Trouble’s Best Served After Hours

[Zeke Smith]

Zeke didn’t even bother with the dance floor, his eyes scanning the room with the same bored expression he wore at every event like this. The Yule Ball? Not his scene. Too much show, too many people trying to act all prim and proper. He’d barely walked inside before his gaze flicked over to Ryan, already sizing up his escape plan. Ryan looked almost normal in a suit, but Zeke felt like him wearing a suit always was a bit like he was playing pretend.

He leaned toward him and murmured, “Yeah, I’m not staying for this. You in?”

Ryan didn't need to ask twice. He’d expected Zeke to get bored fast. “Absolutely. Let’s get outta here.”

The two of them slipped away unnoticed, sneaking out of the crowded hall and into the quieter hallways of Hogwarts. Once they were outside of earshot, Zeke let out a content sigh, but his grin quickly shifted into that familiar mischievous smirk.

“Alright, so what now?” Ryan asked, knowing full well that Zeke wasn’t the type to just call it a night and sit still.

Zeke’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he unbuttoned the suit jacket and loosened the tie. “I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of all the pomp and circumstance. We’ve got the whole castle to ourselves, no one’s watching. How about we have a little fun?”

Ryan looked at him with a half-smile. “What are you thinking?”

“Easy,” Zeke said with a shrug, already plotting. “We raid the kitchens, grab some snacks, and then maybe prank a couple of the first years in the halls. They’re probably all stuck at the ball, so we’ve got the run of the place.”

Ryan hesitated, but the idea of getting up to mischief without worrying about anyone walking in on them sounded pretty tempting. “Alright, fine. But let's not do anything reckless,” he warned, remembering their past mishaps there.

“Don’t worry,” Zeke grinned. “Relax, we're sticking on the safer side of trouble for now."

As they began heading toward the kitchens, the sound of distant music from the ball growing fainter, Ryan couldn’t help but feel a bit of excitement building. Zeke had a knack for making even the most boring nights a little more interesting. And tonight, it looked like they were going to make some memories in the castle that no one would forget—at least not the first years.

[Andromeda Morningstar]

The dance had been the only thing that most of the students had been discussing as of late. Andromeda had long pushed it from her mind. She hadn't asked Zeke if he wanted to go with her, but the way he had been talking about it, it wasn't something he even wanted to attend. If Andi was being honest with herself, she would have to admit that she did really want to go, but not by herself. Nor was she going to admit she actually wanted to go.

However, she was dressed up in a black gothic-style dress that had a corset top and a ruffled bottom. Her heels boosted her up about three inches and her hair was pulled back into a mess updo. It was all she could muster to put the finishing touches on her make-up before she headed down to the ball. It was beautiful to see, but it didn't feel the way that Andromeda had wanted it to. She left the ball early and found herself exploring the empty halls of the castle.

A small sigh escaped her lips as she made her way down the hallway, running her fingers along the walls as she went, making sure to avoid any portraits on her way by. It wasn't until she heard the familiar voices nearby that she stopped. A small smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth as she reached a corner and stood near the edge, listening on what was being said.

Mischief...The word piqued her curiosity, and she stepped out of her hiding spot. "Mischief, you say? I want in..." Her heels clicked on the hard floor as she walked toward the two boys. "Couldn't stand the dance either?" She asked as stopped about two feet from the two.

[Zeke Smith]

The boys stopped hearing Andromeda, letting her catch up them, though they looked at each other when she said she wanted in with a look that spoke of two boys who knew each other well enough to have a conversation with just looks. They hung out together often, even though there'd been a dip after Zeke learned of his true lineage, but Ryan was easy company, so they fell back into it. Having been separated from other early on but their muggle blood, they hadn't had many to turn to, though Lag was an exception.

"Nope," Zeke said in response to her question about the dance, "Never was a big fan of showing off for no real reason, and dances tend to be a lot of that," He shrugged.

Ryan crossed his arms, though in a still relaxed posture, "I'm surprised you aren't hanging out with some of your friends at the dance. Won't Nathaniel go looking for you if he doesn't see you there?" he asked. Not in a don't bother us kind of way, but actual genuine curiosity that she wasn't staying at the dance.

Zeke gave a groan at the idea of Nate finding them, "We should set up a prank for mister stick in the mud," he said, rubbing his hands together, too eager to get a prefect, "Oh, is there a place where like all the prefects meet? Maybe I can get him and Valtoris at the same time," he smirked.

