Charming a Prince Finished

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By SK

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There was only a tiny flinch visible in Dealla's shoulders, the slightest hint that she'd been surprised by being approached. Her thoughts had already been on the rest of the day, on what she'd do after class - spend some time outside, maybe? Summer was definitely ending, so she was planning to soak up all of the sun she could get - and she hadn't noticed Zyk's approach until the words, spoken close to her ear.

Dee took a small step away before turning to gain some distance, a little uncomfortable with the closeness, then narrowed her aquamarine blue eyes at the boy. There was something about Zykeal that seemed to leave her off-balance at the start of each of their conversations so far, and whenever she relaxed, settled into something more comfortable, started actually talking to him, he left. Without even a word, last time.

And still, for some reason, there was a small smile tugging on the corner of Dee's lips, a challenging spark in her eyes. She really hadn't decided what to make of him, not that he'd made it easy for her. Zyk just didn't make any sense. She didn't dislike him, though, but she had grown wary of him, more careful than she tended to be around people. At this point, she would have been stupid not to.

"What, from you?" she retorted, and raised an eyebrow at him, a glint in her eyes. "And why would I do that?" She shook her head and tilted it to one side, raising the other eyebrow as well. "I just generally don't stay in a classroom after the lesson just for the fun of it. Do you?" She paused for a second, scrutinizing the Gryffindor in front of her - wondering why he suddenly seemed so keen to talk to her. He certainly hadn't been during summer camp. "Did you want something? I can make good on that promise to hex you if that's what you're after."

That said, Dee realized they were, in fact, still inside the classroom, which was probably not the best location to start hexing people, no matter if they had asked for it or not. "But maybe we should relocate somewhere else for that." With a bright grin, Dee turned and started walking again, stepping outside the classroom.

If she was honest, she was a little curious about whether he would follow - although they might just be headed into the same direction. Either way, if he didn't, she wanted to be the one walking away for once - although she might come looking for him another time then, when her pride was satisfied.

@Zykeal Lane

It wasn't that much of a surprise to Zykeal that he had spooked Dealla with his whisper to her ear, though, a slight frown pulled at the edge of his features as his expectations weren't met. Zyk had expected her to 'bap' him again, he resolved himself into thinking that she was holding herself back for some reason. It was common though for her to retort with words in such manner, given their relationship, and this allowed him to relax the expression he had nearly dawned into something more that resembled a half-smile as she spoke to him.

With her gained distance, in which he didn't mind, he watched her blue eyes narrow and he stared into them directly as she started her retort. Adjusting the shoulder strap of his satchel that held his books within it, he calmly kept his one hand down to his side, still slowly twirling the ivory-colored wand through his fingers as he listened to her. Fidgeting a little as she asked her questions to him, he debated internally the best responses for the time being. There was a tug to want her to try and hex him, this was true, he really wanted to see what kind of witch she was when it came down to the theories of dueling. That would have to wait for another time though.

"I find an empty classroom to be a good place to practice my spell-work, yes," he responded before she had the chance to continue.

It was then she asked if he wanted something, this was a difficult question to answer, as he wasn't really sure how to frame the words that were jumbled up inside of that thick skull of his. So, he didn't, and instead, he waited for her to suggest that they go somewhere else for the time being, outside of the classroom that they were still occupied in. The smile she placed upon her features kind of lit him up, intrigued him once more and curiosity plagued him as she turned and started walking away. She was playing his game, he thought, and he absolutely adored it.

After a moment of just standing there, watching her as she walked away, he looked down a little surprised to see his own feet start to move after her. Dealla was already halfway down the hall before a little jog was taken so that he could catch up to her so that he could walk alongside the Ravenclaw girl. Nothing would be said for a moment as tried to collect his thoughts, peeking glances at her from the side every few steps. She had gained the edge on him, he hadn't expected that of her, it caused him to admit a suspicion that was lingering for a while now, he was keen on the girl.

This caused a problem for him, he'd already ventured into the intricacies of Hogwarts dating and it turned out to be a royal pain in the ass, most of the time. Dealla, he thought, didn't really seem open to such things as well. Maybe it was that gut feeling that kept telling him to walk away from her, before, when he always abruptly left her without giving her even a 'goodbye'. This emotion would have to be buried, he thought, as his eyes shifted back over towards her as she walked and then towards the end of the hall that was edging closer.

