Missions and Masks

Playbill: Nyle Avery, Audrey Miller, Draco Malfoy, Aleksey Gromov, Greer Blackwood, Victoria Avery

Summary:nder the guise of "Miss Fortune" While a dark plot begins to unfold involving a guest at Victoria's party (Aleksey), Nyle and Audrey set to stealing the vintage necklace they were told they needed in order to find Nyle's brother – but the plan goes awry and they ultimately have to find a way to steal it right off of Victoria's neck. Draco, meanwhile, is rescued from the library by Greer Blackwood (under the guise of "Miss Fortune"). Seth and Willow are, presumably, off somewhere raiding the buffet.

♪ W'ere off on a secret mission! ♪ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fNuxOCSZzQ

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Pumpkin Dust: Ahem! -- Anyway. Audrey had been oh-so-very pleased with herself for her little joke. She wondered if Draco would fall for it - if he'd excuse himself from the party to go wait for some enigma in the library. She wondered just how long he'd stand there, waiting like an idiot, until he realized no one was coming to meet him. It was the little things that made life worth living, for sure. Sliding a pale hand over the winding banister, she made her way up the sweeping staircase and lifted the bottom hem of her dress to avoid stepping on it. Eyeing a couple who were making out at the top of the stairs, she started down the first corridor off the landing. She really had no idea where she was going, but she was hoping to find either Nyle or Victoria's bed chambers in her wandering. "Nyle," she called his name... trying not to be *too* loud about it, in the process. Where was he? He'd left her waiting for what felt like an eternity. Draco's words were still haunting the back of her mind, and she was beginning to feel more and more like a lamb in the wolves' den.

Spells and Scales: "Hm. This is seems important," Draco muttered, sitting at a desk in the library in which he was currently locked thanks to Nyle Avery. As such, he had availed himself of the plethora of books. Something about the library screamed "treasure-hunters," and so he'd found the best books on the subject and began to rid them of those pages that seemed to make the books their most valuable and noteworthy or, more often than not, their most puzzlingly tantalizing. A lot of wizard treasure was mystery and puzzles. He was simply... taking advantage of the situation. Each book, after being extracted, appraised, and removed of its best contents, was carefully replaced until Draco had himself a nice stack of tidbits that he was able to fold up and stow away in his pinstripe jacket. After a good while, he was soon to be found lounging on one of the sofas there, a book over his face, eyes closed underneath the book, and ears listening to the dull sounds of party beyond the library door. -f-

alekseygromov: Aleksey felt incongruous with the scene around him. It was no single factor, from the tinkling of glass, the patter and passing-by of servants, to the conversation that he felt decidedly foreign to by virtue of English being a second language to him (or fourth or fifth, depending on the count) as well as their subject matter existing in a realm far past his understanding or capacity to empathize. He, Hogwarts' thirty-five-year-old Astronomy professor, was not of these people. Aleksey's dress robes held the faintest whiff of shagginess, looking older then in the near-sepulchral light of a nearby lantern. The tuxedos and elaborate dresses of his fellow party-goes were from another world entirely – literally, indeed, given that the robes had been in his possession far before he came to England – and their speech dripped of sycophantism, petty position, and, above all else, an undercurrent of favor-currying aimed at the Avery's. They came to curry favor and, perhaps to Victoria Avery's aim they were invited so that they could curry. Aleksey's way into the door, on the other hand, was more boarding-pass than invitation. So he stood there, occasionally catching the eyes of strangers, sipping at glass of champagne and cradling, with his free hand, the object in his pocket that he had been asked to bring.

ghoulgate: ``Audrey.`` Came the easy quip of a response from the Avery boy currently tailing her. ``Sorry, got pulled away for a bit. Also, you know the Malfoy kid, Draco? Caught him snooping around in the library. Locked him in. Not sure why, just seemed like a fun thing to do. This way.`` He stepped past her, leading the way down the hall confidently, like he owned the place. -d-

Pumpkin Dust: Audrey couldn't help but grin at this revelation. Nyle was, in that instant, her absolute hero. "Wow, really?" She chuckled, bustling after him as he led the way to what she assumed was his mother's chambers. "Nyle, that's... -- I think I'm falling in love with you right now."