"Lag might not like you pranking her," Ryan warned him.

"Eh, she's a big girl, she made her own enemies."

Ryan rolled his eyes a little, "I don't think she's really done anything that bad. She tries to give you space because you are Lag's friend, too. The least you can do is show some mercy."

"Never."

"I tried."

"You in?" he looked to Andromeda, "Or are you against pranking your buddy? It wouldn't be anything bad, just messy.""

[Andromeda Morningstar]

Andie hadn't had a lot of friends throughout her years at Hogwarts. They were either trying to get something from her, just wanted to be close to her mom, or just plain used her. She thought things were going to be different this year. A few friends came out of the woodwork, and it was nice to finally have a few that just wanted to spend time with her. It was refreshing not having to answer endless questions about her mom or her mom's career.

She shrugged along with him and sort of messed with the bottom of her dress. "I don't know...getting into a dress that's too tight and heels that are too tall can be fun." She played it off like she didn't like it either. Didn't care about the fact that she had spent entirely too long getting ready for only a few people to see her in it. It didn't matter though, none of it did.

Her focus turned to Ryan. A brow raised in response to his question. "He's never come looking for me before...why would this be any different?" It was partially true. She had hoped he would have seen her in her dress, if he hadn't before she disappeared from the dance. "It seemed to...I don't know, boring? So I left...and found you two getting ready to cause chaos, though I'm not surprised."

Blue eyes rolled back as Zeke called Nate a stick in the mud. "Oh come on, he's not that bad. He's just a stickler for the rules..." But the more he spoke the more Andie realized he was serious. Prank the prefects...Her nose wrinkled and she crossed her arms against her chest.

The nerve....Nate was one of the few friends she had made fairly early on in her Hogwarts career. Zeke wanted her to prank one of the first friends she had? A sharp tooth found the edge of Andie's lip, and she shrugged. "I can't imagine he would be too pleased to be pranked in formal attire." It was like she had to choose between the two of them, and it was a choice she didn't want to have to make.

[Zeke Smith]

Zeke's jaw ticked at her response, that sensitive spot of his lately feeling that in ways she definitely didn't intend. He knew that. He knew this was ridiculous what he was feeling, but that didn't stop it from being what he was feeling- hurt.

He pursed his lips, looked at Andie for a moment, and then shook his head. "Then don't get involved so he won't be mad at you," he said flatly before turning and walking away—more like storming.

Ryan took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his head. "It's a long story," he said to Andie before following after Zeke, "It's really not you," he added over his shoulder as he went, holding up a hand to wave, figuring she really wasn't going to come after.

"There are custodian closets in this place, right?" Zeke looked at Ryan, pulling off the suit jacket as he walked.

"What are you looking for?"

"A bucket... maybe some rope."

"Ah, a classic. And what are we putting in the bucket?"

"It doesn't have to be anything crazy, just some water." Zeke waved his hand. " The Last thing I need is one of the prefects to hold a grudge because I did actually ruin their finery," he snorted.

"Ah, so you did actually listen to what she said." Ryan nodded and stopped, holding up his hands as Zeke turned to him. "I'm just saying, your temper has been quick lately. Maybe you ought to ask Lag what he uses to sleep," he said in a gently chiding way, "Did she really deserve that?" He thumbed back towards Andromeda.

"Deserve what?" Zeke crossed his arms. "She didn't want to upset her buddy, so she should just stay out of it."

"But you didn't say it to her like you normally might have; you were angry with her," he pointed out.

"What are you, my shrink?" Zeke scoffed, "If you're going to lecture me the whole time, you can buzz off too," he waved him off, turning and walking off.

"Zeke, come on," Ryan groaned, leaning his head back in frustration before jogging to catch up with him

[Andromeda Morningstar]

It had never been her intention to hurt Zeke. In fact, it was the last thing she wanted to do, but in giving her the choice to prank her friend or hang out with him, he had forced her to choose. She was in between a rock and a hard place. No matter what decision she made, someone would be upset. There was no winning in this situation for Andie.

His words hit her like a knockback jinx, and she stepped back. Her jaw dropped before she righted herself and bit into her lip. He stormed off, and she stood there dumbfounded. She hadn't even made a choice, and he was already mad at her. "I..." But he was already walking away. Hurt washed over her as she watched him walk away.

