|
|
Discovery
Author: Lysander Stratford
Date: 10-02-11 15:25
The outdoor stalls at The Magic Neep were crowded, in all likelihood because of the nice weather. The sky overhead was perfectly blue without a cloud in sight, and there was a slight breeze that perfectly counteracted the intensity of the sun.
Like seemingly all of Hogsmeade, Lysander ventured out to the grocer's to stock up his pantry and ice box. By the time he left, he carried several canvas bags of in-season fruits and vegetables like blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, broccoli, radishes and potatoes.
Lysander turned onto High Street and made his way to Twice Told Tales. Earlier, he'd dropped Charlotte off at Blossom's and spotted her at the playground next door, deep in play with other children around her age. She didn't even notice him as he walked by.
Lysander soon reached the bookshop. As he prepared to climb the steps to his flat, he glanced over his shoulder and saw someone doing something that took him by surprise. Aralyn had just stepped out of Petals. It didn't shock Lysander to see her leaving the establishment, because he knew of straight women who enjoyed visiting strip clubs as much as men, even if the entertainment consisted of scantily-clad individuals of the same gender. What took Lysander aback was the fact that Aralyn had stepped outside in an open, long coat, revealing an outfit that left very little to the imagination. Her make-up was so bold that Lysander could see every detail as clear as day from his position diagonally across the street.
Aralyn quickly secured the belt of her long, covering up her revealing outfit, and started for the inn, where she still kept a room. She didn't see Lysander until she was almost past Twice Told Tales and nearly jumped out of her six-inch heels at the sight of him. Deciding she couldn't avoid at least saying hello, she came over.
"Have you been shopping?" she asked.
"Can you tell?" Lysander asked. He indicated with his head that she should follow him upstairs. Normally, he wouldn't have been so kind as to invite her to his place, but he really wanted to satisfy his curiosity regarding her new work as a stripper.
She followed him into the flat and looked around. The last time she'd been there had been several years ago, but she didn't remember that. As far as Aralyn knew, she'd never been to his home.
"Nice place," she said. She sat down at the kitchen table while Lysander put away the groceries.
"Thanks," he replied. He worked quickly and then turned around, leaning against the counter to look at her. "So, what's new with you?"
"Kristos got out of the hospital yesterday," Aralyn replied. "Right now he's staying with my parents, but I'm sure he won't put up with that for long."
"Does he still have amnesia?" Lysander asked.
Aralyn nodded. "Yes. The healers aren't saying it's permanent, but they basically implied that the longer he goes without remembering, the less likely he'll recover his memories." She shrugged. "Maybe it's better he doesn't remember anything. He can use this as a fresh start."
Lysander nodded, as if he cared about Kristos Fox's well-being. He did hope for his own sake that Kristos wouldn't ever remember anything, and better still, that he wouldn't remember that he'd been enrolled in a memory recovery trial at St. Mungo's.
"What about you?" Lysander asked.
"Well, I signed the parchments and owled them to my husband, well, make that my ex-husband now," Aralyn said. She looked a little down about it.
"Sorry to hear that," Lysander said, though he was only sorry that Aralyn's divorce meant that she wouldn't be returning to Argentina.
She suddenly looked a bit nervous. "I got a job."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She sighed and said nothing for so long that Lysander nearly confessed that he'd seen her leaving Petals earlier.
"I applied to a lot of places, but nobody would hire me. I didn't want to ask you or Julian for a favor, even though I was getting desperate."
Lysander was glad she didn't ask because he would have most certainly said "Hell no," and Julian would have seconded that.
"The only place that gave me the time of day was Petals." Aralyn, who'd been studying the top of the kitchen table, finally raised her eyes to look at Lysander. "I'm a stripper. What do you think of that?"
Lysander thought it was hilarious, but he kept his opinion in check and shrugged. "You do what you have to do." He couldn't wait to tell Julian.
"Yeah..." she trailed off. "I'm hoping I'll earn enough money to find myself a flat so that I can move out of the inn." She shrugged again and then got up from her chair. "Anyway, I don't want to keep you. I'm sure you have things to do."
Lysander immediately showed Aralyn to the door. "See you around, and keep me posted on Kristos," he said.
"Will do." She smiled at him. "Bye, Lysander."
"Bye." He swung the door shut after she stepped outside and grinned. Deciding he couldn't wait to tell Julian what he'd learned, Lysander went downstairs to the bookshop.
Unexpected Turn of Events
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 10-02-11 16:00
A small boat launched off the coast and spontaneously moved across the choppy sea in the direction of a rock island, on which towered Azkaban prison. In the boat sat a small boy. He was accompanied by a pair of wizards. They had their wands at the ready.
