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Late Start To Work
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 07-21-10 19:23
Griffin had arrived for work a few minutes late, something that's rare for him. Carys is still depressed over the whole Decimus Clarke incident and the memories it churned up of her time at Goen Bren. She's not gotten any sort of psychological help for everything that happened at the prison camp - including her grandmother Mairwen's death - nor for this attack by Clarke. His trial resulting in a sentencing to Azkaban didn't seem to offer Carys any closure from what Griff can tell.
Griff is concerned and has said as much to Carys. His sticking his nose into her business goes beyond the fact that she is the mother of his son and what affects her, affects Tristan. Griff loves Carys and it's tearing at him that there's really nothing he can do himself to help her. These days he's doing as much as he can, from going in the mornings to help get Tristan dressed and fed, to grocery shopping, to helping with housework, to getting Tristan bathed and ready for bed. Griff has even been doing a great deal of cooking for breakfast and dinner, and lunch when his work schedule allows, not that Carys has much interest in food.
Griff was late this morning because Tristan was a bear about getting up and dressed. When Griff finally did get the toddler up and fully clothed, Tristan went running through the house, taking off clothing as he went and giggling uproariously the entire time. Then, stark naked, he'd run into the yard to play hide and go seek. Griff is in excellent shape but keeping up with a determined to play not quite four year old is harder than he would have thought. By the time he'd located Tristan, washed off all the mud he'd somehow found to coat himself with, gotten him dressed and fed, Griff was late.
The good thing is that so far no one has said anything to him about being late, though Griff doesn't know if it's because he rarely ever is or because no one noticed or because his tardiness was noticed but his immediate superiors are simply too busy to call him on it. Entering his workspace, Griff grimaces at the sight of the stack of paperwork he'd left yesterday. Griff has a couple of open cases, one an on-going murder investigation and the other stalled while the British Ministry irons out an extradition agreement with Albania.
Some of the Aurors and other law enforcement personnel tend to work with the same partners over and over. Griff is one that so far he's worked with a number of different partners, when he's had a partner that is. The stalled case is one he's working on with Gawain Robarbs. The murder investigation is one he's partnered with Harry Potter on. The paperwork in need of finishing is from both those cases as well as other, recently closed cases.
"Have a minute?" Ruth Gainsborough asks.
Glad for a reason not to dive into the pile of parchments Griff gestures her to a chair, "For you, anytime."
Ruth hands Griff a file that's bodly stamped CONFIDENTIAL. "This is something Sinead's been working on. Kingsley's given his approval to show you."
"So this is just between us, in other words."
"Exactly."
Griff opens the file and does a quick look over its contents. "Sinead's working this?" Sinead being Sinead Keddle, a covert operative under Ruth and who Griff partnered with on a case when he too worked for Ruth. "Why would your branch be on this?"
Ruth shuffles the file's papers to a photograph of couple sitting at a restaurant table, heads together, smiling for the camera. "This man. Rufus Henshaw. He's got his fingers in a number of pies, ranging from human trafficking to funding dark arts experiments. We believe in some cases, the human trafficking is for the dark arts experiments."
"This one murder listed sounds similar to a murder I'm working."
"Which is why I brought this to you. There could be a connection."
"I've got the okay to show Harry Potter? I'm partnered with him on the case."
"Yes, but that's as far as this goes. We believe Henshaw has someone in this department on his payroll. Is Potter here now?"
"Should be soon. You know about his hand?" At Ruth's nod Griff tells her, "Harry had a healer's appointment this morning for a check-up on it."
"Both of you come to lunch at noon. 5 Petersham Road, Richmond. Muggle place called Aangan. You can read the file in-depth there. I hope Potter likes Indian."
"We'll be there."
Ruth shuts the file and gets up. "See you then. Also, be prepared to tell me why you've not brought Tristan for a visit at Auntie Ruth's."
Griff grins. "How about we come this evening?"
"Excellent. I'll have his favorites."
With that, Ruth leaves Griff to his paperwork, as he watches for Harry to arrive and keeping a eye on the clock.
Going to Romania
Author: Linnea Rose
Date: 07-22-10 10:32
Well I had been home for a while and I missed school when we got home but now I had get use to have summer holiday. My sister was happy to be home because she really enjoyed being home. Our parents really were happy now that they had us both home and they could take us to places we wanted to go.
Like yesterday our parents asked us if we would love to go to Romania and have a nice family holiday. Both my sister and me where happy too go to Romania so we sat us down and started to plane what we should do. Mum and dad said they wanted to see some culture things and my sister wanted to shop. So we end up planing to see some famous place and go shopping and everyone being happy.
