With the loveliest witch in the room. on Magical Arts Room and Sports

Virginia Bellrose

November 10, 2014 7:01 PM

Last Dance Club Meeting. by Virginia Bellrose

The ball was a couple of weeks away and so were the exams. This would be the very last dance club meeting that they would have for the year and Ginny wanted to make sure that those who had come for the ball specifically felt comfortable having learned some of the more traditional dancing. Over the course of the term, the dance club meetings had become infrequent. Ginny just hadn’t really felt like being around a lot of people. Everything this year had just fallen apart and she didn’t have the strength or time to really focus on the dancing.

She spent most of her time in Crotalus by herself. She missed out on meals often enough that the lack of food was showing signs on her body, though some people might just equate that to stress from the exams. She didn’t care either way to be honest. She just wanted this year to be over with. She was so tired of hearing about the Ball or about the first dance, or about who was going with whom and most especially, she was tired of hearing about the CATS.

When she thought everyone who was going to show up for the lesson was there, Ginny began. “The Ball isn’t too far from today and the exams are even closer, so this will be our last meeting of the year.” Ginny announced. “I’m sorry that we didn’t have meetings every Saturday like I initially planned, but it’s been a busy year. I wanted to make sure that those of you who joined the club specifically for the ball feel confident in your abilities to do the traditional dances that will be expected during the Ball.” Ginny smiled, forced and uncomfortable, but it was an effort.

Ginny thought it was rather amusing (in a bitter sense of the word) that she was here teaching people to dance when she was not going to attend the ball herself. Her mother had written to her giving her permission to miss the ball. Her parents felt that the humiliation of attending without a date for the opening dance would be too much for their daughter and so, felt it best that she avoid it altogether. Ginny was grateful that her parents understood her feelings on this since her friends clearly did not. Both of them abandoned her with dates of their own and both of them just assumed that there were plenty of males at the school to ask her, but they seemed to forget that there weren’t. And it wasn’t as though anyone had jumped at the chance to ask her either. Apparently being ‘pretty’, as Francesca commented, did very little for her.

“If everyone could pair up, we’ll start with a ballroom waltz. Just the simple basic box steps. Anyone who feels like they aren’t getting the beat or the steps correctly, please let me know and I’ll work it through with you.” Ginny stated, waving her wand at the music box to begin.

Subthreads:

The return of the ball. by Joella Curtis

With the loveliest witch in the room. by Adam Spencer with Ginny Bellrose, Liliana Bannister, Adam

6 Virginia Bellrose Last Dance Club Meeting. 0 Virginia Bellrose 1 5

Joella Curtis

November 11, 2014 5:45 PM

The return of the ball. by Joella Curtis

Joella had enjoyed the few Dance Club sessions over the year but was slightly disappointed by the infrequency at which they were held. The young Pecari didn't begrudge this, however, and was well aware of the difficulties of juggling commitments. On the bright side, the numerous cancellations provided her with more time for homework and Quidditch practise. Virginia Bellrose was in her fifth year and therefore facing her CATS exams. Joella wasn't particularly knowledgeable on such things but she was aware of the massive workload that consumed much of the older students' time.

Since the Returning Feast after the midterm break, Joella had thought very little on the Midsummer Ball, an event that had previously occupied her mind quite frequently. It was only now that she remembered her lack of partner and then her decision that a first year did not require such a thing. A vague recollection of planning to ask her roommates if they should go as a group of friends occurred to her but now she wasn't so sure. Scarlett and Diana were perfectly pleasant and friendly but Joella felt that she had little interaction with them outside the dormitory. Still, they got on well and it would be nice not to make her way down to the Ball alone at least. She resolved once more to ask the girls at the next opportunity.

Perhaps next year there would be more regular dance lessons. Joella wasn't sure whether Virginia Bellrose would run the club again but she could only hope so for the club leader had begun very promisingly.

