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Fancy Dress
Author: Zabrynna
Date: 09-09-09 18:07
Zabrynna had never done fancy dress for Halloween before, and in fact had not even heard of such a thing until last year in her first term at Hogwarts when some of the students expressed disappointment that Harriet Snider and Ryland Yaxley would not be permitting such a Muggle tradition. So certain was she that her parents would be equally disappoving, viewing fancy dress as something for other occassions, that Zabrynna had not bothered asking them for help with a costume. With no allowance since she might be tempted to obtain another love potion, Zabrynna had thought she'd just wear her dress robes and that be it.
Then Anne came in one day with pictures from something called Disney movies. From Muggle Studies she at least knew what movies are. Between Anne and Professor Miller, Zabrynna found out what a Disney is. Surely someone with such a name as Disney had to be part of the Wizarding world, right?
Anne's big idea was that Philippa, Zabrynna, and she dress up as princesses from some of the Disney films. Philippa thought it a grand idea and was instantly caught up in the fun and excitement of picking which princess to be and then putting a costume together so she'd look like the one she chose. She'd joked about locating Hairy the Snide's flying carpet and going as the princess named Jasmine, from a story called Aladdin, which in turn is based on a part of the Muggle story called 1001 Nights or Arabian Nights. Philippa decided that flying carpet or no, she'd go as Jasmine because of how exotic she looks.
Anne was torn between being Belle from something called Beauty and the Beast and Aurora from another Muggle fairytale called Sleeping Beauty. Learning of the latter story, Zabrynna asked her two friends, "Do you think Briar Rose knows she was named for a girl in a Muggle fairytale who didn't know she was a princess?"
Ultimately, after Professor Miller allowed Anne to watch both Disney films, she chose to be Aurora. Her dress changes from pink to blue to pink to blue and she's somehow got hold of two small dolls that look like the fairies in the story who argued over the dress's color. Anne's charmed them to fly along behind her making it look as though they are responsible for the color changes her dress is undergoing.
Even after making the decison to be Aurora and getting the costume put together, Anne had said it was a shame she couldn't have found a guy willing to be Beast to her Beauty. Philippa and Zabrynna were then subjected to an hour of Anne bemoaning once again the fact that Indigo McFusty refuses to date her until she's legally an adult and maybe even not until she's graduated.
Zabrynna hadn't committed to being one of the princesses though Anne and Philippa kept after her to decide so that care could go into putting the costume together and time could be had to get whatever was needed to complete the look. Anne had finally said, "You're a red head. It's only logical that you are Ariel the mermaid princess."
"But mermaids don't look like that!" Zabrynna had protested.
"As if that's the point." Philippa had made the comment with an eye roll and lips pursing together in such an exaggerated way that Zabrynna knew Philippa didn't think her friend was seriously using that as an excuse.
Zabrynna had acquiesced only because she thought it wouldn't matter who she told Anne she'd go as since come Halloween night she'd have no costume of any sort anyway. That is, not unless Zabrynna either figured out how to alter some of her clothes or a sheet or something to pass as a decent fancy dress costume.
In a letter to her half-sister, Zabrynna mentioned the fancy dress ball and how she was just going to wear a set of her dress robes, could she borrow Mariposa's strappy sapphire blue heels? She'd send them back very next morning.
Much to her surprise, Mariposa asked about the fancy dress part of the Hogwarts Halloween festivities. Then, upon learning about the costumes Anne and Philippa were planning on and what they thought Zabrynna should be, Mariposa got Zabrynna an Ariel costume. Standing now in front of the full length mirror she shares with her roommates Miranda Newberry and Cordelia Quincy, Zabrynna can't help but admire her reflection.
The costume Mariposa sent is fabulous. The green of the tail has a glittery sheen giving the appearance of being slick with water. The tail fins and the flair at the hips are almost feathery looking with a wonderful irridecence. The top is a just like the purple scallop shell bra Ariel wears in the pictures Zabrynna saw. The shells are both highly detailed and sculpted but not at all uncomfortable. Zabrynna's hair is a darker red than Ariel's but she left it her natural color. It's adorned with a garland of shells, starfish, and what looks like different types of seaweed and kelp.
The tail portion is charmed to enable Zabrynna to walk while giving the illusion of a wholly intact tail. Even with that though Zabrynna had had to practice walking in it a few times so she wouldn't fall flat on her face thanks to the restricted range of motion the tail gives her.
Stepping back from the mirror, Zabrynna adds touches that weren't in the pictures she saw but she thinks fits in with the Muggle mermaid theme. She puts on pearl earrings, a pearl choker type necklae and a matching bracelet. Cordelia, who had taken the spot in front of the mirror when Zabrynna vacated it, adjusts the Scottish tam she's wearing to go with the tartan outfit she's chosen as her costume. The costume is complete with bagpipes, which she, rather unfortunately, periodically attempts to play. Miranda, who is dressed as a slim, sleek, thoroughly sexy, black cat asks, "Ready, you two?"
