The End of Year Masquerade Ball

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

The End of Year Masquerade Ball

Masquerade!

Hide your face, so the world will never find you!

Eye of gold, thigh of blue, True is false, who is who?

You can fool any friend who ever knew you!

Curl of lip, swirl of gown, ace of hearts, face of clown!

Drink it in, drink it up, till you've drowned in the light, in the sound!

Take your fill -let the spectacle astound you!

Masquerade!

(Lyrics from ‘Masquerade’ from the Phantom of the Opera!)

In the Great Hall the House tables had been removed. A stage has been put at the front of the hall where the staff table would normally be - a band in its place, playing with a big space before them for dancing. Circular tables were dotted around and all of varying sizes. A bar with drinks (non alcoholic for the younger students!) and a table full of food was positioned along the right hand side of the hall. Everything was decked out in dark midnight blue, gold and silver with the enchanted ceiling housing thousands of glistening stars.

The Masquerade Ball was ready to begin.

[Willa Abbott]

{ Kay well Darin says I'm not allowed to keep the posts together on one character, so I'll seperate them now. D: }

[/I] would have set her off. She'd make him sew it back together with his teeth while running away from rabid spider monkies throwing flaming feces, and she wasn't joking on that part. Smoothing a wrinkle from her stomach the Gryffindor rolled her shoulders back, slipping her feet into the black heels--oh yes, she was wearing heels; she had asked one of the older students to make a grace potion for her so she didn't trip everywhere, thank goodness--before checking her hair and makeup in the mirror. Grinning at herself but not before Echo of course had to comment about how she should quit gawking and get her mask on, Willa slipped on the beautiful mask before descending down the steps from the Gryffindor tower. Stepping into the Great Hall wearing what could only be described as the perfect dress, she entered the magnificence of the room, gazing out into the small but conversational crowd behind laced eye holes. It hadn't bothered her that she hadn't been asked to the ball; the only thing that mattered was having fun and finding her friends. "Noah? Echo?" She murmured hesitantly, fishing through the crowd of masks with a puzzled look in her eyes. Ah, well, she'd find them eventually. Heading over to the alcoholic beverage table she selected something strong-looking and lifted the small glass to her lips.[/size][/color][/ul]

[Blakely Wilson]

It was early morning when Blakely had heard some murmuring of other Hufflepuff's about the Masquerade ball. She was in the common room lounging on the chair after a very rough night of sleeping. Her nightmares had been getting more vivid, but she was working through them. Blakely's face had been spluttered with water throughout the morning because of the damn heat. As Blakely was about to turn down a night of fun, laughter, dancing, and creative costumes; Blake began to think about how much that would take her mind off her dreams. She would be up late and not get to be till early the next morning, she would get to be someone she's not for a change, and maybe make some new friends. It was a done deal, she was going!

That night Blake slipped into her deep, royal blue gown, with blue, yellow, and green sparkles all over it. She forced her foot into a nice hunter green material pair of heels, and twisted her hair in a tight bun. She sat at her mirror and pampered herself with makeup that matched her soon to be completed costume. Blakely stared at her mask for a moment sitting on the dresser, but her mind beat the debate of going back on her plan, but she grabbed it and place dit on her face. It was a peacock mask, that fit perfectly around her eyes and had a few feathers sticking up.

She left the Hufflepuff Common Room exactly when the ball should have started. Blakely walked slowly and carefully down to the Great Hall, hoping not to trip over herself. When she arrived she noticed a Gryffindor standing by the drink table. She looked a lot like Willa Abbott, but she couldn't be sure. She walked over and poured herself some punch. Afterwards she turned towards the girl and said,"Hey!"

[Noah Yves]

With a bit of help from his deck of cards, and a few glamour spells, Noah had put together a relatively decent ensemble for the ball.

His mask covered three quarters of his face; everything but the right corner, where the edge of his lips quirked up in a tiny smirk. The ornament looked as though it had been painted onto his expression, but the texture of it proved otherwise.

The design had been inspired by his Jester. It had grinned and pouted at him from within its card, until Noah had finally agreed that making the entire mask from the deck itself wasn't a bad idea at all. A small spade, however, was drawn onto the left cheek of his mask, right underneath his eye - the rest of it was a medley of aces, clovers and kings.

To match the dominating black and white colours of his mask, Noah had sought out the help of Lilandra - Narc's fashionable companion - to help him find a suitable dress shirt. They'd chosen one that was long-sleeved and black. but to her dismay, he'd worn it loose and untucked over a simple pair of dark jeans.

