Chapter 8
The Bittersweet Ball
Most of the girls spent Saturday afternoon getting ready for the ball but Olivia and Hermione stayed outside with Ron and his brothers playing Quidditch. They left at about five o'clock, leaving the boys to wonder why on earth they would need over an hour to get ready.
Hermione pulled out her dress robes they were a pale forget-me-not blue and put them on, Olivia did the same but with a pair of magenta robes. Her hair was wound and snaked into a neat coil where a purple flower had been placed matching her robes. Hermione had taken her hair down looking suspiciously straighter then usual. Since it wasn't a big event they didn't spend too long getting ready.
The girls went down to the Great Hall and saw that the usual sea of black was now full of colour. Hermione sat down opposite Harry and Ron and before Olivia could move she had pulled her onto the bench. Olivia looked up to see Harry who was wearing bottle green robes and became engrossed in her food for the rest of the feast. There were delicious puddings and at the end there were the usual toasts and dishes disappeared. Dumbledore levitated the house tables and swept them to the sides as a band started to play and the ball officially began.
"May I have this dance," Draco Malfoy had come over from where the Slytherins had congregated in dark silver robes. He took Olivia's hand and they walked over to where other couples had begun to dance. Draco wrapped his hands around her waist and Olivia put her arms around his neck. She ignored the open mouths and surprised looks the hall were giving the oddly paired duo, in his arms she felt warm and she swayed to the faint beat of the song.
"Having fun?" Draco whispered in her ear. Olivia was and turned to see the hall nearly full now with pairs. She tilted in closer to him, she could hear his breathing now. Olivia looked into his eyes, the first thing that had drawn her to him. She leant in even closer their lips about to touch when she saw a figure over Draco's shoulder.
It was Harry sitting alone on a bench, his face full of dislike. A girl had approached him hopefully but she saw him turn her away. She couldn't do it; she cared about Draco but not here, not while Harry was watching. She pulled her partner's hand and they slid out of the hall.
"Sorry, I just couldn't do it in there, not with everyone watching." She had dragged him behind some stairs and leaned in to kiss him. They stayed for moments in oblivious bliss; she ran her hands through his hair and drew him nearer to her. He ran his hand down her cheek. She broke apart breathlessly smiling at him.
***
Olivia had found a letter from her father on the open window sill when she went up to her dormitory that night. She had begun to read it but was interrupted when Hermione came in, cheeks flushed pink.
"What have you been up to?" she asked her. Hermione went even redder and they both begun to giggle. They stayed up that night giggling and telling each other about their dates and so the half-opened letter was forgotten until the next morning. Olivia was the first to wake and opened the letter at the end of her bed.
Dear Olivia,
I'm glad to hear about your Quidditch and that you're friends with Harry Potter. You used to see him before his parents passed away. The say my memory is getting worse but what do those healers know. I'm sorry you won't be able to come home for the holidays but I'm sure you'll have a nice Christmas at Hogwarts. No news of Voldemort yet but the Order aren't doing to well keeping me posted. House unity is the key though.
Your Father
House unity was a sure thing but what about Harry? She wrote a reply hastily and rolled it up.
Daddy,
We won the first Quidditch match and the next one is after Christmas. It's fine staying for the holidays, I've met a boy Daddy, don't be cross, he's very sweet and he's in Slytherin. They're not all bad you know, I've been busy with Quidditch practises so I must go. Missing You Olivia
She didn't wake Hermione but went to the Owlery to post her letter; Artemis hadn't hung around so Olivia picked up one of the school owls and attached the note to its leg and let him flight out the open window.
"Olivia," she hadn't heard Harry come in, Hedwig perched on his arm. She looked around, there was no escape now. She would have to speak to him.
"Hi Harry," she said half-heartedly.
"Look, I'm really sorry about what happened the other night; I don't know why I did it. It's just that you were sitting there saying something about "us" and I wasn't thinking properly."
"I overreacted, I just wasn't expecting it."
"No you didn't overreact it was wrong of me. I was going to ask you to the ball so we could talk but I saw that Malfoy got you first. He really likes you doesn't he?"
"Yes, well at least I think he does. I know he doesn't like you Harry, but I like you," she paused, "as a very close friend. You're the only one I've told about my parents and the only person I can talk about Voldemort with. I really like Draco too; he's really good to me."
"Oh, well you probably won't want to but would you still like to meet me after team practise?"
She kissed him on the cheek and left.
"Course."
Hermione wondered why Olivia was smiling so brightly, she told her about how she was speaking to Harry. She managed to eat some toast before she went back upstairs to finish her Charms.
