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Post by genimgemini on Jul 29, 2014 23:33:47 GMT -6
It was dark while the click-clack of Bryan Brooks’s hard soled boots tapped rhythmically against the cobblestone alleys of London. The air was thick with mist, its cool touch brushing dew-like shivers onto Bryan’s exposed arms. Boots, jeans, a simple t-shirt. Bryan kept walking down the seemingly endless alleyway, avoiding the still busy streets of the city.
He let his gaze drop, mentally musing over the state of the alleyway. With all the dumpsters and rubbish bins, why didn’t anyone bother to simply place their trash inside? Leaving the bags on the ground and in the earlier rain seemed to be a much less appealing alternative than to simply lift a lid and toss the remnants of leftover meals, trash, and the like into a clean container that would contain the mess from blowing and spreading around the alleyway.
Bryan Brooks was so preoccupied in his mental tangent on the state of rubbish that he didn’t even notice the approach of the man behind him. It wasn’t until the dark figure’s fingers gripped the back of his neck and wrenched it towards the wall of a brick building that Bryan opened his mouth to scream. As his head hit the rough surface he gasped, his lungs filling with cool, dry air.
…
Cold. Cold and wet. Why was he cold and wet? Covered in blood? No. It wasn’t sticky. Sweat.
Bryan sat up slowly from his lying position on the soft bed of his dormitory. He ran a hand through his damp hair before reaching his free hand over to his bedside table, gripping his simple, leather-banded watch and checking the time.
Seven thirty five.
He heaved a heavy sigh as he dropped the watch on his bed and stretch his mostly nude body towards the sky, cricking his tired joints from side to side.
Seven thirty five.
That meant a quick morning workout, a healthy shower, and a spot of breakfast to round out the morning. His morning routine was a simple one. As the warm water rushed along his body it began to wash away the confusing and obscure dream that had startled him mere moments before his normal wake-up call.
It was a Saturday. Bryan was dressed lazily in a pair of well fitted black jeans, a pair of black ankle socks, and his favorite oversized maroon sweater, ready to combat the oncoming September chill. No classes meant no dress code. No classes also meant a day for Bryan and his buddies to practice quidditch in an empty pitch, as long as it wasn’t booked, of course.
The marble slid beneath his feet as he made his way from the seventh floor and Gryffindor Tower down to the ground floor and into the Great Hall.
Bryan made note of the dismal overcast sky as he slid into the Gryffindor table benches, as always, one of the first down into the hall on a Saturday morning. Only the scattered and yawning youths and professors seemed to have dragged themselves into the seats to eat the spread of magically prepared meats, breads, grains, and fruits.
The blond made himself a plate full of traditional full breakfast foods, confident that they would complement his boyish metabolism. Sausage, bacon, beans, broiled tomato, fried bread, fried egg, and a glass of pumpkin juice piled onto his plate as he began his well practiced and clean descent into breakfast.
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Post by Tori on Jul 30, 2014 13:17:56 GMT -6
This Saturday marked the end of the first week of classes, and Alice Beaver was ready for the first real weekend of the term. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes had been kept open as a family legacy, and Alice made sure to stop in her favourite store before returning to school. As she was no longer underage, the possibilities seemed endless. It was her last year at Hogwarts, and by God, she was going to make it great. Her satchel, normally filled with schoolbooks, was today a bit lumpier looking, as it carried many items for ruckus-causing.
The Great Hall was pretty empty this early, but Alice was a morning person. Most of the occupants of the Hall may as well have still been asleep. A grin forming on her face, the 7th year strode over to Gryffindor table, counting dungbombs in her head. She smirked. That would wake up this sad group.
Nearing her usual seat, Alice paused, noting that her fellow Gryffindor Quidditch player, Bryan, was already working on his breakfast.
Victim or accomplice? She wondered, eyeing him curiously. He certainly appeared to be too alert to be a proper victim. Perhaps she could enlist his help. He was a 7th year, after all.
"Happy Saturday," she greeted him cheerfully, plopping down in a seat directly across from her classmate.
