@Lamik Fillestar @Gem Stuart @Lark Flaer @Catriona Staverly @Charlotte Marie Mahr

Elzabeth walked into the Leaky Cauldron with her father by her side. She was bundled up in a winter coat to protect her from the snow outside but underneath was a dress of her mothers doing. Elzabeth had tried to explain that the get-together was purely casual but her mother insisted she show off her new dress.

Elzabeths father had his arm wrapped around her tiny shoulders, looking at the sketchy witches and wizards who were sitting alone with a hot drink. Elzabeth rolled her eyes, it was obvious her father was reluctant to let her head up to the private rooms alone. Although Elzabeth might not understand now, her father had his reasons for being wary, especially with the things he has seen.

"Dad, I'm going to be fine. Can I see the gift?" Elzabeth asked, looking down at the bag he was holding in his opposite hand. He sighed and handed the bag over.

"I'll be just downstairs if you need anything. Remember, if you or your friends are in trouble just scream." He gave Elzabeth one last look over before sending her off in the direction of the rooms.

Elzabeth loved her father but sometimes she wished he didn't worry as much. She stumbled over to the room, opening it to find she was the only one here. Darn. She knew only a few could come but she was hoping she didn't have to spend time in these rooms alone.

There were a lit fireplace and a couch that looked as if it had seen better days. She put the gift down on the coffee table and took a seat on the oddly comfortable couch. With the fire going the room was hot enough for her to take her coat off which then revealed the shin-length red dress that she felt way too formal in.

In an attempt to occupy herself she began looking around for anything she could possibly do to wait for her friends.

Despite the pace that Lark had been dragging her father, Eoin, down the snowy streets in Hogsmeade, he kept a steady pace. She had tried arguing with him, not wanting to be late to see her friends. The holiday break had been nice so far but already she had desperately missed being around everyone. He had simply laughed off her frustrated teenage groans and continued at a leisurely pace. Adjusting the blue house scarf around her neck to fend off the chill nipping at her cheeks, Lark grimaced. She didn't want to be late!

Once the pair had made their way to the Leaky Cauldron, Lark found herself rooted to the spot outside. A small spark of anxiety pulsed through her veins. She hadn't seen her friends in awhile... plus leading up to break they had all been busy. What if they were all inside and she killed the mood walking in? 'No no..' Lark pushed the thoughts from her mind as she felt her father's hand rest on her shoulder. Staring down at her a smile across his face, his fingers squeezed against her shoulder.

"Don't worry!" His voice was calm as he motioned with his stubbled chin towards the door. Easy for him to say! Lark took a look in the reflection of the window, smoothing down any stray hairs and using some of her newfound abilities to lighten the rosy tint in her silver hair. She had managed to get a hold of her abilities once home, her Gran helping her out a great deal. Giving a tug at the sleeves on her sweater she pulled the leather strap of her bag closer to her chest as her father ushered her inside.

The warmth from the fire inside of the tavern made her face tingle. She hadn't realized just how cold it had gotten outside. Even her legs felt as if they were thawing out. Quickly Lark's golden eyes shifted around the room searching for her friends. No sign of them anywhere..

"Not seein' anyone?" Lark looked up to her father and shook her head gently. Elz had written saying it would be in the private rooms they offered here.

"Well-" As Eoin took a step forward Lark put herself between him and the stairs leading to their meeting spot. He blinked down at her looking a bit confused.

"Pa.. you..." Lark stared at him as he towered over her. She felt badly but... she really didn't need him bursting in all holly jolly and spouting off embarrassing tales. He had a knack for doing so, even if it was all in good fun and mostly pride in his daughter. Still. STILL. She would die.. "Can you stay down here while we hang out?" Half asking, half pleading... Eoin sucked in his lower lip and put up a hand.

