*|| -- i get bad energy

Winter thought that was a curious thing to say, or admit to, but she appreciated the sentiment. If she had more anger in her bones that could be directed towards someone beside herself, maybe that’s how she would answer. “I think it fortunate for me, at the very least. I could be talking to many less friendly attendees.” That was always true, wasn’t it? Each person there was worse than the next. “I guess they aren’t getting more selective about who attends, at the very least.” The witch wasn’t surprised at what the Ministry had pulled off in terms of the Ball. They likely had department full of function planner, right? Or house elves? “At least we aren’t attending a Crabbe Christmas Gala, I guess.” It wasn’t so much the family, as it had been the decor, music, and odd food. Who served cucumber soup to so many guests?

Friendly was certainly one way to put it. In her opinion, there wasn’t much a reputation left to protect. Most of her so-called transgressions could be buried in far more interesting news.  “We all get a bit cheerier the lower you get on the pecking order.” She answered back with a laugh. “I suppose we’re both lucky in that way.”   Perhaps it was just the borderline dilapidated setting she worked in that made the whole thing feel gaudy. “Ay. I’ve heard stories.” With a wrinkle of her nose. She’d been fortunate to avoid the whole season of gala’s for the last few years. “Hopefully they’ll look into getting an event planner for next year. Good on them for trying, however. I’m far too lazy to attempt hosting such a thing with no help.” 

Winter was surprised by the words, reminding her almost of something Alecto might have said. It was rare that other pureblood women she encountered were so frank about their distaste for things in their society, but she did enjoy the candidness that the other presented. She decided not to point out that she hadn’t been bored, just a bit overheated and emotional. “Yes, and you’re Reina, correct?” They’d passed by each other a number of times, but she didn’t remember being formally introduced, at least not in the last decade. “It’s quite the busy event, isn’t it?” The girl wondered if she could be a little more open with someone like Reina, but held her tongue from saying more than that.

Earlier in her life, Reina did things exactly by the unwritten rules they were all raised by. But when he intended usefulness petered out she’d quickly become disillusioned with those same confines. not to mention this time last year she’d been living a life she loved in a place she’d loved. “Unfortunately.  However, it is a pleasure to meet you.” Pureblood social circles were odd like that. Growing up around a small group of people who still were complete strangers. “Getting busier every year it sounds like.” She stated, letting her gaze sweep back to the party inside. “Considering what it normally looks like I’m surprised they pulled it together twice in such a short period of time.” 

Christmas Eve || Ministry Ball

The Ministry’s Yule Ball was quite the scene to take in. Suits, dress robes, and gowns alike littered the ball room, as did their wearers. Winter had wanted to find Stefan as intense feeling of being overwhelmed felt like a thickness growing in her throat. However, the Witch was unsure of where he was, or if he’d attended. She’d forgotten to ask him on her birthday if he was going and when it came to Stefan, even if he was there, he could be in a broom closet for all she knew. Deciding against shedding a bad light on herself by looking through the rooms, she opted to step out onto one of the balconies that speckled the edges of the large hall for some fresh air. Her hands were clammy as she made her way out into the fresh air, leaning herself against the cold rail in an attempt to relax. The brunette pulled a water out of her clutch, that shouldn’t have fit without an extension charm, and unscrewed the lid to take a sip. It was then that she heard someone come out onto the balcony in her wake. “I’m sorry, I was just getting a bit of fresh air.” She explained quickly before she even looked at them. “I don’t mean to be in your way.”

@morsmordrestarters​

The threat of being cut out of the will had been enough to force the witch out dress shopping. In her opinion, they had enough successful children to parade around and she’d already been to enough parties this season. Nonetheless, she swept through the room making small talk as expected. She’d heard about Andromeda’s party through casual work gossip, and missed the other witch properly for the first time in a while. Which made her attendance here that much more painful. “Don’t worry babe, you’re not. I got as bored there as you were.” She said with a laugh.  “You’re Winter right?”  Reina questioned lighting up a cigarette after giving the other woman some space. She recognized the girl's face from a number of places, but couldn’t say if they’d formally met.

