let's party like we're still fifteen because life wasn't so hard then [party]
12 Grimmauld Place hadn't ever looked so festive before. Streamers were lingering in the exposed beams, fashioned Hogwart House crests were in their own separate rooms- the Slytherin crest up in the attic, where he was absolutely sure a ghoul was hanging out- and food and drinks set up in nearly every room he could stuff them into. Thank Merlin
( Read more... )
She needed to look perfect.
Which is why she had spent an extra half an hour doing her hair and make-up, making sure that even though she was still recovering from her last birth, that the too short mini-skirt still looked damn good- the too shortness a permanent tailoring from her days back in school.
She was pleased to see everyone laughing and talking, drinks in hand.
She didn't think she was the only one to feel that this was needed.
When she saw Sebastian she gave George a quick peck on the lips before moving toward her cousin.
"I didn't think you were the mingling type," she teased, before offering him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Reply
He jerked his head back and to the left a bit toward where Reid was getting a drink. "I resent the accusation. I stand in one place and people come to me. Or Reid drags them over and makes me pretend I'm social."
Sort of. Sebastian was never going to be the most social and outgoing of people. He'd gotten know most of the people he'd nodded acknowledgement toward over the past little while, but that was still too weird to think.
He knew people. What was that all about?
"I'm almost surprised you're out tonight. I figured you'd beg off for tiny human reasons."
Reply
Still, seeing him was always enough to bring a smile to her face- especially with the way both their families had dwindled across the years- his parents gone, her parents both firmly locked up in Azakban for probably the rest of their lives.
At least Holden had moved back with Edin and Madeline.
"I had fully planned to," she told him, shrugging. "But Holden offered to take Gideon and Frances for the night and George really needed a bit of a break, I think-"
She shook her head.
"Speaking of, though-" she said, nudging his arm. "Holden and Edin want you and Reid to come by for a big family dinner soon. Think you'd be up for it?"
Reply
There had been a change. It had started when he'd come back and met Jemma, getting pulled into her family. Reid had expanded that reach and added in changes to what Sebastian considered family. Sabrina had died, no coming back from this one, all the confirmation right there before his eyes the moment it happened and all the moments after that it showed up on his closed eyelids.
But it had changed him in predictable and unpredictable ways. Namely, Sebastian was a little more clingy (though that wasn't the right word, not really) to the family he did have left. The cousins who, in their own way, got what it was like to be the end of the generations before them long before the time they should have taken over.
Or maybe he was putting way too much thought into family dinner with a bunch of children running around.
"Tell him to owl me about when they want to do it. We'll be there." Sebastian smiled, short and quick but still genuine. "As long as you swear to let me steal Frances for the night."
Reply
She couldn't help but beam. She had half a mind to predict Sebastian coming up with some sort of half-baked excuse not to come, that had always been his way- but he was right about so much changing in the past few years.
"I'd be happy to let Frances have some Uncle Bash time," she told him, a teasing tone to her voice. "Madeline was the one who requested the whole thing- now that she's going off to Hogwarts next week, she's been demanding a 'good-bye' dinner."
It was hard to imagine her niece was 11 years old now. Where had the time honestly gone?
"The whole thing is making me feel ridiculously old."
Reply
He was getting predictable in very strange ways lately. Whatever. Reid wasn't here at the moment to call him on it so it was fine.
"I refuse to believe she isn't a toddler anymore," he winced. Sebastian had missed a lot of the lives of the people in his family, but he still couldn't bring himself to accept that there was a new group at Hogwarts that included someone he could remember running around as a child.
What even.
"You'll never be old," Sebastian told Cecilia. "You're going to be the mom that everyone can't believe has kids. The rest of us... I think we hit old a while ago." Some days it felt like that anyway.
Reply
"Well we've certainly been through enough to give us all greys and wrinkles," she admitted, shaking her head. "But I'd say the look gives you a distinguished flair-"
Her lips stretched into a smile.
"I'm sure Reid would very much agree."
Reply
"It's been mentioned," Sebastian snorted, turning back to see where Reid had gotten off to. He was always too aware of where Reid was and strangely nervous when they were in the same space and he wasn't.
