Absit Omen RPG

Amoungst the commotion of the party - the shouting, the drinking, the truth telling, - the front door to the flat opened one more time and a mouse of a girl slipped in. Five foot three, shocking blonde hair, horn rimmed glasses and a smart looking ensemble of long sweater over leggings and knee high boots. Overall an unimpressive presence save for the towering mass of muscle using the poor girl to keep steady.

A familiar face to those that attended Hogwarts, though only known by name to the former Ravenclaws, the miniscule blonde steered her 'package' into the nearest chair.

She straightened herself, running her hands over her sweater and hair before marching over to Nicholas, "my brothers" she made a look like she had something disgusting in her mouth, "decided to see who could drink the other under the table first. Given that Tawse is a functioning alcoholic, Peyton lost and somehow I ended up playing babysitter." She glanced back over to where she had deposited her brother, shocked to see he somehow already had a drink in his hand, "I tried to bring him home but neither Berkeley nor Briar were there and he shouldn't really be left alone. I could've stayed with him but quite frankly I just didn't want to. He's your problem now."

From his spot on one of the comfiest armchairs in the flat Peyton Wentworth, in slacks and a tank top that accentuated the muscle mass he had gained since playing professionally, grinned goofily at his little sister, "Love you, Lena!"

Helena Wentworth flipped him off and walked away happy to be rid of her eldest brother and free to enjoy her night.

Peyton got to his feet, unsteady for a moment, before making his way over to his boyfriend. Her wrapped an arm around his shoulder and gave him a kiss, "sorry I'm late. What'd I miss?" He glanced around the room realizing he recognized nearly everyone present except the other blonde Virgil was attached to.

Peyton nodded to Nick and did his best to hide any sort of disappointment by shoving a large forkful of pancake into his mouth. It was often easy to forget that other people had to work on the weekends. Aside from actually playing a game, Peyton's unconventional workdays consisted of training and practicing. It made it hard to relate to the typical 9 - 5 most other people worked.

His expression quickly perked up with mention of his long time room mate and close friend, "Oh I doubt Sasha will disappoint." He turned to Virgil with a slight shrug, "I think I have everything sorted but I'll let you know." The pair had decided to go as complementary Greek Gods - Dionysus and Apollo. Peyton just had to secure a pair of sandals and his costume was complete.

While Peyton had no qualms about having his boyfriend walk around naked he did feel a little more comfortable when he return clothed. Gently rubbing his leg as Nicholas placed his feet in his lap. He gave his boyfriend a playful look when he talked about pirates and beards and Peter Pan characters. He could imagine a tale like that appealing to a young Nick.

As breakfast arrived Peyton dug in. He had always had a large appetite, a boosted metabolism but ever since he went Professional, he trained nearly full time now and his food intake had increased ten fold. He slathered his pancakes in butter and syrup before devouring them in peace and quiet. Despite the presence of the girl he didn't know it wasn't much different than any given breakfast at the flat. He found he much preferred eating here than at home where he was less likely to have any company during meals. Neither Briar nor Berkeley really cooked and with both working for Level Two, they weren't really home during regular hours either.

With his mouth full he looked to Nicholas when their plans for the day were inquired about. Peyton turned to his boyfriend for an answer. He wasn't sure if they actually had anything planned or were just going with the flow, enjoying each other's company.

Peyton had nodded his greeting back to Virgil and let him know how he liked his pancakes, which was pretty plain - He was more of a bacon and eggs sort of guy for breakfast anyway - before turning back to his boyfriend. He smirked as Nicholas had introduced him and hinted towards his hands not providing much cover for much longer.

"If you were wearing pants, we wouldn't have to worry about where my hands were."

Nick had always been more . . . Open? Free? Liberated? Loose? Than Peyton had been. Then again the Quidditch player had been nearly grown when he even figured out his orientation. Not to mention his first boyfriend had been a long distance thing, with a Muggle at that. He wasn't really used to be so exposed to strangers. He also knew that Nick's gate swung both ways and while jealousy wasn't exactly an emotion he was familiar with, he also didn't want his boyfriend offering up the full menu.

