Closed Almost there

[Lilith Ilves]

Lilith was excited because Eoghan had agreed to match with her this year too and they had a super cute couples costume. He'd even let her do his makeup like Jack. She'd had to put some red into her hair with some weird hair dye thing that would wash out in one or two washes, but it was cute for the evening. The costume wasn't the only thing she was excited about though.

With October coming to an end it meant that the next full moon was only a few days away. Matter of fact the next full moon would be on November 2nd, meaning she'd finally be done with the Mandrake leaf in her mouth. Lilith was holding Eoghan's hand and her other arm was snaked around his arm as they walked into the great hall. It was the same as it was every year, but it was always just as exciting when she was with Eoghan. Pointing towards the scary tent she looked at her boyfriend with pleading eyes, they'd gone there in their first year and she wanted to go again. The no talking was getting really quite bothersome but Lilith was making it work, or at least she hoped she was...

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

The makeup on Eoghan's face was so thick, that if he wiggled his eyebrows or moved his mouth, he could feel it pulling on areas around the rest of his face. He tried to keep his expression as still as he could, which in reality, wasn't all that difficult. It was perhaps a good thing that he and Lili weren't currently talking due to the leaf in her mouth, because he had no doubt it would have found things to be quite itchy.

Eoghan could read Lilith well enough that he knew exactly what she meant with the glance in his direction, and despite not wanting to take a second trip through the haunted tent that he'd already experienced once before, perhaps four years later, Eoghan find it as bad this time. He lead them through the Great Hall, weaving in and out of the other students until they reached the entrance. He hated Halloween at the best of times, but he continued to go through this malarkey every year for his girlfriends sake, "After you." He gestured in front of him with his free hand.

 

[Lilith Ilves]

Lilith was happy Eoghan could read her so well, it didn't take her any words to convey what she wanted and the fact that he lead them straight to the tent did things to her heart. When he gestured she go before him the fifth year gave a quick kiss to her boyfriends cheek, leaving a red mark from her lipstick, before walking in and pulling Eoghan by his hand behind her.

It was dark and there were little lights every now and then, it was really quite spooky which she figured was the point. Keeping close to Eoghan she leaned into his side as they walked deeper into the tent. The beginning wasn't all that scary really just some rattling coffins and mirrors. If she remembered correctly it was near the end that things started jumping at you, the beginning was just building up the atmosphere and making sure you felt uneasy, which Lili was definitely starting to feel.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Eoghan followed in after Lili, glad that this time she didn't need him to go first. During their first year he'd taken the lead through the tent too, although he certainly hadn't been brave enough at the time to do so. He kept close enough to the prefect now that they were always within reaching distance, and the blonde found his time he was actually paying attention to the decorations around him. It was hard to tell in the dark whether they'd been enchanted or whether someone, perhaps professor Fox, had rigged up the mechanisms on a timer to jump out when students passed through, but Eoghan had to appreciate the efforts to the school was going to to create it for the students.

Up ahead he heard another girl screaming, presumably because she'd been caught off guard herself by something else in the tent, and swallowing nervously Eoghan prepared himself for the worst.

 

[Lilith Ilves]

While it didn't feel that she was in any real danger, the darkness companied with the screams from ahead did very little to settle the unease that was building in the pit of Lili's stomach. It wasn't really all that scary but it was definitely... unsettling with everything. She was pretty sure whoever had composed the interior of the tent had put thought behind it on how to make it so that towards the end a student would feel uneasy enough to be caught off guard by something.

Lilith flipped the leaf in her mouth around as they walked and she was feeling tense as they reached the last portion of the tent. It was fun but she was more than ready to be out of there, to get back into the light. Walking she did jump a little when something rattled, but nothing had yet completely caught her off guard. Just as they were near the exit of the tent something, a skeleton, jumped from a coffin at Lilith. Before the prefect could stop herself a full blown scream of terror escaped her mouth and with it.... the leaf flew out and suddenly it felt as if time had slowed down as Lili's eyes widened and she watched the leaf slowly fall towards the ground.

"No...." Lilith whispered at first, not believing her eyes. "No no no no nono!" The Ravenclaw burst into tears as her month of hard work descended down onto the floor of the tent and Lili sank to her knees with it picking the stupid leaf up and staring at it while crying.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

The skeleton in the coffin made Eoghan jump too, but not as much as the scream from Lilith did. His head snapped back in her direction, chills going down his spine at the realisation she was talking. No, this was bad. Something was wrong. After a second Lili had crumbled to the floor, sobbing immediately, and the panic was rising in Eoghan as to what on earth had just happened. Had she been hurt?

