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Post by George Merryweather on Jun 14, 2011 22:24:24 GMT -5
George had only very hazy memories of his parents, and most of what he knew about them had come from his uncle Albert. Luckily, Uncle Albert, for all his eccentricities, had a very good memory and knew how to spin a compelling tale. So even though he had never really known his parents, he felt as though he did. Uncle Albert's stories, along with the wizarding photographs that seemed to accompany them, made George feel as though he had been there. So he felt close to them, even in death.
Because of this, George went to the cemetery once a week to clear the dead flowers from their graves and replace them with new ones.
Most people seemed more inclined to visit the cemetery on Sunday, which was why George always went on Tuesday. No one ever thinks of Tuesday, he reasoned. It wasn't the weekend, and it wasn't Monday or Friday. Wednesday was the very middle of the work week, so it stood out. And Thursday was just close enough to Friday to make it memorable. But Tuesday was just... well, Tuesday. Why not spend it at the cemetery?
Today he had a bouquet of calla lilies for his mother (they had been her favorite), and an artfully arranged bunch of rosemary sprigs and wormwood for his father--the rosemary was for purification and the wormwood was used for calling spirits. He always thought it would send a message to his parents that he loved them and was thinking of them.
As he approached the graves, he felt a familiar heaviness fill his heart. It wasn't fair that he never got to know his parents. He had been happy with Uncle Albert, and he believed his uncle loved him in his way. But it didn't quite compare to the love of a parent.
Kneeling down, George cleared off the remains of last week's offerings and put them in a bag, so that the dried leaves and petals could be used in a potion. Then he placed both bouquets on the graves and sprinkled a bit of star anise over both graves, to dispel negativity.
He was so busy arranging things on the graves that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching.
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Post by Kyla Faulkner on Jun 15, 2011 12:27:35 GMT -5
For Kyla, Tuesdays were probably the best day to go to the cemetery. She knew for sure that she wouldn't run into Rose. Sure, she loved her sister but any moments running into her were awkward. Kyla never really ever knew what to say to Rose that wouldn't end in some sort of argument. She understood how close she was with their father, so Kyla attempted to stay away and let Rose still have 'father-daughter' day.
Bringing a bouquet of brightly colored daisies, Kyla entered the gate. She would usually spend a little time with her father. Sometimes she would even have a conversation with him, telling him how training was going and how she was excited about what she was doing. She would fill him in on the concerns in her life, mainly dealing with her mother. It was the best way Kyla could get a lot of things off her chest. She could tell her brother anything, but then there were some things she didn't want to talk to him.
She walked along the gravel, hearing the crunching sound under her feet. Kyla always liked the brightly colored flowers. It matched her personality and she thought that it was best to always put your own touch on things especially if it was put on a grave. After all, it was the person's way of showing that they were there and that they loved them in a way.
Passing the guy that was knelt down placing flowers on two graves, Kyla went three graves down to her father's grave. She knelt down and placed the flowers in front of the grave and arranged them. Kyla smiled at her father's headstone. "Hello dad," she said softly as she finished arranging the flowers.
Once she thought she was pleased with the arrangement, she took a step back for a moment before looking back and re-arranging them once again.
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Post by George Merryweather on Jun 15, 2011 21:23:51 GMT -5
George still had a few cloves of star anise in his hand when he heard the girl's footsteps. He glanced up and saw her walk by him, then stop a few graves down from his father's. Although he had hoped to be alone, he found that he didn't really mind the girl's presence. She was quiet, and, after all, she was here to visit a departed family member, too. She had every right to be here.
He heard her say "Hello, dad," and he felt an odd sort of connection with the girl. She was here to visit her father, and so was he. Of course, he was also here to visit his mother, but it was close enough.
"Do you want some star anise to sprinkle on the grave?" he blurted out suddenly, surprising even himself. "It dispels negativity and helps spirits rest in peace."
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Post by Kyla Faulkner on Jun 15, 2011 21:38:55 GMT -5
Although Kyla never really knew her father, she felt she knew him better now. While she and her mother were cooking, sometimes she would tell her stories about her father. Kyla was too young to really remember her father, but visiting with him and everything made her feel closer to him. Every girl needed her father, no matter how old she became.
