The Yule Ball (Part 1)
Hogwarts – Hospital Wing – December 25th (Sunday Late Afternoon)
"Stay still," Piotr growled not for the first time this afternoon. Shortly Hannah looked up from her book and smiled softly. It was good to see Piotr, endless-patience-Piotr, being a bit on edge from time to time. Gently she caressed the edges of her book. It was a present of Piotr, a collection of usage spells mostly about needlework and changing outfits. He must have spent hours and hours going thru magazines and books of all kind to gather this amount of useful spells. As she asked him about any ulterior motives he might have – will I see you running towards me every time you'll be in need of someone casting such a spell? – Piotr's denial had been a tad too strong. But the gesture had been nice.
Hannah put the book aside a wiped a few invisible fluffs away. She liked her dress, the dark violet velvet glistening nearly black with a few golden accents. It left her shoulders mostly free and showed a bit of cleavage. For a girl like Lavender it would still be considered conservative but for her it was perfect. The adoring glance of Piotr as he saw her the first time this afternoon had been fluttering, even if she wished some other boy at her side. He seemed determined to behave like a real date this evening and not as friend playing stopgap. Now he was tending Hermione's hair and again Hannah was impressed by his wide-spread and very unusual talents. To see a boy of his stature and with hands sized like his to twirl a brush was amusing and a bit weird. The sole reward he had asked for doing this had been Hermione's promise not to tell anyone that it had been he who prepared her hair.
"This is only for very special friends. I don't want to spend every Hogsmeade morning preparing some girl's hair for her date."
"I'll have a look where Viktor is," Hannah left her chair and the room while Hermione curtly nodded and tried to keep cool.
"Anything will do," Piotr tried to calm her. Standing behind her he looked over her shoulder into the mirror. Her cheeks were blushing, her breath a bit unsteady. "Relax, Hermione, you're truly wonderful to look at. You'll be the queen of the evening."
The girl padded his hand thankfully and truly relaxed at least a bit. Looking around to be sure about Hannah's absence she told Piotr: "I've hidden it."
"Thank you," he nodded curtly, thinking about the tiny box he had given this morning and asked her to hide it for a while. He had received it with the post and was still struggling about it. A Christmas present for him … sent by himself and with him not knowing about it before.
"You're still not saying what it is about," she asked, already expecting his answer. And really he shook his head. "It is better this way. I'll tell you after I decided …"
Hermione nodded a bit disappointed. She suspected – from the size and form of the box – that it contained a pensieve ball. But who should send him such an item? And why was he still pondering about using it? She had to trust him – again.
"May I," he asked and as she agreed he put the tiny chain around her neck with the beautiful pendant. It was an Amethyst bound in silver. He had told her – as he gave her the pendant as a Christmas present this afternoon – that the meaning was 'clear mind, nice judgment and sense of justice'. Hermione had quipped if he thought she was in need of these three but he sincerely responded that these would be the three traits he foremost connected with her. She had been unable to respond something to that and simply hugged him. Even now she was wondering if he exaggerated about this but this evening she was willing to simply believe.
"Somehow," a dark voice interrupted them," every time I see both of you, you have your hands somewhere on Hermione, Piotr."
He turned around to see Viktor standing in the doorframe with Hannah fast behind. For a moment he was worried about another outburst of jealousy but his friend seemed to be in a funny mood only. He was wearing a traditional Durmstrang uniform, blood red with golden buttons and braids – very Gryffindor looking – and light black boots. The hair was cut very short again and his eyes sparkled joyfully. Only his stance revealed his nervousness.
"I can't help myself, Viktor. She is simply too irresistible." With that he stepped aside and exposed Hermione with her pinned-up hair, two long ringlets framing her face, the wine-red dress showing much of her shoulders and arms and accentuating her long neck. The silvery shoes – with three inch heels to give her some height without being too strenuous to wear for a whole evening – showed her tips under the dress' edge. Viktor stood very still for a long time, his stare causing Hermione's blush to intensify every second, before he answered with a gulp: "Yes, she is."
He offered her his arm and as they walked away Piotr did the same to Hannah. The Hufflepuff girl watched the other pair and let out a sigh of happiness. "You're very sweet about them, Piotr. We should really find a girlfriend for you."
In mock hurt Piotr grabbed at his heart: "And I thought you would love me. Oh, the pain …"
Hannah fluttered her eyelashes at him: "Naturally I do that … honey." She dragged him forward a bit faster. "Come on now, I want to dance."
.
