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Deep In Thought
Author: Zabrynna
Date: 05-21-09 18:37
Standing in front of her open closet, busy attempting to select just the right outfit, Zabrynna ignores her mother calling up the stairs.
"Zabrynna, did you put sheets on the bed?"
"Hang the new robe on the door hook?"
"You didn't forget to pick flowers for the bedside vase did you?"
"Zabrynna? Can you hear me? Where are you?"
It's the sound of heels clacking on the stairs accompanied by a very forceful, "Zabrynna Irene Ravensdale, answer me!"
Muttering under her voice, "Bloody hell, what now?" Zabrynna stomps to her bedroom door and flinging it open loudly asks, "What?"
Arriving at the top of the stairs Margretta plants a hand on her hip and with narrowed eyes practically growls, "Do NOT speak to me like that, young lady, or you will NOT be popping off to see Anne today."
"What did I do?" Zabrynna asks, sounding less belligerent now and more confused at why at mum was yelling at her in the first place.
"You ignored me."
"I didn't hear you until just now."
Margretta scowls and starts to say something, finger already wagging at her daughter; but then making an impatient sound she changes her mind at the scolding she was about to give. Instead she asks, "Did you do everything on the list?"
"Nearly."
"How near is nearly?"
"I need to put sheets on that bed."
"And?"
"Find that robe you said you'd gotten and put it on the hook."
"And?"
"Open the window to let fresh air circulate."
"Did you do anything on the list yet?"
"Yes, almost everything else."
"I suggest you do EVERYTHING on that list if you expect to see Anne today."
"I will. I told you I would. I don't see why though when it's only Mariposa coming. It's not like she's a real guest."
"Your father expects Mariposa to always feel welcome when she's here."
"He never goes to this much trouble when I'm arriving after weeks of being away."
"It's different."
"How is it different? Dad sees Mariposa more during the year."
"You know that's not always been the case, not when she was still in school too."
"I still don't see why I have to labor away all day for Mariposa. You'd think it's the bloody second coming of Morgana or Merlin or some other great and powerful person."
"Mariposa might only be your half-sister but she's your sister and I should think you'd be happy she's coming to visit. Now, one more word and you are grounded from doing anything other than family related actitivies."
Zabrynna mutely nods and starts to cross the hall to Mariposa's bedroom. Magretta arches her eyesbrows and asks, "Well? Some acknowledgment that you comprehent how serious I am about that list being finished would be nice."
"You told me not to say another word."
"As cheeky as that is, I suppose you have a good point."
Zabrynna makes sure her mum doesn't the huge rolling of the eyes she makes as she passes Margretta to stop first at the linen closet to get fresh sheets and then into Mariposa's bedroom. Crossing the room, Zabrynna sets the sheets aside to go on and open the larger of the two windows then sets about making up the bed. As she works, Zabrynna goes over her wardrobe choices. She's narrowed down to three outfits for today but can't make up her mind.
Zabrynna is meeting Anne but only for about an hour. Anne's leaving after that to visit one set of grandparents. Zabrynna is going from Anne's to meet Declan. Getting the first dose of love potion to him had been difficult but now it's easy.
The bed made, Zabrynna pulls her mum's list from a pocket to see what there is left to do. Flowers for the bedside. Clomping down the stairs, she walks through to the garden door, deciding as she goes to take her midnight blue skirt with light blue blouse to change into after leaving Anne's.
That decision made, Zabrynna sets to cutting flowers, her mind still on seeing Declan today. Perhaps today is the day she'll take the next step with him. As much in love with Declan Douglass as Zabrynna believes herself to be and being sixteen with raging hormones, that's still a huge step to take. Zabrynna wants to but at the same time she doesn't feel she's quite ready. If she's the least bit hesitant about it, she worries that will affect how wonderful the experience is supposed to be.
With enough flowers to make a decent bouquet for the vase in question, Zabrynna walks without paying attention back to her sister's room, her mind still on Declan and what will or won't happen with him later today.
Missing Persons Division Report
Author: Jet
Date: 05-22-09 16:04
Yawning as he walks into a conference room on Level 1, Jet starts to drop into the first empty chair he sees but spotting a sideboard with tea and coffee offerings he bypasses the chair. Normally Jet isn't a coffee drinker but lately he feels he's had enough of the strong black brew to have it courses through veins and arteries instead of blood. Jet drinks half a cup on the spot, refills then yawning again makes for that still available chair.
