One Year One Month and Five Days

Rene grinned as he waited just outside the Grand Hall for Fiona. He loved her. He was certain of it now. They had been dating for one year, one month, and five days, but who was counting? Rene sighed happily. He was going to tell her tonight. At the right time. During a slow song. Rene's smile widened. Fiona Eloise Miller, he was in love with Fiona Eloise Miller. Was it hokey to tell her at a dance? A bit. Was it over done? Definitely. Cliche? Yes. Did Rene care? No. Rene was in love with Fiona, and to be honest that's all he cared about.

Since he'd started dating Fiona songwriting had gotten so much easier, and he wasn't writing just sappy love songs or something silly like that. No, just all of his writing in general had gotten better since Fiona became his girlfriend. Just thinking about Fiona being his girlfriend was more than enough for Rene to go weak in the knees. He was just so happy and it was great.

Rene had in fact gotten over the puppy love phase however where he wanted to be with Fiona every second of everyday. Now, while he still wanted to be around her all the time, it was different. He relied on Fiona now. Fiona was part of him, and because of this he was much more able to not be a smothering presence. He was worried though. He had a strong feeling Fiona would dump him before they would graduate next year. He didn't want that. He didn't want that at all, but if it was what Fiona would want, then how could Rene argue? What if telling her he loved her pushed her away? What if she didn't love him?

Rene bit his lip. He was going to tell her. For better or for worse he was going to tell Fiona how he felt. She had a right to know how Rene felt. If it ended in her telling Rene they were over then so be it. He had no idea how he would take it if she dumped him. However, all the doubts in his head turned to mush when he saw Fiona walk up to him. She looked stunning, more than stunning even. "Happy Valentine's Day, Fiona." Rene held out a single rose. Roses were overdone too in his opinion, but they were a Valentine's Day classic, so he made an exception.

Fiona touched her hair gingerly. She'd never gone to this much trouble before and certainly would not have gotten the results she did if it were not for one of the other Montagnard girls volunteering to help. The dress was the other item which had given her so much trouble and without mum's help she would never have found it.

She gave a half-smile as she brushed her fingers against the filmy material. Rene wouldn't find any fault with what she'd chosen. She was certain of that. Her shoes though could possibly give her a little trouble later in the night. They weren't heels but they were new and Fiona had forgotten to take her mother's advice about breaking them in.

The sixth year slowly made her way down to the Grand Hall with more care than she normally did. She wanted to make an impression Rene would never forget so none of her usual manner of movement. She was a couple of weeks off seventeen and going to her first ball. Even more important, she was going there with a date. A boy she'd been with for over a year and still they were a couple.

And there he was waiting for her. Fiona was glad they met here rather than in the Commonroom. She didn't believe she could have made the same impression coming out of her dorm room as she could in this setting. Besides there had been a number of sixth and seventh year girls running around and panicking up there over hair and make-up and shoes. Here she could just let him see her and hope she made the best impression of all. She wanted him to want to stay with her and celebrate her birthday with her in a couple of weeks and take her to the Valentine Ball next year.

"Thank you Rene," she breathed as she took the rose he held out. Then, because there were just some things in her nature which being all dressed up couldn't change, she put the stem sideways in her mouth and smiled up at him. Taking it out again, because you can't talk with a rose in your mouth, she said, "What do you think of that look?"

"You're welcome." Rene said with a bright smile. He grinned a bit wider when she put the stem in her mouth. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his forehead against hers. "I think you look positively gorgeous no matter what your look is." The seventeen year old said with a smile.

Rene slowly closed his eyes and closed the short gap between their lips. His whole body instantly felt warm and his lips tingled. He pulled Fiona just slightly closer. He kissed her for a few more seconds and begrudgingly pulled away. He wanted to tell her how he felt then and there, but thankfully he'd gotten the luck of the draw as far as songs. It was a nice slow paced couples dance song. He took a deep breath and took her hand. "Let's go dance."

Fiona's grip on the rose tightened as Rene drew her closer. "Well I'd better leave it out of my mouth or it may cause problems," she whispered, "and I don't mean making it harder to speak." She had other ideas for how to use her lips and it was apparent that Rene thought the same as he drew in closer for a kiss.

There was no argument from her in regard to his suggestion and Fiona was a very willing participant in moving to the dance floor. "Good song choice," she remarked in her uncharacteristically low voice. Moments like these were not for loudness. Fiona had no wish to be so loud her sisters (who were still too young to attend) might hear. Or even loud enough for her cousin whom she'd had a glimpse or two of earlier.

Rene silently took the biggest breath of his life as he led Fiona to the dance floor. He swayed slowly with her, looking at her. It wasn't hard for Rene to love Fiona at all. Her body felt perfect up against his own, the smell of her shampoo filling his senses. He swayed with her for a minute or two as they got close to the center of the floor.

