gianna rosmerta

Lily considered herself a strong person, but the grief had eaten away at her until she felt almost guilty to be going out and enjoying herself. Granted, she did have Sirius to thank ( or blame, given on how the night ended ) for dragging her out at all. Chances were, she could have made an appearance otherwise, but now Lily’s resolve was growing. If she was going to be out and celebrating a friend’s birthday, she needed to push back all the rest and move forward. Maybe it wasn’t the greatest of plans, it could certainly backfire, but it was the best she had. So far, at least it seemed to be working; it felt good to be out, to be around people again. To feel as if she was part of something glittering and happy, regardless of the rest. Her eyes followed Gia’s behind the bar, offering a smile of thanks at the bartender as he replaced her drink. “Thank you.” Lily spoke warmly, turning her attention back towards her friend. Any arguments she may usually make were fruitless tonight - at least, so far as the guest of honor was concerned. 

She raised an eyebrow at the dismissal, letting out a laugh in the next breath as Gianna praised herself. Honestly, Lily would expect nothing less, but that was one of the things she loved most about her. If one thing could be said about Gia, it was that she was unapologetically herself in the best of ways. A soft smile made its way across her features, shining in her eyes as she listened. “Celestina Rosmerta. It has a certain ring to it,” Lily nodded as she spoke, a small laugh in the words. No, it didn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but who was she to judge? “Of course I will.” Her hand wrapped around her new glass, taking a sip of it as she pushed herself away from the bar. “It’s the least I can do if you’re buying my drinks tonight, and besides, what sort of friend would I be to send you on your own?” Lily promised, looping her free arm through Gia’s as she lifted her chin to look above the crowd, trying to decide on a path. “What do you way, want to go say hi?”

Gianna wrinkled her nose and made a face at just the sound of it. Celestina Rosmerta. Blegh. "Oh, lord. I'm just glad mum's not around to hear you say that, she'd march right down to the Ministry and change it." She laughed easily, shaking her head. It was true - she wouldn't have put it past her mother to do exactly that. After all, Gianna had gotten her personality from somewhere, and it certainly hadn't been her father. Tenacity and a bit of a wild side seemed to run in the family.

She smiled brightly as Lily agreed, even just the word friend falling from her warming Gianna from the inside, although how much of that was the alcohol was anybody's guess. But still - Lily had become one of her favorite customers, and she was glad to know she was thought of as more than just the barmaid. "A smart one, probably." She replied with a cheeky grin. Taking another sip of her drink, she furrowed her brows slightly, quizzical. "Say hi to who?" Gianna asked, leaning against her somewhat as she linked their arms, following her lead and taking a look around (although she wasn't sure what she was looking for) before her brain caught up to the conversation, and she turned to Lily, wide eyed. “Wait - say hi to her?”

Autumn stared blankly at Gianna for a moment after she spoke before a large grin spread across her features again. ”Oh.“ She said with a snort, shaking her head. Perhaps she should have assumed that, Gia did have a bit of a reputation, but she was never one to really listen to rumors. Tilting her head to the side slightly, she continued to stare at her for a moment longer. "So, wait… Does that mean that sex is off the table then?” Her eyebrow raised slightly with the question. Autumn would be lying if she said she hadn’t considered attempting to flirt with Gianna before now, but she was her boss, and she didn’t want anybody to get the idea that she was trying to sleep with her boss to get a raise, brownie points or whatever. If it were to be brought up it would have to happen naturally, like it was now.

Looking down to her clothes, Autumn’s shoulders shrugged. She had fallen asleep in her clothes plenty of times before, but if she was offering something else, she supposed she would take it. “Maybe just some pants or shorts or something. I love my jeans, but they definitely aren’t the most comfortable thing to sleep in.” Actually, she usually preferred to sleep wearing absolutely nothing, but drunk or not, she had enough courtesy to keep her clothes on while crashing on someone else’s couch.

Gianna looked at Autumn appraisingly, her smile fading as she pursed her lips. Was she really asking her about the possibility of the two of them having sex? With each other? Certainly, she wasn't opposed to the idea, but she had never considered it before. Before tonight she wasn't even certain Autumn was interested in being friends, let alone crossing that line as well. "Well, it's definitely off the table until you sober up, at the very least." She told her with a pointed look. "If you still feel like it when the room stops spinning, " she teased. "We can revisit the subject." Truth was, when it came to Gianna, sex was rarely ever truly off the table, even if it should be - like with her employee. But they'd cross that bridge when, and if, they ever got there. 

