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Turn Up The Music (Mason)
Author: Pyrrhus
Date: 07-06-12 18:11
Mason, his blue Easter basket clutched in hand - a dark, masculine blue and none of those baby and girly blues for him, thank you very much - races roommate and best friend here at Hogwarts Boris Samson to an ostrich sized egg burnished in a metallic copper. Beating Boris to it by a fraction of a second, Mason drops into a slide, imitating the baseball players he's seen on the telly when at either his mum's or his dad's. Having a telly is one thing he sorely misses about being here at Hogwarts or when visiting someone like Boris. It's made him glad that Dad doesn't live in the Wizarding world.
The egg is light, surprisingly so considering its size compared to the other eggs he's found so far and the copper on it, not that copper is overly heavy compared to many metals, if it's real copper at all that is. Carefully dropped it in with the others, he turns to scout out another, noticing that Boris is a few feet away, stooping over though Mason can't see anything. Must be an egg in a depression or maybe the grass is just tall enough or the egg just small enough. Mason gives a mental shrug even as his eyes land on an egg so darkly blue as to make his basket seem pale and powdery in comparison.
Hurrying over to get it before anyone else, Mason frees it from the thorny branch of a flowering bush on which leave buds of spring green are on the verge of eruption. He set to add it to the growing stack in the basket when Mason would swear he hears music. It's sort of distant, like maybe someone has a portable WWN receiver and either has the volume low or is somewhere across the vast expanse of Hogwarts grounds with the slight breeze carrying the sound this way.
The familiar snatch of current hit by The Rusty Cauldrons fades as Mason is walking over to another egg, one hand placing the coppery egg into his basket. As he reaches that next egg, he hears music again. It's a different bit of song but one he knows to also be The Rusty Cauldrons. It's one of his favorites so Mason does a slow spin trying to pinpoint the direction of the music. Only then does it dawn on him where it's actually coming from.
Retrieving the coppery egg, intrigued that it keeps playing bits of The Rusty Cauldron's songs, Mason cracks it open, the first egg he's done so today. When he sees what he's got, he can't help but grin. There are two tickets to a Rusty Cauldrons concert this summer and a small, stiff looking square that at first glance just seems to be a miniature Rusty Cauldron's poster but is really the source of the music. Flipping it over to read the back, Mason's smile grows wider. It's like a mini album, having seven of their most recent songs. The back also gives the information necessary to activate the full play mode, how to play a specific song, and how to completely shut it off.
Activating the full player mode, Mason sings along to songs by The Rusty Caldrons as he goes in search of both more eggs and Boris, knowing his friend is going to want to use the second ticket for the concert over summer hols.
Kidnapping Bronwyn
Author: Desdemona Diamond
Date: 07-06-12 18:58
It was 8 in the morning by the time I made it to Bronwyn's house. I figured she'd be awake by now. If not, then oh well, she will be soon. I knocked on her front door rather loudly. It didn't take long for a rather confused looking Bronwyn to open the door. She didn't look like she was expecting anyone either.
"Desi? Wha… Wait, you're awake?" She asked.
"Yup," I answered, rather cheerfully, "Why aren't you ready go to?"
"Go? Go where?" She asked, moving so I could walk in.
"Someplace." I answered, still in a cheerful tone.
Bronwyn sighed, "I hate when you do this…" She started moving off to get ready before stopping to ask, "Do I even have a choice?"
"Nope!"
"Fine..." She walked off towards her room.
She was gone for a while to 'make herself presentable.' So, I patiently waited. She probably needed a little extra time to search through her expanded wardrobe. Not to mention having to explain to Toby that I was kidnapping her.
When she reappeared the two of us walked outside. I grabbed her arm and with a side-along apparation, we appeared in front of Wizard's Wonderful Wellness Spa. Bronwyn lit up, then eyed me with suspicion.
"So," Bronwyn looked at me skepticly, "What's this for?"
"Your work on the list," I told her, "I figured you had to put a lot of work and effort to get all the info that was on it."
"So… You're thanking me by bringing me here?"
"Yup. The others, however, are gonna die," I informed her. Bronwyn just laughed and led the way in.
Matchmaking & Massages
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 07-07-12 07:32
"I want to get it right this time," Bronwyn said to Desi, though her words came out breathlessly and cut short because she was in the middle of getting a back massage. The masseuse, who really did have the magic touch, was using a lightning quick chopping motion up and down Bronwyn's back.
Desi, facedown on the neighboring table, murmured, "You actually did get it right the last time."
Bronwyn lifted her head to look at Desi, but the masseuse gently pushed it back down.
