Chapter 11 The Ball.

Evan Diggory, Jimmie Maynard, Sean Chambers and Xavier Tybault stood at the bottom of the grand staircase. They were each dressed in dress robes made of the finest silk. Apart from Jimmie who was wearing a robe made from a material that was very itchy.

They stood at the bottom of the stairs waiting for their dates to the ball. Just as many others did. They stood around and talked for a while to pass the time.

Upstairs, the girls were in a manic mode. People were rushing from room to room. Hair was flying all over the place, as were clothes, shoes and at one point, a lizard.

Once the girls had gotten ready, they would walk down the grand staircase and enter the hall for the ball. Each girl would do this until there were just four girls left in the Gryffindor common room; Mona Weasley, Karia Ungaro, Violet Samuels and Tiana Beige (a friend from Phellseminious's school).

"Hurry up Karia your taking forever."

"Just a minute... Nearly done... How do I look?" She emerged from her room in a light blue dress. Floral patterns in black ran up the length of the dress.

"You look lovely. Now let's go." Mona hurried her.

"Hang on a minute... Where's Violet gone?" Tiana looked around.

"I'm not coming out." I shouted from my room.

"What's wrong now?" Mona asked.

"I...I wanted to wear sneekers under the dress! I look puffy! I think I'm coming down with something."

"Okay. What's the real reason?"

"I can't dance."

"What?" They all asked simultaneosly.

"I never learnt to dance. What if I trip up? Or worse, what if I step on Xaviers toe?"

"There no chance of you stepping on his feet. They're tiny!" Tiana said.

"They're not that small."

"If you're worried about hurting him, just think of how hurt he'll be when you don't turn up."

I thought about what she said and came out my room.

"I am a great stylist." Karia was refering to the fact that she had done my hair for me. It was all curled and to one side. I spent the night with rollers in my hair. It was painful. I also had to sit extremely still as Mona did my make up. It was probably the hardest thing I ever had to do.

We made our way out of the common room and down to the hall.

I had lied, of course. I wasn't worried about hurting Xavier. I couldn't dance, that part was true. I was worried about going because I felt like I was betraying Tom. But he never asked me and I wanted to go. We hadn't spoken since Xavier asked me. I didn't know what was going on with us, or if there even was an 'us'.

As we were walking I heard a scoff behind me. I turned around with the intention of punching the person, especially if it was Irena. Ivanette was walking with her gang of friends. She looked like a model in a flawless dress made up from what looked like salmon coloured ostritch feathers and silk. Her skin looked like it was made out of porcelain.

She stared at me with a malevolent smile. She must have been up to something. I continued walking as if I was unaffected by her hostile smirk.

When we reached the Grand staircase we all tried to descend as elegantly as possible.

"I feel like a duck, I probably look like one too." Tiana said.

"That's completely quackers." I replied.

"Once we've gotten down the steps you can just waddle away." Mona added. Mona snorted as we laughed down the steps which made us laugh more.

When we reached the bottom of the steps Xavier held out his arm for me to take. I slid my arm under it and he led me into the room.

Round tables were set up all in an orderly fashion around the room. Cream white tableclothes were draped over them. At the head of the room an emprty, large marble floor stood. There was a stage on which an orchestra was of people sat with their great instruments. I look up to see the ceiling was bewitched to show the night sky. Stars would shoot across it every so often.

We made our way to a table with many seats and sat down, as did Tiana and Sean, Jimmie and Mona and Evan and Karia.

The teachers were all sat anywhere. I assumed it was deliberate so they could keep an eye out for any misbehaving.

The tuba player struck a bellowed a low note. The other instruments soon followed. They played a slow waltz tune. People began to take to the floor and dance.

"Care to dance?" Evan asked Karia.

They both made their way to the dance floor. Jimmie and Mona soon followed.

"Do you want to dance?" Xavier asked.

I hesitated at first. "I can't dance."

"I'll show you. Come on." We made our way there. Although it was more like he was pulling me there.

"Just put your hand on my shoulder and I'll lead." I did as he said. He nodded as we stepped along.

Within minutes I was dancing, albeit rather awkwardly.

"I'm actually dancing."

"See. Its easy, just like riding a bike."

"If the bike were wobbling." I stepped on his toe just as we manouvered left.

"Oh god! I'm so sorry!"

"Don't worry about it. I've had worse. Someone once managed to heabutt me during a cotillion."

I laughed a little.

"Funny story." Said a voice from behind me. "Mind if I cut in?"

Tom didn't give Xavier a chance to answer. He took a dishevelled my around the waist and began dancing with me.

Xavier wandered back to his seat.

"What are you doing Tom?"

"I'm dancing with you." He said, in that calm and alluring manner.

"Nah, I thought we were flying (!) I meant, what are you doing here?"

"I'm attending the ball with my date."

"Who?"

"Ivanette."

"You asked Ivanette?"

"Yes. I did. I had planned on staying in my dorm working. But when I saw you with that boy," he emphasised the word as if it was an insult "I decided to come."

"I only went with him because you never asked me."

He was quiet. Clearly he hadn't thought of that.

"For a genius, you're pretty dense when it comes to girls." I said.

"You think I'm a genius do you?"

"You know what I mean."

"I know."

We danced for a few moments in silence.

"What are we even doing Tom?"

"Well," we dipped and as we came back up he pulled me closer, "Despite my best efforts, I think" he whispered into my ear "I may be falling in love with you."

Ivanette sat there twirling the umbrella in her punch. Everyone else was busy dancing and having a good time, whilst she was stuck watching as her date danced, quite intimately, with another girl. She glared at Violet. She and Tom were talking as they waltzed gracefully. It was a big difference to when she was dancing with that other boy. She was stiff and awkward, but with Tom she was relaxed.

Ivanette asked Tom to go with her to make Violet jealous. But the minute he saw he dancing with another a switch went off in his mind. Ivanette saw him clench his fists as he went red. Within a few moments he had gotten up and moved to the dance floor.

In spite of all she had done to get Tom, he belonged with Violet. There was something about them that clicked. They were dancing now and she was left to stare at them with envy. Ivanette knew she was much prettier than Violet, why Tom chose Violet was beyond her. But it was clear nothing could tear them part, unfortunately.