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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 17, 2017 18:26:17 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2017 18:26:17 GMT -7
The Champion's Waltz was over, which meant that the hardest part of Oscar's night was over, too. Now all he had to do was have a good time with his girlfriend. he would probably be getting photographed a lot by the various international newspapers that were at the Ball to document it, but Oscar had never been camera shy. Before he did another dance, though, Oscar definitely needed a drink of water. The Champion's Waltz had been long. Well, it had felt long. And now that everyone else was welcome to dance, it didn't seem like such a bad thing to step off the dance floor to get a drink and perhaps take a walk in the cool night air before returning to dancing. Oscar looked around, sure that Anna couldn't have gone far since the Champion's waltz, and then smiled at her. "Do you want anything to drink?" He asked her, already beginning to walk towards the bar. He certainly hoped they had more than just alcohol.
@annelise
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 17, 2017 19:57:10 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2017 19:57:10 GMT -7
She'd made it through the Champion's Waltz! Not that Anna had in any way doubted Oscar's promise to make sure she didn't make a fool of herself, but being done with that part of the evening was a huge relief to her. It wasn't hard to find Oscar. Actually, she didn't think it was possible for her to lose him, even in this crowd. A part of her just seemed to know where he was. She smiled and nodded. "Sure," she said, following him across the room to the bar. Really, she just wanted water, which she knew she'd be able to find somewhere. Why was she so parched? And hot. It was hot in this room. A part of her wanted to just grab water and go outside. She told the bartender she just wanted water and started drinking it, probably more quickly than she should. Anna looked over at Oscar to see what he was doing. "Is it just me, or is it hot in here?" She asked with a smile.
@oscar
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 17, 2017 20:01:11 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2017 20:01:11 GMT -7
Anna had followed him to the bar, which was a relief for Oscar, because it meant he wouldn’t accidentally lose her in the crowd. He was going to order her drink for her, but apparently Anna wasn’t a fan of letting someone else order for her, because she got her drink herself, gulping down the water faster than was probably safe. She asked if it was hot in the room, and even though Oscar was of a rather comfortable temperature, he nodded. If Anna was looking for an excuse to get out of the ballroom, he was going to give her one. When they reached the outside, Oscar offered Anna his untouched glass of water, since hers was mostly gone due to her quick drinking. “Do you want mine, too?” He asked, leading them over to an empty bench. “It was crowded in there.” Oscar said, hoping that such a neutral statement would somehow prompt Anna into spitting out her thoughts about the waltz and the Yule Ball as a whole.
@annelise
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 17, 2017 20:10:32 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2017 20:10:32 GMT -7
Anna walked with Oscar until they were outside, relieved when she felt the brisk December air hit her face. She felt a lot better out of the stuffy room. She didn't know why it got so hot to her so quickly. It probably had something to do with the nerves and the excitement and the Yule Ball as a whole. She shook her head when Oscar offered his drink. "I think I'm fine, now that we're outside. I don't know why it was so hot to me in there." She sat next to Oscar, smiling and nodding when he mentioned how crowded it was in there. "It is," she laughed lightly. "Maybe that's why it was so hot! Or maybe it was the Champion's Waltz. You did a great job at keeping your promise, by the way. I didn't fall!" He was probably going to make fun of her for saying that, but oh well. "It was still fun. I'm excited to dance with you without everyone staring at us though." Not like he didn't know that. "What do you think about the Ball so far?"
@oscar
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 17, 2017 20:15:29 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2017 20:15:29 GMT -7
Oscar had to admit that he was a little glad that Anna had rejected his offer to take his glass of water, as well. Maybe Anna had felt warm because of the crowd and the attention, but Oscar had felt warm because of the dancing, and he was still quite thirsty. He sipped on his water when Anna began to talk, and smiled to himself when he realized he had been exactly right about the kind of thing that would get his girlfriend talking. “Sometimes nerves can make us feel warm.” Oscar offered when Anna appeared to be trying to figure out why she had been so warm. “And of course I kept my promise.” He scoffed. If he had let either of them fall it would have been embarrassing for both of them. But then again, it would have blown over as soon as the Second Task came and there was something more substantial to ridicule one of the Champions on. “That will be fun.” Oscar agreed when Anna said she was excited to dance without all the extra eyes on them. “It is everything I imagined it would be.” He said with a smile when Anna asked him his opinions of the Ball. It seemed…magical. And maybe that was the way the Great Hall was decorated or maybe it was that he had gotten his five minutes of fame, but Oscar was fairly certain that it was just because he got to attend with the most beautiful girl.
