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Couple Time and Christmas Gifts
Author: Cai Pembroke Carter
Date: 03-14-13 18:41
"Who did you get for Secret Santa?" Eric asked as I dropped down on the couch next to him.
"Jasper Jenkins, a fourth year Hufflepuff."
"Cool, what'd you get him?"
I grinned. "I got him a couple different kinds of pocky, because I absolutely love it and figure I would share some, though I did not give him any from my own personal stash, I ordered some different flavors from my favorite store in Japan. I'd also gotten him a bento box it's cool. I also got him a cookbook that will let him learn how to create meals for the bento."
"Awesome. Definitely a Japanese themed Christmas gift set for him. I hope he likes it."
"Me too. I've also gotta figure out if my gift is down there."
"You mean you haven't checked yet? I figured you would have already checked..." Eric teased.
"Haha! I've been trying to get things done for heading home and making sure I have everything ready for the trip home."
"Ah. Still wish you'd stay here with me. My parents aren't going to be home so I'll be spending Christmas break here."
"I could still change my mind and stay here with you."
"I won't force you, I will have stuff to do while I'm here, and I know you want to spend time with your family."
I smiled and kissed his cheek before snuggling into him. "Alright, I should stop being lazy and actually head to Ancient Runes. I will see you in Arithmancy and Divination."
"Alright. See you then."
Revenge
Author: Josie
Date: 03-15-13 14:21
I had left my brother's apothecary shop with a childlike smile in my face. Next term at Hogwarts I would be teaching the properties of ingredients coming from magical creatures including dragon's blood, and Henry had kindly offered me free samples of everything I needed to bring to class.
My next stop would be several stores along the way home, as I tried to figure out what to offer to my Secret Santa. Her name was Lilith Balfour and this was her first year at Hogwarts. She has been sorted into the Slytherin house and that was pretty much all I knew, since Lilith was not either my student or in the alchemy club. Almost two hours later I have finally found something Lilith might like: a small notebook, with an image of a girl on its cover. Lilith could use it as a diary, notebook or agenda.
I was heading home; happy with my purchase, when I suddenly had the feeling I was being watched. I turned around and noticed Connor in a corner, looking at me. I fight my urge to go to him and instead I just looked in the eyes, waiting. Finally, after a teasing smile, he came to my encounter.
We greeted each other. He seemed somewhat enthusiastic while I just looked at him alert and suspicious. At least I was secure in a Muggle street, filled with people. He would not dare to cast any spell here.
"What do you want, Connor?"
"Have a conversation with you. Why don't we go to that café over there? It's cold outside and I don't feel like standing here in the middle of the street for long."
I accepted the invitation, allowing him to dictate the rules for now. It has been months since I last saw him, at the St. Emrys Fest, when he had fooled me. We entered the crowded café and we were seated at an empty table by the window. A loud group of teenagers filled a table nearby. Connor sent them an upset look that was shared by another business man in his suit that was reading the newspaper at another table. I ordered a cappuccino, while Connor preferred some tea.
"I must confess I underestimated you, Josephine. "
"What do you mean?"
Connor put a small box over the table and opened it. Inside there were some ashes.
"This is what is left of your notebook."
I couldn't help to smile. I had already noticed both his hands were covered with bandages. I had put a spell on my notebook that if someone but not me opened it and read it, it would burst into flames and burn until there was nothing left. This was just a simple jinx that could be easily removed, but Connor didn't even bother to check if the notebook had any spells. He had never thought I would do so. He was right to underestimate me.
"I am just surprised you took you so long to try and read my notes," I said as the waitress placed the cups with our drinks on the table. I thanked her and took a sip of the hot cappuccino after adding some sugar to it.
"I had been busy with other works."
"Oh, yes, the philosopher's stone," I replied with irony.
"Don't mock me, Josephine. You know this is a serious matter, the ambition of every alchemist."
"You are wrong. Why recreate something that has already been done? Something whose power if in the wrong hands can conduct to terrible results? That is the reason why it was destroyed in the first place, Connor. That is the reason why Dumbledore and Flamel never told the world about the stone's formula. This quest is going to consume you, Connor. You should just abandon it and try to work on something else."
"Not yet. If you helped me I know we could do this."
"I won't. Besides you broke into my house, stole something from me and even tricked me."
"I think we are even," he said, showing me his hands. "Not even the Aguamenti spell worked. The healer at St. Mungus had a hard time with the burns. "
"It serves you right."
Blast from the Past
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 03-15-13 18:02
"Home or food?" Ethan asked his daughter, who sat atop his shoulders and held onto his short hair like a coach driver holding onto reins. He walked swiftly, but carefully across the Hogwarts grounds, which were snow-covered and occasionally slick with ice. Both father and daughter were bundled up warmly.
