Welcome

She grimaced before walking into the Great Hall with a monotone expression. Her mother had somehow heard of the ball and is forcing her to attend so she might meet some pure blood males to court with. They even went through the trouble of owling her a spaghetti strapped olive green dress with darker green ribbons sewed at the side and under her breast.

The dress flowed from her breast and down to her mid-thigh. Dawning a translucent olive green shawl and black high heel,she looked like she was ready for homecoming. Disliking it, she began to magically alter it. She removed the straps and changed the color from a olive green to a icy blue. There was a small little ribbon tied into a bow at her right. It hugged her body and flowed out freely from her hips. She length the dress to her knees. Turning her shawl from a translucent olive green to a slightly darker icy blue long sleeve coat that ended at a inch off her ribcage. Her black flats stayed the same. After dawning the dress, she still didn't agree with it, she didn't see the need for her to attend the ball. Sighing, she began to curl her hair with a hair curler as well as the fireplace to warm up her curler. using some bumble bee la mode heat protector and bed hairspray to hold her curls, Lorelai then sat down in front of her vanity. She only put on black shadow and white eyeliner to empathisis her eyes.

Looking back at the crowds in the Great Hall, she kept her wand hidden in the side of her coat, tucked away carefully so it won't be to uncomfortably for her to move. Moving along side, she looked if there was anyone she could talk to. Many of the faces seem unrecognizable and so she sighed before heading to the punch room. Her dark curls flowed around her as a moved. This would be a long night, hopefully not to boring for her taste.

Bastan was, needless to say, not expecting anyone to creep up behind him. He was a Slytherin first of all, and startled Slytherins were highly irritable at best. And he was anxious enough as it was, secondly, so the feeling of hands suddenly slip over his eyes made him antsy. He squirmed for just a split second before he was able to register the oh-so familiar voice of Andromeda Black. He cooled instantly and let a grin flitter across his generally expressionless face.

"It's about time, woman!" he teased, whirling around to face and beaming like an idiotic child. Truth be told they looked like friends rather than an engaged couple... That sort of thing was just weird to think about, so Rabastan promptly told himself the lose the thought; it would only spoil the evening's potential. "I knew I should have insisted on waiting in the common room. At least I could have napped for a bit on the sofa rather than stand here alone and embarrassed. Do you know how many odd looks I got from Gryffindors? Gryffindors, Andy. All the lot of them had their dates already with them. I can only image how ridiculous I looked." He trailed off with a tense sigh through his noise. Oh yes, appearance and impressions meant a hell of a lot to Bastan. Just the slightest thought of humiliation was enough fluster him.

"Anyways, you've finally arrived..." He slipped an arm comfortable around her waist [in an incredibly NON-sexual way] and tucked his other hand away in the pocket of his pants. Like a proper gentleman Bastan took it upon himself to lead them past the doors and through the screaming streamers and into the Great Hall. He very much liked the dimness of the room. It reminded him of the dungeons and that was comforting, even if the horrendous dance moves of the crowd in the centre threatened to scare the shit out of him. "How about a drink or something?" he asked casually. "We won't be dancing tonight, either. I feel I should warn you know but I don't think you could ever forget the lessons my mother made me take when I was eight. I've been scarred for life."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. The money is so much better for Healers and Aurors these days that people just don't care about the job actually helping people. My mum is a Muggle...and she was really excited and everything when she found out dad was a wizard. Well, so I've been told. But...magic isn't really all fun and games at the moment is it? With darklordface and his crew" Benjy shrugged and grinned a little. He was even using words that the bigot Pure-blood Death eaters would despise because of the Muggle value. The Death Eaters deserved to be mocked fully though. He was sure no one else would hear such an outright kick to the Death Eater name - they were all looking intoxicated already.

