Open Acid Glares

[Diana Hollis]

((Open after Kaitlyn))

Diana was not in a great mood. Her dress was beautiful, and so was she, but still she was here on her own. It was partly her own fault, she knew she could have asked a boy to come with her, but she hadn't. After Simon had dumped her, it had felt for a long while that she shouldn't expect any guy to treat her well. She had decided then to swear off boys and relationships, at least for a while, but she hadn't considered how alone she would be at school dances. She had a drink in her hand and was glowering at the nearby happy couples, throwing especially dirty looks in the direction of Charlotte and Simon. She hadn't had time to get back at them yet, and it was frustrating to her to see them here, together and happy as if she hadn't mattered at all. She knew it would be better if she just ignored them completely, but she couldn't help it. Diana sighed in annoyance and sipped her drink. What was the point of being at a dance without a date, or even friends to gossip to about other people's outfits? This was bound to be the most boring yule ball yet.

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire was looking to dance. And not alone this year. She knew EXACTLY who needed the distraction. She quickly found Di hanging out alone and came up behind her. "Might I steal a dance?" She purred, slinking up next to her friend and linking her arm through the other girls. "Maybe we can get close enough to trip them," She whispered conspiratorially in Di's ear. Not like she thought it would work. But still. It was the point of it, right?

 

[Cole Dragonov]

Cole Dragonov normally would have said no to going to any dance, but this year was different. His sister, who transferred back to school, was here with her boyfriend and as a protective big brother, he wanted to look after her. While she seemed enamored with that Ravenclaw, Cole was just a little weary of him. Shaking his head, he went to go get something to drink. He paused on the way there to see none other than Diana Holland. She didn't have a date. Although, he did see another girl there. Right, he recognized her before he transferred out. Sapphire Michaels. The one with all the jewels in the family. He approached them in time to hear Sapphire ask Diana if she could dance with her. Cole cleared his throat, and interrupted, "Actually, I was going to see if I could steal one from her, Sapphire." Cole shrugged slightly, "Or, I can wait, it really depends on you." He had said the latter part to Diana, though he truly did not mind waiting.

 

[Diana Hollis]

Diana jumped as Sapphire suddenly appeared behind her and said something in her ear. She turned to shoot her friend a glare, though it wasn't a very angry one. The glare faded at the words she whispered to her, but Diana still gently extracted her arm from Sapphire's grasp. "I don't know if i'm in the dancing mood." She admitted. "And they deserve worse than tripping." But before Diana could say more, she realized Cole Dragonov had approached and was listening to their conversation. They'd talked in the common room a while ago, and Diana had to admit she had enjoyed talking to him. She hadn't really expected him to approach her, and she now regretted telling Sapphire she wasn't in a dancing mood. "Actually, maybe a bit of dancing won't hurt." She said quickly, putting her drink on the nearest table. She shot Sapphire a pleading look, hoping she would understand what she meant. It was nice to dance with a friend, and she appreciated that Sapphire came to cheer her up, but it was different when a boy asked you to dance. Right?

 

[Sapphire Michaels]

Sapphire laughed, knowing when she wasn't needed. "Alright, I suppose you can steal her this time, Cole," She teased, giving Diana a wink. "I'll just slink away and find someone else to dance with." She blew them both a kiss before wandering off. Well, that had been a bust. Ah well. She was sure she could find trouble somewhere else.

 

[Cole Dragonov]

Cole chuckled when Sapphire said that he could steal her this time. He hoped that he was not interrupting anything. He cocked his head slightly to the side as she blew them a kiss and walked off. Cole grinned when she said that a bit of dancing wouldn't hurt moments before Sapphire left. Cole held out his hand for Diana to take, so that he could lead the way to the dance floor. Cole knew how to dance a little bit, but wouldn't admit that it was one of his weaknesses to her. "I hope I wasn't interrupting anything. I thought you looked really pretty and figured you might get a lot of offers from other guys. I wanted to be the first." Well, he wanted to be first, but it was possible that she might have danced with other people already. It wasn't like he came in at the moment the doors opened.

 

[Diana Hollis]

Diana could kiss Sapphire, and vowed to make this up to her later. She really was a great friend, and while Diana felt a little bad about her having to find something else to entertain her, she was grateful that Sapphire understood the situation. Diana wasn't sure if she liked Cole or not, they hadn't spoken that much yet, but to have the chance to dance with an older boy in front of everyone wasn't something she was likely to pass up. Especially when the boy was so nice to her, and said she was pretty. Diana grinned at him. "It's fine, Sapphire is just a good friend, she was looking out for me. But at a dance, I'd much rather dance with a boy." She explained. His assessment that many boys were going to ask her to dance was generous, to say the least, but Diana wasn't going to let him know that she doubted he was right. Let him think there was as much competition as he imagined. "You are the first." She said as he said he wanted to be the first, and then she took his hand. If Charlotte looked over at her now, at least she wouldn't look sad and lonely anymore. "Let's go dance."

