Closed Start Walking

[Mania Athanasiou]

It was finally the night of the Yule Ball. Something that Mania had been looking forward to for a few weeks. She always loved the school dances but this year was different. SHE'D BEEN ASKED TO ATTEND ONE! However when Nia had found out one of her best friends, Echolyn, was transferring to a different school next semester she'd asked Felix to meet her around the entrance hall instead of in the common room. She'd wanted to get ready with Echo while she still could. It'd been excruciating trying to figure out whether to keep her hair down or put it up, but since she'd decided to want to use those damn hair straightening potions her hair only really looked good down.

Feeling unusually nervous Mania made her way down the stairs towards where she was going to either look for Felix or settle to wait for him. Every step she took Nia made sure to smooth her dress over, just in case and just to have somewhere to channel the nervous energy. Stopping at the last stair she leaned into a pillar and carefully peeked around it, no idea why she was acting as if she was doing something she shouldn't be. This was just a dance, Felix had asked her because they were friends. There was no sight of the fourth year so the Gryffindor squared her shoulders and took the last step, walking somewhere near the middle of the floor of the entrance hall. Standing next to a wall seemed like she was sulking in the shadows and standing next to the stairs felt just wrong. This was the golden middle road so to say. Mania blinked a few times, trying to get used to the contacts in her eyes again, as she looked around at everyone.

 

[Felix Layton]

The way Felix looked at Nia was different to how he'd looked at others. They'd always gotten on well, and he'd enjoyed her company, but over the last few weeks he was sure there was something else there too. He had a lot of friends, and people that he wanted to spend time with and watch succeed, and perhaps even people that inspired him or gave him the confidence to grow. But with Nia, while hanging out with her was enjoyable and witnessing her ideas made him excited for her, it was less about how she made him feel and instead more about how he wanted to make sure that she was feeling good about herself, even if it came down to that not including Felix.

The fourth year had been surprised when Nia had said yes to joining him at the ball, and in truth he was a little nervous that he wouldn't be good enough for her. She could have chosen anyone in the school to go with, and before he'd asked, he was convinced she'd already planned a date for the event, but after hearing from Gaia that she was also excited to be attending with Felix, it gave the Gryffindor a hope that he hadn't had in a while. He was still going to need to be careful. Despite things he'd experienced before, he was feeling unusually cautious and hesitant. He'd made his way down to the hall early to make sure he didn't miss Nia, and was sat at one of the large round tables that had been elegantly decorated for the occasion. Every now and then he raised his eyes, glancing around the room, toward the door or the other groups of students, waiting until he spotted the third year. It wasn't long before he found her, and immediately he stood up from the bench, a grin on his face as the adrenaline kicked in.

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania was squinting looking around, Felix wasn't anywhere that she could see for now. Had he decided to not go after all? That'd be awkward, that'd be terrible actually and Nia would definitely have a public meltdown over it if that was the case. As all the horrific ways this night could end rummaged through her brain Mania finally spotted the fourth year that'd been sat on one of the benches she supposed. Thank Merlin, she exhaled a shaky breath glad that her brain had gone on unnecessary and clearly unrealistic paths to mess with her. Smiling Nia took a few steps forward so she could reach the fourth year faster.

"Hey," She said when she was finally face to face with the boy. "You look nice!" Nia commented as she took him in, too nervous to say anything else really. There was no reason to be nervous, Felix was her friend. They'd hung out before, this was just like those times, just at the Yule Ball. Everything was fine, but somehow the third year was still feeling a buzzing of nerves all over her body underneath her skin. She'd gone to the Valentine's dance with Logan last year, she'd been nervous then too but not in this way and she just couldn't put her finger into what was different this time. Was it that Felix had asked her? Was it that he was older and seemingly had an array of girls basically at her feet to pick from? Yeah that must have been it. That must have been why she was feeling nervous, not because of any other reason. Nope.

