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(Happy Haven) Good News
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 10-18-08 16:55
If not for the fact that certain Happy Haven staff fully expected Wednesday, new year's day off to recover from new year's eve parties, Emerald would have Herbology, Home Economics, and Shop class to dread. Olive would have Potions and would also have had Home Ec and Shop. Even with the respite from classes, there is still the drudge work all Happy Haven students are expected to do.
Emerald is on her knees scrubbing the floor of the staff lounge, wondering if she's too young to feel so very old. With no need for a fire in the lounge today, Olive was given the task of giving the fireplace a thorough cleaning. Emerald's not going to scrub the floor around Olive's work until Olive is done. No sense giving herself even more intensive labor.
Olive, who had been standing up inside the fireplace, emerges covered in soot. She grumbles, "Too bad they didn't forget to leave whatever they use to hold their Floo powder."
"It's an urn looking container," Emerald says without looking up. "They got really careful with it about a month and a half, two months ago."
"Yeah, others who get assigned in here noticed that too," Olive replies with a grunt as she heaves a water filled bucket across the room.
"Watch sloshing, please."
"Did I? Sorry."
"No, you didn't. Just reminding you to be careful."
Nodding, Olive carries the bucket out to dump it and get fresh water. The harsh cleaner she was given to use is making her hands raw but all Olive can do is suck up the pain, just like everyone else who doesn't want to be the target of a curse.
Returning to the lounge, Olive's halfway across the room to the fireplace when one of the windows pushes open. Olive and Emerald both stop what they are doing, watching with interest as Coco Nutt pulls herself over the sill, into the room. She turns, looks out, then shuts the window and turns back around to face the Green girls.
In a whisper she asks, "Anyone around?"
They both that by anyone she means a guard or other staff. Olive shakes her head. "No, not unless someone's come along in the last half minute."
"I need to talk to you but couldn't do it earlier. Too many others around." In a rush to get out the information she has to share, Coco drops back into her less formal speech pattern. "Las' noight Oi went ter look ha'round, iffin ya knows wot Oi mean. Yer twins're safe. 'scaped o'place called Camp Lollipop. Phin's people 'elped'em git ter tha US."
Olive stares at Coco then drops the bucket she's carrying. Emerald has the very silly thought that at least it's the cleaner water that's poured everyway on the floor she's scrubbing.
Coco's already turning back to the window to open it, probably to get back to whatever chore she's supposed to be doing right now. Emerald, who'd still been on her hands and knees, practically crawls over before finding her feet and bounding to the window to grab Coco in a hug.
"Thank you!" she hoarsely whispers.
Coco wordlessly nods, then is out the window, leaving Emerald to shut it against the insip chill. She and Olive take a minute to silently cry on each other's shoulder before Olive picks up her bucket to fill it again and Emerald makes herself return to scrubbing the floor. Knowing that Hunter and Jade are safe makes it easier for Olive and Emerald to face the rest of the day and the other chores that await.
Working On A Day Off
Author: Jet
Date: 10-19-08 15:12
With this being new year's day, very few are at the Ministry. Jet actually takes the lift for a change, enjoying the fact that there's little chance of running into anyone else, little chance of having to make small talk.
There's not much offered in the canteen and food there is looks to be sandwiches and other cold items from yesterday. As long as nothing is stale or going bad, Jet doesn't mind a bit. It's no different then having leftovers at home.
Picking out a couple of ham and cheese sandwiches with thick slabs of nutty smelling brown bread, Jet then grabs a few cookies, a couple of bananas, and goes to pay. Whomever should be manning the register is nowhere to be seen. Jet wonders if the person is skipping work today or perhaps there never was anyone scheduled to run the register on a day when most others are off work. Shrugging, Jet plunks down some coins then carries his food to the bank of lifts. He rides one as far as goes then gets out to walk the rest of the way to the Department of Mysteries.
Jet reaches the area he has come to think of as his office. With a wave of his wand, he sends a kettle of water over a burner to bring it to a boil for tea. Settling in with a sandwich in one hand and a device he's been working on in the other, Jet examines the palm-sized object.
Jet hasn't come up with a name for the object yet, deciding that he'll wait until he's got it working the way he wants it to before choosing a name for it. He's kicked around names such as Locator, Beacon, and even Bloodhound but nothing really speaks to him. Maybe when it's done, when it's working but who knows?
