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[Allison Cassidy Rose]

Allison climbed the stairs to the girls dormitory huming a tune. Allison had been thinking of home today, specifically of the summer ball her family held every year. She found herself remembering the dresses she had been forced to wear and the people she had been forced to dance with in years past. But that was then, when dancing was for grown ups, boys had cooties, and dresses were too much trouble. Allison was now eleven years old and was much above childish things like that. She was now practically a grown up! A full lady! No longer could she find balls foolish as a juvenile ten year old could, but instead she was to fancy a gathering such as a ball like any mature adult..uh..eleven year old.

Allison remembered her dress for this coming ball in a few months. Allison wondered why she packed it, but like any girl who is fond of a dress thought she could simply not live without it...even if she wouldn't be wearing it any time soon. Allison looked through her things and easily found the dress she adored so deeply. She ran her hands over the smooth golden silk. Usually, the colored sent shivers up her spine and left her with goose bumps, in this case though, the dress was so divine she couldn't help but fall to pieces at the thought of not owning it. She had begged and begged her mum for it for ages, crying, yelling, and using any methods she could to let her give in....well actually no she didn't have to. Her mum actually said yes when she first asked with out even flinching as she heard the price...but Allison had been prepared to all the same. Did that make her spoiled? Maybe, but whom ever called her that surely hadn't seen the dress.

Allison held the dress up and looked in the mirror. She let her eyes drink in every inch of the dress, swiming with excitement the whole while. The dress had a square neckline that showed a bit of cleavage...well it would if she had any thing to show. The fitted sleeves went to he elbows then fanned out in a display of white lace. The corset part of the dress was ornamented in four starched bows that went from neckline to where the skirt connected from biggest to smallest. The skirt then fluttered down in a heap of gold fabric, adorned with a few spare bows to top it off.

Allison spun around in the empty dormitory holding the dress to her chest. Allison closed her eyes as she spun, imagining the ball, imagining dancing with a boy...a boy who looked alot like Alistair. Allison was smiling and dancing and singing and having a right good time. Oh how lovely it was to be a girl.

((Dress))

Edited by Allison Cassidy Rose, 13 June 2011 - 02:02 PM.

[Cerridwyn Glynn]

Cerrri made her way to the Hufflepuff Common Room down a number of stairs to the Kitchens and then to the portrait that held the entrance to the friendly yellow Common Room. How do you open the door here? She thought to herself. Knowing the Ravenclaw rooms, there was a password that was more of a riddle than anything else. And the Slytherin Rooms had a door that responded and opened with the right word was given. What did the Hufflepuffroom do? Was there a password as well? Cerri stood there for a moment in thought trying to puzzle out the moment. She must have looked like such a dolt, standing and staring at the door with a look of "thinking" on her face.

Maybe she was looking at this the wrong way.
"Maybe the easiest way is best to try first?" She whispered to herself as she pulled on the portrait as if it was a door she had to pass to get inside. It didn't budge. And by now others had passed by looking at her with the most suspicious looks on their faces. Cerri recognized one as an older Hufflepuff boy and he was about ready to laugh at her making her feel quite embarressed.
"Hi." She said fighting through the awkwardness. "Umm, maybe you can help me? I was hoping I could give this to Allison." Cerri held out abook that looked like it belonged in the library text book section, but it was hers with her name written inside of it..
"She left this book in the library and I wanted to get it back to her."

Edited by Cerridwyn Glynn, 13 June 2011 - 06:49 PM.

[Allison Cassidy Rose]

Allison stuck her head out of her door and looked into the common room. It was nearly dinner time and the usually busy room was completely clear of students. Allison climbed elegantly down the stairs, being careful not to tread on her long dress that brushed the floor. Allison thought she might be acting rather silly, but had fallen to temptation and was now sporting her ball gown in the empty common room.

What am I doing? she asked herself. Surely someone will find me in a place as public as this. Allison pushed the thought aside, though, and twirled slowly in her dress in the flickering firelight. Despite the whole ordeal being utterly pointless, Allison couldn't help but let her lighthearted smile play across her pink lips. At this point, all fears or being walked in on had vanished. Allison now was striding around the room acting as if she were hosting her annual ball, talking to chairs as if they were guests in a moment of childish play. She giggled as she did so and twirled some more. Luckily everyone was at dinner so Allison let fear of being interupted slip from her mind.

