Closed Surprise Party

[Onyx Derouin]

It had taken a lot to get this put together. They'd even had to postpone the party itself to keep Sapphire from being suspicious. But after careful planning, he and Kira had done it. They had the abandoned classroom ready. Everyone was here. All the old desks and chairs had been pushed out of the way. A few tables had been pushed together and there was a load of snacks on it. Little sandwiches, cookies, cupcakes. Kira had even got ahold of a magic radio. He sat perched near it. There weren't a whole lot of people here, but everyone that mattered was. Diana, Mervyn, Jacob, Kira, Emilia. He had talked with his cousins, but they had come to the decision that they wouldn't want to overwhelm his dear sister. He was risking death as it was. He sat atop his perch, waiting patiently for the guest of honor to arrive.

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava skipped happily down the hallway, Sapphire in tow. She had been more than delighted to help when Onyx had approached her. She was the best candidate to get Sapphy here. She planned on doing just that. "C'moooon," She complained. "You're so slow," She teased, skipping ahead yet again. She entered the dark room, spinning and raising her hands happily. As soon as the older girl entered the room, she yelled surprise with the others. "Happy Birthdaaaaay!" She giggled brightly. Parties were so much fun! She skipped aside, letting the others have their turn for now. She would get to the best girl in the whole wide world soon enough. Ava plopped down in a nearby chair, swinging her legs happily as she waited.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire had had a rather uneventful day so far. Where was everyone? She couldn't seem to find any of her friends. It was a big school, sure, but no one? Just as she was starting to worry about it, Ava popped up out of nowhere. The energetic little blond had insisted she had something to show her. Sapph's brow furrowed as they made their way to the abandoned classroom. "Ava, what on earth could you possibly be doing in-?" She began to ask as she followed her in.

She was stopped when she saw what was going on. A blush rushed to her cheeks and her eyes went wide. What was everyone doing here? "Uhhhh Happy birthday Nyx!" She stumbled quickly, attempting for a quick exit when she thought everyone's eyes had turned to him. Expect, the door closed as she turned to make a break for it. She smiled nervously at the smirking brunette that had shut it. "Kiiiira, there you are," She laughed nervously, feeling rather tense. Now what?

 

[Kira Wolf]

Kira knew what her best friend would do when she saw what they had done. So while everyone sat around the room, she located herself behind the door. Once Ava had successfully lured the Slytherin into the room she pushed the door shut. "Uh-huh. Happy birthday." She hadn't bothered wrapping her present for the girl. "Here. Happy birthday, kid," She winked and tossed the camera to Sapphire. "Now you mingle," She hinted with a smile. "No one will bite. Unless maybe you ask," She teased with a light chuckle. Kira moved to sit with Ava. They could keep each other company while Sapphire talked with her other friends.

 

[Mervyn Strangewayes]

Mervyn hadn't been pleased to find out Diana was going to be at the surprise party, but he certainly didn't plan to back out just because of her. This day was about Sapphire. He did have to wonder, however, why Onyx thought this was a good idea. Somehow, Mervyn didn't think his girlfriend was the sort to appreciate surprises - especially not the kind that thrust her into the centre of attention. But at least there was food. Mervyn sat on the edge of a table, nibbling on his second cookie as they waited for Sapphire to arrive. Would Ava even be able to convince the Slytherin to come? Just as Mervyn thought this, the door swung open and the birthday girl stepped in. "'Appy birfday!" he said, trying to raise his voice above everybody else. His heart fell a bit as she immediately turned back to the door. He'd known she wouldn't enjoy this. And now he was partly responsible for making her uncomfortable. Not sure what to do, he stayed put on the table and started on another cookie.

 

[Diana Hollis]

If Diana had known exactly who would be in attendance at this party, she might have thought twice. Mervyn was a given, but she hadn't thought about Jacob when she had agreed. And she hadn't anticipated there being so few people, so it was kind of impossible to avoid him. But she was determined to at least show Sapphire how much of a better friend she was than the Gryffindor boy, and waited impatiently for her to arrive. Avaria led Sapphire into the room, and Diana yelled surprise with everyone else. It was soon clear that Sapphire was a little uncomfortable with this all, but Diana was sure she would get over it. It was nice when someone did stuff like this for your birthday, and no one had done it for her, which was kind of annoying. Perhaps she should be dropping some hints around her friends. She had expected Mervyn to go over to her right away, but instead he stayed on the table and ate a cookie. Diana didn't bother to hide her face as she rolled her eyes, then stepped forward to head over to Sapphire. "Happy Birthday." She said brightly, giving her friend a quick hug. Sure, it was partly for show, but she did really consider Sapphire a friend and wanted to celebrate with her. "Welcome to the cool club of being fourteen." She said with a slight smirk as she pulled away from the hug. She knew Jacob certainly wasn't that old yet, and hoped he had heard her comment.

