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Prove Me Your Usefulness
Author: Eoghan
Date: 10-29-13 20:15
Hedy had shown up unexpectedly the very next night. Eoghan, fresh from a shower, had met her at the hotel room door wearing a towel around his waist. She'd brushed past ordering, "Get dressed."
"Not the words I would have expected to hear from you."
" We don't have time for you to be flippant, Jimmy, or for that." Hedy's eyes go to the bed then back to him. "You wanted a meeting. I'm taking you to one."
"That was quick."
There's an odd, fleeting expression across Hedy's face. He quirks an eyebrow at her. "You talked to Fairchild, right?"
"Not exactly."
Eoghan pauses with one leg in his trousers, one leg out. "Not exactly? I don't want to meet with anyone other than her."
Hedy firmly states, "You'll see her."
Eoghan is hardly reassured. "What? I have to go through some vetting process overseen by one of her other flunkies?"
"I'm NOT a flunky," Hedy stiffly denies.
"Oh, no, of course not. What was I thinking?"
"If you're going to be rude, I'm leaving."
"Be sure to say goodbye to the medallion on your way out."
Hedy glowers. Eoghan grins.
Arms crossed, still scowling at him she says, "I'm taking you to her, not to someone else, okay?"
"But Fairchild isn't expecting me?"
"No."
"Bloody wonderful."
He pulls a plain, dark blue shirt over his head then sits to put on shoes. Eschewing a wizard's robe he stands back up, "I'm ready if you are."
"Put this on." Hedy shoves an elasticized blindfold at him.
As he understands the precaution, Eoghan doesn't bother asking why or protesting. He slips the blindfold and half a second later she's grabbed him by the arm and they're disapparating from the room.
"You can take it off now," Hedy says after leading him somewhere away from the spot they apparated to.
He blinks as his eyes adjust to the difference in lighting from his inn room and from the blindfold and the room where she's brought him. It has the look of some sort of religious place though that tells him next to nothing. There are religious structures all over that aren't currently in use or have long been abandoned. As they only made the one apparation, they could be anywhere in Great Britain or Ireland, or even nearby places such as parts of France. How far Hedy brought him from his inn room in Dublin would depend on how strong she is with apparating.
Hedy asks another of Fairchild's followers where the witch is only to be told she's out but should be back soon. Hedy gestures to a chair. "You might as well sit, Jimmy."
A few minutes pass, a few passing in and out of the room for various reasons, all staring at him before giving Hedy questioning looks to which she shrugs but says nothing. A few more minutes go by. Hedy leans in close and whispers, "I'd like the medallion now."
"How do I know she's actually coming?"
"You don't. You'll have to trust that I think she'll be here at some point tonight."
Eoghan frowns at the thought of possibly spending several hours here just sitting, not at all sure others here would want him seeing them as the identities of many of Fairchild's followers are yet unknown. He fixes Hedy with a hard stare, thinking about his options, one of which is to insist he leave and Hedy not contact him again until an actual meeting is in place. She mutely lifts both eyebrows insistently at him. He lets another minute pass before withdrawing the medallion from a pocket and handing it to her.
"Thank you," she automatically says, quickly clamping her lips shut, clearly peeved with herself.
Just over a quarter hour later Adriana Fairchild walks into the room. Seeing him she bluntly asks Hedy, "Who's this?"
"This is Jimmy Stewart." To Eoghan, Hedy looks a little worried.
"You're much younger and more alive than I remembered, Jimmy." Sarcasm is definitely better than her whipping her wand out and blasting him on the spot. Of course, she's still could very well do that.
"Why did you bring him here?"
Hedy is quick with a reply, as if she's practiced it. "He has a proposition for you. I think he could be of use to us."
"I'll be the judge of that. So, what is it you have to offer me?" Although she doesn't say the name again, he can almost hear the sarcastic Jimmy tagged on at the end of her question.
"I have a knack for procuring rare and hard to come by items. For example, I assisted our mutual friend here in obtaining a medallion that belonged to Godric Gryffindor." He turns to Hedy and, much to her surprise, produces a scroll of parchments tied. "By the way, here are the provenance documents."
"My understanding is that that particular medallion shouldn't have been all the difficult to get." Fairchild glances at Hedy, eyes narrowed.
