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Author: Phinfilius
Date: 08-23-09 16:59
Walking hand-in-hand with Emerald, Phin half watches where he's stepping and half watches her out of the corner of his eye. Her long, dark hair is loose, cascading in a gleaming, wavy mass past her shoulders. Emerald's face is tilted slightly down like Phin's, watching where she walks as they skirt the perimeter of the Hogsmeade Humbatas stadium on their way to walk along a creek. There's a tightness along her jaw line. A strain along her neck and into her shoulders.
They reach the end of the stadium, angling away from it instead of curving around it. Reaching the trees they walk onward in silence, the sunlight dappled through the mix of birch, Scots pine, and oak. A little ways into the forest is a clearing where the wild flowers are still blooming in profusion though most likely within a week, two at most, no more blooms will be seen until the spring. Phin's a little surprised at just how many flowers are still blooming that usually by this time in October aren't. Compared to this time last October, today is downright balmy, though in reality today is fairly typical of a mid-October day in Scotland. Still, Phin wonders if the profusion of flowers can be attributed to two years of increasingly cold weather that's now back to rights.
Emerald and he reach the creek, and start walking along, still not having spoken since just before reaching the Quidditch stadium. Turning to help Emerald hop across a stream feeding into the creek, Phin tells her, "You know I'll wait however long it takes."
Emerald's hop over the stream has left her wavering a little to find her footing. After she's got her balance and they are walking again she asks, "What do you mean?"
Phin thinks about how to respond. He knows in his heart what he wants to say but verbalizing thoughts and feelings into words and having those words adequately express those thoughts and feelings is such a difficult thing.
"Phin? What do you mean?"
"You have so many things to sort out from your experiences at Happy Haven and City of Hope. You've changed and I know you'll never be exactly the same, but," Phin stops, grasping for elusive words.
"But what?"
"It's so clear in my head, in my heart but when I try to say it aloud, the words just aren't there."
"Do your best."
"You've got issues to deal with. Things that have you pasting on fake smiles, writing letters that don't really say much. Things that have you hardly ever speaking anymore and then when you do, just like your letters, you don't really say anything of substance. You say all the things you're expected to say. School is going well. Studying for NEWTs is time consuming. The homework load is massive.
There's always this guarded look in your eyes. You're always tense. You flinch whenever anyone gets near. When we hold hands, it's like you have to mentally steel yourself to have our hands touching. We almost never kiss and when we do, you draw back quickly."
Emerald doesn't comment on any of this. Instead, her eyes fixed on a bird hopping around the base of a tree, she asks, "What do you mean by you'll wait for me however long it takes?"
"I'll be here for you while you come to terms with everything."
"And if I never do?"
"I have faith that you will. You have family and friends who care too much about you to let that happen."
Emerald untangles her hand from Phin's, her entire body turned now in the direction of the bird she's watching. Phin studies her, the set of her shoulders, the rigidness of her back, the way even the smallest of movements seems to take every ounce of energy she has. He moves to stand even beside her but not touching. His voice is low when he speaks again.
"The first time I ever saw you, I knew I had to meet you. I quizzed Jared Wynbourne about you, the whole time hoping he hadn't gotten over his Alanna crush and would say you two had met over the summer and were dating. I wanted run around whooping like mad when I learned you weren't seeing anyone that he knew of.
I had never given much thought to love at first sight but if I had, I would have been a skeptic. Then I saw you. I've been crazy about you from the first second I saw you and getting to know you has deepened my feelings. When we thought you were dead, Emerald... "
Phin turns away, walking back toward the creek, bending to scoop up pebbles and throw them in, plop, plop, plop, one at a time.
Several long minutes go by, the only sounds those of the forest around them, the creek burbling, and the plunking of stones in as Phin keeps tossing pebbles, trying to make them skip.
A shadown falls across the ground where Phin's bent to scoop more pebbles, looking for ones with flatter sides, the better to skip. He looks up to see Emerald standing there, her eyes scanning his face. At length she quietly says, "I think I'll talk with one of psychiatric healers who come to Hogwarts to help students dealing with stuff from the past two years."
