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Big Night
Author: Lee Sickleby
Date: 03-20-15 08:13
Lee and Alaia shared a cozy table at Bel Cielo and dined on the preset Valentine's menu, which included an appetizer, soup or salad, a main course, and dessert. They were mostly through the main course now, Lee having selected pan-seared scallops and Alaia the vegetable linguini.
After much consideration and a great deal of soul-searching, Lee had finally decided to move forward with his relationship with Alaia. Although he knew the risks, he also felt that he could make a future with Alaia work. That he couldn't be perfectly honest with her certainly bothered him, but the knowledge that any lies he told her would be for the good of their family justified everything.
He thought they could look for a house somewhere in the countryside where they wouldn't be bothered. Lee knew that Alaia liked being close to her shoppe for convenience sake, but a house in the middle of nowhere with a floo network connection would put him at ease and allow Alaia to go to and from work with little effort.
Lee finished off the last bite of his pan-seared scallops around the same time Alaia finished her own meal. Their waiter immediately took the plates away and went to the kitchen to fetch the desserts they had selected at the start of the meal. While they waited for him to return with one orange shortcake and one crème brulee, they smiled at each other across the cozy table.
"Not full yet, are you?" Lee asked. Each course had been perfectly sized for him, so the idea of dessert was not unappealing.
Alaia shook her head. "Not yet, but I can't promise I will finish dessert. We'll see how it goes."
The waiter arrived with their dessert plates. It was only after Lee had finished his dessert and Alaia was almost finished with hers that he reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box.
(Azaelia) Bummer
Author: Isolde
Date: 03-20-15 12:16
Azaelia stood against the wall in the Common Common Room and kept an eye on the students who had elected not to attend the Hearts & Roses ball in the Great Hall. She hadn't dressed up for the holiday because she didn't feel very festive. She and Robert were not on the best of terms at the moment.
After a lengthy standoff with law enforcement before the Christmas holidays, her father had been taken into custody by the Chilean government. Constantine Bramble had suffered some injuries during the ordeal, but none had been life threatening. He'd caused some battle wounds against the hit wizards and aurors who'd attempted to apprehend him but hadn't killed anyone, though now in addition to the drug charges against him, attempted murder was on the list.
It was only when her father was finally extradited to the UK, that Azaelia learned Robert had been on the British task force investigating him. She wasn't angry with Robert for working to have her father arrested, but Azaelia was upset that he'd never thought to tell her what he was doing. Ever since learning about her father's secret life, Azaelia wanted nothing more to do with secrets, only to find out her husband had been keeping secrets too.
Robert had temporarily moved out of the castle and was staying in the guest house of one of his Craster Rovers teammates. Azaelia felt lonely without him, especially with it being Valentine's Day, but she wasn't yet ready to forgive him. She simply needed more time to come to grips with everything in her seemingly topsy-turvy life.
Her father was due to stand trial beginning in a few weeks. Azaelia had yet to visit him at the Ministry of Magic, where he was being held. He had already come clean with her about his involvement in illegal activity, so it wasn't as if it shocked her anymore. She just didn't like the idea of him putting himself in so desperate a situation as to try to cause someone else harm, or worse. Once again, he was not the father she knew.
"Mrs. Blackheart!"
Azaelia turned and found herself showered in heart-shaped bubbles. The young student with a bottle of bubble solution and a heart-shaped wand broke out into peels of laughter. She smiled weakly at the child, who had run off to surprise an extra disgruntled-looking Mr. Filch.
Well, she thought to herself as she watched the school caretaker grumble after being showered by the bubbles and then glitter for good measure, at least I'm not the biggest spoilsport here!
At The Ball (Caerwyn)
Author: Julian Valentine
Date: 03-20-15 15:04
Glori nudges Caerwyn. "How do you put up with it all the time?"
"They are disgustingly happy together, aren't they?" he replies in reference to Augustus and Ramona.
Gus tosses a chunk of bread roll at him. Caerwyn grins then asks Glori if she'd like to dance again.
Caerwyn hadn't been sure to attend the Hearts & Roses ball. Though he dates and has done so for a few years now, he's never had a steady. Some girs, and blokes, get the wrong idea if going on a date for a special occasion or event such as Valentine's. He's not sure exactly when or what changed his mind but around three weeks ago, Glori and he got to talking. Next thing he knew, they had mutually decided to attend the ball together.
Last week, Caerwyn had asked Glori color ideas for a corsage and she, in turn, had asked him what color he would be wearing. Glori used the information to get him a boutonniere composed of a cream rose. Based on what Glori had told him, Caerwyn got her a corsage of salmon colored roses. He'd not even known there were salmon colored roses.