Hedy opens her mouth but Eoghan smoothly intervenes. "The information was slightly out of date."
Hedy slaps her lips together, nodding in agreement.
"I see." Fairchild once again fixes her gaze on Hedy. "But you do now have it?"
"Yes. Here." Hedy hands Fairchild the medallion then stands trying not to nervously tap the provenance documents against her now empty hand.
"Helping acquire one item I have an interest in does not prove to me your usefulness, Jimmy."
"Would you be interested in a copy of Von Hohenheim's Codex?"
"Von Hohenheim's Codex? There are only four known copies of Paracelsus's codex in existence."
Auroleus Phillipus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, better known as Paracelsus, was an extraordinary alchemist. The codex is said to contain writings found nowhere else among his works.
"Three, actually. One was destroyed in a fire six months ago."
"You can get one of the copies?"
"Yes."
Fairchild's eyes narrow again. "Bring it to me and we'll discuss from there what else you might acquire for me."
"First, we'll discuss my fee."
The look Fairchild gives him is one of the most condescending he can remember ever receiving. "Bring me an authentic copy of Von Hohenheim's Codex and, yes, we'll discuss your fee."
"You say fee like it's a dirty word." Eoghan can resist grinning.
Hedy hisses, "Don't be cheeky."
Never taking her eyes off Eoghan Fairchild holds up a hand to Hedy, who clamps her mouth shut again. "Jimmy, when might I expect the codex?"
"Three days. Four at most."
Fairchild nods once. "Four days. Do not fail."
She turns to Hedy. "Take Jimmy back to wherever you got him. You two make arrangements where to meet in four days."
Adriana Fairchild doesn't bother saying another more. She walks from the room gesturing for one of her other flunkies to follow. Hedy gives him a tight smile. "Blindfold again, please."
Eoghan complies, Hedy leading him somewhere from which they once again do a side-along apparition, returning to his room in Dublin. Even before he's reached up to remove the blindfold Hedy's asking, "Here in four days or somewhere else?"
"I'm not sure I'll be at this inn so how about that pub where we didn't have that drink yesterday?"
"Time?"
"About the same time you showed up here tonight?"
"That's fine."
Hedy takes a hesitant step towards the door, prompting Eoghan to ask, "Is there something else?"
"I don't have to rush back."
"No?"
"No. I could stay a while, unless you have plans for the evening."
"My only plans tonight are to grab a bite to eat along with a pint but I'm not all that hungry right now."
Hedy, the blindfold hooked on one finger, smiles coyly. "I could help you work up an appetite?"
Unsure of whether Fairchild actually plans to pay him for obtaining the codex, Eoghan thinks with a shrug that he might as well get his fee where and while he can. Returning Hedy's smile he reaches for the hem of his shirt, letting it drop to the floor as they close the short distance between them.
(Camden Vanderbilt ) The Important Question
Author: Melinda
Date: 10-30-13 14:22
"Mom, seriously are you and Jeff gonna get married?"
I asked as I lounged on her bed, while she went through her closet. She was getting rid of a few things, and that usually meant that she was planning a shopping trip – especially with the school year looming. Already, Remedy had her stuff for Hogwarts, that had been taken care of when she'd gone to Diagon Alley with Orion's niece, Orion, Crew, and her dad not too long ago. They'd also gone to Louisiana to spend some time together before Remedy had to join the Hogwarts Express on the first of September to head to Hogwarts.
She glanced at me over her shoulder, a smirk on her lips.
"I don't know Cam, I honestly don't. I mean, I wouldn't object if he asked me. I mean, things are good between us and they can only get better. I'm just waiting to see if he will ask me. But, weather he does or not we are still a family."
I nodded, and toyed with the hem of my shorts. "I hate that I've still got almost three years before I can go to Hogwarts. I don't turn nine until November, and all my friends will be in school before I even get my letter. Will I even get a letter the September before I turn eleven? I mean, my birthday is in November, will I have to wait until the following year, until I'm almost twelve before I can even START my first year at Hogwarts?"
My mom sighed, running a hand through her hair as she tossed another article of clothing to the donation pile.
"I honestly don't know how it will work Cam. Maybe you'll get your letter the summer before, or maybe it will be the summer after. But, make no mistake, whenever you get your letter it won't matter because you will still be going to Hogwarts and you will still get to spend time with Crew and Remedy just like you have before then."
