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(Esmeralda Hastings ) Definitely Good News
Author: Xiomara Sofia Serano
Date: 05-04-13 00:44
The city of Prague was home, had been home to her since she was an infant. Her childhood was spent amongst the streets, watching the performers and listening to the storytellers spin their tales of fancy to intrigue the tourists and citizens alike and earn some coin.
She could weave through the muggle sections and wizarding sections alike. The gypsy woman wore skirts of many colors, her feet encased in simple leather boots and a jacket wrapped around her form as she crossed through crowds on Nerudova Street. Windows glowed with inner light, and the street lamps were illuminated. Snow fell in gentle flakes through the early evening as she attempted to get things done.
She had not yet heard word from Thadeous, that the girl had received the items that had been sent, but she had a feeling that things would indeed be gotten and things could be further set in motion within the next handful of days.
Pushing herself past a muggle couple she slipped past the 'line' that separated the Wizarding section and the Muggle section, which made her more comfortable. Tongue dancing upon ruby hued lips as she took a few moments to contemplate her next move. Bags shifted lightly, as she soon enough started moving once more in a flurry of multicolored skirts, blonde hair and glimmering jewelry.
She soon stepped into the small flat that she would soon be sharing with Thadeous when he finally was released from the portrait and once more among the world and they could further plan the destruction of that Serano bitch.
"To think Nicolo, he will be here soon enough and we will be a family again. Then there will be revenge being planned to ensure that the nasty woman that kept us apart will be destroyed."
She lightly petted the Egyptian Mau that greeted her with a mewl and a light nuzzle, before she put her bags down and began putting things away.
Xani, her snowy owl soon flitted in through the window and dropped a single envelope upon the counter before her Mistress. Esmerelda picked it up and quickly broke the seal and read the child-like scrawl upon the parchment. It was a thank you note, from Jasmine, thanking her for the final items she need to make the potion and cast the spell to free her dear friend in the painting.
(Thadeous Andrews) Biding Time
Author: Xiomara Sofia Serano
Date: 05-04-13 00:53
He had not yet ventured to the painting that hung in the flat that he would soon be sharing with Esmerelda in Prague, but he knew that he wouldn't have to soon enough because he would be there in person. He'd known that she was sending items, he'd encouraged her to send the items to the Serano brat, because it would make it easier to ensure that things would progress in a timely manner.
At the moment he was sitting through another tea party, because the child's mother was home and could summon her at any given point. He'd also learned that the Serano bitch had found the Dark Mirror and was using it to scry upon others. He'd also had Jasmine read him some of the news, so he knew that Rita Skeeter was still writing trash that was no better than linings of a bird's cage to collect droppings, and apparently there had been a death of someone at the Ministry of Magic - someone important, and it would seem that someone was starting to take up things where Voldemort had left off.
About half way through the tea party the little brat was summoned away by Alexander - the head of house, and the very first person that would die when Thadeous was free of the painting. He was also considering taking the little brat hostage, but his whole point was to get out of the painting and get out of the house as fast as he could.
He savored the silence of the attic, knowing well that things were not going to be quiet for long. Jasmine had taken care to cover him once more, so he felt somewhat like a parrot being put up for the night because he wasn't sure if she was coming back to the attic tonight or not - but she would eventually sneak back up if she could.
He gave it about an hour before he ventured to get an update from Esmerelda in Prague about how things were going for his pending arrival.
Keeping Warm
Author: Melinda
Date: 05-04-13 01:30
Mel and Jeff sat curled on the couch in front of the fire, curled up and snuggling as the icy rain fell from the sky. The house was quiet as Camden and Remedy were currently hanging out over at Fallon and Etch's house playing with Crew and Mase and there had been talk about going to spend time in Muggle London.
"So, we have the house to ourselves..." She said, snuggling into him and resting her head on his shoulder.
"Do we now?" Jeff said with a laugh and wrapped his arm around her, holding her against him.
"Yup and I don't have to work tonight and Cam and Rem are spending the night over at Fallon and Etch's..."
A smirk quirked Jeff's lips and he leaned over and kissed her lightly. "So, what do you want to do tonight?"
