The Entrance

[White Owl]

Seeing oneself in the dark was not an easy task. The blackness curls around your vision and makes everything odd shaped, disfigured, completely out of sorts. I found this out the difficult way, when I tried to prepare and slip into my outfit without anyone else in the dorm catching a glimpse of who I am. The ghost like figure I cut in the shadows made my lip twitch into a smirk. My costume is completely tailored to fit me, head-to-toe, and is as equally white. No, it is not a normal color I would wear; but, it suits the occasion perfectly. I can not say how excited I am to fade into obscurity and be someone else for the entirety of the evening into night. It makes me more than a slight touch apprehensive when I know the bells of midnight will toll for me.

No, I shall not become a pumpkin. Nor will my glass slippers be left behind for some handsome prince to find. I will not melt away into a life of a slave or commoner to forever serve a wicked family, or master. Fairy-tales are not real, as much as others might wish to believe they are. The fact is, I am just a student tonight. I am no one special. I am only me behind a stark white mask with snow owl feathers hanging off of one side. Impressive, yes, but plain nonetheless. It shall be a night I will not forget, and a moment in time I may just cherish forever. Tonight I become a secret, and for those short hours I will no longer be ~~~~

His hands paused as he wished to keep the mystery. He would not even write his name in the journal. He set aside his quill, tossed some drying sand onto the parchment and set the small book aside in his desk. He also placed his wand on top of the tome as he knew he was not allowed to carry one inside the ballroom. His head wheeled, and he sighed heavily against his own onset of nervous emotions. There was no reason to feel like that, he often reminded himself. Still the electric flowed through his senses as he knew for the first time that he would be letting himself go to become someone else. The night would be filled with magic, though not shooting from his wand.

He moved through the darkness of the dorm, his eyes moving along the baseboard to make sure he did not trip and ruin his attire. The common room was empty, and he was soon out of the door and down the hall. The narrow corridor lead on to the Great Hall's outer entrance. Soon he was in the middle of a crowd that was waiting to be searched before entering the massive ballroom. He glanced about expect to recognize one or two people, but soon found that he had no idea who anyone was at all. It did not matter, if he could not see through anyone's disguise, then no one could tell who he was. That suited him fine.

Rough hands moved over his shoulder as another taller man moved a wand over his form. He watched as the unfamiliar face began to speak a spell of search. He was cleared, and shoved forward. Harsh words almost escaped his lips, but then he decided it was not worth it. After all, animosity was the key word to this entire event. He wished to keep it this way. One way or another he was going to forget about life for a while, and pretend to be someone else. He moved through the throng of captivated onlookers, and soon found himself as amazed as the rest of those early entrants.

Words could hardly describe the Great Hall's transformation into a massive ballroom. Floating globes of light radiated from every corner, the outer edge of the room lit nicely while the inner circle was dim. The dance floor sat in the center of that inner circle, and the floor glowed with a golden hue. The colors of each Hogwart's house was represented in the glittering dance floor. All four moved into a circle that constantly moved though the floor was steady. The colors of green and blue swirled around gold, yellow, maroon. The movement was in perfect symmetry with the soft music from the band playing behind the long front table.

Food, snacks, and drinks of every imaginable assortment laid to be claimed on the front table. His eyes could not take in the whole sight without a smile escaping his once impenetrable features. He moved a single white owl feather off his mask and carried it before him like a wand as he gazed at everything at once. It was certainly dream-like, and he appreciated it all so much. The night was young, and it was hard telling what could happen. For now, he was content to turn his back to a wall, take a small sniffer of punch, and watch others move into the Great Hall with just as much amazement as he had felt only moments before. It was magical, and he was happy he decided to come.

[Obsidian]

Standing in front of the mirror, the gir's reflection gazed back at her. Normally she wasn't one to attend events such as there run by the school, but this one was different. Professors couldn't just pin the tragedies that happened on her, they wouldn't know her from the rest of the bodies in the room, which meant she could actually enjoy herself for once without being judged by every person that walked by her. Sure, most of it was usually her fault anyway and most of it was intentional, but that didn't mean she was going to sabotage everything.