"Has he hurt you?" Benjy cursed himself even as he spoke. She was obviously capable of looking after herself. Besides, Dorcas would probably laugh at the idea of Benjy cursing or hurting anyone - Chloe certainly did. Though he supposed she had divine right as a sibling, and all. he chewed at his lip, and then blinked behind heavy eyelashes, and then winced as he felt a sharp pain. Her nails had dug in. Evan Rosier really was a tender subject "It's okay Dorcas..." he smiled as she ran a thumb over the indents until they faded a little and looked up at her "It's really quite fine. He flexed his hand to emphasise this point to her and grinned “I understand. I've never met Rosier myself, but the name is unto itself. Pure-blood and inbred. That's all you have to say. I think they are seriously all related. They will all have three heads soon, and they might as well walk on four legs" oh, that had been a little below the belt, and very slightly bitchy if he wasn't mistaken. But, they all deserved it. Especially the Rosiers.

Benjy nodded "Yeah...let's find somewhere to sit" he took hold of her hand gently and walked towards a table with a few Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, one of them his sister, and looked to Dorcas before they went to sit down "Dune is really quite hard to read...but once you get into it, it's great. I love the Elves in Tolkien though. A bit....I don't know....romanticised for my liking though" he gave a small smile and then could tell that Dorcas found the question odd. Benjy loved such questions "I like blue. And silver" he spoke and he pulled out a chair for her and then sat down himself.

"I understand that. My dad was giddy when he got his letter. He was afraid he was going to live a boring life as an accountant, like my grandfather. Though we used to joke that my uncle was far more excited than my dad and my uncle never showed any signs of magic. He's probably taken every trip he can to see more about the wizarding world. Its amazing how happy he can be about it without ever actually being able to be a part of it."

A snicker left her as she heard him address the dark lord and his 'crew'. Her lips widened into a large smile at the humor. No matter how dangerous it was, Dorcas was not one to care whether or not she spoke bad about the dark lo..., I'm sorry dark lord face, in public. He did horrible things and sometimes she just couldn't understand why people refused to say something about him in public. It made her believe that they thought if they ducked their head and closed their eyes it would all go away. Sure, that would be nice but the chances of that happening were slim to none.

"Crew? Now I'm not going to get the picture of all our lovely future Death Eaters as sailors and break dancers out of my head. I'm going to be thinking about that all night and god knows how much longer. Thank you very much."

Her smile of humor shifted into one of appreciation. She could hear that he was genuinely worried that she had been hurt. As long as he didn't go about it in some way that made it seem like she couldn't stand up for herself or just plain shouldn't she was fine with the worry. Actually she was more touched than fine in this case.

"Well I might have suffered a few bruises here and there, but mostly we just yell at each other. He is an intolerable git and I seem to have the great misfortune of seeing him everywhere. The last time I fought with him was actually a few days ago under the bleachers. It wasn't a bad one but there was no one else there so I didn't get dragged away as I normally do."

Dorcas wondered vaguely to herself if she actually relied on people to drag her away from fights. Or maybe somewhere in the back of her mind she just assumed that someone always would pull her out before it got too bad. Should that be the case then she should start worrying about life after Hogwarts. There was no way that she could always rely on someone to drag her away, kicking and screaming. Somewhere in America her grandparents were screaming in their sleep. Sure Dorcas knew how a proper young lady should act, but given the chance she preferred being herself and that tended to go against proper lady etiquette.

"Well actually there was that one time he hexed me. Though surprisingly I'd have to say that out of all of our fights I deserved it that time. Of course should I ever admit that to him I am sure that there will plenty more hexes flying my way before I can let the next sentence leave my lips. And I do agree with you. They claim that it keeps the good attributes in but it also tends to amplify the crazy parts."

Dorcas followed closely behind Benjy as he led her to a table. She recognized a few people there, one being Benjy's little sister. Now Dorcas didn't exactly know her very well but they passed each other in the common room enough to recognize the fact that she was not giving her a quick glance and then ignore, this time the look seemed to be more so a 'What are you doing with my brother?' sort of look. Thankfully it didn't seem to scream get the heck away from him either so she nodded in her direction and then thanked Benjy for pulling out her chair.

"I have to admit I love stories that bring you to somewhere else. I find stories set in real settings to be drab. Well that is if they aren't set in ancient times. I really enjoy the thought of the world before it was changed into cities and such."

