Quote:

Originally Posted by Krel Ansell

Daisy burst through the door of Puddifoots soaked but thoroughly enjoying herself. She had on large baggie sweatshirt that was a size too big for her and a big floppy baseball hat. She wasn’t worried about catching a cold as she had a bottle of pepper up potion packed away in her trunk in her dormitory. She was prone to getting colds in winter and so her parents always made sure to send her off with a big bottle of the stuff so she wouldn’t have to constantly bug the nurse for some.

“Excuse me!” she said shaking her head a little. Her wet hair splattered a few surfaces nearby with water. “Can I have three slices of custard tart,” she paused. “To go!” she was supposed to be meeting some friends at the Three Broomsticks, but couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get a treat first.

Cari wore pretty retro raincoats and stayed dry and warm for a reason. She didn't LIKE being cold or wet. So when a good bit of water from the little... it WAS a girl right? hit her in the face, she was annoyed.

She sent a blistering glare at the child.

"Kindly don't shake yourself like an unruly puppy indoors, young la-"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leeness

The door to Madame Puddifoots opened and revealed a man about 6ft tall. He was about seven years older since the last time he had stepped foot in this small village and was pleased to be visiting it again.

However, his visit wasn't entirely random. He had received an owl from a friend with whom he had gone to Hogwarts with and studied healing alongside. "Cari Avalon," he grinned, noticing the woman and opening his arms to embrace her in a hug. Lee Andrez hadn't seen her in quite a while and she probably hadn't recognised him straight away given that his previous redhair was now a chestnut brown, but boy was it good to see her!

She had to look twice. She almost said, May I help you? Do I know you? Who was this rude person who was addressing her like he knows her?

And then it clicked.

"Morgana's Eyelashes," she murmured. "Lee Andrez what happened to you?"

Okay so maybe she made a little whoop. And maaaaaaaaybe she kind of jumped over/around would have knocked over the little girl to leap on her friend.

But he understood right? He usually did.

He chuckled, more than pleased with her reaction and squeezed her tightly in a hug. "I knew you shouldn't have left for the school, I miss you too much Cee."

Releasing himself from her he ordered a latte and some carrot cake before addressing her question. "Well, Rosemarie thought it would be nice to, ya know, match," he said a little un-enthuised. "But I can't say I dislike it. I may even prefer it! And what with turning resident and the paycheck being a bit bigger I can afford monthly colouring," he stuck out his tongue laughing.

"And what about you Missy!? You are practically glowing! You aren't... oh tell me you aren't Cee!" he said half kidding, but partially worried too!

Cari kissed his cheek with a loud smacking noise. "Missed you too. But the hospital is sooo not my place."

As Lee sat down, Cari scooted her own bum back into her booth. "It suits you. Though I'll have trouble picking you out in a crowd from now on. How's Ro-"

Whaaaaa-? Glowing? Not WHAAAAT?

Cari coughed. Hard. Several times. "Not very likely," she croaked. "More like completely impossible."

Tea... right. Caroline took up her cup and hid her pink face behind a long gulp from it.

"Well whether or not its your place it pines for you, like a little puppy. Cari, Cari, where art thou dearest Cari," he said, putting on a mock voice not unlike a child pleading for Borr to stop sitting on them.

"Completely impossible, eh?" He laughed, taking a sip of his coffee practically imitating the motions of Cari with her tea. "You mean to say no one has caught your eye in good ole' Hogwarts? But I suppose they are more likely to be older, right?" Or maybe she still loved Ogden and couldn't possibly have a romantic interest in anyone else! Probably not and probably best to keep Og-face out of the conversation, too.

He took a piece of his cake, popping it in his mouth before moving his fork over to Cari's side of the table and stealing a bit of her apple pie. "MMM. Yours is so much better!"

Cari put her tea down. "The entire staff has turned over since our day. Oh wait, except Professor Vindictus, remember the Flying Instructor that came in in our last term? He's still around, he took over for Professor Lainey when she gave up Head of House for Ravenclaw, but as you might imagine, I'm still the baby of the staff," she told him, "And I'm not looking for romance. If for no other reason than it's distracting and it breeds a lot of gossip among the students and some of my less mature colleagues."

Cari tried to slap at Lee's hand, but she wasn't quick enough.

"Pie is always better than Cake," she insisted. Honestly. Fruity tasty goodness wrapped in pastry? Cheyeah!!

