Order Only Private Message to Sally Anne Perks

[alt_ron]

Say. Are you still awake?

I think they're going to let me leave in about an hour. Assuming nothing goes pear-shaped here.

So far it's been mostly just people having loads of drinks and complaining about the food. And the music. And the musicians complaining about the drink and the food. And the sozzled people. And the Auxiliary members running around like everything's going to hell, and saying cutting things about each other behind each other's backs. And to their faces.

Oops. You know Cal Pummel? He's just pitched his drink on Thalia Powell. She does not look even remotely understanding about it, either.

Er.

That's not good. Hang on.

Comments

[alt_sally_anne]

Well, how pear-shaped did that get?

I'm still awake. Really happy tonight not to be a pureblood young lady from a good family, though, as sitting home by the fire with my feet up sounded about a million times more appealing than dressing up for a very fancy affair with dancing and society witches. (I'm learning so much! But this course is also really tiring.)

[alt_ron]

Just a bit of shouting. Mr Powell wasn't entirely polite.

Affair's a funny word for this sort of event. I mean, if I had to guess, I'd say there are loads of people nipping off for a quick snog or shag or something in between whilst their husbands or wives are having a dance with Mum or going off to see if they can find the table with the oysters or getting more drinks for everyone at the table or whatever.

You know Mendick Hewett? Or Susan Spinx?

I'd say they know each other a bit better than most people suppose.

[alt_sally_anne]

I knew Susan back when she was at school. Isn't Mendick Hewett OLD? I mean, I think he went to school with Pansy's mum! Ugh!!!

[alt_ron]

Well, but he's a Quidditcher, and witches seem to-

Um. I don't know. Maybe it's because he's always in the gossip mags?

[alt_sally_anne]

Well sure you could fancy him if you were also THIRTY or something but Susan's the same age as Lana.

[alt_ron]

Oh. And Mr Rowle?

I couldn't tell who he was in there with, but he came out of a dark cupboard, doing up his robes.

[alt_sally_anne]

oh for

THESE PEOPLE ARE ALL RICH. Why are they doing things in cupboards instead of finding themselves a posh hotel room for their cheating on their wives? They can certainly afford it!

[alt_ron]

I expect their first, yknow- might've been in the family broom cupboard with the nanny or the housemaid or summat.

Just a guess.

[alt_sally_anne]

Oh yeah, I suppose.

So, what, this is nostalgia?

[alt_ron]

Either that or they've got a fixation with the smell of cleaning supplies.

[alt_sally_anne]

That is a really odd smell to find enticing!

[alt_ron]

No accounting for some people!

[alt_sally_anne]

Eau de Privy Cleaner.

[alt_ron]

The auction's been interesting.

Lot's of people bidding up the price just for a lark, I think. And some really fierce bidding for a few things. I mean, I thought these two blokes were going to hex each other over a chair. I'm not sure what charms it was meant to have on it, but loads of people seemed to want it. Maybe it belonged to someone famous. Not sure. Anywiz, I wouldn't be surprised if the two who were trying to outbid each other come to wandspoint about it later. (If it's in the Prophet tomorrow, you heard it here first.)

[alt_sally_anne]

A chair. Seriously? Even if it did belong to someone famous, are they going to hang a little sign on it saying 'Merlin's arse sat here!' so everyone knows?

[alt_ron]

I mean, mostly I'm just trying to be sure I don't scratch my nose at the wrong time and end up buying a crystal cricket or a mounted cockatrice head or anything at all!

[alt_sally_anne]

I have never understood how auctions work. Can they actually tell whether someone's signalling that they want to bid and not just scratching their head, or is it just that the people who go are too embarrassed to admit they were just scratching their head even if now they'll have to pay 500 galleons on a wine decanter shaped like a bludger bat or whatever?

[alt_ron]

Oh, there was a really hideous crystal decanter shaped like an ouroboros.

Not sure how much it went for.

Everyone who's bidding is meant to have a card with a number on, but some of them just stick their hands up, and the auctioneer lets them bid that way.

[alt_sally_anne]

Cards with numbers would make a bit more sense.

[alt_ron]

Justin's been dancing with every witch ever. Looks a well bleak about it, too. I mean, he's perfectly polite when they ask him, but he looks around as if he'd leap at any excuse not to go out on that floor again. Fairly hilarious, that!

I mean, it would kill him to be rude, y'know?

And Harry would probably be grateful if anyone would ask him to dance. Of course, no one's that forward, except Hydra, and, anywiz, he keeps getting caught by all the really old witches. I heard one of them telling him how darling he was when he was wee, and how it just melted her heart when the Protector adopted him. That's how she knew the country was in the right hands.


At least Pansy's having a grand time.

[alt_sally_anne]

Maybe he took an Unbreakable Vow to always be polite. And being rude WOULD ACTUALLY kill him. It would explain a few things, yeah?

Poor Harry. Stuck dancing with ancient old crones.

[alt_ron]

I totally would.

Yeah. Now he's stuck in here with the auction going, but it's not like he wants to buy anything. Still, he looks sort of glad not to be stuck talking to anyone for a while.

[alt_ron]

So. They're letting me leave. Just have to get my cloak.

Should I come by? Or are you too tired to stay up any later? I mean, it's Sunday tomorrow and we can sleep late, right?

[alt_sally_anne]

I don't get to sleep in tomorrow, there's training tomorrow. It's the 26th, 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th, right through the weekend. The other students can't decide whether to be cross about it or not, because on one hand, it's not their pick for best timing, but on the other hand, St Mungo's NEVER runs this training in December, ever. Anyway. I have to be there at 8 tomorrow morning. 7:45, really.

I kind of want to see you anyway, though? So come over.

[alt_ron]

Be there in a tick.