HOGWARTS GRAND OPENING BALL

[fi_admin]

Date: Saturday, 26 August
Time: 6:00 p.m. to Midnight
Place: Hogwarts Great Hall and Grounds
Characters Involved: Everyone! Don't forget to add your character's tag if you join the thread!
Rating: Hopefully not more than PG-13 - this is a public location, folks! Take your libidos 'home' for higher-rated stuff please! *grin*

Comments

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[mslavenderbrown]

She couldn't help but grin. Nothing had changed about Neville, it seemed. Not even with an Order of Merlin and being one of the top Bachelors in the England. Gods, but that had shocked her.
"Owls, huh?" she said. "They probably enjoyed their daydream potion." She bit her lip to try to keep from giggling but couldn't stop herself. "I'm surprised you haven't been mobbed already. But, of course, it's better for me." She took one of his hands. "Because we are going to dance, Neville. And then you can tell me all about what it is you've been doing. Working at St. Mungos? Seeing anyone?" She waggled a finger at him. "You can't lie to me, Neville! Drink up, and let's go dance!"

Her face was already a little flushed from alcohol and the whirl of dancing round and round with as many men as she could find. She ran one of her hands through her hair, looking around. More people would notice her out there with one of the top 10. She knew that Neville was probably not going to stick around long, so she better get him to dance as soon as she could.

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[forevernev]

No, the owls weren't too bad, not unless he counted the various marriage proposals, or the photographs. The ones whose subjects moved and striped off their robes with no shame at all...

He shuddered a little, taking a deep swig of the wine in the hopes that it would chase away those images. Not that he didn't appreciate them, but they were still a bit embarrassing.

"Gran's more interested in those owls than I am. Um! I mean...I didn't want to say that she likes to read them! But she's glad that, y'know, some witches are interested. Gran says I ought to reply to some of the nicer ones. I'm not sure about that."

He blinked at Lavender's hand around his. Dancing? He couldn't! He'd look a laughing stock! "No, not seeing anyone. No time, really." Recalling Lavender's interest in gossip back in school, Neville wondered if his answer was the correct one.

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[mslavenderbrown]

"Well of course someone's going to be interested, Neville dear," said Lavender. She pursed her lips together, trying so hard not to let out a giggle. It was hilarious how nervous he was. He was started to match the color of his wine. "Come on, then," she said, "Drink up, then, drink up."

She considered the owls for a moment. "Are you going to answer some of the nicer ones then, Neville?' She'd always thought'd he'd be happy with a nice Hufflepuff. "I'll help you weed out the bad ones, if you like." She gave the room a meaningful look. "I bet you have tons of admirers here tonight. You'll have to dance with both me and Parvati, and then we'll have to find you another sweet girl. How does that sound?" Her feet were tapping to the music. He probably wasn't very used to the alcohol the way he was sipping that wine, taking his time. "You just have to learn to make time for romance, Neville! And tonight is a night for it. Besides, you'll disappoint the whole wizarding world if you keep yourself shut up in -- what is it that you do now? Greenhouse work?"

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[forevernev]

He nodded, taking one last gulp from his glass and leaving it nearly-empty on the nearest table. A female house-elf hurriedly cleared it away before anyone noticed the abandoned glass. The wine made Neville's head ache a little, though he wasn't quite sure why. The pain wasn't too unpleasant, and it dissipated quickly. His Uncle Algie was fond of calling alcohol "liquid courage," and Neville was starting to understand why.

"I'm not sure. There weren't too many who're nice enough, I think. And they'd have to pass through Gran first." He couldn't recall how much Lavender knew about Augusta Longbottom, but he believed most Gryffindors knew enough about his gran's reputation from the number of Howlers he'd received over the years. "I appreciate you trying to help, Lavender, but really, there aren't that many to sort through."

His eyes widened at mention of Parvati and at the prospect of another girl to dance with. "You really don't have to do that, Lavender. I'd be willing to stay at the sides for now." How many more hints would he have to drop before Lavender understood? "Yeah, I tend to the medicinal plants at St Mungos, but I don't see how that's shutting myself in?"

