HOGWARTS GRAND OPENING BALL

[fi_admin]

Date: Saturday, 26 August
Time: 6:00 p.m. to Midnight
Place: Hogwarts Great Hall and Grounds
Characters Involved: Everyone! Don't forget to add your character's tag if you join the thread!
Rating: Hopefully not more than PG-13 - this is a public location, folks! Take your libidos 'home' for higher-rated stuff please! *grin*

Comments

Re: 18:10 (6:10 p.m.)

[freakedwithjet]

His tone initially sounded almost confrontation and Pansy braced herself for a big scene in the middle of the Great Hall in front of pretty much everyone they'd ever met. After all, he'd had no qualms about brawling at Potter's birthday party - why should the ball of the year be any different?

The apology was completely unexpected then, and it didn't ring true to Pansy's ears. She took a sip of her wine as she looked at him; as he looked away from her. Did he think that was what this was about? Say, "Sorry" even through gritted teeth and everything was fine again?

This was all so ridiculous. She wasn't even annoyed, not really. She just wished it could be easy sometimes. All around them people were dancing and laughing and being normal, and for all that Pansy insisted, and continued to insist that she just wanted Perry (which of course was true) she wanted those moments as well.

And more and more, it seemed as though it was Perry who was standing steadfastly in the way of that, refusing to believe it was possible.

Pansy sighed and put her drink down. She didn't even know what she was going to say when she opened her mouth to begin talking and so to her irritation, she stuttered through her speech.

"Look, Perry, I- that isn't what this is about. I don't want you to just... to always be apologising 'cos you think you should." She glanced up at him now and a wry smile twisted her lips. "Can we not just... let it be easy, just once in a while?"

Re: 18:10 (6:10 p.m.)

[inner_human]

"Oh, you don't have to worry about me apologizing too much. I didn't want to apologize then."

Somehow Perry didn't realize that thought was being articulated until it was too late, and he immediately grimaced into his wine. That was definitely not the right thing to say, especially when he was supposed to be patching things up. He risked a glance to her and her little smile and felt very much like a heel.

At times like this, he couldn't remember why they fought at all.

Did she think he wanted it to be this difficult? That he deliberately set out to annoy her (actually, he felt it was the other way around)? In truth he simply felt lost with her, loathe though he was to admit it. As a kid, all his relationships had been trivial... just a fun way to pass the time. Never very serious, because Perry didn't get close to other people.

He'd never fought like this with other girls. But for some reason, with Pansy, every little thing seemed to matter. He was constantly watching for her reaction. Sometimes he did push her needlessly, just to see what she'd do. Perry wanted Pansy Parkinson's approval, when he'd hardly cared for it from other girls.

It was a moment before he finally unclenched his jaw. Hell... why not? Because for right now, they were together. She wasn't going away. He grabbed her elbow with his free hand to draw her closer.

"Yeah... fine." He grinned crookedly and dipped his head lower to kiss her.

Whatever you want.

Re: 18:10 (6:10 p.m.)

[freakedwithjet]

Perry wasn't an easy person to read.

He could laugh and grimace and grin and smile but expressions on his face seemed completely different when compared with other people. Perry was the only person Pansy knew who could make a smile the scariest thing you'd seen that month - or who could melt her heart with a glower.

And he said things most people would never dream of saying. Sure, she had accused him of not really wanting to apologise but he didn't have to agree! In fact that took her so completely by surprise that she couldn't even think of a way to respond before Perry grinned and muttered some cryptic agreement and pulled her closer.

With her free arm caught around Perry's neck and her other hand clutching the lapel of his dress robes, Pansy thought with the usual high spirited thoughts which came of kissing Perry that now they were the most impressive and probably most envied couple in the room. It was a surprise to her that that didn't matter nearly so much as she thought it would and instead it was the the palpable loss of tension in Perry's shoulders and the thawing of her icy expression that brought a smile to her lips even as she kissed him and entwined her fingers in his hair.

This was what she had come for. For one night only, if that was all she could have, this was what she wanted. The first hour or so was scrapped in Pansy's mind and here, here was where the date, their first, really began.

Re: 18:10 (6:10 p.m.)

[inner_human]

Pansy was kissing him, and they were in public--at what would probably be the event of the year, no less--and it never rang more true and certain before for Perry than it did then.

This girl, Pansy Parkinson, was his girlfriend. And now everyone who looked over at this moment would know.

