No Singing, No Dancing, Just Talking ((Piano Man))

[Jordan Elizabeth Cortes]

There was a ball in a few short hours, but Jordan didn’t plan on going even though Braeden had asked her to go with him. She hadn’t been to an actual ball since the one where she and Dillion had set off fireworks. The New Year Bash had been a party, not a ball and even that had turned weird. She was still a bit upset that Justin hadn’t told her about the attack. She understood why he had kept it secret, but she still felt a little upset at how she had been knocked unconscious… again. Now with Voldemort dead, Jordan doubted there would be anymore attacks for a long while. That didn’t mean she wanted to go to the ball. A night in the quiet common room sounded amazing, especially if she was going to be spending it with Braeden. She watched as Vanessa scurried around and put the finishing touches on her outfit. It was an outfit only Vanessa Bauer could pull off. The golden floor length dress was almost exactly like Belle’s in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” The only difference in the outfit? The top hat on top of Vanessa’s head. If it had been on anyone else, it would look completely ridiculous, but on Vanessa it looked exquisite. After putting her last earring in her ear, Vanessa spun around to face Jordan. “What do you think? Spunkalicious?” she asked. Jordan smiled and nodded. Vanessa rushed out then, eager to get the ball on the roll.

The dormitory was now empty. It felt so weird being in there all alone. Jordan chewed on her bottom lip as she swung her legs over the edge of her bed. She sat there for a moment, debating in her head whether or not to go down to the common room just yet. She looked down at her pajamas, maybe she should change first. Jordan stood and waved her wand, much too lazy to actually look for clothes. She was wearing a sun dress now, one that she felt comfortable in, with a jean jacket. Her hair was pulled into two braids and had a clip to keep it in place. She was ready for her date with the common room fireplace and Braeden. Jordan grabbed her sketchbook and left the abandoned dormitory. She entered the common room, which was completely deserted, and took a seat by the fire. The flame was dancing and casting shadows across the wood paneled walls. It was surprising to see how dark the common room was already. Jordan tore her gaze away from the fire and opened her sketchbook. She had no intention of drawing, but she did plan on looking through her sketches. The first one was of Dillion, the guy she had liked since third year. Things had changed now. Jordan had grown up and Dill had decided to live in Never Never Land. There was no longer a fleeting smile on her face when she heard ‘Dillion.’ No. That name had been replaced with another. It was the name of the piano prodigy, Braeden Nuit. Jordan turned her sketchbook to the drawing of Braeden playing the piano. It had become her favourite drawing and she had a copy of it that moved. Wizard art, she thought.

This drawing was still and didn’t have anything special about it except for the man in it. Jordan had been thinking about Braeden quite a lot since the day in the room of requirement. There had been something about him that had made Jordan smile genuinely instead of out of politeness. And now, Jordan felt her heart skip a beat whenever she thought about him or thought she heard his name. Jordan never got this way over a guy. Not even Dillion who she had liked for 4 years. Braeden was different. He had a sense of maturity in him that Jordan had been looking for in a guy for awhile. Not only that but he was talented, sweet, and so many other things. Jordan felt that all too familiar flutter in her chest wondering. She closed her sketchbook and held it to her as her eyes focused on the fire. There was only the sound of the fire crackling and her steady breathing. There was so many things running through Jordan’s head that she was completely zoned out.

[braeden]

It seemed as if all the guys in the seventh year boys dorm were under some sort of funny Charm. Most of them couldn’t remember where they had just left their shoes, let alone who they were supposed to be meeting and why. It was Valentine’s Day. A day most guys became even more confused by the female gender. They were looking at each other, trying to make sure one another was dressed properly. Braeden hollered to one of the guys as he walked out the dorm door forgetting the little present he had left on his bed. The guy turned quickly, thanked Braeden and ran out the dorm door. I thought they would never leave Braeden thought to himself, glad to have some peace and quiet to concentrate on the present he had already thought of for his Musa Dolce. The two were supposed to meet in the common room that evening by the fireplace, but Braeden had planned on a bit of an entrance. He had found an old wizarding record player that had once belonged to his father, and had asked that his father send it to him. The package had luckily arrived this morning. He had prepared a recording of his latest composition, three actually, one that had been sent to his mother, one that was hidden inside a heart shaped box, with a record sleeve covered in hearts and the words ‘Giordania Bel Ballo’ resting softly in between two very large blue daisies, and one that he had already set on the record player so that it would play while he and Jordan spent the evening together. He had asked the house-elves to prepare a picnic dinner for the evening, which they had already sent to his dorm room. He guessed he would accio that from the dorm when time was right. He had memorized the proper spell for conjuring white daisies to cover the entire common room. Now all he needed was to dress appropriately.

