Seventeen. It was such a thrilling age -- finally, Zia could cast spells and do all of the grown-up things that her siblings could.  It felt like she had been fighting to prove her maturity for her entire life, and now she was finally an adult. No longer could they blame her exclusion on being underage. Now she could Apparate mid-conversation just as they did to her, could get pitifully sloshed with Aunt Gia, go clubbing with Leo. She could even develop her own moonlit personality. It was all so exciting.

Tonight she planned on proving just how grown-up she was. From the moment she'd woken up on August 2, Zia had been determined to do every Adult thing she hadn't been able to do the day before. She Apparated to the breakfast table, scaring Alessa enough to make her spill her hot coffee onto the cat. It had been the first time in  probably 17 years that Zia's mother called her by her full name. Maurizia Natalia Piselli! -- it wasn't in an entirely happy tone, either.

The day improved as she hunkered down to prepare for a night out on the town. With access to the pubs came loads of epic tales of debauchery -- at least judging by the stories coming from her older friends and siblings. Zia had dabbled with spirits before, had even gotten drunk a few times (her older brothers loved feeding her alcohol and listening to the nonsense that poured out of her mouth). She'd never been into a pub properly, though, and she felt it was an important milestone.

After trying on all of her frilly, girly clothes, Zia came to the conclusion that it was time to go shopping. She treated herself to a birthday dress that was fairly different than anything she'd worn before -- as well as attention-grabbing and risque. Feeling ready for the night, Zia flipped her hair with a flourish before Apparating herself to the pub.

It was Zia's birthday. Lenora was excited for her friend. She remembered when she had turned seventeen earlier in the year- she had been ridiculous ecstatic about it. (Even if she didn't go do all of the fun, coming of age things most girls did.) And Nora was glad to be participating in the festivities. Going to pubs wasn't something she did in her spare time- despite the fact she could. No, she spent most of her spare time reading or painting or drawing.

But Lenora managed to pull herself away from her latest project to celebrate her friend's birthday. Everyone knew the best part about going out with your girlfriend(s) for a birthday celebration was wearing a cute dress. Nora loved dresses and skirts and picked out one of her favorites to wear for the evening- the classic little black dress with some extra strappy heels. At Hogwarts, Lenora was a quiet, well behaved sort. Even so, she did enjoy having fun and having the chance to enjoy wearing something other than her uniform.

Zia had owled her ahead of time- letting Nora know which pub and at what time to meet her. She was waiting for her- fidgeting a bit, feeling out of place on her own. But, when her friend and fellow seventh year Ravenclaw finally arrived, Lenora lit up with a bright smile. "Happy Birthday!" she called out loudly, rushing to give her a friend a hug. "You look fabulous! Love that dress. Look at us- all grown up!"

Lenora handed over a bright gift bag with lots of brightly colored tissue paper sticking out of the top. "For you, Birthday Girl!" Inside the bag was an assortment of things. There was, naturally, a birthday tiara. And Lenora had also included some of the standard go-to gifts for girls. Some nice smelling bath items, a copy of one of her favorite romance novels, a small assortment of chocolates, and something a little more personal. Lenora had also included a water-color painting she had done the week before, in anticipation of her friend's birthday. It was a whimsical piece- depicting Zia sitting majestically atop a unicorn with her hair decorated with flowers and flowing in the wind behind her- and the backdrop of it all was the forbidden forest covered in snow and ice. Nora had no clue what to paint for Zia, but she had been amused and pleased with the piece- even if it was a little strange. But Nora always was an idealistic dreamer trapped in her own daydreams.

"Who else did you invite to go out?" Lenora asked. "I'm excited to have something to do other than be at home! I was starting to get a little bored and a little lonely with just the paints to keep me company."

It was a good thing that Indica was as opened minded as she was, or she never would have taken up the invitation to go to a pub.  In fact, the level of skepticism she felt about the idea was more than Indica felt about most things.  Actually, she couldn’t remember a time where an experience wasn’t one she’d like to try.  But, Indica was not so much a fan of alcohol, and the idea of a pub  - a place where people went to get drunk – lost its appeal quickly. 

Indi preferred to be comfortable, she preferred to be relaxed, and if she was going to alter her state of being.  She also preferred to be somewhere she was familiar with and comfortable.  So, a pub was not her first choice.  But, Zia was a friend and she wanted her seventeenth birthday party to look more like a seventeen-year-old birthday than Indi had wanted hers to be, so she threw on some clothes and finally emerged from her bedroom for the first time that day. 