The Ravenclaw dropped to the floor beside her, watching with wide eyes as she picked up the leaf from the floor, and Eoghan connected the dots in front of him. She'd been days away from completing her task, and in their attempt at enjoying a night at Halloween she would now have to start over. Eoghan should never had brought her into this tent, not somewhere where there were things in here designed to catch people of guard. He walked her straight into a trap.

"I'm so sorry," Eoghan wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, there was nothing that could fix it if she'd let go of the leaf beyond restarting the process. They needed to get out of here, crouching on the floor on the tent in the dark, they were only going to get run over by other students coming through. "We have to go," Eoghan urged, offering his hand.

 

[Lilith Ilves]

She couldn't just put it back into her mouth and pretend it'd never fallen. No. It was over. Her almost a month of work in vain in the matter of a few seconds. Lilith kept staring at the leaf in her hands, tears cascading down her cheeks and ruining her makeup. She was ware Eoghan was still next to her and had dropped down with her. He was seeing her failure. He was seeing the evidence of her failing at this stupid task that she'd almost completed. Everyone would know. Merlin professor Pirrip was surely going to be disappointed in her. Lilith's whole confidence was crumbling down as she continued to sob.

Eoghan's voice pierced through the ringing in Lilith's ears, but the words weren't quite registering as she still processed the fact she'd lost the leaf. Looking at Eoghan and his hand that he'd offered she slowly realized she was just crumbled on the floor of the tent and people were approaching. "I'm sorry..." Lili whispered, taking her boyfriend's hand so that they could leave. There was no point staying anymore. It was over, she'd have to start again and go through the whole month all over again. She should have been expecting the skeleton, but it had caught her off guard. "I ruined the night, I'm sorry." Not only had she spat out her stupid leaf she now had ruined Halloween for Eoghan too.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Eoghan was doing his best to get them both to their feet so they could move, but it was difficult with the set up around them. He stumbled a little, but after a moment they were back upright, headed out of the tent that had only ever cause them more grief than joy.

"You haven't ruined anything," Eoghan told her truthfully, turning to look at her properly. She'd already been crying so hard that her make up was streaked down her face, as though someone had dipped Sally upside down in a pond. He wasn't sure he had anything on him to make it salvageable, although he was a little sad to leave. It wasn't because he particularly enjoyed Halloween, not at all, but there was a reoccurring theme every time he and Lili tried to enjoy themselves, it was always cut short by something. "Do you want to leave?" Eoghan was sad to ask, surprising even himself, but there was no point sticking around if Lilith wasn't going to have fun.

 

[Lilith Ilves]

It was so sad that Halloween was now ruined by such a small thing. It'd always been Lilith's favourite holiday. She'd always looked forward to the feast and this year they'd even had such a nice costume. Her shoulders slumped as she walked out of the tent, feeling so helpless with the leaf in her hand. It was supposed to be a good night. Last year they'd not had good time at the school events for different reasons and now this one was ruined too.

Lilith looked up to Eoghan when he asked if she wanted to leave, pretty sure she looked insane right now. She could feel the tears still trailing down her face and she was pretty sure if anyone saw her like this they were going to let out a scream of terror. It was still sad to leave so early. "I don't know... yes... I think?" The prefect said, not even sure herself. Looking at the leaf she wondered if she should just wash that one and reuse it or ask Professor Pirrip for another one. "We had such a good costume and it was supposed to be a good night. I'm sorry." Lili knew he wasn't mad at her but she was a little upset with herself for ruining the evening. She'd been the one to want to go to the tent and to lose the leaf.

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

It was probably for the best. Maybe one day they would get the chance to stay at an event until it ended, be the last people there until it closed, but today wasn't that day, and there were more pressing issues to worry about. It had taken them hours to do their make up earlier in the day, but Eoghan wasn't even mad about that, because he'd still enjoyed the time he got to spend with Lili even if they couldn't talk at that point. She would have to restart her task with the leaf now, but until then, the Ravenclaw could talk and perhaps that's exactly what they needed. "You don't need to apologise," the prefect lead them back out of the hall, hoping the night was still salvageable and she didn't take things too to heart.