I sighed and rolled over still watching as my mom sorted through things.
"I think I'm done. Wanna help me get it into bags to be donated? Then maybe you, me and Jefferson can do something after we get Remedy on the train on Saturday morning?"
"Alright! I'll go get the bags!"
I ran off and soon returned with a couple of bags that had been enchanted to hold quite a bit of items. About thirty minutes later we had the bags loaded and ready to be donated when we got to London on Saturday morning after getting Remedy on the train.
School Supply Shopping (Callie, Katheryn, Hope)
Author: Saffron
Date: 10-30-13 15:05
Janet Blackwell stands with a sheet of parchment in each hand, the supply lists that came for Callie and Kurt in their Hogwarts letters. Mumbling to herself she occasionally reaches over to check one of the shopping bags held by her two children or those dropped at her feet.
"Cauldron for Kurt." She says this louder, as if speaking to Kurt and Callie only to abruptly shake her head. "No, cauldron and books for last. I just know we're missing a few things."
"Rune set," Callie offers.
Janet looks blankly at her daughter so Callie adds, "I'm taking Ancient Runes."
"Right, so this way it is then," she responds, turning in the direction of The Runic Boutique.
"Say, Mum, we're going to be near The Flour Shoppe. Doesn't a break for tea sound lovely?"
Kurt voices his opinion to that suggestion. "I'm famished, Mum. We've been walking and walking and walking."
Lost in though, going over both lists again and thinking about what shoppes they've already visited Janet absently nods. "Tea. Lovely. Yes."
Callie and Kurt exchange grins, their minds not on what they still need to purchase for school but on what sweet they'll each get at The Flour Shoppe.
While the Blackwells are in the Runic Boutique the don't see their friends the Finches coming from the direction of The Flour Shoppe. Over slices of cake Estella had started in again on her plan to go by her middle name of Sinead while at Hogwarts. Katheryn finds this annoying though whenever asked, she can't give a specific reason why other than, "Because."
Walking into Critters & Supplies, Katheryn once again snipes, "You're name is Estella, not Sinead," and Estella snipes back, "Whatever you say, Kathy."
"Don't. Call. Me. Kathy!"
Bryn Finch, sound more than a little exasperated snaps at them both. "Enough! Katheryn, it's not your place to dictate to your sister. Estella, Sinead is a beautiful name, but it is your middle name. I personally find Estella to be a gorgeous name, which is why your father and I gave it to you. It means star, you know."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"and Sinead?"
"From what I understand it means God forgave or God gratified."
"Oh."
"Now, look around and see if there's a cat here you'd like or if we need to go elsewhere. Katheryn, get some of those kitty nibbles Iggy likes so much."
The girls split up while Bryn looks at cat carriers. Whether Estella gets a cat here or somewhere else, they'll need another carrier.
At the other end of Diagon Alley, just coming through the brick wall at The Leaky Cauldron are Bryn's brother Finan Hyland, his daughter Hope and son Bran. Dagmar, Finan's wife, had been going to bring Hope and Bran for whatever they still need for Hogwarts but when a friend fell unexpectedly ill, she offered to watch over the friend's children. Dagmar wasn't sure she could handle shopping with their three and the friend's five when those other five are all under the age of seven. Finan had worked this morning, bought lunch to take to everyone at home, then after assisting with that clean up brought Bran and Hope to London via Floo to the Leaky Cauldron.
Having no interest in trudging up and down Diagon Alley buying the lighter items first, Finan stops just past the brick wall and gestures to the first shoppe. "Bran, you need a pewter cauldron."
Not much time is needed to pick out a simple pewter cauldron for Bran to use in Potions class so the three Hylands are soon off to the next stop, which happens to be at Slug & Jiggers as well as another apothecary, Mr. Mulpepper's, for a few supplies for both Hope and Bran. Though he'd not planned on stopped to look at brooms, Finan turns into Broomstix, thinking it's too bad Bran can't have a broom of his own first year. Unless he makes the Quidditch team. Finan's heard that any first year making a house team may have a personal broom rather than using a school broom. Too bad Hope hasn't made her house team. Finan rather likes Quidditch.
