Clary was by no means a party person. And not in the hipster, I-don't-get-invited-so-I-just-say-I-hate-them kind of way, the kind of hate that came from experience. Often times she'd wished to be more like Isabelle. Tall, suave, confident and the life of a party, but at this one in particular, she'd rather be like herself on a regular Friday night- reading, or in some nameless conversation with a certain blonde as the fire dwindled near them.

Instead she'd followed Isabelle and Lydia out, a party of sorts forming in the dark corridors behind the statue of the one-eyed wizard with an enchanted speaker spewing out what she assumed was either the weird sisters or a harsh melody of cackles placed between a thudding beat. Upon arrival Izzy had waved at what seemed like the whole crowd and rushed out and over to whatever was more interesting than the awkward but polite conversation that was now happening between Clary, and Lydia's friends. Lydia had seen the boy she'd recently been talking to and left Clary with a supportive arm squeeze, leaving Clary now trapped into conversation with a group of people she had absolutely nothing in common with.

Objectively speaking, Clary liked Lydia's friends. 'A friend of my friend' and all that; but something really bothered her about some of the company Lydia kept.

Meliorn was nice, but always seemed to have the expression of reproach on his face- as if he was constantly holding in a snide comment. He'd had a short lived thing with Isabelle, as it turned out, thus her immediate departure and something about that made Clary like him even less. Isabelle was a catch, only a fool would mess something like that up.

Next was Seelie. Seelie was commanding, elitist, and held the harshest vibe Clary had ever experienced, a trait Seelie seemed to wear as a cape. She thought the castle to be her own, and ruled it as such. In her opinion she wasn't just another student in a sea full of students- she was more like their Queen. She was only friendly when there was something to gain, and when there wasn't the person in question was no better than a jelly slug to her- something to chew and spit out.

And then there was Kaelie, who Clary knew she would click with in any other year than this. She was quiet until she had something worth saying, and didn't judge based upon looks as her friends did- granted she judged after, but props had to be given when considering her company. Regardless, every time Clary saw her pristine face, framed in a curtain of blonde hair she could only think about Jace's on her pale lips. It was no secret they'd been something of an 'item' just last year. And rationally Clary knew she didn't have the right to be mad about this- she and Jace were friends; just friends. And she hadn't even known him last year, just his reputation so it would make sense that he'd have other female company. Something in her just couldn't stop the distaste at the thought of Jace's mouth forming Kaelie's name the way he said Clary.

"And what are you doing after Hogwarts, Morgensten?" Seelie interrogated, her leafy-green eyes shooting daggers into Clary, as if upset about a question she herself had asked.

"Oh well uh, I'd thought about doing some work with the daily prophet, journalism, photography, and all that but now I'm leaning towards becoming an Auror." She stated proudly, the last conversation she'd had with Jace playing like a loop in her head. "-And I prefer Fray, if you would." She added as an afterthought.

Seelie seemed displeased with both these answers, a fact that didn't worry Clary but actually kind of angered her. Everyone knew Seelie and her posse to be pure-blood supremacists, but even that was no excuse to using her father's name on her like a weapon.

"hmmmmmm." She replied, her nose scrunching as if the mold that surrounded the corridor had finally reached her senses. "you'd think a daughter of Valentine would do more." And with that Seelie had turned, her regal head quipping slightly so that Meliorn would receive the message that it was time to rid themselves of such unfortunate company.

Clary stood there a little baffled, blinking slowly as if trying to process the events that had just unfolded. She'd known Seelie to be unpleasant but that was something new entirely.

"She doesn't mean it rudely, in fact, I actually think Seelie reckons she's being helpful."

Clary hadn't even remembered Kaelie's presence until she'd spoken, and with a small shake of her head Clary tried to process the words she'd missed. Kaelie was fairly nice, if not misguided on the principle of friendship.

"Yeah, well, I'm not really in the mood for any career advice." Clary replied, understating the mood entirely. She was only here to support Lydia and appease Izzy who had literally begged her to come out. And now she was conversing with Jace's somewhat ex with no Lydia or Isabelle in sight. Clary hated parties.

