Prologue
Remus ☽
Remus Lupin would be lying if he said his entire body wasn’t filled with anxiety. His blue dress top with a bedazzled collar was itchy and stank so severely of cheap washing powder that it was beginning to give him a headache. His head was pounding, his palms were sweaty. Even after countless interviews, he was still a nervous wreck anytime a camera was slightly directed at him. You would think the stress of being on the Great British Bake Off could prepare him for anything- but apparently not.
The studio lighting was bright, making him squint. The room was freezing- the chilly breeze going straight through him and making him shiver. The cotton dress shirt was certainly not thick enough to cover up the chill, even with it being the beginning of August ( it was supposedly summertime, but you wouldn't be able to tell from the dismal British weather.)
He was guided onto a stool in front of the main camera by a studio assistant, and he shivered once again.
Someone on the team did a countdown from three and the lights on the camera flashed red; filming.
“Okay, rolling.” The cameraman smiled.
“Could you tell us a bit about yourself and where you're from?” The woman interviewing him asked, patiently waiting for his response.
He nodded. He had done this before. Easy peasy, right?
“Hello, I’m Remus Lupin and I’m from Aberystwyth in Wales. You may know me from being a contestant and star baker on the Great British Bake Off. I also write cookbooks to do with traditional Welsh dishes and desserts.” He started, trying to make sure his voice didn't waver through his introduction. He thought back to little twenty year old Remus on Bake Off, voice quivering and unsure what to say about himself to the camera crew.
“I'm not gonna lie, I have the coordination of a baby elephant. My mum made me do tap dancing when I was about eight, and to be honest I was just stomping my feet and hoping for the best.”
The interview cuts to a video of eight year old Remus stomping his feet with his tap shoes on, his mum saying words of encouragement in the background.
He laughed as the clip played on the monitor, his face going beet red.
The episode cuts to a promotional clip of Remus throwing glitter at a camera- some of which ending up in his eyes- creating a shimmery effect.
“Who would you like to be partnered up with this year?” The interviewer asked.
He was silent for a few moments before speaking up.
“I think maybe James or Sybill. James is quite high energy from what I've seen, so maybe our personalities could go together…Sybill has been my mum's favourite for years so I think she'd like that. But I'm open to everyone, I think. Just so long as they can make me, um, better at dancing than I am. Everyone was great at the dance thingy earlier this month.”
The cameraman nods politely and the interviewer asks another question.
“What made you pick up the phone and accept the offer of taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing?”
“I’ve always shied away from challenges outside of my comfort zone. It’s like, when I did Bake Off it was pretty normal to me because I’ve been baking since I was little, but this is totally different. I don’t dance, so it’ll be completely new to me. I’m sure I'll come out of this with lessons learnt and a new perspective about competitions.”
Another montage clip plays of Remus holding an inflatable disco ball, throwing it up in the air.
“Dream song to dance to?” The interviewer questioned.
He thought for a few moments, being put on the spot.
“It's quite hard to think of on the spot, you know? Maybe a Bowie track- Heroes, potentially? Paul Hollywood would like that one. That's his favourite song.” He laughed, reminiscing on a moment in the tent where he and Paul bonded over their love for music. Which was probably what earned him the handshake in week three, if he was being honest.
“Amazing choice. Well, I wish you the best of luck.” The interviewer grinned, wishing him well while the cameraman switched off the cameras. That was one of many interviews to come. He was practically dreading the post-dance interviews. He'd be a sweaty, heaving mess and in no way able to make people want to vote for him.
In all honesty, Remus didn’t have high hopes for himself. It would be a miracle if he even got to week three of the competition, let alone the grand final. His whole family (parents, grandparents, cousins that he hadn’t spoken to in years etc) were all ringing him up, messaging him with words of encouragement and saying they knew he was gonna make it to the final and win. Fat chance, was what he said back.
He was also hoping for a good partner that could at least get him to know the most basic of steps. They were all good of course, that’s why they were professional dancers, but he just needed someone that could get him through the first week without a major fuck up on national television.
