12 Sep 2018, 04:51
In The Summertime
“Mamaí!” The blonde shouted for her mother while running down the stairs, her footsteps loud throughout the old house. “In the lounge, a leanbh. Walk when you’re in the house, please,” came the lilted voice. Dymphna was quick to change pace, knowing that her time at school had caused her to feel rushed to get everywhere, running to classes to make sure she got the prime spot and to meet her friends whenever they found the time.
“I can’t get my hair to look right,” she said with a frown and her mother gave her a little smirk. The way she was being looked at made her feel defensive. “It’s not because Reid’s coming. Boys don’t notice anything.” Her mother placed down her book and had her sit while she fixed her braid, no loose strands in sight, and tied the bright yellow ribbon into a bow on the end. “Maybe this Reid will see. Now come and eat your breakfast.”
Though she felt jittery with excitement, she sat in her usual spot at the table as her mother served her eggs and rashers. Most of it was pushed around her plate, her nerves getting the best of her. That was how her father found her, her mother already disappearing off to tidy the house before the Kovacs arrival. “What’s got you in a tizzy?” Her frown deepened and she mumbled, “You know perfectly well what today is.” It was all she could talk about since she heard back from the Hufflepuff a little over a week ago.
It would be the first time that Dymphna had a friend stay over and a Halfblood to boot. Not that any of her family cared about blood status but this was important. Reid was a good friend and she wanted everything to go well, wanted him to feel welcome in her home. Her father let out a booming laugh, swiping the bacon off her plate. “I was teasing you, a stór. It will be just fine.” He left towards his study, leaving her to wonder if her grandparents were already up and about.
There wasn’t any sign of them in the downstairs but with the former inn’s many rooms, they were sure to be around somewhere. The house was furnished with mainly her grandparents style, as it was back when it was still an inn. To put it plainly, everything was close to being an antique but Dymphna thought of it as charming and whimsical. It wasn’t at all tacky in her eyes. However, she didn’t have much to compare it to.
Despite her parents reassurances, there was still that ball of worry in her stomach. What if they couldn’t find the house? What if her family said something embarrassing? What if, what if, what if. . . Dymphna sighed. The next thirty minutes were spent focusing on a muggle crossword that her father had picked up from somewhere. What was a Wonder Woman? Was she full of wonder? It started with an A. Perhaps she would ask Reid about it once he got settled in.
The morning felt like it was dragging on sooo long! Frustrated with the crossword and anxious from waiting, the blonde sat her plate in the sink and went to the lounge once more. Her mother was already there, book in hand once again, and her father soon joined them, smoking his pipe. They both wrinkled their nose at that. Though tobacco was a smell that she associated with her father, it was a nasty habit and the women of her family hounded him about it often.
The grandfather clock down the hall chimed on the hour. Ten o'clock! The family stood, far enough away from the fireplace to let the Kovacs through but close enough to help them if they needed it. Too many times they had tripped while coming through. Dymphna almost couldn't contain her excitement, shuffling on her feet as her parents looked on fondly. Anytime now, they would come through and the best weekend of her summer would begin.
Reducio
DYMPH'S OUTFIT
TRANSLATIONS
Mamaí = mommy
a leanbh = my child
a stór = my treasure
lounge = living room lol
TRANSLATIONS
Mamaí = mommy
a leanbh = my child
a stór = my treasure
lounge = living room lol
Last edited by Dymphna Teague on 4 Jan 2019, 04:16, edited 7 times in total.
[font=times new roman]STA - 7 | EVA - 8 | STR - 5 | WIS - 10 +10% | ARC - 8 | ACC - 8
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook
19 Sep 2018, 02:40
In The Summertime
"YOU can't wear that, Reid." The boy looked up from his drawers, seeing his mom standing in the doorway. There was a pause as the boy suddenly frowned, "Why not? It's just me and Dymphna hanging out." His mother pulled her hand from behind her, holding what seemed to be clothes that he would take to church. A disgusted look overcame his features as he saw the small button up shirt, there was no way he would wear that. It felt like he was about to sell Dymphna a property off the waterfront. "That's not something she'd see me wearing, I don't want to look weird mum. I seem like I'm trying too hard." Edith walked into his room, dropping the clothes onto the bed with a very doubtful look.
