Secret Blossom Ball Event Finished

- Open to Interactions -
- Mentioning @Aaron Jones, @Atlas Reid, @Opeila Seilun, @Pericles Dralt, @Sean Heart, @Rafael D’Spacito-

Time: before dinner
Day: Apr 25, 2020

The day had finally come.

The Secret Blossom Ball was happening, and Lydia couldn’t hold back her excitement anymore. They had been preparing for this event for almost a month, recruiting people to help with organising, setting up and spreading the word. When that Saturday morning Lydia had woken up, she had felt weirdly rested; it had been a while since that happened, her mind overfilled with worries to let her properly sleep. She had jumped out of bed and started preparing for the day, going through her usual routine of taking a shower, drying her hair and getting dressed - that morning she had decided to wear simple sport leggings and a white t-shirt, with a black hoodie on top and a pair of trainers on her feet - before heading out to breakfast. After that, she had made sure that everything they needed for the Ball was ready, checking especially the enchanted candles they had found in the Room of Requirement, since they would have been pretty important in setting the mood for the event.

After that, she had spent some time in picking out some flowers from the ground, since she intended to use them as a decoration for her hair later in the night, before heading back to her dorm. The rest of the morning was spent with Lydia doing a lot of self care things, from doing her nails to reading a book as a facemask rested on her face; she intended on doing as much of that as possible before she needed to head down to help set up the Pitch, this way she would have only needed to worry about her make up and hair, but she could have easily done both of them in the Changing Rooms.

Once she had lunch - she made sure to eat a lot, since she would have skipped dinner in order to finish preparing the event - the red headed girl went for a small walk on the grounds, soaking in some of the beautiful sun that was shining bright in the sky, before she decided to lay in the shadow of a big tree. There, with a light breeze caressing her skin, the rays of sunshine gently peaking between the branches and leaves, Lydia fell asleep, feeling warm and calm for the first time in what felt like forever.

She woke up some time later - she couldn't exactly tell how much time had passed, but by the looks of it, it seemed like at least a couple of hours - with a couple of ants wandering around on her arm. She gently brushed the off and then headed back inside. When she was back in her dorm room, Lydia filled her gym bag - a simple, black sports bag - with her dress for the night, her shoes and all the make up she might have needed during the night.

As the Hufflepuff girl headed towards the Quidditch Pitch in the early sunset light, she couldn't help the warm feeling she felt in her stomach, a mix of anxiety and excitement, at the idea of seeing her date for the Ball soon. She still couldn't completely believe that Rafael had asked her to go to the Blossom Ball with him, she did hope he would of course, but she never actually imagined him doing that. She had felt so happy in that moment, sitting at the Hufflepuff table with some friends, her face bright red because her crush just asked her out for the ball.

Lydia took a deep breath and smiled, trying to clear her head from the fluffy clouds that it was in; she had to concentrate on setting the whole place up, before allowing herself to get lost in a Rafa-train of thoughts.
Once she had reached the Pitch, she did her best to make sure that everything would have been ready in time, fixing up flowers and candles, tablecloths and food, before she hid in the girls Changing Rooms to get ready herself.

Lydia had chosen to wear a dress that her Grandma had given her for Christmas and that she had brought to school after the winter holidays; it was a long sleeved, long dress made out mainly of turquoise tulle and decorated with flowers on the bust and sleeves. Together with the dress she had chosen to wear a pair of small turquoise heels, some flowers in her hair and a backdrop necklace; for the make-up, she would have kept it simple, with a slightly pink nude lipstick, a turquoise eyeshadow on her lower lid, black eyeliner on the top lid and well, a lot of mascara.

Once she was ready, Lydia safely placed her wand in a small "hole" that had been done in the dress to allow wizards and witches to bring their wand with them without having to hold it (or at least that’s how her grandma had explained it to her), and then she walked back into the main area.

The pitch was completely immersed in a fairy atmosphere, making it look like as if it had come straight out of a fairytale. The flowers hanging from above and all around, together with the candles and lights, made Lydia feel extremely relaxed and as if she belonged there, in the middle of an enchanted forest.