"Alright alright!" He gave a low brassy chuckle. "I'll leave ye be." Giving him a thankful sigh and returning his hug before he set off towards a couple of men who were now waving and seemingly keen on him joining them

Rushing up the stairs, Lark made her way to the door leading into the room Elz had mentioned. Her heart raced and palms felt a bit sweaty as she hopped through the doorway. Blinking, Lark was welcomed by what appeared to be an empty room. Panic filled the young Ravenclaw girl. Had she come the wrong day?? Wrong room? Maybe no one was here yet-

"Elz!" Lark finally saw her friend sitting on the couch tucked away on the other side of the room. She rushed over to the girl and threw herself on the couch, arms wrapped around her friend. "I missed you!" Pulling back she looked her friend up and down, eyes turning to a sparkling green color. "You look amazin' as always!" She grinned wide and took her leather bag off, setting it at her feet.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　@Elzabeth Gillan 　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Outfit

Reducio

@Lamik Fillestar, @Elzabeth Gillan, & @Lark Flaer

If there was one thing that could properly put a word to Gem's emotions, it would have to be ecstatic, anxious, and a bit disheartened. He wasn't at all sure how that worked, truthfully, but there was a whole lot happening at once.

With him, right behind him, were his dad, Jeff, and his producer, Leland. They seemed ready to take off, but Gem had insisted they stay for at least an hour an forty-five minutes longer, though his argument wasn't so compelling to his father.

"Dad, please," He begged, "it's e' last time I'm gonna get ta see me friends for a long time! Please, I - I joost wanna give em' a gift, somefin, c'mon-"
"Why didn't'ja do it back 'fore we had to do somefin', huh? I told ya we were goin' to Wales-"
"Yes, I know. I know ya did, but dad-"
"Do you already have yer gift?"
"Yes- but-"
"Then leave it upstairs, and let's go."

Gem was easily on the verge of tears, ready to throw a temper tantrum right in front of the Leaky Cauldron, the way he puffed his cheeks out, glared, and had his little hands balled up into fists. Jeff didn't seem like he'd budge at first, the way he tilted his chin up, preparing himself to grab Gem by the arm and trudge off - right up until he felt a hand on his shoulder, Leland's expression of empathy. He really always was a savior.

"Come on, Jeffs. Let the kid spend a bit with his friends, okay? It'll give us a chance to discuss yer album over a pint, yeah? How's that sound?"

It seemed so easy, even a bit suspicious, the way Jeff seemed to have sunken under Leland's hand that quickly. He'd caved, and without another word, nodded his head towards the door of the Leaky Cauldron. With a hop, Gem rushed inside, pushed past all the people in with tiny ''scuse me's following, and waited by the steps for his father. He assumed Leland had gone off to find them a table, because Jeff was the only person squeezing his way through the crowd, looking a bit sheepish.

"Well aren't you a ray ov sunshine right now, aye, dad?"
"Don't want anyone ta recognize me."
"Yer not that popular, old man-"
"Aye, shut yer mouth 'fore I get some duct tape out. Must be why people're takin' pictures of ya left n' right, huh?" Jeff huffed, lightly whacking his son on the back of his head. Gem found himself giggling gleefully, rubbing the spot where he'd been hit. It didn't take very long for the two of them to find wherever Gem had to be - Jeff knew this place a lot better than he was letting on.

Standing in front of the door, he peeked in and spotted three of his friends. No Catriona yet, so a weight was momentarily lifted off his chest. His looks must've betrayed him, since his dad's hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly.

"You all right? Seem tense. These're yer friends, aren't they?"
"Yeh," Gem exhaled, turning his head to smile at his dad. "Joost uh, drama. A bit, yunno? Girls."
"Awh, yeh, I get that," His face made it look like the words that rolled off his tongue were bitter. "Jus' smile an' nod, even if ya wanna punt em' all e' way ta China. It won't matter when yer thirty-eight, right?"
"Yer not even thirty-eight, pa."
"Exactly. Nufin' I did in secondary school affects me now, except... yer, uh, mam. But I don't think you'll run into that problem. Bit smarter than I was."
"Whatever."
"Yeh, whatever. Jus' go in, you'll be fine. Gonna go down, maybe one of yer friends' mams will think I'm the shite."
"Aw, gross."

