Does This Darkness Have a Name?

James raised an eyebrow at her and turned to look at Alecto. He cleared his throat a little and did his best to not react too strongly to her comment. He knew in the eyes of many people, he had big shoes to fill. He was determined to prove to everyone, even all the Slytherins that longed to have Antonin back as Head Boy.

“Alecto, it’s so nice to see you,” he said with a false smile, ignoring her comments. He was also a little concerned with Dumbledore’s mental health for picking him, but he wasn’t about to say that to her.

“I agree, James Potter Head Boy doesn’t have quite the ring to it. How about James Potter – Supreme Head Boy,” he said with a wide smirk on his lips. To be honest, he didn’t really care what Alecto or really anyone thought of him or if they didn’t like that he was Head Boy. They were just going to have to get used to it.

Antonin Dolohov had brought class to the Head Boy name. That couldn’t be denied, not even by Alecto who had never cared about rules or about listening to anyone. But there was no doubt in her mind that James Potter was the wrong choice, that he would never manage to stand up to the legacy that Antonin had left. And it wasn’t just Alecto’s Slytherin bias talking either. It was just a fact.

“Oh, yes, it’s absolutely lovely to see you as well,” she replied, her words dripping with sarcasm. “And how was your summer?” She asked, not caring one bit. As far as she was concerned, he had stolen Sirius Black away, filling his mind with terrible ideas that lead him to abandon his once friends. There was no forgiving that.

Alecto rolled her eyes at him. “So much ego,” she replied. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you how unbecoming it really is?” She questioned, like she was the best person to be lecturing about manners and what looked good. “Do you know what would be funny? If we got to Hogwarts and Dumbledore took your badge away because this was all some practical joke.” 

So this is what being a seventh year is like, Evan thought on the first day of term, unamused. To his right sat a group of fifth years boisterously playing a game of cards. Evan however, quietly observed the hustle and bustle ass around him, calmly smoking his cigarette. While the excitement in the air for the new term was palpable, the past hour had been torturous for the Rosier. His fellow students suddenly felt very young. Like children.

Evan was not a child. He had spent the summer alternating between being gloriously responsibility-free and having the full weight of his status as heir thrust upon his shoulders. Half adolescent, half adult. But Evan was sure he was an adult now. He felt like an adult. Mature, worldly, educated. Lethal. And, besides, he would turn 18 in two days - the first in his year to do so. 

He made up his mind. Evan was going to wait to be social until someone interesting enough or worthy enough crossed his path. So he waited. So he bided his time. So he watched. Evan engaged in small talk with some acquaintances, politely declined a game of Exploding Snap, and smoked a second cigarette. Finally, finally, someone caught his eye. 

“If you’ll excuse me,” Evan said to a fellow student as he stood, quickly snubbing out his cigarette. He closed the distance between himself and his target. 

Smile in place, Evan asked, “I, for one, aren’t quite ready for summer to be over. Care to join?”

Alecto couldn’t wait until November when she would finally graduate. While she was technically an adult, her parents definitely didn’t see it that way. If this summer was any indication, they suddenly felt like they were parents, and Alecto wanted to break them of that habit as quickly as she could. She didn’t want another repeat of this past summer, when they banned her from doing as she pleased. It hadn’t stopped her entirely, she had gone to plenty of parties, but she hadn’t been able to go to Argentina.

She supposed that it was for the best that they didn’t go. It had been a year since what had happened in Spain last summer, and Alecto didn’t want a repeat. Amycus still had the same temper, and well...it was probably for the best that they stayed in the country, although she would obviously never admit that to anyone, not even Amycus. It was uncomfortable, holding secrets from her brother, but it was what was best for him, anyways. 

As she walked along the grounds, towards Hogsmeade, she needed a drink and didn’t want to deal with the common room, she felt someone fall into step with her. She turned her head, about to tell them to bug off when she saw that it was Evan. A smirk began to form on her lips as she watched him.

“I have to agree there, dear Evan,” she replied. “And what exactly do you have in mind?” 

Hogsmeade could wait if Evan had something better to do, that was for sure. 

If you would have asked James if he ever saw himself as Head Boy, he would have called you crazy. Yet here he was, on the first day of his final year at Hogwarts with a Head Boy badge on his robes. The only students that knew about his new position were Sirius, Remus, and Peter. He was a little excited to see how people reacted to the fact that “Prankster Potter” was now “Head Boy Potter”.