Dorcas smiled a little over at Reina, nodding a little at her advice. Doe set the brighter color sweaters back on the rack as she hung onto the darker green and burgundy ones. “Italy, huh? That’s pretty cool. Where in Italy did you live? I’ve always wanted to travel there, it looks absolutely beautiful from the pictures.” She asked

“I’ve been very fortunate in the at regard,” Reina confessed as she continued to eyes the shop's inventory. “Not that I’m biased or anything but should you have the time it’s certainly somewhere worth the visit.” She laughed softly. “I lived in Camporosso for most of my time there, but everywhere I went was lovely. I would suggest taking your holiday when everyone else is still working, however.” 

a-dolohovx‌:

sonofabraxas‌:

@a-dolohovx​​ @cvrrcws​ @travcrs 

“Funny, I don’t remember calling for cunts on parade.” Lucius said sharply, narrowing his gray eyes at their unwelcome company. He turned toward the redhead, his lips pursed in a loose whistle. “If I’d wanted to babysit, Carrow, I would’ve sent for Crouch.” Barty might have been younger, but at least his presence wouldn’t force Lu to look over his shoulder, checking on the other Death Eater at every other moment.

He dropped his cigarette, sending it skittering to the concrete before stubbing it out with the heel of his boot. He gave a group of passing muggles a quelling look. Each of them might have appeared to him with the same gloating grin and bulging eyes of Ted Tonks, for all the fury they stirred inside his chest. Tonight, before the gatecrashing of their subordinates, Lucius might have indulged his long-suffering desire to use, for the first time, the Killing Curse. Now, of course, he and Dolohov would be detained by two girls out for a laugh.

“Chto ty sdelal?” The words were staggered and uncomfortable on his tongue. Russian was as lovely, to Lucius, as the back end of a hippogriff. Learned only and clumsily, to combat Dolohov’s baiting. Leave it to Antonin to think of his dick before his wand. “Blyad.” With a huff, he dug into his robes, seeking out his heavy, ornate silver mask. After obscuring his visage, there was the unmistakeable sound of shattering glass. Shards of the nearby street lights glittered along the now darkened streets. Behind his veil, Lucius’ expression split into a grin.

Antonin rolled his eyes at the situation, he certainly understood the want to have this little exercise a two person job, but he was never against a group mentality.  He’d also never seen Lucius out and off his leash, which only made more of a argument to have more people with them just incase.  His eyes narrowed as he watched Lucius butcher his language, and a dry laugh passed his lips.  “If your implying that I invited them, then your mistaken, dorogoy.”

His gaze momentarily shifted from Lucius to Reina, who he wasn’t unpleased to see, he wouldn’t however say that, obviously.  He didn’t really know what was going to happen, but he did know that the three other members were going to learn pretty quickly that Ant only used curses as a mercy on victims.  In his mind, the killing curse was just an easy out, it was quick, too quick for him. The first time he had literally watched the light leave another persons eyes at his own hands, the rush had been incredible and it had been with his own hands, oh and a knife.  A knife he always kept on his person, no need to show off though, there was time for that. 

“It must be just that, you and I are irresistible, Lulu.  They can’t keep away from us.”  Casting a quick wink in the general direction of Alecto and Reina, another dry laugh passed his lips.  Lowering his voice, as he went right back to his business mode, his gaze flickered around the street.  “I’m assuming we’re going to go somewhere else somewhere more… interesting.”

@cvrrcws​

— alecto rolled her eyes, “ babysitting. ” she scoffed. “ i’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, malfoy, ” she sneered. “ not as if you’re my first choice for anything. ” but the more people, the better things could turn out, as far as actual damage went. “ your owl is too easily bribed, malfoy. ” 

   alecto was itching to move on from just standing around. she rolled her shoulders, fingers clenching around her wand, watching a group of muggles pass by. she sneered, turning her attention back to the group. “ i can’t imagine they live very happily. how pitiful, ” she tilted her head slightly, looking at reina. “ the ones who choose to must be mad. ” 

   “ well i’d hope we’re going somewhere more interesting. because this will have been an utter waste of time for all of us if we aren’t, ” alecto bit. 

@travcrs​

“Watch yourself, cabrón. I don't remember calling for the attitude either, but here we are.” She instinctively rolled her eyes, before catching Alecto’s gaze for a moment in a silent affirmation of annoyance. Self Importance was probably the thing that kept their operations and pureblood society as a whole. Yet still, Reina reacting visibly to her irritation. 

She found many wizards that surrounded her, during meetings and the few missions she’d been taken on, to be painfully uninspired. It was always shouted commands and gross overuse of the Cruciatus Curse. Reina much preferred to tests the limits of her magic. There were far more interesting ways to force answers from people. She treated their enemies as her own personal lab rats, testing her own spell creations.  It was a necessary evil in the progression of magic. Why waste a gift out of fear? And it wasn’t like anyone of value was being lost in the process? Her own end goal, stronger magic utilized by a more pure pool of users.

