May 1st, 1888 - Diagon Alley, London at This event

@"Fortuna Lockhart"

She took my arm,
I don't know how it happened.
We took the floor and she said,

"Oh, don't you dare look back.
Just keep your eyes on me."
I said, "You're holding back,"
She said, "Shut up and dance with me!"
This woman is my destiny
She said, "Ooh-ooh-hoo,
Shut up and dance with me."

It was safe to say that Rufus had seen better days. Not that he was really willing to admit that. But he'd been in an unmistakable funk since Miss Lockhart's last letter had been delivered by Apollo. He'd put his mind in to work, spending longer hours at the quidditch pitch and focusing on training. In his spare time he'd taken to reading about the history of quidditch - because apparently he couldn't shake that habit she had created with him - and oddly enough pestering Alvin, who, let's be honest, was quite frankly tired of having his older brother 'snooping' around his work constantly. With the new season right around the corner there was light at the end of the tunnel but the tunnel that shouldn't have seemed quite as bleak as it did had still existed in the first place.

Rufus often put Miss Lockhart from his mind, easily dismissing the thoughts that floated to the top of his mind saying that she'd like some piece of information or another. It had been a flirtation and nothing more, he often reminded himself. But he didn't go down dimly lit tunnels with flirtations, they were mere passing of words, a few exchanges at a few events and nothing more than that. This had been markedly different and it was something better put from his mind that dwelled upon. It was not only for that reason that Rufus had come to the May Day celebration in London, the team had decided to go as an informal celebration the season was almost upon them and Rufus had happily agreed with their plans.

His teammates laughed raucously as they made their way through the crowd. Enjoying a pint here and a bite there. Rufus was mid laugh when he spotted a farmiliar brunette through the crowd in front of him. Something in his stomach jumped as it did when he made a deep plunge from the sky before pulling up from the free fall. He wanted to smile at her as her eyes met his but her look of panic brought reality crashing before him as she hastily disappeared into the crowd. He recognized the large shape of her brother not far from where Miss Lockhart had been only seconds before not that that would help him. An icy stone hit the bottom of his stomach and he surely looked as if he'd just swallowed sour milk.

His teammate, luckily not having noticed any change in the chaser clapped him on the back. "Up for another round?" The man asked. Yes, yes he was. But before he could say anything someone ran right into him. Someone who looked just like Miss Lockhart.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

Tuni was having a rather splendid time with her brother and his little family. Her niece and nephew were perhaps two of her favorite people. Their youthful innocence despite all they'd been through in their few short years was refreshing. She'd laughed more in the few hours she'd been with them than she had in the months following her falling out with Mr. Bixby. Her face almost ached from all the laughter and smiles she'd experienced.

Unfortunately, the fun and carefree times weren't meant to last forever. The children were getting tired and she was quite surprised Calvin hadn't fallen asleep atop her brother's shoulders yet. It wouldn't be long before they had to head home to Irvingly and she to her father's home in Hogsmeade. She hated the thought really and was frowning as she looked around the area. She soon wished she hadn't.

A very familiar face came into view, one she hadn't seen in a couple months. She felt her heart rate quicken and the unmistakable flutter of butterflies in her stomach. But instead of glee and excitement, she felt panic. Surely it didn't go unnoticed by her family but she quickly made an excuse to get away from them for a moment, fearing he'd approach her in front of her brother and that was likely to end as well as a niffler in jewelry shop!

Before she knew it, she was lost in the crowd and in a bit of a frenzied panic state. Somehow, she managed to get turned around and found herself running headlong into the very gentleman she'd been trying to avoid, knocking her red rose flower crown slightly askew. She couldn't speak, perhaps for once in her life, and simply stared up at him with big brown eyes.

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Another Glorious MJ Set!

There was no mistaking those brown eyes staring up at him, wide and surprised. She hadn't intended this. His heart beat resembled the wings of a snitch as it attempted to flit away from capture. He'd missed her, there was no mistaking the thought as it crossed his mind in a scamper, and now she was here looking just as startled as himself a crown of flowers askew in her hair. Without thinking he reached forward with gentle hands and straightened it, trying to think of something to say, but all he could do was smile at her as if nothing had happened between them. "Miss Lockhart -" He started, but he didn't know what to say. The thought crossed his mind that she smelled amazing, a perfect blend of perfume that only made him want to mend things with her. Like a smell could mend the words and accusations between them.

