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Pillow Talk
Author: Nathaniel Ross
Date: 11-05-16 16:33
Nate and Jenny were lingering in bed. It was a Sunday morning, and everything was quiet at the inn. It was nice to have Jenny in his arms for more than five minutes. Most of the mornings she rushed out of bed to attend to all sort of chores, and he would follow her still half asleep. He would only be fully awaken after a cup of coffee, a habit he had gained when he worked at the Ministry of Magic.
But today he could spend some more time with Jenny, feeling the warmth of her body against his and her long yellow hair tickling his bare shoulders.
"I had a dream last night," Jenny said.
"Oh?" he asked with interest, his fingers playing with hers, under the sheets.
"Promise you won't freak out."
"I promise."
"It was our wedding day." Jenny felt Nate's body getting a bit tense. She turned her head to him, to look him in the eyes. Her hand got separated from his and she touched his chest. "I told you not to freak out. It was just a dream. A silly dream because in the middle of the ceremony it started snowing and it was supposed to be a spring wedding. I swear I haven't been thinking about us getting married. It is too soon for something like that, so please don't freak out."
Nate seemed to relax a little bit. They had only started their relationship. They were busy most of the day, and only a few times he was able to steal some moments alone with her. They didn't even spend all evenings together. Most of the times Nate went to home to sleep. No one knew they were dating each other, so it was even harder to show any signs of affections towards Jenny when other people were around. Tim was always coming and going from the inn, and at weekends he wanted to hang out with Nate, since Imogen was still abroad.
Despite these limitations Nate couldn't be happier. Being with Jenny was the best thing that happened to him in a long time. They understood each other and came from similar backgrounds. Their families have been friends since Nate and Tim met at Hogwarts. They had gone to the same birthday and Christmas parties and even attended the same house at Hogwarts. However, at the same time there were little things he was finding about Jenny that he did not knew before, and he was loving every bit of it. Like the little freckles she had on her back, the way her hair looked in the morning, or the jam on the corner of her lips in the morning, after breakfast.
"Speaking of freaking out…your brother wants to set me up with someone he knows from work. He says I need to start dating again."
Jenny was the one getting tense now.
"What did you tell him?"
"That I wasn't ready. But he insisted, saying I can't stay in this celibacy state for long. He keeps joking he will sign me up at Magical Match. I'm afraid one day he goes forward with this idea. "
"He wouldn't."
"You know your brother."
"You're right, he would. " Jenny sighed, and leaned her ahead against Nate's chest. He started caressing her hair.
"We should just tell everyone. My mother knows I am not spending all evenings at home. She can comment that to Tim, and as far as he knows, I am not seeing anyone. They might get suspicious. Or they can just walk in and find us here together. I loved you Jenny. I want everyone to know so."
She sighed again.
"I want to tell people too. But at the same time, I want to keep this between the two of us. Because this is working, the way it is and I don't want to ruin what we have now. I'm afraid by telling people things might change. Can we keep this between the two of us for a little longer? Just another month or two. Maybe we can tell everyone at Christmas…"
"Christmas then," he agreed, understanding her concerns.
It would be hard to predict what Tim would think about him dating his little sister, even if Jenny was only a year younger than him. He also wondered how his mother would react. He never presented her to any of his past relationships other than Phyllida and look how that ended. And what would Mr. and Mrs. Gabble think? Would they approve? And if they broke up, would the Rosses and the Gabbles stop getting along? There was too much at risk.
Nate rather not think about that. He kissed Jenny on the lips and she kissed him back. The pillow talk had come to an end.
Upset (Devon)
Author: Christopher Chant
Date: 11-05-16 18:48
Devon arrives to the spectator seats in the Beauxbatons dining chamber that's being used as an auditorium later than she had thought after finishing breakfast. Seeing her Lara Soto from La Escuela de Hechiceria waves and pats the empty seat next on her left. The two had competed against each other yesterday in the Runic Rodeo and though they'd only known each other a relatively short time, they'd hit it off.
Noting Devon's watery eyes, tear stained cheeks, and a few sniffles Lara says in English that Devon would swear is better than her own, "Don't be disconcerted at not placing in the top three."
This is coming from the person who placed fourteenth out of fourteen. Devon, who had placed eighth, shakes her head. "I'm not. Well, I am upset as I thought I was better prepared but that's not why I was crying. I fell and cracked my elbow. I've just been to see the Beauxbatons' nurse."
"Oh no! You are all right as you are now here?"
