𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: the malfoy ball at malfoy manor.
𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: @rebuildeds ( for anyone! )
he’s all a little too comfortable and a lot overly familiar, shimmying open a draw that certainly doesn’t belong to him to peer inside. the malfoy manor fascinates seamus. their antiques and their luxuries. it’s like entering a whole different world for someone as simplistic as him and the urge to explore takes over, reckless hands reaching for any object that takes his fancy. they shake & they twist, turning them over to inspect before tossing back down like yesterday’s garbage when they prove to be boring. ⸻ or taking the ones that don’t. he’s just slipping a dainty - looking jewellery matchbox into pocket ( a belated christmas present for mama finnigan ) when when eyes become aware of another presence. they shift left, right, left again before throat clears and hands slowly close drawer. ＂ would you believe me if i said i was jus’ looking for the bathroom? ＂
"have you been to one of these things before?" now that's the kind of question that could get her into trouble, but marietta isn't poking at the wound of not belonging as much as she is sating her own genuine curiosity. she honestly can't remember, and it's not for lack of trying - try as she might, she just can't recall an instance of seeing his now familiar face among the sea of pureblood vipers. she'd like to think that if they'd run across each other before then she'd have said something, gravitated towards him, set the foundation for the friendship they've been building this last year, but she's not an idiot either. doing that would've been letting herself enjoy it, and it's been a while since marietta's let herself do THAT. "general rules of thumb, if you haven't : take it easy on the themed cocktails, cause they're stronger than you're expecting, and avoid anything that looks too good, cause it's usually something that only rich people enjoy - like escargot."
it's much too childish to walk right up to kaela and ask, feeling mildly unwell, are you mad at me? - especially when she suspects the answer might be yes, or, if she hasn't seen her date, that it'll BECOME a resounding yes once she does. luca picks at her fake nails and works herself into knots trying to decide how best to break the evening's ice, wondering if it's best to just wait until tomorrow when it'll just be a memory. there's nothing inherently wrong with it, after all. they're just friends. friends that know each other carnally, but... well, mikaela's familiar with that concept, so luca's sure she'll at least get that. and he's her landlord. and something her best friends godfather. that part will be the sticker, she knows, and she's pretty positive she SHOULD just let it play out and wait until the next day, but when there's just so much good gossip surrounding them that she's finally in a position of indulging, luca just can't resist the pull into her best friends orbit. and also, unfortunately, the sick and twisted instinct of a simple, "are you mad at me?"
" i think i owe you an apology, " and it isn't much, really, but until they get out from beneath the thumb of the upper echelon, the best he's been able to do is grab one of the cocktails from a server platter so that he can present it with a sheepish smile. that feeling is unfamiliar to him, honestly, though it's not everyday that he manages to write himself into the karkaroff twins bad books - it was probably always gonna happen, at least someday, but merlin, he wishes that he hadn't gotten andie caught in the crossfire. hence the drink. " i knew she wouldn't act right, but i should've given you a better heads up, " or any heads up, really, though this is another thing that arturo neglects to add, " mikaela doesn't mean any harm by lookin'. nikolai, on the other hand... "
"alright, before you come for me, i know what i said-" and it's a relief, really, to spot a familiar face in the crowd and know that it's safe to make a beeline towards her. the malfoy family ball isn't as much of a nightmare as some of the other events that she's been forced to attend, but it still comes with a set of rules for her to follow & expects a certain kind of person, and marietta isn't always good at that. she's done a good job up to now, but the freedom to be herself for a moment is one she won't miss - even if the part of her that now rears its ugly head is the nastier, more gossip oriented marietta edgecombe that not even their sixth year could beat out of her. "but i still have, like...-" she goes to check her watch automatically only to remember that she isn't wearing it and guess, "probably an hour before my resolution to mind my own business more kicks in, so i think this is fair game. have you seen who some of these people have shown up with ? this whole room is a rumor mill article waiting to happen."
they're conscious ( and what an awful state to be in, even this early in the night ) that they should extend a greeting out – something along the lines of 'how are you doing?' that alludes to their shared experience without explicitly mentioning it & bringing the mood down. tempest had spotted antigone a while ago and had been turning the conundrum over idly in their head ever since. “ i love your earrings. ” is easier, though just as surface - it still feels like a pretence. they hang back with a more shy smile than usual, one hand fidgeting with their own pair of earrings. “ your whole outfit, actually. ” there had been a brief, unexpected & unfamiliar, twinge of envy when they'd first caught a glimpse of the get-up in question, something age-old, green-eyed & filled with: damn, i wish i'd come up with that.
location: the malfoy family ball
with: open ( @startertms )
"do you think-" she says as she sits, passing a drink to her conversation partner "someone will end up getting messy drunk and get chucked out?" cho takes a sip of her own drink and peers around at the quickly filling dancefloor. everyone seems to be on their best behavior now- but she doesn't need to be a seer to know that there's a very good chance of an argument breaking out sometime before the clock strikes 12. "and if we're saying yes to the getting chucked out thing, how close to midnight are we betting it will be?"