Unsure of whether or not he could convince the former Gryffindor to get dressed, he gave another kiss on the neck before untangling himself. He passed by the sink, washing his hands before sitting down for food. Easily finding himself engaging in the current topic of conversation.

"I've always been partial to the Pirates myself. Men with beards." He gave a sly smile to show exactly what he thought of that prospect.

"Why does everyone in this house hate sleep?" Peyton groaned to himself as he rolled over in Nicholas' bed. He contemplated trying to get back to sleep but there was nothing to it. He was definitely awake now and despite himself - and the sizable hangover he currently had - he was more than a little curious about what his boyfriend was yelling about.

He threw himself out of bed and groped around for his clothes, his quidditch robes were in a heap in the corner having come over straight after a game but he knew he also had a rucksack with a change of clean clothes around somewhere. Unable to find it, he simply grabbed a pair of briefs that didn't look dirty (were they even his?) and slipped them on. 

Peyton shambled out of the bedroom and made his way into the kitchen taking more than a few moments to take in the scene in front of him. Virgil was awake and apparently making pancakes, there was a young girl that certainly wasn't Ari and Nicholas was naked. What else was new? At least now he knew what all the yelling had been about. He was pretty certain he wasn't the only one that didn't know the little scamp, now asking for Nick's name.

He slipped in behind him using his hands to cover his boyfriend up for the time being, "Oi, that's mine." He chuckled softly against Nick's neck and used his considerable height difference over the fledgling nudist to survey the house guest, "Mornin."

Peyton was thankful for the shield that Briar had thrown up. He knew that it would be a powerful one. She didn't get into the Auror Academy just because she was a Cavanaugh. There was some real raw talent there. Despite it all though he had thrown his arms around Briar, his big frame easily taking over her smaller one and kept his back to the explosion. Her charm was still in place long after the rubble settled and only dissipated when he let go of her.

Peyton stood up and brushed himself off even though none of the debris had landed on him. He nodded curtly to Nate before he sauntered off, "same to you mate." He eyed him suspiciously for the first time that night. He was thankful that no one had been hurt during their chance encounter but it was obvious now that their companion likely had been there without the best intentions. Peyton found himself wondering what they had managed to interrupt and just how lucky they had been to be walking away.

He looked down at his pint sized cousin, "was that enough adventure for you?"

Peyton let a well earned blush rise to his cheeks and he gave his boyfriend a teasing kiss by his ear, "It's Apollo actually." He mentioned after Fauna came to realize Nick was making a joke. He motioned to the bow and quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder.

"It's Blake right? You used to play for the Hufflepuff team. Ayla talked about you a lot." He gave her a friendly smile. He didn't know the older girl all too well, other than what he had heard from others, "Berkeley says you're making a great Auror these days."

It was almost surreal as the pair were joined by a splattering of former Hogwarts students. Had it not been for the fact that the last four months had seemed like a dream Peyton would have thought he was back at the castle. The only person he didn't recognize was the red head that had thrown her arms around Fauna.

"I love phoenixes!" Peyton added as she mentioned what her costume was. His favourite broom had been nicknamed Phoenox and before he started dating Nicholas, his patronus had been one of the firebirds as well.

He looked confused for a moment, "Dead foxes? What has Sasha been up to?"

Getting ready for Sasha's party had been a chore unto itself. If only because Peyton was having just as many struggles with his costume as Nicholas was. Where his boyfriend had gone with Dionysus, Peyton had chosen Apollo to finish off the tale of Greek Philosophy. Not seen as opposites or rivals in the myths, the pair were like the ying and yang of Greek Gods - order and chaos, prudence and ecstacy. In the end Peyton felt it fit them well for their first couples costume. The only problem was, his own Chiton was a little smaller than Nick's. He had finally managed to enchant his boxer briefs to look like his skin instead of trying to keep them from showing in his 'skirt'. The look was topped off with a golden laurel in his hair and a quiver strapped to his back.

