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**Wilber Winterbottom** · #1 (**permalink**) 12-27-2022, 12:45 AM

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On this particular evening, the Great Hall has been magically transformed into a vibrant celebration of music, magic, and togetherness — all in keeping with the theme of School Unity. Banners in each House’s colours and stamped with their respective mascots ripple softly along the stone walls, while the floating candles have been replaced by enchanted lanterns that drift lazily overhead, casting a warm, golden glow across the space.

Where the House tables once stood, the centre of the room now opens into a spacious dance floor and relaxed social area, bordered by garlands of floating stars and subtle House crests woven into the décor. The stars twinkle gently as students pass beneath them, occasionally trailing faint sparkles in their wake, adding to the quiet magic of the evening.

Off to the side, long tables have been arranged with an inviting spread of food. Familiar feast favourites sit alongside an assortment of easy-to-grab finger foods, encouraging guests to wander, snack, and return to the festivities without missing a beat. Goblets refill themselves, plates shift to make room, and the occasional sweet treat seems to appear just when it’s most desired ― all thanks to the dutiful work of the Hogwarts house elves.

There's a comfortable flow to the space, encouraging clusters of conversation forming and dissolving, laughter rising and blending with the music, for students and staff alike to drift from one moment to the next. Whether drawn to the dance floor, the food, or simply the company, the setup invites everyone to gather, mingle, and settle into the shared rhythm of the evening.

Photos!: layout

sweetpinkpixie · 03-31-2026, 07:01 AM

Iris lingered just beyond the threshold of the Great Hall for a moment longer than necessary, her gaze sweeping slowly across the transformed space as though she might better understand it if she observed it first.

It was… a lot.

Not in the overwhelming, overstimulating sense, though there was certainly enough movement, light, and sound to qualify, but in the way it invited participation. The kind of openness that required something from her in return. Laughter rose and fell in soft waves, music threading easily through clusters of students who seemed far more at ease with the fluidity of the evening than she felt just yet.

Her fingers adjusted lightly around the edge of her sleeve before lightly adjusting her glasses, small grounding gestures before she stepped fully inside.

OWL's were finished, and that thought should have felt liberating. Instead it lingered in that uncomfortable space between relief and scrutiny. There were subjects she knew had gone well ― notably Ancient Runes, Astronomy, Divination, and Defense Against the Dark Arts ― but others… she could feel the small fractures if she reflected too much. Moments, questions, where her focus had slipped, where her preparation had been… divided.

Her mouth pressed faintly at the thought. Not that she needed to name the cause of that division.

Her gaze drifted almost instinctively, toward the Slytherin section. It would have been easy enough to walk that way. Entirely within the spirit of "School Unity" and yet...there was something about it that felt… too intentional. The last thing she wanted was to look like she was seeking anyone out. Even if, inconveniently, that may have been precisely what her thoughts were inclined toward. A faint flush crept along her cheeks at the realization and she quickly redirected her attention elsewhere.

That elsewhere ended up being the main body of the hall, a space that sat comfortably between everything. Her fingers brushed lightly along one of the trays as she selected something small without truly looking at it, more for the sake of appearing occupied than out of any real hunger.

She really should have looked too. She was allergic to peaches, and in her hand was a peach tart.

WhittyBitty · 03-31-2026, 09:09 PM

Aurora was decidedly not dwelling on the fact that it was the end of her penultimate year at Hogwarts and that the next time she set foot inside the castle would be for her last term. No. She was not going to think about that. Instead she was here to have fun, see her friends, and enjoy some House unity.

And of course she was going to enjoy some snacks, do some socializing, and maybe even dance. She was here to have some fun.

Wondering where Nyle was, she glanced around and it didn't take her long to spot him. It never did. She would make sure to talk to him at some point, of course. When he was less occupied. For now she made her way over to Iris after grabbing some finger food (of course nothing with meat in it). It was always nice to see her.

"Hey, Iris!" BEAM.

