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Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I just put them into circumstances that I would like to see characters in and watch what happens.
Written for the School of Prompts: 3-3: The Great Hall
Also Hogwarts House Challenges, Quidditch Pitch: Dialogue: "Stop that right now!"
The 8th year Yule ball! And everyone's reactions to it. Other half of the setting is the Hogwarts courtyard for Harry and Daphne sort of alone time.
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Tracey managed to worm her way through the crowd that had gathered in the great hall. She had lugged along a confused Blaise behind her. He had no idea where Tracey was taking him. Finally she located the person that she was looking for.
"So you think they are actually going to show up?" Tracey asked Hermione.
Hermione nodded. "They are probably outside right now. Getting ready to come in."
Blaise looked between them, confused. "Who are you talking about, and since when did you two become friends?"
Ron, standing next to Hermione, noticed who she was talking to. "What are you doing Hermione? Why are you talking to these snakes?"
"Honestly Ronald." Hermione said exasperatedly. "Stop that right now! They haven't even insulted you yet and you are suspicious of them?"
"Well yeah, they're still snakes! You can't trust them."
"I thought we got over all this after the war. Look Weasel—err, Weasley—we won't insult you and you don't insult us okay?" Blaise offered. Ron narrowed his eyes as if trying to find some deception in that. Blaise just rolled his eyes and moved on. "Back to my original question."
"We have some… mutual friends of friends, and they are the ones that are outside right now." Tracey answered.
"Who… I mean, you only hang out with Slytherins and the only one who isn't here right now is Greengrass, and Granger only hangs out with Pot-" Blaise's eyes seemed to cross for a moment, his brow furrowed. "There is no way they are out that door together."
Tracey giggled. "They did a good job of hiding it didn't they?"
Ron was just looked confused as to what was going on. "Harry found a date?"
Blaise still didn't believe Tracey, "But what about that first potions class where they had to work together. They nearly started hexing each oth-"
The doors to the Great Hall slammed open. It caught the attention of everyone in the room and they looked at the couple that walked in. Quite a few gasps were heard throughout the hall, and some people dropped the glasses they were holding. The people in the hall realized Harry had a date, it was who that date was that surprised them. Hanging on Harry's arm, in a gorgeous turquoise dress and molded to his body, was none other than Daphne Greengrass.
Quite a few of the girls in the Hall had cycled through confusion and jealousy at Daphne. Didn't they hate each other during that potions class?
Harry and Daphne ignored the shocked gasps and surprised looks and made a beeline Tracey and Hermione waving to them. As they arrived Blaise looked quite surprised and Ron was just gobsmacked. He just started to recover.
"Harry, when did you start going out with a snake?" Harry tried not to roll his eyes at that. Daphne just glared a bit a Ron.
"When did this happen?" Blaise asked, curious how Daphne managed to sneak in a relationship in the house that listened most closely to rumors.
"Oh sometime around fifth year."
"See, I told you they were together. I told you guys 2 years ago!" Draco had come up to the group, dragged along by Astoria.
"Yeah well no one believed you because you were acting so strangely that year." Blaise replied.
Astoria, meanwhile, glared at her sister, and then glared at Harry. "Why didn't you guys tell me?" Angry at her sister and Harry for hiding their relationship.
"We had good reason to hide it, with Voldemort and everything going on!"
"Fine, you two can tell the story of how you got together when you meet our parents Harry," Astoria said. "I assume you will be over for Christmas, no?"
Harry paled at that. Daphne just laughed. "Its alright, I'm sure mother and father won't hate you." She patted Harry on the arm.
"I see you two have finally cleared the Wrackspurts and told everyone of your relationship." Everyone but Harry looked confused at Luna's the statement. Harry just chuckled slightly.
"How did you find out Luna?"
"The Nargles told me. They told me a few years ago. You two seemed to have been caught under a lot of mistletoe that year. The Nargles were quite unhappy that their nests were moved around so frequently." Luna directed her gaze at Daphne for a moment.
Tracey snorted, barely stifling a giggle; Daphne blushed slightly at that. Daphne had to figure out how Luna found out about these things.
The conversation continued from there, though occasionally Harry and Daphne would get some witch or wizard to walk up to them and congratulate them on their relationship or something along the lines of that. Some were just there to pick up gossip and find out how they started out. Only a few pointedly stayed away from the pair, witches casting dirty looks at Daphne, wizards casting dirty looks at Harry.
Harry and Daphne shared a few dances before they escaped out into the courtyard, mostly to get away from the crowd and just spend some time alone.
"Am I really going to have to meet your parents?"
"Harry, stop worrying, they'll like you, you're the bloody slayer of Voldemort. That ranks you as probably the best suitor possible."
"Should I be expecting a marriage contract owled to me?" Harry joked.
"Yes. You probably will have one mailed to you." Daphne said seriously.
"What? Marriage contracts, after the whole war and the pureblood stuff?"
"That doesn't erase thousands of years of traditions Harry." Daphne sighed. "These things are probably going to be around for a while. Even if Draco and Tori are more open than their parents, they were still raised on those beliefs."
"Does that mean I'm going to have to still put those practice ridiculous manners you taught me fifth year?"
"Yes, Harry it does."
"As my lady wishes." Harry gave a small bow. "Shall I escort you through the courtyard here?" He gestured through the courtyard before offering her his arm.
Daphne giggled softly at Harry's antics. "My, such a gentleman. I'd be most pleased if you escorted me."
They took a short walk just around the outskirts of the courtyard, avoiding some of the other couples that had gathered in the on the benches arranged around. They took the time to admire the decorations the teachers had setup out there. The teachers had also set up a small warming charm in the area, so the courtyard was a comfortable temperature; none of the students would have come out if they had to brave the frigid air.
"So Luna says you are the one behind all the mistletoe that I encountered sixth year?"
Daphne took sudden interest in her shoes. She marveled at how comfortable they were, especially while dancing. She was really glad that she didn't wear the standard high heels some of the other girls wore. Some of them had taken off their shoes and just complained about their feet halfway through the ball.
"I doubt your shoes are that interesting."
Daphne snapped her head up and glared at Harry. The effect lost slightly as her cheeks were still rosy from the blushing. Harry just laughed at that.
"I had to find some way to get you over your fear of kissing girls. You would barely look at girls—who weren't Hermione—after that disastrous date with Cho." Daphne was disappointed that it didn't earn a reaction from Harry. She must've teased him too much about that date to have an effect on him anymore.
"Anyways, seeing how the ball is likely ending soon. Care for one last dance, my lady?"
Harry bowed deeply, and then offered his hand to her. She gave a deep curtsey and took his hand. Even without music they relished in the contact with each other, holding each other close. They danced the rest of the night, until McGonagall had come out to announce that the ball was over.
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WC:1356
A/N: Hmm… Not quite satisfied with this, but it'll have to do for now. I had some different plans for some of the scenes, but then realized that Draco probably wouldn't react the way I wanted him to.
Anyways, finally done with these setting prompts, time to move on to the genre prompts; probably going to be the hardest set of prompts for me!