It was nothing. Really, it was a ball and he was arm candy, a friend and a pretty face to be taken somewhere. He knew his role in life and he was fine with that really. Monroe was a nice enough girl, and he knew that rubbing with the right elbows at a fancy ball like this could help him get more sponsors, it could help get more students into the school and his mother would get off his fucking back. Of course, he would never say such a thing to her, he knew how to respect Mari Garcia, but dear sweet Merlin were there times when he wanted to just tell her where to go. He was being an adult and though his knee gave him more issues than he liked when it was cold, he was not going to neg on his invite with Monroe. She was counting on him.

He dressed in a tux that he was comfortable, it was thin cut and it accentuated his body, which he liked very much, thank you. If it worked out well when he danced that night he would be adding it to his dance attire closet. Which was soon going to have to be switched with the larger clothing closet he typically used. His mother would e none too thrilled, but he did it for a living what did she expect? Him to have as little clothes a possible. He had a smile pasted on his face and had promised Archie that he would be on his best behavior. He wished that he had been invited so that he could have brought the little redhead with him.

He knew that Terri was going to be there with Bash, and he was looking forward to dancing with his favorite partner. She could glide across the floor like no one else that he knew. He looked down at his date and winked at her. ”I do hope that you will save me some dances, @monroe. If Terri is here I will be away to dance with her a few times, but you get my full attention other than that.” He teased her as they walked further into the ball. Her adjusted the bow tie that he had charmed to match her dress and made sure that her arm was tucked into his.

gown

Freya felt almost as if she was betraying someone by going to this ball with AJ, but she and Caerus were not dating, and she knew that though she liked him loads he had not asked he to go to the ball, but she hoped that she would see him there. She was going with her friend AJ, he had been invited as well but, his ‘friend’ Remi was going as the date for someone else, so she was pretty much going to be arm candy. She needed to make impressions in the pureblood world. She was a bastard, and had been held away from the family. So she knew she needed to make make good impression on those that she would be around, that no one would be able to help her but herself.

She had set her eyes high, by aiming for a Nott boy, but she liked him and there was little that she could do about that. She just hoped that she cou get him to agree to dance with her if he was there. She just wanted him to notice her. If he did and he didn’t like her she could let it go. She knew that Rylan wouldn’t try and assign her a marriage, that it was too cold, too formal. She wanted so many things that she could not name, but she knew that by befriending Lord Finnegan she was making moves in the right direction, which was huge.

She had lived most of her life thinking she was a nobody, that she was someone who had not been wanted, that she was nothing. She had been passed over so many times and she never once felt like she belonged. She still didn’t feel that way but she was trying to. She was trying to belong. She was trying to find her happiness, her bliss. She wanted to be something, someone and she knew that this was the path that she needed to go down. This was who she was born to be. So with head held high and pursed lips she walked with her hand tucked into the arm of @aj. The slit on her dress was not too bad and though it was made of mainly lace, it was not too revealing. She wore a former bracelet of her mother’s that had been found in the vault, it had been a gift for her sixteenth birthday, but had been taken back. She felt like she deserved it, like there were times that she needed to be more than that, that she needed to be more than her mother ever was.

She needed to prove that she was a part of this, that she deserved it, that she belonged among these people. What better way than showing off her wealth? As they walked into the room she looked about hoping to see Caerus or Remi, or anyone that would talk to her besides her date.

You and Me; We belong together; but we're both so damn blind.

OUTFIT

Alexander felt good. He hadn’t been in a ball in a long while; but he knew how he needed to act; His father wasnt really ‘high’ on the pureblood scale, but he was still Sacred Twenty-Eight and when people were not claiming him to be a blood traitor; he was generally invited to these things. AJ however, was not invited, and was only here because @freya asked him to come along with her as her date. He knew that he wasn’t her first choice, and that didn’t bother her; he knew that they were just here as friends, and he was cool with that. He and Freya had tried in the past to be a couple; but it didn't tend to work. It wasn't anything bad; they were just better friends. He still liked Freya well enough; she was probably one of his closest friends but he also knew that she just discovered that she was a pureblood; part of the Parkinsons part of the Ollivanders. Some bloke named Rylan who was her cousin, or uncle or something had found who she was and adopted her, made her an Ollivander again. From the way Freya spoke; this Rylan guy seemed like a class act; and she said that he was pretty cute as well, and that she was also keeping her eyes out for someone for him to meet as well.

