Long Slow Beautiful Dance
By
LeAndra Black
Arthur Weasley sighed. He had been at this dance for hours and still hadn't danced with anyone who seemed to show even a tiny interest in him. He only came to these Muggle dances to see what the Muggles were like. Well, okay, he did find the Muggles very intriguing, but he also came to get a date. He couldn't find anyone who liked him in the wizarding world (except maybe that really weird Ravenclaw three years ago who had been... well, weird), and he was beginning to think that he was doomed to die alone. He had been unsuccessful thus far in the Muggle world also, which was really frustrating him (although he had been to only two of these dances). The last girl he had danced with – what was her name? Tara? Yes, Tara. She had seemed quite nice enough, and very good-looking, but she had looked at him as though he were from another world.
Well, I suppose that I am from a different world, he thought, running his fingers through his fiery-red hair. Why do I even bother? They're never interested in me. I might as well face it, I'm just meant to be alone for the rest of my life. He looked up at the clear moonless sky and sighed again. The cool August breeze swept through his hair, making it untidier than it usually was (but it was always a very good-looking untidy). He closed his eyes, trying to block out the music, the laughter. I am never coming to one of these stupid Muggle dances again, he thought bitterly. He brought his gaze back down to Earth and turned to leave.
And did a double-take.
There, facing away from him, stood a beautiful young woman, fiery-red hair tumbling down her back, in a beautiful black evening gown, looking up at the stars. He could hear her crying.
Sounds like a scene from the silver screen
Yeah, that's how it was
Love doesn't always look like a picture perfect storybook
Ah, but sometimes it does
He stood there for a moment, frozen, not quite sure what to do. He didn't want to stay any longer, but he wasn't the kind of man to just let a woman stand by herself and cry. Well, it probably won't keep me here for too much longer, so why not? he decided. He cautiously walked over to her, cleared his throat, and quietly asked, "Excuse me, are you alright?"
She turned her teary eyes to him. "I – Arthur?" She looked at him, surprised. "Arthur, what are you doing here?"
"Molly?" he asked, just as surprised as she was. "It's seems like it's been ages since I saw you, even though it's only been two months." He led her to a nearby chair and sat down next to her. "How have you been? I haven't heard from you since the last day at Hogwarts."
"Well," she began hesitantly, "I know we promised to keep in touch, it's just that, well..." She bit her lip.
"Come on Molly," he persisted. "We've been best friends for years. I don't think that I have any secrets that you don't know." She looked up at the stars again. "Please, Molly, I'm worried about you."
She looked back down at him. "It's – It's my boyfriend," she said. "He didn't want me to talk to any of my guy friends because I was his, not anyone else's. But he brought me here tonight to – to meet his other girlfriend." With that, she began to cry again. "Oh, Arthur, what's wrong with me? I loved him. What did I do to deserve this?" She laid her head on his shoulder.
"You didn't do anything wrong," Arthur said reassuringly, gently stroking her hair. "And there's nothing wrong with you. You're the most beautiful girl here, and I'd wager that you're the nicest as well. He's just too much of a prat to see that." He suddenly felt very angry at this mysterious boyfriend.
"You really think so?" she asked.
"No," he said, smiling, "I know it." She looked up at him and smiled. Their eyes met briefly. But in that moment, a dizzying feeling washed over him. He saw, in that moment, that he was in love with her. He hadn't realized it until just then, but he had been for years.
Standing beside her, the stars shined even brighter
And for a moment all the world was, all the world was still
I knew we belonged together the moment my eyes met hers
And I thought nothing lasts forever, but maybe this one will
He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the feeling. It left him, but now he felt nervous. He had never been nervous around her before, which only reinforced his realization.
"Are you alright?" she asked. "That was – strange."
"I'm fine," he lied. "I'm more worried about you." How could he tell her? She was heart broken. He didn't want to take advantage of her.
"I'm fine now," she said, "thanks to you. Thank you for reassuring me. I don't know what I'd do without you, Arthur."
"It's not a problem," he said. "I don't mind at all. What are friends for?"
"Well, I don't know how I can ever repay you."
"Hey, you don't have to repay me. I know that you'd do the same for me if I was in the same position. I know you'll be there for me when I need you, and that's enough." But he knew that that wasn't enough. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to love her, and he wanted her to love him in return. Don't push it, he thought. She's just had her heart broken. Don't push it. A slow song started to play.
