Aaron Wagtail

Mirrors should
think longer
before they reflect.( Read more... )

Truly great friendsare
hard to find,
difficult to leave,
and impossible to forget.( Read more... )

WARDED TO FRIENDS & FAMILY:

Myron's birthday is on 8th May, and considering it's the Big One - he's turning 11 - and will be the last one for several years that he'll be home, I would throw a fun little bash for him. He's really into this whole singing and guitar playing musical thing, so I thought about putting up a little stage in the back and having people do karaoke. The main thing is, you have to come dressed as your favourite rock star. Celstina, Elton John, Mick Jagger... whatever you want to come as.

So this is my official invitation to you all. It will be held at our place on Saturday, 12 May, starting at 2 in the afternoon. Any help for setup and clean-up would be greatly appreciated.

WARDED TO FRIENDS & FAMILY:

It wasn't our dragon, I can assure you. In fact, I don't even know if our dragon's still down there. Haven't heard a thing about it in so long that I suspect it's died quite some time ago.

Whoever did it has quite the sense of humour, though.

WARDED TO PRIVATE:

Dear Georgi

I'm not sure what to label this thing Anne and I are doing. On the one hand, there's a comfort level that having just gone into dating someone cannot give you. It's nicer than frantically worrying how long before I contact her again. It also levels the playing field when it comes to topics to talk about. She's seen me at my absolute worst. She already knows I have a child. I won't have to explain that I'm just not much of a talker in general, that I think a lot before I ever open my mouth.

On the other hand, and this is a big hand with pointy, spiked fingers, there's the possibility of ruining our friendship beyond repair. No matter how it ends, it will hang over us. It will have changed us. Forever. We will never have what we had before we slept together.

Is that good? Bad? I suppose only time will tell.

But the guilt over letting Georgie go for just a short time is frightening. It feels so good to be around Anne, but the second I'm back in my own house or away from her, I start wondering if this is what Georgie would want? Georgie wasn't a prude at all, and it's not as though she would want me to be miserable forever. But would two years be enough in her mind? Is she giving me a thumbs up or upset with me? I will never know.

WARDED TO FRIENDS & FAMILY:

The rumours of a promotion are true. I've just been bumped up to one of the three senior Cursebreakers at Gringott's now. Later hours, of course, and more vaults to maintain and defuse. I'm also responsible for client relations. How that falls under the heading of Cursebreaker, I don't know.

WARDED TO ANNE JONES:

Shall we try another date? Or was that too weird?

WARDED PRIVATE:

I was going to write a letter to Georgie like I always do every week, but I just can't do it this week. The letter that I sent Anne may have started out in my mind as a joke, but I know there was at least a small amount of genuine interest when I wrote it. I've never done anything of the sort for anyone I wasn't interested in.

I meant what I said to Sebastian - that it wasn't a good idea to experiment on a friend - but my words got away from me. Why shouldn't I? Anne is the sort of woman I would have gone for when I was younger, before I met Georgie. Full of life, outgoing, not one to pull her punches. She also has a remarkable head on her shoulders, particularly when you think about everything she's been through. If there was anyone who could make this work, who would be understanding if this fell apart because of my own emotional constipation, it's Anne.

I just don't want to fuck this up. I want her to have as good a time as I would like myself to have. I'm not a selfish bastard - most of the time - but there are moments when I wonder.

I'm a class A idiot.

Does anyone know any good Easter Egg hunts? I know that it's still a short time away, but I am really eager to take Myron one last time before he heads off to Hogwarts. If not, I suppose I could come up with something spectacular. I just wanted him to be around his fri

Did my eyes deceive me or did I see Shannon Abercrombie pop up on the journal network?

Right then.

WARDED TO FRIENDS:

I will be more than happy when Myron is away at Hogwarts, as much as it pains me to say. It will give me some peace of mind, and he'll be happily busy with school work and won't have to think about this for a short time.

WARDED PRIVATE:

Dearest Georgie,

Another year. I decided to do something different. I could not bear another year of picking over old photo albums and torturing myself. I don't think Myron could have stood it without serious side effects in the long term. He wanted to know if you got the flowers we took on Friday morning, and he asked that if I ever see you in my dreams, to tell you that he loves you.

You'll be happy to know that I filled my day, night, and weekend in the company of good friends. I've always known that I've somehow managed to luck out with wonderful mates, but it really sunk in this year just how blessed I am to have them in my life. Anne, Jennifer, Mia, Jay, Sebastian, Florean, & Horatio (the last two I likely would not have become some well acquainted with had we not shared that in common). I've come to depend on them as much as I depended on you. I honestly shudder to think of where I would be without them these last two years, likely gathering dust at the cemetery or recklessly endangering myself on one of my trips.

Speaking of which, I've decided that come September, I'm going to go back to handling jobs out of the country. Myron will be in school, and I can come back for the summers and Christmas holidays. He's been my sole reason for staying in our house. I didn't want to uproot him from his friends, and I doubt a fresh start would have helped him in any way. But now, I think it's time to start considering it. Some place quiet, out of the city - and yes, I can hear my mother yelling inside my head for it - where he can feel free to belt everything out or play guitar as loud as he wants without disturbing the neighbours. We haven't a need for four bedrooms, and while we're not hurting for money, it's always a good thing to save should we need to leave in a hurr.

