| Details for The Non-Party-Party |
| Summary: | Medusa, Morgana and Lucian start to have a party. Things get tense and the party nearly breaks up but then improve with a change of venue and some lemonade. |
| Date: | 1 November 1938 |
| Location: | Black Lake Shore (first Hogwarts side, then Hogsmeade) |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Having had ample time to plan and prepare Medusa is waiting under the expandable umbrella Thaddeus Cornfoot lent her. She is in her fancy party frock, black and silver swirling fascinator in her hair, but she still has on her wellies. Underneath the umbrella she has set up a blanket with some cushions, a basket holds bottles of 'lemonade' and cakes she pinched from the feast the night before. There is also Morgana's violin case and a camera Medusa borrowed from someone. A few first years supplied bluebell flames in jars to give some light. A she sits waiting Medusa is making use of one of her 'candy cigarettes' and watching the moonlight on the black lake. From here, at night, the castle seems distant and remote and the dance in another world.
Although Morgana played her part well, she was tense during the dance. There were people she did not want to see, and even if she did manage to catch a glimpse of them dancing, she is trying to erase it from her mind. She might have gripped poor Lucian's arm a little tight when they finally exited the room and when they were art of ear shot, she speaks quietly. "Are you okay?" As they get closer to the lake she relaxes, and lets poor Lucian's arm go, doing her best to traverse across the sand in her heels, she'll smile to Medusa. "It looks lovely, really. I hope we didn't keep you too long. We tried to keep our appearance as brief as possible." She's already eyeing the 'lemonaid, but for now just takes in the view.
Having heard the crunching feet on the gravel Medusa hid her cigarette but when it is just the pair of them she brings it out again. The moment they step under the umbrella she had set on the ground it shifts and grows larger, becoming nearly tent sized, as she said it would. "It's fine. I was just…thinking." The Malfoy girl doesn't elaborate on what it was that occupied her mind while she waited. "You look smart for a change Lucian. And dressed up too." She smirks at him in the dim blue light of the bluebell flames.
Glad to get away from that other world, Lucian seems to relax more with every step away from the castle. He put on a good show in the Great Hall, but up close it was probably obviously how much he was straining not to cast angry glares at Alphard. He gives Morgana a reassuring nod, and manages to find a genuine smile by the time they reach the shore. "Thanks, I think." He chuckles at Medusa, offering a hand to help Morgana to help her along the gravel, and to get seated. As he sits, himself, his eyes go to the cigarette, and pinches his lips, a touch of tension returning.
Morgana will take the help, the last thing she needs is to twist her ankle, though once she sits down and is settled in, the shoes come off. Leaning back under the umbrella she'll look out toward the water and shake her head. "Thinking is bad. No more thinking tonight." Noticing the slight tension in Lucian's lips she'll raise her brows. "Shall we be delinquent students for one night? I have no intention on telling if you do not. However I can refrain if it makes you feel better." She says, eyeing the ice bucket again.
Medusa looks at Lucian. "Look, this is a recrimination free zone Lucian. I am going to smoke. You are going to lighten up and not be such a stodgy old man in a seventeen-year-old body. We are going to drink some lemonade." She doesn't tell him it's alcoholic, he can figure that out later when he's tipsy. "And eat cake. Listen to Morgana play some beautiful music on her violin and just have a good time."
Lucian props his elbows on his raises knees. His eyes go to his hands, fingers twiddling uncomfortably. "I can't just stop being a prefect. Excuse me for being the only one in this school that takes that job seriously. So…the best I can do is pretend I don't know you're here doing this." He shakes his head, suddenly quite dour, and starts to push himself to his feet.
Morgana reaches up to tug on Lucian's arm. "Thank you for implying I don't take the job seriously." Morgana says flatly. "Sit back down, nothing against the rules is going to go on. Just.. relax." There is a slight tension in her voice. "We're here, doing this for you, as well as Medusa, you're not backing out on us now." She gives Medusa a look, one that says, does he ever switch off? "Why don't I just play?" She reaches over for her violin case and opens it up, looking the instrument over before she takes it out.
"You know Ria smokes, right?" Medusa throws that at him. "And Kaiden. Hell, who do you think got me smoking in the first place?" She mutters and leans over to put the cigarette out on the gravel, nodding in agreement with Morgana. "Have some cake Lucian." She scoots over to the basket and takes out a dish with cakes and little tarts on it then lifts out one of the bottles of fizzy cloudy lemonade and pops the top, releasing a little fizz.
