While she wasn't particularly keen on parties, she was set on saving wildlife. Everyone else seemed to rake in the galleons by throwing large events, no matter the scandals that erupted from them, so why couldn't they? Nora had conservatory's committee for quite some time now, and being the youngest by a good forty years, had devised this plan as a new and fresh way of funding. It helped greatly that she had friends that had access to some of the best party planners (or that she could twist Charlie Spinnet's ear until he helped her out), and things seemed to have turned out well. So far.

For the brave at heart, there was a grand maze that made its way throughout the haunted castle. Guests would be offered clues to get themselves to the ballroom, and if they were truly lost (as Nora was sure was to occur), for just a small donation (it's for charity), any money dropped into a clue box would light up a blue path down the correct route to lead the way out. With all the Gryffindors that Nora had put on the guest list, she was sure they were going to triple their goal.

There was a simpler route than the maze, which was simply to walk through the double doors to the dance floor. Nora was currently wavering between the two, having run out of pamphlets to give out at the front entrance therefore giving her no excuse to join the festivities. She felt rather exposed, as Delilah had stolen her cloak, and when someone tapped her shoulder she jumped nearly a foot in the air.

"Bloody hell!" she let out, spinning around. "You scared the life out of me!"

Graeme wasn't entirely sure what he had been thinking when he had written to Ally, telling her that he thought that they should talk. He had been rather ominous about the whole thing, seeing how the suggestion seemed to have come out of the blue, though the truth of the matter was that he had wanted to talk to her for quite a few months now. He just couldn't seem to find the right time to slip away from the shop without raising Giada's suspicions on where he was going. He didn't like lying to his wife, but he knew that he sure as hell couldn't tell her that he was going to her sister's house after everything that had happened.

Well, her half-sister, apparently. The idea of it all was still mind boggling, though he knew it had to be a million times harder on Giada. Still, Graeme was a man who didn't like conflict, and he wanted the two women to at least be on speaking terms again. Family meant a lot to the young wizard, and while he didn't have a blood connection to Patrick, Ally, or their spouses, he still felt a bond with them. Not only that, but they were aunt and uncle to their son, and were soon to have a niece on the way, and didn't want them asking questions about why Mommy didn't speak to Aunt Ally anymore.

Ally had said a lot of things she shouldn't have to Giada the last time they had been in the same room, but he couldn't deal with the fact that Giada was hiding the fact that she was pregnant from her brother and sister - the former because she thought he might tell the latter. It was all a hot mess, and he was going to do whatever he could in order to at least try to fix it. It was becoming more and more obvious over time that neither of the witches were going to make an attempt, and he knew intervening was a dangerous endeavor, but he couldn't sit back and watch them drift further and further apart.

He really did have the best of intentions in mind as he stood in front of the Davies' doorstep, a box of assorted cookies nestled under his arm. He thought they might make a nice peace offering, to show that while he was upset with Ally for doing what she did, he didn't have any qualms with her directly. His free hand lifted to knock at the door, stepping back in order to run that same hand through his hair, getting it out of his face. He didn't understand how he had gone through all of Hogwarts with it hanging into his eyes, though that definitely hadn't been the stupidest decision he had made while in school. He shifted his weight, suddenly feeling anxious as he waited for the tiny witch to open the door.

Giada was going to kill him for this... He just hoped that his death would at least reunite the two sisters. There had to be a silver lining somewhere.

She rubbed her eye, the migraine that had crept up the back of her head now encasing her entire skull. Giada rested on her knees, staring at the mess Allyson had created with little energy to do much cleaning up. Her wand waved listlessly, attempting to conjure some sort of organization charm, but her heart wasn't in it. Her heart wasn't in much of anything at the moment.

The bell on the front door jingled, and Giada let out a breath; Graeme was here. A large wave of relief washed over her, but as she heard his footsteps head toward the back room, a slight panic struck her. She was going to have to tell him what the fight was about, what Ally had revealed....Giada wasn't even sure she had accepted this revelation, and now she was going to have to repeat it to her husband, her husband who had already suffered so much because she came from a crazy pureblood family that only saw his bloodline.

Giada looked up as the door opened, and stared miserably at Graeme before her gaze dropped back down to the mess on the floor. She ran a hand through her hair, feeling ready to pass out.

"She hates me," Giada muttered, surprising herself, upsetting herself.

Graeme knew that things had been rough for Liz – and that was putting things lightly. He wished there was more he could do for her, and tried to be there for her whenever she needed him, even if she didn’t say it. After being best friends with her for all these years, he knew when she couldn’t handle things on her own, and when she needed a shoulder to lean on.