"THERE'S nothing wrong with trying too hard." There was a clear disagreement in the young boy's features, though he seemed more troubled than anything. Of course, he trusted Dymphna to not judge him, she was a very sweet friend to be with. He learned that through their weekly study sessions, but he was worried about her parents. What if they thought he seemed less than worthy to hang out with the Ravenclaw? "Reid." He snapped out of his daze and pinched the bridge of his nose, rubbing his eyes as he realized how tired he felt. It was a cause for concern for his mother, who walked over and tilted his head up slightly.
THERE was no pallor complexion, but there was a clear glazed look the boy had. "Have you not been sleeping?" Reid shook his head slowly as he brushed the loose strands of his hair back. "No." he replied, his voice distorted as she pushed his cheeks together. He could tell his mum was trying her best not to get mad, they've seemingly been treating him as if they were afraid to hurt his feelings. Reid didn't like it, neither did he hate it either. But it left a weirdness in him. "Sorry, I've just been reading too many comics. I missed a lot of issues since I last came back." It was a lie, a clear and blatant lie that his mother chose to accept.
IN reality, Reid had trouble admitting that he couldn't sleep well. It wasn't because his bed was giving his issues, the boy didn't realize he came back with some issues of his own. There was a generalized fear that he found himself trying to remedy, one that caused him to turn on all his lights and jam his closet with a chair to prevent it from opening. Almost every night, his mum or dad would wander into his room to turn the lights off while the young boy slept. Though Reid would awaken to pitch darkness, causing him to pull out his flashlight and flip every switch he could to rid the darkness. His parents didn't understand why he suddenly developed such an intense fear of the darkness, yet they thought it was 'normal'. It was just an adolescent fear after all, right? His mum kissed his forehead with a soft sigh.
"WHEN you're ready to talk about it, I'll listen." She pulled away from the pre-teen, picking up the clothes she dropped on the bed to take them as she left. There was no use of pushing him to do something, she knew her son and knew he wasn't in the best place to be pushed. Reid appreciated how understanding his parents were, he understood how supportive they were and he knew he was lucky to have them. From what he heard from other students, families weren't always the most loving or at least the most nurturing. Some warmth shone off his features as he watched his mum leave, gently closing the door behind her.
THE boy padded around the room, grabbing some clothes he thought would best fit him and at least seem like he was decent enough to leave the house for. Once finished, the house resounded with a soft jog of the young Hufflepuff who came back downstairs. His dad had gone to work but his mother had taken the day off to take Reid to his friend's. "How do we get all the way to Malahide?" he asked, buttoning up the flannel shirt. Reid's mother looked him up and down, wearing something close to business casual as she was planning to meet someone afterwards anyway. "We're going to use the floo powder network to the Teague's." It sounded gross, why flu? He didn't want to get the flu. Though Reid was smart enough to know that it was probably not the right flu that he was talking about. But by the confused look that her son had, Reid clearly was still in the dark about what 'floo powder' was.
SHE handed him a thermos and a small backpack of things needed for a day with his friend. Without too much haste, Edith ushered Reid towards the fireplace which caused his feet to suddenly come to a halt. The boy wanted to hurl his mother across the room all of a sudden, "Wait! Can you please explain it to me first?" His voice cracked as he pulled himself away from his mum like a frightened dog. His mother showed him the bag. "You step into the fireplace like so, hold the powder in your hand and before you say anything, say the destination in your head." Reid knew how to follow instructions, but he was concerned as to why the fireplace was even involved because that involved 'fire'. After a few minutes of explaining, the boy still looked as unconvinced as the next muggle next to him. "I'm - I'm not going in there." he pointed.
HIS mother didn't entirely understand the whole situation as she decided to go ahead of him, this was a learning experience for him from her perspective. She had faith that he would listen, that or she might just be too excited to get Reid familiar with everything magic. "Mum -" His mother tossed him the small bag and held a handful of her own within a hand. "Malahide, Ireland. Teague Residence." The way she said it was so graceful, it was clear and to the point that he picked up on it easy. Though what followed after left him in nothing but abject horror and nearly on the verge of venting into a paper bag. In one horrifying instance, Reid watched his mother throw the powder into the fireplace while simultaneously bursting into sinister green flames. A sharp scream came from the boy's mouth, unabashedly broken in pitch and tone.
"WHAT the hell!?" the pre-teen bellowed, stumbling backward. That was supposed to happen? To him? The boy brought his legs to himself, hunching with his knees curled to himself. A slight wail came from the lad, trying not to freak out over the fact that he has to voluntarily throw himself into a fire that takes him places instantly. Why couldn't it be like the tube, where he's in an actual tube? The boy looks up to stare at the fireplace, realizing that he was probably keeping the others waiting. Finding the courage to do it though was a different conversation entirely. A minute passed and then another, and then another happened. The Hufflepuff stared at the bag of floo powder, his heart racing as the scene of the flames replayed over and over again.
