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Hogwarts Story: Part 31
After this, too work! Tomorrow looks to be a fun type day, though - I'm gonna get to meet ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
skygawker, and then I've got my game. Yay social stuff. ;) I'm excited.
Meanwhile, brains are funny things. For the last two years, I've written grants in March and April. This is high stress work, and one of the things I end up doing is having occasional treats, yummy delicious food things. That's the only time of year I've actually written grants, too, the rest of the year I've done different stuff. Of course, now I'm working on a grant...now. And all of this combined is why I'm now desperately craving a Cadbury Cream Egg. ;)
The other couples looked at us a bit oddly, to say the least; I think the only reason that we were not driven from the dance floor was that we both were actually able to dance, and we certainly appeared to be enjoying ourselves. It was a stately waltz, in truth, so there were few opportunities to add flourishes, and it took me most of the first dance to get used to leading instead of following, but by the end I would say we were dancing as well as any. The next dance was faster paced, which was much more agreeable, and when I asked Fred if she wished to stop, she shook her head emphatically no. So we continued, and at the end of the second, rather breathless, there was a pause.
I did a passable imitation of the bow with which I had started this, and took her hand, kissing it. She laughed. I turned to leave the dance floor…and almost crashed directly into a man who was standing behind me. “Oh, dear, I’m sorry!” I exclaimed, before I realized who it was.
Palucid Nox bowed to me – putting my own bows to shame in its elegance – and smiled at me. “Not at all, I should have waited further back. It is a sad day when there are so few gentlemen that the ladies must dance with each other!” His gaze took in both of us. “I would correct it, if I may…” He looked a question at both of us.
Damnable man! I certainly did not wish to dance with him, but with such a polite offer, there was no way to avoid one of us doing so, and thinking of Fred – sweet, innocent Fred – I couldn’t leave her to dance with this…monster. I didn’t care if what he said might have merit, and I didn’t care how debonair he might be acting, the man was still behind so much evil… I schooled my face to calm, and forced my voice to sound as enthusiastic as I could. “I would be delighted,” I smiled, and curtsied. My ribs didn’t seem to mind curtsying quite as much as they had protested bowing. He proffered his arm to me, and I took it, cursing that I’d been left behind, cursing our dates who had left us behind, cursing the duty that had kept me in the ballroom, and cursing Palucid Nox. And I smiled.
The music started, a light, happy, lilting waltz, and Nox took a firm lead. I kept my eyes locked on his, for it would have been rude not to, but on the edges of my vision I saw other couples stop, staring. “You dance quite well, Ms. Prince,” he commented. He was still smiling. It sent a chill down my spine. Was he up to something? He danced so confidently.
“You do as well, Headmaster,” I replied.
“I hope I did not upset you with the earlier discussion,” the music sped up, and he followed easily, pulling me along. I felt distinctly inelegant. “You left so very abruptly.”
“The war is an uncomfortable topic for us all, I fear,” I couldn’t make myself smile at that. “Earlier this month, a number of students were killed, including friends of mine, in an attack by the muggles.” If not for the necessity of being nice to the fellow with whom I was dancing, I would have added that they surely knew to attack us thanks to him. I can’t imagine it wasn’t implied, though.
“I’m very sorry to hear that,” he said, not sounding sorry in the least. He didn’t sound surprised, either. He knew exactly what he’d done.
“We’ve been doing our part, too, though,” I continued. “Have you heard of the Wizard Armed Patrol?”
“Oh yes,” his eyes flashed, or was it my imagination? “They’ve made quite an impression.”
“If the English Ministry agreed to withdraw from the war, would you do so as well?”
“We’d have to see,” he replied easily. No, he wouldn’t, his eyes said more loudly. “The sooner this vicious business is ended, the sooner we can all go back to our lives, after all.”
“That’s very true. War is very scary business, you never know what will happen next,” I combed my brain, wishing I had more practice with innuendo. Years of keeping myself meant that it was not a skill I had honed in the slightest, and somehow I knew that if I could find the right questions, subtle, that sort of thing, I might get some interesting answers. “Reports seem to indicate that the German’s and their allies, the muggles that is, are doing quite well.”
“Indeed.” He was smiling again. “It would be most unsafe for a wizard to interfere at this point. It would endanger them most seriously, I fear, to travel to the continent. Though if information was shared more openly in your community, then some might be protected.” He gave me a considering look.
What on earth did he mean? He certainly meant something! It’s dangerous to go to the continent, but everyone knew that. If information was shared, then they’d be safe? Shared with whom? I missed a step. Nox smiled at me. “Do be careful,” he said.
“I’m not used to these skirts,” I answered as evenly as I could. So Nox might be willing to keep people safe if I gave him information, did he? My interest in the conversation earlier, my asking the things that I did, must have given him the impression that I was sympathetic. Or that I had someone I wanted to protect enough that I would take the chance. Unbidden, my mind flashed to Marcus, and I missed another step. That was convenience only! Nox caught me easily, and swept me into a dip just as the music ended. I was quite breathless again, but for completely different reasons this time. Coming back up from the dip, I curtsied again, and he bowed, again, and as I rose, I said: “I will consider what you have said.” And Nox smiled at me.