As soon as she had set down her satchel, an empty plate and goblet appeared before her, and she helped herself to some scrambled eggs.
"Quidditch practice today?" She asked through a mouthful of egg. The two only knew each other on the Quidditch pitch, and though they'd had classes together for six years, the two had never really been friends. Alice decided to change this. Partners in crime had always been a year ahead of her and were now gone from Hogwarts. Alice was the last of the crew. She needed fresh eyes, ears, and hands in order to make her final year at school one that will be remembered.
"If not, I have a better idea." She waggled her eyebrows, picking up her goblet and sipping her pumpkin juice, wishing it were coffee. Where was the coffee? "Is there no coffee on the table? Shame."
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Post by genimgemini on Jul 30, 2014 21:35:42 GMT -6
Bryan gripped the metal knife tightly as he slid it against the roasted tomato, cutting it into quarters and popping a morsel into his mouth as his attention was grabbed by the blond prankster of Gryffindor house.
Alice Beaver was a familiar sight to Bryan. They were in the same house, the same year. They had even participated on the Gryffindor Quidditch team together for a number of years, a tradition that Bryan was sure would continue, though he wasn’t sure if she had gotten the much sought after captain’s title. Not that he was bitter.
Bryan Brooks wasn’t interested in trivial things that added responsibility to his perfectly leisurely schedule.
He was content waking up, working out, eating breakfast, attending one of his N.E.W.T. level classes, fulfill lunch, practice Quidditch, prepare for a career in magical law, make some choice decisions as to whom he would set his eye upon during his last year of attempted conquest, and all before a healthy and hearty dinner and post dinner run.
“Oi! Alice-fuckin’-Beaver!” Bryan said slicing sausage. His perfectly white grin glinted up at her as his eyes scanned her. Not much had changed to his memory. Tall, curvy, good complexion. Her platinum blond hair framed her face with a well executed pixie cut. The most intriguing thing about Alice, however, were her eyes. Bryan had lost himself before, trying to understand how something so simple could come off as an expression of subtle slyness with every passing glance, trying to understand how someone tall, curvy, clever, and smart was able to transform into one of the strongest and effective pranksters in the school.
It wasn’t that she was unassuming. Not even close. It was more her demeanor; the expectations that Bryan had come to expect from watching her fly wistfully through tremendous downpours and burning snowstorms.
Bryan swallowed his bit of sausage.
“Quidditch would be nice if t’weren’t so damn dismal outside.” His almost sinister smile spread more fully from his charming smirk. “Maybe your other endeavors’d be more my style.”
His eyes traveled down the long wooden table towards the slow-moving, zombie-like students that had begun to drag themselves into the grandiose hall.
“Coffee would be nice. Ya.”
He stabbed his fork down into a piece of bacon raising his left brow inquisitively.
“So, what’d’ye have in mind?”
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Post by Tori on Jul 30, 2014 23:13:43 GMT -6
Alice smirked at the enthusiastic greeting from her classmate. She wouldn't exactly have expected such an amiable hello, given that Bryan was nothing more than an acquaintance to her, really. At the same time, they were teammates. A different sort of bond forms when one's on a team. Trust is something teams practice together every day. Alice felt as though they were practically friends already.
Well, she probably just wanted to think that. He was pretty fun to look at.
The smell of coffee averted her attention, and she was pleased to find that a large, antique coffee pot had appeared. One on each table in the hall.
It was 8:00. Coffee comes later on the weekends.
"Brilliant," Alice said, pouring herself a mug. "Anyway, Bryan," she continued. "I'm tired of pranks. I mean small ones. Jokes. Dung bombs, skiving snacks, you know. Or even my more brilliant ideas. I need my final year at Hogwarts to be legendary. Of Weasley Twin proportions. Do you know the history of the Weasleys? They started it all."
Alice reached into her satchel and pulled out a book and some parchment. "If you read, read this. It's fantastic. I know, I know, it's an autbiography, but it's by George Weasley. Yes, the brother of Ronald Weasley, who fought in the Great War with Harry Potter." Alice couldn't wait to begin.
