|
|
Visiting Hogsmeade with Artemis
Author: Ronan Eastwick
Date: 10-21-09 18:00
The Saturday following the exciting Quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, Ronan and Titus set out for Hogsmeade together and picked up Artemis along the way. Once in the village proper, Titus parted ways from the other two to visit his girlfriend Maddie, who lived in town and whom he rarely saw.
"What would you like to do first?" Ronan asked Artemis. He stuck his bare hands into the pockets of his coat and gazed up briefly at the light snow that drifted from the overstuffed clouds overhead.
"How about some hot cocoa and something sweet to eat from Briar's Bakery before we do anything else?" Artemis suggested. Neither she nor Ronan had eaten any breakfast at the castle before setting out for Hogsmeade that morning.
"Sounds good. And after that?"
"Shopping, I think. Christmas isn't very far from now and I would like to get as much as I can for various folks before I no longer get the chance."
Ronan nodded. "You and me both."
His shopping list wasn't very long. He wanted to get something for his mother, even though she was in prison and probably couldn't have much with her in her cell. He wanted to get something for the friends he'd made since returning to school, as well. That included Artemis, though how he could buy her something and keep it a secret till Christmas with her hovering around, he didn't know!
There was also the matter of Secret Santa. He'd submitted his name to participate in the annual gift exchange among students and staff and received Slytherin fourth year Zuberi Batuti's name. Ronan didn't have much everyday contact with Zuberi, since they were in separate houses and vastly different years, but they did have Quidditch in common and had played against each other last month.
Because they were both keepers and obviously big fans of Quidditch, buying a gift from Krum's Completely Quidditch seemed like the best option. However, later on, Ronan would find himself in Gladrags Wizardwear while Artemis would scour every shelf and rack for gifts for friends, family and even herself. While there, a simple black hoodie would catch his eye. It would be the gift he'd ultimately buy for Zuberi.
For now, he wandered with Artemis to Briar's Bakery to find it already brimming with customers. It seemed like everybody else from Hogwarts had had the same idea about breakfast!
Because visiting Hogsmeade wasn't an everyday occurrence, Ronan and Artemis had no problem waiting in line to get some of the best baked goods and sweets around. After waiting their turn, they stepped back out into the lightly falling snow, ate, drank, and talked, and let their feet carry them to their next destination.
Another Round With Anne (Indi & Lisi)
Author: Travis
Date: 10-21-09 21:41
"You say you like me but still won't go out with me."
The slightly disgruntled Anne Kendrick stands with hand on cocked hip, exasperation evident in stance and tone. Indigo suspects she's working very hard not to also sound whiny.
"We've been over this, Anne."
"I know but I keep hoping you'll finally see the light and you did just say you like me."
"I said I like you in response to the point blank question of don't I like you even a little bit. Excuse me a moment."
Indi turns to answer questions another Hogwarts student has about the kittens on display. The girl's mum has okayed her to get a cat so Indi lets her sit down in the window where the kittens are frockling so she can look at them more closely, finding one with a personality that suits her. After helping someone else right after that, Indi turns to see Anne fiddling with the dog collars on one of the spinning racks. For the first time Indi notices something.
"Where are your two sidekicks?"
"I was ready to come into the village before either of them were even awake. Zabrynna probably won't be coming into Hogsmeade anyway. Her parents have been really strict with her since last term and have severely limited her leisure activities."
Indi turns away again to answer another customer's questions then has to go into one of the surgeries to examine a student's listless looking owl. When he emerges back into the pet shoppe portion a short time later, Anne is still fiddling with the same rack of collars.
"I'm a sixth year."
"Yes, I'm very aware of that fact, Anne."
"I'll be seventeen soon."
"And I've told you that it's best to wait until you're through at Hogwarts."
"But if I'm of legal age, any concerns you have about the legalities of age differences won't matter."
"We've talked about this many times."
"I just don't see why if when I'm seventeen why my still being a student should continue to matter."
