Yooo

[Elizabeth Humphrey-Mavis]

That title is awesome, don't pretend otherwise. Open to UC hurlables who don't care about blood purity! Yes, I'm finally getting my arse into gear and hurling Betsy. I know the post sucks but at least it exists.

A wizarding ball, finally! The dullness that had been the season that year was now over, and while the balls now would be few and far between, at least there would be some. Some was always better than none. Betsy lived off these things too, so the muggle ones had not been enough to keep her going. She preferred the magical ones too, seeing as she often found old school friends there, as well as other friends. Betsy did hope Miss Sleptova was around somewhere.

While Miss Sleptova would have been preferable, Betsy did see an acquaintance of hers who she tolerated, so went to go speak to the girl. After a few minutes however, she turned in the direction of a man's voice with a smile on her face. The smile was mostly genuine, but she had of course made it a bit more cordial and appealing than just a smile of happiness.

Because that was hardly attractive.

  

[Upton Nott]

The blonde was pretty enough, and at the moment pretty was all that Upton was looking for. He had no way of knowing that within a week and a half he'd be promoted to assistant head of his department and be moving to Hogsmeade; right now his interest was idle. Still, idle interest might find him the future Mrs. Nott.

"Good evening," he greeted. Yes, she was quite pretty. "Are you enjoying the event? Mrs. Mulciber was quite thoughtful in her planning of it."

  

[Elizabeth Humphrey-Mavis]

Oh wow. This one was definitely handsome. Betsy was surprised she didn't know his name, for he was definitely of the sort young women would go on to gossip about. Perhaps she had heard it in passing once or twice, just never connected it to the face. That was far besides the point though.

"Good evening," Betsy replied, "Oh yes, this is a wonderful event. It is nice to bid farewell to the awful events of the summer and allow us all to move on, but in a respectful manner." Betsy's words weren't quite true to her opinion but she had to at least pretend to think that way. Really, she was all 'screw respect' and just wanted to have fun because the summer had been dreary and she wanted to leave that as far behind as was physically possible.

  

[Upton Nott]

Her answers were so precisely right that Upton had a feeling that they were insincere. but he did not care much about her sincerity. No, all he cared about at the moment was her looks. He did not know if she would make a good potential bride or not, but Upton was not in a hurry to find a bride.

"Indeed. And the idea of having everyone dress in black makes those in mourning look less morose." Of course, there was one woman dressed in white for some reason, but Upton was politely ignoring her embarassing choice.

  

[Elizabeth Humphrey-Mavis]

"Yes," Betsy agreed, which was semi-honest this time. "I am sure everyone in black will feel quite out of place when we return to our normal wardrobes - those of us who are not in mourning like myself - so it is kind for us for this one ball to all join in."

Betsy purposely dropped her lack of mourning in, should the man by any chance take a liking to her and wish to marry her or at the very least recommend her amazing beauty and wit to his friends.

She had to hope about these things. She had hope and very little else. So hope she did.

While Betsy did agree with what she was saying, there was something quite untruthful about it all, for she didn't care that much. After all, there were already so many people in mourning, that it was hard to feel out of place, so why did she have to wear the ghastly colour that was black.

She was pretending to be a better person than she truly was. Just so that he might think her a better match. It possibly akin to her grabbing his incredibly strong looking shoulders and screaming 'I'm a good person love me and marry me'. But that wasn't the point.

  

[Upton Nott]

Upton nodded in agreement, although he was not certain that those in mourning would really feel out of place. After all, there were a great many people who had lost loved ones over the summer, and many of them close enough relatives that they would be in mourning for months or even years.

"I am glad to hear that you did not suffer a grave loss over the summer," Upton said politely.

  

[Elizabeth Humphrey-Mavis]

"I did actually," Betsy replied, now feigning politeness and composure out of necessity, not just to appear nice "my great-aunt and great-uncle died in early August. I was quite close to my great-aunt - she had served as my chaperone since my debut - it was indeed a great loss." Suddenly, as she realised the now sombre and not particularly fun direction their conversation had gone in, and backed it up with the positively announced statement "Although several of my cousins have been living with us since, which has been particularly enjoyable."

"I do hope that you didn't lose anybody close to you?" Betsy half-asked in return. As much a bitch as she was, she hardly wished anybody to suffer greatly because of the death of a close family member or friend.

  

[Upton Nott]

Well, he had certainly put his foot in his mouth! "I am sorry to hear that -- and no, I did not." His family had been gratefully untouched by the events of the summer. "The benefits of not living in Hogsmeade," he said with a smile.

Of course, he would not be opposed to moving there if he decided to move out of his parents' home, but he had not yet found a reason to do so. He was currently more focused on his career than finding a bride, and so there was no reason to establish his own home. "You are doing well, I hope, after your loss?"

  

[Elizabeth Humphrey-Mavis]

Betsy nodded sombrely in agreement. Due to not living in Hogsmeade, Betsy had been spared the deaths of any close family members. While some girls she knew had to mourn for a whole year due to the death of a parent (or both) and then there was Betsy, who only had to mourn for six weeks. And as close as she was to her great-aunt and great-uncle, she was still nowhere near as close to them as she was to her parents and her siblings.

"Yes, thank you," Betsy replied "It's amazing how time helps such matters." And it was true. Time healed all wounds, including emotional ones regarding death. She still felt sad about the deaths of her Aunt Samantha and Uncle Brian, but not as much as she did in the days and weeks following their passing. Now they were into months, it was better.

"It's nice to hear of someone who luckily avoided losing someone to plague," she continued, "You're one of the first people I have met that have said that. I think almost everyone I know lost someone in all those horrible events. Even if it wasn't the plague it was fire or something equally dreadful."