Supper
Author: Amerah Patterson
Date: 08-30-02 21:06
I take my usual spot next to Neo and Prote. I'm feeling very cheerful (or even more cheerful) because of the spring break, and I'm still on a high from our team's outstanding year. We eagerly discuss the fast approaching championship game. It will be a tough one, being against Gryffindor, but we can still do it. And even if we don't win, it's not the end of the world. We played really well and we will end up at least second.
It Must be
the Wine
Author: Charlie Weasley
Date: 08-30-02 22:54
Charlie pulled his green sweater with the brown, horizontal strip across his chest over his head, smoothing the yarn out. His mother had made him the sweater for Christmas and it was green. His favorite color.
He grabbed the black comb off of the dresser and ran it through his flaming red hair. Didn't do any good, so he took a bit of gel and combed it back nice and sleek, with a bit of a wave. He grinned, grabbed the small package off the bed and headed out the door.
Downstairs in the Inn, Helena Tufton sat near a window, sipping a glass of wine. Charlie's eyes fell upon her lovely figure. She wore a black skirt that touched just above her knees, and a lilac blouse, the first two buttons unfastened, and a silver pendent that hung just below her neckline. She was beautiful, and Charlie thought he was about to have a heart attack just from the sight.
He shook himself and crossed the room. "Good evening, Miss Tufton. You look beautiful."
Charlie grinned at she turned to look at him, her face expressionless. Her left arm was hugging her stomach while she held her wine glass with the other hand. She stared for several moments, looking him up and down, smiled slightly, then looked back out the window.
"What, no 'Good evening, Charlie. You look nice tonight!'?" He took the seat opposite her. "You do look radiant, you know?"
Helena turned and set her wine glass down. She placed her elbows on the table, rested her chin on her hands and grinned. "Yes. I know."
"Geesh, you sure are humble. This is for you." Charlie handed over the small box, happy to see a real expression upon Helena's face.
Helena gasped and took the box. "Oh, you didn't need to do this, Charlie!"
"Oh, I didn't? Okay." And with that he took the box back. Helena threw back her head as that bubbly laughter Charlie had grown to love spilled over. She reached across the table.
"Give it here! I want my present!" She laughed. "I'm going to have to hit you, Charlie Weasley!"
Charlie laughed as she swatted at him a couple of times on the shoulder and finally handed over the box.
"Thank you!" She said shortly as she began to unwrap the brown paper. She opened the box as soon as the paper was discarded. Nestled inside was a little silver dragon charm. This was one of those Chinese dragons that neither of them had had the honor of seeing or taking care of yet. Helena looked up at Charlie. "But...?"
"I remember when we talked in quarantine about neither of us not getting to see a Chinese dragon. So, I got you one for your charm bracelet." He shrugged as he poured himself some wine and refilled hers.
Helena examined the tiny dragon. He had tiny ruby eyes that sparkled. "I love it. Thank you."
"You're truly welcome, Helena." Charlie said, a bit amazed at the soft sincerity in her voice. "Oh, I'm going to help Briar bake some more tomorrow morning, early. Want to come?"
"I'd love to! Now, I think it's time to eat!"
Blythe House:
Friday
Author: Belladonna
Date: 08-30-02 23:05
Bella stretched out in the hammock as the breeze rocked her gently. Maybe this was what spring was all about---wearing a light dress and half falling asleep in the shade of lovely grounds. Certainly, it was quite an enjoyable way to spend a Friday. Her time at Blythe House continued to be lovely and pampering. Lord John was quite amusing, really. Excellent and generous host, even if he was more Muggle than wizard.
She had driven about the countryside in her new car. She felt guilty about accepting such a huge gift from an almost stranger, but rested sure in the knowledge that Da trusted him. It was quite reassuring. Nothing improper had happened at all, unless Wednesday night had counted.
She had been unable to sleep, so she had taken to prowling the halls and examining the paintings in the gallery. Unfortunately, on Wednesday, she had bumped into a pajama clad Lord John who had looked shocked at her appearing in only a gray satin nightgown with tiny slippers. She had muttered something about not being able to sleep, and he had given her an odd look before telling her to dress warmly and meet him in the kitchen.
With a request like that, her curiosity barely allowed her to toss on a dark blue angora sweater and an old pair of jeans. She had gone to the kitchen and found him holding a picnic basket and blanket. They had gone to a hillside not a 20 minute walk from the grounds and feasted on cold chicken and a lovely red wine. After they were done, she somehow found herself resting her head on his shoulder and naming the constellations from the wonderful viewpoint.
