Disclaimer: JK owns all...

Thank you, beloved reviewers! I want to dedicate this penultimate chapter to Indiscreet Midnight, who always reviews...cause I like that!

Also to Woodcrazy who hates Lucy, and might hate her even more in a spangled yellow dress...and to Valinor's Twilight, who likes Stalker!Tom...thank you all for the encouragement over these last few weeks. It is much appreciated!

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Part Nineteen

Last Dance

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Why did Lucy Louisa Rosier always wear yellow? I marvelled at the girl's seeming ability to select the one colour of them all that did not suit her, and wear it to almost any occasion. I knew , of course, that it was her House colour, but that was surely no excuse for social occasions? This time, the robes were fashioned from a kind of floaty tulle, such as Muggle dancers wore in the ballet posters I had seen outside the London theatres. It reached her mid-ankle-she must have been only a few inches shorter than myself, for a girl, she was tall. The bodice and straps were festooned with canary-coloured sequins, with the familiar indiscreet plunging neckline. She wore no wrap, which would have made the too-revealing outfit a little more bearable, and her hair was pinned up with an enormous roll on the top like some kind of affected screen starlet. It would have been impolite to openly curl my lip in distaste, but I was forced to summon up supreme self-control as she chose that moment to simper at me and ask "How do I look?"

I smiled at her. "You look lovely, Lucy." I lied smoothly, as I offered her my arm and we walked through the double doors into the Hall.

The ceiling was bewitched to look like a clear, starry, summer night, and the hall itself decorated in the four house banners, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, the walls ablaze with green, yellow, blue and red. There was a long table with drinks in the far corner, and small chairs and tables had been set in circles around the edges of the dance floor.

The other prefects and their partners were standing ready to begin the first dance. Hastily, I swept Lucy toward the others.

O O O O O

Like everything else, I could dance well, something that had come naturally to me as of course, I had never been taught. Lucy was also a good dancer, fortunately, and it went a small way to make up for her lack of taste in clothing. She smiled happily and laughed as she twirled and I caught her as the song ended. She leant against me, for a second, but I quickly stepped away, looking around the room for the face I really wanted to see.

"Are you looking for Abraxas?" asked Lucy, suddenly.

"Pardon?" I asked her, polite, but still distracted. I couldn't see Laura. Probably, she wasn't coming, or she'd be here by now. Likely she had gone to bed.

"Who is he going with, anyway?" Lucy was speaking to me again.

"I don't know," I told her truthfully.

She took my arm again and we walked around the edge of the dance floor. I had just offered her a goblet of what looked like juice when I saw Abraxas Malfoy slip into the Hall, but he wasn't with a girlfriend, he was with Apollonia, his sister. I would tease him about that later.

I caught Lucy's attention, seeing as it was obvious Abraxas didn't want to be seen, and pointed him out to her, with a perfectly straight face.

"There's Abraxas, Lucy." I told her. "He's just arrived with the love of his life."

"Who?" Lucy asked, at once, jealousy evident in her high whining voice.

"His sister." I answered. "You should go and talk to him, you know."

"You…you don't mind?" she asked, tentatively, after a moment's thought.

"Not at all." I told her, absolutely honestly. I was desperate for a cigarette, desperate to get away from her, and desperate to see Laura.

Catching sight of my reflection in one of the mirrored pillars around the room, I smoothed my hair and adjusted my collar. When I looked back, Lucy had occupied the seat next to Abraxas, and the two were talking in low voices, heads together, as Apollonia looked furious, until a boy from Ravenclaw approached and asked her to dance with him.

She hesitated, and then stood up, looking shyer than I'd seen her, and a little flushed high on her pale cheeks.

I watched the two of them approach the dance floor. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Professor Dumbledore tapping his foot and nodding along to the song, which sounded suspiciously Muggle-like. Then, quite suddenly, I saw the door opening again, slowly, and framed in it... was Laura.

O O O O O

I wasn't even sure it was her, at first sight….she looked so much older, and beautiful, too.