This time, however, he had gotten specific instructions to come over and retrieve the gifts she had bought for his son, Jackson – God, that kid was his entire world. After talking to Liz, he always felt compelled to kiss Giada, and tell his wife and his son how much he loved them – the thought of something like what happened to Liz ever happening to him was terrifying, and it broke his heart, which just made him feel even more sorry for his friend.

But he hated feeling sorry for her, because he knew she didn’t want him, or anyone else to. He always tried to act like things were okay, around Liz – try and get her back into the swing of things, since, well…she didn’t have many other people left, and he loved Liz too much to let her go through all of this on her own. So, he told Giada that he would be gone – for how long, he wasn’t sure – and that if she needed to contact him, where he would be. Another set of kisses to his wife’s lips and his son’s forehead, and he was off on his way.

Arriving at her place, he lifted a hand to curl his fist into a ball and rap his knuckles against the door. Stepping back, he hooked his thumbs into his pockets and waited for the petite blonde to open the door.

In attempt to calm her fury at the news of Rachel's pregnancy, Giada was using her Sunday to work on the nursery for her bundle of joy. Bundle of joy! That is what a baby was, not some secret that you keep hidden under your robes for months and refused to share the news with the world. Ooooh, she could not believe Rachel. They had been best friend for as long as she could remember and! How could she keep something this huge from her? And Gabriel. Giada had actually liked him, she thought he was a good match for Rachel, but now she hoped that his pretty face got hit with a bat-bogey hex.

Giada frowned, once again forcing the angry thoughts away so that she could focus. The corner of their bedroom was slowly being transformed into a little world for their baby. They definitely needed to start thinking about getting a bigger place, but Giada didn't think they could risk that while the record shop was still relatively new. For now, a nice paint job and a crib that fit snugly into the corner of the room would have to suffice. They'd get a house when they could afford a house, she was sure the baby wouldn't mind sharing a room with his parents for a while.

She heard Graeme enter the room, but didn't break her gaze from the space of wall over the crib. Giada twirled her wand around, and began to draw shapes in the air, "It's missing something and I can't figure out what."

For Graeme Dorny, the last couple of weeks – no, the past month felt like an eternity. He had lost track of time, mainly because he had been kept locked away like some animal, unable to keep track of when it was night or day because there were no windows where he was. The only light he ever saw came from under the door, and that wasn’t even sunlight. No, it was light from the tip of a Death Eater’s wand, whenever one would approach where he was being kept. There were others, where he was…but no one he knew. All he knew was that they were scared, and that the monsters who were holding them captive were not fond of overhearing them talking to one another. They learned the hard way, and their numbers dwindled down to nearly nothing over time. 6 people, at least, had been crammed in such a small area, but only 2 had been lucky enough, if you could even call it lucky, to be rescued.

Graeme still didn’t know the woman’s name…all he knew was that her husband had been literally ripped out of her hands and taken somewhere the very first night they had been brought to wherever it was they were. The sound of her sobbing and the threats that were sent in her direction by cowards in masks stayed with him…probably always would. He just kept imaging the unbearable pain that would have come along with having that happen to Giada. Every time he heard the woman sob, he heard her…he saw her face, even in the darkness, and it was the hope of seeing her again that probably kept him stable – or, as stable as one could be while being chained up in a dungeon. He was completely useless, without a wand…and while he wanted to play the part of hero, and do something, he couldn’t. He could barely move, let alone try to do anything more. He couldn’t be reckless…he had Giada to think about. He had his unborn child to think about.

Still…he felt like a coward. He felt like he should have at least tried to do something. All he did was sit there, and pray to whatever God was listening that he would get out of there alive – that he’d be able to see his wife, and would be there when their baby was born. The day that door opened, and he saw someone other than a Death Eater standing there, the young man thought he was hallucinating. He watched as the magical bounds that held him where he was were undone, and cooperated completely with this stranger who had come to his rescue. He was weak – malnourished, pale, and tired - but adrenaline is the most powerful thing in the world, and he did what he needed to so that he could get to safety. Of course, once there was nothing more for him to do, the poor man collapsed.

When he woke up, he was in a hospital bed. He was bleary eyed, and the simple task of lifting his hand to rub at his forehead made his entire body ache. He leaned his head back onto the pillow, his eyes still closed as he let out a nasal sigh. The blinds were closer next to his bed, but he could tell, for the first time in a month, that it was daytime. He didn’t even know it had been a month, yet. All he knew was that he was out of there.

