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Family Discussion
Author: Zabrynna
Date: 05-26-09 22:22
Sitting ramrod straight in a chair at an angle to the couch, Zabrynna looks over at her chair's twin and wonders what the bloody hell Mariposa is doing. Catching Zabrynna looking her way, Mariposa gives Zabrynna a baleful, almost condescending smile, which she then follows with the expression of smug superiority she's worn since the news was broken to the family about the love potion Zabrynna used on Declan Douglass. When not acting superior, Mariposa pretends like she's concerned about Zabrynna's mental state, and bemoaning how she fell down on her job as big sister to advise Zabrynna about crushes versus real love and the appropriate way to handle a given situation in which a male is involved.
It's enough to make Zabrynna want to hurl on Mariposa's designer shoes.
Zabrynna doesn't hate her sister, doesn't even dislike her per se. There are just certain times when Mariposa can be a pain in the arse. The last few days have been such a time. Add into the mix an age difference of about five years, Zabrynna sixteen and Mariposa not far from turning twenty-one, and the vast distance between the United Kingdom, and to Eastern Europe when Zabrynna was at Durmstrang, and Mexico and Costa Rica where Mariposa's mum and step-father split their time.
Zabrynna's parents, who'd been standing just out of the room in the hall, stop the whispering they'd been doing and enter the living room, making for the couch. They give her the same expressions they've been giving her since being paid a visit by none other than Albus Dumbledore himself. These expressions are of anger mingled with disappointment and puzzlement.
Margretta sits down first with Nolan Ravensdale acting as though he intends to remain standing but after Margretta taps him on the leg, he sits. Zabrynna's glad of that because even though there is a little distance between her chair and the couch, she really didn't want her father looming over her looking as though he's ready to flog her.
Margretta and Nolan look at each other then with a nod from Nolan, Margretta fixes Zabrynna with a hard, icy stare. "After a great deal of discussion, your father and I have reached a decision, Zabrynna. You already know how upset we are so there's no need to get bogged down in how hurt and angry we are."
Her mother pauses for just long enough that Zabrynna can't help but think she's supposed to say something. An acknowledgement perhaps on just how mortified her parents were at being told what she'd done?
Thankfully, Margretta starts talking again before Zabrynna can formulate something suitable to say.
"In addition to the restriction you are already under, you are to see a psychological healer. You will write formal letters of apology to Professor Douglass and to Professor Dumbledore."
"Why Dumbledore?" Zabrynna blurts out the thought without meaning to.
Nolan had been looking in Zabrynna's direction but without eye contact makes it now. "Do we really need to explain the reason, Zabrynna?"
Mariposa makes a know-it-all-ish type sound, earning her a stern glance from their father. Returning his gaze to Zabrynna he says, "Well?"
"No, sir. You don't have to explain."
Margretta resumes, "You will thank Professors Hodfuffer and Isuki for their intervention. All four letters are to include thanks for keeping your actions a private matter. That thanks should extend to Professor McGongall. As Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress, she has been apprised of what took place."
Glancing again at Mariposa then back to Zabrynna, Nolan says, "We have spoken to Spangler Nacht about your return to Durmstrang."
"What? No!" Zabrynna bursts out angrily. "Did Dumbledore expell me?"
Margretta cooly states, "Do not show your temper with us. Now is really not a good time to test our patience, young lady."
"Sorry," Zabrynna mumbles, eyes downcast. She'd known even before her use of the love potion was discovered that being sent back to Durmstrang was a real possibility. It's what pushed Zabrynna to finally use the love potion after carrying it around for months.
"No, Professor Dumbledore did not expell you, at least not yet. Professor Douglass and he are still debating on whether it is wise for you to return to Hogwarts," Nolan tells her. "Part of that decision will hinge on the counseling you receive; however, no matter their decision, your mother and I are strongly leaning towards re-enrollment at Durmstrang."
