Status: Open For Everyone Location: Borgin Manor, Serra's Birthday Bash

"Wonderfully. With lots of champagne." She sighed wistfully, already missing the beautiful city she got to call home for a few short months. It had more charm and elegance than London did. It felt more refined.

"I ran into him on the street as I was going to visit my father at the shop. He said something about me looking much better here than I would in Paris, so I said I would look good everywhere. Because that is a fact." The last bit was said as an afterthought. "He's been begging for forgiveness for years. With all the jewellery and dresses he's been buying me. I have yet to see him on his knees though."

"How did Paris treat you? Too many hours spent at the Avenue des Champs-Elysées" Willa asked intrigued, quietly thanking the waitress as two teapots were sat in front of the pair. Serra understood Willa's love for the finer things in life, and while most would expect their attitudes to clash, in fact it made quite the harmonious balance.

Pouring tea for herself and Serra, Willa's eyebrow quirked in response the the mention of Malcolm Parkinson. Back at Hogwarts, Willa recalled first talking to Serra after the commotion between Serra and Malcolm, and of course, Charity Burbage. She was slightly older, but that didn't stop word from spreading. "What happened?" Setting the teapot back down, she looked back at her friend. "I sure hope that he begged for forgiveness."

"Yes I am sure. Stop trying to get into my head and project your insecurities onto me. Just because that happened to you doesn't mean it'll happen to me." She huffed, crossing her arms in annoyance.

There was something satisfying watching Serra close up and let her words sink in. None of them were safe when it came to a pureblood marriage and wanting to make sure names were carried. "Are you sure about that? Or, are they buying time until the right match comes up. I bet you'll be in one soon and you can kiss your freedom goodbye."

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.

"I would love to." Serra liked public events and dancing with handsome men, who wouldn't? So when he asked her to dance saying yes to him was a no brainer. She thrived off of attention, so when she felt like she captured his she felt proud. "I'm a Libra sun with a cancer moon. I used to dance Ballet for many years but now I only do it when I find the time for it. I am involved with several charities and I'm very pretty. Although you'd be blind not to notice the last one."

He didn't understand the voice in his head that suggested he mingle with the witches. Trying to keep himself distracted and away from another he had already make a mistake with earlier this evening. A smile played on his face, holding out a hand for her. "Then shall we?" The blonde led her onto the dance floor, an arm around her waist and the other holding the hand offered, gliding around effortlessly, dance lessons something his mother started at a young age. "Tell me something about yourself." Thorfinn was curious about her.

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?”

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

For all her effort in acting blasé and cool, she was more nervous than she let on. Especially when he was so close to her. He was a handsome man after all, someone she was interested in rather than a boy not worthy of her time. "I think I could definitely think of something." A masquerade would be fun and she knew her parents wouldn't deny her if she wanted to throw a party. She was focused on him fully. He was in her space now, standing centimeters away.

"Perhaps I do, but only if you care for me." Women of her standing had certain standards and he was a prime example of an eligible bachelor, but she wanted him to admit that he liked he first, simply for her ego's sake she wanted to hear him say it. While she hadn't planned on settling down anytime soon before she met him, he had definitely captured her interested. His intensity was intriguing to her. "It interests me very much." Truthfully she was only half listening, his closeness distracting her.

He smiled. It was both cute and impressive the way she held his gaze.  He got closer to her arm’s length then a bit closer. “Too bad, but as long as it’s hosted and I got an invitation I don’t think I would care too much, you could always find a way to make it up to me.”  He moved close, demanding what was left of her attention.  Despite being surrounded by outfits, that made him smile too.  He dared to move a hand to her cheek, touch light, but firm. He wondered idly if her challenge of his gaze would falter at the open intimacy. She had earned a bit of his attention in return especially if she was serious about the masquerade. “Do you care for me Serra, the way you’re blushing I think you might, or might wish to. Does it excite you to be the one to make such a choice? A young woman’s heart is a precious, yet fickle gift, are you sure you wish to entangle it with a cruel old thing like me? I can promise you a whirlwind romance, it will not be easy, but you won’t be bored.  Pressed to the edges of comfort and strength.  You can only truly be pampered after you feel too tired to take care of yourself. Does this interest you?”

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.

"Pleasure to meet you as well." She smiled, her voice honest as she thought that he was handsome. Serra wasn't objective, never had been, but she didn't care for anyone else's taste but her own. "I am. Thank you for asking." It was one of the better weddings she's been to. "I'd love to." Dancing was one of the things she enjoyed most, having had lessons since she learned to walk.

Without hesitation, his fingers curled around her hand, lifting it to his lips, kissing the back of it. "Pleasure to meet you Serra." He gently let go of her hand, resting it in his trouser pocket. "Are you enjoying yourself tonight?" He glanced over to the dance floor. "Would you care for a dance?" Dancing was something he was good at, his mother adamant that it was a skill he acquired growing up.

"I've talked to her earlier so she's around for sure. Perhaps she met someone and is showing him around the place." She teased with a smirk playing on her lips. "Sounds like a plan."

"Obviously! I haven't seen her yet, but she's got to be around somewhere." In a crowd this big losing people felt easy. She bet Serra would be able to find Willa. "We can find Wils, and then stop by your closet for a new dress?"