Remus mentally kicked himself as he was dressing for the Halloween ball. It was already half-past seven and the ball had been scheduled to start at six. He had always prided himself on being punctual, but somehow the time had gotten away with him.

Since the day he'd asked Lily to be his date, he couldn't keep the nervous, nauseous feeling at bay whenever he thought about how the night would go. He'd only asked her as a friend, but the truth was, there was way more to his feelings than just friendship. Not only that, but he had to dress up and dance. Though Lily was far from the textbook definition of the opposite sex, he was positive she would still want to dance. He feared his skills wouldn't live up to her expectations or that he would end up hurting her feet from stepping on them so many times.

This very issue was what had made him late for the ball; he had originally cringed at the idea, but decided that in order for the night to run smoothly, he would have to learn to dance. He'd recruited one of the more feminine of the Hogwarts students to teach him the basics and she'd done a fabulous job. While Remus got frustrated throughout the whole process, she'd always been patient and calm, not seeming at all annoyed by the fact that she had to repeatedly tell him to stop staring at his feet or to stop counting to himself.

The lessons had made him feel like a first year again, in all honesty - he was scared out of his mind that he would make a fool of himself, but it was better to do so in private, with just one girl watching, than in front of the whole school. In the end, the lessons had been worth it, but they hadn't spared him from the nervous feelings and the butterflies in his stomach and their final lessons - the run through of everything they'd learned - had gone longer than they'd originally expected, making them both late in getting ready.

Now, standing in front of his mirror, his black dress robes on and his tie firmly in place, he felt the strongest urge to throw up. He hadn't realized just how much Lily's opinion meant to him until this moment. He only hoped the night wouldn't be ruined by one of the other Marauders realizing who his date was.

He made his way to the Great Hall, urging his stomach to be calm. Once he entered, he looked around for Lily. He didn't spot her right away, but noticed a few other students he knew hanging around. He saw Benjy Fenwick, a 7th year, and nodded in acknowledgment before turning around again. With a sigh, he went and sat at a table, deciding Lily would come find him when she arrived.

Benjy flashed a grin. He was imagining a muggle-born wizard getting an owl, reading his letter, a muggle uncle throwing a party for his wizard brother "Yeah...you know, I wonder what it will be like if I have children. I mean, I'll more than likely bring them up around Muggles, but they will have the advantage of knowing about magic. I'll still throw a party for them when they get their letters though" he grinned again. Well, if they weren't Squibs, and even if they were, he would throw a party for them too. None of his family or friends felt like outsiders as long as he could help it. He could never see anyone in pain...as long as they were decent people. He tilted his head, and shrugged his shoulders "Yes, crew! You're welcome, though. Now if you ever come face to face with one of darklordfaces crew, you can imagine them in stripy t-shirts and neckties...or break-dancing sailors!" now, if he ever came into contact with one of them he was going to think automatically of a break dancing sailor, and smirking at a Death Eater would no doubt get him nonchalantly blasted with a killing curse.

He gave her a wry smile, and shook his head "Being dragged off? I applaud you, Miss! The Rosier family is really inbred...or so I hear. I bet his aunt has three-heads and a beard on each one" he smirked a little but then grinned al the same "If you ever want your bruises healing up, I'm usually in the library or the great hall..." he looked away shyly. Offering his healing services would be a way to see Dorcas again after tonight. It was also a way of letting her know that he was there for her if she needed to hide out, or if she needed potion from battle wounds. he was ever the promoter of getting one up on the inbred, hateful pure-bloods "I'm sure you didn't deserve it! I don't care how heinous you act was against him....you obviously didn't deserve it" he scowled a little, playfully and pleasantly. Rosier equalled pure distaste now. It just wouldn’t do "Like I said, three heads with beards"