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[mslavenderbrown]

As soon as both his hands were free Lavender led him out to the dance floor, grinning at him the whole time. "We never danced at the Yule Ball, did we?" she asked him. She recalled being a bit busy snogging Seamus that night, and then skipping off with Parvati for a few dances with Beaubaton boys.

His gran, huh? She had to sort through the piles of owls... Lavender wondered what his gran would think about her dancing with him right now. She helped position his hands correctly for the dance, not moving much at first because she wasn't sure if he would be able to lead. She doubted that he would, but, figured that she ought to at least give him half a chance.

"You can't just stay at the side, Neville. That's not fair for all the ladies. They've gotten themselves all dressed up in hope of getting to dance with handsome, eligible men, and you most certainly qualify. Are you so willing to disappoint them?" She gave him a false frown, batting her lashes. "Now, I'm lucky because I know you and I'm not afraid to come and bully you into a dance. But you'll have to be nicer to the other ladies and go and ask them to dance instead of it being the other way around."

She wasn't going to pick up on any hints. She felt a bit bad for Neville, knowing that he probably still hadn't snogged a girl. Now that he was so popular, he ought to find a pretty girl who would like his bumbling ways. Of course, being so bumbling, he wasn't exactly one to go and try these things without pressure.

"It's shutting yourself in if you don't make time for anything else, Nev. When was the last time you went out and just had fun?"

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[forevernev]

"I think they're much more interested in seeing Hogwarts rebuilt than in seeing me, Lavender." He chuckled nervously. Laughter usually helped to settle his stomach, but maybe the wine was doing a much better job at it.

"D'you think the list, that Witch Weekly list...isn't it a bit of a joke? I mean, Harry's at number one, isn't he? And it's pretty much given that he's tops in everything. Besides, I...why'd..." His brow furrowed and he leaned in close to Lavender, whispering so only she could hear. "Why'd anyone think I'm handsome? It's only for giggles, right?"

He straightened up a little, his back stiffening and his shoulders drawing back. "I do have fun. Only..." Only sprawling on a sofa watching telly while Trevor hopped upon one's chest wasn't everybody's idea of fun. "It's just that I'm not that sort of bloke, Lavender. The dancing and the socialising? It's not me, y'know?"

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[mslavenderbrown]

"Seeing Hogwarts rebuilt?" Lavender thought for a moment. Oh, yeah. That was why they had had this ball. She'd forgotten that. "Ah, Neville, the open house is for the school. This ball is for blokes like you and ladies like me."

When he leaned in close and asked her that question, Lavender wanted to giggle and laugh and chortle out an 'Awww!' all at the same time, but she forced herself to keep a straight face. "It's not a joke, Neville. Harry can't help being the top" -- where was, Harry, by the way? She was going to make sure that she got a dance with him. "But, look at you! You've come along way. Order of Merlin, First Class." She winked at him. "Not a lot of blokes can claim that, now can they? And of course you are handsome, Neville. The Top 10 isn't a joke, and you deserve to be on there." Not that Lavender found him very attractive for herself. But she knew that someone, somewhere, would find Neville attractive. And Lavender had a lot of experience making other men feel good about themselves. All that flirting to get free drinks and her tendency to flattery made complimenting Neville easy.

"Your hair looks absolutely spiffing tonight, Neville," she said, reaching up and giving it a little brush where it wasn't completely in order. "And keep a smile on your face and you are a Grade A charmer."

They turned along the dance floor and she tilted her head to the side. "The dancing and the socializing comes with practice. Of course there are some people who take to that sort of thing more naturally. I'm not saying that you need to go out and start breakdancing at a club, Neville. When was the last time you went out to a pub for a drink? A Quidditch game? Dinner with a few friends?" He seemed to be very edgy in these sort of circumstances, certainly. Lavender would make sure she got a few other drinks into Neville's hand when they stopped dancing. He needed to relax.

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[forevernev]

"No," Neville found himself agreeing. "Not many can say they're Order of Merlin." He'd only just come to grips with the award after months of others telling him that yes, he deserved it at least as much as anyone else on that stage did. He certainly deserved it more than Lucius Malfoy, but he couldn't shake the feeling that someday every single one of those accolades would be taken from him. The Order medal above his fireplace might vanish in a puff of smoke. He'd start receiving hateful owls from witches who thought him as hideous as a troll.

