"Thank You. I Thought You Would Like It, Everyone Has So Far." She Smiled, Pleased, Although She Had

Serra was at ease at any party she set foot in and the fact that this was a huge event in her honor, she was thriving. She could spend every day being showered with gifts and attention, it was quite lovely. "Well if you insist, I am sure the other drinks will also be excellent." Her parents would settle for nothing but the best, spare no expense in making sure the party was as perfect as it could be. If only she knew why. "I am having a wonderful time, what about you?" Serra was practically glowing with excitement at the prospect of all the gifts she was getting to open. Her birthday was her favorite day of the year. Impatient she smiled up at him. "Can I open it now?"

There was nothing he enjoyed more than events of the like, people spending way too much money on whatever excuse they could come up with, resulting in the perfect environment to hang out with a respectable crowd, get business done and never once miss on the fun. This occasion involved a pretty witch and Evan was indeed a gentleman, making his way towards the birthday girl, a nonchalant grin plastered on his lips. "I'm more inclined to try the brandy, darling. I trust you're having a good time?" The wizard wondered, taking her hand to place a kiss on top of it. "Happy birthday, love, brought you a gift." He offered with a wink of his eye.

"You think I'd let some common owl touch my mail?" She scoffed shaking her head. "I'm not poor."

"I'll give you cats as a pet," he conceded with a nod. Loads of people had cats, they just weren't for him. "But why own an owl when the post office has one?"

Serra had known that her cousin getting married was going to be a big event, what she hadn't expected was to be arriving engaged to Malcolm Parkinson. The last month had gone by in a whirlwind and she had done well to keep distance, after what Evan had told her she had been upset. Malcolm was seeing Charity again-still? She wasn't sure, but either way she hated it. However, she did not want him to know she cared so much. It would give him the upper hand. Right now he didn't know that she knew, but that would soon change. Would he lie to her? Pretend it wasn't true? Or would he own up to it? It took her a moment to think, too caught him in her revenge fantasies against a certain blonde. "More." They weren't poor after all, they could afford a big wedding. It was a status symbol. Plus more guests meant more presents. "I know. I always do." She touched the necklace for a moment. It had been on her pile of birthday presents, once she had opened the box she knew she had to wear it, it was as if she was drawn to it more than normal. Serra wasn't sure if he was the one that got her the necklace, but due to his compliment she assumed. He did know her taste pretty well by now and unfortunately she knew his too. "We should discuss the guest list. I want the final say about it. I'm not letting your mistress get anywhere near the place."

where: agatha and emir's wedding; reception who: @serraborgin

Though they agreed on being engaged, their correspondence was mostly about the wedding planning as it was now a rush. Still, he did his best not to look behind him, but someone could've counted at least two dozen times throughout the night. She looked good even in the bridesmaid color that Agatha had chosen. Malcolm knew which colors looked best on her and this was not even in the top five. One of his favorite colors on her was the warm blush that met her cheeks when he used to give her the finest compliments. Malcolm saw her alone near the bar and took the opportunity to plunge forward. "Should we have more or less people at our ceremony?" Malcolm smiled as he stepped over. "Hi. You look great tonight. I love the necklace." It wasn't one of his, but it still fell over her neck, her collarbones in the best way.

@alaraselwyn

A little slow on the uptake, Serra needed some time to process what was actually going on, stuck in the deluded fantasy that this couldn't possibly be happening right now. It couldn't be some bad joke as no one had that terrible of a sense of humor, but that left one option: Malcolm actually cheating on her. Why he would ever do that made no sense to her, she knew he liked her, showing her off proudly and showering her with attention. "It's complicated? It's complicated?!" Her voice grew louder, anger and frustration obvious. He didn't deny it. He called Charity crazy, yes, but he didn't call her a liar. That distinction was important to her. Her world turned upside down again, stuck in a nightmare version of the present. Her boyfriend cheated on her and then submitted her to public humiliation. "You were gonna tell me? When? After you slept with me too?" Tears built up in her eyes again. This was truly the worst day of her whole fifteen years of life. "We're done. I'm breaking up with you." Turning to Charity she didn't bother hiding the hatred in her eyes rolling her eyes when she talked about them deserving each other. She deserved better than this and she wasn't going to let him keep playing her for a fool. "Yeah I don't want him anymore. Have fun with my leftovers. I know that's why you wanted him in the first place. Can't be like me so you try taking what's mine. Well you got him. Congratulations."

