Noxley Gala 2026
Noxley Gala 2026
July 18th, 2026
Guests who had received invitations to the annual Noxley Gala would begin arriving any time after 6pm on that beautiful evening in July. With the sun just starting to head down towards the horizon, those arriving would be welcomed to the estate by large floral decorations outside the front doors of the large English estate. At the door, Sylus and Hana Noxley (Leo's parents) would be standing greeting their guests. Sylus wearing a well fitted, black suit while Hana wore a deep red strapless dress that sparkled even in the evening sun. At their side was their son, Maxwell, dressed in a dark grey suit joining them in greeting the esteemed guests.
Once inside guests would make their way through the elegantly decorated hall to the ballroom. The ballroom was set up with round tables throughout the room, white table cloths laid out over them and unique floral bouquets gracing the center of each. Each spot at the table had a white plate with gold trim, gold silverware laid out on each side as well as two glasses set out for each guest for drinks and water. To the right as you entered the room was a small table that had the seating plan for the evening as well as some hors d'oeuvres and champagne glasses and glasses of wine, for the adult guests, and glasses with a tropical sunset punch, for the younger guests or those not wanting alcohol tropical sunset punch ; mango, pineapple, and orange juices with a splash of grenadine for a sunset effect, garnished with an orange slice. For the hors d'oeuvres they had a selection of caprese skewers, tomato, mozzarella cheese and drizzled in balsamic, as well as a selection of cheese and fruit, crostini and jams. Light appetizers to hold the guests over until the main course was served.
At the far end of the room a piano sat and the music from which filled the room. The earlier guests would be treated to Leo playing while guests arriving just before dinner would most likely find the piano charmed to play music on its own.
For the cocktail hour guests will mostly be mingling and enjoying the light refreshments. Once most guests arrived the Noxley family would wander the room and talk to the guests before dinner. Leo's maternal grandmother, Mira Kim, will also be making rounds greeting guests wearing a sparkling gold dress with a cover over her shoulders. She will greet each guest sweetly and inquire about family and such to make light conversation. Sylus Noxley will most likely be discussing business or his work while Hana would check on guests to ensure they are enjoying themselves. Max will likely be spending most of his time speaking to his fiancé and her family at this time.
reminders
do not godmod the Noxley family any further than what is written in this post, please owl or dm me if you have any questions about the family
remember to follow the site rules and each post must hit the min. 200 word count
there is no set time that you need to post by but I will make another post to move the evening along at some time but feel free to take your time and continue your posts as these posts are just for context on what is happening around the event
seating chart
feel free to move around to talk as well you aren't confined to these tables
table one ; Leo Noxley and family, @Estella Cain and family
table two ; @Marcella di Angelo and family, @Esther Meadows and family
table three ; @Rosaline Everhart and family, @Angel Dayes and family, @Fawkes Chaos and family
table four ; @Esme Hestridge and family, @Erast Yan and family
table five ; @Cecilia Merrick and family, @Blaize Valerian, @Kahira Valerian and family
table six ; @Dido Bleaklane and family, @Cinder Blaze and family, @Jrue Peterson and family
areas that guests can walk around in ::
ballroom ; where the dinner and musicians will be
terrace ; patio area outside the doors at the back that lead
to the backyard area and stairs leading down to the garden
garden ; they have a large garden area with a greenhouse
kitchen ; if you feel like sneaking off for mischief to grab
treats before they are brought out you could try to sneak
past the house elves to grab some
gallery ; art gallery room where they have multiple,
fairly expensive, paintings from all over the world
study ; if you are trying to find somewhere quiet to escape
to you can explore and find the study room where they have
bookshelves lining the wall on the one side with books of
all types, many magical books as well that Leo's father
and grandfather has collected.
please do not try to sneak upstairs to
the bedrooms or anywhere else not listed
Leo Noxley — pc ency
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Nadira Bakari — inpc staff ency
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Sakura Hirano — inpc ency
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| STA. 5 EVA. 5 STR. 5 WIS. 5 ARC. 5 ACC. 5 |
Metamorphmagus Year 1 |
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Noxley Gala 2026
| LEO NOXLEY. | NOXLEY GALA 2026. |
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───────────────────────────── xxxx coded by elena clark xxxx ───────────────────────────── |
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❀
He took special care with getting ready, made sure his hair was combed back neatly and that his outfit was free of any wrinkles or dirt. Leo even sprayed a little of the cologne his brother had gifted him, the same one he wore for the spring ball. While Leo always dressed a little more casually compared to his older siblings as a kid, today he was dressed up in a nice black button up dress shirt with a dark grey tie, black slacks and black dress shoes and even put a nice watch on to match. After checking himself over in the mirror, he walked out of the bathroom only to run into his sister. "Maya, why are you not ready yet?" Leo asked her as he realized she wasn't dressed or anything for the party.
