The Dinner Party

Penny fidgeted in her dress as she flattened her hands over her stomach, turning to inspect herself in the full length mirror. She did not count it as a vacation if she had to do things she did not want to. Wasn't a vacation about relaxing, about doing as you pleased? Then why was her mother parading her about like a doll? It was typically Shadow that seemed to get this privilege. It was common knowledge that Shadow held the Macnair beauty. There was something so plain about Penny that her mother had never seemed to care all that much. Certainly, she was always dressed like a princess, but Vivienne Macnair had never wasted much time on her eldest daughter. Penelope was a bit of a lost cause.

But, for whatever reason, Vivienne was paying the utmost attention to the darker-haired daughter. She had taken her out to buy new dresses in preparation, had replaced her swim suit, and had been chattering nonstop about how pleasant it would be to see the Ivanovs. Weren't they lovely? Weren't they handsome? Weren't they charming? Wasn't their money delightful? Penny wasn't sure they were thinking of the same Ivanovs. Sure, they were a typical perfect pureblood family, but Vivienne had never had anything nice to say of them before. They had always been unruly, square-headed, and snobbish. To be fair, this was Vivienne speaking fondly of someone but what had fueled the sudden change?

It definitely wasn't a vacation if Penny was made miserable because of it.

"Penelope! Almost ready for dinner?" her mother trilled.

"Yes, mother."

"I'll send Dotsy in to help you!"

Penny forced a smile as the family's oldest house elf tripped into her room. "Hello, mistress!" she squeaked. "You look lovely. Sit! I'll finish your hair!"

Penny obeyed and heaved a sigh. "I don't understand," Penny quietly confided, for Dotsy had never told her secrets before, "Why is she suddenly so hard-pressed to make me pretty?"

Dotsy squawked indignantly. "Mistress is the prettiest of the house! Mistress is absolutely beautiful and Dotsy must insist she not think otherwise. Mistress must forgive Mistress Macnair, for she is very anxious for this dinner. She is hoping Mistress Penny will make a good impression with the young Ivanov boy-"

Penny spun on her stool, nearly knocking Dotsy over. "Is that what this is? Oh no. Dotsy. You have to help me-"

Vivienne swept into the room. "There she is! Dinner is served!"


Penny stood glumly behind her chair, as did everyone else as her mother and father entered into the large dining room. The chairs pulled themselves out and all of the ladies sat first, followed by the gentleman. Dotsy and the other house elves brought in large platters of soup for appetizers and set them before the guests, before bowing out. Penny picked up her spoon and began to eat, focusing all her energy on it as her mother's eyes bore holes in the top of her slightly bowed head.

Here it was again - the annual family vacation. Robin had fallen into a blissful ignorance that it was just around the corner and last week, when Misha had sent him an owl to confirm his attendance, the reminder had been somewhat of a slap in the face. It wasn't as if he was being pulled away from anything. In fact, he was quite looking forward to lounging by the clear blue water outside their family home. It was the 'family' aspect of 'family vacation' that Robin was less than enthusiastic about. Misha's owl had been vaguely passive aggressive in nature and Robin was not excited to hear the lecture that he had no doubt awaited him at the house. But the time for avoiding was at an end.

This year the small group of Ivanov's would be joined by the Macnairs. It wasn't unusual for the family to adopt less powerful families under their wing for a little while. Because they were weaker than they seemed too. With the exception of a cousin or two, Misha and Robin were the last remaining young men in the family. They were a dying breed and Roland couldn't stand to sit by and watch it happen. It was almost a routine now - laugh, drink, and get too intimate with a family to gain their alliance, giving the impression that their own family was as strong as ever.

Robin hadn't really talked to any members of the Macnair family in excess but he had heard they were bringing some younger people, including their daughter. He was only aware of this because his mother had included it in a letter, strongly hinting her desires for Caspian to get along with her. In all honesty, Robin couldn't care less about the inner workings of his mother's matchmaking mind, but Cass's growing age did concern him. His little brother was becoming enough of a man to gain the attention of the Pureblood stage, a status that Robin worried would bring disaster down on his head. That was the curse of the Ivanov man. You either met your end at the prime of your youth or refused to die, even long after your expiration date.

