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Wandering Mind In DADA (Hunter)
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 05-20-11 20:30
Hunter hadn't been looking forward to coming to Defense Against the Dark Arts today, the first time his class section met after the death of Professor Somerset's girlfriend on Friday. Hunter had seen Rosamond Boggs at the bottom of that staircase. He'd raced up to the castle after Herbology, arriving to find a lot of other kids already gathered around. Normally he would have gone straight to the Great Hall and might never have noticed anything over at the main staircase but on Friday Hunter had been in a hurry to get up to his room to grab his broom. As soon as lunch was eaten, Hunter and a few others were going to get in some Quidditch. To say the least, by the time they actually went in and tried eating lunch, few were in a mood to go out and play afterwards.
Jade, Olive, and he owled Aunt Blythe and Uncle Woody later that day, asking for sympathy cards to sign and give to Professor Somerset and asking for help in coming up with something for him, like a plant or something. That is, until Hunter suggested a sapling. The girls liked that idea too, Jade saying, "Their little girl can grow up seeing a tree dedicated to her mother. That's so nice." So, they'd amended the letter they wrote asking for a nice sapling and why, trusting that with Uncle Woody's herbology credentials, he'd know the perfect tree to get.
Professor Grubbly-Plank's voice brings Hunter back to the present. She's nice enough though to Hunter she really old, as in old enough to have taught Dumbledore. He's probably wrong on that. She's probably no older than most grandmothers but, he gives a mental shrug, he's never been that good at correctly guessing the ages of older people so for all he knows she really is older than Dumbledore.
He wonders how long Professor Somerset will be gone. Hunter well remembers how devasted he was when his mom and dad died. He has no idea if losing a girlfriend who recently gave birth to one's baby would be worse than losing parents but he imagines it has to be pretty bad. He hates having only a few years of solid memories and some of when he was little enough that his memories are spotty. Would it have been better to have no memories at all? It might hurt a whole lot less but would that be replaced by the anger and hurt of never having gotten to know his mom or dad?
At hard a time as he's having concentrating, something that wasn't as much a problem yesterday or in his first class this morning, Transfiguration, Hunter is relieved when DADA comes to an end. Professor Grubbly-Plank tells them she'll see them on Thursday, so that answers at least part of Hunter's question about how long Professor Somerset will be out. He probably won't come in on Friday either after taking the other four days of classes off, plus Friday will make it a week since whatever it was that happened to Ms. Boggs happened. Hunter doesn't know how it is with most others but after Mom and Dad (Ivy and Niles as others called them) the first few days were sort of numb but then it really sunk in that they weren't coming back and the hurt got worse. One week, two week, three weeks after were progressively worse. Unlike Emmie having to throw herself into playing catch up to be able to come to Hogwarts, Hunter - and Jade - had nothing much to do. Olive did have first year at Hogwarts to look forward to and had that, but for the twins, with no school to go back to and getting to know an aunt they'd never known about and her husband and a new place to live and accepting that magic is real those first months were awful. It was worse when Olive and Emmie left for school. Jade and Hunter had a sort of grieving about that too. So, Hunter is pretty sure that even two or three months from now Professor Somerset will still be hurting a lot. Of course, coming back to work and having that to fill part of his day might help take his mind off her for a few hours.
Hunter packs up his bookbag, glad to be done for awhile. He's got History of Magic at 2, so he's got lots of time to eat lunch and get his stuff for History. As he and his classmates leave he overhears Vinny telling Alcmene, "Like I said before, no, I don't know where Penn went."
No one seems to know where Penn Ellison went. At lunch Saturday there was a buzz about how Penn was gone. He's the one who found Professor Somerset's baby. Like others Hunter found the whole situation odd that a baby would be stuck in an alcove while her mother accidently fell down some stairs. It's weirder that Penn is the one who found the baby. Weird because Penn Ellison is one strange boy in Hunter's opinion. He heard when Professor Dumbledore had Penn take to the headmaster's office and later Baron Marchbanks told Hunter and Jade that Penn had been told to stay in their dorm room. Then on Saturday Professor Snape got Penn and they left Slytherin House together and that was the last Baron saw of Penn. No one's seen him since and no one's saying anything. The professors know something but they won't say what.