It's funny, I thought making that decision and telling you would be one of those chest-tightening moments where I couldn't breathe, but it's actually been quite relieving. It feel like a weight's been lifted not thrown at me. Spending this weekend with friends has almost rejuvenated me. I didn't even have to take off work today, like I'd thought. I'm not over you or how you died, not by a long shot, but at least it doesn't feel as though I'm dying in the most painful and slow way anymore. You'd be proud.

Love,
Aaron

Your friendly curse-breaker here, reminding you that it's a good idea to remember the curses you place on invaluable family heirlooms before you attempt to touch them. Regrowing all the bones in your hands and fingers is an entirely too painful process.

WARDED TO FRIENDS:

Does anyone have plans on 2 March? I don't know that it's such a good idea that I be alone, as much as it pains me to admit it.

WARDED PRIVATE:

Fuck the Death Eaters. Fuck their broadcasts and their butting into other people's lives. Fuck their Lord. Fuck their Dark Mark. Fuck their timing. Fuck them for using other people to run their errands. Fuck them for taking Georgie away. Fuck Valentine's Day.

WARDED PRIVATE:

Dearest Georgie,

Myron turns eleven in two months. He's eager for his Hogwarts letter, and I'm dreading it. What will I do without him to occupy me? I suppose I could apply to the goblins, to let me do some out of country work, block off summer months and school holidays like Yule and Easter. It would put some money away for Myron's future.

He likes to sing. Not like you did, loud and offkey in the shower. He likes to make up songs. He's been learning to play the piano, and I don't mind saying that I prefer his playing to some of these people I hear on the wireless. Maybe that's just the proud papa in me talking, but I think you'd agree.

I refuse to believe it's February and less than a month until. And I refuse to believe that it's coming up on two years since you've been gone. Less than a month. One year, eleven months ago, I would not have thought that time would ever catch up. Everything passed so slowly.

I miss you so much. There are times when I wake up in the middle of the night and for the first few moments, I've forgotten what happened and that you're not here. I'll reach over, and your pillow will be ice cold, and then it feels like I can't breathe. That hasn't happened for some time now, and I worry about what that means. I don't ever want to forget what it was like to be with you, but I know I have to move on at some point. You would smack me for not allowing myself to think about it, I'm sure. I'd be grateful for it.

All my love,
Aaron

WARDED TO WITHOUT SPOUSES GROUP:

Valentine's Day is looming in on us, and I thought I might make the suggestion that we have a meeting, despite it's falling on a Tuesday. I know that some of us, myself included, could not bear the thought of being alone.

I would be happy to offer my house. Let me know your thoughts.

WARDED TO FRIENDS:

My mother, the worry-wart, has demanded that Myron and I spend the next few nights at their house. Merlin knows why, we both live in the same neighbourhood in London. I suspect it has to do more with her nerves than anything.

So if you come round looking for me, I'd suggest you drop a line here or through the owls. And if you need a better warning system, in case of werewolves, let me know. I've got a few trigger happy curses up my sleeve.

WARDED TO FRIENDS:

Not exactly helpful, and they're not so much standing beside me as sneaking to my house in the night and tampering with my warding.

WARDED TO FRIENDS:

Jesus fuck. I can't be on some Death Eater watch list, not with Myron's life at stake.

And oh fuck, there's my mum's howler.

WARDED PRIVATE:

Dear Georgie,

It hit me today that Myron will be turning eleven this year. August, we'll go to Diagon Alley but never by the shop we found you to collect his school supplies. Come September, he'll be headed off to Hogwarts for the first time. I'll try to talk him into taking all the same courses that I did so he can follow in my footsteps, but I have got to tell you that I don't think he's buying it. He sings in the bloody shower, he sings at the dinner table (much to my mother's chagrin), and he even sings in his sleep.

You should see him. He doesn't want his hair cut, and I am not sorry to say that I have finally given in. The first time he begged me not to cut it - and I took him to the barber anyway - he didn't talk to me for three days. Three days, can you believe it? Oh, I wanted to punish him, but how do you punish a kid for just not talking to you? He was doing everything he was supposed to - rinsing his dishes after dinner, cleaning behind his ears, even picking up his room - just without a word to me. He wouldn't look in the mirror though, and that's when I gave in. I know you never fancied the long hair styles some of the boys are wearing today, but I've got to see that he's so bloody proud of his hair. It's just a phase anyway. We all had them. He'll grow out of it and get a nice, normal, respectable haircut one of these because let's face it, it's going to get hot and it's going to get in his face. And I'm going to laugh.

He told me last night that he's starting to forget what you look like. That if it weren't for the photos around the house, he already would have, and I can tell that he hates it almost as much as I do. I don't even have any words for that. The war's still going on, and I'm terrified that every time I step out of the house in the mornings, it'll be the last time our son sees me. He shouldn't have to grow up without his mum. He should be old and grey before he had to see either one of us go. It's just not fair.

It's not fair, and there's no use pretending that there's ever going to be a way to make it right. I love you, and I miss the hell out of you.

Aaron

WARDED TO FRIENDS:

Al, you think we could postpone our broom race till Sunday? I'm a bit shaken up and Happened to be in Diagon Alley tonight when the Knight Bus crashed into that shop. The driver just smashed right into the bloody building, didn't even slow down at all. Saw the whole thing go down. Called the DMLE and then tried my best to help.

Thank God Myron wasn't with me.