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An Exchange Of Words
Author: Marcus Diavolo
Date: 07-15-07 18:27
“Thank you, I am in your debt,” Marcus said. It had been a while since someone had offered hospitality to Marcus and he wasn’t about to say no. For some strange reason, though, he felt as if he had been drawn to this place; as if fate and destiny conspired to bring him here. He then shook away that feeling as he would shake as a dog would shake off water. “So where are you from?” the young girl asked. “Well I am from very far up north near Norway, where it always seems to be winter and the snow never stops,” Marcus replied.
The girl looked puzzled, as if she had never heard of such a place. “Where am I?” Marcus asked the young girl. “Canterbury, England,” she replied. “Tell me young one, do you know of a man named Albus Dumbledore. I need to give him this,” Marcus said and in his outstretched hand was a letter.
“Albus Dumbledore is headmaster of Hogwarts, where I go to school,” she answered. “Good so you know of him,” Marcus said. “Can you make sure Dumbledore receives this letter? It concerns me going to Hogwarts and establishing my new home in England,” Marcus added.
“Sure…” she replied. Marcus then slid the letter under the door. “By the way what would be your name?” Marcus asked. “Huh?” she answered. “Well I certainly can’t keep calling you young one or young girl can I?” Marcus said. “Griet, Griet is my name” she said. “And I’m Marcus, Marcus Vampiro,” Marcus said.
He then began to make his way towards the shed door. Once Marcus made it into the shed, he unfolded the cot and pulled out the blankets. He then laid down on the cot and took a well deserved nap.
New Brooms
Author: Emerald Green
Date: 07-15-07 19:06
Emerald pokes around, looking at the huge variety of teas available at Botanicals & Beyond. Using one of the scoops, Emerald gets some of the peach tea and then into another bag a scoop of tea infused with cinnamon. Wondering what the prickly pear tea would taste like, Emerald gets some of it as well.
In the first month of living in England, Emerald drank more tea, hot tea at that, then she ever had in her entire life. She's found she likes it more than she would have thought. Drinking so much hot tea that is. She'd always loved iced tea back home. Aunt Blythe still acts like there's something scandalous about the mere notion of iced tea. Uncle Woody's come around though, telling Emerald just yesterday it does offer refreshing relief on a hot day.
Emerald roams more about the shop, wondering when Uncle Woody will be done. He's in the office with the owner Travis and some guy named Neville. Olive, looking bored, says, "I'm going to Weasleys'."
"Okay. Should we come find you there or at the park?"
Aunt Blythe was at the park with Hunter and Ivy. After Uncle Woody's concluded his business they're going to get lunch, and then get to play Wizard's paint ball at Blossom's.
"If I'm not at the park, then find me at Weasleys'."
Emerald nods then resumes her meandering around the store. She comes to stand in front of a display of small topiaries. The one in the shape of duck is amusing, constantly wagging its tail as though shaking something off its leafy feathers. Another one that makes Emerald laugh is shaped like a gorilla. It keeps beating its chest and acting like it's letting out a roar.
By the time Emerald has walked around the display, looking closely at each topiary, Uncle Woody is walking out of the office. Seeing the bags of tea in Emerald's hand he motions her over to hand her money to pay for them. In the short time it takes her to pay, Uncle Woody's said goodbye to Neville and Travis and is at the door holding it for her.
"Olive went to Weasleys' I bet," he says with a grin.
"She did. If she's not at the park she said she'd still be there."
"I can see from here she's not at the park. If you come with me instead of going over to the park just yet, I have a stop I think you and Olive would very much like to make."
Intrigued, Emerald goes to with Woody to fetch Olive. They walk back past the little park, giving the twins and Aunt Blythe a wave. Olive and Emerald ask together, "Where are we going?"
"You'll see," Uncle Woody mysteriously replies.
They reach the entrance to Windweaver's. "Here we go."
Woody ushers the girls in then says, "Blythe and I thought you'd each like your own broom for Hogwarts this year."
Olive practically jumps up and down on the spot. "Really?"
"Really. Go pick something out, something with a reasonable cost."
Emerald impulsive hugs him, "Thanks, Uncle Woody!" then hurries to follow Olive to look over the brooms.
Concerned Friend
Author: Skyler
Date: 07-16-07 03:57
Skyler and Kordelia had lost Alex somewhere. They weren't sure where but didn't bother to look for him. Both girls knew he'd be okay and they would meet up sooner or later, so they talked, laughed and watched everything around them.
"Let's go get something to eat now," Deely said pulling Sky along.