Rumor has it that Penn was a man wanted by the Ministry for acts of terrorism who was taking Polyjuice Potion made from a Muggle boy.
Another rumor is that Penn was a midget who decided to come to Hogwarts on financial assistance so he could have a free place to stay and free meals.
A third rumor is that Penn actually does have a caring bone in his body and that he had lied at first about not seeing anything. Some are saying that he saw Rosamond Boggs fall and it affected him so much that he's been given a leave from school. Or his mind snapped from seeing it and he's now in a mental ward.
Shirting the strap of his bookbag to his shoulder, Hunter walks a little faster to better hear what else Vinny is saying to Alcemene. Vinny has no more clue as to what has become of Penn but if he's got another story to tell, it might be interesting even if also an unfounded rumor. Catching up, Hunter listens without speaking as Vinny launches into his personal theory behind what has become of Penn Ellison.
Four Going On Forty (Drucilla)
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 05-21-11 18:29
Drucilla frowns at the puddle of pink tights on the floor. " Krasimira Lilyana Eternal-Black!"
Instead of Mira presenting herself to Dru, James does. "Yes, Mummy?"
"Are you Krasmimira Lilynana Eternal-Black?"
James gives her a look that indicates he thinks the question a patently stupid one that only a parent could dream up. He patiently replies, "No, Mummy, I'm James Remus Eternal-Black."
Dru sucks in a deep breath and answers back just as patiently. "I called your sister."
"Mira is worried, Mummy."
"And why is that?"
"Because you yelled her whole name."
"Sent you in her stead, did she?"
"What's that mean?"
"I think you have a very good idea what that means."
James smiles innocently at her. "It means she sent me to find out?"
"Yes, that's more or less what it means. Not exactly but it will do. Please tell your sister that unless she wants me using her full name again or, worse, me coming to find her, she best get in here herself."
Matching Dru's grave tone James replies, "Okay, Mummy. I'll tell her."
James pivots around and races away. Dru takes the moment to sink down into a chair, hand on her stomach as she tries not to think about cooking supper. Morning sickness is so very misnamed. She hasn't had it a great deal but when she has, it strikes whenever it damn well pleases. The cat Wendy leaps onto Dru's lap, purring loudly. Dru scratches Wendy under the chin and the purring grows even louder. "Wanting your dinner too, aren't you?"
As if understanding exactly what was said, Wendy jumps down and prances away in the direction of the kitchen and her food dish. Dru follows behind and soon has Wendy's food bowl filled and fresh water in the other bowl. When she gets back to where Mira's tights are on the floor but there's no sign of her daughter Dru takes another deep breath, this one in preparation of calling out again.
Before she gets Mira's name out the four, almost five, year old comes from behind Dru. "Here I am, Mummy."
Dru points to the tights. "I asked you earlier to pick those up."
"Oh, those aren't mine, Mummy. They're James's," Mira tells her, eyes all big as if she's shocked Dru would think she would leave her own tights on the floor.
"One, those are girl's tights. Two, those are not my tights and you are the only other girl in this house aside from Wendy and unless I've missed something new, the cat does not wear tights. Three, even if James did wear tights, he hugely dislikes the color pink. His would be purple or blue or green or even flaming red. Just not pink. Sooooo, want to tell me again whose tights they are?"
Mira shrugs as if she's not really certain how a pair of her tights ended up there on the floor. "Must be mine."
It's times like this that Dru thinks her children are four going on forty instead of four going on five.
"Yes, they must be yours, Mira, and as they are still on the floor after you knew to pick them up, Mummy may need to consider using a time out."