[Cerridwyn Glynn]

The older Huffle looked to her with a brotherly look, something Cerri just wasn't used to.  It was something simular to her fathers eyes and her own brother's playful smirk.  She wasn't sure what to make of it, especially not being a Hufflepuff herself.  She looked to the Fourthyear that stood there all but laughing at her for her nervousness.  Finally she reached over and opened the door in that specialty way that Hufflepuffs only can.  Once the door was opened the boy waived her in for a brief moment,  Cerri followed book in hand as if she needed it for proof to any other little badgers about who would tell her to get out.

As she walked in, there was the most beautiful dress coming down the stairs.  Cerri didn't pay much attention to the girl in it.  But the dress, itself was quite lovely.  It looked more like an adults dress than on that belonged on a student.  Only after seeing the dress and wishing she had one just like it, did she realize it was Allison.
"oh, hello.  Just the person I was hoping to see.  You left this in the library."  She held out the book. A thought hit her, and she wondered for a moment if all the Hufflepuffs wore their best clothes in the dorm.  If that were so, this place might have been like a little castle.  If she had allowed it to infiltrate her mind, there might have been a thought or two that there was a new contender for the Queen of Cerri's little make believe world.  No longer would she be fighting against her littlest sister, but against a new contender to her own throne.  This would take special tactics to come out on top.  Luckily, thouse ideas and wild imagery didn't come to her...yet.  No doubt they would later, especially when Cerri would have been looking over her own nice dresses and finding none that could compare.
"So this is the Hufflepuff Common Room?  I don't think I've ever been in here before."  She tried to make idle conversation to fight her own inner inadequacies.

[Allison Cassidy Rose]

As the friendly voice or Cerri hit Allison's ears, she felt a blistering pain as if she had just been stabbed. This pain my friends, is known as embarrassment. Allison's eyes snapped to where Cerri was standing holding a book. "Oh yeah..." Allison said, though through her moment of mortification it probably sounded a little more like 'ohhaaeaa'. Allison held the skirt of her dress and hurried to retrieve the book.

Allison decided to take a new tactic and act like nothing was wrong. A deep breath and a straight face later, Allison said "Oh thankyou so much! I had completely forgotten about this!And yes, here it is, the Huffkepuff common room. Do you like it?"

[Cerridwyn Glynn]

"It's so.....different.  Are all your doors round like that?"  Cerri asked about the Common Room.  Suddenly she was curious and wanted to compare the differences between Hufflepuff's Common Room and Ravenclaw's.  Everything was large and fluffy and the Ravenclaw expected that if the things here had a personality they would be inviting and comforting.  It definitely gave new ideas in her head about the other Hufflepuffs she knew.  Just the fact that the doors were round were curious to her.  She didn't have the time to do so, but she so badly wanted to just look at the door and reveal any secrets it was keeping.

"I guess the better question is, do you like it.  I mean you're the one who has to stay here, I'm just visiting."  Cerri grinned turning the question around to her host.  Handing the book over to Allison, she saw the girl's dress upclose.  The sleeves were free and open and quite lacey.  It certainly was making an impression on her.

"Where did you get that dress?  It's beautiful."  Cerri liked it.  It was a beautiful dress, but she also felt a certain jealousy from it helping her to hate it at the same time.  It was a very conflicting moment as she liked Allison and liked the dress, but jealousy was helping her see something that simply wasn't there.  Now Cerri wanted a dress like that and never thought her mother would ever buy her such a thing.  It was ~too~ pretty for such a young girl, she could all ready hear her mother saying to her.

[Allison Cassidy Rose]

Allison took a moment to look around the common room. She gave a soft laugh at Cerri's comment about the doors. "I suppose so...I've really never taken the time to look. I love this room but I've never really seen it. It's funny, you see something everyday but never really see it. It's warm and nice and home, just like a Hufflepuff dorm should be. I love being a Hufflepuff...I never thought I would and my parents were not too supportive but I love it all the same. I suppose the Ravenclaw common room is much different?"

Allison then noticed Cerri observing her dress. She felt her face grow quite warm as Cerri asked about her attire and knew that if she looked in a mirror she would be blushing. "Oh, uh, this? Thank you, and I got it from a local tailor back home. Its my ball gown...I'm not sure why I brought it here or am wearing it now....Most people don't find it fitting for a girl of my age to have a dress such as this, but Mum had no opposition...do you have a ball gown?" Allison spoke in short phrases that ended in awkward pauses. To keep it from being awkward, Allison would rush into another equally as awkward phrase. For some reason, Allison had a nagging need to prove herself to Cerri about the dress. Her last question was one she regretted asking as soon as it left her mouth. Allison knew most people, even purebloods, didn't often get ball gowns until they were older. As a Rose, Allison was rather lucky. She just hoped Cerri was equally as lucky or at the very least that this wasn't striking a nerve.

