St Mungo's Charity Christmas Ball, 2016

Anita smiled softly, and replied to Lacey’s words with a quiet, “I’m glad I came, too.” It was true, she was still worried, but she had found people she knew within moments, so maybe she had worked herself up in her head before she even gave it a chance. Besides, the worst that would happen is she may end up bumping into someone, and really, that used to happen even when she was still able to see. As the young girl explained her clothes, Anita tried to imagine it in her mind. At first she pictured Lacey in a Ravenclaw blue jumper, because she knew that she was wearing her own house colour. But when Colin filled in the blanks, she could imagine it quite clearly. “Thank you,” she said to Colin for his help, before she answered Lacey’s question, “I believe I am. Your head of house helped me with it, but I do know that it’s Gryffindor red. Unless Professor Abel played a trick and has be in Ravenclaw blue. I do know that it reached the floor and has short sleeves with beading on the front. It feels pretty, in any case.”

Colin’s offer was a very thoughtful one, and she could hear the smile in his tone. It was one of the first things she had learned to pick up on in people’s voices. “I think that sounds lovely,” she agreed happily, “what do you think, Lacey? I know I’m ready to sit and eat.”

Listening to her Headmistress describe the dress she was wearing, Lacey imagined what it might look like. She didn't know what red looked like, but she could guess. "It does sound pretty. I like it," she replied. The man's offer was very nice. Although she was still nervous about being there, the idea of being at a table and truly out of everyone's way was an appealing thought. She liked how his voice sounded. It reminded her of her dad... "I.... I think that s-sounds nice," she said with a small timid smile.

Shinra, keeping his guard the entire time, at hearing this man offer something that his girl seemed to like, stood up and rubbed his great white body against her, positioning his head under her hand. Looking up at the man, he gave his tail a gentle wag in reply to his offer as well.

Colin smiled as Anita described her dress to the girl. He wondered how Lacey's view of it compared to what it actually looked like, but that was a curiosity that he kept to himself. Chuckling when the Headmistress commented that she was sure it was red but it could be blue, he assured her, "No worries. It is a perfect shade of Gryffindor red, and it is a very lovely gown, if I do say so myself. You both look wonderful." When both ladies accepted his offer to be his dates for the evening, Colin was pleased. Truthfully, he hadn't had a date at all, but he did notice how uncomfortable both Lacey and Anita were and he wanted to help them have an enjoyable evening. "Excellent!" he said happily, and fixed Anita's arm around his. He then reached out and slipped his hand gently into Lacey's. "My name is Colin, Miss Lacey. I'm very happy you accepted to accompany me this evening," he said quietly, just for the blonde. He didn't want her to feel uneasy about him, so he figured telling her who he was would help. Giving her dog a wink and a smile, he added, "Your friend is a very handsome fellow. I particularly like his tie." Standing upright again, he asked them both, "Shall we?"

"I live for it. Being in the spotlight. It makes me extremely happy." She said softly "Also, I love to be an inspiration to young witches. To show them that they can do whatever they want in life. Look at me, Im only 15 and I am one of the most known teenage models in Wizarding London." She said blushing a bit 
'
Tristan was about to accept his hand when suddenly he retracted his offer. She followed his eye to see a blonde Slytherin girl. She was a bit upset that he was leaving, but she did not show it. She never showed her emotions. She simply nodded and gave him her most convincing fake smile "Sure of course" 

Draco continued to look around and kept an eye on his children. He saw Altair turning away from a young Ravenclaw and frowned at his sons manners. He would have to speak to him later. "Well, Astoria, you are not as beautiful as you were then. You are even more beautiful now. And I would hope I picked the right tie. You are the one who sent it to me to wear tonight." He said with a small laugh "I feel bad being away from home all the time. You know why I took this job, to keep an eye on the children. I do wish you would consider taking a healer job at the school to be near us." He said in a hushed tone

The way it so obviously made her happy was enough to make Humphrey smile. He really had had no idea she was that popular, but he couldn't see why she would lie about such a thing. "Hey, we're all supposed to do what makes us happy. You're pretty lucky to have found it already. Is that blush what makes you so appealing?" he asked, thinking it had to be part of it because it was gorgeous.

