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(Beatrix) Unhappy
Author: Griet
Date: 02-27-18 18:26
When Beatrix returned to her dormitory room after her morning classes, she found Pablo leaning against the wall next to her door. He smiled when she spotted her and began, "About tomorrow…"
Beatrix walked around him to unlock her door and entered her dorm room. She dumped her books on her bed and went to the sink to wash her hands.
"What's tomorrow?" she asked, only half-interested because she felt extremely distracted.
Pablo had followed her into the room. He sat down on her bed next to the discarded books and raised his eyebrows. "The fourteenth of February, also known as Valentine's Day."
"Oh," Beatrix answered. She came out of the bathroom and asked, "Yellow or Orange?"
Pablo shoved the textbooks aside and patted the empty space he made on her duvet. "Let's talk first."
Beatrix didn't want to talk. She wanted to eat, though she didn't really feel all that hungry. Mostly, she wanted snack food.
"Is it okay if we do this later?" she asked. She kept her tone even despite feeling a bit annoyed.
The smile faded from Pablo's face. "Why?"
"Because I'm not in the mood, okay?"
Pablo stood up abruptly. "It this about Ash, then?"
Beatrix looked upset. She wasn't going to comment, but then the words burst out of her. "He's missing, Pablo! Nobody knows where he is or if he's okay, and yesterday was his birthday. Yesterday was his birthday and he wasn't with his family."
"Or you?" Pablo spat.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I know he sent you those flowers on your birthday… for two years running. Why would he do that, Beatrix? Were you dating both of us at the same time?"
Beatrix's jaw dropped. "Of course not!" she exclaimed. "How could you say that?"
"You just seemed really fixated on him, and the feeling at times appears mutual," Pablo curtly replied.
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Beatrix angrily said.
"Oh, no? Do you want to spend Valentine's Day with me tomorrow, or not?" Pablo asked. He fixed her with a challenging gaze, which raised up Beatrix's hackles.
"No, I don't," Beatrix said.
"Fine. I guess we have nothing else to talk about," Pablo said. He started for the door just as it opened and Rowan entered. She paused a step into the room and noticed the angry looks on Beatrix's and Pablo's faces. Rowan, who wasn't wearing makeup and had worry etched all over her face, started to back from the room but Pablo told her not to bother and pushed past her into the hallway.
Rowan looked from his departing figure to her best friend. "What happened?"
"I think we just broke up," Beatrix said.
Rowan dumped her books on her bed and gave Beatrix a hug. Beatrix clung to Rowan and started to cry, but she wasn't crying about what just happened with Pablo. She was crying because she was so very worried about Ash, who hadn't been seen in over a week.
Lots Of Loot (Mira)
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 03-01-18 18:46
When Mira walks into the Great Hall she's met by Agnes Frink. "How many is it now?"
"I've not counted the latest," Mira tells her.
Throughout the morning Mira has steadily collected Valentine's. Some are cards, some candy, some stuffed animals. There has even been a small bouquet of flowers. She's wearing one of them in her hair. Mira was hoping for a pair or earrings or a bracelet or something like that but she supposes that being 11 those getting her gifts don't think about jewelry, especially if having written their mums to send something.
Since having Defense Against The Dark Arts together Agnes has shown great interest in Mira and her various Valentine's. She asks now, "How do you do it? I've gotten two and one is from a cousin. He's distant but it still don't count as a real one."
Mira flips hair over her shoulder. "I'm part Veela."
"I've heard of that but don't know what Veela is."
"The lads can't help themselves around a Veela. The more full blooded, the harder to resist," she parrots something she'd heard her mother say only Mum used the word men instead of lads. Mira confesses in an utterly frank moment, "I don't know which of these," she raises a hand grasping a box of chocolates, "are because I'm liked or because they can't help themselves."
Agnes leans in close, lowering her voice. "Is that why I like James so much?"
Mira has an urge to exclaim, "ICK!" in Agnes's face but something holds her back. The urge isn't because of Agnes. She's nice and she's pretty enough. It's the thought of someone liking her brother. Her brother. Mira just can't see it. Sure, James is a great brother. The only way he'd be better as a twin is if he were a girl. But he's stinky and burps and has gas.
