Visually, both the exterior[1] and interior looked almost exactly the same as it had in those dusty family albums.  Looking at the weathered-appearance of the stone walls and the worn edges of the paintings and tapestries lining the corridors, one could almost pretend the ravages of World War II and the following 70 years of near-abandonment had never happened.  Visually, it was the spitting image of the historical family estate of a very non-magical family, but that was as far as similarities went.  While Sasha's home near London and his university flat in Cambridge were all designed with the integration of the magical and mundane worlds in mind, the new manifestation of this property was all magical. 

It had been completely rebuilt by magic, with the help of wizarding architects and builders he'd hired from Stuttgart, Germany.  The construction and decoration of the castle had afforded the new graduate an opportunity to put seven years of magical education to abundant practical and impractical use.  And, amidst the replication of family and history, magical touches and 'upgrades' could be found every corner of the building. 

Some were permanent and were meant to remain with the property.  Many, such as the gnarled apple tree bearing golden fruit that grew up out of the walkway behind the castle, were in place purely for the sake of Halloween and Sascha was profoundly relieved he was able to use magic to prepare as much as he had.  He knew he couldn't have convinced Giada to help him with the preparations, even if he'd tried, so the vast majority of the preparations had been left to him.  She would have not wanted to be that far from Oma Kat for that long. 

Sasha had a young wandmaker[2] to thank for the idea of a Brothers Grimm-themed Halloween party - and not the watered down Disney version of the tales.  A simple, two-roomed cottage tucked back between the trees had been coated with edible sweets and, inside, a witch was roasting an unidentifiable chunk of meat in an oven[3].  Voices could be heard from inside a sealed crypt within a graveyard that lay just inside the woods on the south side of the castle[4].  Golden geese, glass coffins and a precocious fox that was inclined to send people on pointless quests into the woods were scattered around the property along with a myriad of other references to the dark fairy tales[5].  With the help of another chance encounter with a stranger[6], a myriad of other, more generic Halloween decorations had joined the fray from ghosts to animated skeletons and the occasional, strange tentacle that splashed up, occasionally, from the moat.

Invitations had gone out without much thought to who they went to or how well Sascha knew them.  The festivities were intended to last the weekend and partakers were free to come for the evening or stay for the weekend, either in one of the castle's bedrooms or camping on the grounds.  Instructions for apparating or flooing to the property had been included in the invitation.  Food and drink littered the dining room and a handful of wizarding tents were available for those who forgot or neglected to bring their own and there was more than enough firewood and torches for when the sun set. 

A tad extravagant?  Yes, perhaps.  But, Sasha[7] very much hoped it would be worth it. 

1.	Visual references of building and grounds
2.	Meeting with Tamzin and Jonas
3.	Hansel und Gretel
4.	Die drei Schlangenblätter
5.	Feel free to improvise!
6.	Meeting with Aviad Cohen
7.	Outfit of choice - because go big or go home.

Abby took one more glance around the flat that she and Raine shared. A cluster of skulls glowed on the coffee table, orange string lights glimmered against the windows, and cobwebs stretched over the mantle where the three girls stood. Abby, in the red and orange of fall leaves, and Moira and Raine, in shades of blue. One of the glowing skulls bobbed over Moira's shoulder, charmed to follow her throughout the night. A braid softly framed Moira's face, the dark strands illuminated in the skull's glow[1]. As Baba Yaga, Raine looked fierce beside her, her wild hair streaked with gray.

"Ready?" Abby smiled at her friends. They turned, and stepped into the fireplace one by one, floo'ing first to London, then to Germany, where the mysterious Schlagenweit estate stood under the cover of the Black Forest.

Stepping out of the floo into the warmth of Sasha's living room, Abby shook the green powder off her black boots, glad to see the ashy stain creeping up her legs had held through the journey. Abby looked around at the paneling of the ceiling, the intricate wallpaper, the large windows, and felt the plush rug underneath her heels. She listened, subconsciously, for the ticking of clocks.

All was quiet. Abby let out a breath, excited to get the party started.

"Shall we find Sasha?"

