I was going to wait longer before I put this out, but I felt bad after messing up which chapter I put out and on top of that, the last chapter wasn't that exciting, so I thought I may as well give you another holiday treat! Hope you like this little chapter in time for "Family Day". Special thank you goes to Angel of the Night Watchers who as always fixes all my mistakes and makes this chapter worth your time!
Enjoy!
Chapter Ten - Plotting
"There's a ball!" Daphne all but pounced on me as I walked into the Slytherin common room, still bandaged and slung up by the arm that the dragons tooth had skinned. Possibly even a little dizzy, still from all the potions in my system to ward off any effects from the Ridgeback's venom. Madam Pomfery had advised that I stay another night, but she could not make me as technically I was alright enough to leave.
"What are you on about?" I asked, a little upset that she wasn't more excited to see me and even more upset that she seemed to have forgotten I was sick at all. Forget, of course, that she and Nott had been told to specifically handle me 'with care'. It's not like I would have let them, but the effort would have been nice.
"A ball - a Yuletide ball over Christmas break! Fancy dress robes, dates, dancing, the works. It's a tradition of the tournament." She smiled, letting go of me so that she could do a happy dance that made me step back in revulsion.
"Where did you hear this?" I had only been gone for a grand total of six days - three class days, included. It was now November 30th, just before dinner and I was coming back to get better clothes - why Daphne had decided to bring my school robes for earlier that day when she knew I wasn't coming to classes was beyond me, but I had never been so excited to have oversized boys clothes to change into that wouldn't rub against my skin.
"Millicent heard it from Pansy, who heard it from Draco, who overheard it from one of the Patil twins, who heard it from McGonagall - then, just a few minutes ago, we got this notice on the board!" She shoved a piece of parchment at my face that I took tentatively so that I wouldn't end up getting hit in the face by her polished silver nails.
'A notice to all Slytherins,
It is our pleasure to announce the celebration of the Triwizard tournament in form of a formal ball on Christmas Night to be shared with all those in fourth year and above. Formal dress robes are required, chaperones are needed, and wands that are drawn will be confiscated.
We hope for the merriest of celebrations in favour of our wonderful champions and their bravery. We will see you at the Yule Ball!
Barty Crouch, Department of International Magical Cooperation'
"Great." I smiled stiffly, handing the sheet of paper back to her as she nodded enthusiastically. "I'm not going."
"What?" She asked, aghast but I was already walking away as quick as my weak legs could carry me. I was sure to be in for some sort of beating for wanting to leave her alone on an event like this.
"I'm not going," I said again with a sneer. "I have no interest - or means - to go to a ball. In case you haven't been able to tell these past four years, I'm a simple girl who wants nothing more than to survive a year of her schooling with as few trips to the hospital wing as possible."
"What does that have to do with the ball?"
"It has to do with the ball because I will find, or make, any excuse that keeps me out of large groups of people who somehow trample me or help me make a fool of myself in some form of robe malfunction."
"But-but Audrey, you're a champion! This ball is in dedication to you." She argued, following me as I made my way down to the boys dormitories, ready to get my golden egg from Theodore.
"No, this is ball is in dedication to the Triwizard champions. You know, the original three." I explained, suppressing a shiver as I saw a long fingered, green Grindylow swim past the window - reminding me how deep under water I was.
"It doesn't matter who are original champions or not, this ball is to celebrate you all." She said pointedly, stomping a bit as she followed behind me. I rolled my eyes.
"Since when were you a stickler for details?"
"Since they benefit me." She said simply. "Theodore will agree with me, as well."
"You could get an army of people to agree with you, Daphne," I looked over my shoulder with a raised eyebrow. "I'm still not going to that ball."
We rounded the corner to the sixth year dormitories and I was pleased to see Theodore at his dark mahogany desk writing on a large roll of parchment. He looked up when we entered - he probably heard Daphne's elephant steps - before widening his eyes.
"What's happened?" He asked looking at Daphne as if she had multiple foreheads.
"Audrey refuses to go to the ball!" Daphne screeched. "Theodore, tell her how ridiculous she's being. This is one of the only times in our entire Hogwarts education that we will ever be able to have some kind of formal function where we can look somewhat classy and dance and be...be..."