As AJ and Freya walked into the Lestrange Castle; he could feel that she had changed her demeanor. He looked over at her and smiled, rolling his eyes and ignoring it for now. He thought it was cute, his daring chaser, brave fellow Gryffindor was scared at the prospect of gathering en masse in pureblood society. He knew that she thought that she was a muggleborn; until all the muggleborns were taken from the school one night. It still pissed AJ off; it made him mad that so many of his friends had disappeared, that he couldn’t do anything to stop it. But here he was, in the castle of the people that openly supported the minister; asked by Freya because she knew that he knew how to act in places like this; that his just natural charisma and confidence allowed him to not be nervous or scared. He smiled over at Freya, and he saw her stoic look; she was concentrating on fitting in; she was scared, and that was okay; he had to admit; he was a bit nervous. As he looked around; he saw Athazaz Acanthus Bones and @lily ; whom looked really, really nice tonight.

He wasn’t nervous because of the Death Eaters and ministry people that roamed the halls and floors of this castle; no. He was nervous because he spotted @remington ; he knew that once he saw her; he wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything else. He had the biggest crush on the girl who was supposed to be his enemy; his intellectual equal; his journalistic rival; but damnit if he wasn’t completely smitten by the dark haired girl. He looked her over; his eyes taking in the red dress that completely unintentionally matched; but Freya and he matched as well. His eyes noticed the way that her hair was styled and the red on her lips; those lips. AJ’s eyes lingered; then he felt Freya move and he snapped back to reality; he thought that he saw Remington’s eyes spot him; but he could be completely wrong.

He turned to his date; or, escort, or friend, whatever she was. He saw her still; she held on to his arm as if AJ had forced her to be here; he hadn’t been invited by Lady Lestrange, she had and she had asked him to come. AJ cleared his throat and casted a look at Freya, trying to catch her attention; but it didn’t work. Before she caused any further embarrassment to herself by looking, walking, and posturing as if she was a robot; AJ pulled his arm from her, pulled her to the side of the room for a moment and placed both hands on her arms; looking her dead in the eyes; ”Earth to Ollivander. Freya! Look at me.” he said as he squeezed her arms gently; his red hair glinting in the light of the room; he smiled and softened his look to her, nodding gently her way.



“You have to loosen up, Frey. This isn’t your O.W.L.s; this isn’t Professor Kirkpatrick’s class. This is a ball; this is a party. You belong here. You’re an Ollivander, and I know that’s new to you. But you have to be a bit cooler, man. You look like you got hit in the stomach by a bludger. Where is my fearless chaser at? I want to see her!” He smiled at Freya, his voice had been a whisper so he had to move closer to her; he leaned in a bit closer and kissed her left cheek gently, pulled back and looked at her; ”You got this. You can do this. Find the Nott boy and just, take him by the hand. It’s what I would do.” He knew that he wasn’t her first choice as previously though; he knew about her crush on the Nott kid. Just as she knew about his crush on Remy. He smiled at her, and his face remained confident, and projected the same confidence to her. He offered out his hand, to remain her arm candy until she decided to go else where.

She knew that she had a place in this world and she had been so determined to find her place in it, that she often forgot who she was, the person that she had always been, just because of how much she wanted to belong. She wanted to be a part of the world that she had been pulled into, she wanted friends who would value her, people who accept that she was a part of the Ollivander family. She wanted what she always wanted, but she wanted him to notice her. She wanted the boy that she liked to be there, to notice that she was trying. They had fun in Quidditch together. She had gotten hurt, and he had come to see her, and it had been nice to have someone to visit her besides the boy who was her friend, and ex-boyfriend.

She had been watching the other girls from pureblood families and saw the way that they walked, she saw the way that they talked and she knew that she would have to be like them to be accepted in society. So she did what she could, she held her head high and tried to be stuck up, she tried to act like she was better than everyone around her, even though she knew that she wasn’t. Even though she knew that she was not that person. She never had been one, it was why she and AJ had always been so close. It was why she had asked him to come with her. He was her friend, he was her captain, and he was someone she could count on.