Phin stands up, smiling, holding out several perfect skipping stones to her. As she takes them, a ghost of a smile plays across her lips, quickly gone when she says, "I'll never be that same girl you saw the first time that day."
"I know but you weren't always going to be that girl anyway."
The ghost of a smile returns. "I bet my stone skips more than yours."
"You're on," Phin grins.
When his stone only skips twice to Emerald's going five, he asks, "Best two out of three?"
Spending Money
Author: Ronan Eastwick
Date: 08-23-09 18:52
Ronan had gone down to Hogsmeade with Titus but had parted ways with his friend soon thereafter, since Titus's girlfriend lived in the village and he hadn't spent any time with her since August. That left Ronan virtually on his own all day, but with money burning a hole in his pocket, he had enough on his mind to keep himself busy for a little while. He had some of his own money to spend, as well as that awarded to him as one of two recipients of the Kendra Beck scholarship this year. He'd held onto his award money since receiving it, knowing he'd probably want to spend it in Hogsmeade.
And he did. He bought himself a drink at The Three Broomsticks and oogled brooms at Krum's Completely Quidditch. His own broomstick had gotten lost en route to Happy Haven. At least he thought so since he hadn't seen it since packing it for the train ride home. He'd done well with the school-owned broom but wanted a new broomstick of his own, and what better than one of the newest models? Ronan wound up leaving the Quidditch supply shop with a Peregrine G-70 Lightspeed, Mark VIII.
He played laser tag and paintball at Blossom's and bought a few packages of tea at Botanicals & Beyond, which he wanted to send to his mother. Ronan bought some parchment, quills and ink at Scrivenshaft's, since as a NEWT student he seemed to run through writing supplies so much quicker than during a normal school year. He bought sweets at Honeydukes and Briar's Bakery and bought an assortment of goodies from Zonko's Joke Shop. He didn't have anything to purchase at Twice Told Tales or Gladrags, and as tempting as a visit to Petals might have been, Ronan only gave the adult venue a quick glance.
He ate lunch at the Imperial Crown & Cauldron, and then worked his way backwards through all the shoppes again before reaching the gates to the Hogwarts grounds. Ronan debated turning back around and finding something else to do in the village, but his hands were full and he didn't think he could find anything else to keep him truly occupied. He knew a Quidditch and flying workshop was underway at the Pitch, so maybe he could find something to do there. Besides, he had a new broom to test out.
But first, he wanted to unload everything else he carried. Ronan crossed the slope to the castle, headed all the way up to Gryffindor Tower, carefully set aside the things he didn't need for the moment, and with new broom in hand, set off for the Quidditch Pitch. Even if the workshop was nearing its end, he at least hoped to give his Lightspeed a test fly.
Making A Resolution
Author: Sage Porter
Date: 08-23-09 22:25
"Make room, Georgia."
Georgia moves to the side of the Three Broomsticks Sage occupies, scootching in next to him as Isabela Hastings, Edith Parr, and Catherine Scott cram themselves into the side just vacated by Georgia Copperpot. In unison they chorus, "Hi, Sage."
"Hi. You three have a lot of shopping bags."
"Making up for lost time," Catherine explains.
"We're lucky to have funds," Edith adds.
Isabella says, "Our families were lucky overall but this next year is still going to be financially challenging, or at least for mine. It's a good thing there are funds set up to help families such as ours."
Sage nearly misses that last bit because Georgia chose just then to run bare toes up the inside of his pants leg. Or so he hopes it's Georgia. Doing his best not to let on that he's got toes tickling his calf, Sage raises his hand then points to the three sitting across from him and holds up three fingers to let the waitress know to bring three more drinks.
"I've heard about those benefit funds," Sage says at the same time he's motioning for the drinks. He doesn't add that his one of the funds set up specifically for Hogwarts students is largely funded by his family, more specifically by Aaron and Aaron's parents, and by the Reese-Emerson family.
Edith looks at the pile of packages and bags then sighs. "I went overboard. Most can be returned."
"Or I can buy them from you then gift them back," Sage ventures.
Hearing this, Georgia sits up straighter. "Vair interesting idea."
