RP: Just Dance

[rar_dancer]

Date 17 September 1999
Character(s): Danny Wall, Lola Hodson, anyone else who wants to
Location: Terpsichore Studios
Status: Pretty much public
Summary: Lesson 2 is the rumba
Completion: InComplete

Comments

[rar_verity]

Verity wished she had made it to the first lesson; everyone else seemed to understand what the instructors were talking about. And when they demonstrated? She wished she'd worn a skirt, that flippy motion was so cute, but then again, it would be nice to see her feet, and know that she was doing the steps right, so maybe her slim trousers and plain black pumps would work.

She bit her lip, watching the pair of them, moving her feet subtly and trying to match the pattern they made, then sighed. Maybe...

[rar_draco]

Draco was new to this, but it was clear that he wasn't the only one. Verity, whom he knew from his dealings with George, was dancing on her own, or...almost dancing - looking very lost, and since he knew these few basic steps - although the rumba was a long way from being his favourite dance, he went to offer his services as a mirror to reflect from. At least he knew her, at least offhand, and she did not have any particular opinion of him one way or another. She was a safe bet.

"May I?" he asked. "Try like this. If you start with where your hips should be, rather than where your feet should -- let the movement go from your hips and out to your arms, down to your feet..." He showed her. "If you concentrate on getting your hips right, everything should follow -- that's the way all of these latin dances work..."

[rar_verity]

May I? Verity looked up, recognising Draco immediately, and giving him a smile. Oh, someone she knew. At least a bit... She nodded. "Please..."

She watched him move, nodding, then shaking her head. "My hips...tell my feet where to go? Oh, why couldn't they start with the waltz or something?" She gave him a hopeless laugh, then reached one hand out to touch his shirt, moving her hips the same way his moved.

Well, almost... "I suppose a waltz isn't exactly latin dancing though, is it?"

[rar_draco]

Oh - a smile. He couldn't help but be grateful for that. He nodded at her. "It really is that simple," he said. "No - just relax a little...you don't have to get it right straight away, and you'll get it right sooner if you're relaxed and enjoying yourself." He took her hands and guided them into the right place, then stepped closer to return the favour. "Now let's try again. Hips first...that's better already, you see?"

She wasn't bad at all - maybe a bit self-conscious, but he remembered being self-conscious with his own coach. "The waltz isn't at all like latin. In ballroom you have to stay stiff; in this, you need to be fluid, let the rhythm guide you."

[rar_neville]

Neville liked the rumba. He didn't have the fluidity of movement that Danny the dancer had but he got on well enough. Practice during the lesson had really made him feel more confident in his steps last week, so he was hoping for the same this week. Of course, what he liked most of all about this dance was the way Pansy moved her hips. That part was really good.

"So, have you actually learned anything you didn't know yet or we just here so I get better and you can have fun?" he asked, chuckling softly.

[rar_pansy]

Pansy grinned. "Practice. And showing off, I suppose."

The dance wasn't difficult but certainly not something that was completely intuitive. There were many things to think about, but Pansy tried to give herself over to the music rather than focusing on the exact steps.

"I missed you this weekend."

[rar_neville]

Neville laughed at how smug she looked when she mentioned showing off. It reminded him that this was one of the things that about her that made him fall for her in the first place.

"I'm sorry. With wrapping up the summer season and getting things planned for fall, I've been busy enough even without the apprenticeship." He was going with the beat of the music, once he had his rhythm, Neville was fine chatting and dancing. "I have another busy weekend but most of it is note taking if you'd like to come out with me. We could do a picnic," he offered. Neglecting Pansy wasn't something he wanted to do. He was neglecting his mates too, he realized. Maybe he'd try to make it home early on Friday and bring take away for Shay and Dean.

[rar_pansy]

"If I'll be too distracting I don't want you to endure me. I know I get needy." She smiled and added a little turn to their dance steps, continuing to show off despite knowing better.

[rar_hermione]

After last week's lesson, Hermione was more prepared for what class might be like. It had been fun, overall, and she was glad that Harry had decided to come back with her. She hadn't been sure if he'd enjoy it enough to want to keep coming or not. When they reached the studio, she saw several familiar faces and a few new ones who hadn't been there last week.

They found a place to warm up, and then watched the demonstration. She paid attention and studied the movements. The book that she'd bought had helped her understand some of the terms and positions, but it wasn't like she could just do them after reading or watching. She looked at Harry and smiled. "Shall we?"