And that was true, she did look like she was in perfect sync with her surroundings: her dress blended with the rest of the flowers, giving the idea that she was one thing with nature, while at the same time her strawberry blonde hair made her stand out, a splash of red in the middle of a sea of green.

Lydia had been dreaming of this night for almost a month, an now she couldn't wait for it to start; it definitely would have been a night that she would never forget.

Reducio

Lydia’s outfit for the Ball.

Atlas had spent all night tossing and turning as the butterflies in her stomach fluttered rapidly about. She had pulled off elaborate pranks in the past and slept like a baby prior to them but this was different. This was a ball. A dance that she had to plan and showcase to her peers and with no danger or fear involved she was quite literally out of her element.

She had spent the last month working with a handful of fellow Hufflepuffs, a Ravenclaw and a Slytherin getting closer to each of them as they planned out and decided on every aspect of the dance from entertainment to food and everything in between.

Lydia had asked for Atlas's help on the dance knowing her reputation for sneaking around and breaking the rules which had made Atlas feel included and needed even as her strengths were utilized to make the ball unforgettable.

The morning had been an absolute blur with the ball clogging up her every thought although she had remembered to eat lunch knowing dinner wouldn't be an option for her because she would be helping place the final touches on the dance. Scarfing down two grilled cheeses, some crackers, a slice of pie and some lemonade, Atlas jumped up from the Great Hall bench and sprinted her way to her dorm make sure to halt to a normal walking speed whenever she passed Professors and Prefects.

In her room, Atlas had emptied the contents of her Quidditch duffle bag on the floor as she stuffed in some necessary supplies, some minimal makeup her mom had sent her and gently she folded the wardrobe bag with her dress inside placing it gently on top of everything else in the bag before zipping it up and racing out to the pitch.

The other planners were already cleaning up and fixing the decorations and setting up tables as Atlas walked behind the stage opening her duffle as she carefully pulled out her dress laying it on the stage as she ruffled around her bag pulling out a few of the fireworks she and Ethen had crafted together the last couple nights. Pulling out a shovel, Atlas dug small holes to place the fireworks in to keep them secure as she packed the dirt around the first one leaving the top third open to the air to not hinder the firework.

Ethen showed up shortly after with a much larger bag as she helped him set up the remaining fireworks securing them behind the stage as she wiped the dirt on her jeans and stood up admiring their handy work. Walking around, Atlas admired the elaborate decorations and the entrancing design, an oversized smile appearing on her face as she was proud of their team to make a right no one would forget.

It was getting closer to the start of the dance and students would soon be scuttling their way to the Quidditch Pitch so being one of the planners, Atlas grabbed her duffle bag and wardrobe bag from the stage as she waved to Ethen blushing as she ran to the Locker Room.

Taking out her braids she had slept in, Atlas shook out her hair and patted down the flyaways as she unzipped the wardrobe bag, her heart beating as she puffed out her cheeks. It was extremely rare you would find her in a dress but she figured she would stand out like a sore thumb if she wasn't all dolled up, so slipping on the dress, Atlas stared at herself in the mirror realizing the dress her mom had bought was a bit too girly for her taste but it was too late to turn back now. Keeping her familiar and comfortable brown boots on so her wand could be secured close to her inside her boot, Atlas quickly rushed closer to the mirror as she applied some pale pink lipstick and some mascara still thinking she looked like a Jarvey in a dress as she let out an exasperated sigh shaking her hair once more as she made her way back out to the pitch.

She couldn't see Ethen and hoped he had just run off to the boy's Locker Room as she walked around nervously making sure the decorations were still secure and the food was set out as she waited for her best friend and other students to arrive.

