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Cursed
Author: Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen
Date: 07-14-13 15:48
The auror known as Savage leans back in his chair with a heavy sigh. For weeks, he and his colleagues have been interrogating Berthold Beatenberg with little to no success. All methods of interrogation, from mental tactics to utilizing truth serums have proven futile. Beatenberg cannot tell them anything of use.
It has become very evident that a curse has been place upon Beatenberg, rendering it impossible to speak about certain people, places and things. When asked, he cannot say anything about Adriana Fairchild, other than the fact that he wishes her dead. It is unclear what association, if any, he had with Fairchild, though it is known that she had something to do with the loss of his hands.
Savage also can't determine where Beatenberg was when he lost his hands or what he did between the murder of Berwick Oldridge and his arrest. It is surmised that Fairchild ordered the death of Oldridge, but why Beatenberg would carry it out is anyone's guess.
"I think it's time to break for luncheon," Savage says to Proudfoot, a second auror listening in on the interrogation that morning. Proudfoot stands against the wall looking equally discouraged by their lack of progress.
"Yes, perhaps a full stomach will help us get our answers," Proudfoot says. He steps out of the room for a moment, leaving Savage and Beatenberg alone.
"I wish I knew what happened for you to be unable to speak on certain subjects," Savage muses aloud. "If I had to guess, I would say you crossed Fairchild the wrong way and she decided to make an example of you. Rather than kill you herself, she cut you loose so justice would get served. Everyone's still very shocked about Oldridge, you know."
Savage looks up when Proudfoot returns with a tray of porridge and a cup of water. He sets the tray down on the table and casts a charm on the spoon to systematically feed Beatenberg. By now, Proudfoot knows exactly how to time the spoon.
The entire time, Beatenberg says nothing. Not because he can't, but because he has no desire to chitchat with the buffoons tasked with interrogating him. If he could tell all about Adriana Fairchild, he most certainly would. He would help the aurors find and destroy her, even when he knows doing so would not help his situation any. But he can't, because she thought of everything when she set him free.
While Beatenberg eats, Proudfoot and Savage quit the room and stand in the hallway, where they can see their prisoner through the open doorway. They speak to each other in low tones.
"Nobody liked Oldridge much," Savage says, picking up the topic of conversation he'd left off with Beatenberg, "but funny how his murder has changed how all of us are remembering him."
"You're telling me. Oldridge reprimanded me once for accidentally wearing my trousers inside-out! Said I was poorly dressed and it made the department look sloppy. Never mind the fact that I had worked on a case throughout the night and had been scheduled to work the following morning," Proudfoot replies, shaking his head at the memory.
"Think we'll ever get any information out of him?" Savage asks, nodding his head at Beatenberg.
"Only if we can get the curse broken," Proudfoot answered. "Something tells me it won't be easy."
The two aurors sigh and watch the pathetic wizard with no hands, forced to eat his porridge by enchanted spoon.
Happy Birthday Nate
Author: Maggie Hawthorne
Date: 07-14-13 16:55
Today was Nate's birthday.
Last night we'd gotten together at my flat, and I'd cooked him dinner and even braved an attempt at baking (which had not come out well and I'd ended up going to the Flour Shoppe and purchasing a cake for him).
Nate had been quite pleased with the way dinner had turned out, and truthfully so was I. I'd made him steak, jacket potatoes loaded with cheese, bacon bits, and green onions. I'd also made some steamed asparagus, that had turned out quite well seasoned with a little bit of salt and pepper. It was an over achieving meal, and I was pleased that it had come of as well as I had hoped.
After dinner, and before we cut the cake, I gave Nate his gifts.
One of those gifts had been the clock that we'd looked at earlier in the week at one of the shops on Diagon Alley and he couldn't afford. He was pleased with the gift to be certain, and I'd also gotten him a new pocket watch that worked like the clock, but also had an appointment feature so he wouldn't miss an appointment.
