A/N: I am so sorry that this took so long to put up. I had a little writer's block, then when I did finish it, I forgot I hadn't put it up. Actually, what I finished was chapter 15. I forgot I hadn't posted 14. The up side of this is I have Chapter 15 done and most of 16 done. I will try to post ASAP, but I have colloege too, so it will depend on my homework. Poke me if I don't put one up at least once a month. The part from Falon's POV was written by RaineArilan, who managed to get inside his head. I think she took 6 showers to cleam up the mess.

Falon dodged a running Gryffindor, he wished he could say gracefully, but he knew better. That old, familiar twisting in his gut began again.

Everyone always said that his sister was the failure child in their family, but Falon knew better. He was a Dethart. He was a pure-blood noble just like all the rest of them. Yet somehow he, merely by existing, had failed. He was better, smarter, faster witted, with better looks and manners, but somewhere, deep in his core, there was something missing. Something that had been made only too clear when the Hat had Sorted him into the wrong House.

To a Malfoy being Sorted into Ravenclaw, the second best House in the school, wouldn't be such a problem. It wouldn't reduce their enormous power in the slightest. But to a Dethart, whose standing within the social structure was measured in such small increments, even such a little failure was tantamount to betrayal…at least to his father it was.

Falon shivered and pretended to himself that it was just the winter cold. All around him the rest of the student body got up from their tables and headed off to their classes. Lunch was over and Falon suddenly wished he hadn't eaten.

Ahead of him, where he stood near one wall, was his prey. Brilliantly beautiful, each one, with the kind of grace in every breath that only came after millennia of breeding. They were so beautiful…so lovely.

From across the Great Hall they seemed almost creatures of ice and diamonds as they stood, chatting with one another. What, exactly, they were talking about, Falon didn't know…but he wanted to.

Somehow he knew it was as beautiful and perfect as everything else in that world. The world he needed to belong to so badly.

Dammit he deserved it!

Not all of the girl's were still here, of course, most had left for classes, but there were enough. Off to one side stood most of the seventh years and Falon's mind flinched away from those options. Most of them would probably wouldn't even recognize him...and he dismissed Tara Cromwell out of hand. There was just no way in any of the nine hells.

But next to them, just now turning to make a remark, stood someone who was, not only perfect like them all, but within reach. Pansy Parkinson, a girl who wanted to be a lady as bad as he wanted power.

And money was power, if you had the blood to back it up. Together they could each get what they wanted.

Her current companion, her friend, Millicent Bulstrode, said something and nodded towards the door. Pansy replied, her lips moving almost slowly in Falon's vision. Together they began to leave the Hall.

It was too perfect! Falon rushed after them, ignorant of the people he shoved aside to get where he was going.

If they got in his way it was their own fault. He didn't even notice them.

Shoving through the doors just as they finished swinging shut he saw that, save for the three of them, the hall was empty.

"Ladies!" he called, hoping it sounded arrogant and mostly uninterested. Knowing his voice had probably failed him.

Either way the message was given and received. They stopped and looked back at him with strange expressions on their faces.

"Pansy," Falon stopped in front of her and swept his gaze over her with, he hoped, just the right amount of casual interest, "I have considered my options and thought, since there is no one better to go with, that you would accompany me to the Yule Ball."

And there it was, all laid out before her brilliantly grey eyes….grey eyes that didn't blink for several long seconds. Milli wrinkled her nose and leaned over to whisper something in Pansy's ear. Pansy's mouth formed a tiny, silent "Oh".

"…You're…Falon?" she asked softly, searching his face.

"Yes, m'lady." He sketched a partial bow, all that someone of her standing deserved.

"Falon...Dethart?"

He frowned in confusion, surely she already knew that. "I…yes, m'lady."

"…oh….my…goodness.." Milli hasped out and, for the first time Falon realized that she was doubled over with laughter. From beside her Pansy began to snicker.

"And he just dared…"

"I know!" Pansy gasped, laughing almost hysterically. "Falon Dethart!"

Leaning against each other for support the two girls turned and walked away down the hall towards their class. Behind them Falon stood frozen, feeling as though he'd just been punched in the gut.

As always, with any hurt, he curled defensively around it with fury. What had they said? "Falon Dethart had dared"?

Why had his name been so important…unless they knew something. Unless someone had told them something bad about him. And the only people who despised him enough, who envied him enough to spread such a rumor were his older brother and his thrice damned younger sister!

He ground his teeth together and began to shake with silent fury. Once again they had ruined something he had worked long and hard to build! Once again they had gone too far! Once again he'd have to punish them for it in Father's absence!

It was his duty to his family name.

Tania shivered through her outer coat as she stepped back into the castle. There was several inches of snow on the ground, which she had just spent the last two hours walking through. Professor Snape had asked her on Monday if she would go to Hogsmeade the following Saturday and get some supplies for him. Instantly, the Dethart girl had agreed. It was a chance to make Snape happy, something she found more and more enjoyable, and it gave her an excuse to explore the shop more.

