Harry Potter © J. K. Rowling
Cover art is not mine
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˹ draco harry ˼
Catastrophic Ball
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Harry Potter felt his arms clutched by someone else. He blinked nervously, almost tripping on his own feet, teethes chattering awkwardly. Aside from the fact that it was Christmas Eve—which means it was extremely cold everywhere—one of the reason was that he was nervous enough to not pay attention to anything around him. Cedric Diggory smiled before him—encouragingly, thanks to him—while the Asian's stunning girl, according to Harry, Cho Chang stood right on his side. Harry couldn't care less. He threw his feeling to Cho long ago. He even forgot when.
"Trembling?" his partner asked.
Harry nodded. He was shivering in his own thought that he would be, along with the other three champions, the main couple to begin the ball. He couldn't imagine that he had to dance, right in the center of Great Hall with everybody's eyes etched on them.
"I think I'm collapsing," Harry couldn't feel his feet.
"Oh, you're overreacting, Potter," Minerva McGonagall suddenly came to them, stretched her arms to gather eight people—four champions and their partners. "I gave you permission, Potter, do not betray my trust. I know you'll do well. Okay, now, champions—"
McGonagall spend three minutes full of talks and directions. She wouldn't let anyone mess the ball up for sure. Every student other than these eight people have waited inside the venue, stood on each left and right side to welcome their champions along with their partners. Every single of them wore different color and kind of robes, coats, or dresses. However, no one would dress fair enough to beat the charms of the champions.
Harry stood on the very last row of the line. He felt a slight jolt in his stomach. No, Harry, he whispered to himself. You won't embarrass yourself tonight. Okay, calm down. He felt the other arms were just as stiff as his. He looked to his side to find a slight smirk curved on his partner. His partner whispered a soft 'Good luck', tickling his ear.
"Oh, shut up—"
"Champions, get ready!" McGonagall shrieked as the great oak door pushed open.
The soft Christmas choirs began to fill the air with high-pitched voice and classical sound of intruments. Fleur DeLacour had stepped first with the Ravenclaw's Quidditch Captain, Roger Davies. They waved hands to the crowd, too charming to not gave the crowd a jaw drop. The following couple were the Bulgarian's Seeker Viktor Krum with the—slightly unbelievable—brightest witch of her age, Hermione Granger. Harry swore he didn't reckon it was Hermione. She looked—Harry was confused to pick a word—impressive. The third couple seemed to be the Seeker's couple, Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff and Cho Chang from Ravenclaw. And the last, finally, happened to be the Seeker's couple too—oh looks like all Hogwarts' Seeker were there—Harry Potter and, guess who?
"No way!" a bunch of girls shouted furiously, especially from the Slytherin's girl side. "Did they—?!"
"Did Harry Potter just—"
"Un… believable."
"Draco Malfoy swings that way?!"
Draco Malfoy couldn't help but to check out the look on his partner. Harry was undoubtedly sweating, clutching his arms really hard to Draco's.
"Is that even allowed?!"
Harry ignored the crowd's chatting. Yes, I go to the ball with the hottest—I didn't say this in front of him—guy in Hogwarts, so what? Well, number one or two, depends on each's opinion, some of the students stated Cedric Diggory was better than the pale prince.
Draco Malfoy was even taller than Harry Potter. He looked gentler, cooler, and—yeah, undoubtedly hot in his white shirt and black long coat. His look as pale as the other part of his body, eyes as cold as ice, perhaps had the ability to freeze things. Even colder than the artificial ice stalactite hanging on the ceiling. His lips curved down, unpleasant with all those babbles the crowd made.
After what looks like a long, two-year journey to the hall center, the four couples stood on each four corner. The hall went silent. Professor Flitwick, stood in a massive pile of ice blocks, were giving cue to his group. In the count of three, the music has started.
Draco quickly positioned his hand on Harry's waist—more like grabbing it. Harry blinked nervously, but he followed what Draco did.
"Too slow, Potter," Draco whispered in hurry.
"Shut your mouth—"
"I'm ruling here, you played the girl's part—"
"What—?!"
They got in a whispering fight, unable to watch their steps closely. The music got even faster, even Flitwick solo-danced in his podium right now, following the rhythm.
"Malfoy you stepped on me!"
"Move your bloody feet faster, you turtle—"
The other champions were smiling while dancing professionally. Clearly, Draco and Harry looked like the worst of them all.
"Hold tighter, Potter—"
"Geez—"
Even before they could enjoy the dance, the music has stopped. Flitwick and his group bowed to the crowd, inviting claps and more claps from the whole hall. They didn't even realize when did every students and teachers had joined them to dance all over the place. Harry threw a gaze to the other champions. They were heading to the round tables right in the main area of the hall. Four tables are provided and the couple sat on each table, while the others students sat on a few of remaining round tables on the hall.
