Dance Dance [OPEN]

[Danny Bailey]

Daniel had just exited the Hufflepuff Common Room, changing his robes for the more casual Muggle attire he was now wearing. It was much easier to dance in, and that was exactly what he was going to do. Homework could wait. Dancing...well it couldn’t. If he did his homework first, and then had dinner, he’d have no time to dance. Not if he had to check up on his father and be back before curfew. It would be a tight fit as it was, so he mentally prepared himself to do homework in the middle of the night. It had been too many close calls with his Professors as it was, and the last thing he wanted was for people to start asking questions.

Climbing the stairs, he finally entered the Music Room, grinning as he walked in. He loved spending time here, aside from the grand piano it had technology to play Muggle cd’s. It was easily his favorite room in the castle, and he practically twirled around as he headed to the stereo. He put in an R&B cd. It wasn’t his favorite music to listen to, but he loved dancing to it. Stretching his muscles, he made sure that they were warm before starting his dance routine. What he wanted most of all was to become a part of a dance group, and he had been training on a routine he’d taped during the holidays.

[leigha]

Like usual, Leigha was on top of her homework. She barely had anything else to do with her time. It wasnt as though she was all that conversational, if spoken to, she would answer you out of common curtesy but the fact remained that Lee was incredibly shy. As she walked through the halls, her head held low and her books clung tightly to her chest, she tried to avoid eye contact with anyone. She barely spoke to the Ravenclaws let alone anybody else and Slytherins creeped her out. She wasnt a coward, on the contrary, if riled enough she would speak her mind though you might not like it. She was always honest with people however, it was one thing she couldnt help to be.

She tried to picture where she'd be in ten years, probably in a job that didnt have much to do with the general populas. Like maybe an unspeakable in the Ministry? Or maybe she'd just hide forever. She couldnt see herself with a family, she was far too shy for that. Whenever she was around a guy she liked she became quite mute, muter than she usually was in front of people. She found herself in a deserted corridor, there was nobody around and instantly she felt much safer. Being in a crowd of people made her feel uneasy really. Her father told her that her innocence was endearing, that it was a gift in her. Her sister told her it was stupid and no guys liked a shy girl. Not that Leigha cared, she wasnt interest in anyone she had met.

Music was coming from the music room. Lee looked around for a moment to see if anybody was near, when she was sure she wasnt she pressed her ear lightly to the door, listening. Her brows knitted together, who was in there and what was that awful sound. That wasnt music, it wasnt even tasteful noise. She pushed the door open and walked in, looking for the source of the sound and who was playing it. At first she didnt even see the male dancing, her eyes locked on the machine which was making the disturbing sounds. Leigha wasnt a violent person, but she had a strong desire to kick it. Of course, she refrained, especially when she noticed the blonde male.

"Oh!" She squeaked, "S-sorry!" She turned her head and looked at the floor, hugging her books even tighter.

[Danny Bailey]

Danny had been lost in a world of his own. His eyes closed, he could see the routine in his head, and it was easier to follow it this way. He wasn't even counting out the steps, not so that he was aware of it. He was just dancing, following the tune, the rhythm, and loving it. The blonde had a permanent smile on his face when he was doing this, and it wasn't hard to see that he absolutely loved the sport. Because yes, it was a sport. A quite intensive one, even, judged by the red marks on his cheek and the rapid breathing.

The sound startled him and he had trouble timing his landing, having been in the middle of an intricate jump movement. He landed on his ankle, cursing loudly as it didn't hold his weight, sending him crashing to the ground. Perfect. This was just what he needed. Someone to barge in here, disturb his flow, and give him a sprained ankle.

As he was about to yell at her, he realised that she was a particularly cute and shy looking girl, and he winced. Her apology seemed sincere enough, and she didn't look like she'd been disturbing him on purpose. So, despite the pain, he forced a smile onto his face, one that soon enough reached his eyes as he looked at her. "Hey...that's alright."

[leigha]

Well that wasnt very good. Leigha had disturbed him at just the moment he had been doing a jump and because of it, he misplaced himself and ended up hurting his ankle. Leigha stammered her apologies, not looking at him. Feeling a little bit foolish and a little bit scared, what if he had really hurt himself? She furrowed her brow and stopped those thoughts before they overtook her mind. It was ridiculous to think things like that, he'd only sprained his ankle... but even so... he wouldnt be able to dance for a while now.

