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(The Cypresses) The Passing of Time
Author: Callandra Catesby
Date: 03-20-14 08:26
It was January. The first month of a new year. The first she had celebrated in the country of her birth for some years. Not that there had been much in the way of celebration in this little cottage on the outskirts of Bourton-on-the-Water, but the principle was still there. There might have been no champagne, no fireworks, no counting down the minutes to midnight on New Years Eve. It was, however, a new beginning.
Callandra Catesby sat at the table in the living room, an intent frown crossing her patrician features. The puzzle box lay in front of her. Wooden drawers protruded in different directions from the central oblong core. Some were short and broad, others long and narrow. Some drawers emerged from other drawers. Some even appeared to defy the laws of physics, emerging at strange angles from the box and - in at least one instance - apparently opening through another drawer. It made the eyes water just to look at it.
In a neat line down the right hand side of the box lay a series of artefacts. All items Callandra had removed from one or other of the drawers: a polished jade bead, a glass vial containing the glowing feather of a phoenix, a tuft of brown fur, and other assorted miscellania. On a scrap of parchment she had noted exactly which item came from which drawer.
She knew, however, that she had yet to reveal all the puzzle box's secrets. Some of them, the biggest, were eluding her. What she had uncovered so far was only the merest hint of what lay within.
She also knew that she was running out of time.
A fleeting visit to Catesby Castle earlier in the month had confirmed what she had already suspected. They had not given up trying to find her. A watcher had been placed on the fringes of Catesby land to wait for her; they might not be able to see or access the castle, but having followed her before, they knew it must be there.
Suspecting something of the sort, she had deliberately apparated further away and then used a disillusionment charm to conceal herself. For a brief moment, the watcher's life had hung in the balance. But then she had given a mental shrug and let him live - for now. His death would only confirm their suspicions. Better to give them nothing to work with. She had crept away again unnoticed.
Time was passing though. They would not settle just for watching and waiting forever. They would want to act.
Then, of course, there was this other business. Such a shame about Camille Revanche. It could not have happened to a better person.
A cruel smile curved her lips.
Uninformed
Author: Finley
Date: 03-20-14 19:37
Finley was glad to be back at Hogwarts, but leaving Leroy behind hadn't been any easier than it had been back in September. She had always been his protector and felt guilty about not being around to stick up for him. His tales of woe from the fall had weighed heavily on her mind even though she knew she shouldn't blame herself for Charla's antics. Hopefully, Charla wouldn't pick on him too much between now and Easter, but somehow, Finley doubted that would be the case.
A noticeably morose Professor Morgan wrapped up her lecture and indicated to the homework assignment written on the blackboard. Finley copied it down and then gathered together her things before stepping out into the hallway to wait for Phoebus.
"Lunch or common room?" Phoebus asked.
"Lunch," Finley decided.
Neither she nor Phoebus had any more classes that day, except for Astronomy, which wasn't until 10:30 at night. Rather than go all the way up to the seventh floor and then all the way down to the Great Hall and then back up again, it simply made more sense to go downstairs first, since they were already on the third floor.
The pair headed for the nearest staircase, which thankfully carried them where they wanted to go and not on a detour. Finley still wasn't entirely used to the idea of staircases shifting and turning at random.
Finley and Phoebus made it all the way to the marble staircase without incident and entered the Great Hall, which was filling up since it was lunchtime for most of the school. They sat down at the Gryffindor table, setting their books aside before reaching for something to eat.
"Do you think it's true?" Phoebus asked after a while of them eating in companionable silence.
"What?" Finley asked, following his line of sight.
"About those Westwicks," Phoebus answered. He hadn't known who they were until recently, since all three of the Westwicks were older and in different houses from his own. It was only all the gossip swirling around them that had alerted him to their existence.
Finley had heard some things about them, but she didn't know what half of it meant. She watched the youngest girl, a Slytherin, sitting at her house table with a friend.
"I don't know," she answered. "What's a Death Eater anyway?"
"A type of dark wizard."
"There are types of dark wizards?" Finley asked. They had just started a unit on dark wizards in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, but so far they had only gone over the syllabus and discussed Emeric the Evil.
Phoebus shot her a silly grin. "You've got so much to learn. Didn't know about dragons. Don't know about evil wizards. What do you know?"
"Plenty of Muggle things about which you no nothing, Phoebus," Finley playfully retorted. She eyed Willow and added, "She doesn't look evil."