"And that is only one of many books," she added, "that have great information on the Weasley Twins and others like them." Alice pointed to the parchment. "I've started brainstorming already. This is where I've been keeping my notes. It's going to require a lot of planning if we want to pull it off. It'll be a lot of work, but..." she grinned wickedly. "...it'll be fun."
"Hogwarts hasn't had a really good prank in decades. It's got to be us. Well, to be honest, I feel like it's got to be me, but I can't do it alone. You in?"
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Post by genimgemini on Jul 31, 2014 12:20:15 GMT -6
The stroke of eight beckoned coffee to the table, much to the delight of the dark eyed and slow moving occupants of the Great Hall. Bryan couldn’t help but feel amused as he took a quick glance up at the staff table to see the Arithmancy professor descending upon a glass pitcher like an eagle upon an incredibly plump rabbit.
Bryan Brooks, however, was not a coffee drinker. Coffee was bitter, though he (illegally) loved the bitter taste of firewhisky. Coffee could stain his perfect smile, though he drank mead and wine. Coffee was addictive, though Bryan had his own set of personal addiction.
His attention was swiftly pulled back to Alice as she discussed the Weasley Twin’s legacy, their relationship with Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, and her plan. He took the book and set it down on the table next to his plate which was, of course, still slowly emptying itself respectfully into the mouth of one seventh year Gryffindor.
“Yeah. I’ve heard o’ the Weasley Twins. They used to own the shop in Diagon Alley, right? And the one in Hogsmeade?” He flipped the book open to a page featuring a minimal amount of text and, at a glance, a picture of two young men with bright red hair. Bryan closed the book. “So, essentially your plan is for me to read a book and plan some big extravagant plan that will, hopefully, get our names remembered here more than they already will be?”
The blond laughed lightly, crossing his arms across his chest as he eyed the staff table once more. “I’m in. And trust me…” He looked back towards Alice, mischief in his eyes. “…you’re going to need me for this. There’s no way you could pull off something that impressive and not get expelled without help.”
Bryan uncrossed his arms, leaning in towards Alice from across the table and absent-mindedly tapping the cover of the book with his fingers. “So, any specific ideas on what you’d like to try? Pantsing the Slytherin Quidditch team during our match? Replacing all of the soap in the bathrooms with bubotuber pus?” Bryan was intrigued. He needed something—anything to get himself interested in and pull himself through the remaining days before his birthday and, even more so, the remaining months of his final year.
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Post by Tori on Aug 3, 2014 19:42:39 GMT -6
Her classmate was confident. Alice relaxed back into her seat, smiling. She was confident too. Surely both of them being so confident would bode well for the task at hand. This was going to be perfect.
"Oh they'll remember our names," Alice said, stirring her coffee. "And more. We'll be legends. People will spend years and years trying to replicate it, and even longer trying to top it. We're going to need to research."
As the sun rose higher in the sky, a few more students ambled into the Great Hall for breakfast. A small dark-skinned girl looked their way for a few moments and seemed to consider joining them before walking quietly to the Ravenclaw table and sitting by herself. Alice thought she might be related to Bryan, but she wasn't really sure how.
Alice's attention returned to Bryan, who was asking for specifics about The Prank. "No," she said. "Way better than bubotuber pus." She thought about it. "Although, keep that idea. We're still going to need to do some smaller things for diversion purposes."
After a few sips of perfectly strong coffee, Alice smiled again. "I haven't got anything planned yet for The Big One," she told Bryan. "Which is where you come in. I have a few details that would be cool to add, but it's going to take some serious brainstorming from us, together. We need to both be 100% in, or it won't work. We're going to spending a lot of time together this term."
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Post by genimgemini on Aug 3, 2014 21:31:48 GMT -6
Bryan mopped up the juice of the partially decimated grilled tomato onto a piece of fried bread before biting in and beginning to help himself to seconds of his preferred breakfast. Something about his restless night’s sleep had taken its effect on Bryan’s boyish metabolism. He chuckled lightly, his smile spreading as he looked down at the plate full of 30 more minutes of working out after breakfast. Bryan liked to keep himself on schedule.
