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Post by Sophia Lythgoe on May 27, 2023 12:44:22 GMT -8
As you enter the Three broomsticks, a waitress immediately comes to greet you and instructs you to follow her as she heads towards the back of the restaurant portion of the Inn. A house elf stands outside the door to a private room in the back. As the pair are led to the room, the house elf nods and scampers off back into the main room. The private room was laid out with a table set for four. Glasses of water were set at each place. A serving station was set in the corner, complete with a chilling bottle of wine. The room was lit through a frosted window that let in light but would not allow anyone outside from seeing who was in the room.
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Anneli Oden
Slytherin
5th Year - Slytherin Captain - Chaser - Part-Veela
Posts: 296
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Post by Anneli Oden on May 27, 2023 18:17:42 GMT -8
Anneli walked hand in hand with Loce through Hogsmeade's bustling cobblestone streets. It had taken little persuasion to convince him into a date outside of the castle walls. They needed some time away alone anyway. Even the sight of Fergus had been infuriating. She gazed at him for a moment, a backdrop of shops and Christmas shoppers behind him. The rooftops were white with an early snow. Her hair was freckled with tiny snowflakes. Around her neck wrapped an emerald scarf and in her hair was her mother's Hungarian horntail clip. A good luck token. She wore an unassuming casual black sweater. Admittedly, she wasn't sure what to wear when meeting her boyfriend's family.
Her stomach whirled as she thought about the surprise awaiting him. Her excitement about Loce seeing his sister had overshadowed her own personal doubts. Anneli was convinced that Loce's family would like her, or at least Sophia and his Gran would, but what if they didn't? She hadn't given that possibility much thought. This would be the first time she was knowingly meeting her fiancées family. Fiancée. Anneli grinned at the thought. There were no rings or paper binding them yet, but their connection didn't require either. For today's sake though, it was probably best they left that part out.
Just before they walked in, Anneli turned into him, kissing him softly. "Rwy'n dy garu di fy ngŵr, yn fwy nag y gallech chi byth ei wybod." She winked at him, squeezing his hand as they entered. In a flash, they were whisked away to the private room. Anneli noted the placement of four glasses and utensils. She gazed at Loce curiously for a moment. A mischievous smile hid the building anxiety in her chest. This was far more important than meeting Fergus' family ever had been. Even when they were dating, Anneli never had the desire to know them. But with Loce, it felt vital to be welcomed and liked by the two most important women to him. Besides herself. She continued to gaze at him as he attempted to piece together the scene...
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Post by Loce Vaisey on May 27, 2023 19:17:21 GMT -8
Loce squeezed Anneli’s hand as they walked through the streets of Hogsmeade. They had needed the time out, the time away. But he would be lying if he didn’t say he was a tad bit nervous. The last time he ventured near Hogsmeade he ended up with his Grandfather and Garmr in tow. If they showed up now… Garmr would be almost impossible to hide. He’d been able to magic him last time to appear the size of a normal dog. Hopefully there would be no need for them to show up. But if his gwraig wanted a date, she would have one. They walked in companionable silence. There were enough others on the street that talking about most subjects they would normally discuss was dangerous. And talking about school was… well not going to happen. He could tell she was thinking about something. He wasn’t sure what, but there was an air of excitement and nervousness about her. Excitement he understood, they were out of the castle just the two of them. It had been a while. The nervousness he didn’t understand. But he was sure he would find out soon enough. He watched the shops, thinking about Christmas and what he was going to give her. He couldn’t wait either. He returned her kiss and grinned at her as she spoke. He nodded, leaning close so only she should hear him. “Ti yw fy myd, fy mhopeth. Byddaf bob amser yn dy garu, Anneli Viktoria Vaisey.” He held the door for her and followed her inside. He raised an eyebrow at her, curiously. He supposed if she used her family name she would get this type of treatment, but he doubted she would use it. Maybe she’d used Vaisey to book it since she seemed a bit taken aback at the treatment as well. He was used to getting this with the Vaisey name, not so much with the Lythgoe name. He looked around at the room, private, but over set for just the two of them. He raised an eyebrow at her curiously. “Did you convince Cordelia and Wolf to join us?” That would be good, he wanted to see them solidly together. That might explain the nerves since she hadn’t mentioned it before. But that made little to no sense in and of itself. She knew he was for the two of them getting together and they’d talked about a double date before. He noted the bottle of wine and took in her appearance again, combining it with her excitement. “So no, not Cordelia and Wolf. Then who?” He asked, struggling to puzzle out who would be coming here. His sister was at Ilverorny, so that counted her out. His Gran possibly, but then who was the fourth? Someone from her family? But nothing made complete sense to him.