After dinner, and each with a slice of cake, we sat curled up on the couch just talking and relaxing with a glass of wine each.
"So, right now I'm still thinking that communication is going to be the best path for me. I am hopefully next term going to be able to do an internship at the WWN broadcasting center and start learning things there."
"That's cool, isn't your brother friends with one of the announcers there?"
"Yeah, Bronwyn Dewhurst. They were in the same year together and same house I think."
"That's cool. You think she might be able to get you in?"
"More than likely, but I'm not going to rely on favors like that. I want to do it on my own merits and right now I am at the top of my classes, and I'm still really enjoying the DADA class that I'm taking with the former Auror that's dating Desdemona Diamond. He's actually really cute.."
I blushed, shifting lightly, I didn't usually talk about crushes with Nate – but then again, it was pretty much known that I had a huge crush on him, had for a while.
"Anyway, that one seriously kicks my butt, but it's an awesome work out. I've shifted my hours at the cafe and actually work a couple of days less – I'm working about four days a week there, and I've got classes five days this term. But, thankfully I've got maybe four terms left.
"That's awesome Maggie. So, pretty soon I'll get to say I know someone famous hmm?" Nate teased.
"We'll see! I've gotta get started first, and we'll see where things go."
I thankfully had nothing to do today, so that made it a somewhat late night even though Nate had to work today before he was going to his parents for dinner.
It was probably around midnight by the time Nate and I got ready to say goodbye and I did offer to let him crash here but he decided that it wouldn't be a good idea tonight...though he considered it.
It may have been a bit too much wine, but before Nate left, I gave him a quick kiss, perhaps not as chaste as it should have been but again, I blame it on the wine.
I spent today curled on the couch studying while I waited until it was time to head to class at St. Emrys and then I met a couple of friends for drinks and headed home to crash before a shift of doubles on Saturday.
Friday Doubles
Author: Charisma Stone
Date: 07-14-13 17:31
Fridays meant a day full of doubles for me and Blake. Thankfully we didn't have maddening amounts of Quidditch practice to go to like the Hufflepuff and Slytherin teams who would be playing in the next few days as the final house match was played before the Championship match up was determined - and unfortunately for poor Rylee I doubted Slytherin would make it into the championships this year.
I'd started my morning at breakfast, after quick shower in the prefects bathroom, I'd pulled my hair into a quick braid and added a couple of clips to it that had come from one of my Christmas gifts from Blake's sister. Breakfast had been scrambled eggs, toast and sausage along with a glass of pumpkin juice.
Blake had joined me about halfway through breakfast, fresh from the shower and wearing a bit of the cologne that I'd given him for Christmas.
"Morning babe." He said, dropping a chaste kiss on my cheek and setting down next to me at the table. Owls came in with the mail, and I had a couple of letters as did Blake, most likely care package requests for things we wanted to help us get through O.W.Ls coming up rather quickly.
"Morning."
We talked a little bit over breakfast before heading toward our first double class of the day - down in the dungeons Potions with Professor Snape. Then it was off to a double of DADA and finishing off with a double of Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Kent.
Semi-Comatose
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 07-14-13 18:48
Slamming back the last of the coffee in a tall cup Griff enters the conference room to find no one else there. Stepping back across the threshold to peer around the partially closed door to make sure he's come to the right room. He's in the right place and he'd give a shrug about being early when he thought he was late if he had the energy. Reentering the room he sees someone has been there long enough to bring in pots of tea and coffee. Griff refills his cup then takes a seat to wait.
A hand shaking his shoulder has Griff groggily sitting up. He doesn't even remember putting his head down. Moiraine Watts gives him an empathetic smile as rubs gunk from the corner of an eye. "You look like you need one of those infamous Desi Diamond cups of coffee."
"At this point, I'd actually drink one of those."
There's no one else yet in the conference room, which is probably why Moiraine asks somewhat nosily, "Not problems at home are there that have you not getting any sleep or is it still the newlywed syndrome that's brought this on?"
