Living on the Edge of the Unknown

I'M NOT IN CHICAGO

mood:

crushed

(*&&%$^%$^(*^&&_)*_)(*) I'm SUPPOSED to be in Chicago. But I'm not. I sat on an airplane for three hours and then it returned to the gate and then they cancelled the flight. And then they cancelled ALL flights to Chicago. So my fellow (?) witches will gallivant their happy way around the windy city without me. :( But I do hope they have fun. *sniff* *sniff* Mollyssister has promised a postcard. It will have to do...

Posted at 04:43 pm | Link | Speak to me | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Starkid's Bat Mitzvah Pics

Here's the photobucket link.. if anyone would like to visit!

Stella's Bat Mitzvah June 6, 2009
photos by Federico Rodriguez-Caldentay

Tags: starkid

Harry Potter: The Musical... For Real

I've just spent the last two hours LMAO watching this. Some clunky parts as befits most satires, but Voldemort/Quirrell is truly something special.    Bravo to them all!

Warning: It's broken into segments, but it's a full 2 hour musical!   Get your popcorn, make yourself comfortable... oh... and make sure to pee beforehand!!!!

NOTE: The remainder has been taken down temporarily by it's creators, but say that it will be back up soon.
Here's the link to the rest:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXzd2UP6TOo&feature=related

Tags: harry potter; youtube; musical; parody;

Posted at 12:09 am | Link | Speak to me | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Dreamwidth???

Someone on my flist please enlighten me about this? What is it? Why do it? I think I'm on info overload...

Tags: other

Happy Mother's Day to All Us Moms!

25 REASONS I OWE MY MOTHER

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE ..

"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION .

"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL ;

"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week."

4. My mother taught me LOGIC .

" Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC ..

   "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT ..
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY
   "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS ..
   "Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM ..
    "Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA ..
"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER ..

"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY .
"If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE ..
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION ..

"Stop acting like your father!"

15. My mother taught me about ENVY ..

"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION ...
"Just wait until your father gets home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING ..
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE ..

    "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP ..
     "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOR ..
     "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT .
     "If you don't eat your vegetables,  you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
    "You're just like your father."

23.. My mother taught me about my ROOTS ..
      "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

24. My mother taught me WISDOM ..
     "When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE
     "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"

Tags: etcetera

SSHG Exchange Fic: No More Than Reason (Acts 4 & 5)

Here are Acts 4 and 5 of No More Than Reason:

( Read more... )

Tags: sshg exchange; fic

SSHG Exchange Fic: No More Than Reason (Acts 1 - 3)

mood:

satisfied

A grand total of 163 gifts were created for the most recent sshg exchange - a monumental task conducted with grace and aplomb by

shiv5468 ,

ginny_weasley31 and

scatteredlogic , with a huge assist by the devoted and talented

mollyssister . My lovely gift was art created by

hjsnapepm entitled "Like a Wild Rose. Please check out this beautiful and sneakily poignant piece!

My piece was gifted to

sylvanawood , who pinch-hit in the exchange.

ETA: I thought I could get this posted in one bit. Argh .... so the first three acts are below the cut:

Title: No More Than Reason (Acts 1 - 3)
Rating: PG
Warnings: Pure crack!fic ahead. Dangerous clichés. Drivers should take extreme caution.
Summary: Headmistress Granger has some new ideas for changing the school. Severus Snape is damned if he’ll let her get away with it. And the staff is stuck at Hogwarts for the summer until they do.
Original Prompt: A finding-each-other story (no previous relationship) with a happy, romantic ending.
( Read more... )
No More Than Reason

~ a silly romance in five brief acts ~

Note: Deathly Hallows didn’t happen. Everyone is alive. Raspberries to JKR. So there.

Act One

Muggle Studies
Draco Malfoy, Professor

Curriculum Topics:

The Magic of Muggle Inventions: Computers, Mobile Phones and Ball Point Pens (years one - five)
Why They Do it That Way: Contemporary Muggle Culture and Customs in Great Britain (years one and two)
When Worlds Collide: Famous Muggles Known by Wizards and Vice-Versa – Case Studies (years four and five)
Muggle Enterprise Internships: Living and Working in the Muggle World (years six and seven)

Draco Malfoy sat up in bed propped up by dozens of decorative pillows. As he skimmed Hogwarts’ proposed new curriculum he plucked a few of his favorite crisps from a shiny red bag and popped them into his mouth, one after another.

Since a group of enterprising Muggle-borns in the Department of Mysteries had figured out a way for electricity to work within magical environments, Hermione Granger, Hogwarts’ new Headmistress, was determined to integrate technology and other brilliant Muggle inventions with magic into the school’s new curriculum.

Draco brushed the crisp crumbs off his emerald green pajamas. At least she’s binned Divination, he thought with a laugh as he turned the pages and popped another crisp. No doubt about it, he thought with open admiration, Granger had balls.

