Chapter Nineteen: The Yule Ball:
Harry was nervous, the Yule ball was coming up and he had never in all his life realized how many girls there were in Hogwarts. They were everywhere, giggling in the corridors, studying in the library and in his classes! Already Ron had asked Hermione and she had said yes and Ginny had a date as well and would not say who with. Harry Potter however did not have a date and he was worried, it was going to look very bad if he showed up alone. He was heading to his Defense class when he spotted her. There with a group of Ravenclaws was Luna Lovegood. However she had changed, gone was the little girl he had known these past few years and in her place was a young woman. She had used make-up to accent her already pretty face, her once nearly transparent eyebrows were a soft taupe and she had a hit of color on her pretty white cheeks. Harry gulped and walked up to her nervous as he could be. She turned and smiled and he nearly melted then and there.
"Hi Luna, um you er want to go to the ball with me?" Harry asked and he was sure she could hear his heart beating it was so loud in his ears.
"Of course I would Harry!" She said smiling her face lighting up, as a third year the only way she would get to go to the ball was with an older student. "I would be honored."
"Brilliant, that is great!" Harry said grinning.
"See you in potions, after we can talk?" She said (she was a year ahead in potions, Snape was one of the teachers that allowed students who were above their classmates to skip ahead if they were that good and Luna Lovegood was).
"Yea, yea that would be great!" Harry said.
He nearly floated to his next class and Remus smiled seeing the flushed face and dreamy look in Harry's eyes. He had worried for Harry but know knew his ward had a date. He would have to get Sirius under control as he would tease Harry about it he was positive about it. Yet he did not have to worry about Sirius teasing Harry, he didn't tease him and Remus knew with out Sirius telling him that his best friend was dating. Remus wanted to know who it was but did not ask as Sirius would tell him in his own good time.
A few days later Draco and Hermione met in the corridors outside Flitwick's office. There were heated words exchanged and Draco called Hermione a mudblood. At once Hermione had her wand out as did Draco. Harry, Ron and Neville watched this but dared not get involved as they saw what the Draco and Hermione did not, tiny Flitwick hurrying out of his office. It was at this moment Hermione and Draco cast spells at each other. Hermione's turned Draco's hair pink, his was worse, it hit her in the face and at once her teeth started to grow. With a wave of his wand Flitwick stopped Hermione's teeth from growing and turned Draco's hair back. He looked disappointed, not mad, not upset but disappointed as he walked up to the teens.
"Five points from Slytherin and Gryffindor for fighting in the halls like common hoodlums." He said. "As for you young man."
"She started it!" Draco protested. "She cast her spell at me first."
"I heard what you said young man." Flitwick said. "I am most ashamed of you young Malfoy, using such a wicked term as that. You are a smart boy, very smart and insulting and belittling is not something you should do. Would you like it if someone ridiculed you?"
"No sir." Draco said quietly.
"Then as a lesson I must take five more points from Slytherin." Flitwick said. "I hate having to do it but your actions were appalling. I want you to think before you to speak in the future."
"Yes sir." Draco said.
"Now all of you need to get to your classes." Flitwick said to the teens, "all but you Miss Granger, I must restore your teeth."
She followed him into his office and as she had never been here before she looked around. It was scaled to fit him perfectly yet it also was designed with guests comfort in mind as well. The walls were lined with books, most magic, a few muggle. The stone floor was covered in a rich forest themed rug and over the fireplace was a picture of a lovely older woman and Hermione knew it was Flitwick's late wife. Flitwick was very good with charms and in a few minutes he had fixed Hermione's teeth. He handed her a mirror and she looked at her teeth and gasped, they were perfect!
"I may have gone a bit over board." Flitwick said.
"No sir, thank you sir." Hermione said.
"You are welcome, you must have another class?" He said.
"Yes sir." Hermione said walking out of the office and almost running into Snape. "Professor Snape."
"Miss Granger." Snape said as she hurried off.
"What can I do for you Severus?" Flitwick asked the tall head of Slytherin, mercy could he try to smile more? Life was hard but did not have to be so serious! He got some cups of tea and levitated one up to Snape. "Sugar or milk?"
"This is fine, why did you take twice as many points from Draco as Miss Granger?" Snape asked.
"He called Miss Granger the m word." Flitwick said. "I will not even say that horrid word."
"He did after I warned him not to?" Snape said looking very upset. "You were far too light on him then."
"You know I have a hard time taking a lot of points at once." Flitwick said.
"Yes I know." Snape said remember his days at school. "I was surprised young Potter and friends did not gain up on Draco."
"No doubt Harry would have been in trouble if he had." Flitwick said. "Besides he knows that is wrong."
"Indeed." Snape said.
He left as he had lots of potions to brew. A few would be for himself as he knew he was going to have a massive headache after the Yule Ball. Severus Snape rarely got drunk at all. His father though a very loving man had been an alcoholic, it was his only vice. In the end he had gotten liver cancer from it and it had killed him in Snape's last year in school. His mother, so deeply in love with Tobias had followed soon after, she really had died of grief. Just because Snape had grown up in a poor household did not mean he was unloved, quite the opposite in fact. Still he had done all he could to make money so as never to be poor again. His expensive black woolen robes and perfectly fitted dragon skin boots gave testament to his comfortable state in life now.
