He had been a dutiful escort to his sister, but Gwen was in high demand as the birthday girl which left Joscelin to his own devices and his choice of dance partners.

His thoughts went to Romilda then and not seeing her on the grounds, he headed towards the ballroom. She seemed the type to enjoy the more formal dances to the raucous goings on outside with the fiddlers.

Once inside, it wasn't hard to find her at all. She was a beautiful woman, an exotic flower, and the red dress she was wearing stood out like a beacon. Lips twitching into a small smile, Joscelin navigated through the crowd in her direction, making small talk and pleasantries as he went.

He had known from their first acquaintance at Avalon what Romilda was looking for and that he hadn't seemed to fit the bill. Joscelin took efforts not to fit the mold of wealthy pure-blood heir, had taken such efforts his whole life.

It had started as a challenge to see if he could charm her despite her misgivings concerning his apparent lack of real wealth or status. In the end though, he had found that he truly enjoyed Romilda's company. What she was to him beyond a friend, however, he wasn't sure. She was young yet and he didn't play for the sake of playing anymore. Time would tell.

For tonight, he'd charm her with a dance because it would please both of them.

She was chatting with a few people and her escort was nowhere in sight. As he came up behind her, he caught the eye of the woman she'd been talking with and winked just before he set his hand lightly at the base of her spine and bent to speak next to her ear. "A dance, Romilda?"

The warmth of the large hand at her back seeping through the light fabric of her dress and the gentle brush of breath against her skin as Joscelin spoke brought Romy's senses into sharp focus, and unbidden her mind supplied an image of his lips on her neck, of strong hands moving to cup her hips and draw her close. Mentally shaking herself, she turned her head to reply, a soft gasp escaping as she found that Joscelin had not yet straightened and the lips she had just imagined were teasingly near her own. "Yes, please. I'd be delighted," Romy returned, clearing her throat lightly to rid herself of the huskiness that had come into her voice.

Joscelin noted Romilda's awareness of him in an instant - the quick intake of breath, the spike of heat from her just beneath his hand, her focus both a bit distracted and centered on him - and held a moment, breathing in her scent, soft and feminine, before straightening with a smile that said everything and nothing and moving around her to offer his arm. He deftly navigated them through the dancers before swinging her around and into his body, one hand warm on her back, the other holding her smaller one as he led them into step.

"I'm glad you could come, Miss Vane, and I do hope you're having an enjoyable evening," he said after a few moments, slipping into the formality his upbringing dictated at such an event with a wry lilt to his tone, eyes twinkling in amusement at the woman in his arms.

Reminded of the night she and Joscelin first met as he guided her confidently around the floor, Romy was suddenly grateful not only that she had decided to talk with him that night, but that she hadn't known his status in society and financial situation. From what she knew of him now, her enthusiasm and guile would have had the exact opposite effect than what she'd have been aiming for and she'd have missed out on a relationship that had become very important to her.

Enjoying the weight of Joscelin's hand on her back and the light pressure of his body moving with hers, the corners of Romy's eyes crinkled as she grinned up at her very tall dance partner. "Very much, Mr. Jones. In fact, the evening seems to get better and better."

"I can't say I disagree," Joscelin replied, a small grin on his lips as he twirled her out and back into his arms, bringing her just a bit closer on the return. "And welcome to my home." His grin went slightly crooked then as he continued, "not that I spend a terrible amount of time here at the moment with hormonal dragons needing my attention."

"Thank you." She considered her words, lest they be misunderstood and give the impression that the lavish surroundings increased her regard for any reason other than that he trusted her enough to share them with her. "I'm very pleased for the chance to know a bit more of you."

Joscelin just winked and pulled her closer as he executed a slightly difficult dance maneuver before slipping back into the easier steps.

The hand on his shoulder gave a gentle squeeze and Romy's eyes sparkled with mischief. "So, what sort of attention does a hormonal dragon merit from you, Joscelin?"

A chuckle rumbled from Joscelin then, eyes dancing with amusement at Romilda's multi-layered inquiry. "Complete attention and focus, Romilda, and a healthy sense of self-preservation as the females, especially, are particularly ... unpredictable as to how they'll respond to the care we take with them," he replied, grinning.

