A Measure of Courage or Foolishness

Mari's jaw dropped, making her resemble a troll, when the girls in front of her revealed they were prefects. "Just my dumb luck.." she muttered as two - Choi and Bezu..something - argued over her. Now was the time to take action or continue inaction. Which family member should she make proud: Mum or Lucy? Mum would be absolutely devastated to hear that her daughter, who had never toed the line, received a detention. Lucy, however, would be thrilled. Throughout her time at Hogwarts, Mari had yet to do anything that warranted a loss of house points, let alone a detention.

She couldn't do it. Mum would be so disappointed, and ultimately, Lucy already thought she was a loser. A detention probably wouldn't change that. The only way to really please Lucy would be to be popular, not to be a troublemaker.

Mari was so concentrated in thought that she missed the squabble, though she vaguely caught that it was something to do with prefects doing their jobs. She absentmindedly thought it was better she didn't know what was going on, anyway, since she would never need to know what a prefect's job truly was as she would never be a prefect. She tuned back in when Choi turned to the other Slytherin girl and said, "Miss Shymane, we actually have not met before." The fight hadn't gone well; she continued to glare at Bezu and said further, "Do not worry about it. Only two, or one minutes left before 11 pm, which means most of the people here will get detention."

Mari gasped audibly; her jaw somehow was able to drop further. "You're joking!" She yelped. "The time's already passed that fast! If all of you are prefects, I got to get out of here; Mum would murder me if she found out about this."

She was about to turn and bolt when she looked at the three girls, specifically focusing on Bezu, as she assumed that she would be her best hope for salvation. As Mum always said, Slytherins were snakes, and Mari didn't quite trust them due to her preconceived notions. "I'm not going to make it, please don't tell anyone I was here. I don't want to be murdered by my mum, even if it's just a figurative murder."

With that, she sprinted away, but she was far too short and out of shape to run very fast, especially given that the party was held in the lowermost portion of the castle. When she had made it to the barrels of the Hufflepuff common room, she tapped out "Helga Hufflepuff" so hastily that she almost messed it up. When she knew she was safely allowed in, she checked her pocket watch. 10:15.

Did she make it back without detection? Did the prefects keep her protected?

Excuses and excuses were all that Luna gave, reasons to why Aurelia might have misunderstood. Aurelia could sense a plausible lie, nobody was dressed so fancifully and just so happen to be at a party. The Brunette, with her arms still folded, leaned against the door frame once again as she let the first year Slytherin explain herself. Though her face was expressions, her eyes narrowed skeptically.

Another girl stumbled right behind Luna, tripping but caught and straighten herself. This girl, Shymane another Slytherin prefect who had chose to ignore her duties had began stuttering, introducing herself. Aurelia resisted the urge to run her forehead and groan when the continued, apologising for speaking with arrogance though Aurelia had not notice anyrhing but that she was somehow nervous. Of course she would be, she was a prefect in a late night party after all.

“There’s no need to apologise. You’re a prefect.” Aurelia proceeded to comment as a matter of fact.

“Unfortunately, you have to understand that I have reasons not to believe you, Luna. You as well, Nico. But no matter, we would bring this matter up to the headmaster, see what his thoughts are.” Aurelia said now standing upright, away from the door frame. Like what Luna stated, it wasn’t necessary to quarrel with her. She’d just get the Headmaster it deal with them. It was time, time for detention.

Making her way to the center of the room, Aurelia now made herself visible. “Alright! Party is over! It’s 11pm, Curfew! All of you will have to face consequences. Names will be taken down and detention will be issued soon enough. I expect all of you to clean up and head straight to your dormitories!” Aurelia hollered. She knew many in the room yet she was a prefect and only doing her duties.

Paracelsus rose from his slumber, disoriented as one would expect. He had fallen asleep in a comfortable, warm space and awoke in the cool cellar-like basement of Hogwarts bundled in a blanket. She must have some sort of affection for the strange Gryffindor, otherwise she would have left him where he laid his head. How sweet. 

“Erin? Why am I in the potions room?... And why are there people here?”

The disoriented wizard had good questions. Where? What? Why?

"My brother's party," Erin answered matter of factly. "You were asleep... I did not want to leave you at the mercy of your peers," she explained as if he would have been in mortal peril had she not interceded. Well, if others thought like she did he most certainly was. Parce likely followed her voice to find the devious Slytherin girl. She was not particularly hard to find, she was not hiding. 

“Oh, there you are Erin.”

Victory was his.

"Ah, dearest," Erin turned towards Paracelsus, he looked confused and tired. Paracelsus' hair likely mussed. Perhaps not the finest of introductions for the pureblood. It mattered not his appearance, it was his blood that mattered. Erin reached for Paracel's arm, attempting to snake hers into the crook of his or to grab his hand, clasping it into her own. Erin's body always felt cold to the touch, as if her personality has a temperature that seemed to emanate from her. Paracel was a rather passive creature, more nervous and fearful than anything else from what she had observed. Like a puppy. "Have you met my brother Geoffrey?" This was intended to be an opportunity for introductions it would seem. A formality really, the contract between them was made and they were mated. With her free hand, if she had made contact with Paracel would attempt to finger comb his hair and straighten his collar. First impressions should be best impressions on second thought. 

