Re: The End Of Year Ball!

[Guest]

Pxyis saw the tears sparkle in Charlotte's eyes and she gripped her tighter, stroking her back soothingly. "I know, Char, I know. Humphrey ruined it, I understand. I had hoped he wouldn't annoy you this time, just leave you with Airen, who by the way is a WAY better guy for you than Humphrey. He's always stuck by you, Char," Pxyis murmured in Charlotte's ear as she held her.

She felt so bad for her friend. She wanted to take away all of the confusion and hurt that she was probably feeling right now, but she couldn't. Instead, she could just protect her from anyone who tried to hurt her now, and that was when Humphrey arrived.

"I think you've done enough, Humphrey." Pxyis said coldly, eyes hardening when she saw him. She let go of Charlotte and edged to stand between Char and Humphrey. "Honestly, just go. Talk to her later, but leave her alone right now. She needs some time without boys pestering her to love them. Go away." Pxyis said this in a tone that was not open to negotiation.

[Humphrey Williams]

"Pxyis, let me talk to her." he said with an edge of steel in his voice that even he had never heard himself use before. "I need to speak with Charlotte, don't make my force my way through you too." he threatened. He drew his wand so he could defend himself from Pxyis.

[Guest]

Pxyis eyes zoned in on his wand, and she had to hold herself back from screaming in outrage, instead looking at him with bewilderment. "Grow up, Humphrey. You can't just force your way through life, sometimes you have to wait a while for things to cool down. Let her think it over, you know, maybe she doesn't like you that much at all! Im not moving, and if you're going to hurt me to get to Char, well then im not really sure if you're going to be a good guy for her. Im trying to protect her," Pxyis defended herself, her tone in a snarl.

She moved her hand to the secret fold in her dress where she knew her wand was, ready to defend herself. "Now, go away."

[Humphrey Williams]

"I am trying to help her too, Pxyis. She seems to be under the impression that I prefer Keiba Namid, and Haley Smith to her. Which is not true, and I am trying to make her realize that I care about her more than I care about them. But she didn't take the time to read my note or let me explain it to her, and here you are trying to prevent me from comforting the girl I think I might be in love with. Now. I will ask you one last time politely. Please move, Pxyis." he begged at the end.

[Guest]

Pxyis would've moved, but Charlotte had previously seemed like she just wanted a girl to talk to, and Pxyis was tiring of him. "No, Humphrey! You boys don't get it! She's upset, and what she needs right now is girl time, and time to think. But i'll pass on your message, okay thanks for visiting, now BYE!" Pxyis waved her hand at him in a shooing motion, before completely turning her back on him and wrapping an arm around Char's shoulder.

Pxyis gently away the tears that had leaked from her best girl friends eyes. "Come on Char, we'll go talk over there," Pxyis pointed to a corner where there were a couple of chairs, but no people. Softly, she took Char's hand and led her away from Humphrey.

[Humphrey Williams]

"Pxyis! Tell her I love her for me please." he said. He decided to let Pxyis deal with Charlotte for now. He would talk to her tomorrow. First thing. He let the tears stream down his face as their footsteps' echo slowly became nonexistent. For a full minute he stood there crying. Then he walked back to the great hall. Just because Charlotte was acting like a word he preferred not to say did not mean he had to ignore his other friends. He really did love her, but one relationship compared to five or six friendships, and he would take the friendships any day. He walked to the table and said hi to the whole group. "Haley, I think I will take you up on that offer of a dance now." he offered her his hand.

[Haley Vilde Smith]

Haley sighed as Humphrey returned with bloodshot eyes. He asked for that dance, and Haley didn't have the heart to say no. Besides, Humphrey was on a good way to becoming her friend.

"All right," Haley said with a smile, taking his hand.

She put her hand on his shoulder and started moving in rythm to the music.

"Was it really that bad?" she asked him, studying his eyes.

[Corinne Girard]

Corinne did not feel superior, beautiful or like being the center of attention like she normally did at Balls or dances. She had managed to master locking up the voices, but occasionally she would feel the stinging in her body as they attempted to escape the cage she had placed them in, mentally. She put on her normal, emotionless expression as she entered the ball late. She didn't care, all she knew was that she was a different person and she just wanted to find her sister and sob into her shoulder at all the change she had suffered, and how mad she was going.

Corinne brushed her hair off of her face and saw her sister in amongst a large group. She quickly walked over to them, no longer caring for her emotionless façade. She wanted to be a normal, sweet, happy, joyful teenager and she felt that now was the time to start. She grabbed onto Salina's arm as she reached the group, and she felt self-conscious. She was not nearly as beautiful as any of these girls, and her twins dress was amazing.

"'allo," she greeted the group, knowing most of their names except for the Gryffindor who had just asked the Hufflepuff to dance. She could see the tear stains on his cheeks, and they looked fairly fresh. She smiled weakly at him as he moved away to dance.

