Ozwald Wilkes

This was in fact his first drink of the night. It would take far more to get anywhere, as he had been snacking but also he would need more than this. Granted, he did enjoy it, taking his time to enjoy the flute to the fullest.

Though he was to blind to Oz's true feelings, the sigh was impossible to miss. Oz had endured enough undeserved hardship. Rabastan disliked this reaction, believing wholeheartedly that Oz deserved more. This was supposed to be a new start to his life; he should be living it free from the shadows of the past, looking forward with optimism. "The night's still young," he swiftly replied, mostly because it was a simple fact, but also because he had started to consider who else in his circle could be a potential match for his friend. There were not many he thought good enough.

It was hard to imagine a life where he could have both a husband and be happy. When he had the first and not the latter for so long. With the quick response he chuckled softly. "You know it would be far easier if I was attracted to women. Alas, not the case." He was not ashamed for being gay, he had always sort of known. There just weren't many pureblood men that were swinging that way, or from what Oz had found many men in general.

Observing Oz's laugh, he broke another smile and reached for a replacement glass of his own. He was getting through the champagne, today. But there was no point in attending these lavish events without taking advantage of the benefits. He'd never been one to ignore an advantage when presented directly in front of him. Fortunately, there was enough food to line his stomach and he had a generous constitution when it came to alcohol. It would take far more than bubbly, light-weight beverages to get him drunk.

This was in fact his first drink of the night. It would take far more to get anywhere, as he had been snacking but also he would need more than this. Granted, he did enjoy it, taking his time to enjoy the flute to the fullest.

Oz's marriage had been disastrous, yet not of his own making. Rabastan knew his friend's wishes when it came to romance. Though he didn't value or desire the same qualities, he understood them well enough and he wanted Oz to find happiness. He had long abandoned the idea of choosing his own wife. It had not been his fate as a teenager, and it would not be his fate now. He accepted it, though he would like to have at least some input into the final decision. He was no longer a young man whose heart and lust could be easily swayed. His parents' lack of recognition was at times frustrating.

Oz would rather not live through the same choices when it came to marriage. He wanted to do things for him this time, and not to bottom line of making an heir. Perhaps he could be happy since he had gone through the whole process already. What he did hope was that his friend could find someone that he was happy with at the end of the day. No matter who it was.

Rabastan had a practical attitude towards marriage. It was essential to ensure the survival of bloodlines and to promote alliances between families. Love and comfort did not come into the equation, merely an added bonus for those couples who were fortunate enough to find both. But he was not heartless, today. He hoped the Malfoys would be happy with each other. It had been a day long in the making, and Narcissa in particular deserved a good marriage.

Oz wanted to find love, somewhere. He had always wanted to be in love or even just in a marriage that wasn't the worst of all time. Where they didn't cheat on each other, maybe they could fall in love. However, that hadn't happened and well he wasn't counting on it happening for him anyway.

"Mmn-?" Jason perked at the sound of his name, craning his head to the side so he could see who was calling him. At the sight of Oz his eyes immediately widened, Jason absolutely beaming with excitement to say hello to his friend. "Oh-! Oz-! J-Just a minute- G-Give me j-just a minute-!" Jason practically hopped a couple of times where he stood before focusing on the line of customers waiting to be served and getting to work. It was only a few minutes later that he cleared the line and was able to put up a temporary closed sign so he could see to Oz. Wiping frosting from his hands as he approached him, Jason came around out from behind the table and wrapped his arms around Oz in a hug. "I was h-hoping you'd s-stop by, it's l-lovely to see you. You l-look great," he told his friend with a smile when he finally pulled away. Smiling a little wider, he told him, "I b-brought t-treats for you."

Where: Meaningful Blooms Who: Narcissa, Lucius, Oz

While it was typical for the brides to be in charge of the wedding decisions, Lucius still felt a bit ashamed that he’d been so left out of the loop. It certainly wasn’t that he didn’t care, but he was busy, and Druella seemed to have a knack for keeping the process traditional. When Narcissa extended the invitation to be part of their flower arrangements, he’d been all too happy to say yes. Though he wasn’t exactly a flower connoisseur, Lucius was willing to hire Oz, especially if it made Narcissa happy.

It was good that Oz did not debate with Rabastan, tonight. He had no patience for it, far too enthralled by his activities and yet more embittered by the crimes that had been inflicted on his family. He would not have taken well to being challenged, though he also would not have reacted harshly against his friend. Their differences in opinion lay dormant, where Rabastan was content to leave them as willing surrender to their relationship. It was one that he valued. He would not endanger it easily.

There were things Oz knew about Rabastan that should have turned him away from his friend. However, these things rarely bothered Oz to the point of thinking anything ill towards Rabastan. In fact, he considered the other man one of his best friends. Oz the sweet hearted one, and Rabastan the scary guard dog.

The festival wasn't a fully useless waste of time. So Avery managed to finish the night of mixing with crowds in a rather pleasant way. He left the space with people suddenly overcome by the desire to have a drink and maybe grab some food before he went back home. So Avery walked and walked until he saw a diner. A diner that was a rather nostalgic one for him. He walked into the place, little bell ringing above the door as the door closed shut. The young lord looked around only to find Oz already there.

Narcissa smiled. "Thank you. You look wonderful as well." It was nice to see someone able to be themselves without being afraid. Perhaps if Narcissa ever allowed herself time to think about that she would feel differently. But Druella Rosier's teachings were far too ingrained in her to have that self-awareness. Instead, she continued on as she did, knowing what was expected of her and fulfilling those roles.

Oz didn't have to hide who he was anymore, and that was something he had to remind himself of from time to time. Of course, it had come with troubles, but at the end of the day he had made it though worse. "Thank you!" He was as bubbly as ever as he spoke. He could hope that one day his friend would feel brave enough to herself.

Oz did not need to support blood purity in order to remain in Rabastan's esteem. He merely needed not to strive against it. Not everyone could fight, and not everyone would support the ideology of the world that Rabastan wished to create. But he strove for this world, because the one that existed now was deficient. It did not serve purity with the respect that it deserved. If things continued on this path, their magic would become polluted until eventually, it would die out. This belief was stitched into Rabastan's soul with unshakeable certainty. The halfblooded fools may not realise it, but his aim was as much for their benefit as it was for his own. It just so happened he also believed that those of purest blood were more entitled to run the new world.

Oz never strived against it, he wouldn't. While he didn't agree that wiping out people was the way, he knew that going against those who wanted to, was a death sentence. There was a flaw to the black and white thinking, and that was the fact that keeping things perfectly pure simply wasn't possible. The more it happened the more squibs happened, which in turn robbed the pureblood world.