𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐄 - 𝐝.𝐦.

𝟎𝟑𝟓 - 𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬

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"Ooh, you look cute."

I turn around abruptly to see a slightly shorter girl behind me wearing a dusty, rose gold ball gown, complete with flower embroidery at the bottom and a bust enhancer with a matching mask on her face. I quirk a brow, taking in her short, choppy black hair, and the plate of hors d'oeuvres in her hand.

"Hi, Pansy," I say, turning away from where I was simply watching the orchestra perform, reaching to scratch an itch behind my mask. "Hey, this dress is a lot cuter than that last one," I grin, stepping towards her.

She instantly links her arm with mine, and then we walk side by side, the sides of our dresses smushing slightly against each other's.

"Yeah, I know," Pansy huffs softly, contorting her arm so she can still hold her plate and pluck tiny little foods off of it to toss into her mouth. "Mum nearly made me wear hot pink again. She said that black was unnatural. This was our compromise, though it still doesn't seem very fair, does it?"

"Yeah, but you're pretty," I tease.

"I'm pretty in anything."

"You're also annoying."

"It's a package deal, Celeste, take it or leave it. Hey, there's Blaise," Pansy says, pulling me alone across the ballroom.

I wince as we nearly knock over several unsuspected guests, glaring at my companion, but she can't seem to give to shits as she continues striding forward with me in tow towards where Blaise is standing talking to some guy I can't recognize with his mask on. We come to a stop in front of them, Pansy unliking her arm to set her plate down and sit at a nearby table.

"Oh, cute, you guys are matching," she grins.

The entire Zabini clan, all five of us, deciding to come in matching clothes. I was slightly opposed to it because it all felt way too cheesy Christmas card-y, but then I saw my dress and shut right up. The two men in the family came in simple black suits, thin gold designs on the vests and bow-ties. My dress is simple but stunning at the same time, which is why I refuse to sit down, because then I couldn't show it off. It's a soft, muted gold, made of shimmer fabric that looks like it's winking in the light, and it flares out from my waist down rather nicely, matching the delicate gold mask on my face.

"Blame Mum," Blaise grumbles, scratching at his bow tie with a slight wince.

"Hey, where's the bathroom?" I ask, looking around with a slight grimace. I've been filling up on all sorts of mock tails (and one martini that was supposed to be virgin but ended up alcoholic and dry; I wasn't complaining). I've never really been to the Malfoy manor before sabe for the New Years party, but I spent the entirety of it downstairs, so this little charity masquerade ball for the Magical Obliviation Relief Program, or MORP, that Lucius and Narcissa are hosting would happen to be my first time seeing their manor.