Griff makes a face at her, takes a huge swallow of his now somewhat tepid coffee, and then taps the cup with his wand to reheat it before saying anything. "I was at Lace until 6 this morning and day before yesterday I ended up being there until after 5. I pulled my regular day shifts here so I've just not had time to get any rest."
Griff leaves out the part about how after seeing Carys off to St. Emrys this morning and Tristan off to school, and Alun leaving for part of the day, he'd gone back to sleep thinking to get up for this meeting since he's not on duty here again until after the meeting ends. He'd woken up when Carys had returned for something she'd forgotten and they had ended up taking advantage of having the house to themselves other than the cats. When Carys left she was under the impression Griff was rolling out of bed to shower and get dressed when in fact he'd lain there in a sort of stupor. It was only when Snowy decided that Griff was the perfect spot for running up and down and playing chase the fluffy cat tail that he finally stirred. He stirred then bolted at seeing the time. A quick, cold shower to try and help him wake up had followed and he'd gotten the extra large coffee in hopes it would help him be more intelligible for the meeting. Hurrying through the Ministry to to reach this Level 2 conference room located in a far, back corner nowhere near any stairs or lifts had Griff worrying he'd be late enough to get a reprimand. He still can't believe he was not only early but the first one to arrive.
As she stirs cream into a cup of tea Moiraine asks, "Why so late? I thought you were leaving right after me."
"I was but the buffoon didn't show up again. Braithwaite asked me to pick up the slack and it's not like I could tell him no."
Moiraine shudders at the name Braithwaite. "That man makes me nauseous. I cannot wait until we get the go ahead to arrest him."
She takes a sip of her tea before adding, "Just the thought of him bothers me but if you mean does he flirt and try to get touchy feely, yes. The customers and clients can't touch the waitresses but he certainly thinks it's very hands on for him."
"I've seen him getting up close to you and some of the others. It's all I can do to come over."
"If it wouldn't get me fired and have to start over at one of the other clubs with a new cover, I'd have handled it long ago. What I wouldn't give to be able to hex Braithwaite Junior."
Griff nearly snorts coffee through his nose. "He calls his Junior?"
"He has this whole spiel about how he'd call it little Braithwaite but no man wants to refer to that part of his anatomy as little."
"You are expected to laugh when he says that I'm guessing."
"Every single time."
By then others are arriving for the meeting. The meeting is for those working in some capacity garnering evidence on another brothel slavery ring. Lace, where Griff and Moiraine have covers, him as a bouncer and her as a server, is an exotic dance club that fronts a brothel. Many of the customers are just there to watch the dancers, unaware of the brothel aspect. The brothel clientele list is exclusive. From what Griff and Moiraine have gathered, some of those clients have no idea that not all of the sex workers, female and male, are not there by choice. Of those that do know, Griff and Moiraine hope to see them do some time in Azkaban. Their colleagues working other brothels and clubs feel much the same about the clients in those places who are knowingly part of the sex slave world.
When the meeting begins, Griff is only feeling semi-comatose, which is a big step up from the state of consciousness, or lack thereof, he was in when he arrived to the Ministry.
Attempting to Focus on a Friday
Author: Adina Blackwood
Date: 07-14-13 19:04
"Seriously Arthur, I think our chances at the Quidditch House Cup are shot and it's more than likely going to all weigh on the shoulders of Rylee Marks, she isn't as experienced as some of the others, so how she managed to get the Seeker position is beyond so many of us."
"Well, it probably had something to do with the fact that Cornelia isn't here any more, and ultimately things will be better next year, we can hope."
We had been talking since we left the Great Hall after breakfast, and we'd been talking since this morning.
"So, what are we doing this summer?"
There were plans that were being made slowly but surely we made our way to Charms, which was our first class this morning. After Charms we ultimately would be heading to Transfiguration and Muggle Studies and the only one that wasn't a double was Muggle Studies.
