May The Odds Be In Your Favor

[Cyndi Kingsley]

The Kingsleys had some of the best security charms in place, so even before she heard the knock on the door, Cyndi Kingsley had received notice that someone was approaching. Although inside, it was certainly very homey, the place was a fortress. The Kingsleys had made no concessions where their family was concerned. But today was about letting people in. Cyndi Kingsley had the idea to organize a dinner for all of the candidates, an opportunity before they well and truly got into campaigning to get to know each other and speak to campaign. She'd seen the posters and knew that campaigning had already begun, but from her memory, it hadn't been until after the debate that the candidates had been at each other's throats. At least she hoped she'd remembered correctly.

Food prepared and family ready and with light music playing throughout the house, Cyndi Kingsley took one last look around, glad that everything seemed to be in its place. The Kingsleys still had obligations, Cameron to his office and the family as a whole to present themselves in a good light and she would be damned if that changed tonight. Heating movement from upstairs, Cyndi gave a quick glare, silently daring one of her children to make a mess of the rooms she'd magically cleaned earlier that week. In seconds, she was back to smiling as she pulled open the door and greeted the first guest. "Welcome!"

Out of Character:

Candidates, their immediate families, and their Aurors are welcome. If you don't fall into that but think you should be present, PM me!

 

[Cat Tannon]

With the debates just around the corner, Cat had been busy preparing with Orwell, but was pleasantly surprised to receive a dinner invite to the Kingsley's place. She was nervous, to be in an unfamiliar place with all the candidates, and she had to wonder if it was some sort of test, but she didn't hesitate to reply with her yes. After feeding her cats, and making sure they were settled for the night, Catherine grabbed her large dish of Spinach and ricotta cannelloni to take with her, before apparating to the address.
Taking a deep breath and knocking on the door, Cat grinned as she was welcomed in by Cyndi Kingsley. "Thank-you!" Cat replied in turn, accepting the welcome inside. Cat was fine with being the first one there, small talk was an area she was good at. She turned and looked back at Cyndi, lifting up the Cannelloni to show case. "I bought some Cannelloni - this is such a wonderful idea!"

 

[Claudia Holland]

The invitation from the Kingsleys had been a welcome and pleasant surprise. Claudia had been busy preparing for the upcoming debates, so a distraction wasn't amiss. She was aware that she couldn't completely let her guard down, not around her fellow candidates so close to the election, but she still hoped it would mostly be an enjoyable evening without too much politics. There would be time for that at the debates, after all. More than anything, Claudia wanted to get to know her fellow candidates as people.

But preparing the whole family for a dinner out proved to be almost more work than anything she had done on the campaign. After a lengthy argument with Diana where her daughter refused to wear a cardigan with her dress, Claudia decided to let her win the argument. Knowing very well the girl would complain about being cold in a matter of minutes. She put the cardigan in her bag for when she finally relented. Then there was Phoebe who came downstairs in a shirt that looked like she had slept in it and soot on her face. Claudia had no idea what she had been doing, and had decided against asking in this particular instance. Sending Phoebe up to change and make herself presentable, she was glad to see that Rose had helped Alice get ready. Her oldest daughter was becoming more responsible by the day.

It was a small miracle they weren't late. In fact, they were only the second ones to arrive. Cat Tannon was already there, and Claudia smiled at her as they arrived. With her husband and four children, they were quite a group. Rose looked very excited to be seeing her Professor, and Claudia had to admit she was eager to meet Cyndi Kingsley as well. "Thank you for inviting us." She said as they entered. "And hello Cat, it's nice to see you again." She nodded, then gestured to her husband. "This is James, my husband. And these are my daughters, Rose, Phoebe, Diana, and Alice." Looking at Mrs. Kingsley, she held up a bottle of wine. "And I brought this as a thank you for the invite." She noticed Cat had brought some food, which looked delicious. But Claudia knew instinctively that her youngest would be pulling a face at the spinach. From the corner of her eye, she gave Alice a warning look.

