Testing the Limits [Dimitri]

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March 2024

There were too many people, and too much alcohol.

When the idea of throwing a party in the Ravenclaw Common Room had come up, everyone had gone crazy. She didn’t even remember when the last time they had a party was, and that proved how much time had actually passed since then. But when they had said ‘party’, Nerisei had thought it would be just the Claws. Like, a big gathering with a few snacks and a couple of beers. But oh, how wrong she were…

It was only after she had dressed in a pair of old jeans and a sweater that Anne had stopped her from exiting the room. All of her dorm buddies were dressed… provocatively. Even more provocative than her, and that said it all. Nerisei hadn’t understood the why, until Anne came up to her with a shocked look. “Please, tell me that you’re not wearing that.” The other witch told her, and Nerisei gave her a confused look. “But, it’s just going to be-”

“All of Ravenclaw, the hot guys from Slytherin, all the Gryffindors and a couple Hufflepuffs. Is that what you meant to say?”

Nerisei’s jaw had hit the floor after the ‘hot’, though. Where they serious? What was wrong with these people? “Anne, this is not a ‘party’! This is a freaking Ball! How many people did you actually invite?!”

“Enough to keep us occupied,” Anne said with a wink. “Now, go change!”

The fifth year sighed, knowing that there was no way she could fight Annie right now. After all, the ‘party’ had already started, and she was way over late. Searching through her trunk, Neri found a pair of jeans, and a black fancy top. “These will have to do,” she muttered to herself and quickly changed into her new clothes. Grabbing a pair of black heels, the witch checked herself in the mirror she nodded and grabbed her wand. You never knew.

The moment her feet touched the Common Room carpet, Nerisei could already smell the booze. Everyone, or well, almost everyone, were already drunk. Half of them were making out in every corner of the room, and the rest were dancing like crazy. There was a bunch of people playing ‘spin the bottle’ again, but Nerisei wasn’t interested in any of that. Her eyes scanned the room, searching for the only face she really wanted to see, but she couldn’t spot Dimitri anywhere.

“Let’s drink to that,” Nerisei said sarcastically, finding some firewhiskey and pouring a little in a cup. This was going to be a long night.

Outfit

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After things had been settled with Nerisei and the witch insisted that there was no problem between them. There had, eventually, been relief knowing that Nerisei would never expect anything from him, nor would she think he wanted anything if the situation were to arise again. And, from there, they had gone back to how they’d been before, spending time studying together, dancing (though Dimitri had asked that, for now, they avoid the Bachata for a while), going to classes together, and just hanging out together when there was nothing more to do.

It was in early March that the Ravenclaws had called a party in the Tower. There were invites being sent out to the other houses, to the kids people liked, and Dimitri had had no choice on his attendance. As Phil said, they were all going, so Dimitri had simply followed suit. Nerisei was going -- something he’d found from Anne when they had been talking -- so that meant he had no excuse to get away.

Though, in truth, Dimitri needed the break from reality for a while anyway.

The boys had been drinking throughout the afternoon. Phil was now more confident than usual, happily trying to chat up any and every girl that came to stand before him. But, having better judgement, Phil had been politely declined four times now.

Dimitri sat in the corner nursing a room temperature beer than he’d been holding on to for the last hour or so. This was his fourth, so he was on a light hum that came with alcohol consumption, but still in control. After all, if you drank slowly over many hours, the effects weren’t as bad.

The music had started -- or, rather, the excuse for music had started, and Dimitri hated it -- and people were dancing, obscuring Dimitri’s view of the room. Whilst the Ravenclaw boy was not shy, and was in his own right popular, he was not overly impressed with the parties that went on in the school. They all lacked class, and almost everyone ended up in the wrong beds by the end of the night.

Dimitri had opted for a suit -- “don’t you wear anything else? Literally a shirt would do, Dimitri!” -- for the evening, but had left the tie back in his room, instead leaving the top two buttons undone to ‘play down’ the outfit as much as Dimitri was comfortable. Honestly, the others really didn’t understand his background at times!

His eyes were scanning the room for one person in particular, but she was nowhere to be found, so Dimitri finished off the last mouthful of his warm beer before getting to his feet and heading towards the drink table.