magic: Wine flute was held aloft to present the illusion of revelry, even as it operated like a shield for the witch as she surveyed the party-goers with mild unease. It was easy to blend in, with the trappings of delicate mask to disguise one's true identity. And unless she was overly familiar with an individual, would find it near impossible to guess those in attendance. Aside from being Death Eaters. This was a bad idea. And yet there was a thrill running the length of spine that made it impossible for lips not to form a smile. There had been a dozen dresses the girls had cycled through earlier, each more breathtaking than the last. But the goal was to blend in, and not stand out. In the end, only Greer had made a purchase as she had nothing that would suit the occasion and it was too late to phone her mum. --

alekseygromov: "Ah, Aleksey, I hope you haven't been waiting long?" came the voice behind him. It was in this moment that our esteemed Astronomy professor had another failing of recognition – that is to say, he forgot the short, stocky man before him. But he took the offered hand all the same, the silver-encrusted fingers seeming to dance in the candle-light. "No, no, thank you," Aleksey offered. "It is a good champagne," he added, raising his half-drunk glass as if an offer of proof that he, indeed, had enjoyed the draught. "Perhaps you have thought about my idea—" Aleksey began before being cut off by the same ring-wrought hand. "Ah, yes, it is a wonderful idea. 'Magical artifacts deep in the ice!' I must add that it sounds like a wonderfully expensive venture, but then again, you say you have evidence that the search would be fruitful," the man explained, almost laboriously, tasting each word – and Aleksey's growing resentment – with every bite. "Yes, of course. But not — it may not be safe," Aleksey said, pointing his glass at some of the guests who strayed about, nibbling at snacks and pointing at the portraiture. "We should – is there a garden or…?" [ Sure there is! ] Nodding with approval, the man led Aleksey away from the party and toward what can only be surmised as some kind of outdoor, more private locale.

magic: as black and strapless number, with a shimmer in the right light like ripples on a lake. A thin strip of dark blue encircled slim waist, even as the skirt loosened by degrees to allow for reasonable comfort in movement. The hem was a bit short for Blackwood, as it paused a few inches above knee. There had been an accompanying train, but a certain grumpy cat had clawed it before the big event and was not wearing it as a bow for being naughty. Hair was held back by a the combined efforts of delicate combs, even as it fall in soft waves down back. There was no sign of Audrey or Seth. Greer was beginning to worry. -- She was also suspicious of the cheese that was being offered as an appetizer. It smelled awful.. [d]

ghoulgate: Nyle looked a bit taken back by that. ``Yeah. Well...`` He stumbled for the right way to react to such an odd statement, finally managing out: ``...Gross.`` Yep. Like the super mature adult he was. ``Not that you're...it's just 'cause, y'know...`` He looked around the hallway uncomfortably, as though searching for something. ``I...think this is the door down here. C'mon.`` Move along, move along, change the fucking subject. They finally came to the door at the very end of the hallway. A faint smell of amber and roses hung about the air, mother's horrid perfume. ``Okay, so, what we're looking for is in one of her drawers, I think. It's been a long time since I've been in here, but I remember it.`` -d-

Pumpkin Dust: Audrey couldn't help but grin to herself at his reaction. They came upon the door, finally, and she lifted her eyebrows. "Don't you know your way around your own house?" She was whispering, now. They couldn't risk being discovered. Audrey almost choked on the smell of the perfume. "Your mother smells like a funeral." Probably a more-accurate comment than she'd even intended. Audrey let him open the door. It was, after all, his mother's bedroom. He'd probably somehow seem like less of an intruder than she was. "If we get caught, we can just pretend we were coming in here to--" She cut herself off. "No. Know what? Nevermind. We'll just turn ourselves in." The bed chambers were dark, very dark - and very spacious. The bed was a dark wood, with four carved posters and elegant trappings. A plush, velvet lounge resided near the window. The furniture looked very expensive, of course.

