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Moving In
Author: Illyria
Date: 05-30-09 10:00
All of the belongings Illyria had left behind at Hogwarts after being snatched by the Relocation Assistance Committee had been boxed up and stored in an unused room in the castle so that Professor Quigley could move into Illyria's old quarters. Illyria marveled that her belongings hadn't been thrown out and surmised that Professor Snider simply hadn't been that specific with the house elves assigned to the task of moving out her things.
Illyria had been given back her job at Hogwarts, though she would be sharing the post as Professor of Astronomy with Celeste Quigley. Illyria would be teaching the younger set of students (years one through four) and Celeste would have the O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. level students. Illyria didn't mind sharing this time since the line wasn't drawn between pures and "nons" like it had been the last time there'd been two professors per course.
The house elves helped her move into her new quarters, which weren't very far from her old rooms. She also had a new office, one considerably bigger than the one-time broom closet Professor Snider had moved her into two years ago. The second Astronomy classroom had already begun its transformation into one equivalent to the room Professor Quigley had been using. Illyria rememembered how hard she'd worked to make it look as nice as possible after Professor Snider had selected it and its mismatched furniture for the one the "nons" would use. It was so much more improved now and very nearly a mirror image of the other one.
The two Astronomy professors would have to share the Observation Deck as before, though this time there wouldn't be preferential treatment for one group over the other. Illyria and Celeste would carefully coordinate their classes and even take advantage of other lookout points in the castle and on the Hogwarts grounds.
Illyria couldn't wait for classes to begin again, and she was especially pleased that Marzi would be coming back to Hogwarts too.
Thinking of her friend had Illyria deciding it was time to take a break from organizing her personal quarters and to see if maybe Marzi wanted to get a drink in the village.
Talking With Ginny While Waiting For Ron
Author: Harry Potter
Date: 05-30-09 10:24
Ginny Weasley brings a tea tray in from the kitchen, setting it down on the table before sitting down in the chair opposite the couch where Harry sprawls. "I can't imagine what's taking Ron so long."
"He was looking at more houses, wasn't he?"
"Yes, but only two and one of them he's looked at already. I think he should take Dierna's house."
"Of the ones I've looked at with him, that would be my choice, but maybe I'm a little biased," Harry says, taking a cup of tea from Ginny.
"Dierna your godmother and someone you know is trustworthy so you know she's offering a good deal on the house. A neighbor who is your godfather and whose children are your godchildren. Biased? You? Never!"
"Maybe if Ron doesn't buy it I will."
"But you love Wildwood and the Coventry area is so nice."
"I do like my house and the area but Dierna's house is really nice and a great area."
"What does Janine think?"
"Don't know. Haven't mentioned it to her. If I actually decided to make an offer on Dierna's house, I'd discuss it with Janine, of course."
"Is she still spending most of her time with her parents?"
"Yes, she is. I haven't had too much free time and it seems when I have it, she's busy and when she has it, I'm busy."
"As everything gets back to normal and running smoothly again, things for you two will improve."
"I hope so," Harry says, staring down into his teacup, not wanting to let on to Ginny just how depressed he's been about how Janine's parents, her father mainly, still seem to blame much of what took place over the past two years on Harry, starting with Euphemia Smythe-Jones being named Minister for Magic and Albus Dumbledore's disappearance. It's made Janine's renewed efforts to bring her parents and Harry together as family. At least Pinky gets his time with Rocko every day, the two of them still making quite a sight on their jaunts through the small Wizarding park they frequent.
Changing the topic Harry asks, "Your Quidditch tryout is tomorrow?"
"It starts tomorrow but the tryout is actually over several days. I'm confident I'll do well but I'm also very nervous. It's been awhile since I played. Practicing with my brothers and you isn't quite the same. Others are in the same predicament though which is why the tryouts are being spread out over a few days. We'll start with warm-ups and then have a number of short, scrimmage matches to not only get those trying out comfortable with playing again but those already on the team haven't had as many matches the past year to two years as they normally would. Plus, they had all been farmed out to other teams to bring numbers up when teams were depleted."
Harry nods in understanding. "So those coming back as members of the Holyhead Harpies can benefit from all the time they can get playing as teammates again."
