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Alys, Gavin, and Haley
Author: Ellis
Date: 08-09-19 18:21
Alys stepped outside Madam Malkin's with Gavin and Haley, both of whom had just been fitted for robes and other accessories for their Hogwarts uniforms. She was just about ready to strangle them both. Ever since arriving in Diagon Alley to conduct school supply shopping, the two had bickered nonstop, and nothing Alys could say or do helped control the situation. Normally, Haley didn't let Gavin goad her into responding, but she was in rare form today. If she wasn't arguing, then she was whining.
"Aaaaallyyysss, Gavin won't stop touching me."
Without looking up from the first year shopping list in her hand, Alys swatted at Gavin's arm when he reached out to poke Haley again.
"Ow, that's child abuse!" Gavin complained. "I guess it's to be expected, what with you being a Death Eater by association."
Alys whipped around so fast, Gavin didn't see it coming. She had him by the arm and hissed, "What did you just say?"
Gavin was startled into obedience. "Nothing."
"Don't you ever make jokes about child abuse or Death Eaters in public, do you understand me? You better believe I will tell Mum and Dad about this when we get home." She let go of his arm, consulted the list once more, and led them to Scribbulus Writing Implements to pick up basic supplies.
They were nearly there when a notice board caught Alys' attention. Prominently featured was a poster that read, Have you seen this wizard? with Malden McGonagall's photograph looking boyish and not at all Death Eater-like. It was both strange and unsettling to see.
Alys reached to put a hand on Gavin's back to push him past the notice board. She could see that he wanted to say something, but he wisely kept his mouth shut. Haley hardly noticed the board, instead being mesmerized by a fluffy quill in the display window of the stationary shop.
The public announcement of Asher's guilt weighed heavily on Alys' mind, even though she had known about it prior to the Minister of Magic's press conference, on account of the questioning she'd gotten from members of law enforcement. Knowing it then and now seemed somehow different. It was more real now. Asher's face had been in the newspaper and his name mentioned on the WWN. And now he was a prisoner of Azkaban.
"Can I get one, Alys?" Haley asked, drawing her attention to the present.
"Do you really need a quill like that to do your school work?" Alys tried to ask the question in a measured, less angry tone, but she wasn't sure she'd succeeded. She was too grumpy nowadays.
Haley frowned. "No, but I could use it to write letters home or journal."
"Mum and Dad only want us buying essentials."
"I can use my own money," Haley said, and she began fishing around in her pocket for spare change.
Alys sighed. "No, I'll buy it for you. Gavin, do you want a fancy quill too?"
He made a face and said, "I'd rather have a broomstick."
"Too bad first years can't have their own brooms," Alys said. "Pick a quill or don't."
Gavin did in the end. The shaft appeared to be wrapped in snakeskin, and there was a little tuft of fathers at the very end. It was the ugliest thing Alys had ever seen, but she bought it because it was only fair.
Philippa & Richard
Author: Philippa Hainault
Date: 08-11-19 03:46
"Let me see it again!"
Philippa hands her wand over to her brother Richard. She is only older than him by fifteen months and the bound between the two siblings is very strong. They were partners in the classroom and during playtime. She would always jump in his defense, like the time when he broke their aunt's expensive Chinese jar and she took the blame to protect him. He relished in her company and he was sad she was going to leave in the fall.
"I can't believe part of Dad's wand core is in here! You are so lucky! You were named Philippa after him, and now this! I wish I had something of him as well..." the boy lamented.
"But you do. You look just like him! And I am not lying because aunt Margaret says so all the time."
And indeed he did look like his father. His facial expressions and demeanor were exactly like Philip's. And in some old photos a stranger could easily misidentify the son for the father. The two siblings were seated at the edge of a fountain in the gardens. Their bare feet were dipped in the cold water, as the summer sun burnt their faces.
"Philippa?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think she knows you're going to Hogwarts?" He was referring to their mother.
"Perhaps. I like to think so."
Their grandfather from her mother's side had written a birthday letter when Philippa turned eleven and he learned she had received her letter from Hogwarts. He congratulated her and he hoped she was well. It was a polite letter but it lacked affection. Philippa did not mind because she never met her grandfather but she was hoping there would be a word or two about her mother. There were none. It was as if she did not exist. And maybe she didn't. She had gone mad with grief after the loss of her husband and everyone told them she was not the same person anymore. But Philippa hoped that deep down she knew she knew about her children and that her eldest daughter would soon go to Hogwarts.
