all is quiet on new year's day

Mel was silently collapsing in fits of gggles in a corner as the older kids talked to each other. If this was how you acted when you grew up, she was glad she was still 11! While they were distracted amongst themselves, she waltzed lightly to a pantry, pulled out a ready made bag of popcorn, and poured it into a big bowl. She then traipsed over to a big table next to the quiet girl, Faye, and hoisted herself up on it, offering her the bowl of popcorn and grabbing a handful herself. "Want some? This is better than those soap opera things my mom used to watch!" Mel giggled lightly to herself at the obvious flirting going on with her brother. She was never going to let him live this down!

Faye shook her head a bit at the girls. So this was how parties went. She just smiled as the continued to talk.

"Well you know," she said her soft voice breaking the room, "I did always hear, it was the good looking ones who always turn out Gay... but, maybe that's just something they spread around."

She gave a small smile, her eyes twinkling with laughter.

When Charlotte asked her for food she shook her head. "No, its okay. I'm not that hungry."

However when Amelie came over, she took a handful of the popcorn and chewed on it slowly, even though it seemed to taste like nothing in her mouth.

Alec raised an eyebrow and nodded, "Fairly decent? Alright then, fine by me." With a smirk, he turned to face her, "You can't very well be too decent, now what fun would that be?" Putting an arm around her waist and pulling the girl close, he turned his head to whisper in her ear, "Great. Next time, I'll know where to find you."

"Well, at least someone recognizes the tragedy it would be," he said, sitting on the counter next to her and giving Iris a look, "Unlike others."

The Prideux shrugged when she said Charlotte was basically telling him to sleep with her and nodded, "You can tell her the story." Shaking his head, he rolled his eyes and grabbed Grayson's hand, pulling her to sit on his lap in the counter, "I never said I enjoyed it."

Alec turned to Faye with a mock-hurt expression, "Even you, Faye?" Shaking his head, he looked down, "What did I do to deserve everyone calling me gay?"

His face turned into a smirk and he raised an eyebrow at his sister, "Enjoy the show, Mel?"

"Well, if this is the entertainment that's going to be provided at all pureblood parties, I'll definitely be attending more," Iris told with a smirk, feeling thoroughly amused and took a bag of popcorn from the pantry as well.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," she stated and gave West a pointed look. "I can say that it won't be a complete tragedy, since boys will get the opportunity to enjoy your hotness," she grinned slyly at Alec and laughed lightly

"It was at a Christmas party, and Pretty Boy here got kissed by one the guys who was apparently love potioned," she told West, her eyes having a mischievous glint. "But sadly, Alec pushed him away and didn't even get to enjoy the kiss," she said with a shake of her head in mock disappointement. She took off her heels before settling to sit in his lap. "You should have enjoyed it really. Or at least, could have let the other boy have his fun," she grinned at her friend and placed her hand on his wrist for support.

"Nice one Faye, I already like you," Iris chuckled and nudged Alec's shoulder.

Mel grinned and threw popcorn at her brother's face, hitting him in the forehead. "Yes. Yes I am. Please continue to amuse me, this is quite enjoyable. Or," she said thoughtfully, "We could actually make an appearance at our own party and go dance. That would be fine too."

"Well, you sure act like it Grayson," Charlotte said as she pretended her bright golden nails were the most interesting thing in the world. She ignored all of Grayson's following comments though, starting to find the argument uninteresting to her. Charlotte was pretty fickle after all. After a few moments, she overheard Grayson say something to uninteresting and rolled her eyes again.

"Yes, Grayson, whatever you let your brains wants you to think it is," she rolled her eyes.

"Oh," Charlotte said, feeling unhappy about Faye not wanting to eat because of the girls condition. But she smiled inwardly as she made friends with the Blanchard girl at ate some popcorn. However, Charlotte was less than happy that Faye didn't speak up against Grayson. Sure, it's not like the Slytherin expected the girl to defend her, it would have just been... nice, you could say, she thought.

"Well, let's just hope you'll find me," Charlotte winked at Alec. The girl was more than thrilled to have someone 'accompany her during those boring parties but the thrill died the moment Grayson sat on his lap. "Yes, well, you're really not invited to these sorted of things Grayson," she sniddly said. The Slytherin hated, hated to be the girl not in the spotlight. And right now, Gryason was taking over her territory. Charlotte, although not showing it, was very furious at the Gryffindor to the point where she just completely ignored the of Alec and the other boy. And if it was already worse when she was taking all of the attention, her inner self was even more furious when Grayson said she liked Faye.

"Right," Charlotte said, almost angrily but was able to disguise it well enough as she stood up from the counter once more. "I'm headed to the bathroom. I'll find the place myself."