"Hormonal teenagers?" I offered. "Sorry, I think I'll pass. I have tons of other more important and non-hormonal things to do to occupy my time."
"You're insufferable," Daphne hissed. "Tell her, Nott."
"Why don't you want to go to the ball?" He asked rationally, turning in his seat to give me his undivided attention. Daphne made a loud scoffing sound as she plopped onto Nott's bed, completely put out.
"I'm not going because I don't want to go. I'm not the kind of girl who enjoys going to pick out dress robes, honestly I don't think I've ever seen any that haven't been in your pictures or wardrobe, Daphne. I am also not one to grovel for invitations and I will certainly not take the time to struggle through finding my own date only to be forced to pretend I'm having a jolly good time when all I want to do is run away. I don't like crowds and I don't like having to try to be pretty. In fact, I think it's pretty obvious I'm not a pretty person. I'm awkward and this hair clashes with everything I wear. My skin is too pale. I'm too skinny. I look sickly. I get rashes from makeup. I can think of a million reasons but most importantly, I am not spending my time trying to impress anyone: girl, boy, Slytherin, or date alike."
Theodore lowly whistled as he looked away, knowing that my decision was made.
"So it's the date you're worried about!" Daphne gasped quickly. "I could find you a date easily, then would you go?"
"Did you miss my entire monologue? No, the date is only a fraction of the problem." I grumbled, already annoyed with this conversation. I had come into Theodore's room for an actual reason, an important one at that, and then I had hoped to somehow try to get Sirius on the mirror so that I could talk to him about everything that had happened - including the strange desperation in his enemies voice when it came to talking about Harry and I participating in the next task.
"Well what if I could get someone to ask you who you wouldn't have to impress? There's always Montague, or that damned twin who can never keep his eyes off you-"
"Fred?" I asked with a frown. "I wouldn't go to the ball with Fred."
"Well why not? Everyone knows you two fancy one another." Theodore smirked, turning away again so he could hide from my glare.
"I do not fancy Fred! Fred is one of my best friends. I like to be around him because he encourages my wild side and also keeps me upbeat, unlike some." I glared at Daphne. "I would not give the boy ideas just because you want me to go to a formal function neither of us would be comfortable with."
"Well what about Seamus? The arse would be pleased to have you back for a night. You could dress in muggle clothing and he would just be happy to have you on his arm." Daphne encouraged, I frowned thinking of my past relationship with Seamus and how badly I did not want to have another night of it.
"Not in a million years." I sneered, though with the thoughts of wearing muggle clothing I found the idea much more bearable. At least if I wore muggle clothing I wouldn't make as much of a fool of myself because people would know that I wasn't trying to look attractive at all. I was trying to turn some heads and start some fights.
"You're still friends, aren't you?" Theodore asked.
"As much of friends as a Slytherin and a Gryffindor ex-couple can be, I guess." I shrugged, but shook my head from all the thoughts of actually going. "It doesn't matter. I'm not getting dressed up, I'm not going. Maybe I'll do something to get detention with Snape that night...we all know that he won't attend."
In fact, that sounded like the perfect idea. I was sure that I could somehow find something that would get me in enough trouble to get me into detention for that night. I'm sure that I had a ton of tricks up my sleeve that I could use just so that the punishment would fit the crime - getting out of the ball not only excited me, but the reason I would be kicked out would be much more creative.
"But who will I dance with?" Daphne pouted.
"Your date." I rolled my eyes. "I mean, have you ever seen me walk? Clearly I would fall on my face if I tried dancing with anyone - I never have and I never will. Not even if some unlucky bastard marries me someday."
"I wish we purebloods had that choice," Theodore sighed. "I hate dancing."
"You hate dancing?" Daphne gasped. "How is that even possible, were you not taught?"
"Of course," he countered. I had been told once that all purebloods were taught multiple styles of dance at a young age. It was what prompted me to put Malfoy in pointe shoes that wouldn't stop dancing until Snape removed them last year. "Doesn't mean I enjoy it."
