InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "/me is going out to lunch."

Ashley Knowlton (pages_of_ash) wrote in beyondthepages,
@ 2010-03-21 16:48:00

Entry tags:

!complete, 2023 08, ariana silver, ashley legard, faustus stirling, kevin entwhistle, steven capper

RP: Concerns
Characters: Ariana S, Ashley, Steven, Kevin, Faustus
Time/Date: Afternoon, August 21, 2023
Location: Infirmary, Hogwarts
Warnings/Rating: None
Summary: Ashley and Ari gossip
Status: Complete

Ashley was stocking her potions cabinets, her brow furrowed slightly in concern. There were a lot of things going on that she didn't like. Though she supposed the silver lining to that was the fact that it made the issue of a second healer being brought in for the tournament seem like a piffling matter. She'd been rather peevish that they were requesting backup for her, and while she understood the logic behind it, she hadn't been keen on sharing her area with another healer.

She still had a month before she had to deal with that though. "So you 'ave no idea 'o 'e was?" she inquired, not for the first time, to the wizard resting in one of the beds.

"Yes. I had an epiphany in the past five minutes and just didn't share it with you. No, I don't ... know who it was. I don't think he rushed out to go plant some daisies though." Steven knew that bothered Ashley most of all - the suspicions he'd shared that the man might be a werewolf. Between the claw-like nails and the concern about the moon ... it was logical, wasn't it? Ashley had what he thought was an irrational fear of werewolves. Not that he was going to go prancing around on the full moon with steaks around his neck or anything, but if they were kept under control, what was the harm?

"Might've been ..." Ariana shrugged. "Fenrir. Or one of his."

"That's just disturbing," Steven offered from his position on the bed.

"It makes sense though. As much sense as any of this is making. I mean, who do we know for sure is back? Ginny said her son found Albus' little sister. Harry's mom is back. Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore. So why not Fenrir?" Ari leaned against the wall, arms crossed lightly over her chest.

While Ashley knew the history of the war, she'd been born nearly a year after it had ended. Most of the names meant very little to her, aside from being figures in history. Well, the Potters she knew through Ginny and through the children. "So do you think only ... mmm. The famous ones will be returning?"

"Since how many of us knew he had a sister, I don't think she counts as famous," Steven pointed out.

Ari had to shrug at that. There'd been that bit in the trashy biography/exposé novel that Skeeter had written, but how much of that was even fact? "No, she's definitely not ... famous," she agreed. "And really, Fenrir was more notorious than famous," Ari mused, grinning when Steven laughed.

"Either way you look at it," Steven volunteered as he poked at the bandages. "It's a fucked up situation. Can't wait to see what actually gets printed in the Prophet about it."

Ashley snorted. She hadn't been in England for very long, but even she knew that the Daily Prophet wasn't always the best at reporting accurate news. "Should be interesting, whichever way they spin it," she agreed before she turned away to settle into a chair. She did wonder when her infirmary had become the hangout for the staff ... but when she wouldn't let Steven go to the lounge, it stood to reason Ari would come pester them in here.

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whistle
2010-03-22 12:21 am UTC (link)

Kevin had been holed up in his office since he'd heard the news, but so far he hadn't been able to discover anything too interesting. He was itching to owl some old contacts at the Ministry and see if they had anything they could share, but he wasn't quite ready for school to start and needed to finish up lesson plans and such.

He was also concerned about Steven and decided to drop in on him after lunch to see how he was fairing.

"You know, I always had a feeling you'd wind up in the infirmary one day, but I thought it would be Ari or maybe Ginny who put you there," he said by way of greeting as he strolled in and over to the group. He smiled to both women and then let his eyes settle on Ashley, "How's he doing?"

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teases_muggles
2010-03-22 12:31 am UTC (link)

"Ha!" Ari exclaimed. "I knew you thought I was a bully," she teased Kevin playfully, though she didn't move from where she was leaning against the wall.

Ashley offered a smile to Kevin. "Bonjour," she greeted him before she shrugged. "'e can still mouth off to me so 'e cannot be too badly damaged, non?"

"I'm fine, you prat," Steven replied from his sprawl in the bed. Well, he wasn't fine, exactly. He had a headache and a lump on the back of his head ... but he was also painfully aware that it could have been so very much worse. So he wasn't going to complain about lumps and headpain that would fade in a few days at most.