Maya gave him a soft smile and patted his head before running downstairs and disappearing. He quickly fixed his hair again before making his way downstairs to the kitchen. He could smell the delicious food already as he walked down the hall and peeked his head in to see his mother talking with the house elf about the preparations. Not wanting to interrupt he backed out and made his way down the hallway to the ballroom and found his father and brother standing in the middle of the room talking while his grandmother sat at one of the tables near them. She waved him over and he smiled before running over to her. "You look so handsome, so grown up." She complimented him and took his hand to make him turn around for her.
"He must have his girlfriend coming tonight." Max teased and Leo shot him a glare before his father stepped in. "Don't tease your brother and get him worked up before guests arrive." Of course, he was more worried about Leo accidentally showing his abilities than anything else.
Leo took the seat beside his grandmother and she held his hand in her own. "Don't listen to those two," she said and smiled. "I know, I know." He sighed and said back softly.
Hana called from the doorway to the ballroom, "Sylus, it is almost time for guests to start arriving." She turned her gaze to Leo and gave a small smile as she looked him over. "You look wonderful, dear. Why don't you go sit at the piano and get warmed up so you can play for the guests as they come in? Sylus, Maxwell, come." She was truly the one in charge of everything tonight, from start to finish.
Leo let out another sigh as he locked eyes with his grandmother again who gave him a nod. He walked slowly over to the piano, sitting down on the piano bench and starting some scales. In a little while the whole room would be filled with guests and once they were settled in he would be excused from the piano to join the party for dinner. He just had to endure the playing for a little while.
When he noticed the first guests arriving he quickly sat upright and started properly playing. He glanced around the room as people started entering and grabbing refreshments, still waiting to see a certain brunette walk in.❀
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mentions ; @Rosaline Everhart
outfit ;Reducio
Last edited by Leo Noxley on 14 Jul 2026, 04:29, edited 1 time in total.
Leo Noxley — pc ency
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Nadira Bakari — inpc staff ency
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Sakura Hirano — inpc ency
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| STA. 5 EVA. 5 STR. 5 WIS. 5 ARC. 5 ACC. 5 |
Metamorphmagus Year 1 |
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Noxley Gala 2026
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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━sta 06|eva 07| str 03| wis 09| arc 07| acc 08━━━━━━ Prodigal Astronomy Learner | Wandmaker ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Tiring. Tiring is what balls and galas were to her. Fawkes had to be dragged to these types of events whenever they happened. She never enjoyed going for them. There was too much talk of the most random subjects. And don't get her started on waltzing. That was old people's dance. Now ice dancing on the other hand was gorgeous. It was elegant, beautiful and a testament to the amount of practice done for it.
She was getting off topic. The point was that she didn't want to go for balls and galas. But being the oldest child of the Chaos family's line of succession meant she had to attend. While her younger brothers were left back at home with her cousins, she was here, in one of her star themed dresses, attending the Noxley Gala.
The one thing she had going for her was the fact she would actually know people at this gala. A bunch of her fellow first- well second years now, were also attending the event. Thankfully, she knew quite a few of them. But they weren't here yet. Or if they were, she was blind and couldn't find them. Her parents were making rounds to say hello. Fawkes just stood besides them smiling.
This was getting boring. She went to admire the floral arrangements instead. They were beautifully done. She reached out to touch them before stopping herself. She shook her head and moved away. It would be bad manners to touch them. She sighed and moved over to their assigned table. Her parents were still conversing around. She pulled her wand out of her dress pocket. She was warned not to bring it but she did anyways. It wasn't her old snallygaster one but the new phoenix feathered core wand. She had to be careful with it, get used to it before anything else.
She admired it while sitting there. The alder wood used for it was stunning. It was lighter than most wands but that added to its beauty. She smiled. Her great-grandfather truly had an eye for things like this. She put her wand back into her pocket while she looked around looking to find someone to talk to.
If you feel lost look up at the night sky. The stars will light your path!
