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After Herbology
Author: Ellis
Date: 01-27-14 18:06
Alys stepped out into the cold, which was all the more noticeable after spending the last forty-five minutes in the warmth of the greenhouses. She paused to pull on her mittens after searching for them in her book bag. They were Ravenclaw blue and had arrived from home in time for the first cold front. Since then, they had seen much use.
Her classmates hadn't lingered and were halfway to the castle when Alys set off again. She followed their footsteps through the light snow, which was soft and fluffy.
With their backs to her, Alys could only make out snippets of their conversations. She definitely heard the phrase 'Secret Santa', though, which brought to mind the gift she had gotten Rylee Marks.
Being the oldest of many children, Alys knew that she didn't have a lot of money to spend on something like a Secret Santa gift, which was wholly optional and something she had only signed up for after her parents had encouraged it. She was very glad they had agreed to her participating, as it had been something she very much wanted to do.
The gift Alys had gotten Rylee was something she had found in a catalog. It was a key chain shaped like a snitch, only it was tinged a little green. Alys thought the modest gift fitting since Rylee was Slytherin's seeker.
Finally, Alys reached the castle, which was a bit on the cold and drafty side but certainly warmer than the outdoors. She started peeling off her layers and made her way into the Great Hall, where she waved over to Chip at the Hufflepuff table before taking a seat with her housemates.
Leaving Potions (Mason)
Author: Pyrrhus
Date: 01-27-14 19:28
Mason and Boris walks the dungeon corridor towards the stairs, the last two out of the Potions classroom save Professor Snape. Looking over his shoulder to ensure said professor isn't within hearing range Boris grumbles, "Sodding git."
Mason grunts in agreement but says nothing. Severus Snape is a bloody arse but this time Boris did bring the negative attention on himself by first ignoring that a crucial ingredient had to be shredded. Boris had hastily chopped it into large, uneven pieces. The result was that the cauldron foamed over, creating a gooey mess.
After getting things cleaned up and having to start over, Boris was rushing to catch up. He turned up the fire under his cauldron, causing the potion to scorch. With no time to start over yet again, he'd been forced to turn in a muddy brown, burnt smelling potion neither looking nor smelling, anything like it should. Even though it was entirely of Boris's doing, he blames Professor Snape. That the Potions Master had ripped Boris a new one, not once but twice, definitely isn't helping his friend grasp that fact that if he'd just followed the recipe to begin with, even if his end product hadn't been perfect, the potion would have been closer to the desired result.
Still, Mason would have thought that after years of teaching Professor Snape would have better people skills and not tear down students the way he does and in front of their classmates at that. The man has a reputation for this going back years so Mason wonders why he'd ever have wanted to go into teaching in the first place.
Boris pauses at the stairs. "Shit. I think I left a couple of things."
"Important?" Mason asks, hoping what got left were some blank parchments or a few quills.
"Yeah. Potions textbook for one. Secret Santa gift for another."
"Why'd you have it out?"
"To get out the book and my homework to hand in. You go on, I'll catch you up in the Great Hall."
Boris spins and takes off at a jog. Mason continues up the stairs, stopping once to double check he has his own Secret Santa gift to give. Boris's mention of the exchange had him trying to remember if he'd picked up the one he's giving when gathering items this morning for his four Monday classes. His thought in added the gift to his pack was that if he has time after eating he'll go put the Secret Santa present under the large tree in the common commons where people often leave such gifts. If there isn't time, he's heading to the common commons after Care of Magical Creatures for an afternoon snack, so he'd leave it then.
Mason had drawn Professor Josie Fanshawe's name for Secret Santa. He doesn't know her very well, only being a fifth year and her teaching only sixth and seventh years, so he thought he'd have a hard time deciding on something for the Alchemy professor. As it happened, he found himself debating between two necklaces when in Hogsmeade Saturday. After a great deal of thought, with a few rounds of wizarding laser tag in between finding the necklaces and making a decision, Mason got both of them. One necklace pendant has alchemical symbols while the other is also alchemy related, a medieval macrocosm.
Reaching the Great Hall, Mason goes straight to the Slytherin table, hungry despite having eaten a somewhat large breakfast.
After Lunch
Author: Illyria
Date: 01-28-14 08:15
After lunch, Illyria spent a little time in her quarters. Although the house-elves tidied up unseen more often than not, she didn't like leaving her living space too disorderly. More recently, it seemed extra messy, what with Christmas gifts, wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, and gift bags littering every surface.
