Just For One Night ((Bryce))

[Ashley Hill]

((Here is Ashley's dress. Stole this idea from Amber. ))

Ashley wrapped her white sweater closer to her body as her brown eyes gazed over the letter in her hands. Her blonde hair was still dripping wet, water droplets drizzling down her back. A subtle grin lightened her face as Ashley folded the letter in her hands. Setting the folded piece of paper to the side, her fingers than began too rip apart the parcel that lay on her bed. “Finally!” she exclaimed excitedly, carefully taking her costume out of its cardboard box. Hanging it along the banister of the bed, Ashley’s brown eyes gazed over the silky blue fabric, with gold embellishments along the edges. It was perfect for the night. Just like all the other years, Hogwarts was holding a Winter Ball. This wouldn’t be like the others though. It would be Ashley’s last, and even Bryce’s. Since there was a theme to most of the balls, this year was couples throughout the ages. It was hard for Ashley to decide which couple to go as. She wanted to go as a certain Disney couple, but there would be tons of other students doing that as well, and she wanted to keep it original. Ashley kept racking her brain, trying to come up with different ideas. It wasn’t until she remembered in her fifth year when Lenora went to the ball as Helen of Troy. Her best friend treasured the myth of the Trojans. Even though Ashley was Italian, she loved learning about Greek culture, but she didn’t want to go as Helen and Paris. They were both too overrating, and didn’t sit well in Ashley’s book. However, there was another devoted couple, Hector and Andromache. Their story was not one that was told often, but what Ashley knew was that they loved each other deeply.

Noticing the other girls beginning to pile into the room, Ashley pushed her thoughts of Troy aside. Taking her wand from the dresser, she flicked it, reciting a small incantation. Within moments, Ashley’s hair fell down to her waistline in luscious curls, turning brunette. Glancing over her shoulder at the mirror, Ashley’s eyes grew wide at the reelection. She had never seen her hair brown before. Running her fingers through her new hair, Ashley than flicked her wand again, pinning her hair into a half pony tail held together by a gold clip. Taking the gown from the banister, Ashley pulled it over her head, letting the fabric slide down her body. Smoothing out the toga she than slipped her feet into a pair of black sandals, buckling the sides. Once all ready, Ashley left the dormitory, joining a giggling group of girls all dressed differently. Smiling at their outfits, Ashley headed down the stairs stopping as she gazed around the common room for Bryce. They had to get going to meet Professor McGonagall for the Royal Court announcements before all the other students started leaving. Noticing Luke Dallan first, Ashley then saw Bryce. A smile stretched across her face as she made her way up to the boys. “Bryce!” she spoke, her eyes meeting his until looking over the rest of his wardrobe. “Wow…you really could pass as Hector of Troy.” Nodding Ashley glanced over at Luke noticing his Quidditch robes that he wore. Of course that was typical for Luke Dallan. That boy was obsessed with the sport, even more now after his breakup, but what could they have been talking about before?

“We have to get going. Bye Luke!” Taking Bryce’s hand, Ashley waved by at the seventh year as she pulled Bryce through the crowds of students. When they finally reached the outer doors of the Entrance Hall where the rest of the court members stood, Ashley waited patiently next to Bryce. She was nervous, but not only because of the announcements of whom made which title, but the night in general. Sometimes, Ashley lost her nerve around Bryce, but most of the times, she was just her natural self. Hearing Professor Dumbledore’s announcements, Ashley turned toward Bryce, “You ready?” she whispered while looping her arm through his. Watching the others proceed forward, Ashley’s heart jumped as they were next. Grinning as they entered the hall, they made their way down to the end, standing amongst all the court members. Ashley’s brown eyes were twinkling as she looked around the Great Hall, taking in all the decorations. She had never seen it look as festive as this before. Snapping out of her thoughts as Dumbledore began to announce the king and queen, she heard Bryce’s name. A laughing smile glowed across Ashley’s face as she let go of Bryce’s arm when he took a step forward. Her brown eyes traced the edges of the crown that magically placed on his head finding it ironic since he did go as the Prince of Troy. Well, now he was king.

