Hello there my lovelies! *ducks the typewriters thrown at my head* I know it's been an appallingly long time but I am now all moved into university and fresher's is over, and even my fresher's flu is on its way out Hurrah!
So here's the new chapter and it's a long one to say sorry. Thanks to the user 09081985 for the review and the kick up the backside to get writing this story again! This chapter's dedicated to you!
Don't forget to review!
Love and hugs
A.A.A.
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Chapter Ten
The Forced Admission
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Dear Mr Malfoy,
As before stated, failure to comply with the terms of your contract will result with the removal of your column. As you have failed to produce an article for this week's edition of the Daily Prophet I have no option but to terminate your employment.
T Fletcher
Editor-In-Chief
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Dear Al,
Any chance I can kip on your sofa for a bit. Rose and I have had a bit of a falling out and I've just been fired. I am once again lonely and penniless.
Please help.
Scorpius
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Oh mate,
You can have the guest room for as long as you need. I had no idea that things were so tough money-wise. Is there anything else I can do to help?
Concerned, Al
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Dear Al
I'm looking into writing to Gringotts for a loan because even with the Daily Prophet job I was hardly making ends meet.
Cheers mate, you're a real pal!
Scorp.
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Dear Scorpius,
Why don't you reconcile with your parents? I know you didn't exactly leave things in a good place with them but surely they can help?
Al
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Dear Al
Maybe, but not yet. I need to make this work on my own. I won't go crawling back to mum and father the second things get tough.
Scorpius
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Dear Scorpius
It's your choice. Anyway, what did you and Rose argue about?
Al
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Dear Al
I asked her to go to Victoire and Teddy's wedding with me.
Scorp
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Dear Scorp,
Finally!
Al
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Dear Al,
What do you mean 'Finally'?
And anyway, she said she was already going with Marco.
Merlin I feel such a fool.
Scorpius
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Scorpius,
By Finally I mean Finally! Get it?
Al
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Al mate,
I have no idea what you're talking about.
Scorp
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Scorp.
Look. You do realise that you and Rose are basically Lisa and Alex from those detective books she writes don't you? It's why the family roots so hard for them to get together. They've been friends through thick and thin and they're both secretly in love with each other. The question is though, in the last book, will they get together?
As much as it might be an unconscious move on Rose's part, she's writing your own relationship every time Alex and Lisa even look at each other. Can you not see that?
Al
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Al,
Stay away from the mead, mate. It's obviously melting your brain.
Scorp
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Scorpius,
Look, you need to apologise and sort everything out with Rose before you ruin your entire life.
Al
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Scorpius?
Did you get my note? You need to patch things up with Rose.
Al
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Scorpius!
Stop ignoring me.
Grow up and apologise.
Al.
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Al,
It's too late now. I've blown it with her forever.
Scorpius
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Scorpius,
At the risk of sounding clichéd, it's never too late. Go to Rose now and explain properly. And by properly I don't mean four in the bloody morning when both of you are sleep deprived!
Al
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Al,
That may be a little more complex than it first appears.
S.
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S,
What did you do?
A.
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Al,
If, hypothetically, I may have owled Nelly and asked her to come to the wedding with me, how mad would you be?
S
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S,
You bloody moron.
A.
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Oi, Potter!
You're meant to be at the pitch. The match against the Holyhead Harpies starts in forty minutes.
GET YOUR ARSE HERE IMMEDIATELY!
Coach H
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Sorry Coach,
I'm disapparating now.
James
P.s. Could you ask one of the team to grab me a hangover potion on the way?
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Drunk again Potter?
This is not good enough.
I'll be speaking to your publicist.
Coach H
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(Extract from the Daily Prophet)
JAMES POTTER SAVES MATCH, THEN PASSES OUT DRUNK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PITCH
Wild Parties and Drunken Nights Out, Famous Seeker Faces Disciplinary Actions Over Misconduct.
Famous seeker, James Potter, saved the match against the Holyhead Harpies last night with a remarkable capture of the snitch that lead to him passing out in a pile of his own vomit. Though the star player for the Falmouth Falcons is slated by critics as 'The Next Victor Krum', sources close to the seeker say that James Potter is 'on a downwards spiral into alcoholism and substance abuse.' Whether or not these claims are justifiable it is hard to establish as Potter's personal publicist Karen Miller keeps a tight grip on his public image.
This writer asks: What else is Miller hiding? Are these allegations that the mystery girl seen leaving James Potter's flat a few weeks ago a serious, though secret relationship. Or was she, as so many others have been, simply a victim to the drunken parties and the seeker's dubious charms-
(Paper is set alight and thrown into the grate.)