Rufus's teammate had continued on, appearing to not have noticed Rufus no longer with the group, Rufus hardly noticed their own departure. Beside them music played, a jolly jig, high spirited and merry. Couples danced as a crowd formed around them and acting on impulse Rufus held out his hand, "Dance with me?" Maybe, just maybe, they could pretend the last two months hadn't happened. That they were meeting together and it was as it had been. He tugged her hand forward and drew her into the crowd before she could object. Maybe they could pretend. Maybe it could all go back to the way it had been. Wishful thinking, but the smile and the joy he felt at her appearance, even tinted with half memories, it made him hope for an impulsive and irrational moment that maybe they could mend things.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

This couldn't be happening. Tuni couldn't be standing directly in front of the man that had unknowingly stolen, and broken, her heart. What was worse was that her body reacted in the opposite way in which it should. She should be fleeing at the sight at him, at having felt him after running right into him. But instead, she was still standing much to close to him and staring up at him almost longingly. The gentle way in which he adjusted her flower crown made her smile just slightly. Then the sound of his voice saying her name caused those butterflies in her stomach to go on a rampage.

"Mr. Bixby," she answered, softly but sweetly. There was no malice in her voice, not the way there had been in her words in response to their argument through letters. As much as she wanted to be mad still, she found she couldn't. Perhaps it was because he was standing there right in front of her. He looked at her with his own brown eyes and she found herself still quite utterly speechless.

And then he'd held out a hand and asked her to danced. She found herself mutely reaching for his hand just as he grasped it and before she knew it, he was pulling her into the crowd. The jostling appeared to be just what she needed to draw her back to her senses. She needed to apologize, needed to explain herself but she couldn't very well do that while he was leading her into the fray.

"Hold on," she found herself saying as she mustered up the courage to speak to him, "I need to apologize. Need to explain myself. I didn't mean to mislead you. I just.. you don't know what my family is like. What it's been like for me."

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Another Glorious MJ Set!

People jostled the two of them but Miss Lockhart's hand was warm in his, anchoring them together so they wouldn't get lost. She hadn't pulled away, that alone gave him hope. As they reached the center of the crowd he turned to face her. She was trying to say something over the crowd, but words would ruin it. Words would bring the last months crashing back to them and Rufus wasn't ready for that yet. He shook his head at her words - apologies? - and drew her other hand into his. "Not now. Later." He promised her. Later he'd listen, all he wanted was one dance, one daydream with the woman in his arms. "Just dance with me?" And with that he pulled her along with the rest of the couples, gentle and capable hands guiding her with him, away from the other couples in a merry dance. Just one dance, he promised himself. Just one. Her smell was as intoxicating as her closeness and Rufus found he wanted the dance to never end.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

It really wasn't often that someone, anyone, could silence Tuni in the way Mr. Bixby had just done. Typically, she would have simply continued on talking until her point had been made. That was just who she was. But there was a longing part of her that wanted the moment of simplicity they were sharing. Just one dance. That was all. Perhaps it was all it would take. So instead of prattling on with everything, she simply nodded as he took her other hand. She lost herself in that moment then, in the feel of his gentle yet guiding hands. He certainly knew how to dance and how to move them both about gracefully despite the fact it wasn't a typical dance and instead a fun and carefree one in the middle of the street. It caused her to smile widely, a beaming sort of smile of true happiness, very much like the one she'd been wearing throughout most of the day with her family. And though he has said just one dance, she found herself hoping it wouldn't end or that perhaps one would turn into many. In that moment, she didn't really care either way.

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Another Glorious MJ Set!

The quick pace of the dance had them whirling around, spinning round and round. A grin spread through across her face and Rufus didn't want to stop, didn't want to see that smile falter, it seemed as if it had been such a long time since he had seen that smile, the one that looked as if she'd left nothing contained and all he could do was grin back at her. To revel in the warmth of her against his arms and spin her through the couples. One song melted into another and soon they were required to switch couples, the moments when she was in someone else's arms felt as if he were being tugged back to her. He laughed as she was spun back into her arms and smiled at her, one that reached his eyes. If only they could live in this world together. With reality forgotten and the merriment around them. He promised himself each song would be the last, but they so easily twined together and so he convinced himself to keep dancing with her until they were both winded from the fast pace of the dance. Couples changed out of the circle of dancing and Rufus led Miss Lockhart through them.

