Masquerade Ball (OPEN to everyone)

Amelia slid into the masquerade ball, thankful for her mask to hide her face from any who might spot her as being out of place here. Of course, she was out of place here. Social situations required conversation, congeniality, and an ease with being around others Amelia had never quite mastered.

Why am I here? Amelia wondered for the fifth time since she had entered, her hand rising subconsciously to her face to check that her mask was still in place.

That question was easily answered. All she needed to do was look behind her at the man dressed in a dapper suit, standing at the doorway to prevent any escape attempts Amelia might make.

The things my mother does...

Amelia's mother had been, for the past few weeks, relentlessly pushing for Amelia to attend this ball. "A good opportunity to create a social network," she had said. She knew far too well that Amelia had made very few friends at Hogwarts, preferring her solitude, but her mother worried that without connections to the elite of Hogwarts, Amelia would fail to achieve the esteem and prestige her parents had planned for her.

Amelia had done her best to avoid the topic each time she responded to her mother's letters. But as usual, her mother had seen through her attempts and flimsy answered of, "I'll probably go," and had sent one of the family couriers (called that in public to maintain their appearance, these were really men who were meant to enforce the wishes of her parents, on Amelia or whoever else did not wish to comply) to Hogwarts with a dress, shoes, a mask, and strict instructions to make sure Amelia arrived at the ball and stayed the duration of the evening.

Which is why Amelia now found herself leaning against the wall, trying to ignore the fact that she seemed to be the only person who had been coerced into going by a six-foot-six behemoth of a man. Knowing full well she would not be able to escape, Amelia instead tried to blend into the wall, which was turning out to be an impossible prospect in the dress her mother had sent.

((OOC:

Dress:

Spoiler:

Mask:

Spoiler:

Neve spotted a girl standing on her own looking like she was trying to blend into the wall, which wasn't working seeing as her dress was extremely noticeable. It didn't seem like she wanted to be there. She looked kind of familiar, maybe she had seen her in one of her classes? Neve walked gracefully over to her and smiled 'Heya. You look kinda lonely.' Then she spotted the man behind her. 'Is that your date?' she asked curiously 'I don't think I've seen him before. What year is he in?' Neve stood next to the girl, watching her 'date' with interest whilst waiting for her to answer.

Spoiler:

Just as Amelia was considering bribing Anton to allow her to leave a girl who looked to be about Amelia's age sauntered over. The girl wore a black dress with sheer, bell-shaped sleeves, covered in silver glitter. She looked a bit like she had taken the night sky and wrapped herself in it. Clearly, this girl had not come to the ball on someone else's bidding, and judging by the fact that she seemed to so easily approach Amelia, she had none of the same qualms about the situation.

Amelia's eyes widened a bit when the girl said she looked "lonely". She sighed internally, though showing no external response to the answer. People so often confused being alone with being lonely. Amelia wasn't sure she knew what the latter felt like, because in order to feel lonely one had to know how it felt to feel like a part of something greater than ones self.

She's just being conversational... Amelia mentally reminded herself, knowing that there were people who possessed that trait, even if she didn't.

"He's not my date," Amelia said, a bit too roughly. Clearing her throat and reminding herself that this girl was not to blame for her current situation, Amelia tried to temper her voice as she continued.

"He's just here to..." Amelia struggled for a word that would accurately describe Anton's purpose here, while also keeping her temper in check, "He's here to make sure I don't wander off into any trouble."

That was mostly true. He was here to make sure she didn't leave, because if she did, she would certainly find trouble. With her mother's howler, no doubt.

Anton shifted his weight from one foot to another to acknowledge that he had heard what Amelia said, silently conveying the fact that if she said anything too brash he would be required to tell her mother. Noticing Amelia had turned her attention to him, Anton raised his eyebrows in the direction of the girl, as if to say, You should be talking to her and making connections like your mother suggested.

Rolling her eyes in a way she hoped was imperceptible behind the mask, Amelia turned back to the girl with high cheekbones and thick, dark hair.

"Did you bring a date?" Amelia asked, trying to make conversation. Small talk had never been her specialty.

Neve watched 'the girl', as she called her, intently, taking note of the 'bodyguard' (she has an overactive imagination) raising his eyebrows at 'the girl' and wondering what exactly was his connection to her. She noticed 'the girl' was not very happy and seemed quite reluctant to talk to her. Why was she here then? Neve asked herself. Of course, she herself didn't usually make an appearance at events like this, but tonight was an exception. A masquerade ball was too good to miss.
Upon hearing 'the girl's' question Neve smiled cheekily and replied 'Oh, me? No, no, I'm here alone. I just came to make the night more interesting.' She glanced at the people dancing before whispering to the bored-looking girl 'What would you say if I told you I had a plan to make this ball fun?'

The smile that crossed the girl's ample lips when Amelia asked the question made her wary of what might come next. Amelia knew from years of people-watching that smiles like that generally meant people were up to no good. The words that followed only reinforced what Amelia had guessed, what with the emphasis the girl put on the word "interesting".

Amelia followed the girl's eyes to the couples whisking their way across the great hall, clear now of the house tables that usually divided the room into neat rows. It seemed as though it was possible for the evening to be enjoyable, judging by the laughter and chatter coming from that general direction.

At her companion's question, Amelia's attention reverted back to the conversation at hand. Amelia had not missed the drop in the girl's voice, and neither had Anton, who moved almost imperceptibly to be closer to the two girls and overhear their whispered words.

Ignoring her mother's idea of an insurance policy, Amelia replied to the girl, not bothering to whisper because, A: she didn't understand the conspiratorial plannings of the dark haired student, and B: because she knew the only person who could likely get her into trouble - Anton - would hear anyway. Her mother knew better than to hire someone purely because he looked intimidating; he was sure to have heightened senses and lightning fast reflexes as well.

