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People Watching
Author: Araxie Loren
Date: 11-28-12 01:03
My first three classes had gone well, each lasting only forty-five minutes. I was done before noon today and ultimately headed into the Great Hall to settle at the Ravenclaw table and maybe sketch a bit.
There were so many people here and I actually liked my roommates and my classes were kinda interesting even Herbology, though I'm not all that fond of plants at least I won't loose any points on my drawing and identification skills when it comes to that. Either way, I still had homework and at the moment I was putting it off simply because I wasn't in the mood for it.
I'd gotten a letter from Nichole earlier and needed to owl her back soon. Aunt Charline sent a letter as well, and I'd also gotten the Daily Prophet this morning. I wondered if my dad would bother writing, would bother caring that the child he'd left to fend for herself without mother or father, had started at Hogwarts. Probably not, and honestly I could care less.
"You seem lost in thought. Anything important?" Adriana Fricks said as she plopped down next to me.
She must have already gone to our room because she didn't have her school bag with her any more.
I shrugged and shifted, turning my attention kinda to my lunch instead of the drawing I was doing of the people milling about the Great Hall.
"Nothing major. Just trying to figure out what I am going to do for the rest of the day. I think I might spend some time wandering and learning more about the castle."
"Sounds fun. Want some company? I really don't wanna start on my homework and we are both done until tomorrow morning."
I shrugged again.
"Sure. If you want, though I might sit here and people watch for a little while longer. I've got the urge to sketch and in here is providing a lot of inspiration."
Adriana shrugged. "I don't mind."
We talked a little bit while she ate and I ate and sketched.
Alchemy
Author: Josie
Date: 11-28-12 02:25
"Good afternoon, everyone."
The class was constituted by 17 students, both from the 6th and 7th years. In a way, I was glad for the reduced number of students since it was a good opportunity to get to know them well as well as I could provide them a better learning experience. I felt all the eyes on me. I smiled glad to have their attention.
"My name is Josephine Fanshawe and as you know I will be your Alchemy professor. I know most of you probably picked this course without having any idea what is. Unfortunately, since we only have one class per week and our time is limited, we are going to spend the month of September learning what exactly Alchemy is and a little bit of its history. We are not going to practice alchemy just yet, but I beg you all to have a little bit of patience because eventually we will get there."
With my wand I made the white chalk write my office hours in the dark blackboard.
"If, for some reason, you will not be able to come and see me during this time of the day, or if you have a really important question whose answer cannot wait for next Monday, then please feel free to send me an owl. I promise to reply to you immediately."
I paused for a moment to see if anyone had any doubts or questions for what I had just said. No one raised their arm and pleased, I finished the initial introductions by asking each student their name. I was planning by the end of the month to know them all by their names.
"Let us begin, then."
On the blackboard appeared the word Alchemy. Before giving the students a definition for it I asked them what they thought this subject was and I wrote the options on the blackboard.
"My father told me it's similar to Potions, but at the same time they are completely different," a girl with red hair said. She belonged to the Gryffindor house and if I recalled well, her name was Jill Prewitt.
I nodded to her and encouraged the other students to participate, even thought they thought their idea of alchemy might be silly.
"Alchemy is related with the philosopher stone and the elixir of life. I read somewhere that the creation of the philosopher stone was the main goal of most alchemist in the past," Jack Emerson from Ravenclaw declared.
"Yes, Mr. Emerson, that is correct. But as you know the philosopher stone has been created. Can anyone tell me which famous alchemist was the maker of the philosopher stone?"
Three or four students raised their hands and I gave the word to a blonde girl from Hufflepuff who was seated in one of the front rows.
"Nicholas Flamel."
"Yes, that is right, Miss…?"
"Vanderbilt, Professor. Aleydis Vanderbilt."
I smiled thankful for her help.
"Miss Vanderbilt," I repeated so I could memorize her name. "5 points to Hufflepuff."
She smiled and I continued the class as I listened to what the other students had to say about what they thought alchemy was. Broderick Carter, who I later learned had studied in Japan, had mentioned an important branch of alchemy: the Chinese alchemy. And so I also awarded 5 points to his house.
