Summer Letters PV Ruby Reopened

To @Anastasia Beckett

2 July 2020

I miss you too! We're going to have to meet up this summer—can you come visit in early August? We could also go to Diagon Alley if you wanted to get ice cream and our school supplies for next year.

I'm at the summer camp right now! That's why, unfortunately, I can't come to see you earlier than August. It's fun, though, I'm staying in a beautiful tent with Margo and Marla. Today, we're just getting settled in, but I think there's a barbecue tomorrow. I wish you were here. Did your parents not allow you to come?

Apollo's doing well, he's as adventurous as ever and I have to keep a close eye on him to make sure he doesn't wander away. With these crowds and other people's tents everywhere, I fear it would be too difficult to find him. Margo has a cat called Hades, so Apollo has a buddy to interact with while we're here.

I'd say I'm surprised to hear about Jaz attempting to devour your house elf, but that'd be a lie. She's always been a handful. Good luck trying to manage her! I look forward to your response.

Ruby x

To @Ruby Cazares

3 July 2020

Dear Ruby -
That sounds lovely! My parents said that we're going to our chateau in France for a bit at the end of July and the first week of August, I think, but we can absolutely meet up after that! Ice cream and shopping is always an excellent plan.

The summer camp sounds amazing! Tell Margo and Marla I say hello, by the way! I wish I was there. My family wanted me home this summer (you would think they'd had enough of me by now, seeing as we spent so much of my first year traveling together). Early August is fine, as, suffice it to say, I don't think I'll be allowed to leave the house for anything fun before then. A very long story short, I did in fact manage to get grounded within about an hour of being home. It was completely worth it, but my parents are most put out at me at the moment.

That's excellent that Apollo is making friends! I wonder what it would be like to have a cat that was remotely friendly towards any other living animal ever. Honestly, other than myself, you, and Rafa, Jaz hates everyone and everything, and I often wonder if she is constantly planning the end of the world as we know it.

Well, my father is calling me, and somehow, I don't think that now is the best time to further irritate him!

All my love,

To @Anastasia Beckett

3 July 2020

Are you doing anything on the 9th of August? Would that give you enough time to rest after your trip? I like France, I hope you have a good time. Write to tell me all about it! They have pretty tasty ice cream over there, too. You might have to test it out and see how it compares. What's your favourite flavour?

It's a shame you couldn't make it to the camp—imagine how awesome a tent with the four of us would be! My first and closest friends in one place, and three cats. I'm surprised your parents wanted you home just to proceed to immediately ground you; it doesn't seem like you were planning to go anywhere anyway. Summer is meant to be for fun and relaxation, and being grounded is a rubbish way to begin that happy time. I hope it gets better soon. Why were you grounded, anyway, and when will that end?

Apollo's generally pretty shy around others; he's not particularly fond of strangers. Nevertheless, unlike Jaz, I don't think he's plotting to destroy the world. At least we know that we'll be moderately safe if Jaz decides to become an evil dictator or monster of destruction or whatever. Besides, as long as you keep an eye on her, she can't get far. The things most at risk of being destroyed are perhaps your cushions, unless that's a habit of the past now.

I think the barbecue is starting, so I'll write to you again soon. Good luck with your parents.

Ruby x

To @Ruby Cazares

4 July 2020

Dear Ruby -
9 August sounds perfect! To be perfectly honest, France does everything better food-wise. Like most of my favorite meals ever have been in France, and all the best coffee I have ever had has been at French cafes. In short, if my life was solely based on food, I would never leave France. I think my favorite flavor is chocolate raspberry, but ask me again tomorrow and my answer will have likely changed. Ice cream is simply delicious and I love it.

A tent with all four of us sounds amazing, although I'm not certain that Jaz would agree. I don't think they actually planned on grounding me. It probably had more to do with the fact that I told them to go fuck themselves the moment I was off the train. While I stand by the reasoning behind it, in hindsight, that was most likely not the best way to communicate my point. It also probably didn't help that I subsequently told them that they ought to go shove their brooms up their asses which would possibly help them remove their heads from the aforementioned location. Of course, I said it slightly more colorfully than that. In retrospect, I'm not exactly sure how anatomically that would actually work. As for how long I'm grounded, they haven't said, but I get the impression it's for the foreseeable future. No worries though, they like you alright since you're "a good influence", so I imagine they would let me spend time with you assuming I don't get another genius way to spew profanity at them.

Our cushions are very much destroyed, and Jaz is very satisfied with herself, so I think world domination will likely wait another day or two. I give her until fourth year at the absolute latest to begin taking over Hogwarts. I suspect she has already begun to recruit other pets to her cause since I really haven't the faintest idea what she does while we spend all day in class.

It's dinner time, and I'd better feed Jaz before she tries to snack on our elf again. Until next time!

All my love,

To @Anastasia Beckett

4 July 2020

France does do everything better in terms of food, I have to agree with you on that one. I like the châteaux there; I've seen some really magnificent ones during my visits. Chocolate raspberry is also a very good choice of ice cream flavour. Is ice cream your favourite dessert or do you prefer chocolate and other sweets?