"We should start a club," I offered. He rolled his eyes.
"What don't you like about it?" Daphne demanded.
"I don't like leading people - I feel like I'm pushing them around and if I muck it up, I'm bound to hurt the poor woman." He shrugged. Daphne just continued to pout over the idea that neither of us were as excited over this as she was, but I held my hands together as I let out a strangled sound.
"Aw, Theodore, you're compassionate!" I cooed.
"Shut up, Potter."
"No, I'm really impressed with your progress." I said as seriously as I could. "Speaking of progress - where's my egg?"
"What egg?" Daphne asked as if she had completely forgotten about just under a week ago when I had almost died trying to retrieve it. Both Theodore and I glared lightly before he dug under his desk, handing me the sterling golden egg. I hesitated.
"Draco tried to open it and hear the clue againthe other night - woke up the entire dormitory, the git. He's hoping that you have to fight some banshees. He also hopes you lose, of course." I glared at him as if he were Malfoy before grabbing it in my hands. I was relieved when I didn't have the same sensation of drowning like the last time.
"How did it wake up the dormitory?" Daphne asked, sitting back up on the bed so that she could more easily see us. Because I was still feeling light headed and I was already nervous about having to open this blasted thing, I sat on the bed too. She quickly shuffled so she was resting her chin on my shoulder. "Why does it have hinges?"
"I'm sorry, was it you in the infirmary, or me? Why don't you know anything about what's going on, do you just leave poor Nott on his lonesome while I'm gone?" I snapped, looking at her darkly, she had been rude enough to me for one day so I didn't really feel bad until she completely withdrew and stood at the end of the bed.
"I've been busy with other things," she said quietly, her eyes looking at the foot of the bed. "Open the blasted thing, then."
"Right." I took a deep breath, willing myself to hear a banshee. I turned the knob at the top of the egg and let the hinges fall open. I now understood why some people thought it was a banshee, but it was something different. I'd been given a banshee howler in second year from Parkinson and this didn't sound anything like that. Instead, it sounded like some animal shrieking as it was being put down, like it was clawing it's way to freedom.
I could only take a few seconds of it before I closed the egg back up. Looking at Daphne and Theodore, both with their hands over their ears, I took a deep breath and scrutinized the egg. "Well, what does it mean?"
"It sounds like the sound you'll be making if you die next time - what kind of clue is that?" Daphne gasped. "It's ghastly!"
"It has something to do with water," I explained to her. "I just don't understand how that sound has anything to do with..."
I trailed off, my mind going on a mad haywire of every creature I had ever heard, seen, or studied, not only in care of magical creatures but on my own time. I had never heard a creature scream like that. It certainly wasn't human, it certainly wasn't an animal I had ever heard and I had already had a vision of water while I touched this.
"What is it, Drea?"
"Could it - could it be the sound of an animal in the lake?" I asked quietly, looking through the doorway of the dormitories where I could see the green tint of water illuminating it. "Could it be what I have to battle in the water?"
"Audrey, you're petrified of water." Daphne said seriously. "This could just be your mind jumping to conclusions."
"No, it makes sense." Theodore agreed. "I mean, it's nothing any of us have ever heard - when was the last time you heard an aquacious animal screaming?"
"Not recently," Daphne agreed with a frown. "Can't you ask your brother?"
"I don't need to ask my brother anything - I'm sure he's probably procrastinating anyway." I walked over to Nott and grabbed his rucksack that was laying beside his desk - he didn't object at all, as always. "I'm going to go do some thinking by the lake."
"Don't get too close," Daphne warned. Nott actually snorted.
"I don't think you'll have to be worried about that. Just don't be out there too late and don't get swarmed by boys trying to ask you to heal their pets or go to the ball."
"Hardy-har-har, you're a classic comedian." I grumbled, rolling my eyes as I left the boys dormitories, quick to get out of the common room before Nott's theories proved correct and someone did have the nerve to ask me on a date.
