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Is It Really 2001?
Author: Jet
Date: 12-12-06 17:31
Like many celebrating New Year's Eve Jet had been up well into the wee hours of the morning. As a result he'd slept in somewhat later than he normally would have on a day home from Hogwarts. Standing now at a window overlooking the snow covered lawn and further down the iced over duck pond, his small owl Beast on his shoulder Jet wonders aloud, "How can it already be 2001? It's only supposed to be 1998."
A large hand comes down lightly on Jet's left shoulder. "No matter what the year, your mother and I are simply glad to have you back."
Jet reaches across with his right hand and pats the hand. "I know, Dad. It's just still a little frustrating knowing that for everyone three years went by but for me it wasn't even a second. I've not yet caught up on all the news and events that happened while I was... was whatever I was."
"Still having the dreams with the shadow figure?"
"Yes, and I still see it, or him, every time I look into a crystal ball. Professor Dumbledore and Professor Sacheverelle will resume working with me when term begins. Thanks to their help so far I do feel more in control over the shadow when it shows up in my dreams."
Jet's father gives his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "If there's anything your mother and I can do to help, you know we'll do whatever you need us to do."
"I know, Dad. Thanks."
"Mum and I were thinking about taking a walk. Want to come with?"
"Love too. I can try out that compass Ronan Eastwick gave me in the Secret Santa draw," Jet nods.
"Go bundle up. We'll leave in five to ten minutes."
Jet puts Beast in his cage with the door open then goes to change and to grab that compass.
Angry (Daria)
Author: Blossom
Date: 12-12-06 18:41
Blossom walks into the dining room for brunch, stopping in her tracks at the sight of Parker and Tracy. To Tracy she says, "Morning." To Parker she says nothing, not even acknowledging him.
Parker makes a show of rolling his eyes and sarcatically says, "Good morning to you too, Sunshine."
Daria still says nothing. She helps herself to some of the dishes on the sideboard then sits down as far from Parker as she's able. Great Aunt Matilda walks in just then, momentarily oblivious to the tension between Parker and Daria. She becomes aware of it when Tracy asks Daria a question.
"Want to go ice skating in about an hour, Daria?"
Daria looks up from her plate to ask in turn, "Just you and me?"
Tracy shakes her head. "No, Parker and a few others. It will be a fun group."
"No thank you then," is the curt reply.
Aunt Matilda asks, "Is something wrong, Daria dear?"
"Only that a certain someone in this family thinks he's Dad and can order me around whenever the whim strikes."
Carrying a pot of fresh coffee and one of tea, Garret and Azaria enter in time to hear this comment. Garret inquires, "What do you mean by that, Daria?"
Daria gives Parker a hard glare then explains to their parents, "Kody and I were in the hallway just outside the party last night when Parker shows up, sees us kissing, then orders me home. When I told him the curfew you'd set for me for the Tropical Escape party, he told me it didn't matter, he was making an on the spot overruling. When I refused and Kody and I tried to walk away, Parker grabbed me and would have hit Kody if Tracy hadn't intervened."
Eyebrows raised, Azaria asks, "Parker, why would you do that?"
"I was trying to protect my little sister. I'm pretty sure they were on their way to Kody's room."
"Pretty sure is not the same as knowing for a fact or the same as catching them in the act of something Daria shouldn't be doing," Garrett reprimands his son.
Parker bristles, "It was late and Daria was on her way to Kody's room where they would have been alone."
Daria cuts in, "I'm sixteen, Parker, not six, and Kody's my boyfriend. It's not unusual for us to be alone together."
Garrett raises a hand. "Enough! Both of you. Parker, I don't ever want to hear of you countermanding decisions your mother and I have made regarding things like Daria's curfew unless you have a better reason than pretty sure. Daria, when we're done eating, your mother and I would like a private word with you about why your brother thinks you don't need to be alone with Kody."
Daria stands and throws her napkin on the table, voice raised, "I'm not a child!" She huffs out of the room mumbling darkly about a brother who should mind his own business.
New Year's Resolution
Author: Nymphadora Tonks
Date: 12-12-06 19:22
Tonks walked up to the blue bannister at Tower Bridge and put her arms on it, resting for a moment while the sun peeked out from the miserable, overcast sky for a few seconds. There was snow everywhere and ice where there wasn't any snow. Tonks would have had a difficult time walking had she not worn her best pair of boots with soles that seemed to have good traction in all sorts of inclement weather.
It being New Year's Day, there weren't many business-folk walking around London. Those who did brave the chilly weather were tourists or family's out for a morning stroll. Tonks had the same idea. She wanted to get away from home for a while, just walk and think about nothing and everything.
She'd celebrated last night with her immediate family and Ciara, just like she'd done at Christmastime. It had been nice, not that Tonks had expected any differently.
