| Details for Unintentional Party Planning |
| Summary: | Several students running into each other, and talk of summer plans some how spirals into unintentional party planning. |
| Date: | July 22,1938 |
| Location: | South Verdic Alley |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Often considered part of Diagon Alley by the masses, Craeft Alley looks much the same as Diagon proper, with shops of all sizes often leaning against each other or leaning out over the walkway. Here in the Northern end of the alley, the differences are a little more noticeable however. The whole alley here is a little more cramped, the buildings pushed together all the harder and the walkway itself is smaller. It's as if a charm to increase the space here wore out years ago. The atmosphere is still bright and cheery, however.
Making his way down the street Nathaniel appears to be window shopping. He drifts from shop to shop moving with slow confident strides glacing this way and that as something catches his interest. He is dressed neatly with a dark red shirt to show his Gryffindor spirit and black pants and shoes. Warm brown eyes look this way and that as he walks trying to determine where he should go next.
Gabrielle 's done working for the day and is now debating home, or a cold chocolate fizz drink. She's been good and hasn't bought nearly anything for herself this summer, and it's hot. Her hair is up in a messy bun, her blonde curls have been escaping all day. She's wearing simple skirt with a pink long sleeved blouse. Her sketchbook is in her arms and she's slowly making her way down the road.
As he move down the street Nathaniel spots Gabrielle. Brown brows furrow as he tries to remember who she is as she looks familer. He is certian they go to school together but he doesn't remember her name or house. Deciding to slove the mystery now rather than later he approches her with confident strides and a charming smile. "Hello there." He studies her a moment trying to remember who she is but he has never been good with names. "What is your name? I am fairly sure we go to school together but I can't seem to remember much about you." He grins playfully. "Apparently I am slightly unfocused today."
Craeft Alley is one of Fiona's favourite places in London. It is so easy to climb around on things. She can be quite the hoyden when she wants to be. With a sly look around she realises her brothers have left her on her own. Score! Swaggering with confidence Fiona pulls herself up onto a little ledge over an empty shop and looks down at people walking by below. She is not terribly high up and with her feet dangling down is relatively easy to spot. Dressed in dungarees and a short-sleeved top her dark hair is pulled back into a braid.
Gabrielle blinks as she's approached by…he's griffindor, she remembers that much. She'll glance around, almost nervous for a moemnt, "Hello…I'm Gabrielle Evans. 5th-" and she'll stop herself, "Sorry, 6th year Ravenclaw." Gabby's not the most popular of girls, so it doesn't surprise her that someone wouldn't know her. She's kept her nose in her sketchbook mostly up till this year. She'll start to ask something, but her attention is quickly diverted to the child on the ledge. "Fiona? What are you doing up there?"
Nathaniel nods and smiles at her, his mystery is solved. "I'm a Sixth year as well, Nathaniel Macmillan is my name." When she turns her head his eyes follow hers to spot the child. He grins at the younger girl before looking back to the newly introduced Gabrielle. "She's probally just resting and wanted a good spot to watch her surroundings."
Fiona waves down to Gabrielle, "I am sittin' a bit. It is not so bad up here, but of bird poo, but not too much." She adds the last as she peers at the ledge. "I'm in a clean bit, looks like." Her gaze returns to those below and she looks at Nathaniel, "You're big if you are only a sixther. How much bigger will you get? You're like Cuchulain."
Gabrielle nods, she knew she knew him! She'll smile softly, "I knew that…guess I'm a little unfocused today too." She'll raise an eyebrow, not so much at the girl sitting in possible bird poo, but the fact she's up there. "ok…just be careful." The internal struggle to not take in another young firstie under her wing has begun! She'll bring her eyes back up to Nathaniel , waiting to see what he tells the young girl.
Nathaniel chuckles as the girl on the ledge mentions his size. His dark eyes shine with amusment as he responds. "I'm not sure how big I'll get but I hope to be over six feet once I stop growing. I'm almost there too." He grins. "But maybe I'm not big at all. Maybe everyone else is just short?" He winks at Gabrielle his tone teasing.
