The heat of the day got a little less intense, but nevertheless, the sun still sent out warm rays of light to the people of London like Santa sends out presents. When Catherine had decided she was done playing almost two hours later, Briana had the idea to get some ice cream. Cat thought this was a brilliant plan and told Briana that she was her favorite friend of Chuck's.
As Cat, Chuck and Briana all walked to Lulu's Ice Cream Parlor just a few blocks away, the youngest in the group of three begged the teenagers to sing songs with them.
"Chuck! Briana!", she exclaimed. "Sing a good song with me!"
"You know I don't sing," Chuck stared at his little sister.
"You sing to me at night time though," she stated.
"Aw, Chuck, that's so cute!", Briana smiled at him.
"Well now that Briana knows my secret, what song do you wanna sing, Cat?"
The little girl looked thoughtful, "Can we sing the 'you know how I feel' song? That's my favorite song."
"Oh my Godric. Is she referring to the Michael Bublé song?", Briana asked excitedly.
Chuck nodded, "Yeah, it's called 'Feeling Good'. She always has me sing it for her. Alright Cat, let's sing it then."
The six year-old girl clapped excitedly and looked to her older brother, "You gotta start because I forget the words."
Chuck smiled at her and started singing the lyrics, "Birds flying high..."
"You know how I feel," Cat recited.
Chuck looked to Briana, who didn't waste a minute in taking him up in the offer to recite the next line, "Sun in the sky..."
"You know how I feel."
Chuck, "Breeze drifting on by..."
Cat smiled widely, "You know how I feel!"
Briana smiled too, "It's a new dawn."
He knew his little sister didn't know this part, "It's a new day."
"It's a new life," Briana hooked arms with him.
"For me...", Chuck smiled at Briana.
"And I'm feeling good!", Cat shouted happily.
The three of them started laughing together loudly, as they reached the ice cream parlor. It was very busy and lots of people were inside, driven by the hot sun to get frozen treats.
Chuck held the door open for Briana and Cat, as Briana told the hostess that there were three of them. The cranky hostess named Hilary motioned for them to follow her and started to lead them back, past many tables with many people.
Cranky Hilary waved her wand over a table to remove a stray napkin that sat limply on the table she had stopped at. She motioned for the three of them to sit down, and they did as she placed three menus down and hurried away.
Briana picked up a menu filled with nothing but several different ice cream flavors and dishes, as she noticed two girls that looked about 12 staring at the three of them. Upon realizing that Briana was staring back at them, they both smiled at her.
"Hi...", Briana said awkwardly.
"Sorry for staring at you all creepily, we were just wondering...", one of them with blonde hair started.
"Is she your guys' daughter? Because she's super cute!", the other one, who had blue hair gestured to Cat.
"What?!", Chuck and Briana exclaimed in unison.
"My mum always warned me about teen pregnancy. Was it super hard for you?", the blonde asked with sincere concern and interest on her face.
Briana stared at Chuck with her mouth agape in horror, while he smirked back at her, trying to hold in his laughter. Meanwhile, little Catherine stared at the two girls as if they were mental.
"Chuck is my big brother! Briana is his girlfriend, they're not my mommy and daddy!", she exclaimed loudly.
"Um, actually, he and I are just good friends," Briana explained awkwardly.
"Oh!", the blue-haired girl shouted. "I'm sorry! I really thought you two were... and that she was..."
"Yeah," her friend chimed in. "It just looked like you two were a really young couple with a daughter."
"Nah, I haven't really gotten a chance to get it in yet, you see," Chuck smiled, trying to look innocent.
Briana gave him a look, "Chuck! You will corrupt their minds with perverted ways!"
The two girls giggled at them, then waved goodbye as they got up and left the parlor. Briana sent Chuck a glare, but he pretended not to notice and hid his face with the menu he was inspecting. She rolled her eyes while smiling and read her menu as well.
"So, what do you think you're gonna get?", Briana asked Cat.
"I want all the ice cream they have with sprinkles!", Cat bounced up and down in the booth.
"In your dreams, sister," Chuck raised his eyebrows at her. "I was actually thinking we should all share one of the big sundaes they have."
"Oh, like The Manticore Sundae? It has five scoops of vanilla ice cream, topped with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, sprinkles and a cherry on top."
"Yes! Yes! That one please!", Catherine bounced in her seat again.
"I think we've found our sundae," Chuck smiled, placing his menu back on the table.
