"Good." She Was Pleased, Happy That There Was One Of The Few People She Actually Liked Present. "Why?

"My parents listen to me. They know I want to stay with them until I feel ready. They wouldn't force me into something I don't want to do. They actually care. Perhaps because I am the heir and not the spare."

A blank expression seeped into her features, keeping her hands down at her side and from wrapping her fingers around her cousin's neck and strangle her; and Alara wasn't a violent person. "Careful, it could be ripped from underneath you."

"Oh I don't work here." Serra looked over at Barty, almost offended that he has mistaken her for someone that works. What about her outfit gave working class? She looked down at herself, deciding that it must be the shoes and she should get rid of them as soon as she got home. "You'd have much better luck at Borgin's & Burke's, where again I don't work, but my name is on the door so it's automatically superior."

𝐖𝐇𝐎: open to all. 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: the junk shop.

the store was dimly lit and cramped, with shelves overflowing with oddments and dust. barty steps inside, his gaze sharp as he navigates through the clutter, nose upturned, he really would prefer not to be here.

barty’s footsteps are soft on the dust-covered floor as he moves past ancient artifacts and peculiar gadgets. he pauses and glances around, eyes landing on a figure in one of the labyrinthine aisles, finally a shopkeeper to assist. “i’m looking for something… particular. something a bit out of the ordinary. ideas?”

"What's that supposed to mean?" She raised an eyebrow, haughty look on her face. As always, she wasn't too thrilled when she got to see her cousin. Alara was annoying and would no doubt hold it over her head that it was Leta attending this wedding at Antonin's side. "Parisians have much better taste. I cannot wait to leave the greyness of london behind."

There was rumours from her family when it came to her cousin and she was curious if they were true. She would not be sad to see Serra leave. "And here I thought you could do better." Alara smiled sweetly at the other. "I don't think Paris is ready for you."

Serra tilted her head sideways pursing her lips, thinking, treating it as an actual question instead of a rhetorical as she immediately spotted the present in his hands. "I could think of a few things. Ideally something sparkly.." Her eyes were drifting to the present, curious and impatient. "Well, as you know, I like being the center of attention every day, but I do suppose being celebrated like this is the best way." She was wearing a purposefully bold and excessive dress, further ensuring all eyes on her. "How have you been?" She heard rumors about him and Leta, but she was curious.

Who:@serraborgin Where: Serra's birthday bash When: Serra's birthday "What do you get for the woman who has everything and just returned from an extended shopping trip to Paris." Antonin knew what he had gotten her of course, but it was more fun if she recognized that he had labored over the gift so that she could ascribe the proper level of reservation to it. He had found long ago that gifts in small packages despite their actual size held a bit of underrated mystery. People assumed elegance and class something small must be doubly expensive than something large. He held the neatly wrapped present just far enough out of reach as to subtly demand Serra's attention. "It's been a while, good to know you haven't lost a step, birthdays are the perfect reason to be the center of attention aren't they?"

It was a scary thought for her, terrified her even, to consider breaking down the walls she had erected because of him. Giving the one person she had let hurt her in such a significant way the possibility to do so again. Still, it was easier to stay away from him when she didn't have to physically be in his presence. She could lie to herself and say she was not affected by him in the least. He was a man now, one that had gotten even more handsome with age. It was both a good thing and a bad thing that she still thought him to be extremely handsome, she was yet to decide which side she was leaning towards. "Well you better not give up. I do not plan on making anything easy for you." Serra informed him with a matter of fact tone. He liked the chase, she knew that. If she gave her heart fully now and he broke it again, she would be humiliated. "Do continue speaking about how beautiful I am, I will never tire of it." Serra was clearly pleased that he thought her beauty distracting, as was evident from her smile. Or at least she was trying to smile but something felt off. When he came closer to her she noticed that she started to feel quite dizzy all of a sudden, her skin tingling even where he didn't touch her. "I- I feel dizzy..." She wanted to say more but everything went black as she fainted right into his arms.

There were not enough words to describe how he felt around Serra in that moment. It felt like they were traveling back in time without moving at all. Malcolm had worked up years of how he would do things differently and not rely on his spontaneous and immature responses to their previous relationship. He had been nothing but a scared boy who thought he was bigger than the world. How naive he was to not see that Serra was the only one who mattered, who castrated the noises around them. That last year at school had bent him into a hellhound who only wanted to look after himself without weighing others' emotions. Now, he wasn't a boy, but a man with a tenured experience in giving Serra what she wants with lavish gifts from all over the world. They had a wedding to plan, and where he thought she would meet him with contempt, it felt like their story was given another chance; the greatest gift she could give back. "I will," Malcolm smiled. "And I doubt I will ever stop vying for your affections. You might get tired of me. I can only speak of my excitement for our futures and how your beauty is quite distracting. The other plans to prove my loyalty might have to wait when we leave, as I don't think it's appropriate here." Malcolm took a step closer, his hand meeting her hair that asked to be pushed behind her ear. As he was leaning down for a kiss, he paused only an inch away from her lips when he noticed something was wrong. "My love, are you alright?" Malcolm knew she arrived with the perfect shade of lipstick, but now they were nearly pale.

"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."

"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?”

Serra knew appearances mattered and that her reputation was at stake right now, but for someone who normally put so much care into that fact she could not for the life of her stay calm and unbothered like she knew she should. At fifteen she felt like this was a catastrophe of epic proportions. Charity seemed calm, too calm. Did it mean that it was true? Or that she was lying? She claimed not to be a liar, but that itself could be a falsehood. "He has plenty of fun with me!" None of the sexual kind however. He'd told her he was fine with waiting, but she didn't think that meant he'd go cheat on her! Especially with someone that wasn't as pretty as her nor looked like her at all. Not even a brunette? It just didn't make sense to her, it felt like her world was thrown upside down. She was literally drop dead gorgeous, everyone could see that. To throw all this away for that? "I don't believe you."

Her eyes settled on the other as she was seemingly throwing a fit over the words she'd just shared, a calmness taking over Charity as she simply stared at the other. A part of her didn't understand the emotionality behind her act, how terribly affected she seemed by the truth, but another part of her simply felt a peculiar kind of delight at seeing the one who'd treated her so badly in previous encounters simply losing it. "Merlin, did you get flustered." The witch simply commented, as if remarking on something utterly obvious. "Well, if you didn't break up, he definitely cheated on you." She stated unfazed, though she was definitely bothered by Serra saying they were still together, annoyed that Malcolm had lied to her instead. Her brows raised slightly at the insult, not the first time she'd heard it, chuckling inevitably. "Weird as I may look, at least he had a good time. Funny thing he'd go looking elsewhere, unless he wasn't having any with you."

"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.