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At Indigo's
Author: Travis
Date: 08-13-12 19:19
It's a short walk along the East Lane to Indigo's house. At his front door, Travis knocks while simultaneously testing the knob. Finding it unlocked she opens the door, calling out, "Knock, knock."
The physical knock had set off barking, yips, and meows from the various cats and dogs that are Indi's pets and fosters. As Indi's voice reaches her over the animal greetings telling her, "Kitchen," a myna bird he's recently gotten mimics, "Knock, knock. Knock, knock," while his African Grey parrot chimes in with, "Hello, sweetie, hello."
On the walk to the kitchen Travis scratches heads and runs fingernails along the breasts of both birds who spread their wings happily at the attention. Reaching the kitchen where Indi is taking something from the oven and Lisi is sitting at the table selecting a crunchy crouton from a large bowl of salad, she pauses just inside the doorway. "Hi, sorry I'm a little late. Had to take care of a problem at the Lausanne greenhouse."
Slightly lifting the casserole in his hands for emphasis Indi assure, "Lunch is just now ready so you aren't really late. Have a seat."
No sooner does Travis sit than a small cat with long multicolored fur that she's never seen before jumps into her lap, curls up, and starts loudly purring. Rubbing a hand over the extremely soft fur Travis grins. "Well hello there. Who are you?"
"She doesn't have a name yet. She was found on a hiking trail yesterday evening after the shoppe had closed. Because she was not obviously injured or distressed, they hated to disturbed at the clinic where Coco was on duty. They were trying to decide what to do as their own two cats aren't that tolerant of other cats when they saw me in the yard as the gang ran around." The gang is how Indi often refers to all the animals he's always got. "Several of us have gone at various times today checking to see if there are others or a mother. Nothing and no one around the village seems to be looking for a lost kitten."
The kitten is still purring though she also seems to also be asleep, content as a ball of fluff on Travis's lap. Travis has one cat, a Turkish Van but she finds herself thinking this kitten would fit in well. "I think Clown would be happy to have a companion. Unless you've other plans for her, I'll take her."
"No, I've been putting a list together of who might take her and would have taken her to the shoppe to see if any she caught anyone's eye."
Lisi says, "You need a name now."
Lifting the kitten to get a better look at her tiny face Travis mulls over what to name the cutie. Settling the newest member of her household back into her lap she turns her attention back to her siblings. "I'm going to have to think about it, get a feel for her personality. Shall we go on and eat?"
"I'm starving so I vote yes to that." Indi reaches for one of the plates as he spoons up some of the casserole. "There's a fizzy punch in the blue pitcher and water in the other."
Discovering that a covered basket near her holds warm, crusty rolls, Travis takes one and holds the basket to her sister. "Lisi, when suggesting we get together for lunch today, you said you have something to tell us."
Lisianthus accepts the bread basket, "Yes, though I'm not sure how to tell you. I think I'll just spit it out."
Indi pauses from putting casserole on the last plate, his. "This sounds serious."
"It's not, not really, but it sort of is." Lisi lifts her left hand where both can see a sparkling ring. "Solomon proposed last night. I said yes. Now, I need your help is breaking the news to Mum."
Morticia has made it clear that she thinks Solomon is nice enough but as he's not someone she personally chose for Lisi, Travis can well understand her sister's concern about telling their mother she's getting married. Over lunch, the three discuss possible ways to tell Morticia, some scenarios with Solomon present and others without. By the time lunch is over, they've narrowed the options down to three with Lisi taking the afternoon to think about the pros and cons of each of the three. They decide to meet again for supper, this time at Travis's.
Leaving to return to Botanicals & Beyond, a warm little fluffball cuddled to her chest, Travis spends the walk running names through her head and hoping she's correct that Clown will take well to their new family member.
An In Person Reply
Author: Desdemona Diamond
Date: 08-13-12 21:12
I decided that it was time for me to reply to Driver. He'd been waiting a few days, and I think it was time for him to get an answer. So, on my lunch, I decided to head over to Driver's bar. The scene of fight with Reed. I still hadn't seen him since that night.
When I arrived at the bar, I found that it was open. I didn't know bars opened that early, but I guess noon being early is a matter of perspective. I walked inside to find that the bar was dead. Not one customer. However, Driver was still found behind the bar, cleaning glasses. He looked up when I walked in.
