Chapter 14 – A Muggle ball

Author's Notes:

I HAVE BRILLIANT NEWS! According to my fave Bessie buddy, Ally, the book don't come out til the 16th of July or summmin, and by then I will not have only finished sixth year on lol, but will also have finished the book I am writing so yehay for me, I have time!!!! Plz tell me if you know anything about this date, you don't even have to read the story just ell me in a review plz plz plz!!!

I have to now do the previously on HPGS which is a bit hard this time cuz the last Chappie was 11 pages long, but ho well, lol (nice pun eh ? ;) ) I will try; tell me if you don't get it lol.

Previously on HPGS

Maddie is given the news that her Grandfather will be announcing her identity and this leads to her remembering her old friend Jane. Although she is sad, Harry cheers her up when trying to get the news out of her and they learn that Ron seems to be taking up Firewhisky. When Harry asks him what's wrong he tells him he's been too 'caught up in something' to notice. What this is, Harry has no idea.

They head for the Great Hall and Maddie learns that her wishes seem to come true when she disappears, but comes back again when Harry calls her name. Harry has a little chat with Snape and the girls go Xmas shopping for the dresses. Lastly, Maddie comes up with a plan to get Hermione and Ron together.

The day of the ball arrived and everyone seemed to be excited, curious of what a kind of person Maddie might be. She blushed at the thought that the event was dedicated to her, and would rather she was lying in her grave and that it was actually in memory of her, then it wouldn't be so embarrassing right? But she kept her head clear of the thought just in case she mentioned the wish word.

"Wait a second…" Harry aid as they sat in the common room with the rest of the Gryffindors, waiting for McGonnagal to come and lead them in.

"Yeah?" Maddie replied.

"Well, if your wishes come true, why not just wish Hermione and Ron together?"

"You approve of forced love?" Maddie laughed.

"No, but technically they like each other anyway…"

"No way," Maddie said firmly. "I couldn't do that."

"You sure?" he asked with a grin.

"Yes you moron, do you realise how wrong that would be?

"Err…" Harry began, finishing with "Oi, watch it," as Maddie threw her quill at him, which he dodged automatically.

Maddie laughed. She supposed he got it from Quidditch, avoiding all those bludgers. Professor McGonnagal appeared, stiffly through the portrait hole and ordered everyone into a line, people with partners in other houses to pair up with anyone at the back. This procedure went on in every house, including the Slytherins' who weren't surprised to see Malfoy paired with Pansy, but very surprised in learning she wasn't his partner. He plainly ignored the ignorance and knew a slap form Crabbe and Goyle would sort them out later - when they had the chance…

Maddie looked behind her and smiled, the red dress they had got for Hermione really suited her, though it was slightly more expensive than the others. The material shone in the light giving her a real Christmassy feel and her bare shoulders were covered in the curls that surrounded her. Maddie made them exactly like her own, only slightly looser as Hermione's hair was longer and it suited her better in brown than Maddie's blonde.

"You ok?" Harry asked as they walked on.

"Huh? Oh right." she laughed. "I was just admiring Hermione's dress, doesn't it look great?"

"I suppose…" Harry replied looking back himself.

She laughed again.

"Clueless?"

"Clueless," he replied, nodding. "Though I'd say that yours is just as nice."

He grinned, obviously proud at his choice of words, but his face straightened as Maddie stared at the huge doors before her.

"Uh-oh." she whispered.

"Don't worry, its not like u has to make a speech or anything, Dumbledore would have said."

"I suppose your right; it's just a stupid ball, right?"

"If you say so." he smiled.

They entered in their lines and were told to take a seat by the small tables around the edge of the hall. Maddie couldn't see Ginny anywhere and was a bit glad that Ron wouldn't be here to stress over her. She spotted Hermione and whistled gesturing them over, before blushing, wishing she hadn't. Everyone seemed to have heard her and she felt as if it was a habit she'd have to get rid of.

Once everyone was seated and they had begun to settle down, Dumbledore stood up to make some sort of speech of the event.

Well at least it's not me up there. She thought.

He cleared his throat and everyone stopped to listen to him. He smiled and the aged face seemed so young in those pale blue eyes, and yet there he was, a white long beard and wiry face.

"As you all know, I have been given the gift of a granddaughter." he began.

Everyone turned, how they knew where she was Maddie didn't quite understand but it seemed that even though their respect for the headmaster was high, they couldn't help their curiosity. She looked around her and wasn't sure what she could do to respond, wondering whether she should try disappearing again, before she noticed a face in the crowd. It was smiling an unusual smile, as it was a smile Maddie hadn't seen before, and she nearly laughed when she saw the reaction as their eyes met, his face changed dramatically to an obviously fake smirk and she wondered if she could ever learn to do that herself. She grinned and a lot of eyes widened.

So I can grin, what the big deal?

She coughed, but then winced as she realised she had coughed at the exact time as her elder, making it twice as loud so that quite a few students jumped, and turned to face him. Maddie sighed with relief that they'd stopped and Harry gave her a reassuring smile.