"Ah, Professor Vindictus! I had heard Lainey and Rae left and it rather surprised me. I expected them to be working at that school for eternity! Seems real weird that our Hogwarts is completely different to what Hogwarts is now. Should I be grateful for our teachers or be envying your current students?"

He took another bite of his cake before saying, "That is debatable Miss Avalon. I very much believe caramel cake is the best desert on the planet -- better than your pies, thank you very much."

"Rosemarie and Ogden send their wishes by the way..." he added, almost muttered... was it subtle enough? Probably not.

She had to think about that one. "Well I guess it's tough to say," she began, "I'm fond of some of my colleagues and their methods. But brilliant as Ethan is, he'll never be Professor Lainey. And the Herbology Professor is a complete airhead. Professor Virohsa could teach circles around her. The Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor... sometimes I think he's trying to injure as many students as possible. His lessons are just plain dangerous. Professor Rae always managed to teach her subject thoroughly without racking up a body count, I don't see why he can't. And fond though I am of the crusty old man who teaches Potions these days... well, he's just NOT Professor Branxton."

And THAT said it all. When Professor Banxton arrived in Cari's third year he'd suddenly made potions much harder to focus on. A part of her would never forgive Professor Rae for marrying him. Another part of her hero-worshipped her for it.

Cari pulled her plate closer and shielded her pie as if it could hear him. "Then you just keep your fork out of my pies, Mr Andrez, and we'll get along just fine."

She was sure the colour drained from her face. Sigh. This is why you don't stay friends with your almost-husband's friends. Because it takes... not even ten minutes for his name to come up in conversation.

Caroline cleared her throat. "Well that was nice of them. Likewise..." Though she was pretty sure that when you leave someone at the altar, they don't want to hear even your very best wishes from you ever again.

"Wow. I would feel sorry for the kids if it weren't for the fact that they had you as their Nurse. Anything my Cee can't fix is simply something that is unfixable," he winked.

He noticed the look of horror that overtook her face and he felt slightly guilty, but it was a topic that really should be addressed -- he didn't like his two friends not speaking... despite the history of the situation.

"You know Cee, he doesn't hate you for what happened... he's still pretty infatuated, if I were honest. I love you both dearly and it's sad that this is the way things have turned out," he admitted taking another sip of his coffee, trying to avoid his friend's gaze... knowing Cari, it very well may be deadly.

Cari gave him her much practised raised eyebrow. "Flattery will get you nowhere; I'm still not giving you any of my pie." She shoved an extra large forkful of it in her mouth to illustrate this point.

And then couldn't swallow it without a healthy gulp of tea.

Oh feminine.

She didn't like where this conversation was going. There are a few... circumstances... where a person's only choice is to walk away from it all and pretend like it never happened and never acknowledge that you ever knew the people involved in the first place.

That is was Caroline was doing. Or would do if Lee would just let her. "It is sad," she agreed. "But better that he and I don't see or speak to each other and one day he might just forget."

"Oh yes. Especially tea prepared in the Russian way but I doubt they do that here. English tea is alright too." Teehee. Why would she have gotten his parents a tea set for christmas if she wasn't tea-inclined?

She lit up at his suggestion and added to it, "Chocolatey?"

"Well a guy can try," he laughed, pretending to give off a defeated look. "I'll just have to order my own, do you want another slice? or another tea?" He indicated for the waitress to make her way towards them.

"I'm disappointed to hear that," he said simply and then decided to leave the conversation at that. He didn't want it to end up that he and Cari ceased talking to one another also over a stupid conversation that could be easily avoided.

"So what has been happening with you? Anything much at the school? Word at the hospital was you had to quarantine a student? Was it anything serious?"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leeness

"Well a guy can try," he laughed, pretending to give off a defeated look. "I'll just have to order my own, do you want another slice? or another tea?" He indicated for the waitress to make her way towards them.

"I'm disappointed to hear that," he said simply and then decided to leave the conversation at that. He didn't want it to end up that he and Cari ceased talking to one another also over a stupid conversation that could be easily avoided.

"So what has been happening with you? Anything much at the school? Word at the hospital was you had to quarantine a student? Was it anything serious?"

"Tea would be nice." She didn't have much of an appetite lately, even for pie. It was probably the flooding. Okay, definitely the flooding. Who could eat, or sleep for that matter when water was creeping up ready to drown you?