It had been quite nice, although he always looked at her strangely. Well, she was odd and often moody. Funny, she had gotten the feeling that she quite amused him. Well, it was quite nice, whatever it was. Perhaps, love, although she doubted it.
Love wasn't calm, but passionate.....or was it? She whimpered to herself. Oh God, please not again. This time she really did need to be sent to the Home for the Criminally Insane. First a dragon keeper with hardly any money, and now an older ladies' man. Damn, she had to have the worse taste in men. Izzy and Brynn would get a kick out of this, clearly.
Another Secret
to Keep
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 08-31-02 19:48
Whistling softly under his breath, Bill gathered his belongings together and exited his room at the Leaky Cauldron. He took the steps at a somewhat rapid place, gliding into the main room of the tavern with relative ease. From behind the bar counter, Tom smiled and sent the redheaded wizard a cheerful greeting.
"Hi there, Tom. I'm checking out today. Going to spend tomorrow with my family." Bill returned the old bartender's smile and handed him the key to his room.
Tom took the key and asked, "Won't you have a drink before you go? You look like you could use one!"
Bill nodded and lowered his pack to the floor as he slid onto a barstool. Tom was right. Bill did need a drink.
Ever since yesterday, when Bill ran into Aaron at the bank, things got all the more interesting. Never in a million years had Bill pegged Aaron for a wizard. It was true that while Bill was in Aaron's custody, he didn't even know that wizards and witches existed, but even after Bill's recovery, he had no reason to believe that Aaron was anything but a Muggle.
Of course, his intuition had been correct.
Aaron and Bill had ambled over to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink, both extremely happy to see each other once more, but at the same time bewildered that they were reunited at Diagon Alley of all places. After Tom had poured them each a drink, Aaron suggested they find a secluded table in the corner of the room in order to talk in private.
Once situated, Bill expressed his surprise in finding out that Aaron was actually a wizard.
There was an immediate lapse in the conversation, as Aaron hesitated in giving Bill a response. Bill sensed that something was amiss, but he remained patient and kept from slipping into his almost signature manner of interrogating someone when there was reason to believe that something suspicious in nature was or had occurred.
Finally, Aaron cautiously and quietly began to reveal the truth. "Bill, I want to be completely honest with you."
Bill nodded politely and sipped his drink before responding with, "You can tell me anything, Aaron."
"First, I have to admit that I was shocked to find you over at Gringotts, or even at Diagon Alley for that matter. I had no idea that you were..." His voice lowered slightly, "a wizard." He took a sip of his own drink and then continued. "You never gave any indication that you were from this world when you were living with me, and it all makes sense now. Why else would things like an ordinary telephone or television seem so foreign to you? I just figured it was part of your amnesia."
"I couldn't remember my life, Aaron. As far as I was concerned, I was a Muggle just like you...erm, just like I thought you were." Bill wrinkled his brow and waited for Aaron to proceed in telling his story.
"I thought it was incredible that no one had seen any of the newspaper or TV ads we ran on you, but it's understandably why. Your family and friends probably ran their own ads in wizarding publications..." Aaron motioned for Tom to bring him another drink.
"Listen, Bill...I've been carrying around this great secret for months now."
Oh, boy, thought Bill. Let me gues. Your mother is a death eater and Voldemort is after you. Bill knocked back his drink, allowing the warm liquid to crawl down his throat and coat his insides like a nurturing blanket. Of course, he knew Aaron wasn't going to say that. Bill had a creeping suspicion that what Aaron was about to reveal was quite different than what Adriana and Briar had told him those many months ago.
After Tom delivered the new round of drinks, Aaron resumed his declaration. "Bill, I'm not a wizard. I totally found out about this place by accident several months ago, and ever since that day I've been coming back to learn more about your world. I think it's so incredibly fascinating and I honestly can't get enough of it."
Bill bit down on his lip and grimaced inwardly. Yikes. This can't be good.
"I haven't told a soul about this, Bill. I swear it," continued Aaron.
