in our golden hour

IT SEEMS I FOUND THE ROAD TO NOWHERE

NYSSA CHRISTABELLA VALENTINE

Maybe it was because he had grown up watching his parents try to win their way back into society's graces with teas and parties such as this, but the Yule Ball itself didn't bother Scorpius too much. The fact that he had a date to the ball did that for him. Nyssa had been his best friend since their very first uncomfortable meeting on the Hogwarts Express, a memory that still seemed more like something straight from his imagination. After their fumbling introductions and a trip that still still made him flush with secondhand embarrassment at his prepubescent self, they'd been attached at the hip. He could always count on her support, and it made the glares and leers easier to bear.

The boy turned left and right, examining himself in the ornate mirror that leaned against his four poster. His blond hair was lightly moussed and tousled, framing his face at the perfect angles as his father had always instructed. If there was anything his family was still renowned for, it was a stylistic elegance. His body was draped in robes of deep emerald laced with embellishments of enchanted gold threads that shimmered each time he moved. Hell, if he didn't have a date already, he'd just take himself to the Yule Ball. Giving himself a final shuffle and allowing his garments to settle comfortably over his body before he turned and walked out of his dorm, storing his wand away in the deep pockets of his robes. You know, just in case.

The trek up from the dungeons in the heavy garb wasn't entirely uncomfortable but once he cleared the stairs, the cool air of the ground floor embraced him, making him feel more at ease. The last thing he wanted was for his face to be plastered with sweat before he met up with Nyssa. Their agreement to go to the ball together had no fanfare, as was typical for their easygoing relationship. Friendship, he reminded himself emphatically. They were only friends. Right?

He had hardly made it to the entrance to the Great Hall when he spotted his date descending the grand staircase, likely having just finished her final touches as well. She was breathtaking, and her dress was flattering in all the right ways. "Hey now," he protested with a grin when she immediately hit him with a backhanded compliment. Nonetheless, he ran his fingers through his hair with the naive hope that the action would somehow make his naturally platinum blond hair less vibrant. The nature of their relationship had always been this same kind of gentle teasing. It kept things interesting, and there never seemed to be any hard feelings over it. His grin widened as she twirled about, showing off her own beauty in addition to the lovely flow of the dress. She was breathtaking in her formal wear, and he tried not to think too hard about the way his heart sped up as she moved.

"You look amazing, Nys." He paused, tapping his finger against his chin as if deeply pondering something. "But something's missing." Producing a small pebble from his pocket in one hand and his wand in the other, he transfigured the stone into a small arrangement of tiny whiteflowers before conjuring a delicate display of golden ribbon that matched the embroidery of his own dress robes. Within moments, he had magicked his own corsage. He had been planning it ever since Nyssa agreed to be his date - as friends, of course. Right?

Scorpius held out the corsage with his right hand, suddenly wondering if the display was too much. Maybe it was too formal, and she would think it was done. The Muggles traditionally exchanged decorative flowers for what they called prom, so he had taken a leaf out of their book and applied it to his own date. "I can trash it if you don't want it though," Although he had spent quite some time perfecting the spells necessary for the arrangement, he didn't want to make things awkward or give off the wrong impression.

so cute, the cutest

AND I'M TRYING TO ESCAPE