This is the first night of a three-day party for Dolly's birthday.  It is a celebrity event, and enchanted tents are provided with full beds, wardrobes, and private baths provided.  Each guest party has their own tent.  Guests are free to come and go as they please, and are welcome to bring a plus one.  Tonight is cocktail party attire.  Let's drink, eat some light food, and spend some quality time together.  Tomorrow we'll sleep in to our hearts' content and awake to an elaborate brunch.[1]

Dazmond had taken Kronos's warning to heart; he'd told her to go out and "get a life" before she aroused suspicion and she'd taken over Dolly's.  At least, she'd taken over Dolly's 27th birthday weekend with a full agenda and an ambitious guest list, turning the entire month of November into a party planning chaos for herself.  A few choice individuals had offered to pitch in their efforts, and numerous venues were offered by beseeching admirers and fans of Daily Prophet winks and nods.  But in the end Dazmond chose what would occupy the most of her own energy, which involved hosting the three-day rager at her family's home, just South East of London on their old enchanted five acres of wooded land.[2]     

She'd built a bonfire with Dominik in the late afternoon and now as the sun was setting, she set it aflame with her loyal wand.  Spinning her wand in the air like a silly Witch, Daz pocketed it again and looked to the stars as she stomped up the lawn under dozens of floating lanterns.  Enchanted tents lined the lawn in waiting of their guests.

"Dominik!" she yelled towards the house, playing with the many layers of her skirts as she strode closer.  Her brother was in the veranda, crouched over a pile of records by the phonograph.  He looked up at her, his hair falling in front of his eyes.  He needed a hair cut.  She clapped her hands to tell him to hurry it up.  He was so indecisive!

"Just put on some Nola and the Knockturnites," suggested Dazmond as she walked past him, through the veranda, and into the house.  Her boots rang against the hardwood floor and she took in a deep breath, allowing it to expand beneath her breast.  She wasn't letting on to anyone and wouldn't any time soon, but Daz was a bundle of nerves about being around too many people all at once.  It was an unusual anxiety for the Witch, and she'd probably snap out of it soon enough, she told herself.  There was only a knot in her heart, arising again now to remind her of Nate's continued absence.  It'd be more fun with him here....

Regardless, the candles were all lit throughout the first floor of the house, creating an inviting atmosphere where boundaries could dissolve and egos soften.  Colourful, spherical lanterns hung around the couches.  The solitary House Elf was busy cleaning the very last corner of the attic.  The fires were burning in all three hearths, and all of the doors were open in both the main house and the guest house, all except for the second and third floor bedrooms in the house proper.  People would be arriving by Floo, Portkey, or Apparition.  Soon.  Maybe now. 

Dazmond passed the stairs and through the den to enter the entrance hall with its checkered floor, where several coat and hat racks stood in ready order for use by their guests.  To her right inside the dining area, the dining table was a ready feast served in the buffet style with trays upon trays of finger food and endless fountains of whisky beside flutes of elderberry wine and champagne.

She threw open the front door and, at the same time, the magnified music flowed from the phonograph from the veranda across the entire property, crystal clear and beautiful.  Dazmond looked out into the night and breathed.  Two hundred and seventy-three more days.

Despite her anxiety she positively knew this would be their party of the decade.  And everything would fall into its right place.

1.	See the Plotting thread Here!
2.	Wiedman Cottage Information and Visuals!

Dominik couldn't not show up to the party, and now he had to get through practically three whole days of the entire wizarding world worshipping Dolores.  He'd invited Niobe Thursby, since everyone knew now that they were an official item, and to his despair she had said no!  She was still embarrassed over the trouble they'd gotten into on Halloween[1] and didn't want to show her face at such a public event... especially not with him.

Horrified and down and out as usual, Dom had spent some time moping but snapped out of it enough to be here now, flipping through records Dazmond had picked out and trying to determine what music to play.  His little sister suggested the Knockturnals and Dom scoffed under his breath.  He chose free jazz instead, which was classier.  Dolly would probably have a fit if the party started with wrock.  This was supposed to at least pretend to be sophisticated before they were all drunk, right? 

