Just don't turn into a pumpkin

[Danny Boyd]

Daniel held up his arm for her to link with him as they entered the hall. She looked radiate and gorgeous and beautiful and a million other adjectives that he wanted to use regarding her. Her hair was down for a change having only ever seen it tied back. It suited her as did the yellow dress she wore.

"Well you happy you came now?" he smiled at her as they made their way inside and over to a table. He released her arm and pulled a chair out for her, "Chivalry is not dead".

His smile was warm as he took in the decor, the place looked great but it was the strategically placed mistletoe hanging about the hall that had him smiling even more. Would she be adverse to kissing him as she had been to coming to the ball? He had managed to persuade her to come after all so perhaps he could manage to persuade a kiss out of her as well.
"Hope you dance as good as you look" he winked.

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

Shalamar had written in the end to her grandmother, the woman was a law unto herself after all and whatever destiny the woman was convinced her granddaughter had, Shalamar knew now that it did not include her marrying Lee Shang. The letter from her grandmother had been lengthy but perfect, she had attached it to a long rectangular box which after much removing of tissue paper revealed the exquisite silk mustard dress she wore. It slid from her slender frame rather than clung to her, gentle as she was, free as she also now was. All she had to do was bide her time. Her grandmother was doing all she could at home to prevent the marriage from taking place, Shalamar had finally been able to sleep somewhat peacefully over the past few weeks since she had received that letter. That glorious letter.

The only thing that bothered her now was wondering just what destiny her grandmother was convinced she had. Linking her arm into Daniels she walked with him into the great hall, admired the beauty with which it was decorated before turning to smile at Daniel.
"I am happy enough" thanking him for pulling her chair out she could not help but allow her gaze to filter across the dancefloor and the other tables to see if there was any sign of Henric but there was none. She could not help then the sigh of relief. Perhaps she would be allowed to enjoy this evening after all. Her heart could relax, not beat frantically at the mere sight of the other boy. Of course it was still early enough.

Daniels voice broke through her thoughts and she blushed with the flattery he gave her.
"I am a very good dancer actually" she smiled picking up a glass from the table and holding it out to him to fill, her eyebrow quirking upwards as a smile teased her mouth. For possibly the first time in a long time she felt completely relaxed.

 

[Danny Boyd]

Daniel watched as she seemed to consider something, then holding up an empty glass to him, she smiled. The laugh escaped him at the mere sight of this smile of hers. It was captivating but with the quirk of her brow he sensed that perhaps there was a sense of humor under there. He hoped tonight she would let it out, somehow he got the feeling she didn’t let herself relax enough to enjoy life a little.
Picking up a pitcher he stood up and bowed ceremoniously to her before pouring some pumpkin juice into the goblet she held.

“Will there be anything else madam?” he enquired with a smile, bowing low before pouring some into his own glass. He pulled the chair beside hers slightly closer as the music began to play. It was typical that they insisted on playing all the fancy ballroom style music first, he had taken enough lessons at Hogwarts Scotland but hadn’t practiced in a long while. The dance floor was empty enough anyhow and as much as he enjoyed making a spectacle of himself, he had no intention of making one of Shalamar.

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

Her smile grew brighter as she watched him bow before her, soon she would need to touch her cheeks with a cold compress just to cool them down. The room was airy enough but she had never allowed herself this type of pleasure before, had never been allowed this type of freedom. There had been dances for sure back home, usually held in her own home but she had always been too young to be in any way compromised. Now though she was only thirteen her parents prospects for her were held precariously in the balance by trust of their innocent well behaved young daughter and her own will. Something she had only broached during her training with her uncle Baojia. Tonight was a first and she would have to take great pains to conceal it from her parents when she returned home for the holidays.

“No thank you, that is more than enough” she smiled as she sipped from her goblet then placing it back on the table watched as he pulled his own chair closer to her. This she had not anticipated at all. The music had begun to play and with swift grace she was off her seat and holding a hand out to him.
“We are here to dance are we not?”

 

[Danny Boyd]

Daniel had barely time to sit in front of her and admire her when she literally jumped from her seat.
“You’re asking me to dance? Isn’t that sort of my job?” he asked but stood taking her hand in his anyhow, he was a lot taller than her and liked this. It made him feel very protective of her somehow. Escorting her to the floor he tried to count out the beat in his head to the particular set that was playing. He put his hand slightly awkwardly around her waist while he cupped her small hand in his large one, taking care not to squeeze her fingers too hard.
“Off we go then” he grinned, counting the one, two, three beat out in his head and hoping he was turning her in all the right places.

