Lack of Rhythm [Pepper!]

[DANILO VIKTOR FLYNN]

((Sorry about how long it took!
Suit!))

It felt kind of odd going to such a social event alone. Not that he didn't appreciate the break from dating, he seemed to be absent of normal companions as well. Now that just let an odd feeling settle inside him. Dani wasn't entirely used to have private moments in such a festive atmosphere, with the throngs of people dancing and talking. This was not a night to be alone, he felt. It was hard to when almost the entire school was guaranteed to be stuffed in this place. The brunette supposed it was merely a matter of looking for the right people, but it felt just a little like finding a needle in a haystack.

Hmm. He supposed that was simply the challenge. For now, he allocated himself by the snacks table, listening to various bits of conversation that came and went with the people. Speculation had begun about what the second task would be, and who would come out on top this time. Dani wasn't too surprised to hear the various curses about what an upset Hufflepuff's win had been, and like himself, he expected a changed outcome with this newest task. Then of course, there was the Secret Santa event that same day. Some were more appreciative than others. He wasn't entirely sure how well he did with Lorana. Christmas wasn't really much about the gift-giving in his household, and more about just spending time together. Usually they spent much of the day out and about at a park. Every now and then his parents would splurge, but most of the gifts were homemade, rather more materialistic things. Usually that came in the form of money from relatives he had yet met in Russia. He often joked with his mother that it was bribe money so they would keep quiet about some dastardly family secret.

In fact, his current Yule Ball outfit had been something of a combination. The blue and white plaid scarf had been hand-knitted, but the rest had been bought using carefully saved money, and a surprise delivery on his mother's part. He had just been about to go suit shopping when the owl arrived with the package. Apparently it had been his father's one time or another. He wasn't too surprised to hear that, considering how lanky and small the man was. Still, it had been much appreciated, and the gryffindor wore it with his head held high.

Ehh, he didn't mind the fact that he was just doing so planted in a chair, leaning back against the wall with a faint whistle. Staying around the food table provided him a good opportunity to catch anyone. He couldn't think of a single person that wouldn't at least wander over for a drink or a much-needed break--- unless someone spiked it or something. If that was true, he was in for a funner party than he expected. He just needed to remain the spectator for whatever disaster that would inevitably come out of that mess. Though such a possibility wouldn't stop him from trying out the drinks himself, getting up from his seat and moving toward the food.

”... Kinda surprised its been so quiet,” the gryffindor mumbled to himself. With the attacks and rumors that had been circulating, it would seem like another perfect chance for the troublemakers. Himself? Well, he would take the opportunity if it seemed too much.

[LILY LUNA POTTER]

w e g o n n a d o t h i s o r w h a t

i like you a lot but you're 'bout to miss your shot are you

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=style,background-image: url('http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Juliart/background_black.jpg');,true][cs=2] g o n n a k i s s m e o r n o t ?