“Legends. I like the sound of that.” He muttered, his focus still on his much less full plate of food. “Yeah. No one would forget, would they?”
He looked up and turned to see Alice eyeing a young, tall girl with dark skin and hair. Bryan Brooks paused on her for a moment, still getting used to the fact that she existed inside the castle, and then he looked away, trying not to let his change of focus or thought show on his face.
The girl was Mariel Porter. She was a first year Ravenclaw. She was the youngest daughter of Branson Porter and, more importantly, Chloé Porter, Bryan’s mother.
Bryan was not close to his half-sister, half- brother, or step-father. He had, for the majority of Mariel’s life, been away at school and, with Isaac… Bryan simply didn’t feel close to his family. They weren’t his family. It had been he and his mother and then, too soon, the Porters became a part of their lives.
At home Bryan spent most of his time alone. Yes, he had spent some time with his half-siblings. Mariel had, at a point, taken an interest in flying and his half brother, Isaac, ever the bookworm, couldn’t help but badger Bryan in his younger years as the elder had attempted to study for the upcoming school year.
With Branson, however, Bryan was reluctant. They had a lot in common. Branson had been a Gryffindor. Branson had been on the Quidditch Team. Branson had even gotten Bryan tickets to the Quidditch World Cup, still, Bryan had secluded himself, much to his mother’s dismay.
“100% in. Good on yeh.” He spread beans on a piece of fried bread, continuing his raid against the meats. “Let’s do it. Just tell me what t’do.”
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Beer
Stupefy!
Posts: 9
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Post by Beer on Aug 7, 2014 8:13:02 GMT -6
The weekend was finally here!
Granted, they'd only just finished up the first week of classes, but... She was already ready for a break.
Hannah Peyton Walsch woke up with a hint of a smile, already wondering what possibilities her first weekend at school held. No classes meant she could lay in bed longer, which she did- if only for a few minutes. Hunger eventually got the better of her, though, and the rumble of her stomach urged her to finally get going. So, after a quick little stretch and a loud yawn, the blonde slid herself out from under the covers and stood up.
It didn't take her long to get ready. A brief trip to the bathroom to freshen up and a change of clothes later and she was making her way out of the Gryffindor common rooms and through the castle towards the dining hall. The walk was a bit long, but no matter how many times she wandered those halls, something different always jumped out at her and captured her attention. Between the ghosts- Peeves was her favorite- the fact that the paintings moved and talked, and the occasional corridor that would sometimes appear and disappear, there was always something fascinating and new to find.
Another sure thing was that the Great Hall always smelled phenomenal, even when it wasn't mealtime. She was almost absolutely certain that she gained five pounds with every whiff! This was one of the best things about Hogwarts, in her opinion- there was never a shortage of food. The same couldn't be said about her home, but... She didn't dwell on that. Hannah sighed happily as she took a seat at her house table, leaning forward to pile a little bit of everything onto the plate that had been placed in front of her. Eggs, bacon, some toast... And then some. All of it looked mouthwatering.
She had just settled back down to start eating when she noticed a pretty Ravenclaw girl wander over to the Gryffindor table The girl stood there hesitantly for a few moments, and though she looked like she wanted to sit next to a couple of upperclassmen Hannah recognized from the Quidditch team, she had turned back to sit at her own house table, instead. Alone. Hannah assumed that she was a first year- she didn't recognize her at all, and she looked pretty unsure about everything. Just like she, herself, had been during her first year.
Was sitting at other tables even allowed? Or was it against the rules? That was definitely something Hannah was still unsure of. But it seemed a bit segregationist to her- even if that word was not yet a word she understood. And hey. Rules were made to be broken... Especially the really dumb ones!
Grabbing her mostly-untouched plate of food, Hannah stood up and carried it over to the Ravenclaw table, plopping down onto the empty seat beside the first year once her plate had been set back down. "Morning!" The blonde greeted cheerfully, grinning. "I hope you don't mind if I sit here. It was looking a little lonely. I'm Hannah~ What's your name?" She reached for a piece of bacon and took a bite, chewing quietly while she waited for the other girl to speak.
