Well, they all seemed pretty worried for not being up to anything. And Gigi didn't think Winnie could go for five minutes without making trouble, let alone the entire night.

Zel though, well, they must have found a way to surgically implant a spine cause she couldn't imagine him growing one. Whole thing was ridiculous. So Gigi did the only thing that was fitting; she laughed. A hearty one, if a bit short. "I'm just looking out for my niece here." Then she looked over the little assemblage with a teasing grin, her look settling on Cy for a second, then back up towards Zel. "If Ambrose was going to push her into the punch bowl he wouldn't have made it this far."

The quick look she sent Ambrose at the end of the sentence showed far too many teeth to be reassuring. "Can't say I'm sure that he hasn't been staring at Cy's chest, though."  And if Cyhirae was going to be embarrassed, well, she'd just have to deal. Family was like that.

And Gigi took that pretty seriously-not that she'd admit to it.

"Hopefully not kicking anyone's arse... Yes we've been behaving, we always behave!"

Cyhirae re-looped her arms through Ambrose's and glared at her aunt, "Oh just go away Gigi." She turned towards her date, "Don't take anything she says seriously Ambrose. Gigi would get in so much trouble for starting trouble at the Yule Ball."

"Gigi..This isn’t the time or place to petrify Cyhirae and Winnie’s friends. They’re fine. Ambrose isn’t going to push Cy into the punch bowl. Just—don’t threaten to kick anybody’s arse. That’s not polite. It’s not appropriate.  We’re just trying to have fun, and fun doesn’t usually involve being threatened.” 

"Yeah, what Zel said," Cyhirae snapped.

"Can't say I'm sure that he hasn't been staring at Cy's chest, though."

Cyhirae, face about as red as her hair, was about ready to strangle Georgiana. How could she say something so embarassing. "Oh my God Gigi! Shut Up! You're just like-" Cyhirae's anger drained out her face, replaced by a look of pure disbelief. "...Dad?" Off on the dance floor behind Gigi, her father danced into view with Professor Reid. "Maybe Abby was right after all..."

"You're going to let Georgiana just threaten to beat people up? You're a prefect! Make her be nice or something! That's your job isn't it?" Winnie asked of Zel. Ambrose peered at him with hope.

Cyhirae's arm found Ambrose's again and it gave him some reassurance,
"Oh just go away Gigi." Ambrose caught her turning towards him and gave Cy his attention,
"Don't take anything she says seriously Ambrose. Gigi would get in so much trouble for starting trouble at the Yule Ball."

Phew.
"Er, right, sure…"

“Gigi.. This isn’t the time or place to petrify Cyhirae and Winnie’s friends. They’re fine. Ambrose isn’t going to push Cy into the punch bowl." Ambrose looked at him in surprise. "Just—don’t threaten to kick anybody’s arse. That’s not polite. It’s not appropriate.  We’re just trying to have fun, and fun doesn’t usually involve being threatened.”

"Yeah, what Zel said," Cyhirae snapped, still holding Ambrose's arm. His hand found the back of hers and he gave it a gentle squeeze of thanks.

"I'm just looking out for my niece here. If Ambrose was going to push her into the punch bowl he wouldn't have made it this far."

"I would - er, no I wouldn't push her into the bowl, why…?" It was all lost on spluttering Ambrose.

"Can't say I'm sure that he hasn't been staring at Cy's chest, though."

The Gryffindor's eyebrows shot up into his hairline and blood rushed to his cheeks. Even though he'd not been staring at Cyhirae's figure - he didn't exactly want to be told he had in front of her.

"Oh my God Gigi! Shut Up! You're just like-" It sounded angry and then she was cut off and Ambrose raised his face, looking round at his date. She was staring away from them.
"…Dad?"

Eyes were momentarily distracted by the sight of Professor Trishna dancing with Professor Reid.

"Maybe Abby was right after all…"

"Huh? All the Professors seem to be dancing. Professor McGonagall and Professor Storm were dancing earlier, and my dad's dancing with Madam Murray. They're probably like, doing the same, 'cause its polite and stuff." Ambrose suggested innocently.

"But if you mean his dad dancing, then I totally sympathise." Ambrose chuckled.

Winnie was a little surprised at the fact that Zel did as she said- standing up to Gigi and telling her to be nice to people. Winifred crossed her arms and gave Georgiana a haughty look in response. "Yeah, Georgiana, go away," Winifred echoed Cy. "It's not nice to go around and ruin other people's nights because they've got dates and you don't!" Really, why was Gigi so mean and awful? Oh, right, Slytherin.

She turned her attention to Professor Trishna and the other professors who were dancing. "Yeah, what Ambrose said! They're all dancing with each other. It's what they do. I'm sure it doesn't mean anything." Winifred couldn't imagine a circumstance where it would. Professors weren't allowed to have love lives, or lives outside of Hogwarts at all, really. It went against everything that Winifred knew as a student. "Besides, Professor Reid is so... dull. And your dad seems pretty cool!" He also seemed dull, in class anyway. But Winnie didn't want to insult her friend's father to her face.

"Your da is here?" Winnie asked Ambrose. "That's exciting! Neither of my parents mattered enough to get an invitation." Not that Winnie seemed bothered by it. "I'm so relieved, too! My mum and dad would probably spend the whole night following me around and being awful and asking Zel lots of horrible, inappropriate questions." It was doubly good her Uncle Archer wasn't there. As an auror the questions he might ask would probably be terrifying!

Gigi gaped a little at the sight of Tappy and Aileen, her attention quite diverted from the prospect of Cy dating anyone. Even Ambrose, who was not getting this at all. "Those two, because it's polite? Yeah right." Her laughter came out a little choked. But hey, maybe operation get Tappy laid did have a shot. And one that her brother hadn't sent into his own foot.

"Going to get a drink." She turned away from the rest of the group, and let her heels make loud, sharp sounds on the floor. Maybe the punch was spiked. Could use that, right about now. "Try not to stare."

Then she was off, stalking away towards the drinks.

Exit Gigi

"Your da is here? That's exciting! Neither of my parents mattered enough to get an invitation. I'm so relieved, too! My mum and dad would probably spend the whole night following me around and being awful and asking Zel lots of horrible, inappropriate questions."

"Oh he's come as someone's guest, he and Ms Murray, from the International Department are old friends. He didn't get an invite." Ambrose blushed, feeling sorry for Winnie to have made it sound like her parents weren't important.

"Your parents are plenty important, Winnie," Ambrose assured his friend with sincerity, "But yeah, perhaps Zel got an easy night because of it!" He giggled.

Luck was on their side, Georgiana had grown bored of them by this diversion and stalked away.

"Going to get a drink. Try not to stare."

Ambrose sighed with relief, the colour diminishing from his cheeks with one of his many nemeses retracting and his embarrassment over implying Winnie's parents were insignificant subsided.

"Fancy a dance?" He asked Cyhirae, offering his hand, "in case she comes back?"

Exit Ambrose

“It’s not that,” Cyhirae muttered under her breath. Neither of them had been privy to her conversation with Abby about her and Sasha’s suspicions about her father and Professor Reid’s relationship. She hadn’t actually told anyone about that conversation, having not thought much about it until now. Suddenly Cy was glad that Abby wasn’t the smug type or she would be getting a lot of ‘I told you so’s when Abby spotted them.

"Fancy a dance?" He asked Cyhirae, offering his hand, "in case she comes back?"

Cyhirae took Ambrose’s had with a smile of relief, “Yes please. And before Dad comes back around.”

Exit Cyhirae