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Lunch with Bronwyn
Author: Chance Morgan Lovell
Date: 08-22-14 17:46
Chance had been doing better after her deep clean of the house and everything that reminded her of the baby that she had lost. She had not gotten rid of anything for the baby but had just boxed it up and put it away.
"I think it is about time I go back to work." Chance told Jonathan earlier that morning.
"Are you sure you're ready?" Chance nodded her head. "Okay. Well if you think you are ready." He smiled at her and then dropped a kiss on the top of her head.
******
Bronwyn had written to Chance and asked her if she wanted to get together and have lunch today and Chance had agreed. They met at a small café in Hogsmeade where they sat and talked and ate.
"How are you doing?" Bronwyn asked and Chance made a face, "No, really how are you?"
"I'm okay. I still have good days and bad days but I am here."
Bron smiled and nodded. "I can't even imagine what you have gone through but I am glad you are feeling better. When are you going back to work?"
"Monday. I talked to my Boss today and I start back on Monday."
"Good." She smiled again and the two women kept talking and eating and enjoying each other's company and for a while Chance forgot about her loss and was her normal happy self.
In Need Of A Nap (Duncan)
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 08-22-14 19:23
Duncan Dippet stares at the variety of dishes making up today's lunch offerings. Someone near speaks but Duncan isn't paying attention, thinking what's said is directed elsewhere. He finds out he's wrong when Hiram Young nudges him with an elbow. "Hellooooo? Pass the runner beans." As an afterthought Hiram adds, "Please."
"What? Oh, sorry." Duncan reaches for the requested item only to have to stop and redirect his hand upon realizing he'd been about to pass a cauliflower and leek gratin.
Accepting the runner beans Hiram asks with a frown of concern, "Something wrong?"
"Just tired. I think I'm going to take a nap after I eat."
"Don't sleep too long. Two exams to go over for tomorrow."
Finally deciding to have some sort of cheesy looking casserole, Duncan starts spooning some onto his plate, glancing over at Hiram as he does. "I've three tomorrow. Fitness & Athletics is after lunch."
Directly across the table from him Ollie Choate looks up at the ceiling as if in thought before saying, "I can't remember if I decided to sign up for that next term or not."
"I know I did but now I can't remember what electives I put my name in for. Not without looking."
"I've thought about Fitness & Athletics but I think I'd be more interested if it was only Quidditch." Or that's what Duncan thinks Hiram's said. Hiram's got his mouth stuff full of hamburger making everything sound garbled.
"We do other things that are fun. Mostly anyway."
Not wanting to talk much about what classes for third year might or might not be good since their second year classes aren't quite over yet, Ollie switches topics. "We will on for wizarding paint ball Monday?"
"I am as far as I know," Duncan says, deciding he'll go on and start on the pudding course rather than eat more meat and vegetables. There's a chocolate pie that looks so good he thinks he could eat the entire thing by himself.
Hiram, his mouth again filled with hamburger making Duncan decide going with pie is better than a hamburger of his own as he'd been thinking a moment ago, replies, "Me too."
Duncan spends the rest of lunch eating pie and listening to Hiram and Ollie debate whether paint ball with be three on three or if they should get someone else to join in and play teams. Neither seem to notice he hardly takes part in the conversation. Shortly afterwards he excuses himself to go take that nap, hoping it will help him get over his extremely low energy. Before leaving he promises to join the his roommates in no more than two hours to go over the two finals they have in the morning, Herbology and History of Magic. Not bothering to stifle several yawns, Duncan leaves the Great Hall for his bed, almost forgetting to set his alarm once he gets there.
End of Another Year
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 08-23-14 07:06
Directly after lunch, Ethan returned to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom to await the second year Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students. Yesterday's three exams had gone well enough, at least from his point of view. The two exams conducted so far today also went smoothly. After the last exam today, only two remained tomorrow.
Like many others, teachers and students alike, Ethan couldn't believe it was almost summertime. He had no doubt the summer holidays would fly by as well. Ethan had no set plans for his time away from Hogwarts. He intended to relax and spend time with Lilly and the rest of his family.
Despite his plans for total relaxation, the knowledge that Nero Noir and others were still out there bothered him. He hadn't heard a peep from any of them in several months, but there was no doubt in his mind that they would taunt him via owl post again. His greater fear was that they would do much more than that, though he worried more about the safety of his daughter than his own.
He came to the quick realization that his classroom was filling up and put all thoughts of Nero, Meadow and Hattie from his mind. After mentally checking roll and ensuring every second year student was present, Ethan passed around the exam parchments and anti-cheating quills. The final exam would primarily be written, but there would also be a practical component. Throughout the exam, Ethan would call a student out into the corridor and have them demonstrate one of the spells they learned on a dueling dummy. The portion of the corridor they would use was charmed with protective boundaries so that errant spells didn't cause havoc.