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Post by Tori on Aug 8, 2014 18:45:20 GMT -6
It was a gloomy day outside, Alice knew, but she felt bright and cheery. Her plans would come to fruition, she could feel it. Six years she's been a notable prankster here at Hogwarts, but she was never the prankster. Not until now. Now, there would be two of them. It was going to be brilliant.
"Brilliant!" She exclaimed, echoing her own thoughts. She tried to contain her girlish excitement and mask it with cunning, but she wasn't sure how well that was coming across. Deciding not to worry about it, she spooned a bit of fruit salad onto her platter. "We should begin as soon as possible. As a matter of fact, we'll need to do something to ring in the term. A prelude to what'll be coming. Something harmless, but something fun. Doesn't have to be huge." She sipped her coffee and popped a grape into her mouth. "I want to do that by next Friday, though, if that works for you."
Feeling a renewed sense of cheer and mischief, Alice looked forward to the year ahead. Nothing could possibly stand in her way.
---
A week had passed since Mariel Porter's first day at Hogwarts, and she felt nothing other than overwhelming loneliness. She was used to this, of course, but it was somehow more difficult feeling lonely in a school of over a thousand students than it was at home, where company was more scarce.
She was sorted into Ravenclaw. So far, this was the best thing that had happened to her since her arrival. Her brother was in the same house, and though they were four years apart, he was still her closest friend here. Which wasn't saying much, really, considered the most he ever did was tell her to bugger off so he could study. He did say that he'd help her with homework, though, so at least she had that. Not that she'd need it, but she might ask his help just to have someone to talk to for a change.
The other Ravenclaw first years seemed to group up instantly, while Mariel was left on her own. When the other students were socializing on the grounds, Mariel spent her time in the dormitories with Anubis, her cat. At least Anubis kept her company.
This particular Saturday morning, Mariel almost sat with her half-brother, but he was sitting with a girl. Mariel knew that if she had tried sitting with them, he'd deny knowing her, or worse. Resigned, she sat alone, again, picking at her toast and wondering when she'd make the friends that her parents promised her she'd make.
Not a moment later, a flash of red and gold swooped into the seat next to Mariel, and for a moment she thought it was Bryan. She was mistaken, however, for this newcomer was a young girl--definitely Gryffindor, though.
"Erm, hi," she greeted the girl quietly, unsure. "I'm Mariel." The girl, who introduced herself as Hannah, seemed friendly, so Mariel allowed herself to relax a bit. "You can sit with me," she said. "It's nice to meet you."
Maybe she would make a friend after all. For the first time since she received her Hogwarts letter, Mariel felt a little glimmer of hope.
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Beer
Stupefy!
Posts: 9
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Post by Beer on Aug 11, 2014 14:51:31 GMT -6
"Cool, thanks!" Hannah beamed over at the shyer student, glad that Mariel didn't mind the company. There was always the chance that she preferred the solitude, of course- it wouldn't have been the first time someone had turned her down, and it would surely happen again in the future- but the first year seemed content enough to let her stay. "Mariel? That's a really pretty name. It's nice to meet you too~" So polite and formal!
The blonde settled in and grew quiet as she started eating breakfast once more- though that silence was short-lived. "So how do you like Hogwarts so far~?" Hannah asked, once she'd washed down a bite of food with a swig of pumpkin juice. "Not too confusing, is it? I thought it was a bit overwhelming at first, when I started last year." It seemed to be that way for a lot of the new students, really, especially the ones that had had absolutely no idea they were even magical to start with. Like herself. "But you'll catch on fast!"
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Post by genimgemini on Aug 14, 2014 21:16:54 GMT -6
The grey and glum sky was just a part of Bryan’s inevitable boredom. His sly smirk and cocky demeanor only agreed with Alice’s mischievous plots and pranks. He dropped the fork and knife softly across the plate as his comrade exclaimed her feelings of brilliance. He absentmindedly glanced over at his half-sister chatting it up with a young girl that Bryan recognized but couldn’t identify.
