The girl yelped, grabbing for her partner's arms to keep herself from falling over. Why had Magnus -- only he hadn't, she wasn't actually falling, it had just felt like it. For a moment her gaze sharpened to a glare, but she couldn't stay angry. And it /had/ been fun, once she wasn't flailing for something to catch herself with. She'd not been in in danger of hitting the ground at all. "Magnus!" she complained with a laugh. "No, I hadn't -- and next time /warn/ me!"

"But then," he said, "where would the fun be? You're face, well what I can see of it was awesome!"

"You're awful, you know that?" But Katsumi was smiling. "If they play a tango, I'm game to try it. I don't know the steps, though, so you'll have to teach me."

( ) Garrett nodded to Merlin as he as Fable headed for the common room door. "yes, it's tonight...be sure to come find us, ok..? Fable has stuff for us to occupy ourselves, if it comes to that "

( )

Garrett snuggled with Fable, while still keeping an intense eye on the dancing elf and dwarf. They looked like they were enjoying themselves, but he saw how they occasionally gave an uncomfortable looking glance in his direction. It occurred to him that HE may be making THEM uncomfortable, but he didn't care. Magnus could go from normal to full out wolf in a split second, and he had to be on guard, to protect his beloved.

Garrett hated to admit it, but part of him wanted the dancing elf to wolf out. Garrett was edgy this stupid Hunter's Supermoon, and was itching for a fight. Magnus was, unfortunately, his first choice of opponents. As he watched the pair, he unconsciously got out his flask and drank deeply from it. He wondered what were-wolf blood would taste like....

He gave her a wicked smile. "Thank you, 'appy to 'elp. I love dancin. Learnt it for charity. They 'ad a gala were the orphan's danced with the benefactors. Me and Mrs. McNaughton were first place."

His eyes flickered back to . His inner wolf snarled. He had a feeling he'd be keeping an eye on that boy himself because he really didn't care for the way he was being watched.

As the dance came to a close, Kat decided that she needed to speak with Garrett. Every time she'd looked over at him, he was staring at her and her date, and her mood was less concerned as to his well-being and more irritated by the minute. "Excuse me for a minute, would you?" she said, giving Magnus only the barest of smiles. Then she made her way over to the boy from Slytherin.

Katsumi did her best to mind her manners. "Are you alright?" she asked. It helped that she didn't tend to broadcast her emotions as openly as most to begin with. "Is something the matter? Perhaps I could help." First find out what was going on, then work to solve the problem.

Magnus watched as his date well stormed would not be a good word if one didn't know her. But for her quiet calm, stormed over seemed to fit. He was now hyper-aware of her over by the prickly Slytherin. He had to ball his hands into fists so to keep himself from storming over there. But he knew the resolve wouldn't last if she lingered.

grabs 's face "would you rather be here with him or me?" looking both hurt and upset. "Its not like its the bloody movies and there is some uber battle between your species."

EDIT: "we can discuss this in a minute, alright...?"

( )

Garrett looked rather surprised as the dwarf approached him. His eyes went from hard and calculating to kind and rather innocent-like, and he smiled

"good evening...yes, I am fine..just enjoying watching the two of you dance. It's a skill I never learned, " he lied convincingly. He kept his thoughts centered on his idol Thranduil, and how he dealt with those individuals he would have rather killed. "Are you enjoying yourself...?"

Merlin got his costume ready and entered the ball room feeling very nervous, would anyone recognize him? He didn't look anything like himself, but he felt like a pretty dragon. He decided to look at the decorations and thought the jack -o-lanterns were so cool and wondered if he could grab one but was not going to try it, at least for now. Seeing the tarot cards gave him a bad vibe so he stayed away from them, and then spotted the food bar! "Treats!" He decided to taste the fingers and something that looked like a ghost, both were tasty but got a bit stuck on his throat so a nice glass of pumpkin juice helped him put it down.

