Ugh. This was the worst part. Delilah wasn't even sure if she wanted somebody to ask her or not. She began to doubt her reasons for coming to this thing. Woukld anybody notice if she left now? She looked around the room. Yeah. They would definetly notice. Looks like i'm stuck. She thought to herself.

Ellie watched quizzically. Why would the guys want to know the wrong way to ask a lady? That seems... what was that word?... Not productive? Unproductive?... whatever, not what they wanted to do.

Alex watched the prefects after moving by Selena smiling at the Emma..Malfoy was it? Alex wondered keeping an eye out for the prefect's asking the two female prefects to dance, She wasn't expecting to get asked to dance, not to mention she already knew how so she would be happy to just watch.

Ok what could this possibly be about?! After Miles had joined them all Vindi did was thrust some mystery candy at them "What's this-" Chris whispered back but was cut off when he was told to eat it and don't make a face.

That sounded promising. He looked down at it and then unwrapped it quickly and put it in his mouth. IT WAS NASTY! GARLIC seriously? Coughing slightly as he had to swallow the horrid 'candy', if you could call it that, he walked towards Gold awkwardly.

She was too pretty to do this to, but it was all for the class and she wouldn't be mad; hopefully. "Ummmm...hello Gold, would you like to dance with me?" he said quietly and bowing slightly, his face and breath coming awfully close to her face.

Miles looked at Vindictus and held out his hand to get the candy that they were being handed. But he didn't want to dance with Cela...she tried to attack him...he wanted to dance with Fiiiiiiiiiiii. Looking at the candy in his hand he unwrapped it and placed it in his mouth starting to chew. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Coughing he made a face that he couldn't have repeated if he tried and looked at Vindictus. What was he making him eat? It tasted like a whole clove of garlic or something. He wanted to spit it out but the look on the professors face told him he'd better not. Swallowing it he gagged and kept his mouth closed. Oh this was horrible. This wouldn't do at all.

Wait...they were supposed to go ask them? NOW? Smelling as if they'd ate a jar of minced garlic?

Walking up toward Cela nervously one for how she'd react to the rank smell and two....in case she decided he didn't like his hair today either he held up his hand to his mouth and looked at Cela before looking back at Vindictus with eyes that said, please don't make me do this. Sighing he whispered, "Would you like to dance?" And please don't make me do this again...please don't make me do this louder....oh dear lord did someone have a mint.

Brant couldn't help but laugh at both Chris and Miles. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAH" Brant bursted out laughing. He almost fell to the floor, when they both asked the girls to dance.

Aiden folded his arms, his lips pulling up in a grin as he watched the professor pull the two boys aside. What were they saying..? Eh. Whatever. The two soon after approached the girls and asked them for a dance. Okay, so at least the guys had gotten the line right. Right? Soo.... now the girls just had to answer them. He continued watching in silence.

Celandine struck a theatrical sort of pose which she only managed to hold with extreme self control after the wafting of Miles' breath. She even managed not to make a face.

"I'm afraid I simply can't, I've been danced off my feet all night and simply must take a rest break!" She pressed the back of her hand against her forehead and sighed even as she answered with what had to be a rehearsed line, and one she was quite used to saying.

Except that she was so sure she was going to vomit.

She might have turned slightly green.

Vindictus walked over to them, clapping. "Take note of how nicely Cela refused Miles without insulting him. Well done!" And he slipped Miles a blue breath mint.

Now to see how Gold would react to Chris.

Herminny watched the bad example set be the male Ravenclaw prefect on how to ask a female out. After he asked poor Cela as he was told she looked positively ill. What had Vindictus given the boys. Obviously something that affected their breath. It was a bit funny so she could not help but chuckle a bit. She had no idea there was a lesson in how Celadine refused. That was actually a good lesson to learn, she never would have thought about that.

Merlin, what was Vindictus up to? Raiden watched quietly as he took Miles and Chris aside, and then as the two approached Cela and Gold.

How not to ask? Whatever the Professor was doing, Raiden was glad he was over here. Especially since... Cela had immediately turned Miles down.

Hmm.

Cela turned away from Miles as best she could and nodded at Vindictus.

"I have lots more." She explained in an aside, "its not his fault his breath stinks and his hair is kind of bad."

OhHAII, Chris.

Wait a second! Chris smelled of garlic. Honestly. Gold blinked, looking up at her sort-of-boyfriend through green eyes that did not show the surprise she felt, right now. Garlic? But she was used to a Chris who smelled nice! Like soap and lemon and cute stuff!