Braeden had never considered himself a nice dresser, he usually just wore what ever he felt comfortable in and it always found a way to look good, tonight that wouldn’t suffice however. Jeans and a nice sweater wasn’t for this special evening. He wanted something nicer. Something perfect. He found a pair of simple black slacks that his mother had given him in case he ever had to be around muggles. The fact that he enjoyed dressing more like a muggle had also leveraged his mother’s choice in the black slacks. With these he would add a cream sweater that his grandmother had given him this last Christmas. The outfit looked nice enough. He slid on his black dress shoes, and slid his wand into his pocket. It was almost time to make his appearance.

The way Braeden had figured it, he could conjure up the white daisies before he entered, do a simple locomotor spell to move the record player from his arms to the table he wanted to sit it on, another twist of the wand would start it playing softly. Then he would charm some candle light into the room, especially around the area Jordan was sitting in. Heart shaped blue, yellow and white candles should do the room justice. Braeden could picture the whole thing in his mind as he walked toward the dorm door and began to make his way toward the common room. He thought against starting the record player until the candles and daisies were already in place.

The entrance from the dorms to the common room neared, Braeden sighed and stopped where he could see a table sitting just to the left of the entrance. He pulled his wand from his pocket, and with a wave began to move the record player to the table, being careful to not start it playing just yet. A few more steps down, after sitting the record player in it’s spot, and Braeden could see the area where the candles needed to be. A picture of them in his mind, and a wave of the wand in his hand, and suddenly he could see the candles begin to form on the tables around Jordan and all through the Common Room. He decided that time for the daisies wasn’t right just yet. He would do that after he had already made his way into the room. That’s what it was now time for. Braeden moved his way through the entrance and carefully waved his wand to start the record player. ‘Giordania Bel Ballo’ began playing ever so softly through the room as he made his way to the beautiful girl sitting near the fireplace. “Jordan.” He said softly, making sure not to startle her. As he waited for her to notice he was in the room, he waved his wand and white daisies appeared every where, including one in her hair. He hadn’t been able to stop himself from imagining that one there.

[Jordan Elizabeth Cortes]

Jordan looked up when something seemed to float near her and land on a table. She tilted her head as music began playing from the record player and a smile lit up her face. She was about to call out to Braeden, but he had already spoken her name causing her to jump slightly. She turned around in her chair just in time to see white daisies appear everywhere, including one in her hair. Jordan reached up and felt the daisy in her hair before smiling and standing. The music still played behind her as she stood there, there was a nervous jump in her stomach, but she ignored it and took a couple of steps toward Braeden and laced her arm through his. "I think you're left out," she told him before plucking a daisy from the table and putting it behind his ear as well. Jordan watched him a moment and then nodded in satisfaction with a bright smile on her face, "How'd you know my favourite flower? Or did you give a guess and luck out?" She was pretty sure there were only a select few who knew her favourite flower, not because she didn't tell anyone else except them but because they didn't bother to care about it. Jordan wondered if Dill knew it, and she realized he probably didn't and if he did it would be a miracle. She brushed Dillion from her mind and turned back to Braeden as she led him to the couch in front of the fireplace.

As she sat down on the couch, she looked over at the record player and shook her head. "I still can't believe you wrote this... it's amazing." Jordan looked back at Braeden and grinned before taking the flower from his hair. She scrunched up her face and shook her head, "I don't think it's your kind of flower." Jordan held the flower in between her fingers as she leaned her head on her palm as her arm leaned against the back of the couch. She was rather relieved not to be at the ball, slightly worried about what she would sing about. Of course, she would have had the choice not to go into the mist, but she knew that she would be too tempted and that temptation would be rather strong. Jordan gave into temptation rather easily especially if the temptation was something fun. That could most definitely be a bad thing. She broke the gaze that was going on between them by looking at the fire. "So... you sure you don't want to go down to the ball? I don't want to keep you from something you really want... and I do mind going... but I'd rather be in here away from all the drama that is sure to insue."