[atrb=width,240] lily had been thinking that this evening might be a little bit depressing. all of her friends were happily chattering of their boyfriends, what the men in their lives would think of their outfits or hairstyles or just their appearance in general today. they giggled with each other over if that boy they adored would be brave enough to make a move tonight, or if maybe their ex would want them back? such an atmosphere, in lily's mind, had amazing potential to ruin the evening for her, but she surprisingly found that as she stood in the girl's bathroom with her friends, the excitement only elevated her mood. so what if she was single tonight? it didn't mean she couldn't enjoy it, or be happy for her friends who were speculating of a one-hundred precent romantic evening with their significant other. tonight was bound to be an enjoyable evening no matter what. she couldn't partake in the boyfriend gossip, but she could definitely share with the appearance encouragement, squeeing over other girl's dresses as her sixth year hufflepuff cousin, lucy, did her hair. lily was forced to face a blank wall, told that her hair appearance was to be a surprise and she wasn't to ruin it by peeking, but that meant that she had plenty of opportunity to look at the different styles other girls were wearing tonight. the room was filled with colored dresses over every shape and form from poofy ball gowns to short, tight fitting glitzy styles. lily had only selected her dress two weeks before on a hogsmeade trip with her cousin, lucy. it was a little bit tighter fitting around the torso than she might be comfortable with, but lucy had told her 'if you've got it, flaunt it!' and with a few jokes and warm words lily had decided to screw what she normally dressed in, tonight was a day to look good. she wasn't normally a very dressy girl, so she was kind of excited to see the transformation in the mirror as soon as she could. "done!" her cousin announced, gripping lily by the arms and spinning her around to face part of the huge mirror that lined one wall of the room. for a moment lily didn't recognize the red-haired girl looking back at her. she cocked her head to the side, looking at the curls piled atop her head and falling down by her ears, then after a few seconds of silence she squealed and spun around to smother the hufflepuff in a hug. "i look perfect! thanks, lulu!" lucy just nodded and grinned, making a comment about james, albus, and harry going to have to fight the men away from her and then "you're going to be late. you'd better run, lils." though she did set out as soon as her cousin gave the warning, lily did end up a little bit late for the ball. no matter, it wasn't like anyone would be waiting on her arrival. she slipped into the great hall with a few other stragglers and let herself get lost in the mass of students milling about here and there while chattering excitedly to each other about the evening's activities. looking around for a familiar face it didn't take her long to spot dani flynn, unmistakable by his outfit for the ball (just a little bit different than the black suits so many guys had chosen to wear). of course lily couldn't resist sneaking around the edges of groups of people until she was behind him, hopefully unnoticed. a grin spread across her face as she stood on her tiptoes, leaning forward so her mouth was near his ear, "boo!"

[atrb=width,100] words , 1041 words tagged , dani! notes , hair: see header image. dress: click

TEMPLATE BY THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY @ CAUTION 2.0

[DANILO VIKTOR FLYNN]

The punch was good this evening, if a little sweet. He was honestly a little disappointed that it was spiked, but some people were already high-strung enough to land themselves in trouble already. The alcohol just tended to make it a bit easier and quicker. Dani didn't mind it so much though. Sure it provided a momentary distraction, but it always put the faculty on a higher alert for the rest of the evening. It seemed like such a waste to fight in such a formal setting as well. The Yule Ball had a special place in his heart for the social aspects, and close conversation. Getting into a fight with someone just seemed to dampen the mood-- unless of course, he was fighting for a value or a belief. Normally he wasn't so much of a fighter (especially not in this tux), but he would rather get involved than letting someone get hurt.

The gryffindor was about to retreat back to his chair to watch the dancers for a bit when he heard footsteps behind him. The brunette hadn't thought about it, really, since he was hovering around the refreshment table. Sure, it was a little early for people to be parched, other than to break the ice or something, but some people do just come by for the free food (not that he blamed them for it). With that in mind, he understandably jumped when he felt someone whisper into his ear, nearly spilling his drink onto the refreshment table with a yelp. Dani whirled around, but almost immediately relaxed upon realizing who it was.

”Lily! That was amazing!” the gryffindor laughed, ”Didn't even notice you coming.” While the act was certainly admirable, he couldn't help finding his fellow gryffindor's appearance much more attention-catching. The silver gown looked radiant against Lily's skin, and the way Lily's hair was decked upward gave the young woman an elegant, almost aristocratic look. While it seemed different for his friend, it also seemed to perfectly suit her, feeling a great amount of admiration for her. However, he could admit to feeling just slightly under-dressed. Ah well, that was simply a matter of details. He was more than happy to have simply ran into Lily this evening.

”More importantly, you look amazing,” Dani complimented with a warm smile. To him, she easily stood out among their fellow students in the ballroom, and in a way, he was immensely happy to have encountered Lily alone, before anyone else. He still wanted to catch up with his fellow gryffindor, and maybe get a dance or two if the redhead was interested. ”How are you this evening, m'dear?”

[/justify]

[LILY LUNA POTTER]

w e g o n n a d o t h i s o r w h a t

i like you a lot but you're 'bout to miss your shot are you

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=style,background-image: url('http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Juliart/background_black.jpg');,true][cs=2] g o n n a k i s s m e o r n o t ?

