The Not So Noble House of Black

Chapter 13: Escape

23:40

The ball was to end at midnight, like Cinderella, Mrs Potter had joked. Ascella had absolutely no idea what Cinderella was, but she thought it rather sounded like a disease. Then again, she was unsure how a disease could relate to midnight, unless it was in a rather morbid way, so she probably was wrong. You wouldn't base a party on a disease.

Ascella didn't care what time the ball ended, she just wanted it to end soon. Mr and Mrs Potter were talking to her parents, bright red robes contrasting sharply with her parents dark attire. They kept glancing towards her, though it didn't seem as though they were pleased. She doubted her parents would fall for Euphemia's plan. They weren't gullible but they had locked her up for five years. Surely they felt bad enough to let her have some freedom. It sounded stupid even as she thought it. Her parents feeling even a small amount of guilt? Not likely.

Regulus bounded over, his cheeks red. 
"Why, hello big sissss!" He slurred the s.
"God," Ascella worried, "How much alcohol did you drink? You can't even get that drunk on champagne!" 
"So, funny story," Regulus giggled, "There are currently at least ten guests looking for their champagne that has mysteriously gone missing." 
"Ten!"
"At least!"
Regulus laughed again, stumbling about. Ascella sat him down on one of the Potter's fancy embroidered chairs. She placed her hands on his shoulders, shaking him.

"Sober up for a second, Reggie. James' parents, they have a plan to get us away from our parents. I don't know if it will work but if it does we'll be free. So behave okay."
"Okay. But did you know that behave sounds like beehive?" Regulus laughed, though it came out more of a snort. "I'm not going to beehive!"

Ascella rolled her eyes. The Potters' better be persuasive because Regulus clearly wasn't going to be any help. She couldn't leave him however and sat on a chair next to him. Her skirt billowed out as if it were the sea and she drowned within the waves of anticipation. 

After what seemed like four separate eternities, Euphemia walked over to them. Regulus wasn't really paying attention, in fact he was half asleep, but Ascella felt as though a bolt of electricity had shot through her spine. She could no longer wait to find out what had happened.
"So?" she asked. 
"They said, with some hesitation, that you and Regulus can stay at our house tonight!"
"Oh, thank you!" was all she could muster. In reality, she wanted to hug Euphemia and thank her a thousand times over, but those were not things she did, especially not in front of her parents. 
"I can't waaaait!" Regulus laughed, drunkenly. Euphemia seemed not to have noticed, and smiled kindly at Regulus before returning to her husband.