Post by Ryan Harkness-Black on Nov 1, 2012 11:07:16 GMT -5
Name: Jack Ryan Harkness-Black II (aka Ryan)
Age: 35
Birthdate/place: 15-05-2001, St. Mungo’s Hospital, London
Species: wizard
Gender: male
Family:
1985 – Harkness House Established
• Ralph- Born 1947 –Would be 89 in 2036. [Muggle] (grandfather)
• Jean- Born 1948 –Would be 88 in 2036 [Muggle] (grandmother)
◦ Jack –Born 1971, 65 in 2036 [Muggleborn] (father) [-]Marie Harkness [nee Joyeux] –born 1972, 64 in 2036 [halfblood](mother)
▪ Kendra Marie Harkness –born 2000. 36. [squib](sister)
▪
▪ Jack Ryan Harkness III –Born 2021. 15. [Halfblood](nephew)
▪ [Daughter] –Born 2024. 12. [Halfblood] (niece)
•
▪ Jack Ryan Harkness-Black II -Born 2002. 34. [Halfblood] [+]Matthew Regulus Harkness-Black - Born 2000. 36. [Pureblood](husband)
▪
▪ Elizabeth Ann Harkness-Black. –Born 2022. 13. Adopted 2024. [Halfblood](daughter)
•
▪ George Brian Harkness –Born 2006. 30 [Halfblood](brother)
•
▪ Annie Ellen Harkness –Born 2008. 28 [Halfblood](sister)
▪
▪ Theodore (Theo) –Born 2029. 8. [Halfblood](nephew)
•
◦ Theodore Randolph Bowre – born 1986, 50 in 2036. Adopted 1986?. [Halfblood](uncle)
◦ Jeff Hold –Born 1982. 54. Adopted 1987. [Muggleborn](uncle)
▪
▪ Daughter] 28. Born 2008. [Halfblood](cousin)
•
◦ David Theisen –Born 1976. 60. Adopted 1978. [Muggle](uncle) [/]Lisa Marie Theisen -Born 1978, Died 2015. [Muggle] [+][Wife] -Born 1980. 56. [Halfblood](aunts)
▪
▪ [Oldest Daughter] 32. [Muggle](cousin)
▪
▪ [Son] 12. [Muggleborn](cousin)
▪ [Son] 9. [Unknown](cousin)
•
▪ [Oldest Son] 26. [Muggle](cousin)
▪
▪ [Daughter] 5. [Unknown] (Single Father)(cousin)
•
▪ [Youngest Daughter] 23. [Muggle](cousin)
•
◦ Katherine (Kat) Theisen –Born 1978. 58. Adopted 1978. [Muggle](aunt)
•
◦ Ralin Tyr O’Faerlun –Born 2002. 34. Adopted ? ? ? ?. [Unknown](uncle)
Appearance:
Hair: dark brown
Eyes: brown
Build/height- lithe/6’1”
General Description- Ryan is a tall, lanky guy who is in good shape, but his musculature runs to lean and wiry and not bulky by any means. His coloring is a mix of dark and light. Dark brown, almost black hair frames a long thin, rather pale face. His dark, beautiful eyes often appear sort of sleepy, or contemplative, because of the way his eyelids rest at half-mast. Generally he is clean shaven and doesn’t particularly fancy even sexy scruff, which has him sometimes shaving twice a day, as he has a very dark beard which casts that ol’ five o’clock shadow on his very fair skin. The rest of him is equally pallid as he isn’t one to get out into the sun and tan, though he probably could if he cared to.
Ryan was, unfortunately, one of those extremely awkward teens that seemed all long legs, big feet and elbows that constantly threatened to poke other people’s eyes out. But thankfully, he grew into his tall, angular frame and now moves with an easy grace. His most typical expression is one of amusement – he finds the world quite humorous for the most part. And though his smile is a bit lopsided it is killer, if he wants to make an impression.
OK, so…the nose. Yeah, well, what can you say? Some men are born to greatness – others are born to great noses. Ryan’s is a trophy winner. It’s…unavoidable, and Ryan came to terms with it long ago. If nothing else, it makes a statement and people are bound to remember meeting him, and it – for good or bad.