Magretta, clasping and wringing her hands, face deeply etched by the seriousness of her countenance, does sound quite as cool and calm when she says, "Your attitude has been steadily de-evolving since Christmas holiday that last term you were at Durmstrang. Frankly, I don't know if even that is the best option for you at this juncture. We are considering another La Escuela de la Esperanza de Artes Mágicas [The Hope School of Magical Arts]. Mariposa turned out wonderfully and she went through some of the same teenage attitude and angst we're seeing in you."
Unable to contain herself, Zabrynna has another outburst. "I don't want to go to Mariposa's school, I want to go back to Hogwarts or I won't go back to school at all."
"You will go where we tell you to go," Nolan barks.
"If the school is as it was when I went there, it's a very good school," Mariposa interjects, speaking for the first time.
"I don't care how good a school it is," Zabrynna snaps.
"You might like it," Magretta states. "You're going to get to find out. There is a summer session starting soon. As you know, it's a day school so you will be staying with Mariposa's mother and step-father. You will attend your classes and you will see the psychological healer. As the summer sesson draws to a close, your father and I will consult with the healer, the headmistress in Mexico City, Professors Dumbledore and Douglass, and Spangler Nacht. You are allowed to communicate with us. You will not, beyond the letters of apology and thanks, have any contact with any of the Hogwarts staff. You may compose letters to your friends explaining you will be away and that you won't be able to write them again the rest of summer. We will not brook any arguments from you about this. If you choose to be uncooperative, there is a psychiatric healing center for troubled teens that an available bed."
Zabrynna spends the rest of the family discussion, which she thinks is horribly misnamed since she's not being allowed to actually discuss anything, thinking of how she will use her time Mexico City to come up with a plan in case her parents decide against allowing her back at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, she knows part of that plan is going to be convincing everyone that she simply let a crush on Declan Douglass get carried away. Perhaps one day in the future when she and Declan are married and have children who are partially grown, everyone will look back on this unfortunate turn of events and have a good laugh.
Lies My Father Told Me
Author: Jolyon
Date: 05-27-09 17:45
The halls of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries were alive with activity. Healers and nurses bustled about to treat patients, some of whom wandered the halls for exercise or to simply get away from their dull rooms. A number of wizards suffering ailments attained from the hardships of the communities occupied the beds at the wizarding hospital, but a great many more had been released over time. Besides the medical staff and patients, volunteers roamed the halls as they ran errands, and family members and friends of the sick and injured navigated between the hospital rooms and the Visitor's Tea Room.
Jolyon didn't know what had compelled him to come to St. Mungo's without his mother's summons to lead him there. He never willingly did anything that involved being within his father's presence if he didn't feel obligated to do so, and yet there he was, ambling down the corridor toward his father's room. For some reason he felt like he needed to visit, and he couldn't shake the feeling that if he didn't follow through with it, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
Perhaps his subconscious was telling him that today was the day Emanuel Kent would die, finally after all these weeks of allegedly being on his death bed. Jolyon had never been any good at Divination and certainly didn't have the Sight, but for some reason he just knew he needed to see his father.
He drew to the hospital door but stopped outside when he heard his father's voice.
"Just keep doing what you've been doing. It hasn't been that hard to keep up the charade, has it?"
His tone had taken on the patronizing quality he often used with Jolyon.
"As long as I keep the other healers away from you, it shouldn't be a problem, but..." There was a calculating pause. "It's going to cost you."
Jolyon shook his head in disbelief. He knew his father had been faking his terminal illness. But why would he do such a thing. He decided to hang outside the room a bit longer and see if Emanuel revealed anything more.
"I'll give you what I've been giving you but not a knut more," Emanuel replied. There was movement in the bed and then the tell-tale sound of coins being removed from a pouch. The clinking of coins ceased and the conversation resumed.
"Of course, the longer you're supposedly on your deathbed, the more attention you're likely to draw," the healer drawled. "You'll have to give it up at some point."
"I don't need you to tell me that," Emanuel snapped. "Just do what I'm paying you to do, nothing more."
"Very well," the healer said impassively. "I need to do my other rounds."