At current count (although it would increase in number come January), Illyria had seven nieces and nephews. She had already found presents for the majority of them. She also had something for all her sisters but Urania, who had become the most difficult person for whom to shop. They were certainly on better terms, but Illyria nevertheless felt as if she no longer knew her youngest sister. It was a great shame, since they had been the closest of the Jones siblings once upon at time.
Illyria also had some gifts for her brother-in-laws and parents, Ronan, and various friends and colleagues.
One colleague Illyria would most definitely be giving a gift to was Jolyon, whose name she had drawn for Secret Santa. While in Hogsmeade on Saturday, Illyria had gone into MacFusty's Pets and selected a variety of ceramic feeding bowls. They were not only very nice but also practical, particularly for Jolyon, since he surrounded himself with animals.
Over the weekend, Hagrid had not only set up the twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall, but he also put one in the Common Common Room, where Secret Santa participants often deposited the gifts they gave others. After tidying up in her quarters a tiny bit (a lost cause, really and truly), Illyria took the wrapped package for Jolyon to the Commons and left it under the tree for him to find. There weren't many gifts yet, since it was still the very beginning of December, but there were some.
Illyria checked if any bore her name, but none did. She briefly wondered who had gotten her name. Was it another staff member or a student?
After her brief pondering on the subject, Illyria stopped by the bar to get a cup of hot chocolate and then went up to the Astronomy Tower for her office hours. She expected to have some visitors, since she had scheduled exams for next week.
(Franciscus & Paton) Between DADA & Ancient Runes
Author: Griet
Date: 01-28-14 12:00
"What now?" Paton asked, pulling his book satchel onto his shoulder as he and Franciscus exited the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Franciscus, who had opted to carry his books in his hands instead of using a bag, held them to his thigh as he walked and shrugged his shoulders. "Not much time to do anything, is there?"
Depending on the staircases, it could very well take them the fifteen minutes between classes to reach their next destination. Professor Hodfuffer was nicer than some teachers, but even he would dock points if someone arrived to class tardy.
Paton said, "I guess you're right, unless you want to fake stomach bugs and just go to the dorm."
Franciscus shook his head. "I don't think that would work. We can't fake stomach bugs and not go see Madam Pomfrey, who wouldn't be fooled anyway."
"I think I have a skivving snackbox under my bed," Paton said, grinning.
Franciscus gave a short laugh. "Not sure it's worth it, mate. We've only got two weeks of classes left."
"ONLY two weeks, and before Christmas, no less!" Paton exclaimed. "You know they will drag out terribly."
"I know, but let's not end Fall Term by losing points and earning bad marks," Franciscus said.
In truth, Paton was a bit more responsible than Franciscus, so it said something that he was feeling a bit unruly.
"I wish we could go to Hogsmeade again," Paton murmured, thinking back to their trip on Saturday. It had been the first year that they could purchase their Secret Santa gifts on their own in the village, rather than relying on someone like Beatrix or ordering from a catalog.
Both boys had been assigned professors this year. Paton had Professor Weasley, his own Potions teacher, while Franciscus had Professor Sacheverelle. Neither he nor Paton were enrolled in Arithmancy & Divination, though. Boys being boys, and somewhat young ones at that, they had not really given serious thought on what to get the two professors. In the end, Paton picked out sparkly blue ink for Professor Weasley, and Franciscus picked out a pink teapot planter for Professor Sacheverelle. Both gifts were still unwrapped in their dorm room but would eventually go under the tree in the Commons.
The journey to the Ancient Runes classroom proved uenventful. The staircases didn't change and Peeves didn't come bothering. The boys arrived to class early, but at least they weren't late.
Monday Isn't Usually The Favorite Day Of The Week
Author: Saffron
Date: 01-28-14 16:34
Mondays being Mondays, the day isn't usually any student's or teacher's favorite day of the day. Saffron can't really complain though as her Monday work load is relatively light even if Brandon did decide that 4:45 was a perfectly wonderful time of the morning to be wide awake and wanting breakfast.
She'd found herself dozing off during her morning office hours but with some strong coffee rather than her usual tea, Saffron was awake, or enough so, for her sixth year NEWT class at 11. Ramona Mickle and Caerwyn Valentine both earned three points for their respective houses, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, while in her fourth year class that began at 1:45, Gryffindor and Slytherin earned three points each courtesy of Tamsin Branstone and Evelyn Steele. In between the two classes Saffron took a real nap, with a quick sandwich with more coffee just before the fourth years arrived.