She barely felt him pull his arm from her, and she blinked as she looked into his face. He was right. Merlin, she hated when he was right. She flushed and bit her lip before looking around, but she grinned when he kissed her cheek, knowing that it was a small piece of them that they always kept secret from when they dated. She liked her personal life to be just that, she didn’t need other people in her business and she sure as hell didn’t advertise things around either. She knew how the gossips at Hogwarts worked. ”You’re right I know you are. I’m sorry. He’s not here yet though, AJ. “ She could barely walk in a room and tell of he was there or not. She knew his face as well as her own and she flushed, because she knew that AJ knew it too, he was the same with Remi. Funny that they used to date and now wanted to date parts of another former couple.

There were times she wished that things could have worked out between them, she still cared about him, but she knew that they were better the way that they were. They were better off as friends. Taking her hand in his she sighed. ”You can go see her if you want, I can make it on my own, I am a big girl you know, @aj.”

Gown

For Loraine, balls were not a source of amusement but simply a duty. That meant, not for one moment she had considered not accepting the invitation. Everybody went no matter how little inclined they were. And while she was not looking forward to spending the evening in a fancy dress, she also felt no aversion. It was a duty like so many other things, and at least there were some positive aspects to it. The ball was hoisted by one of their own - a member of the twenty-eight. And while the woman had anything but an honourable past, she was obviously willing to make amends. Curiously enough, while many seemed to hold her past against the new Lady Lestrange, Loraine felt that she could be trusted, and yet, she somehow disliked her for that. The woman had lost a daughter through them, and while Loraine completely agreed with all sensible people that the half-blood’s death was a good thing, something instinctive in her was shocked that a mother could support a cause that had cost her child’s life, no matter how righteous the cause was. Still, the truly important thing was that the Lady Lestrange was one of them again.

Waiting in her room and with time passing, she started to become a bit nervous. @fernando was late, or at least not here at a moment where she would have liked him to be. It had been her original plan to depart at about the same time as her mothers, but she would have to wait. Jules had already gone to pick up his (far more proper than the last one) date, and @ivan was looking after himself, she didn't need to worry about him. But she’d hate to be noticeably late, and @eleanor would disapprove too. But her patience wasn’t tested much longer when a house-elf entered her room a moment later and announced the arrival of Fernando Parkinson-Ramirez. ”I was half wondering you forgot about the ball,” she said instead of a greeting but with a smile. He wasn’t as late as for her to be really annoyed, and she was mostly just glad for his existence that allowed her to go to the ball with him. ”Are you ready?”

They Apparated near the castle and entered together into the brightly lit hall that was already well peopled. She looked over the crowd as they crossed the room to greet The Lord Rodolphus Azazel Lestrange and The Lady @andi . @jules was already there with his (very much by her approved) date, and her mothers had to be there too. Before she could spot them, her eyes fell on the Avery heir, the one who had divorced her cousin. And now he was escorting one of the Mountbattens. Despite all her control, her eyes widened for a moment. That was one not only offensive but even foolish act. While he was family through Roma Avery Warrington , he was also the man who had slighted them, and she didn’t quite understand why Alessia’s father hadn’t reacted more severely. Certainly, he was necessary to the Avery line. That made it the more deplorable that Alessia was expecting a girl. Had it been a boy, Loraine would have pleaded for immediate abolition of the father - her family had good experience with such proceedings. As much as it grieved her, she supposed the Averys would now - no, not exactly go down with the Mountbattens, they wouldn’t do something like that to their kin - but they would suffer a decrease in importance. It was a great relief that Jules had come to his senses. He was hurting, she saw that, and it pained her, but he understood why this was only for his best. He would be over his pain soon enough. There had been nothing special about the Mountbatten girl, on the contrary. She danced for money. How her mother, who was a very respectable woman after all, could allow something like that was beyond comprehension.