Gianna nodded, clapping her hands onto her thighs once before she stood again. "Coming up." She smiled softly down at Autumn before taking back off through the kitchen and to her bedroom, slipping her own blouse off as soon as she had made it through the door. Rummaging around, she found herself an oversized tank top before beginning the hunt for something suitable for her guest. "Shorts or sweats?" She called through to the other room, plucking her softest pair of each from the drawer as she waited for an answer. 

Regulus chuckled softly as she thrusted her drink into his hand, and his head shook lightly as she began to walk away. He admired her determination, it seemed as though she was willing to do whatever it would take to get them the chance to meet Celestina. Watching her intently as she marched up to the man, he took a few steps forward, lingering behind her just close enough to be able to hear what she was saying. Gianna was making a good case for herself, and honestly if he were in the other mans position, he would have let her by simply because it was her birthday. But he didn’t seem to be so easily convinced, he must have heard that excuse a million times. 

The glance over her shoulder made Regulus’ eyebrow raise slightly in confusion. He wondered idly what trick she was going to pull, surely she wasn’t about to do what he suggested. He continued watching her, his jaw dropping when he realized she really did flash the man. Regulus blinked a couple of times, closing his mouth with a grin as he raced to catch up with her. "You really just did that.” He laughed, handing her drink back to her. “You really just did that, I can’t believe it. You’re absolutely insane, you know that?” Insane, maybe, but without her, he wouldn’t be this close to meeting his favourite entertainer.

"Of course I just did that - got us what we wanted, didn't it?" Gianna shrugged easily, reaching up to adjust herself again as they walked, not quite having gotten it right the first time. In truth, it wasn't the first time she'd used her assets to get her way - and even if she told herself it was the last, it wasn't likely to be. "Insane?" She scoffed. "Hardly. Besides, that was nothing." Gianna grinned mischievously at him as they were ushered quickly down a back hallway. Certainly they didn't want anyone else getting any bright ideas like her and Regulus had. "Maybe one day I'll tell you a real story." 

She was still laughing as Regulus stopped short, and it was with a small huff that she ran fully into him. Luckily, she was able to find her balance, and she opened her mouth to ask the obvious question, but he was fixated on the door they'd just come to, which was slightly ajar. She could see enough inside to tell it was a makeshift dressing room, and the humming coming from within could only belong to one person. "Celestina." She breathed, before getting uncharacteristically nervous and wringing her hands together. "I can't go in there, that's really her!"

5. What is your favorite color?

Pink!

18. Do you want children?

I think I’d love to be a mother, but I’m not sure it’s really in the cards for me.

41. Are you a good liar?

When I have to be, I suppose, although I really prefer not to.

57. How long does it take for you to get ready?

Well that depends, doesn’t it? If we’re getting ready for a night out, maybe an hour or two - but day to day, for work and the like? About fifteen minutes, I’d say.

59. -already answered-

94. What are your strengths?

74. Are you ticklish?

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops?

40. Have you ever had a secret admirer?

Oh, honey I’m sure - but that’s the whole point, right? It’s a secret. Most of the time.

74. Are you ticklish?

Incredibly so - care to figure out where?

59. Do you suck or bite lollipops?

Autumn rolled her eyes as she realized it was just water. She didn’t want water, she wanted more alcohol. But, she supposed Gianna did have a point. If she didn’t want to wake up with a massive headache and a killer hangover, water was the best thing for her at the moment. With a sigh, she picked up the glass of water again, drinking the whole thing in one go. Perhaps that was how she ended up so drunk in the first place, she had downed every drink she ordered in only a few gulps. She did have to admit, it was probably the best glass of water she has ever had, it was ice cold and refreshing. "You were right,” Autumn laughed, “I did want that.”

Placing the glass back down and getting comfortable again, her smile growing again at her confirmation. She was glad to hear that she considered her a friend, Autumn knew she was rough around the edges and hard to get along with sometimes, but she truly admired Gianna’s kind nature and was glad to have someone like her in her life. “Good.” She said with a nod. At least she knew she wasn’t being too much of a bother to her, since she was taking care of her drunk friend rather than just a drunk employee. Cocking her head slightly and raising a brow, she gave her a puzzled look. “I’d be here for a different reason if we weren’t friends?” Autumn questioned, trying to make sense of the phrase, “What reason might that be?”

