Lightning Strikes But Once

There is no remedy for love but to love more.
~ Henry David Thoreau

Thursday, March 8th ~ Evening

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Trying to ease their relationship back to appearing merely friends wasn't easy, but it was what Izabel thought Remus could handle.

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An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less.
~ Nicholas Murray Butler
Tuesday, February 13th ~ Morning

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She'd put off the interview she needed to have with Minerva for a day and her time was running out.

Who am I kidding.

I don't know my own mind, so how in the hell am I supposed to help anyone else find out what's rolling around in theirs?

London is safe. I'll go back to - doing what I did before.

"And hate every minute of it," Anne said with a sigh as she sat down in a chair and looked around the office that had been hers for such a short time. It hadn't take long to box up the things that she'd be taking with her.

"It was fun?" she questioned the quiet air around her before she rose and headed toward the stairway that would take her to the headmistress' office.

Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.
~ Erma Bombeck
Saturday, February 10th ~ Afternoon

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As she waited for the door at Glen Hollow to be answered, Minerva frowned. The news that Remus had regained consciousness was good - the rest of it was troubling. She'd never heard of a virus or wolf flu before and Izabel admitted she hadn't either, but that it was the only reason they could think of that Remus had had such a bad reaction to the traditional wolfsbane. When Izabel explained that Severus was going to be working on a variation, Minerva had nodded. She had no doubt the potions master could perform a miracle in the long run, but she did speculate a bit.

I wonder how much Severus is going to enjoy experimenting and being able to use Remus as a guinea pig?

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
~ Dylan Thomas
Monday, February 5th ~ Early Morning

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Smoothing the corner of his blanket, Poppy frowned while gazing down at Remus' face. She'd managed to make him comfortable, she hoped, but other than that, she had no clue why he was unconscious. Izabel had sounded the alarm when he didn't respond to her after his moon. When Poppy asked if anything unusual had occurred, the other woman had hesitated only a moment before shaking her head no.

Poppy had been uneasy around Izabel and she knew why. Izabel seemed to have a guilty air about her.

I'm being a silly, jealous, old fool, Poppy tried to tell herself. And it has to stop now.

Those thoughts didn't stop her from contacting Minerva and not Izabel for a consultation about Remus, however.

Minerva's the Headmistress of this school.

She has to make the decision.

Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.
The fearful are caught as often as the bold.
- Helen Keller
Sunday, November 12th ~ Evening

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I've been thinking about this long enough.

Time to 'do' something about it.

And if I fail - I fail and there's nothing to be ashamed of.

Izabel's pep talk to herself kept running through her mind as she raised her hand to knock on Minerva's door. She hadn't made an appointment because she really didn't want to sit in the other woman's office to have this discussion among the portraits of the past headmasters.

Her hand hesitated for a heartbeat before the knuckles rapped firmly on the door. Second, third and fourth doubts assailed her while she waited for it to open.

Oh, grow up.

It's not like it's going to hurt.

Will it?

Something is changing inside of me
colors seem darker in light
and I don't know what that means
but it's not a good sign
Wednesday, November 1 • Morning

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The room smelled of smoke. It smelled of smoke, and she had to leave.

Vera didn't pause to get dressed. She walked out to the sitting room, to the fireplace, and opened the bag of Floo powder with shaking fingers.

"Roger? Wake up."

She stood next to his bed, arms wrapped tightly about herself.

"They're back, Roger. We have to go see Minerva. We have to ... we have to do something."

You wouldn't believe
On All Hallow Eve
What lots of fun we can make,
With apples to bob,
And nuts on the hob,
And a ring-and-thimble cake.
~ Carolyn Wells
Tuesday, October 31st ~ Late Evening

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As Minerva closed the door of her quarters a smile lingered on her lips. The annual Halloween feast had gone well and only three students had had to visit Poppy before heading to bed. She missed Albus the most on this day. His love of sweets had been legendary and while most of the teaching staff indulged a little, she'd always wondered if he hadn't indulged a lot.

I should see about having his portrait moved to the Great Hall for - Who am I kidding, she decided with an small laugh. He was probably peeking out from one of the other portraits the whole night.

Not another year older, simply another year wiser.

Wednesday, October 4th -- Afternoon

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Dipsy the house-elf - or was it Doosey? - had been given his instructions. Now it was a matter of waiting until Minerva settled down at her desk and ordered her afternoon tea.

I have a theory about the human mind.
A brain is a lot like a computer.
It will only take so many facts, and then it will go on overload and blow up.
~ Erma Bombeck
Saturday, September 16th ~ Afternoon

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I still can't believe it. Why me? I don't have any experience with - people! How in Merlin's name am I supposed to do this without royally screwing up? Maybe that's it. They want to fire me for some reason and sending me clear out here to fail makes it easier somehow?

Sally-Anne had arrived in Hogsmeade the day before. The Ministry, in all its wisdom, had packed up her belongings and settled in her a flat with a minimum of fuss. And she didn't know if she liked it or not. The flat itself was fine and not that much different than the one she'd had in London, but her mind was still spinning with the instructions from her supervisors.

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All those in favor for
cutting the workweek short,
raise your hands and say yeah!

Friday, September 15th ~ Afternoon

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The school year is two weeks old, and the ebb and flow of classes have nearly become routine: or at least they will be once Hogwarts sports a full complement of teachers once more.

Hogwarts welcomes the new Muggle Studies teacher! And what better way to do so than the comforting embrace of a Friday staff meeting?