"You can eat but I'm going to eat at Aunt Ivy's. Her food is good and free!" Sky exclaimed. Deely scowled wanting to eat now but gave in and headed back the other way. Sky looked at all the people a few she recognized but most she didn't. Skyler noticed a boy standing off by himself. She looked and smiled.
"Jet! Hi!" she said grinning. She walked over to him dragging Deely behind her.
"Hi," he said and smiled back. Something about his smile didn't seem right. Most women can tell when there's something wrong, and Skyler was no different.
"This is my best friend Kordelia. I'd introduce you to my cousin as well but it seems we've lost him," Sky told him shrugging.
"Well it's nice to meet you Kordelia. Did you just so happen to lose your cousin on accident?" Jet asked laughing. Both girls laughed too.
"It was an accident. It's so crowded. We don't know where he went off to but we will find each other sooner or later," Sky replied. Jet turned his attention back to Deely.
"You don't go to Hogwarts, do you?" he asked her. She shook her head.
"No, I graduated already," she told him. He nodded. Jet put his hand to his head and rubbed his temple a bit.
"Are you alright?" Skyler asked surprised at how concerned she sounded, as was Kordelia. Sky felt her cheeks get really hot and she knew she was blushing and she hoped neither companion noticed.
"I'm fine. A little headachey, but I'll live," he said with a half smile. He didn't seem to notice her slight slip up and if he did he was good at pretending he didn't. Skyler looked at all the people around them, milling about and absorbed in their own worlds. She turned her attention back to Jet and Deely hoping the redness in her cheeks disappeared a bit.
Chatter Box
Author: Cailyn Spicer
Date: 07-16-07 08:14
“Really? Mine is June 10.” That was cool. Cailyn thought as they sat down with their snacks. Alex was the same age as she was and he was going to Hogwarts. He was a transfer student too. She had not even set foot into Hogwarts yet, and already had at least one friend so far. Maybe making friends at Hogwarts would be different then it was at Waltings. A big smile flittered across her face.
“Do you play any sports?” Cailyn asked Alex as she bit into a sweet tasting scone and took a drink of some tea. “In America, we used to play Quidditch as a past time sport. On whole Quidditch isn’t really as popular there as it is here. I thought about trying out for Quidditch this year. But I don’t know if, being in a new school and trying to play and extra sport would be good. Plus I’ve already got one sport I play.” Cailyn chattered. She had a million questions to ask Alex. She hadn’t spoken to anyone her age since she left America and she was dying to make friends with some one.
“My dad works for the Ministry of Magic.” Cailyn went on. “ He never really talks about his work though and we moved to a big house just outside of London. Dad wanted to be close to his work. And his friend moved in with us. I don’t really like his friend. Do you ride horse? We have tones of them. Winged ones too. I do competitions.”
Suddenly, Cailyn stopped and looked up at Alex wondering if she was talking to much. usually she was very shy and stayed out of everyone’s way. She supposed being without people her own age for a few months made her more opened. For a minute she wondered if she just walk out the door before Alex said anything mean to her at all. But then, she decided against it and smiled shyly.
“Am I talking to much?” She asked growing quite for the first time since they sat down.
(Canterbury, England) Telling the Parents
Author: Griet
Date: 07-16-07 09:20
"Mum, Dad, there's a vampire sleeping in the shed."
As soon as her family had gotten home from their various excursions, Griet sat them down in the living room to break the news to them.
Johannes and Catharina blinked, asking almost simultaneously, "What?"
"There's a vampire sleeping in the shed."
At first they thought she was joking or perhaps had gotten a little too much sun and was talking nonsense, but they soon realized that she was being perfectly serious. She told them everything that had happened, from witnessing Marcus bursting from the woods to kill the deer, to the conversation they had with the back door between them.
"I'm going to contact the Ministry," Johannes said suddenly, rising to his feet. "The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures will have to come out and take care of––"
"Dad, he's just a boy."
Griet had been as terrified as everyone else upon first learning about Marcus, but then she knew what it was like to be different, to be a dangerous magical creature. It was probably no fault of his own that he was what he was.
And he wanted to go to Hogwarts.
She'd already sent off the letter like Marcus requested, only she felt quite certain that it wouldn't reach Albus Dumbledore. His disappearance had been in the Daily Prophet, and Griet well-remembered that Dumbledore hadn't even shown up to the End of Term Feast last year. Also, the Daily Prophet had already reported on how Hogwarts had a new Headmistress, one Harriet Snider, who looked as hairy and snide as her name suggested.
"They can help him, Griet. They won't hurt him."
She sighed, realizing that her father probably knew best. Maybe there was some sort of Wolfsbane Potion equivalent that could curb Marcus' primal urges and make him safe around people. In truth, she wasn't sure how a vampire who could slip up at any moment would be allowed to attend Hogwarts.
