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An Honest Answer
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 03-13-11 08:32
"But I don't want to go to Blossom's today. Can't I just stay here with you?"
Charlotte, with hands on her hips, looked up at her father with the most sullen expression she could muster.
"I thought you like going to Blossom's."
"I do, but sometimes we have to do work. I like to play games but I don't want to do anything boring."
Lysander fought to keep a grin off of his face and said, "Schoolwork is important, sweetheart. Besides, if you stay here with me I'll put you to work too, and it'll be far more boring than anything you'll do at Blossom's."
Charlotte considered his words, doubtfully at first but when Grace came down the stairs and extended her hand to her, Charlotte said, "Okay." She took Grace's hand and said, "Bye Daddy."
"Bye Charlotte. Be good. Bye Grace."
The girls went off, with Julian following behind them.
Lysander watched them through the window until he couldn't see them anymore and then got ready to open the shoppe. He got the till out of the office and put it in the register and then started to put away some books that had been pulled from the shelves sometime yesterday. Lysander busied himself so much that he jumped a mile high when someone rapped on the window.
Lysander turned to look and saw his heart sinking. It was Kristos Fox.
The other day, when Kristos had overheard Charlotte calling Astrid by her name, Lysander had fumbled for a plausible answer to the wizard's question. Lysander knew that Aralyn knew of Astrid's existence, but only because Astrid had been foolish enough to go after Aralyn when Lysander had gone missing. Surely Aralyn would have mentioned the incident to her twin brother?
In the end, he'd told Kristos the truth, that Astrid was Chyler's cousin. There'd been no point in faking Astrid's identity then.
Kristos had commented on the startling resemblance between Astrid and Chyler, to which Lysander had only murmured his assent.
Lysander walked to the window and pointed at the store hours sign on the door. "We're not open yet," he said through the glass.
Kristos looked a bit perturbed. Lysander thought for a moment that Kristos would wait the few minutes until opening and then say or do whatever he was planning, but instead Kristos turned on his heel and walked away.
TGIF
Author: Marzipan
Date: 03-13-11 14:52
For whatever reason, this week had positively crawled by for Marzi. It had started out well enough. Monday had been Valentine's Day, and Weston had treated her to a romantic, home-cooked supper and given her a golden, heart-shaped locket. Inside, he'd placed a photograph of Carter. There was room for one more, for the new baby whenever it arrived.
The days in between Monday and Friday came and went at a snail's pace. Even today seemed to drag. After feeding Carter and getting dressed for the day, Marzi had grabbed a quick bite to eat in the Great Hall and then gone to her first class of the day. Her third years had learned about pennyroyal, and though there hadn't been an in-class assignment, she had given them homework. With Parents' Weekend being tomorrow, Marzi hoped that her students would find the time to do the assignment. It wasn't anything particularly difficult. They only needed to sketch pennyroyal and label its parts. Marzi was well-aware that some students were better artists than others, but she wasn't looking for quality art. She just wanted to make sure that everyone knew where each part was and its correct name.
Currently, her next class was wrapping up. Her fourth years had learned about myrtle and were now harvesting leaves from several potted plants. The leaves would get split between the Potions storeroom and the Hospital Wing. A tea made of the leaves had several medicinal purposes, such as treating urinary tract infections, bronchial congestion and sinus problems.
"All right, class. That's enough for today. Place the leaves in the baskets in the table and bring them here," Professor Ravenscroft said, indicating to the side table where she kept her lesson plans, among other things.
As her students wrapped up their work, she said, "I hope to meet your parents tomorrow. Bring any of them by the greenhouses. I should be here off and on throughout the day."
Her fourth years left, and Marzi had barely enough time to drink a sip of her own tea (apricot, from Botanicals & Beyond) when students from her next class started trickling into the greenhouse.
The first year Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students pulled off their mittens, scarves, hats and cloaks and took their seats at the large work table in the middle of the room. Marzi quickly checked roll and then dived into the next lesson.
"Cardamom. Who can tell me what it is?"
Hunter Green tentatively raised his hand. "Isn't it a spice?"
"That's right. It's related to ginger. There are two types, Eletarria and Amomum."
Marzi flicked her wand at a shelf in the greenhouse and brought over one plant. "This is Eletarria, which is also known as green cardamom, true cardamom and Ceylon cardamom. It is native to parts of Asia like India and Malaysia. It is a flowering plant, although this plant currently doesn't have any blooms. Who can tell me what color the flowers are?"
