"No, no, no," Elio called as her white dress disappeared behind the bushes. He quickly took after her, cursing the stupid dress shoes and the way they kept getting caught on the vines on the ground. "Mia topolina, no. Don't leave. I'm sorry for kissing you; I won't do it again. Just don't go. Please."

He watched as she ran up the steps before turning around, her dark eyes looking magnificent behind the white mask—the stupid mask that he should have ripped off so he could fully see her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered before apparating.

"NO!" He cried, sprinting to grab on to her but it was too late. She was gone and he was still standing there, arms reaching toward her as if they could bring her back.

Elio ran both of his hands through his hair, resting them while he kicked the ground in frustration. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" He didn't even notice the way his mind switched to Italian. "Cazzo!" he growled into the empty garden.

Was it the kiss? Did he misread the eyes she was giving him, the moment they were having? No, she seemed blissfully happy—just as he was—once he pulled away. There was a flicker in her eyes for a brief second before she was running and he was left alone, the girl he was falling for gone like she hadn't given him the best night of his life.

"Think, Elio, think." What did he know about her? She had both of her parents and an older brother. She was terrified of crowds, hadn't gone out much before tonight, and had probably never been to one of these dances. She played the pianoforte "quite well" and he knew her humility well enough to know by now that that meant she was absolutely brilliant on it. She wasn't one for being out of doors and enjoyed stuffed animals. None of that seemed to be particularly helpful. No, there had to be more.

Okay, she had to be a pureblood, he reasoned. Only purebloods were invited to these things but her apparent isolation meant that she probably didn't know many others here. Though, as he thought back on their conversation, he realized she seemed to know who Astoria and Scorpius were when he mentioned them—her confusion seemed more centered on his relationship with them.

Bingo.

Elio was already striding through the door, making his way to where his friend still stood by the punchbowl. "Oy!" he called out, drawing the eye of not just Scorpius but everyone else in the vicinity as well. "A word?"

Scorpius's eyes narrowed as he tried to work out what was going on but Elio just ignored it and led them to a private hallway with a confident gait. "Dude, what's this about?" Scorpius said as soon as they were alone. "I have a date with some firewhisky."

"Who was I dancing with out there?" Elio asked quickly.

"What? You were dancing with someone?"

Elio rubbed his hand on his forehead. It was clear the Scorpius wasn't going to be any help. "You're killing me, mate."

"Sorry. I've been nursing the punch all night," he said with a wry grin. "Can't have a hangover after drinking if there is no after."

Normally, Elio would have laughed and agreed with him before grabbing a glass of punch himself. But now, the last thing he honestly wanted was to get drunk. Being inebriated wasn't going to help him find her.

"You didn't get her name?" Scorpius asked, taking another swig from the glass of red punch he was holding. His eyes were rimmed with a matching color.

Elio shook his head. "No. We danced and then we went outside and had the best fucking kiss of my life before she got scared and ran."

"Must have been a terrible kiss." Elio just scowled, not in the mood to joke around when his heart was still racing. Scorpius's face soured at his friend's lack of humor. "Sorry, man. My mum would know, though. She curated the guest list herself."

"Brilliant! I'll go find her now." The hope in his chest that was steadily declining now had a sense of renewal. I'm going to find you, Little Mouse. And then you'll be mine.

"Cheers, mate. Good luck." And Elio was off again, striding across the room as he looked for Astoria, who was probably wearing a grand dress with her black hair elegantly done up.

But as he walked about the room, a strong hand grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Sweetheart!" His mother exclaimed. "Do not tell me that you seriously tried to have relations with that girl in the middle of the ball."

Elio shrugged his arm away. "Thanks for your faith, Mummy, but no. She was nervous around the crowd so we went outside."

His mother's deep blue eyes softened. "Oh, darling, that is so sweet of you. I'm so glad you danced with someone. That was a great first step. Perhaps at the next ball, you can dance with more than one."

His face curled at even the thought. "No."

"What do you mean no?"

"I mean that I won't be dancing with anyone other than her so I don't need to go to more balls."

Ariana furrowed her brows. "But, darling, I know you don't particularly like these but surely that one wasn't that bad."

"Cara mia," his father said from behind her. Elio hadn't noticed he was there until he spoke. "I think what Elio is trying to say is that he wants this girl to be his first and his last dance."

Exactly. But his mother still seemed confused, probably because Elio had spent twenty-three years completely disinterested in any woman for more than a few minutes. She probably took his words to mean that he would refuse to dance ever again and go back to his old ways without even realizing that he might not want to do that anymore. "I know that, dear, but just because he might not like one girl doesn't mean that he wouldn't like others! And the same could go for balls. He might—"

"Mummy," Elio said, cutting her off. "It's not that. She's... wonderful. I don't want to dance with any other girl because I only want her. I'm going fucking crazy about her. I want to make her my wife. I want our children to have her eyes. She is perfect, Mummy. I'm going to marry her."

She gasped. "But you've only just met her!"