"I imagine that's true. The female temperament does tend to be a bit volatile, no matter the species, which requires a bit of caution even for those men with an admitted fondness for explosions. Though I'm sure that your level of dedication and single-mindedness goes a long way towards keeping you safe from flames." She was enjoying this far too much. The closeness, the flirting, the subtle control he exerted as they danced that made her pulse quicken. It had been over a month since she'd as much as kissed a man, and this was an exercise in self-torment. Of course, she had no intention of stopping.

"It does at that," Joscelin replied, amused at their play of words echoing their first conversation at Avalon. He'd enjoyed Romilda's company from the first and was currently being reminded of why. An intelligent, saucy woman who was beautiful besides. "And I believe you even said it once before, that I've studied the topic at great length. Women ... of any species ..." he grinned, "... require such attention, especially if one is to enjoy the explosions instead of being burned."

"I do recall commenting on your studious nature, as well as the number of women who have, or have wished to appreciate it," Romy acknowledged with a teasing grin. Shifting the conversation before she was tempted to press her luck too far, her expression became sincere. "I didn't have the opportunity earlier to return your compliment. You look very fine this evening, Joscelin."

"Thank you. Though I'm rather fond of my leathers, I can't say it isn't nice to be a dashing rogue every now and again," he grinned with a wink as he dipped her, bringing her back against his chest a moment later.

A bell-like laugh tumbled from Romy's lips as Joscelin dipped her, her eyes meeting his as she fell back into step upon returning to her previous position in his arms. "I think you're pretty dashing all the time, but especially so tonight." Comfortable and happy in his arms, she was quiet for a few moments just to enjoy the reactions he drew from her and inhale his scent as it surrounded them. And to think I could have missed out on this - on him - if I'd suspected that night at Avalon that Joscelin was a man of property. It was a very unpleasant thought. "I'm glad, you know," she said quietly. "I'm glad I didn't know in the beginning." She didn't expand, but Romy knew Joscelin would understand to what she was referring. "It doesn't matter now, but it would have."

Joscelin's expression sobered from his laughing demeanor to something a bit more serious and intent, respect for what Romilda was sharing with him.

He'd suspected as much, which was why he'd not elaborated on himself overly. He was an easy going man and generally got on well with most everyone. However, when he was interested in a woman, a person, really, he preferred to be liked for himself, not his money, status or even that he was a man with a good amount of presence.

He was not unaware of himself. He knew that a lot of the time he drew people to him like moons orbiting the earth. He had never minded because he liked people and he liked taking care of those he chose to watch out for, but when it came to considering a woman for a relationship, or a friendship even, Joscelin desired to be wanted for himself.

Time would tell exactly what he wanted from Romilda and what she was seeing and seeking in him.

A soft smile pulled at his lips then and leaning forward, he brushed a ghost of a kiss across her brow. "That being the case, I'm glad too, love."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hannah stopped at a mirror to check her hair. Blaise had done a wonderful job putting it back to rights. He moved in behind her and kissed the side of her neck.

"Stop that," she said with a giggle. "I need to get back. I've been gone for an age. You are completely insatiable. We shall have to continue this at home later."

He grinned at her when she turned in his arms. "You bet your cute arse we will. I'm not letting you leave the bed the entire weekend." Blaise looked up in thought. "Or, if you have to go to work, I'm pretty sure I remember the charm to get that bed in the main sitting area. Brown will have to cast a silencing charm though."

Hannah giggled. "Or not. You know Justin stayed over last Saturday. It would serve her right. Maybe I'll just be closed tomorrow. Kris and I have worked really hard tonight. I think we could use one day off. I could spend it with you."

"I like that plan. I like it very much." Blaise sighed. "But you're right. We should probably go out and make an appearance again. I don't look forward to being caught in here. Someone would tell Aunt Gwenny and then she'd really want to kill me. Again."

"As if I'd let her. I'm scarier than I look, you know," Hannah said, smiling as they snuck out of the room they were in and made their way back to the party. "Anyone who tried to hurt my Blaise would be very, very sorry, love. Very."

As they arrived back in the main ballroom, Blaise sighed as he looked around. "And that is why I love you. You protect me from the evil witches." He kissed her cheek. "I'll let you get back to your adoring food fans. Remember, any more talk about your blood status, you get the name and leave the rest to me. I'm in the mood for a good hexing."

"No hexing," Hannah said as she smoothed the lines in his suit. "It's not worth it."