 

[James Holland]

James really didn't know how to feel about today. First and foremost he was proud, tremendously proud of his wife. She had worked so hard to get to where she was, and her campaign was a culmination of everything she had stood for her entire life. Just watching her campaign filled James with pride and love for the woman he was lucky enough to spend his life with. Mixed in with the pride was a healthy dose of nerves though... going out canvassing together was one thing, but this was the first real event they were attending where James was expected to present himself well as a candidate's spouse. Months locked up in a greenhouse didn't leave a lot of time for social events, and though James was a friendly man, he worried about not representing his wife the way she deserved.

Wrangling the girls for such an important event was yet another ordeal, and between wiping a missed smudge off Phoebe's face, catching Diana trying to sneak a snack before the party, ("We're going to dinner Diana, if you eat now you won't be hungry when we get there!",) and subtly fixing the clumsy job Rose had done trying to put a ribbon in Alice's hair when his oldest daughter wasn't looking, James felt run ragged trying to make sure everyone was up to standard. How Claudia was managing keeping an eye on the girls while balancing everything she needed to prepare for was beyond him. The moments of relief between successfully getting everyone ready, and actually arriving at the dinner were sadly short-lived, and as they approached the Kingsleys house James reminded himself to put on a pleasant smile, hoping his nerves didn't show on his face.

James had made sure to have an idea of who was who at this dinner, not wanting to embarrass Claudia by not recognising someone important, and as soon as they stepped into the room he was relieved to have done that work, quickly recognising the two women as Cyndi Kingsley and Cat Tannon, the current minister's wife and one of the candidates. He let Claudia do the talking, as this event was about her, and only spoke when Claudia introduced him. "It's nice to meet you." He said happily, shaking both women's hands in turn. "Your home is lovely." He added to Cyndi, giving her a small smile. In truth he had been quite curious to meet her, the woman in the position he may be occupying in a few months. James wondered a lot what her experience of being married to the Minister had been like, although as someone with her own high profile career James expected it had been quite different to what he would experience. There was a lot James wanted to discuss with her, but now was certainly not the time, so he stuck to a polite greeting, and focused on keeping his eyes on the girls, letting Claudia be in charge of socialising and keeping charge of the children.

 

[Dymetris Kozlov]

Dymetris was honour when he saw that he had been invited to the Kingsley's Manor. It's not everyday occasion when this happen. He accepted with delight, sadly, it was around the time shops were busiest this time of year. That meant, Faxen wouldn't be able to accompany Dymetris to the gathering. Instead, Ainslee would be taking her place. A minister official whom he decided to have on his team for a bit of perspective. Ainslee agreed to come, and his twins were happy to join the pair. Dymetris, the third candidate to show up with a bag full of treats. Mostly pies and brownies the twins made with Faxen. Everyone agreed it was best they didn't show up empty handed.

"Hello Mrs. Kingsley!" Dymetris greeted the woman that once was his professor many years ago. He gestured to Ainslee and the twins. He greeted everyone and introduced his manager to the small growing party. "This is Ainslee Maxwell, she my manager to helping me run my campaign. And these two…" Dymetris motion to the young boy and girl, "...are my twins, Anastasiya and Alexei!" They both waved at the woman, Alexei hid behind his father while Anastasiya showcased a brilliant smile at the strangers. Dymetris, went out of his way to say hello to the others at the party as well.

​

 

[Diana Hollis]

Diana's mother being a candidate for minister was nice, in her opinion, but she wasn't sure why it meant she had to come to this house. She hadn't told either of her parents that she and Jacob Kingsley really didn't like each other, and she hoped he hadn't said anything either. Surely, her mother would scold her if she knew she had been making enemies at school. She waited with her sisters behind her parents as they introduced themselves and did boring grown-up talk. Her arms were crossed in front of her because she was a little cold. Her mother had warned her, but she hadn't listened. The dress just looked so much cuter without the stupid cardigan. She nudged Alice as she noticed her sister's disgusted look at the other lady's food. "Stop it." She hissed, more for the sake of scolding her than because she really cared. Peering around the adults, she was on the lookout for Jacob Kingsley. She wondered how he would react to her being here.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

