Three's A Crowd

[Clementine Pratt]

Going dressed in couple costumes with Anthony had been a fun experience for Clementine last year, but they didn't do that this year. Instead Clementine decided to go as something more whimsical and dressed as an astronaut, complete with a helmet that she had to peek over if she didn't stand up straight. She was excited for the feast this year because her best friend Teddy said he was going to make an effort and hang out with her and Anthony. They hadn't exactly gotten off to a good start so she was glad to see he would make an effort to get to know her boyfriend. Clementine arrived at the Halloween feast with Anthony and looked around for Teddy, wondering if Anthony's friends were going to join them again, hoping they would so she could watch them compete against each other bobbing for apples again.
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[Anthony Blade]

Anthony made his way down towards the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast. He hadn't decided on a group costume for himself and Clem this year but that was okay with him. He was just happy that he got to spend time with her. Things had been going really well between the two of them lately and he was happy with their progress as a couple. He had caused a bit of drama when they had been staring out but he was glad that they were good now. He wondered if Merrill and Solomon would be there, and he hoped they were because it was fun seeing how competitive everyone was last year. Spotting Clementine, he smiled and approached her. "Well, don't you just look out of this world." He said with a cheeky grin before leaning in to give her a kiss.

 

[Thaddeus Miller]

Teddy had no idea why he had told his best friend that he would come to the Halloween feast with her and her boyfriends and his friends - he didn't know these people personally and quite frankly did not want to either so hoped that at some point they would leave so he would have some alone time with Clementine. For now, however, he needed to put his feelings and thoughts aside and make his way towards the Great Hall for what was promised to be a fun night. He smiled when he spotted his best friend and her boyfriend and approached them. ''Hey guys,'' he said.

 

[Solomon Mordaunt]

Solomon had outgrown Halloween by the age of twelve at least, it felt like it was more for kids than anyone his age to participate in. Still, it seemed like everyone, even the older students, continued to keep up with the tradition of dressing up in a "spooky" costume. Others didn't seem to get the memo, with a rollerskating sorting hat and a giant fairy floss girl present in the hall, looking particularly un-scary. Solomon's own outfit was almost lazy, having taken a few seconds to do as a shapeshifter. He was an inferius this year - with gaunt, pale skin and sunken eyes, their colour drained to a cloudy white. His usual styled hair had been made into a haphazard mess with a few random brushes of his hands, and his clothing was untucked and crinkled, but otherwise generally the same as what he'd wear normally. He couldn't be bothered with the additional effort of buying or making a costume - if his innate abilities couldn't do something, then it was too much of a bother.

"There they are." Sol pointed out the small group to Merrill, having kept an eye out for Anthony since they came in. Drink in hand, the Slytherin walked up to them and raised a hand in greeting. "Hey Ant, Clementine. You." He said, pausing as he looked at Anthony's girlfriend's friend. It was too many steps away from being someone he considered to be in the "group" - even Clementine wasn't someone he really considered to be a friend, just a tag-along with Anthony, though he did his best to be polite and friendly to her for his sake. He was still bitter about losing to her during the dueling tournament. He chalked it up to a bad day, and avoided bringing the whole thing up again.
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[Merrill Piper]

Halloween was usually Merrill's favourite holiday, and at first she had been just as excited about it, but as the day got closer, and closer she found herself not looking forward to the usual festivities. Everything felt so much more draining this year. Maybe it was just the threat of her upcoming OWLs, but she couldn't shake it. As she entered the hall with her best friend she took a few minutes to look around. Once again the headmistress had outdone herself. These years Halloween was so much better than some silly dance.

Last year she had managed to score the prize for scariest costume, and Merrill was hoping to win something yet again. This year she had asked Solomon for help with a charm to make her look like a living statue. It had turned out quiet well if she did say so herself, and Solomon always had a knack for these kinds of things. They approached their usual group for these events, but this time there was someone new joining them. A boy from her house, Teddy. "Hey, guys." She greeted in her usual cheery way. "Great costumes this year. So what's first? Candy or games?" Merrill asked hoping if she acted excited she would begin to believe it.

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[Clementine Pratt]

Clementine turned when she heard Anthony's voice and laughed at his joke, glad that he didn't think she was silly for her choice in costume. She was even more glad that her helmet didn't have any glass or plastic face protectant so it wouldn't obstruct her from leaning in to kiss Anthony. Just as they pulled away, Teddy joined them and Clementine wondered if he saw them kissing but grinned happily at the sight of him anyway. "Hey!" she said, reaching out to hug him in greeting as best as she could given her helmet's restrictions.

Not a moment later Solomon joined them and Clementine smiled and waved at him. She'd always had a feeling Solomon didn't particularly like her, but Clementine had surprisingly thick skin, so she could handle it, because he wasn't exactly mean to her either. She merely hoped he could warm up to her eventually since she and Anthony had been dating for a while now. "Whoa, cool costume Merrill!" she said, once the other girl joined them. She thought Merrill might know of Teddy since they were in the same house but figured she should introduce him anyway, especially since Solomon didn't know him, judging by his greeting. Clementine turned towards Teddy and said, "This is my best friend Teddy." She gestured to Sol and Merrill respectively and then to Teddy she said, "That is Solomon and Merrill," so they all knew each other's names. She gave the tall Gryffindor an encouraging smile because she had promised him she wouldn't ditch him tonight and didn't want him to feel too out of place. Now on to important matters, Clem turned to Merrill and declared, "Games! Apple bobbing?"
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