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Deliberately Obtuse
Author: Travis
Date: 09-13-16 19:55
Theo steps back, head canted. "What do you think?"
Parminder, further back, shrugs though Theo can't see her. "Could be better."
"Could be better in what way?"
"That's what I'm trying to determine. It seems off but I don't know why."
At the main counter putting finishing touches on parcels to send off by owl sometime today Travis chimes in, "One side is lower than the other."
"That's it!" Parminder says with a snap of her fingers.
As Theo steps forward to make the display more symmetrical he comments to Parminder, "Must be more to your could be better critique than fixing this one side."
She shrugs again. "I don't know what to tell you. If I think of anything I'll tell you or play around with the display myself."
Travis gathers up the owl orders and with a, "Ta," to Parminder and Theo, she sets off for the post office, holding the door on her way out for one of their shoppe's regular customers. She doesn't dawdle so is back to Botanicals & Beyond within a few minutes to find another regular customer there, her mother.
"There you are, Fifi! You were gone an absolute age."
"Hardly, Mother."
Morticia accepts a light kiss on one cheek them gives Travis an air kiss in the vicinity of Travis's left cheek. "I've had distressing news from Nova. She says Odgen has written you daily since his incarceration and you've not answered a single one."
Taking the tea tin brought in to be refilled from her mother's hands, Travis walks to one of the bins of loose tea. Removing the top from the tin and lifting the lid from the tea bin she says with her back to Morticia, "Why would I?"
"Are you being deliberately obtuse?"
Back still to her mother as Travis scoops the mango white cloud tea into the tin she asks the same question, "Why would I?"
"Despite everything Odgen still loves you, Fifi. He still wants to marry you. Don't burn your bridges, dear."
Travis turns, looking balefully at Morticia. "You're being serious, aren't you. You're the one being obtuse though I'm not sure if it's deliberate or not."
"Of course I am. This is your future at stake. Your chance for marriage and a family. You aren't getting any younger, you know."
Travis closes her eyes, tilting her face heavenward she gives her head a shake. A heavy sigh then she's walking back towards her mother, handing her the tea tin. "When will you grasp that I never loved Odgen. I barely even liked him. I tolerated Ogden for your sake because of your friendship with Nova. If that's not enough reason for you I would have thought that the unequivocal proof that Odgen sabotaged aspects of my business and has been convicted."
"He only did that to get your attention. He thought if you were having problems and he could help you that you'd see him in a new light."
"I can't believe you've bought into his sob story, Mum."
"Ogden is extremely sincere and cannot express enough his sorrow for what he did to gain your attention."
"I don't care how sincere or sorry he is, Mother. I have never had and never will have any of the feelings toward Ogden that would induce me to ever marry him. I never liked him much and like him even less now. Get that through your head. This is the end of this discussion. Is there any other tea you'd like today or something else?"
Morticia sniffs. In a cool tone she replies, "No, this is all for today." She turns to walk away without saying thank you or goodbye. At the door she does turn to remind, "I expect you for dinner tomorrow."
"Yes, Mum. Goodbye."
Morticia leaves while Travis starts thumbing through a catalog that offers items such as tins and gift boxes. Theo and Parminder, who'd heard the entire conversation, do what they always do when Morticia visits. They go about their work as if the conversation never happened. The one customer in the shoppe also acts as if Travis and her mother hadn't had a disagreement. She knows Morticia Munch well enough by now not to take seriously these discussions the woman has in Botanicals & Beyond.
The Secret Is No Longer Secret
Author: Viktor Krum
Date: 09-15-16 20:12
Viktor is at the bay window in the study, running fingers of one hand up and down the cat's back while rubbing the dog's belly with his other hand. He says to the cat, "What do you think, Havana?" Looking to the unique looking Dalmatian-Cocker Spaniel mix he asks, "Axel, any opinion?"
Havana meows at him, turns a circle then settles on the window cushion, purring loudly. "Nothing? You're not going to tell me expanding from two to four was enough?"
"Not going to say that only awarding to one girl this time but three boys isn't fair, Axel?"
