A Year's Past ((Adam, Dix, Ashley, Bryce))

[Raelee Gray]

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly!" Rae sang, clearly out of tune, as she pushed the last of the presents she had just wrapped beneath the giant tree she and Dixie had decorated only a week prior. The tree was there for a reason, because normally Rae wouldn't put up a tree. It was there because this year she was holding a Christmas party at her house. She wouldn't be drinking, because she had learnt her lesson last Christmas about drinking on Christmas, but there would be refreshments there for her guests. She would advice each of them against drinking anything, but it was their choice and all she could offer was to take their car keys if they drove and keep them for safe keeping. If they were arriving via apparition like Adam and Dixie were, she was certain if they drank it wouldn’t be too terrible… though Rae was even worry about that. Oh well, this particular moment wasn't meant for those thoughts – they would be dealt with when necessary. Rae tucked her newly dyed dark blonde hair behind her ear and looked up at the twinkling tree. Dixie hadn't done too bad of a job on it, but she was glad to see that Dixie had left the star for Rae to do – considering Rae was a bit taller than the girl and the star was more of a personal thing. It wasn't that she didn't love Dixie and think of her as a sister, but it was going to be tradition for her to put her star on – especially if she was going to have a tree each year. She hadn't decided on that just yet. "Fa la la la la la la la." Rae said with a smirk before turning and picking up the box that had held all of her presents to her friends for the past couple of weeks prior to being shoved beneath the gigantic Christmas tree.

Rae made her way from her living room toward her bedroom, nudging the door open with the toe of her boot before stepping inside and moving around her bed to her closet. She slid open the mirrored door and stood on her tip toes in order to push the box all the way back on the top shelf. After making sure everything was secure, she closed her closet door and then looked around her room to make sure she wasn't missing anything. It wasn't a grandiose room; in fact it was rather small compared to the room she had been given at her parent's house when she lived with them. It was probably a third of the size of that room which was probably as big as the Ravenclaw common room had been. Her bed was a nice size, a Queen, but it was a sleigh bed and rose about three feet off the floor. Rae had to stand on a stool to climb onto the bed with any ease at all. Her comforter, which was draped over the bed nicely, pulled tight, and tucked in, was a deep navy blue with silver swirls embroidered on it. Her sheets were a silver satin and her pillows were a velvet navy blue. The wood for her bed was a black walnut along with her nightstand and armoire. She had a television set, widescreen and flatscreen, sitting on top of her armoire and there were lamps on both nightstands. Rae loved her room, even if it was a little bare. Sometimes she thought it was missing something, but she could never quite put her finger on it and so she left it to wander into the back of her mind. Rae never liked to dwell on things for too long. That was one thing that had really changed about Rae since last Christmas. She didn't dwell too much on things, she didn't dare. With the whole thing with Adam losing his memory, Rae had decided not to dwell on things that she wouldn't be forced to deal with until much later on in her life – or things little and insignificant such as what her room was missing.

She smiled to herself and then left the room, letting the door fall closed behind her a little. Her room would be where the coats and keys would be tossed once guests arrived. She wasn't expecting a whole bunch of people; really just Adam, Dixie, Ashley Hill, and whomever she brought along. She wondered if Dixie was going to drag along anyone else, but Rae wasn't sure and she hadn't asked- that was her own fault though; she should have known to ask Dixie when she was over here putting up the tree. Rae shrugged it off and walked down the hallway into the kitchen. The kitchen, like her room, was smaller than the one in the Gray manor. It had a row of counters that faced the living room so you could peer right into the living room from the kitchen and there were stools on the living room side that faced the kitchen. Over all, Rae really did love her cottage. It was just the right size for her, and it was even a bit bigger than she needed it to be. There was a guest bedroom and one and a half bathrooms. After being raised in a large mansion, Rae had always wanted to live in a smaller place. She had always been home alone in the Gray manor – why would she want to be alone in her own home? Rae wanted to feel like she was home, not in a huge empty building. Rae tucked her hair behind her ear again and opened the oven, grabbing the oven mitt so she could pull out the tray of cookies she had put in. They were sizzling, which probably wasn't good, but Rae knew they were good – they always sizzled when she made them. She set the tray on the countertop and pulled the cookie plate toward her along with the spatula as she started to scoop the cookies off the plates. She set each cookie nice and neat on the plate just as there was a 'crack!' in the air. Rae looked up before setting the tray in the sink to see Dixie and Adam in her living room. She smiled at the two as Dixie looked around with an awed smile on her face, "Rae! It looks better than I thought it would!" Rae laughed and sent Adam a look that asked, "I suppose I meet her expectations?" as she made her way into the living room and gave them each a hug; "Thanks, something to drink?"

[Professor Adam Greene]

Adam took his coat from the chair and threw it over his shoulders. He wasn't sure why he was bringing it. It was cold outside, but he would be apparating straight to Dixie's and then to Rae's from there. They probably wouldn't even be outside. Still, it was winter, and he felt the need to wear it wherever he went. There was always the chance that he might have to go outside for one reason or another. And, in that point in time, he would be happy to have decided on bringing the jacket along. With one last glance in the mirror, he picked at a stray hair with his hand and decided he might opt for another haircut in the near future. Adam's hair grew like knotweed. He was constantly sporting different lengths, and he hadn't quite settled on a length that he preferred. Now though, it was getting a bit long and it was tedious to try to tame so that he didn't always have the appearance of having just woke up.

Satisfied that he was ready to apparate to Dixie's, Adam closed his eyes and imagined her flat, disappearing and reappearing in mere seconds. The first few times he had arrived in her flat via apparation, he had startled her a bit, but this time, she had been waiting for him. In fact he was a little behind schedule. Smiling (as he always was when he was around her), Adam found his girlfriend waiting for him in her living room. "Sorry I'm a bit late," he said. He thought she looked very nice for the evening, but Dixie was always good at dressing for the occasion. She was a fashion designer after all. It was only natural that she herself was always donning the latest new fashions. And, in Adam's eyes, Dixie always made anything look amazing. "Will this make up for my being late?" he asked, giving Dixie a kiss as she stood and seemed ready to go. He linked arms with her and for the second time in just minutes he had apparated again, this time right into Rae's living room.

