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(Kate) Some Feast
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 10-07-07 10:18
Kate walked into the Great Hall and went straight to the Hufflepuff table for the Nons. The four House tables for the Pures were still in the room and were virtually empty, but for a few people not interested in attending the Fall Ball in the Pureblood Only Common Common Room. Kate herself might have boycotted the so-called "feast" in the Great Hall, but she was really hungry.
The meal was no different from the Halloween Feast, just as Professor Snider had said. Unfortunately, the Halloween Feast had been hardly different from every other meal at Hogwarts. There was nothing at all special about tonight's supper.
She tried not to feel down about feeling so unwanted at Hogwarts even though the Ministry had made it impossible for her to leave. It certainly didn't help that one of her own fellow Nons and roommate, Sophia, resented the fact that she had to share a room with a first year. Kate certainly couldn't help the room arrangements. At least she'd gotten her wand registered and didn't have to worry about not having one of her own.
Kate helped herself to some roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and struck up a conversation with the person next to her in a bid to make herself feel better.
---
Meanwhile across the country, Bronwyn sat on her bed in her bedroom and marked down the days till Toby's visit. His last match with the Brisbane Bandicoots before the holidays was next week. Then he'd be off until the end of January. Bronwyn's last class day at St. Emrys was in two weeks. Then she could spend every waking moment with her husband until he had to go back to Australia and she had to go back to class.
Her classes were going really well. She had top marks in Survey of Magical Music, possibly on account of her stint at the WWN station at St. Emrys. After her extended absence she lost her show, but she was allowed to continue on at the station. Bronwyn took part in the half-hour news program called Live at Five that aired every weekday afternoon. She was the sportscaster and reported on not only St. Emrys' Quidditch matches but others around the country and some other sports as well.
She wasn't very sporty herself but had commentating Quidditch games at Hogwarts and had some experience talking sports. It certainly helped that her husband was a professional Quidditch player in Australia.
Bronwyn put the calendar aside and rolled over onto her stomach, hugging her old cat Nerisse. The orange cat closed her eyes and purred. Bronwyn didn't want to laze away the rest of her Saturday. She wanted to go out and have some fun. Maybe she could round up some old Hogwarts friends and they could go to a club or out to eat.
She sat up and looked for some parchment and a quill to send out quick letters to her friends.
Stay or Leave
Author: Alanna Beck
Date: 10-07-07 10:53
Alanna stood in a corner in the pureblood common room and debated whether to stay or whether to leave. On the one hand, she hated everything Snider stood for and knew that the Fall Ball was just another one of her attempts to do something special for the pures while the nons were ignored, rejected and mistreated. On the other, Alanna knew the food would be divine and quite possibly unlike anything she'd ever tasted before. She also wanted to see the bands perform. She felt somewhat guilty wanting to stay but ultimately couldn't get her feet to move out of the door.
She knew that some students had asked others to be their dates to the Fall Ball. Alanna herself hadn't had anyone ask her nor did she ask anyone herself. She thought about asking Jared to come with her, but then she wasn't sure if that would be untactful, since the Fall Ball was an event Snider supported and she didn't even know if she'd really go or if Jared would even care to go. She knew that some students would boycott the Fall Ball. Would he? Should she?
Alanna had put on black dress robes with turquoise trim. She'd smoothed out her hair and put some shimmering glitter into it. She wore a silver necklace with a small turqouise pendant on it. It had belonged to her mother.
She spotted Ariella tentatively enter the room. Ariella was dressed in pale yellow and had curled her red hair so that it fell in ringlets down her back. She wore the necklace Lawrence had given her for her birthday.
Ariella looked around the room hesitantly, as if she weren't sure whether to stay or go. When she spotted Alanna, she relaxed and walked over to her corner.
"Hi," she said.
"Hey."
Even though they shared a room, Ariella had dressed in the prefects bathroom and so neither girl had seen each other until that moment, nor had they known for sure whether they'd even see each other at the dance.
"There are more people here than I anticipated," Ariella said, looking around. The Fall Ball didn't have any age restriction. Plenty of first years were already dancing. They looked a bit silly in their small dress robes.
"I know. I don't feel nearly as bad being here as I should because of it," Alanna said.
"Perhaps we shouldn't stay long, regardless," Ariella said. "By being here, we're showing Snider that she's winning."
"I know," Alanna replied sadly, "but... I really don't want to go into the Great Hall. It's so... depressing." She felt immensely guilty for saying so, but Ariella understood completely.
"Come on," she said, tugging Alanna by the hand. "Let's at least get something to eat."