"Oh my stars, where have you been," Kristen said, grabbing Hannah's arm. "Farrah Davies wants to hire you out for some dinner party."

"Duty calls."

Kristen looked at Blaise. "How does it feel to be the prettiest?"

Hannah giggled.

Just then Draco sided up to Blaise and put and arm around him. "Want to annoy our mothers by dancing with me? It's been a dreadfully long time since we scared the squares, made them wonder about us. Can I borrow him, Sunshine?"

"Only if he agrees and only if you return him at the end of the evening exactly as you found him." Hannah smiled and kissed Blaise's cheek. "Have fun."

She and Kristen took off.

"So," Draco was smirking. "Dance with me?"

"Oh all right."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hurry Katie Kat! The shiny fiddler is going to start again soon!" Reese called over her shoulder with a flashing smile as she deftly pulled Katie through the crowds of people from the ballroom to the tents. Her bare feet padded through the grass and wisps of hair floated around her face as she ducked around the taller people.

"I'm coming, I'm coming Reesey!" Katie laughed, Reese's excitement catching as they all but ran across the grounds. "Not too fast though! I haven't taken my shoes off yet!"

Coming to an abrupt halt at the edge of the tent, Reese turned to Katie, cheeks flushed and breathing just a little quick. "You know, I don't remember where I put mine," she panted through a grin. "Al always said to use Accio though, but we can do that later. Shoes shoes! She's about to go back on!"

An excited glance up at the stage showed Mac talking animatedly to the crowd as she brought her violin up. "Hurry!" she whispered excitedly, tugging on a lock of Katie's hair as her friend slipped her shoes off.

Straightening, Katie grabbed Reese's hand with a smile and pulled her onto the floor just as the music started in earnest, people slipping into jigs and just general good time dancing all around them.

Tinkling laughter slipped from both girls as they flitted about together, holding hands in circles, light on their feet as they hopped the jig

Spinning in a circle, Reese came to stop, but before she started into the next steps of her fancy, her eyes came to rest on a small blond girl that looked very much like her and Katie watching the shiny fiddler and swaying to the music like it was part of her.

Turning around, she grabbed both Katie's hands and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I'll be right back, Katie Kats. Someone needs to play with us."

Getting a bright smile from her pink-cheeked friend, Reese leaned in and kissed her again before flitting over to the blond girl she'd seen. Catching the girl's hands that were twitching along to the music, Reese grinned at her when she turned wide, surprised eyes to her. "Come dance? You're filled with music and it wants to come out."

Only just keeping herself from startling violently as her hands were grabbed, Regan blinked at the person, her own height, which was unusual in itself, who'd spoken to her. She remembered Mac's admonishment and supposed that if she were going to dance with strangers, this girl was as close to completely non-threatening as a person could be. Nodding and offering a shy smile in response to the bright grin directed at her, she accepted. "All right. It doesn't want out so much as through, but dancing is better."

"Out of your soul and through your feet," Reese grinned, tugging at the hands in hers as she flitted backwards. "I'm Reesey and we're going to dance with Katie Kat and there will be fun, come, come!" She released the girl's hands then and spun in a circle on bare feet before grabbing a single hand and pulling her into the crowd.

Regan let herself be pulled along, wondering at the joy in the small person who had hold of her hand. She dodged the other dancers nimbly, as Reese did, halting in front of a very pretty woman who seemed to be the 'Katie Kat' that her abductor had mentioned. "My name's Regan," she said by way of greeting, tipping her head curiously at the two of them.

Pausing to a standstill in the wave of movement around them, Katie smiled at the younger girl Reese had brought over who was looking curiously at both of them in turn. "Hallo Regan, I'm Katie." She gently grasped Regan's other hand not held by Reese and gave it a light squeeze. "You don't have to stay, if you don't want to."

Not quite able to stay still, Reese bounced a bit on the balls of her feet as she looked between Katie and Regan. "But we'd love it, Regans." Another bright smile lighting her features, she grabbed Katie's other hand completing the circle. "We can be dancing blond bunnies, little hops 'n things," she chirped as she encouraged them into movement, light steps around in a circle.