She was leading Paracelsus back to Geoffrey, her words potentially lost in the chatter when another voice piqued her interest.

“You, a mate?”

Yes, a one Thomas Lestrange. Erin looked over in Thomas' direction, her eyes landing about where his hands should have rested before they followed an unseen path to his face. She did not trust him despite his statement that they would be comrades. Not that it mattered greatly, his intentions mattered less than the outcome from Erin's perspective. People were creatures of habit. They go to the same stores and take the same routes, even if they are not necessarily the most direct or convenient unless they make a conscious effort otherwise. Sometimes they simply travel as if on auto-pilot to places they hardly remember traveling to, somehow interacting with the world around them and avoiding peril in the process. Like machines. Like zombies. 

She was fine with the mechanistic explanation and treatment of a one Thomas Lestrange. She would build him like she was building Mister Howard White. 

“Never thought you to be the type.”

She was studying Thomas in that moment of silence where he added that such attachments were unexpected. He was not necessarily wrong, Erin did not seem like the type to fall in love. That she would even be capable. He was right, she was not capable of feeling anything but like most people she was capable of becoming attached. People become attached to a number of things, an old blanket, a broken clock, a favored pillow. Comfort, laziness, familiarity, availability all likely came into play. It would appear that there was something in the girl, some capacity for attachment or even love, but she did not feel. She could not even know it. Yet there was something, be it an affection or something more for her pureblood victim, her affection for her younger brother or a bit of both it would be hard to glean from this interaction. It was still notable however because she went through all of this trouble to show her new toy to her brother. She cared about what Geoffrey thought even if she did not honestly realize it.

"To wish to procreate or to actually procreate?" Erin answered Thomas with a query before she let out a sigh. "While he has claimed he inseminated me, I have to admit it was nothing like the pictorial manuals Geoffrey keeps under his mattress." She shrugged. "Not that I am disappointed or troubled, a pure-blood child is a reason to celebrate." While what she said at that moment was not intended to be a prod against Lestrange's muggle mother, it was possible that the embers of the Slytherin's fire were roused. His mother was a weak-point in the boy's armor. Perhaps he cursed his own mixed blood heritage. Maybe he was just a momma's boy. Erin saw it as a bit of both.  "But I am..." glad, excited, annoyed? Erin had no emotion that she could truthfully place to complete the phrase. "Benefitted by your presence," she was still moving towards her brother Geoffrey the click of her sharp heel a characteristic of her movement. "Come," she was not brushing Thomas off but rather demanding his continued company. She had not forgotten Thomas' assertion that he wanted to join her, so join her he would. She was leading him to the heart of the revelry. 

Geoffrey was, as he often was, the center of attention. Thomas spoke first, addressing the host.

“It’s impressive what you’ve done here. And you are?” 

"Geoffrey Ryan, my younger brother," Erin announced. The resemblance was there if one thought about it, the darker hair, the rounded facial features, the strange matter of garb. Perhaps Geoffrey was the sane one. The "good" one to balance out Erin's apparent and obvious evil. The world is right and fair. There is an unseen but always felt balance to the universe. Yeah right...

The students were still filtering in. Parties such as these crescendo someplace near dawn before exhaustion finally sets in and the students either wander back to their own beds or find a corner to crash. Some of the students that entered were chatty and uncertain, she could feel their awkwardness as they attempted to find their place seeking the heart of the room but often remaining along the edges. Others were just there, taking up space, eating snacks and pretending to belong or waiting for time to pass them by. Something was wrong... Erin's eyes widened ever so slightly, her face which was for the most part the vision of neutrality as if it was made of porcelain and frozen in place changed. It was slight, something that would likely go unnoticed unless she was being actively observed. A flicker in her eyes, a twitch in the corner of her lips. Something had gotten her attention. The indignation and anger... those sweet-sweet lies. A meal fit for a queen. Yes, this slight change in her expression was like one seeing the largest, juiciest steak on a plate in front of them after they had not eaten all day. Delicious.

If there was a physical attachment to Paracelsus, Erin would attempt to break contact with him. "I-I have... a matter to attend to," Erin would announce with a bit of a stammer, their delicious pain a distraction. "I probably won't be back, don't wait up dear." If free, she would attempt to kiss him on the cheek before she broke away. "Make friends you three, when I heal again I will be requiring all of you." Yes, she anticipated pain or injury as casually as some would expect traffic. A strange farewell, but Erin was an odd girl. For a majority of her 'relationship' with Paracelsus Erin has been injured. The occasional bruise or scrape, nothing that lasted long, just a day or two. Then there was the aftermath of the library incident, she never explained to Paracel or her brother what had happened. She would not lie but she was also not asked. She actually both recalled that incident with a fondness and with regret. The amount of pain she endured and the length of her injuries was exceptional, far too much in exchange for the changes she had elicited from Howard which could have been better done elsewhere or her new bond with Thomas that she could have forced as another time. BUT she felt something, just a spark and only for a moment but it was hers. That moment of fear that belonged to her that bubbled at the surface. She nearly died to feel something, but it was better than nothing at all. As a consequence her foot was crushed, her scalp was cut and she was covered with bruises. The bruises faded within a day, the deep cut just past her hairline a few days later. The fracture took longer of course, braced for a week, bandaged for another and like a newborn fawn she wobbled beneath her own weight for yet another. Erin healed fast, exceedingly so even by wizarding standards. Not to say that her healing was not enhanced by the efforts of healing magics, it certainly was but there was an anomaly within the young girl that went beyond 'quirky' or 'unusual.'

