I... I am not, I am not afraid of this man.

Hinata found herself thinking the same thing over and over again in her head as she slowly and gracefully approached the main dinner table. Despite this, Hinata knew there was much to fear as she caught Neji's gaze upon her, scornful and mocking.

She grimaced disdainfully as she stared at the table, fastidiously detailed. There were four chairs set across the top of the table, occupied already by three people. The vacant chair next to the Branch heir could only be hers. She sighed, regretful that she had ever bothered to antagonise the man. She reminded herself again that she was right to do so. As the heir to the Main House, she knew it was unheard of to accept such discourteous behaviour. Hinata found herself cursing the whims of aristocracy.

Hinata smiled politely and purposefully as she sat down carefully, patting her skirt down in the precarious manner she had saw many Hyuuga ladies practice. She immediately looked down into her plate and reached for the menu, deliberately ignoring the man on her left whose gaze she could feel boring into her.

"Talk to me." He demanded, his voice challenging, as quiet as it was. Hinata decided there and then she was not going to argue. Her father was too near, only two seats away, seated beside Neji's mother. She could hear their quiet hushed conversation, she heard much of her long-dead uncle; Hizashi. It was sad, yet happy topic among the two. She sighed.

"No." She said simply, her voice leaving no need for reply. But he probably would anyway, Hinata thought as she stared longingly into the empty chair set at the opposite side of the table. It was the closest one to her. She wondered whose it was.

"What do you mean no? You're here to talk to me, so do it already." He was impatient now, silently huffing, much in the way a child would. Like Hanabi, Hinata thought, giggling in spite of herself. "Are you laughing at me?"

Hinata looked into his face, it still had the same angry, fierce look from before, a silent fire flaring his eyes, forever unquenched.

If he is like fire...

"No." She said, and turned away again. Hinata found it amazing he didn't tell his mother on her.

"Then talk to me. Speak. Engage me in conversation." He said, his every syllable a command. Hinata shivered.

"I will not engage you in anything."

Then I am like water.

"Hmph. Whatever then." He said dismissively, suddenly bored, but his eyes said otherwise. Hinata opened her mouth to question him, but then shut it again, reminding herself that she was not to talk to him under any circumstances. A few moments of silence passed between them.

Bump.

"Was that your leg?" Oops. She wasn't meant to speak.

"No." He replied, his face in his hand. Hinata fought the urge to lean forward. Was he smirking?

Bump.

There it was again.

"That is you leg!" Hinata indignantly alleged, triumphant. "Please watch where you put that thing."

"May I take your starter order, miss?"

"Ah..." Hinata's insides sank. Then her face went beet red. Like it always did in situations like this. "Ah, um, I-I would like this and this, please." She vaguely indicated random dishes on the starters menu. They were all European dishes. Not a miso soup or plate of maki sushi to be seen.

Hinata's gaze sauntered onto the ground as it usually did after placing her order. She vaguely heard Neji take his order when Hanabi suddenly appeared.

"Hey, Nee-san!" her voice sounded. Hinata looked up, bearing a small smile. Thank god. "How are you enjoying the party so far?"

Bump. BumpBump.

This time, he didn't move his leg.

Hinata's blush suddenly deepened tenfold. She found that the table leg restricted her movement and thus she couldn't move her legs away. Oh god oh god oh god.

"U-Um... It's going... really nice actually.... what about you?" Hinata answered shakily, trying hard to keep her voice in its normal confirmative tenor.

Hanabi sat down into the vacant seat. Judging by how she settled herself into it, it seemed to be hers. "We-elllllll.... I couldn't say! Ok, maybe I could. I spent most of the time dancing with Hideki-kun, he really is lovely." She gushed and then leaned in closer, indicating Hinata to do the same. Hinata inclined her neck, letting Hanabi whisper into her ear. "By the way, who have you danced with? I saw you in that last dance! You changed partners once! I saw you at the end when I accidentally bumped into you two! You looked as though you hadn't moved. Like you just stood there or something."

"A-Actually," Hinata whispered back nervously. "We did. Oh, please don't gasp... It was more like he stood there, he wouldn't let me go! A-All the dancers were bumping into us and everything! It was so embarrassing... Ah, here come the starters, I'll talk to you later, I guess..."

Hinata did not comment on how quick the service was, she was not going to give Neji the pleasure of a compliment.

"Hinata," She heard Hiashi hiss from nearby. Hinata leaned back to find her father leaning from behind Neji's mother. "Hinata, why are you all red?" He whispered harshly so no one would hear.

It turned out Neji did though.

"My dear Hiashi, she is only blushing at the sight of such extravagant food and it's timely arrival." He said graciously, a welcoming, yet uncharacteristic smile playing upon his handsome features. "Well, that is what she said to me."

He laughed then, an amiable and courteous chuckle, a beautiful sound. But a sound that could no be his own. Hinata tittered nervously as her father also joined in, then turning back to his own platter; an assortment of sushi and small dishes of sauce.

Neji then also turned back to his dinner, his smile still plastered across his face. Through his tightly set lips, she could hear the words: "You owe me,"

Hinata gulped uncertainly.

The whole meal was a lovely one. Hinata thoroughly enjoyed her starter, and eagerly set into the main course. She enjoyed the desert so much that she unconsciously let the words "That was lovely," slide through her lips. She did not even let Neji's knowing smirk beguile her into another raucous argument.

Hinata was glad to see that no one was in the mood for dancing after such an extravagant dinner. So in her stead, she made yet again, for another vacant table, this time far to the back, so no one could disturb her. She sat down carefully, tilting her head upwards and closing her eyes. No one would come for here. Not even Hanabi. Hiashi would not bother. And Neji... Hinata opened her eyes. Neji wouldn't dare.

