"Oh, are they now?" Yet for some freaking reason she couldn't wipe that bloody grin off her face. The usual Tiffany Price would just throw him a smirk, brush a hand through her hair, maybe even wink. But this Tiffany Price, the hopeless one who oh-so-desperately wanted to dance with Ezra Bellamy, couldn't keep herself composed for even one second to give him a playful reply. What in the name of Merlin had gotten into her?! It was quite possible that half of this panic wasn't solely due to the handsome man standing before her. She was just freaking herself out, was all. "Well, I'll have to be the judge of that, Bellamy." Though, for the record, being more impressive than her wardrobe would be tough. Though if anyone could do it, it'd be him.

She let her eyes linger over to his hand for a moment, before meeting it with her own. There. She did it, okay?! Someone fire the confetti or something. Tiffany Price would give in to actual feelings for one night of her life. A christmas miracle, surely. Only a month too late. "Only because you said please," and then, without even waiting, she turned around and began walking towards the very center of the dancefloor, hand still holding on to his. Oh Merlin. Could he tell how fast her heart was beating? Hopefully not. Just because she was going to admit to feelings for one night couldn't mean that he was allowed to know about it.

Monique ducked under his arm when she was spun. "I could get used to this." Dressing up and dancing with her husband. It was fun. She really liked it actually.

"I'm glad you like your job, though." She'd be completely offended if he left all day every day for something he didn't even like. She was willing to share his time with this though.

Plus, this meant he could buy her things. So bonus.

Did Tiffany always smile like that, or had the expression actually grown exponentially more intoxicating since the last time he'd seen it? Ezra stared shamelessly at her lips for a good moment or five, trying to memorize how each curve met the next, its seamlessness further emphasized by the application of her lipstick. His blue eyes flickered up to hers before being drawn back again, and he felt the drumming of his heart against his chest gain momentum. And then they were moving again. He forced his eyes away with even more difficulty this time, realizing his smile had fading until his lips were just slightly parted and quickly quirking the corners up again because he was totally cool. Totally. Not even near the point of heart palpitations, nope. "As you wish, Ms. Price." A part of him was glad she hadn't called him Ezra, because that'd mean he was destined to call her Tiffany, which was sure to actually push him to the point of some sort of heart failure. Or so it felt, anyway, because this kind of heart behavior couldn't be normal. Nothing about this felt normal.

Ezra followed her gaze to his own hand this time, too busy trying to prepare himself for the connection that would come next to wonder what was taking her so long to meet it with her own. But then she did. And then he had to bite his lip to keep from saying something idiotic. Or crying out. Or both. No, instead he was being pulled to the center of the dance floor with his bottom lip still trapped between his teeth because the ridiculous ideas of getting to his knees and begging for her to never let go were still running relentlessly through his head. Where was the off switch when he needed it? He couldn't just say such things, especially with people around. What if they heard him? What if she heard him? He had some vague memory of knowing Tiffany had to say any such thing first, but that judgment had been pushed unceremoniously from his head by the strange wonder that was her hand and his hand together as a single entity. It wasn't just anybody's hand, after all, it was her hand. Had he been over that? Tiffany Price's hand.

He skidded slightly as she came to a halt, scolding himself inwardly because he hadn't only started this whole event off with a sever lack of grace, but he'd missed a perfectly legitimate excuse to watch her from the back. Bloody thoughts, they ruined everything. Ezra straightened up and used his other hand to adjust his tie, refusing to let go of hers so quickly, realizing for the second time in the past minute that his smile had been replaced with something else. Something else would not do. He grinned down at her and put his other hand on the small of her back, lifting their intertwined fingers to shoulder height and pulling her close enough that the scent that filled the space between them threatened to knock him out completely. The brunette's smile widened before he leaned down and let his lips tickle her ear as he whispered, "I'm so very glad I said please, then." He straightened up for a second time, making sure his smile was still solidly in place. "Shall we?" Dear Merlin please let them move before he fainted right then and there. Even tripping would be better than this.

Oh Merlin. As if her stomach hadn't had enough of that fluttery feeling, now he had to pull her even closer and the fluttering was on FULL blast. It was as if he was doing it intentionally. Trying to get her to admit that she wasn't a robot, after all. He seemed to take pleasure in that kind of thing, getting her to admit that she did have a heart. And yes, yes okay so maybe the fluttering had started even before he had held her hand, but it wasn't because she had feelings for him. Just because... She missed him... As an acquaintance? A CoWorker?... A friend? WAIT, no. She was going to let herself admit to emotions, remember? Right. Just for the night. For merlin's sake, she had gotten all dressed up for him not that she wouldn't have looked her best either way, but this outfit specifically and her makeup and-- ahem*.

