Chapter 32: One, two, step; one, two-Hush!

Fall withered away with its brisk wind and changing colors to ethereal winter that came with beauty and vengeance, coating the castle and its grounds with thick layers of pure-white snow, heavy downpour of snowflakes that added more layers to the thick sheets, and sharp, strong gushes of freezing wind that pierced through clothes, digging underneath the skin and nearly freezing one to the very core.

Within the first week of December, light shirts were replaced with thick robes and sweaters. Heating charms glowed around hats and gloves during strolls through the courtyard. Students had to be weary of their steps or risk slipping on the ice and falling hard on their arse.

The whirlwind transition of the seasons was almost as crazy as the way fourth year was turning out for Harry. Three months in and he could easily say that this had to be the craziest of school years yet. The events that fell on him would be categorized into three slots: bad, good, and in between.

The bad: being entered into a tournament, a deadly one at that, he wanted no part of but somehow his name was added and picked. He still had no idea who framed him, but he definitely knew it was connected to Voldemort, to that same dream he had.

The good: he survived the first task of the tournament and managed to come out in one piece (mostly) with the cost of a few scratches and a wounded arm. There was also a bonus attached to that bit of fortune. His flying episode with the dragon landed him in a good spot in the rankings, and the fact people saw for themselves how serious the tournament was (nothing could be more serious than going toe-to-toe with a dragon) cleared any if not most suspicion that he entered himself.

However, there were a few things that weren't so easy to label, things that fell into a mix of the two. The greatest example would be Ron. He was back in Harry's life, which was good, very good since Harry did miss him, but things were still tense between them. They were friendly with each other, able to talk more freely, but Harry noticed the slight stiffness in their conversations, which was sometimes too polite, almost too formal for friends. Even though Ron admitted he was wrong, apologized, and snapped at people still whispering about and laughing at him, Harry couldn't forget the cold shoulder he treated him to for a whole month. Couldn't forget the things he said and how he acted when his name was called. Ron wanted to forgive and forget. The only problem was Harry wasn't in a rush nor felt inclined to offer either.

There was also Moody. Since his first day at DADA, he developed an odd interest in the Harry, popping in at odd moments, sending countless summonses to his office for a chat that Harry had to wiggle his way out from. Which was odd given the fact the man was a legend in the Ministry, one whom even his dad was in awed by, despite his tics. Yet there was something about him, something off he couldn't quite explain, that made caution ring softly in his ear whenever the former Auror was too close to him.

But Harry had bigger things to worry about than complicated friendships and odd professors. Such as the second task that was rumored to be more difficult than the first. Thankfully the Champions had till February to prepare and the clue lay in the golden egg they retrieved from the dragon. However, it wasn't as easy as it sounded. For example Harry learned the hard way cracking the egg open wasn't the right route. Crabbe tried at it during the party his friends threw in honor of his victory and the egg let out a horrible, ear-splitting shriek that killed their eardrums.

There was also the matter of-

"The Yule Ball is two weeks away and you still don't have a date!"

Pansy once said whenever her voice grew louder it meant her caring grew deeper, which was a sweet, sentimental thought but Harry would have much preferred she showed that deep caring in the privacy of one of their dorms than laying it out in the open-quite loudly may he add-in the ballroom Severus summoned the Slytherins to during their free period. Her words practically bounced off the walls, drawing unwanted attention from his housemates who watched on, amused.

Dear Merlin, if there was ever a time Harry wanted to disappear, now would be a really good time.

Theo set down the book he was reading on his lap to give him a sympathetic pat on the back. "I know. Her mouth should be considered a plague of its own design."

Harry wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse that there was no one sitting between the two the way Pansy glared at him. "Your revolting presence should be considered a plague, just like your rank breath," She waved a hand in front of her face, shuddering for extra effect. "should be marked as the fourth Unforgivable curse."

"Oh, I can think of plenty that should-"

Severus intervened, drawling, "If you two are done?"