Almost forgot the rags – Ryan loves to dress in what he considers clothes that “make a statement” – but the statement might not be what others would want for themselves. He has a tendency to throw together different “looks” (maybe secretly he is a hipster) but he does have an eye for what goes together and usually he can pull off something pretty awesome. He loves sunglasses and hats, and probably has way more shoes than any man needs. But as he isn’t wealthy, he has developed a great skill at shopping second hand and grabbing bargains at the shops. His look may be slightly…unorthodox, but he always looks good.
Possessions- Well, Ryan and Matt have a nice flat in London, and all the typical furnishings. Ryan, being a writer, has all the acoutrements of that profession – namely quills and ink and parchment. He also has some of the gadgets and gizmos that muggle writers like to use, of the technological variety, purely out of curiosity – he likes to get them out and play with them and then take them apart and try to put them back together. He plays several instruments including the saxophone, the piano and guitar – really he can pick up just about anything and play a bit on it. So he has one of each of those and from time to time other random things sitting about the flat – like a trombone, or maybe a piccolo. He also likes to dabble in painting, drawing, sculpting – any number of artisitic pursuits – and so has an easel, paints and brushes, drawing pads and charcoal, etc – even a tiny potters wheel which has to live out in the shed of their postage stamp sized garden.
Ryan also has a thing for hats and owns at least a dozen…
Personality:
Temperment/Mental Attributes-Ryan is a really intelligent guy, but he can be quite lazy when it comes to tackling things he isn’t interested in. Throughout his years at school, he was an indifferent student, grade-wise, and those who didn’t know him well would think that he was wasting a great potential. But those who took the time to understand him realized that he is the type of person who doesn’t put much effort or time into things he feels aren’t important, to him, personally. On the other hand, he can burn with passion about some things and he would literally work himself into the ground to pursue, study, promote, follow or initiate a subject, or an idea, or a cause that captured his mind or his heart. He can seem an odd contradiction in lassitude and apparent contempt juxtaposed against incendiary fervor and sometimes bull headed obstinacy – it just all depends on what you’re wanting him to do.
On the whole, though, Ryan is a fairly easy going person. Raised in a large, rambunctious family, his natural disposition towards going with the flow helped him cope with an often chaotic home environment. But it was a happy chaos, and Ryan grew up in a very positive, loving, supportive and open atmosphere. At the same time, he also developed a fairly strong ability to create some order out of all this whirling maelstrom of parents and siblings, as a survival mechanism really. This carries over to his adult life in terms of being a pretty well organized guy who does see the benefit to having some sort of schedule to stick to. He possibly needs to work on his spontaneity.
Ryan, it turned out, is a very creative person, always dabbling in some sort of project or experimenting with the creative process – whether it be music, art, theater, or writing. He is a dabbler though, and has a tendency to abandon such efforts before completion. The one constant that he always found great pleasure in was writing, and – not being one to go off and work a job he hated – he has made sacrifices to be able to write as his chosen career. He’ll probably never get rich, but that’s not important to him at all. Personally, he feels it's very important to listen to and follow your inner spirit and urges, and one thing he really can’t stand is feeling constrained or put into some pigeon hole that doesn’t fit.
On an interpersonal level, Ryan is a very open guy who is fairly well in touch with his feelings and is well used to expressing them. He is typically very affectionate and thinks it’s important to show others that you love and appreciate them. Sometimes he gets a little hurt when others in his life are more closed off or shut down, but he tries to work through that, knowing not everyone came from the type of loving, happy home that he had as a kid. He also has a wicked sense of humor and loves to joke about and tease people, in a funny way, not a mean one. Generally, he is upbeat and is a real giver. Again, this can sometimes turn around and bite him when he doesn’t get back in return and (rarely) feels like he’s the one doing all the work here and the other person is just like, floating. He needs to work on this.
