she is tolerable

"I don't disagree with you there-" Peter acknowledged with a shrug, in some ways Peter was still similar to the boy shaking on the side of the dance floor. He had bottled it in asking Mary to the Yule Ball just a few weeks back. At least the other lad was working up the courage to ask. "Did you arrive with a date? Or was the American dating pool a bit too brash for your silver spoon lifestyle."

Dahlia tipped her head to the side. "Why are you not having a good time? Does anyone need to be hexed? Obviously you can't do it yourself for prefect reasons but I'd be happy to oblige." She took a sip of her drink. "Speaking of which, it's fantastic you aren't on duty tonight. It's about time someone else took up the mantle.”

"Dahlia, everything is fine and I'm fully capable of taking care of someone who wronged me," but only half of this was true. Andromeda never had to put it into practice. With the family she has, no one dared to touch a hair on her head unless they wanted to trigger the rage of Bellatrix and the wit of Narcissa. "I just hate these parties. So stuffy. So much to maintain and keep track of. Talk to the wrong person and suddenly the rumor mill starts turning."

Remus had been feeling terribly uncomfortable all night. He'd never attended something quite like this before and he felt completely out of place. The music was good, but there far too many people around for him to actually enjoy himself. It seemed as though as soon as he found one of his friends, somebody would take them away for a dance, or for punch, leaving Remus on his own to fend for himself.

He stood in the corridor outside of the Great Hall, it was much less crowded. At least out here he was able to breathe. He hoped he'd find one of his friends, but it seemed as though the whole corridor was filled with Ilvermorny students. And…. Andromeda Black. Remus hadn't known much about Andromeda, besides the fact that she was Sirius' cousin, and she seemed to be much like the rest of the family. But, she was the only person he recognized around, so he approached cautiously. "Andromeda, good evening." He greeted with a small smile, "You look lovely. Have you, by any chance, seen your cousin around? Can't find a single person with all of these extra students here."

She nodded at his question. It was a good one at that and she agreed with him entirely. There was no way anyone could find someone in a crowd like this. Too many people familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. It caused her to second guess who was her sisters let alone someone she might just be a friend. "I'm more surprised that he isn't with you than he is hard to find," she started. Sirius unattended was definitely a problem. "I reckon it's likely not a good thing he isn't with you."

where: the great hall

Everything was beginning to get underway, the music had livened up a bit and a few students had begun to stagger on to the dance floor. A hip-flask disguised in his inner suit pocket, Peter made his way across the packed area to a free table. Where a young woman all too familiar to his best mate, Sirius sat. Andromeda Black, he didn't know much about her. However, given the rest of the Black family's reaction the Marauders, Peter didn't believe his company would be particularly welcomed. Nevertheless, Peter sat down two or three seats away from Andromeda.

His eyes focusing in on a boy who looked nervous at the side of the dance floor, glancing at a girl at the other side. A boyish smile, Peter leant over and tapped Andromeda on the arm. "How many sickles do you want to bet that he's going to bottle asking her to dance?" Gesturing towards the poor bloke.

How mean. Granted, the boy wasn't helping her sensibilities. Poor boy was shaking at the idea of asking the girl he had been eye for the past hour. That didn't mean she wanted to speak so ill of him behind his back. "Peter, the fact that any of you four can get anyone to curious in a romantic sense makes me hopeful for that boy over there," Andromeda replied back in her usual lifeless, drab monotone. She knew very well she included Sirius in this. While Andromeda loved her cousin dearly, there was no denying the influence those boys had on him. "It's very unladylike for me to gamble anyways."

Dahlia was dressed to the nines knowing there would be little to no interaction with anyone. She wanted people to see her and be even more intimidated than normal. Someone who wouldn't be intimidated was Andromeda, something Dahlia was not surprised about. When her friend approached, she gave a nod.

She looked Andromeda up and down. "You look lovely tonight." She gave the obligatory compliment, though this time she meant it. Andromeda was a beautiful woman and cleaned up nicely. She always had. "I'm sure it took no time to get ready." She said, sipping her drink.

"Are you enjoying the festivities? Not on duty, I hope." She genuinely hoping Andromeda had the night off. She deserved it.

The soft smile faded. There was no reason for her to lie to a friend as close as Dahlia. Even if she did choose to lie, the only others who knew her better were her sisters. Andromeda was certain Dahlia would know.

