Depths of Despair ✶ Theodore Nott

thirty one. dance practice and growing attachments

"The Yule hall has been a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament since it's inception." Professor McGonagall stood at the very center of an empty classroom, while the Slytherin house's forth years and above had gathered around her for rehearsal for mandatory school activities, as professor Snape had called it.

It took no genius to figure out that it was meant to be lead by the head of the house, but knowing Snape he most likely had convinced Professor McGonagall to do it for him. The brooding potions teacher now stood silently and observed his students, armed with detention handouts and Housepoint deductions were there to be any misbehavior.

"On Christmas Eve night, we and our guests gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity." The transfiguration teacher was strict and direct as always, looking back and forth between the silent students. "As representatives of the Host school I expect of each and every one of you to put your best foot forward, and I mean this literally because the Yule ball is first and foremost a dance."

Had she expected protests as to the whole concept, the Slytherins pleasantly surprised. As most members of the house descended from pure-blooded families, a majority had attended similar formalities throughout their lives. Therefore, with Snape's expectant gaze upon them, most sat quietly and nodded, finding no use in a negative reaction as they were all too used to dressing in fancy dressing gowns and attending galas they'd rather be without.

"Now, to dance is to let the body breathe. Inside every girl, a secret swan is just longing to burst and take flight, and inside every boy—," Professor McGonagall, taking notice to low laughter echoing across the room, turned and landed her eyes upon Kieran and Blaise sat alongside one another: appearing rather humored by the Gryffindor head's way of expressing the art of dance. Valerie thought she might right in that very moment die of laughter when the Transfiguration teacher called out, "Mr Lacroix," and approached her best friend with quick strides.

"Yes?" Kieran replied with confidence that would within minutes be shattered.

"Will you join me please?" She asked and held out a hand, waiting firmly for the Slytherin student to do as told. Theodore's contagious laugh broke the silence upon Kieran's terrified expression: something Snape reacted to at an instant.

"Mr Nott, I'd advice you to be silent, or else I will deduct 10 points from Slytherin due to your misconduct." Although Theodore silenced at an instant, keeping the students quiet was easier said than done as Kieran was lead onto the dance floor by McGonagall.

Valerie met his eyes for a brief seconds, offering him a taunting smirk to which he rolled his eyes and glared at her, before Snake did the favor and turned on the music — McGonagall and her best friend moving back and forth across the room with means to demonstrate the dance moves.

Valerie knew most steps to whatever genre, of course. Many tutors had been hired when she was younger to teach her 'manners' as her mother called it. Dance, piano and french was among the many secret talents she knew and could recite seamlessly, and for the very first time in her life did the hours and hours of boring lessons not seem as pointless any longer.

"Everyone come together!" The professor called after a few moments, finally letting Kieran go. Red in his face from embarrassment, he immediately returned to his seat next to Blaise, all while they were all being motioned to stand up and find a partner. "Come on, find a partner!"

Valerie looked around, hoping that her best friend would save her the awkwardness. Much to her disappointment, he had already paired up with Daphne, leaving Valerie to attempt at finding someone reasonable to dance with.

The thought of sneaking away and hide did strike her once or twice, however before having time to proceed a presence stepped up so closely from behind that she could practically detect the heat radiating off of his body. "Would you honor me with a dance, Leclere?" A familiar voice spoke with certainty somehow softening his tone.

While turning around, Valerie had to fight the blush making it's way onto her cheeks. "Hm. I suppose I can spare you the humiliation of rejection just this once," she replied while flashing him a smirk, Theodore responding by offering her his hand: Valerie taking it and letting herself be led into position.

Had his near proximity been enough to send her heart into a frenzy, his hand making contact with her waist surely was almost enough to force a gasp through her lips, however well-mannered as she was she forced it back — wishing not to humiliate herself.

Instead, she placed both her hands on his shoulders and dared looking into his eyes as the music resumed, Theodore appearing rather amused as he noticed something after observing her expression for only a short while. "You're blushing."

Her eyes widened in surprise, her body immediately going into defense move. "What? No I'm not." The redness seemed to only grow more prominent the more she tried to deny it.

"Yes, you are." He grinned, spinning her around in a surprisingly graceful manner. It was rather obvious it was not his first time dancing either. "But I don't blame you. I am rather charming, after all."

"Narcissist," she muttered, right as both his hands landed on her waist to lift her off the ground. While maintaining eye contact, he spun her around before softly placing her back on the tiled floor — Valerie maintaining the rhythm while misstepping not a single time.

"Very good," McGonagall called out toward them both, and for a moment all dancing pairs haltered in their movements to take a look at them.

Theodore spared them not a glance, and eventually they all locked away and continued on with the music — all except Kieran and Daphne, who silently chuckled at the pair, not letting them out of their sight.

Theodore lifted her off the ground once again a minute later, but this time Valerie inhaled a deep breath when lowered back down, the two suddenly standing intimidatingly close. She looked into his eyes, deep blue meeting hazel, and she could have sworn it was as if someone turned the music down — the instruments now only a distance echo.

His hands remained clasped at her waist, hers on his shoulders, and Valerie was certain she was going insane because never could she imagine herself reacting in such manners toward Theodore Nott's mere presence. It appeared, however, to be happening more frequently than she would ever willingly admit to herself, and each and every time did the reaction seem to grow stronger.

Every cell in her body was drawing her toward him, and the closer she drifted toward his lips, the more did her senses seem to numb — her sanity set askew.

Had it not been for McGonagall calling the rehearsal quits as soon as she deemed everyone capable of behaving themselves at a ball, perhaps they would have kept drifting off into one another for eternity, however the woman's voice snapped them both out of their trances — Valerie immediately breaking their intense eye contact and directing her gaze into his chest instead.

They were standing so close they could be mistaken for hugging one another, and although she'd rather drown herself in the fabric of his shirt to avoid facing whatever had just happened, she and Theodore ceased their grip simultaneously — following their housemates examples of stepping away from their partner.

Finally able to breathe properly, she inhaled and exhaled a few breaths: her hands eventually ceasing their tremble in response to previous bliss. When daring to look up again, they were standing at a few feet of distance — Theodore flushed with redness as he only now took her previously close proximity.

Valerie smirked at the sight, "Now who's blushing?" she then teasingly exclaimed, any potential awkwardness between them banned from
existence as she quickly got them back on course for their usual mannerisms toward one another.

He exhaled a laugh, running a hand through his hair. "Go to hell, Leclere."

     Still flustered the two went to join Kieran, Blaise and Daphne, oblivious to the way all their friends was sharing knowing gazes with one another — able to see what was happening between Valerie and Theodore even when they themselves couldn't.

. . . . .