She was going to have emotions tonight, okay? She was. Or rather, she was going to admit to having those emotions that were really there the entire time. Acknowledging their presence, their sweet smelling presence and tall stature. Right. She slowly let herself look up at him, but before she could say anything at all he was leaning forward. And what happened next, was NOT something Tiffany Price would ever be caught doing: Giggling. Oh Merlin. Had she just? What was this insanity and how could she get it to stop?!! Merlin. Please, send help. They needed to start dancing pronto, okay? And it wasn't just because they were now standing in the very middle of the entire dancefloor or anything. It mostly just had to do with the fact that she was slowly starting to lose feeling in her legs. Something which, by the way, had nothing to do with the height of her heels. "Yes, please," again, she smiled up at him, not able to control the upward twitch of the corners of her mouth. Ugh. Ezra. WHY. Also, did she just say please? She wasn't begging. Just.... Maybe she was a bit desperate, alright?

"It's good to see you again, Ezra." The Ministry break was torturous. She couldn't seem to get him off her mind. Really it was only a few weeks, but it felt like FOREVER. You know how hard it is to survive that long with your fix of eyecandy? Really, really difficult. And now here she was, standing only inches from him. On a dance floor. Smiling like an idiot. Oh how the tables turn.

Was she giggling? Ezra looked down at her with one eyebrows raised, the right corner of his mouth quirking up higher than his left until his face looked almost lopsided. As if the sound hadn't been enough to send his stomach on a rampage, now Tiffany was smiling too and that was IT they had so dance before he leaned down and kissed those lips right then and there. His eyes flickered from her eyes to her lips and down to his own feet as he began to slowly move his right foot to the side, leaning slightly and pulling her with him. He hadn't danced in ages, but he knew for certain he couldn't do much more movement than this without likely breaking a limb. And anyways, he'd accomplished his real goal of being so close to her, and she'd asked with a 'please' and everything, which was worth it even if the proximity of their mouths was beginning to make his head fill with a strange buzzing feeling. He pulled her a fraction of an inch closer. What did he have to lose, really? Besides everything....but nothing seemed to matter as much tonight under the fairy lights.

Ezra. She'd said Ezra. He watched her smile with a soft smile of his own, letting them dance for a moment longer before parting his lips to reply. "It's good to see you too," he paused and took a breath before adding a slow, "Tiffany." It had been too long. Far, far too long. And he was going to say it. "These breaks just won't do, now will they? I must say the waiting's become excruciating." Waiting, waiting, waiting. Why did they have to do so much of it? Ezra wasn't used to having to wait, he was used to getting things right when he wanted them, which was months ago in the case of Tiffany. Too. Many. Months. He kept up the soft smile, but said nothing further. He knew if he said something it would be ridiculous, insane even. Because they couldn't run away and snog in the moonlight, or ditch the ministry altogether and go on holiday. He knew it was ridiculous, it was HER fault. She was making him think all the ridiculous things. All those damn wonderful ridiculous things.

"Good," Kade replied. He couldn't keep the grin off his face. It wasn't his fault that he got all weirdly giddy when he thought about the fact that Monique was actually his wife. It just happened. "Plus, these things are only once a year. I think that adds to the fun of it. You know?"

Not to mention, he got to show her off a bit.

He nodded, slipping both arms around Monique while he danced with her. "Yeah, so am I. This is one of the only places I've stayed at this long..." He trailed off, looking around the room again. It was true, though. He did like it here.

Kade was being insanely smiley. It was cute. And kind of unexpected. Monique still wasn't used to it. She wondered if she ever would be. "Yeah." she said nodding. She knew exactly what he meant. It was a nice excuse to dress up and get out.

She nodded again. He knew he didn't stay anywhere very long. They'd actually talked about it a few times. It was one of the things they had in common. They'd both been flighty before meeting each other. It was kind of romantic.

After a trip to the big table to...what was the term....? 'Rub elbows' with her new boss?--Yeah, that sounded like it--after some massive elbow rubbing and a promise of promotion, Lex was ready to make good on Sabel's promise of a dance to her before the night got through.

A couple months ago, this would have been a huge 'NO' and she'd probably have told him to 'shove off' for even offering but with a summer of nothing but boring dinner parties and gatherings at her grandparents' Manor, dancing was now just another thing that people did at events to pass the time. She would admit that it could be interesting sometimes, depending on who you were dancing with and what you ended up talking about while dancing so yeah, she wanted that dance now thanks.