Deep down she had always known that Desi and Xavier were a perfect match. If only Bianca hadn't interfered.
"Do you believe that a person can have more than one soulmate?" Bronwyn asked after a little while.
Desi shrugged without thinking. Bronwyn, of course, couldn't see her.
"There are so many people in the world," Desi answered, after giving Bronwyn's question some thought. "I think it's likely that you could have a connection with more than one person, even a deep connection like soulmates do."
"Good, now I can invite Ethan Somerset into my marriage."
"You wish," Desi teased. "I'm surprised you don't have a telescope set up in your bedroom facing across the street."
"Haha," Bronwyn replied, sounding just a touch guilty that maybe she had spied on her handsome neighbor in the past. "Anyway, I wanted to be thorough when I started that list. There is another Xavier out there for you, Desi––and his name just might be Driver Morgan."
"Why Driver?" Desi asked.
"Why not? He's really good-looking. He shares your interests, at least as far as the auror thing goes."
"Um, don't you remember that he decided not to become an auror in the end? I'm not sure that means we have that in common."
"Whatever," Bronwyn said, waving her hand. "He's attractive, he seems to have his head well on his shoulders, he's related to Arley by marriage…"
"Just another person for Bianca to conquer."
"I thought you said you believe she's sorry for everything she's done."
Desi sighed. "Yeah, but it's Bianca's habit. Xavier wasn't the first time, though it was definitely the worst."
"If she's truly sorry, not that I believe her personally, then she won't meddle again. Don't let her dictate your love life. She can't always have what's yours."
"Try telling her that," Desi muttered. "Anyway, let's NOT talk about Bianca today."
"Deal."
Complicated
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 07-07-12 10:32
Johanna found Gus seated with his back against the castle wall, in the shadow. He had a green basket filled with eggs next to him, but he didn't seem very interested in knowing its content.
"Hey…" Johanna greeted.
Gus raised his head and patted the ground next to him, inviting her to sit down. She smiled to herself, content. For a moment she thought he was waiting for someone, maybe Polly.
"I thought you were with the others," Gus said, starting the conversation.
"No. Felicia and Baltus don't let go of each other and Mark and Kate probably wanted some time alone. So I just hung out with Evelyn and her friends. They are a bit hysterical. After a while I couldn't take it anymore so I just left. What about you?"
"I was trying to find Polly. She was talking to some adults. I'm not sure if those were her or maybe her friends' parents. Well, I wasn't going to interrupt. Then I watched her talking to a boy. I don't know who he is; maybe he doesn't even attend Hogwarts. I wonder if they date."
"I'm sorry about that," she lied. Of course she wasn't sorry. She wished Polly would date any boy that wasn't Gus.
"It's all right. It makes me wonder if I should be after her not. The other day your ex, that nerdy Gesner, teased me right after Transfiguration class. I heard him telling to his friend Donald Li how I looked like a silly puppy after Polly. I was about to jinx him when Professor Black arrived. I still wanted to jinx him when the class ended so I followed Gesner and Li into the boy's bathroom. I don't know who they were talking about, but I heard Li saying he had no idea why I was after Polly when there was someone else interested in me. Then Gesner said: 'That girl can be complicated, believe me, I used to date her'. Then they found me staring at them, so I just left."
Johanna's first reaction was to stand up and jinx Roger Gesner herself. But Gus was looking at her in expectation. They both knew who Donald and Roger had been talking about. Pretending it was nothing with her she picked up one of Gus' Easter eggs and opened it. Ironically it was a red fluffy pillow with a shape of a heart. She wished she could just use apparition and leave Hogwarts' grounds.
"So was Gesner talking about you?"
"What if he was?" Johanna replied, tossing the bloody pillow away.
"Then we have to talk."
"About what?"
"About you. Me. Us."
"There's no us," she abruptly replied.
"But it could happen…"
For a moment Johanna wanted to throw herself into Gus arms, and kiss him. But that only lasted a second. Then she stated:
"I thought you liked Polly."
"Yes I do, but I don't want to go after her like a ridiculous puppy. I'm making a fool of myself."
"So if we date, you won't is that it? It's all about the way you look at everyone's eyes, isn't it?"
Gus hesitated and finally realizing what she meant he started to assure her that was not the case. But Johanna was done. She stood up, and told him she didn't want to hear anything else coming from his mouth. Gus apologized, but she started to walk away. The last thing she heard was Gus muttering to himself:
"Gesner was right, you really are a complicated girl…"
The Egg Hunt with the Marks
Author: Rylee
Date: 07-07-12 12:20
The pavilion that was set up by the Marks' family currently was filled with a table loaded with picnic delicacies that had been of course made all the more upscale by the fact that this was after all the Marks' family. All the children were gathered even though Rylee was the only one that attended Hogwarts and the eldest of the children were already away at University.