"Why would you go into time out, Mummy? Were you bad?"
"You know what I meant, Krasimira," Dru says in a warning tone while at the same time trying not to laugh. It's not funny yet it is.
Mira doesn't roll her eyes but is if one can eye roll with voice alone, her child accomplishes it. "I was teasing." She suddenly grins at Dru, bends to snatch up the pink tights then dashes away.
Dru sinks back down in the nearby chair. If this is what those two are like at four, Merlin give her strength for when they are teens. The front door opens just then and in walks Sirius. He smiles at the sight of her and comes to drop a kiss on her head.
"You look knackered. The mourning sickness again?"
"That and your children."
"My children, is it? I think that's my cue to offer to cook or take everyout out for dinner."
"My stomach's a little upset but if I eat, a Greek salad sounds really good. I know that's easy to make here but let's go out."
"I'll get the kids."
Five minutes later the Eternal-Black family is flooing to their favorite Greek restaurant in Edinburgh with Sirius saying that next time they'll have to plan ahead and go to that little place Remus and Tonks would take them when they've visited the Greek Isles.
Long Day Already
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 05-22-11 14:36
Scowling at his third mistake in less than a minute, Griff stops typing long enough to fix those three errors and two others he knows he's made. Before resuming typing he scans the report for other errors, finds another couple, which he fixes, then finishes typing the report. Usually he doesn't do such a botched job but he was told he needs to have the official copy along with the witness's statement signed by the witness and turned asap. He was then told asap meant thirty minutes tops. It's been nineteen and a half.
Pulling the parchment from the antiquated looking typewriter, Griff reads through it again, hunting for more errors. Satisfied at least he grabs up the already typed witness statement and hurries over to interrogation room where the witness was questioned. Griff knows that the reason for the rush job on the witness statement is because the guy's solicitor made it clear that if his client was not done by a certain time they would be leaving and would not be returning unless compelled by the Wizengamot in writing. Griff has no idea what the rush on his official report is unless someone's looking to tie information there with something from the witness's statement.
Griff doesn't even know why he was put on the case. It's something the Hit Wizards would normally handle, not an Auror. Not helping matters in his view is that he had to testify first thing this morning at a trial so had barely time to loosen his tie a little and grab some coffee when he was told question the witness who'd been asked yesterday by a Hit Wizard to come in this morning. Griff had just wrapped the interview when he was told to get his official statement from the scene from yesterday finished and get the witnesse's interview ready to be signed. The day seems as though it's hardly begun and already it's been a long one.
The copies of the witness statement signed, his own official statement done and signed, and now turned in, Griff returns to is desk. He's got his elbows on the desk, fingers rubbing temples, head bent down when Harry knocks and walks in. "Are we having fun yet?"
Griff sits up fully. "If you define fun as having spent an hour on the stand with an unprepared member of the bar questioning me then the rest of the morning so far under pressure to hurry up on something that should't have been thrown my way in the first place, then yes, I am having an excellent time, wish you were here, I shall send you a post card and get you a shirt."
Harry smirks. "We should make up a few Azkaban inspired postcards. Wish you were here would go over really well. There's an island prison in the US I've heard about. Not a prison any longer but when it was, it was sometimes called The Rock. Um, Alcatraz? Yeah, that's the name. Anyway, one of the few times my aunt and uncle took me with them somewhere, I saw a tourist wearing an Alcatraz Triathlon t-shirt. The Dig, Dash, and Dive."
"That would be funny for an Azkaban shirt." Griff leans back in his seat. "Sorry I couldn't be there this morning. How'd the move go?"
"Not your fault they wanted you in for testimony this morning. How do you think the move went? Perry complained non-stop."
"He was at the St. John's Woods house far longer than he should have been and he knows it."
"I think about the only place he would have been as happy with or more so would have been the Muggle. He should be happy we've not cut him loose or sent him to wait things out at Azkaban."
