"How's it going?" Dudley asked as he sat down.

Ron didn't answer, he was staring moodily at Hermione while Cho stared moodily at him.

"I think we should dance again," Luna announced.

Dudley stared at her.

"I think we should all dance again—together," she said, giving a meaningful glance at Ron and then at Cho.

Dudley stared at her for a few seconds, trying to figure out what she was getting at.

"I'm going to get a butterbeer," Cho announced, heading towards a table where there were stacks of butterbeer bottles.

"Ron, why don't you just ask her to dance?" Luna said, when Cho had gone.

"What?" Ron snapped his gaze from Hermione.

"Just because Hermione is with Viktor Krum, doesn't mean you should sit around moping," Luna said.

"I'm not moping," Ron said, moodily. "I'm just …"

Dudley finally cottoned on to what Luna meant. "Yeah, you two should join us for a dance."

Luna beamed at him.

"I don't really …" Ron began as Cho returned.

Luna wouldn't take no for an answer. She tugged on Dudley's arm, who in turn heaved Ron to his feet.

"We're all going to dance together," Luna said, brightly.

"It's about time, I thought Ron would never ask," Cho said, cheering up as they headed to the dance floor.

They danced for a few minutes, Dudley feeling far less self-concious now. As he rotated with Luna, he glanced around a the others. Malfoy was dancing with Pansy. Dudley hated to admit it, but he was actually pretty good. Crabbe and Goyle were sat together talking as they sipped butterbeers with Millicent Bulstrode who also hadn't found a date. Lockhart, meanwhile, continued to show off, dropping into an elegant bow, sweeping his feathered beret off his head and kissing the hand of Mako Suzuki as he did so who giggled.

"We can sit down now," Luna said, grinning as she nodded towards Ron and Cho. Ron had finally cheered up and was dancing with Cho, talking as they did.

"Right, sure," Dudley said, quite relieved.

Lockhart, who had taken a seat at a table with Mako Suzuki waved him over.

"Good do, this," Lockhart announced, drinking a glass of butterbeer. He winked at Dudley. "Mild stuff this, but I've added a secret ingredient," he said with a rascally smile, showing Dudley a brief glimpse of the hipflask he had in his robes. "Just don't tell Mako."

"Don't tell me what?" Mako said, sternly. She had returned carrying a plate of sausage rolls, cocktails sausages, cheese, crisps and a brownie.

"Nothing, just erm …"

"Professor Lockhart was saying how he practiced dancing especially for tonight," Luna said quickly, bailing Lockhart out of trouble. "He didn't want you to know."

Mako's stern look softened. "That's so sweet, Gilderoy," she said, putting a small square of cheese into Lockhart's mouth.

"Pleasure," he said, winking at Dudley.

"Mako is the chaser for the Tornadoes," Lockhart announced, proudly. "And captain of the Japanese National Team."

"Yeah, Luna said," replied Dudley.

"Don't fly yourself?" Mako arched an eyebrow.

"I fly, just not on the Hogwarts team,"

"Beater?"

"Yeah,"

"Thought you—big and burly, you're the right built. Gilderoy tells me he flew seeker for Ravenclaw."

"Could have played for England if I wanted to," Lockhart announced, puffing his chest out. "Did I tell you about the great Ravenclaw vs Slytherin match of …"

Lockhart's boasting was put on hold by the arrival of Ron, who, Dudley was pleased to see, was actually been a gentleman now and holding Cho's hand.

"Hi, Dud, can we join you?" Ron said, looking uncertain.

Lockhart beamed at him. "The more the merrier!" he said, taking a sip of his butterbeer, which Dudley guessed was laced with some form of whiskey. Lockhart's cheeks were a bit red and Mako Suzuki eyed his glass suspiciously.

Cho was staring hard at Mako Suzuki her eyes wide as she sat down. Lockhart noticed.

"Let me introduce you, Mako, this is Cho Chang, another old student of mine. Cho Chang, this is …"

"Mako Suzuki! Chaser for the Tutshill Tornadoes! Captain of the Japanese Quidditch Team! Most goals scored in a world cup qualifier—260 versus Mozabique—and most goals scored in a single season for …" Cho trailed off, blushing furiously.

"Good to meet you, Cho," Mako Suzuki said, unphased by Cho's fangirling. "Tornadoes fan?"