"Doesn't mean she isn't."
Finley wasn't sure what to think. She dropped her eyes to her lunch and thought about how there was so much about the wizarding world she didn't yet know or understand.
(Mark) We Are Not Amused
Author: Isolde
Date: 03-21-14 16:43
Mark sat down at the Slytherin table and angrily speared at a sausage on a nearby platter.
Capri, seated beside him, quirked an eyebrow. "Whatever did that sausage do to you?" she asked.
Mark scowled and muttered, "Nothing."
It wasn't the sausage that had put Mark in a foul mood, but it bore the brunt of his anger by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or was it the right place at the right time?
At any rate, Mark hadn't woken up angry. In fact, he had climbed out of bed feeling rejuvenated and ready to take control of his life again. He'd resolved to confess everything to Kate and had planned on doing so in between their Alchemy classes. With hers ending at 3:15 in the afternoon and his beginning a mere fifteen minutes later, Mark had arrived outside the classroom extra early.
He'd known that he would have to contend with Johanna being at Kate's side, but at least the rest of the gang wasn't enrolled in Alchemy this year. What Mark hadn't expected to see what Kate exiting the classroom not with Johanna (who instead trailed behind with a slight smile on her face), but with Hugo Hathi.
Mark had hardly ever given Hugo any thought, even before Happy Haven when they'd still been in the same year and shared classes. He remembered Hugo as being a somewhat dumpy boy, but like Gus, Hugo had filled out in recent years. Girls didn't fawn over him the way they did Gus, but there was an exoticism to his looks that made some of them notice him.
Apparently Kate had finally noticed him too, if Mark's own eyes were to be believed. The pair had exited the Alchemy classroom with heads bent close together and broad smiles across their faces. Kate had never even noticed Mark standing against the corridor wall, and Mark had turned away before knowing whether Johanna had seen him there.
Capri had joined him later in the classroom and noticed his irritation, but she hadn't pressed him for details. Even now, she waited for him to tell him what was bothering him so much.
Mark saw his old friends come into the Great Hall, but they brushed past him and took their places farther up the table. Kate was not among them, however, and when she did arrive, she didn't join them like she normally did. Instead, she sat at the Hufflepuff table with him.
Mark squeezed his fork so hard it bent.
Researching For A Paper
Author: Jet
Date: 03-21-14 17:29
The university's library is surprisingly busy for the first day of Hilary Term though compared to a few day from now, the number of people is small and the overall atmosphere is sedate. Jet pulls a book from a shelf, thumbs through it to see if he can tell if it will be helpful for a paper. The paper is a huge portion of the course grade. With much of the term to work on it, Jet's betting a number of his classmates will wait a bit to even begin researching much less writing. By starting now, he can be assured of getting the references he needs to get going on the research. It helps that each person's topic was assigned by the professor otherwise he's certain he'd have spent much of today and the rest of the week simply coming up with an idea.
Deciding to keep the book for the time being, Jet moves on to locating other titles on his preliminary list. Periodically, he can't help but look around, checking to see if he can tell if anyone's watching him or seems overly interested in him. Several from the Ministry have assured him that he's most likely safe from the Reeds. Most likely isn't much in the way of assurance. That he's got a rotating guard also doesn't speak much to the reassurance that he's most likely safe from them.
A few of the guard are young looking hit wizards. Each one is enrolled in one or more of Jet's courses this term. They're probably glad he's got a somewhat light schedule. Another is posing as his coworker at Cranville Quincey's Magical Junkshop, his position at the Astronomer's Nook no longer available.
A stack of books in his arms, Jet moves to a table to start working. He'll end up checking some of them out to take home but for now, with no other Monday night plans, he sees no reason to schlep this many home. Further down, at the next table, sits one of the hit wizards. Jet would feel sorry for her having to sit in a library for a few hours but it's her job and for all he knows she'd have been slated to work this evening anyway.
Another glance and he decides he does feel a tiny bit sorry for her. When he leaves, maybe he'll ask her if she wants to get something to eat. As they are supposed to be classmates, it shouldn't seem odd to anyone who might see them grabbing food together and, besides, she does have to eat at some point.
One final look around to see who else is about and Jet gets busy, methodically working his way through three of the books, writing down salient information before deciding that's enough for the time being. After putting those three books back where he'd found them, he returns to retrieve his things and the other books, and to ask the hit wizard, whose first name is Vesta, if she'd like to get supper and talk about this paper they have due.
