Kitchen

(luke sent her an invitation last summer. She only got it now because she was killing some Ministry people...

Or Luke is just to tired to give a sh*t.

I will go with the second one.)

She frowned, "I recieved an invitation to come for a casual dinner at your house this morning. Perhaps I was mistaken?" although she didn't really see how, it had Luke's address on it and everything. Maybe this was the working of his god-mother if he didn't know. Then again, it could be another trap if someone else knew she had returned to England. Alexandra's expression grew wary and an intent focus that she had never had when Luke knew her became apparent.
"If you or your god-mother did not invite me, I should leave now."

Her eyes widened in surprise at the sudden burst of energy and enthusiasm from Luke, what on earth had she done to gain such... happy admittance to his home? But it had been a year since she'd last had human contact not involving someone attempting to put an end to her life. This was a refreshing change.
Awkwardly patting him on the back as she tried not to suffocate in his hug, a small smile emerged that wasn't forced but rather involuntary. Alexandra had forgotten his social charisma and cheerfulness around friends.

"Better than I've been all year," she replied honestly when he finally set her back down on the floor. His height was still a bit ridiculous, she remembered it had only been exceeded by the Durmstrang Champion from the last Triwizard Tournament. "What about you?"

"Really..." despite his smiles and hugs, he still looked like he could use a good night's sleep or five. Something was tiring him, but she decided not to pursue that topic for now. The last thing she wanted was an argument with an old friend.
"How is life with Cazz now that you've graduated?" she asked politely, if Cazz had been true to her words a year ago, Alexandra hoped that she had found a way out of the Death Eaters. The same went with Misery... She grimaced. Having a year to think over what Misery had confessed to her, it was difficult to decide whether she should be honest or pretend she had not heard the last word for her friend's sake. Assuming of course that she was alive.

Managing to brighten up a bit, she looked around the kitchen, interested to see what place Luke called 'home'. It was definitely not as large as her house, but it held its own charm with the light wood furnishings.
"I like your house." her lips quirked into a crooked grin.

"Your attic's still probably my favorite room though." She'd always been bad at small talk, but this was pushing her weakness in this field to new limits. Alexandra shook her head as she imagined Cazz's bachelorette party: probably ridiculous, crazy and slightly illegal. Personally, she had never understood the appeal of such a celebration before marriage, but who was she to judge?
Luke seemed essentially as he had before, but the conversation remained stilted and on safe grounds as if he was avoiding talking about something. Or perhaps it was she who was the one doing so, but old habits died hard in her.

"Haven't lost you touch in partying have you? Cazz would be so disappointed." shiiiiit. Even her teasing sounded rehersed. She wrinkled her nose at the realization, remaining oblivious to Misery in the shadows.

She snorted, "Sure, that's what you tell all the ladies." Alexandra kept her less tactful thoughts to herself, including one that asked whether the magic was confined in those rooms because Amelia could walk in any other room whenever she liked.
Her head snapped to the sneakerscope as she jerked her wand out of the waist-band of her jeans in the same instant. Clothes changing into a set of dark robes with protective spells embued throughout the cloth, Alexandra focused her hearing and sight to find anything out of place.

(So I am guessing this is where Aly will tell Luke to wait here, and she will check it out, so you two could rp in the thread?)

(mmsure? you two finish it up here, I start back at the thread once I've caught a bit of sleep?:3)

(How did you guess?^^
Mpph, fine, but I may not be able to get online until next weekend:/ School starts again tomorrow.)

"Stay here," she directed firmly at Luke before turning to the door that had slammed shut and glaring. Just one reunion - albiet an awkward one, but a reunion never the less - and something or someone had been trying to get one over her. Would they never let her rest?
Her robes changed once again in appearance to her earlier attire but still contained protection charms that spanned her whole body. The change of clothes had been rapid before the intruder left, but now that she had more time, Alexandra knew that the robes would eventually trip her up in a fight.

(Because I know Aly. And she is the Auror-esk of our little group of misfits.

Going With Luke's persona he would not listen, and probably go out there anyways. But seeing as their is a thread for only two of you, Luke will stay.)

He also got up on his feet, his wand out a little slower than Alexandra but still the same. Not again...not again, he thought to himself on the heels of Alexandra. Who could it be this time? His mind jump from on bad scenario to the next. The only conclusion he had was someone was after Misery.

At the tone of voice that Alexandra gave, he stopped dead in his tracks. "No-I..."