Benjy shot Chloe an irritated look again and then the boy next to her excused him for the toilet, and walked away. As soon as he was out of earshot, Chloe kicked him under the table "Benjy, did you have to look at him like that?! We're friends, that's all" with that, she sat back in her chair and gave him a cold look worthy jack frost himself, and started talking to her Hufflepuff friend. He looked away and then cleared his throat "Sorry about that..." he mumbled, and then shrugged "I do think that the...days of olde, and stuff, were better. people seemed to have so much honour then, they had to work hard to live, everyone knew their place, everyone knew a trade....I'm still a modern guy though. I could go without the radio and the TV" he smiled softly and leant over the table to pick up a glass of something that looked like punch. It was probably laced with booze. Fire whiskey. As he took a sip the smooth liquor met his tongue. He put it back down with a wince and shoved it back towards the middle of the table. He was a beer kind of boy himself. Shooting his sister another look, Benjy then looked to Dorcas and leant in a little "I get a little overprotective of her - I know I must have seemed a little...out of line a minute ago but...yeah..." he blushed. He was always looking out for Chloe...making sure she was hurt by a crush or a friend. It was hard to believe that he had chased her with spiders and earwigs at her when they were little kids, and chased her muddy, dirty hands.

"If I ever have children I could say something similar. My father thought being a muggle was boring but he still was and that influenced me. Slytherin tend to find it funny to watch my habits. I tend to want to fight with my fists before my magic. There was even one that laughed at me for brushing dirt off my pants instead of using magic to get it off."

Dorcas was positive that should she remember this if she ever was facing a death eater she would die. She could see it now, standing one on one against a brutish death eater and then imagining him in a sailor suit. Or worse yet, break dancing in over the top clothes. Instead of fighting the guy she would have been rolling on the floor laughing. An easy target for death.

"Well I am a fighter by nature and I rather finish a fight that leave loose ends. So my friends tend to drag my away either for my own good or for the good for of house points."

She smiled at the thought of her fights. It may not be ladylike or proper but it was apart of her and she very much enjoyed them. Though admittedly she thought that magic made them a little less fun. A good ole fist fight would always appeal more. Her face flushed when she heard his comment. It was a nice invitation to see Benjy again. A thought that was no where near terrible.

"Thanks, I'll.... I'll keep that in mind. As it is I get injured enough just from the fights but I have a bad tendency to do dangerous things in the air. Meaning I've hit the ground a few times."

It was a surprise that Dorcas didn't already have brain damage. After everything that happened to her she should have been a bit more than brain damaged. Her mother had once told her the reason for this; her magic. Apparently magic was like a safety net. Should the child do something stupid might normally kill it then magic would make sure to take the blunt impact.

"As horrible as a person like Evan is there is still the times were I am the one in the wrong. It drove me crazy when I realized that. After all a git like that should never be right, sadly they can be."

Dorcas grinned at the interaction between the two siblings. Never having her own sibling, she had little experience with the woes of sibling rivalry, over protectiveness, and other such things. Even though she never experienced it she always found it rather amusing.

"Its quite alright. Just shows that you are a good big brother. "

Lily had never been more nervous in her entire life... Never, never had she ever taken more than half an hour to prepare and get ready for anything, and here she was, spending over two hours to prepare for a ball. It just wasn't like her. Also, never had her stomach been in such a state of restlessness. All day, she felt the uneasy fluttering in her stomach and was unable to eat anything for fear it may not stay down. Though, she stayed in her room for most of the afternoon and evening, discussing hair and makeup and other various things before beginning to get ready at four thirty. If you asked any of her roommates or anyone who knew her well, she was not acting like the same, old Lily. This Lily was nervous for a ball for Merlin's sake! If there was anyone who was quite brave when it came to these things, it was Lily, but now you'd find her a frantic mess.

Still in her place in the bathroom, Lily stood before a mirror, smoothing down a soft, satin black dress. It reached just slightly above her knees and had a haltered top with a plain bodice. It was quite plain, but at the same time, it suited her and complemented her. Her black strapped heels were set aside until the last moment before she would leave to be put on. She didn't want to start the pain to set in early. There was no need to put them on when she knew she would be standing, mostly, stationary in front of the mirror or somewhere in the bathroom for the next couple of hours. Moving on, she glanced down at the bag of makeup her mother had sent along. Once her mother had heard that she was attending the Halloween Ball, she insisted that Lily look very nice and wear a bit of makeup for the occasion.