"Fractured or so she thinks. She gave me a potion and," Devon pushes up the sleeve on that arm, "has my elbow immobilized."
"I wondered if you were holding your arm oddly."
A boy pushes past them to an empty chair several down from the, stepping on their feet in the process. Lara leans in to whisper to Devon, "I thought Adam quite nice until he placed third."
Devon agrees about the Watling's Wizarding Academy student. "He's been gloating and rude, like how he didn't apologize just now. Maybe if I'd make a loud sound as he squished my toes he would have. You know Stella is competing again today?"
"Someone else mentioned it. I do not envy her having to prepare for two contests only a day apart."
"I don't think I would want to do back-to-back events either. I heard that the Runic Rodeo judges had to be extremely nit picky," seeing Lara's expression at the term nit picky she changes it to, "that is, they had to be exacting, extremely hypercritical, to determine the standings in some of the rounds."
"I have heard that as well though not which rounds were difficult."
"I wonder if the judges today will have the same problem."
They go quiet then as the Arithmancy Challenge begins, talking in whispers when they do speak, and Devon feeling a little sleepy from the potion the Beauxbatons nurse gave her.
Blakeney at the Arithmancy Challenge
Author: Ellis
Date: 11-06-16 09:37
After a long day of watching the Runic Rodeo competition, it was finally time for Blakeney to compete in the Arithmancy Challenge. Being a third year student, and since the competition was only open to those in her age range or older, meant that Blakeney was assigned to Group 1. She was both nervous and excited to get her part over with; however, her nervousness and excitement mostly stemmed from the fact that this competition involved elimination rather than rounds like yesterday's. One wrong answer and she was out.
What if she missed the very first question? That would guarantee her a place at the bottom of the rankings… unless more than one person missed their first question. Then what? How would the judges decide which wrong answer deserved place 14 in the final standings?
Blakeney thought about her sister Alys, who had competed in the Runic Rodeo yesterday and done well but not well enough. Alys had finished sixth, while her classmate Kurt had finished fourth. Was it worse being at the bottom of the rankings or a mere step away from earning a prize? Blakeney supposed there was some honor in almost placing, though it must also feel terribly disappointing to have been so close and come away empty-handed.
Overall, Hogwarts hadn't done all that great yesterday, which felt a little demoralizing. Today was a new day and a new competition, however, and even though the nature of the Arithmancy Challenge was very nerve-wracking, Blakeney tried to keep her spirits high. She'd studied tons and felt as prepared as she could be, for someone who was a novice to the subject. It would certainly also help if the judges weren't as strict as yesterday's.
Sometime this evening, the Hogwarts contingent would return to Scotland in the magical RV. Blakeney was a bit sad over the fact that her visit to Beauxbatons was already almost over. She'd managed to set her eyes on a French boy a year ahead of her, François Brunet. He was everything Chip was not, or at least that's what Blakeney told herself. The good news was that François seemed keen on writing Blakeney, and maybe they'd see each other sometime this school year at another SAT competition. If not, there was always next summer.
Blakeney might not earn a trophy at Beauxbatons, but she just might get herself a boyfriend instead.
First Time in France
Author: Finley
Date: 11-06-16 13:39
Finley had never been out of the country before, so visiting Beauxbatons was one of the most amazing things she'd ever done. She ranked it right there with finding out she was a witch and starting at Hogwarts. Finley wished they had more time in France, but she felt very lucky to even be there in the first place. She couldn't wait to tell Leroy about it, though she'd have to fudge a lot of the details about the trip.
Beauxbatons reminded Finley of a fairytale castle. Hogwarts was majestic in its own way, but Beauxbatons was exceptionally pretty. It was light and warm, whereas Hogwarts seemed almost gloomy with its thick, gray walls and stone floors. Even the uniforms the Beauxbatons students wore looked fine in comparison to Hogwarts' standard uniform, not that Finley was complaining.
One thing Finley had not anticipated was being reminded of the situation with her possible birth parents, even though it was one of those things she could hardly ever get out of her mind. Over breakfast just that morning, she'd overheard students from Sydney's School of Wizardry discuss how one of them had recently found out that the person she had always believed to be her father actually wasn't. Although the situation wasn't the same, it nevertheless made Finley think of herself.
She wondered if she would ever find out with definitive proof that Eirene's auntie Gemma and uncle Theo were actually her parents. Would she have to do the asking, or would they come forward after a while? Eirene had promised to get to the bottom of it once and for all, but she hadn't yet. Finley had lived without parents for her entire life, so she supposed she could wait a bit longer to find out if she actually had any.