”Wait a moment,” she interrupted any other train of thought of her own and most likely of Uncle Fer. What she was seeing confused her. ”The girl, the one who is with the Rosier heir, that is not one who belongs in our circles, is it?” She was very certain that she had already seen the young woman at the hospital - and that there were some Weasley connections. What was the matter of late with pureblood men? Why did they choose to take women on official events that were far from being suitable choices in a wife? She always went with Fernando. That was the best for both of them. He didn’t need to bother finding a date, and she had someone to go with that would cause no gossip. And especially shortly before such an important change as the one that was bound to happen, she would have expected that more individuals would have applied extra-care not to attract the wrong sort of attention. ”Jules is over there, with cousin Amy and her husband,” she said to Uncle Fer, deciding that this was the wrong time for such speculations and gesturing towards @shi . ”Do we want to join them?”

Killers everywhere, it ain't no place to run
Forgive me for my wrongs, I have just begun

outfit

Fernando wasn't someone who liked - or even tolerated - social situations such as balls. For one, most people were terribly fake, even more than normal. Women dressed too extravagantly, men strutted with their wives like peacocks even though they had a dozen mistress behind their backs and it was normally such a show of hidden agendas that made Fer want to hide in the bar and never leave. However, considering that the main family was...not as politically inclined as one would like them to be and Fer was the Death Eater one in their midst, he had a bit of a duty to the name. More than that, Lady Andromeda Lestrange was an intriguing figure, even if he personally didn't trust a woman who ran away with a mudblood and had liked her sister the Lady Bella far more. His parties - the ones he threw and liked used to be on the wilder side and people often were much less clothing. Well, used to throw. He was...Morgana forgive him but Fernando had done something terribly, terribly stupid that would end up with his heart broken and an even more severe alcohol addiction. He wasn't saying the words just yet, no need to prematurely make himself feel like shite, but they rattled very easily around his head. He had asked the man to meet him after the party in the flat, and he was hoping Cassian would go. Fer missed him, stupid as it sounded. He needed to talk to Nora but his friend was at her wit's end with Jules - whom Fernando bloody hoped had taken his advice concerning the ball.

Speaking of the ball, Fernando was fashionably late to pick up darling @loraine - his ever present saviour. As an unmarried woman, she had to be escorted by a relative of sorts and he didn't like giving women false hopes when it came to taking them anywhere. Hence, the fact he took Lori to every event they had. It helped a lot that his darling somewhat niece - come now, they were likely related in one way or another, no need to nitpick - was a delight to talk to, insightful and wicked smart - much like her mothers, come to think of it. Lori would have words for him, he knew. And wasn't disappointed. Sweeping into the room, he presented the blonde witch with a bouquet of flowers, gallantly bowing to her before smiling. "Lori, my dearest, I'd never. You look radiant, as ever," he had been pacing up and down at the flat - their flat, as the sappy part of him had started to call it - and wondering whether he should try and contact Cass to confirm their appointment before deciding to just leave already. "Yes, let us go. Before Nora sees fit to come here drag us there. Seemed terribly interested in this ball, your mother. Planning something, is she?" There was a twinkle in his eyes, that let on that he knew more than he was revealing. Which wasn't much, truly. Nora had been awfully vague about things.

The castle itself looked lovely, in that opulent way pureblood homes tended to be. After a while, they all lost their shine but nothing of the sort showed in his face as he escorted Lori to greet their gracious hosts - and how life is funny, that Lord Rodolphus Azazel Lestrange was now greeting guests with his late wife's sister on his arm. Fer wondered if Lady @andi appreciated the irony enough. From the place he and Loraine where, he could see @jules with some other girl - whoever she was, she wasn't a Mountbatten and that was enough to know he had taken Fernando's advice after all - and @thorfinn 's daughter @shi with that odd Carrow husband of hers. His eyes followed Loraine's to the Avery boy and, well. It seemed that Jules didn't have monopoly on awful life decisions, after all. Divorcing one's pureblood wife was already frowned upon - and where was @carlisle , speaking of lust-fuelled scandals? - but to take the Mountbatten girl to the ball? Bad, bad choice. "Lori, thank the stars your brother has more sense than that, if not by much" he said, carelessly, in a quiet tone, subtly indicating the Avery boy. "And always remember that a dead husband is better than a living former one," if only darling Genevieve had taken this lesson to heart.

