Closed Not Quite Like a Story

[Alice Holland]

Alice was trying to feel happy as well as sad, but mostly she felt... sad. She couldn't let go of the thought that this dance was her true final event at Hogwarts. She knew she had her graduation too, but this was the final dance, the final time she would be attending an event with her boyfriend. The last time she still had this one to look forward to, but all she could focus on right now was how this was her final time stepping into the Great Hall of Hogwarts for a dance. The final time she'd watch all the couples happily dancing under the Valentine's decorations. It put her in a melancholy mood, which made her fidget with her skirt a bit as she waited. Other couples went in, and Alice didn't see Elliot yet. She felt her heart sink a bit as she waited, the entrance hall slowly emptying. Elliot... wouldn't stand her up, would he? He wouldn't leave her alone at this dance? She couldn't help thinking of Blake, of the worst yule ball of her school career. But Elliot was different, he was nothing like Blake. So... what was keeping him? Alice wondered if she should go into the great hall, if she had somehow missed Elliot going in and he was looking for her inside. But she stayed rooted to the spot for now, hoping he'd pop up any moment.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot had spent most of the lead up to the dance with the knowledge that this was Alice's last big school event quietly lurking in the back of his mind. He'd wanted to do something special for her, something to make it memorable, but between the Wild Patch needed some clearing for Autumn, Apparition lessons, and all their prepping for for the upcoming Quidditch game, Elliot felt like he'd blinked and it was time for the dance before he'd even had a chance to brainstorm.

And now he was late. Late, and empty-handed. He'd gone from wanting to make this night special to already ruining it before he'd even made it downstairs. Some cowardly part of him, the same part that stopped him breaking up with Lars for months, wanted to just run. To hide up in the common room and claim he caught up in some club or quidditch thing and lost track of time. But he couldn't do that to Alice. Couldn't live with the idea of how badly that would hurt her. Taking a deep breath, Elliot forced himself down the stairs, trying to ignore how empty his hands felt when he finally made it down to the entrance hall.

"Hey, hi, I'm here, I'm so sorry," He said in a rush, jogging the last few feet over to meet up with Alice and gently grab her hands. All the different words and apologies rolling around in his head that he wanted to say all at once and he could only get out that one "I'm sorry".

 

[Alice Holland]

Alice's foot had started tapping anxiously when she finally spotted Elliot. Immediately, she felt relieved. In the back of her mind she had worried he had decided he didn't want to be her boyfriend anymore. Maybe because she was graduating, it would be tricky to go long distance for a year. Alice smiled at Elliot and squeezed his hands after he took hers in his own. "I'm just glad you're here." She said truthfully. "Is everything alright?"

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot felt a pang of shame for even considering not showing up, no matter how briefly it had been, when Alice smiled at him. He squeezed her hands back, lacing their fingers so they were still joined when they turned to enter the hall, freeing up his other hand to scratch at the back of his neck at Alice's question. He wasn't sure what the rules were here, if he should be honest about how sad her leaving made him, and how he'd managed to fail at making tonight special. He'd already left Alice waiting, did he really want to bring the mood down for them on their last big event night together?

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm sorry. I just lost track of time..." Elliot eventually said, glancing at Alice's face. There was still hope the two of them could enjoy tonight even with the prospect of Alice's graduation looming over their heads. He wanted to be happy about it, and excited for her, but all he could think about was how much he was going to miss her next year.

 

[Alice Holland]

It wasn't that Alice had hoped that something was wrong, but it would have explained why he was late. As he said he had just lost track of time, Alice paused but then nodded. She searched his face for a moment, wondering if that was really all. But she didn't want to question it, as she worried it might turn into an argument which could ruin their night. Alice took his hand in her own and squeezed it. "Well, let's go in." She told him quietly. "I really want to dance."

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot nodded, smiling soft at Alice as they headed into the hall. Dancing he could do. It was funny to think how scary the idea of dancing, let alone dancing with someone else had seemed back in his first year. It was still kind of scary, dancing with Alice, but a good scary, one that made his heart thump excitedly in his chest like when he played quidditch.

The rest of the night passed in a quick blur of dancing and drinks and quiet moments, and before Elliot had any more time to really dwell on it, the night was ending. The hall was already half empty when he glanced up to realize it, stilling somewhat in the slow, swaying waltz they'd been doing for the latter part of the evening. "Oh.. Hey I guess it's time to call it a night," He said regretfully. He hadn't let go of Alice's shoulder or hand yet thought, unwilling to drop it or step back even though they'd have to stop dancing eventually. It almost felt like if he did, it'd be admitted that things were over. More than just one night of dancing.

 

[Alice Holland]

The strange start of the evening was soon forgotten as Alice and Elliot spent time together. She felt herself relax, and really enjoyed the evening with her boyfriend. It was over all too soon, and all the melancholy feelings from the start of the night came back tenfold. She sighed softly as Elliot said it was time to call it a night, and only moved a little closer to him. "I don't want to yet." She murmured quietly. "It's my last dance here." She said, finally putting the reality they both knew into words. "I don't want it to end." She said, glancing at him nervously. She wondered how things would go for them after this. Alice didn't want to admit that it would be tricky after she graduated, as she had never truly admitted to herself that it might be more challenging. But now it suddenly felt real, and she had the sense Elliot felt it too. "You know, you don't have to go to these by yourself next year." She heard herself saying, not even sure why she said it. "If you wanted to go with Lily or something that would be okay."