"What....I don't understand..." But even Ryan waved before he went to catch up with Zeke. She stood there for a moment, deciding whether or not to follow after him. Both of their feelings had been hurt in one way or another. Did she push hers aside and go after him, or did she return to the dance? She took in a deep breath and looked after him before she started after them.

She caught up to them and crossed her arms over her chest. "There's a broom closet at the end of the hallway. That's where they keep that kind of stuff. I'm sure it's locked, but it's not going to be difficult to unlock it." Her eyes looked between the two boys. She had overheard the conversation but pretended not to hear any of it. Something was bothering Zeke, and he obviously didn't want to talk about it. She wasn't going to push; after all, he didn't confide in her much. Not that she blamed him...most people didn't talk to her about stuff. It was just the way things were.

"I'm sorry, Zeke. I wasn't saying I didn't want to, just that...it would be safer." She knew that Nate could be a bit crass sometimes, but she also knew that if they were to do this, it could get back to the professors, and it could be a worse punishment if they used something that would cause damage to their attire. "If you don't want me here, I can go...but I would like to help if you'll let me."

[Ryan Lovet]

Zeke looked at Andie when she caught up, and Ryan had also caught up. He was quiet for a second before turning. "You two go get the bucket and meet me in the kitchen. Whichever of them comes first is the one who gets it," he said to Andie to make it clear it wasn't targeted, but he hoped a certain someone would find him first.

Ryan sighed, looking to Andie, "Let's go find it then, we can figure out how to get it out," he turned and started to walk that way as Zeke went towards the kitchen, shoving his hands in his pants pockets as he walked.

"He's been having a hard time lately, weird... family stuff," Ryan said to Andie as they walked. Maybe a few minutes will help him cool off," he murmured, shaking his head. "Don't take it too hard. He's been snippy with everyone, even me and Lag." He looked at her.

-------------------------
Miral, using some helpful directions she got from a house elf, followed the path Zeke and the others had taken, Nathaniel joining her in the halls, “Think I can’t handle some mischief makers on my own, Wright?” she arched a brow.

“No,” he said flatly, “I’m looking for someone myself,” he said, “I just happen to think I’ll find her with who you’re looking for.”

“Ah, Morningstar,” she said, looking back at head, “Naturally she’s involved, Zeke is,” she mused.

“The same could be said about Lestrange, but you let them slide with a whole lot considering you’re always complaining,” he rolled his eyes and she glared at him.

“So do you cause of her, so back off,” she grouched.

They split at the point where Zeke and his friends had, Nathaniel coming down the hall towards Ryan and Andie, “And what exactly are you two up to?” he asked, crossing his arms and raising a brow.

Miral, getting some directions from a house elf to check the kitchens, only to have an elf there direct her towards the room where the prefects usually met. She pursed her lips. That was oddly specific. He must have told them where he was going. Did he not think she would ask? Or did he not care?

She hummed but followed after him, heading up towards the room. She pushed the door open to find him leaning against the table, his wand in his hand, but he was relaxed, “You sure went out of your way to find a-”

She didn’t even get to finish.

Zeke lowered his wand and in the next moment, she felt something washing over her, into her dress and hair and shoes, a bucket hitting and bouncing off of her head, hitting the ground.

Zeke burst out laughing seeing the red starting to seep into her hair immediately, knowing the sticky, glittery concoction would be a pain to wash out, “Oh man, you literally walked right into that-“ His own response was cut off by the look of sheer rage when she looked up at him. His words caught in his throat a second as those piercing blue eyes burned through the blond hair that was now red from his little sticky, glittery concoction, before she picked up the bucket… and hurled it at his head.

“You slimy little worm!” she screeched at him, her voice definitely echoing, and there was the sound of the table- as big as it was- sliding from force as she slammed into him, grabbing his collar and throwing him to the ground, Zeke still in a total daze. She’d nailed him in the forehead with the bucket so he was kind of seeing stars, but he slid back from her as she yanked her shoes off her feet, “I give you so many free chances to walk away… to be better… and you do this!” she threw the shoes at him, nailing him solidly in the chest and arm as he turned away, though he yelped as she caught his ankle and dragged him back.

“Chance!?” he managed, yanking his foot out of her hand, “You’ve hated me since the first day! You’re so damn purist and uptight and a total bitch, but I didn’t do anything to deserve you treating me like I’m less than!”