"I wish I could go with you in the fall! Who am I going to play with?"
"You have Isabella."
"It's not the same thing." Philippa felt flattered that Richard preferred her company their sister's. "Which Hogwarts house do you think you'll belong to? Slytherin like Dad?"
"I don't know. Aunt Margaret says any house is a possibility."
"What if you end up in our mother's house? Does that mean you will become mad like her in the future?"
"Not all Gryffindors are mad."
"You're right. But still…wouldn't you prefer Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw?"
"I…I'm not sure. All houses have produced great witches and wizards. As long as I am accepted in any of them, I guess I'll be fine."
"Well…if you aren't accepted in any house, that means you can go back home!"
"Not a chance!" She laughed. "I want to go to Hogwarts!"
"I hate you!" He joked, and he splashed some water at her. Soon they were throwing water at each other, completely engaged in a battle that would only end when their aunt arrived and demand them to go clean up for dinner.
Allegation
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 08-11-19 07:50
"I wish I could go to Hogwarts already," Lilly announced, as she and Ethan walked to Briar's.
"Hey, try not to grow up too fast," Ethan jokingly told her.
"Going to Hogwarts doesn't mean you're grown, unless you're a teacher. Then you're grown AND old."
Ethan laughed. "Fair enough." His amusement was cut short when Rita Skeeter emerged from the doorway of the library. A pad of parchment and a quill hovered in the air, ready to take down her dictation.
"Go on to Briar's," Ethan said. The bakery was just a building down from where they stood on High Street. Lilly could tell from her father's tone that she should do exactly as he asked. She walked straight to the bakery's door and entered with the jingle of the overhead bell.
"Tell me, Ethan," Rita drawled, her quill already writing on its own, "has the Dark Lord taken an interest in your child as he did in you? Is she a mere enchantment away from doing his bidding?"
Ethan fixed Rita with a firm glare. "I don't care what you write about me, but leave my daughter out of it."
Rita smirked and let her gaze wander toward the bakery. "I find it fascinating that your paramour just so happens to be the daughter of Death Eaters. What are the chances that you, a convicted servant of the Dark Lord, and she, raised by members of his inner circle, are in a relationship? No doubt he's instructed you to create a new generation? Keep it all in the family, and all that?"
"With my Muggle-born ancestry, I sincerely doubt it," Ethan snapped.
Rita smirked again and asked, "Is it true you were tapped to help groom future young Death Eaters at Hogwarts?"
"No," Ethan said. He'd heard the various rumors, of course. Different teachers were accused of being complicit in the recently discovered program to recruit Hogwarts students to the Death Eaters: Minerva by her relationship to Malden, who was wanted for attempted murder in addition to his association with the Death Eaters; Azaelia because her ex-husband was a Death Eater; Severus because he was an ex-Death Eater himself; and Ethan because 17 years ago he was under Voldemort's control.
"How do you know?" Rita asked with a knowing grin. "You weren't yourself when you served him in the past."
"And yet I remember everything I did during that time," Ethan angrily replied. "I had no knowledge of Malden or Asher until it was announced publicly. I can guarantee you that if Voldemort has given me any thought since his return, then it's because he would rather I be dead. Since I'm not dead, I can only surmise that he's not given me any thought at all. Now if you don't mind, I would like to enjoy the rest of my morning without you badgering me or my family. Goodbye."
Ethan strode away from Rita and entered the bakery to find Briar sitting at a little table with Lilly, who was drinking chocolate milk and eating a pastry with lemon curd and fresh berries. He dropped a kiss on Briar's cheek, pulled over a chair from another table, and sat down between the ladies.
"Rita Skeeter is outside."
"I heard," Briar remarked. Lilly didn't know who Rita Skeeter was, but she had a good eye and had described the woman in great detail. "She best stay outside, or she might find herself removed from private property."
"What did she want, Daddy?" Lilly asked.
"Nothing important," Ethan replied. "Just do me a favor. If she tries to talk to you, don't tell her anything. Say 'no comment' or tell her to talk to me, understand?"
"Yes."
Ethan wanted to talk to Briar about Rita's allegations, but it could wait. Instead he asked, "Where's Grace?"
"Charlotte came home from Sweden today. She went over to say hello and to see what Charlotte brought her from the trip. She should be back soon."
"Will Charlotte come over too?"