Reducio

Ethen gave me permission to godmode him for the beginning part

Pericles Dralt was not necessarily the sort to sponsor a secret ball. The odd Ravenclaw readily attended covert duels, flocked to mystery and mayhem, but showed little to no aptitude for whimsical social gatherings. That was not to say there had been a shortage of dances in the lad's life. Those balls which his family used to host, however, were a far cry from something so romantic as this. Pureblood gatherings were all posh and posturing, involving many well-to-dos discussing profits and progenies, boasting about their business and heirs. At such soirees, the children were often expected to stand about awkwardly while trying not to look like they were having (any) excessive fun. Despite all that drollness, Pericles loved his parents and tried to uphold their expectations. Sneaking out for a youthful game of tag had been the extent of his boldness back home. Now here he stood, an accomplice to an entire affair, the whole Quidditch pitch turned a fragrant testimony to their misconduct. How was it, one may wonder, that a boy so keen on lying low could come to contribute to such a celebration? Two traits were to blame, really:

Pericles was very good at stumbling on secrets, and very bad at telling others what they oughtn't do.

It began with a simple overhearing: a gaggle of Hufflepuffs with one single Slytherin, conversing about where the ball could be. Pericles, tuning in from some far-away thought, absently interjected an idea. He rather liked discussing hypotheticals. It was Huffle nature to be inclusive, and before the boy could comprehend the legitimacy of what was in the works, he had been roped into the Blossom Board. His quiet comments about the prospect being less than safe were perhaps overlooked as the paranoia of a first-year. The others seemed so driven, so sure- how could he bring himself to insist otherwise? Pericles participated, evidently content to be a part of things, enough so to prevent him from spoiling any fun by reaching out to teachers. He instead invited groups to participate, made weak warnings to a couple companions, and dug out the formals his father insisted he bring along. Pericles could only imagine how his father's face would look if he knew what occasion they were being worn to.

The young heir's ensemble oozed formality. Between his golden epaulettes and the similar stripes down the sides of his trou, it was almost militant, particularly due to the leather holster holding his wand. Black silk sleeves and the Dralt family crest created a princely effect, though his boots were of sturdy leather, practical for dancing or sprinting away, whichever came first. He wore his favorite set of spectacles: thin wire, octagonal lenses, small enough to slip into a pocket. Sculpting wax and a comb had put up a noble battle against his hair. It was slicked back quite cleanly, all save a rebellious lock up front, which twirled instead when one tried to tame it. After fiddling with a bronze button on his cream-colored vest, he took a moment to straighten the boutonniere selected at the LGBTQIAP stand. It was a rich blue cluster of carnations which stood out on the pale vest like a blot of ink. He had a fondness for blue, though this could be blamed on his fidelity for Ravenclaw.

"Well done," Pericles was saying softly to those in the pitch. "It looks absolutely brilliant." For all his concern and uncertainty leaning up to the ball, the result was truly breathtaking, and inside the boy hoped he was wrong, that his paranoia about hags and half-giants wouldn't play a part in the event. This was new, it was exciting, and it was only natural for a person his age to crave a little fun. He supposed he would march around in a short while, scour the stands for signs of trouble. But for now, he waited with the rest of them, goading worries to the back of his head while scanning the arrivals.

Sean had been either dreading or looking forward to the event, he wasn't sure anymore - A lot had been done to make the ball the best it could be and he knew how hard the others had worked to make it a success. Dances and events weren't really his thing, he had been dragged into helping with the event by his best friend Aaron. Sean didn't know the first thing about a ball but still tried his best to contribute to the team effort and now it was finally time for it all to start. As he stood in the pitch with the others his nerves were at an all time high, what if he ruined it ? He was overthinking it, he wasn't used to people expecting anything from him and as much as he felt grateful to be a part of all this he was also scared that he was not up to the task.

Sean didn't have much fancy clothes so all he wore was a white shirt with a blue blazer and black pants. It didn't really matter too much though because he was going to spend most of the evening in the stands, where there would be less people. He wasn't waiting on anybody and knew that even if he decided to stay in the main area he would probably just be in the way. He had gotten a boutonniere from the LGBTQIAP stand, it had white orchids on it - He wasn't sure if they meant anything, he just found them nice so he attached it to his blazer. It was almost time, students would be arriving soon and Sean knew where he was going to go.

He hoped all would go well and that everyone would have a good time, it was his first time at a ball or any event for that matter so he didn't know what to really expect. He looked at the others and tried his best to smile before making his way towards the stand, he didn't want to be in the main area where students will probably be thanking them when coming in and Sean knew that they deserved the praise a lot more than he did. He walked in the stands where he looked down at the pitch waiting for it all to start.

