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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 16, 2019 15:05:22 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 16, 2019 15:05:22 GMT -7
February had come after than Riley would have liked, especially once his family sent out the invitation in early January to everyone in the whole school. They were moving the wedding up to this summer, they weren’t even going to wait for Priscilla to graduate school. As soon as he graduated, he’d be married. They were throwing a party of the couple in Hogsmeade next weekend when the village would be open for the students to visit. Riley had spent the last few weeks in a state of stress that he hid from everyone, since he couldn't let anyone onto it. He was running out of time. He thought he’d have longer to figure a way out.
But it was coming up soon. And in the meantime, he promised Priscilla, who was thrilled about the change of timeline, that he would make an appearance at this Valentines day party in the Great Hall that his roommates, Gilderoy Lockhart Jr. was throwing. How Gilderoy got the faculty to agree to a party, he had no idea. But he wasn’t going to question it. It was great! They all got to wear masks, which meant he could avoid his sister and fiancee and, if he was lucky, he could find Kinsey… if she went. He could understand her not coming since he knew she hated being around people due to her abilities. But, he had been at the party for probably an hour or so now, and he kept mostly to the sides of the room, watching the people dancing around him. He had been approached and asked to dance by a 4th year girl at one point, and he agreed, however, he had just been being polite and he was fairly sure she was just trying to make someone else jealous or make herself seem cool to her friends.
@kinsey
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 16, 2019 20:07:32 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 16, 2019 20:07:32 GMT -7
Only a few months ago, the idea of coming to a party of this size would have intimidated Kinsey. In fact, there was every chance that she wouldn't have gone, but this time she didn't really feel like she had a choice. It was a good thing practiced controlling her ability, because she'd all but promised Gilderoy at the Halloween party that if he did have a dance, she'd come and dance with him. Also, the personal note on his invitation to her confirmed the fact that he'd be looking for her. So she had to go. Though, as the date got nearer and nearer, Kinsey found herself starting to get a bit excited. The whole thing was going to be a masquerade, which meant that maybe she'd be able to steal a dance with Riley without anyone knowing. That would be amazing. She got to the party nearly on time, but she couldn't see Riley anywhere. Man, Gilderoy's charmed masks seemed to be doing their job quite well. Still, she was able to find Gilderoy so they could have their promised dance (and he would know she actually attended). She also ended up dancing with a few other people, including a not-masked Joseph Fontaine who flirted and teased her like always. All in all, Kinsey was enjoying herself, but she was struggling to find the one person she wanted to. Would Riley even be here? Maybe he'd decided not to come. Walking around the edge of the room, Kinsey was a little surprised when she sensed the familiar intentions. It wasn't that they were different from any others in the room (almost all the intentions were very positive), but Kinsey knew these ones. Like how she could sense when Dom was coming to torment her. It wasn't just that she sensed the negative intentions, she sensed him. At this moment, she sensed Riley's intentions and knew that they were his. Just like that, she found who she was looking for. Kinsey turned and smiled when she saw him in his mask. He wasn't facing her, but now that she knew it was him, she could see it. Kinsey walked up to him, mask in place and a smile on her face. "You seem so lonely, standing here all by yourself," she teased, unable to help herself. Maybe the mask made her feel more free and able to joke around so easily with him. Things didn't feel so serious and hopeless in this moment, somehow. "Care to join me for a dance?" Kinsey outstretched her hand, curious about whether or not Riley would recognize her with this magical mask on and take her hand. She wanted him to, but she didn't know how the charm on the masks worked. Either way, she hoped he'd say yes. She'd always wanted to dance with Riley. Even if he didn't know it was her, it would still be worth it. @riley
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 16, 2019 20:49:46 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 16, 2019 20:49:46 GMT -7
Riley heard a familiar voice before he turned to see her masked face. He would recognize her face anywhere. Plus, it was easier for him than most to pick out other people in the crowd, regardless of the mask on their face. Everyone had little quirks that made them who they were and were part of the way they presented themselves. Little gestures, little expressions, little ways of standing or walking or speaking. And Riley was extremely in tune to all of it. It was actually really fun for him to watch. “I was wondering if I’d see you here.” Riley admitted. With a smirk. His mask only covered his eyes so the lower half of his face remained visible. “Of course.” he agreed to the dance, she reached out her hand and he accepted it, but he lead her out onto the dancefloor. Once they got there, he took her waist and lead the dance. “I’m glad you came.” he admitted. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to.”