Dancing Partners (Catriona)
Author: Fionna
Date: 10-07-07 11:55
Cat's foot taps in time to the music, eyes alternating between trying to decide on which of the small, two-bite fairy cakes she wants to try and watching the gyrations taking place on the dance floor. Beside her at the sweets table Polly Potts wistfully asks, "Do you think we'll get asked to dance?"
Cat lifts one shoulder in a slight shrug. "If we don't, we can still dance. No rule says we have to have partners. Or"
Polly grabs Cat's arm. "Don't say or we can ask boys to dance," she orders with alarm.
Cat shrugs again. "I was going to say that but all right I won't."
Cat selects one of the cakes that has icing of such a cool, pale green she decides it must be minty flavored and not lime. Not that she doesn't like lime. It's just that a minty frosting on what she hopes is a chocolate fairy cake sounds really delicious.
Picking it up and turning at the same time she puts it on her plate, Cat walks over to the table Polly and she have occupied since arriving. Polly sits down a second later. "Do I have a spot of punch on my shoulder? Someone bumped me. I don't think she spilled but I can't quite see."
Cat inspects the dark orange, nearly red, of Polly's dress. "If there is a spot, I can't see it."
"When Mum and I were shopping for school robes I saw this dress and another that was a very pretty buttercup yellow. I couldn't decide between them until Mum pointed out that as I tend to get spots on my clothes, darker is better for the material. If I were wearing something like you have on, it would have gotten a spot on it the second we walked in tonight."
Cat smooths the folds of her dress robe, brushing off some stray crumbs from the small cake she's eating. The robes are a pale, creamy pink with hints of blush here and there. There are tiny crystals of pale blue, pale green, pale yellow, and pale pink sewn over parts of the dress. Cat feels very feminine and elegent in it.
At the thought of spots on the dress Cat laughs nervously, "Don't jinx me, Polly."
A shadow falls across them. An older boy Cat's seen around but doesn't really know has approached. He's on the Slytherin team and played last week. Basil. He's called Basil. To Polly he asks, "What house are you? Gryffindor isn't it?"
Polly nods, "Yes, that's right."
"Ah, in that case," Basil says turning his head to address Cat, "let me ask you. You aren't Gryffindor are you?"
"No, Ravenclaw."
"You'll do then." Basil puts out his hand.
"Do for what?" Cat asks, offended for her friend that Basil has obviously scorned her because of being a Gryffindor.
"Dance of course."
Another voice interrupts. "Sorry, Basil, but they've promised us this one."
Basil looks at the two newcomers with disdain. "Have they now, Hadrian? They look a bit surprised at this news."
Polly stands and moves next to Hadrian, answering for herself, "Yes, I did tell Hadrian I would dance with him."
Cat looks from Basil to the other two boys, knowing full well that until just now Polly didn't know Hadrian's name. She has a slight advantage over Polly with regards to knowing Hadrian's name and that of the other boy. While third years they are both Ravenclaws so while Cat doesn't know them, she knows who they are.
She stands as well and offers her hand to the third boy. "And I had told Alastor I'd dance with him. Maybe another time, er, what's your name?" she asks, pretending not to know.
"Basil Wynbourne. You should remember that because you'll be seeing a great deal of me."
Basil walks off. Polly says to Hadrian and Alastor, "Thanks for that." She laughs telling them, "That Basil doesn't even know Cat's name."
Cat smiles, "I think I'm going to have to keep pretending I've forgotten he's called Basil."
"That should make him barmy," Alastor chuckles. "Now, will you two really come dance with us. Please?"
Cat and Polly nod, letting the boys lead them onto the dance floor just as Wicked Wizards of the West start another song.
Guilt (Daria)
Author: Blossom
Date: 10-07-07 20:31
Daria feels guilty. Guilty for coming to the Fall Ball. Guilty for feeling guilty at coming. She always feels slightly miffed with herself for feeling guilt of any sort for being here. If she wants to attend, she should be able to without having doubts and guilt over the fact that certain of her friends aren't allowed in.
Daria studies the selection of salads, spooning small amounts of several onto her plate. She pauses in mid-dollop to look around the room. Phin's not here. No surprise. If Emerald couldn't come Phin wouldn't want to either.
Bailey's absent. Again, no shock there. Bailey would only come if Jewel could attend.
It's the same story with Jane. Doug is a Non so isn't allowed to attend. Jane doesn't want to be here if Doug can't.
Hank's here but Daria's never been particularly chummy with Hank. He can be obnoxious and crude.