She also grabbed the gift she’d gotten for her in a recycled bag, of course.  The baubles were from one of her mother’s clients – a woman who specialized in crafting jewelry.  Zia was a colorful girl with good sense, she’d probably enjoy the wrought bracelet and jeweled necklace.  At least, Indi hoped so because she had to listen to quite a bit about metal working she never really even cared about while she tried to pick them out.  So, the brown bag (with some lovely bird printed tissue paper inside) swung by her side as she looked around the hall outside of her room. 

“Going out!” she called into the seemingly empty warehouse, knowing her mother was somewhere and her dad was probably asleep.  It wasn’t as though they kept tabs on her anyway, but it was a courtesy to let them know when she wasn’t going to be home.  Apparating out of the den, she arrived outside of the location, breathing hard as the heat hit her when she was on her solid footing again.  It was weird, to stand in front of a pub when it was starting to get dark out and she was completely lucid.

There was no chance she was going to let her guard down.  Indi could have plenty fun without the influence and in a place she didn’t know, she’d be more apt to do just that.  Walking in, she spotted the birthday girl (how could one not – she was in heels – Indi would never wear them) and there was Lenora, another Ravenclaw of the same year.  They were both decked in delightful dresses and looked like they were intent on making good impressions.  Indi, by comparison, looked as though she rolled out bed.  That was perfectly fine with her. 

“Greetings!” she beamed as she approached the two of them, nodding at each in turn before holding out the gift with great enthusiasm to the birthday girl.  “Happy Birthday!” she squeaked.  “I hope you like them – I was told they have calming properties and some benefits during test taking time,” she said without a hint of an idea that coming from Indica, it could sound like just about anything other than jewelry was in that bag. 

Tonight was going to be a blast. It just had to be, after the summer Zia had suffered! She strongly believed that she deserved a better-than-fantastic seventeenth birthday party. She was elated to already see some friends from her year. "Nora!" She shrieked and ran over to the girl in the black dress. A few heads turned at the shrill voices, but Zia was oblivious to the eye rolls they were getting. "You look sooo cute." In traditional Italian fashion, she gave her friend a kiss on either cheek.

Zia gave a little curtsey as Nora wished her happy birthday and complimented her looks. It felt nice to hear those things, being recently single. Maybe tonight she would find a cute boy to make someone jealous..... but now there were gifts! Zia was temporarily distracted from her plans of romantic revenge. Her eyes brightened at the pretty package and bounced over to a nearby table so that she could open it and admire them all.

"Oh Nora thank you- these are perfect!" Zia squealed as she put on the crown. "I love this," she said very seriously, holding up Lenora's artwork. The painting would most definitely go somewhere she would see it every day, to remind her how strong and majestic she was. That would help her get through this year with a certain someone. Stop thinking about that fool! "Really good job Nora!" She gave the girl a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug, a wide smile pasted on face.

Just as she was about to suggest that they get the fruitiest drink on the menu while discussing who was on the invite list, Indi Kemp joined them. Seeing Indi out at the pub, amongst all the snazzy liquor bottles and shiny shoes -- well, it was a unique thing to see if you knew Indi at all, which Zia did. They were in the same year and witches stuck together. "Indi!" Zia gave Indi an Italian greeting as well.

She took the gift gratefully, feeling really spoiled by her friends. "Wow, these are really pretty!" There was a trace of surprise in Zia's voice, though she didn't mean this negatively. In general, Indi's aesthetic was vastly different from Zia's. "I love the colors," Zia added, which she meant genuinely. She was tempted to put it on -- but her sisters had informed her that she had quite enough jewelry on already before she had even left the house.

A few of Zia's siblings were milling about at the bar. They were all older, but not so old that they would be unfamiliar to the friends Zia had invited. They would almost certainly know Capri, who was looking annoyed by everything as usual, as she was just two years older than them. Alessa and Lucia looked much happier to be there, chatting with their brothers Leo and Nico as Zia opened up her gifts. They had all long past the age of 17 -- and in fact had celebrated at least a dozen seventeenth birthdays just within their family. Still, Zia was excited, and her enthusiasm tended to be contagious.