 

[Felix Layton]

Maybe Felix shouldn't have sat down. Awkwardly he removed himself from the bench, stepping closer to Mania as the pair closed the gap. "Oh.." he smiled nervously, "thank you," he wasn't feeling as confident as he usually was, although he wasn't about to admit how long it had taken him to fix his outfit. He'd even asked Ten for help, so now his sister was aware he was trying to make a good impression too. "You look very nice too." Why did this feel so weird?

He tried to shake the idea that he was taking this too seriously from his mind, to try and have fun with it like he usually would. Perhaps it would be better if he was to imagine he was with Cassie.. although on second thoughts. "How's.." now was not the time to forget the name of the friend Nia had chosen to get ready with. Wasn't she leaving the school? "..your friend?"

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Felix seemed a little different in the way he acted too, was he being nervous? Nooooo he wasn't. She was imagining it there was NO WAY Felix Layton was feeling nervous, around her least of all. She almost laughed at the thought, but suddenly her face was feeling like a heater, because Felix said she looked nice. "Really?" She asked and was her voice sounding.... hopeful? No couldn't be, LOL nope that wasn't it. She wasn't hoping he actually thought she looked nice, whether he thought so or not didn't change anything. It was a proper silly thought.

Shaking all the silly thoughts of hoped from her head Mania refocused on Felix, resisting the urge to a little spin just to be rid of some of the nervous energy. She was confused for a moment when Felix asked her about something... What? What friend? Why was he asking about her friends? Was this an elaborate plan of his to ask Nia to the ball to get closer to one of her friends... That'd be cruel. Then it clicked that she'd asked him to meet her here instead because she'd wanted to get ready with Echolyn because she was transferring. Making a silent Oh with her mouth the confusion dissipated. "Oh Echo, yeah she's um okay? Not too excited of the prospect of transferring but you know, what can you do?" She explained, feeling a little defeated that she was losing one of her closest friends, but she'd sworn to the Slytherin that she'd write to her. "Shall we go in?" Nia asked trying to take the vibe back from sad and depressing to something more festive or exciting.

 

[Felix Layton]

Felix didn't know much about Echo, only that she was Demi's sister. He wasn't exactly friends with the Ravenclaw either so it wouldn't be as bad that Demi was leaving as it had been when he'd heard about Tori. "I think she'll have fun," or at least it would be an experience he supposed. Ten had been transferred to Hogwarts Scotland a few years ago, before Felix had come to the school. It was only after her bad behaviour had her moved back to New Zealand the year Felix was sorted that meant he'd ended up at this school at all. Things could have been very different.

"Yeah. Yes. Sure," he offered Nia his arm like the gentleman he was, their height difference even more apparent the closer they were to one another. Felix cursed himself for not asking Gaia why Nia was so excited, perhaps it was just that she wanted to dance with someone, or that she was looking forward to wearing her outfit. "Do you, want to do anything in particular?" He asked, glancing to his side, "I mean, first. We could just talk first, if you want to, or dance. Or there's drinks?" Mervyn this was strange.

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania smiled, hoping Felix was right. She'd miss Echolyn a lot, but she also wanted her friend to have the best time ever and do things she enjoyed. It'd be weird for sure but it wasn't like she was going to disappear off of this earth entirely. Grabbing Felix's arm Nia was glad she'd stolen her mum's heels as it gave her a tiny bit more height, not a lot especially not next to someone like Felix, but still a little. She would have taken Hera's heels but much like in height their shoe size wasn't exactly the same, Nia was wearing a dress of Hera's but Hera had had this dress in her first year. Gaia and Eris were also out of question because neither of them would be caught dead wearing heels, so it only left her mum who the third year was in every sense of the sentence; A carbon copy of. Besides her mama had a bit of an issue when it came to shoes, the woman would hardly notice one pair missing.