The dances required for the Ball were not nearly as complicated as the younger Joella had believed them to be and it wasn't long before the Pecari first year had picked up the steps. Overtime she had polished the steps and felt that she was quite competent. At least competent enough to dance at the Ball without stepping on a partner's toes which was of course very handy. The idea of not getting asked to dance was out of the question. It would be a very boring night if people stuck only to their original partners and not something Joella deemed likely from her long history of ball experience.

Joella turned to the nearest boy whom she didn't consider too tall to easily dance with or too old for her not to know the name of, "Want to be partners?"

8 Joella Curtis The return of the ball. 295 Joella Curtis 0 5

Adam Spencer

November 12, 2014 2:05 PM

With the loveliest witch in the room. by Adam Spencer

Adam was looking forward to the whole ball to be over with. He was probably the only wizard in the entire school who had more than one witch in mind to ask and hated it. Whilst some wizards would be leaping for joy at options, Adam had dreaded choosing. Evidently he’d asked the ‘wrong one,’ which looked to have caused unrest between him and his mates and fodder for the gossips of the school, but he didn’t regret it. He had no romantic interest for Annette and that had been made clear at the beginning of the term.

All this pressure of the ball and the stress his friends were putting on him by being put out by his behaviour only added to the stresses of fifth year. He needed to work hard to study for his exams, his Prefect duties grew tiresome and Quidditch practises forced him to stay up until early in the morning to finish his coursework. He couldn’t even think about extra studying for his CATS right now. If he had ever needed his friends, he needed them now more than ever and they hadn’t been there. He understood it well enough; Francesca had just as much piled on her as he did, save the position of Assistant Captain, and Ginny had Dance Club and her studies as well. But he hadn’t seen her lately. She seemed to avoiding him.

He was utterly annoyed by how the ball had mucked everything up. A ball was supposed to be a fun affair, not one riddled with anxiety over dates and the pressures to look presentable. It was clear that the dynamic in his once happy group of friends had changed dramatically because of the ball, that Ginny had decided keeping to herself was the best way to go about it instead of reaching out to her mates, that he and Francesca were forced to worry about her as she grew noticeably thinner. Adam did not want to lose his best friends simply because of one stupid dance and he didn’t want Ginny to fade away. He had to do something.

Dance Club would be a good time to force Ginny to spend time with him. They had been partners almost every time, but with the lack of regularity, Adam had had less of an opportunity to chat with her. This time he wasn’t going to let her avoid him or avoid whatever it was that kept them apart. He was pleased to see his team-mate in the club and waved at Joella before taking a seat next to Ginny. She could be angry with him or disappointed in him, but Adam wanted to smooth things over before the year ended. Her disposition was similar to Charlotte’s, and he had an inkling that there was more to her lack of self-confidence than met the eye.

When the ballroom waltz began, Adam hesitated before going up to Ginny. He gave a short bow. “I know you’re supposed to be teaching, but would you be my partner for this dance?” He wasn’t mocking her and she knew him better than that to assume he was. Adam had always been kind to everybody no matter their blood status or disposition; he was naturally a peace-maker, not a fighter, which sometimes proved unhelpful during Quidditch. He genuinely enjoyed dancing with her during these times and he had told her so before just last term when he had stayed to help her clean up after a meeting. Things hadn’t changed since then, but it seemed as though everything had. He held out his hand, hoping she wouldn’t refuse him. Otherwise he was going to have to find another way to show her that he would always be there for her if only she’d reach out.

40 Adam Spencer With the loveliest witch in the room. 257 Adam Spencer 0 5

Ginny Bellrose

November 13, 2014 9:46 PM

Not lovely enough. by Ginny Bellrose

Ginny knew that there would be a moment during the school year where either Francesca or Adam (or both) would force her to confront them regarding her disappearance from them this term. She had been hoping to avoid it for as long as possible, but of course Adam was still attending the ball lessons and there was nothing she could really do about that. She had hoped by indicating that she would be watching everyone dance that he would not bother her, but seeing him walk towards her, she knew that would not be the case.