Not a full minute later the meeting got underway, headed by acting Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt. Staring into the inky fluid in his cup, Jet wonders when the official announcement will be made naming Shacklebolt as more than just acting Minister.
To Jet's suprise Shacklebolt starts off, "Thank you for your time today, Jet. We're all overly burdened at the moment but I know that list of the missing seems to grow daily nearly as fast as we remove names from it."
To those assembled, Shacklebolt explains, "For those who aren't aware, Jet Obsidian here has been heading up the search for missing persons using a clever device he invented, the Blood Hound. Without it, Albus Dumbledore might still be numbered among those unaccounted for."
Directing his gaze at Jet once more Kingsley says, "Let's hear your report first then if you need to leave, feel free to do so."
Jet, not someone who enjoys speaking even to a small group like the one assembled, stifles yet another yawn, takes a quick sip of coffee, then without standing (since Shacklebolt hadn't stood up to speak), Jet says, "Unfortunately, we've confirmed another fifty from the list as dead. My people have already had to replace three of the Blood Hounds. I hadn't designed them with such consistently heavy use in mind but have been working on tweaking that. On the positive side, we've located one hundred three more on the list who are alive, if somewhat the worse for wear. A number are the Muggle spouses who were Snatched when other family members were taken from the homes. Every one of them had varying degrees of Obliviation or other form of memory modification.
The funds to replace the four Blood Hounds the Department of Magical Law Enforcement took have finally come through so each of my teams is back to having its own device. Additional funds have come in, mainly from anonymous sources, allowing me to build even more devices and to hire more team members.
If all goes as it has to this point, we should be able to account for most missing persons on the Ministry list within the next two to three months."
Someone asks, "Why not all?"
"Unfortunately, we believe that in some cases there isn't anything left and in other cases deterioration of the remains is beyond the scope of the Blood Hound's capabilities. When we do find such remains, such as where the prison community Goen Bren was located, a very careful preservation is being made so that when time finally allows I, or someone else, will be able to take the Blood Hound's capabilities further so that eventually there will be closure for the families of these victims."
The next few minutes are spent with Jet detailing how, now that the Ministry is this many weeks under a new administration, organizing the missing persons data has improved. When Jet leaves the conference room, it feels like absolute ages since he walked in though a half hour tops is more like it.
Heading to the bank of lifts nearby, Jet drinks the rest of his coffee, fighting to keep his eyes open. He's not had a good night's sleep since heading up the search division. As tired as he is though, Jet is instantly alert when none other than Albus Dumbledore steps in at the first stop the lift makes after Jet's gotten on.
They smile at each other in greeting and Dumbledore asks how the searches are going. When reaching the Atrium level, where both are disembarking, Dumbledore says, "With all that has been happening these weeks since the battle here and at Hogwarts, I have failed to mention something of great import to you, Jet. I had a great deal of time to think while trapped in that mirror and believe I may have a solution to the problem you've spoken of with Saffron Sacheverelle and with me. Are you available to come to Hogwarts after 7 in the evening any time this week?"
"I'll make the time if you think you have a permanent solution this time," Jet nods. "Tomorrow night?"
"Tomorrow it is."
"Thank you, sir."
"Truly, assisting you once and for all is the least I can do for you."
With a wave, Jet turns to the Floo he's gotten in line to use, throws in the powder and calls out the destination where he's rejoining team members searching for the missing.
It's Party Time
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 05-23-09 12:05
Orei moved around the house, Maddie helping set the last of things up. Everyone should be arriving soon, and there was a table that held food and some drinks for the few people that would be coming. The houseelf was bustling, putting up the last of the banners and such. The cake had been delivered that morning and was sitting on one of the tables "Congrats Grads!" It announced, with pictures of wands and scrolls on it in multicolored icing.
Finally, Orei was happy with how things looked. She wanted to do this instead of something for her birthday because well, she had a feeling, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. A hand slid through her tresses, tongue sliding over her lips as she ploped herself downwards on to the sofa. "People should be showing up soon." She looked over at the goodie bags that her Mom had sent over with the other copies of the paperwork. Each had a ticket to a Quidditch game of their choice played here in England (a gift from her Dad for each of them), for the girls attending a pair of enchanted silk slippers that would adjust to the size of their feet and an exotic printed paper fan, for the guys a zen garden kit. There was also a bottle of sake for them, but Orei doubted they would break into that.
