The highlight of this stupid fashion show thing was that she got to endure it from behind a mask. It was also a small plus that they'd arrived early enough that she could grab one that she actually liked, rather than having to settle for the dregs. If she had to sit through it with the face of an ass she'd be considerably less pleased about it. A white leopard mask was infinitely superior to a donkey or some other farm animal. She saw someone sporting a goose mask and grimaced from beneath her own at the reminder of what all her hard work might lead to. Perhaps she ought to try casting a patronus and see if it was even still a goose, it had been so long since she'd actually seen her patronus that it might very well have changed. The current setting was no place to be casting patronuses, however, so she would have to sit tight for now.
The idea of a fashion show would probably have thrilled her a few years ago but now it seemed incredibly dull. If it hadn't been for Witch Weekly calling her a shut in and then stupid Ligeia rubbing it in her face with that stupid clipping from it, she wouldn't have even thought about going. During her confinement she longed for an active social life but now social events seemed like more effort than they were worth. She could count on one hand the number of people in the world that she could tolerate and now that the days were getting longer, it made performing the animagus enchantment at sunset more challenging than it needed to be. She could hardly do it in the middle of a ballroom and if anyone happened to spot her they might very well figure out what she was up to. If she did end up a goose there was no way in hell she was going to put her name on a damn list next to goose. The last thing she needed was for someone to start spreading rumors.
Possibly the worst part of all was having to go with Tiberius. She wasn't sure if he insisted on coming for the sake of appearances or because he thought she needed to be watched like a child but she didn't care for it. Even the knowledge that he was probably even more exasperated by it all than she was didn't make up for it. She had been avoiding Tiberius as much as possible since Easter and this was very much the opposite of avoiding him. In the end she had to make a choice - prove Witch Weekly right or spend time in Tiberius' company and risk it being worse than the alternative.
So far, at least, it wasn't too terrible and the mask was making it a lot easier. Tig had expected to lament the lack of dancing but now she realized that she was grateful for it, she doubted he would have asked her to dance but stranger things had happened. Stranger things she definitely didn't want to think about now or any time.
Finally it came to an end and in her eagerness to go home, she readily accepted his proffered hand when she would otherwise have tried to avoid it. Tig thought she had achieved the near impossible by not having a terrible evening because of Tiberius, but as soon as she realized this he ruined it with one sentence. Her stomach clenched uncomfortably as she rose to her feet and tried to tell herself he hadn't actually just said what she thought he had just said. What was he doing?! He'd put enough space between them that by the time she found appropriately acidic words, he was out of earshot for muttering. This, she realized, must have been his intention. Now she felt abnormal and wished she'd stayed home. "I need to power my nose." This would only prolong their leaving but maybe if she went away for ten minutes or so she'd return and it would be as if he'd never said anything.
The idea of a fashion show would probably have thrilled her a few years ago but now it seemed incredibly dull. If it hadn't been for Witch Weekly calling her a shut in and then stupid Ligeia rubbing it in her face with that stupid clipping from it, she wouldn't have even thought about going. During her confinement she longed for an active social life but now social events seemed like more effort than they were worth. She could count on one hand the number of people in the world that she could tolerate and now that the days were getting longer, it made performing the animagus enchantment at sunset more challenging than it needed to be. She could hardly do it in the middle of a ballroom and if anyone happened to spot her they might very well figure out what she was up to. If she did end up a goose there was no way in hell she was going to put her name on a damn list next to goose. The last thing she needed was for someone to start spreading rumors.
Possibly the worst part of all was having to go with Tiberius. She wasn't sure if he insisted on coming for the sake of appearances or because he thought she needed to be watched like a child but she didn't care for it. Even the knowledge that he was probably even more exasperated by it all than she was didn't make up for it. She had been avoiding Tiberius as much as possible since Easter and this was very much the opposite of avoiding him. In the end she had to make a choice - prove Witch Weekly right or spend time in Tiberius' company and risk it being worse than the alternative.
So far, at least, it wasn't too terrible and the mask was making it a lot easier. Tig had expected to lament the lack of dancing but now she realized that she was grateful for it, she doubted he would have asked her to dance but stranger things had happened. Stranger things she definitely didn't want to think about now or any time.
Finally it came to an end and in her eagerness to go home, she readily accepted his proffered hand when she would otherwise have tried to avoid it. Tig thought she had achieved the near impossible by not having a terrible evening because of Tiberius, but as soon as she realized this he ruined it with one sentence. Her stomach clenched uncomfortably as she rose to her feet and tried to tell herself he hadn't actually just said what she thought he had just said. What was he doing?! He'd put enough space between them that by the time she found appropriately acidic words, he was out of earshot for muttering. This, she realized, must have been his intention. Now she felt abnormal and wished she'd stayed home. "I need to power my nose." This would only prolong their leaving but maybe if she went away for ten minutes or so she'd return and it would be as if he'd never said anything.