"And if you're here to flirt with my women, you can just take it somewhere else."

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secretson
2010-03-22 12:38 am UTC (link)

Faustus paced back and forth outside the Hospital Wing, debating whether or not to go in. His stomach was full of nerves and right now he was trying to get himself back under control. No one knew his secret after all and now was not the time to suddenly give it away.

Because he'd been paying attention to the gossip... and unlike the other teachers, he got his gossip from far more reliable sources - the house elves. And they were all talking about what they'd seen - the two teachers who had returned that they knew and the attack on Steven. The houseleves had been able to easily identify Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape but it was the latter who had all of Faustus' attention.

He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, composing himself before openign the door and walking into the Hospital Wing. He was a Slytherin and he could do this. This was easy. Information gatehring, nothing more.

"Well, well, quite a gathering," he said with a small smile as he sauntered towards the group. "Is this the new hiding place from Filius?"

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whistle
2010-03-22 12:54 am UTC (link)

Kevin gave Steven a little nod, glad that he was all right. Well, all right enough that he could joke and still be a prat. It could have been a lot worse and the possibility of people like the man Steven encountered coming back while the students were here was chilling.

"I came here to flirt with Ariana and Ashley, actually. Where are these women of yours? I'd like to meet them," he replied dryly before he heard footsteps and shifted a little to see Faustus coming to join the party.

"Appears to be," he agreed, amused. He wondered how many more professors would wander in and if Ashley minded her infirmary being overrun. Hopefully there wouldn't be any incidents that required her immediate attention anytime soon.

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paper_tiger
2010-03-22 01:09 am UTC (link)

"So funny, man. Can't even take pity on a fallen comrade? I see how it is. See if I ever transfigure anything nice for you again," he teased before he glanced to Faustus. "We're not hiding. Ashley sent out invitations to everyone. Steven can't leave the infirmary, please all come visit him. Right?"

Ashley rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Oui, but the invitation expires once the term starts. I do not want the lot of you crowding up my infirmary when there are students 'o need my attention."

Ari chuckled softly before grinning to Faustus. "We were playing Guess the Assailant," she explained. "We have it narrowed down to a werewolf, speculating that it was Fenrir or someone from his pack, but ... Steven failed divination and doesn't actually know the name of the guy who beat his head against the floor."

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secretson
2010-03-22 01:46 am UTC (link)

Faustus gave a lazy grin, his eyes flicking around the room casually. "I'd think if we were lurking round here once term starts, there'd be more than one person getting irritated with us. Mostly because we're meant to be in our classrooms at that point." He gave a melodramatic sigh, the sort of sigh a man in love might make. "Not a problem for me, of course. I adore my lovely dungeons."

He arched an eyebrow at the mention of the attack. "Heard about that. Did he have the clawed nails and sharp teeth? That'd make it fairly certain it's Greyback. I don't think many from his pack ever followed his lead that much."

He grinned. "Pity none of the house elves saw it. They'd have known."

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whistle
2010-03-22 02:00 am UTC (link)

"Well, there you go. Maybe we should have house elves on patrol instead of Aurors." While he was kidding, he thought there could have been something to it, as well. House elves had some pretty surprising magic sometimes. A returned Death Eater probably wouldn't even look twice at a house elf.

Honestly he felt bad for the Aurors and the Ministry as a whole right now. People died everywhere. There was no way they could keep an eye on every place at once.

Shaking his head, he moved to one of the empty beds nearby and hopped up onto it. "We're lucky this started now and not after the students arrived. At least we know to be on the look out now."

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paper_tiger
2010-03-22 02:07 am UTC (link)

"I'm sure they'll have the house-elves being eyes, too. I mean, think of how many people died in the castle. And what if the ghosts start coming back? Wouldn't that be a hoot?"

He grinned to Faustus before he tipped up his chin to bare his throat. The claws hadn't done much damage, hadn't broken the skin, but there were still red marks there. Faint, sure, but present. "Check on the claw nails. I wasn't really paying attention to his teeth, but he could've done with a breath mint," Steven offered.