Once the applause from the students died down, Ashley followed Bryce to a safe spot in the hall, her smile never leaving her lips. A few students congradulated Bryce until they finally found a spot by the wall. “I’m so happy for you! I knew that you were going to be king.” Nodding, she leaned forward kissing his cheek softly before stepping back. Ashley’s eyes met his, her head tilting in thought, “Lets get something to drink first, or did you want to dance?”

((OOC- Wowerzs! This post was long....but I had a lot to go off on. Hope you don't mind. ))

[Bryce Alexander]

A picture of Bryce's costume can be found if you click here.

Bryce stared at himself in the mirror with a silly grin on his face. Normally, he wasn't a conceited guy, but he was there in his room admiring the costume that he and Ashley had put together for him to wear to the ball. Her costume was just as good though if not better, and he couldn't wait to see her in it. Apparently, she was changing her hair to be more like Andromache, the wife of Hector who was the ancient Greek that Bryce was set to represent. Picking up the sword that they had transfigured from an old walking stick, Bryce admired his reflection one last time in the mirror. He was pleased with how much he resembled an ancient Greek warrior. The brown leather and brass-studded armour covered all of his upper body but his arms, and the kilt-like bottom went to his knees. Covering his forearms and shins were brass plates that would have served as extra layers of protection for war in ancient times. Had Bryce not kept his body in decent shape for Quidditch, he figured he wouldn't have let Ash talk him into wearing something that required some muscle to even look good. Anybody with a slender or thin build would have looked rather silly... even sillier than Bryce thought he looked. What he hated most was that the bottom part of the armour had a slit in it, which was probably useful when the warriors had to straddle their horses. For Bryce though, it just meant that he had to be careful when walking since a lot of his upper thigh would sometimes show, and he was quite shy when it came to matters like that. Still, he was overall pleased with the costume, and he figured that he and Ash would make a great looking couple. Part of him wondered briefly what Weetzie would be doing for the ball, but another part of him was scared to run into her. After he had kissed her, she was quite unhappy with him. Plus, Ashley hadn't known about that yet, as Bryce feared telling her. It wasn't like they were officially dating, but he still felt guilty in keeping it from her.

With his sword in one hand Bryce pocketed his wand with the other and decided he was ready to go meet Ash and head to the ball. The court announcement was first, and he thought it was fitting that he and Ash would be able to represent Hufflepuff together for the senior court. His boots clicked against the stone floor as he entered the common room and looked for Ashley. She wasn't there yet, but Bryce did see Luke waiting in the common room, decked in Quidditch robes, which was not a surprise. Walking over, Bryce greeted his best friend. "Not much of a costume, eh? Quidditch robes for you are more of a normal thing. Perhaps even a requirement for your occupation someday?" He gave Luke a smile and patted him on the back of his shoulder. "Falmouth robes would look much better though," he joked. By then, he heard his name being called, and he turned to see Ashley. "Thanks," he said with a laugh as he flexed his muscle as a joke, brandishing his sword but being careful not to nick anyone with the sharp blade. It wasn't everyday that Bryce handled a sword, and so he wanted to be careful. "You look quite realistic yourself," he added. "And rather stunning." He gave Ash a kind smile. Then, she quickly took his hand and had them heading toward the Great Hall where the ball was set to take place. "Later Luke!" he shouted as Ash drug him away. He sensed that she was quite excited for the evening, though he was excited himself. Being on the court was nice, but he was nervous for that. The part he was looking forward to was just being able to spend the evening with Ashley.

