"It's just so gauche." The look on my mother's face said it all, a mix of dismay and disgust, to Genevieve Selwyn, there was nothing worse than to be called gauche. To be tacky was worse than being an outright awful person. And honestly, that tracked. I watched as yet another series of fireworks lit up the night sky.
"Horribly so," Baz spoke up, I let my head loll to the side to look at my twin as he agreed with her. He shrugged one shoulder and swirled the dregs of wine at the bottom of his glass.
Genevive huffed and tipped her head back to drain her glass. It wasn't her first of the night- and the half-empty bottle sitting on the table was not our first bottle of the night. She tapped the glass to the bottle and magic lifted the bottle- refilling her glass with more wine than a proper lady would typically allow.
I quirked an eyebrow but kept that thought to myself.
"It's the Notts, what can you expect?" I asked, finishing my own glass, and making a face. Something about the last sip of wine, the last little bit at the bottom of the glass that always tasted off. No matter how good the rest of the glass was- that last little gulp managed to ruin the whole thing.
I put the glass down on the table without refilling it. It was a gorgeous night- it had been muggy and miserable for most of the day but it seemed like even mother nature was working in the favor of the birthday boy.
"And why exactly are the two of you not invited anyway?" Genevieve asked, looking between the two of us suspiciously.
"Because Theodore Nott is a vindictive crybaby."
"Coco." Baz admonished.
"What? I'm right." I shrugged. Genevieve huffed, annoyed that we were left out of any kind of party, even a birthday party for Theodore Nott. Status meant the world to Genevieve and if everyone had been invited, except for us, it looked bad.
How was I supposed to know that insulting Theodore Nott and his gang of merry men for the past eighteen years would result in him ignoring custom and not inviting Baz and me to his tacky birthday party?
Genevieve stayed outside with us for another ten minutes before she let out another annoyed huff-
"I'm going to bed." She declared, standing and grabbing the wine bottle. She whirled- her long robe billowing around her as she headed back into the house- leaving Baz and me alone.
"Don't forget your new batch of sleeping potions is in the kitchen," I called after her. She paused then headed in the opposite direction- probably towards the kitchen.
"You shouldn't have reminded her."
Baz and I had very different ideas of how to deal with our mother. I was a big fan of letting her numb herself to the world, Baz didn't like seeing her relying on aids for things like sleeping when the wine should have done the job.
Baz was always nicer than me.
"We should go to the party." I decided.
"What?"
"The Nott's party. We should apparate over there and see if it's everything people expect."
"I expect nothing out of the Nott party." Baz shook his head. "It's a bad idea."
"Which is why we should do it." I stood and grabbed my glass. "Come on Bastian- we dealt with them for seven years. We deserve to have a little fun at their expense." I reached out and ruffled his dark hair, his hands coming up automatically to slap my hands away.
"Cordelia." He warned. I made a face and turned on my heel.
"Fine, then I will go alone." I threatened, taking the glass into the house. I left it on the table inside- knowing a house elf would ensure it got into the kitchen. A moment later I heard Baz's heavy footsteps behind me.
"You can't go alone." I headed through the halls of our familial home, glancing behind me.
"Well I am going, and if you don't plan on going- then by default, I will be going alone."
"Why do you even want to go, you don't like them."
"No, but I do like causing them trouble. And thus- I have to go." I explained.
"But-" Baz huffed, glancing back behind them as if someone would appear and side with him- unfortunately for him, there were only three people in the house- Genevieve was well on her way to a deep sleep and I was not about to back down
"Are you in or out, Bastian? I want to go before all the good snacks are gone."
He sighed dramatically and shook his head.
"It's a terrible idea, but I'm in." He agreed. I grinned and rushed over to kiss his cheek.
"See, you can be a good little brother, sometimes. See you there." I apparated out before he could have a chance to huff and annoyingly remind me that he is only a minute and a half younger than me.
Maybe it would have been a good idea to change before I came to the party, I had been dressed for a night in after all- but honestly, my silk nightgown didn't look that different from one of the dresses I would typically wear to a party like this. And the idea of dressing up for Theodore Nott held absolutely zero appeal to me. Baz appeared next to me, much more appropriately dressed in a polo shirt and khakis.
Apparating to the party was pretty easy, as the Nott's estate wasn't actually that far from our own home. Rumor had it that once upon a time, our ancestors were good friends, hence wanting their homes close enough to easily visit. That was not a fondness that would last through the generations.
Another round of Fireworks lit up the sky as Baz and I headed further into the grounds, towards the people partying in the garden.
"I'm going to go judge their taste in food," I informed my brother before heading off in the direction of the food table. I was a little wine drunk and I knew the food would be my best option. The music got louder as I headed toward the table. The spread was impressive- even though the party had probably started a few hours ago but everything out on that table seemed fresh and every plate was full. I grabbed a plate and picked out a few things, being picky with the ones I chose, as if picking only the best-looking items on the tray.