~ @ ~
Defence (Formerly ‘Defence Against the Dark Arts’)
Remus J. Lupin, Professor

Curriculum Overview
While an understanding of the Dark Arts will remain an important part of this subject, the revised curriculum presents Defence from a wider perspective, providing students with an opportunity to develop their skills in greater depth. A long-neglected concern is the physical requirements necessary for the practise of defence. In this course, the students will be challenged to develop their physical stamina and strength, previously available only to those students playing Quidditch. All students will have three hours a week of directed physical activity, including (depending on year of study) yoga, Pilates©, tai-chi and cardio training.

Another important new aspect of the curriculum will be use of communication devices in team defensive drills, including two-way radios, Patronus communications and spell/signals.

All classes will use the appropriate by-year version of Magical Defence: Theory and Practice, 1st Edition (H. Potter and H. Granger, Owl Publishing, Diagon Alley/London, 2005).

From the previous curriculum, the instruction in standard defence spells, defence against magical phenomena (i.e. Boggarts, Zombies, Inferi) and non-human sentient beings (vampires, werewolves) will be retained.

Note: all creature-related topics, including protective spells against Red Caps, Grindylows, Kappas and Hinkypunks, will be moved to the revised Magical Creatures course.

Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin sat together in their living quarters, burrowed into their favourite plush chairs as they reviewed the proposed curriculum in general, and their own courses in particular. They had sent their son Teddy to Tonk’s mother at the end of term, and they were anxious to re-join him for the summer—his last before starting at Hogwarts as a first-year student. However, to be compliant with the Board of Governors’ ridiculous directive, they’d have to remain at Hogwarts until the staff could come to a consensus agreement about Hermione’s proposed new course of study.

Remus sighed. Tonks grumbled.

“How am I supposed to find the time to prepare all the materials for—” Tonks whined, reading from the page in front of her, “—a side-by-side review of wizarding and Muggle History: from the 12th to the 21st century”?

“I believe Hermione has already prepared extensive course materials, notes and hand-outs in the addendum packet,” noted Remus morosely, pointing to the large stack of boxes next to their adjoined desks.

As Tonks glanced at the boxes she brightened and her hair pinked up. “Ah! Well, that’s a help, isn’t it? Bright girl, our Hermione!”

“You have help, but I don’t know the first thing about yoga or—or Pirates,” Remus spluttered.

Tonks stood, took the large binder from Remus’ hands and tossed it on the floor. She took its place, making herself comfortable on his lap, and nuzzled her short, blue-haired head under his chin. He wrapped his arms around her in response.

“That’s Pilates, luv, not Pirates. It’s a type of exercise for your tummy.” She patted his nice, softening middle.

“Oh.” She felt a bit of tension in her husband relax. Then he tensed again. “But, it just seems...wrong, Dora!”

Tonks began to tease the spot below his right ear with her teeth. “Don’t fret about it. I think Hermione plans on hiring someone to teach those bits. One of the Patil girls, I think.” She moved up to nibble his earlobe. “Anyway, we don’t have to fuss about it now. The conference isn’t till tomorrow,” she whispered in his ear and licked along its ridge. “And since Teddy isn’t here, we have the whole rest of the evening to ourselves...”

Remus growled as he stood, lifting his wife securely in his arms and carried her into their bedroom.

~@~
Arithmancy
Sirius Black, Professor

Curriculum Overview
This revised curriculum combines the previous course of study with the Muggle science of Statistical Methodology. Students will learn not only the formulae for predictive magic, including numerology and runic study, but apply theory to the rigours of statistical analysis. Combining magical techniques and modern computers, students will be able to test arithmantic equations under standard deviation and generate predictive models, both wizard and Muggle.

Advanced students of Arithmancy will be expected to create and present their findings in a visual medium, including scattergrams and pie charts.

Sirius read through the curriculum changes for his subject three times, and he still had no idea what any of it meant. But it didn’t matter; if it came from Hermione Granger, then it was perfect. Leaning back in his sofa, he picked up the glass beside him and took a deep sip of Firewhisky. He closed his eyes with a satisfied sigh and thought about Hermione. He’d just have to go to her for advice and help. They’d have to spend long hours in her office...or his rooms perhaps as she helped him work through his lesson plans. He’d offer her a glass of wine as they reviewed arithmantic equations. They’d share some personal moments, and then...then...

Sirius shook his head hard to snap himself out of his reverie. He’d been wooing Hermione for the last three years. She had gone out with him a few times at the beginning. It would have developed further, he was certain, if it wasn’t for her complete devotion to her work. She had made him take an Unbreakable Vow not to send her flowers every day like he had before she’d become Headmistress. Or chocolate. Or poetic missives. Or... he’d forgotten the rest, which reminded him to have a look at the list she’d drawn up. He’d hate to die before the term had even started, requiring her to find a replacement for him. He’d never want to inconvenience her like that.

With a sigh, he picked up the document and began to read it through once more.

~@~
Filius Flitwick sat in one of Severus Snape’s tufted armchairs sipping his morning coffee, his feet not quite reaching the floor. He closed his eyes, both to savour the aromatic dark roast and to block out the frenzied pacing of Hogwarts’ Potions master. Still, he could feel the pronounced breeze created by Professor Snape’s robes as they billowed at each turn.

“The woman is an affront! An embarrassment to this institution!”