@annelise
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 17, 2017 20:22:06 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2017 20:22:06 GMT -7
Anna grinned, proud of herself for expecting his reaction. "I never said you wouldn't keep it," she teased, nudging his shoulder slightly. She looked over toward the Great Hall, smiling at the sound of music lilting through the air. This was definitely going to be a night to remember and Anna was definitely going to enjoy herself. Why wouldn't she? She was here with Oscar and everything was going wonderfully. "I'm glad it's meeting your expectations," she said, unable to wipe the smile off her face. Not that she really wanted to, other than the fact that her cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much. She lifted her glass and took another drink, leaving just a little bit of the water inside. "It feels so nice out here," she commented, relaxing. "Are you in any rush to get back in?" Anna asked curiously. She wasn't, of course, but she didn't know if Oscar wanted to get back out and dance right away or relax a little bit.
@oscar
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 17, 2017 20:28:08 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2017 20:28:08 GMT -7
“It was – ah –” Oscar struggled a moment for the word. “Implied.” He decided after a moment. He smiled at Anna when she said that she was glad the Ball had met his expectations. “Exceeded them.” He corrected. His expectations hadn’t been much, but it was still nice to see them exceeded anyways. “It is nice for winter.” Oscar agreed. Even so, they’d probably have to go back in eventually, since Anna didn’t have a cloak. “Not if you are not.” Oscar responded when Anna asked about returning inside. Despite his previous thought about how it was going to be chilly, he was certain they could be outside for a while longer without risk of getting too cold. “I came to the Ball to be with you.” He reminded her. Even when they hadn’t been dating, Oscar had been planning to go to the Ball mostly for Anna’s sake – to keep unworthy boys from using her to get their time in the limelight. Oscar felt a little guilty for appreciating how much attention he got as a result of being Anna’s date, but he hadn’t asked her to go with him because of the attention, and that was what he told himself to feel less guilty.
@annelise
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 17, 2017 20:46:41 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2017 20:46:41 GMT -7
Anna nodded when he used the right word. "I never doubted you," she informed Oscar immediately. "Myself, on the other hand ..." Really, she worried that she would do something he wouldn't be able to fix, somehow. She shrugged, "Maybe it's just the contrast from inside that I like so much," she told him, wondering if that really was what made the difference. It still felt good to be outside, but Anna was sure that in a few minutes she'd probably be shivering. When he said that he came to the Ball to be with her, Anna reached over to take his hand in hers. "Well you're definitely with me, but if you want to do something like go inside or take a break or something, you shouldn't keep it to yourself because I want both of us to enjoy ourselves." She didn't really think he would, but she wanted it to be in the open that she didn't want the night to only be about herself.
@oscar
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 17, 2017 20:53:02 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2017 20:53:02 GMT -7
“It is funny, because I am the opposite.” Oscar told Anna with a chuckle. “I trusted you, but not myself.” Oscar had more dance experience, but Anna had more experience dealing with doing various things under pressure. Oscar had been afraid he was going to choke, but his desire to please Anna had been stronger than his fear. He nodded neutrally when Anna said that she just liked the coolness of the air outside because it contrasted with the air inside. He was sure that when they went back in the ballroom would feel even stuffier by comparison, but they would get acclimated to it soon enough, if they decided to stay there. “I will tell you.” Oscar said with a shrug. Right now he was fine sitting here with Anna. “Eventually, I would like to dance again.” He offered, though he figured Anna already knew that.
@annelise
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 17, 2017 21:51:21 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2017 21:51:21 GMT -7
Anna's head cocked to the side, "Why wouldn't you trust yourself? You know how to dance well," she wasn't trying to argue with him but her tone might have come off slightly argumentative. Mostly she didn't understand his reasoning and was curious, but her surprise got the better of him. She smiled to make sure he knew she wasn't angry. Anna nodded, pleased when he said he would tell her. At least he wouldn't just sit around bored. Not that Anna really wanted to sit here much longer, she was actually starting to get a little cold. She drank the last bit of her water and turned to face him. "Well that's a good thing, because I don't think I'm ready to be done dancing with you yet," Anna teased lightly. She looked around them at the decorations for the Yule Ball. "They really outdid themselves for this." Anna really hadn't expected anything like this for the Yule Ball, but the Great Hall was beautiful. As was everything outside.