HE hand came up to rub his face in frustration of the fire, his mum, and his cowardice. What haunted him this whole summer was his notion of being weak, it tore at him like a pack of rabid dogs. He hoped this day would give his mind some solace, yet it didn't seem like it would. Bitterly, the boy snatched the powder, leaving the spilled pouch on the carpet as the boy approached the fireplace. Reid took a few deep breaths in, his white-knuckled grip was raised as if it was ready to drop whatever was in his hands. "Malahide, Ireland! Teague!"
AS soon as the powder was thrown, he found himself engulfed in heat and it sent the boy into a ghastly fright that caused him to scream rather loudly. No soon later did the boy throw himself forward, his mind screaming for him to get away from the inferno. Yet everything happened so fast that the haphazard lad tripped on his own feet and was sent flying onto the floor beside Edith till his screaming faded a little. "There he is." His mother looked a little startled, yet helped the slightly shaken boy up. "See? Nothing to worry about. All you needed was a little push." Reid put a hand over his mouth, hunching over slightly. Where was he? It felt difficult orienting himself and he didn't even know if he was in Dymphna's home. "I think I'm going to be sick."
"Trouble usually finds me."
27 Sep 2018, 18:36
In The Summertime
It took Dymphna too long to remember the Hufflepuff was fearful of fire. Their study sessions next to the fireplace in the Small Hall were proof enough, Reid sitting farther away than he used to. Idiot, she reprimanded herself. She was about to turn and mention it to her mother when a burst of emerald green fire arose from the fireplace, a dark haired woman with almond shaped blue eyes appeared. Her father stepped forward and gave her his hand to help her step onto the carpet.
“Conn Teague,” Dymphna could hear her father making introductions. “My wife, Orlagh.” She kept her eyes on the fireplace. What if Reid couldn’t make it through? What would they do then? If only she had remembered to warn him about travelling by floo. After what felt like centuries, his recognizable messy hair appeared in the flames then he was sent flying onto the carpet by his own two feet.
The Ravenclaw could tell immediately that he was afraid, if not for his screaming for the sheen across his brow. His mother helped him to his feet before anyone else could jump into action. Being a Healer, Orlagh spotted the signs of nausea before he’d even spoke, retrieving a round purple sweet from the case on the mantle. It was tasteless but it would cure his nausea in minutes. “It happens to the best of us,” Orlagh offered words of comfort in case the boy was embarrassed, shoving the sweet into his hand as she spoke.
“Even our Dymphna here felt sick after using the floo her first time.” Dymphna made a face at the memory. She was the reason that they had to keep the sweets on the mantle in the first place. “Feeling better?” She asked after he didn’t look quite so sick. “I’m so excited you’re here! I can’t wait to show you around. The countryside is beautiful and we’re right on the coast so you can hear the sea when the windows are open.” Her mother hushed her in case she was overwhelming the poor boy.
“Would you like to sit down?” Conn asked them, gesturing towards the sofas behind him. “It will be a few hours before lunch is served if you’d like to stay, Mrs. Kovacs.” Her mother was an extensive planner and already had meals prepped for the entire weekend. It was especially useful when she had to go off to work and leave her family to fend for themselves. The rest of the household weren't terrible cooks but it made it easier on everyone for Orlagh to plan ahead.
Dymphna sat on one of the sofas as the adults talked, crossword puzzle in hand once more. What better way to distract Reid from his fears and nausea than to focus on something else? She flipped the book around to show him. “This is the last one and I’m stuck. Do you know a Wonder Woman?” Perhaps he would know then her plan to distract him would work. Her knowledge of Muggle things was limited but she knew of things like cameras and phones. "It starts with an A. Maybe it's a name?"