Flushed in embarrassment, the two as well as the rest of the house turned to the front where Severus stood, his black eyes scanning over their faces. One student sitting in the lower benches raised his hand and spoke when he was granted permission with a slight nod.

"No offense, sir, but why are we here?"

A black brow rose slightly. "I already suspected that your brain cells were failing. Now I can see that your eyes are as well." Red colored the boy's face as he slumped in his chair. "We are in a ballroom, where you will learn to dance. Any other questions-preferably non-idiotic ones." His eyes cut to the boy who flinched, sinking lower in his seat.

Draco decided to take a crack at it. "I think what he meant, sir, is this honestly necessary? Most of us are already familiar with balls."

Harry wondered if it was fate or choice that had a majority of purebloods be placed in the Slytherin house. Draco's comment, he imagine, would come across as snobbish but he was simply stating a fact. It practically seemed like it was a law requirement for pureblood heirs and heiresses to familiar and excel in a variety of dances, the waltz first and foremost. Along with etiquette and languages, that was another pureblood lesson Aunt Cissa made sure they were brilliant at, even though it did take Harry awhile to become more confident with his footing.

"The Yule Ball is a great, honored tradition that has been one of the top prides of Hogwarts for centuries. Although a majority of you are already familiar with balls and dancing, this is different. Eyes will be on you, linking every move and action you make to our school in general. I refuse to rely on memory alone and risk the Slytherin House beseeching its name by parading in there like a band of blundering, bumbling bamboos. The Gryffindors already succeed in that."

No one bothered to hold onto their laughter. Even Harry couldn't keep down his chuckles.

"During the ball, I expect each and every of you to conduct yourselves as presentable ladies and gentlemen. If to ensure that means revising familiar steps, then so be it. Now, which of you will be brave enough to act as the example?"

Pansy snatched Theo's hand and lifted it high. Theo tried to break free from her hold but-

"Nott, front and center."

"But-"

Severus cut him off with a glare.

Looking like he was heading off to death row, Theo shoved his book into a snickering Pansy's chest and climbed down the steps, over to Severus. His face bright red, he grabbed hold of one of his hands.

"Mr. Nott?"

"Yes?" he squeaked, setting off a roar of laughter among the Slytherins.

"While I applaud you for being a firm believer in maintaining personal space between you and your partner," Severus said. "I hope you realize that it will be difficult for you two to dance if the gap between you is big enough to fill a continent."

Even Harry couldn't hold his chuckles. Pansy most certainly let out her laughs out loud and proud, leaning onto Daphne for support to keep from falling over.

Mortified, Theo took slow steps towards their Head of House, excruciatingly-slow steps as if each one caused him great pain.

"Mr. Nott?"

"Yes?"

"You are aware that in order for this to work, your free arm that's currently dangling by your side will need to be around my waist."

Only Merlin knew how Uncle Severus managed to say such a thing with a complete straight face without his lips twitching or his voice cracking. However he succeeded, it was a trick he should consider teaching Theo whose face turned into a bright shade of red.

"I…I-I really wouldn't feel comfortable with that, sir."

The arched brow rose higher, decreasing the likelihood of Theo coming out from this little demonstration in one piece. "And you think that I am?" A trick question that would determine whether or not he'll see tomorrow if he answered it wrong.

Theo clamped his mouth shut and obliged, placing his other arm around Severus's waist, unleashing wave upon wave of laughter that went on like a tsunami.

"You're never gonna let him live this down, are you?" Harry asked Blaise.

The burst of laughter served as an accurate answer, followed by, "Never! You are looking at the image that will be splashed onto the Christmas cards."

Despite his mortification and the snickers, Theo got through his dance, barely missing a step or a beat. He did send a number of daggered looks towards them, particularly to Pansy, during his waltz that promised brutal, merciless suffering later on.

When the dance came to an end, Theo was all too happy to be released from Severus's hold.

