8pm

Death and Co had been done up rather beautifully. The main bar room, rustic in nature, had been filled with twinkling red candles that floated just above head height. Light flickered throughout, bathing the bar in a beautiful and deeply flattering light. As such, even the ugliest of love searchers attending this eve would be bathed in a light that might make them marginally appealing at least. If not that, the wine would certainly help.

Tables were scattered around the room, small intimate tables with a chair on either side. No tablecloths, that was too pretentious. But, there was a small candle accompanying a little pot that contained questions and conversation topics for the shy or inexperienced wix. To the side of the bar, near the fireplace, was a decidedly handsome wizard musician happily playing romantic love tunes on his guitar.

The room was brimming with witches and wizards, all chatting away as they eagerly waited to find out who their favourite magazine had set them up with on a date.

Well, they had no longer to stand in wonder.

The music suddenly picked up, and the hubbub died as a door to the side of the bar opened, and Queen G stepped through and up onto a small stage. She was turned out in a rather audacious red dress, hair and makeup perfect as ever. Her wand in one hand, and a glass of martini in the other, G was smiling brightly across the crowd.

She lifted her wand to her throat and began to speak.

“Buenas noches mis amores!” She greeted, her smooth voice ringing out across the full bar. “Welcome to Witch Weekly’s Annual Blind date evening, where, I sincerely hope, you will be leaving with more than the warm cozy feeling the wine will give you. I know I’ll put my trust in the wine.” She winked and lifted her glass to cheers the crowd. “Now, I know you haven’t come to listen to silly me drone on. So, as you entered this evening, you were given an envelope, which, the naughty ones amongst you, will have found magically sealed shut. Naughty naughty, if you figured that out.” A tut tut. “In a moment, my darlings, you will be able to open this mystery envelope. Within, you will find a clue as to your company for the evening. Enjoy yourselves in your quest for love, or, you know, fun. My only rule? Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Now, Queen G moved the wand from her neck and instead gave a swift motion, causing a flurry of sparkles to spread across the room.

The Blind dating had begun.

---

Up to you if you wish to reply to this thread as you find your partner, or branch off into separate threads.

Waverly Roh-Ballentyne, an assistant for the Witch Weekly, moved through the dining room a camera in her hands. As he walked, she tapped the camera with her fingers and had a look at all the willing volunteers who'd answered Witch Weekly's call. It was quite the set  - not everyone looked like the Weekly's typical reader. That said something about Queen G, small but dangerous. Some of the party-goers seemed nervous but others looked downright thirsty. Some dressed for conquest others for a funeral, and there were many an earnest pair of khaki trousers. Some were already teetering on their heels after getting too 'festive' too early. What they all had in common was anticipation; something (hopefully) interesting was going to happen to night.

Snap! A light flashed rosy with a puff of lavender smoke. A pair standing together smiled late, but Waverly knew the candid was better. The camera whirred for a moment, then ejected the photograph. Waverly waved it in the air like it was a paper fan at a derby as she moved along.

Waverly found Queen G shortly thereafter. Waverly had six inches over the famous editor, but Queen G held the space as if she were a glittering spire, fifty feet tall.

"The manager says the roof is open," Waverly said, still watching the room for another good little shot. "They have the cherry blossoms going."

Talisha Crowe arrived alone but with the air of someone showing up with a squad. Soon she had a drink in her hands and wove her way through all the lovely things gathered for a bit of adventure. Would they meet love? Who here was looking for it? Some were seekers, some hoped to be found. Talisha was here to correct a long dry spell. She worked too much and her home in Slandermouth was all but deserted for the winter.

She'd dressed for the occasion. Gone were her work clothes, witchy suits and robes. Instead she wore an open caftan in blood red with orange foxes embroidered all over. And since she was unable to decide on accessories, she wore a dozen pieces. Her right eye was brown, her left was blue.

"Miss Crowe, your token."  Someone handed her a fuschia envelope that bulged with some charm. She opened it up and found a burnished silver crescent moon with a face.

"What am I meant to do with this?" she asked.

"Find its mate, of course."

"Of course," Talisha breathed conspiratorially and held it up in front of her as she turned in place looking for the wix who had the match.

Here we go again.