"We can ask, or we can visit if that's what you want."
"Let's visit after I finish eating," Lilly decided. "I want to see the twins and Dylan and August if they are home."
"Sounds like a plan," Ethan said, hoping that Rita would have left the village by the time they set out for the book shoppe.
(Cecily & Wren) Back Home
Author: Sophie McCourt
Date: 08-11-19 10:21
"Where is he?" Parsifal asked looking to the fireplace.
"He'll be here soon," Cecily promised.
Their bags were already in the living room, ready to go. Cecily and her brother Parsifal had spent most of their summer with their uncle and aunt and their cousin Lisa. The first few days were fun but after a while Cecily started missing home, Wren and the Thestrals. Lisa rarely wanted to do anything with her. She was a few years older than Cecily and she felt intimidated by her. Lisa liked to read teenager gossip magazines and talk about an all boys music group she had seen at St. Emrys Fest. She knew all their names and her bedroom was covered with posters, where the wizards would blow kisses to Lisa from time to time. Lisa laughed at her when she asked Cecily which of the wizards she thought it was the cutest. She couldn't really tell and so she had randomly picked one. Lisa had laughed because according to her Cecily had picked the least popular singer and teased her poor taste in boys.
Cecily wished she could replace her cousin Lisa for Miranda. With Miranda things were always funny and interesting, and she didn't feel as shy as she used to feel around most people. She imagined Miranda with Artie and the other Weasleys during their summer holidays. They must be having a good time together. They were all Gryffindors, with the exception of Seth Weasley. Seth, just like Lisa, was a Ravenclaw, but Cecily knew Seth liked Quidditch, while her cousin seemed to have an aversion to broomsticks.
There was a crack on the fireplace and green flames started to burst. A moment later Wren was in the living room covered in ashes. Cecily and Parsifal went to his encounter and hugged him. Some of the ashes passed to his brother and sister. Cecily wanted to leave right away, but Wren was invited for a cup of tea with his uncle and aunt, after he had used his wand to clean the mess he produced thanks to the trip via the Floo network.
"Thank you for looking after them," Wren said. He had sent Cecily and Parsifal away due to Jasper and Sophie's wedding. Wilhelmina Pole had implied she did not want them in the property when the event took place. Wren was sure his brother and sister were perfectly able to stay at home during the event but he thought it would be better to send them away in case they decided to break out and mingle among the guests. "I hope they didn't cause too much trouble."
"Nonsense! It was a pleasure to have them here. How was the wedding?" His aunt said.
"It was all right. But I caught a pair of guests inside the stables. They were making out on the hay, half drunk...they thought no one was there because they couldn't see the Thestrals. One of them started to eat the witch's robes and she started to scream. The wizard almost set the stable on fire with his wand, due to the panic. I was able to get there on time, and no one got hurt."
"I'm glad. I saw some photos of the wedding on a magazine. The bride looked very beautiful."
"Yes," Wren agreed.Sophie did look very beautiful. She was now living at the Pole Manor and he used to see her everyday. She woke up early and used to take a walk on the grounds before the family gathered for breakfast. He started to yearn for that time of the day when he saw her. They didn't speak to each other but she smiled and waved at him and wished him a good morning.
"Mr. Pole is a lucky man."
"Indeed. Have you seen the news?" Wren asked, changing the subject.
"Yes. Minors being recruited as Death Eaters! We have already talked to Lisa about it, and told her to be careful. You should do the same with Cecily," his uncle said, speaking for the first time.
"I will," Wren promised. He finished his cup of tea, thanked his uncle and aunt one more time and took his siblings back home.
Political Mixer
Author: Errol
Date: 08-11-19 19:40
"We're five minutes in. Bored already?" a voice says next to his ear.
Errol shakes his head, turning to look at Hershel Beauvais, Romily Vega's husband. So, technically his stepfather. "Thinking about how much work I'll have to catch up on when I go back."
"I know interns can be overworked and underpaid, and some don't get paid at all, but is what your doing really that hectic?"
"I've had to lighten my course load at St. Emrys to be able to just barely keep up with the job."
"You can always quit."
"Bad impression and could have future impact. I need to tough it out for a few more months."
"And then?"
"Maybe a part-time job while finishing at St. Emrys."
"You're always welcome to put school on hold and come work for Romily's office. You could do what now seems to be considered an old fashioned internship or apprenticeship. I still find it hard to believe how quickly some in the wizarding world accepted the concept of colleges and universities. Those were always for No-Majs."
