Penny wandered over to the buffet table, glancing at the food, to ensure it was edible.

she was quite surprised to see that it was, so she lifted a plate and placed some food items on it, including some ham, small chicken pie and a piece of strawberry cheesecake..

then she made the mistake in looking at the other table and felt very nauseous, it looked and smelled disgusting... all the food on there was actually rotten with yucky green and blue mould on it...

Turning away again quickly, she vowed to keep her eyes and nose away form the disgusting table for the rest of the time she would be here.

Looking around Penny saw some tables a little distance away, so she started walking towards them away from the good and bad food..

As hungry as Byron was, and despite the fact that he was a teenage boy and therefore... on any normal day would be able to eat just about anything... even he couldn't quite summon the appetite to eat from the "edible" side of the buffet line.

Not while he could still smell the rotting fare on the other side. He couldn't stop himself from staring, though he maintained a safe distance, but... was that dish... moving?

He shuddered.

In all the years Marie had been at Hogwarts she had never went to one of Nearly Headless Nick's deathday parties. Seeing as how this was her last year here she decided to go this time and see what a deathday party was like. She wasn't really sure what she would say to Nick when she seen him though. Surely it wouldn't be Happy Deathday Nick... would it?

Really, what could be happy about the day of your death?

Maybe she would just lurk around and listen to what the others were saying to him, then follow suit. That is unless it was something that upset him. There was no way she wanted a ghost mad at her.

After wandering around a bit... and not seeing Nick, or any of the other poltergeists around she decided to stop at the buffet table. It seems as if she was for once in her life early for something. Maybe if she hung out here long enough one of her friends would show up.

That is if she could stomach the smell for very long.

She had heard of birthday parties but deathday parties?

Oh well whatever floats Nick's boat she supposed. Mia was now accustomed to the weird and wonderful happenings at Hogwarts and so she just went with it. And she was rather curious to know what one did at a deathday party.

Walking into the room, Mia noticed that there wasn't that many people here. Neither were the ghosts for that matter. She shrugged her shoulders and went looking for something to do and immediately spotted a familar blonde at the buffet table. Her face broke into a grin and she made a beeline for her friend.

"I dare you to eat a piece of that pie." she said coming up behind Marie and pointing to a strange looking pastry that seemed to have taken on the colour of snot green.

Harlow wasn't sure what had made her come. She was shivering and not to mention a tad scared, but she wasn't going to admit it.

She was wearing a all white robe and was trying to keep it clean.

Harlow wondered over to the buffet table, not because she was hungry but just for something to do. The smell that hit her almost knocked on her little bum and she did turn a bit green. "Is this really a party?" she asked no on in particular.

Marie was standing back a little from the table just looking at the things that were supposed to be edible to the living. If these things were edible she would be going hungry. That or she would go find Destiny's chocolate and munch on that.

Expecting to see things moving she jumped a little when someone came up behind her.

"Hey there Mia. I think I'll pass on the pie tonight. How about you try some of that pudding over there." At least she thought it was pudding... or maybe it was mud.

Byron tore his horrified gaze away from the rotting food spread at the sound of voices, there was a Hufflepuff he didn't know, an older girl from his own house and Little Harlow from the gardens. The boy managed a smile for the first year, "To each his own, eh?"

He'd opened his mouth for just two seconds to say that sentence, and yet he regretted that he'd done it at all. It was as if he could TASTE the rot.

Mia eyed the pudding that Marie was referring to. It didn't look THAT bad but Merlin only knew what was inside it. If Destiny was here they would probably have to hold her back from devouring everything on the table.

"Well now...that would depend on what I would get if I did eat it." And it would have to be something really good for her to even attempt it. Mia had eaten some crazy things in her time but even this was pushing her boundaries a little.