Unfortunately, we weren't seated together, and ultimately we exchanged a quick caste kiss before heading to our seats when we entered Charms.
I took my seat and quickly got out my books and things, preparing for lecture. My wand tucked lightly against my book. My thoughts tended to drift while waiting, and I recalled the letter I'd gotten from my dad, apparently he's going to be marrying his girlfriend this summer, and she was like old enough to have just gotten out of Hogwarts - seriously. Mom was livid, because of course just to gloat he'd sent an invitation to my mother.
Mom wasn't dating anyone steadily at this point in time, and she'd broken it off with the bloke she'd been seeing at Easter because he'd turned out to be a creepy tosser that wasn't worth her time.
Any further thoughts on the twisted life that was going on outside of the castle walls when the lecture started. Legs curled beneath me, as I started taking notes, attempting to focus on the lecture at hand.
(Andrina) The Girl who Chirped
Author: Wendy Mills
Date: 07-15-13 03:31
Andrina Fricks was upset when she learned she was not going to have a solo. She took her role at the Hogwarts Harmonies club very seriously, putting it at the same level as the classes she took at school.
Not getting a solo meant she didn't had practiced enough, although Professor Flitwick had kindly explained to her that it was just because the song in question needed another kind of voice. He had picked an older girl from Slytherin who with a smug smile on her face had sung the solo in perfection.
But Adrina did not leave the choir room defeated. She felt as if she had lost a battle but not a war and with quick resolute steps she went to the library in search for a solution to her problem. She didn't find anything but she didn't give up and so she returned to the library whenever she could.
She had no classes Friday with the exception of Fitness & Athletics and so she would have plenty of time to do some research. Finally she had selected a book and she took it to the dormitory.
There wasn't anyone there and after flipping a few pages, Andrina selected the spell she intended to use. It didn't seem a very complicated spell for a first year. According to the description in the page she would start singing like a bird once the spell was cast.
Andrina took her wand from her pocket and pointed it to her throat where her vocal cords were. Then loud and clear she mentioned the incantation words of the spell.
At first nothing happened, but then she felt a burning feeling in her throat. It only lasted a moment and then things seemed back to normal. Andrina smiled, put her wand aside and after straitening her back and taking a deep breath like Professor Flitwick had taught his choir students she started to sing.
However, after a moment she got quiet because her voice had changed and all she could do now was chirp like a bird. In panic she tried to speak but no words came out of her mouth. She was a girl who chirped.
Her first reaction was to run to the Ravenclaw common room and ask for help. But scared of being mocked and misunderstood, she decided the best thing was to search in the book for a counter spell. Andrina flipped the pages, her hands trembling. She consulted the index twice and protested out loud in the form of a happy chirping. There was no counter spell.
She heard some steps and Wendy entered the dormitory. She noticed Andrina's affliction face and asked her what was wrong. Without speaking she showed Wendy the book. She read the spell Andrina had used.
"That's cheating, Andrina! What will Flitwick do when he finds out you used a spell to improve your singing?"
Andrina shook her head and then she showed the spell's effect on Wendy.
"Oh!" her friend replied, her eyes glowing with understanding. "They mean it literally then. Well maybe you should go to the Hospital Wing. I am sure Madam Pomfrey will be able to cure you this, perhaps even before Fitness & Althetics class."
Andrina nodded, and she was glad when Wendy offered to escort her to the Hospital Wing. But before doing so, Wendy looked to the spell carefully as if trying to memorize it. Andrina looked at her with an interrogation look in her face. Wendy's cheeks turned red.
"I know I shouldn't but I was just trying to memorize the spell. It could be useful in case Anton Avery tries to bug me again."
Not really caring about Anton Avery, Andrina pulled Wendy out of the dormitory, eager to have her own voice back.