"I am always careful," Fiona tells Gabrielle. "I climb all the time." She leans forwards slightly, resting her hands on her knees as she looks down at them. "You look as big as my brother and he just left school. I bet from down there you would be even huger." She purses her lips and then with a quick half turn pushes herself off the ledge and hangs from it then lets herself drop to the ground. She brushes her hands off as she turns around and looks up at the pair of them as they now tower over her. "Yes, you are quite big."
Gabrielle , who's actually tall for a girl, rolls her eys slightly at Nathaniel, but is still smiling softly. She'll tell Fiona, "If you climb all the time, you'll love Hogwarts then. Maybe I'll introduce you to Ripley, he's always up in the rafters." She'll take a half step forward, just making sure the girl doesn't fall, as apposed to dropping down.
Nathaniel grins. "I used to love climbing trees when I was younger. As it is now if I climbed a tree the branch would snap and I would land on my butt." He chuckles again glancing between the two. "But yes Hogwarts has a great deal of things to climb. I'm certian you will enjoy it and if you happen to fall when I'm around I will do my best to catch you." He too watches Fiona drop closely ready to spring forward and catch her now if needed.
Fiona is quite agile for a little kid, probably because of all the climbing she does. She doesn't need any help and lands lightly on her feet. "I've been told there is a lot of climbing to do. Maybe this Ripley can give me tips." She plants her hands on her hips and looks up at them both. "Is everyone going to be so tall? I feel like the Appleby's coach, you know, the midget."
Gabrielle chuckles lightly at Nathaniel. There are trees at Hogwarts he could still climb, she's sure. She'll nod to Fiona, "He will, he's really nice, and could probably use a climbing partner." Maybe Gabby can fix two things at once here. She'll grin, "No..I'm sure there will be plenty of first years who are your height." Gabby will just blink, having no idea who Fiona is talking about, "Who?"
Nathaniel beams at the mention of his favorite team. "The guy thats not even five feet tall right? Thats Clavin Umbre. He is the assisant coach and yes I would proablly tower oer him." He grins merrily and eyes Fiona curiously with those warm brown eyes. "You like quidditch then?"
Fiona reaches back and pulls a rolled up magazine from her back pocket as she nods, "Coach Umbre is really short, like he said." She flips it open and finds a page which shows some of the quidditch team at practice and the coach shouting at them from the ground. "That's him," she says to Gabrielle. To Nate she says, "I support Ireland, of course, but I also like the Arrows. They're going to go all the way this year."
Nathaniel nods enthuisasticly. "The Arrows are my favorite team. I used to want to play professional quidditch, but I'm not even on my House Team and I've tried out every year since my second." He gives a mock pout as he admits this. "I need to be much better than I am if was going to play pro. So I'm looking into my second favorite career choice now." The playful grin is back full force now.
Gabrielle blinks looking down at the magazine, "oh…yes, he is short. " She'll smile, but it's clearly at Fiona, not the subject matter. She'll glance around, wondering if she should slip away if the talk is going to quidditch.
Fiona rolls up the magazine again and tucks it way. "Job? I guess you two are old and have to be thinking about that kind of thing now. What is your back up plan then?" She poses the question at Nate and then looks at Gabby, "You alright?"
Nathaniel notices Gabrielle's behavior and changes the subject with ease. "I'll have you know I am still young…it could be worse I could be fifty. Now that is old!" He grins and feigns a shudder. "Anyway I'm thinking about becoming a writer or jounalist. If that doesn't work something involving working with Charms or Runes would be next on the list. I'm pretty flexible but I do have my preferences."
Gabrielle frowns slightly, she's not that old. "I'm actually working 3 jobs right now. " She'll tilt her head to look at Nat, "I actually just met a write a few days ago. I"m doing some research for her at teh library. If you want, I can see if she could sue another helper?" She'll give Fiona a nod, "I'm fine, just have a lot on my mind, sorry. What are you doing out here, besides climbing around. Are you by yourself?" She remembers a brother from last time.
