In Which There is a Deficit of Napkins

Alice


"Have you seen my black pumps?" A strong southern accent shouted through the flat.

"Check under the sink. You put them there last weekend after Vandy, remember?" Devon's deep baritone was just as loud.

"Bathroom?"

"Kitchen, I think."

Alice couldn't help but roll her eyes at her roommates' antics.

The three of them would go out to the bars and restaurants in their London neighborhood, sometimes joined by one of their friends. It was- more often than not- an entertaining evening of over drinking and under dressing, something she never experienced at Hogwarts or in New York, often feeling isolated from others in her office and the Wizards of America.

Tonight's need for the black heels was different than usual. Instead of going out to the parties, 505 was bringing the party to them. The year had less than four hours left before the clock struck midnight. Alice was looking forward to a new year. She desperately needed one. 2026 had been too long. She had moved back home, been promoted, and became a full-fledged adult. She finally had a routine she liked and friends she cared for, who in turn cared for her. New York had been a lot harder than she had ever admitted to another living being. It had taken its toll. She loved London. She loved that the buildings surrounding hers were not overwhelmingly tall. She loved walking to the park and flooing home to her parents or to the Burrow in the country with Rose. England was home, the US had just been a (long, difficult) vacation.

The New Years party was due to begin in a little over an hour. The house was not ready and neither were the occupants of it. Alice's hair was half curly, half straight, her wand burning on the table she was using as a makeup counter. The streamers they had bought a few days prior were still sitting innocently in their plastic casing. And the dip and chips were not ready to be dipped or chipped.

And, of course, there had to be a good old moment of panic to round out the perfect start to a party.

"We don't have any napkins!" Isabel scrambled into Alice's room, looking disheveled. One pump in her hand the other on her foot. She teetered precariously. Both physically and mentally. The planning of this party had taken its toll on the American.

Alice had completed her hair and was nearly finished applying makeup, save for her left eye which remained mascara-less. But she got up and put comforting hands on her flat mates shoulders.

"Breathe, sweetie. Breathe."

Isabel chose to make a noise that sounded very much like a panic attack. Alice saw that her original advice was not helping and continued.

"Why don't you run downstairs to the bar and see if you can steal some, okay?"

This suggestion only caused more shallow breathing. Isabel began rocking slightly.

"I can't," she gasped, eyes wide in disbelief. "You know I hooked up with Brendan the bartender last week and totally avoided him. I'm trying to ignore him for at least another month."

Alice nodded, mentally taking a note to remind Isabel to stop hooking up with men who worked at places they frequented. It had been months since she'd been to the bakery around the corner because Isabel had slept with the cashier. Not to mention the fact that they hadn't been back to the café next door since Isabel had been with the barista. And that Chinese delivery place was out of the question once Isabel invited the delivery boy in after he had dropped off their mu shu chicken and stir fry.

It wasn't the fact that Isabel had been with these men, but that the men she'd been with were valuable in what they provided to the rest of the flat. Like food, or alcohol, or caffeine.

Seeing no other option, Alice offered to head down in her friends place.

Once out in the hallway, Alice realized how ridiculous she must look. Her hair, which she had done in loose curls juxtaposed the sweatshirt she had thrown over the sequence dress she would be wearing during the party. The closest shoes available had been an old pair of fur boots and only one eye had mascara. She felt rather like a mess. But with so little time before the guest arrived, the adventure to steal napkins from downstairs had seemed more important than the even-ness of her eye makeup.

The guests, Alice thought, mentally going over who would be in attendance. Due to the minute nature of their shared apartment, Isabel, Devon, and Alice had decided that their flat had a certain occupancy level, and only their most intimate friends would be extended an invitation. And, naturally, the list had imploded in on itself shortly following the fact that the idea a "certain occupancy level" had been thrown out their fifth floor window.

They each had a list which kept expanding. There was always someone who couldn't come without the invitation of someone else. The tier of friendship expanded from those in confidence to those of acquaintance.

Isabel's friends from Ilvermorny were visiting for the break between Christmas and New Years. If they were anything like Isabel, they were sure to fill up a room easily enough. She had also insisted on inviting her coworker at the US Embassy. Alice was convinced it was because he was a cute 27-year-old and he was bound to have other cute friends. The fiery brunette had also invited some of the women in her wizards spin class to join. Alice was not quite sure what that was but thought it might be a cross between broomsticks and jazzercise.

