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Venice - Little Pink House
Author: Lucius Malfoy 
Date:   09-02-11 18:59

Lucius apparates to Venetian square far too miniscule to be deemed a piazza by anyone other than a tourist who might stumble across this spot tucked far away from the main canals and pedestrian thoroughfares. It's such an insignificant speck that even the locals tend to forget it exits. That makes it all the more perfect for visiting Bellatrix at the house she's been living in for the past several months. Still, Lucius would have preferred it if Bellatrix had found a house with a garden, even a small one as so many personal gardens in Venice seem to be, or a roof onto which apparating would be conducive.

At least it's not far to the house, just down a short walkway that passes in Venice as a lane and across one of the city's many bridges. To those who don't know the house is there, a very small space no larger than a child's hand width is seen between two other buildings housing three flats each. To those such as Lucius who know of the house's existance, the exterior is nothing remarkable other than the fact that its painted a bright pink one would never think to associate with the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange. The walkway is extremely narrow here, which is why Lucius didn't simply apparate at the front door. There's little margin for error and as he does not care much for landing partially, or entirely, in a murky Venetian canal, that speck of a square he uses is more than adequate for his purpose.

Unlike Bellatrix who tends to walk into his homes announcing herself to whatever house elf is closest, Lucius uses his walking stick to rap on the door. As he is expected, the wait isn't long so Lucius is soon being escorted to a room at the book of the house that overlooks the pocket garden of the house behind this one. Bellatrix is there to greet him, a look on her face that reminds Lucius of the giddy excitement a child gets when eager to open a present or to share a secret.

"Lucius, right on time!"

"You sound practically jovial, Bellatrix."

"Normally, Lucius, I would smite someone making such a remark about me but as the speaker is you and as the description is somewhat apt, I shall spare you."

Lucius dryly replies, "Thank you."

"Aren't you going to ask?"

"Ask what?"

"You know what?"

"I do?"

"Lucius."

"It's rather amusing to see you like this, you know, but fine, what has you so jovial today?"

"I am ready to reveal my project to you."

"It must be quite the success if you are both jovial and giddy."

"You're in for something of a shock so do be seated."

Overwhelmed with curiosity at this long running project that has Bellatrix worked into such a state of excitement, Lucius sits are instructed, wanting her to get on with it. She goes to another door, disappears into the next room only to return seconds later. She stands in the doorway, beaming at Lucius, clapping her hands together.

"Lucius, may I present "

Bellatrix pauses dramatically, stepping out of the doorway and gesturing to someone just out of sight Lucius's sight in the other room. The person comes into view and if ever Lucius had a literal jaw dropping moment in his life, this is it.

"Bartemius Crouch, Jr.," Bellaxtrix grandly announces.

Lucius is glad he sat as Bellatrix had suggested because he would probably have keeled over in shock. Barty Crouch takes another step into the room and offers a slightly stammered greeting. "Hhhello, Lucius. It's very good to see you again."

Lucius staggers to his feet, mind rapidly working. He looks to Bellatrix and her cat ate the canary and lapped up all the cream smile. "This is a joke? Who's is this really?"

"It's not joke, Lucius. This really is Barty."

Shock sloughing away Lucius glances at the man nodding in agreement with Bellatrix's statement. Eyes back on Bellatrix again he says with great disdain, "So you've obtained something of Barty's to make Polyjuice and found someone to pose as him. To what end?"

"Seriously, Lucius, this is the real Barty Crouch, Jr. No Polyjuice is involved."

"A metamorphmagus then."

"No."

"Iiit's really me, Lucius," the Barty double insists.

"You can't be. The Dementor's Kiss," Lucius begins.

"Remember all those old books I was going through ages and ages ago?" Bellatrix asks.

"Yes, I looked through a few as well. We found some a few things of interest."

"One of the dark arts books had experimental notations on reversing the Kiss. Steps weren't complete, however, so it took me awhile to determine what needed to be filled in. As you can see, I've done it!"

"Truly?"