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"Potter? What are you doing here?"
James looked up blearily from the bottle of amber liquid in front of him to see Evelyn Wood standing before him. She looked exhausted, with bags under her warm eyes and her work robes were rumpled and had a coffee stain on one sleeve.
"Drowning my sorrows." He muttered, returning his gaze to the amber liquid before him. "Seems like it's all I'm good at now."
Evelyn sighed, then took the stool next to him at the bar, ordering a butterbeer. "Is this about the article?"
"The article that has ruined my life? The article that means I'm facing an inquiry at work? The article that apparently has a close source to me that has fucking betrayed me for a bagful of galleons? Why would I be upset about that? No," And now his voice positively dripped with venomous sarcasm. "I'm just wonderful."
Evelyn very much wanted to kick him at that moment but refrained with difficulty. Not least because she thought he would probably be sick over her new shoes before he tumbled off the bar stool. So instead of decking him, she pulled out her wand and tapped the glass in front of him, turning it to water and dumped her bag on the floor, settling in for what was bound to be a long night.
"Let's talk shop." She said as he took a sip of his newly acquired water. "How much proof do they have?"
"About forty-thousand eye witnesses." James downed his water, apparently not realising that the alcoholic content was now magically much lower than it had been the moment before.
"No, not about the vomiting, there's nothing we can do about that." Evelyn struggled very hard to suppress the need to role her eyes, and failed. "I meant about the drug-related allegations."
"Oh that," He slumped forwards even further. "I had some tablets in my room, prescribed actually, for an ulcer I've got. Apparently I have stress related problems."
"More like alcohol related problems." Evelyn said snarkily, taking a sip from her glass. The look James gave her though, made her regret her harsh words. He looked like nothing more than a puppy that had been left out in the rain.
"Anyway, the whole things been taken way out of context. I've been clean for years."
"Right." Evelyn thought for a moment before reaching down and extracting a memo sheet from her purse and a quill and ink. She scribbled for a moment, then signed the memo and folded it deftly. Replacing the ink and quill, she tapped the memo plane with her wand and it hovered over the bar, awaiting its next direction.
"What's that?"
"I have a contact in the sports section of the Daily Prophet. There'll be a retraction printed in tomorrow evening's paper."
"You can do that?"
"I'm head of the Department of Magical Games and Sport, I have a lot of pull with the Prophet. I'll give them some juicy titbits about new leadership in the International Confederation of Wizards' Quidditch Committee instead."
Evelyn was surprised to find her hand seized in a rather sweaty grip. Unthinkingly, she tried to pull it back, but to her horror found that James had dropped a kiss onto the palm. Her skin tingled at the contact.
"You know," James slurred slightly, leaning forwards. "I don't think I was in love with Sophie."
"Oh really?" Evelyn extracted her hand and tapped the memo with her wand, sending it on its way.
"No, I think I'm in love with you."
"You are obviously a really emotional drunk."
"No it's true!" He tried to grab her hand again but she pulled back. "I thought you were the most beautiful women in the world the first time I saw you, and when we argue, it's like fireworks are going off in my head. I love you."
"Oh Hell!" Evelyn swore as James let out a burp and slumped forwards onto the bar.
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Darling Summer Eve,
I've been thinking about this for some time as, I'm sure, have you, but I wanted to write things down on paper so as to get them clearly organised in my head. I know things have been a bit rocky lately between us, but I want you to know that I love you and I want to spend my life with you.
Well, I suppose I'm asking you to marry me Evelyn. Um, so - Will you marry me?
Love Roland
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Angela, I've enclosed the letter Roland sent me.
What should I do?
E
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Hey sis,
Look, if you need my help answering that letter, then I think you probably already know your answer. You can move in with me, Charlotte and PJ if you like. (As long as you don't mind the crying baby at three o' clock in the morning.
Love Angie
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My dearest Rose,
I do not know if Scorpius had told you, but he invited me to attend your cousin's wedding with him. I think it will be very pleasant, and as Marco is also going I thought we could all go together?
Furthermore, I have another reason for writing to you. As you know, I am, how do you say it? Asexual? But I wonder if Scorpius realises this. I do not want him to experience any problems. Could you possibly speak to him from me as I am not sure of the words.
Thank you my most wonderful friend
Nelly
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Dear Nelly,
It will be lovely to see you at the wedding! With regards to Scorpius however, I would be more than happy to speak to him, were he here. But I think something's gone wrong with us. It's so strange. All I wanted while I was away was to see him again and now he's moved out and he barely speaks to me. I know he lost his job and he says he can't afford the rent, but I think there's more to it than that.
