The night had gone spectacularly well, with only a couple of hiccoughs - a couple of adults made fools of themselves by drinking far too much. In fact, the adults had by far been more immature than the kids. But apart from that, everything had gone pretty smoothly.

That 'party' was over now though, and it was time for the masquerade ball to start. The decor was staying the same. The only thing that had changed was the cleanliness of the place. The staff went for a quick run around and cleaned while Finn accompanied his guests to the fireworks display, being the good host.

He rushed back ahead of the ambling crowds of adults, to check that everything was in order for the ball. All of his staff were clad in black cloaks over their white shirts and tails, and black masks over their eyes. Even Finn had a mask. He wanted to blend in tonight. He sat in the corner of the room with a tumbler of whisky in his hand, waiting for the events of the night to unfold.

Nate Briggs, dressed in some hasty ball regalia, was one of the first to show for the night.  He was wearing a long-nosed, Mercutio-style mask, but he had it pulled up over his head making him resemble a strange sort of unicorn.  He wore a nicer one of his wizards' robes, with a high collar and a slew of amazing silver buttons all down the front.  The were unbottoned and his robes whipped behind him as he trotted up the stairs.

Once in the club he looked for Finn.  There he was, the bastard! He was dressed like the staff, but no one could confuse the languid, privileged lounging of a Grosvenor among the hurried, precise movements of his well-groomed staff.

Nate strode over to the half-round boot and presented himself with a grand sweep of his arms.  He pulled down his mask over his eyes and grinned like a Cheshire.

"Finn. You're glad to see me. I can tell."

The younger, richer Finn made an excellent mate for the slightly older, and a great deal poorer, Nathan F. Briggs.  But despite their difference in status, they seemed to get on very well, both of them with a little more to do with the shadier end of business than not.

Outfit

Moira was supposed to meet some acquaintances from work at the adult portion of the party and she quickly wondered how exactly she would find them inside at a masquerade party.  She had decided to wear something other then her usual Ravenclaw blue, and also had styled her hair into a complex up-do with a few strands hanging lose around her face so most of her neck was obscured from view.  She had also applied a bit of make-up over the scar under her right ear to ensure it remained unseen.

Ordering a glass of firewhiskey, she moved to an empty table, seating herself to wait.  Before she sat, she adjusted the back of her dress so it would not wrinkle.  She had gotten at Madam Malkin’s once she was finally led to the spot where her favorite store was located.  She tried it on as a whim, convinced she would never have anywhere to actually wear it to.  Now she was certainly glad the sales lady had convinced her to purchase the dress.

That grin! Only one man could be the owner of that grin, and even the long beaked mask over the man's eyes couldn't hide his identity from Finn - not with a face like that!

"Finn. You're glad to see me. I can tell."

Finnley cocked an eyebrow [although it couldn't be seen through his gold mask] and motioned for one of the waiters to come over. "You have an extremely high opinion of yourself, Nate." He sighed. "Some things just never change, do they? Drink?" he asked, not even letting his friend reply before taking a matching tumbler of the same amber liquid from the waiter's tray.

"I have to say, you scrub up quite well don't you? I haven't seen you this dressed up since...well, since you tried to carouze yourself as a bachelor, and tried to get that young girl to go back to your place with you." Finn tutted. "Poor thing never did come back...you have a habit of turning away all of my better looking customers. You should be ashamed of yourself." He swilled the whisky around in his tumbler and took as sip, just as a woman entered the bar, looking a little unsure of herself. He watched as she tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

Finn jerked his head in her direction, letting the waiter who was hovering around like a bad smell know that he had another customer to deal with. "He's a bit of a slime ball." Finn said to Nate in a hushed tone. "Always lingering around me like he expects to be my other half in the business." Finn watched him make his way over to the woman, and shook his head. "But he's been here since I started the business, so I can't very well get rid of him."