Now that her classroom is empty again she sits at one of the tables wrapping a few Christmas gifts. Both Aaron and she had put their names in again for the Hogwarts Secret Santa Christmas gift exchange. Saffron drew the name of a student in her third year class, Willow Westwick. She picked out a nice spa set for Willow that comes in a pretty box that almost has a jewelry box appearance.
As Saffron is wrapping Willow's gift in some festive red paper with cute reindeer frolicking across it her goddaughter is walking from Ancient Runes in the direction of the Common commons. With five classes today, Marion is definitely not a fan of Mondays. Glad the day is over though not looking forward to homework, she says as much to Callie.
Callie makes a face. "Homework. Don't remind me. I still have Astronomy to get through tonight. Speaking of, I better double check I've done everything needed for it."
As they walk, Marion pulls a green and gold wrapped small box with green and gold bow from one of the pockets of her bag. She fluffs the bow and flicks of imaginary specks of dust. "I wouldn't mind having Astronomy as a sixth class today since it would mean having it with you, Hope, and Katheryn." Marion's Astronomy class is on Tuesdays.
"You just had to be Sorted Hufflepuff," Callie says with a grin. "That for Evelyn?"
"Yes. I hope she likes it." Marion had gotten fourth year Evelyn Steele, one of Callie's Slytherin housemates, for Secret Santa.
"It's pretty. I sort of want it."
"Maybe you're getting one similar."
"Which means I'm not."
Marion smiles sweetly and innocently. "You'll have to wait and see."
Callie had been there with Marion in Hogsmeade on Saturday when the ring for Evelyn, which Marion also thinks is very pretty, was purchased. What Callie doesn't know is that when she wasn't looking Marion did indeed pick a similar one out as Callie's Christmas gift.
At the same shoppe on Saturday, Callie had picked out two different pairs of earrings for her Secret Santa. She'd been going to get just one but couldn't make up her mind between the two very different pairs. Both are pretty but with one pair, each earring has a metallic bow with multicolored rhinestones looping underneath. The other pair are cute, glass owls, one blue, one brown.
The box with both pairs is wrapped but Callie left it in her room. She'd meant to pick it up to put under the tree in the Commons for Ramona Mickle but forgot. She'll do it tomorrow and if not tomorrow, at least by week's end.
Gathering In The Commons (Katheryn, Lilith, & Savannah)
Author: Saffron
Date: 01-28-14 17:53
Katheryn Finch's next to last Monday class had been Defense Against the Dark Arts, which ended at 1:30. From there she'd returned to the third year girls' dorm in Ravenclaw, a headache from a slight cold making her sleepy. When she woke up a little while later she did feel better in that the headache was gone though there is still some pressure from the congestion caused by the cold.
No one else was in the room when she awoke but given the time of afternoon it was, she hadn't been surprised. The other girls with whom she shares the room would be in the Ravenclaw common room, the Commons, the library, or any number of other places, either doing schoolwork or relaxing.
The time was a tiny bit before she knew Callie and Marion would be getting out of Ancient Runes, heading for the Commons unless one or both decided on a change of plans. Katheryn retrieved a gift to place under the tree there, grabbed a couple of things to work on for some classes, to make her way from Ravenclaw Tower to join her friends.
The present is for Kate Dewhurst, an older girl who is in Hufflepuff House. Katheryn got Kate's name in Secret Santa. Knowing she was going to put her own name in for the draw this year, she'd been looking through catalogs for gift ideas but not knowing if she'd be buying for a female or a male and no idea of the person's age until the actual name draw, she couldn't form any concrete plans on what to buy.
Once she had Kate's name, Katheryn had an easier time of it, selecting a cute pair of navy flats. In Katheryn's opinion, the shoes are stylish and can be worn all year round and for any number of occasions, including around school for classes.
When Katheryn arrives to the Commons she finds Lilith Balfour and Savannah Applewhite already there, a plate of assorted biscuits between them. Katheryn puts Kate's gift under the large tree then joins her two friends, snagging a biscuit that turns out to be apple cinnamon oatmeal with walnuts.
Lilith, upon seeing Katheryn enter and going over to the tree is reminded that she brought a wrapped gift for that tree as well. Due to her birthday causing her to start after four of her friends, unlike Hope, Katheryn, Marion, and Callie, she is only a second year. That meant no Hogsmeade weekend and having to rely on another source for the Secret Santa gift she needed to get for Angharad Carter-Cardin, whom she doesn't know though Angharad is a sister to Lilith's classmate Aderyn Carter.