Hogwarts – Near the Great Hall – December 25th (Sunday Early Evening)
They had decided for Piotr and Hannah to go first while Viktor and Hermione waited a bit for their grand entrance. Ostensible Hermione liked the idea to see Ron's face when she appeared with Viktor, tournament champion and Quidditch star, at her side. It was this thought that helped Piotr to stay calm for the next quarter hour as he was waiting near the Hall's entrance together with many other pairs, Ron and Lavender around them.
The Weasleys had gathered together with their dates: Fred and Angelina, George and Katie, Ginny and Neville. The shy boy threw looks at Hannah from time to time, his longing even so clearly on his face as the adulation in Ginny's face in the moments she dared to stare at Harry. Harry on the other side was making puppy looks towards Cho who had made an entrance on Cedric's arm. Inwardly Piotr groaned: was there any pairing tonight willingly together? Slowly he walked towards Cedric and Cho and bowed slightly. "You're a great sight together. I fear, Cho, you'll break many hearts tonight." He hadn't to turn towards Harry to explain whom one of those hearts belonged to. And he hadn't to examine Parvati's face to see that she knew too. Hopefully Harry was able to act like a gentleman tonight. Parvati certainly deserved it to be handled with respect. Piotr at least was determined to make this evening worthwhile for Hannah.
Cho made a small curtsey: "Thank you. You two also look great." She followed Piotr's sudden stare as his expression went a bit angry. Near other Beauxbatons student Philippe was standing over there together with Padma Patil. "Why had she to choose 'it' of all possible dates?"
"Acting a bit jealous," Cedric posed the question all had in their mind?
Piotr made an effort to relax: "I think I'm allowed to act a bit jealous around those I care about. And he really isn't the healthiest choice for a date. He is only after looks while Padma has plenty more to offer."
Hannah elbowed him slightly: "Hey, it is not nice to act like that with me hanging on your arm."
Piotr's face softened and he smiled at her: "I know, but I can't help to care. You know you'll ever have a very special place in my heart, Hannah." As her face softened too, Piotr shortly looked towards Neville. "But never as special as …" He shut up as she elbowed him anew, this time much harder.
The banter was interrupted by the appearance of a few other pairs. Hannah called his attention to Luna walking near on Michael Corner's arm. She had been excited as she unwrapped his present a few hours ago. It had been a stitch picture of her complete with her reddish earrings, the Butterbeer crown cork necklace and the lion hat. Certainly she had seen better crafted pictures – his hands simply were too large for this kind of work – but he had crafted it for her with his own hands, without magic. Not that he really had a choice.
Then two of the elder Weasleys entered. Piotr had already heard that Percy would be her – together with Penelope Clearwater – by proxy of Crouch. But the surprise certainly was Charlie Weasley with Fleur Delacour on his arm. So he was the pen-friend she mentioned to be her date. They made a beautiful, elegant and most of all dashing pair even if Piotr had the impression that they were more like friends than anything else. For a moment he wanted to vomit as he noticed the expression of Ron, a mix of anger, jealousy and hurt. Hastily he turned away only to look into the examining eyes of Alexandra Iwanowa.
"Hello, dear," she leaned towards him to kiss him on the cheek, something her date Seamus obviously didn't like to see very much. "I see you choose a harmless date. So I don't have to inform my sister."
Hannah's eyes narrowed shortly and the expression on Piotr's face showed Alexandra that she'd gone too far this time. Hastily she apologized: "Sorry, I wanted to be funny. I wasn't … sorry, Hannah, I didn't mean it this way." She shortly padded Hannah's arm and after some seconds the girl accepted the apology with a small nod. Slowly it started to annoy Piotr to hear at every opportunity about her older sister. He hoped that Alexandra would stop doing that because all around he found her to be funny and interesting to have around.
"Sometimes you're really great with putting your foot into your mouth," Piotr sniggered.
Alexandra shrugged and smiled: "I know, one of the many sides that you love about me."
After that they waited in silence for a few minutes, watching the Slytherins pass them with Draco and Pansy among them. Millicent followed them and shortly nodded towards Piotr who responded in kind. She wore a dark green wide flowing dress, flat-soled shoes and her hair, now nearly shoulder-length, open. Obviously she had done something about her skin, because it looked much smoother than before. Still she wasn't a beauty but much more feminine than before.
"Has she thanked you for the present," Hannah asked, causing the others around to stare at him which Piotr ignored. "She did. I think she appreciated it. I wasn't sure about that." He had ordered a little book about Aretha Franklin for her complete with a charm to play the song "Respect". It had been meant as something to show her what a strong woman could achieve and seemingly she had understood.
"She's so beautiful," suddenly Cho stated with her eyes locked to the stairs behind Piotr. He hadn't to turn around to know whom she meant and a smile crossed his face which only deepened as he saw the reaction of Ron.
They had done well.
