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Post by Nick Persard, C.C.B. on Mar 10, 2007 16:07:24 GMT 10
Nick sat at a table in the Three Broomsticks, enjoying (of all things) a glass of fine Australian wine, and the remaining half of his thick, meaty sandwich. Laid out on the table in front of him were three-weeks backed issues of his journals "Defeating the Dark Arts", "Chartered Curse-Breakers Weekly Update", and, perhaps more disturbingly, "Defeating the Dark Arts for Gold, not Fame".
He snorted over a crude anecdote he had just read in the latter of the three, and took another sip of his wine. Consumed as he was, he would not of noticed if someone say, sat down to join him, or even doused him with a large cauldron full of acid. (Not for the first few seconds at least.)
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Post by Professor Lucy Cusack on Mar 10, 2007 16:14:59 GMT 10
It was the weekend and Lucy was enjoying a quiet drink while reading the newspaper at the Three Broomsticks. This had become routine sinceshe had started teaching at Koalingo and she was one of the few weeken regulars. She was drinking coffee (Irish) and scanning the headlines when she felt a familiar presence.
Looking up, she found the presence and was annoyed to only see the back of his head. She gave his mind a gentle prod. If he was who she thought he was, he would sense it immediately, if not... well he might develop a bit of a headache, but nothing else.
She waited for some sort of response.
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Post by Nick Persard, C.C.B. on Mar 10, 2007 16:26:51 GMT 10
Immediately Nick looked up from his journal, eyebrows raised in alarm. 'Goosey-Lucy?!' Came the mental call, strong and clear across the room to the origin of the mental nudge. 'Of all times and places! Where are you?! Come over to my table! We have so much to catch up on!'
Like a merecat he stood up and peered about the room, trying to spot his old schoolmate at where she was seated in the tavern. Never in a dozen years did he think he would run into her again! Their lives had taken such a different turn since the Academy. He was off to work at one of the largest wizarding banks as a curse-breaker; she set up to be a rising star at the ministry of magic, good for any number of assignments. What a twist of fate that the two should be back there in the Three Broomsticks again at the same time!
He almost regretted not having done anything to style himself properly. His hair was a mess, still in need of a good trim; his clothing still well-worn from the endless hours of fieldwork he had been doing. Perhaps it was a sign...perhaps they would have to go shopping and catch up on the things in their lives.
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Post by Professor Lucy Cusack on Mar 10, 2007 16:36:43 GMT 10
Lucy stood, her coffee mug still in her hand and put the newspaper down on the table. She had seen him jump up out of his seat and grinned. Perhaps his location skills were a bit down, or maybe it was just that they hadn't seen each other in maybe 10 years.
Waving the coffee-less hand, she picked the newspaper and folded it under her arm, making her way over to his table. Lucy placed her items on the table and held her arms out for a hug.
The two of them had been great friends in school, but things had changed since then and neither of them had kept in contact. She had of course seen his name in the papers a few times and had wanted to contact him. Though she could use the excuse that she didn't know where to find him, she knew this was a lie, the truth was that she had just never had the time.
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Post by Nick Persard, C.C.B. on Mar 10, 2007 16:42:05 GMT 10
Nick hugged his long-lost friend, grinning like a mad man all the while. "I'm sorry if I'm a bit rusty. I've driven myself nearly mind-blind with all of the shielding and occlumens I've been forced to employ over the past few years. If not from mind-reading curses, then greedy employers who want to know just how much booty I'm actually recovering." He gave her a wink and beckoned her to sit down, doing so himself.
"It's been ages! However did we let it go this long without talking? I mean... I know I was out of the country, and you were probably busier than I can imagine, doing official work. Tell me, what's got you back around the old stomping grounds? Nothing too terribly official I should hope...?"
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Post by Professor Lucy Cusack on Mar 10, 2007 16:50:40 GMT 10
"Actually," she responded to his last question, "I came back to be a teacher at Koalingo," Lucy smiled. She had wanted to be a teacher back when she first finished school, but hadn't enough experience at the time. Since then, she'd worked at the Ministry and other similar places gaining experience in the general subject of Divination. She was now considered quite the expert.
"So no, nothing too official. It's a darn sight easier than my last job, I can tell you that. Though, the students are behaving themselves for now, just wait until they start seeing how far they can push the boundaries." She took a sip of her coffee, watching her old friend. He looked different to her friend from 10 years ago. Of course he was still the same person, but he lookeda bit worse for wear.
"How about you? What brings you back to Australia? Last I heard you were in South America or something?"
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Post by Nick Persard, C.C.B. on Mar 10, 2007 17:00:05 GMT 10
"A teacher?! How excellent! I'm so glad the Headmaster made the perfect choice!"
Nick gave a small, almost guilty smile at her question. "What brings me back is a need for a reprieve. I've been working as a curse breaker, and for the past few years have spent most of my time rooting out lost gold in, as you said, South America. A good deal of the old highly-advanced wizarding culture there had horded it away to keep it safe from the invading Spaniards."
He took a small, polite sip of his wine and continued, "It's amazing the horrors wizards can come up with when it's part of your everyday culture to consume the hearts of your captives. So I'm back in the country for a time. I'm taking a well-deserved break, and at the time being I get to do some odds and ends around the old alma mater."
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Post by Professor Lucy Cusack on Mar 10, 2007 17:09:43 GMT 10
"You're back at Koalingo too?" Lucy asked, sounding surprised. She had of course known why he was back, she was after all a seer, but knowing everything made for awfully boring conversations and so sometimes she just 'didn't know' things. That, and it had a bit of a calming effect on people. Sometimes her skills freaked people out, even witches and wizards who were used it. Thankfully, Nicholas, being an Ameraid and having grown up with her, was more easy going about it than most were.
