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Delivering Gifts
Author: Christopher Chant
Date: 01-07-18 18:51
Coming inside from Care of Magical Creatures, Vincent goes first to the commons to put a gift under the large tree there. He's been horrible about not putting out the Secret Santa gift he's got for Susan Fricks. With term rapidly winding down, if he doesn't hurry with the present, he'll have to owl it to Susan once home on holiday. As he's got a class, Charms, just after lunch, so Vincent has no plan to linger after leaving the nicely wrapped bath set for Susan.
Turning from the tree Vincent practically runs into his cousin Devon. Reaching out a hand to steady her when she stumbles in an effort not to smack into him, he says, "You don't look well."
"I don't feel it. I'd skiv off but this being the last week before hols, unless I am so sick I cannot get up or walk, I have to go to every class and today is my extra long day. Five classes, including Astronomy at midnight."
Vincent makes a face before saying sympathetically, "I hope it passes fast, whatever it is."
"Thanks, me too."
"That for me?" he says with a smile and a laugh in his voice to indicate he's joking.
Devon looks down at the Christmas present in her hand, wanly smiling. "Not unless you've changed your name to Malden McGonagall of Slytherin."
"No name change needed. Polyjuice. I only look like your cousin Vincent."
"Yes, because you knew I'd be delivering your Secret Santa gift this very moment and wanted to find out what's in it without having to even open it."
"You caught me out. Green paper with silver trim. Fitting Christmas wrap for a Slytherin."
"I thought so." She smiles again. The gift now under the tree she and Vincent turn to leave the commons. Devon isn't overly hungry but is thinking some soup might help; plus, if she goes to the Great Hall, it's active enough she won't be falling asleep and miss heading off to Defense Against The Dark Arts for 1:15.
Turning into the corridor, Vincent asks, "So what is Malden getting?"
"Mum has been trying her hand at making baskets made of chocolate. She made one for Malden then filled it with her homemade dipped sugar biscuits. I also got him a membership in an ice cream club for a year. Every two weeks he'll get his pick of an ice cream flavor and some cones to have it in if he wishes. There's an order form to get him started on the first flavor he wants."
"Biscuits, chocolate, and ice cream. Now I'm wishing I really were Malden," he chuckles.
The rest of the walk is spent talking about their families' plans for getting together over Christmas and what tops the list of each of their gift wish list. Once to the Great Hall, Vincent parts ways with Devon, wishing her a speedy get well.
Dinner In The Great Hall
Author: Kissy Isuki
Date: 01-08-18 18:34
Though Everett's fourth birthday is Friday his Weatherby grandparents wanted to treat him, and Callista, to supper out and a sleep over ahead of the big day and a dinner with family members from both sides and ahead of the party for him Saturday. Cam got called in again to fill in on a night shift for an Obliviator out with flu or some other nasty virus. With the evening to herself, Kissy had first thought to treat herself out somewhere but then decided trudging down to the village while trying to decide where exactly that treat would take place wasn't all that appealing. Entering the Great Hall, filled with inviting aromas, Kissy isn't regretting her decision to dine at Hogwarts.
Walking to the table to join some of her colleagues, Kissy walks right past Marion DeMarco, her Secret Santa recipient this year. Kissy got Marion an interesting satchel with an arty autumn scene painted on it.
Kissy takes a seat next to Dante Knight asking after she's said hello, "Ready for term to end?"
"A break will be good. You?"
"Yes, but it's also going to be busy. There's Everett's birthday on Friday with a party on Saturday. Callista turns three next week. Holiday parties. Large family gathering Christmas Eve and another big party New Year's Eve."
"Have a few parties as well and my sister has decided to do Christmas dinner, though it will be small. Her, me, our brother and his family."
"Small can be nice as can being able to spend some time with family," Kissy says, knowing that hasn't often been the case for Dante at holidays or other special occasions.
Dante then asks if there is a theme to Everett's party Saturday and for Callista's next week, events to which he and all her coworkers, and their families for those that have them, are invited. Kissy spends the next few minutes filling him in, thinking the whole time that he must find the topic of children's birthday parties incredibly boring yet bending his ear about them anyway.