They were greeted with a hug, and when Rae hugged Adam, he whispered in her ear with a quiet laugh. "It looks great, Rae. Don't mind the fashion queen over here. She is going to be critical of everything down to the color of coffee mugs you use." He knew Rae would find this humorous, and when Dixie looked at him, he simply gave her a wide grin and a flirtatious wink. Oh how glad he was to have been past the hard times in his relationship with Dixie. The two of them, plus Rae, had been through a lot, and for them all to be friends now with Adam and Dixie being a couple was something he was more than grateful for. When things could have ended so terribly, he couldn't have asked for them to be any better. "So who else is coming to this party?" he questioned. "Whatever your serving will be fine," he added in reply to Rae's question. He wasn't sure what it was, but something smelled great coming from the kitchen. "Why don't you two sit down though," he said, pointing both Dixie and Rae to the couch. "I know where the cups are." Adam liked being a gentleman when he could. "What am I serving though?" he asked, not sure if Rae had any special drinks prepared or not. While he was in the kitchen, Adam figured he'd take a sneak peek at whatever it was that smelled so good.

[Dixie Holden-Greene]

Dixie couldn't help but gawk at the irony of it all. A party. Christmas Eve. Spending it with Rae and Adam. It was just... ironic, and yet at the same time it kind of felt like closure. As if she needed this for everything to be completely over and okay - as if she needed it so the world could continue on and be bright again. Dixie hummed to herself as she slipped a pair of silver earrings into her ears to complete her outfit. She wasn't extravagant considering it was a rather informal party, just a group of friends getting together, but she did look rather nice. She wore a pair of designer jeans, high heels, and a nice top that she had designed while in Paris and had been made into an actual creation recently when she had learnt how to sew. It was a nice top, long sleeved and made out of a fabric that she liked to feel against her skin. She had a nice jacket to go with it as well, so she was all set in the wardrobe department. Her hair was down and curled as it usually was, but it was a nice curl - not something that looked frizzy. She continued to hum as she put the backs of her earrings on and then turned and grabbed her purse from her bed, leaving her bedroom and heading out into the living room of her flat. Mack hadn't come home for the winter holidays and at first it had stung Dixie a bit because that had been the arrangement before, but honestly...after awhile, Dixie had been okay with it. It meant she could spend more time with Adam without feeling terribly guilty about it. Dixie smiled brightly to herself at the thought of Adam, and set her purse down on the couch before heading into the adjoined kitchen to get a glass of water to drink. She sipped from her water as her eyes danced to the clock above her television. He wasn't running incredibly late, but he definitely wasn't on time. Dixie shrugged slightly to herself, placed the glass in the sink and then headed back over to the couch; lounging on it and listening to her apartment settle.

It was eerily silent, but Dixie kind of enjoyed it. She tended to like quiet moments more and more often because of her job. Her job was one of those fast paced ones where you never get a spare or quiet moment, but Dixie loved it; if not only for the fashion aspect of it all. Dixie looked up at the ceiling unblinkingly as the silence settled around her. Her mind wandered to everything that had happened over the past year. She fell in love, she was torn to pieces, she ran away, she came back, she felt her heard being shredded into more pieces, and then...miraculously - most recently - she'd been put back together. There were so many things that would have broken any other person, and in a way they did break Dixie, but she honestly was able to get through it all because of Adam. Even when they weren't together, she still in a different way used him as a way to continue on with her life. She had always been really good at giving things up so easily, but she couldn't give Adam up - she couldn't give up on their relationship even when she felt like it had been non existent. Yes, it had been nearly non-existent. She had never thought it would ever be something - again. And now, it was. She was with Adam and they were happy and they would, hopefully, continue to be happy for as long as well... forever, if Dixie had her way. Dixie sat up and reached for her purse, going through it, looking for her lip gloss, when there came a crack and Adam appeared in her living room. She smiled, but tried to look agitated with his lateness - but he anticipated that and kissed her, asking if it would make up for it. She kissed him back and smiled, "For now." She told him as they linked arms and he apparated them away. Dixie really didn't enjoy apparating in the least, but she knew it was the only way of getting to Rae's house at this particular time.

She looked around at Rae's place and the decorations and then smiled brightly at her best friend, "Rae! It looks better than I thought it would!" She exclaimed brightly as Rae made her way into the living room. Dixie hugged her back and continued to look around at the all the directions as Adam and Rae hugged, and Adam whispered in her ear. Dixie heard "fashion queen" and she sent him a playful glare, receiving a wink in return. She collapsed onto the couch as Rae asked if they wanted something to drink and was about to answer when Adam said, in a round about way, he'd get it. Rae smiled at Dixie and took a seat in the armchair to the right and Dixie smiled back, the two girls sharing a moment of 'aww he's so gentlemanly.' "Well, considering last year ended up being... rather... well...you know, I thought it'd be smart to not serve alcohol - so there's soda in the fridge, or eggnog, or hot chocolate around there somewhere. If you do prefer alcohol though, there's some underneath the sink. I don't drink it often... rarely ever actually.." Rae told Adam as Dixie sank into the couch, smiling softly at Rae in a thanks. When Adam returned with the drinks, Rae finally answered his other question; "Well, it's us three - and then two others... Ashley Hill and Bryce Alexander.. they're both still in school, 7th years... but I met her a couple of days ago while finishing some Christmas shopping for Nette. I invited them, thought they would enjoy some down time from the way Ashley spoke of all the drama that was going on with them..." Rae shook her head in bewilderment before shrugging, "But that should be it." Dixie who had just taken a sip of her drink shook her head, "No..." she took another drink, "I invited Clay. I don't know when he'll be here, though, considering he's got Maddie to worry about, but I'm sure he'll be here. I just..." she looked over at Adam and then at Rae again, "I didn't want him to spend his Christmas eve completely alone... and I thought it'd be nice to have him meet some more people...I hope it was okay..."