Spells And Scales: Draco suddenly grabbed the book off of his face and flung it over the back of the couch where it ended up sailing out the sole window and landing on the grass below. He sat himself up, walked back over to the desk, and rummaged around for a pin or clip or something slender. Finding a letter opener that seemed slim enough, he walked over to the library door and began to jam the letter opener into the old keyhole to possibly jimmy something inside the mechanism to allow him exit. He kept one hand on the doorknob to feel if it would open as he fiddled around with it. -f-

alekseygromov: Madame Avery's above did indeed feature, owing largely to the accommodations of the free-wheeling narrative at hand, a garden offering a degree of privacy to those denizens that wandered deep enough into it. It was here that Aleksey faced the stout man before him, pulling an object wrapped in dark cloth from some pocket deep within his dress robes. After pulling back the layers he revealed a dark stone, cut loosely into the shape of a five-pointed star, with small holes dug at the end of each arm. One might be excused for thinking he held a star-fish made entirely out of obsidian. "So this is…?" "It is a communication-stone. I estimate that it has an age of approximately 5,000 years." "So…what do you do with it?" "Ah, yes. Well, according to my research, someone using this could communicate with anyone in their plane of existence, provided they were touching it at the time they wished to speak.

ghoulgate: If Audrey thought she would be considered less of an intruder than Nyle in his own mother's bedchambers, she was sorely mistaken. ``Of course I do!`` Nyle shot back in an agitated whisper. ``This is just a stressful situation, okay?`` Also, to be fair, it had been a week. What with Elda and Batwing Curry and all. Nyle cracked the door open slowly, the light from the hallway cutting into the darkness. A thief in his own home, the youngest Avery quietly crept inside, taking in the room for only a moment before moving to the ornate dresser and placing his hand on a drawer, only to draw it away a split-second later. ``...What if it's her...you know...-things.-`` Nyle made a face. Not that this was the time or place for such concerns, but still. -d-

alekseygromov: I believe this is just one and that there are five in total." "So…you don't have another? How do you know you can communicate with them?" "I—well, er, you see, the stories are quite reliable, and there are accounts of its use as late as the 1800s, so—" "So you want me to fund an expedition based on stories, is that correct?" "No, these are reliable…this is just one of five stones, you see, and there are others that I believe can be found. There was a whole culture making these, long before wands and—" "Why would I commit even a fraction of my fortune to chasing pebbles that might not even exist? I was told you had something worthwhile. Was I misinformed?" Aleksey, for a moment, lost his verbal footing. He stared at the man, thinking of the red, heart-shaped stone buried deep in a trunk back in his quarters at Hogwarts, and said nothing. "No. This…this is all I have." "Then this conversation is all I can offer you. I must admit I am gravely disappointed to have had my time wasted, particularly by a Hogwarts professor." And with that the man stout man turned and made his way past the flowers and garden ornaments and, finally, out of sight. Aleksey watched him go, an anger twisting into a hot, iron shape inside of him. He tossed the champagne glass to the ground, its shards scattering in the darkness, before stepping heavily back toward the Avery house. -d-

magic: It would just so happen, when a glance was given out the window to see if there was anything of interest that she may be missing. A book fell from the sky. Easing forward for a closer look through the glass, the position in which it fell and then a dart upwards would affirm that it had been dropped from above. But why? Setting the wine aside, the window was inched open.. and with the aid of a 1st year's spell, it was levitated into her grasp. The subject didn't appear to be anything of great importance. However, that didn't mean it should be tossed outside either. --

Pumpkin Dust: Audrey rolled her eyes. "Come on. Let's just get this over w--" she was cut off, sharply, by the sound of footfalls approaching from outside the door. She had gripped Nyle's face, on instinct, covering his mouth with her hands as though to shut him up - even though he hadn't even been the one who was talking. When she saw a shadow appear under the crack of the door, Audrey made a mad dash for the bed, scrambling underneath it (and losing a shoe in the process, unfortunately). She made room for Nyle, just in case he'd chosen to barrel for the same hiding place. She could see her shoe on the floor nearby.. and stretched out to try and snag it with her bare foot (and draw it under the bed with her).

magic: Several minutes later, after looping around the room towards the exit from the ballroom into the hall and finding her way upstairs without drawing attention.. Greer would count the windows while calling upon memory for direction to best determine where it had hailed from. A door would bar her path of course, and the knob appeared to jerk beneath fingertips when touching it.. as if someone was attempting to open it from the other side. "Hello?" volume dropping as she leaned closer to press an ear to the frame, "Is someone there?" [d]

ghoulgate: Suddenly Nyle was being pulled under his mother's bed, which is exactly where, as a child, he had always had the impression that all the monsters in the world must have lived. Also, the Miller girl's hand had practically slapped over his face, effectively stifling him and nearly injuring him all at once. He did, however, understand the intent of the action, and remained silent beneath the bed as he watched the door in the darkness intently. -d-