Last year had been memorable, Cepheus could not deny. He’d been Primrose Woolfolk’s pretend partner[1] to give her some cover to court Gonchar. A treasure hunt with Rascal Rosier[2] beginning with transfiguring a table into an umbrella, and ending with a picnic and broken finger would take some beating in Valentine-blind-dating related escapades. Then there’d been the entirely unintentional valentine break out[3] with Spectre and Storm. Witch Weekly hadn’t been far behind in spilling some dodgy-sourced suggestions[4] in March about his love life either. All in all, he’d not done bad last year. He’d just edit out the part where he broke someone’s heart.

Cepheus thought he might have made it to Valentine’s day in a relationship, but things weren’t meant to be[5]. He wouldn’t hold a grudge, it wasn’t as if he wasn’t used to the single life. As one of Witch Weekly’s most ‘smoochable’ bachelor[6] runner-ups, cousin Gen owed him someone half-decent, didn’t she?

Merlin, was his brother already chatting someone up at the bar?

“Cover your eyes,” he instructed Ariadne in a low tone.
“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” she shrugged, and Cepheus exhaled through his teeth as if sharing second hand pain.

Their relative by marriage, and the Editor of Witch Weekly took to announcing the evening’s plans, referring to the envelopes they’d received on arrival. Balancing a gin and tonic in one hand, Cepheus pulled the envelope from his jacket pocket[7] and turned over the fuchsia envelope to closer inspect it. He’d not tried to open it earlier, and insisted his family do the same. Ri had bet he could work out who his date was before the announcement, which was undoubtedly what he was up to now. As long as he didn’t embarrass them all … who was he kidding.

1.	February 11th, 2011 Witch Weekly: Pureblood Passion
2.	February 12th, 2011 Change is Everything
3.	February 14th, 2011 Outraged Public Decency
4.	March 8th, 2011 Witch Weekly: Ménage à trois and Mischief
5.	January 27th, 2011 To Calm Unsettled Waters
6.	September 24th, 2011 Witch Weekly: Most Smoochable Bachelor Announced!
7.	Dressed by Nuri

Virgil Carstairs had a plan.

He unzipped his jacket as he entered the bar, just in the middle of Queen G's preamble. Somebody shoved an envelope into his hands and he distractedly wandered into Death & Co, taking in the general atmosphere. Puffs of lavender smoke, shaky hands wielding half-empty glasses, Waverly doing her thing. Somewhere in here he knew Ari was also hanging about. It all seemed rather trite but he couldn't really sneer at that now, could he? Not when he was one of the people who'd signed up for Witch Weekly's blind dating event.

            "Enjoy yourselves in your quest for love, or, you know, fun. My only rule? Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” finished Garcia-Gamp, with flourish.

A cynical smile tugged at his lips. Virgil's plan had nothing to do with love and everything to do with fun. After spending the better part of February going clubbing every night, he figured this was going to be a well-deserved reprieve from The Closet - who were doing their own Valentine's weekend rave. However: different location, same intention.

The plan was to drop his date after a couple of drinks, if they were the sort looking for 'love'. And if they weren't, well, Virgil was certain he could think of something for them to do together this evening. It was a simple plan and literally nothing could go wrong with it.

Without aplomb, he tore open his envelope and peeked inside. Something gold glimmered back at him, and a little frown appeared between his wan eyebrows. Virgil took out what appeared to be half of a glittery gold star, holding it up to the light. Not that he'd ever say as much to Queen G's face, there was something unmistakably charming about this whole affair.

He looked back down, searching the crowd as others followed suit with their own shapes; each seeking the half that shall complete them.

“Not sure this counts as father-daughter bonding time.” Ariadne[1] had informed her father. The Witch Weekly assistant had counted four Gamps and joked something about keeping it in the family before it had got a bit awkward and they’d all parted ways at the arrivals table to save face.

Her dad had spent no time at all chatting people up at the bar. While Ariadne scored a free drink before Orion started flirting, she otherwise drifted behind her uncle until she spotted anyone she knew.

A knot was tying itself in her stomach. There was her dad chatting up ladies at the bar, her uncle so obviously looking for other wizards and her aunt not bothered which way she went. Which was why Ariadne had put that down too. Well, she’d once snogged Gabriella Dagon[2] in a broom cupboard. Well, technically Gabby had kissed Ariadne.

Around her, Nick had a boyfriend and wasn’t shy about who he sized up or joked about taking to bed, and Virgil, well Virgil had been on the tiles like a tomcat of late. Ariadne was sure she’d counted at least four different people leaving their flat at breakfast time in the past fortnight, and those were just the ones she’d seen.

