9:00
 great hall

---

As Althea and Tom walked through the ball, Althea's mind wandered to Gale, and him asking her to go to the yule ball with him. She felt terrible saying no to him. He was a great guy. A little misunderstood, but a great guy none the less. She wished she could have said yes. But she didn't say yes. She said no, and now, she was stuck at the party with her best friend who she begged to pretend to be her date.

She felt a nudge on her side, as Tom looked at her. "A penny for your thoughts?" He asked, looking down at his best friend. She smiled.

"It's nothing, Tom. Nothing."

"It's that guy, Gale, right?" He guessed, she looked down with a smile. "It is about Gale! I knew it! See Al, I can always read your emotions!" He said excitedly. "You going to go find him?"

"No, I don't want to bother him." Althea replied, and Tom shot her a knowing look. "Okay, I do want to bother him. But I'm not going to. I'm a grown up now, I don't bother people."

"You bother me." He said with a smile. "Go find him, Al. Really."

There wasn't much he had left in him for this night. It was emotionally draining and exhausting. He itched to dance, his Romany heart burning in his chest every time he caught the beat of the drums, and even when he thought no one was watching he'd sway in time with the music. However, a student would pass and he's straighten like the perfect professor/soldier and give them an ever watchful eye (he only had one).

It was refreshing to see so many happy faces, but now he was counting down the moments to when the party would be over and he could be free of the heavy white robes. He wanted out of these boots, his bare feet to the floor, and the cool confines of his sheets. The wine he'd had early in the night hadn't painted his face this blush color, but it mixed with the heat of the room made his face look like winter painted him.

Out of the corner he caught sight of the ever lovely Althea and her date, and was surprised at how he felt a little jealous. Was it because she had a date? Or simply she was still able to bring one, and he couldn't. After that failed attempt, Gale made up his mind he was going stag, and would simply face Minerva's wrath than go through that again. Finally, with a heavy sigh his attention went back to the room, and he entertained the idea of having another drink.

Tom nudged her again. "Al, he's looking at you. More likely, he's looking for you. Come on, Al, go dance with him. Please, for me?" Althea looked up to him with a nervous smile.

"And what will you do?" She asked, her eyes darting around the room.

Tom's mouth curved into a sly smile. "Al, there's a couple girls I've got my eye on tonight. Starting with that beauty over there." He said with a nod of his head in the direction of a woman in a silver gown. "I figured I'd go embarrass myself with dancing with her while you go make adorable small talk with the pirate."

Althea slapped him on the arm, as he laughed. "I'm joking, I'm joking." He then pushed her slightly towards Gale. "Go to him. Go be adorable, and dance the night away like you've always wanted to." He said. Althea gave him one more nervous smile, as he pushed her a little closer to Gale.

As soon as she mustered up the courage, Althea walked across the ball to Gale, where she smiled nervously, and fixed her hair. "Uh, hey." She said looking at him. He looked wonderful that night.

Gale quietly mused to himself having watched nearly the entire ordeal between Althea and her date. It was rather adorable he had to give her that, and he would have gone to her had this Tom not nudged her.

Um..hey Came a little voice, and Gale turned his attention from the dance floor onto the woman at his side.

"Good Evening, Mademoiselle Santucci, it's good to see you." He offered his hand to take hers and place a kiss to the back of her knuckles, and with a smile continued, "You look very lovely. I will have to admit that I'm rather jealous of your date." Was that how you said it in English? Envious.

"Are you having a good time?" He asked, folding his hands before him to regard her lightly, "Can I get you anything? A glass of wine perhaps?"

Althea blushed as he kissed her hand. She felt like a princess that night, and it wasn't even her ball. She was only a chaperone. But she liked Gale because he was one of the few who didn't make her feel so alone and invisible. That was why she was always so loud growing up. She was trying to assure herself all those years that she wasn't as invisible as she felt.

"You look very lovely. I will have to admit that I'm rather jealous of your date."

Althea looked down with a smile, as she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thank you. You look great as well." Althea glanced over to Tom, who was telling a story with broad gestures to the girl in the silver dress. "Tom's less of a date, and more of a favor. He's not really anything to be jealous of. He's just Tom, I guess. Tom, Tom, the piper's son." Althea quoted from a nursery song.

"Are you having a good time?...Can I get you anything? A glass of wine perhaps?"

Althea smiled again. "I'm just fine. Can I get you something? I mean, uh, like something to drink?" She asked, awkwardly, before placing a hand to her face. "I'm sorry, I don't typically do these social things. I'm really not too good at them." She apologized, smiling awkwardly.

He laughed with how adorable she was when she was flustered, and extended his hand to her again. This time to lead them to the dance floor. She had promised after all.

"No, M'dear, I don't need anything. Just to take up my favor?" He grinned and curled her hand to his shoulder, forward yes, but Nightingale was pleased to have her. "I still couldn't get a date, and the person that I share my heart with couldn't make it. Though I suppose...he would have wanted to have been here." Gale looked over her shoulder at friend Top, the Piper's son who was staring so with a grin, and he gave the man a nod back.

"I'm not very good at social things either. It's why my first dates are always to Muggle movies, where there is less talking and more laughter."

So so so SORRY! This thread got marked as read before I posted!! Sorry about that!!

---

Althea smiled as he lifted her hand to his shoulder. She didn't want to dance with Tom. He always stepped on her feet. But Gale, Gale seemed like he'd know what to do. She placed her other hand in his, and nervously smiled, glancing at her feet. "I'm really sorry if I step on your toes. I'm going to try my hardest though." She looked up and into his eyes. "Thanks for dancing with me, Gale." She said. "I know I'm nothing special, but you make me feel special." She said.

Althea then blushed. "That sounds so awkward." She said.

"Step on my toes, I don't care. I'll just carry you along with me. I think of all people here you would understand that this event is far too formal. I'd be free of these heavy robes if I could. We could dance in the flesh if it would please you and make you feel free." He smiled and laughed a little as he gave her a spin.

"And you are special, and it doesn't sound awkward. Trust me." Gale moved his hand to touch her cheek, and smiled, "My boyfriend would be so envious of the woman in my arms right now."

"Step on my toes, I don't care. I'll just carry you along with me. I think of all people here you would understand that this event is far too formal. I'd be free of these heavy robes if I could. We could dance in the flesh if it would please you and make you feel free."

Althea let out a laugh. "I'm afraid I'd be too self conscious to dance like that." She explained. It was a strange thought, to envision everyone dancing in the nude. Althea quickly disregarded the thought before envisioning her dancing partner. She was a professor. She had to be professional. It was almost in her title to be professional. Gale brushed at her cheek, and she let out another small smile

"My boyfriend would be so envious of the woman in my arms right now."

Althea wasn't off put by Gale admitting he had a boyfriend. She knew other professors would be judgmental, but not her. Let a player play, she'd say. Everyone got to do what they wanted. "I'm sorry he couldn't make it. I would have loved to meet him." She said. "Sadly, the closest thing I've got to a boyfriend is Tom. But Tom is just so, Tom." She smiled. "Sorry. I'm probably boring you."