If she'd said ick just now to Agnes's face, that would hurt the Gryffindor girl's feelings for now reason and Mira would probably then not have had a chance to explain the ick. Mira is not opposed to hurting the feelings of others but this isn't one of those times.
Instead, she shakes her head. "Doesn't work that way with boys. I mean, there aren't any full blood boy Veela's so I guess there aren't any who'd be like me."
"But you're twins so shouldn't you be the same that way?"
Mira shrugs, "I don't know how it works."
A boy, second year Mira thinks, suddenly comes up and thrusts a carefully wrapped red candied apple at her, a silly grin on his face.
"Thanks," Mira says, letting Agnes take as her own hands are currently full. Giving her attention back to her friend she says, "If you like James it's because you actually like him. No magic blood is doing it."
As if hearing his name right then James walks up, noting the chocolates in one hand, items sticking out of her book bag and her other hand clasped to her chest holding a stuffed animal and another box of chocolates. "Hey, Mira. You've got lots of loot it looks like." He turns to Agnes, "Hi, this is for you."
It's only a small heart shaped box of candy but Agnes's smile is now as silly as the boy who gave Mira the apple. She suppresses another urge to loudly proclaim, "ICK!" What say does say is, "I'm going to go sit down and have lunch."
She leaves Agnes thanking James for about the fiftieth time already, her brother with a goofy expression as he suggests they too sit down to eat, maybe Agnes and he sitting together.
Between Classes
Author: Finley
Date: 03-03-18 13:23
After Charms, Finley and Phoebus exited the classroom and walked through corridors and down staircases to reach the front doors of the castle. They paused in the entrance hall to don their winter cloaks and pull on mittens and hats. Then, they crossed the snowy grounds to the greenhouses.
Yesterday had been Valentine's Day. Finley had used some money given to her by her parents to buy chocolates for Phoebus, Eirene, and her Gryffindor roommates. She'd spent sparingly, a habit from her orphan days. Nevertheless, the gifts had been well-received. Finley had also gotten a few things in return.
Phoebus had also done well. He'd recently had a growth spurt and become broad-shouldered and slightly muscular. With his sunny yellow hair, blue eyes, and square jaw, he'd begun drawing a lot more attention from the opposite sex. Finley couldn't deny that Phoebus had become handsome, but she didn't like him like that. Not so, Eirene.
Eirene's crush on Phoebus became more evident with each passing day, but Phoebus hardly noticed. He had no idea that the giant basket of Valentine's sweets, which included chocolates, biscuits, cake pops, and about a dozen other things had come from her, because she'd sent it to him anonymously. Anyone who knew Eirene was well-aware that she strived to be the best at everything and demanded credit where it was due, so the fact that she was being coy about the extravagant gift was a bit of a surprise.
Finley had figured it out, because she'd noticed Eirene carefully watching Phoebus when the gift was delivered at breakfast yesterday. Phoebus had thought Cynthia had sent it to him as a joke, but then he also doubted his sister would waste all her money on him. He had no clue who was behind the gift and was only mildly curious to find out.
The pair eventually reached the greenhouses. They took off their winter accoutrements and hung them on the coat racks near the door and then took their usual places at the work table. Professor Ravenscroft began her lecture soon thereafter.
Remind Me
Author: Kody
Date: 03-03-18 19:09
Deak drops into a chair opposite Jack, his food tray thudding on the table hard enough to nearly upset not only his drink but Jack's as well. "Tell me again why I'm doing an advanced program."
A hand still outstretched to steady his glass Jack's face creases in a grin. "Because you can."
"Must be it."
"I take it the exam was tough."
"Bloody bugger. The NEWTs having nothing on this professor's exams. You end up doing anything last night?"
Jack's grin vanishes. "She double booked in case one of us didn't work out."
"Does that mean you, um, how to it? Lost?"
"No, I won. She let it slip by accident when we were leaving a class yesterday. What about you?"
"Etta and I had lunch together but with this monstrous exam today for me and she had a project due and needed to polish her presentation. We'll probably do something special come the weekend."
"So you've moved to Valentine's and special again with her. Thought so."
"Honestly? I'm not sure where we are or what we are."
"Maybe this weekend you two should figure that out."