But mainly, he was worried about his joints. Ever since he was young, Remus had experienced bouts of pain in his knees and hips, sometimes resulting in him having to use a cane. He hadn’t experienced a flareup in about a month and a half, there were only twinges of pain, but when he did flare up, it was awful. Debilitating, even. He was going to find a way around it, because as much as he wasn't keen to dance on national television, he wanted to make his mum proud. She had always told him to work through the challenges in life one step at a time, so that was exactly what he was going to (attempt) to do.
One step at a time.
Lily ❀
The harsh flood lights shone down onto the set which consisted of glittery walls, a green screen, and a small stool. The camera operators were fiddling with their equipment as a kind lady ushered her onto the stool. Lily Evans was wearing an emerald dress adorned with small gemstones, complementing her loose auburn curls that fell down to her waist.
The studio was cold, almost enough to make her uncomfortable- although the heat may just have been her mind playing tricks, with the amount of things running through her mind like as though it was a hamster wheel. She was no stranger to interviews like this but this time it was different; this was for Strictly Come Dancing.
After clearing his throat the cameraman stated, “Okay Lily, please just tell us a little bit about yourself, what you do, and all that jazz.”
“Camera rolling in 3… 2… 1…”
The cameras clicked softly as the production team became engaged in getting the best angles of her that they could. She had always been very photogenic, and she loved being on camera at any opportunity she could get. Although, she never imagined that she would be filming for Strictly come dancing and yet here she was.
“Hello, my name is Lily Evans, I’m from Kildare in Ireland, and I will be on Strictly Come Dancing this year. You probably know me from Loose Women or that one video that went viral of me dancing to ‘call me maybe’, yes that was me.”
She giggled softly and it even gained a grin from the focused cameramen as her cheeks became a soft shade of pink.
“Everyone seems to have seen that video but um yeah.”
The episode promptly cut to the video of a much younger Lily stomping her feet to the song and waving her arms frantically while singing the lyrics incredibly loudly.
As soon as the clip ends, the episode transitions back to a much less red in the face lily Lily stating, “I’m probably most excited to find out my partner and I have always really enjoyed performing but I haven’t danced since I was little.”
She looked around thinking of all those Saturday nights standing in front of the television watching everything the dancers did with a keen eye. It had been a dream of hers since she was little to go on Strictly and she was really excited.
“And Lily, can you tell us why you signed up this year and who you might like to be partnered with?”
“I signed up because I knew my family would find it hilarious, especially my sister, she always used to say I’d be good, but I'm not sure I agree with her. I think I'd like to be partnered with Regulus maybe, he’s such an elegant dancer. I'd be really honoured to get to dance with him. Or maybe Evan, the new professional. It may be his first year but he already seems like a really good dancer.”
She paused for a small moment, just enough to gather a quick breath while the interviewer carried on.
“What is your dream dance theme and or song to dance to?”
“I think a Bambi themed dance would be cool- my dad always called me that growing up. And I’d love to dance to ABBA’s ‘Hasta Manana’. It’s been my favourite song since I was a kid and I think it has a nice tune? I’m not really sure about my music terms, sorry.”
“Thank you Lily, is there anything else you’d like to add?”
She stopped to think for a moment before looking the camera in the eye and saying, “I would love to win with all of my heart and I'm very happy to have this opportunity this year.”
The episode cut to a short montage of her playing with an inflatable disco ball whilst being showered with pink confetti. Her face boasted a big, genuine grin with all of her bright white teeth on display. She looked truly happy and excited to begin her strictly journey.
She had always been told to ’just go for it’, so this was her chance to let loose and learn some cool new dance moves while she’s at it.
Marlene ♫๋࣭
The bright lights felt familiar, Marlene Mckinnon was always doing interviews, and this one wasn’t any different than the others. What happened afterwards however was completely unusual to her. Instead of getting up on a stage and singing to a crowd, she was going to have to dance on live television with several million people keenly watching her every move. This was a bit different than what she was used to.
It was cold in the studio, she wished she’d worn something a little warmer beneath the low-cut sparkly top she decided to wear for her interview. She was beginning to regret it however, with the sequins scratching her skin every time she vaguely moved and she was sure her arms would be burning by the time she got back home.
