Chapter 29 Preparing for the Ball

Parvarti and Lavender had come upstairs and started asking us who we were going to the ball with.

They were surprised that we weren't going with Ron and Harry.

"They didn't ask us in time, and since they didn't think to ask us we got asked out by different people. We're going to wait until the Ball to show everyone." I answered them.

They started gushing about how Harry had asked Parvarti and Padma was going to go with Ron.

Hermione and I shared a look with each other but we kept to ourselves.

Over the week, Ron would randomly ask us who we were going to the ball with. And it was starting to get annoying.

He asked us again at dinner one night, with Draco next to me.

"I'm not telling you, you'll just make fun of me." Hermione answered.

"You're joking, Weasley!"

I turned around, and Parkinson was howling with laughter.

"You're not telling me someone's asked that to the ball? Not the long-molared -"

She was cut off.

Warrington had come up behind her and she felt his presence. Parkinson turned around slowly and I waited with everyone else.

"Leave her alone, Parkinson. She hasn't done anything to you." Warrington spoke in a warning tone.

I felt my face twitch in a smile, but I tried to keep my face neutral.

Parkinson was confused at the change.

"But -"

"I did not stutter. Granger has done nothing to you. Leave her alone." Warrington spoke clearly.

Parkinson looked around. No one knew what to do.

So Draco turned to Hermione.

"Did you change your teeth? Now that Parkinson pointed it out, they don't look as uneven as they used too?" Draco asked.

Hermione smiled widely, showing off her teeth.

"Of course they are - did you expect me to keep those fangs Parkinson gave me?"

We turned around, giving our back to Parkinson and her Slything groupies. The commotion around us went back to normal.

"No, he's got a point. They're straight - and normal-sized." Ron agreed with Draco.

Hermione's smile turned mischievous.

"Well… when I went up to Madam Promfrey to get them shrunk, she held up a mirror and told me to stop her when they were back to how they normally were. And I just… let her carry on a bit. Mum and Dad won't be too pleased. I've been trying to persuade them to let me shrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with my braces. You know, they're dentists, they just don't think teeth and magic should - look! Pigwideon's back!"

Draco looked at me with a confused look.

"Dentists are people who specialize with teeth. It's actually a high position of reputation in the muggle world. If Hermione were to be in muggle school, she'd be popular." I explained to him.

Rather than be disgusted by that explanation, he was intrigued.

"Because of her parents' job? Not bloodline?" He asked as Ron, Harry, and Hermione went to Pig.

"Muggles don't have a thing for blood purity. There are some who care about the skin color of other people," I rolled my eyes at that. "But they're all people with different backgrounds and such. So the higher your parents are in a job line, the more popular you are." I finished.

Draco nodded, I could tell he was still confused though.

"Where are they going?" Draco asked.

I looked over my shoulder and noticed that my friends had run ahead.

"To read what that letter said." I answered.

"Who is it from?" He asked.

I looked at him, and tried to be gentle.

"I can't tell you that." I answered.

"Why not?" He asked, his eyes flashing with hurt.

"Because it's not my place to say." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"But -!"

"You may have proven yourself that you want to be friends, but that doesn't mean that they trust you with that kind of information right now." I interrupted him.

He chewed on his lip for a second.

"When does that happen?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"Are you willing to share with them what you know about Death Eaters?" I asked him, keeping my voice quiet.

Draco stiffened up at that.

"To be trusted, one must also trust." I said calmly to him.


I had joined my friends in the corner of the common room.

George and Fred had started to get plenty of orders for the Canary Creams, and I made sure not to eat anything offered to me. But several of the other students were enjoying transforming in and out of canary forms.

Harry let me read his letter from Sirius.

'Dear Harry,

Congratulations on getting past the Horntail. Whoever put your name in that goblet shouldn't be feeling too happy right now! I was going to suggest a Conjunctivitus Curse, as a dragon's eyes are its weakest point but your way was better, I'm impressed.

Don't get complacent, though, Harry. You've only done one task; whoever put you in the tournament's got plenty more opportunity if they're trying to hurt you. Keep your eyes open - particularly when the person we discussed is around - and concentrate on keeping yourself out of trouble.

Keep in touch, I still want to hear about anything unusual.

Sirius'

Then I was handed mine.