"Let's get drinks!" Zia said cheerfully. Leo, having his posh job doing whatever it was with high-end clientele, offered to pay for the drinks of Zia and all of her mates. It was a generous offer that Zia fully intended to accept. She wished more of her siblings could have come (so maybe then Leo wouldn't be stuck with the whole bill...) but this was a great crowd so far. Zia smiled and beamed at her friends.

She was excited to see Zia carefully place the crown on her head with zero hesitation. "Crowns are always a necessity for such celebrations!" Lenora informed her friend. "I wasn't sure what you'd be wearing which I went with silver, glitter, and cheesy imitation jewels." It was obvious that it had been enchanted to glitter, sparkle, and shine brighter than was natural. But it was fun- and Zia had such a bright, engaging personality that Lenora thought it fit her.

The Ravenclaw was relieved to see Zia's joyous reaction to her painting. Lenora's artwork really did come from the heart, and she was always worried that people wouldn't like it. Criticism was welcomed, of course, but if Zia hadn't liked what she had painted special for her, then Lenora would probably have been wounded by it. She laughed when Zia pressed a kiss to her cheek, and Lenora returned the favor- with a loud, over exaggerate smacking sound.

She followed Zia's gaze when she called out at Indi. Lenora waved happily as the girl joined their table. She always was so cute- and despite the fact she was more dressed down that she and Zia, her style fit her well. Nora was the sort to always see and appreciate beauty in the world everywhere she looked- and even among her friends that was no different. When Zia opened her gift from Indi, Lenora's face lit up. "Oooh!" She leaned forward to get a better look at the jewelry. "Those are so pretty!" she exclaimed. "Oh wow, Indi. Those are great! Where did you find them?" Lenora would love to have something so colorful. She'd always liked shiny things. Especially pretty shiny things. "That bracelet is to die for!"

Zia mentioned ordering drinks and Lenora perked up. She looked around, and quickly recognized Zia's siblings. It wasn't hard. They definitely had a family resemblance. Lenora averted her gaze away from Leo- he was so dashing- and instead focused on the task at hand- drinks.

"Since it is your birthday, you're required to do at least one shot," Lenora informed her. Though she wasn't a heavy drinker herself, she had a few obligatory drinks when she had turned seventeen. "I prefer the fruity stuff," she said. "I can't stand to actually taste my alcohol. You know- the ones that are tropical with the cute little umbrellas and fruit garnish." And Lenora wasn't remotely ashamed of that fact- even if, in the past, she had been teased for not enjoying more stout and serious alcohols. Also, no matter how much she wanted to, Lenora just couldn't enjoy the taste of beer. It was disgusting.

Being surrounded by Pisellis and Lenora wasn’t a bad way to spend an evening.  Everyone was so… attractive!  Honestly, Indica appreciated different people for different things – Zia with her outgoing personality and vibrancy, Lenora for artistic and feminine sensiblities, and then all of Zia’s siblings for any number of reasons.  Really, her brothers and the one sister were very cute.  Her other sister might have even qualified if she didn’t have resting kneazle face. 

It didn’t seem like Zia was going to wait on the presents though, and that was just fine with Indi: she loved presents, mostly giving them.  But seeing  someone else open gifts from other people was good too.  Grinning at the crown, Indi shook her head.  “Very appropriate,” she commented and put her hands on her hips appraisingly.  It’s not the sort of thing she’d want to wear herself, but it was funny, and certainly fitting for the new ‘adult’ in the group. 

Indica had only recently turned seventeen herself, but it hadn’t been a big to-do.  Everyone was entitled to celebrate in their own way.  But, even more impressive than the crown was the artwork in the gift as well.  Gasping, Indica loved it – so whimsical!  She loved unicorns and water colors and the idea of Zia in the picture.  “Lenora!” she cheered, “that is bloody fantastic!  Can I get one?” she looked at her hopefully, clasping her hands in front of her, pouting a little to look like she was begging. 

“I’d even pay you!” she added, bouncing a little on her toes.  While she was normally about the same height as Lenora, she had to get on her toes to match eyes with her (heels would do that to a girl).  Then there was the moment for her gifts and Indi let her hands fall back to her hips, her chest puffed out proudly as they ooh’d and ahh’d over the jewelry.  When asked about them, Indi smiled smugly.  “One of mum’s clients,” she started to explain, “she makes it all and I thought it would be perfect for you,” she poked Zia in the bare shoulder and rocked back from her toes to her heels.  “Happy birthday,” she added again, giving her an extra hug before the idea of drinks was introduced to the group.