Cordelia nods, started for the door while taking a few experimental blows on her bagpipes. Following her out, Zabrynna quips, "Keep that up, Cordelia, and everyone's going to think you're torturing Miranda the cat."
Secret's Out
Author: Griet
Date: 09-09-09 19:05
When it came time to pick a costume to wear for the Halloween Feast and Costume Party, Griet had done a little research in historical dress and eventually decided to dress up like a young woman from Ancient Rome. She wrote to her mother and requested the costume, which was duly sent along with costumes for Cornelia, Aleydis and Beatrix.
Cornelia had done some research of her own and come up with something that seemed to suit her best. Her costume consisted of a short set of blood red robes, a long pointed tail, and a pair of horns for her head. Aleydis and Beatrix dressed up as a honeybee and ladybug, respectively.
Griet spent a long time getting ready and eventually found herself to be one of the last to leave the Slytherin common room for the Great Hall. As she passed through the common room, she spotted a few others but not many. Oberon was just leaving himself, without Gervaise at his side.
Oberon seemed to have had the same idea as Griet, since he wore a costume based on historical times too, only his resembled Ancient Egypt. Griet found herself staring at his bare chest and had to shake her head to remind herself that whatever relationship they'd had was over. She should have walked out the room without saying a single word to him, but she couldn't help herself.
"Where's Gervaise?" she asked, as she stepped through the portal with Oberon at her heels. Her white gown felt light against her skin.
"With Cornelia, last I saw," Oberon replied, admiring Griet's profile as he fell into step beside her.
"Oh? What did he dress as?"
"A vampire as the Muggles imagine them," Oberon answered.
He and Griet soon came to a deserted hall. His hand found hers and he gently tugged her into a darkened corner.
"What are you doing?" Griet questioned him, but she didn't pull her hand away or dig her heels into the flagstones beneath her feet. She knew she should put her foot down but she couldn't stop staring at his chest.
"Don't you want to?" Oberon asked huskily.
Not once in all their time together had they ever snuck off together without starting a fight first. Griet didn't know what to think about this change, but then all she could think about was how good Oberon looked without a shirt on.
His hand closed on the knob of a broom closet. "Just say yes..."
Griet could feel his fingers trace over her hand and she felt goosebumps spring up over her bare arms. "Yes."
They stumbled into the broom closet, with arms around each other and lips locked. There they stayed, revisiting familiar kisses and caresses they had denied each other since before the Hogsmeade trip.
And then the door swung open.
Startled, Griet and Oberon pulled away from each other, but not before they were seen in each other's arms by none other than Gervaise. He looked surprised and hurt by what he had witnessed.
"Merlin's beard! You guys have a lot of explaining to do." That came from Cornelia, who stood just behind Gervaise in her devil costume.
Gervaise didn't say anything and abruptly turned on his heel to hurry away. Cornelia's jaw dropped and then recognition dawned. Griet didn't notice anything but Gervaise rushing off and suddenly found herself leaving Oberon and Cornelia behind to confront him.
"Gervaise... wait!"
Gervaise didn't get very far down the hallway. He turned and seemed to look everywhere but at Griet until he finally forced himself to look at her face.
"I just thought...," he began, swallowing hard.
"Thought what?" Griet asked.
The words came out quickly. "I just thought that if there's a chance, I might finally pluck up the courage to ask you out. I wasn't sure what you thought of me, but I was pretty sure what you thought of him. I guess I was wrong."
Griet felt bad. "Gervaise... I had no idea." It suddenly dawned on her that he had probably been the one playing footsies with her, first at the Start of Term Feast and then at The Three Broomsticks, which she had wrongly blamed on Oberon.
Gervaise suddenly got angry. "Well, it doesn't matter now, does it?"
He stalked off, without a second glance at anyone, least of all Griet.
She watched him go and then slowly turned to where she knew Cornelia and Oberon were still standing. Oberon's expression was unreadable. They had always gone out of their way to hide their relationship, or whatever they had together. The idea of someone finding out about Griet visiting broom closets with Oberon had always disturbed her, and yet she'd taken the risk time and time again.
Oberon's silence didn't disturb her now, nor did the fact that their secret was finally out in the open. What disturbed Griet was the murderous expression on Cornelia's face.
Party Time
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 09-10-09 15:45
Party-goers flooded the lawn, outer staircase, and inside of a loft apartment in Stratford-upon-Avon, where a St. Emrys student had thrown a Halloween bash. The majority of the guests wore costumes, though plenty wore street clothes like jeans and sweaters or wizarding robes. Bronwyn didn't know the wizard behind the party personally, but she had seen one of the many flyers circulating campus last week and wanted to go. Toby hadn't objected and mingled outside with Bronwyn.