This was a sticky situation. As much as Bill wanted to believe that Aaron had the right intentions, that little voice in the back of his head was saying, "Take Aaron outside and obliviate him already!" Still, Bill couldn't help but think that Aaron had been carrying this secret around for many months now and probably wouldn't tell someone else. He had probably figured out the risks involved, and knew that it was for his own good as well as the good of the entire wizarding race that he keep his discovery to himself. The internal battle in Bill's mind raged on, and Bill was forced to motion for Tom to bring him another drink. Now was not to time to think about the implications of drinking too much hard liquor. After taking a hefty swig of his new drink, he deliberated over Aaron's predicament a little while longer.
Aaron seemed to sense Bill's concern and quickly added, "I promise I won't tell anyone about this, Bill. I promise."
He knew not whether the decision he had reached was the right one, but in the end, Bill agreed to let Aaron keep the sacred knowledge that there was another world out there than the one had grown up and lived in.
After the serious conversation, both guys switched gears and began to talk about what was new in their lives and what their plans were for the Easter holidays. Before long, it was time for Aaron to return back home. Bill advised his friend to refrain from sending out too many letters by owl post as to not create too much of a commotion in the Muggle world. He did hope, however, that he and Aaron could correspond sparingly by owl, and even suggested they meet up again sometime. Bill scribbled his address in Hogsmeade to Aaron, to which Aaron replied that he found Hogsmeade to be a nice little town and had wondered if the Briar on Bill's list was in fact the same Briar from the bakery in town. Needless to say, Bill was shocked to learn Aaron had been to Hogsmeade before! As Bill thought back to the events of yesterday, he still couldn't help but wonder if he truly had made the right decision. He did trust Aaron, so maybe he shouldn't worry too much. Still, a Muggle wandering around in the wizarding world could be in great danger, especially if he were to meet up with some of Voldemort's followers. Casting such thoughts aside, Bill finished his drink, thanked Tom, and disapparated.
Further Investigation
Author: Ethan Somerset
Date: 08-31-02 20:58
The Bulgarian nightlife was a vibrant one, and it seemed that everyone was out on the streets Saturday night with the intentions of hitting a party, slipping into a club for all-night dancing, or just loitering the streets. Although one for a night of partying or clubbing every once in a while, Ethan found the Bulgarian scene a little too eccentric for his taste.
Nevertheless, he was in the country on very important business for the Ministry of Magic, and he didn't want to let down his boss. Tonight, Koyla was throwing an incredibly large party and was requiring that everyone who had been to one of his gatherings before bring someone who hadn't. Ethan immediately wrote to Dierna suggesting she send two more aurors over, so that Ethan and Viktor could each bring in one who would be able to assist in gathering information. One great advantage this would bring to the Ministry was that as new recruits into Koyla's cult, these two aurors, unlike Ethan and Viktor, could ask a number of inquisitive questions without seeming suspicious. Since Viktor, and now Ethan, were already considered part of the fold, asking too many questions might seem a little curious.
Dierna sent over two extremely capable aurors, the well-reputable Geoffrey Blackwell, a man Ethan's age with stylish dark hair and blue eyes, and Jaidan Peters, a beautiful woman of a Middle Eastern and British heritage.
Tonight, Geoff would be attending the party as Ethan's guest, and Viktor would be escorting Jaidan.
Stefka and Grigori would also be tagging along, each bringing a guest of their own. Both newbies had incredibly long and unpronounceable names, and after several attempts of trying to remember them, Ethan gave up and simply designated one Abe and the other Cara.
Tonight's party would be housed at a large manor house, with plenty of room for all the guests. Besides the spacious rooms indoors, there were gardens and patios for everyone to enjoy comfortably. Upon arrival, Ethan discovered that the mansion was already quite full, and that there were a number of people standing around in crowds outside. He recognized many of the people there from previous such engagements, but for every recognizable face, there was now an unfamiliar one. The majority of those new faces shone with eagerness to meet the great Koyla and to learn about his teachings.
Several people in uniform were bustling around with trays of drinks, while others had arms full of pamphlets and booklets. One such uniformed person came over and began distributing the reading material to the newbies Ethan et al had brought along.
Stefka placed a hand on Ethan's forearm and looped her other arm through his, directing him and the others to squeeze through the crowd and out of the back door. They found available seats next to a fountain in the gardens. Ethan wasn't sure if they were in the prime location to find Koyla, but Viktor silenced Ethan's unspoken concerns with a glance.