Daria nods and smiles at Elizabeth Ross then spots Ariella Beck. Maybe she'll go speak with both after she eats her sampling of salads. It's times like this that Daria misses Kody the most.
She really screwed up there.
Not that Kody would be here with her now if she hadn't broken things off. Though Daria bets if she went to Snider and asked pretty please, Pures with already graduated Pure boyfriends and girlfriends would be allowed to invite them to parties such as this one.
On the other hand, Daria has enjoyed seeing other guys and keeping up correspondence with them. Still, there's always that nagging pain of missing Kody. She wishes her were here. He'd enjoy the bands and the food.
Daria sighs and scoops up a forkful of some sort of pasta salad. If Kody were able to come and if they were still together, Daria can't see him attending the Fall Ball. She knows from others how strongly he felt about playing here with Dynamic Duo and the reasons the band decided to accept the invitation to play.
Grimacing as guilt washes over her again, Daria shoves her plate onto the table. She stands up so quickly and with such force her chair topples over. A House Elf scurries over to right it and asked repeatedly if, "The Mistress is all right?"
Daria assures him she is then marches determinedly to the dance floor. She will NOT keep feeling guilty for wanting to dress up in her best robes, eat a feast, and listen to not one, but two of the hottest bands around!
(Mark) Enjoying Himself
Author: Isolde
Date: 10-08-07 09:27
Mark had only ever been forced to wear dress robes once in his life, at the wedding of some distant relation he'd never heard of or met before until that very day. He hadn't liked the experience then and wasn't sure he liked it now either, but Professor Snider had suggested (ordered?) the pures dress up for the Fall Ball. Who was he to argue with her? Mark wasn't scared of Snider, even if she was very scary-looking, but he really didn't want to have a date with the famous quill that etched whatever you wrote right onto the back of your hand. So far he'd been lucky in that he hadn't had that detention yet.
He and Gus stood by the buffet and sampled the food. Mark took polite little bites of the various finger foods available, while Gus constantly scooped up giant handfuls of whatever was on the platters and in the bowls on the elaborate tables. Neither one of them was really that into girls yet to want to dance with any of them. They much rather wanted to listen to the bands, eat and goof off than do anything that entailed mingling with girls.
"What do you think the losers are doing?" Gus asked. He had crumbs on his chin from some of the sweets he'd eaten.
Mark shrugged. Like he cared what the less fortunate, the peasants, were doing in the Great Hall.
"Did you hear that at least a dozen of them got their wands taken away," Gus said gleefully. "Bet they won't ever get 'em back."
"Enough talk about them," Mark drawled, looking around the room at the other pures. Most looked pretty thrilled about being in the common room, but there were some who obviously had their doubts. Mark certainly didn't get that. Those types were potential blood traitors in the making, if not already.
He turned back to the band on stage and started bobbing his head to the music. He, for one, was enjoying himself.
Humming
Author: Coco Nutt
Date: 10-08-07 22:46
Coco feeds Pea a nibble of roasted chicken. The tiny dog is in one of her pockets as is common for him but he tends to keep his head out of sight since Harriet Snider and Ryland Yaxley are often on the lookout for the least little thing to give a Non detention over. Already Coco's spent three hours scrubbing floors for her tendancy to be barefoot. She doesn't want to think about how she'd make it through the rest of the school year of one of them decided Pea should go. If it came to that, maybe Etta would keep him with her, since Coco is sure pureblooded Etta would never be made to send her own little dog Star home. Etta and she could work out some way for Coco to spend time with Pea. If it comes to that, that is.
Coco reaches for a platter with mixed meats, including slices of the roasted chicken she's been eating and sharing with Pea. In looking up and reaching for it, Coco notices Fritz grinning at her.
"Yes?"
"You're humming."
Coco hadn't realized she was but now that Fritz has pointed it out, Coco now realizes she'd been humming along to the tune Hagrid is playing. She nods in Hagrid's direction. "Not 'alf bad playing those spoons. Oi wonder hif 'agrid 'ad lessons."
Fritz's grin grows bigger. Coco starts to ask what now but stops. She's made such a point of working on her elocution that for her to not pay attention to it to the point that she's not self correcting her speech is sort of amusing.
Grinning in return, Coco now nods at a plate of steamed vegetables just past Fritz. "Be a luv an' pass the courgette* an 'ow 'bawt one of them jacket potatoes**, please?"
Fritz rolls his eyes but in an amused way and passes for the bowl of vegetables and then the plate with the potatoes. Coco gives him a saucy smile, "Ta ever so."