Location Unknown: Maren
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 03-21-14 18:25
The Somersets would forever blame their son for the state of their lives. If not for his special brain, he never would have broken the enchantment Lord Voldemort had placed on him all those years ago. The series of events that followed would also never have happened. Ethan wouldn't have found out about his parents' involvement in Project 25, they never would have gone to prison, and everything would still be perfectly well in the world.
They weren't unhappy to officially join up with Adriana Fairchild. They had served her predecessor in their own special way, doing his bidding most loyally without ever taking the Mark or becoming outright Death Eaters. Now that they were once again being hunted by the Ministry of Magic, it only made sense to make themselves available, this time in a much more official capacity.
What bothered them was the fact that they had to hide. If not for Ethan mucking everything up, then they could have continued to serve Fairchild as they had Voldemort before her. They could have carried out perfectly normal lives. Dorian could have continued serving on the board of a healing supplies manufacturer, and Maren would have been very pleased to continue her role as dutiful housewife and loving mother.
Maren sighed and looked out over the blanket of snow covering the cloister. Night had fallen some time ago. Snowflakes swirled through the air. The scene was rather picturesque.
She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see the strange boy-child come to a stop beside her. Maren knew Hattie was inside that boy, but she had never heard of such magic before and had difficulty wrapping her mind around the idea.
"The others want to talk revenge some more. Do you want to join us?" Hattie asked.
"It seems all you three have ever done is talk," Maren replied somewhat caustically. "What are you really accomplishing by sending him letters?"
"Be so kind as to remember that I'm the one who arranged for him to to be in your care in the first place," Hattie snapped.
"Yes, thanks for that!" Maren retorted. "Perhaps I should blame you for ruining our lives."
"Careful," Hattie said warningly. "You almost sound like you're implying that if not for the Dark Lord's plan, you wouldn't be in your present state."
"Oh, shut up, you idiotic child!"
"What is the meaning of this?"
Both Maren and Hattie turned at the sharp, male tone and saw Ivanova glowering at the both of them. "Your mistress will not be pleased to see you arguing amongst yourselves when you ought to be working together."
Maren had the grace to look chastised, but Hattie, taking on the traits of a rebellious teenager the longer she stayed in Penn's body, looked annoyed.
"When are we going to do something?" Hattie asked. "It's been too long since our last cooperative mission, and I'm bored."
Ivanova focused his entire attention on Hattie now and said, "When it is time, you will know, but for your insolence I am tempted to suggest that you sit out the next few opportunities."
Hattie opened her mouth to argue but shut it with a snap.
"Come, she wants to have a meeting over supper," Ivanova added, closing the conversation. He turned on his heel, and Maren immediately fell into step behind him. She threw a glance over her shoulder at the boy with a grown woman trapped inside his body, but he was looking out at the falling snow.
Nice Enough
Author: Capri Brycin
Date: 03-22-14 14:50
Capri continued to notice how Mark was in a bad mood. She didn't want to press him but he was beginning to become a pain in her backside with his attitude.
"What's the matter with you? You've been in a mood for the last couple of days."
Marko looked away from Capri and stared at floor as if it had a suddenly captured his attention. "I don't want to talk about it." He finally said.
Capri quirked an eye brow and looked at him, "You need to talk to someone and I hate to say it but it looks like you only have me. How did that happen?"
Mark continued to ignore Capri and she finally said, "fine. Don't talk to me. I don't care – but I am here if you decide to pull your head out of your ass." She almost laughed as the words left her mouth but she held it together and got up out of the chair in the Slytherin Common Room and left to go to Charms class.
Capri was a nice enough girl you just didn't want to cross her. She didn't put up with people and their crap very well. She tried to be nice to the girls in her classes but none of them really seemed to want to befriend her. She assumed that a lot of that might have had to do with the fact that Andromeda had opened her big mouth and told everyone what she had done at her previous school one night before bed in the Common Room.
It had angered Carpi and she had hexed her sister for it and then suffered the wrath of Professor Snape and detention with him for the next three days. Her parents were not happy when the found out and her mother sent her a howler; which was rather embarrassing.
Oh, well. Capri thought as she pulled her focus back onto the Professor and the lesson at hand.
Bellatrix's Bombshell
Author: Lucius Malfoy
Date: 03-22-14 19:26
Invited to lunch by a long time friend, someone who has managed to avoid any time in Azkaban and is not on any Ministry wanted or watched list, Lucius accepted then proceeded to decide what disguise to don as the restaurant is located in St. Ives. Any public place in Great Britain means being seen as someone other than Lucius Malfoy.