Flitwick sighed and reluctantly opened his eyes. “No, Severus. I believe that honour clearly belongs to Dolores Umbridge, not Hermione Granger.” Severus’ scowl deepened and his pacing quickened. “While her methods may be questionable,” added the Charms teacher, “I believe she does have the best interests of the school at heart.”

“The position should have been yours, Filius!” Snape thundered. “She manipulated the Board of Governors without any consideration to experience and protocol! And this...this...MONSTROSITY!” he cried, flinging the document with the proposed curriculum to the floor, spilling its pages.

“The PRESUMPTION! The ARROGANCE! The unmitigated GALL!” he shouted, fists clenched so tight that his knuckles turned white.

That he’d have to incorporate Muggle pharmacology into his advanced-level Potions courses was absurd. The idea of combining Potions and Herbology was preposterous. But the final straw that was causing the veins in Snape’s forehead to pulse to near bursting was that he’d be required to team teach this hideous hybrid of a course with Neville Longbottom, Pomona Sprout’s Herbology intern.

“I’ll never agree to this ABOMINATION!”

Filius thought about his planned holiday in Venice and sighed. It was unlikely he’d be sipping Chianti along the banks of the Grand Canal any time soon.

“I thought that you and Miss Granger had become—er—congenial,” offered Flitwick in an attempt to change the subject and to see if the rumours were true.

Severus ceased pacing abruptly, seething. “There is no Miss Granger and I! We are NOT congenial, friendly, amicable or have any type of connection whatsoever!”

“Ah, my mistake. Apologies, Severus,” said Filius with a twinge of disappointment, calculating that he now owed Pomona five Galleons.

Filius’ question irked Severus more than he cared to admit. In fact, he had come to have a modicum of appreciation of Hermione Granger in light of her Ministry achievements in interspecies cooperation. He also recalled the impression she’d made at last year’s Ministry Benefit for War Orphans. Her attire—or lack of it—revealed more of Miss Granger than anyone had ever seen and made it abundantly clear that the esteemed witch was no longer the student that he remembered.

Perhaps it was the barely-there diaphanous silver gown that had swayed him, but he’d surprised himself when he’d inexplicably asked her to dance. And afterwards they’d had a reasonably tolerable conversation. After that night, Severus had seriously entertained the idea of asking Miss Granger to dinner. However, he recalled with bitter irony, after her appointment at Hogwarts had been announced, this never came to pass.

Filius flicked his coffee cup into that magical place where all displaced objects went and hopped off the chair. “I suppose we should proceed to the meeting, Severus,” he remarked with a grimace. “I imagine it will be a long day.”

Severus’ response was to point his wand at the object of his ire that lay in a heap on the floor.

“INCENDIO!”

~@~
The new Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sat down at the ancient desk with a satisfied smile, savouring her success: she had achieved her goal and become the youngest person to ever sit in this office. She trailed her fingertips along the marked surface of the desk until they rested upon the large white binder that contained her finest work. Her self-assurance wavered only a little as she registered the alert and disapproving visages of the school’s deceased leaders that surrounded her.

“Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider, dear?” The soft brogue of the recently deceased Headmistress penetrated the tension in the room. “I’m sure both you and the rest of the staff would dearly love to be off on your summer holidays.”

“And whose fault is that, Minerva?” she inquired evenly. “My proposal would have been accepted by the Board of Governors without a fuss if you all hadn’t intervened.”

“It’s outrageous!” This shrill outburst came from a portrait far above her head. “She’s deranged! She has to be stopped!”

“Now, Marguerite,” admonished the portrait of Minerva McGonagall. “I’m sure the staff will come to a reasonable agreement. It was the best solution to the conflict,” she said with false cheer and confidence.

“Of course they’ll all see the sense of it!” Hermione announced with conviction, her fingers clasping the document under her hands protectively. “Then we can all go home, enjoy the hols and get some rest before the start of term!”

A bark of laughter came from her right. She turned to see the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black wearing the self-satisfied smirk that was the trademark expression of every Slytherin. “I somehow doubt that,” he drawled. “I venture to predict that we’ll be enjoying the pleasure of your company for most of this summer, Headmistress Granger.”

Hermione Granger loved a challenge. She picked up the binder that contained the biggest challenge of her life, hugged it to her breast and smirked at the portrait in return. “That remains to be seen, Headmaster. I’ve been known to be quite convincing, as my presence in this office attests.”

Determined to have the last word, Phineas Nigellus muttered as Hermione Granger swept past his portrait and out of the office: “We shall see, indeed.”

Act Two

“Computers are fantastic inventions! Of course no one was as surprised as I to discover—and admit—how clever Muggles actually are! But once you’ve become used to having one, you’ll never want to fuss with a quill and parchment again! Of course, I wasn’t happy about having to take that Muggle Appreciation Programme for Pure-bloods after the war, but it was amazing! It really did change my life! Have you ever seen a chat room? Oh, you must! I adore chat rooms!”

~@~
“I’m still not convinced there isn’t something between them, Pomona. In fact, I’ll double the wager on it!”

“You’re on, Filius!”