"I would ask you whose definition of fun you were planning to use," Amelia said plaintively, raising a hidden eyebrow behind her mask.

Neve gave 'the girl' a long look before answering in an equally loud voice 'Mine, of course! Probably not yours though, since the only thing keeping you here is that guy', she nodded towards 'the bodyguard' and continued 'and he's probably been asked to force you to come here by someone else. And since 'keeping you out of trouble' isn't a very plausible explanation seeing as you don't look like the troublemaking type,then I can safely assume that he is here to make sure you don't leave and socialise instead. Which is probably not going to happen as you look like you would rather be somewhere quiet reading or whatever else you do to pass the time and not having this conversation at all.'

Neve gave a small laugh and waved her wand at the food table, fetching a slice of cake which she then began to eat daintily. 'She then turned back to the girl and said 'Although, if that's what you want to do then fine, but as you most likely already realised, you're stuck here for the evening, so you'll have to make the most of it.' Neve smiled sympathetically at the girl. She still remembered the balls her aunt held, and how she was always forced to attend, even though she really hated talking to people. Now, however, she was very different, she enjoyed meeting new people and socialising. She loved being in the company of magical beings especially, seeing as she was stuck with muggles for most of her life.

She pointed at an empty table and said 'Why don't we sit down and get to know each other- might help to pass the time.'

Even though there wasn't much for her to find out; she was a seer, and though she blocked out her visions, she could still sense things other's couldn't, which had proved useful numerous times.

Amelia's temper flared as the girl made assumptions about her personality, reasons for being here, and any other number of things that had flitted into her overactive mind. She shot daggers at the girl as she rambled off all the ideas she had about Amelia, some accurate and others wild guesses, crossing her arms across her chest in an attempt to shield herself from any more prying the girl intended to do.

When the barrage was over, Amelia was flushed red beneath her mask, thankful again that the ball had required disguise. In a motion that clearly meant that she had said all she would say on the matter, her companion waved her wand at the table which was laden with food, bringing to herself a slice of cake. Amelia's stomach was tied up in knots and she felt as though there was no way she could possibly eat anything at the moment.

Amelia wanted to tell the girl she was wrong, wrong about everything, but it wouldn't help the situation any. She was right, at least in saying that Amelia was stuck there for the evening. Seeing as she didn't have any other viable options, Amelia nodded at the girl's suggestion and followed her to the empty table.

Taking her seat, Amelia fanned her long dress out around the chair, crossing her legs beneath her as her mother had always instructed her to do.

Old habits die hard... Amelia thought, turning to see that Anton had followed them and taken a seat an another empty table behind them, clearly within view and earshot.

"I think you're in some of my classes," Amelia said, giving up on finding a segue from the previous conversation to this one. Transitioning gracefully between topics required practice, and Amelia had definitely not been working on honing her skills for the past few years. Which, she realized, was likely the reason her mother had resorted to Anton.

Neve noticed the girl was flushing red and glaring at her and instantly knew she had made her angry. Oh well, you can't please everybody. At least she had gotten some sort of a reaction from her. She was actually starting to get worried. And it wasn't really her fault, she had just said what she guessed from the impression the girl's behaviour had given her.

She sat down facing the girl, taking note of the 'bodyguard' who sat down at a neighbouring table. He really was getting quite irritating. Must he follow the girl around? Neve saw how the girl sat down with her ankles crossed and wondered exactly how well-bred she was.

Neve heard the girl's question and answered her whilst wiping her hands on a napkin. 'Oh, yes, we have lots of classes together. Though I don't know if you're a sixth or seventh year. But we haven't talked before have we?' Neve loved to make new friends and this was a good oppurtunity for her to make another one.

She then gave a long hard look at the 'bodyguard' sitting behind them. 'Oh and if Anton over there would like to moniter you, he is most welcome to join us.' Neve knew he could hear everything they said from where he was but he could at least sit with them. Having someone silently watch and listen to you, however far away they were, was extremely unnerving. In her mind, however, Neve was wondering how much it cost to get rid of him. She didn't usually think of bribing people but needs must.

Amelia nodded at the girl's response, knowing before she heard the answer that the girl was in her classes. Because she didn't talk much, Amelia was left with a lot of time to observe people and notice things other didn't. The question had merely been a way of making conversation, which was now extended further by the girl's counter question.

"I'm in my sixth year," Amelia answered after determining that this bit of information would not give away her identity. There were plenty of sixth years.

"And, no, we haven't talked before. I'm not usually this social," Amelia added, immediately feeling foolish for saying "this social", because she knew the girl would likely laugh at her statement. What Amelia was doing now didn't exactly qualify as being social. It qualified as doing what one was told, and trying to make her mother happy.

At least I'm trying... Amelia thought, trying to be more positive about the situation, seeing as she still had several more hours of it to endure. Maybe having someone to talk to will make the night a bit more bearable.

After Amelia replied, the next sentence spoken by her companion immediately put Amelia on guard.

I never said his name was Anton... Amelia realized as soon as the girl said the man's name. Anton, sensing Amelia's distress, had leaned toward her and made eye contact. Not wishing to give her mother reason to believe Anton had been necessary, Amelia waved him down discreetly, turning instead to her companion with her mouth set in a thin line.

"How did you know his name was Anton?" Amelia asked, putting up her mental guards in case the girl had been using legilimens on her. She didn't know why any student at Hogwarts would wish to get into her mind, nor had she felt any prying, but she was on guard just to be safe. She wasn't usually the paranoid type, but when people knew things that she hadn't explicitly said, all bets were off.