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Caught In The Act
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 06-29-11 20:22
Studying the display cases Briar is giving serious thought to replacing them. She much prefers the ones she's got at her other location, The Flour Shoppe in Diagon Alley. The ones that had originally been there were damaged years ago in an attack on Diagon Alley by a group of Voldemort followers. The bakery had been used as a bakery since then but the display cases had had a battered appearance so when Briar bought the location she decided against spelling the cases back to as new looking as possible, choosing instead to get new ones. The display cases here are perfectly fine. Briar simply prefers the others. She's thinking she'll put these up for sale as soon as she can get new ones installed.
Briar pulls her mind from thoughts of display cases when she overhears a customer mentioning getting dessert before having the rest of lunch. Aegean is visiting some of her family today and Grace and Charlotte are upstairs playing. Grace had opted against going to Blossom's this morning, wanting to come play in the obstacle course Aegean created for her in the upstairs flat. Charlotte, upon learning where Grace would be and what she'd be doing, asked if she could come too. Briar has been checking on them regularly and hearing lunch mentioned reminds her to ask them what they would like for their own meal out of the two or three choices she'll give them.
She makes her way into the bakery kitchen, where she pauses to take out several cake layers from one of the ovens and then put more pans in to bake. The sound of the girls laughing is easily heard at the bottom of the stairs and with the door at the top shut. When Briar opens the door she stops in her tracks, immediately irritated with her daughter.
"Molly Grace Rose Valentine!"
The dolls Grace has spinning around Charlotte immediately drop to the floor. Knowing she's been caught doing something she shouldn't, a guilty looking Grace still tries to pretend nothing untoward had been taking place.
"Hi, Mum. Is it nearly lunch? We're hungry?"
Five year old Charlotte nods in agreement then thinks to add, "Lunch, please."
"Don't act as though I didn't just walk in on something, Grace."
"Aw, Mum. It's just Charlotte."
"Yeah, just me."
Only five adults know about Grace's advanced abilities. Four are human. In addition to Julian and Briar there are Albus Dumbledore and the tutor he sent them to Giovanna Petrochi. The fifth adult is a house elf, Aegean. It's not something even Lysander knows nor do Hendrika and Charlie with whom Briar and Julian share a different secret. Hendrika and Briar have been pretending to be half-sisters so that Grace and Charlie's boys grow up thinking they are first cousins. This is all because of a prophecy in a dark arts book Julian found. The prophecy seems to be about Grace and a son of Charlie's and implies something bad happening should a marriage between the two ever occur. Briar has often wondered if Grace's advanced magical abilities have anything to do with what's implied by that prophecy.
Julian and she have worked hard to keep the secret of what their child can do. They trusted Albus Dumbledore for help and he in turn trusted his long time friend Giovanna Petrochi, so they trust her as well. She's taught Grace control of her magic and at all times it has been impressed upon Grace never to show off what she can do.
Briar understands that children will be children and it's natural for Grace to want to show off but she does know better. As intelligent at Grace is, Briar was long ago able to sit down and explain the need for secrecy and they've talked about it a number of times since then.
"That's beside the point, Grace. The point is that you know better."
"But, Mum, it's Charlotte. We're like sisters."
Pleased with the description Charlotte enthusiastically nods and links arms with Grace.
"What if it has been someone else, Grace?"
Briar pinches the bridge of her nose, trying not to let her imagination run wild with the thought of Grace's talents becoming known to others. Julian and she don't even trust his parents with the knowledge because much as they love Grace, it's the sort of power they'd look to exploit for their own gains. Even with their standing and their wealth, it burns Tiberius and Lysette that some still look down on them for their long ago association with Voldemort. And if Grace's own grandparents can't be trusted with this information about her gifts, then Julian and Briar certainly can't trust others knowing.
"As I promised Charlotte she could stay the day, I won't punish her by sending her home or taking you away as her playmate; however, tomorrow you are grounded, Grace. We will talk more about this tonight, including going over again why we have to be careful about who knows."
"But, Mum,"
"Grace."
The seven year old sighs, knowing without being told that if she tries to argue again the punishment will increase. Briar waits several seconds before saying, "All right then, let's discuss your lunch options."
Boy Entrancers
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 06-30-11 17:26
My first of only two classes tomorrow is Herbology. I need to finish the reading and double check homework and I will, but at the moment I'm too busy offering Catherine help to gain the attention of fellow sixth year, and Ravenclawian, Edward Croft.