These weeks back at school with the increase in pressure to prepare for NEWTs, Quidditch practice, regular classwork, and the various other activities such as club meetings that go with school being in session have helped take Caerwyn's mind off catching Iola going through the room at the cabin that had been his mother's bedroom. She'd given the excuse of doing a deeper cleaning, getting all the dust bunnies from nooks and crannies. Caerwyn hasn't bought that excuse for a second.
The necklace Iola claims that she like to have since Caerwyn offered but it's no big deal if it can't be located has to be of great importance. If not the necklace then something else, though what that would be he doesn't know. Either way, Iola is keeping secrets and given his mother's history, Caerwyn's begun to wonder if her sister might have had an involvement of some sort.
Nearly tromping on Glori's foot, Caerwyn stops his mind from wandering. There's time enough to give more thought to Aunt Iola and her secrets without disfiguring Glori's feet.
(Adriana) Reasons to Celebrate
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 03-21-15 13:09
After the last customer left Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe, Aris dimmed the lights in the front part of the store and locked the front doors. He put the CLOSED sign in the window and drew down the shades. When he turned back around to close out the register, he found Adriana leaning in the doorway of the back room. She was undisguised, which was a rarity when she visited him since she sometimes came during open hours and did not wish to be recognized.
"What, no date tonight?" Aris sarcastically quipped.
Adriana quirked an eyebrow and ignored his insubordination. "I could ask you the same thing."
Aris didn't immediately reply and went behind the counter, where he opened the till and began to count the money. Adriana watched him in silence for a little while, allowing him to work uninterrupted. In the time since the Death Eaters had taken over his shoppe, Aris had gone from handsome and physically fit to having a face lined with worry and a much thinner frame. He looked terrible.
He finished tabulating the money the shoppe earned and then put the galleons, sickles, and knuts into individual leather pouches, which he carried into the back room where there was a small vault hidden in a closet. He would take the money to the bank on Monday morning––if the Death Eaters didn't pilfer it all first.
Adriana had followed him into the back room and waited for him to secure the closet door before she ordered him to go upstairs and change into something nice.
"Because you can't torture someone on a holiday who isn't dressed up to the nines?" he asked, the sarcasm heavy in his voice. He obviously didn't care anymore how he behaved, because the end result was always the same. The Death Eaters tortured him whether he did as they asked or didn't.
Adriana smirked. "The only torture you'll experience tonight is a forced supper with me. I do hope you like steak."
Aris didn't say anything and went to change his clothes, while Adriana sat down at his dinner table, which was set for two. She was in a celebratory mood because it was the one year anniversary of the attack on Madam Puddifoot's. What fun that had been! The only reason she wasn't out and about tonight was because she knew law enforcement was on alert after what happened last year. She wanted her next attack to come as a complete surprise.
Aris finally emerged from his bedroom wearing slacks and a button-down shirt. Adriana herself was wearing a red and white classic wrap dress and a pair of red heels. She wore her hair in a high ponytail.
She shook her head as she took in his appearance. "You've lost too much weight. You look awful."
"Put it down to stress," Aris curtly responded, taking a seat opposite her.
"Oh, is that all it is?" Adriana smirked. She inclined her head to the newest Death Eater on the block, Leigh, who came over with a bottle of champagne and poured two glasses.
"Drink up," Adriana said to Aris. "Enjoy it while you can."
He lifted his glass to his lips and took a cautious sip, as if testing for poison, though he had seen Leigh pour the champagne and knew Adriana was drinking from the same bottle. Adriana drank a generous amount, and then her eyes lit up as she focused on something behind him. Aris realized that someone else had joined them in the dining room.
He turned to look and saw someone he didn't recognize. The newcomer was on the short side, with a wide face and mouth and bugged-out eyes. He was rather grotesque-looking and smelled as if he lived in a swamp. Whoever the wizard was, Adriana knew him, because she smiled and said in a voice shaky with excitement, "Tell me you found it."
Aris saw that the wizard had something tiny clutched in his hand, but he couldn't see what it was.
"I found it," the wizard said in a croaky voice, sounding very pleased with himself. "That batty old crone had no idea what treasure she had in her possession."
Adriana squealed with delight and jumped out of her chair. The wizard opened his hand to reveal the sacred object, which Adriana hungrily snatched away from him before Aris could see anything. Then she did the most surprising thing. She kissed the wizard right on the lips.
"You, my friend," she said as she pulled away, patting him on the round cheek with her free hand, "have just made my night. Come have a drink and some steak. You deserve it!"
She indicated for the wizard to take her seat and left with no plans to return that night. Meanwhile, the wizard sat down in her chair opposite Aris and helped himself to dinner. His stench was overwhelming and caused Aris to gag. Aris realized in that moment that there really was a dinner date worse than Adriana Fairchild.