"Though it took a century and a half for the dance to start," Severus remarked. "Not bad, Nott. You maintained good control and clear direction."

"The wonders magic can do for two left feet." Pansy snickered.

"Parkinson!" She flinched at the sound of her name. "Since you seem so zealous, perhaps you can demonstrate how a Slytherin lady should conduct herself."

"What?!"

Theo dissolved into laughter.

"But sir-"

Severus gestured towards the spot next to him. Whimpering, Pansy rose from her seat and walked over to him.

"And now," Blaise whispered as a miserable-looking Pansy placed her hand on Severus's shoulder while his arm wrapped itself around her waist. "I found the perfect picture to use for the Hanukkah edition. Nott will be thrilled."

Pansy's dance lesson was just as charming to watch as Theo's was, even more so since she missed a few steps trying to burn Theo alive with her heated glares, actually stepping on Severus's toes more than once, an incident that led to her head nearly getting chopped off. When she was through with her dance, Severus called all of them to the floor, ordering they be broken up into pairs. Theo and Pansy made a point of passing by each other with a sneer, Theo claiming Daphne as his partner, Pansy Draco.

Harry tried to shake off the odd, searing-cold feeling that twisted his insides as Pansy laid her hand on Draco's shoulder and Draco entwined his arm around her waist, bringing her closer to him, causing her scowl to melt into a smile that brought out another from his best friend. It was an odd feeling to have since Pansy was their friend, one whom they danced with at tons of balls with before, and that it was just a warm-up exercise. Yet the feeling remained, turning in his stomach like thread on a spinning wheel.

Blaise distracted him from his thought as he strode over to Harry, his hand stretched out to him.

Harry glanced at the hand, then up into his friend's mischievous eyes. "Not sure if you noticed, Blaise, but I'm temporarily handicapped." He gestured towards his cast.

"There are many things that can be accomplished with one hand," Blaise smirked, pulling Harry onto his feet, hand settled at his waist. "Including dancing."

The hidden innuendo behind those semi-innocent words wasn't lost on Harry. "You are completely shameless, you know that?" he said as Blaise began to lead.

Wickedness touched his smile. "You make it seem like that's a bad thing?"

A low growl rumbled in Draco's throat as he watched the pair, red coating his vision like a veil, the same crimson-red shade that would be pouring form Zabini's mangled corpse if the bastard smiled any brighter, leaned any closer towards Harry-

"Ow!"

Draco forced his gaze away from the pair over to Pansy, who broke her hand free from his grip, lightly waving it. "Squeeze my hand any harder and my crushed bones will become the new recipe for lemonade."

He spotted the bright red welts marked on her skin. "Sorry."

The dance lesson wasn't as horrible as Harry thought it would be. Theo and Pansy's waltzes with Severus would forever be a hilarious memory he'd treasure forever, saving it for gloomy days. Blaise was a nut, but gave him good pointers during their dance, gently reminding Harry to relax and not think too hard about his steps. The only foul thing about the lesson was it increased Pansy's obsession of the ball and his lack of date.

During study hall, she leaned in close and said, "Explain to me please, Potter, how you don't have a date."

Harry groaned. "Can you please just drop it?"

"Nope," she smirked. "You are one of the most sought out boys in this school. Dozens of people have asked you to the ball, a dozen more are waiting to be asked by you, and still nothing."

It did sound odd when she put it like it. It wasn't as if Harry had a shortage of possible candidates. Girls from Slytherin and the other Houses asked, some Beauxbatons girls, and even both girls and guys from Durmstrang asked him. The problem was he was picky. The ball was going to be nerve-wracking enough with those people staring him as he and the other Champions commence the event with the first dance. If he had to dance, then he wanted it to be with someone he could be comfortable. Someone who wouldn't mind if he accidentally stepped on their toes if he got too nervous.

Daphne smiled gently at him. "Isn't there anyone you want to go with, Harry?"

