In a novel she had once read, the name of which Millie could scarce remember now, an ordinary witch had a magical secret kept hidden from others. Another power, not unlike that of an metamorphmagus or seer, which could stir up the weather whenever she willed it. Or, in some cases beyond her control, it struck without warning and caused her no limit of trouble.

Were Millie at home reading right now, she might have considered this all nothing more than a normal passage from her book.

She could have sworn that lightning struck at the moment she spoke, or thunder clashed, or both to effect. The shock was audible among her cousins, and the young witch coulf feel it as well. Hairs stood up on the back of her neck, her hands grew clammy, and the pit of her stomach seemed to extend far below her feet. Millie tried to swallow, sucking her words back to where they belonged, but she couldn't make her tongue or throat work. They were suddenly dry, and the only thing that kept her from flight was the necklace she rubbed furiously between her fingers. And, of course, that her feet seemed impossibly frozen in place.

The youngest witch hung her head, wishing she could be anywhere else right now. She was supposed to be there, she figured, her crimson cheeks contrasting so festively with her green dress that there was no need for a tree. Millie wouldn't have objective if her cousins had started to decorate her instead, just so long as they ignored everything else about her. It was not to be, and she withered under every gasp and horrified word from Dahlia's lips.

I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Millie tried to make her own lips work, but nothing would come out. She felt hands grasp her shoulders, and the voice that came from between them was, to her great relief, not Dahlia's. Nor her mother's, nor Mrs. Basil Potts, nor any of the long line of Potts or Holt ancestors the young witch was certain were clucking their disapproval from the grave. Instead, the gracious words of Zinnia fell on Millie's hot ears, and though she winced with each cadence, it was easier to hear the inevitable reprimand from her than anyone else.

Millie nodded, a dozen times, a hundred times, as if that would ever convey how much she agreed. When she managed to look up, she found Mr. Honeyduke grinning in good spirits and Zinnia's glowing smile upon her. The young witch wiped at her eyes, finding them less damp than she thought, and said as quickly as she could, "I'msosorry,Ididn'tmeantopresumeanythinguntoward."

She took a shaking breath before adding, a little slower this time, "Dahlia, I wish you and Mr. Honeyduke good fortunes." Then Millie promptly sat down again, folding her hands in her lap and staring intently at them for the rest of the conversation.

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Jack had opened his mouth to answer when he felt the pressure of someone learning on his shoulder.  He didn't need to turn his head to see who it was, there was a familiarity there that removed any question of it.  Besides who else would it be?

He smiled indulgently as she answered for him, glad that she'd arrived when she did - he rather liked how she put it.  Eventually he shook his head when it came time for him to answer.  No it was not his first time there by far.  "We went to school together."  he replied with a tip of his head toward the shoulder Daffy rested on. "And now they keep me fed." he added brightly with his own half-joking laugh.  He could technically manage on his own... but why would he want to?

"And its good to meet you too.  Better here than when I'm on duty;  I'm a Hogsmeade constable and introductions over a crime scene are not as -" he paused, scanning for a word before landing on "festive."

"Are you a colleague of Mr. Potts'?"

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The following 3 users Like Jack Dorset's post:3 users Like Jack Dorset's post
   Daffodil Grimstone, Elias Grimstone, Millie Potts

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Daffy was momentarily distracted by whatever it was going on over by the sofa, the scandalized gasps catching her attention, but she was sure Zin and Dahlia would handle it. She smiled to see Dahlia on the arm of Mr. Honeyduke. Her sister seemed genuinely happy, which in turn made the rest of them happy.

She turned back just in time to hear Jack sort of describe his role in the family. "I sort of adopted him and the rest of the family went along with it." Daff added with a chuckle. It was hard to refuse an eager, genuine Daffy when she said her friend needed some tender loving care. Not that Jack's upbringing had been all that bad, but she had just sort of enveloped him into her life and everything that went with it, especially after he left at the end of their fifth year. Now that he was mostly out on his own, it was good for him to have a family of sorts nearby. Her mother worried over him constantly, but quietly and Basil well, Daffy hadn't been kidding when she said Jack was his favorite.