Kyla was still knelt down as she heard a male's voice. She turned in the direction of the voice. It happened to be the man she passed coming in. Just as she was about to ask what star anise was he answered her. She smiled and stood in front of her father's grave.
"Sure, that would be great." Kyla got an impression he was fairly shy. "Thank you."
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Post by George Merryweather on Jun 15, 2011 22:10:51 GMT -5
George broke into a shy smile. He was probably the only one who brought star anise to the cemetery, but he thought, even if it didn't really work, his mother would appreciate the thought. If he were really to do something in tribute to his father, he'd have to blow something up, which would probably be frowned upon in the cemetery.
He stood up and walked over to the girl, carefully stepping around the graves. "Here you go," he said, and dropped about a dozen small, star-shaped cloves into her outstretched hand. "So, that's your father, is it? I'm here to visit my parents. My dad blew himself up when I was little... my mum was killed, too."
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Post by Kyla Faulkner on Jun 16, 2011 9:38:45 GMT -5
Kyla smiled again as the guy dropped the star anise in her hand. She had never seen it before, so she looked at it for a moment longer. As he spoke again, she looked up. "Yeah, it's my father." She frowned as he said that his dad blew himself up. Kyla wanted to ask, but she wasn't exactly sure how to ask without sounding rude or anything.
"My father died when he was covering a story on dragons, of all things. I think one of the dragons killed him, but mum never talks about that really." She looked back to her hand then back to the guy. "I just sprinkle this on the grave," she asked turning her hand over. "I'm Kyla, by the way. How did your father blow himself up, if you don't mind my asking."
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Post by George Merryweather on Jun 16, 2011 23:22:00 GMT -5
George gave her an encouraging nod as she emptied her hand over the grave. George usually tried to do it with a little more finesse, but of course it didn't really matter. "Yes, that's it. They say it can help keep evil spirits away, but I don't know about that. But it does help dispel negative energy and helps keep good spirits at rest. If your father had any worries or fears or unfinished business, this will soothe him. That is, if you believe in such things."
George had never really decided what he believed about life after death, but the idea fascinated him. He had read numerous books on the subject, and if he hadn't become an apothecary, he would have considered working in the Department of Mysteries to study such things. Or at least, he thought that was the kind of thing they studied there. Most Unspeakables were extraordinarily closed-lipped on the subject, living up to their names.
"A pleasure to meet you, Kyla," George said, shaking the girl's hand. "I'm George. I work in the apothecary shop in town."
A slight frown creased his features as she asked how his father had blown himself up. Sometimes George said things without thinking, and this had been one of those cases. It wasn't that he was sensitive about how his parents had died, but the truth was, he didn't entirely know.
"My father was an alchemist... very dangerous, you know. There's a reason they don't teach the subject at Hogwarts anymore. We don't know what he was working on at the time, but we do know that he mixed two chemicals together that shouldn't ever be mixed together. He kept detailed records of all his experiments, but unfortunately, they didn't survive the explosion, either. So, your dad was killed by a dragon, eh?"
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Post by Kyla Faulkner on Jun 17, 2011 11:32:09 GMT -5
"It's nice to meet you too. I thought I've seen you before," she said after he mentioned the apothecary shop. "Well, other than here for course."
Kyla was about to mention that he didn't have to answer her question because she saw his facial expression, but he went on. "I'm sorry," she said with a frown. Once he mentioned her father was killed by a dragon, Kyla nodded. She didn't mention George's parents again. "Yeah, a dragon. I was far too young to really remember him. My older sister thought the world of him, but I'm not going to go on that subject." Rose angered Kyla more than anything, but she kept her cool.
"But he was a reporter and there was some research being done about dragons. Being the thrill seeker he was, he decided to take the story. No one else really wanted it because they weren't sure. Guess we found out why no one really wanted to take it, huh?" Kyla gave a faint smile. "Although it's okay." She gave a shrug.
"How long have you worked at the apothecary shop?"
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Post by George Merryweather on Jun 18, 2011 23:03:40 GMT -5
"I'm sorry," he said to her. "I never knew my parents, either... although my uncle told me lots of stories about them, so I feel like I did. My uncle owns the apothecary shop, so I've pretty much been working there for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, it was mostly just helping him with potions and sweeping the floors, and then he had me working in the shop."