Shop!: The Starlight Observatory
Noxley Gala 2026
time: July.18 2026
speech/thoughts
location: Noxley Estate
mention: @Leo Noxley
ooc: open for interaction!
wc: 498
—ᥫ᭡—
It was last minute that the Dayes family had been invited to the Noxley Gala for the summer. This was the second event, besides the ball from the Van Elsts. Events like these, were usually grand and hosted elevated names. Angel, looked over the letter once more before their arrival at the Noxley estate. A review came to her mind. This event will invite families who had a considerate reputation. Replayed in her mind twice. Her classmates, will probably arrive here likewise. It was already obvious to her, but she felt watched and perhaps followed when seeing her clsssmates everywhere.
"I wonder, will anyone else I know be there as well?"
The limousine was brushing past the pavement as the driver took a turn. Nearly there. Of course the destination would be much further than she thought it would. The trees swayed under the dimly lighted summer skies. Now the sunset showed different colors of many variety. From warm hues to cool dark contrasts. It was simply ethereal, it took her breath just for a moment.
The warmth of the air caresses her skin softly. Her long raven hair swayed vigorously. The sun shining brightly as ever. The world stopped for what seemed like a minute. The world paused in tableau. A canvas filled with subjects and contrasting views. Her mother, turned swiftly, possibly checking the time. Time. A funny thing, time. It did not wait for anyone, and she could not wait for it.
"Would you mind if we can pace ourselves? I do not want to be tardy." said her mother to Fenwick.
"Of course Mrs.Dayes. It shouldn't be long now." he replied
The only thing Angel wanted was her mood to turn a full swing. This whole ordeal was losing her every second. If one were to ask where she was, she would only shake her head in ailment. The very thought of knowing sickens her.
At last they had arrived. The area was very grand. Though she would find herself amazed and in awe, her mother came in with a rather unexpected presence. Knowing purebloods, they would not expect a muggle to be here, much less people with half heritages. Nevertheless, it would not be in vain, as their heels pierced the ground, they would soon be greeted by the Noxley family. Leo as always was there and putted a great attire. That was her impression of him as always. A nice lad.
"Mr.Noxley, I thank you for your invitation to your gala. It has been my pleasure." her words directed straight to Leo. Her tone and pronunciation was once again vastly contrasting to her porcelain demeanor. A miss match all the time. Her view panned towards the table. Table three, where her family were to reside in their stay here. That'll do.
As she settled her bag across the embroidered chairs, she sat quietly. The scene was set, it was now time for more characters and the full cast to come.
"This skyscraper's causing vertigo"
vibe
INPC: Chelsea Mitzchel
Noxley Gala 2026
"Don't slouch, dearest, you'll look like a slob-" came from the glamorous woman beside Jrue, white satin gloved fingers patting her on the back. The coiled and curled hair of Jrue’ own was draped along her shoulders. She turned to her grandmother, eyes blinking without thought behind them. “I’m not slouching, Grandmo-“ Her grandmother swatted the top of her head with a feathered fan, and she sighed, family making their way into the lovely building.
Jrue’s summer had been spent with her Grandparents. Not that there was in issue with it, she loved her grandparents! But that meant she had to follow them to their wizarding parties and charities and numerous activities. They were mostly quite boring, Jrue would admit. Not many people her age. Her mother had to keep reminding her to be grateful for the experience. Jrue would simply roll her eyes reading her mother’s owls. They were always a marvel, and grand, and the food was always delicious, she had to admit. As her and her grandparents made their way into the beautiful home, she eyed the glittering pillars and chandeliers.
Her floor length dress flowed around her ankles, shimmering as she walked. Maybe this party won’t be as much of a bore— the thought made her hopeful, beelining towards the snack table. Little slices of bread and tomatoes were just what she wanted. Taking a bountiful handful and hiding them behind her back, she eyed the party goers, laughing and chattering amongst each other. Her grandparents had found themselves another pair of oldies to talk to, leaving Jrue to herself. Shoving an appetizer into her mouth, she gazed at a table, with three little markers labeled McNamarin- her mothers maiden name.
Finding her way to the table, the elegant music that filled the ballroom was charming her and keeping her occupied. She threw the hors d’ouerves onto the glittering plate, wiping her hands on the napkin beside it. “Darling Jrue~” Her grandmother beckoned her over, and the girl let out a heavy, unsatisfied grumble. Standing up, she grinned at her grandparents, standing beside them. Her grandmother wasn’t much taller than her, with white straight hair that sat just above her shoulders. She placed a hand on Jrue’s lower back, introducing her to another lady.