Now, Lily was definitely not one for the makeup. Luckily, her mother didn't go overboard this time and only sent essentials and a little bit of color. Of course, there was the powder, coverup, eyeliner and the like. But her mother also added some nice, shadowy eye shadows and a tube of red lipstick which she said would 'Spice things up a bit'. So Lily took this as an opportunity to look nice for the occasion and put a large effort into appearance. She didn't know why... Remus asked as a friend, so... it shouldn't be any different, right? But... she really wanted to look nice and she wanted Rem to think that she looked nice. It may just be intended as a friend-date but well, there was no reason to not look nice... it was a ball and she deserved this night to have fun and let loose.

Sighing, she applied the make up the best she could. She wasn't exactly one to wear make up on a regular basis so she wasn't exactly experienced with everything. She must have poked her eye about a dozen times with the eyeliner. At last, she put on the finishing touch. Lightly, she dabbed the red lipstick onto her lips, careful not to put on too much. Smiling at her inexperienced handiwork, she set aside the small bag of cosmetics and grabbed for a comb. Carefully, she smoothly pulled her hair up, twisting and pinning it up nicely. Beside her cosmetic bag, there was a large red rose in full bloom. Taking it up, she placed it carefully within the twists and folds of her hair. Biting her lip, careful not to mess up her makeup, she reached for the final piece of her whole outfit. Softly, she slid a black mask into place. It had small, embroidered roses along the edges, enhancing the red of the flower in her hair and the red on her lips.

Smiling, she finally left the bathroom mirror after a final smooth down, taking her shoes and her bag. Smirking, she slipped on her shoes and dug in her bag. Of of the small purse, she pulled out a small box about the size of her palm. It was what brought her whole "costume" together... Well it may be the only thing that triggered in people's mind that she was supposed to be Pandora, but she just may have to explain to a few people. However, she made her way down the grand stair case, looking around, her arms folded over her nauseated stomach. She had to continually remind herself that it was only temporary and that it would soon fade away... She hoped. Either way, she didn't back out because of the nervousness. Instead, her eyes scanned the outside of the Great Hall, searching for Remus. She desperately hoped she wasn't late and had kept him waiting...

Serena was anxious.

She was more anxious than she ever had been. Usually Serena was very punctual and well polished: now, however, as the petite brunette was striding towards her destination and humming softly to calm herself, she could barely keep her feet moving. A part of desperately wanted to turn back and find solace in the Gryffindor common room. Serena would have been more than happy keeping herself company for the night, but Serena's conscience quickly reminded her that she was not only a sixth year (which meant she should live each moment to the fullest) but she was also as polite and sweet as a girl her age could be. While her quick temper sometimes liked making an appearance, getting the better of her, Serena was raised to be mild mannered and achingly generous.

Serena's hair was let loose in dark curls cascading around her shoulders, wearing a maroon floral print dress which hit mid-thigh, not bothered with dressing in a costume of any sort. Serena wasn't very...spontaneous, and something like a Halloween costume felt childish to her. A daisy was pinned behind her ear and her cheeks were fresh and pinchable. With a deep inhale, she felt prepared for the night that was about to ensue. Why not live a little?

Serena entered the Great Hall, gasping a bit as she did so. The lights dimmed, vibrant streamers...everything about the Hall was sophisticated and captivating. Rena's eyes sparkled as she glanced to and fro, trying to catch the eye of someone she knew. However, she seemed to be quite alone. With her delicate hands, she nervously adjusted the flower behind her ear. Had it been a mistake coming here tonight? Serena sincerely hoped not, and cautiously tapped her foot. Patient as she was, tonight was a different story. She couldn't keep waiting.

Suddenly, she wished she would have at least dressed in a costume - she could have worn a masquerade mask to hide her vibrantly blushing cheeks. With her hands clasping each other, Serena walked to a corner of the room and stood, alone, awaiting something, anything, to take her mind of the nervous bubbles erupting in her gut.