@oscar
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 18, 2017 7:46:13 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2017 7:46:13 GMT -7
“Stress does strange things to some people.” Oscar responded with a shrug. “I am one of those people.” He hadn’t been planning on mentioning that to Anna, but at least he had waited until after their dance together to mention that sometimes he didn’t do well under pressure. Anna finished her water, and Oscar indicated that he was going to finish his too, just so she knew that he was still going to be listening to her, even as he drank. He nearly spit out his water when Anna said she wasn’t done dancing with him yet, and after he swallowed the liquid a little to quickly, he coughed and chuckled a little. “I am glad that one dance was not enough for you.” Oscar teased. His girlfriend said that they had really outdone themselves for the Ball. “It is because there are adults here, too.” He guessed. Teenagers could complain, but couldn’t really do anything about their complaints because they were ‘just being kids’. Adults, on the other hand, were good at raising a fuss enough to be heard.
@annelise
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 18, 2017 19:17:29 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2017 19:17:29 GMT -7
Anna wasn't positive if she understood him right still. "Wait ... so stress made you nervous about dancing?" She asked, just to clarify. "It didn't show at all, just in case you were wondering." Really though, she had no idea he'd been nervous until he told her. Anna bit her lip, trying to keep herself from laughing when Oscar choked on his water. Why was her not being done with him such a surprise. "Of course it wasn't! After all that practice, I want to enjoy dancing with you without worrying about the entire world watching." Okay, so not the entire world, but it'd felt like the whole world during the Champion's Waltz. She nodded when he suggested that the decorations might be for the adults. "That makes sense. I wonder what it would've looked like if the ministry hadn't come," she agreed with a smile. She shivered a little and scooted closer to him, not ready to go in yet, mostly because of how peaceful it was outside. She looked up at the stars, smiling at the memory from a few weeks ago when they looked at the stars together.
@oscar
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 23, 2017 11:53:45 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2017 11:53:45 GMT -7
Oscar nodded when Anna asked him if stress had made him nervous about dancing. He wasn’t sure why that seemed to be such a strange concept to her, especially he had done strange things when under stress before – like run away from her. “I did not think it did.” He responded when she said it hadn’t shown. One thing that Oscar was beginning to learn about Anna was that she was in tune with others’ emotions, so if he had shown that he was nervous at all, she would have become nervous, too. So it was a good thing for all that Oscar had been able to ignore the way he felt and just have a nice dance with Anna. “Even if it is not the Champions Waltz, I do not think that no one will be watching.” Oscar cautioned. The camera people that were hanging around were probably looking for an excuse to get a good picture of them together so they’d have the best story. “We will never know.” Oscar said when Anna said she wondered what it would be like if the Ministry wasn’t there. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders when she moved closer to him, squeezing Anna lightly against his side.
@annelise
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 23, 2017 15:39:04 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2017 15:39:04 GMT -7
Anna shrugged when Oscar told her that he didn't think his nerves had shown through. That was good. It meant he was a lot more confident than her, which was a good thing since people were definitely going to be watching them throughout the night. His next comment alluded to that as well and Anna grimaced. "I know. Since I'm champion, some people will definitely still be focused on us, but at least when other people are dancing as well, I can pretend like no one is watching and just focus on being with you." Huh, that was a lot cheesier than she meant it to be, but at least it expressed her feeling quite adequately. Anna really just wanted to pay attention to Oscar for the rest of the night. She nodded at his next comment, smiling when he wrapped his arms around her. "You're good for me. You know that?" She asked, looking up at him with a wide smile on her face. She loved spending time with her and how he could read her so well.
@oscar
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last online Apr 28, 2024 14:18:10 GMT -7
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Jan 24, 2017 20:58:21 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2017 20:58:21 GMT -7
Anna didn’t seem pleased with the idea that people would still be looking at them even when they weren’t doing official Champion business, and Oscar wished that he could tell her he really didn’t mind without sounding selfish or condescending. Or making it all about him, because even if he was comfortable with it, she didn’t have to be. “I will try to make it easy to focus on me.” Oscar said with a smirk. He had more than one trick that he could use to keep Anna’s attention from being divided. “I would hope that we would not be together if I was not.” Oscar said with a smile when Anna said he was good for her. He wouldn’t want to make her life worse in any way, even if that meant that he wouldn’t get to be in it. “You are good for me, too.” Oscar said matter-of-factly. He wasn’t sure if Anna was looking for him to return the sentiment, but it was the truth, so Oscar saw no point in not telling her.
@annelise
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