Laughing, Regan fell easily into the steps of the jig that the music demanded, following Reese's nudge and setting them all in a whirl. She'd declined an offer from Mr. Sprock, sweet as he was, in favor of a brief chat before Mac took the stage again, but this was purely fun, and Reese and Katie were both warm and friendly, their smiles contagious. Reese's comment about the music going from the soul out through the feet had her skipping fleetly around, a grin to match her companions' soon on her face.

Letting go of the hands she held, Reese spun in a circle on her own, and then flitted in hopping figure-eights around Katie and Regan. The lively music of the very shiny fiddler was a living thing and she could feel the happy energy of the people around them. Reese loved parties.

Katie's fingers plucked at her long dress as the music began to pick up in earnest so that she could execute the quicker steps uninhibited by fabric. A giggle slipped her lips as she watched Reese flit about, their new friend Regan seeming to truly have fun as she smiled and danced along with them. It made her happy to see her friends, old and new, having a good time.

Tonks followed the laughter from the floor, threw off her shoes to the side, and grabbed Katie's free hand, pulling her into a two-person reel.

"Get ready to make the floor light on fire, Bells," she laughed, moving along with the music. This was fun, and just what she wanted.

Tinkling laughter spilled from Katie's lips as Tonks spun her about, and she squeezed the hand holding hers, careful to keep a tight hold of her dress with the other as she and Tonks danced the quick, lively steps. "Until we burn up, Tonksy," she called around a large smile.

As Katie was stolen for the moment, Reese grabbed Regan's hands and spun them in a circle, letting go of one and mimicking steps that her two other friends were doing. Seeing Regan looking at Tonks curiously even around her smile, Reese darted in and laid a quick kiss on the younger girl's cheek, her hand cupping the other as she said, "She's our Dora Dora Auror Tonks and she always has music in her too." A breathless rush of words and then she was spinning away with a smile.

Nodding in response to Reese's explanation, Regan let the other girl spin, then caught one hand for a more concentrated twirl, bringing Reese back to face her and mirroring her steps. She didn't use it often, as she was almost never called upon to lead, but she was glad she'd bothered to learn both parts to all her favorite dances, and matched the quick reel that 'Dora Dora Auror Tonks' had tugged Katie so adeptly into, glee in her every motion as Reese managed to follow.

Tonks smiled at Katie, and winked before picking her up and spinning her around, landing them near Reese and Regan. "Mind if we cut in?"

A happy, tinkling laugh spilled from Katie as Tonks twirled her and she greeted both Reese and Regan with a big smile as she was set down.

Eyes following her friends, Reese flashed a grin before turning to place a quick kiss on Regan's cheek and then Katie and Tonks. "Never, never, Dora Dora! Burn us up, too!" Reese called over the music, a little 'eep!" of delight spilling out when Tonks grabbed her up then.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Romy took a glass of champagne from a passing server and sipped it idly. She'd been making quite a few new acquaintances, and running into a number of people she knew. After dancing a to few numbers, she nibbled on the buffet. The food was excellent, not that she'd expect anything else for Gwen Jones' birthday party. She needed a moment away from the hustle and bustle of the party-goers, though, so she'd retreated to a more quiet area of the garden to recover her energy.

Having left Mandy with her friends for a bit, Oliver moseyed out into the garden for a breath of fresh air and a few minutes of much-needed solitude. Things had been decidedly overwhelming since rejoined the waking world, doubly so considering that pretty much every Quidditch player, investor, and supporter he'd ever met was a) there and b) burning with curiosity to hear his take on the debacle. Upon noting that his grace and diplomacy concerning the situation were beginning to crack, Oliver ran with with the first bad excuse he could come up with and ducked outside.

He hummed in tune with the distant, lively music as he walked, though both he and his humming came to an abrupt halt when he rounded the corner and came across a one Romilda Vane. Smirking quietly, and Oliver slid to stand behind her as quietly as possible, speaking into her ear in an effort to startle the olive-skinned beauty. "Bored, lassie?"

It was a dangerous thing to surprise a passionate woman with soft breath against her skin, particularly when she had gone unsatisfied for any length of time, but the men Romy was attracted to seemed determined to play with fire. Firmly quashing the tension that was always present between her and Oliver, she turned towards his familiar brogue with a smile.

"Just taking a moment away from the crowd." Romy did a quick survey of the nearby areas, checking to see if there was someone with Oliver who might get peevish if she was too friendly. Finding none, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "It's good to see you out and about," she said, placing a light kiss just below the line of his jaw - payback for sneaking up on her - before pulling away.

