Catching Up, <Jani>

[Janira Pejay]

"Well, I'm the unfortunate middleman in this, but so far things seem to balance all right." She manages to calm Trent somewhat at least, and tries to temper Dee's anger and sense of encroachment. Someday she might go too far on one side, but she had confidence that they could handle it.

Jani pulled a face and nodded her agreement. "I don't really know. Jax is an herbology buff though he doesn't realize it, and he's great at teas and coffees in a way I doubt he's ever applied to potions. And you should see him on the uneven bars and stuff--I can't imagine how he must look on the high wire. I can't even try half of what he does." She shrugged and stopped rambling. Jax was sweet and she did hang out with him sometimes. He didn't like looking toward her future--too much dual-nature--but otherwise he was a nice companion and they often ate lunch together.

Jani still smirked nonetheless. "Well, I'd certainly like to be a fly on the wall for that conversation," she says dryly about Aeris and the costume. "I bet you get smacked at least once for suggesting it." Aeris was an intimidating woman and Jani still wasn't sure what to make of her or even how Miles and Byron got on so well with her. "Well damned, no half nekkid Trent," she joked with a wink.

She gave a laugh. "Chaz would be a hoot, yes. Though what he would come up with to wear..." She shakes her head.

She returns the hug. She knows she's a tad silly when it comes to this, but she had experiences that she told few people of in the years since she was bitten.

"Hmm. Well, all the winter fashions are out, of course, and they're fab. The owl shop tried and failed to take away my specialty business," finding specific types of owls/pets with certain types of training, "so they're sulking right now." She snickered about Blaise. "Just the same ol' same ol', really."

[Byron Grant]

Byron gives Jani a sympathetic look. “Good luck with that. I really don’t want to be in your shoes for that one.”

Byron got a contemplative look on his face. “Do you think we could persuade Jax to could get some of his circus friends to perform for us at the party? Get him up on the high wire?” He was not above bribery to get something like this going. “Turn the venue into a three ring circus…” His imagination was running away with him already.

He laughs. “Oh, it will be worth getting smacked just to see her face!” He loved Aeris and her stern, almost stoic demeanor. She had a wicked sense of humor too and she just “fit” into their lives so well. He felt that he and Miles took over the role of younger brothers for her and Byron for his part was quite willing to have her be the older sister he lost. It was to him part of what made their relationship work. She had lost a younger brother and he lost his older sister – they filled a space in the other’s life. Neither would admit it of course, but it was there.

“Oh, we can still have a half-nekkid Trent. I don’t know how yet, but I am sure I can think of some way to have him only in leather pants and boots.”

Byron laughed. “Well, I think Charlie needs to be guided in the costume department if your reaction is anything to go by. Maybe he and Trent can be the deck hands. See, half-nekkid Trent and Chaz.” He grins as if it is the obvious answer to their problem.

He doesn’t say anything more about the potion and who he was going to consult – it was over and they didn’t need to have that gloomy subject any more.

“Oh, that reminds me – we need to go shopping for winter clothes. I need heavier robes now that I know how cold the castle can get. And lots of jerseys.” He shivers in anticipation of the cold weather.” He grins as she tells of the owl shop owners sulking. “That’ll teach them. You don’t just put the birds on a stick and hope someone buys them.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Oh, Nina Davis is stirring again, is she? I don’t like that rag and I feel like smacking the kids who subscribe to it. At least the Prophet is a decent newspaper that reports facts more than fiction.” He gets his paper every day with breakfast and shares it with Miles and some of the other teachers who wants to read various sections.

[Janira Pejay]

She wrinkled her nose at him but smiled. She didn't always want to be in her shoes for that situation either, but shemade the best of it.

Jani tilted her head thoughtfully. "I'm not sure. I know he's made a few friends around that do some tumbling, but I don't know if they do the high wire stuff. He'd be happy to help, though, I'm sure." That sort of thing was just about the only thing he felt like he could show off with. He deserved it though. She chuckled as Byron obviously started imagining all sorts of fun things.

Jani still didn't get the relationship, but it obviously worked for all concerned, so she would just have to give up understanding for the moment. She and the dark woman had never really gotten along and Jani had the uncanny feeling that Aeris knew about her.

Jani's face lit up with a wicked smile. "Oh, that would be a delightful sight," she sighed. "Though Trent likely wouldn't take kindly to my ogling Chaz, which the sight would guarantee a little ogling at least. Marriage does have the occasional downside," she joked at Byron and winked. Of course, she doubted that Byron knew her past with Charlie, but still...

"I'll have to drag you out to the shops, then. And into Muggle London," Jani said with an anticipatory grin. She rather enjoyed shopping, so long as it was only once in a while. "OF course, if you'd rather have Aeris go with you," she said slyly, figuring that the dark woman hated shopping, if her expression was ever anything to go by.

"Nina Davis was born stirring up trouble. But it's not been horrid lately, though. No death threats from either office, at least that I've heard of." She smiled. "And anyway, I prefer the Prophet, but it does have the most delightful crossword puzzles."