Lilith and Savannah, who shares the birthday holding her back fate and thus also couldn't go to Hogsmeade to shop, had uses the same clothing catalog for owl ordering. She picked out a ribbed, purple tunic sweater for Angharad that can be worn alone or paired with leggings. Lilith pulls the wrapped packaged from her bag and gets up to place it under the tree, snagging another plate of biscuits for the table on her way back.
Savannah is in possession of the gift for her Secret Santa recipient Ash Westwick but as it's not yet wrapped, it's in her room in Gryffindor House. Like Lilith, she selected a sweater to give, though the one she bought is decidedly masculine. The black and gray patterned sweater is one she thinks will do well for Ash, someone she's been observing since getting his name. Rather, she'd been observing him before that as she thinks he's very dashing looking. He also seems to be somewhat somber in nature and dresses to match from what she can tell.
Picking a biscuit that's chocolate with hazelnuts, Savannah raises a hand to wave over Marion and Callie as they enter the Commons, both stopping to look around for any sight of their friends.
In The Library (Bran & Hope)
Author: Saffron
Date: 01-28-14 19:11
Bran Hyland has come to the library for two reasons. The first is get a book he needs to finish an essay. The second is to see if his sister is somewhere around. He's looked elsewhere for her, including Ravenclaw House where both are members, and was told she'd been spotted here.
As the book is the more important of the two reasons, Bran takes care of that first, but looks for Hope in the process of locating the book and taking it to check out. That done, he pokes around the rest of the library as well as peering into some of the small study rooms. He finds Hope in one of those carrels, in the process of packing up the many items she had spread on the desk while working.
"Hi, how's your day going?"
Bran lifts one shoulder in a shrug. "Fine enough, I suppose. You?"
"Oh, it's all right. It's Monday, which means I've got Astronomy. I hate having such a late class."
"Me too."
"Wait until yours doesn't even begin until midnight."
Bran shakes his head, lips curling. "I don't always want to be in bed by then but I hate being in class when I could be doing something else. I didn't see you all weekend, not even at meals yesterday. Were you able to find something?"
"I did. I'll let you see after supper and then, if you want, I'll wrap it for you."
Bran had put his name in for Secret Santa because Hope had said it's always fun. Entering his name means he gets a gift from someone but it also meant having to get a present for another person. He'd asked Hope for help since she was going into the village this past Saturday for a Hogsmeade weekend. He'd been hoping she'd been able to find something for a girl called Sorina Matthews because Bran has had no clue what to give this girl who might be new to Hogwarts like he is but is a fifth year.
"What did you get?" he asks, curious to know now instead of waiting to see in a few hours.
Hope looks up from shoving the last item into her bag. "A pair of warm, ultra soft fleece pajamas with cute little cats running around on them."
"Oh. Okay."
"Something wrong?"
"No, sorry. I just had no idea what to expect."
"If you don't like them or want to give them to her, I can get your money back and you can get something else."
"Noooo. The pajamas sound great. Thank you."
Hope hitches her bag up to one shoulder. "I'm off to the Commons to meet the others. Tag me in the Great Hall before I leave from supper to remind me to show them to you."
Nodding, Bran follows his sister out of the study carrel. They soon part ways, Bran for Ravenclaw House to retrieve what he needs to finish working on his essay, which he's thinking he'll do in the Commons where he can get some good snacks and Hope for the Commons to meet up with five of her friends.
While in Hogsmeade she'd also gotten a gift for the person whose name she has for Secret Santa, Luke Walker, a fourth year Gryffindor cutie. Like Sorina for Bran, she'd gotten Luke fleece pajamas. The bottoms are a red and black plaid with a plain dark top.
Hungry for something to fill in the void until dinner, Hope hastens her step, eager to get to the Commons.
(Asher) Lazy
Author: Jolyon
Date: 01-28-14 19:13
The moment a spot in front of the fireplace freed up, Asher claimed it for his own. He had been in the Slytherin common room ever since his last class, History of Magic, had let out for the afternoon. While he could have used the time since then to work on homework assignments or study for the quizzes and tests he would surely have next week, the last week of Fall Term, Asher had done absolutely nothing.
He'd even been too lazy to partake in a game of chess with Malden or look at the Quidditch magazine Bruno had abandoned on a table. Asher had passed the time lounging in one of the overstuffed armchairs, either staring off into space or catnapping. Where the time ought to have dragged by, it actually passed very quickly.
Asher started to feel hungry and debated if he should get a snack either from the stash in his trunk or the Common Common Room. It was nearly dinnertime, though, and Asher knew he would spoil his supper if he ate a lot right now. If not for being too lazy to get up from his comfortable seat in front of the fireplace, Asher might not have cared.