"You look marvelous,." The queen of diamonds purred. Noah had made sure to stitch her - with minimal injury - close to his ears. She was the least reserved of all his female face cards, and sometimes said the most inappropriate, yet amusing, things.

Noah's cheeks grew red, yet he wore a wry smile while running a hand through hair unruly and rumpled behind his mask. His eyes, the hazel colour alarmingly brighter than usual with the lack of colour on his costume, glanced around the room trying to spot Echo and Narcissus. "Think they'll be able to tell it's me?" He whispered impishly back, walking through the entrance.

Noah vaguely heard his name being called out from between moving bodies, and recognised it as Willa with a grin. He couldn't tell which of the glamorously dressed females were her just then, but expected to have it narrowed down by the end of the night.

[Erys Grace]

Figures, the masquerade ball would be schedualed close to her birthday. Ah, well, it was bound to happen eventually, and it wasn't as if this occasion was annoying or anything. She actually quite enjoyed it, and her mask was simple but pretty. She promised Ricky she'd find him in there--by scent, she assured she'd make it to him--but he had insisted they walk in together, so she'd wait by the entrance. Descending down the stairs, perfectly balanced as her heels clicked gently down the steps, the Slytherin caught sight of him and her lips spread into a smile. Shoulders back and head held high she joined him at the foot of the stairs, sliding her fingers through his as she linked their hands. She said nothing, leaning up to press her lips against his as her other hand snaked around his neck. Her dress was on the shorter side but it had enough length that the professors wouldn't go nuts and demand she tie a towel around her legs or something. "Shall we go in?" She whispered into his ear.

They needed to keep up appearances and such, but besides that she had made sure to request a better alcohol selection than last year's ball. Erys was dying for a drink at the moment, but it could wait, if Ricky was up for something else.. "Nice mask." She purred with a small laugh, eyes flickering up at him again. Some people probably wondered why a young stud like him was going after an old, yet dashingly attractive and sexy fart like Erys. Let them talk while she had her fun, it was all about her and him tonight.[/color]

[Cairo Blackwell]

There was really no point in coming to this event; she hadn't any friends to go with and her dress wasn't terribly exquisite, but something was drawing Cairo to the masquerade ball. Maybe it was the idea that no one would know who everyone else was behind the masks? They wouldn't the chance to throw things at her or avoid her if they didn't know who she was. Then again the mask she had chosen was a little revealing, they'd probably figure out who she was eventually. Stepping through the doors of the Great Hall as the light hit her elegant white gown she raised slim fingers to her hair, sweeping a curled blonde tendril out of her eyes as tears blurred her vision. Everything was so beautiful.. And Bryn was probably going to be here. Would she have to face him again, after his many attempts to earn her forgiveness? Oh, but she missed him, the stupid mule. Rolling her shoulders back and hesitantly stepping further into the room she waved to Willa at the drink table and hoped the girl didn't drink them out of the alcohol, she might need it later. The beauty of everything, the dresses, the masks.. It was so overwhelming, and for once she was a part of it. She looked so beautiful, so delicate.. Like snow.

As she floated through the half-occupied dance floor between slowly shifting bodies the Slytherin waved to Willa at the drinks table before heading for the food. She wasn't about to get drunk and fall over everything just yet; everyone knew she was quite the.. Excitable, drunk, more or less, ever since the graduation party she had attended. Remembering this as she lightly hummed along to the music in her high, bell voice, Cairo swept her eyes around the room, feeling out of her element in more ways than one.

[Willa Abbott]

[/I][/center]
It then came to her attention that someone had said hello, and, turning to get a good look of her, the Gryffindor relaxed. "You sound like Blakely." She replied cheerfully from behind her mask, glad the mask was pretty but not stuffy and didn't muffle her voice. She had been in a few of the same classes with her now and then, and ran into her a few times while tripping down the stairs. Luckily the other girl hadn't minded her clumsiness, and they became aquaintances, or friends.. Sort of. Sweeping her eyes up and down the Hufflepuff's ensemble Willa gave her a thumbs up. "Pretty dress! You look gorgeous." She remarked honestly, never one to lie to make someone feel better. Blakely actually looked amazing. As another girl walked up, one she hadn't the chance to meet yet, the Gryffindor offered a friendly smile. "Hey, I'm Willa. Forgive me if I trip and fall on you later this evening, hopefully the potion won't wear off until I'm walking back to the common room." She laughed some, resting her hand on the table as she spoke with them.