Alliance- Ryan would probably describe his allegiances to 1) his family and 2) the common man, or wizard, generally speaking. He isn’t one to “toe the party line” in any way. And though his dad was Minister of Magic at one time, he definitely doesn’t feel any acute loyalty to that (in his mind) dubious body. This sometimes creates conflicts of one kind or another between him and Matt, though generally they try to keep work and their relationship separate. It doesn’t always work out that way, though. Ryan is fully supportive of openness and transparency and frequently criticizes the Ministry for being the exact opposite. He would be most supportive of anything that, in his view, would benefit “the people” – and that includes muggles.
Alignment- Neutral
Employment&Education:
-Students- attended Hogwarts
House- Hufflepuff – just like good ol’ Dad
Year- graduated in 2018
OWLs/NEWTs-
-Adults-
Former House- see above
Job- Writer – both salaried and free lance
Employer- works for the Prophet as a reporter and has a regular column about the Arts Scene
OWLs/NEWTs-
OWLs:
-notable for taking a Troll in Potions and Alchemy
- Outstanding in History of Magic and Study of Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies
- everything else was borderline
NEWTs:
Took NEWTS in History of Magic and Study of Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies and, surprisingly, Divination
Other:
Magical Skills- Anything special? If applicable: has somewhat strangely become pretty good at dream interpretation
Patronus- (if applicable) um…no
Wand- Rosewood; core of bird of paradise tail feather; 10"; exceptionally supple, to the point of sometimes doing things Ryan would rather it not (though that was all mostly back in his HW days)
Goals/Aspirations- Optional : Ryan wants to become a popular and well respected author – and that doesn’t mean a financially or commercially successful one. Rather, he wants to write things that people find interesting and insightful and entertaining, and that aren’t total rubbish.
(He also would really like to have another kid, but, shhh…..don’t tell anyone that yet)
Other Information- He can’t cook worth a damn and can’t carry a tune in a bucket (singing wise). Muggle and Wizard “anthropology” intrigue him. He is color blind.
History-
Jack Ryan Harkness, II, was born on a blustery day in May, shortly after the turn of the new millennium. Second child, and first born son, of Jack senior and Marie Joyeux, “Junior” - as he was immediately dubbed – grew up on the Harkness family “estate” – which is a grandiose word to describe a very homey enclave of buildings which house both the Harkness family proper and a lively group of orphaned wizard children. The orphanage was founded by Ryan’s grandparents – a muggle couple who were rather astounded to learn that their son was a wizard, and who then opened their hearts and home to those wizard children who by some misfortune or other had lost track of their parents.
“Junior” – who as quickly as he could insisted that people call him something else (who could blame him?) and that something ended up being his middle name, Ryan – grew up amidst the noise, confusion and love of a big family – extended several times over by the orphans who lived on the same property. In addition to his parents and older sister, Kendra, and younger brother and sister, George and Annie, Ryan’s family also included numerous aunts and uncles (adopted as children by his grandparents) and their offspring. Adding in the fluctuating number of orphans that lived and studied in the dormitories and other buildings on the Harkness land, Ryan was never at a loss for other children to play with. Life could be chaotic, but it was also fun – lively and never dull – though sometimes there was a certain amount of lack of privacy. Even despite the fact that his parents divorced when he was eleven, and his mother left the home, Ryan still fared well and prospered, raised primarily by his father and grandparents.
In due course, Ryan left to attend Hogwarts during the school terms. He was sorted into Hufflepuff, the house his father had been in, which was no surprise as Ryan and Jack were very much alike. Ryan was an indifferent student – very lively and bright but lazy in some ways. He seemed most taken with things that involved the study of people, especially in a historical context. Subjects that were analytical and based in “scientific” theory weren’t really his cup of tea. To his professors, he was viewed as a quite affable, engaging boy, who needed more than a bit of prodding to move him along through his course work. To other students, he was generally one of the boys almost everyone liked – being easy going and a joker, not shy but not arrogant – just a kind of “go with the flow” person.
Ultimately he did well enough to take some NEWTS and once done with school, he took a job as a reporter with the Prophet. He enjoyed the fact pace but was a little stifled by the rather rigid constraints on creativity that that type of journalism often imposes. He found an outlet in both writing free lance pieces for magazines and also beginning a column about the Arts scene of the wizarding world. Thus he had even more reason to attend shows and concerts and gallery openings. He often would attend even muggle events, though those were of less interest to his readers. He did develop a little folllowing though on something of a wizarding “blog”, of those who had some passion for the muggle arts.