Fighting a laugh, she watched with no small sense of relief as Autumn drank the whole glass in one go. With a quick aguamenti she refilled it, just in case. After all, there was no such thing as too much water after a night like she'd had. She might be woken up by the sound of her stumbling to the bathroom to pee in the middle of the night, but it was better than a couple of the alternatives. "Darling, I'm rarely wrong." She tutted playfully, unbuttoning her cardigan now that they seemed settled for the moment. She'd always kept the pub a fair bit colder than upstairs due to all the people, but it made dressing rather annoying.

Gianna raised an eyebrow at her. Maybe it was all the alcohol slowing her system, but she thought she had acquired a bit of a reputation, if her meaning hadn’t been clear enough. But it was no matter, and she took a last sip of her water, leaning forward to place it back on the table before answering. "Sex, Autumn, I'm talking about sex." She rolled her eyes slightly, a grin threatening at the edges of her lips. "I can't remember the last time I had someone up here that I wasn't trying to sleep with." She admitted, although when she put it that way it sounded sort of sad. But it wasn't like Gianna didn't see her friends plenty - they just didn't usually hang out in her apartment. "Anyway, do you want something more comfortable to sleep in?" 

"I don’t doubt that you’re strong.” Oliver chuckled, he felt like she had to be after manning the Three Broomsticks for all of these years. “Trust me, I’d be all over you if you weren’t missing a rather important piece of anatomy.” He sent her a wink before glancing back to the bartender for a moment, taking in the view for as long as possible before he was pulled away. Hopefully he would remember to return later to get some real flirting in with him, though he wouldn’t be surprised if he did forget given his current state.

Mimicking her action, Oliver drank almost his entire drink in one gulp. If they were going to dance, having a drink in his hand would only get in the way. He chuckled softly, finishing the rest of his drink and placing the empty glass down on the bar as she began pulling him away. “Okay, fair. However I swear if you fall, I won’t laugh.” He paused for a moment before a grin spread across his lips, “At least not until the clock strikes midnight and it’s no longer your birthday. Then I will laugh, hard.” When they reached the dancefloor, he held Gianna close to him as he pushed his way through the crowd. If they were going to dance, they had to be right in the center with all eyes on them. It was her birthday, after all. “You should feel lucky,” Oliver laughed, “I usually only dance with people when I’m trying to get in their pants.”

Gianna rolled her eyes, although she knew that if Oliver were an option open to her, she'd jump on it. Although, she figured, so would most people. Her smile returned as he followed suit and finished his drink, and started dancing as they walked, unable to help herself as one of her favorite songs started up. She let loose a loud laugh at his answer, letting him take the lead to get them through the crowd. "That's fair." She agreed, almost hoping one of them went down. It would liven things up even more, wouldn't it? 

Gianna raised an eyebrow sarcastically as they finally stopped, placing her arms delicately over his shoulders. "That's because you've never danced with me, love." It was something that came naturally to her, and she fancied she was rather good at it. Her home had always been filled with music, ever since she could remember, a habit she'd carried with her even after losing her mother. She sang and danced around while she did basically everything - cooking, cleaning, tending bar. She shimmied her hips, humming along to the song as she glanced around. There were quite a few people who had turned to look at the two of them. "Besides, you'll be thanking me later when some gorgeous man comes up and wants to dance with you next." 

Regulus shook his head at her question, rolling his eyes slightly. "Trust me, you don’t.” He answered easily. There wasn’t enough time in the world to give her the entire backstory of him and Sirius, plus he didn’t want to ruin her night by talking about his family drama. It was her birthday, after all, the least he could do was fake a smile for her. Although, now with their mission to track down Celestina, it was much less of a fake smile than it had been before Gianna found him. “I’m glad I came, too. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here hunting down Celestina with you.” Turning his head towards her, he flashed her a genuine smile before turning his eyes back out to scan the crowd again.

