The dress was a deep nice red in colour, strapless, standing stable above her chest as it gently flowed down. A ribbon, a shade of lighter red, was tied around her waist as the narrow body of the dress pointed out her faint curves.
The rest of the dress was reaching the floor and consisted of two layers. The first was made of the same material as the corset, a nice deep red in colour that reminded Gellert of the fresh blood running through one's body. The second layer was made of lace of matching shade, giving a nice and slightly more formal look to the whole outfit.
She had pinned her black hair on a tall bun for now, to allow the whole dress to be visible; with no obstacles.
"What do you think?" Roxanne asked him, her voice snapping him from his thoughts.
Her cheeks has turned once again a bright red hue, something that seemed to be a habit most of the times that he was around.
With a move of his finger, he signalled for her to do a turn around herself and she complied; satisfying him that she listened without too much trouble.
He watched with satisfaction as the dress twirled faintly, following the movement of her body. That dress suited her, coming in nice contrast with her black hair.
Although in his mind, he could see that a darker colour would make her look even better. Something dark and powerful, to help bring out the strength and power she had but also concealed.
"Your date to the ball is a very lucky man," he said as he walked towards her, his eyes not once leaving her face.
She smiled and looked down for a moment as he approached. "I hope Albus thinks the same. I thought this colour was a nice representation of him" she explained.
Gelleet stopped in front of her, his head inclined down faintly due to the height difference. At the mention that she would go to the ball with Albus, he felt a sour taste in his mouth and a mild annoyance deep in his chest.
Something about the two of them going together to the dance like a couple did not truly seem to settle well with him. He would have preferred to be there as well, be the date.
Now to whom? He was not exactly sure.
One would say that the obvious choice would be Roxanne. The smiling Hufflepuff had drawn his interest and had spent most of her possible time with him, even during her vacations.
Yet, a part of him also thought of Albus. He could be his date to the Yule Ball instead of Roxanne. Of course, the metamorphmagus was far better than anyone else taking that role at the big night.
Gellert, then, did something that Roxanne never saw coming. He extended his one hand as if asking her to dance.
She was confused for a moment and hesitant but a good look in that confidence and charming face of his, and she knew that she could trust him. Her hand was placed into his and he gently guided her further into the empty room.
His one hand effortlessly went to her waist and the other kept holding her hand. Her one hand stayed inside his and the other had moved to the proper position by his shoulder.
He started to lead and Roxanne felt self-conscious at that moment. She looked down, hoping not to step on him by making a false move.
While they did teach everyone how to dance at Hogwarts, she didn't have much of a chance to practise with someone else and she did grow worried about embarrassing herself or hurting her partner.
His hand moved from her waist and placed under her chin, making her lift her head and look up at him.
"Don't look down, have more trust in yourself?" he said as his hand went back to her waist. "And in your leading partner"
She felt the need to argue, to voice her thoughts and worries at that moment. Yet, as she stared into his silent commanding eyes; she felt herself going quiet.
His words while sounding like a piece of simple advice, had the tone of an order and his serious face only confirmed the message he wanted to pass. His charming but commanding aura quickly seemed to affect her, all the arguments in her head going silent in his presence.
Seeing how she did not talk back and merely did as he told her, Gellert felt satisfied. With his usual confidence, he led her across the room floor. Not once did he hesitate or change his beat, his feet moving effortlessly and gently leading her.
Slowly, her body relaxed and he could feel it from his hand placed by her waist. A small smile formed on her lips as she trusted him more and she proved to be a very good and graceful dancer; once she got all that worry out of her system.
"We are also taught dances at Durmstrang," he said, having somehow predicted what her question would be. His answer made her look at him with surprise, almost feeling as if he had read her mind. That amused him but then focused on something else. "You said that you felt red was a good representation of Albus"
She gave a nod, understanding where he was leading it. "I like to associate people with colours, a representation of their character and energy they have" she confessed, making him lift an eyebrow in surprise.
