It was a few weeks after the catastrophe in the greenhouse that the students were told that there would be a Yule Ball in honor of the Triwizard Tournament.
Alexander Montague immediately asked Morrigun Lennox to go with him, not that this was any surprise to anyone in Slytherin house. The two were, as Ravyn De Borgia was wont to say, 'Almost too cute together to be allowed for Slytherins'. Akasha had owled Marcus Flint, who was going to pay a visit and escort her. Malice and Pucey were going together, and Kevin and Kate, though the latter two were going 'as friends'. Calypso was going, to everyone's surprise, with George Weasley of Gryffindor. Ai and Persephone were going with boys from Durmstrang, and Jeannie with a Ravenclaw.
Fallon, when she'd heard of the ball, immediately thought of a certain... person who would remain unnamed... and then decided that she could not go with him, or any other student from Hogwarts. In fact, there was only one person who was sure never to harm her.
And so, Philippe Callais was duly asked to escort his baby cousin to the ball. And he graciously accepted, with only one question of whether or not he should worry about any angry and jealous Quidditch players from her house. Fallon rolled her eyes and told him that he was being silly.
Pansy Parkinson immediately started to tell everyone that she was going with Draco Malfoy, and this caused a bit of a disturbance. Draco, it seemed, had not originally ASKED her to go with him, but after it had been spread by Pansy that they were together, he'd written his father, who had told him that he might as well. Malfoys were not to make scenes over something so inconsequential as a date for a ball.
Ravyn was rather irate, and... though she did not let it on, rather genuinely upset. Nevertheless, she accepted the invitation of Blaise Zabini graciously enough: the two were platonic friends, and shared a common dislike for the 'Parkinslut'.
Fallon, when she'd heard of this arrangement, had nodded to Ravyn in approval, "Now, what you should do... is to look so stunning at that ball that Malfoy won't be able to take his eyes off of you. He'll be so incredibly envious of Blaise that he won't..." and here, Fallon's eyes took on a mischievous light, "notice ANYTHING that happens to his date... until it's made absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to ignore."
Ravyn had smirked slightly at that, "And is something going to happen?"
Fallon gave a catty smile, "It'll be lots of fun, I promise. And..." she paused as she glanced at Ravyn's green dress robes, then ran to her room, coming back with a jewelry box. Rifling through it, she extracted a pair of beautifully carved earrings and a matching set of set of hairpins and bracelets of moss-green jadeite, "Here, wear these. Pansy'll look like a scarecrow in a frilly apron compared to you. Just return them to me in one piece later, all right?"
It was common knowledge almost immediately that Fallon Anderson was going to the ball with a seventh year boy from Beauxbatons, and Cassius Warrington did not say anything about it. He also did not ask anyone to the ball until about a week before it was to take place. And then, under constant pressure from his friends, he promised to ask a girl and not go dateless.
He found Xanne Malloy in the library one afternoon, and rather curtly, asked if she had anyone particular that she wanted to go to the ball with. Xanne had shrugged, and said that the fellow was rather besotted with a girl from Ravenclaw, so at the moment, no. Warrington then asked her if she would go with him, and she agreed. It was all very cool and businesslike.
And the Slytherins were ready for the ball.
* * *
Fallon and Philippe met at the entrance of the school the evening of the ball. The Beauxbatons students, led by Fleur Delacour and her Ravenclaw escort Roger Davies, entered the hall, and took their seats. Philippe had offered Fallon his arm, and an easy smile. He told her that she looked "très belle", and she had thanked him before they'd taken their seats.
Fallon quickly finished her meal, and she and Philippe were among the first on the dance floor after the champions. Soon, her friends had followed, and the dance floor was full of dancing couples.
Cassius Warrington took a smoke-purple-chiffon-clad Xanne Malloy to the dance floor, and the two danced in silence. His mind was elsewhere, and his eyes, for that matter.
Fallon was dancing with that tall, smiling bloke from Beauxbatons, and the two were talking in low voices as they spun and waltzed around the dance floor. Well... it was not his fault for watching her. She was very attractive. And besides, she was wearing red. The color stood out.
Xanne cleared her throat, and he turned his attention back to her to see her smiling somewhat amusedly. "Well, that was fun. But let's sit down for the next, and get a drink," she remarked. He nodded mutely, and sat down with her, handing her a glass of pumpkin juice and taking one for himself.