Raising his eyebrows, he was slightly surprised to hear that she had her own bodyguards. Did she really expect the night to be so crazy she needed people to protect her? Though his expression softened slightly, he supposed it was rather smart of her to have some sort of back up plan if things did end up going down hill. Moving his eyes to the third man, he nodded his head, giving him an appraising glance. “Y'know, normally I would agree with you, however I feel like that man has been flirted with so much in his time as a bodyguard. I think we’ll have to go a little more… risqué.” Regulus smirked, wiggling his eyebrows at her slightly, “I think you might have to flash him, Gia. Give the man something more than some heartless flirting.”

"Okay." She agreed easily, shrugging one shoulder. If she didn't want to know, she wouldn't ask. Simple as that. Gianna lived by a small set of very simple rules, and she was happier for it. Everything was too complicated nowadays - she simply woke up wanting to have a good day. "Ah, yes, Celestina." She cooed, teasing and batting her eyelashes at him before dissolving into giggles. She considered his plan, following his line of sight to the man. Not her usual tastes, but she supposed that wasn't really the point. "Hm." She looked back to Regulus with a thoughtful nod, passing him her drink. "Hold this." 

Gianna lifted her chin, determined. Squaring her shoulders and setting her sights fully on him, she marched over, stopping right before him. In her defense, she did try to convince him to let them by first - "but it's my birthday, she's here for me" - but he wasn't having any of it, and Gianna wasn't patient enough to wear him down. But she could tell that Regulus had been onto something. After all, the man wasn't blind, and even if he might not have let them past (yet), he wasn't immune to her flirting. So with a single glance over her shoulder, she winked at Regulus before turning back to the man and pulling her shirt up. His eyes went wide and he simply nodded. Gianna smiled brightly as she readjusted herself, waving for Regulus to come on as the guard turned to lead them through the crowd. 

An eyebrow raised at her comment and he leaned his head back, chuckling softly. Now that he was able to get a good look at her, she did look much more put together than she usually did when she was standing behind the bar. "Not entirely wrong,” He agreed with a short nod, “You’re definitely winning in the face category. But him?” Oliver nodded towards the man tending the bar, “He’s got you beat in the arms department. I’d love to have those wrapped around me.” He smirked, biting his bottom lip playfully as he made eye contact with him before turning his attention back to Gianna. 

“That’s the spirit!” Oliver laughed. He knew it was half Maya’s doing, but he would gladly humor Gia and give her all the credit while she wasn’t around. Watching her stumble over her shoes, he reached a hand out and grabbed on to her arm to steady her. Most of his friends were women, it definitely wasn’t the first time he had to be a support beam for some too-high heels. “Not wrong, again, Gia. However a party is a perfect excuse to go even harder than usual.” He smiled, mirroring her and finishing off what was left in his glass. Oliver shot a glance at the bartender, a silent request for a refill for both himself and Gia. He watched the man closely as he fulfilled his request, leaning on the bar as he took in the view. He really was a sight for sore eyes. Dropping a couple of coins on the bar, Oliver winked at the bartender before sliding Gia’s drink towards her, laughing at the sight of her also being distracted by someone else. “Dance?” He repeated, a twinkle of excitement in his eye, “Trust me, the drunker I am, the better dancer I am. Come on,” He held an arm out to her, “Lead the way.”

Gianna scowled for just a moment, although since it was an expression she wore so seldom, she wasn't sure she was fooling anybody. "Don't let my petite figure fool you." She tutted haughtily, although she was mostly teasing him. After all, that's why she'd hired the man, wasn't it? "I'm freakishly strong." She grinned, unable to stop a single laugh from escaping her. Years of not letting anyone else unload the shipments every week had given her a strength most people didn't expect - she might not be winning any strong arm competitions, but she could hold her own. 

She leaned in to him slightly as he helped keep her upright, beaming up at him in thanks, although she wondered idly what it said about her that a man who had already proclaimed he couldn't see was steadier on his feet than she was. Although, admittedly, she wasn't too concerned either way. "I'll drink to that!" She nodded once, her glass barely even making it to her before she downed most of it in one go, especially if they were vacating the bar. "Alright, but fair warning - if you fall over, I will laugh at you." She grinned cheekily, as she took his arm and led him straight into the throng of people already dancing. 