Everything honestly looked perfectly fine, but if there was a chance for Theodore to see and think I didn't think the food was good enough- then I was going to take it. I finished that up and grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray and took a sip- perfectly chilled. I hated how perfect everything the Notts did seemed to be. Theodore and his whole stupid friend group, perfection was their shield and I was obsessed with launching arrows until I pierced through them and exposed them for the frauds they truly were.
It was a healthy lifestyle. Did it make me Miss Popular? No, but I was never going to have that anyway, might as well make it look like it was my choice and not circumstances outside of my control.
Yeah, it was time to put away the champagne.
I left the half-finished glass behind on a table and nibbled on one of the little sandwiches, it was delicious, cucumber- but there was some kind of spread on it that was spicy, but still just a little sweet. It was perfect- the balance was impressive. Apparently, the Nott House elves were also annoyingly perfect.
"Here, try this." I had hunted down my brother, who was talking to a few other people. Everything I picked up from the table, I picked up two. I handed Baz the twin to my cucumber sandwich and he didn't even look away from his conversation, he just took it and bit into it.
"Ooh- what is that?" He asked.
"Hell if I know." I shrugged. "Hey." I greeted the girls that Baz had been talking to. I vaguely recognized them at least.
"Hi." a younger girl with two dark brown braids greeted me. It took a moment to place her.
"Astoria." The name finally surfaced in my brain. She brightened a little.
"Yes." She nodded eagerly. "We were just talking about the changes to the school next year."
I quirked an eyebrow and bit into my next little hors d'oeuvre. There were obviously going to be a ton of changes to how the school was run. A lot of students had died- there were probably a million new ghosts in the school, and of course, there had to be a rebuilding effort made and I heard that a good number of teachers had retired as well. So they would be working on hiring all new professors. It was amazing how much last year had stolen from us
Just thinking about last year left me feeling ice-cold fingers trailing down my back. I shuddered.
"What about it?" I asked.
"Just about how different it's going to be- I mean first of all they had to rebuild a big part of the school right?" Astoria asked.
"Yes." I tensed up and crossed my arms over my chest.
"And-"
"It'll be fine." Baz interrupted, his hand moving to my back and warming the place where the ice had chilled.
"It will." I agreed Holding the plate out to my brother. Baz happily took another sandwich and bit into it.
"If you say so." Astoria shrugged and turned to go.
—-
The party was actually a lot of fun- not that I'd ever admit it out loud to anyone. I spent a good amount of time on the dance floor, And as long as we were in a crowd- there was no chance for us to get caught. There were enough people there that there was no way the Serpents Club Cronies could spot us.
Again, a theory that only worked, as long as we stayed in the crowd.
"I'm going to get a refill," Baz called out to me over the music, holding up the now empty plate we had been sharing. I nodded, too caught up in the music to think too much about it. Plus, though I would never admit it out loud, I wanted more of the treats. Everything had been delicious.
It wasn't until the song changed that I realized how long Baz had been gone- far longer than it would take to toss a few more tiny sandwiches on a plate. He was less petty than me, he would just grab a couple of each item and come back. I moved between dancers until I broke free from the crush of the dance floor, absolutely not surprised to see my brother face to-face with a chunk of the stupid little Serpents Club.
I pushed my hair back out of my face and headed that way, purposefully putting myself between Baz and the others.
"What's up, guys?" I asked reaching over to the table to grab a snack.
"What the hell are you doing here, Selwyn?" Broderick Avery asked, sneering at the two of us. I was very aware that I was still in my silk night dress, braless and probably a little sweaty now that I'd been dancing.
"We heard there was a party, couldn't resist taking from your boy. Speaking of- One, two, three- seems a few of your order are MIA." I bit into whatever the hell it was I had grabbed blindly from the table- annoyed to find that it too was fucking delicious, a little buttery cracker stacked with presumably obnoxiously expensive cheese and some kind of umami-ish paste. "Did they wisen up and leave the dead weight behind?" Brody darkened at the comment- opening his mouth only to be cut off by Blaise.
"You two weren't invited."
"Should have had a better wizard put up your wards. Did Prince Nott do it himself or did Daddy handle it?"
"Coco," Baz warned,
"Leave, Coco, before Theodore realizes you two are here. It's his birthday, let him have it."
"And if I don't?" I asked, popping the rest of the canape into my mouth.
"Then I'll make you." The other three parted, looking back behind them as the birthday boy himself graced us with his presence. Theodore Nott looked down at me, his brown hair slightly curling at the ends as it fell over his forehead. It was longer than he had normally kept it during the school year. I wasn't, necessarily, a short woman, but he seemed to tower over me.
"Yeah? And how exactly do you intend on doing that one?" I asked, now would have been a great time to back down- to go home and rant to Baz for a solid twenty minutes on why Theodore Nott was the worst human being to ever stain the planet before passing out cozy in my bed. However, my body was filled with various wines, and doing the smart thing was just not an option.