[Ashley Hill]

Christmas Eve; that only meant 24 more hours until Christmas Day. It was Ashley’s favorite holiday of the year, but most stressful. She had sent all her presents through mail to her relatives, and spent the days decorating the house in holiday cheer. There were scented candles everywhere, with tiny snow men props that her mom liked to collect. When Ashley was younger, she would give a name to each of the snow men, but now there were just too many for her to remember. The tree was already set up before Ashley had even arrived home. It wasn’t decorated though, but bare, its pine needle scent flowing through the house. Decorating the tree was a family tradition in the Hill household, and everybody had to be there to help. Normally on Christmas Eve, she and her father would sit down in the living room, having their re-run of classic holiday movies. Her mother and sister also watched, but that day, Elina was spending it with her husband at their flat, which left Ashley home alone to fend for her self. Elina was the one that spent most of her with their mother, while Ashley was with their father. Now she had to slave in the kitchen, helping her mom make different desserts. Ashley wasn’t much of a cook. Actually, she burnt the cookies to black, that tasted exactly like charcoal. Though, Ashley did want to spend the night with her father. Instead, she was invited by her new friend Raelee Gray to a Christmas party at her flat. Rae had also insisted on Ashley bringing along Bryce. It had taken Ashley a while to convince her parents to let her go. She was seventeen now, which meant she could make her own decisions, but her parents were still trying to let go of their youngest daughter. Eventually they caved in, and Ashley sent Bryce an owl earlier that week to tell him. They weren’t exactly on good terms, but not the worst. It hurt Ashley at first to know that he had kissed Weetzie, but yet he was saying that he thought he loved her. Ashley felt the same, but that didn’t mean she could quite forgive him yet. Maybe this night would be good for the both of them. They hadn’t talked since parting from the Hogwarts Express.

Tying the end of her necklace, Ashley straightened out the beads with her hands, flipping the flower over on its appropriate side. Looking into the mirror, Ashley gazed at her reflection intensely. She wasn’t dressed up in another too dressy. After all, it wasn’t a formal party, just a get together with some friends. Ashley hadn’t ever met Dixie or Adam, and quite frankly, she was nervous about it. She usually wasn’t this anxious when meeting new people. Usually Ashley was quite confident. Sighing, she bunched her curly hair, tilting her head to the side slightly. Her hair looked shorter for some reason. Maybe it was the curls being too packed together? Shrugging, she smoothed out her long green shirt, pulling down the end of her pink cami that was under it. Grabbing a few things, Ashley tugged them into her jean pockets before grabbing her coat off from the open door. Her dog barked happily, jumping off Ashley’s bed and racing in front of her down the stairs. Shaking her head, Ashley bounded down the stairs, the smell of gingerbread cookies greeting her nostrils. Grinning, Ashley headed into the kitchen, picking the small dog off from the ground. “I thought we already had enough cookies, mum,” she said watching her mother place the cookies into a tin container. “Yes I know. I thought you could use them for your party.” Ashley smiled at her mother’s generosity, petting Tyler’s fur happily. “Is Bryce going to pick you up here?” Meredith asked as she set the contained down on the wooden table in front of her daughter. Ashley shook her head looking over at the front room where her father sat watching a sports game. “No. I’m going to meet up with him at his house. Don’t think he would like to be questioned by dad.” Laughing, Ashley shook her head as she set the dog down on the table. Tyler just stared up at her, sitting down upon her brown boots.

“Alright. Just don’t stay out too late.” Ashley rolled her eyes nodding as she grabbed the tin container and her wand from her pocket. With a loud ‘pop’ she apparated out of her house, and into the living room of the Alexander house. Ashley shook her head from the slight dizzy feel looking around for Bryce. She had never been to Bryce’s house, but she knew he lived with his father who wasn’t around much. Well that was easy to tell. There weren’t even any Christmas decorations. Hearing footsteps, Ashley stopped looking around the room, her brown eyes falling upon Bryce’s tall figure. “I think you need some of our Christmas decorations. Where’s the Christmas spirit?” she asked joking with a smile on her lips. Not even noticing a tree, Ashley gasped loudly, “There isn’t even a tree! You are being deprived, Bryce David Alexander.” Laughing, she grinned looking up at him as he was standing in front of her. “I’m glad you can come with me. I really don’t know anyone else that’s going to be there, but you’ll like Rae. She’s really nice.” Nodding, Ashley took Bryce’s hand, her fingers lacing with his. Her other hand still held the tin can of gingerbread cookies. “Alright…enough of me teasing you Ready?” she asked but before he could say anything she flicked her wand, and within seconds was standing in the middle of a new living room.

Ashley continued holding onto Bryce’s hand, as her eyes traveled across the brightly lit room. Her eyes soon fell upon three sitting figures, lounging on the couch in a conversation. “I brought gingerbread cookies…my mom baked them actually. She’s a chief.” Nodding Ashley set the tin container on the table top where the drinks sat upon their coasters. “Hi, I’m Ashley Hill,” she greeted looking at the faces before looking back and forth from the girl with brown hair, and the boy with blonde. Was this the couple that Rae was talking about that day in Diagon Alley? “Your Dixie and Adam right? Rae’s told me alot about you guy. There good things though, I promise.” Smiling, Ashley shot her friend a look, tilting her head as Rae’s hair seemed to appear darker. “Did you change your hair color, Rae?” she asked before glancing back over at Bryce, her hand still holding onto his.

((Hope you don't mind that I had Ashley meet Bryce at his house. and I know I told you I was going to write it on Friday, but I just had to write something!))