"I don't mind, we can talk or dance or go for drinks. Anything is okay by me," she almost added she didn't mind because she would like to do any of those things but mostly she was just glad to hang out with Felix. However that would have seemed too strong of a admission, they were friends so obviously she liked to hang out with him. "Last year I did have to dance on my own so I do hope you are prepared to dance at one point." She said grinning up at the blonde, she was only half joking too.

 

[Felix Layton]

The smile on Felix's face grew as Nia said she'd be down for anything, which certainly made it easier for him. He chuckled at the prospect that she wanted him to dance, although unlike some in their school, he had no issue with that or making a fool of himself in front of others. "I promise, I won't let you have to dance on your own this year," he vowed, guiding her over towards one of the tables that had been set up with drinks. He took a couple of the large clear glasses, filling them with a goblet of something that smelled suspiciously sweet, before handing one of them to the third year. It felt strangely formal, especially given they'd already hung out as a group in a party setting before, it was almost like this time the stakes were higher.

"Give the rest of them time to get it out their system," Felix suggested, his eyes moving across to the dance floor where a number of awkward couples were trying their luck, or singletons were trying to find themselves a friend. Besides, Felix hadn't really had a chance to talk to Nia properly for a few weeks, and he was curious to find out if he was the only one that thought things were a little different recently. He knew Nia had spoken to Gaia about him in some sense although he debated bringing up her sister at a time like this. "I saw you at the Brew Crew," he tapped the edge of his glass against hers before taking a sip, enjoying that fact he now had something to fiddle with to take the edge off his nerves. "Are you still enjoying Potions?"

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania's eyes sparked up as Felix all but promised her she wouldn't have to dance alone, that was excellent news. Besides last Yule Ball she'd danced alone and been the victim of a snowball attack by two first years, at least now she'd have a witness by her side if any culprits decided to choose her. "Excellent!" She said nodding, still holding onto his arm as they walked towards a table with drinks. As he offered her one she accepted it with a smile. "Thank you," Nia said before taking a sniff of the liquid, it smelled good.

Glancing at the dance floor she nodded again as she took a sip. "Good idea, we'll dance later when less people are around, less of a chance of colliding on anyone or getting your feet stepped on or anything like that. It's also really warm and sweaty at the beginning when everyone's in a hurry to dance." She was rambling now, unable to stop herself. As the fourth year mentioned the Brew Crew she glanced his way, her cheeks heating up a bit at the fact that he'd seen her there for whatever dumb reason. Besides that event had been a disaster for her, she'd been abandoned not once but TWICE.

After he'd tapped his glass to hers Nia moved the glass back to her mouth to get another sip, just to occupy herself somehow. "No," she replied simply, leaving a little gap between that and her next words just to keep him on his toes or whatever. "I am loving Potions," she said after a few seconds and grinned at him. "I even asked Professor Finch if he'd take me as his assistant," she told him, remembering the discussion she'd just had with the Professor, it'd been presented as an offer but she hadn't been really willing to take a no. "How about you, anything in particular you enjoy in your classes?" She asked, curious to hear if there was any particular class he liked more than the others.

 

[Felix Layton]

Felix was purposely doing everything he could not to look around the room. He was sure the place looked great, and his friends were probably enjoying themselves doing.. whatever they were doing. But Felix didn't want to see it, because he had a horrible feeling that there may have been some in the Great Hall that evening that were looking at him through false eyes. The last few weeks he'd avoided the majority of his classmates, having grown unsure of how they really thought of him. If anything, he was grateful that Nia was in a completely different year group. There was a large part of him these days that wondered how she saw him, whether it was on par with his friends, but he knew that thinking about that for too long was going to do more harm than good.

The Gryffindor forced himself to pay attention to exactly what Nia was saying. The way she'd energetically tell her stories with every detail included. "Oh, definitely," not to make the conversation about him in fear of her thinking he was trying to attention steal, he made a point to push the focus back to her joke, "You should be glad you're not on a date with Amory," Felix chuckled, "hugeeee feet. One wrong move and you'll probably lose a foot of yours altogether." The Gryffindor took another sip of his drink. Nia was right about it getting a little sweaty too, Felix was going to have a stressful enough time that evening without worrying about that too.