But when she'd woken up the next morning, not even an hour ago, she'd felt as if something was missing in her life––and something was. Love. She already knew who she wanted and wondered whether this, 2001, would be their year.
Standing there on Tower Bridge, basking in the fleeting sunlight, Tonks made her new year's resolution: she and Remus would be together, or she would stop pining away and move on with her life. Plain and simple.
Paris, France: Happy Family
Author: Carys
Date: 12-14-06 11:43
The Christmas tree that had been up only a short while was ready to come down again. Carys stood on a stool and took off each ornament, lowering them gently into the boxes in which they'd been housed for who-knew-how long. Jean had never put up a Christmas tree in recent years, though Carys remembered him doing so during her young childhood.
Griffin was still visiting and currently had Tristan by his little hands, helping him walk around the foyer of Manoir Blanche. Tristan had on bright red socks and mainly slid across the tile floor, though he did occasionally pick up his little feet. Watching Griff and Tristan together made Carys happy. She felt she'd made the right decision in inviting Griffin to spend Christmas with his son. It was not only good for Griffin, but good for Tristan.
Carys was already thinking about inviting Griff back for Easter. In the week or more they'd been reunited, Carys had felt less hostility towards her ex though she wasn't anything more than civil with him. She hadn't forgotten that he should have known better than to have any sort of relationship above friendship with a girl several years his junior and a child at that.
Her hand closed on an ornament that had Owain's name on it and his birth date. For a moment, Carys felt sad, but as soon as she heard her son's bubbling laughter, she forgot her pain and set the ornament in its box.
"I was thinking we could walk to the park later this afternoon when it's a bit warmer," Carys said to Griff, as she climbed down the stepstool and set the filled ornament box on the floor.
"Sounds like a fine idea to me," Griffin replied, smiling. Tristan squealed with delight, as if putting in his own two knuts on the matter.
"Tristan can wear the new jumper you gave him," Carys continued, picking up an empty box from the floor. "It's freshly washed."
Carys had done a load of laundry just that morning. Although her father had house elves to carry out the household tasks, Carys liked doing laundry and other chores sometimes because it helped her take her mind off some things while also allowing her to do a lot of thinking about other stuff. This morning she thought about something she hadn't really given any thought to at all in recent months: Hogwarts.
If she'd never gotten pregnant, she'd be there now. What would she be learning? What professors would she have? New ones? Old ones? Would she still play Quidditch? For the first time since leaving Hogwarts half a year ago, she felt nostalgic for it. She missed her friends, with whom she'd not spoken to at all since well before leaving Hogwarts. Perhaps it wasn't too late to repair those old friendships. She made a mental note to write to Elizabeth, Mindy, and Juliet later.
Tristan's jubilant laughter pulled her from her thoughts once again. Carys smiled at her son and climbed back on the step ladder to take down more ornaments from the Christmas tree.
Questions and Answers
Author: Marzipan
Date: 12-14-06 12:09
"I hope you know how much I enjoy your company, Marzipan." Percival FitzRoy smiled at his daughter from his office chair, where he'd sat to write a letter to Georgia, his wife. After over twenty-five years of separation and little contact, he'd decided to make amends with the woman who'd betrayed him. It had been Marzipan's decision to finally meet her mother that made him rethink how he felt about the past. Truth was, he still loved Georgia, even though he knew that she'd probably never really loved him.
"I always like visiting you," Marzi said to her father. She stood in his office and studied some of the books on his bookshelf. "It's nice to come home every once in a while." She took a few paces towards the desk and eyed her father curiously. "You don't really have to do this if you really don't want to."
"I'm not saying i want to see the witch every again," Percival said. "I just want to tell her what's been on my mind the past twenty-five years. I want to tell her about you. She may not deserve it since she left you when you were young, but I feel as her mother she should know how you grew up. I know you've told her your thoughts on the matter, but I think it would be nice if she had my point of view too."
Marzi slid into the chair in front of her father's desk. "Can I ask you something?"
"You just did," Percival responded, with a quirk of one eyebrow. A corner of his lips had curled up into a half-smile.
"It's about when Constantius tried to kill you."
Percival's smile quickly faded. "Oh, that. What more do you want to know about it?"
"How is it that you got away with killing Daniel Lyttle? I realize it was self-defense... I guess what I'm really asking is how is it that Constantius and his friends didn't get in trouble for trying to kill you?"
Percival looked grave as he thought back to that situation many, many years ago. "Constantius' father, Valerius, was a very powerful official at the Ministry. He had the investigation dismissed and made the whole thing go away by claiming the whole thing was just an accident. We were all punished for leaving school grounds without permission, of course. I'll never forget that detention."
"But why did Valerius not see to it that you took all the blame?"
"He did it as a favor to my father. You see, your grandfather and Weston's grandfather were best friends, just like Constantinus and I were once best friends, and just like you and Weston are dear to one another. There's always been a history between our two families."