[Bryce Alexander]

Bryce finished the dishes that were in the sink, happy that he was able to use magic instead of having to do them by hand like he usually did before turning 17 last February. Like usual, his father was at work and would stay there until late, coming home and doing a lot of nothing before retiring to his bed and waking up to do it all again. This left Bryce with the care of the house for the most part, and whenever he was home for breaks, he quickly got sick of how lazy his dad was when it came to housework despite his obsession with his real work. Still, Bryce did what he could just to keep the place nice enough to live in. He couldn't wait until he had a job after graduating so that he could move out and get his own place, free from his father's less than desirable lifestyle.

Seeing that it was nearing the time that Ashley would be arriving, Bryce hurried to levitate the dishes to their proper cupboards before rushing upstairs to shower and get ready for the Christmas party that they had been invited to. Ashley had told him that she met Raelee Gray, a Hogwarts graduate who was a year ahead of he and Ash. During this meeting, Raelee had invited Ashley and Bryce to join a Christmas party with Raelee and some of her friends. Bryce knew them by name, but didn't know them by much more than that. It sounded like it might be fun, but he was just happy that Ash had asked him to come. Ever since the Winter Ball, he was afraid she'd stop talking to him. That wasn't the case though. They didn't, however, take an opportunity to discuss their relationship any further, but in the few times they were able to interact before leaving for break, Bryce sensed that they were on good terms at least. Ashley inviting him to join her for the party made Bryce think that his assumption was right.

As he finished getting dressed, Bryce heard Ashley arrived downstairs. He hurried to finish and then found her in the living room. "What do you expect?" he said with a laugh when she commented on the lack of Christmas decorations. "Have you met my father? I don't think that we have had a tree or any sort of holiday decoration since mom left. With me being away most of the time, there's nobody to put them up and usually nobody home to enjoy them anyways." Ashley was just kidding with him though, and Bryce knew that. "I'm glad to be able to join you. I didn't want to have to go the entire break without seeing your smiling face." Bryce shot her another smile of his own before she took his hand and had them apparated to the place where the party would be: Rae's home. Ashley quickly introduced herself before hurrying to talk to Rae. She didn't let go of his hand though, which he was happy about. He wished that they would have had a bit more time to talk about things, but perhaps that opportunity would come later. For now, he was just happy to be with her and have her on his good graces.

"I'm Bryce Alexander," he said, greeting the three people that were already there. He recognized their faces from the previous year at Hogwarts, and he figured that they might remember him but in case that they didn't he wanted to introduce himself anyways. It was a bit awkward for Bryce, not really knowing any of the people there but Ashely, yet he figured that they must be nice enough if they were willing to invite people who were practically strangers to crash their Christmas party. Seeing the cookies in Ash's hands, Bryce felt a bit embarrassed that he hadn't thought to bring something himself. However, there wouldn't have been much in the Alexander household that he could have brought. Finding a meal was sometimes hard since his dad never took the time to buy groceries. Usually, Bryce would have to make a trip and buy stuff for himself to eat over the breaks that he spent at home. Brianne always hated coming to visit because of this, and Bryce was always happy to get to France where he was greeted with a house full of food. Sticking close to Ash though for now, Bryce was quiet and waited for everyone else to 'get the party started'.

[Dixie Holden-Greene]

Rae looked from Dixie to Adam, a surprised expression on her face, "Oh, no, that's fine. The more the merrier." She smiled at Dixie and Dixie smiled back. She owed a lot to Clay, the biggest thing being her sanity. Without Clay, she probably wouldn't have survived through this whole ordeal – and now that the ordeal was solved, she didn't want to cast Clay aside. She didn't want to lose touch with him; he was a great friend and she was certain he would get along with everyone else. Rae was about to say something when there came a crack and two more people appeared. A blonde girl and a tall guy. Dixie jumped slightly, taking care not to spill her drink, as Rae laughed at her, "Not funny." Dixie muttered, sending Rae a sharp glare. Rae glared back, playfully, and smiled at the girl as introductions were made. The girl introduced herself as Ashley and then went on to talk about how Rae had spoken about them. Dixie smirked, "They better be good things, or I'll make her life terrible and spill all of her secrets." Rae shuddered as if she was scared, her eyes wide, and then smiled. Dixie looked back at Ashley, "Yeah, I'm Dixie. It's nice to meet you." Ashley then talked to Rae who smiled in reply to her question, "Yes, I did. You're the only one who's mentioned it." Dixie shrugged, smiling, as Ashley's date introduced himself as Bryce, "Hey, Bryce." Dixie said in greeting, "Good thing you're here, poor Adam might have been the only male here… until Clay arrives, anyway."

Dixie nudged Adam gently, smiling softly at him; "You might have been subject to make overs, love." Rae laughed at that as she stood from her place in the arm chair and headed into the kitchen, "Can I get you two anything to drink?" she asked the newcomers. Sounds of the fridge being opened and something being taken from the oven filled the air, followed by an "Oh! Ash, thanks for the cookies… here…" it was quite odd to see the cookies suddenly lift into the air and float over toward the kitchen, setting themselves down on the counter as Rae came back out with her wand in hand and two drinks trailing after her. "Nothing alcoholic, but you two shouldn’t be drinking anyway." Rae gave them a pointed look before sinking back into her armchair, "Take a seat," she motioned to the couch that Dixie and Adam were sitting on, or the loveseat that was sort of in between the couch and the armchair she was currently occupying.

Then it was as if awkwardness just filled the air and Dixie felt like she was being suffocated. She was cuddled close to Adam, her drink still in her hands, and then an idea came to mind. She smiled brightly over at Rae, who knew that smile quite well and tried to shake her head but Dixie was already talking, "Let's play 'I've Never.' It's a great ice breaker in my opinion and since no one's drinking alcohol it'll be safe to play." Dixie looked from Adam, to Rae, to Ashley, to Bryce, and then back to Adam before sitting up slightly and smiling warmly; "I'll start and make it easy." She looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to think of something to say. There were many things that she couldn't say that she hadn't ever done. That was the problem; Dixie had done quite a bit of things. After a couple of moments and a couple of snickers from Rae who was obviously aware of how difficult things were for Dixie to think of something to say, Dixie smiled brightly and settled back in her seat with her drink, "I've never…surprisingly….fallen asleep in Binns' class." She knew it was lame, but it would only get better as the night went on. She looked around waiting for someone to drink and then whoever took a drink would have to go.

