[Elaine's house!] This is what the world is for, making electricity ~ [Elaine]

Eva was curled up like a ball. She didn’t really want to move at all, but she was sure it was after midday, and she had things to do. The girl cracked an eye open cautiously and pushed her legs slowly down through her bed sheets. She could already feel that her neck muscles were stiff and sore – probably from all the dancing – and no doubt her back would be the same. Tentatively, she opened her other eye. The girl squinted out at her surroundings through pink and green strands of hair for a moment before rolling onto her back, making a sound like a baby dinosaur hatching from an egg, and uncurling her body.

She had a vague recollection of the previous night’s activities, but right now she could only think of the highlights. Dancing with Elaine. Trying to slide down a staircase bannister and falling on her face. More dancing. The stretch was held for a moment, as she arched her back and pointed her toes, before relaxing. She’d drunk way too much, and felt a little fragile. She didn’t feel like she was going to throw up, however, and that was a plus. The girl reached up to sweep some hair off of her face, and then attempted to run her fingers through her knotty hair, giving up after a moment with a sigh. Why did she even try?

Swallowing against a dry throat, the girl moved into a sitting position slowly. She shuffled out of the sheets between slow stretches, giving her aching muscles a minute to adjust. After wiggling her toes and psyching herself up a little more, she stretched out a tentative leg and hopped up to her feet. Damn, she was sore! It had been an amazing night though. Out of her bedroom door and into the hallway she went, wiping the sleep out of her eyes and a little bit of dried drool from the side of her face. A voice called out from the kitchen, telling her that breakfast was ready.

“Just a sec!” she called back melodically, “My mouth tastes like arse.” Eva made her way to the bathroom, stopping at the bathroom sink for a moment so survey herself in the mirror. A skinny pale girl in a thin singlet, covered in last night’s make-up stared back at her. She looked like a total mess. With a sigh, the girl picked up her toothbrush. It didn’t matter that breakfast was made, she needed to brush her teeth right now. A dull ache in her head let her know that she really needed to drink some water, so after she’d brushed her teeth and removed some of the make-up from under her eyes, she made her way out to the kitchen. “Morning, sunshine!” she greeted her friend with a smile.

Thank Merlin that she hadn't drunk that much last night. That was the first thought that went through Elaine's head as soon as she opened her eyes. She wasn't like Eva when it came to partying. To be fair, she wasn't like Eva at all but her alcohol tolerance was definitely nothing compared to the Bulgarian's. She blinked a few times, getting used to the light and then she turned her face to the side a little and her gaze fell on her best friend. The two were used to sharing a small place and so they didn't mind sharing Elaine's kingsize bed whenever Eva stayed over. The flat was so small that there was only enough space for one sleeping place but it didn't matter. It never had.

Eva was still fast asleep and it would probably take a while until she'd wake up. The former Ravenclaw glanced at the pocket watch on her nightstand, realizing that it was quite early. How long had she slept? Three hours, mabe four? Elaine couldn't remember when they'd come home, all she knew was that it had been almost morning. Hadn't it already started to get light outside? It probably had. The nights were always long when she was with her best friend. By now she had gotten used to it and she also had to admit that it was always fun. For Eva as well as for her. Slowly the memories were coming back. There had been a guy, a handsome one who had paid for almost all her drinks and she was pretty sure that she'd kissed him at least once. Okay. So maybe she had drunk more than she had wanted to. No one would blame her, right?

The witch swung her legs over the edge of her bed and stiffled a yawn. Her head started throbbing slightly but it wasn't too bad. Her mouth was dry but she didn't feel sick and she was even slightly hungry. That was definitely a good sign. Not wanting to wake her friend up, Elaine stayed in her big t-shirt and her shorts and walked to the kitchen. Her apartment only had a small bedroom, a slighly bigger room that served as living room and kitchen at the same time, a tiny bathroom with a shower and the room she was proud of, her studio. She closed the door to the bedroom and with a flick of her wand she boiled some water and made herself a strong black tea with lots of milk and sugar. The girl took a few sips and felt better immediately. Tea; the elixier of life.