Ethan gave a few instructions and then said, "You may begin."
Heads bent over parchment to read the first question, which had to do with the dark creature manticore. Meanwhile, Ethan summoned Devon Abbott out into the corridor and had her demonstrate Incarcerous.
A Bad Case of Stripes
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 08-23-14 11:26
"A new patient just came in," said Lelia Burnett, the nurse currently on duty at the admissions desk. She indicated to the hospital room where the patient had been taken and handed Hermione a chart, on which vital information such as name and birthdate, in addition to a description of the symptoms had been quilled.
"Stripes!" Hermione exclaimed. "That's the first. Usually it's spots."
She went into the hospital room and found a girl of about eight propped up against the cushions of her bed. She had thick, curly black hair, equally dark eyes, and was sipping what looked like pumpkin juice from a small cup.
Her mother stood next to the bed and looked both irritated and concerned. Hermione shot her a quick, reassuring smile and then turned to the girl.
"Hello, I'm Healer Weasley," Hermione said, introducing herself. "What's your name?"
"Ilsa," said the girl in a weak-sounding voice.
Hermione started to examine Ilsa and asked, "Can you tell me what happened?"
"The boy next door did this to me," Ilsa said. "We were playing aurors and dark wizards, but he used a real wand instead of a toy wand."
Ilsa's mother spoke for the first time. "He found the wand in the attic of his home. Some old family heirloom that wasn't properly locked away. Of course I plan to sue the family for negligence."
Hermione listened without commenting and then asked Ilsa, "Does it hurt, the stripes?"
She shook her head slowly. "No."
"What about the point of impact from the spell? Where were you hit?"
Ilsa pointed squarely at her chest and said, "Nothing hurts."
"A miracle, that," her mother stated.
Again, Hermione ignored the mother and asked, "Do you know what spell he used?"
"No," Ilsa said. "He used made up words and then this happened to me. I don't remember what he said."
"That's okay. We'll figure this out," Hermione said. She did some more examining before excusing herself to prescribe a potion for Ilsa. While at the nurses station once more, she spotted Baby out of the corner of her eye. Baby had a stack of charts in her arms and was carrying them to Records for filing.
Although she knew nothing could be done about Baby, Hermione nevertheless took satisfaction in knowing her hunch about the witch had most likely been correct. She still didn't know with 100% certainty that Baby was Leigh Buchanan, but all signs pointed to yes. Knowledge was power, and for the first time since laying eyes on Baby all those months ago, Hermione felt like she had the advantage. If Leigh was as dastardly as Liza had been, than Hermione was ready for whatever might come.
Lee
Author: Alaia Rothstein
Date: 08-23-14 14:58
Alaia watched as she mixed the cake batter with a swish of her wand and her thoughts drifted away to when she met Lee for the first time.
It had been on the Hogwarts Express they had literally run into each other in one of the corridors and Alaia had dropped her pastry that she had just gotten off the treat trolly.
"Excuse me." He had said. "I'm so sorry I didn't see you there."
"It's okay." She said looking down at the dropped pastry. "I've seen you around school and in our Common Room but…" she stopped letting her sentence die off. She had only chatted with him here and there for class work and maybe once when they got paired up in one of their classes but she didn't really know Lee well.
Picking up the pastry she disposed of it and made her way to her compartment and her friends but not before turning and watching where Lee was going. Lee was only two compartments down from she and her friends and that made Alaia smile.
"Why are you smiling?" Divina asked when she arrived in their compartment.
"Because I just ran into Lee Sickleby; and, boy has he gotten cute."
"Oh, do tell." Divina giggled. Alaia went into detail about how they had run into each other. "I think he gets cuter every year." Divina gushed.
"Don't get too excited Divina he probably has a girlfriend and even if he doesn't why would he want to go out with me?"
"Alaia…Alaia…"
"Huh?" She said as she heard Divina call her name for the second time.
"I just took in a big order for a cake. These people want a huge cake for their 50th wedding anniversary."
"Okay let me get this cake into the oven and I will come look at the order." And with a smile on her face she got the cake into the oven and headed to the front of the shoppe to look over the order for the anniversary cake.
Vanessa Visits
Author: Julian Valentine
Date: 08-23-14 15:31
Because the twins benefit from socializing with others their own ages, in addition to play dates they go to Blossom's a few days a week, sometimes half day, sometimes the whole day. Today had been a story day at the library and with a petting zoo visiting as well, taking up some space usually taken up by the gaming center's wizarding paint ball course, Jasmine and Xavier had wanted to be there as long as possible. Julian had gone out a few times when their age group was with the animals, taking photos. As the Hogsmeade Day students were also allowed to visit the petting zoo, he'd also gotten pictures of Grace and Charlotte. The only drawback of the whole thing is that Grace now thinks they need a miniature llama and a miniature goat, or two.
