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A/N : unbetaed, sorry. You'd have to wait a little more for the betaed version ^
Disclaimer : Come on, I could never write something as perfect as Harry Potter. Therefore I'm not JKR and I don't own anything.
Oh, and the songs I quote in the chapters' titles are not mine either.
"With the taste of your lips I'm on a ride
You're toxic, I'm slipping under"
Scorpius Malfoy asked me to go to the Christmas Ball with him on a Sunday. After that, the last week of the term flew so fast that before I knew it, it was already Saturday and everybody was getting ready for the Ball.
It was three o'clock in the afternoon when the fact that I had to get dressed and go dance in front of eight hundred people downed on me. My room had been converted into a huge beauty parlor/fitting room filled with a cloud of powder, hairspray and perfume. A dozen girls tried to all fit in there, from my sixth year roomates Charlotte, Adithi Patil, Deborah Erik and Cassandra Jones, to my little cousin Lily.
I tried to remember how I had gotten into this. All I could think about was the big Saturday brunch McGonagall had organised this morning so we could all be free to get ready for the Ball earlier. I'd had such a tight knot in my stomach I'd barely eaten – actually I felt as if I had swallowed a bucket of ice so I was already full, in a way. When I had scanned the Slytherin table and my eyes had met Scorpius's, my stomach made a queasy back-flip. But I kept a composed face and so did he. From the outside, no one could tell I was about to go to the Ball with my dad's arch enemy's son.
It was our little secret – until tonight.
And I had to admit life had never felt as exciting and frightening as it did right now.
I guessed my expression was blank for too long because I didn't notice that Lily had started to put foundation on my nose.
"Hey ! I don't want you to hide my freckles !", I scolded, looking offended. And then, "Lily, you're a fourth year, shouldn't you be with girls your age ?"
"I would, if my older cousin knew how to put make up on her pretty face", Lily replied, an angelic – yet slightly ironic – smile on her face. Yeah, I know she was right. Damn, did she know how to shut me up. I knew the make-up excuse was just a way for her to try to extract information about my dance partner – it was very exciting for her, because only the sixth and seventh years had to have one.
"Please, Lily ? I want to look like myself." OK, if I can look like an improved version of myself, that's not too bad either. "Leave that foundation brush off my face"
"Fine." Lily said pointedly, lips pursed, and she pulled the brush away from my nose. While she dug in her huge beauty case for the next step – mascara – I rubbed the powder off my nose. I didn't want to tell Lily, but I actually liked my freckles, even if most people considered them flaws. With them I felt unique, and I didn't want to spoil this feeling, even for beauty's sake.
When Lily was done with the make-up, I went to my trunk and took my newest, prettiest black dress robes out.
"What are you doing ?" asked Charlotte. Her tone suggested that she already knew what was wrong, and that I didn't.
"Uh… I'm taking my dress robes out?" I replied, a little annoyed. Yeah, I got it, I'm not a girly girl. But does everyone haves to remind me of that today ? I saw Charlotte and Lily exchange a quick glance. A quick glance that meant our poor cousin definitely has no fashion sense.
Then Charlotte took out a big paper bag out of her trunk and handed it to me. Ready for the worst, I opened the bag, and pulled a beautiful strapless black dress out of it. The dress was simple but cut in a rich silky fabric. I gaped, admiring its perfect cut, while my best friend and my cousin displayed satisfied faces.
"Now, put on this magnificent piece of fashion and come see me when you're done. I'll give you shoes," ordered Charlotte.
"But – wh-where does this dress come from?" I stammered.
Lily smiled fondly. "When I told your mum about the Ball in the last letter I sent her and Uncle Ron, she sent me this dress back. And she asked me to make sure you make a good use of it : it's her engagement dress."
I looked at the dress while the meaning of this gift sinked in. I swallowed back my tears. This dress had a secret meaning to me: it was a message from my mum. She wanted to wish me luck for the Ball. And she wanted to make me understand that whatever my choice of date tonight, she would always love me unconditionally. I felt a wave of affection for her. My mother, the best, less prejudiced witch of our time, Hermione Granger.
I let the dress slide on carefully, and Charlotte threw me a look of approval before handing me a shoe box. In the box laid a pair of black satin pumps. They were Charlotte's, but they were almost new.