Rene smiled and pressed his lips to Fiona's jaw, right below her ear. "I have something to tell you..." He started, pulling her closer. "I'm in love with you Fiona. I'm head over heels in love with you, and I really have no idea what I'd do without you. You're just wonderful and yeah." Rene whispered into her ear. His cheeks were an ungodly shade of scarlet and he was pretty sure his heart had stopped beating all together as Rene waited for her response.

Fiona relished the feeling of being so close to Rene out there on the dance floor. This song could last forever and she wouldn't complain. Then when she didn't think they could get any closer he'd managed to bring her closer. The kiss to her jaw put shivers down Fiona's spine. Nice shivers. Very nice shivers. Then came the unexpected confession. It was like her asking him out on a date the previous year had unlocked his voice.

She pulled back to look up at him and drew in a breath before smiling her brightest. "You meant it? You really do mean it. I just..." She trailed off and stretched up to kiss him. What Fiona couldn't say in words she decided to say with one action. Later. She would find a way later to get the words past her lips. At least her lips could still kiss.

Next thing Rene knew after his confession he was kissing Fiona. The slow song had come and gone, but he wasn't just ready to break off the kiss. It was so different than other kisses because of the feeling of her dress wafting in and out of his hands and mainly the reason why they were kissing. They were kissing because Fiona felt the same way. Finally, after a mini-eternity Rene pulled away from Fiona's lips breathing heavily.

"I'll go get us some drinks." He smiled and bounded off trying not to walk like a happy idiot the whole way there. He smiled at a girl from France he knew and said hello as he got the punch before heading back to Fiona. He was going to need he refreshment after a fast song and Fiona most certainly was. "Alright Fiona, lets do a Spanish dance. This is fast and crazy and fun, so let me lead, and drink the punch." Rene downed it quickly and tossed his cup away.

"Spanish dancing?" Fiona asked in bewilderment as Rene returned with their drinks. This was a side of Rene she wasn't used to. He sounded much more certain of himself and Fiona certainly couldn't say it was a side of him she didn't like. Well actually she didn't like it. She loved it. Spanish dancing aside she was quick to down her drink also before letting him lead her out to the dance floor.

"I apologise now if I make any mistakes," she said knowing full well the likelihood of that happening was high. Very high. About as high as the likelihood of making mistakes in Quidditch. Trying out for that had been a mistake and she might have been afraid choosing to say yes to Rene in this Spanish Dancing might also be one if she weren't into throwing herself into new situations.

"Spanish dancing." Rene confirmed with a grin. "Don't worry. I'm going to lead and you are going to look like a brilliant dancer. Just watch my face while we dance, okay? It keeps you from being distracted and tripping and from stepping on my feet." Rene smiled happily. "I know I'm repugnant and all, but you're just going to have to suffer." He teased her eagerly and laced a strand of hand behind her ear as he waited for the next song to start.

Rene leaned and pressed his lips to hers for a quick second before the song started and he pulled away beginning to dance. Rene was a fast dancer, but he was a good lead. He hummed along quietly with the song his fingers occasionally curling into the fabric of her shirt to pull her closer to himself.

"More brilliant than my skill on a broom I am sure," Fiona replied with a grin. It certainly was no secret that she was a hopeless flier as had been demonstrated in front of the whole school on a number of occasions. "If I still step on your feet I apologise now." She laughed at the idea of Rene being repugnant. The mere idea that the two belonged together was completely laughable.

She had thought she would have trouble keeping up with him but that fear was soon drained away with the excitement of the dance. It was more likely that it was the dancing with him which made it the most exciting. And the smile on her face was telling about how much she was enjoying the dance.

And at some point they did take a break from dancing because they couldn't stay attached to each other all night. Rene kind of made his way around the floor talking to different people about different things. He was even asked to dance by a couple other girls. And though Rene felt like it would be pretty clear that any dance he had with a girl who wasn't named Fiona would be platonic he was hesitant.

Then he heard a girl let out a rather loud yelp and whipped his head around to see a girl jumping up and down with a bright red face. Part of him wondered if his girlfriend had anything to do with it, as she used to be very heavily into pranking. He scanned floor for any sign of his girlfriend and saw her dancing with Fane. He smiled a small smile. Rene knew that Fiona wouldn't cheat on him. She wasn't the kind of person to hide something. She was too brazen to hide another guy. So, Rene didn't think too much on it. Still, Fane was handsome and into the same things as Fiona, and it would be quite the prank if she took her pranking partner back from her sister Mabel. Rene tried not to think about it. Instead he decided to dance with one of his female friends from Paris. Though, Rene really couldn't get into dancing with another girl. It wasn't as fun as dancing with the person who meant the world to him, so a few songs later he decided to find his girlfriend.

"Hey, Fiona?" Rene asked her softly and politely by the refreshments table. "Would you like to dance again?" He bit his lip. He didn't want to snatch her away from whatever she was doing if she was having a good time, but he wanted to be with his girlfriend.