At long last, the end of the Season had arrived and with it a silent sigh of relief. Melody had made a concentrated effort this year to attend more events with Ben. After all, he worked hard for Jewell and, if they were making an effort then showing him more support was the next logical step. (That she usually had little idea which events were Jewell ones and which were ones they simply ones they received an invitation to was another matter entirely.)

She had lost Ben somewhere admist the jolly crowd, having last saw him conversing with a friend only twenty minutes ago. Normally, losing track of him wouldn't have bothered her much (they always found one another again eventually) but midnight was fast approaching and with it her first genuine opportunity for a New Year's kiss. This was to be their first full year of happiness, with trips, love, and possibly new additions to their family. A kiss was absolutely necessary tonight.

Had the crowd not also joined in on the rising excitement for midnight's approach, Melody might have stood a chance at finding him. As it was, she was too short to see over the heads of everyone else and the ballroom had grown too thick with partygoers to easily maneuver through.

Sighing, she reached for the first drink off a passing waiter's tray — a fruity concoction she'd yet to try — and was surprised to see another hand reaching for the same glass. "No apologies necessary, Mr. Longbottom. I'm amazed the staff can pass through such a crowd." She laughed and took the smallest of sips of her drink. "It tastes like a candied apple, I think. Have you tried it at all tonight yet?"

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