Finally, after collecting enough opinions, I started to tell the students the real definition of alchemy. Quills started to scratch the scrolls as they take down notes of what I was saying and of what was being written on the blackboard.
By the end of the class I was hoping all of them would be able to answer the question: What is Alchemy? As for homework I asked them to read page 5, 6 and 7 of their textbook in order to consolidate what they had just learned. I also asked them to learn the names of the instruments used in alchemy that were on page 8. Next class I planned to bring some of them to class and ask the students to identify them.
Sleeping Beauty
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 11-28-12 19:05
"Please be careful!" exclaimed the healer Bronwyn had unceremoniously bumped out of the way in her haste to reach Desi's bedside.
"Sorry!" Bronwyn declared, releasing Desi after only a few seconds. "I'm just so happy you're awake!"
She threw a smile over her shoulder at Orion, who had gotten up from his seat and moved closer to the bed. A look of complete relief had crossed his face, and Bronwyn detected a smile somewhere behind the more serious expression.
She turned back to Desi. "You've been out all weekend."
"What day is it?"
"Monday. Midday."
Desi blinked, the movement slow as if she were at risk of falling asleep all over again.
The healers filed out of the room, but not before shooting warning looks at Bronwyn. She shrugged at them and walked over to the chair Orion had vacated.
"So, your parents were here."
"They were?"
"Technically, they're still in town. Wolfie too. They were going to get a room at The Leaky Cauldron, but my parents offered them a place to stay. I should let them know you're awake." Bronwyn started to get up, but Desi held up one of her newly manicured hands.
"Wait," she said. "Who told them about me being in the hospital?"
"I did," Bronwyn said, exchanging a look with Orion. "In fact, I thought it would be faster to go to Seattle than to rely on an owl to get there. While I was doing that, Orion let Arley and the others know about your condition. That flower arrangement over there is from Arley and Seb," she added, pointing to a beautiful vase full of irises.
"Somebody's always been watching over you since you arrived here," Bronwyn went on, "but nobody more so than Orion." She smiled.
Desi turned her head to look at the flowers. Then she looked at Orion. "I'm sure you had better things to do than babysit me all weekend."
"This is exactly where I wanted to be," he replied.
In that moment, Bronwyn debated slipping from the room, with hope that the pretend relationship between Orion and Desi might be blossoming into something more right before her eyes, but then the Diamonds arrived, unaware of what they might be interrupting.
They were glad to see Desi awake and talking, and like a mother, Annabelle Diamond noted the extra paleness in her daughter's cheeks and worried that she wasn't eating enough, even though Desi hadn't been able to eat anything solid all weekend on account of being unconscious.
After a while, Bronwyn and Orion left together to get some refreshments from the Tea Room and to give the Diamond parents some time alone with Desi. Wolfie, it seemed, was at home with Wotan, who had taken the day off from work.
Hours passed, and when Bron and Orion eventually found their way back to Desi's room, they found her already looking better, though naturally nowhere near 100%. A full recovery would take a little more time.
Visiting Hours (Driver)
Author: Arlington J Montgomery
Date: 11-28-12 22:03
Driver had spent his weekend as usual; most of the time was spent at work. The bar was still busy nearly every night, which was a good thing, and Driver liked to keep his mind occupied lately. When he wasn't busy at his bar he was either out on a run with his dogs, Helix & Heist, or training for his next fight. Today, though he kept replaying the dream he had on Thursday night. The visuals of his dream were shockingly realistic. He shook it off and headed for the door.
He had been invited over to Karma and Dexter's place for lunch. He couldn't help but still be angry at his little brother. Dexter and Karma hadn't told him about their elopement, not to mention Dex never actually talked to him about moving out or their formerly shared apartment. He sighed as he walked down the lane to the house in Hogsmeade, his dogs followed along behind him.
He knocked lightly on the door. "Okay boys, make sure I behave alright?" One of the dogs barked as Karma answered the door.
