There was still some time before things began, but Edwin had been curious to scope out a new surroundings, and perhaps strategically pick out a seat in the box. He'd been assigned to box 2, which held five seats set out, undoubtedly he was the spare wheel, ah well, these things happened, and at this point in the year - despite his recent birthday on the turn of the calendar - he was generally unattached. The playing field was open.

The other boxes were not too full, well at the least the ones he could hear, and the orchestra in the pit was filling the air with a generally warm blanket of sound. Edwin leaned over the edge momentarily to take a better look at the interior of the hall, admiring things with a smile across his features, back to the entrance to the box.

The public areas of the opera house had been crowded, open and exposed - enough so that Sasha had recommended heading towards their box early.  It had been difficult to properly relax and enjoy himself when he was constantly scanning to crowd for faces he recognized. At least only those assigned to the boxes would be escorted to them and they'd only be visible to those in the box opposite them. 

Of course, the underlying reasons for suggesting finding their seats early went unspoken - Abby could probably guess and there was no need to taint the evening with such thoughts. 

After thanking the usher, with a generous tip, Sasha followed Abby into the box.  "Do you think they'll show previews?" he asked the squib with a grin, glancing around and spotting the older gentleman.  He recognized the man from any number of errand trips during his internship at the Ministry though he expected a Head of a Department was unlikely to recognize an individual intern. 

"Good evening," he offered, extending a hand towards the man.  "Schlagenweit.  Sasha Schlagenweit and, if I can introduce Ms Abigail Reid."  He offered Abby a grin.  He was really so much better at this than drinking games.

Abby was so thrilled to be here, especially with Sasha. He looked positively dashing, and she'd told him so a few times this evening. She felt like an actual grown-up in her big dramatic cloak and shimmery dress, with her hair curled and bouncy around a shimmery headband.

As Aileen had predicted, she did indeed giggle a lot, and giggled now when her date wondered if there would be previews.

"I'm afraid not, but-" she was about to make some flirtations comment about finding something else to do, and then as Sasha blushed, she'd start pointing out the patrons in the other boxes and try to guess what they were talking about. Just to tease him! Because it was fun.

But someone else was in the box! Someone important. She straightened her back and tried to look more like a proper young lady.

Abby grinned back at Sasha, rather impressed by his introduction. He wrocked at this kind of formal thing! He was likely better at it than she was, despite her mother's best efforts to filter the excited babble that came out of her mouth.

"Good evening!" She greeted the man cheerily, with a subdued (for her) grin. "Mr. Glass, right?" Abby tilted her head in recognition as she extended a hand. The Head of the Magical Accidents and Catastrophes department!

She'd seen him around the Ministry while she'd interned there for Dreogan Eleor, and the times she'd stopped to talk to Aisling. It was easy to recognize the bigwigs. More difficult to recognize the interns like her, she imagined! 

Aisling was hoping for a calm, quiet sort of company in the box. Or pleasant ones, at least.

She was a step or two in front of Tarron, and a grin split across her face at the site of Abby Reid. "Abigail! This is a wonderful surprise." She turned to the sharply dressed young man. "And you must be Sasha. Aisling Knight. It's a pleasure." It was good to see Abby enjoying herself, and Aisling could hardly object to the chance to spend more time with her. Or to quietly keep an eye on the young woman's romantic prospects.

Then a polite nod to Edwin. "Edwin, good to see you. I'd thought that I spotted you on the floor."  There was a little awkwardness to his presence, true, but she had no interest in exacerbating it.

Opera. Merlin take him, he was not a fan.

Tarron followed Aisling up the stairwell, hand on hers until they reached the top. She seemed a good deal more eager about this outing than he, and he saw no reason to dampen her spirits. Still, the prospect of spending an evening being lambasted by the booming voices of large women singing about Merlin-knew-what was a somewhat daunting prospect.

It wasn’t as if he didn’t like the music – he rather did, as a matter of fact. But the over dramatic and complex plots, the predictable and stock plot twists…he could do without those.

He trailed after Aisling as they entered their box, openly smiling in surprise at the presence of Abby and a…boy?

Tarron’s smile faded, and even before he spoke his dull blue gaze fixed onto Sasha, scanning every inch of the young man. Well dressed, polite, but with a bit of the smack of awkward about him. Hmm.

