Open Alone this Christmas

[Eoin Armati]

Eoin didn't know why he was here. Large crowds made him incredibly uncomfortable, the moment he even stepped into the Yule Ball in his black suit, Eoin felt the sweat tickling his brow, heart starting to hammer a little harder in his chest, his hands fidgeting in front of him as he tried not to look too awkward as he stood there. Oh how he would give nothing to be able to just turn and run, but he had made a promise to his parents that he would at least go for a little bit and tell them how it went. They said this could be a step to get over his fear of crowds, though Eoin didn't particularly want to get over that fear. Though the twelve-year-old supposed just standing there awkwardly was not the best thing he could be doing, so the lanky boy slowly made his way to the quietest part of the room he could find, letting out a slow breath as he tried to keep himself composed. Maybe this could be fun. (Though that was just his mother's words, Eoin very much doubted it.)

 

[Indira Khatri]

Indi wasn't sure what she expected when she decided to go to the Yule Ball. The Halloween dance had been pretty cool and when she walked into the Great Hall she wasn't disappointed. The decorations were beautiful and she was fascinated by seeing all of her school mates dressed up in their fancy clothes. Her mom had said it was quite a formal event but Indi had decided to go with a simple dress and she was glad. There were some students wearing their fanciest clothes but she also saw some just wearing button down shirts and calling it formal so she defiantly wasn't out of place. Indi took her time walking around the hall, watching people and grabbing a cup of punch. It was a bit overwhelming with all the talking and dancing, and she found her way to a quiet corner and found she wasn't alone. There was a tall skinny boy she knew was in her year because she recognized him from lessons. "Why do you look nauseous?" she asked him, noticing his obvious discomfort. He looked sweaty and Indi was worried she'd have to go find a nurse.

 

[Eoin Armati]

The longer he just stood quietly in the corner away from all the crowds of people just a little better he was feeling about everything. It was almost like a weight was being lifted off his shoulders. But the tall boy was still incredibly anxious and nervous about the whole thing, constantly shifting his feet, unable to stay very still as he was wringing his hands one second, then twiddling with the bottom of his jacket and then adjusting his glasses. But the sudden voice appearing next to him did give him quite a start, almost jumping right out of his skin as his wildly turned his head to see who it was. A girl he recognized from his own year, but didn't know the name of. Which was not uncommon for him seeing as he wasn't the most sociable of people. "I'm fine," he lied quickly, straightening up again, "I just... I'm not a big fan of large crowds."

 

[Juno Belgrave]

Juno had never liked this time of year very much, and he had little expectations for the Yule Ball. Memories of being shoved into freshly starched clothes and falling asleep in a stuffy church had put somewhat of a damper on the festive season, but he was a little curious to see what Hogwarts would be doing for the holiday. He'd pulled out his best shirt, which was miraculously missing only one button, and headed down to the event. Juno didn't have any idea how to dance so he steered clear of the dancefloor and instead made a beeline for a food table. He got himself a drink and was then at a loss for what to do next. Talk to someone? He couldn't just go and make a fool of himself in front of anybody, he had standards, but then he spotted a couple of people from his year. "You know, you can just escape, right? Run into the woods where there are no crowds," he said, trying not to spill his drink as he slid up to them.

 

[Indira Khatri]

Indi had to try her best to not laugh at the way the boy jumped when she announced her presence. “Well that’s good. I was worried I might have to go find a nurse or something.” she said, sounding unimpressed. She tried to give him a sympathetic look as he explained himself since he really did look shaken up. But she did think he was being a bit ridiculous. Why did he come if he was going to stand in the corner looking like he was about to pass out all night. Thankfully she was able to hold her tongue from saying just that as another boy from their year joined them. He also had a good point. “That’s true.” she said thoughtfully. “If you run off to the woods the only thing you have to worry about is getting kidnapped by a centaur, but definitely no people.” she said with a hint of a smile. “Why are you here then? Exposure therapy? Trying to get over your fears?” she inquired, unable to keep her questions to herself anymore.

 

[Nathan Clarke]

Christmas was another thing that Hogwarts and the whole wizard world had ruined for Nate. He'd usually be expecting tons of presents under the tree around now. A new console, or a handful of games, maybe even a new laptop since the school had busted his old one. But none of these things mattered, he couldn't use most of the presents he usually got without magic ruining them. He hadn't intended to go to the Yule Ball, but he had heard there would be snow, and there was a distinct lack of that where he was from. Upon rocking up, he was disappointed to see the snow was mostly out of reach above their heads. He frowned, skulking about the room by himself until he was listening in to a conversation from some of his classmates. He scoffed at Indira's comment, unable to help himself. "Like centaurs are real." He commented, with much less conviction than he'd had earlier in the year, when he'd truly thought everything was fake. He might have been on board with magic now, but centaurs? Come on. "D'you think we'll see Santa tonight?" He laughed lightly. At least Santa had to be fake. His parents had always been transparent about being the ones to get him gifts. Unless Santa was a wizard who went around mind-wiping adults, but that was crazy. "But for real, what's to be scared of? It's just people. Shove 'em out of the way if they get too close." He suggested to Eoin. There were bigger things to be scared of.​

 

[Eoin Armati]

Talking to one person was just fine with him, but the moment one of their other year mates came over and offered his opinion about the whole thing, Eoin did feel ever so slightly more uncomfortable about everything. "And why would I want to run into the woods? I could get lost out there," especially once it had gotten dark. The only time Eoin had stepped a foot into the forest, and the only time he ever planned to do so, was in Herbology when they had been allowed to go in there to collect something. And while he did doubt that there were actual centaurs out there, it still sounded dangerous enough to him to avoid another visit. "I promised my parents I would come for a bit," he explained. And he wasn't one to disappoint his parents. Then another boy butt into the conversation, one Eoin remembered as the boy from earlier in the year who had refused to believe magic was real and was sure it was all some sort of special effects. Eoin was pretty sure the boy had also believed they were on some film set being recorded. "Of course Santa doesn't exist," he huffed with a roll of his eyes. His parents had never really bought him into the whole 'Santa' thing when he was little. "And I know it's just people, but it's a lot of people. It makes me feel a bit claustrophobic."