Spells And Scales: At the sound of a voice calling from the other side, Draco froze. He withdrew the letter opener from the keyhole and also proceeded to press his ear to the door, fingers splaying on the heavy wood. He considered himself. Face screwed up at the idea of being... rescued, but he realized a whole evening in this room might be very fruitless, considering the sort of bodies at the party. He might be able to find someone he could make inquiry to about.. well... an important matter. He drew back and cleared his throat before speaking. "Yes, hello. I'm locked in." Ugh. -f-

alekseygromov: As he slid back into the social bubble of the party, Aleksey felt a particular form of dejection. How often had this conversation slalomed into the same, ineffectual conclusion? There was to be no money backing his adventures, if tonight was to be an indication. The idea that he was acquiring a reputation as a quack – at least in the eyes of the Wizarding world's lenders – felt like a non-negligible one, at least. There would be no money, and he couldn't ask Hogwarts for some kind of advance – who gives grants to star-gazers? The taste of failure hung in his mouth, unpurgable even amidst this feast offered forth by Madame Avery, and the anger he couldn't shake gripped his insides like copper bars. How did it come to this, he thought, leaning against the wall once more. -d-

Pumpkin Dust: Victoria pressed into her bedroom. "It's in the drawer over here," she said, pressing into the dark room with someone at her heels. She failed to notice the bare foot peaking out from under the bed, clambering at the shoe that it couldn't seem to latch on to. Victoria went over to her dressing table, drawing open the top-most drawer and pulling from its depths a lovely heirloom: a glittering emerald set in an antique gold pendant. "My great-grandmother's emerald. I can't believe I forgot to put it on before the party. To think my neck's been practically naked all night." Luckily for Nyle and Audrey, Victoria and her friend didn't linger. They continued to chatter on their way back out into the party, once Victoria had managed to successfully fasten the necklace around her neck. -- Audrey heard the door lock. Victoria must have realized she'd forgotten to lock it, earlier. Audrey glanced over at Nyle in the darkness.. "What.. just happened?"

magic: There was a heartbeat or three of uncertainty. Time enough that Greer fancied for a moment that her imagination had gotten the better of her, as she longed to play a larger role in Audrey's liberation of Victoria's possession (whatever the item may be). And was about to withdraw and leave the book laying on a table, when the admittance came with muted tenor. Locked in? Odd. Was the door charmed? "Give me a moment," indicating that she would assist, but not quite sure how. Retreating backwards a step, wand was removed as she began to search for the enchantment. It would be terribly embarrassing to discover that it was just a matter of an actual lock, which was undone by Alohomora!Doorknob was then free to twist, and reveal the pale haired man beyond. "Oh," a single note of surprise, which could have been uttered for a number of reasons. [d]

ghoulgate: ``Uh. Well.`` Nyle began, attempting to walk her through their current predicament. ``My mother just came in, took the necklace we were looking for, put it on, left, and locked us in her room.`` He furrowed his brows, searching for the perfect way to summarize the situation. ``Sooo...yeah. We're kind of screwed.`` That may have been an understatement, really. Nyle crawled out from under the bed, pulling himself up to his feet. He moved quickly to the door, giving the knob a few token attempts. ``Yeah. That is...definitely locked. Huh.`` Hands went to rest on his hips as he began to scan the darkness, for what he did not know. A clue, perhaps.

Pumpkin Dust: Audrey sighed, sliding out from under the bed and taking a few moments to get her shoe back on her foot. "Good thing we're magic folk," she stated, retrieving her wand from a concealed pocket in her dress. She gave the door-knob a tap of the wand and the door unlatched itself. She restored her wand and turned to fix Nyle with a pointed look. "We have to get that necklace." Boldly, she pulled the door open and marched out of the bedroom after Nyle's horrifying mother.