He'd try, for her.  Not like he was going to kiss her hand or anything, but, he'd at least make sure the music was decent and the people were civil.  His birthday gift to her was helping things run along smoothly, if he could.  If he could resist the urge to brawl or duel with some of the Wizards he might be seeing tonight... that would probably be more than Dolly could ever ask for, from him.

He did the task of enchanting the records to play in a specified order.  This took a little while as the first songs played and the guests started arriving.  Dominik took his time, happy to be on music duty rather than on the front lines greeting people.  What a bother.  Dazmond and his parents, Aliec and Dianora Wiedman, as well as their old House Elf, Bonkzie, could be left to that. 

1.	Big Trouble - Halloween Muggle-Baiting, and High Profile Bust

Attending a birthday soiree for Dolly St. James is the last place that anybody would expect Liadan O'Morain to be. She had not been exactly secretive about her lack of respect for Miss St. James. She had found Dolly to be... well, a pitiful excuse for a pureblood woman. Gallavanting around with men, living the life of a celebrity... But it seemed that lately Dolly had calmed down. There were rumors that she was dating the head of the DMLE- which made her suddenly interesting to Liadan. Cameron Rosier was a handsome man from a good family...

And, to be honest, Liadan needed to find a new set of friends. Since her unfortunate run-in with the law, she had been trying very hard to branch out and create friendships with people who were not so overtly criminal. Dolly was a pureblood. Her pedigree stood, even if her behavior was less than savory. And Liadan had not been particularly kind herself. Perhaps it was time to bury the hatchet (and not in anyone's back for once) and attempt to rebuild the bridge she had burned so long ago.

So Liadan had donned a simple black dress. With a little bit of investigation, she had discovered that Dolly was fond of spirits. She had put together a lovely gift basket of Ireland's best for the woman's birthday present, along with a beautifully crafted decanter, and hoped that Dolly would appreciate it. She'd also gotten another, more special gift to give to Dolly once they had a chance to talk. But that would have to wait for now.

Spotting Dominik fiddling with the music, Liadan approached him. She didn't see anybody else that she knew, and was wondering how Dominik was doing. She was quite disappointed with his latest antics. "Where's the birthday girl?" Liadan asked. She could lay into him later for his lack of propriety. For now, she would avoid the subject.

What were distant in-law cousins for? Showing up awkwardly early and bearing strange gifts.  That was what.  That was what cousin Knox Greyfriar was for when it came to the lavish birthday celebration of one so illustrious and famed as the singular Dolly St. James.

Knox had Apparated to the politely suggested location from the invitation.  Wiedman Cottage.  He hadn't liked the sound of that.  Not that he followed sport, it was hard not to know of the spectacular train-wreck Dominik Wiedman.  The tabloids had often coupled Dolly and Dominik, hadn't they.

He tromped up the walk, his figure large and imposing, wearing a bored sort of old man's glower as if he was preparing to be very tolerant.  There was a bonfire ahead and he wandered towards it like a burly old brown moth.

Approaching the cottage, he skirted around clusters of guests who had drinks in hand, looking for young Dolly, but she was nowhere to be found.

Time and space moved somewhat eerily for Dominik Wiedman as he fingered through piles of music in the veranda, setting up the queue.  He was currently coping with the entire pressure of this evening by being under the buzz of one of Daz's special brews, as well as too often sipping upon his bottomless flask....  One vice after the other, he supposed.  That reminded him - he hadn't yet had a smoke of something.  One moment all was quiet in the setting darkness, though, and the next it was coming to life with the sad and frantic free jazz music[1]  he'd selected to start off the evening with. 

It was only a short while before that Dominik had watched the sun set out in the field with his sister.  Now the night was coming on quickly, and they were left with the anxious anticipation and rising energy that came upon the host of a party when insanity was just about to ensue. 

The darkness of the night was brilliantly lit by all the many floating, winking candles and lanterns and by the giant fire pit in the ground, causing all that rested in the darkness to glow with that subtle, orange light that seemed to encourage the quick lowering of inhibitions. 