While their second martinis Lucius and friend are reminiscing about an amusing incident their first year at Hogwarts when an older student hexed then caretaker Apollyon Pringle. With half the school or more to witness Pringles trousers, shirt, and shoes transfigured into a pink floral skirt, matching lace collared blouse, and pale pink open toed heels. He also found himself to be holding not the morning newspaper but an equally pink patent leather purse. The only aspect lacking in his appearance was a pretty flower laden hat to match. When their laughter subsides, Lucius takes a bite of one of his tiger prawn skewers, thinking how rarely these days he spends with adults who aren't Bellatrix, Barty, and Gudrun. He does see Draco and Asteria but not as often as he does the other three, Bellatrix in particular.
A woman at another table has Lucius taking a long pull on his martini. He shouldn't have thought about Bellatrix because now he's someone who looks very like a disguise she formerly employed.
Over a main course of fish pie accompanied by more martini and excellent conversation, Lucius cannot help but to look the woman's way from time to time. Not enough to be distracting or even noticed, but enough to convince himself by the time his friend and he are settling the bill that she is indeed Bellatrix. After parting ways with his friend Lucius strolls to the woman's table and without preamble takes a seat.
Surprised at the intrusion and the gall she opens her mouth to protest only to be met with, ""Hello... Natasha."
After another second or two of shock, she recovers, eyes narrowing. Lucius may not appear as someone she's seen before and though she tends to be somewhat mental at times, Bellatrix is by no means stupid. "My, Boris, how you've changed."
"It's unusual to see you without your two cohorts."
"We do not spend every moment together."
"You spend enough so that it seems odd to see you alone. You hardly seem yourself."
Bellatrix knows he's making a dig at her lunching alone wearing a disguise when if all she's doing having a meal she, unlike him, may show her face to the Wizarding public anywhere in Britain. She gives him a tight smile. "Sometimes it's nice to be able to spend a meal, alone, without notice."
"As in not going noticed by the person at that corner table.?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"Playing coy, are you?"
"I'm merely enjoying a lunch at this lovely seaside establishment."
"While paying close attention to that young man."
One shoulder lifts in an elegant shrug. "He is not unfortunate looking."
Lucius takes a longer, though stealthy, look at the gentleman in question. Returning his attention to Bellatrix he remarks, "He somewhat reminds me of someone."
Rather than the expected, "Really? Who?" Bellatrix is very quick to deny, "No, he doesn't."
Lucius dryly comments, "As you have no idea of whom he reminds me, I cannot imagine why you'd be so hastily negative."
"I only meant I do not see a resemblance to anyone of my acquaintance."
Lucius's head cocks to one side in assessment. "I know this is unwise of me to say but for some reason I don't believe you."
Natasha's skin, similar in tone to that of Bellatrix's, visibly flushes though Lucius does not believe it's in anger. He could be wrong in that regard, however, because far too calmly she asks, "I do not know why you'd disbelieve me. You wound me, Lu... Boris."
"You've been distracted for weeks. Oftentimes you've seemed overly worried. I had thought it had something to do," overly aware of their surroundings Lucius is circumspect, "with the group with which you've been involved. This might be but I'm now sensing otherwise."
Bellatrix sighs. "You're going to become a pest, aren't you?"
"If it's for your own well being, as your friend and family, yes."
Bellatrix opens a small handbag to remove the coins necessary to pay for her meal. "If you were anyone else, I'd inflict whatever pain I thought necessary to teach you a lesson. You are lucky that you are one of the very few I would trust with this. Come to the house, near the garden shed."
Seconds later, Lucius stands near the garden shed as requested, waiting for Bellatrix. She arrives a minute later and with Lucius looking wordlessly on, Bellatrix begins to pace. He has an urge to tell her to get on with whatever she has to say but holds his tongue. If he speaks before she's ready, she may go off in a snit. Bellatrix in a snit is not a pretty sight and can be dangerous to be around.
After nearly five minutes of silence filled pacing on Bellatrix's part, she comes to a sudden halt directly in front of Lucius as he leans against the shed wall. "I am not a maternal person. The most I ever exhibit is with Draco and Carina, even though Carina is not Narcissa's blood. I've never been maternal though at one time Rodolphus and I were considering children to carry on the Black-Lestrange line. A duty. Nothing more."