Sean has left the pitch and is now in the stands

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It had been a grueling couple of hours setting up the Quidditch Pitch. Transferring all the necessary items from the castle to the Pitch had been quite a task, and they'd actually spent days gathering all the flowers and plants (hiding them under the stands in the days leading up to the ball). Sure, most of the actual decoration was done by magic, but it took a lot of stamina to encase thousands of candles with protective bubbles! And they had to levitate all the greenery and flowers and bubbles into place. Nevertheless, Aaron Jones and his fellow organizers put their heart and soul into the setup and it paid off big time. The Secret Blossom Ball was ready, and it looked stunning!

Lydia's idea for the theme was clearly perfect. The hanging vines, candles and flowers - tons of flowers! - were so aesthetically pleasing. A fairytale, she had said. Aaron would've had next to no idea on a theme for a ball, so he was really glad that she was on the committee. He was also really lucky that he had a best friend like her, who could offer such creative ideas. Not to mention she was great with spells! She'd really come in handy when it came to retrieving the school brooms. Since she knew the unlocking charm, he'd only had to carry them all from the shed to the pitch and set them up near the entrance.

Then, while he and Sean were helping with setting up the flowers, Aaron had seen Atlas and Ethen head behind the stage to setup the fireworks. He was especially excited for that, because it would be such a great surprise for the guests! He and Atlas had bonded a little over their shared love for Quidditch and the unofficial match a few weeks ago, where they had played together (Aaron as Chaser and Atlas as Keeper). When Lydia had brought her onto the Blossom Board, he had been excited to get to know her better!

His next focus was on the food and drinks area. While someone had already gotten a variety of drinks poured out, Aaron had been sure to grab a crateload of Yoohoo bottles from his dormitory and he spread them out among the chalices. He was positive that there would be someone out there who would appreciate them as much as he did. While he was over by the food, too, he took some of the mini burgers to snack on since he had skipped out on dinner (along with the rest of the team). Hopefully the teeny burgers would tide him over. After stuffing a couple in his mouth, he turned back to the task at hand and continued straightening out the Pitch.

When all was done, the place looked amazing and it was time for everyone to change into their ball attire. It was a good thing he hadn't worn his ball clothes while setting up because he had somehow gotten a pumpkin juice stain on his shirt. After a lingering look at the amazing setup, Aaron went into the boy's changing rooms.

The black-haired wizard shed his sweatpants and stained T-shirt for a yellow plaid button-up, a black suit jacket, and a pair of black suit pants. Aaron's mother had picked out the suit pieces over a month ago and owled them at the beginning of April - he had never told her that the Blossom Ball was cancelled. He glanced in one of the mirrors and straightened his hair a little bit, unsure why he was feeling just a little bit nervous. This would be his first ever dance of any kind, and he wanted it to go well! He hoped everyone who came would see all the hard work they had put into this.

As he exited the changing rooms, Aaron grabbed a sunflower boutonniere from the LGBTQIAP box near the entrance, wanting to stick to his theme of Hufflepuff pride. Re-entering the pitch, he saw all his fellow board members (and even Santario had arrived snapping pitcures!) and he beamed. They all looked amazing, especially-

Aaron's eyes were ripped away from a certain someone when Pericles spoke. He looked at the rest of the Secret Blossom Board with bright eyes. This was it. This is what they had been waiting for. And he was so proud of all of them. At the Ravenclaw Prefect's words, Aaron grinned and nodded. "We did so amazing, guys! This is going to be SUCH a fun night!" he exclaimed. The twelve-year-old turned towards the entrance of the Pitch and started welcoming the first guests.

Blossom Ball, 25th April, 8.15 pm

Opeila had dreaded that night as much as she had looked forward to it. At 8 pm, she had packed a little bag with her dress and shoes and put on Flash's coat. She was so nervous. What if they missed something in their plan? What if Vladimir was still a step a head of them? So many things seemed
possible.

