Now that it was mid-September, Isabelle made it a point to remind me that my birthday was approaching. Nineteen. Just a step away from twenty. And a great big leap from thirty. The age gap between Magnus and I was never going to get any smaller, but somehow still being in the teens made it seem huge. Way bigger than it was.

"He's too old for you, anyway", Isabelle would say, when she realised all her other put-downs weren't working. "Remember how our Mother tried to flirt with him?"

I did remember; though Mother herself claimed to have done no such thing. But that had nothing to do with anything. And I was quite convinced - as I had been the first time I was seeing Magnus - that as soon as I passed out of teenage years, it wouldn't matter anymore.

Magnus and I had been talking about it on the phone during my Lunch break. I decided I liked getting calls from him a damn lot more than from his wife. I was beginning to remember how right it had felt to talk to Magnus. How well we fit together despite the fact we probably couldn't be any more different in personality.

"She's throwing this party for me." I ranted while I dwindled in line at the cafe. Usually I didn't like taking on my phone in that kind of situation; it seemed kind of rude. Especially as I neared the cashier. The closer I got, the more I told myself to end the call. It just didn't seem like a good moment to say goodbye yet. "Like nineteen is some kind of big deal? It's not exactly a milestone."

"Celebrating isn't limited to huge events." Magnus replied. He sounded like he was concentrating, I wondered if he was trying to paint his nails or something.

"I guess not..." I said, glancing to the door which lead back into the rest of the Museum, where the 'Celebration of Invention' was in full swing. That event had been pretty fun so far. There was lots to do, different groups and activities being run. It gave me a lot of variety.

Dr Zachariah on the other hand, seemed itching to hit the books again.

Magnus started to tell a story about the party he threw for Chairman Meow's birthday the year before. I gave the cashier a sheepish smile, she rolled her eyes while I dug around for the change I needed. Stupid. If I was going to be antisocial and talk on the phone during the transaction, the least I could have done was avoid holding the line up.

Before I took my food I mouthed 'sorry' to the person who had been waiting behind me. All I got in response was a raised eyebrow, so I was quick to scurry off and find somewhere to sit. By the time I was actually listening to Magnus again, he was almost done talking.

"And even though it was just a party for a cat, it was a huge success, and completely worth it." He said.

"Did you do anything but party before you met me?" I asked with a small smile. It was weird to pull full expressions when the person you were having a conversation with couldn't see you.

"I slept?" Magnus laughed, and I figured at that point I needed to change the subject before I said the dumb thing I was thinking.

With who?

I cleared my throat. "Well, Izzy says that under 'absolutely-positively' no circumstances am I to invite you to this one."

"She still hates me, then?" Said Magnus after a moment of silence. He wasn't so much surprised as he was considering the situation. Magnus was perfectly aware that my family weren't keen on the idea of me giving him another chance.

Sometimes I worried that they were making it hard on purpose; knowing that if it came down to them or Magnus, I'd choose them. Thankfully, nobody was asking me to make such a choice. Even if I did sometimes get the impression they wanted to.

"Well." Magnus huffed. It was a playful huff, and when he spoke again he had this persuasive edge to his voice. The kind that always got him what he wanted. "If I can't see you on Friday, how about I take you out on Monday?"

I caught sight of the time on the clock on the wall and realised my break was just about over. I gulped down the food in my mouth in a hurry and tried not to choke. I ended up coughing anyway.

"Sure." I agreed without any consideration whatsoever. "I have to go now, though. Duty calls."

"Everybody thank Mr Lightwood for showing us the exhibits." Said the kind looking teacher to her class. They were all very young, and called out their thanks in that weird way that school kids do. The same old drill; slightly off-unison, with elongated syllables. Thank-you-mis-ter-Light-wood. I didn't think I'd ever be used to the way they made me sound like an adult or something. What was wrong with a given-name-basis, anyway?

Still, I smiled at them in response.

"You're all very welcome." I said before their teacher ushered them all away. She seemed to be struggling now that she had to both lead from the front and round up the stragglers in the back.

Rather her than me, I thought. I turned back to the front desk, ready to ask Imasu who the next group were. What I wasn't expecting was to see my sister there, chatting quite animatedly with Dr Zachariah.

"Izzy!" I called, making my way over to the pair of them fairly quickly. I loved my sister dearly but she could not be trusted to talk to my boss. Not appropriately anyway.

It seemed like Imasu was enjoying their little chat too, I noticed when I neared. All three of them looked at me, completely oblivious to the fact that this girl was out to embarrass me in any way she could. What were siblings for?

"Hey Alec!" Isabelle grinned back. "Are you surprised?"

"To see you hear on a school day? Yes. Very." I frowned back. She clicked her tongue and put one hand on her hip. She waved the other towards a gaggle of vaguely-familiar faces. A class from my old school. The group was being led by my old History teacher Mr Starkweather, and I could spot Clary and Simon in the mix too. Clary was fiddling with the straps on her satchel, probably itching to sketch the displays, knowing her.

"Isabelle was just saying she kept the trip a secret, to surprise you." Dr Zachariah informed me. He was giving her this kind of indulgent look; the sort you give to a kid who thinks they snuck up on you even though you heard them coming a mile away. Izzy looked like she was buying it. She was sixteen-going-on-six, after all.

"I was also telling them about the party." Izzy added, pointedly. "I can't believe you didn't invite your work friends!"

I tried not to groan at her. Too predictable; bringing it up when I couldn't very well say anything against it without sounding completely antisocial. Work friends? My employer and the guy who worked the desk. Yeah, we were so close.

Okay, that's not exactly fair. I had nothing against Imasu and Dr Zachariah was actually more of a colleague than a boss. A colleague who got to decide if and when I was fired. The last thing I wanted was for my sister to do something completely inappropriate and make work awkward for us both.

That meant their time spent talking had to be minimal. She'd already tried to goad me into way too many conversations about if he was hot or not.

"It's just a little thing at my Mother's place. A bunch of family. Bad music." I stammered, simultaneously trying to put the other guys off and reminding myself how tragic it all sounded.

For a second I thought of the kind of parties Magnus went to. The way he always made everything sound completely magic. And even though his scene was never my kind of thing, I was jealous for that one second. Beyond that, I was all the more relieved that he wouldn't be attending our little family gathering.

"You should so come." Izzy added. And there was nothing I could do to keep them from agreeing.

Another chapter for you! Thank you for reading. As has become the norm, the next chapter isn't written yet and has no title. Oopsy. I'm hoping to get back on top of it soon.