~@~
“You see, Hagrid, Red Caps are officially designated by the Ministry as ‘Creatures’, so the study of them belongs in your new course.”

“I don’t know...them Grindylows are all right, but Red Caps are bloody difficult to catch, let alone keep in one place long enough to study ‘em.”

“Hagrid!”

“Sorry, Professor Sprout.”

~@~
“Are those orange worms you’re eating, Draco?”

“They aren’t worms, they’re cheese puffs. Little bits of crunchy cheese. Go on…try some! Just dig into the bag!

“Er...no thanks. Another time, perhaps?”

“No problem. I’ve arranged for the house-elves to stock them in the staff room!”

~@~
“But I can’t even THINK properly when he’s around, let alone teach with the man!”

“You’ve got to let go of your childhood fears, Neville. If you could cut the head off that giant reptile with the sword of Gryffindor, you can certainly handle Snape! Besides, Pomona can’t do without you and the children all adore you, which are far more than could ever be said about him, and you know it!”

~@~
“Did you see the look she gave me last night at dinner, Tonks? I know she has to be discrete, but I really think it’s only a matter of time before she declares herself! OW!”

“Snap out of it, cousin! You’re delusional! It’s only a matter of time till she hexes your bits off if you keep going on about it.”

~@~
She entered the Room of Requirement quietly, trying to get a bead on her staff before they realised she was there. It was startling at first, to see their usual wizarding attire in sharp visual contrast to the setting she had chosen for this important meeting; the Room of Requirement had been Transfigured into a corporate Muggle meeting room. Long tables were set into a square, with a screen at one end, computer and projector in the middle. The only thing that reflected the inherent magic of the school were the food and beverage tables that provided whatever was requested and the house-elves that popped in and out to clear away the soiled plates and mugs. If she was going to push a radical change onto the school, she’d thought, it might as well happen in an equally radical setting.

So far, no one seemed to be paying much attention to the ambience of the room. Instead the teachers were engaged in a gaggle of animated discussions. The single exception, sitting in rigid silence in one corner of the square and staring malevolently at the computer, was Severus Snape. Hermione fought to quell her anxiety about Severus. She expected him to be the most formidable obstacle in her plan to bring the school into the new century. Even if the collective former Headmasters and Headmistresses hadn’t organised and presented a formal protest to the Board of Governors, Severus would have single-handedly led the staff into revolt. So perhaps this compromise, to work through their differences and come to a consensual agreement, was in fact the better of the two options.

Her concern about Snape the teacher was compounded by her confusion about Severus the man. She’d been more than a bit surprised when he’d asked her to dance at the Ministry Benefit. She had been well aware of the attention the men at the event had paid her, especially since the care she’d taken to get into the dress was only exceeded by the magic required to keep it up. But the penetrating stare she’d received from Severus Snape as she greeted him was both unexpected and...not unpleasant. Still, she couldn’t quite picture the stern professor gliding about the dance floor, yet he had asked her to dance. She clearly recalled the odd frisson of sensation when he’d put his arm about her. That he’d care to actually hold a conversation with her afterwards, as peers and without the usual scorn and vitriol she’d become accustomed to as a student, was equally startling...and even more enjoyable. But now, observing him fume so intensely that she was certain steam would come out of his ears, the fearsome Potions master of her childhood was back: in full regalia and nasty temperament. Hermione took a deep breath, ready to wrestle the overbearing bat to the floor if she had to.

I’m sure he’ll want what’s best for the students, she reassured herself, and raising her head high, she stepped to the front of the room.

~@~
The darkness outside the magical windows in their ersatz conference room indicated that the sun had set long ago, but the staff of Hogwarts was no closer to an agreement than they’d been at the start of the day. Despite some small concessions on Hermione’s part, she had held fast to her vision of a twenty-first century magical education that combined the best of Muggle and wizard instructional methodology and subject matter.

Most of the participants, however, had given up the day as a bad job. Getting ready to leave for supper, the staff was gathered around Draco’s computer. Pomona Sprout clapped her hands in delight when she tapped her wand on the tiny owl on the screen and a soothing voice chirruped, “You’ve got owls!”

All but Sirius Black were ignoring the heated conversation in progress between the object of his desire and Severus Snape. He watched the two of them raptly, switching expressions from blissful adoration for Hermione to sneering disparagement for Severus.

Hermione’s hair had come loose from its magical moorings to explode about her head like some operatic version of Medusa. Her expression was wild with frustration and her usual upright posture slumped with exhaustion.

“You live in the Dark Ages, Severus! You resent everyone and everything and now you are taking it out on our children’s future! It’s time to grow up, you spiteful, intractable man!”

“And you, Headmistress,” Severus rejoined, spitting the title out of his mouth like something foul, “have finally turned into the righteous, sanctimonious harpy you promised to become when you first stepped foot into my classroom at age eleven!”

“At least I can envision a world for our children to inherit! And I am willing to fight for it—just as I fought Voldemort!”