"Yeah. More tea?"
"No, I'm good, thanks."
"I'll take a cuppa. I'm knackered," Ron announces, coming through the door that leads up from the joke shop below.
Dropping down beside Harry, Ron thanks his sister for the cup then asks Harry, "You're going to Emrys Fest with us, aren't you? You and Janine?"
"I'm planning on it. Hermione and I had lunch together at the Ministry recently and we discussed it. She said she's organizing a list of who should bring what in the way of blankets, portable chairs, food."
"You do realize when Hermione said she was organizing a list, she already had it done?" Ron grins. His grin turns a little more serious. "You didn't say if Janine's coming."
"I think she is. We've briefly talked about it and I know she wants to go."
Ginny refreshes Ron's tea. "I hope she'll make it. It will be nice to see her and the festival should be a grand time."
"Charlie's playing, right?"
"He's SO excited," Ron says. "Dragon's been putting in extra time practicing."
Grinning Ginny gushes, "Schuyler knows some of the songs and walks around singing them. Then Little Arthur will start trailing along behind Schuyler singing his own version of the songs. They are so cute!"
"Before Ginny breaks into her imitiation of Little Arthur imitating Schuyler, I'm going to refreshen up real quick," Ron says putting the teacup onto the serving tray and standing up. "Hermione's meeting us there. You're coming, aren't you, Ginny?"
"Pass up a very nice meal at a very nice restaurant when someone else is paying? Of course I'm coming!" Ginny laughs.
Ginny and Harry talk more Quidditch while waiting on Ron then the three depart from the flat the siblings share to meet up with Hermione, Harry unable to stop the depressive feeling that surges forth at not having Janine join them once again.
Thoughts
Author: Ginny Weasley
Date: 05-30-09 12:56
Later that evening, after dinner is over and Ginny has returned to the flat she probably won't be sharing much longer with Ron, Ginny putters around straightening up, though the place is already tidy. As she works and then as she makes herself a pot of tea to drink to have while reading before going to bed, she tries not to think about the Quidditch tryout tomorrow with the Harpies. It's difficult not to though when it's something Ginny's finding more and more how much she really wants as the first day of the tryouts draws near. Ginny has to keep reminding herself that if she doesn't make it, she has so many other things going at the moment that it won't be as devastating a blow as it would be if she were pinning all her hopes on making the team.
At times through the evening Ginny is more successful at not thinking about the next day's Holyhead Harpies tryouts and whether in a few days she'll have a dark green robe emblazoned with a golden talon on the chest. Unfortunately, when she's successful at nothing thinking about that, her mind goes to Harry.
Every time Ginny hears that there's a strain between Harry and Janine Fox at the moment, she wants to do a dance giddily about. This instantly makes her feel guilty. Afterall, it's not as though she intensely dislikes Janine. Ginny likes Janine and thinks of her as a friend. She believes Janine thinks of Ginny as a friend as well.
No, Ginny does not dislike Janine in the slightest and all in all, Harry has been happy with Janine.
Ginny just wishes Janine would find someone else and that Harry and she would part amicably so that eveyrone remained friends. Then perhaps Harry would look at Ginny with renewed interest, see her as someone other than a little sister figure.
Putting her book aside with a sigh, Ginny lifts the tea cozy off the pot to see how warm the brew still is. She ends up tapping the pot with her wand before pouring herself another cup, to which she adds some lemon and honey. As she stirs the mixture, Ginny decides that as long as she's going to have Harry on the mind, she needs to think more about the party she's throwing for him, Neville, and Janine.
Neville's birthday is the 30th of July, with Harry's the next day on the 31st, and Janine's the day after that on August 1st. When she began putting the party together, a surprise for all three honorees, Ginny had debated on which date to hold it. At first she'd thought that August 1st would be perfect because not only would Neville and Harry not be expecting a party for them on Janine's birthday, but August 1st is a Friday. Ginny had already ruled out that Saturday because it's Emrys Fest.
