Step 1-2

Sofie had decided to come to the ball on her own intuition, considering the fact that many high profile members of the community would probably be attending, and with her identity hidden under the guise of being a masquerade guest, she would go unnoticed if she were to linger near conversations over punch. And people made plenty of small talk during dances. If they had any alcohol in their system- and any adults showing up to a party at a school would surely have some- finding out a rumor or two would be simple enough.

Sofie's father had held many galas at their small Russian castle back home, so a ball was something Sofie easily prepared for. Her mother sent her one of her more inexpensive dresses, too afraid that if she sent one of the ball gowns, they would be ruined in the transport between countries. Sofie accepted the decision with grace- she doubted anyone would actually show up with the sort of elegance and tact she always thought of when she thought of formal events.

She entered, without a mask, and glanced around. A doorman flagged her down, asking if she would like a mask. "Please," she responded and he handed her a black mask, which she carefully affixed to her face. She adjusted her hair and fixed her dress, before glancing around. She immediately spotted the wall of waiting dancers. She walked over and stood among their ranks- they all strained and pined as they watched others dance away but Sofie waited patiently, knowing that when someone claimed her, they would have chosen her in particular and, therefore, be very eager to appeal to her.

This setting was not at all unfamiliar with Aaron. When he studied abroad he attended a few because it helped break his shy attitude. It had not been easy to acquire such a calm and cool headed demeanor, it had taken practice. So, when he strolled into the ballroom this particular evening, he had a certain air about him. Just from his walk he would be noted as being confident, at least in his own head.

The fact that it was a secret who you could be dancing with made it all that more enticing. A person could be anyone if they so chose, and that was the draw, escaping reality, if only just for one evening. With his mask on, he walked around the main hall, waiting for someone in particular. She was noticeable right away, at least to him she was, he was used to her. She had a walk that he recognized and she had a similar air about her that Aaron could relate to.

He approached her, slowly at first, pretending to be interested in more than one girl, but it was obvious who he was going to pick. He stopped in front of her and he put his arm out "Would you accept a dance with me?" He spoke softly and smiled gently, something that would have been strange if he was not wearing a mask.

Sofie waited, patiently. She did not look like the other girls- arms crossed, shoulders hunched, faces pulled into looks of sulking, pouting, and longing. Sofie stood erect, her hands crossed behind her, gently laced fingers, head tilted with an engaged interest in what was going on. The angled slits in the mask framed her bright blue orbs, which moved over the moving bodies placed before her for observation. What other purpose could the serve really?

She saw a figure approach, a fine one at that. Her eyes glanced to him but she turned her eyes away, indifferent to his choice. She had no way of knowing whether or not he was of any importance, so she could not be preferential to him. But by the way he lingered, she knew that her differences from the other women must have been striking enough to impress him.

He approached and she turned, preparing to be asked. She was not, however, prepared for the voice. She instantly recognized it, and it did take her aback. Her lips parted with gentle surprise and her eyes blinked a few times, rapidly, as she attempted to steel herself for a dance with Aaron Marcheti.

She could not help but notice the difference in his demeanor. Curious- with masks on, would they be more deceptive, or could they be more transparent? She supposed she would fine out. She hoped to lead the way by offering a sincere smile of warmth, taking his arm. "I'd be delighted to," she said.

Aaron lead them both out to the dance floor and he took the lead. He used to enjoy dancing a lot more than he did now days. It used to be a way to let everything go and just enjoy being himself for a small amount of time. Recently, he had too much on his mind that even the things he used to love did not please him as much anymore. Strangely enough, though, he felt relief for the first time in a long time being next to the one person in the world he had some resemblance of trust with.

"You're quite easy to pick out from a crowd, you know?" He grinned but kept dancing. He was starting to get back into the swing of it and the dancing was becoming much smoother. "So do you just like coming to balls or have you been waiting on me the whole time?"

Aaron led her to the floor and Sofie moved along with him with an elegance and tact that had been bred into her. Her chin was parallel to the ground, her gaze high and level, his arm rested light and limp in Aaron's hold, her feet moving her so that the only movement on her gown was a small ripple from the journey onto the dance floor. They founded a space on the floor and took their places. Sofie gently smiled, before they swept into the dance.