Nature loving Isabella, who often goes on walks with former titchlet, current sex god in training Wilbur Tremaine, suggests, "Ask him on a walk around the grounds."
"I don't want to be that obvious," Catherine says with a shake of her head.
I hold up a small case retrieved from the chest at the foot of my bed. "Do you want to borrow my boy entrancers?"
"Do you think I need them?"
"Well, you do have stubby-ish eyelashes," Edith tells her.
"I do?" Catherine jumps off Edith's bed to root around for a hand mirror.
Izzy's nodding along to what Edith's just said. "Now that Edith mentions it, your lashes are on the short side, Catherine."
We all go silent for a few seconds as Catherine inspects her lashes in the mirror. She moves to sit back down on Edith's bed then changes course to come over and take the small box with the boy entrancers. Before handing them over I ask, "Do you want these or the spangly ones?"
"For regular wear I expect these will do. Like I said, I don't want to be overly obvious."
Isabella asks, "What classes do you have with Edward?"
Catherine is studying her eyelashes in the mirror again and when she's slow to reply it's Edith who answers. She's got the same course schedule as Catherine. "Only History of Magic and Muggle Studies."
"Then ask him to help you with an assignment," Izzy says.
Holding up a silver cylander I add, "And wear this lippy when you do."
"I suppose I could ask him for help in History. I've a good grade but his is just slightly better."
Edith taps the History of Magic text she'd been reading from before Catherine asked us for advice. "Go now. He's probably still in the common room."
I jump up from my bed. "First, let's get those boy entrancers on you. And here, put the lippy on."
The spell for sticking the boy entrancers on is an easy one so in short order we have Catherine walking out of our dorm room, her History of Magic text, notebook, and homework in hand. We wait a few seconds before exiting for the Ravenclaw common room as well. If Catherine's going to get cozy with Edward, Edith, Izzy, and I are going to be on hand to watch.
Translations:
titchlet = a titch of course
sex god in training = almost a sex god such as my boyfriend Sage Porter but not quite there
boy entrancers = false eyelashes
lippy = lipstick
Being Polite
Author: Jet
Date: 07-01-11 20:27
For some reason this morning being cloistered away in the Department of Mysteries had felt gloomy and blah so Jet was glad to get away from the department, and the Ministry altogether, when Petra popped her head in where Levi and Jet were working to suggest an early lunch at a favorite place of hers. It's a sandwich place, along the lines of Delia's Deli in Diagon Alley and, like that other establishment, it's Wizarding, not Muggle. The place is on the Floo Network so Petra and Jet make their way to the Atrium and queue up in a short line and are soon stepping from a fireplace to be greeted by one of the restaurant staff, "Welcome!"
Never having been here before Jet wants to study the menu so they pick a spot to sit where he can do just that. Petra already has a good idea of what she wants but sits looking at the menu at well. Jet's just pulled his eyes from it to tell her he's decided when she says, "I forgot to mention that Chelsea and a friend are joining us."
Jet glances in the direction Petra's now looking, which is back towards the floo connected fireplace, to see Chelsea with someone right behind her stepping from it. Jet turns to look Petra full on. "Forgot. Right."
"Weeeeell, you probably would have said no if I'd said anything up front."
"And if you'd mentioned just Chelsea coming along I would have asked if she was bringing a friend as well."
"Yes, that's it in a nutshell."
"I told you Sophie was the last one."
"Don't think of this as a set-up. Just think of it as Chelsea and me both bringing co-workers along."
Jet would like to make a retort to that but Chelsea and friend have reached the table. Jet stands to greet Chelsea, shooting her a meaningful look. Chelsea smiles at Jet and innocently bats her eyes at him before saying, "Petra, Jet, this is my co-worker Emerson Reed. Em, this is Petra, whom you must be tired of hearing me prattle endlessly about, and her co-worker Jet Obsidian."
Emerson needs a moment to study the menu as Jet but rather than sitting there making small talk, Jet offers to go ahead and get the drink orders. That doesn't take very long but at least when he returns to the table Emerson's made a decision on what to have for lunch and they get their sandwich orders in.
When Emerson isn't looking Petra mouths to Jet, "Be nice," before asking of Emerson, "Chelsea mentioned you didn't go to Hogwarts, Emerson. Where did you go to school?"
