Before The Past

Ch. 64

We walked in, our chins high and our posture proud. 

My heart was racing, but nobody had to know that. In their eyes, they didn't see a scared girl walking in with a date. 

They saw the cousin of The Dark Lord and a young ambitious follower already holding a spot at the table. Everybody saw it coming, but nobody dared to speak above a whisper. Matteo Gaunt was bound to court someone eventually, how it destined to become me I wasn't so sure. I was thankful though. To everyone else he was young, of great power, and someone to be used as an advantage. 

To me though, he was simply a boy who adored me as I adored him. 

Out of the corner of my eye I could see the looks of surprise, jealousy and disgust. I tried not to think about it, but there's only so much you can do. The disgusting thoughts that pop into your head are like a drug. 

Flatten your dress it looks messy.

Slow down they'll notice you're nervous. 

Wipe your hands off, nobody likes sweaty hands.

Maybe they can hear my thoughts too. 

You're nothing next to him. 

You shouldn't be next to him, it's not right. 

Why did he come with you?

We finally joined in one the formation to begin dancing. I took a deep breath and held up my hand, feeling it begin to shake. Matteo quickly grabbed it and placed his other hand around my waste. I gently put my hand on his shoulder, trying to be mindful of how much pressure I was putting on him. He squeezed my hand and looked at me, not breaking his unphased look, but showing sympathy in his eyes. 

"Look into my eyes and nowhere else." He whispered. 

My shoulders immediately relaxed as I heard the words leave his mouth. His calming voice was all I needed to bring me back to center. Although it didn't fix everything, it helped more than he could ever know. It felt silly to feel such comfort from a person, such love and reassurance. 

The music began and our steps matched perfectly. We glided along the floor, moving through every part flawlessly. Ever since I first danced with Matteo I was convinced that I would never find a better dance partner. With how effortless he seemed to dance, it must come naturally to him. For me though I hadn't ever danced with someone so well before. Draco and I worked well together, but we never met each others elegance. We were too stiff and weren't able to match each other well enough. 

"Do you dance this well with others?" I asked out of pure curiosity. 

"No, there are few who I work with as well as I do with you." He responded. 

"And who are those few?" I mocked. 

"My mother, she was an excellent dancer, just like you. Others I never cared to learn their names, dancing is an art and those who perfect it learn to respect those who have also done the same."

There couldn't have possibly been a better way to answer that question. He was so well spoken that it often left me speechless. It also left me envious, I've never been able to allow words to flow so freely from my mind. I can never find the right words or even say the words that I wish to express.  I hesitate when I'm not sure if what I might say is appropriate. Matteo on the other hand is well practiced. He can conjure up the perfect pile of words for any situation. 

Beyond his poetic words, the comment about his mother threw me off slightly. I had never heard him speak about his mother before, nor did I really know much about his parents besides what he'd told me after the visions. Anytime I'd ever ask he'd give a short and simple answer, never dwelling into a deep answer.