Jolyon carefully moved away from the door and turned and walked in the other direction. He'd had half a mind to just storm into the room and to announce that the gig was up but a greater part of him wanted to find out more. Why would someone pretend to be on their deathbed? What possible reason could there be for faking the seriousness of his probably false ailments? He decided to go to his mother to see what he could find out about his father's illness.
Hickey Hiding Spell
Author: Sage Porter
Date: 05-27-09 18:36
Waiting for Jared to finish doing some chores, Sage is sprawled on one of the beds in Jared's room, head hanging just off the edge, giving him a slightly skewed, upside down view of the room. Jared's sister Julietta comes to the open door and tilting her head at Sage she says, "You don't have to wait in here, you know. Wouldn't you be more comfortable on the couch?"
"Nah, I'm good."
Etta shrugs and turns to go then tilting her head again she points to a spot on her neck, "You've got something there."
Sage takes a swipe at his neck but Etta shakes her head. "Not even close. It's not blood and I don't think it's food unless there's something edible in that particular shade of magenta that I don't know about."
Sage takes another swipe, looking at his fingers to see if there's anything on them. Etta grins and fully enters the room, grabbing a tissue off Jared's desk as she passes it. "You'll never get it that way."
Etta dabs at the spot on Sage's neck with her ministrations caushing him to roll away laughing. "That tickles!"
"I got part of it but some is still there." She looks at the tissue then to Sage's neck. "It looks like lipstick. Who have you been snogging who wears that shade of magenta lipstick?"
Sage rolls again, this time to grab the tissue from Etta and to fully sit up. Scrubbing at his neck, cheeks coloring slightly he informs her, "None of your business."
"Yes, well tell Georgia Copperpot not to leave marks that can't be scrubbed away," Etta says bemusedly and grins, tapping the left side of her neck.
"What?"
Etta's grin gets bigger and she touches her own neck again. "Girls can use makeup to cover theirs. I wonder if there's a spell for it. That would be more useful than makeup, especially for boys."
Etta's meaning sinks in. Sage gets up and goes over to the dresser mirror, bending his lanky frame. Turning his head this way and that, Sage not only spots the hickey Etta referred to as well as a second one. Bringing his face closer to the mirror, until it's practically touching, Sage tries to gauge just how bad the two hickeys are and whether either will darken more.
"You dropped this," Etta says from behind.
Turning to see what she's talking about, Sage see she's holding ome of the things he'd gotten at Oreileah McCoi's recent party. "I don't even remember putting it in my pocket."
"Have you lot decided which match to use your tickets on?"
"I suppose it's actually a voucher for a ticket but no, we haven't decided. I don't know if Alanna, Jared, and I will go together or not. We need to sit down with season schedules for teams we'd like to see and go from there."
"I'm going to try for the Gryffindor House team. I don't really care what position. I just want to play and want to have more than a single official game to play in."
"I'm trying for a slot on a St. Emrys team. You're the first to know."
"You've not even told Jared?"
"Nope."
"Ooooh, I'm so honored," Etta titters.
"Brat," Sage teases.
"You know, Jared tells me that all the time. I can't imagine why."
Chuckling Sage says, "I'm sure."
"All done," Jared says, walking into his room. "Ready to go?"
"Just whenever you are."
"Let's apparate but Mum doesn't like the loud crack resounding through the house so let's go out the back door and go from there," Jared says turning to go back into the hallway.
Sage follows closely behind with Etta bringing up the rear. She follows them to the kitchen then as Jared and Sage are stepping out the door, she calls out with a laugh, "You might ask my brother about that hickey hiding spell, Sage!"
"What's that about?" Jared asks.
"Tell you later," Sage replies, feeling his cheeks reddening again and one hand going up to his neck as he disapparates from the Wynbourne's back yard.
A Date?
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 05-28-09 18:37
Orei now stood outside the pub where she was supposed to meet Jim Raynor, one of her former classmates. The rain had let up for the past few hours and she was actually looking forward to this meeting, Maddie was working, she'd managed to get a job at the Diagon Alley Library.