Startled, he looked at the place the witch was looking, eyebrow rising in surprising. If it wasn't the Veela Weasley girl herself. In the lion's dean, quite literally, with Gen's eldest boy. My, my, there was probably something in the water they were giving young wizards these days. "Quite. A Weasley, of all things. The quarter Veela one, at that. I can understand The Lady Lestrange inviting the girl, hospital staff and all, but what possessed young Rosier to escort her?" These people seemed determined to scandalise society at every turn, didn't they? Fernando would have laughed, if it didn't affect them as a whole quite spectacularly. Thank Mordred Fer himself didn't have children. He'd tell his parents this tale and they would probably be glad Fernando was gay and not a moron. One of those got the family name ruined and it was definitely not his bedroom preferences. "We better greet your mothers first, Lori. Heaven knows Nora can't wait to give me a hard time for making you late," he teases, steering Lori expertly towards where @eleanor and Roma Avery Warrington are standing with @thorfinn and that dreadful wife of his. The woman looked perpetually tortured, as always. Rowle, though. There was something different about the man lately. Less and more tortured, at the same time. "Nora, my dear. Absolutely ravishing, you are. And Roma, what a pair the two of you make. The most beautiful women in the room," turning to Rowle, his smile became more sardonic, as it was usual. Rowle knew him too well. "Rowle, my lady. What a pleasure."

Outfit

Malissa was unsure of this ball. She wasn’t sure this was the best thing for her to do; her family could be there and she was nervous that something would happen. Harlow had told her time and again that it would be a good time, but she had lied to the girl about who her family was. She knew that because of who her parents were, because of who her father and mother were that she was often looked down on, but being a squib was hard enough without making up a family that didn’t exist. She liked @harlow and it was the whole reason that she had even agreed to go in the first place. No one would know her real name if she could help it and she knew that even if they did know who she was, no one would be bold enough to try and talk to her. Her sister would be there, but she knew they wouldn’t be able to talk very much. She had no idea if anyone else would be there, Merlin help her if either of her parents were there or if her grandparents were there. But it had been years, since any of them had seen her, almost sixteen really. None of them might recognize her, she could be in the clear, but the fear was still there.

The hate that had come from her father’s eyes when only Xiomara’s letter had come had been so strong. It still hurt when she thought about it. She had cried, and her mother had even refused to touch her. She was, unworthy, because she didn’t have magic. Her Jidd had said that she was a mark on the family and it was something that she still held close to her heart, a weapon to use, because if she didn’t hate herself for the things that they said, then they could never hurt her again.

She was wearing a dress that could be considered a little daring, but only a small section of her midriff showed, and it was tasteful. Tape made sure everything stayed in place and she looked flawless. She was there with, well, she wasn’t sure if Harlow was her girlfriend but she was pleased as punch to be there with her. She was a squib in Lestrange Castle , this was going to be interesting, that was for sure. Harlow’s hand in her own she looked around with wonder. It had been so long since she was surrounded by magic to this degree and her mouth was open in wonder.

outfit

The introductions and formalities had been taken care of almost a month ago, and Ornella Acciai was very glad that she had made strides into what seemed to be the proper society. She was rubbing elbows with the right folks and being the Head of her department made her a rather valuable person to have around, besides the fact that she was a pureblood, she was smart and she was dangerous. She felt that she was a perfect match for the man whose arms he was leaning on. He was everything that she wanted in a partner. Though she knew little about the man, Ornella knew enough. He was attractive to her, even if he was older, he was powerful, and he was strong. He was good enough to be her lord and master, and their families were very much already interconnected.

Fabi had made the contract for them and she knew that he still had yet to sign it, but she hoped that this would be the thing that pushed him into it. She was good at parties. She was good at this kind of thing, she had had to be, being who she was and with Giovanni being who he had been. She loved to dance, she was good at it too thanks to years of lessons, so she knew that she wouldn’t make a fool of @raymond. Her small hand was on his arm and her head was held high as she walked. Her nude and black dress was lovely and it accentuated her body as well as her personal style. She had the cigarette holder in other hand and she let out a long roll of smoke as she walked, looking like something from a black and white muggle film that she had snuck into in her youth.