The party is not to be the Friday of the first. It's to be that Thursday. When plans for that Friday fell through, Ginny went with going for the day that fell in the middle of the three, the 31st of July. The Friday was a no go because of Otis Fox. When Ginny had contacted the Foxes about doing the surprise party, Otis Fox had coldly informed Ginny that on Janine's birthday, Janine would be treated by her parents to a family dinner. Somehow, without having to ask, Ginny knows Harry won't be included in that family dinner.
Sighing again, Ginny gently moves Ron's cat Hero from her lap, telling the small cat, "My thinking's going around and around in circles. Maybe I should just go to bed now and try to sleep so I'm all rested for tomorrow. What do you think?"
The cat meows, leans into Ginny's leg then runs at a fast trot to the kitchen. Getting off the couch, Ginny carries the tea pot and cup into the kitchen after the cat. Hero is standing at her bowl, giving Ginny an impatient, "Mmmroow." Laughing, Ginny says, "Fine, I'll feed you first then try and get some sleep."
Once in her room, Ginny hope she dreams about Quidditch and not about Harry.
Parental Problems
Author: Ella
Date: 05-30-09 13:08
Ella's parents had acted strangely ever since she'd come home from Hogwarts. They'd never been overly affectionate with each other, at least not in front of Ella, but now it seemed like they avoided one another. Dunstan Harville, a solicitor with the Ministry of Magic, often worked late and on the weekends, when before he worked a traditional 9-5, Monday-Friday week. Rosemary, his wife, also worked longer hours.
If Ella didn't think something was going on that she should probably know about, she might have been thankful for the lack of supervision her parents' long work hours gave her. She sometimes took advantage of their extended absences to spend some time with Zane, whom she explained away her return to Hogwarts in the fall by saying she'd flunked the previous year and was determined to pass. She hadn't shown him the prefects badge she'd surprisingly gotten, figuring he didn't need to know about it. So far he seemed to believe her outright lie.
Most of the time, Ella found herself distracted. What the heck had happened to her parents while she'd been away at Hogwarts? What was the big secret they weren't telling her? She just knew that something was going on––something big.
She finally couldn't take it anymore. Her father had just come home from the office and her mother was just leaving to run some errands. Before Rosemary could reach the fireplace, Ella said, "Can somebody please tell me what's going on with you two?"
Dunstan and Rosemary exchanged glances. Although they didn't say anything to each other, it looked to Ella as if they were communicating. Finally, Rosemary sighed and moved away from the fireplace. She sunk onto the sofa and patted the empty space beside her. Dunstan sat down in a neighboring armchair.
Ella suddenly felt reluctant to know what was going on. She crossed the room and stiffly sat down next to her mother, afraid of what they had to say to her.
Rosemary spoke first. "Ella, your father and I have been talking lately––"
"Really? I haven't seen any talking going on between the two of you."
"Ella! You wanted to know what is going on between your mother and me, so I suggest you keep your commentary to yourself until we've finished talking," Dunstan barked.
Ella clamped her mouth shut and crossed her arms over her chest.
"As I was saying," Rosemary continued, "your father and I have been having some... marital problems. We haven't told you because we were trying to sort it out for ourselves but I think we've both reached the conclusion that we've simply moved on and that there's nothing we can do but separate."
"What?" Ella exclaimed.
"Ella," Rosemary said, taking one of her daughter's hands into her own, "your father and I are getting a divorce."
Ella sucked in a breath. Her parents probably thought she was upset about their impending separation but something else had come to mind that had her worried.
"So... you're not going to New Zealand together anymore?" she asked in a soft voice.
"No, Ella. We've called off the trip," Rosemary replied solemnly. "Since you didn't want to go anyway and it would have just been the two of us... there just wasn't any point anymore."
Well, damn, Ella thought to herself. Her plans to spend that time with Zane had just fallen through. She frowned to herself, first thinking about him, but then her parents' upcoming divorce really hit her. She started to tear up, and when she couldn't control herself any longer, she got up and ran from the room.
Dumbfounded
Author: Majandra
Date: 05-30-09 15:39
Maj steps back to look at the new drapes Molly and she made for the Burrow's living room and have just put up. "Very nice, dear," Molly says, slipping an arm around Maj's shoulder and giving her a squeeze.
