Arranged || Ominis Gaunt

4: Fuel For The Rumor Mill

Dancing with Marvolo Gaunt is at once very similar and totally different than dancing with his younger brother. Both men dance with the sort of grace and composure that comes from many, many hours of lessons and practice. Neither speaks a word on the dance floor. But unlike her dance with Ominis, Ellora feels not one ounce of ease when she dances with Marvolo. His grip on her waist is too tight, uncomfortably so. He whisks her around in a way that makes everyone else on the dance floor have to pay extra attention to where they're stepping, for fear of accidentally bumping into them. And every time she chances a look up toward his face, she finds him smirking down at her like he's very aware just how he makes her feel like crawling and hiding under her own skin.

The song cannot be over soon enough. And as soon as it is, she carefully removes herself from his grasp and gives him a curtsy.

"Thank you for the lovely dance, Mister Gaunt," She begins, tilting her head back to look up at him, "I do so appreciate you taking the time. You are a very elegant dancer." 

Marvolo lets out an amused chuckle, sliding his fingers down from her elbow to her hand before raising it to his lips. He allows them to graze the top of her knuckles, and Ellora has never felt more thankful to have been wearing gloves. It's a bold move for a man who has a pregnant wife and a child.

"As are you, Miss Selwyn," Marvolo concedes, a mischievous glint in his eye that's practically begging for her to mention the contact his lips had made with her hand, "I regret to say I must return to my family's side, but I do hope I shall be seeing more of you soon."

Ellora lets out a quiet hum at that, the smile dropping from her lips briefly. The flirtatious tone in his voice is a bit concerning. Though one look at the expression on his face suggests he's purposely trying to make her uncomfortable. Annoyance immediately floods through her, and before she can stop herself, she acts on the feeling.

"Of course, Mister Gaunt. Family is, after all, very important. In that vein, I hear congratulations are in order for you and your wife," She says in a sweet voice, batting her eyelashes perhaps a bit excessively, "I'll send a prayer to Merlin that it's a little boy this time."

She curtsies then, watching through her eyelashes as a flash of anger passes over Marvolo's face. He manages to school the expression into one of general indifference by the time she straightens up once more. If pureblood witches and wizards are good at anything, it's pretending nothing phases them.

Marvolo gives nothing more than a nod of acknowledgement of her words before making an about face and heading back to his family. Ellora draws her bottom lip between her teeth, brows furrowing as she watches him go. She probably should have kept her mouth shut. Not wanting to look as if she's pining after the older Gaunt boy, the young woman turns, gaze flickering over the crowd of teens and adults alike before finally landing on someone she wouldn't mind spending time with.

Cordelia Tripe is somewhat of an outcast among the rest of the pureblood girls her age. While she's a year behind Ellora in school, they should have been in the same year, honestly. Tripe was born on September 2nd; her parents could have petitioned to have her attend Hogwarts 'early' on a waiver considering how close to the cut off date she was. However, unlike Ellora, Cordelia is the only girl in her family. They babied her as long as they could.

That babying is how she managed to catch herself in the midst of a plethora of scandals, though. Wanting to be seen as anything other than the baby of the Tripe family, Cordelia had spent the last year sleeping her way through just about every boy who would give her the attention. And boy, did the strawberry-blonde beauty get plenty of attention. A pariah of her own making. Though, the title never seems to bother the 15-year-old.

"You've been unquestionably bold this evening, dear Ellora," Cordelia says by way of greeting, reaching out to take one of Ellora's gloved hands in hers, "Dancing with both Gaunt brothers. Any ulterior motives I should know about?"