[Cerridwyn Glynn]

Cerri continued to look about at the comforts of the Hufflepuff adornments.  The Ravenclaw Common room was quite different with sturdy tall back chairs designed for reading and studying.  Answering Allison's question seemed to take more time than she imagined it would ever take.  
"The Ravenclaw Common Room is.....well...different.  The chairs and cushions are not nearly as inviting as these are."  She ran her hand along the plush puffy pillow that adorned the seat in yellow and black.
"And I think we have way more books on the shelves."  She grinned thinking the difference between the two places was almost like night and day.  "But my favorite part of the whole room is the painting on the ceiling.  There are stars there.  And when you look at the ceiling in different places you can make out almost every constellation we studied in Astronomy Class."  She nodded as she looked to the ceiling here in the Hufflepuff room.

"I mean I know I'm a Ravenclaw, but all my friends seem to be in different Houses than my own."  It was true.  Cerri spent most of her time out and about the different places of the castle and rarely spent any time in her own House room, except maybe to sleep.  But her attention slipped towards the dress Allison carried.  It was wonderful.  All the materials it used all seemed to shimmer and shine with the exception of the lace which absorbed all the glimmer where it layed.  She reached out and touched the exquisite garment with such a grin and wide-eyed enthusiasm.
"...do you have a ball gown?"  The question was asked.  Instantly Cerri looked up to Allison, almost embarressed.
"Oh no.  I don't have anything nearly as nice...as nice as this."  Her hand slipped from the dress as if she were quietly reminded not to touch anything that was as expensive as this was.  Suddenly, cerri was scared she would damage it.
"When do you plan to wear it?  I can't see it worn for just any old day for dinner."  She tried to say things plainly and to not give herself away as embarressed that she didn't have anything as nice.

[Allison Cassidy Rose]

Allison's eyes shone with curiousity. A night sky instead of the ceiling? How wonderous it would be to look up and see glittering, twinkling stars...lucky that was in the ravenclaw common room. Were it anywhere near the hufflepuff common room where most of Allison's homework and studies were done, she would be failing every class. Allison listened politely as Cerri told about spending little time in her own common room. It was quite hard for Allison to imagine, afterall, the Hufflepuff dorms were Allison's second home and the common rooms were a part of that.

Conversation turned back to Allison's dress, then. Cerri's hand stretched out as she ran the silk through her hands. The gleam in her eyes sugested that a dress like this was rather uncommon in Cerri's life. Allison could see that it pained the girl a bit to see something so nice and have nothing like it. The silk fluttered back into place as the ravenclaw withdrew her hand.

"My family hosts a summer ball each year, perhaps this year you and your family might attend?" Allison asked genially. She hoped Cerri would come, a word of response had come in the post from her mum just the day before. Allison had mentioned word to Alistair and the letter read that Allison could invite any proper family to join in the celebration. Allison assumed that meant any friend of hers and the more the merrier!

[Cerridwyn Glynn]

The girl's hand slipped back to her side as she tried to play her embarrassment off as some awkward humor.  The dress' silk was still fluttering with the movement. Then Allison did something Cerri didn't expect.  Did she just get invited to her first Gala?  If the amazement in her mind wasn't enough, her little eyes opened up as wide as saucer plates.  It took her a moment to realize she was gaping her mouth open as well.  It took her a few moments to realize what had just happened and how she was reacting to it and once she did relize her mouth was still open, she shut it quickly with a deep breath.  She almost had to remind herself to take a breath of air the shock was so great.

"I....oh...tha-"  She started almost tripping over every single word she tried to say.  "That would be so much fun!"  She finally blurted out full of energy.  Imagine the look on her mother's face when she told her about this invitation, it was right up there with everything her mum would have wanted for vicarious living.  Thoughts of silk bows and ventian lace filled her mind as she envisiooned what she would see everyone there wearing.
"I'm affraid, though, that I don't have a suitable party to invite you to in return.  The only thing I know my parents are hosting is something called intercollegetes and gear cogs.  I don't think that would be as interesting as it sounds."  She nodded.  Of course it sounded facinating to her, gears and cogs and timepieces were something Cerri was interested in, but she didn't remember seeing Allison ever in that section of the library.