He noticed the tone in her voice and the way she spoke of her sister. George wished he had siblings, or even a cousin. As much as he loved his uncle, it would have been nice to have someone else, another young person around that he could relate to. Uncle Albert had started teaching him about potions from a very young age, and he'd never really had a chance to be an actual kid, even after he went to Hogwarts.
"There's some tension involving your sister," he observed. "Guess that's one good reason to use the star anise. Maybe it will help with that tension a little. Is it just you and your sister?"
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Post by Kyla Faulkner on Jun 19, 2011 9:41:25 GMT -5
Kyla was about to make another comment about her sister, but she bit her tongue instead. "I have a younger brother, Milo. He works in the Ministry now actually." Her tone changed into a more calm tone talking about Milo. "I'm the middle child, but that's okay. I'm close with my brother."
She was glad that she had Milo. After all, he got her through quite a bit. While she encouraged him to go about doing what he wanted to do, it helped her do the same.
"Do you have any siblings or anything?"
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Post by George Merryweather on Jun 21, 2011 22:50:59 GMT -5
George shook his head. "No, I don't," he said. "It's always just been me and my uncle, as long as I can remember. I always wished I had a brother or sister, just someone else to talk to other than my uncle. But it's all right. I'm used to it by now."
Maybe it had been a lonely way to grow up. He'd never even had pets, so he learned to talk to the plants that he grew for use in potions. He liked to believe that maybe, in some way, they could hear him and understand what he was saying to them.
"You're lucky to have your brother," he continued. "And maybe your sister will come around eventually."
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Post by Kyla Faulkner on Jun 22, 2011 22:07:19 GMT -5
A small laugh escaped Kyla as George said her sister might come around eventually. She shook her head, knowing that there would always be something there with Rose. "At least one of us has some faith in her." Kyla wasn't ever really close with Rose, mainly because she pushed her away. She wished she could be a little closer to her, but that was very highly unlikely.
"I do agree about Milo. He's a good one to have around." She smiled. Kyla didn't really want to talk about her sister. "Do you have to go to the apothecary shop today?"
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Post by George Merryweather on Jun 22, 2011 22:39:14 GMT -5
Of course George had no idea what Kyla's sister was like, but he felt sorry that Kyla apparently thought her a lost cause. It seemed very sad to have a sister and yet to be so distant from her.
But she had a brother, too, and she was close to him, so George seized on that. "Tell me more about your brother," he said. "How old is he? Is he older than you, or younger? What does he do?"
George was slightly taken aback when she asked him if he had to go to the apothecary shop today. He lived above the shop, so he pretty much was always there, whether he wanted to be or not. Luckily, he usually wanted to be there, and rarely had any occasion to be anywhere else. Except for Tuesday.
"Well, normally I would, but my uncle usually gives me the day off on Tuesday so I can visit my parents," he explained. "I usually end up going back and working, anyway... if not in the shop, then in the greenhouse. Why do you ask?"
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Post by Kyla Faulkner on Jun 27, 2011 21:36:02 GMT -5
"No work for you today, at least not for a little while longer," she said with a smile. Kyla was fairly out going. George was not a stranger anymore. She knew a little about him and he about her, so that made him sort of like a friend. "We're going to go eat." She didn't even think about the fact that he might have already eaten. She didn't even think about if her reply to him would frighten him or not.
"Every one needs their day off and today I think you should take the whole day off." She smiled again and looked toward the direction of the cemetery gate. "I'll tell you more about my brother along the way."
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Post by George Merryweather on Jul 3, 2011 23:27:56 GMT -5
George had never been asked out to lunch by anyone, and the novelty of the situation was intriguing to him. He wasn't entirely sure if this qualified as a date, but he decided to pretend it was, just for experimental purposes. George was a scientist at heart, after all, and he enjoyed the process of discovering and experiencing new things. He'd started up a conversation with a random stranger, which was the first new experience, and now she was asking him out to lunch. This would be another new experience.