Aurora glanced at what she had in her hand and her eyes widened. "You have a peach tart." Thank Merlin the other girl hadn't taken a bite. Was she okay??? There must have been something on her mind for her to make such a mistake. "You want to trade for another tart?" One that wasn't peach. Aurora had a few that she could choose from.

FearlessLeader19 · 03-31-2026, 09:37 PM

Id really wished that Nessy could be here, enjoying the festivities like he was. His little furbaby would no doubt love the wide range of foods, especially the tuna. But try as he might, the Gryffindor could not convince his beloved Dad E otherwise, who cited that a kneazle-cat's presence would be unsafe for reasons. Even beloved Dad D had agreed which left Idris with only the determination to grab some tuna for Nesquik before he retired for the night.

For now, Idris had been on his way to attempt to secure a cat plushie or two from the machine for Zarri. Maybe he was low-key trying to influence his little brother to eventually be a Gryffindor but the guy had been on a burgeoning path recently so it was never too early. But then Id spotted Aurora, and whenever he spotted Rory, he just had to go say hi.

The sixth year shuffled over to her and Iris. “Friends!” He shimmied his body. “Come dance with me!” Cue him twirling in place with gusto which resulted in him almost losing his balance. “Woah!” He stuck his arms out to balance himself. “I do not recommend that move though.” Was he embarrassed? Not in the least!

sweetpinkpixie · 04-01-2026, 01:29 PM

Iris turned at the sound of her name, the beginnings of a polite greeting already forming before Aurora's expression shifted from bright to alarmed in the span of a heartbeat. Her head tilted to one side in bewildered curiosity before her gaze dropped to where her friend was practically gawking.

Oh.

There was a small, immediate pause as recognition settled in, followed by a faint flush that rose far too quickly to be anything but telling. Only slightly embarrassing ― as well as confirmation to her as to just how distracted she must have been for some of her examinations. Hopefully none of them would produce similar disastrous sentiments.

"Ah—" she exhaled softly, something between a quiet laugh and mild self-reproach escaping her as she looked back up. "I grabbed the wrong one on accident. Phew, that could have been awful." Her fingers adjusted slightly around the edge of the pastry, as though holding it differently might retroactively justify the choice. "Yes, I— thank you," she nodded as she held it out toward Aurora without hesitation. "A trade would be… prudent."

Her attention flicked, briefly — almost unconsciously — toward the Slytherin side of the hall. It lingered just long enough to catch a familiar shape among the movement before she pulled it back again, a little quicker this time. The flush in her cheeks didn't entirely subside, though whether that was due to the tart or the sighting was… debatable.

The interruption that followed was, in its own way, a relief.

Iris blinked once at Idris' sudden arrival, and subsequent enthusiasm, her posture going just slightly more upright as though bracing for impact. The shimmy, the twirl, the near-collapse… it was a lot to process in quick succession.

A small, polite laugh slipped out before she could quite stop it, more reflex than genuine amusement.

"Noted," she said, inclining her head just slightly in acknowledgment of his warning.

At the invitation, however, there was a near immediate hesitation.

"Oh— I don't—" she began, then paused, recalibrating quickly into something more socially acceptable. "I hadn't planned to, actually. I was going to remain… observational for the evening. Try not to poison myself with the food." Her fingers smoothed lightly over the fabric of her skirt as she offered a faint apologetic smile. "I've never been much of a dancer."

At least not in front of other people.

*Samia* · 04-01-2026, 03:06 PM

Adrian hadn’t meant to come. That was the simplest version of it. OWLs were over, technically. And he had no excuse to not be... around.

End of term feast meant attendance, whether you felt like celebrating or not. So here he was, pressed into a shirt that passed for presentable, standing just inside the Great Hall as it gleamed and shimmered like it had something to prove.

Lanterns floated. Stars drifted. Music threaded through the air like it was trying to coax something out of everyone. He wasn’t particularly interested in being coaxed. Still, he moved in, slower than most, and it didn’t take long before he found a place along the edge of the hall, close enough to observe, far enough to avoid being dragged into anything resembling enthusiasm.

