#stellarpstart

Severus sat watching the people in the Lestrange fundraiser with a cautious eye. He expected some sort of payback tonight for all they’d done, though what exactly he wasn’t sure. All the same, he wanted the event to be successful, and to at least make enough money they could fund their public plot of making Rodolphus Minister, since often that was forgotten in the great battle of the Deatheaters and Order.  Seeing someone near his table, he looked up at them and half-smiled. “Are you enjoying yourself? Or shall I ask you to dance or get you a drink to make the night more enjoyable?”

Marlene didn’t know how to process James’ death. And unlike those around her, tears didn’t flow easily. She didn’t know to express her grief in anything but rage, and all she wanted to do was hit something, break something. So instead of destroying her apartment, she found herself in front of punching bag, punching it like it could take away the pain. “Whatever it is, I’m really not in the mood right now.” she said as she heard footsteps approach.

James Potter was dead. Her brother was dead. How...how could he be dead? And how had she gotten to work this morning, not knowing that he was dead. It didn’t make sense. He couldn’t be dead. It couldn’t be true. Narcissa refused to believe it. She had just seen James yesterday when they met for lunch. It was a standing thing that they did, they had lunch together at least once a week, but sometimes they had to push it back and a week or two went by without seeing each other. They were both busy. But she had been with him yesterday. He had laughed yesterday. And now he was gone. 

Ted was surprisingly adept at events like the Lestrange Political Fundraiser for someone that wasn’t raised going to events like this all the time. His family had always been more of the type to have a close holiday party not an event to this scale. Yet slowly, he had become used to it and even developed a taste for them. He had to, with Andromeda as his fiance. 

“I said I’m fine,” Sirius said, finishing filing through papers at the Hit Wizards office. He was fine. Yes, he was also two pepper up potions in, but he had work to do. They all did. So it wasn’t time to dwell on something he hadn’t even processed.

Doe honestly couldn’t care less about politics, about Rodolphus Lestrange, or about this election. But Emm had convinced her to come, and she figured that there would be food and booze, and Doe wasn’t one to turn that down. Wearing a dress was never her sort of thing, she much preferred to be comfortable, but she knew that she couldn’t get away with her usual jeans and a t-shirt, so she had traded it in for a simple black dress. Mingling through the crowd, a glass of champagne in her hand, she held back the urge to roll her eyes when Rodolphus began to speak. Politics were just so boring and nothing could convince her otherwise. 

Regulus fixed his tie, the only sign of nervous energy he exhibited as he waded through various people, heading towards the drinks table. He hated events like these - it always reminded him of the events his adoptive parents had forced him and Sirius to attend when they were children. But Helena’s presence was required, and he’d do anything for her. So here he was, mingling, or rather supporting her mingling. He’d only left her side to get a drink for both himself and Helena. Finding the table, he poured two glasses of wine, and turned back around when he knocked into someone, spilling some wine over himself. Nice going Reg, barely a couple hours into this thing and you’ve already spilled something on yourself. “Merlin, I’m sorry, I’m such a klutz.” he said as he put the glasses down, grabbing serviettes “I didn’t get any on you did I?”

The back table in the Leaky Cauldron was an ideal place for him to go over his current research. Edgar had been in the field fairly late, and had missed dinner, prompting him to stop in the Leaky Cauldron for some food. Here, he could get some of his notes finished up and get a bite to eat in the mean time. Working with rescues was his favorite part of the job, especially when it was with the younglings. Thestrals were a particularly interesting creature to work with, and Edgar had headed a rescue of baby thestrals after their mother had been killed. Edgar was looking forward to bonding with them further and do some more extensive research.