His gaze flickered away from her for a beguiling moment and before Minnie could answer his first question she was asked a second she liked the sound of much more. She wasn’t sure what had prompted him – their conversation thus far hadn’t really been a prelude to either of them taking enthusiastic part in proceedings – but she was hardly going to turn him down. Compared to some of the gentlemen circling around the debutantes, a mixture of pallid youths barely old enough to court, corpulent middle-aged men who looked to be seeking a second or even third bride, and austere Ministry men seeking a woman made of charm and gossamer to help them advance through the political ranks, Mr Longbottom was a breath of fresh air!

“I’d be delighted,” she replied with a wide smile, glad she had not imbibed more earlier in the evening less she be in no state for anything by now. And she certainly didn’t want to make a show of herself in front of Mr Longbottom and his handsome smile. “Dancing at balls is fortunately my chief hobby so I shall not disgrace either of us.” She giggled. “It does mean I get through an inordinate amount of shoes though.”

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no, really MJ is just showing off at this point