"There you are!"
Both do a full body turn in Romily's direction. "Hershel, your parents have arrived. Errol, come meet Billy Grimsditch. Some think he's a strong contender to be MACUSA's next president."
Errol follows Romily, both thankful he's finally gotten to spend time with his mother and irritated that much of that time has been with others around at functions such as this political mixer. He's not sure that what miniscule time he's actually had with just her and with her and the stepfamily he hardly knows is worth the amount of work facing him when he returns to England. Still, he dutifully plasters on a smile to meet this Grimsditch fellow, hoping he doesn't turn out to be a total bore like so many of the other politicians he's met so far.
Mess (Georgie & Miranda)
Author: Majandra
Date: 08-14-19 21:33
Georgie hears the front door open, his eyes going wide with both surprise that Mum is home far sooner than he expected and fear at his mess being discovered before he can clean it up. He scurries out of his bedroom, pulling the door shut. He stops to make sure it's firmly closed then continues on down the hallway, doing his best to put on an air of innocence.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs he stops mid-step at seeing Miranda. "Oh. It's you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she irritatedly asks.
Both shoulders go up in what he thinks is just a regular shrug but to Miranda looks exaggerated. "Nothing. Thought you were Mum is all."
Her eyes narrow. "What have you done?"
"What makes you think I've done something?"
"Because you're acting weird."
"I'm not acting anything. Just being me."
"While you ARE weird, there's your normal weird and there's now."
"Huh?"
"You're face is scrunched funny, like you're trying not to look guilty and your doing strange things with your body."
"You aren't making sense, Randa. What strange things with my body? And my face isn't scrunched."
Miranda mimics his massive, whole of his upper body involved shrug. "Like that. And you keep looking up the stairs and you keep doing your hands like this." Miranda clasps her hands together as if wringing them. "Oh, and your face is too scrunched. Like this." She does her best to show him what she means.
"I think I would know if I did something that awful with my face." He starts to protest about the hand wringing as well only to realize he's just done it again.
Deciding not to say anything more, he turns and starts up the stairs. When Miranda moves to follow he picks up his pace, darting up the remaining steps. Georgie tends to be faster than Miranda but she has longer legs so he's not that far ahead of her when he reaches his room. He tries to open his door, dash inside, and push the door closed behind him before she can see but she grabs hold of the door before he can push it shut.
In a voice and tone that sounds scarily like Mum's Miranda demands, "George Frederick Weasley, what have you done?"
Georgie stands up straight and tall, shoulders squared, ready to yell at her for being in his room when he'd clearly wanted the door shut without her inside. He's ready to be indignant at her invasion of his privacy. Only instead of raising his voice and ordering her to get out, his wilts and in a very small voice, almost a whisper, he explains, "I was only seeing how my wand felt to wave it around somewhere other than Ollivander's. I don't know what happened."
"Waving your wand wouldn't have done this unless you were also trying out spells."
"I wasn't!" he hotly denies. "Well, not really. I only said made up words. Nothing real."
She takes in his exploded mattress and pillows, destuffed animals, pages from books and their now empty covers, clothing everywhere including several shirts and socks that appear glued to the ceiling and pajamas floating as if being held up by an unseen ghostly hand. There is so much other chaos and destruction Miranda thinks she could stand there for a week and still not know the full extent of the mess.
She closes her eyes and shakes her head, backing out of the room. "Better get busy cleaning it up. Mum and Dad will both be home soon."
"Wait! You aren't going to help me?"
A pajama bottom goes floating by. Miranda, eyes open again, notices odd wiggling. She points. "Is that.. ?"
"Killer's wagging tail. He thinks hanging on and going 'round and 'round the room is great fun."
Miranda walks to the floating pajama bottom, pulling one trouser leg aside to reveal their small dog. Sure enough he's got the other pants leg clenched tightly in his mouth, his lower half dancing in the air as he wags his tail so fast it's a blur. She shakes her head again but then laughs. "Yeah, all right. I'll help though I don't know what we're going to do about the mattress and pillows or how we'll get the anything unstuck from the ceiling."
Leaving Killer having a grand time floating around attached to the pajama bottom, Georgie and Miranda start on the mess Georgie had somehow made of his room.
(Maud) Terrible Summer
Author: Celeste Quigley
Date: 08-15-19 10:33
"I don't know why we are here. I told you I am not going back to Hogwarts."