Harry's eyes drifted over to the Ravenclaw table, where Cho was giggling along with her friends. He caught her eye and a smile played on her lips. Harry was about to return the smile till Cedric stopped by the table, wrapped Cho in his arms, and dropped a kiss onto her forehead. Cho tried to push him off, but he was persistent, holding her tighter, dropping more kisses that landed on her forehead and nose and cheeks. With a half-sigh, half-giggle, she admitted defeat and responded to Cedric's attacks with a kiss to his neck.

Harry's would-have smile died before it even had the chance to come out.

"Well, isn't that sweet." Draco drawled.

"Just adorable." Harry dryly remarked. And clearly no longer an opinion.

He could have gone with Hermione but she already had a date, even though she was tight-lipped to reveal who it was. Ginny was going with Neville. Harry bit his lip, then released it, glancing over at his friends. 'What about you guys? You have dates?"

A harsh "Sssh!" cut him off. One glance behind him confirmed that the sound came from Severus, the teacher on duty for study hall, patrolling the area to break apart conversations and swerve heads back into their books.

Crabbe waited till Severus moved along before answering, "Me and Goyle are taking Millie and her roommate."

Pansy smiled. "I'm going with the other most sought out boy in school. Darling Dray."

Harry blinked, then blinked again, stunned. He didn't know about that.

"She asked me yesterday," Draco explained, then sent a glare her way. "Though she might not even have a date if-"

"Sssh!" Severus hissed, passing by.

Draco dropped his voice to a whisper. "She keeps calling me by that ridiculous nickname. You know how much I hate it."

"And still I use it." she smirked.

Blaise didn't answer when the question fell on him. He smiled across the table at Daphne and offered her his hand. She accepted it, warily though, with an eye-roll.

"No." Pansy groaned.

"I assure you, Pansy," Blaise smiled. "Daphne is in capable hands. I'll be a perfect gentleman, guaranteed to make her night very satisfying."

Daphne rolled her eyes again. "Highly doubtful, Zabini."

Blaise shrugged with one shoulder, the smile remaining. "Every victim's famous last words."

"So help me, Zabini," Pansy said. "If I lose my best friend because of your vast stupidity, I'll shove you cock into your arsehole and superglue it there."

A grimace crossed Draco's face, one that almost matched Harry's. "Thank you, Pans, for that charming visual."

One Harry already knew their minds would have a hard time erasing.

She shrugged, indifferent. Harry shuddered as the image popped into his mind. Shaking his head to rid himself of the disturbing picture, he asked Theo, "What about you? Who are you taking?"

It was the second time that week Theo turned bright red, the color filling his cheeks. "I'm going with…" He then ducked down his head and mumbled something under his breath so low, even Harry who was sitting right next to him couldn't hear it.

"Who?"

"Spit it out, Nott." Pansy demanded.

Theo took in a deep breath and started over. "I'm going with Padma Patil."

"Her?!" Pansy's shriek was so loud, dozens of heads swerved over to their direction.

"No, McGonagall," Theo snapped. "Yes Padma."

That was certainly a surprise, but then again as Harry thought over it, the news wasn't exactly shocking. Theo ran into Padma at the Alexandria library over the summer and the two grew close, bonding over their great love of books and knowledge. Sometimes Harry came across them at the library, laughing and chatting over a passage from a book. "That's great, Theo."

He smiled, but then smile quickly soured to a frown as a snort ripped through Pansy's mouth. "What?"

"Nothing. Just wondering how many times you had to beg and grovel until the poor dear finally took pity on you and said yes."

"Infinitely less compared to the number of times you got down on your knees for Draco before he finally said yes to shut you up."

Growling, Pansy grabbed hold of Theo's ink jar and flung it at his face, coating him in dark-blue ink.

"My eyes!" Theo yelped, wiping furiously at them. "You goddamn blasted, wretched-"

"ARSE!" Pansy exclaimed, grabbing her things and storming out from the room.

