June 15, 1892 — Mulciber Youth Ball; Mulciber House

Alcyone felt a little out of place here but she supposed that was mostly because a lot of her usual cohorts were unable to attend. All the other attendees were teenagers just like she was so at least she wasn't among a bunch of adults. She had gotten a glass of punch but it tasted a little weird to her. Alcyone was mostly nursing it as she roamed around the ball. Maybe she would ditch it somewhere later. She didn't have much time to follow through when she realized someone was approaching her.

  

'Miss Slughorn' Cad greeted with a formal and very grown up bow as he came level with her. For 2 years he had been on something of a charm offensive with his house mates - he had realised in the middle of 4th year, that he could win outright against Cameron Gillenwater and his seemingly impossible hold over the little quidditch click - a hold that had strengthened when Cad had lost his captaincy when Beaters were banned and Gillenwater had gotten his spot. He was sure he would never really get over that loss. He had complained about it to the pureblood set who were his friends, all of whom were older than him, and their council had been to stop tearing down Cameron and focus on his own ingratiation. Still - it was a hard hill to climb - and it was hard for him to get close to those who were closest to his rival during the school year, so situations like this were to be capitalized upon.

'Are you having fun?' he asked, and took a sip of the punch, wincing at the excess of alcohol that someone had snuck into it - even though whatever booze had been added didn't match the flavor of the punch and the whole thing was acrid and pretty disgusting.

---

  

---

Behold the Awesome of Stefanie!

Alcyone was never quite sure what her personal opinion on Cadawalader Selwyn was. Mostly because she had never really properly gotten to know him. She had felt somewhat sorry for him when he had lost his captaincy when beaters had been banned. Cameron was one of her closest friends and had been made captain instead so it had not been helped that she had ended up happy about the outcome.

"Mister Selwyn," she greeted in return with a curtsy since he had bowed. It seemed only right to match in greeting. "I am, yes," she answered when he asked if she was having fun before noting his wince. "Does it taste a little off to you, too?"

  

He tried to shake his head no, and then took another mouthful and tried to feign that he was okay with it, but he couldn't hold the face and made an exaggerated swallowing gesture. 'Bloody awful' he said with a grimacing laugh and wrinkling his nose in distaste. 'I think they added a dry sherry to the punch.' he made another disgusted face. 'Let me get you something ....anything better than this' and reached out to take her glass, determined to fix them both.

He retrieved two cups of the non-adulterated punch, and then reached into his suit jacket and revealed the small silver naggin, 'fire whiskey?' he offered. 'I can't imagine the dancing will go well if people are drinking something as strong as this bad port?' he admitted to her quietly. 'I imagine a few of the younger students will be a little north of tipsy if theyve drunk much of this.'

---

  

---

Behold the Awesome of Stefanie!

Alcyone watched in mild amusement as Selwyn took another mouthful even though she was sure he had despised the taste. She laughed as he admitted to it being awful. She allowed him to take her glass but shook her head at the offer of fire whiskey.

"Should we tell an adult or just see what happens?" She asked. Then again, for all she knew maybe the adults had done it on purpose anyway. Or it wasn't a dry sherry but some newfangled drink that just didn't taste right when mixed with the other punch juices.

  

Spoiler alert: he was the one who had added the strong liquor to the punchbowl. He hadn't realised it would be both so strong and so foul tasting. 'Am I terrible person for thinking it would be funny to see what happens?' he said with a laugh. And he did also think it would be hilarious to watch the younger, and unwitting students get messed up on the alcohol.

'I don't think anythin too bad will happen, they will likely just just get a little sick if they over indulge. There are plenty of chaperones and adults here, the worst that will happen is that the might get a bit sick.' he chuckled, 'We've all been there' he laughed, and realising that it might be considering insulting to Miss Slughorn he added quickly, 'At least most young men find their way to a hangover by about 5th year'

---

  

---

Behold the Awesome of Stefanie!

Well, the youngest of them all was thirteen so she couldn't see anything too bad happening. 13 wasn't much younger than they were. "A bit but it is rather naughty of you, isn't it?" She chastised teasingly. It didn't feel right but he was right, it would be a bit funny. And she had seen her friends drunk before,

"Do they really?" Alcyone asked in amusement. "Are you sure your brethren will appreciate you indulging me in your manly secrets?" Never mind that some of her closest friends were boys and so she heard most things anyway.

  

He waggeled his eyes brows at her, at her accusation of his being 'naughty.' He always felt a strange thrill of perverse pride when he got one of Gillenwaters little Gryffin assholes to think well of him in a situation like this. That little group was so far up Gillenwaters asshole the sooner that school was over and the perceived power that Cameron had over his social betters would dissipate - and order would be restored to the universe

'I'm sure I'll be cast out, but at least Miss Slughorn, I shall have you as my friend for succor' he teased, 'and you are such the epitome of a lady that all of my bad habits and vices will be made right' he indicated the fire whiskey naggin when he mentioned 'vices'.

---

  

---

Behold the Awesome of Stefanie!

Alcyone couldn't help but laugh when he spoke of her being the epitome of a lady. "Most boys would say that a lady that plays Quidditch isn't a lady at all so it might not be quite balanced," she teased. In fact, it was the last thing most people would accuse of her despite the fact she did possess social graces.

  

He gave an exaggerated tut, designed to flatter her sensibilities.  'Pffft' he threw his head back, 'Not at all! Ladies play polo and horse riding these days!' he said, echoing something he thought he had heard Anthea chitter on about one day, but it seemed to have the desired affect on the women listening. 'Why on earth should Quidditch - the magical equivalent of muggle horse back riding and polo be something which shames magical women! he gave a sniff as though the idea was ridiculous. The fact was that as much as he enjoyed quidditch he would probably rather die than marry a woman who played quidditch. Miss Slughorne managed to play at being a lady fairly well, but he was sure that the quality of her prospects had been materially damaged by her choice to play.

'Do you intend to play after school Miss Slughorne? he asked her, feigning interest.

---

  

---

Behold the Awesome of Stefanie!

Well, that much was true. Though horse riding had always been considered a ladylike pasttime so he supposed he meant more the polo. Honestly, she felt like she had been wrong about Selwyn this whole time if he held opinions such as this. "I do not. I imagine I will likely be a debutante or something like a welcome witch.." Quidditch was fine for a school hobby but after the recent bludger fatality, she doubted her father would entertain her playing professionally.

  

'What a pity' he said, surprising himself at his ability to sound like he gave a shit, 'I'd say that the likes of the Harpy's will be at a loss for a talent like yours, but then indeed most teams could do with a player like you.'' he smiled. Even if he thought her a fairly average player. If he was being honest - and he almost never was he thought the team was pretty mediocre now that he was no longer part of it. Gillenwater seemed to have done a wonderful job running it into the ground and now he couldn't wait to be done with school and actually working something in professional quidditch himself - sure as he was that he could talk his father into sponsoring a quidditch team, even if only so he could make sure Gillenwater wasn't on it.

---

  

---

Behold the Awesome of Stefanie!

"I am sure they will survive," Alcyone said with a smile, flattered by his words nonetheless. As it was, their conversation was cut short by an older boy coming over to ask Alcyone for a dance. "It was a pleasure, Mister Selwyn," Alcyone said with a bit of a curtsy before she was whisked away.