She hooked arms with Moira and Raine, the feathers of her cloak rustling as they moved through the manor. The red in her costume matched the warm tones in each room, as if she'd flown home. She'd stolen glances at the mirror earlier in the evening, admiring the dark liner around her eyes that subtly changed her face, the red of her feathers in her red hair, the subtle height of her shoes. In costume, she felt more like herself than she had in a long time. She'd escaped to the Ministry, smelling of smoke and ash, but today, she felt transformed[2].

In the dining hall, Abby left her offering of alcohol on the table. She left her overnight bag near the door, packed with glamping essentials.

They stepped outside, and Abby looked up. And up. Turrets and towers loomed.

"Godric's galoshes, it's an actual castle."

They walked down the path away from the castle, the crisp evening air carrying the scent of apples. In the garden stood a tree which bore golden apples, and beneath it, stood Sasha, looking up into the boughs.

"Sasha!" Abby called, letting go of Moira and Raine to hug him. A laugh bubbled up, and she let it out. He looked charming in his hat and cloak.

Abby gave him a peck on the lips, mindful of her friends behind her.

"Found you! Quest completed."

1.	Moira's costume
2.	Abby's costume

It wasn't really possible Figaro could take his preferred method of travel, broomstick, to Germany. He was paranoid about Apparating to locations he'd never been, so it was good luck Sasha's place was connected to the Floo Network.

When he'd emerged from the grand fireplace and dusted himself off, he looked up and sighed, "gross."

It was an amazing place, but wealth had never made sense to him and being in fancy places always made him feel put-off, as if everyone somehow knew he didn't belong there. But! It was Halloween and tonight his Cause Was To Rock. He had suspicions about Sasha's ability to throw a rager, but eh. Worth a shot. He was a good guy and everyone was going to be there. Why the hell not?

His costume consisted of his regular clothes (dark blazer over a t-shirt and olive green trousers), and grey top hat and a long-nosed, gold-colored, Venetian style mask (for now propped on the brim of his hat). He also had his bag with him filled with emergency provisions in case Sasha's catering was on the funerary side.

There wasn't anyone he knew inside, so he followed the sounds of conversation out the grand front doors. There was Sasha, Raine, Moira, and that girl Abby Reid, each of them in costume.

He flung is arms wide as he approached, aware but unconcerned that the last time he'd seen Raine she was hexing him.

"Friends and lovers," he greeted. "Time to get spooky." 

As he drew nearer, he offered something a bit more generic. "What's up?"

            "Godric's galoshes, it's an actual castle."

"It is, isn't it?" Raine[1] remarked happily and drew her shawl closer to herself as they left the safety of the indoors for the fairy tale wonders outside. The entire setting was precisely what she would have expected from Sasha - it was much more gothic and definitely cosier than any Almasy palace she'd visited in her time with Ira. But perhaps a little sadder on account of her knowing that its many rooms were rarely filled up. Perhaps that's what made this party so much more special.

She'd left her weekender bag in the dining room, along with the bottle of fermented pumpkin juice that the occasion demanded, but Raine was still carrying a pestle and mortar in the crook of her arm. They were a part of her costume so she couldn't just leave them around.

Speaking of costumes...

"What is he wearing?" the redhead hissed at Moira as soon as Abby left them to enthusiastically greet their flamboyantly dressed host. "You've really outdone yourself!" she added in a normal voice once they were close enough, shaking her head at the former Ravenclaw.

Over-the-top Halloween celebrations were pretty much par for the course in wizarding society but never had she even seen someone dressed so perfectly to type. Sasha looked like he had walked right out of something compiled by the brothers Grimm.

Before she could say as much, however, Figaro was upon them. He wasn't as fantastically costumed as the others but.... it was Fig. He looked like Fig. "What are you supposed to be?" Raine wrinkled her nose at him. "Besides annoying, I mean."

1.	Raine's costume

Ah, Raine. His mere presence in her presence vexed her. He moved his mask up to his face, and made a little bow.

"A rat bastard not getting hexed tonight," he said, opting for deference over provocation. Provocation would likely incite incendiary invocation, and that was not desirable on this occasion. Besides, he only had the one pair of pants. He stood up.

"It's a pretty good likeness, I think. What are you lot?" Everyone else was dressed in classy costumes, none scary, except Abby who looked like a sort of vengeful bird. They looked like illustrations from history books.  "Did I miss the theme?"