I wondered why she owned a pair of dressy pumps she never wore.
But then again, as all the girls in this room seemed to think, I wasn't a real girl. I mean, I didn't know how to put mascara on my lashes, how to pick matching clothes on my own, and worst of all, I didn't want to talk about the boy I was going to the Ball with.
As a girl, it made me totally pointless.
And I felt even more so when Charlotte, Lily and the other girls started to get ready too. I decided to leave them alone and wait in the Common Room.
Down in the Gryffindor Common Room I met Albus, who was waiting for Adithi, his date tonight. Good luck Al, from what I saw up there she won't be done before two hours, I thought, and I sat down on the couch opposite him.
"Hey," I sighed.
"Hey," he sighed back with a little smile. "How's my favorite cousin?"
"Nervous," I admitted. "About my dance partner, I mean."
Albus raised an eyebrow, willing me to keep talking.
"Sometimes, I feel as if I know him, I understand him better than anyone. Sometimes I feel that he's not what everybody thinks he is. And some other times, I pull myself together and I realize I barely know him, that I probably came up with all this to make my life more exciting." Damn Al, he sure had a talent for making me confess more things than I should.
Fortunately, he also had a talent for listening and reassuring me. That's why he was my favorite cousin.
"Rose, relax. I know you won't tell me who your mysterious date is, but I can still try to give you some advice. It is : go for it. Live this night to the fullest. And if this guy is not smart enough to understand how lucky he is, at least you won't have any regrets."
"Better remorse than regrets, you mean?" I asked.
"Sort of," he shrugged. "Take my advice or leave it – I'm only sixteen, like you, what do I know about life?"
Oh, so much more than me, Albus. Sometimes, I was simply dazzled by his wisdom – a rather rare quality in my family, and one I certainly couldn't pretend to have. And I liked Al's piece of advice even if somehow, it left me more nervous than before. I could live this night to the fullest indeed, but this meant I had no idea how far the night would go, and this was a bit scary.
***
The minutes before the Ball flew with unnatural speed. Before I knew it I was following James and Penelope, Albus and Adithi, Charlotte and Ed Jordan, out of the Gryddinfor tower and down to the Great Hall. Lily walked next to me, smilling at herself because she at least had figured out my date wasn't a Gryffindor.
And then I stepped into the Great Hall and the lights dazzled me. Hundreds of chandeliers were hanging in midair under the tall, star-dotted ceiling, bathing the space with warm, bright light. The tables were ready for the feast, scattered with shiny spots of gold which I realised were in fact plates and cups. People sat at the tables according to their year – the first, second and third years were considered too young to participate in the Ball, so there were only four tables.
I left the group with Al, Charlotte and their dates and walked to the sixth year table. I scanned it expectantly to finally spot a large empty space on the bench, next to Scorpius. He saw me the moment I saw him and we both smiled shyly. I held my breath as I took in his appearance : he wore a Muggle light grey tux – very sexy on him, but surprisingly non-traditional for a Malfoy – and despite his obvious attempt to flatten it, his hair was still unruly and heartbreakingly cute.
I sat down next to him, Al, Charlotte, Adithi and Ed sat down with me without understanding Scorpius was my date. I felt Scorpius bend his head towards mine and whisper :
"You look good, Rose."
"You look good too, Scorpius," I whispered back, attempting to hide my blushing face.
That's why foundation is so useful : it helps hide my all too visible emotions from the boy I like.
When everybody was seated, Professor McGonagall sat up, and all the conversations stopped at once.
"Dear students," she said, and her voice had such a natural authority than she didn't even have to perform the Sonorus spell to make herself heard.
"Tonight the Twenty Second Christmas Ball is held in Hogwarts. For all of you who don't know it – and for all of you who are too busy to listen to me," and her eyes turned to the seventh year table, where James and Penelope were already snogging, and briskly pulled away from each other when they realised McGonagall was glaring at them, "I have established this tradition when Hogwarts reopened after the last Great War. That is why, just for tonight, you are not seated according to your Houses, which only enhances your differences, but according to your level of education in Hogwarts – though some of you could have stayed in the dorms with the second years." She threw a murderous glance at James and Penelope, and the whole room burst out laughing.
"Let's hope that tonight, you will also behave yourselves according to your level of education, and not according to your old friendships or your old prejudices."