And, of course, this is where he ran into Nerisei. “Hey, Neri,” Dimitri greeted the witch, getting himself another can of the low percentage beer that was kind of cold. “Ready for the antics of the evening? I hear Phil has his eyes on a Hufflepuff witch… umm… what was her name… the blonde six year who plays Quidditch…” Dimitri explained, hoping Nerisei knew who he was talking about because the name had fully evaded his memory in that moment. Which, really, was a surprise seeing as Phil hadn’t shut up about her!

“Bea!” Dimitri remembered belatedly, looking much too happy with himself for remembering the name.

“You look very nice this evening, by the way.” Dimitri complemented the witch, before motioning to her knees. “Though, I have never understood why ripped clothing is fashionable… My mother always throws her clothes out before they can get to that stage…”

Another small snippet in to the boy’s life where the fashion of the Muggle world eluded him completely.

https://s2.vagalume.com/panic-at-the-disco/images/g156174w250.jpg

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She hated this party already.

Nerisei wasn’t your usual social butterfly. She was an introvert, and kept to herself, most of the time. With that being said, parties weren’t really on her priorities list. Hell, she didn’t even know if she had ever felt comfortable in one. There were always a couple of reason to hate gatherings like these ones, Though, as she got older, more and more reasons popped up. Now, she already had a long list as to why she hated parties.

“Volkova,” A voice said, causing Nerisei to jump. Turning around, she saw one of the Slytherin guys, who looked way over drunk. Why wasn’t he passed out already? The girl stared at him, trying to figure out who he was. She didn’t really know a lot of people, plus the firewhiskey she had been sipping for most of the evening had her tipsy. She still had full control of her body though. For now.

But it seemed like the guy took the staring as an invitation, because soon enough, his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer. Nerisei snapped out of her thought immediately, pushing against him as hard as he could. Thanks to his drunken state, it wasn’t hard to remove herself from his embrace.

“What the hell?” Nerisei asked, her eyes ready to set the guy on fire.

“Oh, come on. We know you’re giving it up to the Moreau. I am a Pureblood as well. A much better Pureblood. I just want a little taste..”

The Ravenclaw witch felt like gagging. Only after he spoke, though, did she recognise him. He was indeed a Pureblood, and a compatriot as well. He was the Olsson heir, but his first name escaped her still. But what shocked her the most was the fact that he expected her to sleep with him… because she had already been sleeping with Dimitri? What the hell was going on here?

“Look, Olsson. You can be anything you want, but I still won’t be interested in you. I don’t know who made that little story up, but I am not giving anything to anyone. Now, dra åt helvete!” Nerisei told him in Swedish, proving how mad she was. Grabbing her empty cup, she moved past the Slytherin male, who was already calling her things she didn’t even want to repeat, and towards the drink table.

Just as she was downing another shot of firewhiskey, a familiar voice called out for her. Nerisei turned to her left to see none other than Dimitri. A smile touched her lips in no time, and the Ravenclaw witch turned fully to him, leaning in for a hug.

“Hey, Mitri!” Neri greeted back, happy to have finally found the only person she wanted to spend time with in this ridiculous gathering.

“Ready for the antics of the evening? I hear Phil has his eyes on a Hufflepuff witch… umm… what was her name… the blonde six year who plays Quidditch…”

Nerisei had, of course, heard about said witch, since a girl from her dorm was crushing hard on Phil for the past couple of months. So, it was only natural to know anything and everything that had been going on around Phil, even if she didn’t want to. They were her dorm mates, she didn’t want to be rude to them.

Though, before she had the chance to speak the name, Dimitri spoke up. Nerisei nodded, proving that he was, indeed, right. “Yes, Bea. As for this evening, I am, certainly, not ready for anything!” The Ravenclaw witch admitted.

“You look very nice this evening, by the way.”

And there went the compliment. Dimitri was always a gentleman. Making sure to make you happy, and compliment you on anything. Sometimes, it made Neri wonder whether he complimented her because he actually believed what he was saying, or if it was all because of the way he had grown up. After all, that was what they were taught to do. Make a lady feel like… well, a lady!