((Haha, you all get to make it more interesting don't you love it?))

[Professor Adam Greene]

After the drinks had been settled and Adam had taken a seat beside Dixie, two more guests arrived. The girl seemed to be a friend of Rae's, and she even knew both his and Dixie's names though. Then, the guy introduced himself, and Adam remembered seeing him more than he remembered seeing the girl though. Bryce and Ashley, he said their names in his mind to be sure he'd remember them. Then, he stood and shook Bryce's hand, happy to not be the only guy in the group despite how much he liked spending time with Dixie and Rae. Sometimes though, since they were best friends, he easily felt left out. Dixie would always tease him though to try to make him feel like he really was part of the loop. Their friendship between the three of them was quite ironic. Adam never would have guessed that they could all be friends again, but he was glad for it. Rae held a special place in his heart, and Dixie was the most important thing to him in the world. Being able to keep both of his friendships with them while having a relationship with Dixie was more than he could ask for.

Leave it to Dixie to break the silence. It hadn't even been a minute since the new guests arrived and she was suggesting that they play the quite humorous and interesting game 'I've Never'. Immediately though, Adam saw this as the perfect opportunity to do what he had been planning that night. There were two things that Adam wanted to be able to share with Dixie and Rae. Now, there would be others there for his two special moments, but he wasn't too upset about that. Ashley and Bryce seemed like great people.

With Dixie's first statement, Adam remembered back to his third year. There was one History of Magic class in which he did fall asleep. He had been unable to sleep the night before, and the droning voice of Professor Binns had been enough on that day to lull him into a light nap that likely only lasted a minute or two at the most. He was caught though, and he had lost points for Slytherin. Adam would never forget that. It was the only time in his seven years at Hogwarts that he lost points for Slytherin. With that though, he put his drink to his lips and took a guilty sip as everyone looked his way. "What? Thought I was the perfect student?" he looked teasingly at Dixie who seemed surprised that he was the first one drinking.

"OK, my turn," he said, knowing that this would be the moment he would break the first of his two pieces of news. His fingers slipped into the pocket in his jacket and they wrapped around the small velvet box. A grin spread across his lips as he put the perfect words together in his head. "I've never..." he paused, taking a look around the room to see everyone's faces, though he concentrated mostly on Dixie's. "I've never been engaged." He didn't think anybody there had been engaged, but he didn't know for sure with Bryce or Ashley. He'd have been surprised if they had though since he hadn't noticed a ring on Ashley's finger. When he saw Dixie go to take a drink, he touched her hand with his and lowered her glass. He didn't say anything at first, but simply let Dixie wonder what he was possibly doing. "Dixie, I don't think you should drink this round. I need you to answer a question instead." Dropping to his knee in front of the other three, Adam pulled the box from his pocket and opened it to reveal the ring he had bought the same night he had met Dawn after spending all day shopping for the perfect ring. "Marry me, Dixie. Will you marry me?" He was all smiles as he watched her face. He didn't even consider that she might say no, and he was too excited to wonder what he would do if she did.

[Dixie Holden-Greene]

Dixie's eyes hadn't flickered to Adam when she had said her 'I've Never' because Dixie hadn't any idea that Adam would have fallen asleep in Binns' class. She knew Rae had one class in 4th year because she had teased her about it all week. She hadn't known Adam before 7th year, though, not really. Besides that, Adam just…wasn't…he didn't, hadn't ever, strike Dixie as the type of person to fall asleep in class. It was for this reason that Dixie's eyes had permanently stuck on Rae until she saw movement out of the corner of them. She turned to look at Adam, shock riddled across her face, as he took a drink from his cup. Her mouth was open slightly, but her lips were turned up into a smile. "Honestly? Yes, I did, but you sure proved me wrong." She smirked at him and relaxed against him as her eyes drifted over to Rae who quickly took a drink of her soda. Dixie smirked over at her, too, as Adam spoke again- causing her attention to drift back over to her boyfriend. There was something so comforting about all of this. Being able to be with Adam and still maintain her friendship with Rae. They had been friends for nearly ever, and although Dixie had drifted away for years, Rae was willing to welcome her back with open arms after the accident. It was no competition, though. The most difficulties in a relationship that Dixie had ever had were the ones she had with Adam. They were difficulties of all degrees. At the beginning it was her trust issue. Then when everything seemed to even out, it was the accident and the loss of his memories. Then, after she had fled to Paris and returned, it was the fact that Adam was with Rae. They had too many problems, too many conflicts; but they had somehow overcome everything. Somehow. And Dixie was happy.

That was the key word. Happy. Dixie had rarely ever had the chance to be happy. Yes, there was a period of time where she was happy with Adam before the accident, but once the accident happened it was as if a permanent dark cloud hovered over her. Now, however, now Dixie was happy. She was content and she knew she would be for a long time. She had Adam, and they were happy; and she had a job with a great fashion label, and it was good; and she had a best friend, and she was great. Yes, Dixie was happy. There wasn't much else that could make her happier, except… "I've never been engaged." Dixie's eyes narrowed slightly in confusion and she tilted her head. Her hand lifted her cup to her lips but before she could even take a sip, Adam had lowered her cup and said she shouldn't drink this round because she had a question to answer. Her eyes clouded with even more confusion, but it was nothing compared to the confusion that swept over her when Adam moved to kneel before her on one knee. Her confusion disappeared instantly, though, when he pulled a small box from his pocket and opened it. Dixie's breath caught in her throat and she let her jaw drop open slightly, just enough to show her surprise. Her eyes drifted from the ring in the box to Adam before her. The silence ticked around her and somewhere in the distance, she heard a breath escape someone, but she couldn't even comprehend who. Dixie closed her mouth and swallowed just as Rae opened her mouth to snap Dixie out of her trance, but Dixie beat Rae to it. The word slipped out, with unsurprising ease, a smile bright across her face, "Yes! Of… of course!" Why was it that the words 'of course' seemed to be the only ones that came out of her when situations like this arose? Dixie would have to work on her vocabulary later.