She stared at his offered hand for longer than what would be considered necessary, trying to figure out what to say and also because she didn’t want to make eye contact. She really didn’t want to be around him or anyone. Ginny wasn’t normally someone who isolated herself from others, she was a people person, but this term had been too much on her and being around people only brought the worst of her. She wanted her friends to be happy despite feeling as though they threw her away for their own ball dates. There were times when she could really hate herself. This term had been the longest of those times. She hated herself for needing to be selfish both in wanting her friends to remain only hers and also for being selfless in wanting them to remain happy and therefore, needing to stay away.

Her life was upside down, but she needed to focus on other things and just stay away from everyone for a while. “I’m sorry.” She said finally. “I really need to focus on everyone else since this is the last meeting. You should find another partner to dance with. There are plenty of girls to pick from, but I’m sure you already know that.” Ginny tried to give him a smile, but she knew it probably came out flat looking on her face. She didn’t care though, she was too tired to really concern herself with looking happy. “Great job, everyone!” Ginny called out as she shifted her attention from Adam to those dancing. “Remember to let him lead. Find the beat together.” Ginny moved toward the first couple. “Very good.” She complimented while she assessed. “Anyone feeling more courageous, start shifting your body so that you move within your own circle.”

She felt a little guilty for shutting Adam down, but she had no reason for it. She was just trying to be a good host to the club.

6 Ginny Bellrose Not lovely enough. 0 Ginny Bellrose 0 5

Adam Spencer

November 19, 2014 12:39 PM

I see. by Adam Spencer

Ginny claimed she needed to be an attentive hostess for this last meeting, but they had danced together before at previous club meetings and she had been the hostess then. This time couldn't be any different even with the ball approaching. Adam couldn't accept that excuse though it was the only one Ginny seemed to offer. It only meant that she was still avoiding him. With some sense of foreboding, Adam's hand dropped to his side. "Of course," he replied, not wanting to push her. He opened his mouth to say something more, some attempt at goodwill before they parted, but she walked away and left him hanging.

Rejection in any form hurt especially when it came from someone Adam had regarded as a close friend. She hadn't even given him a chance to end on a pleasant note. With his back still towards the club members, Adam gathered his wounded pride. He felt disconnected from the dancing going on behind him where Ginny was most likely putting on a happy front for her members. He didn't want to hold any hard feelings against her, but it was difficult not to at this moment. Perhaps on another day he would try to talk to her again, but for now he didn't want to be near her perhaps as much as she didn't want to be around him. He had never been avoided so blatantly before and it hurt his feelings.

Adam wasn't one of those who enjoyed brooding in solitude. He gained his energy from people and wanted to be around them more when he needed to relax. If he did seek solitude, he usually spent that time on the pitch to get over whatever heavy emotion or stress plagued him at that time. That was the difference between he and Ginny, he supposed. Adam wasn't sure why she wanted to avoid him, though the ball was certainly a factor, but he wanted to talk about it instead of avoiding the subject. He liked to deal with problems quickly especially when he was involved. However, given Ginny's current disposition, it seemed highly unlikely they would be able to talk any time soon.

As he stood there alone and without a partner, Adam wondered if he ought to go. He didn't particularly want to be here and around Ginny at the moment, but he didn't want to walk out simply because his feelings were bruised. It wasn't wizard-like. Adam straightened his shoulders and walked over to another witch who didn't have a partner. "Would you like to practise together?" he asked, smiling despite the hurt he was still harbouring.

40 Adam Spencer I see. 257 Adam Spencer 0 5

Liliana Bannister

November 24, 2014 12:51 AM

Need a teammate pick me up? by Liliana Bannister

In order to please her grandparents, Liliana had decided to join Dance Club that year. The peace offering had appeased them and sure enough there had only been one or two mentions of her less ladylike extra-curricular activity over the winter break. And besides, dancing had always been something that she enjoyed on the sly. Originally it had been something Grandmère had forced her to do in an attempt to calm her down and steer her away from the wild antics of all her cousins but presently it had been something she had come to enjoy. That year, however, since they had just come back from a year of no Quidditch, Liliana had let her dancing sit on the sidelines as her Quidditch obligations sat front in center. Although all her cousins liked to play Quidditch, playing on the Pitch outside her grandparent’s manor wasn't the same as being on a team and training for matches. However, now that the Quidditch season was over, she had picked up practicing on her own again.