After surveying the immediate area and weighing their options Reina’s lips quirked up into a smile. With the shattering glass and the cover of darkness she m ore heard the group before she saw them. They were young animated, and obviously drunk. “Ay, hermosa? You want to go be a damsel in the distress?” She questioned turning her attention to Alecto. 

a-dolohovx‌:

sonofabraxas‌:

@a-dolohovx​ @cvrrcws​ @travcrs​

Something irksome about the Rosier boy had wormed its way under Lucius’ skin. He could feel it, just now, winding around with a serpentine madness, curling and uncurling in the pit of his stomach. Every unwashed lowlife in London appeared to him like the other man, begging to be taught a lesson for his cheek alone. Begging, rather, for his bloodtraitor girlfriend to be on the receiving end of the Cruciatus. The Malfoy and Rosier family bond now seemed no greater than a nuisance. The heir’s hand that night, had leapt for his wand, eager to refute the insults spewing from Evan’s twisted maw. 

That, and, perhaps the quips from Barty were just enough to throw his temper just over the ever adjacent edge. You’re a real pussy cat deep down. It had been too long since he’d accompanied Dolohov out for a night. Since he’d even thought of anyone outside of the ethereal creature soon to be his wife, really. Before Narcissa, though, there had been the occasional rousing of loyalists; enforcing their reign even if only in small, incendiary bursts. 

Antonin, as usual, was late. They’d agreed, or rather, Lucius had commanded they meet for a bit of sport. What do you say, Zolotse? His gray eyes idly passed over a couple laughing loudly in one of the darker stretches of Hyde Park. Every moron in the world had gotten bolder, it seemed, in the few weeks of silence since the October attacks. One month and every little mudblood in London had forgotten to look after themselves. His long hands brought a half-finished cigarette, his third, to his pursed lips, the smoke mingling with the cloudy huff of his breath. The loud crack beside him might have made a lesser man flinch. Lucius let out an amused laugh, startling the couple nearby. “Mudak,” He murmured, by way of greeting. “Perhaps if I’d drawn you a map, you might not have kept me waiting.”

Antonin had been laying low for a good month or so, not necessarily out of choice, but because it was sometimes necessary. He had been thinking about going back to Russia, only for a visit of course, but the people there were just sharper.  The ones like him were more familiar with Ant and his ways, whereas he often found that in drab little London, people who were supposedly like him, were nowhere near him.  They were just shouty, angry little children.  There were in fact only a handful of followers to the cause that Ant found to be anywhere near tolerable.  Much like him, they didn’t have friends, just like minded peers, people who shared his views and didn’t have much of a problem with his own personal brand of violence. 

He was just itching to get out and do something, anything.  It had been far too long. Ant had managed to suppress it as long as he could do, but it seemed to him that the filth were spreading more and more. Going about their jovial little afternoon, as if they were making a point.   It made his skin crawl that there were people out there who once belonged to a pureblood line and somehow decided that tainting that line with filth was the in thing to do.  With those thoughts going through his mind, an owl from someone like Lucius couldn’t have come at a better time.  He didn’t know too much about the Malfoy heir, only what he cared to know, which was that his definition of sport was probably close Ant’s own and that was enough for him. 

Rubbing his thumb over his index finger as he apparated, it used to be a nervous habit, but now the Russian did it without realising. Perhaps because the art of apparation used to worry him, but nowadays he could blink and land exactly where he wanted to.  Without looking over to Lucius, Ant smirked.  “And Perhaps if you were wound any tighter, you’d break.”  Looking over at the other, his smirk grew. Taking a stance against the wall, he pulled out a silver cigarette from within his blazer.  “Just us is it, dorogoy?”

@cvrrcws​

— so she’d tricked malfoy’s owl into stopping so she could be nosy. it wasn’t the first time she’d invited herself along to something. but she’d been bored since the attacks, and work just wasn’t cutting it. if anything, having to show up to the bloody ministry job every day was making her irritation worsen rather than keep her busy. what she really wanted, was to be sent to egypt. or anywhere. and malachi had gone off somewhere so she couldn’t even go and bother him when she got bored. and she hadn’t even seen the rosier girl around, so she assumed they were off together somewhere.

   ‘ such filth, ’ she thought as she watched people pass, glaring from her spot by her apartment. she eventually stepped away from the door, pulling the hood of her cloak over her head and heading towards the apparition point. she apparated as soon as she reached it, a loud crack ! signalling her arrival where malfoy had told dolohov to meet him.

   “ hi boys, ” she smirked, crossing her arms. “ did you really think you could have a party without inviting me ? ” she asked, head tilting slightly for a moment. she glanced around. “ i took the liberty of inviting reina as well, hope you don’t mind. ”

@travcrs​

Reina knew better than to be vocal about her dissatisfaction.  But she’d left everything that she’d worked for back in Italy just to be a glorified errand-runner. So she’d done what any young rich witch would, overindulge.  Her poor parents had been in overdrive in recent weeks trying to keep her less than admirable actions out of the Prophet. In her mind, it was a small price to pay for what she’d given up. 