Rose smiled as she entered the ball room. She had asked Jaxon Vice, of Hufflepuff, to be her escort and he had agreed. She knew of Jaxons affiliations, but she did not mind nor care. She smirked as a few eyes landed on her, she was wearing a rather... exotic dress after all. She knew it would blow her mothers mind when she saw it. Which was what she was aiming for, she was trying to rebel a bit, which she had never done before. She looked down at her dress and smiled, feeling very proud. She had on a skin tight black dress that had a large slit going up the sides exposing quite alot of skin. It had a plunging v neck that showed off her assets. 

dress:

Continued from Walk and Talk

As the stepped through the front doors of a ballroom, Cameron thought that the party had definitely taken off since he had gone outside and found Mackenzie, and he hoped that would mean less of a chance of her becoming upset again because there was enough going on to distract her. He lead Mackenzie onto the dance floor and turned to face her, holding out a hand as he bowed. “May I?”

Alice had manage to sneak out of the day care center and found her way to the ballroom. She was mesmerized by all the pretty dresses and walked around looking for a familiar face. A flash of red hair daughter her eye and she ran over "aunt amby aunt amby!" She said when she got there and tugged on the older girls dress "aunt amby!"

Mackenzie was in shock at how crowded the dance had become. She got Scarlett's eye and nodded reassuring her friend that she was ok. She took Cameron's hand when he offered it and gave a tiny curtsy "yes you may"

Scarlett smiled at Humphrey "I do my best to always be happy. I'm glad I found my calling early in life as well. It makes it a lot easier then trying to figure it out later on" she said laughing. When he mentioned her blush it made her blush even more

Altaïr smiled when the girl didn’t seem particularly upset that he’d let her down. He briefly kissed her cheek, as he would have were she a friend, and said, “thank you. I’ll find you later.”

Then, he approached Elysium quickly, though he slowed when he grew close to her. “Wow..” he said, not ashamed of how in awe he was of her, “you are.. spectacular. I don’t know how I can possibly believe I have a right to ask someone as beautiful as you, but will you honour me with a dance?” Altaïr hid it well, but he was nervous. They were friends, but that didn’t mean she would want to dance with him. But at the same time, he knew that she wouldn’t have shared so much with him already if she didn’t at least care for him. Elysium was not the sort to speak personally with someone who she didn’t know and trust.

Astoria smiled softly, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. None of her smiles did these days, and she knew that it would take much longer than it had been to get past what had happened in the past month. But she did care for her husband, and what he had said to her touched her deeply. “Thank you,” she said, turning to face him so that she could face him. He knew what he was trying to be reasonable, and she appreciated the thought that he wanted to be with her always. But there was a reason she would never consider doing such a thing. “You know that this position is my dream. This is the top healing position in the UK, love,” she said gently, and very quietly, “I couldn’t take a job at Hogwarts and accomplish what I can at St Mungo’s. But I do appreciate what you are doing.”

Anita was glad to hear the Ravenclaw girl agree, because there was a comfort in knowing that someone- especially someone trusted like Colin- would be around to guide them both. She was sure that this was probably the first big event like this for Lacey, as she was so young, and for Anita it was the first without her sight. Hopefully they would both get better and more confident with such things, but for now having someone willing to escort them was very nice indeed.

She laughed as Colin assured her that her dress was indeed red, before she said, “thank you both.” Anita kept a tight hold on Bash, as the man placed her hand on his arm. A smile grew on her lips as she heard him speak to Lacey, and it was lovely to hear someone not talking to her like a child. The young girl had been through a great many things, and she deserved the respect that Colin was showing her. The woman didn’t speak until she said a quiet, “definitely,” to Colin's question, but she did listen, not only to the pair beside her, but also to the other people around her.

Apparently talking about it only made it worse, and on impulse he leaned over and kissed her cheek before pulling back quickly, nearly falling over. "Merlin, I'm sorry. I-I don't know where that came from." he said, flushing bright red himself. What on earth were you thinking? You don't act on those stupid thoughts, you bonehead! He'd done stupid things in his life before sure, but...not involving a girl! And that made everything more...well, awkward, at least on his end. "Umm, I should probably just leave now, right? Before I make this any worse?" Humphrey asked, really in beyond his depth now.