Shrugging, Indica didn’t drink.  But she wasn’t going to be a buzzkill.  Opposite in fact – when someone else offered to pay, it was easy to just ask for a pumpkin juice and she looked between the two girls.  “Count me as your good consciences for the evening,” she grinned before winking at them, “because it will just be a pumpkin juice for me!”
 
The brother that offered to pay for drinks looked horrified, but he was too polite to say anything – the other girls were chattering about shots and some kind of fruity drinks.  It was like a foreign language to her.  “Let’s make that happen, eh?” she looked to the brother and clapped her hands before separating them and putting her hands on the lower backs of both of her friends, directing them to follow the boy with the cute, black hair. 

[By the way, you guys can feel free to NPC the rest of the Piselli crew. Capri, 18, is grouchy and stubborn (but loosens up a bit with alcohol). Alessa, 19, is a bit shy but very calm, patient, and sweet. Nico, 20, is an artsy-musician type with a sensitive side. Leo & Lucia, 22-y/o twins, are like the WW's Will and Grace. Have fun!!]

Maybe it was a symptom of being the baby of an unusually large family, but Zia loved her birthday. She loved any occasion where she had an excuse to be the center of attention. The crown that Lenora gave her made her feel like a princess as well, and she couldn't believe that she hadn't thought to get one for herself. It was the perfect birthday accessory. She adjusted it atop her bright pink hair.

She smiled as Nora gushed over the gifts Indi had gotten for her. "You can borrow them whenever!" Zia exclaimed. "Thanks again, Indi." Zia knew that Indi wouldn't be drinking tonight- she never did. She wasn't like other 'sober' friends, though, the ones who disapproved of it altogether and judged those who did it. It was just a bit of fun, and Indi seemed to understand that. It was part of what made her so great.

"Count me as your good consciences for the evening, because it will just be a pumpkin juice for me!"

Zia laughed as Indi guided them to the bar. "But what if I need you to be my bad conscience?" Her newly single self was feeling devilish, and the bottle of wine she'd split with the siblings that joined her at the pub was already starting to bring this out. Capri overheard Zia's inquiry and raised her eyebrows but said nothing- she was of the opinion that Zia could use some edge.

"Since it is your birthday, you're required to do at least one shot"

"More than one, actually," her sister Lucia piped in. Zia didn't protest- tonight she planned on getting just as blasted as one's 17th birthday required. She looked up at the menu and skimmed the long list of shots, giggling at a few of the names. She didn't really know what any of it meant, though, and she felt very inexperienced.

To avoid looking totally foolish and naive, she turned to her group and said "...Limoncello?" It was a drink mass-produced on the coast of Italy, where it pretty much always smelled like lemons for all the trees growing. The drink was made by more or less soaking those lemons in grain alcohol and adding a huge amount of sugar. It made for a very tart drink. Luckily she was with the right crowd for that- only Nico groaned a bit. 

"Limoncello it is!" Leo said, then turned to the bartender and said "Limoncello shots for everybody!" in his thick Italian accent. Leo was one of the Piselli siblings who mainly resided in Italy rather than England. His ritzy job required it, and Leo certainly didn't mind. The other people in the bar cheered, apparently not really knowing what limoncello tasted like.

The tall skinny shot glasses were passed out to Zia's group first, and they all raised their glasses. "Salute and cin cin to Zia's seventeenth!" her sister Lucia cheered. Glasses began to clink.

Lenora perked up and absolutely beamed when Indi gasped a the painting she had done of Zia. Nora had been worried that Zia wouldn't like it- or that the others at her birthday gathering would think that it was silly. Truth be told, her inspiration for the painting had come from the fuzzy feeling she got from eating billywig stingers- but Lenora didn't like to broadcast the fact she occasionally used natural "drugs" to fuel her creativity. "Of course you can have one!" Lenora told her. "I can't promise you will be on a unicorn- but I'd love to paint you!" Maybe he should just make portraits of all of her friends. "And you wouldn't have to pay me. You could trade me, though," Lenora wagged her eyebrows. Indica usually had some of those creativity enhancers on hand.