"Fifty is ancient," Fiona says. "I don't know what I want to be when I'm old." She lifts her foot and rubs the top of her shoe against the back of her unbent leg. "Three jobs? You must be very busy." She lowers her foot back to the ground again and listens as Gabby talks about one of her jobs. "By myself? Oh, aye." She looks around, "Sort of. Gilroy is about somewhere. There is a girl he fancies that he saw so he ran off after her. He'll come lookin' soon enough."
Nathaniel smiles brightly at Gabrielle and nods. "I would enjoy the oppurtunity if she could use more help." He turns back to Fiona as she mentions being alone. "He left you to chase a girl?" He sighes dramtically. "Why can't more boys have my good sense?" He says looking put out. No one ever accused him of chasing a girl after all…
Gabrielle nods and sighs slightly, "I am busy. Luckily, I'm done for the day." Turning back to Nat, "I'll ask her next time I owl her. I don't know how much research she actually has, or if she just felt sorry for me. She was hard to read." She'll shift the sketchbook in her arms some, "I'm trying to save up to repaint the house. It more expensive than I thought it'd be." She'll smiles some at what Nat says, starting to remember some of the gossip she's heard about who dates who.
Fiona reaches up and begins twiddling her bangs around her finger, twisting it first one way and then the other almost as if she were unaware she was doing so. "He has sense usually…for a brother." She would know, having so many of them. "You don't chase girls?" She asks Nate. "Do you not fancy girls? Aidan told me that there will be some at school who are like that, who fancy their own sort. I don't much fancy boys really, some are good to muck around with though. I met this boy the other week in the malt shop and he kept smilin' at me like he was a Jack the Lad and talked about how pretty I was. Not sure about that sort of thing really." Fiona looks at Gabrielle, "Will you paint the house yourself?" She sounds excited by the prospect of house painting. "Could you paint a mural on it? We have a mural in the old nursery where we had lessons before we were old enough to go to Hogwarts. I wonder what Mother and Father will do with it now."
Nathaniel shakes his head with a grin. But then she asks if he doesn't fancy girls and his eyes go a bit wide in surprise. He laughes softly. "You are very clever. No I don't fancy girls I prefer boys." He glances at Gabrielle with a teasing smile. "You are lovely but alas I prefer girls as strictly friend material. My apologies if you thought otherwise." He goes quiet for a moment as Fiona talks about murals and painting.
Gabrielle 's eyes go wide as well. Leave it to a incoming to blurt things out. She'll try and fail to not laugh at Nat, why do they always assume things like that? "No…I'm dating Ripley. I wasn't thinking for me." Chuckling, she'll turn back to Fiona, "No, I don't think my aunts would like a mural on the outside of the house. Might draw to much attention. If I can get a ladder, then yeah, I'll paint it. I have a few friends who have offered to help, so I would think it shouldn't take too long."
Fiona looks Nate up and down. "Well fancy that. I've never met one you before." She cants her head to the left and scrutinises him for a silent moment then offers her hand. "Fiona Donnelly. Do you know there are ancient Greek myths about men who loved men?" Her head turns towards Gabby. "Your fella is the climber? Good taste. Climbers are excellent at getting out of scrapes and finding all sorts of things." Her blue eyes widen, "Can I help too? I could do all the high up bits by the roof or the low down bits by the ground." The idea of painting a house is clearly exciting to a nearly-eleven-year-old.
Nathaniel doesn't mind the laughing he chuckles a little as well. He turns to Fiona with a smile and takes the offered hand in a firm shake. "Nathaniel Macmillan. I didn't know that. I will have to look for those next time I'm in a library." He turns back to Gabrielle a moment as he releases Fiona's hand. "Ripley…he's Slytherin right? If its who I'm thinking of then Fiona is right, you do have good taste." He grins playfully.
