No, my date isn't a Suit of Armour... {OPEN}
Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2025 7:26 am
Henry took a deep breath as he stepped into the Great Hall, his eyes widening at the sheer magic of it all. The enchanted snowfall drifting lazily from the ceiling, the glistening ice sculptures, the way the candlelight bounced off the silver decorations—it was all so much grander than he had imagined. He had overheard some older students saying it was meant to resemble the famous Yule Ball, but to him, it might as well have been something straight out of a fairy tale.
Of course, he was here alone. Not that he was surprised—who would have wanted to come with him? He wasn’t exactly the first-year anyone would ask to dance. Henry had tried not to let it bother him, but when he had seen some of his dormmates grinning over invitations, it had stung a little. Still, he had come up with a solution.
Straightening his simple wizard’s robes, Henry glanced at his “date” and grinned. With a bit of careful charm work (and perhaps some minor rule-bending), he had enchanted an old, forgotten suit of armor from one of the lesser-used corridors to accompany him for the evening. This particular suit had a more slender design, its polished metal curves hinting at a vaguely feminine shape. He had even taken the extra step of transfiguring the helmet into a sleeker, more elegant design, though the empty eye slits still gave her an eerie, expressionless stare.
She stood stiffly at his side, her gauntleted hands resting at her hips in what Henry imagined was a confident stance. The enchantment wasn’t perfect—her movements were jerky, and sometimes her head tilted at odd angles—but she was humanoid, and that was what mattered.
It wasn’t much, but at least he wouldn’t look completely pathetic standing around alone. He hadn't even noticed the side glances and snickers of the other students as he passed them by, finding a seat for his lovely date and himself.
He adjusted his slacks slightly, secretly pleased by the hidden lion socks he had chosen for the occasion. They were Gryffindor red and gold, roaring proudly whenever he took a step—not that anyone could see them under his robes, but still. It was the little things and filled his cup.
As he hovered around the platters of food, he thought long and hard about what to call his enchanted companion. After all, if he was going to bring a date to the Winter Solstice Dance, she needed a proper name. Something elegant, something noble… something that made it seem like he totally meant to show up with a suit of armour instead of an actual person.
In the end, he settled on Lady Argent.
It sounded sophisticated—like she was some kind of mysterious knight from a grand old tale. Never mind that she occasionally creaked when she moved or that her helmet had a tendency to swivel a little too far to one side. She was tall, imposing, and, most importantly, she existed, which was more than Henry could say about any real date he could have had.
With a deep breath and a final straightening of his lion-print socks, Henry squared his shoulders, took Lady Argent’s cold, metal hand in his, and stepped into the Great Hall to dance to the next song.
Of course, he was here alone. Not that he was surprised—who would have wanted to come with him? He wasn’t exactly the first-year anyone would ask to dance. Henry had tried not to let it bother him, but when he had seen some of his dormmates grinning over invitations, it had stung a little. Still, he had come up with a solution.
Straightening his simple wizard’s robes, Henry glanced at his “date” and grinned. With a bit of careful charm work (and perhaps some minor rule-bending), he had enchanted an old, forgotten suit of armor from one of the lesser-used corridors to accompany him for the evening. This particular suit had a more slender design, its polished metal curves hinting at a vaguely feminine shape. He had even taken the extra step of transfiguring the helmet into a sleeker, more elegant design, though the empty eye slits still gave her an eerie, expressionless stare.
She stood stiffly at his side, her gauntleted hands resting at her hips in what Henry imagined was a confident stance. The enchantment wasn’t perfect—her movements were jerky, and sometimes her head tilted at odd angles—but she was humanoid, and that was what mattered.
It wasn’t much, but at least he wouldn’t look completely pathetic standing around alone. He hadn't even noticed the side glances and snickers of the other students as he passed them by, finding a seat for his lovely date and himself.
He adjusted his slacks slightly, secretly pleased by the hidden lion socks he had chosen for the occasion. They were Gryffindor red and gold, roaring proudly whenever he took a step—not that anyone could see them under his robes, but still. It was the little things and filled his cup.
As he hovered around the platters of food, he thought long and hard about what to call his enchanted companion. After all, if he was going to bring a date to the Winter Solstice Dance, she needed a proper name. Something elegant, something noble… something that made it seem like he totally meant to show up with a suit of armour instead of an actual person.
In the end, he settled on Lady Argent.
It sounded sophisticated—like she was some kind of mysterious knight from a grand old tale. Never mind that she occasionally creaked when she moved or that her helmet had a tendency to swivel a little too far to one side. She was tall, imposing, and, most importantly, she existed, which was more than Henry could say about any real date he could have had.
With a deep breath and a final straightening of his lion-print socks, Henry squared his shoulders, took Lady Argent’s cold, metal hand in his, and stepped into the Great Hall to dance to the next song.