A confident grin overtook Oliver's lips as he returned Romy's hug. "'Course I'm out an' abou'. Didn' think they coul' keep me off m'feet for tha' long, did ye?" Touching the spot where Romy's lips met his skin, Oliver's grin turned playful. "Don' you go gettin' me in trouble wit' my date," he teased, flicking the ends of her hair. "An' I can see where you'd wanna do tha'...probably drivin' ye mad, th' boys are."

"Some more than others," Romy replied, fixing a pointed look on the handsome Scot before breaking into a grin. "And I checked the lay of the land before I took any liberties. Though if your date is willing to let you out of her sight among other young, single women, she's got to accept the risks that go along with that, eh? You're Oliver bloody Wood, after all. Recently awakened and a hot commodity."

Oliver's laugh filled the air between them, and he cast amused blue eyes down at Romy. "Did ye now? Always a resourceful one. An' I'm a 'hot commodity', am I? Well, since I'm apparen'ly so popular, I migh' as well go bother some other lass, seein' as I'm drivin' ye mad, now, eh?" he playfully replied, turning his back on Romy and heading back for the house. When he rounded the corner, however, he stood still, fully expecting her to chase after -- and thus run smack into -- him after he left her line of sight.

Romy watched him disappear around the corner, waiting a moment to see if he'd come back on his own before she stalked after him in a huff. "Oliver Wood! Didn't your mother teach you it's rude to walk away when a lady is spe--eep!" She'd come around the corner and collided with a wall - a large, muscular wall. Knocked off balance by the impact, Romy's arms flailed, grasping for something to keep her upright. She ended up with a firm grip on Oliver's firm bum, which startled and embarrassed her enough to make her let go, falling to the grass with a gasped 'Oof!'.

The broad, satisfied grin that graced his features when Romy eeped quickly turned to confused frown when he found a hand on his bum. "Wh-?" he began, jaw slamming shut when Romy hit the ground. His brow furrowed, and bent down to make sure Romy was okay. He'd not meant for her to fall, after all; having lived in said body all his life, it was often easy for him to forget how big he was, compared to most.

"You are a right brat, you know that?" she scolded, not quite able to keep the grin off her face. For the first time since they'd run into each other, in the figurative sense, Romy noticed what Oliver was wearing. As always, he was a fine specimen of a man, but the nod to his heritage had a wicked gleam entering her eyes. "While I'm down here, shall I check and make sure you're wearing that kilt properly?" she teased.

"I'm sorry, love...didn' mean t'tip ye over," he stated in apology, quickly plucking her off of the ground and brushing the grass from her back. Her last comment, though, earned a thoroughly lopsided smirk from Oliver, and he pressed his forehead to Romy's, playful, confident eyes glittering down at hers. In a teasing tone, he said, "I think I know how t'wear a kilt, thank ye very much, but I appreciate th' offer."

Romy's eyes crinkled as she met Oliver's gaze, faces mere inches apart. Raising an eyebrow, she queried, "And you're worried about me getting you in trouble, Oliver? To anyone walking up right now, it would look very much like you're planning to kiss me." She knew she shouldn't be flirting so brazenly, but this was just how she and Oliver had always interacted. It was a hard habit to break, and a bit of flirting and innuendo never hurt anyone. It was a bit like diving on a broom, seeing just how close you could get the ground before you had to pull up.

Eyebrow quirking, the corner of Oliver's mouth curved into the barest of smirks. "Sorry," he stated softly, drawing up to his full height. His voice turned almost silky as he continued, "Didn' mean t'offend. Won' happen again." As he stepped back, he took a moment to adjust his kilt about his hips, fingers slowly fumbling upward to re-button the traditional jacket about his torso.

Brushing his hands away, Romy moved nimble fingers up his jacket, making quick work of the buttons from bottom to top and allowing her hands to linger on his chest for an extra moment before moving them to her sides. "Please. As if I'd be offended by something like that. I'm merely looking after your interests, Mr. Wood. I wouldn't want to be the cause of any unpleasantness between you and your" conveniently absent "female companion."

