Dressed to Impress

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam knew in advance about the slug club and while she didn't really believe it offered much, she knew that her father made mention of the associates you could further yourself by making friends in the "elite" group, so she would appear, timely and dressed to impress.

She was a little early and decided to wait in the hallways until more students arrived. She chose her location wisely so that she could see who was invited into this elite circle but at the same time be hidden herself. She took the opportunity to make the area her own so she was working on her own ground.

[Rori Logan]

Rori debated on going to the 'slug club' meeting tonight. She didn't know who all would be there, but then again it would be rude to turn it down. Rori changed from her robes to a nice set of clothes.

She left the tower and headed towards the Dungeons. Sure, she was early; however it was better to be early than be late. Rori entered the dungeons with her head up and waited patiently for everyone else to enter.

[Regulus Black]

Regulus hid his laughter as he recieved a 'slug club' invitation. What excatly did he do to be invited to this? Nevertheless, Regulus decided that he would go. This could be entertaining and the Slytherin common room was pretty dull at the moment. Maybe he would get a good laugh out of it.

Entering the dungeons from the common room, Regulus surveyed the hallway. A Ravenclaw was there, and he gave her a sly grin, but didn't stop to chat. He took a place away from the door, near the spot Sam was standing. It wasn't like him to place himself in the front, so why start now?

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam remained hidden, watching, being quiet and observing silently, she knew the two who came in the room, but that wasn't very surprising, she had been acquainting herself with many people in the last few days, and studying up on others that she hadn't known from business with her mother's magazine. The Black family she knew extensively and her reporters often did a story on at least one of the members of the clan, usually it was in a good light and showed them to be proper wizards of society.

[Narcissa Black]

Narcissa left the common room with her blond hair holding perfect curls. There was not anyone she was willing to impress that greatly, but she still dressed nicely. Walking gracefully out of the dorms, she wondered if Andi was feeling any better at all. She couldn't help but feel sorry for her, but she kept all the information to herself.

Arriving beside Regulus, Narcissa gave him a smile. "Evening Reggie."

[Severus Snape]

Severus dressed in his plain black robes. It wasn't a uniform ,but it was just as black and plain. He walked and saw that Cissa and Regulus were already there. Even Montgomery was there. Everyone looked to shine in their robes and curls. He felt very plain. He told himself it didn't matter, he was invited as the rest of them, not many else had the privilege.

[Charlotte Monroe]

Charlotte arrived a little after Severus and took a glance around, unlike Severus she didn't notice Samantha where she was hiding and breathed a small sigh of relief before a smug smile appeared on her face.

She knew that if Sam had been invited the girl probably would have already been there unless of course Sam was planning a grand entrance, but for something like this she doubted it. So...little Montgomery wasn't important enough to be in the Slug Club, how unfortunate, she thought with malicious glee.

[Kingsley Shacklebolt]

Kingsley stood in front of a mirror for what seemed like forever. He was determined to look perfect for the slug club meeting tonight. He was in his seventh year and it was time to start planning for the future, this invitation had opened up the possibility of talking Professor Slughorn into talking Headmaster Dumbledore into possibly helping him get into Auror training.

At the thought of the prestige wizards and witches who safeguarded the world, he quickly snapped out of his daydreams and realized he needed to get down to the dungeons. Rushing down to the dungeons he came to a screeching halt as he realized there were nothing but slytherins here so far. Kingsley hoped that he wasnt the only Gryffindor invited to this thing. Deciding to stand off from the others a way he leaned against the wall and waited for someone that wasnt a slytherin to show.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

How utterly ridiculous. The Slug Club? Who was Slughorn kidding?

Still, curiosity got the best of him, and he found himself arriving with most everyone else. It was going to be a very long night, but there were enough characters here to at least keep things interesting.

He kept to his own, just watching for a while.

[Frank Longbottom]

Frank walked down to the dungeons wondering why in the world he was leaving his room behind. The one thought that came to mind was that this might help when become an auror. That was his main goal in school, other than end up with Alice. The second part didn't seem to be happening at the moment. The confrontation in the kitchens had him worried that she didn't care about him anymore, but there was a little bit of hope that she still did. You can't love someone for awhile, then just stop immediately, could you?

He walked slowly and his eyes were still sort of dead looking. He had written Alice a note earlier and hoped that she would figure out that he wrote it, and meant it. Frank had never written a 'love note' before, but he thought that this first one was the best considering his wrote it over about five times.

Upon entering the dungeon, his eyes laid on Kingsley. He was the only other Gryffindor there. Frank walked up beside him. "Hey Kingsley," he said.