Malden trudged over and said, "Come on, you lazy lout. Are you going to sit there all day?"
"I haven't been," Asher responded without emotion.
"Oh, you just moved from that seat over there," Malden said, pointing, "to this one over here. I guess that's something."
Asher shifted his eyes toward Malden and scowled. "What does it matter what I do or not do?"
"Why are you so surly?" Malden asked, ignoring Asher's question. "Does it have anything to do with having to spend Christmas with your dad?"
Asher's scowl deepened. "That's still up in the air."
"Oh? I thought it was a certainty."
"Not if I can help it," Asher muttered, even though he knew he couldn't help it at all.
"Well, are you going to get him a gift?"
"What? No. Why would I?"
"Well, he is your father."
"I don't care. I don't know him. He didn't raise me."
Malden shook his head. "You could get to know him."
"Like you're getting to know your great aunt?"
"Why are you bringing her into the conversation?" Malden asked. He didn't have anything against Professor McGonagall, but he wasn't as close to her as Madoc.
Asher shrugged.
"Well, who are you getting a gift for? Your sister?"
"No way." Asher shook his head for emphasis and then said, "My mum is knitting some fingerless gloves for my Secret Santa."
"Fingerless gloves? What's the use of those?"
"I don't know. Mum says they are 'in', and who am I to argue?" Asher replied. "Anyway, they're for Raz Kohen."
"Who's that?"
"One of the transfer students. Ravenclaw. Foreign."
"No idea who you mean."
Asher shrugged. "Not important, I guess. Is it time for dinner yet?"
Homework, Gift Wrapping, & Chess (Estella & Kurt)
Author: Saffron
Date: 01-28-14 19:51
Sitting on her bed, Estella Finch finishes what she needs for History of Magic tomorrow. She tends to put it off the longest because it's her least favorite class, which has surprised her because she tends to like reading books set in different times periods and likes them better if the writer actually bothered researching to get the details correct. She flops back with a yawn, suddenly tired, the hour feeling far later than it is thanks to how early the sun sets here this time of year.
After a few moments she pushes up, getting entirely off the bed. Estella opens her book bag and switches out the textbooks and notes from today for what she'll need for her three classes in the morning - Transfiguration, Potions, and History of Magic. She's got one other Tuesday class but it's Astronomy, hours after the others.
That task done she turns her attention to a shoe box that's been sitting on the end of her bed. The Secret Santa present for Blake Holloway had arrived by owl this morning just as she'd arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast. Estella had inspected the extra warm slippers that look much like shoes and could probably worn as regular shoes around the school of Blake wished, wanting to ensure the box contained what she'd ordered.
With no time after eating to take the box to her dorm before needing to be in Charms, Estella had shoved the box into her book bag, thankful the bag holds far more than it looks like it would. She'd deposited the box on her bed after coming to her room once her morning classes were over and she'd eaten lunch.
Rustling around in her trunk, bending so far into it one of her roommates goes right past without ever realizing Estella's there, she finds the roll of Christmas paper she'd thought to pack back when school began, knowing it would come in handy and not wanting to have to wait around for her mum to send it or to borrow some from her sister Katheryn.
Blinking Christmas trees with sparkly ornaments adorn the paper, which she cuts to size to fit around the box once she's also found some spellotape. Pale green ribbon with matching bow finishes off the box. Checking the time Estella leaves the now wrapped box back at the end of her bed. After a visit to the loo she gets the box to drop it off at the Commons before continuing on to the Great Hall in anticipation of dinner.
On her way out of Ravenclaw House Estella walks past Kurt Blackwell, deep in game of chess. Like her and his friend Bran, their sisters and their sisters's friends, Kurt is participating in the Secret Santa. He's sort of proud of the fact that he found a gift his mother deemed very nice and did it without any help from someone else.
Drawing the name of Aderyn Carter, someone in his own house and known to most everyone even if she doesn't know them because she's a beater on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, Kurt picked out a fluffy robe with a floral pattern down the front. It's girly, his mum said it's pretty, and it's useful so he thinks he did well in picking it out. That doesn't mean Aderyn will like it but at least no one can say he didn't try.
The chess match soon ends, not because either he or his opponent wins or because of a stalemate. It ends because two cats playing came running across the board, knocking over pieces. Near as it is to supper, the two boys decided not to bother with trying to remember which pieces were where. Packing up the chess set, owned by the other boy, they leave for the Great Hall together, agreeing to start another game once back from eating.