Indi has to excuse himself again when a Hogsmeade resident comes in with an injured puppy. It's then that Lisanthus, who's helping Indi out this morning and will go help Travis out later in the day at Botanicals & Beyond, sidles up to Anne.
"I know it's not any of my business, Anne, but maybe if you stopped trying so hard he'll come around."
"You think I'm turning Indigo off?"
"No, because he's telling the truth when he says he likes you. It's just that I've always heard that men like a woman who's hard to get."
Anne's shoulders slump. "Philippa and Zabrynna have said maybe I come on to him too strongly. Or Philippa does anyway. Zabrynna seems to agree but hasn't out and out said it like Philippa has."
"What happens if the day comes that my brother finally goes out with you?"
"We have a good time."
"That's not what I mean. What I mean is, you've been making it clear for how long now that you want to date Indigo?"
Anne shrugs. "I'm not sure exactly but it's been awhile."
"What if your interest in him turns out to be mainly because he's been the hard to get one?"
"You think I'm shallow?" Anne looks stricken.
"No! No, not at all. I'm just saying that there could be a letdown for you, that the idea of going out with Indigo could be greater than the actuality of it for you. I sincerely hope it's not but it is a possibility."
Anne's frowning now but Lisi knows she's not angry with her. The frown is more from giving what Lisi said some deep thought. At length Anne says, "Thanks, Lisianthus. I'm going to go see if Philippa's made it into Hogsmeade yet. Maybe see you later."
Lisi watches Anne go, telling herself it would be very wrong to get a glimpse of Anne's thoughts. She distracts herself by approaching a boy who's been looking at a display of pet beds to ask if he needs help with anything. When Indi has finished with the injured puppy and seen her and her owner off, he sees no sign of Anne and finds himself both relieved not to keep having the same conversation with her and missing her presence at the same time.
(Mark) The Question
Author: Isolde
Date: 10-22-09 19:19
What do you get a girl you hardly know and don't give a fig about? That was the question Mark asked himself as he walked down High Street, in search of a gift for Ramona Mickle of all people. He had signed up for the Secret Santa gift exchange at Hogwarts, not because he wanted to treat a random person but because he wanted an extra Christmas present for himself.
Mark and Ramona had started at Hogwarts at the same time, but they had never had any classes together. During their first year, they'd had separate teachers, because Hogwarts had been divided along bloodlines. Last year, Ramona hadn't been at Hogwarts at all and at Happy Haven School For Nons instead. She was repeating her second year, while Mark had moved on to year three.
If things had been differently, they'd probably have gotten to know each other well enough, if only through attending classes together on a daily basis. All Mark basically knew about her now was that she was a cousin of Griet and Cornelia Vanderbilt. He could have asked them for advice on what to get their Ravenclaw cousin, but he really didn't have any great interest in selecting the perfect gift for Ramona.
He chose the easy way out and went to Honeydukes. Mark picked out several items for himself and chose a single sack of Bertie Botts Every Flavored Beans for Ramona. If she didn't like it, too bad.
Alone For The Time Being
Author: Christopher Chant
Date: 10-22-09 21:20
Christopher began the morning on his own, taking the cat he got in last year's Secret Santa from Cat Amherst in for a check-up at McFusty's. While there he also bought a few things, including a new collar for his cat. Christopher had tried out a number of names for his pet, finally settling on the not very inspired name of Kit. A few days ago Kit had somehow gotten his collar off then played bat the collar all over Hogwarts and invite other cats to join in. By the time Christopher was able to locate it, the thing was somewhat frayed.
Christopher made a return trip to Hogwarts with Kit and his purchases from McFusty's, then walked back into the village, still by himself. He's meeting up with Milo Martin and a few others later for games of Wizarding lasar tag and paint ball and after lunch is going to meet up with Cat. For the time being, though, he's on his own, which suits him because he's got a few Christmas presents to buy.
