Closed TABLE 11 | Sweethearts Tea Party Event

The traditional Ballroom was not the same when Bloom walked through the giant double doors. The room was decorated beautifully with red, pink and white roses. Endless flower petals graced the room in twirls through the air to give an exciting and lustful feel. Throughout the room, there were tables that were draped with white tablecloth. As cliche as it was, the room was magical.

Her chocolate hair loosely let down, Bloom decided to wear a long-sleeved black dress with a sweetheart neckline that fell to right above her knees to the event. Crossing her arms, she walked through the tables and admired the beauty of how the tables were set up. There were floral patterned plates that were neatly placed. Every table was set up with proper seating arrangements of around four to six persons. It was detailed and very thought out, Bloom thought.

A second after taking in the scenery, Bloom felt a sense of excitement. Where was she going to be sitting? Even more so, who was going to be at her table? Was Howard coming to this event? Would she be sitting with him? What about Serena? She thought, remembering their interaction at the Quidditch Pitch. Now, Bloom's stomach was feeling queasy. What if they were both at the same table? What would happen and what would Bloom do?

Slowly walking from table to table, Bloom tried to find where she could be sitting. It wasn't until she got to table 11 that she saw her name. Bloom did not sit right away in her spot. She began to walk casually around the table and saw name after name. None were Howard. Deep down, she was a bit disappointed. She wondered where he was sitting. Bloom went back to her chair and pulled the chair out and sat down. She looked at the names nearby her. On her right was "Alan" and on her left was "Galton". She had met both of them and she remembered having a fun tic-tac-toe game with Alan last year. As for Galton, they were a bit of opposites. It was going to be a "fun" evening.

Bloom played with her name card only to find that there were card nearby on the other side of her plate. It was addressed to her:

B -
A is always followed by a B. In the same way, I want us to be together.
- A

Who could this be from? It was kind of funny the way the person shared their feelings for Bloom. But who could be "A"? It was such a mystery.

Bloom's eyes then reverted to a card that was closer to the middle but seemed to be slightly misplaced. It could have belonged to Bloom, or, it could have belonged to Lavinia. Sitting up ever so slightly, Bloom saw that Livinia already had two cards that were nearest her. Bloom felt that perhaps this was supposed to be her card. She grabbed it and to her surprise, saw the letter "H" that was written at the end of the letter. She then began to read it.

I know we are friends but I was hoping we could be something more. You are so beautiful, so special, so smart. I don't know if I'll ever be enough for you but I want nothing more than to try. Tell me if you want the same.

H

Bloom's heart began to skip a beat. This was definitely hers and she knew exactly who this came from. But how could he not be enough for her? He was kind, sweet and understanding. Granted, Bloom still had a lot to learn about Howard, but that takes time of friendship and maybe something more. Bloom's stomach felt like it was in excited knots. Bloom placed the cards slightly under the floral plate, making sure it would not move, but also showing that she had read hers. She waited patiently for her peers to come to the table, wondering what to expect.

Interacting with: @Bloom Silverton (and ofc anyone who shows up)

There was no surprise in receiving an invitation to an exclusive party. Galton was, after all, a beloved figure amongst his peers. Moreover, it would have been humiliating if Galton hadn't received one. It seemed like all others around him were; to miss out on an invite would diminish his reputation. Hugh and Alan would be amongst the crowd today - it made sense though - they all shared some notoriety in some sort of leadership position. Galton was not going to miss out on this invite only event.

For as much as Galton seemed to care about his reputation and position his appearance did not show it. The ego that inflated the small teen's body seemed to allow him to skip all the fussing over outfits and grooming. Not smelling was about as far as Galton got in the personal care department. A grown out buzz cut, lengthening sideburns and teenage peach fuzz greeted the world along with his large smile. As he carried himself into the ballroom him arms swung back and forth, letting the sleeves of his red robe swoosh in turn. Galton was wearing a slightly formal red robe for the night's feast. And by slightly formal, I mean that it was clean and stainless. An impressive feat for a wizard who could clean whatever he wished with a flick of the wrist and a word or two.

His pace quickened the farther into the ballroom he got. It was about 18:00 and by this time each night Galton was starving. The food each table held made the hunger grow. A year ago and he would have plucked a pastry from the first table he saw, but he was a more mature man now, he could wait for his own table. Probably. Maybe... Worse case he had packed a few emergency sherbet lemons to hold him over. This time of year made him crave sweets on another level.

Valentines marked the anniversary of an excursion into the Candy Kingdom for Galton. Even if the memory was vague, there were remnants that his body seemed to act on. At it's basest level, this was increasing the teen's sugar consumption. So you could say that Galton was excited for the holiday's candy.

And it seemed his excitement would be met immediately . What a sweet sight await him at his table! He found his name card and sat himself down next to only other person at the table. It was someone he recognized. The older girl from the cabin and fall festival. Blue? Boom? He quickly glanced at her name card to confirm. Bloom. "Hey! Kicking girl." He smiled at her, then glanced at the cupcake in front of her. "Woow, I wan-" His voice trailed off as he locked onto the bag in front of him. How had he missed this?

