|
|
Hot Hot Hot
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 09-02-12 13:42
"What are you doing, Hermione?"
Ron's voice came from the open doorway to the room they had decided to turn into the nursery for the baby. He'd walked by, only to double back when he'd realized that his wife was standing motionless in the middle of the room.
Hermione turned and said, "I'm visualizing the color scheme for the room. What do you think about hot pink? Blindingly bright, in your face, hot pink?"
It was difficult to tell whether or not Ron took Hermione seriously. At any rate, he screwed up his face and said, "Absolutely not. Not for a girl, and definitely not for a boy. Besides, if our baby inherits the Weasley red hair, pink will clash."
"So better go with orange then," Hermione said, tapping her chin. She started grinning while observing Ron's changing expression.
On the one hand, Ron really liked orange. His own bedroom at the Burrow had been that color, since it was the color of his favorite Quidditch team, the Chudley Cannons. But was orange a suitable color for a newborn's room?
"Actually, I was thinking yellow or pale green," Hermione said, "instead of the more traditional baby pink or baby blue, though I realize yellow and green are fairly traditional as far as neutral baby colors go."
"Those are much better than hot pink," Ron decided.
Hermione laughed. "Maybe we should go to a hardware store and take home some paint chips so that we know what options we have."
"Yeah, but probably not tonight."
"No, not tonight. In the meantime, I will keep visualizing how this room should look."
"Are you visualizing me painting it?"
"Yes. Shirtless."
"I see," Ron said. "Well, how about you visualize me fixing something to eat in the kitchen? Maybe I will even take off my shirt, since it might get hot in there."
"Yes, I think it will."
Ron waggled his eyebrows at Hermione and then went down the hall. A few minutes later, Hermione followed him into the kitchen, where she indeed found him without his shirt on and using his wand to flambé sweet and sour chicken breasts.
Canoodle? (Basil)
Author: Jared
Date: 09-02-12 14:46
Ivan Grimsby grabs the chair across from Basil, turns it around to straddle backwards. "Want to get in a game of laser tag or paint ball before heading back up?"
"Your flavor of the month won't mind?"
"Why should she? She's gone off with friends to get in more shopping."
"Just checking. Wouldn't want to horn in on your time after the way you dashed off in mid-match this morning."
"Right. Yeah. Sorry about that, mate. We took longer than I expected and I had told her I'd meet at a specific time. Couldn't leave her standing there waiting, getting worked up when I am thisclose ," aware of how many others are within earshot, Ivan drops his voice, "to, you know."
"You don't say?"
"She ready for it. I know just the place too."
Basil keeps his mouth shut about having heard on more than one occasion that this particular girl has never yet put out for a single boyfriend. Maybe Ivan will luck out and be the first. Basil doesn't think that will be the case but he's not going to be the one to burst Ivan's bubble. Let her do that. Instead, he says, "Be careful about getting caught this close to end of term. They could suspend you for a few days, causing you to miss a few exams."
"We shall be beyond stealthy about it. If anyone's going to get caught, it won't be us. What have you done all day since I left paint ball?"
"Ate. Wandered around. Ate. Listened to the match. Ate." Basil doesn't have to enlighten Ivan as to what match he's referring.
"No cozying up with Aleydis? No canoodling?"
"I don't think I've seen Aleydis all day." A patent lie. Basil has seen her exactly seventeen times today, not including when he had a table within view of hers when eating lunch. "With whom would I canoodle and when in bloody hell did you start using words like canoodle?"
Ivan lifts one shoulder in a shrug as he helps himself to a shortbread biscuit half dipped in chocolate. "I heard it recently. It has a nice ring. Thought maybe you'd have found some quiet, secluded spot with Aleydis."
"I think you got too much sun today. You're babbling."
"Deny it all you want. No one is fooled by your claims of non-interest in Aleydis Vanderbilt."
Grabbing up the last shortbread biscuit before Ivan can nick it as well, Basil abruptly stands. "Another round of paint ball or some laser tag does sound like a good idea before grabbing some dinner and going back to Hogwarts."
Knowing he's hit too close to the truth, more like a bullseye really, a grinning Ivan stands as well. "I bet you five galleons I beat your sorry arse."
"Make it ten, and you're on."