Eden Jenkins said, "White or shades of purple."
"Correct. Eletarria also has fruit, which are pods with black seeds. The spice we use in cooking are the seeds, either whole or ground."
Marzi flicked her wand again at the shelf, this time summoning a different plant. "This is Amomum, also known as black cardamom, brown cardamom, white cardamom, red cardamom and a host of other names that don't have anything to do with color. It is also found mainly in Asia."
She showed off the different parts of the plant, including the seeds, which looked different from those of the other species. Marzi talked about its uses in cooking, from curry to liquor, and then talked about its medicinal purposes. Like her first class of the day, she didn't have an in-class assignment, other than tasting cardamom in its ground form. The first years would get assigned homework at the end of class, to sketch and label cardamom. She would have half of the class draw Eletarria, while the other half drew Amomum.
Appointment
Author: Coco Nutt
Date: 03-13-11 21:38
Coco is once again in front of the same building as Thursday, clutching the same envelope containing pictures. When she'd come yesterday, Coco had known there was a chance she wouldn't be able to meet with Chadwick Yeates. She'd hoped but wasn't going to be disappointed if he'd been unable to see her. That's exactly what had happened. The receptionist or secretary or whatever her position had told Coco that Mr. Yeates was out of the office then asked if Coco would like to make an appointment. Coco had of course wanted to even though the date and time first given would place the appointment at this time next Friday. As she was in the process of agreeing to this an owl had arrived bearing a note from a client needing to change an appointment. Since the client was wanting to meet next Friday the receptionist/secretary decided to switch the client's appointment with Coco's if Coco was amenable to that.
Coco was very amenable to the point that even now she hopes she didn't come across as nearly giddy. She still can't get over how she barely gave thought to her father all these years but now when faced with actually meeting someone who might be her father or who might be able to point her another step closer.
She enters the building, taking the stairs rather than the lift because she'd rather expend the energy then stand in the lift even if the ride up would be short. Outside the office door, Coco pauses to take a deep breath and unconsciously smooths down the front of her outfit while silently repeating the mantra to speak with good diction then says in a near whisper to Pea, "Here we go."
Once inside she politely greets the receptionish/secretary who, after returning Coco's greeting, leads her down a short hallway where she knocks on a door with a plaque reading Chadwick Yeates, waits a couple of seconds then opens the door announcing, "Miss Nutt to see you, Chad."
A fortyish man who looks exactly like he does in the pictures Coco has except that he's got some graying at the temples and there are more crinkles around his eyes rises from behind a massive carved oak desk, extending one hand to Coco. "Nice to meet you, Miss Nutt. Would you like some tea? Coffee? Something else?"
Coco, whose mouth has gone suddenly dry, shakes Chadwick Yeates hand while saying, "Water if it's no trouble."
"No trouble at all. Water for Miss Nutt and coffee for me please, Susan."
Susan, the receptionist/secretary, nods. "Coming right up."
As she exits the office Chadwick Yeates ushers Coco to a chair saying, "How may I help you, Miss Nutt? Susan didn't give a reason for the appointment."
Perching on the edge of her chair Coco finds herself more nervous than she's ever been. Helping stage a breakout at Happy Haven School For Nons wasn't this nerve wracking. "Please, Mr. Yeates, call me Coco. I'm here on a personal matter."
Coco pulls the photographs out of the envelope and holds them out to Yeates asking, "Do you remember the spring and summer of 1984, a small group from the Wizarding World spent a great deal of time with a group of Muggles."
Yeates accepts the photos, examining the top one. "Yes, I recall that quite well."
Susan interrupts them with the water and coffee with Coco grateful to be able to wet her parched throat. Alone again, Coco says nothing as Yeates continues looking through the short stack of photos. When he's studied the last of them he looks over at Coco. "Nutt. You're Bryony's daughter. When you first walked in I was astounded at how much you look like her but even hearing your last name I didn't put two and two together that you are her daughter."
"After all this time you still have that clear of a memory of what my mum looked like?"
Yeates tilts his head to one side and raises one shoulder almost in a what-can-I-say shrug. "Bryony - Butyr - was very special."
"May I ask just how special?"
Yeates drops into a chair beside the one Coco's sitting so stiffly in. His eyes go to the photos still in his hands then to Coco. "You don't have her hair and your nose is not exactly like hers. You're what, Coco, about 20?"
"Next month. The thirteenth."