Theodore took a step closer, and I felt Baz take his own step forward closer to me.
"Nott-"
"Last chance, Selwyn. Go."
"Come on, Coco." Baz gripped my elbow and pulled me back a few steps. "People are staring." He muttered. I glanced around and sure enough, they were. I rolled my eyes and turned to follow after my brother, I could still feel the rage as it built in my chest. I hated retreating, I hated turning my back on these assholes. And I was reminded why I hated it when I heard a whispered spell and the bowl of punch, the one that held some kind of vile-looking amber liquid tipped- no, saying it tipped would be an understatement, it basically threw itself from the table and suddenly I was covered in cold, spicy smelling liquid.
It was probably just some kind of juice but honestly, it didn't matter- I saw red.
I could hear the people around us laughing- Baz shouted something but I held a hand up as my vision slowly returned, turning back to face the men, a smile on my face. I'm sure it was a disconcerting look.
"Boys- if you wanted to see me in wet silk, all you had to do was ask nicely." I purred. Theodore's gray eyes trailed over my body and I looked back at Baz. "Let's go." I stepped back, taking my brother's hand, and apparated away- taking him with me.
—
It had taken an annoying amount of time to get Baz to leave me alone. We apparated back home and he was ranting- which was weird as it was usually my place to be angry and loud. But I was quiet as I headed to my room, My brother on my heels. He didn't go away until I made it clear that I was going to shower and if he was still in my room when I came out I would hex him to the moon.
I washed away all the juice and by the time I came out with a towel wrapped around my body, Bastian was gone.
Good.
I didn't put on new pajamas, Instead, I changed into a pair of black leggings and a long-sleeved black top. It was summer but it was starting to cool down in the evening, which was good for me.
Oh, this wasn't over, not a chance. I wasn't about to let them have the last move. That wasn't who I was as a person. I slipped into a pair of soft-soled shoes and I apparated away, heading back for the Nott estate.
It was a risk, but I highly doubted they bothered to re-up the wards to keep out my family, and sure enough, when I walked up to the garden- nothing happened.
In the time since we left, the party had come to a close. This wasn't the kind of party where teenagers were allowed to remain passed out all over the lawn and the house, I had a feeling the whole of his friend group would still be there though. I moved quietly, searching for something in particular, grinning when I found it. the fireworks.
I plucked one out, reading the label on it before I made my way over to the door.
"Alohomora," I whispered. The door unlocked with an audible click and I slipped into the house. Again, I knew the cocky bastards wouldn't have properly locked their doors. I quietly walked through the halls, making notes of every turn I took.
I had never actually been in the Nott house but it was just like basically every other pure-blood estate I'd been in. Big, opulent, obnoxious. Our own home had a similar vibe. apparently, we all came from ancestors who were more dramatic than tasteful.
I paused and tilted my head, hearing music and a low muttering of voices. Bingo. I headed that way and paused right outside the door, I peeked in and found exactly what I wanted.
It was all five of the Serpents, plus a few select bonuses that I knew would make my revenge all the sweeter
Draco Malfoy- who had been missing when we were confronted, Blaise Zabini, Broderick Avery, Alistair Mulciber, and of course, Theodore Nott. Also spread about the room was Daphne Greengrass, apparently, she had sent her sister home alone. And Pansy Parkinson was also there, cuddled up to Draco as if she already had the Malfoy ring on her finger. It was gross.
"You should have seen it, Malfoy. It was hilarious. You should fix your wards though, letting trash like that on your grounds? It's dangerous." Daphne was laughing. I clenched my jaw- ignoring the fact that she was right, as I was standing there with an evil plan.
You see, I was there in fifth year when Fred and George Weasley opted to interrupt the OWLs tests. I watched the panic as the fireworks lit up the room and chaos reigned, that was exactly what I wanted for these assholes. I popped the wick up to make sure it would hit and I quickly chucked the firework into the open fireplace.
I had great aim. I'd been throwing random shit at Baz for years. I never missed. I heard a moment of confusion
"What the hell was that- Oh shit!"
and I ran.
Down the hall, to the left- I heard the explosion, I heard the shouts, and Pansy screaming like an alarm as I just barely managed to keep from laughing out loud. right, left again- wait, shit, was it right or left? I took a chance and went left. I figured even if I was wrong, I could hide out for a little bit.
Then I ran into a wall of pure muscle, knocking me back onto my ass.
"Well well well, what do we have here?" My heart stopped.
See I had assumed that Theodore and his friends were here alone. That they were the only people in the whole home.
One thing I hadn't considered at all was the man in front of me.
Rochester Nott.
A/N Thanks for reading! I already have this posted to a couple other fanfiction sites and decided to bring it here too. Hope you enjoy!