Just as Orei was about to duck into her room and change, there was a knock on the door. "Maddie grab that, I'll be right out!" She called, rushing to her room and changing into a soft cotton skirt and a halter top, slipping into a pair of sandals she went out to join Maddie and new arrivals.
Love Potions, But Is It #9?
Author: Kissy Isuki
Date: 05-23-09 18:25
Sitting with feet propped up on a windowsill, gazing out at the smattering of fluffy, candy floss clouds, Kissy enjoys the gentle breeze across her face and the pleasant, earthy scent drifting up from the grounds below where Hagrid is overseeing the planting of some new hedges. Tomorrow she leaves for a holiday to Prague for ten days. She'll come back to Hogwarts for a week then go visit relatives in Japan, with plans to be gone another ten days. Her packing for Prague is done, the work she wanted to accomplish in her classroom and in the obstacle course rooms by today is finished. The days since term ended have been busy though with plenty of time for friends and relaxing. The weather has been supremely gorgeous or perhaps it just seems nicer than normaly after the increasingly horrible weather of the last two years.
There have been a few blots on an otherwise idyllic time. Her brother Zen and mother Nyoko have owled several times. While Kissy did read each letter sent, she has not replied to a single one and doubts she will. Also unanswered are the letters from Ryland Yaxley from Azkaban. The man really needs to be under the care of a psychiatric healer.
Someone enters the professor's lounge where Kissy is sitting at the window. Without turning to look she says, "Don't mind me."
"Going into Hogsmeade when I go?" AJ asks.
"To the barbeque at Charlie's? When are you going down?"
"In about an hour."
"Works for me."
"What do you think about the staff meeting earlier?"
"I think Professor Dumbledore is working very hard to get everything, what is that Muggle expression Aaron uses? Back on track? I keep meaning to ask him what exactly that means. Back to your question though, I think Professor Dumbledore has some good ideas for putting the two years under Harriet Snider behind us and for improving the school."
"What do you think of his proprosal regarding Ethan Somerset?"
Turning a cheeky grin towards AJ, Kissy says, "I've seen him and seen pictures of him but don't know the man. He's very cute."
AJ gives Kissy a playful shove to her shoulder. "And here I thought you were glad not to have men pursuing you."
"Yes, but I never said I was against me pursuing a man," Kissy grins again.
"I shall be sure to send Mr. Somerset an anonymous warning about you should he accept Professor Dumbledore's offer."
Pulling her feet from the window ledge and standing up with a laugh, Kissy says, "Yes, be sure to let him know what a positvely ferocious man-eater I am."
The sound of someone else at the doorway has AJ and Kissy turning to look. Declan Douglass is standing there with a befuddled expression. He moves to the table where the staff sat for the meeting earlier in the day and bends to peer underneath it.
"Lose something, Declan?" Kissy ask.
Declan says something but it's muffled by his bent position and hte table. Standing upright, they can see he's got a small box in one hand. "Found it," he says, though his look and manner make him seem as though his thoughts are far away.
"We're going to a cook-out in Hogsmeade in a bit. Want to come?" AJ asks. "The more the merrier as they say."
"Plans," Declan says, his eyes on the little box in his hand. Shaking his head and swiping at his eyes as if he's groggy, he says, "I mean I have plans already."
Kissy shrugs, "So bring your friend or friends along. It's very informal, at Charlie Weasley's place. Do you know him?"
"From the Resistance and that lot and vaguely from the short time I went to school here."
"Come! Bring your friend or friends. We'll properly introduce you around."
"I don't think my friend would want to. She's... shy."
"Have you been seeing her long?"
"I've known her since last September but," Declan's voice trails away and he gets a dreamy look on his face.
"But?" Kissy prompts.
"But what?" The befuddled expression returns for a second then Declan says, "Oh right. But we didn't start seeing each other the way you mean until term ended."
The dreamy expression is back and once again Kissy gets the impression that Declan's thoughts are far, far away.
AJ chuckles to Kissy, "He has it bad."
Nodding and smiling broadly Kissy agrees, "I would say so."
Declan's brow briefly furrows and his eyes keep going to the box he holds, as if he's having some internal debate about it.
AJ says, "You have the look of a man seriously in love, Declan."
Declan's hand with the small box suddenly pops out, palm up, as if offering the box to them. "I'm going to ask her to marry me. Do you think she'll like this ring, Kissy?"