By the time I got out to the courtyard, I realized that it was too late. Hogwarts was a madhouse. Everyone was talking about the ball and everywhere you looked there were pairs of eyes judging everyone that walked by: were they good enough to be dates? Should they have to worry that that person is competition? Did you hear who that person is going to the ball with? It was as if everyone had gone to a time before they knew how to hold intelligent conversation.
My saving grace was a girl being glared at by multiple other girls as she sat on a rock, close to the water, reading. I smiled and breathed a sigh of relief as I saw her.
"Granger!"
"What?" She snapped as if she had been called many times today, she gasped when she realized it was me who had tried to get her attention. "Oh, Audrey! I'm sorry, I didn't even realize you were released from the hospital wing. How are you feeling?"
I smiled. "Ah, there's the warm welcome I've been expecting. Everyone seems to have forgotten I was even in there, so luckily I'm not receiving too much pity."
"Glad to hear it. What can I do for you?" She looked at the awkward bulge in Theodore's rucksack. "Is that your egg?"
"Indeed it is. It was my first day being able to actually try and figure out the clue in it, so I thought I'd bring it around for my brainstorming."
"Good for you - you're doing much better than Harry. I don't think he's even touched the thing since he heard it. Does yours...?" I tried not to let my eyes narrow at her words. Was she purposefully not going to tell me that Harry's made that sound unless mine did as well? So, she was trying to hold out on me too, though that shouldn't have surprised me much as she hadn't ended up warning me about the dragons in the first task, either. Suddenly, I didn't want to be near Hermione anymore.
"Scream? Yes, it does." I replied pointedly. She nodded thoughtfully, putting a bookmark in her book so that she could give me her full attention. I looked at her analytically as well, she seemed upset. Her eyes were slightly red around the rim and I could see that she was tired. "Are you alright?"
"Perfectly fine." She sighed, opening up to me quickly - apparently she didn't notice how narrowed my eyes were. "This Yule ball business is driving me insane. People are acting completely barbaric."
"Agreed, I only heard about it today and I'm afraid to be around people. I'm really glad that the evil eye was put to rest in 1752 or else I'd be worried it would actually be used by some of these girls..."
"Audrey, I'm...shocked." She said with wide eyes. "You actually listened in History of Magic?"
"I'll bea History of Magic if some of these girls have their way. They're so competitive."
Hermione laughed lightly, looking out over the water. "I was asked by someone today - I accepted. It seemed best to get it over with and avoid the troubles."
"Was it Ron?" I asked knowingly. I saw her face redden. "It was, wasn't it?"
"No." She firmly. "He's still trying to get up the nerve to ask one of the Beauxbatons girls. I was asked by someone else - I'd prefer not to say."
"Well, is he attractive and worthy of you?" I asked, sitting beside her. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders, I took that as a yes. "Then that's all I really need to know of it. Besides, I'm sure the rumours will begin any time now."
"I'm sure they will." She agreed sourly. "Have you been asked on the way down here? Everyone seems to be staying in the open to get good views of who is and is not in the running - it's ridiculous."
"I haven't been asked, not that it would matter." I shrugged. "I'm not going."
"What do you mean, you're not going?" Hermione gasped. "Audrey, this is a really important part of the tournament - there has never been a Triwizard tournament that didn't have a Yule ball. You need to be there and you need to go with a date because there is a specific dance dedicated to the champions."
"Even more reason not to go!" I smiled at her expression, warming up a little more now that it seemed like she had dropped the subject of the clue hanging over my shoulder. "Listen, Hermione I'm sorry to leave you out there alone and all, but I can't do it. I'm not a girly-girl. I don't get pretty robes or do my hair - it's not who I am."
"I don't know if you'll be allowed out of it, though." She said, biting her lip. "When I was reading about the tournament, it really made it seem like this is an important event."
"Oh, I can think of tons of ways to get out of it. A little help from Fred and George and I won't be going anywhere for a long while." I smiled, hoping that she would get some enjoyment from my statement but she instead frowned more deeply.
"Fred and George are probably the worst people to ask. Don't you think Fred will be upset if you don't go?" I blinked my eyes in confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
"Fred - I'm sure you've realized how you two flirt. What if Fred was willing to ask you?" She said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, just like Daphne and Theodore had. Was everyone seeing something I wasn't? Was Fred going around posting up pictures of he and I ringed with hearts that I hadn't been made aware of? I mean, how else would everyone know about our non-business?