“Don’t you DARE talk to ME about fighting Voldemort, you presumptuous prig!” Severus roared, leaping to his feet and reaching Hermione in just a few long strides, sparks spewing from the tip of his wand. The glint of fear in her eyes spurred him on. “You spent mere months in a forest and a few hours in battle, while I gave my LIFE to protect the children!”

As Severus backed Hermione up against the wall, the staff shifted their attention to the escalating battle.

Sirius jumped to his feet and unsheathed his wand. “Stay away from her, you foul excuse for a man!” Sirius cried.

Flitwick, as the presumptive mediator in these proceedings, hastened over to Sirius and pulled him away, sensing that the man would only make things worse. As he watched the war of words between the teacher and the Headmistress, however, an idea began to form.

Severus was so close that Hermione could see his eyes flicker with anger, and feel the heat emanating from his tall, lean body. Unbidden, the memory of dancing in his arms popped into her mind, which fuelled her anger all over again. She placed her palms on his chest and pushed so strongly that the man stumbled backwards.

“You’re angry that you didn’t die, aren’t you? You’re taking it out on me and holding this school hostage because you don’t have the spine to resolve your real issues with the one responsible for them!” Hermione was screaming now, as she fought back tears. She took a deep breath: there was no way in hell that she was going to cry in front of Severus Snape! “Go hex Dumbledore’s portrait once and for all! Blast it to smithereens!”

“Severus! Hermione!” the Charms teacher squeaked loudly, positioning himself between the combatants. They were both staring daggers at each other and breathing heavily. Tonks rushed over to pull Hermione to one side of the room and Remus grabbed Severus and dragged him to the other.

“Well, that was such a productive day!” said Draco brightly as he closed down his laptop computer, singing out a little tune as it shut itself off. “I’m sure we’re all looking forward to doing it all over again tomorrow!”

Act Three

A week later, they were no closer to a resolution of the ‘conflict’, as they’d come to call it, than when they’d started.

Each day began with Filius stressing the importance of listening and compromise. Things would move forward a bit, when Hermione agreed to this tweak or that. But inevitably the day would end with Hermione and Severus verbally eviscerating each other, stopping short of firing off hexes only when Filius intervened. At this point the staff didn’t give a rat’s arse about what the children should be taught. They simply wanted to be done with it.

When the weekend came, they did manage to come to one consensual agreement: to give themselves a break, to rest, to take care of personal business, to try and salvage what they could of their holiday plans and most of all, to get away from each other.

~@~
On Saturday morning, Hermione felt bereft. Sipping coffee in her rooms adjacent to her office, she reviewed the fiasco of the previous week. It was all Severus’ fault for holding firm in his opposition and preventing an agreement! Worse, she couldn’t think of a single thing to do or say that would change his mind. Their battles had left her exhausted, yet... oddly exhilarated at the same time. She tried to puzzle this out, but the pieces wouldn’t fit together. She sighed, put the coffee cup down on her small breakfast table, stood and stretched. One thing she could do, she thought, was to take her usual weekend stroll along the lake. A good, brisk walk and some fresh, clean air might help clear her head. Then, perhaps, she could put her mind towards devising a new strategy.

~@~
Hermione felt her body begin to relax as she took long strides, deep cleansing breaths and soaked in the early summer sun. Perhaps it would help, she thought, if they took lunch outside next week. A change of environment might do everyone a world of good! Her solitary reverie, however, was broken by the sounds of voices up ahead, just behind a copse of trees where students often came to sit upon the tall rocks when the sun was shining. Hermione slowed her pace and tried to discern the owners of said voices. It wasn’t really eavesdropping, she reasoned, if she just happened to overhear conversation as she was passing by. But the first thing she heard stopped her cold in her tracks.

“I wouldn’t have believed it myself, Filius, if I hadn’t heard it from his own lips! Severus! In love with Hermione Granger!”

“No, Remus, you must have been mistaken! Severus? No, no, no. I have a hard time believing he could be in love with anyone, but especially NOT the Headmistress! He’s come close to killing her several times this past week!”

Hermione felt her heart rate accelerate as if she’d been running for the last quarter hour instead of walking. She moved closer, checking to make sure the men couldn’t see her behind the trees.

“I agree that it seems preposterous, but it’s true, nonetheless. I overheard him speaking with Draco.”

“Hmm...I suppose that Mr. Malfoy is the only person at school he feels he can confide in,” reasoned the Charms teacher. “So what did he say?”

“Well...” Remus hesitated. “Perhaps I shouldn’t repeat it. It was a private conversation.”

“Oh, come now, Remus! Do tell!”

Do tell! Hermione echoed silently as she fell to her knees, too weak with shock to remain standing.

Remus dropped his voice, forcing Hermione to crawl closer.

“Well, Severus admitted that he’s cared for Hermione for some time, and in the past year, his feelings for her have only increased.”

“That’s right!” Hermione watched Filius nodding his head energetically. “I heard they made quite an impression together, dancing at the Ministry Benefit!”

“He told Draco...what were the words? Oh, yes. ‘It was as if my love for Miss Granger sprang into life fully whole: a new and perfect thing’!”

Hermione let out an involuntary gasp, then clasped her hand over her mouth.

