Guests were arriving! Lovely! Paul sipped his drink and bopped towards Benton. "Hello m'boy! Enjoying your summer?" he asked cheerfully. He was aware that Benton was related to the DJ, though Paul wasn't familiar with DJ Prime like he was with Benton. Benton was in his house! "Are you going to brave the water slide?" Paul would be up there shortly!

"Hello, Miranda, dear, how are you?" he asked with a smile. He saw her eyeing the food and gestured. "You can eat as much as you like, sweetie!" He had more stashed in his house >.> Shhhh.

There were a few more coming inside, and he turned to his partner to see how the grumpy gills was holding up. "Milton! Need another drink?" He waved at Clarissa and smiled. "You should give it a try, m'dear!" She looked....a little wary of the slide.


Milton raised an unamused eyebrow at the husband...partner...whatever the hell they were calling each other these days. "I'm...fine, Paul, I promise," he said, and he went back to sipping his drink, perched on a beach chair facing the slide. Any children thinking of FALLING OFF or doing something equally as dangerous? Not while Milton was supervising, demons. The black-haired ex-Slytherin was NO NONSENSE TODAY, KIDS.

Not that he ever accepted nonsense. But he was even MORE against nonsense today because Paul had invited those things to his home. Their home. Their VINEYARD VILLA.

-_________-


Ahhh! Oliver and Remy had arrived! Paul beamed over at them and grabbed Milton's hand and puuuuuullled him up. "Come on, come meet Oliver and Remy, two of my students," he winked and dragged Milly over to see them.

"Thank you, thank you!" he told the couple. "I try. If Milton had planned it, it would have been BETTER. He's much better at coordinating...well, anything." He chuckled. "Remy, Oliver, this is Milton. My ever-lovely husband," he and Milton were not overly affectionate in public, and they would keep it that way. "They're together, yes," he answered the question before Milton could voice it. You can't just ask people if they're together, honey! It made him roll his eyes. Merlin, Milton had no tact.

In the corner of his eye, he could see that Brady had arrived! "Hello, welcome welcome, Brady!" he cried out so the boy could hear him. He remembered when Brady had just been a first year ;__; WHY DID STUDENTS GROW?


HIS. EAR. PAUL. Milton nudged Paul's side. "Don't yell in my ear, m'kay?" he said, and he turned his attention back to Oliver and Remy. 'I have to tell him that...no lie, about 15 times a day?" Paul was just so excitable. "But it's nice to meet you both. Paul speaks about all of his students......a lot, so I'm afraid I don't remember details, but yeah," he shrugged and sipped his drink. "Have you guys eaten? There's food over there," he nodded towards the food table.

What else was he supposed to say? What did Paul WANT him to say? He would smile but eh. He merely...nodded at them respectfully. "What...years are you in? And house?" House was important. Merlin, was it important. He supposed one of them had to be a badger. "If I had to guess...." a smirk curled across his face. "You're a snake," he nodded at Oliver.


Oh ho ho! Excited little second year over here! Paul excused himself from Milton and the couple as he turned to smile cheerfully at little Isa. And Abigail! "Hello girls! It's so nice to see you both! Are you both going to go on the slide? Gonna' give it a shot?" He was REALLLLLYYY and truly about to go on it. Like. Yes.

Aww, he was so glad to see Esme! He waved at her. "Where is Juno, m'dear?" he asked curiously. It was odd to see one without the other...neither of his prefects had arrived yet. Hmm. He wouldn't be surprised if Brian didn't come...the boy was always busy, and he didn't blame him. The boy had aspirations! "And Oliver!" he beamed. "Are you two.......??" They got wiggly eyebrows from the man. UH HUH?

What had he been thinking earlier about MILTON asking people if they were a couple? HMMM? Was he ignoring his OWN CRITICISM? Yes.

More people arriving. GOOD GOOD. Paul grabbed a small piece of pizza (very small and square) and nibbled at it as he tried to make his rounds about the party. He was antsy to GO ON HIS EPIC SLIDE but he would be polite first.

"HEY CASSIE!" he greeted the girl cheerfully. "Eat up!" he said as he waved his pizza around before gobbling up the last of it. "I have so much food! Eat eat!" he said, and he patted her back as he moved on to talk to Rian. "Hello, dear! Welcome welcome! Enjoying your summer?"

STUDENTS EVERYWHERE. YES. OKAY. This was happening.

The DJ was doing well over there, too. Paul approached Prime with a thumbs up. "You're doing great!" he said over the music. "Great job!" He'd probably be tipping the boy a good deal.

BUT IT WAS WATER SLIDE TIME. Paul bounced over to Milton, handed him his drink, and, without a word, ran for the slide. He started up the stairs, out of breath shortly, but he was DOING IT.

Once he got to the top, he stood up, waving his arms around so everyone could see him. Muggles said a funny word before doing things like this! Paul would give the word a shot! "KOWA....BUNGY!" and he slide down the slide. He would tell Katerina and Lilah hello once he was done!


Milton watched his husband and rubbed his face, snorting. "He is...ridiculous. I'm sorry he's your professor," he told Oliver and Remy. But he was grinning. Milton Willingston would NOT be going on that slide.