Ari snorted, a little more amused by that than she should've been. But sure, if some guy was up in your face, you were bound to notice his breath. "That's kind of vile. Ages-old dragon breath," she joked before she shook her head.

Glancing to Ashley, she grinned as the healer shook her head as well, going back to sorting out her various potions. Ari wondered a little if there was going to be some sort of territorial battle when the new healer showed up.

But really, if the healer was only going to be here for the events, it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Returning her attention to the others in the room, Ari glanced over to Faustus. "What d'you think about all of this? We're compiling theories, too." She paused. "Well, I'm compiling theories."

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secretson
2010-03-22 02:54 am UTC (link)

Faustus groaned and rolled his eyes. "Can you imagine the chaos if the students were here? They'd be getting into everything trying to be the next to find a returned dead person." And the worst would the Gryffindors. Faustus wasn't overly prejudiced when it came to House matters despite being a proud and loyal Slytherin but Gryffindors were the most exasperating students here.

"Sounds like Greyback," he said with a frown. "Not a good sign really. All the others I've heard of have been... good guys. The house elves told me about Dumbledore and Snape." He was quite proud of himself for not hesitating at all over his father's name. "But if Greyback's come back then it's a bit more indiscriminant then, say, giving the good guys who died in the war another chance. Who'd want to give Greyback another chance?"

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whistle
2010-03-22 04:09 am UTC (link)

His eyes briefly followed Ashley before he shook his head, "I imagine we'll still have an increase of students roaming the halls when they shouldn't be this year." Maybe not, if it was just a fluke and people only came back yesterday. Not that that would stop students, but still. "Unless the Triwizard Tournament distracts them."

Which he supposed was possible, especially if no one else came back between now and school.

"What theories have you compiled so far?" He asked with curiosity. It seemed pretty random to him so far.

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teases_muggles
2010-03-22 04:22 am UTC (link)

"Mm. Someone should probably put a leash on Lily Potter then. I don't know how that girl gets into half the things she does," Ari admitted, but at least Lily wasn't in her house and she didn't have to try to manage discipline on her.

Ari grinned to Kevin. "They're students. They can multi-task." All joking aside though, Ariana was concerned. They couldn't watch all corners of the castle at all times, and the students really did get everywhere. Suppose someone came back in some obscure hallway, and no one knew about it? Her eyes darkened briefly as her expression shifted into one of her rare not-smiling faces before she shook it off. They'd do what they could and hope for the best.

"My theories ... are my own," she said with an arched brow. "But ... no, I really haven't made any yet. There's nothing, no precedent for anything like this. No one could work magic strong enough to do this, and if it was a matter of some ancient spell that the world's all but forgotten about, this is a random time for it to trigger."

Though for all that, it may well be over. "Is there any sort of tie between the lot of them? The ones that've come back? Something that might explain why them and no one else? It might've been some sort of ... I don't know. Summer magic fluke."

Steven nodded to Faustus before he exhaled. "I don't know. As random as all of this is, I'd be more inclined to think fluke. There aren't ... really any connections between the ones we know of, and we have to factor in that there might be some we don't know about."

Shifting on the bed to prop himself up a little more, he groaned in exaggerated pain, holding his head before he grinned. It did hurt, but not quite as badly as he was making out.

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secretson
2010-03-22 06:35 pm UTC (link)

Faustus glanced towards the door, remembering who else had died here. He'd only been a baby when it had happened but he'd heard all the stories and read everything he could get his hands on. "Let's hope it's a fluke because I think of two more people who died here that I wouldn't want to see come back." The idea of Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange returning was somewhat horrifying actually.

He frowned thoughtfully. "You need to read your history books better, Steven," he said dryly. "There's a distinct connection between Dumbledore and Snape." He looked around the Hospital Wing casually as though expecting the two men to be there. "Where they'd end up anyway?"

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whistle
2010-03-23 02:20 am UTC (link)

"Funny how they only seem to be able to multitask on things we wish they wouldn't." For all they knew though people were coming back all over the place; they just hadn't been reported.