A waitress with short brown hair came to take their order. She made a little cheering sound when they told her which sundae they were getting, then explained it was her favorite and that she and her husband eat it together. The waitress left and came back about 3 minutes later with a large bowl that held the ice cream and three silver spoons.
The three of them each picked up a spoon and Cat instantly began devouring a scoop that especially had lots of sprinkles on top of it. Briana and Chuck ate as well, laughing when Catherine claimed her stomach hurt after eating her scoop and lots of caramel sauce and sprinkles.
The two teenagers finished the rest of The Manticore Sundae and paid their nice waitress. The group of three then exited Lulu's ice cream parlor with their stomachs full of ice cream and their faces full of smiles. Briana squinted through the sun to look at a clock that hung in an antique store nearby. It was a little bit after 2 o'clock.
"I have just under an hour before I'm due to be back home. What should we do until then?", she asked her friend.
"We should go window shopping, and if there's a store that looks interesting enough, we should go in. I just ask of you that you don't drag me into any clothing stores."
Briana laughed, "Alright, let's do it! And I promise to contain myself, though are you sure you wouldn't like to have a look of the lingerie?"
Chuck contemplated her words, "I'd much rather see it on somebody..."
She laughed again then began walking down the street. Cat and Chuck followed as the three of them all looked in store windows that they passed. They walked by a pet store that had puppies in the window that Briana and Cat were instantly drawn to. The two girls gushed over them for quite some time before Chuck was finally able to tear them away.
The trio walked farther down the streets before they got to a music store that Cat especially wanted to go into. A display of various sheet musics they had in the window caught her attention, because one of them had the face of Michael Bublé on the cover.
Chuck, Briana and Cat all went inside and the six year-old instantly went off to find the Michael Bublé sheet music. While she did that, the other two walked around the store, admiring the guitars, drums, trumpets, tambourines,xylophones and various other instruments that were there.
Briana's face lit up immediately when they got to the back of the store where several pianos and keyboards were set-up. She took a particular fancy to a purple grand piano that sat in the midst of all the others. Clapping her hands happily, Briana rushed over to it and sat down on the purple piano bench.
Watching her with a smile plastered on his face, Chuck slowly walked after her, stopping on the side of the piano. He watched her hands as she rolled them in circles, cracked her fingers and then rolled her shoulders back. She lightly placed her hands over the keys, her fingers barely touching them.
She closed her eyes for a second or two, then slowly opened them. Briana pressed down and began to play "Two Spirits Soar" by Brian Crain. It sounded beautiful, and Chuck was mesmerized by the sound. Even Cat came over to watch her play, triumphantly holding the sheet music in her little hands.
The teenage boy who was currently working his shift in the store came over as well and watched Briana's hands move around the keys seemingly effortlessly, as she finished the song. Playing the final chord, she looked up and was surprised to see all of them staring at her. All three of them clapped and she smiled, blushing a little bit.
"I'm sorry, I got a little bit carried away," she apologized.
"Nonsense, that was brilliant. I didn't know you could play," Chuck complimented.
"Briana, you are super duper good at the piano!", Cat exclaimed, sitting with her on the bench.
"You can really play," the boy who was in charge of the shop at the time spoke. He had medium length black hair and striking blue eyes. He wore a Beatles t-shirt, black skinny jeans with a rip in one knee and a pair of navy blue converse.
Briana smiled at him and he smiled back, "My name is Ian, by the way. I kinda work here in case you haven't noticed."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Chuck, this is my little sister Cat, and she's Briana."
"Awesome. Hey, don't you go to Hogwarts?", Ian asked Chuck.
"I do. How'd you know?"
"I remember seeing you around. I was a Ravenclaw there, but I graduated two years ago. Now I work here for my Uncle."
"Ah, I see. Well that's cool, sorry I don't remember you," Chuck said kind of awkwardly.
Ian laughed, "No, it's alright. I wouldn't expect you to; I'm three years older than you, mate."
"Do you play any instruments?", Briana asked him curiously.
"Indeed, I do! I play the guitar, the drums and a just a tad of piano. Nothing like you though, you're amazing."
She half-smiled at him, "You're too nice."
"BRIANA! Play this song, please!", Cat begged her.
Ian laughed, "Bublé, huh? Your sister has pretty good taste. Well I'll be at the counter if you guys need anything."
Chuck and Briana thanked him as he walked away. Cat opened the small, three page booklet that held the sheet music for "Feeling Good". Briana stared at the page for a minute before she began to play, which made Catherine very happy.
