hannah_or (hannah_or) wrote in great_hall_or, @ 2008-02-16 00:27:00 |
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Hannah had been anxious as hell. She was nervous, hands wringing from the nervousness. Her blonde tresses were spiralled, falling in a waterfall of ringlets down her back, and the dress she wore had been suggested by Susan. She didn't know if she'd have the strength to actually be confident in it, but she could only hope. As she smoothed down the white material and then fastened her sandals, she made her way out of the Hufflepuff Common Room to wait on Draco.
Draco, in his own right, was nervous about this ball. For starters, he was taking a risk by being even seen with a Hufflepuff by their future peers. Draco guessed that there would be amnosity toward him being that close to someone as innocent as Hannah Abbott, but really? Draco thought it would be refreshing for a change. Dressed very similarly to what he'd worn for the Yule Ball in their own time, Draco had carefully allowed his hair to grow just a little since then. His blonde hair now hung loosely by his ears and was combed back elegantly, making him quite presentable for that evening. Approaching Hufflepuff Common Room, Draco stopped in his tracks the moment that he caught sight of Hannah Abbott. Now that wasn't something he expected a Hufflepuff to wear. Honestly shocked, stunned at how fitting the dress was on her, Draco approached the young woman who he'd barely exchanged five words with in their own time and extended his hand formally in greeting. "Miss Abbott, a pleasure," Draco greeted her properly, using her true last name, and he glanced directly at her to offer her one of his brilliant, charming smiles. "You look beautiful, Hannah."
The blush was obvious as it rose to Hannah's cheeks, coloring her skin a rose color. The top row of her pearly white teeth caught her bottom lip as she slid a small hand into his. "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy. You look quite handsome, yourself. I'm hoping tonight is a good one. For both of us," she greeted him. She knew that being seen with her probably wasn't the best idea, but it had really been his decision on whether or not to take her, and he'd ultimately decided it would be a good idea. "Thank you, for taking me."
"Au contraire, ma cherie. Thank you for allowing me the pleasure of taking you." Draco sent her another brilliant smile in response; no one could deny that Draco was a charmer. He knew how to win over crowds when he wanted to. "To be honest, I am surprised you agreed to me as a date. You're no doubt a very intelligent witch; surely you know what I basically was in our time. I find it hard to believe that a lady such as yourself would willingly be seen as my date."
"People change," she responded, softly. "And with the circumstances, I know you were sent with us for a reason. You can't be all bad... I mean, I never thought you were all bad before," Hannah admitted with a shrug. She tucked a spiral behind her ear, holding his hand still as they walked.
Smiling handsomly still, Draco gripped her hand almost comfortably now. "I wouldn't be entirely certain that we were all meant to come back here. There are always mishaps with spells, even from the most powerful of wizards." Draco's expression turned serious for a moment, as his grey eyes locked with hers directly. "Though, I've been in a mood of honesty lately. I did not necessarily desire to follow the path I was following; I did so out of survival, and to protect not only my life, but my family and those who I cared most about. I lived merely for survival, but in this time? Hermione keeps going on about second chances and I wonder what damage can be done if I take my second chance." Smiling charmingly again, Draco willingly took another step closer to Hannah, measuring her reactions to what he did and said.
She didn't mind his vicinity to her, finding it endearing a little, and proud to be able to offer that second chance to him, in a way. Hannah gave his hand a squeeze and laid her head on his shoulder for a split second. Righting herself again, she cleared her throat. "So, are we just attending the dance or did you want to plan something for after? I mean, if you already have plans with someone else, that's alright. I'm just curious."
"Oh, no." Draco offered her a brilliant smile again, not quite able to glance at the Hufflepuff girl who seemed perfectly content around him right now. He was, in a word, fascinated by her actions toward him. Draco had never met anyone so utterly open before. "We can do something after, if you'd like. When I make a date, I find it horribly rude to schedule something afterward. After all, you never do know what opportunities may arise during the time you are spending with someone." (end!)
"That's very true. Sometimes I don't think all that far ahead," she admitted, scratching the back of her neck. "We'll see how things go during the dance and such. I think that would be a good idea, yeah?" She questioned it slightly, trying to think over certain scenarios.
"That sounds like a lovely plan, ma cherie." Draco inclined his head in recognition of her decision. "Shall we head off, then, to the dance?" Draco knew they could stay here all evening if they wanted to, but if he truly wanted to be on an actual date--with a Hufflepuff, no less--then he needed to take some action.
"Yes. The dance. I'd almost forgotten about it for a moment," Hannah chuckled. Squeezing his hand, an obvious sign she was nervous, and swallowing, she took a breath and looked at him again. "Let's go."
Moving his own hand just slightly so that his fingers slipped down and intertwined with hers, Draco offered her a hand squeeze in response. He smiled still and started to walk toward the Great Hall, aware of the few stares that he received on the way. "You do realize that we're, not just literally, making history? I can't remember a time when a Hufflepuff and a Slytherin--let alone a Malfoy and a Black--accompanied each other to anything at Hogwarts."
