While she wasn't particularly keen on parties, she was set on saving wildlife. Everyone else seemed to rake in the galleons by throwing large events, no matter the scandals that erupted from them, so why couldn't they? Nora had conservatory's committee for quite some time now, and being the youngest by a good forty years, had devised this plan as a new and fresh way of funding. It helped greatly that she had friends that had access to some of the best party planners (or that she could twist Charlie Spinnet's ear until he helped her out), and things seemed to have turned out well. So far.

For the brave at heart, there was a grand maze that made its way throughout the haunted castle. Guests would be offered clues to get themselves to the ballroom, and if they were truly lost (as Nora was sure was to occur), for just a small donation (it's for charity), any money dropped into a clue box would light up a blue path down the correct route to lead the way out. With all the Gryffindors that Nora had put on the guest list, she was sure they were going to triple their goal.

There was a simpler route than the maze, which was simply to walk through the double doors to the dance floor. Nora was currently wavering between the two, having run out of pamphlets to give out at the front entrance therefore giving her no excuse to join the festivities. She felt rather exposed, as Delilah had stolen her cloak, and when someone tapped her shoulder she jumped nearly a foot in the air.

"Bloody hell!" she let out, spinning around. "You scared the life out of me!"

She rubbed her eye, the migraine that had crept up the back of her head now encasing her entire skull. Giada rested on her knees, staring at the mess Allyson had created with little energy to do much cleaning up. Her wand waved listlessly, attempting to conjure some sort of organization charm, but her heart wasn't in it. Her heart wasn't in much of anything at the moment.

The bell on the front door jingled, and Giada let out a breath; Graeme was here. A large wave of relief washed over her, but as she heard his footsteps head toward the back room, a slight panic struck her. She was going to have to tell him what the fight was about, what Ally had revealed....Giada wasn't even sure she had accepted this revelation, and now she was going to have to repeat it to her husband, her husband who had already suffered so much because she came from a crazy pureblood family that only saw his bloodline.

Giada looked up as the door opened, and stared miserably at Graeme before her gaze dropped back down to the mess on the floor. She ran a hand through her hair, feeling ready to pass out.

"She hates me," Giada muttered, surprising herself, upsetting herself.

WHO: Allyson Davies and Giada Dorny
WHAT: A fight and revelation!
WHERE: Their music store!
WHEN: TODAY

( Just because you think something is a good idea, doesn’t mean it will work out for the best in the long run.  )

WHO: Giada Dorny and the mother who disowned her!
WHAT: Giada makes the mistake of trying to talk to her mother at her father's wake
WHERE: The Vance Household
WHEN: This afternoon!

( Your father is dead and he died knowing that you had some mudblood’s child )

In attempt to calm her fury at the news of Rachel's pregnancy, Giada was using her Sunday to work on the nursery for her bundle of joy. Bundle of joy! That is what a baby was, not some secret that you keep hidden under your robes for months and refused to share the news with the world. Ooooh, she could not believe Rachel. They had been best friend for as long as she could remember and! How could she keep something this huge from her? And Gabriel. Giada had actually liked him, she thought he was a good match for Rachel, but now she hoped that his pretty face got hit with a bat-bogey hex.

Giada frowned, once again forcing the angry thoughts away so that she could focus. The corner of their bedroom was slowly being transformed into a little world for their baby. They definitely needed to start thinking about getting a bigger place, but Giada didn't think they could risk that while the record shop was still relatively new. For now, a nice paint job and a crib that fit snugly into the corner of the room would have to suffice. They'd get a house when they could afford a house, she was sure the baby wouldn't mind sharing a room with his parents for a while.

She heard Graeme enter the room, but didn't break her gaze from the space of wall over the crib. Giada twirled her wand around, and began to draw shapes in the air, "It's missing something and I can't figure out what."

For Graeme Dorny, the last couple of weeks – no, the past month felt like an eternity. He had lost track of time, mainly because he had been kept locked away like some animal, unable to keep track of when it was night or day because there were no windows where he was. The only light he ever saw came from under the door, and that wasn’t even sunlight. No, it was light from the tip of a Death Eater’s wand, whenever one would approach where he was being kept. There were others, where he was…but no one he knew. All he knew was that they were scared, and that the monsters who were holding them captive were not fond of overhearing them talking to one another. They learned the hard way, and their numbers dwindled down to nearly nothing over time. 6 people, at least, had been crammed in such a small area, but only 2 had been lucky enough, if you could even call it lucky, to be rescued.

Graeme still didn’t know the woman’s name…all he knew was that her husband had been literally ripped out of her hands and taken somewhere the very first night they had been brought to wherever it was they were. The sound of her sobbing and the threats that were sent in her direction by cowards in masks stayed with him…probably always would. He just kept imaging the unbearable pain that would have come along with having that happen to Giada. Every time he heard the woman sob, he heard her…he saw her face, even in the darkness, and it was the hope of seeing her again that probably kept him stable – or, as stable as one could be while being chained up in a dungeon. He was completely useless, without a wand…and while he wanted to play the part of hero, and do something, he couldn’t. He could barely move, let alone try to do anything more. He couldn’t be reckless…he had Giada to think about. He had his unborn child to think about.

