Grace of the Devil
Part Seventeen:
Though her father apologized for making a scene in the robe shop, Grace just couldn't forget how he'd humiliated her...once again. What's the big deal, if a little bit of cleavage shows? she thought bitterly as they headed home. It's in FASHION. I'm fifteen, I should be able to dress any way I want to. Of course, Grace was too chicken to stand up to her father. They were only dress robes, after all, and they looked pretty still.
At school, everyone (well, the girls, that is) were abuzz about the up-coming ball. It was announced at the Halloween feast that it would, indeed, be a Christmas ball...Yule Ball, in fact.
And so, it began.
Everyone in the fourth to seventh year was frantic to find a date. The girls in the first through third years were, also, for they could go if they had an older date. Many girls were having trouble finding "the right guy" to go with...but not Grace. To her surprise, she recieved many invitations to the ball. From boys that she barely knew to ones that she'd regarded as friends for the past few years. I had no idea that they fancied me, she thought, embarressed. But she wasn't interested in any of them.
The only person who asked her that was worth CONSIDERING was Virgo Genesis, one of the Beaters on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. He was fairly cute, very popular...but Grace just wasn't sure...
There really was only one person that she WANTED to go with. And he didn't ask her. And she'd never, ever ask him herself. Micheal.
Grace wasn't sure how long she'd fancied her best friend. Since the year before, she supposed. He let her ride his broom often, even though her father had forbidden it. "Hey, what Daddy doesn't know, won't hurt him," he'd teased. And they played Wizard's Chess and other games all the time, just as they had in their first year. He wouldn't want to go with me, she thought miserably. We're friends, that's all. Maybe I'll go with Virgo...
One evening, Grace met Micheal in the library for their usual round of Wizard's Chess. But he hadn't set up the board or the pieces yet. "Micheal? What're you doing?"
"I...have to ask you something."
At the serious tone of Micheal's voice, Grace sat down, her heart thudding happily. He's going to ask me to the Yule Ball! she thought. She looked at him, trying to hide her anxiousness. "What is it?"
"Well...you know the Yule Ball is coming up..."
"Yes...?"
"And I was thinking about asking someone."
"Oh?" Grace asked, her confidence building. "Who would that be?"
"Well...it's...Trista Vertelli, your roommate."
Grace felt her heart sink. TRISTA? That BITCH who was talking shit about her in the second year...and possibly still? But Grace held back her disapointment and anger. "Well..."
"I just wanted to ask, is she going with anyone yet?" Micheal looked as anxious as Grace felt. "I mean, I wouldn't want to make a fool out of myself..."
As far as Grace knew, Trista didn't have a date yet. "Well, I don't know," she said honestly. "Just ask her."
"But-"
"If she's avaliable, I'm sure she'll go with you," Grace snapped, wanting the subject to be done and over with.
Micheal was so happy, he didn't notice that Grace was in a bad mood. "So, which of your many suitors are you going to (excuse the pun), GRACE with your lovely presence?" His mocking stung more then the unintentional rejection, but Grace tried to sound off-hand.
"Oh, I haven't decided," she said casually. "But I'm leaning towards Virgo Genesis..."
"Virgo Genesis?" Micheal looked like he'd swallowed a puke-flavored bean. "Grace, that meathead has no more sense then a headless chicken. Why, in Merlin's name, would you go with him?"
"He ASKED me," Grace snapped, annoyed at the critism. After all, she hadn't gone off on Trista. "Besides," she added cattily, "there's nobody I'd rather go with."
"Is that so?" Micheal clucked, a small smile on his face, and he finally set up the chess pieces. But Grace was too annoyed and disapointed to get her head into it, and Micheal easily dominated her.
"I'm tired," Grace said, after only three games. She gathered up her pieces. "I have to go to bed now. I want to be well rested when I accept my invitation from Virgo to the Yule Ball."
"Have fun," Micheal said sarcasticly. Grace stalked out of the library, her untrembling chin in the air. She wouldn't let Micheal get to her. She'd go to the ball, and have fun...in spite of him.
The next morning, Grace thought of approaching Virgo at breakfast. He kept looking at her and smiling from across the Great Hall, but she decided to wait. So, she just smiled and waved, and returned to her breakfast.
The waiting was to her advantage.