His grubby hands opened the bag and he tilted it to peer inside. His eyes beheld true beauty only a refined artisan was capable of producing. A mixture of candy that sent electric bolts of gluttony through his body. It took every ounce of control in him to not shove his face into the bag and vacuum up some of it. If Bloom (or those to come) were looking closely they may even see a bead or two of sweat breaking out from his forehead. He lowered a hand into the bag and drew some candy out. He was working on not being the candy kid. He couldn't allow his lust for sweets to dominate every interaction he had.

But as the first dose of sugary goodness met his lips it was hard to remember why. The chocolate bark forming it's protective layer to keep hidden delights in was too good to be true. Why not shovel your mouth with this stuff? In his candy fever he would miss the letter at his place. The bag was too enthralling.

"Bit better than a cupcake..." He'd mumble and point at the bag for Bloom. Slowly he'd turn it so she could get a glimpse inside.

The fifth year was just a little bit nervous. How could he not be? This was a Valentine's Day event and he had actually signed up. The last two events like this he had gone to, simply had not gone great and he was left not feeling super happy about their outcome. At least in one of those he had met Ruka who had then turned into a friend of his, alongside with other people he had met but there was also a lot of drama. The last one simply had been rather uneventful. Nothing had happened at all and not even everyone had appeared to the event, so he spent the day mostly on his own anyway. This time however it did seem a little promising. As he made his way to the table he would find a vaguely familiar face sitting at one of the tables. He was not entirely sure what their name was, but once he made it to the table number 11, he would take a peek at the table cards that had been placed onto the table. Her name was Bloom. Immediately he would remember the time the two had spent playing tic tac toe in the courtyard with nothing but a stick and the dirt on the ground. "Hey Bloom, long time no see! he greeted the girl immediately with a smile.

He would also notice a couple more familiar names, such as Galton who was his team mate and Lavinia who he somewhat also knew. He would get to his seat next to Bloom, for a moment he had considered switching out some of the table cards so that he could sit next to people he was more familiar with. But since he was already in company of another person, doing so would have only brought up questions that he was not willing to answer. So he would stick to the assigned seating order. Glancing to his right he would notice that the seat was reserved to a student called Aly. He was not exactly sure if that was a boy or a girl, after all it could be the name for either student. However it hardly mattered, because it meant he would get to meet a new person and that in itself was somewhat exciting.

Alan would sigh as he took a glance at what was at his disposal, noticing a envelope and a cupcake at his place. His eyebrows rose in surprise as he took both of the items and inspected them closer, before he turned to carefully tuck open the envelope, revealing a single letter within it. His eyes immediately dropped to the bottom of the writing, but to his disappointment there was no person revealed who could have sent him such a letter. A sigh escaped his lips before he began to read the letter from the top, his brows furrowing further as he advanced to the end of the letter. The words were so odd and he didn't really know anyone who would talk in that way. However he was suspicious at the remark that this was someone who would see him wake up every morning. This could only mean that this had to be someone from his very own dorm and there simply were not too many options for this, least of all people he could think would have written such a letter. Perhaps Rafael? He was the only boy that Alan could have suspected at writing such a corny love letter, but he knew that Rafael would at least be proud enough to sign with his own name. So he was left with not knowing at all who could have written such a letter to him. A little bit disappointed, but curious nonetheless, he would drop down the letter and shake his head a little.

Knowing that this letter was likely meant only for him, he carefully folded it back together and slipped it back into the envelope as if he had never even opened it. Though a light blush, if from embarrassment or because he was actually flattered, grazed his cheeks. His gaze would once more move to where the cupcake was sitting and his eyes brightened a little. This was either luck or someone who knew him well. This was a chocolate cupcake! The decoration was made out of strawberries and what seemed like a bit of whipped cream. He immediately scooped up the cupcake and took a bite, just to close his eyes in bliss. It tasted amazing, absolutely incredible! Sadly there was only one of the cupcakes at his place, so he would have to enjoy this while it lasted because he was sure it would be the last one for him.

"So Bloom... How have you been?" he would say, once he had swallowed the first bite, trying to make some conversation with the girl. He assumed it was okay to speak with her, after all the both of them had gone to an event that was all about getting to know other people. Though from what Alan could tell, this was more of a thing with friends than it was to actually know someone else or actually fall in love with someone, as usual Valentine's Day events would intend. Though, he supposed, he was actually kind of happy about that.