With a tiny sniff, Gem clutched his gift close to his chest and pushed the door open, his eyes all big like usual. No matter how nervous he got, he loved seeing them - they all looked so pretty, so nicely done. It made him feel happy, a fuzziness in his chest not a single thing that he could replace. He loved them, he decided, and that was that.

"You all look dazzlin'!" He gasped, hauling himself inside with a bounce. He narrowly avoided tripping on his shoelace, but the stumble was very prominent. He'd never recover. "Should I have worn a three-piece suit instead ov a beige jumper? You all make me feel so inadequate!" He peeled his coat off, tossing it over the couch, right where he sat beside Lark.

"Hi, guys." He set his gift down on his lap, a tight-lipped smile highlighting his already awkward expression. Awkward, but very, very happy.

Reducio

OOC: quick thing here's what gem's adults look like lmfao:

jeff (his dad)

leland (the producer - just imagine him with dark hair)

Interacting with @Elzabeth Gillan and @Lark Flaer
Mentioning @Gem Stuart and @Lamik Fillestar
RPing as Catriona Staverly | text color #674da8 but there's too much dialogue here so I'm not coloring it in this post

The best thing about the holidays was seeing her siblings, Catriona decided. It wasn't like her mother really cared enough to take her places (or even give her gifts that weren't just galleons) and her father was much too busy to come and visit. But Freddie and Will always made a point to come and visit when she was off school for the holidays.

Today, however, she was really regretting asking them to come with her. She did like spending time with them, but today wasn't one of those days. She would've rather they'd just stayed at home and let her wallow in the fact that she was going to see Gem and he wouldn't care. He'd just look at her like he did that day, like nothing she could say or do would ever fix anything and—

Noticing her distress, Freddie nudged her shoulder. "We can come pick you up early if things get awkward," Freddie said, before shoving another Every Flavor Beans in her mouth. "Nice, chocolate!"

Will gave her a look. "Don't talk with your mouth full. But the offer stands if you need it." He popped one in his mouth from the package in Freddie's arms, grimacing at the taste.

Catriona giggled a little. "Why do you even try? You always get the bad ones."

Freddie nudged her again, pointing at a figure a little ways off from them. "Hey isn't that the guy?"

"What guy?" Catriona turned to where she was pointing. Gem. Perfect timing, huh. "Oh yeah."

"You didn't tell me he knew Leland Mauve."

"I don't—" Catriona cut herself off with a sigh and used it as an excuse to check her watch. "Never mind. I should get going. I'll see you after, if I don't have to escape through a bathroom window." Freddie high-fived her, to Will's obvious dismay.

She grabbed her gift, wrapped cleanly in light green wrapping paper. It wasn't extravagant, but she hoped he'd like it. She hoped he wouldn't storm out immediately after seeing her. She hoped things wouldn't go as horribly as she figured they would. Frowning, Catriona pushed open the door to the Leaky Cauldron, walking quickly to the private room they'd set up. She forced her eyes to pass over Gem's when she entered just like they would for anyone else. She was normal. Things would be fine.

"Hey everyone." She crossed over the room, present still in hand. Once she'd set it down, she moved over to where Lark and Elz were sitting. "How is this going to work, exactly?"

Lark was the second one to arrive, greeting Elzabeth with a smile and a hug that she had looked forward to receiving.

"I missed you! You look amazin' as always!"

Elzabeth blushed at her compliment, looking down at her red dress briefly. "I missed you too! I hope the holidays are treating you well." She nudged Lark, a playful smile on her lips.

Not too soon after those words had fallen from her mouth, another person was walking through the door.

"Hi."

Lamik looked at the girls, a smile reaching his rosy cheeks. Elzabeth smiled back, her heart fluttering at the sight of him. She wanted to smack herself for still feeling these things, she just hopped her stupid feelings wouldn't get in the way of this party.

"Didn't know this was a ball."

Elzabeth buried her head in her hands, wishing she had somehow avoided the dress altogether. Hopefully, no one teased her too harshly, though she doubted it. Her face didn't reveal itself again until Gem was settled on the couch and had walked into the room.