Lenora laughed when Indi insisted it was just pumpkin juice for her. "Just pumpkin juice? C'mon, Indi, you need to have at least one drink. In honor of Zia's birthday! Get a pint or something." Peer pressure wasn't her usual method of approach with her friends- but Nora wanted everyone to have fun. "Besides, it's bad luck if you toast with something non alcoholic," she told Indi. "You can't wish Zia bad luck on her big birthday!"

Her brother orderd limoncello shots for everyone. Lenora could have swooned at his thick accent. She waggled her eyebrows and nudged Indi hard in the side. Then she grinned at Zia. "It's absolutely unfair how beautiful your family is," Lenora told her. "Look at you and your gorgeous siblings... And I've just got Eli." And Eli- though not ugly- was not what Lenora would considered gorgeous. Plus, he was phenomenally strange. Of course- if anyone else ever said those kinds of things about her brother- she would probably hex them. He was her brother. And he needed protecting.

Lucia made the toast, and Nora clinked her shot glass against everyone else's. She threw back the shot- and scrunched up her nose. Nora was not exactly an experienced drinker, and the shot had been sour. Her movements had definitely not been as fluid as the Piselli's when they had their drinks. "And this is why I always have fruity drinks," she commented, coughing lightly. "So sour."

Nora looked to the bartender and ordered just that. She was vague- but trusted the person whose job it was to make the drinks. "Something fruity," she said. "Sweet, tropical, can barely taste the alcohol?" Nora tilted her head, smiling sweetly. A couple minutes later she was served something a garish shade of pink and she tipped the bartender well for the delicious alcohol and for not seeming terribly bothered by her less than helpful method of ordering.

"I hope that both of you know that you will be dancing with me before the night is over," she said to her friends. "And if we can get enough shots into you-" Nora waggled her fingers at Zia- "we might even end up dancing on the bar." Lenora liked to dance, and she didn't need the extra alcohol for the bravery to boogie on the bar. Although she would probably chalk the behavior up to it.

 “Trade it is,” Indica grinned.  She knew exactly what Lenora meant, and that could easily be arranged. After all, she knew where to get, and the stuff was usually clutch.  Alfie did an ace job of keeping her in supply over the school year.  Didn’t hurt that she always had things from home over the summer to bring in return.  If Indica had larger ambitions, perhaps being a businesswoman would have been in her future.  But, bartering and trading was a little different than capitalism, just necessary skills for necessary items, and that was the way the world should work.  (Granted, Indica didn’t have the rest of the answers… but it seemed nice, didn’t it?)

Either way, she was so excited to hear she’d get a portrait.  “Thank you!” she squealed and wrapped her arms around the other girl for a brief moment before the subject was back to alcohol and Indica frowned.

She had strong convictions – and drinking was one of them.  Zia seemed more concerned about the trouble she could manage to get into, which was totally fine with Indi – preferable in fact.  “I can do that too,” Indi laughed and elbowed her in the side, “You know I’m good for making the best decisions in Hogwarts,” she teased.  Indica had only amassed a… small… reputation over the years.  Lenora’s brother was one of the reasons she’d gotten that reputation.

Grinning deviously, she elbowed her back.  “Don’t disparage your brother,” Indica offered, “what he lacks in conventionality… well, he makes up,” she glanced down, obviously trying to make a point about just where he made up for any personality shortcomings and shrieked in laughter before winking.  “Even if you are right – the Piselli clan,” her eyes roamed around the number of siblings, deciding which would be the most fun to chase after tonight (if for nothing other than sport), “is unnaturally beautiful.  It’s like being in a veritable human sweet shop.  I just want a bite of them all,” she winked and caught the eye of one brother with a winning smile.  She might have originally went for the sour faced sister (just to see what it would take to get there), but brother was already smiling…

The night would bring many surprises on this account, Indica surmised.  Not that she could help it – she was just having fun and exploring the boundaries of human contact and consciousness.  Her parents had said it was completely normal, and thus, Indica embraced it.  Others, of course, had differing opinions on the matter.  There was no judgmenet here on that account tonight – though her decision to not engage in alcohol was a little different. 

“I’ll cheers with a shot,” she conceded, “but I won’t drink it.  I’ll leave that to either of you,” looking between them, she trained her eyes on Zia, “it’ll be my second birthday present to you, a double dose of whatever poison you’ve decided on,” she grinned, hoping that would be a suitable alternative.  She didn’t want to give Zia bad luck, necessarily, but she wasn’t a drinker.  She didn’t need it to have fun. She had other things, not necessarily on her person – but… it was what it was. 