Swaying a little to the beat before realising she'd probably never recognise her other friends in here unless she ran into them or heard their voice, the Gryffindor decided to just go with the flow and roll with everything, be is it as it may.[/ul][/color][/size]

[Ricky Daine]

Great. Ricky had to go to this thing, what was the point in wearing masks? What if you lost your date to someone else? No, what if Ricky lost Erys and ended up with a Gryffindor? Shuddering at the thought as he walked down the stairs to wait for her. He was wearing a simple black suit with a dark green shirt with a robe which tied around his neck. His mask covered the top half of his face, showing only his nose and his mouth. It was shaped in the form of a cat, but around the rim and eyes had a noticeable snake like pattern. When he had seen the mask, he couldnt resist buying it, he thought it would be a funny statement since his girlfriend was a cat animagi. Of course, he hoped she would take it lightly like it was supposed to be. The mask was also a dark colour and the snake a soft kind of silver. It was silky to the touch so it didnt irritate his face, which he was glad about. Afterall, he didnt want his face to have to be constantly scratched due to irritation. Hearing a voice in his ear, he smiled and turned around. He was completley hidden, but he knew she would find him. She knew his scent by now so he wasnt worried all too much. "Be my guest." He spoke and held out his arm for her to take.

As he walked in, a blonde girl walked passed them, dubbed in white. His suspicions told him it was Cairo, but he couldnt be too sure so therefor he couldnt say anything about it. His eyes narrowed slightly, but you couldnt really see it through the mask. As Erys spoke once more, his mouth turned up into a smile as the blonde looked around the great hall. They had certainly outdone themselves this time. "Thanks, I rather thought so too!" He laughed before looking at her and flicking her gently on the nose. Something that stated either Ricky Daine was brave or had a deathwish. Many things he did to this girl could suggest he had a deathwish. "You look gorgeous by the way." He added as he wrapped an arm around her. "That should have been the first thing I said but you know I do things backwards."

[Bryn Kennedy]

"Lets not go looking like some form of silly feathered… thing" Bryn said flinging a rather large red and black fluffy mask back onto the bed. This mask made his head lull forward anyway it was so heavy. “Feathers… Tickle my nose” He spoke as he looked into the mirror scrunching up his nose and wiggling it about in the hope of getting rid of his itchy nose. Bryn was wearing a simple suit. The jacket was black and a little longer than usual, sort of like it had a mini tail, the pants were also black and the shirt was white. He had a deep blood red bowtie on and a red belt type thing. In his suit pocket was a red tissue, folded into a triangle courtesy to Brooke since he couldn’t do it himself. Bryn wasn’t used to these balls, no matter how many times the place threw them he could never quite find his dancing feet. Unlike Brooke. “Now. Mask.” He said to himself, almost as though he was forcing himself to get ready. Well I have to wear one, it’s the whole point of a Masquerade ball. Sighing he picked up a small and simple one, it was black and red and sort of spikey, but if he was careful he shouldn’t have much of a problem. “Least I don’t look like a bird, only a porcupine.”

Exiting the Common Room, Bryn made his way down to the great hall, despite the fact everyone else was dressed up around him, he felt like a complete prat. Dressing up wasn’t something Bryn did and when he had to, he didn’t like it and usually tried to avoid it at all costs. If it wasn’t for Ali and Brooke’s constant mithering, Bryn wouldn’t even be here. He wondered who Brooke was going with, probably Yorick or Toby but whatever, as long as they didn’t blatantly throw it in his face he would leave them alone for tonight. It was a weird feeling when Bryn told Brooke he didn’t care who she shown up with tonight, of course there were conditions and if Zayne hadn’t have stopped Bryn from rambling on with himself then Brooke wouldn’t have had a date he was sure. Sighing as he walked into the hall, Bryn took in the sights and felt oddly out of place. Even though you probably wouldn’t second look him in this crowd.

He walked over to the bar and got himself a drink and tried to stay hidden in a corner table. Bryn had already decided he would prefer to watch then actually join in, he didn’t do this dancing thing very well, as he looked down at his feet and thought about how Ali always said he had two left feet. “Yeah, well I like my left feet.” He said to himself as he ran a hand over the mask on his face. He had wanted to come wearing an Anubis Mask but Ali wouldn’t let him for obvious reasons and it now lay discarded in his trunk. Which was a shame since Bryn didnt like these things and prefered to make a joke of himself when he felt uncomfortable. Now he couldnt because he had actually tried to make an effort.