At Gladrags is a pale pink sweater that's extremely soft to the touch. He'd put money on it the first Hogwarts trip and has sent a little every week after getting his allowance by owl. He thinks his mum's going to love opening a Christmas gift to find the sweater neatly wrapped inside.
There are a few relatives to get a little something for and friends to do at least a token present for, like goody bags from Honeydukes. If he doesn't get all of those today that's all right as he can get his mum to finish the list or can do it himself over the holiday from school. Christopher wants to get Cat something, something more than just a token, but though he's been looking at the owl delivered catalogs that have been flooding the Ravenclaw common room and the common commons for a few weeks now, so far he's not figured out exactly what he'd like to get her.
Christopher doesn't have to worry about getting his dad anything. When Christopher asked his mum in a letter for her opinion on an idea he had, not only did she think it great but she'd written back that she'd take care of getting it.
One gift he's for certain picking up today is the Secret Santa gift for the person whose name he'd drawn. About a month ago Christopher learned that Deak has an interest in Muggle based board games that have been given a Wizarding tweak. Weasley's carries an ever expanding selection so Christopher had asked Professor Miller which ones Deak already has so that he doesn't give Deak a duplicate. He's got the list in his pocket and after he refuels with a slice of cake and glass of milk from Briar's Bakery, Christopher's heading straight to the former Zonko's to see what the Hogsmeade branch of Weasley's has in stock.
Now if only figuring out something for Cat Amherst were as easy.
Argument
Author: Ella
Date: 10-23-09 18:41
It had been easier going off and meeting Zane in Hogsmeade before Ella had struck up her friendship with Francis. Ella and Francis had set off for the village together in the morning, but she'd managed to escape his company by claiming she wanted to get him a Christmas gift and that he couldn't tag along or he'd spoil the surprise.
She knew she'd have to make good on her promise to get him a special gift, and she planned on it too, but Ella would worry about that later. What concerned her at the moment was the disconcerted expression on Zane's face. They sat together in a dark corner at The Hog's Head, Ella nursing a dusty bottle of butterbeer and Zane something decidedly stiffer.
"I can't help but get the feeling that you've lost interest in the relationship," Zane expressed. He didn't sound very upset, because he also didn't seem sure what he was saying was true. He simply felt that something about Ella had changed in the last few months. She didn't seem as eager to be with him as she used to be.
"That's not true," Ella countered, but even as she said it she realized that maybe it was true. She didn't have feelings for Francis. Not boyfriend-girlfriend type feelings, anyway. But being around him reminded her that she was just a teenager and not the adult she'd pretended to be around Zane.
Something in Ella's words or her expression gave Zane cause to believe she was lying. "Is it someone else?"
"No," Ella quickly replied. It was someone else, but not how Zane meant it.
"Then what?" Zane asked.
"Why are you making these accusations? I wanted to see you today. You're making me wish I hadn't bothered."
"What's the matter with you? You're acting like a completely different person."
Their voices had gotten loud enough to draw the attention of the few customers in the pub.
Ella lowered her voice to a near whisper. "What's the matter with you? You're acting completely paranoid."
"For some reason I feel like I need to be," Zane countered. "You stopped writing me regularly. We've stopped meeting at the gates regularly. All of the consistencies we've had have ended. Shouldn't that give me cause to wonder if you even want to be with me anymore?"
He shook his head. "Why the change, Ella?"
"You're imagining it," Ella replied, though she knew he was absolutely right and that she simply couldn't admit to it.
"Don't lie to me!" Zane shouted, slamming his fist onto the table so that his glass and her bottle rattled. "Is that all you've done, all this time? Lie?"
Ella stared at him horrorstruck for a moment and then rose abruptly. She opened her mouth to retort but found that she didn't know what to say and how to say it without sounding like a child. Instead, she turned on her heel and stalked out of the pub, pulling on her coat and scarf as she went.
Her feet trudged through the accumulating snow, taking her to the more crowded High Street. Ella stormed all the way to the park, where she plopped down onto a bench and seethed.