Professor Dumbledore came up into the podium, holding his wand as a megaphone. "Sonorus! Alright, welcome, welcome everyone! Welcome to the Triwizard's Christmas Yule Ball!" the crowds clapped again. Harry threw a glare to his partner. "Now as you can see, our four champions and their four partners are having a set of fine supper in their own table. All students and teachers are allowed to eat the same fine supper on their own table! Now, please, have a relaxing music to accompany your night—" then Flitwick and the group started on their music again.
Harry pulled his plate, muttering in low voices.
"Shut up, Potter, you ruined my appetite," Draco shoved a strawberry to Harry's mouth.
"Wh—mm, Malfoy!" Harry pulled the strawberry out. "You ruined my dance."
"You meant your silly octopus-like movement?"
"We've practiced," Harry grumbled. "You acted however you like. Clearly we looked the worst. Well—not that I care though."
Draco smirked. "So you regretted your choice now, Mr. Harry Potter?"
Harry didn't answer. He asked McGonagall weeks ago and wonder if he could ask a boy to the ball. McGonagall was furious at first, of course, but days later she approved his request nonsense-ly. And now he wondered why didn't he asked Hermione or the other girl to accompany him, rather than this annoying foe of his?
Draco Malfoy drank his butterbeer and coughed. "There's another dance at the closing. We'll do it right this time," Draco grimaced, but Harry couldn't trust the annoying look on his face.
"Yeah, up to you, Mr. Malfoy," Harry looked away.
After a couple of minutes, The Weird Sisters had played their wizarding version of rock-n-roll on the stage. Surely Harry and Draco wasn't in the mood to bang their head along with the others, they just sat on their round table, eating.
"Hey, Potter—"
"Yeah?"
Draco Malfoy stood and get his face closer to Harry's. "Merry Christmas, Potter."
And to Harry's disbelief, Malfoy pushed his own face closer, his ice-cold eyes closed, his long eyelashes looked perfect, his lips looked—somehow—seductive as hell, and it was nearly touched Harry's—
"No! Stay away!"
"Potter?"
"Do-not-kiss-me!"
"Potter—"
"Scumbag Malfoy—"
"Potter!"
Harry potter opened his eye. No, it's not the snowy ball on the Great Hall. "Where…?"
"Having a weird dream, aren't you," beside him is Draco Malfoy sitting, knocked his hand to Harry's head. "You fell asleep. So I just sit and wait here."
Harry looked around. It's midnight… and they're in Astronomy Tower. "Why are we here…?"
Draco frowned. "We promised to sneak for a little meeting here, and talk about the ball?"
Harry remembered everything now. He sneaked out the Gryffindor's Tower to meet Malfoy here. "It happened in my dream," Harry sounded suddenly furious. "The Ball. You and me, we go together. It's not a quiet good idea."
"Yesterday you begged McGonagall to allow you," Draco sighed. "I think so. It's not a good idea. I don't want to go the ball with you."
Harry hit Draco's nose pretty hard. "I don't want to go with you either."
"Potter—" Draco hit his head back. "So what happened?"
"A mess," Harry laughed.
"And you said do-not-kiss-me?"
"I-I didn't say anything," slightly relieved that the fact Draco going to kiss him was just a dream.
"You did."
"No—Malfoy!"
Draco Malfoy then laughed. A horrible one. Harry hit his nose again. The descendant of Malfoy family just kissed him.
"How dare you," Harry stood, his teethes chattering with anger. "Promise me you won't do that again—"
Smooch.
"Whoops, I just did."
"You bloody ferret," Harry sighed, wiping his lips in fake disgust. "I gave up with McGonagall. You may go with any girl you want, I'll do the same."
"Yeah, alright," Malfoy stood himself too. They realized it's not a good idea to appeared in ball as a couple of—uhm—gays. "Until then, I won't let anyone know we swing that way. Not even your best friends."
"Yeah, I'm not sure they wouldn't be furious. Let's just stay like usual," Harry nodded as they two went downstairs. Yes, Harry didn't even know how could they two ended up as boyfriend. He didn't know what got into them, he just happened to adore that pale annoying guy. Same goes to Malfoy.
They parted ways in the base of the tower. Giving each other a light smile, they headed back to their own dormitories. Surely, Harry didn't think it's a good idea to show up at the ball next week with Malfoy. It wouldn't matter that they go with another girl, they got each other's heart anyway.
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end of story, teehehe. thanks for reading! kindly leave your footsteps on review box? c :