Headfirst Alone

Playbill: Draco Malfoy, Audrey Miller, Nyle Avery

Summary: Draco encounters Audrey at Victoria's Masquerade. Nyle locks him in the library, “accidentally”.

-------------------------------

Pumpkin Dust: As per usual, Victoria Avery had gone all out for yet another of her lavish parties. Servants in black tuxedos (wearing white gloves and red satin masks) darted about the manor with trays of exotic hor d’oeuvres. Most of the action was unfolding in the ballroom, where a live band was performing a medley of lively vintage-inspired tunes (and the occasional ballad). It was a veritable who's who in the community of dark magic, and the various fashions of the evening were positively inspired. High collars, dramatic ruffs, extravagant ball gowns worthy of a runway, and some of the most obscenely-decorative masks (positively worthy of an art show). The black and white marble-checked floor and low-hanging (dimly-lit) chandeliers only added to the atmos, candle-light flickering at every table. The other rooms (parlors, library, dining room, etc.) were also full of lively chatter and banter. There was a surprising number of people in attendance, and it seemed nothing was off-limits. --

Guests were required to present their invitations at the door. Luckily for Audrey (and a small group of those who had absolutely no business at such a party), she had an in. Nyle had provided her several extras on-request, and getting into the manor had been surprisingly easy. If not, it would have been every bit as easy to enter disguised as staff. There were so many servants flitting about, it would have been impossible for even the most-prudent of hosts to keep tabs on everyone. --

The intent of the evening was, in Audrey's case, not to stand out too easily. And, so, while she might have been inclined to wear something festive and red for the occasion (how often does one really get to wear a red ball gown?), she had to forgo the opportunity and settle for something a bit less eye-catching. She couldn't reconcile any of the prices on the dresses she'd looked at with Greer earlier that afternoon, and so she'd opted to borrow a dress from her aunt, instead. It was an understated black number with cap sleeves, light beading giving it only a touch of shimmer when the light caught it just right. She'd pinned her hair out of her face and allowed it to cascade over one shoulder in loose waves, a decorative hair-comb off-setting the simple black lace mask she wore over her eyes.

pentacular: Draco had arrived with his parents, Lucius and Narcissa, just as the party had really began to fill out with attendees. Both of Draco’s parents were well-dressed for the occasion (was there any other way for them to dress?). Neither looked remotely apprehensive about attending a party of specific company wherein Lucius had perhaps thrown a couple of different relatives of the attendees under the bus of the Ministry of Magic once the war had ended years back. Narcissa and Lucius were close in proximity, and they would most likely stay that way.

All three Malfoy’s sported dark colors. Narcissa sporting the ruffs, bodice, lace, and sparkling items that fit her best with black pearls and rubies. The only green on her was blood red ruby wrapped stunningly with a silver and emerald snake, as if the snake were seeking to envelope that heart. Lucius wore cufflinks to match. While both parents were a presence, they were a quiet one.

Draco Malfoy was less dramatic, but to theme. In a formal black wool suit with a very dark red pinstripe and notched lapels, he sported a lapel pin of silver with a green emerald heart set into it, delicate etchings set into the silver. Pale blonde hair was groomed afresh, coifed up and set in place without looking like someone dumped a bottle of product in it, it still had a relatively soft and feathery appearance.

While his parents seemed to enjoy themselves, nibbling on light bites and talking with ease, Draco was much quieter. He looked around at the servers, the party-goers, the frocks and suits, the ones who were already on their way to getting drunk, and those who wanted to follow suit. The fruitless endeavor to Ollivander’s had left him with no satisfaction. No wand to keep at his side. Draco felt naked. His ability at wandless magic was minimal at best. He declined drinks and trays of food that were offered to him, and after a time of standing somewhat behind and to the side of his parents, he sighed and stepped away from them, skirting the room, looking for a break or something or someone to distract him.

Pumpkin Dust: She hadn't seen much of Nyle since arriving, and was beginning to worry. The night was still young - but he hadn't chickened out, had he? Audrey collected a glass of pink champagne from a passing tray, looking worried as she leaned back against the wall behind her and peered through the passing shapes of dancing and laughing individuals to try an steal sight of him again. He'd simply vanished, it seemed, for the time being. 'Great,' she thought. 'What am I supposed to do, now? Chat up a bunch of Death Eaters?' She took a sip from her glass bitterly, upon the thought. As stated, it was early yet - but Seth and the others hadn't arrived yet. Or, if they had, she hadn't had an opportunity to spot them. For the moment, this seemed a solo operation. A spot of pale blonde caught her attention and, she couldn't help it, a snarky sort of smirk found residence on her lips. 'Oh, of course the Slytherin prat is here. Why wouldn't he be?' She was entertained, for the moment, with the prospect of perhaps spying on him.