I looked at Scorpius from the corner of my eye. He was taking in every word McGonagall was saying with bated breath. At least, tonight, Scorpius and I were the perfect couple according to our Headmistress's speech.
"Let the Christmas Ball begin !" McGonagall concluded. "But before dinner, let the sixth and seventh years open the Ball, as tradition would have it."
I hadn't planned that. Dancing in front of all the people gathered in the Great Hall before even absorbing a little food. And, as the 'bucket of ice in the stomach' sensation returned, I felt the table move : actually, all the tables were moving back to the walls, leaving a huge empty space in the middle of the Hall, which I figured must be the dancefloor. With a pop, four musicians Apparated there – I guess McGonagall had given special Apparating authorisation in order to surprise her audience – and they started playing the first notes of a waltz at once.
"Merlin's beard, The Black Kats !" whispered Albus excitedly.
It seemed that nobody wanted to be the first to open the Ball. I stared at the dancefloor, transfixed.
Until I was vaguely aware of Scorpius sitting up and holding out his hand for me.
Oh, dear Merlin.
Numbed out by stage fright, my mind went totally blank. I gave him my hand and we walked forward on the dancefloor.
Then Scorpius turned to face me and I felt his hand slide around my waist and rest on the small of my back. My heart started pounding again, about a hundred times faster than a minute ago, and I instinctively put the hand he wasn't holding on his shoulder. I couln't hear a single note of music. Or maybe the band had just stopped playing. Just as the entire room seemed to have stopped breathing.
But I guess the band hadn't stopped playing after all because Scorpius started gently rocking me around the dancefloor in a choregraphy that reminded me of a waltz. Oh, wait, maybe that was a waltz. My head was so hazy – at this very moment the best I could do was move my feet in rythm ; understanding why I did that was just too much work.
We danced twice around the dancefloor before other couples joined us. In a wirl of music and silhouettes I saw James in Penelope's arms, looking at me moodily. I saw Al dancing with Adithi – he had a smug smile, which probably meant 'I knew something was going on'. In fact, I was vaguely aware that all the eyes were on Scorpius and me.
But right now it didn't matter that much. I was dancing in Scorpius's arms, and he held me gently yet tighly enough so I wouldn't collapse on the floor. I couldn't take my eyes off of his, and I knew my mouth had frozen in a stupid smile hours ago. Fortunately for me and my self-esteem, Scorpius looked just as hypnotized as I did. Very quickly we forgot where we were or what was going on around us. We only focused on what was going on with us.
A short pause, and the Black Kats started playing their third song.
Scorpius bent towards me, pressed his cheek on mine, breathed in my hair. I felt the little hair on the back of my neck stand on end. My heart, which was already beating fast, threatened to break records. He was so close to me, the smell of his skin was so attractive, that I felt the need to come even closer to him and nest my face between his shoulder and his neck.
This, and Grandma Molly's chocolate pudding : these were definitely the two most sensual experiences I had had in my entire life.
Scorpius breathed in deeply, and whispered, his mouth almost on my hear :
"I've waited so long for this moment, Rose."
OK. I'm not the most romantic girl on the planet, thus I know how to distinguish between a fake pick-up line and a real feeling. Scorpius had said these words so simply, so truthfully – and I knew how hard it must have been to say them – that I believed him right away.
"Me too, Scorpius," I whispered against his neck. "Thanks for inviting me to the Ball"
"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," he said, and I shivered again. "Besides, I absolutely had to show Zabini I could get a girl as stunning as his."
I chuckled – which was probably not the sexiest thing to do in front of the boy I fancied. But I was so grateful of Scorpius for breaking the tension by making a sarcastic joke. Zabini and Hysler were indeed stunning, I thought when I turned around to see them. He was wearing a perfectly cut black tuxedo and she was wearing a red dress that was obviously designed to turn heads. I smiled. This is the least threatened I had ever felt – Scorpius was the most handsome boy in Hogwarts to me. And, thanks to Charlotte and Lily, I wasn't looking so bad myself.
"You know," Scorpius said, "I've finished reading Jane Eyre."
"So, did you like it?" I asked, hoping he would say yes.
"Of course I did." I mentally sighed with relief. "It was so… exotic."
"Exotic?" That's so not the word I would have used to describe this book.