“Abigial, so good to see you,” he greeted, with a bow. The boy had introduced himself as Schlagenweit, and Aisling seemed to have heard of him – something that did not surprise him. She seemed rather eager to be social tonight, even forsaking proper manners to do so. “Mister Schlagenweit,” he greeted, rather more formally. “Tarron Knight. A pleasure.”

His tone made that pleasure seem rather lacking, but his tone dropped to dully icy when he turned to Edwin.

“Edwin,” he said, and nothing else; even a good to see you’re still breathing was a bit of a lie, and therefore not appropriate. 

He was alone for not much longer, footsteps into the box behind him caused Edwin to turn around. There was a young man and woman there, perhaps just of age, hard to tell sometimes.

"Good evening." Edwin greeted cordially, allowing them to approach.

"Good evening," The boy replied, extending his hand which Edwin received.

"Schlagenweit.  Sasha Schlagenweit and, if I can introduce Ms Abigail Reid."

"Good evening!"

"Ms Reid."

"Mr. Glass, right?"

"Correct, do call me Edwin." He gave Abigail a broad, friendly smile. "Edwin Glass," he repeated for Sasha. "Lovel-."

"Abigail! This is a wonderful surprise." Aisling's greeting landed as he spoke, and he bowed out, allowing himself a moment to marvel at her, his heart beating a little quicker. She looked glorious tonight.

"And you must be Sasha. Aisling Knight. It's a pleasure."

"Edwin, good to see you. I'd thought that I spotted you on the floor."

"Aisling." Edwin greeted, clearing his throat slightly, "You look very well tonight." Damn it, he wished he could almost swallow the words as Tarron appeared.

“Abigial, so good to see you, Mister Schlagenweit, Tarron Knight. A pleasure.”

Behind the two younger box guests, Edwin had fallen sullenly silent. He was the spare wheel with the Knight couple, and two teenagers. Merlin, he had to get a woman soon.

“Edwin,”

"Tarron." No love lost by either of them there. Edwin felt obliged to do his best not to look at Aisling from that moment on, appearing ever so slightly impolite, but it was far less dangerous.

"The two of you look familiar, somewhat," Edwin spoke directly to the younger pair - he had a good memory for names and faces.

"Yes, now I remember, Mr Schlagenweit I met you briefly in the atrium, you were working with Johann Storm last summer. Forgive me Ms Reid, I don't believe our paths crossed, but one often gets the photographs and files of potential new recruits circulated amongst the Department Heads. I assume you did work a while in the building, ah! Yes Eleor's little team, how could one forget? Very good to meet you both again."

He inclined forward, smiling politely, eyes flicking to Aisling for just a glance, she really did look beautiful this evening.

"Are you both looking forward to the performance?"

They were promptly join by the last two occupants of the box and Sasha extended a hand, politely, to both in turn.  "Ma'am."  He recognized Mr. Knight's name readily enough from the Daily Prophet and dipped his head, respectfully, as he greeted the Chief Warlock.  "Likewise, sir." 

Sasha felt a strong temptation to glance, curiously, in Abby's direction when both of the Knights greeted her by first name.  But, under the weight of Mr. Knight's unexpected and close scrutiny, he resisted the temptation.  Taking care to appear unfazed by the scrutiny (relying solely on years of etiquette training rather than actual comfort), Sasha turned and offered Abby a hand as she took her seat. 

Somehow, they had managed to find themselves sharing a box with a Ministry Department Head and the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.  When it came to advantageous schmoozing opportunities, it seemed they had lucked out. For one who'd been taught, since childhood, that any activity that didn't help one get ahead of their peers was a waste of time, this was an opportunity that was a bit too difficult to ignore. 

"The two of you look familiar, somewhat.  Yes, now I remember, Mr Schlagenweit I met you briefly in the atrium, you were working with Johann Storm last summer."

"Yes, sir," Sasha confirmed.  "Last spring and summer, I was interning for Mr. Storm.  I hope to return to the Ministry this coming summer, as well."  He looked towards Abby, offering a grin, while she answered about her own activities. 

"Are you both looking forward to the performance?"

"I am, sir.  Very much so.  We don't get much exposure to wizarding arts at school so I'm looking forward to it."

Abby grinned widely at the arrival of the Knights, both thrilled to see them and wondering if they would hover any less than Aileen and Professor Tappy.

“Hi!” She exclaimed, letting them introduce themselves. Names and greetings flew back and forth, and Abby only picked up on the slightest bit of tension between the Knights and Mr. Glass.

