1 Chapter 3: The Star-Cross'd Lovers
The Weasleys arrived outside Moonshine Hall at eight O'clock, just as the ball was beginning. Harry and Ron were dressed as flower fairies and were prancing about in flowery tutus and leotards with garlands of flowers around their necks, Fred and George were Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee, Ginny was an angel, Hermione was s bunny rabbit, and Percy, well he was just Percy. Mrs Weasley was bustling around in a huge dress which made her resemble an over-wrought exotic trifle whose jelly was threatening to wobble off with any excess movement, and Mr Weasley was strangely silent in his Leprechaun hat. This was probably because it fell past his eyes and covered his mouth completely.
They showed their tickets to the suspicious goblin on the door, and lined up to get their dancing cards. The dancing cards were charmed so that they matched people up with their perfect dancing partners. The cards could also be relied upon to mix and match a bit so everybody got a chance on the dance floor, although they did have an annoying habit of letting out a high pitched squeal if you ignored their choice of partner.
٭٭٭
Tristan Malfoy smirked. He had finally got rid of that exasperating cousin of his, Draco, who had been annoying him all evening. Tristan knew perfectly well that Draco and his father were trying desperately to transfer his loyalties to Voldemort. Tristan had found that playing the love-sick puppy was suited to his purposes, and it had got Draco to piss off… eventually. He scanned the hall, taking in the beautiful decorations, the fairy glass in the windows, the happy couples circling on the floor… and then he saw her. She was divine, a vision of sugar-spun auburn hair and flowing white silk. Perfect, from the rosebud mouth and turned up nose down to her delicate bare feet. She had even charmed a glittering halo to float over her curls. He noticed she was carrying a small harp, and he wondered if she could play it. It was probably just for decoration.
٭٭٭
Ron and Harry had been pirouetting and twirling in their tutus for about half and hour, and by the end of the last dance they were red in the face and panting.
'Come on Harry,' puffed Ron, 'Let's go outside for a bit.' Harry agreed, and soon they found themselves outside the back entrance to the hall.
'Hello my dears!' the translucent tones of Sybil Trelawney floated on the night air as she came to greet the two boys. She had actually come to the ball as a dragonfly, so she didn't look a lot different to the way she normally dressed. They conversed for a while, commenting on the weather, until Harry mentioned a funny dream he had had the night before. Professor Trelawney discussed the possible meanings of the dream, and suddenly she collapsed onto the floor. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she began to speak in deep, sonorous tones, and Harry realised that she was having a premonition. He had seen it happen only once before, during his third year at Hogwarts.
1.1 'My mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars,
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire the term
Of a despised life clos'd in my breast,
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.'
Professor Trelawney's insect-like eyes fluttered open and her head snapped up.
'What happened?' she asked in a state of shock. Harry was the first to answer:
'Erm…you slipped on some black ice and hit your head.'
٭٭٭
Dobby was humming happily to himself as he offered butterbeer around on a tray. He was getting paid well for tonight, and he was allowed to keep the waiter's outfit that all the house elves were equipped with for the evening. Suddenly he felt a hand on his wrist and squealed as he was dragged into a corner. Tristan asked the elf if he knew who the flame- haired angel was, and was surprised to find that he did.
'Mistress Ginny, Esteemed friend of Harry Potter! You must excuse me sir, but us house elves are being a bit busy this evening.' And with that, Dobby twirled off to offer a newcomer a drink.
Tristan glanced at his dance card and wondered if he could curse it…
Ginny was having a wonderful time, her dance card was full, and she loved dancing to the enchanted music which drifted around the room. All of a sudden her dance card squealed and she looked at it and gasped. Every space was filled with the same name – 'Tristan'. She made her excuses to the wizard she had been partnering and went to find her new dance partner.
Tristan grinned when he saw her look at her dance card in amazement. Now she was his for the evening! He made his way towards her, pushing through the crowds, and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.