While some might have expected him to slack off on his duties or favor his friends and his housemates, James knew this title and responsibility meant a lot. Albus Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall believed in him enough to give him this badge. He planned to prove to everyone and himself that he could be serious for once in his life. 

As he boarded the train, he made his rounds as he had been instructed to do. He wanted to make sure nothing went wrong today. Halfway through their journey he would meet with the Head Girl and the Prefects to go over the procedures for the first evening in the Great Hall. James had studied the handbook more times than he’d like to admit. He felt he was ready for this.

James checked in on a few cars to make sure no one was doing any stupid. He had to confiscate a dungbomb from a few third years, letting them know that their house would already be in the negative points when they arrived.

As he put the dungbomb in his pocket, he shook his head. He checked in on another car, seeing someone he recognized in there. He smiled at them and leaned against the car door. “Ready for another year?” he asked.

Alecto couldn’t find Amycus, she had sent him to go and find Evan, but that had been nearly a half hour ago, and neither had returned, so she finally decided that she would go and find them, not content to sit and wait any longer. She was bored, and it  didn’t bode well for the rest of the school year. Of course, Hogwarts was always dreadfully boring, but she had hoped that perhaps, this year there would be a little more excitement. She didn’t truly know if she could last another mind-dullingly boring year again.

Walking through the train, she kept her eyes open for her brother, or Evan, or really anybody at this point. She spotted a few first years, she assumed and thought that they would make easy targets, and Alecto wasn’t interested in easy, she wanted a challenge, so it only made sense to keep moving forward.

She spotted James Potter before he saw her. She had heard a rumor that he was Head Boy earlier, and her eyes immediately spotted the Head Boy badge on his chest. It was certainly a downgrade, after having Antonin as their Head Boy the previous year, but she wasn’t surprised. Dumbledore must have lost his mind.

Ignoring that he was talking to someone else, she smirked, interrupting. “So the rumor’s true then? Dumbledore really has completely lost it,” she taunted. “James Potter Head Boy. Doesn’t quite have the same meaning as it did last year.”

“No, actually. This one’s all mine.” Remus replied flatly, bringing up his own champagne flute to take a slow sip, eyes fixed on a point somewhere over Alecto’s head. He certainly wasn’t going to mention that the suit had been a gift from a friend, he was smart enough not to open up that can of worms around someone like a Carrow. He let out a steady breath through his nose, lips twisting slightly as he did, bracing himself for the worst she could possibly throw at him.

“A rather well-kept secret among us poors is that we do, occasionally, have a sickle or two to spend on something fun.” He said, voice dripping with sarcasm that surely could be detected a mile away… and again, he was of no mind to flat out tell her he was gambling with “borrowed” money from his friends, who would smack him upside the head if he actually attempted to pay them back. “Not often, mind you, but we like to dig ourselves out of the dirt every once and a while.” He raised his eyebrows, smiling lightly (as best he could) at Alecto now. “Having a lovely evening, I presume?”

Alecto was slightly disappointed, but she didn’t let it show. Instead, she kept her fake smile on her lips. “Oh, good, everyone should have at least one decent suit or set of dress robes, you know,” she said like she cared about such things. If she were talking to anyone else, she wouldn’t care about that, but if it was a way to get under Remus Lupin’s skin, than she was going to do so. “For formal occasions, and such.” 

“Oh, do you?” She asked, with mock surprise on her face at the revelation that poor people had money to spend on fun things. “Who knew. I just thought that you all worked until you died, and never had a sickle to spend,” She said, mock sincerity in her voice. “Thank you so much for enlightening me, Lupin. I’m forever grateful,” She said sarcastically, her words paired with an eye roll. Alecto put a fake smile on her lips. “Oh, i’m sure the Ministry appreciates it,” She replied easily. “Although i’m not sure how much that sickle is going to do for anything...given the large contributions most families give,” she said, only to remind him that he couldn’t give much. She shrugged her shoulders at his question. “As long as they keep the alcohol flowing, it’ll be bloody brilliant.”

Davina had read the letter over and over, trying to gather some better instructions our of her vague words. But there was no luck in that, and she was far too afraid to write her again for any kind of clarifications. So she ultimately left for the Carrow estate right after she finished dinner, wearing a normal outfit that she had worn all day and carrying a bag of clothes to keep up the illusion that she was staying the night at a friend’s so her parents wouldn’t be concerned about her. She didn’t know which was their personal floo, but she knew of a public one nearby and then she could walk. And the entire walk, she tried to convince herself the fluttering in her stomach was excitement and not nerves.