Elaine grabbed a few biscuits and walked straight over to her studio, stuffing two biscuits into her mouth at once. She knew that she had at least two hours before Eva would wake up and so she decided to paint for a while. She had to finish that Welsh landscape she had started a few days ago before her best friend had decided to visit her. After finishing the last few biscuits, Elaine sat down on her little stool and reached for one of the brushes and her paint palette. The soft pain in her head was gone after the first few lines and she forgot everything around her.

Time passed quickly when she was drawing and soon two hours were over and it felt as if she'd only been there for a few minutes. The painting was finished, though and Elaine ran her hand though her hair, applying some paint to her forehead without even noticing it. Everything was still quiet, which meant that Eva still wasn't awake. How long did that girl want to sleep? Shaking her head slightly, Elaine went back to the kitchen and began to prepare breakfast. Pancakes, eggs and toast. That should be fine. Once more she boiled some water and as if Eva could smell it, she was suddenly standing right in the doorframe. "Morning beautiful," the muggleborn exclaimed happily, gesturing at the small kitchen table. "Did you get enough beauty sleep? Breakfast is ready by the way."

“Have I ever told you that you’re perfect?” The Bulgarian girl shook her head as one side of her lips were tugged into a smirk. Elaine seemed so happy, and while her bubbliness seemed amplified by the fact that Eva was a little hungover, it was definitely appreciated. She went to sit with her friend obediently, the smell of food sitting somewhere between making her feel a little queasy and making her feel as if she’d been starved for several days. She opted for eggs and toast first, and tea, of course. She took a seat and perched on it cross-legged, digging into the food. She realised that her hunger won out over any kind of unsettledness she was feeling in her tummy.

Refraining from speaking for several minutes, the girl simply enjoyed eating. She’d wiped the makeup out from under her eyes, and now that she was a little more hydrated and consuming food, Eva perked up a lot. She felt like she’d regained her spark over only a couple of minutes. “Interesting night, huh?” she commented between mouthfuls. Coming home after daylight was almost always a sign of a good night, though Eva remembered clearly a few times she’d partied with Elaine that had been much more wild than last night. “What’re your plans for the day? Well… what’s left of it.” She grinned, her eyes crinkling slightly at the corners.

The girl stretched her arms up in the air, her back cracking quite loudly. Her muscles were sore! She pulled most of her hair back into a messy kind of bun. She’d only dyed it a week ago, but already she wanted a change. It was light green until around her shoulder level, and the ends were pastel pink. Messy strands framed and decorated her face like streamers and there were still a few little decorative white daisies tucked in here and there. “Were you painting before?” she asked.

The Bulgarian girl glanced up at her friend as she spoke, suddenly noticing a little splodge of paint in her hair. “I’ll take that as a yes,” she answered quickly, before the brunette had time to speak. Eva reached out and wiped the little bit of paint off of her friend’s forehead with a cheeky smile. She felt much better after eating. Still a little lethargic, but a lot more ready for the afternoon. Vaguely she wondered if they’d go out again tonight – she knew of a house party that should be a lot of fun.

"Once or twice," Elaine replied with a smile and put the tea pot down in front of her friend. While she was in no way perfect, it was nice to hear it every now and then. Who wouldn't appreciate it? Sometimes the girl wondered why their friendship worked so well - they were extremely different, after all - but it just did and to be honest, it was everything that mattered. "I really thought you'd be more hungover." Laughing softly, Elaine jabbed her fork into one of the pancakes, lifted it and put it down on her plate again.

They ate in silence for a while, only accompanied by the clatter of the tea pot and their cups. The Muggleborn hadn't thought that she'd be able to eat that much after last night but her stomach behaved and so she finished another pancake as well as some eggs before Eva broke the silence again. "Tell me about it," the brunette replied laughing and took another pancake off the plate. "I think I remember everything but I'm not sure. I don't even know when we came home. Was it five in the morning or six already?" The witch took a bite and swallowed it down with a sip of her tea.

"I don't know," she shrugged and played with her fork. "I haven't planned anything. Somehow I've already suspected that I wouldn't be able to do much today. I wonder why..." Elaine winked and put the last bit of pancake into her mouth "I should probably get new milk, maybe also some bread and fruits. There's not much left."