His father leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Amore, I knew I wanted you from the moment I saw you. Elio has found someone his heart has connected to. It is the same."

"This is completely different!"

"How?"

"Because you weren't my darling baby boy! You were a heathen."

His father rolled his eyes and smirked. "A heathen who was five years younger than Elio is now. And don't act like our son is a saint. He's far too similar to me to ever be one."

Elio chuckled but his mother frowned. "He's an angel." Then, she turned to him. "Aren't you a little young to get married?"

His eyebrows rose. "You were the one that wanted me to get married."

"Yes, but you are the boy who took two weeks to clean his room once even though you have a wand that can do it instantly. I thought if I asked you now, I would have five years to get used to the idea!"

"Cara mia, we were younger when we got married—"

"Oh, shut up, heathen!" His mother said with a glare. Elio watched as his father bit his lip to contain his smile.

He stepped up to his mother and grabbed both of her hands. "Mummy," he said softly. "She's so wonderful. She's beautiful and soft and kind. You would adore her. I know it's soon but my heart doesn't want anyone else. There are some things we just know instantly. I fell for her in a second. Please, just trust me?"

She bit her lip—reminding him far too much of his topolina for his clenching heart—before nodding. "Okay. I trust you. We can find her at the next ball, alright?"

"Next ball? I'm not leaving here without her."

"But you didn't want to stay—"

"Aria," his father cut in. "It's clear that Elio has changed his mind about many things tonight. Let's leave so he can get to know the girl better. We'll see him Monday and you can grill him to your heart's content."

"Why do we have to leave?"

"Because you'll hover over him all weekend and drive him insane before terrifying the poor girl away. You're too much of a mama bear for things like this."

"Mummy," he said once he saw her frown. "I promise I will come back Monday and tell you everything you want to know."

"Everything?"

"Even her shoe size if that is what you wish to know," he conceded with a kiss to her cheek.

She sighed. "Alright. We'll have a house elf bring you your things. And I will speak to Astoria about finding you a room—"

"I'll talk to her," he said quickly, probably too quickly based on her now-suspicious look.

"Alright. Please behave and mind your manners."

"I will, Mummy." He shifted back and forth on his feet a little nervously before saying, "Do you... do you happen to have any of those tips for me? About wooing a woman?"

A small smile graced her lips. "What any girl wants is to love and be loved in return. Show her that she is loved and I'm sure all will be well." She cupped his cheek lightly. "If you see her for who she is, she will see you for who you are. My wonderful baby boy."

"Be yourself," his father muttered. "The right woman will want you as you are."

"Thanks, Mum. Thanks, Dad." The trio said their goodbyes before Elio was back to searching for Astoria.

He found her quickly, laughing at something her husband was saying while he smirked down at her. Draco Malfoy looked exactly like his son—save for the different eyes. Sometimes, if Elio was drunk enough, he had to do a double-take when he saw them. He walked up to the two of them.

"Oh, Eli! Look, Draco, he finally came to one of these. How are you, dear?" Her smile was bright and genuine. Astoria clearly thrived at events like these.

"Great, Aunt Astoria," he said because even though she wasn't his mother's sister, she was close to it. "Can I have a word?"

Draco scowled before walking away. "So," she said with a knowing smile. "I noticed you looked quite enamored on the dance floor."

His cheeks heated and he rubbed his neck. "About that... who is she?"

Astoria frowned. "You mean you don't know who she is? You didn't ask for her name?"

Elio winced. "No. Our conversation flowed so easily that names never came." He noticed Astoria's wary expression before saying quickly, "Please, Aunt Azzy. I really like this girl. I just want to find her. Please help me?"

Astoria looked like she was having a small argument with herself before sighing, "If she hasn't told you her name herself, I will not tell you it—"

"But—" he exclaimed but she cut him off with a sharp look that reminded him of his mother.

"I will not tell you her name, Elio," she repeated. "But I will tell you that she is staying as one of our guests for the entirety of the weekend. You can simply see her tomorrow and ask her then. It'll be easier to find her, anyway, since most only stay for the first night."

Elio frowned but nodded. Hope wasn't gone. He could still find her tomorrow. Patience just wasn't his strong suit. "Alright. Can I stay over? Maybe I can find her room and just talk to her to explain things."

She shook her head firmly. "She's in the ladies' wing. You may stay here but you will not go over there. I know her family and can assure you that sneaking around there would not go well for you."

He groaned. "How am I supposed to wait until tomorrow?"

She smiled softly before looking over at her husband, who was standing in the corner of the room looking like it physically pained him to be away from her. "The right ones are worth waiting for."

Elio had no doubt that she would be worth waiting for. Like watching the buds of a flower waiting for the most beautiful blooms. No, she was definitely right and worth waiting for. He knew that.

He just also knew that the next 24 hours waiting for her would be hell.

Poor Elio. Man is down bad. Would love to know what you think of him and his character! I also just love putting my other couples in this story. Makes me so happy hehe.