And then... inevitably - he found her.

Iris stood somewhere near the middle of it all, though she wore it like someone standing just outside her own life, observing before committing. That hadn’t changed.

What had changed… was everything else.

Aurora reached her first. Then Idris.

Adrian’s mouth twitched despite himself as he watched the boy practically announce his presence, enthusiasm spilling out in all directions before culminating in a spin that nearly took him out entirely, “...brilliant” Adrian muttered under his breath, the faintest trace of amusement threading through it as Idris caught himself mid-collapse.

There was something almost impressive about the lack of shame. His gaze lingered a moment longer than necessary - on the way Iris was pulled into it, into them, into something lighter than the last time he’d seen her. Something easier.

Good.

That was… good.

And yet - there was a flicker of something quieter beneath the amusement. Not quite discomfort. Not quite anything he could name without overthinking it. So he didn’t. He let his gaze drift again, away from the cluster, away from the center of the room, back to the safer blur of movement and light.

Distance. That was still the plan.

When the invitation to dance came, Adrian didn’t need to hear every word to know how that would go. He watched Iris hesitate. Of course she did.

The recalibration was almost immediate - the polite deflection, the careful phrasing, the retreat into something safer. He watched as she stood there, politely declining, trying to fold herself into the edges of a moment that clearly had other plans.

Amused and definitely something more, he watched -- because it was clear she was not getting out of that - not with Idris involved.

WhittyBitty · 04-01-2026, 07:00 PM

Yep, something was definitely a little off with Iris. Aurora wondered if she was dealing with OWL burnout or something, but she was just glad that she had noticed in time to stop her friend from eating something she was allergic to. ”Glad to help,” Nod. She was more than happy to enjoy the peach tart while Iris had something else.

As she ate the peach tart, she noticed Iris’ eyes quickly flicker towards the Slytherin table, and wondered if that had something to do with it. But before she could ask, Idris arrived and immediately wanted them to dance with him.

Oh, she was definitely game to.

As he almost lost his balance, Aurora couldn’t help but be amused. But she knew he wouldn’t have an issue with it. He wasn’t even bothered; that was just Idris. ”With moves like that, how could I refuse.” Setting her plate down, she started dancing with him and laughing.

Iris saying no wasn’t surprising, Aurora knew her well enough by now. ”So have any interesting plans for summer?” Hopefully they did, and of course she wanted to spend time with the both of them. And Nyle; it went without saying that she wanted to spend time with him.

As she danced, she suddenly realized that Adrian had come over. Though as he was standing off to the side silently it made sense that she would have missed him at first. ”Oh. Hey, Adrian!” Aurora smiled, and would have asked him if he wanted to join them, but she knew that he wouldn’t want to. Idris may try to get him to dance, though.

*Samia* · 04-02-2026, 04:35 PM

Adrian was TRYING to mind his own business, but somehow too many important variables in his life were distracting him. Like ... Marina - who he easily noticed moving away. Quick - but wrong in a way that tugged at his attention immediately. His focus lingered there a second too long, eyes narrowing faintly as he tracked the way she slipped through the crowd, expression unreadable from this distance but posture… off. Closed in. Like she was trying not to be seen leaving.

That wasn’t like her.

A quiet tension settled low in his chest.

He should probably -

- and then...

Hey, Adrian!

Of course.

His jaw shifted faintly, something between resignation and mild amusement flickering across his expression as Aurora’s voice cut clean through any illusion of subtlety. The fifth year exhaled quietly through his nose, pushing himself off from where he’d half-settled. No point pretending now. “Aurora,” he greeted, tone even as he stepped properly into Iris' little orbit, though he didn’t quite mirror the group's energy. Not fully. His hands stayed loose at his sides, posture relaxed in appearance only - there was still that careful distance in the way he held himself, like he hadn’t forgotten why he’d been avoiding this exact scenario.

