Feb. 14th: Hogwarts Hobnob

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

With the campus settling down after a near destruction of four universes and the sod being laid back out in the quad, the students began to enjoy a bit of normalcy - at least as normal as they could hope for given how things normally went for them. Even with the chaos that had unfolded, diligent little workers had been planning and working - as soon as the XUB was being cleared out from it's former refugee-camp status it was being decorated by a gaggle of dirty blonde ponytail-sporting young women, doing their best to try and make sure that everything was ready for the party. Flyers were posted around campus, email bulletins sent out, and of course word of mouth.

When the day came, Jezabelle and the other volunteers could be proud of the transformation that had taken place in the XUB, focused primarily on the pub but spreading out into the common area as well. Above the doorway to the pub was a sign that read "Platform 9 3/4th", the door having a fake brick facade painted onto the glass. Inside some of the tables had been pushed together and covered with a black tablecloth and gold decorations, pushed back against a wall covered in some decorative paper to give it a stone wall look. Above the table hung a Hogwarts school logo of course, and from the ceiling numerous fake candles were hung with fishing line to give them the impression of floating in midair - an effect that worked especially well in the lower pub lighting. Near the door was a table with little felt ties for those who lacked some costume bits and knew which house they belonged to, as well as some cupcakes - above which a sign read that they were sorting cupcakes meant for students who didn't know which house was theirs.

Oh, and speaking of food, the table against the wall was loaded with different geeky treats. Licorice wands, pumpkin pasties, rock cakes, chocolate frogs, chocolate cauldrons, acid pops, treacle tarts, and a huge glass punch bowl full of jelly beans, complete with a ladle and plastic cups. At the other end of the table were two large punch bowls, one labeled "Butterbeer" and the other "Polyjuice Potion", under a sign that read "Potions Class". The bar of course had a selection of alcoholic beverages, a special menu on the bar including names like "Drink of Despair", "Draught of Living Death", "Draught of Peace", "Drops of Veritaserum", "Felix Felcius", "Confusing Concoction", "Amorentia", and of course alcoholic versions of the beverages on the snacks table.

A few photo opportunities had been set up as well, one being several letters hanging from the ceiling and the other being a wanted posted for an escaped Azkaban prisoner. Music from the movie soundtracks was playing over the overhead speakers to try and set the mood. There were also a couple of tables set up that had been left empty, but the signs on them read "tarot reading" and "tea leaves reading". Jez was already dressed up in her uniform and was waiting for the "entertainment" to arrive.

[Basil Benson]

Despite wasting most of the day indisposed in the woods with Colette Basil still managed to make it on time to help with party setup, though perhaps cheating by dressing as a wizard he already vaguely resembled helped with that.

He had currently been busying himself adjusting a floating candle that seemed a bit askew to him, his height making him the proper candidate to do so unless someone longer than he came about.

[Colette Rosenhof]

And a googirl eventually appeared, the blue of her costume sharply contrasting the pink of her complexion. It seems that, after their Valentines day celebrations that morning and into the afternoon, there had been a second gift box waiting for her. With a box of additional snacks and some ingredients needed for the bar in hand, she leaned over and gave Basil's cheek a little peck in passing.

[Basil Benson]

Basil became visible to the immediately assembled group as the kiss landed, Basil's face painted with a dopey grin, his eyes watching her sashay away as she went to put away the things she'd brought.

[Chase Delacroix]

Chase stepped up beside his friend, all dressed up in a wizard outfit with a Gryffindor tie. "I'm glad you're happy because I feel a little ridiculous."

[Basil Benson]

"Ladies dig a man in uniform Chase. That's science." Basil nodded, clapping his friend on the back.

"Besides, it's not ridiculous if everyone is being ridiculous together. Then it's fun!"

[Natalie Denisov]

The automatic door opens as Natalie rolls her wheelchair into the party. She's not in costume, because there's only so much you can do on short notice, but she seems determined to be here to support her roommate as she waves to people and tries to find somewhere out of the way to sit.