Leigha heard his voice and turned her head to look at him. She had expected him to be angry, but instead his voice was quite gentle and his mouth turned up in a smile which stretched to his eyes. Surprisingly, she found herself smiling back at him, then a faint blush crept up her face and she had to look away again. The music stopped as the cd came to an end, silently she thanked the stars for that. R&B just was not her thing. She preferred things like Oasis and the Fray. Easy music, music you could relax to. U2 didnt go amiss either.

"I... I really am sorry." She took a deep breath before turning to look at him again and gave a shy smile, "I didnt realise... I just heard the music and wondered what it was." She tried to explain, but without any real success. Leigha was really a complex person, when she had to try and speak without any prompt, she failed. Although, when asked a question she would answer it easily. "I didnt mean to get you hurt... do you need to go to the Hospital Wing?" She knew she was rambling without any real reason and mentally slapped herself. "I'm Leigha..." Her voice was quiet and timid, her cheeks had a rosy tint to them too. "I'll uh... just go." She turned to leave him alone, her hand resting on the door handle, feeling very much like a fool.

[Danny Bailey]

She apologised, quite a few times, and he couldn't help laughing a little. It was adorable, and unnecessary. Anyone could've come in and the same thing would have happened, so it wasn't as if she was personally responsible for hurting him. Next time he just needed to remember to lock the door. "It's quite alright" Danny spoke softly, not wanting to spook the girl any further. She already looked like she was going to cry or run off.

Rubbing gingerly at his ankle, he relaxed a little when he realised it wasn't as painful as he'd expected. "Nah, I think I'll be alright. Won't be dancing anymore today, but that's not the end of the world" He was sitting on the floor, looking up at the girl who had retreated towards the door, her hand on the handle as if it were a life line. The blonde couldn't help wondering why she seemed so worried.

"I'm Danny. The music's dreadful, isn't it? It's good for dancing though." He made sure to smile at her again, beckoning her closer with his hand. He didn't want her to feel like she had to stay, but he didn't want her to feel forced to leave either. "You can stay if you want."

[leigha]

Him laughing only made her blush deepen, and clung onto her books tighter. She tried to say something productive but instead found herself drawing a blank. She watched as he rubbed his ankle, her brows raised slighly, almost expecting him to wince or something. Leigha's mind made everything seem worse than it was. She gave another smile when he told her it wasnt the end of the world. It relieved her actually, that he wasnt mad at her. Her hand remained on the door handle, ready to bolt at any given moment if need be. Part of her wanted to run but she was actually curious to know why he was alone, in a room, dancing to lound untasteful music.

"Yeah, it really is." She smiled, she would definatly agree that the music was dreadful, she'd heard cats screech better. "Is it? I wouldnt know, I avoid dancing as much as I can." Leigha was un-co-ordinated and slightly clumsy. Trying anything physical or strenuous was a disaster, she either hurt herself or hurt someone else. She wouldnt try Quidditch in fear of falling off her broom or knocking one of her own players off their own brooms. She hesitated when he beckoned for her, though after a moment, her hand fell of the handle and she found herself making her way slowly and cautiously over to him. She put her books down on one of the benches and sat down near him, her hands pressed palm down on the floor.

"Do you dance in here often?" It was a lame question, she knew it was but her mind was drawing yet another blank. She tapped her fingers lightly on the floor and gazed at the ceiling, keeping her eyes off the boy sat beside her. Leigha was in a situation which felt strangely familiar, something she did not want to remember and tried her hardest not to remember. She had made a point of not being one on one with boys these days. It just felt awkward to her.

[Danny Bailey]

He nodded as she asked about dancing, an idea popping into his head that he immediately dismissed. It was one thing to invite this girl over to talk, asking her to dance with him was quite another. Somehow he was sure she wouldn't approve of the idea. "Yeah, I want to become a dancer, so I practise here basically every day" It wasn't a secret that he loved to dance, and that he'd do anything to achieve that.

Even if it meant dancing at crazy ass hours, doing his homework in the middle of the night and sneaking out of the castle to see his father inbetween. He wanted to juggle it all. He wanted to have good grades so no one expected his sneaking out, he wanted to keep his father happy so the man wouldn't hurt him any more than he did, and dance...it was his life. He couldn't survive without dancing. Not for longer than a few days.