***
The Bittersweet Ball
Most of the girls spent Saturday afternoon getting ready for the ball but Olivia and Hermione stayed outside with Ron and his brothers playing Quidditch. They left at about five o'clock, leaving the boys to wonder why on earth they would need over an hour to get ready.
Hermione pulled out her dress robes they were a pale forget-me-not blue and put them on, Olivia did the same but with a pair of magenta robes. Her hair was wound and snaked into a neat coil where a purple flower had been placed matching her robes. Hermione had taken her hair down looking suspiciously straighter then usual. Since it wasn't a big event they didn't spend too long getting ready.
The girls went down to the Great Hall and saw that the usual sea of black was now full of colour. Hermione sat down opposite Harry and Ron and before Olivia could move she had pulled her onto the bench. Olivia looked up to see Harry who was wearing bottle green robes and became engrossed in her food for the rest of the feast. There were delicious puddings and at the end there were the usual toasts and dishes disappeared. Dumbledore levitated the house tables and swept them to the sides as a band started to play and the ball officially began.
"May I have this dance," Draco Malfoy had come over from where the Slytherins had congregated in dark silver robes. He took Olivia's hand and they walked over to where other couples had begun to dance. Draco wrapped his hands around her waist and Olivia put her arms around his neck. She ignored the open mouths and surprised looks the hall were giving the oddly paired duo, in his arms she felt warm and she swayed to the faint beat of the song.
"Having fun?" Draco whispered in her ear. Olivia was and turned to see the hall nearly full now with pairs. She tilted in closer to him, she could hear his breathing now. Olivia looked into his eyes, the first thing that had drawn her to him. She leant in even closer their lips about to touch when she saw a figure over Draco's shoulder.
It was Harry sitting alone on a bench, his face full of dislike. A girl had approached him hopefully but she saw him turn her away. She couldn't do it; she cared about Draco but not here, not while Harry was watching. She pulled her partner's hand and they slid out of the hall.
"Sorry, I just couldn't do it in there, not with everyone watching." She had dragged him behind some stairs and leaned in to kiss him. They stayed for moments in oblivious bliss; she ran her hands through his hair and drew him nearer to her. He ran his hand down her cheek. She broke apart breathlessly smiling at him.
***
Olivia had found a letter from her father on the open window sill when she went up to her dormitory that night. She had begun to read it but was interrupted when Hermione came in, cheeks flushed pink.
"What have you been up to?" she asked her. Hermione went even redder and they both begun to giggle. They stayed up that night giggling and telling each other about their dates and so the half-opened letter was forgotten until the next morning. Olivia was the first to wake and opened the letter at the end of her bed.
Dear Olivia,
I'm glad to hear about your Quidditch and that you're friends with Harry Potter. You used to see him before his parents passed away. The say my memory is getting worse but what do those healers know. I'm sorry you won't be able to come home for the holidays but I'm sure you'll have a nice Christmas at Hogwarts. No news of Voldemort yet but the Order aren't doing to well keeping me posted. House unity is the key though.
Your Father
House unity was a sure thing but what about Harry? She wrote a reply hastily and rolled it up.
Daddy,
We won the first Quidditch match and the next one is after Christmas. It's fine staying for the holidays, I've met a boy Daddy, don't be cross, he's very sweet and he's in Slytherin. They're not all bad you know, I've been busy with Quidditch practises so I must go. Missing You Olivia
She didn't wake Hermione but went to the Owlery to post her letter; Artemis hadn't hung around so Olivia picked up one of the school owls and attached the note to its leg and let him flight out the open window.
"Olivia," she hadn't heard Harry come in, Hedwig perched on his arm. She looked around, there was no escape now. She would have to speak to him.
"Hi Harry," she said half-heartedly.
"Look, I'm really sorry about what happened the other night; I don't know why I did it. It's just that you were sitting there saying something about "us" and I wasn't thinking properly."
"I overreacted, I just wasn't expecting it."
"No you didn't overreact it was wrong of me. I was going to ask you to the ball so we could talk but I saw that Malfoy got you first. He really likes you doesn't he?"
"Yes, well at least I think he does. I know he doesn't like you Harry, but I like you," she paused, "as a very close friend. You're the only one I've told about my parents and the only person I can talk about Voldemort with. I really like Draco too; he's really good to me."
"Oh, well you probably won't want to but would you still like to meet me after team practise?"
She kissed him on the cheek and left.
"Course."
Hermione wondered why Olivia was smiling so brightly, she told her about how she was speaking to Harry. She managed to eat some toast before she went back upstairs to finish her Charms.
***