“Though, I have never understood why ripped clothing is fashionable… My mother always throws her clothes out before they can get to that stage…”

Nerisei didn’t hold back her laughter at that. Dimitri was a Pureblood, but there were times that Nerisei kept forgetting that he was that much. He was so different than all the Purebloods she had met, which made it hard for her to think of his as one. Not because he lacked on anything, but because he was just… perfect. He could be everything a Pureblood should be, and at the same time, be the funniest, most adorable person on earth.
And this was one of those times.

“Well, sweetheart, there is a small difference between Muggle and Pureblood clothes. We are simply, more fun!” Nerisei insisted, after her giggles had died down. Her eyes, though, didn’t stay on his face. They wandered down, taking in his outfit and a small smile and a nod. He looked hot. Again. But when did he not? He could be dressed in a shack, and he would still look like the hottest guy on earth, in Neri’s eyes.

“You look… sexy today.” Nerisei admitted, the alcohol obviously messing with her brain. This was not good, but, it was the truth. The suit he had picked out for today made him look way sexier than usual. She didn’t know if it was the black, or maybe the alcohol, but she couldn’t keep her eyes off of him.

“Pardon me, I didn’t mean to be so forward.”

Downing another shot, Neri smirked. Yep. Definitely a little more than tipsy.

“So, what are you going to do? Play spin the bottle? I’d offer to be your dancing party, but, I admit I am a bit tipsy, so I may, or may not say things that I will regret.” Like, how wet you make me, the voice in her head said.

“Also, beer? Come on, try some real alcohol, please! That’s a disgrace! Plus, you really don’t want a beer belly, believe me!” Nerisei insisted, handing him a shot of firewhiskey. “Just one. For me.”

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Dimitri’s arms wrapped around Nerisei without a second thought when she leant in for a hug, giving her a soft squeeze before letting her go once more. It was not, in Dimitri’s world, a normal manner in which to greet a lady, but Nerisei was not like all the other ladies he knew, she wanted the short embrace, and Dimitri couldn’t find it in himself to say no to her wishes.

And, where was the harm in a small embrace, anyway?

The admittance that Nerisei was not ready for this evening brought a fond smile to Dimitri’s lips. “Honestly? Neither am I, Phil snores ten times louder when he’s passed out drunk!” Dimitri confided with a knowing smile. “So, I’m really hoping someone takes him back to their dormitory tonight so that I can get some sleep!” He joked.

Though, of course, Dimitri wouldn’t wish Phil’s drunken presence on any witch, but some people didn’t like to keep their inhibitions about them on nights like these…

The laugh that escaped Nerisei at his joke on her attire made Dimitri laugh softly with her. At least she’d taken it well, and as she explained that Muggle attire was much more fun, Dimitri shook his head with mild amusement. He was not going to pass up his opinion on that much, because Dimitri knew the witch and he would never really see eye to eye on that much.

But then came Nerisei’s compliment back to him, saying he looked sexy that evening. Dimitri’s eyebrow raised slightly at the forwardness of that comment, but Nerisei was already apologising, and Dimitri simply waved it away. “It’s okay, thank you, though.” He replied, because it was a compliment, even if it was not the one he’d been looking for.

“I can’t dance to this… rubbish.” Dimitri replied to his plans. “And I’ve seen the way the Spin-the-Bottle ends up at these parties. You either end up really, really drunk -- and often times throwing up -- or you end up in sexual situations you never wished to be in. Something which I don’t particularly favour, if I’m honest.

“So, I plan to spend the party… hiding in plain sight.” Dimitri explained with something of a knowing smirk playing on his lips. “And you, what has Anne, et al, been putting you up to for this evening?” Dimitri asked, wondering if Nerisei was going to be stolen from his presence, or whether they’d get to spend the evening together.

After a sip of his beer, though, Nerisei was telling him off for not drinking the right alcohol. Insisting he try the Firewhiskey that he avoided in most circumstances. He was about to tell her as much, too, but when Nerisei asked him to do it for her… he found himself incapable of arguing.