“Yeah. By Friday.” Brooks cut his sharp eye back to Beaver. “Maybe something to… how should w’say… welcome the newest members of Slytherin’s team after their tryout’s Friday night. Eh?” He grinned, his eyes wandering once more towards a bodaciously blonde bombshell whisking her way from the Great Hall towards the many shifting corridors that Hogwarts had to offer.
Bryan’s staring had once again found itself changing focus as a dark skinned boy with large framed glasses and a self-deprecating stance trotted his way to the far side of the Ravenclaw table and sat down to breakfast.
The handsome Gryffindor paused, his gaze narrowing before he began to slowly rise from the table.
“I’m gon’ go see if I can find Peeves. Get a little whimsical inspiration.” He shrugged, showing his hands into his back pockets and cocking his chin over his left shoulder. “I’ll catch you later today’n let you know what I come up with.” He finished, walking briskly out of the Great Hall.
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Post by Tori on Aug 21, 2014 17:08:53 GMT -6
Being quite the observant witch, Alice took into account that Bryan's gaze tended to dart around the Great Hall, presumably distracted by some girl or other. Alice didn't mind. Bryan was attractive, but this was a business partnership, and she intended to keep it that way. There was nothing worse than getting romantically involved with someone you're working with. In Alice's experience, it always ended in heartbreak and awkward pranking. Just not a good idea. Never.
Never.
But he's really good looking--NOPE.
"Yeah, see you," she said, somewhat relieved when Bryan stood up to leave. "I'll be in the library if you need me. If I'm not there, I'll likely be in the common room."
With that, he was gone. Shoving her attraction for him to the back of her mind, she focused on the task at hand. Well, the task before the task at hand. She had a good amount of dung bombs that were probably going to expire soon. Do dung bombs expire? Alice wasn't sure, but she wanted to use them up before the next trip to Hogsmeade. She had some better purchases in mind.
A sleepy crowd of third years ambled into the hall, and Alice grinned. She'd spotted her target.
-----
Mariel was relieved that her new acquaintance was talkative. At home, Mariel felt as though no one wanted to engage her in conversation, but she usually had a lot to say about things. The stifling of her input from her family had left her quite shy, and thus she was unsure how to strike up a conversation, let alone with a perfect stranger. Mariel found herself thankful for outgoing people.
"I do like Hogwarts," she said, smiling at Hannah. "It's so much different from home. It's huge." She gazed up at the enchanted ceiling, still hardly able to believe how realistic it looked.
"I haven't actually gotten lost yet," Mariel continued. "I've got a pretty good memory. The staircases can be tricky, though!"
Out of the corner of her eye, Mariel watched as her half-brother quickly left the Great Hall. Probably on account of her.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters here?" Mariel asked, trying not to think about Bryan's blatant avoidance of her. It wasn't hard to forget, for once. This time, she was making friends of her own.
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Beer
Stupefy!
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Post by Beer on Aug 24, 2014 16:29:12 GMT -6
"Wow really? You didn't get lost even once?" How lucky was that! Definitely a lot more lucky than she'd been, that was for sure. "I got lost probably a few times a week for the first couple of months. Those moving staircases are definitely bothersome, like you said!" Sure, Hannah had found a few cool places around the school during those accidental adventures, but her teachers weren't as impressed with her explanations when she was tardy... Especially when she was repeatedly late. It was pretty embarrassing- more embarrassing than she would ever really care to admit.
"Do you have any brothers or sisters here?" Mariel had asked, warranting an amused snicker from the older Gryffindor. "No, thank god. We'd all be expelled by the end of the first week if my siblings were here too!" Hannah polished off the last of her breakfast before she continued, turning slightly in her seat to face Mariel. "I have four brothers and a sister and it's never dull at my house. There's always something to bicker about. They all are disappointed that they didn't turn out to be a wizard or a witch like me, though!"
She was talking too much. Wasn't she? Whoops. Hannah grinned sheepishly at Mariel, who she hoped wasn't too bothered by it. "What about you? Only child or not?"
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