"I just want everyone to know the dress was not my decision, my mother insisted I wear it and I was already late so arguing wouldn't have done me any good." Elzabeth folded her arms, her cheeks going back to their normal hue.

The presents were all settled next to each other, some bigger and some smaller than others but by no means was Elzabeth going to complain. This was all just to see her friends again, the presents were just a bonus.

"How is this going to work, exactly?"

Elzabeth shrugged at Cats question. "Well, we can open the presents first then try and guess who bought them for us, or we can tell each other now and then open the presents. I think the first ones a bit more fun." She suggested, shrugging.

"But should we wait a little longer in case someone else shows? We can order some drinks in the meantime." Elzabeth looked to the group for reactions.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　@Elzabeth Gillan @Gem Stuart @Lamik Fillestar @Catriona Staverly 　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Letting go of Elz, Lark gave a small nod. The holiday season hadn't been too awful, her family had been rather pleasant but still she had been looking forward to seeing her friends again way more than any event her family had going on. Especially with how things were going with her baby brother and parents.

"Not bad actually-" She was about to return the question to Elz when the door opened and the expression on her friends face seemed to shift. Lark followed her gaze and saw Lamik standing in the doorway.

"Didn't know this was a ball."

Lark slid her hands to rest in her lap as his comment seemed to hit Elz a little more than he must've intended, or at least Lark hoped anyway. She had only heard a little about what had happened between the pair. Not to mention the word "ball"... the reminder left Lark's mouth dry, so much so she couldn't bring herself to respond. It triggered a bit of anxiety in the girl, her hair shifting to a purplish hue. Her thoughts darkening Lark almost didn't notice the door open as Gem entered the fray.

"You all look dazzlin'!"

"Gem!" Lark let out an excited yelp and laugh as he tossed himself onto the couch next to her. She wrapped her arms about the boy and pulled him closer. She had been owling him about her family troubles and had missed him dearly over break. Just then another of the gang ended up finding their way in, . Lark let go of Gem and slid her hands back to her lap. She wasn't sure how things were between the two still... after the ball everyone had seemed on edge but these two.. Lark cast a glance at the two of them quickly as made her way over. Thank Merlin for Elz.

"Drinks! Good idea!" Maybe if would give them more time for everyone else to show up... er well .. James. Lark hadn't gotten to talk much to him over break and once more.. another slight casualty of the ball. Learning of James and Charlotte, Lark had still felt rather sour. Although she had done a good job at shoving it into the depths of her chest during school and almost forgotten the whole thing over break. The only thing to snap her back to reality quick was Lamik's comment to Elz about looking like a supermodel. Even Lark's cheeks flushed ever so slightly as she looked to Elz.

"I have a present for each of you that I'd like to give out first."

Perking up in her seat, Lark leaned forward. "Oh?" As Lamik revealed the pinks, Lark's gaze shimmered in awe. They were beautiful! "Lamik... oh my gosh." She blinked away the stars in her eyes and looked up at the boy. "These are for... for us?" She was in shock. Never had she expected them all to come this far with the Order so soon. This felt so very official, pins and everything! Plus, if he had to save for them she could only imagine they had cost quite a lot. Gingerly picking up one of the pins Lark inspected it closer. "This is... wonderful Lamik!" After fumbling with the pin placing it on her sweater, she stood and offered the boy a hug in thanks.

"How about I get us all drinks?!" Clapping her hands in front of her chest a smile spread across the girl's freckled face. She had missed this, missed all of them. "Ye all can settle in?" There looked to be a nice little table setup with some sort of Holiday decorations still on it next to the couch. "We could set 'em up there an' I could grab some snacks downstairs while I'm there?" Bending down, Lark pulled the gold wrapped present from her leather bag and set it gently on the couch before ripping a small piece of paper from her journal and grabbing a pencil.

"What do you guys want? I'll go down an' put in an order."

@Elzabeth Gillan, @Lark Flaer, @Lamik Fillestar & @Catriona Staverly

Taking a side glance at when she entered the room, Gem sort of just pretended she wasn't there, instead focusing on Lamik's great big announcement. Tilting his head curiously, he leaned over to look at what was in the little red cloth, his eyes getting big and bright when he saw just what they were.