Glancing down to her feet, he suddenly felt bad for taking off so quickly. How women managed to walk in heels was a mystery to him, and he had major respect for Gianna for choosing the most uncomfortable looking footwear. Regulus made sure to move slower this time, walking at her pace so she wouldn’t break an ankle. ”Shh!“ He hushed her as she shouted out his name. He was supposed to be laying low, not wanting many people to know of his presence, having her scream his name definitely wouldn’t help with that. But, he smiled at her when she repeated it, much more quiet this time, and shook his head slightly. She sounded offended, but the smile on her lips told him otherwise.

"Okay, I think I worded that wrong,” He corrected himself as they began walking again, “Of course I wanted to celebrate with you and Maya.” It wasn’t a lie - if things were under normal circumstances he absolutely would have been there in a heart beat. But he knew that Sirius was closer to both of them than he was, and figured he would be the bigger person this time and let his brother have fun without worry of running into him. Celestina was the only thing that was able to give him the push to show up. “I’m just…” Regulus shrugged, his eyes on the floor as he spoke softly, “I don’t want to run in to Sirius, that’s all.” He huffed softly before bringing his eyes back up, smiling over to Gianna, “But you don’t want to hear about my problems, we’re on a mission to find Celestina. C'mon, before she leaves the poker table.” Though they may have been too late, the crowd that had formed seemed to be dispersing. However he spotted a couple of rather large men, towering above everyone else, and he nudged Gianna lightly, “Think those are her body guards?”

Gianna frowned slightly as he shushed her, although it faded quickly and her brows knit in fleeting concern as she took in his almost healed bruises with a new curiosity as he mentioned his brother, who also happened to be sporting a rather grisly looking black eye. It wasn't exactly a secret that the two didn't get along, especially not for someone who saw Sirius drunk as much as she did. "Do I want to know?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. But as he brushed it off, she let him. She wasn't one to poke and prod at someone's personal life if they didn't want her to know - but should he change his mind, she hoped he knew he could talk to her. 

"Either way, I'm glad you came." She smiled brightly at him as they resumed their hunt, turning quickly to follow his line of sight, although she needn't, really, as the two men in question were considerably larger than most around them. "No, they're mine." She replied quickly, recognizing them at once. Gianna bit her lip as she appraised them, smirking mischievously. Hired wasn't really the right term, but they were here at her request, at any rate. "I mean, not bodyguards. They're, uh…. let's call them a contingency plan." She giggled, shrugging a bit too innocently, before her eyes landed on a third man. "That one isn't mine, though." She pointed out the wizard in all black, looking far too uptight to be here for a party and figured he must be with Celestina. "Alright, one of us is gonna have to start flirting." She leveled seriously, turning back to Regulus. "What do you think?" 

Taking her hand, Autumn let Gianna pull her up, sitting back down on the couch with laughter still falling from her. Yes, she was drunk, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t embarrassed. If she could control herself she would, but she felt safe with Gia, maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing to loosen up. "I am embarrassed. And drunk. They can coexist.” Autumn laughed, eyeing the two glasses on the table in front of her. Glancing back to Gia, she shot her a mischievous look. “Is there alcohol in those?” She asked with a raised brow. “Because I don’t think I need any more… But you! You could use some.” Reaching for one of the cups, she picked it up and shoved it towards Gianna, some of the liquid spilling out and over her hands. “Drink up, you have a lot of catching up to do.”

Once the glass was out of her hands, Autumn leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. She was really thankful to have someone that was able to look out for her, she was sure most of her other friends would have just let her find her own way home. In her current state, she probably would have ended up in some sort of horrible situation. She would have to remember to thank Gia once she sobered up, that way she would know that she really meant it. “You’re the best.” Autumn said suddenly, her head still leaned against the back of the couch, but a genuine smile overtook her features. “You’re just like, so funny and pretty and even though I can be an asshole sometimes, you really just get me, you know?” Drunken words were sober thoughts, as they say, and everything coming out of her was entirely true. Though Autumn never would have said anything if she weren’t in the condition she was currently in. “I’m glad that we’re friends.” Looking back up, Autumn glanced at her with a concerned look in her eye, “Wait - we are friends, right? Sometimes people don’t like me, which is fine, but I like you and wanna be your friend.”

"If that's the case, you'll be miserable in the morning." Gianna smirked, raising an eyebrow. Most of the embarrassment of a night drinking came the next morning when you were remembering with a sober mind, or so it seemed with most people. Maybe Autumn would be lucky enough to simply not remember anything, although Gianna wasn't sure she'd drank quite that much. She rolled her eyes, reaching out for the glass before Autumn could spill any more of it. "It's water, darling, and trust me - " She leveled with a pointed glance, having a hard time keeping her smile off her face. "You're gonna want to drink that." 