When she entered the room that day, she waved hello to both Adam and Joella who were on the team with her and found a space against the wall to lean on while she waited for Ginny to start the club. The dance they would be practicing that day was a simple ballroom move that Liliana could more or less recall from mimicking the adults with Levi when they were both younger, so she wasn't worried about messing up on the moves. It was finding a dance partner that was more her worry-- and not just during that particular club meeting either. Atlas had asked her to the Ball but she’d felt that it was more of a pity invite than anything-- he was her best friend and she hadn't been asked by anyone so he’d stepped up to the plate. Liliana rolled her head around her neck, taking pleasure in the cracking sensation that it produced, and carefully re-braided her hair while she looked around for a partner.

Normally she was a rather forward witch-- outgoing and not exactly self-conscience, but she was also a thirteen year old witch and she didn't want her classmates thinking that her asking them to dance was a sign of a crush. No, she had an object of her affections already. As usual her cheeks turned red at the mention of Wesley so Liliana ducked her head and readjusted her ballet slippers. Even when she wasn't dancing ballet Liliana liked to wear her ballet slippers. They were so comfortable and flexible and formed perfectly to her feet so they were generally her dance shoe of choice during Dance Club. Once she was certain that the blush was gone, Liliana looked around to see who was still in need of a partner.

Most everyone had already partnered up but her teammate Adam didn't have one. In fact, he had been left, standing in the middle of the room by Ginny and Liliana tilted her head. Adam would make an alright partner-- he already had a date to the dance and as her teammate she would definitely be able to ask him to dance with her without the weirdness. She walked over to him, about to ask if he needed a partner, but he got to it first.

“Sure,” she said, smiling at her fellow Brit. “So that match though.” As she curtsied to him, her smile became rather saddened. “That was a depressing end to the year, huh?”

10 Liliana Bannister Need a teammate pick me up? 274 Liliana Bannister 0 5

Adam Spencer

November 25, 2014 5:45 PM

You've got impeccable timing. by Adam Spencer

Despite feeling discouraged about his encounter with Ginny, Adam was glad he could count on his team-mates both on and off the pitch. Liliana was a safe choice and an enjoyable team-mate. It was somewhat comforting having another English witch attending school here as well. She was a lovely person, one that Adam had enjoyed chatting with on occasion. He still didn't know her very well, but he liked her from what he did know of her. It was only slightly unfortunate to bring inadvertent insult to injury with the mention of the Quidditch match.

"Yes, but we did our best," he replied as he bowed in response and assumed the position. "I'm just glad no one had to go to the Hospital Wing, though I don't doubt Rupert wouldn't have minded sending an Aladren there. I didn't realise how aggressive he becomes on the pitch. But no one's graduating next year, so we can improve on our strategy together. Though it seems like you did quite well in keeping the Quaffle out." He smiled and twirled her once, the separate topic easing his injured pride.

The ball, however, was still fresh on his mind and he couldn't help but mention it. "I heard you're going to teh ball with Atlas. I don't mean to be a gossip, but are you two..." He let his sentence hang, not wanting to embarrass her if they wanted to keep it a secret. He had known them to be good friends, but romantically Adam hadn't expected them to get together. Liliana particularly hadn't seemed interested in him that way, but one could never be too sure.

It hadn't occurred to him until just now, but two of the three wizards on the Pecari team had asked a team-mate to the ball. Team unity was bleeding into their daily lives and Adam was glad to see it. It made practises much more enjoyable, as if they were merely playing with friends.