“Okay, but just one…” Dimitri replied, putting his beer down temporarily and taking up a shot of the amber liquid. If everyone was to be believed, this stuff burned on it’s way down. Dimitri was not too fond of this idea, but he brought the glass to his lips and in two mouthfuls -- how in Merlin’s name did you do shots? -- it had gone down. A moment, a very short moment, and Dimitri was about to comment on how the liquid was not so bad as everyone made it out to be…

And then the burn hit him.

Coughing slightly, and eyes watering, Dimitri picked up his beer and took a mouthful to try get rid of the feeling. Which… did very little to help as he shook his head. “Oh Merlin, that’s disgusting. Why do you drink that stuff?” Dimitri asked after a moment, still looking thoroughly repulsed by it.

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When Dimitri admitted that he simply couldn’t dance to the music that was playing, Nerisei had to nod. It was atrocious, even for her. They could, of course, destroy the part by pranking them, and changing the music, but that wouldn’t have a great end, so Nerisei didn’t even bother mentioning it. After all, she didn’t want to draw more attention on herself. She already had Dimitri’s. And that was enough.

“And I’ve seen the way the Spin-the-Bottle ends up at these parties. You either end up really, really drunk -- and often times throwing up -- or you end up in sexual situations you never wished to be in. Something which I don’t particularly favour, if I’m honest.

“So, I plan to spend the party… hiding in plain sight.”

Neri nodded at Dimitri’s answer. To be honest, she didn’t expect anything else from him. She wasn’t saying this in a bad way, no. On the contrary, she was glad Dimitri was not interested in what everyone else seemed to be doing. Because, Neri, certainly didn’t want to play Spin the Bottle, for a lot of reasons. One, she didn’t want to end up in any sexual situation that didn’t involve Dimitri. Yes, the witch was simply unable to get him out of her head, and that meant that there was no way in hell, she would allow anyone else to touch her in any way. They were friends, of that much she was positive, and she knew very well that this was all she would be getting, but that didn’t matter. Her body responded only at the thought of Dimitri. No one else would get the chance to have her.

And plus, she really didn’t want to see Dimitri getting involved with any other girl. She knew that, eventually, he would find a girl, and she would have to man up and move on. But… she wasn’t ready for it. Not yet. And it really didn’t have to happen in front of her eyes. Nerisei knew that Dimitri would never make her feel uncomfortable like that.

“And you, what has Anne, et al, been putting you up to for this evening?”

“Well, for starters, she forced me to wear something fancy,” Neri said, motioning to the outfit Dimitri had complimented earlier. “Then, she tried to get me to play Spin the Bottle, over five times already. Obviously, I declined. And just before you arrived, a Slytherin Pureblood came to me, saying that since I have been.. Intimate with you, he would like to ‘have a taste’ as well. His words, not mine. To be honest, I am flattered to be considered your girl, in a sense, but I truly do not understand these rumours. We are not romantically involved, and we haven’t given any signs! I don’t get why people just have to make things up.”

The alcohol was, obviously, helping Nerisei express her thoughts way easier, but the witch hadn’t understood that she was already beginning to get drunk. She was simply enjoying her drink, talking to her friend. Her crush, that happened to be her closest friend for the past months, it seemed.

“But you saved me, so, thank you Lord Moreau. To show my appreciation, I will, gladly, spend the rest of this evening with you. Far away from crazy games and love -struck couples.”

But then it was time to see Dimitri drinking Firewhiskey for the first time. Nerisei knew that as a gentleman, he wouldn’t be drinking too much, since drunkenness was not what was expected from Pureblood men, like himself. Though, the wizard agreed on downing just a single one, because she had asked. Nerisei didn’t hide the pride that showed on her face. She liked knowing that Dimitri would do things just for her. Even if it was just a shot.

Dimitri took his time with the liquid, and Nerisie had to raise an eyebrow. She truly needed to teach him how to drink shots, it seemed. But she was more focused on his reaction at that moment. His face was calm, but Nerisei knew that it wouldn’t stay like that for long. Sure enough, his eyes watered in no seconds and a few coughs escaped him. There went the fire…

“Oh Merlin, that’s disgusting. Why do you drink that stuff?”

