Turn the party up full throttle

[Annette Fontaine]

Anne made a mock-outraged face at Felix. “Are you suggesting that I am a flirt?” She laughed. Any other boy their age- save maybe Thompson, he probably didn’t even know what flirting was- would have just earned a slap, but she knew Felix didn’t mean it.

“Besides, a lady may be naturally inclined to be a flirt,” She conceded with a grin. “but without direction then she risks being branded a harlot. Having a language of fan or parasol or flowers or gloves allows her to be coy and demure, and also so gentlemen can interpret- and in the case of gloves, even reply.” She teased.

  

[Felix Parkinson I]

Felix raised an eye brow at this last part. He really wasn't very knowledgeable of the proper procedures for courting. It had never been necessary before, he was still too young to be expected to be looking for a wife and frankly he hated such ridged decorum. It's not to say that he hadn't had any fun and was a shy little boy, but once he was of age he would really have to talk to his sister about what high society expected, his easy going flirtatiousness wasn't likely to pass for except able once he graduated.

"And excuse me for being an ignorant Englishmen, but i'd heard the French were renowned for their grace in all things related to the heart and romance" He said lightly. Felix had never been to France but he'd known a enough people who had and it was quite prevalent in the literature of the day.

  

[Annette Fontaine]

“France is indeed the land of, and French the language of, love.” Anne replied with a smile. “And we perhaps have earnt a reputation for passion and romance from all our arts.” Paris was, of course, the art capital of the civilised world- the cultural capital really. All the fashion plates every lady pored over came from the city, all the museums and libraries aspired to theirs.

“But,” She continued in a teasing tone, “perhaps that is only because in Britain you do not show your emotions?” Anne suggested, eyes sparkling. “In Paris there would not be a person here who was not laughing or showing their enjoyment, but here people seem afraid of what others make think if they so much as smile to wide!” Perhaps an exaggeration, but true.

  

[Felix Parkinson I]

Felix looked around slowly at the crowd that had gathered to attend his mothers ball. Though there were defiantly a few people who were enjoying them selves, the cheerful tone in their voice, the occasional laugh, but for the most part Annette was right.

"I suppose we English folk are just of a drab nature" He said shrugging lightly and spreading his hands out as if it were a simple thing." Perhaps its the weather?" He continued. Felix had been to Germany and even Italy and he'd heard that most of the rest of Europe was much more temperate than his native grey England. Felix had also heard that nudity was much more common and excepted in France and a fact that he figured might lead to a more romantic society. But he wasn't about to ask Annette about that, it seemed rather... ungentlemanly like, or rather Englishmen like.

Felix found it incredibly difficult to suppress the images which rose up into his mind on the topic, especially with such a lovely girl as Annette in his company. Managing to avoid blushing Felix looked down quickly taking a second to recompose himself.

"Perhaps we just need cheery examples like yourself to show us how not to be so dull" He said looking up with a light smile. There had been a lot of history between the French and the English and more than a few Englishmen loathed the French, but they were Wizards, and the hate of the muggle "countries" was of little interest to Felix.

  

[Annette Fontaine]

“Ah, indeed, you do all seem to love discussing the weather!” She laughed. Though she has lived in England since she was a young child she still had distinct memories of her mother complaining that there were only so many times she could discuss the clouds in each conversation. “Though between you and I, there isn’t very much difference between Britain and the north of France. The south, however, is positively Mediterranean!”

Anne gave a small blush but a laugh. “Perhaps company can assist some way,” She conceded- after all, if one person was having fun it did tend to encourage those around them to have more fun- “but I doubt it can change someone’s nature. Englishmen are often said to never wear their heart on their sleeve, like my people supposedly do- though I imagine such a practice must be invariably messy!” She joked.

  

[Felix Parkinson I]

Felix nodded listing to her comment about France. He'd heard that Brittany was very similar in climate to the isle of Britain. perhaps he'd have to take some time off once he'd graduated and travel to France, there was so much of the world he had yet to see and could only claim to know vaguely through their descriptions pinned between the pages of a lifeless book.