Our parents said we should go in a couple of days so we need to pack the things we need. So today I was to plan on what to take with me for a two weeks trip. Well I wanted to have some books but I could not really think of what book I would take.
-Maybe this or this, I said holding my Magic famous witches or Little Women (which I had got from my aunt in birthday present last year).
-I take this, I said holding my Magic famous witches book and put down in the trunk that has been empty when I got home.
I started to put down my clothes in the coffort and tried to close it. I realised it was hard to pack so good as Mama because she could really get much to fit in trunk, because the things I put in my trunk now was not so much as I had when it was stuffed with school things. Now it was filled with things and I had put all the things I wanted in it so now I was ready to go to Romania.
In the Hospital
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 07-22-10 17:38
Lysander woke up in a Muggle hospital with his best friend Julian sitting at his bedside.
"How...?" was all Lysander managed before his voice gave out on him.
Julian got up and poured him a cup of water from a pitcher at Lysander's bedside. He handed the cup to Lysander and explained, "The local aurors have a person on the Muggle police force. Your wand had been taken into evidence, and the information that you and the dead man––who also had a wand on his person––were wizards was passed along to this country's Ministry of Magic. They eventually found out your identity, and to make an even longer story short, I'm here to take you home when you're discharged."
Lysander had, in the interim, finished the entire cup of water and handed it empty to Julian. He looked at the machines that beeped by his bedside and at the tubes that were hooked to his body. As a wizard, none of it felt right to him.
"Have the police talked to you yet?" asked Julian.
"Yes," Lysander said. His throat didn't feel quite so dry now that he'd drunk an entire cup of water. "When I was first admitted here. Seems like ages ago, but it must have been very recently. I'm not sure how long I've been here."
"I talked to one of the nurses. She said you've mostly slept since arriving here, so it's only natural that you've lost track of time."
"Why haven't the local wizarding authorities stepped in yet and erased the memories of the Muggle police who found me?" Lysander wondered.
"I don't know," Julian said, shrugging. "Different country, different rules I suppose. I'm not sure what the Muggle police think about it anyway. What did you tell them?"
"Very little," Lysander said. "I think I was mostly out of it anyway."
"I can't say I know anything about what they think, but I can't imagine they knew what to make of your wands. They probably think Adallah died of a heart attack, since there are no marks on his body to prove otherwise... right?"
"Right, other than what he sustained when he fell," Lysander answered.
"Could be the Ministry isn't concerned that magical secrecy is at risk," Julian said. He stopped talking when a nurse came in to check Lysander's vitals.
When she left, he said, "It's a miracle they found you, though. One of the aurors on the case told me that the cabin had been shielded from Muggle eyes."
"Then how...?" Lysander started, but then he came up with the answer all on his own. "Khalid Adallah's death. When he died, the enchantment was lifted."
"That's what they said," Julian replied, nodding. "Apparently some beachcombers smelled something awful coming from the cabin and notified the police. You know the rest."
Lysander nodded. He did, and he was lucky to be alive.
"How's Charlotte?"
"She misses her daddy," Julian said. "I couldn't tell her the truth."
"I'm glad you didn't," Lysander said, thinking about how devastated Charlotte would have been to think something awful had happened to him.
"And Astrid?"
Julian didn't say anything for a long moment. Then he said, "She's been searching for you."
Lysander studied his friend's face. "Why do I get the feeling there's more to that statement."
Julian shook his head. "I don't know what she's up to, but last I heard, she'd gone to Argentina."
Lysander sunk back into his pillow. "There's no way that's a good thing."
"Probably not," Julian admitted, "but there's no way I'm letting you go after her until you're fully healed. And you better not run off to Argentina without spending some quality time with your daughter first."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Lysander answered honestly. Charlotte was the person he longed to see most right now. Astrid was a strong second, but she could wait.
Getting A Flatmate
Author: Travis
Date: 07-22-10 18:55
In her flat above Botanicals & Beyond Travis relaxes in her favorite chair, reading a book by one of her favorite authors, half listening to a WWN program softly playing music, and munching on cool, crunchy, cut up veggies. A sound from the fireplace has her sitting up straight with a start. Lisianthus steps from it, dragging a trunk behind her. Seeing Travis, Lisi drops the trunk then throws her hands up as if greatly exasperated. Before Travis can ask anything, Lisi's words confirm the emotion of her body language and etched into her face.
"I can't take it any longer! That woman makes me want to check myself back into the mental hospital!"
There is no need to ask who that woman is. Motioning for Lisi to sit, Travis asks instead, "What's she done now?"
"She's matchmaking."
"For you?"
"Me. Indigo. You."
"ME?" Travis's voice rises more sharply than she intended. Adjusting her modulation she asks again, "Me?"