Taking the glass as it was passed to her, Indi raised the glass without a question and joined in the cheers-ing to Zia, who seemed to be relishing in the attention, and her family was not afraid to give it to her.  She giggled as Lenora took the shot and proclaimed how sour it was before she rushed the bar looking for something a little more her speed: fruity and sweet.  Indi, on the other hand, extended her shot out toward Zia, “Happy birthday!” she added cheekily, and gifted her with the shot. 

She’d be much happier dancing, actually, and looked at Nora with a smirk.  “Come on then, lady, grab your drink and dance with me,” she ordered, taking her hand and waiting for the bartender to produce whatever fruity concoction that was before she could pull her to the floor and get the party really started.  This was the part Indica was good at – rousing rabble and dancing with sweet, vaguely innocent young women who were drinking. Plus, Indi liked putting on a show for whoever decided they wanted to watch. 

Since Indi wasn't a drinker, Zia ended up with two shots, which she found to be a perfectly acceptable alternative. This wasn't Zia's first taste of limoncello, but it never really got easier -- she couldn't help but scrunch up her nose and make a sour face every time. Nico gagged dramatically, so Zia punched him in the arm and did her second shot. Her sour face showed up again and Nico looked at her pointedly. "What? It's sooo sweet!" Zia giggled. She was a tiny girl, and two shots of hard liquor were already giving her a nice buzz.

"Come on then, lady, grab your drink and dance with me"

Zia couldn't have asked for a better group to get together for her birthday. She was glad her friends were getting to hang out with her family. At one point, they had all been in school together -- but with Zia being the youngest, she was the only one left in the castle. It was her last year -- and Indi's last year, and Nora's. She wondered how the school would react to the lack of Pisellis -- maybe someone would immortalize them as a painting, since Zia's graduation would be leaving a pretty huge void.

Nora made her way back with a drink that matched the birthday girl's hair. Zia's eyes widened. "Oooh, I want one of those" Zia said, her eyes following the drink across the room. The words were barely out of her mouth before Leo was on the case, ordering one of whatever it was and sending it her way. She took a sip of the syrupy drink and felt the sweetness tingling throughout her body. The rest of her siblings, having outgrown the sugary drink phase, ordered an assortment of wines and liquors, passing them out amongst each other.

The word 'dancing' caught Zia's ear and suddenly it was the only thing she felt like doing. She took a few long sips of her drink, her eyes growing larger with each suck on the straw. Before she knew it the drink was done. Zia had an unnatural ability to stuff herself full of sweets. Anyone else would have probably suffered an intensive sugar coma after inhaling that much sugar, but Zia instead drew power from it.

She grabbed the hands of the people nearest to her (which happened to be Nora and Leo) and pulled them onto the floor, already starting to waggle her hips a bit. As she twirled around on the floor, another drink somehow made it into her hands and Zia started sipping on that one as well. A wide smile was plastered on her face and she was shakin' her groove thang. The liquor was humming through her system and she was feeling giddy.

After a few more sips of her drink, the song changed to something a bit slower but Zia kept on rocking out as if it were still something fast-paced. It took her a second to realize that this wasn't the right type of dance and when she finally did, she groaned. This wasn't party music!

Lenora grinned. A trade worked great for Nora. And she already had a few ideas of how she'd like to paint her friend. Indi was pretty, and she could even do a few of them for extra trades. Not that she didn't mind painting Indica for what she needed, but it was nice to keep a little extra pocket money.

She made a loud, disgusted noise when Indica mentioned something about her brothers... area. "Ugh! Indi! I do not need to know that about Eli! I don't want to know who he's doing or what he's doing with them. And I don't need details about his dangly parts! Oh, gross. That's just gross." Nora scrunched up her nose and continued to make dramatic gagging sounds at the idea of her brother naked. She wasn't dumb. She knew Eli got around. But she didn't have to be reminded of it- or told of his prowess. She didn't want to know.

"She's right, Zia. Your siblings are all gorgeous. You're gorgeous too. It's monumentally unfair to have so many good looking people in a single family." Lenora added Leo again, trying not to be too obvious about it.

Indica compromised- toasting with the shot and then letting Zia be the one to throw it back. That worked well enough for Lenora- it prevented the bad luck. She was a superstitious person. She would hate for something trivial to end up costing Zia a happy seventeenth year of life.