"Do you think you can get through one conversation today without you treating me like an idiot or a tyrant?" Lucian scowls, remaining firmly on his feet. "Of course I know Ria smokes. I also know she does it on Hogsmeade weekends, and doesn't just expect other prefects to look the other way. Morgana, you're Head Girl. You really ought to pay closer attention to the school rules. Tobacco isn't allowed."
The sound of Morgana's violin case slamming shut breaks through the night, and the she tall girl stands up and grabs her shoes. "Why did I even do this? I have been bending over backwards all day and no matter what, neither of you are happy. I did not want to go to that dance Lucian, but I said I had your back, and I do. But I see that it does not go both ways. So you know what, I'm going to do what I was originally going to do tonight." Reaching up she'll tear off the mask she was wearing and toss it aside. "You two have fun fighting with each other." With that she'll attempt to leave the shore.
"Oh for fucks sake Lucian," Medusa mutters. "I put the damn thing out. Just because you…can't you just let go for one night? You act like being a prefect is all that you are instead of being just a tiny piece of what you do." She grabs the bottle of lemonade and takes a drink from it, more for something to do than any real thirst at present. When Morgana makes to leave now she sniffles and looks down at her lap, at the fabric of her pretty dress. "Just go," she says thickly.
Lucian glowers at both girls. "Fine, Morgana. Go. So sorry to inconvenience you with not being a delinquent for a night. And Medusa, how about for one night you stop trying to bend people to your will? I came down here to relax and get away from that kind of shit. But nooo, I have to pretend I'm someone else so you can smoke here instead just going to fucking Hogsmeade to do it. Fucking Hades." He throws his hands in the air after having his say, whirling to stalk down the shore…since merely heading back to the castle might make it look like he's following Morgana.
Normally, Morgana just lets this stuff go, doesn't let the anger get to her. However, she's be holding way too much in lately, and once that careful little box that holds it all in is cracked, it's hard to hold it shut. "You know what. I said I wouldn't' do anything Proudmore. I'm find with following the rules I know I have to!" She says, turning back around to follow him. "I brought out my violin, I was going to play so you could relax. Did either of you even think for one second that I needed this night as much as the both of you? I'm not okay! I'm not fine and I am fucking tired of pretending to be!" Slightly surprised by her own outburst, she just freezes in her spot.
Medusa sits there under the shrunken charmed umbrella and considers what she can do. She can sit here drinking lemonade and moping or she can pack up and go do what Douglas wanted and have a little fun. With a sigh she puts the top back on the bottle and shoves it and the cakes back in the basket then tosses in the camera only to find herself blinded briefly by an unexpected flash of a photograph taken at an awkward angle. Rubbing her eye she stumbles out from under the umbrella in time to hear the shouting further up the pathway. "Morgana?" Lucian is ignored, Medusa is well used to his moody broodiness by now, she's had years of it. Wobbling slightly, still seeing speckles of light she grabs her things, closing the umbrella and staggers towards the arguing pair.
Lucian takes a few more steps, ready to continue trudging off in spite of Morgana's protest. But something in her words grabs him, and he stops. He turns slowly, and says in a calm, even tone. "Join the fucking club." He sighs, spreading his arms. "We're all not fine. Alright? It's why we're here tonight. So…let's stop pretending we're fine. Maybe that's what we really need — to let it out."
Morgana is a little winded from her out burst, and she looks back at Medusa than at Lucian. "It's settled then." She speaks, her voice still shaking. "Lets all sit back down, eat some damn cake and let it out." With that she'll head back to the blanket and sit down, looking at the both of them. Besides, the gravel was a little rough on the feet.
Confused, Medusa looks back and forth between them. She walks slowly back to the blanket, not because she finds it hard to walk in her wellies, but because she can't quite figure out if she wants to stay or not. Deciding to at least stay with Morgana, Medusa sits down again and sets the basket between them. "I think I took a photo of my boob," she delivers deadpan. "I dropped the camera and the flash went off as I was leaning over the basket." The absurdity of it makes her laugh.
"Hold up," Lucian lifts a hand, chuckling with mild reluctance at Medusa. "Look…there's a lake shore in Hogsmeade, too. It's a Hogsmeade weekend. Let's get the hell off of Hogwarts grounds, away from it all, and really let off some steam. What do you say?"
