Huck flinched a little when she burst out laughing- that was the most unexpected moment of the evening, probably. He was used to people laughing at him- or with him, whatever- but it was usually mild-to-moderate laughs that were evenly spaced out throughout his theatrics. A series of pursed lips followed by a sudden outburst seemed slightly psychotic. Endearing, yes, but psychotic.

He laughed, but mostly because he was laughing at her laughing. Politely (which was tough for him), he listened dutifully to her entire speech on friendship, and then held his hands out imploringly. "No, no!" he groaned comically. "Not serious face again! C'mon, what happened to fun face? Where did she go?"

Intentions? In honesty, Huck figured that his intentions were usually less-than-admirable. He wasn't sure about this particular instance. His actions in calling her over were purely to entertain himself, and picking away at shy kids was generally just a fun hobby for him.

"Every guy's got intentions, Aurora," he rolled his eyes a little and clicked his tongue. "It might not seem like it, but they all do."

Aurora looked at him and sighed in frustration.  "Vulpes and I are just friends, okay?" she said, a little annoyed.  "He only sees me as a friend, he only wants to be my friend, that's it.  His intentions are just to be my friend, but nothing more.  It is possible for a guy to be friends with a girl and not have those types of... feelings for them."

Abruptly, she stood up and started unrolling her jeans.  "Fun face is rare with me, alright?  You just happened to be in the cross-fire." she said evenly and began putting her buckle boots back on.  "I'm pretty much all serious face, all the time, and that's why I don't think you can keep up with being my friend.  Whatever your intentions are, I'm not going to pretend to be something I can never be just to keep someone around." she finished the last buckle of her boots and was about to pick up her bag.

"Woah, woah, woah," he said quickly, sliding a bit closer. "Let's just cool our jets here a minute."

He bit his lip, trying to churn out a sentence that sounded acceptable to him. He believed what he said. He did. But what he considered to be the truth wasn't worth making a girl upset right at the end of the school year. "Look, I'm sorry," he said. That much was true. He tried to formulate his next sentence with as much of the truth as he could fit in. It was the same thing he said to his sisters. It was the same reason he picked the suitors of his sisters up by their collars and let them know in no uncertain terms what he would do to them if their aims weren't perfectly above-board. "I just... think you should be... aware."

That sounded condescending. "I mean... not..." he rubbed his face quickly and then held his hands out in defeat. "Look, I'll admit I don't know whatsisface very well. I don't. But I do know a great deal of guys, and my experience pretty much all points that way."

Aurora's hand gripped around the strap but paused.  She slowly let go and stood up straight, staring at him with crossed arms.  "You're holding back what you really want to say, Huxley," she said evenly.  "I'm not naive, I know what guys are like.  I'm a good reader of characters, and I trust Vulpes's intentions are pure." she said softly and took a deep sigh.  "But with you, I get nothing substantial, nothing to go by.  That sort of thing never happened to me before, so you can imagine how uneasy I've been." she admitted.  It's like he's speaking a different language,

She closed her eyes for a moment before taking a leap.  "Which brings me to my next question.  What are your intentions with me?" she asked seriously, watching him curiously.  "And be honest, because I've been lied to basically my whole life, and I'm sick of it."

Huck had weaseled out of worse situations. It was a simple truth of his character that he liked to rile people up. To him, it was funny to see people flustered and out of sorts. And as a result of this dubious pasttime, he often had to smooth things over in order to ensure his life remained fairly hassle-free thereafter. He knit his brows together and stood up to use his height to his advantage. People seemed to take his more seriously when he was at his full imposing stature. "Substantial?" he repeated, cocking an eyebrow. "I'm not sure what you're expecting out of me, seeing as we just met, but I'm being myself."

He also wasn't sure why people seemed to assume that just because a guy is fast-talking and charming he would necessarily be up to no good. ...He often was up to no good, but he hated being accused of it when he wasn't. And even when he was out to achieve less-than-admirable things, he rarely ever lied to do it. In his experience, he could say exactly what he wanted in the right tone and with the right mannerisms and people would fall all over themselves to help him.

He decided to level with her. "Bible truth," he began, holding his hands up as a sign of surrender, "I was starting to get bored, you wandered by, and I thought it would be entertaining for a while." That was the truth. ...Well, most of the truth. He decided to leave out the part about how he thought she looked cute wandering around like a daft little faun out on the lawn. A minor detail. "And for that matter, what are your intentions? You're so jumpy I thought you were keeping an eye out for the sniper you hired to kill me," he joked with a little grin.

Aurora wasn't intimidated by his height, in fact, she thought it amusing.  "To clarify, I wasn't insinuating you weren't being yourself.  I meant that you're hard to read." she said lowly, narrowing her eyes at him.  "My intentions were clear from the beginning.  I didn't come over because I thought you were cute or anything, I was being polite."  She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"I was being jumpy because, one: I've only ever talked to Vulpes, so I'm still uncomfortable with the concept of socializing.  Two: I was uneasy that I couldn't figure you out, not because you were being what you think is charming.  And three: these past two weeks have taken me through a whirlwind that has way more to do with having a friend for the first time."

