let's party like we're still fifteen because life wasn't so hard then [party]

[so_harry]

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

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[ginniswin]

Ginny checked her reflection in her pocket mirror for about the hundredth time after leaving the house- where she had left her baggage for the night. An opportunity to have a little fun was exactly what their bunch needed right now. She mentally thanked Harry for a chance to let everything go for a while.

She hoped she wasn't too early, she definitely didn't want to be the first one at the party. It was impossible to tell if the place was crowded- no noise could escape the protective charms around Grimmauld Place.

She knocked on the door and tugged her school skirt down. A soft smile crossed her lips as she remembered the days when she was hiking it up before passing Harry in the corridors. Or Dean. Or whoever had her eye that day.

RE: open

[chase_em]

Jonah had to admit, he'd seen Grimmauld Place packed before- but never with so much glee. He was used to Order meetings, stoic reactions, frustrated recounts of what was going on behind the lines Forbidden Forest. Sometimes only a few of them could make it, most out in the field, working on what they could for the next time they could all get together. He felt, nearly all of the time, useless. He'd often volunteer for rides, magicked under a Disillusionment Charm so his body and his broom blended into the night sky

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[ginniswin]

After making a round through the party, she was starting to feel particularly good that night. It was great seeing so many friends in one place again in high spirits. She had also ripped down a few streamers, and tied the red and gold around her forehead in a Gryffindor pride-filled whim.

Ginny finished the last of her cup, of whatever shocking sweet dangerous concoction Harry threw together, when she heard her name. As she spun around she came face to face with Jonah.

She laughed at his comment a bit and shook her head, "Come on, you know me better than that." She wasn't about to admit that maybe she shouldn't have gone with the stiletto heels so soon, but that was nothing a few more glasses of that juice couldn't fix. "Totally fine. You know how it is. St. Mungo's works miracles."

A bit of a devilish look crossed her face after a moment, remembering they had an upcoming match, "What- hoping you'd be able to face us without having to go through me?"

RE: Re: open

[chase_em]

St. Mungo's did indeed work miracles. The ribs he had regrown recently was a testament to that, even if he did sometimes rub at them, wondering if they were just plastic toys in there or something. Living his whole life a wizard, he'd still feel oddly uncomfortable with healing magic. It was just too bloody weird.

He grinned, tho, holding his hand to his chest in a way that would just add to the overdramatic affronted scoff that followed.

"How dare you!" he gasped. "I am a man of integrity! I would never hope to see one of my favorite players need the bench during our upcoming playoff match-"

He laughed.

"But I mean, if you happen to need, perhaps a bit of a break next weekend, I'd not mind one bit."

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[hermioneee]

After several careful days of planning, Hermione was sure to leave her ministry office in order to get home in time to dress up for the occasion. She had even tried on her old uniform the other night to prepare. She was going to be on time this time. That night she had pulled her old Hogwarts uniform on, she noticed the material fit very snuggly across her chest... more than she remembered it ever fitting in school. She could barely whip her wand out fast enough after a short whistle from Ron. Rolling her eyes, she used a little charm to loosen the fibers to a more comfortable fit. Tonight, her clothes slid on like she bought them for herself yesterday.

Once ready, and not entirely sure where Ron was at the moment, she left a note by their usual spot next to the door, and disapparated with a turn of her foot.

Arriving at Harry's, she let herself in because she's Hermione.

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[whythespiders]

Ron was, of course, running late. He'd been doing that more and more lately. It was an unfortunate side effect of the war they were all trying to pretend didn't exist for the night

Re: open

[hermioneee]

"Double noted," she said smirking and placing a finger on her temple. Maybe, just maybe, if he asked for something like that when they were alone she'd grant it, but there was absolutely no way she'd wear something that tight out for a night with her friends.

Her eyes went up and down the love her life, "Oh, Ronald, have you grown?" Her hand went to his wrist where his sleeve was too short, and her eyes noted his ankles through his Gryffindor-themed socks where his pants should have been. Well, nearly everyone looked a bit disheveled- though most had one thing in common: too tight and too short.

Her thumb massaged his hand, and noticed that he was looking a bit tired. It did seem like he had been working nearly as much as her lately. She didn't pry too much, knowing everything that he was probably handling, and they tried not to talk "shop" at home.

"What kept you?" She asked in an innocent enough tone, "I was getting a touch worried, as Harry seemed to make it here in time."

Re: open

[whythespiders]

Ron huffed a laugh, feeling himself start to relax. He probably should have taken a power nap - was that a thing? - before coming out but that would have created more questions he wasn't ready to answer.

He slid his wrist up in her grip until his fingers could catch around hers. As stressed as he might be, Hermione always had a way of getting to him and putting some of the tension from him, even when he was trying not to give her too many details.

It would be infuriating if he didn't love her so much since before he even knew that's what it was.

"I hit that extra growth spurt. Full on drained me. Slowed me down." He clicked his tongue.