ghoulgate: Nyle motioned hopelessly at the door. ``Well, yeah, if you want to do it the -easy- way, sure.`` Smooth. ``Wait, what? Hold on. Audrey. She's -wearing- it. I don't think--`` It was too late, the girl had already gone marching out after his mother on a suicide mission. Nyle stood in the doorway, looking torn on his next move. On the one hand, he didn't -really- want to find Ben anyway, and so far this little adventure of theirs had led to very little positive in his ledger. First he'd been physically abused by an insane old woman, then he'd been verbally abused by Elda, now he was cruising for a bit of both courtesy of his own mother. On the other hand, he had some gnawing, awful feeling in the pit of his stomach which was telling him that he -had- to help Miller. A vague sense of responsibility. You know -- Hufflepuffiness. -- He relented, shoulders falling in defeat as he muttered ``Damn it.`` and went to follow after Audrey at a trot. -d-

Spells and Scales: At being told to wait, Draco Malfoy drew back from the door one and a half steps, buttoning up his jacket nimbly, smoothing back his blonde hair from his face, and looking more or less presentable in just a few moments. Looking tip-top, his expression was not one of someone being anxious or inconvenienced. He simply looked... politely interested at the situation. When the door swung open, left hand was laid flat against the front of his jacket, other hand rested at his side. His head was tilted slightly, and though the response of 'Oh' seemed to indicate that the woman on the other side of the now open door knew who he was, he found he had no idea who she was. The mask, really. The one thing Draco and his family decided to forego for this party. They were pretty much unable to hide in any form anyway, unless it was an Invisibility Cloak. "Ah, yes. Thank you very much." He stepped out into the hallway, basically stepping up right in front of the woman, deciding it was better to be directly before her instead of potentially re-trapped in the library. "The literature in there is relatively dull. Your assistance is appreciated, Miss...?" -f-

alekseygromov: Perhaps this is for the best, Aleksey thought. It's true that the quest for these things had gnawed at the time he had for more immediately professional pursuits, namely the grading of star maps, essays and the like. Several of his students were struggling and his responses amounted to polite variations of 'have tried looking up?' Aleksey believed some of his students eyed his imperfect English with suspicion, and while he thought himself an accomplished teacher of Astronomy, his sensibility as that of an outsider was a difficult one to ignore. But it was in these moments of despair he fell again to the still-yet-fading memories of her, and idea that – perhaps – these wolf-skin scrolls with their barely-perceptible language could form a kind of star map of their own to…a door? A key? Or perhaps a lock. As the champagne gnawed ever more at his senses, he stood thinking of whether he should step forward or back, the end result being that he didn't move at all. -d-

Pumpkin Dust: Vaguely aware that he was bringing up the rear, Audrey went charging down the sweeping staircase, watching Victoria disappear into the ballroom. She followed, in pursuit. A pale hand swiped another flute of champagne from a server's tray in passing and ducked around a pair of party-goers lingering around the ballroom's entrance. The band was playing something lively. Audrey stopped, watching Victoria step onto the dance floor with some dark-haired man in a plum-colored mask. The russet-haired girl downed the champagne in one go, setting the empty flute aside, and moving to grip Nyle by the wrist. "Come on," she urged, tugging him toward the dance floor. It wasn't a good plan, but it was the only one she had. They were going to try and swipe it right off the woman's neck. I mean.... it was easy to lose a piece of jewelry while you were dancing, right? This was suicide.

ghoulgate: Suicide? No. Not at all. This could work. Nyle knew this because he'd seen it work in the Super Mario Brothers movie. And who were they to fly in the face of such a masterwork in cunning plans? ``This is a bad idea.`` Nyle stated simply, following along reluctantly. ``A -really- bad idea. I'm not sure you fully understand just -how- bad an idea this is, but...`` Well, it didn't matter. If this was what they were doing, this was what they were doing. ``Okay. Follow my lead.`` Time to put all those years of ballroom dancing mother had insisted on to work. Nyle had always been sub-par at it, mind you, but it was better than nothing. With that inspiring note in mind, instilling untold confidence, Nyle suddenly grabbed Audrey close, taking to the dance floor like a seasoned semi-pro. -d-