"Truly. Other than the little stutter when starting sentences Barty seems like his old self."

"I am slower to get around," Barty adds.

"Yes, yes, but that's just from your muscles not being used properly in years," Bellatrix states.

"Lllucius still doesn't appear to be convinced I'm not someone disguised at Barty Crouch and that the real one isn't still tucked away in a hospital somewhere, his soulless body slowly decaying and dying." He takes a few steps closer to Lucius. "Ppperhaps I can help convince you, Lucius. One New Year's party at Malfoy Manor, I accidently ripped Narcissa's bodice when after having a few drinks too many I stumbled. Luckily, you were the only other person to witness the embarrassment I caused your wife."

Lucius lifts one shoulder as if in a shrug. "That means nothing. Narcissa could have told her sister and Bellatrix in turn fed you the information for the very purpose of helping to convince me you are actually Barty Crouch, Jr."

Bellatrix is looking annoying and starts to say something but Barty cuts her off. "Wwwhat will it take to convince you, Lucius?"

"That same New Year's party, we talked briefly about warm weather locations good for winter holidays. Where did you joke about visiting?"

"Sssst. Bart's. I said I wanted to go somewhere named for me though I'm hardly a saint."

"Unless Barty told someone about that conversation, then only he and I knew what was said."

Bellatrix bursts out, "Satisfied now, Lucius?"

"I suppose for now though forgive me if I remain skeptical watch for any signs that this Barty is now the real one."

Barty grins at Lucius, "Iii can live with that."

Bellatrix, on the other hands, scowls, "It's not too late to smite you, Lucius."

"Or, you could break out the celebratory champagne and pat yourself on the back for being the first known person to reverse a Dementor's Kiss."

"I'm not sure I am the first as the person writing those notations in the book might have succeeded but as that book is centuries old then that's good enough for me." Bellatrix calls to the house elf she pilfered from her cousin Sirius, "Kreecher, champagne all around!"

Barty and Lucius both move to sit down with Lucius reaches into his memory for other things to ask Barty in order to better ascertain if the man is the legitimate Bartemius Crouch, Jr. or not.

The Last Straw
Author: Karma Davyd 
Date:   09-02-11 19:13

All day I’d felt like there was something bad about to happen. I couldn’t put my finger on the feeling, but I knew it wasn’t going to be good when things finally made themselves known. Instead of dwelling on the bad feelings, I shoved them into a box and did what I did best, now that my first term at St. Emry’s was complete and I had time to kill before either a term started at Hogwarts or the next term at St. Emry’s started. I had already gotten plans in place with Bronwyn and Toby to meet at Emry’s fest at the end of July, and that was going to be fantastic. Until then, my schedule was completely wide open.

I wanted to go home and have a soak in a tub filled with my favorite bath salts and candles and enjoy the evening alone. Ever since my parents had gone back to Mumbai I have continually had the same argument over and over with my mother. She was trying a new tactic, blind dates via a dating service to have me go out with ‘nice Indian’ men living in Britain. Two of the dates had gone well, the other five had not ended so well and involved me having a rather heated conversation with my mother after the last one and subsequently calling the dating service and having my name and information stripped from their database.

I closed my eyes, letting my head fall back to rest upon the cushioned booth of the quaint little Indian restaurant that I’d chosen for supper in lieu of not having to cook when I got home. I’d also sought out getting a house elf so that the flat wouldn’t fall into disrepair when I ended up essentially running two homes while I was teaching at Hogwarts next term. The house elf was nice enough, named Taffy or something equally sugary and confection like. So long as the flat was kept in pristine condition and I didn’t have to stress over that as well all would be well. I flicked my gaze over the waiter as he settled the check upon the table and paid him, before finishing my tea and slipping out of the establishment.

It would be the minute that I stepped into my apartment that I knew that this was going to be a very, very long night. My mother currently sat upon the sofa talking to man who was about my age, obviously Indian in heritage. “Mother.” I said, unable to keep the icy, disapproval from my voice.