At lunch, Trista sat down next to her. They were closer now then they'd been since second year, but Grace still didn't completly trust her...or anyone eles, for that matter. Trista looked both excited and disapointed, at the same time. "I have a date for the Yule Ball," she said.
"Oh, really? Who?" Grace asked casually. As if I don't already know, she thought bitterly.
"Paul Malone." The sound of the unfamiliar name nearly knocked Grace from her bench.
"Oh...whose that?"
Trista blushed. "He's a Slytherin. I know that they have a bad reputation, but...he's so nice. And cute! He asked me today in our Transfiguration class."
"Congratulations," Grace said cheerfully, as a relization came to her: Micheal was still free!
"Thanks," Trista said. "But you'll never guess who asked me to the ball later, in Ancient Runes?"
"Professor Snape?"
"Ha ha," Trista said good-naturally. "No, it was Micheal! You know, your friend."
"He asked you?" Grace tried to make her tone surprised.
"He's so nice," Trista said. "And cute, too. Not as much as Paul, but..." Trista sighed. "I shot him down. I had to, of course."
"Of course."
"He seemed pretty disapointed," Trista continued. "But I was surprised that he asked me. I always thought he rather fancied you."
"Oh, well, you know...we're just friends."
"Oh." It was clear that Trista didn't believe her. "Well, I hope you won't be angry at me, for hurting his feelings...I know what good FRIENDS you are."
"Of course, I'm not angry," Grace said as smoothly as she could. "It happens. He'll survive."
"You should go together!" Trista exclaimed. "It would be so adorable!"
Grace had to hold back from laughing. Yeah, she thought sarcasticly. After last night, he wouldn't want me, now...
That night, Grace met Micheal in the library again. He looked as serious tonight as he had the night before. "Well, did you accept your date with Ol' Meathead yet?" he asked bitterly as she sat down.
"No. But I heard about Trista. I'm sorry."
Micheal smiled, a little, but he didn't seem to want to talk about it. "Why didn't you talk to him yet?"
"Been busy," she said simply. Micheal's smile widened.
"Well, maybe you'll never get the chance to talk to him," he said triumphantly.
Grace raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Think about it. You don't have a date, I don't have a date...let's go together!"
Grace forced herself to laugh. "What makes you think I want to go with you? I'm not your backup!"
"I'm not asking you to be my backup!"
"Yeah, right," Grace said, still laughing a little. "You couldn't go with the girl you REALLY wanted, so you thought, well, fiddle-dee-dee! I'll just go with Grace, then! SHE doesn't have a date!"
"I don't say 'fiddle-dee-dee'," Micheal said bitterly.
Grace laughed. "So, you want to go with me, eh?"
"Well, if you're going to be that way..." Micheal sighed. "Yes, Grace. I really, really want to go with you. You're the prettiest girl in our whole class...possibly the whole school."
Grace couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What?"
Micheal smiled. "Come on, Grace. Don't you know that I've fancied you for a long time? Since...third year, I think."
"But, Micheal..." Grace's eyes got huge. "I DIDN'T know. But I think other people did." She paused. "So, if you fancied me so much, why did you ask Trista?"
"Come on, Grace," Micheal said impatiently. "Do you really think I could compete with all those other guys fighting for your attention? I mean, Virgo Genesis! Half the girls in the school want to go with HIM."
"Not me," Grace said softly, and Micheal smiled. "I'll...I'll go with you, Micheal."
"You mean it?" Micheal grinned, a goofy grin that made Grace forget that he was an eighth veela (he'd told her his mother was a fourth). He just looked like a silly, red-haired boy. And she cared for him, so much.
Grace reached across the table and lightly kissed Micheal's cheek. "Yeah." With that, she got up and left. It just didn't seem right to play Wizard's Chess after THAT.
The day of the Yule Ball, every girl in the school was frantic as they got ready. Grace and her roomies rushed about the room, helping each other into their robes and admiring each other. The three other Ravenclaws gaped at Grace's expensive white robes with awe, and Trista was the first to finally speak. "Oh, Grace...you look so lovely."