At this moment though, Dixie wasn't worried about her vocabulary. She wasn't worried about anything. With a bright smile as Adam slid the ring on her finger, Dixie looked at it before pulling Adam into a kiss. She felt like she was going to explode with happiness, everything just seemed perfect. Dixie had never had perfection in her life, she had strived for it, sure – but she had never reached it. And now, she could. She could reach perfection. With Adam. After the kiss was broken, Dixie pulled Adam back down beside her and took his hand with her left – which now adorned a pretty ring. The silence stretched across the room again for a second before Rae spoke up with a small smile, "Congratulations!" she exclaimed. Dixie smiled brightly and squeezed Adam's hand, looking at him with a smile in her eyes; "Can I drink now?" she asked with a smirk.

[Ashley Hill]

A small smile curled on Ashley’s lips as she watched the two boys shake hands beside her as a simple introduction men did. Hearing Rae’s voice, Ashley glanced over at her friend tilting her head at the girl’s words. “I really like that color of blonde,” Ashley comment gazing upwards while running her own fingers through her curly mop of hair. Her hair used to be a beach blonde colored, but had died down over the years. “I think I need to do something different with my hair. How about pink highlights?” Smirking at the thought of crimson streaks in her hair, Ashley peeked over her shoulder at Bryce with teasing eyes. “Only kidding,” she added in quickly, pulling down long on one curl before letting go as it sprang back into its proper positions. Ashley was in need of a new hair style, but she wasn’t ready to give up her blonde ways. It was like…her signature color. Though, she hated it when people stereotyped her as a ‘dumb blonde’. When Dixie commented on giving Adam makeovers, Ashley’s gaze soon returned to the couple. She could remember her conversation with Rae a few days ago. They had been through a lot it sounded like. Dixie and Adam just looked so…happy. Yet Rae was left to be alone without anyone. Frowning at the idea, Ashley snapped out of her slight sadness for her friend as she saw the tin of cookies float through the air toward the kitchen. “A drink sounds nice,” Ashley called her eyes drifting from the couple to the door that swung open as Rae came back into the living room. Staring at the two cups that trailed behind her, Ashley took hold of hers between her plans, gazing down at the ice cubs. “I don’t even want to imagine what my parents would say if I came home drunk,” Ashley spoke another small smirk covering her lips. It would truly be amusing. “I would probably be under house arrest until I’m thirty.” Realizing that almost everyone in the room was already living alone, Ashley stared down at her boots. She loved her parents, but sometimes they were just to controlling. Ashley was old enough to make her own decisions. That was one of the many reasons she couldn’t wait until she started living on her own.

As Rae motioned toward the couch telling them to take a seat, Ashley stared at Bryce for a moment before letting his hand slip from hers. Plopping herself down on the cushions carefully not to spill the liquid in her hands, Ashley let her head rest comfortably on Bryce’s shoulder for support. For some odd reason she was nervous. There wasn’t anything to be anxious about. Dixie and Adam seemed like nice people, and Rae was just fun to be around. Maybe it was Bryce? They hadn’t quite made amends, or even talked about their relationship. To be honest, Ashley didn’t want too. She didn’t want to feel the pain she felt when he told her he had kissed Weetzie. Ashley had enough of heartbreak in her life to go down memory lane. Sighing, she closed her eyes as an awkward silence washed over the small group. She didn’t know what to say or do to break the ice, but Dixie spoke before she could even begin worrying about it. Looking at the girl next to her, Ashley listened as she explained the game, ‘I never’. It sounded quite fun, though Ashley was hoping no one would ask too personal of questions. As another wave of silence hung in the air, Ashley waited as Dixie thought of a question. Well, she was certainly taking her time. When she finally asked it, Ashley thought back to all her years in Professor Bin’s class. She had come so close to falling asleep, but never really took a nap. Luckily, she dropped that course her sixth year. Unfortunately Bryce was still taking it. Ashley would never understand why he was, but he just was. Taking a sip of her drink, Ashley gazed around the room noticing Adam hadn’t drunk anything. He spoke about not being a perfect student, but Ashley didn’t blame him for sleeping in Bin’s class. It was impossibly hard to stay awake. Headmaster Dumbledore had to retire him soon, but Bin’s would probably be around for another decade teaching.

Keeping quiet, Ashley let her drink fall down to her side as she let herself lean into Bryce. Why wasn’t she being distant? It would be quite understandable if she completely ignored him, but Ashley just couldn’t. She needed him. It was just flat out simple. Without Bryce, Ashley felt empty…and she didn’t want to feel alone anymore. When Adam asked such a strange question, Ashley’s eyebrow rose slightly as she looked over at the two next to her. What was he planning? Taking a sip she almost nearly choked as he knelt down on his knees asking Dixie to marry him. Sitting up straight, Ashley’s eyes grew wide as she gazed across the room at Rae who seemed just as shocked. There was silence again as Dixie’s mouth hang gaped open. Ashley’s brown eyes stared down at the ring as it caught the light from the lamp. It was just….gorgeous. Dixie had to say yes. Noticing Rae trying to snap her best friend out of the trance, Dixie already accepted the proposal. Grinning, Ashley waited as the couple kissed before leaning in closer toward them. “Congratulations!” she exclaimed happily gazing back down at the ring. “Nice job, Adam,” Ashley added motioning toward the ring with a lopsided grin. Smiling she leaned against Bryce again smiling up at him clearly happy for the two. Ashley had never experienced someone proposing next to her.

“Go ahead and drink,” Ashley said across from the room with a small nod of her head. “I’ll come up with the next question.” Staring off at the corner of the room, Ashley scrunched up her face in thought. There were so many things she put out there. “Alright….I’ve never…..had a crush on one of my Professors at Hogwarts.” Smiling at the stupid question, Ashley grinned while looking around the room to see who wouldn’t drink.