Sky felt kind of cartoonish now, seeing what everyone else wearing. She'd gone all out, wearing a red plaid skirt; black off-shoulder shirt with red tank; and enough sliver jewelry to maker any silver smelter's mouth water. She'd used red glitter to make lines from the corners of her eyes to her hairline.
She walked over to the buffet table just to see what kind of food was there. Ew,what is that smell? she thought. She looked around, saw the rotten food, and immediately lost her appetite.

"No, no, Teresa," she sighed, "I can see right through you." She had been once again, trying to communicate with the ghosts. She fancied them, and the girl huffed and puffed while staring in deep admiration. Lola didn't even look like Lola, for she was not, I repeat, not Lola for the Great Nick's Deathday Party. Her face was heavily powdered in dark, goth makeup; black was the color; black lipsticks, heavy mascara, black eyeliner, eyeshadow, she tried her best to drown herself in the world's most wonderful color. Then, the gothic clothes. Black leather and knee-high leggings seemed to fit with her face.

Lola looked towards the smelly, rotten food. In a motion that included much sadness and melancholy, she swiped a piece of moldy bread. She refused to be at the side of the table where her people were. Teresa, the ghost she was with, was eyeing the bread in such envy.

Envy.

She started talking to herself. "I whisper across blood my stained lips--I have heard the spirits of the dead," and her eyes closed as if her spirit lied in the other world!--"This bread--this bread will symbolize my eternal sacrifice and glorify my love... my love..." She hushed. In great worship, Lola held the bread high in the air, muttering omens and supposed dark enchantments.

Wandering towards the party TJ had read the notice about, she walked in looking around at the students around her. She'd heard of these Deathday parties, and looked forward to actually attending one. Though the thought of seeing the moldy, rotten food made her sick to her stomach, she decided to go anyway.

Not seeing anyone she recognized immediately she headed for the end of the table with edible food. Seeing a few things she recognized she didn't comment on any of the dishes, she'd given up trying to figure out what was up with everything as of late. She was too worried about her end of term NEWT's...

"I guess if you're dead, then you don't really mind this sort of scene," said Sarah as she walked over to the table of munchies. "At least they served some for us living, usually the dead sort of forget after a number of years to accomodate living guests. At least that is what I've experienced from attending my great great aunt Olga's deathday every year. This scene is posh compared to her version of a party!" Sarah picked up a plate and got some cheese cubes and grapes to eat. "Hi, I'm Sarah. I'm a first year Ravenclaw," she said to the girl in white. "You look like you've never even seen a ghost, wearing those robes and all. They are nice, but it'd be a pity to see them get dirty down here! What's your name?"

Harlow looked up at Byron. "Does it have to smell so bad?" she inquired. Because it was rotting food. She hiked up the hem to her white robe, she was sure ghosts weren't the cleaning beings in the world. Especially if they had a party with disgusting rotting food.

Her eyes were pulled to a girl decked in all black acting rather strangely. Harlow walked over to the girl and tugged on the girls leggings. She just wasn't tall enough to touch her shoulder. "I say are you feeling alright?" she asked the girl. "Do you maybe want a hug or a chocolate frog?" she offered.

Harlow looked at the girl like she was crazy. This was posh to her? "You should get an invite to my house if you think this is posh." she told her honestly. She looked down at her white robes, "I always wear white. And I'm Harlow, first year Slytherin." she smiled. People didn't understand the classic colors.

What she would get?

Marie had a feeling that if they ate anything off this table they would get a stomach ache, not to mention they would probably have to make a mad dash for the loo. "You'll get a visit from Sir Nicholas Nik telling you how happy he is that you're at school helping him Sir Nicholas celebrate his deathday." Wiggling her eyebrows at Mia she grinned a little. She knew Mia would do anything to see her Nik... that is if she really thought she was going to see him. "Oh and I just might have a little something to tell you too."

She had been bursting to tell someone about the chat her and Matty had yesterday. Who better to tell than Mia... the one responsible for Matty and Marie being together.