"HA! I KNEW IT!"
Startled Viktor looks to the doorway where Marjani stands looking smug. "I suspected for awhile but wasn't sure until now."
"Sure of what?" Viktor innocently inquires.
"Don't act innocent. You were consulting Axel and Havana on whom to award the Kendra Beck Hogwarts Scholarship."
"Was I?"
Marjani makes a loud sound of exasperation only to cut it off at seeing Viktor's massive grin. She crosses the study to join him on the window seat, having to adjust Axel's position to do so. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"I never wanted a big deal made out of it, out of me being part."
"I guess too it keeps students from pestering you all year to be one of the next named."
"There is that. When did you think you knew?"
"A few years ago. Everyone named always had a Quidditch at Hogwarts connection but I was never a recipient." She holds up a hand to stave off an anticipated comment. "I know not everyone who has been on a house team was one but I did play every year I was at Hogwarts and one pattern seems to be that those who were award the scholarship had played more than a single year. I may be wrong on that but I do think most did play at least two years for their houses. You have a Quidditch shoppe and a pro team. Zuberi and I have always had any up to date equipment we wanted."
"There's more to the scholarship than Quidditch equipment. In fact, it's up to each recipient how the award is spent."
"All right then, maybe you never chose me because you didn't feel it was right to name someone who by the year I would most likely have been name was family. There's something else."
"Which is?"
"The award is named for Kendra Beck. You were there when she was murdered. Of others there and of her family and friends, you are the only one I could think had the galleons required for something like the scholarship. One of her brothers is a professional player but he graduated Hogwarts the same year the scholarship was established and was just starting out as a pro. He wouldn't have had the necessary funds and I don't think the Beck family was ever wealthy enough to establish a scholarship in Kendra's name with the amount given out each year. Professor Somerset was there but," Marjani shrugs, "he doesn't seem to have that sort of wealth either."
"He could have backers. So could the Becks."
"But it's you so there's no point in running that argument past me now. Who are you considering this time?"
"Hunter Green, Madoc McGonagall, Baron Marchbanks, and Marlow MacDougal."
"You sometimes give to six years, like Jade Green was a recipient last year, correct?"
"Correct."
"So why not Mildred Campbell?"
"But which of the three boys do I drop? Baron? He's not played for Slytherin as long as Madoc and Hunter have played for Gryffindor. Or, do I expand this year and give to five?"
"If you're concerned that you've still got more boys than girls, do six. Penny Puckett played last year and might have again this year if Hogwarts was to have house teams. Or there's Willow Westwick. She's been announcing matches for what, two years or is it three now? What will you do next year?"
"There are students coming up who've played for their houses and there are those who will represent Hogwarts in the various flying related events for the Scholastic Aptitude Tournament."
Zuberi's voice carries through the house from the direction of the kitchen. "ANYONE HERE? I'VE BROUGHT FOOD."
Viktor and Marjani reply at the same time, getting up from the window seat as they do, disturbing both Axel and Havana in the process. They must smell whatever food it is that Zuberi's brought because instead of getting comfortable once more on the window seat they race past Marjani and Viktor, easily beating them to the door. They are sitting in the kitchen with pleading eyes turned up to Zuberi who is setting a platter of chicken onto the table beside the sides he'd brought with the chicken.
Now that Marjani knows his secret Viktor decides to fill Zuberi in as they eat. He's not surprised at the news and like his sister he offers suggestions, makes comments, and asks questions. Viktor has gotten up to cut them all pieces of a pie he'd gotten the day before from Briar's Bakery when sound of the front door knocker reverberates through the house, Axel barks but only once as he's still more interested in what chicken is still on the table.
Since he's already up, Viktor is the one who goes to see who's there. When he comes back he's walking oddly, woodenly and his pallor is a sickly ashen. "What? What is it?" Zuberi asks, jumping from his seat.
Viktor stands there, not speaking, his expression that of someone who has received the most ghastly of news. Marjani is on her feet now as well, rushing to his side. Thinking the worst she asks in a rush, "Did someone die?"