Not Caroline. She'd been stealing sleep here and there as much as she could. Just returned from Easter Holidays, she was fairly well rested. But it wouldn't be long before the yawning would start again.

She skipped right over Lee's comment and moved on to describe the climate at Hogwarts. "We had one girl, a Muggleborn who is probably the only person in this day and age who missed her immunization for meningococcal meningitis, it took me a while to figure out what was wrong with her because the presentation was very very strange."

Cari finished her tea and tried to arrange her face in a stoic expression, "And then... ofcourse... because when, in the entire history of Hogwarts have things gone smoothly... The school is flooding. Mermaids apparently."

Would shrugging make it seem like she was less stressed about this situation? She tried it.

It came out more like a cringe.

"Another coffee and tea please... oh and a slice of apple pie," he ordered from the waitress as she made her way over to them, setting off once more to fulfill their order.

"Seriously?" he seemed astounded, "Honestly -- parents these days! But like I said before, just as well the students have you Cee, there is no better. You were most definitely the best intern in our entire program no matter what anyone or anything says. Fact."

Their order arrived and Lee took a sip of his coffee, about ready to spit it out again when Cari explained that the school was flooding. "Flooding!? How do you mean? Like ACTUALLY flooding? The whole castle? And mermaids? I thought Hogwarts were on good terms with the merfolk in the lake?" This news almost made Lee envious that Cari had the job she did -- it sounded a lot more exciting than curing cuts and grazes all day with the occasional REAL emergency in which he could handle. Despite the fact he was now a newly turned resident, did not mean the more experienced Healers fully trusted him yet. Hmph.

"But wait... you're scared of water right?" PING! The noise startled him for a moment before he realised he was being paged from work. He pulled the pocketwatch out of his robes and examined the message engraved on it, sent to him by one of his interns. "Sorry... gimmie a sec," removing his wand he tapped it and uttered some instructions before returning the pocketwatch back where it came from.

"You get floods and I get nervous, hysterical interns -- life is so unfair. But yeh, are you okay? Coping? Is the Headmaster helping ensure you are kept well away?" Boy he sure was playing 20 questions, right? "Do you plan to contact the Ministry?" he asked through gritted teeth, still bitter about the previous experiences he had had with their so-called government.

Anna returned to the table a few moments later with a saucer of strawberry cheesecake in hand. Three years ago, she'd be freaked out about the thought of eating in front of a group of boys, especially on an outing such as this one. Gone were those days, though. She was older, wiser, and in need of a nice place of cheesecake. Hopefully she hadn't missed too much of the conversation. She moved back into the seat she'd formerly occupied and scooped up a nice bite of food, eyeing Cela all the while. She'd known her friend would be a little uneasy with seeing Plym and Evee here. She flashed Cela a warm smiled then bit into the cheesecake she'd scooped up.

She jumped a bit when Cope called out. She narrowed her eyes in confusion for a moment, then realized what it must have been that had caused him so much alarm. Of course she'd kicked him...it'd been intentional. Not hurting him, though---alerting him to what he'd asked. Plym and Evee joining them at the table? That was soooo not a good idea right now, in her opinion. The kicking had been meant to be something just between she and Cope, though, as she'd really only wanted to kind of nudge him against the idea of inviting Plym. The secret was out now, though. "Oh, did I? I'm sorry, Cope," she said, trying to brush the situation off.

Having just taken another bite of her delightful cheesecake, Anna realized Dom was directing his current question towards her. She held up her index finger so as to tell him to hang on just a moment, then she swallowed quickly. "Erm, lemon meringue?" she questioned, looking towards the menu. She honestly had no clue about lemon meringue. The cheesecake was her favorite, so it's all she ever ordered. "Want a bite?" she asked. She motioned towards the plate, offering him a scoop of her tasty cheesecake.

That was when she caught the glare from Cela. She blinked, then gave her friend a questioning look. What had that been for? The last interaction she'd had with Cela had been giving her a warm smile just after the girl had seen Evee with Plym. A few moments later, though, she remembered the kick she'd given Cope and shot Cela an apologetic look. Oops.

Copernicus let Cela's hand slide from his as he rose. "One sundae, extra chocolatey, with two spoons. You've got it, Miss Toussaint." He put his hand on her shoulder before slipping past her toward the counter to order.