Her dress was simple, sheer, white and artfully cut under the bust, with long fronds of fabric at the back, reminiscent of some Seventeenth Century French gown.. She'd pinned up her hair,only a few strands hanging down loose around her pretty, pale face, the glint of silver visible at the back. For a moment, I was struck by the overwhelming desire to kiss her neck again, like I used to. I stayed where I was, though, as her eyes moved slowly across the room, I knew she'd get to me eventually. Though in a manner of speaking, she already had.

I was ready, though, When finally she looked in my direction. Her eyes locked with mine across the crowded hall. For a second, it was just us, no-one else, nothing at all, apart from me and her and our shared secret. And I almost began to walk over to her, cross the distance between us, and hope for the best.

Until William Tisker ruined it.

He must have seen her come in too, and seen where she was looking, because he gave me a scornful glance and took her arm, pulling her away.

I had been glaring at the back of Tisker's expensive royal blue dress robes for almost a full minute by the time I realised what I was doing. Lucy Louisa was still with Abraxas, but I didn't care about that. I left them to it, and turned away, with the intention of finding a dark corner in which to lurk and watch, but it was not to be.

A seventh year Hufflepuff with violent red hair and almost as tall as I was, had approached, and duty bound as I was to be the honourable prefect, I obliged her with the next dance, and the next. A part of me hoped that Laura was watching me. I gave the red-haired girl a charming smile, and learned that her name was Minette. Minette had come without a partner, and was clearly trying to rectify the situation by the way she was flirting with me, but at the end of the next dance, I made my excuses.

I gave a quick glance around the edges of the dance floor, amongst the gaggle of students looking awkwardly around at each other on the sidelines, expecting to see Laura some way off, likely still sitting with Tisker, but I couldn't see where she'd gone.

I gave another cursory glance. I couldn't see Tisker, either.

The band switched over to a slow, romantic ballad, and a few couples drifted nervously away from the floor.

And then I saw her. And she was dancing. Dancing with Tisker. I felt the anger rise….I felt certain she must be doing it on purpose, to make me jealous. She was succeeding, then, because I was furious, my left hand twitching towards my wand, and only controlling myself by contemplating reprisals upon Tisker. Even as I watched, Tisker leaned over, whispering something into her ear. She laughed, and he pulled her a little closer to him.

Hating her, I slipped behind one of the huge pillars in the corner of the Hall and watched them, feeling pathetic and livid at the same time. Lucy Louisa was now dancing very close to Abraxas Malfoy, who was trying to get his hands anywhere he could, so I was guessing they had settled their differences. Minette the Hufflepuff was now bravely attempting to dance with Dolohov, who seemed to be continually stamping on her feet.

I watched as the song came to an end. Laura pulled away quite quickly from Tisker, who tried to pull her back. She looked like she was muttering an explanation, looking awkward and making a vague gesture. Tisker appeared to nod, and walked off into the corner, presumably to get drinks. Laura didn't follow. She watched him go, and then turned and walked away…..straight past the pillar I where I was--no, not hiding, that would be ridiculous.

I waited until she was an arms reach away, then put my hand out quickly, seizing hold of her wrist.

"What the…?" she exclaimed, as I yanked her behing the pillar with me.

"Hi." I smirked. "Sorry to spoil your fun."

Her lips thinned and she looked both frightened and furious.

"I knew it would be you." she said angrily.

"So, you were doing that on purpose, then, were you?" I questioned, with equal fury. "Knowing I would be watching you, was that it?"

"No, that was not it." she hissed, looking behind her to make sure no-one was around to overhear. "He's quite pushy, in case you hadn't realised."

"I thought you liked it. You certainly looked like you did."

"Oh, really." She went to pull her wrist out of my hand, but I held on. "Get off, Tom."

"Do you want me to deal with him for you, then? Get him to leave you alone?" I asked nastily , twirling my wand in one hand.

"No. It has nothing to do with you."

"On the contrary," I said "It has everything to do with me." I looked down at her hands, that she had folded over her stomach, and she didn't miss the meaning.

"Just……don't, all right. Don't. Stop talking about it."

" It won't go away not talking about it, pretending you and I are over, Laura."

"We are." she said, shortly, looking away. "The fact you won't help me doesn't mean I've changed my mind. I haven't. I'll find another way."