Kissy blinks, a bit nonplussed. She steps closer to see the contents of the box, saying as she does, "I think I speak for AJ when I say, Declan, that as your good friends - at least I think we're good friends - AJ and I would love to meet this woman who has you ready to pop the question so soon after you've started dating."
"He has known her for nearly a year," AJ points out.
"True," Kissy accedes the point. "Still, you'd have thought we'd have heard about her before now if Declan's this serious about her."
Looking down at the box, which Declan has opened, Kissy's sharp inhalation of breath has Declan asking, "It's bad, isn't it? I should pick something else out."
"No, no! It's lovely. Exquisite. You've got great taste in jewelry, Declan."
AJ, whose moved to stand next to Kissy, is nodding at her words. "If your lady doesn't like this ring, I'll take it."
Declan looks immensely relieved to hear them approve the ring. The relief instantly turns to concern when he asks, "What if she loves the ring but still says no? I don't know if I could live if Zabrynna says no."
AJ and Kissy first grin at the slip up of the name when Declan hadn't seemed inclined just yet to share it but then AJ says, "Zabrynna is an unusual name," about the same time that Kissy says, "I've only known one Zabrynna but you can't be talking about her."
Delcan's eyes grow huge and he blurts out, "She said not to tell anyone her name!" Thumping himself on the head in anger at himself, Declan adds, "Zabrynna's going to be so mad at me. What if she won't marry me now?"
AJ reaches out to put a steadying hand on Declan's shoulder. "Declan, are you talking about Zabrynna Ravensdale?"
"I can't discuss this with you. With either of you. She said no one will understand."
Kissy closes her eyee, hands going up to cover her face as she inhales deeply. She lets the breath out slowly before dropping her hands. "Declan, when did you realize you have feelings for Zabrynna?"
"The day of End of Term FEast."
"Did these feelings come on suddenly?"
"I guess. What does that matter though? I love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her."
AJ, understanding what Kissy's questions were getting at, says, "It matters because you, mate, are under the influence of a love potion."
"No, this is the real thing. I know she's young but I truly love her and think she loves me too," Declan affirms.
To Kissy AJ says, "Do we figure out which antidote to give or let it wear off on its own?"
Kissy frowns with thought, "We can try some of the more generic antidotes for love potions if there are any in the Hogwarts stores. Could buy some if we need, and if any are available. Without knowing which specific one she used though, whatever we give him may not work."
"We try some antidotes then and if not, we wait it out for him to get the love potion out of his system."
Declan's been busy staring down at the ring in the box, a sappy smile on his face. It's apparant that he's not been paying attention to the conversation AJ and Kissy have been having. He suddenly snaps the box shut and tells them, "I must be off. I'm meeting her soon and want to clean up a bit first. Want to be at my best when I present her the ring."
Kissy sighs and asks AJ, "Should we stun him do you think?
Which Antidote Will Work?
Author: Furnella Hodfuffer
Date: 05-23-09 22:17
Kissy sighs and asks AJ, "Should we stun him do you think?"
Declan's turning to go, intent on the ring box he holds and thoughts of his meeting soon with Zabrynna. AJ isn't much worried that Declan will actually hear anything Kissy or he says about the situation. With that in mind, AJ doesn't bother lowering his voice when he replies to Kissy's question.
"If he's on his way to clean up before going to see her, we could easily go in behind him and take his wand so even if he somehow gets away from us, he couldn't apparate once off the grounds."
Without verbally agreeing to this, Kissy's fallen in step with AJ behind Declan. "What if we lead him to believe that she's coming here?"
"Might work. Have anything specific in mind?"
"He'll want the perfect setting for presenting the ring and asking the question. We offer to help him prepare his flat or the Room of Requirement even. Get him to sample various food and drink to put together the perfect romantic meal."
"And have the antidotes laced through the samples, then if none of what we can readily get work, we still have him in a more controlled environment."
"Exactly."
AJ quickens his pace, catching up with Declan. "Say, you know, Declan, now that Kissy and I are in on your secret, let us help you arrange the perfect, romantic setting for Zabrynna and you."
"You'd do that for us?"
Kissy comes up on Declan's other side. "We're your friends, Declan. Of course we'd help you if you're sure she's THE ONE. Why don't you invite Zabrynna to your flat?"
"I don't know about that. Zabrynna's insisted we be very careful. I keep telling her that if others could see how we really feel about each other, we wouldn't have to sneak around but she says we have to wait awhile longer for that."