"I'd say to him what I will be saying to everyone: I'm not going." I announced with finality. "Why does everyone think that there is something going on between Fred and me?"
"Isn't there?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'm sure he's thought about asking you already. Probably waiting to do it at a good moment."
I frowned, not liking the idea of abandoning him like that. "Well, he should ask Angelina. She likes him, doesn't she? She'd be a better date even if I did go."
"If you insist," she sighed, picking up her book and effectively ending the conversation. I got up from my place on the rock and moved the egg to my other shoulder since it was starting to get heavier. She looked up at me. "If you figure out that egg, let us know, okay?"
I frowned a bit, looking at her as if she were my brother. "Let the lard try to figure it out on his own, will you? It's not fair if you give him all the answers like that - conjuring spell, or clue."
We frowned at each other, the friendly moment between us having gone before I made my way out to the water to try the first of my many times trying to figure out what the egg was saying in a language I didn't understand.
"I hate study hall," I groaned as I sat down beside George. "It's my least favourite period."
"You've already missed half of it," Fred laughed from his other side. "How could you hate it?"
"Easily," I frowned only to feel a cool presence behind me. I raised my eyebrows as I turned to look into Professor Snape's gaze. This was the first time I had made eye contact with him since I had overheard him talking about me in the hospital wing, which was unnerving and really difficult to do for so many days considering I'd had two double potions classes and seen him numerous times in the corridors.
"Miss Potter," he said slowly. "You're late."
"I'm always late," I clarified. "I don't know why it's taken so long for you to always expect it."
"Not for when I am running study hall," he said simply. "Don't do it again."
With that and a characteristic swoosh of his cloak, he walked away from us going over and glaring at Harry, Ron, and Hermione who sat only three feet to the right of us. I got out my notebook and after finding out that we were supposed to be writing six inches worth of information on Antidotes. Snape had been hinting that he wanted to poison a student over Christmas break, so everyone was taking this research as seriously as possible.
"So, what's the news on the ball?" George asked me suddenly, elbowing me in the ribs with a wink. "Any hot dates?"
"Nope." I said simply, taking a deep breath. "But I guess that's pretty clear why."
"And why is that?"
"I'm not going." I said simply. I heard something drop against the table before looking up and seeing Seamus, sitting across from me, and Fred frowning. George just looked stunned. I blinked a moment as the scene sank through my vision, realizing that I had seen this before. Briefly, only now it was much more vibrant with colour and right now I knew it was really happening. I'd had this vision just before the Goblet of Fire had decided to ruin my brother and my adolescent lives.
"Not going?" Fred repeated, breaking me from my trance. "I don't think that's an option."
"You're not going to drag me there, Weasley," I forced a laugh. "So no, I won't be going. I don't want to go to a ball - I'm more of a dinner and a movie girl."
"Movie?" George asked. I shook my head, not really in the mood to explain it to them.
"Either way, I'm going to sit up by the fire with a book - maybe continue working on my egg, maybe I'll make a date to write and chat with some people," I gave the twins a meaningful glance so they would know that I meant Sirius. "It will be a nice night alone. You don't really get those in a castle filled with people."
"You're daft," Fred argued with a bark. "Why wouldn't you want to get a date, get some nice robes, and go dancing?"
"Because I don't want a date, I don't want to go shopping, and I don't dance. I think it's pretty simple to understand." I shrugged. "Besides, I'm not really in the race for dates, am I?"
"I know what you mean," Ron whispered across the table, keeping his voice low as Snape walked past. "I don't want to go through getting a date, either."
"I'm not going at all." I clarified.
"Why can't I do that?" Ron gasped. "Harry, I want to do that!"
"I'm getting myself at least a month's worth of detention, with Snape, to do it - your choice." Ron frowned, the battle was given up it seemed. George laughed to himself and scrawled on a corner of the parchment he had not started writing on and shoved it over to Fred. Fred snorted bitterly a moment before he crumpled the note into a ball and launched the paper ball into Ron's eye.