When her Vladimir arrived, she got her wall up and greeted him seemingly happy and excited. The walk down to the quidditch pitch was what made her the most nervous. The gap, where he could easily do.... whatever he was planning. Opeila was convinced that the third year had planned something.

And she was almost sure that he wanted to pull her into it. Why else would he ask her to go to the ball with him? He had possibly used her before, why not try it again?

Luckily the first year was no bad actress. The whole way to the Quidditch Pitch she would hide her nervosity as good as possible, until she could finally enter the girl's changing room. She was glad that she had already made her hair. Two strands were braided and tied back, one of the girls had helped her to make it more curly and put some gypsophila paniculata in it. Opeila loved the white little flowers.

The dress she had already bought during the easter break, together with Willow. She had seen some girls with long ballgowns, something her grandmother would have never allowed her to buy.
Some white sandals with it, and a little bracelet. A cute outfit in the end, although she almost felt a little underdressed next to some girls.

With a last deep breath she left the girls' changing room and entered the quidditch pitch, which looked absolutely breathtaking. Examining the area she waited for Vladimir and looked for her partners in the planning of the ball, as well as her other partners...

Opeila decided to still enjoy this evening. When would she ever have the chance to have a ball on the quidditch pitch again?

Kara was nervous. A few days ago, Hanako had walked up to her and asked to go the Blossom Ball with her. She was surprised, he was never that kind, but he was stoic at the same time, as usual. She accepted, although blushing, looking as red as a beet.

She walked into the Quidditch Pitch in a nice, long dress, her hair was put up very nicely, but it had taken forever to get it to stay in place, and after thousands of bobby pins, it worked, and she decided, to take a little trip down memory lane.

In her hair, a nice, white flower was put on the back of the bun. Hanako had given it to her while ago, around age seven, and she had kept it ever since. She decided to wear it to the Blossom Ball, hoping Hanako would like it.

She looked around, she was one of the first few people here. As she was looking around, she spotted Opeila. Opeila was the one whom had informed her of the Blossom Ball and it's whereabouts in the first place. Kara picked her skirt up slightly and ran over to her, even though she was heels. She had that little talent of running in heels.

She tapped Opeila's shoulder, and Opeila would see a slight worried look in her eyes.

"Hey Opeila! Nice seeing you here!" She said.

"I'm a little nervous," Kara continued "I'm going here with Hanako, and I've known him, for forever..and he asked me here, unknowing of my giant crush on him, please help! I don't know what to do!"

Another year, another ball. These events weren't special anymore- not that they were in the first place. The young metamorph had no intention of going to this upcoming ball, in fact she wasn't even remotely interested in the events anymore- that was until the rumors of the secret ball, had finally reached her ears. It was concerning to say the least- not the fact that there was a ball planned in secret, but more so who was planning the ball. Pericles Dralt, her little Ravenclaw friend, somehow found his way into the mess. She didn't know how, or why he got involved in the planning, but he did. And she was not about to watch him go to an event that was most likely going to end in flames.

They were fools, each and every one of them. Did they not remember the last two balls that were held on the school grounds? Did they not care about the threats that resided deep within the Forbidden Forest? Sure the Quidditch pitch was well enough away from the forest but...hags do have legs. Perhaps they had a death wish- yes, maybe that was it. The prefect was hesitant to allow Pericles be a part of that wish, if that was the case- even if he wanted to be. Yes, the thought in itself was selfish, but that is what she was. She was a selfish person. This was nothing new.

She had written to the boy as soon as she had received news on the ball. So, for the first time ever, she would not be going to a school event to steal something, or hurt someone. She was going there to get someone out alive. The lioness had taken a week off, to get herself prepared for the upcoming shit show. The time was spent making some major adjustments to her dress, and trying to figure out a way to sneak a weapon into the upcoming party- since wands were hardly effective weapons, considering the spells that she had been taught. After some thought, she had chosen to improve the design of a rather crude invention she had used in the past.