[Byron Grant]

“Well, I will get everyone I know that can wave a wand to make him a circus he’d want to perform in,” Byron says with determination. “I guess I’d have to ask him today so he has time to say yes or no, and if he says yes that there is time for practice.” No time like the present to rip off the plaster and get the pain over and done with.

He just smiles fondly at the thought of teasing Aeris and making her laugh. And laugh she will about this latest idea. “Who would have thought that she and Neville would get together?” he muses, echoing Jani’s thought unknowingly.

Byron just laughs. “Well, Chaz is ogle worthy and in this one I know Miles would join me. We’ll do all the ogling for you,” he says with a grin as he plays absently with the ring that Miles gave him for Christmas, fingers tracing the runes. He has found himself doing that a lot whenever he happens to think of Miles.

“Oooh, shopping!” Byron says with a big smile. “I kind of doubt that Madam Malkin’s would stock something like the pirate stuff, but it would be fun looking around. I have a feeling that Muggle London would be the best bet to find what we’re looking for. And we can’t go shopping without Miles. He’d leave me if I did.” Even after buying their house, he still didn’t have to teach to survive. He wanted to spend the money on the ones he loves, but knew that you can’t force it on them either. He and Miles had a few almost fights about the money in the past.

Byron nods as she tells news of the rivalry between the two publications. “Must be a slow week if there aren’t any death threats then,” he commented drily. “I’ve tried the crosswords, but the answers seem to change after I wrote mine down.” It was fun trying to do them on a Sunday morning in bed with Miles while having breakfast.

[Janira Pejay]

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled just to be asked," Jani said honestly. It would be a small boost the what little ego the man actually possessed. It was the one thing he was proud of, his aerobatics and physical abilities. It was sad--he didn't realize he was so much more.

Jani just shook her head and shrugged. She definitely never would have thought of those two getting together, not in a million years, but apparently that worked somehow.

Jani pouted anyway, just for the fun of it. "You boys get to have all the fun," she mock-whined, but her eyes were smiling and she winked at Byron. Those two she could flirt with all she wanted and not get in trouble--they were definitely not interested in her that way, or she them. Well, beyond melting into a puddle at them on occasion.

She laughed. "No, not without ickle Miles. We wouldn't want to be ostracized for life," she said with a grin.

"Well, they're often at a standoff these days. Blaise seems intent on ignoring her inasmuch as you can ignore a bint like Davis." She snorted at Byron. "Must be your quill or Miles' sense of humour, luv... my paper usually acts just fine." Of course, she was stern with it...

[Byron Grant]

Byron nodded. “I guess no time like the present. I’ll go past the shop after we’re done visiting. It’s one of my rare weekends that I don’t have daytime duty but I have to patrol the corridors tonight.” He heaved a put-upon sigh. “Just as well I can cast an awesome Concealing Charm by now; the kids never know I’m coming.” He grins. “They have found some of the good make-out spots in the school, but they haven’t found them all. “ There was a place on one of the towers that he and Miles uses from time to time with a great view over the lake and mountains.

“Of course we have all the fun,” he said all mock-serious. “And you love checking all of us out. I’m sure there will be quite a few great looking women for the other guys to check out, if they wanted to.” He knew very well that Trent only had eyes for Jani and Neville pretty much the same for Aeris. “Of course, Chaz will have a ball getting to know all of them,” he said with a laugh.

“Ostracizing would be putting it mildly,” Byron nodded. “Can you imagine the pouting that would go with it?” he asked with a laugh. He loved Miles dearly and the man’s antics were very amusing. “You know, I saw some great fabric a few weeks ago when I had to go into London. It would make an awesome dress for you – only if you’re the captured princess though.” He smiles. “It’s a cream colored crushed silk with a golden cross-weave. When you move, the color changes – it was utterly gorgeous. There were some other color combinations…” he trails off before snapping his fingers.

“Oh, it would make perfect coats too! The dark blue and bronze for me, there’s a great black with red for Aeris, the red with gold for Neville. I’m thinking a forest green with silver for Miles if he doesn’t mind the slight Slytherin connotation there, maybe a cerulean and gold for Trent, it would go great with his eyes.” He was now completely caught up in the idea. “And big pirate boots for all. Oh screw that – we’re all pirate captains in my fantasy. You have to come watch those movies with us this coming weekend. And the fabric shopping will have to be done soon so the coats can be made up.”

He stopped dead in his words. “I’m doing it again, aren’t I? Spending money like it doesn’t matter?” It was his one insecurity that he didn’t know how to handle. All he wanted was to spend it on his friends – he didn’t know what else to do with the money. Since he and Miles bought the cottage together, the dent in his funds was not quite as large. “If I start doing it again, feel free to slap me upside the head,” he said ruefully. “Besides, the others might already have ideas for costumes.”

--

“I’m sure Blaise can handle Ms. Davis just perfectly. It does make for interesting watching though, seeing those two waging their war.” He snorted. “I’m not sure which is more accurate – the quill or Miles having fun with me. And I tend to get quite verbal with the paper when my answers change.”