She sat next to her, perched on the edge of the couch as she took a sip from her own glass. The water was crisp and cool, and although she wasn't nearly as drunk as the other, it felt good. Gianna turned her head to look sidelong at her at the sudden declaration, quirking an eyebrow, although this time she let the smile take over her features. She wasn't a stranger to drunken compliments, but mostly they came from people who wanted something from her. But she could hear the authenticity in Autumn's words, and it meant more to her than she could say. Gianna laughed, leaning back into the cushions and turning her head so they were mirrored, looking at each other. "Yes, of course we're friends." She assured her, smirking. "If we weren't friends, you'd be up here for a very different reason." 

He should have known Gianna wasn’t paying for her own drinks, but it was the only thing he had to offer her. Even if the invite clearly stated that gifts weren’t necessary, it felt wrong of him for not bringing something. Picking his freshly poured ale up from the bar, his eyes followed to where she was pointing. He couldn’t help the smile that hit his lips at Gianna’s enthusiasm, truly happy that she was having a good night for her birthday. It wouldn’t be fair if he were to put a damper on her, so he took a drink before planting a more permanent smile on his lips and wrapped his arm around hers. “Let’s retrace her steps, then, come on.” He said, beginning to drag her towards where she had last seen Celestina.

Once they reached the stage, Regulus stopped abruptly, turning back to face her. “So you saw her here.” He confirmed, turning to scan the room, “And she went that way…” He trailed off as he noticed a large group of people from across the room, near the poker tables. There had been a crowd there all night, but it was much larger now and the only reason he could think possibly think of was there was a person of interest there. “How much you wanna bet she’s over there?” Regulus asked, a more genuine smile gracing his features. He grabbed Gia again, this time not dragging her with him but instead walking alongside her. “I have a confession to make,” He started, glancing over to her and keeping his voice rather low. “I almost didn’t come tonight, but I’m kind of secretly a huge Celestina fan and I really couldn’t pass up a chance at seeing her live. Don’t you dare tell anybody, though.”

Gianna nodded enthusiastically as she took a sip of her drink, distracted momentarily by the light up straw. "Hey, woah, chill out speed racer!" She laughed, some of her drink spilling over the side as she stumbled along next to him. "Some of us are wearing skyscrapers for shoes, you know." She pouted, bringing the edge of her glass to her lips to lick what was still running down the side. She hummed, shrugging slightly as her eyes darted around the party, landing on the poker table only a second after he pointed it out. She let out a small squeal and linked her arm through his for balance, although he had slowed his pace considerably - a fact she was eternally grateful for at the moment. 

"Regulus -" She started, although her voice was much louder than she'd intended and she stopped, a chagrined smile flickering across her mouth before she glared at him once more. "Regulus Black." She chided in a much lower voice as she let go of him, putting a hand on her hip as she stopped short. "You come to my party and tell me you're only here for another woman?" Gianna tutted, shaking her head as if offended. Truthfully, it didn't bother her in the slightest - it seemed everyone's life was far from simple these days, and she surely wasn't about to hold a desire to stay in against anyone, even if she didn't feel the same. "You could at least lie to me." Gianna huffed, although in her current state she couldn't stop it from turning into a laugh, winking at him and continuing on toward the poker table. "Don't worry, love. Your secret's safe with me." 

The night was still so early, yet Oliver had already finished all of the potions he brought with him. He had never been very good at self control, and after staying sober for the game they played (and won) this morning, he was rather eager to get as fucked up as possible, as quickly as possible. He waited until he found Maya, at least, to share with her, but he still had more after the two of them separated and he just couldn’t stop himself. Oliver was leaned against the bar, eyes rather glossy as he looked at his surroundings. The lights from the machines just looked like multi-coloured dots blending in with each other, faces of the people in the distance were simply features with no specific details. Honestly, it felt quite nice to simply be existing in this environment.