[Rystain Quandry]

Rystain wondered what this Slug Club was that he'd been invited to, but he knew that Professor Slughorn had some very impressive connections within the ministry. If we was going to become an unspeakable, every connection counted. As he'd arrived in his room, he'd seen Rabastan finishing getting ready early and they'd exchanged a few male taunts about the party invitation. Rystain's invitation had come a day later than Rabastans, but it had come nevertheless. As Rabastan left, Rystain began to get ready himself. Since they didn't need to wear their school uniforms for this he had gotten dressed in something more comfortable that complimented his looks. He wasn't sure who else would be there, but he might as well show some effort to look his best.

It didn't take him long to get ready and he checked himself in the mirror before heading out of the commons. One of the advantages to being in Slytherin was that it was close to where the slug club would be meeting so he took his time walking. He noticed when he got there that most of the people milling about waiting were slytherins. Although he did see Frank Longbottom as well.

He knew what had happened with Alice, what he'd already seen himself and what Alice had told him later when he'd managed to catch up with her one day just shortly after the night of the ceremony. She'd been miserable and angry as a hellcat and this had put a wrench in his own plans. If she wasn't with Frank then he had no excuse not to keep his original arrangement with Alice. He debating talking to the guy, if nothing else than to clear up a few things, since it was to his advantage to see the two of them together. He noticed that Lani and Lyra weren't there and wasn't sure if they'd been invited. He also didn't see Sam and he'd already talked to Rabastan tonight before coming so he had nothing else really of interest to him yet than talk to Frank.

He nodded to his fellow slytherins that looked up as he approached but he headed towards Longbottom and Kingsley. "Longbottom, since you're here.. I'd like to talk with you a moment," he spoke quietly in an attempt to be discrete and pull him off to the side so they could talk without being overheard. He didn't care if the other gryffindor boy followed he just didn't want his housemates overhearing his involvement with Alice. He'd never mentioned it to anyone and really it was no one's buisness but his own and Alice.. and now Longbottom, of course.

[Kingsley Shacklebolt]

Hearing someone approach he turned and saw Frank Longbottom there. "Frank, am I ever glad to see you. I thought I was going to be the only non slytherin here." He chuckled slightly to ease the tension a bit. "So you have any idea what this slug club is all about? From what I have heard its supposed to be some kind of prestigious group."

As the words left his mouth, another voice seemed to pop into their conversation, seeing another Slytherin approach and talk to Frank, Kingsley stood his ground in case this was anything less than a friendly meeting.

[Frank Longbottom]

"Haven't the slightest idea Kingsley, but if it's going to help me with becoming an auror, then no problem. There's no telling what Slughorn is going to do."

Frank raised an eyebrow as Rystain came over. What did he want with him? Frank would be lying if he said that he wasn't slightly intrigued. Although, he did have a pretty good idea of what Rystain would say. Alice had already explained, and he was probably going to get the explaination again, but Frank didn't feel like agruing with anyone so he just nodded in agreement. "Alright," he said.

He looked towards Kingsley and then motioned for Rystain to take a few steps over so no one would over hear them. "What is it Quandry?" Frank's voice was sort of monotoned. His expression never changed.

[Rystain Quandry]

"You have to fix things with Alice." He was going for the blunt route, he wasn't exactly friends with Longbottom but he knew the guy wasn't like his slytherin friends where words could speak volumes so he kept it fairly simple, he didn't want to be misunderstood and he wanted results. "I don't know if Alice ever told you something, but I intend to if not. What you saw wasn't what it looked like that night. I had hoped by now you two would figure it all out and be back together but obviously you two are too stuborn to do it yourselves. Listen, we had an arranged marriage from our parents when we were little but to be honest Alice is a little too pure for me. And I have other plans.. I don't want to marry her. I like her as a friend but that's it. And I certainly am not about to steal her away from you or whatever you seem to think. Besides she loves you even if you're too thick headed to see it. And I want to see Alice happy and you made her happy and that means I don't have to marry the girl. Do you get what I'm saying?"

He hoped he was being clear enough for the Gryffindor to get the point, he was going to make them fix things if he had to lock them into the broom closet for a few hours. They obviously were both miserable without each other.. anyone could see it. And Frank was an idiot if he didn't know that Rystain had no intentions with Alice if he could get out of it.

