A New Beginning (DH -COMPLIANT)

Chapter 56 ~ Rod Learns Some Moves

At five, Hugo, Rose, James and a wizard named Winston were waiting for Rod in the Main Hall. They were all skipping supper. Rod turned the dungeon corridor warily, on the lookout for Roland, but the big Gryffindor was nowhere to be seen. His blue eyes fell on James and his friend. James looked at Rod with a slight scowl. When he heard Rose and Hugo were going to teach the Slytherin to dance, he decided to come along with them. He and Winston wanted to practice their moves for the ball as well.

“Hey Rod!” Hugo called, waving him over, all smiles and enthusiasm.

Rod walked over to the young wizard and gave him a smile. Hugo was all right. He was always happy to see Rod, and Rod believed he was genuine.

“Hi Hugo,” he replied, then he looked at Rose, who was also smiling and dressed in muggle jeans, a pullover blue sweater and trainers, her hair in a pony-tail.

“Hi Rose,” he said to her.

”Hey Rod. Are you ready?” she asked the wizard as James and Winston looked him over.

Rod shrugged.

”I hope so,” he replied, then he greeted James and Winston who both gave him a small nod.

”Let’s go,” Hugo said, heading up the main stairs ahead of everyone else.

They got curious looks from the other students heading for supper. It wasn’t often you saw a single Slytherin with a group of Gryffindors and hexes weren’t flying. But then again, it was Odd Rod with them.

They found the Room of Requirement easily. When they walked in, they found the room had transformed itself into a large mirrored room with a wooden floor and a small desk and some chairs on one side.

James pulled out a small wizarding wireless and set it on the desk, fiddling with the dial until he found a classical station. He and Winston sat down in two of the chairs.

”Now Rod, you sit down and watch me and Rose,” Hugo instructed, taking his sister’s hand and placing one on her waist. Rod joined Winston and James and watched as Hugo exaggeratedly showed him the basic waltz steps. Rose was taller than he was, but they were pretty good together due to Hermione’s whip cracking when they were young.

Rod watched carefully, counting off the steps, very focused and watching how the turns went, Hugo leading his sister around the room. After about ten minutes, they stopped.

”Your turn, Rod,” Hugo called.

Rod drew in a breath, then walked over to Rose, who smiled at him.

”Let’s do it, Rod,” she said to the wizard.

Rod gingerly placed one hand on Rose’s waist.

”Watch it, Odd Rod,” James growled from his seat as Winston chuckled.

James was just teasing him . . . somewhat. He was protective of Rose though.

Rod looked over at James with raised eyebrows as Rose scowled at her cousin.

”He can’t dance with me if he doesn’t touch me,” she said to James, who waggled his eyebrows at her. Rose shook her head and looked at Rod.

”He’s teasing you, now come on,” she said, mentally preparing herself for crushed toes.

She didn’t need to. It appeared Rod had a very good sense of rhythm and flow. He caught on easily, even venturing a little spin with the witch. Hugo grinned from ear to ear.

”Wow. You’re a natural, Rod. No one would know you’re new at waltzing,” the happy wizard called from the chair.

James nudged Winston. The black wizard looked at him.

”He is pretty good, eh?” James asked him.

Winston nodded.

”Yeah, he is. He’s got rhythm,” the wizard said.

”I wonder how he’d do with some real music?” James mused, looking thoughtful as Rod and Rose glided around the floor.

Rose was absolutely delighted.

”Wow, Rod . . . you catch on quick. You really are good at this,” she said to him.

Rod blushed slightly.

”A hidden talent I guess. I suck at everything else so badly I had to be good at least one thing,” he replied, feeling quite relieved he wouldn’t embarrass the witch at the dance. He gave her another spin.

”Try a dip, Rod!” Hugo called, “Put your arm around her waist and bend her back!”

Rod looked doubtful.

”Go ahead Rod,” Rose said, suddenly looking rather shy.

Rod shrugged, danced with her a little more, then suddenly dipped her, quite gracefully in fact, holding her securely. One of her legs went up.

Hugo applauded.

”That was smooth, Rod! You two are going to look great at the dance!” he said, proud of the wizard. He knew this would work out.

“Thanks Hugo,” Rod called back at him.

Suddenly the music changed. Rose and Rod stopped dancing and looked over at James, who was fiddling with the stations.

”Time for some real dancing,” the wizard said as Winston stood up and started stretching as if getting ready for a fight.

They found a station that was playing music by the band Dirty Magic. The song was, “I’ve Been Hexed and I Like It.”

Hugo jumped up and started dancing, bouncing all around. So did Rose. Rod just looked at them.

”Feel the music, Rod. You just have to move to it,” Rose said encouragingly, shaking her hips and swinging her arms.

”I can’t do that,” he said to her, watching her motions. They certainly drew the eye.

”That’s a girl dance,” Hugo said, bobbing up to Rod, “Watch me.”

Hugo danced from side to side, bobbing and snapping his fingers in time to the music.

”Snap your fingers. That’ll help you get the rhythm,” Rose said, snapping hers as she danced around Rod smiling.

Rod started snapping and bobbing a bit like Hugo. Again, he caught the rhythm and it felt . . . well good. He moved a bit more freer.

”That’s it, Rod!” Rose said with a broad smile as the wizard started dancing with her. This really was fun. Rod started smiling too as they danced around each other, Hugo orbiting them like a gyrating moon.

Then Rod looked over at James and Winston and stopped dancing. The two wizards were dancing in concert, doing complicated steps, falling back on their hands and kicking up their legs, then doing some spins and other steps that looked really cool. It was some kind of routine. They looked great together.

”They always do that at dances,” Rose said to Rod, “They take over the floor at least once.”