"By the way, if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't need a sniper to finish the job.  I know dozens of ways of how to kill a man with my thumb."  She was completely serious by that point.  "Now, I think I have stayed long enough for you to be entertained.  Thank you for the strawberries, good night." she finished lowly and started off toward the lawns.

Huck grabbed his things hurriedly and started off after her, though in his mind he had no idea why. "Aurora!" he called, his tone a little angry. His instinct was to grab her shoulder, but after what she had just said to him he thought better of it. A broken collarbone would really put a damper on his end-of-year fun.

"Hey!" he ran up beside her. "I really think you're taking me out of context, y'know," he offered, attempting to reposition his broom under his arm while slinging his bag over one shoulder. "I'm not trying to be a prick here, okay?"

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "I didn't mean entertaining like you were some sideshow to me, alright? I like you! You're fun! ...Or you would be, if you'd cool it a little bit!"

"If you'd just put yourself out there, people would like you. I promise," he said, grudgingly sincere.

Aurora stopped abruptly as various things ran through her head.  He wants fun?  I'll show him fun.  She turned to him suddenly with fire in her eyes.  "Follow me," she said lowly and turned on the spot, making her way out towards the lawns.  She had never done something on a whim; she was never a reckless person, but something about Huxley made her want to do just that.  It was a complicated rush of feelings she didn't understand, and she didn't want to evaluate them, for fear of finding out the truth.

She led him to her favourite spot by the lake and dropped her bag to the side.  Ignoring the rapid heartbeat threatening to burst out of her chest, she whipped her wand out of her left boot and conjured a nearby rock into a magical stereo.  She then kicked off her boots, but kept her jeans rolled down as they were, and turned to face Huxley.  "I hope you know how to dance," she said lightly and the music started.  The music was that of Latin-alternative: there were no words.  It started off at a simple rhythm, something a beginner should keep up with, assuming Huxley didn't know how to dance.  She tossed her wand to the side and held her hand out expectantly for him to take it.

Huck grit his teeth and pursed his lips. My kryptonite, he groaned inwardly. For all of his devil-may-care attitude he was entirely plagued by self consciousness, and especially about dancing. "I'm not... really..." he stuttered, looking around in wild desperation. "...Dressed for it," he finished, indicating his overall filthiness. "At all. Do you really want to dance with someone who looks like they just crawled arse-first out of a construction site?"

He thought about it for a few more torturous moments, and put his hand in hers. "I swear to God, do not tell a damned soul about this," he hissed.

Aurora smirked and pulled him closer as his hand fell in hers.  "You wanted the fun side of me, here she is.  Just try not to step on my feet and go with the beat.  We're going to start off at a simple salsa, okay?" she explained lightly, feeling a small smile quirk in the corners of her lips.  She grabbed his other hand and with both their clasped hands, linked her fingers between his so that they could maneuver easily.

"Ready?  When I count to three, you step forward with your right foot, and I'll step back with my left.  Then, after a beat, just bring your right foot back into place, and step back with your left.  Simple, yeah?  Don't be afraid to put a little hip in it, too." she added with a wink and mentally waited for the right timing to start counting.

"One, two, three," she said, and stepped back with her left with him following with his right.  So far, so good. she thought as they went back to phase one after the beat.  She was pleasantly surprised he followed her guidance easily enough; doing the salsa together without stepping on her feet.  Although he was a little stiff at the beginning, he soon got the rhythm down pat and was starting to get into it.  The look on his face made her smile as he realized he finally got it.

Dancing, Huck made a strange noise that was half laugh and half groan. "My God. You've managed to turn me into a total dork," he lamented, though his face was contorted into a grin. It was also beet red, but he wasn't sure whether it was simply his proximity to a girl, or whether he was really that embarrassed. He was a fairly coordinated guy so the actual steps seemed to be less of a challenge than he was expecting. "My worst fears realized. It's contagious. I've contracted the dork virus."

In fairness, he was trying. His feet were moving. But his mind was riveted to- and terrified by- the fact that he was dancing... an activity that his sisters were fond of but that he found... asinine wasn't the right word, but he imagined that if he could see himself now he'd have a few well-placed comments to make.

At his core, his pure Huxley-ness, he could feel himself turning into a scared dog backed into a corner. He was jittery and flighty and he couldn't understand why being close to a cute, funny girl would make him want to run but it did.

"So," he blurted out, his eyes darting. "Headphones McGee. He into this sort of thing? Because let me tell you, that would not surprise me."

Aurora chuckled.  It's so cute the way he says he's a dork for doing this.  Usually hes such a cocky and self-assured guy.  This new unsure and slightly shy side of him is refreshing. she thought with a smile and informed him she'd be increasing the tempo.  The music changed with their speed, and soon, they were comfortably doing the salsa with more girth.  She rolled her eyes when he asked if Vulpes was into this sort of thing.