“That’s what this is about?! I was a real jerk about the bloodline thing at the start, sure. Still, by year 3,” she held up her fingers, “That was no longer the issue,” she spat, “I don’t give a shit about your bloodline, Ezekiel, I give a shit that rather than live up to your potential, you twiddle your thumbs, waste time, and pull stunts like these!” she stomped her barefoot, grimacing at the stickiness all in her dress, “Stop worrying about your blood and worry about your legacy! Who do you want everyone to remember you as!?” she shouted at him, almost unaware she was shouting. Still, she could hear her voice echo, “No one else matters, no one before matters, only YOU can establish that! You idiot!” she threw the bucket at him again, hitting his chest, finally drawing her wand as Zeke scrambled to his feet, but as he reached the door, a well placed Stupefy sent him careening.

Miral swore under her breath as she looked down at herself, still fuming and let out a frustrated half scream before righting the table, picking up her shoes and storming out of the room, literally stepping on Zeke as she walked out, dropping the bucket on his head one more time for good measure, “I’ll do you the decency of letting you tell Laguna about your little stunt, though by the time I’m done, you’re going to wish all I did was tell a teacher, which I’m not going to do,” she muttered, “I’m going to make sure the bludgers are nice and hexed to teach you a lesson in manners and picking fights with people who haven’t even shown you their hands yet, and that is just the start,” she said darkly.

As a final act of revenge, she squeezed some of the mess out of her hair, smearing it onto his stunned face—a testament to his misdeeds. She then stood up and began walking into a darkened hallway. “Watch your back,” her voice echoed as she vanished, leaving only a trail of red and glitter.

[Andromeda Morningstar]

She nodded and looked at Ryan. It wasn't that she was condoning what would happen, but she wanted him to know that she would choose him. "Alright then." Andie turned away from Zeke to head to the broom closet. She looked back at him before looking to Ryan once more. "Shall we go find a bucket?" Worry and concern filled her gut, but she pushed the feeling away.

She followed Ryan down the hallway and let out a sigh. Her heels clicked on the stone floor as they made their way towards the closet. "It's fine..." She shrugged and chewed on the inside of her cheek. "I haven't been his friend that long. I don't expect him to talk to me about things that bother him." The words betrayed the way she felt. She cared about Zeke and wished he would share more about himself. What was bothering him, how he was feeling, or even just how his damn day went. Maybe she was trying too damn hard and she should give up the fight. She didn't even know anymore.

"I'm glad he has the two of you to, I don't know; keep him grounded, I guess. At least he should know he has people that care about him." Her eyes dropped to the floor, and she went silent. Was there any point in discussing this any further? Ryan was sweet, but all he was doing was defending Zeke. He shouldn't have to defend his friend. Especially not to a girl with a crush on his friend.

As they rounded the last corner, Andie heard voices echoing down the hall. Her body tensed, but she tried to keep it from being visible. "Oh no..." She recognized the two voices that she heard. Miral and Nathaniel. He had come looking for her after all. She let out a small groan and tugged up on the corset portion of her dress.

She crossed her arms over her chest and raised a brow at him. "And what makes you think we are up to something?" She offered him a sly grin before looking at Ryan. "Up to something, nah, I just didn't feel like being at the dance." She shrugged and looked back to him. it was a lie, of course, she had been looking forward to the dance for weeks. Anyone who knew her would have known that if they only cared to pay attention.

Words froze on her tongue has she heard screeching and yelling from the prefects meeting spot. Her eyes widened; the feeling in her gut had been right. There was no denying it now, but she wasn't going to stand there and defend why she left. She turned to race to help Zeke before things got really ugly. It was obvious by the muffled words that he had not in fact, used water.

[Nathaniel Wright]

Nate raised a brow at her lie, "Really? To my face?" he asked in a flat tone, before looking up to as he heard the shouting, his brow furrowing. He started down the hall that way, Ryan following after knowing Zeke was involved, but as they reached the stairs to go up, Nate hit the brakes... because Miral was coming down.

"Valtoris what happened!?" He balked seeing her covered in some kind of red ooze, her hair already stained.

She was still vibrating with anger, "Move," was all she said through her teeth, "I am sticky....and gross... and if I don't go back now, I will hang him from a goal post," she snarled out.