So when someone did eventually approach her, she was very surprised to see that it was not any of the previously mentioned.

"You're Hinata, aren't you?" Hinata's stomach gave a turn at the lack of a name-suffix. Looking up, Hinata saw a dark-haired woman, dressed in such a dark blue dress that it was almost black with a neckline plunging almost to her navel. Hinata recognised the woman as Hitomi.

Hinata gulped. God where was this going to go? "Y-Yes... Ho-How may I be of assistance?"

Oops, she sounded like a servant. Her father would almost certainly scold her if he heard such language. Even Hitomi raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"Well, allow me to introduce myself to the heir of the Main House as Hyuuga Hitomi, soon to be fiancé of Hyuuga Neji.

What.

Whatwhat.

"Fi-Fiance? Are-are you two seeing each other?" Hinata blurted, suddenly unsure. Why would she bring something like that up? The woman was standing now, her eyes were condescending.

"Well no. But I plan to. So for the mean time, I would ask you to fuck off."

Slap.

Hinata's eyes widened as the sharp sound rang, startling her. `She looked to Hitomi, her face angled away from Hinata, her long hair draping over her shoulders, hiding both her face and her shocked expression. She did not move.

Hinata then looked over to the culprit. His eyes were cold, his expression aloof. But somehow she could see a sharp anger playing across his face, raging silently and passionately as he opened his mouth to speak.

"She will do no such thing. Such behaviour to a Main House member will not be tolerated, especially in my house, and at my party." Neji announced his tone icy. "Leave here now, Hitomi, before I decide otherwise."

Hitomi did not look at either of them. Her face was still hidden even as she bowed low and made a quick escape through the widest door to the kitchens. As she left, she whipped her hair about her, and threw one last menacing glare towards Hinata. Neji scowled.

"Nasty piece of work, that one." Hinata heard Neji remark conversationally. "The very embarrassment of my House."

Hinata nodded slowly, perplexed. Neji glanced down at her. She was still staring towards the kitchen door, her face set in shock. Thinking about it, it seemed to Neji that Hinata had never been insulted in such a way in her life. Neji found a smile curling on his face. Served her right, he thought.

"May...Maybe I should go say sorry." Hinata said, snapping him out of his thoughts. She stood up. She bowed to him, her eyes dull. "First of all, I am sorry Neji of the Branch House, for any previous insult I have posed for you. I assure you that I meant no trouble, and I will do no such thing again. I hope we can part in good tidings, cousin." She bowed again and turned to leave.

Cousin? What was with the formality? It wasn't as if she had cared about that before. Wait a minute... did she say she was going to say sorry?!

"Hey, wait a minute! " Neji leaped forward and grabbed her arm. She turned round in surprise. "Apologise? You can't apologise! You didn't do anything! Look at the way she spoke to you! And the way she was making premature assumptions! It wasn't your fault! Can't you see that? I shamed her rightfully by hitting her yes, but it's more your lack of response and completely wrong turn of reaction I am worried about!"

He still hadn't let go off her arm. He didn't even notice that with every exclamation he was shaking her. Hinata didn't seem to notice either. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"What do you mean, what do I mean?!" he exclaimed and sighed, a great puff of frustration. "She had no right, no right, to speak to you like that, you hear me? No right."

He let go of her arm abruptly, his eyes suddenly ablaze with anger. Hinata made no effort to move. Instead she stood before him, her pale eyes boring into him dully. He stared back at her, unconsciously taking a step forward. Her hair was becoming undone, and many wayward strands of blue were falling across her face. Her lipstick was smeared slightly, and a soft pink could be seen under the gleam of colour. Neji could see for himself just how beautiful she was, but it was something Hinata would never see. He sighed, in spite of himself.

"Come on," He held out a hand. "The dance is starting again. We may as well." He wiggled his fingers slightly, palm up.

Hinata watched her hand rise from her side and hiver above his hand, where it eventually rested, and his fingers tightened around hers.

Lightly he pulled on her arm, and they entered the dance floor.

00000000

The night ended with many drunken tribulations, fashion tragedies and dance disasters. But overall, it was a very enjoyable night. No one left early, with the exception of Hyuuga Hitomi and her angry father, Hidoi. Hanabi got herself a new boyfriend, earlier identified as Hyuuga Hideki, a cousin of Neji's, but not one Hinata had met before. Hanabi had earlier promised to be careful, considered Hideki was of Branch House, and Hanabi of the Main House. Romantic relationships between the two was not spoken of, and not generally done. But judging from the many conversations among the Hyuuga servants, it was not as uncommon as everyone liked to think.

Hinata has spent the rest of the night dancing, and chatting nervously with many of the Hyuuga higher-ups. She spent a great deal of time chatting with Neji's mother, who greatly enjoyed the topic of her son. She had been sincerely pleased to see her son dancing with the heir of the Hyuuga house, and was genuinely considering new ideas for the two houses.

There had been talk over the generations as to marrying the two houses together. But every time such a proposal came to light, something always came up. Hinata had heard that her very own mother was once together with her uncle, and Neji's father, Hizashi. But by a cruel twist of fate they were wrenched apart, as her mother's father, Hiraishi, had married his cousin's child, Hiashi to her mother, Hokuto.

But it was all just a rumour, as many stories among the Hyuuga were. As far as she remembered and knew, her father and mother were happily married. Her mother had died giving birth to Hanabi. It was an unspoken topic among them, but Hinata had seen the many photos of their mother in her sister's room many a time. Hinata had not seen her father's room since the death of her mother. He kept it under lock and key at all times. She never knew why.

Hinata lay in her bed and turned round to stare into the face of her mother.

"Good night, Okaa-san."

The candlelight glimmered on the golden frame of her mother's photograph and went out.