"As much as I like eating soap. But in very good news, I'm not on duty for tonight. Another prefect got stuck with it this time."

who: andromeda black @blackestrose

"d'you think this is right?" he asks as he tries to adjust the neck piece around his chest - nancy had done it for him initially, but she was off somewhere with...well, who cares, anyway. ludo huffs to himself as he tries to shift the piece a bit more, growing frustrated from his thoughts. the fabric is backwards but he's unaware, though knows something looks off as he looks himself over in one of the large decorative silver goblets that adorned the room. "hello?" he asks the person to his right, before turning and seeing andromeda paying attention to something else entirely. "well you're looking awful sparkly," he compliments with a pop of his lips, admiring her dress - almost wanting to reach out like a toddler to feel the glitter, but knowing better with andromeda. "you're like the star on top of the tree," he chuckles in amusement, "i mean - in, like...a good way." ludo saves himself with a nod.

At first, her brown folded into a neat line at his first statement, unsure if it was meant to be rude or genuine. As his compliments continued, Andromeda's expression softened. This was much better than their previous interaction. While Andromeda's original thought was to pull away from Ludovic and sneer away, she elected to entertain his pleasantries. "Would you like me to fix..." she trailed off while making a gesture with her index finger near her neck. Small circles were a collar to a shirt would be.

where: the ball

The ball was quite the crowded place and Gideon had found himself almost running into people more than once during the party. He would get so distracted by who he was speaking with or what he was trying to do that he simply would just stop paying attention.

Truly he was a menace at times and his mother would have told him he ought to be paying attention. When he walked right into someone he was quite surprised by it but truly he shouldn't have been. His hands moved to grip at their arms on instinct as he tried to keep both them and himself upright.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. Are you alright?"

Andromeda didn't mean to be staring up at Gideon as if she had been a deer in the headlights. Her mind was already vibrating in this kind of social setting, literally walking into an estranged cousin wasn't high on her list to do.

"I am quite alright, but I'm the only who should be apologizing considering my own negligence was the reason for our altercation."

Ted needed to get some fresh air. He had really been enjoying the evening so far. It was nice to let loose and dance with his friends. Just to be able to forget about the pressures of his final year at Hogwarts and what that meant for his life. Ted had just finished talking with one of the students from Ilvermorny when he headed out into the corridor. He wasn't used to wearing suits, especially not a three piece suit. When he'd told his mum about the ball, she'd found the suit immediately. Telling him that it used to be her favourite of his dad's. It felt special to have his dad with him in that way and Ted thought it rather suited him too. Regardless though, in a room full of people it was making him feel very warm. He found an empty corner of the corridor and shrugged off the jacket. Feeling the relief of the cooler air. He looked around, just people watching at the others in the corridor when his eyes landed on a figure down the furthest end. Even from here he could tell it was Andromeda. He was already starting to walk towards her before his brain could catch up with his actions. He couldn't deny that with every interaction they had he become more and more intrigued. The vinyl she'd lent him, whilst not exactly his style had been beautiful. "Seems a shame for you to be out here alone in a dress that pretty" Ted questioned whether he'd had too much of the punch already and cleared his throat. "I just mean- its very detailed" Ted adjusted the way he was holding his jacket "did you need some air too, its boiling in there." Ted had no idea what he was doing anymore, all he knew was that he couldn't seem to stay away from her and he had no idea why.

"Would you like to come sit with me, then?"

“You don’t have to hide your dislike in front of me,” she took a sip of her drink. “I won’t judge.” Another odd thing for Dahlia to say considering she was always proper — something she learned on her own because Merlin forbid her family give her the time of day for such things. Her proper ways were a slap in her family’s face.

Dahlia raised her hand to get attention for Andomeda’s drink. “The corridors do get claustrophobic. I’m sure it’s worse for you being a head student.” Andromeda’s elderflower wine was brought to the table. “Thank you.” She turned back and asked, “everything going on?” As if she didn’t have a clue as to what she was referring to.

Everything going on was a very general statement that Andromeda hoped would have been asked of her. Finals, tutoring Rita, the quiet friendship with Ted, her duties as a head student all while trying to balance her grades and her family's expectations with the prospects that she can make it into the healer's program post-graduation. It weighed on her heavily.

"You know how it always is," she noted, unsure of how much she wanted to burden Dahlia with her own problems. It wasn't like the other witch didn't have her own struggles that were far more important than Andromeda's. "So much to do, so little time and so much to maintain. Almost down to the last year and I'm just counting my days until I can graduate."

where : the courtyard

Nancy was meant for the sun, the cold had never been her friend. There was nothing pleasant about numb fingertips, runny noses or chapped lips. As soon as winter dawned, Nancy longed for summer. The bright mornings were more pleasant, and she tended to be more productive. But one aspect of the winter, Nancy enjoyed was the darker nights. It gave her more of an opportunity to star-gaze, one of Nancy's favourite past times. Astronomy was her strongest subject. Nancy didn't care that it wasn't the best course of study for career security, Astronomy made the world turn - quite literally.