"Hi Harlow, nice to meet you," Sarah said as she went to shake Harlow's hand. She smiled despite having a feeling of tension in the air. Sarah was always polite, as her parents had taught her to never judge a person by their house colors. Then again, here was a Slytherin wearing all white. "Well," she said to Harlow, "that color is certainly slimming on you. It looks very nice."

There was something pulling on her legs.

Was Death really that close? Had she fulfilled her own prophecy? She looked down and noticed it was merely a small girl. Ah. Small, little girl. Too young to experience love, or despair, or the heart-wrenching pain of life itself.

"A hug? As in embracing with the arms affectionately--or the act of strangling?" she questioned in DEEP, DEEP sorrow, handing the girl the piece of moldy bread. "I don't believe in chocolate frogs," she sighed, dramatically placing her hand over her forehead, "filthy human." Chocolate caused happiness and relaxation, something she loathed, useless feelings.

Casting a quick glance around the room, Mia spotted another girl who was familar to her but one she hadn't seen in a while. Actually she hadn't seen her since that tea party. She gave the girl a smile and a small wave as she walked over to the table before turning her attention back to Marie.



That made Mia laugh. "If I thought for one second that eating that pudding would get Nik here then I would eat it in a second." But of course that wouldn't happen and if by some miracle Nik did come to Hogwarts, he probably wouldn't want to hang around with her especially if she had just eaten something that looked as though a troll had puked on it. "I might have considered it if you had of offered money."

Mia raised her eyebrows at Marie and gestured for them to move a little closer to the other food. The smell at this end of the table was starting to make her a little queasy. "Ten galleons, it has something to do with that Hufflepuff you're seeing." she teased, giving her friend a nudge.



Just as they reached the other end of the table, Mia spotted a girl a couple of years younger than she and Marie and she seemed to be talking to herself. Well this was Hogwarts and they were at a deathday party so that probably shouldn't have been too weird, right?

"Marie...does your Quidditch Captain often go around talking to herself like that?"

"Pleased to meet you too," she commented as the girl shook her hand. She resisted the urge to wipe the stickiness on her wipe robes but instead grabbed a napkin from the table and wiped at her hands. Harlow looked at the girl curiously. Harlow was only 4 feet tall and barely 70lbs. Why did she need to look slimming? "White is my favorite color." she wasn't sure what was going on with the girl. Maybe the toxic fumes of the food was getting to her? Yes that must be it.

Now she was just confused.

Seriously was it something in the air, "A hug like the kind your mommy gives you after a sad day." she told her with a shrug. Why on earth would she want to strangle anyone? She wasn't tall enough! "Well I think they could do wonders for you." she pointed out to the girl whom was clearly not feeling well.

Well that just wasn't very nice. Harlow was anything but filthy! She used a new bar of soap in every bath. And she hated stickiness! Harlow frowned at the older girl. "That just wasn't very nice of you." she told her.

"Sarah!" Fallon exclaimed, having lost sight of her friend in the crowd. "There you are!" She sighed in relief. "Oh, hello." She greeted the rather short girl standing next to Sarah. Was she old enough to be in school?! O.o Then again, Fallon was rather tall for a first year, often being mistaken for a third. "I'm Fallon," She greeted cordially.

"Well it looks nice." Sarah wondered what was raining on this girl's parade. Since coming to Hogwarts, she hadn't met a student she couldn't strike up a conversation with. Well, there's a first for everything, she thought. "If you don't mind me asking, what brought you down here to the party? You don't look like you are enjoying yourself very much and it isn't exactly the cleanest of corridors. Your outfit looks expensive and it'd be a shame to get something on it," said Sarah as she pointed to the table of rotten dishes. "Even the strongest of cleaning potions might not stand to the challenge of that purple pudding! It looks like it is sprouting gills!"

Sarah sighed in relief and desperately rushed over to meet her friend. "Fallon! There you are! I see you've met Harlow. We were just chatting about her lovely choice of attire..." Sarah looked towards Harlow uneasily, not sure how things were going.

Someone was staring at her.