"At least for once I'm not the center of gossip or some other malicious talk from everyone else, but I have a feeling it will pick up once the event is over..." Rylee muttered to herself as she looked over her basket filled with glimmering eggs. Eyes sliding closed as she sunk back into her chair.
"They are going to talk Rylee, you are the perfect Slytherin and seriously anyone who can't see that is a bloody fool." Jasmine said and sniped an egg from her basket as she opened it and she let out a cry of surprise as a square of fabric fell out into her lap and as she unfolded it it turned into a soft, furred pillow in the shape of a star, complete with the decoration of a constellation on the dark blue fabric.
"Oh, that's pretty Jasmine!" Charlotte said with a grin as she popped a chocolate shaped like an egg.
Jasmine curled up with the pillow and breathed a gentle sigh as she grabbed a bottle of pumpkin juice and one of the sandwiches that was on a plate near her.
Rylee grabbed one of her eggs, hearing the faint strains of a Cleaver's song filtering from it she let out a squee of delight and within moments had the egg open and was rewarded with a copy of Cleaver's mini-album. She looked at the instructions on the back and smiled, there was also an autographed poster of the band.
"Now, that is just perfect for you Rylee since you love all things cute boy and music." She started the full-play mode on the small album, and much to the dismay of her parents the sounds of Cleaver began to fill the pavilion and filter out into the surroundings.
"By Merlin, do you have to play that now Rylee Elizabeth?" Came the irritated tone of her mother who was currently trying to talk to one of the other parents not far from where they were set up.
With a flick of her wand she silenced the mini-album and tucked it away before grabbing her half consumed bottle of pumpkin juice and finishing it off. "I'm going to go get some more eggs."
She smiled impishly and slipped off with her basket that was a plain dark wood basket embellished with silver and emerald green of Slytherin. She wanted to find a few more before settling down for lunch with her parents - and she'd dressed simply enough in an emerald green sari trimmed with black and accentuated with silver jewelry.
Taking A Short Break (Olive)
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 07-07-12 13:05
Stripping the foil off a chocolate egg, which she soon discovers is filled with a rich lemony cream, Olive eyes a structure across the lawn from where she and Zuberi are taking a break from the egg hunt for refreshments. And, to open a few eggs, though neither is letting on just how eager they are to find out what prizes they've gotten so far.
"That sort of thing right there is why that girl keeps finding herself singled out."
Not looking up from studying a gift certificate to the Astronomer's Nook in Diagon Alley, Zuberi asks, "What and who?"
"That there."
Glancing to see Zuberi's carefully folding the certificate back into the egg, Olive reaches over to put a hand under his chin, tilting it up. "There. See it now? The pavilion."
"Yeah. What about it?"
"That snobby younger girl in our house who can't understand why everybody thinks she's so stuck up and spoiled?"
"Ralynn, Rayla, Riannon or something. Or am I thinking of one of the fourth years?"
"It's Rylee something and I think we mean the same person. Anyway, there are several around from extremely wealthy families, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Zuberi gives his attention back to his basket as he speaks, rooting around for a bag of jellies in the shapes of brooms and snitches.
"No one flaunts their wealth like she does or name drops designers from both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. No one expects to be catered to like she often seems to. And none of them have erected a freakin' pavilion for today. Most everyone has blankets or chairs or both, or they're making due with what the school provides. Her family does something like that and she seriously expects others to think she's just like them? Not a rich brat who lives a pampered life? How blind does she had to be?"
Zuberi hands Olive one of the jellies. "Not her fault her parents did it."
"That's not what I'm saying and you know it," Olive says, pretending to be exasperated with him.
Turning her back to the pavilion, Olive selects an egg the color of her name. She holds it to her hear, taps it, and shakes it. "What do you think it might be?"
Zuberi pretends to give it a great deal of thought before replying, "A fully grown champion Abraxon complete with blue ribbons from flying competitions."
With an eagerness that borders on the same giddiness of opening gifts Christmas morning Olive breaks open the egg, examines the gold embossed parchment that erupts from it, then lies back on the ground in peels of laughter.
Curiosity aroused Zuberi asks, "What is it?" taking the parchment when the laughing Olive hands it over. He begins snickering too upon reading the parchment to learn he was weirdly on the right track of what the egg contained for Olive is now the recipient of Abraxon riding lesson.