“Severus said that? But I’ve only heard words of disparagement from him when it concerns our new Headmistress!”

“But that’s just the thing, Filius! When Hermione became his superior, he saw his hopes with her dashed! If he can’t have her love, he’s determined to make her hate him. He feels that it’s the only way he can bear working alongside her.”

“I must say he’s doing a brilliant job of it! Hermione can barely look at the man without hexing him. But how terribly sad for Severus!”

Remus shrugged. “Well, perhaps it’s for the best. I doubt that Hermione would be able to reciprocate that kind of love. Her work is her life. I don’t think she’d be able to find the time, let alone the patience to be with someone as difficult as Severus Snape.”

Hermione scrambled to her feet and winced as a branch broke beneath her foot. How dare they assume she was unable to feel and return someone’s love! Of course she could be patient! They clearly didn’t know or understand her at all! She stifled a verbal response when she saw the men coming her way and ran behind a large tree just in time.

“Still,” said Filius who took two steps for every one of Remus’ to keep pace, “the man deserves some happiness in his life. It’s such a pity he’ll not find it with Miss Granger.”

~@~
As they drew closer to the castle, Filius Flitwick and Remus Lupin burst into gales of suppressed laughter.

“‘...sprang fully whole into a new and perfect thing?’” Filius wheezed between guffaws.

“Could you have done better?” asked Remus with mock petulance.

“Hagrid could have done better!” The two men burst into another round of hysterics as they stepped into the courtyard.

Filius stopped Remus with an outstretched arm and a high-pitched squeak. “Wait!”

“What?”

Filius began to dance upon his toes. “I think that there is a problem in the kitchen that will require the attention of our Headmistress. Perhaps we should send Severus to fetch her!”

“You are a short, evil genius, Flitwick,” acknowledged Remus with a slight bow and a wicked grin.

~@~
The sounds of birds flying overhead echoed through the trees as Hermione stepped unsteadily towards the large stones in the now-empty clearing. Her normally organised mind was a now a muddle of confused thoughts and feelings, stunned at the revelations she had overheard.

Could it be true? Severus Snape—the man she believed hated her beyond reason—was in love with her? Hermione began to laugh and found herself unable to stop, even when she knew it just the overflow of her own churning emotions. Severus? She’d heard it stated as a fact, yet she couldn’t turn it into understanding. Leaning against the tallest boulder, Hermione put a hand to her head and began to breathe deeply to regain a semblance of equilibrium.

Perhaps...perhaps it did make sense, she thought. She recalled the night of the Benefit and how nice it felt to dance with him. His firm torso pressed against her curves as he led her around the floor so expertly. She recalled his long fingers splayed across her back, uncovered by design, and how warm they had felt. They had spoken so easily that evening, and she remembered that she’d thought he might...

Hermione gasped as all the pieces of the puzzle fell easily into their designated places. Of course! His anger was a mask for his despair! The man who had been deprived of a normal life felt that his one hope for love had been dashed—again! Her breathing quickened as a flood of feelings, the feelings of a woman, not the concerns of a Headmistress, coursed through her. Why couldn’t he be with her? So what if she was his superior? She didn’t think there were any school regulations prohibiting it. She would check, of course. But if there was a way, Hermione Granger would find it.

She was startled by the sounds of heavy footsteps and crushing foliage and, as if she had summoned him there, Severus Snape stepped into the clearing wearing his most disagreeable and forbidding grimace.

“As if there was no one else to send on this trifling task, I have been asked to bid you attend to a matter in the kitchen,” he barked, turned on his heels and stepped back through the trees.

Hermione blinked at the space where Severus had stood.

“I have been asked to bid you attend to a matter in the kitchen,” she repeated aloud slowly, searching through the words for a hidden meaning. Then she smiled.

“I see through you, Severus Snape. You do love me, you silly fool!” And Hermione twirled in place with a triumphant laugh, happier than she’d been in years and reinvigorated with the certainty that an end to the ‘conflict’ was at hand.

~@~
Tromping back to the castle, Severus was livid that his one day free of Miss Granger had been spoiled. Did they think he was some house-elf to send on such an inane errand? He was just about to enter the courtyard when he heard a female voice mention his name. His spying instincts took over automatically as he tucked himself behind a colonnade to listen.

“Oh, Pomona...she’s in such despair over Severus!”

Hmph...good! It was reassuring to hear that annoying chit was just as miserable as he was.

“Can’t she just tell him?”

Tell him?

“Oh, Merlin forbid!” The alarmed voice responding belonged to Nymphadora, the werewolf’s bride. “He hates her so much already that if she confessed her love for him, he’d destroy her. Can you imagine? He’d torture her with a vengeance for admitting it! She’d be unable to lead the school and be forced to resign!”

Severus’ smirk froze on his face as the words hit him like a bludger. Love? He didn’t know which emotion to take in first: the shock of finding out that Hermione Granger was in love with him or the joy in considering her potential resignation.

“How long has she felt this way?” Pomona Sprout asked, eager for the gossip.

Tonks sighed. “I’m not sure, but I think she must have had feelings for him before the Ministry Benefit. She admitted that she bought that smashing bit of fabric just so he’d notice her.”