"Though he's ridiculous and biased so I'm not sure how much I believe him. Except for the greys, which are just out of hand." Not that Sebastian had much to complain about.
"And don't tell me George is letting you forget that you're looking as put together as before the babies." It was always going to be vaguely amusing that Cecilia was a Weasley now, but it was clear how well matched those two were.
"How's he doing, by the way?" The reason he was asking heavy in the air as it had to be, even in this setting, after only a few months and in the midst of what Sebastian knew was the hardest time to still be coping.
Reply
Fred had been good to her, too. And she missed him. She missed the light he was whenever he was in the room. But maybe it was because she was so used to losing people, maybe she'd been able to process it easier. And besides, she still had George. That was all that mattered to her. That and her kids.
"He's alright," she said, her shoulder twitching slightly as she offered Sebastian a weary smile. "He's surviving, at least. I dunno, Bash, I really don't know how I'd be able to handle it if I were him, you know?"
Reply
"Yeah," he nodded slowly. He did know, is the thing. He knew what it was like to lose people and not know how to handle it. It never mattered how many times it had happened, Sebastian had never really learned how to do it well.
"You manage, though. You pick yourself up and make yourself do what you have to until it isn't a chore anymore and some days are even okay. And when you have people around that matter... that's what helps."
Maybe he should take up grief counselng when this war was over. As if he'd be able to stand such a thing.
"You're probably a big part of how he's handling it as well as he could be."
Reply
She knew from the moment his face shifted that Sabrina was likely the first thing on his mind. She felt terrible, momentarily forgetting that everyone around her lately was dealing with some kind of loss. She rubbed at her cheek lightly, shaking her head.
"Of course you'd know-" she sighed.
"I'm sorry, this has been a whole mess hasn't it?" she said, her fingers moving to rake through her hair. "I'm just hoping we've seen the last of all of this."
She didn't want to think it could get any worse.
Reply
He blamed himself more than enough, too. Then there were the times where he was so ridiculously angry at her for being brash and stupid that he reverted to being angry at himself for it.
"It's been ... It's been a hell of a few years." Sebastian, to be perfectly honest was surprised he was still around for it. "But we've all made it this far."
Most of them had, anyway. Too many of them hadn't.
"We've seemed to be making headway lately. We could be at the real turn in the whole thing."
Hopefully.
Though, who was Sebastian Daley to hope for anything?
Reply
She hoped, at the very least. Weren't they due for some peace? Hadn't it been a crazy and everlasting sort of torment they'd been dealing with? Since they were bloody children.
She shook her head.
"We're due something, at the very least-"
She offered him a smile.
"You know, you and Reid can come by whenever you want," she told him. "I know what it's like to be in a big manor like that-"
Reply
Sebastian wondered if muggles got that. Maybe that would be easier.
"The manor is bloody huge. I don't even know why we're still there." Yes, he most certainly did. No matter how many memories were there, Daley manor was his home and always had been. It had seen some horrific things, but he couldn't abandon it.
Or sell it to someone who wouldn't take proper care of it.
"I'll keep that in mind. And take you up on it, I'm sure. That place gets too quiet. And quiet gets... you know."
Quiet was never for the best, not when you could formulate a million worst case scenarios the way Sebastian could when unattended.
Reply
She spent the majority of her childhood in a manor that large and a manor that empty. Holden left before they finished school, her parents were never around, and even when they were, she hardly knew it. It wasn't much like they wanted her to know, either.
She wrinkled her nose, shaking her head.
"Has Reid officially and completely moved in now?" she asked him, lucky for the topic change. They could use something brighter at that moment.
Reply
"He's been living there officially for a while." It hadn't even taken much prodding to get Reid to give up the lease on his place. He'd mostly been there all the time anyway.
"Not that I think anyone is surprised. Before he even actually lived there I think we sort of... forgot he didn't." Which sounded ridiculous but Sebastian's entire relationship history could be defined that way.
"I'm not sure if I'm waiting for the I told you so from Jemma or you first."
Reply
Leave a comment