Devon was bringing his boyfriend, whom he had met the night the flat went to Savage on a whim. Alice knew him to have a group of friends he had met through said boyfriend that were sure to come. He had also extended an invite to his younger brother, whom he had not spoken to since graduating Durmstang. His brother had accepted the olive branch invitation within the day.

Alice had a hard time deciding on who she wanted to come. Obviously, Rose would be coming. She had debated inviting Will but felt weird. He was her sorta-kinda boss. Frank could not come, he was still in Hogwarts and much too young for such an evening. There were a few other people in her office and that she had kept in touch with since Hogwarts that she had decided to extend an invite to.

In reality, this party had grown to be so large because people kept asking if they could bring a friend along. All three flat mates were too friendly to say no and figured what's one more person until one turned into two turned into six turned into- well. Therefore, the number of suspected attendees seemed to grow.

Arriving downstairs in the pub, Alice did a quick look around to see who was in willing away their evening. And those just beginning it.

Sure enough, Brendan the bartender was wiping away at the sticky tables. He looked up when she walked in, raising an eyebrow at her strange appearance. He glanced behind her, but seeing as she was alone, he quickly turned his attention back to the task in his hands.

Alice made to look as if she was searching for something, so as not to raise anymore suspicion than her outfit had already warranted. The flat had been reprimanded more than once for stealing things from the pub, like sugar or silverware.

She walked casually around the circular tables, peeping under them or on chairs as if searching while she stealthily shoved square black napkins into the front pocket of her sweatshirt. She finished her loop before hurrying up the stairs before she could be caught, napkin-handed.

She had made it up two flights before nearly colliding with a blonde man who was significantly taller than she was. She recognized Scorpius immediately.

"I'm so sorry!" Alice said, steadying herself with the railing. This stairwell was much too cramped.

"No you're fine, I wasn't paying attention." He smiled kindly at her. The two had become better friends ever since he had been hanging around Rose more frequently. They had known each other at Hogwarts in a similar way; Rose always as the intermediary. Which was why it was a little awkward to talk to him without her.

"So, where are you off in such a rush to?" She asked.

"Well, as there is only six months left of our Auror training, the Department has decided to make our lives hell. Albus and I are doing an early New Years this year, and we're going down to the bar so we don't have to deal with the mess. And they have better beer than we do."

Now looking at Scorpius' clothing, Alice realized he was in no attire to leave the building in London winter. He wore a t-shirt and jeans as well as some moccasin like slippers.

"Oy Scorpius! Wait up," called a voice from the staircase above.

Alice recognized it as Albus immediately and her hand went to her hair on instinct, as if making sure it was still all there and hadn't run off.

"I'm waiting," Scorpius called, trying not to roll his eyes.

"There's no reason to rush, I'm sure no one else will be-" Albus was speaking as he bounded down the stairs but stopped mid-sentence as he rounded the stairs and saw the Alice was standing there. He stopped a few steps above his flat mate, and ruffled his hair unnecessarily.

"Nice outfit," Albus noticed, without missing a beat.

"Thanks," Alice said, not able to find one; Caught off guard by his entire presence for a moment.

"Why are you so partially dressed up?" Scorpius said.

"Well I'm supposed to be fully dressed up, but I had to run downstairs for napkins," Alice explained, pulling out the paper squares as proof. "505 is having a New Years party."

"Rose mentioned something about that. Should be fun," said Albus.

"Yeah, it should be."

There was an awkward paused. Alice mentally kicked herself as she word vomited, "You guys should come. It's gonna be really great. Don't know why I didn't invite you before. It kind of got bigger than we anticipated but there should be some Hogwarts people there. And Scorpius said you didn't have any plans. Plus, you invited me to your birthday. Yeah, you guys should definitely come."

"We don't want to intrude-" Scorpius began, before Albus interrupted.

"Yeah, sure," Albus had not been deterred by Alice's ramblings.

"Right, good then," Alice truly was excited for them to come. Especially since Rose would be there, and she was a true Scorose shipper. "My flat, in," she checked her watch, "twenty minutes."


Alice had made it back upstairs with no other incident. Her trip had been all positives, in both napkins and guest list. She finished getting ready and helped set up the decorations. When the guests finally began to arrive, the shared flat (and its occupants) looked like effortless perfection. Streamers had been hung up, music blasted from the radio, and -most importantly- drinks, and napkins, lined the kitchen counter.