When Ryan was twenty, something of a family catastrophe occurred. Jack, who was then Minister of Magic, fell under the sway of an evil, dark witch and committed acts that were, of course, far outside his normal beliefs. When a crisis occurred, Jack – though his family tried to persuade him otherwise – turned himself in and was held in Azkaban, for three years. Though Ryan was not directly involved in any of these goings on, of course the fact that his father had to suffer through this ordeal had its impact on the son as well. Once Jack was released, Ryan attempted to be even closer to his father, perhaps harboring some guilt for having let his own young adult life concerns make him blind, or obtuse, to what was going on with his dad. In any event, the hard times brought the two closer together and they remain very, very close to this day.
So it was that Ryan had absolutely no problem or reservations or fears about coming out to his father, and the rest of his family. He actually had come out when he was in school, once he was pretty certain that he had no interest in girls. It wasn’t a big deal – he simply brought his boyfriend home during winter break during his sixth year and was like “Oh hey this is my boyfriend.” Jack, and the rest of the crew, were welcoming and not bothered in any way, as they were always a very open and supportive lot, and being gay wasn’t perceived as being out of the ordinary or weird.
When Ryan was 19, he had met a really gorgeous junior hitwizard by the name of Matthew Black. They began dating and had actually been living together when the proverbial ca-ca hit the fan with Jack and the Ministry. Ryan, for his part, pretty much knew from day one that Matt was the man for him, and ultimately they got married, when Ryan was 22. The next year, it was with great delight that he and Matt adopted a little two year old girl who had come to live at the orphanage – Elizabeth Ann. Beth immediately became the light in Ryan’s eye and he has been crazy about her ever since she came into his life. He loves being her dad and enjoys parenting, and loves their little family unit. Despite some very marked differences in their personalities, and backgrounds, Ryan is head over heels in love with Matt and whatever little problems they have, like all couples do, he is really very, very happy with the whole arrangement.
Age: 35
Birthdate/place: 15-05-2001, St. Mungo’s Hospital, London
Species: wizard
Gender: male
Family:
1985 – Harkness House Established
• Ralph- Born 1947 –Would be 89 in 2036. [Muggle] (grandfather)
• Jean- Born 1948 –Would be 88 in 2036 [Muggle] (grandmother)
◦ Jack –Born 1971, 65 in 2036 [Muggleborn] (father) [-]Marie Harkness [nee Joyeux] –born 1972, 64 in 2036 [halfblood](mother)
▪ Kendra Marie Harkness –born 2000. 36. [squib](sister)
▪
▪ Jack Ryan Harkness III –Born 2021. 15. [Halfblood](nephew)
▪ [Daughter] –Born 2024. 12. [Halfblood] (niece)
•
▪ Jack Ryan Harkness-Black II -Born 2002. 34. [Halfblood] [+]Matthew Regulus Harkness-Black - Born 2000. 36. [Pureblood](husband)
▪
▪ Elizabeth Ann Harkness-Black. –Born 2022. 13. Adopted 2024. [Halfblood](daughter)
•
▪ George Brian Harkness –Born 2006. 30 [Halfblood](brother)
•
▪ Annie Ellen Harkness –Born 2008. 28 [Halfblood](sister)
▪
▪ Theodore (Theo) –Born 2029. 8. [Halfblood](nephew)
•
◦ Theodore Randolph Bowre – born 1986, 50 in 2036. Adopted 1986?. [Halfblood](uncle)
◦ Jeff Hold –Born 1982. 54. Adopted 1987. [Muggleborn](uncle)
▪
▪ Daughter] 28. Born 2008. [Halfblood](cousin)
•
◦ David Theisen –Born 1976. 60. Adopted 1978. [Muggle](uncle) [/]Lisa Marie Theisen -Born 1978, Died 2015. [Muggle] [+][Wife] -Born 1980. 56. [Halfblood](aunts)
▪
▪ [Oldest Daughter] 32. [Muggle](cousin)
▪
▪ [Son] 12. [Muggleborn](cousin)
▪ [Son] 9. [Unknown](cousin)
•
▪ [Oldest Son] 26. [Muggle](cousin)
▪
▪ [Daughter] 5. [Unknown] (Single Father)(cousin)
•
▪ [Youngest Daughter] 23. [Muggle](cousin)
•
◦ Katherine (Kat) Theisen –Born 1978. 58. Adopted 1978. [Muggle](aunt)
•
◦ Ralin Tyr O’Faerlun –Born 2002. 34. Adopted ? ? ? ?. [Unknown](uncle)
Appearance:
