"Thank You. London Certainly Has Seen Better Days Now That I Have Returned." While The Nott Name Was

"And once we find her we will have the best night ever." She had missed her friends while in Paris, she was glad that they were both here to celebrate with her tonight.

“Lucky her!” Lydia said, looking around the room. It seemed like all the same faces she normally saw, but there really were so many people. “Let’s check the gardens first. Then maybe the coat room? The private tour highlights.”

Serra noticed several things about the witch that approached her immediately. First off, she looked familiar in a way where she was sure she must have seen her at parties and social gatherings before. Second, she was very tall and gorgeous too so surely she would have something important to say. It was always easier to trust someone good looking than someone ugly, at least that's what she thought.

"Thank you." At the compliment Serra smiled while her hair looking good was a fact it was still nice to have someone else say it. "Exactly! I have just bought this exquisite lipgloss and what a shame it would be to not see the sparkles reflect off of it." Her father had not understood that when she tried explaining it earlier that morning. "Oh my father is one of the owners. You see the sign? It says Borgin's & Burke's. We're the Borgin part of that."

Walking the streets of Knockturn Alley Sinistra saw a witch standing outside Borgin and Burke's. She looked disgusted. The store itself had many great products but Sinistra only went in when she needed something in particular. She always sneezed whenever she walked in. Dust everywhere. Disheveled. Dark and dank. The witch outside must have been thinking the same thing.

As she walked closer she heard her talking about the dust. She was right. Then she heard she was supposed to take over the shop. Interesting.

"I don't blame you. Appearances are quite important and your hair is quite lovely. As is your makeup which would be unseen in the dim lighting." Sinistra pointed out. "What makes you the lucky one to come to own such a store?"

status: for @rsrevan, @miraxselwyn location: borgin manor

Serra was in an excellent mood tonight, tipsy on attention and gifts, as well as several glasses of champagne. It was her birthday and she'd been showered with presents left and right. Her parents were being particularly generous this year, which while she noticed she didn't comment on. Perhaps they wanted to make sure she didn't have any wayward plans of following into her idiotic cousin's footsteps. As if. A cautionary tale more so than a role model she'd always been to Serra. Floating around in her pink dress she smiled when she spotted a familiar face. "Welcome. Have you had the champagne yet? It is quite delicious."

"I care. I'd much rather receive a letter from an owl that looks well looked after, than some raggedy ugly one." She didn't see what seemed to hard for him to understand, it was completely logical to her. "First impressions carry a lot of weight Mr. Avery."

“Who the fuck would care what your owl looks like?” Clyde asked, baffled. Was everyone else really this vain, or was it just Serra? The Minister didn’t care what his owls looked like, but the Minister was also an idiot. Merlin did she actually have a point? “Wouldn’t the letter itself leave more of an impression?”

Serra jumped back as the ferret made contact with her shoes, shrieking. "Get that thing off of me." She wasn't good with animals, they had too much fur and it got everywhere. And she had a bad experience with a cat once. "I don't like anything with more than two legs. It's eyes are creepy too."

"She's not a thing, she's a ferret!" Clyde protested, not bothering to stop Bonnie from running over to sniff at Serra's shoes. There was absolutely nothing wrong with ferrets. Bonnie had all her shots and was the most well-behaved affectionate little thing. Why would Serra hate her? "What have you got against her, then?"

"Resplendent is a great choice of compliments. I like it. I would also take stunning or breath taking." Serra smirked, feeling comfortable in the public eye. She saw people whispering when she came in with Antonin, their matching outfits adding fuel to the fire. Not that she minded. Appearances were important and what would it look like if her date's outfit clashed with hers?

Where:Fulsom Palace Who: @serraborgin Antonin arrived linked arm in arm with Serra. She was as resplendent as she said she would be, he liked to think he added a little something pairing his own outfit and playing the small part in picking out her own. Tonight would be interesting. He gave her a peck on the cheek. She was on top of the world was it right to ruin that with a bit of truth? "You look resplendent. Even able to pull off a dated accessory like me."

