Open Not Thinking About It

[Wisteria Lacewing]

Disappearing into her head for weeks on end wasn't healthy, but Wish was feeling the pressure of her final year at Hogwarts. It was an aching void of what-ifs and could-have-beens that culminated in a mostly one-sided feud with her brother. It was petty, yes, and entirely built upon her feelings about their parents. It was going to be rough once she graduated, because Wish was certain that she had failed to develop the necessary fortitude to leave her family and make her own way in the world. It was unfortunate, but something that couldn't be helped, at least in her mind. Tonight though, she had a dance to go to.

Wish was experiencing a kind of numb, floaty anxiety that swished its way through the ruffles of her peachy pink dress and up to her fingertips. She hadn't told anybody she was planning on attending because she didn't want to deal with more disappointment tonight in case she chickened out. She went straight for the dance floor - near the edges, because while she was throwing caution to the wind, she was still Wish. Swaying gently to the slow music, Wish was determined not to dwell on her failures for a night. Her grades didn't matter, nor did her lack of ability to obtain a date for the night. She was just going to dance like nobody's opinion mattered and switch her brain firmly off.

 

[Hazel Ashworth]

Hazel always loved these events. She loved dancing, she loved meeting people and she loved dressing up. Especially when others were also dressing up. She was looking around eagerly for someone to talk to. Hazel wasn't shy around older students, so when she saw an older girl she vaguely recognized from Slytherin, she had no problem going up to her. He spun around next to her, then grinned. "I love your dress!" She called over the music, louder than was strictly necessary considering the music was pretty soft.

 

[Wisteria Lacewing]

Wish was a bit thrown to have someone speaking to her, which she felt silly about because this was a social event and that's what people did at these things. Years of lurking in the corners or skipping out entirely had given her an odd set of norms of what to expect. She recognised the girl from her house, but couldn't place her name. Instead of letting herself feel awkward about that, Wish smiled brightly. "T-thank you, I love yours too!" she replied, only stumbling a little over her words. "Very botanical." Seeing everyone's outfits was always a highlight of the dances for her.