[rar_harry]

"Yeah, sure." Harry sort of figured he'd have even less luck with the rumba than he had with the salsa last time. But at least he remembered the right way to hold her, when they came together. He stepped a bit closer, making sure their elbows touched, and tried to remember the right sequence of steps. "Forward with the left," he murmured, "diagonal with the right. Back to start."

He smiled at her, their faces close. "Right?"

[rar_hermione]

She moved closer to Harry and smiled as he got his hands into his position. He started to murmur the steps, and she moved her feet. She wasn't going to even attempt the hip motion until she knew that they had the steps down.

"That's right." She looked up at him and glanced at his lips before she focused on his eyes. "I'm glad you came back with me. It was fun last week."

[rar_seamus]

Seamus was on-call in two hours, but he figured that would be enough time to get to dance class. He'd had fun last time, surprisingly -- or maybe not too surprisingly. There were worse things than being in a room full of women who wanted a dance partner.

And even better, this time Lola had taken pity on him and danced with him for a bit. That was well worth the price of the class, too. She was patient and she had a sexy voice, and he'd definitely not minded when she'd reached out to his waist and teach him the right way to swivel. Not that he hadn't already got the hang of it, given how closely he'd been watching the way she was moving.

She moved on to help someone else (or possibly, she'd caught on that he wasn't having quite as much trouble as he'd have her believe). Seamus looked about for another partner.

[rar_angelina]

Angelina copied the dance steps the instructors showed the class. It was a bit like the salsa, and still it had its own feel. This dance was slower. Sexier even.

Angelina looked around to see if any free blokes were available, and she smiled. Finnigan was by himself, so she hurried over.

"Need a partner?"

[rar_seamus]

"Well, not just any partner," Seamus quipped, then eyed Angelina. "You'd be acceptable, though." He grinned and got into position the way Lola had shown him.

"Let's give it a go," he said, falling into step with the music. "How're you doing then, Ang?"

[rar_angelina]

Angelina laughed. "Acceptable?" she asked as she cocked an eyebrow. Angelina got into position with Seamus. "I think you'll find I'm more than acceptable."

They fell in easily; the rhythm and movements came naturally to Angelina, and it was obvious to her than Seamus was a right good dancer. "Doing fine. Had a lunch with your best mate in the park. I told him he was missing out seeing you slide around the dance floor," she teased. "How are things with you?"

[rar_stephen]

Stephen and Cho found a nice spot in the center of the room. Tonight was the rumba--a dance he had never heard of--and tonight, he felt less uncomfortable than he had at last week's lesson. Cho was a patient partner, and her constant smile was reassuring.

The only problem with this dance was that after a few minutes of rehearsing, Cho was really swiveling her hips like the female instructor had shown the ladies, and Stephen had difficulty focusing on anything else.

He swallowed slowly and tried to smile. He'd never had as many impolite thoughts as he'd had the past few weeks. He knew he should be ashamed, and he was, but only part of him...the other part of him burned.

[rar_cho]

She smiled as Stephen quickly learned the steps for this dance. He was proving to be a wonderful partner, attentive to the instructions and willing to rehearse until they both got the footwork.

Cho had worn a dress and heels again, feeling more comfortable in her usual attire for dancing. She also liked how wearing heels narrowed the height difference between herself and Stephen. She was really enjoying this week's lesson. She was finding it easy to let her body move to the beat of the rumba music.

She looked up smiling at him, as their footsteps continued moving in sync. He was quiet tonight and she wondered what he thought about when he got that intense look on his face. She let her eyes wander freely as watched him closely. When she realized she had been staring for a while, she slowly grinned, "Nice moves, Cornfoot."

[rar_stephen]

Cho's voice pulled him out of his indecent thoughts, and he blushed. Merlin, clean up the mind, Cornfoot. He kept thinking about that night by the ocean, and though it made his stomach sick, he couldn't stop replaying it in his mind. It was as though it hadn't even happened--as though he had dreamt it up.

He grinned slowly. "It's you," he answered. "You make me look good." And it was the truth. She was the light, and he was drawn to her.

[rar_cho]

She bit her lip as he blushed at her compliment. She was always aware of how attracted she was to Stephen but there were times like this, watching his face relax into an unguarded moment, that made her catch her breath. She sighed as she stared at his lips, thinking the power of attraction could work its magic at the most inconvenient times too.

She smiled as Stephen said she made him look good. She quickly glanced down, watching him move. He did look good. His dance moves weren't bad either. She grinned as she moved her hips in time with the music, "That's sweet of you to say, Stephen, but I'm simply following your lead."