Nate put his mask up on his head again, not really keen on wearing it.  It was a masquerade ball, though.  And as good a friend as Finn was, he wasn't above turning Nate away if he wasn't dressed properly.  This was the only problem with Signature - Finn's frilly attitude about clothing.

He grinned at the the accusations of arrogance.  Nate was completely guilty.  He remembered fondly how that scrappy little number had got so flustered when Nate offered to show her where he like to keep his moving tattoo she left without finishing her drink.  Nathan had later surmised she might have not been a fan of weasels (the subject of his inky marking, who happened to be currently resting in the warmth and fuzziness of Nate's armpit).

He wasn't quite ready to sit as languidly as Finn was, so Nate kept his feet, looking around the bar.

"I've got a bloke I want you to meet.  For real and truthful, the man is a fishmonger.  A fishmonger, mate," Nate shook his head, happy of his acquaintance.  Cadeus was a good lad.  "A good lad," he said aloud, "A bit crazy - wants to be an Auror - but a good lad just the same."

Cadeous walked into the bar nearly ten minutes after Nate arrived.  He was reading a book when his friend called, asking him if he wanted to go.  He hadn't really wanted to, though upon hearing that it was an adults-only party, he changed his mind.  There would be no dealing with underage children, so he figured that it should be - at the least - a tolerable experience.

He was dressed in a crisp, black dress suit, and was wearing a gray-colored masquerade mask.  He had slipped it on before walking into the room, immediately feeling displaced.  He did'nt know any of these people - and no, it wasn't the fact that nearly everybody was wearing a mask -, but these were Nate's friends.  He looked around for him, though quickly figured out that trying to find him would be impossible.  He glanced towards the bar, and, to his surprise, there sat Nate.  He was unmasked, and was conversing with a man wearing a gold-colored mask.  He made his way over to him, having to walk around a couple currenty lip-locked, and approached the bar.

"Hey, mate," he greeted him, pulling his mask off.  "Good thing you're not wearing your mask; I never would have found you otherwise!"

"Cad!" Nate exclaimed turning on his heel to green the fishmonger.  Cadeus was more well built than Nate, who liked to consider the Future-Auror something an informal body guard. 

"Cad,  just talking about you.  This is Finn Grosvenor right here - heir to the rich brat fortune.  Club Signature is his own little sandbox," Briggs said in introduction, clapping Cadeus Morgan on the shoulder. 

At this point, Nate seemed to consider the little company well fill-out and sank into the booth.  But he didn't lean in deeply like Finn, he was on the edge of his seat, elbows up on the table.  He fiddled with the feather and pixie centerpiece.  He'd gotten the whole week off from the apothecary - no one was shopping any how. All of creation was in this little Scott village.  His wife would be the only one crazy enough to be brewing something during Remembering Day - why work when you didn't have to? No, Nate was full of energy,  having slept through most of the day.

Not a man to politely avoid politics, Nate dove in.  "Cadeous here," he told Finn, "is daftly considering joining up in the Auror Corps.  Some sort of sense of duty that's full of nonsense.  Tell him something sensical, won't you Finnley? The man is beyond logic."

FINALLY, the end of the holiday!  Yes, it had been fun; yes, it had been FAR too eventful; and yes, it was great to see her family, but this was like a long vacation.  Towards the end you cannot wait to go back home and get to work.  She loved her nieces and nephews and the rest of the family… but Merlin on high it was tiring, and what happened on the wee hours of the 2nd of May did not help.

This event was a great way to close things.  A little bit of dancing, and a whole lot of drinking.  The last time she had been here was the first time she had been here, and what an event that had been, too.  Her escort had been stolen, she had way more to drink than she intended, and didn’t step a foot on the dance floor.  She ended up being shown home by the last man she had thought would: the Minister of Magic.  At least once she got home the night was much happier.

Thankfully this time she was here in a mask.  Tonight she could play a part, pretend to be whatever she wanted.  Covi had transfigured her top lip to be a bit fuller, the freckles away from her face, and her hair to a dark reddish auburn which went nicely with her outfit.  The only makeup she had to wear was a touch of red lipstick and sparkles patted on top.  Once again everything was courtesy of her sister Callie who, along with her husband and Covi’s brother, was here with the young woman tonight.