Lenora beamed when Zia ordered one of what she was having. And then Indi and Zia were both pulling her to the dance floor... Zia had grabbed her and Leo. He was handsomer than he should have been. And his accent didn't help matters. Or, more precisely, perhas it helped too much. She finished her drink quickly so that she could better focus on her dancing. Zia was wiggling her hips and the alcohol was obviously having an effect on her friend. Lenora would be there soon enough. In the mean time, she enjoyed dancing with both of her friends- with both of her friends and Zia's attractive brother.

The music changed to something slower, and Lenora was quick to snatch Leo in her grasp. Zia kept dancing wildly, though a few moments later she seemed to realize that wasn't the right music. Even if Leo was super gorgeous, she didn't want her friend to dance alone, so she let him go and took Zia by the hand and put her other hand on her hip. "Dance with me darling," she proclaimed in an exaggerated accent. "Or," Lenora suggested, "We could grab more shots until the music changes back to something better for shaking our bums."

Alright, maybe it wasn’t okay to mention someone’s brother’s unmentionables… but it was hilarious.  Indi wrapped her arms around her stomach as she laughed and then wiped the underside of her eye with her forefinger.  “Not quite so gross,” she pointed out, “remember: I have fantastic taste.” 

It was certainly not discriminating taste, that was for sure, but Indica wasn’t the type of person who didn’t give some kind of consideration to aesthetic pleasure when looking at people, which was why this birthday party was particularly awesome.  The beauty of the Piselli clan was not lost on her – or Nora for that matter, and they just got to be in the middle of it.  The best part was that it was the two of them and then a bunch of related people: chances were like… crazy high.  “It’s not unfair unless we don’t get to look!” Indi pointed out with a wide grin.  She was a surveyor of the good looking, and appreciator of fine beauty, and frequently not above engaging in a sampling, if the timing was right.  So, Indica was happy to compliment freely and frequently. 

At the moment though, she as more than happy to just dance.  She wasn’t a bad dancer.  Apparently growing up in a home where self-conscious thought was immediately nipped in the bud resulted in someone who did not give a wit and tried anything once, and on top of that, learning from the Salem students last year… well, it was quite the education!

If they just kept the fast music on, Indi would have shown off the… appropriately crazy skills she had learned in conjunction with being introduced to “twerk” music.  The next song wasn’t fit for that though… It got a little slow, and Indi stopped throwing her head and hair, zoning back into reality.  “You guys do that,” she motioned to Nora and Zia.  “I’m going to run outside for a minute,” she might have had something in her bag… she might have wanted to use it… so she hoped her friends got the hint. 

“Be back quick!” she grinned and bounced before walking toward the door.  Alcohol wasn’t a vice she was going to give into, and it seemed one of Zia’s brothers felt the same.  Though, they probably hardly noticed that he followed Indi out the door and certainly didn’t know he offered her a cigarette, which she turned down and in return, offered something better.  The offer was not declined. 

Awed comments about how beautiful (and huge) the Piselli family was followed Zia throughout her entire life. It boosted her self esteem, but what would have really done it was someone noticed how individually pretty Zia was. Those words - 'you're pretty' - and all the variations were like the alohamora to Zia's heart. Another fancy drink found its way into her hands, this one white with a huge pineapple chunk. Zia's eyes grew large as she plucked it off the rim of the curvaceous glass and began to nibble on it, periodically drinking the smoothie-like cocktail. She was bummed that there was no music to dance to but the pineapple was tasty and so was the drink and now Nora was here wanting to dance! Being seventeen was so much fun.

Loosely carrying her glass in one hand, she slow danced with her bestie. Who then said something about shots. "Shots! Shoot me up!" Zia said eagerly. She was all into the idea of trying as many drinks as she possibly could. She felt elated and even though everything was a little bit blurry, it was like it was because she was having so much fun that everything was moving too fast for her to see clearly, as if she were on a train. She linked arms with Nora and kept wiggling her hips and shoulders as she walked, still dancing. She even started to sing a little, a song she made up off the top of her head: "Shots! Shots! Shooot me up!"

"Shots please!" Zia said gleefully to the bartender, who smirked at the birthday princess. If it hadn't been for Leo's generous tip (and promise for more later), he might have been rolling his eyes, but her innocence was at least a little bit endearing. Based on the drinks her friends had been ordering for her, something sweet. Two shots with kahlua and vanilla vodka with whipped cream on top. He placed the shots on the table and Zia stared at them skeptically.