Her fire colored dress was short, dangling about half way up her thighs. Gold gems reflected off her torso, matching the gold that curled up the charcoal black feathers of her mask. Her eyelashes were dark and lengthened with gold flecks shining like snowflakes with lips that were colored a deep red. The girl's mask was unique, a special spell was cast upon it, changing her hair color to brunette while in use. There were only a few witches at Hogwarts with her hair color, well, actually, not really. It was just her. But she didn't want to give up her identity that easily. With brunette hair, the girl could easily be a hundred other girls. Her mask set her aside from the rest though. It had black feathers that covered the area around her eyes and her forehead with a swirling, gold design that laced around one side. Her outfit was like an obsidian blaze, like a flame, flickering above a coal. The girl ran her fingers through her pin-straight, chocolate colored hair and then slid her delicate feet into her heels. She pulled her mask over her face and walked out of the common room.

The sound of her heels clicked and clacked against the stone floors and echoed, bouncing off the walls of the vast corridor. Reaching the Great Hall, a man checked her off as alright to enter the Ball. She was surprised that all they did was scan you, but this time, she actually didn't have any dangerous items on her bodice. The student stepped into the room, shocked by the transformation of it. The once dimly lit dining area was bright and sparkling, like fresh snow outside at midday. Music pumped from speakers mounted around the dance floor, which was the first place she headed. The room was lively, bustling with masked faces. A figure with a white, feathered mask caught her attention. She smiled, beckoning him with fluid motions and dark, longing eyes to join her as her hips swayed to the beat of the music.

[The White Owl]

She was like a blaze setting the whole room on fire. The magic, the decorations, even the music faded into an obscure background as his eyes found her. His hand moved gently up to the white mask and adjusted one of the long feathers. His look was almost perfect as he guessed, no one would know him from any other student entering the ball. He could not help shadow a small smirk under his snow white mask as her hand moved to invite him into her dance.

The shower of sparks that flew from her dress mirrored those allowed to move about the enchanted room from various decorations above; the only difference was the fire light that shined bright from the circle around her. Was this an invitation to hell, and would he go to her willingly? The situation was natural as he moved away from the wall, his feet stepping to her, and his own body falling into movement with hers. It was as if some god had made them to be this close, formed them to fit perfectly into the movements of the other. He could not help but feel this connection almost as soon as he was in her presence. Suddenly, he dared for more.

With a step forward he was closer to her, a twinkle in his eyes escaped the perfectly white mask, and his arms wrapped around her to draw her closer. He slipped the long white feather into his pocket and began to move with her. The White Owl danced with her, matching her fluid motions with his own. Step for step the moved through the crowd, often touching closer, his eyes never dropping away from hers. He made the attempt to recognize her, but there was no use. It would be impossible to guess who this might be, and for the first time in so long he decided it did not matter. Tonight he was an owl, and this would be the flame that attracts him from the shadows. He smiled to her, moving against her, then breaking away to watch her for reaction. Their movements cut a wide circle in the gathering crowd. He saw no one else but her, and this was fine with him.

"You are a vision of flame, a perfect flicker to brighten my miserable shadows. Warming to the touch, but I dare not remain too close, thus I become burned by an energy I can not say I can easily match." He even made effort to hide his voice, change it into someone else's voice and words as he whispered to her. The music hesitated and the next song was slower than the first. Couples all around them pressed against each other, and he noticed them all for the first time. He looked back to his flaming partner, and made a small bow in her direction. The White Owl swept her into his arms, moving closer to her than before, flames be damned. "Care for another dance, m'lady?" There was a soft giggle under his breath as his arm moved around her waist, and he took her hand in his.