Nate stepped back, letting her pass, noting the trail she was leaving behind her. How much had there been? How much was still stuck in the dress? He grimaced before sighing heavily and looking at them. "Go back, please," he said. "I'll get Smith from wherever she left him and hand him off to a professor. Then we will correct that lie because you have been looking forward to this. This one can deal with the consequences of his actions," he said before starting to go up the stairs.

Ryan had groaned seeing Miral's statement, "Idiot," he muttered, shaking his head, "Let's just... go back," he said to Andie, "Nothing we can do here, she might go off if you try to help her since you're associated with the one that did that to her, but we can still go and see what they have in store for tonight. And then Nate will come back and maybe he'll dance with you. Probably a better dancer than Zeke anyways, in more ways than one," he muttered, turning and starting back towards the dance hall, shaking his head in disappointment at his friend. He should probably warn Lag, but he also figured Lag would find out when they went back to their dorms that night. He'd let Zeke try and spin his tale, but there was no way to lie his way out of what he'd done.

Nate found him on the ground where Miral had left him. With a quick Rennervate, Zeke was slowly peeling himself from the floor, his face starting to stick because of the mixture. "Well, I hope that was worth it," he said, grabbing Zeke's arm and pulling him up—not too fast so he didn't pass out—before starting to drag him back. "Let's see what the professors think of your antics."

Zeke didn't argue with him, seeming almost like he was still stunned, and he was to some degree. That... that had not gone even remotely like he'd pictured it. He was trying to prank her, but here he was, doing the walk of shame. And she hadn't even needed spells to put him on his ass.

"Not talking right now is probably the smartest thing you've done in months," he muttered, shaking his head, "You're an idiot."

"Yeah," was all he managed in a small voice. He'd been so caught up in... Lag was gonna be pissed at him too for this. He really had gone too far; he didn't even think- well, the rest of that thought didn't matter, he didn't think. And now? Now she was going to make the rest of their time here his worst nightmare. And he deserved it. He ran his hand over his face and then groaned, remembering she'd rubbed his own concoction all over it.

Nate gave a snort, and when Zeke looked at him, "Bad pun," was all Nate said, nodding to his now red hand.

[Andromeda Morningstar]

The fact that Nate knew she was lying and was calling her out on it only proved how she felt. If anyone had cared, they'd have known she wanted to enjoy the dance. Now, here they were, chasing after Zeke and his antics again. She stopped short, right behind her friend, when Miral made an appearance on the stairs. Her eyes were so wide, and her jaw dropped. Anger filled her entire body, and her hands clenched into fists. He had gone too far this time, hurt feelings weren't the issue. It was the sheer fact that he did this out of some vendetta he had against Miral. Had this been Nathaniel walking into this...well, there were no words.

Andie pressed herself against the wall to get out of Miral's way. The girl had every right to be as angry as she was. Andie looked up the stairs and shook her head in disappointment before letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry..." She called after Miral. She had no idea that Zeke would take it this far.

"Yeah, okay." was all she said to Nate before turning on the stairs. She didn't even care anymore that he was still calling her out for her lie. He was right, she had been looking forward to this. She wanted to get dressed up and turn heads. She wanted to be noticed by someone...But that someone had their head so far up their own ass that they were blind to the world around them.

She nodded her head at Ryan's comment about heading back to the dance hall. "I just..." She shook her head again. Nate? Ask her to dance? She wasn't sure that was going to happen but at least he wanted to be around her. "Yeah....I'm not sure that's going to happen, but maybe we can salvage at least half the night." Although her heart wasn't really into it anymore. She headed back down the stairs and towards the dance hall, her mind still reeling on what had just happened.

[Ryan Lovet]

Ryan walked with her, frowning as Miral's trail continued, not seeming to relent even as she crossed the main hall towards the stairs that went down to Slytherin's dorms. "Everyone's gonna see that," he muttered, rubbing the back of his head.

When Andie said she didn't think Nate would ask her to dance, "He... he just said he wanted to correct it," he said to her, pointing back the way they came, "If he wasn't standing on business when he found us, I have no doubt he would have had compliment first not questions," he added, "Do... do you really not see it?" he tilted his head, surprised to find that out.

"He's... been bending his own personal beliefs about rules and honor and such with Zeke... because of you, because you're friends with him and he didn't want to upset you," he pointed out to her, "He knows that you've been looking forward to the dance, he wants you to still enjoy it," he explained further, trying to point out all the things that said she was very wrong.