Claws. For the Masquerade Ball, she had attached some earring backings and bent needles, to some gloves. They were quite effective, but being the little inventor that she was, she knew she could do better. Many hours were spent in her dorm room, observing the claws of her cat, Schrödinger- in an attempt to figure out what made them retractable. She never found the answer she had been looking for, but she found one that would work. After much experimenting she would find that she could mimic the unsheathing of a cats claw, with a simple spring and string mechanism. The mechanism was small enough to fit underneath the fabric of a glove, making it virtually invisible.

The fledgling Catwoman didn't necessarily need the hidden weapon, but the unpredictability of the object made her feel secure- unstoppable. The lioness would spend what little time she had left, turning her dress, into a blouse and skirt disguised as a dress. The idea in itself was a bit over the top, but she too was over the top, so it all worked out in the end. She was not going to be donning the brightest colors- if any colors at all, but her sense of fashion, and amazing ability to out-dress made up for that. She could still look good, without looking like she came straight out of a box of crayons.

The ball date, would arrive quite quickly, and before she knew it, she would find herself wandering down a well-lit path that led towards the event. Everything up until how, had just been a hazy blur, just like any other day. She couldn't recall how her day had gone- though she wished she could, she didn't want this event to be the last thing she remembered, once the night was over. The lioness would look more out of place than usual, seeing that her fat feline friend would not be accompanying her this evening. Schrödinger had been stored safely in the girls dormitory, before his mistress left for the night.

She didn't need to stop by the changing rooms, seeing that what she wore was something onlookers usually saw her in. She was just so odd looking, that her attire would be the last thing on anyone would question. She would be quite suprised when she stepped onto the Quidditch Pitch, for the heels of her boots, did not sink into the grass. Odd. The feline gaze of the little kleptomaniac would rise, as she took note of the floating candles, that decorated the sky. Her slitted pupils danced from orb to orb.

Despite the flames of the candles being encased, she couldn't help but feel uneasy- and morbidly curious as to what would happen if the bubbles were to pop. It looked as if the planners had tried their best to make sure that the night would be perfect. What they failed to realize though, was that the students of this school were extremely unstable. No one needed a candle to start a fire. Just a wand. And everyone had wands.

The metamorphs wandering gaze would lead her to something shiny...someone shiny? The shiny thing was on the person, so did that make them shiny too? She was unsure, but she did find herself getting that familiar itch to steal something. She blinked at the golden epaulettes, and then at their owner, taking a moment to register who that was. It was Pericles. The lack of blue in his clothing threw her off slightly, but she had to admit, he looked pleasant in black and gold. "...Pericles!" Her brow creased into something of faux anger, before momentarily relaxing. "I have sssome questions for you." She wagged a slender finger in his direction. "-Also, you look very nice." She nodded at him, her unfocused gaze wavered back to his shiny epaulettes, as she did so.

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Santario would have started her decent from the castle very shortly after dinner had started. She wasn’t worried about eating tonight because she knew that she could munch on the snacks that they would have at the ball tonight. She walked along the path in her black and white, high top converse pulling out her camera with no flash being used for the moment. She paused a couple of times on her way to get some photos on the ground of the path to the pitch and some pointing at the castle. She made the candle as the main focus and the background a little phased out. Once finished, she would stand up and brush anything off of her green and plaid dress, taking a moment to readjust the copper piece that held on her black cloth belt, repositioning her white rose locket, and then continuing to the pitch.

Santario made sure to get a photo of the armor stands where the brooms would be placed and where the boutonnieres and ribbons were before proceeding into the pitch and snapping pictures of those who were setting up. She wanted to make sure to get the whole process so that she could make a commemorative photo album for all of those who worked hard to make this happen.

Right before dinner was ending, she would take a break next to the entrance setting down her camera and her camera bag. She had downplayed her outfit for tonight because it was refreshing to not be expected to be overly formal. She wasn’t wearing any makeup of any kind, and her long raven locks were side-parted and allowed to cascade down just passed the middle of her back in gentle waves. Doing one last once over of her outfit, she would reach up with her right hand and grasp her locket whispered something to herself before that same hand moved to the secret pocket on her dress that allowed her wand to hide within the folds of its skirts. Before too long, she would pick her camera back up and position herself looking at the entrance so that she could take photos of everyone who entered.

Outfit | Locket | Hair | Camera bag