Unsure of how exactly he should respond, Lucius finds himself nodding mutely along to the point he thinks he must look like that Muggle bobble head toy Draco once gave Carina.
"That man in the restaurant reminded you of someone for a reason. He looks a little like Rodolphus and a little like me."
"I hadn't put a name to who he reminded me of, but yes, now that you mention, that's it exactly."
"I am not maternal." Bellatrix stresses again. "I didn't yet know during the trial. I was in Azkaban when I knew for sure. A prison overseen by Dementors. The Ministry douldn't allow an infant to remain."
"You gave birth? In Azkaban?"
Bellatrix gives a single nod before continuing. "Given the public's attitude towards Rodolphus and me, the Ministry convinced me he would be in danger if turned over to any family. I was pressured to sign him away. Only three other people knew. Rudolphus isn't one of them."
"Him? You had a son."
"Have. I have a son."
"The young man in the restaurant."
Bellatrix give that single, almost curt nod again, thrusting some parchment at Lucius. As he looks over what appears to be a copy of a birth certificate and adoption papers she says, "I named him Hyperion. Hyperion Pollux Black Lestrange but of course he was given a new name."
Lucius moves to sit down on a nearby bench, the better to look over the pages of parchment. Bellatrix sits beside him and, without being asked or prompted, proceeds to tell him how she about first seeing this wizard Fairchild's people were calling Jimmy and knowing instantly who he might be and how she's gone about gaining confirmation.
Matchmaking
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 03-23-14 13:53
Johanna had gone to the library in search for book that would help her with her Potions homework, a seven inch parchment about the Golpalott's Third Law. She returned to the common commons where she had been studying with Kate and Felicia. There was no sign of Felicia, who had probably decided to take a break to be with Baltus, but the armchair she had once been seated was now occupied by Hugo Hathi. There was a star map opened on the table, but it didn't seem to Johanna that he and Kate were discussing Astronomy.
She was not the only one watching Kate and Hugo. Not far away, Mark was doing exactly the same thing and for a moment their eyes crossed. Mark looked away and turned his attention to Capri Brycin, the new student. Johanna had caught Mark observing Kate with Hugo yesterday and it had given her some satisfaction to notice he seemed upset with that. She thought that maybe she should have suggested earlier to Kate to hang out with other boys that weren't Gus more often. It was about time for Mark to suffer the consequences of his acts at the St. Emrys Fest. And it was even more important for Kate to forget all about it and move on.
"They seem to get along well. Sometimes I wish I was the new student so I would have a handsome prefect to escort me around the school and help me out when needed."
"You think too much about boys," Johanna told her cousin Evelyn who stood at her side.
Evelyn shrugged her shoulders. There was nothing wrong with daydreaming about older boys. Mark Farnon was attractive and not only he was a prefect but also the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team. He had a lot of prestige.
"Did you know that her sister is in my year?"
"I had no idea," Johanna admitted.
"Her name is Andromeda. Vinny Xardel thinks she's pretty," by the tone of her voice, Johanna concluded that her cousin didn't have the same opinion as Vinny. Evelyn liked to be the center of the attentions, and she didn't want to have some new girl taking that place from her. "Do you know why they came to the school? No one really does. I wish I was a reporter as good as Rita Skeeter, so I could find out. Have you read the article on the Westwicks? Pretty disturbing but genius at the same time. She's the best."
Johanna didn't like Evelyn's admiration for Rita Skeeter but she knew that if she expressed her dislike it would only make her cousin to care for her even more. Gus walked into the common commons on that moment, wearing his Quidditch robes. He was going to have practice soon. As if reminding himself he too had practice, Mark stood up and left his spot, followed by Capri. Gus sent him one of his hatred looks, that Mark ignored.
"Hello Mini Steele. How are you?" Gus greeted and Evelyn smiled in delight but before she could answer he left them and went to sit right between Kate and Hugo.
"Great..." Johanna muttered.
Unlike Gus, Evelyn understood right away that Johanna wanted to make the Hufflepuff pair to bound and that their fellow Slytherin had just ruined it, without knowing.
"You know, if you are in a matchmaking mood, maybe you could introduce me to some of your older classmates..."
"Don't you have some homework to do, Evelyn?"
She replied to Johanna with an annoyed 'humph', and walked away. Johanna joined Gus, Kate and Hugo trying to arrange an excuse to drag Gus out of there to allow the Hufflepuffs some more time alone.