"Fire and feather. Here and together. First and last. Until midnight passed." His voice moved with the sound of the music, soft on the wind and light into her ear. It did not take long until he was lost in a fantasy of her, the music easily aiding his already wandering thoughts. His movements remained light, though the proximity of the couple was undeniably close.Yet, what would happen at midnight, when all dancing stopped and masks were lifted? For now the White Owl did not care, not one small bit. Tonight he wanted to be burned by the flames.

[Obsidian]

On the dance floor, the girl’s hips swayed to the beat of the music. With a motion of her hands and the look in her twinkling eyes, she beckoned the stranger, watching as he gravitated toward her. It was this undeniable pull that she felt between them, one that she wouldn’t be able to explain. They danced in sync, a devilish smirk curled the girl’s soft, yet vibrantly colored lips. She longed to pull him closer to her, but kept her distance, though they weren’t far apart. The guy stepped toward her, closing off the small space between them and snaked his arms around her, pulling her in. The smirk grew on her face. A man with a goal, a man with ambition. It was always a trait that turned her on.

Their bodies almost pressed together as they danced with movements as one. The girl was never one for eye contact, it was always a sign of intimidation, but not this time. The soft look in his eyes seemed to attract her like opposite ends of a magnet. She couldn’t seem to tear her warm, chocolate colored eyes away from his. His smile captivated her, though she couldn’t conjure a smile back, her lips curled into a mischievous smirk as they moved against each other. He broke away from her and immediately the devilish look in her eyes calmed a bit, overpowered by lust and longing. She wanted more.

If this was any other day, the girl would have most definitely laughed in his face and walked away. Tonight though, there was some romantic mist wafting through the air as the boy spoke. There was something in his voice that softened her lips into a slight smile. A genuine one, something that was rare. “Think of it as a fire that takes no side, one that both sends shivers up your spine and one that will melt your heart at the touch, an energy that can’t be tamed.” Whoa, someone developed the ability to smooth talk in about ten seconds. Honestly, the girl just let her creative mind run free, like a wildfire through a dry forest, taking off at the fist spark.

The music faded out and flowed into a slower, mellifluous song. Couples gathered around them. The girl was swept into his arms, pressed against his chest. She giggled slightly and then spoke, “I would love to.” Once again, his arms snaked around her waist, pulling them closer together. The warmth of his hands calmed the icy feeling of hers. As he spoke, whispering into her ear, she held back a flattered giggle. This guy’s creativity was really growing on her. It was nice to hear, so mysterious. An unknown that the girl longed to know. She moved his hands down to her thighs and leaned her head back on his chest, her hips swaying with his to the sound.

[White Owl]

The attraction could not be denied, even as her romantic words matched his, so his body matched hers. Her voice was a whisper in the wind, but touched his ears and sent chills spreading through his body. His breathing came quicker as she moved his hands to her thighs, and moved in perfect harmony with him. His eyes drifted close, and his lips hummed with the music floating in the air. No one else was around, much different than any other time he had been in the Great Hall. Gone was all the need for secrecy, or even House tables. Gone was the awkwardness that could often be felt in this room when others had to deal with him. He liked this much better, and almost wished his white mask could attach to his face on a regular basis. The night would end at some point, and he would be revealed. Until then, he would dance. He would forget. He would allow nature to take her course.

"You move remarkably, on the dance floor." It was a subtle compliment, one that could hold as many meanings as almost anything else he could say this night. He wanted to compliment her, to let her know he enjoyed her touch, her movements, and her company. At the same time, his body could not resist hers. The movements were too perfect, and the mood just right. Love at first sight could not exist when you could only see the shape behind the shadow of the person you were suppose to love. He knew better than to think it was anything like that in the least, but still she had a way about her. Her teasing words mirrored his, and he wanted more of them. He thought of what he could say next, but found that every thought was lacking. This Flame deserved better fanning, so he allowed his words to just happen.