'Treasure,

I'm glad to hear that you've been looking out for Harry. But don't forget to take care of yourself. I know you can't tell me what you're going through, but I do hope that you have been in contact with Kassandra.

I know. I know what she did to Karen, but she will be the best person to contact about how to help you.

Stay safe, keep your eyes open.'

Sirius'

"He sounds exactly like Moody." I said handing my letter around to my friends.

"That's what I said." Harry chuckled.

"He's right though." Hermione spoke, "you have still got two tasks to do. You really ought to have a look at that egg, you know, and start working out what it means…"

"Hermione, he's got ages!" Ron snapped at her.

"Want a game of chess, Harry?" He asked Harry.

"Calm down, Hermione. Let Harry have this. He can't keep going in head first into everything. He needs a break, no matter how long it takes for him to get back into it." I patted Hermione on the arm.

She huffed at us but nodded her head, "I suppose you're right."


Since Draco was trying to make an effort, now that he was realizing that he had to start trusting my friends as well. He had started sharing some of his childhood stories with us. They weren't that great…

His father was - is - a very strict man. And anytime Draco did anything to warrant a punishment. He got one.

So I shared my childhood stories. Talking about what I did as pranks for the other kids. I made sure to keep out Gertrude in my stories.

They didn't need to hear about her.

Ron had the most interesting stories, being that he had so many siblings.

We tended to hang out in a classroom, since there wasn't a large common area for everyone to hang out together comfortably. Hermione and Draco had taken turns conjuring up different fires for us to stay warm in the cold classroom.

Hermione had more of a blue flame, while Draco was able to conjure emerald green flames.

I figured it was because of how their magic worked in their bodies. Like how it was more of a signature of the conjurer.

Neville joined us for a few minutes. Mostly to ask Hermione and I about homework questions he had. And to everyone's surprise, Draco even answered a few of the questions. Neville was still skittish around Draco, but Draco was learning that if he kept still and didn't move suddenly, Neville wouldn't squeak and run off in surprise.

There was still a long way to go, but we were getting somewhere and that was what mattered.

On the twenty-third, we were in our classroom and I saw Warrington walk by.

Rather than wait for him to walk by a second time, I made up the excuse that I needed to go to the bathroom and made my way down where he went.

Just as I turned a corner, something pulled me into a broom closet.

"Hello." Warrington grinned down at me.

It was tight in here.

"Hello." I grinned up at him.

"How are you doing?" He asked, pushing a bucket over so that I could stand on it so that I wasn't looking straight up at him.

"I'm doing good. Thank you for standing up for Hermione the other day." I said as I stepped up onto the bucket.

"You're welcome I'll admit, it felt weird standing up for -" He took a moment to catch himself.

"A muggle-born."

I grinned at him.

He was still taller than me when I was standing on the bucket. I came up to his chin on the bucket.

"I really appreciate it. I'm sure the Slytherin's aren't giving you too much trouble for doing it." I didn't know where to put my hands.

He noticed, so he grabbed my hands and put them on his shoulders. He put his hands on my waist.

He grinned when he saw my hair turn pink.

"I like that color on you. It suits you." He complimented me.

"Thank you." I blushed.

"So tell me about yourself." He picked one of his hands off my waist and started to play with my hair.

"What do you want to know?" I asked, my mind suddenly racing.

'I'm a Seer.'

'I killed someone.'

'I got locked up in a possessed diary in hopes to replace my friend.'

'I will walk through fire for my friends.'

'I almost did.'

"How did you become friends with Harry Potter?" He asked.

I blinked at that.

"Really? You want to know about that?" I asked.

"Yeah. It was strange, seeing him walk through the school and there you were. The reason anyone knew you was because you were a metamorphmagus. And then you stood up to Hector your first year… You stood out." He shrugged.

I let out a chuckle. I had almost completely forgotten about Hector.

"Harry and I first met in Diagon Alley when shopping for our first year. I saw him in Gringott's but I wasn't able to talk to him until we were in the Leaky Cauldron. Then when we got on the train we bonded over the fact that we were orphans." I answered.

He blanched at that thought.

"You bonded over being orphans? But aren't you Black's daughter?"

"I didn't find that out until my second year. So for our first year, we were the only two orphans we knew. I met Hermione at Madam Malkin's the same day I met Harry. Ron, I didn't meet until we were on the train." I answered.