"Yeah," the others agreed, and Grace smiled with embarressed pride. Perhaps Trista isn't SO bad, she thought. Trista further redeemed herself in Grace's eyes by helping her with makeup. Grace had never worn it before, for her father would never allow it and most of her friends were boys. Trista sat Grace at the desk in their dormitory and set to work, making Grace's eyelids shimmer with silver that matched the jewlery her father sent her for Christmas, and her cheeks flush darkly. Trista led Grace to the full-length looking glass.
"See?" Trista whispered. "You'll be the prettiest girl there."
"Next to you," Grace said kindly as she admired her own reflection. She knew she was being vain, but tonight, it didn't matter.
Tonight would be PERFECT.
For the final touch, Grace magicked silver shimmers in her dark curls, which she'd choosen to keep down instead of putting up into a complicated hairdo like her roomies. With her silver jewelery to complete the picture, Grace realized what everyone, from her father to her roomies, had been saying: she WAS pretty.
The four Ravenclaw fifth years went out of the common room and to the front hall together. They all had dates from other houses. In fact, Judy had been asked by Virgo after the news that Grace and Micheal were together got out.
The friends parted ways to find their dates, but Grace found Micheal right away. He was leaning casually against the wall, away from the swarming crowd of students. He was dressed in navy robes, which tightened slightly in the upper arms to show off his muscles from Quidditch. He straightened when he saw Grace. "Wow," he said, in awe. "You look...wow."
"Thanks," Grace said, feeling her face grow hot. She'd never felt so akward around her best friend before.
"Well...ready to go in there, then?"
"Yes," Grace said, eager to get out of the bright front hall and away from the staring eyes of the boys. Micheal looped his arm with hers and they went into the Great Hall together.
The place where they usually ate looked INCREDIBLE. The stars on the ceiling, the fairy lights on the walls, the cozy little tables scattered all around. Grace and Micheal sat at one, and they were soon joined by two other Gryfindors, their friend Chris Horvol and his date, Victoria Simonson. "Wow, Grace, you look fantastic!" Vickie gushed.
"Thanks, so do you," Grace said sincerly.
They ate their dinners, though Grace could barely remember what they had. Did it really matter? They were going to dance! Grace had never danced with anyone besides her father before, and was eager to try the dances he'd taught her with a REAL partner. And Micheal seemed as good as any: after all, he said that his French mother had taught him to dance.
The band, whom Grace didn't recognize, played a variety of songs...most of which, Grace's knowledge of dancing did her no good. Micheal seemed just as confused as she did. "How can we waltz to this?" he wondered aloud. "What IS this?"
Grace laughed. "I think our parents have screwed us over."
"Once again."
Grace took his pale hand in her dark one, surprised by how warm he was. "Come on, let's get out for a minute."
They went out into the front lawn, but it had been turned into a mini hedge-maze. Fairy lights covered all the bushes and the small trees. There were silver benches scattered all around, and as Grace and Micheal walked along, they saw various couples making out...including Trista and her date, Paul. How tacky, she thought bitterly, then remembered that she wasn't upset at Trista anymore.
Besides, she was about to be "tacky" herself.
In the middle of the little maze was a giant fountain: a stone centar shooting water out of it's bow into the pool of water at it's feet. There was a bench nearby, and Grace led Micheal to it. "Let's sit here. I like the fountain."
"Alright," Micheal said, clearly nervous about the situation they were in. They sat down, and sort of looked at the night sky for a little while. Then, Grace turned to Micheal.
"There's something I forgot to tell you," she said softly.
"What is it?" Micheal asked, looking at her. Grace noticed how big and beautiful his hazel eyes were. It wasn't just the veela in him that made him attractive...he was just so endearing.
"Yeah," Grace said nervously. "You know how, in the library that night...you said you'd...fancied me?"
"Yeah?" They'd never spoken of it since, and tried to go on as if they were just two friends going to the ball together...but something was amiss. And Grace knew what it was.
"Well, I forgot to tell you...I've fancied you, too."
Micheal's eyes got even wider. "Really? Since...when?"
Grace shrugged. "Dunno...third, fourth year?"
"Oh, really?" Micheal smiled as wide as he ever had. "I...had no idea. I don't think anyone eles knew, either."
"Well, I'm better at hiding my feelings then you are," Grace said, giggling. Suddenly, she felt as though the breath was knocked out of her.
Micheal kissed her. And kissed her. And she didn't pull away. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
And, for the first time in her life, all thoughts of her father and his approval faded from her mind.