Pay no attention to the fact she was clearly at odds with her heels. The wobbling was controlled by now and she only looked like she could pitch over every couple steps. Lex had this, okay? Sorta. Kinda. Maybe this would have been easier if she kicked her shoes off...was that appropriate? Did she care if it was appropriate?

Probably not.

Truth be told, Sabel wasn't entirely sure why he had offered a dance. He hated dancing, except with Arya, because well, his two left feet still hadn't decided which one was the right one. At the time of offering, he hadn't really thought about such things, just that it would be an opportunity to try to figure the YATI out. If that was possible. Perhaps they could just move feet and shuffle about the floor. That was considered dancing, right?

After a quick step outside for a breath of fresh air, Sabel returned to the milling crowd and proceeded towards the dreaded dance floor. At least it wasn't empty, and at least it wasn't insanely crowded.

Spotting Alexa on one side of the floor, Sabel made his way over to her, stopping at her side. "I'm going to warn you, my dancing skills are probably more of a disappointment than not being a criminal."

He glanced down at her, weighing how she might react to that. Or was she going to call him fake again, for asking her to dance when he was no good at it. Hopefully intention mattered at least a little bit to her.

Just to prove he wasn't saying that to try to back out or go back on his word, Sabel held out his hand to her. Shall they?

This looked like an out of the way enough place to stand while she waited for Sabel. Best to stay a little off the dance floor so she wouldn't go getting in anyone's way. All it took was the right kind of bump to send Lex flying at the floor and she wasn't too keen on making a complete idiot of herself the first night technically on the job.

Thank Merlin he didn't keep her waiting too long either because her feet were starting to kill her. How did Lottie enjoy wearing these things? It was like a form of slow torture.

Lex deadpanned at his confession, not buying it for even a minute. "Trust me, there's nothing more disappointing than your lack of criminal record." Was that even a joke? Not a very funny one. Did this mean they wouldn't get to dance afterall? She had WOBBLED ALL THE WAY OVER HERE. She wouldn't have even begun to convey how much of a disappointment Sabel was as a person.

Oh but he was offering his hand. Okay. There was still hope. "Don't worry, I'm not much of an expert at this either. S'not the point of dancing." And with that Lex kicked off her shoes (oh thank Merlin what a relief sweet Circe she should have done it earlier) and took his hand. "Let's get going."

And there it was. Sabel shook his head in a mixture of disbelief and amusement. "Trust me. There is plenty more disappointing than that little charade."

A good thing he offered her his hand too, because she looked hell bent on not believing a word he said, or trusting him. He almost wanted to find her a real criminal to show her what a real disappointment they would be to her young ideals. If she thought he was bad, she should meet some of the other guys.

But if there was one thing he had learned of about Alexa, up until now and besides the criminal fascination, was that she was quick to move on. And that she didn't hold it against him that he couldn't dance. They were both qualities he appreciated, and he had to laugh at her eagerness to kick off her shoes.

"What? They aren't like walking on clouds?" He paused to lean down and pick them up, just so no one would steal them from her. After all, despite being heels, they were a nice pair of shoes. Casting a quick shrinking charm on them, Sabel tucked them in his pocket and followed her onto the dance floor.

Hah. He thought there was something more disappointing? There could have been; there were a lot of things in life that Lex found disappointing but when it came to certain things Alexa was one track minded so..."You keep telling yourself that. There are only two things I can think of as more disappointing than that charade and one of them isn't that serious." Just so he knew and there were on the same page.

She thought they were all set to move off too but he'd stopped to make a fuss about her shoes. Lex laughed, not even willing to pretend. "The inventor of heels was a lover of the pain of others. It takes a different kind of coordination to make your way around in them and I'm plain not interested."

Let's be honest, when would she ever have to wear heels out in the field? If it was like...undercover work....maybe...but there were ways around heels.

Also, she would now have to remember he had her shoes otherwise she'd go home bare footed because they were the least of her concerns. Out on the dance floor she held on to him and began moving to the pace of the current piece. "This kinda reminds me of the dance lessons we were forced to attend one year at Hogwarts. My partner got fed up and left me hanging on the dance floor." Conversation while they danced, she so had this.

Two things? Really? That was a legitimate surprise. The way she had been acting, there was nothing more disappointing than his face. Curious, he glanced at her, a small smile playing on his lips. "Alright, so I'm not the biggest disappointment of your young life, then." Good to know. Unless the two said things hadn't happened yet. "One of them, I can guess." Yeah, sympathy props there. "The other...not so much. You going to leave me hanging on that one?"