This might not be a grand nosh-up*** but might as well enjoy plus Hagrid really is pretty good playing those spoons.
*courgette = zucchini
** jacket potato = baked potato
***nosh-up = feast
Crispin's Half Fortune
Author: Alice Cullen
Date: 10-09-07 08:52
“I told you, I don’t want my fortune told, Maggie. People who get their fortune’s told have something to fear. I have noting to fear.” A deep, male’s voice was saying.
“Crispin, not everyone who gets their fortune told have something to fear.” Maggie said in a quite voice. “I just thought it would be something fun for you to do. Here, take these coins and go get it done. Please. It will help the poor dear out.”
“Maggie…” The deep male’s voice could be heard. Alice supposed the male’s name was Crispin.
“Crispin, please. Do this for me and stop being so stubborn. Besides, what do you have to be afraid of?”
“You owe me for this.” Crispin muttered, walking out into the area of the shop where Alice told her fortunes. Alice stood up from her chair and looked at Crispin. He was tall, lean, and muscular. Crispin had blond hair that reached to his shoulders and deep blue eyes. He wore the typical wizard’s outfit with a long black cloak.
Alice crossed her arms over her chest and leaned up against the table, watching as Crispin drew closer. “I will not give you a fortune if you are paying with the money Maggie gave you.”
Crispin sighed and met Alice’s eyes. “You heard all that hey?” He asked causally.
“Of course. I am only a few inches from the café.”
Crispin rolled his eyes and gave another heavy, defeated sigh. “I will pay with my own money. But could we please get this over with? I have things to do today.”
Alice gave a sigh herself and motioned for Crispin to sit in front of the glass ball she had sitting on the table. Then she sat own herself and cleared her thoughts. She looked deeply into the ball.
At first, she didn’t see anything. Gradually the pink, purple and blue clouds disappeared to reveal, Crispin standing in front of a phone booth, in downtown London, in front of a big building. Alice, assumed this was the ministry of magic, though she wasn’t positive as she had never been to the ministry.
Crispin leaned forward trying to see what Alice could see. But of course, he couldn’t. He frowned and leaned back into his chair.
Alice watched as Crispin dialed the number onto the phone to enter into the ministry. Once Crispin was into the ministry he walked down a long hallway and into a big office. Her eyes grew wide as she saw another wizard in this office. Before, Crispin had a chance to do anything, the other wizard pulled out his wand…
Alice blinked and lost the vision. She frowned and gave Crispin a worried look. “Do you work for the ministry of magic?” She asked softly her brown eyes searching his blue ones. Crispin twiddled his fingers and nodded his head.
“Yes.” He answered wondering what was bothering the fortune teller. This couldn’t be good.
“Are you having any trouble with a certain wizard about six foot tall, dark hair and dark eyes?” Alice asked. Another sigh came from Crispin and he nodded his head. He was afraid the fortune teller would mention his old friend. “He is waiting for you in your office. I lost the vision. So I couldn’t see what happened, after he pointed his wand at you.” Alice said frowning as she looked at Crispin. She gave him a rather concerned look. “I don’t think it was good though. Whatever happened.” She said in a very soft voice.
Crispin leaned further back in his chair and frowned as he looked at Alice. Could he afford to not go back to work? He knew exactly who the wizard was that Alice was talking about. And he wasn’t exactly surprised at what she had seen. Still, it disturbed him. He wondered if he should have brought his will or not. Then again, what good would his will have done him? Besides, Alice had not exactly seen anything bad happening. She just had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.
Alice frowned deeper as she tried to get the vision back. But nothing came back as usual. She glared into her ball. That was how it usually happened too. She would lose a really important vision, just as she needed to know what happened.
“And all you saw was this other wizard in my office?” Crispin asked his voice causal. Alice stared at him but nodded her head. Why should Crispin worry when all she saw was a man in his office? Nothing more and nothing less. Though all indications pointed to the man in Crispin’s office being someone bad. “Then, I have nothing to worry about, as a lot of people go in an out of my office.” Crispin said standing up and brushing his long cloak off. He turned to see Maggie standing in the doorway.
Alice stood up and looked at him. “You are going back to the ministry then?” She asked with some concern in her voice. Crispin nodded his head.
“I have to go to work.” He said with a tiny shrug and looked at Maggie.
“Just be careful, Crispin.” Maggie said giving her nephew a small hug. As she did, Crispin slipped something into her pocket.
“If anything happens to me, take care of my son.” He whispered for only her to hear. Then, with a tip of his hat, walked out of the shop.