"Don't be silly. Now we need to get you a new uniform. The sleeves of your shirts were getting too short as well as the skirt. You cannot go to school like that."
"I don't care," Maud retorted as her mother took her to Madam Malkin's.
The place was somewhat crowded and they had to wait. Maud sat on a chair, her arms crossed, and she started to pout. Her mother ignored her. Maud had been with a terrible temper the entire summer.
It all started when she was at the Hogwarts Express waiting for the train to depart on its way back to London. She was seated by the window when she spotted Grace hugging Rand. Since Grace lived in Hogsmeade she did not have to catch the train. Seeing Grace hugging Rand had upset Maud. Of course it was just an innocent goodbye hug, but still that was enough to upset her. She spent the entire train ride with a frowning, and she was sure that by the end of the journey Jaclyn was actually relieved to leave the compartment they were sharing and get rid of her bad mood.
Things got worse when Maud discovered that Grace had been named prefect. She was furious when she learned the news and she wished she could do magic to start blowing things up. Instead she had channeled her fury and disappointment on her hair brush. She threw the object into the wall, and the only reason why she did not do the same to the perfume bottle next to her was because her mother entered her bedroom and asked what was going on.
"She gets to be a prefect too! She gets everything!" She yelled, the image of Grace hugging Rand still burning in her head. "I am always second, no matter how hard I study, she always wins! I hate her!"
Maud's mother did not like the hostile behavior of her daughter and grounded Maud. She was supposed to have gone to St. Emrys Fest but her mother forbid her. Locked in her bedroom Maud decided she did not want to go to Hogwarts anymore. She couldn't stand seeing Grace with her shiny prefect badge, smiling at Rand when they met again at the Hogsmeade station. She told her mother she wanted to change school. Of course her mother ignored her pleas and told Maud to grow up. She was turning fifteen this summer and her mother expected her to be a little bit more mature.
Maud was helpless when her mother dragged her to Diagon Alley to buy her fifth year books and a new uniform. She was afraid to run into Grace or anyone else from school, but thank Merlin no one she knew was around. Finally it was her turn to get a new uniform. She stood into a stool as one of Madam Malkin's assistants started to measure her.
"Hogwarts dear? Which year?"
"Fifth." Maud replied with reluctance.
"Big year, with OWLs," the assistant said.
"They will not be a problem for Maud," her mother said with pride. "She is a good student."
"Maybe my grades can fall this year," Maud implied on a provocative. What was the point of studying when Grace would always beat her?
Her mother ignored her, not willing to start a fight with her daughter. Maud continued to pout the entire day, and showed no interest on her new books and uniform. She wasn't eager to go back to Hogwarts this fall.
Visit from the Minister
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 08-15-19 15:20
"Minister, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Minerva said, when she found Kingsley on the doorstep to her office at Hogwarts.
Kingsley took off his hat and came inside, walking with Minerva to her desk. "I wanted to see how you were doing under the circumstances, and I also wanted to share some information with you."
"All things considered, I'm fine. I'm more concerned about the attacks on staff and potentially on the students when they return to school," Minerva replied, taking a seat behind her desk. "What news do you have for me? Is it about Malden?"
Kingsley, also seated by now, shook his head. "There are no updates about your great nephew, unfortunately. As for your concerns, a memorandum will go out to all members of the press that no one is allowed on campus once term begins unless express permission is granted. As it is, I'm advising that the patrols we intend on providing beginning September first will include security checks at the gate. If you hear of students, particularly minor children being harassed by the press or others, do report it."
"I will. And your news?"
Kingsley sighed. "There's to be an inquiry, separate from the Ministry's investigation."
"On the students to see if they are Death Eaters in training?" Minerva asked, astonished.
"No," Kingsley replied with a shake of his head. "A few of you are suspected of either willfully contributing to the recruitment program, being unknowingly involved merely by association and thereby providing access, or simply grossly incompetent."
"So some staff are being privately investigated."
"Yes… and monitored."
"Monitored?" Minerva was suddenly reminded of the Ministry Monitor program, where foreign-born staff or those not educated at Hogwarts were paired with a monitor for evaluation.
"My understanding is it will not be constant," Kingsley said. "I believe it will only be a a few individuals popping in now and again to check on things. If I learn more, I'll be sure to share it."
Minerva's lips were drawn into a thin line. It sounded like a lose-lose-lose situation. "Very well. May I inform the staff?"