What she wanted to do, right now, was to swish her skirt and pout and tell him her kitty had eaten her homework, and she needed to complete that, not dance. But Gold decided she couldn't possibly do that. Well, she could, but there were a bunch of students here who might pick up the wrong lesson. "Sorry, Chris," she said, apologetically. "I would love to, but someone else has already asked me, for this dance."

She gave him a really, really apologetic look.

OH. THANK. GOD. A breath mint. Grabbing the mint that Vindictus handed him he glared at him briefly and popped it into his mouth. It only then occurred to him that he shouldn't be so sure it was a breath mint but...phew...it was. Minty goodness.

Grinning at Cela he held his hand up and breathed. Yup good to go. He glanced at Fia and smirked before looking at Cela again. Now to make sure she stayed away from his hair....

Rhea sat watching the proceedings from one side of the hall. It was all quite amusing but she couldn't bring herself to even giggle. Now that Art is away she would be absolutely partner less for this ball. Why was she even here? For a second she got up very tempted to just run out of the hall and sit by the lake alone. Almost all the school was gathered in the hall anyways. She sighed and sat again. Watching wouldn't hurt, she would just sit out the dancing thats all. She groaned quietly and rest her face in her open palms. Suddenly Hogwarts was a lot gloomier and not even this ball would be a silver lining.

"And we have another polite refusal! Well done!" Vindictus exclaimed and handed Chris a blue breath mint.


"Remember to make eye contact when asking someone to dance. If they are talking to someone, don't be rude and interrupt - wait until they acknowledge you." He turned to the Slytherin Prefect. "Did you get all of that, Raiden?"

Leaving the prefects alone, Vindictus walked over to the old record player and stood by it. "Now I want everyone to find a partner. Don't forget to ask them to dance! Once you've found your partner, find a place on the dance floor and wait for me to start playing the music."

From her perch on the "girl" side, Ivory stifled a giggle at Cela's dramatics. They were truly wonderful. Taking note of the technique, assuming she ever got asked to dance in the first place, she tried to pay attention to what her head of house was saying.

Selena absolutely dreaded this part. So... was she invisible now? No one, absolutely no one, would want to dance with her. She didn't even know why she was here. She glanced around the room. Rawrs. Alone she will stand. Wallflower... wallflower...

Well. That was almost completely pointless.

Ellie swung her feet on the bench. Who would ask her to dance? Really? Hopefully...someone? Sigh. What's a firstie to do but wait?

How NOT to ask to the dance? The boys definitely got it right! Holding back a chuckle when Gold perfectly excused herself out, Blake slightly sulked in his chair. Maybe he won't be spotted and escape the embarrassment? Gee, being denied by a girl in front of the whole school IS embarrassing even if that's the initial task.

Chris looked at Professor Vindictus like he was a crazy person. Had he really done that to him, in front of the whole class? Oh well it was over now. And he had a MINT!!!!! The gryffindor grabbed the mint like it was the only piece of food he would have in months and ate it quickly, feeling his breath freshen.

Now they needed to ask their partner to dance. Hmm first a second breath check. Good to go!

Alex stood by have tempted to roll her eyes, she knew no one would ask her so why bother? She eyed Selena before poking her shoulder, "Don't apologize for Charms Class." Alex finally got a chance to utter smiling at her friend. She did however make sure her voice was lowered pratically a whisper.

Fia only wondered what Vindictus was giving Miles and Chris. The reaction that Cela gave seemed to sport bad breath. Thank goodness it was Cela that got to experience that horrid smell...that she could now smell from here. WHOA! She pressed her lips together to keep from laughing even the tiniest bit for she knew the meaning behind it.

Rhea groaned again but added a little whimper too. Today was totally not her day, not not not! She scooted over to the very end of the bench near the corner and whiched on every strand of her hair that she had an invisibility cloak at that very moment so she could run away without looking like a complete fool. She pulled her legs up on the bench and rest her forehead on her knee hiding as best as she could.

Ah, lovely. Time to "dance." Vashti wondered if she could simply stand against the wall or quickly dash out of there without being noticed. Because she doubted anyone would ask her, be it to dance now or to go to the ball in the first place. Which was okay with her, really, or so she told herself. She eyed the doorway, trying to gauge how fast she'd have to be to make it out of here unnoticed. Hmmm...