"We should."
"But you won't."
"I don't know. Maybe. We'll see how the weekend goes."
Both look up as a third joins them. Wiggy takes courses whenever one he needs or wants fits where his practice and match schedules allow. At his, "Remind me again why I enrolled in a program," Deak and Jack exchange a look then burst into laughter.
Closed for Business
Author: Lee Sickleby
Date: 03-04-18 09:05
A month and a half had passed since Alaia's disappearance. The investigation into her alleged abduction was on-going, but Lee was not involved since the victim was his wife. He regularly pestered law enforcement for updates, but either there were none or the department was temporarily keeping information close to the vest. Lee knew that he had been or perhaps still was a suspect, since he and Alaia had been separated at the time of her death, and since he did not have a reliable alibi.
Fieldmouse kept him on desk duty in the meanwhile. Lee had made a full recovery since nearly getting killed in Africa, but with Alaia's absence constantly on his mind, he couldn't very well concentrate on undercover operations. For his part, Lee wanted nothing more than to go out into the field. Doing something other than sitting at a desk would help distract him from the constant worry he felt regarding his missing wife. Fieldmouse was probably right not to clear him, though. Lee was in an emotional state, and that might cause him to act rashly.
Because he wasn't allowed to do what he wanted, Lee often worked shorter shifts. He worked till just after lunch on the Wednesday after Valentine's Day and then flooed from the Ministry of Magic to The Leaky Cauldron. As he hadn't actually eaten lunch while still at work, Lee ordered fish and chips and an ale and sat in a darkened corner of the noisy pub. When he finished eating, he ventured into Diagon Alley.
Lee knew his feet would take him all the way to Decadence Bakery, but he had some errands to run while in London. He made the necessary stops along the way before he reached Alaia's shoppe, which had a CLOSED sign in the window. Lee stared at it in surprise, because Divina had done her best to keep the business open in Alaia's absence.
As if she knew he were there, Divina emerged from the interior staircase and unlocked the door. She was carrying an old-fashioned leather suitcase in addition to the small cross-body purse she wore.
Lee moved out of her way to let her pass. "Are you leaving?" he asked.
Divina stepped onto the cobblestones and set the suitcase down at her feet. "Yes," she said. "I can't run the shoppe without help. The Valentine's rush overwhelmed me. Also––" She stopped when Amyas stepped outside and locked the door behind him.
When he finished, Amyas turned to greet Lee. "Did Divina tell you?" he asked.
Lee shook his head. "Tell me what?"
"Some great great uncle I didn't know about left me a large farmhouse outside Portland, Oregon. It's big enough for my entire family, so we're all leaving England. I grew up in Florida, so Oregon will be a bit of a change, but I do miss America. My sister Capri is already there with the kids. Andromeda and my parents are set to follow after they finish packing up the house here."
"So I guess this is goodbye," Lee said.
"Yes," Amyas answered. He held out a hand to shake Lee's.
Lee shook his hand and asked Divina, "What about the shoppe?"
"You'll have to decide what to do with it," she answered curtly. She still didn't like him. Divina then turned to Amyas and said, "I miss our baby. Can we leave now?"
Amyas nodded. "Yes, let's. Goodbye, Lee."
"Goodbye."
Never once looking back at the life they were leaving behind, Amyas and Divina set out for the opposite end of Diagon Alley. From there, they began the multi-leg journey to the west coast of the United States.
Statement Given
Author: Illyria
Date: 03-04-18 14:57
With a loud pop, Illyria appeared in Hogsmeade. She had just disapparated from Diagon Alley, where she'd visited the Astronomer's Nook only because she'd happened to have been in the neighborhood. Illyria had only gone to Diagon Alley because she'd flooed to The Leaky Cauldron from the Ministry of Magic.
Her reason for going to the Ministry in the middle of a school day was because she'd been summoned there to give a statement to law enforcement. Every survivor from the 14-15-14 community for nons, whether having attended any of Heathcote Hamstead's group meetings or not, had gotten a summons.
Although there was no question Hamstead would go to prison, investigators were building up his case so that he received the maximum time behind bars. That meant that anyone who may have had an interaction with him, no matter how slight, was being called in for an interview.