Feeling a warm, strong hand take hers, Lacey jumped slightly, but quickly relaxed as the man, Colin, formally introduced himself and even complimented Shinra and his formal wear. Timidly gripping his hand, she offered a very shy smile and replied, "I-It's nice to m-meet you, Mr. Colin.... Shinra.... Shrina wanted to look nice for t-tonight, too." The way the man spoke to her was nice. He wasn't talking to her like an invalid, nor did he seem to care that she was so different from the others at the event. When he asked if they should head in, Lacey grilled both his hand a little tighter as well as a bit of Shinra's fur I her normal way. Taking his position next to his girl, Shinra also gave his approval to let the evening begin!

"No need to thank," Colin whispered to Anita. He couldn't imagine how difficult this had to be for her. Especially when she went from.being able to see to not in what seemed like a relatively short time. It was the least he could do, and he didn't mind it in the least.

Chuckling softly at Lacey's referral to him with a MR, he said, "Just Colin is fine, Miss." Taking note of her dog's tie, Colin added, "Well, he is the most dashing canine I've ever seen. Cleans up real nice." Aside from the dog, Shinra's, tie, he was a striking animal. Large without being overly so and colored in a way he had only seen a handful of times in the breed he was. Colin was sure this was a perfect match for the girl and didn't doubt the dog's ability to keep her safe. When everyone was ready, he gently led his dates to a table that would be near the party, but not so near that the music and conversations would be overwhelming. He wanted them to enjoy themselves, after all. "You three stay here and I'll be right back with a spread of treats," Colin said, as he sat Anita and Lacey, and gave Shinra a gentle pat. Double checking to make sure they were all set, he headed to the refreshment tables.

Elysium hadn't expected him to see her, or that he would even come towards her but as she stood there, feeling foolish in the dress with shaky hands, smoothing it down on occasion, he walked towards her at a quick pace until he slowed before her. He was at awe with her which he failed to hide but she too failed to hide her own awe at this blonde man. His words caused her to look down at herself, a strange warmth on her cheeks that she hadn't really felt before. "Oh you fool, I am not beautiful but thank you for thinking of me in such a way." Ever since her time in Azkaban, she truly was trying to be better and would often hide her crazy tendencies but with Altair, she knew she would never have to. She still craved blood  but with Altair around, it was increasingly easier for her to remain in control. "But I would desire nothing more than to dance with you, Altair." She spoke his name rarely, finding it so wrong to speak the name of someone so mighty compared to an Azkaban inmate. "However, I don't believe your family or anyone at this event will be pleased that you danced with me." Elysium couldn't hide the sadness in her tone, feeling the reminder of being caught under her collarbone.

Draco sighed and nodded to his wife "I know it is your dream, my love. I just wish you would consider." He took her hand in his and pressed a soft kiss to her wrist. He did despise not being able to see her every night "I will still make plans to come home every weekend to spend with you." He said giving her a smile, "I will not neglect you, my love." 

Scarlett was a bit in shock when he kissed her cheek. She stared at him for a moment, blinking a few times before blushing again "N-no no. Its fine. Really." She said when he went to leave. Part of her did not want him to run off. She was enjoying his company and he was alot of fun to be near. 

Tristan just nodded as Altair walked off and leaned against the wall. So much for that brilliant idea. She picked up a pumpkin pasty and bit into it before sighing again. She looked around for Kira and nodded when she saw her, she still had a job as a big sister to ensure she didnt get into any trouble

Altaïr couldn’t believe what she said. Did she truly think she wasn’t beautiful? Because from where he was standing, she was the most beautiful woman in the room. He knew almost anyone else would try to cover up their thoughts, but Altaïr was never ashamed of what he believed or wanted and so it showed openly on his face. He was particularly open with her, and so as he took another step toward her, he took another look over her. Because who could stand this close to Elysium and not want to take in every inch, commit it to memory and never forget any of her. Altaïr grinned when she said she would like to dance with him, but his smile fell at the words that followed. He couldn’t help it as he closed the remaining distance between them, and wrapped a gentle hand around hers. “If my family have a problem, then can go fu- deal with it themselves,” he said firmly, but quietly, “and as for nobody here being pleased... it would please me very much.”