[Frank Longbottom]

"I know that," replied Frank. "I ran into her when I went to the kitchens the other night. She told me. I tried apologizing and explained to her that I wasn't thinking clearly and I acted out instead of thinking about the situation. She didn't want to listen to me, and I can understand that. She said that she loved me, well, not in those exact words, but sort of like that, the night of the ceremony. I felt so bad afterwords. I apologized over and over and I'm not so sure she forgives me because she stormed out of the kitchen. I told her that I loved her, but I'm not sure that she heard, or maybe she did and doesn't care. Either way I sent her an owl, but don't tell her that it was me. I didn't sign it. I told her that I loved her, but I'm not so sure about how she's going to react." Frank sighed. "I just messed everything up. I'm hoping that I can make it right, but I'm doing it slowly because she's not going to take me back with open arms."

[Rystain Quandry]

Rystain considered this. He hadn't known about the incident in the kitchens, he hadn't been able to talk to Alice the last few days since she'd been holding up in her common rooms lately and avoiding classes. He was glad to know that the guy was at least trying, but he wasn't sure if it would be enough. He knew how stuborn Alice could be once she had her head wrapped around an idea, and he knew she shared the Black family temper too.

"You know she's going to be stuborn if she's hurting. But I doubt she heard you if she's still not talking to you. I saw that look in her eyes when I told her she was free to go be with you, I'd never seen her happier. That's why she kissed me you know. Because she loved you." Rystain shrugged. He didn't feel awkward about it at all. "I am worried though, if you don't fix things by the first task... her head isn't in the right place to handle what ever it's going to be. I don't want her getting hurt, and I don't care what Dumbledore says, it's going to be dangerous. What if she looses her concentration and something happens? She's not really focused lately and I doubt she's done too much preparing as she should because she's so wrapped up in you."

He didn't quite understand how she could be so enamored with the guy to not just move on but that was why him and Alice were so worlds apart. Rystain cared for people but he never quite could get a handle on loving just one person like that. It made you have a weakness when you loved someone that much, and Alice was evidence of that weakness. In Rystain's eyes love was her weakness.. though he knew also that it was her greatest strenght when she was actually happy.

"I don't think you can take too long or you might be putting her in danger you know. Unless she manages to get over you buy then which unfortunatly for her I doubt will ever happen, then her head isn't going to be on her task as fully as it should, and that could be dangerous." He knew how much a persons focus could mean the difference between winning and loosing, and in this case maybe worse than loosing.

[Frank Longbottom]

"I'm working on it. I plan to do something before the first task, I promise. I know that Alice has been moping about. I'm not going to let her fail. I honestly don't care if I embarass myself while I do it. I'm just going to wait a day or two and see how she reacts to my owl," said Frank. "I don't want to rush up to her and say 'Did you get my owl'. That was not the point behind it. I'm just wondering if she ever figured it out."

He ran a hand through his hair. "But she'll be just fine by the first task. I'm going to make sure of that. She won't be like she currently is anymore. I'm trying to plan things out." Frank didn't want to rush into anything. Goodness knows he's already took his time, but this was important. If he rushed up to Alice now, then that would probably ruin his chances. Since he sent her that owl, his mind started to become clearer than what it had been.

[Rystain Quandry]

Rystain regarded Frank Longbottom a long moment before nodding, "Good see that you do, I'd hate to have to intervene if I don't have to. But I will if that's what it takes. And contrary to popular belief I do care about some things, and Alice is one of them." It wasn't quite a threat but he was serious.

He'd do anything for her, even cross the line to darkness or resort to methods he didn't usually need to use, if that's what it took to make sure she was safe. He did love Alice in some odd brotherly type way, which was fairly ironic considering his own reputation as a slytherin through and through. Then again Rystain was always full of contridictions that others didn't always expect.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Samantha was good at hiding, at making herself invisable, she was also good at making herself known, but she was hiding for the moment, and hiding directly near where Rystain was talking. Rystain and Alice...who would have thought it? Poor Lyra...well no, Rystain didn't seem to want to Marry Alice, he just cared for the girl, lucky Alice.

It was one of those tidbits of information Sam tucked behind her ear and locked away in the corner of her mind.

[Frank Longbottom]

"All I want to do is make her happy, and that is what I'm going to do. Don't worry to much about it Quandry. If she figures out that it was me that wrote the letter, maybe things are not going to be as bad. I'm working on it."

Frank knew that he would do anything in the world that would make Alice happy. It didn't matter what it was. He would go to the edge of the world for her if she asked. She meant to much for him to lose her completely. Alice was not only his best friend, but the person that held his heart and he was going to get her back.

"But thanks Rystain," he said before he walked away. Frank gave him a nod and headed back over to Kingsley.