”They’re really good,” Rod said, watching them, “Are they going to do that dance at the ball?”

Hugo, who had stopped dancing too, shook his head.

”No. That’s what they did the last dance. They always do something new. They keep it a secret,” Hugo said.

Rod wondered if they’d teach him some of those steps. They looked fun.

“Excuse me,” he said to Rose and Hugo, then walked over to the dancing wizards. He waited for a new song to come on. He cleared his throat a bit.

Both wizards stopped dancing and looked at him.

”Um . . . could you show me a couple of those dance moves?” Rod ventured. All they could say was no.

Winston looked at him appraisingly as James stroked his chin.

”I don’t know if you can handle it, Rod,” James said to him.

”I can try,” Rod responded.

James looked at Winston.

”What do you think? Should we let this Slytherin learn some of our steps?” he asked his friend.

Winston studied Rod. He seemed all right.

The wizard shrugged.

“Well, we can try. He might not be able to hang,” Winston replied.

But Rod was pretty strong and flexible, with a good sense of rhythm. Hugo and Rose sat down and watched as Rod copied their moves.

Hugo was very impressed. So were the rest of the Gryffindors as Rod caught on to doing the Snake, flexing his arms and body as if he had always done it. It was as if dancing was second nature to him. And he loved it. It was so freeing. Rod thought he could just dance all day as he moved in time to the music.

James pulled Winston aside as Rod practiced popping his body, forgetting about everyone as he watched himself in the mirror, correcting any missteps.

”He’s fucking good,” James hissed to Winston, who nodded.

”What do you think?” Winston said to James.

”He might do,” James said, then straightened and walked over to the dancing Rod, who was lost to the music.

“Rod. Rod!” James said loudly.

Perspiring, Rod stopped dancing.

“Yeah?” he said to James as Winston walked up too.

Hugo and Rose watched as the three wizards talked, not able to hear them. Rod looked very surprised at first, then doubtful as James gesticulated and Winston nodded encouragingly. Then, slowly Rod smiled and nodded his head, which had the effect of making both James and Winston smile broadly, each clasping Rod’s hand and shaking it firmly. Then James turned to Rose and Hugo.

”All right. Out of here you two. Rod can waltz. Now, we have to practice,” the wizard said.

”Practice? Practice what?” Rose asked him.

”Our dance. Now get going,” James said, frowning at the both of them.

”Rod’s going to dance with you?” Hugo asked, delighted.

”We’ll see. Now you two get going,” James said as they both stood up.

Rose was absolutely beaming as she met Rod’s eyes. He gave her a crooked smile and a wave as she and Hugo departed, Hugo craning his neck to look back at them, grinning like a well-fed dragon as they exited the room. This was so, so cool.

When the door closed, James warded it, then looked at Rod. Rod stood there in his white shirt, trainers and trousers. He had taken off his robes. He was glad he had followed the Professor’s advice and put on something presentable beneath them. He wore his Slytherin tie. James eyed it.

”You’re going to have to be in the middle,” he said shortly, walking over to the wizarding wireless and finding another station. After a minute, he found a song he liked. Winston settled himself on Rod’s left, and James stood on his right.

”All right, Rod. Let’s do this,” James said to the wizard.

Rod was more than ready.

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Three hours later, Rod, Winston and James emerged from the ROR. All three looked quite satisfied.

”All right. We’re going to meet here every evening after supper to practice. We have to get the steps down pat so we do them as naturally as breathing,” James instructed Rod, who nodded.

Winston stared at Rod as they walked down the corridor to the main stairwell. Finally, Rod looked back at him and said, “What?”

Winston grinned.

”I was just wondering something. You’re an orphan, right?” the black wizard asked him.

”Yeah. So?” Rod said, his belly tightening a little. People often put him down about that. They had been having such a good time together.

”I was thinking, the way you dance, maybe you’re just a light-skinned black guy,” Winston said, his grin growing bigger.

James burst out laughing, and after a moment, so did Rod.

”What? With blue eyes and blonde hair? I don’t think so, Winston,” he chuckled.

“Hey, I’ve seen blue-eyed black guys with blonde hair. Usually his mom or dad was like, German or something,” Winston said, laughing himself.

James laughed harder as Rod shook his head, his eyes glistening with mirth.

”Whatever. Maybe I am, bro,” he replied, smiling at Winston.

The trio descended the stairs, still laughing.

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Winston and James walked Rod to the top of the dungeon corridor.

”Well, we’ll see you later, Rodman,” Winston said, giving Rod a complicated handshake he could barely keep up with.

”Nah. You’re not a brother. We can do that naturally,” Winston chuckled.

Rod smiled at him, but noticed James was looking around the Main Hall carefully, with a slight scowl on his face. He was actually looking for Roland. But he wasn’t around.

Several Slytherins walked by them, frowning as they passed and giving them dirty looks, especially Rod.

”Look at him. Still trying to change colors,” one of them said to the others as they headed down the dungeon corridor toward Slytherin house.

The comment carried and Rod reddened. James saw his embarrassment.

”Don’t worry about it, mate,” James said to him encouragingly, “You can’t pick your house or your housemates. Luckily, you can pick your friends though.”

Rod looked at him and Winston.

Friends? James considered them friends now?

There was an awkward silence, then Rod said, “Yeah. Well, I’d better go. See you tomorrow at practice.”

“All right, Rodman. Catch you later,” Winston said.

”See you Rod,” James said.

The two Gryffindors walked away as Rod made his way down the dungeon corridor.

Friends. He had friends now. And he could dance. Really dance.

How cool was that?

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A/N: This was a fun chapter to write. Yay Rod! Thanks for reading.