"And what colour do you associate me with?" He asked as he placed both hands on her waist and gently lifted her up during a half-turn.
Both her hands quickly went on his shoulders for stability. "Black" was her answer as he carefully lowered her, her short red heels making a faint noise as she landed.
They came to a halt, their bodies far closer now than before. His hands remained on her waist, keeping her there as their chest almost touched with each synchronised breath they took.
"Why Black?" He asked, his head tilted slightly to the side from curiosity, causing a single strand to fall between his eyes.
Roxanne was captivated for a moment, only now realising just how close they had been. Yet, his question quickly made her think of the right answer, her gaze never looking away from his.
"Black is endless and eternal like your will to defeat Death. It holds mysteries and secrets, its exotic beauty both captivates but also frightens people... inside the blackness, you can never see how deep it can be and that is always a reminder that if not paddled carefully..." she said, her hands having moved closer to his neck before one slowly slid down his chest. "One could easily get lost and drowned in the intoxicating beauty of it" she replied, her lips parting faintly by the time she finished.
All the time she spoke, her amber eyes looked deep into his and her words seemed to describe his very soul. For that moment, Gellert felt both intrigued but also vulnerable; her words having undressed a hidden part of his soul.
His hands on her waist tightened slightly and he brought his face a little closer, trying to look deep into her eyes and read her back. He saw no lies or deception behind those bright amber orbs that seemed to reflect something ancient inside.
One strand of hair had escaped her bun and was hanging by the side of her face. He carefully brought one hand and gently tacked it behind her ear. "You certainly have a way with words, dear," he said, the last two words had been said with such charm and softness that for a moment, Roxanne felt weak. "And what do you feel about this darkness? Does it captivate or does it frighten you?" He asked, his fingers slowly caressing her cheek, tracing the scar existing there.
His movement caused goosebumps to appear on her skin, her body responding to his touch as if someone was holding a torch too close to her skin.
Not once did she break eye contact but as his head was tilted a little more, she felt her stomach tighten in some hidden excitement but also nervousness.
"It...it intrigues me...I want to see more of it..." she said, her voice coming out as a whisper, her breath almost reaching his lips.
The corners of his lips turned upwards and he looked at her with the most satisfied look he had ever given her.
"Good" was all he said before he made his move.
His hand moved from her cheek to her chin and grabbed it in a firm hold. Without a warning, he brought her lips closer and sealed them with a kiss, allowing them to share their first kiss.
The movement had surprised her but quickly something else took control of both her mind and her body. She closed her eyes and tilted her head just a bit more, the hand close to his neck moving to be almost fully behind it while the other was pressed against his chest.
She deepened the kiss and followed his head, feeling his lips hungrily claim hers and leading the whole moment; taking what they desired with some hidden need that wanted more.
Eventually, Gellert pulled back but just a tad. Their faces were still so close to one another, noses touching their breaths reaching one another.
He watched her as she slowly opened her eyes, her cheeks slightly flushed from the moment and her breathing a little faster than normal. He took another moment to take in her full picture, now focusing on the details on her face.
His hand held her chin for a little longer. His chest puffed with pride after taking that nice kiss from her. Her response had only made everything much sweeter and it offered the perfect medicine to calm the complicated emotions inside his heart.
Albus might be affected by her smile or presence alone but Gellert slowly started to realize that he wanted little more from her, blaming it on her abilities and his intrigues about her and her talents.
Slowly, Roxanne opened her amber eyes and despite all the shock of the kiss, she did not feel any change in her body. She had not lost control of her abilities during that kiss, somehow having this inner confidence that she was far better at controlling them than she thought she would be.
She looked deep into his eyes, subconsciously looking for an answer but finding none. Yet, that kiss felt as if there really shouldn't have an answer as to why it happened and what it meant.
To her surprise, she was okay with that; for the first time ever.