Severus’ mind instantly recalled the image of Hermione in the gossamer gown she’d worn that night and how she’d felt in his arms. He felt his throat go dry. She wore it for me? He was incredulous. None of it made any sense.

“Well,” sniffed Pomona, “if she cares about the man, she certainly has gone a bit round the bend in the opposite direction, hasn’t she?”

”That’s just it! It’s the only way she can cope with working alongside the man she loves when she knows he’ll never care for her in return. She’s got to push him away! But when she’s alone...well...she just cries herself to sleep every night.”

Pomona hands flew up to her chest, as if to protect her own heart from breaking. Then the two witches turned and walked into the castle.

“The poor dear. It’s just tragic for her, falling for the one bloody man who doesn’t have a heart!”

Severus couldn’t move. If he moved it would mean everything he’d just heard would be real. Hermione loved him? That shrew? The bane of his existence? But then he remembered how he felt about her before she became Headmistress. He had been attracted to her. He had been…...interested. But the Metamorphmagus was right. He could use this against her. He was from Slytherin after all, where exploiting someone’s vulnerability for personal gain was practically a moral imperative. And if it forced her to resign...well...that would solve all their problems, wouldn’t it?

But what did Pomona mean by saying that he didn’t have a heart? No one who had loved and lost as he had could be called heartless! A broken heart was the surest and most painful sign of its existence after all. Again, he considered the idea of Hermione Granger being in love with him. He thought of her petite body reaching for him, her creamy skin touching his and his hands in that mane of unmanageable hair. And the more he considered it he was shocked to discover that the idea wasn’t distasteful at all. In fact, he felt warmed by it, just as he recalled the warmth of her bare back beneath his hands as they had danced together those many months ago. It was a dizzying, unfamiliar feeling that came over him next. It was so unusual that he had to reach into his memory to define it. And as it came to him, he realised that it might be hope.

Acts 4 & 5

Tags: sshg; exchange; fic

Posted at 02:59 am | Link | Speak to me | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Art that will break your heart

I don't know how many of you are linked to the CrackBroom community, but this one came across today and it is the most wonderfully wrought piece I've seen in.... maybe ever! It's art... it's a video. It's Snape and Harry and children and a song that must have been written for this. Even if you don't care for/ship Snarry, it's irrelevant. If you have a heart for Snape, YOU MUST SEE THIS!

You will want to watch it more than once.  (Oh.. and there is a lovely coda after the credits...wait for it)

The art/video was created by littleblackbow for the recent Snarrygames. Bravo to her.  If you are on IJ, you can leave her a note to express your thanks and awe:
<url>http://asylums.insanejournal.com/snarry_games/213472.html</url>

Oh, and here are the lyrics to the song:

( Lyrics by the New Pornographers... )

Tags: art, snarry, video

Posted at 06:06 pm | Link | Speak to me | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Yay!

I'm a featured author in this week's SSHG Quiz! Thanks to mollyssister and morethansirius for this lovely banner!!

Tags: sshg quiz; banners; pinch of this

Posted at 02:28 am | Link | Speak to me | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Yes We Did!

mood:

optimistic

I was invited to NYC City Hall to join other NYers to watch Obama's Inauguration this morning. If I can get any of the terrible video out of my phone, perhaps I'll edit this and add it later.

Hundreds of NYers filled several large meeting spaces in the old building, where large screen TVs were set up.   The front rows were reserved for several school groups, and the kids were resplendent in their Obama T-Shirts, red/white/blue headbands and mini-flags.

We had to show up before 9 am, so it was a bit of a wait until the festivities began on TV. But it was already quite the celebration among us as we chatted and smiled and laughed and filled the room with expectant and positive energy.

Local TV crews were there filming us, be we were riveted to the screen when they began the CNN feed from Washington. The views of the crowds were astonishing, making us all VERY glad we were sitting down and indoors! The image of wheat sheaves blowing in the wind came to mind as I watched the throngs move together on the Mall.

Loudest cheers went up from the collective group for Hillary and Bill and, interestingly, Jimmy Carter.   The Obama kids and Michelle were greeted like pop stars by the attending school kids. And the room lit up like a firecracker when Obama himself was announced with fanfare.

Boos and hisses followed Chaney's appearance on the screen.   Bush garnered some too, but the real vitriol went to Dr. Evil.

Finally, when the Chief Justice asked the assembled crowd to stand for the oath, we all rose to our feet as well.

I'm so glad that I could share the moment with my fellow NYers and lend my voice to the collective cheers and shouts of hope and promise.

Tags: obama

I'm Still Here and Having Lots of Sex

mood:

grateful

I don't post often, so i imagine most folks on my flist have no idea that I exist or, for those who do recall, that I'm still here.

But I am. And doing quite well, if you'd like to know.

2008 was a very good year for myself. The year I reclaimed my sexual life after a LOOOOOOOONG draught. And, odd to admit, but it was my love of fanfiction that pushed me to it. Strange? But true!! After reading (lots of ) fics that featured my favorite characters having fantastic -- and often kinky -- sex, it finally occured to me that I might enjoy doing it as much as reading about it!