Robin's boat docked around seven, but the summer sun still sat above the horizon. His bags had already been apperated here but the man himself had elected to take muggle transportation. Sped up my magic of course, but muggle boats none the less. He arrived through the back entrance and came upon a small gathering in the main living room. His mother rested in a leather chair and conversed with an older (but still attractive) woman who must have been Mrs. Macnair. Pollux stood behind, reading the spines of the books that filled the cases, clearly waiting for something more exciting to strike the quiet and cool house. Gwendolyn's eyes flickered up to see her son and a smile graced her lips. It was an odd kind of expression, one that conveyed motherly love yet wasn't quite convinced having her middle son here was a good idea.

"You finally made it Robbie. Your brother was beginning to worry." she said with the slightest hint of scolding in her tone. Pollux had turned in excitement at the new presence and was now grinning ear to ear at the appearance of his older brother.

"Sorry mum." Robin countered with a little laugh, walking to where she sat and giving her a soft kiss of greeting on the cheek. He stood up, winking at Pollux, who had made his way into the group and now stood next to Robin expectantly. Both of the younger boys idolized Robin much more than their other siblings for reasons such as their sister being, well, a woman and their brother working at a desk job. Robin ruffled his hair, but his gaze remained on his mother, searching for an indication of what sort of situation he had entered into. Just then Mrs. Macnair excused herself to go and get her daughter for dinner. Her eyes scanned the pair of boys (Robin now had Pollux in a headlock) and she raised her eyebrows slightly before leaving.

Gwendolyn eyed Robin and Pollux with disapproval and the older boy released his brother with some resignation. "It's dinner time? That's great, I'm starved."

"Robbie, your brother really was hoping to talk to you tonight." His mother interjected, clearly having been told to pass on the message.

"Food first. You know I can't handle him on an empty stomach."

"Be nice. He probably just wants to chat. You're never at home anymore, you know."

Not wanted to dive into that sensitive subject seconds after his arrival, Robin just nodded and started walking towards the dining hall. Pollux hurried to catch up and matched his step with his older brother. Robin grinned down and a little laughter entered his voice. "So tell me Polly, have you met this girl they're trying to stick Cass with yet?"

- - -

She was pretty. This confused Robin. If she was pretty, Pureblood, and single she should be able to find herself a suitable husband without the assistance of her parents. But she hadn't, so naturally there must be something wrong with her. But what was it? The two families had both sat down, mixed in with each other to inspire conversation between them. Robin had been placed diagonal to Cass's girl (Penny, her name was Penny, he had learned that moments ago) and he couldn't help but occasionally glance up and look at her. It was either her or his cousin Ignatius who was eating his soup in a particularly unattractive manor at the moment.

Penny had been silent for the start of the dinner and the way her mother stared did not go unnoticed by Robin. One person who didn't see it was Caspian, who, at the moment, was being watched in a similar way by Gwendolyn. Did the poor boy even realize what was happening to him? Robin suspected not. He was far too calm to know.

"So Penny, you attend Hogwarts, right?" he asked, trying to get a sense of what was wrong with the girl. Robin's mother gave him somewhat of an evil eye, suspecting some sort of ploy. He raised his eyebrows at her, as if to prove he was doing no wrong. Simply making conversation.

The House
Stairwell/Entrance
Common Room
Dining Room
Master Bedroom
Robin's Room
Penny's Room
Bathroom
Theater
The View
The Beach
Back Deck
Back Deck (Love Seat)

The silverware was having a lively conversation, the air filling with the sounds of gentle clinks of spoons against the rims of the bowls, the crunch caused by forks spearing roasted, candied vegetables, the occasional slip of a knife's ridges against the bottom of a plate. Penny was a quiet girl, but it did not mean she did not appreciate a civilized conversation. She loved to hear people speak of music, and books, and of places she had never been before. She could even be tempted, on occasion, to speak of her own opinions.

But never in such company. She knew that, every moment, she was being judged. Her parents would judge her progress, trying to weigh how good the chances were now with whichever behavior she was exhibiting, as well as taking note of what they would later correct her on. Surely, the Ivanov heads were judging her suitability as a potential wife, measuring her in comparison to their own son. Perhaps even the Ivanov siblings were judging, making careful note so they could point out her weaknesses and strengths later on in the night. Penny knew it might have counted as judging on her own part to assume that each of the party looked upon her with such scrutiny, but she only thought this from the confirmation of prior experience.