Still…he felt like a coward. He felt like he should have at least tried to do something. All he did was sit there, and pray to whatever God was listening that he would get out of there alive – that he’d be able to see his wife, and would be there when their baby was born. The day that door opened, and he saw someone other than a Death Eater standing there, the young man thought he was hallucinating. He watched as the magical bounds that held him where he was were undone, and cooperated completely with this stranger who had come to his rescue. He was weak – malnourished, pale, and tired - but adrenaline is the most powerful thing in the world, and he did what he needed to so that he could get to safety. Of course, once there was nothing more for him to do, the poor man collapsed.

When he woke up, he was in a hospital bed. He was bleary eyed, and the simple task of lifting his hand to rub at his forehead made his entire body ache. He leaned his head back onto the pillow, his eyes still closed as he let out a nasal sigh. The blinds were closer next to his bed, but he could tell, for the first time in a month, that it was daytime. He didn’t even know it had been a month, yet. All he knew was that he was out of there.

The only thing that stole his attention completely was when he lowered his hand to feel someone else’s catch it on the way down to the mattress. Blue eyes blinked against the brightness of the room and traveled over to see the beautiful woman sitting beside him…his wife. He wondered how long she had been sitting there…probably since he had been brought in, however long that was. Even though he was still weak, his hand gripped tighter around hers, and he swallowed roughly around the dryness of his throat, wincing slightly because of how much discomfort the smallest of actions brought him.

“Giada…” He managed to get out her name, but his voice raspy and hardly audible.

It was hard to concentrate on much of anything when your brother-in-law had been missing for almost three weeks. If Giada's mind hadn't been so preoccupied, she would have noticed Boogaloo had not had a customer in over an hour, and that her doodles had punctured straight through the parchment and the tip of her quill was now leaving marks on the counter.

This past year had been so overwhelming. It would be a year, on Saturday, since she and Graeme have been married and while that was the most wonderful thing that had happened to her, it seemed like life needed to balance the really, really good with the really, really bad. They'd lost their jobs, their friends and family had been attacked, and though the store was doing well, Giada could only worry. How long until their mix of muggle and magical music annoyed the wrong kind of wizard?

Lost in her thoughts, Giada leaned heavily on the counter in front of her, absentmindedly pushing down her skirt (that was entirely too short, but it was hot outside and she was behind the counter most of the time). Only the jingle of the front door would manage to break her mood, so Giada didn't hear her husband come out from the stock room behind her.

Her chest felt like it was about to explode. She could remember the exact moment in time she had felt this miserable, and that too was because of a man. Logan Kelley had been the first man she ever loved, and after he had broken her heart, she didn’t believe she could, or would ever fall in love again. He had cheated on her, and made her feel like she wasn’t good enough. She went from being a woman who was confident with a lot of self esteem, to being conscious of every move she made when it came to the opposite sex. She lost her faith in men, and thought the last decent man on the planet was her brother, Sam. Then, she met Phineas McLaggen. He was the first man since Logan that she actually cared about…but at least he ended things before she grew too attached to him. Before he made her believe she could truly trust him.

And then…Seth Wadcock came along.

He treated her like royalty. He told her he loved her, and she had believed him. He told her he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and she had believed him. They had gotten married, and they were happy…she was happy. The only regret she had was not telling her brother about the wedding before it was too late. She was just…so anxious to start her life with him, and she felt like she was floating on air whenever he kissed her, and…how could that be so wrong? It had hurt her, to see how upset Sam was with her, but…she understood. She hated that she couldn’t take back what she had already done, but she was still happy with the decision she had made. She was happy that she was married to a man who loved her.

But then, things started to get rocky. This man she loved was constantly on the front page of magazines, all because of some scandal that involved another woman. Being a writer, she understood that most of the time the press just wrote gossip. It was all just BS, wasn’t it? So, she ignored it…but it got harder to do so, since months passed by and still there were reports of Seth and Odette MacFarlen. But, this was her husband…so she continued to ignore what they would say. Even when she found out that he had a child with another woman, she stayed. She stayed because she loved him. She wanted to be true to the vows she took when they got married. Through good times and bad…right?

It just made her feel like a bigger idiot, when the truth was finally revealed to her. How could she be so blind? Deep down, she knew…she knew that things had changed, because she could see it in his eyes. The way he looked at her…it wasn’t the way a husband should look at his wife. He looked at her like a man who had once loved a woman, a long time ago…and was now stuck with her.