"You didn't have to do that" Mrs. Kingsley smiled, using her wand to make room for the young candidate's dish. Cyndi couldn't believe someone as young as Cat was running for office, but she was pleasant and seemed personable enough so she realized she shouldn't be too surprised. Excusing herself as more guests arrived, Cyndi knew it would be hard to keep up. "Thank you for coming" she smiled, sending the wine to the kitchen. "This is my youngest, Eleanor" she introduced the young girl peeking out from behind her dress as she waved back at the twin girls. Eleanor was acting shy though she was usually anything but. "And my sons are somewhere. Ah, there's Jacob now and I'm sure Noah will be down soon" she added. "Jacob is probably around your daughter's age, Claudia. Jake, come here. Do you know Mrs. Holland's daughter?" she smiled at the girl in the very cute dress. Of all the candidates, Claudia was the one she felt she'd actually be friends with outside of these odd circumstances. Aside from Carter, though their friendship had broken some time ago.

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

After doing his best to hide the tie in a drawer, throw it out the window, and stuff it down the sink drain, Jacob stomped down the steps with it firmly in place. He tugged at it, though it didn't loosen in the slightest. Stepping into the room, Jacob's eyes went right for the children. The twins were younger than him and so was another little girl who was making a face. Jacob knew how she felt as he stepped towards his mother at her urging, her arm going across his shoulders. His gaze met someone he'd never, ever expected to see in his home, and it was only because he'd had years and years of practice that Jacob didn't make a retching sound like he wanted to. Jacob stared at Diana for a second and then shook his head. "No, mother" he lied, holding his hand out like a perfect gentleman. "I'm Jacob Kingsley. Welcome to our home."

 

[Ainslee Maxwell]

Ainslee was surprised to be invited to a dinner party that was for the current candidates. It was being hosted by the current Minister for Magic's wife. Although curious why Dymetris didn't took his wife, she agreed and explained to her fiance the situation. She love Arnaud more than anything but sometimes her duties as a ministry employee and campaign manager gets in the way. He still understand. The duo plus the twins arrived at the manor. Her smile was as if practiced but with all the social gatherings Ainslee had been to, she had learned to make her smile natural.

She was introduce to the host as well as the twins. The kids were behave and that was a plus. "You really do have a lovely home, Mrs. Kingsley." Ainslee complimented. She was looking around but the truth was she was only looking at the other candidates. Making mental notes. They excused themselves and she and the kids tried to stay behind Dymetris. Mrs. Holland seems to have a bunch of kids, a great deal of focus is what a future Minister needed. Ms. Tannon looks like always occupied, she realized. Those are the only candidates she can observe for now but Ainslee thinks they can win this election.​

 

[Cameron Kingsley]

Cameron Kingsley had hurried home from the ministry that afternoon because his wife had organized a dinner for all of the candidates at their home. While he wasn't convinced it was her best idea, he knew this was important to her, and he intended to make it a hit. Things hadn't been quite right between the two of them since Kiera's death. Cameron would ensure that his family behaved appropriately and cordially with all of the candidates. He nodded at Noah as he heard the doorbell ring, patting him on the back. "We will talk more later, son. I understand, but I doubt your mother will." he said, shaking his head. "C'mon." Cameron said with a smile as he headed downstairs to the gathering. He saw three of the candidates and their families along with a few aurors he knew. He nodded at the aurors before addressing the candidates. "Welcome Dymetris, Cat, and Claudia. We are delighted to have you here." he said warmly.

 

[Diana Hollis]

Diana had her sweetest smile on as she looked at Mrs. Kingsley. Not only was it important that her mother made a good impression on this lady, but she was a professor at school as well. Then Jacob appeared, and Diana met his gaze with her smile in place. Her eyebrows raised a fraction when Jacob claimed not to know her, but she smoothly played along. "We're in the same year, but we don't really know each other that well." She said, playing up a hint of shyness that everyone that knew her would see through instantly. She shook his hand. "I'm Diana Holland. Thank you. I've seen you fly in class, you're really good." It hurt a little to say something nice about him, but she knew it would make her appear nicer so she suffered through it.