"I can not recall a time in my life where I felt more comfortable, and who knew such a thing could exist with a complete stranger. That is, if you are a complete stranger." He tried to place those dark eyes and again came up with nothing. Even her body type alluded him, she was an enigma rolled tightly into a mystery that played on his mind even as her body played upon his. He let the thoughts go, he would know soon enough. There was too short of a time for that, and he would not spend it wondering who this girl could be. Instead, he decided to enjoy her. Simply allow the night to unfold in front of him to finish on whatever end time would take them. He smiled against her cheek as his lips brushed her skin softly. A light kiss before he pulled away to again look into her eyes.

"No, you are no complete stranger. Hardly a stranger at all. I have seen you many times, and almost spoke to you once. Then, I woke up." The words flowed lightly from his lips, barely audible over the rising music. A simple flirt, perhaps; but, truth could always be told. Was she the girl of his dreams, tonight the White Owl would doubt nothing, second guess nothing, and know nothing but the time he was allowed being not-himself. He intended to make the most of this time.

::And who might you be, my Flame?::

[Obsidian]

Being complimented on her dancing, the girl smiled. “Thank you. You are quite the charmer out here on the dance floor as well,” she whispered into his ear as they danced, their bodies pressed together, moving in sync. She let his hands roam her body, leaning her head back and resting it on his chest. This night was flawless perfection. She wouldn’t have asked for it to turn out any other way. It was magical, an event that a girl could only dream of. The gowns, the masks, the mystery; it all seemed like a young girl’s fantasy, something they would read in a fairytale.

What the guy was saying was, in fact, true. This attraction between the two was easy. She wasn’t tense, she wasn’t nervous, she was just… natural. The girl’s hands found his, almost guiding them around her. “Whether I am a stranger or not will be determined in time,” a hint of seduction was apparent in her voice. In all honesty, she didn’t want to take off her mask, she didn’t want to reveal herself and ruin something that had just blossomed. She didn’t want to alter the course that had just begun.

His lips gently brushed against her cheek. The sign of a gentleman. She looked into his eyes, listening as he spoke. At first she didn’t realize that he was talking about seeing her in her dreams, which would be creepy given any other situation. Though in this sense, it was hypnotizing in a way. The girl felt her heart melt in the slightest, barely able to resist his charm. “If I am no stranger, than who am I? Maybe this will jog your memory…” The girl turned around to face him, rising on the tips of her toes and gently pressed her lips to his, draping her arms over his shoulders and lacing her fingers together. Something like this would only happen once in a lifetime, might as well take advantage of it while it lasts.

[White Owl]

A kiss, racing from her lips to his. Masks pressed together, an aching blooming in his... No, it was but a fantasy. Attractions as these do not exist in a real world, do they? He did not know, but allowed himself to fade into her embrace. His lips upon hers, and his hands holding her firmly against him. The touch was hardly easy, and a fire burned as bright as her dress, an obsidian flame coursing through his body. It could blind him, had his eyes not been closed. This was not only a kiss, these were not only caresses, and this magical night was not only a night.

His former life failed in comparison to who he was pretending to be tonight. Would others feel a magic so bold, a connection so sharp? Would he? It did not matter. He lost himself in her touch, and kiss. The passion leaped forward and rung hold of his chest. He paused to breathe, but did not want to disconnect the touch he shared with his dance partner. The kiss did remind him of someone, but he held firm to her and would not allow the outside world enter into what they were creating on the dance floor. This time was theirs, and no one would be allowed to come and take it away. He would not condemn the night to end just yet. When she was right here, and he was right with her, and the kiss had to end but not just now. Right?

He leaned closer into her, smiled against her lips, and then pushed the kiss to the side of her neck. He wished he could do more, but their were eyes all around them. Ending the night in a detention would do nothing to heighten the mood, but then he had an idea. "Then, no matter what, no matter who we might turn out to be; Let us promise to spend the remainder of the night together. After the masks fly free, and identities discovered, let us not end the night in shock or awe. Let us end the night as we began it, with a smile on our lips, a sparkle in our eyes, and in great company."

