The End of Year Masquerade Ball

[Polaris Stormwrath]

A ball? This concept was as foreign to Polaris as she was to Britain. And that was a lot. Not only was it a ball, but something called a masquerade as well. Luckily for her, she had received a large amount of help from some girls in her common room along with the people she had over heard in the hallways. Anxiety and nervousness plagues her mind and settled into her bosom as the day progressed and pressed on. It's not like I have to go anyways, right? I'm sure there are people who aren't.. I mean, I won't even know anybody so what's the point?

Despite Polaris blatent confusion and distress, come evening she was standing outside the doors of the great hall, all dressed up. I don't even know any body who's going. Oh well.. here goes nothing. The girl pushed the doors to the hall open, silently cursing herself if the noise had brought any attention. Fortunately, it hadn't, and everyone still stood as they were, lingering amongst themselves.

Baring a small smile at nobody's attention, the Ravenclaw made her way over to the refreshment tables, lowering her head and eyes to avoid any eye contact. The point of this thing was to remain anonymous wasn't it? That wouldn't last long for Polaris, her eyes were a dead give away. No other student had bi-coloured eyes! Even though her face was well hidden through a plumed mask and her lips were painted a light rose colour, she still knew everyone would figure it was her, unless they didn't know her, of course.

The girl had even cut her hair for such an occasion, which was somewhat surprising if you knew her well. Not that it mattered, it needed a cut anyways. Her eyes swept across the floor, taking in everyone's attire. So far, she seemed kind of out of the loop and singled out. While everyone's dress was either brightly coloured or darkly, Polaris' dress wasn't. Hers simply stood out among the crowd of colourful dots, but it's not like she minded. It was an elegent dress, she thought, albeit somewhat dark, but it was just to her liking. Who wants to walk around looking like a giant pom pom ball?

While filling up a drink of punch, Polaris managed to compliment others and mingle somewhat, but eventually ended up watching everyone else. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw someone approaching her, but merely stuck to the thought that it was someone else the person was after.

[Brooke Kennedy]

Brooke being herself had been preparing for the masquerade ball all day and had locked herself away in the not so ivory tower to make sure she was as perfect as could be for it. She had no date, nor did she want to, she wanted the night to unfold and see who would try it on with her. Corey would of been down there by now already and Brooke would have to meet up with her later. Right now, as she pulled on her elegant yet stylish dress that Miss Queens had made up for her, she fit perfectly in it before continuing with her makeup. Pulling on the mask, she smiled at herself in the mirror, as it was rather odd to not see the usual face staring back at her, but it would be good to hide behind some sort of alias for an evening. Brooke knew this would let her get away with a lot of things.

Brooke had chosen a blue ensemble to misguide other masqueraders into thinking that she was perhaps a Ravenclaw. The dress and mask would be misleading, but tonight was all about not being yourself for once wasn't it? As she made her way down the stairs, she smiled at some passers by, unsure if they could see her true smile or not, but they simply bowed in return in which Brooke promptly responded with the same. As she entered the room, the excitement got to her, and luckily for her at least she knew what Bryn was wearing, but he didn't with her. Her outfit had been kept as a surprise and she had even kept it from th other Gryffindor girls, even Corey. However she knew what she was wearing because she had left before her.
Seeing Corey talking to someone, Brooke walked over and tapped her on the arm.
"Would you care for this dance, M'lady?" she chuckled.

[Via Thorn]

This was probably one of Via’s worst nightmares, although the thought of it being a masked ball made it slightly more appealing. What made matters worse was that she didn’t have a date, and she was unsure if anyone else she knew of was going. Still, she had decided to make the effort and go, because things like this didn’t happen in Hogwarts very often. As she slipped on her dress she pulled out the last curler from her hair and placed her mask on firmly.

As the butterflies had a ball their own in her stomach, entire she gracefully descended the stairs not really turning any heads. She wasn’t the most dressed up there that was for sure, many girls with the most elegant and beautiful dresses she had ever seen filled the hall and the entrance as she made her way through, pausing, unsure why she had come again. As a dry lump formed in her throat, she thought about just leaving and going to the greenhouses and tending to them instead of wasting the evening here alone she could be doing something useful. Still, she promised herself half an hour before she left.

Walking over to the bar, she poured some punch and began to sip it gentle as she observed everyone around her having fun.