"Merlin knows we've got plenty to charge him with. Does he truly not grasp that if he hadn't finally given us information that paid off and has continued to pay off, he'd be huddled in a cell this very moment?"
Harry sniggers. "This is Perry Heath. Since when does he think about anything like that? All he cares about is whether his arse is protected, whether the food is good, and who's going to cook and clean for him."
Griff joins the snickering. "I'm sure the new digs went over very well when Perry saw the small kitchen where he's supposed to make his own meals."
"I can't wait until we can be done with him."
"I second that." Griff reaches for a file. "Here is the information we requested. Came this morning just as I was on my way down to the courtroom."
"So you've not had a chance to look through it."
"Nope, though it's a thick file so hopefully it's got something we can use."
If things are going their way today, the file contains information that will help Harry and Griff finally figure out at least one Ministry employee who's on Rufus Henshaw's payroll. That will put them one step closer to being able to locate Henshaw and bring him in and also one step closer to no longer having to deal with the likes of Perry Heath.
The two men go grab fresh cups of coffee then sitting in Griff's cubicle divy up the file and start pouring over the information it contains.
Astrid's Lunchtime Run-in
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 05-22-11 16:22
Astrid stepped into Delia's Deli and Restaurant and went up to the deli counter. She'd spent the morning running errands and splurging on things she wanted but didn't need. A good example was a strapless cocktail dress she'd purchased at Narcissa's. When she saw it in the window, she knew right then and there that she just had to have it.
She set her shopping bags down on the ground and surveyed the menu board, though she already knew what she wanted. Astrid was a creature of habit and tended to order the same things from the same restaurant each time she visited. She'd gone to Delia's enough to be recognized by some of the employees. Some of them even knew her by name.
"Hi Astrid! Your usual?" asked a fairly handsome young wizard. He flashed her a smile.
"Yes, please."
She fished in her coin purse for the requisite amount of money to pay for her sandwich, crisps and drink. She handed the coins to the clerk in exchange for a tray holding her meal. This Astrid juggled along with her shopping bags to an available table not far from the counter.
She sat down, dropped her bags by her feet, and took a sip of her chilled drink. It was then that she noticed she was being watched. Astrid had half a mind to produce her wand but she didn't want to draw any attention to herself by doing something as drastic as hexing another customer in the restaurant.
The wizard grinned, picked up his tray, and got up from his nearby table to join hers. He sat down opposite her without asking permission.
"Hello, Astrid."
"Hello, Kristos." She guessed he'd probably overheard the clerk calling her by name and since she'd responded to it, she didn't dare pose as Chyler now.
Kristos's smile widened. "Ah, so you do know who I am. We haven't formally met."
"No, but I've seen you, and I've heard about you too. You have a lot of nerve showing your face in public."
"Why? What do Stratford and Valentine think they'll do to me? And what does it matter to you?"
Astrid didn't answer right away. She knew about Lysander's history with Kristos. She also knew that Kristos had figured out that he'd been oblivated. As far as anybody knew, Kristos had no proof that Lysander had done the oblivation, nor had he remembered the most important memory of all––that Charlotte was Aralyn's daughter, not Chyler's.
"They definitely don't like you," Astrid finally said.
"The feeling is mutual, believe me." Kristos gave a cursory glance around the room before settling his eyes back on Astrid. "Word on the street is you don't like my sister."
Astrid lowered her eyes. Of course Kristos would know about how she'd gone to Argentina thinking Aralyn had kidnapped Lysander. She'd made a mistake, which had gotten her into a bit of trouble, not to mention stirred up the pot some more between Lysander and the Fox family.
"I'm sure the feeling is mutual there as well," she finally said, raising her eyes to meet Kristos's gaze.
He sat back in his chair and picked up his drink. "From what I've heard about you, you sound completely barmy. But the few times I've seen you I've not gotten that impression. You are quite the conundrum, Astrid...?"