The hailstorm she felt was coming from... girls. Some frou-frou looking thing (Luna), some uptight girl (Auriella), a girl with awesome hair (Mari) and some other girl (Nico). A part of Erin shuddered, as she got closer she could feel it even more. She did not even care what it was that they were talking about -- the fear, the anger, the superiority complexes... they were growing still and she knew it. It was to her grand disappointment that the bitchy with the superiority complex one parted company from the others leaving just the three girls. Things were just getting good and she wanted to know what the cause of that drama was in the first place. Poo~

The Prefect Auriella made her way to the center of the room. She had an announcement. 

“Alright! Party is over! It’s 11pm, Curfew! All of you will have to face consequences. Names will be taken down and detention will be issued soon enough. I expect all of you to clean up and head straight to your dormitories!” 

Erin would follow Ariella of course, breeching the crowd.

"What party?" Erin announced loud enough for everyone in the room to hear but she was not shouting. Erin's voice was one that demanded attention. 

"The party that you are in attendance of? The same party that multiple Prefects are in attendance of?" She shook her head. "No... I see no party here. Unless you are talking about the one you organized here." Erin was lying through her teeth. This was a gamble of course, a lie of convenience that the students would likely not look too far into. It was not as if they would uncover a written admission of guilt from her brother regarding the organization of this party. The true organizer, her brother would likely substantiate and claim that the Prefect had pushed him into playing the role of being the 'face' of the gathering. Perhaps the students would seek the truth but that was not in their best interest. This lie was. And if the truth was made known, if her brother was an unforgivable idiot, what was the worst that could happen? That Erin was labeled a liar in addition to a deviant? That title would not keep her up at night. "Sit down, enjoy your party. You're not leaving until dawn." 

Erin was not a powerful caster, that was what she needed Thomas for. Erin was not particularly strong, that was what she needed Howard for. Erin could not asexually reproduce, that was what she needed Paracelsus for. Erin lacked the charisma, good looks and charm to win over people, that was what Geoffrey was for. Erin was however, manipulative and capable of thinking on her feet like she was now. "I should have known that if a Gryffindor had no actual heroic duties to nearly die in or convince others to nearly be killed by, they would create one to garner the attention and acclaim of the Professors." A smirk. "Deplorable..."

“What party?” Some one had asked. Aurelia turned to see a shorter girl, dark hair and eyes standing across her. She looked familiar, very familiar. That’s when the bell finally rang, Erin Ryan, the obnoxious girl who provoked imbecilic Charles York to set the ballroom on fire. A dangerous girl, with a dangerous mouth, no wonder she had been put into slytherin, the house of the snakes.

It was a rather odd question to be asking since they were right in the smack middle of an obvious party. Drinks, and people. However, Aurelia’s brow furrowed when she started on how she herself was the one who threw the party. Aurelia once again, pressed her lips together in a thin line, displeased that someone would make such an accusation. She was a prefect, she would never be so stupid to throw a party. Indeed, all she wanted was to defend herself, tell the room that this was not the case, instead, she suppressed this feeling down.

Snakes were snakes, trying to slytherin our ever so cunningly from tight situations like this. It was already a norm for them, like what Luna did. It was possible that if she started arguing, it would be futile. So she said, the fustration clear in her voice. “Believe what you want to believe.” she told the girl but was more for the whole room to hear. Her foot steps clicked against the ground as she made her way to the exit.

She stopped right at the threshold turning to face the room, she made one final announcement, “I am inviting a professor to join this party. Unless you have a death wish Feel free to stay a while longer.” She turned around and made her exit. If they won’t listen to her, it’s likely that they’d listen to someone with more authority, a professor. Now, to find a professor, there’s a chance that the potions professor might be somewhere along the halls.

Thea was approached by a Slytherin. She saw him before she entered the room, she saw him even before the gathering has come into place somewhere along the halls and he seemed pretty content while she and another girl were looking at the potion shelves. He spoke in a weird manner, charming in a certain way, talking about, well, whatever he was talking about. Thea's mind was currently racing back to the things that used to happen at her muggle school. Gatherings were present, in many different classes, although most of them were organized by teachers.

The one that took place in the Chemistry class certainly was not.

"Yeah. Experience." she gave the boy a sour smile, not wanting to elaborate. She wasn't expecting a reply, especially as she saw a girl with slicked back black hair which looked awfully familiar to the boy. "Twins?" she threw the word out with no intentions of a reply as the other girl was already talking and pretty much pushing the boy away towards...

...another girl.

There was a lot of girls here, to be honest. She looked at what was happening. The girl who seemed to be a second year Hufflepuff started to... rant? About the irresponsibility of some of the prefects. Wow. Cool. The girl was startled and backed into the shelf, hoping she didn't break anything. She didn't like screaming. She watched the events unfold.