Jack's question had her chuckling again. He missed the mark, but theoretically, Elias did work with plant of sorts. It just happened to be trees and only bits of them at that. She should introduce him to Mr. Hillicker, now that would be a good connection! Still, that would have to wait until an other time and so slowly, Daff shifted spaces, moving from leaning on Jack, to standing beside Elias, casually looping her arm through his. "Not exactly," There was no definitive definition for what it was they were doing, as it was still new, but they had both been honest about what they had wanted, and were on the same page, so it was working. "Mr. Grimstone is my guest tonight." There, that would probably settle any questions; or create a whole host of new ones, it was hard to tell.

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The following 3 users Like Daffodil Grimstone's post:3 users Like Daffodil Grimstone's post
   Elias Grimstone, Jack Dorset, Millie Potts

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Dorset being as good as family only meant that there was another person here to impress that Elias hadn’t accounted for, on top of all Daffy’s sisters and parents, and the way to his good opinion was keeping him fed Elias silently damned Quin for having a surefire way to win anyone over. What was left for the rest of them?
And are you a colleague of Mr. Potts – Elias didn’t know what to do with that, and, a little sheepish, he pulled a lopsided smile and swiftly caught himself scratching the back of his neck. At least he had said colleague, and not peer or anything – at least he wasn’t that old! – but, while there was nothing terrible in the assumption, he was at rather a loss of how to actually explain his presence.

Thank Merlin for Daffy, who had gravitated to his side at exactly the right moment and illustrated the reason without needing words at all. “That’s right,” he agreed, shooting Dorset a smile and then casting it sidelong towards Daff; gratitude and affection and the slightest tinge of sheepishness, still. This was all... more nerve-wracking than he’d thought.

“Daff –” (Wincing internally, Elias caught himself there, and had a minor crisis: should he say Daffodil? But she had called him Mr. Grimstone, and they were in company, and he really should have still addressed her as Miss if he was going about this properly, shouldn’t he? But it was already too late to course-correct this time, so he left it there and ploughed onwards –) “has taught me a fair amount about flowers,” Elias added, with a grin and a wry laugh, “but I wouldn’t call myself a plant expert yet.” He could always admire other people’s expertise, of course, though doubted he’d be able to keep up with Mr. Potts in a conversation on herbology.

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The following 1 user Likes Elias Grimstone's post:1 user Likes Elias Grimstone's post
   Daffodil Grimstone

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look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

Unphased by Elias' broach of decorum, as she should be Miss Daffodil, Daff had never been one for such things. It wasn't like Jack called her anything other than Daff, either. Poor Elias was probably a little nervous, being surrounded by the lot of them. "You'll get there, whether you like it or not." She chuckled, eyeing Jack for a moment to see if he had anything else to say on the matter, but they were all saved from having to parry through the slight sense of awkward-first-meeting when dinner was announced.

"Oh, dinner's ready. Mama's gone all out," Daff had never seen such a feast prepared. Then again she rather thought that Laurel was going a bit above and beyond, considering they had two additional, single, gentlemen in attendance this evening. Daff hadn't been home to temper Laurel's ideas this time either and though she was sure her sisters attempted, sometimes there was just no swaying their mother.

Gently she squeezed Elias' arm, barely resisting the urge to slip her hand down to his. She was seated between the boys at the table (Daff had rearranged that one upon her arrival, her mother had both poor Mr. Honeyduke and Elias down by Laurel and Basil without herself or Dahlia nearby and that simply wouldn't do) and they could continue their conversation there, if desired. "I saved you a seat," she assured Elias with a warm smile, then reached out to tug Jack with them. "Mama's had your favorite made, too." Of course she knew Jack wasn't overly picky about food, either.

Everybody was filing out toward the dining room and Daff felt that warm sort of contentment wash over her; this was going to be delightful and hopefully, not the last time.

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