Easter Egg Hunt and Concert Tickets
Author: Maggie Hawthorne
Date: 07-07-12 15:55
Digits slipped through her hair as she dusted off her jeans and wandered to hunt for a few more eggs. She'd gotten up somewhat early this morning and had been cloistered in the Hufflepuff common room working on study guides for her NEWT exams coming in the next couple of months while she fought the urge to crawl back into the warmth and darkness of her bed and draw the curtains.
"Mags? You alright?"
She turned and offered William a light smile. "Yeah, just tired. Thinking of heading in somewhat soon and taking a nap, though I wanted to give Alex the bunny that I'd gotten for him before I went in."
"Ah, well I was hoping you'd want to come spend some time with me and meet my mum and dad..." He said with a light smile.
Maggie smiled and nodded. "Sure, I can do that for a bit."
They found a few more eggs each and headed back to where William and his parents were and settled down for some lunch. After lunch she wandered back over to where she was set up with Lawrence and Ariella and some of the other Becks that had come for the Easter egg hunt on the grounds today.
She plopped down next to Lawrence and sighed. "I will be so glad when this term is over and I've taken my NEWT exams, seriously. I slept horrid last night and was up early this morning trying to get my study guides organized so all I have to do is add the new information I get from my teachers until the time of exams."
Lawrence and Ariella both laughed.
"I remember studying for my NEWTs as well and I was the same way," Lawrence said looking over at Ariella and offered her a light smile.
"I'd have probably been the same way if I'd been able to take my NEWTs here at Hogwarts," she said with a smile and leaned against Lawrence, resting her head on his shoulder and sniping a chocolate egg out of the bowl of goodies on the blanket near them.
They talked for a few more minutes about NEWT prep and began discussing potential ideas for after Hogwarts, getting both their opinions on attendance at St. Emrys and plans for Easter break and ultimately for the summer hols when they got here.
While we talked I plucked an egg from my basket and cracked open the blue and gold wrapped shell and laughed when a bit of parchment fluttered out and I read it with a light smile. "Well, one thing I'll be doing this summer is going to the Broomstick Boys concert."
Holding up the pair of tickets and the matching autographed t-shirt that had been in the egg. "I've no idea who I am going to go with."
Retail Therapy and Plotting Begins
Author: Karma Davyd
Date: 07-07-12 18:42
Shopping bags caught up in one hand, she wandered through the shopping district in Wizarding SoHo. She'd grabbed something for Toby's birthday coming up soon and was at a loss at what to do and or get for Bronwyn's birthday coming up a little later in the month. She pondered owling Desdemona and beginning to plot something for their friend's birthday and she knew that Desi and Arley knew Bronwyn far better than she did since she'd not yet been friends with her for that long - but did know that Bron was boy crazy and loved shopping as it was shopping that had brought she and Bronwyn into their friendship.
She found a seat at an outdoor cafe and ordered an iced mocha and a decadent slice of lemon cake with a sweet glaze. She pulled a bit of parchment free of her bag and tore it in half before quickly penning a pair of notes. One would be going to Desi and the other to Arley to get some ideas, and of course warn them to keep them from telling Bron about any of the plotting.
She'd also talk to Toby when she went to deliver his birthday gift in a couple of days and see if there was anything he could offer in suggestion for the surprise. She nibbled on the cake while she wrote and sipped her coffee, glad she had decided on some retail therapy after her last couple of dates and needed the relaxation time away from Hogwarts before her new term at St. Emrys started in a handful of months and ultimately things got a bit more serious at Hogwarts when finals started coming around and her students got stressed beyond all measure about ensuring that they got good marks. Though, she knew that her first through fourth years wouldn't nearly be as stressed as the fifth and seventh years that Declan taught because they were going to be taking major examinations this year.
Finishing up her letter and cake, she paid the bill and left a tip for the waitress before stepping away from the cafe and ultimately headed toward an owling post so that she could send the messages off and then find somewhere to pop back to the village and ultimately head back along the grounds to her quarters in the castle.
Eggs For Lunch
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 07-07-12 18:44
Setting out a plate of food, a combination of things she'd brought and items she'd gotten at the veritable smorgasbord available in the Great Hall, Briar reaches for another plate to fill while calling out, "Grace! Charlotte!"
Charlotte's angelic face pops up from behind a short, squat, nearby bush. Grace's more impish one shots up beside Charlotte's, giving the bush an odd two-headed appearance. Grace's mouth pooches out slightly, as if a pout waiting to sprout, as she asks, "Yes, Mum?"
