Okay. Really?

If someone had told Annika Ogden she would be in London... going to a cabaret act... inside of a casino... on a Monday, she would have told them they were crazy. Yet, here she was. Heh.

The Ogden had not been in the country for quite some time, honestly, but this wasn't a bad way to start off the day! Brushing her hair over her shoulder, the woman smiled up at the front of the building and placed her hands on her hips. Wasn't it amazing how the wizarding world just hid in plain sight all the time?! Such a beautiful building... in a beautiful city... right smack dab in the middle of Muggle territory as it were. Over the years she had visited so many different places and was always amazed by the differences in Wizarding Ways.

"Okay, enough of that nostalgia", she said to herself in a bit of a whisper. Was it nostalgia or was she just lost in thought? Neither was something she was necessarily known for. Heh. Now, where was her guest? Late as usual, it seemed.

TYPICAL.

He was supposed to be studying for his exam retake, but Archie had learnt many moons ago that it was best not to say no to his older sister, nor keep her waiting. Especially when she was visiting so locally. So here he was, on a Monday, going to a cabaret in a casino. Although, admittedly, he was running a little late.

He glanced at his watch as he approached the building, before taking a moment to truly appreciate the aesthetics. Perhaps he should have dressed up more, having opted more for business-casual in pale stone-coloured chinos and a navy blazer, rather than a full suit or tux. It was too late now, though. For there was his sister...looking somewhat lost in thought.

How odd.

"Anni," he greeted with a smile. "What brings you back to London?" Surely not just a trip to a cabaret with her younger brother.

Annika cringed slightly when she heard herself be called Anni, but where her brother was concerned, she let it slide. HE was the only person who got away with that these days. It was odd how as one got older, their tastes in things changed, even down to what they preferred to be called. Turning toward the familiar voice, Annika smiled and shook her head slightly.

"Stop growing up already, okay thanks!" she exclaimed before closing the distance for a hug. Finally pulling back she looked him over and smiled wider. His choice of clothing was fine seeing as she herself was dressed in a pair of fitted capri slacks and a screaming red top... and her signature sky high shoes were studded with tiny silver spike things. Heh. Always with the flair for the dramatics.

"And what brings me to London... is I think it's time to settle down and stop running wild. S'okay wif you?" And for once she wasn't teasing. She had come back because it was time. It was time for the elder Ogden to make her triumphant return! Prodigal Sister Returns? No. Too much? Okay.

If he was surprised by the hug, Archie didn't show it, instead chuckling lightly. "Not so much your ickle brother now, huh?" He wasn't as tall as some of their cousins, but regular work outs meant he'd muscled up some, and he was, rather unsurprisingly, looking much healthier and happier than when they'd last mirrored. He smiled as he felt her gaze over him, somewhat relieved to see he'd pitched his outfit about right. Well, in line with hers, anyways. Although he couldn't help but notice the spikes on those red heels.

Some things never changed.

...or maybe they did.

"You're planning to put roots down?" Well that was a surprise. And it actually seemed like she was serious. He gave a little shrug; she was welcome to stay wherever she wanted. London was as good as anywhere though: he and Flynn were here, as were Benj and Char...and the others weren't too far away. "It's your life, big sis. Where's caught your fancy?"

Annika had not always been the best big sister, but she had done her best to try and make up for that over the years. Hugging him was likely a foreign thing to Archie, surely, but what he didn't know was that she had done some growing of her own since she had been in Tahiti for the past two years. Much like Garrick, she too had found some inner peace and made the changes necessary to sustain a happy life. Hearing his words, though, caused her to laugh lightly. "You will always be my little brother, Archie. Always."



"Roots. I reckon at some point I hafta, don't you? And why not here?" Was she not elaborating? Yes. Was there a reason behind that? Oh, absolutely. She would divulge the information in due time, though. For the moment being her phone chirped which meant she had a distraction from it all. Hehe. Grabbing the cell from her back pocket she smiled at the screen as she typed out a response and then quickly put it away again.

But back to the question she tilted her head slightly and gave a shrug. "Looked at Wandsworth, Uxbridge... all over really. I dun know though. Maybe I fancy relocating to the country, though. More room to roam and stuff..." What the hell ever that meant, really. "What's new with you? Fancy a drink before we go see the dancers?" Like... could they head in now?

Ever since graduating and coming back to London from South Korea, Ronan had been coming to the casino. Correction, the seedy basement of the casino. It was, after all, where the more....interesting characters came. Plus, it was far less likely that he would run into any fellow recent Hogwarts graduates here. They preferred their shiny happy places and model-type airheads and there was none of that here.

He made his way past a group of goblins to a not yet full table and sat, taking in the surroundings.

Helena needed some fun in her life and the casino was a good "bet". She took the lift down to the basement and sat down at her usual table. As she softly drummed her long claw-like fingernails on the table, she spotted a vaguely familiar face (Ronan). Hadn't this young man gone to school with her niece, Daisy? She had noticed him coming to the casino a few times recently so she went over to where he was sitting and sat down.