"Food!" Lilly exclaimed.
For a 21-month old, she did not have a very large vocabulary. When she spoke, she limited herself to one word at a time and only one-syllable words at that. Ethan often wondered if she would be a little more advanced, had Rosamond still lived.
"Food it is," Ethan said, reaching the school gates and slipping through to the village beyond them.
It was the middle of the end of Fall Term at Hogwarts, and like his students, Ethan felt the thrill that came with imminent vacation. He would most certainly spend some time at the castle, since some students weren't going home for the holidays, but Ethan looked forward to a break from his normal routine.
He had, like most of the other Hogwarts professors, put his name in for the Secret Santa gift exchange. This year, he got paired with Devon Abbott, a first year student from Hufflepuff. After consulting with his sister and with Aveline, Ethan picked out a knitted, cross-body purse with a multicolored clasp. He hoped that Devon would like it. She was a sweet girl and a decent student.
Ethan pulled Lilly off his shoulders so that he wouldn't have to duck through the doorway of The Three Broomsticks and found the only empty table near the door. He sat down with Lilly in his lap and kept their layers on, since a blast of cold air hit them each time someone opened the door.
Ethan ordered a bowl of cream of potato soup, a side of bread, a glass of pumpkin cider, and a cup of warm milk. As busy as the pub was, the service was quick. He slid a piece of bread into the side of his bowl and blew onto a spoonful of soup. He tasted it first to make sure it wasn't too hot and then fed some to Lilly.
While they ate, the door opened and closed many times. Sometimes one or both looked up to see who the newcomer was or who might be leaving, other times they didn't pay attention. When the door opened again, Ethan shivered. He thought it was from the cold, but when he heard a voice he hadn't heard in many years, he looked up in surprise.
Standing before him looking unchanged, if only a little bit older, was Nero Noir.
Ethan wrapped his arm around Lilly and held her close.
"What a sweet thing you have there," Nero drawled, eyeing Lilly with his dark eyes. "I never thought you would live to become a father. You have so many enemies…"
Ethan put down his spoon and stated in as low a tone as he could manage and still be overheard in the noisy pub, "Leave."
Nero grinned. "Why should I? This is a public place. I came to eat. Harassing you is an added bonus."
"Nero, I'm warning you…" Ethan growled. Lilly tensed in his arms. She knew something was wrong.
"You'll do what exactly? I'm a free man. There's not a thing you can do to me."
Although Ethan hadn't done any consulting for the Ministry of Magic recently, he knew that the Auror Office was steadily going after prisoners Euphemia Smythe-Jones had released during her time as Minister of Magic. Knowing what Nero had done to land himself in Azkaban in the first place, Ethan had no doubt that he would eventually find himself under investigation again. He had no plans to warn him though.
"Maybe not," Ethan said, "but I would recommend you step away from my table and leave me and my daughter in peace."
"Why don't I join you both?" Nero asked, grinning evilly. "There's an empty seat right here." He wrapped his fingers around the frame of the chair he stood behind.
Suddenly, Lilly started to cry. The sound was ear-piercing and caused Nero to cringe. He took a staggering step back, looked around at the attention he seemed to draw even though it was a baby doing all the crying, and then whirled around and went out the door.
Lilly's cries softened almost immediately, but she turned and buried her head into her father's chest. Ethan tried to soothe her, but his heart betrayed his own nerves. It had been years since Nero had caused him any trouble. Back then, Ethan had been on his own. Now he had a daughter who depended on him.
"Was he bothering you, love?" Madam Rosmerta asked. "Is the little one all right?"
Ethan looked up at the barmaid and gave her a slight nod of the head. "She's a little spooked." As am I, he thought to himself.
"I'll bring you both something sweet on the house," Madam Rosmerta said with a kind smile. She bustled off into the kitchen.
Lilly's whimpers faded. She sniffled a little and then turned around to face the food still on the table, reaching a little hand out for a piece of bread. Ethan removed a softened piece from his soup bowl and gave it to her. While she smeared potato soup on her face, Ethan kissed her hair and thought to himself that if anybody ever laid a hand on her, he might not be able to stop himself from committing murder. Again.
Plans for Christmas
Author: Celeste Quigley
Date: 03-17-13 04:22
Celeste took a last look to her 6th year students' star maps, just in case she missed something in her first analysis. But everything seemed to be in order. The five students with the best maps had won points to their respective houses and Celeste recorded the points in a parchment, in order not to forget to award them later.