It's strange, not having him bumping round the kitchen every morning, and chastising me for not getting a clean knife for the jam. Without him, it feels like something really important is missing, like my arm, or one of my organs. I don't know what to do.
Sorry, look at me, babbling away about my problems. Of course I'll help you.
Love, Rosie x
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Dear Miss Longbottom and Mrs Potter,
I am sorry to have to inform you that the prescribed medication has had no effect and as such you continue to be unable to conceive. Though there are further possibilities, may I suggest that you begin to look into other options?
Enclosed is some literature about adoption and fostering which may be of interest.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any worries or queries you may have.
Healer Swift
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Dear Ally, I know you're upset but I'm here for you and no matter what I will always love you. I'm sorry about everything. Maybe now isn't the best time to ask, but will you marry me? I've loved you for so long and I'm going to carry on loving you until the moment I die.
Just think, we'll both be called Al Potter if you say yes!
(Made you smile!)
With all the love you can imagine and then a bit more,
Albus
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Dearest Al,
It was always going to be yes with you.
Love, Ally
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Hi Lils, how's the monster chocolate sculpture going? X
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Hey there Cosmo, not too bad thanks. I've finished the design and the mould should be finished by tonight. How are you? Are the case notes going okay? X
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I can't wait to see it, can I have a hint about what it's going to be? Meh, the case is a complete nightmare and as I'm only a junior partner I mostly do grunt work. Still, I guess it's my own fault for taking a law internship! X
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No hints, I want it to be a complete surprise! I'm a little nervous about whether or not Victoire will like it to be honest. Poor you! I could take a quick break and come and make you feel better if you like? X
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I definitely like the sound of that! X
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I'll apparate over to yours. Give me two minutes. X
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Dear Rosie,
Hugo's home for the weekend so do you fancy a family dinner on Saturday? I managed to get four tickets to The Fountain of Fair Fortune in the West End which I thought might be a nice treat to celebrate your success with the new book. Dad's making curry and I thought homemade ice-cream for afters?
Hope to see you Saturday,
Lots of love
Mum and Dad xx
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Dear Mum and Dad,
I'll be there, never fear! You know I can't resist your homemade ice-cream. Is it made with raspberries from the garden?
Love, Rosie xx
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Dear Rosie,
Is there any other kind?
Love Mum and Dad xx
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Dear Hugo,
How's it going old chap? I feel like I've been neglecting you slightly since I got back which I promise, promise, promise wasn't my intention. Mum said you are home for the weekend so I'll see you on Saturday!
Catch up your dear old sister on all the news of the last few weeks, since I saw you last.
Your favourite sister Rosie x
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Wotcha Rosie!
No worries, I've been insanely busy as well and- (well, no, that's a lie. I'm still working at the ice-cream parlour in Hogsmeade, so it's not exactly like I'm working my fingers to the bone!) - I've just popped home for the weekend because apparently I need new dress robes for the wedding next weekend. I told Mum the ones I had were just fine, but she said that if there's holes in them I can't wear them. I tried to mend the holes with spellotape but apparently that wasn't good enough. I ask you!
You up for sneaking a hipflask into the theatre? I know fountain is your favourite but I personally can't STAND it!
Hugo
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Dear Miss R Weasley,
Owing to your reluctance to comply with the terms laid out in the contract when sent by owl, I propose a formal meeting in person with myself and the publishers at Obscurus Books on Monday morning.
Looking forward to seeing you at nine o' clock.
Yours sincerely,
Miss P Sinton.
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Hello Al,
As you can probably tell from all the ink devil horns on the enclosed letter, Prudence is driving me crazy. Sorry to moan to you, but Scorpius is ignoring me at the moment and I don't know what to do. You're his best guy friend, has he mentioned anything to you at all? I don't know what I've done wrong but I want him back. I miss him so much.
Anyway, what do you think I should do about Prudence?
Love, Rosie
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Dear Rose,
Scorpius is currently fast asleep on my sofa, drooling slightly. I think he had a night shift at Mungo's last night. I really want to bang the pair of your heads together. Why haven't you figured this out yet? He's jealous of you and Marco, he's confused about his feelings about you and -yes- he's being immature about it. I don't think I can put it much more simply.
Al
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Dear Al,
He knows that I love him right? And honestly Marco is never going to replace him. He's my best friend!
Love, Rosie
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Dearest Rose,
That's not the kind of love Scorpius wants.
Love Al
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Oooh, so there we are: Thoughts? Emotions? Criticism? REVIEW and let me know. The next chapter will probably be the wedding so prepare for: High Drama! Romance! Intrigue! Suspense! Chocolate! And MUCH more!
Love and hugs,
A.A.A.