Cause if she didn't tell him now, he was likely to make the mistake of becoming a greater disappointment. Think about it.

He pulled one of the tiny shoes out of his pocket, considering it with a frown. "Then why do you wear them? Or, better yet, why don't you just take the heels off?" Or was this one of them girl things? Had to be. Married and he still didn't understand them.

At least, once they were out on the floor, Sabel didn't feel too lost as to what he was supposed to do. His eyebrows went up at her comment and what started out as a chuckle, turned into a shake of his head. "Rather ungentlemanly of him. Did he have a reason?"

"I never said you were the biggest." She said with an amused grin. "Just that you're one of the biggest, officially and the two other things both pertain to you." There were only two things about him that could be more disappointing than him not being an ex-convict. "How about you make a guess or two then I'll tell you what could be more disappointing about you than the fact you're not a criminal."

One of them was obvious for real and had already come true but that was the less significant of the two and almost expected, you know? The other would put him right up there with Fuller and Thompson.

Lex blinked at his idea of what to do with heels. Were she any other girl--were she her cousin, she might have looked a bit scandalized by the thought but this was Lex and she was fully agreeing. Still. "Because that's just not what you do, even I know that." Believe it or not, it was saying a lot considering she was one of the least feminine women she had ever met. "You're no longer wearing heels if you've broken them then they don't give the same impression. S'not the same showing up in flats." And first impressions counted for a LOT. Her age was currently working against her so something had to give.

Did the dude have a reason for walking out on her? "No. Absolutely not.....maybe." The lines sometimes blurred, you know and then it was hard for Lex to remember who's fault it really was. "Dude was a complete pansy. We were learning to waltz, see, and the rules are that the taller partner leads but I don't roll that way and he got cross about it because we both kept going left." HIS fault for not doing what she wanted. "And he had this thing about catching the coloured petals falling to earn us points but I liked the black ones better...even if they took points."

So really she was just a disagreeable person when she didn't get her way. Obviously his fault. Obviously.

Oh, so this wasn't all around life disappointments. Just, how he could end up being a disappointment to her. Well, that certainly put a new twist on things. Tilting his head back, Sabel looked up at the ceiling and pursed his lips in thought. "Two things." Cause the first thing he had thought of now didn't count. "Alright then, lets see."

He glanced down without fully bringing his head forward, a mischievous grin on his lips. "I suppose I could tell you that I'm not really an Auror, and just here for the food and drinks." He was pretty sure that would set her off completely, if it were true.

The second one he would have to think of. That Auror one would be the most serious. The least serious. He hummed a little. "That I'm not a natural brunette?"

Nailed. It.

Alright, so she didn't like heels but she didn't like not liking them. Sabel shook his head and tucked the thing back in his pocket. "Could be what you do." He shrugged. "It might not be the typical impression, but it is still an impression." He gave her a meaningful look there. Not all impressions should coincide with what people expected. Some of the best, never did.

As for her difficulty with her dancing partner, Sabel had to laugh. Really, it wasn't terribly funny, but the way in which she had put it was amusing. Oh to be a kid back in Hogwarts. "Sounds like you were both pretty stubborn. Still, I'm sure he could have figured out a way to roll with it and not leave you standing there." Because that just wasn't cool. Especially not to a young girl. It was a hard age, and there was no sense in making it harder.

Although, he was curious as to who had really won the battle. "How many points did you manage to loose?"

She nodded in confirmation at his question of there being two things. Yes. Two. She'd be able to live with them but yeah....

While he thought that through, Lex was careful to make sure he didn't end up stepping on her bare feet--in case he wasn't good at multi-tasking and all that so for a moment she glanced down at the floor. For a terrible dancer he could be worse and she was glad for that.

There was a glint of something in her eyes at his first suggestion. No telling what kind of glint it was but yeah, she was staring before slowly breaking into a smile. "Hardly. If they never accepted me for YATI training I'd have snuck in and shown up anyway. If anything I'd ask you for tips on how to make sure they never find out I'm not legit long enough for me to worm my way in proper." He could take that as a joke if he wanted to....but she was serious...and had already thought this through with her bestfriend. She was going to be an Auror no matter what.

Alexa faked a look of utter disappointment and gave a short gasp. "You're lying, not a real brunette? I'll never look at you the same way again." So that was a no too. Who cared what his hair was meant to look like? What mattered was how she was seeing it now. Duh.

Lex paused for a moment, considering what he'd said next, ending up stepping lightly on one of his feet. He...had a point there--but she'd never admit it so she simply muttered an apology for the stepping and was quick to move on.

