Chapter 12: The Yule Ball

The evening of the Yule Ball arrived, and Peri returned to her dorm room after taking a long walk through the crisp weather. She was putting off getting ready as long as possible, as she already wanted nothing to do with the tournament, especially wearing a dress that made her look like a fairytale princess. As soon as she was in her dorm, she spotted a parcel on her bed. She crossed to the room to her bed located closest to the large window looking into the Black Lake. She then began to remove the brown paper, once unwrapped she read the writing on the top of the box. It was a language she did not recognize… an old Wizarding language, perhaps. She raised a brow in confusion as her dress for that evening was currently tucked into her wardrobe in the crisp white box in golden writing with Madam Malkin's logo on top. She lifted the lid of the mysterious revealing a dark, forest green dress with black lace, and a corset bodice. She took the dress carefully from the box moving to the full-length mirror and holding it up to her. The dress was pants with a skirt overlaying it, this was her. The bodice had beautiful hand-sewn lace, not a piece of pre-made fabric attached to it.

She placed the dress on her bed to undress from her regular clothes. She slipped the dress on magically tying the corset in the back before approaching the mirror to examine herself fully. It fit her like a glove, she looked up to see Pansy entering through the reflection in the mirror. Pansy gasped, "Peri! That is beautiful! Did Madam Malkin design this?" She approached her in a hurry running a finger along the thin black straps that looked to be as thin as a piece of fishing line.

"I do not know…I came back inside the dorm and found the box on my bed."

The two looked at Peri's bed as Pansy crossed to the bed lifting the lid to view, giving another gasp, "You have a dress from them?!"

"Who are they?"

"The most ancient dress designers in the wizarding world. My mother has tried they won't even design for the sacred twenty-eight. They are very difficult to find, their location is never given out."

Peri looked down at the dress, "Who gave it to me then?"

"Your parents?" Pansy asked, crossing back to her, carefully touching her dark hair.

She shook her head, "No, my mom was insistent I wear the blue one."

Pansy shook her head, "You looked like a cupcake. Not you, perhaps Hallie Porter, but not you. My mum and grandmother wanted me in a cupcake dress, but I convinced them to do that for Grandmama's New Year's Eve party…" she paused before speaking, "What about your dad?"

She was confused, "Richard?"

Pansy gave her a look through the mirror, "Not that dad."

Peri raised a brow, "Professor Snape?"

Then she suddenly remembered the small pieces of words spoken just to her since she became a champion. The potion to help protect her from burns…she was the only champion to leave that task without a single injury, then he asked about the color of her dress and the mutter he had under his breath. Now the dress that fit her was upon her… a dress more fitting to her.

"Are you going to wear it?" Pansy asked as she gave her cousin's hair a triple braid bun style.

Peri nodded, "I am…I know what to do with the other dress."

She slipped the dress off once Pansy finished her hair, putting a cloak on, and pulling the hood on to remove the view of her hair from everyone. She left the dungeons making her way to the Fat Lady who guarded the Gryffindor common room. She gave the password, "Peri, you are not a Gryffindor and…"

"I have a gift for Holly. I will be just a minute. It is for the ball."

The Fat Lady gave a nod then the portrait swung open, "Peri," Holly questioned from her bed where she was reading a book in the dorm she shared with Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati.

"I brought you a gift."

She placed the box containing her original dress on the bed in front of her, "Peri, I have a dress."

"You have a pink dress."

"Indeed…pink has been my color since we were young. You have been blue, Hallie has been purple or lilac, even lavender if we are getting specific. Mallory…"

"Blue as well, lighter blue but blue. Alicia is dark pink."

Holly lifted the lid, "This is your dress…"

"I have another dress. Be the princess in your own story."

She closed the lid, "But you have my prince."

Peri sighed, taking a seat next to her, "And Angela is going with mine."

"George?"

She nodded, "My heart breaks knowing especially since she is only with him because he looks like Fred enough. She still treats Hallie as if she is stupid…ok maybe she is most of the time, but just because she won the heart of the man she likes does not give her the right to treat her rudely. I do not love Draco, but it is better to see him dance with me a few times than watch him dance with Pansy."

Holly looked at her, "Cinderella does get her prince in the end."

"She just has to lose her shoe first then he searches the entire kingdom for her," she magically pulled a pair of glass slippers from the air.

They laughed together, "I will wear the pink tonight, but at the New Year's Eve ball, I will wear this. I hear he will be there."

Peri hugged her sister, "You will be beautiful either way…I am sorry you never got a date."

She shrugged, "It is fine. I never expected anyone to ask me, I am only going because you are a champion and Cassie says it would look bad if I did not. Give the paper's reason to gossip as to why a member of your family is not in attendance."

"We will take some pictures then you can leave within the hour."

"I will bring a book."