All three of them started to sing the words as Briana played the piano. They finished the song and all began to laugh. Cat picked up the sheet music from the piano and waved in front of Chuck.
"We need to buy this!", she told him.
"What for? Neither of us can play the piano, silly," he explained.
The six year old stood there for a minute before she had an idea, "Briana can teach me!"
"I'm not sure Briana would be up for that..."
"I'd love to teach you, sweetie! It would be fun!", Briana smiled at the girl.
She jumped and down excitedly, "Yes! We're gonna have a lot of fun, you know! I can go to your house all the time!"
"But while I'm at school, you need to be sure to practice on your own, right?"
"Yes! Let's buy this!", Cat ran off to see Ian at the counter.
Briana and Chuck went after her and paid for the sheet music. They talked to Ian for a minute or so, bid him goodbye as they promised to come back and left the music store. A few clouds dotted the sky now, but still, the heat raged on. They all needed to get home to get ready for the Malfoy's party.
When they got back to the Solomon's large home, Catherine gave Briana a long hug and said goodbye. Chuck told her that he'd see her soon and gave her a hug, too. She got back to her house using Floo Powder. Stepping out of the fireplace in her living room, she called out, "I'm home!" She didn't want her father to worry.
Walking up the stairs, she saw her father at the end of the hall, walking towards her upstairs. He gave her a smile and a thumbs up as he grabbed her hand, leading her into his bedroom with her.
"Why are you taking me here?", Briana asked her father, curiously.
"Your mother has your dress for you," he explained.
She smiled, "Is it pretty?"
Her father shrugged, "I haven't even seen it, yet!"
Anais Brightsman walked out of her large, walk-in closet in a long, blue silk robe. In her right hand, she was holding a dress bag on a hanger. The woman smiled brightly at her daughter, "Are you ready to see what Mrs. Malfoy has for you?" Briana nodded excitedly. Her mother's smile grew as she zipped down the zipper on the dress bag. Inside was a short, pink, sleeveless teenage girl's smile slowly faded as she stared at the dress.
"What's the matter, dear?", her mother asked, slightly frowning.
"Pink? Oh, mother, why must it be pink?", she whined.
"Oh, stop your incessant whining. It's a beautiful dress!"
"Yes, but pink is one of my least favorite colors."
"What, did you expect to be wearing a black dress? This party is to celebrate the last day of Summer, Briana. Summer has vibrant and pretty colors, such as pink. It only makes sense."
"It will look beautiful on you anyway, darling," Briana's father intervened.
"Besides, it's not like you can show up in another dress. That would be incredibly rude and ill-mannered," her mother finalized, handing her daughter the dress.
"Alright, alright. I'll put on the PINK dress."
She left the room, closing her parent's door and walking to her own room. Briana shut the door to her bedroom behind her, her toes touching the plush, white carpet. She glanced at the clock sitting on her bedside table. It was 3:15. Laying the dress out on her bed, Briana went into her closet to find some shoes that matched. She pulled out a pair of pink high heels with a look of triumph (and distaste) on her face.
Walking into her bathroom, she turned on her hair straightener. Then, she went over to the chest of drawers that held all her jewelry. Picking out the pieces she thought would match the best, she laid them out on the bed next to the dress. Briana walked over to her vanity and picked up what appeared to be a black box.
On the box were several, colorful buttons, and even some with patterns or designs on them. You see, this was a magical beauty device, an automatic nail painter; a considerably remarkable invention that muggle girls would unfortunately never have the luxury to use. Briana placed one hand inside the box and pressed the pink button, followed by the button with the flower design depicted on it.
When she removed her hand from the box, the teenage girl's fingernails were pink with cute, little, white flowers on them. After admiring the work that was done, she put her other hand in, then pulled it out when the device was finished with her other set of nails. Briana set the box back down and traveled across the warm carpet to her cold bathroom tiles.
After brushing out her long, shiny brown hair, the excited 16 year-old straightened every strand of her hair until they looked like raw spaghetti noodles. She turned the hair iron off so that the red light was no longer glowing, then walked back into her bedroom. There was no more avoiding it. She stared down the pink outfit, laid out before her eyes. It screamed at Briana to be put on.
With a heavy sigh, but a faint smile, Briana stepped into her beautiful, pink dress and zipped it up behind her. She put on the necklace, bracelet and ring that she picked out earlier. Just as she thought, the whole thing matched up wonderfully. Lastly, the pink high heels went on her warm feet, completing the outfit the Malfoy's party.