Now they were talking about mating. HUMAN mating. Alright, I guess. Weird talk. She wouldn't be fair to judge them if she wouldn't judge the talks she had with her friends while in muggle school. Well, more prefects entered and Thea was zoning out. Curfew. People talking. Yelling. Curfew. More yelling. More arguing. Curfew.

Before she knew it, curfew was up and a Gryffindor prefect was about to call a professor. Oh no. Oh no no, she was already out past curfew and probably had detention. She was not about to get a second one. She left. As fast as the stupid dress let here.

Lazy.
Leaving Thread.

Thomas viewed Erin’s mate from head to toe in silent awe that he even existed. He may have just woken from a slumber, as far as Thomas was concerned, he was still fast asleep. Perhaps under a spell that would induce a constant daze, a love potion, or irreversible brain damage? He instantly pitied the Gryffindor boy for this attachment.

"While he has claimed he inseminated me, I have to admit it was nothing like the pictorial manuals Geoffrey keeps under his mattress."

Thomas would not hear much after the word inseminated was mentioned, his brain far too early in its developmental stages to comprehend the concept. He would look to others in the vicinity with a baffled glare, Erin’s presence all the more disconcerting with a group of students encompassing them.

"Not that I am disappointed or troubled, a pure-blood child is a reason to celebrate."

There it was, the first jab of the evening. Thomas did not take kindly to any reference towards the inferiority of his muggle mother, insinuating she was not equal to those with magical blood would quickly bring his temper to a boiling point. “Any child is a reason to celebrate.” His voice soft and direct, hesitant to engage in a battle of insults with the other students peering. Not to mention his calculating choice to join Erin. The choice would delicately tear him to pieces, leaving him in a state of disarray far before achieving his lofty goal to bring upon her suffering. If he was wise, he would have dashed by now.

"Geoffrey Ryan, my younger brother,"

Another Ryan, it could not be. Please let her be joking. Thomas attempted to maintain a composed look on his exterior, a blank stare in Geoffrey’s direction, unsure of whether to look at his one exposed eye, or the eyepatch. A great fear sent internal waves crashing throughout his bones, feeling like they were an enclosing group of starving wolves. The Gryffindor boy was merely an appetizer, Thomas was the main course. “A mate, and a brother?” Turning to Erin, Thomas did his best to suspend any alarm within. “What else are you hiding?”

“Alright! Party is over! It’s 11pm, Curfew! All of you will have to face consequences. Names will be taken down and detention will be issued soon enough. I expect all of you to clean up and head straight to your dormitories!”

Another voice emerged towards the entrance, seemingly fearless any naysayers would oppose her demand for the conclusion of this party. Thomas was not going to be one of them, after all he would need time to digest the devastating news Erin was not a solitary monster, she has resources he would not fathom existed. A few students scurried out of the classroom while Erin went to confront the Gryffindor prefect. Thomas watched on from a distance, not needing to hear exactly what Erin would say to distinguish her stance against the party pooper.

“I am inviting a professor to join this party. Unless you have a death wish Feel free to stay a while longer.”

Assuming this death wish was a reference to detention, Thomas viewed it as no understatement. It would mark his second time, both initiated by a Ryan sibling. Though fleeing from the scene would do his cover as Erin’s weapon no favors, the Slytherin youth would elect to do what is necessary to increase trust between them. “A galleon says your sister throws the first stone.” Thomas spoke in a low sarcastic tone, nudging Geoffrey with his elbow.

It seemed the two by the Potions had no intention of interacting with him. Perhaps they already knew who he was. Maybe they could sense it, the danger that seemed to emanate from the First Year. Nonetheless he had other matters to attend to as he went to deal with the one who'd decided to bring concerns of punishment into his experiment. Then he heard her voice, that of Erin Ryan. His beloved sister, no doubt here to torment some poor soul. Although if he was honest she was probably here to watch over him. The bond between the two siblings was strong & despite their peculiar natures the two seemed united by not just their similarities but differences as well.

"Erin, come to enjoy the party I see." he would raise an eyebrow when his sister asked him if he'd found a suitable mate yet. It then dawned upon him that he'd not thought about such needs yet. But perhaps he should, many of those he would be schooling with would be his peers when he was at a suitable reproductive age. "Thank you sister, I hadn't thought about that. I suppose it will be a necessity before long I may as well begin appraising suitable candidates now." he'd say with an appreciative nod to his sister. When she brought her first potential suggestion for his mate he gazed upon the Hufflepuff.

"Perhaps you're right. I'll add her to the list, you'll need to help me gather the intel needed for my dossier." he'd say to his sister while his sapphire gaze stared directly into that of the Hufflepuffs. However it was his sister's next words brought some surprise to the youths face. His sister had found a mate? There was someone here she found tolerable enough to make such a contract with? He took a step closer as she continued speaking. He would chuckle at her words knowing the other students would think the worst when she mentioned leaving his body somewhere. Before long he stumbled out of the crowd looking slightly disheveled, Erin turned before tidying up the boy. Her actions confirming her words to him.

