#mrsmevent001

[lvdobagmans]

Someone at Burke Manor wanted to make sure this reached you.

Finding the envelope in the pocket of his suit had immediately improved Ludo's mood. For one glorious second, he thought luck had finally remembered him. A fan letter, perhaps, or some sort of game hidden among the evening's entertainment, something designed to catch his attention because, really, why wouldn't it? The thrill of possibility was enough to make him grin as he unfolded the note, already imagining what waited inside.

The grin didn't survive the first line.

A bitter taste settled in his mouth so quickly it almost felt physical. It was ridiculous, really, to let a few anonymous words get under his skin, and yet they lingered there all the same, burning at the tip of his tongue while his gaze drifted across the room. Suddenly every conversation seemed to be happening somewhere else, every laugh belonged to somebody else, every set of eyes appeared fixed on anyone but him.

The wizard forced himself to fold the note and tuck it away, refusing to give whoever had written it the satisfaction of a visible reaction, but the damage had already been done. He wanted to find them, wanted to know who thought they had the right to say such a thing, and he especially wanted to know who they thought had replaced him. Because they were wrong, they had to be wrong. The crowd might be distracted tonight, but favourites came and went, and Ludo Bagman had never been meant to fade quietly into the background. He was the one people watched, the one people cheered for, and he wasn't about to let anyone forget it.

[mk-marlene]

Someone at Burke Manor wanted to make sure this reached you.

The seal broke with little ceremony, as Marlene unfolded the parchment and leaned against the bar and reached for her drink. Her eyes skimmed the message once. Then again. By the end of it, her jaw had gone rigid.

What exactly was she supposed to do with that? Break down? Chase ghosts through a crowded ballroom? Whoever had sent it clearly wanted a reaction. Wanted to poke at an old wound and watch it bleed. The thought alone was enough to make her laugh bitterly into her glass.

The letter disappeared into her fist, crumpled without another glance before being dropped carelessly onto the nearest empty table. If someone wanted to play games, they could find another victim. The world had already taken enough from her without anonymous strangers trying to twist the knife. The blonde tipped back the rest of her drink in a single swallow and immediately ordered another. Whatever terrible decision she made next would be entirely her own.

[sabrinaavery]

Someone at Burke Manor wanted to make sure this reached you.

The envelope was familiar enough that Sabrina barely glanced at it before breaking the seal. Only once she reached the message inside did her attention sharpen.

Her gaze lifted immediately to the house elf who had delivered it. The creature froze beneath her scrutiny, though not for long as the answer revealed itself quickly enough. A curse lingered around its memories like a dense fog, obscuring whatever had transpired before the delivery. Deliberate. Professional. Whoever had arranged this had anticipated questions. Disappointing.

Sabrina folded the parchment neatly and slipped it back into its envelope. By then, she had already noticed she wasn't the only recipient-- across the room, similar envelopes changed hands and similar expressions flickered across familiar faces. Interesting.

A threat would have been easy to dismiss. A game was something else entirely.

For the first time that evening, the gala ceased to matter. The music, the conversations, the art... all of it faded into background noise as her attention shifted to the crowd itself. Someone was watching, someone was waiting to see what happened next. The mistake, she suspected, was assuming she would simply sit and wait in return.

[lvdobagmans]

where: burke gala who: @luciansflint

Ludo spotted Flint before he spotted him. Not a difficult feat, really. Lucian had a habit of positioning himself just outside the center of things, just far enough to avoid becoming the focus of attention. Amused, he made his way over, drink in hand.

"So which one is it?" His expression remained perfectly innocent. "The witch you've got your eye on, or the witch who's got hers on you." Only then did he glance over with a grin. "Don't tell me it's neither." His gaze swept the ballroom once more. "Because if you're not going to make a move, I'll have to do all the work myself, and frankly, I wasn't planning on spending my evening arranging introductions."

[lvdobagmans]

where: burke gala who: @heartofgoldandfire

"Lils, dear," The greeting came with an easy smile as Ludo stepped alongside her. "I was beginning to think Potter had hidden you somewhere." His gaze swept briefly across the ballroom as though searching for James. "Or perhaps you've hidden yourself from Potter. Which, admittedly, would be understandable." A quiet laugh followed. "Enjoying yourself?"

[lvdobagmans]

where: burke gala who: @evelynfawley

"Merlin, Fawley, don't tell me you've come chaperoned." Ludo chimed as he appeared beside her with the sort of grin that generally preceded trouble. His gaze flickered toward her parents at the other end of the ballroom before returning to her. "I thought by now you'd have at least acquired a scandalous suitor to drag around these things. Or are your mother and father still interviewing candidates?" He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Actually, that's unfair. Maybe they're interviewing you." His grin widened.

[sabrinaavery]

where: burke gala who: @luciansflint

When she spotted him across the ballroom, she found herself changing course almost without thinking. The smile she offered upon reaching him was as poised as ever, though there was something distinctly knowing in it. "Mr. Flint." Their last conversation had left Sabrina with an unfamiliar problem: she had not quite decided what to make of Lucian Flint. Shee generally preferred people to fit neatly into the categories she assigned them and Lucian had, rather inconveniently, stepped outside his.

"I'll admit, I didn't expect to see you here tonight." The comment was light enough, though the slight arch of her brow suggested she was interested in hearing what had brought him here. "Though I suppose that would have been disappointing," she added, the hint of a smile touching her lips. As the orchestra struck up another dance, Sabrina glanced toward the floor before returning her attention to him. "Tell me, are you as interesting a dance partner as you are a conversationalist?" Without waiting long enough for him to answer, she extended her hand. "I'd like to find out."

[sabrinaavery]

where: burke gala who: @anyafawleyburke

It didn't take Sabrina long to find Anya among the crowd. A small smile touched her lips as she approached, reaching out briefly to squeeze her friend's arm. "You look beautiful," she said simply, because there was little point pretending otherwise.

Her gaze lingered for a moment before shifting to the sea of guests surrounding them. "So," the witch mused lightly, lifting her glass, "how does it feel being the most talked-about witch in the room?" The hint of amusement in her expression softened. "And more importantly, how are you holding up?"