If the device works as Jet hopes, it would be activated by a charm and track a person using something of that person's as an aid. That's why the name Bloodhound has flitted through Jet's mind a few times. Jet would like nothing more than to be able to track Dumbledore down with it and to track some of his friends who are considered Nons and who were taken Merlin only knows where.
Chewing a big bite, Jet puts the sandwich down and starts tinkering with the device, trying to determine what's keeping it from being able to complete a successful test.
New Year's Death
Author: Marzipan
Date: 10-19-08 15:34
The water that swept into the rickety building at 14-15-14 was icy cold. It soaked Marzi's feet up to her ankles and numbed her toes. She sloshed around in the water that continually swept in through the large crevice under the front door, absolutely loathing the feel of sopping wet socks and shoes. She still found it a complete miracle that she hadn't gotten frostbite. By all rights, her toes should have turned black ages ago. They were merely shriveled, and seemingly perpetually so.
Marzi had completely lost track of time since arriving on the rocky island. Until recently, based on the frigid temperatures and occasional snowstorm, that winter had finally arrived. Thanks to the warden's announcement at breakfast that today was the first day of the new year, Marzi finally had an idea again of when it was. And she finally knew how long she'd been at 14-15-14, just shy of six months.
It felt like an eternity, but it had only been half a year.
She sighed under her breath and gripped the splintery broom handle. She pushed the wide bristle head against the onflowing water, sending it out the door again. Her hands, calloused and blistered, would probably never feel soft or wrinkle-free again.
She loosened her grip on the broom in an effort to ease the pressure on her aching hands when a scream cut through the noise of the churning sea outside. For a moment, Marzi froze, but then curiosity got the better of her and she rushed forward, threw open the front door, and found herself battered with sea spray, wind, and flocks of snow.
Marzi raised her arm in a futile attempt to shield herself from the water. She peered out over the rocks and saw first Illyria, kneeling on the ground, her basket of laundry set at an angle between a pair of large boulders. Then her eyes focused on the broken body lying over the rocks.
Marzi didn't have to ask Illyria what had happened. She knew because it had happened before and seemed to be happening more often as time went by. The victim had chosen suicide over life in the community. She had thrown herself from the roof of the building, with the hopes of ending her life rather than living out her pathetic existence at 14-15-14.
"What's all this here?" barked the warden, as she pushed herself past Marzi. Marzi took the warden's arrival as her cue to return to work. As she took up her push-broom again, she couldn't help but envy the dead women. She had found away to free hersel from this madness, though at the highest cost.
A bleak start to a Happy New Year
Author: Janine Fox
Date: 10-19-08 18:47
Janine and Ginny had spent much of the holiday training, and Janine was thankful. But today was New Years day and they had decided to take a break to enjoy the day with family and friends. Janine personally didn't want the break, but knew that Ginny did. Not that she blamed her. If Janine had parents who were still around she would have wanted to spend the day with them too. If Harry had been around...
Pushing thoughts of Harry out of her head, she stood up and grabbed Rocko's leash. "Taking Rocko out!" she called out to anyone in earshot.
"Take Pinky," she heard Hermione shout back from another room. Without even having to look, Pinky suddenly appeared next to Janine.
"Pinky keep Miss Janine safe. Pinky watches out for Miss Janine."
Sighing softly, but resigned to the fact that her walk was going to be a little less peaceful than she had planned for, she clipped the leash on Rocko's collar and stepped outside.
The crisp cold air took a moment to adjust to. Wrapping her scarf tightly around her neck, she started walking.
"Miss Janine miss Harry?"
Janine felt a lump start to form in her throat. She didn't like speaking about Harry, but couldn't blame the little house elf for asking. He adored Harry.
"Yes, Pinky. I miss him. A lot."
Pinky nodded his head fiercely. "Pinky miss Harry too! Pinky still mad Harry and Ron left that day without him. Pinky would have kept Harry safe."
"You don't know that Pinky," Janine murmured lowly.
"Yes Pinky would!" shrieked the house elf.
Rocko barked once in response to the house elf's sudden agitation.
Janine suddenly felt ashamed for her comment. "I'm sorry Pinky," she finally said. "Of course you would have protected Harry. I just didn't want you to blame yourself for what happened."
"Pinky will help rescue Harry," Pinky grumbled stubbornly.
"And I will help you," Janine said firmly.
Walking along in silence for awhile, Pinky suddenly gave a huge sigh and said wistfully, "Pinky sure miss Harry."
Me too, thought Janine to herself as she started to make her way back to the house. More than you can know.