"Hello. You went to school with my niece, didn't you?"

Tweleve days, three hours and five minutes that had lasted. And now he had a woman in front of him asking about Hogwarts. A woman with those long talon-like nails that some women liked. Only Merlin knew why, it didn't make them any more attractive. In fact, it made them less attractive, to him anyway. Imagine the issues that must come up with them, the most glaring being with sanitation.

"Depends," he replied coolly, grabbing a firewhiskey off the tray of a passing house-elf and taking a swig. If he was going to have to talk Hogwarts, he needed the drink. "A) Where did she go to school and B) why do you want to know?" After all, it was unusual for someone's aunt to take such an interest in their niece/nephew's life, no matter how close they were.

Helena had to refrain from rolling her eyes. "She's about to begin her fifth year at Hogwarts. I think Daisy mentioned that you did a group activity in DADA class a couple or so terms ago. Besides, I have noticed you shopping when you've gone past me." Whether she meant in her Animagus form or not, she wasn't going to reveal.

She leaned towards him and firmly placed her hands flat on the table. "I was merely making conversation. I was curious, that's all. Oh, by the way, I keep myself very clean, thank you." Helena said as if reading Ronan's mind.

Senseing the woman's irritation, Ronan raised an eyebrow. What had she expected? Besides, she was the one who had come over to talk to him, not the other way around. "Ah, I remember her," he replied. Honestly, he thought that she was a little full of herself, but that was just him. Another raised brow at the last bit, as he didn't really know how to take it. "Might not want to reveal to a future Auror that you've been spying on them. And in the Muggle world, to boot," he joked. Well, the spying part was a joke, anyway. The only magical place he had been in the almost thirteen days he had been back in England was this very building right here.

"Most people go for a simple introduction first." Just saying. Also, was that leaning in maneuver supposed to intimidate or impress him? Because it did neither. He had recently survived Hogwarts' Night of the Walking Dead, after all. "I'm sure you think you do. Besides, that's not the only thing to consider when choosing fingernail lengths." Yes, he knew all about fake fingernails, thank you very much.

Helena was very close to giving this young man some facial scratches. "I have dealt with dark wizards trying to get the better of me over the years so excuse me for being cautious. These aren't fake," she answered as she wriggled her fingers.

"I run a shop in Diagon Alley and I did have a food stand at the Taste of Wizarding London festival so I don't see why someone like you should feel threatened," Helena was starting to reveal her cat-like persona.

"I didn't ask for your life story, lady." It was the truth, he hadn't. In fact, just five minutes ago, he had been simply sitting here contemplating which game to join. Now, he was wishing he had stayed in the Muggle part of the building, if only to avoid annoying types like this woman. "Also, you might want to consider a good manicure."

Her next statement caused a nice, hearty chuckle to emit from the now former Gryffindor. "I assure you, if I felt threatened, you would already be unconscious on the floor." As for the rest, he had already addressed that.

Why did some people think that total strangers care to hear all their little problems and such?

Helena raised her eyebrows at the young man's threat and gave a throaty chuckle. "Really? Is that supposed to scare me? I think you're very lucky that I have business to attend to," Helena replied as she got up from her chair and departed the basement room.

Lyra had just finished settling in his new flat after a few years of desperate job search. He had finally given in and applied for the ministry, when he learned that he was going to be working a dream job anyway. Department of Mysteries Astronomer! It was so exciting, so he was, of course, going to celebrate.

He found the disguised door easily enough, this wasn't his first time, so he walked in and found an empty table, ready for a round of war, magical exploding war, to be specific. "Now, an opponent is all I need," he said a bit too loudly to himself. He didn't normally gamble or get himself into trouble, but today wasn't a normal day.

The tall, dark and very handsome lad had decided to test his luck! Perhaps this wasn't ideal but he was feeling rather risky and in need of some entertainment!

Quidditch had been taking all of his mental and physical time, not that it would matter in this type of environment and locale. Here was to hoping a game of muggle black jack would relief the tension and may the odds be in his favor.

Spontaneity can only be considered as Euphy's strongest suit and in complete impulsiveness, she somehow ended up pretending as if she actually knew a thing or two about poker in the casino. Of course, she was entirely clueless but so far she wasn't losing all her galleons so maybe it was her lucky day. Yay?

And as luck would have it, she spied with her blue eyes a certain person of interest. A work-related interest. It might have been her day off but this little writer never passed up a chance to gather info she could use for a good write-up. As of now, the gears in her head was going along the lines of "One of England's favorite lads spotted at the Hippodrome Casino in the midst of the World Cup preparations. A display of confidence or misplaced lax?"