 

[Cole Dragonov]

"Sapphire seemed like the type," Cole agreed, since he had spoken with her a long time ago. Though it was because she was playing that weird muggle instrument and he had been curious about it. He was a lot less caring back then about such items. Cole had a sense of pride wash over him as Diana said that he was the first to ask her. Cole glanced down at her hand gently wrapped his fingers around it. This wasn't the first time he had danced with a girl. After all, he had a few times when he went to Hogwarts Scotland, but he'll keep that silent. It was all in the past. Cole led Diana out to the dance floor, and gently placed a hand on her waist. "I want to give you a heads up. I might not be the best dancer but at least I will be good company."

 

[Diana Hollis]

"Oh, you know her?" She asked the boy, trying to quell the immediate feeling of jealousy that reared up inside her. Sapphire was one of the few real friends she had left, it wouldn't do to scare her away just because she had talked to a boy once, a boy Diana hadn't even realized she was remotely interested in until now. Because she had to admit he was rather dashing, with how he took the lead as they headed over to the dance floor. Was she just weak for any boy who showed interest in her? No. She wouldn't let him win her over easily. Her heart had hardened because of the two humiliating breakups she had already gone through. Cole could be entertaining company, but she wasn't giving her heart away anytime soon. Still, his words made her smile a genuine smile. "That's okay, we'll make up for it by looking like we know what we're doing. And looking good while doing it." She said confidently. She placed a hand on his shoulder as they started to dance. "Do you enjoy these events?" She asked him, looking up at him.

 

[Cole Dragonov]

Cole gave a light nod, "Yeah, talked to her once just before I transferred out. She seemed upset and my dad just died. She was playing this guitar thing, so I was curious." Cole shrugged his shoulders lightly. He figured that he would say that much, since there wasn't anything beyond that. From his first meeting with her, she seemed very loyal and ferocious. He danced slowly, close to her and followed the movements that he had learned before. He seemed to move quite a bit more smoothly than the awkward boy he used to be. He chuckled when she stated that they would look good while doing it. "So, you think I look good?" smirked the Slytherin. He had to make that statement, to ensure that was what she meant. Cole thought he looked good anyway. Didn't mean that others thought the same way. Cole grinned a little bit, "It really depends on who I am with, if I enjoy the events. How about you?"

 

[Diana Hollis]

The meeting Cole described with Sapphire seemed like it had been rather emotional, with her upset and him presumably upset as well. Diana couldn't help but be glad she had met Cole in a more casual setting. She wasn't very good at dealing with emotions. She nodded after he finished speaking. They were dancing smoothly, and it seemed clear to Diana that Cole had some experience dancing at events like this. She wondered if he ever attended formal events outside of school, as she knew vaguely that he was part of a big pureblood family. She wasn't sure what that sort of thing entailed. Diana herself wasn't a bad dancer either, as she had attended the last few dances at Hogwarts with a partner and had usually danced with them. Edmund hadn't been very good, but she had still managed to learn. Though the thought of those past dances was painful. Cole's words were a welcome distraction, as some flirtatious banter was fun, and a lot easier than thinking about the past. "Well, maybe I meant that I look very good and you're not bad looking enough to bring the average down that much." She teased. But then she relented a little. "But... yes, you do look good. I think you know it." She added with a slight smirk. She nodded in agreement to his statement. "Same. They're boring if you're alone, or with bad company."

 

[Cole Dragonov]

Cole was somewhat relieved that he was not messing up with his dance moves, considering he only went to a few of these. But, as long as he could have a good time with Diana, then things would be excellent. The teasing made him smirk a little more. It was enjoyable, a little more than he expected. He was normally more serious than this, so it was fun to let loose every now and then. She did admit that he did look good, and she was right, he knew it. "I am the carbon copy of my dad, my mom says. Except, I got her eyes." Cole's eyes were blue which was what his mom had before she had a potion accident that changed her eye color. His mom had magenta eyes now, which he was glad that he didn't get that feminine color. "I think I am in very good company tonight." Cole glanced up to see his sister and her boyfriend staring. Figured. He turned his attention back to Diana.

 

[Diana Hollis]

Diana's eyebrows raised a fraction when Cole said he looked like his dad but had his mother's eyes when she complimented his looks. She supposed that was something he must have heard a lot growing up, but she wasn't sure why that would be relevant to her. It was unlikely she would ever meet his dad. "I see." Was all she said, trying to find a way to move the conversation away from parents. The last thing she wanted to talk about while dancing with a boy was her dad. "You're right about that." She said when he mentioned he thought he was in good company. She didn't see the point in playing shy and demure, it wasn't like her. She noticed his attention move away from her, and automatically followed his gaze. She saw a girl and a boy staring, and recognized the girl as Elia, one of her roommates, and some boy she didn't really know. Now that she thought about it, wasn't Elia's last name also Dragonov? Dragonova? Oh. "Is Elia your sister?" She asked Cole, turning her gaze away to look at him again. "How protective of you is she? Do I have to put wards around my bed?" She joked with a slight smile. She assumed it would be fine, but would rather know if her dancing with her roommate's brother was going to cause any drama so she could prepare for it.