Morgana also bursts out into laughter, which sounds a little manic, but it is absurd with a boob picture. "Don't tell Macmillian, he'll faint." However when Lucian makes the suggestion she puts her shoes back on and stands. "Yes. Lets just leave here for the night, get out, and pretend this place doesn't exist." She'll even start gathering her things, and help poor Medusa off the blanket.
Taking Morgana's hand, Medusa gets back on her feet. "Bring your violin too. Lucian is going to dance with me again." She grabs the basket and thrusts it at the boy, he's a boy he can carry the heavier stuff, then picks up the blanket.
Lucian gladly carries whatever is needed. It's one of the few times he gets to show off his farmboy muscles. He arches an eyebrow at Medusa, a boyish smile appearing on his lips. "We're going to dance? Quit trying to win me back, Dusa." He gives her a wink, and starts off toward the gates to Hogsmeade.
The walk to Hogsmeade is a nice but uneventful one. Morgana doesn't mind one bit that Lucian is carrying things with his farm boy muscles. Though she does have one little quip. "Oh I get it, I was only invited along to play the music for your dances. I see how you both are." Her tone is better, that small out burst seeming to have helped a bit. Once they arrive at the beach with the nice sand over the gravel she'll take the shoes off again and stick her toes in it. "This will do nicely." She says, not minding the chill from the cold sand. "I think this will be a great spot, we can see some stars and a fantastic view of the lake."
Medusa hooks arms with Morgana for a good deal of the walk. "No, you were invited because I wanted you here. The music was just a bonus." She spreads out the blanket when they arrive and dropping down onto it, tugs off her rubber boots and sets them aside then gets to her feet and takes the basket from Lucian. From inside it she pulls out the charmed umbrella and opens it, setting it on the sand so it gets big enough to shelter them should it rain. Then out come the cakes, camera and lemonade. She pushes a bottle into Lucian's hand then settles back. "So what are the rules?"
Lucian pauses at Morgana's side, looking skyward with a solemn nod. "It's gorgeous, alright." He flashes Medusa a grin and looks back at the castle in the distance. "I'm not a prefect here. So…no rules. Anything goes." He settles down on the blanket, pulling the cap from the bottle and taking a swig.
"I could just be lazy and charm the thing to play for us, though it doesn't sound as good." Morgana says as she sets the case down and when Lucian takes off his little Prefect hat, she'll grin and reach for one of the bottles of 'lemonade' herself. To say she drigs a lot of it in one gulp is an understatement. "It is a nice night, I was worried about it being too cold." With that she'll flop back on the blanket and settle in.
"I'm still keeping my knickers on," says Medusa as she reaches for the third bottle and pops the top off. With a grin she touches the glass bottle to Morgana's and then takes a swig as she looks across the lake to the castle. A frown passes fleetingly over her features before she pushes those dark thoughts aside. "Do you know I can't wait to finish school. I'm so sick of being there. It's like a rather elaborate prison. I can feel the future, it is there just beyond my reach and yet so tantalisingly close. I can't even remember being a firstie anymore."
Lucian barks a laugh at Medusa's comment about her knickers, muttering, "You're no fun." He sighs, nodding at the castle. "I'm starting to feel the same way. It used to be my escape. But now? I don't know." He sighs, chugging generously from his drink. "Still, I'm not as keen on the future. I guess I'm starting to realize that I don't have much going for me after graduation. Just the farm, which is fine. But it's not really my choice, it's just what life has handed me."
"Damn, and I thought this would be my chance to seduce you away from Macmillian." Morgana says in her normal dry tone before nodding her head in agreement. "I've wanted out of here for a long time, my grandmother says that I am in a hurry to grow up." She says, clinking her bottle with Medusa's before continuing. "However if I have one more idiot suggest that I can just leave and survive on my OWL scores, I am going to hex them. Head Girl status be damned." She's mostly joking. "What's stopping you from taking a job else where, if you want it?" She asks Lucian.
Medusa takes another swig. "I told you, you have to make your future, Lucian. I wouldn't fancy staying on a farm either, but then that's me. I also don't fancy being a lawyer or an auror or a potions mistress or a bloody teacher. That would be the worst. To spend forever in there." She shudders at the very idea. Another sip and she looks over at the pair of them. "Worst job ever, what do you think it is?"