A Typical Saturday
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 09-02-12 16:11
The day had started at the office, like most of her days do as of late. She was glad that it was Saturday which meant that they would be closed for the next two days, and she knew that she and Christian would be busy as hell lately, and she'd probably have quite a few new clients coming in through the expanse of the legal team downstairs who would need documents translated from their clients.
She'd defused several potential bad situations, but nothing so far has ever gotten as bad as what had happened with a disgruntled employee at Devi Linguistics, I think that might be in part why some people had come to her rather than going to Devi, but she couldn't entirely be certain. She'd spent most of the morning finishing off her own inbox filled with documents that needed translation and she knew Jim would probably be taking Meagan out for a walk.
She'd also had the WWN playing with the Britain versus Mongolia match, much like everyone else in the village or all of Great Britain. I'd loved listening to the match while I worked, and had spent more than my share of time wondering if the British seeker or the Mongolian seeker would catch the snitch and end the match. In the end Britain won and that meant that Mongolia in order to advance needed to win their very next match. Britain however was going to advance without issue.
After the match, and accepting a bowl of baked potato soup that Nikki had brought from Crown & Cauldron, I turned my attention fully back to my translations and managed to get them finished without issue. Those that needed to be mailed off would be posted when I headed out of the office today, and be waiting for their recipients on Monday morning. Slipping my feet back into my heels I massaged my temples lightly and headed out of my office and down to Nikki's office, knocking lightly on the door.
"Hey, I'm going to call it an early day. Have a good one, and tell Charlie that I said hello," I said to Nikki when she looked up.
"Not a problem Miss Raynor, and have a good evening with your husband and daughter. I'd suggest take away something or eating somewhere other than the village today, it's been pretty busy all day because of the Hogsmeade trip."
"Right, I'd forgotten about that, but I think Jim said he was cooking tonight, so dinner shouldn't be an issue. We will probably however, walk up to Briar's after dinner. Have you tried either the new cake pops or biscuit balls that she has started offering?"
"The cake pops are fantastic and Cameron loves the biscuit balls, especially the ones that look like snitches or bludgers."
"Of course a three year old would love biscuits no matter the shape they are in, silly me for asking," She said with a chuckle and pondered a moment. "Alright, well, I'll probably pick some up on my way home, but first gotta drop these off at the post to go out either tomorrow or Monday. Good night."
With that Orei headed out of the office and down to Christian's office. "Heading home, Nikki is still upstairs just so you know. She'll probably be leaving soon. Jim's cooking tonight if you guys want to come by and join, he's probably cooking enough for company."
"Can't, someone has done something special and has it waiting at home. He said I'm to come straight home after work, no exceptions."
Orei chuckled and shook her head. "I swear the two of you are like teenagers sometimes. Have a good night Christian."
With that she stepped out into the bustling streets of Hogsmeade and headed first toward the owl post which was right near the office. After dropping off the messages that needed to be sent out, she headed out of the post and ultimately cut through the park toward home.
She had time before Jim got home with Meagan to shower and change into a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. A pair of ballet flats completed the outfit and she was currently working on a translation of her own merely for practice, and needed to make certain that she enrolled at St. Emrys to finish her last term for her degree, since she wasn't going this term due to the business opening.
Practicing Potions - Mockridge TownHouse
Author: Valeria Mockridge
Date: 09-02-12 17:28
Valeria tucked her necklace down into the plain black robe she'd pulled over her clothes. Her bracelet had found it's way into her trouser pocket and her hair was pulled back out of her face. "Is this better, Aunt?"
Nephele nodded. "Yes. I don't know how Professor Weasley conducts classes, but I do know that Professor Snape would not tolerate some of that foolishness in his classroom that you had in your hair. Where on Earth did you get the idea for those?"
"They were in the last edition of that magazine Uncle Kirley brought home."
"Those are better kept for non-lesson days, especially when we are doing Potions."
"Yes, Aunt, I won't forget," Valeria said, stepping further into the basement room that had been set up as Nephele's Potions lab. "Have you heard from Professor Snape about the apprenticeship you were considering? Was he able to recommend anyone?"
"I haven't, but it's the end of term. I do not expect our correspondence to continue without disruption when he has exams to be giving and that sort of thing. I expect I'll hear something during the Summer Hols."
"That would be good. I'm glad you're looking into doing something while I'm at Hogwarts," the young girl said as she situated the cauldron on the table, right over the fire to heat the ingredients. "What are we making today?"