"Desi!? Hi! Come in!" He moved out from behind the bar. I walked a few feet from the door. "So, what brings you here?"
"Well, I had some extra time during my lunch, and figured I'd come by. I wanted to apologize for destroying one of your tables. If you'd like, I can pay for the damages…" I offered.
"That's sweet, but you don't need to. However, you can help me build a replacement table," he suggested with a smile.
"I've got only a little bit before I go back to work…" I said.
"I understand. Well, if you want to help out in your spare time, you're more than welcome to."
"I'm not much of a carpenter, sorry."
"No problem, and I took care of everything else already."
"Everything else? What else?"
"Well, having to deal with the muggle cops for one. Not that it was a big deal, though."
"Wait, you had him arrested? Cool! I mean, it makes sense why I hadn't seen him at work the last couple days..."
"Yeah, he deserved it. The last I heard, he's still sitting in muggle jail. People shouldn't get away with being jerks," He said with a smile.
"True," I said with a sigh, "But he'll probably find some kind of lawyer loophole and get off with time served or some bull like that."
"We'll see about that. I have him recorded starting the fight, and I'll testify against him."
"Then I hope he doesn't file charges of me using excessive force. I mean, I don't think I did, but he could make the argument that I did. I wasn't hurt, but he was, and bad," I said thinking a bit.
"Of course. I didn't hit him till after he swung first."
"Exactly," He glanced around, and came back to me, "Since it's your lunch break, can I get you something to eat?"
"I already ate, I didn't want to inconvenience you more then I already have," I said to him.
"No problem, it's nice to see you."
"I really should be getting back. It was nice to see you as well."
"Alright, have a good rest of the day Desi!" he said happily.
"You too," I said in return, turning to leave.
"Come back soon, we need to do this again."
"I'd like that. Later." I said with a wave, before stepping out of the bar.
(Andrew) At Dinner
Author: Liam Murray
Date: 08-14-12 06:06
"I can't believe a student from our house died…" Penny muttered, looking at her lamb chops without appetite.
Since last night that she had been really preoccupied and as the day passed Andrew had noticed how she would look behind her back from time to time, afraid of some sort of danger right around the corner.
Since he was the older brother Liam had offered himself to write a letter home about what had happened. He didn't seem very worried or sad about last night. Andrew thought that maybe it was because he was a Gryffindor. He wouldn't have to go to the dorms and think there was an empty bed now that belonged to a dead student. It was a bit creepy.
But as soon as the novelty of last night had vanished, Andrew was able to focus again in his lessons and homework, trying not to give too much importance to Abdul or Mrs. Norris' death.
"Penny, you have to eat something," Jade Green urged.
"She's right you haven't eaten anything at lunch…" Heather supported.
"I can't…what if someone else dies?"
"If the castle wasn't a safe place anymore Dumbledore would be the first one to take us all out of here, " Andrew assured Penny. " Look around, there's no danger here. Now come on, eat those lamb chops before they get cold. Or before Bart eats them," he joked referring to Bartholomew who was almost done with his dish. He made Andrew think about one of those muggle devices he had once read that would vacuum everything they touched.
Penny chuckled and slowly started to eat dinner. In order to change topic Andrew told her about this book he found at the library called Magic in Ancient Egypt that he thought she might like. He assured her it was not a boring reading.
"It has very good illustrations and some photographs. We could check it out before dinner."
Penny nodded and she started to ask Andrew more questions about the book as she finished her lamb chops and started to eat rice pudding as desert.
Typically Delayed Supper
Author: Blossom
Date: 08-14-12 17:47
Checking the roasting vegetables that will be part of supper, Blossom calls out, "Fred, time to check the grill."
Through the open kitchen door Fred's voice carries from their outdoor grilling area. "Already there."
Over the course of the next several minutes, Blossom removes the vegetables from the oven and places them on a serving platter, takes the a loaf of freshly baked bread from the warmer and slices the loaf, placing the slices into a bread basket, and puts what Fred calls jacket potatoes but she grew up simply calling baked potatoes in a serving bowl. By the time Fred walks in with a pan of grilled pork chops with a tangy barbecue marinade, she's got everything on the table and has started cutting up food for the twins.
Trailing just behind Fred is Gideon. "I'm so hungry now, Mummy."
"Run go wash your hands and tell the others it's time to eat."
