Prompt: Historical Jily
Rating: K
This is set in Regency England, and is roughly based around Pride and Prejudice. Because when the opportunity to combine OTPs arises, you take it.
(J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L) (J&L)
'This is ridiculous. This entire ball is just Lord Malfoy's way of bolstering his position. As if being a Malfoy married to a Black wasn't enough for that.' Lily turned her back on the room resolutely.
Marlene caught her discreetly by the arm and turned her gently back to face the ballroom. 'Just smile and nod politely.'
'That would be easier if he wasn't here.'
Marlene's brow furrowed briefly, before she remembered that it wasn't ladylike to frown and smoothed it out. 'Who?'
'Mr Potter.' Lily ground the name out, and Marlene fought the urge to suppress a smile even as her eyes flicked around the room seeking the dark-haired man, and the man she knew would be with him.
'I thought he despised these things.' Her tone was light, but Lily heard the undertone of excitement in her voice, and no wonder. If Mr Potter was here, as she knew he was, then it could only be because Mr Black had chosen to attend.
'I believe he does. But I also believe that he enjoys making us all very aware of that fact at every possible opportunity.'
'Lily, I know you didn't exactly start your acquaintance with Mr Potter well, but don't you think he might not be quite so disagreeable as you think?'
'You think that because you only pay attention to Mr Black whenever they are in attendance at these gatherings. You do not have to suffer him.'
Marlene smiled at her friend's disgruntled expression. 'Your mother will be most unhappy if you allow her to see that countenance.'
Lily smiled widely and fluttered her eyelashes. 'Is this more agreeable?'
'Most certainly. If only you could keep it there for the next few moments, I would be much obliged.'
'Lord give me strength, they're coming this way aren't they?' Lily straightened up and settled her face into the most neutral countenance that she could manage.
'Miss McKinnon, Miss Evans, how delightful!' Mr Black's voice was, as usual, smooth, rich and tinged with warmth. Lily's opinion on the gentleman was impartial; he was charming certainly, but she was certain that there was more than a hint of rascal beneath that polished surface.
His friend however…Mr Potter was not in possession of her good opinion. He was largely insufferable at parties, where he associated only with those he was already familiar with, and his arrogance and pride were so excessive that they might as well be separate entities.
Not only that, but Lily was well aware of his less than generous dealings with Mr Snape, another gentleman of her acquaintance, and one who she was considerably fonder of.
She curtsied her acknowledgment of both gentleman, and stood in silence while she listened she listened to Marlene and Mr Black exchange significantly more than the pleasantries that the situation required.
She silently rebuked herself for her lack of attention though, when she realised that Marlene had smilingly taken Mr Black's arm, and was even now moving to join the next dance.
'Might I have the pleasure?' Mr Potter had turned to her and she found herself unable to avoid looking him in the eye. The unreasonably bright hazel eyes, set into an unreasonably handsome face with its solid lines, and framed by unreasonably thick black hair.
'I…would be delighted.' She wasn't entirely sure why she had said that, since she'd been planning on a much cooler response, but those had been the words that had come out, so she supposed she was stuck with them now.
She accepted his arm and followed him to join the dancers, both of them resolutely ignoring the stares and whispers. Oh, this would fuel the neighbourhood gossip for days, the unapproachable Mr Potter dancing with the vivacious Miss Lily Evans.
The music began, and they stepped towards each other and away again, forward and away, before turning to take the hand of the person next to them; Lily's hand was taken by Mr Black, who offered her an exceedingly charming, if not wholly sincere, smile, and she caught sight of Marlene beaming at Mr Potter out of the corner of her eye. What surprised her more was that she was certain that she saw Potter smile back.
So he knew how to, he just chose not to. Well, perhaps one could be provoked.
She turned back to him and took his hand, her feet moving neatly in the steps of the dance, long ago memorised and needing no real thought to perform. 'How are you enjoying dancing this evening Mr Potter? I note that you tend to favour not partaking.'
'It's certainly not my preferred method of passing the evening, but I can see its appeal on the appropriate occasion.'
'And what, pray tell, do you consider to be the appropriate occasion?'
'Every ten year anniversary of the coronation.'
She came very close to laughing at that. A hint that he might very possibly have a sense of humour under those many and varied layers of superiority. Well, wasn't he just an intriguing puzzle? Not one she was particularly inclined to solve, but since she was here for the duration of the tune…
'Such a shame. You are an excellent dancer.'
He raised his eyebrows at her before they were again both swept away by the other half of their strange quartet.
Her hand landed in his again, and he turned them both exceedingly smoothly; not a pause, nor a hint of a misstep.
'It's something that every gentleman learns, and possibly one of the things he needs least.'
'Oh? You don't consider being an accomplished dancer to be a pre-requisite of being a gentleman?'
'It is, because society demands it to be so. For how else would we waste our evenings if it weren't for the invention of dancing?' He quirked an enquiring eyebrow at her, and she found her interest in him rising unaccountably. Most people had no interest in this kind of conversation, save her father, and to be speaking so to a gentleman in the midst of other gentleman was disconcerting to be sure.
'Well, how should you choose to waste it?' She enquired as she followed his lead through another series of quick steps around each other.
'Reading would be my preference. Conversation that is not small talk. Perhaps some billiards, cards, or even some music that isn't composed for the purposes of us frolicking around like fops.'
'Well then sir, our dance is coming to an end, so I will pose you my final question: If you dislike dancing so, why did you ask me?'
They came to a halt, their eyes locked on each other's, green and hazel attempting to come to an understanding.
'Because it afforded me a rare opportunity to speak with you, and there is almost no-one else in the room whom I would consider capable of sustaining a stimulating conversation.'
He bowed shortly and moved quickly away, leaving Lily dumbfounded, until Marlene looked away from Mr Black long enough to realise that her friend was standing unmoving in the middle of the congregating dancers, and rushed over to remove her.
Lily took her arm and allowed herself to be led away, repeating the word 'insufferable' under her breath.
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A/N: A lovely reviewer pointed out that some of my text disappeared from my author's note yesterday, leaving you with no idea which website I was directing you to! I have altered it, and I hope FF doesn't decide to eat it this time, but I was suggesting that you visit jilyweek /dot/ tumblr /dot/ com for many more drabbles by lots of amazing writers.
