The great hall was overly crowded. There were so many couples and groups of people moving around to the music, dancing, and having a fun time. Walton felt like he could barely catch his breath, and he kept finding himself stepping on ladies' skirts or getting caught between them when two girls were just too close together. He'd had enough of being crowded in, so he made his way to the Entrance Courtyard to catch his breath and cool off. It was December, after all, so being outside should definitely be cooler.

Once outside, he took care to smooth out his jacket and readjust the buttons. He dusted a bit of muck from his white pants and stretched. Walt was glad to have the room to move about, to stretch and twist and bend without the worry of bumping into twenty people in the mean time.

It was interesting, at least, to see how fashion varied from school to school. Hell, even within his own school the outfits were mismatched. The purebloods were full of pomp and fashion, and then there were girls like Skye who had decided to have a bit of fun with their outfits rather than go for traditional and boring. What he wore was somewhere between muggle and wizard fashions, but it was more or less comfortable and showed off his Gryffindor pride!

After catching his breath, he noticed that he wasn't the only one standing around in the courtyard. There were a few couples who had stolen away for a bit of privacy- but there was another person standing off to herself. Walton smiled to himself and approached with an overly flourished bow. "Miss Sorin!" he greeted. "You look pretty." And she did. "Are you hiding from the crowd of party goers as well?" he asked. "Or just communing with nature?"

Rayven smiled as Walton came up to her. Her hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, thanks to her dreads, and she had a simple brown leather band wrapped around her forehead. Her white dress flowed as she turned to face him. She looked a bit taller than usual thanks to the slight heel on her brown knee high boots. She pulled her white shawl tighter around her as a cold winter breeze went by, catching the wisps of her hair and making her dress flow behind her.

"A bit of both, I suppose. The crowd is a bit more than I'm use to and it's a beautiful night." She glanced over his attire and smiled a bit wider. "You look very nice tonight as well Mr. Dodd. The crowd too much for you to handle tonight?"

It was a beautiful night. "Be prettier if it was snowing," he commented. "I feel like the Yule Ball needs some snow. The weather forecast said there should be some light snow... Maybe before the night is out we'll see some." Walton looked up at the sky, clouds were already starting to gather around the moon and the stars.

Walton shrugged a little when she asked about the crowd. "More the clothes than the crowd. The girls are all wearing this huge, fluffy dresses! They look like cupcakes. It's silly." At least, it was to him. Walton had grown up in a muggle home with a muggle family. Traditional wizard fashion was always a mystery to him. He couldn't fathom why they didn't adopt something more practical and less... old.

"Are you having fun so far, though? The crowd aside?" Walton asked. "Plenty of dances, nice food, good people and all that?"

Rayven looked up at the sky, admiring the clouds forming in the sky. After seeing a ring around the moon the night before and the way the clouds were forming now, she knew it would snow soon. She had spent enough time outside watching the skies over the years to know. The look of the sky and the feel of the air was a very familiar feeling to her. Snow was refreshing to her. So fresh, soft, and pure. It was the main reason she was outside instead of enjoying the ball.

"Aside from the crowd, I'm having a wonderful time. I danced a few songs with some of my friends and enjoyed the food and punch. I agree with you though. The clothes these people are wearing are much too extravagant for my taste. I prefer the more simplistic styles. They're much more practical. I would imagine the clothes they wear are quite uncomfortable as well." She scrunched her nose at the idea and lightly laughed.

Rayven was raised by a muggle family who prided themselves on being humble. She did not come from a poor family, but was taught that extravagance was unnecessary and she should be thankful and content with simplicity. She carried these teachings with her, but did not judge those who valued such finery.

"Are you enjoying yourself tonight? I see there's not a lady on your arm." She looked back to him, her eyes soft and gentle matching everything else about her.

Walton laughed right along with Rayven. "Yeah, I mean- I feel like a fool in this suit. I can't imagine petticoats and hoopskirts and corsets. Some of those girls must have spent at least an hour just putting their dresses on. Makes me glad I'm a guy. I'd hate to wear anything I couldn't put on or take off by myself." Thank Merlin for the simplistic life of being a male. Wake up, put on pants and a shirt- and you were off. It wasn't necessary to fix your fair or do makeup or any of that other stuff.

He almost blushed when Rayven pointed out that he didn't have a lady on his arm. Indeed- he did not. Walton hadn't found a date for the ball. He'd decided to go stag- that way he could hang out with his friends and dance with as many people as he liked, without having to worry about offending anyone he might have taken.

"No, there isn't. I decided to go stag. I thought it might make the ball more fun. Besides, that way I can dance with the ladies who didn't find dates. You know, help brighten their evenings." Because naturally dancing with Walton would make your evening brighter, right? Not that he was usually a particularly arrogant sort of guy, but he liked to think he was good company.