Talking to new people was good for her. That’s what she told herself. That’s what Ginny had suggested too when she’d come clean about her plans. Ginny was married to the chosen one. That was high stakes relationships if ever she saw one.

The room came to a polite standstill as announcements were made, and all too soon it was time to tear open their envelopes.

“Here goes!” Ariadne spoke aloud, though she wasn’t sure if it was more to herself than anyone around her. From out of the envelope came a fluttering pair of birds. They swooped around her head and then landed on her shoulders, chattering. Ariadne gasped in surprise, not expecting birds (enchanted or otherwise) to fit in an envelope.

“Hey there,” Ariadne greeted them, looking side to side. “Aren’t you beautiful. Haven’t you already found your pair?” Then with a flutter they were off, above the heads of the other participants. “Wait!” Ariadne exclaimed, hurrying to keep track of them circling ahead. What paired with … birds?

1.	Nuri dressed me
2.	9th May, 2011 Bludgered to Death

“Ooh, cool,” Ambrose admired the birds that led Ariadne on. “Don’t suppose they go with what I’ve got though,” he held up a sparkly silver arrow to Ariadne as she glanced past, pursuing her birds.

Arrows and birds didn’t seem likely, though, Ambrose reasoned to himself, they both flew. He wasn’t really sure what would go with arrows. Another one? A target? He’d have to wander a bit and see. At least he knew he was only meant to be talking to girls unless there’d been a serious mix up.

“Hey,” he bumped into Talisha Crowe (not that Ambrose had the foggiest who she was). “Not got a partner for an arrow have you?” It seemed unlikely a silver crescent moon would be the match. “Oh, both silver, but no, doesn’t look like it.” Ambrose shrugged. “Thank you, have a nice night,” he parted politely.

“What goes with an arrow?” He mused out loud, arrow in hand.

"Pepper." Andromeda Gamp sat at the bar. A cocktail in one hand. Legs crossed. Confident. Looking sharp in green. Once she had his eye she lifted the silver bow. "Looking for this?"



You'd Be Lion if You Said You Didn't Like Me

"Salt!" Josie shrieked. The shaker was hidden in the envelope. "Bloody LOVE magic!" The muggle born proclaimed. Only witches and wizards could hide a whole salt shaker in a flat pink envelope. Queen G said it was a clue to her company. Everyone around her opened their envelope too. Josie looked around. Looked at what other people had got. Stars. Moons. Arrows. Birds. She had got a salt shaker. What now? Everyone else had romantic symbols. She had a condiment container. Was this a joke? Her mind got to work. She was not a reporter for nothing. "OOH! I know. It know it!" She bounced up and down. "PEPPER!"

"It is overrated." Hester shook her head. "Full of tourists. You can not move." She could not believe the balls of this guy. Sexy though. Chatting her up. It had been too long. Why did she have to work so many hours? She never went out in England. The men all had bad teeth. "How can you possibly think that's good?" She asked cocky guy. She had not bothered opening her envelope yet.

“I never said I liked it,” Orion protested, running his index finger along the line of his jaw. “One has to review these places for the guide as well as finding the new niche places to add.”

This pretty witch had travelled too. Orion had a sixth sense for them. Lots of magical folk went to travel on their ‘grand tour’, but you got a feeling for those who kept it up. “There’s always gonna be those who want to stay on the beaten track, not like you and me Hester,” he gestured with that same hand between them, “no we know how to navigate other cultures. I get that vibe off you, I can see it in your eyes.” He took the opportunity for some intense eye contact, mouth twitching into a suggestive smirk. “What drew me to you.”

Like a good cliché the whole bar had faded away once he’d spotted Hester. He had a bet on that he’d have found his blind date before Gen let them open their envelopes. If it wasn’t Hester he might ditch his own and steal her from whichever dreadful wizard got her instead. Their envelopes lay side by side on the bar beside their hands, which were in turn, inches apart at the fingertips.

“JOSIE!” Theta Pepper threw her arms around her old school friend. Josie had just yelled her surname across the bar so Theta was right over. Her envelope was torn open, a silver fork protruded from the fuchsia paper in Theta’s left hand behind Josie’s head.

“I should have owled you, and found out if you were coming!” Theta squeaked, caught up in the excitement. “Oh gosh, at least if it all goes horribly wrong we can have drinks and hide from our dates.” She giggled, putting a hand to her face to cover her blushes. This was all incredibly uncomfortable, and she’d never felt like such an introvert in her entire life.