She dealt with this several times over the first what felt like hours that they were there. In reality, it was only a mere 10 minutes of meeting her grandmothers friends. “…attending Hogwarts,” “…such a fine young woman!” “…even a prefect!” they bragged, showing her off. As they walked away from another friend of theirs, she turned to her grandmother and sighed. “Who’s party even is this? Did I meet them already? Does it mean we can go now—” Mrs. McNamarin guffawed, shaking her head. “The Noxleys. Lovely family. We haven’t had the chance, they’re out front. Just be patient, dear girl, before I turn you into a teacup.”
Noxley… Where had she heard that name before? It seemed awfully familiar- maybe she had just briefly listened to it in her grandparents conversations. She crossed her arms, throwing her head back in annoyance and gazing at the intricate ceiling.
522/200
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Noxley Gala 2026
Banner by Tes Cadell
I sighed as I walked towards the Noxley Mansion. My Grandma had decided that it was important for me to start making connections to other pure-blood families, and so she accepted the fancy invitation that came through owl post, to a manor house in England.
After getting all dressed up, much to my disgust, in a fancy dress, that I would've rather never touched, we set off through floo powder, to the Leaky Cauldron, in Diagon alley. From there, we walked, me, my Grandma, and Aunt Spark and Uncle Thomas.
Soon, we arrived at the door. But, while I was about to walk in, my Grandma pulled my to the side slightly.
"Cinder, remember your manners. These people that you are about to meet could save you one day. Or, they could ruin us all."
She straightened my dress, and adjusted my hair, which had been tied up in a painful plait. She looked at me, before speaking again in a scruitinising voice.
"Do you have to have the eyepatch on? Can't you take it off just for one night?"
I shook my head.
"I'm keeping it on."
She nodded slowly.
"Very well. Come on."
I followed her to the door, past three people - a man in a black suit, a woman in a red dress, and a younger man in a dark grey suit. My aunt smiled at the older man and woman.
"Sylus, Hana, thank you for inviting us. Is this your son?"
I walked away quietly, while my aunt continued talking. I heard a small rustle behind me, and turned around to see that Uncle Thomas was following close behind me.
"I don't like these events." He muttered quietly, barely audible. "Let's just find our table, and sit down."
Soon, we sat down at table six, eventually joined by Grandma Marie, and Aunt Spark. There was another girl near the table, who I smiled at briefly, before she was called off by someone. Perhaps I would get a chance to talk to her later. Perhaps not. For now, I just looked around.
Reducio
Mentioning: @Jrue Peterson -
Outfit -
Outfit -
Cinder Blaze Mirada Johnson
Je suis comme un dragon : dangereuse, fougueuse et magnifique.
Moonlight Dreams!
Noxley Gala 2026
Word Count: 468
Interactions/Mentions: @Kahira Valerian, @Leo Noxley, & Open to others!
Other: Will be the writer for Aldric Valerian (their father), interactions with him are open
To Blaize, summer had just begun and he knew better than to be able to relax. For the past week and a half the Noxley Gala was what was being talked about in every corner of the Valerian Estate. His mother was thrilled to go, it was where she got a lot of talk of the "happenings", his sister always loved big social events whether it was for the food, or an excuse to look good in the eyes of many important adults, he couldn't quite figure out, and then there was his dad. Aldric Valerian, a proud man, friends with the Sylus tracing back to their own schooling years. Yet Blaize couldn't care less. He knew the Noxley's had a son about his age, but they hadn't ran in the same group his first year. Whether it was because the school was so big, or perhaps the different houses were enough of a separation he couldn't confirm or deny it. But now, now they would be in each other's presence and feel each other out.
A large hand pressed to the red-head's shoulders, pulling him from his thoughts. He felt the hardened gaze of his father press down on him as their steps neared the entrance of the Noxley Estate. Blaize's own eyes swept over the decorations and layout of the house, quickly eyeing any darkened hallways he could make a break to later in the evening. His own breathing intensified as his mother and sister's heels clicked in his ears, as if pounding in his skull. The picture-perfect family, all but the mother holding the signature red hair, and all but Blaize with the signature curl. The smile Blaize had practiced, yes, he had to practice smiling, didn't reach his storm-cloud grey eyes, often it was misinterpreted for a grimace, so he was informed to keep with a neutral, tight-lipped expression, something he luckily didn't have to practice but came a lot more naturally to him.