"It's just as well he left me standing there. I didn't wanna be in that dumb dance lesson and I didn't wanna dance with anyone. It was even worse they forced me into a dress." So no, she was glad he'd left her there...might have even been pushing for it too. The former Gryffindor gave a sheepish smile before responding to the point loss. "Let's just say we could have been well into the negatives if he wasn't so determined not to be."

For a moment, Sabel just stared at her. Was this girl for legit, real? He wanted to poke her, the way she had poked him, but he refrained. It was one thing doing it on an offer, a completely different thing doing it without permission.

And then the laughter worked its way out of his surprise, and he shook his head for the umpteenth time. "Honestly, Alexa, I don't know how you got in. But I admire your determination, and, we can always use more of that in the MLE." He tilted his head a little bit, suddenly curious. "So, when did you decide this was the job to have above all other jobs?"

Because the way she was talking, was not the way someone talked about a last minute decision when all other options had run out. She really wanted this. That was evident. Question was, could she keep her nose clean long enough to hold it. For some reason, he wagered that even if she didn't keep it clean, she would find a way to make it look like she did.

He laughed again at her reaction to his hair color choice. "I would never look at myself the same way again, either. Can't imagine being a blonde, or ginger." Really, any hair color other than dark, just, no. And after all, she had asked him to guess what would disappoint her if she found out, not necessarily what was true or not true.

"So, I got those wrong. Do I have to keep guessing?" Or was she going to let him in on what was, or could be, disappointing about him?

As for the feet stepping, given she wasn't wearing her heels of death, he didn't mind. He barely felt it. "You can stand on my shoes if you want." Cause he really didn't want to make the mistake about stepping on her feet, and her apology brought that possibility to the forefront of his mind. That would hurt.

"Not one for common conventions, huh?" Interesting she was insistent on the heels then, but he didn't bring it up. She had said nothing more on the matter, so he would let it go. "That's okay, I wouldn't want to be forced into a dress either."

His grin grew. That many black petals, huh? "So, do you remember anything about the waltz?"

Staring had never really bothered her before so him staring at her was...just another thing. Maybe he was trying to figure out how serious she was being at the moment. All he had to do was ask and the answer would be serious as a Nundu attack. She blinked up at him when he finally did speak. If it weren't for the fact he was laughing Lex might have been REALLY offended.

"O's in everything but Herbology and no criminal record." THAT'S how she got in, if he was really that keen to know. She'd earned her spot here like everyone else. "Decided I wanted this sometime around my first or second year and been working toward it ever since. For a while it was DP Reporter, or Auror or Dark Wizard but by third year it was my definite choice."

Lex grinned at his hair comment. "I dunno.....you COULD pull of blonde and I'm not just being biased here. Red's a 'no' though for sure." Just being helpful since they were already discussing it. Hah.

Did she want to out and tell him or have him keep guessing though...? "Hmmmmm...we've still got the rest of the song, so how's about you keep guessing til then--unless you wanna give up." There was that option too but his guesses were amusing so far so she wasn't all that keen to have him stop just yet. His choice--

Wait what? Was he serious? Her father let her do that a lot when she was younger, it was the only time she never minded being forced to dance. "That'd be brilliant." She stepped up onto his feet. "Should have thought of this sooner, I'd have practically pulled you out here." The important thing was that it WAS thought of and her feet were now safe. Perfect win.

"I'm not." One for conventions that is. "My Grandparents hate it but it's not something I'm willing to work on. More fun this way." The dress comment that rolled out right after got her laughing for real. "Bet you could pull one off." She teased, obviously amused.

His grin automatically meant he was in favour of her actions with the petals. Had to be. Yup. "O'course I remember. I remember how much I hated every minute of it." And a perfectly solemn nod. Those were some dark times.

The whistle that left Sabel was legit. He was impressed, really impressed. Smart cookie this one, at least as far as books were concerned. Street smarts, that was still to be determined. Hogwarts had a habit of unwillingly forcing students to learn a few tricks, but there was no denying that the YATI program filled in the blanks. Fully.

He nodded in understanding. "Sounds familiar. I decided my first year in Hogwarts, which would have been...my fourth year. But I think I had an inclination before then." Though for him, there really hadn't been any other options or choices. "Why did you decide against the Daily Prophet?" As for that Dark Wizard part. He was just going to....let that one go. Yeah.