Sooner than Later
Author: Celeste Quigley
Date: 07-15-13 10:40
"Professor? I think I finished…"
Celeste walked towards the massive display case where old telescopes were exposed. Boris Samson, a fourth year Slytherin, was holding a duster cleaner in his hand. He seemed a bit insecure with his work as Celeste inspected the old telescopes, trying to find the smallest vestige of dust.
"You did a good job, Mr. Samson. I hope the next time this sort of detention won't be needed."
"Yes, Professor."
Celeste dismissed Boris from her office at the Astronomy Tower, hoping he had learned his lesson. But she just couldn't help to understand the boy's need to take an action. For the past days Boris had tried to poison members of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team.
His plan consisted in passing by the Hufflepuff table as discreetly as he could with the excuse he was asking a colleague for homework and when no one was looking, he would put some powder he acquired previously at Dogweed and Deathcap an herb shop, in the Quidditch player's cups. The powder would make those who drink it feel nausea and gain an acute stomach ache.
It was such a ridiculous and stupid plan and of course Boris was caught before even dropping some powder in anyone's cup.
In his defense Boris stated he was just trying to give a hand to the Slytherin team. He wanted to weak the Hufflepuffs because ,in his point of view, his house was playing without a seeker at the moment. He thought Rylee Marks was not doing a good job and it didn't make much of a difference.if she was in or out of the speech.
As assistance head of the Slytherin house, she too was disappointed with Miss Mark's performance, but she knew the girl had started playing Quidditch at the age of twelve and there was still room for improvement. Maybe later with a few more matches played and experience gained, she could be good. But of course Celeste had hopes she would be good sooner than later.
"You should have a little more faith in your house's team, Mr. Samson. Merlin knows how they will need your support," she had told him.
Once Boris Samson left she sat on the chair behind her desk. Then using her wand she closed and locked the door to make sure no one would bother her. Celeste opened the first drawer and removed a small golden pocket watch from inside which she opened. Inside there was a small portrait of a woman who was already dead but in a way very much alive, because her name would last as long as Celeste used it.
The woman on the portrait seemed angry at her.
"Why did you steal Eugene's watch, Alison? It was a birthday gift to him. It cost me fourteen galleons!"
"Because, for the past months, I caught my husband opening it to talk to you. And whenever he put it back in his pocket, he seemed somewhat guilty."
"Don't forget he was my husband too," she reminded her. "I let you use my name and my looks so you could protect yourself. I told Eugene to take care of you. And then…then you stole my husband!"
The Astronomy teacher started to laugh out loud.
"I did not steal anyone. We just fell for each other. It happens, especially during hard times like the ones we lived. Besides, this arrangement suited you as well because, yes Eugene might be taking care of me, but I was also taking care of him. We both know he is better working with a quill than a wand. He was never good at dueling. You were afraid Smyth-Jones agents would come after him for some reason and that he wouldn't be able to defend himself."
"Well now the danger is over, now you two don't need each other. And yet here you are still playing a role that is not yours."
"I always wanted to teach and I don't think there is a better place for doing so than here at Hogwarts. And I assumed my real identity and my looks. I just kept your name to keep it simple, that's all. And I need Eugene. Because he is my husband and I love him."
Now it was the woman of the portrait who laughed.
"Eugene might like you…but you will never be able to give him what he wants. And between us, my dear, he is getting tired of all our excuses. Soon he will realize you cannot give him children and he will pack his things and go."
"So you are the one poisoning his mind? I knew it! I knew he was being instigated. I am glad I followed my guts and stole the watch. Now he won't be able to talk to you anymore."
"Too late. The seed is already planted in his mind."
Celeste closed the watch with violence and threw it inside the drawer in fury.