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

Shalamar walked with him to the dance floor and steeled herself not to flinch as he placed his hand about her waist or cupped his fingers about her much smaller hand.

“We do not always have to stand on convention” she smiled in reply to his earlier question, “This is the twenty first century Daniel Boyd, get with the times”.

Her smile was infectious now, she could not help but smile as she realized that his near robotic movements about the floor were from one too little dance classes but he was trying and she gave him points for that much.
“Why did you ask someone to the yule ball if you could not dance?” she asked of him, hoping she was not being rude.

 

[Danny Boyd]

He turned her half way in one direction then realizing he should have turned her the other way, stopped and nearly heaved her to his right. All along he had hoped she would not notice his floundering steps but these classical dances were exhausting and much too technical for him. He had been too busy trying to keep up with the dance that he had not even laughed as she had teased him. Her question though hit him and he stopped trying. His feet stood stock still like weighty anchors, glancing at the other dancers twirling and whirling about them.
Looking at her he smiled.

“I can dance just not very well to these steps and I didn’t ask someone, I asked you” he looked down into her brown eyes so damned tempted to tilt her head up to his and kiss her on those perfect rose bud lips, “And there’s a huge difference there”
His head lowered, as if drawn to her.

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

Shalamar frowned ever so slightly when he stopped dancing, being hoisted about the dancefloor was becoming tiring after all so she was somewhat grateful he had decided to stop. Yet he didn’t leave the floor, just kept the two of them there. He was much taller than her and it felt as if she needed to crane her neck to simply look at him. After he spoke she watched as he tried to lower his head towards her and at first she didn’t realize what it was he was about but suddenly she knew and gasped.

Turning her head quickly to her left she released her hand from his and moving the other from his shoulder began to clap at the band as they finished the first set. Quite literally saved by the bell. Shalamar had never been kissed in all her life, the only lips that had been close to her mouth had been Henric went he had given her CPR and she knew she may have been ready to dance with some other boy but to have anothers mouth on hers was a different story altogether.

 

[Danny Boyd]

As his head lowered she turned his and Daniel pulled up abruptly. What kind of an idiot was he? He could have at least waited for the excuse of some mistletoe but what good would there be in that. With a sigh he moved her towards the table.
"Would you like a drink?" he picked up a goblet and poured some punch into it and passed it to her the same time that some one passing jostled him and he ended up tipping the bright pink liquid down the front of her dress.

His eyes opened wide and he could only at first chuckle.
"Sorry I'll get my wand and clean it up hang on".

 

[Shalamar Ovanisse]

Shalamar breathed a sigh of relief when he began to move her from the dancefloor to a table. A drink right now was probably the best thing, she smiled and nodded her head slowly as her gaze went out to the dancefloor to see those out there dancing. There were many out there now, some were even kissing each other rather too much. Shalamar looked away embarrassed moving just out of the way of a bunch of first years as they giggled in passing. Jostling Daniel as they did do, his arm holding the pinkest of fruit punches sent it flying onto her dress.

At first she could only stand there looking aghast as the stain seeped outwards more and more, causing a horrible dark stain to appear on her dress. Then as he told her with a laugh no less that he would clean it up with his wand she glared at him. The young girl who would never glare at anyone.
"I think you have done enough Daniel, excuse me" she turned on her heel before the sob escaped her. She wiped the tear from her eye as she ran from the hall not caring who saw her now.

 

[Danny Boyd]

Daniel watched mesmerized when she began to leave. What in the world was going on? He looked about him quickly, wondering just what exactly had gone wrong? Ok so he spilled drink on her dress but one scourgify would have it cleaned up in no time and ok, so he had attempted to kiss her. Got absolutely no where with it of course but was that any reason for her to walk out on him?

He heard someone completely different singing and turned around to see Andromeda up on the stage giving it her all. Daniel couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her in her elf costume, he was tempted to let Shalamar just run off being all dramatic but he had invited her after all and he had clearly over stepped some mark. He hadn't meant to ruin her night, so glancing back over his shoulder at the fiery red head singing in what Danny considered to be a fantastic voice, he left to find Shalamar.