A shrug made of the soft and dense undercoat of her brown and cinnamon Bugbear (woven from the summer shavings by the great Madam Malkin… what? You thought she’d wear a real fur?) was draped over her shoulders and tied to the front with a similarly colored ribbon tied to the front.  Last time she had been there it was a touch chilly by the bar.  Calíope was surprised and overjoyed when not only had Covadonga suggested and picked the shrug, but the shoes as well.  When her sister-in-law went out to change into the finalized ensemble Callie clung to Billy and all teary-eyed exclaimed, “My little girl… all grown up and dressing herself!”

So there they were, walking slowly to the bar and placing their orders.  Callie had planned that as soon as they finished their first round she and Billy would leave Covi alone to prance about with her friends with the command to flirt and dance and have fun knowing she was safe behind the mask.




Ze outfit.

Simon loved a good masquerade. Half the time when he was out on the town he made an attempt to be someone else. What better way to do that than to wear a mask and pretend to be someone else for a night? His suit was pin striped and he had on a a black checkered tie with a dark green shirt under it. The get up was something that was meant to be out there and also to compliment his checkered mask.

Having skipped much of the week, other than to do some petty criminal activities Simon was pleased to find himself at Signature. It was a hot spot which was quickly working it's way into his favorite place to troll about.

Coming in past the time of the school aged kiddies, he made room in his hectic schedule of nothing for some adult face time. For what he could hope there would be people there he wanted to see.

Sauntering through the crowd, Simon made his way towards a person giving out drinks. "Don't mind if I do," he said taking two and grinning. One was in the form of a shot and it looked to be considerably darker and hopefully more potent. The other however was a club standard, a beer in bottle form. Downing the shot he felt his eyes widen and he put it down to make it through the crowd still licking the roof of his mouth. Maybe it was stronger than he thought. Eyes watering he bumped into someone, "Whoops" he said giving them a bow, "A thousand pardons..."

Finn lounged back in his chair as a gentleman he had never met before made his way over to himself and Nate. The pair greeted eachother, and Finn eyed the third gentleman as he commented on the fact that Nate wasn't wearing a mask.

"Ah yes," Finn turned on Nate. "Why aren't you wearing a mask? Didn't you read the invitations?" He pulled a battered invitation from the pocket of his robe and held it at arms length. "MAS-QUER-ADE!" He emphasised the large word written in squiggly writing. "I have half a mind to have you thrown out for your blatant disregard for the rules!" He grinned.

"This is Finn Grosvenor right here - heir to the rich brat fortune." [Finn couldn't help but 'harumph' at this.] " Club Signature is his own little sandbox,"

Finn rolled his eyes. "Rich brat fortune indeed! I'll have you know I've worked hard for my money!" He took a sip from his tumbler. "And I prefer the term 'beach' to 'sandbox'." Finn turned to Cadeous. "Pleased to meet you, Cadeous." he held a hand out. "I wouldn't get too involved with nate - he's a bad influence. If it wasn't for him, I would have been in the law business by now. As it is, his love of alcohol made me open a bar." he paused and looked around as though admiring the place. "Not that I've done too bad for myself. It's allowing me to save a little money for Ava, once she turns twenty-one. Goodness knows what she'll get from our parents..." His brows furrowed. "If it wasn't for the fact that my mother was in labour with her for twenty-seven hours, they wouldn't even know she existed." He added glumly.

"Cadeous here, is daftly considering joining up in the Auror Corps.  Some sort of sense of duty that's full of nonsense.  Tell him something sensical, won't you Finnley? The man is beyond logic."

Finn laughed, his spirits immediately uplifted. "See what I mean?" He said to Cadeous. "Bad influence!" he turned back to Nate and shook his head. "Honestly, who am I to change the course of destiny? If Cadeous here has his heart set on and auror-ship, then so be it. Good luck to you." Finn raised his glass to Cadeous.