Viktor's Turn To Be Featured By Skeeter
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 07-15-13 11:03
After the first and second years had their last class of the term involving volleyball, Viktor had gone to the pitch to the part of the locker rooms where equipment is stored. Since F&A began as a course at Hogwarts, the equipment room has been expanded twice. With new units for each of his three classes to commence next week, Viktor wants to once again go over the equipment needed. For the first and second years this means baseballs, bats, gloves, safety helmets, face masks for catchers, and even the bases used. He'd not been sure if he wanted to do baseball this year but having Estine Mignon around helped him make the decision to include it. When her father has been at Hogwarts playing ball with Estine and when she's been on her own, there's always been interest shown by her classmates and others.
The third and fourth years are doing football, or as a number of the students with ties to the Muggle World call it, footie. Viktor has yet to hear a good explanation on why it's called soccer in America while their football is more of a passing game and not one that involves kicking the ball and maneuvering it with the feet as footie does.
For the fifth, sixth, and seventh years there is tennis so Viktor needs to triple check that all the rackets are strung properly. Tennis is a sport he first learned the most about from Aaron Miller. Since then, as with many of the more Muggle related sports, Viktor has spent a great deal of time and energy learning about them and getting competent enough to be able to teach others. He's no expert on most of them, in fact, the only sport he feels truly expert is Quidditch, but he's knowledgable enough and continuing to learn so that he can adequately get across the basic concepts to the students.
Rubbing his thumb over what looks like a spot of mud on what should be a perfectly pristine baseball, Viktor isn't wondering how the ball came to be dirty. He's trying not to think about the Daily Prophet article he was the subject of this morning. Rita Skeeter doesn't have many of the Hogwarts faculty and staff left to skewer so Viktor knew he should be expecting something, it was just a matter of when exactly Skeeter would strike.
The article covered everything from Viktor's faux pas in the Wold Cup against Ireland in which he caught the snitch when the other team had enough goals to still claim victory, to questioning whether he is the right person to have taken in Marjani and Zuberi after Theodosia's death. The main focus, however, was on Viktor's association with dark wizard Koyla and Koyla's equally dark cult. Skeeter's slanted things to make it sound as though Viktor's years as a Durmstrang student had turned him down the path of dark magic and he was a willing follower of Koyla. There is no mention of Viktor being undercover to aid both the Bulgarian Ministry and the British Ministry with investigations of the cult.
Skeeter highlights the death of Kendra Beck, questioning Viktor's role in it, claiming he stood by and allowed Koyla to murder the girl. Oddly not mentioned is that Ethan Somerset was also undercover, which is how Viktor and he became good friends. Viktor supposed Skeeter doesn't want to muddy things by dredging up Ethan's name for her spotlight on him when she's already made Ethan the subject of one of her yellow journalism articles. He would have thought, though, she'd jump at the chance for another reason to question Ethan's presence at Hogwarts. Perhaps it's that she couldn't find a way to twist his being undercover with the cult as she's done Viktor since Viktor was not working as a law enforcement official and Ethan was.
Skeeter ends the article with information about Koyla's death, most of it wrong. Yes, Viktor killed Koyla. No, he wasn't in a lover's pact with Koyla's sister Lyric Morgan to do so, thus allowing Lyric to take over the cult. Skeeter even makes it sound as if Viktor fought dirty and that Koyla never stood a chance.
So far no student or staff member not around back then to know about these events have said anything to Viktor about the article or within his hearing. There was one thing but it wasn't directed at him. He heard one student saying to another, "Yes, the girl in the article was a sister to Toby Beck."
Nothing said to him yet but he fully expects someone to say something to him before the day is over.
A New Friend?
Author: Rylee
Date: 07-15-13 18:14
The next few months were going to be somewhat stressful. My grandfather was currently in the hospital, and my mum and dad were currently contemplating a divorce. Which, of course would be hell when it came to holidays and such. Just what I need to deal with when I'm getting ready to play my last Quidditch match of the year (more than likely) and then gonna have to deal with finals coming up in month or so.
"I'm seriously trying to decide if it is worth it even showing up to this Quidditch match on the fifth."
I curled against Gideon as he sat down next to me in the Common Commons and offered me one of the chocolate sugar biscuits that he'd picked up on his way over to join me.
