The next day Draco woke me up at three thirty.
"Come on," he said as he helped me out of bed. "You need to start getting ready." I nodded, still feeling somewhat groggy. Draco left and I went to take a long bath. This time I after I had soaked for two hours and washed my hair I rubbed citrus smelling gel over myself so I could smell like oranges. Then I got out, dried off, and went to the closet to look for a dress. I picked out a red dress with thin shoulder straps, a long bow in the back with ribbon ends that trailed to the floor, and a ribbon that tied around my neck. After I put it on along with a pair of red shoesI went to my vanity, sat down on the white chair, and brushed out my long blonde hair. I was wearing it down this time. I made sure that the bracelets that Draco and Harry had given me were on my wrists. I looked at the charm bracelet from Harry. It didn't really go with this dress. I sighed and took it off. Then I made sure that the ring that Draco had given me was still on my right ring finger, which it was. I was glad that nothing had happened to any of my jewelry when I had jumped into the lake. I picked out a pair of ruby earrings and a pair of emerald ones. My ears were double pierced but if I was only wearing one pair I wore flesh colored plastic studs so that no one would notice. I put the earrings into my ears and then Draco walked in.
"Hey Draco," I said turning to him and standing up. "Is this okay for the ball?" Draco smirked. He was wearing the necklace that I had given him. He was wearing and suit this year instead of that armour thing. The suit wasof course, darkgeen and silver.
"Very nice," he said. "I have one more thing for you that will make it perfect. Another Christmas present. Close your eyes." I did as he said. I heard him walk up to me and felt him put something around my neck. I opened my eyes as I felt him pull away. I turned back to the mirror in my vanity and looked at my reflection. Around my neck was a necklace exactly like the one I had given Draco for Christmas except it was on a thin silver chain instead of a black cord and it hung low so that it rested against the top of my chest instead of my throat. I gasped and reached up to touch it. Suddenly the ruby and emerald beads on my bracelets lit up. I looked at them in shock. Inside each bead was a letter. I looked at both bracelets. When I put the letters together I saw that each bracelet said I Love You. I smiled as the letters disappeared.
"Dido," I said. Draco took my hand and we walked to the ballroom.
"Karr will be here again," Draco said his hated for Malik evident in his voice. "I tried to convince Father not to invite him but since his parents are coming he is too." I nodded.
"You want me to stay away from him, right?" I asked. Draco nodded. We walked into the ballroom and danced to the song that was playing. Again it was all classical but I didn't mind. When the dance ended Draco went to go greet some of his father's friends.
"Let me guess, stay away from Malik, right?" I asked. Draco smirked and walked off.
"Hello Schyler," Malik's voice said as soon as Draco had disappeared into the crowd.
"Malik!" I cried whirling around to look at him. "No! Get away from me! If Draco sees you..."
"Who cares about that git?" Malik asked.
"I do," I said. "And he'll be mad if he sees you near me, so go away." Malik stared at me intently.
"He hurt you last time, didn't he?" he asked. I looked away from him.
"I don't want to talk about it," I said. "I'm going to find Draco, stay away from me, please." Then I walked off, spotting Draco by the buffet table. I walked up to him as couple walked off.
"Hey," I said linking my arm with his and leaning against him.
"Oh, hi," Draco replied. "I thought you were going to wait out on the dance floor."
"I was but..." my voice trailed off as Malik came toward us. Didn't he ever listen?
"What do you want?" Draco demanded.
"This is a buffet table, isn't it?" Malik said sarcastically. "Isn't that why there's food here?" Draco glared at him.
"C'mon Draco," I said taking his hand. "Let's go dance"
"Save one for me," Malik said. I looked over my shoulder at him.
"In you're dreams," I snapped. After we had danced for quite some time Lucius called Draco to meet some more important people.
"I'll wait for you on the patio," I said. "I'm overheating from all this dancing." Draco nodded and walked off. I walked out onto the stone patio. It was nice and cool out here. I leaned against the railing and sighed.
"Come for some fresh air?" Malik's voice asked. I looked over at one of the benches that lined the patio and saw him sitting there.
"Yes, now leave me alone," I said briskly.
"Do you do everything he tells you?" Malik asked. I looked away and ignored him. Malik got to his feet and came over to me.
"I wouldn't treat you the way he does you know," he said. "I swear I wouldn't." I continued to ignore him. He turned me toward him.
"Please give me a chance." I glared up at him so fiercely that I could almost feel fire coming out of my eyes. Malik smiled almost as if he was amused. I pushed him away from me.
"I mean it, leave me alone," I hissed. He grabbed my arms, pulled me toward him, and kissed me on the lips. I beat at his shoulders with my fists and struggled as hard as I could. Draco couldn't see this! He'd kill me! Malik pinned my arms to his chest.
"KARR!" Draco's voice bellowed. "Get the hell away from her!" Malik released me and I fell against the railing.
"Why should I, Malfoy?" Malik asked.
"Because she's my girlfriend!" Draco shouted. "You leave her alone!" I looked from one boy to the other. They were going to have a fight like last year only it was going to be much worse.
"I would hardly call you her boyfriend, Malfoy," Malik said. "I know how you treat her, even if she never tells me, I can see it in her eyes." I gasped. If he could tell then could Cory and the others? I shook my head. Of course not, they would have said something.
"Rictus Sempra!" Draco yelled. Malik spun through the air and landed with a hard thud on the lawn. I looked at the two of them. Their fight had escalated while I had been thinking and now they had their wands and were shooting spells at each other. Malik got to his feet, his lip was bleeding. He pointed his wand at Draco.
"Alarteacendere!" he yelled. Draco flew straight up in air and landed flat on his back. He gasped in pain.
"Stop it!" I screamed. "You two are acting like children! Grow up already!" Draco got to his feet and pointed his wand at Malik.
"I'm going to kill you!" he snarled.
"Not if I kill you first!" Malik snarled back.
"No!" I screamed. "Stop it! Draco, listen to me!" Draco and Malik were beyond talking to now. All they cared about was attacking each other.
"Cruicio!" Draco shouted.
"Cruicio!" Malik shouted at the same time.
"Stop it!" I screamed. I ran in between them. Both spells hit me. Draco's in my chest and Malik's in my back. I screamed in pain and collapsed on the ground. Both boys gasped and lifted the curses.
"Draco..." I called weakly. Draco rushed to me and picked me up.
"Oh my God..." he said. "I'm sorry." I smiled weakly and fainted. If I had been awake I would have seen the death glare that Draco shot Malik and the one that Malik shot back. I would have seen that everyone at the ball had heard me screaming and had come to the patio doors to see what was going on. I would have seen the way Lucius had looked at Draco. Draco had ignored his father and had taken me to my room.