Yet -- he turned to look at Iris, and gave her a slight nod in greeting as well - before turning to look at Aurora again, a small smile and decision setting into place, “Dance with me?” he asked, like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Unless you’re committed to… whatever that is,” he added, tone light - as he glanced briefly toward Idris’ ongoing performance with a faint, dry edge of amusement.

FearlessLeader19 · 04-02-2026, 10:57 PM

Id vaguely wondered if anyone was questioning his sanity. Maybe Iris was, but he knew Aurora wouldn’t. He didn’t miss the way Iris’ demeanour changed though he thought she was laughing at his little antics, especially the near - fall. Id wouldn’t have been offended if she really had been laughing at him, by the way. He continued shimmying himself, not at all in time with the music in the background. As a matter of fact, what sort of music was even wafting through the air?

Oh, hello newcomer! The sixth year wiggled his fingers in Adrian’s direction. “You can join us too!” There was a gesture at himself and then at Aurora who was already working the dance space like a pro. He wasn’t surprised - his friend was cool like that. “You’ve got moves, Rory!” Id shuffled backwards, tucked his arms under his armpits and flapped them like a bird. The Funky Chicken Dance! “Not much. Just lots of family time as usual! I plan on taking my little brother to all the aquariums that I possibly can! He’s obsessed with aquatic animals. And I hope Jan and Ary will get time to come around at least for a little.” He didn’t see the two as much as he liked - especially Jan whose constant presence he missed still. And he knew that Ary and Rory conversed regularly via Mirrors. “What about you? Heading out on an adventure to find new plants?” With Rory being a Hufflepuff - who were said to be excellent finders - his friend would have no issue finding any.

“That’s okay!’’ the Gryffindor reassured Iris. “You don’t need to be good at it to have a good time. I think I’m a living example of that!” Grinning, he shimmied again, moving from side to side. “May I?” The seventh year extended his hands, palms turned upwards for Iris to take them - if she wanted to. There was nothing romantic about his intentions to have her join in on the fun. He was far too smitten with his Paully; that Hufflepuff had a way to make his heart deliquesce in an instant

Anyway, even if Iris still refused to dance, he wouldn’t force her; he could dance enough for the both of them!

OH!

What’s this?

Adrian wanted to dance Rory solo? That was alright with him! Not that she needed his approval, but he flashed her a thumbs up to let her know he wouldn’t mind if she wanted to accept Adrian’s invitation.”

sweetpinkpixie · 04-03-2026, 02:15 AM

New tart in hand — a sweet cheese one this time — Iris took a small, deliberate bite, more out of principle than appetite, though the faint lift at the corner of her mouth suggested she approved of the selection.

"Mum and Dad are going away on some sort of retreat together," she said, a light note threading into her voice now, easier, brighter. "Which means Nyle and I will be passed around the extended family circuit."

It wasn't an unpleasant arrangement, objectively speaking. A rotation of different households, different rhythms, different expectations... there was something almost academically appealing about the variety and it would be nice to spend the summer in the same place as her brother this time. Though she would most be looking forward to the week spent with their uncle and his personal library of tomes.

But then gravity shifted.

It started with the way Aurora's attention redirected, followed by the Hufflepuff calling his name and Idris doubling down on the invitation. Her spine straightened almost imperceptibly, a reflexive correction, as though posture alone might account for the sudden, unwelcome awareness that threaded through her. There was a brief, suspended second where their eyes met — or nearly did — before she redirected, far too deliberately, toward a neutral midpoint somewhere near his shoulder.

Composure, she reminded herself as she nearly dropped her cheese tart.

This was a social gathering. People spoke. People danced. People… existed in proximity without it meaning anything.

And then her whole bloody axis titled.

There had been a time — not long ago, though it felt inconveniently distant now — when he had told her he preferred her unfiltered. Raw. Honest. Nonclinical. As though those things were virtues she could simply summon without consequence. It did not come naturally to her, that kind of openness. It required choice. Effort. A willingness to step outside the quiet precision she relied on to keep everything in its proper place.

