family time (Burkes & family)

[Emma Burke]

Emma was at home in their large family estate. Though from the outside it looked like a modest home, the inside was quite another matter. It was large, comfortable and opulent. No sacrifices made for good taste and luxury, enough to make any Burke proud to live there.

She didn't like to cook herself, but she was happy to command the house elves on what to make, as if a general who ran her home with precison and skill. "Gabby, don't forget to make Benjamin's favorite please. I want tonight to be special since the kids are home for the weekend."

Emma checked her timepeice and went upstairs to finish getting ready for dinner.

[benjamin]

Benjamin sat in his office staring over a mound of paperwork. He had decided to work a little this weekend since the Dark Lord had been pressing him about finding allies outside the realm of wizards. So far his instincts screamed at him to inform the dark lord of how easy it would be to sway the giants to their side, yet here he was still pouring over paperwork. Realizing what time it was, he tidied up a bit and grabbed his cloak. The kids were coming home for the weekend and he needed to be home.

Leaving the Ministry, he apparated to the front door of his family mansion. With a quick wave of his hand the door opened and he entered the dining room. Seeing no one, he assumed that Emma had gone upstairs, with a quick snap a house elf apparated into the room and took his cloak from him, disappearing once more without so much as a sound. Taking his seat at the head of the table, he removed his favorite tobacco pipe from the pocket of his dress robes, lighting it he began to smoke as he sat back in the chair.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia was happy to be home, even if it was just for an evening. She was sitting in the comfort of her own room, which she was proud that she didn't have to share with her sisters, styling her lush blonde hair into tight corkscrews. Her hair was her pride and joy, her crowning glory, and she spent hours each day, just trying to get it exactly right.

She could smell dinner cooking and she smiled. Sometimes she almost couldn't believe how lucky she was, to be so beautiful and rich and powerful and perfect. Her life was the perfect life, and she was loving every minute of it.

[Allaire Burke]

Allaire sat on her side of the room and looked in their mirror. She was debating on making her hair curly or making it straight. Sighing, she decided on straight. It seemed to take forever to make her hair straight. She applied very light make-up to her face just to bring out the glow in her cheeks.

Her blue eyes seemed to be bright tonight and she was pleased. Her eyes were her favorite feature. Once she was satisfied with the way she looked, she turned to her twin. "Which dress should I wear? The black, green, or red one?"

[Jadon Burke]

Jadon didn't have to deal with coming home from school, though he had met the girls when they arrived.

Currently, he was laughing Nathalia, his cousin, over some of her stories. Like their uncle Zach, she had a certain wanderlust in her. She was always somehow around when you needed her, but gone enough to make you miss her.

"Oh, Lia, I have to run, I'm supposed to have dinner with the family."

She gave a similar excuse about having to meet her mother in a while, and they parted ways.

Jadon entered his home quietly, knowing the girls were still upstairs getting ready. He just had to change and he was good to go.

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia, having already asked her mother if there was nothing she could do to help for dinner stayed and watched her mother work silently for a few more minutes before politely excusing herself, "I'll see if Fee wants help with her hair or Allie needs help with her gown." she kissed her mother's cheek and then headed upstairs. It was the latter that she was called to help with.

Kassia wasn't dressed yet but her gown was on the bed. To look at the room was a contrast. Kassia kept her side what would be called spartan in comparison to most teenage girls. It was clean and classy and had a few nick knacks here and there. They easily could have had separate bedrooms and did have separate bedrooms for whenever they were having a fight or one wanted their own space, she was guilty of having a few more of her things in her "separate" bedroom than in the room she shared even though she slept mainly in the shared room.

Kassia was strange, even for a twin she valued her privacy and rarely did things the normal way she loved her family to death but her life was slightly categorized and she didn't mix things. It was easier that way.

"Green has always looked best on you Allie." she said with a nod, "Would you like me to do your hair? Although Fee's much better at it." that wasn't true, Fee was better with hair because she played with her own so much but Kassia wasn't horrible with it, in fact she did top grade coiffures through ingenuity, "If you are going to wear the green use some of the ivy to accessorize your hair it would be perfect."

She heard the door open downstairs and rather she heard their house elf welcoming Jadon home.

Kassia was still dressed in her regular clothes, she too just had to hop into a dress and was really ready to go, she didn't spend much time getting ready.

"That's Jay, I'm going to go say hello hurry get dressed and come down." she smiled

***

When she made it downstairs she practically launched herself into her brother's arms. "Jadon!"

[Allaire Burke]

Allaire smiled as Kassia entered the room again. "Thanks Kass!" She put the other dresses back in her closest, leaving out the green. "I would rather you do my hair. I'm not sure if Fee is quite finished with hers. You know how long it takes. I was just thinking of something simple since I made it straight. Maybe it pulled half back."

After Kass finished with her hair, she watched her sister rush out of the room. Allaire smiled and quickly changed. Jadon was home. There was no use in spending a lot of time on her looks. If people didn't like her the way she was, then that was their fault.

She took one last look in the mirror and soothed out her dress before she ran down the stairs after Kassia. "Jay!"

[Jadon Burke]

Jadon caught his middle twin in his arms, hugging her. "Hey kiddo," he said with a smile on his face. He wanted to attack her with a barage of questions. He hadn't seen any of his sisters since they were sent off to school, and while it wasn't really that long ago, it felt like it.

Allaire joined them shortly after, and Jadon wrapped her into a hug as well. "Ah, my favorite set of twins. You both look beautiful, as always. Except you're not dressed, Kassia. We share that in commom. How have you both been?"