As she approached the front door, a little out of breath, she rang the doorbell and hoped her parents didn’t answer. She wouldn’t know what to say if they did. But, after a few agonizing moments, the door opened and thankfully Alecto was standing there. “Hello. I don’t know if I’m early or late. I feel like I’m a bit early. But I didn’t have any clothes I thought you would find acceptable. So I came with time for you to help me.”

This summer had sucked so far, but the prospect of ruining Davina Minchum had her summer starting to look up. Amycus had wanted to come with them, but Alecto had instructed him to stay home or go out somewhere else. She wanted Davina to trust her, and she figured that Amycus would intimidate her too much. So while he hadn’t liked it, she had convinced him that he would have his fun sooner, rather than later. Alecto was in her bedroom getting ready for tonight, wondering if Davina was going to be brave enough to show up tonight or if she was going to chicken out. While Alecto thought that Davina was desperate to break out of her little box, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to do it.

When Alecto heard the doorbell, she grinned. Nobody ever rang their doorbell, so she knew that it must be Davina. Pushing the house elves out of the way, she got to the front door. Opening the door, she was about to say something when Davina started to talk. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she stood aside. “Come on,” She said, leading Davina through the halls of her estate to her bedroom. “I’m sure I can find something in my closet,” she said, walking into her bedroom. “Make yourself at home,” She said simply, before she went to her large closet and began to look through it.

Lucinda kept a half-step back, tucked up against one of the walls. The windows offered her little reassurance, but she couldn’t pull herself away. A glimpse of anything. Some bit of certainty to go with all of the confusion she’d had since the start. She’d hidden the moment she heard the commotion and hadn’t taken a second since. That luxury was gone now, though, and her eyes stayed on the glass even as Alecto spoke, only widening with each bit of information.

“Werewolves,” she breathed, not bothering to conceal her fear. “No, there can’t be–why? Why come here? This is civilized it’s… I’ve never even seen one here, how?” She felt disjointed, unsure what to really make of this. Could they keep wolves out? Was her shop a bit less of a target for it? Those people from New Year’s Eve–they weren’t werewolves. She didn’t see them, but that didn’t make sense, it was magical and deliberate damage, not the chaotic and savage type. Maybe she had done right in bringing people in. Maybe it would be okay and they could secure things and… and…

“What do we do?” Lucinda asked, looking over at Alecto. She might not have the answers, but she could have an idea. Any idea. She wasn’t getting them anywhere. “How many people do you think are out there still? I mean, I can let more in. Maybe I should… but what else could come with them?” She hadn’t realized. It was a risk letting all of these people in considering one of them might have wanted exactly that, might have them painted as a target, but she didn’t have even a whisper of rationality to hold onto.

Alecto didn’t have any answers, as she eyed the window again. What were werewolves doing here? She couldn’t say. Why would anybody want to associate with them? That she couldn’t understand. It made little sense to her, why anybody would trust werewolves, but she supposed that they had an effect on people that got results, given the panic and chaos out there. But Alecto still had the belief that nobody would dare hurt a Carrow, that she was safer than a huge majority of people out there.

Lucinda’s voice brought her back, and she turned her head to look at her. “I have no idea,” she said. “I doubt it’s random though,” she said, gesturing towards the people with masks and cloaks in the crowd. “They came from somewhere.” Alecto was grasping at straws, but it seemed logical, that they were connected--the werewolves showed up at the same time as the people with masks as far as she could tell. So they had to be related, at least a little bit. But beyond that she was just as clueless as Lucinda. And she hated that, but right now there was nothing that she could do to change that. She briefly thought back to New Years, but that had been different. 

“No,” she said sharply, not wanting Lucinda to open the door again. “If you let more people in here, who knows what will happen.” If it was just the people in masks than she wouldn’t care. But there were werewolves out there. “If we let one of those monsters in here, than we’re all done for,” She pointed out. “The people out there will have to fend for themselves. I’m sure they can get out of here,” She said with a shrug. She hadn’t made it to the exit of Diagon Alley, but she was sure that people could get out.

Evan tsked when Alecto claimed Amycus would repay her. She clearly had more faith in Amycus’s sense of fairness than he did. He couldn’t help but smile, however, when he saw the  little smirk form on Alecto’s lips. She looked good smirking, even if she was playing dumb.