Just after the two older girls are finished with school for the day, eager for the last day of school while also a little sad that Friday is the last day of school, Julian walks with them over to Blossom's to get the twins. As the petting zoo hasn't packed up just yet, he's happy to sit on one of the park benches while the four children are once again enthralled by cute, furry things.
Julian is reading through a catalog of an upcoming auction of an estate with a large library, all of which is up for sale, when someone sits down beside him. Thinking she's a mother come to pick up her child Julian turns to speak only to find himself speechless.
"Hallo, Jules. What? No kiss for your sister?"
"What do you want, Vanessa?"
With a nod of her head and a jerk of her thumb she motions in the direction of the petting zoo. "Those X and Jazz? They got big."
"They're three now. What do you expect?"
"Three? Already? How'd that happen? Weren't long ago you took them from me."
"It doesn't seem all that long ago," Julian has to agree before asking again, "What do you want?"
"A mother needs to see her children now and again."
"You hardly showed interested in them when you had them with you and it's been two and a half years. I also seem to recall part of the agreement was no contact."
Vanessa scoffs with a roll of her eyes. "I didn't think you meant forever."
"You're the one who broke family ties. If you hadn't approached Uncle Seneca for money, how many more years would have gone by before we heard from you?"
"We're not talking about just me. There are my babies to consider."
"They aren't your babies any longer, Vanessa."
"You sound so much like Dad, Julian, it's scary. Of course they are my babies."
"You gave birth to them. In the six months you have them, you somehow managed not to kill either of them. A miracle when you consider they were both born addicted."
"Merlin's beard! Do you have to sound so bloody judgmental?"
"Those are the facts. You are an addict. You somehow carried twins to term but they too were born addicted. The first six months of their lives they went through withdrawals, were underfed, and developmentally delayed. You didn't give them much care or love when you had them. You were quick to give them up. It is really surprising I'd question your appearance today, professing how much you want to see your babies?"
"I do love Jazz and X even if you don't think I do. Drugs mess a person up, Julian. Sometimes I seem selfish and self-centered when I'm not. I made the agreement because I didn't think I had any other option. You were going to take them no matter what."
That's dead on but Julian is not going to admit that he would have taken the twins with him that day whether she agreed to the deal or not.
"And now?"
"I have maternal feelings and needs. I've missed by babies."
"I know I'm repeating myself but it's been two and a half years."
"You're just going to keep throwing that in my face, aren't you?"
"Only because we both know there's little, if any, truth there. Why are you really here?"
"I don't care if you believe me or not. I wanted to see my babies. I was thinking maybe I could have visits with them, maybe even have them come live with me again."
"By your own admission you are an addict. You're also a drunk."
"Look at me. I've cleaned up."
"You do look better than when I last saw you but that doesn't mean anything."
"You're such a shit. I make an effort. I look presentable. What's the fucking problem?"
"Your language for one thing. There are children around. For another thing, not to throw the two and a half years in your face again but in all that time there wasn't even a card asking how they are. No request for pictures or updates. Take a moment to think, really think, about how that looks when out of the blue you show up wanting to see Jasmine and Xavier."
"The agreement said I wasn't to do those things."
"Yet here you are in person."
"Damned if I do, damned if I don't. Is that it?"
"Seems like it but that's not it at all."
"Then what? What?"
"If you cared so blessed much about them, Vanessa, you wouldn't have waited this long to break the agreement. You're the one wanting it both ways."
In a huff Vanessa stands. "I will get visitation with them, Julian, maybe even regain custody or you'll have to pay for the loss and heartache."
"Ah. There it is. How much?"
"How much are they worth to you?"
"I'm not putting a price on those two children."
"You'd better come up with a figure I like, and soon, or I'll see you in court. I'll be in touch."
Vanessa walks off without another word and with no longing filled look back at the two toddlers she professes to miss.
Though his sister does look far better then when he last saw her and though her speech doesn't sound slurred and drug addled, Julian can't see her ever convincing a court to return custody of Jasmine and Xavier, especially not now that he's legally adopted them. He's also not sure a court would order him, and their parents, to pay any sort of restitution, not when she practically sold the twins to him. Still, he can see her being spiteful enough to try and take him to court, dragging things out and making everyone miserable in the process. What he most likely needs to do to save everyone the grief is to figure out if another lump sum payment is the way to go, risking Vanessa showing up again in a few years, or set up a fund to send her money on a regular basis.