The boat sped over the rough waves, and as it moved farther and farther away from the coast, the sky transformed from brilliant blue to dull gray. The prison loomed ever nearer.
Suddenly, a green light engulfed the boat. When it vanished, one of the escorts fell into the water, dead. The other whirled around, eyes wide for their attacker. He clutched his wand tightly in his hand and didn't see a thing.
Meanwhile, his partner bobbed face-down in the water, and his wand floated away.
The boy looked utterly calm and even had a slight smile on his face.
It dawned on the remaining escort to call for help. He raised his wand high and very nearly set off a jet of red sparks, but a second green light struck him square in the chest. He keeled over backwards in the boat, his frantic eyes open but unseeing.
The boy climbed to his feet but nearly fell over due to the violent rocking of the boat. He started to sink back into his seat when a hand grabbed onto his arm and hauled him up and over the side of a long-handled broomstick. The figure seated there shimmered into view.
"Meadow," the boy stated.
"And a few friends," she replied, gesturing with her wand hand to three individuals who cast off their disillusionment charms so that they no longer blended in with the cloudy background.
"We must hurry, Meadow," stated a man with a deep voice and shaggy, dark hair. "They likely saw the lights from the shoreline."
Meadow looked over her shoulder at the prison island, where she could make out a few specks that were most certainly people.
"Yes. We mustn't linger."
The boy wrapped his arms tightly around Meadow's middle and buried his cheek into her back. She quickly flew away, escorted by her three companions.
Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
Author: Illyria
Date: 10-02-11 17:14
Illyria had returned to Scotland in time for Emrys Fest, only to come down with food poisoning the morning of the music festival. She'd spent the entire day in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts, moaning and groaning about her bad luck.
She felt better now in the sense that she didn't feel like she needed to run to the bathroom constantly, though she didn't have much of an appetite. Urania had told her that it had taken her a full week to regain the ability to eat like normal again after her own bout with food poisoning a few years ago.
Illyria treated her inability to eat as a quick weight loss program, even though she didn't need to go on a diet.
She got up late this morning and spent a while making herself look presentable. She was naturally pale, but having been sick made her even paler than usual. She put on make-up and fixed her hair in long, loose curls. She put on a navy blue set of robes, that had short sleeves and a plunging v-neck. Then she set out for Diagon Alley.
Illyria stepped into Flourish & Blotts to verify that all of the textbooks she required for her classes had been ordered. She should have done that at the very beginning of summer, but she'd put it off for her trip to India. Since she'd made no changes to which textbooks she planned on using, she didn't have to worry. Everything was in stock, and a few had already been purchased by incoming students.
She decided to head over to the Astronomer's Nook next to purchase extra star charts and to see what sorts of items were on sale. She got as far as Gringotts Bank, when she bumped into Nathan Goode. He came down the steps two at a time and smiled at Illyria.
"How was India?" he asked.
"Rainy," Illyria replied. "Where's Urania?"
"Work, I suspect," Nathan replied, falling into step beside Illyria. "Contrary to popular belief, we are not attached at the hip."
"Good to know," Illyria answered, laughing. Never mind the fact that she was somewhat pleased to see him on his own. The old adage "out of sight, out of mind" hadn't applied in her case. She appraised Nathan with a sidelong glance and appreciated how put together he looked. He'd gotten a haircut, and though she wasn't all that close to him, she could smell his aftershave.
"Where are you headed?" he asked.
"The astronomy shop. And you?"
"I was thinking about grabbing a sandwich from the Deli. Can I treat you?"
Illyria shook her head. "I'm recovering from food poisoning. It's not that I can't keep anything down anymore, but rather that food just isn't all that appetizing right now."
"Not even ice cream?" Nathan asked.
Illyria hesitated but then reluctantly said, "Not even ice cream."
"Too bad," Nathan said, with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders that Illyria found wildly attractive for some reason. "I hear the ice cream parlor has a line of Italian gelato now that's to die for."
"Rain check, then?"
Nathan smiled. "Definitely.
They walked in silence for a little while and then ducked into the store. There wasn't a single customer inside. Even the proprietor and clerk had vacated the front for the time being.
Illyria walked up and down the aisles, admiring telescopes and models of planets and star systems. Nathan went the other way around the shoppe. They met in the middle, next to a display of little vials of star dust.
Illyria started to step around Nathan to look at a set of crystals, but he stopped her with a hand on her hip. She looked up at him questioningly. Before she knew it, he bent his head towards her and kissed her.
