Out of the Darkness
By Trephinia Cealyn
Chapter 7 | The Ball
Flute rolled over in bed and looked at the clock. She moaned and closed her eyes. It was no use. She wasn't the least bit tired. She flipped onto her back and sat up slowly stretching her arms out above her head. She grabbed her brush and pulled it through her tangled hair roughly. Yanking her hair into a bun, a lopsided one, she tumbled out of bed and headed towards the common room after putting on her robes and grabbing Schmoo.
Flute was hoping that there wouldn't be anyone in the common room so that she could have some peace and quiet. However Seymour Malfoy was sprawled on the floor staring into the fire. Flute had a strong urge to kick him but she used her powers of self-control and instead she dragged a chair closer to the fire and plopped herself down in it.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Seymour asked jumping onto his feet and throwing himself into the chair next to her.
Flute yawned and glared at him, "Probably, as should you." Schmoo jumped out of her lap and curled up near the fire.
"Insomnia," Seymour said turning himself upside down in the chair.
Flute raised an eyebrow, "Who?"
"Can't sleep." Seymour turned himself back into the correct position in the chair and then slipped off it onto the floor and started to pet Schmoo.
Flute plopped down on the floor next to him and scratched behind Schmoo's right ear. "Neither can I," she plopped on her back and sighed, "I'm nervous."
"Nervous about what," Seymour said, "nervous that your little boyfriend won't like your outfit."
"No," Flute said, "Well, I'm just nervous that he won't like me in general, and he's not my boyfriend."
Seymour smirked at her, "What the Malfoy charm is broken?"
Flute glared at him, "Yours certainly is."
"I'm hurt," Seymour said in a pouty voice, "anyway, I'll be attending the dance thing, Talon coerced Tom and I to go."
"Why?" Flute asked suspiciously.
Seymour gave her a half smile, "Ah my little Flute… curiosity killed the cat."
"I'm not little!" Flute protested.
Seymour threw his head back and laughed, "I'm about a foot taller than you Flute."
"No you're not!" Flute exclaimed, offended to the 10th degree. "Maybe a few inches! Not a whole foot!
Seymour laughed even harder, "Do you know what time exactly the ball starts?"
"Oh sure change the subject…" Flute muttered, "Around 6:00."
Seymour yawned, "Are you sure you don't want to sell Schmoo?"
"Pretty sure," Flute said and picked up her cat, "see you later today Seymour Guado."
"What?" Seymour said very confused.
"It's from a video game, I played it with Hermione once and it was all like I have incredibly good graphics but my story line can't compare to that of seven's and I was like oh, okay sorry about that!" Flute said in a very rushed voice, "Anyway I need my beauty sleep if I'm to dance the night away. See you!" She ran off for her room.
"Bye," Seymour said still very confused. "I AM NOT CONFUSED." Seymour yelled.
Yes you are.
"No I am not!" Seymour yelled again, "I'm going to bed! You just try and stop me!"
You're still confused.
Seymour gave out a girly scream and ran for the comfort of his bed, "I did not!" Seymour yelled from his bed.
"What-oh talking to yourself again (yawn) Seymour?" Talon mumbled and fell out of bed.
"Shut up!" Seymour barked and threw a pillow at Talon's head.
Flute woke up around 4:00 in the afternoon, (it was a Saturday no classes), on that very same day and groggily got out of bed. She stumbled towards the showers with the hope of waking up. As sheets of cold water attacked her body she was able to at least keep her eyes open. She let out a yawn swallowed some shower water, choked on it and turned off the shower. She completed her usual normal morning routine in a record 5 minutes; shower included, and waltzed back into the other room only to get attacked by a one Melinda Zabini.
"You can't go to the ball with my brother Flute!" Melinda whined, "I mean he's my brother, do you realize how weird that is for me?!"
"Do you realize how much I don't care?" Flute smiled at her and rummaged through her trunk for her dress robes.
"Flute!" Melinda whined, "Please! You don't understand how would you feel if I went to the ball with Talon!?"
"Talon wouldn't go to the ball with you," Flute said, "first of all he can't dance, second of all he can't stand you."
"That's not the point Flute!" Melinda turned around for a second tapping her foot and scratching her head in thought, "Okay I'll make a deal with you," she said twirling back around, "I allow you to go with my brother to the ball and you hook me up with Seymour."
"What?" Flute said confused, "Why would anyone want to go out with Seymour? And how would I be able to hook you up with him?"
Melinda sighed, "Flute have you ever taken a really good look at him," Melinda said, "I mean that sexy smirk and those gorgeous brown eyes."