"Hey Dee...." he said as he peeked over at her once more, those golden hues looking to gain the attention of her blue eyes, "Who're you goin..." he stopped his question, holding back as he didn't know how she would respond to such an inquiry he was about to ask. The freehand he had reached out and softly grasped upon the side of her shoulder to stop her before she turned the corner of the corridor that they were about to exit. Zykeal waited, hoping that she didn't hex him just yet and waited to see if she'd turn to face him at that moment.

"Hold on a second..."

@Dealla Prince

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By SK

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Feet carrying her forward but attention focused behind, Dee walked towards the end of the corridor. She wasn't quite sure what she was hoping for - to hear the sounds of footsteps following her? - but it apparently didn't matter, because she couldn't hear anything, not one single step. A bit of tension went out of her shoulders, and something between disappointment and relief replaced the curiosity she'd felt. Well - whatever it was Zyk had wanted, which she still didn't know because he hadn't said anything, apparently it wasn't important enough to follow her from the classroom. So he stayed behind after class to practise his spells, huh? She wasn't sure why that surprised her, but it did. Although he had been quite confident in his abilities the first time they'd met - she supposed that didn't come from nothing, then.

When the footsteps finally did come, in quick succession, much faster than her own, it took her a second to register, and then she was busy trying to fight down the smile that was spreading over her face. Huh. Maybe that was the reason Zykeal kept walking away - it was incredibly satisfying that he'd decided to follow her this time. Although, maybe a small part of that smile was also that she was happy to hear those steps, a light, excited thrill in her stomach.

It didn't take Zyk long to catch up to her, but when he did, he still didn't talk to her, just fell into step beside her instead. When the seconds of silence stretched, she threw him a sidelong glance. With that victory won and the satisfaction accompanying it, her curiosity returned in full force. He was acting weird. There had to be something he wanted, right?

She was considering telling him to just spit it out, whatever it was, or again threaten to hex him, maybe, when Zyk finally decided to break the silence, her aquamarine blue eyes meeting his golden ones when she looked over. But then he halted mid-sentence, and she decided that yes, he was definitely acting off. He'd never been this hesitant with her before, deciding she should tutor him in astronomy, dragging her off to breakfast. "Yes?" she asked, a spark of amusement in her eyes, along with a mixture of curiosity and impatience in her voice. "Who am I going what?" Going to hex next? Going to meet now? Going to write her History of Magic essay about?

The touch on her shoulder was unexpected but she stopped and turned, her eyebrows were lifting in question. Again, half a sentence, and then Zyk broke off, and well, Dee wasn't the most patient person. She leaned forward, just a little, her eyes narrowed and intent. "You're acting weird," she accused. "What's going on?"

@Zykeal Lane

Before, it was like a nail in the pit of his stomach when she walked away from him. Where had that come from? Their relationship thus far had been a complicated mixture of quips back and forth, but, something had stirred within the boy as she took the initiative to walk away this time; he couldn't quite register the feeling just yet. It wasn't like anything he had yet felt and it caused a sense of unease in his mind, a tug to chase after her. Stumbling over his own words was also something he wasn't used to, it caused him to have to pause his questions to Dee; why did she look so... different... today.

Now, with his hand lingering upon her shoulder a moment longer as she stopped and turned to face him, he looked down upon the girl and let his hand raise up to the side of his head to rub his fingers along the side of his hair. Meeting her eyes once more, his head slightly cocked to the side, "I don't really know how," he paused again, once more, and she asked why he was being so weird. This caused a little laugh to fall from him and he couldn't deny the observation that she had made of him before she asked her next question to him.

Weird was an understatement for his state of being at the moment, in fact, he had never felt so uneasy with his inability to be as confident as he normally was around others. It was obvious that she was oblivious to his hesitant broken questions, this wasn't a surprise, she would probably not expect this side out of the Zykeal that she had grown to know. With a deep breath and letting his hand fall down to his shoulder, he gripped though shoulder strap of the satchel that he had and did his best to articulate what he was trying to ask the girl who stood before him now.