Liadan suddenly was there, engaging him, and it startled Dominik out of his self-absorbed reverie.  This was the Witch that always encouraged him to think on the spot.  Quick, where are you on the path, he had to assess.  Let me count the ways we still need to measure up....  He had to think these things out in order to know what he had to say to her in defense of himself.  Strangely, it always seemed to be to his benefit, this whole thing about suddenly expecting more of himself the second Liadan o Morain entered the room.  Liadan had a way of forcing him to make plans on the spot and to convince himself that said plans were already in progress and going well, or at least that they would be soon.

But she wasn't interested in it, apparently.  She moved right ahead of the obvious, needed reprimand to ask after Dolores.  Dominik blinked.  Who was he to know where in the bloody hell she was?

"I dunno," said Dominik dismissively, holding his dark eyes in contact with the little Witch as he abandoned his previous activity and turned his attention toward her out of respect.  "She's probably going to be fashionably late, though.  Dolly'd never show up on time to her own party.  Trust me."  He smiled to Liadan a bit shyly. 

"You're gorgeous, Liadan," he said to her, feeling forward and also, for some reason, desperately needing her to like him.  "Can I welcome you into our home, help you to feel more comfortable?"  He took a brave step in her direction, proper breeding showing up to turn him into a gentlewizard's image almost instantaneously.  He held out his arm toward her warmly as a satiating friend, cocking his brow.

1.	37 minute sample of music playing by Ornette Coleman - Double Quartet

Despite the Wrock and Roll raggedy image that Magnolia often presented to the outside world her compulsive nature required her to be on time for things. She wasn't particularly interested in the birthday-witch herself, but any chance of exposure, being mentioned in attendance, whatever the Prophet or other tabloids were running on the three day event that was to celebrate Dolly St. James' so called glamours existence was reason enough to show up when the owl had arrived. It would, sadly, be only she and Iggy in attendance tonight as the others were off doing...whatever it what they did when they weren't playing music and smoking too much gillyweed. Nolia was, without a doubt, the plotter of the band; always looking for the next thing to attach herself to to get them a little recognition. It didn't hurt that she and Dazmond went back a ways - she'd been Nolia's go-to Potion Guru before she'd dropped off the face of the Earth and then seemed to quit brewing all together.

Looking over her shoulder at Iggy she let out a nervous breath, chewing on the corner of her red lip, "I clean up ok, yea"? She wasn't exactly nervous she just wasn't a huge fan of massive crowds when she wasn't preforming in front of them. Hopefully she could get lost in a corner somewhere with a really strong drink and it wouldn't matter. Well, lost in  corner with Iggy, he was sort of like a safety blanket she wanted to take with her everywhere. It wasn't so much that she was glad he'd been turned and had to come crawling back to the band...but it made her life a hell of a lot easier. It also added to their mystique as a band that they never booked full moon gigs. Taking a deep breath she knocked on the door, squeezing Iggy's arm a little tighter as her stomach did the mambo in her abdomen, smile bright as a familiar dark haired witch[1] opened the door, "Aw lookit the little Sprogget, you haven't grown an inch," her tone was teasing as she let go of Iggs long enough to hug Dazmond.

1.	done with Natalie's permission

"You look great.  Did you give the poor wizard a heart attack when you bought something that wasn't ripped?"  Iggy said as Magnolia dragged him further on.  It always surprised him when she would get nervous going to parties and events that weren't shows, for someone as...outgoing as she was, Iggy would have thought she'd be right at home in a group.  Instead, Iggy nearly always got dragged along.  Unless it was too close to the full moon, in which case he usually felt too ill to go out and party with Magnolia and the band.  Tonight however was a nice change of pace for Iggy.  He got to dress up for a change, since anything to do with the Knockturnals generally meant dressing down, or just not dressing.  Not that he minded either, but it was just a nice change.