Also, yes, she might have been staring. Rainbow hair and all.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Clapping and rubbing his hands together, the Englishman grinned and collected his earnings from a great hand of cards he was dealt. So far so good! He was most definitely enjoying himself, having a good winning streak if say so himself.

Looking over with the corner of his eye he marveled on the colorful mane not so far from him. Though Lamberto wasn't familiar with the woman, a small grin formed on his lips. "Would you like to join me, miss?" He generously offered, after all the more the merrier in terms of entertainment.*

He was not only great at Quidditch, but at cards too?

Eyebrows raised at his question, Euphy glanced at either side as she at pointed herself. Did he mean her? It seemed so. Well, she never passed up on an invitation, especially if it meant she could spy observe him closer. "Yes, sure!" She answered with a rather wide smile. She wasn't really playing poker anyway.

"Euphy Castell." Was her direct self-introduction as she offered her hand for a shake. "And you're...Lamberto Urupi." Of course she knew him. Duh.

Lamberto grinned and gallantly shook her hand, "pleasure to meet you Euphy Castell." Raising his brows he chuckled and nodded, "Lamberto Urupi, I am." The Quidditch player requested for his new colorful acquaintance to be included in the next round.

"Do you come here often?" He asked, multitasking between the dealer, Euphy and his hand of cards. The handsome lad had mastered his perfect poker face over the years, really benefiting in this situation.

Lamberto wasn't here talk about Quidditch, for today in this moment he was just here to enjoy the game and win some money. Though he has more money than he probably need, he sure enjoyed winning! And winning is what he was doing.

Naaah, the pleasure was hers. He was unknowingly providing her ingredients for a new article and he didn't even know. Letting go of his hand, she proceeded to get comfortable next to him and eyed the cards in front of her. Nope, not a single clue as to what she was supposed to do with them but it was easy to pretend like she did. Just wing it - her life motto.

"Not at all. As a matter of fact, I've only been here twice. But this is the first time I've actually played." There was always a first time for everything, eh? "How about you?" She didn't really need to ask but she did for the sake of the conversation. It was obvious he was in one natural habitat. And it was something she didn't know prior to this meeting. Lamberto Urupi, inherent gambler? Her gossip editors would love it.

Lamberto chuckled and continued his focus on the card game, after all that's what he sees here for. "This is my first time here actually." He replied as he set down his cards and waited for the next round. "I'm not much of a gambler." Believe it or not. "I've just been exploring a bit, right now that I'm in town."

"So you just hang out in casinos?" He teased. Still doing well in his streak though he was going to take a break soon, his brain was going to fry! Lamberto was also feeling a little hungry and tired. All was swell for the man.

You know what? Matt was going in on his own. He didn't caaaaaaare. It had been a while since he wanted to have a look around that Casino place thing and he hadn't gotten around to get his schedule to match with any of his mates, SO he was going on his own. If people gave him funny looks, so be it. It wasn't like he wasn't used to it anyway.

Approaching the building, the excitement could already be seen all over his face. And the good thing was that now he had enough money of his own to do whatever. Have about 5 courses for dinner? YEP, count him in.

The games were an added bonus,. Matt was more interested in the food. Oh, and the shows. Was there any on on that day, he wondered.

Genny enjoyed this place from time to time, too. She actually came here when she had a bunch of cash to spare and at the same time get a few hot guys to pay for her drinks. Today was one of those days, she wanted to go in and win in every floor in this building. She needed that, her life was going a little out of control at that point and winning outside Quidditch games (because they were off-season if Laila's calculations are correct) was the only way she was going to get that adrenaline rush.

OKAY. Wearing quite a lovely dress and high heels, she stepped into the building and headed for-- "Oh Merlin, Matt?" She wondered aloud when her eyes rested on the actual Matt. She hurried over to check, and to TALK to him! Wow, it's been ages and he's literally the last person she expected to run into any time before their tenth Hogwarts graduation anniversary - if there was such a thing. "Hi! It's Genny." She grinned.

Matt was about to go in. See, he was even walking towards the building when he saw a very fancy-looking lady and he totally checked her out, alright.

But then she turned to him and spoke to him and SHE KNEW HIM, LOL, NO WAY. "I know who you are, Genn!" He laughed out loud when she introduced herself like a dope. LOL, typical Genny, eh. Matt missed their good ol' Hogwarts days sort of. Of course he wasn't going to tell her he hadn't really recognised her at first because she was too far away, that was it. "You look..." Fit. "...great! Haven't changed a bit." Quidditch was doing her well, it seemed.

He wondered if his own physical training was doing HIM well. He bet it was, mwaha. It wasn't EASY training to be an Auror, you know. Physically and mentally challenging - don't get him started on the underwater training and his freaking out, okay, that was far gone only not really - but totally worth it. And he was making money working at a pretty awesome job, so happy days.

Anyhow. Genn. "Don't tell me you're a regular??" He said as he noticed she was also heading towards the Casino. Who would've thought!