Illyria sort of hoped she could testify at his trial when the time finally came, but she suspected only the individuals he actually scammed and Marzi, whom he'd tried to abduct, would speak before the court.
She slipped through the castle gates and walked up the white slope to the heavy oaken front doors. From there, she climbed the marble staircase and then felt lucky when the moving staircases shifted and raised exactly where she wanted to go. A short while later, she arrived outside the door of her quarters. She let herself in and found Nathan following Ian around their residence. The 18-month old walked everywhere these days, though he didn't say much beyond "apple", "train", and "buh buh buh" which meant Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans.
Upon seeing his mother, his face lit up in a smile. Illyria set her shopping bag down on a side table and scooped her little boy up into her arms. She kissed his cheeks and smiled at him. "How's my Ian?"
Ian said something to her that made perfect sense to him and then wriggled so he could be set down again. Illyria then turned to her husband, who gave her a kiss on the lips.
"How was it?"
Illyria shrugged. "I suppose it went well. How was babysitting duty?"
"I think I've worn a path in the carpet from all the following I've been doing. How are you?" At this, he lightly touched his fingertips to her tummy. Although not yet sure, Illyria thought she might be pregnant again. She and Nathan were certainly trying to give Ian a baby brother or sister.
"Hungry, actually. Is it time for supper?"
"Not quite, but if you want an early meal we could go into the village."
Illyria mulled it over and then said, "I think I'll just go wash up and think about my classes tonight. By the time that's done, we can go to the Great Hall."
Decision made, she went to the bathroom to use the facility and freshen up.
(Anthony) Busy, Busy, Busy
Author: Beck
Date: 03-05-18 17:53
In the time it took a lift to arrive, Anthony had decided that he would eat lunch in the canteen at the Ministry of Magic. He had a lot on his plate, no pun intended, and he didn't think he should take a full lunch away from his place of work when time was of the essence.
With the fairly recent announcement that the Ministry of Magic had arrested a heretofore unknown member of the Death Eaters, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had become a flurry of activity. Investigators were busy trying to determine how the story got leaked to the press. Others were busy trying to salvage what they could of related operations currently underway. Then there was the fact that Robert Blackheart would likely be fast-tracked to Azkaban. Legal was busy preparing his case for the Wizengamot.
Anthony was one of the aurors working on a related case, or at least there was a strong belief that Menelaus McGonagall was a Death Eater supporter, if not a secret Death Eater himself. Anthony still conducted surveillance on the elderly wizard and continued to gather information for the case against him, which also entailed determining the bigger picture. Obviously, the Death Eaters were recruiting, but who was at the helm?
The other thing occupying Anthony's time had nothing to do with Death Eaters and everything to do with Reed Wycombe. Henrik and Ivy Hess, the parents of Keridwen Dragonsblood, had been found alive but obliviated in a hospital in Italy last summer. Since the discovery, healers had worked long and hard to restore their memories. Unfortunately Mr. and Mrs. Hess had had no idea that their daughter had been murdered and had unsurprisingly taken the news hard.
Investigators eventually determined that the person behind their daughter's murder, for which Anthony himself had been framed, had also tampered with their memories and sent them to the Italian hospital. Anthony was glad that Reed couldn't hurt anybody anymore, but he wondered how many other situations Reed had arranged that had not yet been unraveled. For all he knew, there were more innocent victims waiting to be found.
Anthony finally got to the canteen and got in line with a tray in hand. He ended up with a plate of pasta bolognese, a side salad, and a crusty roll. He grabbed a bottle of pumpkin fizz and a brownie before heading for an empty table away from queue, which was growing longer by the minute.
Red Handed
Author: Ginny Weasley
Date: 03-06-18 18:53
Ginny walks into Jamie's bedroom to tell Jamie and Albus to come to the table for supper only to stop short, the words dying on her lips. The boys, hearing her enter, turn to look her direction, eyes wide at being caught red-handed. Literally red handed. Red faced. Red everywhere skin is showing, which is rather a lot as they're both stripped to their underwear.
Before Ginny finds her voice Jamie proudly declared, "We're navy mere cans, Mummy."
"Navy mere cans?"
"You know. They live in Mere ca and have red skin."