[Bryce Alexander]

Bryce sat quietly and simply watched and listened as the others interacted. It wasn't that he was uncomfortable or anything, he simply preferred to sit back and observe when he was in a group of people he didn't know. Bryce spent most of his life being the center of attention, always having something to say and keeping everyone around him happy and entertained. Once in a while, it was nice to be able to sit back. Plus, he was the guest here, which meant he could simply enjoy the time away from home with something to do for once during break. It was Dixie who spoke first, breaking the initial silence that seemed to follow after the introductions were made. Dixie seemed very energetic, but Bryce wasn't sure if she was always like that or if she just wanted to make sure that everyone was having a good time. He had always heard rumors that she was crazy, but perhaps they were just that: rumors.

I've never... Bryce knew that game fairly well. It always was good to make things interesting, that's for sure. He was somewhat glad that everyone there didn't know him that well. Whenever people knew you, they were likely to know what things to say to make you have to spill some better kept secrets. He didn't think he had to worry about Ash. She knew some secrets, but he didn't think she'd really want to share them in front of everyone, seeing that she was almost directly involved in one way or another. Plus, he didn't figure anybody else there would really know Weetzie, and so even if Ashley did say something about it, they would be somewhat clueless anyways.

Once Dixie started the game, Bryce watched with amusement as Adam was the first to drink. Then, what came next was quite a surprise though. Bryce watched, his mouth hanging open a bit, as Adam proposed to Dixie right there in front of everyone! It was somewhat odd and unexpected for Bryce, but the two of them seemed very happy. He figured that it was meant to be, seeing the excitement on both of their faces. "Way to go, Adam," he said with a smile and a nod. Bryce suddenly felt a bit of pressure, though he wasn't sure why. Perhaps he wondered what Ashley was thinking. Did she expect him to do something like that someday? Bryce wasn't sure if he was ready for marriage. At least not yet. Things were still complicated as it was, but he couldn't help but feel that he too should be thinking about such things and preparing for the day that he would propose to the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life yet. Oddly enough, he could see that woman being Ash, but he wasn't one-hundred percent sure. He wasn't even sure that she wasn't still upset with him for the whole kissing Weetzie thing. However, Ash was getting pretty close and comfortable with him as they sat together on the couch. Let it go, he thought. There was no need to sit and worry about things that would iron themselves out in time. For now, he figured he might as well enjoy the party.

It was Ash who spoke next. Bryce had to let out a quick laugh at her choice of nevers. He looked at her with a smile and asked, "Does it count if you had a crush on someone who helped to tutor you in certain subjects?" Ashley had helped Bryce on a few occasions. She always seemed to be more prepared and organized than him when it came to class work. "I mean, if that's the case, well then I don't know if I have to drink or not." He looked around to see if anybody else was drinking. When he thought about it, there weren't many younger professors. Some of them were fairly young, but still too old to have a real crush on. Probably the youngest female professor was Professor Miller. She was just too strict and scary to have a crush on. Many students feared taking Astronomy because of her strict teaching style. However, she wasn't as bad as Snape. Snape was just plain grouchy and bitter. At least Miller seemed to care about the students' learning.

[Professor Adam Greene]

Silence... smiles... the excitement was tangible, and Adam waited with an anxiousness as he allowed the shock to wash over Dixie. Finally, she answered him, and when she said yes, he got off of his knee and kissed her while his heart was beating furiously against his chest. It was a very exhilarating moment for him, and he felt as though nothing could go wrong. He had never taken the Felix Felicus potion, but if he had, this feeling was what he imagined it might be like. Still overwhelmed with happiness, he took a seat beside Dixie, happy to see that she was happy when she slipped her hand into his. He had to admit, the ring looked amazing on her hand. Perfect. He nodded and thanked everyone for their congratulatory wishes. He really hadn't wanted to make this party about himself or Dixie, but he was happy to have people surrounding them that were happy for them. Even Ash and Bryce, despite not knowing them well, seemed happy enough for them.

He was in a bit of a daydream as the game continued, but Ashley's next statement reminded him that he had yet another exciting piece of news to share. He really didn't want to turn the attention back to himself, but the secret was eating him alive. He wanted to share the information of his new job so badly, and so he figured that everyone wouldn't see it as a chance to be the center of attention again, but as a chance to keep everyone's spirits high and allow everything to be released from his chest. Adam was terrible at keeping secrets, and so when the time came to be able to share them, he got an overpowering sense of excitement.

Bryce commented first though, and Adam laughed at the look that he was giving Ashley. There was something different about them that Adam couldn't quite place. They seemed like a great couple, but something told him that there was more beneath the surface. Everyone had their skeletons though, right? Who'd have guessed that a year ago things would have been how they were now. Fate had a funny way of working, but for now, Adam was happy with what he had been given and what he had made of it. Life was a funny thing sometimes, and when he was as happy as he was now, he was able to appreciate the things you could learn in the hard times. Not to say that they were easy, but in retrospect, he knew he had learned a lot and had come a long way. Without the trials, he wouldn't be where he was today.

"Speaking of professors," he said, as the drinking for the round had finished. "I hear that they hired a new Arithmancy professor. Do either of you, Ashley or Bryce, know much about that?" He gave a guilty smile, unable to play his little game for long. "If you do know anything about it though, I'd be careful to say anything bad about the new professor. I'd hate to have to give you detention before even having you in class. Do either of you take Arithmancy? Perhaps you'll want to add it after getting to know me. Or perhaps not." He laughed a bit and then turned to Dixie. "What do you think, Dix? Professor Greene. It has sort of a nice ring to it. Almost as nice as Dixie Greene." He watched and waited for the pieces to click. Dixie was quick at picking up on his hints by now, and so he simply gave her another hug when she finally realized what he was hinting at. "I've settled on a cottage in Hogsmeade where we can live. Dumbledore has allowed me to live outside of the castle. He said I was free to fly to work everyday."