"Denton, do you want me to get you anything?" Cope paused and gave his shin a little rub absently. Pointy-shoed Greingoth.

Hmm? What was that? Fruit salad? Tea? Lemon curd cheesecake?

Dominic was totally confused for a split second as he just tried to focus in on his surroundings - Healer Avalon entering with some tall, older boy following her whom he did not recognize. And a girl too. The sixth year was so wrapped up in confusion that it didn't even strike him funny the way Cela and Copernicus were hand-holding.

Before he could speak again on the subject of what to order, Anna had returned to the seat next to him with strawberry cheesecake in hand. Huh!? When did she even get up? And wasn't that rude for her to begin eating before anyone else got their food? Given his state of mind, one might mistake it for a confundus charm. Uh . . . did Anna Greingoth just offer him a BITE of her CHEESECAKE!?

Blink. Blink. Blink.

"Hold that thought."

He bit lightly on his lower lip, as his fellow sixth year asked for getting something. "Well, Kettleburn, since you're asking then I think I'll try that lemon curd cheesecake." Then he and Anna could compare cheesecake flavors . . .

Anna's eye flickered from Dom to Cope. Hmm...an extra-chocolately sundae sounded really tasty. Too bad she'd already eaten half her cheesecake. Had she waited, she probably would have ordered a sundae, as well---just not one with two spoons. Sparing a bite of cheesecake for Dom's sake was cool, but sharing a whole sundae with him would probably be a little awkward. Cope was asking Anna's 'date' if he'd like anything of his own, though, so Anna shrugged and refocused her attention on finishing off her cheesecake. She did cringe a little, however, when Cope rubbed his shin. She honestly...really...hadn't meant to hurt him.

"Hmm...?" Anna questioned, having completely forgotten what she'd said to cause Dom to reply with 'Hold that thought'. She glanced at him for a moment, eyes narrowed in confusion, until the talk once again returned to Dom and what he'd like to order. Lemon curd cheesecake? What in Merlin's name was a curd, and why did it have to be lemon? Eww. Denton and his horrible tastes in food... For all she knew, though, lemon curd cheesecake could be just as tasty, if not tastier, than her strawberry cheesecake.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leeness

"Another coffee and tea please... oh and a slice of apple pie," he ordered from the waitress as she made her way over to them, setting off once more to fulfill their order.

"Seriously?" he seemed astounded, "Honestly -- parents these days! But like I said before, just as well the students have you Cee, there is no better. You were most definitely the best intern in our entire program no matter what anyone or anything says. Fact."

Their order arrived and Lee took a sip of his coffee, about ready to spit it out again when Cari explained that the school was flooding. "Flooding!? How do you mean? Like ACTUALLY flooding? The whole castle? And mermaids? I thought Hogwarts were on good terms with the merfolk in the lake?" This news almost made Lee envious that Cari had the job she did -- it sounded a lot more exciting than curing cuts and grazes all day with the occasional REAL emergency in which he could handle. Despite the fact he was now a newly turned resident, did not mean the more experienced Healers fully trusted him yet. Hmph.

"But wait... you're scared of water right?" PING! The noise startled him for a moment before he realised he was being paged from work. He pulled the pocketwatch out of his robes and examined the message engraved on it, sent to him by one of his interns. "Sorry... gimmie a sec," removing his wand he tapped it and uttered some instructions before returning the pocketwatch back where it came from.

"You get floods and I get nervous, hysterical interns -- life is so unfair. But yeh, are you okay? Coping? Is the Headmaster helping ensure you are kept well away?" Boy he sure was playing 20 questions, right? "Do you plan to contact the Ministry?" he asked through gritted teeth, still bitter about the previous experiences he had had with their so-called government.

Cari didn’t like to think about the intern program. You don’t drop out just before certification if it was all smiles and cruppies. Best intern? No not really. The best wouldn’t have panicked.

“It’s only up to the first floor. We’re managing. There is a whole upheaval with the Merfolk hierarchy and Hogwarts is apparently caught in the middle. Aren’t we always?” Cari took refuge in her tea as Lee checked his messages. Well that was one thing she was glad she missed out on.

Cari snorted in a very unladylike fashion. “Lee, do you honestly think I told the Headmaster that I’m hydrophobic? And admit I’m incapable of doing… anything?” Do you know me at all? “And so far the Ministry is doing exactly what they do best; interfering where they aren’t called for and ignoring those who actually need them.”