"That's reasonable." Kaelie seemed to not really care whether or not Clary was being hostile, her beady eyes searching the crowd instead. Maybe to follow Seelie and Meliorn, or maybe just to find anyone that would relieve her from talking to Clary Fray, but instead of going for the ole fake wave and walk away, she began speaking again. Her words somehow angering Clary more than Seelie ever could.

"Have you seen Jace Lightwood anywhere? I'd like to… talk to him." She said 'talk' like it was a dirty word and Clary felt her stomach do so many weird flips that Clary could have thrown up on the spot. She hadn't even drunk that much, but still she would attest that it had been the liquor to move the insides of her stomach like waves in a storm. Clary's own green eyes glazed over in a harsh resolve and answered Kaelie quickly, "no."

She was in no mood to help set Kaelie up with the middle Lightwood, the slight taste of firewhiskey on her lips or not. Kaelie seemed to remember who she was talking to, and momentarily regarded Clary with her full attention. An unwanted move, to say the least.

"You know it won't last don't you? I know Jace has taken an interest in you, but it's nothing more than the changing of a season. Once you're no longer the talk of the castle- no longer a champion, he'll forget who you are entirely. It's best you know now." She shrugged and her blonde hair bounced lightly at the movement. She was so small, smaller than Clary even but Clary had never felt so miniscule than in that moment. Not standing in a room full of strangers, not entering a Wizarding world she knew nothing about at age 11, and not even staring down a dragon. Something in the pit of her stomach told Clary to listen to Kaelie. What would Jace Lightwood want with her once she was no longer in the spotlight?

"Actually, I think it's none of your business." Clary responded, with more stele in her voice than she felt in her entire body. "And I'm not into Jace like that. Have fun on your man hunt." And with that Clary stalked past Kaelie, brushing shoulders ever so lightly due to Clary's blurred vision. Quickly, Clary did once-over of the room, and not seeing Isabelle or Lydia decided to leave solo. She'd rather not be there when Jace arrived and found a private corner for he and Kaelie. She'd rather have nightmares while asleep.

Clary took a moment to herself, to collect her bearings and pull it together. Clary Fray does not cry over boys; and she especially doesn't cry over Jace Lightwood. He only thought of her as the shiny new toy, and Clary really did not have time for games. So she wiped her eyes and found Lydia and John, and joined into their conversation halfheartedly. Her mind was still on Jace but in a new light.

They'd be friends-she liked that too much to throw it away but that's all they would be.

How hard was it really, to not fall in love with Jace Lightwood?

xx.

"Can I help you?"

Simon was very proud of his detective skills. Starting out as a young, fresh-faced, spectacled first year, he'd found the absolute perfect hole-in-the-wall abandoned classroom to not be bothered in. Hogwarts was a big castle, with many nooks and crannies, but for some reason finding a quiet area to do homework in took hours of dedication and investigative skills. Not to mention trial-and-error. The number of times Simon was just finishing up on an essay about Gamp's fundamental laws in some secluded classroom only to be interrupted by two people in the midst of a great display of passion was exponentially high. That's why this particular spot he'd held since he was eleven felt like his territory, and the shadow now blocking the direct light to Simon's parchment was trespassing.

"Slyvester!" The voice said, throaty and confident. He recognized it immediately, but unlike most of the female population at this school, didn't swoon because of it. Jace Lightwood was no exception to Simon's strict no bothering Simon rule. In fact he was probably the reason for the mandate.

"Simon, actually."

"whatever, what are you doing right now?" Jace dismissed the physical evidence in front of him that explained his question in painstaking detail. Simon looked at him like a rogue madman from Azkaban.

"Diffusing a pipe bomb, obviously." The quill in his hand came to rest at Simon's side as he finally glanced up. Jace looked as he always did; rugged but with that air of not caring. But this time he was significantly more put together. A black shirt with no holes or crinkles made his golden skin stand out like a billboard, and his golden hair was slicked back in a fashion that reminded Simon of GQ…. Not that he had ever read GQ.