Illyria's heart pounded wildly in her chest. She didn't want to stop, but her conscience told her to get a grip and break off the kiss. Before she could utilize her willpower, though, the chime over the door rang. Illyria and Nathan sprang apart.
She turned away quickly and went to the counter to speak to the sales clerk, who had just emerged from the back room.
"Can I see your sales items?" she breathlessly asked.
The sales clerk produced a box of items that had yet to be displayed and allowed Illyria to peruse them. The chime rang again after a minute or two. Illyria thanked the clerk, not having seen anything of interest, and turned around. Nathan was no longer in the store. She saw him through the window, walking down the alley.
Illyria thought about going after him to ask him what had gotten into him, but she decided to leave him alone. She wasn't sure she trusted herself around him anyway. She left the Astronomer's Nook empty-handed and walked off in the opposite direction.
House Shopping - Success
Author: Adina Blackwood
Date: 10-03-11 13:58
"Mom, seriously?" I said as we walked along East Lane, looking at the houses that were for rent or sale.
"We have been looking all day, and found FIVE houses that are perfect. You simply just don't want to move out of Ephona's house and have your own. You are still hoping to..."
"Adina Athena Blackwood, if you say those words you will be grounded until this time next year." Elona said as she turned and looked at her daughter.
"Do you think I'm blind? You've not gone on a single date since the divorce was final and what did you do while I was in Greece visiting Dad? Sit at home and listen to the WNN with Aunt Ephona? Knit? What Mom?" Adina said moving to lean against the fence that surrounded a house that was for sale.
"Fine. We will find a house, and you will spend the remainder of your summer helping me move, simply because you are grounded."
Hey, grounded was a compromise if it meant that we would be getting out of Aunt Ephona's house and get me my own room. I shifted and looked over my shoulder at the house behind us, wondering if it would work and wondering who our neighbors would be.
"Is this the house you'd like a tour of?" Tammy Marchbanks said as she came walking up the lane toward them.
"Yes, please if it isn't too much trouble Mrs. Marchbanks." Elona said as she moved throug hthe gate and headed toward the front door with her daughter and the realator in tow.
They toured the spacious three bedroom house, and much to her reluctance Elona fell in love with the house. "How long with the paperwork take? I'd like to be moved in before the Hogwarts term starts so that it will not interfere with Adina going back to school."
Tammy and my mother talked for a few moments and if all went well the closing would be in two weeks, leaving pleanty of time for the move and at least partial unpacking, but I was already formulating a plan.
"Hey, Mom, I bet for some snacks and stuff from Briar's I could get a couple of friends over to help with the moving and unpacking..."
"You are supposed to be grounded, but I guess that will work and it will be easier to move with a few extra sets of hands. You can ask Arthur, Kida, Whitney and perhaps Marlow and her siblings if they wish to help. In the mean time we can pack up things at Aunt Ephona's and get things ready to move as soon as we close on the house."
I had one more question, I looked to Mrs. Marchbanks. "Ma'am, I know some of the Hogwarts professors live here in the village, who will our neighbors be?"
"Ah, your neighbors on one side will be Mister and Misses Black, Mister and Misses Weasely, and on the other Mister and Misses Weasely and then Miss McCoi and Mister Raynor."
After several moments speaking with the real estate agent, initial paperwork was begun and Adina and her mother then headed into the village for some lunch. "Yes, by the way, I did send in your permission slip for the village field trips. Also, are you going to be trying out for Quidditch again this year?"
"Thanks mom and I haven't decided yet. Still irritated that I had to drop out half way through the year during the IQT. I missed some of the best trips."
We were shown to a booth in the Crown & Cauldron and looked over the lunch menus and the conversation soon turned to food and ideas for dinner once we headed back to Aunt Ephona's in Diagon Alley.
"I know, but your schooling is more important than a Quidditch game Adina, and I'm not going to argue with you over this. You will be, if you make the team, removed from the team once more if your grades slip by the middle of term is that understood?"
Glaring behind my menu I finally answered my mother. "Yes mom, I understand, and I will do my best." I said, curling my legs beneath me and took a sip of my water.
"Now, lets enjoy the rest of the day." She said and we quickly turned our attention back to the menus just as the waitress returned to take our orders.
Hard at Work
Author: Carys
Date: 10-03-11 18:26
The dark room in the offices of Emrys Everyday overflowed with photographs. They were clipped to the lines that zig zagged across the narrow room, or were leaned up in out of the way corners on the counter. In the middle of all the dangling photographs stood Carys, developing more from the many rolls she'd taken at Emrys Fest.
Emrys Everyday wasn't published when term wasn't in session, so Carys had some time to develop her photos. A large spread on the annual music festival was planned for the first edition of the newspaper in October.
