Something about the way she said the word gallops made him simply have to laugh, despite his nerves about having asked in the first place. Actually, maybe it was partly because of his nerves; he'd registered some hesitation in the way the she responded and had briefly panicked about having done something wrong, or misread the situation. He'd started to tense just slightly, so when she said gallops he was so relieved he nearly said oh, is that all?
"Whichever dance you like," he reassured her. "Though if you pick one of the very slow ones and we have to spend most of it making conversation, I can't promise I won't run out of interesting things to say. You'll have to tell me more about your research, to fill time," he joked lightly. They'd already discussed poetry and ghosts. Unless she was intrigued by Muggle hauntings and seances, or wanted to hear him complain about chaperone duties as an older brother, they were close to exhausting subjects Ford considered to be within his area of expertise.
"Whichever dance you like," he reassured her. "Though if you pick one of the very slow ones and we have to spend most of it making conversation, I can't promise I won't run out of interesting things to say. You'll have to tell me more about your research, to fill time," he joked lightly. They'd already discussed poetry and ghosts. Unless she was intrigued by Muggle hauntings and seances, or wanted to hear him complain about chaperone duties as an older brother, they were close to exhausting subjects Ford considered to be within his area of expertise.
Set by Lady!