"Has anyone mentioned peeking into Dumbledore's tomb?" Kevin asked, knowing it was sort of a morbid idea, but damn he was curious. "Makes me wonder if his body's still there, you know?" He didn't know the answer to Faustus' question though so he listened curiously

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paper_tiger
2010-03-23 02:36 am UTC (link)

Steven grinned. "I meant a connection between all of them. You can find connections between pairs of them if you look hard enough. Albus and his sister. People who fell in the last battle. People who were lost because of the war. But there isn't one common factor linking all of them together. Right? Unless it's something arithmantic," he added with a grin to Kevin.

"I do not know," Ashley said as she glanced to Faustus. "They are not 'ere though, and 'o am I to tell grown men 'o are not under my control what they can and cannot do?"

Ari grinned. "Given his reputation and what he told Gin, Albus is probably out looking for trouble. I'd guess Profe... Severus is looking for a cave to hide in."

She shrugged and smiled. "If I had to guess, anyway. Man, that was a trip," she added before she shook her head. "Who the hell ever expects to find their long dead professor wandering around?"

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secretson
2010-03-23 03:34 am UTC (link)

Faustus looked askance at the idea of looking into Dumbledore's tomb. "I can't say I've thought of doing it but I'm sure one or two of the students will."

He was actually disappointed to hear that his father had already left the school and yet at the same time, relieved. He knew he wasn't a carbon copy of his father but he also knew that the man himself would probably be likely to recognise the similarities. He'd certainly recognise Faustus' surname. It wouldn't be difficult for him to put two and two tgether and come up with four. He wasn't sure if he wanted the man to figure it out or not.

He raised an eyebrow at Ari. "You're game. Calling Snape by his first name. If what I've heard is right, he's likely to hex you if he hears you doing that."

To be honest, he wasn't so comfortable either. The idea of addressing someone like Dumbledore or his father so familiarly by their first name when you didn't even know them, let alone be called a friend, seemed somehow... wrong or perhaps impolite. Maybe it was just a Slytherin thing or maybe it was just his upbringing.

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whistle
2010-03-23 04:59 am UTC (link)

Kevin quirked a little grin. Maybe they should add a few special charms to the tomb, just for the more adventurous students ... though as curious as he was, he couldn't really blame them.

"True enough. I bet they'll come up with all sorts of ways to keep us on our toes." He'd already been expecting it to be worse this year with the tournament, but now ... he shook his head, sliding off the bed and smoothing a hand down his clothing.

"Speaking of arithmatic, I have some lesson plans to put the finishing touches on. Glad you'll live, mate," he said to Steven with a smile before nodding to the others and starting out of the infirmary.

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teases_muggles
2010-03-23 05:09 am UTC (link)

"Suppose it's a good thing he's not around to hear it then," Ari quipped. She wasn't so rude as to do so to their faces, but here among friends it seemed natural enough to her. More or less. What else was she meant to call him, save his name?

She had to grin in agreement to the students being curious about the tomb all of a sudden. She'd put a bet on Moore trying to get into it on some full moon, though she thought his usual partner in crime wouldn't go for that.

"Disturbing to think about either way - whether his body's there or not. What if it is? Sort of calls everything into question, doesn't it? How'd they get a body if theirs is in the ground or a tomb or so many ashes?"

Ari lifted a hand to acknowledge Kevin when he left. Lesson plans. She had a few of those herself.

"Are you glad? Just means more competition for you," Steven called after Kevin. Not that there was a contest, really.

He knew he was the hottest guy here.

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secretson
2010-03-24 09:57 pm UTC (link)

Faustus grinned. "Well, hopefully the Triwizard Tournament will distract them from any sort of idiocy revolving around the graves. Perhaps mentioning that graverobbing is considered disgusting and degrading in most cultures around the world might help. Tell them it's illegal, it just adds incentive. Tell them it makes them a low, disgusting, unpleasant individual and they'll think twice about it."

He was actually a little disappointed that it was unlikely his father would ever be around here but there was little reason for him. Pretty much everyone his father knew was either dead, an enemy or living elsewhere.

"I should get going myself," he said with a sigh. "I've got some potions on the simmer. I'd be a poor Potions Professor if I let them boil over or explode. Good to see your head didn't break, Steven."

He gave Ari a smile and a nod then ambled towards the door. So he'd struck out in the Hospital Wing. He'd have to come up with another plan... as soon as he figured out precisely what he wanted to do.

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