If the triwizard tournament wasnt enough, now Hogwarts is hosting a ball too.
Splendid.
You werent even in the tournament but it disrupted everything constantly. There were strange students from the visiting schools on the school grounds constantly and the tournament made everyone restelss. The whole school was to attend the tournaments but you found yourself in the back of the stands reading a book.
And now theres a ball.
A perfect excuse for all of the lovebirds to get to show off how mushy gushy their love for each other is while all of the single folk stand awkwardly aside with whatever date they scraped off the bottom of their shoe.
The only place of solitude was the Library and even then, Beuxbaton and Durmstrang students were allowed inside to attend to their estudious needs. They were guests after all and the headmaster would rather be caught dead then caught being a bad host.
Frankly, it made you feel displaced.
You could feel how they looked at you at your desk while they walked by, even in the corner its like they all walked by to put empahsis on the fact that they were there at all.
A few desks away along the wall, a durmstrang student would sit quite occasionally as well. He was usually alone although sometimes he had a friend or two.
When he was alone you couldnt help but steel glances. When he was alone that rigid need to be left alone evaporated in your brain.
He had bleach blonde hair but beneath it you could see dark roots (not that you were looking too hard) and he had some dark scruff on his chin as well. The hair was a shocking contrast to the bright red uniform and the dark brown furs he wore whenever he was around.
He was quite attractive although you’d never be caught dead admitting it. You were notorious for never chasing after someone let alone getting a crush.
It didnt matter anyways, you didnt know him and he didnt know you and at the end of this year he would be gone.
But for now you would admire him from afar.
Well, as of today you would admire him up close.
He is standing by your desk in the corner as you approach. Hes looking you straight in the eye and for the first time, as you draw nearer, you see the color of his eyes.
They were the most gorgeous part about him you could say. They were a sweeping shade of blue and as you looked into them in your mind you were skating on a shimmering frozen lake, balancing above unkown depths. The uniform colors were such a shame in this moment because if you weren’t paying too much attention youd notice the bright clashy red over the blue.
“You’re staring.”
You blushed as you realized you had indeed been staring. He was looking straight at you still.
You tried to recover, “Well I’m-i’m just not used to people here…” You did not recover well, “at this specific desk I mean, not here at this desk.”
The durmstrang boy let out a quiet laugh. “You were a lot calmer all the other times I was here.”
You were completely flushed by now, your face felt hot and your heart was hammering in your chest. You were not known for having crushes.
This boy was about to shatter your reputation.
“Anyways- i’m Y/n” Its rude to not introduce yourself. At least in your mind muddled state you could remember that.
The boys eyes sparkled, “My name is Pietro.”
An awkward silence filled the air only broken by the rapid pounding of your heart.
Pietro stared at you waiting for you to respond, but when you didn’t he cleared his throat a little. “I was wondering, with the Yule Ball so close, if you had a date?”
The pounding of your heart froze. Oh no he was not. You were not gonna be the last minute date scraped off of the bottom of a shoe. Nuh uh. No way.
He let out an uncertain smile, “I just thought it would be a shame letting someone as pretty as you not get asked.”
“You don’t need to pity me.” For the first time during the conversation you looked away from him. You put all of your focus on anything but him. You acted as if staring at ‘important remedies of the 1600’s’ was far more important than the man before you.
“I never did pity you, if you really dont want to go, come anyways. but with me. And if you have zero fun ill let you leave whenever.”
You moved past him towards your desk. “Are you striking a bargain Mr…”
“Maximoff.”
“Mr Maximoff?” You looked back at him and raise an eyebrow.
He nodded, looking at you hopefully, “I wont force you to stay, just please show up.”
You sighed, “Fine.”
A beat passed. You turned to your work and he stayed still.
He didnt move.
“If you want to pull a chair up you can study with me.”
—————————————-
You and Pietro studied together daily in the weeks leading up the the Yule ball, always at the desk in the corner.
You found yourself enjoying his company more and more. You also found yourself looking forward to the Yule Ball more and more. Not that you’d ever say that.
You found the most gorgeous dress (or suit if you prefer a more masculine look although I think anyone could rock a dress) at hogsmeade a week before the Yule ball and you couldn’t help but hope that Pietro would like it too.
The study sessions got the point where whenever you were going to the library to study you’d seem Pietro out first and offer to let him join.
You’re little ‘falling for him’ thing got so bad that you started hanging out with him outside of the library.
You were in some deep trouble. Because now the idea of ‘whats the point of making friends when theyre just going to leave.’ was hitting you. You couldn’t just fall in love with a boy only for him to leave.
Thats not fair.
None of that would matter tonight though as you got into your dress (or suit) and styled your hair into an elegant style. You couldn’t help but feel giddy inside because this really amazing person asked you to the ball.