"You and Constantius were best friends?" Marzi couldn't believe it. "Then why would he try to kill you?"
"People do stupid, irrational things for love."
"Mum," Marzi said simply, understanding.
Percival nodded but said nothing more on the subject. Instead, he changed the topic entirely. "Must you return to Hogwarts tomorrow?"
"Yes. I have loads to do before term starts. Don't you?"
"I've been teaching the same subject for longer than you've been alive. I know my material backwards and forwards by now! One day, it'll be the same for you."
Marzi smiled. "Maybe. I haven't settled down in one place since I left Sydney to pursue my apprenticeship. Sometimes I can't see myself at Hogwarts for more than a few more years, but then I think of Weston. If we were ever to get married, then I don't think I'd ever leave Britain..."
She was suddenly reminded of the strained friendship of the two generations over hers. Why would Ravenscrofts and FitzRoys strike up a strong bond only to have it fall apart irreversibly? Surely, such a thing wouldn't happen between Marzi and Weston. After all, third time's the charm, right?
(Canterbury, England) Weregirl and Scargirl
Author: Griet
Date: 12-14-06 12:24
If Griet had to hear one more word from Cornelia about her acromantula Fido, she'd either stick her wand through one ear and out the other or use a muting spell on her sister, if only she knew how to do one. The entire winter break, Cornelia jabbered on and on about the spider and how much it had grown since she first got him from Hagrid. She regretted that she couldn't take Fido home over the break and had practically begged Dumbledore and Hagrid to give her permission ("Honest! I'll make sure he doesn't harm anyone!") but neither had given way to her wish. Hagrid promised he'd look after Fido while she was gone and even wrote every other day at Cornelia's request.
Currently, Cornelia told Aleydis all about the other magical creatures Hogwarts students were raising for the Best in Show: Magical Creatures SAT event. "I mean, an augury? How sissy is that?" she remarked, rolling her eyes. "I'm SO going to win this thing."
"Don't get too cocky," Griet said, as she walked through the kitchen to get something to drink. "Overconfidence will cause you to lose."
"Shut up, Weregirl. When I say I'm going to win, I'm going to win," Cornelia shot back.
"Cornelia!" her mother scolded. "Don't call your sister Weregirl. Apologize right now."
Cornelia made a sour face and apologized stiffly, as if the word sorry was one that rarely passed over her lips.
"Whatever," Griet said. She knew her sister hadn't meant it. Cornelia and Griet had gained newfound appreciation for each other ever since Clover went to Azkaban.
She walked passed Cornelia and whispered "Scargirl" so softly that Catharina Vanderbilt couldn't overhear.
Cornelia stuck out her tongue at Griet and then made a slashing motion in front of her own neck, where the thin pink scar from her real slashing showed boldly against her white skin.
Griet headed to her bedroom but paused outside the room that had once been her father's office. It was now a heavy-duty saferoom for when Griet transformed into a werewolf. Her next visit to the room would be nine days from now. Luckily, it wouldn't interfere with her return to Hogwarts. She was in many ways itching to go back. She never did find out what had happened to Oberon and Gervaise after she told Dumbledore about them visiting the Shrieking Shack.
Sibling Rivalry
Author: Cael
Date: 12-14-06 13:06
Squish rolled in the snow as Cael walked towards his parents manor. "You evil little bugger. I thought you knew better than that." he said as he opened the door to the warm hallway. His parents had left him with his little brother while they went to visit some beach across the world. They instructed not to leave the house for any reason, yet Cael hadn't paid any attention to his parents warning. He had been leaving alot since they left because his little brother was infuriating. Gunther was quite annoying when their parents were gone and he couldn't stand being stuck alone with him on Christmas for that matter.
"Cael! Momma said not to leave!" his little brothers shrill voice echoed through the night. Cael rolled his eyes. " I was just taking Squish out. I'm coming right back in." Gunther was standing at the door in his woolen pajamas with a distraught look on his face. " I know you have been going to the village to see that girl. Momma said you aren't supposed to associate with muggles. You'll be in a lot of trouble if they find out about her." Cael grimaced, you'd never believe that Gunther was 14 with the way he acts. His family was a long line of Slytherin's and they didn't like the fact that he was in a different house. Ravenclaw was the greatest as far as he was concerned. His parents and their strange muggle problem was just to bad. He frankly had no problem with them. He actually wanted them to accept him for who he was.
Squish purred and bounded into the house before him. "You know the whole reason they left you and me here is because I didn't get accepted into Hogwarts and you are a Ravenclaw 'scum'. They are treating us like a bunch of muggles." Gunther complained. Cael noticed the teary look in his brother's eyes and patted him on the back. "We can make this a good Christmas, just you see. It won't be terrible if we can work together." Gunther smiled at his brother and Cael felt a change beginning.