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New Year's Day in Bristol
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 11-26-07 07:12
Ethan stretched his legs over the arm of the couch where he'd slept last night after celebrating the New Year with his family in Bristol. He'd slept deeply, only to awake when he heard the sounds of his nephews and niece echo through the house. Only the eldest had managed to stay awake past midnight, though the others had stayed up far later than usual. It certainly amazed Ethan that children always had a knack for getting up very early and knew that his brother Alton and sister-in-law Jessica were probably wishing they could stay in bed.
Yawning and stretching out his arms, Ethan finally threw his feet over the side of the sofa. He got up and padded to the kitchen, where his mother Marigold was already fixing a cup of coffee. Her hair was a bit tousled and she wore a terry-cloth robe and slippers, but she looked more or less awake. She smiled at Ethan and touched his face.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"
"Like a baby," Ethan replied, grinning. He turned when he heard a small voice behind him and knelt, holding out his arms. Two year old Emily was still a bit shy around Ethan but she tended to warm up to him after a while. She smiled and went into his arms. He lifted her and hugged her closely.
"Happy New Year, Em."
"Happy Year," she said, burying her head into his shoulder.
Ethan smiled. Although he'd brought in the New Year with the Mays, whom he'd once regarded as and believed to be family, this was the first time Ethan was truly with his own flesh and blood. He couldn't be happier about it.
It had been Ethan who'd informed the Mays of Hattie Harsnip's passing. He'd attended her funeral, which had seen her incarcerated husband Gerard absent, but had been well attended by the rest of the family. At the reception, Ethan had pulled Jon and Rob aside and told them that Hattie had told him she'd sold her soul and how she might very well still be out there somewhere. They promised to be vigilant but Ethan didn't feel they had anything to worry about. Hattie didn't have a problem with the Mays. She only had a problem with Ethan.
Emily put her little hands on Ethan's mouth and said, "Hungy."
Ethan laughed and kissed her fingers. "Yes, I am hungry, and I'm sure you are too. Let's see what your grandmother has for us to eat."
They helped Marigold fix breakfast and then settled around the table that had been fitted with extra leaves to fit the entire family, who were all slowly trickling out of bed on this New Year's Day.
Hangover
Author: Julian Valentine
Date: 11-26-07 20:58
Groaning, Julian rolls over slowly, a hand going to his eyes to shield them from the line of light coming in through a gap in the curtains. Groping for his wand on the bedside table, Julian flicks it at the drapes, closing the gap. Dropping his wand back onto the table, Julian keeps his other hand over his eyes, wondering what the hell it was he was drinking there towards the end of the party. Whatever the bloody hell it was, it had a ferocious kick. Julian hasn't had a hangover like this in ages.
Julian closes his eyes and lets his hand fall back to the bed. He's becoming vaguely aware of another presence. It stirs enough that Julian ventures opening his eyes again and turning his head. Long, curly, reddish-brown hair is fanned out on the other pillow. In profile he makes out full lips, a pert nose, high cheekbones, and a dusting of freckles on peaches and cream skin. Julian struggles to recall her name and once again wonders what the hell those last several drinks had been.
Starts with an E.
Emily?
Emma?
No.
Second letter is earlier in the alphabet.
Edwina?
Edna?
Eden.
That's it! Eden.
Julian searches his still extremely vague memories of the New Year's party to see if he can put a last name with the first. All he can come up with though is that she works at the Ministry. It was a discussion about the Ministry that had Julian meeting Eden.
At some point Julian had closed his eyes again. With them still shut, he slowly sits up, trying to keep the pain in his head to a minimum as he moves. He's got some potion for hangovers but it's of course not in the bedside table drawer. Groaning again, Julian pushes off the bed and walks oh so slowly to the kitchen to find the potion and to get a pot of tea brewing. Or coffee. Coffee might be better with the hangover.
Julian's nearly to the kitchen when he realizes he left his wand on the bedside table. Suppressing another groan, he shuffles on into the kitchen and starts making the coffee himself rather than make what seems like a very long trek back to the bedroom just to get the wand to use to make the coffee for him. As he searches for the hangover potion remedy, Julian keeps stopping to close his eyes, the natural light in the kitchen far too bright in the state he's in. Finding the stoppered vial, Julian pours some for himself, leaving the vial on the counter in case Eden needs some, and wonders how he ever even made it home in the shape he must have been in when leaving the party.
Happy New Year (Harriet Snider)
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 11-27-07 12:57
Looking out a window, fingernails clacking a staccato rhythm on the sill, Harriet thinks it's a fine day to start another year. The only thing sullying today, and her entire holiday for that matter, is the memory of all those students defying the rules regarding who sits where.
Really, is it too much to expect the Nons to keep to their places?
Harriet is fine with the Pures sitting where they like, for the most part anyway, but the Nons HAVE to learn that even something as simple as sitting at a Pures table will not be tolerated. A malicious smile turns upward at the thought of all those lovely detentions the Nons taking part in that awful lunch will have to serve. A miminum of 14 each. One or two Nons earned more than that. Such a shame she also had to give the Pures taking part a single detention each.