"Yes, quite liven up the room," Albus Dumbledore says from the entrance to the kitchen.
Not having heard anyone enter, both women jump. Molly, with a startled laugh, tells him, "After my heart stops pounding from fright, I'll give you a proper hello, Professor."
"I knocked, Molly, but you must have been preoccupied enough not to hear."
Maj says warmly, "Who would have thought that hanging curtains would have us off our guard? I can't even blame the baby crying. Listen to me. That baby is one now. Good to see you, Professor Dumbledore. How are you?"
"I am quite well, thank you. And you? Molly?"
"My to-do list is so long I sometimes think I'd be better off living on the run again," Molly states, breezing past him to go into the other room. "Come into the kitchen. I'll put the kettle on."
Professor Dumbledore moves slightly aside to allow Majandra to pass, smiling down on her as she replies to his question. "I'm good. Having two children and a husband who loves inventing new joke items keeps me busy. I do not know how Blossom does it with triplets and another on the way nor how Molly did it. Her seven were little stair steps."
"I have found Molly to be quite a resourceful woman. Though a challenge to raise seven children, they have all turned out to be wonderful individuals who have already made great contributions."
"Go on, now," Molly says, plunking down a tray of sugar biscuits and brownies. "You're making me blush. Tea? Or something else, Albus?"
"Tea would be excellent and would one of these brownies."
Maj gets saucers for the refreshments and after handing one to Professor Dumbledore sits down across the table from him. Taking one of the brownies as well she says, "These are not the prettiest things to look at but are very tasty. Larkin and Miranda helped their grandmother make them just this morning."
"I agree they are tasty. I have found my sweet tooth is more prominent these days. I think it wants to make up for being deprived for nearly two years."
Placing a cup of tea in front of Professor Dumbledore, Molly asks, "To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"
"I came to talk to your daughter-in-law here. I had been in Hogsmeade where I saw George. Before I left the shop I asked where you would be today, Majandra."
"What do you need of me, Professor Dumbledore?"
"As you are by now probably aware, we are introducing some changes for the better at Hogwarts. There will be two professors for all of the core courses. After discussing Potions at length with Severus Snape, he is going to take the upper level, which will be the fifth, sixth, and seventh years. You are both his first choice and mine for the lower level, which is the first through fourth years. Are you interested in being a Potions Mistress for Hogwarts?"
Momentarily dumbfounded, it takes Molly poking Majandra before she's able to speak. "I'd be honored! I do need to discuss it with my husband first but my initial answer is yes."
Old Friends
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 05-31-09 09:45
Dylan Cornfoot expelled a deep breath and looked at each member of his staff with great fondness and admiration.
"You all really pulled through, and I can't thank you enough for the hard work you put in to this extraordinary effort. The return of Emrys Fest is something we've all been wanting, and it's really going to happen because of each and every one of you. Does everyone have a schedule?"
Nods went around the cramped studio.
"Good. Then I'll see you all tomorrow."
Bronwyn was the first out the door, not because she didn't feel like hanging back and conversing with her coworkers but because she had some place to be. She'd received word from Sebastian that he and Arley would be in town starting today, and so they'd made plans to meet up for the first time in years.
Desi and Bianca had gone home a few weeks ago for the long-awaited reunion between Annabelle and Bianca. Desi and Bronwyn had decided not to tell Bianca about Annabelle's situation, feeling that an in person discussion between mother and daughter was probably best given how Bianca was likely to react to the news.
Desi had written soon after Bianca learned the truth and said that Bianca had taken the news just as badly, if not worse than Desi had herself. Nonetheless, Bianca understood why Desi and Bronwyn hadn't said anything, and she didn't blame Bronwyn for her father's part in Annabelle's predicament. In fact, she wanted to come back to attend Emrys Fest with Bronwyn and to do some more shopping together.
Bronwyn was expecting them to use an international floo conduit first thing in the morning.
She herself flooed from St. Emrys University to The Leaky Cauldron, where she had arranged to meet the boys. She found them at a table in the middle of the room, recognizable though each looking somewhat different too.