 

[Emilia Manning]

Emilia felt honored that she was part of this party, especially when she saw how few people were here. It was Sapphire's brother, Kira, a younger Ravenclaw, Diana Holland and Jacob. She only really knew Jacob, and had gravitated to his side as they waited for Sapphire to show up. When she did, Emilia yelled surprise with everyone else, but was a little sad to see the girl seemed uncomfortable with the situation. She herself would hate something like this too, but she had thought Sapphire's brother would know what she would like to do. She glanced around uncertainly at the others in attendance, wondering what they should do now. But Diana Holland made her way over to Sapphire first, and Emilia decided to stay back for now. She didn't know the Slytherin very well, but she knew Sapphire was friends with her and that Jacob didn't like her. She decided to wait for now, and see what would happen.

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

Jacob was glad to have Emilia by his side as the small group waited for Sapphire to show. He was glad he hadn't asked and Onyx hadn't supplied him with information about the guest list. He probably would have shown up anyway; someone like Diana wasn't going to keep him away. But he certainly would have arrived later. Joining the chorus, Jacob didn't realize Sapphire seemed uncomfortable. He just chalked it up to her being surprised as he turned away to speak to Emilia again. They'd had a little time to catch up as the semester began, but he always enjoyed her company. He didn't miss the comment Diana made, knowing it was at least partly directed at him and made a slight face. He only just made the cut off to be in this class, and she somehow knew it. "Come on. Let's say happy birthday to her" he told Emilia before stepping forward and pointedly ignoring Diana while also being fully aware of her. "Happy Birthday, Sapphire!" he said loudly.

 

[Onyx Derouin]

Onyx laughed as his sister quickly returned the sentiment before trying to run away. He hit the magic radio as the others gathered around his sister. He hopped down from his seat and slid over to the crowd. "Heeeey, don't forget me," He pouted, sliding closer and taking the camera from Sapph. He kissed her forehead. "C'mon, we have games!" He chirped happily, ignoring Sapph's discomfort. She'd figure it out. She was always quick to adapt. He left the group and hurried back to where he'd been sitting. "I got Monopoly! Pirates edition." He winked. Monopoly was always fun.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire nearly dropped the thing that Kira threw at her. "Wha- hey!" She started to protest, but then she looked down at the object in her hands. She let out a soft gasp as she turned it over in her hands. Diana hugged her then. She looked up, instinctively wrapping an arm around the other girl. "Ah, Di, hey. Thanks? 14 is different than 13?" She asked curiously. Her brow furrowed. She didn't feel any different. Their birthday had been last month, sure, but she appreciated the thought of all this anyway.

She looked to Jacob and Em with a smile. "Oh, 'ello there." She blinked as Onyx appeared out of nowhere and took her camera. She rolled her eyes. "Monopoly? Really?" She teased him lightly. She shook her head, hugging Em and Jacob a moment. She looked around the room. If Onyx and she assumed Kira put this together, was there a chance...? Ah, yes there was. When she saw the opportunity to slip away, she wondered over to the snack table while Onyx set up his board game. "I see you brought me cookies." She teased, hopping up into the seat next to Mervyn.

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava giggled, clapping happily as Onyx pulled out a board game. She skipped over to the group. "Oooh, that's so fun! I'll bet you'd be good at the game," She linked her arm through Diana's. Onyx had warned her that the older girl might need a friendly face. Ava was more than happy to oblige. "You have gotta sit with me!" She giggled brightly. "You look so pretty today!" She smiled at the girl. "You have gotta tell me your secret." She looked to Onyx, who had started pulling out a table. "Do you need help Nyxy?"

 

[Kira Wolf]

Kira smiled as she watched things unfold. This was going well. She followed Ava, standing near Emilia and Jacob. "How are you two?" She asked. She had met them at the Quidditch game, and they seemed like they were nice enough. She knew Onyx and Jacob had a bit of a thing going on. She recalled meeting Emilia in the art room before. She played the piano beautifully. Maybe this might be her chance to get to know them better. They were important to Sapphire after all. If there was one thing she had learned it was that the raven-haired spitfire didn't hand out her loyalty easily. That did bring into question how on earth Diana had gotten it, but it wasn't a question she felt should be asked right now.

 

[Diana Hollis]

"Fourteen is better, obviously." She said with a shrug. It made sense to her, older was better. Diana wanted to talk to Sapphire a little longer, but then the girl was distracted by the appearance of Jacob and some mousy Hufflepuff. Diana frowned, and crossed her arms as she waited for her friend's attention to go back on her. It didn't. She then moved onto her boyfriend and Diana rolled her eyes. The young Ravenclaw then came up to her and Diana pulled her arm free in annoyance. "I don't have to do anything." She told her, frustrated. She hated being ignored and was frustrated with the stupid party already. "Go help Onyx if he needs it." She definitely wasn't going to help. She was a guest, after all.

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

Jacob didn't know Kira very well, but he didn't think it was from lack of seeing her. He saw her plenty and they kind of spoke through their other friends. He just thought they were different so when she spoke directly to him, it felt a bit awkward. Jacob shrugged. "Fine" he said. He was too distracted by all of the goings on around the room. Onyx was setting up some kind of table and he heard Diana nearby saying something. Jacob frowned. He turned to glance over his shoulder. "Don't mind Diana. She doesn't know how to play well with others" he shot her a glare. He was never going to forget the swing incident. Never. "Why is she even here?" he muttered to himself before turning back around, hoping to get a few moments alone with Emilia.