So I thank all of you porn writers out there... the credit and inspiration goes to you. I've found that there is a world of amazing men out there that love 50 plus woman with curves and who remind me that I'm beautiful and desirable.

Snap. The girl still has it!

Tags: journal

For those of you over the age of 40...

Blonde Goes Back to Work After Many Years of Not Working. It's short. Don't blink.

Tags: video; humor

Posted at 07:41 pm | Link | Speak to me | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Hope is Alive

mood:

hopeful

.... Barack Obama has just been elected as the next President of the United States. I'm watching CNN and the commentators are all chocked up... people are celebrating by the thousands in gatherings in cities around the country... and in other countries.

Lines snaked around polling places in towns around the country. Children talked about politics and took part in this election.

Perhaps all is not lost.

Tags: other

MB Test Results

I took the MB test years ago: my profile hasn't changed. Apparantly only a tiny percentage of people are in the INTP group... we tend to feel a bit like aliens on a foreign planet. I have worked hard over the years to become more integrated with the natives, so hopefully I blend in better!

Your result for The LONG Scientific Personality Test...

INTP - the Architect

You scored 36% I to E, 32% N to S, 62% F to T, and 68% J to P!

You are more introverted than extroverted. You are more intuitive than observant, you are more thinking based than feeling based, and you prefer to go with the flow rather than have a routine. The single word to describe your type is the Architect, which belongs to the larger group of rationals. You wish to sculpt the world around you. Others often find you arrogant, yet you have no desire to direct others, only to inform them. You must know the structure of things, and have a voracious appetite for knowledge. You are very rational in everything you do, and probably consider yourself smarter than most.

As a romantic partner, you can be playful with great energy to get things started, but not quite as good on follow through. You may have a tendency to hurt the more emotional types unintentionally by not sharing your own reactions and feelings as you can get swept up in your own ideas and projects. You want to be appreciated for your ability to respond quickly and to fix problems creatively. You need plenty of time to yourself - therefore your parnter must respect your need for independence and originality.

Your group summary: Rationals (NT)

Your type summary: INTP

Take The LONG Scientific Personality Test at HelloQuizzy

Tags: meme, personality

Another reason to love New York

Cause two heads aren't always better than one:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/nyregion/19turtle.html?em

Tags: nyc

Funny and Wonderful!

Harry Potter and the Deadly Abridgement - Chapter One

We hope there is more!

Tags: humor; dh

What Have I Done In My Life (So Far!)

mood:

silly

I snagged this from

bambu, who's had a much more interesting life than I have. Nonetheless..

( Read more... )

Tags: meme

Thank You!

mood:

chipper

I'm so pleased that this silly little fic has been enjoyed by so many! Top 20 votegetter! Wow! I'm so jazzed and grateful to all who voted for it. Here are my shiny banners for Minding Harry (best gen humor and top 20):

Also; congrats to all the other winners.... especially my friend Katie!!!!!!

Tags: fic; awards; contest, minding harry

Posted at 05:40 pm | Link | Speak to me | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

New Library Awards - Vote Now!

I'm thrilled to be listed among the nominees for the New Library Awards (for us 'underappreciated' authors - not widely read or reviewed). There are many great fics here - so go read and vote!

Nominee Lists and Links: http://community.livejournal.com/tnl_awards/3925.html

TO VOTE: Enter your vote via a comment here: http://community.livejournal.com/tnl_awards/4104.html#cutid1 The short version of instructions is that you have to manually type in the:
- Category
- Author
- Fic Name
You MUST vote for TWO fics per category. I'm not sure why. I think to avoid a run off)

Of course to make things simple, the categories for my fics are listed below ; ) THANKS!

Tags: awards; nominee; fic

Posted at 04:04 pm | Link | Speak to me | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Cause I'm Too Aggravated to Do Anything Else

mood:

bitchy

I run a small department. Just me and my associate. I've just lost the second of such persons in the last two years. The first one lasted 6 months. This one lasted nearly a year. Both decided consulting was better than working for me. Ouch. Sigh. Grumble. I think I'm a terrific person to work for, but apparantly I suck at hiring the right people for this job. Now I have to start all over and do the work of two for the next many months. Oh, joy.

So here are tmy answers to the omnipresent Book Meme. Just because.

*
The Big Read reckons that the average adult has read only 6 books from the list of the top 100 books. So:

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list in your own LJ if you so desire

*

( Read more... )

Tags: meme

Living on the Edge of the Unknown

Aug. 21st, 2009

Jul. 9th, 2009

Jun. 22nd, 2009

May. 26th, 2009

May. 8th, 2009

Apr. 19th, 2009

Feb. 18th, 2009

Jan. 23rd, 2009

Jan. 20th, 2009

Jan. 19th, 2009

Jan. 18th, 2009

Nov. 4th, 2008

Sep. 28th, 2008

INTP - the Architect

Aug. 19th, 2008

Jul. 30th, 2008

Jul. 29th, 2008

Jul. 14th, 2008

Jul. 2nd, 2008

Jun. 25th, 2008

August 2009

Starmom's Fics

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