"When I was small, my parents traveled a lot with work and because they hated having to constantly floo or apparate home they took me with them. About the time I would have gone to Hogwarts my mother got really ill. Dad and she decided I would stay home with her. Dad still worked, which still required traveling, but he cut back a great deal on it. Mum died two and a half years after that. In his grief, Dad didn't want to send me off to school so had me traveling with him again, teaching me himself what he could and hiring a tutor for what he wasn't able to."
"I'm so sorry about your mother," Petra says.
Chelsea murmurs, "I can't imagine how hard that must have been on you."
To be polite Jet also speaks up. "That must have been rough."
"It was hard but I'm glad to have had those years at home with her instead of being sent to school. Traveling again with Dad throwing himself into his work wasn't easy but I think he would have made himself sick from grief and overwork if he'd not have me there with him to worry over." Emerson smiles at them all then in an effort to get the topic off herself she says, "Chelsea mentioned you went to school in Greece, Petra."
"That's right, to my father's alma mater."
The conversation centers on Petra's school in Greece then moves to Chelsea, with her schooling in Canada. Jet adds just enough to the conversation as not to appear stand offish. He knows he'll have to say more soon enough because, inevitably, they three women will steer the topic around to Jet and his Hogwarts schooling. Thankfully, before that happens, their sandwiches are ready and Jet, offering to grab their order from the counter, welcomes the brief respite from Chelsea trying to yet again fix him up with someone.
Once back at the table, Chelsea gives Jet that same innocent smile before saying to Emerson, "Jet went to Hogwarts. He can tell you all about what you missed out on if you're ever interested."
Jet gives Chelsea another of his own looks before politely turning to Emerson as she asks, "What house were you in, Jet?"
Smashing Good Time (Daria)
Author: Blossom
Date: 07-02-11 20:11
Daria uses her fork to roll a piece of tomato around in the what's left of the large salad with popcorn shrimp that she'd ordered, thinking that maybe enough time has elapsed for her to politely thank Simon for dinner then leave with the excuse of having an early day tomorrow. Simon is her third Magical Match date since she joined in the middle of last month.
The first date was with Lester. Lester works at the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Magical Transportation. He's nice looking, has a decent sense of humor, but is also extremely full of himself. To hear him talk one would think he's going to be named Minister of Magic any second now. Daria came so close far too many times of nearly asking Lester, "Is Kingsley Shacklebolt about to step down from the position then?"
The second date had been with Jonathon, who manages a shoppe that's been in his family for a few generations. Fair in the looks department. Average height. Extremely good sense of humor. Very polite and gentlemanly. Talked the entire evening about his cat, his mum, and his mum's cat.
Simon, tonight's date, is a St. Emrys student who also works in the Ministry's Department of International Magical Cooperation. He's slightly above average height. Short cropped dark blond hair. Hazel eyes. Dimples. Cute though not handsome. Earnest. Unfailingly polite. Absolutely no sense of humor.
At the moment Simon is regaling Daria on a topic he's quite passionate about: the most time efficient method of gathering, collating, and filing documents. That's his part-time job with the Department of International Magical Cooperation and he's determined to be top nogtch at it until he's graduated St. Emrys. After that he wants the Ministry to hire him as an efficiency expert to get each division of every department operating at its best.
So far Daria's managed not to yawn or look glassy eyed or even nod off altogether but now she feels a yawn coming on and try as she might, she's unable to stifle it. She starts to apologize but Simon says, "My goodness. I'm so sorry. Here it is quarter past nine on a Tuesday night. I hadn't realized it was so late. I am never out past 8:30 on a weeknight during term. You've been such an excellent companion that time has simply flown!"
"Thank you for an excellent meal," Daria says. The food itself was excellent so she doesn't think it's a lie to have phrased the thank you as she has even though she's sure that Simon will take it to mean more than the food. She then asks, "Are you certain I can't split the check with you?"
"Positive! I've rather enjoyed myself tonight so I'd like to treat. Let me just settle the bill then I'll see you to the floo."
Since Simon is insisting on paying for the meal Daria supposes the least she can do is allow him to walk with her across the restaurant's dining room to the floo. Hopefully, as formal and polite as he is, he won't expect a goodnight kiss on a first date. Maybe not even a hug. She pegs him for the handshake and something along the lines of, "It's been bloody marvelous. We must do this again."