[Chase Delacroix]

"You have a point," he chuckled. Looking around, he added, "Jezabelle really outdid herself, didn't she? This is an impressive setup."

[Samantha McManus]

"Honestly though," Sam says over her shoulder as she steps out in an appropriate robe, "don't you think making me Ravenclaw is a little too on-the-nose?"

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"I can't take all the credit! Jez butted in. Well, a Jez did, there were others still doing odds and ends. "Without the help of the rest of XUPS, and Mr. Scamander here, it'd be just a bowl of cheese Hufflepuffs and a pin the tail on the donkey game." The girl seemed delighted that people were getting into the spirit, but being a bit of a cosplay geek of course she liked seeing people dressed up. How nice it was to be going to school in a country where having a "fancy dress" party was considered a fairly normal form of celebration!

Another Jez spied Natalie and approached with a smile. "Hey roomie! I'm glad you could make it. Did you get a house tie yet?"

[Natalie Denisov]

Another Jez spied Natalie and approached with a smile. "Hey roomie! I'm glad you could make it. Did you get a house tie yet?"

"Not yet," says Natalie quietly, "You don't happen to have a Ravenclaw one handy, do you?"

[Sean Hall]

Sean had of course read the books. As a child he'd been entranced and also incredibly disappointed when no letter had come even though he was in fact a sorcerer. He didn't however own a robe or hadn't in quite a while, so instead he was dressed well, rather similarly to Basil.

Sean grabbed a sorting cupcake for the fun of it. He'd always thought of himself as more of a Ravenclaw. He took a bite and found it filled with the green of Slytherin. He stared at it quietly for a moment before eating the rest.

[Robin Stanton]

"Hufflepuff in the house!" Robin announces as she walks in wearing what's essentially just a lopsided trenchcoat pretending to be a robe.

[Shane Marsh]

Because he enjoyed Harry Potter as much as any British youth, Shane embraced his inner dork and came in wearing a robe of plant fibers. He selected a cupcake and took a bite. Frowning at the green filling, he said, "Guess the cupcake knows I'm a rich arsehole."

[Vivienne Chinnoir]

"Honestly though," Sam says over her shoulder as she steps out in an appropriate robe, "don't you think making me Ravenclaw is a little too on-the-nose?"

"How is a cupcake supposed to know and judge one's truest defining characteristics?" She asked eyeing the uneaten one in her hand. Yes, she knew the books, they were pop-culture and that is what the internet was for.

[Samantha McManus]

"I'm not trusting the folks in the Point to animate a hat."

[Sean Hall]

Because he enjoyed Harry Potter as much as any British youth, Shane embraced his inner dork and came in wearing a robe of plant fibers. He selected a cupcake and took a bite. Frowning at the green filling, he said, "Guess the cupcake knows I'm a rich arsehole."

"Well, Merlin was a Slytherin so maybe we're just the exceptions," Sean said lightly as he picked up a Slytherin tie.

[Basil Benson]

"And Severus Snape." Basil countered to his room mate and the only actual wizard in the room.

Basil grinned at Robin's enthusiasm at her own house pride, but didn't comment as he didn't really know her.

[Shane Marsh]

"Okay fine, the snakeys aren't all bad."

"So who's she of the sideways trenchcoat?"

[Sean Hall]

"Don't murder and torture people and you'll be fine," Sean said as he looked over at Robin. "No idea, but they look a bit like Will though don't they?"

[Vivienne Chinnoir]

"I'm not trusting the folks in the Point to animate a hat."

"It would likely literally attempt to eat one's head."

[Samantha McManus]

"So cupcakes, aye? Go on, let's see what yours is."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"Not yet," says Natalie quietly, "You don't happen to have a Ravenclaw one handy, do you?"

"Of course we do! Actually..." She patted her hip for a moment before something dawned on her. The bespectacled girl unloading a box of ingredients for the bar stopped what she was doing and checked one of the boxes behind the bar. After a moment she stood up and threw something at the back of Jez's head, the girl reaching up and catching it without turning around. Balled up was a navy blue and silver grey tie.