What had he done to his hair? Oh. He'd combed it. And still not very well since Lavender still had to fix it a bit. "Well, that's awfully nice of you to say, Lavender." The compliment did rise a grin out of him, even as his face turned near-red with embarrassment.

"I don't go out very often," he said, his lips tightening into a thin line. "It's just that I'm so tired from work, the last thing I'd want to do afterwards is go out and meet other people. That's always been a chore for me. Being 'round other people..." He stared warily towards the dancers surrounding them. "It's not fun. It wears me out. Always has."

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[mslavenderbrown]

"Not too nice at all," said Lavender primly, lifting her nose up in the air with a wink. She loved that he was blushing. She started smiling, her eyes looking around to ensure that they were not going to bump into anyone. "Perhaps you aren't told so enough."

All that Neville was saying didn't quite make sense to her. She could cognitively register it, of course, but ... Too tired to be around people? Gods, she felt exhausted when she spent a day alone. "What?" she said, her brow furrowing in confusing. "Not fun? I mean, gods, Neviille, not fun to meet new people or not fun to be around people? What about your dorm room mates like... Harry or Seamus? They're nice blokes. Other people from St Mungos?" How could he just be alone all the time? Didn't it drive him mad? "Mabye you're just working too hard.. or.." she didn't know what else to say.

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[forevernev]

Neville hadn't heard that too often, mostly because his co-workers were elderly wizards who didn't care less what he looked like. His penchant for solitude also made sure that he hadn't really heard it from his friends either. And his family? Forever comparing him to his father Frank and grousing over why Neville wasn't nearly as tall, or as rugged, or as good-looking.

"Don't you ever worry about whether other people really like you? Or...or if they're just trying to be nice to you cos they'll want something from you later on?"

He shrugged at Lavender's suggestions. "It's all well and good to be 'round the other blokes sometimes. I mean, they're brilliant and all, and I can relax a bit when I'm with them, but after a while, it stops being fun. I dunno. It's probably just me being the odd one out." Like always, he thought.

Oh, sod, he'd probably just brought Lavender's mood down a few rungs, hadn't he? Would he ever stop mucking about like this?

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[mslavenderbrown]

How did Neville know? She almost stumbled for a split second but kept going on as brilliantly as she could with Neville for a dancing partner. Of course she wondered what people thought of her. Of course she was afraid that they were trying to get things from her. Especially the blokes. Men had a tendency to do such things, and Lavender had begun doing her best to try to take what she could from them, too. She was ashamed of what she had done before to try to get the boys to like her. Of what she had almost done the week before and about what she knew, deep down, she just couldn't stop.

"Well, everyone worries about that sort of stuff, Nev," she said, a smile forever plastered on her face. Maybe he was right. Maybe everyone did really just want something in return. But -- no, that couldn't be true. "It feels like that a lot," she admitted, not letter her smile drop one bit. "But, when you think about it, not everyone is like that. I mean, I've got Parvati. We don't care what the bloody hell the other does, as long as we are there for each other." She didnt really understand why it would stop being fun for Neville. "Well," she said, thinking very hard. "Maybe..." But maybe what? What did she say to someone who just didn't like being around people. "Well, why do you feel like the odd one out?"

The conversation was certainly getting low. Not at all Lavender's style. "Maybe we'll find you a nice girl. With just one on one, no one's the odd one out." She grinned and started giggling again. Oh, who oh who should she match up with Neville?

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[forevernev]

He chuckled a little at Lavender's question. Neville had felt the odd one out since the very evening he'd been Sorted into Gryffindor. He never saw himself as similar to the others in his House, even though he was grateful when the others defended him against Slytherin taunts. But would Lavender understand? She and Parvati had grown up together, so she always had someone...

"I don't know, really. And it's not as if I mind, most of the time. I rather like being alone. Less things to worry about, that way."