She didn't hide her disappointment at his answer, letting it rest on her face for a moment before she pasted a friendly smile onto her lips once more, ever the picture of amicability. "I hope that you do understand." Serra wasn't used to the concept of compromising, thinking that if she said what she wanted everything around her would shift to accomodate her wishes. This was the first time that didn't happen and honestly? She didn't think this was actually happening.

"I was always thinking I would one day like to move to Paris. It is my favorite city in the world." Serra mused, pausing as she looked over at him. Discussing this felt surreal, but it was good that they discussed it now, agreed on a story so there wouldn't be discrepancies. Damage control. "Perhaps we can say that I want to move and you don't. That way neither of us is painted in a bad light."

"No one would dare to break up with me." Serra confirmed his assumption with a small nod. It was always easier being the one leaving rather than the one who was left.

Serra looked over at him with a sigh, biting her lip. So this was the end. He wasn't begging for a second chance and somehow that made her respect him more. "I enjoyed our time together. I would say that I hope you find someone better, but as there's no such thing, I will say that I hope you find someone better suited for you."

“I won’t debate what’s owed at this level of courtship, perhaps it is best our journey ends while we can still part amicably.  I’m sure you’ll find someone to your standards and willing to devote themselves to you so wholly, desperately, and chastely.”  He let go of her shoulders, he could have lied to her told her they would be engaged, but though Serra was many things she was not one to suffer such a slight quietly.  It made him curious where she would go, who she might end up with on the way  there. “What is it you would like to tell people?  I’ll stick with how you would like to spin things as long as it’s reasonable and doesn’t paint either of us in too bad of a light.  A mutual disagreement or you have outgrown me, but I won’t drag myself through the mud.  A professional distance at events.  Don’t let this make you doubt yourself, it's not that you’re not enough, I just want more of you than you’re willing to give right now, knowing that is a kind of growth.” He tried to keep his smile warm, but there was a bit of bite in it.  His words were as always chosen carefully to garner a specific reaction. He waited smiling at her as if daring her to be something less than happy.  If he thought about it he was unsure what he was feeling exactly. “Have you had a relationship end on anyone’s terms but your own I wonder? Is that why you feel more comfortable saying the words I wonder?” He got closer to her than he meant to, perhaps it was affecting him more than he would admit,  “It’s a shame but I think our differences are irreconcilable.  Perhaps they were from the start, but it was fun to figure out I think, it was a delight to be seen with you, there is no one who can fill a moment the way you can or at least an event.”

"Well she doesn't look like one." Serra sneered, looking down at the ferret. "Normal would be a cat. Or an owl."

“Of course she’s a pet.” He said, offended. Better a ferret than a frog, for fucks sake. What could a frog even do? Ferrets could do loads. “How am I the odd one here? I’m being very normal.”

"That unmemorable?" She fought a smirk, keeping her voice neutral. She didn't like this - at all, but she was trying to find a way to move past this. He had made a stupid mistake and technically that was before he had known they would get married... Serra couldn't help it, a part of her had always been his, no matter how hard she had tried to erase him from her heart he had grown roots in there. Looking at him when he promised that there wouldn't be another that would turn his head she focused on his body language, the tone he was using, the little tells he had. He was being honest. "You will not like your life if you do. I am warning you now, do not make the same mistake twice." Serra would find ways to make his life hell, she had no idea how yet but she was sure that if she needed to make good on it she could come up with something if he were to break her heart again. Despite trying to act tough she did smile at his compliment, clearly enjoying to hear it. "Well obviously I'd look good in green. I look good in all colors. but I'd be wearing white, would I not?" He would look good in green too, undoubtedly. It suited his complexion and his hair color. "You could wear a dark green suit, muted, elegant."

"I don't know, not long," he answered, though fighting to remember any actual dates to prove himself right. Charity and him had their own history and history repeated itself now. Once he found out about the contracts, he was quick to sever any connection between him and Charity. He hoped she would take his silence as a hint. "Of course," he nodded. This was a good sign if anything. It was a good conversation to establish trust between them and Malcolm was adamant about proving himself. "This is going to be new. For both of us. I'm not going to stray from you again. I can't think of someone who could turn my head." And it was true, meaning every word that poured from him. "I think green would make sense. It is a color that means something to both of us. And we both would look good in it. Especially you."