Post by Sophie Hargreaves on Nov 15, 2007 15:58:07 GMT
Things had gone so quickly for Sophie, she'd been apprehensive but also excited about finishing school at long last, it seemed like she'd been there all her life, but then the shock had hit when she finally did. No longer was she part of a community but free, unconstrained, she could do whatever she wanted now.
First on her agenda had been visiting New Zealand, she'd always wanted to go, not just for the fantastic scenery but also to visit some distant relatives that had emmigrated there not so long ago. It had been fun, while it lasted, but something had inexorably drawn her back to Britain. She hadn't quite felt right over there almost, perhaps events at home had lain too heavily upon her. So she'd returned to spend time with her family, then on the eave of her birthday her cousin had abruptly turned up without warning. He'd come especially he claimed, just to see her, but if Sophie knew Fitz he would have a more realistic reason than that, a darker motive almost, how right she had been.
"I need to speak to you Soph, in private please," Sophie had been so exhilarated at seeing Fitz she had immediately lept into his arms giving him an affectionate hug as was her way. But then he'd whispered that in her ear, and he didn't seem so bright and happy as normal.
"Why is something wrong?" She asked bluntly her brow creasing into a puzzled frown, "can't everyone else know..whatever it is?" She looked about the full room, with her grandparents sleeping fitfully in their armchairs, her Dad crinkled the paper and looked over the rim of his glasses at them whilst Mum was rushing off to grab some cakes and make some tea for the unexpected arrival of Fitz.
"Not really," responded Fitz with a glimmer of a smile.
"But.."
"You speak in private with him Sophie, we don't mind," cut in her father nodding that he gave her permission, though he was a muggle he still held the respect and authority within the family, simply because he deserved it.
"Oh ok," muttered Sophie surprised that Dad didn't want to know where Fitz had been, did he know something she didn't? But before she could ponder anymore, with her usual half gormless half concentrated expression when she thought hard about something, she was quickly dragged away by Fitz who lightly took a hold of her hand and guided her besmused from the room.
As soon as they stepped from the living room into the cramped hallway, cluttered with fallen coats and shoes, Fitz immediately began chattering saying, "we don't have much time, I'll have to make this pretty short and sweet, you've heard of the Red Rose League presumably? Please don't say you live with your head in the clouds." He said exasperatedly finding it annoying that the rest of the family wasn't so well informed as he, even though it was to be expected.
"I don't have my head in the clouds," retorted Sophie annoyed with her cousin who always acted so superior, she loved him dearly, but not his over-confidence, the annoying thing was that he was righ though, she spent far too much time reading books, fairytales he'd call them, rather than reading a good old newspaper as he'd like. "I only know a little though." She acceeded with wavering smile.
"I guessed as much," Fitz commented dryly as led his cousin up the stairs, he chuckled though, "that's actually a good thing though, we don't want to be known about, not too much." He grinned at his cousin finding her company oddly refreshing compared to his usual crowd who were even more arrogant than he was.
"Wait a second you said we," she remarked with a furrowed brow as she struggled to believe the possibiity of it, he couldn't be, could he? Fitz was just a reporter, a good one definitely, she enjoyed reading his articles, the only ones she really kept up to date with, but he couldn't be part of anything deeper, could he?
Delighted with her quickness at picking up his words he smiled brightly now, "well done Soph, we'll make a writer of you yet." He really would like that, another writer in the family to properly discuss his pieces with. But he'd drifted, "anyway you're right, I did say we, because I'm a member of the Red Rose League," he spoke with a touch of admiration for being part of the group, but he found it curious that he flt more pride in Sophie having been so quick witted, in fact he'd been overjoyed on hearing about her results too, how strange, he couldn't be growing up could he?
Sophie's mouth fell open as she gazed up at her cousin, laughing in disbelief as he turned at the top of the stairs to demand, "why's that so funny?" In a light hearted way.
"But..you only believe in yourself really," she said feeling mean for saying it, but it was truthful she thought.
"That's one of my many facades, if I acted all patriotic and anti-ministry then people would get wind of it, and I'd end up in very deep water indeed."
He always had had a way with words she thought as he opened the door to her own bedroom and jumped onto her bed. "Hey I made that this morning," she told him off with a laugh to show she didn't mean it. Settling herself gracefully next to her cousin she asked, "so you're really Red Rose League?"
