Oh Merlin, not more girl talk

At forty-something years old, Apolline seemed to get more of a thrill out of sleepovers than Athena did. From the doorway of her bedroom, Athena watched as her mother directed House Elves around the room, telling them to put pillows here and duvets there as if there were fifty girls about to be fit into the expansive room instead of just Pricilla – who could make the sound of fifty girls all by her lonesome. Perhaps Apolline was compensating for that. Athena highly doubted it though. If she was then she would have given her earplugs. Athena continued to stare, amazed by what she saw. It was a terrific feat, getting all of those House Elves to bend to her will, but somehow Apolline did it and for some reason Athena wasn’t surprised.

Once the room was positively teaming with everything soft and cuddly in the world, Apolline came and stood beside her daughter to observe her work.

“It’s awful,” Athena remarked, curling her lip.

Apolline turned and glared at her daughter before crossing her arms over her chest and replying in a snooty tone, “I think it’s rather charming!”

“You would,” Athena retorted snidely.

"Get downstairs Athena," Apolline said suddenly, glancing at her watch, "Pricilla will be here soon!"

So, with a sigh, Athena left her bedroom and made her way downstairs where, after encountering a House Elf carrying a stack of pillows, she proceeded to wait in the living room for Pricilla to come through the Floo.

Cilla was super excited. She had thrown all of her stuff into her purse, which was rather small, but with a ton of stuff in it. She was flitting around her home, talking non stop to a house elf who was carrying a tray with a drink on it. She threw something else into her bag, and then glanced at her watch, and shrieked happily. "Time to go!" She said and walked out of the room, her purse swinging. Going into the kitchen, she looked around, and sighed. No one was in here except a house elf flitting around. She frowned, and looked at the fireplace. Taking a pot off the mantlepiece, she took off the little lid, and threw a pinch of the powder into the fire. The flames turned emerald green, and Cilla took a moment to appreciate the green hues, before she took a step into the fire and said, "Goyle Manor!"

Clutching her bag to her side, she felt herself spinning in circles, and she kept her eyes closed tight, and her elbows tucked in tightly. Finally though, the spinning slowed down, and Cilla stepped out of the fireplace calmly. Taking a brush out of her bag, she got rid of the soot right there, and then looked around the room. "Athena!!! Merlin!! It feels like it's been forever!!" Cilla said and threw her arms around her friend. "Athena!! How are you?! What have you been doing? It feels like it's been forever, but I guess it was just at that party we went too that we saw each other! Athena! How are you?!" Cilla said excitedly, her eyes secretly taking in the Living Room. Taking in the details, and scrutinizing everything, a smile still on her face however. Looking excited. "Oh Athena! A sleepover! Don't tell me this was your mother's idea!" She said laughing, and dropping her bag on the couch, and grinning, her eyes darting around the room, before falling back on Athena and grinning happily.

Having her dearest, if not only, friend over for the night wasn’t nearly as horrifying as Athena was enjoying making it out to be. As much as she hated girl talk, she doubted she’d get as much of the repetitive nonsense the other girls in their year spewed. Athena wondered whether it would have been worth inviting Mira over as well but she didn’t want to be completely bombarded with her engaged friends. Pricilla’s marriage was on the horizon, as was Mira’s. Athena was still sort of drifting, bobbing along only just managing to keep her head afloat in the sinking ship she’d found herself on.

The first part of the day had been spent with her father, poring over more names, more pictures and finance figures. Gregory Goyle wanted someone with money to marry Athena. That was the stipulation on his part. He didn’t actually appear to care whether his daughter was happy or in love or not. In fact, all he wanted was his stipulation met, just like the men did. Gregory Goyle wanted money; the nameless men Athena had seen all wanted one thing: an heir. Athena was worried about her ability to do that among other things. Darius’ words still haunted her and Kendall’s had done little to reassure her.

She was broodmare and she needed to do her job right.

Athena struggled to huff out a breath of air as the flames in the fireplace flared green. She lifted her gaze to see Pricilla step out onto the rug, her face flushed and a wide smile on her face. When Pricilla spotted her, Athena closed her eyes and braced herself for the moment her friend wrapped her up in an impossibly tight hug. Athena awkwardly returned the hug and smiled grimly, unable to manage a real smile. She knew she’d be up all night talking to Pricilla and as good as it would be to talk to her friend...Thea was slightly sceptical about how long she’d last before falling to sleep.

“Hmmm,” Athena agreed absent mindedly as Pricilla released her. “The party was...interesting. What happened to Jeanine in the end anyway? Oh, um...How are you? Sorry. Er...yeah, I didn’t realise she’d gotten to this part of the house too. Most of the pillows are upstairs.” Athena explained hastily.