Soon, they were waiting with the rest of the court members, both senior and junior. They didn't have much time before McGonagall was giving them instructions on how the crowning would proceed. Each pair lined up, and before Bryce knew what was happening, Dumbledore announced them two at a time as they filed into the crowded hall, all eyes on them. Bryce's heart began to speed up, for even though he was mostly a sociable person, he wasn't one who preferred the spotlight to be on himself. At least in this case, there were others with him though, and Ash was just at his side. Then, once they were all lined up and standing in front of the rest of the school, Dumbledore started with the junior court's princess and prince. Bryce smiled and clapped as Hufflepuff's Harmony Chan was awarded the title of Princess and Skyler something from Ravenclaw was named the Prince. Then, Dumbledore moved to the senior court. He was highly hoping that Ash would get Queen, but when Dumbledore announced that it was Kia Brightstar, Bryce clapped nonetheless. At that point, it was time for the announcement of who would be crowed as King. Bryce half hoped that it wasn't him, but knew he would be honored if it was. Sure enough, when Dumbledore spoke, it was Bryce's name that resounded through the Great Hall. A crown placed itself on his head, and Bryce stepped forward to receive the title gratefully. He smiled and nodded to the students who were applauding him and then took a step back once the announcements were done. Dumbledore then released them all to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Bryce made his way through the crowd, thanking everyone who congratulated him. Ashley was right behind him, and once they were off in the corner where he could breath, he looked back at her smiling face with a bright smile of his own. "Thanks," he said, just as she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. Lucky for him, his face was likely red already from the bit of nervousness the crowning had caused, enough so that it shouldn't have appeared any more red when Ash kissed him. "A drink would be nice," he said, "What can I get you?" He watched Ashley's eyes sparkle against the wintry decorations. She really looked quite beautiful for the evening, and he didn't want to miss the chance to get to the second part of Ashley's options. "Then we can dance," he said, thinking that perhaps by that time the music might be a bit slower. Bryce had always preferred slow dancing to regular dancing with upbeat music. It was likely the romantic side of him, or perhaps the flirtatious side. Either way, it was what he preferred. "Is a glass of iced cider ok?" he asked, examining the tables of food from afar. It appeared that it was their only choice of cold drink unless they wanted just ice-water. There may have been more that he couldn't see from where he was though. "I'll go get it and bring it back," he said with a nod, leaving to get them each a beverage and returning just minutes later.

"Here you are. Enjoy," he said with a smile, lifting the glass to his lips and letting the iced liquid refresh his mouth which had been parched due to the nervousness. He finished the entire goblet full of cider and then let out a sigh. Couples had started to take the floor, and Bryce admired some of the costumes that he had seen properly for the first time. From the stage with all the lights down and such, he wasn't able to get much of a good look. "Is that supposed to be Medusa?" he asked, looking at a girl who had snakelike things protruding from her head. She was dancing with a guy who was dressed in a toga and carrying a large lighting bolt. "Zeus and Medusa weren't a couple in history, were they?" he asked with confusion. At least they were both from Greek mythology, he figured. Shaking his head as he scanned the rest of the dancers, Bryce turned back to Ashley. "Ready for a dance?" The song that was playing had just ended, and a soft chorus of bells began the next song. It was a slower song, one that Bryce didn't recognize, but he liked the pace of it at least. Waiting, he held out his hand, sure that Ashley would take it as she had suggested dancing as an option in the first place.

[Ashley Hill]

Ashley couldn’t help but grin as she dazed off into the enormous detractive tree. There was always a happy smile spread across Ashley’s face whenever she was around Bryce. He filled her up with such bliss that it was beginning to mind her shattered heart that Ryan left behind. Bryce didn’t know this, and quite frankly Ashley was afraid to tell him. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, she just didn’t know how exactly to put her feelings into words. He had been able to express his emotions, and all she could was kissed him instead of use words. They hadn’t even brought up the kiss, but Bryce seemed to be a bit down lately, and Ashley didn’t know why. She hated not knowing something that was happening in his life, but she respected his privacy. It wasn’t like they were officially dating. Honestly, Ashley didn’t know what their relationship status was. All she knew was that they were past just having mutual crushes. Snapping out of her thoughts, Ashley gazed back into Bryce’s eyes as he asked about which drink she would like. Glancing across the hall to the refreshment table, Ashley tried to make a choice. It looked like there wasn’t any pumpkin juice available. “Iced cider sound good,” she replied with a nod watching Bryce leave. A small smile curled on her lips as he got a closer look of Bryce’s costume. It looked real, and Ashley was surprised that Bryce agreed to wear it. The lower kilt like half wasn’t something that most guys would wear. She was glad he approved of the whole costume. Well, there was a lot of sweet talking on Ashley’s part, but in the end she won. Though, Ashley had to admit, he looked really good in the armor. It showed off his muscular built, which Ashley hadn’t really noticed until then. Most of the girls seem to also agree by the looks on their faces as he headed back toward Ashley with two cups in his hands.

