Hogwarts Ball - Arrivals

[fi_admin]

Date: Saturday, 03 March, 2001
Time: 5:00pm
Location: Hogwarts
Rating: PG
Characters Involved: Anyone who wishes to attend

Comments

Re: 5:30

[callsmyname]

She had pinned her hair nicely earlier that evening, and then barely put on any makeup. Just a touch of gloss, really, and a few swabs of mascara. It suited her dress, which was simple and somehow still managed to make a statement. Quite honestly, it was a bit more than Susan could take. But it was a dress she had bought back in America, and it suited her needs nicely. (Of course, originally, the dress had been green; it was only charmed white to make it look new. Not that anyone had ever seen it on her before.) It was also largely cost effective; the wonderful price of free.

She didn't really want to be standing around, looking like a lost first year. But where exactly was she supposed to go? She barely recognized anyone there... Would Hannah be coming? Because she needed a friendly face.

Searching the crowd, Susan spotted an old Gryffindor she knew from the DA. Dean Thomas. He was friends with Harry, wasn't he? She didn't know if she should say hi or not, but what good was a ball if she couldn't catch up with old friends? Blinking, she decided a short hello couldn't hurt.

Making her way through the crowd, she plastered the biggest 'No, of course I'm not shy' smile onto her face that she could muster. She may have looked confident, but when she spoke, her voice wavered a bit and gave her away.

"Hello, Dean. Lovely to see you."

Re: 5:30

[gryffndean]

After Dean had gotten his drink, most of his attention was focused on the many, many people flooding through Hogwarts' front doors. He was so focused, in fact, that he scarcely noticed the blonde girl that had come up to him until she spoke. His eyes shifted over to her quickly, as he couldn't immediately match the voice with a name.

Smiling, he faced the girl, and found that his mind was a total blank. Still, she obviously knew him, so he had to say something.

"Hello," he started, figuring it was better than nothing. "It's lovely to see you, too..." mind racing, Dean hurriedly tried to place the unknown girl. Not a Gryffindor, but she looks about my age... a Hufflepuff, perhaps? Oh, from the D.A.! Her name is... "...Susan." Dean finished, thankful he had remembered her before looking too stupid.

Re: 5:30

[callsmyname]

She smiled at him, acknowledging the pause before her name only internally. Of course he'd have to search his memory for any memory of her; after all, they had only ever sparred together. Not exactly the foundation of a lasting relationship.

Still. It stung a little that less than two years ago they had classes together, and now he could barely remember her.

Oh well. That's life.

"How have you been?" she asked, now obligated to carry on a conversation.

Re: 5:30

[gryffndean]

Dean had always been rubbish when it came to remembering names, so his slight fumble was really not surprising to him. He still felt bad about it, though.

"I'm not bad, really," Dean said, smiling. "Been out of the Wizarding world for a while, but I just got a new job, so that's good news."

Remembering his manners, Dean turned quickly back to catch the bartender's eye, in case Susan wanted to order something.

"How about you? Oh, and would you like something to drink?"

Re: 5:30

[callsmyname]

She smiled a bit, amazed at how many of them had retreated to the comfort of the non-magic world after the war. Dean and Hannah and herself... The three of them grew up in the war and all seemed to be equally sick with it. It was almost sweet how much they had in common, if not sad and terrifying.

"I've been fine. I also fled to the muggle world after the war. I lived in America with Jonathan Jacobs." Then, before he could ask, she added: "He was a Ravenclaw in our year. Not sure if you knew him."

Then, when the bartender deemed her worthy of serving, she continued. "Yes, um, a glass of champagne, perhaps? If you're serving any..." To Dean, she said, "It is a celebration, isn't it?

"Where exactly are you working?"

Re: 5:30

[gryffndean]

Dean knew that a small part of him would always feel guilty for running when his friends had been fighting. Still, it was somewhat comforting to hear that someone else had also found refuge away from magic.

Susan must have seen the way Dean's brow furrowed at the mention of her companion's name. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he was (unsurprisingly) able to come up with a face to match. Really, he needed to get better at putting names to faces!

"Yes, a celebration," Dean responded, accepting the glass of champagne from the bartender and passing it to Susan. "So that calls for a toast!" He raised his own glass slightly, tilting it towards the champagne flute. Dean wasn't sure, himself, how he felt about all the 'celebrating' going on, but at least the gathering here at Hogwarts seemed a bit more sincere than the parades it seemed the Ministry had been throwing all week.

"Oh, a solicitor's firm in Diagon Alley. Thompson, Bingley and Drake - I start on Monday."

Re: 5:30

[callsmyname]

Susan clinked her glass against the other, smiling a bit more. By now, her face had broken out into a full grin, exposing most of her teeth and illuminating her. If someone glanced at her in passing, they might assume she was truly happy.

And she thought to herself, I sort of feel like I am... She was certainly in a better mood than an hour ago, when she was sulking in her room about having to go out with her parents to a ball where she barely knew anyone.

Uh, and her parents were already trying to get pissed, if the giggling fits they were in already was anything to go by.

"I've always been rubbish at toasts," she muttered at her inability to toast to anything.

"I've heard of them, I think. In association with, um, well... A few attacks..." She became slightly less enthusiastic thinking of dark times. She tried so hard to escape it... But she just looked back up and offered, "Congratulations. Really, that's great for you. I mean, assuming you like it."