As Dimitri sipped some of his beer, attempting to cool of his throat, Nerisei let out a soft giggle and downed another shot. Was her head buzzing? Surely. Was she going to stop? Nope. “I like the fire, Mitri... “ The witch admitted with a small smirk. Plus, it was way better than beer. “And I told you, beer belly is not something I want!”

Scanning the room, Neri’s eyes found Anne, who was currently pushed in a corner, making out happily. The guy who had his tongue down her throat was not familiar, though.

Just then, a slow song came on, and Nerisei turned to look at Dimitri. She knew they had agreed on leaving the dancing part for a little while, and she also knew that this was definitely not something he wanted to dance to, but since they were forced to stay at this party, they should, at least, try to have some fun. After all, what else could they do all evening?

“Dance with me,” Nerisei told Dimitri, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the ‘dancefloor’ that had been created. Neri was obviously drunk, from all the shots, and all she wanted was Dimitri. Her feelings were slowly surfacing once again, but she wouldn’t make a move. Not again. Though, her body had a different idea, because her arms wrapped around his neck, and her body pressed against his as she slowly moved to the rhythm. A soft sigh escaped her lips, before Neri placed her head against his chest.

“I love dancing with you, you know. You are the best partner…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp-EO5I60KA

Guest

Nerisei’s comment on how her friend had tried to make her wear something ‘fancy’ was one that had Dimitri internally raising an eyebrow. If this outfit was fancy, Merlin only knew what casual looked like in Nerisei’s wardrobe. However, none of this showed in Dimitri’s outward reaction, because he knew it would be mightily rude to let someone know their own version of fancy was definitely far from the word.

Then, of course, there was the Spin the Bottle. Dimitri wasn’t surprised, it was the game that got the other simple minds in the room enjoying themselves with not-so pleasant mannerisms that Dimitri had never understood. Why would anyone wish to be casually making out -- and Merlin knew what else -- with people they barely knew? No, Dimitri could not fathom the fun in that, so he steered quite clear from such things.

But it was the next part that really got to Dimitri.

Someone had tried it on with Nerisei because he believed there was something going on between himself and the witch before him? How in Merlin’s name did that make any sense? Not to mention that just because Nerisei may or may not be happy doing such things with one person… it didn’t mean that she would do it with just anyone. In that moment, Dimitri’s jaw had set, and his eyes had darkened -- if only a little bit -- as he looked around for the culprit of those words. It was not the rumour that he and Nerisei were sleeping together, oh no, nobody suggest his friend was… like that.

But Nerisei’s words brought Dimitri’s eyes back to her, and they softened slowly as she spoke. “Whether or not it is true is besides the point, you shouldn’t have to put up with such words being spoken to you, Nerisei. Who was it?” Dimitri asked, because he was most certainly not going to let this go.

“You know,” Dimitri replied as, once again, she spoke to him in such a formal manner. “Dimitri is just fine. We’re friends, you don’t have to throw titles around. They’re vastly overrated in the modern society. I think… only the Clements really care for such things these days. Well, them and the Murrays, of course.” Dimitri explained, the smallest notion of disgust touching his features at the thought of both of those families. Power hungry machines, that’s all those families were.

As his eyes burned from the alcohol and Nerisei said she liked the fire instead of a beer belly, Dimitri gave an amused smile through his grimace. “I don’t drink often enough to get one of those, and the wine on offer in these parties is even worse than the Firewhiskey.” He said after another mouthful of beer which had done little to aid him in that moment.

“Note to self, Firewhiskey is a definite no.” Dimitri said, letting out a soft laugh to show that he was joking… mostly.

“Dance with me,”

“Nerisei…” Dimitri tried to stop her, but the witch was already pulling him along to the makeshift dance floor, and once more, Dimitri instead found himself complying with her wishes. Though, this time, they were not dancing in any traditional, or modern manner that they had before, no, this time Nerisei had opted to loop her arms around his neck, and rest her head on his chest with a soft sigh that he’d caught just above the sound of the music.