Suddenly it happened a girl of petite stature barged in & began shouting about the idiocy of such an event. Even calling all the attendees gits. Perhaps she didn't realize the risk of getting caught was far greater during the day. Particularly with all the active Teachers, vast numbers of missing students from classes would be noticed. But he doubted she'd thought as in depth into the variables as he had. That was when he heard his words, his head would turn to face the one who made the first comments to his sister. He would remember the youths face deciding now was not quite the time to alter the mood of the night, not when there was still a chance of salvaging the experiment. Although he would get the boy for his comments to his sister. That same student then complimented him on his arrangement of the party. To which he would simply smile neither denying nor confirming the words. He made a comment that did however reveal his ideals were interesting for someone in Erin's company.

Then in danced a student who seemed to scream disaster & a chuckle emanated from the youth. Whoever the boy was Geoffrey could tell he would be an interesting specimen to observe & even use in some of his experiments. He noticed worried exchanges between students at the words of concern. 'So foolishness it seems to be for most of them...what a shame.' he thought to himself, noting very few seemed noticeably unconcerned with the newly raised concerns. There it was the tipping of the scale it would seem as another began speaking of punishments, even going so far as to begin suggesting the types of punishment they may receive. Goeffrey openly laughed at her attempts to scare them with her idea's of punishments. If that was the severity of their reprimanding for this behavior he had nothing to fear.

But then something magical happened another Prefect entered the fray beginning to debate with the other student. Perhaps they'd felt attacked by the statement the girl had made or concerned their own personal honor might be questioned. Or that had been his initial thoughts but they were initially dashed. The other Prefect's seemed intent on gaining herself allies from the peers present. When his sister brought up the magazines he had under his bed he couldn't help but smirk & take a sip of his Tea. Nodding at his sister's words & raising his glass as she introduced him to her mate & the other student from earlier. "As you wish sister, enjoy yourself I'm sure you will." he'd say noticing something or better yet someone had drawn her attention.

He couldn't contain his curiosity his gaze following his sister, before long his feet were although he stayed back in the crowd initially observing the encounter. Expecting both Erin's mate & her companion to accompany him. "I'd put money on those stiletto's being weaponized." he would say half having to fight a smirk at the mental image, as he nodded to his sister's choice of footwear. Whether she started it or not one thing was for sure Erin would certainly end it. However there was perhaps no need for bloodshed so early into his event. Taking a step out of the crowd he'd drink the last of his tea. Placing the cup onto the plate so the chime of the glassware was audible between those involved.

"My a Prefect threatening to harm students? I'm sure the Professor's would be very interested to discover this side of you...but you needn't worry about that. Simply do as my sister says & enjoy the party." Geoffrey would calmly say as he walked over to the table taking up a three nearby goblets of punch & approaching the Prefects with his hands outstretched offering the drinks. "It may be best to remember that many of those within the school walls may very well end up your peers once we've finished our schooling. It's not just what you know in life, but who you know." he would say with the drink held aloft towards her. Those sapphire eyes of his holding her in his gaze as he spoke. "My invitation to participate in the festivities of tonight will stand until curfew passes. Should you decide that your allegiance is better served else where then with your peers by all means refuse my offer..." he paused giving her the time she would need to realize she was already in the middle of the serpents Den.

The atmosphere to the party had dramatically altered. There was something to be said about herd mentality, even among humans despite the belief of some. His words were not just for her but all those within the room. Hushed debates began to become audible among the crowd. There eyes moving to the Prefects who had exposed themselves to the crowd. It seemed the gathering in the Potions room had become much-like an unstable potion. The slightest mistake could cause complete chaos. No doubt this would be one of the moments that would be a key point in his reputation. He did not intend on having anyone whether they be Prefect or Professor take that away from him. Erin possessed a finesse when it came to the art of coercion & in fact manipulation.

Geoffrey however was not only cunning like the serpent but capable of being just as entrancing as the reptilian symbol for his house. There was a noble charm to his words & actions. But despite the allure & charismatic energy he wielded like a weapon. One could not deny the dangerous aura about the youth. Something deep within that calculating gaze of his, that disregard for the rules that only hindered him. Then there was that aura of mystery that surrounded him.

{ Interacting with Geoffrey, Erin, Paracelsus, Eris and Aurelia, mentions Nico & Luna }

The first to reply to her question was a boy with black hair [GEOFFREY] that she did not recognise. She quirked an eyebrow at him as he replied to her question with another question. It was always mildly amusing when people did that, in her opinion. She smirked lightly at his question. Did he honestly think she cared about 'risking punishment'? A lot worse had happened to her since she started Hogwarts. Not just to her, but to all of her friends too. Everyone was getting hurt. One detention was nothing to fear when people were literally fearing their lives. "Neither. I don't care for the punishment. I have far more important reasons for being here," She simply replied.

He continued to question her, bringing her house into it. Serena rolled her eyes lightly, "Oh how stereotypical." She replied before continuing, "Sadly, you're wrong about Hufflepuffs. We aren't Huffles because we're 'happy to see peers enjoying themselves', that literally has nothing to do with our house. If you want to bring my house into this... Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I'm worried about the safety of my peers." Serena explained to the stranger.

As she stood there engaging with the boy, she spotted a figure approaching them from the corner of her eye. She was much more perceptive nowadays, after learning that she had to be in this school. Her eyes quickly flicked to the figure before relaxing as they landed on the familiar face of a Slytherin student she knew. Nico... Serena would have to make sure she got back to her dorm safely, before anything dangerous could happen to her. Of all of the people here, she cared most about her. They did not know each other well. They had only met once before but for some reason, Serena felt the need to protect her. It was like Nico was her younger sister.