Different is Better
Author: Johanna Steele
Date: 03-21-15 15:48
"You're not a bad dancer. I thought you would be clumsy," Johanna confessed to her pair.
"Thanks. It's just a matter of balance," Edgar replied with a grin, making her turn.
Despite being three years younger than her, Edgar was as tall as Johanna. And he was still growing. Johanna didn't have planned about going to the Valentine's ball and so she accepted her cousin's invitation and became his dancing pair for the evening.
"You should be dancing with someone of your own age. Not your old cousin. Why didn't you invite someone else?"
"Evelyn tried hard to make me ask one of her friends to the ball. Her name is Evinrude. She's over there," Edgar pointed out. Johanna looked at the girl and she commented she had a cute look. "And then, Alcmene insisted that I should take her sister, Amelia instead. She's the one seated at that table over there."
This time Johanna also made a comment about Amelia's looks. They both looked like nice matches for Edgar. She inquired him why hasn't he asked one of them to the ball.
"First, I don't like having my sister trying to control my life, telling me who I should date. Besides Evinrude is a Slytherin and…"
"Hey, I'm a Slytherin too. So be careful what you say next."
"I know, sorry. Anyways, then there's Amelia. She's nice and all but she's not Alcmene."
Edgar took a look at Alcmene and Luke. They were seated at a table together, and they were making out. Johanna wondered when one of the teachers would notice and reprehend them or, if just for today, they would be giving the students some slack. Edgar sighed and Johanna noticed the way he was looking at the Gryffindor girl. He liked her, and yet there was nothing he could do because she was in the arms of another.
"It gets better with time," Johanna whispered.
"How do you know?"
"I had feelings for one of my closest friends, while he was with another girl. It was hard, but eventually I got over it."
Johanna glanced at Gus was seated next to Polly. They were talking with Hugo and Kate and the four of them seemed to have fun. Johanna and Edgar's seats were empty, since they were still dancing. Edgar got excited with having dinner with the older students. Felicia refused to go to the ball. She was at the dormitories, devouring a box filled with caramels sent by Baltus this morning.
"You should try and move on as well, Edgar. And stop comparing all the girls you know with Alcmene. Everyone is different. And different can mean better, at times."
"Did you find someone better than the guy you liked?"
Johanna thought about the other boys she had dated. Roger, Taran, and this silly crush for Eric Ling, that was starting to fade away the moment she overheard him saying he was glad he was not taking History of Magic anymore. She couldn't really tell Edgar that she had managed to find true love or something remotely related to it. And so, she just gave him a vague smile and suggested them to go back to the table and have some dessert.
Valentine's Surprise
Author: Minerva McGonagall
Date: 03-21-15 19:15
Minerva stood off to the side of the Great Hall and kept a sharp eye on the couples on the dance floor. The live band was in the middle of its very last song, one that wasn't too fast or too slow but definitely quite loud. Minerva had used an earplugging charm to drown out the bulk of the noise, but it wasn't so strong as to completely impair her hearing.
When at last the song came to an end and the lead singer of the band shouted, "Thank you! Thank you very much! Happy Valentine's, Hogwarts! Thank you and good night!", Minerva approached the stage to thank the band for agreeing to play the Hearts & Roses Ball.
There was still some milling about as students took advantage of the remaining dessert items and the various types of punch and sparkling ciders, but eventually the Great Hall cleared out completely. Minerva was one of the last to leave, seeing to some of the clean up and also helping herself to a last dessert or two.
When at last she had done as much as she could or wanted to do, she bid the colleagues good night who had also stayed behind to help and then proceeded to head to her office to jot down a few items of importance before she went to bed and forgot everything. Not too many students had pushed the envelope during the dance, but there were always those few who got a little carried away with their teenage emotions.
The revolving staircase deposited her outside her office door. Minerva let herself in and then stopped in her tracks. One of the cabinet doors containing all the items Professor Dumbledore and possibly previous headmasters had ever collected was wide open, its contents spilled to the ground. Brass instruments of varying kinds, astrolabes, scales, weights of different sizes, clocks and other time pieces were all on the floor.
Minerva cast a quick glance around the office and listened hard for signs the intruder was still in the office, and when it seemed clear she was very much alone, she walked over to the cabinet, stepping over the spilled items on the floor, and tried to make sense of what had happened. Obviously, someone had been looking for something, but for what and had they been successful?
She had never taken a proper inventory of all the items in the cabinet and didn't know if one existed on parchment already. Since taking on the position of Headmistress at Hogwarts, she had yet to go through all of the files her predecessors had kept. They spanned a thousand years, after all.
Minerva frowned and walked over to her desk to jot down the things she had on her mind, deciding she would investigate the cabinet in the morning after a good night's rest. When she finished, she glanced over at Dolly's terrarium, only the toad was nowhere to be found.