She had absolutely gorgeous legs and feet, and he was so turned on by the touching and the occasional peeking at her thighs that by the time he'd gotten up to Davis' knee, his sack was beginning to ache from the tightness of his pants. He chanced a look back up at her, hoping she hadn't noticed.
Head lolling back against the cushions, eyes closed and a small smile gracing her lips... she'd fallen asleep!
The old ego taking a nice stroll around the room at the thought that he'd relaxed his partner so thoroughly that she'd sacked out, Harry took that stolen moment to really look at this girl more closely. She was really quite a beauty. Why hadn't he noticed her before?
Well, that wasn't quite fair. He knew the reasons: over the last four years, he'd had a crush on 'Mione, then Cho, then Marietta, then 'Mione again, then Ginny, and finally Julie Parkes, whom he'd broken up with a little over a month ago after a two week fling that meant nothing but a good shag opportunity for both of them. Besides, Tracey was a Slytherin – a House he'd vowed never to date anyone from, simply on principle alone. Had he missed his chance with this girl as a result of such prejudice?
He was getting way ahead of himself. He didn't even know her yet! Yeah, she was pretty, and apparently liked the color purple, and she was shy and somewhat trusting, but that wasn't enough for him to really know if he wanted to make a play for her. He had to get to know her better. He hoped they didn't get any really kinky sex stuff before he felt comfortable with the idea tonight. Performance anxiety was a killer for a boner. He'd finished up her left foot by then, and put both legs back on the floor, glancing up. She was still asleep. Placing the towel on the floor and sitting up on the sofa next to her, leaning back into the couch, he took her hand gently in his. "Tracey," he murmured, trying to wake her without scaring her. "Tracey, wake up." She sighed, but didn't awaken, merely shifted so that her head moved to his shoulder and leaned upon it. In another second, she had snuggled up to him.
Harry was caught off guard, unsure as to what to do. He looked down at the girl-woman in his arms and tried waking her again. She merely burrowed her nose into his chest.
So trusting, he thought again, feeling that warmth in his chest expand. It was adorable… but for the sake of the game, they had to do his card before time ran out or else he would accidentally forfeit and they'd both be knocked out. It was too early for such a thing. Besides, he was kind of enjoying their time together and the idea of performing his card now was rather interesting to him.
"Tracey, wake up," he jarred her lightly. "Come on. You have to get up now, pretty girl."
She stirred and looked up at him, sleepy, multi-colored eyes so honest and sincere. Their gazes locked. "Harry?"
His heart gave a painful leap in that moment, squeezing tightly. Oh, man… Swallowing back the tide of irrational feeling that flooded his senses (especially between his legs), he righted Tracey, helping her come fully awake. "If I don't perform my card, I'll be knocked out of the game," he reminded her. "There isn't a lot of time left. I've lost about ten minutes already." "Card?" she asked, and then dawning realization alighted her features and she sat up abruptly. "Oh, your card! The game!
I'm so sorry for falling asleep like that! It's just that N.E.W.T.s were so exhausting last week, and I never really recovered fully between all of the parties they've been throwing in the dorms and all. And the massage was so wonderful..." She looked down, realized that her knees were still exposed, and righted her dress immediately, blushing again. "So, your card. Yes, right. We need to act it out."
Harry noted that her hands were trembling slightly, and he put one of his over the both of hers in her lap. "Don't worry. It's really a harmless one." He read it for her:
DEED: Your partner must dance with you however you want. "Oh!" Tracey brightened, her smile finding its way back home. "Well, that sounds lovely!"
He stood and held a hand out to her. "Rather fortunate that you're a dancer," he joked as she slid her warm, small hand into his and helped her to her feet. "Because I'm rather awful at it. You lead."
She laughed and it was an enchanting sound. "I'm barefoot," she reminded him. "What if you step on my feet?"
"Hmmm…" he considered the problem, and
promptly hopped her up onto the tops of his shoes, wrapping one arm about her waist and the other taking her hand, as he had learned for the Yule Ball years before. Snuggled in close to him, her body pressing against his, they were almost of an equal height, he slightly taller still. "I guess I'll have to do my best to guide us then. Just don't laugh." He thought of some songs he wouldn't mind dancing to with her like this and came up with a couple of his favorites. The first one piped into the room to the soft jazzy accompaniment of a piano, a muted trumpet and a soft cymbal, performed by one of his favorite Muggle singers.
Unforgettable… that's what you are. Unforgettable… though near or far.
Like a song of love that clings to me, How the thought of you does things to me.
Never before has someone been more… Unforgettable… in every way.
And forever more… that's how you'll stay.
That's why darling it's incredible, That someone so unforgettable, Thinks that I am unforgettable, too.
"I know this song," she admitted. "It's one of my mother's favorites. She's a Muggle-born witch, you know. She used to dance with my father to that song in our living room when I was younger."
"Nat King Cole is one of my favorites, too," he admitted softly, staring into her charming eyes as he sashayed them back and forth. "I used to hear my Aunt Petunia sneak these songs on the player when she thought no one was home to hear. I've always imagined my parents dancing to this song. Funny, huh?"
She nodded once. "Funny."
"It's not my favorite song from him though. This one is." He thought of the song he wanted as soon as the last notes of "Unforgettable" faded away, and then the fully orchestrated version of "When I Fall In Love" filled the room.
When I fall in love, It will be forever, Or I'll never fall in love. In a restless world like this is Love is ended before it's begun.
And too many moonlight kisses Seem to cool in the warmth of the sun.
When I give my heart, It'll be completely, Or I'll never give my heart.
And the moment I can feel that You feel that way, too…
Is when I'll fall in love with you.
Behind his chest, his heart thumped wildly, and for a moment, he felt himself falling, too… directly into Tracey Davis' honest, green-blue-brown combination eyes.
Oh, man… Not good! She was on the other team! She was supposed to be his rival for this game…
Thankfully, a light chiming sound rang out in the air, telling them that their time was up (a Malfoy idea when they'd been setting up the Room of Requirement earlier; it was timed to count out exactly fifty minutes from the moment a couple entered a private room).
"Time to go," he stated, reluctantly releasing her.
"Yeah," she agreed, seemingly just as loath to end the dance.
Lowering her eyes, she climbed off his feet. The loss of her warmth from his person was enough to make him shiver. He swallowed and turned away, trying to compose his rioting emotions as she bent to replace her heels, politely allowing her to support and balance herself with one hand on his arm.
Moving to the door side by side, he reacted on gut instinct and stopped her from reaching for the knob. "Listen, Tracey," he tried for honest. "No matter what else tonight brings, I want you to know that I liked this. Just this, what we did here this first round. It was… perfect."
Rosy-cheeked, she looked over at him and nodded. "Yes, it was a… perfect first date, I suppose you could say," she smiled tremulously.
Stepping into her, he reached up and smoothed a loose blonde hair off her forehead, tucking it back behind her ear. "I'll try… not to hurt you," he promised her. "No matter what my card says, I won't… do anything you don't want. You set the tone and pace."
She looked at him a minute more, and then slowly leaned forward and kissed him gently on the cheek. It was butterfly soft, and made fireworks go off in his chest. "Thank you," she accepted graciously, then smiled playfully. "I just realized something. This is the first time I've been escorted to the door by a date." With a sigh of happiness, she turned the knob and stepped away.
Harry's heart flipped over in his chest, and he knew right there that he was in serious trouble.
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