"Thomason."
"Astrid Thomason. Like Chyler. You look exactly like her, you know."
"I know."
"You could pretend to be each other and probably get away with it."
Astrid kept her face neutral. "Yeah, we probably could."
Kristos grinned. "So, Stratford says you're seeing somebody. Is that true?"
"It is."
"My sister wagers Lysander is cheating on his wife with her identical-looking cousin. Could that be true also?"
Astrid again kept her expression neutral. "Lysander is many things, but he's not a cheater."
"Do you know what I wager Lysander is?" Kristos asked. Because Astrid didn't answer right away he said, "A liar."
"Why do you say that?" Astrid asked. She hoped to gain some information that she could pass on to Lysander.
"Call it a hunch." Kristos checked the time of his wristwatch and then declared, "I better be going. I don't want your cousin-in-law or his equally irritating best friend showing up in case you'd made plans to meet them."
Kristos got up but left his tray on the table.
"I'm sure we'll see each other again, Astrid."
With a final smile, he strode from the restaurant. Astrid watched him through the window until she couldn't anymore. Then she focused on her sandwich and wondered what Lysander would say when she told him she'd bumped into his worst enemy at lunch.
Lunch News
Author: Sage Porter
Date: 05-22-11 20:02
Standing on the front porch, Sage raises a hand to lift the heavy knocker. Only he doesn't actually grasp the knocker. Instead, Sage stands there staring, sort of hoping to be struck ill on the spot, giving him an excuse not to sit through lunch with Da. He doesn't even know why Lohengrin wants to see him and there is a reason. Da never wants to see any of his children without some ulterior reason.
Knowing he's pushing being late, something his father cannot abide unless it's Lohengrin purposely stalling so he can make a grand entrance somewhere, Sage wishes again he could disapparate and send an owl with a last minute excuse even as he finally lifts the knocker, banging it loudly against the door. Almost instantly the door opens on its own. Hesitating on the threshold Sage also wishes that Sassie and Saffron were here. They weren't invited today, though Sassie told him that Da and Birdie will be having supper at her house tomorrow and Sage said she's seeing Da on Saturday.
Da's voice booms from further in the interior of the house. "Don't dilly dally, boy!"
With a roll of his eyes and a great exhalation of air, Sage wipes his shoes on the mat then steps inside, half-turning to shut the door behind him. He finds Da and Birdie in the kitchen where Lohengrin's wand is in motion as he orchestrates the finishing touches on whatever is for lunch. Sage wonders if Birdie ever does any of the cooking. World renowned chef Lohengrin Porter does not like turning over his kitchen to anyone. Sassie, Saffron, and Sage all know how to cook because of Da insisting they learn, though it chafed him that to do so they needed access to his kitchen. Of course, they also learned because of how often Lohengrin was gone overseeing one of his restaurants or in works to open another. Many a meal when Sage was growing up was made by one of his sisters simply because Da wasn't even in the country much less at home. To this day Sage doesn't understand why Lohengrin forced Jennifer to give up Sage when they divorced and not only give him up but to have no contact with Sage, letting him think she'd abandoned him. Or maybe he does understand all too well. Da is a control freak. He wanted to be in total control of the situation and didn't really care about Sage as long as he got his way.
Birdie really is too nice for Da. Why she stays with Da is a mystery. Then again, how she can be close cousins with that odious Dolores Umbridge is also a mystery. Sage returns Birdie's enthusiastic embrace and politely drops the expected kiss on her upturned cheek. Da gets a handshake, and only when Da is good and ready to stop what he's doing long enough to aknowledge that Sage is there. Then, when he does, he barks, "Took you long enough after you knocked."
Sage fibs. "Realized I had some mud on my shoe. Didn't want to track through the house."
Birdie meanwhile has her hand on the small of Sage's back and is gently pushing him to sit at the table. "Something to drink, dear?"