"Driver! You made it! On time too, I'm impressed." She beamed and pulled her brother-in-law in for quick hug. C'mon in, we can sit and chat for a bit before lunch."
He stepped inside and took a seat on the couch, the dogs curled up on one of the couches next to Karma.
Just then, Ember came upstairs from her apartment. "Hey stranger, where have you been hiding out?" She smiled at her brother as she stepped into the kitchen to grab a glass of juice.
"Hey, Sparky. I've just been busy this weekend. How are you doing kid?"
"I'm doing well, other than the morning sickness part." She moved to sit between the dogs and Dexter. Driver went quiet for a while, the other three chatted amongst themselves while Driver was lost in thought.
"So, you're being really quiet, Driver." Dexter lightly shoved his brother's arm. "Are you still mad we didn't tell you?"
Driver looked up, "What? Sorry I was thinking about this dream I had a few days ago… and yes, I am mad that you guys didn't tell me about your wedding. First of all it seems kind of soon, I love you both and I am happy for you as you make a prefect couple. Secondly, you didn't tell me about moving out. We could have talked about it before I came home and all of your stuff was gone, Dex."
Dexter frowned a little and pulled Karma over onto his lap. "Yeah, I'm sorry Drive I just…"
"We were both so excited and overwhelmed with everything that was happening. Telling you kind of slipped our mind." Karma finished for Dex.
Ember laughed a little, "See, that's the problem. Now they only have ONE mind!"
Dexter swatted at his little sister, "You are such a brat Sparky. I am sorry Driver, forgive me?"
"I guess so…"
"Now, what else is going on bro? You look like you're thinking about something important."
He sighed and looked up at his siblings, "Okay, don't think I'm weird? I had this dream on Thursday night, about Desi."
With the mention of Desi, Ember and Karma were intrigued. "Oh! Tell us more."
"Well, it was strange. It felt so real, like it was actually happening." His hands were shaking a little now. "She was at St. Emrys, probably going to see him and someone attacked her. I can still hear that spell, expulso, I think it was…honestly if that had hit her she would have exploded...she ended up at St. Mango's, and that's when I woke up." He left out some of the details and rubbed his forehead.
The other three exchanged looks before Dexter spoke. "Bro, didn't we tell you?"
Ember frowned and turned to Driver again. "You did know, right? Karma did you tell him?" Karma shook her head.
"No, Arley was going to send you an owl about it."
"Guys! What's going on? What happened?"
"Driver, Desi was attacked at St. Emrys. She's in the hospital right now."
The slightly older Morgan jumped out of his seat, worry etched across his face. "What?! Is she okay? Why didn't you tell me, and why not when it happened?!"
"I told you, Arley sent you an owl, it's probably at your place. We didn't want to worry you." Karma frowned; she knew Driver was emotional right now.
Driver was shifting back and forth on his feet. "I gotta go." He quickly apparated off with a pop, heading right for St. Mango's."
"Driver wait!" Dexter slumped back against the couch. "Okay, that was weird."
On his way to the hospital he stopped to pick up a little flower for Desi. He hadn't had a chance to give Des her birthday present yet either. The plant he picked up would have to do for now though. He hoped she was awake, he knew the spell he had seen is his dream, she shouldn't have survived it, he was glad she did though, she must have had a protection charm on.
He looked around the lobby for anyone he might know, but checked with a healer to see what room Desi was in. She had given him the room number, but wouldn't elaborate on her condition. He made his way down a hall and slowed as he rounded a corner. His heart was racing; he really hoped she was going to be okay.
As he reached her room, he took a deep breath before stepping inside, relief washed over him as he saw her awake and sitting up.
"Oh my god, you're okay." He made a quick glance around the room to the various people he knew and didn't know. "How are you doing D? I know you got lucky with that one..."
Desi looked up when Driver came in, and she smiled up at him. "Hey, Driver."
He moved to her bedside and sat the flower down on the table next to her. "I thought you might like this one." The flower was a mixture of a blue and purple Hydrangea. "I think it's your favorite, I've seen it in…" He paused and didn't elaborate on how he knew that. None of his family knew her favorite flower was a blue Hydrangea.