❝ THE MALFOY FAMILY ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT, while they've made some changes to be entirely respectful to the families of those who lost their lives last christmas, their annual family ball - now a celebration of the new year - will be going ahead at the end of the month ! lucky wix who managed to secure an invite to the event of the season will be able to enjoy live orchestra music and food prepared by the finest chefs in london, as is to be expected at an event of this calibre. the hosts have given the wwn permission to break the news of this years theme with an exclusive competition that provides the winner with an invite for them and a friend to attend, so prepare your owls ! where does this quote come from ? .... ahem ! i'll follow thee and make a heaven of hell, to die upon the hand i love so well... ❞
WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE :
the event previously marketed as the malfoy family christmas party ( now to be known exclusively as the malfoy ball ) is an annual soiree that has, in years past, fallen on december 24th or december 25th, depending on the day of the week that either fell. the decision to move it to new year's eve is not one that was taken lightly, and wasn't entirely narcissa malfoy's idea - it was a friend of the journalistic sort that suggested it would be an altogether better look for the family if they avoided the day that three unfortunate young people lost their lives last year, and when you're a malfoy, everything really does come down to image.
invitations on expensive parchment paper are sent by hired owl in mid december, first to the most important of magical families and then to whoever happens to be left over, announcing the change of date and the change of run time. starting at 8pm, this will be the first ( and hopefully only ) year where it is actually intended to run through 2am to allow the ringing in of the new year and the continuation of the blowout party that the family is known for. not receiving one of the ivory invites when you're considered powerful or influential within the community is rare and considered a rather serious slight from the malfoy's when it does happen. who made it onto the guestlist - and who found their way off it - usually makes for some of the best gossip of the evening, unless, of course, it's to be expected. the weasley family, until last year, had never been included on the star studded mailing list, and the public spat between youngest sister and middle brother last year has resulted in their names being struck off once again ( along with a few other familiar names - the closest friends of each who have been removed for the simple mistake of association ). luckily for some, the lack of an invite doesn't actually affect their chances of getting inside. the malfoy's don't have a security list for the simple joy they get from pretending to be scandalized by the presence of their least favorite wix when, in actuality, their appearance is the greatest form of flattery that they could ever feel.
the theme, this year, is a midsummer night's dream, with the party extending from inside the inner ballroom to the well tended gardens of the malfoy estate. lucius & narcissa have employed incredibly talented wix to ensure that the right protective spells have been cast over the decided boundary, making sure that the temperature remains toasty so that no one need don a jacket and that if the skies should open with rain or snow, it won't fall on the party itself. the sanctuary for magical creatures and their hedge maze are entirely off limits, as always, and as such, these particular spells do not cover them.
the party is just one more way in which the malfoy's flaunt their unaffected wealth and ensure that the daily prophet has only good things to say about them heading into the new year, which means that no expense is ever spared - and that isn't about to start now. the inner ballroom has been entirely transformed into an enchanted forest, just the right amounts of overgrown to be seen as magical and mysterious, just the right amounts of tended to make the job of the servers no more difficult this year than any other. the ground is moss covered and spongy, the marble walls hidden by thick evergreen trees and deep green foliage, and delicate string lights hanging from the boughs of the aforementioned trees are the only illumination aside from a faux full moon and a sky full of stars that has been conjured overhead. the dancefloor inside is nestled at the center of this, around which are dark wood tables and chairs overladen with food, and the dancefloor outside - found if you can manage to extract yourself from this impressive area - is shined and circular, like one, large mirror. the malfoy's have hired an orchestra, this year, and themed cocktails and food have been prepared by london's most talented chefs.
as always, the ball is set to be an incredible evening for those lucky enough to get an invite - or brave enough to show up without. the only thing that the malfoy family ask in return for their generosity is that guests provide a small donation for the peacock academy, an institute for magical children overseas that also happens to be a rather well known for profit that was founded by the late abraxas malfoy.
OUT OF CHARACTER :
our fourth ever malfoy family ball moves from christmas to new years and takes us into a midsummer night's dream ! you're more than welcome to interpret this in any way that you'd like, though as this is the event of the season, character's should definitely keep in mind that the malfoy's would never do anything with the thought of being tacky.
it might feel a little difficult to slot your characters in, especially considering how specially curated the guestlist seems to be, but don't worry too much - even if your character wouldn't have received a hand written ignite, there's always the option of being someone's plus one or choosing to crash the party open to them ! you're welcome to throw anyone in wherever you'd like, since we won't be having a second event going hand in hand with this one !
this event starts with the posting of this message and will run for TWO WEEKS, ending in the new year.
i already touched on this above, but no character is required to attend this event, nor are you required to take part - but you are heavily encouraged to do so !
this is a DASH ONLY event, and starters can be tagged with nox.event039 and nox.midsummer ! the location for anyone who tags it is malfoy manor, wiltshire. you can find the channel for formal wear on the main discord !
if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to message the main, and just give this post a like once you’ve read it !