{OOC: Corinne's dress}

[Humphrey Williams]

"Worse, Haley. Me and Pxyis practically attacked each other because she wouldn't let me talk to Charlotte. I just heard the sound of Charlotte's tears while I tried to get through to her. But she wouldn't let me through. And finally, after I couldn't convince her. I decided to let Char and Pxyis have some alone time. Have you ever been in love Haley?" he asked her. He was slowly calming down, Haley was working wonders for him. Nothing like a nice girl to talk to and slow dance with.

[Cobalt Smith]

Cobalt had only just zoned back in, after all he'd been checking up on some of the security for the ball itself. Of course he'd come back into focus to find that there was some drama at the front of the hall. A boy had made a girl cry over something, if the whispers were to be believed. Marching over, with the intent of stopping it as a teacher should, Cobalt noticed that it was Charlotte crying by the door.

This meant that Cobalt no longer thought of himself as a teacher where this was concerned. No, right now he was a father. A father who just so happened to be one of the best assassins in the world. A father, who just so happened to be one of the best assassins in the world, with a crying daughter. And there was one person who he could see was to blame,

"You!"

Crossing the distance in a few, long, strides, Cobalt lunged forward with his hand, catching the boy, Humphrey, by his neck. Tightening his grip on the boy's neck, Cobalt lifted him up off the ground, choking him slightly with just gravity alone,

"What did you do?" he hissed. His eyes were flashing dangerously now, "You made my daughter cry... give me one reason why I shouldn't TEAR OUT YOUR LUNGS?!"

Whereas others would see this as an idle threat, to Cobalt this was a promise. He had mastered magics that allowed him to become intangible after all. He could reach into Humphrey right now and remove the paste the boy tried to pass off as brains,

"30 points from Gryffindor, for intolerable behaviour including ungentlemanly conduct, bullying and verbal abuse." his eyes narrowed dangerously, "Argue with me... I DARE you..."

Cobalt threw the boy away carelessly, letting him land on his back on the cold stone some meters away. He walked over to Pxyis,

"20 points to Slytherin..." he took a deep breath to calm himself and patted her lightly on the shoulder, "For standing up for a member of your house and protecting the honour of your house... for being a good friend."

[Humphrey Williams]

"Sir, I take full responsibility for what happened. I won't even complain about the points. But, may I explain what happened please? Then when you go talk to your daughter you will have both sides of the story." he asked him politely.

[Guest]

Pxyis looked up as Cobalt began to yell at Humphrey, before he came over to her and awarded her 20 points. She realised that Cobalt was Charlotte's dad, and she smiled at him. "Thank you, sir," she said politely, arm tightening around Charlotte's shoulder.

[Cobalt Smith]

Cobalt took one look at Humphrey before growing dangerously at the boy. Taking a few more strides to the boy, Cobalt focused on his power for a few seconds before lunging at the boy again.

This time his arm disappeared into Humphrey's chest without having to peirce the skin at all. Reaching into the boy's chest, Cobalt made his arm solid again, now burried in Humphrey's chest with a hand squeezing the boy's right lung so that the boy would be having trouble breathing. He leant closer to the boy,

"What makes you think I gave you permission to speak?" he hissed dangerously, giving Humphrey's lung a light tug, "You will never talk to me again... if I had my way you'd never speak to my daughter again either. So I recommend you shut the hell up and walk away. Now."

Concentrating again, Cobalt's arm turned intangible and his removed it from Humphrey's chest, leaving the boy without a mark on him. Cobalt walked back over to Charlotte and Pyxis,

"Come along girls... I think the slytherin common room should be empty."

[Humphrey Williams]

Humphrey stood there stunned. Mr. Smith had just grabbed his lung. Without marking him. The only trace of physical abuse was a red line around his neck where Cobalt had almost choked him to death. He walked into the ball again. Stunned, and heartbroken, and in the most physical and emotional pain of his entire life.

[Guest]

Pxyis blinked at what she had just witnessed, and rather timidly followed Cobalt, not removing her arm from around Char. "You feeling better now?" She whispered to Char softly as she followed behind Cobalt. "You don't have to talk to Humphrey again. Ever. If you don't want." Pxyis added quickly, smiling weakly at Char.

"Professor. Smith, sir, would you like me to leave you with Char alone?" Pxyis asked softly, slightly intimidated by his skill to put his arm through a solid body.

[Charlotte Smith]

Charlotte zoned back into the conversation and she hugged Pyxis tightly, she just couldn't believe that Humphrey would pull his wand on her like that! That was just unbelievable and she couldn't help but shoot a glare after him.

"Pyxis! Pyxis thank you so so much, you were so brave, I can't believe he was going to attack you, I'm so so sorry about this I really am I never...I never meant for any of this to happen I really didn't, please forgive me."

Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse.
Cobalt appeared.

Opening and closing her mouth like a sort of fish Charlotte looked at what was going on and she didn't really know how to handle it, but as soon as her Daddy began to hurt Humphrey Charlotte felt her heart tug and she ran over to him.