@kinsey
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 16, 2019 20:58:45 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 16, 2019 20:58:45 GMT -7
Even before he spoke, Kinsey could tell by the look on Riley's face that he recognized her. She grinned, not even trying to hide how happy she was at that. Sure, she knew he was hyper-aware of people and such, but she didn't know how deep the charms on the masks went. She wasn't sure if they'd hide personality quirks or anything like that. Either way, she was delighted that Riley recognized her. She shrugged, "I wasn't sure if you'd be here either." More like, if he'd be alone here. She could imagine Priscilla asking him to meet her outside so she'd know where he was. Or Riley not wanting to come just to avoid her, but maybe that would have been too harsh on his part. He agreed to dance with her, taking her hand and Kinsey let him lead her to the dancefloor. Then, he was holding her and leading her in a dance. Kinsey loved it. She loved how close they were, how his arms felt like they were made to hold her. Being close to him like this ... well, she'd have to enjoy it while she could. A few more months was all she had, which was actually starting to eat at her. She chuckled when he mentioned he wasn't sure if she'd come. "I promised Gilderoy I would a few months ago, so I didn't really have a choice," she answered, rolling her eyes a little. "And ... I was kind of hoping I'd be able to find you." Her voice was definitely softer now. Kinsey didn't want to ruin the moment, but Riley knew how she felt about him. The fact that she wanted to dance with him shouldn't be a surprise. She still felt guilty saying it though, especially since his engagement party was next week. @riley
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 21, 2019 14:22:02 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2019 14:22:02 GMT -7
She suggested that she wasn’t sure if Riley would be here either, but he had a feeling she really just wasn’t sure that he would have any time for her here. He wasn’t sure if he would either. Of course he was sure that Priscilla would find him eventually, but for now, he was all hers. And he was loving getting to have at least this dance with Kinsey. He laughed a little when she told him that she promised Gilderoy a dance a few months back. “Have you already had your dance with him, then?” he asked. He had yet to find his own roommate and the host of the party, but he was sure that he was too busy to say hi to everyone. “Well, you found me.” he said with a soft smile. He realized the change in her tone and he looked down at her. “You okay?” he knew she was having a hard time lately with her nightmares and he was still worried about her.
@kinsey
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 21, 2019 17:18:46 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2019 17:18:46 GMT -7
It was so nice to see Riley smiling and laughing. While she knew that she and Riley had a very good time together during Christmas break, during the last month and a half, it didn't feel like there was much to smile about. Between the two of them, there were nightmares, engagement parties, annoying fiancee's, and a bully. Kinsey was beyond relieved that tonight the two seemed to be able to put everything to the side, at least during this dance. All she wanted to do right now was memorize the feeling of being with him, of being able to smile and laugh and talk like everything was good. She nodded at his question. "Yeah, Gilderoy was my first dance when I got here," she admitted easily. It was fun to dance with Gilderoy, though Kinsey definitely preferred Riley. She smiled when Riley agreed that she found him, nodding proudly. She was actually quite pleased with how easily she'd found him. Then Riley was asking about her. Kinsey knew his question was deeper than anyone listening would understand. She nodded, smiling up at him. "I really am. I haven't had the nightmares for a few days ... and how could I not be okay standing here and dancing with you." At this exact moment, Kinsey had everything she wanted. "How about you?" she returned the question. She'd watched him the past few weeks, when she'd been at school. He'd changed this year and was much more secluded and serious than she remembered him being last year. It made her sad that all this happened to him and there was nothing he could do about it. @riley
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 21, 2019 18:21:18 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2019 18:21:18 GMT -7
In this moment with her, it was easy to forget that just next weekend, a week from tomorrow, he would be at his engagement party. Riley always knew he would get married, and he wanted to get married. His engagement party always seemed like it would be a happy and exciting occasion, but it wasn’t. It was something that he was dreading. Kinsey made him forget all of that though. Dancing with her now, holding her in his arms like he used to be able to made all of those thoughts fly from his head, almost like they didn’t exist at all.
She said that she was good, that she hadn’t been having nightmares in a while and that she had to be good standing here and dancing with him. He smiled. “Well I’m glad you came. I’m happy to be here dancing with you too.” he told her. And he meant it, which was the sad part. He looked up for a moment and saw Priscilla from across the room, though it didn’t seem like she had noticed him yet. He was so thankful for the masks.
@kinsey
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 21, 2019 18:32:25 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2019 18:32:25 GMT -7
There it was again, that smile. It was all Kinsey wanted this evening. Her goal was to make Riley smile as often as she could, to enjoy this evening where they could be together, at least for a while. Next week his engagement would be even more official than it already was and Kinsey wanted to enjoy this night. "I'd be worried about you if you weren't happy to be dancing with me," she teased, unable to help herself. She knew she probably wasn't supposed to flirt with him anymore- Priscilla would likely attack Kinsey if she knew- but Kinsey was beyond caring. Hopefully Priscilla wouldn't recognize her or Riley, so Kinsey was going to act however she wanted. She watched as Riley looked behind her. "Do you have to go?" she asked, wondering if Lydia or Priscilla noticed him already. Hopefully not. Kinsey didn't want this to end yet. She hesitated before saying something else, "Riley ... could we just pretend like none of them are here tonight? Like it's just you and me?" Kinsey knew that was an incredibly selfish thing of her to say, and part of her expected him to refuse, but she meant it. She wanted to just focus on the two of them today, on them being together. She didn't want to spend the whole time looking over their shoulders for Lydia and Priscilla, if that was possible. She didn't know. @riley
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 21, 2019 19:06:41 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2019 19:06:41 GMT -7
Riley shook his head. “No I don’t.” he told her. He watched Priscilla turn around before he looked back down to Kinsey. He didn’t want to be splitting his attention between her and making sure that his sister and his fiancee didn’t bother them, but he didn’t really see how he could pay attention to her and her alone during this dance. “Yeah. we can try.” he nodded with a small shrug. He wanted to be able to pretend that nothing was wrong as much as Kinsey did, but with Priscilla literally standing across the room and Lydia running around here somewhere, he wasn’t sure it would be possible.