"What about you? Do you already know when you'll be leaving again?" Eva couldn't stay in the same place for long and Elaine knew it just too well. Luckily her best friend always came back, even if it was just for a few days. The brunette just wanted to answer her friend's question but the girl was faster. "I have paint somewhere in my hair or face, haven't I?" The former Ravenclaw let out a soft sigh but she wasn't surprised. Eating without getting food on her clothes was almost impossible for her and it was much different when she was painting.

Eva wiped it away and she smiled gratefully at her best friend. "I should probably wash my hair if we want to go out again." Her big brown eyes met Eva's and she raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Do we want to go out again?" She had no idea if there was anything special tonight but Eva surely knew. She always knew where to find the best parties.

“Really?” Eva asked playfully, tilting her head to the side, biting on the corner of her fork. It was true that she’d had a lot to drink the previous night, but her alcohol tolerance was much higher than Elaine’s. Eva might have been quite slim, but she wasn’t that far off six foot. Besides that, she drank a lot more often than her friend did. “I think you’re an economical drinker,” she teased with a crooked smile. Elaine didn’t have to pay as much to get as drunk. It was “economical”, and an on-going joke that the two of them had had going for a while. Eva rolled her shoulders back a couple of times. Some people woke up early the morning after a big night out, but Eva always tried to sleep as long as she could. The pink and green haired girl felt so much better now that she’d eaten. “I didn’t drink that much,” she protested, a little tongue-in-cheek.

The girl twirled a brightly coloured loose strand of hair around her index finger and twisted it up into her messy bun. “I think six,” she told her friend with a nod, “although it might have even been later. I was buggered, I don’t remember.” The girl wolfed down her eggs as if she hadn’t eaten for days. “And that boy you were snogging – the blue-eyed one – he looked really familiar, have I met him before?” Eva got the little bit of paint off of her friend’s face. “You’re a messy little thing, aren’t you?” she teased, “What would you do without me?” The girl raised her eyebrows, as if se were chiding her friend, but really it was usually the other way around. Sometimes Eva saw it like that, even though Elaine didn’t find it too hard to hold back on lecturing her about things she obviously didn’t approve of.

“Do you want to go out again?” she asked with a grin, “I don’t have any clothes… you’d have to lend me some.” The tall girl shrugged, “Or I could wash last night’s ones again…” Eva looked down at the shirt she was wearing. She hadn’t changed when they’d gotten back, and had instead just taken off her pants and fallen into bed. Absentmindedly, the Bulgarian reached up and plucked a little daisy out of her hair and dropped it on the table. “There’s a house party just out of London on tonight if you’re interested.” Eva hesitated for a moment, raising one eyebrow, “…And when I say house party, I mean… it’s really in an old warehouse… Possibly illegal… Probably a lot of fun?”

Eva started tidying up the dishes. She didn’t mind washing up, especially when other people had made her breakfast. Now that she had food in her, the girl was a lot brighter and more energetic.

"When I'm out with you it's always economical drinking. Did we even pay for one single drink last night? I can't remember." That was the thing with Eva. She always attracted attention and while it wasn't always a good thing, it mostly was. Especially when they were at a bar or a club. To be fair, Elaine knew perfectly well how to get someone to buy her a drink and it happened quite often that random guys just invited her for one but with Eva it was always a bit crazier. Actually… Everything was a bit crazier when the Bulgarian was around and Elaine loved her best friend for that.

The witch ran a hand through her hair and tilted her head to the side a little, trying to remember the guy's exact face. "I don't know? I don't think I knew him but I could be mistaken." She shrugged slightly and poured herself another cup of tea. "He was nice, though. Who knows, I might meet him again and if not… well, then it wasn't meant to be." She grinned, her eyes fixed on her friend. "I'd probably drown in chaos." The muggleborn laughed and shook her head slightly. She might be a little chaotic but compared to Eva it was nothing. The rainbow haired girl was a hurricane.

