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(Wren) Flowers & Jewels
Author: Sophie McCourt
Date: 09-24-18 10:41
Wren was preparing the Threstals food when Jasper stormed into the stables.
"Unbelievable, McCallister!"
"What happened?" Wren asked, pausing what he was doing.
"It's Sophie's birthday today. I wanted to go to Hogwarts, to pay her a visit and give her my present in first hand. But the Headmistress refused my request! She said visits are only allowed in scheduled days or just in a case of an emergency."
He handed over a letter to Wren. He recognized Professor McGonagall's tidy handwriting written in bottle green ink. In her letter she lectured Jasper, declaring that if she allowed everyone to visit the students when they wanted then the castle would be filled with parents, relatives and friends all the time. She added in a dry tone she was not going to open an exception for him.
"Can you believe this? I know what's going on. She is just a frustrated lonely old lady who obviously does not know what it is like to be engaged and in love."
Wren thought Jasper wasn't being very correct in judging Professor McGonagall like that but he didn't make any comments. Instead he suggested that Jasper should send his birthday gift to Sophie via owl.
"You don't understand...the gift was a dinner at a fancy restaurant and a magical opera show. I have planned it so I would show up after her last class and take her myself to London. Everyone would be talking about it for weeks. "
It was as if Jasper was more concerned about being seen in London with Sophie, than actually preoccupied with her person. Wren recalled Jasper that Sophie was going to take her NEWTs exams and her birthday was on a school night. It would be impossible for McGonagall to authorize such thing.
"The NEWTs aren't that important. My dear Sophie doesn't need to worry too much about having good marks. Her future is well secured, as me and my family will provide for her," Jasper smiled. "And yet she indeed is concerned about that. She mentioned that without Quidditch practices she has more time to study. I was right when I told her not to tryout. I only think on what is best for her."
Wren remained silence for a moment. Jasper had came to visit him during the tryouts weekend with a strange request. He wanted Wren to ask his sister about Sophie trying out for the Quidditch team. He confessed to Wren that he was afraid Sophie might not comply with his wishes and she would try to join the team anyway. Wren refused to use Cecily as a spy but he was later able to tell Jasper that Sophie had borrowed her broom to Cecily which meant Sophie was not going to play any Quidditch. Jasper didn't seem very pleased with Sophie's kind gesture towards Cecily but he didn't make any remarks about that in front of Wren.
"Why don't you offer her something simpler this time?" Wren suggested. Jasper kept showering his bride with expensive gifts, most of which she was not even allowed to bring to Hogwarts like as party gowns and matching jewelry.
"Such as?"
"Flowers," he pointed to the gardens. "You told me she liked the Manor's gardens. You could make a bouquet of the garden's flowers. The last season flowers, before winter sets in. She can set them up in her dormitory by her nightstand table. A little bit of Pole Manor at Hogwarts. Because when she marries these will be the same flowers she will see from the window when she wakes up."
"Wren McCallister you are romantic guy!"Jasper teased. "Yes, yes, that sounds like a good idea. But I will also add a ring or a bracelet to that gift. So you go to the gardens and pick some flowers for me, while I buy her some jewelry? You know more of flowers than I. And I know more of jewels than you," he teased again."Do that for me, will you?"
Like the faithful servant he was Wren complied with his Master's request.
Bakery Kitchen Visitor
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 09-24-18 18:16
Kellen Fitzmorris sits in the corner of the bakery kitchen watching Briar decorate a birthday cake. Much like Grace had once wanted to know he asks, "Why do you do it like that?"
Briar's reply is much the same as the one she gave Grace. "I sometimes like being hands-on when baking and decorating."
"Why when a wand's so much easier?"
"I don't know why. I just do."
Kellen makes a sort of hum sound before asking, "Mind if I get more coffee?"
"Not at all. Help yourself."
Coffee refreshed and a still warm chocolate almond biscuit in hand he sits again and finally gets to the point of his visit. "I've still no leads on who killed Kristen. I KNOW it was someone associated with the Knights Walpurgis but they are being extra careful with this new image of theirs I've not made any inroads. Severus is so tired of nothing but organizing fund raisers and then being expected to go to each event that he's been talking about quitting."
"He's been talking about quitting for months as I recall."
Kellen starts to say something more but goes quiet at the sound of the IN door to the kitchen swinging open. "The Monday pre-lunch rush has finally slowed," one of her employees says, coming in to get an order that's Briar had boxed just before starting to decorate the birthday cake. "Mrs. Fitzmorris is here for her scones and biscuits. She sort of sniffed at me and asked if you were going to personally wait on her."
