Depth-finding (open)

[James Malcom MacDougal]

The light of the lantern was welcoming as Jamie gratefully deposited the books in his arms onto the table in the little nook. It was early evening, after supper. The books all had titles pertaining to runes. One, worn and slipped beneath the others, mentioned blood magic. This one seemed to be about the follies of such a thing, going by his skiming of a few pages.

It didn't seem so bad as everyone had always said. And there was power. Strong enough to protect his mum. To keep her safe, he'd do anything. He'd just written a letter to Max, but he had felt inadequate. How could you express that fear, deep down inside, in letters? And of course, how could Max understand? They barely knew each other, he wouldn't understand the desperation he felt--they were all very welcoming but his mum was all the family he had known his whole life. How could a stranger understand the swings of her mood, and how they affected him? The desperation he could sense behind her anger, the fear that drove her when she raged against his father?

Jamie had been letting Aly teach him, come to him when she had time. But their last session had proven that wasn't enough. If she could control him like that--he couldn't let anyone control him like that. He settled into his seat and opened the first book, leaving the blood magic one alone for now. He wasnt certain how useful it would be anyway, it had been tucked away in an ill-used portion of the library, true, but it hadn't been in the restricted section. 

[Elle Callahan]

It was after supper and the library was rather empty so Wren thought the odds were in her favor that her favorite nook table was open. She had been looking forward to settling into the nook spreading out all of her books on the table and stretch out in two chairs. She had finished her homework so she had decided to spend the rest of her night reading up on the last 17 years of popular culture. It was rather hard suddenly appearing nearly twenty years in the future. Music was different. Clothing was different. Books. Qudditch Players. It was still a shock to Wren that nearly all the players she had known and followed had retired. Actually only a rookie was left playing. There was so much that Wren didn't know. She felt so out of place among the other students. She wasn't the only kid caught in the flux but none of her friends had disappeared. It was crazy to think that her best friend was old enough to be her mother and actually had kids of her own. Wren had been back for months now but it was still so very weird.

Wren had turned the corner and sighed when she saw the table was already occupied. She should have walked past and found another spot. There was practically no one in the library but she suddenly didn't want to be alone. So she slipped up to the table and smiled at the boy. She recognized him from Qudditch. Wren hadn't made the Hufflepuff the main team this year, they hadn't had any spots open so she had to fight her way onto the reserve team. She hadn't played a single game this year and didn't see much action during practice but she was hopeful that maybe next year she would be on it.

"Any chance you've been here for hours and are leaving soon? Or I can join you? This is my favorite spot in the library," Wren said flashing him a hopeful smile.

[James Malcom MacDougal]

"Any chance you've been here for hours and are leaving soon? Or I can join you? This is my favorite spot in the library," Wren said flashing him a hopeful smile.


Suddenly his solitude was invaded. It was something he'd been finding happen more and more lately, he was spending more and more time alone, away from his friends. Jamie flashed an easy smile at the girl. She was cute, seemed to be about his age, but he knew better. Wren was another flux victim, like Aly, though she was in Hufflepuff. He shuffled the books again, the blood runes book disappearing more thoroughly to the bottom of the pile.

Maybe he could find something in Alex's library! it was huge. He brought his attention back to the present, "Sure, join me!" He said with another charming smile, emerald eyes creasing as he motioned to the cleared space his shuffle had revealed on the long table. There was plenty of space to spread out. one reason he had chosen this space. He waited for her to settle in before sticking out his hand. "I'm Jamie!"

[Elle Callahan]

Abort! Abort! This was a huge mistake. Wryn Parker needed to get out of there. The boy just stared at her as if she committed the greatest offense inthe world. Merlin's bloody balls! Why did she ever talk to him? It was just a bloody table. She could sit anywhere else, like a normal person. She didn't always have to sit at this table. It was just a table not a magical spa. Why was she such an idiot? No wonder people thought she was weird. Wryn was about to appolgize and move on but the boy smiled and she couldn't move. Her feet fused with the ground and she just stood there and watched as his smile brightened up his face. He had nice teeth.