"You mean Native Americans?"
"That's what I said."
Ginny gives a shake of her head, reaching for her wand to get what she can of the red off. "You know the paint is only supposed to go on the paper," she says in reference to the two small easels with finger paintings in progress.
"But we wanted to play like in the story."
"What story?"
"At the libeerry."
"A story about Native Americans."
Albus speaks for the first time. "Good dory, Mummy, 'bout naive mer cains."
"You like storytime, do you?"
"Mosely," Albus nods then remembers to say, "We din't pway naive mer cains yet, Mummy."
"Tonrrow and without the paint." Ginny takes stock of both boys. How is it that fingerpaint that never stains their fingers has left them tinged with red all over? Sighing, she helps them put their clothes back on to come eat dinner, telling them, "Baths after we eat."
Whisking the container of red paint back to where it belongs, she follows Jamie and Albus out of the bedroom, stopping along the way to get Lily from the sitting room where she'd been lying on a blanket playing with toys dangling above her. As she gets the boys seated and their dinners served she wonders how it is that Harry always seems to miss these "fun" moments. Or maybe he doesn't but his moments are when she's not there and he doesn't mention them.
She'll mention this one to him and see if he'll relate anything to her without her having to outright ask.
Need To Talk
Author: Jared
Date: 03-08-18 19:06
A pamphlet with information for vendors planning, or at this stage just thinking about, having booths as this summer's Quidditch Con was found to have an error. The printing department couldn't get to reprinting them today and the pamphlets are to be mailed to individuals, shoppes, and various organizations first thing in the morning. For some reason the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports insisted the mailings go out on schedule, forcing Jared and others in his office to figure out a fix.
A spell over all the boxes pamphlets didn't work. Instead, it created more errors. Thankfully, another spell reversed the added issues.
A spell over smaller numbers of the pamphlets also didn't work.
Jared and the others designated to fix the problem ended up staying late to go through the piles of pamphlets one by one. As there are enough pamphlets to go out internationally, this was not a small or quick task. At least the work was made faster with several wands working than if only one person was given the job but the small group still ended up working late.
As they finish up, the small group decides to go together for supper. Jared, still not back to the social self he once begs off. With only a few pamphlets left to correct he suggests they all go on and go. A short time later he makes his way from the office and through the darkened, quiet department to the nearest bank of lifts, tapping the button for the Atrium.
The lift stops at Level 2, not all that surprising given that law enforcement has round the clock shifts. What does surprise Jared is who's standing there waiting for the elevator, most likely having worked late herself.
Seeing him, Alanna gives a small, shy smile. "I've wondered if we'd ever run into each other. You won't reply to my owls and never seem to be in the office if I stop by."
Jared debates getting off the lift and getting another or waiting for this one to be free again only to have the doors shut before he even moves. It's not far to the Atrium.
When he says nothing Alanna says, "We need to talk."
Jared stares at the lift doors, willing the elevator to move faster.
"Say something."
"There's nothing to say," he snaps.
"You know that's not true."
"You want to talk now? NOW? I tried to talk to you, Alanna. For weeks I tried. Or was it months? Feels like years. You shut me out."
"For your own well being."
"Our marriage was deteriorating and you not only wouldn't talk to me but then you left altogether only to turn around and get married again. You think my well being was, erm, well?"
"You know why I got married again. I was saving you."
Jared shakes his head in exasperation. "You just don't get it, do you?"
He shoves past Alanna when the lift doors open onto the Atrium. She follows closely behind.
"I was saving you. Saving everyone. What is there to get?"
Jared sharply spins around to glare at Alanna. "You. Shut. Me. Out," he bites out. "If you had talked to me, we could have tried to figure something out, stop him before things went further. At the very least you could have told someone else, someone like, oh, I don't know, Ariella or Anthony. Have that someone pass messages on to me if you thought it wasn't safe for you to talk directly with me about what was going on."
"I thought I was doing what was best for everyone." Alanna's tone is pleading.
"You thought wrong. You froze me out, didn't trust me, humiliated me. You also shut out others you should have, could have trusted. How is that best for anyone?" he angrily spits. Jared stalks off, wishing there wasn't such a vast distance between the outgoing Floos and the lifts.