11 June, 1891 — Hogsmeade Memorial Ballroom

Topaz had a glass of champagne in hand, but wasn't really drinking it. She'd gotten it half so that she could taste it and see what it was like, and half because it seemed like it would help her blend into the background of this party. She didn't really want to participate so much as she wanted to observe, so that she could have a better mental impression of these sorts of events to look back on later. She had long since grown accustomed to the notion that she wouldn't experience much of the world, and she preferred to stay home to avoid the stares that inevitably followed her any time she went out. She did love to read, though, and it was something to have a mental picture to compare to the descriptions of the written word on the page. That was what she was doing here tonight, really: getting enough mental fodder to use for literary fantasies for years to come.

She'd found an out-of-the-way corner of the ballroom and had started watching a little drama play out on the opposite end of the room. She doubted anyone else had even noticed. If they had, they didn't seem to be watching. Topaz, however, was fascinated. There was a gentleman who was clearly working up the nerve to talk to a young lady. He'd been mooning over her and glancing in her direction every minute or so for the past ten. Twice, Topaz had thought he was about to approach her and ask her for a dance, but before he could make his way over to her she would become engaged in conversation from another quarter and he would lose his nerve. Not very brave, this fellow, but since Topaz was lurking in the shadows hoping no one would notice her, she wasn't really one to talk.

Finally he made his way over to her, with his shoulders thrown back confidently — and a mere two feet from her, the young woman turned in the opposite direction, apparently not having seen him before someone else had called out her name. Another gentleman appeared, offering her a glass of champagne, and she smiled. The poor suitor was quite crushed.

"Oh, no," Topaz breathed to herself as she watched him retreat to lick his wounds. "Don't give up, come on now. You can do it." She was so caught up in this drama put on by strangers that she failed to realize someone else had drawn close enough to her own position to overhear her quiet encouragements to the young gentleman.

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OUTFIT
While this thread is open I would love if it was taken by someone who could work for her lonely plot if the chemistry is there!

  

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pinned my hopes to the summit of someday

Magnolia

Gideon froze in his steps, eyes wide, as her soft words reached him. She couldn't know he was coming to ask her to dance, could she? No, the healer reasoned swiftly: her gaze was focused somewhere else, and, indeed, the pretty young woman did not seem to have noticed him at all. Though a bit deflated by this realization, a tentative smile still lingered on his lips as he spoke.

"Friends of yours, Miss?" Gideon asked.

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   Magnolia Addams

Topaz didn't notice the gentleman nearby at all until he spoke to her, and was immediately aghast. She would not have lingered here had she thought someone was approaching her, and she certainly would not have spoken aloud had she realized that anyone was close enough to hear. Now he seemed to think that she had some sort of attachment to the strangers across the room. While this was a sound conclusion to leap to, given how invested she had been in their stilted attempt at romance, she was mortified by the mere suggestion of it.

"Ah, no," she admitted. Her cheeks colored slightly and she moved her hands together in front of her waist, twisting one finger a little anxiously. She could not have lied about it for fear that she might be caught out later in the evening, either because this gentleman might actually know the pair of them or because she might be called upon to interact with one or both before the evening was through. She felt rather abashed to have to tell the truth, however. Should she give some explanation for what she'd been doing? Would it help at all? Perhaps it would scare him off, she thought hopefully — she was sure that it wasn't common for young women to spend balls lingering at the edges of the ballroom staring down strangers, and he might think her odd enough to abruptly end this conversation.

"He's just so obviously smitten with her," she explained. "I couldn't help but cheer him on."

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pinned my hopes to the summit of someday

Magnolia

As she turned her face to speak to him, Gideon was struck by a feeling of keen recognition—she was not her sister, of course, but the healer was quite certain that this was the younger Miss Urquart (the one who was out in society, not the one who was restrained on the full moon).

"A romantic, then?" Gideon teased with an easy manner. "You would get along well indeed with my sister." The healer did not add that he himself was a bit of a romantic at heart, thinking it rather a forward confession to make.

  

Topaz's first instinct on hearing him proclaim her a romantic was to protest, but she held her tongue. She did read romance novels on occasion, but only because she read everything she could get her hands on. Particularly before she'd turned seventeen and been able to practice her spellwork on her own time, she'd had plenty of hours to while away at home. It was the same reason she kept up correspondence with so many people, whom she hadn't even been particularly close to at school. Letters were her only interaction with other people, just as books were her only view point into the world beyond the walls of her home (and the Ministry); she wasn't in a position to turn down anything available to her. If asked, however, she would have said that she'd always found romance novels a little silly, a little contrived. She was not a romantic.