It came almost effortlessly in this present moment.

Logical thought arrived on a delay ― filed, labeled, and rationalized before her thoughts could wander too much or linger anywhere inconvenient. It made sense. Aurora was already dancing, already aligned with the energy of the room. Herself, by contrast, had just declined. She had just made herself unavailable. Logically, the outcome tracked.

And yet, there was the faintest tightening at the corner of her mouth before she smoothed it away. The lanternlight caught briefly in her eyes as she blinked, something faintly lambent flickering there for half a second too long — not quite tears, not quite anything she would allow to fully form — before she forced it down, expression smoothing back into something carefully quiescent.

Idris' voice reached her again, warm and unguarded, cutting clean through the neat compartments she was building. His hand extended towards her next and a moment ― a brief and suspended one ― she considered taking it. Her fingers even uncurled enough that her nails no longer dug crescents into her palms... but she didn't. Her eyes darted between the trio, lingering on no one for any real measurable amount of time, before flicking over to Nyle and his obvious struggle with he Ravenclaw riddles and then, finally, settled over at the Slytherin activity where JT stood. A small inhale steadied her, shoulders settling just slightly as she stepped back instead of forward.

"I think," she began, her voice remarkably steady considering the undesirable raw reaction happening between her ribs. "I think I’ll leave the dancing to all of you." A faint apologetic smile followed, one just warm enough to hopefully not invite further persuasion. "I've been meaning to look at the Slytherin activity, actually. I'll...catch up with... you later..."

She offered the trio a polite wave before turning with just enough decisiveness to prevent hesitation from taking hold, leaving behind a near perfect little constellation of Houses and whatever quiet symmetry had almost existed.

WhittyBitty · 04-03-2026, 03:54 AM

It was nice to see Adrian join them, even if he was still standing off to the side; Aurora hadn't really expected much else from him. She had figured out that he was the brooding type quite some time ago.

It was okay though. She and Idris had the whole dancing thing covered for the group. And Idris certainly was having the time of his life. "Thanks! You've got some moves too!" When he wasn't almost losing his balance that was. Just look at him doing the funky chicken!

Summer plans were being discussed, and Aurora thought that it all sounded like fun. She really hoped that she would still be able to spend time with Nyle and Iris even with them being shuffled around, but she was just happy that they would be spending time with their family. Idris too! "That all sounds great!" And of course Aurora was looking forward to spending time with Ary. She had already been bugging him for a while via two way mirror - soon she would be able to bug him again in person.

"Oh. Just going on vacation and spending time with friends and family," she told Idris with a smile as she danced. Then she laughed. "I wish. Unfortunately that won't happen unless a new species grows in my backyard. Or I find it on vacation. But one day I hope I make some new discoveries." That was the dream, as a future Herbologist.

...

Adrian was asking her to dance.

Aurora was NOT expecting that. And she found herself wishing that someone else would ask her to dance. She couldn't help looking in his direction before turning her attention back to Adrian. Friends dancing together was a lot of fun, and she liked to think that they were friends. And of course she knew that Idris would support the idea even before she looked his way and saw the thumbs up.

"Sure!" BEAM.

And no sooner than she had agreed, Iris was making her exit. Aurora blinked and wondered what had happened. Was she okay??? At least she was heading over to the Slytherin activity, so she would be with JT. "Bye, Iris." Hopefully everything was fine. Aurora had no idea what, if anything, had happened.

*Samia* · 04-04-2026, 08:08 AM

When Aurora agreed to dance, he nodded once with a smile, extending a hand with an ease that looked more natural than it felt. It was simple. “Come on,” he said, tone light enough to pass.

It gave him something to do. Somewhere to look that wasn’t -

He didn’t follow the thought through.

The dance itself was easy. Nothing complicated, nothing that required too much attention. Just movement, a steady rhythm, the kind of thing you could do without thinking too hard about it. A spin here and a spin there. He kept it friendly, casual, matching Aurora’s energy just enough to not seem out of place - even if Iris' energy hadn't left him.