"Charity, you mean." Catherine looks as though she can't decide if the offer is welcome or an insult.
"Nooooo. It would be a friend who doesn't have monetary worries assisting friends."
"Assisting my bestest chums in the world," Georgia chirps.
At least he's winning points with her for the idea. Then again, it's not as though he needs to do much of anything to win points with Georgia. She's not like most girls in that regard.
"I'll think about it," Edith says.
"Me too." Isabella is nodding, a far away expression on her face as though she's deeply pondering what to do.
"Catherine, at least consider it?" Sage asks.
"Yeah, okay. I still say it's charity."
"What if it is? What's wrong with it? Isn't that what those benefit funds are?"
Georgia asks very matter-of-factly, "Besides, Catherine, don't you know that charity begins at home?"
"Weeeelllll... there is a pair of vair cute boots that will be perfect against the cold weather the first Quidditch matches always have."
Edith remarks, "Those boots are vair, vair cute, Catherine. You should see them, Georgia. You would have taken them right off her feet when she was trying them on."
Isabella elbows Edith to give her a little more room but Edith just elbows right back without budging half an inch. Isabella frowns at Edith and Catherine. "Booth hogs. Shove over, Georgia and Sage. I'm going through."
She ducks under the table and pops back up on our side. "There's even less room over here. I would have had to be on the inside. Say though, you're nicer to be pressed up against than those two, Sage."
"Why, uh, thank you?"
"He's my boyfriend, Izzy wizzy."
"Yes, Georgia, I'm quite aware."
"You only tell us a hundred times a day," Edith says right before slurping down the last swallow of her butterbeer.
"Do you really?"
"Really what?"
"Talk about me that often?"
"They exaggerate."
"OH PLEASE!"
"You know you do, Izzy."
"You are deluded, Georgia."
"You are," Edith and Catherine say.
"I think I'll just go get us all another round of drinks. Let me out, Georgia."
"Embarassed to know you are mentioned so many times every day?" Catherine sweetly asks before telling Georgia, "Don't let him out. He needs to know what sort of obssessive loon he's dating."
Sage blushes down to his toes when Georgia replies in a manner tat's somehow tart yet friendly at the same time, "You lot are just jealous because my boyfriend is a sex god."
He somehow blushes even more when Isabella says from his other side, "A sex god with a vair nice, broad, muscled chest. At least on this side."
Sage bodily forces Georgia out of the booth. "Butterbeers for all? Right. Back soon," he spits out before hustling over to the bar, ear flaming because he hears Edith saying, "Cute butt too."
In the short time it takes to get the butterbeers, Sage is resolved to finding boyfriends for the Isballa, Edith, and Catherine just so there's a reduced chance of him being the one they are talking about at any given moment.
Rotundo Rollo
Author: Christopher Chant
Date: 08-24-09 20:35
Sprawling in a chair in Briar's Bakery, not even crumbs left of his most recent snack, Christopher eyes the display case, pondering whether to get a slice of something called Chocolate Wrapped Banana Cheesecake. Directly opposite him at the same table, Milo Martin groans, "I can't believe how much I've eaten today."
"Me too! I've lost count how many times I've been in here, Honeydukes, and anywhere else in Hogmeade with food."
"When you ran into me in Honeydukes, I was buying more candy because even though I'd bought some to take back to school with me, I ate it anyway in a very short time."
"I picked up one of the owl order forms for there. Here too."
"Yeah. Anywhere that had them and sales food, I picked one up."
"I'm getting a slice of cheesecake. Want anything?"
"Of course," Milo snicker, "but you do realize we're going to have to get someone to roll us back to Hogwarts."
"Is there's a charm for that?" Christopher asks, pretending to frown in thought.
"Sure, you know, Rotundo Rollo," Milo intones, waving his wand hand in the air to inscribe a large circle followed by a bunch of small ones to mimic something large being rolled.
"Maybe we can get the Ministry to practice using Harriet Snider."
"She's definitely got the rotund part down," Milo manages to get out before dissolving into laughter.
