“My twin dared me to. I’ve never been one to back out of my twin’s dares…”
“Oh, is he here too?” Cepheus asked, wrongly assuming they were identical twins and there was another blonde haired boy at the party who looked just the same, but not dressed as a princess.

But before the other wizard could answer sufficiently, he was seized over the shoulders and his hands flew up to grasp the arms.
“Prince! I like it, purple’s your colour!”
“Tia!” Cepheus greeted, surprised expression slipping to a grin as he recognised his cousin’s voice. “Thank you, I was beginning to wonder if nobody would know who I was dressed as.” Everyone here was younger than him!

He fell silent to let Adrestia greet the wizard dressed as a princess.
“Apparently a dare from his twin.” Cepheus added, not knowing the young man’s name. “You’re a pirate! Nice one, classic, suits you. Ahoy there.”

He glanced about, and saw Penny looking his way, surrounded by her close female friends. He gave her an innocent wave and a smile.

“perhaps you are best to pop upstairs to put down your things and see what present is on your bed.”

It was positively profitable that Penny Pickler didn’t have such a presumptive persuasion and that she did not, in fact, find anything suggestive in Theta’s words. Penny grinned and had been about to respond when her gaze caught that of Cepheus, her one and only.

“Perfect!” She responded, distracted as Cepheus smiled and waved. Well he needed a personal thank you! A squeeze of Theta’s hand later and Penny was abandoning the girls for the boss she dreamed of.

“Cepheus! As if you came to my petite party. In purple!”

“Penny!” Cepheus greeted the birthday girl, sans peeing dog. “I did, I’m dressed as Prince,” he gestured grandly with both hands to his costume, grinning. “Could you tell - or, maybe, do you even know him?”

Cepheus was becoming accustomed to the fact people didn’t recognise a Muggle musician, however good his costume was. He forgot that although the wizarding world was becoming more integrated with the muggle one, there was such a vast Muggle world out there, wizarding kinds like him were only ever going to understand snippets of it. Music had been one part Cepheus had been exposed to his early twenties, while seeing a Muggle student down in Brighton, out in clubs and experiencing queer culture.

“He’s a musician, you might recognise the chorus-.” Cepheus drew breath, trying to stay in character to help Penny recall as he sang. He wasn’t a bad singer, but Prince had a particular tone that Ceph was never going to master. Despite this, he serenaded Penny as best he could with Kiss, one of Prince’s best, completely missing the potential implications. Especially as more people noticed around them.

“You don’t have to be rich to be my girl, you don’t have to be cool to rule my world… ain’t not particular sign I’m more compatible with,” he grasped Penny’s hand with both of his, closing in as the chorus reached its final line, “I just want your extra time and your… kiss.”

Penny seemed pleased, so the party was progress on the previous few days of pessimistic personality. Theta felt herself relax. She had been so worried Penny would find it too much. Though, she seemed a bit distracted. Theta caught sight of the tail end of Cepheus Gamp’s wave.
“Uhuh.” She said knowingly, exchanging a glance with her nearby housemates. Penny was off, drifting over in a crushed up haze.

Theta, dressed as a Muggle police officer, glanced around the room and her attention landed on a decidedly manly looking princess. Was that…? She blinked and looked a little harder, yes, wasn’t that Shade?! What were the chances to run into each other twice in the same fortnight at parties - well, a wedding party and a birthday party.

“Hello!” She greeted, giving Shade a wave of her own as she approached, Penny’s grin out of the corner of her eye, fixed on Cepheus. “I love your costume. It’s very original, very daring for a wizard.” She adjusted her hat over her neat bun of hair and reached out to touch his dress, smiling brightly. “Bet that was hard to ride your bike in,” she winked.

Shade's immediate reaction was to blush.  He had hoped that there would only be acquaintances here, not someone he had actively entered into a conversation with.  Certainly not someone he had talked to not long ago.  "H-hello, " he began, stammering a bit at her noticing his attire.  "Um.... thanks, I guess." Why was he being shy all of a sudden, he wore a dress to a party where he barely knew anyone. 

"Neat party." he said and then mentally smacked himself.  What kind of conversation starter was that?  Of course it was an interesting party, what with everything starting with a 'P', "I mean, I've never been to a party like this before."  And there it was again, his mind blanked for a moment, "Oh, I didn't ride here in this, I transfigured it from the shirt I was wearing. Wouldn't want people to see me out and about like this, especially your father, he'd never let me live it down."

He smiled at her and then watched as she touched his dress, "It's all the craze in London this year." he said and then attempted to strike a pose, but failed dramatically and almost tripped on the hem of the dress.  "I'm always seeming to fall when there are pretty girls around." he muttered, but it wasn't quiet like he thought it was.

“… wouldn’t want people to see me out and about like this, especially your father, he’d never let me live it down.” Shade exclaimed, gesturing to his costume. Theta laughed, agreeing with a fervent nod.
“Gosh, wouldn’t he? He’d probably draw you and send it you too. Some sort of cartoon of a blokey princess on a bike.” She lifted her little hand to her mouth to hide it while she laughed.
“It’s all the craze in London this year.” Shade struck a pose and Theta dissolved into more giggles, but reached out quickly when he pitched forwards, his foot catching in the hem.

“I’m always seeming to fall when there are pretty girls around.”
“What’s that, you can’t help but fall for pretty girls - or you keep falling over pretty girls?” Theta asked, grinning and reached out to put her hand on his shoulder. “Or do they keep falling onto the back of your bike?” She gave a knowing wink, referring to the night of the wedding. “Come on,” she said, looping her arm with his, “I’ve got you under arrest and we’re going to find you something better to drink.”

They turned together just as Cepheus started singing Prince songs to Penny, and Theta’s mouth hung open in surprise.
“Think we- they better get a room,” she suggested in a low voice to Shade, giggling.

"I did, I’m dressed as Prince,” Cepheus told the younger witch and she stared up at him, mild confusion clear. Of course, she’d have most certainly agreed with the suggestion of such a wonderful man to dress himself as a prince for such a party. Unfortunately, the wizard appeared to have missed the mark. Penny had grown up fully aware of what a prince should look like. When your parents were dragon tamers, you tended to be shown a lot of books about princes rescuing princesses from dragons. Cepheus Gamp definitely wasn’t dressed as a prince. The silly billy wasn’t even wearing a crown!

“He’s a musician, you might recognise the chorus-.”
         A prince that sang… different.

Then he started to sing and Penny lost all confusion at his lack of crown. He was singing. To her. Holding her hands. Singing. So close! Closer!


Cepheus wanted her kiss?



This was the moment.


Her heart suddenly started to pound at ten to the dozen.

Soft pink lips pressed against his, her eyes closing.

In a gleeful, upbeat mood owing to both fancy dress, Penny’s birthday with friends and sharing his love of music by singing, Cepheus Gamp might be excused for not thinking through the full implications of combining the concept of a ‘prince’ with singing to Penny about wanting her kiss.

He felt her lean forward as they held hands and he anticipated a kiss on the cheek, like he might do to close friends. But Penny closed her soft lips upon his. Cepheus stopped himself from withdrawing, remembering in a split second that not only had he just sung to ask for one, but Penny was his friend - innocently minded - and this was her birthday.

And, surprisingly… she wasn’t actually a bad kisser. Tender, feminine, and not at all forceful. Their fingers gripped each other’s and Cepheus saw her eyes close. His remained open, widened in surprise. As they parted, he gave her a friendly smile, touched at the soft gesture, and let go of her right hand with his left to touch her right cheek affectionately.

“Happy birthday, Penny,” Ceph spoke quietly, smiling so brightly the skin corners of his eyes creased.