Now it was time for the Arithmancy Challenge. Group 1 had already finished, and now the members of Group 2 were standing at their respective podiums. Finley felt nervous but not too much. She'd prepared for this moment, and not even the pressure of people watching her or getting eliminated by one wrong answer overly worried her.
Judge Kimberly Killara had just finished questioning Nina Porcher of Beauxbatons about determining one's heart number. Now Judge Miliani Hu turned to Finley and asked, "Ms. Pride, what letters correspond to the number five in the Chaldean method?"
Finley pictured the chart in her head and said, "E, H and N."
Her answer was correct, which meant she got to stay in the competition for at least one more round.
Challenging Challenge (Rex and Estella)
Author: Saffron
Date: 11-07-16 20:36
Disappointed at being eliminated from the Arithmancy Challenge because of a stupid mistake Rex has exited the stage to take a seat with others from his group already eliminated. As he was trying not to look pouty, trying to maintain the British cliché of displaying a stiff upper lip, he realized he was sitting next to Watling's Patrick Webb. With that realization came another. Rex could not even mutter under his breath about only getting sixth place. Patrick was the first eliminated from Group 1 made up of 13 and 14 year olds, putting him last out of fourteen contestants.
Placing sixth isn't really all that bad but it's not great either. Rex knows he could have had a better showing if not for a stupid flub. He had a question that required calculating two different numbers. He did that easily enough but when he verbalized them to the judges he gave attributed the first as being the answer to the second part and attributed the second number as being the answer to the first part of the question. Even before the judges dismissed him Rex had known what he'd done.
When the last round of Group 1 ended with Ireland Cross declared the first place winner, Rex felt doubly bad for Patrick. Not only out quickly, on his first question, but his classmate goes on to win the whole thing. The group made it through a few more rounds before the next person was finished.
In the gap between the end of the first group and the second Rex decided to move to where those in the general audience were sitting. Others moved as well and he ended up in a mix of students who had just competed in the Arithmancy Challenge and those who'd participated in yesterday's Runic Rodeo. There were also a few Beauxbaton's students who'd come to watch out of curiosity or interest or to give support to friends in the competition. One of those is a boy called Yanis and another is Yanis's good friend Maëlle. They sort of remind Rex of Ingrid and him. He also had the thought that if Ingrid were here, she'd be drooling over Yanis. He's not sure he'd like that and wondered if Ingrid would feel the same way if she knew how cute he thinks Maëlle is.
Thinking of Ingrid drew Rex's eyes to where her sister Hope waits for her group's turn in the Arithmancy Challenge. Before Hope's group both Estella and Lilith are competing, Estella first and then Lilith in the group after. Callie and Kurt competed yesterday with Kurt placing fourth while Callie won her group.
Estella takes the stage along with the others from her group, including Hogwarts' own Finley Pride. Several rounds pass before there's an elimination, Paulina Silva of La Escuela de Hechiceria. There's another in the round after that, Watling's Wizarding Academy's Samuel Collins.
Finley and Estella are still in it but that could change at any moment as with each round the questions become more difficult and the time allowed to respond shortens.
On the stage at her podium Estella mentally tries to answer each question posed to the other participants. A few she doesn't know and is greatly relieved those questions were not directed at her. She's sad when Finley is out but she doesn't have much time to think about that as her next question comes soon after.
A few more rounds go by without anyone making a mistake then on a question regarding the Agrippan Method Estella blanks on part of the answer. She was going along fine, giving part of the answer, opened her mouth to complete the sentence and what she was about to say when right out of her head. She stood there moving her jaw, trying to make words come out. Just as she pulled the rest of the response out of the dark recesses of her mind time ran out.
Stepping down, Estella and Finley exchange rueful looks that seem to say, "Oh well." Out of the first two groups Hogwarts has not won any points for Hogwarts. Estella hopes that does not hold true for the groups to come with Lilith and Ollie, Hope and Franciscus, and Kay and Baron.
Advancing For The Time Being (Lilith)
Author: Saffron
Date: 11-08-16 19:56
Judge Annaliese Martinez looks directly at Lilith. A name magically appears on the blackboard near where the judges are seated. "Using the Agrippan Method, calculate the social number and character number. What does the character number indicate about the personality?"
The word, or name, on the blackboard is Sequoia.