"I want to finish," Lucian says plainly. "I've worked my arse off getting to where I am. I'm not quitting now. What I've accomplished at Hogwarts is the only thing I've got going for me. I need my NEWTs to show off what I've done, so I can make a real life…whatever that will be." He sighs, arching an eyebrow at Medusa's question. "I don't know. Being a teacher wouldn't be so awful. I like teaching. Though…not here. I've thought about maybe opening up some kind of defensive magic studio, if I could get the money to do it." Another swig and he remembers, "Oh right, worst job. Um…Caretaker of Hogwarts. I don't know if they look for nutters, or if the job makes you that way. But either way…gyuh." He gives a little shudder, thinking of Mr. Pringle.
"Same here." Morgana says, regarding her NEWTs. "Maybe I am just determined that I can do this all on my own. Have a stable job, and a flat, all because I worked for it, and not because someone with a large wallet handed it to me." Looking back at the castle, she shakes her head. "I don't think I'd want to have to spend most of my year here, as an adult, dealing with all of the drama." Thinking it over, she answers her worst job question quickly. "A herbologist. Or a gardener, or anything to do with plants really. They're just so…" She suppresses a shudder and shakes her head. "Alive."
Taking another swig of the hard lemonade Medusa frowns as Lucian brings up Pringle. Cheers, Lucian! Thanks for bringing up that guilt again. "I never wanted to use magic against anyone before but him…I would make an exception for." She sighs a little. "I am tempted to leave sometimes but I won't. I'm finishing out the year. There is too much at stake." Another swig and she laughs. "I like plants. Herbology is the only subject I don't have a tutor for. I actually study for that one happily, if only to put that bitch Crocker's knickers in a twist when I do well." Medusa takes such joy out of petty moments. "Lucian, you pick the next question but you have to answer it too."
"Oh, it's a questions game, then? Hm." Lucian nurses his lemonade while he ponders. Finally, he shakes his finger in the air. "Alright, if you could have lived the life of any other person you know, other than your own, whose would it be? I might go with that dimwit, Zayn Shafiq. He lives in such a bubble of ignorant bliss, he must be the happiest bloke on Earth."
"Merlin, a questions game?" Morgana might need a few to think of some, or at least more 'lemonade'. Morgana laughs at Lucian's response and nods. "He is. The poor boy couldn't tell I was being sarcastic the other day, though it ended up working in my favor." Not that she'd mention Black's name at this moment, but she did trick him in to meeting an empty classroom for a snog. "I can't really think of anyone. I could sit here and think, oh so and so has had an easy life, but they come with their own set of problems that I might not have been equipped to handle." She says thoughtfully.
The mention of Zayn has Medusa howling with laughter, both because she is now tipsy and because she really does think the boy is a dumb arse. "I call him the Hufflerin, he's more 'puff than Slytherin." She sets her drink down, noting the bottle is a good deal emptier than before. "I need to pee," she states and begins to pull on her wellies. Grinning mischievously she gets to her feet, "I'll be right back." She hikes up her dress and clambers out from under the umbrella, disappearing from view. Only for a loud CRACK to signal her departure. Undoubtedly adding fuel to their suspicion that it was all a rouse to set them up.
Lucian looks back toward where Medusa disappeared to…and Disapparated from. "Unbelievable. Well, there's nothing for it. We have to snog now," he says flatly, taking a swig of his lemonade.
Morgana watches as Medusa gets up to relieve herself and sets her empty bottle down. She's about to say something when she hears the crack and lets out a soft groan. "Really? I knew it, it was all a ruse." Shaking her head she'll give a nervous laugh at his snog joke, and attempt her normal dead pan voice. "Yep, it would be a shame to waste this whole 'romantic' set up after all." She says, sipping from her bottle only to find it empty.
Lucian rolls his eyes, shaking his head. "I swear, if she were as clever as she thinks she is, we'd all be in trouble." He sighs, flopping onto his back. "I'm sorry for earlier. You've already been a great friend. I don't mean to take it for granted."
"If she was, I would be concerned about her taking over the world." Morgana says, shaking her head as well and watching him flop back on the blanket. She'll shake her head and lean back on her hand. "I shouldn't have said half of what I did, but I'm a little on edge lately. So I'm sorry for snapping at you." She'll look at the lemonade, debating on having another before she speaks again. "I'm glad you came back. It would have been lonely out here."
"Yeah," Lucian muses, "Likewise. I just…Merlin, I'm always on edge. Believe it or not, I got better about it over the summer. I sort of found a new outlet for when I get angry. But…Hades, if it's not being tested this year."