[Prof. Hikaru Tanaka]

Hikaru stood in front of his full length checking out his tux. It was simple but still nice. His mask was a bit fancier, but not too much so. Hikaru had never been to a masquerade before, and being the curious person he was, decided that maybe he should go. It would after all give him a chance to be reaquainted with students and staff.

Walking out of his rooms he made his way towards the great hall, smiling and nodding to people he passed. Reaching the hall, he opened the heavy oak doors and stepped inside. Everything looked so beautiful. They had really outdone themselves. Looking around the room, he could every color imaginable! It was as if a rainbow had flooded the great hall.

Walking up to the food table, Hikaru decided to help himself. He sighed softly, as much as he enjoyed the food, he couldn't help but wish for food from his homeland. Maybe he could talk to Headmaster Hubble? No, that would not be polite. Hikaru knew he should eat the food that was there, and not complain that there was no Japanese food.

Leaning against the table he watched all the action going on around. It was so curious as to how people thought a mask would hide their identity. Maybe it would for a while, but others eventually figured it out didn't they?

After all, a mask merely hid the face. It did not hide mannerisms, posture, voice, or anything else you could identify someone by. For example, if someone had walked up to Hikaru and started talking to him, they would eventually figure out who they were talking to because of his Japanese accent. That is, if they remembered him from last term!

[Carolanne Roberts]

A Ball. A Masked Ball even. The excitement showed on the Ravenclaw's face as she dressed herself. Her naturally pale skin had a glow to it as she straightened her hair and applied a little bit of makeup; mostly a purple eyeshadow and a soft rosy lipstick. Her attire was going to be a surprise for Max, she just hoped he liked it. Slipping on her dress, she twisted it a little here and there to make it flow the way she wanted it to. Her mask was a different story though. It was a barely there mask but Laney loved it, it fitted her perfectly, besides, Laney wanted Max to be able to pick her out from the crowd of students.

She ascended the stairs and stood outside the Great Hall wondering if Maxi was meeting her inside or out. Either way, she was sure she'd see him, unless he went all out for the ball and completely disguised himself. The butterflies in her stomach were enough to make her nervous. She started playing with her fingers and biting her lower lip. Should she enter? Should she wait for Max? Was Maxi already in there? Deciding to take a chance, she pushed the doors open and entered the Great Hall.

Everyone already there looked amazing. A few have already found a group to hang around with while some were just standing around waiting for someone to find them. Carolanne scanned the room with her eyes and smiled when she noticed nearly everyone was having a good time, it still didn't help calm her nerves however.

[Leyla Emerson]

A ball, that was a bit surprising wasn’t it? But, she wouldn’t be the one to deny anyone the chance of dressing up and going dancing or whatever they wanted to. Leyla was pretty excited herself as she shopped and planned what to do with her outfit. She was nearly bursting with excitement for tonight, though the fact that she had no one to go with did set a familiar unease on her shoulders. She’d find a group to socialize with, she finally decided, because there were so many people there, she had to find someone who would talk to her.

Leyla had surprised even herself with the dress she bought. It was bold, but beautiful, and hugged her curves. The color brought out her eyes, making them darker than usual. She ran her fingers softly over the ruffles of the dress, biting her lip at she did so. She stood in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection with a little doubt. The dress was so beautiful, could she pull it off?

Swiftly, she swooped down and grabbed up her mask. It was as elegant as the dress, and she sighed lightly as she placed it on. Leyla had already put on her makeup, making her lips rosy and only putting on a little bit of eye shadow. As she placed on her mask, she had to be careful not to disturb her hair, which she had worked on for most of the morning. The flowers were her own personal touch, since she seemed to have an attachment to them.

Alright, time to go. She made sure she kept a firm hold on her dress as she moved down the stairs, trying not to rip it. Finally, she made it safely to the Great Hall. Her heels clacked lightly against the floor as she moved forward, sucking in her breath to try to calm herself. Gently, she eased open the door, and winced at the noise it made. Nobody else seemed to mind though, because they continued talking to one another. Letting out the breath she was holding, Leyla quickly slid into the room.

Instead of heading right to the little dance floor, she shifted to sit in one of seats. Nervously, she tugged on her curls while biting her lower lip. She glanced around the room, trying to recognize anyone, but the masks hid their faces while their voices were drowned out by each other. Sighing softly, she leaned back against the chair and clasped her hands in her lap

.