Somebody approached and touched his arm, he looked down to the point of contact with a grin before glancing up to see who it was. Gianna, birthday girl number two. Perfect. “I’m going to be perfectly honest with you, love.” Oliver laughed, glancing around to make sure no one else was within earshot of them before leaning in to whisper in her ear, “I can’t really see anything right now, not unless they’re as close in proximity as you are right now.” There was no use in lying to her, Oliver wasn’t shy about his substance abuse and with one good look at him and anybody could tell he was high as a kite. Leaning away from her for a moment, he laughed again and shook his head, “I’m having an absolutely amazing time, though. You really know how to put on a good party, Gia.”

"Do you want to know another secret?" She whispered back, playing right along, completely unfazed by what he had told her. After all, that's what they wanted - it was a night of debauchery and as far as she was concerned, nothing was off limits. "I'm the only thing worth looking at." She dissolved into giggles immediately, waving her hand in between them as she tried to get a grip over herself enough to speak again. "No, okay, that came out wrong. But still." Another lone giggle escaped her. "I'm not wrong." She grinned at him, glad to see everyone fully enjoying themselves. 

"I can't take all the credit, it was half Maya." She sighed, pouting slightly. But then she perked up somewhat, glancing around them before grinning mischievously. "No. You know what? Yes I can, she's not here. It was me and I thank you." Gianna laughed, shaking her head slightly, although stopping rather abruptly when it threatened to knock her off balance. She knew heels hadn't been a good idea - but when else would she be able to wear them? "Although I do get the feeling that you don't need a party to have a good time." She wiggled her eyebrows playfully, leaning on the bar for support as she finished her drink. She didn't know Oliver particularly well, but he seemed fun - which was exactly her favorite kind of person. "I am loving all of these….. sequins." She smirked, distracted suddenly, her eyes trailing hungrily over a woman that just passed in a rather short, sparkly dress before a thought struck her and she straightened, smacking his arm lightly. "Hey, sober up won't you? I want to dance." 

Little Black. His eyes rolled slightly, but he looked away as he did so, not wanting to offend Gianna. He knew it was coming from a good place with her, but he wasn’t that much younger than Sirius, half the year they were the same age, so why was he deemed ’little Black?’ He didn’t let it bother him like it usually would, though. He was supposed to be having a good time, and Gianna was the birthday girl, so he would let it slide this time. Laughing slightly at her excitement, he didn’t bother to try pull away as she grabbed his arm and began dragging him along with her. He was likely just as excited as she was over Celestina.

“Who said I wasn’t having fun?” Regulus huffed, though he was sure it wasn’t hard to tell that he didn’t particularly didn’t want to be there. Under any other circumstances this definitely would have been right up his alley, but he knew Sirius was likely hanging about somewhere and he simply didn’t want to have a run-in with his brother. So he decided to stick to the sidelines and slip out after Warbeck’s performance, but if Gianna wanted to go on a mission to find her, he wasn’t going to turn down that opportunity. “A refill is absolutely needed, I’d offer to get you one for your birthday, but you beat me to it.” He smiled, trying to push aside his problems so he could enjoy his time with Gia. Once they had reached the bar, he replaced his pint and paid the bartender an extra couple of galleons, instructing him to use them to pay for Gia and Maya’s next drinks before he turned back to her. “Alright where did you see her? If we’re going to find her, we should start with where she was last seen.”

"I did." She said simply, turning to give him a look over her shoulder as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Anyone having less fun than me is getting another drink!" She decreed with a laugh, tapping eagerly on the bar to try and get the bartender's attention. "Oh, you think I'm paying for my drinks?" She winked at the bartender (one of her own - a man named Chip who she'd hired mostly for his arm muscles) who simply shook his head at her and got them both another. He knew well enough there was always someone willing to get her another round. 

Gianna turned back to Regulus. “Let me tell you a secret.” She leaned in with a conspiratorial smile, dropping her voice to a whisper. “It’s my birthday, that’s what guests are for.” She giggled, smiling brightly at him before she continued, not wanting to seem ungrateful. “I appreciate it.” She touched his arm gently for a moment. “Now.” She turned her attention back to the party, eyes narrowed as she scanned the room. “Celestina.” She couldn’t help but shimmy her shoulders a little as she said her name, her excitement tangible. “Was over there when I saw her.” She pointed, to a spot not far from the stage in the corner, just past the slot machines. “And I think she went.... that way?” 