Ginny felt a light tap on her shoulder, and turned around…to almost collide with the most devastatingly handsome wizard she had seen in her life. He had ice-blue eyes and a strong jaw and his face was framed by wispy white blonde hair, long enough to curl at the nape of his neck. He was dressed as a Veelo, the male equivalent to a Veela, and he certainly looked the part! She stopped herself from staring long enough to realise he was talking to her.
'Have I the pleasure of addressing a Miss Ginny?' he enquired politely.
'Oh, yes! Why?' Ginny answered nervously.
'Well, it seems you have taken up all of my dances!' he held up his dance card and Ginny saw with embarrassment that every slot had her name written in it. She had no time to think before he had taken her in his arms and was slow dancing with her. It should be made illegal for someone to be this attractive, Ginny thought incredulously.
'I-I like your costume!' she stuttered, immediately annoyed with herself for making such an obvious comment.
'Hmm, yes, well we do have some Veela blood in the family.' That explained his attractiveness then.
The dance finished and he drew away slightly. He could hardly believe his luck at having found a way past the dance cards. He cleared his throat.
'If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this; my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.' He raised her hand to his lips.
'Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; for saints have hands that pilgrim's hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss.' Aha! So she did read Shakespeare then.
'Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
'Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in pray'r.'
'O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do! They pray; lest faith turn to dispair.'
'Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.'
'Then move not while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips by thine my sin is purg'd.' She looked so beautiful standing like an angel in the candlelight. He kissed her.
'Then have my lips the sin that they have took.'
'Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urg'd! Give me my sin again.' He kissed her again, more deeply this time, pressing his lips against her soft ones.
'You kiss by th' book.' Ginny was breathless from the intensity of the kiss. She heard a cough behind her and turned around to face Hermione.
'Erm, Ginny, your mum was looking for you.' Oh no! what if she had seen them? Ginny ran off to find Mrs Weasley. Hermione was just about to follow her when she felt a hand on her arm.
'No, wait a minute, please,' Tristan needed to find out who Ginny was.
'Who is her mother?' Hermione raised her eyebrows.
'Mrs Weasley.' She answered before going after Ginny.
The Weasleys arrived outside Moonshine Hall at eight O'clock, just as the ball was beginning. Harry and Ron were dressed as flower fairies and were prancing about in flowery tutus and leotards with garlands of flowers around their necks, Fred and George were Tweedle-dum and Tweedle-dee, Ginny was an angel, Hermione was s bunny rabbit, and Percy, well he was just Percy. Mrs Weasley was bustling around in a huge dress which made her resemble an over-wrought exotic trifle whose jelly was threatening to wobble off with any excess movement, and Mr Weasley was strangely silent in his Leprechaun hat. This was probably because it fell past his eyes and covered his mouth completely.
They showed their tickets to the suspicious goblin on the door, and lined up to get their dancing cards. The dancing cards were charmed so that they matched people up with their perfect dancing partners. The cards could also be relied upon to mix and match a bit so everybody got a chance on the dance floor, although they did have an annoying habit of letting out a high pitched squeal if you ignored their choice of partner.
٭٭٭
Tristan Malfoy smirked. He had finally got rid of that exasperating cousin of his, Draco, who had been annoying him all evening. Tristan knew perfectly well that Draco and his father were trying desperately to transfer his loyalties to Voldemort. Tristan had found that playing the love-sick puppy was suited to his purposes, and it had got Draco to piss off… eventually. He scanned the hall, taking in the beautiful decorations, the fairy glass in the windows, the happy couples circling on the floor… and then he saw her. She was divine, a vision of sugar-spun auburn hair and flowing white silk. Perfect, from the rosebud mouth and turned up nose down to her delicate bare feet. She had even charmed a glittering halo to float over her curls. He noticed she was carrying a small harp, and he wondered if she could play it. It was probably just for decoration.
٭٭٭
Ron and Harry had been pirouetting and twirling in their tutus for about half and hour, and by the end of the last dance they were red in the face and panting.
'Come on Harry,' puffed Ron, 'Let's go outside for a bit.' Harry agreed, and soon they found themselves outside the back entrance to the hall.