Viktor gives an almost imperceptible shake of his head but says nothing. The person who speaks came in unnoticed by Marjani and Zuberi. She has come a step through the kitchen archway when she pronounces, "Someone lived."
At the sight of Theodosia, Zuberi staggers back, hitting a counter then sliding down it to sit on the floor. Marjani's knees buckle and she sways into Viktor who puts a steadying arm around her. Keeping hold of her he turns, to stare at Theodosia, Marjani and Zuberi staring as well. Zuberi breaks the silence by snarling, "Pretending to be Dosie is a sick joke."
"No joke, sick or otherwise. It's really me."
New Mother
Author: Illyria
Date: 09-15-16 22:54
Illyria sat in her new rocking chair and tickled the belly of her baby boy. Ian Oscar Goode did not like to sleep. He liked to take in his surroundings, gurgle, and smile. When he felt sleepy, he cried and cried, but he would rather cry than give in to his heavy eyelids. It made him a tricky baby, especially for a new parent like Illyria.
Her sisters gave her advice, since they all had children of their own and were experts in their own way. Arsinoe had four girls and was trying for one more (a boy, hopefully!). Erigone had just had her fourth child, a girl named Bailey, and claimed this baby would be her last. Olympia had two boys, and Urania one boy.
"Why won't you sleep, little one?" Illyria asked Ian in a sing song voice.
Ian made a cooing noise in response.
"Mummy is very tired," she went on. "Mummy would love a nap, but she can't sleep if you don't sleep."
"We can tag team it," Nathan suggested, when he came into the room with a berry smoothie. He set it on the table next to Illyria's rocking chair and held out his arms for his son.
"You drink your smoothie, then take a nap. I'll stay up with the little man while you get some much needed rest."
Illyria smiled at her husband. "If only I could. His cries will keep me up."
"Earplugs! Or, a muffling charm on the bedroom door."
"I'm glad you stopped there," Illyria said with a laugh. She reached for her smoothie and explained, "I was almost certain the next thing you'd offer is to put a silencing charm on our little baby."
"Never!" Nathan responded. He tickled Ian's round baby stomach and grinned. "What a cutie. You look just like your mother."
Illyria smiled as she sipped her chilled drink. There was a time when she didn't think she'd get married, much less have a child. Now she had a husband and a baby, and she couldn't have been happier.
Wedding Cake
Author: Briar Rose
Date: 09-16-16 21:17
"Why do you do it that way?" Grace asks her mother.
Briar pauses in the process of creating frosting flowers around the base of a cake. "You know I sometimes like to use my hands when baking and decorating."
"But why?"
"I don't know. I just do."
"What kind is it?"
"The cake? A traditional fruitcake for a wedding. Some of the cooling cakes will be for the same wedding. One tier will be chocolate, one will be vanilla almond, and one lemon."
"Lots of choices. I think I'd want one of each."
Briar chuckles. "Me too."
"Isn't that big sheetcake a fruitcake?"
"Yes, that one's a fruitcake as well. It's for the same wedding." Briar turns the cake in front of her, studying the flowers then resumes decorating the cake.
"A lot of fruitcake. Will you decorate it too?"
"Not that one, no. It will be cut into small pieces and then each piece will go into a little box. People at the reception will take the boxes home to put under their pillows so they dream of their future husbands or wives."
"Really?"
"It's an old tradition but I don't know if the dreaming part ever works."
"Are you going to marry Professor Somerset?"
Smiling, Briar stops working again to look at Grace. "I don't know but if we did, would you not like it?"
"I don't think I'd hate it. He's nice. Why didn't you ever marry Daddy?"
"I loved your father then and still do but we would not have done well together if married."
Grace makes a sort of hmmmm sound then jumps up from where she's sitting on a stool and grabs a cooling sugar biscuit from a tray. "I'm going to the park with Aegean and my babies."
"Your babies are five now so isn't it about time you stop calling them your babies?"
Grace makes the hmmm noise again. "I'll think of something else then."