“Whatever I want to do?” he asked suggestively, raising his eyebrows. ‘Whatever he wanted to do’ left the door open to quite a bit. He had a dream about killing some mid size birds the other night and wouldn’t be opposed at all to acting it out in real life. But none of that was what Alecto meant and he knew that. 

“I’m itching for a drink. Let’s go,” he said, offering Alecto his arm. 

Alcohol was the answer today. Screw interfering mothers and responsibility. Just fuck it all right to hell. Evan didn’t want to admit it but he was still not fully recovered from his long night out, so he made his way towards the pub. 

“I had the strangest dream the other night. Maybe “ll tell you about it once I have some liquor in me. Have you had any strange dreams lately?”

If there was one person that Alecto knew that she could always count on, it was her brother. There was no doubt in her mind that he was someone that could be trusted, and the secrets that they kept for one another would stay secret. It was just a fact of life and she didn’t see that changing ever.

Alecto raised an eyebrow. “Within reason,” she responded with a smirk. “You know me Evan, use your best judgement on what I would want to do.” It was one of the perks of knowing Evan so well. She wasn’t expecting him to come up with something absolutely dreadful. Of course Alecto also wasn’t particularly picky, and she happened to enjoy Evan--so she was sure whatever it was that he wanted to do would be right up her ally. 

“A drink before noon? Scandalous,” she replied with a grin, taking his offered arm.

“But you know that I never say no to scandal,” She laughed. Drinking before noon was certainly a way to get her mother’s attention and to show her that she was serious about getting on her last nerve before she was basically begging her to take Amycus away. It was all part of her plan. 

“Did you?” She asked, curiously. “You can’t tell a girl that and then say maybe you’ll tell her later,” she pointed out. “But hmm...I can’t say that I have.”

Lucinda hadn’t handled this well the first time, and it wasn’t looking up the second. There was nowhere for her to go, and even if she wasn’t too shaky to even attempt apparation, she couldn’t change that. Even Sebastian’s might not be safe—and fuck, where was he? Where was Emma? She had no way of knowing who was around, just the shelter of her glass shop windows and a relatively weak knowledge of Defense Against the Dark Arts. She couldn’t do anything here, could she? They weren’t open yet, but that might be called an advantage. She barely knew what was happening out there past the chaos; it could be too much of a risk.

Frantic banging on the door changed her mind for her. She was up from her refuge behind the counter, keeping low and flipping the latch with little regard. Fortunately, it did seem to be panicked people rather than whoever was causing this, a few dozen flocking in before she had it shut again. She was sure it wouldn’t last; they would have more people in here before she knew it. Their merchandise had largely come in, a fact which only mattered in that it left far less room for people. “Go to the back!” she encouraged, trying to figure out something. It seemed like a sensible plan, but no one was listening to her. They were searching and afraid and slowly moving that way, but in a natural way, not at her insistence. “Does anyone know—Can anyone secure the door or windows? Anyone?”

She was searching the crowd, hoping someone would offer up something better than what she could whip together with through an assortment of charms which very well might be unstable given her current state. She didn’t know what to do. She had space to offer, but little more. Her eyes finally fell on a familiar face, and she navigated her way over to Alecto, closer to the front than the rest which only made it harder. “Do you know what’s going on?” she asked, finally close enough to have her question heard. “I know it’s something—an attack.” The words were hard to think, let alone say, and she was still trying to wrap her head around it. “Between the people and the haze—I couldn’t see anything. You were out there, right? I mean you had to be,” she said, her nerves always coming out as more nerves. “Do you know anything more?”

@alecto-wil

It had started out as a normal day. Alecto and Amycus were in Diagon Alley getting dinner before they went out for their usual night out in the clubs. They had just been finishing up dinner when they heard screams coming from outside the restaurant. Looking at each other and at the other patrons, they had gotten up and gone to the door, which was blasted open by a wayward spell a few moments later. The first thing that Alecto noticed was the people in masks and dark cloaks. She recognized them from the papers, and from Hogsmeade. She knew what it was, but she still couldn’t help but feel shock.

Somehow she found herself out in the middle of the street, separated from her brother. In the chaos of people trying to escape from the restaurant, she had been swept out of the restaurant, and she had no idea where her brother was. But she still wasn’t afraid. She didn’t believe that she would be hurt. There was no way that someone would hurt a Carrow, right? But then she noticed the second group--the werewolves. She felt revulsion and horror as she watched one of them grab someone, while he laughed and showed his teeth. They weren’t transformed, obviously, but they still caused utter revulsion in Alecto. And she realized that this was more than what she had thought, that this...all of this was a mess. She wanted to find Amycus, but there were so many people, and so much chaos, and she just wanted to get away from the werewolves.