Briar puts down the offset spatula she'd just picked up. "Thank you. I'll see to her."
She takes the box and is nearly to the OUT door when Kellen ask, "Would that be Nova?"
Pausing with one hand on the door to push it open Briar nods. "It would."
"Don't tell her I'm here. Every time we talk she tries to convince me to talk my brother into coming back to her and then she chews me out for helping put her precious Ogden in jail."
Briar solemnly replies, "My lips are sealed."
A few minutes later she returns, head shaking as she picks up the offset spatula again. "She asked me did I think Travis's baby is Ogden's."
"Always clueless that one. Travis told me Nova and Morticia still seem to think Travis will renew her relationship with Odgen once he's out of Azkaban."
Briar snorts. "Renew? Have to have had something to begin with in order to renew it."
"That's too rational for those two." Kellen gets up, snagging another of the chocolate almond biscuits. "I have a meeting. Thanks for the coffee and cookies."
"Thanks for not forgetting Kristen Leach."
"Never," he emphatically states before leaving through the bakery's back door in case his sister-in-law Nova is still in the vicinity.
Briar purses her lips, sighs, then gives her full attention back to the birthday cake, using magic on it for the first time by making small round cakes stay stacked without help on one corner of the cake, frosting the layers between each. When she's finished with the cake, the small round ones will look like a castle tower. With any lucky, she'll be able to work until the actual lunch rush without further interruption.
Finished For The Day
Author: Zabrynna
Date: 09-25-18 18:16
Sighing with tiredness Zabrynna rests her elbows on her desk then rests her head on her hands. Moving one hand to massage her neck she sits up with a yawn. After another yawn she rises to leave. Her Tuesday office hours ended almost fifteen minutes ago but she wanted to finish grading some essays and to record the grades before calling it a day.
Pulling the door shut behind her, the rings she's worn for a relatively short time make a pleasant clicking sound against the metal of the knob. It's not common knowledge yet but Declan and she married on the 28th of August at Mariposa's mother's home in beautiful Costa Rica. They'd only officially been engaged a few days when they decided there was no reason to wait on getting married. As a result, the ceremony was small with only a handful of family and close friends invited. They had a casual barbecue on the beach afterwards.
They do want to have a bigger celebration so, with permission from Professor McGonagall, on Friday there will be for their colleagues and the students a reception of sorts with cake and food in the Commons after the usual time for supper. There will also be music and dancing. Saturday, there is a dinner gathering at the Crown & Cauldron. All their colleagues and significant others and wider group of friends than who were at the wedding are invited.
The one person who was not at the wedding, who won't be here Friday, and won't show Saturday is Margretta. Zabrynna invited her mother to the Costa Rican ceremony but Margretta did one more than not showing. She blackened the entire invitation, tore it into small pieces, placed those pieces back in the envelope, then owled the envelope back to Zabrynna.
Surprisingly, Zabrynna's stepsister Mercy Carlyle sent a gift, prompting Zabrynna to invite her to Saturday's dinner. She'd expected Mercy to decline. It's not as though they've become close since Margretta married Mercy's father so it was another surprise when Mercy accepted for herself and a date.
Reaching the F&A room where there is a workout room Declan was planning to utilize after his own office hours ended, Zabrynna stands just inside the doorway, waiting for him to notice her. When he does she smiles. "Supper here or cook at home?"
Encounter
Author: Rowan Westwick
Date: 09-26-18 17:51
Rowan stepped inside The Wyrding Way and approached the counter. Since term was not yet in session, it wasn't very busy despite the fact it was around the lunch hour. Rowan quickly ordered four coffees, four sandwiches, and four gigantic chocolate chip biscuits.
When she turned to find a comfortable place to wait for her order, she found Lon getting up from a seat across the room. He made his way towards her the same time she moved to lean against a wall with her arms crossed over her chest.
The two hadn't talked at all since the day he broke up with her over the summer. Rowan was prepared for a fight, but Lon stopped before her with his hands in his pockets and murmured, "Saw the news about your brother in the paper. I'm sorry."
Rowan hung her head to disguise her true feelings and said, "Thanks."
"How are Willow and your dad taking it?"
"Hard," Rowan replied. It wasn't exactly a lie. Ash might be alive and well, but his predicament was no less serious than before, and his life would never be the same. It was difficult for everyone who knew the truth.