[atrb=width,240] maybe it was a little bit impulsive, going up to dani at the yule ball... after all, the ball was supposed to be some sort of big romantic set up for all of the happy little couples who roamed hogwart's halls. if you didn't have a date to spend the slow dances staring into each other's eyes you were supposed to hang out with your friends, your friends of the same gender specifically, because then... well, things were less weird when you hung out with people of your gender. wasn't one of the 'rules' of being a teenager that it was impossible for males and females to be 'just friends'? not that lily believed that crap... most of her closest friends were guys, but she knew that some others might instantly look at her sneaking up on dani, surprising him with the biggest grin on her face, and immediately start the rumour mill that the littlest potter had a crush on danilo flynn. it didn't matter to her... right? as a potter there were always eyes on her, people trying to see what was going on in her life or her father's life or her brother's lives. countless rumours spread around about her and her family through her years at hogwarts, and she always pushed them aside as though she hadn't a care in the world. and should rumours appear out of this little meeting, well, too bad. other people would certainly have to learn to get lives, but lily would know the truth and that was all that mattered to the red head. ”lily! that was amazing! didn't even notice you coming.” she actually found herself giggling, eyes bright and energetic as though just the mere sight of her friend could send a rush of energy pulsing through her veins. maybe this evening wouldn't turn out to be so weird, after all. "didn't you know? i'm a ninja," she teased, eyes dancing with laughter. anyone else that she might have snuck up on could have scoffed at her, told her she was acting childish, and turned the other way... not dani, though. he was too easy to talk to, like a long lost sibling, or something. ”more importantly, you look amazing,” she wasn't expecting herself to react the way she did, her cheeks instantly glowing with a crimson red heat. she knew she looked good... she'd noted that in the mirror after lucy had fixed up her hair, but to hear it coming from dani's lips was something else entirely. it made her feel, well... she didn't know how to describe it, good seemed to mild a term to use. the littlest potter suddenly felt tongue tied, and it took a moment for her to find the words to respond. "you look pretty dashing yourself, dani," she managed to say as the blush faded from her lips ever so slightly. she hoped the lighting was too dark in the great hall for him to notice and question her. ”how are you this evening, m'dear?” dear? she managed to stop herself from blushing this time, recognizing it as, well, a dani thing to say, though she still had to admit that she rather liked the term. "i'm decent. looking forward to the night, however long i'm around for. yourself?" seeing as she had no date for the evening, she didn't have long hopes for the amount of time she would be attending. maybe a dance or two... a bit of gossip with what friends she might find, and then heading back up to the commons area. most of her friends, scratch that, pretty much all of them, had dates for the night, and she didn't want to intrude on their happy couple time. speaking of which... "oh, i'm sorry... you're probably waiting for your date, aren't you? i should go..."

[atrb=width,100] words , 1078 words tagged , dani! notes , hair: see header image. dress: click

TEMPLATE BY THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY @ CAUTION 2.0

[DANILO VIKTOR FLYNN]

He found himself grinning as Lily began to giggle, surprised at how quickly the atmosphere seemed to become more energetic. It always made him happy to see how people seemed to brighten up over a few words. Lily was the best he had ever seen with the mirth clearly in her eyes. The smile seemed so fitting for her, definitely. The Gryffindor wouldn’t mind making a few more smiles tonight if the redhead was open. He’d honestly be rather surprised if she was out and about on her own this evening though. Either way, he would be taking the opportunity to spend time with her, at the earliest until her date arrived.

His smile only grew wider as his friend proclaimed herself a ninja. ”Oh really?” Dani bantered back easily, ”You’ll have to teach me a few moves then.” The idea would certainly be fun. He would love to just sneak up on his classmates for a quick surprise, or maybe a bit of reverse-pick pocketing while in the crowded hallways. People always looked so confused when something new turned up in their pockets. They were mostly small acts, but it would keep him busy and was an excellent excuse to spend time with the fellow Gryffindor.

Of course, they had likely gotten past the point where Dani could simply just ask the fifth year to hang out, but occasionally, he didn’t mind having some plans involved with hanging out. Spontaneity was a usual order of business for him, so naturally having some structure provided a bit of spice in his daily life. Even the most random of acts could get a little boring at times and not everyone was so open to just walking around campus—much as the sixth year appreciated the outdoors.