The fourth year paused, raising his eyebrows as Nia told him she wasn't enjoying Potions. That was new, especially given she'd told him her plans for the future. Thankfully she'd been joking, and the smile on his face spread when she told him about Professor Finch, "you'd make a great assistant." Felix didn't even have to exaggerate. There wasn't anyone, except perhaps Ten, that would have been a more successful potioneer student in the school. The man had collared him in the corridor when Felix had been gaining students for the club, and mentioned he'd had his own Potion club at school, so it seemed fitting now that Nia was helping him too. "Me? Oh.." Felix was hesitant to go into any details about what was going on in his life recently. It wasn't exactly full of sunshine and rainbows. "I, er, no. I mean," he cleared his throat, "I think I passed my exams." It was the best he could do.

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania regretted having taken a sip because in one sentence Felix managed to call them going to the ball a date AND make a joke that made her laugh. She couldn't react other than raise her cup up so as when she spat her drink out it went there instead of on Felix or some other poor student. Some of it got lost in her wind pipes because of her laughter from both surprise and the joke so now she began coughing too. He was calling it a date, was that what this was? Between the vicious coughs Mania managed to utter some words out. "Noted..... thank.... Merlin for..... that then...." First and last date he was going to go with her after that for sure. Though maybe it'd been part of the joke and he wasn't actually calling it a date and she was just overthinking it. Yeah that had to be it.

Once she had recovered from her near death experience the Gryffindor straightened herself back fully, discarding her drink because she was pretty sure some of it had come out of her nose back into the glass too. No thank you. Finding a napkin on the table she tried to clean her mouth and wherever there was any wet spots on her face, hoping her makeup wasn't ruined like that time she'd cried her mascara off after DADA. When Felix went to explain he'd passed his exams Mania picked up on some notes of apprehension to talk about it, she wasn't sure what that was about. "Is everything okay?" She asked, looking at him with subtle worry. She hadn't seen him much since the library so maybe he'd gotten hurt or something and that was why he didn't want to go into detail about anything but passing exams. Did he not really like any of the subjects he was taking? Or did he just not want her to know anything more about him than whatever she already did, which wasn't nearly enough if you asked her. Which went to further prove that this probably wasn't a date at all, a girl could dream.

 

[Felix Layton]

Although watching Nia spit her drink out across the table was amusing, Felix was also a little concerned and not because some of it flew in his direction. "Are you alright?" he asked between light pats to her back, and doing his best to not laugh too hard. It was probably the image of Amory's feet that had her in hysterics, although he would have preferred it was that and not Felix's audacity to call this a date. Maybe he was too forward to have called it as such, and Nia thought he was being ridiculous, "sorry."

Felix felt like he was under the spotlight for a moment as Nia pushed him about his classes. It was obvious he was feeling off about it although he didn't particularly want to tell her why, not when she'd been in the middle of it all too. "I'm here with you, aren't I?" he smiled again before finishing off the rest of his drink, "Everything is more than okay." Perhaps Eoghan was right, maybe he was an attention seeker. It was much easier to defuse a situation by turning it into a joke, or making himself out to be a joke, than it was to face what was really going on. "I'm really glad you said yes," he hated this. He just wanted to be true to himself and now he was doubting his every move. He wanted to be serious, but what if his way of being serious was a deflection too? He felt like a fraud at every turn, and even when he thought he was doing the right thing, he couldn't help the tiny voice in his head that suggested that he was only here right now because it was better than being alone. Nia didn't deserve that.