Nella was more than glad to be accompanying the man and as she looked around the ballroom. She was still not familiar with a lot of people, but she knew the main faces, and the who’s who of the groups, except for the younger generations. ”It looks lovely in here, I think.” She said with her accented voice, her opinion very decided as she looked up to Raymond. ”Would you like a drink?” She asked him motioning with her holder towards the bar.

The Wheel of the Year Turns Once More

outfit

"They're young, though thankfully their lateness isn't one of impropriety." She did hope, of course-- Jules was not yet here, so she wasn't sure if he'd seen sense yet, though she doubted Blanche's lazy charms were enough to tempt Ivan away from his studies for half an hour. Her son needed a wife with good British standing, a woman not quite so bloody French. Thankfully, they were too closely related for it to be even half an option, though some might raise eyebrows if Ivan continued escorting his foreign cousin. Her son would stir no rumors, she knew of that. He would be the model of a husband to whatever witch was suitable, and if he ever had reason to stray it would be rather more discreet than others. Preferably not, of course. What with her cousin @genevieve 's marriage, and Nora's cousin, she was quite sure her son had more than enough sense to be so bloody--

Anyway. Pity she hadn't thought of Lady Selwyn for her son first. Still, as she was his other mother's cousin, that might be for the best.

Roma's eyes swept over the crowd,-- discreetly, of course, it wouldn't do for her to be thought wanting for anything else than Nora-- noting with satisfaction the neat little pairs that most had formed into, purebloods of high standing with others of similar birth. There were a few surprises that she nearly raised her eyebrows at-- a boy with hair as red as a Weasley's, the blonde Weasley that Loraine worked with at the hospital, and disturbingly enough, @keaton . She couldn't fathom his presence, unless it was the want for him to be cut down. It was rather hopeful, but once he was removed, Nora could place learned and trusted mages into the University to make sure professors were not sowing discord. There were members of that damned Order there-- their continued presence, compared to Hogwarts's freedom was almost puzzling.

But she was the Daily Prophet, not Witch Weekly; to entertain rumors of this type was not in her own grasp. Oh, she could write it easily, and have it in her own paper, the young lady @hestia 's, or @anicka 's easily enough, under a pseudonym (something related to her and Nora, of course) or under her own name. When at the Ministry Muggle-borns had been killed and chased out, and any who fought had died. She still smelled Durant burning at times; it never failed to make her smile. For that, she was grateful to Anicka Wentzell in how the scum was disposed of-- agonizing, quick enough to not grow tedious, and long enough to be drawn out. For that, when @felix had attempted to throw aside Nora's pregnant cousin Alessia like some common Mudblood whore for a Mountbattern girl, she'd put the blame where it rightly resided-- the spoiled boy who called himself a man, rather than the foreign-blooded young witch. She rather doubted than Anicka Wentzell approved of it (knew she did not, truly), and it was that singular fact alone that kept Roma participating in the gatherings of the women running the publication industry, rather than convincing Hestia to drop the older witch, and passing along her courtesies through some sports writer or the like. The Weasley she kept employed (always better to keep an eye on the ever-breeding trash, after all) would have been a lovely one to pick-- it was possibly that she would have ended up dead conveying Roma's messages.

Foreigners, halfbloods of little family, Mudbloods, and blood traitors alike served their purposes given to them by their betters. Bedsport was one thing that few could be used in--if carefully, perhaps, with extremely precautions, but marriage?

Certainly not. Her father's cousin Adrian was of the sort that was useful, careful, and of good enough family on his half-blood father's side that it would be no great shame to tie a pureblood girl of good family to him-- though perhaps a second daughter. One of the Mountbatten girls had married a MacGuffin, which she thought was a better match (there were what-- four? five? six? of them, enough that Roma, previously to @jules 's ill-lucked infatuation, would have contented herself to remembering them as a brunette clump of girls who would follow in their mother's well-marked footsteps by marrying dubiously-British mages or younger sons of known lines to further assimilate themselves in) to have them more palatable. Still, what with the sudden affair, divorce, and taking the Mounbattern girl, she rather thought the newly-renamed MacGuffin would have something to say about her (older? same-aged? younger? by the bloody gods, there were so few years between them) sister's rather poor choice of date.