[/i] Would she accept his offer?[/blockquote]

[Obsidian]

As the two of them stood on the dance floor, everything, all of the action around them seemed to pause. Her entrance to the masquerade seemed to have been so distant, it was history and she was living in the present. This was the one moment where the girl's past didn't matter. People couldn't judge her for her mistakes. She danced with the boy clad in white. The solid color drawing attention to him, making his feathered mask sand out among the rest. They spoke for a moment before the girl's hands crawled up his chest and she pressed her lips to his. The situation was almost magical, like something out of a movie, something every girl longed for- that storybook ending to everything. She closed her eyes as they kissed, her arms draped over his shoulders. His lips moved down to her sweet-smelling neck and she tilted her chin up.

The boy broke the kiss and spoke. In all honesty, the girl didn't want to know who he was. She would prefer to stay in the moment forever, with the question lingering on her tongue, the game that this could turn into. An everlasting mystery that she was so close to solving, yet so far. She liked the game. It made her question things that she wouldn't normally care about. Slowly nodding, a slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Just keep me guessing, she thought to herself. She liked things that were unpredictable, just like herself. In all ways possible, this girl could keep you on your toes, dodging bullets that she flung your way, like an endless game of Russian Roulette. She vowed to spend the remainder of the night with him.

The girl smiled mischievously and kissed him again, hands on his shoulders, pressing her body into his. Slowly, her fingers brushed, gently clawing, down his chest, pausing and lingering at the hem of his pants. She smirked into the kiss, but was broken apart, torn from him by an announcement that the night was drawing to a close. Had it really been that long? The girl took a step back from the mysterious white owl and tilted her head toward the floor. This was the moment of truth. It could either end terribly or marvelously, but seeing what her reputation was like, it probably wouldn't end well and she should probably just walk away before she disappoints Prince Charming. She bit her lower lip and slowly reached up and removed her mask. Tension was beginning to build up in her mind and thickened in the air around them. As the mask was lifted from her face, the girl's warm, chocolaty brown hair faded and her true, vibrant, fire red hair emerged and her eyes lightened in the slightest to a golden color. She looked up at the boy with the slightest sparkle in her eyes. Her delicate skin shimmered in the light. This obsidian flame was the one and only Katherine Evans.

[White Owl]

The night flew by, and the stars began to twinkle out high above the castle. He was only aware of her in his arms, the dance shared, the night turning later as each second winked past. He found himself lost in her, wishing that the night would never ring midnight so that he would be forced to reveal who he was hiding under the snowy white mask of owl feathers and silver glitter. Even as his body moved against hers, each step almost perfect in their movements; the White Owl was struggling with how he would let her know who he was, and that this night meant something more than just a shared dance.

Within the small amount of time he had shared with her, his whole world seemed to reshape and he caught a glimpse of what it could be. He knew then what magic could be held without all the extra fighting, and bickering that came with the rest of his dark life. His eyes sparkled through the mask as he watched her. Each time she was close he would steal a kiss. Every chance he got to touch her, his fingers were light on her skin. She was magic, the whole embodiment of what good could be in this life of his. And then the night was beginning to close. All around them people were removing their masks, and his heart took a lurch into his throat as his eyes turned to her.

It was in slow motion, time standing still. Her slim fingers removed her mask, and his breath caught. Kat? Of all the people in the castle it could have been, it was her. He knew her, of course. Never did he think he could feel like this around her, and then it dawned on him. It was as if everyone in the room had paused to glance in his direction. It was time for the White Owl to remove his own fine mask, and show the world his real face. His fingers shook as he fumbled with the latch on his mask, and his eyes locked onto Kat's. He tried to smile, but he could not move his lips as he froze.

Would she run? Would she react at all? He did not know, but the latch came undone in his trembling fingers, and for the first time the White Owl removed his feathery mask and held it low in his hands. His chocolate colored eyes lifted and looked through a lock of dark hair. Eric Strobe's heart did not beat within that moment, but he did nod softly to his dance partner. What future would this encounter, and this magical night shared hold? He did not know, but Eric was well aware that something inside him had changed. Somewhere deep inside him, a heart beat warmly.