"Yes, thank you," he said. "That sounds most enjoyable. I am rather hungry, now that you mention it. Where shall we go?"
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Post by Kyla Faulkner on Jul 11, 2011 22:10:41 GMT -5
Kyla smiled, pleased that George was going along with her. Had he turned away from her, she would have instantly regretted being forward. After all, she never really thought about what she was saying before she said it. It was usually an after the fact that she said something that she would think about it.
"We shall go to my favorite place, well one of my favorite places. We're going to go to the small French restaurant in London. I figure it's not that far out of the way." Kyla smiled again and then took George's arm. She looked back at her father's grave, and a small thought entered her mind. She wondered if her father was just as outgoing or if he was a little bit more reserved. Either way, she felt that he enjoyed her forward moments sometimes.
"Have you ever had any of the French foods?"
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Post by George Merryweather on Jul 12, 2011 17:54:25 GMT -5
George wasn't used to women being so forward, but he was surprised to see that he rather liked it. She wasn't pushy or rude... she just seemed good at taking charge. This was a good thing, because if left up to George, nothing would ever happen. And yet... he was the one who had talked to her first. Curious. Perhaps the star anise had done more than just dispel negativity.
"French food... I've had a few things. The French restaurant in Hogsmeade is a bit pretentious, but my uncle and I have gone there a few times to celebrate. I particularly liked the coq au vin. And the bakery in town has a good selection of French cheeses and pastries. I don't get into London very much these days."
Indeed, he rarely ever got out of the apothecary shop or the greenhouse. And certainly not ever with a pretty girl holding his arm.
He turned and gave a little wave at his parents' graves, even though he knew perfectly well that they could not see him. It just felt like he should say some sort of goodbye. If he were the kind of man who believed in such things, he might even think that his parents and her father had somehow brought him and Kyla together today. But of course, such things were fanciful nonsense, and their meeting was surely just a happy accident.
"What are your favorite French foods?"
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Post by Kyla Faulkner on Jul 20, 2011 20:48:49 GMT -5
"The coq au vin is pretty good, I will have to agree there." Kyla was a little surprised in herself if she thought about it. What woman just took a man's arm and said they were going to go eat? Sure, she had seen George a few times before but she never actually met him until today. Intuition told her that George was an O.K. guy and that she should get him to go somewhere with her.
"My favorites are crepes, or the eclairs. I have a soft spot for eclairs." She smiled as they left the cemetery. "You will have to get out to London a lot more. London is a great place to go, especially exploring. Of course, it's wonderful to have amazing food along the way too." Kyla laughed. "I'm positive we're going to have a great day today and you will be wanting to go to London all the time."
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Post by George Merryweather on Jul 24, 2011 0:27:42 GMT -5
George had never met anyone like her. Back at school, he'd always been a bit of an oddball, with just a few friends. Most of the girls he knew had been kind of full of themselves, and wouldn't be seen talking to a "nerd" like him. But Kyla was warm, friendly, energetic, and refreshingly free of such prejudices.
He was rather excited about this little adventure. He very rarely did anything fun; in fact, he wasn't totally sure what fun was. But he was willing to find out. It never would even occur to him that he should be a little cautious about he he could trust.
"I've never been a big city person," George replied. "Too many people, too much noise, not enough plants. But I'll give it a try, and maybe you can show me some of the good things about London."
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Post by Kyla Faulkner on Jul 24, 2011 20:18:04 GMT -5
"You've got yourself a deal Romeo," Kyla said with a smile. She was always energetic. Sometimes it was hard to read her because she always put on a smile, but most of the time she was wide open. It was ridiculous how much energy she had sometimes.
"I can understand that, but sometimes a lot of people is exactly what you need. That's the best time to become lost in sea of people. You usually don't run into too many people you know. It's one of the best place to go on the days you want to just get away from things."
Kyla was pleased that George was willing to experience London with her. She understood that he didn't get out much at all, but this was a good thing for him. He needed to get out every once in awhile. "The best thing about London is that you can just go there, spend a few hours there and then return home where everything is a bit quieter. As for showing you some of the good things about London, I will promise to show you those. I know you like plants, so I'll make sure to stop by my favorite flower shop while we're there and show you all the pretty flowers and plants."
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