Hair: dark brown
Eyes: brown
Build/height- lithe/6’1”
General Description- Ryan is a tall, lanky guy who is in good shape, but his musculature runs to lean and wiry and not bulky by any means. His coloring is a mix of dark and light. Dark brown, almost black hair frames a long thin, rather pale face. His dark, beautiful eyes often appear sort of sleepy, or contemplative, because of the way his eyelids rest at half-mast. Generally he is clean shaven and doesn’t particularly fancy even sexy scruff, which has him sometimes shaving twice a day, as he has a very dark beard which casts that ol’ five o’clock shadow on his very fair skin. The rest of him is equally pallid as he isn’t one to get out into the sun and tan, though he probably could if he cared to.
Ryan was, unfortunately, one of those extremely awkward teens that seemed all long legs, big feet and elbows that constantly threatened to poke other people’s eyes out. But thankfully, he grew into his tall, angular frame and now moves with an easy grace. His most typical expression is one of amusement – he finds the world quite humorous for the most part. And though his smile is a bit lopsided it is killer, if he wants to make an impression.
OK, so…the nose. Yeah, well, what can you say? Some men are born to greatness – others are born to great noses. Ryan’s is a trophy winner. It’s…unavoidable, and Ryan came to terms with it long ago. If nothing else, it makes a statement and people are bound to remember meeting him, and it – for good or bad.
Almost forgot the rags – Ryan loves to dress in what he considers clothes that “make a statement” – but the statement might not be what others would want for themselves. He has a tendency to throw together different “looks” (maybe secretly he is a hipster) but he does have an eye for what goes together and usually he can pull off something pretty awesome. He loves sunglasses and hats, and probably has way more shoes than any man needs. But as he isn’t wealthy, he has developed a great skill at shopping second hand and grabbing bargains at the shops. His look may be slightly…unorthodox, but he always looks good.
Possessions- Well, Ryan and Matt have a nice flat in London, and all the typical furnishings. Ryan, being a writer, has all the acoutrements of that profession – namely quills and ink and parchment. He also has some of the gadgets and gizmos that muggle writers like to use, of the technological variety, purely out of curiosity – he likes to get them out and play with them and then take them apart and try to put them back together. He plays several instruments including the saxophone, the piano and guitar – really he can pick up just about anything and play a bit on it. So he has one of each of those and from time to time other random things sitting about the flat – like a trombone, or maybe a piccolo. He also likes to dabble in painting, drawing, sculpting – any number of artisitic pursuits – and so has an easel, paints and brushes, drawing pads and charcoal, etc – even a tiny potters wheel which has to live out in the shed of their postage stamp sized garden.
Ryan also has a thing for hats and owns at least a dozen…
Personality:
Temperment/Mental Attributes-Ryan is a really intelligent guy, but he can be quite lazy when it comes to tackling things he isn’t interested in. Throughout his years at school, he was an indifferent student, grade-wise, and those who didn’t know him well would think that he was wasting a great potential. But those who took the time to understand him realized that he is the type of person who doesn’t put much effort or time into things he feels aren’t important, to him, personally. On the other hand, he can burn with passion about some things and he would literally work himself into the ground to pursue, study, promote, follow or initiate a subject, or an idea, or a cause that captured his mind or his heart. He can seem an odd contradiction in lassitude and apparent contempt juxtaposed against incendiary fervor and sometimes bull headed obstinacy – it just all depends on what you’re wanting him to do.