40 Adam Spencer You've got impeccable timing. 257 Adam Spencer 0 5

Liliana Bannister

November 25, 2014 7:45 PM

One might say so. by Liliana Bannister

“I suppose we did,” Liliana conceded, giggling at the idea that popped into her head at Adam’s words of a raged infused Rupert sending the entire Aladren team to the Hospital Wing in one fell swing of the bat. She sobered quickly though when Adam mentioned the Quaffle and rolled her eyes slightly. “That was pure luck,” she said as they began. “I honestly don’t know where my head was but another second up there and I would have probably fallen off my broom or started having hallucinations.” She wanted to avoid all mentions of being ill, but she also didn’t think it was fair to take credit for performing well when she really hadn’t been at her peak performance at all. Perhaps Sonora had changed her in that way—only a few years ago she wouldn’t have minded accepting the praise and most likely would have basked in it, not even thinking to set the record straight. Now, however? Now it was different.

Ah, she thought. You heard? She knew what Adam meant to imply with not finishing his sentence but Liliana honestly didn’t feel like she wanted to play into the gossips of the school. Though she knew Adam wasn’t one to spread things she also knew that once people started talking it was hard to shut them up and she didn’t want anyone misconstruing any of her words—innocent as they might have been. “Are you and Annette?” she returned the question, arching an eyebrow pointedly. Besides, admitting there was no romantic interest only further illustrated her failure to get a real date and saying there was romantic interest when there wasn’t just wasn’t fair to her family name. Atlas was a close friend, but to be romantically interested in a Muggleborn when one came from a Pureblood family was entirely different from befriending one. This idea had been made very clear to her in a letter from Grandmère when she’d heard the news about the Ball.

Not to worry, Grandmère, Liliana had replied. There is nothing more than friendship between the two of us and I assure you that there will never be anything more than friendship. Liliana had been nearly tempted to make mention of Wesley but her hand had stayed and she had left that part out as for the moment Wesley and his kiss was her personal secret, the one thing in her life that was private and away from the prying eyes of her family—which was odd considering it had happened under their very noses on the front porch of Grandmère’s manor.

10 Liliana Bannister One might say so. 274 Liliana Bannister 0 5

Adam

November 29, 2014 1:17 PM

This one definitely says so. by Adam

Adam was glad to hear Liliana giggle, but it was only a short while until she sobered again. “Pure luck or not, you are the Keeper of the goals,” he replied. Though she might not think she deserved the credit, Adam still found it impressive. He would have liked for Pecari to have made at least made one goal themselves, but it sadly hadn’t worked out in their favour. “We were evenly matched, I think,” he concluded, glad that none of his team-mates were graduating this year.

Liliana completely evaded his question. Adam couldn’t understand why witches couldn’t seem to just say what they wanted to say—first Ginny was avoiding any sort of confrontation, now Liliana refusing to say anything about her and Atlas without actually saying so outright—but he comment on it. It wasn’t as though he understood her situation at all, and Liliana was entitled to her secrets. “No, Annette and I aren’t dating,” he replied, glad he was able to clear that up. “We established that we’re merely going as friend-dates. There’s loads of pressure taking a significant other, so I’ve heard.” Adam was only slightly embarrassed that he’d never had any romantic experiences now that he was sixteen, but he knew he wasn’t the only one at this school.

“I hope Annette and I have fun,” he continued. “I’ve known her for as long as I’ve been at Sonora and I’ll need some way to relieve stress after the CATS exams.” His exams, however, weren’t the only headache he was looking forward to getting away from. Adam wore the bracelet Ginny had given him, thinking it a sweet and incredibly thoughtful gift. The leather band was fashionable as well, but he was unsure if their friendship still meant as much to her as it did to him.

He was momentarily lost in his thoughts, Ginny once again distracting him from his present interaction. It was lovely chatting with Liliana, but he sincerely missed his two best mates. Adam found it easy to make friends now that he was older and stuck particularly close to his team-mates, but Ginny and Francesca were different. As he brooded, a thoughtful expression came to his face, looking a bit sad without realising there was someone else who could see his facial features quite clearly.

The dance was simple enough, but he could only run on autopilot for so long before missing a step. He stumbled, coming back to reality quickly, and righted himself before he could fall into Liliana. “Sorry,” he said, hoping she hadn’t said anything important in the last several seconds or so. “My head was elsewhere.” He smiled, trying to keep up his usually cheerful disposition.

0 Adam This one definitely says so. 0 Adam 0 5