Briar refrains from giving Grace any reminders, such as periodically checking in with either her, Julian, or Aegean. What she does says is, "Don't forget we're having lunch with everyone at the Crown & Cauldron."
Grace acknowledges what her mother has said then is out the bakery's backdoor, racing around the back of the building, going up between the bakery and the sweet shoppe to come out on the lane, then skips along to the park, finishing off the sugar biscuit before she gets there so she won't get asked why she didn't bring the others biscuits as well.
Honeymoon
Author: Jolyon
Date: 09-16-16 23:53
Jolyon and Merrie strolled hand in hand along the coastal side of Front Street in Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. They'd just eaten at Cheeseburger in Paradise––Jolyon, a kalua pig sandwich with seasoned chips, or fries as they were called in America; and Merrie, Polynesian coconut shrimp with mango chutney and seasoned fries. They'd both drunk mai tais with their meals and were feeling sated and chipper as they walked with the other tourists under the blazing sun. A cruise ship had docked earlier in the day, so the little town was even busier than usual.
They made their way past art galleries, jewelry stores, and gelato stands and eventually came to an open area where they could better see the massive ship. A dozen smaller vessels bobbed in the crystal blue water, and in the distance, someone parasailed high in the air behind a speedboat.
The pair eventually moved into the shade of an enormous banyan tree. Park benches were scattered around, and most were occupied by other tourists. A man on a bicycle with a green parrot on the handlebars pedaled around underneath the sprawling tree branches. Jolyon and Merrie found a rare, empty bench and sat.
"This is nice," Merrie remarked.
"Yeah," Jolyon agreed. It had been his idea to go on their honeymoon to a Muggle destination. Not only was the trip a getaway for the newlyweds to spend some time alone together, it was also a getaway from their ordinary lives. Why not spend some time away from what they knew?
"If only Asher were happier about this," Merrie said.
Jolyon put an arm around her shoulders and said, "We can't force him to accept our marriage. We can hope that he'll one day get over his anger, though. He's still a teenager. Maybe when he matures, things will be different."
Merrie nodded.
"How much do you want to bet he's stone-faced in all our wedding photos?" Jolyon added, with a bit of a laugh. He had to find the humor somewhere.
Merrie shot him a slightly amused glance. "Surely he's just smoldering for the camera. He's at that age when girls should interest him."
"Speaking of… what do you think of Malden dating our daughter?"
Merrie paused before answering, "He's polite enough, but there's something about him I'm not sure I like. I don't know what exactly it is, though."
"The fact that he's dating our daughter, maybe?"
Merrie let out a little laugh and admitted, "Yes, but also no. You know him better than I do. What do you think about him?"
"He's a good student, but there is something hard about him. I can't put my finger on it either, but I suppose I shouldn't judge. Arielle knows him better than the both of us, and if she likes him, then we might as well like him too."
"You're too good, Jolyon," Merrie remarked with a smile and a pat on his forearm.
Jolyon smiled at his wife, the once-again Mrs. Kent, and kissed her underneath the banyan tree.
Sharing Information
Author: Jet
Date: 09-18-16 20:21
Jet stops just inside the café, allowing his eyes to adjust from the bright light outside to the slightly dimmer interior of the eatery. As per a sign to seat oneself, he heads for a small table along one wall. No sooner has he taken a seat and reached for the menu already at the table then a woman enters. She too stops a moment, looking about, aiming for a table near Jet.
Rapidly rising he steps into her path. "Emerson! Hello. Join me?"
The woman blinks several times, looking once over her shoulder then back at Jet. "I think you have me confused with someone else."
"Come off it, Emerson. When was the last time you truly fooled me with one of your disguises."
Her lips purse in a frown. Exhaling loudly and with a roll of her eyes she acquiesces. "I don't know how you always seem to pick me out."
Jet doesn't tell her that she always chooses the same age range, has a basic body type she prefers, and, most tellingly, she tends to forget to remove a unique necklace she's long favored. He doesn't share this information because there's no telling how long he'll need to utilize it though he hopes what he tells her finally will put an end to Cymdeithas y Sarff's interest in him.