Autumn braced herself against Gianna as she helped her up the stairs. Thankfully it wasn’t a long trip, and they made it up without any hiccups. When they reached the top, Autumn pulled her arm away, though she had to admit she didn’t really want to. She liked being that close to Gia, but she simply blamed it on the alcohol, she particularly enjoyed physical contact of any sort when she was drunk. Autumn smiled as the door opened, stumbling into the apartment, almost tripping over her feet as she entered. She tried her best to take in the room as she kicked her shoes off, but the moment her eyes landed on the couch, she headed straight for it. Sitting down felt like a good idea right now. Although, it ended up being less like sitting and more like sprawled across the entire couch.

"I’m sorry,” Autumn giggled, trying to sit herself up, but instead she slipped off the couch and landed on the floor with a loud thud. It only made her laugh harder, laying there on the floor staring at the ceiling. It was only so entertaining because this wasn’t who she usually was, it felt so strange to be laughing so freely. She had to admit that she liked it, though. It felt nice to let loose for the first time in years. Placing her palms firmly on the floor beside her, Autumn pushed herself up and stared up at Gianna with a grin on her lips. “I’m really embarrassed.” She admitted, but she was glad that Gia was the only one to have to witness her in this state.

Gianna entered behind her, picking up her discarded shoes and placing them neatly by the front door, her own following not long after. She padded off to the kitchen, tutting at Autumn's apology and waving it away with her hand. "Darling, I run a pub. You don't have to apologize to me." She called back as she filled two glasses with water. Besides that, Gianna was all for indulging yourself, as much and as often as you could. She started at the thud that came from the other room, grabbing the glasses and picking up the pace on her way back, although the laughter that followed told her Autumn was just fine. As she rounded the corner and spied her sprawled across the floor, she couldn't help but laugh with her, sure there'd be rumors flying tomorrow night about what the room below them had heard. 

She shook her head, setting both glasses on the coffee table before offering her a hand to help her up. "Oh yeah, you look it." Gianna rolled her eyes fondly at Autumn's expression, another small chuckle escaping her. Her smile was soft and genuine, she looked surprisingly unguarded. She was quite sure she'd never seen her like this before. She wondered idly if anyone had. Sure, she had a good heart, but she also had one of the hardest exteriors Gianna had ever seen. "You're not embarrassed, you're drunk." 

Despite the small voice in the back of her mind that spoke up when Lily did much of, well, anything these days, she was determined to enjoy herself. Just because she had been happy to let her birthday pass without much celebration, she couldn’t fault anyone else for wanting to make their own happy. They all needed something to enjoy, given everything that had happened. That continued to happen. And while Lily may not have known Maya well, she did know Gia. If she was going to throw a party, it would be cruel of her not to make an appearance, and honestly Lily needed out of her house. Out of the hospital. To just spend a few hours pretending that she was okay. 

She hadn’t seen much of Gia since Christmas, when the ground had pulled out from underneath her. It seemed fitting this was their reunion, a happy night. The boys and Mary had all disappeared into the crowd, but that was alright and less than surprising. As a result, Lily had taken to leaning against the bar, chatting idly with the bartender while she got a refill. Looking away just as Gia reached her, Lily laughed warmly. “I did.” Muggle music continued to be her favorite, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t understand the appeal of Warbeck. Especially not with the way Gia was squealing so excitedly. “Of course she’d want to be here, look at this place. It’s brilliant, Gia, really.”

She had meant to check on Lily - maybe pop into the hospital or send her a note to come get dinner on the house - but she'd been so busy lately it had completely slipped her mind, which made her feel no small amount of guilt now that she was standing here with her. But she was glad she had decided to come out, and decided there was no better time than the present to make up for it. "She's with me." Gianna winked at the man behind the bar, watching as he nodded and moved to add Lily to her tab. Business had been so good lately, the Broomsticks could definitely pay for her drinks as well as a few friends. 

"Oh, come on." She scoffed, pretending to be humble, but the beaming smile she gave the room as she looked around it gave her away and she laughed as she turned back to Lily. "We do know how to throw a party, don't we?" She grinned, shrugging one shoulder cheekily before taking another sip of her drink. "She's my favorite, you know. My mum used to listen to her as we cleaned up after close - Merlin, she'd probably have feinted if she were here. I swear I was almost named Celestina." Gianna rolled her eyes fondly at the memories, her smile softening around the edges for just a moment. "You'll stop me from embarrassing myself too much, won't you?"