She walked over to the full length mirror that hung on the outside of her closet door. Her own face stared back at her as an unexpected, genuine smile slowly crept onto her face. Perseus Brightsman was right; his daughter looked beautiful, even in her least favorite color to wear. Glancing at the clock on her way out, she read the time to be 4:07 in the afternoon.
Briana walked down her stairs to find her father waiting at the bottom of them. He smiled widely at he as she made her way down, still smiling. As she reached the bottom, Perseus kissed her on the head, "See, you still look beautiful. Pretty in pink!"
"Aw, father, stop," she giggled at him.
Anais Brightsman then made her way down the stairs then, all ready to go. She wore a long, loose white dress that had pink flowers on it. Her brown, shiny hair was pulled back into an elegant bun, which made the woman appear even more refined. Both Anais's husband and daughter smiled at her as she joined the two of them at the front door.
"Come now, we have no time to lose! It's already ten minutes past four, the Malfoy's should be expecting us right now," the mother rushed them out of the house, as the three of them quickly began the short walk to the house next door.
"Dearest, for exactly what reason must we be there twenty minutes before the event, again?", Perseus asked of his wife.
"Briana is Draco's date, remember? And Briana and Draco are the co-hosts of this party, seeing as Draco is one of the residents of the house the do is being held at. So you know that naturally the two of them must be standing at the door long with Narcissa and Lucius to greet all the guests."
"Oh yes, I nearly forgot. Are you prepared for this, Briana?"
"Of course, father. I've been to these types of parties all my life. Not everyone has as bad of a memory as you," she teased him.
"Briana Elizabeth, that's no way to speak to your father," Anais reprimanded her daughter.
But Perseus smiled at winked at his daughter, causing Briana to have to stifle a giggle.
The Brightsman family reached Malfoy Manor at last. Approaching the door, Anais knocked on it firmly, three times before putting on her best smile. Not long after, a frazzled-looking house elf opened the door and bowed, gesturing the three of them inside. Looking around, Briana mentally complimented Narcissa for being able to decorate the mansion in such splendor. Seeing the entrance hall and dining hall, there were tons of yellow and pink roses everywhere, along with pretty little lights and candles thrown about.
The house elf led them further to the ballroom where almost a hundred tables sat on all the edges of the room, leaving a large space in the middle for dancing. On one wall, however, there was a vast stage where an orchestra was playing elegant music.
Narcissa, Draco and Lucius themselves were in the ballroom too. Lucius was apparently talking to the maestro of the orchestra about something, while Draco and his mother were double checking to make sure all the name cards were in the right place, according to the seating chart the Draco had been in charge of. They were finishing up this task as the Brightsman's walked up to them.
Both of them turned around, Narcissa displaying a pearly white smile. She looked over Briana and gasped in delight, giving her a warm hug, "My dear, the dress looks gorgeous on you! Not that that wasn't expected, of course. I'm so glad."
Lucius came over then, gave Briana a small smile, then joined the other adults who promptly left to have a look over the garden. Briana looked around the room again, before turning to face Draco, then noticed the color of his tie: pink. She began laughing as her friend glared at her.
"I can't believe your mother convinced you to wear pink!", she said, calming herself.
"You know I can't say no to my mother. It made her giddy, so that's all that matters. She only made me wear it to match you anyways. Speaking of which, I'm surprised you even wore the pink dress."
"I wasn't given much of an option," she shrugged.
"Well I don't even know why you would hate this dress because you look brilliant," he complimented her, giving her a hug.
"Why thank you. You're looking quite dapper yourself," she smiled at him.
The adults re-appeared in the doorway, Narcissa motioning for Briana and Draco to come with her. Anais and Perseus sat at their places in the ballroom as Briana and Draco followed Mrs. Malfoy into the entrance hall. She joined Lucius right next to the front door and straightened out the skirt of her dress before linking an arm around his. The hectic woman showed Briana and Draco where to stand; a little bit to the left of them.
It was 4:28, when Draco linked an arm around one of Briana's as he glanced at her, "You remember how to do this, right?"
She rolled her eyes and recited, "When a female is faced with another female, they shake hands. When a female is faced with a male, she holds her hand out to him. When a male is faced with another male, they shake hands. When a male is faced with a female, he takes her hand and kisses it. It's not that complicated, Dray."
"Alright, alright. Can't blame a guy for double checking..."
As the clock struck to half past 4 in the afternoon, the guests began to swarm in. The four of the hosts stood up straighter and put on their finest smiles, ready to begin the end of Summer holiday party.