She began moving through the crowd, quickly, her wand in her hand, not wanting to cause too much trouble for once in her life. She didn’t quite know where she was going when she noticed people rushing into a shop. She decided that that was the best thing to do, go into a shop and wait for this to be over, so she found herself running to the door and pushing her way in before it was shut and the door was secured. But even then, she stayed close to the window, wanting to see what was going on outside. She wasn’t nearly as panicked as the rest of the people, she could tell that much, as she watched. Alecto hadn’t even realized what shop she was in until she turned and saw Lucinda speaking to her. So this was her shop. “I don’t know,” she said, her voice entirely too calm. If it were just Death Eaters out there, she would probably be taking part. But there were werewolves. She couldn’t risk it. “There are werewolves out there,” She said, eyeing the window again. “Everythings chaos out there.” In some ways, now that she was inside, she didn’t feel nearly as scared as she had when she was out there. 

“I expect nothing else,” Bellatrix said with an amused look. The Carrows did have that going for them: particularly together, they made an unstoppable force and their parents were hardly immovable objects. “Do you have any plans for when you inevitably arrive? Your trips always do seem to come with stories.” Her own independent travels had largely been limited to France over the years and still tied to family. If not for her work, she would have taken the conventional year to see the world, but there would be plenty of time for that. When the time came, the world would be that much better anyway.

“She still has hope in Narcissa and Andromeda, the brilliant philanthropists.” It was said drolly, but there was no denying she thought the world of her sisters. She was still behind Andromeda’s Healer efforts, and if there was anyone who could make a difference Ministry or with these fundraisers, it would be Narcissa. She was paving a path for them as much as herself. “It helps that I have graduated,” she added. “I am sure yours will be there in time. There is something unquestionably liberating about reaching that point of resignation.”

“You have established a nice pattern for yourselves. What is the appeal?” she asked, genuinely curious as to if it was the destination themselves or the distance. She appreciated both and the exchange of culture and so on, but she wanted to take a look into Alecto’s headspace with it. Running away from problems wasn’t ideal, but it could be overlooked if it was simply that desired freedom. She knew how that could be, and it was far healthier than the dramatic routes too many had taken to feel alive or whatever the logic was.

Alecto smiled. It wasn’t a secret that Alecto and Amycus weren’t the types that would just sit still and be good. “I’m glad to see that our reputations are still in tact,” She replied easily. She shrugged her shoulders. “Not particularly. We aren’t much for itineraries and schedules for our vacations. We usually see where the nights take us.” Sometimes they ended up with the twins burying a muggle in the ground, but she hoped that this summer wouldn’t quite take that turn. Although she didn’t feel guilt for what had happened, it was just easier when they kept murder out of their plans. 

Some people were suited for being a housewife and socialite, while others just weren’t. Alecto felt like she belonged in the latter. “I almost wish I had a sister that mother could decide to turn into her perfect little housewife.” It certainly wouldn’t be her. She was entirely too busy enjoying herself and partying to ever want to think about marriage. It just wasn’t a thought, and when it was, Alecto always found herself not wanting to be married or stuck at home. “One more year and i’ll be done with living at home and dealing with mother,” she agreed. 

There was just something about South America that drew Alecto there. She couldn’t quite put a finger on what created the pull. “It’s different there...the nightlife is different, it’s more enjoyable. Plus, the weather is amazing. It’s so different from here.” She paused. “I love the language. There’s something about it that has always drawn me towards it.” It sounded strange putting any of this into words, she didn’t think that she was doing a very good explaining the appeal, but it was just something that was a part of her.

Dear Alecto,

To Miss Carrow:

Hello,

Alecto,

I hope your summer is going well. I, for one, am enjoying the time away from the castle, especially after the stress of O.W.L.s at the end of the year. However I am not quite enjoying it as much as I wanted to, which I suppose brings me to my point. For, as I’m sure you would guess, this letter is not about simple pleasantries.

At the bonfire, you made an offer or perhaps it was a joke for me to join you to go out for a night. If that offer still stands, I would like to take you up on it. The two of us could go out to a bar or perhaps a club. I am only sixteen, but I am willing to do what you think necessary to circumvent that issue. In fact, I will let you make all the decisions, as I wish to just come along and experience what you do for fun on your normal summer night.