"If I promise not to be a complete ass," he offered, dropping his eyes for a moment before looking back into her own, "Maybe I could take you to the dance.." it came out more easily that time, the Irish accent thick at the moment, "I mean-" he paused, as he hadn't properly asked her if she already had a date and spluttered out, "if you're not going with anyone yet," and then he rambled, like the idiot he was currently being, "I wouldn't be surprised if you were, you being.. well, you... and all" and he didn't mean to be insulting, so he smiled softly, letting his eyes scrunch a little as one side of his cheek raised more than the other.

It was a long shot that she'd take the chance of going with him, he knew that much, it'd be the result of their constant state of inconsistency that'd make him now try and put that wall back up once more. Although he did well in most situations to keep the wall up, she had somehow penetrated it, and now there was a slight crack there. At this moment, as he watched her, waiting for her response, his tick needed to be scratched and he shifted his hand that held his wand down to his side. A slower twist of the wand through his fingers would begin as he, well, nervously waited for a response from the girl.

@Dealla Prince

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By SK

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There was a questioning expression on Dee's face, eyebrows raised, blue eyes open and enquiring, as she watched Zyk stumble over words and fumble his sentences. What - had he done something terrible that he didn't know how to tell her? She was on the verge of asking more questions - maybe if she just guessed things at him long enough, she'd eventually stumble over the truth all by herself - but held her tongue. Just when she was about to cross her arms as a visible demonstration of her impatience, Zykeal finally started to talk.

"You... oh." Dee blinked, and while her weight had been balanced on the balls of her feet so far, impatient and curious, she rocked back onto her heels now, taken by surprise. It took a second for the next words to stumble out of her mouth, and when they did, her reaction was likely less than flattering, but betrayed her complete astonishment. "Wait, what? But why?" Of all things, this hadn't been what she'd expected, and she needed a second to adjust to this information.

Honestly, there were two parts to her surprise. The first, independent of Zykeal and the current situation, was that with all the running around, planning the ball, spreading flyers all over the castle and making preparations, she'd never wasted a thought to finding a partner for the ball. Right - going to a ball with someone, that seemed to be customary. Dee would have shown up to the ball alone without even thinking about it.

The second part, obviously, was Zyk asking her. Of all people? After the interrupted breakfast at summer camp, they hadn't exchanged much more than a handful of words. She frankly hadn't thought they were friendly enough for him to want to go with her - or she wouldn't have, if the thought of finding a partner had crossed her mind. And what was that supposed to mean, her being her and all?

After another moment, she started feeling bad about her reaction. That... had been rude, hadn't it? It certainly wasn't what she would have wanted to hear after inviting someone to a ball. And... honestly, she didn't mind the thought of going with him. She'd never been the wary type, nor one to hold grudges. She hadn't even been mad at him, really.

Dee's shoulders relaxed a bit, the surprised expression left her eyes, and her face softened into a mischievous smile that put a spark in her eye. "Are you sure you can keep that promise?" she asked in mock-concern. "You don't have the best track record, you know." But then she dropped the teasing, and her smile turned more genuine, her eyes more warm. "But no, I wasn't going with anyone yet." She paused, unsure if her choice of tense had been obvious enough a reply, then shrugged and decided to make sure. "I'd be happy to go with you." Her next grin was bright and teasing. "But you're not allowed to be mad if I'm the one running off this time. Chances are someone will set something on fire and I'll have to go help."

@Zykeal Lane

It was obvious that he had caught her off-guard with the question that he asked her, he even caught himself off-guard if he was being honest with himself. One thing that Zykeal wasn't was a coward though and when he felt that tug towards her, although he still was trying to process it all, he knew what he wanted to do. When he asked, he expected this response, he even prepared himself for her to just laugh in his face at the bold request he had just made of her. Their relationship seemed to be held together by a dangling string ready to be dropped in one way or the other and he'd be damned if he let it dropped in a negative way.

Metaphors aside, he stood there stoically, trying not to let his nervousness of the situation linger and in response twist the shape of his features in a way that would express his vulnerability to her at that moment. Zyk needed to stay strong in the face of this girl, he thought, she'd respect that of him in the very least. With her first sputter of questions asking why he couldn't help but have a smile tug towards his cheeks. A rose tent came to the side of his cheeks as he raised his hand to rub against the side of his head. Instead of answering though, he just waited, knowing that she'd have more to say in a short time.