Maybe he could find something in Alex's library! it was huge. He brought his attention back to the present, "Sure, join me!" He said with another charming smile, emerald eyes creasing as he motioned to the cleared space his shuffle had revealed on the long table. There was plenty of space to spread out. one reason he had chosen this space. He waited for her to settle in before sticking out his hand. "I'm Jamie!"

Blood hell. She couldn't leave now. Not when he was flashing that smile. Did he have dimples? Wryn slid into the seat opposite him. Her books landing on the table with a thump.

"Wryn," She said taking his offered hand. Now that she was here she might as well be in for a pound. "You play qudditch. I saw you in the last game. You're not bad."

[James Malcom MacDougal]

"Wren," She said taking his offered hand. Now that she was here she might as well be in for a pound. "You play quidditch. I saw you in the last game. You're not bad."

He tilted his head, looking at the girl a little closer. She did seem familiar for more than just being famous for disappearing 18 years ago. "Oh! You play for Hufflepuff, right?" He picked up his pen and pulled one of his books closer. "Thanks!" It was nice to hear and he smiled. He looked over at Wren, curious about what brought her to this far off nook. it wasn't exactly the most well-trafficked spot, which was its main draw for him.

"What are you working on?" He tilted his head, trying to read the spines of her books.

[Elle Callahan]

'Reserve," She said with a dramatic sigh and a shrug of her shoulders. Unfortunately there hadn't been a spot open for her on the main team that year.

"There wasn't a chaser position open on the team this year. Next year I'll make the cut," She said with grim determination. She was working hard at practice to prove herself. She would do better than the tryouts this year. She'd freaked out and had fallen off her broom. Not a good start.

"What are you working on?" He tilted his head, trying to read the spines of her books.

Wren shifted her pile of books so he could see the titles. Mostly pop culture and qudditch stuff.

"A bit of research. I'm trying to catch up on the last 17 years. It's amazing how things have changed. I mean I remember when the cauldron cakes were just a group of frog choir kids. Now they are considered almost classic rockers on their way out. I can't believe they actually became a real band. With hit songs." Wren said with a shake of her head. Sometimes it felt like a dream. One that she wished she could wake up from. One where her dad wasn't a has been qudditch player who had thrown away his career because his daughter had disappeared.

[James Malcom MacDougal]

Reserve, there wasn't a chaser position open on the team this year. Next year I'll make the cut," 

"Good luck! I'm sure you'll make it, some of the chasers are seventh years now, right?"

"A bit of research. I'm trying to catch up on the last 17 years. It's amazing how things have changed. I mean I remember when the cauldron cakes were just a group of frog choir kids. Now they are considered almost classic rockers on their way out. I can't believe they actually became a real band. With hit songs." 

"You know the Cauldron Cakes?" He asked, fascinated. They weren't quite his style, but it was interesting to imagine someone knowing them as something other than a group of 30-something rockers. Someone his age! Time travel!

[Elle Callahan]

"You know the Cauldron Cakes?" He asked, fascinated. They weren't quite his style, but it was interesting to imagine someone knowing them as something other than a group of 30-something rockers. Someone his age! Time travel!

Wren shrugged, "I helped them come up with name, it was a joke really," She said still amazed that the frog choir nerds had actually turned their dream into a reality. It had been a bit of fun at the dining table really. Messing around on a saturday morning. Milton, now the lead singer of the Cauldron cakes was talking about starting a band, branch out of choir and into something real. Wren had been playing with her desert when he'd been floating names. She'd suggested cauldron cakes because everyone liked them. She didn't think it would have worked.

"This is so weird. I remember it like it was a few month ago. Just before the end of term. We'd been sitting at table eating desert. Milton was going on about how he was tired of playing frogs and that one day he'd have a band. Funny, how he actually made his dreams come true."