Your dormmates teased you for looking excited. Before Peitro had asked you to the ball you had bashed the whole idea. You didn’t care. Tonight was going to be perfect.
————————————
You walked down the hallway where you and Pietro had agreed to meet, he hadnt arrived yet but the ball also hadnt started yet so you were in no rush.
You leaned against the wall as you waited, closing your eyes and realizing that this is the last moment of quiet before the big, crowded, loud ball.
“You look gorgeous.”
You jumped a bit to the side as you whipped your head over to where Pietro leaned against the wall.
You put a hand against your heart feeling how fast it was from that spook. “Jesus christ I didnt realize you were there.”
“Im just naturally sneaky like that.”
You scoffed, “Oh yeah, says the guy who knocked a whole shelf of books down one day in the library.”
Pietro shrugged, “I dont see any bookshelves around here so therefore i must be a ninja.” He offered his arm.
You took his arm and the two of you made your way to the ball. “I wasnt joking though, you look stunning.”
“You’re still wearing that same shade of red.”
“What does that mean?”
“It distracts from your eyes.”
Pietro smiled over at you, “Does that mean you like to stare into my eyes?”
You glanced at him briefly, “of course.”
You two came upon the great hall now a light shade of shimmering blue and you wished you could say it was the most gorgeous shade of blue youve ever seen but in that moment as you stepped into the hall you looked over at Pietro and saw the way it all reflected in his eyes and you knew youd never see a more gorgeous color.
He looked over at you again, “what are you staring at?” He lightly mocked.
“You see? This shade of blue compliments your eyes very well.”
“I can in fact not see that but I will believe your word.”
As the first few people stepped out to dance you failed to notice that you two were among the first three couples to dance.
Maybe you wouldn’t leave so early.
Maybe you didn’t want to leave at all. The night dragged on so slowly but at the same time too fast. On one hand you can barely remember how you and Pietro started dancing but as the two of you swayed in circles it felt like forever.
God, please let it last forever.
You cherished every small detail. You tried to melt every aspect into your brain. The warmth of his hands as he held you, the way he smiled, the lazy sway, the small talk, and the color of his eyes. Your own name dimmed in the importance these things held to you.
Peitro looked down at you warmly. “You’re better at dancing than i expected.”
“Would you rather I be bad?”
He laughed, “Well there is something painfully endearing about a girl who stumbles over my toes. But then i get to teach her how to dance.”
“Teach me anyways.” Anything to make the moment last longer.
And so he did, twirling you out in large movements and changing the pace, showing you different ways to place your feet and even dipping you at some point.
The dip. His face had gotten so close to yours.
You could have closed that distance.
Why didnt you close that distance?
Why were you so stubborn about not wanting to like him?
—————————————-
“I am waiting for you, you know.” He whispered
days later was you sat at the edge of the forbidden forest, under a large tree.
You scrunched your eyebrows, “Waiting for me to what?”
“To accept that you like me the way I like you.”
You scoffed, “sure, if thats what you wanted to believe.”
Pietro shrugged, “You didnt have to stay at the dance until it ended at two in the morning. You didnt have to dance with me the entire time but you did. And you had a big smile the whole time.”
You opened your mouth in potest but he went on- “It may mean nothing but it meant everything to me.”
You felt your face flush and you looked away.
A teacher approached from over the hill, gesturing for the two of you to come up. You started getting up but Pietro shook his head at you, “They only need me.”
You dont know what made you listen and sit there but you sat and watched as he made his way up the the teacher.
—————————————
His eyes were cold.
The maze had gotten him real well.
The maze was deadly, everyone knew that but you hadnt paid much mind to what was happening. You couldnt find Pietro in the crowd so you decided the task wasnt worth your attention.
For someone who spends so much time in the library you were real stupid.
You sat with your nose in a book as those red sparks went up and you sat there still when his cold body was recovered.
All that time with him and you had never realized he was a champion.
The only reason you realized was the audience going up in hysterics.
You looked up and there he was.
Gone.
You saw him but all you could see behind the veil of tears was the ball. The way his eyes shone.
Without listening to the cries of the teachers around you, you stumbled down next to him. You kneeled despite all of the voices telling you to stay back.
His eyes were open. Unblinking. Unseeing.
Your tears fell upon his cheek.
“You’re staring you know.” You muttered mostly to yourself.
For someone who spent so much time in the library you sure were stupid.
Why were you so stubborn about not wanting to like him?
—————————————-
He dances in your dreams. In your dreams hes warm and hes laughing and hes kind.
In your dreams you close that distance.
In you dreams most nights hes still waiting for you.
You dance slow. You dance slow and you tell him that he doesnt have to wait anymore because you caught up.
In your dreams you are with him forever.