[Kassia Burke]

She squeezed him tightly he was her only brother after all then she allowed her sister to have her hug. When her brother mentioned her clothing she only smiled a little, "I'll be ready for dinner." and indeed she would be, she was never late.

"Tell us everything." she said gesturing to the couch. "Where you've been, what you've been doing. Have you met anyone?"

[benjamin]

Listening to the voices of his daughters traveling through the house, Ben smiled to himself. With a quick snap of his fingers a small, portly house elf apparated and knelt before him. "Go fetch Emma and whoever else has arrived." Standing up and nodding his head, the small house elf quickly disappeared once more. Looking over at a portrait of his father Herbert Burke. "Father, it's a true shame you aren't alive to see my perfect family." With a wide grin stuck on his face he awaited his family.

[Jadon Burke]

Jadon smiled and then swooped on his sister, lifting her quite easily and then setting her on the couch. He then motioned to Allaire to sit next to her while he sat on the edge of the table near the couch.

"All I was doing while you've been away is missing you both terrible. My life is so boring without my sisters. How are classes going?"

[Allaire Burke]

"Way to avoid answering specifically," said Allaire with a smile. Of course, she was just kidding with her brother. "Classes are well, classes. They're alright, nothing too terribly exciting really going on right now. Although, there is the tournament at the school, and then there's going to be a ball coming up! That is going to be exciting I think."

[Emma Burke]

Emma saw one of the house elves appear to tell her that Mr Burke was ready for her to come downstairs. She nodded and waved the house elf away. "Shoo I'm not done yet he can wait until I'm finished dressing." Emma was still in nothing but a silk shift and finishing her hair. Her dress was still hanging on a hook waiting for her. She wouldn't be late but she wanted to make sure to make her husband smile when she appeared.

[Jadon Burke]

"A ball, hm? I take it neither of you are in the tournament, or I would have heard about it before now. Do you have dates yet?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the girls. He was an older brother, and these two were fifteen. It was his duty to ask.

[Allaire Burke]

"No, I didn't even put my name into the goblet," she said with a shake of her head. "And no, I don't have a date yet. I'm not sure if I'm even going to be asked, so it's just going to be one of those wait and see things I suppose." Allaire wasn't even sure if she really had her eye on someone 'special'. Sure, she had looked through the guys in Slytherin, but she wasn't sure if she really liked any of them yet.

[Ophelia Burke]

Ophelia was still working on her hair when the house elf appeared in her room to tell her that her presence was requested. "Oh! How many times have I told you to knock before you apparate!" she scolded. "Really, I could have been getting changed, and I won't have you popping in on me when I'm not ready!"

The poor house elf mumbled its apologies, and she softened slightly. "It's OK, I'm just about ready." She stood up and did a pirhouette in front of the house elf. "How do I look?"

Of course the house elf stammered out a few compliments and she smiled prettily. "Thank you. Tell Daddy I'll be right down."

The house elf disapparated, and Fee returned to work on her hair. There were still a few curls she wasn't quite happy with.

[Kassia Burke]

Kassia let Allaire answer most of the questions, she would find time later to talk with Jadon. Her sister was happier in the spotlight than she was, not that she couldn't dazzle like the rest of them but Allaire was gaining more and more confidence every day and that made Kassia happy.

Oh boy...dates for the dance. Kassia didn't answer but rather just nodded towards Allaire to let her speak and gave her sister the attention. Then when she almost with a sixth sense, sensed that their family was getting ready for dinner she stood and kissed Jadon on the cheek cleverly avoiding his questions, " I think we're about to get started I'm going to change." when she was close enough she whispered, " Stay a while for Allie, they'll forgive you for not being dressed right on time. We've both missed you so much." really she just didn't want her sister to be alone and thought it would be awful if both siblings deserted her to get changed.

[Jadon Burke]

There were times when Jadon swore that Kass was far too old to be only fifteen, and it was those moments when he saw a heartbreaking image of what a truly wonderful mother she was going to be.

Hopefully far into the future. Before she could leave, he turned her chin towards him and gave her a soft smile. "Thank you," he said, letting her decide what he was thanking her for.

He watched her go and turned back to Allaire. "What have I covered... classes, the dance, boys... do you need anything at school that I could help with?"

[Kassia Burke]

Kass gave him a strange look when he thanked her but nodded all the same then went upstairs to change. She had a beautiful rose colored gown laid out for her and she proceeded to change quickly, it didn't take her long to put together something classy and elegant for her hair, and her makeup was easily done as well, Kass's signature piece this time was a diamond pin she wore at the neckline which managed to pull the entire outfit together beautifully. She went back downstairs but n ot to her brother, not yet it was better to let him and Allaire catch up, she would see him later.

Instead she went to the dining room to make sure everything was ready there, and then to the kitchen to make sure the house elves were prepared, not that her mother would have it any other way than perfect Kassia simply did it because it was something her mother had done to make sure everything was right for the family, now Kassia had adopted the same traits.

[Ophelia Burke]

Finally Ophelia felt that her hair looked just right. So she quickly put on a little bit of lip gloss and slipped into a pair of shoes before walking elegantly down the stairs. She looked and felt much like a princess entering a ball in her honor. As she spotted her brother and Allaire talking in the foyer, she broke into a broad smile. Of course she wouldn't dream of running; that was not a ladylike thing to do. But she walked over to her brother and sister. "Jay!" she gushed enthusiastically. "Oh, I've missed my brother ever so much!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight. He was the only one of her siblings she didn't feel the need to outshine, and she felt closer to him than to anyone else.