once upon a time (open/multi)

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It was shortly after Jerome's birthday, but he hadn't really celebrated it. It seemed a shame, as he had more friends this year, so perhaps they'd felt let down by him not organising anything. Everyone knew that he wasn't the type to throw a party, as those always seemed to get out of hand - no matter how hard you tried to keep everything low-key and alcohol-free...

He'd read in the Prophet that the cinema was doing a showing of some animated classics, so he'd sent a crystal message last Thursday about meeting up at the weekend and seeing them together. Some of the invitees he didn't know extremely well, but he'd invited them anyway knowing they'd probably enjoy the films. It was just nice to get out and get lost in another story for once.

Jerome was in the lobby of the cinema, having purchased his tickets and was now considering which popcorn to get.

"Maybe we should just get a large one of each?" he suggested to someone who'd turned up.

"Did someone use the hex on her? Was the beverage spiked?"

Those were two possibilities she could think of; it didn't sound like the blonde girl regularly dealt with acne that severe.

@Thalia Tremlett-Chang

Though all his chivalrous intentions and heroic retreat, a perfectly ordinary door was what stopped him.

The door to the Ladies.

He lost all the bravado in a split second, and looked like a scared little pup. As good as his intentions were, could he really cross the threshold into a girl's bathroom? The answer was no - definitely not. At least Thalia was there, and perhaps some other girls and women who were willing to help.

He resorted to pacing awkwardly outside the door, which earned him a few odd looks.

@Sierra Longbottom

That's exactly what she'd thought.

"I cannay say. Sierra - did ye drink anything?"

@Sierra Longbottom

As the noise died down and Tiernan was back to being a human, Lazar's eyes slowly opened back up, and he quickly sat up. Realizing he had been lying on Layla's lap, his palms moistened and his cheeks reddened.

"Suh-suh-suh-sorry..."

@Layla Cartwright

Sierra didn't know what to do! She was about to tell Thalia to go ahead and get Lien when another girl came out of one of the stalls. She had thought that they were alone! She didn't even have time to cover her face back up when Thalia was pointing at her and asking if she knew what it was. "I don't know what happened." She muttered pitifully in hopes that this random stranger would be able to somehow fix it. "I hadn't even gotten to drink any of my drink yet. We barely had sat down." She sniffled, unaware that Jerome was pacing around outside worried about her.

@Thalia Tremlett-Chang  @Phaedra Cocteau

With years and no younger siblings to play mother to, Cherry had quickly gotten absorbed into the movie that was projected on the screen. She didn't even notice that Lien had briefly left the theater they were in.

Patting the blonde's back, Phaedra replied, "Someone must've hexed you. I can remove the pimples? I hope it works."

Phaedra figured they probably weren't old enough to use magic outside of school.

She pulled out her wand and pointed her wand at the girl's face. "Finite."

@Sierra Longbottom @Thalia Tremlett-Chang

She knew that Lazar was prone to fainting, but it didn't mean she liked it when it happened. Fretfully she span about to her peers, wondering if she should try to take him somewhere else to lie down or get fresher air.

Then, his eyes began to open.

"Phew," she exhaled, smiling at him, "Are you okay?" she asked hushedly.

@Lazar Tremlett

He got back to his seat as quietly as he could, careful not to disturb Cherry, who seemed utterly absorbed in the film. Smiling, he said nothing but copied her: looking at the screen. Cinderella's ugly step-sisters were demanding their breakfast. He was starkly reminded of old pureblood families who had house elves...

@Cherry Darling

Wade was laughing so hard at McLaggen he almost fell off his seat again.

"I-I-I-I'm fuh-fuh-fuh-fine..."

Lazar smiled at her, thankful that she was there for him during that syncope episode.

"Thuh-thuh-thuh-thank yuh-yuh-you..."

@Layla Cartwright

"He's right next to ya," he murmured, nudging to her and nodding at McLaggen, grinning.

@Marilyn Grayson

Marilyn turned over and screeched before realizing it was just Tiernan.

"Tiernan! You scaaaared me!"

@Wade MacKenna @Tiernan McLaggen

Sierra closed her eyes when the older girl pointed her wand at her. When the spell was spoken, she kept them closed tight, only opening them once it was spoken. Then she looked between Thalia and the stranger. "Are they gone?" She couldn't bear to look!