Reducio
DYMPH’S OUTFIT
TRANSLATIONS
Conn = con
Orlagh = or-la
TRANSLATIONS
Conn = con
Orlagh = or-la
[font=times new roman]STA - 7 | EVA - 8 | STR - 5 | WIS - 10 +10% | ARC - 8 | ACC - 8
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook
1 Nov 2018, 11:33
In The Summertime
EDITH had felt sorry for her son, he was always a timid soul and floo powder was not always the nicest looking way of transporting oneself. She often forgot she that Reid didn't always possess the Gryffindor spirit that she had, but her faith in her son was quite strong. "What a lovely, lovely home." she marveled, taking Conn's hand to meet the two. Edith carried herself quietly, she had the posture of someone with dignity, but the woman humbled herself after her marriage to her muggle husband Josef. They had lived together in Derby's quiet suburban living, far from the magic and pompadour of the Fosgates in Birmingham.
FOR the Teagues to invite her son over was a huge occasion, he hadn't been in contact with another pureblood family for years. The fear she had was that they would not be welcoming to her son as her family was to her husband. But she didn't let her doubts cloud her judgment in this case. "I certainly hope we weren't late," She glances back towards the fireplace, holding her bag in her hands. "I believe Reid is just taking it slow. It's his first time using it, I wanted him to try it on his own." There was a chance that he could get lost, that was the worst-case scenario.
YET she knew that he worked better under the guise of pressure, where he was aware that every little detail counted. As soon as she heard the flames erupt and her son falter madly out of the place, she was eased when Dymphna's mother stepped up to take care of him. "Thank you, Orlagh." She shot Reid an amused look, who quickly realized what she probably meant. "Th-thank you Mrs. Teague." he managed weakly. The young boy's expression lit up as much as fading nausea would have let him at the sight of his friend Dymphna. There was no hesitation as Reid put the candy into his mouth and fiddled with the noisy wrapper as he looked about the room. Edith watched Reid awe at the house's interior as he was sat down.
IT was hard not to admit that they lived modestly and it left her astonished as well. They sort of reminded her of her husband's family, welcoming and hospitable people. The Teagues were certainly no ordinary pureblood family, Edith found comfort in this fact as she came about to follow the rest of the family. She was glad that Reid made friends with the children who had families like this, now he needed to keep them. Reid was occupied with Dymphna, his fear slowly became white noise as he saw the crossword puzzle and her mention of 'Wonder Woman'. "Oh, let's see ..." he leaned over to read what she was pointing at.
REID knew the common heroes of Muggle pop culture, he had read enough things to have a proper understanding of it. He had used the muggle internet a few times, but Reid was never one to really dwell in it as he preferred scrapes and bruises over it. "Antman? Well actually, that's not in the same universe." His voice edged on uncertainty, playing with the wrapper between his fingers. Reid swirled the candy around to the corner of his mouth, causing it to poke out slightly as a mound. He pulled the reading glasses from his face and blew the powder that caked the lens. Reid softly mumbled, counting the empty boxes that signified the letters with his pointer finger. "Aquaman? Or maybe Atom Man?" he suggested, beaming at Dymph.
EDITH watched the two as Conn offered for her to stay for lunch, she looked rather apologetic afterwards. "I would love to stay lunch, though I promised my husband that I'd eat lunch with him during his break since Reid will be staying here." she spoke to the two with a short laugh. Reid heard the mention of his dad and piped up while he swung his legs, "Mum, can you please tell dad I said hello and that I love him? I slept past the time he leaves for work." Edith nodded, glancing at Orlagh and Conn amusingly. "Course love, I'll tell dad. Oh, speaking of your dad," She opened her purse, one that looked quite normal to the eye, until she pulled out a tall brown wax paper bag. What poked out was a bundle of what looked like hallowed pastries similar to pipes.
UPON closer inspection, they would be spiraled if pulled apart. "he wanted me to give this to you lot as a thank you for inviting Reid over. He is a cook, but he loves to bake too nowadays, I cannot keep him from the kitchen." she chortled. She closed her bag and held it out to the two of them. "They are called kürtőskalács, chimney cakes from Hungary if it is easier on the tongue, made them last night, said that they're best served a little warm. Try not to give my son too much, he tends to try and eat the whole batch." The messy brown haired boy puffed up his chest out of embarrassment.
EDITH pursed her lips to stifle the laughter that bubbled in her chest, "Just a forewarning to the Teagues." Reid had chimney cakes before, they were sweet with how he dad made them, rolled in sugar and cocoa normally. But his attention fell back on his friend, turning himself halfway to talk to her. "Did you say that the coast was nearby?" He loved the ocean, it was not often that he could even see the ocean from where he was. Reid hoped that he could convince Dymphna to take him to look at it for a while.
"Trouble usually finds me."