The ballroom was quite magnificent; the boy had to admit. How often did the Noxley's host galas? Perhaps this would not be the last. If on queue, the family split in two, Aldric giving Eloise's cheek a quick peck, and bending down to do the same to Kahira before using his hand as a guide, laying it on the small of Blaize's back. The boy tensed up at this feeling, tossing a quick "help me" look over to Kahira, but of course she was likely in her own world to do Eloise's bidding. And so, Blaize was whisked away, heading straight for the Sylus, of which he would fade into the background once more as the two men would launch into old friendly idle chatter, and of course the main goal of the whole gala in the Valerian's mind, business.
Noxley Gala 2026
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xx | Kahira Valerian's heart was pumping at twice its normal rate. As with many of the invitees on the evening's assumedly well-endowed guest list, the young redhead had spent hours in front of her dresser this afternoon, primping and preening until every single curl on her fluffy little head fell just the way she exactly wanted it to (though, naturally, she wouldn't have dared to do her entire readying routine by herself - that was what house-elves were for, even if she never let the whiny little creatures touch her beloved hair with their spindly fingers). Unlike the rest of those who would be in attendance tonight, however, Kahira was excited not because of simply the thought of yet another pureblood ball - a common occurrence for the second-born to the Valerian potions empire - but, rather, because this would be her last gala whilst she was still not yet a Hogwarts student. The recently-turned eleven-year-old had just received her letter, addressed in emerald green ink that she felt sure to be a sign about her upcoming House. Naturally, her father Aldric had been in Slytherin, and his father before him, and so on and so forth; even her lame excuse for a brother, Blaize, had seemingly found a home there (at least, from what Kahira had heard for as much as she could stomach hearing his petulant voice at the dinner-table during holidays). There was not a doubt in the young lass's mind that she would too join the leagues of snakes that had come before her, and this was reflected in her outfit as she swanned with the rest of her family up to the entrance to the Noxley estate: despite the charcoal grey theme into which the quartet had been placed by the matriarch Eloise, with Kahira in an age-appropriate gown with a large bow on the back and a flouncy layered skirt hemmed with thick silver ribbon, a keen eye could also spot certain influences that the Valerian daughter had added herself so as to hint towards her hopeful future House. Namely, a golden snake-shaped ring inlaid with crystals at the head and emeralds down the body could be found on her right hand; on her left arm, a similar bangle wrapped round her bicep, all diamonds and gold with inlaid gemstone eyes of green; and finally, dangling with the charcoal bow that had been tied into her intricately weaved and curled scarlet hairdo, small vines of gold and emeralds once more. Perhaps most other young girls would have felt like princesses, but for Kahira, this was simply another Saturday night. A Tuesday, almost, even. After the family's entrance, she eagerly allowed for her father to press a kiss to her cheek before heading off with her brother. If Blaize had looked at her before heading off to their little "boys' club", the younger child would simply not have noticed, for several reasons. First of all, she was naturally admiring the decor, internalising each detail she enjoyed and each one she did not - for instance, the golden theme and beautifully carved architecture of the ballroom were both definitively in, whilst the clashing of the host family's outfits was certainly out. Had these people no shame? Mismatched ensembles, and yet, they were brave enough to stand at the front greeting their guests? Horrendous. But the main reason Kahira would not catch her elder brother's eye was more that, ever since they had turned to that properly disgusting and inhuman silvery colour, she rarely so much as looked at him anymore. They had never been friends, per se, and Aldric leading him away like a pride and joy - an heir - was perhaps the deep-rooted cause of that; wouldn't he have rathered show off a perfect, prim and proper daughter, a human one, to all of his pureblood mates and business partners rather than a son who wasn't even a person anymore? To distract herself from the fact that she had been slighted, yet again, by her prick of a brother, Kahira turned to her mother, Eloise. The blonde woman was most commonly her chaperone at events such as this, a Herbologist and Beauxbâtons graduate who, despite years living in England, still spoke with a rather prominent French accent. "Shall we find our table, Maman?" the redhead asked, her delicate voice, as always, a perfect mix between highly-pitched and positively dripping with etiquette. "I know you shall want to explore their greenhouses, but I should love to see with whom we've been seated, first." The unspoken words: hopefully they'll be up to snuff. |
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| kahira valerian second gen | _____________________ | shop | ___________________ |
Noxley Gala 2026
@Cinder Blaze
@Jrue Peterson
@Fawkes Chaos
OOC note: Reducio1) While everything written is true for Dido, much is intentionally incorrect (eg: Dido is not in Ravenclaw)
2) I;ve just realised that I need to scrap line 1) as my automatic OOC note ):
Guilia was panicking. Unfortunately for Dido, this meant that the vast majority of her aunt’s fussing was multiplied tenfold and sent in her direction.