 

[Alice Holland]

Alice was very curious about this dinner. Going to the minister's house wasn't an every day occurrence, but what was even more interesting was that the minister's wife was a professor at Hogwarts. Alice was excited about meeting her, about seeing a small piece of Hogwarts a few months before she actually was allowed to go. The chaos before leaving was fairly normal, but Alice was happy to have all her family under one roof again. She stayed near Diana as they approached the house, looking around curiously. The lady that opened the door had to be the Professor, and a nod from Rose confirmed that. Alice smiled at her before looking at the other lady. She vaguely knew the different candidates that were running and understood that this was Cat Tannon. She had heard her mother say the other woman was really young to be running, but she didn't look that young to Alice. Her gaze fell on the dish the woman was holding and she couldn't help herself. She pulled a face. Spinach, ew! But her mother's warning glance quickly made her stop. Diana's words weren't really needed, so she ignored them. A few other people arrived too, and Alice smiled at the young girls that accompanied this candidate.

Then the minister's son came to introduce himself to Diana. He looked to be around her age, which meant he was also close to Alice's age. Their greeting was oddly formal, and Alice watched it with some confusion. Sometimes her sister was so weird. "Hi Jacob!" She said, waving at him. "I'm Alice."

 

[Carter Kaster]

It had taken Carter right up until he'd finally made it to the front door, for Carter to decide he was actually coming to this dinner. He'd expected this to come, but he'd initially intended to decline the invitation. Knowing that he would likely be the only candidate to do so, he eventually conceded (after some prodding from Lyra) to attend. He'd roped Lyra into attending with him, though he wasn't too sure who had roped who as he moved to announce them and enter the house. As he headed to where everyone was, he looked around, almost sad that this wasn't as great an occasion for him as it was for the others. He would have loved to have his whole family here, together, but he had to keep his mind clear, Lyra was here to help him do just that. She was so much like her mother. Fierce, Beautiful, Stubborn. Especially the stubborn.

A plastered smile, one that hid his truth behind an outwardly pleasant facade, Carter kept Lyra close, as a shield, as support, as a representative of Kiera's family. He would get through this if it killed him. He hadn't sat down and spoken to Cameron or Cyndi properly since that day. This would be an episode in decorum and doublespeak for all of them. He knew it. "Thank you, Lyra. This means alot." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. He definitely would not have been able to do any of this alone and he was grateful for the support he was getting from both her and Link. He was grateful that he could help them too, when they let him. He looked at everyone and his shallow smile grew slightly. "Thank you for the invitation, Cyndi, Cameron, this is a wonderful idea."
​

 

[Samual Kaster]

Sam had found the campaign to so far be... boring. Which made him terribly happy. After the mess of the last campaign, he was grateful there didn't seem to be too much happening this time. Dinner at the Kingsley's house was a nice change of pace for the auror and he didn't hesitate to let Mason know that he would be heading there, especially if none of the others were. If he was the only auror present, so be it, maybe they would feed him! He kept his distance, not really interested in being part of the proceedings. He was mostly here to watch Dymetris, but he did manage to give Cyndi an excited wave as he headed through the crowd, nodding to the other candidates. It wasn't too long after that Carter made an appearance with Lyra, he was slightly surprised his cousin had come at all, but he punched him lightly on the shoulder as he moved into the crowd before putting his attention back on Dymteris and keeping other candidates in his peripheral vision.
​

 

[Ioan Finch]

Although Ioan had remained mum to the media for the most part,he knew that he would be dumb to miss an opportunity to enter the Minister's home. It was an opportunity not to be missed, one he knew the Scitorari would not forgive him for. Ioan still had heard nothing from them since his campaign, and he was doubling down, refusing to go to them first. Eventually, he knew they would relent, wanting to know if he'd learned anything useful to the cause. He planned on having something to tell them. In preparation for the evening, Ioan had spoken to his children who were students of the Minister's wife at one point, gleaning some useful information about her demeanor. He didn't particularly like the Minister, but it was clear to him that his daughter had some level of respect for his wife.