magic: The "Oh" was more or less out of surprise, not expecting Malfoy to be stuck in a library. Why hadn't he just used the unlocking spell? Eyebrow arched with silent inquiry, even as he slide forward with a nauseating grace that seemed perfect for the dance floor. Good thing, Greer was not here to dance. Or eat, apparently. Or drink, if she was smart. Luckily for all parties involved, it was not a full moon.. Blackwood resisted the urge to retreat as he moved forward, remaining resolute despite the small thread of panic beneath the surface. What if Audrey had locked him in here? What if it had been someone else? Merlin's beard.. "You're most welcome," the reply was natural, even as he left a question lingering between them. "Fortune," eyes a stunning shade of blue when accompanied by the shimmering black mask. Miss Fortune. It was obviously a fake name to continue with hiding one's identity, but at least an amusing one. Not in the absurd manner of Seth, but not everyone could be as comical or classy as the badger. A shift of weight would draw Greer to one side, permitting Draco plenty of room to pass by even as the book that he had tossed out the window thumped lightly against her thigh. [d]

Pumpkin Dust: Audrey was nearly startled by the ease with which he grabbed her up and swept her onto the dance-floor. She almost forgot, for a moment, what it was they were meant to be doing. She couldn't help but laugh, surprised. "Wow. You're actually pretty good at this." Right. Back to the task at hand. She found Victoria again with her gaze, and started to find that the dark-eyed blonde was already staring directly at her. Were those daggers in her eyes? She didn't seem to appear.. pleased... about her son's choice in dance partner. "Don't look now," she muttered, close to Nyle's ear so as to avoid being overheard. "But she seems to have spotted us."

alekseygromov: No, Aleksey thought, watching the dancers on the floor rotate in a grand motion as if around some unseen star at the ballroom's center. A younger couple passed, leaving both a small splash of wine on his shoulder and a flurry of slurred but genuine apologies. Aleksey continued brooding, almost missing the incident entirely but accepting their apology with a silent smile. Surely there is another way, he told himself through what had become an unexpected third glass of champagne. A bag of gold – whether 'obtained' from some two-bit Death Eater family or outright borrowed from Gringott's – could only buy time. For a wild moment he thought to return to Hogsmeade and dig through the frenzied contents of his store-room, but the night had gotten cold and he, confined to the slow-burning wick of the sub-plot, had gotten drunk. -d-

ghoulgate: Nyle seemed genuinely chuffed with her compliment, almost to the point where even he forgot just how incredibly bad this whole plan was. ``Really? Thank you! That is so nice of you to say.`` Of course, his attention was quickly returned to the unfortunate situation at hand. ``Of course she has. Just keep dancing. We've gotta get closer.`` He murmured into his partner's ear, attempting to gauge his mother's distance through periphery vision alone, committed to not meeting those familiar daggers eye-to-eye. -d-

Spells and Scales: Lips twitched at the proffered name from this masked woman. "Well, if Fortune be a woman, she's a good wench for this gear," he intoned as she stepped aside, allowing his gaze to stray from her to the room. There was Nyle on the dance floor, a bit too obvious with Maude swinging about in his arms. Hands slid into pant pockets as his gaze lingered before he finally nodded politely to the woman at the door. "Thank you, again. I'll leave you to enjoy the party." And he stepped away from 'Fortune' to make an appearance for his parents, deciding it was probably a good idea to let them know he was still there. -f-

Pumpkin Dust: Audrey tightened her grip on his shoulder. There was something indescribably cool about Nyle's demeanor, it seemed, and she didn't want to let on to just how impressed she actually was with him just then. It'd make teasing him later that much harder. She couldn't help but glance back over at that large portrait hanging on the wall. Benedict was looking right at her, it almost seemed. But.. of course... the Benedict in the portrait didn't know her. Right? Audrey resisted the urge to glance back over at Victoria. She allowed herself to try and enjoy simply dancing with Nyle for a moment, while she tried to grasp at some semblance of a plan. "I could set her dress on fire?" Was that too much? "I mean... I'm sure she'll put it out right away..."

ghoulgate: ``I like it. A lot, actually. Maybe a bit -too- much, though.`` A pause. ``Still. Tempting.``