"You're the only one who can get him to smile," he added with a realization, "I just always thought you weren't interested in him..." he then tilted his head, "I wonder if Laguna's that blind too," he hummed, looking back to the trail on the ground.

[Andromeda Morningstar]

"Hopefully, she can get back to the common room before anyone sees her." She bit into her lip. She could only imagine what Miral was feeling and thinking right now. Andie was pissed for her.

Her face contorted into a look of pure confusion. "Correct it, yeah the lie I told. Although, no one was supposed to know." She rolled her eyes. "He just means that..." But the words trailed off as she thought about it for a moment. Is that what he meant? Compliment, not questions. Andie's mind started going a hundred miles a minute. No, that couldn't be it. They were friends, but Nathaniel didn't...He couldn't...could he? She stopped and looked over at Ryan. "See what?"

Ryan's words hit her hard and fast. She felt like she was being dunked into a cold bath and she couldn't breath. Bending his beliefs and rules....Looking out for her. "Wh.....but he...I..." She held up her hands and shook her head. There was no way...

She stood there with her lips parted slightly and her shoulders slumped slightly. "Not interested...Wait a minute?! Are you saying that Nathaniel is interested in me?" How did she feel about him? Andromeda had never really given it any thought. She never thought Nate would even be interested in her. He was her friend, had been for years now. "You're insane, you know that, right?" She had to try to make sense of it by passing it off as someone seeing something that wasn't there. She fixed her posture and shook her head.

[Ryan Lovet]

Ryan gave Andie a flat look at her outright denial, "Yeah... sure," he said, shaking his head, "But if he offers to dance when he makes it back... maybe open your mind to that being a possibility. If you're not interested, you're not interested, but that doesn't mean he's not," he said, starting back to the main hall, taking a deep breath.

"Let's see if the good punch is left," he adjusted his coat jacket, fixing the buttons and straightening his collar. He then opened the door for her and motioned for her to go in first. He looked over as Nate came back with Zeke, who had a red, glittering face and hand to indicate his own involvement in the mess, but it looked like Miral had gotten her actual hands on him first. Zeke wouldn't even look up, the look on his face one of someone who knew they'd really messed up.

"Could you grab Professor Murphy?" Nate asked Ryan, who gave a nod, and once Andie had gone inside, Ryan followed her in, letting the door close. Nate let go of Zeke, realizing he was walking willingly and didn't seem like he was about to bolt.

Ryan went across the dance room to where Declan was leaning against a wall, sipping on punch, "Um, excuse me, sir," he spoke up and Declan looked to him, "Uh, Nathaniel asked me to send you out there... it's Zeke," he explained.

Declan took a deep breath, "Alright," he said, patting Ryan on the shoulder, who went back to Andromeda. Declan set his drink down on a table as he walked out, slipping out of the door, raising a brow seeing Zeke's state, "Well. That's not what I was expecting," he said as he walked towards where he and Nate waited, "Alright, I've got it from, Wright. Thank you ever so kindly," he said, crossing his arms while Zeke avoided eye contact.

Nate nodded before turning and walking back towards the dance hall. What happened from here really wasn't his business.

[Andromeda Morningstar]

Andie rolled her eyes at Ryan. She was still having trouble processing all of it. It wasn't just the fact that Zeke had gone too far, but that her best friend might be interested in her, and she was too oblivious to see it. "Yeah, okay..." She said with a touch of snark. He wouldn't ask her to dance; coming to look for her was one thing, but to engage in physical touch was another. There were safe options for Andromeda: don't date, don't get involved, people only saw what they wanted, and she had spent so much of her time trying to show what kind of person she was versus her mother that she was exhausted from it all.

She smiled at Ryan before walking into the hall. The dance was in full swing, and she had missed most of it during her search of Zeke. "What do you consider the good punch?" she turned to look back at Ryan. Nate stood there with Zeke. He looked a mess, and shame washed over his entire body. It seemed he realized he had taken it too far.

Her eyes darted between the three of them before she turned to walk into the hall. In all honesty, she didn't know how to look at Zeke right now. It was easier to not look at him in the moment than it was to try and make sense of it all. The room was full of smiling, happy face,s but all Andie could do was sit down at one of the tables and let out a groan. "What a night..." It wasn't turning out how she wanted it to, and to be honest, she just wanted to go to bed now.