"Ripley is. He's amazing. But he's been awful sad lately, so if you could maybe climb with him when school starts, I'd appreciate it, Fiona." Gabby won't bring up Leander dyeing, but hopes the girl will pick up that she's being sincere. She'll give Nat a small smile, "He is." She'll slowly nod to Fiona, "I suppose you can help…if your parents say it's ok. "
Fiona bobs her head in agreement. "I can do that, aye." She smiles at Gabby. "Tell him he'll have to keep up with me though." She doesn't react to the notion of Gabby's boyfriend being a Slytherin, clearly it doesn't bother her either way. What does bother her is the mention of her parents. "I might have a mite problem there. My Father has developed some peculiar habits lately. I'll ask Mother." She reaches up to swat away a summer bug.
Nathaniel watches the two speak, he remains quiet for now watching the other people as they move about. After a moment he pauses turning back to them. "If you like I could also help with the house painting. I probally wouldn't need a ladder for most parts." He grins. "Besides it give me something to do and I like staying fairly busy."
Shaking her head, "Well, you need to get permission. I'm making Cillian and Gabe get permission too." Gabby tilts her head at Nat and smiles, "That's..very kind of you. Thank you. But it's a two story house…you're not that tall." She'll grin to herself, "I may have to work an extra week or so, just to feed everyone that comes to paint!" She doesn't sound too upset by that prospect.
"I will do my best," she says, crossing her fingers behind her back. Maybe, with luck, she will get permission. None of the names mean anything to her so she merely nods to Gabrielle like she would a teacher who was lecturing her. Nate's comment makes her laugh though and causes all seriousness to drift away. "See you are a giant." She finds that hilarious, or perhaps the idea of him as a giant hilarious because she starts to giggle.
On this nice summer afternoon, at least two Eibons are out and about throughout Diagon Alley. The quiet blonde who goes by the name of Evelyn putters down the street, one of her cousins following close behind, as she gazes about from side to side. Flattening out her floral floral and bowtruckle themed dress, looks over to her cousin. "Gel…where'd ya say the rare bookstore was?" She asks of him, just barely loud enough for him to hear.
Angelus doesn't really have to be anywhere in specific, so he has taken to tagging along with his cousin. His blue eyes look around the area curiously, but when Evelyn speaks he shifts his gaze to her, a soft smile flicking at his lips. "You wanted to go there? I thought we could find a shop with better potions equipment." A single shoulder lifts briefly as his head tilts toward it, a grinning flashing over his face. "Oh, look," he suddenly announces, gesturing with his chin toward a group of recognizable students. An easy wave is directed over his head, and when he starts to approach he gestures for his cousin to follow. "Let's go say hi."
Nathaniel chuckles too. "I am not a giant." He protests with a mock pout. Then he spots another pair of people coming their way. One of them look very familer and Nathaniel waves back to his fellow Gryffindor. "It look like our group is growing. I'm not the only boy here anymore either. But the girls still outnumber us." He grins playfully studying the newcomers curiously.
Fiona turns her head to see just who it is that Nathaniel has spotted. Her eyes widen a bit when she spots Angelus, girl in tow. She reaches up and starts to twiddle her hair again, twining and untwining it around her finger. "Only a half giant," she says teasingly to Nate.
Gabrielle gives Fiona a small look, she knows the crossing fingers behind the back move, but won't say anything. she'll chuckle and add to Nat, "Maybe half giant?" She'll nod and smile to the new arrivals, "Hello, how's your summer going?" she'll shift her sketchbook in her arms a bit.
"I…I can um…well, if you need potions equipment, just let me know! I'll Get it from Mistress Black for you." Evelyn looks from Angelus to the group he beckons her towards. "I um…" She shrugs. "I…I guess it umm…couldn't hurt to say hi?" She gives Gabrielle a tiny smile and the littlest of waves as she approaches behind Angelus. "H…h…hello." She says to the one person who is familiar to her within the trio that they approach.