"No, really Arthur, I want to do something for you," she said. "Please."
He smiled as an idea came to him. He grabbed her by the hand and stood, bringing her with him. "Dance with me?" he asked nervously.
"Yes, I'd love to," she said. He led her to the dance floor. She nervously wrapped her arms round his neck and laid her head on his chest. He placed his trembling hands on her waist and pulled her close to him. The dizzying feeling washed over him again, making his world spin. He had to tell her how he felt. He couldn't keep it from her anymore. He had to be with her. But he didn't want to ruin his friendship with her, a friendship that had given the last seven years of his life a purpose. Don't push it.
The world starts to spin again, you learn things you didn't
know then
Feels like the bloom is off the rose
But you weather a few storms and you pull out a few thorns
And together the garden grows and grows
He felt her shiver. He let go of her and took his jacket off. He draped it over her shoulders and pulled her close to him again. She tucked her arms close to her chest to warm them. He kissed the top of her head.
"Better?" he asked.
"Much better," she replied.
"Molly," he began, his voice trembling, "there's something that I – I have to tell you."
"What's that?"
"I – I think that I'm in love with you."
"I wondered when you were going to admit it."
"I – I know that you just had your heart broken but – I mean, I don't want you to think that I'm – what?"
"I saw it in your eyes," she said. "I'm in love with you, too. I have been for ages; I just didn't realize it until tonight."
"Will – Will you be mine then?" he asked nervously.
"Of course," she replied, smiling. "Nothing could make me happier." He kissed her passionately and the dizzying feeling washed over him again. He was happier than he had been in months. He pulled away and she laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. His heart beat was lulling her to sleep. By the end of the song, she was half asleep.
"Come on, love," he said, gently shaking her to wake her. "I'll take you home." She looked up at him with half-open eyes and yawned. He kissed her forehead. He picked her up in his arms and carried her across the dance floor. She wrapped her arms round his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. He smiled as he thought of his future: a future that included her. Sure, their life wouldn't be perfect, but with the love that they would share, it would be as perfect as they could make it.
A deep breath and baby steps
That's how the whole thing starts
It's a long, slow, beautiful dance
To the beat of a heart
So began the Weasley family.
THE END
LeAndra Rose Black
By
LeAndra Black
Arthur Weasley sighed. He had been at this dance for hours and still hadn't danced with anyone who seemed to show even a tiny interest in him. He only came to these Muggle dances to see what the Muggles were like. Well, okay, he did find the Muggles very intriguing, but he also came to get a date. He couldn't find anyone who liked him in the wizarding world (except maybe that really weird Ravenclaw three years ago who had been... well, weird), and he was beginning to think that he was doomed to die alone. He had been unsuccessful thus far in the Muggle world also, which was really frustrating him (although he had been to only two of these dances). The last girl he had danced with – what was her name? Tara? Yes, Tara. She had seemed quite nice enough, and very good-looking, but she had looked at him as though he were from another world.
Well, I suppose that I am from a different world, he thought, running his fingers through his fiery-red hair. Why do I even bother? They're never interested in me. I might as well face it, I'm just meant to be alone for the rest of my life. He looked up at the clear moonless sky and sighed again. The cool August breeze swept through his hair, making it untidier than it usually was (but it was always a very good-looking untidy). He closed his eyes, trying to block out the music, the laughter. I am never coming to one of these stupid Muggle dances again, he thought bitterly. He brought his gaze back down to Earth and turned to leave.
And did a double-take.
There, facing away from him, stood a beautiful young woman, fiery-red hair tumbling down her back, in a beautiful black evening gown, looking up at the stars. He could hear her crying.
Sounds like a scene from the silver screen
Yeah, that's how it was
Love doesn't always look like a picture perfect storybook
Ah, but sometimes it does
He stood there for a moment, frozen, not quite sure what to do. He didn't want to stay any longer, but he wasn't the kind of man to just let a woman stand by herself and cry. Well, it probably won't keep me here for too much longer, so why not? he decided. He cautiously walked over to her, cleared his throat, and quietly asked, "Excuse me, are you alright?"
She turned her teary eyes to him. "I – Arthur?" She looked at him, surprised. "Arthur, what are you doing here?"
"Molly?" he asked, just as surprised as she was. "It's seems like it's been ages since I saw you, even though it's only been two months." He led her to a nearby chair and sat down next to her. "How have you been? I haven't heard from you since the last day at Hogwarts."