Peyton made a show of looking over Nicholas as he asked how he looked, "like I'm tempted not to go to the party and have you right now." He added with a wink and a smile. He was actually looking forward to the party but it his way of saying just how good his boyfriend looked.

---

When they arrived at the castle Peyton took a few moments to take in the sight of the main room they had arrived in. Having spent seven years living with Sasha in the Ravenclaw Tower, he knew the man had come from Muggle Money but he never expected for him to live in a genuine castle. Even the ancestral Wentworth Manor was nowhere near as big as this place looked to be.

He crossed over to the table, grabbing a small plate and loading up on some of the more healthier choices. Since joining the Tutshill Tornadoes, Peyton had filled out even more, his muscles more defined as he spent most of his time now working out and training with his team. It aso meant he was almost always hungry.

He looked to Nick with an almost sheepish grin, "sorry, new workout. Been eating everything in sight lately." At least all the hard work he was putting in was a great addition to his costume as his chest was almost completely bare.

Peyton swore loudly as the trio was boxed into some strange brick box. He reeled on his cousin, fire in his grey blue eyes, "Are you kidding me Bri?! Signing autographs?! That's the best you could come up with?!" He started to pace the box. He hadn't bothered taking out his wand. There was a reason he was a Professional Quidditch player and it certainly had nothing to do with his wandwork.

He looked to Nate who seemed to be as pleased with their current predicament as he was, "Look Dodgy, I'm sorry my cousin is a complete git." He paced again stopping every so often to press his hands against the wall to make sure it wasn't an illusion.

He spun back around to his cousin, "you better be able to fix this or so help me Briar-"

Peyton was now beet red. He could have throttled Briar. Then again he had known the former Gryffindor long enough to know that something like this was bound to happen. His cousin seemed to lack certain filters. Ones Peyton believed were essential for polite conversations with strangers. Did he think Nate was attractive? yes, but that had been more of a fleeting observation. There was no reason for her to have called him out on it, nor make their sudden companion painfully aware of it.

"Please, please ignore her." Peyton's voice was tight and tense, showing just how much he wanted to be out of there. He never should have agreed to come down here.

He gave a nervous chuckle and offered Nate a smile, "Celebrating? No, more like commiserating. My lovely cousin here decided I should get drunk each time I lose a match." He spoke plainly without context. Oblivious to the fact that not everyone's life revolved around Quidditch like his own did.

Without thinking he quickly added, "If it's so dodgy why are you out here then?"

Peyton looked the guy up and down. His intoxicated brain working on instinct more than anything else. The man was actually rather cute, he was sure Nick would have made some kind of comment or another had they been out together. Then again had he been out with his boyfriend instead of his cousin, they likely wouldn't have made it out to Knockturn Alley in the middle of the night.

He moved forward and placed his hand on Briar's shoulder, giving it a slight tug. Whatever or whoever this guy was waiting for, it certainly wasn't them and he didn't think he wanted to be around when said visitor finally did arrive. Cute or not, hanging around waiting for someone at midnight smelled like more trouble than Peyton needed in his life.

"Sorry bout her, mate. You think the Crimson Robes would be teaching her how to hold her alcohol." He spoke with a smile and a casual air as he usual did. Peyton was often more naive than he gave himself credit for and thought nothing of mentioning that his cousin was an Auror. In Knockturn of all places.

Voices carried through the darkened alley, more loudly than they probably should have for the time of night. Though not entirely clear as to what they were saying it was obvious there were two, a male and a female voice, sporadically interrupted by laughter. As they carried closer to where Briggs was lurking words became a bit clearer.