Entering the home alone, Ioan was not surprised at being one of the last ones to arrive. He immediately gravitated towards Cat Tannon, not because he liked her - he didn't - but because she was also alone. "Hello, Ms. Tannon" he greeted with a nod, sure it was Miss. Honestly, the man had no idea why she was running. She had the appearance of someone who would be better suited to handing out flyers for the rest of the candidates or helping them to campaign. What could she know about running a country at her age? "Are we off the record?" he joked, recalling that she was a reporter. He'd been doing his homework on the competition, reading The Daily Prophet each day for information. "This is quite the extravagant home. It's no wonder Kingsley has no clue what's going on with the people" he replied softly.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi didn't realize that Carter had arrived until he was right in front of her. It had been a few months since she had last been in his presence, and as he spoke, she knew it was still far too soon. The last seven months of all their lives had been a series of tumultuous twists and turns, invading every aspect. Although deep down Cyndi knew that Carter was suffering, she still held him to account for it all simply because Kiera wasn't around to share the blame. The Minister's wife knew better than to get into any of that in front of the guests, however. Though they weren't competing against her husband, she knew politics and knew that if there was something to seize, some perceived weakness, the candidates would seize it. "Thank you for coming. I know" Cyndi replied briefly to her brother-in-law, the smile she'd perfected for Ministry functions firmly planted on her face.

Turning her attention back to the children, a little surprised that they didn't know each other, the mother nodded to her son and the Holland girls. "Isn't she darling? Say thank you, Jacob. He's thinking of trying out for his house team this year, you know. Jacob, why don't you show Mrs. Holland's daughters around while we wait to get started on dinner?" she urged him, " and find your brother." The woman looked at her husband, a curious expression in his direction, wondering if he knew where their oldest son had gone off to. Usually, he'd have been in the thick of things.

 

[Dymetris Kozlov]

Alexei tugged at his father's slacks, biting his small lip. There were too many people and all in one spot. Dymetris patted his son, as in to comfort him. Anastasiya waved at Eleanor and giggled. The two seven year old were different, and yet the same in some ways. "Hey Jacob." Dymetris waves at the young boy and in time greeted his approaching father. "Mister Minister, thank you for having us in your home. This is Ainslee, my campaign manager." He pointed to the woman who was doing the extra scooping around for him. Dymetris appreciated Ainslee for coming. He was learning a lot about the ministry and general public.

"My wife, she might be coming around later. I hope, it is the busiest time of the year." Dymetris shared with the group. He wasn't sure how long that will take before she arrived. In the meantime, he did best to keep up with the conversation. "Hey Carter, always a pleasure." He said as he spotted the man, as well as Samuel and Ioan. Dymetris made brief eye contact with the man, and nodded understandingly. Their conversation very much on his mind.
​

 

[Lyra Potter]

Lyra squeezed Carter's hand affectionately as they approached the door to a home that she knew as well as her own. It was heavily warded though not ever against her or her family. Today, the wards were down somewhat and allowing strangers in. Carter hadn't wanted to come, but Lyra had insisted. She would not take no for an answer. Lyra made certain that he knew it was unacceptable to skip out on an event like this when all of the other candidates would be there. She knew her aunt and uncle blamed him for what happened to Kiera, but the blame rested solely on Kiera's shoulders in Lyra's eyes. While the pain of her mother's death would never leave her completely, Lyra was trying to come to terms with it and move forward. She was proud of her step-father for doing the same, and the young woman knew that her mother would have been proud of Carter, too. "Hello everyone." she said brightly to room.

Lyra stepped inside with Carter, putting her best smile for the company. Lyra Potter had learned at an early age, just like her siblings and cousins, how to put on a facade that everything was perfect. She kissed her aunt and uncle on the cheek and murmured a greeting before moving away to watch. Lyra would not get too comfortable or familiar with any of her family members in the room as long as they were hosting the other candidates. She was here to support Carter in her mother's absence because she knew that was what would have made her mother happy.
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[Rose Holland]

Rose thought it was really strange to be here in her teacher's house. Professor Kingsley was her head of house, and in Rose's mind she was firmly connected to the school. Somehow, the fact that she had a house and a family that lived there was strange to her. If someone had told her Professor Kingsley just came with the castle, she would have believed it. She beamed at her professor as they headed inside, giving her a quick wave. Other candidates arrived, and Rose looked at everyone curiously. In truth, she hadn't followed the politics that closely. She knew everyone's name, but that was about it.