Her head was starting to hurt, because of all the crying she had been doing. It was a miracle that she was able to apparate to Giada and Graeme’s apartment and make it there in one piece. She looked like hell, and kept her hood up and her head down as she pathetically climbed the stairs to their flat. She felt as though she couldn’t possible cry anymore…but when she knocked on the door and it flew open, the sight of her sister-in-law, a person who had become one of her best friends over the years, she felt her bottom lip quiver and her face contort.

“Giada-…”

She rushed forward and threw her arms around her friend, hugging her tightly as she let out a quiet sob.

Getting married was absolutely terrifying. No matter how smoothly Gabriel proceeded through the planning, the discussions, and the actual event, he was holding back getting sick the second he could catch a moment to himself. He knew he didn't love Rachel yet, which might be the reason why he was finding himself so nervous as they sat at the head table of their reception, but he did honestly---he did honestly believe that he could fall in love with this woman. She was fiery with a mind of her own, and though some people might be irritated by it, Gabriel actually appreciated the way she took control of things. He had always been a bit of a follower, and it was easy to agree with Rachel because her reasoning simply made sense.

The reception did look fantastic. Gabriel couldn't believe it was all put together within two short months, but then again he was learning that Rachel was a woman who set her goals and refused to leave them unfinished. Maybe he should look at that as a good thing; surely someone who did not want to get married would not have put so much effort into the ceremony? Or she simply wanted to throw the most beautiful wedding of them all, simply because she could. He didn't know, and didn't mind not finding out as long as they remained content with each other.

He did find her very interesting, however, and that was the first thing a Ravenclaw looked for in a spouse. Maybe all of his concerns were for naught, and it was simply wedding day jitters. His parents had been arranged in a similar manner, and they were still quite happily married (and sometimes nauseatingly sweet about it, too). Gabriel turned and smiled at Rachel, pushing his chair out and offering his hand, "Would you like to dance?"

A chorus of glasses clinging supported Gabriel, and he flushed slightly at all the attention that was on them, once again.


ooc: guest list! We did our best, but if we missed someone let us know!

She tugged on the elastic of her gloves almost nervously as she watched Graeme tire out the dogs. They really needed a manlier dog for him to play with, because the little puffs they had looked more like charmed toys bounding slowly after him in the snow than an actual dog. Maybe that's what she'd get him for Christmas, if she had the money.

If they ever got their damn wireless show back.

Giada tried, she really, really tried, but everything she bothered to think about led her back to the WWN and their lack of...she supposed enthusiasm with getting their show back on the air. She had a terrible feeling in her gut, one she wasn't used to; Giada thought she was an eternal optimist, but the situation they were in right now was challenging her beliefs. What if they never got the show back? That was a big chunk of income, gone in the blink of an eye. The muggle station's show was still on the air, but the pay was terrible and---definitely not something you could, or should raise a family on.

Maybe that was why she couldn't get pregnant. Giada knew, logically, that they hadn't been trying for very long, and that you only had a few days a month to actually get pregnant, but it seemed like whenever anyone else wanted to (or didn't want to--) poof! They were up the duff! Maybe she had to start not wanting to have a baby, and then she'd be stuck with one.

A smile struck her face (a surprise!) as Graeme trotted over, their dogs trailing slowly behind, "They're pupsicles."

WHO: Giada and Graeme Dorny
WHAT: Radio station attacks!
WHERE: WWN HEADQUARTERS
WHEN: Now!

( “…we’re ending the show early today…” )

It had been another long day at the radio station. They had a few requests, played a few songs, did their normal banter back and forth while they were waiting for requests to be called in…and opened their normal supply of anti-muggle letters that always seemed to slip into their mail every week. They would have to stall whenever they would start reading one and then realized what it was, but by now they had gotten it down pretty well. If anything, Graeme was always able to come up with some excuse why the letter couldn’t be read on the air, even when Giada got a little caught up in what was actually written on the paper.

Getting back to their apartment, the two of them went through their normal routine of scrounging for something to eat in the fridge (they had gotten back a bit late, and neither one of them felt like cooking) before they got changed into more comfortable clothing and sat out in the living room to watch some television. For some reason, tonight both of them were more quiet than usual…mainly because Giada was quiet, and Graeme could tell that it was because something on her mind. He knew he’d have to address the situation eventually, but he waited a little while longer, until they were getting ready to go to bed.

Standing in the bathroom that was attached to their bedroom, Graeme moved his toothbrush against his teeth, spitting out some toothpaste before he looked over to where his wife was sitting on their bed. “So…knut for your thoughts?” He quirked a brow slightly and gave her a small smile before he continued to brush his teeth, though he kept his eyes on her, waiting for her to say something.

Who: Maybe my name is Edward, How dare you call me Rachel & Giada Dorny
What: The unconscious ones wake up! Sorta.
Where: Mungo's
When: Now!

( Just as quickly as it had come, the warm feeling that had previously engulfed him vanished. )