"That's Philippe Callais whom she's dancing with," Xanne remarked. Warrington blinked. She chuckled. "Fallon. The bloke she's dancing with. Philippe Callais."
"Oh," Warrington spoke in a noncommital voice. Xanne glanced at him, then continued.
"We've met him once. I couldn't understand all that he was saying; he doesn't speak much English, but Morrigun said that he's very polite."
"I see." Bully for him.
"Fallon saw him over the summer. He came to call upon the Andersons, and he and Fallon spent the day together. She knew that he would be coming this year," Xanne told him.
"That's just SPLENDID," he answered somewhat stonily, entirely oblivious to the fact that he was now scowling. Xanne chuckled.
"Jealous much, aren't you?" Warrington didn't seem to hear her, and continued watching Fallon and Philippe dancing, the boy twirling the girl in the dance steps. Xanne laughed, "Blimey... your expression could give the Basilisk a run for its scaly scariness... he's her COUSIN, you jealous prat!"
Warrington heard this last part, and choked on his pumpkin juice. Nearly spitting it out, he coughed and spluttered until he managed to swallow it. "Lord, don't DO that, Xanne! You'll take years off a bloke's life!"
Xanne chuckled, "Oh, but you should get used to THAT, shouldn't you? Being with Fallon would certainly do that to you as well. Now... let's dance the next one."
* * *
Fallon and Philippe were entirely unaware of the conversation between Xanne and Warrington as they danced. Fallon was apologizing somewhat to her cousin for making him go with her; he could have gone with someone else if he'd wished.
He'd waved her apology off, saying that it was the least he could do for her, and besides, she was good company. Fallon had thanked him for his consideration, and then told him that after the next dance, she had to take care of something, and he should dance with someone else, whomever he wished.
He'd nodded, and soon, they parted. Fallon returned to the table, where she had a great vantage point of the entire hall. Satisfied that Pansy Parkinson was busy fawning over Draco, she twisted the decorative jewel of her necklace, which was actually a very small vial, off, and emptied the contents into the Parkinslut's drink. Ravyn and Blaise had just walked out for some fresh air, and she noticed Draco Malfoy give impatient, irritated glances at the door.
Philippe, meanwhile, was dancing with Gryffindor 4th year Parvati Patil, who had been Harry Potter's date. Potter was nowhere to be seen. Fallon got up from her seat, and moved away to the refreshment stand as the song ended. From there, she watched as Pansy, dragging Draco along, returned to the table to finish her drink.
A few minutes after Pansy had taken a sip from the cup, she gave a shriek as a luxuriant moustache of Weasley red sprung out from above her upper lip. One hand over her mouth, she'd run from the Great Hall. Fallon smiled to herself.
And Draco did not follow her, but merely looked towards the door where she'd exited with a disgusted face...
A face which changed to an irate sort of relief when, a moment later, Ravyn De Borgia, resplendent in forest green, swept back in on the arm of Blaise Zabini.
Draco moved then, from the table, to Ravyn and Blaise. Fallon watched as the blond boy talked to his roommate, and then, lead Ravyn away for a dance. And she smiled somewhat to herself.
Oh well, at least someone would be happy that night. Oh, who was she kidding? Almost all of them were. Morrigun and Montague were dancing gracefully together, wrapped up in their own little world. Kate and Kevin seemed to be engaged in a deep conversation. Akasha and Flint were long-gone, out in the rose grotto, 'reminiscing'. Even Philippe looked happy, dancing with the Patil girl as his best friend Julien Carsairs danced with the girl's twin sister. And she would be happy for them.
"Evening, you." Fallon snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Cassius Warrington standing in front of her.
"Evening," she replied, "Where is Xanne?"
He pointed to where Xanne was sitting with Blaise Zabini, the latter gesticulating with his hands, the former laughing. Fallon nodded.
"Enjoying yourself?" Somehow, being cool and civil to him was easier than before, when they'd been kids, but... also, in an inexplicable way, harder. It didn't really make sense, but she did not want to think of it.
He shrugged, then gave her a mock-obsequious look, "Fair, beauteous lady, may I have the honor of having this dance?"
She laughed lightly, "What are you trying to pull, Warrington?"
He scowled then, "Just dance with me, twit."
She gave him a smirk, and placed her hand in his, "That's more like you. All right then."
And so, they shared the last dance of the evening together.
