( Private. )

Is it too late to be thinking about staying at school for Easter hols? I'm suddenly not entirely thrilled at the idea of going home.

So, thanks to an encounter this afternoon with Bridget Tremlett and a couple of her friends, I found out that MY SISTER is MARRIED to A THICKNESSE and WITCH WEEKLY knew about it BEFORE THE REST OF THE FAMILY DID. OR DID THE REST OF THE FAMILY KNOW AND JUST DIDN'T TELL ME BECAUSE I AM AT SCHOOL?

I am... shocked is not even the word, right now. Did anyone know?

YETTA. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!

( Private. )

I'm happy tomorrow's the first day of March! It means spring is almost here. Sort of. Technically. There will still probably be snow on the ground. I like snow as much as the next person, but I'm more than ready for it to be spring.

I'm obviously really looking forward to the next Quidditch match (even though it's not until MAY, really, who thought it was a good idea for us to have to wait FOUR MONTHS between matches?) and we really, REALLY miss having Bex around, and between practicing for that and revising I have actually been really busy. But it's good, it makes the time go by quickly and I'm hardly ever bored.

I'm looking forward to Easter, too. I may get to go home! If I do, I'm hoping I'll get to go see a Kestrels match. I think they're playing that weekend. But we'll see. It's no use to get excited about something that may not happen.

I guess I should head to the library to finish my Runes homework. There are a couple of books there that I need to finish these translations before tomorrow's class.

( Private. )

Well, today is my baby's twenty-fourth birthday. Ralden, dear, do enjoy your day off. I bet you're excited about not having to work.

Personally, things are progressing well for me. My children seem to be content with their lives and if they're not, I doubt they would confide in me and my grandchildren are adorable as ever apparently Renata is trying for another one, bless her - Thomas just turned seven months and Millicent is almost nineteen months... Good Lord, time has certainly passed.

Funny, the places you can meet people these days.

Do you think, if I tried, that I could pass for a Muggle if I ever needed to?

Also, Christmas Eve is tomorrow. Obviously. It's going to be a riot, like it always is. My siblings will make sure of that.

Well, my darling little Melinda is one year old today. We're having a little birthday gathering for her early this evening. Just family, really: Dana, Charlie and their families, Miles and Bridget and Jerome's parents. However! I know most of my cousins have kids, so if anyone really, wishes to stop by, I certainly will not turn anyone away.

Christopher is a little jealous that his little sister is getting all of the attention today, but I told him that he could help Melinda open up her presents and he seemed to be a bit happier. He knows that Christmas is in a few weeks and that he will get his presents then, but six-year-old boys are not exactly the most patient. He's been telling Melinda all about it, though, and he's excited that the decorations at home are now up.

Of course, now that Melinda is walking (albeit very wobbly) she likes getting into things and I've come across more than one decoration that has been knocked over or moved out of place, so I've had to up my charms work in keeping everything secure. But she just looks so cute and innocent in doing everything that I find it very, very hard to get mad at her. She also looks exactly like her father (there is absolutely no doubt she is a Bobbin), which also plays into things!

It's been different raising a daughter than it has a son, and Christopher still has his days were he really does not like being a big brother. For the most part, they get along okay, they're both healthy and happy and really, what else could a Mum ask for?

( Private. )

I don't really have much time for this sort of thing at the moment, but things have slowed down enough (at least for this afternoon) that I'm able to take a break and think about nothing remotely related to work. Which is nice, I have to say, as I think I've done more this month than I have for the previous couple of ones combined.

I think Ren and I are going to the ball for New Year's, if we can get a babysitter for Millie. If we can't, it's not a big deal because Ren is the one who really wants to go, not me. I've never been one for dressing up.

It's just myself and Croaker left from our old Hogwarts dorm.

Something about that sentence is fucked up.

( Private. )

Well, um.

It's weird to be writing and have other people being able to see it but my aunt got me this for my birthday and now I see that EVERYONE has one. So it's okay. She said to be careful though.

I think I like Hogwarts so far. My stupid brother is not here to be annoying AND Uncle Fabian sent me Honeyduke's this morning! Oh wait. Was I supposed to mention that? Aunt Dee PLEASE don't be mad at him. I like flying. And Charms. My roommates are fun! It's weird sharing a room.

Some of my classes are really hard, though. The Potions professor is really scary so I just don't say anything to him.

But I'm really excited to see Quidditch. I can't wait until next year to try out (why can't first-years try out, anyway?), but I'll be happy right now to watch. Go Ravenclaw!