"I could say the same for you," he added. "I mean- you don't have a man on your arm. Or a lady. You know, whichever you prefer..." Walt trailed off awkwardly and rubbed the back of his neck, offering Rayven a slight grin. "Whichever- doesn't matter to me. Just so you know." Which was more than could be said for a lot of students at Hogwarts who subscribed to a more traditional lifestyle.

Rayven laughed, throwing her head back a bit. She had never heard anyone question her sexuality before. Was this Walton's way of asking her? It was sort of cute seeing him act the way he was tonight. He looked very nice tonight and his messy hair was a pleasant contrast to the formal attire of the night.

"No ladies will be on my arm tonight or any night. While the same sex may tickle some peoples fancy, I prefer the company of the opposite. I decided to come alone tonight. I like to be outside during moments like this and I wouldn't be a very good date if I abandoned someone, now would I?"

Rayven looked over Walton's face and something caught her eye. A few small snowflakes had started to fall. A smile brightened up her entire face and her eyes seemed to sparkle. She closed her eyes and raised her head to the sky. The snowflakes fell from the sky and landed delicately on her cheeks, melting as soon as they touched. She gripped her shawl, almost hugging herself as she let herself get lost in the moment.

Ah. So she was dateless! Walton felt a bit guilty to be glad to hear that... But if she had chosen to come alone, just as he had, then it wasn't a bad thing. He wondered if anyone had asked to take her to the ball. That might be a rude thing to ask, though, so Walt kept the thought to himself. He didn't want to offend her. Rayven was a nice girl- and in his past experiences, Hufflepuffs had a tendency to be more sensitive than others.

"I suppose you wouldn't... But a good date would understand your quirks and would accompany you out instead of getting offended." Walton shifted his own gaze to the sky when Rayven closed her eyes and looked up. He grinned a little when he noticed the snow. This would make the Yule Ball complete! It was quite festive, and matched the wintery interior of the Great Hall.

When Rayven grabbed her shawl and hugged herself, Walton undid the buttons on his jacket again. "Are you cold?" he asked, already shrugging it off. "You can wear my jacket if you like. The suit is stuffy anyway, and I've got on enough layers to stay warm enough." Walton offered the Hufflepuff girl his jacket with a smile.

Rayven looked back at Walton with a gentle smile. The snow was settling on her hair, the flakes resting delicately on the strands. She turned her back to him, letting him slide the jacket on her arms and pulling it close to her. She closed her eyes a moment and took a breath, inhaling the smell. She opened her eyes again and turned back toward him.

"Thank you much, Walton. I appreciate it. It's much warmer than my shawl. Are you sure you don't mind? I wouldn't want you to get cold."

She trembled a bit from feeling the warmth of his jacket against her.The other people outside with them had gone inside when the snow started to fall. She looked out over the grounds. The snow was starting to create a white blanket as it continued to fall. She could still hear the music from the great hall and started to lightly sway to the rhythm. It was an incredible feeling for her to be able to enjoy the snow and music, but the company was what made the moment for her.

"I'm sure I don't mind." What kind of a gentleman would he be if he let Rayven stand outside and shiver? Not one at all... And Gryffindors were nothing if not Chivalrous. Walton prided himself on being a good person, and treating others with respect- and this was all a part of that. It had nothing to do with the fact that he thought Rayven was especially pretty dressed up for the Yule Ball.

"If I need to, I know a quick warming charm that would do the trick, anyway." He also had a few candies in his pants pocket that kept you warm. He usually used them for winter quidditch practice or late night Astronomy classes. But Walton thought they might come in handy tonight. He was looking forward to warmer weather, though. He loved snow, but it really put a damper on the chance to be outside. Especially if it came a blizzard.

"So have you got any big plans for your Winter break?" Walt asked, leaning against a wall. "Or just heading home to hang out with family?"

"Just heading home. My mother likes hearing about what all I've learned and my dad shows more interest every time I go home. This is also the last year my brother and sister will be home. They are going to the states this year to study abroad. I love spending Christmas with them. Do you have any plans?"

Rayven looked toward the great hall. It was getting colder outside. While she loved being outside, she really didn't enjoy the cold that much. Walton had mentioned the charm, but the snow was getting heavier and settling fairly well.

"Would you like to go back inside? While I'm really enjoying being out here with you, I would hate for the snow to settle so bad we can't get the door open."

She laughed a bit and looked over at Walt. He looked much better without the fancy jacket on. A bit more natural and more comfortable. She smiled a sweet smile.

"I bet going to the states to study would be exciting!" Now that he'd learned more about the Salem Institute because of the tournament, he wished that magical schools did stuff like that. Being an exchange student in the wizarding world would have to be way more exciting than being one in the muggle world. "That's good, though, that your parents like to hear about the stuff you've learned. I remember when I started Hogarts- my parents were fascinated by magic."