"Since I was young!" Cho said. "I saw you play last year—my dad took me to see the Tornadoes against the Wasps. That final goal you scored was incredible! The best one I've seen! Flew past three chasers, dodged two bludgers and sent the Wasps goalie the wrong way! Amazing!"

"One of my favorite goals!" Mako Suzuki grinned.

Like Lockhart, she seemed to quite like the attention, Dudley thought, as she started telling Cho about some of her other goals. Cho was listening intently, leaning forward, her face beaming.

"Things are going well?" Dudley asked.

"Yeah … I mean, I saw Lock … I mean, I saw you were with Mako Suzuki, Professor and said I'd introduce Cho—hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all, not at all!" Lockhart said, jovially. "People always want to meet the rich and famous! Why, I can't walk through Diagon Alley now without people stopping me in the street, wanting a photo or an autograph or a handshake! Why, the same will happen to you Dudley if you keep following in my footsteps."

"Daddy's quite well known too," Luna announced. "Not as famous as you, but he has his fans. He says Aberforth Dumbledore used to write into the quibbler quite often before his disappearance. And he has this little chap, Dedalus Diggle who is a regular contributer."

"Xenophilius Lovegood, the Quibbler! I know it well,' Lockhart said with a charming smile. "I particularly loved his piece last summer about the beater for the Chudley Canons being a hag using polyjuice potion!"

Dudley stared at Lockhart in surprise. He hadn't known or expected him to be a reader of the Quibbler.

His comments seem to have pleased Luna who smiled delightedly. "I'll tell daddy, he always enjoys hearing people enjoyed his writings"

The conversation shifted to the upcoming task. Luna had a variety of theories about what may be lurking beneath the depths of the lake while Ron was trying to guess what magic Krum and Delacour would use ("Something evil, I bet" he had said with a dark look at Krum who was sitting at a table with Hermione).

'Gilderoy, it's time for another dance," Mako Suzuki announced, getting to her feet and snapping her fingers.

Lockhart got to his feet, a little unsteadily. He had polished off two more butterbeers, each topped up with a bit of his "secret ingredient".

"Have you been drinking?" Mako narrowed her eyes, suspiciously.

"No, my dear, my legs have just gone a bit numb—nothing a spot of dancing won't fix!" he winked at Dudley and Luna as Mako led him to the dance floor.

Ron looked at Cho. "How was it?" he asked, innocently.

"That was incredible!" she gushed. "I have a poster of her in my dorm! Ron! I can't believe you know her!"

Dudley glanced shrewdly at Ron, guessing that he had exaggerated his connection with Mako Suzuki a little bit beyond just taking patronus lessons with her date.

"Yeah, well, you know … Lockhart introduced us," Ron said, giving Dudley a very Lockhartesque wink.

After a while, Cho looked at Ron. "I think I want to take a walk outside," she announced.

"Ok," Ron said, nodding.

"With you," she said, pointedly.

Ron looked confused. "Why? Isn't it nice here?"

Cho continued to stare at him for a few seconds.

Dudley, for once, realized what Cho meant and gave Ron a nudge. "Go for a walk," he said nodding.

Ron continued to look puzzled and then a look of realization appeared on his face. "Oh, erm, yes … a walk. Let's go," he said, a little awkwardly. He offered Cho his arm and together the two of them left.

They weren't the only ones, Dudley noticed as he glanced around. Fleur and Roger Davies had long since disappeared, and he couldn't see Neville anywhere. Dean was still here, sitting with Parvati and Seamus. Lockhart too had disappeared with Mako Suzuki.

Dudley glanced at Luna, wondering if she was expecting him to go for a walk too. He would like to kiss her, Dudley decided, but felt unsure whether she felt the same way. Awkwardly he reached out for her hand. Luna smiled at him.

"Ron can be a little slow on the uptake," she announced. "Cho should just be up front with what she wants from Ron. He clearly can't take hints."

Dudley laughed. "I'm the same," he admitted. "It took me ages until I could ask you out. I was afraid someone else would beat me to it?"

"Why?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why be afraid that someone else would ask me out first?" Luna asked. "No other boys like me."

Dudley had a lot of things he felt he could say to that, but all of them sounded very cheesey and stupid in his head. "Yeah, well, they would if they got to know you …" he said, suddenly feeling like of all the things he could have picked to say, he had selected the stupidest.

"That's very nice of you to say," Luna said, smiling at him.

Dudley grinned and gave an inward sigh of relief. Maybe his comment hadn't been as lame as he thought. Luna seemed to appreciate it at least.