Seeing Professor Kingsley's youngest son talk to Diana sparked a memory in her, though. And immediately, Rose felt uneasy. She had seen this boy and his brother at Hayley's revolution last year. The revolution she had helped with. Hayley's standpoints weren't her own, and she had really just gone to support her friend. Still, she couldn't help hoping that this boy didn't recognize her from that, nor his brother if he appeared too. The last thing Rose wanted was to cause trouble for her mother. She smiled nervously at the younger boy after Professor Kingsley told him to show them around. "I'd like to see your house." She said encouragingly.

 

[Noah Kingsley]

Noah followed his father down the stairs, knowing that he probably should have waited until this was all over to discuss his request. This semester had been the worst one yet. Evelyn had dumped him and then quickly moved on, his aunt had died, and his grades had not been where his parents required them to be. He was miserable at the school, and he was glad to finally be home. But, his mother had been occupied, and Noah knew he needed his father's support first. He saw the room was already rather crowded with the candidates and their families when he arrived. Noah made his way to his mother and Jacob, making sure she saw he was now in attendance as she requested. His blue eyes spotted Lyra, and he winked at her from across the room. Noah stood next to his brother with the most charming smile on his face. "Welcome. I'm Noah Kingsley. I'd be happy to show you around if you like." he said pleasantly after hearing the girl's request.

 

[Cat Tannon]

Cat smiled at Cyndi when she made room for her dish, but not much more was able to be said as Claudia showed up with her family. Cat smiled at each of them as they were introduced, greeting them and her husband, and then Dymetris and his family as well. It was interesting that he brought along his manager, and Cat felt awkward slightly having not brought anyone with her, wondering briefly if perhaps she should have taken her friendliest cat with her. She almost laughed at the thought, but thought better of it, not wanting to look insane in front of her fellow candidates. When Ioan approached her, Cat turned with a smile, somewhat surprised that he wanted to talk to her. They didn't seem to have anything in common, or even any kind of connection, but it grew on Cat that perhaps for some of the candidates, this was an evening to get to know their competition more, rather than make friends. She gave a rather small laugh at his joke about being off the record, before nodding her head. "Completely." Cat reassured him. His next comment threw her, and she looked at him for a second, surprised. "Oh? That's quite the statement to make Mr. Finch." She wondered if he was trying to get her to say something bad. "Would you care to elaborate?" Cat offered, still looking at him, somewhat suspiciously.

 

[Rose Holland]

Rose looked up as the older Kinglsey boy approached. He had been vocal at the revolution speech, but not as much as the Potters had been. She wondered if he would remember her from that day, but was glad to see that he didn't. "I'm Rose Holland." She said with a nod, then she ushered her sisters forward slightly to follow the Kingsley boys. "And I would like that." She added politely. It was probably best to leave the adults to their grown-up talk and get out of their way. Even if she was a little curious about what would be said.

 

[Claudia Holland]

Claudia was glad to her her family by her side at this event. While a simple dinner wasn't that intimidating, she knew it was more than that. She greeted her fellow candidate Dymetris as he appeared, also nodding in greeting to the woman he had taken with him. As the minister appeared, she gave him a smile as he greeted them all. "Thank you. We're very honored to be here." She said, smiling with a glance at James to show she meant her husband as well. She was glad to see her children speak to the younger Kingsley boy. It would be boring for them to just wait around while the adults chatted, and it would be nice if they could have fun with the other children present. Carter and Ioan arrived as well, and she nodded at each in turn. Ioan Finch headed over to Cat Tannon to speak with her, which made Claudia like the man a bit more. She had felt for the young woman who was here by herself, and was glad she had some company now. If he hadn't gone over, she would have. Cyndi Kingsley told her son to show Claudia's daughters around, which was a good move. If they children were occupied, it was easier to talk and meet people. It was already quite crowded in the house, as many candidates had brought family members or aurors with them.