It had been an excellent evening! She didn't think she had enjoyed an event so much all season! She had been careful in her selection of potions and was fairly sure that she had managed to get the 'good' potion. She had felt warm and affectionate all evening. It rather reminded her of the way children often felt on Christmas morning, or at least how she remembered feeling on Christmas. It was a nice feeling, that she and her friend had been buzzing on all evening. She and a few other healers from her intake at the hospital had all gone as nymphs, representing the various elements. Merida was water. She had thought forest much more like her, but then none of her friends knew she was an animagus so no one else made the association she did, but even she had to admit that the iridescent blues and purples for the costume suited her well. Her hair was down, and pinned back only loosely by small pearl pins which dotted her hair. Her features were obscured by a lace and pearl mask.

They had been taking air on the patio when they found the hat, someone had placed it on the head of a statue, and they had taken turns donning the tricorn and pretended to be rogues, laughing at each others imitations and general silliness. And as they had headed back inside Merida had been left holding the hat. At some point she had given up looking for the hats owner, and one of her friends had popped the hat onto her head, which had caused all of the giddy young women to dissolve into a wave of giggles as they crossed the threshold of the ballroom.

The group had split up, as various ladies were called up for dances or to go home she suddenly found herself alone, with the hat, when the masked gent declared ownership of the hat. For a reason she wasn't entirely aware of, she held the hat to chest, 'I've seen no proof of ownership' her tone wasn't entirely serious, but she also made no move to hand over the hat. Indeed she plopped the hat back ontop of her own vivid red curls.

---