Open Blossoming Alone

[Delilah Thorne]

Delilah found herself staring at the rose petals falling from the sky. It was oddly hypnotic and she was also trying to commit it all to memory. It was her last school dance after all. She had briefly considered not attending at all but had obviously changed her mind. It had felt like a lot of effort to go to a dance that she had never really had much of a fondness for but her sentimentality won out in the end. She put on a simple dress and made her way to the great hall. As expected she had been greeted by a wave of reds and pinks just in case she had forgotten what holiday they were celebrating. Blinking rapidly, Delilah broke her gaze away form the celling finally and made her way to one of the fountains of flowing fruit punch. She wasn't sure what flavor it was but she served herself and let herself relax as she took in the scene. She was content to spend the night like this and felt herself swaying to the music.

 

[Harper Alston]

If you had asked Harper to make a list of things she would miss about Hogwarts once she graduated, the Valentine's Dance wouldn't have even made it into the top 10. And yet, standing here in the Great Hall, surrounded by falling petals, Harper was struck by a wave of premature nostalgia. From sampling sweets with Blake to catching Sawyer hiding under a table, she'd made a lot of good memories at this dance despite its kitschy theme. Once she graduated, who knew when she'd be able to see all of her friends and classmates in one place again?

After taking a slow lap around the Great Hall, Harper decided to get herself a drink before the line got too long. As she filled her cup at one of the fountains, she spotted Delilah swaying to the music nearby. Harper recalled another Valentine's Dance memory, one spent poking fun at the decorations with Delilah. The Ravenclaw looked much more content this year. She decided to make her way over. "Hey Delilah," Harper greeted cheerfully before turning to gaze out at the room. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I might actually miss all the over-the-top decorations next year."

 

[Delilah Thorne]

Delilah scanned the room looking for any of her friends. If they had arrived already they were doing a good job at hiding or maybe they had the sense to move away from over the top spectacle. But so far she was enjoying herself and apparently wasn't the only one after all. "Oh hey!" she she said with a smile as she greeted Harper. She hated to admit she was a little relieved not to be the only seventh year around. She laughed lightly at the other girl's comment and took in the sight of the great hall again. "Yeah." she sighed, feeling a bit wistful. "There's nothing quite like it." she agreed solemnly. Hogwarts was one of a kind in a lot of ways and she doubted she'd easily fine a space quite like this again. "Or maybe we'll just have to be those people get really into themed parties." she teased. She was mostly joking but part of her kind of liked the idea, at least as an idea.

 

[Natalia Novak]

Natalia was at this event mostly out of habit. The idea of going to the Valentine’s Dance with a date had seemed impossible ever since her falling out with Brooke. She hoped she didn’t run into the older girl. She had grabbed herself some punch and was watching other students dance and have fun. She quietly scanned the hall for anyone she could talk to. She saw Delilah Thorne, a girl she knew only vaguely, mostly because she was from a good family. Natalia moved a bit closer to her, intending to strike up some sort of conversation. But she froze when she saw who Delilah was talking to. Harper, of course. Natalia quickly took a sip of her drink and looked away, trying not to look like she had been approaching. She would rather avoid a confrontation.

 

[Harper Alston]

Judging by Delilah's tone, Harper wasn't the only one feeling sentimental tonight. She scanned the room, wondering where the other seventh years were. Surely they were all here, even the ones who didn't usually attend the dances. After all, it was their last one. Harper chuckled at Delilah's next comment before giving her a look of mock horror. "Oh god, you're right. We'll probably start dressing up in costumes for those themed parties, too. What has Hogwarts done to us? " And then she laughed at the silliness of it all. Her mirth dimmed a little when she saw Natalia make her way towards them and then suddenly stop. Harper glanced at Delilah, unsure if she had also seen the Slytherin. "You're not waiting for anyone, are you?" If Delilah had plans to meet up with Natalia, then Harper was going to make a quick exit and find some of her other friends. She wasn't going to let the Slytherin ruin her night.

 

[Delilah Thorne]

Delilah smiled as she tried to imagine her future outside of school. One that would hopefully be full of silly parties. "Apparently turned us into people who like parties." she said with a laugh. Maybe that wasn't as outrageous for Harper but for her it felt like a massive shift. She noticed Harper's change in attitude and looked at her curiously. "No, not that I'm aware of." she said uncertainly and followed Harper's gaze till she spotted Natalia. "Oh hi Natalia." she greeted. She hadn't talked to the Slytherin much over the years other than one conversation where she tried to bring up her pureblood relatives in an attempt to gain favor. A move her father would have been proud of but that version of herself felt very far way. "Are you looking for Brooke?" Delilah asked. Brooke hadn't mentioned the younger girl in a while but it wouldn't be the first time she missed something that was going on with her friends.