"Really really," he responded with a grin, "that's why you see so little of me, didn't you ever think it was curious, we used to be pretty close,"
"Hardly," she giggled.
"Well I saw you more than once a year then, it wasn't just reporting that kept me a way. I've been living a double life for quite some time now." He shrugged, "it's weird but I do kinda enjoy it really."
"Well you've always loved acting I suppose," Sophie recalled remembering his plays he'd been in. "Makes it easier to be different people," she mused then she suddenly asked a little sullenly, "but why didn't you tell me before?"
"You won't believe me but I was actually thinking of your safety, at Hogwarts it would have endangered you too much, I didn't now if you were ready for it all, mature enough and everything."
"I'm more mature than you," she retorted with a laugh.
"Well that's not difficult," he joked realising the truth of it. "Besides we can't let people under the age of 19 join us," he lied skilfully, "and your parents wouldn't let me," he added truthfully.
"They knew," she gasped in disbelief, surely they'd have told me? She wondered but no they'd want to protect me too She thought a little irritably.
"So now I'm about to come of age you turn up and drop the bombshell then?"
"Exactly, couldn't have put it better myself,"
"great," she muttered sarcastically, but also feeling a thrill of excitement, maybe this was what she needed?
"You're suited to it Soph, and we could do with you," He took his cousins slight hands in his, they always had been so delicate and effeminite. "I'll leave you to think about it all, you can ask me anything though, I'll be staying here a few days at the very least. Consider it, you'll be working with me." He finished with a wide grin and loud laugh.
"Ok, yeh, I'll think about it." She agreed still in shock about it all. With that Fitz smiled then left the room leaving her to her thoughts.
She'd thought long and hard about it, firing countless questions to Fitz, who had eloquently responded, and eventually she'd made a decision.
On turning 19 she became a member of the Red Rose League.
Now she was walking down the main street of Hogsmeade on her first real mission, having undergone rigorous training; just following others, she was now as ready as she'd ever be.
She was to meet an informant who'd supply her with vital information to their cause. The only problem was finding this informant, they'd be wearing pink scarf was her one clue, and when she spoke to them she'd give the code; nice day for a jog with the reply of only if you're a wolf, she'd then finish it by saying I hear wolves teeth are sharp. It was obscure to her but Fitz had claimed it meant something.
Now where was this pink scarf?
First on her agenda had been visiting New Zealand, she'd always wanted to go, not just for the fantastic scenery but also to visit some distant relatives that had emmigrated there not so long ago. It had been fun, while it lasted, but something had inexorably drawn her back to Britain. She hadn't quite felt right over there almost, perhaps events at home had lain too heavily upon her. So she'd returned to spend time with her family, then on the eave of her birthday her cousin had abruptly turned up without warning. He'd come especially he claimed, just to see her, but if Sophie knew Fitz he would have a more realistic reason than that, a darker motive almost, how right she had been.
"I need to speak to you Soph, in private please," Sophie had been so exhilarated at seeing Fitz she had immediately lept into his arms giving him an affectionate hug as was her way. But then he'd whispered that in her ear, and he didn't seem so bright and happy as normal.
"Why is something wrong?" She asked bluntly her brow creasing into a puzzled frown, "can't everyone else know..whatever it is?" She looked about the full room, with her grandparents sleeping fitfully in their armchairs, her Dad crinkled the paper and looked over the rim of his glasses at them whilst Mum was rushing off to grab some cakes and make some tea for the unexpected arrival of Fitz.
"Not really," responded Fitz with a glimmer of a smile.
"But.."
"You speak in private with him Sophie, we don't mind," cut in her father nodding that he gave her permission, though he was a muggle he still held the respect and authority within the family, simply because he deserved it.
"Oh ok," muttered Sophie surprised that Dad didn't want to know where Fitz had been, did he know something she didn't? But before she could ponder anymore, with her usual half gormless half concentrated expression when she thought hard about something, she was quickly dragged away by Fitz who lightly took a hold of her hand and guided her besmused from the room.
As soon as they stepped from the living room into the cramped hallway, cluttered with fallen coats and shoes, Fitz immediately began chattering saying, "we don't have much time, I'll have to make this pretty short and sweet, you've heard of the Red Rose League presumably? Please don't say you live with your head in the clouds." He said exasperatedly finding it annoying that the rest of the family wasn't so well informed as he, even though it was to be expected.