Cilla giggled, and looked at Athena. "Oh really, you need to smile more." She said, putting her hands on her hips, and pretend glaring at her friend. Cilla was used to Athena's moods, but still, there was no reason to not smile, her father would pick her out a good guy all in time! They always did.. and even if it wasn't a good one.. two and you were done, that was it. Cilla had just gotten lucky. Cilla glanced around the room again, and grinned. It was nice to be back at her friend's house, it had been to long. "Ohhh, pillows did you say? We must go see!" She said happily, grabbing her friend's arm, and dragging her up the stairs, as though she was in her own home, leading to HER bedroom.

"Oh!!! Athena it's gorgeous! Look at all of the pillows! I love it!" She said grinning, turning to look at her friend. "Imagine the kind of pillow fights we could have with these.." She said a competitive glisten appearing in her eyes for a moment, before she turned and grinned at her friend again. "So did you find a guy today? Mother told me that your father was helping you with the books... I remember that book.." She shuddered. "So many names and numbers... not a fun one.. but still, there are SOME nice guys left I think.. and new ones are being born all the time! I mean... what if you have a daughter, and I have a son, and they get hooked up! Oh, we simply must Athena!" She said giggling, even though they were pretty closely related already. Cilla dropped her bag (Which she had picked up before she had left the kitchen) on the floor, and fell into one of the overstuffed pillows that covered Athena's room. She giggled, and looked up at Athena. "I'm going to have to get this many pillows now too..." She said absentmindedly.

Athena was mentally preparing herself for when Pricilla finally asked her about Kendall. Pricilla wasn’t a fool and she’d caught on pretty quickly at the party. Athena was still mortified even as she stood there now but she didn’t regret sleeping with him; that she could not claim as he had been the best lay she’d had in a very long time. It was something she could have very easily daydreamed about had she been anyone else. Though, because it was her, she dreamed. It was the vivid to the point where she woke up, her skin bumpy with goose pimples. She could feel his lips on her skin even as she stood there before Pricilla, awaiting her fate. It was awful but wonderful at the same time. He had the touch of a God - though Athena would rather die at the wand of an Order member than tell him that. His ego was inflated enough - she was surprised he could still walk through his front door alright.

“I’ve got nothing to smile about,” Athena deadpanned with a small frown. Her frown deepened as Pricilla looped her arm through hers. Athena sighed and allowed her friend to drag her up the stairs. Pricilla had slept in their house almost as much as Athena had - and that was certainly saying something. She found Athena’s room without great difficulty and headed straight for the pillows that decorated the floor as soon as she stepped over the threshold. Athena tentively stepped in, moving to close the door behind her before plopping herself down onto a pile of pillows. She watched her friend as she giggled at the ceiling with wild abandon, and couldn’t help but let a smile creep onto her face. She daren’t laugh though, for fear of hearing it ring in her ears. It was a rather beautiful laugh; until of course she snorted. Her laugh was something she loathed and so she’d never let herself do it.

“The books?” Athena questioned, coming out of her thoughts. She blanched immediately and sighed. She envied Cilla, she really did. Cilla had found Tobias and they were so very clearly in love. Here was Athena, agonising over her future while having to live with dreams of the resident Hogwarts whore. She knew that she was beginning to enjoy dreamland better than she was reality - certainly. There was no man out there for her, only a few Swedish wizards and a Donkey from northern Russia. “Oh,” Athena murmured lamely. “Yes...he was making me look again. Dead ends as always. At this rate, Cilla, I won’t have a daughter to give to your son. He’ll never be able to find me a husband.” Athena let herself fall onto her back and she sighed heavily. “Are there any nice Purebloods left, Cilla? Tell me because I’d love to know! Merlin knows I’d love to know! I can’t keep saying no...one day I’m going to be sat down and told who to marry and I don’t want that, Cilla! They’re giving me a chance and I’m buggering it up spectacularly! Who is left!? Who is actually unattached and man enough to handle me? No one! That’s who!”

Athena groaned. “I’m doomed to live forever as a spinster. I’ll have fifty cats by the time I’m thirty.”

Cilla smiled and leaned her head back in the pillow, watching Athena out of the corner of her eye. She knew what was on her mind, but she wanted to surprise her, and NOT talk about it just yet.. she knew what had happened, it was Cilla's way of finding out stuff. She was a gossip, and things were easy to find out if you batted your eyes and smiled, specially for a pureblood like herself. People wanted to know her, and she took advantage of that. Anyone who heard anything about anything, and she took the pieces, and found out what she wanted to know. Even if they were just rumors, they fed her soul nicely. Cilla propped herself up on her elbows, and grinned at her friend, displaying perfect teeth. "oh.. that Ravenclaw? Yeah, she got hooked up with some other kid, doesn't remember the argument, no harm done." She said shrugging. "The last place I saw her, she was heading up the stairs with another Ravenclaw." She said giggling. "Someone got laid!" She laughed and fell back onto the pillow again, staring up at the ceiling.