"Stop worrying." he whispered.

"As this is very important to me, I have decided to host this traditional muggle ball with her as my special guest, I hope you can accept her into the wizarding community, her new environment, and you may not have noticed, but she hasn't complained once."

Again everyone looked at her, but this time she noticed a few smiles, Draco was looking away, bored at the soppiness of the speech and Crabbe and Goyle were eyeing up the food on the buffet table on the other side of the hall. She thought of Jane again, and felt a slight lump in her throat, swallowing hard.

"So eat, drink and dance." he finished in which the Hall erupted in applause.

And after a few seconds, most were up and about.

"You ready?" Harry asked.

"Yeah ok," Maddie replied.

He ducked under the table and threw his father's cloak over him, heading out around the edge of the Hall before the door opened slightly before slowly shutting again. Maddie took a nervous look around. Good, no one had notice. She herself, told Hermione and Neville she was going to find Ginny and left their table. She got to the shadowy corner where Ginny's partner supposedly stood. When she got a bit closer, she gasped as she saw the person hidden by the probably conjured shadow, before grinning.

"What are you smiling at?" the boy said, blonde brow raised.

"Didn't think you'd be someone to help." Maddie replied.

"Yeah well, I'm doing it for her."

"Aaw!" she laughed, ruffling his perfect hair in which he jumped back and hastily tried to fix it back.

They stood in companionable silence, but Maddie still felt edgy. Her eyes would drag back to the door, checking for the arrival of the other two and even though she tried to forget it for awhile, her eyes seemed to have a mind of their own.

Draco smirked at her behaviour before saying.

"You know a kettle won't boil if you watch it – or something like that anyway."

Maddie jogged out of her trance.

"Where'd you learn that?"

"My mother used to like learning muggle sayings, used to get a kick out of slightly annoying my father, you'd think she'd stop when he went, but it became a sort of habit – you can't help but hear them quite a few times, especially when she's drunk."

He spoke with ease but Maddie didn't feel the same way, her face straightened. One thing that she never had to deal with was drunken parents. Her Dad worked in a bar as soon as he was legal as he had lived in one of the pub rooms and knew it was the easiest thing to go for. He had to deal with drunks all his teenage life, even when he was sixteen and first moved from Ireland to bring money in, some drunks would try and sneak into the back where eh would be, and he hated the state they were in, so he never drank. As for her mother, the first time she drank she threw up and never drank again.

"Oh don't feel pity for me, or I might just have to throw up in the punch bowl," he snapped before softening his tone. "I'm used to it."

"Did you tell your father that you don't want to-?"

"Sshh, you realise the walls have ears in this place?"

Maddie gave him a bewildered look.

"They do?"

"Yes so keep it shut k?"

"Um…okay…but well, did you?"

"Yes but it's not like his listening, he just gave me some prison water in a little phial and told me to think of how he's feeling…"

"You didn't drink it did you?" Maddie asked, slightly anxious.

"What the hell do you take me for? A house elf?"

She sighed in relief and smiled at the comment, she wondered what Hermione would have said if she was there…

"I'm not gonna drink from such a filthy place…" he muttered.

"What? But don't you see? It's probably poison or something!"

"I-It is?" he replied, his face looking nearly too innocent for him.

"YES!"

He grinned wickedly and she realised what he had done.

"Oi!" she said laughing, "You had me going there for a minute."

His raised an eyebrow.

"You think I'd be that stupid, being brought up in such a dark family?"

But Maddie didn't reply. Her eyes yet again had drawn themselves back to the door and a feeling of delight passed through her as she saw the two boys slide threw the doorway. Ron staggered slightly, but as Maddie looked around the Hall again nobody seemed to notice their arrival, except Hermione who had been staring at the door all evening in a bit of a bored way. Maddie smiled. Everything was going to plan. Again Ron staggered slightly before Harry led him to Hermione and sat him down before heading over to where Maddie stood.

"Uh-oh, don't cause an argument right?" she said to Draco.

"Why ever would I do that?" he replied his innocent expression back on.

Harry had come across with a grin but lost it when he realised who she was with.

"Your Ginny's –

"Yes." Draco replied as cool as cucumber, unlike the expression on Harry's face.

"Err…right."

Maddie looked nervously from one to the other as an awkward silence drifted through the air. She wished someone would say something, but gasped as-

"So why are you doing this?" Harry asked.

"I'm doing it for her, it's what she really wants and I'm not gonna argue with her." Draco replied.

"More like to get at me." he muttered back.

"Much to your disappointment Potter, the world does not revolve around you…" he snapped, a tone a lot like Snape's that made Harry wince slightly.

Maddie tried to stay clam, but she hated stuff like this. She was a Pisces – the peacemaker and her personality was a typical Piscean; she loved to cook and liked candles a lot. The only bit that wasn't right was the bit about being quiet as she never seemed to shut up.

The two had begun to mutter comments back and forth and Maddie couldn't help but lose her patience.