Julian spends the next half hour contemplating the options. The petting zoo is readying to leave, which is his cue to gather up his three and Charlotte telling them, "Dinner time soon but baths first I think. You all smell like the petting zoo."
After dropping off Charlotte, Julian alternates piggy back rides for Grace, Jasmine, and Xavier, thinking to himself that Vanessa is insane if she thinks he'd ever let her screw up these twins' lives again.
(Adriana) Pyrrhic Victory
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 08-24-14 09:11
One by one, the Death Eaters slipped from the confines of the abbey and stole into the woods. Using the intelligence collected by scouts, they knew where to find their prey and what to expect upon their discovery. The number of invaders was relatively small; smaller still since their initial arrival in the woods. Although none of the Death Eaters were foolish enough to believe the fight would end swiftly or easily, they were nonetheless confident it would end in their favor.
Stealthily, they crept towards camp, expecting to find the trespassers at rest. On that score, they were mistaken. A wizard with a long, white beard and thick eyebrows resembling caterpillars quickly clued in to the attack and shouted something in another language. He was felled by a blast of red light that send him careening backwards into the trunk of an alder tree.
The sounds of war erupted throughout camp, and flashes of lights from spells lit up the forest and ricocheted off the trees. A flash of green whizzed past Adriana's cheek, but she continued on as if death hadn't been imminent. There was only one wizard she wanted to face in battle, and his name was Berthold Beatenberg.
They locked eyes from across a clearing. Adriana, having replaced her customary red robes for an unobtrusive light brown, smiled wickedly and called out, "I suppose you may congratulate yourself for your tireless effort to track me down, but I'm afraid this little success will be your very last."
Berthold, dressed in olive green and holding a wand that looked more like a twig in one of his scaly, green hands, allowed a grin to cross his face. "If my life ends here today, then finding you shall be my second to last success."
"You think you can beat me?" Adriana mocked.
"Here is the difference between you and me," Berthold began, stepping forward to close the distance between himself and Adriana. "I have dedicated my life to seeking revenge on my master. Killing you is all I have thought about since learning you snuffed out his life.
"As for you," Berthold continued, drawing ever closer to Adriana, "you may want me dead, but my impending death is not what fuels your actions. I'm not a part of the bigger picture, whatever that may be."
"Oh, you've got that right," Adriana said. She slashed her wand through the air, causing a shallow cut to appear across Berthold's chest.
He flinched and sucked air between his teeth, but he made no counter move.
Adriana stared at him stonily and said, "You're just a nuisance, nothing more. How does it feel, knowing my followers have taken out so many of yours? And really, Berthold, why surround yourself by geezers––?"
She trailed off, feeling a touch of humanity course through her veins and instantly feeling guilty about badmouthing elderly wizards, even if they were evil in principle.
Berthold seized the opportunity to lay hold of Adriana's neck. Her wand fell to the ground, landing by her feet. She raised her hands in a vain attempt to pry his spindly fingers off her throat. He squeezed harder and harder, and Adriana started to see spots before her eyes.
Berthold leered at her. "You see?! I will get my just reward!"
Adriana inevitably thought about Dex trying to strangle her. She pictured the look on his face, his hands around her neck, and then his body as it floated away in the stream in water tainted red. Dex hadn't succeeded in asphyxiating her, but Berthold appeared to be having better luck.
Suddenly, somebody rammed into Berthold's shoulder while bellowing a war cry. Berthold's hands loosened on her neck, allowing Adriana to slip free. She fell to her knees, gasping, and touched her fingers to her tender throat.
Ivanova dueled with Berthold, whose eyes flashed angrily at the interruption. He'd been so close at killing Adriana, only to have her favorite ruin everything. It was simply unacceptable!
Berthold growled and glanced at Adriana, who was still on her knees, gasping for breath. Ivanova had directed him away from her during their duel, but she was wholly unprotected now. She was an easy target and too distracted to even think about defending herself.
Ivanova seemed to sense Berthold's plan and moved swiftly in front of Adriana, the same time Berthold cast the Killing Curse. The bolt of green light hit Ivanova squarely in the chest. He let out a surprised gasp and then crumpled on the ground in front of Adriana.
Seeing Ivanova in a motionless heap was enough to snap her out of it. She let out a blood-curdling scream and picked up her wand amid the natural detritus on the floor of the forest clearing.
"Avada Kedavra!" she screeched.
The curse swept the short distance between them, striking him in the heart. His face froze unexpectedly, and then he collapsed to the ground.
An ominous silence in the clearing followed. The sounds of fighting elsewhere seemed muted to Adriana's ears. She inhaled and exhaled heavily, in a failed attempt to calm herself. Her eyes traveled from Berthold's body to Ivanova's. Her shoulders heaved, and then she started to wail.