"Arley! Sebastian! Oh my god, it's been waaaaay too long!" she squealed happily and hugged them both as they got up to greet her. They seemed taller, broader, and very grownup from when they'd all been sixteen year olds at Hogwarts.
"You guys look great! How's New York? What have you two been up to all these years?" The questions came quickly and without any time for answers.
Arley and Seb exchanged glances and laughed. Bronwyn didn't seem to have changed at all, but she filled them in on everything that had happened in her life since they'd last seen each other. Attending St. Emrys, working as an announcer for the school's WWN station, marrying Toby Beck, and most recently living in Brisbane, Australia while in hiding from the Ministry of Magic.
"So, tell me about yourselves. What's new with you?" she asked them, after she'd finished talking about herself.
Just Like the Good Ol' Days
Author: Arlington J Montgomery
Date: 05-31-09 20:26
The boys flooed into the Leaky Cauldron from New York early in the morning. They were both excited to see their old friend, yet they wondered if Bronwyn was still as bubbly as ever.
“Are you nervous Arley?” Sebastian glanced across the table to his boyfriend.
“Arlington James!”
“Huh? What happened?” Arley’s eyes shot open “Sorry Seb…I was just thinking.”
“No, you were sleeping. Are you alright?” Sebastian looked him over, worried.
Before Arley could answer Bronwyn came in and the boys stood to greet her. "Arley! Sebastian! Oh my god, it's been waaaaay too long!" Bron hugged them both and they returned the greeting.
Seb shot Arley a grin as Bronwyn started her usual barrage of questions. She has not changed! Seb thought to himself.
"You guys look great! How's New York? What have you two been up to all these years?” She smiled as Arley pulled out a chair for her to sit and then the boys took their seats. Then she told them all about her life the past few years. Seb always wondered if she had ever gotten married, and it wasn’t much of a surprise to him that she married her true love.
“Thanks, you look great yourself. Congrats on getting’ hitched! I figured you would go back to him.” Arley grinned. “We get to meet him right? Gotta make sure we approve of ‘im.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes at his Texan and smiled at Bron. “It really is great to see you; it hasn’t been the same since school.”
"So, tell me about yourselves. What's new with you?" she asked them, after she'd finished talking about herself.
“Well Arlington and I are still together.”
Arley chuckled “We are? Really?!”
Again Seb rolled his eyes and turned back to Bronwyn. “We’ve been together since school. It’s nice finally being happy, but sometimes it’s hard being gay…”
Arley reached over and took Seb’s hand in his. He wasn’t the same shy boy he was back at Hogwarts. Back then he would hide his emotions from fellow classmates, afraid it would ruin his reputation of being the average American teenager. “It sure ain’t been easy though. Dad pretty much disowned me when he found out about us. He even cut me outta his will. Fallon’s been the only accepting family member that’ll still talk to me.”
“After graduation and the confrontation with Mr. Montgomery, Arlington and I decided to move to New York City where we would be better accepted. It has been great living here, and we were doing some modeling.” Seb grinned, the boys had always been attractive, but over the years they had matured a lot, Seb still thought Arley looked like a Greek God with his well toned mussels and long hair. Sebastian had grown into his lankiness and turned into a good looking man.
Arley smirked “Don’t make fun of the whole model thing, it’s been good money, but we’ve been thinking about moving on. Before Fallon disappeared she wanted us to try out for pro quidditch.”
“His sister went missing during the pureblood fiasco, Arley and I were lucky to be in the states since his father is a muggle they would have taken him. No one’s heard from Fallon since then, I keep telling Arley we should ask his father if he’s heard from her…”
Before Seb could finish Arley interjected “I told you, he won’t help us!”
“Relax…it’s only a suggestion” He gave Arley’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Thanks for inviting us Bronwyn, it’s going to be a lot of fun seeing everyone and I love to dance! Arlington is quite the musician himself! He can play guitar and has a beautiful voice.”
“Seb…I learned how to play back home on the ranch, never played in public. I get too nervous in front of people.” He blushed a little and looked to Bron. “Well I guess we’ve had pretty interesting lives since we last saw you, huh?”
Arlington and Sebastian sat and talked to their old friend for awhile, enjoying each other’s company was just like the good old days, and the boys missed it.