battlefield [[Blanchard Manor]]

Alec rolled his eyes at his father and ignored him, trying to make his way upstairs. "Now, you listen to me, Alec!" his father shouted, making the boy sigh and turn around.

"What?" he asked, putting his bag down and crossing his arms over his chest, "What do you want now?"

"Don't speak to me in that tone, boy!" his father warned and continued, "I already told you- I don't want you spending the night somwhere else without telling me or your mother! Where were you last night?"

"It doesn't matter where I was, it's better than being here!" Alec snapped and turned around, grabbing his bag and walking upstairs before his father could say anything else. All this was getting tiring and he couldn't wait to go back to Beauxbatons. He looked at the bag and made his way to his sister's room, knocking on the door.

Mel was laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, singing along to Blown Away by Carrie Underwood, and trying to ignore the argument going on below her when she heard her brother's familiar knock on the door. She got up, turning down the volume, which had been set on 'ear splitting' and opened the door. Smiling a little, she said "Hey, what's up?" She turned and sat back down on her bed, drawing her knees up to her chest. "Where were you anyway?"

Alec smiled as he walked into the room, closing the door behind him and sitting near her on the bed. "You're getting better at that, you know," he complimented, talking about her singing, and sighed when she asked where he was. "You could still hear that over all the noise that was coming from in here?" he asked, shaking his head slightly, "Damn, you got good hearing." The boy shrugged, "Nowhere I wasn't allowed to be. I was out until about three in the morning with some friends, and I decided to just sleep at grandma's, see mom and all. I asked her not to tell dad, though, but I wasn't out getting drugged or killing, like he probably thinks I was."

"Anyway," he said, bringing up the bag that had been on his other side, where his sister couldn't see, "I got you a little something. I'm not good with fashion and all that crap, though, so you're free to switch it for something else at the store..."

Look! It's a gift!

Mel smiled at the compliment. "Thanks big bro. And yeah. You two were really loud." She managed a small grin. She looked at him sharply when he mentioned his friends. "You weren't smoking again, were you? Alec, you know I hate it when you do, that crap is terrible for you!" She crossed her arms. "Grandmere won't tell at least. She didn't tell when she got me the muggle iPod either, even though Dad didn't want me to have one." She smiled.

Mel took the bag and opened it curiously, gasping when she pulled out the dress. "Alec, this is gorgeous!" She ran her hand gently over the many colored fabric, marvelling at the softness. "Are you sure you're no good at fashion?"

"Sorry about that," Alec replied with a sheepish smile and rolled his eyes at her next question. "No, I wasn't," he told her with a shrug, "But so what if I was anyway, there's no big deal." The boy cracked a grin, though, and poked her side, "Ooooh, you got a Muggle iPod."

The boy watched as she opened the bag and ran her hands over the dress, a small grin on his face. Thank Merlin his sister liked it. "Let's just say I had a little help from the woman at the store. . ."

Mel folded her arms and glared a little at her brother. "Alec, smoking is going to kill you if you keep doing it like you were. Please, please try to quit? For me?" Mel pulled the big, blue puppy dog eyes. She punched him in the arm when he mentioned her iPod. "Aw, shut up. I really wanted it."

Mel rolled her eyes. "Of course you needed help." She stroked the fabric again. "But it's really beautiful, so I'll let you off the hook."