"You are going to practice your Boil Cure Potion. I know Professor Snape often taught it during his first class with new students, and it's a useful potion for you to know well. I am going to continue to study this new one I've been working on."
"Do you think whomever you end up apprenticing to will like that you've invented some potions already?"
"I don't know. They may not like that I've had to have Professor Snape sign off on them for me, that should be the job of whomever I am apprentice to. But at least I've kept in practice," Nephele said, studying the cauldron she had been at when Valeria came down. "But enough, it's time to get to work. Remember to follow your directions carefully."
"Yes, Aunt Nephele," Valeria said, turning her attention to her Potions book and reading through the ingredients first, to gather everything. It would be easier to get all of her ingredients first, and then read through her steps before she started. Nephele had taught her that one makes less mistakes that way.
Afterparty
Author: Plum
Date: 09-02-12 17:38
Alex, Anthony, and Plum had attended the Britain vs Mongolia match to cheer on Anthony's brother Toby and one of their best friends Kody Reese-Emerson. They'd had a jolly good time, Alex in particular. That Britain won just made that part of the day all that much better. After the match ended, they'd managed to see both Toby and Kody, earning invitations to a celebratory afterparty. Accepting, they had thought they'd show up for a short time, eat a little of the promised massive amounts of free food, and then leave.
Hours later, they are still there, neither the energy nor the charged atmosphere has abated even a little. If anything, those two things have grown. The party location had a large play area that has kept children engaged. There's been a very lively band that none of them had ever heard of before. Massive amounts of food is something of an understatement. There's also a huge variety of drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic. Later in the day, in some parts of the venue, the matches, France vs Uruguay and Argentina vs Australia, taking place in the afternoon UK time were available to hear as were highlights of the other matches that day.
Turning from a table where she'd just refilled her cup with non-alcoholic spiced berry punch, Plum debates whether to fill a plate or just grab one of the bite size hors d'ourves and go mingle more. A woman near her, the sister of one of the assistant coaches if Plum remembers correctly for speaking with her for a few minutes over two hours ago, is mulling over that table's drink selection. "Too many choices. Plum, right?"
"Yes, and you're Holly?"
"Correct. I swear if am so fully already I will explode if I eat another bite but that's not stopping me from craving those chocolate caramel bites. Have you tried them?"
"Unless there are two different chocolate caramel sweets offered, I have. They are so very good. Alex, he was with me when we spoke earlier, would have eaten an entire platter of them if we'd not caught him in time."
"I can't say I blame him. Where is that adorable boy of yours?"
"He's passed out at the moment. My husband and some friends are over listening to one of the matches. Alex is with him, asleep on two chairs pushed together. Didn't you mention before you have two children?"
"I did and I do. They aren't children anymore as they like to remind. Both are enrolled at St. Emrys. St. Emrys is what brought us over here. Both my husband and I work there, he with Fancourt College and me with Merlin. What is it you do?"
"I work for Devi Linguistic Services as a translator."
"Is there really much call for that to keep you busy?"
"More than you'd think. Devi has several locations around the world. We serve both the Wizarding and the Muggle communities."
"I have no ear for languages so I'd never be able to do that sort of work." A masculine voice calls out, "Holly!" causing her to look around for its source. Seeing a hand waving her to come that direction she smiles apologetically to Plum. "My husband is beckons. So nice talking again you."
"Maybe we'll see each other again, Holly."
"That would be nice!"
After Holly is gone, Plum meanders over to the nearest food table, wondering what the party throwers would have done with everything had Britain lost. Filling her plate with an assortment, she goes to join Anthony, snuggling next to him on a bench, sharing the food, chatting with old friends and new, and listening to the Argentina-Australia match, Alex so dead to the world that at one point Plum checks to make sure he's still breathing.
Experimenting and Thinking - Mockridge TownHouse
Author: Nephele Mockridge
Date: 09-02-12 17:53
Nephele checked her cauldron. According to the notes she'd made during the last attempt at this particular potion, something similar to Pepper-Up Potion, but without the smoke coming out of the ears, she needed to let it simmer for another half-hour. She glanced at Valeria, pleased to see the girl quietly following the directions in her potions book and meticulously completing each step. She almost wished her former professor was still teaching the first years, he would be pleased by Valeria's studiousness as well as by her skill.