Tonight it would be her last class of Fall Term and she had in mind to revise some topics with her NEWT class. After another hour where she prepared tonight's class, Celeste left her office at the Astronomy tower and went to her living quarters. She was surprised to see Eugene there so early.
"There wasn't much to do at the office today," he replied, kissing her on the lips and inviting his wife to seat next to him at the sofa.
"Tea?" he then offered.
Celeste nodded and accepted a cup adding some sugar to it. She could tell by her husband's face that there was something important he was about to tell her. But she didn't pressure him.
Instead, she looked at a box that contained the gift for her Secret Santa and she made a mental note in order not to forget to wrap it. Celeste got Marlow MacDougal's name. She knew Marlow because she had been part of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team for some years now, and she had concluded she would enjoy a practical gift. After some time spent at Diagon Alley, Celeste bought a pair of boots. She played by safe and picked a neutral color not sure if Marlow liked vivid colors or not.
"I received a letter from my brother," Eugene finally started. Celeste didn't need to be a seer to guess what would come next. "Apparently he was going to stay with Caleb during Christmas, while his mother would have him on New Years. But he is busy and he asked us if we could look after him. "
"Your brother is working on Christmas day?" she asked in a bitter tone.
It was not that she had any problems spending Christmas with her nephew; she just didn't understand what Tobias' problem was in always shoving his son away whenever he could.
"He said it is the better time to speak with ghosts. That they are sad they cannot spend the holidays with their loved ones and…"
"And one day he will be a ghost himself and cry because he didn't spend the time he should with his son," she stated. "You should have a serious conversation with your brother, Eugene, or Merlin help me, I will."
Her husband nodded and served himself with a biscuit. Celeste didn't approach such topic again and instead she assured Eugene she was happy Caleb would spend Christmas with them. She even thought about changing the decoration of the bedroom he stayed during summer to make it more to his liking. Replace the curtains and the wallpaper with the flowers. Perhaps even get new furniture.
McGonagall Brothers Give Gifts
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 03-17-13 16:14
Malden sat on his knees in front of his trunk and debated what to pack for his time away from Hogwarts. He knew he didn't need to take his entire trunk with him, since he would only be gone for a couple of weeks. Still, there were certain articles of clothing and other personal items he didn't want to leave behind.
He dug through his trunk, tossing out the things he most certainly wouldn't need over the Christmas holidays. Most of his school supplies could stay at Hogwarts over the break, though some of his professors had actually assigned homework to be turned in when term resumed in January. Malden couldn't believe that he would have to do work over Christmas break!
His hand wrapped around a small, square box he had nearly overlooked. It was a necklace and pendant his mother had sent him to give to Callie Blackwell, the girl whose name Malden had drawn for Secret Santa. He knew her by name and sight because she was in Slytherin just like him, but she was a year ahead of him. Malden decided he should put it under the Christmas tree in the common room right away, or he would definitely forget about it.
He got up, abandoning his unpacking and packing for the moment, and went into the Slytherin common room, where there was a Christmas tree decorated in green and silver. There were a few packages underneath it. Some Slytherins had placed gifts for their housemates there instead of in the Common Common Room. Malden looked around to make sure he wasn't being watched and then stuck Callie's gift underneath the tree.
Meanwhile, Madoc had just gotten out of Muggle Studies class. Like his brother, he had neglected to set out the gift he had gotten for Catriona Amherst. He vowed to do it immediately and set out for the Commons, where he also hoped to get a small snack. He knew he should probably wait to eat until dinner, but his stomach was growling so loudly, he was certain others could hear it as he passed them in the hall.
There were still a lot of packages under the Christmas tree. Madoc added Cat's to the bunch. Although he had gone to Hogsmeade and looked for something to get the older, Ravenclaw girl, Madoc had ultimately relied on his mother to pick out something. She had sent him a heart-shaped locket with a key. Madoc hoped Cat wouldn't get the wrong idea and think he had a crush on her or something. She was way too old for him!
Late At School For A Thursday
Author: Majandra
Date: 03-17-13 19:08
Using the last tissue in the box on her desk, rather than getting up to get a new box from the cabinet Majandra uses her wand to summon one. With a cold coming on and medicinal potions so far doing nothing to help as far as she can tell, Maj is more than ready for the end of the day tomorrow. She plans on going home as soon as she's able Friday, crawling in bed and staying there a couple of days, if not longer.
She woud have considered going home as soon as her second year Gryffindor and Slythering class ended at 2:45 but with exams to grade from that class, the two others she had today, and getting those grades averaged in for the Fall Term grade, not to mention getting everything recorded, Maj couldn't see going home to wallow in bed, leaving her to do it all tomorrow when she will most likely feel even worse plus have two more classes with exams.