Jace arched one eyebrow at him, thus reminding Simon that pure-bloods were notoriously clueless when it came to anything modern.

"There's a party that needs Jace-ing," at this Simon closed his eyes momentarily to hide the eye-roll, "why aren't you there?"

In some weird Jace-world, Simon knew this was an invitation. That in plain English what he had just said was 'I'm going to a party and would like to know if you'd come with me', but came out significantly douchier.

"Do you usually see me at parties?" Simon asked, matching Jace's quizzical look with one of his own.

"Oh I see. So you invite Magnus to take a bath with you, but when I extend an invitation to a fantastic party you shoot me down. You're only into dudes who have boyfriends. That's disgusting."

Simon spluttered, his face involuntarily rising in heat. Of course Magnus had told, Simon had literally asked him to tell Alec, and what Alec knew was instantly twin-telepathied to his wonder bro Jace. Out of context, Simon could see where his words could be misconstrued.

"That is not what I meant! It was a tip about the egg this is not-I'm not interested in Magnus. Or you, for that matter." He'd meant it to sound tougher, like how Jace could spin anything to sound like a threat, but instead he just felt whiny.

Jace rolled his multi-colored eyes, his arms crossing in a manner that said he was bored of this particular conversation. Clearly he didn't care who Simon bathed with.

"I find that hurtful. Everyone is interested in me. Now come on, Simon, I like to be fashionably late but this is just getting rude." He turned then, starting out towards the corridor and only waiting a fraction of a second to utter his last chance at roping Simon into this party.

"Isabelle is there, you know." And his golden hair was gone. Turned a corner and out of sight. Well, momentarily out of sight. In a few seconds Simon had caught up, his homework safely in his bag and stored for later. What was one party…

The party was the exact same as any other one George had dragged him to, except this time Simon didn't have his best friend to helicopter around in awkward social situations. This time he had Jace, and a large stack of Manga in his bag that assured him just as a friend might. There were small, see through glasses everywhere; in the hands of students, floating around like an invisible waiter was bringing them, and finally near the mothership- a large vat of what Simon could already smell was firewhiskey.

Jace made an entrance as he always did, turning many heads as his angular cheeks stretched thinner to form what others must consider a 'charming' smile. He said a few spotted hellos and such but even then Simon could tell that he too was somewhat out of his element. Alec and Magnus, he'd explained, were not coming on account of they didn't want to and Isabelle was already here. So instead of moving as he always did with his mysterious Lightwood herd he was forced into a one-on-one with Simon Lewis. If it were Jace's job to rank the champions, Simon would be dead last, which ironically was already the case.

"Let your hair down, Lewis." Jace gave him a once-over out of the corner of his eye and dragged Simon farther into the party, his golden eyes clearly roaming for something, or someone in particular. Simon had already seen his someone, but judging by the crowd she had around her, she didn't much care whether Simon was in her company or not.

Begrudgingly Simon stuck with Jace, which lasted all of about two minutes before a 5'2 blonde girl took over the remaining space near Jace. He had seemed frustrated but talked with her anyway, leaving Simon the perfect getaway.

The second his eyes had left Isabelle he had seen another friendly face, one he wouldn't mind dodging social situations with.

"Hey, George!" Simon called, apologizing his way through the crowd. George Lovelace looked as if he'd come straight out of a surfing magazine. With his long, wavy, golden brown hair and his tan skin that only seemed to glow brighter despite the fact that the sun was a ghost behind the now falling snow. George was the perfect example of 'don't judge a book by its cover' because when he had first been introduced to his housemate he'd assumed immediately that this would be one of those egotistical 'I know I'm attractive and you, sir, aren't' types. Instead, he'd received an altruistic, loyal best friend. Go figure.

"Simon! I didn't know you were coming!"

"That makes two of us." Simon agreed, about to open his mouth and continue on with a tirade of why they should leave immediately. Instead a much lighter voice responded, chiming like bells in a soft breeze.