Hot Cocoa
Author: Finley
Date: 01-08-18 18:36
Finley and Phoebus were in the Gryffindor Common Room, taking advantage of the open space in front of the fireplace. They were sitting side by side on the sofa, attempting to study for their remaining exams but finding the effort difficult.
"I give up," Finley finally said. "All I want to do is curl up under a blanket with a good book and a mug of hot cocoa."
"You said book," Phoebus said, "which I can only equate to studying right now." He put his own things away and said, "We could go to the Commons for hot cocoa."
"We could, but that would mean giving up the prime real estate we have here."
"Decisions, decisions," Phoebus said. "Either you give up your seat and allow those poor first year students over there a chance to sit in front of the fire, or you sit here till bedtime."
"You know, I could hold the fort and you could get two hot cocoas to-go before curfew sets in," Finley said. "And while you're at it, you could put my Secret Santa gift under the tree."
"A bit under the wire, are you?" Phoebus remarked. He was already getting up to do as Finley asked. Finley summoned the wrapped gift from her dorm room and handed it to Phoebus. It was for Callie Blackwell and consisted of several pairs of whimsical socks.
Phoebus ran into Eirene in the Commons. She had just put her own gift under the tree. It was a circular, three-person chessboard for Jordan Blackthorn. Eirene didn't know if Jordan played, but she would be most happy to show him how.
Phoebus got the two hot cocoas for him and Finley and ordered a third for Eirene without asking if she wanted one. She found herself pleasantly surprised and wandered back to the Slytherin common room in a bit of a chocolatey daze.
Slippers
Author: Gerry
Date: 01-09-18 18:57
Gerry and Will exited the History of Magic classroom, both extremely glad that they were done with the subject––at least until term resumed in January. Gerry only had four classes remaining till winter break: two this afternoon, and two tomorrow morning. Will had the same four, plus Muggle Studies tomorrow afternoon.
The boys headed to the Great Hall for lunch. They plopped down at the Gryffindor table, tossing their book satchels to the floor, and helped themselves to the various offerings within reach.
"What do you think you're getting for Christmas?" Will asked Gerry, after they'd filled their plates and started eating.
"A lump of coal," Gerry joked.
This year, he had drawn Amorica Wenlock's name for Secret Santa. Since Amorica was an older Slytherin girl, Gerry hadn't known what to get her at all. He'd turned to his mother, who had owled a package to him with a suitable gift. Turns out, Gerry's mother had crocheted the slipper socks herself.
Gerry's brother Gareth had also participated in Secret Santa again this year. His recipient was Kurt Blackwell, an older Ravenclaw. Gareth had a little better idea what to get another boy and had found a fun pair of slippers in a catalog. Both gifts had gone under the tree in the Commons in the knick of time.
Private Conversation
Author: Declan
Date: 01-09-18 19:19
Zabrynna knocks on the doorframe to Declan's office. "You wanted to see me?"
Declan gestures her inside, moving to shut the door behind her. "Yes, in private. Got an owl. Melanie isn't coming."
"What? Why?"
"The letter doesn't say." Declan retrieves the envelope and letter from his desk to show her.
"There's nothing here."
"I know. Just she's not coming."
"Rand is going to be heartbroken."
Declan shrugs but with a small nod. "Maybe. Like us, he's not even sure whomever does show up as Melanie is actually Melanie."
"Nothing new from Leana Garcia and her people?"
"Not so far. They've tried putting someone inside as a new member but that didn't work out as you know."
"What are we going to tell Rand?"
"I was thinking to wait until closer to Christmas then say she's too ill to come."
Zabrynna purses her lips in thought then nods. "That could work. Of course, keeping this to ourselves until then might be difficult."
Declan makes a face. "I know." He holds out his hand. "Ready to get to lunch?"
"As I have a class just after, yes."
Declan has office hours so if he had to miss lunch he could eat something then. Today, however, he's hungry enough he'd rather go now than wait.
As he pulls his office door shut and locks it, Zabrynna asks, "Did you get the gift put under the tree?"
"This morning."
The gift in question is Noah Stratford's Secret Santa. Declan hadn't meant to take so long to get a Christmas present for Noah but he was stymied as to what to give. In one of the specialty shoppes, Declan finally found some items he thought might be unique. The shoppe carries a number of Muggle based goods from different countries, including games. Declan selected the card games Uno and Phase 10 and a board game some call Ludo while others call it Parcheesi or Pachisi.
