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Back In The Act (Emerson)
Author: Jet
Date: 03-21-12 19:47
Sitting across the table from Jet, Emerson Reed uses his interest in the menu to openly study him. Since the night she got so angry and stormed out she's been mentally beating herself up. She still cannot believe she reacted as she did. Emerson needs to maintain composure and patience to successfully complete the mission. As trite as the saying is, failure is not an option definitely applies. She did not report she'd had a mini meltdown or that she took a few weeks to re-establish contact with Jet. They would have pulled her off the mission if they knew and there would be repercussions against her, repercussions that would give Emerson nightmares if she let herself dwell on the possibilities.
Jet looks up from the menu as Emerson sets her own aside. "You've decided?"
"The stuffed Dover sole with prawns. You?"
"The lamb and apricot pie."
An awkward silence falls between them broken only when the waiter comes to take their orders. After he's left them alone again Emerson offers a tentative smile. "Thank you for agreeing to meet me."
"To be honest, I'm not exactly sure why I said yes."
"I'm glad you did. I cannot apologize enough for freaking out on you like that. I thought I at least owed you a nice dinner for letting me practice on you."
"Considering how many times you tried but I wasn't hypnotized, I'm not sure you can call it practice."
"Several different sittings during which you were very patient with my increasing bitchiness."
That awkward silence threatens to rear its potentially ugly head so Emerson, sounding somewhat lame in her own ears, offers Jet another unsure smile. "So, thank you and again, I'm sorry."
"You don't have to keep doing that, you know."
"Doing what?"
"Endlessly apologize. Other than thinking you owed me and wanting to apologize a few hundred times more, why'd you really ask me here tonight, Emerson?"
Emerson's face scrunches up with her admission, "I've missed you. I know I got all stroppy for no apparent real reason but I was hoping you'd be able to forgive me and let me have another chance."
"I forgave you when you first apologized and yes, I can give you a second chance. I've missed you too."
Emerson mouth turns up in a delighted smile. "You can? You did?"
She is so relieved at the moment she could get up and dance but Emerson settles for reaching out to squeeze Jet's hand to happily say, "Thank you."
Lunch In Dundee
Author: Dante Knight
Date: 03-22-12 16:57
In a small eatery located along a back alley lined with a handful of Wizarding business in Dundee, Dante grabs a table in back, sitting where he can see the entrance, somewhat surprised his brother isn't already here. The wait isn't long, slightly under two minutes. He brother walks in, stopping to look around, giving a nod when Dante raises a hand.
Reaching the table, his brother sets a canvas bag in one of the empty chairs. "You order?"
"No. Wasn't sure how long this will take and wasn't expecting you not to already be here."
A nod to the canvas bag. "Had some fresh produce to pick up. Took longer than I meant. Come on, let's order."
Dante rises to follow his brother back to the counter. He's unsure about getting something but decides he can always take it with him if he ends up not staying long. Back at the table, he waits for his brother to explain why he owled asking Dante to meet him.
"How you been, Tag?"
Tag. Short for Tag Along. His brother's nickname, picked himself, is Rocky because he said it sounds tough. Their sister is Sunshine, given by Rocky because she has such an affinity for a very bright lemony shade of yellow when small. Tag Along for Dante because a lifestyle that allowed few playmates often saw him tagging along after Rocky and Sunshine. Dante had wanted to be called something tough sounding as well, like Bear or Diablo. For some reason that always caused Rocky to laugh hysterically.
"I've been good. How about you?"
"Never better. Angel's five and a half month's along. She's healthy, the baby is healthy."
"That's great," Dante replies, unsure of whether Angel is a nickname, her real name, or just the name the sister-in-law he's never met is currently using, but with this place being small and tables somewhat close together, this isn't really the place to ask for clarification.
Rocky pulls a coin purse from a pocket. "Here's the rest of what I owe you, with interest as I promised."
Dante accepts it with a, "Thank you," but knows that there's more to this meeting than the paying off of a loan, which could have been handled via owl as was done with other installments of the loan.
Whatever the reason is put on hold when their order numbers are called. They retrieve their food, Rocky taking his time once back at the table, giving all his attention to the hot sandwich and piping off chips. The suspicion that his brother is stalling is confirmed when Rocky feigns interest in Dante's work, asking how he likes teaching, what sort of charms are the students learning, what's it like living in the Hogwarts castle, and so on.
Dante is going to be as patient as his break allows. He's got until 2 pm when his Thursday office hours resume. As long as Rocky is going to stall, Dante decides to at least be polite and ask questions about Angel. What is she like? How did they meet? Do they know if it's a boy or a girl? Questions of that sort.