Speaking of Mountbatterns-- her eyes alighted on their son,and Roma glowed for half a moment. @jules looked handsome as ever, with Amycus's girl Anastasia on his arm. He'd done the right thing, unsurprisingly, as suited a boy with Nora for a mother. She returned the greeting to @thorfinn as he showed , and greeted Leda. "His mother, of course." She gave a fond smile to to @eleanor , kissing her cheek.

She gave an expected laugh to @fernando . "Lovely as we are, I don't believe we can outshine the lady on your arm." She gave a glowing smile to @loraine , resisting the urge to kiss her forehead. Oh, she knew @loraine was a grown woman well enough, but their daughter was lovely enough that Roma was thankful Fer had taken her. His glare would certainly be enough to intimidate the unworthies.

Isn't It Odd, That Light is Reborn But We Call This Darkness?

dress

Blanche had always enjoyed balls-- so much happened at them, so many opportunities for secrets and histories. She'd been raised in France, and even with an English father, she'd missed most of the connecting alliances, and ones she'd assumed to be firmly fixed had been fluid as unaffiliated families at times. She used French families as bases in regards with power and feuds at first, but they'd been so different that she'd dropped that within the first two weeks. Likely that they were all from small, cold islands did much to variate them, and that was the difference.

In France, there was sun, and where there was sun, there was warmth. The solstice marked the rebirth of the sun, where the hours would grow longer again, but Blanche was quite certain she'd freeze to her Lufkin seats before the sun hung in the sky long enough for the weather to grow warm. Winter was the death-month, where plants and greens slumbers (oh, how her fingers ached to chop) but the dead fed the new-born, and the cycle continued.

They were later than Blanche had anticipated-- @ivan had been at his studies (she'd learned when she first came to England that it was Death to disturb Ivan from his studies unless said disturber was one of his two mothers, or one of his two siblings) and she'd spent the time gauging his responses to judge when it would be safe to ask him to take her to the Lestrange ball. She was newer, she was half-foreign, and she was too French for all of her very English surname and Death Eater father-- her father that fled.

Blanche was fully aware that she had done nothing to earn her status. She'd been born into it in France, had been careful to guard her tongue around the more tolerant French than the British who knew places and bloodlines meant far more than the French would admit. When she'd gone to her father's home of England, she'd realized the simmering hate was the reason her mother had kept her unborn those long hours. Oh, she'd always known in the back of her head, why she wasn't born on May Second, but she hadn't been in England, hearing the reasons why. She was to be a small piece on a chessboard-- and British society, after all, had no shortage of eligible pureblood daughters within a few years of Blanche's age.

She was fortunate, therefore, that her name matched Ivan's, for though they were only second cousins, they looked little enough alike that others might forget and make assumptions. She knew her marriage would be last priority, and the only help she might receive would be if she increased her status, if she--

She kept her nose from wrinkling. Barely. "@ivan ," she started slowly, keeping her voice low so that only he would hear. "Forgive me, but-- that is the blood traitor dean, is he not?" Oh, that would be heady-- asking him if he was aware of the rumor about the blood traitor Weasley, but. . . no. She wouldn't lower herself to conversating with him.

There was a clump of what seemed like schoolchildren to one side; Blanche tilted her head to consider them. Ought she. . .no, they were still young, and Hogwarts gossip wouldn't serve her half as well. Mostly, really. Professors were always useful, but with Lady Bulstrode as the Head of Education, it would be dangerous to pry. The schoolchild gossip, then? No, that would be low of her.

"Shall we head to your mothers? Or have you acquaintances at Lufkin you would like to meet first?" She thought the first, but Lady @eleanor and Lady Roma Avery Warrington were with @loraine, Lord @thorfinn , and Lord @fernando . Oh, there was @jules , with someone not his girlfriend. That was a stroke of luck-- perhaps? It would be her pretty little neck if she mentioned that to Jules, she was sure. Lady @shi was with her husband, and the pair looked lovely. "Or your brother, perhaps?"