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Felix patting her back as she coughed wasn't on Mania's 2065 bingo card, but she'd inhale liquid more often if it meant he'd pat her back. No that didn't sound right, thank Merlin i was just a thought and Felix couldn't hear it and think she was crazy. "I'm okay, you just caught me off guard," she reassured him. "Sorry? What for? There's nothing to be sorry about," Nia told him a little confused. Why was he sorry?

To be honest Mania could have started jumping and screaming when he said he was there with her and everything was more than okay, but she contained herself. Only barely as her smile grew in size. Why was she feeling so giddy over all of this? She needed to stop being silly, because all that did was get her called childish and ridiculous. Noting that he didn't want to talk about it right now Nia tried to focus on the other thing he'd said. "I was very glad when you asked me." The admission was out before she could stop it. "I mean, I'm pretty sure Gaia was five seconds from chopping my head off because I wouldn't stop talking about it. Not that I talked about it like everyday since then or whenever I saw her. I just a few times.... every other time.... okay fine. It was like every time I saw her." She didn't mean to tell him that. With a loud smack she forced her mouth shut with her hand, her eyes doubling in size as she realized what she'd just admitted. Christ have mercy on all of hem because she was going to bury herself alive. "I mean I was really excited and like it was really nice and I was really looking forward to this and..." Even the hand on her mouth wasn't enough to stop this mortifying spilling of words. Could someone just put an end to her misery before she said anything more.

 

[Felix Layton]

Felix didn't think his sorry needed an explanation so he just let it hang in the air, pushing his glass out of the way now it was empty. Felix knew from Gaia that Nia was excited, but he had an idea just what the Slytherin had witnessed as the Gryffindor suddenly burst like a pillow with too much stuffing. He just watched it silence, doing his best to suppress a grin as she simply kept going, on and on like a balloon wheezing out air, about how she'd been looking forward to the night. He could tell she hadn't meant to give out so many details, but not even her hand over her mouth was able to stop it. "You have absolutely, no filter at all, do you?" he chuckled, one arm still leaning on the table as he watched her, fascinated by how easy she made it look to be open with other people. "What were you looking forward to most?" Perhaps if he couldn't ask Gaia to tattle about her sister, he'd just have to ask her himself.

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania was absolutely mortified, it'd all spilled out and she couldn't even stop it and worst of all Felix just watched her and listened. She almost whimpered against her hand because of how mortified she was, but managed to keep that one in at the very least. "Absolutely none..." Nia confirmed, as if it wasn't obvious already. He was looking at her in a way she couldn't explain either and it made her nervous. Letting her hand fall from her mouth she thought of the question, giving up on trying to put a filter on it because that simply wouldn't work. It never had and it never would, no matter how hard people like her mama may have tried to make a filter work. "Well honestly? All of it. I like these school events and getting ready for them, but also I don't know...." She hesitated for a moment, growing nervous all over again with him looking at her and with the weight of her admission about to come out. With her face gaining colour she put her big girl pants on and decided to stay true to herself and let it spill out. "Most of all I was looking forward to the most to do all of this with you, I think." It was out there now, she'd been excited for all the events before but something about this one had been different, she'd been excited because of who she was going with not where she was going.

 

[Felix Layton]

As Nia continued with her confession of why she was looking forward to the Yule Ball, Felix was becoming increasingly apprehensive. The situation right here was usually why he kept such emotional distance from those he was involve with. Nia had been looking forward to coming tonight, because she was coming along with him. The idea of anyone changing anything about their plans or goals or even just adjusting themselves to fit in better with him made him uncomfortable. People would grow toward him, sometimes they'd come to care about him a great deal too which made it all the more difficult when it came to Felix telling him that he didn't want that. People caring about him in a way that he couldn't walk away from made him feel trapped, and he'd get the sweats that were less to do with the room temperature. Just a few months ago he'd had to walk away from someone who'd gotten too close, and it had been why he'd kept his distance from Nia for so long too. He hadn't wanted to risk the idea that he felt this way with her, too. He didn't want to see what happened when she got too close, nor test whether he'd push her out like he had the others.

