Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything that has to do with Harry Potter.
A/N: Written for the Drabble contest on the Hideaway. For link, go to my profile. 300-600 words must have a character asking out another character to the Hogwarts Holiday Ball.
Courting Cedrella
By: phix27
Albus Severus Potter sighed a deep, long, pitiful sigh and swirled his punch around in his goblet. Each year Hogwarts had seven balls, and Albus was always sitting in the corner watching while his brother James danced with every girl in school. And now it was the Halloween dance.
It wasn't that Albus didn't know how to dance- he did- but he was shy. He was always afraid they would say 'no' or- even worse- dance with him because they felt sorry for him. And he didn't want that. In fact, Albus didn't want to dance with just any girl. Albus wanted to dance with the prettiest, smartest (other then Rose Weasley that is), coolest girl in school. Albus wanted to dance with Cedrella Malfoy, Scorpius's little sister.
That's never going to happen, Albus thought bitterly. But he couldn't stop watching her. Cedrella was across the room with her friends, talking and laughing. She looked over at Albus, waving shyly. Albus felt himself turn red and he waved back shyly. Her friends giggled and they all put their heads close together. Albus sighed and looked down into his drink.
"Hey Al," said a familiar voice above him. "Whatca doin?"
Albus looked up in the face of his little sister Lily, who looked way too old in a green dress. It wasn't really revealing, but Albus didn't like the ways some boys were looking at her.
"Lily, put something decent on!" he snapped, glaring at a fourth year that was showing way too much interest in his little sister.
"Oh Albus, you sound just like James," she sighed.
Albus turned pink and looked away. His gaze found Cedrella again. She was looking at him. Albus held her gaze until she looked away for a second, and then looked back at him. Her cheeks had a rosy hue to them, her cerulean blue eyes sparkling.
"You really like her, don't you Al?" Lily asked quietly, coming to stand next to him. Her hand rested on his shoulder.
"Yeah," he whispered, not sure Lily heard him.
"Go ask her to dance," Lily said, giving him a little shove in Cedrella's direction.
"I-I can't Lily! She'll probably laugh in my face!"
Lily studied her brother. "I think," Lily said quietly. "That she would be delighted if you asked her to dance. You don't notice the little looks she gives you. And you'll be happier if you ask her now, instead of being unsure all the time if she likes you or not."
Albus hesitated, torn between following Lily's advice and the possibility of being embarrassed. Finally he stood and kissed Lily on the cheek.
"Thank you," he whispered, and then hurried off to Cedrella.
His hands started to sweat as he approached her table. Albus stopped in front of Cedrella. All her friends quieted when he got near. Cedrella looked at him with a faint blush on her cheeks, eyes wide.
"Cedrella," he said quietly, looking her in the eyes. "Would you like to dance?"
She looked at him for a minute, then stood and took his offered hand.
"I'd love to Albus."
They danced all night, finally having admitted their feelings. As the evening ended, Cedrella reached up and kissed Albus, saying a silent 'thank you'.
"But Albus," she said after they finished kissing. "Next time, ask me before the ball."
"Okay Cedrella," he said, leaning in for another kiss. "Would you go to the Holiday Ball with me?"
She laughed and kissed him again as the lights faded.
Word Count: 586