[Cairo Blackwell]

Dodging a near fiasco with spilt punch--thank goodness nothing had gotten on her dress--Cairo Blackwell retreated to the flank of the room, not daring to stray too far from the edges of the party as she circulated the room as best she could. Managing to get herself as far back as possible without any disastrous incidents, the Slytherin slumped as gracefully as she could into a chair at a back table without realising someone was already there, sitting across from her. Around the same time the music started to pump up, and the chatter of voices alongside the beat made everything sound different than normal. She wasn't likely to discern anyone's voice in the crowd now. "Oh, I'm sorry!" Her light voice trilled as she swept another curled tendril away from her eyes. "Could I join you?" Cairo managed to say to him over the hustle and bustle. From the looks of it he had quite the dashing suit, and his mask was nothing special but it did bring out his eyes some, whoever he was. "Not into the party scene, I take it?" She added for conversation, wondering why she was being so forward when she should be looking around for Bryn. She hadn't seen him in weeks, and eating hadn't helped the hollow feeling in her stomach. Like come on, she was skinny enough already!

"I get that too. I was looking for someone.. But he doesn't seem to be here." Cairo murmured, eyes downcast before she lifted them up to meet his. The stranger probably felt as overwhelmed and out of place as she did, if he had taken to hanging out in the shadows of the corner.

[Kayleen Wilbanks]

It was Kayleen's first year at the ball. She was not excited at all. She knew the girl would have her working all night, but she could still be fancy. She started by taking a shower and doing her hair. Her hair was pinned back with long hair clips. Then her dress was halter sparkly green coming down to mid thigh. She then put on long dangly green diamond earrings and the matching ring, braclets, hairband, and toering. She looked at her shoes. She put them on without thinking they were long green heels, probaly about two foot heels. They where going to kill her feet, but who cared. She quickly added her makeup and then it came down to her mask. Her mask was in the shape of a snake. A green one at that. She was ready.

She made her way to the ball, she was fashionably late. By the time she got there it was crowded. She saw a girl from her D.A.D.A class and headed to her. She was a hufflepuff, but tonight that didn't matter. She made her way over to Blakely, at least Kayleen thought that was her name. Blakely was looking at a Gryffindor girl. "Hey" she called. "It's Blake right?" she asked.

[Bryn Kennedy]

The place was packed full of people now, and more people were arriving. Bryn felt dizzy from the crowded room and the stuffy air and half wished they'd have done an outside ball instead. Under a gazebo or something. He knew the same amount of people would be in here, that was in here every morning, but with everyone stood up and half the room dancing, the room definatly began to feel a lot smaller. Hearing a voice he didnt quite recognise, Bryn looked up to see a blonde girl sat infront of him. Something about her was familiar, but he couldnt for the life of him place why. Smiling, he nodded. It was a free country afterall, anyone could sit where they liked. Bryn kept his eyes on the door, he had thought of asking Cairo to forgive him again but he hadnt seen her in ages. He was sorry about the way things went and hadnt meant the trap to be for her, but she was too upset to listen, and Bryn didnt blame her.

He looked back to the female who was joining him, though he didnt know who was under the mask, it would be rude to ignore her. "No, I have to left feet who think its funny to stand on peoples toes when I dance." He shrugged, his welsh accent muffled by the music. "I like parties, dont get me wrong, just not formal dances. Im not a very formal guy and its a little uncomfortable for me." He explained as he looked back to the door, wondering where Brooke was too. Though he didnt dwell on that, what she did tonight was her business, he would go back to hounding her tomorrow. Simple as that.

"I'm sure he will show up." He smiled at her, "I was kind of hoping someone would be here too, but I guess she's a little to shy to come down here." He sighed and swirled his drink around in the glass. Bryn wasnt one to hide in the shadows usually, as he was normally one who was doing something stupid and the light was usually on him. Scratching his head where the mask was, he closed his eyes and let a small yawn out. "I guess we can keep eachother company."