Lon nodded and said, "So… are you still with that guy?"
Rowan expelled a sigh and said, "I was never with him. He's an auror, and he was investigating my brother's disappearance."
"Then why did you hug him when he didn't have any good news for you?" Lon asked.
"He did have good news," Rowan countered. "He told me he had a solid lead about Ash, and that was the best news I'd heard since February when my brother first disappeared. So yeah, I hugged him."
"Four coffees, four sandwiches, four biscuits!" announced the barista, cutting off whatever Lon wanted to say next.
Rowan pushed past him to get her order. She didn't say anything else to Lon, and he didn't try to engage her in further conversation either. Instead, he retreated to his chair across the room, and Rowan exited the coffee shop.
A little while later, she used a portkey to travel to Ash's hideaway. There she found him with Willow and Connor, who frequently visited the safe house with updates or to get information. Rowan passed out the coffees, sandwiches, and biscuits and forgot all about Lon.
Mark This Day On A Calendar
Author: Travis
Date: 09-26-18 18:48
Emerging from her office where she'd been feeding Benedict, who is now, thankfully, asleep. She halts in her tracks at seeing her mother walking into Botanicals & Beyond. She starts to duck back into her office only to have Morticia exclaim, "Fifi! I went up to the flat but no one answered. I hoped you'd be here."
The meet halfway between office door and shopped door, Travis dutifully bestowing a kiss on her mother's offered cheek. "Why were you looking for me?"
"To see my grandson of course."
"He just went to sleep," Travis says but knowing her mother she continues with, "but if you want to look in on him go right ahead. He's a sound sleeper."
Morticia smiles, brushing past Travis to go into the office. Travis shakes her head, walking over to the counter to pick up some inventory forms she'd left there when going in to feed Benedict. Returning to checking how much of various loose teas they have Travis turns her head when Theobald reminds from where he's working on a new window display, "Don't forget I leave for a healer's appointment in an hour."
"I've not forgotten, thanks. Still going to Pie In The Sky afterwards?"
"Yes. Going to pick up a favorite of Mum's for her birthday. She loves anything from Briar's but as I do that for every occasion, I thought I'd do something unpredictable. Want me to bring you anything?"
"I'd love something chocolate but I should avoid it as long as I'm nursing. Even though no longer considered in season, I'd also love something strawberry but strawberries are on the list of foods that are best to avoid."
"Coconut? Blackberry? Nuts of some sort?"
"Any of those would be lovely. Thank you. Take some galleons from petty cash."
"No, no. It's on me."
"Fine, but I buy lunch tomorrow."
Theo chuckles. "You were already buying lunch tomorrow."
Travis grins at him then both return to their tasks. Over the next half hour each works steadily, each stopping once to wait on a customer. Things are so quiet with both of them focused and only those two customers that Travis has almost forgotten her mother is here when Morticia breezes out of the office, leaving the door open a crack as she'd found it while cooing, "He is so very precious. So dear."
Writing the last notation on her chart Travis turns to her mother with a broad smile. "I'm glad you approve."
"You know, Fifi, you, your sister, and your brother have such unique names I do wish you'd not given my grandson such a common name."
"Benedict Sebastian is common?"
Morticia sniffs. "It's not too late to change his name, you know."
"To what?"
"Zephyr is quite nice."
"Zephyr."
"Or Calyx. It's even herbological. Botanical."
"I know what a calyx is, Mum."
"Lisianthus liked my suggestions of baby names."
"They named her Finola after your mother and Roxanne after Solomon's paternal grandmother."
"That doesn't mean they didn't like my suggestions. This next one may be Forsythia. Or Amaryllis."
"What? No boy suggestions for them?"
"As I told you, Zephyr is quite nice."
"Or Calyx."
Either Morticia is oblivious to Travis's sarcasm or she's choosing to ignore it. Knowing her mother, it could go either way.
Her mother, making a humming sort of sound, walks over to the canisters of loose tea. "As long as I'm here, I'd like more of that sangria tea or whatever you call it."
"I have some here already package."
"Such a lovely container that is. Yes, I'll take that." She spots the assortment of specialty oils, walking closer to them. "What was that you used for that wonderful dressing you made last week?"
Travis, the tea canister still in hand, goes to the display and picks up one of the more decorative looking bottles. "This walnut oil and the recipe is in a new cookbook. Let me get one for you."
When Morticia leaves with her items a few minutes later bidding, "Kiss my grandson for me when he wakes, Fifi," Travis turns a confused expression to Theobald.