Part Seventeen:
Though her father apologized for making a scene in the robe shop, Grace just couldn't forget how he'd humiliated her...once again. What's the big deal, if a little bit of cleavage shows? she thought bitterly as they headed home. It's in FASHION. I'm fifteen, I should be able to dress any way I want to. Of course, Grace was too chicken to stand up to her father. They were only dress robes, after all, and they looked pretty still.
At school, everyone (well, the girls, that is) were abuzz about the up-coming ball. It was announced at the Halloween feast that it would, indeed, be a Christmas ball...Yule Ball, in fact.
And so, it began.
Everyone in the fourth to seventh year was frantic to find a date. The girls in the first through third years were, also, for they could go if they had an older date. Many girls were having trouble finding "the right guy" to go with...but not Grace. To her surprise, she recieved many invitations to the ball. From boys that she barely knew to ones that she'd regarded as friends for the past few years. I had no idea that they fancied me, she thought, embarressed. But she wasn't interested in any of them.
The only person who asked her that was worth CONSIDERING was Virgo Genesis, one of the Beaters on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. He was fairly cute, very popular...but Grace just wasn't sure...
There really was only one person that she WANTED to go with. And he didn't ask her. And she'd never, ever ask him herself. Micheal.
Grace wasn't sure how long she'd fancied her best friend. Since the year before, she supposed. He let her ride his broom often, even though her father had forbidden it. "Hey, what Daddy doesn't know, won't hurt him," he'd teased. And they played Wizard's Chess and other games all the time, just as they had in their first year. He wouldn't want to go with me, she thought miserably. We're friends, that's all. Maybe I'll go with Virgo...
One evening, Grace met Micheal in the library for their usual round of Wizard's Chess. But he hadn't set up the board or the pieces yet. "Micheal? What're you doing?"
"I...have to ask you something."
At the serious tone of Micheal's voice, Grace sat down, her heart thudding happily. He's going to ask me to the Yule Ball! she thought. She looked at him, trying to hide her anxiousness. "What is it?"
"Well...you know the Yule Ball is coming up..."
"Yes...?"
"And I was thinking about asking someone."
"Oh?" Grace asked, her confidence building. "Who would that be?"
"Well...it's...Trista Vertelli, your roommate."
Grace felt her heart sink. TRISTA? That BITCH who was talking shit about her in the second year...and possibly still? But Grace held back her disapointment and anger. "Well..."
"I just wanted to ask, is she going with anyone yet?" Micheal looked as anxious as Grace felt. "I mean, I wouldn't want to make a fool out of myself..."
As far as Grace knew, Trista didn't have a date yet. "Well, I don't know," she said honestly. "Just ask her."
"But-"
"If she's avaliable, I'm sure she'll go with you," Grace snapped, wanting the subject to be done and over with.
Micheal was so happy, he didn't notice that Grace was in a bad mood. "So, which of your many suitors are you going to (excuse the pun), GRACE with your lovely presence?" His mocking stung more then the unintentional rejection, but Grace tried to sound off-hand.
"Oh, I haven't decided," she said casually. "But I'm leaning towards Virgo Genesis..."
"Virgo Genesis?" Micheal looked like he'd swallowed a puke-flavored bean. "Grace, that meathead has no more sense then a headless chicken. Why, in Merlin's name, would you go with him?"
"He ASKED me," Grace snapped, annoyed at the critism. After all, she hadn't gone off on Trista. "Besides," she added cattily, "there's nobody I'd rather go with."
"Is that so?" Micheal clucked, a small smile on his face, and he finally set up the chess pieces. But Grace was too annoyed and disapointed to get her head into it, and Micheal easily dominated her.
"I'm tired," Grace said, after only three games. She gathered up her pieces. "I have to go to bed now. I want to be well rested when I accept my invitation from Virgo to the Yule Ball."
"Have fun," Micheal said sarcasticly. Grace stalked out of the library, her untrembling chin in the air. She wouldn't let Micheal get to her. She'd go to the ball, and have fun...in spite of him.
The next morning, Grace thought of approaching Virgo at breakfast. He kept looking at her and smiling from across the Great Hall, but she decided to wait. So, she just smiled and waved, and returned to her breakfast.
The waiting was to her advantage.