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Post by Sophia Lythgoe on May 27, 2023 19:42:29 GMT -8
Sophia sat with her Grandmother, chess board out, game in full swing. It was the only thing that could calm her when she got overly riled up. She hadn’t lost a game in years, and the last game she lost was because she had been too preoccupied by her own excitement to pay attention to the board. She was about to place he grandmother into checkmate when there was a knock at the door. She opened the door and a house elf bowed and relayed the message that their party had arrived and were waiting in their room. She closed the door and went to grab a sweater; restaurants were always too cold for her. She placed a hand on the doorknob when her grandmother stopped her. “Sophia, we have a game to finish. Please come sit. Your brother and his girlfriend will keep for another minute or two.” She said. Mostly it was to keep Sophia from charging off down the stairs and making a scene. But also she knew it was only a move or two and leaving a game that close to the end was not a good habit to foster. Sophia sighed, crossed to the board and moved her bishop two squares. “Check mate.” She said, grinning. “Can we go now?” She asked. But her grandmother’s diversion had worked, she was back to game mode and calmer now. Sophia topped outside the room, hand poised over the door handle. She was nervous. Would Anneli like her in person? Was Anneli even real, she had always sounded too good to be true? If not though, who had she been writing to? And her Grandmother had checked her out so there was that. Serena chuckled and shook her head. She reached past Sophia and opened the door, nudging Sophia forward with a slight push to the back. “Come child, he is still just your brother.”Sophie snapped out of the hesitation as the door open and she bounded in, forgetting all sense of decorum and self-control. “Loce!” She said as he turned towards the sound of the opening door and launched herself into her arms, forcing him to take a step backwards to keep his balance. Serena followed Sophie into the room, closing the door behind her. She smiled at her grandchildren then turned her attention to Anneli. “Anneli if I am not mistaken? It is a pleasure to finally meet you. My grandson does not do you justice in his letters.” She said softly, extending a hand to her.
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Post by Loce Vaisey on May 28, 2023 7:47:28 GMT -8
Loce had just finished questioning who could be here when Sophia bounded into the room and jumped at him. He caught her, laughing and spun her in a circle. “What are you two doing here? Don’t you have school?” He asked, curious but still overjoyed to see his sister. He hugged Sophia tightly then set her down and turned to Anneli. “You knew?” It was more a statement than a question. Of course she did. And that was the perfect explanation to her nerves and excitement earlier. “Diolch cariad.” He said, and moved back to her side, kissing her cheek. He looked between Anneli and Sophie. “The two of you know each other already. And you’ve met my Gran, although briefly. So….why are you here? I mean, not to be ungrateful, but shouldn’t you be in school Sophie? “ He asked, looking between the three of them.
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Anneli Oden
Slytherin
5th Year - Slytherin Captain - Chaser - Part-Veela
Posts: 296
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Post by Anneli Oden on May 29, 2023 14:27:08 GMT -8
His Welsh words warmed her core despite the chill from outside. Anneli needed to hear those words. If there was ever a situation that might make her nervous, it was this one. She was well-acquainted with meeting adults from all realms of life, though usually from high social standing. Most of the authority figures had treated her like a pawn, a servant, or an accessory to a conversation. Her Professors at Hogwarts, particularly Headmistress Gunvald and Drake, had helped to ease the distaste she had for them. Anneli allowed the nerves to flow in before embracing them. This was Loce's family. If anyone at all that might meet her with pure intentions, it was them. He loved his Gran and sister. By extension, she already loved them too. They were the women of his world, the ones that loved him. Serena had protected him as an infant. Even if the details were scarce, her respect for the woman was full. Anneli smirked as he asked whether it would be Cordelia and Wolf that would join them, yet gave no answer.