Francis found her there, his hands laden with shopping bags.
"Ella? What's wrong?"
She frowned and set her chin at a stubborn angle. "Nothing."
"Did you go shopping at all?" He sat down beside her and set his bags down on the ground.
"Not yet."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
Francis said nothing for a while, perhaps deciding that she needed some time to seethe without him barraging her with questions.
At last she sighed and relaxed against the back of the bench. "Distract me."
"My mother has spoken of a concept called retail therapy. How about we give it a try?" Francis suggested.
"Sure. I need to get a gift for my Secret Santa, among other people," Ella said. She was still mad, but she really needed to get her butt into gear and buy some presents.
They went to Gladrags first, where Ella found a gift for Hadrian Rabnott, whose name she'd drawn this year. She picked out a brown argyll sweater that would keep him warm throughout the winter season, which hopefully wouldn't last forever and a day like it had when the dementors had been out and about.
Shopping with Francis did distract her somewhat, but whenever she had a minute to think, she invariably thought of her argument with Zane. She hoped that he wouldn't intrude on her thoughts all weekend long, or it might turn out to be a weekend ruined.
First-Time Home Buyers
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 10-24-09 09:44
"Don't put that box there. Put it there. No, there. No, right there."
Desi, holding a rather large box that hadn't been magically shrunk or lightened, shot Bronwyn a particularly dirty look.
"What?" Bronwyn asked innocently. "I went to that new wizarding spa in Diagon Alley yesterday. I don't want to ruin my manicure."
Desi shook her head. It wasn't the manicure or Bronwyn's inability to lift a single box that bothered her. It was the fact that Bronwyn couldn't make up her mind on where to put the boxes that her friends and family were helping move into the Greenwich duplex she and Toby had bought just yesterday.
"I'm starting to wish I'd had to work today," Desi muttered under her breath, but loud enough for Bronwyn to hear.
"What? You don't have to work on Christmas, do you?"
Desi shrugged. "Crime doesn't exactly take a holiday."
"How sad is that?" Bronwyn commented. "Committing a crime on Christmas of all days."
She moved to the window of her new bedroom. Her neighborhood wasn't exactly new but it wasn't terribly old either. All the homes were two-story duplexes with balconies on the second floor. Bronwyn and Toby had purchased theirs from a newly retired couple who wanted to live out the rest of their days in a warmer country.
Movement in the window across the street drew Bronwyn's rapt attention. She reached for a pair of omnioculars she'd stashed on the window sill and brought them to her eyes.
"What are you doing?" Desi asked, arching one of her eyebrows.
Toby had just come in with a box of his own and shook his head. "Peeping Tom over there is staring at our new neighbor across the street. I'm beginning to think she had an alterior motive for wanting to move to this neighborhood."
Desi came to the window and took the omnioculars from Bronwyn.
"Hey!" Bron exclaimed.
Desi put them to her eyes and saw a good-looking man without a shirt on lifting hand weights in his bedroom.
"I see what you mean," she said to Toby. Then, "Hang on, is that Professor Somerset????"
She lowered the omnioculars and looked at Bronwyn.
Bronwyn shrugged her shoulders innocently. "What?"
Desi shook her head and thrust the omnioculars back at Bronwyn. "Does he know you are his new neighbor?"
"He wasn't home when we started moving in yesterday after we bought the place. He was at Hogwarts, I assume," Bronwyn said. "What's wrong with being his neighbor?"
Desi eyed the omnioculars and said nothing.
"What? I'm not going to spy on him all the time or anything. He's just nice to look at."
"There's such a thing as privacy."
"He could draw his curtains!" Bronwyn protested.
"You can't reason with her," Toby said to Desi, "and she can't help herself."
Desi shook her head. "She's out of control."
"I'm right here," Bronwyn complained, putting a hand on her hip.
Toby laughed and Desi shook her head. "Hopeless," she muttered. "Completely hopeless."