She was quickly ushered onto a stool and watched the crew frantically running around adjusting technical equipment she didn't understand, while patiently waiting for the go ahead. A woman with short brown hair, which has been slicked back into a ponytail sat down opposite and gave Marlene a quick smile before turning to talk to her co-worker. Presuming that this was the interviewer, she started to collect herself and focus on how to answer any questions she may be asked. A moment later someone started counting down from three and the light on camera before her flashed red.
The woman spoke to Marlene for the first time, her voice was soft, usually interviewers sounded factual, as if they were reading a memorised script, which they were.
“Could you tell us a little about yourself and where you’re from?”
“Of course, my name’s Marlene Mckinnon, I’m twenty-three years old and I’m from Aberdeen in Scotland. I’m the lead singer and songwriter of the Valkyries and funnily enough I’m not a natural blonde.” She joked about her outgrown roots: she had planned to re-dye them before her interview but she’d run out of time.
“I don’t tend to dance and knowing my luck I'll be voted out in the first couple of weeks, but it’s an honour to be here nonetheless. My mum and I used to watch Strictly together when I was growing up so it’s always been extremely nostalgic for me. If thirteen year old me knew she’d be here ten years down the line she’d probably take a heart attack.”
They would probably have shown a video of younger her watching Strictly or even dancing, but a downside of Marlene and her mother being no contact meant that she had barely any remnants of her childhood- excluding her distorted memories and a rabbit teddy that had been falling apart for years. Being on the show was going to be tough for her, knowing her mother won’t be watching because she refuses to acknowledge her own daughter’s existence. It was bittersweet and honestly Marlene still didn’t know entirely how she felt about being here.
The interviewer moved on to the next question, with her gold earrings reflecting off the light and onto the floor. “Is there anyone in particular you would like to be paired up with?”
“I honestly don't mind who I get partnered with, if I had to pick I'd probably go with Emmeline because she seems lovely and I adore her style, but maybe Barty just because we have a similar sense of humour.” She may have been lying a little when she said she didn't mind who she was paired with, the majority of the cast seemed like sweethearts and Marlene knew they would all end up good friends. But then of course there had to be Dorcas Meadowes.
Marlene hated them, they were so fucking pretentious and thought that they were better than everyone else just because they were a “professional”. If Marlene somehow miraculously won this competition it would be out of spite to beat them.
The interviewer smiled and continued, asking, “why did you decide to accept the offer to take part in this year's Strictly Come Dancing?”
She paused for a moment, thinking out her answer, “It's a new opportunity, one that I will probably never get again. I thought why not go for it while I have the chance? The worst that can happen is I get humiliated on public television, and it's not like it hasn't happened before.” she laughed, referencing the time she'd nearly fallen off the stage during a concert.
“Do you have a specific dance you would like to do, or even a specific song you would like to dance to?”
“Nothing in particular comes to mind, there’s too much music I love to be able to pick just one. Maybe a Florence and the Machine song, her music is beautiful, or the Runaways, I’ve loved them since I was little. I would definitely have to think about it for a while before I could decide.”
Between every other question the camera had been cutting to clips of Marlene throwing bright red glitter up in the air. She had somehow adopted red as her signature colour within the few days that she'd been here, in fact the sparkly shirt she had on right now was a burgundy colour. Her favourite colour was actually purple but she wasn't going to bother correcting anyone on it at this stage.
“Is there anything you're worried about going into the show?”
“I don't tend to walk in heels very often and the last time I did I nearly broke my ankle so attempting to dance in them could very well become an issue. I also am really bad when it comes to telling my left from my right, so that's going to be a challenge for whoever my partner will be.”
“Well I wish you luck and I’m sure you'll soon pick up on how to walk in heels.” The interviewer smiled at her as the cameraman signalled that the cameras had been turned off. She shook the woman's hand before she left and then Marlene was left to her own devices. She stayed on the stool for a few moments, allowing herself to think about everything that was quickly approaching.
Honestly she didn't know what was going to happen once the show had started, she had no idea whether she would be horrific at dancing or alright, granted it would most likely be the former.
This was new territory for her and it could go either way.