Re: 5:30

[gryffndean]

"I think I'll like it," Dean said, taking another sip of his Firewhiskey. "My dad..." he started, but then paused for just a split second. He still found it difficult, nearly two years later, to speak about his parents. It was as if every time he did, the truth settled onto him a little more deeply- They're gone. They're not coming back.

"Well, my dad was a lawyer- a muggle lawyer, and I worked for his firm for a while. It will be interesting to see what the differences are in Wizarding law, though."

Not wanting to dwell on his own sad thoughts, however, he turned the conversation back to Susan.

"America, huh? What are you doing now that you're back in England?"

Re: 5:30

[callsmyname]

"Ah, it's a highly sophisticate job. One involving exchanging goods for currency. I'm told they promote from within the company, so who knows... I could be going places."

There was a brief pause, to really build up the image that Susan had successfully built up a career in such a short time. Of course, she hadn't. But it was fun to play make believe.

"I, uh, work at a bookshop in Diagon Alley. Tressor Literair. I'm a clerk. But it's just to save up some money..."

Not that it wasn't honest work. It just wasn't where she saw herself in twenty years. Still thinking this, she muttered, "I want to be a photographer, I think. That's what I was training for in America. I'm always out of film, though."

Re: 5:30

[gryffndean]

Dean listened intently as Susan gave an account of her job, and smiled at her admission of her place of employment.

"No shame in starting out small- we've only been out of school for a few years, after all. Can't expect any of us to have become Minister of Magic or anything yet." Although, Dean mused, he had a feeling that either Harry or Hermione would make a better Minister than the current one, if what he was reading in the papers was any indication.

He cocked his head to the side questioningly as Susan voiced her goal of becoming a photographer. He couldn't recall ever seeing her with a camera while at Hogwarts, but as they really hadn't spent much time together outside the D.A., this wasn't really surprising.

"Photography? That's really amazing- I never learned much about it. All my limited artistic skill is in drawing, I'm afraid." He sipped his drink, regretfully thinking that he hadn't done any real drawing in quite a long time. "What kinds of things to do you photograph? When you have film, that is."

Re: 5:30

[callsmyname]

She smiled, and even laughed a bit before, at Harry or Hermione becoming Minister of Magic. Each were both more competent than their current leader, or at least in her opinion anyways. And apparently Dean's as well. Perhaps they could rally support, impeach old whats his face, and nominate one of the ex-Gryffindors.

Susan nodded at the question mark punctuating her hobby. "Yes, I picked it up in America. Took a bunch of courses. I prefer it the muggle way, honestly, and I'll photograph anything. Scenes, portraits, flowers, animals. I'm, er, very green right now. I sort of haven't figured out my message. I'm working on a series right now of faces of survivors." She cleared her throat and took a sip of her champagne. "I meant to enter it in the contest the Ministry had. Didn't quite make the deadline."

Which was sad, really, because it was a free way to display her work and try and make an impression. How many people here would be looking for a photographer? She didn't know, but with so many artists, there had to be someone. Right?

"Too bad, really. But photographer for fire, if you ever need me. I'll give you a good deal." She winked at him and finished off the champagne in her glass.

Susan felt ready for another one.

Re: 5:30

[gryffndean]

"We all seem to be survivors now, don't we?" Dean said sadly, shaking his head. "Too many people lost too much. But I think any way of trying to remember that would be a good thing- I'm sure you'll do a great job with your photos, whether they're in the ministry contest or not." Dean's drink was nearly empty, and he noticed that Susan's was as well, especially after she drained the rest of the glass. It seemed that Dean was not the only one appreciating the bar!

"I'm not sure when exactly I'd need a photographer, but I'll definitely keep you in mind," Dean said, turning towards the bar and catching the bartender's eye, motioning that they both needed refills. He offered Susan the flute of champagne that had been set on the bar, and raised his own new glass.

"Here's to moving forward," he said, a trace of sadness in his voice. "Merlin knows we all need to stop looking back quite so much."

Re: 5:30

[callsmyname]

Appreciatively, she picked up her glass and clinked it with Dean's. After taking her sip, she muttered, "Thank you," referring to the champagne. Then, in answer to his toast, she said, "Me in particular."

Susan needed some sort of wake up call, something to keep her mind in the present and looking to the future. The wizarding world had come a long way since she last lived there. Sure, it was still run by idiots; that would likely never change. But things had been rebuilt, friendships continued, new relationships could be found all around. Every where she looked, Susan found good, but she stayed in the days where everyone had to look over their shoulder to keep safe. It was amazing, really. If only she knew how they had done it.

Not for the first time since she came home, Susan wished that she had never left to begin with.

"Well, Dean, I've kept you quite long enough. I'm sure there are others you need to visit with. Popular boy, I bet." A smile painted her lips, a very tiny one which sincerely said she had enjoyed this time. "Perhaps we can see each other soon, then, yes?"

Re: 5:30

[gryffndean]

He smiled as Susan clinked her glass against his, glad to have run into someone he seemed to be agreeing with so much. His friends of the past few years were great, but all of this - magic, Hogwarts, even the war - Dean had missed being able to actually talk with someone who understood this world. He suddenly found that his nervousness at being back in the castle had all but disappeared, and for the first time this evening was actually glad to be there.

Dean nodded and returned Susan's smile as she spoke. "Thanks for stopping to say hello, Susan - it was great getting to talk to you. And I'm sure we'll see each other soon- maybe I'll stop by that bookstore of yours on my lunch break someday." Dean grinned. "And good luck with your project!"