"He's the one who taught me to waltz just two weeks ago.  Before that, I had never danced.  What he or anyone else doesn't know, is that ever since then, I've been practicing on my own in the Room of Requirement.  All sorts of styles, too.  I can do everything from swing to hip-hop to ballroom dancing." she said lightly.

"Now that you've got this down, let's switch it up a bit.  I've been leading, but since you're the guy, you're going to spin me at the break in the song, I'll count it off.  Just let go of my left hand and I'll twirl into you, where you will grab my other hand and let go of my right one, then spin me out, back in, and we'll change hands again.  Simple." she said with a cheeky smile.

Huck stopped moving, and let go of her hands rather suddenly. "This isn't very... I mean, c'mon," he laughed, scratching his head. "What do I look like to you? Fred Astaire?" he motioned up and down his body, giving her a pointed look. "If you've mistaken me for a certain variety of headphones-wearing poofter, I'm gonna have to disappoint you," he commented.

Oof. Even he was off-put by his last words. He had nothing against the kid. He found him an amiable sort. But the fact of the matter was, Huck knew the guy was weird. Huck thought so, and so did most everyone else. 

And the primal, unavoidable terror he felt at being anywhere near similar to the boy drove him up the wall. His mind was racing and the thoughts therein were blurry and panicked like in a really annoying dream.

Which is probably why his next comment bubbled to the surface:

"Getting late, isn't it? Won't the friends you don't have be worried about where you are?"

Ohhhhh ffffuuuuu-

Aurora stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to say anything.  True, she had never really cared about her lack of friends, in fact, at one point, she prided herself in her solitary and antisocial nature.  Now, however, for the first time, she felt bad for having no friends.  It was like a punch in the gut, this realization.  Here she was, with a guy she just met; for some God-awful reason: dancing with him; when he threw a bomb like that, and she stood there like a child being scolded by an authority figure.

She knew she shouldn't care what he said to her: as per usual insults would roll off her back in amusement.  Huxley wasn't worth her breath, or anything else for that matter, especially tears.  This, however tore into her like multiple shurikens, and stung as if thrown in a lake of lemon juice.

"You wanted my fun side, and that was her.  You can take it or leave it." she nearly choked out, clenching her fists and squeezing her eyes shut.  "Don't you dare think you're anything like Vulpes." she added in almost a growl, snapping open her eyes.  "You say you'd be pleased to be seen with me, but you don't even know what that means.  I'm considered weird, if you haven't heard.  Vulpes was the only one who ever looked past that facade and had the guts to actually get to know me." her voice grew dark and almost menacing at that point.  She had never felt so strong emotions since her mother died.  It was overwhelming, and for the first time, she couldn't keep it at bay.

"You are nothing like him.  I knew that when I met you, Huxley, but that didn't stop me from giving you a chance.  It looks like it was a wasted effort,"  she finished and the conjured stereo stopped playing music.

Huxley felt incredibly guilty, but at the same time, guilt was something he could sort out. The crazy bee-swarm of feelings he'd felt earlier was horrible, and as bad as he felt then he knew he preferred the guilt. "I know I'm nothing like him," he said lightly, picking up his stuff as coolly as he could. "I'm Huxley Scout bloody Ward and the sooner you figure out that not everybody's a soppy dancing git with rainbow eyebrows- or whatever- we'll all be the better for it."

Huck had never tried to engage his friends in his own interests. Likewise, none of them had ever dragged him into theirs. He did his intricate woodcarvings and printmaking and metalcrafting very unassumingly. The friends he met in art club were friends he'd discuss art with. His quidditch friends were the only ones he really felt a need to talk sports with. And there was an even more reserved pool of people with whom he'd talk about his actual life outside Hogwarts.

To him, the idea of grabbing one of his jock buddies and dragging him off to a pottery class made him cringe. As fun as he found it, the possibility of judgment was too high. It was a different story if one of them happened to spot a work he'd done; he could shrug and reply that it was a little hobby he'd picked up. But were anyone to discover his childish enthusiasm-

Well, needless to say, he found the idea repulsive. The fact that Aurora didn't- at least, not before- made him feel bad for her.

His friendships mostly consisted of joking around. He and his friends were hard on each other and had grown the thick skins necessary to make venomous jokes without taking them to heart. Had he made a similar comment to one of his friends, they'd likely tell him to sod off and give him a light punch.

"No, Aurora, I hadn't heard you were considered weird. Because I've never heard anything about you, good or bad. I'd rather people think I'm a prick than not know my name," he shot back, his hand gripped so tight on the broomstick now he had developed white knuckles. "And I'm sorry I hurt your feelings. I really am. But the fact that you dragged me into a friggin' ballet means that you didn't bother to find out who I am, either. Because I bleedin' hate that stuff."

He relaxed his grip on the broom and took a quick, deep breath through his nose. "If your basis for comparison on whether or not you get to know someone is whether they seem like Vulpes Connor you're gonna be severely disappointed, love."