What he does say is, "Just lucky I guess."
"Now that you've spotted me and said something I'll be on my way."
Jet puts up a hand to stay her. "I've got some things to share with you."
"Oh?"
A waitress approaches to take their orders. Jet orders the roast beef sandwich. Still unsure of what Jet's about Emerson hesitates, ultimately ordering the chef salad when he tells her to go ahead, he's buying.
Jet produces a portfolio type file. "I've been carrying this around all week in hopes you'd get close enough during a good moment to sit down. You've been given wrong information about Cymdeithas y Sarff's origins. I doubt many of the current members know the truth."
"What truth is that?" she skeptically asks.
Jet lays out for her what he's learned. "The club, and that's what it truly was in the beginning, was open to anyone. It wasn't some secret group only for special followers. Cymdeithas y Sarff began as a charitable club."
He tells her everything, answering any questions she has as they arise. He shows her copies of documents he's come across in his research and gives her the title of the journal that first gave him the information about the organization's beginnings. "Now that it's properly shelved, you can go read the journal yourself at the Ministry or you can try to find another copy."
He wraps things up with two items. "Here is a copy of everything Cymdeithas y Sarff wanted from me. When I was," he starts to say your but changes that, "a prisoner I couldn't bring forth everything in my head to write it down. What I could remember was either negative or made little sense. The negative parts are why I stalled, why I only gave tidbits. Now that I have everything in context, I understand. You will too once you read it, which I suggest you do before passing it along to your parents or anyone else in the group."
Realizing there's more to the portfolio than she realized Emerson, finished with her salad, pushes the remains of her lunch aside to take a better look at the file's contents. As she flips pages Jet says, "Lastly, the voice is gone. The voice we all thought was Salazar Slytherin's."
"It wasn't?"
"Yes and no. It was his but not from an actual horcrux. It's was a small essence of him, an essence that had an evil quality to it. That journal I mentioned led me to more information, including what the box was I stumbled up and opened. There was a magical experiment gone wrong that resulted in this not nice essence of Slytherin being released. There was a spell that allowed it to be trapped in the box, ironically with these ideas and thoughts of Slytherin's that are overall positive and part of the beneficent foundation upon which Cymdeithas y Sarff was eventually built. Where I found this information included what was needed to rid anyone of the essence and trap it again. Apparently, no one ever figured out how to destroy it."
"Why did you want to share all this with me?"
"Mainly so that Cymdeithas y Sarff would stop sending people to spy on me and stop any future plans for trying to again force me to divulge what it believes to be how to dominate and rule the world musings of Salazar Slytherin. You all also need to stop this super secret only for the certain special witches and wizards. Stop the kidnappings, the torturing, the killing all in the name of something that was never the original founders' intent."
Emerson closes the portfolio and pushes back from the table. "A great deal to think about. Thank you for lunch."
She rises to leave, turning back to look at Jet when he comments, "Next time you decide to shadow me, even though there's no need, just drop the disguises, Emerson. Be yourself for once."
She gives him a half smile then walks away, tightly clutching the portfolio to her chest.
Jet stays, ordering a slice of caramel apple pie to top off lunch.
Daphne and Emily Get Wands
Author: Ellis
Date: 09-18-16 22:23
The five oldest Ellis siblings went to Diagon Alley together with their mother as chaperone. Alys, Blakeney, Conrad, Daphne, and Emily each had a school supply list in hand. The older siblings didn't need to purchase as much as the younger ones, since for the most part, they had their basic supplies already. All needed new textbooks. But most importantly, the twins needed to get their wands.
The family entered Ollivander's, which was dark and cramped––even more so with the addition of six persons in the narrow shoppe. Mr. Ollivander came down a steep staircase and smiled at the newcomers.
"Abby Greenhill––no, make that Ellis. Back again with a new first year, I see. Ah, make that two! Step forward, girls, and let me have a look at you."
Daphne and Emily stepped closer to the older wizard and allowed him to study them. "Your mother's wand is acacia––just like Ms. Alys over there by the door."