“Karma! You are home. This is Raj, he lives just a couple of flats down from you isn’t that wonderful?” My mother said, ignoring the icy tone that I’d used to greet her.

“Good evening Raj, forgive me for being rude, but if you don’t mind, perhaps I can speak to you tomorrow. I need to have a conversation with my mother and I’d prefer if there were no innocent bystanders to witness any temper tantrum that I might have.”

Thankfully, Raj seemed to know when to take a hint and quickly bid my mother goodbye and offered an apologetic smile to me as well as he stepped out of my flat and shut the door behind him. I gave him five minutes to get down the hall so nothing could be overheard from through the door before I turned my attention to my mother. “What in the hell was that mother? Are you seriously incapable of listening to me when I said I have no intention of starting a relationship, no intention of getting married any time soon?”

My mother stiffened, finally acknowledging the anger that seemed almost a tangible thing in the living room of my flat. “Karma. Do you really place so little value in the traditions of our culture? The way things are done in this family? The way things are done in our country?”

I took a sharp breath and closed my eyes, counting to ten once then a second and third time before I leveled my gaze upon my mother. “You know that I highly value tradition mother, and that I keep to the holy days. I just do not, and cannot abide by the tradition of being forced to marry someone simply because that is the way it is done, and without the consideration of finding love and then once I am married being stuck doing little more than tending to house and giving birth to children.” I said, knowing well that it would injure my mother’s feelings but this was not the nineteen fifties or sixties, the world had an entirely different view.

I saw the tears glistening in my mother’s eyes as my words hit close to home. She wanted for me the life that she had, but I know from their past that love didn’t enter my parent’s relationship until after I was born, I did not want that. “I want grandchildren Karma, I want you happy, I want you settled, and most of all I want to know that you will be provided for. We only indulged your desire to go to Uni thinking that you were being rebellious and needed to get it out of your system. But, apparently we were wrong, it was a mistake to let you go to Uni in Russia and then move to Britain. We gave up the chance of four suitable contracts to look over that would have seen you provided for into old age if we’d only selected one when you’d turned eighteen.”

I glared at my mother, unable to actually process what had just been said. “When did you start negotiating the contracts mother? When I was born? When you realized you were going to have a daughter to auction off for a dowry that would keep me well kept until I had grandchildren of my own?” I was trembling I was so furious at this point in time. I’d moved to finally sit down, and instantly had two fuzzy little lap warmers trying to calm me down. I forced myself to gingerly pet both kittens who were not thrilled over the fact that I was so visibly upset.

“We had begun negotiating contracts at the time you hit puberty. Turning down those that wanted you to wed at age fourteen. We wanted you to at least finish your primary education before we considered entering into any of the contracts.” My mother said and I pushed myself up, and the kittens instantly scrambled back up into their kitten condo as I turned to face my mother once more.

“Leave. Now. I do not want to talk to you right now. Please stop trying to set me up with someone. I am not going to get married any time soon. Do not phone, do not contact me via the fireplace and do not show your face here until you have realized that I am not going to be bound by traditional Indian custom and be forced into a marriage or partnership or contract simply to provide you with grandchildren. This is the twenty-first century Mother, and if I choose to begin dating, it will be on my terms not someone else’s. Also, give father my best and tell him I will talk to him tomorrow. I need to be able to trust you again before I can consider confiding in you again Mother.”

With that I stormed off to my room and slammed the door. I hated that I had to treat my mother like that, but I knew it would be the only way to get through to her. Eventually she would see right? However, I had a feeling that I had just opened myself up to any extremist ideas that my mother might get into her head to see me dressed for a proper Indian wedding and then ultimately bulging with grandchildren for her to spoil. Once I heard the ‘pop’ of my mother disapparating I emerged from my room and instantly went to the kitchen where I poured myself a large glass of wine.

“Bloody hell.” I muttered as I moved to sit on the sofa, legs curling beneath me as I turned on the WNN with a flick of my wand, listening to the news of the day.

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