[Nathaniel Wright]

"The fruit punch is definitely the good punch," Ryan said, "Just the right amount of fruity and sweet," he smirked, "The cherry punch tends to be really strong, and the pink ones are always a mystery flavor," he scrunched his nose, "Keep that mind," he said before smirking and walking off as Nate came back into the room.

Nate looked around, squinting at a couple that had been moving towards the door, causing them to scurry back to their table, before looking and spotting Andie, coming over towards her, "Are you alright?" he asked her, "That was a lot. There's still plenty to do though, the night can still end on a positive," he said, looking around again, then sighed a little as Nova Harte popped up on the other side of Andie.

"Oh. My. Gosh!" she squealed, "Look at you! That dress is stunning!" she crooned, "You two look like a stellar duo standing next to each other, you should totally dance!" she added with a wave as she went to the next group, greeting them all like they were old friends, even the ones who looked at her with clearly no knowledge of who she was. Nate had a blank look for a second. Meddlesome Hufflepuffs.

He took a deep breath before looking back to Andie, "Any idea who you would want to dance with?" he asked, "I'd like to ask, but being seen with a prefect, especially me... well," he shrugged a little, figuring the statement finished itself.



Out in the hall, it seemed Declan had found Zeke a tool to start cleaning up the trail left from Miral because of his stunt- a toothbrush and a bucket of water. He sat down in the chair that was supposed to be where his cousin was sitting, watching him.

"Can't I-"

"You can nothing until that trail is clean, even if that means we are here until this time tomorrow. Stop talking and scrub."



Down in the Slytherin dorms, Miral had managed to get the dress off quickly, using a disillusionment spell to handle getting to the showers without it so as to not keep leaving a trail, before she turned on the shower. She turned and looked at herself in the mirror and took in just what had been done. Her make up was ruined, running down her face, the red, glittery substance all over her, and that anger finally broke into something less severe. She tried to hold it in, looking up at the ceiling, fanning her face, but the more she felt the stuff on her... she broke down. She sat down on the floor of the shower, just letting the hot water run over her as she started to sob. How was that fair? Was she really so horrible she deserved this? She'd stay there until she not longer could feel the sticky on her, though she was aware her whole body was a slightly pinkish shade. She didn't even want to see her hair. She found her most comfortable night gown, curled up in her bed and quietly cried until she fell asleep (And Miral is done for the night)

[Andromeda Morningstar]

"Be adventurous, Ryan. The pink one isn't so bad, sometimes it tastes like cotton candy." She laughed softly and watched as he walked away. Her eyes fell on Nate as he approached her, and she offered him a small smile. She knew that he enforced the rules, but sometimes wondered if he hated it.

"I'm okay." She forced a little wider of a smile. "I know, I just never thought." She sighed and nibbled on the edge of her lip. The dress had started to sip down a little again, so she grabbed the top and pulled it back up. "Plenty to do li-" Her words were cut short as Nova walked over to them, overly excited.

Andromeda's smile grew this time genuinely as her dress was complimented. "Thank you!" At her next words though, her face heated and a red tinge painted her face. The girl was gone as quickly as she came. Andie looked back at Nate and her teeth found her lip again.

"I have an idea of who, yes." Her feet took her a step closer to Nathaniel. She hadn't even realized she was getting closer until they was only a few inches between them. "Nate..." His name came out a little breathy as it got caught in her throat. "Ask me." She looked down at the floor before looking back at up at him through her eyelashes.

[Nathaniel Wright]

Nate looked at her as she came closer, very much aware of just how close she was. When she said his name that way and then told him to ask her, he couldn't help but look a little surprised, not having expected her to react that way, but a small smirk graced his face before he offered her his hand, "Then shall we see if our professors managed to teach us the art of the dance?" he mused, "Dance with me?" he said, actually asking the question.

He couldn't deny he'd become fond of Andie, but he had never really believed she'd return the sentiment. He'd tried to date Iliana, but they'd been incompatible in that sense. Part of him later believed he'd never been able to really commit to the idea since Andie had had his eye on it since the first year. Maybe she was just entertaining the idea for the night to not think about the fact the guy she'd had a crush on showed his worst colors tonight. But that wasn't giving her credit to make a choice for herself, and Nate knew better than that.