"Those are wicked, Lamik!" He gasped, reaching over to take one and pin it on his sweater, feeling rather chuffed about it. They weren't old enough to have tattoos, so this would do just fine. "Thank you, these 're real nice." He patted it, glancing up at Lark, who'd made another announcement about getting drinks. Lark was about the only one in the room he was properly close to, and to avoid any awkward tension between him and , he stood up.

"I think you'll do well with an extra pair ov hands, yeh?" He chirped, "I'll go wiv you." He didn't let it be known that he was avoiding a certain someone in the room, but if she asked, he'd tell her. As sentimental as his gift to was, he wasn't nearly ready to be on speaking terms with her, and as horrible as admitting that felt, he figured it would feel better. Probably.

“Mum, Dad... it’s just here...” James chirped sheepishly to his parents as the drifted by the grubby tavern as if they hadn’t seen it.

Well they hadn’t of course. The first time they’d missed the Leaky Cauldron, what seemed like years ago, on the family’s first trip to Diagon Alley, James had simply chalked it up to absent-mindedness. He knew better now, the whole establishment was enchanted, so that Muggles wouldn’t notice it... it was designed to keep his parents away. James scowled inwardly at the thought.

“Don’t look so sour Jim-Jam,” his mother said softly putting a hand on his shoulder gently, “I know it’s hard, but these... enchantments, they’re designed to keep you safe. And I love those wizards and witches for that. They’re protecting my son. So honestly I don’t give a shit if I can’t exactly see this place. Do you understand?”

“I swear, some of the best wizards and witches in the world teach at that school and I still don’t think any one of them could read my mind like you can, Mum.”

The woman grinned widely at her son, and shrugged, “It’s my job,” she said, “Now, go be with your friends, and have a good time. Have you got your present?”

James fished into his pocket and pulled out the small black box with a blue bow. He turned it in his fingers for a moment.

“Yeah... yeah I’ve got it” he said quietly.

“Phone?”

James produced his slightly cracked iPhone 7 from his pocket.

“Good, now you call us whenever you need yeah? But take as long as you like, Dad and I are going to be in town and we’re happy to wait up.”

James nodded.

James’ father piped up, “Oh, and don’t forget to ask your friends if they want to come meet us afterwards... I want to put faces to names and all that.” He the placed a hand on James’ shoulder and knelt down in the snow to be face to face with his son, “And just quickly, a word of advice... I know you’ve started going out with the Charlotte girl... “

“Aww... Dad!” James protested

“Hey, hey, hey... hear me out... now I know you’ve been dating this Charlotte girl... but- and I can’t read your mind nearly as well as your mother- but you haven’t stopped talking about your friend Lark since we picked you up from the station. And that gift you got her.... well- you’re a kid and sometimes you’re going to make dumb decisions- But I was crazy about your Mum while I was still dating someone else- and that wasn’t very fair- so just be careful.... I love you very much.” He embraced his son tightly patting him on the back with in gentle reassurance.

“I love you too, Dad.” James said as he pulled away slowly from the hug- not quite wanting to let his father go. “And you too Mum”

“Forever and always Jimmy,” James’ mother said with a smile. “Call us. For any reason, ok?”

“Ok - Mum” James said as he entered through the door to the smokey bar.

The smell of alcohol and woodsmoke filled the air, and James felt a sense of unease walking off the London street into this crowded room of unfamiliar adults.

He quickly scurried up the stairs in attempt to find his friends and was lured to the sound of idle chatter behind one of the closed doors of the private rooms.

He took a deep breath, thinking over what his father had told him. He had been thinking a lot about Lark, as his absence from his friends had provided a little perspective. Distance had made his conflicting emotions even more confusing, and the thought of seeing Lark again filled him with a churning cocktail of fear and excitement.

He slowly opened the door to see his friends filling the cosy room.

“Still your anxieties my loyal subjects... your sausage king has arrived!”