"Oreileah?" She heard her name, and turned smiling as she saw the lanky frame of Jim coming toward her. "Thank you for meeting me. I was afraid you weren't going to come." He offered her a nervous smile. "Shall we?"
He held the door open for her and allowed her to enter before him, they headed toward a table toward the back. They shared some small talk, and ultimately Orei had to ask the question that had been burning on the tip of her tongue. "Alright, I have to know...why owl me all of a sudden out of the blue?"
Jim smiled, nodding his head, knowing that the question had been coming. "Because I've always had a crush on you, but you were always Brett's girl."
Orei blushed and focused her attention on her drink for several moments. "I'm no one's girl any more, life has diverged my path and Brett's and perhaps it's better this way, I haven't decided yet." She said, sipping the drink in her glass. "So, is this an attmept at a firt date?" She inquired looking up at him, and was delighted to see that it was his turn to blush.
"Maybe, it depends on if there is a chance to have a second date." He said, shifting in his seat and offering her a bright smile.
"Hmm, how about dinner tonight at the Imperial Crown and Cauldron?" Orei said, a soft smile curling her lips as she sipped her drink. "Say, around eight?"
"Sounds like a plan." He said and paid their bill, before rising and offering her arm. "Walk with me for a bit?"
She smiled and hooked her arm in his offered one. "So, are you going back to Hogwarts this year, since I know you lost a year because of the stupid restrictions." She asked as they walked toward the small park up the street.
"Yes, I'll be back at Hogwarts this year, I got my letter a couple of days ago." He said, as they began walking through the park watching the couples and families.
"I'll finally get to take my N.E.W.T.s and graduate with something worthy of my talent, instead of being looked on like I'm some sort of poisoned thing." He said, there was a trace of anger within his voice and she placed a soft hand on his shoulder.
"You'll do fine Jim. I have faith in you. Will help you if you need it, I'm living in the village now." She said with a smile. "Will show you after dinner if you want?"
Jim smiled. "Sounds like a plan. I've got some things I need to take care of, so I will see you at eight then." With that he left her with a kiss on the cheek and she apparated out of the park and headed home.
As A Family
Author: Plum
Date: 05-28-09 19:46
Arriving by Floo from Blossom's in Hogsmeade to The Leaky Cauldron, Plum starts dusting off her jeans and blouse, noting a flecks of teal colored paint across the legs of her pants from splatters when one of the four year olds accidently knocked over the paint pot. Wondering if a cleaning spell will take the paint off even though it's hours later or whether she should leave the splatters, as she rather likes the way they look, Plum hears her name.
Looking up at the same time she sides steps an arriving witch, telling the woman, "Sorry," for having been standing directly in the path of Floo arrivals, Plum smiles as Anthony draws near.
There are enough people in the pub that they exchange a quick, though very pleasant, kiss rather than subjecting everyone to an intense public display of affection. Drawing away from Anthony as she slips her hand into his, Plum tells him, "I'm sorry I'm a little late. Just as I was set to leave Dolly decided that biting three of the boys was the best way to let them know she's the boss of their little group. It took several of us to calm everyone down."
"You're less than ten minutes late and I knew that if you were ocming from the day care, there was a chance you wouldn't be able to leave exactly when you wanted," Anthony replies, giving her hand a warm squeeze. "Do you want something to drink or eat?"
"I'm fine right now. Maybe in a bit. I'm too curious to know what you wanted to show me."
"You'll see soon enough," Anthony says with a nod towards the back, where the small courtyard leading to Diagon Alley is located.
Anthony's already got his wand at the ready so quite soon they are stepping through the brick archway into the lane known as Diagon Alley. Plum was here only a few days ago but the place has gotten even busier since then. A very good sign.
Anthony leads Plum all the way down the street to the end, avoiding answering her questions about what he's up to by diverting the conversation to Emrys Fest and Dynamic Duo playing its first big venue in a long time. At the little shop called Runic Boutique Anthony heads not into the shop but to a pale green and black door just past the entrance to Runic Boutique.