Pumpkin Dust: "I could set her hair on fire, instead." -g-

ghoulgate: ``No. No, getting colder. We need -more- subtle.``

alekseygromov: But just as Audrey and Nyle's predicament could continue to broil, fate reached out with a banana peel. Aleksey, having found himself a fourth glass of champagne and, unpredictably, a shot of what may have constituted whiskey proffered by a most red-faced and likely incomprehensible man, decided that perhaps he had had enough. Yet as is often the case for the booze-blind, he stepped forward into what was a rather poor servant carrying a stack of glasses-upon-trays-upon-glasses-upon trays extended up several feet above the initial platform. Sadly, in that moment, no amount of emergency magic could prevent the cascade of metal and shattering glass that suddenly roared with earnest toward and then out from Victoria Avery's ballroom floor. And, for our poor 'hero', Aleksey was caught right in the middle of this maelstrom. -d-

Spells and Scales: At the sound of complete cacophony, many hands went up to ears, some women shrieked - even some men. Draco Malfoy, mid-stride, hopped in shock in the opposite direction of the crash and nearly toppled into a drunk man that would often try to claim to be closely related to his family when he was extremely hammered. The drunk man hardly acknowledged the crash, instead, seizing upon the Malfoy of signature blonde hair, and exclaiming happily over Draco's appearance at the party. Oh, god. It was like being suddenly stuck with an overly affectionate great aunt. -f-

Pumpkin Dust: "Right. I could hit her in the neck with a sk--" the sound of cascading broken glass stopped her in her tracks. Several of the couples dancing halted mid-step, the band continuing to perform (but with some obvious reluctance while the lead singer and fellow band-members tried to discern what was happening) -- and, most importantly, Victoria Avery was suddenly thoroughly distracted. Audrey broke away from Nyle suddenly, slipping into the crowd nearest the distracted hostess... who was avid-eyed in watching the servants tend to the mess. She whispered something to another servant, who responded with a nod and quickly proceeded to order some of the others about. It wasn't long at all before the glass was being magicked up off the floor, mess vanishing with a few deft waves of the right wands. And Audrey? Well, she was returning to Nyle's side in no time - a cunning little smile planted firmly upon blush lips. "Never a dull moment," she muttered, pressing her hand into Nyle's.... and a large emerald (attached to a gold chain) into his palm.

alekseygromov: And as for Aleksey? Hands unrecognized soon whisked the bedrunked Astronomy professor away from the ballroom floor – which had once again resumed its orbits, albeit with more dark eyes cast in his direction – and into a series of dark hallways. The booze had sufficiently numbed his senses that, in the moment, it seemed that his quiet desire to leave the party was being acted upon by the world itself. But that iota of optimism soon gave way to a flurry of blows, hard knuckles and fists, against his stomach. Words were exchanged, somewhere along the lines of 'who are you to come and embarrass the lady of the household', but rather than finding words to express his sincere regret, Aleksey mainly found cause to groan and shudder as the punches continued. Then all at once it was very cold, and the air around him filled with snow, it slowly became apparent that he was alone, outside. Aleksey stood, watching blood drip from his face and melt small holes in the white. Closing his eyes he blearily thought of the contours of Hogwarts castle, imagining the light pouring in through the glass-pane window at this hour, the room silent save for the wheeze of his elderly cat Katya. At last, it was enough, and he disappeared. -d-

ghoulgate: Nyle had, in an instant, rather forgotten the mission, every bit as distracted as the rest of the crowd by the sudden commotion which had erupted. Nyle stood up on his tip-toes, attempting to scout out the situation, only to be rejoined by Audrey moments later, and have the emerald treasure thrust into his palm. He looked down briefly, before raising his eyes to meet his partner's. ``Wow. You're good. You do that often? Should I keep a hand on my wallet?`` Nyle wasn't sure what had happened to the gentlemen who had caused their decidedly fortunate distraction, but if his mother's track record was any indication, he'd have the boots put to him -- medium style. -d-

Pumpkin Dust: If Ms. Miller was looking particularly proud of herself, that was because she absolutely *was* proud of herself. She beamed over at him, just as the band began to ease into a slow-jazz rendition of 'Creep'. Her smile only wisened at the development. "This one's for you, clearly," she taunted. "Maybe one more dance before we make a run for it?" Audrey waggled her eyebrows at him, playfully.

ghoulgate: Nyle gave a light laugh, looking from the band to Audrey. ``Sure. One more.`` He pulled her close, moving along to the song. He was distracted for a split second by the sound of some wild commotion over by the buffet, but decided to pay it no mind, enjoying the slow dance with a girl who, as a reminder, he had a "wicked crush" on in school. -d-