“Sasha, these are the relatives I told you about. The nice ones,” she clarified. “They already know of you because I’ve talked about you a bunch.” Good things!

Abby hoped Tarron wouldn’t study Sasha so intently throughout the whole opera (Aisling was much more subtle). Though Sasha was the picture of formality, he was probably nervous. She resisted the urge to squeeze his hand reassuringly as they sat.

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise when Edwin Glass actually remembered her. Both of them! “Yes, I’ve been interning there since August. It’s good to see you again too!”

She just hoped she could return to the Ministry soon.

Abby smiled at Sasha as she answered, “I’ve been to plenty of operas and things like this, but I have a feeling this one is going to be ten times more fun. Good company and all!”

She glanced around the box so they didn’t think she just meant her date, and to lessen the chances of Sasha's face turning red.

It was a strange mixture here, in this box, this company. Not an unwelcome one, but the threads of connection, interaction, were already shifting, twisting against each other. Some nights Aisling preferred just to watch, to sit there cold and silent, a shadow.

But this was a warmer night, even if there was something sharp in the glance she sent to Edwin. It was good to see him, true, but that didn't mean she wished to spend the evening with him questioning her decisions with his eyes. She was tired, older than she looked, and just wanted to chat and lean a little too close to Tarron.

Abigail, at least, seemed energetic enough. Ah, youth. "It would be good to see you both back at the Ministry, certainly." Aisling finally took her seat, and directed a warm smile at the two youngest members of the group. "Though I hope to tempt Abigail over to Level Three, eventually." A pause, an opening to tempt Edwin to jump in. She'd be rather disappointed if he did not take it.

And Mr. Schlagenweit, working with Johann Storm? That was a connection not quite expected. "International Cooperation has been pleasant to work with, in my limited experience." Particularly in comparison to some antics involving Level Two. "Though Tarron knows far more, of course." She inclined her head towards her husband, let her gaze linger on him, affectionate, lingering just a little too long. Perhaps the performance would be good. Perhaps not. But it was the others around her that truly mattered for the evening.

This box would be bloody distracting from the opera, Tarron concluded. His smile to Edwin was forced and unenthusiastic . However, given even his usual smiles were thin-lipped and understated, this was rather a small difference.

He turned his gaze to Sasha and Abby, nodding to Sasha as Abby introduced them. Tarron’s stern look didn’t soften much even when introduced as one of ‘the nice ones’. It was still a more charitable greeting than the boy was likely to get from the likes of Cullodena, he suspected.

He took his seat, too – sitting in a casual manner between Aisling and Edwin. While he kept his gaze straight ahead, he spoke plainly as he watched the audience below.

“The DoIMC is an interesting place, but rather the understated department. It is mostly legal paperwork.” He frowned, and remembering Sasha, he added, “I served some little time as Head of the International Office of Law,” he said, and in truth he rather missed it. “And was a general Employee of the Trade Standards Body before that. It is a department in which you can go far, should you have the ethic for it.”

He didn’t glance at Sasha with his last sentence, but he rather felt like he should have.

As the house lights came up again, Edwin was brought from his reverie of watching the proceedings.

He'd become quite unaware of his box counterparts (save for the odd glance at Aisling), wrapped up in the music, setting and costumes. He didn't mind too much that the plot was a little predictable - it was more about the interpretation and the execution.

As he first half audience applause ripped away, Edwin blinked and turned to look at the four others in the box in turn, cautious of how he regarded Tarron and Aisling.

"Following so far?" He asked the two younger audience members, "Or are you both familiar with the plot too?"

It certainly wasn't Avatar with Rayven and Walt but the Ravenclaw was still relieved when darkness settled over the Opera house and (most) everyone's attention turned towards the performance.  Even without looking at them, it was obvious Abby's family were keeping a close eye on him and Sasha could only guess what they'd heard about him.  From Abby, the Ministry or elsewhere. 

But intermission brought the houselights back up and Sasha glanced towards Abby with a curious, questioning grin.  It was Mr. Glass to his left that voiced his unspoken question. 

"Yes, sir," resisting the urge to glance curiously towards the Knights and smiled at Mr. Glass, dipping his head in a nod.  The opera was certainly no Wagner, but it was entertaining.  It did seem formulaic but, despite that, the production did have many strengths.  "The mezzo-soprano is particularly impressive.  I hope they will feature her more in the second act." 

"Are you enjoying it?" he asked, turning towards Abby.