AJ says, "Wouldn't you like her to see where you live though? A message inviting her here, telling her it's safe wouldn't be difficult, now would it?"
"I suppose I could try. I would like to stop sneaking around. I'm so happy that Zabrynna loves me I want to share it with everyone."
"AJ and I will help you make your flat a romantic wonderland for your proposal to Zabrynna."
By the time they reach Declan's flat a short time later, AJ and Kissy have presented Declan with possible menu selections and decorative ideas. Once inside his living quarters AJ helps Declan draft Zabrynna's invitation to the castle. Kissy makes a show of making a list of what they'll need for the decorations and dinner, and to tidying up the already fairly tidy flat.
When the invitation is done, Kissy leaves with it on the pretext of going to owl it and then to go pick roses. What she actually does is go to the store of potions to find what love potion antidotes are in stock. She does gather flowers from some of the gardens and greenhouses. There is a letter that Kissy owls off but it's one letting Zabrynna know that Declan is down with with something Madam Pomfrey thinks is contagious and that she won't let him leave the hospital wing until tomorrow at the earliest.
While she's out of the flat, AJ and Declan talk more about what Declan thinks Zabrynna would like to eat for the dinner then take stock of what Declan has in his kitchen and what is still needed. Declan also talks at length about the exact manner in which he should propose, including toying with the idea of baking the ring into a dessert.
Kissy returns just in time to hear Declan saying to AJ, "The only flaw in this plan is that I should be leaving about now to meet with Zabrynna as originally planned."
To this AJ replies, "Yes, but while it must be torture to wait a little longer to see her, think of how much she's going to love the effort you've made to make this dinner special."
Kissy starts arranging the flowers and suggests, "Why don't you go on and shower, Declan? We can start making the dishes for you to taste."
"Thanks you two. Zabrynna's going to love this!" Declan enthuses. Humming a merry tune he heads into the bedroom, leaving Kissy and AJ to start making the food for Declan to taste. There are five antidotes for them to lace into the food. If any of them are going to work, whichever one it is should almost immediately affect the spell of the love potoin Declan's been given.
When they hear the shower going, Kissy hurries in to get Declan's wand. Once in the kitchen area with AJ again, he asks her, "Do you think they've... slept together?"
"God, I hope not! This is going to be hard enough on him as it is without having that added to everything. Somehow I don't think the fact that he isn't himself would alleviate any guilt he'd feel over that if they have."
"What do we do about Zabrynna? Her parents are going to have to know. Dumbledore should too since this could very well make a difference on whether Zabrynna continues on as a student."
"Or Declan as a professor."
"If Professor Dumbledore doesn't hold Ethan Somerset to blame for what he did when under You-Know-Who's influence then I don't see how he could justify blaming Declan or holding him accountable for what might have happened, which we don't know yet if it has."
"I agree. I so very much hope that sex between them isn't an issue in all this."
Declan rejoins them only a few minutes later, just in time to sample a dip that AJ had quickly whipped up. While they work on other dishes and on getting the flat looking like a cozy setting for a romantic, pop the question dinner for two lovebirds, Kissy and AJ hide their disappointment when the first antidote, in the dip, doesn't seem to make a difference.
Kissy is soon offering Declan another starter to try, glad that Declan is so eagerly enthusiastic about everything and the thought of asking Zabrynna to marry him, that he doesn't notice the edginess and worry oozing from his two friends. AJ's got a third dish cooking, debating whether to speed the process up with magic so that if the second antidote doesn't work, they can quickly have Declan on a third.
The faster they know if any of the five they have will do the trick, the faster one of them can get to Hogsmeade, to buy something in one of the shops or apparate to Diagon Alley to get something from there. They do, afterall, only have so much time before Declan's going to expect Zabrynna and start getting antsy if she doesn't show. In his state of mind, he wouldn't wait long before insisting he check on her, and when that happens, Kissy and AJ know that's when they'll have to stun Declan or subdue him some other way.
AJ hates the thought of having to render Declan unconscious or bind him or forcibly restrain him some other way while the potion wears off. He supposes they could call on Dumbledore or Severus Snape to help them pinpoint what antidote to use. For that matter, they could go to Zabrynna and insist she hand over what she's using.
That will happen. AJ just prefers not to confront Zabrynna until Declan is under control. Things have the potential to get ugly enough without having the love sick Declan feel that Zabrynna's threatened.
Pulling the pan from the oven, AJ calls out, "Have something else for you to try."