"Mum says that while she is far too young to be a grandmother - continuing to moan about the fact that we refer to her as Mum in front of others instead calling her Morticia - she cannot truly find piece of mind until we are each as happily settled as she is."
"Sounds like something Mum would say, complete with the delusion she's happily settled, though I suppose she's as happily settled as she'll ever be considering that only a few months ago she was thinking of divorcing Roddrick on the off chance of having a fling with some Spanish cooking instructor."
"What? Wait. Santos? Mum was going to have an affair with Santos?"
"You met him?"
"I went with her when she was checking into what classes were offered and I went with her a couple of times to the class. Mum was thinking of getting a divorce? But she seems to genuinely care for Roddrick."
"She said she was bored."
"Which is why she's been taking cooking classes, first the Spanish ones and now French. She actually said she was considering divorce because was bored?"
"Yes. Bored and the Spanish cuisine instructor was such a lovely, lovely young man."
Lisi sighs dreamily. "Yes, that Santos is. If Mum wanted to fix me up with him, I wouldn't object to going on a date."
Travis snaps her fingers at her sister. "What of the French cooking instructor?"
"A woman about Mum's age. Do you think Mum would simply have an affair rather than get a divorce?"
"She said she takes her marriage vows seriously, so no. She was adament about that but then she also denied contemplating a divorce simply to be able to bed the Spanish chef."
"I could... you know." Lisi waggles a finger at her temple.
"You could but would you really want to be secretly delving into our mother's mind?"
Lisi shudders. "Good point."
"Let's get back to the matchmaking thing. Has Mum going anyone in mind yet?"
"Do you remember Waldo Humphrey?"
Travis blanches. "She wants you to marry Waldo Humphrey."
"No."
"Huh?" But even as she says this, Lisi's meaning sinks in. Travis's eyes grow wide. "ME? Oh, God, no! What in Merlin's name is she thinking?"
"He's got a cousin named after some character in some Muggle novels. Frodo."
"For you?"
"For me."
"Does Frodo have a last name?"
"Humphrey as well. Waldo's father and Frodo's father are brothers."
"And for Indi?"
"Angeleeka Peele."
"The woman sounds like a braying mule when she laughs."
"I pointed that out to Mum. She said that given Indigo's profession as a veterinary healer, he should appreciate such a laugh."
Travis closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose then lets out a long, weary sigh. Opening her eyes again she says, "You may stay here, of course, and I think we should get Indi over here to discuss how we are going to handle Mum this time as a united front. I'll pop down to the clinic and get him."
"While you do that, I'm going to load up on cookies from Briar's before the bakery closes. I'm going to need lots of sugary sustenance tonight."
Travis nods in agreement then says, "Pick up a cake. Maybe a pie. A variety."
They walk out the door together, descending down to street level. Travis walks down High Street to McFusty's with Lisi going with her as far as Briar's. When she'd said pop down to the veterinary clinic, she hadn't literally meant it, though maybe she should have apparated afterall because though the walk is short, it gives Travis time to get even more worked up over Morticia Munch's latest effort to control the lives of her adult children.
On the Mend
Author: Isolde
Date: 07-23-10 09:07
Although at first, nothing had seemed to change when Isolde had taken the experimental potion the healers had given her to counteract the effects of the other experimental potion she had taken to cure her paralysis, her health had shown remarkable improvement over a short period of time. She almost felt like her old self again.
She'd been released from St. Mungo's early on but had to return on a weekly basis for checkups. Since the new potion was experimental and could possibly also have negative side-effects, it was important that she make regular visits to the hospital. So far, the healers were only impressed by the improvements she made with every visit. Isolde no longer coughed uncontrollably or coughed up blood. She'd regained a regular appetite and was gradually putting on the weight she had so recently lost.
Isolde was naturally relieved to be on the mend and no longer on death's door, but no one was more pleased than her family, and especially Pyrrhus. What she had said to him when she thought she was dying still held true. She did want to get married sooner than later, and that was how she and her mother found themselves at Majandra Weasley's house.
A date hadn't been set yet but Isolde and Pyrrhus had thought about getting married before summer's end, or at the very latest, before the end of the year. Isolde had really thought that she would get married in her hospital bed, but now that the future looked brighter, she could plan a real wedding. It would more than likely be small, with just family and a few friends, but nevertheless nicer and happier than any hospital wedding could be.
Majandra had several dresses for Isolde to try on, which she did, one after the other, to determine which she liked best or what elements she liked in each. Majandra measured and pinned the dresses to fit Isolde, who hoped her size wouldn't change too much from now until the actual wedding. She still wasn't quite to her normal size again and could gain more weight, but it probably wouldn't be much more.