Throughout the course of the day being in costume for Sasha's Halloween party had not entered Moira's head. Abby had asked she stop by her flat after work instead of going home, then they, including Raine, would all arrive together. Not wanting to arrive grungy and smelling of horse manure and who knew what else Moira, with permission, had made use of their shower. Clean and refreshed the rancher had found not her own clothes to change back into, they had been mostly cleaned via a spell before the shower, but an outfit for "Vasilisa the Beautiful". Her clever and devious friends had switched the clothes to give her little choice in the matter. As comfortable as Moira was in her own skin, arriving in her birthday suit was out of the question.

Braiding her hair for the part was a first time for her. During the first fifteen years of her life Moira had worn it down so the hair covered her forehead. When a moment of catharsis came during school caring about the visibility of her facial scar ceased to matter. The young witch began tying or clipping her hair on her head, usually in a messy bundle, to keep it out of her eyes when it became bothersome. This particular style would have to be kept in mind for later.

Glancing around once they arrived Moira was not surprised to see Sasha had gone all out with decorations and the different buildings. Castle, tree, cottage, graveyard, check. Though the outline of the candy cottage in the trees, somewhat obscured, looked vaguely familiar except she couldn't quite place where she knew it from.

Distracted suddenly by Raine's whispered comment on Sasha's costume caused Moira to look over to the hugging couple and chuckle. It was a unique style of apparel, even for him. She had seen Sasha in his riding outfit before and that was bizarre enough.

Then there was Fig arriving with a greeting all his own. Moira did give him a side eye at the term 'lovers'. The two sharing a quick kiss had better be the ones he was referring to and not those shared letters[1]. Following Raine's comment she added, "I'm surprised you're not riding a pumpkin." Moira tone was been slightly sarcastic though it smoothed back to normal. "Hello, Fig. I am a... hated step-daughter?" She glanced at Raine for confirmation.

1.	Correspondence with Figaro

Nicholas turned in the mirror one last time to make sure his boxers weren't visible this time.  It had taken him several tries to get the chiton draped right not to show off his boxers.  Even if the grapevine decorated boxers went with the Dionysus theme, they did not go with the costume.

"I think I got it, finally."  He stashed his wand in his belt and picked up the wreath made of grapevines and placed it slightly askew on his head.  He turned to Peyton,"Okay what do you think? Wait."  He picked up the thyrsus he'd painstakingly worked on for at least a week.  It was a five foot staff of giant fennel wrapped in ivy leaves and topped with a pine cone.  The painstaking part was that Nicholas had enchanted the staff to hold about ten bottles of wine.  All he had to do was stroke the pine cone and tip the staff and red wine would pour from the top of the pine cone.

"Okay that's everything, how do I look?"

---

Nicholas popped into being in the dining room, hand-in-hand with Peyton.  He planned on spending as much time as he could with his boyfriend. Especially since Peyton couldn't even stay the whole weekend.  Damned quidditch season.  Between his own weird hours and the Tornados less than stellar season, this felt like the first time they'd actually get some extended time together.  Even if that wasn't quite true it still felt like it to Nicholas.

"So," he looked around, "Ha!  Grapes!  I don't have to eat my wreath."  He grabbed a bunch of grapes, biting one off the vine.  He grabbed another bunch and  with some coaxing added them to his belt for later.  Snack and costume addition.  "Want something?"

Getting ready for Sasha's party had been a chore unto itself. If only because Peyton was having just as many struggles with his costume as Nicholas was. Where his boyfriend had gone with Dionysus, Peyton had chosen Apollo to finish off the tale of Greek Philosophy. Not seen as opposites or rivals in the myths, the pair were like the ying and yang of Greek Gods - order and chaos, prudence and ecstacy. In the end Peyton felt it fit them well for their first couples costume. The only problem was, his own Chiton was a little smaller than Nick's. He had finally managed to enchant his boxer briefs to look like his skin instead of trying to keep them from showing in his 'skirt'. The look was topped off with a golden laurel in his hair and a quiver strapped to his back.

Peyton made a show of looking over Nicholas as he asked how he looked, "like I'm tempted not to go to the party and have you right now." He added with a wink and a smile. He was actually looking forward to the party but it his way of saying just how good his boyfriend looked.