Before she could approach Nico, however, another Slytherin female appeared in front of her. Sadly, this one tore the smile off Serena's face. Erin Ryan. Serena could not help but roll her eyes as she heard the word 'pureblood' thrown around so quickly. Of course Erin thought blood was, oh so important. It was really no surprise. Serena opened her mouth to comment but nothing came out as Erin's next words hit her ear. 'She might make a tolerable mate'. Serena's eyes widened, "Wh- What the heck? What's wrong with yo-" She started to protest but Erin was definitely not listening. Serena continued to protest but whatever she said was lost in the noise of the room and the fact that everyone seemed to be ignoring it.

Serena must have been in a daze, shocked to the core after what happened. Everything happened so quickly, she barely had time to react. Her mind was going crazy internally, trying to comprehend everything that was happening. She thought she was speaking but she could not actually hear her own words.

Erin went on to claim that she had found a 'mate' herself as Serena was freaking out. The truth was, Serena did not actually care who this mate was. Perhaps a pre-arranged pureblood relationship that her parents had set up. 'Parsley Myth' apparently, whoever that was. At least... Serena did not care until her eyes fell onto the painfully familiar face of a Gryffindor boy that she knew as the Parasite (mostly because she could not remember what came after the 'Para' part of his name and he acted like a parasite to her).

The boy gave her a weak wave, Serena stood there shocked to the core. That little hypocrite... After all he did to Serena, her reputation and the rumours that he spread around for absolutely no good reason... He had decided it was appropriate to find himself a 'mate'?

Serena stood there, slightly. And the quieter she was, the longer she waited, the more angry she got. It was like a flame had suddenly sparked inside of her and every single second, a drop of fuel fell onto it.

Her eyes tore away from Erin and Paracelsus as she heard her name. She stood quietly as Eris spoke to her. It took a few seconds longer than it should have to process what Eris was saying. Serena's jaw clenched tightly, angry started to fuel her. "No, they are all bloody idiots." She replied bitterly. She did not actually think that, of course not. She liked a few people in the room and assumed that the majority were simply young, innocent and ignorant. But she was bitter right now. Her words were mostly aimed at Paracelsus, in all honesty.

Serena agreed with Eris. There was no issue with having a party in the daylight. However, all of the known student attacks had happened at night, right? Why would they risk coming out here just for a party? Serena was not worried they would get caught by teachers, she did not care about that. She was worried that they would get caught by whoever unleashed the masked man... and her suspicions on one particular person was growing. "These idiots!" Serena muttered to Eris, annoyed at the whole thing. Falling silent again, she fumed still annoyed at the hypocrisy of some people. She was so angry that she missed a ton of conversation.

And then something just snapped.

She marched right up to Paracelsus, jabbing her finger towards his chest. If he did not stop her, she'd hit it. "You." She muttered under her breathe, her voice laced with anger, "You bloody hypocritical punkass little twerp!" Serena had no idea what she was saying, to be honest. She was just throwing out the first 'bad' words she could think of. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" She questioned, not really waiting for an answer before she turned to the room, hearing bits of the conversation finally.

"And you, whatever your name is. She's definitely not right. Take me off your stupid list." Serena finally replied to the boy that called Erin his 'sister'. Something like Geoffrey or Joffrey, if she heard Erin correctly earlier.

Serena looked at Aurelia, unaware of when she even arrived, "Of course they have a death wish. Even you do. So many of us standing in this room right now got attacked in this very school, after curfew. Just by being here, we're all at risk. I don't care if you're a suck up but if you think the professors can protect you, you're wrong. They must be corrupt. They knew about everything and couldn't protect us. They allowed us to get hurt and did nothing to stop it. Hell, half of both of our houses almost die under Lear's 'protection'." Serena barked out, annoyed. She did air quotes as she said 'protection', referring to the Hufflepuff Camp Out that Lear was in charge of and the Lock-In that so many people suffered in.

The truth of the matter was, Serena did not really like Erin. After Gryffindor boys, Erin was probably one of the few people she disliked to a degree. From where the Hufflepuff stood, she was nothing but a bully that was worth pitying. However, she did have a point. Serena strolled across the party quite early on and the majority of the room seemed to be Prefects and Hogwart Ghosts that probably should have some sort of responsibility too. For all she knew, this most definitely could have been the Prefects' party. One of the Prefects that she did not recognise [LUNA] was even dressed up for the occasion...

"Now, I question this one's choices and actions," Serena continued, gesturing to Erin with her thumb. She highly questioned the Slytherin's choices - especially the choice of her partner. She certainly questioned her actions, which tended to be unnecessarily mean in Serena's past experience with her and apparently led to being added to some dumb list she did not want to be in, "But for once, she might be onto something. This seems highly suspicious." Serena continued, pondering for a moment. Perhaps Lear had somehow tricked the Prefects into doing his bidding? Serena glanced around the room, there were a few prefects present and all of them seemed very new, if she was correct.