Iggy said hello to Dazmond in the brief interval when Magnolia wasn't latched onto his arm.  "Love the jazz." He said finally.  He did enjoy the jazz, but mostly he was just happy they weren't playing any of their stuff.  Something about listening to a recording that he was on was just awkward.

Of course Dolly St. James wouldn't be on time. Liadan stole a glance at a clock, and was surprised to see she was rather punctual herself. Liadan was also the fashionably late sort, but had not wanted to do anything to offend Dolly when she was planning to extend the olive branch later.

She smiled sweetly when he called her gorgeous, batting her lashes at him. "You're too kind! I was very careful to tone it down for Dolly's party." Not an entire lie. You never wanted to outshine the birthday girl. But it was a public event, so Liadan had tried to look nice. Of course, Liadan knew that even if she did look awful that Dominik would not be the sort to tell her so. He knew better. Though he sometimes forgot his breeding, Liadan felt as though she brought the best out of him for the most part.

Liadan took the arm that he offered. "That would be quite lovely, Dominik. It is nice to see you have retained your manners, despite what rumors might be indicating." There. It was the jab that no doubt Dominik had probably been expecting. "Haven't you a date?" Liadan asked. She had not brought one herself. Which was odd. Liadan rarely went to events datelss. But she was currently in an awkward place romantically. She could spend the time gossiping with ladies and dancing with family friends- like Dominik.

The birthday girl was not present yet, it seemed.  Knox had taken a slow lap around the bonfire, through some clusters of chairs and tables, nearer towards the house then - the "cottage" - and past the bar.  He didn't hear her tell-tale laughter, or see the throng of admirers that usually surrounded her. 

He sighed and took a stance alone near the fire.  He'd just have to wait.  He looked over again at the knot of people near Dominik Wiedman.  Now he recognized that the tiny blonde which - that was another criminal, wasn't it.  O Morain?  He scratched his beard and turned back to the fire.  Dolly attracted the strangest sorts. 

He looked down at the gift.  It was a box about a foot long on each dimension, wrapped in a nice paper.   

And again, the Wizengamot elder looked over again.  He thought he recognized another witch as a musician, but had no idea other than that.  He didn't really listen to wrock.  He listened to muggle American traditional jazz. 

He huffed enjoying the smug sense of not enjoying himself at all.

The took it upon himself and approached the group.  He cleared his throat loudly and didn't bother whispering.

"Good evening - is this a surprise party? Will we need to be in position soon for her arrival, or... perhaps Dolly might surprise us sometime soon?"

Out of the darkness came the bright, glowing face of Magnolia Nettlebottom that was beautifully framed by her long, white hair.  Dazmond smiled graciously at the familiar Witch's quip as she leaned into the embrace.  "Nola!" she said warmly and with excitement, hugging her briefly but deeply.

"It's been too long.  You look stunning!  Please, come in.  Hello Iggy, thank you," she acknowledged him kindly with a dip of her head as she welcomed them both into the entrance hall.  She gestured at the many coat hooks and hat racks that were made available for the event.  "Welcome though, and please, make yourselves at home.  Put up your coat and things if you want, or bring them around to the back and find the tent with your name on it, dears.  I'm going to go find some liquid courage if you want to follow me."

She went through the main hall of the house and turned right to go through the open glass door into the open-air veranda.  She ended up just passing Dominik and Liadan as she walked out into the grassy field with all the floating lanterns. 

Here she plucked an empty, fluted crystal glass off of one of the many long tables that were covered with bottles upon bottles of rich, labeled drinks.  She pulled the cork out of one bottle labeled homemade mead and poured a hefty helping for herself.

The small group she started chatting with were very shortly approached by former Head Master, or more noticeably to Dazmond, the old History Professor, Knox Greyfriar.  He'd had a wife that was a St. James woman, she remembered. 

Her eyes brightened toward him.  He had always been a favourite of her professors.  Yet now she was filled with the same familiar feeling she always had when face to face with a Werewolf.  Master Greyfriar wasn't just his gruff, passionate self anymore, was he?  He had some bite to back up his bark.  Shame he thought it best to tame his wild side, she thought privately to herself, thinking about his public statement many moons before. 