The dress that Isolde favored the most had lace cap sleeves, a form fitting bodice with simple beeding that also trailed along one side of the front of the dress, and a full skirt. Her mother and Majandra were also in agreement that it suited her the best out of the other choices. Now that she had her dress picked out, she could concentrate on other wedding-related things.
(Ariella) The Hermitage
Author: Beck
Date: 07-23-10 11:49
Although they were no longer in Egypt, Ariella and Lawrence found themselves immersed in Egyptian culture at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The Hermitage was one of the oldest and largest museums in the entire world and had a collection so massive, that it would take weeks to see everything. It consisted of several buildings, including the Winter Palace where the Russian imperial family once lived, and where the Egyptian collection was currently housed.
The Egyptian collection itself was over 150 years old, with the artifacts certainly being much, much older than that. Ariella and Lawrence saw sarcophagi, mummies, canopic jars, steles, tablets and statuary. In some ways they felt like they saw more Egyptian artifacts in Saint Petersburg than they had seen in Alexandria!
After seeing as much as they could of the Egyptian collection at the Hermitage, Ariella and Lawrence took advantage of being in the Winter Palace and toured the imperial rooms. They had seen much of the original architecture and decoration while viewing the Egyptian collection and some of the other collections houses in the Winter Palace, but now they saw the rooms with period furniture, as they might have been when Tsar Nicholas II lived there with his family.
Ariella discovered that she was quite fond of antique furniture and liked the look of cloth wall treatments, ornate fireplaces, and mirrors everywhere. Chandeliers were nice, too! She imagined what it might be like to live in a grand palace, but then again, she already lived in castle and not many people could say they did! Still, she wondered if she could redecorate their quarters at Hogwarts. She had already taken away a lot of ideas from what she saw at the Winter Palace.
Out with the Old
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 07-23-10 14:22
Penn Ellison was born on November 1, 1992 in the city of Carlisle in England to Gerold and Katelin Ellison. Before he'd fallen ill, Penn had been a very quiet and studious boy, one who didn't have many friends nor ever sought to make any. At school he'd been picked on and made fun of for being shorter and skinnier than the rest. He'd always had a pale complexion, and his dark hair had always made his skin look lighter than it really was.
His parents had feared the worst as he'd laid in his hospital bed all those months ago. He should have been a healthy boy, nearly old enough to receive his letter from Hogwarts and start there in the fall, as they both had when they'd been eleven years old. But just when it had looked like they might lose him, a miracle had happened, and Penn had come back to them.
Only, he didn't quite seem like the boy they'd almost lost. The new Penn was somehow more confident than the old one had been. He was still somewhat quiet, but he no longer seemed shy and reserved. The new Penn seemed to take everything in and study it, as if seeing it for the first time and filing it away for later.
The new Penn had a quest for knowledge, just as the old Penn had had, and yet his studiousness seemed different than before. His parents couldn't quite put a finger on why it seemed different; it just did. They reasoned that anyone on the brink of death would go through a change once they were presented with a second chance at life. Perhaps this new, bolder Penn was just his way of coping with what he'd almost lost.
Penn was sitting in his parents' study looking through a family photo album when his mother came into the room with a beaming smile on her face. She held an envelope in her hand.
"This just arrived from you," she said, handing him the envelope.
Penn set the photo album aside and turned his full attention to the letter. He already knew what it was, based on the wax seal on the back of the envelope. His Hogwarts letter had finally arrived.
"Well, aren't you going to open it?" his mother asked excitedly.
"Yes, of course," Penn calmly replied. He broke the seal, opened the envelope, and pulled out the letter from Professor McGonagall. He read it silently to himself even though he could tell that his mother was waiting for him to read it aloud. When he finished with the first sheet, he handed it to her.
"It's my Hogwarts letter," he told her absentmindedly, as he turned his attention to his list of textbooks and school supplies.
"It says you need to write back before July 31st. You best do that today, Penn," Katelin said happily. "Oh, I'm so proud of you! I feared I'd never see this day but now I have. Wait till your father finds out!"
"Yes, I'm sure he'll be thrilled," Penn quietly said. He got up in search of a clean sheet of parchment and a quill. "At some point I'll have to go to Diagon Alley for my supplies."
"Not alone," Katelin said firmly.
Penn looked up in surprise. Although his mother was glad that her son had come out of his shell since recovering from his illness, she didn't want him to think he was more grown up than he really was.
"Of course not," he said. "I'm only eleven."
Katelin smiled. "Write your letter and then we'll plan our trip to London."
"Very well," Penn replied. He sat down at his father's writing desk and wrote his acceptance letter, which he later sent off with the family owl.