Desi blinked a little, Driver was hiding something. Driver leaned down to whisper in her ear, which to on lookers might have looked like he was doing something else, he couldn't help one hand lightly stroked across her arm. "I'll explain later, when we can talk in private and you're feeling better." A soft cough from Desi's father pulled him back into the realization they weren't alone in the room.
"Sorry, Sir." He glanced at Desi as she made the introductions.
"Mom, Dad, this is my friend Driver Morgan. Driver, meet my parents Annabelle and Wesley."
Driver smiled and shook each of their hands. "It's a pleasure to meet you both, I'm glad to see your daughter is doing alright." He couldn't help but sound more than relieved that she was still okay.
That's when he noticed Bronwyn in the room. "Hey, Bron." His attention briefly drifted to the other presence in the room, the man had been keeping a low profile and attempted to not be noticed. Driver knew him though, and the hair on the back of his neck instantly stood on end for a moment. "Hey, Orion…" He couldn't help his dislike for the man, but he was going to be civil as they were in a hospital, and he wouldn't fight him when Desi was still recovering.
His attention moved back to the woman in the hospital bed. "Again, I am so glad you're okay. Let me know if you need anything, I'll drop by tomorrow to see you if that's alright? I know you need to get some rest and heal up, and spend some time with your parents." He flashed a caring smile, said goodbye to Bron and her parents. He then leaned down to brush a soft kiss across her cheek, he could have sworn there was a slight increase in color in her cheeks.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled and left the room.
Birthday with a Bang
Author: Karma Davyd
Date: 11-29-12 01:36
The morning had started lazily, without my usual routine simply because I was turning a year older today. Things had been kinda crazy yesterday with Driver finally finding out that Desi was in the hospital, and he'd more than likely found the owl from Arley when he'd gotten home last night.
I'd rather enjoyed lounging lazily in bed with my husband and enjoying my birthday so far. Though, I was still debating on getting out of bed and making some breakfast when Dex leaned over and dropped a kiss on my cheek.
"Stay put. I'll be back in a bit with breakfast..."
He slipped out of bed and padded into the kitchen wearing a pair of dark grey sweats and little else. I appreciated the view until he was out of sight and then I lazily stretched and flicked my gaze to the small clock in the bedroom. My first class wasn't until nine, so I had plenty of time still as it was six-thirty.
I slipped over into his spot and savored the still fading warmth and sighed. We'd been dealing with mixed reactions from the wedding, and as of yet I hadn't told my parents because I was not ready for the atomic explosion that would be my mother when she finally found out that I had married the 'heathen' she despised so much.
I decided to slip out of bed finally and take a quick shower while Dex was making breakfast and then slip out and join him in the kitchen instead of waiting for breakfast in bed, especially since I was debating a cup of coffee. It had been a somewhat late night and an early morning, so I would need it.
Quick shower finished, I'd just finished slipping into my favorite pair of yoga pants and a tank top when I heard a very familiar voice, that didn't belong to either of my sister-in-laws, and following that was the sound of a body and something else hitting the floor.
"Bloody hell. Please don't let it be her..."
I moved quickly, bare feet slapping against the hardwood floors as I practically ran from the bedroom to the kitchen. I took in the scene, Dex stunned on the floor the breakfast he'd made us on the floor, broken glass and shattered china littering the floor as well.
I turned my attention to the petite Indian woman still holding her wand and resisted the urge to use a Forbidden curse on my mother. That wouldn't be nice, but I was still seriously entertaining the idea. Three heartbeats later I felt composed enough to speak to my mother.
"Mother, what in the heavens are you doing? Why did you attack him?"
Asha merely shrugged her shoulders. "I thought, with the school year starting you'd be staying at the castle a bit more and that someone had been living in your home while you were gone without your knowledge. I assumed he was a squatter."
A lie of course, because Asha knew full well who Dexter Morgan was and his prior role as her only child's boyfriend (which was something she did not, as a traditionalist condone in the slightest).