"Daddy what are you doing?! Stop it you're hurting him! I'm fine really dad I just want to go to bed please!" she begged and was glad when he finally let go of Humphrey.

Charlotte rushed back to Pyxis and looked completely shell shocked.

"Uhm...I don't rightly known I think I'm all a bit wooo...You should go back to Parker, have a nice night, I don't want to ruin the ball for everyone now do I?" she grinned and rubbed the back of her head, trying not to show how tumultous her emotions were.

[Briony Romain]

Briony sighed and she looked at Cobalt plunge his hand into some boys chest cavity and she got up from sitting at her chair and walked over to him, giving him a look that meant, 'What the hell man?' and turning her attention to the boy, Humphrey, he had been causing quite a stir and she wasn't sure she was happy about it.

"This ball is meant to be a happy occassion, no tears, no fights, none of that, now I expect it to be that way from now on, go dance, drink things be happy and forget what just happened for now."

She didn't smile but her tone was encouraging.

"Go dance with your date, or young Miss Hayley, I'm sure all will be forgotten by morning." Briony nodded and returned to the alcohol not before tapping Cobalt on the head and saying in an off hand tone:

"Please don't put your hand through my students chest cavities again."

[Guest]

Pxyis smiled at Charlotte as she began begging for forgiveness. "Char, what are friends for? If I didn't stick up for you, i'd be a bad friend and a coward," Pxyis said to her softly.

Pxyis was concerned for Charlotte, and though she did wish to return to Parker, her loyalty told her to remain with Char. "It's fine," Pxyis said quickly. "Parker won't miss me too much, and right now you need me and i'll only leave you alone if you want me too," Pxyis told her, pulling Char into a tight hug.

[Humphrey Williams]

"Ch-Charlotte." Humphrey choked out. He was staring at her and their eyes met. Immediately all his pain and love for her boiled up in his veins. Somehow he knew that she would understand how he felt. He knew it for a fact.

[Humphrey Williams]

He heard the faint murmur of a voice above him. The headmistress was saying something, and then his hearing began to improve. Go back to your date, or young Miss Haley, I'm sure all will be forgotten by morning. His brain was sluggish, and it took a long time to process what he had just heard. Then he slowly got up, and walked back into the Great Hall. Utterly confused as to what had just happened.

[Horst Sollmann]

"Lady Sofia, would you care to dance?" he asked her.

[Humphrey Williams]

Humphrey laid his head on Haley's shoulder and cried as they danced. He couldn't see what he had done wrong, still.

[Charlotte Smith]

Charlotte smiled slightly and she was glad that Pyxis was going to stay with her a few moment's longer, the adrenaline that had swooped through her when she had to stop her father was making her woosy, and she tried not to dwell on it.

"Thanks Pyxis, I think that we need to have a meeting, maybe not today but I need to get my head sorted about this, it's crazy! I mean we're only eleven for Merlins sake things should not be this complicated...should they?"

Smiling weakly she leant against the wall and took deep breaths.

"This whole thing is crazy."

[Haley Vilde Smith]

Haley sighed when she was dancing with Humphrey again. She didn't want to answer his question that had been interrupted by professor Smith and his violent nature, but she felt like she needed to tell him.

"I was in love once, yes," she said, "When I was nine. But the feeling suffocated me, so I turned away from love. I chose the path of being by myself for my life. I don't want to attach myself to some other person. I prefer friendships. Friendships and family is everything to me, and I don't want to be in love with another person, nor do I have any intentions to."

Humphrey let out a strong sob.

"You need to relax. But just to make it clear; I am not on anybody's side here. I'm not on your side, I'm not on Airen's side. If anything, I'm on Charlotte's side, because both you guys like her, and thereby it is only her decision that remains. Just so you know," Haley said silently.

She hated love. She really didn't believe in it. She couldn't stand it. Now she found herself stuck in it, and she wasn't even the one who loved another. Haley wanted to growl loudly in frustration. She couldn't stand this!

When the song ended, Haley looked at Humphrey and brushed his tears away.

"Someday, everything will be all right, whether you are with Charlotte or some other girl. You will be happy someday," she said calmly, "And right now, I'm going to sit down."

And like so, Haley went to sit down next to Parker again, taking a sip from her glass that was still standing on the table.

[Lucia Henley]

Lucia had been absolutely shocked when Cobalt Smith had started his violent actions. Now she was enraged. She could understand why he'd be so angry at Williams and why, with his nature, he had turned to violent resorts. But Williams was a student at Hogwarts, not someone who had come to assassinate his daughter.

Lucia growled, but was much calmer now after Briony had spoken. She truly admired the headmistress for being so smart and clear. Lucia took a deep breath and then rose, walking over to Briony and her husband.

"You're amazing, Briony, did anyone, except professor Romain here, tell you that?" Lucia asked with a grin.

[Sponsored content]