"Just our friends for now," Kingsley said. "You can tell the others when it's been made officially known."
Minerva nodded in response and then said, "I'm surprised you came to see me personally, Kingsley. I would think they wouldn't want you associating with the incompetent Headmistress of Hogwarts!"
"Maybe they think I've come to take you to task," Kingsley replied with a wink. "At any rate, I should be heading back to the office."
He rose, and Minerva did too. "I will do my best to remedy the situation. Be well, Minerva."
"Thank you. You as well."
She walked him to her office door and said another goodbye before closing the door and leaning up against it. The portraits of the previous Headmasters were all deep in sleep except for one, that of Albus Dumbledore. He regarded her kindly through his half-moon glasses.
"You've been through worse," he reminded her, and he was absolutely right on that account.
Shopping with Eirene
Author: Finley
Date: 08-16-19 06:49
Finley and Eirene entered Diagon Alley via The Leaky Cauldron and moved away from the arched entrance to gain their bearings and determine where they wanted to go first. The two were there to conduct back-to-school shopping. In addition to the money provided by her mother to buy new school supplies, Finley also had the scholarship money anonymously awarded to her.
As someone who grew up without any money, Finley very much appreciated the scholarship, though it would have had much more of an impact had it arrived before she'd discovered her family. Now she had her mother, Theo and Leroy, and Eirene. She sort of wished she also had her biological father, hers and Eirene's, but he had yet to seek her out. Finley supposed she couldn't blame him, since Eirene's mother had no knowledge of the affair or the fact that her husband had fathered two daughters.
"I think we should just go get your new broomstick first," Eirene decided. "We can get what's on our respective lists later."
Finley nodded and walked with Eirene to Quality Quidditch Supplies. She'd had two broomsticks in her short life as a witch so far, and both had gotten destroyed—the first by Charla at the orphanage and the second during a Quidditch match. Both of the brooms had been gifted anonymously.
Since the last mishap, Finley had been using a school broom, which was fine enough since the broomsticks at Hogwarts were decent models these days. Now she finally had the opportunity to get her own broom again. Maybe the third time would be the charm.
After spending quite a bit of time perusing the different models and asking the sales witch if the voucher she had received would apply to the ones she liked, Finley left the store with a 20th Anniversary Edition Firebolt. She felt a bit silly walking around Diagon Alley with it and started to think it might have been better purchasing everything else first and the broomstick last, but when Eirene suggested she shrink it down, Finley declined, remembering how Charla had intentionally crushed her shrunken Cheetah underneath her foot.
The girls purchased their new books, supplies like quills and parchment, and other necessities off their lists and then went into the ice cream parlor to get a snack and relax. They were surprised to run into one of Eirene's former housemates behind the counter. Titus Nott was slinging their ice cream and wearing an eyepatch beneath his glasses.
"What happened to you?" Eirene asked.
"Accident," Titus responded.
It must have been bad, if magic couldn't have fixed it. The girls sat down together with their ice cream and started off talking about what Hogwarts would be like when they returned. They had heard about the fact that some students had been recruited to the Death Eaters. They even heard that some students had been interrogated by members of law enforcement.
"But not you, right?" Finley asked.
"Why me? Just because I'm in Slytherin?" Eirene asked. "Not every evil wizard was in Slytherin while at Hogwarts, and not every Slytherin is evil."
"I know, but Slytherin does have that reputation."
"Well, I've not gotten an interview. I wonder if he has. He was their roommate, after all," Eirene said, nodding her head at Titus.
"I dare you to ask him."
"I dare you," Eirene countered. "Gryffindors are supposed to be the brave ones."
Titus was busy scooping ice cream for a large family that had just entered the parlor. Finley had no intention of asking him anything, since it's not like she really knew him.
"So," she began, changing the subject, "is everything okay at home?"
Eirene took the subject change in stride and said, "He hasn't told her anything, and she doesn't suspect him, even though I've noticed that he seems a little uneasy now. I guess he's nervous that because some of us do know, the secret will eventually come out."
"It's probably better he comes clean before it does," Finley said, "but I can understand why he's hesitant."
"Personally, I wish he would. And I wish he'd acknowledge you."
"I don't want your mum to hate me."
"She won't. She's not that way, and besides, you're not to blame."
"I hope you're right."
Eirene reached across the table and gave Finley's hand a squeeze. "Trust me. I'm always right."