Suppressing a blush at her thoughts, Ashley took the cup that Bryce handed to her, thanking him quietly. Bringing the cup to her lips she took a small sip, the icy drink slid down her throat, soothing it from the excitement about the court announcements. Her brown eyes watched the couples as he held onto the cup with both of her hands. There were so many different pair ideas. Ashley’s favorite had to be the guy who dressed up exactly like the Headmaster. Hearing Bryce comment about a particular couple, Ashley stared at the girl’s wild snake-like hair. “I don’t think Medusa and Zeus were ever a couple,” she began, raking her brain for any more Greek mythology information. All she could remember about Medusa was when anyone gazed into her eyes they turned stone cold. Shrugging, she took another sip of her drink, swallowing hard as she saw Bryce extend his hand, asking for a dance. Smiling, Ashley nodded, setting her cup down on the table behind her. Taking his head, she let him lead her to the dance floor where they found a good dancing spot. Realizing it was a slow song Ashley encircled her arms around Bryce’s neck, taking a few steps closer to him. She felt her heart beating loudly within her chest as she felt the sheath of Bryce’s sword bump against her leg. Looking down at his side, she grinned, shaking her head. “I still can’t believe you actually let me talk you into wearing this costume,” Ashley whispered her right hand moving from his neck to knock softly on the armor. It made a small thump, but not much enough to hurt him. “It looks really nice – I promise, and everyone else, especially the girls think so too.”

Sending him a confident smile, she let her arm return back to his neck, her fingers lacing together. Finally relaxing, Ashley allowed herself to stare into Bryce’s glimmering blue eyes that shined out against all the winter decorations. She felt so many emotions rush through her at once, which she had to push down the urge to tell him how much she liked him. Ashley knew that Bryce wouldn’t be afraid of her feelings for him, but she was still petrified to tell him. She just didn’t want another broken heart. That had to be understandable. “Bryce,” Ashley whispered not having to raise her voice to be heard since they were so close to each other. “When you have time over the winter holiday, I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with my family sometime before Christmas. Elina has been - um - dying to meet you and won't stop pestering me about when she'll meet you.” Smiling, Ashley hoped that he would say yes, but part of her wanted him to answer no. Her father could be very over protective over his daughters, and after Ryan he really didn’t trust anyone, expect Eliah, Elina’s husband. “We could go ice skating before? That’s if you have time.”

[Bryce Alexander]

As the two of them took the floor, the chorus of bells faded into a sweet harmony of violins. The music was soft and slow, and as Ashley wrapped her arms around Bryce's neck, he felt a chill run up his spine. The decorations of ice and the fact that his costume left a lot of his skin uncovered could have also caused the chill, but Bryce knew it was a different kind of chill, a good chill, and it was the result of him being with Ashley. One step at a time, they danced and Bryce found himself getting lost in peaceful bliss.

It was Ashley's voice that brought him out of his momentary trance. Her comment made him blush. He tried his best to think of something nice to say in return. "If me wearing this meant that you would look as beautiful as you do, then there was no way I would say no." He smiled at seeing Ashley smile and he pulled her a few inches closer. Her head was close to his chest and he was sure she had noticed that his heart rate had increased slightly. Bryce wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to be truthful with her and tell her what he felt for her. He knew though that if he was going to be truthful with Ashley that he needed to tell her about Weetzie too. He needed to tell her about the kiss. He didn't want to though. He wished that he could take the kiss back. Not only would it mean that he'd have another chance to figure out his relationship with Weetize, but it also meant that he wouldn't have to share the truth of it with Ashley.

She whispered into his ear, tearing him again from his thoughts. "Yeah?" he replied. "I'd love to," he answered quickly. Bryce thought it would be fun to visit Ashley over the break and meet her family. "Though I don't know how good I would be at ice-skating. I've never been." He figured that even if it wasn't fun, Ashley would be there. Anything with Ashley would be fun in one way or another, he concluded.