pentacular: It was like ‘Slytherin prat’ activated an extrasensory alarm. Draco had come to a stop by a window that a couple had just vacated when he came to a stop and reassessed his surroundings. He looked for a moment out of that window, seeing a few individuals outside, most of them heading toward the lavish Avery home as they had just arrived, and a couple others looking like the wanted to find a quiet spot. His gaze then unfocused, like there was something in the air, and he turned to look back at the room at large, gaze falling on a pale face partially screened by black lace. The dress was, well, just barely adequate for such a party, but there was something about the face that was recently familiar. Very recently… The space between Draco’s brows creased as he placed her. Maude. The Gryffindor. “Champagne, sir,” inquired one of the servers. Draco finally accepted the offering due to his attention fixated on this female anomaly at the party. Once fingers fixed around a flute of this oddly pink champagne, the server moved on and Draco began to direct his steps in Maude’s direction, now finding something to interest him. -f-

Pumpkin Dust: The moment pale eyes met hazel, she looked away. ('Crap! He's looking.') So much for spying. It seemed, from her peripheral, he was coming towards her. She felt something akin to panic swirling in her gut. Audrey hadn't counted on someone at the party actually, potentially, being able to recognize her. 'Should I run?' No. No running. That would be ridiculous. Maybe slink off and pretend she hadn't seen him? No, she'd definitely seen him. She wasted so much time debating what to do, she'd given herself no time to actually get away. Giving into her fate, she cradled her glass of champagne to her chest and allowed her gaze to resettle upon him. Her features remained stoic, in spite of her conflict.

pentacular: A corner of Draco’s mouth turned up when she looked away. For someone who was so full of bricks earlier that day, she seemed a bit like a doe in a corner with no where to go. He didn’t change his speed, strangely taking his time to come over, but walking to her in a direct line. For someone who wasn’t too outlandishly dressed, he still seemed to part a crowd, or at least encourage people to walk around him. Maybe it was the beacon that was his hair, being not too far off from an orange muggle pylon diverting traffic. When he was finally close enough to speak at a respectable volume, he came to a stop and smirked outright. “Oh, dear… Looks like it’s ten points from Gryffindor. Add three more for the dress.” He lifted the champagne flute to his lips and took a small, self-satisfied sip. -f-

Pumpkin Dust: Audrey lifted her eyebrows at him. "My dress?" She glanced down at herself, and then back up to him - narrowing her eyes. "You don't like it." She feigned disappointment with a disillusioned sigh. "I wore it for you." Her eyes warmed with her own self-satisfaction as she took another sip of champagne. "You look nice," she said, with some indifference. "For a puffed-up little rich boy."

pentacular: After swallowing his sip of champagne, he looked worriedly down at it, finally noticing its pink hue, which made sense when you considered the taste. As a server went by, he turned slightly to hand over the flute. Perhaps normal champagne would show up later once this foul pink one ran out. Turning attention back to the Maude, he smiled back at her. “I look nice for anyone,” he said, having taken no offense to her indifference or her shot at him. “What, exactly, are you doing here? Victoria Avery has distinctive standards, and you … well.” He gestured vaguely to everything about her. -f-

Pumpkin Dust: Audrey accepted the point of his suggested slight with a smirk. "I... what? You mean to suggest Victoria and I wouldn't be besties?" Audrey gasped, mocking her surprise at such an absurd suggestion. The feigned shock disappeared from her features then and the detached impishness returned. "I snuck in." She lifted a pale finger to blush lips, recommending her 'secret' to him. "I was just desperate to see you." She paused, then added "Are you going to rat me out?"

pentacular: Stepping across Maude and turning to stand close to her right side, he gestured out to the entire party with a slow sweep of his hand so she could take in the party properly, the other snaking around her back to rest lightly on her left shoulder. This party was full of pureblood believers, Death Eaters, Death Eater supporters, a couple of old Grindelwald supporters in one corner, and others who simply loved to profit on potential discord. Most of the people at this party, aside from maybe the servers, were not the kind of people a girl like Maude should be around. The servers, for all that they are, were probably charmed to forget what they saw and heard when they leave the house. No pureblood deep-pocketed witch or wizard would ever not take such security measures.

Draco whispered into her ear, “Why would I do that? With guests like this, you may end up being the night’s entertainment. They can smell a non-supporter among them. And if they get a whiff of you before they get too drunk, they might remember you later on. When a Harry Potter-supporting, Dumbledore-loving Gryffindor wanders into a party where she’s not wanted, she forfeits her securities. You’ve never seen one of these parties, I’m sure. I wish you the best of luck in whatever your purpose is tonight.” -f-

Pumpkin Dust: Audrey couldn't help but tense when he placed his hand on her shoulder and leaned in to speak such uneasy things into her ear, turning her face away from him instinctively. She wasn't sure if it was an attempt to imply threat, or to sincerely wish her luck (of course she didn't believe that, not for an instant) - but whatever it was, it unraveled her confidence to the core. What he said was, regrettably, true. There were real dangers in her pursuits tonight. There was a portrait on the wall that caught her eye. She'd been trying to avoid looking at it all night. Victoria and her two sons were watching over the party from inside the frame. Benedict's image served a somber reminder as to the importance of her venture, of its worthiness.-- It took every bit of steal in her nerves not to shove him off of her and start away from him. His proximity was unnerving, as anyone's might have been in that situation (but especially his, considering). Audrey finished her drink, instead, and waited for him to place the distance between them himself. "You don't know the first thing about what I've seen," she offered quietly. "Thanks for the warning." Insincere, of course.