Penny was here too, but in her nerves, Theta had excused herself to the ladies before the event began. She’d reapplied her lipstick, recharmed her hair and straightened her red dress, paranoid she’d spill a drink that wouldn’t scourgify out.

“What did you put on your application?” Theta asked, “I put guys but everyone looks like,” she lowered her voice to whisper to Josie, “way older than us.” Not that she had a huge thing against older wizards, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to date someone old enough to be her father. (Or at least her father at the age he should still have been before the America incident.) “ooh, I tell a lie,” she’d spotted Virgil, hoisted her fork aloft in his direction with hope, but was dismayed. “Well, been there… done that…” she uttered just to Josie with a giggle.

It'll be good for you! You need more friends!

Yeah, yeah. Dido wasn't sure what part of 'blind dates' screamed 'friends' to her mother but here she was anyway.... because she totally needed to know more people who weren't (a) muggles/squibs and (b) Ministry employees. Not that the bar wasn't half-packed with Ministry people anyway. She spotted a few familiar faces, including a couple who worked on her floor like Ambrose and division head Gamp. The latter was gay and the former seemed to already have found his date, so, lucky her.

She looked down at the bulging envelope in her hands as she leaned against a wall alongside some other wallpaper flowers. Whoever she got, as long as they weren't 110% gross, this could be fun, right?

Dido tore open the top and reached in, touching something cold. She frowned and tugged, but it wouldn't give. Tugged again, with more gusto, and the paper began to tear at the sides as she pulled out what looked like a beautiful silver birdcage. "Oh!" she gave it a funny look before quickly glancing around Death & Co.

All kind of things were coming out of people's envelopes, but it would have been pretty hard to miss the pair of birds fluttering above their heads. Whoah! Cute!! Several others had noticed too, so she couldn't tell who'd gotten them. Only one way to find out. Dido opened the door to her birdcage and held it up, whistling loudly.

"Come on pretties!"

The other half of his star did not appear to be readily at hand, so Virgil twirled it between his fingers and wondered if he had time to step out for a few tokes of gillyweed before he endured the next hour in this crowded bar. He clocked a few friends in the mix - was pleased to see workmates hanging about, and laughed to himself when he noticed a pair of birds fluttering away from Ari. As his eyes swept the room on his way out to the door, they paused tentatively on Theta Pepper.

It would be rather gratifying wouldn't it? They'd had a brilliant time[1] just a few days ago.

She lifted her fork, however, and he saw that it wasn't meant to be. He smiled at the witch ruefully and raised his half star before ducking out of Death & Co through a side door; it led out on to a side alley, where empty liquor bottle crates were stacked up like little pyramids and somebody had left a broomstick propped up against the wall.

It was still too early in the night for people to escape out here for indecent snogs and the like, so the silence was a relief. Virgil pocketed his clue, taking out a small joint from his cigarette case instead. He looked up at the sliver of night sky above him as he lit it. There were the actual stars, made of stronger stuff than paper and glitter, and a waning gibbous.

1.	6th Feb - Dreaming with Open Eyes

The two birds circled the heads of the attendees, and Ariadne slipped through the crowd as best she could to keep track of them. Then, as if something had caught their attention, they paused, fluttering midair and headed towards the edge of the pub. Ariadne bounced across on the balls of her feet, apologising for shoving people left and right as she progressed.

She broke through the edge of the throng as the birds circled, fluttering, around a silver birdcage held in the hands on a girl who must not be that much different in age to Ariadne. She had curls too, and was slender like a dancer, narrower eyes than Ariadne and full lips. The cage door was open and unlike ordinary birds, the enchanted ones flew in quite happily and contentedly, before nestling together on the perch. Ariadne’s mouth hung open at the sight. She’d not been sure what to expect, bees? Eesh!

“Hey!” She greeted, wide-eyed, collecting her gaping jaw as she did. “I guess that means we’re…” she gestured between them both, pointing back and forth with both hands. As she did, she continued to approach her date. “Ariadne,” she thrust out her right hand in a friendly manner. “Pleasure to meet you.” Gosh, was she meant to also peck her on the cheek, being a girl and this being a dating event?

“So uhm, I’m going to be a quidditch reporter,” she continued, hastily attempting to break the ice, “I mean, I already am kinda,” Ariadne admitted, swinging slightly side to side belaying nerves, “but it’s more interesting to say what I want to be according to Witch Weekly the other month.” Ariadne qualified, figuring it was worth a try. She fixed a bright smile on the witch before her. “What about you?”