Producing a key he says, "I was here earlier and the estate agent told me to hang onto the key when I said I wanted my girlfriend to see the place."
The door opens onto a small entry hall and a flight of stairs. Grinning, Anthony practically bounds up the stairs, pulling Plum by the hand. At the top of the stairs they turn on the landing, where there's a single door, and go up another flight. There's a landing and a single door there as well. There's also another flight of stairs.
"Those go up to the roof," Anthony says, using a second key to open the door they're standing in front of.
He pushes it open with a flourish, stepping aside to let Plum through. Plum walks into a suprisingly large loft looking space with large windows front and back, the front ones overlooking Diagon Alley. Walking over to one of the back ones Plum looks down to see the backside of Runic Boutique along with what look like some garden plots with vegetables and flowers.
A kitchen area takes up part of the flat's back space, giving one a not unpleasant view of those garden plots while cooking or eating an alcove space. On the far wall there's a single door. Curious, Plum steps toward it.
"There's a hallway to the bedrooms, bath and loo."
"Bedrooms?"
"Well, yes. You didn't think I'd look at a place with only one bedroom, did you?"
Plum laughs, turning to find Anthony has come up right behind her. "I hadn't known you were looking at any flats much less ones with more than one bedroom."
"Let's have a look. I want your opinion on the whole place."
Plum steps into the hallway. A few steps down there's another door. Further down she spots more. Either there's a closet or two or this place is much, much larger on the inside than one might suppose from the size of the building overall.
The door to the first room stands open. Anthony's in the middle of the space, doing a slow turn. "What do you think? Large enough to have a bed for Alex and leave him plenty of room to play? There roof's fenced in though so he'd have play space there as well."
Plum eyes him curiously. "You want Alex to spend the night sometimes?"
"Not just sometimes. All the time. Not here, necessarily. There are other flats to see and a couple of small houses; plus, there's the family residences at St. Emrys to check out."
"I think I'm confused," Plum says.
Pulling Plum into an embrace, Anthony says with a warm chuckle, "You haven't figured it out? I want us to live together. You, Alex, and me."
"As a family?"
"As a family."
Plum hadn't been expecting this. She doesn't want Anthony to feel like he's got to offer Alex and her a place to live. Doesn't want him to feel burdened. With Anthony's arms still around her, Plum turns to look at the room again, not really sure what to say.
Back to Normal
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 05-29-09 13:47
In the last few weeks Hermione started volunteering at St. Mungo's again to refamiliarize herself with the place and its procedures and secured a position at the Ministry of Magic in the Office of Magical Maladies. The Ministry of Magic had an onsite healer and nurse as well as others who dealt with scripting medical policies. Hermione filed paperwork for the policy makers and the medical staff and also shadowed the healer on the side.
More than anything she couldn't wait to return to her studies. Of course, she'd already done massive amounts of reading in anticipation of the mini sessions she would be taking next fall and spring. Denisia Massey had finally gotten back to Hermione and all the other wizards in the same situation with a detailed plan of how the reintigration into clinical rotations would work. In Hermione's case, she'd be taking two-week review courses based on the classes she took at St. Emrys followed up by review clinicals in Artifact Accidents and Creature-Induced Injuries, the two clinicals she'd already had behind her before she'd gone into hiding with Harry and Janine.
After that, presuming she passed everything (which of course she would, and with flying colors at that), the rest of her student healing experience would continue as normal.
Normal was something everyone wanted these days. Hermione's experience over the past year and a half or more hadn't been as life changing as it had been for people like Harry who'd been imprisoned in one of the communities, but it still hadn't exactly been normal. Wizards everywhere were falling into their old, comfortable routines with happier futures in mind.
Of course, no one would ever forget what had happened. How could anyone put aside the horrors they experienced in one of the communties or while being hunted and on the lam? Many wizards had moved on without the need for counseling or psychiatric potions. Some couldn't, however, and experienced varying levels of mental anguish. Hermione had seen several such individuals come through St. Mungo's and the Office of Magical Maladies at the Ministry.