Rand also is participating in Secret Santa, even buying a gift on his own this time because of being able to take part in Hogsmeade weekends. Rand's recipient is Tiberius Nott. It took him what felt like a century to find a gift he thought might be a good gift for someone who can buy whatever he wants or needs, someone rich like Professor Nott. The gift, delivered under the tree last week, is a pair of hourglass cufflinks.
Lunch With Tamara
Author: Dante Knight
Date: 01-11-18 09:41
Dante enters the Crown & Cauldron to find his sister sitting on a bench. Tamara stands with a smile of greeting. Once seated she asks, "How are you?"
"I've been good. How about you?"
"I'm great. Things are going really well. I got promoted this week and I've been seeing someone, only three weeks now, but things are good."
"I just saw you last week and you're only now mentioning this?"
When I saw you we'd only been out once at that point. We went out twice the following weekend, once this week have plans for both tonight and tomorrow."
Dante's lips curve into a smile. "Got you."
"If things go well between now and Christmas I may ask him to join us for Christmas dinner."
"No family?"
"A large one in fact but they tend to have a Christmas Eve gathering so on Christmas those who are married can do something with the in-laws."
They pause long enough to order then talk of holiday parties, what each has gotten as gifts for Rocky's family, what Dante can do to help Tamara with preparing Christmas dinner, and whatever else comes to mind. When they part ways, Tamara to return to work at the Ministry and Dante to Hogwarts where he has no Friday classes but does have office hours, she leaves on the spot. Dante could apparate to outside the school gates but as he's not in a rush he walks, passing shoppe windows festively decorated for Christmas and hoping to lure in customers looking for the perfect gifts to give.
Dante thinks he has all his Christmas shopping done. He needs to sit down once back at his desk and go over his list. One he's sure of is the Secret Santa gift for colleague Fritz Schnackenpfefferhausen. The present for the Alchemy professor was placed under the large tree in the Commons earlier this week. Dante hopes Fritz likes the Ravenclaw t-shirt and the two dress shirts, one blue plaid and the other solid purple, carefully wrapped with metallic red paper with narrow silver pinstripes.
On the Lookout
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 01-11-18 18:36
Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall in time for lunch on the last day of Fall Term. As she walked to the High Table, she looked around at the various students present in the dining hall. She had always kept an eye out for trouble, but ever since overhearing her brother discussing something alarming, Minerva had been extra vigilant.
That day in Hogsmeade, while in her animagus form and with Aberforth also listening in in his nonchalant, bartender way, Minerva had learned that there were efforts to recruit school-aged wizards to the Death Eaters. Menelaus had never said which students might have been approved or anything terribly specific at all; only that something had already been set into motion.
The other wizard sharing his table in The Hog's Head had been unknown to both Minerva and Aberforth. He had merely asked questions and gave the impression that he was either a leader in dark efforts or simply of more importance than Menelaus.
After the two parted ways, Minerva went straight to the castle and called a meeting with the Order members on staff: Severus, Sirius, Filius, Hagrid, and Majandra. She briefed them on what she overheard and asked them to look out for suspicious activity. In the time since, no one had made any discoveries, least of all Minerva herself.
With the news that the Death Eaters might still be around and growing their ranks, Minerva had also gone to Kingsley. He immediately set a tail on Menelaus, but nothing had come out of that yet either.
Minerva's eyes were drawn to her Secret Santa recipient, Gideon Weasley. Gideon was Majandra's nephew and was named after an Order member and would likely become a member himself when he was old enough. Minerva had gotten him a Gryffindor bedspread.
Her gaze fell onto her grandnephew, next. Minerva's gut told her that he was a likely candidate to become a young Death Eater, especially knowing that Menelaus was somehow involved. She hated to think that about Malden, but he shared his grandfather's personality. Fortunately, Malden had not exhibited any signs that he might have gone over to the dark side. She hoped he was very much wrong about him.
Like his great aunt, Malden had also participated in Secret Santa. He had gotten Arielle to help him pick out his gift for Lauren MacDougal, who just so happened to be her roommate. Arielle picked out a pair of ankle boots and even wrapped them up nicely so that all Malden had to do was deliver the gift.