---

When they arrived at the castle Peyton took a few moments to take in the sight of the main room they had arrived in. Having spent seven years living with Sasha in the Ravenclaw Tower, he knew the man had come from Muggle Money but he never expected for him to live in a genuine castle. Even the ancestral Wentworth Manor was nowhere near as big as this place looked to be.

He crossed over to the table, grabbing a small plate and loading up on some of the more healthier choices. Since joining the Tutshill Tornadoes, Peyton had filled out even more, his muscles more defined as he spent most of his time now working out and training with his team. It aso meant he was almost always hungry.

He looked to Nick with an almost sheepish grin, "sorry, new workout. Been eating everything in sight lately." At least all the hard work he was putting in was a great addition to his costume as his chest was almost completely bare.

Sasha heard the sound of footfalls against the stone pathway behind him moments before a very familiar and very lovely voice called his name.  He turned away from the gnarled (and currently golden) apple tree, trying not to be too self-conscious about his choice of outfit.  It had been easier to ignore the form-fitting nature of the tights when there had been no one else around.

Luckily, despite the anxious voices in his head, Moira, Raine and Abby had all opted to dress in costume.  Abby's vivid red outfit stood in dramatic contrast to the bluer tones of both of the others, but all there were perfect compliments to the theme of the party. 

He grinned, broadly, though a characteristic touch of color rose in his cheeks as he returned Abby's embrace.  "Your first quest is complete," he confirmed brightly.  "But, I'm afraid, you're princess is in another castle."  Sasha laughed and shook his head, only belatedly aware the joke was, perhaps, a little too muggle for the current crowd. 

"Thank you and it was fun.  Feel free-" he started to offer to Raine, but stopped as Figaro joined them with an altogether very-Figaro greeting and costume (if that's what it could be called).  Raine, apparently, shared his uncertainty about Figaro's level of commitment to costumes. 

Sasha cast a curious and questioning glance towards Abby as Raine and Figaro exchanged less-than-pleasant greetings.  He'd never known the two to be friends but he wasn't sure where any of this squabbling came from.  Nor did he understand whom Figaro was referencing with the lover comment - unless, it was them.  Through the open door of the castle, he could hear the sounds of others inside, but he turned his attention back to the four in front of him.

"I am the king's son!" Sasha offered, an aptly generic answer to Figaro's question.  "From the Brother's Grimm - they're muggle fairy tales.  And, there's no shortage of kings nor sons in them, so no need to specify which." 

Hoping he could move the party beyond the awkward round of greetings, Sasha turned his attention back to arrival announcements.  "Feel free to make yourselves at home!  There's food in the dining hall and a full bar and gillyweed in the kitchen.  That trail follows the moat creek to the lake and there's firewood, tents and spare sleeping bags there, but there are also plenty of spare beds inside.  And, you don't have to do anything the fox tells you to do.  But, where would be the fun in that, right?" 

Foxes always seemed to be the tricksters in the Grimm's stories and, using what he'd learned from the Israeli mage, Sasha had reanimated a fox skeleton and charmed it to serve as the starting point for any number of 'quests.' 

"Your first quest is complete," he confirmed brightly.  "But, I'm afraid, you're princess is in another castle."

Abby giggled at Sasha's phrasing, then gave him a flirty look. "I'm partial to princes. You look very charming, by the way."

She nearly regretted not dressing up as a princess, but she'd rather be a total badass for one night, and it wouldn't do if her friends keeled over from too much sappiness exposure.

When Figaro appeared, it took her a moment to remember him from a Quidditch party and one of her birthday parties years back. Raine's reaction clued her in. Raine certainly wasn't his 'lover', more like hater! Abby glanced at Moira quickly when she made a reference to pumpkins, and then she glanced at Fig, and her eyebrows inched up.

Eyes sparkling with plans for mischief, Abby caught Sasha's questioning glance and leaned in to whisper.

"Raine hexed Fig on Level Two after he tried to sneak in about some pentral article months ago. She's still salty about it."

Not that Abby blamed her! In a way, Raine had been looking out for her.

"Most importantly, Moira just made an inside joke to Fig that I know nothing about, which is very mysterious and exciting," she gently squeezed Sasha's arm and smiled up at her boyfriend.

