I am not allowed to mix red hair dye into Draco's shampoo.
"Are you sure it's the right color?" Alice asked me for the millionth time.
"Yes, and even if it was wrong, it would still have the same affect. Now, all we have to do is wait to see what happens. Blaise said he exchanged it with the right bottle…all I can say is that we'd better watch what we use from now on!"
"Oh Merlin, here he comes!" Belle exclaimed, grabbing both mine and Alice's arms and tugging us back so we were hidden out of sight from Draco, who was furiously stomping down the stairs from the boys dorm. The black hood on his robe was covering his head, giving him a very dementor/death eater look. I slid into his sight, chatting quietly with Belle and Alice, pretending not to notice him. Then, accidentally, I "bumped" into him.
"Oh," I cried out. He swiftly reached out to grab my arm, steading me. We both blushed. "Goodness," Belle remarked, "I didn't know it was halloween yet.
Draco scowled, narrowing his eyes at her. "You just can't seem to keep your mouth shut, can you?" He snapped.
"No I can't, but it seems that I'm not the only one with a problem. You've got a bit of um…well, red hair..falling in your face."
He reached up and brushed his hair out of his face.
"Anyway," Belle persisted, " It's not halloween…"
Draco frowned thoughtfully, then jerked his chin in agreement. "No, it's not. But it is getting close to Christmas. May I have a word with you Miss Greengrass?"
He held out his arm courteously. I grabbed it somewhat hesitantly and looked at him with my head cocked.
"Whats with the formalities?" I asked.
"I'm buttering you up for something. You'll see."
Ignoring my friend's protests, he led me out of the common room.
We had barely walked a few feet when Draco's hood was yanked off. Silky red hair fell it to place, covering his forehead. I stifled a laugh.
"PEEVES!" he yelped. There was a high pitched cackle and then science, which was broken by my giggles. "Oh, shut up you," He muttered, flushing. "I must have ordered the wrong shampoo."
"Yeah right, you ordered the wrong dye, not shampoo."
"I swear, Astoria, my amazing blondness is real. You're just jealous…"
"Huh, sure," I smirked as he lead me through a painting I had never seen before. We came out a few steps later and he stopped in front of a random wall. After a second, two large oak, rose engraved doors appeared. He opened one, and then led me in. I gasped at the breathtaking view. We were standing under the Eiffel Tower. He pivoted around and pulled me closer.
"I..uhhh..well…"
"English, maybe?"
"Damn, I don't know how you are going to take this."
"I won't laugh, promise. Go on…" I encouraged.
"There'sgoingtobeaChristmasBall,?"
"Huh?"
"Sorry, umm, there's going to be a Christmas Ball, so would go with me?"
"Did your mom put you up to this or something? The whole, find a good pureblood wife or something?"
"No-"
"Did my mom put you up to this?"
"N-"
"Oh, god, did our dads arrange this? The whole, we can get richer and more powerful thing?"
"NO!Hell no! I just have kinda been, well, noticing you over the last few weeks and besides the fact that you're talented and pretty and all, you're really fun to talk to and laugh with. So will you go or…"
I gazed into his deep blue gray eyes for a second. They were laced with uncertainty that got even worse when I exclaimed incredulously, "Are you SERIOUS?"
He stuttered for a second. "Umm, sorry?"
"OF COURSE I'LL GO!"
A huge smile lit up his face.
"Really?"
"Yup!"
"Well then, I've sorta got a surprise for you…"