“Dido, honey? Remember: It’s Bleaklane-Costa, okay? And-”
“Yes, Guilia. And you’re my step-mother and Uncle Tom is my dad,” sighed Dido, lazily resting her chin against the car door and gazing out of the window, imagining they were racing the other drivers. She glanced over at her new aunt, who’s usually soft and kind features were starting to tense into something more statue-like, made of marble. Dido smiled slightly before continuing in a sweeter tone, “You have told me a fair few times now.”
“G, the girl can remember one name without all of this,” Thomas Bleaklane-Costa chuckled quietly, patting his wife’s hand gently with his free one while keeping his other on the wheel, “There is a reason she’s in Ravenclaw!”
Dido frowned. Neither adult in the car’s front seats saw her jaw clench and her fists tighten almost involuntarily.
Dido wasn’t a Ravenclaw. Mikaela Hendricks had made that abundantly clear to Dido, and to half the school. The gnawing monster in Dido’s chest, which had secretly built its fortress during Dido’s first year, was now growling, begging her to admit the truth- to avoid the same horror as had occurred with the Ravenclaw girl. Prickles of tears began to bite at her eyes and, moving quickly, Dido wound down the window and tilted her head out, blinking rapidly to dry her eyes without smudging her mascara. “Just need to cool down a bit,” she said in way of an explanation, her lips barely moving as she mumbled it into the slight breeze.
As if looking for comfort, Dido’s hand leapt up to the dark curls Guilia had spent so long helping her create after lunch. She twisted the curls between her fingers, feeling the unfamiliar soft waves almost reverently. It was nice to feel pretty like that. Anyway, she wouldn’t have been able to bear tying her hair into another braid.
As their car began to near the Noxley estate, Dido smiled despite her lack of enthusiasm. She recognised each and every flower they had decorating the house’s exterior, magic or not. She opened her mouth to describe each to her aunt and uncle, excited to know something they seemingly did not but, just as the words started to form, they caught in the back of her throat. Dido tried again, intending to begin with something about Herbology lessons but, again, she faltered before making a sound. As her uncle Tom parked, Guilia spun around in her seat, a tight grin stretched across her face.
“The Noxley’s have a boy in your year at Hogwarts- Leo or something? He’s a Ravenclaw apparently so you might-“
“I’m not,” came the quiet, tearful voice.
“No, honey, I know you’re not friends. It’ll just be nice for-”
“I’m not a Ravenclaw,” was an even quieter response, barely audible over the car’s hum. The tears were winning now, salty droplets beginning to leak from the corners of her eyes.
“Dido- honey- You-“
They streaked down Dido’s cheeks, leaving them stained with slight residual grey marks of dark mascara. “Please,” she whispered, “Please, don’t tell them.” She raised her voice, a note of hysteria creeping in, “Please don’t tell my mum.”
“G, you go in. I’ll stay with-“
“No! They wont let- They’ll know. They’ll-”
Dido opened the car door, patting her face dry with the sleeve of her dark blue dress, the black mixing with the deep cerulean to make an ugly greyish smear against her wrists. One step at a time, she walked towards the large door, ignoring the clicks of Guilia’s heels behind her and her uncle’s heavy plods. After only a couple of moments, they matched her pace, stepping beside her, arm in arm, the perfect couple. Guilia greeted the Noxley parents warmly, maybe leaning in for a kiss on each cheek, though Dido couldn’t really tell. She kept her gaze trained down, seemingly admiring the Noxley’s flooring.