Lola felt the STARE PIERCE THROUGH HER HEART. She choked for a bit, but found it as a challenge. For revenge and in the name of Death, she stared right back through their souls, ensuring that their spirits be paralyzed within. Were they MOCKING her? Mocking this work of art? "No one understands," she said with a tone of anguish, feeling the tears of burden explode inside of her.

"Nasty creature!" she called out, "I wish HAPPINESS upon your SOUL." Her voice was menacing.

HUMANS!

Lola shot a look with a mixture between remorse and revulsion. "For what is a hug, when one can feel the great feeling of misery?" She sighed dramatically, her face drooping down towards the ground again, her back hunched. She shot a glance back at Teresa, eyeing her with such jealousy--to pass through walls and escape from these terrible people!

"I have no mother," she stated simply, "I was born from darkness and desperation."

"Nice to meet you Harlow." Fallon greeted, noting her best friend's discomfort. "You look very nice." She complimented. "Though you're outfit doesn't exactly seem fitting for a Deathday party, a little too cheerful. Not that I would know, this is the first I've ever been to." She stated thoughtfully, glancing around the room, "Of course I'm not really sure what one would wear to celebrate one's death--black seems popular, if not a little cliche." She giggled, feeling a little self-conscious in her dark attire. Oh well, Sir Nicholas doesn't seem to mind...or notice. "You look nice too Sarah!" She exclaimed, "Too nice to sit around the buffet! We should dance!" Fallon laughed, grabbing her friends arm, "All of us of course, if you want!" She smiled a little at Harlow, remembering her manners.

Harlow's brown eyes swung around towards another girl as she walked up. She smiled at her. "Hullo I'm Harlow," she told her simply.

Harlow wasn't sure why the girl was just so concerned with her wardrobe. "Thanks," she told her honestly. It had her name stitched in the collar and everything. She turned her brown eyes back to Sarah. "Because I was invited. And I'm have a pleasant time. Just the smell is a bit off putting." How was she supposed to look at a party for dead people anyways? "Do you want me to take off my robes? Is it bothering you?" she asked the girl. She was awfully interested in her clothes.

She was really getting uneasy about the girls continued talk about her clothing.

And it was time to go.

Harlow nodded at the strange girl. "Well I will leave you to your darkness," she walked away from the girl trying to put as much distance between herself and that girl. She didn't need whatever that girl is selling.

Right, Marie knew Mia wouldn't buy it that Nik would be showing his face there. "Fine. But I bet Nick will be happy that you came to his party." Nick, Nik... same thing, sort of.

Eyeing her friend she rolled her eyes. "Why would I offer you money? It's not like you're hurting for money now." Not since Nik had given her a key to his vault. "Or did Nik give you a limit on how much money you were allowed to have?" If that was the case then maybe Mia did need money.

And again with the money thing. Maybe Mia really did need money. Why else would she keep bringing it up? Well Marie wasn't against helping her friend out if she needed money. Even if it had to be in a lost bet, or whatever this was. "Yeah, it's about my handsome Hufflepuff. Guess I owe you ten galleons." Just thinking about Matty brought a huge smile to her face. "We had a nice chat yesterday... about our futures."

Following Mia to the other end of the table she shook her head at the girl talking to herself. The one who just so happened to be the captain of the Slytherin quidditch team. And of course Mia heard it too. "I don't know, I try to stay away from her. She seems a bit touched in the head." More than a bit actually. "Can you believe she actually made the team wear uniforms with green feathers on them during try-outs." Seriously, what was that girl thinking? Those were the ugliest uniforms in the history of quidditch. Slytherin was sure to be laughed off the pitch if they had to wear those to an actual match.



And Marie was right. The girl was touched in the head.

Turning towards Captain Crazy over there, Marie couldn't help herself.

"BOO!"

Turning back towards Mia she started to laugh... a lot. "I told you she's touched. Certifiable nutter she is." Vinny must have been really hard up for a captain to choose that one.