The Little Things Give You Away (open by invite)

[Markise Sterling]

Markise was near shivering with anticipation as they neared the front of the queue. He probably could have toned it down a little since Anna was here, and he knew he wouldn't be able to run off and leave her alone all night, but the sound of the music and the close press of bodies was doing what it always did to him.

He couldn't wait, and as the line shuffled forward again, he turned to look at Anna from beneath his hood. She hadn't seen him yet, and he didn't intend for her to see until he was good and ready.

He'd never been to this club before and the bouncers didn't know him, so there was no jumping the queue and going straight in. He'd have to get them through. He leaned close and told her exactly what he'd told Ariel the first time they'd gone out together, to stay close and just follow him. His fake I.D. would only get them so far if the bouncer looked too closely.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna nodded from under her own cloak, already pressed to him by the crowded line. The anticipation was mounting, and her nerves were getting the better of her. “You sure it’s okay?” She asked for reassurance. She had been eager to escape reality and spend a night free of her normal worries, but now that they were there she had doubts.

Will I be the only girl in the whole place? Is my dress okay? Did I do my hair and makeup right? She was more concerned with not having enough makeup rather than the opposite, and thought she should have asked Markise to help her get ready. A thought suddenly hit her and her eyes widened a bit. Will a lesbian try to hit on me? Merlins, she hoped not. All she wanted was a night of harmless flirting and dancing , so a gay club had seemed like the perfect avenue.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise's glossy lips curved. "No, I brought you cause we're lynching all the straight people," he teased. One arm rose and wrapped firmly around the back of Anna's shoulders, sending his cloak rustling open. He caught himself and pulled back, pulling everything into place all over again. Half his entry was presentation.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna paled for a second, even when she realized that Markise was pulling her leg. "You are not!" she exclaimed, throwing a playful punch at his shoulder. She gave an airy giggle at his attempt to cheer her up, but it didn't work for long. Would they be able to tell she didn't belong? She looked around nervously and her eyes widened at a group of men in leather. Her mouth gaped open; some of them were wearing more leather than she would have believed and others! She turned back to Markise, blushing.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise let out a low ow at Anna's punch, as light as it might have been. He'd just been about to follow her gaze when the line started to move again. "Anna, come on we're going in with the next group," he hissed, watching the line. "When I get to the bouncer go past with the others and I'll be right after you." It wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking as it used to be, but it still got his adrenaline going and he knew that when it was his turn, he'd forget Anna for at least a few seconds.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

"Are you sure we can do this?" Anna asked. She'd asked as soon as she realized they were going to an over-18 club, but she couldn't seem to stop asking. She didn't want to think about what her parents and grandparents would think if she got caught sneaking into a gay night club! "Are you sure no one will be mad at me being here?" What if a girl hit on her and she said no? Of course she'd say no, the told herself, but what if that caused trouble?

[Markise Sterling]

Markise barely heard Anna's questions, and they didn't fully register with his attention fixed on blending in. "Ask me inside. Just go!" He stopped at the door, pushing his hood back and giving the bouncer a dazzling smile. One well-manicured hand slipped from between the folds of his cloak, pushing it open just enough to tease as he held out that little card Muggles thought was so important. The bouncer hardly glanced at the card before handing it back, far more interested, like most of them, in that last parting wink before he disappeared through the doors.

Inside, Markise pulled off his cloak, trading it for a claim ticket. He was all decked out tonight in that crisp white that made his skin look golden and his hair even paler in comparison. His makeup was perfect, with eyeliner, shadow, dark mascara and blush, and gloss that plumped his lips. Then there was the glitter, dusted across his cheekbones, his shoulders and abdomen. He was careful to play oblivious to the looks he knew he was getting, and only after he'd finished did he spot Anna again. His grin returned. "Dance with me," he demanded.

[Annabelle Hennessy]

If Anna had felt under dressed before, it was far worse now. Her slim fitting dress felt plain, as did the careful twist she'd put in her hair with little curls hanging down around her face. She'd put on some makeup, but she didn't even know where to get something like glitter. She looked around self-consciously again, as if someone might point to her and start screaming like she'd seen in an old movie once. "I feel like a pod person!" she said, blushing.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise laughed, his eyes glittering. "You're not a pod person!" he assured her, even if he had no clue what a pod person was. "You're gorgeous." He held out his hand for her. "Twirl for me, Anna. Let me see." When she did, he gave her a near-wicked smile. "If only I were straight," he said, laying it on thick. "Come on, dance with me," he repeated. Rather than ask again, he dragged her off to the floor, again paying no attention to any potential admirers. The minute he set Anna down at the bar with the guys, he was going to be busy.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael and Dare came in soon after Markise and Anna, but not soon enough to notice the two other Hogwarts students. Michael himself was dressed even a little better than normal. He had on his nicest, most fitted jeans that were still loose enough for him to breathe in, the favorite of Dare's shirts that he had taken to stealing whenever they left, and had even let Dare work on him from the head up. It wasn't much, just enough to make his eyes pop and his hair was laying just so. He glanced back at Dare, grinning broadly, as they entered the club.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare could hardly keep his hands off Michael, let alone his eyes. It was ridiculous how the tiniest bit of shadow and brown-black eyeliner kept his attention riveted. He might have insisted on staying home just to stare, but that would have been a waste of the rest of Michael's outfit, and just possibly his own. His jeans fit like a second skin tonight, and his shirt skimmed his body. Then there were wrist bands and his favorite chunky belt, and makeup that make him the envy of a few of the lipstick lesbians in the queue.

"We have to dance now," Dare said, his lips brushing Michael's ear. They'd come to dance, but he wasn't entirely sure how long he'd last. They'd been at school all week and hadn't gotten nearly the time together they needed. He was hoping he could talk Michael into closing the shop tomorrow and having a proper weekend to work it out.

[Michael Blackwood-Hardt]

Michael nodded and closed his eyes, though they immediately opened to trail down Dare's body and then back up to his eyes. They found their way onto the dance floor and Michael pulled him so close. His eyes moved over Dare's face, taking in every bit before moving down for one last long look before he moved his arms up to link his hands loosely behind Dare's head. He had felt the space over the long, busy week, and was feeling it just as strongly as Dare.

[Dare Blackwood-Hardt]

Dare's long arms wrapped around Michael's waist, his hands cruising Michael's back as he moved into the dance. It was easy to let go, to stop thinking and let the music lead. Thought was overrated when there was a good beat and the love of his life. I love you, Dare mouthed. Where would they be without this club to let go at?

[Annabelle Hennessy]

Anna brushed past a couple that was all over each other, refusing to look directly at them. She still wasn't used to seeing men dancing together, but she was fine as long as they weren't that close. She finished the spin Markise had twirled her into laughing. She could feel the heat making her cheeks rosy, but her self-consciousness was gone. Markise was so good at distracting her! "You're going to wear me out!" she laughed.

[Markise Sterling]

Markise grinned. "If I don't, I'm doing something wrong!" he said. One hand settled against her lower back again as the other caught hers in a mock dance that hardly fit the song. He'd told himself to just have fun with Anna for a while, and that was what he was doing. It was what she was doing, too. Still, he was already itching to spend some time with a few of the guys he'd seen on the floor.