Looking at the photos again Yeates says more to himself, "Why wouldn't she have said?"
"Said what?"
"I think you know."
"Why did you never see her again?"
"I wanted to. Butyr kept turning me away. I persisted for a few months but she wanted nothing to do with me. I never bought into that but could never get a different reason out of her. As the months went by and she kept rebuffing me and as my studies in international law got more stressful, keeping me busy at the Ministry of Magic and at Ministry offices in other countries I stopped trying as hard. Then," he gives a shuddery sigh, "I got word she'd died. I was there at her funeral and still visit her grave from time to time. I was devasted, throwing myself into my work. No one ever mentioned a child."
"If Mum ever told anyone your name in connection with me, the person has never said."
"So how did you find out? And the pictures?"
"Do you remember Glenn and Rona Davies? Well, she wasn't Davies then but she was already with Mr. Davies."
"I remember them though it's been years since I've seen either Glenn or Rona. Her maiden name was," Yeates scrunches his eyes in thought. "May. How do you know them?"
"I do some work at McFusty's Pets in Hogsmeade. Mr. Davies came in recently and after he said I reminded him of someone we got to talking. Turns out he remembered Mum as well. He said something to his wife and she found the pictures and recalled your name as the one in that group who'd been closest to Mum that spring and summer."
Yeates began looking through the pictures again as Coco talked. "Butyr was my great love and I had thought she felt the same. I never understood why she so suddenly stopped caring about me."
"Did she know you're a wizard?"
"No, not unless someone else told her. I would have told her in time. I told her I was studying international law, which was the truth." Yeates reluctently hands the pictures back to Coco. "I have a few from then but some of these really capture that sparkle B had."
"I'll have copies made for you."
"I'd appreciate that."
Opening the envelope to put the pictures back inside Coco says, "Growing up I was told a great deal about Mum. Based on everything I was ever told I think she didn't tell you she was pregnant because she didn't want you to feel obligated. She also might have thought you'd put your studies on hold and she wouldn't have wanted that."
"I wouldn't have had to do that and if she'd just talked to me she would have known that. We could have gotten married. I wanted to marry her anyway, baby or not. I already had a ring."
"You did?"
"Still have it actually. I know that sounds like I haven't moved on from Bryony and I suppose I haven't. I've dated a great deal over the years and I have a girlfriend. Letty and I have dated not so steadily for fifteen years. I do care about Letty, even love her in a way but no one's ever come close to making me feel as I did about Bryony."
Coco isn't exactly sure what to say to that. She's saved from even having to try when Yeates says, "So, you're my daughter. I'm a father. What do you want to call me? Are you ready for Dad yet? Or do you prefer Chad? That sounds a little like Dad."
"I never got to call Mum that when she was alive. I wouldn't mind being able to call you Dad, if you're fine with that."
"I'd love it. I never gave much thought in all these years to having someone calling me Dad, Father, Daddy, or other paternal terms but now face with a daughter, I find I quite like the thought."
There's a knock on the office door followed by Susan partially opening it. "Sorry for the interruption, Chad, but Estelle Sprout is here for her appointment."
Chad jumps up. "Yes, of course. Time got away from us. Oh, Susan, meet Coco."
Looking slightly amused Susan says, "Yes, we met yesterday and again today."
"Coco is my daughter."
"Your daughter?" Susan rolls her eyes. "After all the jokes you've pulled on me, Chad, you really expect me to fall for that one?"
"No joke, Suze. Coco is my daughter."
Susan goes from amused to stunned. "Seriously?"
Coco nods. "It's true."
"Wow, that's just... wow. Congratulations? Should I break out the champagne? Wait, Ms. Sprout."
Coco, now standing, tells them, "I should be going anyway. I have a class at St. Emrys in a bit."
"Are you free tonight? Or tomorrow? Sunday? What about Sunday? I want to know more about you."
"I'm free tonight, work tomorrow in the morning but am free in the afternoon. I have a date tomorrow night though, but am free much of Sunday."
"Come for supper tonight?"
"Yes, I'd like that."
"Around six?"
"Six is good."
"Susan, would you give Coco my home address?"
"Of course."
"Excellent!" Chad sweeps Coco into a big hug then once letting her go says to Susan, "Show Estelle in."
When Coco leaves the building a few minutes later, the address tucked into the envelope with the pictures, she pets Pea in her pocket and tells him in less than perfect diction, "Well, that weren't as bad as I were finkin' ittid be."