In his gold mask, Figaro looked more like he belonged. She, Moira, and Raine had decided to go with Russian fairy tales this Halloween. "Vasilisa the beautiful," Abby added with wink at Moira.

After Sasha explained his costume, Abby shot a grin at Figaro and lifted her arms at her sides, showing off her red feather cloak. "Firebird! Or phoenix. Or Abby - I suppose I'll still answer to that."

She hoped. In crowds, the pentral's thoughts and influences tended to drift to the background.

Abby blinked at Sasha when he mentioned gillyweed with a straight face, and mischief-making foxes. He'd put a lot of thought into this party and she had no doubt it would be a blast.

"This sounds fun! Who wants to wander the trails with me?" She cocked her head at the forest behind them.

"We can grab provisions first." Abby mimed putting a joint to her mouth and blowing out the smoke. She laughed.

Snow White stepped out of the fireplace in a burst of green flames and a bustle of red skirts. She wiped the floo powder and ash off her white blouse, and glanced around the grand room with wide blue eyes. There was no comparison to the little cottage she'd grown up in, or even the Radford estate she lived in now, which creaked and groaned and hosted opinionated portraits. Sasha's castle felt warmer than his other estate, however, and she could pretend a bit like she was back at Hogwarts.

Fauna hefted a fake, blunted axe over her shoulder (stolen from the huntsman). Balancing a tray of treats in her other hand, she made her way through the house, following the echo of low voices. She straightened her shoulders, and reminded herself that Sasha wouldn't have invited her if he didn't want her to be here. They hadn't spoken to each other for years until recently, and then only at other people's parties. Still, his closeness to Abby had perhaps eased the tension and bad feelings between them. Not to mention the jokes on Facebook.[1].

In the dining room, she spotted Nick and another fellow, dressed as a pair. Nick's bits were covered! Hallelujah.

"Hey," she smiled at Nick, her red lips matching the red ribbon in her hair. Fauna took a moment to place Peyton. She hadn't seen him since school, when he'd been a Ravenclaw a few years younger than her. He'd haunted the Quidditch pitch while she'd haunted Tulo's hut. Was he doing something with Quidditch now? She didn't keep up with sports.

"Nice costumes. Greek gods?" Fauna guessed. "Or did you, er, come from a toga party?" She half-joked.

Fauna set down a platter of pumpkin spice cupcakes (she knew Abby, at least, would like them), and then her gaze caught on something else on the table.

"Is that gillyweed?" Fauna stared. "Sasha, of all people," she shook her head and chuckled.

1.	Status Update Notification

It was weird, at least to Figaro, the group convening here. Not at school, not a work, no one to answer to, and probably not an authority figure around for miles. They were at once both the picture of an ensemble and shifted out-of-context. All that, and the costumes.  Sasha and Abby were apparently in cahoots, Abby looking blithe and whispering in his hear.  Fig was glad Moira was there - they'd figured out a sort of effortless friendship.

He slipped off his mask again (it was a little uncomfortable) and tipped his hat further onto the back of his head. He'd never had patience for costumes or uniforms, ensembles lasting about as long as it took to put them on in the first place. A breeze seemed to carry more voices from the house.

"This party's serious," Figaro said, crossing his arms. Sasha was describing a full-on event. This wasn't going to be aimless bullshitting around a campfire in the woods - there were actual activities planned. Also, a fox? Considering they were under a tree thick with tempting golden apples, a fox giving orders shouldn't surprise him.

"Tetrawizard Tournament level."

He glanced at Raine and nearly said something, but actually thought better of it. They'd been paired up for a challenge way back, and that might have been worth a laugh if she wasn't still staring daggers. Instead, he agreed with Abby and began walking slowly backwards to the house again.

"Yes, provisions. Must be prepared."

Raine didn't fancy chatting much, not in the vicinity of a journalist. There was something in the back of her mind that wouldn't let her relax whenever she saw Figaro these days - a voice of self-preservation. His career fed itself on terrible things like other people's misery or jeopardising ongoing investigations. She was sure he would sell them out just to get ahead at the Prophet.

            "We can grab provisions first."