[Clay Daniels]

"Thanks Three-D, I owe you," Clay said, flashing a smile at Devon as he watched his sister feed Madeline the rest of her dinner. "Remember, if you need me, just activate this device." He held up the newest sort of pager that was used in the wizarding world. "It's supposed to make my wand shoot out yellow sparks, and then I'll be back in a snap." Devon gave him that sort of look that meant he was too much like the typical dad that worried about their kid getting as much as a splinter. It was different for Clay though. He was all that Madeline really had, and she was all that he had. Of course they had their family, Devon for the most part, but it was just he and Maddy for the most part. He was entitled to worry about her though after finding that he missed the first two years of his daughter's life. "Help yourself to anything in the house. Not that there's much." He picked up Maddy and gave her a kiss before sitting her back in her chair. "Daddy will be back. Listen to Aunt D, he said with a grin and then disappeared.

Clay reappeared in an alley that was supposedly just a few blocks from Raelee Gray's house. Rae was Dixie's best friend, and Clay had met her once before. She was a lot different than Dixie, but together the two of them were quite a combination. Clay wasn't sure how excited he was to attend the party. It would be fun, but he felt that he might be the odd one out. He wasn't even sure who would be there, aside from Rae, Dixie, and Adam. Clay didn't even know Adam that well though, aside from what he knew from Dixie talking about him. He was happy though that Dixie had seemed to reconcile things with Adam. While she had been in Paris, Clay knew she was going through a lot. Whatever it was that allowed things to be sorted though, Clay was happy for them both.

After a few minutes of walking, he found the house that he was sure belonged to Rae. He walked up to the door, his coat wrapped tightly around him to fight the biting cold of the evening. He knocked, and he heard lots of laughter and talking from inside. With a deep breath, he waited for someone to answer the door as he hoped the night wouldn't be too awkward. It was good for him to get out though. He needed the social interaction after spending so much time in Paris alone. Recently, with Maddy as a new addition in his life, Clay had devoted so much time to her. It was hard to get out of that habit, but he knew he needed some time for himself too. Tonight would serve that purpose. He just wanted to have fun, to be able to relax, and just to get to laugh with some old friends while hopefully making new ones.

The door opened, and Clay was nervous to see who might answered. Part of him hoped it was Dixie, as he was most comfortable around her. Then again, he was sure that it might be Rae who answered, seeing that it was her house. He smiled, offering a hello as the familiar face smiled back at him. "Hi, Rae," he said, "thanks for throwing this party. Dixie said you wouldn't mind if I joined."

[Dixie Holden-Greene]

Dixie looked around the room at everyone there. She started with Rae, who was sitting opposite her in the armchair there. Raelee Gray had been someone Dixie had immediately clicked with. They were almost the same person. Almost, in the sense that Rae was hardly ever mean to a person just to be mean. They had partied together, they had laughed together, shopped together, etc. When Dixie had been sent off to Bethlam, she and Rae had stopped talking. The blame went both ways, though, because Dixie never wrote to Rae and she never visited. Dixie coming out of Bethlam wasn't something that they both talked about. In fact, she had been rather secluded until Adam had shown up after that whole Harrison mess. The Harrison mess that Dixie chose to forget for the longest time. Then, last Christmas, Dixie had gone to one of the Grayses family Christmas parties, tugging Adam along, and they had run into Rae. The night then just had gone downhill. This was where the trials began. This was where everything started to hit in low places. The car accident, the hospital, the memories that disappeared, then school…then leaving, and Paris. It was all…Dixie blinked and looked down at her and Adam's entwined fingers, the ring glittering on her finger. She smiled to herself. It was worth it, she decided.

Her eyes then drifted back up to the other two guests. She didn't really know them, but they seemed like nice people. Dixie was good at picking up on when things were awkward with people, though, and so she wasn't completely blind to the awkwardness that seemed to come off them. She didn't know what was behind their door, and she didn't know how everything would turn out for them, but Dixie knew that it would. Everything had a way of coming out right in the end. Two years ago she wouldn't have believed it, but things happened in those two years that Dixie couldn't just ignore. Everything tuned out right for her and Adam, even for Rae, she hoped, and so it had to turn out right for Ashley and Bryce as well. They seemed like they could be very happy together, and she hoped that they found that happiness soon with whatever was holding them back stepping away a bit. Whether it be a person, a misunderstanding, or both. Dixie smiled at Ashley when she came up with a new 'I've Never' and then looked to Bryce when he spoke, proving that perhaps they could be very happy. Dixie's eyes wandered over to Adam and listened to him, with quite a confused look on her face. He seemed to be chalk full of surprises tonight.

When she finally pieced it all together (with a bright smile to the reference of Dixie Greene), her jaw dropped slightly, that smile still on her face; "That's great! Oh, Adam! That's… really great. How could you not tell me earlier?" she gave him an accusatory look before hugging him back, a smile making its way back on her face. Rae spoke up, then, a smirk on her face; "Because he knew you wouldn't be able to keep it a secret from any of us." Dixie glared playfully and Rae laughed. She was right. Dixie was hardly any good at keeping good news from people. It just was a flaw that Dixie had always had. She looked back at Adam and grinned, "Well, that's good. Hogsmeade's a good place." There were a lot of memories at Hogsmeade. Their first kiss, when she bought him that figuring (where was that now, anyhow?) and when she first actually let herself realise what she was feeling. Dixie hadn't been any good with that before. She hadn't been good with realising it at all.

Her mind worked in circles as she settled against Adam again, her head on his shoulder. Her work was in London, Dixie couldn't apparate. She'd just have to floo. Or she could get her apparition license. Her stomach churned at the thought. They would figure it out. The fact that Adam was working at Hogwarts and they had a cottage, and they were getting married made Dixie float on air. She didn't even realise that someone had knocked on the door, nor did she realise that Rae had stood up to answer it.

((*hugs Adam* Told you. I'm posting Rae next.))