Closed Chances

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily didn't know how she had ended up with a date to this. She missed Clifton so badly it hurt, the thought of not being in his arms tonight made her stomach twist so badly she felt like she might throw up. But she had agreed to come to this dance, and she had gone with her mother and sister to get the dress. She walked down to the Great Hall, fidgeting a bit with the hem of her dress while she waited for her date, keeping her eyes on the floor and trying her best to keep her mind away from her errant love.

 

[William Kaimarama]

William still wasn't entirely sure how this had happened. How was it that now that he had decided to stop caring about his love life and focus on his future that opportunities kept falling into his lap? First... whatever this thing was with Abian, of all people, and now he had somehow wound up actually having a date to take to the Yule Ball. What did people even do on dates? William wasn't really sure, and it was hard not to dwell on how he could potentially mess this up. The only thing tempering his worries was the memory that he was just months away from leaving Hogwarts forever, and any embarrassment would disappear in the wind as he left to start his own life. So he was able to muster a sincere smile as he spotted Lily entering the Great Hall, giving her a nervous smile. She had definitely put more effort into her looks tonight than he had expected. "Woah, you look like a princess or something." He commented, giving the Hufflepuff a warm smile. "So... what do you wanna do? Just to warn you ahead of time I'm a great dancer, so don't be surprised if we hit the floor and all eyes are on me." He joked, giving Lily a gentle smile.

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily looked up when she heard William speak, giving him a shy smile. She didn't want to say that this entire look was something she had her mother help her with during break so she could impress Clifton. She did blush, however, at his compliment. "Thank you," She murmured, tucking a bit of stray hair behind her ear, stepping over a little closer to him. "You look handsome yourself," She offered back shyly. She giggled softly at his comment. "Well I'm sure no one will notice then, when I trip on my own dress," She tried to joke a bit herself, unsure if it would work as well. William really was a sweet boy, and she felt guilty for wishing he was someone else. She tried to push Clifton out of her mind, focusing instead on the boy in front of her.

 

[William Kaimarama]

William wasn't really used to getting complimented on his appearance, and he didn't quite know how to handle it. He had never felt comfortable in suits, and it was hard to believe that discomfort wasn't showing. He nodded, though, choosing to just accept the compliment and move on. "Thanks..." He said with a quick grin, laughing softly at Lily's comment. He offered the Hufflepuff an elbow, gesturing towards the dancefloor. "I'm sure you'll be fine." William said reassuringly, making a mental note that he would have to look out for her dress too. The last thing he wanted was to step on it and make a fuss.

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily smiled shyly and took William's arm. He was closer to her in height than Clifton had been, and it felt a bit odd not having to crane her neck up to see her date. She tried to brush the thought of Clifton aside; he had left her, and she was in the company of a perfectly sweet boy that was complimenting her and spending time with her. She tried to laugh a little, but even to her it seemed a little strained. "Careful. I'm a little bit clumsy," She told him, sticking close and letting him lead her.

 

[William Kaimarama]

Having a girl on his arm at a school event was definitely a foreign feeling to William, especially one as pretty as Lily, but he decided quickly that he actually quite liked this. A few years ago he would have been too distracted thinking about how he didn't deserve this to enjoy the moment, but right now, he felt good. That feeling twisted slightly as he spotted Abian in the hall with his own date, looking away from his friend quickly. Whatever was going on between them, he didn't need to be thinking about it right now. William had wasted more than enough of his life stressing about what Abian thought of him, and he was determined to just.... enjoy tonight. He laughed softly at Lily's comment, shaking his head. "No worries. In a dress like that all you really gotta do is some dramatic poses, let me dance around you." He joked, giving her a cheeky smile.

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily couldn't help but giggle a little bit at what he said. "You know, you're actually pretty funny," she complimented, laying her other hand on his arm as well. "Cute and funny, I'm surprised you didn't already have a date," she complimented, giving him a shy smile and unthinkingly running her thumb lightly over his arm out of habit.

 

[William Kaimarama]

William had been called funny plenty of times, but Lily's second compliment wasn't one he got often, and it actually took him aback for a second. He stared at the Hufflepuff for a moment, then laughed softly. "I hear funny pretty often, but I think you're the first person to ever think this is cute." He joked, pulling an ugly face for a moment before laughing. Lily's hand soft on his arm was nice, and as they reached the dance floor it was hard to want to actually start dancing, because that meant she would stop. It would be weird to just... not dance though, so he released her arm, giving Lily a grin. "You ready for these moves?" William asked before busting out some of his best moves, dancing in a circle around Lily.

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily giggled again at the face William made. "I'm sure they have, they just haven't told you," she reassured him, thinking it silly no one had ever told him he was cute. She couldn't help but giggle again, watching him dance around her. She swayed a bit, but she wasn't sure it could be called dancing. She had worn shorter heels than she usually did, so it was easier to move around without worrying she would hurt him or herself.

 

[William Kaimarama]

William smiled at Lily's comment, surprised that it warmed him as much as it did. He didn't really think she was right, but he did think she was being sincerely optimistic, rather than lying to humour him, and it was a nice feeling. He grinned as he danced around the Hufflepuff, glad to be able to make her laugh. Why couldn't all his past romantic experiences have come as easily to him as this date was, as kissing Abian had? It felt bizarre, after so many years of struggling against the world, for things to be going right.

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

_godmod approved-

Lily felt herself relax fully. This was nice. He was nice. She held her skirt a bit, trying to dance a bit like he was. It was a bad idea, however, because almost immediately she stumbled and tripped. Luckily, he caught her, and she couldn't help but shake a little and glance up shyly through her mussed hair, hands on his arms and blushing with embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry," she stuttered softly.

 

[William Kaimarama]

As experienced as his family was in the bush, William had seen more than a few skinned knees and hurt ankles from falls over the years, and as the oldest had long since developed quick reflexes whenever anyone around him was falling over. So he was able to catch Lily quickly as she began to fall, propping her back upright quickly. "There you go, she'll be right." He smiled. "Do you wanna take the heels off? It might be easier to dance."

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily giggled as William set her upright again. She nodded, unable to help but smile as she reached down and carefully slipped off her shoes. She held them aloft in her hand, relieved and a little surprised that William wasn't that much taller than her, even without the heels. She smiled, using her hand to grip the straps of her heels and her dress. She offered out her other hand, giggling softly and smiling warmly at him. This was nice, she was having a good time.

 

[William Kaimarama]

William waited for Lily to take her heels off, wondering why girls always wore shoes like that for dances. When the point was to dance it just seemed like a waste. He wasn't gonna question it though, meeting Lily's eyes with a grin once she was done and taking her hand, taking the chance to spin the Hufflepuff around gently. "See, isn't that better?"

 

[Lillian Lockwood]

Lily spun easily, really rather relieved to be out of the heels. She smiled at William, liking the way her hand fit in his, remembering how warm and nice it was holding hands without the immediate jump to how big Cliftons hands were and how safe she always felt when his hand enveloped hers. She paused as the music changed, shifting to a slower song, her heart jumping a bit in her chest. She turned to glance at William, smiling a little shyly. "Do... Do you want to keep dancing?" She asked, knowing it would be different dancing to this. "We... We could get some snacks if you would prefer," she offered, blushing a bit and glancing down.