"I've wanted to ask that question since year one," he admitted softly.

[Andromeda Morningstar]

Her face was still flush, and the distance between them was intimately close. The small smirk on his face brought a smile to her own. She slid her hand into his and nodded. A small giggle could be heard from her as he mentioned the professors teachings. "I would love to dance with you, Nathaniel."

Andromeda had always been close to Nathaniel, ever since they were paired together for a project in their first year. She never thought that he would be as fond of her as she was of him. She had felt something early on in their friendship, but she pushed it aside because she didn't think that someone like him would ever see her as more than a friend. Now, here they were on the dance floor of the Solstice dance. Perhaps the crush on Zeke was all a ploy or her mind's way of tricking her into having feelings because deep down, she knew he would never return the feelings. Her body's way of protecting her from rejection.

Her eyes met his, and she smiled. "I've wanted you to ask that since year one." she admitted shyly. She placed her arms around him gracefully and took in a deep breath. "I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous."

[Nathaniel Wright]

As she accepted his invitation, he shifted them out onto the dance floor, lightly placing his hands on her side. Honestly, she'd had his eye since their first group project, when she'd gotten angry on his behalf with the gossips. No one had been on his side before, most believed what the gossips said. It didn't help his cousin was among them.

Hearing she'd wanted him to ask as long as he'd wanted to, he gave a short scoff of a laugh, "So I'd have saved a lot of trouble just speaking up," he murmured, shaking his head slightly, before tilting his head at her last statement, "Nervous about what?" he asked.

[Andromeda Morningstar]

Andromeda couldn't remember when she had started to get feelings for Nate, all she knew was that she had pushed them aside thinking she wasn't good enough for someone like him. But here they were, on the dance floor, and she couldn't help but smile as he placed his hands on her sides. Her heart was pounding in her chest so loudly that she was afraid he'd be able to hear it. She took in a shaky breath before answering his question.

Laughing slightly, she nodded in agreement. "I suppose so. It probably would have helped if I hadn't been such a coward as well." She shrugged. Nervous, why was she so nervous? "To be honest, it's hard to explain, but...I never thought someone like you would like someone like [/i]me[/i]." It was the truth, but she wasn't sure how he would respond to her honesty.

[Nathaniel Wright]

Nate frowned, and he stopped their movements as she said why she was so nervous, "Andie," he said in a soft voice, shaking his head, "You keep placing people on pedestals," he murmured, "But sometimes we're hardly worth the dirt under your shoes," he shook his head, continuing to dance so they didn't draw attention to themselves on the floor, "I appreciate you thinking so highly of me, truly, but I am not worthy of such high consideration. Someone like me ought to be begging for this moment," he said.

He honestly couldn't see why she thought so highly of him. Many people disliked him because of how strict he was, but he knew there were all kinds of consequences to rule-breaking. A part of him saw it as protecting them. Letting them suffer the consequences of bad actions here rather than going home to a parent where things might be worse. Maybe they just hadn't been worse yet. He shook his head, focusing on the here and now, on her. He saw her as a light in the dark, with the world getting a lot darker the closer they got to the end of this year. He'd keep that light burning as long as he could.

[Andromeda Morningstar]

She was a bit taken back when he stopped their movements and said her name. She looked up at him, and her eyes softened a bit. She shook her head in return. "No, you shouldn't be begging. I was blind to a lot throughout the years. I thought I had found someone that I had feelings for, but it was just easy to pursue someone who I knew would never be interested in me. It was easier to pretend that I was trying than to see that someone did care. That you cared. You're smart, strong, and you follow what you believe in, expect when it comes to protecting the people you care about. You bend the rules, your morals, or just look the other way to make sure they're happy. I may place people on pedatals, but so do you. You downplay your worth, and neither one of us should beg for this moment." Tears welled up in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away.

Nate had always been there for Andromeda. He made sure she was happy and often times put her needs before his own. She was so afraid of his rejection that she never pursued it. She thought him better than her because he had a good head on his shoulders. He seemed to know where he was going with his life, and she didn't know what she was going to do. She knew she wanted to be a broom maker, but beyond that, she had no idea how to get there. He had been her stability throughout her years at Hogwarts, and she had pushed her feelings down. "I'm sorry." She looked into his eyes and held him close. "If I hadn't been so scared, we may have...we may..." she sighed.