Fred joins Blossom in getting food prepped for the kids' plates. Though they will be seven in August, something that still boggles Blossom's mind, the triplets aren't yet ready for the sharp knives usually needed to cut meat but Fred finds the chops are tender enough that Larkin, Seth, and Gideon should be able to use the butter knives they think they need or even just their forks. Sliding cut up meat onto the plates for Fabian and Freddie he remarks, "Everything smells good. I have to say I'm really hungry now too."
"I know what you mean," Blossom grins. Moving in the direction Gideon had gone, she asks into the family room, "Isn't anyone else ready for supper?"
Larkin's head becomes visible over the back of one of the couches. "Me, Mummy, but we're not done yet."
Blossom's grandfather Dexter shifts slightly, turning to look over his shoulder at her. "We're reading a book. Nearly done."
Spotting Gideon on the floor sprawled between Seth and Fabian she asks, "Gid, did you wash your hand from being outside?"
"Not yet, Mummy. When Granddad is done."
"I'll be checking."
"Okay."
Dexter starts reading again, his low voice clear to her now from this vantage and now that she's not clattering around getting dinner ready. It takes a full five minutes more but the story is done and Blossom is checking hands other than Gideon's, wondering what exactly Freddie found that left silvery streaks across his hands. When asked, typical of a two and a half year old, he shrugs and shakes his hands. "No know."
Thanks to Fred making sure everything stays warm while finishing up the kid's plates and pouring up drinks, when Dexter and she finally get all five children seated, they are sitting down to what seems like a meal put on the table only half a minute before.
Light Bright
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 08-14-12 17:58
Hermione carried her charts to the nearest nurses station and gave them a quick but thorough reading over before adding her signature to the bottom. It was protocol for nurses and healers to debrief the next shift before clocking out at the end of the day. Unfortunately, the night shift crew hadn't yet arrived when a new patient appeared on Hermione's floor.
"Weasley, you better take a look at this," said one of the nurses.
Hermione abandoned her charts at the nurses station and went to the patient's side. The witch was in her twenties or so and sat comfortably on the gurney on which she'd been brought in. She spoke with an American accent.
The witch did not appear to be in any pain or discomfort. In fact, she seemed perfectly all right––with the exception of the bright glow emanating from her lips.
"Good evening," Hermione greeted. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt?"
"Oh, this?" the woman asked, pointing with a manicured fingernail at her lips. "It doesn't hurt, but it tingles a little. I sort of feel like I ate something really hot. Spicy hot, not temperature hot."
"Can you tell me what happened?"
Hermione signaled for the mediwizards to push the gurney into an empty room. She walked beside it and listened to the witch's explanation.
"Well, my boyfriend and I were cuddling on the couch. He lives here. I met him through an international dating service. Anyway, he suggested we try something different, you know what I mean?" She waggled her eyebrows in explanation.
Hermione raised hers but said nothing. The mediwizards, who had by now situated the patient into her new room, made no move to leave. They were both men and found the story quite interesting all of a sudden.
"Anyway, he'd gotten some kind of product off the street. Some sort of lubricant, you know, for––"
Hermione waved her hand. "Yes, go on."
"Well," the American witch continued, "things started getting a little hot and heavy. We broke out the stuff and before I knew it, my lips were lit up like lamps."
"I see," Hermione said. "You wouldn't happen to have the product with you, would you?"
"It's here at the hospital, but it's with my boyfriend."
"Oh, is he in the waiting room?" Hermione asked.
She turned to one of the mediwizards still hovering nearby to ask him to fetch the lubricant when the witch with lit-up lips exclaimed, "Oh, he's not in the waiting room. He got wheeled onto another floor to have his privates examined."
"Oh, I see," Hermione said, unable to prevent the image of the boyfriend's brand new torch lighting up his hospital room. "Well, I imagine he's at Potion and Plant Poisoning, which is probably where you ought to be since there doesn't seem to be any, erm, spell damage involved with your, ah, situation. I'll take you downstairs myself."
She waved for the mediwizards to wheel the witch to the lifts and accompanied them to the third floor, where Hermione flagged down a healer, to whom she presented the case of the witch with the light smile.
A Leak?
Author: Kirley Mockridge
Date: 08-14-12 20:33
Kirley studied the papers in front of him. The MInister was right, there HAD to be a leak somewhere in the office. Most of this information was stuff that only the support staff themselves could know, or rather, should know. Yet Rita Skeeter had been able to print nearly all of it.