Abby to the rescue! Raine laughed, breaking her silence. "I'm feeling rather fortunate that we're out of British jurisdiction now. Free-flowing gillyweed?" she arched an eyebrow at Sasha. "Everything in excess." It was a little jarring, compared to how sneaky they had to be about it in London.

But tonight wasn't supposed to be for worrying about that. She was going to keep an eye on Fig and make sure nobody got too out of hand, but that didn't mean Raine wasn't going to have fun.

"I think I'll skip the trails," she smiled at her flatmate, with only a touch of concern, "but I'll join you all in getting.... provisions."

Figaro mentioning the Tetrawizard Tournament sent a sad chill through her. That felt like ages ago. Before Ira, before Layton, before everything. She was somebody else now - and maybe Fig was too, though she never really understood him. As they made their way back to the house, Raine fell in line with Sasha and nudged his shoulder with her own.

"Did you set this all up yourself?" she waved a hand at their surroundings before they passed through into the indoors. "I mean, organisation-wise, not literally."

“And, I am very partial to that dress,” Sasha admitted to Abby under his breath with a grin and a slight wink.  It was a little weird, seeing everyone here - all outside of school and supposedly adults, at least as far as society was concerned. 

Though, presumably, no less gossip-worthy despite being out in the real world.  Sasha bent down when Abby started to whisper, casting less-than-subtle glances in Raine’s, Fig’s and then Moira’s direction.  “Am I correct in assuming you plan to investigate and might be willing to share your findings?” he whispered back.  In retrospect, if Abby had been at Hogwarts with them, maybe Sasha would have been much more aware of the school rumor mill. 

He was impressed with their three costumes and was not only pleased they had shown up but had put such thought into their costumes.  Sasha might even be on the verge of a new favorite holiday and, like a director watching the audience reaction to a performance on opening night, he was eager to see how their ventures into the woods will play out.  Except-

"This party's serious.”

For a moment, Sasha’s grin faltered as Figaro’s comment caught his attention.  “I mean, it’s not intended to be - it’s … the activities are for fun.  And, entirely optional.  And, they won’t last all night, unless you get lost or something. It-”  His cheeks flushed, slightly, and his shook his head and started back towards the house.  Raine seemed to readily grasp the, apparently, difficult concept of ‘it’s all optional.’

He joined the group as it trekked back towards the castle and fell into step next to Raine.  He glanced from her to the surroundings and back, grinning slightly as he nodded his head.  “I did do all the organization,” he admitted.  “Once classes were done, I … I’ve had way more time on my hands then I knew what to do with.  I kept finding side projects and, I suppose, this was one of the more fun ones.  I mean - I went through all the pain and suffering to earn thirteen NEWTs.  Might as well put them to good use, right?” 

It had felt a little bit like a massive, practical final exam.  He’d used aspects of practically every class, except for Divination.  He still hadn’t found any practical uses for that one. 

“But, it’s true I set this all up literally, too.  The property was destroyed almost seventy years ago.  I rebuilt it this summer.  It’s … it was inexplicably cathartic.”  He cast a glance up at the turrets as they neared the heavy wooden door then at Figaro and back at Raine.  “Is it too much?” he asked under his breath. 

Hello. Been a while. I love you so much. Wish you weren't here. Moira looked on politely as the greetings continued to be made. If she had wanted to simply stand around and get food she could have done that at home even if it was good to see her friends.

For a brief moment, Moira stayed behind and considered wandering off to start exploring while they all went to get provisions. Then her stomach gave a low growl telling her food was not an objectionable stop. She hadn't eaten since lunch.

Decision made, Vasilisa the beautiful fell into step beside Abby. "Do you know where you want to explore first when we start?" None of these fairy tale stories seemed familiar to her considering her non-muggle upbringing. She would have to trust those with experience on the stories.

Everything the witch could see had been done with the details in mind. Sasha really had gone all out on everything but she didn't know of a time when he hadn't. His studies at school were an obvious example. Moira wasn't too certain about the dead animated fox, though. To her it seemed a short step away from necromancy. Surely it was just a set of charmed bones. Foxes didn't talk.

Fauna, Peyton, and Nick were already inside. What in Merlin's name were they wearing? Fauna's outfit visually suited her. Moira was not certain about the other two but thinking back to the slumber party she decided to just be grateful he had at least come clothed.