Point of Veiw

"Good!" Laeticia replied, nodding. "I didn't teach her for nothing! I'm glad she hasn't forgotten how."

"I cook all the time when I'm abroad, Mum," Calixta told her, realising she was now holding an empty champagne flute, which Julia noticed.

"Tap it with your wand," she hinted, with a slight smirk at the irony.

"Oh, right," Calixta murmured, fumbling around for wand and taking her muggle aunt's suggestion. She was so flustered that she had started looking round for a waiter. Merlin...what a broom ride of a night," she thought, taking another sip of champagne.

...all the same, you're away far too much. Right now that happens to be a lucky thing, but you can't raise a family like that, and you're getting too old go be flitting from place to place..." Calixta hadn't even realised that her mother had still been talking. Frankly she did not want to know what fresh horrors she'd missed out on, judging by the little bit she'd caught.

"I told you, I'm retiring when I'm thirty. Which is in three more years, I'll thank you to remember. You've waited this long, honestly..." This was in no way a conversation Calixta wanted to be having at the moment.

"Why wait? You don't need the gold," Laeticia pointed out, for about the thousandth time in her life.

"I get an annuity if I stay on the full ten years, plus an automatic promotion out of Diagon Alley, you know this..." Robbed of her "perfect" argument, Laeticia turned and appealed to Bastian for assistance.

"What do you think, dear? Wouldn't it be much better if she was around more?" Calixta rolled her eyes.

"He lives in Germany and commutes." Laeticia looked surprised.

"Commutes from Germany? Why, the IP fees must be killing him, why doesn't he just use your place? Since you're never in it." Calixta just sighed and finished her second glass of champagne, refilling it immediately.

"IP fees?" Julia questioned meekly, trying to diffuse the conversation while avoiding the crosshairs.

"International Portkey," Calixta complained, dearly wishing her sister would show up and distract their mother.

Aileen entered the room closely following Lainey. She scanned the small room and was suprised to see Calixta sitting with the man that ten minutes ago seemed to be making Calixta breath fire. Quick to forgive.. Aileen noted to herself.

She took a seat between their muggle friend who she'd only had a chance to briefly meet prior to everybody getting a little angry down below. "Hi." She said with a warm smile. "I'm sorry I can't remember your name." She always felt more comfortable around muggles. Something about them was so much more sincere. You never had to worry about a muggle putting a confundus charm on you, or telling you something only to wipe your memory. They were almost a more peaceful people. Aileen envied the fact that they had to use their judgement to assess people. They didn't have pensives or the imperious curse to see into people's lives. They had to use their brains, and intuition. An admirable trait.

Bastian felt like he was caught between two dualers, then suddenly the ball was thrown to him, though Calixta saved him. really though, even though the thought of her being around more was appealing, he wouldn't stop her from doing what she wanted to do. she took pride in her job, and it was something she was determined to see though. He would stop her from pursung that... it was her life after all and he could respect that.

"The fees arn't much of a problem Ma'am, work pays for the work related travel and I can handle the personal ones" he said sending a smile Calixta'a way. He was on her side, even agaisnt the mother, he thought amused him slightly.

Lainey, having assessed the situation in about two seconds, quickly squeezed in between Calixta and their mother, and called Bex over from her seat in the corner. While the three women immediately began gossiping about Neris' rude behaviour, Julia turned to answer Aileen's question, which she assumed was addressed to her.

"I'm Julia Harper -- aunt to Lainey and Cali," she said with a friendly smile. "It was Aileen, right?" Calixta turned to Bastian, looking pleased that they had thus found the attention diverted away from themselves, and they could talk together once more. She got off of the now-crowded couch and pulled Bastian with her to a smaller sofa perpendicular to the one they'd just vacated.

"On the one hand, I'm pleased she likes you so much, but on the other...Merlin, it can be a bit much!" she exclaimed by way of apology. "I've had quite enough excitement for one night, thank you! I'd go home but it's still so early." She wrapped one arm around Bastian's neck and rested her forehead against his, closing her eyes for a moment. "I love you," Calixta said simply, becoming rather oblivious to their surroundings. As their private room had an Imperturbable Charm at the door, the noise from the club was completely hushed, and the only sounds were of the quiet chatter and laughter of their own little group.

OOC: Ok wait, this family is huge. Who's Percy? Calixta's...brother? or cousin?

Ooc: Percy is Calixta and Lainey's older brother. It was his wife and children who were attacked.

"Yes, it was." Aileen nodded at her name and stuck out a hand. "Pleased to meet you." Aileen made a quick decision then. This party had been a social and professional flop. She might as well get something out of some relative who may have an opinion about the attack.

"I'm sorry to hear about the family troubles." She said softly so Calixta and Lainey wouldn't hear and get upset. "My condolences to your nephew. I know first hand how difficult it is to hold your head up in such a forgien world. I commend you for your bravery."

Bastain nodded, he didn't really want anymore ecitment either, but Calixta and her family were there to celibrate with Lainey, he couldn't imagine it would do to leave so early. But at least they wouldn't get anymore troubling drama now.. and he and Calixta were alright again. The privet room and the lack of noice helpped.

"Your mother is a ecietable women Lass, happy that you'er happy. Ya can't blame her" he said wrapping a arm around her.

"I love ya as well my dear... very much" he murmered in her ear.. Merlin he would miss her wne she left again..

Calixta sighed, moving in towards the contact with Bastian. He was right...her mum only wanted to see her happy, and if Calixta was honest with herself, the thought of having Bastian all for herself on a more permanent level was pretty appealing. She just didn't think it was smart right now, with everything going on, although...on another level, what happened to Percy could be an argument for just the opposite. Life was short, c'est la vie, right? Who knew how long they had, if her family was a target...she just didn't want to move the crosshairs onto Bastian, too...

"You're right," she admitted, nuzzling closer into his neck. "She'd have to be blind not to see how happy you make me. In fact, a very significant part of me agrees, and doesn't want to leave...I know I probably should, but I'm going to miss you. Promise you'll come visit as soon as you can?"

Calixta and Lainey were equally oblivious to the quiet conversation going on between Aileen and Julia, engrossed as they each were. Julia shrugged in response to Aileen's words; she'd heard them many times over and there was really little to be said or done in regards to what had happened. It was over now, and everyone was just trying to pick up the pieces and carry on as best they could -- and Julia said as much.

"Thank you, but I'm not sure I'd call it brave, exactly. Locking ourselves up away from the world wouldn't help anyone, and our homes are no safer than anywhere else, clearly. All we can do is try to help Innis and Percy recover."

Aileen nodded in genuine sympathy. Her thoughts turned to her cousin Cameron. Since the muggle, wizard tensions had been heating up, the family had decided to keep him out of popular wizarding areas. She couldn't imagine what it was like to know one world and then the next day have it completly withdrawn from your reach.

Aileen snapped back to the conversation she was having. It was times like these when she wished she could talk about the Sangreal. They could get so many more members if they advertised to people who seemed sympathetic to the cause. Aileen was sure Calixta and even this Julia would join if given the chance. But for now she would have to content herself with writing about them. She made a mental note to write a Sangreal column that focused on the idea of hiding away.

"Well that's just the kind of attitude this country needs." Aileen said with a grim smile. "Do they know who did it yet?" She couldn't help but ask for a few details.