"You have to understand, it's the first Muggle book I've ever read. And probably one of my favorite books so far."
"Oh, come on. You're just pulling my leg," I scolded.
"No I'm not. The story was really moving. I don't know, I simply felt I could relate to it."
"How? It's about a poor young governess and her older, crippled master."
Scorpius laughed. "Yes, but I'm talking about the way Mr Rochester and Jane have so much in common even if they're so dramatically different. It reminds me of us – without the age and education difference, and, I really hope, without the slightly tragic, although happy, ending."
Before my brain could even process what had just been said, the third song ended, and I heard the cackling voice of Judy Fycus, the sixth year Slytherin who had insulted me in the beginning of the year, right next to us. The sound was so annoying it immediately burst the bubble.
"Well, well, well. Look who's there. The first couple on the dancefloor. And it's a mixed one : a Slytherin, and a filthy Gryffindor."
"What do you want, Fycus?" snapped Scorpius through gritted teeth.
I tensed in his arms. I wouldn't like to be Fycus right now : Scorpius's glare seemed almost lethal.
"I don't want anything, Malfoy," Fycus snapped back. "It's the tradition : first couple to open the Christmas Ball is subject to hazing." A cruel smile spread on her broad, ugly face, and, when I looked around, I understood she wasn't alone. Around her stood about five or sixth students, arms crossed, displaying the same cruel grin. It seemed they had all taken McGonagall's speech about inter-House mixity to the letter because there were students from each House. I spotted Mark Huttington, the captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, on the back of the group.
Mental note, tell Scorpius to 'accidentally' elbow Huttington in the ribs during the next Slytherin/Hufflepuff match.
While I was starting to panic, Scorpius kept a straight face.
"There's only a teeny tiny problem, Fycus," he smiled.
"Oh really? What is it?" she asked, her smile broadening.
"You'll have to catch us first! RUN, ROSE!"
He made a grab for my hand and took me running with him. Laughing with fear and excitement, we rushed out of the Great Hall, the bullies hot on our heels.
Scorpius and I went up the stairs four at a time, and we couldn't stop laughing. Once in a while we turned around to see where our pursuers were. Sometimes I met his eyes in the process, and they sparkled so much I soon forgot the panic I had felt on the dancefloor. This was actually a game, and I was having much more fun than I'd expected.
We went up so many flights of stairs we forgot to keep count of them. Soon we arrived on a landing and Scorpius whispered, "Let's turn in here!". We turned on our left and found ourselves in a badly lit corridor, before realizing it was a dead end.
Behind us, the footsteps of Fycus and her gang were drawing closer. I heard her shout "They just stopped running! We're close!" We need a place to hide ! I thought in a panic, brow furrowed.
Suddenly, when I was about to lose hope and let the bullies drag us to the Lake to feed us to the Giant Squid, I heard a trigger behind me, followed by the creaking sound of an opening door. Scorpius and I turned around at the same time : a small door, opened on a tiny, feebly-lit room, had just appeared on the wall.
No time to think. We rushed inside the miraculous room and slammed the door shut. Outside, we soon heard Fycus and her sidekicks swear and shout because they had come so close to catching us and then lost us so unexpectedly.
And I suddenly recognized this room, even though I had never set foot in it : it was the Room of Requirement, the one my parents and Uncle Harry had told me so much about, the one that appeared only when you really needed it. It hadn't been destroyed in the Battle of Hogwarts after all.
I was about to tell Scorpius, but he had his back turned, and he was pressing his ear on the door to listen to the people outside. I looked around me, and I was reminded of my first encounter with Scorpius in a compartment of the Hogwarts Express a few months ago. The room was equally small, the lightning equally low and soft. But here there wasn't any chair to sit on. So I was standing, so close to Scorpius because of the lack of space that I suddenly felt very aware of the space my body was taking.
Scorpius seemed to finally realize where we were and turned slowly to face me. I looked at him, not knowing what to say or what to do. I swear my heart was now beating so fast it was on the verge of actually vibrating.
Scorpius tentatively held out his hand, and gently cupped my cheek, stroking my face with his fingers.
And then I was breathless.
I swallowed hard.
My brain had officially broken down.
His hand slid into my hair, and his face came dangerously close to mine. So close his hot breath melted into mine.
And before I had the time to understand what was going on, his lips were on mine.
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