She listened to her friend woe about not being able to find anyone, and then grinned and knew it was time right now to drop what she knew. "Ohh Athena! Don't be so worried! I'm sure Kendall would be pretty nice with you.." She said, batting her eyes at her friend. "From what I heard, you two get along pretty well!" She grinned and propped herself up again, smiling at her sweetly. "You won't end up a crazy old cat lady if I have anything to do with it!" She said smiling at her friend again, widely. "I mean... we could go look at the books again! Only have MY opinion for it! I think we should do that.. unless you want to end up with Kendall." She said shaking her head. "He's kinda a manwhore though isn't he?" She said shaking her head. "Come on girl... You have that dreamy look in your eye, you sooooo got laid didn't you! Merlin Athena! Why didn't you tell me!" She said jumping up and practically pouncing on Athena, holding onto Athena's arms, she grinned at her. "You crazy b*tch! You did didn't you!" She laughed and jumped up off the pillows, grabbing her bag, and pulling out a pencil and paper, sitting in front of Athena. "So girlie, how was he? Any good? Anyone I should be seeing eh? I mean.. Tobias won't mind, he goes off with girl's all the time, I don't care, we're open about it." She looked at Athena and giggled. "Or would you be jealous? Are you WITH him? OH!! Do you parents know?!" She asked sticking her tongue out between her teeth at an odd angle, and looking up at her with a silly expression on her face.

Athena had the worst taste in friends. Sometimes she wished she was as selective as she was with people who she had to satisfy her whims. However, her friends had never been her choice to make. She had Mira - who did nothing but obsess about Krum who clearly had a thing about redheads and didn’t tell her - and she had Pricilla - who was the biggest gossip the world had seen since Lavender Brown. It was oh-so convenient that the latter’s father had been the editor of that gossip rag, the Daily Prophet. They’d all been on that front cover at some time in their lives - whether willingly or otherwise. Athena had always been instructed to show herself in the best of lights so that the grand finale would seem all the more poignant and supposedly heartbreaking. Though, what the grand finale was, Athena did not know.

“You didn’t muck everything up in her head too badly did you?” Athena asked, vaguely concerned about the Ravenclaw that had ended up on the end of Pricilla’s wand that night. Athena knew her friend was proficient in memory charms - and more than just a little bit - but she still wasn’t about to let Pricilla near her head; which showed how much she trusted her with the spell. “Did you find anything useful in her head or was she as dull and boring as she looked?”

Was that a hint of jealousy there, Thea? Oh fabulous, now her subconscious was taunting her too. Trying to reassure yourself a little bit?

Then, in classic mode of Pricilla, she got to the point. Athena groaned loudly and put her hands over her eyes, her mortification rapidly returning. She did not want to end up with anyone - much less Kendall James Rookwood. Pricilla had the best deal - she had Tobias and every other guy under the sun she wanted. Athena had been born with the belief she was better than everyone and so therefore made sure anyone she slept with was up to par. Which, in short, meant that Kendall had been one lucky, lucky boy - and she’d pursued him; or just, y’know, found his porn and decided to set up camp on his bed.

“Okay-okay-okay!” Athena shrieked. “I slept with him! Fine! I’ll shout it to the high heavens if it’ll make you feel better! I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but that’s not something you can mention in normal conversation! What could I say? ‘Oh yeah, potions was crap, though by the way...I slept with Kendall Rookwood’ - NO! That’s awful! I kept it to myself so I wouldn’t get mauled by a load of hormonal Hufflepuffs!” Athena groaned loudly again and shook her head.

Athena stared at her friend as if she had three heads. She was taking notes? Oh sweet merciful Merlin. Athena didn’t know whether to strangle her or spill all of the dirty details. The latter, however pleasing it would be for Pricilla, would not make Athena as happy.

“No I’m not seeing him!” Athena snapped, on the defensive. “He- I....” Athena pursed her lips, her cheeks flushed pink. “Sleep with him then for all I care!” Athena waved her hand in the air and flopped back onto the pillows. “I’ll just...” Athena sighed. “Nope, it’s not my business. It was a one-time thing and it’ll never happen again. I’ll find some nice wizard from Romania who I can’t understand and I’ll live in my self-inflicted misery for the rest of my life.”

But he was a bloody good lay, her mind added unhelpfully.

Cilla frowned, and crossed her arms over her chest. "Hey! My memory charm is really good! I didn't mess anything up jerk!" She said, huffing angrily, and blowing a stand of hair off her face. "She simply doesn't remember the argument, and assumed that she was with some other guy the entire night.. I made sure she was well matched! He didn't have any STDs... at least he said he didn't.." She said frowning, and tucking her hair behind her ears. "And she was boring... to many facts..." She said shaking her head. "Stupid Ravenclaws.." She laughed lightly, and looked at Athena, unsure of what was going on in her head. Athena was such a downer all the time, and Cilla often found herself wondering why she hung out with her, they were much to different, but as it was... Purebloods were pretty much told to hang out with purebloods. You didn't even get to choose your friends when you were born into a pureblood family.