The girl made her way through the crowd, being able to easily maneuver through the already drunk adults and those who wanted to talk to her. She had been lucky enough to not seeing her parents too. Soon, she went up a flight of stairs and turned right to another hallway. She opened a few doors but she couldn't find the bathroom. Giving up, she rolled her eyes and decided to go back, thinking that she could touch up on her make up on a shiny pan or something. It wasn't until she realized it.

"Fuck," she muttered. "I'm lost."

Iris gazed at West curiously, trying to figure out why she seemed to be more pissed at her than usual. It's not like she was trying to make the Slytherin jealous. After all, she had no problem in seeing her friend flirt with the girl and like she said, it was 'entertaining.'

Though she smirked on the inside at the fact she unintentionally made West, she didn't show it just for the reason she wasn't interested in starting a fight that would probably end up in punches and kicks. "And who says I'd want to go to your parties, West?" She asked and rolled her eyes.

Iris grinned in amusement as West stormed out of the room in obvious anger. "I guess you want to go after her...?" She asked with a sigh, disappointed that spending time with her friend would be cut short. Not the usual social one, she looked forward to having fun with the few friends she did have in Hogwarts and now, Alec. "Why is it that I can't make it through one party without causing a riot? Or something close to that," she muttered and glanced at the Prideux.

"Here, I'll go," offered Mel. "It might be better if someone unrelated to her... problem right now went." She took off after Charlotte, weavig through the crowd with easy grace and spotting the older girl as she turned into a hallway on the far side of the ballroom. Mel ignored the call of the music, cutting through the crowd with ease. She popped out of the press of bodies into the corridor and spotted Charlotte storming away, out of hearing distance. Mel sped up, attempting to catch up, but didn't get close until the Slytherin stopped, looking around with a confused expression.
"Charlotte!" she called. "Hi," she said, panting slightly, stopped next to the older girl. "Gosh boys! They just complicate everything, don't they?" She grinned up at Charlotte.

Faye blinked a bit as Charlotte left. She bit her lip as she stared worriedly after her friend. She hadn't really been paying attention to the flow of hte conversation. She had merely been picking up enough to make it look like she might have been paying attention.

Perhaps she had missed something that she... THe girls were fighting, perhaps she should have payed attention to that or... stood up for her firend? Faye had just stopped listening. THat was how she dealt with most things she did not particularily enjoy.

Following Amelie out of the room, she found the two talking.

"Charlotte," she said softly, eyes a wide with a mingle of sympathy and guilt, "I'm sorry if I... I wasn't really listening to you. I should have said something shouldn't I? I'm not very good... with social things. I'm sorry."

She bit her lip and then threaded her slim arms around the older girl.

"I wouldn't blame you for not forgiving me. I'm aweful aren't I?"

Alec smirked and shrugged, "Glad you admit I'm hot, but no, I wouldn't have let him have his fun."

He looked up and raised an eyebrow when Charlotte left to the bathroom, but didn't pay it much thought, for he was a boy. And, like most boys, was completely oblivious to the fact that she was furious.

Frowning, he turned to Grayson. "Wait- I thought she was going to the bathroom. . . ?" realization dawned on his face and he nodded, slowly, understanding that she was pissed, but not why, "Ah."

The Prideux got up and was going to talk to Charlotte- and also help her, for it was easy to get lost in the house-, but Amélie and Faye left first. Watching them cut through the crowd of people, he looked back at his friend and hugged her. "Hey, it's not your fault," he told her.

Jumping slightly at the sudden soft voice she didn't expect, quickly turning around, she noticed it was Amelie. Charlotte then smiled slightly at the girl, laughing lightly at her statement.

"Oh trust me, it's not boys," the Slytherin grinned brightly. "It's more like your brother's friend that complicate everything." Walking towards the girl, she patted her head and squatted down to her eye level and gave her a smile which she truly meant as she tapped her nose lightly, "I would stay away from boys if I were you. Like you said, they complicate everything."

She noticed Faye come from her corner from her eyes as she stood up straight once more. Waving off her apology, Charlotte shrugged, "You're fine, don't worry about it." Tensing a little when Faye hugged her, Charlotte relaxed and returned it the affection. Her throat constricted a little as the girl's fragile state reminded her of Charlotte's late younger sister. Clearing her throat, she looked back at Amelie.

"So, where's this bathroom that I've been looking for?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "Got to fix my make up and what not."

Mel raised an eyebrow. "Bathroom. Riiiiiiight. It's just down the hall to the left, three doors down. I'll wait here to help you get back. Merlin, whoever designed this place should be shot, it's a miserable rat warren of corridors." She sat against the wall and waved her hand at the older girls. "Well, carry on. I'll be here." She grinned up at them. She truly did like her brother's friends. Well, the girl ones anyway.