Minerva finally made it up to the High Table. She sat down, served herself food, and continued to survey the room for potential dark wizards-in-training.
(Fulvia) Packing
Author: Griet
Date: 01-12-18 17:36
Fulvia looked at the contents in her small carry-on bag and ran through the mental checklist of everything she intended on having with her at home during the Christmas holidays. She didn't need to pack her big trunk, because she'd return to Hogwarts in only a couple of weeks. Most of her things could stay in her dorm room, like the gifts her Secret Santa Bran Hyland had given her.
Fulvia's recipient was a teacher, and not one that she had or knew. She knew who Professor Miller was, of course, but she had never once had any sort of conversation with him, and she wasn't entirely sure he knew her name or recognized her face, but maybe he did and she just didn't realize it.
For Professor Miller, Fulvia had ordered a flannel shirt. She liked it because of it was soft and weather-appropriate, but the plaid color was also rather ambiguous. It could be a dark yellow, or perhaps a subtle brown. It could even be considered olive green, which tickled Fulvia since regular green was Slytherin's color, and Professor Miller was Head of Hufflepuff House.
She was very much looking forward to going home for Christmas, because she hadn't been home since the summer, but she wished that Paton wasn't also coming home. Maybe they could avoid each other, but the house wasn't that big and with it being the holidays, there'd be ton of family gatherings they'd both have to attend. Fulvia would just have to accept the fact that she would have to spend time with him, but maybe she could find a way to make the forced togetherness go to her advantage.
She closed the lid on her carry-on and secured it, making a mental note to gather her bathroom things together and clothes for tomorrow after supper. Then, she went down to the Great Hall for the final dinner of Fall Term.
Harping
Author: Saffron
Date: 01-12-18 18:54
Adiran looks up from his second pudding of the evening, a slice of treacle tart. His first pudding of the evening had been a slice of a vanilla and chocolate checkerboard cake as part of supper. Seeing Lilith heading his way he hastily swallows the large bite he's just taken. He speaks before she does. "Yes, I've left the gift."
"I wasn't "
"You were."
"Okay, I was but mainly I wanted to ask if you're packed."
"Why does it matter if I am or not?"
"Because if you aren't then you should be doing that now instead of eating pie slices in one bite."
Adiran looks down at his plate. "I can't have eaten it in one bite if you can see there's some still there."
"Two bites then. Three at most. You're going to choke to death one day."
Bran, between bites of his own sweet, interjects. "I've learned a stop choking spell."
Lilith looks skeptical but Adiran vigorously nods his head. "We both did."
She rolls her eyes before saying, "The packing."
"I have packed what I need for hols. Quit harping."
"Harping? You want harping I can give you harping."
Bran waves a hand. "Okay, okay. We get it."
Lilith glares at her brother and Bran then spins around and stalks off. Bran says, "You realize she was probably only asking because your mum insisted."
"I know but it's fun to annoy her."
Having sisters of his own Bran grins. "I get that too."
The gift Lilith first said she wasn't going to ask about is Adiran's Secret Santa to Magnus McCourt. Adiran got the younger boy a board game called Xiangqi, also called Chinese chess. Unlike Adiran who'd only recently delivered the gift under the Commons tree, Lilith's Secret Santa of waterproof all weather boots to Oliver Towneley had been delivered days ago.
At a table next to Adiran's and Bran's, Jordan sips hot cocoa in between bites of little holiday cakes that Ravenclaw classmate Bernice Burns had passed out this morning to the other Ravenclaw first years. He's ready to go home for Christmas and New Year's but at the same time he's going to miss friends, both old and new. Some he'll get to see during the break but others he won't see again until the train back to Hogwarts when school resumes next year.
Jordan had also put his name in for Secret Santa, getting Leonine Marchbanks's name. He asked his parents to send a game Jordan was introduced to a couple of years ago but to get the two person version. The full game of Blokus can play four people. Two people can play it by playing two colors each or three people can play it but it's best with four so Jordan wanted to give the two person version, Blokus Duo, so he could play as long as he had someone else interested.
Draining his mug Jordan gets up for more cocoa, snagging a couple of tree shaped decorated sugar biscuits when he does despite the holiday cakes he has left at the table.