I turned and left the floor with as much dignity as I could muster, and only then did I notice the others present. No other couples were dancing. Everyone stood at the edges of the floor, staring at me or at Nox. Everyone. I blushed very red; it felt like being on stage. By the staff table, I noticed the Headmaster watching me. He looked concerned. I don’t think I’d ever seen that look on his face before, and it surprised me more than anything that Nox had said.
skygawker, and then I've got my game. Yay social stuff. ;) I'm excited.Meanwhile, brains are funny things. For the last two years, I've written grants in March and April. This is high stress work, and one of the things I end up doing is having occasional treats, yummy delicious food things. That's the only time of year I've actually written grants, too, the rest of the year I've done different stuff. Of course, now I'm working on a grant...now. And all of this combined is why I'm now desperately craving a Cadbury Cream Egg. ;)
The other couples looked at us a bit oddly, to say the least; I think the only reason that we were not driven from the dance floor was that we both were actually able to dance, and we certainly appeared to be enjoying ourselves. It was a stately waltz, in truth, so there were few opportunities to add flourishes, and it took me most of the first dance to get used to leading instead of following, but by the end I would say we were dancing as well as any. The next dance was faster paced, which was much more agreeable, and when I asked Fred if she wished to stop, she shook her head emphatically no. So we continued, and at the end of the second, rather breathless, there was a pause.
I did a passable imitation of the bow with which I had started this, and took her hand, kissing it. She laughed. I turned to leave the dance floor…and almost crashed directly into a man who was standing behind me. “Oh, dear, I’m sorry!” I exclaimed, before I realized who it was.
Palucid Nox bowed to me – putting my own bows to shame in its elegance – and smiled at me. “Not at all, I should have waited further back. It is a sad day when there are so few gentlemen that the ladies must dance with each other!” His gaze took in both of us. “I would correct it, if I may…” He looked a question at both of us.
Damnable man! I certainly did not wish to dance with him, but with such a polite offer, there was no way to avoid one of us doing so, and thinking of Fred – sweet, innocent Fred – I couldn’t leave her to dance with this…monster. I didn’t care if what he said might have merit, and I didn’t care how debonair he might be acting, the man was still behind so much evil… I schooled my face to calm, and forced my voice to sound as enthusiastic as I could. “I would be delighted,” I smiled, and curtsied. My ribs didn’t seem to mind curtsying quite as much as they had protested bowing. He proffered his arm to me, and I took it, cursing that I’d been left behind, cursing our dates who had left us behind, cursing the duty that had kept me in the ballroom, and cursing Palucid Nox. And I smiled.
The music started, a light, happy, lilting waltz, and Nox took a firm lead. I kept my eyes locked on his, for it would have been rude not to, but on the edges of my vision I saw other couples stop, staring. “You dance quite well, Ms. Prince,” he commented. He was still smiling. It sent a chill down my spine. Was he up to something? He danced so confidently.
“You do as well, Headmaster,” I replied.
“I hope I did not upset you with the earlier discussion,” the music sped up, and he followed easily, pulling me along. I felt distinctly inelegant. “You left so very abruptly.”
“The war is an uncomfortable topic for us all, I fear,” I couldn’t make myself smile at that. “Earlier this month, a number of students were killed, including friends of mine, in an attack by the muggles.” If not for the necessity of being nice to the fellow with whom I was dancing, I would have added that they surely knew to attack us thanks to him. I can’t imagine it wasn’t implied, though.
“I’m very sorry to hear that,” he said, not sounding sorry in the least. He didn’t sound surprised, either. He knew exactly what he’d done.
“We’ve been doing our part, too, though,” I continued. “Have you heard of the Wizard Armed Patrol?”
“Oh yes,” his eyes flashed, or was it my imagination? “They’ve made quite an impression.”
“If the English Ministry agreed to withdraw from the war, would you do so as well?”
“We’d have to see,” he replied easily. No, he wouldn’t, his eyes said more loudly. “The sooner this vicious business is ended, the sooner we can all go back to our lives, after all.”
“That’s very true. War is very scary business, you never know what will happen next,” I combed my brain, wishing I had more practice with innuendo. Years of keeping myself meant that it was not a skill I had honed in the slightest, and somehow I knew that if I could find the right questions, subtle, that sort of thing, I might get some interesting answers. “Reports seem to indicate that the German’s and their allies, the muggles that is, are doing quite well.”
“Indeed.” He was smiling again. “It would be most unsafe for a wizard to interfere at this point. It would endanger them most seriously, I fear, to travel to the continent. Though if information was shared more openly in your community, then some might be protected.” He gave me a considering look.
What on earth did he mean? He certainly meant something! It’s dangerous to go to the continent, but everyone knew that. If information was shared, then they’d be safe? Shared with whom? I missed a step. Nox smiled at me. “Do be careful,” he said.
“I’m not used to these skirts,” I answered as evenly as I could. So Nox might be willing to keep people safe if I gave him information, did he? My interest in the conversation earlier, my asking the things that I did, must have given him the impression that I was sympathetic. Or that I had someone I wanted to protect enough that I would take the chance. Unbidden, my mind flashed to Marcus, and I missed another step. That was convenience only! Nox caught me easily, and swept me into a dip just as the music ended. I was quite breathless again, but for completely different reasons this time. Coming back up from the dip, I curtsied again, and he bowed, again, and as I rose, I said: “I will consider what you have said.” And Nox smiled at me.
I turned and left the floor with as much dignity as I could muster, and only then did I notice the others present. No other couples were dancing. Everyone stood at the edges of the floor, staring at me or at Nox. Everyone. I blushed very red; it felt like being on stage. By the staff table, I noticed the Headmaster watching me. He looked concerned. I don’t think I’d ever seen that look on his face before, and it surprised me more than anything that Nox had said.