Nearby a stand sold lemonade and he bought them both a glass. However much he dreaded words coming down to their reality Miss Lockhart likely needed to catch her breathe and he couldn't be called rude on top of it all. Perhaps she'd even relish her lemonade and lead him back to dance. But that was wishful thinking. He smiled at the woman by his side, caught in the moment still hoping it didn't crash upon the waves of their own previous tension.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

Tuni lost track of the time as they danced around the street with all the other couples simply living and loving life. She smiled and laughed all over again, even reveling in being passed off to other gentlemen throughout some of the dances. It was fun and invigorating but there was no denying the comfort and excitement she felt whenever she ended up with Mr. Bixby as her partner. But eventually all good things had to come to an end and if they didn't take a break, they'd surely collapse on the dirty street into a heap. Mr. Bixby seemed to feel the same as he lead her from the middle of the street to a lemonade stand and purchased them both a glass.

There was a glossy sheen of sweat on her face from all the dancing but she was still positively beaming with happiness as she gratefully accepted the glass of sweet lemonade and took a hearty drink to quench her thirst. She couldn't help the slight puckering of her lips at the bitter taste of the lemon, causing those dimples of her cheeks to be quite prominent. But once the initial bitterness passed, she smiled up at him.

"Thank you," she said simply as she idly traced her fingers against the cool cup of lemonade, "And I am sorry. For the things I said. You didn't deserve that." It may end up ruining the serene calm and happiness the two had created while dancing, but it had to be said.

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Another Glorious MJ Set!

That smile, it peeked at him from over her glass, and spoke of a different kind of happiness. Rufus returned it and he drank half the glass in one swallow, the taste much sweeter than the beer he'd had before running into Miss Lockhart.

It appeared their gentle truce was over and Miss Lockhart began to speak. But it wasn't what he had expected. It was only what he had hoped for. For half a moment Rufus almost wondered if he were dreaming, if any of this had really happened. But he smiled at her instead. "No, I am sorry. I am in part to blame. " He sighed heavily. "I never meant to lead you on. " But now that she was here.... he wasn't quite sure what he intended this time, for surely it wasn't only friendship. "Miss Lockhart, I -" Rufus who was never at a loss for words had no idea what he had been about to voice or how to go about doing so. Maybe the simplest of truths was the way to go about it. Start there and maybe they could figure this whole mess out. "I'm glad to see you. " He admitted with a sweet guileless smile.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

Tuni couldn't help but to blush at his own apology. He hadn't exactly lead her on. She'd just been a silly girl with a schoolgirl sort of crush. One that had developed a bit abruptly. He had no control over that but she wasn't going to argue with him about it. She didn't want tension to form between them, not again. She liked the happy truce they'd managed to form. Where things went from there, she didn't know but she'd do her best to keep her feelings and actions in check.

"Me, too," she answered simply with a smile before taking another drink of her lemonade.

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Another Glorious MJ Set!

Where did they go now? Rufus wondered as he downed the second half of his glass. Perhaps for today it did not matter. “I do not wish to lead you astray again, but perhaps, for today, we might enjoy the festivities together?” Hope coated his tone and Rufus could feel the wings of a snitch again beating in his chest. They’d take this one day at a time and see where it went. While he was realistic about his circumstances in life he could not ignore the happiness one young lady had brought him. No other young lady he had met had ever captured his attention like this, and he had captured the attention of many young ladies.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

Tuni nodded then slowly finished off her own lemonade. With the glass set aside, she offered her hand back to him. It was a bit bold, yes, but she'd never been the timid and submissive type. "No matter where the day leads us," she started, smiling up to him with sincerity, "It will be time I won't forget." He hoped he'd lead her to dance again and that they could get lost in the moment again.

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Another Glorious MJ Set!

Her words and smile set his heart beating and a wide grin to his lips. His fingers closed around her delicate hand. He certainly wouldn’t forget either. “Shall we dance again then? And worry about tomorrow when it comes?” His eyes were merry as he led her at her acquiescence back into the crowd of people, twirling her around as the evening grew long and their hearts danced merrily with them.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

It was a sweet sort of bliss to be lead out to dance with someone that made your heart sing. Tuni was doing just that and was quite determined to enjoy every moment of it. It no longer mattered what happened in the end. She'd cherish the moments forever and she had a feeling he would, too. She twirled through the street with him, laughing and smiling the entire time. There was nothing else to say other than, life was good.

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Another Glorious MJ Set!