On the whole, though, Ryan is a fairly easy going person. Raised in a large, rambunctious family, his natural disposition towards going with the flow helped him cope with an often chaotic home environment. But it was a happy chaos, and Ryan grew up in a very positive, loving, supportive and open atmosphere. At the same time, he also developed a fairly strong ability to create some order out of all this whirling maelstrom of parents and siblings, as a survival mechanism really. This carries over to his adult life in terms of being a pretty well organized guy who does see the benefit to having some sort of schedule to stick to. He possibly needs to work on his spontaneity.
Ryan, it turned out, is a very creative person, always dabbling in some sort of project or experimenting with the creative process – whether it be music, art, theater, or writing. He is a dabbler though, and has a tendency to abandon such efforts before completion. The one constant that he always found great pleasure in was writing, and – not being one to go off and work a job he hated – he has made sacrifices to be able to write as his chosen career. He’ll probably never get rich, but that’s not important to him at all. Personally, he feels it's very important to listen to and follow your inner spirit and urges, and one thing he really can’t stand is feeling constrained or put into some pigeon hole that doesn’t fit.
On an interpersonal level, Ryan is a very open guy who is fairly well in touch with his feelings and is well used to expressing them. He is typically very affectionate and thinks it’s important to show others that you love and appreciate them. Sometimes he gets a little hurt when others in his life are more closed off or shut down, but he tries to work through that, knowing not everyone came from the type of loving, happy home that he had as a kid. He also has a wicked sense of humor and loves to joke about and tease people, in a funny way, not a mean one. Generally, he is upbeat and is a real giver. Again, this can sometimes turn around and bite him when he doesn’t get back in return and (rarely) feels like he’s the one doing all the work here and the other person is just like, floating. He needs to work on this.
Alliance- Ryan would probably describe his allegiances to 1) his family and 2) the common man, or wizard, generally speaking. He isn’t one to “toe the party line” in any way. And though his dad was Minister of Magic at one time, he definitely doesn’t feel any acute loyalty to that (in his mind) dubious body. This sometimes creates conflicts of one kind or another between him and Matt, though generally they try to keep work and their relationship separate. It doesn’t always work out that way, though. Ryan is fully supportive of openness and transparency and frequently criticizes the Ministry for being the exact opposite. He would be most supportive of anything that, in his view, would benefit “the people” – and that includes muggles.
Alignment- Neutral
Employment&Education:
-Students- attended Hogwarts
House- Hufflepuff – just like good ol’ Dad
Year- graduated in 2018
OWLs/NEWTs-
-Adults-
Former House- see above
Job- Writer – both salaried and free lance
Employer- works for the Prophet as a reporter and has a regular column about the Arts Scene
OWLs/NEWTs-
OWLs:
-notable for taking a Troll in Potions and Alchemy
- Outstanding in History of Magic and Study of Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies
- everything else was borderline
NEWTs:
Took NEWTS in History of Magic and Study of Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies and, surprisingly, Divination
Other:
Magical Skills- Anything special? If applicable: has somewhat strangely become pretty good at dream interpretation
Patronus- (if applicable) um…no
Wand- Rosewood; core of bird of paradise tail feather; 10"; exceptionally supple, to the point of sometimes doing things Ryan would rather it not (though that was all mostly back in his HW days)
Goals/Aspirations- Optional : Ryan wants to become a popular and well respected author – and that doesn’t mean a financially or commercially successful one. Rather, he wants to write things that people find interesting and insightful and entertaining, and that aren’t total rubbish.
(He also would really like to have another kid, but, shhh…..don’t tell anyone that yet)
Other Information- He can’t cook worth a damn and can’t carry a tune in a bucket (singing wise). Muggle and Wizard “anthropology” intrigue him. He is color blind.
History-
Jack Ryan Harkness, II, was born on a blustery day in May, shortly after the turn of the new millennium. Second child, and first born son, of Jack senior and Marie Joyeux, “Junior” - as he was immediately dubbed – grew up on the Harkness family “estate” – which is a grandiose word to describe a very homey enclave of buildings which house both the Harkness family proper and a lively group of orphaned wizard children. The orphanage was founded by Ryan’s grandparents – a muggle couple who were rather astounded to learn that their son was a wizard, and who then opened their hearts and home to those wizard children who by some misfortune or other had lost track of their parents.
