Turning her attention from the concoction in her hand to the world beyond the kitchen, Emma frowned. Her little welcoming party for Harriet was inspired- but was lacking a rather crucial ingredient. Elton, damn him, was yet to arrive, and it rather put a cramp in Emma's finely honed plans. Sighing, Emma narrowed her eyes and made her way into the lounge, making sure to grin at the various guests there assembled.
"Try this," she pushed the glass at Geoff, daring him to refuse the pink liquid in favour of his own beer. While he looked suspicious, he did as bid.
"Jesus, Em, it's like paint thinner!" he gagged rather thoroughly, then pulled deeply from the bottle in his hand, almost flinging Emma's glass back into her hand.
"Perfect, just the way I like it!" with that, and a backwards grin, Emma fled the ire of her old friend, instead flopping herself onto the couch, empty save for a blonde, blushing new flatmate.

"The accepted method for these things is to mingle, you know."
Emma waggled a finger at the flustered creature before her, before snaking one arm around Harriet's shoulder and pulling her in for a half-hug. The poor girl looked ready to expire from fear. Really, Emma's heart went out to her. Poor Harriet, how much she needed her. Emma had already had a hand in her hair, makeup and outfit for the evening, and it was becoming painfully obvious that she would have to inject a healthy dose of confidence into her new friend. It would be a project indeed, but rewarding to be sure.
"Let's get you a drink, hon."

An hour later, a rather delicious haze had settled on the evening. Both Emma and Harriet were a little pink of cheek, talking to a boy from one of Emma's classes. Which, she was unsure. Of his name, she was unsure. She had been determinedly mumbling anything approaching a proper noun towards him for the last ten minutes. She had almost settled on a mumble beginning with B, but D and T seemed to fit easily into the mould, so vagueness was always a good bet.
Leaning on the back of the couch, Taylor and Geoff watched this progress, one smiling idly, the other rolling his eyes at intervals.

"She looks good tonight," Taylor ventured at last, looking up at Geoff between her lashes.
"She always looks good, Taylor. It's what's between her ears that's generally lacking."
At this, she had to lightly smack him on the arm. A good friend can do no less.
"Oh come on, even you have to admit she's beautiful. And clever, too!" Taylor had to add. "She's always getting high marks, and don't you dare imply anything about our lecturers!"
At this, Geoff had to grin. "You misrepresent me, I'm sure! Fine, all right, she has the necessary brain cells. But she just doesn't put them to the right use. She's known how to be right for so long that she's forgotten how to be wrong. She could do with a good dose of uncertainty."
Taylor merely shrugged, and returned her gaze to the object of their speculation, now alone with Harriet and seemingly in the midst of serious gossip.

"OK, OK, so... let me get this straight. You lived with... Elizabeth?"
"Yep."
"And her sister was... Anna?"
"Yep."
"And their mother was your landlord."
"Yep."
"... and her husband lived with you?"
"Ye- no! No, no. Her son lived with us. Rob."
This stopped Emma in her tracks. Now she had to completely re-do the mental calculations. Which sister was Rob?
"And who was Rob?"
"He was Elizabeth and Anne's brother. He was really nice, Emma."
The voluntary nature of this piece of information produced a whole wave of social mathematics in Emma's brain, and a suspicion dawned that had previously been unthought of.
"Did you- was Rob cute, Harriet?"
At this, her friend blushed a deeper pink, and took a previously unnoticed interest in her shoes.
"Well... no, not really. Not at first. But he was lovely, and I don't think he's not cute."
This was an unexpected turn for Emma, and a not entirely pleasant one. At least, from the sound of things, it was a mere speedbump, and it was at that entirely opportune moment that Emma spotted a familiar face making his way towards her.

Elton, having arrived late but apparently without enough ceremony to declare such entrance fashionable, flashed a grin at his hostess, wrapping one arm around her waist in a greeting embrace. Emma, quick to avail herself of a fated opportunity, grinned at the late arrival, removing the hand at her waist and bestowed it upon Harriet.
"Elton, meet my new flatmate, Harriet Smith."
With what she trusted was a convincing start of surprise, Emma 'remembered' something she had to tell Taylor and Geoff, and made a quick exit from the lovebirds-to-be, leaving the pair to make their greetings.