Better With You

[Jean Snow]

Jean wasn't sure how he was feeling as he'd descended the final few steps to the Great Hall. Excitement at seeing Victoire's dress and enjoying a night with her was surely at the top, but he also felt a pang of sadness as he recalled the many sweet memories that had come out of this ball for him. Gruffly reminding himself to get it together, Jean waited by the entrance for Victoire. He'd been busy just before the ball, so he'd used the much closer Head student lounge to get ready. Besides, while walking with his girlfriend was always fun - he enjoyed being near her at every opportunity- there really was nothing like watching her descend the steps at the Yule ball. He wanted to find a way to permanently stick that memory in his brain forever.

It was with great anticipation that he waited for her, though he made every effort to appear casual as he stood with his hands in his suit pocket, a quick bounce on the balls of his feet every few moments. As usual, Victoire had refused to give him a hint about the dress, and he'd even considered offering one of the first years on his team a few galleons to spy and report back, but that would've involved revealing an interest in Victoire he wasn't supposed to have. To the world, they were just friends, best friends by this point surely. And they were, but they were much, much more than that. Jean had made one of the ultimate mistakes in his family: he'd fallen in love with a muggleborn. And now he didn't know what else to do but enjoy it... and protect it.

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire was nervous about this yuleball, while it obviously wasn't her first yuleball, but she was going with Jean, just in a head boy and head girl capacity to the people around them, but for them it would be them being able to finally attend together, they'd have to continue to pretend to be friends but at the very least they could engage in some light touches they couldn't otherwise. The teen had finished getting ready a few minutes before, but instead of leaving she was just stood in front of her mirror, just arranging the little strands of her hair, she had made a last minute change, and rather than the small black dress she had thought she was going to wear, had opted for the floor length light blue dress, it brushed the floor, and was unlike any dress she had ever worn before, but the belgian girl had grown a lot since her first yuleball and this she felt would be the perfect final yuleball outfit. But, it did make her feel incredibly grown up, and adult, and she felt a little nervous about presenting this to school, just being the visible head girl, she wanted to look her absolute best and just wow Jean.

The teen finished the last of her make up and then left the dorm, making the long way from Gryffindor house to the Great hall, finally spotting the teen who stood waiting for her, and she couldn't help the fond smile which filled her expression as she looked at him. Victoire straightened out her dress and finished walked down the stairs to him, smiling at him with a almost little shy expression. She loved Jean, and though she knew things were likely going to change a lot, but for now, it was all about the little moments, "Hey Jean," she greeted him softly in english, "You look dashing," the head girl smiled at him, feeling a little nervous about where this night might lead but looking forward to it a lot.
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[Jean Snow]

Lost in thought, Jean had nearly missed the moment he'd been waiting for - watching Victoire descend the steps towards the Great Hall. Thankfully, he didn't. The Head Boy watched his girlfriend, the Head Girl, move towards him in a floor length gown. She was stunning. He was speechless, though glad that his jaw hadn't unhinged itself as his eyes scanned her face, her dress, and then her face again, a slow smile coming to his face as she finally reached him. Unsurprisingly, Victoire spoke first. Jean wasn't sure he could speak, but he pushed himself to do so, a nod to acknowledge her kind words. His date looked far too beautiful to be left wondering what he thought.

"Victoire..." he replied in a hush. "Victoire, you look stunning" he stated, his blue eyes meeting hers as he reached for her hand and quickly lifted it to his lips, allowing them to barely brush the skin before he let go and stepped closer to her as he offered her his arm. "Shall we do this one last time?" he asked, choosing to stick to English for now. Jean enjoyed dancing, enjoyed the Yule ball, and he was eager to see how things would turn out this year.

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire couldn't help the blushing smile which graced her lips as she spotted the way he was looking at her, she couldn't help the little smile at his compliment, and knew she'd done the right thing in this dress, trusting that it would be the perfect dress for her. This night would be difficult, the temptation to kiss him right in that moment had been strong, was still strong, he was after all, her boyfriend and he looked amazing and she wanted to express it in more than just small words. But they had to be careful, and so formalities took hold. She let him take her hand, kissing it before letting go. How she longed that they could just be a normal couple enjoying their final yuleball, but this was the closest they could ever get and she was so pleased with that. Victoire nodded at his question and then took his arm, resisting all temptations that past through her head as they walked into the Great Hall. She was more than certain that things, as long as they were careful would turn out alright for them, but it didn't stop her gaze jumping around the different people in the hall.