“Junior” – who as quickly as he could insisted that people call him something else (who could blame him?) and that something ended up being his middle name, Ryan – grew up amidst the noise, confusion and love of a big family – extended several times over by the orphans who lived on the same property. In addition to his parents and older sister, Kendra, and younger brother and sister, George and Annie, Ryan’s family also included numerous aunts and uncles (adopted as children by his grandparents) and their offspring. Adding in the fluctuating number of orphans that lived and studied in the dormitories and other buildings on the Harkness land, Ryan was never at a loss for other children to play with. Life could be chaotic, but it was also fun – lively and never dull – though sometimes there was a certain amount of lack of privacy. Even despite the fact that his parents divorced when he was eleven, and his mother left the home, Ryan still fared well and prospered, raised primarily by his father and grandparents.
In due course, Ryan left to attend Hogwarts during the school terms. He was sorted into Hufflepuff, the house his father had been in, which was no surprise as Ryan and Jack were very much alike. Ryan was an indifferent student – very lively and bright but lazy in some ways. He seemed most taken with things that involved the study of people, especially in a historical context. Subjects that were analytical and based in “scientific” theory weren’t really his cup of tea. To his professors, he was viewed as a quite affable, engaging boy, who needed more than a bit of prodding to move him along through his course work. To other students, he was generally one of the boys almost everyone liked – being easy going and a joker, not shy but not arrogant – just a kind of “go with the flow” person.
Ultimately he did well enough to take some NEWTS and once done with school, he took a job as a reporter with the Prophet. He enjoyed the fact pace but was a little stifled by the rather rigid constraints on creativity that that type of journalism often imposes. He found an outlet in both writing free lance pieces for magazines and also beginning a column about the Arts scene of the wizarding world. Thus he had even more reason to attend shows and concerts and gallery openings. He often would attend even muggle events, though those were of less interest to his readers. He did develop a little folllowing though on something of a wizarding “blog”, of those who had some passion for the muggle arts.
When Ryan was twenty, something of a family catastrophe occurred. Jack, who was then Minister of Magic, fell under the sway of an evil, dark witch and committed acts that were, of course, far outside his normal beliefs. When a crisis occurred, Jack – though his family tried to persuade him otherwise – turned himself in and was held in Azkaban, for three years. Though Ryan was not directly involved in any of these goings on, of course the fact that his father had to suffer through this ordeal had its impact on the son as well. Once Jack was released, Ryan attempted to be even closer to his father, perhaps harboring some guilt for having let his own young adult life concerns make him blind, or obtuse, to what was going on with his dad. In any event, the hard times brought the two closer together and they remain very, very close to this day.
So it was that Ryan had absolutely no problem or reservations or fears about coming out to his father, and the rest of his family. He actually had come out when he was in school, once he was pretty certain that he had no interest in girls. It wasn’t a big deal – he simply brought his boyfriend home during winter break during his sixth year and was like “Oh hey this is my boyfriend.” Jack, and the rest of the crew, were welcoming and not bothered in any way, as they were always a very open and supportive lot, and being gay wasn’t perceived as being out of the ordinary or weird.
When Ryan was 19, he had met a really gorgeous junior hitwizard by the name of Matthew Black. They began dating and had actually been living together when the proverbial ca-ca hit the fan with Jack and the Ministry. Ryan, for his part, pretty much knew from day one that Matt was the man for him, and ultimately they got married, when Ryan was 22. The next year, it was with great delight that he and Matt adopted a little two year old girl who had come to live at the orphanage – Elizabeth Ann. Beth immediately became the light in Ryan’s eye and he has been crazy about her ever since she came into his life. He loves being her dad and enjoys parenting, and loves their little family unit. Despite some very marked differences in their personalities, and backgrounds, Ryan is head over heels in love with Matt and whatever little problems they have, like all couples do, he is really very, very happy with the whole arrangement.