Carys hurried to develop everything in a timely matter because she wanted to sell some of her photos to The Daily Prophet for extra income, and perhaps even to a couple of the wizarding music magazines in existence. She knew she didn't need the extra money. Griffin more than supported her entire family, despite the fact that only Tristan was his responsibility. Carys didn't want to take advantage of Griff's generosity, though. It felt right that she do what she could to provide for her family's needs.
At the same time, Griffin's offer played again and again in her head. Carys wanted to launch her photography studio, but she also didn't know the first thing about business. Unfortunately, she wouldn't have time next year to take any courses on the subject because of her N.E.W.T. review sessions, but maybe she could check out some business books from the library.
Carys hung up a few more photos but had to stop because she'd run out of room. It was as good a stopping point as any. She decided to call it a day and do something else. Perhaps she could get some property listings to see what might be suitable for her studio.
With that thought in mind, she cleaned up the dark room and then left to pursue her dream.
Thickheaded (Theodosia)
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 10-04-11 15:56
Strolling through the upper floor of Dogweed and Deathcap, stopping from time to time to select one of the many herbs available, Theodosia doesn't immediately notice the man who's just come up the stairs. It's not until she's aiming back towards the stairs to return to the ground floor that she sees him.
"I was wondering how long it would take you to turn around," David says with an easy, friendly grin.
"Go away."
"I just want to talk to you for a few minutes."
"We talked. Twice. Nothing more to say."
"Why are you making this so difficult? You made sure I can't get onto Hogwarts grounds without a major dust up. When I have seen you out and about you've always been with others and as I didn't want to make a scene I didn't intrude."
"You're intruding now."
"A few minutes talking alone. That's all I want."
"We talked alone that first visit you made to Hogwarts. We talked out of earshot of others that second time. I want nothing to do with you, David. I don't know how to make that any clearer."
"I just want a chance to explain. Say I'm sorry."
"You've apologized several times as I recall and what is there to explain? You cheated on me. Repeatedly. That you had the nerve to do it at our engagement party indicated just how little you respected me."
"It wasn't what how it looked."
"Oh, so half the party guests and I did not see you having sex with Nennah."
"Yes, but ,"
"You weren't being influenced by a love potion. No one was holding a wand on you, forcing you to cheat with her or the others. So, I think it was exactly how it looked. Now, you see that couple there? The man is an auror and if you do not go away now, I am going to call him over and you can explain to him why you are harassing me."
"If you'd just hear me out."
"I heard you out then. There's nothing left to say. Goodbye, David."
Theodosia manuevers around him and down the stairs, prepared to call on Geoffrey Blackwell for assistance if David is so thickheaded that he's still not getting the message.
Being Difficult
Author: Travis
Date: 10-04-11 18:39
"Couldn't we at least go to the Crown & Cauldron?" The slight sneer on Morticia's face as she says this is not lost on Travis.
"This is where I planned on having lunch, Mother. You wanted to come along knowing where I was going. If you don't care for Brews & Stews then you shouldn't have insisted on joining me."
"I thought you'd change your mind about where to eat once you knew I was accompanying you."
"What's wrong with here?"
"It's just so... pedestrian."
"As we walked here, that makes us pedestrians."
"Don't be obtuse, Fifi."
"Mother."
"Fifi."
"Don't call me that."
"You know, your brother and sister aren't half as difficult as you are."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"So typical of you."
"Are you going to order, Mum, or are you now going to launch into the story of how many hours you were in labor with me?"
Morticia smiles at the waitress who'd recently arrived at the table. "Excuse my daughter. She sometimes can be guache."
"Excuse my mother. She sometimes is rude. I will have the Asian Salad and the half portion Asian Wrap."
"I am never rude, Fifi. I will have the Cucumber Shrimp Salad and a pot of the green tea."
The waitress scurries off with the order, most likely eager to put as much distance between her and their table. Morticia fiddles with her napkin for a moment then says, "Tell me what is wrong with Indigo. He's been somewhat dour of late."
If Indi hasn't filled their mother in on how he'd finally gone on a date with Anne Kendrick, had a really marvelous time, only to have Anne elope with someone else the very next day with someone she'd only just met, then Travis was not going to be the one to enlighten her.
She shrugs. "You have to ask Indi, Mum."
"There you go being difficult again. Fine, don't tell me. Let's talk instead of the most wonderful young man your age I met recently. His name is Ian Warfield and he works as a diplomatic attaché for the Ministry."
As Morticia waxes poetic about Ian Warfield, Travis debates asking to make her order take away.