"Could I?" Sabel was tempted to put some of her hair against his head and ask for a mirror. He was curious, but this wasn't exactly a best friend he was talking with. A co-worker, acquaintance, turning possible friend. Providing he didn't add on extra disappointments. No, using her hair as a wig was not going to happen. "Maybe I'll use it as an undercover disguise one day." If he remembered.

Speaking of those points of disappointing. "No, no. I'll keep guessing." What would disappoint this girl? Not hair and not falsity of being an Auror. He was sure those would have been winners. "Alright, what about...I'm not a pureblood?" Was she one of those? He doubted it, but it was always a good idea to check. "And, if I've never caught a criminal before?" Surely that one would be on her list.

But thoughts of what could disappoint immediately melted away at the look on her face. Apparently, he had found something that could hardly disappoint. He paused so that she would have an easier time stepping onto his feet, and made sure to move extra slow so she wouldn't tumble off. Bonuses on both ends. She wouldn't get her feet stepped on, and he didn't really have to dance. He could care less what others thought if they saw. It was none of their business. "So, dancing is a thing for you then. Just with the right precautions in place."

For one who liked to lead, she sure didn't mind letting go.

And what a perfect demonstration of their disregard for conventions. "They have their place and time." Sabel agreed, turning them about slowly. He grinned broadly at her. "Perhaps I'll try it next time I go blonde."

Shaking his head, Sabel looked about for flowers. "Well that's the important thing to remember, right?" The steps, not so much. They could try the whole petal catching thing. It was a curious question as to how one could multi-task dancing and catching things at the same time, but there were none close at hand. And he didn't assume that the Minister or their department heads would be too pleased with such a display.

That whistle was more like it. At least he was starting to understand that she wasn't simply running around like a headless Cockatrice. Fully functional brain in this head...whenever she decided to use it. "Some of the exams weren't that Hard. Faked my Divination reading and got an 'O'." There was NOTHING in that bloody crystal ball...but she couldn't tell the examiner that now could she?

"You started in your Fourth Year? How come? Where were you first?" Transfers were always one of two things in her experience; eager and happy to meet new people and make friends or eager to insult the castle and wish they were wherever they were before. Needless to say she didn't get on well with the latter. As for the Daily Prophet, she just kinda shrugged. "It lost it's appeal is all." There should have been more to it, but there wasn't. When it came to some things, she was awfully fickle.

Oohhh undercover talk! "Definitely! They'd never know it wasn't legit." Of course in an actual operation no one really cared about the little details but still, he'd have looked nice with it.

And that was brilliant, he'd keep guessing! It's a good thing she was no longer on the floor because she'd managed to drown out the music somehow and would probably have been grossly off-beat. HE was much more interesting than dance steps. "None of my bestfriends are purebloods." Something she never gave much thought til just this second. It simply didn't matter. "That though," the not ever catching a criminal, "that makes three. I'm not sure what I'd think of you if you never did in all this time..." So there were THREE things afterall and he'd just guessed one. Progress!

She snorted at his question, being sure to hang on so she wouldn't fall off even at this slow pace. "Hardly but this makes it more tolerable. No effort on my part." In truth, she wasn't tremendously difficult to please. Just give her what she wanted or make her life easier in some way with the exception of one area of her life where she would get fed up easily at always having what she wanted.

Hah, he was agreeing to the dress now. "You must let me choose the dress whenever you do find the time and place." Mostly because she wanted to be there to laugh but yeah...."S'hard to forget you hate something. Or maybe I could have liked it a bit more with a more cooperative partner." How hard was it to let her have her way?

"Faked...divination." Sabel blinked at Alexa in surprise. Now why hadn't he thought of that? Divination really was all about the touchy-feely aspect, and not necessarily always based on fact. As long as it sounded like a legit prediction, it could be taken as a legit prediction. It would have saved him a lot of trouble if he had just waffled the exam. But then, he had an argumentative head, and the thought had never crossed his mind.

A smile touched his lips as he chuckled. "Are you sure you aren't a Slytherin?" Because as much Gryffindor as he was seeing, he was also noting hints of snakeness. Not that he suspected that she had falsified her Hogwarts house. That was just something no one was keen on doing. For whatever reason, people were very proud of the houses they were sorted into and had no inclination to pretend otherwise.

Speaking of personal questions, was it that time already? Sabel looked away from her, deciding what he wanted to divulge and what was unnecessary. "I transferred from Canada at that time. Better schooling program than I was enrolled in." And other reasons, but now was not the time.

He nodded in understanding. Frankly, he was glad she hadn't joined the Daily Prophet. From what he knew about her thus far, she would have ended up being one of those irritatingly insistent reporters. At least this way she could put her energy to something with a little more impact.