The club was filling up nicely. Finn noticed a young woman walk in with another woman and a gentleman. She who caught his eye had brown hair with the slightest tinge of red, casting a modest but very feminine glow about her head. By the looks of things, she herself wasn't with the gentleman, and Finn found his concentration towards his friend and acquaintance waning as he watched the woman place an order for a drink at the bar. Her dress was delightful, and the mask only served as an encouragement for Finn to make himself acquainted with her.


[remember, this is an all expenses paid party - all food and drinks are free!!]

Dress


Claudia entered the bar, brushing a wisp of hair way from her eyes.  Her silver mask was already in place, and she gave a slight smile to a man at the door as he held it open for her.  Of course she could also feel his eyes watching her back side as she sauntered away.  She headed to the bar, taking a seat and ordering a glass of wine before looking around.

This was her night to relax…the holiday was over and things would almost be back to normal at work.  Of course normal for her meant the same basic hours she had been keeping leading up to Remembering Day.  However, she would be able to concentrate on other matters concerning the Minister instead of being on top of every last holiday detail.  Taking a sip of her wine she felt the tension ease as she slowly got into the spirit of the party.

She turned on the stool slightly, taking in those around her.  There was a small group of men talking, and she thought she recognized one as Cadeous, but she couldn’t be sure.  Deciding it best to wait, she took another sip of wine, observing the rest of the room for a moment more.

Outfit

Typically, the words 'party' and 'Marietta' were never used in the same sentence, unless the said 'never' laid directly between the two.  Yet in an attempt to restore public goodwill towards the Department of Mysteries, Marietta found herself persuaded to join the festivities.  Analiza spoke highly of the club, and the tiny aspect of her mind that had slowly learned to not trust everything a person may say, wondered if perhaps it was merely an excuse for a slice of the budget to be requisitioned for dress-purchases. Marietta felt her own attire was quite a scene-stealer, absentmindedly swishing the full, over-fluffed skirts that once belonged to her great-grandmother.  If nothing else, it had already called several people's attention, as they attempted to circumnavigate the sea of gray in search of liquor. 

The array of masks made it difficult to spot acquaintances, leaving Marietta torn between attempting to find a friend and set up camp by their side  or channeling her inner Lola VaVoom and making some large dramatic scene over a rogue privateer attempting to pillage her booty.  For either scene, however, Marietta's parched throat required liquid relief.  A pretty pink liquid caught her eye, and Marietta gleefully relieved the sculptured server of its weight.  The color spread to her pale cheeks as Marietta sipped upon the beverage, enjoying its delightfully fruity taste.    Her eyes searched the crowd over the rim of her glass, landing upon a brown stole that triggered pleasant memories.  As she further analyzed the young woman's form, Marietta confirmed it was undoubtedly Miss Gertrudis. 

Unfortunately before she could interrupt Covadonga's social niceties, a ship came afoul of Marietta' rolling waves of silk.  A thousand pardons were begged of her, and Marietta felt quite queenly from the elaborate bow.  "And a thousand pardons you shall have, good sir," Marietta replied, extending a somewhat shaky curtsy in return.  If she had realized how close she had come to bowling over the server to her rear, Marietta would have been quite embarrassed.  Yet in her ignorance, she blissfully continued, the server and the situation rescued by his equally sculptured reflexes. 

Tickled by the idea of queenliness, and finding it possibly useful for her future at Lucien's side, Marietta continued to trap the unsuspecting gentleman into her little game.  Whether the quickly disappearing pink liquor had much to do with the situation or not was becoming less of a mystery.  "You may address me as Titania, milord.  Now I have a question for you."  She paused, considering the suddenly refilled glass in her hand.  "If you were to find yourself in a nunnery with no windows or doors, would you believe I existed?" 