Tossing the now used tissue from the now empty box then reaching for a fresh one Maj calls out, "Come in," in response to a knock on the door that she'd thought she'd had open. Just goes to show how focused and alert she is. Georgie and Miranda burst in followed by George. Knowing Maj planned to stay later than usual on a Thursday, George thought he'd bring the kids to eat at the Great Hall, something they love doing. If Maj needs to stay at Hogwarts for awhile longer after they've eaten, he thought the kids and he could take advantage of some of the holiday sales in Hogsmeade and the fact that a number of the shoppes have later hours in hopes of luring more Christmas shoppers.
"Let's go, Mummy," Georgie urges. "My tummy is growling."
"We're going but first take this gift. Miranda, why don't you take this other one. We have to put them under a tree in the Common Commons."
"What about that one?" Miranda points before accepting the package Maj hands her.
"That one too."
All three gifts are for Karma Morgan, the person whose name Maj drew in this year's Secret Santa. Karma is a coffee drinker so Maj got her a coffee gift basket, all decaf in case she's cutting back on the caffeine while pregnant but Karma can have the decaf switched for the fully loaded stuff if she's not cutting back. The gift Georgie is carrying are the stuffed animals he and Miranda helped Maj pick out for the children Karma has mentioned she's adopting. The package Miranda has is for the baby Karma is currently pregnant with. It's a baby blanket that Maj only put the finishing touches on last night.
After all three packages are deposited together under the main tree in the Commons, the four head to the Great Hall for supper, the two kids asking if they can sit with the students because that's more fun than sitting with the grown-ups.
Handcrafted and Personalized
Author: Araxie Loren
Date: 03-18-13 08:09
When I put my name in the Secret Santa exchange I knew that the bulk of the gift that I would give the individual I got would be something art related. I smiled when I got Professor Black and already had something in mind for the professor and his family.
Earlier today before I'd gone to breakfast I'd placed the finished gifts beneath the tree wrapped in glittery crimson and gold wrapping paper in honor of Professor Black's time at Hogwarts when he was a student in Gryffindor. Within the multitude of packages (there were five of them) were the following:
For Sirius Black himself, a leather bound coffee-table book that held colored landscapes and portraits of things around Hogwarts and from events that have occurred so far this term. On the front of the book was an image that I'd sketched from the Fall Fair of Professor Black with his wife and children playing one of the games and enjoying the crisp fall day.
For Mira and James there were two coloring books - both hand drawn and filled with all sorts of creatures found in both the muggle and wizarding worlds. There was also a fresh pack of colored pencils for each child to use in their coloring books.
For Zaira there was a set of brightly colored wooden blocks that I'd decorated myself after having my aunt send me the basic blocks. They had letters and images of animals on them as well as numbers on the various sides. There was also a soft elephant plush that my Aunt had sent along to give the young girl.
For Mrs. Black I'd created a memory book that she could use to add milestones for her children. There was space that more pages could be added and I'd also included some decorative things that could be used to brighten up the pages.
I'd also had my aunt send a few things for me to give my friends, and I'd give those out before I finished packing for the trip home.
Temporary Lodgings
Author: Ella
Date: 03-18-13 10:57
"How long will we have to stay here?"
The here in question was a dingy, little flat with only one bedroom, a tiny bathroom, and another room that served as a kitchen, dining room and living room all in one. The wallpaper looked drab and yellow, but Ella suspected it had once been beige. It was also peeling off the walls. Where it curled, Ella could see crumbling plaster.
The windows were so dirty one couldn't see in or out of them. No matter how much Ella scrubbed at them, either magically or manually, they simply wouldn't get clean. It didn't bother Zane very much, but it did bother Ella. She liked to look out the windows, especially since Zane didn't want her leaving the flat.
"Just until it's safe to go home again."
Instead of returning to the house in Leigh-on-Sea after leaving the cliffside shack in Broadhaven, they moved into the shabby flat. Zane claimed that he had had a disagreement with someone at work, and that person had threatened everyone he held dear. Zane was keeping Ella isolated and away from home for her protection.
Ella saw something out of the corner of her eye and grimaced when she saw a large cockroach skitter underneath the stove. She was certainly glad to have left Broadhaven, having felt continuously and bitterly cold while living in the windswept shack. The flat was considerably warmer, but the squalid living conditions didn't exactly make Ella feel any more comfortable.
She cautiously sat down on a chair at the kitchen table and said, "You've never been forthcoming about what you do for a living."
Zane sat down opposite her and stared at her levelly. "You're right." He shrugged and said simply, "I work in the commodities industry."