Theo muttered up a storm of venom-laced words as he wiped himself off with a few cleaning spells.

"Well, that was certainly entertaining." Draco smirked.

"The only thing missing is a hex and a-urrgh!" A forced grabbed hold of their heads and shoved them down, nearly pressing their noses onto the table.

"If I have to come back here one more time because you brats can't keep your mouths shut," Severus warned. "You will have a lot more to worry about than craned necks."

He pressed down on them for extra measure and moved along. Groaning, the two raised their heads and massaged their poor necks.

"Isn't he just charming?" Draco remarked.

Harry grunted in reply, working through the kinks in his neck. His eyes drifted back to the Ravenclaw table, then slide down to the right end where one girl with diry-blond hair sat alone in her own corner, bobbing her head to whatever song she was listening to in her mind.

It was then that an idea struck him.

After study hall, Harry broke away from his friends and chased after Luna who was skipping along the halls. It was a bit of a challenge keeping up with her in such a crowded halfway but thankfully her long, dirty-blond hair stood out as well as her bright-pink trainers.

"Luna!" he cried.

She stopped mid-skip and looked over her shoulder. A soft, serene smile curved her mouth. "Hello Harry."

Harry walked over to her slowly, thinking over the best approach to pose the question. Aunt Cissa always said it was proper to engage in small talk about friends or activities, and then slowly slide the question in. Hermione was a firm believer in the direct approach, stressing that time was the upmost importance and shouldn't be wasted trying to fit in a question. For the sake of time, he went with the latter. "I was wondering...if you'd like to go with me to the ball?"

For a moment, Luna stared at him blankly as if her mind went into a deep sleep. After what felt like a long hour, she blinked her eyes, the smile back on her face, blossoming like a flower. "I would be honored to."

Harry let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, his shoulders sagging in relief. "Great. Should I pick you up at your dorm? Say around seven-thirty?"

"Alright," Her smile grew. "That should give me enough time to put myself together and have the spray ready."

Spray? "Do you mean perfume?"

Luna shook her head. "Oh, this isn't the type of spray for body odor. It's for the Nargles."

Harry felt his brows furrow in confusion. "Um, Nargles?"

"Irksome creatures. Quite crafty too. Hard to see, even harder to be rid of. And since you have dark hair, you're in greater danger since they're fond of brunettes. I'll make a large bottle just for you."

What on earth could one say other than an awkward, "Thank you," after hearing a statement like that.

It seemed to be the right answer since Luna gave one more smile, waved, and continued her skip down the hall. Harry watched her go with a small, fond smile and turned around-

To find Draco there behind him, leaning against the wall, looking less and less happy as the seconds ticked by. "Lovegood?"

Harry wasn't sure what to make of his tone. On one hand, it wasn't exactly cold but on the other it was far from warm too. Carved with a certain edge that was definitely a brow-riser, chirping out Luna's name. An edge that didn't sit well with Harry. "Pansy," he reminded with a frown.

If anything, that made Draco more annoyed. He pushed himself off the wall and stared at Harry for what felt like long hours, breaking through the silence when at last he said, "I'll see you back at the room."

"Draco-"

He was already walking away.

Harry stared after him, dumbfounded. What the hell just happened? Why did that happened? Draco was going to the ball with Pansy, an invitation he accepted without mentioning it to him. Harry needed a date and figured Luna was perfect. Luna, who was an odd but nice girl. Luna, who was simply a good friend he knew wouldn't care if he missed a step or two if he got nervous. They both had dates. Things were fine, good, and all set.

So why did that odd feeling come back? A bizarre feeling he couldn't shake off that was similar to the odd iciness pricking his stomach when Draco and Pansy were paired up during the dance lesson but more heavier, weighting down on Harry's insides like a marble-ball. Why did he feel so strange? Almost…guilty as if he committed a great crime but had no idea what he done?