I’m not sure if you are currently in South America as you said you might be, and if you are I hope this letter can find you, but I do not know if I will be able to make it to another continent without raising concerns with my family. But if you are going to be closer to London anytime soon, let me know. We would have fun- It wouldn’t be the worse night you have- I would owe you one for showing me what proper night life is.

Davina

@alecto-wil

Minchum,

I’m not one for pleasantries, let’s get into it. If you’re going to join me for a night of partying, than there are some things that you will have to do. Get a new wardrobe for one. You will stick out like a sore thumb and no bouncer will let you in. Get something short, a short dress or a skirt. Or better yet, come to my home, and I will find something for you to wear. I’m sure I have something that you could wear. As for the age issue, I’ll take care of it. I have a guy who can make you a fake. 

You’re in luck, i’m not in South America, plans have changed and i’ll be around longer than I thought I would be. Come see me on Friday, we’ll have fun. Tell your parents you’ll be sleeping at a friends house. 

I won’t coddle you. So if you have any doubts? Don’t bother showing up on Friday. 

I hope you know that plan on collecting on that promise.

Remus found himself regretting that he’d spoken at all almost immediately when the familiar voice of Alecto Carrow was what greeted him instead of, say, anyone else even marginally more pleasant than Alecto Carrow. He closed his eyes briefly, steeling himself as he turned properly to face her, far too polite to simply ignore and disengage and walk away, fixing his best (most fake) sociable smile on his face. Anyone else agreeing with his offhand self-deprecation and he’d probably spiral into a self-conscious black hole, but this was Alecto, and he couldn’t take anything disparaging seriously from her, could he? 

“Oh, believe me, I’m surprised, too.” He said lightly, sipping at his drink and taking his time to respond to her actual questions, eyeing her blankly. He typically found that the best way to fight back against, well, bullies, was to do the job himself and not give them much of a foothold. “I am, yes. Sort of the whole point of the event, right? Unless I was mistaken?”

Alecto smirked as she brought her glass of champagne to her lips. As much as she said that she hated all of these pureblood events, she still fit in and she couldn’t deny that. Attending events like this was something that Alecto had been doing for her entire life, sneaking into backrooms with bottles of whatever alcohol she could steal and judging other people. It was what she did. Perhaps if she was a nicer person, than she would realize that other people didn’t feel that way, and Remus was being self-deprecating to try and lighten the mood for whatever reason. But she was Alecto Carrow, and she wasn’t kind. 

“Borrow the suit from a friend?” she questioned, pretending to be interested in where he got his suit. She gave him a fake smile when he spoke. “Not mistaken. I’m just surprised that you would have something to offer them,” she said casually, like she was asking about his parents or something bland and not insulting his financial status.

Archer would have enjoyed this. 

The annual casino had been a light in the end of the tunnel that was work and pureblood events laying claim to her summer; somewhere to just have fun. It was still a flutter of fineries and pretty smiles, but at least the crowd would be different and hopefully she would meet some of her friends from Hogwarts that didn’t fall into the pureblood category. 

Yet she was hit with that treacherous thought the second she walked through the door. The sights, the noises, the entire lot. Ava could almost see it; Sage sternly telling him not to throw away the entire family fortune at cards, him scoffing before wandering off to play some poor bastard. The image was almost enough to make her turn but instead she pushed forward, instantly going for the nearest bar to pick up something to keep her going. Not only was it something she was expected to do, but it was something she wanted to, she reminded herself as she took in everything. Hiding at home would not make things better, so instead she made herself smile, calling out to the nearest person to pick up conversation.

“Any good games this year?”

Even though Alecto enjoyed the night, she was not particularly interested in playing the games, not the way that her brother was. Of course she would play a few if she felt like it, and she had spent a decent amount of money already at one of them after Amycus pulled her into a game, but she had excused herself after a little while.

She was mostly interested in the alcohol, and trying to find someone to play with perhaps. She thought that she would perhaps go and find Davina, she was bound to be there somewhere, but she didn’t know if it was worth the effort considering the girls father was probably around here somewhere. Alecto didn’t want to waste her time, after all, but she figured she would keep her eye out for her. Going towards the bar, she spotted Ava standing there, and perhaps if she was a kind person, she would have realized that she was probably still grieving Archer’s loss, but she wasn’t that kind of person. And she saw no sense in treating her any differently now than she had before. But while she had always got on better with her brothers, she turned to her when she called out to her.

With a shrug, she looked around. “It seems to be the usual ones. You would think that they would invest in some new ones,” she commented.