Order of Merlin Ceremony - Dinner

[fi_admin]

Date: 26 May 2000
Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Location The Pegasus Hotel, Crystal Ballroom - Diagon Alley

Comments

[subtle_simmer]

Severus wandered the room more than was his usual preference. Ideally, he would have chosen a shadowy bit of wall and merely lurked, skulking in the shadows and observing the attendees - if this had been an assemblage of his 'peers

[nowillbutthis]

Daphne slipped into a chair, her eyes spanning the room as she listened to the hushed voices of people whispering in anticipation of the ceremony. She caught a flash of old schoolmates across the room and considered joining them for a moment, then decided she would prefer to sit and wait to see what happened.

She noticed Snape sitting at a table adjourning her own. Her eyebrow arched. At least the conversations nearby would be interesting. She wondered, not for the first time, how her former Head of House had come to take up with werewolves. It still amazed her how much things had changed after the war. Turning back to her plate, she began to eat quietly, hoping that he had not noticed her quiet stare.

[nowillbutthis]

Daphne looked up as the woman seated herself. Another face from Hogwarts, dimmed by all that had happened between the present and the past. She smiled quietly, trying to look welcoming although she knew it didn't come naturally to her.

"Hi," she added, eyes searching the rest of the hall to see who else was coming. "Enjoying the night so far?"

[muggle_fan]

Arthur rushed through the Pegasus Hotel, spinning about for some indication of where to go to catch his eye and point him in the right direction. Apparently, his dress robes gave him away as a passing bellhop did, in fact, point him toward the Crystal Ballroom with quite the look to boot

[weasleymama]

"Arthur! There you are!" Molly exclaimed happily, turning to wrap him in a huge and freezing the instant her eyes fell on his outfit.

Sweet Circe.... The color was enough to send her mind spending, but the frills down the front added a whole new level of horror to the...mockery of dress robes. There weren't any robes to be spoken of!

"Arthur Weasley, what in Merlin's name are you wearing?!" Molly exclaimed, half aghast, half annoyed. "I put out a set of perfectly good dress robes for you before I left. Where did you get his monstrousity?!"

[muggle_fan]

Arthur beamed with pride as his mind picked out the words his wife had said that instilled such a response.

Arthur Weasley, what...are you wearing? ...perfectly good dress robes....Where did you get this...?

Sliding thumbs under his lapels, Arthur gripped the jacket and pulled it a bit away form his body in proud display of the garment. "Brilliant, isn't it, dear? Came through the old office last week. Perkins, the mate, sent it right up to me. Knew I'd be coming to this event and thought I might put these duds to good use."

Arthur lifted one arm, pale blue ruffles peeking out from the end of the jacket sleeve. A pair of cuff links, barely hanging onto the holes in the shirt sleeve, glinted in all their mother of pearl and rhinestone gaudiness.

"But, Dear, do you think you could do something with these? I can't seem to even charm then to work right."

[weasleymama]

Molly was able to bite back the long suffering groan of a woman who had had to put up with things like this far too long and withdrew her wand, giving it a swift flick, causing the cufflinks to pull back and buckle together.

"There..." She said, shaking her head as she put her wand away, after deciding against attempting some kind of transfiguration on his outfit. She'd just have to suffer through it. Hopefully it wouldn't ruin her appetite.

"Remind me to send Perkins a proper thank you when we get home, dear," Molly said as she settled herself at the table. She was already writing the Howler in her head.

[prophecyofpadma]

Padma slinked into the dining room, drink in hand with her other arm slipped in Theo's. Her eyes swept about the dining room, trying to find a table that looked even remotely empty. They all looked crowded beyond belief, at least, at the front of the room. There appeared to be a few smaller tables mashed along the wall that were currently free.

Giving a slight tug on Theo's arm to get him moving, even if she knew that it was suppose to be him escorting her and not the other way round, she moved them both over to one of those smaller tables, resting her drink down as she slipped into her seat, not even giving him the chance to pull her chair out for her and cause her to blush at the action once more.

There were room for, it seemed, four people at this table, rather than the normal six or eight at the others. A smaller crowd would be easier to deal with than the larger mess. Turning her attention back to her date -- breathe, Padma -- she offered him a gentle smile, "More intimate like this."

What had she just said?

[nott_naught]

Oh thank Merlin, a smaller table.