Nancy was out in the courtyard, bundled up in a coat. An astronomy book resting on her lap as she gazed up at the sky. She was just about to head inside and sneak to the kitchens for a warm tea - when a bright light passed overhead. A small gasp escaping her lips. Nancy was pleased to see someone passing through the courtyard - somebody to express her excitement with. "Did you see that? There was a shooting star."

That was until she spotted a figure sitting out past curfew, or at least she assumed. It wouldn't be the first time she had spotted a professor on her patrols. Andromeda's paced slowed once she realized it was some half-blood girl someone has had pointed out to her. She was more confused as the light brightly crossed over both of her heads. Andromeda found it hard not to match the other woman's excitement. It felt cruel, cold. She looked up in response and tried her best to put on a decent smile. "My mother used to tell us when we were little to make a wish."

where: the charms corridor

The corridors were busy, packed with younger students who were scurrying around looking for their classrooms or classmates. Dorcas was waiting by the side, for things to calm down. Sure, she'd be late for class but late was better than trampled. As the crowds passed by, Dorcas noticed a gap and was just about to take the opportunity when she caught the glimpse of some levitating books floating by. Followed by another stack nestled in a woman's arms. A nightmarish situation in such a busy area, Dorcas approached Andromeda.

With a defeated huff, Andromeda knelt down to pick them up and knew she would be walking into class late. Though, she paused for a moment and looked up at an unfamiliar voice. "Um," Andromeda hesitated. She was unsure if this was a person who she would be allowed to associate with. Anyone not in Slytherin was such a blur. "If it doesn't take up too much of your time."

it's not her fault, the subject just isn't interesting. rita needs to be stimulated a bit more, her grades are important to her and she does well in most every other subject - plants just weren't any fun for her. she delicately holds the leaves of an identified plant in her fingers with slight curiosity, though losing interest quickly. "it's all quite boring, isn't it?" she muses mostly to herself.

She didn't even try to hide her expression as she looked over to Rita with a curl of her lip. It caused her nose to scrunch at the Ravenclaw woman. There were times Andromeda was worried that Rita lacked any verbal filter. This was the time she was certain that Rita had none at all. Between what she was saying and to who, Andromeda took in a deep breath and swallowed her emotions down. "Rita, you realize that my focus is in this subject," she stated in stilted staccato, "Plants are easier than people sometimes."

Andromeda had surprised Ted a lot at Halloween. She'd surprised him a lot generally in fact. He'd almost choked on his drink when she'd approached him first on all hallows eve. That was something he had not been expecting at all. Her humouring him when he started conversation with her was one thing. But that. Well it had just convinced him that he wasn't crazy, there was some glimmer of hope when it came to her. He had previously though a friendship would be too much of a reach, but now he wondered what if. The fact she'd also gotten his character reference when even some of the muggleborns didn't had earned her major brownie points with Ted too. It was a huge part of why he was here, super early for book club once again just so they could talk in private. He readjusted the book he was holding under his arm as he walked into the classroom. The nerves appearing as they always did, he might be getting more confident in talking with Andromeda, but he was still nervous to start any conversation. For all Ted knew this was some master plan of hers to show him up somehow. But then, his gut kept saying that wasn't the case. "Hello" he said as he walked in and took his seat "bet you don't recognise me without the hooves now". Ted cringed internally at his own joke, but well it was an opening right.

"Oh, Ted," she teased back, though her voice was shaky. "Took me a moment to realize it was you. Don't change your look so drastically." It was always hard to determine if anyone could figure out if she was attempting to be comical underneath her unconfident and monotone voice. Besides her chair, she gently picked up the record he had lent her previously along with one of her own. "That man should have never sang and the lady should have done it more," she reviewed as she handed the stack towards him. "It was technically interesting. Just not my kind of music. A bit too…" she trailed off, unsure of what to say without offending Ted. "I prefer something more classical."

Dahlia liked her privacy and that included life at her flat. She could have stayed at the manor but insisted she not stay, reminding her father that, should she die, it wouldn’t be in their home. For once her illness worked in her favor. It would have been perfect to have Andromeda over to her home but it’s something Dahlia had to work up to. Hopefully soon. Only time would tell.

Sitting across from the childhood friend brought some warmth to the otherwise cold witch. She was lucky to have Andromeda and knew it. Dahlia always knew the facts and one of the facts was that Andromeda cared and so did she.

She smirked. “Same dishwater. But the elderflower wine is never a bad idea,” she said taking a sip of her favorite drink.

She tried her best to be polite and not curl her nose at the idea of the usual bathwater, but with Dahlia close, she felt a little more at ease to not be as proper as she was required to be. Though elderflower wine sounded delicious. At least, delicious for what the establishment could possible offer them.

"Don't apologize. If I have to look at the same couple of corridors, I might get cabin fever," she mused out loud. "I could also use a glass of something to drink given everything going on."