Nathaniel chuckles looking amused. "If I had any gaint blood I would think I would have more hair or at least a beard and I wouldn't need a ladder to paint a two story house either." He grins not minding being teased fair is fair after all. "At the very least I am one eigth giant not half." He smiles at the pair as they approach. "Hello they where just teasing me about my height." He grins glancing back at the girls. "See if I help you girls get stuff you can't reach anytime soon." He teases them right back.
Fiona cannot help but laugh. "If you are one eight then I must be one thirty-second," she says making fun of her own height. She doesn't know the girl but does say, "Hello Angelus," to the younger Gryffindor boy. Thinking back to a conversation with him she asks, "Is this your sister?"
"That would be great," Angelus says with a grin in response to Mistress Black. "Hello, Macmillan," he greets Nathaniel with a polite dip of his head. A smile and a nod of his head is offered toward Gabrielle. A grin spreads over his face again as he turns his eyes onto Fiona. "It looks like I'm lucky to run into you again. How's it going?" He adds in as a response to Gabrielle's question, "Things are alright." He looks to Evelyn. "Right, Evie?" To his cousin his hands raise to sign, ((Don't have to be shy.)) He looks back and shakes his head to Fiona. "My cousin," he corrects, smiling softly. "Actually, she's in Ravenclaw, too." He looks to Evelyn. "Fiona could end up in Ravenclaw. She's going to be in May's year."
Gabrielle gives her housemate a warm smile, knowing how the girl is. Turning back to Nat, "Maybe you're just a late bloomer?" She'll fold her arm over her book, "I think I'll reach things fine, thank you very much. And if not, I have plenty of other tall friends I can ask."
"I…" Evelyn looks like she's about to answer Fiona's question about being Angelus' sister, but Angelus beats her to the punch. Blushing she nods a little to Angelus and Gabby. "Y…yeah. It's umm…it's good. We've uh…we've had a good summer." She averts her gaze, still just as shyly, despite Angelus' stating, at least to her in sign language, that she doesn't have to be shy. "Ravenclaw's a good…a good house." She says with a little nod toward Fiona. "So is um…so is Gryffindor though." She glances toward Angelus as she says this. "But if um…if you end up in Ravenclaw, I'm sure you'll see me um, see me around. Maybe even Megan, if she uh, if she ends up in Ravenclaw. Though if uh, if you are both in the same year, you'll probably see her anyway."
Fiona offers her hand to Evelyn with a kind smile. Her accent is clearly Irish, though more north than south it still has a lilt to it. "Hello, I am Fiona Donnelly. Pleased to meet you. I have no idea where I will be, my family is split equally between it and Gryffindor." She steps back slightly to make the space more open and welcoming for the pair. "We have been talking about a painting party at Gabrielle's house. Makes a change from the usual discussions of cauldron and book buying I seem to be having lately."
"Eibon" Nathaniel replies with a smile and polite nod of his own. He eyes the shy looking girl a moment giving her a soft version of his smile before looking away again. He listens to the conversation flow around him quietly for a moment content to obeserve for now.
"Party? no…no nothing like a party, just people coming over to help." Images, bad images are now entering in Gabby's brain, of too many students meeting her aunts, and her life would never be the same again.
Shyly reaching out her own hand to take Fiona's, Evelyn says, "It's a…a pleasure to meet you." She gives the younger girl a tiny smile. "Painting….wha…what um…what kind of painting?" Evelyn's curious, of course. "E…Evans here is a…a very good artist." She gives Gabrielle a little smile.
Angelus grins widely, letting out a soft chuckle. "I'm in Gryffindor, of course it's good." The self-assured tone can't be helped, clearly joking. His gaze shifts to Nathaniel. "Macmillan, wasn't that explosion of the dung bomb in commons awesome?" He's making it up, but he offers the older Gryffindor a wink. "Not that I had anything to do with it, of course." A charming smile flutters over his lips. He turns his eyes on Fiona, but before he can comment he is looking onto Gabrielle and lets out a chuckle. "Party sounded more interesting."