He spoke with a smile on her face, and an eyebrow appeared above her mask, as her own lips twisted into a smile of her own. "Actually, I came because I expected that some lonely, talkative Ministry men might be in need of a dancing partner." She smiled, lightly. "But a ball does remind me of home, so it is nice. I hadn't considered the idea of you showing. I wouldn't have counted dancing with strangers among your interests." She allowed a few more beats in the music to pass before she said, "What about you, then?" A smile, almost close to a smirk, accompanied her next words. "Do you like coming to balls, or were you waiting for me?"

He smirked "I love balls. You think my social skills just come naturally?" The dance took to the middle of the ballroom, and naturally, Aaron wanted to be the center of attention. His steps were precise and on point, leading Sophie all along the way. The music was slow, but that did not mean he could not show off, and that was what he did best. He grabbed both of Sophie's hands and he spun her around so that her back was pressed against his stomach and his head was over her shoulder.

"It isn't dancing with strangers that I like, it is seeing everyone's true face." He pressed her forward, not letting go of her hands so that he could spin her back around, and when she was facing him again, he pulled her back to the position they were already in. "They say if you put on a mask, then you show your true face, a sentiment I believe. Look around, half of these people are probably extremely shy. But with a mask on, they can finally be themselves."

"You and I didn't always want to be what we are now. It's all a facade meant to distract everyone from what we really want." He smiled as he looked around the room, knowing that tonight would be the best night in a long time for so many people. "What do you really want, then, Sophie?"

Sofie smiled, saying, "I was under the impression you'd be happy to minimize social interaction as much as possible." Her brain stated a funny little fact. You are teasing the Dark Lord. However Aaron, while still very much her superior, seemed less like the Lord of the Death Eaters right now. He seemed like Aaron Marcheti, an ally of hers whom she spent a lot of time with. He was the closest thing she had to a friend in this country.

He was an expert dancer, for which Sofie was glad. It felt like she was finally moving. The balls back home were huge, orchestrated events of people all doing grandiose movements in coordination with each other. Sofie missed the grandness of it all, but she enjoyed the opportunity to present what she was to these people. An outsider. An outsider with taste.

He spun her around, bringing her close to him. She could smell his cologne, feel his breath on her neck and brushing her ear. Her skin danced and tingled briefly, before she moved in coordination with him to face him again, her feet pivoting and moving in carefully placed movements. She was no longer monitoring her expressions, attempting to convince via body language. She was simply moving the way she chose, following him, for she had always wanted someone to simply lead her.

He was right. Putting the mask on didn't enable her to be someone else. For the first time in a long time, she felt free to be herself.

"What do you really want, then, Sophie?"

It rang in her ears and her blue eyes fixed on his, allowing him to be an anchor while she allowed her head to go into the clouds to ask her heart what it desired. It was not brave enough to give her specifics. But it was honest, and humble. She told Aaron, "I want what every girl dreams of. I want my family. And I don't have that, leaving me with that very question. I'm not sure what I want." She paused. "It's sort of like getting one wish and wishing to be told what to wish for." Her smile flickered, before deep contemplation entered her expression again. "I've been very lonely since I arrived here. Everyone's a tad lonely, I suppose. And we all want some solution to that. Whether it be marriage, flings, or burying that loneliness in hatred. We're all coping."

She met Aaron's eyes, bringing herself a little closer to ensure privacy. Her eyes were wide, sincere, waiting. "What is it you want?"

For a moment her words took him back to a different time. He remembered when he wanted a family, a good paying but hard working job, a general good life. For a long time he saw himself as an auror. Fearlessly taking out dark wizards and coming home to children who looked up to their brave father. Those were different times, though, and those feelings were long gone.

"I am not lonely. I have all of you lovely Death Eaters." He laughed, intending for it to be a joke. She seemed like just a normal girl and he was nothing close to normal, and yet he kept her close because she was anything but a normal girl. She would realize it, in time, that a normal life was not something that two people like them just had.

"I want a lot of things," He started, thoughts rushing through his mind, trying his hardest to reach out and grab one single thought that stuck out more than the others. "Sometimes I wish I had no responsibility. That I had nothing to worry about. Being alone inside of a cabin on some snow covered mountain with a pretty girl." He winked at Sophie before continuing. "That'd be nice."