So his attention drifted. Not obviously. Not enough for it to be rude. But every so often his gaze would slip past Aurora's shoulder, tracking the space where Iris had been… and then wasn’t.

He’d seen her leave. Hadn’t stopped her. Didn’t know if he should have. Something about that sat wrong in his chest, though he couldn’t quite pin down why. It wasn’t like they’d agreed to anything. It wasn’t like—

His jaw tightened slightly, the thought cutting off before it could take shape.

Aurora said something, and he caught enough of it to respond, nodding faintly. “Sounds like a decent summer,” he said, tone easy, even if it landed a fraction delayed. “Even without the groundbreaking botanical discoveries.”

WhittyBitty · Yesterday, 05:10 AM

With a matching smile, Aurora took Adrian’s offered hand and they began to dance. It had been a while since she had last danced with a boy. It was another friend from when she was at Beauxbatons. Neither time was in the least bit romantic, and it was just about having a good time.

She did hope Iris was okay, and that she wasn’t upset about them dancing together. It was completely platonic, that much should be clear. She just didn’t want her friend to be upset.

Looking over to the Slytherin event, she saw that Iris indeed was with JT. Good. Hopefully she would be doing better. And Tiffany was there as well, though she didn’t seem to be in the best of moods. Aurora made a mental note to talk to her later. Maybe it was about how Slytherin had done this term. She personally didn’t get wrapped up in that kind of thing, but knew that it mattered to a lot of people. There was a lot of competition. That didn’t really matter to her; she was just here to work hard and have some fun.

Every so often she would look in the direction of a certain blonde haired boy and hope that he would come over when he wasn’t busy. She wished he would ask her to dance too, but if he didn’t want to, it was okay. She would be happy to just be in his company.

Adrian speaking took her out of her thoughts and she smiled. ”Oh, yes. I always try to make the most of summer. What about you? Have any interesting plans?” Aurora was all for having a nice conversation as they danced.

FearlessLeader19 · Yesterday, 02:48 PM

Rory was one of those persons in his life where he felt like he was always undergoing the process of germination. So he constantly had fresh bursts of energy to keep him going. “You like?” he asked, wiggling his brows as he faced his friend. His shoulders bobbed up and and down interchangeably, still quite not in time with the beats.

Yes, summer time always meant family time in the Grunt-Feirgrund-Khanna household, and it was his absolutely favourite thing EVER! “You sound, my dearest Rory, like you’re about to have a whole lot of fun! And you know that someday you’ll make so many discoveries, you’ll be super famous!” Id waved his hands around Rory’s general direction as though casting stardust upon so that her dream would come through.

While waiting on Iris’ response, Idris had to resist the urge to keep moving his body. He somehow felt that would cause unexpected pressure for her to accept his invitation. So he stood almost absolutely still. ALMOST because this Gryffindor was usually as hyper as a cat doing the zoomies. So yes, he did wiggle a bit while Iris took a healthy amount of time internalising. Not that he minded. One shouldn’t always expect another to immediately and enthusiastically jump into things. In the end, Iris made up her mind and decided to head over to the Slytherin side of things. Id dropped his hands to his sides but smiled in understanding. “Good luck with the activity, Iris!”

Cue a sudden TWIRL!

“I’ll see you around!’’ On the bright side, an addition to the growing line over at the Slytherin side of things meant that the activity was a success. Idris was sure his Dad D would be thrilled about this. As he twirled again, it occurred to him that maybe he had unintentionally forced Iris away

The thought made him feel icy on the inside. But he did hope she’d have a more enjoyable time at her new destination!

Quite oblivious to any and all matters of the heart that were occurring around him, the sixth year did another three-sixty turn, arms still hooked under his armpits. Where had his Paully disappeared to? Id squinted at the form at the Gryffindor section, recoginising that form in an instant. Resisting the urge to add a squawk to his dance routine, he shuffled off towards the Hufflepuff.

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