The only thing that stole his attention completely was when he lowered his hand to feel someone else’s catch it on the way down to the mattress. Blue eyes blinked against the brightness of the room and traveled over to see the beautiful woman sitting beside him…his wife. He wondered how long she had been sitting there…probably since he had been brought in, however long that was. Even though he was still weak, his hand gripped tighter around hers, and he swallowed roughly around the dryness of his throat, wincing slightly because of how much discomfort the smallest of actions brought him.

“Giada…” He managed to get out her name, but his voice raspy and hardly audible.

It was hard to concentrate on much of anything when your brother-in-law had been missing for almost three weeks. If Giada's mind hadn't been so preoccupied, she would have noticed Boogaloo had not had a customer in over an hour, and that her doodles had punctured straight through the parchment and the tip of her quill was now leaving marks on the counter.

This past year had been so overwhelming. It would be a year, on Saturday, since she and Graeme have been married and while that was the most wonderful thing that had happened to her, it seemed like life needed to balance the really, really good with the really, really bad. They'd lost their jobs, their friends and family had been attacked, and though the store was doing well, Giada could only worry. How long until their mix of muggle and magical music annoyed the wrong kind of wizard?

Lost in her thoughts, Giada leaned heavily on the counter in front of her, absentmindedly pushing down her skirt (that was entirely too short, but it was hot outside and she was behind the counter most of the time). Only the jingle of the front door would manage to break her mood, so Giada didn't hear her husband come out from the stock room behind her.

Getting married was absolutely terrifying. No matter how smoothly Gabriel proceeded through the planning, the discussions, and the actual event, he was holding back getting sick the second he could catch a moment to himself. He knew he didn't love Rachel yet, which might be the reason why he was finding himself so nervous as they sat at the head table of their reception, but he did honestly---he did honestly believe that he could fall in love with this woman. She was fiery with a mind of her own, and though some people might be irritated by it, Gabriel actually appreciated the way she took control of things. He had always been a bit of a follower, and it was easy to agree with Rachel because her reasoning simply made sense.

The reception did look fantastic. Gabriel couldn't believe it was all put together within two short months, but then again he was learning that Rachel was a woman who set her goals and refused to leave them unfinished. Maybe he should look at that as a good thing; surely someone who did not want to get married would not have put so much effort into the ceremony? Or she simply wanted to throw the most beautiful wedding of them all, simply because she could. He didn't know, and didn't mind not finding out as long as they remained content with each other.

He did find her very interesting, however, and that was the first thing a Ravenclaw looked for in a spouse. Maybe all of his concerns were for naught, and it was simply wedding day jitters. His parents had been arranged in a similar manner, and they were still quite happily married (and sometimes nauseatingly sweet about it, too). Gabriel turned and smiled at Rachel, pushing his chair out and offering his hand, "Would you like to dance?"

A chorus of glasses clinging supported Gabriel, and he flushed slightly at all the attention that was on them, once again.


ooc: guest list! We did our best, but if we missed someone let us know!

She tugged on the elastic of her gloves almost nervously as she watched Graeme tire out the dogs. They really needed a manlier dog for him to play with, because the little puffs they had looked more like charmed toys bounding slowly after him in the snow than an actual dog. Maybe that's what she'd get him for Christmas, if she had the money.

If they ever got their damn wireless show back.

Giada tried, she really, really tried, but everything she bothered to think about led her back to the WWN and their lack of...she supposed enthusiasm with getting their show back on the air. She had a terrible feeling in her gut, one she wasn't used to; Giada thought she was an eternal optimist, but the situation they were in right now was challenging her beliefs. What if they never got the show back? That was a big chunk of income, gone in the blink of an eye. The muggle station's show was still on the air, but the pay was terrible and---definitely not something you could, or should raise a family on.

Maybe that was why she couldn't get pregnant. Giada knew, logically, that they hadn't been trying for very long, and that you only had a few days a month to actually get pregnant, but it seemed like whenever anyone else wanted to (or didn't want to--) poof! They were up the duff! Maybe she had to start not wanting to have a baby, and then she'd be stuck with one.

A smile struck her face (a surprise!) as Graeme trotted over, their dogs trailing slowly behind, "They're pupsicles."

WHO: Giada and Graeme Dorny
WHAT: Radio station attacks!
WHERE: WWN HEADQUARTERS
WHEN: Now!

( “…we’re ending the show early today…” )

It had been another long day at the radio station. They had a few requests, played a few songs, did their normal banter back and forth while they were waiting for requests to be called in…and opened their normal supply of anti-muggle letters that always seemed to slip into their mail every week. They would have to stall whenever they would start reading one and then realized what it was, but by now they had gotten it down pretty well. If anything, Graeme was always able to come up with some excuse why the letter couldn’t be read on the air, even when Giada got a little caught up in what was actually written on the paper.