"They've let it get all the way up to the first floor? How does that work? Are the grounds flooded too or are there enchantments holding it in?" He couldn't remember seeing any water-filled grounds when he looked up to the castle once he had apparated into the village. "But yes. In the middle as always," he took a sip of coffee.

Part of the reason Lee had been so adamant that Cari did NOT take the job at Hogwarts had been the very fact that Hogwarts WAS always in the middle. However, clearly his negotiations had failed and he couldn't deny he did worry about her, now especially, when her first term is when the school floods and she just so happens to be terrified of water.

"I'm sure he won't be like that. I heard Headmaster Bontecou is a pretty reasonable man... if not a bit lost at times," it worried him even more that her boss wasn't even aware of her phobia.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leeness

"They've let it get all the way up to the first floor? How does that work? Are the grounds flooded too or are there enchantments holding it in?" He couldn't remember seeing any water-filled grounds when he looked up to the castle once he had apparated into the village. "But yes. In the middle as always," he took a sip of coffee.

Part of the reason Lee had been so adamant that Cari did NOT take the job at Hogwarts had been the very fact that Hogwarts WAS always in the middle. However, clearly his negotiations had failed and he couldn't deny he did worry about her, now especially, when her first term is when the school floods and she just so happens to be terrified of water.

"I'm sure he won't be like that. I heard Headmaster Bontecou is a pretty reasonable man... if not a bit lost at times," it worried him even more that her boss wasn't even aware of her phobia.

"It's confined to the inside by magic," Cari explained. "None of us have managed to vanish it, drain it, nothing is on working it. Mostly the grounds are unaffected, the professor's offices and quarters are getting flooded on the grounds though, except the Care of Magical Creatures' office... which I'll admit is odd."

Cari ran her hands through her hair. "He is reasonable, but..." dragging up the past is not good, Caroline didn't want to discuss her first shot at Healer Certification, even with Bontecou. Especially with Bontecou, even though he probably knew just by reading her file. "I can take care of myself." She could. And she could prove it. Would prove it. Really.

Copernicus returned to the table with the big extra-chocolate sundae and a slice of lemon curd cheesecake for Dom. "Two spoons," Cope murmured, sliding into his seat and setting the large bowl in front of Celandine. He offered her a spoon.

"Two." Celandine agreed, taking a spoon and scooping up some chocolate right away. She shot a little smile at Anna and one at Dom and his lemony cheesecake. She shuffled her chair closer to Cope's and licked the chocolate off the spoon, lost in her own little world.


Of course, the icecream would be better if it had barbequed sausage in it.

Cope bumped elbows with Cela and it occurred to him that there WAS a downside to the lefty-righty thing that usually worked out so well for them. They were both eating with their inside arm. He switched to his left hand experimentally and put the other arm along the back of her chair.

It was plenty sweet, and he only took a few bites before giving Cela a look, eyebrows up. "How is it? Chocolatey enough?"

"Mmmmmmmmm yes." Celandine had licked her spoon clean and dipped it in again. The thing about Cel is that she COULD be well-behaved, well-mannered and all that, but she REALLY liked icecream a LOT.

So it was only a few more spoonfuls before she had some on her cheek, her nose, her fingers and probably in her hair.

"Yeh, I wouldn't have thought you could get rid of magic set by merpeople... just like goblin magic or elf magic," he suggested. It really was a tricky situation to be in -- what did you do with a flooded school you couldn't unflood? "I take it you will have to negotiate with the merfolk. Do you know what they want yet?"

Why does someone always want something? The world was too damn greedy!

"I know, I know," he responded defensively. Truth was, Lee didn't think anyone could take care of themselves, not even himself - you always need help. His hand raised and planted itself on the long scar across his face given to him by a summoned sectusempra gone wrong and originally directed at that bloody Lord Voldemortist.

He wanted a book of dark power. Leiden wanted to be the biggest cow in the world. The muggle mob were jealous and wanted magical powers. The world just needed to DEAL. Deal and accept.

"But enough of the school and it's troubles and everything else, we haven't really gotten to speak about you. How ARE you? How are you coping with everything? Life good? When summer arrives we should arrange a night with plenty of firewhiskey and memories" he laughed, remembering the many an intoxicated night that helped him through those stressful days of Healer training.