A/n: You guys are so fast! I figured I'd return the favor.

Thank you very much Xikum (I'm not entirely sure this chapter will clear anything up-- except for what was in the envelope. Answrs will come... eventually), Saavik13 (aww, but his hopelessness is part of his charm, don't you think?), CannonFodder, Fiery Pheonix, Arigazi (Sebastian's gloves reduce his ability to sense feelings via touch), Lyla Hayden, Stolen Dreamer, vote-larry4prez, alliekatgirl, sammy, and Chara13.

Harry is clean and presentable in fifteen minutes. However it takes him another ten minutes to drag himself down to the dining room. Lucius and Sebastian are already there. "Hello again, Mr. Scryer," Sebastian says. Harry replies in kind. Lucius doesn't look up from his paper. Harry decides that the sinking feeling in his stomach is hunger and reaches for a cinnamon roll. Lucius grabs his wrist mid-reach, nearly giving Harry his second heart attack of the morning.

"Don't eat that," he says. Harry waits for his pulse to return to normal.

"Why not?" he asks, hoping that his annoyance is crystal clear.

"Gabriel made those," Lucius answers.

"Uncle!" Sebastian chides.

"Made?" Harry echoes.

"Yes, as in made personally—with his own hands," Lucius clarifies. Since Gabriel is a wizard, Harry is not sure that is a good thing.

"Er—"

"I think they're very good for a first attempt," Sebastian says, taking a bite out of one of the rolls in question. He chews with some difficulty. Lucius smirks.

"Sebastian is too kind. You could wage an airborne assault with those things," he remarks to Harry.

"Uncle!" Sebastian's reprimand was a tad late, having to wait until he was actually able to swallow.

" It's true. Gabriel is a fine young man, but a pastry chef he is not. He is, however spectacularly bored, which is why I think he's planning to unveil his next creation tomorrow night." Even Sebastian cannot hide the trace of a wince.

"You've got to stop him."

"I knew you'd come around. " Lucius releases Harry's wrist. "You don't want to eat those. Croissant?"

"Please."

Harry chews rather thoughtfully, eyeing the cinnamon rolls of doom in front of him with a wry grin.

"Anything interesting in the Prophet?" Sebastian asks.

"Thankfully, no," Lucius replies. "Unless you consider this nonsense about 'dandies' and 'dinner party of the year' interesting," he adds, grinning slyly at Sebastian.

"They didn't really print that?" Sebastian says.

"No, actually, the columnist says it'll be quite the bore."

" What?" Sebastian says, snatching the paper from Lucius, decorum forgotten in the face of outrage. He glances at the article. "If you'll excuse me, Uncle, Mr. Scryer."

"Of course," Lucius and Harry reply. Sebastian's exit is hasty.

"Where do you think he's going?" Harry asks.

"Probably to James' home. It's where they tend to do all their loudest activities."

"What makes you think this will be loud?"

"Emile Postwitch wrote a rather critical article about a party that hasn't happened yet. She said that Sebastian was 'the dullest of an overly hyped lot' with nothing to recommend him but beauty and an unusual naivete that would be far more attractive if he was a woman as opposed to simply being effeminate."

Harry winced. "That's very catty," but, if Harry recalls correctly, not atypical of that particular writer.

"Ms. Postwitch didn't receive an invitation," Lucius says. Harry remembers that Ms. Postwitch had covered Draco's funeral. The things she said had made it necessary for Ron and Hermione to physically restrain Harry to prevent him from holding her at wandpoint and demanding she recant the article. Fortunately James and a few others had gotten to her instead.

"No, of course she didn't," Harry says, smirking. Then something occurs to him "Party?" he says. Lucius chuckles.

"I knew you never replied to my invitation, but I didn't think you hadn't even read it."

"How did you sleep?" Lucius asks, after a moment.

"Better than I have in a while."

"You didn't need to stay away because of our disagreement."

"It was stupid and immature of me to say the things I did," Harry says.

"A little," Lucius agrees, folding his hands. "You have that tendency."

"Hey!" Harry protests.

"Sadly, it's too late for me to see the light, and I like you regardless." Harry is speechless. Lucius closes his mouth gently. Harry blushes, unaware that he had been gaping.

"That's not fair," he says. Lucius smiles.

"Whatever gave you the idea that I play fair?"

"Did you read the utter rubbish that Postbitch wrote?" James yells, striding into the dining room. He stops abruptly at the sight of Lucius' hand on Harry's chin and Harry blushing wildly. He raises an eyebrow. "Did I interrupt something?" he ask.

"You wish," Lucius replies. James grins.

"Ah, that would be quite the treat, I admit. Hot and hot. Mmm, delicious."

"Contain your excitement before you need to clean it off your pants," Michael drawled, smacking James on the shoulder with a copy of the Prophet.

"Gabriel could help you, I'm sure," Shadow teases. James winces.

"Um, no thank you. I rather like knowing where all my parts are."

"Relax. I can reattach anything that might come loose in the cleaning process," Gabriel replies flippantly, arriving with a distraught Sebastian.

"This is terrible!" he says, pouting beautifully.

"At least she said you were pretty," Gabriel says.

"Right before she said you'd be better off as a woman. I happen to agree. At least then your chastity would be a virtue instead of a damned inconvenience," Michael replies, taking one of Gabriel's cinnamon rolls off the table.

"That thought was very much outloud," Shadow says.

"I know," Michael says, taking a bite out of the cinnamon roll. He chokes.

"Karma," Gabriel chuckles, smacking his friend hard between the shoulder blades. Michael stops choking. "How on earth did you get a hold of those things? I asked Mother to toss them, " he says, gesturing to the pile of cinnamon rolls.

"She sent them here instead," Lucius replied, grinning.

"That wasn't very nice of her."

"Ahem, I believe our angelic one is in the middle of the biggest crisis of his innocent little life," Shadow says gently.

"Of course," Lucius says. "I wouldn't worry about it. She's just bitter that she doesn't have an invitation. The fact that she won't be going will encourage more of the more withdrawn families to attend. Besides, her glowing remarks about your beauty will have every man and woman with a pulse curious to see you. Oh, and her comments about your naivete will have every woman pushing her applicable daughter at you and every man in the room trying to seduce you. Almost single-handedly, Ms. Postwitch has insured that people will talk about nothing but you from now until well after the party. I fail to see the problem."

"Lucius, you are a sly devil," Michael says reverently.

"Any publicity is good publicity, eh?" James says, laughing to himself.

"Wait, when is this party?" Harry asks.

"Saturday."

" Oh," Harry says, frowning.

"You are coming, aren't you?" Sebastian says.

"Well—" Harry begins hesitantly. Parties have never been his thing.

"Oh, but you have to! You must come. As my chaperone you have to be there! "

"If you don't give in, he'll cry," James whispers in Harry's ear. Harry looks horrified. "You don't want that, trust me." Sure enough, Sebastian's eyes began to tear.

"I'll go!" Harry says. Sebastian throws himself at Harry, hugging him as if he had just done the blonde the greatest favor. His smile is brilliant, as always.

"Thank you, Mr. Scryer. Now, if you'll excuse me, gentlemen. I have things which demand my attention." Harry simply gapes after him.

"I've never felt so blatantly manipulated in my life," he says. The remaining members of the group exchange knowing smiles.

"It's one of Sebastian's finer talents. Lucius likes to blackmail; Draco would do it himself; Nicholas would seduce; Sebastian pouts and cries. It's really just as affective," James says.

Harry rather agrees.

These boys move everything along so fast! Oh well. Until next time, review!

Love,

J. Silver