They continued through the beautiful hall-way, in awkward silence, no one willing or wanting to address Dido’s words in the car. Entering the ballroom, Dido instinctively searched for familiar faces, desperate to find an ally in the uneasy situation with her “parents”. Scanning the room, she noticed several such faces, none of which she realised she could actually approach without mortification. There was @Angel Dayes, Dido’s roommate, probably the girl Dido had seen the most during her entire year, apart from possibly Mikaela. But Angel was perfect. A literal, slightly unsettling, angel of a person. More than that, she had been present during the entire period of Dido’s fixation. A little further away was that Hufflepuff prefect, another girl Dido had informed that she was in Ravenclaw. Worse than both of these, Tina’s roommate was there, staring vapidly downwards.
So distressed as she was at the potential hostility of those around her, Dido somehow didn’t even notice her own sheer disconnect to the world she had stepped into for the first few seconds. The dress was pretty, though a little too “little girly” for her tastes, her short curled hair was beautiful compared to her previous style, streaks of golden-brown running through it since her time at Castelobruxo. Even her vaguely smeared mascara could have been described as almost intentionally enchanting. But Dido did not fit in with the wealth, status and extravagance on display.
Coming to this realisation, she turned to her uncle but, seeing him in conversation with another couple, she mumbled a quick, “Going to find a bathroom,” before detaching herself from the two adults and starting to wander around the ballroom, tracing a slightly more empty path. As she travelled, she glanced at each table, searching for the “Costa” placename her aunt had described would be there. When Dido at last caught a glimpse of the short surname, she doubled checked who was already sitting there and, finally delighting in recognising somehow, realised that the eye-patched girl was the redhead from the Spring Ball.
Dido rushed over and laid her cardigan over her chair while standing behind it, grinning widely in ecstasy, and managed to rattle out the garbled sentence, “Hi! It’s Cinder, right? I’m Dido- from the ball. How’s your year been?!”
-Dido Bleaklane |
Noxley Gala 2026
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With his return from Hogwarts, Erast Yan had mentally prepared himself for a dreadful summer of withdrawal; Withdrawal from the warmth of Hufflepuff dormitories, the lively chatter with his friends, and the worst of all– withdrawal of noise. To exchange a bustling school campus for the silence of his annex, where he will face nearly two months of isolation. However, upon his return to the Yan Estate in Kent, a miracle happened: An owl from the Noxley Family swooped in with a letter— an invitation letter to a gala.
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“Qi-En.”
“Yes, father?”
“You and the youngest Noxley are in the same year.”
“… Yes.”
“Are you acquainted?”
A pause.
“Barely,” came his quiet reply.
“Then, you shall come with. Let it be a hands-on lesson.”
“Of course.”
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Not more than two weeks later, the day of the gala had arrived. The sprawling expanse of the Noxley Manor registered as an unfamiliar environment in his mind. It took only one glance at another attending family for anxiety to grip his heart. He had never been to an important event prior to this, especially not as himself. 3 years of being a shadow at formal events on the occasion made visibility bitter in his mouth. While his governess had never tolerated slack in their etiquette lessons, Erast was, no doubt, inadequate.
“My love, are you alright?” His mother's gentle voice disturbed the anxious static buzzing in his ears. He glanced up at the beautiful woman dressed elegantly in a modest, mulberry silk gown, worried eyes identical to his own scanning his attire for any signs of flaw. “Of course,” Erast nodded with a sweet smile, the truth dissipating on his tongue in the face of her worry. Leaning a little closer, he murmured, “You look beautiful, Mother.” Any embarrassment at his childish behaviour vanished at the amused smile she hid behind a gloved hand.
“Enough, let us enter,” interrupted his father. Avreliya locked her arm around her husband's with a placating smile, gesturing for Erast to follow along. If he were any mere stranger, he would not have noticed the subtle, affectionate squeeze that his father gave his mother’s hand as she gave the smallest roll of her eyes at his impatience. He could only stare at the sight, as he always had.
Poise and restraint was the Yan image. Even in the snake’s den of the Noxley Manor, the Yan patriarch and his wife remained deceivingly cordial. Flawless, pleasant, modest; the perfect image of harmlessness. Smooth melodies of a piano drifted through the air, and Erast instinctively looked over– only to turn straight back. Suddenly, the mission to find the most beautiful beverage became of great urgency. Any excuse to keep his eyes away from that familiar figure.
“Savour it,” Erast heard his father mutter, as the man procured a flute glass without a sip. He nodded. Mind for poison, was left unsaid. Wrapping his fingers around a pretty glass of mixed-fruit punch, the brunet could only stare at the bubbles on the surface. This was going to be a long night.
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Mentions: @Leo Noxley