He blinked at that.

"And how did you find out you were related to Malfoy?" He asked.

"He told me. I didn't have a clue I had a family until I found out I was related to Sirius Black." I nodded at that.

"How did you find that out?" He asked.

I paused for a second.

"How about you answer some questions for me? It's not fair that you get to know me but I don't get to know you." I said.

I grew brave enough to lift one of my hands up and play with his hair on the side of his face.

He flushed at that.

"There's nothing interesting about me." He said.

"Sure there is. Do you have any siblings?" I asked.

"No. I'm an only child. My parents thought about having another child, but it didn't work out that way. I'm not sure why." He shrugged at that.

"What do you plan on doing after school?" I asked him.

"I'm going to work in the Ministry. There are a few departments I could go into so I'm not sure which one yet." He answered.

"I want to be a teacher. I told McGonagall that when she becomes headmistress I want to take over her position of Transfiguration teacher." I told him.

He chuckled at that.

"I bet she wasn't amused by that."

"No, not really. But she told me I had to do good in my classes for that to be considered." I laughed with him.

"Is that why you're in the library with Granger? To stay on top of your grades?" He tilted his head.

"Yeah. I'm serious about being the next Transfiguration teacher." I nodded.

"You don't want to join a Quidditch team? I've seen you fly. You're good enough to be on the team if there weren't so many good Gryffindor players."

He admitted that last part like it tasted bitter.

I grinned at that.

"Thank you. I'm actually pleased to hear that other people think I'm a good flyer rather than just a lucky person."

"Oh I'm sure you're lucky. Lucky to be spotted since you're always changing your hair. It does get quite distracting." He said.

He had curled a strand of my hair around his fingers and gave it a kiss.

"I don't mean to be distracting." I chuckled at that.

"And yet you are." His voice got lower.

My heart started to beat harder.

He was doing that thing again. That good feeling I got in my stomach…

We were staring into each other eyes, and I found myself cupping his face like he did mine the other day.

He leaned in closer to me, looking at my eyes and then at my lips.

"Are you ever going to kiss me?" I whispered.

He chuckled at that.

"Do you want me to?" His voice was soft.

"I do." I nodded, blinking slowly.

He grinned.

Something in the back of my mind told me he knew exactly what he was doing to me.

He leaned in closer to me, our noses were touching and I could feel his breath on my lips.

I couldn't wait any longer. But when my hand gripped his hair he was quicker than I was.

He moved his head so that I kissed his cheek and he started to laugh at me.

"Oh come on!" I pulled away.

Why didn't he want to kiss me?!

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's not that I don't want to kiss you. It's that I want it to be special for you. I'm waiting until the Ball. Since, you know, you're going to be all dressed up and the whole place is going to be decorated for it. It's the perfect place for a first kiss." He was chuckling as he pulled away from me.

My heart warmed up at that.

"You're really thinking about that?" I asked, pulling back myself.

"Aren't you?" He asked.

"I've already had my first kiss…" I admitted.

He blinked at that.

"Then it's the perfect setting for our first kiss." He said and placed a kiss on my cheek.


I adored writing that last part of this chapter. It's fun teasing Cassie, but also showing that Cassius is wanting this to be a fun relationship.

Shout out to Quietly Resolute for this story, and me to your favorite and following lists!

Shout out to LunaChaseFoster for adding all of the stories, and me, to your following and favorite lists!

Shout out to ethand . dewitt35 for following this story!

Shout out to Pamela Hutchins, LilyLunaPotter, Awritingbookworm, and LunaChaseFoster for leaving a review!

Pamela Hutchins: How about this one? LOL! I end up fanning myself and giggling while my boyfriend watches me like I'm crazy. But I'm glad that you're on board with Cassius!

LilyLunaPotter: Uh hold on! ...The chapter for the Yule Ball is the next one! I was going to make it one long chapter since it involved the Yule Ball, I saw just how long it was going to be and had to cut it down and I ended up getting three chapters out of it LOL

Awritingbookworm: That chapter that will answer your question is coming up! Sorry I don't want to say anymore without spoiling it!

LunaChaseFoster: I will probably forget that LilyLuna and LunaChase are the same person at times but good to know! Thank you for the heads up!