耶誕舞會 / YE-DAAN MOU-WUI
She did not care for England much. She did not like the near-constant drizzle of rain, or the smell of greasy food, both traditional and acquired dishes, and she certainly did not like stupid boys from Ravenclaw. Forcefully she pulled her arm back and let fly the heavy stone across the shimmering silver waters of the lake. In her more bitter reflects she suspected the English of making a half-hearted effort, things were so calmly prepared, and that man, that old headmaster was so relaxed and jovial with his patronising comments and silly beard that Fleur Delacour thought he was quite senile, or worse still, determinedly irresponsible. She did not like England, nor did she like that silly Ravenclaw boy telling her that they were in Scotland now, all the while speaking in that stupid thick English accent of his. Fleur Delacour was not so easily fooled for as long as she remained within earshot of that silly accent she knew she would always be in England.
She bent down and snatched another stone from the shore of the lake and pulled her arm back once more before stopping abruptly and turning back towards the glittering light of the castle behind her. Standing before her, the light forming a halo about her dark hair, was a girl several years younger than her, by Fleur's reckoning at least.
The girl was at least a head shorter than her, her dark hair stopping abruptly in a bob at her chin and her expression one of awkward dread, as if she were expecting the older girl to shout at her simply for approaching.
Fleur lowered her arm and folded her arms across her chest, unintentionally making her breasts more prominent as if to underline the difference in the age and status between them.
"Hello...erm, Roger asked if I would, ah, see if you were okay and everything..." The girl's voice trailed up as she nervously shifted her weight from one slippered foot to the other.
Fleur Delacour raised a single ashen eyebrow, deliberately and calmly looking the girl up and down, from the halo about her hair to the scuffed black slippers.
"You are also a Ravenclaw aren't you, girl?" She asked pointedly.
"Oh...yes...my name's Cho, I'm in...ah..." Her voice trailed off and she looked at the ground, trying not to stare at the thin line of dirt that marred the hem of the older girl's otherwise immaculate gown.
"And you are not English?" Fleur continued.
A thick line of red blush discoloured the smooth complexion of the younger girl's face.
"Oh, I am!" She said quickly. "I was born in Bath and everything...my mum and dad are from Hong Kong though..." She turned, glancing at the light and the noise she had left behind. "I think I'm the only Chinese student in the school. There are a couple of girls in the year below, I know but I think they're Korean..." Her voice trailed off and she turned to look at the older girl once more, an embarrassed look scrawled large across her oval face. "Oh, I'm babbling again, aren't I?"
Fleur took a menacing step forwards, forcing her glass heels down deep in the sand and dirt of the shore.
"If you must babble, girl, then please don't do it in English. God knows that I am sick to death of hearing the bickering drawl of that ugly language."
Cho Chang's cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.
『我覺得心驚膽。我發神經。』She mumbled softly. 『我思你係太靚。我係愛你。我係好愛你。』
"What did you say?" Fleur whispered, stepping conspiratorially close to her.
Cho felt her heart hammer in her chest, tiny beads of sweat forming behind her dark fringe.
"I-I said that I was so nervous that I was going crazy..." Cho whispered in return, her voice shaking and her lips trembling as she spoke the words.
"And what else?" Fleur prompted.
"I-I said that I thought you w-were very beautiful."
"And?" Fleur whispered, leaning in so close that Cho could feel the warmth of the older girl's breath upon her ear.
"And that I really love you." Cho gasped.
『我知道。』Fleur Delacour whispered with a note of triumph.
Teasingly she bit Cho's ear, eliciting a gasp of surprise. Gently she reached out with her pale hand and placed it on upon the girl's warm cheek, tilting her head until her own, shimmering blue eyes met the girl's own dark eyes.
"You're very pretty yourself, little girl." She whispered hauntingly, leaning her forehead against Cho's own. She stared with great intent at the contrast between the strands of her own pale fringe and the young Ravenclaw girl's silky, dark hair. "And for the compliment I should offer you something in return."
Cho Chang's lips trembled, her teeth chattering as she struggled to find the words.
"Oh, you really don't have to..." She gasped nervous. "Because, you know, if anyone were...I mean if I...I mean because..."
Fleur Delacour let her hand slip from Cho's face and gently she reached down and took hold of the folds of her dirtied gown. With a slow smile she lifted the skirt upwards, revealing the most perfectly pale legs Cho had ever seen. Her eyes travelled up and settled with a gasp on Fleur's white lace knickers.
Her mouth opened as she tried to stammer a reply but found herself devoid of any reply.
Fleur let her hands slip from between the folds of the material and her dress fell downwards, once more obscuring her knickers.
"All good things, little one, come to those who have the patience to persist." She smiled with cruel deliberation and gently pulled away, strolling past Cho and towards the distant light of the open doors.
For a moment Cho stood, her cheeks bright red and her heart thundering in her chest and then, with a look of intense determination she whirled round and took a firm step forwards.
"Wait!" She called out, her voice echoing amongst the empty grounds of the ancient school.
Fleur Delacour turned, a playful smile curling at the edges of her thin lips.
"What is it, little girl?" She asked with practised disinterest.
Cho stood there for a moment, her expression sincere and then, with great effort reaching down and pulled up her delicate gold dress, crumpling the fine decorations of painted jade flowers that ran in sequence across the material and revealing her own legs and the per-functional lines of her plain, cotton knickers.
She dropped the dress after a moment and stood on the shore of the lake looking pale, as if startled by her own actions.
"N-Now we're equal." She said after a moment, her voice wavering.
Fleur Delacour laughed softly and gentle inclined her head in a nod.
"Yes, little girl, now we are indeed equal."
With a smile she turned away and headed back up the hill towards the laughter and light. At her feet, the hem of the finest dress that gold could buy trailed pointedly through the damp grass.