For a moment, Dimitri stood still, trying to work out what to do as his eyes moved around the room. Finding the mirror image on a number of others, Dimitri wrapped his arms around the witch’s waist and back, and started to slowly sway back and forth -- though, unlike the others, Dimitri had found the rhythm of the song, and was following it as they moved.

The song wasn’t one Dimitri knew, but the lyrics were highly romantic, something that was not entirely comforting when dancing with Nerisei in front of a room full of people. The rumours were bad enough without them adding fuel to the fire…

“I love dancing with you, you know. You are the best partner…”

“I don’t think that’s quite true…” Dimitri replied softly, focusing his attention on Nerisei rather than the rest of the room as they swayed (in Dimitri’s mind) awkwardly to the song. “But, thank you, I don’t think I’ve danced with anyone as easily as I’ve ever danced with you, either.” He admitted truthfully.

Alcohol was always good at loosening the tongue, wasn’t it?

“Though, I think people are going to get the wrong idea with us dancing to this song.” Dimitri admitted, letting out a soft chuckle. “Or, more of the wrong idea, it would seem. Seeing as the Slytherins already think we’re…” Dimitri cut off, he was not good at talking about such things. It was not something he’d ever truly spoken about with a lady.

And, right now was not the time to start.

Guest

When Nerisei admitted to Dimitri that another guy had made a move on her, she hadn’t expected him to react that way. The witch noted that his jaw had set, signaling that he was, the least, annoyed at the situation, if not angry. Secretly, a part of her was hoping that he was, the slightest bit jealous, or that the anger he had shown was because he felt… he felt as if he had a claim on her. But Nerisei knew better than that. Dimitri was simply annoyed at what he had heard, just because she was his friend. And he was a nice guy, so he wasn’t overly fond of the idea of his friend being considered… something that low.

“Whether or not it is true is besides the point, you shouldn’t have to put up with such words being spoken to you, Nerisei. Who was it?”

She wanted to tell Dimirti who it was, she really was. One, because she wanted him to know exactly who had dared to speak so lowly of her. And him, in a sense. Because, she was Muggleborn, and she knew that in their eyes, she was nothing but trash. Worth of nothing. And another part of her wanted to tell him just to see what he would do. Would he put that guy in his place, just to save her reputation? No, Dimitri was a gentleman and he would never fight. Especially for her. And truth be told, she wasn’t fond of the idea of him fighting. With anyone.

“Oh, Mitri… It was no one. It’s… it’s going to be okay…” Nerisei said, avoiding his eyes, in need to hide the hurt that would probably be reflected in them. She didn’t want him to feel responsible for her. Responsible for this situation. After all, it was not his fault. And she didn’t want to drag him into a complicated situation, that would surely make him look like he was intimate with her. If Dimitri made any move against the Olsson heir, he would only strengthen the rumours that wanted them to be in a relationship.

Thankfully, though, they moved past that. As Dimitri mentioned that the titles were unnecessary, and that the only families that would, probably, care that much about them were the Clements and the Murrays, Nerisei simply nodded. She didn’t know much about the Murrays, but what she knew were enough to keep her as far away from them as possible. As for the Clements… she only had the chance to meet Elenore, but she didn’t seem too bad, She wouldn’t know, though.

As for the talk about Firewhiskey, Nerisei simply waved DImitri off. Sure, he didn’t drink that much, so he was safe from the beer belly she had been talking about, and true enough, the wine serves here was simply despicable. But how could he not like Firewhiskey? It was strong, yes, but it was amazing. And the Ravenclaw witch was one hundred percent sure that he would eventually like the drink. Maybe not now, but at some point, everyone does.

But all of that was forgotten when the music came on. Nerisei had dragged him to the dancefloor before he had time to say anything. Dimitri tried to stop her, but reluctantly followed, not wanting to hurt her feelings. Truth be told, Neri had drank a little too much to take no for an answer. She was going to have fun with Dimitri, and she would start caring about what everyone said tomorrow. For now, it was just them.

“But, thank you, I don’t think I’ve danced with anyone as easily as I’ve ever danced with you, either.”