"You make me sick!" Flute said pushing past Melinda and heading back into the bathroom, "I try very hard to avoid Seymour and you think he's sexy!"
"Flute! Please!" Melinda begged standing in the doorway, "Pretty please! If you don't I'll-I'll-I'll be mad!"
"Oh no," Flute said sarcastically, "we wouldn't want you to get mad now would we?"
"Alright let's look at this from a different point of view," Melinda said dropping the begging stance and assuming the vindictive bratty stance, "you are mad at Tom and Talon because they dropped you on your sorry ass and are now hanging out with Seymour, if I go out with Seymour he won't be with Tom and Talon he'd be with me leaving you free to go and fawn all over Tom."
"I don't fawn over Tom!" Flute screamed, "Fine! I'll hook you up with Seymour! Only to get you to shut up!"
Melinda squealed and gave Flute a hug, "Oh Flute you're the best!" Melinda ran off to giggle with her friends leaving Flute to stand there with a very disgusted look.
"Did I just agree to hook Seymour up with that? I kind of feel bad for him…" Flute said. She turned for the bathroom, "…kind of." She wiggled into her robes and pulled on the cape. Running into Melinda on the stairs before she made her way to the common room she said, "How do I look?"
"Oh Flute that dress is exquisite!" Melinda crooned. "I'm so jealous! Now remember our bargain!"
"I'll talk to him about it but I'm not promising anything," Flute said, she had hoped Melinda would have forgotten about it. Flute pushed past the girl before she could say anything else and into the common room.
"Flute!" Seth said pushing past the crowds of fourth years leaving for the ball, "Come on!" Flute ran over to him trying not to trip over her robes, "Hey beautiful, you look great in those robes!"
"Thanks!" Flute smiled. Seth put his arm around her possessively. Flute beamed and put her arm around his waist, "You look nice to!"
"Of course I do," Seth said smirking at her, "Well are you ready to go?" Flute nodded and he led them out of the common room and toward the Great Hall.
Flute gasped as they entered the Great Hall. It was decorated wonderfully. A combination of the house colors-which normally would look like a finger painting-was put together in a way that could only be interpreted as genius. The house tables had been cleared and one long table was in its place laden with various snacks and punch. A raised platform was centered in the dancing. Dumbledore had gotten the Weird Sisters to play a reunion concert. Flute giggled and attempted to pull Seth towards the dance section.
"Oh! Look we can be the first ones!" Flute turned back to smile at him and he gave her an uneasy smile. "Seth what's wrong?"
"Do we really have to dance first?" he said inching slowly towards the punch table. "Can't we just sit and wait a while?"
"Of course not silly!" Flute pulled off her cloak and tossed it into a nearby chair, "I want everyone to see my new robes and I especially want to show off my date!"
"Oh in that case," Seth said and proceeded on sweeping her off her feet-literally-and carrying her onto the dance floor. He set her down carefully and just as the Weird Sisters started to play they started to dance.
Flute smiled up at him, "I never thought you'd be such a good dancer," she said trying to stay in step.
Seth smiled back, "For such a horrible flyer you're not to shabby yourself."
"I can fly just fine," Flute said defensively.
Seth smirked at her, "You shouldn't lie to yourself Flute."
"Having fun?" Seymour asked as he twirled his partner.
Flute groaned and rolled her eyes. "We are having an absolutely marvelous time," Seth said as he twirled Flute with a challenging tone in his voice. Seymour winked at Flute and moved himself and his partner to a different section of the floor. "Who is he?"
"Seymour Malfoy," Flute said as she almost stepped on Seth's foot, "I don't think he's related to me. My dad would have said something about him. I don't have any cousins or anything. My dad was an only child as was his father and his fathers' father."
"Oh," Seth said. "Would you like some punch Lady Flute?"
"That would be splendid Sir Seth," Flute said with a giggle, "I like the red kind."
"That's the only kind worth having," Seth replied. Flute sat herself in a chair and watched as he scampered off to the punch table.
Tom sat in the chair next to her, "Having a nice night?" He asked.
"I was," Flute replied and turned away from him.
Tom sighed, "Aw come on Flute, stop pouting!"
"I am not pouting," Flute replied and stood up. With a flick of her hair she stormed off to Seth and retrieved her punch. She tried to convince herself she didn't need either Tom or Talon and that if Seymour was willing to break up their friendship he obviously needed them more than she did. She couldn't help but notice the sinking feeling in her stomach. Or the fact that Tom looked very unhappy and Seymour had a smirk plastered to his face.