Her eyes lit up as Sophia bounded into the room. She looked between Loce and his sister, her grin as wide as theirs. The surprise had worked perfectly. Anneli winked at Loce from behind a blanket of her hair. He had surprised her in the forest, now it was her turn. The siblings had a bond that could be felt instantly through their bear hug. Sophia's energy put her at ease. She was a beautiful girl, one that appeared inwardly as well as outwards. In many ways, she already felt like the sister she never had. Anneli took Serena's hand, smiling at her with the warmth of summer, "Yes, Anneli Oden," She confirmed, shaking hands gently. "The pleasure is truly mine. I've wanted to meet you since the first time Loce spoke of you. Though I can't take credit, Sophie was the mastermind," Anneli chuckled lightly. His love for them all was clear. Her grin reflected around the group. Standing amongst his family felt surreal to her. Just this past summer, she thought her life was doomed to becoming a cog in the Oden family's mythology. Anneli had been assigned to become a Reinhardt in exchange of power, but could that power truly be hers? Her mind fell from those thoughts back to Loce and his family. It felt good to be here. It felt right.
She smiled and winked at him. Of course she had known, he knew that. Anneli blushed as he kissed her cheek in front of his Gran. At home, she would have been punished for standing too close to a peer of opposite sex. At least one of similar age. His openness toward affection meant that was allowed here. Anneli knew that she would still be overly polite and formal. It had been some time since she had been around any true maternal figure. "Dim angen diolch i mi, syniad Sophie oedd o." She said softly, nodding toward Sophie.
Anneli moved toward Sophie, hugging her warmly, "Thank you for bringing us together, sister." She winked at her, her hand at her shoulder. Anneli looked back to Loce. Her natural warmth glowed here. Her eyes were less icy and her stance more comfortable. Her concept of family had been worn through the years, but here, she could feel that there was one.
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Post by Sophia Lythgoe on May 29, 2023 18:27:37 GMT -8
Sophie hugged her brother tight then let go. “It’s Thanksgiving break silly. You forget you American side already?” She knew he was more Welsh and Scotch than American. He always had been. It shouldn’t have surprised her that he’d slip completely out of the American life once he was away from it. She wondered if she might find the British culture more appealing once she was immersed in it. It had always been interesting listening to her Gran, but she’d never actually taken any of it to heart like Loce had. Serena smiled softly at Anneli, nodding at her use of her family name. Loce had told her and she had made the appropriate inquisitions. She was concerned, she supposed was the correct term given what she had heard. But there was time for all of that after the introduction and Sophia got herself under control again. Her first instinct was to forbid Loce from seeing her further, but that would have only pushed Loce away from her. He was strong willed like his grandfathers. And there was not much she could say, Kier’s father did not approve of her, and Kier did what he wanted. Why should it surprise her that Loce would follow suit, he came by it naturally from both sides. She watched the interaction between the two. Loce had never shown affection for anyone around the family and with her it was natural, comfortable. It was not the teenage nonsense that had passed between him and Maddie. “Please, let us all have a seat, we can order and talk for a while. Once we settle a few matters, if the three of you like, you may wander the town. Respectfully.” She said, directing the latter comment towards Loce. Serena raised an eyebrow as she spoke comfortably in Welsh. “Dywedodd Loce eich bod yn siarad Cymraeg, ni ddywedodd wrthyf eich bod yn rhugl. Efallai y gall y ddau ohonoch argyhoeddi Sophia o werth ychwanegu ail iaith.” She smiled fondly at Anneli. She was impressed that she would put the amount of effort into learning his chosen language as she had. There was something between them that was more than just a teenage fancy that would easily pass. This was something to look into, as she was sure her Grandson was in over his head. She hoped his grandfather could help there. Sophie hugged Anneli tight. “Sister, I am glad you are here. I’m actually glad Loce got himself chucked out of Ilvermorny. It is nice to have a big sister.” He hugged her again then move to the table as her Grandmother suggested. She was trying to contain her excitement, but the best she could do was allow her leg to bounce under the table. She always had trouble being still. That was one of the reasons she’d been