"At night?" Ella asked.
He shrugged again. "Some of my business is conducted in different time zones." Then he smiled. "But I'm also a bit of a night owl."
"Fair enough," Ella said. "I've been wondering if maybe I should get a job too, so that you aren't the only one making money."
Zane shook his head. "I'd much rather have you at home, and I make enough for the both of us to live comfortably."
Ella looked around the dingy, little flat. "You really call this living comfortably?" she asked him, half-jokingly.
Zane quirked an eyebrow at her. "This is only temporary, Ella. I promise you that."
She nodded in understanding and turned her head to the window out of habit. If only she could look out, then maybe she wouldn't feel as if she were living in an uninviting box.
Out for a Walk
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 03-18-13 13:56
If not for the sun, then Lysander would have cut his walk short. These days whenever he felt short on patience, he pulled on his coat and stepped out for as long as it took for him to regain a sense of calm, unless weather conditions forced him inside sooner than later. His walk today took him to the very outskirts of Hogsmeade, to the rocky cliffside.
Lysander walked carefully over the crags, since some were covered in thin sheets of ice. Even though he felt as if he were at a low point in his life, he wasn't ready to give up and join Chyler beyond the veil. He didn't want to accidentally slip and fall to his death.
He climbed lower and lower, letting his feet guide him to wherever they wanted to go. His feet seemed to have a mind of their own and directed him to a line of caves. Lysander stopped and looked at each of the caves in turn, debating whether to explore them or to continue on down the cliffside. Maybe he would find a nice place to sit and look in the magic mirror he had tucked into his pocket. He looked into it often but either Charlotte hadn't yet figured out what it did or it didn't work for her the way the other one worked for Lysander.
Suddenly, a figure emerged from one of the openings. The hooded individual wore gray robes and held a wand in a long-fingered, slender hand. Lysander fumbled for his wand, but before he could get a firm grasp on it, an invisible force pulled it from his hand. It landed with a clatter on the rocks and threatened to fall into the dark water below.
The figure laughed.
Lysander, finding the voice familiar, squinted at her and asked, "Adriana?"
Adriana Fairchild threw back her hood and held up a finger to her lips. "Shh, not so loud. Nobody is supposed to know I'm here."
Lysander blinked at her. "Is this where you're living? Have you been under our noses all along?"
She made a face that suggested, "As if!"
"No, Lysander. I have other accommodations," she answered cryptically.
"What are you doing here, then?" he asked.
Adriana turned a careful circle, mindful of the icy patches on the rocks, and answered, "I actually came to talk to you. I wasn't exactly planning on arranging a meeting for today. I was looking for an out of the way place not too far away where I could request an audience with you. It's just lucky you stumbled upon me. Now I won't have to wait to ask you an important question." She stopped her slow rotation and looked at him again.
"What makes you so certain I am willing to stand here and listen to you and not report you to the authorities?" Lysander asked. His tone of voice was neither accusatory nor full of approval. He felt entirely neutral on the matter of Adriana and her crimes.
"For starters, your wand is precariously close to being fish food," Adriana said. "Besides, I know you, Lysander. I know what you believe, how you were raised. We're alike, you and I."
"Were you planning on talking to Julian too? We all grew up together."
Adriana moved to sit on a large rock and carefully arranged the folds of her robes around her legs. She still held on to her wand, as if it were an extension of her hand.
"It's not that I don't think he doesn't believe in the cause," she finally answered. "I just think he doesn't want to get involved."
"Have you asked him?" Lysander asked.
"No," Adriana curtly replied.
"Then how do you even know?" Lysander asked, even when he knew what she said was the absolute truth. Deep down, Julian may believe in pureblood superiority and the whole nine yards, but he would never outright take risks as a father of four children who absolutely needed him.
"It's just been my observation," Adriana said. "Julian has too much to lose. You, I understand, have already lost everything."
Lysander's expression darkened. "Just what, exactly, are you referring to, Adriana?"
She smiled a Cheshire Cat grin and said, "My spies tell me you've lost your daughter to her mother and idiot brother. You're stuck between a rock and hard place, with no choice but to allow them to raise Charlotte. Sure, it's only meant to be temporary so that they can all get to know each other, but how long has it been already? Do you honestly think they'll ever give her back to you?"
Lysander felt his temper rise.
Adriana went on, "I'm sure I can help you with your situation. In fact, I know I can. I can give you whatever you want, if you only help me with a little project I'm working on. Lysander," she said, gazing up at him with bright eyes, "if everything works out to plan, if you help me find what I'm looking for, then we can bring Chyler back to life."