Good point—I'm sure Jaz would be dissatisfied and attempt to destroy our stuff. We have some lovely little stars on the roof of our tent and I imagine that she'd have found some way to pull those down before the first day of camp was even out.

No wonder your parents grounded you. Was the look on their faces amazing? Ana! What were you thinking? You're an idiot. Was it worth it? I bet it was. I can't believe you said that! I totally can. Go with a different approach next time. You should have known that that would end badly. I can't see them taking back the fact that they grounded you, so I guess you'll be like this for a while… What have you even been doing in the meantime? I suppose I'm an okay influence, I think my parents like you too because you're a Gryffindor and you were a prefect, but they don't know about your rule-breaking escapades.

I suspect mid-third year for Jaz launching her plan to take over Hogwarts. She has to continue raising her army of pets for a while.

I'm writing to you in the evening. Nothing much happened here today. There was a game earlier—capture the base or something like that—and Rafael was yelling through the camp at 11 because of that. I watched part of it, and at the beginning, some Durmstrang kid insulted him (but then a bunch of other Durmstrang students insulted that kid in turn, so I guess they made it even).

Ruby x

To @Ruby Cazares

5 July 2020

Dear Ruby -
We have an absolutely lovely château in Provence, where we're actually going. It supposedly used to belong to some old French wizard who was also a lord or a duke or something, but then he lost his head in the revolution. For some reason, my parents say that as though it's a selling point. Honestly, they have a rather morbid fascination with old royalty, especially when you consider that my first name, as well as three or four of my middle names, are for queens and princesses who died in rather gruesome manners. That definitely bodes well for my future...

I would have to say my absolute favorite desserts are macarons, especially the ones we get at this adorable little patisserie near our chateau. They never have the same flavors twice and I have yet to have a macaron from there that is anything less than perfection. What are your thoughts on desserts?

Jaz is a terror and those stars would have been helpless against her. I imagine by now, Jaz would have managed to pull down not only our tent but any tents in our vicinity and quite possibly all of the tents.

Alright, so it sounds far stupider than it actually was. Not that it wasn't stupid, but it's not quite as stupid as it sounds on paper. I'm not entirely sure what I was thinking, as I had planned out a far more eloquently spoken statement to the same effect. It was one thousand percent worth it, though if I had the thing to do over again, I might have spoken more strongly since I'm grounded anyway. Ideally, there won't be a next time, but if there is, I will likely be a bit more polite about it. I've been keeping fairly busy with writing to you and some other friends and reading. I've also been trying to teach myself how to knit. It's not going well. I haven't the patience for it. Anyway, Jaz decided to eat the hat (if I can really call it that) that I was making for her and proceeded to cough it up on my father's desk, so the knitting may be a thing of the past.

Mid-third year sounds about right. I suspect she's corresponding with her followers as we speak, planning the next step of their complex operation to begin domination. I should consider doing something about that.

Of course, Rafael seized the opportunity to yell at the entire camp. While I am personally a morning person, I imagine some aren't and didn't take very kindly to that. It's a very humorous mental image. Russian really do curse quite a bit, they make me look positively angelic. They have the best curse words too, I got a friend to teach me some when I was in Russia. Do you have any idea what the boy said?

Oh, shit, Jaz is chasing the owl, so I'd better wrap this up!

All my love,

To @Anastasia Beckett

5 July 2020

That sounds interesting! I know it's morbid, but don't you find it a bit intriguing? As for you being named after those women who met with such a horrible end, I believe in your ability to break free from your namesakes' fates. Because you have the names of all of them, surely that must mean that you have all of their power combined. Being that strong and respectable, I think that you can overcome their paths and live a long and lovely life.

You should consider sending me some of those macarons! They sound delightful. I could send you the money to pay for them if that would be best. My thoughts on desserts? I have a bit of a sweet tooth sometimes, if I'm perfectly honest. I wouldn't turn down some chocolate or a trip to Hogsmeade.

Oh, Jaz definitely would have destroyed the entire camp by now. All those protections on the tents wouldn't hold up against her and they would have been decimated before the week is out.

At least you don't regret it. In that case, it's probably easier to deal with the consequences. I would agree with your decision to be more polite in the future, however. I'm sorry to hear about the knitting but I'm glad you're keeping busy. Perhaps try something else. What about learning a new instrument? Nothing much has happened at camp today, so I had time to write to you as soon as I got your letter. I think tomorrow will be more interesting. I do miss having you around, and we still have a month of summer to get through after this one. Relaxing and taking a break is good and all, but I hope I can keep myself busy enough while staying away from my parents. Maybe we'll have to have more frequent get-togethers than just the outing for ice cream.

Jaz can't send letters, can she? How would she be corresponding with other animals while she's away from Hogwarts? I'm sure she could figure something out – any cat with a chance of succeeding at world domination would have to be highly intelligent – but the communication would be much slower at the very least. Yes, you could consider stopping her, and you probably should, but aren't you a little bit curious? Don't you want to see it happen? Do you think she would spare us?