Even so, Penny found her constitution was failing her between the lack of words exchanged and her silent fears. She always worried that the happiness and prosperity of her family somehow depended on her. Her parents always seemed to be reminding her that they were not as privileged as their peers, and must make up for such disadvantages by fostering a reputation of nobility and dignity. Their very existence seemed to depend upon the other families respecting and liking them, of wanting them to be apart of their high society. They were kept around by the desire of others. To concrete this, both girls (though Penny in particular) needed to find a husband who would be absolutely mad for them. This is what Penny had hanging over her head, like a rain cloud she could not shake - the happiness of her family was incredibly dependent on people Penny seemed incapable of charming.

The silence was broken by the middle Ivanov boy, Robin she was sure. She looked up and looked to her mother, almost asking permission. As her mother turned to engage Mrs Ivanov on the topic of latest fashions, Penny found herself well disposed to speak to Robin. "Yes, I'm going into my final year this year." It struck her that the more time she spent speaking to Robin and to everyone else at the table, the less time she had to speak to the boy she was being considered with. "I'm a Slytherin. I've really enjoyed school, actually. But, your family attends Durmstrang?"

Robin nodded at Penny across the table. "Yes, almost all of us. I graduated two years ago now, Caspian is in his sixth year, and Pollux is in his fifth." He smiled at her, the familiar doldrums of dinner party small talk beginning to cloud his brain. "But my cousin, Sonia, goes to Hogwarts. Maybe you've met her? She's a Slytherin too, but in the year below you." Robin normally avoided this kind of polite conversation at all costs. His mother had stopped inviting him to her smaller social gatherings because his candidness was interpreted as rudeness and his causal manor was seen as uneducated and impolite.

Robin could be charming and lovely when he wanted to but most of the time he had no interest in putting the extra effort in so he simply.. wasn't. His personality and demeanor was better understood by people his own age, as they general expected much less of him and were able to appreciate the elegance of his ability to simply slide through life however he wanted to. No, Robin rarely conformed to the appropriate dinner party customs, but tonight was different. This was a special occasion after all - his little brother may have found himself a wife.

"Do you have any plans for after you graduate? The final year is always an exciting one. Figuring out what you want to do and all." In his seventh year Robin had almost died (twice), joined the Death Eaters, been dumped, kissed and made up, failed only two classes, traveled to four continents, was dumped again, bought his own house, and found out his father was having an affair. And it hadn't even felt that busy. Of course it was only in seventh year that Robin realized how reluctant he was to graduate and enter the real world. School was safe and familiar. The world was more complicated.

Penny did know Sonia Ivanov, of course. It was a truth no one had ever spoken but everyone understood, that every pureblood was somehow ingrained with a full understanding of every other pureblood family. There was not a pureblood in Hogwarts Penny did not at least know of, and she was required to be on civil terms with every last one of them as well. Though she had never had much occasion to speak to Sonia, she knew the Ivanov girl and had always thought her very pretty. "Oh, yes, I know Sonia, though I haven't spoken much to her. She seems very sweet, the times I've spoken to her, and she's very pretty."

Penny smiled, glad to have found such an nonthreatening conversation partner at the table. She was happily skirting the obligation to acknowledge the younger Ivanov and found his brother was much easier to focus upon. Surely, there would be no harm in speaking to him, either. He was a few years her elder, so surely out of the question. Though there was no wedding band, she assumed he must have his own pureblood wide or fiancee she simply did not know of - he was from Durmstrang, after all, so it was safe to assume he had found himself a nice Russian family to bond to. He was definitely the safest option.
 
What was she doing outside of Hogwarts? She did not know yet, but knew anything that was remotely tempting to her was surely out of the question. No way could she go into the muggle relations office; no way could she do something as simple as own a bookshop; no way could she sell muggle artifacts with magical properties (with the proper license of course.) No. She had to do something more befitting of her standing. Even now, she was uncertain that saying any specific occupation may make her look insubordinate - she was supposed to marry well and birth heirs. Still, everyone was speaking, so she gave the most truthful variation of an answer she could risk. "I'm not certain yet. I know I want to graduate top of my class so I can get a good job in the Ministry, perhaps something to do with magical anthropology, or history."