Chapter 4- Scary Surprises

Draco chewed his roasted turkey slowly, watching the Durmstrang girls as he ate. Tempestt and Adelheid seemed to have bewitched their forks into a sword fight, while Lilith silently watched their battle.

It had only been three days ago when they arrived, and already they seemed to be getting along well with everything. Draco examined Lilith's face, as the memory of the Potions class merged into his mind. Though Goyle had apologized to him countless of times already, Draco remained angry and ignorant to him. Draco had already sent a letter to his father, Lucius Malfoy, relating all that had happened. Yet he couldn't help admiring Lilith all the same. She seemed so mysterious. I should be the one to make her reveal her true self.

The Great Hall, still overly decorated, was busy and full of the chatter of the four Houses. Then they heard Professor McGonagall sharply tap her glass with her spoon. As the Hall quieted, Professor Dumbledore stood up.

'I hope you are all enjoying these last few days before Halloween,' he said loudly, his blue eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. 'I have an important announcement to make! We, the staff and myself, think that you deserve something special this year. As you recall, last year we had our wondrous Yule Ball. An unforgettable experience, I do say so myself.' He gave a small chuckle. Draco yawned.

'Well,' continued Professor Dumbledore, 'as a treat to you all, we are going to have a little celebration. Or shall I say, a Halloween costume ball?'

An excited babble erupted. Draco's mouth dropped open in surprise and several students began asking questions loudly. Professor Dumbledore, however, seemed quite calm, though amused at the sudden commotion.

'Yes, yes, we are going to have a Halloween ball. You may or may not come with a partner, but mind you: you only have two weeks to prepare. And remember that you must come in costume! What fun!'

'That man must be mental to think that I will go in costume!'

Draco threw himself onto the velvet couch with a groan. Goyle and Crabbe stood behind the couch, quiet and unsure whether to answer Draco. He glared at them over his shoulder and folded his arms impatiently.

'Who does Dumbledore think he is, Potter? To go and announce ridiculous things like that?' he demanded loudly. The few people who were in the common room glanced at him suspiciously, then nodded hastily when he glared back at them.

'I swear, this ball is so stu-' Draco stopped in mid-sentence, as Lilith and her two friends walked into the room. A thought struck him, and without another word Draco leapt off the couch and strode towards them. Goyle and Crabbe obediently followed.

'Hey, you three,' Draco said, smirking. Adelheid giggled and Tempestt raised an eyebrow with curiosity. They both glanced at Lilith, who looked at him with a small smile. Then they stared at Goyle and Crabbe behind Draco with interest.

'Hi Malfoy,' Lilith said quietly.

'Are you going to this ball thing?' he asked casually. Much to his delight, she nodded.

'Of course. I wouldn't miss such a thing. We never had anything like it at Durmstrang.'

'Uh-huh,' squealed Adelheid happily. She examined Goyle, and he gazed at the floor uncomfortably. 'Say, aren't you the one who Atara was telling us about, the one who was given the Hatred Potion, and you tried to kill Malfoy here? Aren't you, aren't you?'

'Dawn!' muttered Lilith warningly. Adeldeid whipped around with a questioning expression.

Draco gave a small snicker. 'Yes, that's him, Adelheid. Anyway, so you three are going to the ball. Lilith, would you like to go with me?' He stepped closer and watched her face carefully.

'Ooh!' cried Adelheid and Tempestt together. Lilith gazed up at Draco with the same expression on her pale face.

'No.'

'No?' asked Draco, quite taken aback. No one had ever rejected his requests before. He smirked, as he thought, Interesting. She's playing hard to get.

'I've heard many stories about you, Malfoy,' said Lilith, placing one hand on her hip, 'and none of them impress me. I can't go with someone so a bad a reputation as you.'

'You hurt me, Atara Lilith,' said Draco, stepping closer to her and ignoring more squeals from the other two girls. 'I'm not all bad.'

'You know, that's true,' cut in Adelheid rapidly. 'This morning, when Maria and I were on our way to History of Magic class, we bumped into him and I dropped my textbook. Of course I bent down to pick it up, but then he said it was okay, he was going to pick it up. I said no, but he insisted. And you know what he did, Atara? He actually picked it up!'

'Wow, such a nice guy,' ended Tempestt, grinning broadly.

Draco raised his eyebrows in mild surprise. Then he turned his eyes back on Lilith, who, to his delight, found her frowning in deep thought.

'He did, did he?' she whispered. 'Well, since you so nicely helped my friend, for once have I heard that since the other stories, I'll think about your request.'

'What, you scared?' sneered Draco. Lilith's mouth dropped open slightly.

'Fine. I'll go with you,' she said, eyeing Draco cautiously.

'Ah yes, Atara can never say no to a challenge,' declared Tempestt pompously. 'Wonderful tactic, Malfoy, to get her to go with you like that. I applaud you.'

She and Adelheid clapped vigorously. Lilith continued to stare at Draco, who grinned at her with smug satisfaction.

Atara gave out a long sigh as she dropped onto her four-poster bed, which she had joined to the beds of Dawn and Maria.

'I can't believe it,' she said scornfully. 'I'm going with Draco Malfoy, the one person I detest most in Slytherin. Perfect.'

'Come on, Tar,' smiled Dawn, as she fingered her wand. 'He can't be that bad. How do you even know the stories we've heard of him are true?'

'You see the way he treats people. Especially those who are half-blood. It's disgusting.'

'Well, we are Slytherin,' reasoned Maria, throwing herself next to Atara. 'We are, like, the evilest people in the school. Slytherin means power, Atara!'

'I guess I shouldn't judge him. I mean, I don't know him that well, after all. So... what should I wear?' Atara grinned widely.

'Ooh, now the topic's getting interesting!' cried Dawn. But before she could say anything else, Pansy Parkinson burst into the room.

'How dare you go to the ball with my date!' she shrieked at Atara. 'How dare you lure my dear Draco to your thieving hands!'

'Lure him?' said Atara, standing up. 'I didn't lure him, Parkinson. He asked me to go with him. I didn't know you two were dating. He didn't mention you at all. My, such drama.'

Dawn and Maria snorted with laughter. Parkinson glared at them.

'If you think you're going to the ball with him, you have never been so wrong in your entire life! I swear, Lilith, I will get you for this!'

With that she stormed out of the dormitory. Atara watched her in fascination.

'To think that such people actually exist,' she muttered. 'Anyway, her threats are so empty. As if she can do anything to me. I want to give her a tasteof my medicine for her.'