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The Yule ball is a showcase of winter finery.
Coming down the stairs Hermione unusually pretty dressed in blue, Fleur resplendent in her fine silken gown, fae like and unearthly, Cho in the traditional Chinese dress of her family's origins, the female half of the champions and their dates draw the eyes of all in attendance as they enter.
Kaneki sits by Dumbledore at the 'head' table. The sight of him and his entourage of two draws the curious sight of the champions and their companions ogglers.
By his side cherubic sister Hinami and a woman nobody recognizes until someone briefly remembers seeing a glimpse of her amongst the mangled bodies of his boggart.
The others sitting by them look decidedly uncomfortable in their presence to the champions as they approached.
Their elegance and beauty surpassing anything earthly is evident, dressed in equally unearthly garments of fine cloths that never look anything less than perfect no matter how their wearers move.
Harry is suddenly reminded of angels and fae, not those idealistic portrayals of modernity; they don't suit except for the younger sister, rather the great representations of antiquity.
Hinami is innocent and just so... pure, untainted by the darkness of the world, like an angel that might guide the dead to the heavens.
Her brother is as always a strange mix of opposed personalities. One is like some fae lord, distant and cold, predisposed to cruelty and possessed of an inherent indifference to those lesser than him. But this is usually buried under the quite gentleness characterised by his more earthly side.
Touka though has a beautiful melancholy about her.
Possessed of a great sadness and a great beauty she's all hard edges and soft looks, it is a strange dichotomy. But most of all she just seems... tired.
The first dance is performed and then everybody is dancing and mingling enjoying the festivities.
Several amorous couples rather unscrupulously take advantage of the opportunity to disappear into the fairy laden bushes.
Harry spots Kaneki happy and smiling dancing with his date and playfully spinning his sister.
He seems happy, something he can't if he's honest with himself ever really remember seeing, not truly.
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An: Originally it was just going to be Hinami but quite a lot of you wanted Touka to show up and seeing as I'm rather partial to her character it ended up being a combination of the two. Thank you all for your taking such and interest in this little story.