Her fascination with the couple across the ballroom came more from a fascination with people than with romance. Prior to tonight, she simply hadn't realized that things like this really happened. She'd thought her books were blowing things a little out of proportion when they described the delicate cat-and-mouse of suitors in a ballroom, but now it was playing out right in front of her eyes. How could she not watch to see the resolution? She might never get another chance to see someone in this particular state. She wanted to soak up every detail and write it down in her journal and revisit it now and then for months to come.

But she could hardly tell this stranger that. It would, she suspected, have alarmed him. Even if she said something mildly innocuous like I don't get out much, it wouldn't track with her cover story. She was supposed to be Ruby tonight, and Ruby could go to balls whenever she pleased. So tonight, for the sake of her secret identity, Topaz supposed she was a romantic. Hopefully Ruby wouldn't mind the label — Topaz suspected it was more true than Ruby would have wanted to admit, anyway.

"Your sister?" she asked with mild interest — if he told her the sister's name she'd be able to deduce at least a part of his identity, and she was curious. She probably ought to have steered clear in case his sister was around her age and would have been overly familiar with Ruby, thus putting her ruse in danger, but... well, if she ended up trapped in a conversation she couldn't weather she could always feign a sudden headache and ask Aunt Evelyn to take her home. "Perhaps I would. Perhaps I already do," she added with a slight smile.

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   Gideon Browne

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pinned my hopes to the summit of someday

Magnolia

"Mrs. Odira Keene," he answered, "my twin—rather older than you are, I think, and quite far removed from Hogwarts." Quite far. Merlin, that made him sound old! Gideon certainly did not feel old, at least not on his days away from Hogsmeade Hospital.

"Something I believe that we have in common," he added with a knowing smile. "Am I correct that you are one of the younger Misses Urquart? I am acquainted," the healer added by way of explanation, "with Miss Delight Urqaurt, and you have something of a similarity, particularly about the nose."

  

This was a dizzying amount of information to be handed, given that she had only expected a name, and it took her a moment to catch up to everything he'd revealed. Mrs. Keene was not someone she knew personally, but she did think she knew of her, from having read about her in the paper. Not that she would ever mention that, even if pressed on her deathbed. Topaz prided herself on being well-informed, but she'd encountered too many people who presumed to know her after reading about her in the paper (or worse, Witch Weekly) to ever make a similar claim towards anyone else. The revelation of his sister's name didn't give her his name, though, which was what she'd really been after; she couldn't recall if she'd ever read Mrs. Keene's maiden name, because hadn't she been widowed once before?

And he had her at a disadvantage because he knew her name, or at least half of it. The way he said one of the younger Misses Urquarts was good; she could almost have believed, if relying on his tone alone for evidence, that he didn't care which one. But of course she knew better. She'd seen the way people looked at her in the aftermath of the attack, as though she were dangerous and unpredictable. No one was comfortable around her. Even Ruby hadn't been, at first. So Topaz knew this was a show of gallantry on his part, offered only because he had already presumed she was Ruby, but he wore it well. And if he didn't mind associating with her sisters (which he clearly didn't, if he already knew Delight), then that was enough to inspire a little goodwill towards him. He didn't have to feel comfortable around her — she wasn't here tonight.

"Most people might have said our hair or skin gave us away," she remarked with a small smile. She remembered enough of those kinds of comments from before her life had changed, and didn't imagine the rest of her siblings had ever stopped receiving them. "I believe you are the first to bring our similarity in noses to my attention. But yes, you are correct," she allowed. "Which means you have me at a disadvantage, as I am not acquainted with your sister."

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   Gideon Browne

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pinned my hopes to the summit of someday

Magnolia

"...and even if you were, her name is unlikely to be mine?" Gideon hazarded a friendly guess with an easy smile.

"As to the myriad features you share with Miss Urquart, well, they are far less unique, at least in my own experience. You might have been a Miss Zabini, or a Miss Farley, were it not for your nose, and perhaps the shaping of your eyes," he added with mock thoughtfulness.