hesitant to spend more time with her Grandmother. She was always being corrected. Although lately, it was more passive correction than active. Something had changed in her Grandmother, softened. Maybe having Loce in her direct care helped. She glanced at her grandmother as she said they had things to discuss. She hoped her Grandmother would not give away her transfer. But then she remembered Marcus. Yes, that was what her gran wanted to talk about. And Anneli, she’d mentioned a couple of things to Sophia that made her think an inquisition of sorts would occur. At least a minor one. Serena rang for service before settling across from Sophie, leaving Loce and Anneli to sit across from each other. It would do for now to have a bit of separation. She turns to Anneli, “You are visible in a relationship with my grandson, but you are not entirely free to make that commitment?” She asks, her tone soft but matter of fact. There was no accusation, in the question, only curiosity. She was not one for beating around the bush or making small talk when there were things to be discussed. She shot Loce a look that told him she would not entertain his interruption. She knew what Loce had told her. She wanted to hear what Anneli had to say on the matter. “Gran, can’t this wait? I mean we all just got here.” Sophie asked, hoping to spare Anneli for a little while longer. Her Grandmother’s inquisitions could be brutal if she wanted them to be. She’d seen her go after Marcus on occasion. But she was not carrying herself in that way towards Anneli, perhaps it would be a quick discussion. “Sophie, there are things that need to be discussed and time is limited. The time is now, and then you may have your leave to get to know each other better and to enjoy the company of your brother.” She had no intention of interfering in their relationship. She just needed to know enough to make sure her grandchildren were protected the best way she could. Sophie nodded and took a drink of water from the table. She would rather have a soda, but knew that would not happen here, not with her Gran around. She wondered if it was even a thing here?
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Post by Loce Vaisey on May 29, 2023 19:09:48 GMT -8
Loce smirked at Sophie. “I’m Welsh and Scottish, I’m not American.” He said shrugging. He’d disowned his mother’s parents a while ago. He got tired of trying to impress them and never getting so much as a “nice job” no matter how well he did. He never understood it. He was always different from his siblings, looks, although you could still tell the family resemblance. But he’d always been singled out. Birthdays forgotten, Christmas less than everyone else. His parents had tried to cover, but as he got older he stopped them. It wasn’t worth the issues it caused with Marcus. He frowned thinking of Marcus. He would bring that up while they were together, but he didn’t want to do so now. He winked at Anneli. “It may have been her idea, but you my love kept me in the dark and got me here so. You deserve the thanks as well.” he took her hand, squeezing it gently. He was somewhat surprised she was as relaxed as she was, especially with the public display of affection in front of his grandmother. He loved her with all his heart, and he could care less who knew. He smirked as his Gran directed the word “respectfully” towards him. He couldn’t blame her he’d been less than respectful that summer when he was running with the local muggle boys, much to her ill amusement. They were the closest he came to friends after Maddie and Jaxon. But they were far from anything he would really consider friends. They passed the time, and that was all. “Yes ma’am.”He pulled out the chair for Anneli and his Grandmother in turn, seeing them properly seated before ruffling Sophie’s hair and taking his own seat. He could have gotten away without any of that with Anneli, but his Gran would have said something for sure, especially not holding the chair for Anneli. Breeding and social etiquette. Something he’d had instilled in him since he was a child. Mostly from his Gran, although she had spent little time instilling it in the others. Even Sophie seemed to escape that tutelage. Although he had a feeling now that she was here on a more permanent basis, Sophie would be expected to step up her game as well. Loce started to speak, but his Grandmother’s look cut him short. He glanced at Anneli and smiled softly. “It’s alright, she is on our side.” He offered, hoping to settle her nerves some. He knew that was the last question she was expecting his Gran to lead with, and to be honest, Loce was a bit taken aback as well. “Jag älskar dig, min fru. Alltid.” He winked at her, the dual languages gave them some freedom even in a room full of people.
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