There was also Galton, who happened to have arrived as well, so Alan would grin at the other boy, happy to see him. "Hey Galton! Glad to see you here, though I should have expected you here with the free sweets," he teased his partner, though remaining happy and friendly alog the way.

|| Interacting with @Bloom Silverton, @Galton Lansdale, and @Alan Vanes ||
|| Mentioning @Cecily Quinn, @Aaron Jones, and @Dealla Prince ||

The eardrums of anyone who had been in the vicinity of the Ravenclaw girls' dormitories the morning of February 14th when Aly Salinger received her Sweethearts Tea Party invitation were likely still ringing by the time Aly began to make her way to the ballroom at six that evening. She had spent the early evening, after classes of course, getting ready with her roommate and- dared she call her a friend?- Dee Prince, though Aly had a distinct feeling she was far more excited about the whole "dressing up" bit than the other Ravenclaw girl. Unfortunately, Dee was at table fifteen and Aly at eleven, so once they got to the ballroom, Aly said her good-byes and headed off towards the eleventh table. What a stroke of luck - eleven just so happened to be her favourite number. I wonder who else they've possibly seated me with...

Rather enjoying the swishiness of the skirt of her knee-length red dress, which had been a Christmas gift from her father, Aly practically twirled between the tables, a wide, beaming grin on her round face. The dress had a lovely little tie at the front out of which Aly had fashioned a cute bow, as well as cap sleeves and, of course, that amazingly flouncy skirt that was just perfect for spinning; the third-year had matched it with a scarlet pair of lace-up flats that wound soft ribbons up her ankles, and, of course, the outfit wouldn't have been complete without a crown of red roses nestled perfectly into her messy brown curls. (That Orchideous spell from last year was really coming in handy more and more often these days.)

Speaking of blossoms, Aly was armed with her small satchel of flowers - an assortment of red and white ones she'd been carefully curating in the flowerpots along her windowsill back in the Ravenclaw girls' dormitory, and then, naturally, an assortment of red roses in all different hues from vermilion to blood. She hadn't managed to conjure up enough to make flower crowns for everyone, but that was what happened when a perfectionist tried to make flowers. Still, she had a grand total of seven extra roses, just waiting to be gifted as Valentine's Day presents, and the smile on Aly's face only spread wider and wider as she approached table #11 and the three people who already sat there.

Of her three present table-mates, only one did Aly recognise: Bloom Silverton, a former teammate of hers. All throughout the previous academic year, Bloom and Aly had swapped back and forth between the first-string and second-string Keeper positions before Bloom had finally left the team entirely, leaving Aly solidly in the first-string position. Aly greeted the black-clad familiar girl with a warm smile as she approached the table, waving with an excited scrunch of her shoulders and nose. "Bloom!" she exclaimed, reaching into her satchel to pull out one of the roses and strolling around the table to lay it next to the elder Ravenclaw. "Fancy seeing you here! How have you been?"

The other two at the table were both boys, and both unfamiliar to Aly, though quick glances at the table's coincidentally placed (and very helpful) cursive name cards told her that they were named Alan and Galton. Despite their unfamiliarity, she greeted them both with the same smile, fishing out more roses and handing one to each on her lap around the table in search of her own name card. "And as for you two - well - hello! Happy Valentine's Day!"

The aforementioned name card, reading [font=Monotype Corsiva]Aly[/font] in positively beautiful cursive, she found between the Alan boy and an empty seat labeled... Cecily! Likely as in Cecily Quinn, Aly's Quidditch captain, Iwasaki Initiative co-conspirator (with Dee, of course), academic role model, and all-around friend. Her smile growing impossibly wide with excitement, Aly looked down at the space in front of her as she sat.

Instead of an empty plate, which is honestly what the brunette had expected, she instead found all sorts of sweets: three cupcakes, each adorned with a letter of her name - well, her shortened name, but no one at this school ever called her Alyssa, and for good reason - along with a bag of what appeared to be pieces of chocolate bark, and beside her plate, two letters.

Two?! I'd perhaps thought I'd maybe get a cupcake from a friend, but... who are these from? No matter - whoever they're from, they're bound to be better Valentine's Day letters than the one from Mother...

She winced at the remembrance of the not-so-sweet letter from her mother that she had received the previous week, reminding her that no matter if Valentine's Day were coming up or not, Aly's studies were to be the most important thing in her life - no romance, boys, or tea parties. Clearly, Aaron was rubbing off on her, as here Aly was at the tea party, disobeying her mother's explicit orders... but then she forgot all about it and turned her attention back to the treats on her plate.

Patience had never been the Ravenclaw's strongest suit, and she tore into the letters; her face fell after reading the first one, which was only a single sentence, signed by somebody named Jake, adorned with a winking face, and either some sort of prank or a very odd play by a not-so-secret admirer. To be quite honest, Aly couldn't even think of a single Jake she knew; deciding it was of no importance, she placed that letter to the side, carefully unfolding the second and scanning it.

Merlin's beard.