Her words made me feel slightly sick, and there was silence for a long moment as I looked at her and she just returned my stare, not wavering, not flinching, no malice. Just telling me, and that was all. I couldn't bear this, this…..indifference.

"Dance with me." I said suddenly.

She looked at me as if I had said the most peculiar thing, a little incredulous, like she might laugh, but thought better of it.

"I'm not dancing with you." she said, finally..

"I want you to." I leaned closer to her, almost desperate. I still hadn't let go of her wrist.

"Well, I don't." She clenched her teeth, and tried to pull her arm away again, but I held on.

"Dance with me, Laura. You never know, I might leave you alone then."

She shook her head. "You're a liar, but then I knew that already," she muttered. "In any case, I feel too sick."

It was my turn to disbelieve her now."I'm the liar?" I questioned sarcastically."I don't get things wrong, Laura. I made that potion perfectly. I'm right about you, too."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I know you want to be with me." I said, watching her eyes carefully. "And I want to be with you. So why fight it? We were meant to be. You said so yourself."

"You're scaring me."

"I haven't even begun."

"I know what you're really like, though, don't I?" she said, slowly. "I know. And if you think I'm stupid enough to trust you again after what you've done…..all the things you've done………she smoothed her dress over her abdomen where the small swelling was not quite visible, yet. then you're quite mad."

I saw her eyes shift from me to the door, and back again. I knew she was trying to judge how quickly she could get away from me without making a scene, but I wasn't going to let her. Not yet. Taking advantage of her moment of consideration, I took the opportunity to gain possession of the other hand.

"One dance, then….and it's over?" I asked her, quietly, looking deep into her eyes and lying to her ………again.

She looked back at me, slowly shook her head, and suddenly, I saw tears in her eyes.

" One dance, then." she whispered, very low, and let me lead her to the dance floor, her small hand feeling hot in mine.

The band was playing a slow, romantic number, and by now, no doubt with the assistance of Butterbeer, many couples were entwined on the dance floor. Professor Slughorn was even dancing with Madam Finnelly (though it did not appear to be to the tune the band were playing at that moment) and strangest of all, Dolohov was busy kissing the Hufflepuff, Minette, who seemed to be suspended in a state of shock.

I ignored them all, turning Laura to face me, and from the moment I took her waist, and she put her arms over my shoulders, there could have been only the two of us in the room.

O O O O O

She was tense, under my arms. I put my hand out to touch her hair. I would have liked it to have been more intimate, this dance, but instead it just felt cold, like a joke, gone badly wrong. I stroked the sheer fabric of her dress at the small of her back, run my fingers down. I knew she felt it, but she didn't look at me.

And it didn't last. The slow beat of the music came to an end, and before I could stop her, she had slipped from my grasp and was walking quickly towards the doors.

Pushing through the crowds, not caring anymore, I followed, only to feel a hand on my own shoulder just as I reached the exit. I swung round angrily, and found myself face to face with Abraxas Malfoy.

"What, Malfoy?" I snapped irritably.

"Have you seen Lucy?"

"Of course I haven't seen her. Not since earlier, at least. I thought she was with you?"

"Well, you're meant to be her partner tonight. So I thought….."

"Obviously then, you were wrong." I cut in.

Malfoy paused, obviously framing a question. It came.

"Why did you ask her to go with you, anyway? You don't even like her."

I gave him a nasty smile. "Why? Well…let's see…..because I can? Because I knew she'd say yes? Or maybe I did it just to infuriate you? Why, Abraxas? Do you want to perhaps duel me again? For the fair lady's hand? For her honour? If there's any left of it, that is, which I doubt."

Abraxas shifted uncomfortably in his expensive, highly polished shoes.

" I know what you're after." he said, after a pause, and he looked like he was going to smile, maybe an attempt at macho camaraderie. Gods. I looked away from him in disgust.

"You have no idea what I'm after, Malfoy." I told him, coldly.

I pushed past him, leaving him there with his mouth slightly open like a fish out of water, and crossed the entrance hall, looking to see where Laura had gone. There was nobody there, the foyer quite deserted, but as I approached the staircases leading to the upper floors, I heard voices coming from behind one of the tall stone columns...

To be continued in the final chapter...very soon...