On her part, Alecto hadn’t had to do much convincing to get Reina’s commitment. Boredom had gotten the better of her quite some times ago, and having to constantly hear her peers reminisce about something she’d missed did nothing to help with the restlessness. Compounded by the fact that she wasn’t exactly high in the pecking order, and was rarely tasked with anything even remotely preferable.  Knowing they were crashing the boys night they had planned just sweetened the deal.

Upon her arrival, the witch’s nose wrinkled and her expression soured. If it had been up to Reina she’d spend as little time in the more average parts of the muggle world. “Merlin, how do people live this way?” It was so painfully ordinary that it almost hurt. “And to think there are people who choose to stay here.” Though a smile found its way onto her lips once her gaze moved to others. “Looks like I’m just in time. The gang’s all here.” 

Dorcas looked over at the other women,“Thank you.” She said giving her a small smile as she reached over for the green sweater. “You’re right, the yellow and pink are definitely more for the Spring” Doe added before the burgundy caught her eye. “Oh…now that’s a pretty color. You’ve got a good eye for this. I always tend to go for the bright colors.” 

“If you’re sold on them I would suggest saving them until at least Easter.” Reina’s gaze moved over the racks in the store before looking back at the younger witch. “I wish that was the case.” She laughed softly. “I just learned when I lived in Italy.” Reina eyed Dorcas over again. “I would suggest saving the bright colors for accessories during the winter. No need to be deary.” 

“So…what do you think? Pink … or yellow. I know I’m supposed to be Christmas shopping for other people but this is so cute!” Dorcas said holding up two sweaters before a third caught her eye. “Oh, or green! ” 

“If it was solely up to me, green. You’re far too pretty of a girl to allow yourself to be washed out by such colors...in the winter.”  Reina had completely forgotten when she was even in the shop, to begin with now preoccupied with sweaters. “Hmm, what about this burgundy. Far more flattering.” 

— “ of course, ” alecto shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. “ oh yes, i just love listening to my parents’ friends drone on about their sons’ many attributes and accomplishments and their money. and listening to the people i work with talk about their families, ” alecto rolled her eyes.

“Just tell them you’re spoken for, and I’m willing to duel their sons for your honor.”  The only upside to such a long seated tradition was that it had rather short shelf-life. Reina herself might as well have been an old woman for that purpose. “The part that makes me feel bad is watching their poor child give you apology looks while their father goes on about some project they did in their third year.” 

Lucius turned to Travers, eyes narrowed with scrutiny. First and foremost, the Bard rarely wrote about the lower-class and even so, coupling the Weasleys with the Malfoys was cause enough for vexation. It was absurd enough that they worked in the same building–but to think there was even the slightest hint of comparison? For the moment, he supposed, it might be best to let his irritation go, for the moment at least. Lucius lifted the glass to his lips, finishing the last of his drink as she spoke. “You’re teasing me,” He said slowly, an eyebrow raised. “What, is the Travers family also above betrothals?” 

“Should I not be?” She questioned, as she quirked an eyebrow upward. His displeasure was clearly written all over his face, but she’d long learned if it were an actual issue people tended to say so for themselves. “Oh hardly.” She wasn’t sure if it was a pointed shot or not, but the reminder hurt none the less. Reina rolled her eyes. “Both of my brothers have seemed fairly content with how theirs have turned out.” 

Lily nodded because life would go on regardless of what went on around them. The point was that they shouldn’t have to go on around all the fighting, destruction and the hate, but this wasn’t the place to get into that. More and more she was reminding herself that she should keep her thoughts to herself because you never knew.

“Oh, do you love Christmas too? I have to admit the lights were my favorite part.” She said with a smile recalling the Muggle Christmas lights her parents would put up around the house and on the tree. Christmas at the Evans family was always a grand event with a lot of decorations, a lot of people, and most importantly a lot of food. “We could all use a little holiday cheer this year.”

Reina knew what her appeal was to the Dark Lord. Outside of her kept company, nothing about her screamed dark magic. Even when she’d been in the thick of less than agreeable days at Hogwarts she’d gotten a pass because how she’d charmed her teachers. 

“If it where up to me I’d probably put Christmas lights on everything. I used to keep them up in my room all year when I was younger. My favorite part has always been decorating the tree.” When she’d been growing up Christmas was the only time of year she’d gotten a chance to visit her mother’s family in the States. So it was always a major event for her. “Tell me about it. If anything hopefully it brings people closer to the people they care about.”