“Of course you haven’t.” Nerisei said with a small giggle. The witch was only joking, but there was a hint of truth in it. It was rare to find a dancing partner who was compatible with you. A partner didn’t just have to be good at the dance. He had to be able to move the same way you do. Share the same need, passion and knowledge you did. It was more than just a duo dancing. It was… magic.

“Though, I think people are going to get the wrong idea with us dancing to this song.”

Nerisei sighed heavily. She knew that Dimitri would say something like that. And he didn’t mean any harm. On the contrary, he just wanted to protect them, both, from the rumours that wanted them involved. It was obvious that Dimitri didn’t like the situation. He didn’t like being tied to someone like her. It was bad for his image as the Mureau heir.

“As you wish,” Nerisei said, taking a step back and not bothering to hide that she was sad about this.

“I need another drink. Is your sister around here? Maybe you should check to see if she is safe. Don’t worry, I will be by the bar all night. Away from the scandals,” The witch said bitterly, the alcohol getting to her head once again. Pushing softly past him, Nerisei made her way to the bar, downing two shots of Firewhiskey immediately, needing to feel the fire burning her throat. She hated this party. She hated everything.

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No sooner had the two of them settled in to the gentle sway, Dimitri could feel eyes upon them, and he knew the whisperings had started. It was not his own reputation that he cared for -- a male was allowed his rendezvous when he was in his teenage years, no one would fault him for it -- but Nerisei’s. The witch likely didn’t understand the harm that could come to her if things went wrongly and Dimitri was only trying to keep her safe.

Which was not how she took his comment in the slightest as she pushed away from him and then insisted he go find his sister. As the witch pushed past him, the room filled with the sound of ‘ohhhhhh’s and the sound of a sharp intake that ensued when watching a ‘couple’ fight.

Dimitri stood still for a moment, calculating in his head.

Trying to decide the right thing to do when Nerisei had just brushed him off completely. The Moreau heir didn’t know what he was doing, truth be told, he’d stopped knowing what he was doing around Nerisei Volkova some time ago, and he was going to live to regret every decision he made around the witch.

His eyes met Phil’s from across the room and his dorm mate raised an eyebrow at the outburst, before motioning Dimitri off after the witch. Bad idea, his mind supplied even as his feet moved off towards Nerisei. At the table, Dimitri picked up a full bottle of Firewhiskey, and he took Nerisei’s hand, pulling her out of the common room before he stopped, turning back to her in that moment.

“I didn’t say that to upset you. I’m trying to keep you from getting hurt, Nerisei. But if you want to throw caution to the wind, let’s go find a classroom, and sit and drink together. Neither of us wants to be at the party, so, why not do something we enjoy, hmm?” Dimitri proposed, not taking a step further because he wasn’t going to insist upon it. If Nerisei said no… well, he’d head to his dorm and call it a night.

Guest

Nerisei didn’t expect Dimitri to come after her. A big part of her didn’t want him to. She was angry and hurt and the alcohol was simply making those feelings twice as bad. Dimitri had made it obvious that he just didn’t want them to look as if they were close, and Nerisei was okay with it. Since that was what he wanted, she would give him all the distance in the bloody world. Nerisei was done trying to be good. Done pretending it didn’t hurt her. Because it did. It really did.

The whispers that erupted after she had left Dimitri alone on the dancefloor were completely ignored by the witch. She didn’t want to know what the were saying. Because no matter what, it wouldn’t change what was going on between Dimitri and her. She had to accept the fact that there was no chance for them. She had to find someone else and move on. And the alcohol wasn’t helping with that because the thought of finding the Slytherin Pureblood crossed her mind. But how could she do something like that? How could she give herself to someone she didn’t even know? If she did that, she would be exactly what the rumours wanted her to be.

In a matter of seconds though, Dimitri was next to her, grabbing a bottle of Firewhiskey and her hand, and pulling her out of the common room as fast as possible. Nerisei didn’t have time to look around and she what had happened, but she didn’t care much either. She was confused, though, as to what exactly was Dimitri doing. Thankfully, Dimitri answered all of her questions before she had time to speak.

“I didn’t say that to upset you. I’m trying to keep you from getting hurt, Nerisei. But if you want to throw caution to the wind, let’s go find a classroom, and sit and drink together. Neither of us wants to be at the party, so, why not do something we enjoy, hmm?”