If one would have asked the boy standing there now who he would have been taking to the ball just an hour before, he would have laughed in their face and shrugged them off. Zyk has had his troubles in the relationship department and didn't feel keen to start something new, but, he'd never been hit in the gut like he just was. Not saying that he wanted a full-blown relationship now, even with Dealla, he just wanted to be by her side. That's all, just, stand next to her and enjoy being around her. Maybe she felt the same way. These random thoughts that blurred through his mind in the seconds that she took before she continued to talk really filled his head, man, he really was nervous now.

She spoke again, questioning his ability to keep the promise and it caused his eyebrows to knit together as he looked down at her and spoke of his track record, "I keep my promises," he said, a soft, but, serious tone in his voice. It took him a full second to realize that she was teasing though and he felt a little twinge of playfulness come from her.

Was she actually going to say yes? When she confirmed she wasn't going with anyone, he inwardly was jubilated, he might have made a new enemy if she was.

Was this an answer though? Zyk was a little slow right now, she made him flustered a bit. How did she have this way about her that no one else could see? Impossible, she must not see the others look at her that way, Dee was absurdly beautiful and a serious contender for the top student in the whole school.

Then she said it, seven little words that made the Gryffindors' head spin in circles for a moment when he registered that she actually agreed to go with him. Not just agreed, but, was happy to do so. The smile that she produced was matched equally as his own raised to make his eyes squint a tiny bit. Happy was an understatement, ecstatic didn't seem to fit either, raw joy poured over the boy and radiated out from his bright golden irises. It took him another second to actually register what she said after she agreed to go with him, this didn't bother him, he knew she had to help run the dance and was going to be busy. As long as he was by her side though and as long as she was happy with him there, he was content.

Zykeal dropped his head for a moment as he twisted the wand through his fingers once more, down by his side, and peeked up to look at her, "Then it's a date," he said, not even making it a question. Maybe he wanted to tip the scales and throw her off her guard now, just a little tease of his own, throwing a label on something that maybe shouldn't have one. A small bite to the inside of his cheek was made before he continued, "I'll try not to be the one starting the fires, but, if something goes wrong like it always does..." he tilted his head from side to side, "I can't guarantee that I won't bring down the castle in trying to keep ya' safe," he finished, offering a tiny shrug to show that he might be kidding, might not be.

@Dealla Prince

Dee blinked at his reassurance that he kept his promises, taken aback by the unexpected seriousness in his voice. For a moment, she held his gaze, her aquamarine eyes wide and just a little surprised, then her eyes softened and she smiled. "I'll hold you to that," she replied, then grinned. "Don't disappoint me."

After she had accepted the invitation, Zykeal's eyes lit up in a way she hadn't expected, had never seen before. She only managed to hold eye contact for a few seconds before she broke it, looking to the side for a quick glance. She felt... well, not uncomfortable exactly, but something about the intensity of his gaze made her fidgety, triggered an instinct to move, a sudden urge to run - more for the sake of getting rid of the restless energy than for covering distance, but maybe a bit of both. But that didn't make any sense, why would she? How long had they been standing here anyway? Shouldn't they get going?

Shaking the urge off in time to see Zyk look back up at her, his head lowered, she met the statement with a smile. "Okay!!" she agreed, not considering the implications of the declaration. Her thoughts didn't go into the direction of romance, the idea that this "date" might be anything more than meeting up at the ball, maybe have a few dances together, if he dared brave her dancing skills. He was a Gryffindor, though, right? He should be brave.

His jokes triggered an amused snort and a playfully stuck-out tongue. "Nothing is going to happen if we have any say in it," she said, full of conviction. "There will be safety measures in place and Professors around. No swarm of mosps is suddenly going to show up in the ballroom. If anyone causes trouble on purpose, however, I will set them on fire myself." At least if Ileen didn't do it first. She knew that her Slytherin friend was absolutely determined to make this a success, felt the responsibility keenly on her shoulders. It wasn't unlikely that Dee wouldn't even have the time to draw her wand before Ileen had hexed absolutely everyone involved. "Everyone will be safe."

Of course, they had some entertainment planned, but nothing dangerous. Just fun.

Taking a step back, away from Zykeal, a small frown spread on her face as she looked down the corridor. They were probably already late to their next classes. "We should get going," she suggested, then gifted him with one more bright smile. "I'm looking forward to the ball."

@Zykeal Lane

Dee has left the thread.