She decided that she wanted nothing more than to dance with him, so she guided their walking towards the dance floor, moving away from him slightly and presenting her hand to him, so that they could just dance, she was more wary as she danced with him about her dress, being careful to not trip over the edge as she danced with Jean, this was their final yuleball, and she knew that likely outside of school there would be plenty of parties and balls but this felt more than a little significant. Plainly hidden in the crowd didn't in Victoire's mind give enough protection that they'd be able to just be intimate like they were at other occasions, like in the head people's common room, or his dorm, but the fact she got to spend this last yuleball with him was enough for Victoire.
​

 

[Jean Snow]

Although it was easier, in some ways, to manage the distance that they needed to keep suspicion off of them because they'd had a lot of practice in doing so, in other ways Jean found it immensely difficult. Now, that they'd been intimate and now that they'd been together for so long, he had found that his desire to be near her had simply continued to increase. In that sense, giving off an air of not caring, was near impossible. It was stressful and tense to have to feign that they were simply friends when they were so much more that. As they walked into the Great Hall, Jean kept his gaze forward, not giving anyone who might be looking at them any attention whatsoever.

Like usual, they headed straight for the dance floor. They were both good dancers, and he enjoyed moving to the beat especially with her. Her dress was much longer than it usually was at the ball, so he eyeballed the nearest person, daring them to step on her dress. If they did, they'd regret it. This was their final yule ball, and he'd be damned if some jerk was going to ruin it by messing up Victoire's beautiful dress. Dancing quietly for an entire song, Jean finally broke the silence as another fast song began to play. He grabbed hold of her hand, pulling her closer. "I left a present for you in the lounge" he told her in French, a mischievous look on his face.

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire was easily dancing with Jean, they had done it plenty of times before but it was difficult now she found given how often they could be intimate and to not be in this moment with him was hard. She cared a lot for him, and she wished she could show him how she felt, exactly how she felt in that moment, she let herself move to the rhythm of the song. The head girl was definitely pleased to be able to be so close with him, to spend this last yuleball with him as a date without the pretence they'd gone with the year before, running into one another was a fair way of doing it, but this felt better. The teen's mind was just on him, the rest of the people around her didn't matter, they couldn't have mattered everyone was so focused on themselves, not really paying attention to who surrounded them.

Victoire looked up at Jean as he pulled her in, her eyes met his and she listened to what he had to say, she couldn't help but grin a little in reaction to it, her mind reeling and thinking about what it could be, "What is it?" she asked, thinking that he wouldn't tell her but it never really hurt to ask. The girl was so curious and she just wanted to find out now, but likely it would have to wait, could they leave already? She wanted nothing more in that moment than to kiss his lips and her gaze dropped to his lips before looking back up at him, "I can't wait to see it," the girl then added, obviously speaking truthfully but knowing whatever the present was she'd love it, and thank Jean more than appropriately for it.
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[Jean Snow]

"You had your fun. Now I get to have mine" he replied with a smirk, knowing that she enjoyed keeping her outfits for these dances a secret. The present wasn't anything big anyway, a bracelet that he'd bought with the money he'd been saving. He'd been saving for a new broom, having heard that all of the French National Team used the Nimbus brand. But, the small dip into his savings was worth it. He figured he'd get it back with the holidays here anyway. People seemed to be especially generous this time of year. He'd hidden the present away, in the bookshelf there, so she'd have to look for it. A game of hide-and-seek, sort of like they'd played last year.

Jean's mind was certainly on his date and this wonderful event, but ever present in his mind was his upcoming try out which was set to take place just a few days before the New Year. It was hard to believe that he'd be out of the school and working at this time next year. So would Victoire and Lucien and even Avie. Jean couldn't wait to see what kind of job Avie would get. Perhaps taking pictures or something to do with rocks. There had to be jobs where those skills would come in handy. "Can you believe this is our last one? Are you going to miss it?" he asked. Really, he just wanted to kiss Victoire, but knowing that couldn't exactly happen right now, he figured he'd make conversation.