Almost instantly though, his mind went right back to where it had been before she asked him to come visit. It wasn't that the idea of him visiting wasn't important, but he couldn't help but feel like he needed to just tell Ashley everything. Everything including the truth that he kissed Weetzie. "Hey... umm, I need to tell you something," he began. They were still swaying back and forth in circles as they stepped in beat with the music along with many other couples. "I think you should know..." he paused. The first part would be hard, but it would be easier than what he would have to share afterward. "... I like you Ashley. Like, I like you, like you. Like, I think I love you." He stopped, feeling really stupid for saying the work 'like' about a dozen times and then proceeding to say that he thought he loved her. Wasn't love supposed to be so sure and so obvious? Yes? No? Bryce didn't know anymore. "I mean... well, I don't even know what I mean anymore. But... I know that I love being with you. And when I'm not with you I wish that I were with you. I don't know that I've ever really been in love though, so I can't say that I know this is love or not." He hoped that he hadn't totally confused or scared her by this point.

Bryce stopped dancing even though it was in the middle of the song. He took Ashley's hand and lead her to an empty corner where he could look her in the eye and not feel like every other couple dancing around them was listening to what he had to say. "I'm not sure if you are following what I am trying to say, but I am at a point where I don't really know for sure what's going on in my life. You obviously know that Weetzie and I are good friends. I know that the two of you don't get along real well, which is hard for me. And, I know that you are not asking me to chose between you. But... I think I made a mistake. I made a big mistake and I kissed Weetzie." He stopped again, letting out a deep breath and figuring that he should just get it all out before Ashley responded. "Anyways, she's upset with me now, and I know now that Weetize and I are just friends. Nothing more. I hope that we can still be friends, but that's another story for another day. For now, I just need to know what you want. I need to know what you're feeling. Could you love me too? I don't think that I can live with another mistake and I don't want to ruin another friendship by assuming anything." Bryce looked at Ashley with desperate eyes. He hoped that she could be truthful with him. At this point, that was all he wanted. He needed the truth, whether it was what he wanted or not.

[Ashley Hill]

Ashley loved the feeling that came over her when she was this close to Bryce. She felt so protected, loved, and wanted. There had to certain points in people lives that they felt as if they didn’t belong. Ashley felt that most of the time. It was normal to feel like an outcast at some point of your life. Most felt it every waking minute. Hearing Bryce’s sweet words, Ashley grinned staring down at the stone flooring. “I take it that you like my hair brunette instead of blonde?” she questioned teasingly gazing up from he floor into Bryce’s bright blue eyes. As he pulled her closer to him, Ashley felt her heart jerked wildly against her chest. It felt almost like it would jump right out there on the floor. She stared into his face for a few moments, a smile soon curling on her lips. Bryce held so much power in his hands with every action and word he said. It was quite clear, and maybe he was beginning to see it as well. Maybe…taking a deep breath to calm her racing pulse, Ashley rested her head against Bryce’s chest. She could feel his heart thump wildly through the fake armor. Was he nervous as well? Well, it most definitely sounded like it. Smiling, Ashley closed her eyes deciding to keep quiet. The music continued to hum softly in the background as Ashley let herself give in. Who didn’t like the feeling of being so safe? Bryce gave that peace for her, and for once in a while everything seemed to be going right. When Bryce agreed to meet up over the holiday break, Ashley grinned opening her eyes. She stared at the couple dancing next to them in almost the same position. “You’ve never been ice skating?” she asked disbelieved that it was true. “It was the only thing my mom really seemed to accept about me when I was younger. She never really liked me doing all these sports and acting like I did.” Nodding, Ashley bit her lip nodding at her personal secret. “Don’t worry – I’ll teach you. It’ll be fun – plus I get to see you fall on your but the whole time.”

