From the dancefloor at the Yule Ball, Draco notices Theo sitting at a table by himself, staring off intensely. Thinking he's upset about Daphne Greengrass and Blaise Zabini having snuck off to snog, Draco goes to comfort his friend. But before he can say anything, Theo yanks him into a chair, points haphazardly at another table nearby. He's not upset, he's entranced.

"You - you're - fraternizing with the enemy, that's what you're doing!"

Granger's mouth falls open at Weasley's accusation. "Don't be so stupid!" she hisses. "The enemy? Honestly, who's the one who wanted his autograph? Who's the one with a model of him up in their dormitory?"

Weasley chooses to ignore this. "I suppose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library?"

"Yes, he did," says Granger. "So what?"

"What happened? Trying to get him to join spew, were you?"

"No, I wasn't! If you really want to know, he - he said he'd been coming up to the library every day to try and talk to me, but he hadn't been able to pluck up the courage!"

Draco doesn't want to hear this. It's hard enough trying to enjoy the ball when Granger's date is an international Quidditch star. Hearing the whole story behind it could only make things worse. He stands to leave, but Theo yanks him into the chair once more.

"Theo, really, I don't -"

"Shhh. This could be good for you."

Suspecting further attempts to dismiss himself would only prove futile, Draco lowers his head to the table, closes his eyes. He tries to turn off his senses. Unfortunately, he can still hear parts of the argument.

"- Harry knows that."

"- a funny way of showing it!"

"The whole point of the tournament-"

Draco's head jerks up. Granger's really shouting now.

" - is supposed to be international cooperation! To make friends!"

"No it isn't! It's about winning!"
"Ron," Potter chimes in, trying to deescalate the situation now that several people are staring, "I haven't got a problem with Hermione coming with Krum."

Weasley ignores this too. "Why don't you go find Vicky," he says to Granger. "He'll be wondering where you are."

Granger jumps to her feet. "Yeah, you know what, I think I'll do that." She's out of the Great Hall within seconds, lost to the coordinators.

Soon, the Quidditch star himself appears, a drink in each of his hands. He asks Potter and Weasley if they know where his date's gone.

"No idea," Weasley mutters. "Lost her, have you?"

"Vell, if you see her, tell her I haff drinks," says Krum, and he slouches off.

"Made friends with Viktor Krum, Ron?" Percy Weasley, now a Ministry employee helping with the Triwizard Tournament, has bustled over, rubbing his hands together and looking extremely pompous. "Excellent. That's the whole point, you know: international magical cooperation!"

It's too much for Theo; he bursts out laughing. He pulls Draco away from those they've been eavesdropping on, and says, "Go find her. Tell her what Percy's said. Be the one who cheers her up."

Draco hesitates. It's decent advice, but to take it would be a confession. Then again, Theo's been convinced of the truth for so long already…