At lunch, Trista sat down next to her. They were closer now then they'd been since second year, but Grace still didn't completly trust her...or anyone eles, for that matter. Trista looked both excited and disapointed, at the same time. "I have a date for the Yule Ball," she said.
"Oh, really? Who?" Grace asked casually. As if I don't already know, she thought bitterly.
"Paul Malone." The sound of the unfamiliar name nearly knocked Grace from her bench.
"Oh...whose that?"
Trista blushed. "He's a Slytherin. I know that they have a bad reputation, but...he's so nice. And cute! He asked me today in our Transfiguration class."
"Congratulations," Grace said cheerfully, as a relization came to her: Micheal was still free!
"Thanks," Trista said. "But you'll never guess who asked me to the ball later, in Ancient Runes?"
"Professor Snape?"
"Ha ha," Trista said good-naturally. "No, it was Micheal! You know, your friend."
"He asked you?" Grace tried to make her tone surprised.
"He's so nice," Trista said. "And cute, too. Not as much as Paul, but..." Trista sighed. "I shot him down. I had to, of course."
"Of course."
"He seemed pretty disapointed," Trista continued. "But I was surprised that he asked me. I always thought he rather fancied you."
"Oh, well, you know...we're just friends."
"Oh." It was clear that Trista didn't believe her. "Well, I hope you won't be angry at me, for hurting his feelings...I know what good FRIENDS you are."
"Of course, I'm not angry," Grace said as smoothly as she could. "It happens. He'll survive."
"You should go together!" Trista exclaimed. "It would be so adorable!"
Grace had to hold back from laughing. Yeah, she thought sarcasticly. After last night, he wouldn't want me, now...
That night, Grace met Micheal in the library again. He looked as serious tonight as he had the night before. "Well, did you accept your date with Ol' Meathead yet?" he asked bitterly as she sat down.
"No. But I heard about Trista. I'm sorry."
Micheal smiled, a little, but he didn't seem to want to talk about it. "Why didn't you talk to him yet?"
"Been busy," she said simply. Micheal's smile widened.
"Well, maybe you'll never get the chance to talk to him," he said triumphantly.
Grace raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Think about it. You don't have a date, I don't have a date...let's go together!"
Grace forced herself to laugh. "What makes you think I want to go with you? I'm not your backup!"
"I'm not asking you to be my backup!"
"Yeah, right," Grace said, still laughing a little. "You couldn't go with the girl you REALLY wanted, so you thought, well, fiddle-dee-dee! I'll just go with Grace, then! SHE doesn't have a date!"
"I don't say 'fiddle-dee-dee'," Micheal said bitterly.
Grace laughed. "So, you want to go with me, eh?"
"Well, if you're going to be that way..." Micheal sighed. "Yes, Grace. I really, really want to go with you. You're the prettiest girl in our whole class...possibly the whole school."
Grace couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What?"
Micheal smiled. "Come on, Grace. Don't you know that I've fancied you for a long time? Since...third year, I think."
"But, Micheal..." Grace's eyes got huge. "I DIDN'T know. But I think other people did." She paused. "So, if you fancied me so much, why did you ask Trista?"
"Come on, Grace," Micheal said impatiently. "Do you really think I could compete with all those other guys fighting for your attention? I mean, Virgo Genesis! Half the girls in the school want to go with HIM."
"Not me," Grace said softly, and Micheal smiled. "I'll...I'll go with you, Micheal."
"You mean it?" Micheal grinned, a goofy grin that made Grace forget that he was an eighth veela (he'd told her his mother was a fourth). He just looked like a silly, red-haired boy. And she cared for him, so much.
Grace reached across the table and lightly kissed Micheal's cheek. "Yeah." With that, she got up and left. It just didn't seem right to play Wizard's Chess after THAT.
The day of the Yule Ball, every girl in the school was frantic as they got ready. Grace and her roomies rushed about the room, helping each other into their robes and admiring each other. The three other Ravenclaws gaped at Grace's expensive white robes with awe, and Trista was the first to finally speak. "Oh, Grace...you look so lovely."
