"I Think It's A Requirement For Every Slytherin To Like Green, But I Do Prefer Certain Shades More Than

"I do quite enjoy getting gifts. I get them quite frequently but that does not make me like it any less." Whether it be her parents or Malcolm, she often got gifts without special occasion attached to it. Of course she considered her birthday the most special occasion, so it only made sense that she got more gifts on this day. "They always think they know what is best for you." Her parents had often said that she had made a mistake by ending things with Malcolm, that she had been too much of a kid to understand that his transgression was perfectly normal. Still, she did not see it this way to this day. It had been a talking point a few times already.

"I have had a glass or two, but I do not see why I can't have more." She snapped her fingers together for her house elf to appear ordering two glasses of champagne.

“Glad you enjoy your gift. Yes I often find it’s best to save that for special or at least particular occasions.  Merlin forbid you are wrong it is not a thing they will easily let you forget at least if they are anything like mine.  Whether they bring it up in a boisterous way or a passive way almost not mentioned, but just aside enough to play it off it can be something that digs.”  Antonin’s face darkened, but only slightly and only for a moment, though it was enough to cause him to wish he had started drinking a bit earlier. “Nothing so serious it can’t be solved with a drink though.  Have you had anything yet?  It is your birthday after all it would be criminal not to share a drink with the birthday girl would it not?”

"I agree. My taste truly is impeccable, I am glad that someone recognises it. Although I'm not surprised that it's you." She gave her a rare genuine smile. Mira was very smart, perhaps the smartest of her three cousins. "Oh I would have, but my parents forbade me from kicking people out. Even if I feel that it does speak against everything I stand for to let this go.

Mira smiled and nodded. "Well once more it's clear you have impeccable taste." She informed her with a smile. She may not have much in common with Serra but she knew the girl always appreciated a compliment and knowing that others admired her choice in all things. She shook her head at the comment, a smile twitching on the corner of her lips. "Well not everyone can be stylish Serra. No doubt they're relieved to find the birthday girl isn't turning them away at the door because of their style choice." She wouldn't have put it past her after all.

"I am very beautiful, that's true, but you should not sell yourself short. Of course I am the better looking one out of the two of us as I am a woman and naturally more beautiful but you are handsome as well. I would not show interest in you if I found you undeserving of my attention." Serra was very particular with who she paid attention to and who she didn't. She liked to pick and choose who she believed was worthy of her time. "Why not?" What reason would he be giving her, she wondered.

"I would never settle. If I choose the person I want to be with it is because I decide that is who I want. I deserve to have the best of the best, one that will shower me in gifts and in compliments. Just me. Not anyone else." Her voice turned sugary sweet as she focused her attention back on him. "If you want to continue seeing me, you will not be seeing other women. The choice is yours. If you are unsure and are interested in others, then your answer is made and this is where we say goodbye. I deserve undivided attention and focus. I am the best, but I will not compete with other women for your affection. While I do not want to get betrothed or married yet, I know my worth."

“Hmm.”  He moved a hand to stroke her cheek. “You are beautiful, effortless, beyond reproach, but I am, not.  I feel undeserving when I’m around you, you say you’re inexperienced, and I enjoy experiencing you, but I feel that as I am I can’t give you what you deserve even if I would like to.”  He stopped as if struggling with the words or how they might land.  “I worry that you will be done with me as you grow, become the perfect thing that I know you are, and regret settling. You shouldn’t be forced to settle, and I’m not in a position to be as serious with you as I would like to.”  He looked at her, deciding he should be as straightforward as she had been.  “I’m seeing other women.  I’m worried you might have heard something or gossip, or will and this is something you should hear from me.  I feel like it’s something I need to do before I get serious about anyone.  At least to the level everyone is rushing into betrothals and bringing other people into them.” He moved closer looking into her eyes and squeezing her shoulders.  “Breaking a betrothal or getting into a marriage that was a failure is not something I will do.  I couldn’t leave someone I cared about that much or betray them after making that kind of promise.”