 

[Mervyn Strangewayes]

Mervyn wasn't used to this. Being the quiet one, the one sat invisibly in the corner. It didn't feel right. Yet he hardly knew anybody at the party besides Sapphire, and he didn't really feel like talking to Diana. He smiled at his girlfriend as she came to sit next to him. "Was just lookin' after 'em," he said, offering her the plate. "Got lots of friends, ain't you?" Was that a hint of bitterness in his tone? Maybe a little. Not that he was jealous, or wanted a big group of friends. He didn't. He liked being by himself, or with Leda. He glanced at the other kids, all younger than him, a couple of them looking fed-up in spite of Ava's unassailable cheer. "What's Monopoly?" he asked Sapphire. "I never played it."

 

[Emilia Manning]

Emilia had talked to Kira once or twice and gave the girl a small smile. "I'm well, yourself?" She asked politely, not sure what else to add to that. She was distracted by the other Slytherin girl being a little rude, and then Jacob commenting on it. Emilia moved a little closer to her friend, who she felt safest with in this room of relative strangers. She shrugged slightly. "I think she's Sapphire's friend." She said timidly, even if she knew that Jacob wasn't really looking for an answer. "Should we get something to eat?" She asked Jacob quietly, not sure what else to do at a party. She wouldn't mind putting a bit more distance between herself and the rude Slytherin girl.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire grinned as she watched everyone else interacting. She doubted that whatever was happening around Di would end well. She turned, taking one of the cookies Mervyn offered. She snorted when he commented on her friends, leaning back and crossing her ankles. "If you figure that one out, let me know." She nodded to the people. "He's my twin, I get that. Kira lives near me. That little ray of sunshine?" She pointed a cookie at Ava. "She was in the orphanage a month after her mum went. Punched Blaine once for giving her trouble and haven't been able to shake her since."

She snorted and took another bite of her cookie. "Beats me," She responded to his question about the game, "Somethin' Onyx cooked up." She nudged Merv with her elbow. She hadn't missed that hint of something in his voice. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was though. "You're still my favorite though," She murmured softly before biting the rest of her cookie and hopping off the table. "C'mon, let's go see what Nyx is doing." She motioned for Merv to follow and started across the room.

 

[Kira Wolf]

Kira could tell when she wasn't particularly welcome. Not that she held it against Jacob or Emilia. She'd been a bit on the outside most her life. She smiled warmly at them and wondered over to Onyx. He directed her to start pulling out chairs. She obliged quickly. As she came back with the first set of chairs. "Nyx, is this a good idea? Does anyone other than us know how to play?" She asked him quietly. They were wizards, after all. Not everyone had grown up on the game.

 

[Avaria Lockwood]

Ava pouted a little as Diana snapped at her. She nearly giggled at Jacob's comment but held herself back. She didn't want to laugh at her. "Well, I guess you don't have to," She continued brightly. "If you shared all your secrets then everybody would look as fabulous as you do!" She didn't skip over to Onyx like she planned, but stuck with Diana instead. "Allie tells so many fun stories about all of her sisters, your family must be fun to be in." She chattered brightly as ever. She wished she could have brought Vader. It was easier to talk to him.

 

[Onyx Derouin]

Onyx smiled at Kira as she offered to help. "Let's get chairs," he told her, glancing over to Jake and the others. "Don't let those two eat all the cookies!" He called to the others, eyeing Sapph and Mervyn alone. It was stupid since he'd tried so hard to get them together in the first place, but he was a little jealous. Sapphy never looked at him like that. He wanted to throw something at Mervyn, but he knew that wouldn't go well. Kira came back over then and turned to Kira with a wink. "Aw, it's gunna be fun Kiki, Just you wait." He finished setting the game up and studied his work with a wry grin. This should be good. If Diana and Jake didn't kill each other first.

 

[Diana Hollis]

Diana was annoyed that the girl wasn't leaving her alone, and even more annoyed at Jacob's comment. "Look." She said to the blonde. "Can't you hang out with someone else? I'm good." She rolled her eyes, the girl getting on her nerves as she talked again about Alice and her family. Her family was pretty good, but Diana was tired of all her sisters always being the topic of conversation. She walked over to the snack table where Sapphire was with Mervyn. "We're playing a game?" She asked, as she thought she had heard something like that from their conversation while Avaria had been chattering in her ear.

 

[Jacob Kingsley]

"Ugh, that's right" he murmured, having purposely forgotten that fact until Emilia mentioned it. He was glad his Hufflepuff friend was here, especially since Onyx was flitting around the room like a social butterfly. He was just about to nod to Emilia's comment when Onyx called out to them from across the room. He bit back a laugh as he looked at Emilia, clear amusement on his face. "Guess we should" he said with a shrug. "You ever play Monopoly?" Jacob asked her. He didn't love the game. He'd never had the patience to last long enough to see the game come to an end, and it was a little boring truth be told. He did like the little pieces though and always tried to get the top hat when he was pushed to play.