Oliver's eyes flicked to Romy's fingers, though he made a valiant attempt to ignore the sparks heating the space between them. Leaning forward, he cast a playful glance at Romy, voice warm as he stated, "Poin' is, I'm a good boy. I wasn' intendin' t'kiss ye." With that he winked and withdrew, shrugging as he broke eye contact with his companion. "We aren' married, but by th' same token I don' cheat...so any unpleasan'ness, well, I wouldn' be takin' par' in."

Romy's eyebrows shot up at Oliver's statement. Somewhere in the two weeks or so from the time they called off their arrangement until he'd been injured, or this week that he'd been awake again, he'd gotten himself a girlfriend. Well, that's... unexpected. And sudden, given that he mentioned not 'getting any' from anyone other than me our last night together. Interesting. Reining in her provocative tendencies, she smiled at him softly. "Well, having all the information now, it seems we won't have to worry about that after all. I'm not one to go after a man when he's otherwise committed. No matter how well he fills out a kilt."

"Aye," Oliver replied with a soft laugh, "ye Brit girls seem t'enjoy th'kilt. Scots women expect 'em. An' I didn' think ye woul'. I can see where ye've got standards, Romy, even if no one else can. I was jus' sayin'." As another round of animated music filled the air, Oliver turned to Romy, smiling down at her and offering her his arm, despite having fervently denied the will or the ability to dance not three days prior. "As frien's?"

"I'd love to," Romy answered, quite pleased at the offer. Curling a hand around the offered arm, she squeezed him with genuine affection. "As friends."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tonks had migrated her way out to the lawn to cool off from dancing with Katie and Reese. She loved to dance, but she was overheated and sweaty woman wasn't always that attractive. She stood, looking at the sky and fanning herself, toes sinking into the lush lawn.

As colorful sparks and fire shot across the sky with impressive amounts of noise, Romy laughed. Joscelin and his explosions. The party really was very impressive. She hadn't had a dull moment all evening. And this, the fireworks, was pure Joscelin.

Her eyes fell on a woman that looked familiar, but it took a moment for Romy to realize exactly who it was. She's never seen Tonks in such normal attire. Not that she didn't still draw attention, Tonks was an attractive woman and the black dress she was wearing fit her very well. It was a far cry from the wild magenta hair and arse-kicking boots that were more typical for her mentor, though.

"You look very nice tonight, Tonks." Romy offered as she approached.

Tonks turned around, pulled out of her study of the night sky. She smiled brightly, smoothing down her dress with one hand, as her shoes were still in the other.

"Thank you, Romilda. You look lovely yourself, the color of your gown suits your skin." Tonks thought it odd that they were interacting outside of work, but that didn't mean they couldn't be friendly. She did like her trainee after all, just thought she needed to be hard on her now, when it could still have impact and maybe save Romy's life in the future. Tearing her mind off such thoughts, she asked, "Are you enjoying yourself? Joscelin does know how to throw a party."

A broad grin forming at the mention of their host, Romy nodded. "Thank you. I've had a very nice evening, though I think Harry's still wondering why I dragged him along. He's a very skilled wizard, but I get the feeling he'd be out of his depth with women in a kiddie pool. It was good of him to indulge me, though."

Tonks cackled. "You brought Harry? Here?! Oh, you are a brave woman. Did he look like you hit him in the head with a bludger when you asked?" Her voice was full of mirth. Poor Harry probably had no clue what to do with women. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"I can't believe you didn't know. Apparently it's all over the department that he and I are hot and heavy these days. Poor bloke. Peakes is certain I'm only after Harry for his money." Romy laughed, rolling her eyes. "And the expression was more one of subtle disgust and resignation. Harry's not my biggest fan."

"He's also had a stick up his bum the size of the London Tower recently. I don't think it's you," Tonks replied. Though if Harry wasn't treating his date right, she'd see to it that didn't happen again, stick or no stick.

"He's never quite gotten over the fact that I tried to drug him in my fourth year at Hogwarts," Romy said with a grin. "One of these days I'll offer him a biscuit while you're around. It's pretty funny."

Tonks snickered. "Joscelin was right, the fireworks are spectacular." The party was winding down for her, and she felt the melancholy tug at her. She hadn't even thought to bring a date.

"Enjoy the rest of your evening, I think I'll sample more of that spectacular buffet. Good night, Romilda."

"See you at the office, Tonks. It was good chatting with you."