Laughing, Sabel shook his head. "Not in a million years. Guess I'd have to do my eyebrows too, though." The thought of that had him wrinkling his face in distaste. Hair was one thing, eyebrows was another. "And the facial hair."

Reaching up, Sabel rubbed his chin in disturbed thought, being careful to keep one hand around Alexa's waist so she wouldn't fall off his feet. Not judgemental on blood type? Good. Sabel nodded in relief, and acceptance. "Blood never really mattered to me either." Especially not being muggle-born, but he wasn't going to give her all the tidbits about himself on their first meeting. That second point though, it had him blinking in suprise. "What? Three now? Can't you count that towards one of the one's I'm supposed to guess?"

Really, he wasn't trying to give her more ways that he could disappoint her. Just for that, he wasn't going to clarify whether he had or hadn't caught anyone yet. "Alright, then. Still 0 for 2." He scrubbed his chin again. What would make her pout? "Obviously dancing skills, eating etiquette and formal-wear is out, given you don't often stand on convention." What could he try next? And just how long was this song? "What if I told you I never played quiddich and ... I prefer cats over dogs?"

Cats and dogs. Definitely hit it on the money there. That was always a sticking point.

Putting returning his arm, Sabel smirked at her. "This time. Next time I get to ride on your feet."

As for that dress thing, why not? Why not go all out? Just group it with the hair change and it would be the perfect disguise. No one would even suspect. "You can choose the dress, if you supply the heels. Mind you, as long as it's not yellow. Wouldn't go with the hair, or my complexion."

Speaking of complexions, and things that fit together, Sabel could retain his curiosity no longer. As much as he had been determined not to ask, he couldn't help himself. He shook his head in disbelief even as the words came out. "So, what exactly, is you fascination with criminals?"

Good or bad road, he was going down it.

Yes, yes she WAS giggling. And smiling. And apparently making an utter fool of herself right here in the middle of the dance floor, where everyone and their father could see her. It must've been the fairy lights... or the music... or something. Something was surely going to her head and it had nothing to do with how close she was to eyecandy Ezra Bellamy. NOPE. Ahem. Finally acknowledging the fact that she must've looked so silly beaming over at him like that, she let her gaze fall right to her feet. Mhm. Merely concentrating on the steps, was all. Didn't need to make an even bigger fool of herself, as if that was even possible at this point. How much worse could it get? Not very. She was also going to conveniently let herself forget the instance when he said her name because it made her stomach do backflips and that would just not do. NOPE. Oi, any obliviators around here? Wanna help a girl out?

Yet, she couldn't keep herself from lifting her head to look back up at him. And if it were possible to sense the fact that your eyes were glistening, well then, she'd be doing just that. "No, I guess they won't," UGH why couldn't she stop smiling??? "We'll just have to do something about that, huh?" Did Ezra Bellamy want to come up with the ideas because Tiffany Price was bound to say something stupid. Like going on dates or something. Pft.... Would he want that? Ahem.

Even with her heels, she managed to be a bit shorter, so then looking up it was. Especially with all the close proximity and all that.... Y'know, maybe changing the subject could help get rid of that darn fluttery feeling? Worth a shot, right? Plus, every dance needed a topic of conversation. Or at least every dance with an Ezra Bellamy did. It'd help her resist the urge to try and kiss him in front of everyone. NOPE. "Did you have a good Christmas?"

It was nothing he could control really. The winner of multiple wizarding waltz and dance competitions naturally gravitated toward the dance floor. He'd stop by the Department Head's table later on, perhaps. To say a fond congratulations to his former fellow Unspeakable and new Minister for Magic, Sherman Clark.


As he'd come along, Heather home with the rest of his family, he did a thing which he had not had the pleasure of doing in some time. He pulled up a seat and sat down, watching the dancers. Some whirled quite naturally. Other's appeared to be having a first go at it and weren't doing too bad, he thought. All seemed to be having a good time of it, though and that was what was important.

The corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly when Tiffany looked down, but he wasn't sure it was a triumphant twitch or a regretful twitch. Nothing was ever just a twitch, you know. Nothing was every just anything with her, it hadn't taken Ezra long to work that one out. He gave her hand a soft squeeze, using the feeling of her fingers under his to avoid the question of why the idea of the old game was so far from his mind, why he missed the smile instead of being smug because he'd held himself together for a moment longer than she had. Alright, maybe he was a little smug. Or a lot smug, but that wasn't the point. The point was--what was the point again? Maybe he'd realize it if he'd just stop THINKING so much, but his thoughts insisted on racing just as fast as his heartbeat. Nice going, organs, nice going. But before he'd let himself consider anything any further, Ezra closed his eyes and planted a soft kiss on the top of her forehead, only letting his lips linger or a moment before straightening up with his eyes still shut. Did you see that? Compromise.