He thought back to what he knew of the woman and while it wasn't much, it was enough to make his nose wrinkle in distaste. Most Slytherins who had been at Hogwarts for that disastrous Tri-Wizard Cup tended to do the same. Skeeter had been obsessed with Potter, and with getting whatever dirt she could. It had been useful for the Malfoy boy, of course, and so the rest had let it go, but really, many had agreed it was distasteful.
Not that Slytherins were above using underhanded means, and that included Kirley himself, but it was more the obsession with Potter that had done it. Of course, he'd had his own issues at the time, as that was his seventh year, and Christmastime had brought that disastrous message from Professor Snape that their brother and his wife had died, leaving him and Nephele as guardians to their infant niece. And they hadn't even been able to grieve, at least not openly. Getting through the exams had been enough.
But something about Skeeter niggled at his memory, as if there was a secret he should know that could explain some of the leaks. It was worth an attempt anyway, though the Minister's office was supposed to be protected against eavesdropping, no matter what form the listener was in. But that didn't mean she wouldn't be catching someone outside of the Ministry to listen.
A slow smile curled his lips. He had a way to find out who the leak was, or at least if it was an intentional leak. "Minister? Do you have a moment?" Kirley asked, after knocking on the door to Kingsley's private office.
When granted leave, he entered and explained his plan. "So we'll simply give each member of the staff something different, maybe a different detail or two, and then we see which ones Skeeter prints. It will tell us who she is hearing, and once we know that, we can figure out how."
Tea with Professor Quigley
Author: Severus Snape
Date: 08-15-12 06:58
At the end of the day, the Slytherin professors were reunited in Professor Quigley's secluded office, sipping black tea from Celeste's favourite tea set (chartreuse with white polka dots). The Astronomy professor had been tracing Snape's steps for most of the afternoon, eager to resume their so called 'gossip session'. Professor Quigley was a favoured companion of the Potions professor; he appreciated the keen edge of her wit, and her perceptive observations. It helped that she shared his dry and oftentimes sardonic humour.
As they relaxed by the lead-glass window with a view of the grounds, Severus' mind was preoccupied with the latening season, and the crop of mandrake that had been promised to him by Professor Masterton at the beginning of Spring, and with the letters he had yet to respond to. But first, he had to placate Celeste's curiosity.
"If I was in Albus' place, I'd open an enquiry into staff behaviour," Snape muttered dully. "We have been entrusted with a sacred duty - we can't have professors leading with such a shameful example. Especially with students and familiars in mortal danger." He was referring, of course, to the recent calamity involving the 6th year Ravenclaw and Argus Filch's cat. "I can't imagine what criminal behaviour would be incited among the student population if we were to lax our standards by a hair."
Celeste, whose own reputation was without blemish, nodded enthusiastically. "Well, it is still her first year. Maybe she is still adjusting to her academic life. Perhaps Dumbledore should have picked someone more experienced with a more adequate conduct. But it's not my place to question his decisions." She shrugged her shoulders, a gesture that served to emphasise her unhappiness with the circumstances.
"I do wonder what poor Binns does now, since he's been ousted from his eternal calling. I always thought it was cruel to rob him of the only pleasure he had in life and in death." Severus gave a sigh. "I should ask the Bloody Baron to enquire after his welfare."
Celeste sipped thoughtfully. "That would be kind."
Severus hesitated before reaching into his robe pocket. "I've been meaning to give you this." He placed a box on the little table - a small, pink box embellished with gold hearts and a matching ribbon.
Flustered, Celeste took the box, a distinct change of hue colouring her cheeks. "Oh Severus, this is most unnecessary..."
"Oh," he remarked, upon seeing her bemused expression, "it's nothing of the sort, really...an overzealous 5th year gave it to me when I collected her potions essay. I recalled you enjoyed milk chocolates - I am partial to dark, and my sweet tooth was never particularly well-developed."
"Thank you," said Celeste, at length. Her complexion had returned to its usual intensity. "I should save them for the end of term and take them home to Eugene."
"That sounds well," Snape replied quietly. He had a vision of himself sitting in his lonely chair at Spinner's End, staring into the fire, sharing the company of the books that were his only friends in the summer months. "It sounds very well indeed."