"She is very talented. She made me this dress as well." Serra boasted proudly. She had told Antonin that green was one of her favorite colors when they went shopping and when the invitation for the wedding came in, it was only natural that they would attend together, having commissioned matching robes that would work for the occasion. Annoyance flashed on her face for a second when Alara was mentioned. "It would make sense if she did."

Alecto took a moment to let her eyes rake over the witch in front of her, placing the name easily, related to the Selwyn's. She did note that the other did come in with Antonin Dolohov, which intrigued her slightly. "Leta Rosier." A small pause. "The sister to your cousin's fiancé." It had been obvious the tension that laid between the two of them. "I wonder if she'll make Alara's when the time comes."

Serra's dress for her birthday party, featuring an unnecessarily long train

"Well I shall visit you here more often then." Serra decided. It is not as if she had a job that occupied her time so she knew she had plenty and keeping busy in a dress shop was much more fun than it was in her father's store. People kept asking her about certain items as if she cared or listened to her father explaining what it was when it was brought it. Her eyes lit up when she saw the fabric Leta had brought, glad that the blonde had understood her vision. "I like the sparkling one the best, but I do think it needs to be slightly darker, if it is too light it could wash me out as I am quite fair."

“Oh, hush. There is no need to announce yourself if you intend to come visit me here.” Besides that, Leta wouldn’t have demanded such a thing, especially not outside her own home. There, yes, perhaps there it would have been nice to receive a warning ahead of time. This way it had simply been a pleasant surprise, one that the blonde welcome.

With a flick of her wand the curtain between the front of the shop and the back they were now in vanished. The witch listened, nodding occasionally as she prepared some tea and moved through the rows of fabric before returning with a few different types of fabric, among them a shimmer blue, one charmed to hold constellations, one sparkling bright enough to be mistaken for stars. “What about these? If need be, I will simply create a fabric that matches what you need.” If Serra wished to walk among the stars in a dress, she would make it so. - @serraborgin

what are you majoring in?

Disappointing my parents

Serra nodded her approval when he explained. "That is good. She is a woman of good taste, you are well off listening to her." There had been a moment in time she'd been jealous and disliked the blonde, but she had gotten over it. She actually quite liked her now.

"I will wear it. It's quite lovely. If it was ugly I would have no problem telling you so. I think you could handle my honest opinion." Perhaps it went against propriety, but as long as people did not listen in she was fine stretching the boundaries. "They think they know what's best. It is hard to tell them that they do not. "

“Leta made comments and observations.  I think that I have spent enough time with her to understand the basics of picking out something that won’t end up as an expensive paperweight at least.” Antonin never wore much jewelry himself.  A chain was just something that could be grabbed or used against you if a fight went on long enough or got too heated.  Fighting against Leta had told him that much too, but he didn’t need to bore Serra with that, especially not on her birthday. “Don’t worry I’m not the type to tell you to put it on, it’s yours now and you can do with it what you will.  At most if I see you wearing it some time I might be quietly delighted.”  He thought to his own parents.  “Yes parents are hard to defy at times no matter your age, at least on the important things.  They always find the way to make you want to defy them, and still regret it if you get your way, don’t they?”

"Thank you. London certainly has seen better days now that I have returned." While the Nott name was one familiar to her, she did not spend much time with the other witch so Serra concluded her to hold no significant importance to herself. "Clearly you were the wrong person to talk to. My apologies."

Pandora was grabbing a few items needed for the shop that when she heard a voice talking, she turned to make sure it was her being talked to. "Welcome back?" She knew of Serra Borgin, younger than her, but not by too much. The witch had also heard about what happened with Alara Selwyn, but chose to stay out of it. It was not her business. "I don't know how you want me to answer that."

It was almost inevitable that they would run into each other at events and yet she got annoyed each time she saw Alara's face. "But I do love rubbing my freedom under your nose."

If this night could get any worse, running into her cousin, sure was the cherry on top. Alara finishes the glass of champagne in her hand, not sure if that was number three or four, but she would require one after this little interaction. "Please do, you could go find him now. Spare us this conversation." She was not in the mood tonight.