"I thought I had a handle on it before we came back. That I'd be able to get through the day, and not think about him at all." Morgana responds, giving a bitter laugh. "Than I return to find him to be Head Boy, and I have nearly every class with him, and I return to my common room to find her there. I can't escape from it, and I feel like the wound keeps opening." She shakes her head, as if trying to push some thoughts away. "What was your outlet, because what I've tried isn't working."
Lucian frowns sympathetically, and there's a brief fire in his eyes when he ponders offering to deliver a well deserved trouncing to Conall. "I…don't think it would work for you. I mean…it's complicated." He looks around suspiciously into the darkness. "If I tell you, can you keep it secret? I mean, tell nobody. Not even Medusa."
Morgana does catch that flash in his eyes, and nisn't quite sure what it is for, but she won't call him out on it. "Complicated?" When he starts getting all suspicious, she'll turn and face him, folding her legs under her as she shakes her head. "Lucian, I wouldn't be thinking about joining the Department of Mysteries if I wasn't capable of keeping a secret. I won't tell a soul, not even my cat."
"Bastard's honour?" Lucian smirks, joking. "Alright. Well…I'm…" He gives another conspiratorial scan of the area. "I'm an Animagus." It may not entirely answer the question, but he lets that fact sink in before going into greater detail.
Morgana laughs even goes as far as to lightly touch her fingers over her heart. "Bastards honour." However when he does tell her the secret she thinks it over and shakes her head. "Really? I did not expect it to be that. However you are right, that's complicated." And not something she can just use tomorrow when she needs to. "Can I see?" She asks out of sheer curiosity.
Lucian's brow lifts in surprise. She's taking it quite well. "Um…alright. It's…a little embarrassing, though." He pushes himself up, rising to his feet.
"Embarrassing? What do you turn into a naked mole rat or something? A garden gnome? No wait, I've got it. You turn into a floppy eared rabbit." She's teasing at this point, but Morgana really hasn't met another Animagus, so she's just curious at this point.
"Cute," he mutters, smirking. At first, it looks as if Lucian is scowling at Morgana…even growling, teeth bared. But as his body begins to deform, it becomes evident that it is actually his mouth reshaping and lengthening into a muzzle. His golden hair grows out in a thick mane around his neck, and a fine coat of yellow-gold hair covers his body, revealed as his clothing seems to melt away. The hair on his right foreleg forms an odd pattern, like stylized flames. He drops to all fours, his entire body thickening and lengthening, and a tufted tail appears behind him. Within moments, there is a young lion standing on the beach were Lucian was.
Morgana tilts her head as she notices the scowl, but than she starts watching the other subtle changes. His hair turning into a mane, his fur, that curious flamed marking on his fore arm… or is it paw? By the time he flops back on all fours, Morgana is surprised enough to have to take several, oh so graceful backwards crawling motion. "Shit!" No, she was not expecting a Lion. It takes a second for it to sink it, and then she has to carefully not laugh, because he was right. This is an extremely embarrassing form for a Slytherin, and while part of her wants to laugh, she has a feeling that you should never laugh at a lion. EVER. Getting her bearings she'll bring herself to her knees in front of him and shake her head. "You could have warned me! Though.. you're absolutely fascinating." And the hair, makes so much sense now.
Lucian rumbles a response, shaking his mane a bit. He permits a few more moments of observation, but has soon reverted back into the shape of a seventeen year old boy, crouched on his knees. "Sorry. I haven't been at this for very long. But…well, that's it. That's how I channel my anger. I let the beast out. Well, I did during the summer anyhow. It's a bit trickier at school."
Just when Morgana gathers up the courage to touch his glorious mane, he's back to being a boy, and her hand just falls idly to her lap. "Litterally." She says quietly, looking around the beach. "Yeah it might be suspicious if people started spotting Lions in Hogsmeade." Looking back toward the castle and gauging the time, she frowns a bit. "We should get back, before people think I have tainted you."
Lucian snorts. "Let them think what they want. Hey…thanks for not screaming or anything. It's the bastard in you, you know. We're made of tougher stuff." He grins and winks as he starts to gather up their supplies to haul them back.
"We have to be, and I suppose that's what we should stick together huh?" Morgana will shake her head at him and laugh lightly. "You startled me, but mostly because I wasn't expecting it." Nodding her head as she picks up the rest of the item and her unused violin she nods. "I can even smear a bit a lipstick on your collar if you really don't' care what they think." It's all about illusions. "Let's go, before we set a horrible example.