"Well, who are you going with then?" Ron glared after he had read it. Fred looked shocked a moment, looking at me. I put on my best face of 'what now?' to challenge him before he looked away and grabbed his piece of blank parchment and launched it over to the other direction, hitting Angelina Johnston in the shoulder.
"What?" She glared, clearly not in the mood for any of the twins antics.
Fred mimed out a ridiculous proposal to go to the ball with him that even had my eyes rolling - it was cheesy, unromantic, and completely embarrassing...which may have been why I ended up so surprised when the pretty Quidditch captain tried to hide behind her hair, smiled and nodded her head before looking away to gossip with Katie Bell beside her.
"I knew she had a crush on him!" I whispered with a dropped jaw. "No one would accept such a ridiculous proposal otherwise."
"You seem to have a little green monster on your shoulder there, Potter. Anything you want to talk about?" George asked with a smirk.
"Haven't you heard? Apparently I am the little green monster." I joked bitterly. "Don't talk to me - I'm going to try and get on Snape's good side before I completely destroy my relationship with him to get out of this damned ball."
I dipped my quill into the ink and scribbled the most intelligent answer I could come up with; I may as well give the bloke something to look back on and appreciate before I decided to blow up his potions storage, after all...
Oh Audrey, why must you always go getting yourself into trouble? It will find you, I promise. You really don't need to rush it... To my wonderful reviewers:
naynay87, ViVi LaRue, and CaseyGrey: Thanks for telling me that I had updated the wrong story - I fixed it as soon as I realized but even then it took an extra half hour to correct itself on the browser. I'm sorry for the mixup!
Shiningheart of ThunderClan: Oh don't worry, she'll have multiple moments of romance - I still have this book, Order of the Phoenix, Halfblood Prince, and the Deathly Hallows to do - so this is only the beginning for everything. I won't make each of the books 35 chapters like Rowling does, but I refuse to lose the plot just to speed up the lust ;) Believe it or not, I was first fumbling with the idea of whether or not I could do something to involve Circe in the task - but I found something that will better the plot later on. Don't worry, I promise it will turn out and be interesting! Thank you so much for the review, I love longer ones where I hear everything you're thinking!
Invincible Shadow: Dying of boredom? Well hopefully this spiced up the last few hours of the weekend. I'm glad that you liked the last chapter even though it was filler and not as witty as others. Hopefully this one was getting it back on track for you. Thanks so much for your review!
KITTY LOVES MATTXMELLO: Yes, you will see that Snape does care for Audrey all through this story. It will definitely be a different persona, one that I think we would have seen if this character really had existed in the real novels. The ball comes before the second task, I think two chapters from now - so very, very soon! I'm already doing touch ups for it. Hope you liked this chapter, thanks for taking the time to review!
Laurafxox: I'm glad you like it, especially Audrey. She's definitely up there on my favourite characters that I've created. I'm glad that you think this is different from most HP-twin stories and I promise that the fluff will start mounting up. You saw some in this chapter but the next few chapters you're going to see even more of it. Thanks for reviewing :)
Novella Vialli: hope this was fast enough! Thanks :)
PrincessK16: I plan to keep very true to the books so Harry will be doing the same things for the tasks - but Audrey is going to end up doing things that will mess up his ranks. Like she just got third place instead of Krum getting third - so it will eventually take it's toll. I'm glad that you enjoy it - thank you so much for your thoughts!
xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Yes, it is definitely a hard task for her - I'm having trouble even writing it because it's so dramatic. Theo is a great character. I remember reading about him in the books, seeing how he was so segregated from the Slytherin's because he was more quiet and such and I thought "I need to write a story that includes him"...so here he is :) I plan to bring up the money later, never fret! Thanks for the review and telling me that I had messed up!
Anyway, what did you all think of this chpater? The Yule Ball is just chapters away and yet, it seems like Audrey is already wiggling her way out of it - champion or not. What did you think about it? What do you think is going to happen in the next few chapters? Please let me know your thoughts by leaving me a REVIEW!
-Egypt