It was a question that had been tickling the back of her mind for quite a while, and the rest of her compatriots on Level 9 had been debating the answer for quite a while.  She was somehow certain that it's answer was linked to the velocity of an old maid's handfan on a midsummer's day divided by the porportion of water to glitter in Pornay's Eau d'eau.  Perhaps this was why Marietta was never invited to many parties, yet she was already thrilled that she could continue her work while supposedly 'at play.' 

Cadeous leaned in slightly and grasped Finn’s hand, shook it, and released it.  He smiled; he’d known Nate for a while, and had always thought that the man was a bit of a troublemaker.  Despite his age of twenty-four years, he was always quite book - and street-smart; it was getting involved in bar fights and mingling with criminals that made him into a bit of a... ‘bad apple’, in lack of a better term.  While Cadeous never really thought of him that way, he still couldn’t help but admit that his friend enjoyed having fun more than taking on some real responsibilities.  Nonetheless, Nate was one of his closest friends.  They’d known each other in Hogwarts, and had even had a couple of classes together.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well,” he said, dropping his hand back down to his side.

“See what I mean?  Bad influence!  Honestly, who am I to change the course of destiny? If Cadeous here has his heart set on and auror-ship, then so be it. Good luck to you."

He laughed, but nodded, glad to hear that somebody was on his side in this.  He glanced over at Nate and grinned, before looking back at Finn and giving him a curt nod.

“I appreciate that, Finn.  I’ve really given that idea some thought, and after talking it over with one of my other friends, I’m leaning more towards the possibility of becoming one.”

Through his peripheral vision, he saw a woman in a very attractive dress and masquerade mask watching him.  He turned his attention away from the other two men for a moment to look at her.  He couldn’t see her face, thanks to the mask, but could have sworn that he recognized her from somewhere.  It took him a minute to register her long, black hair, until moments later, he realized that it was Claudia.  He turned his attention onto her for a moment, before looking back over at Nate and Finn.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” he said, and without waiting for either of them to acknowledge him, he strode over to Claudia and gently tapped her on the shoulder.  If this woman wasn’t her, then he’d certainly feel foolish.  However, she had told him that she’d be attending tonight, so he figured that it was well worth the risk of confusing somebody else for her.

“Claudia?”

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, and her name spoken by a familiar voice, she knew the man Claudia knew Cadeous had found her.  A slight smirk played on her lips she could have some fun at her friends expense, this was a masquerade.  However, she decided it was better not to play a game with him as she took another sip of wine.

“Cadeous,” she greeted with a smile.  “You look quite dashing this evening.”

She took in his appearance for a moment, knowing he did indeed look quite handsome in the suit and mask.  She wouldn’t be surprised if as the night went on more of the ladies in the club took notice of her friend.  She thought perhaps it would be good for him to find a nice witch…although there was an accompanying pang of jealousy at the thought.  Like always, she told herself she was only jealous because she was selfish and enjoyed the ease of their friendship.  There were no jealous partners to worry about.

“Who did I drag your attention away from?” she asked motioning towards the other men slightly.  “I hope it wasn’t anything important.”

He smiled.

"As do you, Claudia," he said, finding how difficult it was to keep himself from admiring her outfit.  She was wearing a beautiful strapless, dark-colored dress, diamond earrings that seemed to sparkled in the dim, orangish light of the bar, and a silver masquerade mask.  She looked gorgeous.

“Who did I drag your attention away from?  I hope it wasn’t anything important.”

"Oh, I was just being introduced to my mate's mate," he replied.  "Nice fellow.  Owner of this place, apparently."

He walked around to his friend's side and pulled the stool that was next to her out from under the bar, then eased himself up onto the seat.  He pulled himself in closer to the surface, waiting for the bartender to finish up with one of the other customer's before waving him over to order something for himself.

He figured that Nate and Finn would be keep each other company a while.  He was fairly sure that Finn would preoccupy himself with the woman who'd entered the bar only minutes ago, and Nate... well, Nate was Nate.  He always managed to find things to do no matter where he was.  He'd make sure to introduce Claudia - should she want - to them later that night.