December 31st, 1890 — Podmore Zoological Gardens New Year's Festival

He was here for Araminta, playing the chaperone so that his sister might attend the festivities of the evening, their mother having taken ill over the holidays. The stink of her twin's shame and their father's criminal acts grew fainter by the day, and Julius was hopeful that, by the end of the next season, she should be happily married.

But he was here for Eloise Manwaring. It was a matter of days before she would return to America, to her husband and so Julius Scrimgeour had chosen the event she would not be at, knowing all to well what would happen if he saw her again: a stolen embrace and then something decidedly more in the gardens, the giving in to passions, the crossing of boundaries that they had managed to evade even as their youthful selves had planned to run away together—no. What had happened should not have happened and would not happen again. He was here, she was elsewhere, and as the new year began, she would return to America and he would move on with his damn life—probably for only the first time in earnest, but still.

And so, Julius thought, he was also here for himself. After all, he was nearing thirty; it was well and truly time to find a wife.

"Excuse me, Miss," he greeted, endeavouring to do just that, "but might you have room on your dance card?"

Hurling! MC/UC unattached female aged 17-24!

The following 1 user Likes Julius Scrimgeour's post:1 user Likes Julius Scrimgeour's post
   Reuben Crouch

---

— graphics by mj ♥ —

Verity was somewhat disappointed to not have been invited to Mrs. Lestrange's ball. That the Greengrass family was middle class and not anywhere near the likes of the Lestrange's was the obvious cause, but still! One of the Lestrange girls had married a Greengrass, hadn't she? Valeria, was it not? Surely, such a familial connection could've overlooked the simplicity of money woes. Perhaps it was an oversight, one that could be easily rectified for future events.

Fortunately, between Ford, Noble and Mother, Verity wasn't lacking for introductions or invitations to dance. She had but two spots left on her card for the evening and hoped to invite Mr. Faustus Prewett to fill one of them. Prewett, Rosier, Carrow, and Lestrange. Those were the families that she hoped to marry into.

Or Scrimgeour. The scandal that hung over his family was far enough in the past that Verity wasn't inclined to immediately run in the opposite direction. He did, presumably, have money, after all.

Had they been introduced yet? She wasn't sure. Still, she wasn't about to turn him away just yet. "Good evening, Mr. Scrimgeour," she greeted amiably before handing him her card to examine and fill. "I have the dance after next, the Polka." Her least favorite, oh well. "Do you enjoy the Polka?"

  

---

set by mj

"I confess that I sometimes worry I look a bit of a fool during such spirited dances," Julius allowed sheepishly, "but with a graceful partner, I daresay it should not be too great a stain on my pride, Miss Greengrass."

She was, the wizard thought, rather the anthesis of Eloise, with darker hair and eyes and less natural presence. This was good; Miss Greengrass would provide no reminders of what he had long since lost. True, if he had not been waylaid by his mother shortly after making her acquaintance he might have had opportunity to ask her to dance sooner, but as room remained upon her card, there was evidently no harm done.

He smiled pleasantly at the debutante.

— @"Verity Greengrass" —

  

---

— graphics by mj ♥ —

Well, she certainly hoped he wasn't speaking in some sort of offhand code to warn her of an impending toe smashing. Verity knew to grin and bear the mistakes of her dance partners just like the rest of the debutantes, but she hardly wished to draw attention because of his own ineptitudes.

"Where is the enjoyment in dancing if we don't look a bit foolish?" She smiled in response, deciding ro allow whatever mistakes to come in favor of a dance with a high ranking man. At the very leaat, another might notice her on his arm and request the last dance she had available.

The following 1 user Likes Verity Swann's post:1 user Likes Verity Swann's post
   Julius Scrimgeour

---

set by mj

Eloise Abercrombie had never looked foolish a day in her life.

"Quite right, Miss Greengrass," he agreed. "I wonder that more don't vocalize such a position, for I expect many must agree," Julius added, gesturing to one particularly bonucy couple on the floor.

— @"Verity Greengrass" —

The following 1 user Likes Julius Scrimgeour's post:1 user Likes Julius Scrimgeour's post
   Melody Crouch

---

— graphics by mj ♥ —

The bouncing couple did look positively foolish. Dancing required some jumps, of course, but the extent to which that couple was hopping was ridiculous. Perhaps they were simply happy to be on the floor together. Perhaps both were overcompensating for some sort of other blunder. Regardlless, she itched to tap the gentleman on the shoulder and tell him to cease throwing his partner around like a doll.

"It seems such vocalization isn't required," she laughed lightly, still trying to play the part of a smiling debutante rather than the cynical shrew. "They do look like two frogs leaping about, don't they?"

  

---

set by mj

Julius knew he should not laugh at others' expense, but he could not help but let out a soft, but genuine chuckle at Miss Greengrass' observation. He did not usually laugh with such ease.

"And is 'frog' the standard to which we should aspire, or shall we opt for something more like a gazelle, Miss Greengrass?" he asked the debutante with a smile.

— @"Verity Greengrass" —

  

---

— graphics by mj ♥ —

"A gazelle is more graceful, wouldn't you agree?" She asked, still smiling. Frogs were also coated in slime and rather distasteful creatures. Gazelles had the added benefit of being a mammal, too.

  

---

set by mj

"It is decided, then!" he announced. "When I return to claim the dance so graciously offered, I shall endeavor to do my best imitation of a gazelle."

— @"Verity Greengrass" —

  

---

— graphics by mj ♥ —

"I look forward to it." Verity agreed before bidding him farewell for now. The Scrimgeour family might've been drenched in scandal at one point in time, but it wasn't necessarily Mr. Scrimgeour's fault. Perhaps Grace was right and she ought to lower her standards an inch.

  

---

set by mj