[Brandon Rosenberg]

It was about time Hogwarts did a little party for the students. It had been a long time coming, but Brad was glad the night had finally come. He had been avoiding Bex all week incase she was going, and nobody knew what he woukd be wearing or what his MASK would be. This suited him fine, and as he adjusted his SUIT jacket so it was smooth against his shirt, he then pinged the mask over his face, over his gelled back hair. Yes, for this occasion he had even gelled his hair back. Weird.

Jogging down the steps, the noise from the ongoing party already in full swing, he remembered he had not even asked his little sister Lexie if she was going, nor did he know if Zayne would be there either. Still, he didn't care much, but hopefuly it would be a fun night without them. As he made his way around the party, laughing as someone stumbled slightly, he made his way over to a rather nice looking figure. Bringing his hand to his mouth, he coughed as another lady tapped the girl on the shoulder.

"I must steal this dance from you i'm afraid" he said to the girl in the blue dress. She simply stood there, arms folded before giving a small laugh. Turning back to the beauty in the red dress, he bowed and held out his hand for her to place hers on top of so he could greet her by kissing it. Tonight would be a one off, and his usual dorky self was certainly well hidden behind the mask.

[corey]

Amongst the small talk Corey was attempting to make, she felt a light tap on her arm. She turned to see a girl in blue with a full face mask who had just asked her for a dance. Corey let a smirk escape her lips. It must've been Brooke, who else could it have been? Sure, the voice was a bit muffled but Brooke couldn't hide who she was if her life depended on it. Corey pretended to act flattered as she brough a hand to her chest and gave a small giggle, "Why, I'd be delighted, Fair Maiden."

Just as she was accepting, a cough interrupted the two girls and Corey turned her attention to the masked boy. She was pleading for Brooke to deny on the outside by making a small frown but on the inside, she felt her heart racing. It wasn't everyday a stranger danced with you. This ball was definitely a good idea. He bowed and she gave a small curtsy before sending a grin in Brooke's direction. Placing her hand gently in his, she bid farewell to the group she'd now be leaving with a small bow of her head.

Corey could be every bit the lady when behind a mask. It was simple being someone you weren't when no one knew who you were. When the masked strager's lips grazed her hand, she felt her cheeks warm and she turned her head away with an embarassed giggle.

[Blakely Wilson]

The room began to fill with people dressed up as someone they want to be or something random they could find. Blakely wasn't one to say she was perfect or anything, but some people it was just obvious who they were. Right after that thought Willa replied with a "you sound like Blakely" it was then Blake felt like her costume hadn't done the job. She gave a nice smile and smirked,"Ha... you're right, it is me!" She laughed and then turned all the way to face Willa.

Blakely took a sip of her punch and then listened to Willa ramble on about how she is all clumsy and if she would forgive her for falling on her. "Oh no, i'm quite clutzy myself, so we should both be worried!" Blakely remarked,"And how cool you have a potion to make you non-clumsy... where'd you get it?" Blakely asked honestly intrested. It sounded really cool and Blake could really use it. "And thanks you look good yourself!"

She just stood there staring at all of the pretty costumes. People past, bumped into her, and just smiled and waved. Blake couldn't help, but wave back. She studied a few people, but finally gave up arguing with herself on who it was. Then Noah arrived just in time to make her feel not so stupid. His mask was great, but it was still obvious it was him. "Hey Noah, are you having fun yet?" She asked.

[Noah Yves]

Noah frowned at hearing his name. "Someone knows me better than I thought," He murmured to his cards and at once, they began whispering to one another disappointedly.

"Blakely!" He grinned, glad that she was not surrounded by many. He linked his fingers with hers and pulled the Hufflepuff away from the small crowd she was with, his smile only half showing from beneath his mask. The music was loud in every crevice of the room, and he was forced to lean into her to be heard. "Don't tell anyone you saw me," Noah's voice was a whisper, and for emphasis, the joker card stitched on the left of his mask held a finger to its mouth in a plead for silence. "It's a secret."

Winking, he tightened his grip on her hand and led her gently to the dance floor to their left. "It's nice seeing you again though - and Merlin, what a dress!" His eyes moved to glance at all the other dancing couples before smirking playfully at her in question. "And I hope you can dance in those shoes..."

[Ariel Trenton]

It had been a long morning. Ariel had been sitting up at her desk in her classroom. Gazing around the room, she couldn't help, but visualize students sitting there. It would be very soon that that vision would be come to life. She sat making lesson plans, tests, going over role-sheets. Ariel hadn't planned to go to the Masqurade Ball, she didn't feel it was for professors, but finally it got the better of her.

