Chapter 8: Trelawney's Announcement
The rest of September passed by uneventfully. The Gryffindor Quidditch team continued to get better and better with each practice, and the fighting amongst teammates had become less and less. Zacharias, Luna, and Susan all seemed to be getting along fairly well now. Harry was certain they'd win their first match against Hufflepuff next month, and hopefully continue to win their next matches.
Harry, Draco, and Pansy had continued going to S.C.A.T. every Sunday evening, despite Draco's displeasure of spending more time in the presence of Professor Riddle than he thought necessary. But when Draco finally managed to dream one lesson, he decided it was a worthwhile class after all. Pansy and Harry had not asked what Draco had dreamed of - they were just glad he had decided to stay.
It was now the second week of October, and Harry, Draco, and Pansy sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall eating their dinner. The ceiling in the hall was dark and starlit, a beautiful clear night. Draco and Pansy were talking animatedly about homework, and Harry just watched, poking at the mashed potatoes on his plate.
"Really, I think Professor Binns gives us the least homework. I mean, it's herbology, how much homework can you get from plants?" Draco shrugged.
"Well it's true Binns gives least homework, but I think it's because he's just grateful that the plants can't kill him anymore, and he's kindhearted enough not to let any of us spend to much time around them," Pansy said.
"Too bad for that bloke in Hufflepuff... what's his name? The boy who's only good subject is herbology," Draco stuttered.
"Neville. Neville Longbottom," Harry said, surprising himself. How had he known that? He hadn't even said two words to Neville all year! There was a moment of awkward silence.
"Yeah... right. Neville Longbottom, that's the fellow," Draco said, quickly stuffing his mouth with potatoes.
"Good evening, students," A mysterious voice called from the front of the great hall. Every head in the hall turned to face the teacher's table, and Headmistress Trelawney, who was standing up. Her large glasses shone bright against the bright stars in the evening sky. "An announcement I have for you all! As you know, Halloween is just three weeks! I know how much you kids all love your Halloween, so there is to be a dance for everyone! First through Fourth years will have their dance on the 30th, and Fifth through Seventh years will have their dance on the 31st! Now I hope 3 weeks is enough for you lot to get up enough guts to ask your crush to the dance and whatnot," Trelawney said with a laugh. "Oh, and I'd like to thank our wonderful dance committee for keeping this all a secret for the past week! Will you lot stand, please?" Trelawney said. Draco and Harry's jaws dropped as Pansy and Zacharias stood, along with two other kids from each of the other house tables. A ragged applause filled the hall. "They'll be sure to make this Halloween dance a spooky success!" Trelawney said with a laugh. "Have a pleasant evening!" Pansy sunk back to the bench, and helped herself to a piece of the raspberry pie that had appeared on the table. When she noticed that Draco and Harry were watching her with their jaws dropped, she raised her eyebrows.
"What? Do I have raspberry on my face?" Pansy asked, pointing at herself.
"Oh... no, no!" Harry and Draco said, snapping back to their senses.
"We just... uh," Harry stumbled.
"Didn't know you'd be on a dance committee. Ever," Draco said.
"And why ever would I not?" Pansy said, taking another bite of pie.
"Well, last dance we had, you threw a hissy fit because it was a sadie hawkins type, and you thought that was sexist or something..." Draco started.
"But it's not sadie hawkins this time, is it?" Pansy said, smiling triumphantly.
"Oh... yeah, I suppose not," Draco shrugged.
"Besides, Zacharias asked me to be on the committee," Pansy said casually.
"What? Why?" Draco asked, almost dropping the piece of pie he had halfway to his plate.
"Oh, I don't know. He said I had good organization skills... that good grades and being a member of S.C.A.T. helped... and that I'm a bloody good dancer," Pansy said the last bit as almost an after note.
"Wha...?" Draco trailed off. "So... you're going with Zacharias to the dance?" Draco almost shouted.
"Me? What? Heavens no, he's going with his girlfriend Mathilde, of course. I haven't a date yet, and I didn't think it right to even consider whom to take before the announcement tonight," Pansy said, finishing off the last bit of her pie.
"Oh..." Draco said slowly.
"Well then, who are you taking?" Harry asked slyly, looking between his two friends.
"Me? I... uh..." Pansy looked from Harry to Draco, and back down at her empty plate. "What's it matter? Now, I'm off to bed... uh... see you later!" Pansy said, not even looking up at Harry and Draco. Somehow Harry knew Pansy's face was flushed right about now.
"Who are you asking?" Harry said, turning to Draco. His friend blinked several times, a blank expression on his face.
"Uh... who're you asking?" Draco retorted, the color rising in his cheeks.
"I don't know yet, haven't given it much thought," Harry said shrugging.
"Good, neither have I," Draco said. "Now come on, we better go get a move on that potions homework, McGonagoll will have a fit if it's not perfect for tomorrow's lesson," Draco said. He and Harry walked off to the Gryffindor common room, not mentioning a word about the dance for the rest of the night.