"Three of us, actually." It was Isabelle.

For a second, Simon was stunned. She looked radiating, with her thigh high black boots and dark ensemble that hugged her perfect form tightly. She had her hair pulled back and dark shadows above her eyes that made the elusive Isabelle Lightwood all that more mysterious. She was beautiful. Undeniably, and objectively stunning. And then Simon remembered what his mother had always told him about staring. He turned to look at George instead who he thankfully found much less jaw-dropping. No offense to his best friend.

"I just lost a bet as it turns out, I didn't think Jace would be able to convince you." She was smiling in a way that made heat rise in Simon's cheeks. It was playful, but not entirely innocent. Like the cat who ate the canary with an angel's face.

"Am I the topic of a lot of bets?" He asked it sarcastically but something in his stomach fluttered. Did the Lightwoods talk about Simon frequently? Until this year Simon knew that if someone asked one of the four in that group to pick out a 'Simon Lewis' from the crowd they'd fail and probably choose one of the sewer rats to name after him, and now somehow he was a topic of discussion at the dinner table? Talk about a brave new world.

"Only ones I usually win." Isabelle responded, and Simon didn't doubt that. Frankly he was surprised anyone would bet against her at all.

George and Izzy exchanged introductions while a tall girl Simon knew was a fifth year approached their congregation and looped her arm around George's waist. Simon looked as his friend with an amused expression, trying to convey his best mixture of 'you didn't tell me?' and 'kudos'. She smiled brightly at the group, waving politely as George started on names.

"Jaelyn! Hey, these are my friends Simon and Isabelle"—Simon gave a small wave while Izzy politely nodded her head, "and guys, this is Jaelyn. I've asked her to be date to the Yule ball." George added proudly. Simon smiled bright, it was nice to see someone as deserving as George so happy. Even if it was for an event that Simon was currently running around like a headless chicken for.

"Congrats, man! And my condolences to you, Jaelyn." George playfully swatted at Simon's arm and as the music increased in volume Jaelyn let out a short, "I love this song!" and dragged Simon's roommate out and away. Not that George minded, and not that Simon would object to being alone with Isabelle.

"Before you say anything, let me guess the color of your dress for the yule ball." Isabelle said, her dark eyes shining with humor. Clearly she had caught the Yule Ball mention just as he had.

"Red, it really brings out my eyes."

"Well, one of us is going to have to change. I won't be seen in matching outfit, it's tacky." She smiled again, that disarming smile that Simon could get lost in for days. Something deep in his chest fixed uneasily at the thought of Isabelle and some nameless man at the dance. Talking, laughing, dancing with his hands on her waist…

It was futile to think this. Isabelle was an independent person who would do what she wants, when she wants and her date would be no exception. It just sucked that the only person he could even think of going with was probably already paired off with some hunky seventh-year who was probably named Chad, or whose biceps were bigger than Simon's head.

He laughed at her joke regardless, his eyes momentarily drawn to a point just over her shoulder where he could see Clary Fray and Jace Lightwood talking animatedly. He couldn't see Jace's angular face but Clary's was red, and even from afar he could see her green eyes shining as if with tears. She shook her head once at something and then pushed past him, heading for the door. Simon felt sad for the strong girl who too had been disarmed by the Lightwood charm. He could attest to its power, and its alluring, playful gazes… or maybe that was just Isabelle, but merlin did she have a way of making a stumbling man trip. Jace just stood there mildly dazed and watching Clary leave with a sad expression.

Who knew he even had feelings?

Apparently Alec and Magnus who did not want to come, had come anyway and were heading over to where Izzy was flagging them down.

"I uh- I actually have to go, for a second, I'll be right back." He said to Izzy, physically pulling himself away from her as he pushed through the crowd and trailed that little red head. She left the party and out into the open corridor and was about to climb the stairs when Simon called out to her.

"Wait, Clary!" He shouted, catching up to her just as she paused on the first step.

In that moment Simon realized the gravity of his mistake. What the hell was he going to say to her?