Chapter 167: Rejections and Rejection (1/2)
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The link is also in the synopsis.
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”I'm sorry.. . but I'd not be comfortable,” said Quinn, ”I hope you understand; it's not you, it's me. I'm sure someone as pretty as you'll absolutely be able to find someone much better than me.”
A curly-haired fourth-year Hufflepuff girl to whom Quinn had only ever spoken to in passing and thrice in his office for notes looked down towards her feet and shakily nodded. Quinn held back from sighing as she walked away without again gazing at him, looking rather hurt.
”She was quite good-looking,” said Marcus fairly, after clearing a serving of crisps.
”I don't know her; if I accepted, it would've turned awkward pretty quickly,” answered Quinn, sitting down.
”No, it wouldn't,” countered Marcus, ”you don't do awkward if it's not on purpose.”
”.. .Yeah — you know me too well,” sighed Quinn, who was he trying to fool, ”I wasn't one bit interested in taking her to the ball. The entire thing reeked of a day full of chores for me.”
”That's what — the eighth girl you rejected — what the hell are you doing?!” grumbled Eddie chewing on a strip of bacon, ”all the boys hate and admire you at the same time. You don't know how annoying these contradictory views are — I want to bash your pretty face but at the same time want you to impart some wisdom to me.”
”I don't have anything to offer. Just follow what Marcus did and go ask a girl out.”
”Yeah,” nodded Marcus, pointing his fork at Eddie, ”what's the worse that can happen? She will say no; you lose nothing.”
”She could say eww.. .”
Eddie and Marcus looked at Quinn, who ate a piece of roast chicken.
”Sorry, what did you say? I missed that.”
”Me neither.”
Quinn waved his hand and shook his head with a smile, ”Oh, it's nothing, don't worry about it.. . Marcus is right, Eddie. Pick a girl you want to take to the ball and ask her out.”
He hit Eddie on his arm, ”Where did that year-long enthusiasm go? Bring it back; unleash the legendary virgin power and show everyone what you're made up of or whatever.”
A pair of girls were passing behind the trio when Quinn spoke and broke into giggles at his words. Eddie tried to merge his face into the table while Marcus seemed unperturbed — he already had a date; Quinn turned towards the girls and flashed them a smile. The blushes that the girls that sported would've made a healer worry about their health.
”You reject eight girls, and then you do that; what're you doing,” asked Marcus seeing the short exchange.
”Well, there has been girl-talk circulating in the castle; I simply wanted to check if it was true,” said Quinn shrugging.
”The smile thing?” asked Eddie, the side of his face flush against the wood.
”Yup~ I have the most charming smile in the entire school.”
”Not surprising given that you constantly moderate your smile,” commented Marcus.
”Thank you, it's a talent,” Quinn gave Marcus a wink.
”But seriously, what're you going to do about your date,” said Marcus, ”it's not like for you to leave things to the last date. Sixteen girls asked you out, but you haven't tried once from your side.”
”I can't decide who to ask out.”
”Ha!” Eddie sat up straight and pointed at Quinn. ”Unleash your virgin power and whatnot and go get a girl.. . yeah, take that.”
”Mate, what're you doing,” said Quinn looking to his sides.
”Yeah, Eddie, you can't say things like that,” added Marcus doing the same as Quinn.
”.. .What? He did it first.” Eddie pointed at Quinn.
”That was different,” scoffed Marcus.
”How?!”
”There is a time and place for everything, mate. It wasn't now,” said Quinn shaking his head.
Eddie stared at his two buddies with an expression of confusion and disbelief.
”What?”
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- (Scene Break) -
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Tap, tap, tap.. . Quinn's finger tapped away at the desk in his office, staring at Recon laid on his desk. He stared at the map, and the map stared back at him.
Suddenly he leaned in and spoke to Recon, ”Daphne Greengrass.”
The map obeyed its creator's orders, and the ink on cloth shifted to a blue dot moving out of the Hogwarts library.
Quinn leaned back and stared at the map while tapping his foot away. He watched as the dot moved across floors and climbed down the stairs.
”Ah, let's just do it,” he said and got up from his barstool with Recon packing itself into Quinn's pocket.
He fixed his clothes while walking towards the door. He opened the door and froze in the spot.
”Quinn.”
”Fleur, what're you doing here?”
The French Veela standing just outside the door spoke in French, ”I've something I wanted to talk about.”
”Oh, please do tell; what's the problem? I'll try my best to help,” said Quinn continuing in French.
”Aren't you going to invite me inside?”
”Ah yes, of course, please come in, come in.”
The two entered the office with the MLEs lighting the moment Fleur entered.
”So tell me what seems to be the problem?” asked Quinn as both sat down.
”Are you sure you're free? It seemed like you were going out,” said Fleur, ”if you're busy, then we can do this when you're free.”
Quinn shook his head, ”It's okay.. . I'll take care of that later.” It could wait.
”Good as I need to get this problem solved as soon as possible,” said Fleur, ”I'm not sure if I'd be able to solve it if I waited.”
”Oh, what is it?”
”I would like you to be my date at the Yule Ball.”
”.. . Pardon?” The words escaped Quinn's mouth before his mind could even process the words that were spoken.
”It's the tradition at Yule Ball that champions and their partners open the ball; as such, it's compulsory for the champions to have partners.”
”I'm aware of that, Fleur. But why me? It's only been a few days, and you've already got multitudes of invitations. You can choose from one of them.”
”That can be said to you as well. You've rejected as many people as I have.”
”Surely you jest, Fleur. I'm sure you rejected far more than I did,” smiled Quinn.
”Let's not go that way; there will be no end if we start.”
”If you say so, but the question remains, why me when you've so many choices to choose from.”
”I could ask the same, why did you reject so many?” asked Fleur crossing her legs.
”I didn't want to go with someone I don't know.”
”Then, it goes the same for me.”
Quinn smiled and shook his finger. ”Nuh-uh, one of Beauxbatons guys asked you out, but you rejected him the same.. . Fleur, if you don't tell me the real reason, I won't be able to help you.”
Fleur sighed and leaned back into her seat with her arms fully resting on the armrests. Fleur looked like she didn't want to share, but she had to if she wanted to help.
”You already know it,” she said.
”Yes, but I want you to say it,” he insisted.
”.. . Allure, my allure,” she sighed, ”none of the guys who invited me could resist it.. . Roger Davies, for a moment, I thought he wasn't affected, but it turned out he's just good at hiding it. I could tell from the fleeting glances that stayed a little too long — released a little more, and he was out.”
”Hmm.. . how do usually Veela find their partners? It sounds complicated.”
”Allure is a part of us. If a Veela wants it, they can retract it completely. When Veelas find someone who we like, we completely retract our Allure.. . I can't do that — yet.”
”I see,” said Quinn followed by a silence in the room.
Fleur watched as Quinn stared at his desk. She couldn't tell the look in his eyes, but as time went by, she started to feel anxious — a feeling new to her in the current context.
”It's okay if you don't—”
”I accept.”
The two people stared at each other, with Fleur watching Quinn with slightly wide eyes.
”You accept? Are you sure?”
Quinn felt the weight of Recon in his pockets that were charmed to be weightless. The thoughts of a blonde flashed through his mind, but he put those aside. Fleur needed his help, and it was easy enough for him to provide.
”.. .Yes, I'm sure,” he said before putting on a smile, ”It'll be my honor to be your date for the Yule Ball. It'll be a fun evening; I'm looking forward to it.”
”C'est parfait!” she beamed in exclamation.
”Indeed, it is.”
Fleur looked satisfied, but she had to ask one last thing, ”You do know how to dance, right?”