Professor Snape had given her a list and some galleons as well as a pass allowing her to be in town even though it wasn't a Hogsmeade Weekend. Tania had immediately returned to Common Room and wheedled some galleons out of Hunter so she could but some supplies for herself. Professor Snape would have understood completely if she had chosen not to go with all the snow, but Tania wasn't going to pass up such an opportunity.

The Slytherin third-year carefully made her way across the Hall to where the stairs to the dungeons were. She had to avoid wet students, apparently coming in from a snow fight. She'd hazard a guess that the group of Gryffies glaring and soaking had been the target of some of her Housemates.

Tania dodged the last of them, careful not to bump any of her pile of packages. Most of the jars were glass and it would be unforgivable to break one so close to safety. Luckily, the only people to come down to the dungeons were Slytherins, except for classes, and it was Saturday. Her Housemates knew what potion ingredients looked like and knew the look of a comrade protecting something precious. The one Hufflepuff on the stairs was quickly and semi-painfully shoved into the wall by Charlie when he saw her coming. He grinned, thanking her for the excuse to torment a Puffball.

Once she was off the stairs, Tania was in the safety zone…or so she thought. Suddenly, out of thin air appeared Blaise Zabini. Before Tania could register he was there, the Slytherin boy had stopped right in front of her, forcing her to check her motion and come way to close to possibly breaking something.

Tania took several deep breaths to calm her thudding heart. How dare he almost make me break potion ingredients.

"Greetings, m'dear," Blaise said cheerfully.

The Slytherin girl fought with the desire to glare at him and lost. Blaise blinked and took a step back. Apparently she had startled him. Serves him right!

"Um, Tania? Is something the matter?" Blaise asked, recovering the ability to think and talk, at least a little.

Tania said nothing, just continued to glare at him. Zabini shifted, running a hand through his hair.

"Did you not notice," she said coolly, "what I was carrying?" Blaise's sin was enormous in her eyes and that gave her the courage to speak this way.

The boy's gaze darted to the pile of packages she carried, then back to her face. "My apologies," he began, trying to regain control of what was going on.

"These are potion ingredients. Professor Snape's potion ingredients. If I had dropped them…." She stopped, letting the tone of her voice and Blaise's imagination finish her sentence.

The older boy was fast, she'd give him that. he put his hands out almost immediately and took a step back. "I am sorry. Please accept my humblest of apologies. It was never my intention to endanger your packages. I would never dream of it. Could never dream of it. My lady, I…." He trailed off miserably.

Tania considered him for a moment, then relaxed slightly. She nodded to him. "Forgiven," she said, adding an air of regality to better hide the guilt creeping into her mind. "So did you need me for something? If you couldn't tell, I'm a little busy," Tania added in a rush, using up the last of her anger induced courage.

Blaise quickly changed gears, flashing her a charming smile. "I came to ask if you'd go to the Ball with me. Now I'm sure you have been asked by all of our Housemate, male that is, and a plethora of upstart lowlifes from the other Houses, but they are not worthy of you nor your beauty. The lowlifes, I mean…not the Slytherins." He paused and cleared his throat with a hint of embarrassment before plunging on. "I am fairly certain – no, I am certain – that my fellow Slytherins could show you the respect you so clearly and eloquently deserve, but we have already developed a repore, a connection which I know you will not deny. And if that will not warm your heart towards me, then perhaps that I am the best dancer in the House will, or that I will treat you like the Queen you are. But, alas, ice still grips your heart towards me. Yet know, if it pleases you, that I have already received permission to escort you from your protective brother." Blaise barely took a breath during his speech. He abruptly, but gently, took the packages from Tania and set them on the floor. He followed them, sinking to one knee and taking her hands in his. "Will none of this sway you towards kindness? Would you please agree to allow me the extreme honor of escorting you to the Yule Ball?"

By this time, Tania was bright red. She was unnerved at the sudden lose of her precious packages as well as the thick flattery Blaise was laying on. In fact, until he'd said it there at the end, she hadn't even known what he'd been talking about. Numbly, she nodded consent.

Zabini leapt to his feet, bowed low over her hand and kissed it with a smile. He retrieved her boxes from the floor and put them back into her unmoving hands. Then he was gone as suddenly as he'd appeared.

Slowly, Tania resumed her motion toward the Potions classroom. When she walked in, Snape was sitting at his desk, working on something as usual. He looked up as she entered and took in the layers of clothes, the wet hems on her robes, the boxes in her hands and dazed look in her eyes. He crossed the room with several long strides.

"Ms. Dethart? Are you well?" he asked, gently taking the packages from her.

Much as Blaise had. "I…um…Blaise, he…." She trailed off, giving her Head of House a look of confusion.

Snape smiled with amused coldness. "Yes, Mr. Zabini does seem to have that affect. Why don't you come into my office, Ms. Dethart."

Tania followed Snape blindly, slowly, very slowly, coming out of the haze Blaise had caused.