The fourth year looked away, wishing he hadn't drunk all his drink so quickly. He was waiting for the inevitable, the chills and the nerves to take over again as they always had before. He'd told himself it would happen, that there was a reason he hadn't chased after Nia, why he'd left her that day in the abandoned classroom and why he'd teased her during the club games. He waited. He knew he ought to say something, that Nia was probably thinking the worst if he couldn't respond to her admissions, although he was starting to think that maybe coming here at all had been a terrible idea. How could he ever be what Nia wanted if he couldn't even truly face himself? He waited, but it wasn't coming. There was no gut wrenching part of him that felt like he needed to flee at the prospect, no part that felt like he needed to protect himself for the moment that it all came tumbling apart around him. "Why?" he risked, after a few seconds more of silence. He shouldn't have asked, it was only going to push him over the edge. He had to be sure. Had to be sure he wasn't who his friends thought he was.

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

The admission was out and Nia had risked a lot to let it spill out, including her own dignity. Or whatever there was left of that after Alexander. She dared a glance towards Felix and wished she hadn't because he was looking away too and that was what made her head spiral. She'd gone too far admitting she was looking forward to going here with him. Perhaps he too thought she was childish, boring and ridiculous. As the silence stretched on for longer so did those thoughts and so did her apprehension and need to leave. Had this been the same Mania from before her chat with Professor Adler she wouldn't have wasted another second before fleeing, but this wasn't that version of her. Instead she stayed rooted in place, waiting for the inevitable lash of words. It was better facing it right now than later.

Only when Felix spoke it wasn't to tell her all those stupid things that had made her rip all the posters and pictures from her walls and burn them six months ago when she'd last admitted to liking a boy in one way or another. She hadn't out right said it here, but it was implied. Her mouth opened in surprised when Felix asked why and she had to glance at him again, trying to figure out what was going on in his head. However that wasn't happening and she had no idea, deciding she'd gone far enough already and there was no point in trying to salvage the situation she kept talking and being honest. "Because I like hanging out with you. I like the way you seem to genuinely be interested in what I tell you and don't want to tape my mouth shut because you can't stand my talking. Even when you annoy me like at that club event last year its all in good fun, no an attempt to actually be mean." She explained, fidgeting with the rings in her fingers as to focus on something else too. "I think the way you look out for those around you is admirable and I don't feel like I have to force myself to be hyper all the time with you, I mean you saw me bawling my eyes out with mascara all over my face and still wanted to attend this ball with me after that." She tried to make it feel less heavy on her shoulder with that last bit. "I just like spending time with you I guess." Mania finally concluded and turned to look at Felix. "Is that wrong?" She asked him, not sure she wanted the answer to it.

 

[Felix Layton]

The more Nia was explaining herself, the more Felix was beginning to relax. She liked hanging out with him, and what he was doing, and it was a good thing she felt as though she could be herself around him. That's what friends were for, weren't they? Felix could relax because the more Nia spoke, the more he was convinced that she didn't see him in any other way than platonically. His heart rate slowed although perhaps a little too slowly. He found himself disappointed. His chest was aching in a way that he'd never experienced before, and he certainly hadn't expected things to go this way on a night like this. Perhaps it was a good thing that Nia only saw him as a friend, that meant he didn't need to be worried, he was just, safe.

"I happen to think you pull off clown pretty well," Felix smirked, immediately jumping back into his defense mechanism. He was back in familiar territory. He was good at pushing down anything of emotion and throwing his mask back on. "It's true though, I don't want you to think I'm being mean so I'm glad you get my humor," it was a relief he supposed, that he didn't have to worry about whether he'd have to reject Nia too. Felix shook his head, "Don't think that's wrong at all. Besides, I like hanging out with you too, you make life interesting." He'd meant it as a compliment, to suggest that she spiced up his afternoons here or there, but it certainly came out a little more intense than he'd meant it to. He cleared his throat, glancing over his shoulder, "Do you want to dance?" Maybe things would be a little more chilled out if they had a chance to get rid of their nervous energy now that they'd cleared the air.

