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Dessert Course
Author: Kody
Date: 05-09-17 20:11
Deak reaches for his last chip. "I'm still hungry. Maybe I'll get a sweet."
Jack looks to the chalkboard menu. "The sticky toffee pudding's good here."
"I've had the praline bread pudding. It was good." Wiggy tops off his mug from a pitcher of ale.
"I'm thinking either carrot cake or Banoffee pie."
"Or both," Jack grins, knowing his friend well.
"We could get one of each and split them."
Jack's grin broadens as Wiggy's suggestion. Deak chuckles, "Works for me." He catches the waitress's eye.
After she's taken the dessert order Jack asks before taking a drink of his ale, "So what's this with Etta?"
"What's what with Etta? We're friends."
"Friends who used to date exclusively and we all know she admitted making a mistake breaking up with you," Wiggy reminds.
"Friends who've seen each other three times in five days," Jack points out.
Deak shrugs. "We're still just friends."
"Riiiight, and when I leave here I'm off to find Bradana to ask her to marry me."
Jack's mouth goes from grin to smirk. "I didn't think we'd hear you say that name again. What's the latest on her?"
"She's still locked away under psychiatric care but those of us she stalked got noticed just today she's scheduled for a hearing and possible release next week."
"Fun," Deak sarcastically says.
"I know, right?" Wiggy pours more ale in Deak's mug when his friend holds the glass out to him.
"You think she's fixed? Cured? Whatever it is they do?" Jack asks.
"I don't know, maybe, but somehow I doubt it. What's the word for beyond delusional?"
They make room as the multiple desserts arrive. They arranged them for easy access to all three of them. Taking a bite of Banoffee pie first Deak wants to know, "Will you renew the restraining order if she's released?"
"Definitely, though the charm that supposed to keep her the required distance away didn't seem to work well last time. Others had the same issue."
"Maybe she figured out a counter charm," Jack posits.
"Yeah, though I don't know of that charm. I'll have to ask about that if she is released. Enough about her." Wiggy looks to Jack. "Let's dig for more information on this so-called just friendship Deak has with Etta."
Echoing Deak's words from a short time ago Jack grins, "Works for me."
Borrowing a Broom
Author: Ellis
Date: 05-10-17 17:50
Emily stepped out the back door of the house she shared with her ever-growing family and marched a fair distance across the green grass. The air was a bit cool, but the sun was shining brightly, making it feel rather pleasant. When she reached a good stopping point, she climbed onto the broomstick she'd filched from her brother's room and kicked off from the ground.
Emily had gotten selected from the Broom Racing SAT event. The competition actually had four separate mini competitions. Hers was the second obstacle course, which Emily understood was to involve some sort of maze. She would have levitated various objects, like lawn chairs and garden tools, to serve as her obstacles while in the air, but Emily didn't want to get in trouble for doing magic outside of Hogwarts.
Getting in trouble with her brother…? That, she didn't so much mind.
"Hey!" Conrad shouted from where he stood on the ground. He was nothing more than a speck from Emily's high position in the air.
Emily ignored him for a little while, but then she dove down and jumped off his broomstick. She caught it in one hand but didn't hand it over. "What?" she calmly asked.
"You didn't ask me if you could borrow my broom," Conrad said. "I was actually going to use it to get some practice in. Like his sister, Conrad had also gotten chosen for the Broom Racing event, but his specific competition was for the Long Distance race.
"I didn't think you would mind," Emily said. Her brother was easy-going and generally didn't get angry easily, but brothers and sisters did tend to get into arguments, no matter how good their temperaments usually were. "And I don't have my own broom to use."
"Ask Mum and Dad to buy you one."
"You know I can't have one at school, since I'm only a first year," Emily replied.
"See. I don't know why you even want to practice with mine. You'll be using a school broom and it'll handle differently," Conrad said. "Now hand it over."
Emily made a face and said, "Fine." She tossed the broom at him and trudged back up to the house. Emily was just about ready for spring break to end!
(Asher) Unwanted News
Author: Jolyon
Date: 05-11-17 15:50
Asher would have preferred staying at Hogwarts over Easter break, if only to put some distance between himself and the rest of his family. His mother he didn't mind so much, but he didn't approve of her choice for a husband and definitely didn't want to see them together. They weren't yet one year into their remarriage.
Unfortunately, his parents had insisted he come home. Home was the place where his mother had raised him and not some place of Jolyon's, like his quarters at Hogwarts. Although they sometimes stayed at Hogwarts, the house in Glasgow was the couple's primary residence.
The family hadn't gone anywhere during the break, other than the occasional day excursion somewhere in the area. Arielle had sometimes gone off to spend time with Malden, but Asher hadn't met with any of his classmates. His time away from Hogwarts was shaping up to be a very solitary experience, with the exception of occasionally getting roped into family time.
Asher didn't mind so much. He would rather be alone than with others for whom he didn't care very much. Not much longer and he would be old enough to live is own life. Asher didn't have a clue as to what that life might look like, but he hoped it would involve not seeing his father or sister very much.
"Asher, come inside!" called out his mother from the open back door. "Supper is ready."