But than he heard a voice near the stairs. "Let her go Luca," Amelia said in her silky voice. She was only in her towel, and her hair was wrapped up in another. She did not get any closer but watched as the door slammed in Alexander's voice. "Come. you need some sleep. I will awake you if those two come back."

Two?

He grudgingly followed orders, and was shepherd up stairs like a child, by his godmother. Saying nothing he went to his room, curled up into a ball and fell asleep instantly. Truffle's curled up into his arms, also falling asleep.

Striding into the kitchen after Misery, Alexandra glanced around. Partially because she felt an inescapable desire to look at anything but her friend at that moment in time - unrequetted love was an... interesting situation - but also out of curiousity as to where Luke had disappeared to. Biting the inside of her cheek, the brunette contemplated explaining her 'heroics' and newfound wariness had led her into an awkward meeting with a friend he had conveniently forgotten to mention. Not that she was irritated or anything, just that she would have preferred to be more prepared.
Though prepared for the whole lunging-for-your-neck-to-drink-your-blood thing would have been suprising no matter how much she had known of Misery. Or vampires for that matter. No wonder why there were so many teens out in the world enamored by their mystery and glamour.

Alexandra rubbed the side of her neck gingerly, still unbelieving of the wholeness of her skin. Her steel eyes flicked around the room, wondering if there was a mirror somewhere that she could surreptitiously use to check for scarring. Then she mentally slapped herself: when had she become so vain? There was a friend cautiously standing in her company.

"Tea?" strolling around the counters, she found a box of tea-bags ready to be thrown into a mug of boiling water compound with sugar.

Upstairs in LUke's bedroom:

Luke laid asleep on the floor at the base of the bed. He was so exhausted from these last two days from climbing the tree, to the vulcan mind meld. One surprised after another, which was to much for him to bare with zero sleep. How did he get on the floor, while one leg still hanged on the bed, trapped underneath the covers. I'll tell you why. The rotund cat, Truffle's, decided to sneak into Luke's bedroom to cuddle with someone. When he cuddles, it is like a sumo wrestler trying to get in bed with you. Slowly inch by inch he gathers more and more of Luke's bed, until you find Luke dead asleep on the hard wood floors, and Truflfle's curled up in the middle of the bed.

_______

Amelia descended the stairs. She was as light as a feather, as she moved across to the Kitchen finding it already occupied with two guess. A warm gentle smile graced her lips seeing Luke's two friends have return. She knew all Luke's friends, for a time that was all he could talk about. How much he enjoyed talking to them, pulling pranks with or on them, or just seating by the fireplace playing exploding snaps. "Good Evening Ms. Leoine, and Ms..." The name escaped her for just a moment, like catching the fleeting winds. than she remember one of Luke's letters telling her another one of his masterful pranks he rot to the school, and a insidious diabolical woman who helped him. She looked like nothing of what Luke's described, but streams of attributes shown through telling Amelia it was the same girl. "and Ms. Grace."

"I will get that," Amelia said strolling to one of the barren cabinets, knowing full well that Luke had not gone to the grocery store. His cubbards were as organize and pristine as his potion's lab in the basement. It only took her a few seconds to check the right draw to find a few leaves in a jar left. "We only have black tea, and I am afraid that we might have no milk, nor sugar. Luca," she said with the slip of the tongue with Luke's nickname, "hadn't gone to grocery store in two weeks, and he is dead asleep at the moment." Amelia did not mind that there was an absent of food or beverages in the house, not blaming Luke for balancing a full schedule that even Amelia herself did not know the fullness of his plate. "Do you need to speak to him? I will wake him?" Amelia's voice was soothing, like strings on a violin being strung.

(tell me about it:/ and the first time he used the name was before we started chatting OCC more...)

"In that case I wouldn't want to deprive you of any more food," she let loose a small grin. Imagining what a mess Luke made when he finally rediscovered his digestive system and tore into the shops to grab all the food he could find. Images of eggs, sausages and packets of muggle snacks flying through the air covered her mind. "So thanks, but no thanks."

Alexandra shrugged, she had a feeling that Luke would be all to happy to catch up on sleep and miss out on the pause filled conversation until she and Misery had sorted out their friendship. Or at least what she hoped to keep as a solid friendship. It would be... difficult if Misery gave her the ultimatum. But for now, she would cross her fingers and hope.
"If you don't mind, Amelia, I have to agree with Misery. Knowing 'Luca'," she barely reined in a smirk at her new ammunition in verbal jousts with her friend.
"He's not getting enough sleep despite what he thinks."