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania could let out a breath of relief as the scene from six months ago did not repeat itself, at leas she could save herself from another meltdown. For now. Turning to glare Felix as he said she pulled off the clown look she couldn't help but laugh and smack him on the arm, not too hard. "Watch it, thin ice that conversation, thin ice." She old him jokingly. Nodding her agreement she was glad to hear he didn't have any malicious intents, just to confirm what she'd already known deep down. "Tell me about it, my life is a bit too spicy at time. Even I don't know what I'll do in five seconds time at any given moment, keeping everyone, myself included, on their toes." The third year said, only half joking as she shook her head completely missing the way Felix seemed to think it'd sounded like something else rather than just what it'd been.

Glancing towards the dance floor that seemed to have cleared out of its people a little more now Mania quickly grabbed the boys hand and began walking them to a good spot. "Don't have to tell me twice Layton!" She threw over her shoulder with a smile as she was still walking. Stopping at a spot that felt appropriate she listened to the song to figure out what to do. It sounded like one of those songs old people danced to at weddings at the end of the night and then an idea came to her head. "Wait I have always wanted to do this, here hold your hand like this." She moved his arm and hand a little above her head, then grabbed it with one of hers and spun. It was far more awkward than it looked in the TV shows or perhaps she just wasn't very talented at twirling. "They make this look way more effortless in the shows than I ever could." She dead panned and came to a halt with the spinning.

 

[Felix Layton]

It was hard to leave a conversation on thin ice without poking the bear, but Felix made a mental note for later. "You're telling me," he muttered, letting Nia take his hand and trying to ignore the way his heart seemed to leap in his chest at the touch. Cassie hadn't made him feel like that. Perhaps Eoghan had been wrong, because surely, surely there was no way what he was feeling with Nia wasn't real. Things like this didn't happen to Felix Layton, in fact he actively avoid it. So now what was the smart ass going to say was the reason behind the way Nia left his skin with tingles?

He had to quickly remind himself that Nia was his friend. No, better yet she Finley's friend. That didn't stop him making the most of every moment as she took him onto the dance floor, or squeezing her hand a little tighter as she tried to spin under his arm. "For the love of Godric, what the hell was that?" Felix sniggered, watching as she awkwardly turned and twisted herself in a circle. Her face however made him rethink his own joke, he could tell she'd wanted it to be smooth and for whatever reason she had up her sleeve she'd wanted it to turn out well. "Do it again," he told her, his voice softer this time. He lifted his arm higher, allowing her arm to be elongated, and instead of Nia stumbling her way through the turn, Felix lead her through it instead, in one smooth motion. As she turned to face him for the second time, his empty arm found her waist and he pulled her just a little closer towards his body. His face was more serious now, partly due to their vicinity and the way that Nia seemed to glide through the air was enough to apparently take his breath away. "Better."

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania was truly bummed i hadn't worked out, it looked so cool when everyone else did it. She'd even seen her sister do it with their dad once then she'd done it again with one of her friends and then again with a boyfriend and guess what? Each one had been effortless. She was about to jab Felix between the ribs and tell him to try spinning like that when he re-positioned his arm and old her to do it again. For whatever reason she didn't question it or hesitate, just tried again and this time it was far smoother.

As she was excited of it actually working out she was caught by surprised with the fourth year placing his empty arm around her waist and then she was moving towards him, so close the could see each individual lash on his eyes, not that she was looking or anything. Blinking a few times her mouth remained open just slightly as she stared up at Felix, confused (but not complaining) of how they'd ended up in this position. If she reached up just a little bit she could technically kiss him, but that would be stupid wouldn't it? That would be so so stupid and that would be soooo out of left field. That would definitely be just sooo something Mania would do, so she did. Reaching up just the bit more she kissed him and regretted absolutely nothing as her eyes fluttered closed.