Lost in Thought
Author: Wendy Mills
Date: 08-15-12 12:35
Wendy was at the classroom working on an essay for English. The teacher, Miss Shaw, wanted them to write about their plans for the summer holidays and to also add where they would go to school next year. Wendy looked outside from the window. The sky was gray but it hadn't rained yet, so maybe they would still be able to go outside during recess.
With a sigh she looked back to her notebook and reread what she had wrote so far. It had been easy to write about the summer, but she was completely stuck with the school part. If she wrote about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Miss Shaw would think it would be a joke.
Her parents had thought the same thing on her birthday back in December when Wendy received the handwritten letter signed by a woman named Minerva McGonagall. However when the evening came and Wendy was already in bed the phone had rang and her mother went to answer it. Wendy thought for a moment it could be someone wanting to give her a delayed birthday message but her mother didn't call her to go and answer the phone. Tired from her birthday party and with her belly filled with cake Wendy had fallen asleep without knowing who the mystery person on the other side of the line was, that kept her mother talking for quite a while.
The next morning the letter from Miss McGonagall was at the breakfast table (a bit wrinkled and stained in the right upper corner because her father had threw it to the trash can yesterday) and her mother told Wendy that she was a witch. Her brother Peter was the first one to react. He started to laugh and asked their mother if she had been drinking. Her father told Peter to be quiet and not be insolent and her mother continued to explain what was going on.
Didn't Wendy have told her once how she tended to feel a bit different from all her classmates? Well that was because she was a witch, a girl who could perform magic. Wendy rubbed her eyes, thinking she didn't understand very well what her mother meant because she was still a bit sleepy. But then it all started to make sense when with the help of her father, her mother started to tell her about things that happened in Wendy's life that had no other possible explanation but magic.
Like that time when she didn't want to go to the swimming pool at her aunt's because it was too cold and when her cousin pushed her inside, the water's temperature changed. Her aunt told her mother it must have been the sun, which emitted a very strong sunlight capable of warming up the pool.
There had been another time at school, during an art class, where this boy named Jason used his brush to make a red line over Wendy's work. He had claimed it was an accident but his face betrayed him because he was smiling. Jason always had jealous of everyone's work and he did whatever he could to sabotage them. Wendy, who had been painting a nice family portrait (or what she thought it was nice at the time, she was only 5 at the time), got furious with Jason and she wished he would pay for ruining her work.
Soon Jason was calling for help and Wendy noticed that several brushes were up in the air moving on their own, painting his face, hair and arms furiously. It only lasted a few seconds and when the teacher looked at James the brushes were quiet on the table. Jason accused Wendy and no matter how she denied it the teacher believed in the boy, especially after seeing what he had done to her work in the first place.
These had been some of the episodes that happened to Wendy and which she had no explanation for. But assuming magic was real then it all made sense. Her mother explained that who called last night was her great aunt Alexandra, who happened to be also a witch. Wendy always heard her mother telling her father her aunt was a bit loony and she had no notion of the real world. Whenever she was invited to a family meeting she would talk about things no one knew about like Quidditch, Muggles and Basiliks. Everyone in the family thought she was crazy but when they tried to put her in an institution it didn't work that well. Both the caretakers who came to fetch her had to be hospitalized. It seemed that their muscles had been turned into jelly. The diagnosis was inconclusive but there was no need for a cure because a few days later everything was all right.
"So Wendy will become mad like our great aunt?" Peter asked.
"No one is or will be mad, Peter," their father lectured. Then he explained that he had searched for Hogwarts online but he wasn't able to find anything. However he added that it would make sense if wizards and witches were not known.
"Aunt Alexandra explained everything to me, Wendy. Hogwarts is a boarding school were you will learn magic. You will need a wand to perform magic."
Now it was May and her parents had promised Wendy they would start shopping for her school supplies soon. Wendy had called to her great aunt in order to know more about what being a witch meant but she had just insulted the pathetic 'muggle invention to communicate' and asked her to send her an owl so they could correspond with each other properly since Wendy didn't have a fireplace in the apartment she lived. She had no idea what her great aunt meant and before she could ask for an explanation she had hang up the phone. They didn't have spoke since then.
Wendy returned to reality when she heard her name being called. Miss Shaw asked if everything was all right because she wasn't doing any writing. Wendy nodded and quickly scribbled something random at her notebook. She bite her pen's cap for a moment, and in the end she ended up not mentioning any school at all, pretending she had forgotten that part of the essay.