'Hello my dears!' the translucent tones of Sybil Trelawney floated on the night air as she came to greet the two boys. She had actually come to the ball as a dragonfly, so she didn't look a lot different to the way she normally dressed. They conversed for a while, commenting on the weather, until Harry mentioned a funny dream he had had the night before. Professor Trelawney discussed the possible meanings of the dream, and suddenly she collapsed onto the floor. Her eyes rolled back in her head and she began to speak in deep, sonorous tones, and Harry realised that she was having a premonition. He had seen it happen only once before, during his third year at Hogwarts.
1.1 'My mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars,
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night's revels and expire the term
Of a despised life clos'd in my breast,
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.'
Professor Trelawney's insect-like eyes fluttered open and her head snapped up.
'What happened?' she asked in a state of shock. Harry was the first to answer:
'Erm…you slipped on some black ice and hit your head.'
٭٭٭
Dobby was humming happily to himself as he offered butterbeer around on a tray. He was getting paid well for tonight, and he was allowed to keep the waiter's outfit that all the house elves were equipped with for the evening. Suddenly he felt a hand on his wrist and squealed as he was dragged into a corner. Tristan asked the elf if he knew who the flame- haired angel was, and was surprised to find that he did.
'Mistress Ginny, Esteemed friend of Harry Potter! You must excuse me sir, but us house elves are being a bit busy this evening.' And with that, Dobby twirled off to offer a newcomer a drink.
Tristan glanced at his dance card and wondered if he could curse it…
Ginny was having a wonderful time, her dance card was full, and she loved dancing to the enchanted music which drifted around the room. All of a sudden her dance card squealed and she looked at it and gasped. Every space was filled with the same name – 'Tristan'. She made her excuses to the wizard she had been partnering and went to find her new dance partner.
Tristan grinned when he saw her look at her dance card in amazement. Now she was his for the evening! He made his way towards her, pushing through the crowds, and tapped her lightly on the shoulder.
Ginny felt a light tap on her shoulder, and turned around…to almost collide with the most devastatingly handsome wizard she had seen in her life. He had ice-blue eyes and a strong jaw and his face was framed by wispy white blonde hair, long enough to curl at the nape of his neck. He was dressed as a Veelo, the male equivalent to a Veela, and he certainly looked the part! She stopped herself from staring long enough to realise he was talking to her.
'Have I the pleasure of addressing a Miss Ginny?' he enquired politely.
'Oh, yes! Why?' Ginny answered nervously.
'Well, it seems you have taken up all of my dances!' he held up his dance card and Ginny saw with embarrassment that every slot had her name written in it. She had no time to think before he had taken her in his arms and was slow dancing with her. It should be made illegal for someone to be this attractive, Ginny thought incredulously.
'I-I like your costume!' she stuttered, immediately annoyed with herself for making such an obvious comment.
'Hmm, yes, well we do have some Veela blood in the family.' That explained his attractiveness then.
The dance finished and he drew away slightly. He could hardly believe his luck at having found a way past the dance cards. He cleared his throat.
'If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle fine is this; my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.' He raised her hand to his lips.
'Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this; for saints have hands that pilgrim's hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmer's kiss.' Aha! So she did read Shakespeare then.
'Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?
'Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in pray'r.'
'O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do! They pray; lest faith turn to dispair.'
'Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.'
'Then move not while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips by thine my sin is purg'd.' She looked so beautiful standing like an angel in the candlelight. He kissed her.
'Then have my lips the sin that they have took.'
'Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urg'd! Give me my sin again.' He kissed her again, more deeply this time, pressing his lips against her soft ones.
'You kiss by th' book.' Ginny was breathless from the intensity of the kiss. She heard a cough behind her and turned around to face Hermione.
'Erm, Ginny, your mum was looking for you.' Oh no! what if she had seen them? Ginny ran off to find Mrs Weasley. Hermione was just about to follow her when she felt a hand on her arm.
'No, wait a minute, please,' Tristan needed to find out who Ginny was.
'Who is her mother?' Hermione raised her eyebrows.
'Mrs Weasley.' She answered before going after Ginny.