 

[Felix Layton]

The words were running through Felix's head as he reminded himself repeatedly they were friends. It was hard to think of anything though when Mania was looking at him like that, so much so he was almost in stunned silence again as he held her on the dance floor. It would have been so easy to kiss her there and then, but he didn't want to make things more awkward than they already were. They'd already established the relationship between them and he wasn't going to toy with himself by giving himself false hope.

"Do.." Felix was immediately cut off. It took a second for him to realize this was actually happening, although his body was already steps ahead of his brain as he kissed her back as gently as he possibly could, whatever fears had been brewing in the back of his mind dispersing with every moment that passed. For months, Felix had been suppressing something as deep down as he could manage, but now he was here throwing caution to the wind and not wanting to change a thing. His friends had been wrong, he'd been wrong. Felix tightened his arms around Nia's waist to keep her close, and for the first time in a long while, forgot about anyone else around them.

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania should have probably kissed Felix way before. No she definitely should have, because they way it made her insides all squishy shouldn't be allowed. When Alexander had kissed her it'd been awkward and even felt forced, she'd thought she'd liked the boy back then but it came very clear in this very moment she definitely hadn't. Not the way she liked Felix at least apparently. It literally felt like she was standing on clouds, she might as well have been because nothing else really existed in this moment, especially when he pulled her closer or was she imagining that part?

She'd done so well to avoid Felix and it'd simply been because the way he made her feel comfortable around him scared her. She didn't like feeling comfortable because that meant it could be taken away so she'd done what she did always and ran, avoided, ignored. Now as she parted from the fourth year she considered if she should have kept on her old ways, but just looking at him made her want to bury that thought so deep into the back of her mind that she'd never find it again. "Sorry, I think I interrupted you. What were you about to say?" She asked, still in disbelief she'd just went ahead and kissed Felix and that he'd kissed her back.

 

[Felix Layton]

Definitely not platonic. Felix would have gone back through the words Nia just used although he felt as though his brain was short a couple of wires, and thinking was not on the cards for him right now. He was kissing Nia more hesitantly than he was used to, as though he feared scaring her away by coming across too intense too quickly. It was a new territory for Felix, to have emotions tied into this too, that frankly he didn't want to scare himself either.

As she pulled away, Felix was breathing heavily and his heartbeat was in his throat. Not friends. Got it. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as his eyes met Nia's again although his time it was as though he was seeing her in a fresh perspective. "I.. what?" Felix didn't remember saying anything, and didn't know what train of thought had been interrupted. "I don't know," he told her truthfully, mind still boggled by what had just happened that it was hard to speak properly let alone get out anything that made any sense. Felix closed his eyes, just enjoying the sensation of his cheek against hers for a moment. "Do you.. like me?" It sounded like a stupid question given they'd just kissed, but at least for Felix this wasn't something that usually played a part. With Nia though, he felt like he needed to know.

 

[Mania Athanasiou]

Mania was secretly enjoying the way she seemed to get Felix speechless in the moment or at least she’d completely interrupted his train of thought to a point where he didn’t even remember what he’d been about to say. Though the way he was smiling while looking at her made her feel all weird and squishy again. He needed to stop. Actually no he didn’t, Mania would like to take that thought back thank you very much.

A soft laugh did escape her lips as he asked her if she liked him. Had her earlier word vomit not been clue enough, or her literally kissing him just a few moments before? “I think we both know the answer but I can spell it out for you. Yes, I do like you so you better like me or my dreams and aspirations will be crushed.” She hadn’t meant to say the last prt out loud and banged her forehead into Felix’s shoulder. “What I meant to say was is me liking you a bad thing?” She hoped not because she wasn’t sure she knew how to not like him. She’d tried that route.