Into the unknown...((Leander))

[stefancartwright]

Stefan shrugged off the attentions of a sixth year Slytherin who didn't seem to understand he wasn't interested in the slightest, perhaps before he would have been but he had his mind set firmly on another girl. For purely selfish reasons of course. Finally unable to take no more, Stefan stood his full height, towering over the brunette, his eyes burning dangerously as he growled out for her to leave him alone once more, and moved away to another spot in the hall.

The ball was in full swing, barely an hour in it had gotten really interesting, he looked forward to seeing what the rest of the night brought them. He sure hoped the rest would be as fun packed as the beginning, watching that wretched Muggle Studies teacher fall victim to a bunch of love struck teenagers had been hilarious. For that reason alone Stefan was glad he'd avoided the punch again this year. There was always some idiots who thought it hilarious to spike the drink so Stefan didn't ever risk drinking it himself, instead he brought his own flask which was currently sitting neatly in his inside pocket full of whiskey.

Letting out a long, bored sigh, Stefan determined that maybe Leander wasn't showing up after all, but as his eyes did another sweep of the hall he finally located the red headed Gryffindor, and a slow, sly smile etched it's way onto his face and he pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against. She still had yet to notice him as he approached so Stefan took the opportunity to look at her outfit, his smile widening, liking what he saw. The dress was way shorter than he expected, not that he was complaining, not at all, he couldn't help but admire her legs. His eyes slowly taking in the rest of the outfit, loving the bits of skin he could see through the tears in the white dress.

Slipping his mask up he finally came to a stop behind Leander, leaning forward, like with their first meeting by the lake, being careful not to touch her as he whispered into her ear, "Hello beautiful..."

[notalice]

It would have been an understatement if she'd said that she was nervous about being at the ball and at the idea of seeing Stefan again. She'd also be lying if she said that, now she was finally here, there weren't a million little excited butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

She'd kept her eyes open and her head up when she'd been walking around the school since their meeting, hoping to see some glimpse of him but the most she'd glimpsed were a few seconds while they'd all been in the Great Hall at meal times. Beyond that, she couldn't spot him anywhere.

Leander was practically bouncing on the spot as she looked around for any sign of him, all the while telling herself that he would be here, and that the thoughts she'd had earlier were totally irrelevant. He would be here. He wouldn't ask her and then not show himself. He'd be here. She just needed to wait. And of course, the waiting had her restless with anticipation.

"Hello beautiful..."

Leander gasped sharply and spun on the spot, finding herself face to face with Stefan and, as she'd almost expected, her heart froze in her chest for a few seconds before she managed to gather herself. She was still feeling a little too awake and full of energy... Maybe she shouldn't have drank so much coffee...

"Stefan! I... hi." She tried to smile normally at him but she was sure she looked more like a dopey, obsessive, fourteen year old than she had before. Definitely not how she should be acting. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was not about to start acting like her gormless roommates over some guy. She just wasn't.

[stefancartwright]

Stefan couldn't fight the smirk on his face when Leander gasped and spun around to face him, he fought the urge to reach out and grab her on instinct, remembering quite clearly how last time she'd moved so quickly she'd almost fell into the Lake. Tonight though it was a different story and she didn't fall, in fact, even in those heels she stood steady, facing him...although she did appear to be way more jumpy than he'd seen her before.

Yes, for the last week he'd been watching her whenever he was able. Word of him asking her to the ball had already quickly spread thanks to his peers in Slytherin, but those who needed to know where aware it was something he was doing purely to help out his Slytherin brothers and sisters. At least right now he still believed that, after all there was no way he'd fall for her, he'd never fallen for someone before and doubted it would ever happen, he was simply to focused on his own path.

"Hello yourself..." he said to her, taking her hand to press a kiss over her knuckles, in very much the same manner as he had done during their first meeting. Though this time he allowed his lips to linger just that extra bit longer before he straightened finally and allowed her hand to go. Stepping back he slowly, and this time more carefully took in her outfit, starting from her feet before slowly bringing his gaze upwards, his smile evident as he finally reached her face.

"You my dear...look trouble..." he said, licking his lip unconsciously before smiling at her. "I love it..." he chuckled, taking her hand and without a question led her on to the dance floor with him, where he spun her around once before bringing her in close to him. Their bodies almost touching, but not quite as he slipped one arm around her waist, and took her other hand, slowly moving with her in time to the music, all the while his eyes never left her face once.

[notalice]

As Stefan raised her hand to kiss in much the same way he had by the lake, Leander felt the same strange butterfly feeling in her stomach and, as usual, didn't breathe. Her eyes were glued to his lips as they lingered over her hand and her brain suddenly couldn't begin to comprehend the idea of his lips touching her. Her tongue darted out over her own, dampening them. Her mouth felt so dry all of a sudden.

She took in a deep breath and her herself perfectly still and unmoving as she watched his eyes travel up here. What was this? She wasn't anything to look at. She was just... her. One hand fidgeted with her dress at her sides and her eyes flickered away but only for a few seconds.

The smile on his face as his eyes finished their journey up her body didn't make sense to her. What was there to smile about? Maybe he liked her outfit... but then... it was just an old dress. It didn't really make any sense at all what he'd have to smile about.

"You my dear...look trouble..."

Leander didn't miss the way he licked his lips as he said it, and in that brief second before he smiled at her, she felt that same feeling that she'd had in the forest when she'd been pinned against the tree and unable to escape. Prey.

The look was gone with his smile, but the feeling still lingered with her for a little while longer and made her stomach feel like it was spinning but... she felt safe with him... It didn't make sense. How could he make her feel both safe and scared at the same time? But was she scared now?

Leander had been so lost in all the strange feelings that had ran through her in the last few minutes that she didn't even realize that she'd listened without response. Not that it seemed to matter as Stefan took her hand and led her onto the dance floor and into the mass of students already there.

She felt herself being spun around before pulled back in close. His arm went to her waist and she couldn't stop the small intake of breath at the sudden closeness between them. They weren't...touching. But it felt like there was a wall of heat separating her body from his and again, it stirred strange feelings.

It took only a few seconds before she realized that she was more or less staring at his chest while they danced and she looked up quickly, part wishing she hadn't. She didn't know what to make of the way that he was looking at her and once again, she wondered if the feeling that lay in her stomach was fear or something else.

[/justify]