Dani had been a bit surprised when it had taken a moment for Lily to respond back to him, wondering if maybe he had caught her off-guard. It was the truth though; she looked absolutely gorgeous. He caught the little bit of red on her cheeks and found himself smiling jussst a bit cheekily. However, he pushed it to the back of his mind (possibly for later) at hearing Lily’s compliment, letting out a laugh and a little spin. ”Thank you!” he muttered, ”Not as good-looking as you are this evening, but I’d figure I might as well add a little bit of color with all those boring suits around.”

”I’m decent. Looking forward to the night however long I’m around for. Yourself?” He nodded at Lily’s words, understanding the sentiment. He imagine a lot of their friends would be with a date for the evening, save for a few. While he enjoyed the energy from these sort of events, he could understand how it would be boring after a while. ”I’m doing well. Just had gotten some punch when you snuck up on me. Would you like some? I can get it for you.”

He was momentarily taken aback at the mention of him having a date, before forming a reassuring smile. ”Oh, no, please stay,” the Gryffindor requested gently, ”I don’t have a date for the evening. If you’re free, I’d love to have your company.”

[/justify]

[LILY LUNA POTTER]

w e g o n n a d o t h i s o r w h a t

i like you a lot but you're 'bout to miss your shot are you

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=style,background-image: url('http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g79/Juliart/background_black.jpg');,true][cs=2] g o n n a k i s s m e o r n o t ?

[atrb=width,240] ”Oh really? You’ll have to teach me a few moves then.” lily grinned, looking down at the silver fabric wrapped along her body. the dress was absolutely beautiful, or had been on the mannequin (she couldn't judge how it looked on her, though dani seemed to like it, she didn't want to feel conceited) but didn't provide a lot of room to maneuver around in. "i'd be more than glad to... but it'll have to wait for another day. if i try anything now i'd trip and fall flat on my face." ”Thank you! Not as good-looking as you are this evening, but I’d figure I might as well add a little bit of color with all those boring suits around.” she had to avert her eyes to avoid another blush. why was she so easily flattered today? overtiredness, perhaps? but... she had gotten a decent amount of sleep the night before, so that couldn't be it. she didn't usually think she blushed like this. she had plenty of male friends, and not all of them could make her giggle and grin as dani could... she chalked it up to the length of time that they had known each other for. she felt more comfortable around him than around some other guys because she'd known him since childhood. but then again... after their first little while of friendship there'd been a huge gap in their contact whereas lily's contact with other guys had been constant... and yet dani was still the only one who could make her constantly blush. "well, you've certainly succeeded in making yourself stand out among all the other guys." ”I’m doing well. Just had gotten some punch when you snuck up on me. Would you like some? I can get it for you.” glancing over at the table, lily couldn't help but notice a few shady characters, specifically a few older slytherins, hanging out around it. she wouldn't exactly trust them around liquids she was about to drink... if she became thirsty, later, some of the tables had been charmed to automatically give whatever was asked of them. she shook her head with a slight smile. "nah, i'll pass for now. would you like to sit down, though? these heels are already killing my feet." oh why had she decided to wear such shoes? they were beautiful and gave her a bit more height, but she knew that by the end of the evening she'd almost cry in relief when she finally took them off. whether he had a date for the ball or not shouldn't matter to lily. there were plenty of single people around the room, it wasn't as though she was the only one attending on her own... so why did she feel every muscle in her body tense as she awaited his response? maybe because he was such a good friend... the rest of her friends did have dates, and she wanted to have at least one friend whose evening she didn't have to worry about ruining because she was hanging around them and their date. but a guy like dani, so friendly and fun and flirty, how could he not have a date? she didn't want to destroy his happiness or piss off his date just because he had the littlest potter hanging out around him. ”Oh, no, please stay, I don’t have a date for the evening. If you’re free, I’d love to have your company.” the girl couldn't help the grin that spread across her lips as she nodded. "and i'd love to stay. it all works out."

[atrb=width,100] words , 1078 words tagged , dani! notes , hair: see header image. dress: click

TEMPLATE BY THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE MIKEY @ CAUTION 2.0