Loyalty to friends is fine and good but even those students who are Pures need to learn that loyalty to any Non is something not held to as tightly as that to another Pure.
Harriet moves from the window to her desk, ducking as an object from another table hurls itself at her. She really thought she'd cleared out all the unsafe Dumbledore items. One would think that after so many months this office would not be so loyal to a Wizard that up and left without a word. Harriet's eyes go to the walls, moving to the spot where Dumbledore's portrait would surely hang if he were dead. Annoyingly, the spot has remaind empty.
Picking up a quill, Harriet dips it in ink that's a lovely shade of dark pink and begins writing out some of the new edicts to be announced when the students return for the new term. Sixth and seventh year Pureblood students may have one visit to Hogsmeade each week if no points are lost or detentions earned.
Smiling more, Harriet dips the quill into the ink, not minding this work even on a holiday.
Lunch
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 11-27-07 17:03
James and Mira crawl after the cat, giggling up a storm. Wendy gets far enough ahead of them that she stops and turns as though waiting for them to catch up. When they get close enough to reach out and grab her tail, Wendy flicks it out of reach and takes off running again. This brings out more peals of laughter from the twins who are instantly off after her.
Chuckling, Sirius adds diced onion to the pot merrily bubbling on the stove. Dru walks in, sniffing appreciatively. "Is that fresh bread I smell?"
"It is," Sirius nods. "Fresh from Briar's Bakery. I put it in a low oven to keep it butter meltingly warm. Picked it up when I got the twins from Blossom's. The soup is all my doing though."
The cat and children make another circuit around the kitchen then start off down the hallway. Dru's brow furrows. "Why are they crawling so much? I thought babies their ages walked all the time."
Mira and James both do walk a great deal but like many babies their ages, 19 1/2 months, but they still tend to be wobbly. With this in mind Sirius replies, "I think they're crawling to play chase with Wendy because they can go faster that way. Ready to eat?"
"Yes, what do you need me to do?"
"Sit down right there. I've already set the places."
"You should have called me in to help. You picked up the kids, got bread, have made soup. You probably already fed Mira and James lunch too."
"I did. They had mushy peas, mushy carrots, and each ate some chicken as well. They've also had one sugar biscuit apiece. You were sleeping so well I didn't want to wake you. It was a late night."
Dru and Sirius had gone to a New Year's Eve party while the children stayed at Blossom's. The daycare had a special rate and had lots of activities planned making for a fun sleepover. Sirius had considered asking Thelma to keep the twins but decided it was better to let her have her holiday without her feeling like she should say yes to the babysitting offer. With the twins gone all night, when Dru and Sirius returned in the wee hours, they'd acted like a young couple on honeymoon.
At Sirius's words about the late night Dru faintly blushes. "Yes, well, if I recall correctly, you were there as well."
Sirius shrugs, "I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. I'll probably take a nap later. Or..."
Dru looks up from the soup being ladled into her bowl. "Or what?"
"We can bundle up and take the kids tobagganing. Pack some warm biscuits, some hot chocolate."
Dru smiles and nods, "A family afternoon. A good way to start the new year. Let's do that."
Joining his wife at the table to eat lunch, the twins and cat still playing hard, Sirius thinks it is indeed a good start to 2002.
Trying To Tell (Lisi, Indi, & Travis)
Author: Travis
Date: 11-27-07 18:20
Travis comes out of the flat she keeps above Botanicals & Beyond, handing Lisi and Indi cups of tea. Indi and Travis have been dying to hear what Lisi has to say about seeing into the minds of Harriet Snider and Euphemia Smythe-Jones. Lisi hadn't gotten back from helping at the Ministry until nearly dawn and had gone straight to bed. Indi braved going to their mum's house for breakfast to check on Lisi and see when Lisi might be up to talking, even though it meant sitting through Morticia grilling Indi on the girls he's been dating of late.
When Lisi had finally pulled herself out of bed, she'd showered and dressed then Floo'd to Travis's. Indi was already there, playing cards with Travis while they listened to a WWN program. The WWN is turned off now and Indi ignores the tea to urge, "Spill. We've been waiting for ages."
Travis puts a hand on Indi's arm. "Give Lisi breathing room. She's barely awake still," she laughs.
As if backing up Travis's words, Lisi yawns several time then takes a moment to savor her tea, asking, "What blend is this, Travis? I taste a hint of orange."
"Tangerine, actually. It's a citrus spice with there also being some lemon as the rest of the citrus flavoring."
Indi rolls his eyes at his sisters. "Can we dispense with the talk of tea?"
Lisi sticks her tongue out at him. "So impatient you are." She takes another drink of tea then says, "Things are going to get worse for those considered to be Nons."
"Specifics," Indi orders but tries to make it sound like he's not being bossy.
Lisi opens her mouth and moves it but nothing comes out. Looking puzzled she tries again but once more there's nothing.
Concerned, Travis asks, "What is it?"
"I'm not sure. I'm trying to tell you what I saw in their minds but nothing will come out. The harder I try the harder it is to even think the words I want to say." Nonetheless, Lisi tries again. Then again. After the sixth try she shakes her head. "It's no use."