A few minutes later, Daria and Simon are facing each other at the floo. Simon's got the restaurant's jar of floo powder but before taking the lid off and extending it to her so she may get some, he holds out a hand to her. She takes it and he gives it a hearty shake. "Daria, it's been a smashing good time. When my schedule allows we'll have to do this again."
Daria shakes Simon's hand. "Thank you again for dinner. I hope the rest of your week goes well."
Simon extends the jar of floo powder to her with a smile. She floos for home and as soon as she steps foot from the fireplace she decides she'll give Magical Match one more chance but if that date goes like the three so far, she's had it with the dating service.
A Full Day Before Noon (AJ)
Author: Furnella Hodfuffer
Date: 07-03-11 16:34
The day isn't half over yet and it's already been a busy one for AJ. Mariposa and he had been looking for an off Hogwarts grounds place to live and have finally settled on one of the first places they looked, a rental in Hogsmeade. They met this morning with the estate agent handling the property for the owners. Mariposa and he signed the contract, were handed the keys, and spent some time already this morning moving in some boxes and getting them unpacked.
They'd made progress on the boxes but then Mariposa needed to get to St. Emrys for a class and AJ's third years would soon be arriving in the Ancient Runes classroom. As AJ had not even had breakfast yet, he'd grabbed something from Briar's to eat on the walk to Hogwarts. Once back at the castle he'd swung by his office to grab a couple of things then strode quickly to his classroom.
He'd spent some time yesterday preparing the blackboards for today's lessons so he hadn't needed to rush to do any prep work before the third years arrived. That was good for AJ because those third years began showing up just over a minute later.
"Morning, everyone. Homework in then clear everything away except for clean parchment, ink, and quills."
This was met with a few groans but they moved quickly enough so that AJ doesn't have to wait long before he's got all the homework in hand and is turning one of the blackboards around. "Ten minutes to translate this first passage. Go."
After that little quiz, the third years had worked on translating phrases from Anglo-Saxon runes to English. The students actually had fun doing these as the phrases AJ used were well known, silly ones and a number of current slang and idioms. As long as they are progressing in their ability to read these runes, AJ doesn't see why all the translations have to be from original inscriptions or meaningful passages from some textbook.
After the third years came the fourth years at 11. They had a similar quiz and in class work but instead of translating from runes to English, the fourth years did the reverse. About halfway through class Jill Prewitt's hand suddenly shoots up.
"Yes, Jill?"
"The stone in my ring just popped out. I don't see it around my desk."
"What's the stone look like?"
"It's an opal."
AJ pulls out his wand. "Accio Jill's opal."
No little opal comes shooting up from the floor to AJ's awaiting hand so he tries again but once more the stone doesn't show up. Those sitting around Jill and Jill herself are scanning the floor around their desks others are either looking expectently at AJ or looking at those swiveling in their seats to see if they spot it.
"It must be stuck," AJ says. "Right. Everyone look around, even if you aren't near Jill. It might have rolled. Move your chairs to check that it didn't get caught. Feel around for it. Check your shoes and socks and if you've a cuff on your trousers, check that it didn't end up in it."
It's Sadie Mickle who triumphantly produces the wayward opal after finding it wedged tightly between two of the floorstones. She carefully pried it out, wanting to make sure it was indeed the opal and not just some pretty looking pebble that had gotten tracked into the room at some point. Seeing the smooth oval shape she brings it to AJ. "Here it is, professor."
"Thank you, Sadie. Five points to you."
Jill, who also thanks Sadie, hands AJ her ring when he asks for it. He uses a spell to fix the opal back in place but tells her, "This is only a temporary fix. I jeweler should really see to it, so be careful with your ring until then."
The moment of disruption over, AJ gets the fourth years back on task and before they know it 11:45 has arrived and they are eagerly off to be some of the first to lunch in the Great Hall. The muffin AJ had had been delicious but with the moving of boxes and what unpacking he'd done, the walk to and from Hogsmeade has left him more than ready for lunch. He gathers up his things to depost in his office then also heads to the Great Hall. He's got office hours after he eats until his seventh years at two and then more office hours then it's take a few more boxes to Hogsmeade to unpack those and finish unpacking the ones taken this morning. He'll hopefully get assignments and quizes graded during his office hours and tonight if he's lucky, he'll get in some writing time on the non-fiction book he's working on, that one for which he hired Zabrynna to organize old letters, documents, pictures, and so forth.
Reaching the ground floor AJ can't help but think there's so much to do and not enough time to do it all.