Leaning back against a nearby counter, her fore-arms rested on the table-top behind her as she relaxed. This really was a nice kitchen. If it wasn't for Roberto's insistence that they were trying to restore the estate and not rebuild, she would have changed her kitchen long ago.
"How have you been lately? Still working for the ministry?" she had a vague memory of Luke's godmother working in the Auror office. It was also a safer bet that the flow of the conversation would be less stilted if directed towards Amelia. At least, that was what she gathered from her attempts to talk to Misery on their way back to the house.

(I like the name. Not changing it. >.<)

Amelia gave a pleasant smile, leaning up against the counter top to take her weight off her feet. Dropping the matter completely, she did not want to ponder on food any longer, for fear of her stomach making a rumbling sound. In response to not waking up Luke, she said, "Ten to twenty minutes or so, he will be running through the house screaming bloody murder. He has his own specialize alarm system." She too had that Cheshire cat grin that Luke had. One of many qualities they shared.

A stray strand of wet hair popped out place. Amelia was not a perfectionist, as her okasama told her on multiple occasions, as she kissed Amelia on her cheek, but her hair annoyed her at times, making it hard for her not to fix it. She pulled out a bobby pin, and restrain her bangs off her face, fixing the problem of the unruly strand.

As Alexandra brought up the ministry, Amelia's face became more stern, and serious. The subject of the ministry was a sour subject with her indeed. "After that incident with the book of prophecy, I spent sometime as the Prime Minster's secretary, to guard him from the always looming Death Eater threat. Now, because of my okasa- my mother, I am a liaison for the Eastern Asia Ministry, to Britain, to spend more time with my mother, and build a stronger relationship with cross culture wizards and witches."

Now she spent all her time popping in and out of two different countries, trying to keep each others up to date, with what is going on in each others Ministry.

______

Upstairs in Luke's bedroom

Truffle meowed softly, snuggling up to the lone foot still hanging onto the bed.

(Trying to pull away from what the ministry did. Amelia would not have put up with the Ministry capturing order members for testing.)

(As you should. Amelia is a wonderful, brilliant and ever-appealing name for a girl to have.)

"Getting away from having to check whether the ministry is monitoring your every action as well?" she could imagine that having the minister become dependant on you for information was a very... nerve-wreaking job. Between the MOM agents at your heels and possible threats to find out the inner workings of the organization, it was more than likely that Amelia's occupation was more of a burden than a reward for rising through the ministry's ranks.
Alexandra's lips curled into a smirk, "A diplomat... Enjoying the numerous balls, parties and banquets that come with the title?" Her grey eyes flicked over the woman briefly: no, she wouldn't be the type to like flitting and giggling with people she had barely known for an hour.

A wave of dizziness forced the Order member to blink and clutch at the table. She had not slept since... was it yesterday or the day before? And she hadn't lost so much blood since the death eater attacks at Hogwarts. Alexandra's already pale face grimaced as she carefully stood away from the table, now would be an apt time to excuse herself from the visit, apparate home and collapse into her bed. Her bath could wait till when she woke up.

Amelia did not show it, not in the least bit. But all this talk about the Ministry had put a damper on her mood. Instead of bring the looming dark clouds, she played a warm smile. She did not have to much time left to stand around, when the grandfather clock chimed from the Attic. It had a distinctive ring, that could even be heard from here because of these thin walls. "Well, I am off," She said standing straight, to her full height. "It was lovely seeing friends of Luca grace this house once more." Amelia got to the door, before turning around, eyeing both Alexandra and Misery. "Can you tell Luca for me that I will not be seeing him for a few days, freeing up some space for him..." With that the door was click shut behind her.

Her words were directed more toward Misery than for Luca. In this house, little to nothing escaped her notice. Call it a godmother's intuition, or an Ex-Auror instinct, but Amelia knew that something that she could not put her finger too about Misery, without prying.

_______
Upstairs in Luke's bedroom

Luke vaguely heard the grandfather clock echo his loud chimes. He was falling in and out of restless sleep that felt like for an eternity. when he slipped back into slumber he felt no security haunted by images that made no sense, but at the same time, brought an unexplain chill.

Luke did not sleep for long though. Finally truffle's, tired of being ignore, hoped on the wooden chest at the base of the bed. truffle's meowed once, but got not answer from Luke. That was his last chance. with one claw, he pawed at one of the several vials left ignored on Luke's chest, sending it crashing to the floor. It did nothing. he saunter to the second one, than the third. On the forth vial he sent it crashing at the base of Luke's foot. The hole house shook with Luke's curses as he hoped on one foot, streaming out colorful curses at the cat. Which the cat in turn gave a blank stair.