Fiona gently shakes Evelyn's hand. "You too." A look of confusion or perhaps it is something else crosses her features briefly. "She won't paint any murals, I asked," Fi tells Evelyn. "Is that not what a party is, Gabrielle? Friends gathering together." Fiona is still not the sort to think about parties in the way that teenagers might do.
Nathaniel grins and nods. "That it was. I'm not sure who was responsible but it was epic. Of course I wasn't involved either or there would have been more bombs and less dung. That one girl probally spent all night in the showers." He adds to the story a bit and glances at the girls with a smirk. "I will make it party. I'm awesome after all." He grins broadly this isn't him teasing this is him totally serious.
Gabrielle blushes a bit at Evelyn's compliment, "It's just to paint the house…no murals. We live near muggles, drawing attention to our house like that would be bad." She'll blink, this is suddenly starting to get out of her control, "No…it's a get together. I'll have my aunts make something for everyone to eat, but no party." She'll give Nat a slightly mortified look, and smile nervously,"…no.Painting the house. Not a party."
Checking a little time piece that she has been carrying around with her, Evelyn looks at Angelus and says, "I…I…I'm gonna scuttle along to Mistress Black's establishment. See about those um…those supplies." She looks at everyone else and gives them a little curtsy. "It…it has been a pleasure."
Fiona rocks on her heels. "Oh, goodbye," she says to Evelyn. Feeling like she ought to be doing something she bows, since it would be odd to curtsey in a pair of dungarees. "You sound a bit frightened Gabrielle, I am certain you can organise everything well." She looks back at Nathaniel then and says, "You remind me of Ewan. He lives in the village and goes to the pup with his top buttons undone. He wears a necklace too, but his is a different one. He chats up - well ladies but is confident like you."
Nathaniel looks around and realizes the time is later than he thought. "I need to be going now. I was good seeing all of you and meeting those I didn't know before" He looks to Gabrielle. "Let me know when you decide to paint the house alright?" He grins and drops a bow before dissappearing around the bend into the crowds.
A grin flashes on Angelus as he looks to Nathaniel, nodding in response. "It was great," he agrees in a softer tone. He looks between Fiona and Gabrielle, regarding the two them for a quiet moment. A soft hum escapes the youth, starting as if to say something, but looks to Evelyn. "Oh. I'll meet you at the Cauldron then." He smiles and nods to his cousin. His gaze shifts see the older Gryffindor departing as well, and the blonde haired boy simply just shrugs. He flicks his blue eyes to Gabrielle. "It sounds like painting your house might turn out to get messy." He's teasing, grinning as his eyes twinkle.
Gabrielle Nods goodbye to Evie and Nat. "I'm not scared…just, it needs to get done. My aunts can't do it on their own, and I only have till the end of summer to get the house fixed." She'll blush some, realizing she's maybe said too much. She'll shake her head, "I hope not. I'd rather there not be blue paint on everything." She'll smile and tuck a stray curl behind her ear. As she does so, her sleeve on her left arm lifts slightly and a bracelet sparkles for a moment before disappearing back into her sleeve.
Fiona looks at Angelus, "Your cousin seems nice. Why did you use sign language with her? She seemed to be able to speak, is she partially deaf?" The younger girl starts to twiddle her hair around her finger again as she looks at him. When Gabby speaks up Fiona looks her way and spies the bracelet but doesn't say anything about it at the moment.
Angelus tilts his head a tad as he looks to Gabrielle curiously. "With a simple arm motion the house could be painted really easily." But he also adds in, with a little bit of an amused twitch at the corner of his mouth, "If you didn't have to worry about the attention of Muggles." He looks to Fiona, nodding in response. "Sometimes it's a preferred way of speaking with her," he answers vaguely, shrugging, and not going into details. "I should go and help her out. I'll see you again."
Gabrielle shrugs, "sure, but there are muggle around, so…" She'll glance to the sky, "I should be getting home, my aunts will worry." She'll give Angelus and Fiona a smile and nod and start down towards the Leaky cauldron.