Wait -- intimate???

Theo flushed slightly. He could scarcely call sitting in a room stuffed full of people intimate. And yet there was something...

He cleared his throat awkwardly and sat down as well. He didn't want to look like an ass standing behind his date -- oh, he just thought of her as his date, Theo was lost -- while she sat and ate.

"Er, yes."

Theo shuffled for an answer. "This is a ...crowded set up, isn't it?"

[prophecyofpadma]

Padma flushed as well when she realized the words that had left her lips. Intimate, bloody hell. What had she need thinking? She'd even almost missed his question. Luckily, the 'isn't it?' was on the end, rather than the beginning.

"Yes... I feel sorry for anyone here that happens to have agoraphobia," Padma said as she turned her attention towards the other people milling into the room. "Though, I don't see anyone on who seems to be on the verge of a panic attack."

[nott_naught]

"I don't believe anyone with agoraphobia would attend tonight," Theo said rather dryly. "Unless they were afflicted with Hufflepuff loyalty in the extreme."

And now they were both sitting at the table with red cheeks and silence. Although Padma seemed happy to move on to less awkward conversation.

Maybe next they'll talk about the weather.

[bluemoon_loon]

Admittedly, Luna was rather impressed by the extravagance of the facilities. The Ministry pulled out all the stops for this one... of course, that wasn't entirely shocking. Still, she moved to the dining area with a dreamy smile, one arm in Seamus's. There was plenty of seating, it seemed, and Luna entertained the idea of finding a table with someone they knew, but she didn't truly mind who their dinner company was. She was happy enough to be with Seamus.

Perhaps not Harry, she thought with a tinge of guilt. Her discussion with Seamus on Monday still weighed heavily on her, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to talk to Harry properly until she'd had a chance to speak with Tonks. And that would definitely have to wait till after the ceremony.

So, she turned to Seamus. "Where would you like to sit? It looks like the awards will presented there...." She nodded her head toward the stage and podium before looking back to Seamus. She wasn't sure if the awards presentation would affect his decision.

[safinnigan]

Seamus’ mood had much improved by the time they went into dinner. He was quite certain it was the company he was keeping. He patted Luna’s hand on his arm, part of him delighted to be attending an important event in the wizarding world with a witch of his chosing in spite of the irritating political ramifications of the evening.

“Luna luv, we can sit anywhere you choose lass, but we aught to be after giving our best then to Harry and Neville and Remus maybe some others.” Semus was hoping to at least have a word with Remus, whom he had not seen in ages. While he would be pleased to speak with some of the other nominees, he was not anxious to approach Professor Snape and would avoid Malfoy if he could; both older and younger.

Just then he spotted Harry in the crowd and started to lead Luna over towards him. “’Tis only fitting we greet Harry first then luv. He’s the real reason to be here, not that he’d see it that way, not at all.”

[ginny_afire]

Ginny was glancing around, her hand threaded through Harry's for balance. She was lifted onto her toes as she was wearing slippers rather than heels beneath her floor length dress. It was brilliant on the wear and tear of her toes but didn't help trying to see over the heads of the other witches and wizards, several of who were taller than Ginny and her five-feet and five inches.

Finally after peering around for a moment she spotted a familiar face, "Oh, Harry. It's Seamus. And Luna."

Ginny beamed. So they had come together. She gave a little tug on Harry's arm and ducked through a couple to come face to face with the other couple, "Hullo, Seamus, Luna. You look lovely today, Luna."

[broken_harry]

Harry was a bit too amused watching Ginny try and see over heads and crowds she'd need a step ladder for rather than tip toes to look around himself. Not that he needed to after she spotted Seamus...

...and Luna.

Mystery lass, indeed. It all kind of clicked at that moment. Seamus's confusion as to how this unnamed creature felt. The reason why he'd not wanted to give a name before he was sure. The way he'd been bewitched by this woman who had vexed him so.

All things Harry had no problem pinpointing to his knowledge of Luna Lovegood.

"Seamus." Harry lifted hs free hand to shake Seamus's. He then freed himself from both Seamus and Ginny to hug Luna briefly. His gaze, equipped with a raised brow and a rather amused smirk stayed glued on Seamus. "Hello, Luna." Oh, he and Seamus were going to have a talk later, no doubt of that now