"The birthing day Witch will likely be powdering her nose and choosing her last minute adornments this hour, I'm afraid.  Unless she chooses to surprise us by being timely, we're to be surprised with her unexpected and glamorous entrance some time on into the evening.  I'm sure it'll be difficult to miss."  She smiled toothily and turned her full attention on the Wizard inquiring.

"I'm so glad that you could make it, Sir Greyfriar!  And how has the Ministry been treating you?  I have to say it's such a pleasure to be seeing so many old faces already tonight."  She extended a hand in greeting.  "Dazmond Wiedman, Independent Potions Maker and upper-year History of Magic student in your first three years on the post."

He was pleased with Liadan's warm-hearted response to him and Dominik instantly bore a light grin.  "This is you toned down?" he asked, unbelieving, flattering her with the truth.  She was the very image of perfect, she was.  Even in her most modest dress.

Ouch.  She made a jab at him suddenly, still with a kind tone to her voice.  Dominik treated it as the light jab she presented it as.  It was reprimanding but also light-hearted enough to be skirted over with a nervous smile.  She was being very gracious with him.  They looped their arms together and he led her out into the field, taking very small, slow steps as they went aimlessly forward between the building crowds and under the winking lights.

"No, I haven't brought a date," he answered shyly.  "Well I was meant to bring my newest sweetheart," he admitted, "But miss Niobe Thursby, she was needed with the Daily Prophet."  He let the little lie roll from his lips without much of a second thought.  She was probably working tonight, he reasoned.  (It was always safe to imagine she was working when he didn't know where she was.) 

He certainly didn't want to acknowledge to Liadan, though, that his date had refused to attend a public event alongside him, that his date didn't want to be seen at his side so soon after their last scandalous rendez-vous.  All was not well in his house of love, after all.

He cleared his throat a little gruffly and looked sideways at Liadan.  "And you?" he asked.  "Don't you have Wizards lining up in droves to take you for a date?  How am I the lucky one to be holding your arm, Lia?  Not that I'm complaining."  He smiled as he led them in the general direction of the giant bonfire.

There was the subtle clap of Apparition, and Darian Morgan came strolling down the path. He had a pleasant beam set in place, curious stare roving over the grounds. He'd never visited the Wiedman house before.

Naturally his eyes weren't the only bright thing about him. He was all razzle and dazzle in his cocktail best, blazer loud, shoes shining, jewelry gleaming at his wrists and throat. His tie was grey silk. Each finger bore a ring. Not really an unusual appearance for the wizarding designer, and unlikely to startle any who knew him - but oh! How Darian liked to draw the eye! He hoped there was one or two here tonight not yet so jaded. He'd come stag, after all.

He wouldn't stay so. Three days was a delightfully long time. It was such a wonderful way to celebrate that he wished he'd thought of it, and the decorations - the preparations - were all so very lovely. He made his way up to the house with the intention of complimenting whichever Wiedman he saw first, his gift to Dolly and his changes of clothes all shrunk down so nicely in his pockets they didn't even upset the line of his sleek black trousers.

Magnolia gave Iggy a sideways glance that was both grateful and a little eyerolling when he asked if there had been utter shock over her wanting an entire garment intact rather than shredded, "For your information, this was stowed away in my closet from last years Wizard Wireless Awards. The show we couldn't go to because someone was extra furry," she pretended to scratch her his belly before the door was opened and there she was in a tiny tight Dazmond embrace. Truth be told Nola had had a wee bit of a thing for the Potion's Diva; but alas she was happily wed or something (on top of being rather erratic and crazy). Wasn't that always the way?

She quickly slipped off her jacket and hung it from the coat rack, then reattached herself to Iggy's arm as they headed further into the house behind Dazmond. The blonde had never spent a large amount of thinking of the other woman outside the context she knew her, brewing potions and her room at the Shodding Arms, but walking through the cottage it made a strange sort of cosmic sense that she would come from this place. She spotted a woman she assumed was the Wiedman matriarch and arched an eyebrow though it quickly dropped back into place as she poured herself a glass of wine and scanned the room for people she might know besides Iggy, in case he wanted to wander off and work his magic on some unsuspecting lady.