7 Jan 2019, 05:31
In The Summertime
While the Teague clan made their mark on Wizarding history, the blonde was too young to truly know how important her family was in that regard, how their ‘betrayal’ by supporting the Order affected their standing with other pureblood families. Dymphna didn’t care one bit, associating with whomever she pleased and she was blessed to call the Hufflepuff boy one of her closest friends. Of course, she knew that her family wouldn’t mind his blood status either but there was still a worry that they would think badly of him in some way.
As she sat next to him on the couch, mulling over the crossword with her tongue peeking out the side of her lips as she thought, the Ravenclaw wrote down his ideas in the margins. They could always figure it out together later. He knew more than she did about these things but none of the unfamiliar words fit into the boxes correctly. The crossword forgotten for the time being, she watched Reid and his mother chat with interest, eyeing the cakes as they were passed over to her parents. If the chimney cakes tasted as wonderful as they looked then she didn’t blame him for eating an entire batch in one sitting.
“Kürtőslacks,” Conn failed to repeat as Orlagh laughed and thanked Edith for the treats. “We’ll thank him in person someday, I hope.” She glanced over at the children with a smile. “Not to worry, we’ll watch after your Reid.” He wouldn’t come to any harm if the Teagues could help it. Dymph had told them what she knew of the Hufflepuff Campout but it wasn’t much. No one seemed to want to talk about it and she didn’t want to be the one to bring it up first, especially if it would take her friends back into the moment.
His question made her grin. Had he seen the ocean before? “It’s been too dangerous to swim but we can still go look.” There was a lot to see in Malahide and the blonde couldn’t wait to show her friend around. However, there was something she had to do first. Sliding off the couch and smoothing down her skirt, she stuck her hand out to his mother. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Kovacs.” In all the hustle and bustle, she’d forgotten to introduce herself. She gave her a sheepish grin, kicking herself for not remembering but she bounced back quickly, turning to her parents. “Can we go play outside?”
“Be careful of the cliffs and if you see your Nana, tell her I’d like to speak with her,” came her mother’s reply but Dymph was already dragging Reid off the couch. “We’ll be careful.” She paused in the doorway to the lounge, giving him enough time to say his goodbyes. Had he been away from his parents during the summer before? It worried her a little to think that she was taking up time with his family but it was still exciting that he was getting to meet everyone else that was so important to her.
Dymphna led him through the mismatched house, out the double doors and into the fields. The Teagues had quite a property, perfect for flying without attracting unwanted attention from muggles. The land was made up of flat plains while trees lined the back of the property. The ocean crashed along the cliffs to one side while neighboring farmland surrounded them on the other. A fence divided their properties but the blonde could see that it was down again. Sheep were being herded by a Shetland sheepdog back through the fence to her halfblood neighbors.
She watched Reid as he took it all in. “Different from Derby?” Over their year of studying together, they had chatted about home so she knew a bit - how he lived in the suburbs where the houses all looked similar, how his parents were loving and supportive, and about the comic book shop he frequented. “Dad and I searched Derby up on the ‘net but I like hearing you talk about it.” There were a few Museums there but she preferred hearing about places that he liked to go, hobbies he got up to while home for the summer. “Are you having a good summer?”
It occurred to her that Reid might have gone off to the summer camp as Serena had. The blonde hadn’t been able to but after her time away from home, it was refreshing to spend the summer with her family. She travelled to Egypt with her father for business and while they didn’t stay long, she got to read all about the alchemy that originated there. However, before she could bore him with her ramblings on about the topic, the dog was making it’s way over. It had unusual fur. Rather than being the usual brown and white, the fur was completely silver.
“Máthair chríona.” Dymphna said, and the dog was changing before their eyes, morphing into fair skin and silver hair. Her grandmother stood tall, in in muddy clothes and waterproof boots. Despite the mud, she was smiling ear to ear as Dymph told her in their native tongue that she was needed in the house. “Your mother,” she tsked. “Always needing my guidance.” Though it was said through a laugh. Then the woman was off, clapping Reid on the shoulder as she went and leaving her granddaughter frowning after her. “Sorry. Nana isn’t a typical grandma. Not much for manners and that.”
Reducio
DYMPH’S OUTFIT
TRANSLATIONS
Máthair chríona = grandmother/wise woman
TRANSLATIONS
Máthair chríona = grandmother/wise woman
[font=times new roman]STA - 7 | EVA - 8 | STR - 5 | WIS - 10 +10% | ARC - 8 | ACC - 8
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook
Part-Veela | Gobbledegook