A secret admirer. From the Quidditch team. The Ravenclaw Quidditch team, if Aly was reading this right; her mouth dropped open, and she glanced up at her tablemates, only to find them involved in their own conversation. Right. They probably didn't want to hear about some mysterious, unsigned note anyway; tuning into their conversation, Aly smiled at the two unfamiliar boys, and again at Bloom. "Well, I already know Bloom, but I suppose you are Alan-" pointing at the boy beside her- "and you are Galton-" pointing at the boy across. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure - I'm Aly, and it's wonderful to meet you!"

SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED!

As the students settled into their seats and confusion began to take over as they scanned the contents of their 'letters', some might notice several pale pink roses start to seemingly descend from the ceiling. The same hue as the petals floating through the air, these roses would gracefully glide downwards and land in front of someone at eight different tables; 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 13, and 15.

Tables 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 14, and 16 would not receive any roses (yet), but they would not go without entertainment. It was from his position at the teacher's table that Orion would stand up and clear his throat, "Welcome students, thank you for attending our tea party! I have hopes to make this an annual event." If only the French man was aware of the chaos he had rained down upon the crowd of youngsters. He had not slept the night before after scrambling to try and correct his errors. The dark circles under his eyes might have been noticeable to anyone sitting close enough to him. "I'm sure you've noticed the roses by now. If you've received a rose that means you are now a bachelor or bachelorette, which means you get to help spread a little love around." His face broke into a smile as if this were a simply sublime idea. With the romantic heart Orion possessed, he likely believed it.

"If you did not receive a rose, do not worry mes amies (my friends), you will get an opportunity soon. Until then we are going to offer you an opportunity to show your love. This means that you can ask us to dedicate a song to a special someone in the crowd, or make an announcement to your peers. The choice is, of course, yours to make." The students received a playful wink before Orion sat back down at the table. (PLEASE NOTE THAT IF YOUR TABLE HAS RECEIVED A ROSE YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REQUEST A SONG OR SPOTLIGHT THIS ROUND)

@Bloom Silverton would discover that they were one of the individuals selected. If they were to pick up the rose, they would discover a small note attached that read the following:

YOU'VE BEEN SELECTED AS ONE OF OUR BACHELORS / BACHELORETTES. THE MUSIC IS ABOUT TO START SO GO FIND AND KISS YOUR VALENTINE! DON'T FORGET TO GIVE THEM THE ROSE!

P.S. For those too shy I will gladly pick for you
-O.L.

The students might notice the soothing sounds of the harp starting to play from the back corner of the ballroom. There was a shutter that blocked the view of who or how many people were playing. Whilst they would not see her, they could hear the Slytherin head of house, Hjørdis Jensen, had started to strum a harp to help set the mood.

Until people started to request songs, she would simply play random songs that she was pretty sure that the children would enjoy on the harp. Honestly, what did children listen to these days? She had no idea. But she was evidently trying in the fact that she had bothered to learn how to play all of these, specifically for this occasion.

It just so happened that occasionally, another instrument - such as a fiddle or guitar - could be heard in the background too, randomly chipping in. The sound of notes hit the air. It was not too loud but it could easily be heard throughout the ballroom if one stopped to listen for it. It almost complemented the chatter. [Click the music note for the actual playlist]

The students had a choice to make or risk the chance of a certain French man making the choice for them.

You've received a rose!

Your character has the ability to select one person to give the rose to. This person will be considered their 'valentine'. The OOC purpose for this is to A.) Add even more drama or B.) give characters an opportunity to move tables.

To move tables you must message a mod which table you wish to move to before it is confirmed. Please tell the mod your in character reason for wanting to move to this table. Why? This is to prevent tables from becoming too populated, as this is not the only round we will be doing this.

Keep in mind that once you move tables, you will be unable to return to your original table unless you are given permission to do so!

If you do not pick a 'valentine' by the next mod post, Orion will pick one for you. Trust me, you'll want to pick your own!

Interacting with @Alan Vanes, @Aly Salinger & @Galton Lansdale
Mentioning @Serena Towers & @Howard White

Bloom couldn't stop eyeing the one card that she strongly knew came from Howard. She looked at it, and then looked away. She looked at it again, and then looked away. For every look she had for the card, her heart would naturally skip a beat. She was definitely going to find him either during or after this event. It was the time to confront him about this, right? Or was it not?

As Bloom was arguing with herself in her mind, three of her table mates appeared: Galton, Alan and Aly. She couldn't help but to laugh at Galton's call for her as 'Kick Girl'. She knew exactly where it had come from, but wished not to be reminded of such a destructive moment in the year. To be fair, she did have a lot of her anger come out when she kicked the living shit out of the slug at the Samhain Festival.

"Is that my name from now on?" she jokingly asked Galton. "Sounds like we need to come up with a name for you," she added, thinking that if she had a nickname, he should, too. Bloom was okay with Galton. She often found him to be annoying, especially when she really got to know him at the Groundskeeper's Cabin nearly a year ago. He was too quirky for her taste of friends, but she was happy to be civil and acquaintances with him. And there he goes again, being... Annoying. He officially called her cupcakes not as good or fun as his candy that he had gotten. Bloom rolled her eyes at him.