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   Magnolia Addams

Topaz smiled. "Yes, it would be an interesting twist of fate if your sister went from Miss Keene to Mrs. Keene," she allowed. This was all good-natured fun, but it did make her a bit uneasy as he continued. His tone was still light enough, but in order to remark upon her various features he had to have been paying quite a bit of attention, and Topaz wasn't used to having anyone look at her in that way. It brought a touch of color to the tops of her cheeks, but surely it didn't mean anything?

"I don't think I could have been a Miss Zabini," she returned, trying for the same levity despite the way her stomach had started fluttering. "Unless you've misjudged my age. But if you have, best not to tell me," she continued. "I gather that it's fashionable for women to be quite sensitive about those sorts of things."

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pinned my hopes to the summit of someday

Magnolia

Gideon let out a hearty, if surprised, chuckle.

"My apologies, Miss Urquart, if I implied anything of the sort!" he hastened to reassure her once he had composed himself. "It is not in my nature to cause offence, even if by accident. Gideon Browne," the healer added rather belatedly, rectifying the imbalance in their acquaintance, less Miss Urquart grow uncomfortable.

  

No, Topaz privately agreed; she could not imagine Mr. Gideon Browne giving offense to anyone.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Browne," she said with a smile (albeit a small, contained one; her expressions when out in public had never been as large or gregarious as Ruby's).

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   Gideon Browne

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pinned my hopes to the summit of someday

Magnolia

Pleased might have been a bit of an overstatement, Gideon thought as he observed Miss Urquart's reaction, but she was certainly not displeased, and so he would happily take it.

"Would you care to accompany me in a dance, Miss Urqaurt?" Gideon asked brightly. "Once the saga of our would-be lovebirds has resolved, of course."

  

His request produced a swell of both delight and panic in Topaz's chest. Delight because she couldn't fail to be a little pleased by the notion that someone wanted to dance with her, even if she knew nothing was bound to come of it (and the way he'd asked was rather charming, with the nod to the couple she'd been observing when he approached). Panic because Topaz didn't know how to dance. Well, she knew a little, but only from what she'd read in books. She'd never had the opportunity to practice, and the idea of testing out her skill in such a public arena was nearly paralyzing. If it had only been her own reputation at stake perhaps she might have been persuaded anyway — she might have even said something witty and charmingly self-deprecating like only if you choose an easy dance and promise to set your expectations very low. The stakes for her were rather low, since she didn't expect to ever be at a ballroom again. Since she'd introduced herself to half a dozen people as Ruby, however, she couldn't make a fool of herself. She hurt Ruby's reputation and her prospects enough simply by existing; she would not add fuel to the fire.

"I'm sure I would enjoy that very much," she said with an apologetic frown. Her tone full of sincerity, and it took half a beat before she remembered that she needed to add a but. What excuse could she use that would at once preclude the notion of dancing entirely, while not hurting his feelings? She had, of course, no experience in such things, and very little time to think up anything. "— only I broke the strap on one of my shoes just after arriving, and while I've pinned it in place I'm afraid trying to dance on it would just as likely send me to a healer as not."

She flashed a very small smile at Mr. Browne and willed him to believe her, although she could already see the holes in her cover story. Why not just repair the shoe with magic? He was going to think she was inept with a wand — or even worse, might offer to swoop in to her rescue with a charm. That, or he might assume she didn't want to dance, which at the moment felt an even worse prospect than being found out in her identity ruse.

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   Gideon Browne

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pinned my hopes to the summit of someday

Magnolia

His face fell as it became clear that a but was to be involved. Well, an only, as it turned out. Her explanation was...lacking somewhat, but Gideon would not press the matter; if she did not wish to dance with him, that was altogether her prerogative.

"I am sorry to hear that," Gideon offered graciously. "As a healer, I hope that, should you face any injury this evening in spite of your preventative efforts, you will feel welcome to seek me out."

  

Oh, dear, he looked disappointed. If she were viewing this objectively she might have found it flattering that he had been so invested in dancing with her, but at the moment the only thing that occurred to her was distress at having caused him any unpleasantness. She didn't see any other way that she could have handled the situation, however, because she certainly could not have danced with him.

"Let's hope it isn't needed," she joked thinly, feeling rather miserable about the turn things had taken.

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pinned my hopes to the summit of someday

Magnolia

"I hope you do enjoy the rest of your evening, Miss Urquart," Gideon extended with a polite smile and a small bow of his head. It was as polite an exit as any.