pentacular: “And you don’t know the first thing about what I’ve seen,” he replied, lifting his hand from her shoulder and stepping back from her, any smirk or smile washed off his face as he blinked at the party in front of him, expression bland as it had been when he had arrived to the party. In his movements to whisper into her ear, his hair had fallen into a comma over an eye. He swept it back now, and stood himself a little straighter with deep breath. “Your type rarely wanders headfirst alone, Maude. You better hope whoever it is that likes you enough to be here with you shows up. And don’t drink anything green or purple. You’ll regret it in the morning.” Draco offered her one more glance and then turned away from her, deciding idle chatter with a familiar pureblood-touting black-haired girl would at least set him to deal with the party more adequately and in the perception of better taste. Someone his parents would better approve of him being seen with. -f- Pumpkin Dust: Audrey emitted a small sigh of relief when he withdrew from her, watching him quietly as he made his way back into the party (and, presumably, to the company of a certain Parkinson girl). She turned to capture the elbow of a server passing by. "Could you bring me a quill and parchment, please?" The server looked confused, but nodded and started off to retrieve the items she'd requested. Audrey finished off her champagne and placed it on an empty tray in passing. It wasn't long before the server returned with the items specified. Audrey used a side-table to jot down something quick, then folded the bit of parchment up into a neat little rectangle. She handed the quill back to the server, and the note.. then muttered instructions for its delivery. The server nodded, and Audrey watched him make his way across the room toward Draco. White gloved hand offered the note to the silver-haired ponce, and Audrey grinned.. self-satisfied.. before turning and making her way out of the ballroom.

pentacular: The young woman he spoke to already had her hand on Draco's elbow, nearly clinging to his sleeve with greedy fingertips. When the server presented the note between the pair of them, the woman reluctantly released his sleeve so he could turn and take the note. With a quite thanks to the server and a quizzical look, he opened the note so only he could read it, despite the woman's curiosity at having her hold on him interrupted. -f-

Pumpkin Dust: The library itself was empty at that time. It was a spacious room, with built-in bookcases that ran floor-to-ceiling. A warm fire was crackling in the hearth, and the leather chairs and love-seats gave the room a rich, weathered aroma. Come meet me in the library, Draco.

pentacular: Lips pursed in curiosity as he looked at the very short message, eyes looking at what of the room was afforded to his view. He knew where the library was located in the Avery home. As he folded up the parchment and slipped into a pocket, he politely dismissed himself from the young woman, who looked quite frankly annoyed with disappointment. "Come back and find me," she instructed him, but he was already wandering away from her, again taking his time to wend his way through the crowd and generally in the direction of the library. He already noticed that Maude was not where he left her, that spot well-vacated. When he finally reached the open doorway of the library, he stopped just outside of it, idling next to it instead of going in. There was a mirror on the wall next to the door, and he examined himself in it, appraising himself and finding nothing wrong there. Once satisfied with his appearance, giving the cuffs of his jacket, he turned to face the room again. He hadn't looked in through the door, and he didn't seem to be making any attempt to move into it. He simply... stayed put, looking around like he was keeping an eye out of for something savory on a tray. -f-

Pumpkin Dust: The room remained empty. Fire still crackling. Chairs just chillin'. Just an innocent, empty room. Nothing happening here. Just waiting, and vacant. Meet me in the library, Draco.

pentacular: Finally, something on a toast point came within reach. Whatever was on the toast point was grey with a little garnish and something that appeared to be a morello cherry. He picked it off the tray, looked it over, and then helped himself to it. "Not bad," he muttered, maybe to the server who stood there to offer him a napkin. Draco took the napkin, wiped his fingertips, and dropped it in the bin as the server moved on. He finally turned and stepped through the open library doorway. -f- Pumpkin Dust: And the library greeted him. So happy to see him. Hello Draco. Welcome to the library.

.......

Someone was coming to meet him, right?

pentacular: Looking around while he was inside, there was no one. Well, that was... a little disappointing. He sighed, unimpressed, and wandered further in to look at the books. -f-

ghoulgate: That was when the youngest Avery boy came strolling past the library doors, stopping midstride when his gaze fell upon the blonde boy inside. ``Oh.`` He looked confused for a second. ``...This...door is supposed to be closed.`` An offhanded shrug, and without so much as a "Hi, I'm Nyle" to Draco, he shut and locked the library doors.

pentacular: Draco half-turned to look back at the door, catcing a glimpose of Nyle before the guy simply closed it and locked it. His curiosity suddenly died as his face dead-panned. Draco was no locked in the library without a wand and no muggle lock-pick skills to speak of. -f-

pentacular: Once Draco recovered from the fact that he was now locked in a library by Nyle who had clearly seen him, Draco wandered over to the bookshelf he'd been eyeing and ran his finger along the spines before finding one particularly old one that seemed to discuss the mystery of Sphinx riddles. "Hmm... treasure hunting. Not unsurprising for Averys." He smiled and withdrew the book, found a chair and desk, took a seat, and began to look for important pages... to maybe hold on to. This might actually be a fruitful evening afterall. -f-