March 20th, 1890 - A Party in Wizarding London

August really ought to stop going to these things. He could not dance, hated small talk, and had very recently landed in the paper yet again for representing a vampire free of charge. To say that he was uncomfortable was an understatement; he was hovering at the fringes of the cocktail room and tapping his cane against the toe of his shoe. Really, he was running out the clock - trying to decide when he could feasibly leave without it being a Thing. This wasn't even a Thom party.

The unfortunate thing with loitering in silence was that, sooner or later, you ended up standing too close to someone to ignore them any longer. This was, of course and predictably, the situation that August found himself in.

"Mrs. Selwyn," August said, with a nod. He knew her - not well, but he knew who she was, as was generally the case with purebloods at these things. She was significantly more social than he was, had a tendency to throw parties - August actually had no idea whether or not she was hosting this one. Her husband owned a newspaper and had a lot of siblings - more than August, maybe, although he was unsure.

"I trust we're off the record?" his expression and tone were both wry; as far as he remembered, Mrs. Selwyn had no relation at all to her husband's business.

---

Freya Selwyn

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   Freya Selwyn

Nearly a month into her return home and Freya was only just beginning to find her footing with Daniel. This separation was the longest yet at five and a half months, but Mama was dying. One day soon — much sooner than Freya would prefer — Mama would be dead and she would be an orphan. It was a reality she was both terrified of and overly prepared for. What reprieve would she have from Daniel's dark moods when she could no longer bathe in the warm affection of her mother?

The party tonight had thus far gone off without a hitch. Balls were easy to prepare so long as one had adequate help, and tonight's was no different. Besides, organizing events calmed her nerves during times like these. They gave her a way to refocus her attention on something she had absolute control over - from the sparkling ceiling right down to the polished floors. Not a single detail forgotten, not a single flower out of place.

It was perfect. Not that Daniel would notice.

Mr. Echelon-Arnost wasn't a frequent visitor of her parties, though as far as she was aware he was always invited all the same. One never knew with her husband - some days her friends were permitted inside their home and some they were not. Freya's life was a delicate balancing act, a brilliant performance only few could manage. To navigate his moods whilst remaining sane, it took true dedication and love. And Freya, as she always professed, loved her husband.

"For the moment." She answered politely, smiling at the jest. "I hadn't expected to see you this evening."

  

If she had not expected to see him, that meant this was probably, maybe, her party. August wished that he knew for sure, but made a mental note of it regardless. He really ought to pay more (read: any) attention to invitations he received; his housekeeper usually kept track of them for him.

"Well," August said, happy to poke a little bit of fun at himself, "Sometimes one likes to change things up a bit, make an appearance."

---

  

It always surprised her how easily most other people ridiculed themselves. Daniel's moods were so often dark that light jests weren't a frequent occurrence, nearly to the point where Freya felt a flash of guilt having insulted Mr. Echelon-Arnost. Daniel likely wouldn't have tolerated such a slight to his character had she made the comment towards him.

But, Mr. Echelon-Arnost was still smiling at her. So perhaps she hadn't insulted him too terribly. "We thank you then. Your intellect is always a welcome addition to this crowd." Freya reached for a champagne flute off a passing waiter's tray and took a small sip. "I trust your ward is well?"

  

"I'm glad to hear that," August said with a genuine smile. Sometimes, at parties like this, people preferred he shut up - because he was, of course, prone to talking adamantly about progressive.

"He's well - thank you for asking," he said, "He turned six earlier this week, which is simply astonishing to me." Six years. Six years, since Lyra had left - and though he had done her favors since then, he had never spent an abundance of time with her. If he did not live with the evidence of the passage of time, August did not think that he would have believed it.

---

  

Her own levels of activism were astonishingly low, as Freya found herself unnerved breaking the mold. She had always been the model — the leader through the storm. And while she had plenty of political capital to suggest change, she wasn't certain how such a move would be perceived. The coveted role of a respected wife was the part she was meant to play, after all. Everything else was simply a distraction.

"Happy Birthday fo him." She smiled back. Freya, obviously, hadn't been fortunate enough yet to be blessed with children. No healer was able to disclose a reason as to why not, short of suggesting she not leave the marital bed for months at a time. Children, it seemed, took time to conceive. "I'm sorry to have missed it. I'll have to send a belated gift." Freya said earnestly. A small token would be simple enough.

  

"Oh," August said; he was charmed and surprised, and both emotions were present in his tone. "Don't feel obligated to do that - although your generosity is very much appreciated, Mrs. Selwyn." It had always been surprising to August, her marriage to Daniel Selwyn - who was, at the best of times, known to be a recluse. He just didn't get it; although he supposed that his own romantic history was somewhat of a mystery. Glass houses, and all that.

---

  

"It's no bother." At the very least it gave her something to focus on. Between Mama's frail health and Daniel's moods Freya rarely had anything to cheerful to turn her attentions to. (The likely cause of her sometimes bi-monthly events.)

"Unless you're opposed..." She said suddenly, eyes widening slightly at the potential falling. "My apologies if I overstepped..."

  

"Not at all," August said, "It's a generous offer, as I said - and very appreciated, by myself and, I'm sure, Lysander."

---

  

She smiled, relieved not to have made a foolish faux pas. "I'll send an owl tomorrow with it." Gifts, in her experience, were better given in person, but she wasn't about to invite herself into his home. Not that Daniel would agree to such a visit regardless.

  

August smiled. He didn't know what else to say; Mrs. Selwyn did not have children, and it was generally better not to inquire about children when they were marked by an absence. Men with leg injuries would fill these gaps with dancing, but August did not have that luxury.

So instead, he hazarded a guess: "The festivities tonight are lovely, by the way."

---

  

"Oh. Thank you. It was simple enough." Her smile brightened at the praise. It was nice for her efforts to be noticed, as Daniel would merely be counting the minutes until he could retire.

She sipped her champagne. "Have you picked up any new clients?" Freya had to ask for her husband's sake, much as she disliked talking of such things at an event like this. The lawyer's most prolific cases as of late were highly political — it made for impolite conversation. "I read recently that the vampire was released."

  

---

Amazing Set by Stef!

August shook his head. "Working predominantly with my usual clientele," he explained, by which me meant he was assisting with the contract work of other rich people. (It wasn't quite Quidditch recruitment season yet, so there wasn't too much work to do for Thom yet.) "The vampire case was pro bono, and I usually take a bit of time between those."

They had to be really good cases, for one - he had really only taken Galina on as a client as a favor to Lyra.

---

  

"A kind decision to do so, given the circumstances." Vampire or no, being falsely imprisoned for over a year seemed dreadful. Her knowledge of the case ended there, unfortunately, so she wasn't able to further elaborate on the specifics. "She was fortunate to have someone like you defending her."

  

August was startled into a smile. "You know, Mrs. Selwyn," he said, "You have a more nuanced view of the situation than - oh, almost anyone else who's talked to me about it." Either vampires were universally bad and August was wasting his time; or, vampires were not universally bad but August was a bleeding heart and ruining his reputation; or, standing up for one vampire was a stand-in for standing up for all beings and half-breeds and Galina was a martyr.

---

  

"Oh? I thought compassion was a shared trait amongst this crowd." Freya quipped, her eyebrows raised in faux surprise. Most members of Society cared only as far as their own standing went. They volunteered at and operated charities only to say they did. And Freya knew she was no better more often than not, but at least she was conscious of it.