And, surprisingly, Perry didn't seem to mind. One hand was still holding a glass of wine, but the other, which had been at Pansy's elbow, moved its way around to the small of her back, drawing her closer. For once in the last five years, he felt carefree and confident and didn't give a damn about who saw them.

He let the kiss go on for a moment before pulling away, enough to look at her and grin. "Care to dance?"

Re: 18:10 (6:10 p.m.)

[freakedwithjet]

Perry pulled away after only a few seconds, though his hand stayed at the small of her back, a warm soft weight on the base of her spine and Pansy had to try hard not to immediately press her lips once more to his. There was something so addictive about kissing Perry, she felt as though she could happily stay there all night and completely forget about the fact that it was a ball and there were people everywhere seeing her so vulnerably happy. Giddy on him, she let her hands rest against his chest and thought, 'What does it matter?'

She grinned at him when he suggested dancing. How strange it was that with Perry, her mood was as changeable as an autumn day. Just ten minutes ago she had been standing icily beside him, not returning his glances and talking in a monotone. Now she was beaming up at him, all frostiness dissipated in a moment.

She twined her fingers into his, unable to help herself as he grinned at her so that she pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth - and then one more, and then she smiled again and said, "But of course!" as she gathered her skirts up on her free hand and prepared to move over to the dancefloor.

Re: 18:10 (6:10 p.m.)

[inner_human]

It really was amazing how quickly they both changed. It was like the last hour--the last day--never even happened. Of course, a lot of Perry's lifted mood had to do with Pansy. He really couldn't take his eyes off of her when she was smiling like that, and it kind of made him want to smack himself in the head because he felt like a fecking lovesick idiot.

But, he was still holding her hand. And he was grinning in a very self-satisfied way as he led her to the dance floor, because she was no one else's date but his. No one else's girlfriend but his.

I hope everyone's watching. Perry took up her right hand, his same hand going to her waist. I've got the best girl in the room.

They'd danced once before, but now there was no formal barrier between them. Now he could hold her as close as he wanted.

Re: 18:10 (6:10 p.m.)

[freakedwithjet]

Pansy remembered the last time they had danced. They had seemed to be teetering on the brink of something and with hindsight and them currently dancing so closely together she could hear the sussuration of her silk skirts against his dress robes as they moved, it was easy to see what. But she remembered the uncertainty of that last dance, the distance between them and their avoidance of the issue. How very different it was now, with one hand entwined so comfortably with his and the other resting easily on his shoulder; with a smile in her eyes as she rested her head against the top of his chest (even in heels she couldn't reach his shoulder); with her feet moving in automatic patterns, guided by Perry, with no need to impress or amaze anymore.

She was loathe to speak and disturb this tranquility they had managed to find so soon after that last row. They were so good at arguments, it was a surprise to find that they were equally good at being comfortably quiet with each other.

While Perry was wondering if everyone was watching, Pansy knew they all were. She didn't think she'd ever looked better than she did tonight - being in lust obviously agreed with her and designer dress robes probably helped - and Perry was looking his usually devilishly handsome self. She grinned to herself and then leant upwards to whisper in Perry's ear, her lips brushing its contours; "You know, everyone in this entire room is jealous of us."

Re: 18:10 (6:10 p.m.)

[inner_human]

Dancing was easy; when done with the right person, at least. It was only a matter of knowing the right steps and how to find the rhythm. Pansy rested her head on Perry's chest and his hand moved around her waist to her back, keeping her close. His expression sobered, not because of any deep thoughts, but because of the tranquility of the moment. Despite being in motion, this felt just as peaceful as that afternoon they spent together.

His attention went from watching her dress twist and fan with each step (which was rather hypnotic) to brief glances around the hall. There was also that knowledge in the back of his head keeping him sober, that he was essentially a wolf in sheep's clothing here; an expression so close to being literal that it threatened to affect his mood. But it didn't, because, who would know? And at the moment, the one whose opinion mattered was in his arms, and she didn't seem bothered at all.

If only Pansy had known what he was thinking when she whispered in his ear! And perhaps she did? Nevertheless, it earned a mad grin in response. "They should be." He dropped his head just a bit lower, returning the favor. "I'm quite the catch... and you're looking pretty good, yourself."

This might've been a good time to tell Pansy just how stunning he thought she was, how he just wanted to watch her all night, and how they probably were the best-looking couple in the room... but why do that, when you could toy with her ego?