"You don't like dancing then?" It was almost impossible for Danny Bailey to understand. Ever since his mother had taught him, he'd been dancing through life more than he was walking. Literally. He sometimes danced through the corridors, trying to make his way to class.

[leigha]

It seemed this was something they wouldnt have in common. Danny liked to dance whereas Leigha hated it. It wasnt that Leigha hated it, more to the point that Leigha just couldnt do it. She had no sense of rhythem and ended up standing on people's feet or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time and completely messing everything up, her partner would get frustrated with her and she'd feel smaller than an ant. She was pleased for Danny though, happy that he had found something he wanted to do with his life. "Well... thats nice." She had no answer for that and the answer she did give seemed strained as though she was thinking way too hard.

Leigha really didnt do much, when she wasnt studying, attending class, or doing her homework, she was walking around the grounds. Leigha rarely went down to Hogsmeade. Avoiding the crowds and beside, going there alone wasnt much fun when she'd have wanted opinions on things. She should invest in a friend or at least a confindent. She had tried various hobbies, all of which failed. Trying to learn an instrument, but her arms and fingers were too small and she couldnt bend them in the right way. Drawing, well her people looked like disfigured match-men.

"I cant dance." She answered honestly. "I'm not co-ordinated enough to do it. I either injure myself or injure someone else." She laughed and pointed to his ankle. "I wasnt even dancing with you and I managed to injure you." She shook her head, dancing was not her strong point, in fact it was her major weak point. "Physical activity's plus me equals recipe for disaster... I'm a danger to myself on those things."

[Danny Bailey]

She seemed nice enough, and Danny couldn't stop himself from asking, a smile on his face. "If you want, I could teach you how to dance. Or at least, how to move through the room without injuring either of us" His voice was light and teasing, the boy feeling happy and relaxed at the prospect of sharing an afternoon with a girl like Leigha. She was nice and seemed genuinely sweet and worried that she'd hurt him. How bad could it be to really teach her to dance?

Of course, it could be a disaster, but so what? They'd have fun, and Danny liked to make people smile. If it didn't work out, they could always go back to talking together, and hopefully by the end of the afternoon, he'd made a new friend. Friends were always good to have.

So were people he could make out with, but hey, she seemed way too sweet for that, so he stored that plan for now. The last she needed was someone who came onto her and treated her like a piece of meat rather than a person. And besides, cocky as it might sound, the blonde didn't have trouble finding people who were willing to give him an hour or two.

[leigha]

Leigha let her eyes wander the spacious room. She could see how it would be easy to dance in here, there wasnt much you could bump into or fall over. It might even be safe for her to take a turn or two, though emphasis on the might. There was still the possibility that she might fall over her own feet and land flat on her face. Afterall you did need some form of co-ordination for something like this and Lee had next to none. Leigha would have loved to be co-ordinated, like her elder sister. She had so much grace Leigha was usually speechless just watching her.

"You..." She flushed and looked at her knees, he didnt know how accident prone Leigha was, although it could be fun if she could manage not to hurt either of them. "Yeah, okay then sure." It was bold for Leigha to accept such an offer, she wasnt usually this confident especially in situations like these. "But I must warn you, chance of success for me learning is slim... chance for injuring us both is approximatly 98.9 percent."

Leigha would agree with him, Friends were good to have. Someone you could sit and talk to, share your problems with or just generally have a laugh with. Leigha didnt have many people she could confide in, exactly none outside her family and where was the fun in that? So she stood up, flicked her brown hair back over her shoulder and looked apprehensivly around the room wondering silently how many things she'd break, or how many of Danny's bones she would break.

[Danny Bailey]

Danny couldn't help smiling at her when she took him up on his offer. It was great to know that someone he barely knew trusted him, at least to a degree. He liked dancing, and he'd been teaching little kids how to dance for a while now, during his summers. How hard could it be to teach this girl how to move properly? Nodding as she mentioned the chances of injuring them both were pretty high, he held out his hand, cocking his head to the side.

"I think I'll take the risk. My feet have been trampled on a fair bit in my time, and I'm sure I've done the same when my mum taught me how to dance. Of course, I was only tiny so it didn't hurt much, but I doubt you'll seriously injure me." And if she did, they'd at least had a bit of fun, hopefully.