She wizzed through her dresser, but didn't find anything that was suitable. So Ariel began to panic, it was something that she found herself doing a lot lately. She left Hogwarts and walked nicely, but quickly down to Hogsmede, she found a wizardwear store and looked through their gowns. Ariel found a very petite yellow one. It was perfect. Then looking around at their accesories, she found a lion mask, for Halloween of course. Picking the dress and the mask up, she bought them and hurried back to Hogwarts.

The ball would start soon, so Ariel went to her and put on the dress, the mask, her heels, and finished her makeup. Once she was done Ariel stood at her lifesize mirror and examined herself. Her dress was a golden color, it had a shiney image, it was a halter around her neck and was very tight right above her knees, after that part of the dress it flared out. It fit her body and showed off her curves. The mask was a lions mask. It covered her whole forehead till right over her upper lip. It clung to her face around the ears and her blonde curly hair fell around it. She slipped on a pair of nice, but old golden heels and was on her way.

She entered the Great Hall and was amazed at its beauty. It looked wonderful. Ariel scanned the ballroom for a certain someone that she had been needing to speak too. Ah, she found the man, he looked right, quite oriental. She walked up to him and began to speak. "Hi, Hikaru Tanaka right?" She asked, with a smile she continued,"I'm sorry for being so sudden, but I was told you were the old Occlumency Professor? I wanted to appologize. I hope you don't think that I was trying to take your job..." She studdered a bit, but hope he understood. Ariel just smield to passbyers.

[Blakely Wilson]

She watched the other dancers as someone had whispered her name. Blakely turned around to see Noah, he grinned, wow he was adorable when he smiled. Anyway she felt his hands grip hers and he led her away from the other students. He leaned in and whispered some stuff to her. Apparently it was a secret that he was here. Why, she was about to find out.

Blakely smiled as she leaned in closer and whispered,"Noah, why is it a secret that you're here?" She led out a small, quick giggled and then got serious again,"But okay i'll keep it to myself!"

Before he answered he led her out onto the dance floor. Blakely was a bit clumsy and she had never been a great dancer, so what was Noah doing, trying to humiliate her? Then he said something. "Hm... I'm not so sure if I can, but i'll try!" She smirked and then joked,"But with that remark I think they can step of your feet!" She smiled and did her best to dance as gracefully as possible.

[Kayleen Wilbanks]

Kayleen was bored to the wits of her eye sockets. She had better ball's then this. She couldn't find any Slytherins worth talking to so she decided to harass a Hufflepuff student. She looked around the dance floor and saw a huffie with a Gryffindor, two in one she thought. This odda be good.

She walked over to the two girls and started off by saying "Look what the party dragged in, two clutzs" she had an evil look on her face. At least she was about to have some fun. She laughed her little laugh and waited for one of them to reply.

[Noah Yves]

Noah arched a brow at the approaching girl, eyes gleaming with amusement. "Three actually. Willa's around here somewhere..." He trailed off, scanning the room trying spot her briefly, before turning back to the two girls. "And anyway, despite her heels, Blake's very graceful, I'll have you know!"

He grinned at his partner, though they'd had to pause due to Kayleen's disruption. Placing his attentions on the shorter girl, Noah peered at her closely, only to finally realise she was a Slytherin. A first year no less. "Oh Wilbanks," he addressed the girl forlornly, hiding his smirk. "Narcissus will have fun with you." His voice was a soft murmur, as if he hadn't meant for anyone to hear at all.

[Polaris Stormwrath]

Being attenative as ever, Polaris' attention was caught by a small girl attempting to cause a scene. Poor thing really had to learn the ropes of being a Slytherin. The couple being 'picked on' was a hufflepuff girl she had seen a few times around and a boy she didn't yet know the identity of. Not that it mattered, the smaller girl should know enough not to disrupt such a night.

Walking over to the cluster of three, the Ravenclaw peered down at the small, first year. "Excuse me, little girl. Now isn't the time to cause a scene just because you don't have date or dance. So, if you could kindly step off the floor and stop bothering the two before any actions are to be taken." She said in a sweet tone that laced with annoyance.

Ushering off the small snake with a dismissive hand, Polaris made a 'tutting' noise. "Shoo." The Ravenclaw then looked to the couple and smiled faintly before bowing her head. "When pests come to play, one must not battle with words, but actions to rid them. Silly snakes. I do hope the two of you are alright. Now, if you could excuse me.. I'll leave the two of you to dance."