"I don't have my head in the clouds," retorted Sophie annoyed with her cousin who always acted so superior, she loved him dearly, but not his over-confidence, the annoying thing was that he was righ though, she spent far too much time reading books, fairytales he'd call them, rather than reading a good old newspaper as he'd like. "I only know a little though." She acceeded with wavering smile.
"I guessed as much," Fitz commented dryly as led his cousin up the stairs, he chuckled though, "that's actually a good thing though, we don't want to be known about, not too much." He grinned at his cousin finding her company oddly refreshing compared to his usual crowd who were even more arrogant than he was.
"Wait a second you said we," she remarked with a furrowed brow as she struggled to believe the possibiity of it, he couldn't be, could he? Fitz was just a reporter, a good one definitely, she enjoyed reading his articles, the only ones she really kept up to date with, but he couldn't be part of anything deeper, could he?
Delighted with her quickness at picking up his words he smiled brightly now, "well done Soph, we'll make a writer of you yet." He really would like that, another writer in the family to properly discuss his pieces with. But he'd drifted, "anyway you're right, I did say we, because I'm a member of the Red Rose League," he spoke with a touch of admiration for being part of the group, but he found it curious that he flt more pride in Sophie having been so quick witted, in fact he'd been overjoyed on hearing about her results too, how strange, he couldn't be growing up could he?
Sophie's mouth fell open as she gazed up at her cousin, laughing in disbelief as he turned at the top of the stairs to demand, "why's that so funny?" In a light hearted way.
"But..you only believe in yourself really," she said feeling mean for saying it, but it was truthful she thought.
"That's one of my many facades, if I acted all patriotic and anti-ministry then people would get wind of it, and I'd end up in very deep water indeed."
He always had had a way with words she thought as he opened the door to her own bedroom and jumped onto her bed. "Hey I made that this morning," she told him off with a laugh to show she didn't mean it. Settling herself gracefully next to her cousin she asked, "so you're really Red Rose League?"
"Really really," he responded with a grin, "that's why you see so little of me, didn't you ever think it was curious, we used to be pretty close,"
"Hardly," she giggled.
"Well I saw you more than once a year then, it wasn't just reporting that kept me a way. I've been living a double life for quite some time now." He shrugged, "it's weird but I do kinda enjoy it really."
"Well you've always loved acting I suppose," Sophie recalled remembering his plays he'd been in. "Makes it easier to be different people," she mused then she suddenly asked a little sullenly, "but why didn't you tell me before?"
"You won't believe me but I was actually thinking of your safety, at Hogwarts it would have endangered you too much, I didn't now if you were ready for it all, mature enough and everything."
"I'm more mature than you," she retorted with a laugh.
"Well that's not difficult," he joked realising the truth of it. "Besides we can't let people under the age of 19 join us," he lied skilfully, "and your parents wouldn't let me," he added truthfully.
"They knew," she gasped in disbelief, surely they'd have told me? She wondered but no they'd want to protect me too She thought a little irritably.
"So now I'm about to come of age you turn up and drop the bombshell then?"
"Exactly, couldn't have put it better myself,"
"great," she muttered sarcastically, but also feeling a thrill of excitement, maybe this was what she needed?
"You're suited to it Soph, and we could do with you," He took his cousins slight hands in his, they always had been so delicate and effeminite. "I'll leave you to think about it all, you can ask me anything though, I'll be staying here a few days at the very least. Consider it, you'll be working with me." He finished with a wide grin and loud laugh.
"Ok, yeh, I'll think about it." She agreed still in shock about it all. With that Fitz smiled then left the room leaving her to her thoughts.
She'd thought long and hard about it, firing countless questions to Fitz, who had eloquently responded, and eventually she'd made a decision.
On turning 19 she became a member of the Red Rose League.
Now she was walking down the main street of Hogsmeade on her first real mission, having undergone rigorous training; just following others, she was now as ready as she'd ever be.
She was to meet an informant who'd supply her with vital information to their cause. The only problem was finding this informant, they'd be wearing pink scarf was her one clue, and when she spoke to them she'd give the code; nice day for a jog with the reply of only if you're a wolf, she'd then finish it by saying I hear wolves teeth are sharp. It was obscure to her but Fitz had claimed it meant something.
Now where was this pink scarf?