Only when they are both nearly done eating does Rocky finally get to the real reason for requesting a face to face meeting. "Dad wants to see you."
"Why?"
"Don't know. Mum is hoping you'll say yes. She," Rocky makes air quotes, "'misses her baby,'"
"I miss her too. Dad as well if I'm being honest. That said, I need to think about it. When is he wanting to meet."
"Tomorrow night if possible. How about I owl you tonight for an answer?"
"Give me until at least tomorrow morning."
"Okay, tomorrow morning."
"You really don't know what he's wanting?"
"He's not said so I figured it's the same old routine. You're daft, come back to your family where you belong. I'll agree with him. Sunshine will though part of her will also think you were right to go off on your own. Mum will sniffle a lot, bemoaning how her baby's flown the nest."
"That's what I'm thinking too. I'd best go."
"Even if it is the same song and dance, please consider agreeing to see him. He misses you about as much as Mum does."
"I'll think about. That's the best I can offer right now."
In the past this sort of conversation has led to an argument between the brothers so before it can devolve into that, Dante takes his leave, glad that he's returning to office hours instead of a class to teach so that he can think.
Cursed
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 03-23-12 06:00
Johanna was in the Slytherin common room reading about the Ramora fish. Tomorrow during the Care of Magical Creatures class the 4th years would go to a field trip to the Ary Aquarium in order to learn more about it and she wanted to be well informed. Gus entered the dungeons still wearing his Quidditch equipment. He was all sweaty and Johanna concluded he had returned from practice.
"Move!" he growled to a first year boy who quickly grabbed his things and left the big leather arm charm available for Gus. Johanna raised the eyes from her book and observed him with curiosity, wondering why he seemed to be in a bad mood. But since she wasn't speaking to him she couldn't just ask him.
Mark appeared moments later. On the contrary of Gus he had already showered and changed his clothes after the practice. He asked Johanna if she had seen Kate and she told him she was at the library with Felicia. Then she asked Mark what happened during today's practice.
"Well Gus sucked today. I think it were his new gloves, they made him clumsy or something. He just couldn't defend a thing! Cornelia kept yelling at him and she was about to hit his head with Basil's bat if Olive hadn't notice the Ravenclaw team waiting for their turn to use the pitch. They seemed pretty amused with the entire scene. Beatrix Vanderbilt was giggling like the others and that pissed Cornelia even more. She told Gus he was forbidden to use his new gloves again or she would kick him out of the team."
"Can she do that?"
"I would kick him out too if he keeps playing the way he did today. Seriously it was really bad…" and he left the common room in search for Kate.
A smile formed in Johanna's lips. Drizella's gloves, or Joanna's had caused this. Not hers, because he had changed her gift for a Miramorphus Magic Set. She closed her book and sat in front of Gus.
"I should be a good keeper no matter the gloves I wear," he said.
"Maybe those were just not adequate for your hands," she replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Or maybe you're just not used to them. Maybe you can use them while not in practice. Between classes and so…" Johanna suggested.
"Or maybe they are cursed! Drizella would be capable of do so, not to mention that Joanna. I bet if I had kept your gloves I would still have a good performance today. I wish I haven't trade them."
Even knowing neither Drizella nor Joanna had enough knowledge to curse an object and they had no reason to harm Gus, Johanna didn't contest his theory. Instead she smiled to him and said there were no regrets about the gloves.
"Hey you're talking to me again!" he then noticed."Does that mean you are going to help me with homework?"
She nodded and he was about hug her, thanking her, but she managed to escape.
"Go shower first!" she ordered."Then we can fetch Felicia, have supper and I can help you with homework. And later if we have the time perhaps you can show me your Miramorphus Magic Set. I want to see the gift I got you."
Gus nodded and left. Johanna get back to her reading,still smiling.
Life Plans
Author: Ella
Date: 03-23-12 07:43
Ella and Francis left the Great Hall after lunch and went to Gryffindor Tower, where they planned on passing the time until Herbology class. Francis had already had one class that day, History of Magic, but Ella only had Herbology today. She liked her schedule on Thursdays because she could sleep in late, catch up on homework or study in the library, and not feel rushed about anything.
If she could do things over again, then she might have applied herself more and taken more N.E.W.T. courses this year and last, assuming the professors would have accepted her in their classes, of course. Before she and Francis became friends, she'd been quite the slacker, doing only the minimum to get through each school year. Now she had a much better attitude about her education and the marks to show for it.
Ella planned on applying to St. Emrys University. The only problem was that she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. She didn't want to be a nurse like her mother had been, and she wasn't interested in her father's line of work either. She liked Quidditch, of course, but couldn't see herself doing that professional and it wasn't like there was a degree plan for that at the wizarding university. She supposed at the very least she could try out for one of the school teams.