She used a copying spell to duplicate a file and then glanced at the clock on the wall. Hermione had been working diligently all morning and hadn't taken a break. She felt a little hungry, so she decided to eat the candy bar she had in her purse and to see if Ron or Harry were free to take a break too.
Hermione hoped that they could all get together, not just the three of them but Janine, Ginny and anyone else who wanted to come, and go to Emrys Fest. She hadn't been to a concert in such a long time, and she wanted to do something normal like go to a music festival with her good friends. With that in mind and candy bar in hand, she sought out one or both of her dearest friends.
Surprise Party
Author: Oreileah McCoi
Date: 05-30-09 06:38
Orei flopped down on the couch in the living room, the WNN was broadcasting something but she wasn't really paying all that much attention to it at the moment. Today had been entirely uneventful so far, which only served to irritate her more because today was her birthday and it seemed every one had forgotten.
Not that it mattered really, I mean it wasn't like she was turning ten, eleven, or something like that when birthday's really mattered and you had every right to throw a tempertantrum if people forgot, but no, she was turning eighteen and it really didn't matter. Last year she'd turned seventeen and that was age of majority in the wizarding world, so what was a year beyond that?
Pushing up she decided to go take a shower, stripping out of the denim shorts and spaghetti strapped top she'd been doing some gardening in earlier she headed to the bathroom that was adjacent to her room. Letting the hot water begin to fill the bathroom with steam before she stepped in and shut the glass door.
About ten minutes into the shower there was a knock on the bathroom door and Maddie poked her head in. "You've got company, and a gift." She grinned, not bothering to tell Orei who had come to visit.
Killing the water, she toweled off and slipped back into her room to get dressed. A sundress with spaghetti stras, white with a spectrum running along the trim of strap and hem of dress was chosen along with a pair of white flipflops.
"SURPRISE!" Greeted her when she entered the living room. Maddie was grinning like the cheshire cat. "Happy birthday Orei."
She smiled, hugging everyone in turn. Her parents had come in for the party, Isma, Blake and Eric were there, as was Artemis and Tidus. About five minutes later there was a knock on the door and Jim showed up.
"Happy Birthday Orei." He said, kissing her cheek and pressing a small box into her hand. "Maddie figured I'd want to be here too, and she was right."
Orei blushed and kissed his cheek lightly and set about introducing him around to everyone (save Maddie). The cake was delicious as was the usual items that came from Briar's.
Orei couldn't help but roll her eyes when her father began interrogating Jim because he'd gone on one date with his daughter. After cake it was time for presents and Orei eagerly tore into all the brightly colored wrapping paper.
She'd gotten a picture frame that was magicked to flash through pictures from everyone of Orei's birthday's from her first, to her birthday last year from her parents. Maddie had gotten her a gift certificate to Gladrags to indulge her passion for clothes shopping. Tidus and Artemis had gotten her a Quidditch jersey from both the Griffins and the Vipertooths from Blane and Agrippa Colleges respectively at St. Emry's since those where the two colleges she was currently looking at attending within the Uni. Jim on the other hand, had gotten her a simple, sterling silver bracelet with a couple of charms on it: a wand, a broom, a snitch, and a heart.
Everyone settled into conversation and talked for most of the remainder of the day, ultimately Orei's parents had to head back to Japan, which saddened Orei a bit, but at least she'd gotten to see them. Hugging them tightly she let them leave, flopping back down in her favorite chair. "So, I'm thinking dinner at the Imperial Crown & Cauldron, and then we can go from there?" Orei said, letting her hand drape lightly over Jim's shoulder as he sat down on the floor in front of her chair.
"Sounds like a plan." Maddie said, shifting and curling her legs beneath her. "Oh! Tidus, Artemis, you guys want to come with us to Emry's Fest? You too Jim." All three nodded and they soon set about playing a few muggle board games until it was time to head to dinner.