As Da is big on wine with lunch and supper, Sage looks to see whether there's red or white ready to be poured even though he doesn't much want wine at the moment. He sees a bottle of merlot, thinking that even though it's not what he wants, maybe he should. For lunch and conversation with Da, something stiffer is called for but Sage doubts Da would look kindly on him cracking open scotch or gin and guzzling it just to get through the meal. After a brief pause he tells Birdie, "Tea with lemon is it's not too much trouble."
"Of course it isn't. One cuppa coming right up. Do sit. We don't see you enough, dear. Still seeing Georgia?"
Da snorts at the question. He's enough of a snob that he dislikes Sage going out with a half-blood with a middle class background. Sage thinks the only reason Da doesn't give Saffron grief about Aaron is that even though Aaron's father is a squid, he's of the well known and well respected Wenlock family and Aaron is jaw droppingly rich to boot. Neil is sometimes the subject of jabs from Da but he's a pureblood and also from an old Wizarding family even if not an overly rich one.
Sage ignores Da, focusing on Birdie instead. "Yes, I see Georgia when possible. She's not liking the fact that instead of coming up on the end of her seventh year as she should be, she's only just finishing up sixth year."
"Birdie's cousin doesn't have that problem," Da forcefully states.
For a split second Sage thinks his father is talking about Odious Umbridge only to realize he's referring to that more distant cousin of hers who's about Sage's age that they kept trying to set Sage on blind dates with. Sage did finally meet Esperanza and she is very nice but he's got a girlfriend and isn't interested in dating anyone else at the moment. Sage keeps the sigh from his voice when he says to Lohengrin, "Esperanza is nice, Da, but I'm not interested."
"She's a better fit for you."
"Da, if I'm here just so you can run down Georgia, I'm leaving."
Da looks up from the plates he's busy garnishing. "Nonsense. You're here. Lunch is ready."
"I'm not getting into an argument with you about who I date."
Birdie jumps in to cut them both off. "Esperanza is really a very lovely girl and it's a shame you won't go out with her just once but she's not why we wanted to see you."
Lohengrin brings the food to the table, setting a plate of perfectly prepared lamb chops in front of his son and one at Birdie's place before taking his own seat. Sage waits for Lohengrin to pour himself a glass of the merlot and to top off Birdie's glass before saying, "Birdie, you do the honors."
Birdie beams bright as a lighthouse. "Your father and I found the most wonderful woman to be our surrogate. The Muggle procedure went beautifully the very first time."
Neither Da nor Birdie had mentioned the whole surrogate thing or the Muggle procedure since first telling Sassie, Saffron, and he they were considering it. Sage blinks a couple of times, processing what Birdie's just said. Finally he responds, "And that means what?"
Da gives Sage that how do I have such a stupid son look. "It means we are having a baby."
Birdie's head rapidly bobs up and down at Lohengrin speaks before happily chirping, "Isn't it wonderful? I'm going to be a mum. I do love being your step-mum, but I've long dreamed of having my own and now I am!"
Da is in his late fifties. Birdie is probably mid-forties to early fifties. Sage has never asked. Do they realize how old they'll be when this baby comes of age? Da didn't want much to do with Sage as a child, when Da was a lot younger and from what Sassie and Saffron have said, he was much the same when they were children. If Lohengrin didn't want much to do with his children when he was in his prime to raise them, why the hell does he want one now when he's older and even more set in his ways? And though Sage sympathizes that for whatever reasons Birdie did not have a child before now, he also thinks she's just as barmy as Da to want to start with an infant at this stage in her life.
Wisely, Sage keeps these opinions to himself.
Forcing a smile he bites out, "Congratulations."
The rest of the meal is spent with them talking non-stop about the baby, with Sage making the appropriate one or two word responses as needed. When he's able to bid them goodbye, Sage is already trying to decide whether to warn Sassie and Saffron of the news or leave them to be shocked on the spot as he was.