Another genuine, twinkly little laugh escaped Poppy as the brunette watched keenly the gentleman across from her waggle his eyebrows. She was not at all surprised to hear that he’d been a Ravenclaw, but instead found herself liking him all the more for it. “How lovely!” she replied. “As was I!” A soft hum escaped the debutant as Mr. Dempsy went on to revel in his being distracting and she found herself growing fond of him in the best way. He was a charming gentleman, sure, but even more than that he was… lively, free-spirited, and sweet. There was a humility to him that Poppy found herself attracted to, a warmth that made her mellow and want to match his energy with her own chaos. Even if this never developed beyond a friendship, she was very keen on keeping him in her life.
“You tease Mr. Demspey, but you overestimate this debutant’s penchant for mischief.” A telling statement if there ever was one. “I’ve promised to be on my best behavior this evening, and hopefully nobody shall ever be the wiser!” Poppy’s tone was hushed as she admitted the truth, but it was teasing in a way that she hoped he might not take to heart. There was no reason to air her dirtiest laundry to every passing stranger, but there was something about Mr. Dempsey that made her want to trust him.
As their conversation swayed away from the potentially dangerous, Poppy laughed again, her sweet little laugh filling the space between them. (Mr. Dempsey had no reason to remind her that he needed to be memorable; by this point he was already the star of the evening and had made her laugh and relax and enjoy herself in a way nobody else had yet managed. Any onlooker would be blind not to notice.) “Yes,” she replied, breathlessly. “I should love to explore every nook and cranny of the continent dancing from portkey to portkey with someone who is as excited to travel as I!” A frivolous dream, but she indulged it anyway.
© Fox