She squinted at him incredulously. "What do you mean they don't count, of course they do!" She protested, her mouth agape. The last benefit they'd thrown was quite wonderful, though of course this was the moment that all the details Mabel remembered of that ball immediately flew out of her brain.

But at the mention of going to another ball - a grander one this time, Mabel blinked in surprise, a flush creeping over her cheeks. He would do that for her? Despite wanting to jump up and throw herself at him in excitement, the witch reminded herself to calm down and she beamed at him. "I would dearly love that." The mention of the dance card overturned her stomach slightly. That would mean men had to ask her to dance, didn't it? "A dance card sounds awfully daunting. Maybe choose a ball that has masks, that way my humiliation at not being asked so many times will at least be less!"

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loveliness by mj <3

"No, they definitely don't. You're not able to fully relax at a work function, either. It isn't exactly fun to drink when your boss is standing only a little ways away." His opinion might have been different if either of them were in the quidditch world, but Maple hadn't played and Dory left nearly a decade ago. Those parties were always an enjoyable time though, and there were very few times when he was nervous to drink around the sponsor.

He grinned at her in return, his cheeks hurting from the stretch of it. "A masquerade ball it is. I'm sure there will be one by the end of the season. I'll arrange it for you." Even if there wasn't one, Dory could possibly talk someone into creating one. There had to be an old fling or two that would do him a solid in return for a favor.

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He had a point. And she knew she could hardly prevent him from making her go. The truth was she wanted to go, she'd just never really given herself the opportunity to go; especially if she was going to be there alone. But if Dory were to make her go...perhaps that wouldn't be so bad. "Alright, then." she conceded, a smile of her own before settling into a more comfortable position, her gaze resting on the cieling above them. Having finished her tea, she placed it on the nearest surface before curling further into herself.

The idea of attending a large, lavish and grand ball seemed rather intimidating, but exciting all the same. "Would you tell me about them, Dory?" She requested, shifting her gaze back to him. "What's the best ball you've gone to?"

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loveliness by mj <3

Her question was difficult to immediately answer, for all of his favorite events concluded in very similar fashions: in bed with whomever permitted him that night. If she were anyone else Dory might've made a flirtatious comment that alluded to that exact ending, but she wasn't. She was Maple, the woman who seemingly hadn't known about erections outside of the clinical setting. Dory wasn't exactly willing to destroy his reputation in her eyes by admitting just how rakish he could be.

"I always enjoy the ones with fireworks. New Year's seems to be the usual culprit for those, but some of the wealthier families incorporate them to other events as well." He said instead, draining his tea in a few large gulps so he could discard the cup. "I prefer shows usually, I'd say. Sonata's and the likes."

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They'd put shows on? Lord, it seemed like quite the spectacle to be a part of. Mabel figured it wasn't a miracle that she hadn't been called to a socialite party-gone-wrong, what with all the explosives involved. And yet perhaps not having been before would preserve some of the magic of seeing it for the first time. She imagined the air would feel cool, but it was likely the ladies of the ballroom wouldn't care; no, they would be too in awe of the display, or perhaps the sheer amount of bodies in the room would be suffice enough to ward off the chill in the air.

It wasn't long before Mabel's eyes were slowly fluttering. She often found herself to be a light sleeper, however after the night's events, her body felt heavy and the pillows were too inviting to resist. Plus, the low timbre of Dory's voice was like honey; her head dropped to the side to rest on some pillows, and before she knew it she had fallen fast asleep. Unbeknownst to Mabel, her leg relaxed, and stretched out enough for her foot to rest on Dory's leg.

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loveliness by mj <3

It wasn't long into his spiel about the various types of shows that he noticed Maple's head start to droop. Upon realizing she was falling asleep, his plan was to initially continue talking until he was certain she was out and move her to his bed. The sofa was lumpy and uncomfortable for long stretches of time, and as his guest she had the right to his bed.

However, by the time he started going in depth about musicals his eyes had too begun to droop. And by the time her foot stretched out to touch his leg Dory had too fallen asleep.

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