I rolled my eyes and shook my head, checking on Dex, before turning an angry glare upon my mother. "You know full well that Dexter is not a squatter or any such thing. You were no doubt just angry to find that I hadn't broken off the relationship when you'd demanded it earlier this year in Mumbai."
Asha sniffed disdainfully. "The heathen is no good for my only daughter. You need a proper Indian man who will keep you from having to work and pursue this foolish dream of independence. Your father was a fool to encourage it."
I ground my teeth together, that forbidden curse was looking like a nicer and nicer alternative to dealing with this conversation, but it couldn't be avoided forever.
Dex groaned and tried to sit up, and before I could stop her my mother shot off another stun, making Dex hit the floor again. He'd probably have a concussion from his head slamming into the hardwood floor not once but twice, and probably a few cuts from the shattered dishes.
"Mother. If you stun my husband once more you will find yourself on the end of a stun yourself. Is that clear?"
It took all of two point five seconds for my wording to actually reach and penetrate my mother's brain and a look of anger and shock appeared across her features that she couldn't mask in time.
"Your husband? When did you get married my dearest daughter and why were your parents not present for your nuptuals?" Asha's voice held a dangerous edge and I was glad that my wand was currently within easy reach.
"August twenty-fifth Mother, while Dexter and I were on holiday in Greece. No one knew, save for his little sister and his uncle who helped us plan the details for the beach wedding in Rhodes." I said never taking my gaze off my mother, my head ready to reach for my wand in case she tried to do something foolish.
"I see..."
"As for why no one was invited, more importantly, why you weren't invited is because I knew you wouldn't approve. I'm already dealing with enough issues because people think it is too soon, but knowing you if I'd found an Indian man I'd approved of from the dozens of idiots that you'd set me up with you'd have had a wedding planned within a month as you are so eager to see me married off and popping out grandchildren." I said unable to keep the anger from coloring my voice.
Dex stirred again, and I glared at my mother. "Don't even think about it." I hissed. "Go sit in the living room and I will be in to deal with you in a moment."
Asha turned on a heel and stomped petulantly from the kitchen as I moved to help Dex up into a seated position first and then ultimately to his feet. "You alright love?"
"I think so. God your mother is dangerous when she's pissed off. I knew she hated me, but I didn't think she'd actually attack me."
"Yes, well the worst of it isn't over yet. She now knows about the wedding and it makes me wish my father was here to keep her in line. Because I think she was borderline using something a bit more harmful than a curse when I called you my husband."
Dex groaned and looked down at the ruined expanse of the breakfast he'd made, and damn it had looked quite tasty but none of it was salvageable at the moment. "Is she still here?"
"Yup. In the living room."
Dex nodded and dropped a kiss on my cheek. "Go deal with her, I'll be in in a second with coffee. Let me just get this cleaned up. Not at all how I planned this morning to go, but I'll make up for it later."
I nodded and dropped a kiss on his lips before leaving him to carefully clean up the mess, though I kept stealing glances at him to make sure that he was alright. I turned and headed into the living room.
"Mother, while I love you dearly, you will no longer be allowed in my home without the company of my father. Simply because I will not condone another attack upon my husband because you cannot control yourself. What if it had been a grandchild that you'd just stunned instead of a grown man? No, there are no children yet, but you will have grandchildren within the next year or so as Dexter and I are planning to adopt a pair of girls from an orphanage in Mumbai."
My mother glared stonily at me, but softened ever so slightly at the mention of grandchildren. "I will in future visit with your father and he sends his love for your birthday. Now, about this foolishness, I do not approve, and I will not approve anytime soon. You have married a heathen Karma, and I am washing my hands of this and of you until you come to your senses."
"Come to her senses? What, do you think I have her under some sort of spell, that she married me because I made her?" Dex said as he entered the room carrying a tray with three steaming mugs on it. One of them held tea for my mother, the other two coffee for he and I.