Asher came inside and sank into his usual seat at the dinner table. His mother got the last few dishes onto the table and then sat down next to her son. Arielle sat across from her and Jolyon sat on her other side, across from Asher.
"Before we start, we wanted to make an announcement," his mother said. She smiled first at Jolyon and then at each of her children.
"What?" Asher asked. He knew he should dread the answer, and he wasn't wrong.
"Well," Merrie began, and she reached over to take her husband's hand. "We're expecting a baby."
"You are?" Arielle happily gushed.
"Well, technically it's twins again."
Arielle squealed, and Asher lost his appetite.
(Beatrix) Chance Encounter
Author: Griet
Date: 05-12-17 18:06
Beatrix entered Bombay Palace and went up to the counter to pick up her take-away order. She and Rowan had decided to divide up their chores, and one of Beatrix's tasks was to pick up lunch.
While she waited for her order to be boxed up, Beatrix looked around and did a double take when she spotted Rowan's brother Ash seated at a table. He was seated next to a beautiful wish, and a good-looking wizard sat across from them. The three appeared to be having a very serious conversation.
Beatrix hesitated, debating whether to get her order and go or interrupt the meeting. Curiosity got the better of her. She walked over to the table and caught Ash's eye. He sat up, looking startled, followed by concerned, but then he managed a small smile and said, "Beatrix. What are you doing here?"
Beatrix briefly looked at his table-mates before locking eyes with Ash again and replied, "I'm picking up lunch for Rowan and me. I saw you and thought I'd say hello."
"Beatrix, this is Jupiter," Ash introduced, indicating to the lovely witch at his side.
Jupiter wrapped her arm through his and smiled possessively at Beatrix. "Nice to make your acquaintance," she purred.
Beatrix plastered a fake smile on her face and murmured, "Likewise."
Ash cleared his throat and said, "And this is… Antoine Dolov."
Antoine rose slightly in his chair to offer Beatrix his hand and said, "It's a pleasure. And how do you know Ash?"
"His sister is my best friend," Beatrix replied.
"How sweet," Jupiter said.
Beatrix had never particularly liked the idea of Jupiter, but now that they'd met, she could say with absolute certainty that she was not a fan of Ash's girlfriend.
"Well," she began, taking a step back towards the counter, "I'll leave you to your lunch. Nice to meet you both. Bye, Ash."
"Goodbye, Beatrix," Ash replied.
She paid for her order and left with it, eager to tell Rowan all about her chance meeting with Jupiter Jones.
Family Interview
Author: Dante Knight
Date: 05-12-17 19:41
Sitting in one of The Leaky Cauldron's private rooms, Dante shifts impatiently at a window overlooking Diagon Alley. Tamara assures, "She'll be here any moment."
Pete turns from a table on which there is a small assortment of food and drink. "Food is good at least."
Angela, helping Logan take a sip of sparkling lemonade, agrees. "The mini steak pies are excellent."
The door flings open and a man flamboyantly dressed in lilac and peach waltzes in. Eddlestone McNeil is followed into the room by a somewhat scruffy looking woman who could probably pass as a homeless hag begging for handouts. She carries a camera case and as soon as she's through the door she moves to put down the bag and extract a complicated looking camera.
Meanwhile, Eddlestone is telling the room's other occupants, "Call me Eddie. Sorry to be late. My usual photographer is horribly ill. Luckily, I was able to convince Tavis to fill in on her day off."
The Daily Prophet had repeatedly contacted Dante and his siblings for an interview. Tamara and Pete were more open to it than he had been. In the end he'd agreed but only if Rita Skeeter and her poison quill were not involved. Instead, Eddlestone McNeil had contacted them to make the final arrangements. From what Dante knows of the wizard, he's an interesting character who comes across as flaming gay but who in reality is straight, married to the same woman for almost 30 years, and the father of 5, and grandfather of eight.
Eddie gets them all arranged to more easily interview them as a group. Tavis gets a few photographs at the start then takes a seat near the refreshments table to snack while waiting for Eddie to signal her it's time for more pictures.
Eddie, perched on the edge of a chair, quill in one hand, pad in the other, tells them, "Most do a linear sort of interview. I like to hop from topic to topic then when I write the article compose something that has a linear quality to it."
Logan, squirming in Angela's arms, breaks away just then. She apologizes, "He's starting to get cranky. Let me see if I can get him settled on a blanket."
Eddie smiles. "I know quite well how young children can be."
She coaxes Logan into a corner onto the blankets she'd brought. With some animal biscuits and a sippy cup of milk, he soon settles with his favorite picture book oblivious to the tension in the room brought on my Eddie's first question.
Not waiting for Angela to rejoin them Eddie had gotten started. "Right, let's get a difficult and somewhat contentious one out of the way first. What do you have to say to those demanding reparations to the families of your parents' victims?"
After looking to his sister and brother Pete is the first to respond. "I wasn't aware there are demands for payment. Tamara? Dante?"
Tamara shakes her head. "This is the first I've heard."
"That goes for me as well," Dante replies. "If there are such demands, I'm not sure where from where they think the money would come."