"Now let's find someone interesting to...to what? I have zero social skills!" He looked around nervously trying to find his friends but so far they were not in sight. "I should have at least learned to dance before the ball." :(

"For the most part, yes. But I can't help but notice that you've been...how should I put it? Uneasy. And you're staring at me -- and Magnus. Probably mostly him, right?" Kat shook her head. "He's really not a danger, I promise. We're both keeping an eye on the time, as is a friend of his family from the Ministry, who will be supervising the shift. I know it might worry you, but everything will be fine." She gave him a slight smile, trying to be reassuring. "But...y'know, having someone giving him the evil eye across the room is hardly fun, yeah? I'm bothered too. Would you mind stopping? We're not trying to bother you, so please extend us the same courtesy." She wanted to snap at him, but Katsumi managed to keep her tone level.

A slight inner smile. She was such a fierce thing. She looked like a little dragon, ready to steam... or at least to him. He half expected to see her hit Garrett. Magnus was forcing himself to stay in the spot but he inched a few paces forward, battling with her desire to resolve and his desire to confront.

( )

Garrett's smile, which he kept up through most of the dwarf's talk, dropped away at the beginning of the 'evil eye' mention. His eyes grew cold and he stood up to his full height, looking down at the girl.

"perhaps, if you don't like being watched, you shouldn't be here, then...or for that matter, " he said flippantly, " dating a were-wolf. I am just watching out for.." he glanced over at the elf's clenched fists.." his temper, wolfy or not."

He stood staring disdainfully at her. " I...am doing nothing wrong, and now YOU are bothering ME. Go away, little one. I am through talking to you. "

That's it, Magnus thought. He stormed over, his calming potion not helping. "What is your deal?" He demanded, "I ain't done nofing to you. Nor 'as she. Leave 'er alone," he said as he dug into his fists, bringing a small drop of blood as his nails broke the skin. He was trying to hard to be calm.

Fable had had enough. She stood up and looked at the dwarf, then to Garrett and then at Magnus.

"Look I get it...you all have these little things going on tonight. I do. But maybe Magnus you shouldnt be growling at people who dont like to shake hands...have you ever considered maybe hes hyper-sensitive? I know I am..." Looks at Kat "We just met tonight...I was polite...was nice about your costumes...and while I can see your point...your date is doing the exact same bloody thing." Looks at Both Garrett and Magnus "like to bratty boys waiting to inact a bloody fight scene from True Blood or the Vampire Diaries." She looked back at the group. "These social events arent easy for me...and all I see is a bunch of children with..."

Pulls out her wand as Magnus arrives

"Back the hell off." her eyes a blaze.

looks at Kat " You know the sad thing is...its their dates who are suffering because of their behavior"

( )

Garrett heard Fable's words. She was right, and part of him knew it, but at this point, he was too offended to take heed.

Garrett looked up sharply as Magnus stormed over..preparing for the worst. As the elf began yelling at him, he found himself not even listening, for Magnus was bleeding, ever so slightly, but he could smell it, so strong, so wild so intoxicating. His eyes dilated at he stared at the boy's fists, unaware of anything else happening around him. He wanted that blood....

() Fable seeing Garretts eyes lunged in between him and Magnus "Petrificus Totalus!" (on Garrett) She knew what was about to happen and had to stop him.

'She felt horrible doing it to him...but it was for his safety'

What? Did she say Vampire Diaries? "'E's a vampire?" Magnus eyes widened. He'd always wanted to meet one, and now he knew why their auror friend had forbidden it. "Woah, no way" he said, his tone of pure reverence... was it wrong to think that was cool? "Look ain't 'ere for a fight. I don't wanna cause no trouble. I just wanna take me date to the ball, that's all. I didn't mean to growl at him." He put his hands in the air and stepped back a little. He hadn't noticed the little drop of blood curling down his hand from his nail imprint.

( )

Garrett was about to lunge forward when he found himself stiffening and freezing and then all went quiet..he had enough sense to wonder what had the were-wolf done to him...before he fell with a thud to the floor

Fable took out a handkerchief and handed it to him. "Your bleeding."

She then knelt down next to "I'm so sorry..." she looked both apologetic and tired. "Once you calm down I will take it off..."