Francis, on the other hand, knew exactly what he wanted to do. He was very interested in international magical cooperation and wanted to one day work for the Ministry of Magic, either in London or at some field office abroad. Ella didn't like to think about him moving far away, even though they would only ever be an apparition or fireplace between each other.
Politics didn't really interest her, so that was another thing she could at least rule out, besides nursing and soliciting.
"Knut for your thoughts," Francis said, when they drew up to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She had stepped out of her frame for a moment, so Francis and Ella had no choice but to wait for her to return before they could enter the common room.
"Oh, I was just thinking about what I'm going to do after graduation. I'm not like you and don't have the slightest idea what I like."
"You still have a little time to think about it," Francis said, "and even if you start at St. Emrys, you can always change your mind later. You don't have to decide today or even a year from now."
"I know, but I wish I did have some idea."
"Why don't we look through some of those flyers Professor McGonagall gave us a couple of years ago, or some of the stuff we picked up at all the Career Days we've been to? We can throw around some ideas and see what fits you," Francis suggested.
"I don't have any of that stuff with me. I guess I could go back to McGonagall and ask her for some advice, and the next Career Day is coming up…"
Francis put a hand on her arm. "I've got everything in a shoe box in my room."
Ella gave him an amused look. "You are so weird sometimes."
Francis grinned at her. "Can you complain?"
"No, I can't. You're a life saver, or at least you will be if you can inspire me to figure out what I'm going to do with my life."
The Fat Lady reemerged, looking a bit flushed in the face. "Password?" she asked a little breathlessly.
Francis, who hadn't entered the portal since yesterday, had nearly forgotten that the password had changed at midnight. He started to say "acquiescence", but when Ella opened her mouth to contradict him, he said, "Oh, it's bibliophile."
The Fat Lady nodded and swung out her portrait.
Ella and Francis stepped inside, one after the other, and entered the common room. It was rather full, as it typically was around midday, with people coming and going from lunch.
"Want to come up to my room?" Francis asked.
Ella raised her eyebrows. She'd heard that there were charms to keep boys out of girls rooms and wondered if the reverse was true too.
"Okay," she said.
She followed him up the staircase and into a room that looked like hers, only far messier. His roommates weren't there at the moment.
Francis immediately went to the trunk at the foot of his bed and rummaged through it, eventually pulling out a shoe box, which he handed to Ella. She sat down on his bed and removed the shoe box lid.
"You are so weird."
"You said that already," Francis said with a smile as he seated himself next to her.
"I didn't get the impression that you're a pack rat."
"I'm not a pack rat," Francis replied, "I'm just freakishly organized."
Ella sifted through the flyers and brochures in the box. "Some of this stuff goes back years."
"Yeah."
"Wow. I'm pretty sure I've thrown all this stuff away myself."
"If you want, you can take it to your room and keep it as long as you like."
"Thanks. I should probably go anyway. I don't want to give any of your roommates a fright should they find a girl in their room."
Francis chuckled. "I'll come with you, unless you're going to your room?"
"Nope, just downstairs, hopefully to an empty seat in front of the fireplace."
"I doubt you'll be so lucky."
Ella shot him a mischievous glance. "We're seventh years. We can make anyone move."
Francis laughed. "Maybe." He got up and held out his hand to Ella. She took it and followed him from his room, carrying the shoe box in her other hand. They didn't find a pair of seats directly in front of the fireplace, but they did find some nearby. They sat down and looked through the box, discussing the various career opportunities that might appeal to Ella.
With Toby in Falmouth
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 03-23-12 11:36
"It's actually quite nice here," Bronwyn said to Toby, as they strolled along the harbor in Muggle Falmouth. She rarely visited him when he had Quidditch practice, usually because she was at work or too tired afterwards to do anything but go home (unless, of course, shopping was involved).
Toby's practice had let out early today, on account of the head coach having an afternoon engagement of some sort and all of the assistant coaches feeling under the weather. The Falcons weren't the number one team in England and Ireland, but they were doing quite well this season. Toby and his teammates had been practicing all that much harder to climb up in the rankings and were glad for a little break in their schedule.
"Yes, but I wish it weren't so damn cold," Toby said.
"At least the ice has dissipated," Bronwyn murmured. It wasn't as bad on the coast as it had been this morning when she'd left Greenwich for the WWN station.
"I know this teashop we can visit," Toby suggested, thinking of someplace warm to go. "They have all kinds of teas, coffee too."
"And dessert?"
"Oh, yes. Cakes, tarts. Some biscuit varieties."
"Sounds lovely. Lead the way."