People were trickling in slowly. Alice leaned against the counter as she watched Devon and his brother share and awkward but intense hug. She smiled.

There was a knock at the door and Alice answered as she was the closest person. Rose had arrived and with her a tray of cookies.

"Ah yes! My favorite," Alice said, in reference to the gooey goodness Rose held in her hands.

"Happy to see you too LB," Rose rolled her eyes at her friend. "Where should I put these?"

Alice nodded her head in the direction of the coffee table. As she was about to shut the door, a reflexive hand shot out and stopped it. Jumping slightly at the shock, Alice opened the door wider to reveal Albus.

"Hey," she said. "Long time no see."

"Likewise. You cleaned up nice. Like the outfit. Really looks quite different now without the hoodie." He said, motioning towards her sparkly dress.

Rolling her eyes, she couldn't help but smile a little. It never hurt being at the opposite end of his banter.

"So is Scorpius with you, or," she trailed off, sticking her head out into the hallway. She saw him pacing back and forth near the stairs.

"He's having a little, shall we say, performance anxiety," he said, leaning closer to her as if sharing a secret.

Alice rolled her eyes, not allowing herself to dwell on how he smelled faintly of sandalwood. Instead she mumbled to herself, "What is it with those two."

That was supposed to be for her ears only, but Albus nodded enthusiastically.

"They're just so strange around each other now. Do you know what happened?"

"Oh," Alice did not feel like it was her right or place to fill Albus in on the secrets of their respective best friends. "Oh! I forgot to let Rose know he was coming. Shite she'll be mad."

With that she ran away before he could get more out of her.

"Please don't be mad at me," Alice said to Rose as she leaned over the cookies, making sure they were placed correctly.

"Mad at you for what?" Rose said, straightening up. Her eyes glanced over to the front door which had just opened all the way to reveal the blond downstairs neighbor. "Oh."

"I know I should have asked your permission. Or at least warned you. But I didn't invite them until half an hour ago when we ran into each other. I'm sorry."

"There's no reason to apologize," Rose assured her friend. "Besides, Scorpius and I have been trying to have a normal friendship again, so seeing him at parties shouldn't be weird, right?" The last part was directed as a want for reassurance from her friend.

"Right," Alice confirmed. "Why don't you go over there and say hi?"

"Yeah, I should, shouldn't I? Come with me though."

Before Alice could protest, she was being pulled over to Albus and Scorpius.

Rose made the familial hug to her cousin and the obligatory one to Scorpius, though neither looked too sad about it.

Alice waved at Albus, saying "Hi, again."

He smirkled, half smirk half smile.

He should trademark that, Alice thought.

"Long time, no see."


It was five to midnight and Alice had no prospects of anyone to kiss. Not that she was expecting to find someone during the party, but it would have been nice to share the new year with someone.

She looked around the room, glad to see that other people were having fun. Roxy was speaking to Jordan Samuels, former Hufflepuff Queen geek, who was holding hands with Zach Larson, former Hogwarts heartthrob. Cody Finnegan was talking animatedly to Rose, as Scorpius glanced at her every few seconds. But he pretended to be invested in a conversation with Devon, his boyfriend Patrick, and one of Isabel's school friends, who was looking at Scorpius a little to intently.

Alice's eyes scanned over the crowd. She found no one she would have been interested in kissing, really no matter how lonely or desperate she became. Most she either knew too well or not nearly enough. She glanced at the clock. There was thirty seconds left in the old year. People began to count down.

Her eyes landed on Albus.

He too was surveying the crowd. Leaning against a wall with a red cup in his hand, it almost looked as if this was his own party and not one he had been invited to minutes before its start.

Twenty seconds left.

Alice looked at him and wondered if he still saw her as family. They hadn't had much one-on-one interaction over the years, so maybe he viewed her as more distantly related now. She gazed at him, looking him up and down. He had filled out since her schoolgirl crush on him, Auror training and age had a hand in that. Scars littered his exposed skin, including a fresh one on his forehead. His once shagging black hair had been cut short after his injury a few weeks before. All of this added up to him looking more severe than his childhood self. But not in a bad way by any means. If anything, his new gruff exterior intrigued her even more.

She heard her guests begin to count down from ten as she continued to try to figure Albus out.

They were at three seconds when his eyes met hers.

They didn't break eye contact until they were already in the new year.