"There's no stash of family funds somewhere?"
Tamara shakes her head again, speaking for all three of them. "Not that we've ever heard."
"You three wouldn't offer to pay the families whatever you're able?"
Dante asks in puzzlement, "Why would we? Pete and Tamara were small children when our parents committed those atrocities and I wasn't even born yet."
Eddie nods along as Dante speaks. "Yes, that is one point and an excellent one. What of those who are of the opinion that the sins of the parents should be visited upon the children?"
Dante inwardly sighs, trying not to show annoyance so early on, as Pete answers this one.
The interview lasts almost two hours, amazingly without a single one of them getting openly angry with some of the questions and on one storming out. To Dante the time seems more like an agonizingly slow week and he cannot help but wonder if the article that results from the interview will show a similar poison quill-ness to Skeeter's articles or if Eddie will write something that's fairly balanced and unbiased.
At Home
Author: Finley
Date: 05-14-17 11:16
Finley sat cross-legged on her bed––her bed in her room at the Pride house in Moreton-in-Marsh. When she first arrived there, Gemma and Theo had shown her to the room, which had previously been a simple guest room. The room was still nothing particularly fancy, but as someone who had never had much, Finley found it absolutely perfect.
There was a single bed in the middle of the room with a pretty duvet and lots of pillows. Opposite was a vanity table with mirror and stool. There was also a wardrobe with shelves on one side and room to hang clothes on the other. Finley didn't have very many clothes so the wardrobe stood mostly empty, but it was nevertheless nice to have.
Her room had a big window that overlooked the back yard and the neighboring countryside. Moreton-in-Marsh was in one of the loveliest parts of England. Finley often found herself staring out the window, mesmerized by the beauty she saw and over the fact that the window and the view were all hers. The last time she'd felt such wonderment was upon first arriving at Hogwarts.
Getting to know her parents better was also a lovely experience. Finley never thought she would meet them or get adopted by any other family. She felt so happy at times that she could burst, but then she would think about Leroy and feel guilty.
Finley hadn't seen him all holiday. It was the first time away from Hogwarts where she hadn't gone back to the orphanage. She hadn't even written him, but that was what she was doing now. She wrote about what it was like to have a family. The transition from having no one and nothing to actual relatives and a bedroom to call her own was monumental. Finley tried not to sound too happy, though, because she knew he was lonely without a family of his own or his best friend to keep him company.
She wanted to invite him over, but her parents were wizards who lived in a wizarding home. After today, Finley only had one more full day at home before it was time to board the Hogwarts Express and return to Hogwarts. Maybe she could convince Gemma and Theo to take her to the orphanage tomorrow. They could pick up Leroy and go get ice cream or something.
After Finley finished her letter to Leroy, she went to find her parents to ask them about her idea.
The Unexpected
Author: Sage Porter
Date: 05-14-17 19:49
The law enforcement wizard in casual street clothes, and Sage can't remember if he's a hit wizard, Auror, or something else, inquires, "Had Mrs. Porter exhibited any unusual behavior in recent weeks?"
Numb, Sage is slow to reply. "No, not that I saw."
"Nothing said to indicate problems in the marriage?"
The two bodies visible through the archway behind the law enforcement wizard - why can't Sage remember even part of the man's name? - keep drawing Sage's eyes. He expels a breath, forcing himself to look the other man in the face. He gestures to another part of the room. "Can we move over there?"
The wizard looks to where Sage points then glances over his shoulder, understanding washing over his features. "Yes, of course, I should have suggested that. I'm sorry."
Sage moves, dropping into a chair. He takes a second, reminding himself he hasn't answered that last question. "Uhhhh, no. Birdie never said a word against Da. Around me she always agreed with him, never criticized, never seemed out of sorts with him."
Sage suddenly looks around. "Senna? Where did my sister go?"
"Her room showing my partner some of her toys."
Sage and Georgia had taken Senna on an outing yesterday then Senna spent the night. When Sage brought Senna home a short time ago it was to find Lohengrin dead at the dining table and Birdie nearly so. When Sage had rushed to her side she'd hoarsely whispered that she was sorry, it had to be done. Birdie lost consciousness before saying anything more and was dead a few seconds later.
Senna was asking questions, wondering why Mummy and Da were sleeping and why they looked funny. Sage has grabbed her up, rushing her to another room where he could use the Floo to summon the Ministry. Now, processing what the wizard has said about Senna Sage slowly nods his head, another thought coming to mind. "I have to tell Sassy and Saffron."
"And they are?"
"My two older sisters. Sasafrass Blackthorn and Saffron goes by Sacheverelle but her married name is actually Miller."
The man makes notes. "We can have someone notify them, ask a few questions of them as well."
"I should tell them."
"If that's what you want." He pauses before asking, "Mr. Porter, Sage, can you think of anything, anything at all, that would help us understand what's happened?"
"My father could be overbearing, demanding, and difficult, but as I said Birdie never said anything to me that would lead me to think she was unhappy or angry. This," Sage flutters a hand towards the archway where the bodies are just out of sight, "is entirely unexpected and shocking."