Toby and Bronwyn continued to walk along the water until they reached the teashop, which had a view of the yachts in the harbor and of Pendennis Castle in the distance. They seated themselves at a small table near one of the front windows and perused the menu.
A short time later, a waitress came over to take their orders. After she left, Toby asked, "Have you spoken to the boys recently?"
"Not in a few days," Bronwyn said. Arley and Seb had moved out of the duplex before Christmas. They'd decided not to go back to New York. Bronwyn suspected their decision to stay had something to do with Arley's sister Fallon, but she didn't really know what was going on there.
What Desi thought about Arley staying in the country, Bronwyn also didn't know. Once again, Desi had retreated into herself and would hardly tell Bron anything that was on her mind. Bron knew that Desi was still hurting about what had happened with Xavier and Bianca, even if all that had happened a whole year ago now. Bianca hadn't been at the Dewhurst-Diamond Christmas gathering, so at least there hadn't been any awkwardness with which to contend.
"We should get them a belated house-warming gift," Toby said.
Bronwyn lit up. "Definitely."
Toby laughed. "Any excuse to go shopping, right?"
Bronwyn stuck out her tongue at him. "So?"
"You're so easy to please."
Their order arrived a moment later. Bronwyn had requested peach tea, which had a sweet, fruity flavor and a medium-sized fruit tart. Toby had selected a cup of Earl Grey and a slice of the most chocolately cake on the menu.
While they ate, they talked about gift ideas and later about one day doing some real sightseeing in the coastal city of Falmouth, Cornwall.
Rylee the Not So Adored
Author: Rylee
Date: 03-24-12 06:29
Friday was just like Monday and Wednesday, three classes starting at nine am, which meant that I was up by six thirty, showered and down in the Great Hall by eight for something for breakfast and to go over any last minute details on my assignments for Transfiguration, Potions and History of Magic which were back to back and had me done for the day at noon.
After History of Magic with Professor Davyd I stopped for lunch in the Great Hall, sent out a letter to Mum for any supplies that I need beauty or otherwise and occasionally wrote a letter to my Grandmum or one of my sisters before wandering back down to the Slytherin Common room to flip through the latest fashion magazine or even spend some time on assignments because as a Marks I was expected to have nothing less than exceptional marks in all of my classes - having anything less would result in privilages being revoked until a time that marks improved, and I was loathe to loose my allowance or any of the other little expensive pleasures that I delighted in.
At the moment however, I was headed to the library, wanting to get some of the assignments done so that I had the weekend free to relax - I would also be doing a spa treatment for my hair which was suffering during the cold weather as it always did in the nasty British winters, and a skin treatment if I could manage it since there were no events going on that I had the desire to attend.
Though I did tell Mum and Dad I would humor them and attend Career Day later this month to begin working on gaining an idea or two as to what I would like to do when I finished at Hogwarts in six and a half more years. Why I had to begin mapping things out so early, I never understood - I merely thought that I would marry a wealthy man and be like my mother - living at home taking care of the children and spending my husband's money - it sounded like a good plan right? But apparently my father had other ideas about that and thought I should actually do something with my life (which is something no eleven year old actually wants to think about).
Either way, I turned my attention to the parchments now spread out on the table in front of me and sighed. The work load was only going to get more intense as the years went by, and I doubted I would be able to skimp on the electives when third year rolled around and I had to select those - and I wasn't even going to think about O.W.Ls and N.E.W.T level course work right now because that would just make me forget working on anything right now and go bury myself in the latest issue of Vogue a muggle fashion magazine that Mum routinely sent me because she had a thing for Muggle fashion designers.
There were a few other people in the library, most of them older I think, really couldn't tell from my location, but a few of them that I had classes with wandered buy on the way to one of the other study tables and I caught snippets of their conversation.
"She is such a snob, I heard that she doesn't have a single friend that she hasn't bought with something flashy and with at least a five digit price tag."
"They don't call her Rylee the Rich..."
The last word in that was muffled, but I'd heard it clearly enough and it stung. I curled my legs under me and was thankful that they hadn't actually seen me sitting there - but did everyone think that way of me? Did they think that I paid all of my friends - though truth be told, I didn't really have any friends. I went to class, I studied in the library, I sat in the common room and went to sleep in my room - one would think that I would socialize a bit more but that wasn't the case it would seem.
This was a new year, and I needed a new start, but I wasn't sure how to do it. I hadn't realized I'd started crying until I reached up and wiped my cheeks - my mascara running a bit. I pulled out my compact and quickly removed the smeared makeup, and the rest of it as well. Then having little desire to be around people that thought the worst of me I gathered my things and headed back to the Slytherin Common room and my dorm room, where I could shutter myself in the curtained alcove of my bed and brood alone.