"My heart on my sleeve" Felix faked a face of incredulity with a frown. " Why would I ever do that? That seems like a good way to get it broken" he said holding the frown as if that were simple nonsense but his eyes danced with the twinkle of a smile as he looked at her.

  

[Annette Fontaine]

“Only if you are careless with it!” Anne laughed. “Ladies may wear the same bracelet every day for years and as long as they are careful it can survive none the worse for wear- there again, hearts are reportedly not so robust as a chain.” At least that was if all the soppy poetry people seemed to write about having their hearts broken was anything to go by- really, grown men lamenting that a woman didn’t spot them in the street was really quite pitiful, even if the poetry they produced was good.

There again, that was really to be expected of men who fell in love with someone they weren’t married to. Far better to marry for fondness and let the rest fall into place, but that was beside the point. “I am sure Lord Tennyson would disagree though- ‘tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all’!” She quoted.

  

[Felix Parkinson I]

" I hardly think that the heart is as strong, or fashionable mind you, as metal. The I suppose the heart can heal when it breaks, where as the metal can not." He said pondering on the image of a blacksmith trying to re forge a heart.

"Lord Tennyson was a daft ideological Bas" Felix stopped himself before he finished his thought, it was rather improper to swear in-front of a women especially in such a formal setting. Lord Tennyson was probably right in the fact that we shouldn't avoid love just so we can avoid being heart broken but love lost was perhaps the most painful think to loose in the world.

" So uh... How are your ribs?" Felix asked changing the subject as he thought back to their encounter a few months ago.

  

[Annette Fontaine]

Anne blinked a little and gave a polite cough as Felix almost swore. It wasn’t that she hadn’t heard swearing before, or even swore herself- in French, of course, and only when she’d been bitten by a fanged geranium- but still, they were most definitely in public.

She was glad when Mr Parkinson changed topic, although when she realised exactly what that topic was, a slight blush crept back into her cheeks. “Perfectly fine, thanks to you!” Anne laughed lightly. “I haven’t seen the need to gravity-test any more staircases since, so I suppose I must be cured!”

  

[Felix Parkinson I]

Felix sighed inwardly and was only just barely able to keep himself from blushing as well. He'd only realized at the last moment as the words left his mouth that perhaps she didn't want to speak on that topic which was further confirmed by her own blushing. Felix was no fool, but found himself too often ignoring certain decorum and subtleties that he found to be rather impractical. However, not all though as he did, something he'd have to make sure to remember more strongly in the future.

"Ah" Felix said nodding with a bit of an exaggeration and the tone of some stuffy Scientist. " Well, I do believe that, that is a fine thing. Since such a practical test of gravity seems a bit... dangerous" He finished in the same voice. He really wasn't trying to make a joke of the matter, but he was hoping to the lighten the mood a little more.

  

[Annette Fontaine]

Anne gave a small laugh. “Well, I’ve always prefered practical experience to that of books, but I shall endeavor to keep that in mind!” Really, it was one thing to read about life, and another thing to actually live- though falling down stairs probably wasn’t the wisest decision.

A sudden drop in the music caught her attention just in time to see her brother edging his way off the floor amongst the other departing dances and quickly vanishing, hopefully (for his sake) not out the door. “I should probably go and find my brother.” She laughed in apology. “I wouldn’t want him to think that’s his dancing done for the evening!”

“It was nice to speak to you, Mr Parkinson.” Annette smiled, bobbing a short courtsey and flashing him another smile before going on the hunt for her brother. Be damned if he was thinking of trying to escape.

  

[Felix Parkinson I]

" Ah, of course not. There is still so much dancing to be done! " Felix said with a warm smile though he felt a little bad for Annette's brother. Felix himself wasn't the most outgoing of people but neither was he a recluse, however he did understand the desire not to dance so took a little pity on the man. Then Felix wondered for a half though if he should have asked Annette to dance. It was a fleeting thought and Felix chose to ignore it, she had better things to do he was sure.

"Enjoy the rest of your evening Miss. Fontaine" Felix said with a short bow as she turned to leave.