"What?" he asks.
"Did my mother just manage to have a visit without once asking who Benedict's father is, without mentioning Nova or Ogden, or telling me she's met some lovely young man she'd like to introduce me to? She didn't even remind me how embarrassing it is for her to have an unwed mother for a daughter."
Theobald looks to the front of the store as if he can still see Morticia outside on the High. Looking back to Travis he muses, "Maybe she's ill?"
"Whatever the reason I hope it happens again."
Laughing Theo says, "I think I've finished the display so I'm going to go on and leave for the appointment. See you this afternoon."
With Theo gone, Benedict asleep, and no customers at the moment, Travis sits in a chair behind the counter, wondering if she should mark this day on a calendar. Leaning back and closing her eyes she decides she's glad Theo is a witness because neither Indi nor Lisi are going to believe her.
Lunch With Friends (Grace)
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 09-28-18 19:17
A girl Grace doesn't recognize hurries up to her. "I didn't sign up to the baking club. Do you think I could still go to a meeting?"
Nodding Grace tells her, "I don't see why not. I can't think of any club that has a rule you have to sign up for it on Club Day."
"Great! Thanks!" The girl starts to rush off to wherever she usually sits for lunch only to turn back. "Ummmm, do you know when the next one is?"
"Next one is the first meeting. The seventh. Here, I have a schedule somewhere." Grace roots in her bag, producing an extra copy. "If you know anyone who needs one, I have extra and if the club information on common room boards hasn't been updated it soon will be."
The girl clasps the sheet to her chest. "Thank you! See you there!"
Jaclyn Rex, standing next to Grace, watches the girl scurry away and asks, "Who was that?"
"No idea."
"Are you going to do the baking club? You never said." Maud directs this at Grace over her shoulder as the girls make their way to spots at the Ravenclaw table.
Some days Grace sits with Oliver and Rand, either at the Gryffindor table or at the Ravenclaw table. Other times she sits with other friends. Sometimes a large group sits bunched together at one of the four tables. Oliver and Rand may be her best friends but that doesn't mean she excludes everyone else.
In answer to Maud's question she replies, "I signed up. I wanted to but almost felt like I had to because of Mum."
When Maud simply says, "I understand,' Grace doesn't doubt her. Maud's aunt is sponsor of two clubs.
Jaclyn jokes, "I'm going to go to every club, whether I signed up or not and then tell my professors I can't make it to class, do homework, or study because I have things to do for all my clubs."
The other two girls laugh and Grace says, "That would go over well but just think if there were a school where students did clubs every day but only met classes once or twice a month or something like that."
Over the rest of lunch the three think up other ways the alternate school and its universe would differ from theirs, with others around them soon joining in.
Excavation
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 09-29-18 16:17
A small group of employees at the Ministry of Magic stood in the Death Chamber at the Department of Mysteries and watched as a pair of Unspeakables carefully used their wands to remove a rectangular section of stone from one of the tiers surrounding the central pit. The room had been one of few at the Ministry of Magic not to require any sort of restoration in the aftermath of the Death Eater attack that had occurred over three years ago.
Removing the stone section was a laborious task because of the many secretive and protective spells that had been placed upon that particular rectangle well over a decade ago. The few who had been involved in the original spellcasting had either retired or died in the interim, which made the progress to remove the stone slower than it might otherwise have been. Although everyone was eager to know the end result, no one was willing to rush and risk hindering the removal of the stone.
Only a select few knew what was supposed to be inside the stone. Those in the know were hopeful that the contents hadn't changed. If everything was as it should be, then the theory made in the aftermath of the Death Eater attack on Diagon Alley had validation. If not, then the wizarding world had a very big and surprising problem on its hands.
The Unspeakables and Ministry officials observing the stone's removal knew the situation must be quite urgent if the Minister of Magic himself was present. Kingsley watched the slow progress unfold with incredible patience.
After quite a long time of careful spellwork, the stone finally dislodged from its place. It was gently lowered to the floor and then the careful work of removing the lid commenced. This, too, occurred after strenuous effort and a considerable amount of time, and then the moment of truth came.
Kingsley stepped forward to peer over the thick edge of the sarcophagus and saw a small scrap of parchment with a single sentence written in neat cursive where human bones ought to be:
Looking for someone?
Kingsley, never one to lose composure or say something unbecoming of the leader of the British wizarding populace, said the first thing that came to mind. "Shit."