"This one was in the 4-pack where I got mine." She said, giving her green one a little flick with her finger. "May I?"

[Natalie Denisov]

"Sure, just be careful on the back of my head," she says, leaning forward a bit.

[Basil Benson]

"Only one way to find out." Basil replied, moving to greet the Tonks.

"Hello! I'm Basil Benson. Who might you be?"

To Robin, Basil was an invisible Newt Scamander. Which probably made him look like Sean's unseen servant to any of the D&D crowd nearby.

[Vivienne Chinnoir]

Vivienne pulls her cupcake in two, orange red frosting reveled.

"Mystery solved."

[Samantha McManus]

"Ah of course," Sam chuckles.

"Heroic protagonist. Here to save us from the Dark Lord."

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

Jez looped the tie around her own neck at first, working out the basic of a very loose tie before slipping it off her head. She took great care when sliding it over Natalie's head, carefully pulling her hair free before she tightened and straightened it.

"There, how's that? It looks good on you."

[Natalie Denisov]

"Looks good," she says, "Thanks. It's looking like a fun party."

[Vivienne Chinnoir]

"Ah of course," Sam chuckles.

"Heroic protagonist. Here to save us from the Dark Lord."

"They really need better hobbies."

[Samantha McManus]

"Well I mean, what are your options when you're a Dark Lord? You get to menace, or menace turned slightly sideways."

[Vivienne Chinnoir]

"They could take up embroidery. Builds patience and teaches what true evil can do." She offered as she selected her appropriately colored tie.

[Jezabelle Sherlock]

"Looks good," she says, "Thanks. It's looking like a fun party."

Jez looked around before she grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to Natalie's wheelchair and sat down. "Thanks, I hope people'll have fun. School is stressful enough, and so many of us have extra on our plates. Then add how Valentine's day makes you feel if you're single and... I just thought a lot of us could use an escape for an afternoon."

[Natalie Denisov]

"I think everyone needs that now and again, especially if things got as wild as I heard they did."

[Ian Quessaire]

As students began filing into the pub, two figures stood outside and took in their surroundings. Normally their attire would make them stand out like sore thumbs but with the costume party getting into full swing they were just part of the crowd.

The man stood just over six feet tall, his skin dark and body toned. His silk tuxedo shirt was worn completely open to show off his hairless form under a black pinstriped suit jacket. The matching dress pants lacked a cummerbund or belt, instead a red silken sash fulfilled the role, and a pair of alligator skin dress shoes adorned his feet. In his left hand he held a leather physician’s bag, worn and weathered beyond his years. He turned to look to his companion.

“Ready to get to work, beb?” He asked, his baritone voice and Creole accent making his words flow like warm caramel.

[Sookie Quessaire]

A lithe woman with light eyes and crop of dark hair pinned back with a silver comb, turned her head to the young man addressing her. tiny skulls dangled from her pierced ears as she adjusted her shawl over a Knitted top and a simple white skirt.

She carried nothing on her person save her clothes and sandals.

"Yes brother dear, I am." She replied in a heavily accented voice that was equally as smooth in tone.

[Null]

The Boy was the next one into the pub.

He was wearing a fake beard (why was he wearing a fake beard? He could shapeshift!) and wizards' robes from entirely the wrong franchise.

[Will Stanton]

Will, on the other hand, was taking full advantage of his shifting abilities, to terrifying results.

[Robin Stanton]

"Only one way to find out." Basil replied, moving to greet the Tonks.

"Hello! I'm Basil Benson. Who might you be?"

To Robin, Basil was an invisible Newt Scamander. Which probably made him look like Sean's unseen servant to any of the D&D crowd nearby.

"Tonks! Come on, isn't it obvious? Oh god, tell me there is a Tonks in your version of the books."

[Samantha McManus]

"Aye, we've got Tonks, don't worry. Literal duckface and all."