It wasn't the first time that they had dressed to match. Bronwyn remembered fondly one Halloween at Hogwarts when she'd dressed as Catwoman and Toby had dressed as Batman. This Halloween, they weren't resembling Muggle superheroes. Bronwyn had dressed as a queen with Toby as her king, complete with glittering crowns and many jewels.
Since returning home from New York and resuming college life and her work routine, Bronwyn had also begun applying for jobs. She only had a little over a month left at St. Emrys, assuming she passed all her classes and she had no doubt that she would. Then she would find herself in the real world, just like her best friend Desi.
Bronwyn wrote Desi occasionally, finding herself a lot busier in recent weeks than when she'd been over at Arley and Seb's. She had written recently, though, and had been surprised to receive replies from Desi very quickly. With the considerable distance between them, it generally took more than a day to receive any sort of response. Not so the last few times.
Bronwyn didn't wonder too much about it though, since she had a lot of other items on her plate. She concentrated on her remaining classes, on her work, and of course her mother who was slowly but surely coming to terms with all that had happened in her absence. The relationship between Wotan and Aemilia was not anything like it had been before Aemilia was taken, but it was on the path to recovery and getting better with every passing day.
"I heard there are a couple of kegs of Muggle beer up there," a masked man intended to be Zorro mentioned to Bronwyn and Toby in passing.
Bronwyn knew she didn't do well with alcohol, but she was at a party and it was Friday night...
Toby felt like drinking some beer and took his queen by the hand. "Let's see if they've left us something to drink."
The matter settled, they wove through the other party-goers and made their way to the stairs that led up to the loft.
Halloween Feast
Author: Aaron Miller
Date: 09-10-09 17:58
When the announcement was made a few weeks back that costumes were being allowed as part of Halloween at Hogwarts this year, I'd put up a note in each of the house common rooms and in the common commons offering to help students come up with ideas from Muggle sources if they wished. I helped several get costumes because otherwise they wouldn't have been able to buy a ready made costume or purchase the material to make one, or in a few cases, they simply didn't have the know how on constructing a costume even with everything needed on hand.
On our way to the Great Hall for the feast, Saffron, Niccola, and I meet up with a few costumed students and a couple of the other professors. Celeste Quigley is done up as a very stylized star, complete with a glow and small objects orbiting ranging from planets to asteroids, and one even looks very comet like to me.
Carlotta Calloway, who is one of the ones who'd come to me asking for ideas, is dressed as Wonder Woman. First year Gryffindor Cody Sweet is the Incredible Hulk. James Lennox is Freddy Krueger. Anita Tuck makes a very fetching Raggedy Ann.
As we enter the Great Hall, Saffron and I pause just inside the door to have a good look around. There are already quite a few present though a number are still missing. As we make our way to our table we get stopped and asked a number of times, "What are you?"
Saffron is Medusa, complete with a wig that looks like snakes hissing and waving about. She's already said that once we start eating, she'll take the charm off so that me and whoever sits on her other side won't have snakes in our face throughout the meal.
Niccola is an adorable gingerbread lady.
I have goodies to hand out with mine to help explain. I give the students who ask a fun size packet of candy as I reply, "I'm a peanut M&M."
It's not all that longer after we get seated that Professor Dumbledore officially begins the feast. The Great Hall itself looks fantastic. There are jack-o-laterns, many of which the students helped to carve, floating with candles lit inside, there are streamers and bunting in orange and black, a brilliance of fall leaves serving as runners on all the tables, as well as many other facets to the Halloween decorations. On either side of the Great Hall are two, long buffet tables massively laden with food. In place of the usual four house tables are an assortment of much smaller tables in varying sizes and shapes and even the head table has been split into a different arrangement to accomodate the families and guests of the staff.
During Professor Dumbledore's short speech welcoming everyone to the feast, students, staff, and guests are all seated with hardly any noise other than the headmaster's words, but once his speech has ended the volume quickly rises and people get up to mingle, hit the buffet tables, and check out everyone else's costumes. The Hogwarts ghosts float about, also eager to see the variety of costumes, though Nearly Headless Nick has made it clear for days now that he won't be spending all of the Halloween Feast in the Great Hall as his Death Day party is taking place at the same time. Music also plays, though unintrusively and after the meal is over, there will be a live band playing, though few students, if any, are aware of the coming treat of a very big name, highly popular band playing tonight.
Turning to Saffron I say, "Go on and fix your plate. I'll watch Nic."
Saffron hands me a container with mushy peas and another of soft carrots. "Just dump these out on her tray and let her be messy if she wants."
Drucilla Eternal-Black joins Saffron going to the buffet table, taking her son James by the hand to help him. Sirius is about to get up with their daughter Mira but first Mira wants to help me give Nic her peas and carrots. She's having such fun with it I finally say to Sirius, "I'll keep an eye on her. Go on and get you some food."
Mira sits in my lap, entertaining Nic, leaving me free to watch the parade of costumes going back and forth to the buffet tables. I can't help but feel extremely content at the moment even if I am dressed as a giant yellow chocolatey peanutty candy.