"These aren't shots," she said, mystified. "They're dessert!" Her big brown eyes got even bigger, wondering if these actually were shots. She'd been missing out on so much! "Whatever it is, it looks delizioso!" she added in a sing-song voice. She grabbed the glass and clinked it with Nora's.  After she downed the shot (which was just as yummy as she thought it would be... did alcohol start tasting good when you turned 17? It certainly seemed that way) she looked around the room and realized something. A few members of her party were missing. "Hey, where'd Indie go?"

"I might change my mind if you keep talking about Eli that way. I don't know that anyone could consider him fantastic taste. I can't imagine the kind of dramatics he would get up to in a... private situation." She crinkled her nose in disgust and shook her head. "No more talk of that, though! Here to have a good time- and not get scarred for life!"

They went back to dancing. Lenora liked watching Indi dance. She had so little worry of looking silly and because of her lack of self consciousness was all the more attractive and capable of having fun. But when the music slowed, she mentioned going outside. Lenora waved her off with a smile as she danced a bit with Zia- but they were both quickly distracted by heading back to the bar for more shots. Nora's parents would kill her if she came home too intoxicated- but it was hard to resist Zia's excitement and the offer of free drinks from Zia's wealthy brother.

Lenora eyed the shots with as much suspicion as her friend. "Dessert indeed!" Nora agreed, taking the small glass from her friend. They clinked them together in a toast and they both downed their shot. It really did taste like dessert, and Nora promptly ordered one more to follow it up- because how could you only have just one of those?

Zia asked where Indi went, and Lenora looked around- then she shrugged. "She mentioned she was going to go outside," Nora told Zia. "I expect she wanted a smoke." Not a cigarette, of course, but no need to broadcast that fact all over a bar to perfect strangers. "She said she'd be back soon." Nora had not noticed that Zia's brother had followed Indica outside. But it wouldn't have bothered her anyway. Anything to distract Indi from her brother's nethers.

"We'll have to sneak some firewhiskey into Hogwarts this year," she said to Zia. "Keep it in the common room to help us relax between homework and studying for NEWTs." Not that Lenora really spent a whole lot of time studying. "Now that you're having so much fun drinking tonight, you're going to miss it once school strts back. You know, we could get some stuff good for mixing, too. Sneak some stuff from the kitchens to make some delicious stuff like this," she motioned at the empty shot glasses. "What do you think?"

The cool breeze outside was excellent.  Inside it was warm and there were a lot of people.  Dancing was fun, but she could feel herself sweating even after a few minutes and as more drinks had started to come… well… Indi dug into her small bag and pulled out a j she had. 

She figured she’d take a puff or two and then be done with it, go back in, but one of Zia’s brothers approached and Indi was more than happy to chat – as well as share, which Nico (as he reintroduced himself) was more than happy to share. 

It was a good thing everyone else outside was minding their own business.  They ignored the fact that Indi and Nico were doing something that they could probably call some hitwizards for to bring them in… but that would probably be excessive, and who really cared anyway?  It wasn’t like they were doing anything terrible that would hurt anyone. 

By the time they’d exchanged a little bit of small talk and the joint that had once been full was now just a roach in hand, Indi extinguished the end and slipped it back into the baggie in her bag.  Feeling light and relaxed, Indi turned toward him and smiled, one corner of her mouth pulled up much higher than the other.  “Let’s go back in!” Indi offered excitedly and he held out his arm.  It was a nice arm, and that meant Indi was more than happy to take it. 

The dance floor was calling and the music was a lot better than when she left.  She thought she might see the girls back on the floor already, but a cursory glance around the bar revealed to her they were getting more to drink and her foggy brain was not going over there.  “Dance with me?” she turned to Nico and smirked – he seemed a little unsure but Indi didn’t really wait for a response before taking his hand and pulling him to the dance floor. 

She loved to dance, that was certain, and maybe it wasn’t exactly proper, but Nico didn’t seem to mind as he put his hands on her hips and Indi tried to get the girls attention by waving at them and beckoning them over.  This was a party! she thought in her head, laughed out loud, and tossed her hair.  She might have hit Nico in the face with it… but that was neither here or nor there, considering there was a lot of noise and lights and dancing… excellent.