* * *
End Chapter 12
* * *
Wheee! More soon!!
Alexander Montague immediately asked Morrigun Lennox to go with him, not that this was any surprise to anyone in Slytherin house. The two were, as Ravyn De Borgia was wont to say, 'Almost too cute together to be allowed for Slytherins'. Akasha had owled Marcus Flint, who was going to pay a visit and escort her. Malice and Pucey were going together, and Kevin and Kate, though the latter two were going 'as friends'. Calypso was going, to everyone's surprise, with George Weasley of Gryffindor. Ai and Persephone were going with boys from Durmstrang, and Jeannie with a Ravenclaw.
Fallon, when she'd heard of the ball, immediately thought of a certain... person who would remain unnamed... and then decided that she could not go with him, or any other student from Hogwarts. In fact, there was only one person who was sure never to harm her.
And so, Philippe Callais was duly asked to escort his baby cousin to the ball. And he graciously accepted, with only one question of whether or not he should worry about any angry and jealous Quidditch players from her house. Fallon rolled her eyes and told him that he was being silly.
Pansy Parkinson immediately started to tell everyone that she was going with Draco Malfoy, and this caused a bit of a disturbance. Draco, it seemed, had not originally ASKED her to go with him, but after it had been spread by Pansy that they were together, he'd written his father, who had told him that he might as well. Malfoys were not to make scenes over something so inconsequential as a date for a ball.
Ravyn was rather irate, and... though she did not let it on, rather genuinely upset. Nevertheless, she accepted the invitation of Blaise Zabini graciously enough: the two were platonic friends, and shared a common dislike for the 'Parkinslut'.
Fallon, when she'd heard of this arrangement, had nodded to Ravyn in approval, "Now, what you should do... is to look so stunning at that ball that Malfoy won't be able to take his eyes off of you. He'll be so incredibly envious of Blaise that he won't..." and here, Fallon's eyes took on a mischievous light, "notice ANYTHING that happens to his date... until it's made absolutely IMPOSSIBLE to ignore."
Ravyn had smirked slightly at that, "And is something going to happen?"
Fallon gave a catty smile, "It'll be lots of fun, I promise. And..." she paused as she glanced at Ravyn's green dress robes, then ran to her room, coming back with a jewelry box. Rifling through it, she extracted a pair of beautifully carved earrings and a matching set of set of hairpins and bracelets of moss-green jadeite, "Here, wear these. Pansy'll look like a scarecrow in a frilly apron compared to you. Just return them to me in one piece later, all right?"
It was common knowledge almost immediately that Fallon Anderson was going to the ball with a seventh year boy from Beauxbatons, and Cassius Warrington did not say anything about it. He also did not ask anyone to the ball until about a week before it was to take place. And then, under constant pressure from his friends, he promised to ask a girl and not go dateless.
He found Xanne Malloy in the library one afternoon, and rather curtly, asked if she had anyone particular that she wanted to go to the ball with. Xanne had shrugged, and said that the fellow was rather besotted with a girl from Ravenclaw, so at the moment, no. Warrington then asked her if she would go with him, and she agreed. It was all very cool and businesslike.
And the Slytherins were ready for the ball.
* * *
Fallon and Philippe met at the entrance of the school the evening of the ball. The Beauxbatons students, led by Fleur Delacour and her Ravenclaw escort Roger Davies, entered the hall, and took their seats. Philippe had offered Fallon his arm, and an easy smile. He told her that she looked "très belle", and she had thanked him before they'd taken their seats.
Fallon quickly finished her meal, and she and Philippe were among the first on the dance floor after the champions. Soon, her friends had followed, and the dance floor was full of dancing couples.
Cassius Warrington took a smoke-purple-chiffon-clad Xanne Malloy to the dance floor, and the two danced in silence. His mind was elsewhere, and his eyes, for that matter.
Fallon was dancing with that tall, smiling bloke from Beauxbatons, and the two were talking in low voices as they spun and waltzed around the dance floor. Well... it was not his fault for watching her. She was very attractive. And besides, she was wearing red. The color stood out.
Xanne cleared her throat, and he turned his attention back to her to see her smiling somewhat amusedly. "Well, that was fun. But let's sit down for the next, and get a drink," she remarked. He nodded mutely, and sat down with her, handing her a glass of pumpkin juice and taking one for himself.