It was about this time she spotted the Wiedman brother with another petite blonde who Magnolia vaguely recognized as one of those pureblood brats. Well, didn't they look cozy. Seeing the two of them together almost made the twenty-year old wish that she paid more attention to gossip, "Dazmodio, who's the arm candy clinging to your brother," she tried to sound interested... Alas she was a workaholic, and sadly she didn't even see known press she could go chat up to make sure the band was mentioned in attendance. The gruff sound of Greyfriar's voice broke through her thoughts and she was slightly surprised to see him. Did Dolly actually know everyone in the Wizarding World, or did it just seem like it?

Gale was absolutely, 100% out of his element. Even in the careful way he’d pieced together his look, there was something about this place that made him wish to take for the hills and just sleep in the trees. His steps like lead as they moved down the path, and the memory of the man he just left still fresh in his mind—his heart beat her name a thousand times.

Eha, Eha, Eha. Must. Get. To. Eha.

White rabbit they’d called him growing up, his coloring and complex made him fit the description, but thankful he’d grown out of the tourette's that made his nose twitch. Dolly’s gift was settled in his pocket, a clockwork piece that made him think of the way she clicked in and out of his life that one night with her stilettoes shoes, and ever the timeless beauty. He’d loved that about her, and even now with the room so full of people he’d hoped to see her too. Honored to have been invited at all, up until about an hour ago Gale had looked forward to this all week. It was a time to be away from the students, and even away from himself. He was going to let go, and be free again; be that wild wind of a child he had once known before. Helll, he might even drink again despite his horrid night with Dietrich still stuck on his mind.

But first he had to get through that door.

Niobe Thursby. Still hung up on that witch. Liadan did not understand it in the least. Dominik was a good person, a handsome fellow- he could have his pick among pureblood witches (for the most part), even with his life practically in ashambles. "For the better then," Liadan told him. "That's hardly an appropriate date to bring to such a party. I doubt she would fit in very well. Besides, Dolly would likely prefer her birthday celebrations go off without scandal... Unless, of course, she creates the scandal herself." Miss St. James could be quite scandalous, Liadan had heard, though of course in an entirely different manner than she was insinuating of Dominik and Thursby.

She continued to follow him to the bonfire. When Dazmond passed, Liadan smiled brightly and called out a lively hello. Then she turned her attention back to Dominik as he cleared his throat and asked about whether or not she had a date. "Well..." she began slowly, wondering the best way to answer his question. Liadan's romantic life was... complicated. Every bit as complicated as Dominik's, she supposed. After attempts to separate herself from Oscar she had felt it inappropriate to date, lest he thought she had lost interest in him for another man. And then a week and a half ago she had gone to visit him at his office and things had been...

Well, suffice it to say she was confused about the man. Liadan could not deny the intense attraction she had to him, even when they were arguing with one another. Everything he said and did was filled with such grace and power. Though his insults had made her blood boil, they had also made her heart skip a beat and her affections more intense. It was an odd feeling. The two genuinely were perfect for one another, even if she was nothing more than a ghost of his what his ex-wife could have been.

"My romantic life is complicated as well," she told him. "And I am certain most wizards would not have expected me to attend this party. I decided it best to come alone. Too much publicity in an event like this, for me to spend it wrapped around a handsome wizard. I'm here to try to make ammends with Dolly. Not to be seen with anyone or to increase speculations about my private life." First the speculations had centered around Vedir. And her attentions had shifted quite suddenly off of him and onto Oscar. If people thought she was now being courted by a third, she could get an even worse reputation than she already had.

"So I suppose that you will be subjected to my prolonged company over the weekend. Hopefully you are not terribly opposed to that? I have always very much enjoyed your company, Dominik. Even if all I want to do is beat with you a broom for doing stupid things most of the time."