"Look, will you two please just shut up!" she whispered fiercely. "If you can't say a fricken comment that's actually nice, then just keep your trap shut."

She sighed and decided that another silence wasn't going to improve the atmosphere much.

"Okay then, can one of you strike up a conversation that doesn't include each other?"

Harry spoke again.

"Well, you're the type." he said to Draco. "You know anything about Voldemort finding an heir."

Suddenly there was silence again – but deadly. Things hadn't got better. Draco looked to Maddie and she shook her head slightly, he couldn't say anything –he mustn't.

Draco leant forward, his eyes fierce that portrayed in his voice.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about Potter but I suggest you keep it to yourself, Merlin knows who might bloody well hear you."

Harry looked blank. Either Malfoy was threatening him or giving him advice. Harry wasn't sure how to react.

Ginny looked over and gasped. There was gonna be hell if she didn't go over there. Why wasn't Maddie doing anything? She went and introduced the nearest friend to Neville and went to the corner.

"Oh Merlin this was not supposed to happen…" she muttered nervously.

Maddie smiled and let her try and talk to the both of them while she looked around the Hall. Students were either dancing to the old 'traditional' music being played or sitting down with a drink talking away like the world had stopped for them, and she realised that everyone was content and happy, whoever the hell she was.

"I'll be right back." she said, ignoring the anxious looks the three gave her.

She went up to where the music was playing and saw it was a normal CD player, only without the need to be plugged in as the plug lay nimbly on the side. Maddie looked at the CDs that there were to choose from, and as she wondered how they'd got these songs on a CD, she wished her favourite was among the pile. Realising what se had done, she rummaged through the pile and found that it was among all the opera and 19th century weirdness. She smiled to herself; she had to keep an eye on them wishes of hers.

She took the album in her hands and put it in the player, skipping to track 7and waited for the students' reaction. It wasn't a particularly new album, it was a song she had heard when she was around thirteen and the song used to make her stop what she was doing and just listen for a while. It was slow and meaningful, and made her feel strangely safe.

Honey you are a rock…

Upon which I stand…

A few people noticed the change; others were too caught up in each other. Maddie looked to her Grandfather and saw he was smiling, and didn't seem to mind. Harry was looking up at her, wondering what she was up to, but too realising the difference.

And I come here to talk

I hope you understand…

Maddie climbed back down and they two of them watched as Ron and Hermione danced.

"He seems a bit livelier than usual." she commented.

"Well, he's quite a bit drunk." Harry replied, laughing.

"Happily drunk though."

"Obviously."

Draco ignored the 'ignorant bastards' that stared as he danced with Ginny, deciding he would have to think more about that slapping idea and he grinned as he cheekily passed very close by Ron and Hermione but Ron seemed not to see him properly.

Maddie laughed, and Harry couldn't help but smile.

"Care to dance, our job seems done."

"Sure." Maddie replied, and they joined the crowd, luckily nobody seemed to notice her as much.

Green eyes…

You know the spotlight

Shines upon you

How could anybody

Deny you…

I came here with a load

And it feels so much lighter now I've met you

And Honey you should know

That I could never go on without you…

….Green eyes….

Honey you are the sea

Upon which I float

And I came here to talk

I think you should know

Green eyes…you're the one that I wanted to find

And anyone who tired to deny you

Speak out of their minds.

'Cause I came here with a load

And it feels so much lighter now I've met you

And Honey you should know that I could never go on without you

…Green eyes…Green Eyes….

Later that evening, Ron seemed a lot happier than what he was and also a good deal louder. He went round talking to everyone, freaking more than a few people out. But he really scared Ginny when he came over, with Hermione to where Ginny and Draco sat. His sight may have been a bit clouded as he didn't recognise him at all. He smiled a drunken smile and shook his hand in which Draco smirked in reply but shook it all the same.

"Well, come on, shake his bloody hand we have a new friend 'ere." he said, with a hiccup.

Maddie laughed as he ordered them into a line and told Draco to go along ti and shake each of their hands. Hermione had a slightly cold look in her eyes but smiled and shook his hand politely, maybe for Ron's sake. Next was Maddie who shook his hand with pleasure, grinning in which, he actually smiled back at her. But as he got to Harry he paused before holding out his hand, he remembered how easily Harry had talked of the new heir and thought even if he was a good friend of he's he would have to call him a bit stupid. Harry looked at him, and stiffly held out his hand in which Draco shook and then was taken to the buffet table by Ginny who wanted to get them all out of the horrible situation that she saw before her. She was happy that they managed to all be polite and civil, but didn't know when her brother would catch on who Draco really was.

Authors' Notes:

I finished one of my fave chapter's lol. Did u like the song at the end? It's called Green Eyes by Coldplay, and yes its track 7 on a Rush of Blood to the Head. I just think the lyrics really suited it. Hope you liked the chapter R&R thank you and btw sorry this took so long I thought I was getting internet on my laptop so I wrote it up on there then realised I had to actually get it on the net and retyped it on my old comp.