I am a morning person as well, but I didn't appreciate the yelling. I don't like people speaking loudly, especially not when it's him. Sorry, I know you're fond of him, but I still found it incredibly irritating. As for the Russians and their cursing, I don't know what the boy said. I didn't know you had a Russian friend. What's their name? I'm assuming they go to Durmstrang – are they here? I could keep an eye out. Also, you, angelic? Really? Never. Not even Russians could make you seem angelic. Surely that wouldn't be the case, what with your willingness to swear at your parents.

You should keep a better eye on Jaz! She seems to be forcing most of your letters to end. I'm surprised you don't have someone constantly supervising her.

Ruby x

To @Ruby Cazares

6 July 2020

Dear Ruby -

I've never thought about it that way. Since when are you such an optimist? In all seriousness, that's a far better way to look at things, since the alternative is acknowledging the fact that all of my namesakes died painfully and tragically. What does that say about what my parents want for me? Anyway, another thing that most of them had in common was fabulous fashion, so there are some positives there too.

I will send you alllllllll the macarons, love. You shall beg me to stop sending macarons and I won't. Your children will beg for the macarons to stop and look to the sky. It will begin raining macarons. In short, of course, I'll send you some macarons.

You know, if I didn't love Jaz so much, I would be mildly terrified of what she's going to do to the world. Actually, scratch that, I am mildly terrified. She's so cute though, and occasionally, she snuggles me in bed, so it completely balances out.

I've learned more instruments than I care to since I'm not particularly fond of the instruments I do play. One would think that after all of the piano and violin and voice lessons, I might enjoy one of them, but I still vastly prefer listening to other people as opposed to doing it myself. Also to be perfectly honest, somehow I doubt my parents would entertain my requests for a new instrument or lessons at this point in time. More frequent get-togethers sound amazing to me since being stuck with my parents and no other company is getting slightly dull and monotonous.

I haven't even considered how Jaz is corresponding with other pets, but I'm sure she is. Maybe she's sneaking out at night on my broom. Oh, if pets can ride brooms, then you know what that means? PET QUIDDITCH! How amusing would that be? I digress. I'm sure Jaz would spare me since I feed her, and you since she seems to genuinely like you and possibly Rafa, although I'm pretty sure she likes you better.

I can be fond of Rafa and fully acknowledge that he's irritating (feel free to tell him I said that). Oh, that reminds me, if he ever gets particularly annoying, feel free to smack him and say it's from me. He needs to be smacked every now and then or he gets positively insufferable. As for my Russian friend, his name is Alexei Petrov. I think that he is in fact in London for the game. We met a few summers ago when they summered near us in France and then he and I became more friendly last winter when I was in Russia. And I am perfectly angelic, thank you very much! I generally don't swear at my parents, which probably contributes to their shock and anger when I did.

You vastly overestimate how un-supervisable Jaz is. I'll think she's busy playing with a bit of string or something long enough for me to write a letter and a minute later, she'll be getting into all sorts of trouble.

For once, Jaz isn't forcing my letter to end, it's my mother calling me to talk about something undoubtedly stupid, but I'd best wrap this up.

All my love,

To @Anastasia Beckett

6 July 2020

Ana, darling, it's not me being an optimist, it's me being a realist. Your name doesn't mean that you will turn out exactly like those with your name before you. I'm not a literal ruby, am I? Besides, I don't intend to waste my summer writing letters that are depressing. You do have a fabulous sense of fashion though, so I'm hoping you only got the positive traits from your namesakes.

That would be delightful. I will have a room full of macarons that you send me and I will no longer have a bedroom but it'll be alright because endless macarons are a worthy exchange for a room where I sleep. On second thoughts, maybe I could put them in a guest room if my parents wouldn't murder me for it. Oh, I can imagine the conversation… it would be so serious. An inquiry on macarons.

I think we should definitely all be afraid of Jaz; it's only a matter of time before she does something terrible. She is very cute, though, and the snuggles sound sweet. Maybe you can forgive her for the potential of murdering someone.

Ah, so instruments aren't your thing. Perhaps if you tried an instrument that was completely different, you'd like it, but that's a good point about your parents not being willing to let you do it. Didn't you inherit a lot of money from your aunt, so you could do it yourself? Is there anything else you're interested in? I draw a fair amount.

I fully support pet Quidditch and would love to see that happen. Somehow, I feel like they'd all be more interested in chasing after the shiny Golden Snitch than scoring goals or trying to whack things… yeah, not sure it would turn out that well, and that's assuming they can even stay on their brooms in the first place. I do hope Jaz likes me better – why wouldn't she?

I wish I could smack Rafael, but unfortunately, I think he'd get mad at me for it and probably make enough of a fuss that a professor would get involved. Your friend is called Alexei? I think that's what they were calling the boy who was swearing and causing that commotion! Is it the same Alexei, then? Fine, fine, you can sometimes be angelic… just with a slightly foul mouth.

Can't you keep checking on Jaz, perhaps every time you finish a paragraph? I guess I got lucky with Apollo; he's adventurous but isn't constantly attempting to destroy all my possessions.

Good luck with your mum. I'm trying to write this quickly because there's a stargazing event starting soon that I wanted to go to. Tomorrow, I'll tell you how it was.

Ruby x