"I don't think I'd have the stomach to work as a curse breaker. I've seen some pretty disgusting things, and that was just in the ministry. I can't imagine what it'd be like out in the 'real world'" she said, using her fingers to demonstrate air quotes.
"How long have you been back? Why haven't I seen you before now?"
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Post by Nick Persard, C.C.B. on Mar 10, 2007 17:18:47 GMT 10
"No more than a few hours." Nick assured her, "I was only just confirmed by the founders as being in the school's employ. What you see here is more or less a celebratory meal of my assuming the post. But of course you knew that. I'd dare say it's why you chose to come down here today knowing you."
He picked up the journal he had been reading, 'Defeating the Dark Arts for Gold, Not Fame', and spun it around for her to read. "I'm actually featured in a journal...I'm currently one of the top fifteen wizard sellouts."
He chuckled, and decided to return to the topic at hand. "But wow...imagine, the two of us, back at Koalingo. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that kind of a nightmare. I dreamed for so long about getting out of those walls and out into the world. And now here I am, going straight back in. Tell me...you're the diviner. Is this an omen of some sort?"
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Post by Professor Lucy Cusack on Mar 10, 2007 17:42:24 GMT 10
"Now now Nicholas, I've been trying not to use my skills as anything but a party trick lately. I got a bit tired of being probed for information at the Ministry, and there's far too much backlash from people that get bad news. Shoot the messenger type of thing. So now it's done to entertain my students and that's about it."
She hated to put a dampener on the conversation, but apart from personal gain, such as landing the Koalingo teaching job and mind prodding, she had developed some pretty strict rules when it came to reading futures and communicating with the dead. Of course this wasn't to say that she never did these things, she just never told anyone about it anymore.
Picking up her mug, she finished the rest of her coffee and debated on ordering another. There was a duelling thing on at one of the clubs that night and she was tempted to go check it out. Coincidently, she was several generations pureblood and so wouldn't have any problem getting in. There were quite a few people that frowned on such an event, and though she didn't necessarily agree with the whole pureblood thing, she knew how interesting duelling could be. Still, how to broach the subject..
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Post by Nick Persard, C.C.B. on Mar 10, 2007 17:48:32 GMT 10
"Now, I know I'm rusty but..." Nick said, propping his head up on his hand, "...would I be correct in suspecting that you're having a hankering to see some combat? I just got this strong flash of yelling, shouting, wands flashing and blood spurting. Am I close?" He raised a brow at her, questioningly, not wanting to let on just how intently he'd been reading her concious mind. It was rude, he knew it, she knew it, but still, he couldn't resist. She had peaked his interest by not telling about any ongoing omens, but at the same time dashed his hopes of discovery by recalling her rules about reading the future and communicating with the dead.
"Something about a local joint you've been meaning to frequent?"
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Post by Professor Lucy Cusack on Mar 10, 2007 17:54:30 GMT 10
"Funny that," Lucy replied quickly, "I saw the same thing in your mind." she was a bit ticked off that he'd been trying to see into her mind. She hadn't had any sort of sheild up, and had she wanted to, she could have blasted him out of his seat. However, his snooping had given her a chance to pick his brain a bit.
"Bloodlust Nightclub is holding some duelling tonight. I'm thinking of heading there to watch. I'd never participate, but it's always good to watch. Are you interested?"
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Post by Nick Persard, C.C.B. on Mar 10, 2007 18:01:14 GMT 10
"I'd love to watch." Nick said, laughing slightly; embarrassed at having been caught snooping. Nervously, he scratched the back of his head with his hand, and then brought it back down to the table again. "It's always funny to watch people who like to think they're putting themselves in danger by stepping into the ring with someone who pulls punches."
He realized something as he was talking. There was a disconnect between the two friends; a strong discord in their once harmonious friendship. Something was missing...something different. Trust? Were they keeping secrets from one another? That could be it. He'd been secretive for so long, it almost felt natural. Natural in all places except this one.
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Post by Professor Lucy Cusack on Mar 10, 2007 18:19:24 GMT 10
"Well I'll have to go back to the Manor and change. They don't think too highly of bright colours there," she said, indicating her purple robes, with a smile on her face.
"I tell you what, I'll meet you at the Entrance Hall at the Academy when it gets dark and we'll travel back together."
She didn't bother asking if he'd be able to get in. Had she not already remembered the answer, she could have just looked it up. Lucy stood and grinned at him. It was starting to get late and she wanted to grab something to eat before they went out.
"I'll see you then," she said, not bothering to wait for a reply. And then she was gone.
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Post by Nick Persard, C.C.B. on Mar 11, 2007 4:22:21 GMT 10
Nick stood politely as she made her leave; and the resumed his seat, sighing heavily. Lucy was...much like he remembered her, when remembering properly. He had been very affectionate for the girl, but had never doubted that her ruthless behavior would just as soon round on him as it had so many other fellows of their house in time.
Shaking his head, and perhaps wondering what he had just gotten himself into, he picked up the other half of his sandwich and resumed eating. Today was shaping up to be a relatively good day. Good food, good wine, and perhaps even some good company and good entertainment later. The only thing he had to ask himself was what, with all this good abounding, would be bad to add the balance?
Or, if not bad, downright evil.
"Fargnoggling grundle badgers!" He scoffed at one of the journals. Meh, who cares. He could roll with the punches. He always has.
::End Thread::
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