"Well," she began hesitantly, "I know we promised to keep in touch, it's just that, well..." She bit her lip.
"Come on Molly," he persisted. "We've been best friends for years. I don't think that I have any secrets that you don't know." She looked up at the stars again. "Please, Molly, I'm worried about you."
She looked back down at him. "It's – It's my boyfriend," she said. "He didn't want me to talk to any of my guy friends because I was his, not anyone else's. But he brought me here tonight to – to meet his other girlfriend." With that, she began to cry again. "Oh, Arthur, what's wrong with me? I loved him. What did I do to deserve this?" She laid her head on his shoulder.
"You didn't do anything wrong," Arthur said reassuringly, gently stroking her hair. "And there's nothing wrong with you. You're the most beautiful girl here, and I'd wager that you're the nicest as well. He's just too much of a prat to see that." He suddenly felt very angry at this mysterious boyfriend.
"You really think so?" she asked.
"No," he said, smiling, "I know it." She looked up at him and smiled. Their eyes met briefly. But in that moment, a dizzying feeling washed over him. He saw, in that moment, that he was in love with her. He hadn't realized it until just then, but he had been for years.
Standing beside her, the stars shined even brighter
And for a moment all the world was, all the world was still
I knew we belonged together the moment my eyes met hers
And I thought nothing lasts forever, but maybe this one will
He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the feeling. It left him, but now he felt nervous. He had never been nervous around her before, which only reinforced his realization.
"Are you alright?" she asked. "That was – strange."
"I'm fine," he lied. "I'm more worried about you." How could he tell her? She was heart broken. He didn't want to take advantage of her.
"I'm fine now," she said, "thanks to you. Thank you for reassuring me. I don't know what I'd do without you, Arthur."
"It's not a problem," he said. "I don't mind at all. What are friends for?"
"Well, I don't know how I can ever repay you."
"Hey, you don't have to repay me. I know that you'd do the same for me if I was in the same position. I know you'll be there for me when I need you, and that's enough." But he knew that that wasn't enough. He wanted to be with her. He wanted to love her, and he wanted her to love him in return. Don't push it, he thought. She's just had her heart broken. Don't push it. A slow song started to play.
"No, really Arthur, I want to do something for you," she said. "Please."
He smiled as an idea came to him. He grabbed her by the hand and stood, bringing her with him. "Dance with me?" he asked nervously.
"Yes, I'd love to," she said. He led her to the dance floor. She nervously wrapped her arms round his neck and laid her head on his chest. He placed his trembling hands on her waist and pulled her close to him. The dizzying feeling washed over him again, making his world spin. He had to tell her how he felt. He couldn't keep it from her anymore. He had to be with her. But he didn't want to ruin his friendship with her, a friendship that had given the last seven years of his life a purpose. Don't push it.
The world starts to spin again, you learn things you didn't
know then
Feels like the bloom is off the rose
But you weather a few storms and you pull out a few thorns
And together the garden grows and grows
He felt her shiver. He let go of her and took his jacket off. He draped it over her shoulders and pulled her close to him again. She tucked her arms close to her chest to warm them. He kissed the top of her head.
"Better?" he asked.
"Much better," she replied.
"Molly," he began, his voice trembling, "there's something that I – I have to tell you."
"What's that?"
"I – I think that I'm in love with you."
"I wondered when you were going to admit it."
"I – I know that you just had your heart broken but – I mean, I don't want you to think that I'm – what?"
"I saw it in your eyes," she said. "I'm in love with you, too. I have been for ages; I just didn't realize it until tonight."
"Will – Will you be mine then?" he asked nervously.
"Of course," she replied, smiling. "Nothing could make me happier." He kissed her passionately and the dizzying feeling washed over him again. He was happier than he had been in months. He pulled away and she laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. His heart beat was lulling her to sleep. By the end of the song, she was half asleep.
"Come on, love," he said, gently shaking her to wake her. "I'll take you home." She looked up at him with half-open eyes and yawned. He kissed her forehead. He picked her up in his arms and carried her across the dance floor. She wrapped her arms round his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. He smiled as he thought of his future: a future that included her. Sure, their life wouldn't be perfect, but with the love that they would share, it would be as perfect as they could make it.
A deep breath and baby steps
That's how the whole thing starts
It's a long, slow, beautiful dance
To the beat of a heart
So began the Weasley family.
THE END
LeAndra Rose Black