He shrugged when she asked about his plans. "Just hang out at home and with friends." Walton didn't have any siblings. "I think Sasha is staying in London some this summer, so I'll probably go to bother him a bit." He wasn't sure whether or not Rayven was familiar with Schlagenweit, but since Sasha had been a prefect up until recently and his life at Hogwarts had been relatively dramatic, she probably at least knew him by name

Walton nodded when she mentioned going back inside. "I suppose we should. We could go get some punch." He wondered whether or not anyone had managed to spike it by now. He'd heard a few of his classmates debating it- he'd told them not to. Walton didn't like having to dole out punishments to his friends.

"I think they have some hot beverages, too. That might help cure the chill from the snow." He offered Rayven his arm, and opened the door back into the castle proper. "After you."

Rayven smiled and linked arms with Walton. She stepped inside with him on her arm and blushed a bit as some of her friends looked at them, giggling. As head boy, the younger girls often gossiped about him.

"Something warm sounds wonderful. That should help me get warmed up and I'll be able to give you your jacket back."

She laughed a bit as they made their way to the refreshment table. She looked around at everyone in the great hall. Some of the people were sitting at tables, relaxing after dancing the night away. She saw some couples sitting close, giggling and enjoying their private talks and getting cozy. She watched people dance and smiled at the few who were being silly on the floor.

"Maybe after we warm up a bit... we could dance. We've been outside for quite a while. It would be nice to have a bit of fun before the night ends", she suggested with a bit of color on her cheeks.

"I'm not worried about the jacket, it looks better on you anyway," he said, tossing her a grin. Walton led her over to the refreshment table. He dropped her arm from his as he found a cup of warm apple cider for the both of them. He handed her a mug. "Careful, it's hot," he reminded her before picking up a mug for himself.

When she suggested they could dance after warming up, he nodded. "Yeah, that would be fun. I'm not the best dancer in the world, though, just so you know." He wasn't horrible. But events like this usually called for knowing how to waltz or do fancy dips and spins. Walt could put his hands on a girl's waist and sway. He'd gone to the dance lessons offered by his head of house, but had been too busy goofing off with friends to really absorb the steps for a long period.

"But I'll do my best not to step all over your toes." Or to get too close. Professors had been wandering about breaking some couples up. He suddenly wished he had paid more attention at the lessons. Stepping on Rayven's feet would not be the way to round out his evening.

But if they danced to something more upbeat, then that might be less of a worry. "Do you know how to dance?" he asked her. "If so, you can tell me when I'm doing something wrong. Maybe teach me a thing or two."

Rayven laughed a bit and sipped her cider. She hadn't thought about the technicalities of most of the dances the other students were doing. She had never really danced like that herself. She did like music and she could sway. She knew a few basic steps to the dances but wasn't an expert by any means.

"I typically don't mind helping people learn things, but I think you and I would be in about the same position on this one. I know the basics but I don't know all the fancy moves. "

Rayven wasn't concerned with being proper or elegant or professional tonight. She just wanted to have some fun. So they were both bad dancers. Why should that ruin the night? They could both just enjoy the moment and let loose for a while. That's what tonight was suppose to be about after all, right?

"There's no reason to be too concerned about it. I just thought we could have a little fun. We don't have to really dance or anything. Just move around a little bit and try to stay on beat."

Rayven laughed again and pulled his jacket close to her again. She took a deep breath, inhaling the smell and smiled. It was turning out to be a pretty great night.

Walton felt relieved to learn that Rayven was apparently just as bad at dancing a he was. Great! He wouldn't have to worry very much about looking like a fool. He could have fun. And if he did make a fool of himself... Well... That would be alright. Rayven didn't seem the sort to really judge him for that. She was a nice girl. As long as he didn't fall down or punch her in the face accidentally, things should be fine.

And he rather liked the way she was pulling his jacket close. He was glad he could keep her warm. And he was even more glad he'd been freshly showered before the ball. Hopefully his jacket didn't smell too horrible... It shouldn't. He hadn't really sweated much, and he'd sprayed on a bit of cologne for the event.

He took another few sips of his cider, then set the cup down on the table. "I think you're definitely right. And even if we don't stay on beat- I doubt anyone would notice. So long as we don't step on anybody else's dresses or toes we should be fine, don't you think?"

Walton gently took the cider from her and placed it next to his own half empty cup, then grabbed her hand to lead her out on the dance floor. As he situated his stance, ready to boogie down- the music abruptly changed. Godric's garters! That was exactly what he had hoped wouldn't happen. He blushed a little, then awkwardly placed a hand on either side of her waist. "Guess it's a slow one first," he said with half a grin. "Lucky us, yeah?"