Peri laughed, "Of course, you will."

She hugged her before returning to her common room.

The evening came off the ball, she waited in the common room for Draco. He approached her looking confused, "I thought you said we were wearing blue…" he indicated to his tie that it was an icy blue.

Peri pulled her hand from the pants of her dress, which had pockets on them. She gave the tie a flick, watching the color switch from icy blue to forest green, "There you go…" she bit her lip, "Will you be at the Rice Family's New Year's Ball?"

He chuckled to himself rolling his eyes, "I attend it yearly…well the Christmas one. It is your 'debutante ball' as well, yes?"

She groaned, "Yes. I just wanted to be sure you would be there as a certain someone will be there."

He looked down at his tie and then at her, "I will be there."

She smiled then offered him her arm, "Shall we?"

He took it and then began to lead her out of the common room up to the main floor where they made their way to the Great Hall. "You look very handsome, by the way," she whispered to him as they walked. He was wearing black velvet dress robes with a high collar and his now forest green tie.

"You look very…" he stopped spotting Holly standing closest to Alicia, she appeared to be babysitting while Cassie and Richard greeted everyone. Holly stood in a blush-colored dress, a simple a-line dress. No elaborate details, just simple.

She smiled, pulling his attention away from her and approaching her mother, "Mom…"

Cassie gasped, "What happened?"

"I was given a new dress."

"By who?"

Her eyes turned to Snape watching over the students enter the Great Hall, his own eyes fell onto her and it appeared to give a slight smile. Barely noticeable, but it was there enough for her to notice. She looked back at her mother, "It was a gift by…"

Cassie had followed her daughter's line of vision before wiping back to her, "Change. Now."

"No!" She snapped a little louder than she wanted, "You might have been treated like a doll that can be controlled and changed, but now me. You want that life then find another daughter that will not be me."

She pulled Draco to get in line for the Champion's entrance, "Ah! Ms. King. Mr. Malfoy," McGonagal said approaching them, "You will enter in behind Ms. Delacour and Mr. Davies."

The two nodded, approaching the grand oak doors closed to them while the other guests stood inside waiting for the Champions to enter. They stood behind Fleur and Roger. The doors opened applause sounded with the joyful music played as they entered. It was no surprise to anyone that Draco was her date, it had been known to everyone since the announcement. She heard people discussing someone's date behind them. She knew Harry had Ida, simply to please Sirius and Remus. Apparently, it had been a request from both of them that he escort her to the ball. Cedric had Cho, much to Harry's disappointment she had heard from Holly because he had wanted her.

They reached the large round table at the top of the Hall, they gave a bow to the judges before taking their places to begin the opening dance. She looked around, the walls were a sparkling silver frost with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing over the ceiling. The music began, and she was thankful at this moment for all the dance lessons she had been forced into while in America by Richard's parents. She had been given etiquette lessons since she was eight years old. His eyes drifted from her to Holly standing closest to one of the walls near the door alone almost everyone had a date, but those who did not have one ignored her.

The dance finished, she gave a curtsy to Draco and he gave her a bow. He led her off the floor, "Excuse me…" he stepped away approaching one of the Durmstrang students who did not have a date. He spoke in hushed tones to him, then shook his hand. She noticed he had slipped something into the man's hand, before making his way to the punch bowl. He returned with two glasses as she noticed the student Draco had just spoken to make his way to Holly offering her his hand. She accepted it after glancing toward Peri and Draco, she gave Holly a small nod.

"Shall we?" Draco asked after quickly finishing his punch.

She finished her drink, "Yes."

They made their way to the dance floor again for another waltz. It was the traditional Viennese waltz. It was a dance to exchange partners, Draco must have known this and it would give him a chance to be with Holly. To dance with her without anyone questioning it. The partners switched, and she smiled watching them then paused noticing her new partner. George.

"George…" she spoke in a hushed tone.

His steps were not as graceful as Draco's, "Peri."

She looked into his light brown eyes, "I am sorry for getting mad at you and Fred about…" she turned her attention to Fred and Hallie, off the dance floor who were dancing on their own instead of the waltz. She was laughing and smiling, while he seemed pleased to have her happy.

He spun her pulling her back to him this time closer to him than he had before, "I do not want them to believe me. I would hate it if someone commented on Ginny even if it was a joke. They may not have a large age gap but if they are anything like us they will not be able to…"

He stopped as Draco stopped by them, "Forgot the steps?" he questioned.

George looked between them, said nothing just bowed to her slightly before stepping off the floor. The dance concluded by switching to a more upbeat song,
I think I will sit this one out…go dance with your friends."

Draco looked over his shoulder at his friends dancing, "Should the champion of Ilvermorny be on her own?"

She shrugged, "I would like to speak to someone."