Evan 𓆚
To say Evan Rosier was nervous about starting Strictly Come Dancing was an understatement. He was going to be dancing among some of the best dancers out there, not to mention being paired with someone famous. He looked up from the sink he was standing at and into the mirror facing him. He had come to the bathroom to mentally prepare himself for what was to come. This was going to be his first impression on the Strictly world, he couldn't fuck it up. As he stared at his reflection he began to overthink what he was wearing. The only requirement the email had was “something sparkly,” so he had dug through the back of his wardrobe to find his dance clothes. He had ended up in a black sequined top, half unbuttoned, and some black flares. Simple, but he thought it fit the guidelines just fine.
The door to the bathroom swung open and an important looking person dressed in all black walked in. He glanced at Evan, before entering a stall. He averted his eyes, pretending not to notice him.
The clock in the bathroom was ticking. It felt like a sign that Evan should hurry up. He didn't know how long he had been standing in the bathroom, panicking over the same sink.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Evan finally turned to look at the clock, he had five minutes. He looked back in the mirror, splashed some water in his face and quickly combed through his hair with his hands. “Okay Evan, you've got this.” he whispered to himself, before heading towards the door.
He walked down the narrow hallway that had been adorned with framed pictures of past winners and dances throughout the show's lifetime. He was on the lookout for room 26, he kept his eyes on the numbers above the doors. When he reached number 26 he took a breath and knocked.
The door swung open and a lady wearing a bright pink off the shoulder top ushered him in. She looked like a cupcake. Her thick brown hair had been slicked back into a long ponytail, which was swinging every which way.
“Ah, Mr Rosier, right on time.” The first thing Evan noticed was the heavy French accent, and how she pronounced his surname correctly. Although being born and raised in Luxembourg, as well as both parents being Luxembourgers, the family had French descent.
“Now if you could please stand over there.” the woman pointed to a wall which was covered from head to toe in sequins. He supposed he should get used to the sparkles.
Evan did as the woman said and stood in front of the wall, apparently it wasn't the exact right spot as she then started directing him left and right until she was satisfied.
“Now, my name is Cassandra, I believe that you were asked to prepare a speech.”
Evan nodded.
“Great, so is it alright if we just put a little makeup on you? just so you appear better on camera.”
Evan nodded again, except this time a few people who had been standing at the side rushed over and started dabbing and powdering different products over his face. Once they were done Cassandra whispered something in the camera man's ear.
we’ll hit record, and i'll give you a quick nod when you should start speaking, then just go for it!”
“Ok,” Evan smiled and waited for his cue.
The lights went off, leaving a spotlight around him. Someone spoke, “New dancer, Evan Rosier introduction.” and Evan heard the small beep of the camera, Cassandra gave the nod.
“Hi, my name is Evan Rosier, I am 23 years old, and I'm from Luxembourg. My parents put me into dance when I was about four and I absolutely fell in love with it. I mostly do Latin dances as that is what I enjoy. I am a champion of the Golden Lady Trophy dance competition as well as placing third in the DSFL open competition. I would say that I'm quite a dramatic dancer when I get in the zone. I definitely bring some of my own flair to my dances but when I'm not performing I'm quite a reserved person, to strangers at least." Evan let out a small laugh, he had only been talking for about 30 seconds but it felt like 5 hours. When would this be over? “My favourite dance to do would probably be the cha cha as I find it very intimate and extravagant to perform. I'm really excited to be joining strictly and working among these wonderful people.”
Evan let out a sigh of relief, he had been rehearsing that speech for days, ever since they sent over what he should include in it.
“Ok, that was perfect,” Cassandra smiled at him. “Can we just get some clips of you dancing that we can play over the top of what you said?”
“Yeah, sure, what do you want me to do?”
“Just some moves that are really you, if you have any signature moves or anything.”
So that's what he did, he just danced. It felt extremely awkward, but what had to be done had to be done. After he finished, Cassandra thanked him and he left the sequined room. All he wanted to do was get out of these clothes and get a coffee.
He was praying he could get far in the competition. This had been his dream for years, he isn't going to let anyone ruin it for him.