At the Fall Ball
Author: Ronan Eastwick
Date: 10-09-07 19:30
Ronan didn't know why he even bothered getting dressed for the Fall Ball. He had little interest in being there, other than a small curiosity as to what he might be missing if he didn't attend. He probably wouldn't have gone at all, had his guardian Professor Jones not encouraged him to go.
"Not going will make it look like you don't support Professor Snider, and that may ultimately hurt you," she had told him earlier in the day, when he'd gone to see her just to talk. He visited her often, because she was essentially the only family he had now, even if they didn't share the same blood.
So there he was, standing by the buffet table sampling the food. Ever dish was exquisite. Ronan had to stop himself from eating too much of one thing. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to taste everything, and he really wanted the chance. He wondered what those stuck in the Great Hall were eating, and immediately felt a pang of guilt at knowing it couldn't be nearly as good as what he and the other pures were being offered.
He felt especially sorry knowing Illyria was stuck in the Great Hall, even though she herself was pureblood. She'd already told him not to feel sorry for her. She was adult and could handle whatever Snider threw her way. The real people to feel sorry for, she'd said, were the students. They were just kids, after all.
He took a couple of sips of punch and then moved over to allow a couple of girls, Alanna and Ariella Beck, a chance to get something to drink.
"Nice party," Alanna remarked, though Ronan couldn't tell whether or not she meant it.
"Yeah," he said, not sure how he sounded himself. "Hey, want to dance?" he asked her.
She looked surprised but then nodded and handed her drink to Ariella.
Ronan put his drink down and took Alanna by the hand and led her to the floor. After dancing with her he took Ariella for a spin. For a moment, he forgot the party was exclusive, and he actually had some fun.
Not Daft
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 10-10-07 11:47
"You know what's vair bad?"
Isabella looks at Catherine and Edith and says with tired patience, "There she goes again. You win, Catherine."
"Win what? Also, Izzy, shhh. You shouldn't be here so do try to not draw attention to yourself by declaring people winners of something."
Izzy rolls her eyes over to me. "Pures may sit anywhere they like."
"Win what? And call me barmy but I don't think Woolly means for a Pure to sit an entire meal - a feast even - with a bunch of Nons."
Edith scrunches up her face. "Hate to agree with Georgie but she's got a point, Iz."
"Win what? And why would you have to agree with me, Edith?"
"We don't want you in trouble, Izzy," Catherine says.
"I probably wouldn't be but you lot might. Woolly is such a beastly berk it would be just like her to blame you three for me sitting here."
"Why won't you say what it is that Catherine's won? Why don't you like agreeing with me, Edith? If Pures may truly sit anywhere they like, you'd see more of them at our tables, sitting with friends or their significant others. Much like my boyfriend, the sex god Sage Porter would be sitting with me at every meal."
Edith shrugs at me. "I hate agreeing with you for the simple reason that most of the time you are positively daft."
"We had a bet to see how long it would take you to bring up what's bad and have it mean something to do with Sage. I won," Catherine finally explains.
"Sage is not your boyfriend, Georgia. How many times is it going to take us going over that before it sinks into your thick skull?" Izzy sighs.
"How do you know I was going to mention Sage when I asked if you knew what was vair bad? I am NOT daft, Edith. I can't believe you three had a bet going about me. You're just jealous that I'm the girlfriend of a sex god and none of you are."
"You had a certain tone and wistfullyness about you that signals you were about to tell us it's vair bad that Sage isn't sitting here with you," Edith explains. "Also, I am not jealous of you and your makebelieve boyfriend."
"Me either," Catherine shakes her head back and forth.
"Not me," Izzy emphatically states. "Sage kissed you once, Georgie. Once. Not even a good and proper kiss. More like a peck. A very quick peck. Since then the most he's even said to you is hibye as if hello and goodbye are one word said swiftly just before one bolts off."
"Is it my fault my boyfriend is shy? Or that there is now the no public displays of affection between Pures and Nons rule?"
Edith shakes her head and looks from Izzy to Catherine, "Barmy. There's no hope for her."
Without warning I forcefully shove Izzy off the hard, wooden stools the line the Nons' tables. She's protesting but when I hiss under my breath, "Yaxley's patrolling this way," Izzy shuts up, knowing it really isn't all right for her to sit with us at this table for an extended period when she's a Pure and we are not.
Translations:
vair = very
Wolly = Woolly Mammoth = Hairy the Snide = Harriet Snider
berk = a fool
sex god = my boyfriend, the supremely adorable, exceedingly good looking, but sadly vair shy Sage Porter