Nerisei simply stared at Dimitri. Every time, he said the same thing. How he didn’t mean to upset her, and that he was simply trying to protect her. To make sure she wouldn’t get hurt. But how could he not see that he was the one hurting her? And he wasn’t just hurting her, but himself as well. He was pushing her away because he wanted to protect her. But it didn’t work that way. It never worked that way.

But how could she deny him? How could she say no to his invitation of drinking the night away, together, in peace? That was exactly what she wanted, wasn’t it? And even though she should tell him no, even though she should push past him, or even scream at him that what he was doing was worse than the rumours being heard all around them, Nerisei found herself nodding her assent.

The witch held his hand tightly, pulling him along after her as they moved down the stairs. They weren’t going far. The idea of an empty classroom was a good one, but there was a place where they would surely not be discovered because simply, no one would go there at this time. The Music Room. The room that meant so much to the both of them, but mostly to Nerisei. It was the room she had talked to him for the first time. The room she had danced with him. In there, she had finally accepted how in love she was with him. And her heart told her that this was the best place to go.

It didn’t take them long to arrive either. A couple of minutes later, they were both in the Music Room, perfectly alone. Nerisei used her wand to lock the door -she didn’t want anyone to destroy this moment-, then dimmed the lights. She didn’t need bright. She needed Dimitri. Just him.

Grabbing the bottle from his hands, Nerisei opened it and took a big gulp, placing it aside, before she grabbed his hand. “You owe me a bloody dance, Dimitri. And now, you are not getting away. A Waltz is in order, don’t you think?” With a small smile, Nerisei waved her wand at the piano, before placing it on the stool.

Moving to Dimitri, she did a small curtsy, her eyes finding his. The music was going to start soon. She had chosen one of her favorite pieces. She loved that piece, and there was no one else she would want to dance this with.

“Please, Lord Moreau. Can I have this dance?”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUuusqy50yk

Guest

No spoken response came from Nerisei when he suggested going somewhere else and hanging out. Just the two of them. Dimitri stood waiting expectantly, only for Nerisei to take his hand and drag him down the stairs. Where they were going, Dimitri didn’t know, but he followed without question because he trusted the witch wholeheartedly.

Soon, though, the familiarity of the music room found them and Nerisei was closing and locking the door behind them. The Firewhiskey was taken from Dimitri’s hand, and almost on instinct he freed himself from his suit jacket, knowing what was coming next.

Nerisei took a swig from the bottle, and Dimitri followed suit, grimacing at the burn once more, not enjoying the sensation in the slightest, but deciding that he didn’t really care in that moment of the consequences of the alcohol.

Why?

Because Merlin knew he was on a downward spiral that he simply could not continue on without being somewhat drunk in the face of the peril that was undeniably going to happen at some point in the near future.

Nerisei’s hands were in his in the next moment, pulling him forth to dance a Waltz because, apparently, he owed her a dance. Smiling at the witch as he waited for the music to start, flourishing an overly flamboyant bow towards the witch because… well, why not?

“Of course, Miss Volkova.” Dimitri replied, taking her hand and drawing her closer to him in the Waltz hold. As the music came in, they both moved effortlessly in to the standard steps of the Viennese Waltz -- Dimitri had a preference, he couldn’t help it -- around the music room.

“Strange piece to choose.” Dimitri commented after a number of different complexity of spins with the witch, until she came back before him in the usual hold. “Not really… what I would have chosen to Waltz to…” He commented, though that didn’t show in the way he moved, everything continued to be natural, despite his more than a little bit drunk nature now.

Firewhiskey was not good to you the first time.

“I could have played it for you, though…” Dimitri pointed out softly, maintaining the simple steps of the Waltz without all the elaborate lifts and spins.

Though, of course, Nerisei would already know that.

Babbling, his mind pointed out for him.

» The Muggle Way V.2 [Dimitri]
» 'Us' [Dimitri]
» Breaking the Ice [Dimitri]
» Duet with me? [Dimitri]
» Teach Me [Dimitri]