"I'm thinking quiet dinner for two and then some more cuddling by the fire."
"I think I can manage that."
She flicked her gaze to the window. "I'm glad we opted to not go see the qudditch match at Hogwarts today - staying in and staying warm is definitely the better option."
"Agreed. Though we will definitely have to go to one of the ones held when things warm up."
"Definitely and I think Cam and Remedy will enjoy it."
Steak, jacket potatoes and steamed veggies were made for dinner some time later and ultimately they were back in front of the roaring fire cuddling and ultimately behaving like a pair of teenagers, constantly making out.
Things had been wonderful between them both since she'd asked Jeff to move in with her and it got him, his daughter and sister Lawson into their house and out of their hotel room and into a more stable residence.
(Ramona) Numb
Author: Griet
Date: 05-04-13 10:13
Ramona's face felt numb. As she chased Mason and the quaffle he carried, she couldn't help but wonder if her whole face looked red, or if only the extremities, like her nose and ears, had changed color from the cold. Sometimes she felt as if her joints were so frozen, she could barely move, but so far the feeling only seemed to be in her head.
She pulled ahead to catch up to Mason, who had just accepted a long pass from Alexa. The wind and ice seemed sharper than ever, perhaps because of the speed with which Ramona flew. She ignored the discomfort and urged her broomstick to fly faster, noticing out of her periphery that Olive and Alexa were starting to close the gap.
Aderyn knocked off a bludger in Mason's direction, but Basil easily found himself on the spot and took aim at Ramona. She swerved to avoid the hit and very nearly barreled into Olive, slowing them both down. Alexa continued on and soon found herself flanking Mason.
At the hoops, Mason attempted a goal but Beatrix stopped the quaffle with a catch to her middle. She waited a beat for Jack, who along with Alastor had surpassed Ramona, and handed off the quaffle to him. Ramona quickly turned around but threw her gaze over her shoulder to ensure that Jack retained possession of the red ball. When he found an opening, he threw it in a strong arc in her direction. The wind buffeted it slightly, but she adjusted her flying to catch it and continued on to the Slytherin goal hoops, Olive harassing her the entire way.
Once there, Ramona lobbed the ball at the right most hoop, but Gus lunged for it and managed to knock it away. She caught the rebound, but just barely, because Olive nearly shouldered her out of the way. Ramona tried again, and thanks to a well-timed bludger from one of the Ravenclaw beaters, Gus missed the quaffle and Ravenclaw finally earned some points in the match.
Ravenclaw 10, Slytherin 20
(Adriana) A New Task
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 05-04-13 11:20
"Reed Wycombe is not a patient man. He wants to see results."
Adriana studied Christina Sorcha through the slim silver compact she held up at eye level. The compact had been one of the family treasures she had found in her family vault at Gringotts Bank and had belonged to her mother. It was ornately engraved with AP, her mother's initials.
She shut the compact with a snap and turned to face the other witch. Sorcha had been summoned to the abbey to undertake a new task, one involving Reed, the young lawyer who had proved very capable thus far.
"And he will, but on my terms," Adriana coolly responded. "Perhaps he needs a reminder that he's not the one in charge and that he would regret ever crossing me. There are plenty here who would be more than happy to take him out of the game if I asked them of it."
"I will tell him that you haven't forgotten your agreement and that he better stop asking about it, or else," Sorcha said.
"You will also tell him that I have another task for him. The Minister of Magic will have to appoint a new Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I need Reed to see that someone who supports us assumes that position."
"Anything else?"
"That is all. You may go, Christina."
The other witch said goodbye and left the room, leaving Adriana alone for the moment. She moved to an armchair and sank onto its soft cushion, mentally filing away this newest project. She had many running concurrently, such as the search for the Resurrection Stone, and the continued recruitment of Death Eaters, old and new.
It had been a good while since she had done anything productive herself, however. Perhaps it was time to plan another outing, like the one from Halloween night.