When Mackenzie took his hand, Cameron smiled and stepped into her space so that he could place his hand on her waist and take her hand in his properly. The when started to lead her in a dance and he couldn’t help but think that she really was quite beautiful when she wasn’t caring what others thought of her. “Thank you for keeping me company tonight,” he said, holding her a little tighter though he didn’t do it on purpose.

Mackenzie smiled and took his hands placing her hands where they were meant to go. She had to admit, he was quite handsome. She didnt even care that she had no idea about his blood status, she just wanted to spend more time with him. As they moved to the music he held her tight and she smiled. She rested her head on his shoulder "Im happy to keep you company as long as you will have me."

Rose looked around and saw her parents and a smirk spread across her face. She lead Jaxon over to her parents and smiled "hello mother. Father" she said kissing her parents cheeks and waiting for the chaos to ensue on her attire. She knew it would be her father first, his temper and protectiveness of her being an all time high lately

Humphrey was torn, part of him wanting to hide in a corner after doing something so embarrassing. On the other hand, he was having fun with her and she was telling him it was fine. After a long pause, he repositioned himself in his seat, getting as comfortable as he could. "Okay, I suppose I can stay for a while. It has been nice getting to know you. You're a lot more...down to earth, than I would have guessed. So, what was your life like before the whole modeling thing? Was it always so glamorous?" he asked, giving her a wink.

Elysium didn't hold back her surprise at the look on his face and it was evident to her that he truly found her to be beautiful, causing her to feel more flustered by the second. He walked closer to her, filling all her senses and she looked up at him through her eyelashes, becoming more aware of the crowd around them so she too took a step closer to him. His hand shocked her, not used to being touched but she kept hold of his hand. She fought back a laugh at the fact he stopped himself from swearing, proving to her that he was too pure and good for her. "Then how can I say no to pleasing you, Altair?" She breathed, her eyes falling on his parents before flickering back to him and she simply thought 'Screw it', taking his other hand and placing it on her hip.

Anita thought it lovely how kind Colin was being to Lacey. She often heard people speak to young students like small children, and she imagined that Lacey being blind could make it worse. Especially considering even Anita herself was sometimes spoken to like she was a child and she was very far from it. When the man guided them over to a table, Anita found he was quite good at navigating, especially considering there were two people relying on him. When they were seating, she looked in Colin’s general direction with a smile and said, “wonderful,” before returning her gaze to the front of her. Her hand released Bash’s harness, and she smoothed her hand over his fur, letting him know that he could lay down if he wished. He would still be alert, but he could relax for the time being. “How is school treating you, Lacey?” she asked the Ravenclaw girl kindly, knowing that she was a Muggleborn and therefore everything would have been new to her.

As the Slytherin girl seemed to mull over what he had said, Altaïr simply continued to look at her. It didn’t matter who was around, or what they thought. There had been a war of prejudice not all too long ago. So perhaps it was time that everyone else understood that there is more to someone that simply what they appear. His gaze flickered in the direction of herself, to where his parents stood whispering to one another, and although he adored his parents and his family, he wouldn’t let their opinions sway him on this one. When she finally seemed to decide, and positioned his hand on her, it was as though the people who had been looking at them snapped out of it and returned to what they had been doing previously. “You’re amazing,” he whispered, his lips almost brushing her ear, and then he started to lead her in a dance.

Cameron listened to the music, and didn’t focus too hard as he lead them in their dance. It was better that way, and instead he just allowed himself to feel the music. Perhaps he’d taken a risk being so close to Mackenzie Riddle. He knew who she was, though he would like to think that maybe she wasn’t into things as far as many speculated. But they’d had a decent night, and she seemed much happier than she had been when they met. “Good,” was his simple, whispered response, his breath ruffling her hairline the tiniest bit.