Right now, there are SO MANY PEOPLE in my house. I mean, more than are usually here. Usually, it's just me, Bridget, Kieran and my parents, but right now there is all of those people PLUS Mary Claire and Shannon and a little kid (my niece Tia!) some cousins and some aunts and a couple of Shannon's friends. And they are all SO LOUD.

I guess that's because Shannon is getting married today, and everyone is FREAKING OUT. Or something. I'm sitting in my room right now with the door closed and I can STILL hear everyone. I just want to read in the quiet and is that REALLY too much to ask for?

I'm also supposed to find my new dress well, it used to be Bridget's, but it doesn't fit her anymore so I get it and I WANT A NEW dress for once! and my black shoes to wear later on. I think Mam has mentioned that a bunch of times already to me today and it's not even lunchtime!

Maybe I'll go flying later on. At least that will be quiet, because everyone else will inside. I miss playing Quidditch. I've seen a couple of the matches this summer (both Bridget and Shannon play U-21, so that is ALL I hear about), but watching is not the same as playing! But it's going to be really weird this year, with Anne out of school and Aaron-

I just hope it doesn't rain today.

Okay, so OWLs are written and over with and we're all at home, happily or not.

So. I think we've waited long enough. Who is Captain next year, Quigley?

I didn't have any big plans to celebrate my birthday, but I was woken up this morning (granted, a little earlier than I would have liked) by my son who proudly declared that he had "made Mummy breakfast" and that I should get up and eat it before he did, because he was really hungry. I suspect he had some help from his father, but I was rather impressed, nonetheless.

Speaking of him, congratulations Charlie, your nephew is quite a big fan of your writing. Of course he can't read the articles, but Christopher waits for the Prophet every single day to see if he can find your name.

Of course, then he proceeds to literally pick apart the pages of the paper and leave them scattered all over the house, but you can't have everything, I suppose.

I think he's finally gotten used to having Melinda around, which is a relief. These past few months with her have been... interesting. She's a very different baby than Christopher was. I think I've lost most of the weight I gained while pregnant (finally), and I fit into a dress today that I haven't been able to wear since last August. I was quite pleased.

Dana, I heard some rumours that you and the children were coming over tonight? Are those true, by any chance?

Hmm. This was stashed underneath a pile of library books I was supposed to bring back last week (because honestly, they weren't really that useful). Oops.

So, there's no Quidditch match this month. That kind of sucks. On the upside of that, practices are going well and outside of Hogwarts, Puddlemere gets to play twice.

Oh, and Hogsmeade's again soon. That'll be fun, if it doesn't rain this time.

( Private to Celeste Bletchley. )

They tell me I'm twenty-six today. How about that. I never really paid much attention to my birthday because New Year's Day was typically reserved for sleeping in and nursing off the awful hangover one typically acquired the night before. We were also typically too tipsy to remember that it was, technically, my birthday once midnight hit. I used to think when I was little that people celebrated on New Year's Eve because they couldn't wait for my party the next day. I laugh at that now, because it was really very silly.

So yes, today has been quiet. Well, quiet as it can get with a two-year-old underfoot who finds the concept of a mountain of toys (most of which make some kind of sound) quite enjoyable. Leander and I enjoyed the ball last night, and we slipped out just after midnight to rescue my poor mother from having to babysit for Gemma any longer.

I haven't heard from my darling little sister yet today, but I'm sure she's still passed out somewhere if tradition holds.

WELL.

Today was my first Quidditch match EVER and I was a little nervous because, well, I haven't really flown much since we learned in first-year, but I scored! And Ravenclaw is supposed to be really good this year because nearly their whole entire team played last year and there's a few first-timers on our team BUT WE WON. Abby, that catch was WICKED.

Oh, but I took a Bludger to the arm and it broke in TWO PLACES and I had to leave the match! I've never broken a bone before! It doesn't even really hurt anymore, so that's okay! Madam Promfrey gave me this weird, fizzy potion thing to drink to not make it hurt. It tased really, really, gross, but it's working! And thankfully it wasn't my right arm, or else I would be able to write, and THAT would be tragic.

Hopefully I can leave here soon, because the hospital wing is pretty gross as places go and isn't there a party when we win at Quidditch? I am also BY MYSELF so I'm lonely, so if someone would like to visit, I would like it! Tor is up here as well, but he got injured way worse than I did (did you see him fall out of the sky?) and Madame Pomfrey just drew curtains around his bed so he could sleep. He wasn't very talkative.

Basically, everyone was brilliant. Quidditch is brilliant! GO HUFFLEPUFF.