"I don't mind lending you some. Probably not one of my dresses since they wouldn't just be short but you'd show the whole world your bum. Not that most guys would mind but you know what I mean." Here she laughed again, wondering how people would actually react if Eva ran around with half her behind exposed. Quite an amusing idea. "I could give you one of my shirts, though. I guess you could wear your pants again." Old warehouse, possibly illegal… Elaine had a strong sense of justice and usually didn't do things that were wrong but a party in an old warehouse could hardly be considered as wrong. The building wasn't used anyway, so what?

"Count me in. I need to do some things today but we probably won't go there before eleven or midnight, right?" Eva started doing the dishes and Elaine  followed her to the sink. With a quick spell she started drying the dishes Eva had cleaned and let them fly right in the cupboard. "Do you want to stay here while I'm running errands or do you have your own stuff to do?" The brunette wouldn't mind if her friend wanted to stay here. She trusted her completely and if someone asked her, this was as much Eva's flat as it was hers.

 “Oh. Well that too.” Eva smiled at her friend’s words. She tried to remember if she’d paid for any drinks last night. It was a little hazy, but she never went out with handfuls of sickles anyway. “I think I bought us one each when we first arrived,” she offered, tilting her head to the side with an amused expression on her face. Elaine elaborated a little on her blue-eyed boy. “He was pretty,” Eva commented. A little cardboard cut-out, but there was nothing wrong with that. The girl hesitated with her fork resting on her lips lightly. “You would definitely drown,” she said with a playful smirk and a nod, “that’s why this friendship works so well. Because you need some order in your life.”

Eva nodded when her friend started talking about dresses. Wise decision. The Bulgarian witch was sure that Elaine had a dress or two that came to her knees… which would be just above mid-thigh for Eva… thought she didn’t say anything. A top and last night’s shorts worked too. “Sounds fine to me,” she said with a happy nod. Sometimes Eva felt like Elaine was her sister. They certainly had a strangely close relationship. When they’d been teenagers, the letters they’d shared had been intense and quite in-depth. Eva remembered how strange it had been initially when she’d felt like she knew Elaine inside out, but wasn’t yet used to her little expressions or the way she moved.

An image of her actual sister fluttered through her mind, but Eva quickly dismissed it. Tsveta would be nine now. Eva’s memory of the little wide-eyed six year old girl was not compatible with how she’d actually be now. And Zdravko would be entering his fifth year. The idea was kind of overwhelming, but Eva cut off that train of thought rather decisively and wiped the thoughtfulness out of her expression. “I’ve got some crap to do too,” Eva said , rolling her neck to the side and stretching her muscles a little as she did so. “But I might have a shower here first.” The rainbow-haired girl was grateful that Elaine’s home was her home too, and she knew she didn’t need to ask. She actually kept some stuff here most of the time, and even had her own toothbrush in the bathroom. They’d done the plates and cleaned the table. Eva gave her friend a quick hug and then said goodbye. She felt a lot better now, but she really needed to wash her hair.

While she was drying the rest of the dishes, Elaine went through a list of things she still had to do today. She definitely needed to run some errands, the milk was almost empty and tea without milk was just wrong, get some new colours, she was almost out of cyan and then… Oh damn. She'd promised to meet Meredith today to help her find a dress for that ball she would be attending and, the brunette looked at her watch, they had agreed to meet up in thirty minutes. Shit.

"Can I take a shower first? I just remembered that I agreed to meet Mer in about thirty minutes in front of one of the muggle shopping centres and since I can't just apparate there… Thank you!" Elaine blew a kiss at her friend and disappeared in the bath room. It only took her a few minutes and then she was out again, her brown hair up in a bun and just a tiny little bit of make up on her face. "Your turn now." The two girls said goodbye and Elaine went to her bedroom since she could hardly meet her sister just in a big shirt and shorts. It was always weird to meet her little sister, not because she didn't love her - she did! - but because they were living in completely different worlds.

All her family members were used to her being a witch by now but she could see that they were still weirded out sometimes when she worked magic. Elaine had promised year ago that she wouldn't apparate right to her parents' house - what would the neighbours think? - and that she'd behave just like a normal person in the household. No charms, no spells, no anything. It was difficult since she was so used to using spells in her life but she loved her family enough to respect their wishes. The witch checked her watch again, took her bag and apparated to a tiny alley near the shopping centre. There was no way she'd walk there all the way from her flat.