In time we'll see the ties that bind us

In Pureblood society, dinners were always important. They were second, only just below balls and seasonal parties. This dinner was to bring the family together again. Elijah couldn't claim to be excited about it. He was in fact dreading it because Viktor had taken it upon himself to invite the Anderson's. As if being at home wasn't a reminder enough; he had to go and invite them. Some father.

Elijah could hear Viktor not too far down the corridor, in Cecilia's room, babbling about how interesting it was to bird watch. Elijah couldn't say he agreed. Thankfully he had less insane company. He had his cousins and his children with him, watching him intently as he straightened his tie. The twins had disappeared downstairs, leaving only Adam, Elisabeth and Harry behind, sitting on the bed with Fauve and Thierry.

"You're doing it wrong." Elisabeth observed, watching Elijah in the mirror. She smirked as the artist pursed his lips and sighed in frustration. She loved it when he became annoyed.

Elisabeth slipped off of the bed, her dress falling neatly around her long body without wrinkles, and glided over to where her cousin stood. She swatted his hands away and carefully slid the tie up, treating it with much more respect than he had been. She smirked again when Eli's face contorted into one of even more frustration and she let out a laugh.

"Are you looking forward to what the House Elves have prepared?" Harry asked from the bed.

Elijah turned and met the eldest Harrow's gaze. He was suited and booted, just like every other male in the household. Even Thierry had a little suit on. Elijah couldn't deny how delectable Harry looked. He was off limits though, once again. In the last month, he'd gotten himself a girlfriend. They seemed serious enough. Elijah was just glad he was happy. He couldn't help but notice how the less than platonic feelings towards Harry had began to ebb away. He was glad of it. It just made things complicated.

"I am!" Fauve piped up, filling the awkward silence. "Do you think there will be chocolate?"

It was at that moment when Anka Harrow swept in, her long grey hair pulled up into a bun. Elijah smiled at his grandmother and allowed her to kiss him. She then crossed the room to the bed. She held her arms out for Fauve and the eager child climbed into her great-grandmother's embrace.

"Of course there will be chocolate, little Fauve." Anka told the girl, leaning down to kiss Thierry on both cheeks. She rose back up to her full, impressive height and held her spare hand out for the little French boy. "Come Thierry, the Elves have a dessert for you both to sample."

Elijah followed his grandmother out and kept an eye on the trio as they walked down the hall. He stopped outside Cecilia's door and knocked. He opened the door and stepped inside to find his father still babbling. Elijah smirked and looked at his sister. She looked better, somewhat.

"Do you have a lighter?" He asked. He'd mentally become lenient about the smoking. The way Eli saw it...if he didn't have a ciggy then she probably would.

Cecilia pretended to be listening to her father as she looked through her closet for something to wear to the party. He was babbling on about something that had to do with birds that she wasn't the least bit interested in. “Dad, the Red and black one i wore to the Yule ball or this blue one?” she asked sure he wouldn't like either other them because they where both on the short side. Though most of her dresses were. That was more of the style now.
She still wasn't ready when someone knocked on the door and then opened it. She looked over her shoulder to see Elijah. “Are you not the one who told me to stop smoking in the first place?” she asked him. She did have a lighter and a few boxes of cigarettes though she was most likely never to tell Elijah about them. “which dress do you think i should wear?” She asked Elijah. Their father had still failed to answer the question she had asked him before.
Cecilia hung one of the dresses on the door knob of her closet door and so it wouldn't drag on the ground and she started to scratch her arm. it was itchy though she couldn't scratch the itch. after a minute or to she picked the dress back up trying to ignore the itch. through it wouldn't go away.
Red dress Blue Dress

Mira didn't want to go to this dinner. It would be sure to torture her with images of the life she almost lead. Whenever she came into this house there was a major flashback of the fatal party where Elijah had called her a lesbian and sealed the fact that they wouldn't get married. But Mira was determined to not let Elijah spoil the fine dinner that the Krum’s cook had prepared. She would keep herself composed and rational in front of the Krum and Anderson families. Mira guessed some would call it lucky that the two families were still so close after many ‘discussions’ about what was to happen with their troublesome children who refused to get along.

With a pop Mira apperated on the Krum's doorstep. She was early and would probably be the only one of the Anderson clan. At least Cecilia would be here. It was amazing that Mira got along with any of the Krums. But Cec was cool, she put up with Mira's crazy and Mira put up with hers in turn. It was nice to have one member of the Krum family who trusted her. After what had happened with Alice it almost seemed as if they were all watching Mira, waiting to see some sign of breaking down. The Krums had watched her become cold at the same time as the Andersons. They were her second family. A home away from home. Only her home held ghosts of her sister, this home was clear of painful memories.

Mira let herself in and tentatively looked around. There was no one in sight. "Hello?" she called loudly. Where were the Krum siblings? Mira wandered into the parlor, where she sat herself in a comfy chair. She was wearing a pretty GREEN DRESS, that her mother had bought her last week. Mira drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair, waiting for someone to answer her call.

Elijah found Viktor’s distaste for the dresses to be amusing. He understood why his father disliked them, Elijah wasn’t particularly fond of them either, but Cecilia would be the one wearing it so who were they to complain? Her retort wasn’t open Elijah had wanted to hear so he decided to take matters into his own hands. He lit his cigarette with his wand and turned around gesturing vaguely towards the blue dress before leaving the room. He took the first flight of stairs and walked out into the foyer as Fauve and Thierry dived out of the kitchens that the House Elves didn’t live in. Fauve had the spoon in her hand and Thierry was chasing her, clearly determined to get it back. Elijah looked over at his grandmother and smiled gently before following his children at a more leisurely pace.

They’d gone into one of the many parlours and hadn’t emerged yet. Elijah cocked his head around the door and took the cigarette from his mouth as his eyes fell on a familiar pair of legs. He subconsciously licked his lips as his eyes trailed up the body of the woman. When he found Mira, his lips quirked into a smirk. Fauve was chatting animatedly to her about nothing, waving the spoon out of her brother’s way as she continued.

“You’re here early,” Elijah observed as Fauve bopped Thierry on the head with the handle.

After Elijah left Cecilia pushed their father out the door behind him and shut it. She put the blue dress back into the closet and then changed into the red one. She had heard Mira call out from the entrance of the house. She quickly fixed her hair and make up and put on some strappy heels and went down stairs to found her friend in one of the parlous with Elijah and his children. “Mira,” she said a slight smile on her face, “its been a little while.” she shook her head as she watched Fauve and Thierry to her brother she said “I can’t believe you let them act like that,” she shook her head and sat in a chair opposite of Mira and crossed her legs.