Cilla backed off when Thea started to yell at her. She stared at the girl, and tilted her head to the side. "Calm down girlie, just teasing." She said smiling slightly. Her eyebrows raised as she spoke about letting her sleep with him, Cilla could tell that it would obviously annoy her greatly, and there were feelings there that she wasn't willing to admit. "Thea... you need to relax!" Cilla said laughing. "If you keep your expectations the way they are.. they'll come true! You have to... step out... sleep with someone who isn't perfect... sleep with someone who you.. well you like." She said, frowning at her friend. "Psh, you aren't going to marry some dude like that! Thea listen to yourself!" Cilla said, staring at her friend and taking hold of her shoulder, and grinning at her friend. "You HAVE to lighten up girl!" She said falling back onto the pillows again.

The thought of Pricilla’s memory charms being good was horrifying enough but the idea that they were effective and somewhat helpful was even worse. She had messed something up somewhere, Athena was somewhat sure of that. She didn’t quite know what she was supposed to do if the poor girl remembered what had happened. Athena didn’t want to have the whole world reminding her of what had happened and she was sure that the Hogwarts populous would take great delight in harassing her about what happened. Apolline had always said that being a cold-hearted b!tch would be her downfall one day. Athena had taken very little notice of that comment time and time again but she was finally realising that yes, her heartlessness was a problem and clearly, closing herself off from the world under the guise of superiority and a foul attitude wasn’t doing her any favours.

She could never be as free as Pricilla was though. There was too much fear behind Athena’s mask, far too much for her to relax and be content.

Athena gave a heavy sigh and tugged on a curl, unsure as to what to say to her friend to reassure her, or what to say in general. She bit her lip and tapped her foot idly against one of the pillows as her friend spoke of the Ravenclaw disdainfully. This was slightly reassuring for Athena but despite this, Athena still felt pretty rubbish. Rubbish seemed to be the best way to describe her lately. Darius had done a little bit more than unhinge her a little bit. He’d reminded her of something she’d been denying her mind the right to acknowledge - and she hated him for it. She would have given anything to have been in Pricilla’s position - in something semi-stable. But no, instead she was plagued with thoughts about an impending wedding which would be, at this rate, to a European wizard who really cares nothing for her. Anxiety seemed to be Athena’s only emotion for as long as ‘rubbish’ had been the best describing word for her.

“I’m trying!” Athena tried, tossing her arm over her eyes. “You’re the lucky one, Pricilla! Yours was an open and shut case! Tobias was an easy find! I’m sixteen years old for Christ sake - and it’s all they talk about! It’s driving me absolutely insane. I don’t get a break! I don’t have enough bloody time to think let alone fall into bed with some random!”

Athena didn’t doubt that it wouldn’t do her some good to just...let go of some of her inhibitions. She over thought and she was certainly too picky. Perhaps Pricilla was right. No, there was no perhaps. She was right, that was the bottom line. Athena would have been stupid not to have listened to her. But then again, this was her friend - her silly, silly friend.

So instead of agreeing, Athena asked, “Who on this Earth is there that I’d like and willingly fall into bed with, Pricilla?”

Cilla watched the horrified look on Thea's face, and she had to laugh. The girl obviously didn't quite agree with the fact that her memory charms were good... she HAD used it a couple of times.. to cover up some stuff, a while back.. but there was no harm done then either! She shook her head and sighed, falling back to stare at the ceiling again. Thea really was trying to hard to be happy, and Cilla knew that that was the downfall to many of the pureblooded girls. They wanted to be happy... and if they weren't.. well they drove themselves insane. Cilla knew that if Thea didn't start to think positively... well.. Cilla sighed, and watched her friend fret.

At Athena's question, Cilla sat up, and grinned widely. "Well there is one person.." She said staring at her friend. "Obviously you didn't mind him the first time.. I see the dreamy look on your face! Don't deny it Thea!!" Cilla laughed heartily, and fell back again, staring at the ceiling, arms outstretched. "Obviously you had SOME fun with him.. and it was willing.. unless it was rape!" Cilla sat bolt upright, and stared at Athena. "Did he rape you Thea! Merlin!" She said jumping up and grabbing her wand. "If he hurt you.. I'll kill him!" She said angrily, her wand gripped in her hand, and green sparks flew out of the end. She looked down at her wand, almost surprised, and she set her wand down carefully. "I'm starved Thea.. lets get something to eat..." she said sounding thoroughly upset for some reason, falling back on the cushions and laying there, surrounded by the soft comfort of the over fluffy pillow.