[scilicette]

Hannah hovered in the kitchen, a few pots and pans cleaning themselves as she supervised. She hadn't done all of the cooking, but she'd done a fair bit. When Harry had asked if the Leaky would be able to help with the night, she couldn't say 'yes' fast enough. If there was anything the lot of them needed, it was a blow-out. And a back to school theme? Bloody hell, it was genius- even if Hannah was slightly embarrassed in her too short skirt and her knee socks. She hadn't changed all that much from school, but leave it to her to only find her uniform from her fiften year- a solid thirteen years ago as it was. Who was still the same size? A bloody lucky witch, she figured

[nevilleee]

Beer in hand, and tie around his forehead, Neville found himself making the wrong turn out of the bathroom and in the kitchen. It hadn't been that long since his last visit to Grimmauld Place... and really he hadn't had too much to drink. He should not be this turned around. He was about to quickly escort himself back to the party so as not to bother the hired kitchen staff, but then the witch beside him began to look familiar.

"Oh- Hannah! Hey!" He said going in for, what even he could tell, awkward angled hug, kinda getting her shoulder pushed against his chest, and his hands gripping her other. After a moment he released her, "Uh- great stuff you're sending out there," he said as a blush began to reach his cheeks.

[scilicette]

Seeing Neville always brought a smile to her face, even if she did still harbor those long ago teenaged crush awkward feelings from their first ever kiss. It was one of those monumental moments that a woman didn't ever forget- gay or straight or whatever it was. She couldn't help but laugh at the whole picture, the tie, the hug- all of it.

"Why thank you," she said, curtsying slightly. "I can't take all the credit- but you know the puff pastry?"

She hinted at him with her eyebrows.

"All me!"

She did feel slightly proud of herself on that one.

"How are you Neville? Excited to get back to the new year?"

[nevilleee]

"Oh, yeah? Those were brilliant," he said relaxing a bit. Dean and Seamus had been taking Neville out more lately, to help him "chill the fuck out" as they often put it. The world wasn't constantly ending. Though right now he would have had a decent argument it was, but no matter. That's not what going out was about.

He scratched the back of his head, "Yes, definitely. I mean, well, it's a bit nerve wracking right now with everything that's happening and has happened, and could happen..." he let himself trail off. That's buzz killing stuff. Right.

"But, yeah, I've got some great stuff planned for this year, fixed some lessons that didn't exactly go as planned..." Most of his lesson trouble came with his OWL and NEWT students, where he was always looking for unique challenges for each of their needs and interests, but sometimes he didn't always plan for the unexpected.

Alt-Trio, if you please.

[marloww]

Well, this was just bloody ridiculous

Re: Alt-Trio, if you please.

[finnigone]

Seamus was aimlessly wandering, sort of, when he'd snatched up Dean for no reason other than that Seamus would always take the first opportunity to poke at and annoy his friend when he got the chance.

The charms he'd thrown on his old uniform got it on without ripping across his forearms or down his ass. He'd left the silly length, pretty sure these were from fifth year before his last growth spurt. It was more hilarious that way.

Then his second favorite person to annoy showed up and Seamus grinned his cheekiest grin.

"This whole night is ankles and thighs. We're the most stylish. Tell Riah to let his people in on that." So he was always going to make little teasing jokes about her husband, they'd reached their understanding of each other so it was fine these days. But some things never changed.

Re: Alt-Trio, if you please.

[deantom]

"I'm personally thinking of bringing the look back to the office next week," Dean chimed in, all mock-earnestness and poshly-raised eyebrow.

“We’ve let the sweaters-and-ties look go unappreciated for far too long. And the ankle breeze is really refreshing, actually.”

Wrestling himself into that sweater had indeed been a hell of a task, and even with a little magical adjustment he knew that attempting anything beyond basic extensions would likely result in having to pick his sleeves up off the floor.

Though if the occasional looks he’d caught from some of the short-skirted crowd were anything to go by, there was nothing too shabby about the way he was overfilling out his sixth year uniform, if he did say so himself.

“Glad to see you managed to be convinced away from the little one for one evening, in any case. It wouldn’t be a party without you, of course.”

RE: Re: Alt-Trio, if you please.

[marloww]

"You're bloody right it wouldn't-" she told them both, feeling firm in that.

Still, she couldn't have been more excited to have a night out. As much as she loved her little peanut of a daughter, she had been in such a constant state of baby talk, she was nervous she was going to forget how to interact with adults. Even Zacharias was joining in. They were a mess of goo-goo and ga-ga and high-pitched giggling.

It was highly uncool to do in the presence of adults.

"Now how many adjustment spells did you two need to actually get those sweaters over your heads?" she looked back and forth between the two of them, stifling a laugh from behind her glass of wine. "You look like you're about to Hulk out at any minute-"

A joke she fully knew Dean would get, but found she might have to explain to Seamus-

[ccecilia]

This was actually Cecilia's first true step outside of their flat since Frances was born. There had been a few visits to the local store for a few things, but that was just down the street and they had become used to her yoga pants and sweaters and messy hair and zero make-up. This was much different than that, this was everyone who had become a part of her life in the last five years- these were people who had seen her pre-two babies

[daleysebastian]

Sebastian snorted and rolled his eyes but accepted a hug from Cecelia, obviously his favorite family member at this point. He wasn't entertaining that thought line for long, but that did help after the incident.

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."

[ccecilia]

No matter how long it had been, seeing Sebastian always brought the shock of the reality that Sabrina was no longer with them. It was so odd to think about, even if Sabrina had always been touch and go as a presence in their lives.

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?"

[daleysebastian]

Once upon a time not so long ago, Sebastian would have found a way to back out of that. He'd have scoffed and avoided something like a family dinner. A big family dinner.

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