"That's Philippe Callais whom she's dancing with," Xanne remarked. Warrington blinked. She chuckled. "Fallon. The bloke she's dancing with. Philippe Callais."
"Oh," Warrington spoke in a noncommital voice. Xanne glanced at him, then continued.
"We've met him once. I couldn't understand all that he was saying; he doesn't speak much English, but Morrigun said that he's very polite."
"I see." Bully for him.
"Fallon saw him over the summer. He came to call upon the Andersons, and he and Fallon spent the day together. She knew that he would be coming this year," Xanne told him.
"That's just SPLENDID," he answered somewhat stonily, entirely oblivious to the fact that he was now scowling. Xanne chuckled.
"Jealous much, aren't you?" Warrington didn't seem to hear her, and continued watching Fallon and Philippe dancing, the boy twirling the girl in the dance steps. Xanne laughed, "Blimey... your expression could give the Basilisk a run for its scaly scariness... he's her COUSIN, you jealous prat!"
Warrington heard this last part, and choked on his pumpkin juice. Nearly spitting it out, he coughed and spluttered until he managed to swallow it. "Lord, don't DO that, Xanne! You'll take years off a bloke's life!"
Xanne chuckled, "Oh, but you should get used to THAT, shouldn't you? Being with Fallon would certainly do that to you as well. Now... let's dance the next one."
* * *
Fallon and Philippe were entirely unaware of the conversation between Xanne and Warrington as they danced. Fallon was apologizing somewhat to her cousin for making him go with her; he could have gone with someone else if he'd wished.
He'd waved her apology off, saying that it was the least he could do for her, and besides, she was good company. Fallon had thanked him for his consideration, and then told him that after the next dance, she had to take care of something, and he should dance with someone else, whomever he wished.
He'd nodded, and soon, they parted. Fallon returned to the table, where she had a great vantage point of the entire hall. Satisfied that Pansy Parkinson was busy fawning over Draco, she twisted the decorative jewel of her necklace, which was actually a very small vial, off, and emptied the contents into the Parkinslut's drink. Ravyn and Blaise had just walked out for some fresh air, and she noticed Draco Malfoy give impatient, irritated glances at the door.
Philippe, meanwhile, was dancing with Gryffindor 4th year Parvati Patil, who had been Harry Potter's date. Potter was nowhere to be seen. Fallon got up from her seat, and moved away to the refreshment stand as the song ended. From there, she watched as Pansy, dragging Draco along, returned to the table to finish her drink.
A few minutes after Pansy had taken a sip from the cup, she gave a shriek as a luxuriant moustache of Weasley red sprung out from above her upper lip. One hand over her mouth, she'd run from the Great Hall. Fallon smiled to herself.
And Draco did not follow her, but merely looked towards the door where she'd exited with a disgusted face...
A face which changed to an irate sort of relief when, a moment later, Ravyn De Borgia, resplendent in forest green, swept back in on the arm of Blaise Zabini.
Draco moved then, from the table, to Ravyn and Blaise. Fallon watched as the blond boy talked to his roommate, and then, lead Ravyn away for a dance. And she smiled somewhat to herself.
Oh well, at least someone would be happy that night. Oh, who was she kidding? Almost all of them were. Morrigun and Montague were dancing gracefully together, wrapped up in their own little world. Kate and Kevin seemed to be engaged in a deep conversation. Akasha and Flint were long-gone, out in the rose grotto, 'reminiscing'. Even Philippe looked happy, dancing with the Patil girl as his best friend Julien Carsairs danced with the girl's twin sister. And she would be happy for them.
"Evening, you." Fallon snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to see Cassius Warrington standing in front of her.
"Evening," she replied, "Where is Xanne?"
He pointed to where Xanne was sitting with Blaise Zabini, the latter gesticulating with his hands, the former laughing. Fallon nodded.
"Enjoying yourself?" Somehow, being cool and civil to him was easier than before, when they'd been kids, but... also, in an inexplicable way, harder. It didn't really make sense, but she did not want to think of it.
He shrugged, then gave her a mock-obsequious look, "Fair, beauteous lady, may I have the honor of having this dance?"
She laughed lightly, "What are you trying to pull, Warrington?"
He scowled then, "Just dance with me, twit."
She gave him a smirk, and placed her hand in his, "That's more like you. All right then."
And so, they shared the last dance of the evening together.
* * *
End Chapter 12
* * *
Wheee! More soon!!