Ollivander turned around and ran his index finger over stacks and stacks of slim boxes. He pulled one out an set it on the counter. "Your father's wand is aspen."
He searched the haphazardly stacked boxes again and removed one.
"What are your names?" he asked the girls.
"Daphne," answered Daphne, "and Emily," answered Emily.
"Daphne, try the acacia wand. It's 11 inches, dragon heartstring, and extremely supple. And you, Emily, try the aspen. It's 9 1/4 inches, also dragon heartstring, and rigid."
The twins picked up the wands, turned them over in their hands and then waved them around the room. A pile of boxes over Conrad's head toppled over and nearly buried him where he stood.
Daphne frowned and said, "I don't want to have the same wand as my mum and sister."
"And it would seem the wand doesn't want you either," Mr. Ollivander said. "The aspen wand has chosen your sister, however, and on the first try too. Let's see what aspen does for you."
He plucked a different box from the shelf behind him and handed Daphne the aspen wand. Maybe she, like her father and twin sister, was also meant to own an aspen wand.
Daphne waved it and accidentally blew Blakeney's skirt up into the air, showing off bright pink knickers.
"No, no, no," Mr. Ollivander said. "You're meant to have something much different." He took a long time searching his shelves and then presented Daphne with a 10 inch ash wand with phoenix feather core.
It was a perfect match. Daphne left the wand shoppe beaming, and Emily felt pretty pleased herself. They were one step closer to starting at Hogwarts.
Shopping With The Sister
Author: Dante Knight
Date: 09-19-16 12:11
Meandering along Diagon Alley with Dante his sister notes, "It's busier than last time I was here."
"The nearer the time gets to September, the more traffic one can expect. Back to school shopping. Now that there is a university, a number of St. Emrys students also get shopping done during this period to take advantage of the sales."
"There are days I wish we hadn't missed out on all this, either here or some other country."
"I understand and have often felt that way."
"Only often?" she laughs. "Oh, I'd like to go in here."
Dante holds the door to the second hand book store. "Looking for anything in particular?"
"Trying to fill in a couple of holes in a series I follow."
"If you don't find what you want here, we'll check the other Diagon Alley book sellers. I'm pretty sure there's one or two along Knockturn Alley as well. We can also check Twice Told Tales in Hogsmeade."
Back on the lane a quarter of an hour later, one of the books his sister wanted tucked into a bag that's been put into one of the large bags they carry. They bypass other shoppes for the time being, intent on getting something to eat. Once seated and the food ordered Dante asks, "Have you decided on a name?"
"I've had so many over the years. I'd thought I'd go with one of the ones I particularly liked then I thought no, I'm at a new beginning so I'll pick something not yet used."
"And?"
"I keep flip-flopping. At times I think I'll be Guinevere, or Guin," she says in reference to her actual given name. "Why did you decide on Dante rather than Garrett?"
"Because unlike you and Rocky who had a few years as Guinevere and Gabriel, the only time I was called Garrett was for about the first three months after I was born. For me, it was just another name. Dante is the one I began using when I broke away from the family and that's who I've been since."
"Rocky's considering the name Elijah."
Dante nods. "He told me but I can't picture him as an Elijah."
"Me either. Angela has suggested Pete because that's the name he was using when they met," she says of their sister-in-law who tends to be called Angel by the family.
"Have they shared their news with you?"
"They're expecting again, yeah."
"Angela's wanting them to settle into a house and stay for awhile, enroll Logan into a preschool or something similar."
"Rocky may have a hard time with the settling down. Of all of us he's the one who most embraced the life Mum and Dad established for us."
"Speaking of settling down, I got a job at the Ministry. Nothing much but it's the first I've had with a long term goal and not just as some mark or con the parents were setting up. Department of International Magical Cooperation."
Their food arrives and over the meal Dante and his sister talk more about her new job, flats and houses she's looked at to rent or possibly buy if the price is right, and how long it took Dante to truly adjust to being in one place for more than a few months at a time.