"I think you're being magically kept from saying anything," Travis ponders aloud. She looks at Lisi and asks, "While at the Ministry did you see anyone who might have been at the party and figured out what you did?"
Indi leans forward in his chair. "You know, the Minister did leave not long after Lisi did."
"Come to think of it, I did catch a glance of her last night. I had needed a few minutes from working with that man I was asked to help with and had gone to another room to get a cuppa. I saw her but it was fleeting and didn't really have time to wonder what she was doing at that hour at the Ministry. I guess maybe I didn't think it odd she'd be there no matter the hour if she were needed."
Travis chews on her lower lip then says, "You've been spelled. Definately spelled."
Indi gets up and grabs some parchment and a pencil and thrust them at his younger sister. "Here! Trying writing everything out."
Lisi takes the pencil and starts writing but when she stops and looks at what she's written she sighs, "Gibberish. Not at all what I'm wanting write."
Indi looks back and forth from one sister to the other. "So what do we do now?"
"We need to think of options and ways around the spell," Lisi states.
"Just what I was going to say," Travis agrees.
The siblings fall silent as they try to figure out what their next move should be.
Venting
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 11-27-07 18:30
Professor McGonagall paced up and down the narrow, Persian carpet that lay over the flagstones in front of the settee in Severus Snape's living quarters at Hogwarts. The Potions master sat with his legs crossed and one arm dangling over the blue fabric of the sofa's arm, while he held a mimosa flute in his other hand. His dark eyes followed the franctic form of his colleague.
"She must be stopped, Severus. The administration at this school is becoming more and more senseless. You saw how she delineated between the punishments of those of pure blood and those who are Muggle-borns or half-bloods? It's blatant favoritism! ...But I wonder how long it will last... Blood-traitors were scourged in times past, and history has a way of repeating itself."
She sighed. "I whole-heartedly accept the consequences for my part in the protest. However, I feel nothing has changed."
"Patience, Minerva," Snape replied calmly. "You cannot change things overnight. It will take more than one rally to alter the way of things. That said, you have made your mark. Publicity opens up the minds of those in the world who think just the way we do. The Ministry of Magic did not squash the Daily Prophet from reporting on the incident."
"It was hardly front page news, Severus," Minerva began bitterly, but Snape cut her off with a wave of his hand.
"Doesn't matter. The point is it made the news, and somebody read about it." Snape looked quite smug. "The seed has been planted. Now it only needs grow."
Minerva stalled her pacing and looked at Severus pensively. "If I act again, I will probably get sacked. She placed me on probation."
Minerva walked to the armchair adjacent to Snape's settee and sank into it. "If I lose my position here, will you look after things for me?"
Snape tipped his head in Minerva's direction in assent. "Although I am not officially on probation, I believe my position here is more precarious than yours. I am but a half-blood." He tipped his glass to his mouth and drained it. "However, I will do what I can as long as I am able."
That seemed to satisfy Minerva. She would never give up as long as she lived, even if she had to fight for the rights of her students from outside the castle walls.
But first, Snider would have to physically force her from the building, but there was no way in hell Minerva would walk out on her own!
Birthday Celebration
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 11-28-07 17:53
Bill picked up a medium-sized, square parcel wrapped in metallic blue paper from the small table in the foyer of the home he shared with his wife, Fleur. He looked at his reflection in the mirror that hung over the table and noted that his hair appeared combed and that he didn't have any lint on his coat. Still, he felt like he'd forgotten to do something.
"You forgot Schuylair's gift," Fleur said, waltzing up to him in a dashing set of pale blue robes. She wore earrings shaped like snowflakes, which glittered in the lamplight just like her shimmering hair.
"Thanks," Bill replied, taking the much smaller parcel from his wife.
Although today was Art's first birthday, Bill wanted to make sure that big brother Schuyler had at least one gift to enjoy for himself. Schuyler was still at an age where he might not understand the concept of somebody's birthday and might feel left out if he didn't get a present too.
Fleur slipped on her coat and then stepped through the door Bill had just opened for her. Bill shut and locked the door behind him and then took his wife's hand. They walked the short distance from the front door to the sidewalk and then went on to Charlie's house in the next lane.
a pair of blue balloons were spellotaped to the sconce on the porch of Charlie and Hendrika's house. Bill knocked on the door and heard squealing on the other side in response.
The door opened. He saw Charlie first and then looked down to see little Schuyler standing between his father's legs.
"Hi Bill, Fleur. Glad you could make it," Charlie greeted, holding out his hands to accept the packages from Bill.
Bill handed them to his younger brother and clapped him on the back before bending down to scoop Schuyler up in his arms. The boy squealed some more and laughed when Bill began to tickle him.
"Are Mum and Dad coming? Fred, George? Any of the others?"
"I don't have confirmation from everybody," Charlie began, shutting the door with his foot after Fleur came inside, "but I think some others will show up for the party."
"Good. The Weasley family should always celebrate the New Year––and Art's birthday––together," Bill replied, setting Schuyler down and going in search of the birthday boy.