"Ahh, but I am not a Black. I am an Abbott. Or, rather, an Ashford here. And you are not a Malfoy. You are a Maltian. And we are here to have fun tonight, yes? I mean, I was honestly thinking of staying in and just drowning my sorrows in firewhiskey, if I could get it, and chocolate. So you kinda saved me from wallowing tonight."
Draco couldn't help but chuckle. He'd meant that he was technically a Black and a Malfoy, but she did have a point. He was Maltian here. He could...he was free. Completely and totally free. "We can still have a mite of fun with the firewhiskey," Draco teased, winking charmingly. "And I can guarantee I can hunt you down some chocolate. Were we in our time, you'd have anything you wanted in a heartbeat. I rather enjoy having to work for things here, though. Makes them so much more meaningful, if you take my meaning." Draco lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed the back of her palm, aware that they were getting closer and closer to the Great Hall--thus, closer and closer to the crowds of students.
The kiss to the back of her hands only brought back the blush from earlier. "In our own time, I think I might have had to work for what I wanted. You wouldn't have looked twice at me and you know it," she teased. "But if you're offering to finish the night off with firewhiskey and chocolate, consider this my acceptance."
Grinning, wondering just how this lovely Hufflepuff had learned the art of flirting, Draco nodded in exchange. "I may have looked twice at you, ma cher, but a lady as charming as you deserves at least three glances before she accepts a man's attention." Draco could flirt back with the best of them. "Chocolate and firewhiskey sounds brilliant now, although, I don't want to get into too much trouble with your friends. Are you certain they'd trust you doing something like that with a Slytherin like myself?"
"I have one geniune friend here, Draco. Susan Bones has stuck with me through a lot. I don't really know you or the others very well yet, as we didn't exactly run in the same circles. But she trusts me to make my own decisions regarding the company I keep. She knows I'm not stupid."
Smirking just a little, Draco nodded in response. "Very well, then. Don't let it be said that I didn't give you the opportunity to back out of this." Glancing up, Draco couldn't help but notice that they were pretty much right outside of the Great Hall now. "Well. Are you ready to make an appearance at this ball?"
The little Hufflepuff took a deep breath and squeezed his hand a little. Turning to look at him, she licked her lips. "Are you?" She'd had no idea she was really flirting earlier, merely holding a conversation that could be miscontrued as such. But, she was trying to seem friendly.
"I'm always ready for a challenge." Draco turned his gaze seriously to meet hers, that broad smile returning to his lips and lighting up his eyes in the process. "I'm more than ready for this evening."
"Alright then. Off we go. Might surprise people if you held the door open for me. I wouldn't want to pass up the chance to see people drop dead from shock," she chuckled.
Draco rolled his eyes in amusement. "I am quite the gentleman, actually. Ask around the pureblood circles of society." Winking in her direction, Draco slowly pulled open the door and smiled at her calmly enough. "After you then, ma cherie."
She wasn't sure if it would make him rethink his decisions where she was concerned, but she figured she'd let him in on the fact. "Yes well, I would, but I'm not a pureblood." Smiling at him, she made her way over the threshhold and into the Great Wall. Looking up and around the Great Hall, blue eyes lit up brightly at the vision before her. It was absolutely beautiful.
Having yet to actually see the hall, Draco was frowning just a little. People kept doing that to him lately, especially the future students. Commenting on the fact that their bloodline wasn't pure. Draco knew that in their time, that defined who he spent time with. Had it been that noticeable? Draco was frowning as he turned his attention back to the Great Hall now, back to Hannah, and he kept his gaze skillfully on her for a few moments as his own thoughts whirled.
"This place is gorgeous. I wish Justin could see it," she sighed, still smiling. Turning her head to look at Draco, her hand found his again. "Come on, we should see what they have for food and drink, don't you think? We can get something to quench our thirst... maybe dance a little." But even as she said that, the classical music started and she turned to see Dumbledore and McGonagall ballroom dancing. Immediately her face fell.
At the mention of Justin, Draco couldn't help but cringe just slightly. He didn't add further comment to her, however, but nodded slowly as he accepted her hand once more.When Draco heard the change in music and caught her downward face, Draco couldn't help but squeeze her hand lightly in reassurance. "I can lead you in the dance, if you'd fancy to learn it. I was drilled in this sort of dancing from the time I could walk," Draco whispered in her ear quietly, smiling politely.
She jumped slightly at feeling his breath on her ear, and then turned to smile softly at him. "Really? I'd love to learn. I mean, chances are I'll be in this position again, right?" The proximity of their faces was rather... close... but Hannah found she didn't mind that much. "It would be an honor to learn from someone who was willing to teach me because they wanted to. It seems that some teachers nowadays simply do it because they're paid."