It had been a few months since she stepped down from the prefect team herself but she tried to keep updated with the changes that happened. She had no reason to suspect Lear and the Prefects were working together but she would not be surprised if it was true... She could be onto something. Serena glanced at Nico. Nico was the only one among the Prefects that she knew personally. Although she did not know her well, she wanted to believe that Nico would not intentionally harm the students... But Lear was smart. If he was the one who allowed the masked man to attack students and somehow got promoted in the process, perhaps he was smarter than he looked. He may have been tricking the other Professors or the Ministry... He could easily have tricked a few kids. She would have to watch them.

"Erin, come to enjoy the party I see." 

She had found her cherished younger brother, not that he was hard to identify considering the clothes he often donned and the fact that he preferred to be in the center of the room rather than the periphery. There was something awkward about her presence, her lack of outward sign of affection in her face or her mannerisms. Siblings often either loved or hated one another, but their words exchanged and the posture she had chosen suggested they were more like business partners than family members. Her query about a mate, almost clinical as was his response.

"Thank you sister, I hadn't thought about that. I suppose it will be a necessity before long I may as well begin appraising suitable candidates now." 

It was not too early to consider his prospects. As long as they were not a filthy mudblood. That would be the ultimate disappointment to her. Erin tossed out a suggestion: Serena Towers. Weak, weepy, passive, pure-blooded. Likely easy to control and manipulate, a good choice for a potential mate. 

"Perhaps you're right. I'll add her to the list, you'll need to help me gather the intel needed for my dossier."

"Wh- What the heck? What's wrong with yo-"

Serena seemed annoyed. Of course she did, she was just a consideration. That was a tad cruel for her to hear. "You're welcome?" Erin replied. Better than an arranged marriage or going with your fourth cousin, their trees were so far apart one would have thought Erin's suggestion was grand. There was no shame in not being the one that thought this up, besides envy on her feels a lot like annoyance. Yeesh.

Introductions were in order. She wanted Paracelsus to meet her brother. The significance of this was something that was likely lost on the both of them. She considered them to both be of adequate value that she felt compelled to make sure that they would meet. The 'relationship' between Erin and Paracelsus was likely one-sided, in that Erin was not particularly affectionate or at least had no notion on how to demonstrate the concept. She did not feel anything in particular towards the Gryffindor, however she had developed an attachment or at the very least a sense of ownership over him. She simply wanted him to be around, not for the sake of the imaginary spawn she erroneously believed was growing in her belly. Plenty of children grow up fatherless and are just fine. With no lack of funds, raising a pure-blood youth would be a non-concern for the heiress. No, she chose to value him for a reason that was not tangible or something she was capable of defining. Had she realized it, she would have discovered that she had felt something towards the idiot that was similar to what she felt towards Geoffrey. A state of tolerance? No, that was not it. A state of like? Perhaps, at the very least it was closer...

“A mate, and a brother?”

Thomas commented , as if it was an astonishing thought to consider that her family had more than one child. A twinge of panic could be felt.

“What else are you hiding?”

Plenty. "An evil twin," she quipped before she left Paracelsus in the company of her brother and Thomas to address the screaming elephant in the center of the room. It was a Gryffindor Prefect, some recent year, first or second, she could not be bothered to recall which. She would never hear Thomas' or Geoffrey's comments as sounds of the crowd drowned out their voices. But Geoffrey was right, these heels were weaponized. The heel itself was four inches of steel sharpened to a pointed stiletto tip. The tip protected by a small bit of rubber that the end of the bladed heel pressed into. And yes, she was fine keeping her balance, she walked with nothing less than absolute confidence.

Ultimately the 'threat' of detention was made. Erin did not feel threatened by the Prefect, in fact she welcomed her chagrin. The threat of what -- washing windows, brushing unicorns, folding sheets... it was like a nagging girlfriend telling her boyfriend that if he goes out for a night of fun with the guys she would not talk to him the next day and consider that a deterrent. It was encouragement for him more than likely. In her case, there were likely others (the rest of this party for instance) that would 'suffer' with her. The simply meant that she would have unfettered access to the students gathered her at a later date. "Yes please," she answered as sweetly as she could. 

The weepy-angry pure-blood Huffle was yelling at her man.  And yelling at her Geoffrey. Two fatal mistakes in a matter of seconds time. Then she was also yelling at the bitchy Prefect. Were they on the same side on this one? Maybe? That did not compensate for her previous insult. Erin's eyes would follow Serena as she made her grand announcement. Erin would cross her arms over her chest, a bit of a sour look on her face being the greatest indication that something as of recent tickled her the wrong way.

After the bitchy prefect (OC: sorry, not me... Erin) left, Erin had another matter to deal with. Her Parsley Parsnip Parcel (close) Parasol (closer)... why did he have to have an incredibly long and difficult to say/spell name? Erin would march over to Paracelsus and look him over, getting uncomfortably close to him in the process. Something he might have gotten used to by now, Erin had a habit of invading personal space. It was as if she was trying to take in his scent, but she was not breathing deeply. No she was trying to get a feel for him in a crowd of mixed emotions. Was he rattled? Did the weepy Huffle hurt him? Erin would give Serena a sharp stare before she left Paracelsus' proximity. Maybe Erin was just intensely jealous. It would have been a fair assumption, but that was not quite it. It was more she did not want anyone to damage her shiny toy. "What happened?" She would inquire, still looking in Serena's direction as she searched for Paracelsus' hand without looking. It would be a clumsy search somewhere in that general vicinity.