"This is a bad idea Bri, let's just go back to the flat." The male voice was saying as his tall figure was Taking shape, lean and muscular with dark hair and piercing grey blue eyes that caught what little light could be found.

Practically dancing around him was a pixie of a blonde, easily half a foot shorter than him and apparently on the same level of intoxication, "C'mon Wentworth. I've got years of drunken shenanigans to make up for. Live a little."

They both looked to Nate when he spoke and exchanged a look. Peyton grabbed at his cousin anticipating what she was about to do but couldn't catch hold of the pint sized Auror in time, "Yes, It's me. You got the stuff?" She said in a deep serious voice before breaking out in a fit of giggles, apparently Briar Cavanaugh did not handle her booze well.

Merlin Bless Ariadne.

He was eternally grateful that she had continued on with her questioning despite his own slip up. Again he never tried to hide himself but if the last few months had taught him anything, juicy gossip made for better headlines. He could just imagine what kind of vitriol would make it into the papers if it was widely known that the illegitimate son of Henry Wentworth was also gay.

"To be honest the other blokes have been fantastic. It's intimidating sure, they're all such fantastic players but your team is like your family and they've treated me just like family." He couldn't imagine what it would have been like if his team had rejected him or decided to do something stupid like haze the new guy.

"I think the training hours have been the hardest to get used to. I mean I pushed myself to the brink the last few years at Hogwarts but It's different when It's 24/7. I feel like I'm rarely home." Which in the end Wasn't such a bad thing. He was living in Diagon with his cousins Berkeley and Briar. Berk was a workaholic and rarely home, Briar was a trainee and almost as absent as her Auror big sister, though Peyton suspected she may be dating someone with how little she was around the apartment.

"But I wouldn't trade it for anything. This has been my dream for as long as I can remember."

Peyton felt a wave of relief wash over him as Nicholas agreed. He could tell the other man wasn't keen on the idea but he was still thankful that he'd have him there. Perhaps they could arrange something on neutral ground - somewhere in Hogsmeade or Diagon - that offered them an easy exit if things went south.

He chuckled as his boyfriend teased him, "Something like that. Remember Klint? I think he was the only Slytherin I ever said something nice about. Kind of gave myself away." Not to mention his previous boyfriend, the fling he had with a muggle boy he had met on Holiday, visiting his mother's family in Australia.

He moaned softly as Nicholas nibbled at his ear, he pulled his boyfriend into his lap giving him a proper kiss, "how bout we really celebrate?" The sandwich had been laid down before he took his boyfriend in his arms and could stay there for the rest of the night for all he cared. Virgil was gone and he was sure they could have plenty of fun before Ari returned.

Peyton felt a lump in his throat form and put down his sandwich. Nicholas wasn't exactly leaping at the offer and he didn't really blame him. Meeting the parents was a big step and they had only just confirmed with each other that they were official - like literally that day. He likely shouldn't have asked. He just wanted the extra support and he didn't really have anyone else to ask. He had no idea what the situation was like at home and he didn't think Helena was going to be any help. He also couldn't ask Berkeley. Even if the Auror wasn't busy he didn't think showing up with someone from his father's family that his mother had never met would make things any better. At least he wasn't crazy enough to ask Xavier for help. Even if the former Slytherin had paid for the training camp that had secured him the position.

When Nicholas posed his second question, and possibly his more pressing concern, Peyton softened. He sighed and shook his head taking up his sandwich again, "uh no. No you don't have to worry about that. I'm pretty sure my parents knew before I did." He remembered the look his mother gave him any time he enthused about how well Edmund Joint was doing in Quidditch (despite him being a Slytherin) or talked about Professor Frasier.

"I kind of just need back up. I don't know how my mom took the news." He tried to imagine how shocking something like that would have been. He knew his parents hadn't had a conventional romance. His mother had once admitted to him that they had met on holiday and she ended up pregnant. Not exactly fairy tale material. Though even unconvential romances can be destroyed by years of lies and deceit.