Still holding out his hand, he let her assess the room, the possible damage they could do. "What kind of dancing would madame want to learn?" He knew popular dancing, or what people considered popular dancing, but that was mainly swaying from foot to foot or making a total monkey out of yourself. He also knew jazz, street dance and of course the slightly less popular ballroom dancing.

[leigha]

Leigha's heart rate increased as she thought about dancing... let alone dancing with a guy she barely knew. She was panicking a little bit but she tried not to let it show. She didnt know Danny was a good teacher, she knew he was a good dancer, she'd seen him dance a little before she caught him off guard. She looked at him as he held out his hand, close contact like that, even just holding his hand made her think of -- no... she wouldnt. She knitted her brows for a moment, trying to calm herself before she took his hand and allowed herself to be guided by him.

"Well, its your anatomy I guess." She laughed as she stood with his hand in hers. Her palm felt like it was on fire but she ignored it. Maybe it was just her own paranoia. "Uh, hello... ankle? I wasnt even dancing with you then and I managed to injure you... what hope do you have when you are dancing with me?" She brows knitted together again, she really did feel quite bad about that.

"Something soft?" She asked, her fears of dancing like a popular person the way they did, hands flying everywhere... well she'd probably take his eye out so that way was out. She had rarely danced before, the only time she had was at a family gathering when she was five... she stood on her dad's feet as he held her hands. "Something where I could make minimal damage..."

[Danny Bailey]

He practically giggled as she referred to his ankle. It really wasn't hurting all that much, but she was adorable, thinking she would do damage to him. "We'll just take it easy. Start somewhere slow, minimal movement involved, I promise" Danny squeezed her hand for a moment before turning towards the cd-player, clicking a few buttons until a slow waltz came out of the speakers. "Waltzing is pretty easy to start off with" Smiling at her, he wrapped an arm loosely around her shoulders, holding her in the dance position.

"Put your other hand on my shoulder" His voice was soft as he spoke to her, since she was so close right now. The blonde enjoyed teaching others how to dance, but he understood that it could be nerve wracking and completely terrifying all at once, especially for a girl that seemed as timid and accident prone as Leigha Warren.

Holding her loosely, he coaxed her to look down at their feet. "If I put my right foot forward, you have to put your left one backwards. Like this.." He leaned on his right foot a little, putting it forward an inch or two and pushing her gently backwards with his toes.

[leigha]

Leigha couldnt help be a little worried about what damage she'd do. Or how much more damage she'd do to his ankle either. He squeezed her hand and it was quite amazing how much that reassured her. She was worried about the room too, and herself... "Alright..." Her voice was very small, showing obvious signs of nervousness. She listened as a song came on, a slow one, that was alright... slow... minimal movement, couldnt be too bad could it? But of course, what if she liked it too much. That was a danger too. He wrapped his arm around her and she found a blush creep up her neck to her face involuntarily. That was embarrassing.

"O-okay s-sure." She stuttered a bit and placed her hand on his shoulder, trying to keep her eyes away from his, afraid that it might make her blush again. She was terrified, she couldnt do this, she knew she couldnt. But she couldnt stop now. Lost and insecure was probably a good explanation of how she was feeling right in this moment. She tried to clear her mind and concentrate on what he was saying but her mind felt oddly foggy.

She looked down at her feet and listened as well as she could. She pulled her left foot back and found herself moving, it was odd but moving one foot was quite easy. "Oh!" She laughed as though shocked in herself, probably amazed that even though the two had barely moved she had managed not to trip over... well there was plenty of time for that yet. "Right foot forward... left foot back..." She mumbled to herself... couldnt be that hard.

[Danny Bailey]

He smiled at her when she moved, glad that she'd managed to do that without hurting either of them. Danny honestly hadn't expected her to, but he figured that she had, and that every second without an injury was a victory. "Dancing like this, the male is always the lead, all you need to do is follow" It was a problem with some girls, who couldn't dance without forcing the lead on him instead. He somehow doubted that Leigha would end up like that, and if she did, it was probably because she was aiming for a bit of control, rather than wanting to decide where they were going.

"Though, if you want to stop at any point, just let me know. I tend to get a bit carried away when it comes to dance" The blonde gave her a friendly smile, slowly taking her through the first few steps of the English waltz they were doing. It was basically a repeat from there on, the simplest way of doing the waltz. Of course they could add a lot of steps and twirls, but they had the start here, and if they moved through the room like this, it'd look like dancing to a lot of people.