanna was just thinking too hard over it. Still, she wasn't sure she and Jared were quite there yet. She knew that he'd had a crush on her for absolutely forever, while Alanna had been a little slow to reciprocate those feelings. They had been dating for a while now, however, so maybe it wasn't too soon to consider cohabitation.
Alanna realized she was daydreaming and tried to focus on her textbook again, fearful that she would fall behind by missing today's lecture. But, she just couldn't. Her eyes were tired, and her whole body ached. She just wanted to burrow under the covers and perhaps dream a little bit in earnest.
She put away her book, scooted down her bed, and closed her eyes. It took only a moment for her to fall fast asleep.
In the Barn
Author: Jolyon
Date: 10-24-10 14:13
Because it was that much colder, and rainy to boot, Jolyon prepped the barn for his only class of the day, which wouldn't be until after lunch. His fifth years would be studying leprechauns. Leprechauns were magical creatures capable of human speech, but unlike other groups they had never asked the Ministry of Magic to reclassify themselves as Beings.
Jolyon had gone to Ireland over the weekend to see if he could convince a leprechaun or two to attend today's class. He'd come back to Hogwarts with one, only for it to disappear on him earlier in the week. Jolyon suspected it was still around, though, because he constantly found gold Galleons on his desk or even in his pockets, only for the coins to vanish after a couple of hours. Leprechauns were also known pranksters and liked to fool people with leprechaun gold.
Jolyon had his fingers crossed that the little guy would actually show up to class today. If not, then his students would just have to be satisfied with viewing slides rather than the real, live magical creature.
Jolyon was in the process of writing the homework assignment on the blackboard in the barn when there was a sharp rap on the door. It opened before Jolyon could say "It's open!"
He turned to find the last person he wanted to see standing in the doorway. Emanuel Kent stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and shook raindrops off of his body and clothes. Jolyon flinched when the older wizard reached for his wand, but it was only used to dry himself off properly.
"What are you doing here?" Jolyon asked.
"Can't a father visit his son where he works?" Emanuel replied sourly.
Jolyon didn't buy that answer for a second. "What are you doing here?" he repeated.
Emanuel walked around the barn, looking as he went. It hadn't existed when he'd been a student at Hogwarts and though he hadn't visited Hogwarts in recent years to see Jolyon, the barn was still somewhat of a novelty to him.
Jolyon waited patiently for an answer and silently wondered just what his father was up to now.
Emanuel went to a front row desk and sat down, reading what Jolyon had written so far on the blackboard. Then he looked at his son.
"I heard you reached a nice settlement with that dead man's solicitor?"
"It wasn't a settlement," Jolyon replied stiffly. "It was my inheritance."
"Ah, your inheritance. Does that make you a true Abbott now, being in the man's will? You hardly even knew him."
"You're right about that, and I wish I'd had more time with him."
"Why? He didn't ever try to meet you all the while he knew you existed. It was only when he was dying that he thought he should."
Jolyon knew exactly what his father was trying to do. He shook his head. "None of that matters to me. We got to meet, and I'm glad for it."
Emanuel smirked. "So, how much did he leave you?"
"That's no concern of yours."
"Isn't it? I'm your father too."
"It's convenient for you to say that now when there's money involved," Jolyon retorted.
Emanuel stood up and looked angry himself. "I never, ever denied that you were my son. I raised you like my own."
"Really? Would you have abused me if I'd actually shared your genes?"
Emanuel looked annoyed. "It's called tough love, son. You survived it, didn't you?"
Jolyon looked appaled. "You call that love? Seriously?"
Emanuel's eyes were narrowed so much it was amazing he could even see Jolyon anymore. "Think of me what you will, Jolyon. We'll finish this conversation later."
He turned abruptly and went out into the rain, leaving Jolyon fuming mad.
It was at that exact moment that the leprechaun came out of hiding. He stood next to Jolyon, only a few inches taller than his ankle, and said, "What an ass."
Jolyon, looking down at the leprechaun, muttered, "Tell me about it."