Open Fairytales and Such

[Derek Tahana]

Derek had kept thinking over Emilia's book from . when he'd gotten her to tell him all about it. Muggle stories about princes and princesses had never really been something he'd like, oddly he didn't particularly live in the bubble they were attempting to target. But, he liked them, he could understand the appeal and so he'd dressed as a prince for halloween. Well, it was his attempt at it, he wore a crown but he was just dressed in a muggle suit, there was nothing particularly prince like about it at all, but he could assume that modern day princes didn't always wear the sort of suits of armour that were depicted or talked about within the books. He had thought . about seeking Emilia out and asking her to be his princess counter part for the celebration, but his quidditch had gotten in the way of him even finding the time to see her out. But, he'd look for her in the great hall, he had to assume that she was somewhere within it. He knew she liked these events but he would just be happy to have fun and spend time in an event like this. The quidditch had been stressful and he was pleased to just be able to relax and enjoy himself here and now. He couldn't spot her within the hall so just continued wandering, looking for a good drink or snack at one of the tables.​

 

[Emilia Manning]

Emilia hadn't attended the Halloween Feast before, because she had been too nervous to go around dressing up as something. She was scared that she would be laughed at, and hadn't bothered to try. But with her dress now, she felt confident enough to attend, and even felt a little pretty in it. She liked reading about princesses and fairy tales, so dressing up like one seemed like a logical choice. Her eyes were wide as she looked around the hall, taking in the decorations and activities, as well as the costumes everyone was wearing. They were amazing, and some were even pretty scary. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she was looking for Derek. They had often talked at school events like this, but Emilia had never gone to the Halloween Feast before so she hadn't talked to him there yet. Maybe he had someone else he celebrated Halloween with? It was certainly possible.

But then she saw him, and her heart skipped a beat. He was wearing a crown, looking dapper in a suit. She couldn't believe it for a moment. Was he a prince? Did they match? Her mind went back to the moment he had asked her about the book she had been reading. It had been nice to talk to him, and Emilia had loved how invested he had seemed, but she hadn't expected this. Forgetting for a moment to be nervous, she stepped over to him and gave him a shy smile before adjusting her skirt. "Hi Derek, are... you a prince?" She was hopeful, but also a little nervous that maybe she had mistaken his costume and he was actually meant to be something else.

 

[Derek Tahana]

Derek glanced at Emilia when she greeted him. He noticed if by some miracle that she was dressed as a princess. Oh boy that was nice! He liked that that had worked out like it, he should’ve just found the time to ask her to the ball with him. That would’ve been easier than this, ”I am, I got the idea from your book,” he replied. But he took a moment to stand properly and bowed deeply to her, laughing a little when the crown he was wearing slipped off his head and clattered to the ground. ”Wait, let me try that again,” he laughed a little more as he grabbed the crown and bowed again. This time he went less deep and made a point of keeping his head a little straighter. ”Princess, would you care for a dance?” the boy said as he came out of the bow with a hand extended to her. He knew she was dressed as a princess and he was dressed as a prince, it was just his own bad planning that had stopped him from asking her to the dance with him, ”It would be a wonderful honor to dance with such a pretty princess,” the boy added, he knew that Emilia didn’t really dance but he had never tried to take her out into the middle of a dancefloor before in any other event they’d both attended and now would be no different either.​

 

[Emilia Manning]

Emilia's nervous smile turned brighter as Derek spoke to her, especially as he said he got the idea for the costume from her book. Somehow, Derek was always able to make these events truly magical, and like something from a story. She laughed softly as he bowed, which caused the crown to slip off his head. She watched with a warm smile as he tried it again, then he asked her to dance. Normally, Emilia would hesitate and wonder if she should. She would look around to see if anyone else was dancing, and to see how likely it was that anyone would notice. But right now, she didn't care about anyone else. Derek was here with her, and he was being so sweet and charming that she forgot about everything else for a moment. All she wanted was to enjoy this properly, and to spend time with this wonderful boy. She took his hand with a small blush, nodding. "I would be honored." She said, dipping into a small curtsy that made her blush more. "I can't believe we match..." She added, still trying to wrap her mind around it. "I'm glad I ran into you tonight." She added, meeting his gaze. For a moment she found herself lost in his beautiful brown eyes, but then she made herself avert her gaze. "As the prince, maybe you should lead..." She added softly. She then smiled shyly. "You're also a better dancer."

 

[Derek Tahana]

Derek grinned happily when she agreed to it with a curtsy. He nodded, ”Well, your story got it in my head. I couldn’t shake it,” Derek told her. It had been her story which had put the idea in his head, and he had figured that she would come as a princess, or had hoped so that it would fit, ”I had thought about asking you to be a princess with me, but I got busy with quidditch and forgot, it’s a good thing that you came as a princess though,” the slytherin told her honestly. When she said he should lead he did so, taking her hand in his and placing his hand on her waist like he was supposed to. Derek smiled at her, ”You are an excellent dancer Emilia,” he compliemented, ”You just need to be confident,” Derek told her as he guided the dancing. It was quite nice really. He liked spending the time with Emilia. They always danced well together, and he liked the time that he spent at these celebrations. ”Did you come to the game?” he hadn’t been a huge fan of quidditch till he’d given it a shot and he hoped that Emilia had been at the game and seen him play. ​

 

[Emilia Manning]

Emilia couldn't believe she had influenced Derek to dress this way, even indirectly. It all sounded too good to be true, and the smile on her face was one she was sure wouldn't fade for the rest of the night. She hadn't thought this could get any better, but then Derek admitted he had wanted to ask her to dress as a princess and go with him, which made her heart stop for a moment. She didn't even mind that he forgot, because he had thought of her and that was all that mattered. "I'm very happy I did." She said softly, smiling and blushing slightly as Derek took her hand and placed one on her waist. She felt like a real princess out of a story, and at the same time felt like the older girls she had seen dancing with their boyfriends at the yule ball. Of course, Derek wasn't her boyfriend, but it never hurt to dream. As he complimented her dancing, Emilia blushed even deeper and had to look down at their feet for a moment. "Thank you." She said quietly, her smile growing even wider. She looked up again, meeting his gaze. "I... always feel more confident when you're around." She admitted, nerves dancing in her stomach as the words left her lips. It was true, but that only made it scarier to admit. She felt herself grow more at ease the longer they danced, and as Derek asked her about the game, she nodded quickly. "Yes, I did! I watched you score, it was amazing." She said, a little annoyed with herself for not telling him that earlier. "I was rooting for you, it's a shame that your team lost." She added with a small shrug. She knew that the house he had been playing against was her own, but she couldn't have rooted against Derek if she'd tried. "I... didn't know you played. You were really good."