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The tension between Hogwarts students the next few weeks were extremely high, higher than they had been during the Gryffindor team tryouts. Girls were fighting over which boy they would get to go with, and the boys were quarreling over which girl they would take. Draco, Harry, and Pansy still hadn't found a date to the dance yet, and Harry was beginning to think he never would. It was less than a week until dance time, and he hadn't a date.
He had been trying to get Draco and Pansy to ask each other, discreetly of course, but each time they got close to the subject, they would both flush and change the subject. That evening in the Gryffindor common room, Harry was determined to find a date for all three of them, using force if he had to. However, things didn't go quite the way he had imagined them.
"So, find a date to the dance yet?" Draco said casually, not looking up from his parchment.
"Nope, not yet," Harry and Pansy answered.
"Oh, what a coincidence, neither have I!" Draco said. Well he certainly has tact... Harry thought, stifling a laugh. There was silence for a moment, and Harry watched as Draco slowly looked up at Pansy, his mouth open as if he was about to speak, when all of a sudden there was a shriek.
"NO ZACHARIAS IT'S OVER! JUST BUGGER OFF ALREADY!" The fifth year girl whom Harry recognized as Zacharias' girlfriend, stood halfway up the girl's dormitory stairs, frowning maliciously.
"Mathilde! Wait!" Zacharias said, trying to climb the stairs after her. Mathilde shrieked louder as the stairs turned into a slide, and she went flying into Zacharias, the two crumbling to the floor at the foot of the stairs.
"You pig!" Mathilde shrieked, slapping Zacharias hard across the face. "Now stay away from me!" Mathilde frantically scrambled up to the girl's dormitory, the stairs returning. Zacharias lay crumpled on the floor. Some scattered laughter traveled through the common room. Two of Mathilde's friends hurried up after her, casting dirty words and looks at Zacharias.
"Oh, poor Zacharias," Pansy said, slowly standing. "I better go see if he's okay," she said quickly, hurrying over to the crumpled form of Zacharias. Draco sunk back into his chair with a sigh, and Harry had to stifle a laugh.
"Too bad for Zacharias. Looks like he'll have to find a new date!" A rather cheery voice said from above Harry. Susan Bones stood smiling infront of him.
"Oh! Hey Susan!" Harry said flushing.
"Hey Harry, Draco," Susan said, nodding at the hunched figure of Draco, who only grunted a reply.
"Sooo... what's up?" Harry said, trying to act casual.
"Well," Susan said, taking a seat across from Harry. "I was wondering... if... uh... you had a date for the Halloween dance? And if you don't, would you like to go with me?" she said in a rush, looking down at the floor. Harry felt his heart skip a beat, and for a moment he was at a loss for words. "Because if you do, it's okay, I mean I'll just ask someone else..." Susan said quickly.
"No, I don't have a date. And uh... yeah I'd love to go with you," Harry said. Susan looked up from the floor, her face flushed and grinning.
"Okay... great!" Susan said. Harry smiled as Susan reached across and hugged him. He felt his face flush. "Well, I'm off to bed. See you later!" Susan said smiling, and winking at Harry.
"See you!" Harry said, smiling back at her. He watched as Susan climbed the stairs up to the girls' dormitory, a silly grin on his face.
"There's some drool on your chin, mate," Draco said, snapping Harry out of his reverie.
"What?" Harry asked, turning to face Draco, who was near to laughter.
"Well looks like you have a date," Draco said, patting Harry on the shoulder.
"Yeah... I guess I do!" Harry said, still a bit dumbfounded. Just then Pansy came back over, her face pink.
"How's Zachie boy?" Draco asked casually.
"Fine... and so am I," Pansy sighed. Harry raised his eyebrows.
"While you were off helping Zachie, Harry got a date!" Draco said lightly.
"Oh he did, did he?" Pansy said, smiling. Draco nodded, and Harry just grinned. "Well he's not the only one..." Pansy murmured.
"What do you mean?" Draco asked slowly.
"I'm going with Zacharias! He asked me... just now, and I just said yes!" Pansy said, flushing pink all over again. A slight frown creeped over Draco's face, and his mouth twitched.
"That's... that's bloody brilliant," Draco said quietly. "I'm off to bed... good night," he said, quickly gathering his things and almost running up to the dorms.
"What's with him?" Pansy asked, looking after Draco.
"No idea," Harry said dreamily. Pansy shrugged.
"So who are you going to the dance with?" she asked.
"Susan Bones. She just... asked me out of nowhere," Harry said smiling.
"That's great Harry," Pansy said grinning. "Looks like Draco's the only one who's dateless now," she sighed. "Well I think... he'll find someone," she said slowly, an odd look crossing her face.
But Harry could hardly tell his friends' emotions... he was still in shock. He was going to the dance with Susan Bones! He wondered if he had liked her all this while, or if it had just started when she had asked him to the dance. No, wait. Now that he thought about it, he had liked her, he just hadn't realized it until now. Another grin crossed Harry's face. He couldn't wait for the dance.
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Ok, this chappie was a bit short, but the next one will be longer, I promise! I hope you like it so far… thanks for the few reviews and keep them coming! I really appreciate the R&R!