He nodded moving into the crowd as she approached Snape standing up where the head table usually was, "Pro…"

Snape's dark eyes turned towards her before returning to watch the students, "Ms. King."

"I wanted to ask you something."

He raised a brow still not looking directly at her, "Yes?"

"My mother's parents…they host a yearly Christmas Eve ball…well New Year's Eve ball this year."

His eyes drifted across the room to where Cassie was being spun around by Richard, her smile happily placed upon her face. His eyes drifted down to his feet; she could feel his mood change from basically no emotion to sadness. "I am aware of the ball. Your mother never enjoyed them when we were in school. She would try to remain here with…with the Porter twins' mother."

"My godmother, Ann."

He gave a small nod returning to watch the students dance, "Why are you asking me about this ball?"

She swallowed, "It is being considered my debutante ball…I am being presented to society I suppose. Not sure why my mother's parents want to present me when they disowned her for having me. Only attempting a relationship when she entered a relationship with my stepfather, who he then banned from having a relationship with us until recently when this ball came up." She took a deep, "My father is supposed to walk me in and dance with me."

His eyes darted again towards Richard and Cassie, he clenched his hand into a fist, "Your stepfather I presume will be that person."

"He is supposed to…" she paused, and he turned to look at her fully, "but I want you to be the person who walks me in and opens the ball with a dance with me."

He was speechless, "I was never…"

She cut him off, "No, you were not. But you are my father, you have protected me this entire time I have been a champion, despite me not being allowed out of the tournament. I want you to be my father for at least this singular night."

His eyes returned across the room, "What does your mother say?"

"I do not care. I am not a doll to be controlled."

She turned to see Draco approaching, "They are wanting pictures with the champions and their dates."

She nodded, "Certainly," she took his arm beginning down the steps.

"Ms. King," Snape began making her and Draco turn, "Alright."

She gave a small smile with a nod of her head understanding pulling Draco to the entrance hall where Rita Skeeter would be taking portraits on the staircase. She took traditional American-like prom pictures, she knew what these looked like from the Ilvermorny prom hosted each year. She never attended, but always watched the students take pictures.

"Ms. King, look into Mr. Malfoy's eyes. Show us how much you love him; we want to feel this young love in the pictures." Peri looked across the entrance hall to the doorway of the Great Hall seeing George watch her, "That is it! Now, look at Draco!" She turned to look at Draco looking with love in her eyes at him, but her feelings were for George not him.

The two separated, "Punch?" he asked

She nodded as he re-entered the Great Hall she then made her way over to George, "You and Malfoy…are dating?"

She looked around them, before nodding her head for him to follow. He followed her the way to the Slytherin common room, she gave the password allowing them both entrance into the room. He took in the room around him, the dark Slytherin green decorated throughout with dark furniture. While their Christmas decorations remained silver and icy.

"Why am I here?" he asked her in a hushed tone as if they would be caught any moment.

"We are alone in here…everyone else in the house is either at the ball or home for the holidays. I wanted to ask you something."

He raised a brow at her, "What is it?"

"Will you be my date to the New Year's Eve ball? Hallie has already asked George. I believe Holly has asked Harry…although I believe he declined her."

"What about Malfoy?"

"I do not love Draco. I love you!" she took a step back realizing the words that had escaped her mouth, "I'm sor…"

She was stopped in her words as his lips touched her own, "I love you, too." He spoke against her lips before returning to her lips.

Her hands moved around his neck into his shoulder-length hair, that was actually nicely combed for once. He moved them together stumbling onto the black leather sofa, his body fully above her own. Even with their stumble their lips remained connected. He raised slightly panting against her, she caught herself nearly gasping for air at this point. She slipped her hands under his dress robes feeling the mussels of his Quidditch abs. His brown eyes danced across her, she began to feel his hand trace up the lace of her corset. He placed his head against hers. His breath misted against her ear, as he began to trail a hand up her thigh, "What do you want?" he asked her with a slight smirk.

She was about to respond when she heard the common room door open, "Oh my! Peri!" Draco snapped turning around holding his hands over his eyes, "I thought you went to lie down. Not get laid on."

Peri turned bright pink, her face heating up. "What is it Draco?" she squeaked.

"They want to have more pictures of the champions enjoying themselves on the dance floor."

She looked up at the ginger still hovering above her, "Be right there."

Draco left the common room as George pulled her to a stand, "If we can't even do anything how are Fred and Hallie going to?" he joked as they exited.

"Please do not remind me that tonight is the night my sister loses her virginity to a man she just began dating in September."

"And…you started shagging me and we were not dating then."

"Then? Are we now?"

"You said you loved me I just assumed…"

He smiled, "Alright, but the papers need to believe I am with Draco though."

He was confused but went along with it as she noticed Fred and Hallie sneaking up one of the side staircases. She rolled her eyes rejoining Draco in the Great Hall.