Is Hypothermia Setting In? (Alexa & Alastor)
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 05-04-13 13:15
Fighting off a yawn Alexa huddles in close to her teammates during a timeout. She has no idea why she keeps wanting to yawn when the cold is very bracing and the adrenaline of game play is running high. Sure, she was up late last night, more like the wee hours of the morning, but she did sleep in somewhat but usually when playing Quidditch, she goes on full alert. Maybe hypothermia is setting in. Alexa remembers reading somewhere that hypothermia can lead to a person getting sleepy to the point that the person goes to sleep and freezes to death while out. At least that seems a painless way to go even if horribly cold until the sleep sets in.
During the timeout Basil doesn't have much to say, other than a few positive peppy words on keeping up the good work, let's stay in the lead. Mainly, they use the timeout to get in as close as they can to stave off some of the cold. Alexa has no idea what Ravenclaw's doing but as it's the team that called the timeout, she has to think they're talking strategy, trying to figure out a way to at least make this a tie game.
Timeout over, the Slytherins break from their huddle. Mark and Basil immediately go in search of the bludgers as there's no telling what's become of those two black balls during the short break. Alexa, Olive, and Mason get in formation around the three Ravenclaw chasers as Alastor puts the quaffle back into play with a pass to Ramona.
Ramona starts down the pitch but doesn't see one of the seekers until it's nearly too late. If brooms could make a skidding sound in air, Ramona's would have been squealing loudly. Thanks to her sudden stop, Mark's able to get her with a bludger, causing her to lose the quaffle. There's a mad dive for it with Alexa coming up triumphant.
She takes off the opposite direction, Jack hot on her heels. Alexa spots Mason open so makes a toss. He catches the quaffle only to be struck not half a second later by a bludger. Ramona darts in close to literally scoop the quaffle from the crook of Mason's arm.
Ramona makes a pass to Alastor. He dodges around Jade who's lining up one of the bludgers then has to curve the other way to avoid ramming to Olive who gives no appearance of planning to move. Alastor, who really hates playing chicken when flying at such a high speed, scowls at her as he passes by. In turn, she just grins at him and gives chase.
Alastor carries the quaffle a fair way down the pitch but after taking a bludger hit to the arm, his funny bone to be exact, he ends up having to pass off the quaffle. Only problem is, he's passing with his uninjured arm, which is the arm he's not as good at throwing with despite hours of practice. The throw is a little askew, making it harder for Jack to catch it. He gets hands on it but fumbles, which allows Mason to go in for the steal.
Scowling again, Alastor turns to go the other way. Ravenclaw needs possession and needs to score more goals. It's not been from lack of trying. Gus has just done a good job of turning away their efforts. Considering how many goal attempts Slytherin has made, Beatrix has done a good job as well.
Alastor's opinion of Beatrix's performance doesn't change when a minute later, Slytherin has the quaffle within range for another goal. Olive takes the shot. Beatrix is able to get fingers on the ball enough to alter its course but not enough to outright stop the quaffle. It bounces against the hoop but continues on through, adding another 10 points to Slytherin's score. The score is now Slytherin 30 with Ravenclaw trailing with only 10 points.
(Titus) Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers
Author: Tiberius Nott
Date: 05-04-13 14:34
When Ramona Mickle scored and the Ravenclaw students started to rejoice, Titus decided that he had enough. Yes, Slytherin was still winning, but it was so unpleasant at the stands with the cold , that not even the loyalty he had towards his house would make him stay seated anymore. He stood up, adjusted his green and silver scarf and turned around towards the exit.
"Hey, where are you going?" Anton asked, grabbing his arm.
"To the common room. It's freezing out here. I can't take it anymore."
"It's not that cold, Titus," he teased. However he had his arms crossed and Titus could swear he was doing his best to play strong in front of Valeria and Petula, who were also watching the match.
"I am not going to stay here anymore. Merlin knows how long, and then find out that Ravenclaw's seeker had caught the snitch in the end. Too much sacrifice for nothing!"
"You don't have faith in Rylee?" Anton asked, although Titus knew he didn't have faith in her as well.
Titus shrugged his shoulders, said goodbye to his friends, and abandoned the pitch. It was really cold and he was having troubles to see anything because his glasses were filled with small drops of humidity and he knew soon little pendants of ice would form if he didn't hurry into the castle. He should really learn the correct charm to keep his glasses always clean but he was too lazy to find out for himself what such charm was. He was hoping maybe one day Professor Flitwick would taught them so. He walked as fast as he could, carefully not to slip in the icy path, already anxious for the warmth of the Slytherin common room's fireplace.