In protest of Galton saying her cupcake was not better, Bloom grabbed it and licked the frosting. It tasted heavenly and she shrugged at Galton, trying to show him that her cupcake was much better than his candies. Being a child, as she should. Taking another lick of the cupcake, Alan Vanes came by and greeted her. She quickly took the piece of icing at the tip of her tongue into her mouth and swallowed. She smiled at her new acquaintance.

She remembered randomly meeting him, playing tic-tac-toe on the ground with a stick instead of studying. It was a creative and fun way to procrastinate her studies. Bloom watched him take a bite of his treat and nodded. "I'm good, thanks. Just enjoying this cupcake," she said, licking the frosting again. It was a science: frosting first and then the cake part. Never had she known people to eat it as a whole. It just wasn't correct. "How are you doing?" she asked back.

Bloom realized that Alan started with 'A'. Could he be the one who wrote to her? There was only one way to find out. "Thanks for the card, by the way," she said, her eyes tinted with curiosity.

"ALY!" she called out to her former Quidditch teammate with a wave. Bloom had gotten close with Aly as they were both in the same position for Quidditch for her fourth year. Bloom dropped out, however, but Aly kept going with the sport. Bloom was glad as Aly was a talented player. "I'm good," she said, feeling like a broken record. She realized she'd be saying the same thing over and over again with people she knew at this event considering everyone was here to connect or reconnect with each other. "How are you doing? Quidditch going well?" she asked, starting some small conversation.

Bloom gave a final lick of her cupcake and ate the delicious frosting on top. When it was time for the cake, Bloom looked up and saw that there were petals heading towards their table. She put the cupcake down on her plate, her gaze stuck on the petals which made their way through the middle of the table and to... HER? Bloom was spotlighted by the petals and she hunched down at the thought. What is happening? she thought, wondering what could go wrong, and why her?

A rose was placed in front of her. She grabbed the beautiful flower and looked at it. It was perfectly blossomed with the right amount of leaves. Bloom took the flower and smelled it. It also smelled good, like a rose should. She looked over at Aly, Galton and Alan, wondering if they had an idea of what was happening. She then heard a French man speak. It was Professor Orion.

"If you've received a rose that means you are now a bachelor or bachelorette, which means you get to help spread a little love around."

WHAT?! Bloom was in shock. She was now a 'bachelorette' and was pinpointed as the bachelorette for table 11. Bloom put the rose down in shock and took a deep breath. She then looked around and saw that she was not alone. There were other people who received a rose, too, from different tables and to her, they looked just as confused. Bloom took back the rose and slowly stood up. She listened intently to the instructions that were asked of her.

THE MUSIC IS ABOUT TO START SO GO FIND AND KISS YOUR VALENTINE! DON'T FORGET TO GIVE THEM THE ROSE!

Two hands were on the stem of her rose while she stood. She had to go find someone she wanted to give the rose to and if she could not give the rose to anyone, then the French man will choose for her. And Bloom was NOT going to smooch just any person. She knew exactly who to give the rose to, but she was unsure if he was even here. @Howard White, where are you? she thought, walking around the room. COME ON, Where are you? she thought again to herself, hoping to have the Damphir close-by. Bloom looked from table to table, but he seemed to not be there. Her heart was pounding at the thought that she was going to be given a random person.

As she was walking, she passed by the first table. There, she saw @Serena Towers. Her heart sank. Maybe it was best not to look for Howard. They had a heart-to-heart during the last Quidditch match about who they liked and she shared her like for Howard. How terrible would it be if she went to go straight to him and she saw? DAMMIT, Bloom thought, her eyes beginning to tear up. She bit her tongue. She was in such a predicament. She could either search for someone who isn't even there and be given a random person, or she could just pick someone herself. Bloom gave in. She might as well go with someone of her year and was in the room.

Bloom ran back to her table and gave the gorgeous rose to the one and only Alan Vanes.

"I'm sorry, just go with it," she whispered with a sheepish smile. She would have rather had Howard, but what was she to do? The last thing she needed was the Professor to pick a first year and her lips touch theirs. That would just be so wrong, in her opinion. She wanted to stick with someone her age on this. She wondered what he would do or think about this decision. She hoped he would be okay with it. Her heart pumped uncontrollably at the unknown.

February 14th, 2022

Interacting with: @Bloom Silverton, @Galton Lansdale, @Cecily Quinn, @Aly Salinger, and @Alan Vanes
Mentioning: @Haley Rose, @Elena Jangleton

It was Valentine’s Day. The day where people of all ages would show their love for others in heartfelt ways. Lavinia didn’t exactly have a crush on anyone or any romantic interesting in mind, but what she did have were friends, and many more than this time last year. When she had attending the school hosted Valentine’s Day event last year, she hadn’t expected it to go anywhere and it honestly didn’t. That night was just full of awkward conversations that mainly centered around why they were there. When Lavinia had received a letter earlier that morning with an invite to the Sweethearts Tea Party, she hoped that it would go better than the year prior.

Love was not in the air for Lavinia, but friendship was and that was all that was needed at some points. She would be happy if someone caught her romantic interest, yet honestly, she didn’t need any more distractions from quidditch. Her friends were mainly quidditch players and when this invite came, the first person that she went to tell was Cecily. The two of them had been chasers in crime for quite a while now and it would be safe to say that they were pretty good friends. Upon reading the invites, Lavinia realized that both her and Cecily had been placed at table 11. This was great news because if was awkward, at least they’d have each other for company.

Lavinia usually took pride in her attire and would dress up on occasion, however, she had a different idea in mind for this specific event. The idea mainly stemmed from the fact that she wanted to do something unique and had no intent of dressing up in red or pink. Also, Lavinia had a few unused Halloween costumes just laying in her trunk. The costumes were meant for multiple people and were of the beloved M&M’s. Knowing that she wouldn’t wear one alone, Lavinia somehow convinced Cecily to join her for Halloween on Valentine’s Day.

The M&M costumes were simpler than one would imagine and they somewhat fit with the Valentine’s Day theme. The costumes started with a single color shirt that had the letter m on it and a tutu of that respective color. To add onto it, there were knee high socks that with three stripes of the color and a pair of suspenders in the same color. Lastly, there were white gloves but Lavinia opted out of wearing those. Since Lavinia somewhat peer pressured Cecily into wearing these, she let Cecily pick which color she wanted to wear first. Cecily picked the blue outfit and in response, Lavinia settled with the green.

Getting ready for the tea party was easier than many of the other events she went to, and it was definitely more fun due to the fact that she got ready with Cecily. Looking at herself in the mirror, Lavinia just laughed, this was going to be an exciting day. She had been trying to turn over a new leaf and do things outside of her comfort zone for once, and this was something that she had always wanted to do. The two of them were definitely arriving late but that didn’t bother Lavinia too much anymore. As soon as they walked into the ballroom, Lavinia turned to Cecily and let out a nervous laugh before saying “This place definitely looks nice, sorry I made you wear that but I think this is going to be fun.”

Finding table 11 was fairly easy and Lavinia was delighted to see that both Bloom and Aly were at the table. Bloom was doing something with a rose and another student who she thought was named Alan, but she wasn’t too sure who he was or what was going on. That was the benefits of being late, you never knew what you walked in on. Lastly, Lavinia’s eyes caught on a face that she was not a fan of, Galton Lansdale. The two of them had only really had one real interaction outside of class and it was safe to say that Lavinia held a grudge since that day.

Walking up to the table, Lavinia greeted everyone with a confident “Hello, hello, and yes I know I’m wearing an M&M.” Looking around the table, she noticed that there were place cards for each person, letting them know where to sit. Finding her name in between Galton’s and Cecily’s, Lavinia let out a sigh, this was going to be a lot more annoying if she was sitting next to Galton. Before taking her seat, she turned to Aly and said warmly, “I love the roses Aly, did you grow them yourself?”

Finally sitting in the seat assigned to her, Lavinia noticed multiple cupcakes and letters near her place. Also there was a bag of candy that looked close enough to her spot that it had to be hers, right? Reaching towards the bag first, Lavinia pulled it and the letter attached to it towards her. Opening the bag slowly, she was treated with the homey sent of chocolate bark and looked down to see just that. Twisting the bag shut, Lavinia decided that she would have to save that for later when there weren’t other treats on the table. The letter was a bit different than what she expected, peaking down at it, she read:

I know we are friends but I was hoping we could be something more. You are so beautiful, so special, so smart. I don't know if I'll ever be enough for you but I want nothing more than to try. Tell me if you want the same.

H

Quickly, Lavinia’s face twisted into one of confusion. The only friend she had with a name that started with H was Haley and Haley definitely had a boyfriend. Was Lavinia forgetting someone? Could it be that she had other friends with an H name that she couldn’t remember? Or maybe this letter wasn’t for Lavinia at all. Turning towards the rest of her table mates, Lavinia spoke loudly enough for them all to hear. “Anyone know someone with the letter H in their first name? I think I got the wrong letter.” Hopefully it was just a misplacement and she could get the letter back to its proper owner.

In front of Lavinia, there were 2 cupcakes and 2 letters remaining. Grabbing at the first letter she could, Lavinia hoped it wasn’t another person declaring their anonymous love for her.

For the best Chaser on the team: a very happy cupcake. May it bring us the best of luck in our next match. Happy Valentine's Day!

Your partner in cheating responsible and legal Quidditch plays,
Cecily

Now this one had to be for her, because she definitely preformed legal quidditch plays. However, this letter definitely put a smile on Lavinia’s face and she immediately turned to Cecily and said softly, “Thank you so much Cecily, for the letter and the smiling cupcake, I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything.” Lavinia was honestly so appreciative of Cecily, it was nice having friends who you could count on.

Speaking of friends, Lavinia looked down at the last letter she had in front of her and noticed immediately that it was addressed to her, no confusion here.

Lavinia,

I just wanted to say, thank you for being my friend. Really, we might be in different houses and everything and even opposite teams but you're one heck of a Ravenclaw and I'm one heck of a Gryffindor or so I've heard so that's gotta be a good combination, right?

Anyways, I hope you got a sweet tooth because if not, time to get one and this is my promise that you'll never ride the train ride to and from Hogwarts alone ever again and I'll be the first one to know if you do!

Your loyal train companion,

Elena

The smile on Lavinia’s face was the brightest it had been that week, Elena’s letter was so nice and Lavinia just felt so happy to have friends like this. Reminding herself to write Elena a thank you later, Lavinia let out a sigh of happiness, this day was going to be okay after all.

Outfit Reference, Lavinia is dressed up as the green one:

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A CECILY SURPRISE

Mini-mod post as it has come to my attention that I forgot to include a letter + cupcake for Cecily from the errand, so here we go.

"What? Where did you find it- you know what, nevermind. I'll take it to her," Hjørdis said suddenly, whilst she played the harp with a sigh, "Will you please take over for a moment?" She asked, letting her hands flow over the strings of the harp gently as she faded away and a violin picked up louder. Taking the box of cupcakes carefully, she placed the letter on top and walked out from behind the 'shutter' that had previously blocked her and her harp playing.

She scanned the room for a moment, before suddenly starting to walk with purpose. There was determination in every step until she finally arrived at Table 11. "Sorry to interrupt but I believe that this one's for you. Seems cupid's arrow was a little late but better late than never?" She offered as she looked towards Cecily, holding out the items for her. If she did not take it, Hjørdis would simply put it down on the table next to her place setting.

"Sorry for the delay and interruption. Carry on," She announced as she quickly turned and made her way back towards the shutter, only to disappear behind it.

The note on the box was clearly addressed to her. Unfortunately, there did not appear to be a name on the end, making it unclear who was declaring their love for her. Perhaps Cecily would know from the message itself but even if she did not figure it out, the message was still rather sweet.

Dear Cecily,
On this Valentine's Day, I hope you know that I really look up to you - as a Ravenclaw, as a Quidditch player, as a person, the lot of it! You are an inspiration on and off the field, and I want someday to be just like you. I know I said that this cupcake was for me, but it was yours all along... I hope you like it!

The note was in midnight blue parchment, with the words written in beautiful shimmering bronze ink. House pride was definitely a thing here. There was a touch of black glitter on the two corners too. Whoever had sent it, clearly had put a lot of effort into the details. But Cecily was, obviously, worth the effort - after all, she was an inspiration, according to the secret admirer!

If she opened the box, she would find a chocolate cupcake with whipped cream and blue coloured nonpareils that were placed ever so carefully in the shape of a broomstick. Their secret admirer clearly was making a special effort for her!

@Cecily Quinn

interacting: @Lavinia Cloven @Aly Salinger @Hjørdis Jensen
mentioning: @Bloom Silverton @Alan Vanes @Galton Lansdale

Valentine's Day was hardly Cecily's favorite holiday, and a tea party was far from her idea of a good time. She was not quite sure what possessed her to sign up for the event-- most likely some type of guilt that would stem from participating in the cupcake event but leaving the tea party organizers hanging-- but suddenly, on the most romantic holiday of the year, Cecily was looking in the mirror to find her reflection dressed to the nines... if the nines included a bright blue t-shirt plaster with a large white "m", plus matching suspenders, tutu, and socks. [outfit reference below]

It was quite a time commitment to dress in costume for this event-- Lavinia's brilliant idea, and honestly something Cecily wouldn't have dared to do even just a year ago-- but it appeared that it would be even more of a commitment than the Ravenclaws had anticipated. Stooping outside the doors to the ballroom to adjust the tall striped sock that had slowly slipped down (the bloody thing just wouldn't stay up), Cecily nearly tripped flat on her face in her haste to straighten up and make a graceful, albeit late entrance into the event. Well, as graceful as it is possible for one to appear when showing up to a semi-formal tea party dressed as a chocolate candy, complete with dashing suspenders and a ridiculous tulle skirt. At least they both agreed to forgo the white gloves-- those seemed like a terrible idea at an event where there would be cupcakes and chocolate to be eaten.

The ridiculousness was far from lost on Cecily as she and Lavinia surveyed the event, taking in the vast array of pink and white and red roses; the gently raining petals that seemed to vanish into the floor; the generally classy outfits. Lavinia offered an apology, but Cecily was nearly doubled over in hysterics at the bizzare contrast. "You're right, it looks very nice," she agreed, regaining her composure, face only a little flushed. Their half-baked, pointless costuming was truly an absurd plot that Cecily wasn't totally sure how Lavinia concocted in the first place, but Cecily confidently-- well, not unconfidently-- believed that such was their right as upperclassmen. What was anyone else going to do, judge them? Frankly, if, four years ago, Cecily had seen an upperclassman do the same, she probably would have been impressed. If the near-death experiences that seemed oh so common in Hogwarts had taught her anything, it was that life was just too short to not wear the M&M costume.

At least, this is what she was telling herself as she and Lavinia made their way over to their table, trying to shake the feeling that every eye in the room was drawn to their tulle skirts. Luckily, Lavinia and Cecily had been assigned to the same table (eleven), so at the very least they could look ridiculous together. Together, and in front of the four other students who had already taken their seats. Cecily trailed behind her companion, scoping out the table as Lavinia confidently announced their costumes. She easily recognised her fellow Ravenclaw Bloom, who appeared to be doing something flower-related with another fifth year Cecily knew as Alan from their days together as Prefects. An unfamiliar face sat on the other side of Bloom, but the last seat was filled by Aly, a talented Quidditch player who was quickly climbing the ranks of Cecily's favorite younger students. Not a bad assortment, Cecily thought, although she couldn't speak for the opinions of the rest of the table.

The table itself was adorned as fantastically as the rest of the room, wit h a large centerpiece of roses nearly obscuring her view of Bloom across the way as Cecily found her seat. It was in a prime position, really: in between two students she already knew, and directly across from one she would consider a good acquaintance. She wouldn't have to worry about making awkward eye contact with a stranger across from her all night, nor about bumping elbows with someone she had never met. The place setting was wildly overdone for a group of teenagers-- Cecily didn't even know what the difference was between most of the utensils, but she supposed at the very least it meant the professors had put a great deal of effort into this event and she should be grateful for it.

To Cecily's (mostly) surprise and (a little) delight, a letter lay neatly near the floral plate at he place. Most of the delight came from the notion that sweets likely accompanied this letter, because she was pretty sure she didn't know anyone that would be sending her a confession of love, but it would still be nice to know one of her friends had thought of her. She couldn't help an amount of curiosity as she opened the letter, considering she didn't have many friends that would do this sort of thing. Her curiosity was far from alleviated as she skimmed the note, however; in fact, it only grew.

Guuuurl are you a fruit, because Honeydew you know how fine you look right now? Ahaha, for real.
-Jake

Her eyebrows pinched in confusion as she re-read the two sentences. It was objectively weird and bad. Plus, she was pretty sure she didn't even know a Jake. If she did, she was about to make sure she did no longer, because this was frankly embarrassing for him, and she would not like to be associated with the person from whom this terrible attempt at flirting originated.

So concerned she was about the note she held in her hand, Cecily nearly missed Lavinia's voice addressing her from the right. "Oh- of course! You deserve it," she replied with a smile. Cecily didn't mind at all that she had gotten nothing in return-- friendship wasn't about getting in exchange for giving, or so she had heard. It was about giving out of the kindness of one's heart or whatever. Being nice for the sake of being nice and all that mushy stuff.

Cecily turned back to the note and the cupcake that accompanied it, mildly concerned about the integrity of the sweet. It wasn't spiked or anything, right? She was pretty sure this was all just a mix-up and not some very weird practical joke, but she couldn't be sure. This was Hogwarts, after all. The ballroom had seen its fair share of spiked sustenance. It appeared to be a normal cupcake, although Cecily realised that she didn't really know what she was looking for anyway. Still a little hesitant, she simply set the cupcake aside for now, deciding she would come back to it.

But it appeared her hopes for a non-unsettling sweet treat would not be fully dashed. Cecily spied Professor Jensen purposefully making her way towards Table 11, cupcake and letter in hand, eyes towards Cecily. "Indeed," Cecily replied with an awkward smile, taking the items from the Slytherin Head of House. "Thank you." Wow, hand-delivered from Professor Jensen herself. What a special cupcake.

Setting the treat down in front of her, Cecily turned her attention to the note, which was already shedding glitter from the corners. The blue parchment paired with bronze ink naturally appealed to Cecily's house pride, and her smile grew as her eyes ran over the heartwarming sentences before her.

Dear Cecily,
On this Valentine's Day, I hope you know that I really look up to you - as a Ravenclaw, as a Quidditch player, as a person, the lot of it! You are an inspiration on and off the field, and I want someday to be just like you. I know I said that this cupcake was for me, but it was yours all along... I hope you like it!

There was not much question who it was from-- the details of the letter narrowed it down easily. "Thank you so much Aly, this is very sweet," Cecily said, turning to Aly with a warm smile. "And very sneaky," she added. Making it right in front of her face was very cunning of the younger girl, especially while Cecily was too busy plotting The Set-Up. And it was so delightfully decorated, too-- blue candies carefully placed on the frosting to form the shape of a broomstick. It was incredibly thoughtful of her teammate, and Cecily absolutely looked forward to devouring it.

outfit [blue]

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