"Time to take a break and eat lunch."
"Do we have to?"
"If you want to eat any of the sweets some of those eggs contain, yes."
Grace does an eye roll that would do a sixteen year old proud but without further protest she comes from around the bush, Charlotte wordlessly following behind, both their baskets brimming with eggs. As they reach the plaid blanket Briar nods at two figures, one of whom is boosting the other into the branches of a tree. "Leave your baskets here and run ask Caerwyn and Gus if they want to eat with us. You may collect eggs there and back."
Predictably the girls take their time getting to the boys and then the four of them walk a different path across the grounds to reach the blanket, making the most of the quest for loot filled eggs. Seeing all four of them coming her way, by the time they reach her, Briar's got plates for all of them ready as well as one fixed for herself. When they arrive, all four plop down in that exaggerated loose limbed way much like marionettes with their strings suddenly released that children are masters at.
Before she can ask why they'd each like to drink Caerwyn asks, "Where's Dad?" at practically the same time Graces wants to know, "Where did Daddy take my babies?"
"Jasmine and Xavier woke up so your father is walking them around."
"He took their baskets?" Grace asks, looking around for said baskets.
"Yes, but they really are a little small to hunt eggs," Briar says of the just over 9 month old twins.
Jasmine will stand and move her legs as if walking if someone holds her. Xavier, who'd been the more sickly of the two, likes standing but tends not to move. He just sort of bops up and down in place. That's great progress considering the twins' health, particularly Xavier's, when Julian rescued them from a sister the family rarely speaks about. In fact, she's spoken of so little and in the rooms at the Valentine's he's been in, there's not a single picture of her, prompting Caerwyn to have asked, "What do you mean you have a sister, Dad?" when being told of the twins' arrival.
Grace, a quarter of ham and cheese sandwich near her lips, looks down the sandwich across the blanket to Briar. "Daddy helps them get the eggs." The tone is just short of containing an unspoken DUUUUH.
"Most of the prizes aren't for babies that size. Some are, but not most."
Grace looks to Charlotte, who smiles as if reading the thought that is about to spring forth from Grace's mouth. "Those that aren't for them, they will want Charlotte and me to have."
His own basket so full Briar may need to offer to do an expansion charm on it, and for Gus too, Caerwyn grins and winks. "Hey! What about me and Gus?"
Taking the matter too seriously for Caerwyn's joking, Grace does that far too old beyond her years eye roll again. "The eggs are from the little kid's section but, you may have some of the candy."
Gus bows at the waist towards the girls to give a grave, "Thank you."
Briar smiles, giving a shake of her head before asking between bites of her own sandwich. "Gus, Caerwyn, have either of you opened any of your eggs?"
"Not yet. We wanted to get as many as we could but, as long as we've stopped for lunch, maybe I'll open a couple." Caerwyn looks ot his basket as if assessing which two he'd open.
The girls had been told not to open any until one of the adults was around and, unless they'd hidden opens one beneath untouched ones, the girls have been good. Pouring a little more juice for Charlotte, Briar tells her, "Your father should be here soon. He said he'd come for lunch and then help you find more eggs than what you already have?"
Plucking a pale green egg with tiny bright yellow daffodils on it from her basket, Charlotte holds it out to Briar. "Is it okay?"
"I think one or two without your dad here is okay."
"Me too," Grace states as much as asks.
"Yes, you too, Grace. Caerwyn's going to open two so how about you each pick two as well."
Not wanting to stir things up and knowing he's got plenty of time to check the contents of each of his, Gus offers, "And I'll only do two."
Grace nudges Charlotte. "You go first."
Charlotte lets Briar crack it for her but actually opens it herself. Much to the child's delight there is a green dress complete with poofy princess skirt with bright yellow daffodils to match the outer shell of the egg, matching shoes, jewelry, and hair bow. Everything that needs to, will size itself to Charlotte once she puts it on the first time.
There's silent agreement between Caerwyn and Gus for Grace to go next. She searches her basket as though she's looking for a specific egg. When she locates it, Grace holds it up with a triumphant flair. It's like the egg Charlotte had only this one is a periwinkle with pretty orange tulips. Seeing the egg Grace has gone for, Briar knows her daughter is hoping for an outfit similar to Charlotte's. When that is exactly the case, Briar gives mute prayer of thanks before promising she'll help the girls get changed as soon as everyone's opened their agreed upon two eggs.
Turning expectant eyes on the boys, Grace urges, "Hurry so I can see."