Dominic/Adelaide
“What’s wrong? You’re honestly asking me that?” His voice was incredulous, as he continued to push the blame for his embarrassing behavior off onto her only further. Dominic had been drinking increasingly since he had arrived, and while he was not completely intoxicated, the mixture of negative emotions had only created a most toxic outburst, despite his attempts to remain amicable.
Dominic gave an unflattering snort, and waved his hands, ignoring the stares he was drawing, and the whispers that had increased the further he dragged this out.
“I’ll go, you--” He took a step back, around the chair and further from the table. Dominic raised his hand, motioning towards her. “You stay here. I’m sure that little--poof of yours’ is looking for you. So stay, Adelaide.”
He took a step back, surprisingly steady on his feet.
“Have fun with Rabastan!”
Adelaide could just watch him go at first, surprised by the whole episode. What had just happened? She had come over, hoping for a friendly conversation and this is what she got? She blinked, staring at the table and trying to ignore the looks that she was receiving from everyone else. This was not how she wanted her night to go.
She pushed her chair back, standing and making her way after him. She caught him in the courtyard and rounded on him. “Dominic, what is your problem?” she asked, trying to keep her voice calm and controlled. It was hard. “I just wanted to come over and say hello and you round on me?” She moved to stand in front of him, untying her mask to look at him better. “What’s your problem? Or is it just the alcohol talking?” She was past the stage of pretending to care or not care, she wanted to know what was going on with him.
Dominic had enough sense to stop before he barreled straight into Adelaide: his mind told him it would not do to knock down someone as small as her, and even if he was mad, Dominic did not want to actually hurt her.
Even so, he continued to scowl down at her, tugging his own mask off with unnecessary force. “What the hell do you think my problem is, eh?!” He snapped, voice raising only louder now that they were outside, where the guests were more scarce. “You--you act this way, and then you do another thing--!”
His words made no sense, they were disjointed words, thrown together as his desperation and frustration only mounted higher. Dominic had no place being angry at Adelaide, not truly; she had explained the situation to him, he had accepted it in turn, all as a big joke.
They had never been together. Hell, they did not even really like each other!
Did they...?
Abruptly, Dominic gave a shake of his head, hands clenching as the mask fell to the ground. “Where do you get off, questioning me like this!? Am I not allowed to be pissed at you, really? You and I talk way more then that damned Rabastan and you do! And you just bring him, as if it’s nothing. “
He was going off on a tirade, he realized that and yet Dominic could not stop the rest of the words from tumbling out, anger creating a stupid sense of self righteousness. “You just never stop to consider anyones’ emotions do you!”
Adelaide was beside herself. Everything he was saying was jumbled and confusing and she shook her head. “Dominic, nothing that you’re saying is making sense! How am I acting or saying things that seem to contradict each other? What is upsetting you so much?” She didn’t have to ask herself why she cared, she knew. She hated to admit it, but she didn’t like seeing him so upset and in this kind of situation, especially one as public as the Malfoy Ball. Plus, their parents were inside, probably witnessing their full first exchange. But that wasn’t important at the moment. She wanted to get to the bottom of his anger.
She laughed a little bitterly, shaking her head. “You’re upset about me and Rabastan?” She wanted to smack him, she really did. “Dominic, look at me!” She moved his face to look at her; she wasn’t aggressive about it, but forceful. “Why do you care? Why do you care about me and Rabastan? I told you what I was doing."