Getting back to their apartment, the two of them went through their normal routine of scrounging for something to eat in the fridge (they had gotten back a bit late, and neither one of them felt like cooking) before they got changed into more comfortable clothing and sat out in the living room to watch some television. For some reason, tonight both of them were more quiet than usual…mainly because Giada was quiet, and Graeme could tell that it was because something on her mind. He knew he’d have to address the situation eventually, but he waited a little while longer, until they were getting ready to go to bed.

Standing in the bathroom that was attached to their bedroom, Graeme moved his toothbrush against his teeth, spitting out some toothpaste before he looked over to where his wife was sitting on their bed. “So…knut for your thoughts?” He quirked a brow slightly and gave her a small smile before he continued to brush his teeth, though he kept his eyes on her, waiting for her to say something.

She was Mrs. Graeme Dorny.

Giada Lucia Dorny.

Sounded kind of funky, but she dug it.

Everything had been perfect, except for the scare of rain this morning. Giada had cried and cried as it poured and poured, but when it came down to leaving Rachel's flat (for that is where the pre-wedding chaos had occurred) to the ceremony, the skies were clear, and magic had been used to dry up the ground and everything around it. Definitely no reason for tears, anymore. Except she cried and cried during their vows, because it was just so beautiful and they reminded her how much she did love this man and it was so amazing. She'd never felt like this before, like she could do anything and be anything and that everything she wanted was within her grasp.

Sigh. Sigh. She loved being married. She loved being a wife. She loved being Graeme's wife.

She turned to her husband and smiled widely only a second before she put her hands to his head to pull him in for a tight kiss. Nearly a snog, had the guests not started rattling their champagne glasses. She smiled at them meekly and turned back to Graeme, her cheeks reddening but her smile widening even further than before.

Closing his journal after writing his last reply to Giada, Graeme let out a heavy sigh, leaning forwards to place his head in his hands. He had been at his parents’ house when his journal flashed, visiting them since it had been quite some time since he had seen them. He would have invited Giada, but ever since that damn billboard went up, she had been getting a lot more publicity. That involved more work, and less time for them to see each other. He was happy, ecstatic for her even, but he couldn’t deny the fact that this whole thing had gotten to her head a little bit. It didn’t help that it made him a little jealous, too. She had been stopping on the streets to sign things when they recognized her, like the new local celebrity that she was, and he had just been tagging along. He probably wouldn’t have cared so much if the ministry hadn’t been beating down his ego little by little with each new ‘law’ they passed. It made him feel small and insignificant, especially since he was dating and living with a pureblood, but to be a poor muggleborn who was dating and living with a rather wealthy pureblood semi-celebrity was something that made him want to just crawl under a rock. He never let Giada know that, though. He didn’t want her knowing that he felt lower than her, because that might make her feel uncomfortable. She didn’t understand what it was like, to have all of her rights ripped out from underneath her, but he didn’t blame her for that. It wasn’t her fault. It was just…frustrating, when she tried to, because he couldn’t explain how it felt; how hard it was to deal with. And now she was crying, and he was just…overwhelmed.

Sitting upright, he kissed his parents goodbye, noting how upset they looked because of the situation he was in, and then grabbed his wand, apparating back to the apartment building that he shared with Giada. He climbed the steps, got to their apartment, and used the key…a very muggle thing to do, that was just second nature to him. It made him inwardly scowl. Part of him wanted to use as much magic as he possibly could, just to prove that he was a wizard, and not just a muggle who had been invited into the wizarding world by pureblood elitists. He let the negative thoughts slip from his mind as he turned the doorknob, stepping inside. Closing the door behind him, he locked it and then placed the key down on the counter nearby, along with his coat.

After that was done, he ventured towards the bedroom, where he knew Giada was sitting since he could hear her quiet sniffles. He stopped for a moment in the doorway before moved closer to her, slipping his hands into his pockets before taking a seat beside her- or, in front of her, since she was sitting cross legged near the pillows. A hand reached up to be placed on her knee while the other one was used to close her journal, which was still open in her lap for some reason, now a little bit damp due to tears. Moving it away and placing it on the nightstand, he scooted closer to her, tucking her hair behind her ear with one hand as he used the thumb of the other to wipe beneath her eyes, trying to get rid of some of the tears. “Please stop crying…”

Who: Graeme and Giada
What: She wants something she's not ready for...
Where: Thier Apartment
When: Last Night
Status: Completing in comments

( If you go through with this now, you’ll only be using it as a distraction... )