Masquerade Ball (OPEN to everyone)

Willow wandered herself over to the punch table for the fifth time this evening. She got another small cup of punch and gulped it down. She then sat back down and watched everybody dance. She had no one. She could feel the salty tears welling up in her eyes. She was so lonely. Her friend had ditched her for a guy that had wanted to dance with her but no one wanted to dance with Willow.

Keith sat down with a bored expression. Maybe he should spike the punch or something. Anything to do. he didn't particularly want to dance, but even that would be better than watching people swoon over each other. He glanced to his right. There was a girl sitting next to him, he had seen her somewhere before. A hufflepuff...Willow or something? God, the people at this school had the strangest names...he sighed, gulping some punch, and muttered out of the corner of his mouth to Willow: "Sucks, huh?"

"Hm?" Willow asked, as she jumped. she was caught by surprise at the little boy beside her. "Oh. Yeah." she said, realizing he was referring to being alone. She hoped he wasn't going to ask to dance. He was only a first year.

Spike Edgelong wrote:Spike was glad that it was Zoe, he would have felt stupid if it wasn't. But he became curious as she had said that she was worried about coming to the Ball. "Why were you worried? You knew that I would be here. I would never pass up a chance to see how beautiful you are in that gown." He said to her now feeling his cheeks start to turn red. He then remembered the neckless he bought for her that was tucked away in his pocket. He would give it to her once they started dancing.

Zoe found herself blushing. She couldn't help herself. "I think I was just worried you wouldn't show. I've had horrible times at these things." Letting a huge smile fill her face, Zoe looked back at Spike as the blush begain to fade. "But all that doesn't matter anymore. You are here. And thats the best" Nothing could make her happier than she was at that moment. Standign there with him.

Andrian looked at Nikki, looked away and plopped himself in a chair; watching the people dance together with their love one - this was actually the first ball he had ever been too alone; he probably deserved it anyway because of what a fool he was earlier last year. He had no friends, no lovers but just his son Jake who he looked after and carried around everyday to work or wherever he went. He was so bored, there was nothing to do, no one to talk to or anyone to give love to so what was the point of coming to the dance, why was he sitting here doing nothing it was so much better in his little hut down by Hogwart, the one that Hagrid used a long time ago, just reading his novel and looking after Jake so he got up from his seat and began to walk out while he took off his mask and ran his hand through his long brown hair.

Keith sighed again and rolled his eyes. Like everyone else at this stupid dance, the girl next to him wasn't interesting at all. He glanced over towards her and managed to catch a glimpse of her eyes. They were red, as if she'd been crying.

That made him laugh.

Still chuckling, he stood up and walked away. There wasn't much to do here except watch people dance, so he did. He would slip in and out of the crowd, storing facts away for later, his mind whirring away like some gossip supercomputer. Keith hated to be left out of the loop. Any loop.

So he listened. Took mental notes instead. Zoe and Spike -The names parents would give their kids!- Some Gryffindor he didn't know sitting alone. A hufflepuff he recognized from Charms...Abbey something, he didn't really care, and a Ravenclaw whose name he should know but didn't.

Belle had seen Andrian watching her, but was still a little on the shy side. But as he rose to walk past her and out of the room she laid a hand on his arm softly and smiled. "Leaving so soon? I had hoped you would grace me with a dance."

Andrian turned around to see who had laid a hand on his arm. He saw Belle. "It would be an honour to dance with you, my dear," said a quite, musical voice - Andrian's voice, being as polite and gentle as he could be. He held out an outstretched hand in front of them, bowed and waited patiently for her to take his hand; he smiled politely at her and flashed his brilliant, white pearly teeth at her; he was so happy that she had stopped him before he left the room, it was the nicest thing that anyone ever done for him. It felt right, especially from someone he was attracted to.

Spike smiled as Zoe talked and he could feel the need to dance rising up in him. He looked at Zoe and said, "Would you like to dance my dear?" He asked her hoping that she would. He could feel the box in his coat moving as he did.

Neve glided gracefully into the hall where the masquerade ball was taking place. There were already quite a few people there and some were dancing. She didn't have a date so she was heree on her own. She made her way to the food and grabbed something to eat. Boy was she hungry.

Spoiler: