hogwartsexpressed | You Are Cordially Invited to the Yule Ball!

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You Are Cordially Invited to the Yule Ball!

The Yule Ball

How to play
① Tag in
② Go to RNG and roll 1-10. That's your scenario!
③ Tag around!
④ Have fun. :)

Cross-canon/canon/oc's are all welcome! Just note how your character has been invited to the ball or if they're a student! We welcome it all. ♥

Scenarios
① Ask Your Date to the Yule Ball - Invite that special someone or ask your best friend. There is nothing wrong with going as friends!
② Dress Shopping/Dress Robe Shopping - It's time to find that perfect outfit! Or have one mailed to you and ask someone to alter it for you if need be.
③ Getting Ready - It's time to get ready for the ball, do you feel that nervous flutter?
④ Picking Up Your Date - Go and pick up your date, the ball is about to start!
⑤ The First Dance - It's time for the first dance. Are you ready?
⑥ Refreshment Table - Let's hope ~~someone~~ no one spiked the punch! We're looking at you Marauders. We see that flask, Sirius...
⑦ The Courtyard - Need a break from dancing and people? We get that. Go into the courtyard and get a breath of fresh air. Just be sure no teacher catches you making out with your date.
⑧ Wardrobe Malfunction - The absolute worst timing, a wardrobe malfunction! What do you do?
⑨ Chaperone - Are you a chaperone for the evening? How'd you get stuck with that gig? Better make sure the Marauders aren't creating havoc or spiking the punch!
⑩ Free Choice - You know what, you do your thing!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"They all are," she whispers as if afraid she'll be heard. "They're all crazy and power hungry and they are using us as pawns. I'm not dying for their war, and neither are you," she says, her voice all but a hiss as she says that to the one person that matters most to her.

"Italy it is then," she says with a grin, cheeks flushed. "I love Rome. You're going to love it," she says, squeezing her hands again. "We're going to do this. We aren't letting them get us killed."

She nods in agreement. "I have no plans to die in this damn war," she agrees before continuing. "Neither of us is."

Cassie grins, squeezing the girl's hands. "We're doing this. We start planning, tomorrow. We can go to the Room." She froze momentarily when she heard footsteps walking closer to their location in the gardens.

Hopefully, it was just another couple looking for a snogging location.

Draca is about to answer when she hears the footsteps. She goes still, all a rabbit under the watchful eyes of wolves. Except it isn't a wolf who steps out of the shadows, but rather a cat.

Or a woman that could well be a cat.

"Perhaps if you're planning to discuss mutiny, you should do so in your private rooms," McGonagall says, prim and proper and looking peaceful despite her words. "Or at least under a dampening charm."

She withdraws her wand from her sleeve and gives it a swirl and the pressure is there, making it clear that there's a silencing spell around them.

"Good evening, Ladies." She glances back to where the others are and then to the girls. "I will assume then you're not having a good time. Perhaps I could help?"

Cassie opens her mouth to somehow convince the professor that they weren't doing or discussing any sort of mutiny but then she feels the dampening charm and closes her mouth.

"Good evening, Professor," she says watching her then looks at Draca before returning her attention to McGonagall.

How much did she hear? How much could she say? "The ball is fine. It's the tournament itself that leaves much to be desired..." And the rest of the wizarding world as it stands.

Draca tenses, reaching for her wand. She stops herself though, realizes who their company is. She stares at her, shifting slightly as if she's putting herself between Cassie and the professor.

"We needn't any of that, Ms Malfoy. I wouldn't harm either of you and, well... Lets just say that I'm much more on the side of my students than anyone else."

Which is why she's here and already considering what she might be able to do for them.

"Are you serious about leaving then?"

Cassie blinks in surprise and glances at Draca before focusing on the professor before her.

"Yes," she says. And while she knows that her parents would have stayed and fought - they were adults. She and Draca were teenagers and she was fighting in a tournament that she shouldn't be fighting in because her name had slipped through.

"If I'm going to be fighting in a future war, Professor, I would like to do it on my own terms and with someone who can train us better."

She pauses. "No offense to you..."

"No offense taken, Dearie. Trust me. I know where my limitations are in these walls, and there are many of them."

It's the most she might admit to how she's feeling about things, but that doesn't change that given the chance she will help them as much as she can.

"With the tournament in place, you will have to make plans to get away when even the castle defenses are distracted, but that they will not think to look for Ms Potter. Tomorrow they will be bringing in something special for the event. Hagrid will be helping with it,' she says, her expression darkening. "That will be your chance."

Truth was, she was sure if the situation was different, there was a lot they could learn from the Professor. Her skills in transfiguration were mindblowing. But here at Hogwarts, that wouldn't happen and she couldn't just take the risk of staying for a decent teacher.

She nods in understanding then looks at Draca. "Which means, we have time tonight while people are distracted with the ball to pack and prepare," she says softly.

There's pain on their professor's face, even as she nods at the girls.

"It would be for the best. I wish I had a better answer, or could do more but I will have to take care of things after you are both gone. It will not be pretty, I suspect. If I thought taking others with you would help, I would ask but let me just say this. If you see others after you leave, or while you're leaving, know you are not the only ones I have spoken to tonight."

He sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose for a moment.

"It isn't what should be done but it's the best I can do."

Cassie nods in understanding. "No, but I know you will do everything you can to protect the students to the best of your ability," she says then pauses. "As you're able to, look out for the Slytherins as well. Some of them don't want this any more than we do."

Did she need to tell that to her? No, likely not but Slytherin had been her house and while many of them put on a big show of it, none of them likely knew what would really happen the moment their parent's master shows up again. Because he would. She was sure of it.

"No, it's not what should be done but it's what we've been given and your help tonight has been valuable," she says. "Thank you, Professor."

"It's why I've stayed as long as I could," she says with a tight smile, glad that they see it. "I will do the best I can," she adds with a nod. "It's easy to see the ones that don't want to do this, and who are forced into it."

She looks at Draca then. "But I'll do the best I can."

She steps closer, taking one of their hands in each of hers. "You'll have only a few moments to get out. You'll know when. You have maybe an hour to grab what you can. If anyone asks, say your mother is sick, Draca, and you'll be going home. Cassie will be going with you for moral support."

Cassie tightens her hand on the Professors and gives her a nod. She looks at Draca.

"If we don't have much time then we should go and pack everything important. If you're sure," she says, staring at the other girl closely. Though, she knew that Draca wouldn't change her mind, not about this.

She only wished they could bring Narcissa with them.

Draca's expression is dark, the kind that many feared from the Malfoy heir but now it's determination. She's set on what she knows her future will be.

She nods at Cassie.

"I'm sure. This is our chance. We have to."

She leans in and kisses Cassie's cheek and then turns her attention to Professor McGonagall. "My mother... if you can..."

She nods at that. "I make no promises, Child, but if I can. Now. Go."

Cassie kisses her cheek with a little smile then looks at the Professor again with a nod.

Without another word, Cassie releases McGonagall's hand before tightening the one around Draca's and walking back toward the castle. In her head, she's already thinking of everything she needs to grab.

It was happening much quicker than either of them expected but they had to take it. Luckily for them, everyone was still enjoying the Yule Ball and paying not one lick of attention to either of them.

"The dorms are empty, we'll get a chance to snog all we want without our dormmates giving us a look," she says, giving the other girl a wicked smirk. She was not going to say anything serious inside the walls of Hogwarts for fear that they'd be overheard and reported on.

Draca can't help but laugh at that, wishing they could do just that. Just take time alone, but they would have time for that later. Later when their world wasn't opening up before them and ending at the same time.

Her hand squeezes Cassie's. "Shhh, someone might hear you," she teases, playing into it for their game in case anyone had followed or could hear them.

But Cassie had been right, the dorm was empty.

"Okay, whatever we have to have. Anything of value. Only good shoes," she teases but there's a seriousness there too. She's thought of this before now.

Cassie nods as she looks around the dorm before looking at Draca.

"We should take your trunk and I'll leave mine here. That way, if there's anything that he has put a tracker on, he won't know. Merlin, does this mean, I can't bring those fancy heels you bought me last Christmas," she teases.

As she asks though, she starts to gather everything of value, including the earrings Draca had bought her during the same time frame, the map, and the clothes she would need.

Before Hogwarts and meeting Draca, she hadn't had much to call her own. And although she was leaving things behind, she was bringing the most valuable items and things with her, including her relationship with Draca. "What else?"

"Maybe you can trust those? Since they're from me? Anything you got while with Hagrid or others from the school you can't trust. Your trunk and robes, your books." She pauses a moment. "I am not sure about Hedwig either.'

She hates telling her that but it's definitely a chance.

Gathering her things, she pauses to look around, considering the options.

"Anything else we need, we can buy. I have some of the family jewelry and we can sell them if we need to." Not the earrings but other things they could sell to help them get through things. "We're... we're ready then?"

The fact was, Cassie was already thinking along the same lines as Draca was regarding what she could bring and what she couldn't. "Do you know of any spells that will reveal trackers," she asks, looking at her as she considers the one thing she couldn't and refused to leave behind. The invisibility cloak.

Hedwig, as much as she loathed to leave her behind, she had to... for now. A snowy owl that nearly everyone would know was hers? Wasn't subtle, especially when they needed to leave in a hurry.

"Okay," she nods and places her belongings in Draca's trunk. She nods. "We'll need to make sure we change out of these gowns as soon as we get to a suitable place. We won't blend in for very long if we don't."

It's hard to think about giving up so much of their things, but how could they know what was safe and what wasn't?

She sighs as she works on packing all the things they might need and ensuring they have it all.

"True, but we should keep them. I... there may come a time we'll need them. Places we might be able to get into with them. I've snuck into a lot of parties I shouldn't be at by dressing the right way."

While Cassie had grown used to having things of hers since coming to Hogwarts, it's times like this that she didn't have as much.

She nods in agreement with Draca's words. "I agree," she says and looks at her. "We'll keep them. Are we ready? We need to get ready for Professor McGonnagal's cue."

She reaches over and gives her hand a squeeze.

She took Cassie's hand, giving it a snug squeeze. "I'm ready. I... Before you came this was my dream. To get away from them. As they started talking more and more about this war, I knew I didn't want to stay. I'm glad I'm leaving with you."

Maybe she never would have. Not without Cassie. Now she'll leave because if she won't protect herself, at least she'll protect the woman she loves.

Cassie smiles when Draca gives her hand a snug squeeze back. Then she raises her eyes to the woman and raises her eyebrows in slight surprise. She knew they'd always played up the Slytherin Princess side of who they were and while they were undoubtedly that, she was glad that they both realized what side of this war they wanted to be on.

"I'm really glad we're leaving together," she says after a minute. She would do what she could to protect the woman she loved and... eventually, if they learned everything they needed to, then maybe others. Maybe she'd have to come back, eventually but not until they were ready.

She closes up Draca's trunk and with a wave of her wand and a murmured charm, she shrinks it down and hands it to her. "Let's go, I don't think we have much time."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You Are Cordially Invited to the Yule Ball!

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We were going to bring in McGonagall to help them, right?

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