"Did she threaten you?" She would take hold of something, be it his hand or a bit of his clothes or his arm or whatever part of his anatomy her hand would ultimately discover and grip. It was hasty, not nearly as calculated as her actions normally were. She was a bit fussed. She would attempt to tug Paracelsus in the direction of the door, away from whatever it was that just happened. She needed a clear head and a bigger knife.

Been waiting on Parce but I think he is dead. Getting him out of the way. Not sure if this thread has also died. Attempting to leave topic unless prevented.

Interacts with Erin, Thomas, Serena and Geoffrey(doesn't speak directly to him tho)

"Ah, dearest, have you met my brother Geoffrey?" Erin coiled her arm under Parcel’s and clasped his hand. A month or two ago Parcel would have recoiled back from the touch, but some weeks in Erin’s clutches had turned recoiling in fear into a bit redder cheeks and an elevated heartbeat.

“I don’t think so, no, not unless he’s a Gryffindor-” Parcel gulped a bit as Erin started combing through his hair and straightening his collar. He had never seen her worry about anyone's appearance before, so this brother probably meant a great deal to her.

Erin’s pampering turned to a halt as a voice emerged.
“You, a mate? Never thought you to be the type.”

“What type would that be-..” Parcel liked to handle his own confrontations. He might come of as dull, but his dream in life was to be an adventurer. And adventurers could stand up for themselves. Parcels friendly smile was however turned to a face of horror as his reply was cut short by Erin.

"While he has claimed he inseminated me, I have to admit it was nothing like the pictorial manuals Geoffrey keeps under his mattress. Not that I am disappointed or troubled, a pure-blood child is a reason to celebrate."
Parcel turned his face in the direction of the girl by his side so fast that one would expect a snapping sound to come from his neck. His cheeks that might have had a light streak of red was crimson now. “Erin, d-don’t tell everyone about our private life, I-I don’t even know this guy” Parcel tried to talk under his breath for only her to hear, but it was hard to control his volume in his state of surprise.



The Slytherin boy seemed rather unfazed by Erin’s supposed child, and seemed to follow along as Erin dragged Parce with her further into the crowd. Not that Parce noticed much more then his legs moving, the shock of being presented as Erins “soon”-to-be child's father put him in rather the flustered state.

Parcel shook himself out of the daze as Erin came to an halt "Geoffrey Ryan, my younger brother," She said and Parcel turned his head to look at the creator of the party. He resembled Erin in a way, Parcel could agree with that. The thing that most stood out was perhaps the eye patch, was his eye hurt or did he just like it?

Parcel scratched the scar on his chin. Erins brother was a pirate? Parcel didn’t voice this question, but it did cross his mind. He nodded to the brother, but didn’t do much more then watch the interactions. He was surrounded by slytherins, it was like being trapped in a den of snakes…

Parcel mulled over what to say, Erin seemed to care for her brothers opinion, and Parcel didn’t want to embarrass her.

Parcel felt Erins hold on him lessen, and he turned his attention to her as she started to talk. “You’re leaving?” Parcel asked a bit surprised, but any further questioning got jumbled up in his throat as Erin kissed him on the cheek. His face couldn’t get much more red so it moved to his ears this time. Parcel was left standing with the two slytherin boys, rubbing the cheek where Erin had kissed him as she walked away.

“A galleon says your sister throws the first stone.”

“Don’t talk about her like that” Parcel looked sternly over at Thomas. Parcel might be a blubbering dumbshit, but even he got thought by his parents to stand up for his friends, and intuition told him it should be double for a girlfriend.

He was about to follow after Erin, as the slytherin boys conversation didn't interest him. But before he could move, yet another girl came up to him, jabbing her finger hard into his chest.

"You. You bloody hypocritical punkass little twerp! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Parcel was yet again this night caught by surprise. He did not know what to reply with, his eyes shifted between Serena, the Slytherin boys, Erin and the rest of the crowd. What the heck had he done this time!? Parcel was at a loss for words. His mouth opening and closing repeatedly like that of a goldfish.

“I- Wha-, N-Nothing! What?!” But that was all he could muster to say before Serena turned her attention to someone else, and then someone else. Serena seemed to tear through the whole crowd before she was satisfied… Parcel was left standing, mouth hanging open.

He was smacked out of yet another daze as Erin came charging back at him. She came as close as she could without the two of them embracing as she looked him over. “Erin… you are doing it again” That was one of the things he had gotten used to over the time he had known Erin. Invading his personal space didn’t actually faze him any more, but Parcel pointed it out to her from habit.

"What happened?" Erin asked him as she gave him a bit of space. “I- I have no idea… ” He noticed Erin was trying to grab his hand while she was in an apparent staring match with Serena. Parcel made it a bit easier on her by lifting his hand a bit forward, making it easier to grab hold of.

"Did she threaten you?" She asked him as she grabbed hold of his arm. Pulling Parcel with her as she started to leave the room. “No, nothing like that” Parcel answered. He wasn’t really sure what had happened, or why Serena was yelling at everyone. He was however more then happy to leave with Erin. Parcel hadn’t actually planned to attend any party tonight in the first place.

Attempts to leave thread with Erin