Ugh, he sounded like a somber old wizard, ready to die instead of a bloke who'd just turned twenty. What was the matter with him?

"But I suppose," he added, eyes lifting a little. "Having someone else about wouldn't be too bad. I'm not sure what I'd find attractive anyway." A slight lie; he'd garnered crushes on Hermione and Ginny in the past. The question was if Lavender ever noticed.

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[mslavenderbrown]

Less things to worry about, sure, but... "Less things to do, Neville, and you don't need to keep minimalizing your life. You need to get

"That's the spirit, Neville!" She said, laughing as the music ended. "I knew you had it in you." She gave him a hard pat on the back and grabbed his arm, leading him back towards the drinks. She picked up two things off a house elf's tray and handed one to Neville. "Let's scope out the scene then, shall we?" she said, taking a long quaff. There were lots of nicely dresses witches roaming the floor of all sorts of ages. Lavender wouldn't even try to fix Neville up with someone older: she didn't think that'd work out well at all. "So do you like blondes or brunettes? Don't worry -- you won't hurt my feelings, Nev," she said, running and hand through her short brown hair. "I know I'm your favorite sweetheart deep down, right?" She gave him a wink. "Now... There's lots of beautiful women here. We just need to find someone with charm, class, sweetness and a nice body. It might prove simpler than you think."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Luna Lovegood wandering around. Loony! she though. A bit vapid, yes, but certainly sweet. Things had been rather odd around Lavender, Seamus, and Luna... But she had always been a sort of a nice girl, right? In the DA with both Nev and Lav. "What about her?" she said, giving Neville a poke and pointing at Luna. "She's very sweet."

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[forevernev]

"R-right," he muttered, still a little confused about Lavender's insistence that there was someone out there for him. Out there? In the Great Hall? Tonight? Couldn't he have some rest first and then start the search after the Hogsmeade carnival was over?

"Um, I hadn't thought about hair colour being that important, really. Does it matter?" He blinked, a little unnerved at Lavender's energy. What had he said about socialising tiring him out? "Well, I think your hair's nice." Was that the correct thing to say? It was nice, in that he didn't recoil in horror from it, and it did frame her face prettily. But he didn't think that was enough to help choose a girl.

At the very least, Gran would be pleased that he was making the effort to meet young women.

"Luna?" Neville's eyebrows raised considerably. "She's nice, but I can't imagine dating her. I mean, I'm sure she's brilliant and everything but..." He tilted his head slightly. "I don't know if I'd be able to keep up with her." He meant to completely understand her, but who could completely understand Luna Lovegood anyhow?

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[mslavenderbrown]

"Thanks, Nev," said Lavender, giving him a wry grin. Nice hair, Nice girl, Nice ball... "Glad my hair is nice," she gave him another nudge with her shoulder. "Now, listen, why don't you try a few other adjectives? Like ... Stunning, glorious, fantastic, wonderful, charming, elegant, beautiful... Don't just tell Luna her hair is nice." Because, Lavender was going to call over Luna.

"Luna! Luna!" she called, waving her arm that wasn't around Neville's side to keep him from running off. She had a feeling she might have to pin him down.

"Don't be so shy, Neville. I'm not asking you to snog her or anything. Dance with her, try to keep a conversation going. You're gorgeous and she knows it," she told him. "Any girl in this room would consider herself very lucky to be dancing with you. Okay? It's not a date. It's a dance. That's what happens at dances. You dance with a few blo-- well, ladies for you, and then if you like them enough than you exchange addresses. You don't need to owl her in the morning just because you danced with her. Don't worry. Just, pluck up." She said, grinning at him.

Re: 19:15 [7:15 PM]

[bluemoon_loon]

In the last hour Luna had made a near complete circuit of the hall, looking for ways to entertain herself. For the most part she simply watched the other couples dance and stayed secluded within her own head. That is, until she heard her name. Her head turned in every direction until she noticed Lavender waving her arm madly and--was that Neville with her? Luna blinked in response, then pointed to herself in a "me?" sort of gesture. Why would Lavender be calling her?

Well, might as well go find out. Clasping her hands in front of her, Luna walked over with a look of utter bemusement and intrigue.