Gathering: Summer Party

[concierge]

Outside of the Nexus Hotel, waiters and hotel staff had begun to set up the umbrellas and the tables in the middle of the day. Soon, it became clear that something was happening in the shadow of the Nexus. White tablecloths were draped on the tables and drinks and food were brought out with the help of several waiters and servers, staffing tables with hot and cold foods beside bartending stations. Summery drinks in bright, neon colors are laid out one by one and soon, the afternoon light casts a radiant look on the scene.

Music plays faintly in the background and a note at the front desk invites all the Nexus guests to head outside and join in on the summer party, which promises to continue going as long as there are people to stay and continue keeping the warm atmosphere rolling.

On the lawn, social games had been set out -- lawn bowling, croquet, and tables were set up with chairs for anyone who didn't quite have the will or the spirit to get into such games. Soon, a small number of people had begun to mill around, but as with all parties, there's always room for more.

Comments

[prongsdefiant]

"I never said it was good," James retorted, taking his glass back and swallowing deep just to prove a point. It was terrible, but he was not about to admit that to Sirius. He grinned a little and drew his fingertip along the edge of the glass.

"I guess we could always tip the lot of it into Snape's drink. Have you seen him around?"

[divinestsense]

The expression on Sirius' face soured again. "I've not caught the scent of greasy hair and unwashed drawers, so he must not be here," he replied, and then motioned to the glass again. "It'd be a double waste, that. Perfectly good whiskey put in pumpkin juice and then given to Snape. You've become a sadist, Potter."

A drunken Snape might be worth the loss, Sirius thought, but he was meant to be minding himself these days. Better not to have the temptation than have to deal with Remus' inevitable look of deep disappointment.

[prongsdefiant]

"I prefer to think of it as cleverly cruel," James snapped back. His tone was tempered by the grin pulling at the corner of his mouth and he tipped back the rest of his glass, resisting the urge to wince at just how terrible the whiskey was.

"You would think since now I'm of age, I would be able to find something better than this rotgut. Oh well. A drink's a drink." It was actually somewhat relaxing to be here in the hotel and not back home; the hotel seemed shielded from the turmoil of Wizarding Britain.

"Seen Moony around or is it just us today?"

[divinestsense]

"He was studying when I left," Sirius easily replied with a shrug. This wasn't strictly the truth, but true enough. Remus spent most of his time studying, and James wasn't ready to hear what they'd actually been up to.

"Could pop into the pub," he suggested with a jerk of his chin toward the door. "Bound to be more fun than this."

[prongsdefiant]

"Could," James said, weighing that for a moment before agreeing with a quick jerk of his chin. A pub had to be more fun than a garden party that could have been thrown by his dearly departed parents and Sirius was just the kind of trouble that James needed to fall into today. He needed something to take his mind off troubles back home.

"Here's hoping the Muggle liquor is better than my firewhiskey. Then again, even something brewed in Snape's cauldron would probably taste better than this, grease and all."

[divinestsense]

Sirius gave the thought the shudder it deserved and then flung a skinny arm across James' shoulders to better direct them both toward the door. Enough with politely milling about the lawn like they were about to take tea with somebody's nan.

"I fully appreciate the rivalry you've got with the aforementioned grease spot, Prongs, but I think what would make this day even better would be if we didn't mention him again, yeah?"

[prongsdefiant]

"That, I think I can oblige," James said, sliding his own arm around Sirius' waist in kind. He had always had an easy affection with Sirius in the physical sense even if their emotional relationship could occasionally be fraught with tension.

Here in the Nexus he could be carefree in a way that England wasn't allowing in the moment. James craved it and craved the respite he got before he jumped back into the war headfirst.