They were all promptly in agreement - a party on Friday night, invite whomever they wanted, bring more alcohol, charm the floor, and allocate their balcony as an official point of defenestration if it came to that. Virgil made quick work of his bacon sandwich and was already considering a peach when Nick brought up inviting the former Ravenclaw captain.

           " ...But who do you want to get exclusive with?"

He shifted his position on the mat, coming to lay down on his stomach while he exchanged an almost-blushing glance with Ariadne. Nobody who was likely to feel comfortable at their unfurnished housewarming.

"You're getting exclusive with Peyton? In general or just on Friday?" he asked instead, neatly side-stepping the question and biting into the peach to peel back skin with his teeth. "I don't think I'll be having guests in my bedroom just yet-" Virgil shrugged, "- need to be up early the next day."

The play would be running in mid-July and Virgil didn't need distractions, between rehearsing and starting on level nine. He could have his fun after Peter Pan finished - if the thought of Cepheus Gamp wasn't still pulling at his every heartstring or nerve.

“I don’t know what you mean, Ariadne. You’re all I need.” Ari’s eyebrows inched up and her lips curled into an uneven line as her features fought over which expression to use in reaction to Nick’s sarcasm. “Unless you don’t want me?”
“Aw Nick, I always want you, you’re paying a third of the rent.” She reached out and ruffled her housemate’s shoulder with a grin.

Bevans was ever the opportunist, but it did appear he and Peyton were going somewhat steady, for which Ariadne was glad. Nick and Peyton deserved to be happy, they were good wizards, and she got along with both of them in their own way.

“… who do you want to get exclusive with?”

Ariadne was glad it was posed at Virgil and not her, but drew breath, almost tempted to tease Virgil in the presence of their flatmate when she saw his knowing glance. Carstairs decided to deflect, turn the attention back on Nick and Peyton, and made excuses about early rises.

“Yeah, it’s a housewarming, after all,” Ariadne added in a reasonable tone, trying to save Virgil’s reddening cheeks, “not a bedwarming.” She winked at Nick. “But well, we just inviting people we went to school with? Or venturing into the realms of new colleagues?” She shrugged at them both. “I’ll have to acquire said colleagues, obviously,” she qualified, as the unemployed one. “Or maybe just keep it old school mates, hm?"

"I'm hurt, Ari,"  Nicholas flopped back, "You just want me for my money." At least he had an income.  Two incomes when he counted the money his mother had said she was going to send him.

He ignored Virgil's comment about Peyton, completely missing the blush and the glance between his flatmates .  He and Peyton still had to figure out what they were going to be outside of school.  And if figuring it out just happened to continue to include plenty of sex, that was just a bonus.

"But who wants to sleep in a cold bed?"  He said with a look of shock, "especially in a new place that probably creaks at night."   They'd be lucky if it was just creaks and not the owls too.  He grinned,"and, there's no better alarm than being poked in the side. Best part of waking up."

He snorted when Ariadne suggested inviting new colleagues, "I'm not inviting anyone that I didn't meet at Hogwarts."  He didn't have much, or any, experience really with it but he doubted it was a good idea to party with people who were in charge of you.  And as far as he understood from his short internship and the mixer that was just about any of his new colleagues that hadn't been former schoolmates.  And actually, that was really only former schoolmates who hadn't just graduated with him.

"We could invite Ambrose." Nicholas looked at Virgil, "I mean he is one of us, if a bit younger, how many other 5th years are skipping N.E.W.T.s and starting at the ministry."  Merlin's beard, he'd hated school and even he hadn't done that.  Well, he'd liked Hogwarts...just not school.

Virgil breathed a subtle sigh of relief, realising that Ari wasn't going to poke fun at his dire crush on her uncle. She changed the subject to a more pragmatic one as he finished off the rest of his peach and licked at his sticky fingers. Trying to imagine anyone from level nine in their flat actually made him wrinkle his nose in disbelief - the Unspeakables were rather enigmatic, and there was also the fact that Nick might not like a reminder of February's events in their new home.

          "I'm not inviting anyone that I didn't meet at Hogwarts." The other wizard declared.
"Alright, just our lot then." Virgil shrugged indifferently, "Nothing too flashy."

The idea of big party was attractive but, between starting at the Ministry and Stardust rehearsals, he had no idea if they were going to be able to squeeze in even a modest housewarming. How did he ever manage to get himself entangled in so many things at once??

"I don't mind Ambrose," he supposed Ari and Nick probably liked the little Pepper, being in the same house. "Anyway. I had better get Odysseus out and unpack the trunk." Virgil rose, dusting crumbs off his shorts and thoughtlessly slipping the peach pit into his pocket. It was pleasant hanging out here with his new flatmates but he was looking forward to turning his empty bedroom into a proper home.

"Roast chicken for dinner tonight, by the way?" his gaze flicked over to the kitchen thoughtfully, "And mash? And brussel sprouts. And glazed carrots.... parsnips..."

“I’m not inviting anyone that I didn’t meet at Hogwarts.” Nick resolved.
“Sounds fair,” Ariadne agreed.
“Alright, just our lot then, nothing too flashy."

“We could invite Ambrose,” Nick suggested,
“I don’t mind Ambrose,” Virgil agreed.
“We’ll just nick his wand,” Ariadne muttered, “not that he can do magic until his birthday… which is September I think,” as his housemate she remembered it was early on in the year, at least. “Yeah, invite Peyton, the rest of them, and all. Sod it.” Ari shrugged. She had a good relationship with a lot of their former classmates, but there were others who would never quite see eye to eye with her. She was grateful for Nick and Virgil liking her enough to share rent.

“Roast chicken for dinner tonight, by the way? And mash? And brussel sprouts. And glazed carrots… parsnips…”
“You kidnapped a Hogwarts elf?” Ariadne asked, wondering how Virgil could be dreaming about dinner when they were only just eating late breakfast. “You’re setting the bar high, Virgil, me and Nick could get used to this veeeerrry easily….” she teased. Ariadne’s own cooking skills were focused on what could be cooked in one pot on a boat, and subsequently how to cook fish.

"Soooo Everyone then,"  Nicholas laughed, "easy enough I guess."  He let Ari's comment about Ambrose's wand slide, it was too easy and too true. He followed Virgil's lead and dusted himself off, he wanted to get unpacked too.  Though he didn't have anything living in his trunk that needed to be released.

"Way too easily."  Nicholas agreed, "In fact whatever it takes to make it a regular thing I'll do."  Especially if all he had to do was provide baked goods in the morning.  Some things were worth the expense.

Virgil rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his smile, honestly thrilled by having full run of the kitchen. After years of hassling or being hassled by the house elves - either at Hogwarts or his childhood home - the idea of being able to experiment to his heart's content was an exciting one. He had two folders worth of recipes that were begging to be attempted and, even better, two willing guinea pigs.

"I can't promise all the meals are going to be tasty," he warned them and raised his eyebrows pointedly. Luckily the roast chicken was tried and tested; as were the brownies. "I'll try not to burn anything before the ink on our tenancy agreement dries."

The former Slytherin drew his wand, ready to move his luggage into what would be his private space for at least the next year or two. He left Ari and Nick to settle into their own rooms - no doubt a welcome change from dormitory arrangements. Virgil glanced over his shoulder at the pair, just before he shut his door.

He had a good feeling about this.