Grinning at the thought, Ashley fell silent as he closed her eyes again. It wasn’t until Bryce spoke again when he broke her peaceful tranquility. He sounded quite urgent. Lifting her head off from his chest, Ashley squinted her eyes concerned for what was in store. It sounded almost like bad news mixed with good. Hopefully it wasn’t the bad. As he stuttered along, Ashley felt her breath get caught in her throat as he said those final words. He loved her? Bryce Alexander once friendly flirtatious boy thought he loved her? They both stopped dancing Ashley left completely speechless as Bryce continued on. Why was he telling her all this now? Every part of Ashley just wanted to scream ‘I love you’ back. Before she could even answer back, Bryce had taken her hand, pulling her across the dance floor to an empty corner. Was this the bad news? Oh, Ashley didn’t know. She couldn’t even think straight at the moment. Staring back into Bryce’s eyes, confusion clearly reflecting into his, she soon felt her heart break as he told her about kissing Weetzie. He what? Why? All different kinds of emotions were racing through Ashley all at once; good, bad…all different. As Bryce finished, Ashley stared down at the floor. How was she supposed to react? He kissed his best friend, that wasn’t good, but he loved her? “Bryce-” she whispered trying to collect her thoughts. “How could you?” Ashley whispered tears stinging her eyes. Looking up from the ground, Ashley bit her lip as she leaned against the wall for support. What else was she suppose to say? She felt hurt and betrayed, but relieved all at the same time. “He’s trying to be honest with you, Ash.”

“You can’t just kiss people because you want to, Bryce!” she whispered angrily through her tears running her hands through her hair. “When you kiss a person….that has to mean something. You don’t see random people kissing each other if they don’t have feelings for each other.” Crossing her arms across her chest to keep her trembling body from shaking anymore, Ashley looked across over at Bryce. “Were you thinking about me when you kiss her, Bryce? If you really loved me then you would have.” Feeling a tear roll down her check, she rubbed it away. If Bryce wanted honestly, well she’ll give him the truth. “I love you, Bryce,” she spoke, her voice straining against the hoarse of her throat. Taking a deep breath, Ashley took a step closer to Bryce. “I love you with everything that inside of me. You’re all I can ever think about, and I can let you go if being with Weetzie will make you happy.” Feeling the tears just slide down her face she looked up at him in the eyes. “But I couldn’t before because I had never loved someone as much as I love you. I don’t want another broken heart Bryce. I just want you…”

[Bryce Alexander]

Ashley's pain was almost instantly obvious as soon as the words had left Bryce's lips. He didn't need to hear her speak to know that his being honest with her was painful for Ashley. Bryce didn't want that, but at the same time, he needed to find his way through all of this. He knew that the only way he could do that would be to tell Ashley everything... like he just had. The reality was though that the truth hurt. Love was painful. Good things never came easy. A million of life's lessons seemed so appropriate in this very moment, but still none of them made anything better. None of it helped Bryce to find his way through the mess of confusion that he felt in his heart. When Ashley finally spoke, it was with a whisper. Her words only made his pain worse as well because he knew he had hurt her. She was probably just as confused as he was, yet she wasn't going around kissing people in her confusion. Or was she? She had kissed him. Despite never talking about it with Ashley, Bryce let the memory sit in the back of his mind; another reason he was so confused.

"Love can make you do crazy things, Ash. And... thinking that you are in love can make you do crazier things. I know I made a mistake, and I have a list of excuses as to why I made the mistake. But I also know that I can't take it back. You have to know that too if you are willing to move past this. If you love me too, then you have to forgive me." Bryce hoped that she could find it in her to forgive him. It might have been a long shot, but what he said was the truth. If she really did love him, she'd forgive him. "I know what I want now, Ashley. In the end, the kiss helped me to realize that Ash." Bryce was now crying himself, tears of confusion and hope. Hearing Ashley say that she loved him too and that she wanted only him made him believe that this could all be forgotten and put behind them. After all, it was just a kiss. It was a simple mistake of a kiss. Other people had gotten over worse than a kiss. Surely Ash could understand that.

Bryce felt people looking at him; watching he and Ashley like they were some sort of show or something. Bryce knew that his being the king didn't help to draw attention away. People were probably more apt to wonder why the King of the Winter Ball and his date were crying while everyone else was having a grand time dancing and enjoying the festivities. "Look Ash, I have to go. I... we can't do this here. Like I said, I'm sorry. Take some time to think about what's been said, and we can talk about this later." He wiped the few tears from his face and tried to force a smile as he lifted his hand and rested it on Ashley's cheek. "Sorry," he said once more before turning and leaving the ball.