When Christopher reaches the front of the line to get more snacks, he's still having trouble containing the fit of sniggers at the thought of rolling Harriet Snider all over the Hogwarts grounds. He's able to contain himself long enough to order and pay but as soon as he turns to go back to the table, he catches sight of Milo who's face is now red from laughing so hard. They look at each other for all of a second before Milo's bent over the table again and Christopher has to fight to steady the tray of food because he's shaking so much from laughing himself.
A Snogging We Will Go
Author: Georgia Copperpot
Date: 08-24-09 22:28
At the gates of Hogwarts my sex god boyfriend Sage Porter does not have to stop to see me off. Living with his marvy sister Professor Sacheverelle and the professor's gorgey husband Professor Miller, Sage and I can snog our way from the gates to the castle. Edith thinks it's great fun to run ahead, hide, then jump out as we pass yelling, "Argus Filch!"
The only time it's vair funny, double cool with knobs funny, is when Filch himself comes out from behind another bush yelling, "What?" at Edith.
"I really should have come back sooner."
I only pay attention to Izzy just then because my sex god boyfriend Sage Porter has not resumed snogging because Filchy is traipsing along only a few feet ahead, turning every now and then to give all the students walking back to Hogwarts the evil eye. You know, I think for Christmas I shall give Filchy a horribly looking eye and tell him to pass it around so that everyone can truthfully proclaim that they were given the evil eye by the great and powerful Argus Filch. Who, by the by, is neither great nor powerful. He only thinks he is. We humor the poor chap. Okay, so we don't humor him that way. Rather, we find great humor in making Filchy have a nervy spaz.
But I digress.
"Izzy, why would you have come back early from a perfectly lovely day in Hogsmeade," I dutifully ask being the fabbity-fab bestest chum that I am.
"I've loads of homework to do and really want to read ahead in all my classes so that I won't feel guilty when I go to the meetings for those clubs I joined."
"You're such a swot."
"Am not."
"Oh my giddy Merlin, Iz. You are the Hermione Granger of our year and by our year I mean the sixth years who are really our year and the fifth years who have accepted us into their nunga nungas."
"Bosom."
"What's that, Catherine."
"Accepted into their bosom."
"That's what I said."
"Didn't."
"She's right, Georgia. That's not what you said. You said nunga nungas."
"Yes, Izzy," I reply speaking more slowly than usual when dealing with her when she's being more barmy than usual, "I said nunga nungas."
"Nunga nungas are breasts," Edith says rather breathlessly, having caught up with us after running ahead only to have Filchy sneak up on her and scare the wee out of her. "Why are we talking about nunga nungas?"
"Yes! Thank you, Edith! Nunga nungas are breasts. What is another word for breasts but bosom, ickso flatso, nunga nungas are bosams."
"Ipso facto."
"What?"
"The term is ipso facto."
"You aren't making any sense, Izzy, but then, you rarely ever do."
"Filch is gone!" Edith exclaim. "I wonder if I can get ahead past him and scare him like he did me."
Edith takes off running. Catherine grabs Izzy and pulls her to walk fast. "Come on. If Filch isn't hovering, Georgia's is going to want to snog Sage, which means you'd have a hard time strangling her. Wait until she's asleep."
"A most excellent idea, Catherine."
"You two are starkers," I say with a sad shake of my head before giving my sex god boyfriend Sage Porter my full attention again now that Filch isn't anywhere in sight.
I really wish that the walk from the gates to the castle were longer.
Oh!
We can go back and do it again. Double the snog time!
Who says I'm not clever enough to be in Ravenclaw?
Izzy. That's who.
Just goes to show how barmy she truly is to think I'm not that clever.
But enough about Izzy. Let the snogging recommence!
Translations:
sex god boyfriend = in this instance, Sage Porter. Do you not pay attention?
marvy = marvelous
gorgey = gorgeous, my sex god boyfriend Sage Porter for example
snog = kiss
vair = very
double cool with knobs = vair vair vair excellent
nervy spaz = nervous spasm
fabbity-fab = fabulous
chum = a good mate, a friend
swot = Isbella Hastings the goody goody nerd and I say that with all great lobe for my bestest chum
lobe = love
nunga nungas = breasts
starkers = raving lunatics a la Izzy and Catherine, perhaps Edith a little as well