There was no question in her mind that the girl would be sorted into Slytherin, and she'd told her former teacher just that, and she had hopes that he might watch to see if Valeria had too easy a time in Professor Weasley's class. That still felt strange, that a Weasley taught Potions at Hogwarts. She didn't really have anything against them in particular, though her mother was not overly fond of them, but then Cloris wasn't overly fond of anyone.
The fact that Jibby had continued to report that the Mockridge Matriarch was corresponding with Lucius Malfoy was somewhat concerning, though it could be worse. If Cloris was pushing to put her differences with Bellatrix aside, then Nephele would truly worry. As it was, she had a feeling there were rumblings among the Pure-Blood community, quiet mutterings that had reached even them.
When Voldemort had been defeated, despite the happy front she'd been forced to put on while mourning for her brother, Nephele had suspected then that it was not truly over. Yes, Tom Riddle was gone, but there would always be another witch or wizard hungry for that sort of power, and always those unhappy with the increasing presence of Half-Bloods and Muggle-Borns in society. She herself believed that being a Pure-Blood was better, that her magic was part of an untainted lineage stretching back generations. It was something to take pride in. It was about tradition and values as much as blood status, at least in her mind.
A small "pop" from her niece's cauldron caught her attention, but when she glanced over, all looked fine. She glanced at the clock and then moved to stir her cauldron counter-clockwise 7 times. Then it would just require adding the flavoring she wanted to use, and she had the mint already crushed for that. If it worked, she'd send a vial to Professor Snape, and hope that he would find time soon to send her his thoughts on whom she should approach about apprenticeship
Introspection from an Unusual Source
Author: Abdul Hazrat AlGunud
Date: 09-02-12 18:53
Peeves was restless. He drifted about the hallways on the seventh floor. The ordinary cure for this condition, knocking over stacks of parchment in the library or throwing chalk at students, did nothing to alleviate the feeling. The spirit felt somehow different. It was a most unfamiliar and unwelcome sensation. The poltergeist did not fully understand the cause of this affliction. It had started with that horrid mangeball. The tentacles that had latched onto his leg had provoked a most painful reaction. It had burned, perhaps like that character Snape described, what were they called, acids? Peeves had known, without being able to say quite how, that whatever inhabited Mrs. Norris had possessed the ability to destroy him. This was no mean feat. Peeves had seen numerous headmasters come and go. He had watched many students traipse through the halls. He had been forced to endure the presence of powerful wizards; Harry Potter, Tom Riddle and others of lesser note. But never had any of them come close to attacking, let alone killing the poltergeist.
From the moment he had spied on Filch and the mangeball, Peeves had known something was afoot. The caretaker had taken one of the secret passages (How bizarre to call it secret when it was already known!) leading out of the castle. Peeves had followed quietly, instead of blowing raspberries as was usually his want. The passage wound deep beneath the earth. It was filled with pools of water, filled by moisture dripping from the ceiling. There he had spied Filch speaking with a hooded figure. Peeves had hung back, listening for a space. Unfortunately, the conversation had proven to be as boring as the countless others he had listened to in the past. Demands for immediate action to deal with a problem. Someone else counseling patience. Threats to take unilateral action by one or the other party.
The poltergeist, having grown tired of the whole business, had loudly announced his presence by shouting: "Filthy Filch has a secret!" This had not provoked the desired reaction. Instead, the mangeball had begun glowing and the tentacles had begun to sprout from its body. Upon seeing the bizarre transformation, Peeves had fled back to the castle. After that encounter, it had been constant game of cat and mouse. The poltergeist had not enjoyed playing the part of the mouse. Dodging the mangeball and Filch had significantly cut down on his ability to disrupt classrooms and study periods.
The last encounter had been catastrophic, which was not necessarily a bad thing from Peeve's perspective. The thing inhabiting the mangeball had almost gotten him. It probably would have if not for the intervention of the student, Hazrat. He had stabbed the dreadful little beastie with an odd looking knife. There had been a fantastic explosion. When everything had settled, the mangeball was gone. But so was Hazrat. Uncharacteristically, Peeves had not claimed credit for the mayhem. Somehow it had not seemed as if the poltergeist had accomplished anything. Or perhaps it was because he could not share the story with the one person who might understand. It saddened Peeves that Hazrat had not survived. Maybe he needed to conduct a massive prank. A broad smile crossed the poltergeist's face. It would be a fitting tribute to the lost student. A most wonderful, awful prank it would be indeed.