When he finally let his eyelids flutter open again, he was met with the same shining eyes and winning smile as before, and it made his heart pound at lightning speed just as before. Do something about it? Yes, yes, they did need to do something about it, or else he'd be forced to do something about it here in front of half the ministry. But no need for such desperation yet, yes? "I suppose I might be able to think of a solution." He smirked down at her as they danced, but the smile turned wider almost instantly. Ahem. Nobody noticed that. He'd meant to be finished but of course continued anyway,"We could bless the Leaky Cauldron with the likes of the two of us together." He removed his hand from the small of her back and pulled his wand from his jacket pocket before positioning it behind his back and nonverbally casting, Orchideous and holding the result, a single red rose that not-so-coincidentally matched the hue of her shoes, out to her with the fingers of his other hand still intertwined with hers. "Think about it." So much for not being desperate, eh? If overthinking as a bad idea AND impulses were a bad idea then what was a good idea? Right. Snogging. Best idea right there.

HOW did Tiffany appear so unaffected? Was he losing his touch? No, impossible. But unless she was mad, there was really no explanation for why they hadn't already escaped the party and had their own fun. With his hand repositioned on her back and the couple inches of space still hanging between them, Ezra looked her straight in the eye and replied, "Lacking a certain someone, which makes things rather excruciating. And you?" He cocked his head to the side and waited for her to swoon or throw herself at him or something of the sort. It'd better be fast, though, before he did it himself.

"Don't look so surprised." Really, don't. "It's all just a bunch of pseudo-scientific hokum." A term she'd adopted courtesy of her Astronomy Professor who shared her views on what a rubbish subject it was. "I'd have been sitting there the whole hour not seeing a thing in that crystal ball--but I was determined to get an 'O' if only to prove my Divination Professor wrong." Take that Professor Smiles.

It brought back some interesting memories she would admit and there was the faintest smile...until he said that. Being a Slytherin was nothing to smile about. "Gryffindor through and through. Anything you see might be an unfortunate reflection of my family." Long line of Slytherin purebloods mudded by the crimson and gold. Took them a while to get over it....a while and an unwelcomed half-blood of a little sister.

But she was all too happy listen to whatever reason he had for transferring. Shame that was all he gave for it. Better schooling so they moved. "Oh. Fair enough. Did you like it better at Hogwarts?" That question was always a toss up considering there were some very ungrateful people in this world. He didn't strike her as one of them but then again how much did she really know?

His face wrinkling had her laughing. "Come on, it wouldn't be that bad, there's a spell to try that out, see if you like it before going undercover with it." But she'd still wanna see in case he didn't like it and decided it wouldn't work for the mission at all...just so they were clear on that.

Lex was sure to hold on just a little tighter after he removed on of his hands, even if the other was still enough to keep her from falling, just instinct was all but she was shaking her head with a firm grin in place. "Nope, can't add that to it. It's now three so technically 1 of 3 which sounds way better than 0 of 2." The latter implied he wasn't right at all. Dude was SO welcome. There was more shaking of her head as he went through dinner etiquette and the like. Nope nope nop--"I'd be more shocked than disappointed if you've never played Quidditch." Because that...that wasn't a thing....was it? "But I own a kneazle so I'm on that feline ship too if you really are."

The girl stifled another laugh, opting to look down at their feet. "I'd have to make you feather light first because you're probably heavy." And how odd would that look? Definitely worth a few stares for anyone interested. Hahaha.

Laughter stifling was getting harder though. You just...couldn't NOT laugh when he went and said things like that and so she did. "My cousin's got an insane collection of them, I'm sure we can find one that's just perfect for you. Gonna look epic." And hilarious, but that part was already a given.

But then the conversation took a shift. He actually wanted to know? Somehow she thought he'd dropped it back at the table. It wasn't all that complicated...Lex shrugged, figuring the simplest way to explain something like this. "They know how to make the people they don't like hurt and disappear. It's a useful skill to have. Their minds are useful things to have. They know the best curses. They're also the only ones without qualms on teaching dark arts and never ask questions when you say you wanna learn. Never ask if you aren't too young, never tell you to use the spells responsibly and they never tell you 'you're a good girl, you shouldn't be learning such nasty things. how's about I teach you something else?'." If she wanted to learn something else she'd have said as much.