[Allison Cassidy Rose]

Allison was reminded of how different her way of living must seem to some by the way Cerri reacted to her invitation. At first, Allison thought she might have done something wrong. Cerri's eyes widened and her jaw dropped- Allison wondered if she had come across as rude or arrogant- and Cerri couldn't seem to find the words to express how she felt. Finally, Allison was releaved as she exclaimed how good of a surprise it was! Allison let out a shakey breath and smiled. "I am sure that it would be a great time if you could make it." Allison said. Allison moved her hand as if to wave away what Cerri said. "It's no matter. Friendship is not about repaying every cent of enjoyment as equal. You attending is return enough." Allison hoped Cerri wouldn't feel obligated to repay her for the invitation, she thought to herself that someday the score would be equal but all in all Allison didn't really care if it was or not. She stood by what she said and believed friendship wasn't an i scratch your back you scratch mine kind of deal. Allison was a bit confused about what a cog was exactly, but rather than ask Allison did what she did best. "Do you have a gown to wear?" Allison gushed, hoping she wasnt striking a nerve.

[Cerridwyn Glynn]

"A gown?"  Cerri asked, reitterating if that was what Allison had asked.
"Not like that one."  She pointed to the one Allison had been holding.  "But I think me mum needs to invest in one."  She nodded her head with assurances.  Mrs. Glynn, was the type of mother who thought that society and reputation was everything to a young girl.  This would be just the right matter to get her mother in the frame of mind.

"Am I the only one you've invited?"  Cerri asked and then thought about the question after asking it.  Maybe that sounded a little rude.  It wasn't what she was trying to do.  She was just curious if she'd know anyone else there.
"I mean...I...." There was a pause before the girl started laughing at herself.
"I just meant, will anyone else be there that we both know.  Like other Hogwart's students or...I don't know...celebrities?"  Now her question was getting more and more rediculous.  She'd better quieten herself or else Allison might take back the invite.

[Allison Cassidy Rose]

Allison looked at the girl before her as she spoke. Perhaps a soft blue of light lilac dress would be for her. Maybe decked in lace or adorned with pearls, Allison didn't really know much about Cerri's family and their money but which ever dress she wore Allison was sure it would look lovely. Allison smiled as she stumbled over words again. "It's quite alright, I understand what you mean. I have also invited Alistair and I am planning to invite Joe. Other than that no one else from Hogwarts. There will be several other children, each tutored at home or attending different schools, and as for..um celebrities I guess...My family always invites several of the most prestigious pureblood families as well as our close friends." Allison so hoped this was a good explanation. Allison had been a little foggy on the details of the question but it would take quite a while if she had been wanting the whole guest list. Still, the mention of Allison's dress reminded her that housemates would be returning soon. Allison enjoyed Cerri's company, but to be caught lounging about the common room in a ball gown? Well, that certainly would come off as odd.

[Professor Penvellyn]

There were few things more frightening than an old woman on a mission. Eleanor had been tipped off that one of her students was brewing an illegal mixture of essence of euphoria and intending to slip it into some of the party snacks that would be served after the quidditch game this weekend. First of all, brewing potions anywhere outside of designated classrooms was forbidden and two, no one was permitted to spike consumable items, no matter the intended purpose. Chances were good that it would be made incorrectly and something dangerous would actually occur.

Now all of the students would be down for dinner and she could conduct her raid effectively. While a studious Ravenclaw or two might have been ignoring a meal for the sake of studying in their common room, Eleanor knew that her Hufflepuffs had healthy appetites. The common room would undoubtedly be completely empty.

“My family always invites several of the most prestigious pureblood families as well as our close friends”

It couldn’t be. The older woman had stepped through the portrait hole and was facing two young girls, one of whom was very overdressed for the occasion of a visiting student. “Good evening ladies,” Penvellyn greeted, quickly slipping her wand back into the folded pocket of her dress. “I suggest you both make your way down to the Great Hall.” It was in fact much more than a suggestion. She looked at Allison. “Miss Rose, I’ll wait here with Miss Glynn while you go get changed. I wouldn’t want you to ruin such a lovely gown at the meal.”

Were it an older student, Eleanor would have gone upstairs with the student just to make sure she wasn’t stashing the suspected potion. Given that she was only a first year, it was likely that she had no knowledge of the potion. All the same, Eleanor would be counting the time she was gone. Having worn dresses every day since she was four years old, the woman was well aware as to the exact amount of time it would take to change out of that ballgown.

{{OOC: I didn’t mean to ruin your thread, but I thought you could use the help to get it closed}}

[Professor Penvellyn]

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