@kinsey
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 21, 2019 19:15:19 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2019 19:15:19 GMT -7
Kinsey was definitely relieved when Riley said he didn't have to leave. She didn't want him to go, especially to leave her and go to Priscilla. She knew that wasn't what he wanted, but appearances and the engagement and blah blah blah. He said they could try to pretend like it was just them, but Kinsey could sense the uncertainty. At least he was willing to try with her. She pulled herself a little closer to him as they danced. "Thanks," she answered with a small smile directed at just him. She closed her eyes for a moment as they danced. "Have I ever told you that I like dancing with you?" Kinsey asked playfully, trying to lighten the mood a little. Even though things between her and Riley were definitely complicated, she didn't ant to act like they were right now. @riley
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 21, 2019 19:21:41 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2019 19:21:41 GMT -7
Riley probably blushed a little when Kinsey moved herself closer to him and asked if he had ever said that she liked dancing with him before. He shrugged but then shook his head. “I don’t think you have, actually.” he couldn’t actually remember if they had ever danced together before. They had never attended a dance together before, or a big party like this. They never got the chance to, plus Kinsey wasn’t really a fan of these big social gatherings anyway. Until recently, he supposed. He knew that him being around helped her. But she had chosen to come tonight even without knowing if he would be available. “It’s good to know.” he teased.
@kinsey
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 21, 2019 19:25:36 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2019 19:25:36 GMT -7
This was definitely a good thing. Riley wasn't as tense anymore as he answered her. Kinsey tipped her head to the side when he teased her, pretending to glare through the mask. "I'm pretty sure you're supposed to say something about how you like to dance with me too, aren't you?" she teased right back, refusing to get embarrassed. Her plan was working, so she definitely wanted to keep it going. It momentarily struck her that they might not have ever danced before ... she honestly couldn't remember, but she didn't think they had. "Are you one of those people who knows all the fancy dances too, or just the side-to-side shuffle?" she asked with a chuckle, glancing at most of the people around them who were, indeed, shuffling to the music. Kinsey didn't really know how to dance, but she was curious about Riley. @riley
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 21, 2019 19:33:21 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2019 19:33:21 GMT -7
Kinsey replied with a sassy remark and Riley laughed, “Well i thought that went without saying.” he admitted. “But I like dancing with you too, of course. I like do everything with you.” he promised her. He knew that she got upset sometimes when he started saying things like that, like he had over the break, so he was trying to be careful. He was still engaged, after all. “Yeah, I know some other dances…” he admitted. He had learned as a child, like most purebloods had, they were expected to know the traditional dances, it was part of their proper upbringing. “Why? Do you want to dance another way? I’m not sure this music goes with the waltz.” he teased. This wasn’t exactly a waltz party.
@kinsey
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 21, 2019 19:56:33 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 21, 2019 19:56:33 GMT -7
Kinsey loved this conversation. She loved how light it was, how honest Riley was being with her. She smiled when he admitted that he liked dancing with her. "I do too. Everything is more fun when I'm with you,"she told him honestly. She couldn't help it when he was being so honest with her. He said that he knew other dances, then asking if she wanted to dance another way. Kinsey laughed, "No! No way. I would probably break my ankle, or all your toes," she teased with another quiet laugh. Kinsey wanted to have a good time with Riley, she didn't want to worry about embarrassing him or something like that. @riley
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last online May 13, 2024 0:04:06 GMT -7
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May 22, 2019 12:52:52 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 22, 2019 12:52:52 GMT -7
Kinsey insisted that she might break her ankle or step on his toes if they tried to dance any other way. He smirked, “Good thing we don’t have to then. I’m not sure I want to risk my toes.” he teased her. Of course he’d dance with her however she wanted him to, but he was enjoying the slow sway, even as the music changed. It was nice just having her nearby. As they turned, he saw his sister, looking his way and walking over. Whether or not she had noticed him, he didn’t know, but he didn’t want to test it. His stiffened and his expression faded from his face as he watched her, wondering if she knew it was him and knew the girl in his arms with Kinsey.
@kinsey
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