Time passed and eventually a couple of officers from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures arrived via the floo and talked to Johannes and Griet at length about Marcus. Then they stepped outside and walked towards the shed.
Griet watched from the window, but she was distracted by an owl flying towards the house. It landed right in front of her and pecked at the glass. She opened the window and let the owl in, noticing that it carried a Hogwarts letter addressed to Marcus Vampiro.
That was fast, Griet thought. She flipped over the envelope and read the return address. Sure enough it said Professor Harriet Snider, Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Just then, she noticed there was commotion coming from the shed. Griet watched carefully to see what was happening.
A Late Gift
Author: Sirius Padfoot Black
Date: 07-16-07 14:32
Sitting on a bench in the park, Sirius has a book open. Wendy is curled up next to him, purring away as Sirius scratches her along the back. With regularity, Sirius looks up from the book to watch Dru over by the swings with Mira and James.
Drucilla is openly affectionate with James, never once to Sirius's knowledge forgetting the boy's name and referring to James as him or the boy or your son. He'd been deeply concerned that bringing Mira home would mean that Dru would start lavishing all her attention on Mira, once more forgetting that James even exists.
It is the continued concern, despite Drucilla giving James as much attention and maternal love as Mira, coupled with the knowledge that whatever Dru did with James in the storage closet led to an address written in blood. The address in blood ending up being the path to locating Mira.
Sirius does believe Dru when she says she doesn't remember what she did, doesn't remember things from their past. He knows she's still resentful at having veritaserum secretly used on her but Sirius had to know for sure. He is remorseful he stooped to trickery to get his answer but he saw no other way.
Dru puts the children in the sandbox, giving them each easy to hold scoopers for move the sand around. Coming to sit next to Sirius on the bench, the cat between them, she remarks, "They're quite the handful."
"They are," Sirius agrees, "and it's only going to get worse."
Sirius looks down at his book again but ends up closing it when he's read the same two lines five times and still doesn't know what either is about. Shoving a hand into a pocket Sirius brings out a small box. He's debated whether to give it to Dru or not. At the moment he's of the mind to give it and to give it quickly before he wavers again.
"It's late but this is for you."
Dru takes the offered silver box, clearly confused. "Late? What do you mean?"
"Our anniversary, third one, was a few days ago."
"It was?"
"The twenty-second."
"I didn't get you anything."
Sirius smiles, "No, I don't suspect you did if you've got no memory of August 22nd being our anniversary."
Seeing at once that the comment is said with humor and not a sarcatic dig, Dru smiles in reply, opening the box.
"It's lovely!"
The gift is a necklace with a locket. The locket has some delicate scrollwork and has two emeralds, one each for the twins' May birthstone. In the locket are pictures of Mira and James, taken the day they brought Mira home from the Mac Craith's.
"Glad you like it," Sirius sincerely replies then gets off the bench to go sit and play in the sandbox with the children.
Familiar
Author: Jet
Date: 07-16-07 15:40
"You were a Ravenclaw, right?"
The question to Kordelia takes her by surprise. "Yeah, I was."
"I thought you looked vaguely familiar. Older. But familiar."
"I didn't think you'd remember me."
Jet's shrug is accompanied by a half-smile. "For me, that was just last year."
Skyler chimes in, "That's right! You graduated in 1999, Deely, when Jet would have if he hadn't..."
Skyler's voice trails off and she looks embarrassed.
Jet smiles again. "If I hadn't gotten trapped in a crystal and vanished for a few years. Anyway, yeah, I thought you looked familiar, Kordelia, just older, plus, we didn't really hang out together then. I do remember having classes with you though." Jet points down the street, "I was thinking about getting some ice cream. My treat if either or both of you want some too."
Making a Decision
Author: Drucilla Eternal
Date: 07-16-07 21:48
I fingered the locket thoughtfully as I watched Sirius play with the children in the sandbox. It was the perfect gift. Rather than putting a picture of himself and I in the locket, he had put a picture of Mira and James inside. Considerate. Thoughtful. Was Sirius a considerate and thoughtful person?
I watched Sirius more closely and tried to get a sense of who he was. I thought I was starting to see a bit more of his true personality, especially since Mira had been found. There were more moments now when his guard was down, when he would actually smile and make a joke. But was this who he really was?
I bit my lip as I tried to search my useless memory. Perhaps it was time I started to do a bit of research of my own. It seemed a bit sneaky, digging into Sirius’ past without telling him, but I figured he couldn’t protest too much if he found out, especially considering what he had done to me! It would be a long time before I put aside the memory of when he used veritaserum on me.
Having decided, I picked up the cat and placing her on my lap, automatically began to pet her.