"Yeah," the others agreed, and Grace smiled with embarressed pride. Perhaps Trista isn't SO bad, she thought. Trista further redeemed herself in Grace's eyes by helping her with makeup. Grace had never worn it before, for her father would never allow it and most of her friends were boys. Trista sat Grace at the desk in their dormitory and set to work, making Grace's eyelids shimmer with silver that matched the jewlery her father sent her for Christmas, and her cheeks flush darkly. Trista led Grace to the full-length looking glass.
"See?" Trista whispered. "You'll be the prettiest girl there."
"Next to you," Grace said kindly as she admired her own reflection. She knew she was being vain, but tonight, it didn't matter.
Tonight would be PERFECT.
For the final touch, Grace magicked silver shimmers in her dark curls, which she'd choosen to keep down instead of putting up into a complicated hairdo like her roomies. With her silver jewelery to complete the picture, Grace realized what everyone, from her father to her roomies, had been saying: she WAS pretty.
The four Ravenclaw fifth years went out of the common room and to the front hall together. They all had dates from other houses. In fact, Judy had been asked by Virgo after the news that Grace and Micheal were together got out.
The friends parted ways to find their dates, but Grace found Micheal right away. He was leaning casually against the wall, away from the swarming crowd of students. He was dressed in navy robes, which tightened slightly in the upper arms to show off his muscles from Quidditch. He straightened when he saw Grace. "Wow," he said, in awe. "You look...wow."
"Thanks," Grace said, feeling her face grow hot. She'd never felt so akward around her best friend before.
"Well...ready to go in there, then?"
"Yes," Grace said, eager to get out of the bright front hall and away from the staring eyes of the boys. Micheal looped his arm with hers and they went into the Great Hall together.
The place where they usually ate looked INCREDIBLE. The stars on the ceiling, the fairy lights on the walls, the cozy little tables scattered all around. Grace and Micheal sat at one, and they were soon joined by two other Gryfindors, their friend Chris Horvol and his date, Victoria Simonson. "Wow, Grace, you look fantastic!" Vickie gushed.
"Thanks, so do you," Grace said sincerly.
They ate their dinners, though Grace could barely remember what they had. Did it really matter? They were going to dance! Grace had never danced with anyone besides her father before, and was eager to try the dances he'd taught her with a REAL partner. And Micheal seemed as good as any: after all, he said that his French mother had taught him to dance.
The band, whom Grace didn't recognize, played a variety of songs...most of which, Grace's knowledge of dancing did her no good. Micheal seemed just as confused as she did. "How can we waltz to this?" he wondered aloud. "What IS this?"
Grace laughed. "I think our parents have screwed us over."
"Once again."
Grace took his pale hand in her dark one, surprised by how warm he was. "Come on, let's get out for a minute."
They went out into the front lawn, but it had been turned into a mini hedge-maze. Fairy lights covered all the bushes and the small trees. There were silver benches scattered all around, and as Grace and Micheal walked along, they saw various couples making out...including Trista and her date, Paul. How tacky, she thought bitterly, then remembered that she wasn't upset at Trista anymore.
Besides, she was about to be "tacky" herself.
In the middle of the little maze was a giant fountain: a stone centar shooting water out of it's bow into the pool of water at it's feet. There was a bench nearby, and Grace led Micheal to it. "Let's sit here. I like the fountain."
"Alright," Micheal said, clearly nervous about the situation they were in. They sat down, and sort of looked at the night sky for a little while. Then, Grace turned to Micheal.
"There's something I forgot to tell you," she said softly.
"What is it?" Micheal asked, looking at her. Grace noticed how big and beautiful his hazel eyes were. It wasn't just the veela in him that made him attractive...he was just so endearing.
"Yeah," Grace said nervously. "You know how, in the library that night...you said you'd...fancied me?"
"Yeah?" They'd never spoken of it since, and tried to go on as if they were just two friends going to the ball together...but something was amiss. And Grace knew what it was.
"Well, I forgot to tell you...I've fancied you, too."
Micheal's eyes got even wider. "Really? Since...when?"
Grace shrugged. "Dunno...third, fourth year?"
"Oh, really?" Micheal smiled as wide as he ever had. "I...had no idea. I don't think anyone eles knew, either."
"Well, I'm better at hiding my feelings then you are," Grace said, giggling. Suddenly, she felt as though the breath was knocked out of her.
Micheal kissed her. And kissed her. And she didn't pull away. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.
And, for the first time in her life, all thoughts of her father and his approval faded from her mind.