As if on cue, Koyla wandered out of the house with a glass of brandy in one hand, deep in conversation with one of his followers. The man walking next to him was nodding his head as if in understanding, and then eventually he smiled and thanked Koyla for his help. The man disappeared back into the crowd and Koyla came over to greet Ethan, Viktor, Grigori, and Stefka.
In order to make some room for Koyla, Stefka climbed onto Ethan's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and strong shoulders. Inwardly, Ethan laughed because he knew Viktor was probably doing the same thing. Still, his outward appearance suggested that he enjoyed having the exotic beauty perched on his lap.
Koyla seemed quite pleased with the apparent love connection. "Well, if I did't know better I'd say you too were quite fond of one another!"
Ethan laughed aloud this time, and quickly changed the subject. "Koyla, I'd like you to meet Geoffrey Blackwell. He's very interested in what you have to offer."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Geoff. Can I call you Geoff? I'm glad you could make it here tonight. I see you've got one of my pamphlets there. Once you've given it a read-through, I'd love to discuss the material with you."
Geoffrey, the perfect actor, replied, "Absolutely. When Ethan told me about you, I knew that I had to meet you and become familiar with your teachings. You're brilliant!"
Koyla, in that smooth manner he always exhibits, shrugged nonchalantly and flashed his trademark nauseating smile. "I'm no genius, Geoff. I just tell it like it is. This world is corrupt and we need to do something about it. I'm only trying to make it a better place."
Viktor took the opportunity to pipe in, "Koyla, allow me to introdooz my guezt, Jaidan Peterz."
Jaidan and Koyla exchanged hellos, how do you dos, and the usual cult-related hooplah. Grigori and Stefka introduced their guests next, and as opposed to Ethan, Koyla had no difficulty executing their complex names. It was all part of his suave and sophisticated mannerisms. It really was no wonder he had so many followers. Ethan had little doubt that Abe and Cara would get sucked into Koyla's cult.
As Koyla lectured the newbies, Ethan quietly listened making mental notes.
"You know, Abrahezionahabad, the dark arts really aren't the horrible bad things you've been led to believe..."
Class Selection
Author: Aradia Forest
Date: 08-31-02 21:00
Having finished helping Cho with her homework -- or actually the Weasley twins homework. (She had to do it since she lost the bet they had made at the start of the year.) -- I turn my attention to choosing my classes for next year. It would be slightly easier if I knew what I wanted to do as a career, but I don't.
I decide to keep COMC, Hagrid's classes are never predicable, and I do love animals. I also want to keep astronomy. That leaves three options. Really, I'd love to drop potions. It would be interesting, but one can take only so much of Snape. That said, I do HAVE To take potions, so there's no use grumbling at it.
Now, I just wish quidditch was a credit course!
I decide that runes should be interesting and write down that. I decide to also take Muggle studies. That leaves one more option...heck. I may as well take divination, for interest sake. I write down my options on the sheet.
COMC, astronomy, ancient runes, Muggle studies and divination. There. That wasn't so hard -- was it?
Re: Supper
Author: Neo Anderson
Date: 08-31-02 21:50
Neo as usual was sitting next to his two best friends, Prote and Amerah. "You seem cheerful!" Neo said to Amerah. She looked to Neo, "Yup! 'Cause of spring break!" she said. Neo shrugged, "Yeah and I still don't have a girlfriend...!" he said.
Mischief Making
Author: Pyrrhus
Date: 08-31-02 21:53
Pyrrhus lounges in a chair, legs thrown over one side, with Isolde leaning against him. Both have just finished filling out their class schedules for next year and are waiting on Lia to finish hers as well. They don't have to wait above a minute or two before she's done. The three then huddle together to discuss their latest plans but not before making sure the likes of Pansy and Milicent aren't around to eavesdrop.
Starting Monday a few people will experience some subtle changes. Nothing as outrageous as all those weird crushes they'd put Majandra through. If handled correctly, these will be utterly believable and cause a little mischief between siblings and friends.
The Weaslet Fred will start noticing what a great gal his brother's girlfriend is. He'll decide she's too good for Georgy Porgy and want her for himself. Much to Porgy's consternation, Majandra won't be as repelled by Fred's advances as she should be.
Then there's Rotten Weasley. He's going to be most unhappy when his snotty girlfriend Hermione and his ickle best friend Harry discover just how wonderful the other is.
Isolde, Azaelia, and Pyrrhus are so looking forward to causing a little fun mayhem, they almost wish Monday was already here.
