Closed There is No Right Way

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot was already tired of being nervous about things today. It'd been a long day for sure, but he was levied now but the nervous excitement of spending the dance with Alice. Of actually officially going to the dance with Alice. His anxiety had already tried to talk him out of coming downstairs repeatedly as he was getting ready and Elliot ran a nervous had through his hair as he waited in the common room. He knew he wanted to do this, but things with Alice were still very scary and new. It was hard not to view the dance as something more than a dance, but he knew he just had to focus on tonight and hopefully both of them having fun.

Glancing at the stairs to the dorm, Elliot hopped to his feet when Alice appeared, stopping himself from again running a hand through his hair and instead smiling at her. "Hey, you look great," He said softly, wondering awkwardly if he should offer her his arm or something so they could head downstairs or if that would be weirdly formal. Suddenly unsure of what to do with his hands, Elliot wiped them on the legs of his pants before deciding to off his arm anyway and just hoping Alice found it sweet and not lame.

 

[Alice Holland]

It had been a long day for Alice, but taking a nap had done her a lot of good. She had then gotten ready for the dance, feeling excited and nervous about going with Elliot. She knew there was a lot of risk, dating a friend. Not that they were dating, but Alice had made her feelings clear with the rose she had sent him. And tonight, they wouldn't be going to the dance as just friends either. But Alice was determined not to let anything ruin their friendship. If this didn't work out, they were going to be just fine.

Alice moved down the stairs, spotting Elliot in the common room. She grinned at him, heading over to his side. "You look pretty great yourself." She said, taking his arm gratefully. It really did feel like a date that way. "Let's go." She said, leading him out of the common room. They headed down to the great hall, and Alice smiled brightly as she entered it. "I know it's the same every year, but I will never grow tired of those rose petals." She told Elliot, reaching up and touching one before it disappeared. "They make it all so... nice." She had wanted to say romantic, but had changed her mind at the last minute. She worried that she was pushing him already, and she didn't want to put pressure on him by constantly reminding him that they were on a date.

 

[Elliot Briar]

Elliot tired not to flush too obviously as Alice complimented him back before taking his arm. He spent a lot of the walk down the hall mentally coaching himself, but honestly, things weren't that difficult. He was more flustered and nervous than he usually would be, but in the end, it was just Alice. Alice who'd he'd known forever and had always been an easy, calming presence. Focusing on that, Elliot felt more at ease as they stepped into the hall together. "Yeah, I'm always a fan of holiday stuff. It's kinda nice that some things are the same no matter where you are, right?" He said, looking up at the falling petals with her.

Now that they were in the hall, Elliot's mind shorted out a little trying to think what to do. He tried to think back to what he'd done in the past, with Lily or Lars, scanning the hall and clearing his throat. He knew, deep down, that Alice wanted to be here with him and he needed to relax, but Elliot really didn't want tonight to be awkward. If that was possible for him. "You wanna grab a drink first?" He offered, nodding toward the punch.

 

[Alice Holland]

Alice could tell Elliot was nervous, but she hoped that he would still enjoy the dance, and their date together. Alice nodded at his observation, smiling up at the petals for a moment. "I think so too. It's nice..." She said softly. "I'll miss these events, after graduation." She added quietly. It was a bit early to think about all that, but her final year was approaching rapidly. Alice shook her head, she didn't want to make their date sad. Alice took a moment to take in everything in the great hall, the couples dancing, the beautiful dresses. She grinned slightly as she recognized Professor Castillo dancing with one of the nurses. Elliot's question turned her attention back to him, and she nodded. "Sounds like a good plan." She said, moving over to the drinks. "It's very pink, any guesses on the flavor?" She asked as she poured them both a cup.

 

[Elliot Briar]

There a moment, though short, just watching the petals with Alice next to him that Elliot felt calm, and under that, incredibly happy. He turned his head when she mentioned graduation though and it was rejoined by his usual background anxiety about making sure she was having fun and worrying about everyone else around them too. But it was still there, lingering like her hand on his arm and Elliot tried to hold onto that. "I can't believe you're graduating next year," He said, half grimacing at bringing it up as well as the idea. "Do you feel ready?"

They moved over to the drinks table and Elliot nodded, untangling their arms for a moment so he could get them both a drink. With his arm free he didn't need to worry so much about walking too fast or too slow or accidentally standing to close or something, but Elliot still felt a little sad to not have Alice's against his side, feeling his heart flutter at the thought even though he'd only stepped away from her a few seconds ago. "Here," He said, offering her the drink and taking a quick sip of his own, smiling a bit into his cup when he spotted Lily nearby giving him a reassuring smile. "Uh, maybe we could dance in a little bit too. If you still want," Elliot offered, gathering up his nerve.

 

[Alice Holland]

Even though it had been Alice bringing up the topic, she kind of regretted bringing it up. They were here together to have fun, and the thought of graduating and leaving Hogwarts behind was actually one that made her kind of sad. But she kept her smile on her face. "Me neither." She told him honestly. "And no, not really." She shook her head. "It's strange that Diana will graduate in a few months, too." She added quietly.

Alice took the drink from Elliot and smiled at him in appreciation before taking a sip. She followed his gaze to his friend Lily, and gave her a quick smile before focusing back on Elliot again. Alice took a large sip of her drink, then nodded enthusiastically at his suggestion. "I would like to!" She said, hoping she didn't sound too eager. But no, she shouldn't worry so much. "If you're sure you want to, I mean." She added, always mindful of Elliot, who was a bit more careful than she was usually. Alice quickly finished her drink and put the cup down, then reached over to take Elliot's hand.

 

[Elliot Briar]

"Is it weird that I find that a little reassuring at least?" He asked, giving Alice a small smile. It was hard not to think too much about their last few years of school, at least for Elliot, and the idea of what might come next was out right terrifying. It was nice to hear that even Alice wasn't quite ready for it yet either. "Do you think you'll miss having her around?" He asked, thinking of Diana. Elliot didn't know her very well, she seemed so different from Alice, but he imagined Alice would miss her regardless.

They spent a moment drinking their drinks, and Elliot let out a breath, somewhere between relief and nerves when Alice agreed to dance. "Yeah- Yeah I want to," He said, feeling his ears heat up when Alice took his hand, but still relishing getting to touch her again as they stepped out onto the dance floor. He almost wished he could be back like things were at Yule, where he wasn't over-thinking every move around Alice and this flurry of new feelings was just a small flutter. But now was good too, in its own big, scary way, Elliot reasoned, looking into Alice's eyes before looking away, smile on his face. He had no idea what he was doing, but they both wanted to be here and he was dancing with Alice. No matter how scary that was, under all that was the happy thrill of it all too, and Elliot tried to hold onto that as he focused on staying in time.