@Thalia Tremlett-Chang  @Phaedra Cocteau

Thalia couldn't watch. Although she thought of trusting this woman they'd just met, seeing a wand pointed directly at her friend's face was giving her... trepidations. Then again, it couldn't be worse. Could it?

She opened her eyes slowly, and blinked at Sierra's face.

"I think it's all gone! Look in the mirror - quick."

@Sierra Longbottom

Mackenzie was relieved when Tiernan returned back as himself. She practically threw herself in his lap once he sat down and hugged him tightly, "When we find who did this to you they will suffer greatly. My father will about this that's for sure."

@Tiernan McLaggen

Sierra almost couldn't bear the suspense as she waited for them to tell her if it had worked. She couldn't even bring herself to lift her hands to see if the bumps still remained. It was only when Thalia said it was all gone that she stood and scurried to the mirror. The bumps were all gone! She smiled and touched her face, happy to see her smooth skin back. She turned and practically launched herself at the stranger, hugging her quickly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She gushed. Then she pulled away and looked back to Thalia. "Ohmygosh, I think I snapped at Jerome on my way out. I bet he's so upset with me." She said, a little panicky for another reason all together.

@Thalia Tremlett-Chang @Phaedra Cocteau

Yes! It worked! If it was a hex and the counterspell didn't work, Phaedra would've been very afraid; in that situation, that was something that needed a qualified healer to figure out.

"Je vous en prie," Phaedra said with a relieved expression as the blonde girl hugged her in gratitude. She giggled to herself as she finally approached the sink to wash her hands.

A grouchy old man hit the back of a chair with his cane.

"Can you bloody whippersnappers quiet down? I can't hear the story!"

"Lucky ye were here!" she added to the woman, watching Sierra show her gratitude.

"Pff," Thalia waved off Sierra's concerns with a flap of her hand, "I think he'll live. Shall we make our way back?"

She didn't want to rush her if she was still shook up about it, but they'd both come here to enjoy themselves. Whoever cursed her just wanted to ruin her day, which was pretty pathetic. They wouldn't win.

@Sierra Longbottom

Mackenzie didn't seem to care that he'd been a pig moments before, so he gladly resumed his position of having his arm around her. MacKenna's jeers mattered very little to him, as he'd probably be laughing if it had happened to him.

"Nah - don't worry about it, babe. I'll just try and work out who it was, and get my own back. They'll give themselves away soon enough."

Then, just as he was settling, a crazy old man whacked the back of their seats and Tiernan jumped.

@Mackenzie Riddle

Sierra had no idea what the woman had said, was that French? But she didn't ask as the woman moved away to wash her hands and Sierra turned her attention to Thalia. "I hope so!" She probably wouldn't admit it but she definitely had a bit of a crush on Jerome even though she knew she probably didn't have a chance with him. "Yeah, I think we should head back." She said, relieved that the whole afternoon hadn't been ruined. Even if her eyes were still a little red from her sobbing over the boils that had been taken care of now. Hopefully no one would notice in the dark screening room.

She pushed the door open and started out of the bathroom after thanking the stranger one more time then waited for Thalia. That was when she saw Jerome pacing around outside the door. "What are you doing here? You're going to miss the movie..." She said, trying to sound casual and hoping he wasn't waiting there to yell at her for snapping at him or something.

@Thalia Tremlett-Chang @Jerome Estrada @Phaedra Cocteau

The door of the lavatory opened and Jerome took a sudden fright, bolting sideways to assume a state of nonchalance. He looked at the wall, at a film poster for a chick flick he definitely wouldn't be interested in, and acted like it was an exhibit.

When he heard Sierra's voice, he turned with a look of casual distraction, and smiled at her.

"I couldn't settle, knowing you were so distressed," he told her, eyeing her over carefully. "Are you... all better now?"

Her eyes looked a little puffy, but apart from that, everything seemed normal.

"What happened?" he asked, knowing full well that she had been very sensitive about it.

@Sierra Longbottom

"Come on, we're missing it!" she yelped, sliding past the pair and to the screen.