A wistful look back as they leave Broomstix, where they spent fully a half hour, Finan glances as the list Dagmar gave him glad to see that uniforms are crossed out as he can think of a hundred other things he'd rather do than sit watching someone be fitted for clothes. Because of other items marked off, the next stop is Flourish & Blotts for books. Finan sends Hope and Bran off to get what they each need while he sits in a comfy chair reading through a book on Quidditch.
Other than Finan's long stops at anything Quidditch related, the Hylands make relatively short list of getting the remaining school supplies. Their last stop is to backtrack to Brews & Stes where Finan, Bran, and Hope select soups, salad, and sandwiches to take home to Dagmar, Ingrid, and the five visiting children.
Last Minute Shopping
Author: Charisma Stone
Date: 10-30-13 17:40
Diagon Alley was a filled with first years getting their last minute supplies and some older kids getting their own last minute things, but it wasn't as busy as one would expect, thankfully because I'd waited until today to bother leaving our room at the Leaky Cauldron and heading into the shopping district and getting my supplies, not that I needed much from what I was taking last year to this year.
I had to upgrade some text books, I needed new parchment, new quills, ink and ultimately some additional robes that I'd ordered the week before. I was supposed to be meeting Blake today at Delia's Deli for a late lunch type thing, and I was looking forward to it. We'd not spent a whole lot of time this summer aside from Emrys Fest and Quidditch Con, he'd been spending time with his family, and his sister would be spending time with their parents as they get ready for her to come to Hogwarts.
With shopping bags at my feet, one of which had a new cauldron in it from The Cauldron Shoppe, I settled at one of the outdoor tables at Delia's to wait for Blake. I pulled out my current book, a super thick fantasy novel written by George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones, and it was by far one of my favorite books even if it was written by a muggle author. I also had the other three books in my trunk to read through out the year if I could.
"That book is almost as thick as some of our text books." Blake said as he dropped down into the chair next to me.
I couldn't help but laugh, as I tucked my bookmark into its place and shut the cover setting the book on the table and leaning over to kiss him lightly. "I know, but it is so much more interesting. So, who do you think is going to be taking Professor Flint's position this year?"
"No idea, but I'm glad we don't have to deal with a change in professors. Are you taking Alchemy this year?"
"Yeah, you?"
"No, I opted out of it. It didn't really interest me. Oh, I talked to Eric a couple of days ago. He said he and Cai broke up, wouldn't give me any major details, but said that things just weren't working out between them."
"That seriously sucks, but I'm sure everything will work out for them eventually. They were cute together."
"Anyway, we've got this year and one more and then we will be done with school. Have you put any thought into what you are going to do once we are done with Hogwarts?"
Isma shook her head, "Not entirely. I might apply at one of the schools at St. Emrys or something like that. Or I might just start working right out of Hogwarts. I don't know yet, I think I want to spend that first summer traveling for a little bit, if I could afford it."
Blake nodded and they both took a moment to look over the menu, selecting something to eat. Blake headed in to place their orders, returning with a fresh drink for Isma, a drink for himself and within a few minutes their number was called and he got up to grab their baskets with sandwiches and crisps.
"Are you guys staying in The Leaky Cauldron?"
"Yup, I'll head back up there after we eat, and we will see you on the train in the morning."
"Cool. We are staying a bit closer to the station. Though Carmen wanted to stay here, there weren't any rooms left by the time Mum went to book one. Though she said that we may stay here either when she comes home for Winter Holiday, or after the end of term next year."
We talked and ate, debating on going down and getting ice cream before I headed back up to the room and Blake apparated home.
"I could use some ice cream, definitely. Though we should probably take it easy, given the amount of sweets we are going to get on the trolley tomorrow, and ultimately the massive amounts of food there will be in the Great Hall at the Start of Term Feast."
"Very true, though I think we can split a two scoop sundae with chocolate sauce and chocolate shavings, what do you say? I'll even let you have the cherry..."
I cast a glance at Blake, and shook my head. "Nope, can't tempt me with it tonight. I'm going to be good. Alright babe, I'll see you at the station tomorrow morning."
I kissed him good bye, and with a crack he apparated back to the hotel he and his family were staying in, and I headed back into The Leaky Cauldron and up to the room I was sharing with my family.