"Show them that despite the hexes, curses, potions and other crap that you aren't going to give up. You weren't the ideal choice for seeker by any stretch, but you've done good despite not winning a single match all year."
I glared at him after a moment. "Thank you so very much for that vote of confidence Gideon. Remind me again why we are friends?"
He laughed and hugged me. "Because I'm about the only Slytherin, professor and student alike that can tolerate being around you for longer than a few moments."
Had I wanted to, I would have hexed him for that comment, but I unfortunately, had to admit that he was really rather spot on.
"I know and it kinda sucks. I mean, yeah, I was an obnoxious princess my first year, but I've changed. Not for anyone else's benefit but my own. I hated being the source of so much venom and gossip, not that that's changed considering I'm probably the worst seeker in the entire history of quidditch at Hogwarts."
"Don't let the vipers get to you. Especially some of the first years who were born with a slytherin crest etched on their silver spoons."
I shrug lightly and rest my head on his shoulder, snipping another chocolate biscuit and nibbling on it.
"I got a letter from Charlotte, Nicholette, and Mum earlier today. Things are pretty bloody miserable outside the castle walls right now. My grandfather, Nathaniel, my dad's dad is in hospital in Spain and my parent are considering getting a divorce. I mean, they've been together for twenty-five years or something like that, and now they are considering a divorce? It doesn't make sense."
Gideon frowned and hugged me tightly.
"That is bloody miserable. I wish I could help you sort things out, but I will say this, if you need someone to vent to, someone to talk to you know how to find me."
I nodded, kissing his cheek. "Thanks Gideon. Now, I just have to try and get my focus together for that quidditch match in a few days."
"You can do it Rylee. What happened to the spoiled little bitch that you were first year? I mean, you wouldn't take half the crap you have been taking this year?"
I smirked lightly. "She's still there. I've just decided to try something new..being nice. But, it seems that I'll have to find a bit of a balance between the nice and the spoiled little bitch. Though, I will say the fact that I'm more active is a plus, besides I've never been in better shape – between quidditch practice and fitness & athletics."
"Go get me a pumpkin juice." I grin and nudge Gideon up off the seat, before shifting and grabbing my book again.
"Truth be told, I think you've done well this season Rylee."
I blinked, turning my attention to the person who had spoken to me. "Aderyn, right? Cai's little sister."
The girl nodded and dropped down in the seat next to me for a few minutes. "From what I'd heard about you last year and the sudden interest in quidditch this year. Also, stop letting what everyone around you determine the way you see yourself."
I blinked, and watched this girl pass her own judgement, but without being harmful, hurtful, or anything like anyone else who had known me last year.
Gideon came back with a plateful of biscuits and set it on the table between the three of us.
"Hey, Aderyn right?"
"Yup. Was just talking to Rylee for a little bit...giving her a little bit of advice and such. Figured neither of you would mind if I hung around for a little bit."
"Nope, not at all. You're more than welcome to join us.."
Rylee of last year wouldn't normally have been seen with Aderyn, but Rylee of this year would definitely welcome the friendship. "Gideon seems to be of the opinion that I need to find a balance between the athlete and the spoiled little rich bitch that I was last year..what do you think Aderyn?"
"I think he's pretty spot on. I mean, last year you flaunted what you had. This year, you shrink when one of the silver-spoon first year Slytherin brats even looks at you funny. Not cool."
"I know, that's going to change. No matter the outcome of the upcoming quidditch match against Hufflepuff. Yeah, I'll get hexed, but I've been studying counters and have been learning to check my items for curses and alterations in their mixtures – especially after the last time someone tried to put a hair remover in my shampoo."
Aderyn giggled. "That had to have been funny, especially if it had actually worked. I mean, really, you bald. I can't see it."
The three of us talked until about thirty-minutes before curfew and made plans to spend the weekend just hanging out, and I even got Aderyn to agree to letting me give her a makeover!