The two previous groups have had questions concerning the heart, social/life, and character/personality numbers. Those were, for the group Lilith is in, relative simple. This third group, the equivalent of Hogwarts fifth year students, increasingly have been given questions combining elements. These increases have come as the time given to answer in each round has decreased. Lilith feels pity for the last group who surely will have the most complex questions and involve a level of information Lilith knows nothing about. At least not yet. As of right now, she plans on sticking with Arithmancy & Divination through her last two years of school.
Working as quickly as she can against time to answer counting down while also being as careful as she can to not make a mistake, Lilith calculates the three numbers.
The social/life number is determine using only the consonents. Simple enough. S and Q. So 1 annnnd, Lilith tries to picture the Agrippan Method chart. 1 and 8. The social/life number is 9.
The character/personality number uses both consonents and vowels. The consonents equal 9. The vowels are... Lilith again refers to her mental of the chart. 5+3+6+9+1=... 23. No! 24. 2+4=6
Aware of the seconds rapidly ticking away Lilith blurts, "Social number is 9. Character number is 6. A character number of 6 reflects a person who is loyal and reliable, easily adaptable. This person has harmony, friendships, and a family life."
There's more and Lilith would continue talking but time runs out. She's fully expecting to be dismissed from the competition but the judges accept her answer as complete enough and move on to the next person with judge Kimberly Killara asking Gonzalo Vargas a similar question but wanting heart number instead of social and for the name Giuliana.
Relieved to have made it through another around, as has classmate Ollie Choate, Lilith wonders what sort of questions the next round will bring.
(Franciscus) Unfocused
Author: Griet
Date: 11-09-16 19:44
After Paton earned second place in his round of the Runic Rodeo, Franciscus just knew that he would have to do just as well or better if he wanted to feel good about his portion of the Arithmancy Challenge competition. Although Franciscus was glad for Paton's success, he knew that deep down he'd also feel jealous if he did poorly himself. It was especially true because Hogwarts wasn't performing as well overall as some of the other schools.
Franciscus should have looked at things differently, though. He oughtn't feel bad when most of his Hogwarts schoolmates weren't fairing any better, rather than wishing he were among the elite few who had gotten into the top three places of every round. It simply showed that the competition was stiff and that the judges weren't going easy on anybody.
His concern about keeping up with Paton probably cost him a better ranking, because Franciscus wasn't as focused as he should have been. He ended up being the sixth student eliminated from his round. Eight students remained, including Hope. Franciscus was conscious of the fact that he was in the bottom half of his group, but at least he wasn't dead last. There was an upside after all.
He went back to the seating area to watch the remainder of the competition.
Paton, meanwhile, was elsewhere in the guest stands. He felt disappointed to see his cousin ousted so early, but at least Hogwarts wasn't totally out of the running yet. There was Hope in this competition and then Baron and Kay in the next and final round. After that, the winners would get their trophies and pose for photos, and then it would be time to go back to Hogwarts. It was almost too bad they couldn't stay longer, but they were meant to resume classes tomorrow.
Round After Round (Hope)
Author: Saffron
Date: 11-09-16 21:00
Hope felt badly for Franciscus when he was eliminated but still being in the competition herself she couldn't let his ouster distract her. Through round after round Hope managed to pull through, sometimes getting her answer verbally completed just as time ran out.
With many rounds seeing no eliminations the contest seemed to go on and on. Hope was beginning to tire mentally plus her stomach had begun rumbling. She needed a snack but the last break the group was given was after they'd been quizzed for almost an hour and a half and there were still seven contestants, half of the original fourteen, vying for the top spot. That was at least forty-five minutes ago, give or take. Until the Arithmany Challenge began this morning Hope had no idea that any group would go on for ages. She'd sort of pictured something more like yesterday's Runic Rodeo despite the set-up for it being different. In it, each group had a set number of questions per participant. Arithmancy Challenge is elimination based.
In spite of putting in hard work preparing for today to Hope's surprise she found herself against a single competitor, host school Beauxbatons' own Marguerite Dutisne. Hope has been being asked questions before Marguerite and this time was no different. To Hope's relief she answered correctly. She was fully prepared for Marguerite to answer her question as well and the contest start another round. Only Marguerite made a mistake. A small mistake. Tiny. But a mistake nonetheless.
And just like that Hope Hyland was declared the Arithmancy Challenge winner of the group comprising sixteen to seventeen year olds, earning five Scholastic Aptitude Tournament points for Hogwarts.