"Surely you've had her under some sort of spell since you met and this was your plan from the start. To find a nice, successful girl to bed and wed. You are merely using her for her money, and in turn allowing her to continue this foolish notion of being a working woman instead of a stay at home wife and mother like she should be if she married a proper Indian man."
I bit back a scream of rage and glared at my mother. Maybe holding a mug of hot coffee wasn't the brightest idea as I had the mental picture of flinging it at my mother's face.
"Mother. I am not nor nor have I ever been under some sort of spell or enchantment. I married Dexter because I love him, not because he forced me. I want my freedom because this is the modern age mother and not fourteenth century India where women need to be subservient to men. I am not going to wander about barefoot and pregnant just to please you, this is my life not yours. Now, kindly leave so I can enjoy the remainder of my morning with my husband before I have to work."
Asha glared daggers at the two of us, and I knew this was far from over between my mother and I, however, she left a gift wrapped box on the coffee table.
"Happy birthday daughter."
With that there was a pop and she was gone from sight. I heaved a sigh of relief, checking the clock I sighed. It was now nearly eight a.m and that meant I had barely an hour left before I had to be in my classroom.
"Well, twenty-five has started with a bang." I muttered sipping my coffee and curling into Dex. "I seriously thought she was going to kill you."
Dex pulled me close and dropped a kiss on the top of my head. "Yeah, I didn't think I'd make it out alive either. She was seriously pissed when she found me in the kitchen. We even argued a bit before she stunned me. I'm surprised you didn't come out before then."
"I'd been in the shower, didn't hear anything until after I'd gotten out and was getting dressed."
We lounged on the couch for a few minutes longer and then headed back into the kitchen where Dex made a slightly smaller version of the bigger breakfast that had been lost when my mother stunned him.
"Happy Birthday Love." He said kissing me lightly.
Breakfast went smoothly this time, and by eight forty-five I was on my way to the castle to teach my first of four classes for the day.
Finishing Paperwork
Author: Desdemona Diamond
Date: 11-29-12 12:24
It had taken some effort, but I had finally managed to get Bronwyn to go to work. It had taken the, 'I'm fine' argument and 'Orion is here in case something happens' and 'If you keep arguing with a hurt person you'll just make it worse' arguments. She finally relented and went off for work, promising to be back. I had no doubt she would be. My parents were still asleep, not having fully adjusted to the time change yet. I figured the full Morgan clan would make an appearance later, but probably not until the afternoon. So it left Orion and me alone for a time.
"How bad is the paperwork?" I asked into the room. Orion was sitting in a chair, and still looked like he was asleep, but I figured he really wasn't.
"Mostly done," he replied. Then he has up.
"You hate paperwork. More than I do."
"It needed to get done."
"True. So, what's not done?"
"Your testimony. The guy is also nuts, and hasn't answered a single question with a straight answer."
"Ok, then let's get it over with so we can get the paperwork done and out of here." Orion moved so he was at a table, several sheets of parchment lay upon on it. He shuffled them a little before picking up a quill.
"Ok, So, I was at the University to find out why you were late getting home. I heard something crash to the floor and went to check it out. I walked into the classroom and Professor Crazyface was talking to himself. Saying things like he wasn't going to do it again. He stopped when he saw me asked who I was and what I was doing there. I told him my name and I think he started quoting my least favorite Shakespearian play. Then I remember he raised his wand, but nothing after that till I woke up."
"Your least favorite play?"
"Othello," He still looked a little confused, "The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is about a guy who kills his wife because he thinks she's cheating on him. The wife and I share a first name."
"Oh…"
"I was told by my parents they didn't know that the name was in the play. But who knows," I said to him. After a little bit, "Was that it?"
"Why didn't you use your wand?"
"Didn't pull it out so to appear nonthreatening. He pointed his at me and cast before I could react," I thought a moment before asking, "So, did you mess that guy up?"
"No, not as bad as I wanted to," He replied in a lower than normal tone. He was mad at my attacker, genuinely mad. I'm not sure he was even trying to hide it.
"So, you were the one that was here the most?" I asked. When there was no reply, I simply told him "Thanks."