He was already at a considerable distance of the pitch when he saw them. A pair of yellowish eyes buried in pile of snow. Then Titus realized it wasn't just a pile of snow but that there was a grey cat there. He stared at it for a moment, thinking who have might be the irresponsible student who left it wondering outside with such weather. The cat returned the look Titus was giving to him and he started to meow. Titus shrugged his shoulder and kept walking. This cat was not his problem and he was not going to do help some random student with his or her runaway cat.
Another meow. It sounded like a supplication.
"Oh, fine!" Titus said, he moved towards the cat's direction. He picked it up and covered him with his robes. The animal's fur was wet and he was trembling. "You stupid cat! What was your idea of going outside?" The cat did not reply.
Titus went to his dormitory, where he took off his scarf and gloves, as well as his coat. Under it he was wearing the Slytherin jacket Katheryn Finch from Ravenclaw had offered in during Secret Santa. He placed the cat in his bed and went to fetch a towel. For his surprise it stayed docile while Titus used the towel to dry it. He noticed it was a female. When this task was over Titus asked the cat, even though he knew he wouldn't get an answer:
"Are you hungry? Well stay right there I am going to the kitchens, I bet they have some food for you there."
Titus left the dorms and went to the kitchens. Tiberius never allowed him to have a pet and he had always wanted one.
"You are not responsible enough to have a cat or even a toad, Titus. Pets need to be fed, and cleaned and spoiled. You will play with it for five minutes and you will get tired of it,"Tiberius said, pulling Titus away from Diagon Alley's pet shop.
Well Titus was going to show his brother that he was capable of taking care of a cat. It didn't even occur again him that the cat might already have an owner. The cat now belonged to him.
(Ailbe: Vinewood Castle) The Crypts
Author: Roisin Rae McCray
Date: 05-04-13 15:44
He took in a breath as he stood before the Vinewood. It was a large estate, founded by the first of his line, Pádruig Mag Raith, and has since undergone many renovations. He hadn't been there since before Andreva's birth, fearing her bloodline coming in contact with the ancient structure. He knew that his adversary would watch over her before contact was made. And so Ailbe couldn't take any chances - he had to protect the Vinewood from his enemies. Over the centuries the McCrays had allowed knowledge of the Vinwood's existence to die down, to keep the family secrets safe. To date only a select few knew of its existence, and all of them he trusted with his life.
He walked up to the large brass door with the words, Sapientia est Vita, etched across. The family motto stood for everything True McCrays believed in. Wisdom is Life. The McCrays sought for wisdom and dedicated their lives to it. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Vinewood Key. Upon entering the Vinewood he was greeted by the House Elves Dot and Dory; both were tasked with maintaining the ancient castle.
"Hello master!" Dory said with excitement, whereas Dot clung like a magnet onto their master's leg. Struggling to pull Dot off, Dory continued. "We've been good to the Vinewood."
When Dot relented, Ailbe patted his head and began moving down the hall. "I'm going down to the crypts to collect some thoughts. Please leave me alone until I come back up."
The Vinewood Crypts were the final resting place of the family heads and their spouses. It would be his eternal home, but without Cleona. His late wife had a long time affair with a Snodgrass, thus making her unable to be buried among his ancestors. They were very clear on such matters. Had it been up to him, he would opt to be buried next to her. However, that would break tradition, and tradition was important to the McCrays.
He soon found himself standing in the crypt's opening, gazing upon Pádruig's Tree. He approached the great oak, placing a hand on its everlasting bark as he knelt on the soft dirt. And he prayed to his ancestor. After some time he stood and moved to the left, kneeling before the Coffin of Coira that sat atop a marble stone table. And he prayed to his ancestress, Pádruig's loyal wife. Once finished, he stood and moved to back of the crypt, to the Coffin of Taliesin that rested upon a table of stone painted blue with a silver horse etched on the side. He knelt before the coffin and prayed to his ancestor, Coira's bardic father.