Malcolm was drowning in a self-made hell. He focused on Serra, her nose clearly destroyed, while desperately trying to extricate himself from the chaos he'd ignited. Charity, a ghost from his disastrous final year, stood opposite. The engagement contract, a desperate, callus-forming grasp at a solution, had trapped him. He needed Serra to leave him, to buy time to dismantle that contract—time and resources he didn't have within these cursed castle walls. His solution, a twisted logic, had been to engineer a breakup, something more dramatic than a simple "it's over." He'd known Serra wouldn't accept the truth. So, he'd manipulated, leading him to a hidden alcove with Charity. He hadn't intended to sleep with her, that intimacy reserved for Serra. But things spiraled, and now, here he was.

He struggled to rein in his panic, to find some semblance of sense, but a blinding pain erupted in his jaw. "You're fucking crazy,-" he said, too distracted now by his own pain that his hand clutched at that he didn't even hear her at first. Shit. Malcolm was glaring over Serra at Charity, and the raw ache in Serra's tone softened his own anger. "It's-it's complicated-I was going to tell you-"

Derya Pinar Ak in 0000 Kilometers

status: for @themalcolmparkinson

location: borgin manor, serra's birthday bash

Birthday party in full swing she went through the room, making rounds conversing with friends and acquaintances the like, politeness instilled into her when it came to hostess duties. It was something that came easily to her, she didn't mind being the center of attention. When her parents both came up onto the stage set up in the ballroom she hadn't thought anything of it at first, assuming they'd make some kind of big announcement about her birthday and compliment her, list her accomplishments perhaps.. That was how the speech had started but things quickly took a turn. 'We are extremely pleased to take this time to announce the engagement of our daughter Serra Borgin to the one and only Malcolm Parkinson!' Everyone's eyes turned towards her and while there was a polite smile seemingly frozen onto her face, she knew better than to openly show her shock and surprise. What the hell were her parents thinking?! Why hadn't they said anything to her. Wanting to go outside to get some air she quickly turned around, wanting to make her way outside, but stopping when she felt a hand on her forearm. Turning around in a swirl of pink she met Malcolm's eyes. He didn't look surprised. Why didn't he look surprised. She had explicitly disinvited him and yet, here he was. "Malcolm?" His name on her lips betrayed her surprise at his presence, but with all eyes on them she knew she had to be careful with her words.

what are you majoring in?

Disappointing my parents

@themalcolmparkinson

"I suppose it is?" Serra's eyebrows furrowed together for a second, confused as to why he was asking but dismissed it quickly. "Oh I heard what happened to hear. It is quite a shame that her betrothal fell through. It was so many years in the making after all. Oh you mean you want me to watch you duel? I can do that." Serra wasn't a good dueller herself, but she figured she didn't need to be. It's not like she was fighting in the war.

Her smile widened from his compliments. She enjoyed talking to him and dancing with him. "Thank you for the compliment. I am careful with the things I care about." Which mainly involved her appearance, but to her that was extremely important. Appearances mattered. "You should know I am better than all of them." Serra's tone matter of fact, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Not at all. I like talking to you. I don't think you are boring." They had liking to talk in common, especially when it came to her favorite subject: herself.

"Transfiguration is good as is potions. I swear by Valeria Flint, unfortunate circumstances surrounding the woman but wonderful for poisons and potions. I dabble in a bit of everything, anything that might give me an edge in dueling or seems fun, perhaps I could show you sometime? As far as transfiguration I think my greatest feat is summoning ropes, a nice trick especially if you can do so wordlessly, though it is important to get the gestures perfect and have a good bond with your wand." Antonin looked into Serra's eyes losing himself in them. "You surprise me though, those are both very precise magics. I pride myself at being able to read people, but you surprise me, I find that refreshing, you are not a boring woman or shallow, something to be treasured especially among most eligible ladies on offer." He looked pointedly at a few other guests around the dancefloor. "I hope you don't find me too much of a boor, I've been told I enjoy the sound of my own voice perhaps a bit too much, but I find you are easy to talk to."