Eva wasn't exactly impressed by the garish decor of Madame Pudifoot's.  In fact, the creepy dolls floating around and ushering people to their tables deserved to be hexed into oblivion.  No one did love like the French she'd gone to school with and in comparison this was an almost unbearable descent into commercial indulgence.  Their little table was draped in a blessedly white table cloth with a single candle in the center.  It was pungent but she could stand it for a little bit of time.  At that moment, however, a paper heart hanging above their table decide to croon, I love you.  She winced and shot it a withering look.

She would absolutely kill her mother for putting her through this.  So incredibly worried that Eva was going to die alone, her mother signed her up for this and threatened incessant nagging in order to force her to go. 

Eva glanced at her companion.  He was a blond boy her age but she didn't know him beyond simple recognition.  He was a Gryffindor student but that was pretty much all she knew.  She pushed her hair behind her ear and glanced between him, their table, and buffet uncertainly.

"My name's Eva Lawrence," she introduced herself half-heartedly.

Normally quiet and soft-spoken, Shade was ready to murder his twin.  She'd told him that they were just stopping by to make fun of whoever was doing the speed-dating thing, but as soon as they got there, she shoved him towards a table and said, "Have fun."  Shade grimaced, he didn't like being set up with someone.
 
He stepped over to the table after being rudely pushed by one of the annoying cupids when he didn't move fast enough. He sat down with a withering glance at the cupid and then noticed the girl sitting across from him.  He couldn't help it, his boy-next-door attitude kicked in.  "Hello Eva, my name is Shade."

Fantastic, she was here with someone clearly as miserable as she was.  It wasn't exceptionally fair that this had to happen to her.  Then again, maybe if they were both anxious to leave, the could leave now instead of wasting their time suffering through this nightmare of a holiday.  Eva tapped her fingers idly on the table top and promptly heard her mother's voice in her ear telling her not to fidgit.  She licked her lips nervously and slid them to her lap so it wouldn't be obvious, distracting, or rude.

He wasn't exactly making any of this easy, was he?  With his helpful contribution to the conversation.  "So..." Eva hedged.  "You're a student at Hogwarts, right?  I'm from Beauxbatons."