[Cairo Blackwell]

As he explained Cairo nodded her head. "I get that. I'm not as clumsy as Willa, lets say, but I'm not as graceful as.. Someone who is terribly graceful for their age." She fumbled with the words and ended with a slight frown, laughing a little at how hard it took for her to get that out. "My inner female is giddy at the prospect of wearing something so beautiful.. I just hope I don't ruin it." She laughed a little, glancing down at the ruffles and the flowers and imagining the scolding she'd give herself if something ever happened to it. "Yeah, I'm not sure about that. Hes quite the ladies man, he'll be dogpiled the moment he steps through the door, and then I'll never find him!" The idea made her laugh a little more, the sound still as foreign on her lips as it was the day she met Bryn. He wasn't as flirty as some other guys she witnessed in action, but he did attract many a female's attention. She was being so stupid, keeping a grudge like this, but she couldn't get over the humiliation she felt by someone she considered so close.. All the three weeks of their seperation she had mentally debated whether or not to march over and accept his forgiveness. She was stuck between putting up a front, another wall, and just letting him in again.

"And hey, I bet you'll find her. Even shy girls love playing dress up." Cairo winked, finding it strangely easier to talk to someone she had no idea the identity of. "I'll be right back, excuse me." She said suddenly, standing fluidly and making her way over to the drinks table. Might as well drown her sorrows in something liquid and alcoholic rather than someone else who probably didn't need to become an emotional dump truck. Returning to the table with the strongest beverage they had, she sat tipping the drink back between her lips and sighing as the drink jolted through her system and warmed her inside. "Thats better." She murmured after a moment, finding that he talked a little funny. Probably had some sort of accent, that was muffled by the music, she guessed.

[angelinagomez]

Ahh. The ball. Music, lights, dancing! Angelina smiled as she descended the stairs into the Great Hall, shoes clicking gently on the stone steps, her russet dress swishing gently. An elegant mask hid her face. She had curled her hair, although it was already pretty wavy, she just gave it some definition, and pulled part of it back, letting it hang freely down her back. Over her shoulders and chest she had dusted a fine layer of gold shimmery powder. Her eyeshadow was of the same color, excep a shade lighter, while her lips were a dark ruby red.

It would've been a perfect night if Angelina had had a date. Ah well, that didn't matter. She'd find someone to dance with. As long as it wasn't a Puff or Gryffindor! Ravenclaws were alright, but only a select few. Angelina wasn't someone who normally associated with people not from her house. So the Ravenclaws should've considered themselves lucky that the Italian beauty even considered talking to them!

Walking into the great hall, the girl stood, speechless. Everything looked amazing! She smiled and walked towards the bar, she picked up what looked to be a cosmo and sipped the drink, leaning against the bar. Her eyes moved slowly around the room, hidden by her mask. That's what she loved about masquerades, you could watch people, without them even knowing.

[corey]

It took a long time for Corey to be happy with what she was wearing. She must've stared at her dress for two and half hours as she sat at the end of her bed wondering how she was actually going to get into it. It took alot of convincing from her mother to get the dress she was now staring at. If Corey had her way, she'd walk into the ball in jeans and a flowing t-shirt, but her mother just wouldn't have it. It didn't take long to get her hair the way she wanted. She wore it down and slightly wavy, of course she had to use a few charms to make it stay that way. The only problem for Corey now was getting herself into that dress.

Once in it, she ran her hands down her sides as if wondering how tight the dress could get. She looked in the mirror and stared for a bit. She didn't like the way she looked, in fact, she was dredding walking into the Great Hall wearing what she was. She stared at herself for a long time, the dress accented her feminine curves yet also showed off her house color. As she turned slightly to view her back, she couldn't help but smile as the dress' back showed off her shoulders. Finally approving of her look, she headed down the stairs until she came to the doors.

She had almost forgotten to put on her mask before pushing the large oak doors open but thankfully it was in her hand and all she had to do was push it on, which only took seconds. Walking into the Great Hall was odd. She was alone, no date to speak of and there were only a few select students around. Some of them she could recognize by the way the held themselves and some of them were completely hidden by their attire. Figuring the best thing to do was socialize, she walked over to a couple, the girl wearing a rather amazing white gown and the guy lost in a spikey mask of sorts. She didn't care who they were at the moment, just that she needed to be around some people. Later, she'd probably find her own group of people as more entered but for now, she'd rather get aqquainted with the ones that were there.

"I have to say, that dress is amazing. It'd never suit me but it looks great on you," she said to the girl. She turned to the boy and smiled, "And you, sir, look dazzling as well," she said before letting out a small laugh. It wasn't Corey to actually compliment people but she was trying to hide who she was a little, if her attitude and appearance didn't give if up already.