Two weeks later was the Yule ball, students were looking forward to it and the staff was bracing themselves for an interesting night. Harry met Luna in the entry hall and could not keep his eyes off her. She had curled her hair and put it up artfully and she was clad in a gown of shimmering silver. Harry wondered if his simple bottle green dress robes would pale next to her and he found himself not caring if they did. Next to her stood a beautiful girl Harry did not recognize at first, she was clad in a gown of pale blue and her brown hair was done up on her head. As Harry got closer he saw it was Hermione as Ron was standing by her in his navy blue dress robes.
"Luna you look amazing!" Harry said.
"Thank you Harry, you look handsome." Luna said. "Hermione helped me."
"I think you helped me more." Hermione said.
"Look who Fred and George are going with." Ron said.
All four looked and saw Fred and George walking down the stairs with the Patil twins. Fred had Padma who was clad in a gown of bright red, the other Parvati in a gown of bright blue. Both twins were clad in navy robes similar to Ron's and they came up grinning identically. Padma and Parvati looked as if they had won the lottery as they clearly liked Fred and George. The doors to the great hall opened and the champions with their dates went in first. First Victor Krum went in with Lavender brown, he was clad in red robes, she in light pink. Next came Cedric in robes of Purple with Cho Chang in robes of lavender. Last was Fleur in shimmering robes of gold and who should be with her but Bill?
"No way, how did he, he doesn't go to school here anymore!" Ron stammered.
"Yea but he did, and she has a right to ask who she wants." Hermione said.
"But, but with Bill?" Fred said.
"Yea he is not even that good looking." George replied.
"Look in the mirror." Ron shot at his brothers.
"That was cold." Harry said grinning.
They entered the hall and Harry was still mildly interested in who Ginny was with. He took a seat at one of the small tables set up around the room and looked around. He saw Ginny at the same time Ron did and both felt their jaws drop to the floor. Ginny was beautiful in a gown of pale green and she was walking in with Draco Malfoy! Harry wanted to go over and take Draco out, how dare he date his sister! For of course Harry saw Ginny as his sister as he had grown up with her. A hand on his arm made him look over at Luna who was smiling softly.
"It's nice to see inner house relations." She said. "I like seeing Gryffindor and Slytherin get alone."
"But, that is Draco Malfoy!" Harry said.
"She has a point." Fred said.
"Yea, she could learn about his seeker style then we could use it against him next year." George finished.
"Besides she is happy." Hermione said.
"If he hurts her." Harry said. "He will have all of use to deal with."
"He is too smart." Luna said. "I think he is very brave and noble to want to date Ginny. He would not do so if he did not really like her."
"You are very smart Luna." Ron said smiling.
The dinner part of the ball went very well, each person had a menu before them that they ordered their food by speaking what they wanted to their dish. Harry enjoyed his pork chops and Luna got the fish. When dinner was over the tables were cleared and the dance began. Harry saw Neville, in green robes with Hannah Abbot in robes of light yellow dancing together and a few of the teachers danced. Harry saw Remus with a young woman he did not know at all. She did not look much older than him and she had long dark brown hair, a sweet pale heart shaped face and laughing blue eyes. Sirius Black was dancing with Rita Skeeter!
"Is he insane?" Ron said to Harry in a break from dancing.
"Yea he is." Harry said. "But I love him just the same."
"Snape looks almost happy." Hermione said.
"Yea he does." Fred said.
"Wonder if it has anything to do with Professor Burbage?" George replied.
"He has been paying attention to here quite a bit." Harry said. "I er have to get something to drink."
"Me too." Ron said catching on to Harry confronting Draco.
"We are right with you." Fred and George agreed. "You ladies need anything?"
"No, please don't start a fight." Hermione pleaded.
"We will not." Ron said.
Draco was no fool, he knew this was coming, after all Ginny had lots of brothers and he was in the opposing house here at Hogwarts. Bill had come over and was talking to Ginny and Fleur floated over to the tablet the girls were sitting at. Draco stood his ground and looked at the Weasleys and Harry coming over to have a "talk". Snape was watching too, if this got violent he would step in heads would roll. Draco found himself surrounded by several redheaded boys and Harry. Ginny stood glaring at her brothers, how dare they come up like this!
"So you are going out with Ginny." Ron said glaring at Draco.
"Why don't you ask Ginny if we are going out." Draco said.
"He asked me to the ball, I warned him about you lot." Ginny said. "Draco said he didn't care, he had to go to the Yule Ball with the prettiest and nicest girl in Hogwarts!"
"Well Draco Malfoy you are very, very brave." Bill said. "As the oldest I give my consent you can date our sister, but if you hurt her I will make your life hell."
"I could not hurt her." Draco said. "She would kill me before you ever got to me."
"Don't think this means we like you." Ron said.
"Agreed." Harry said. "You are still a prat."
"Fine, Ginny would you care to dance?" Draco asked Ginny.
"Of course Draco." Ginny replied.
They walked onto the dance floor and began to dance. Snape was impressed with Draco's arrogance or was it bravery? He had after all come with a pureblood witch that came from a long line of strong capable purebloods. She was probably, besides her mother the strongest in magical ability in the family. The boys went back to their dates and made sure they made the rest of the evening as fun for the girls as they could. One thing was for sure, school was getting more and more interesting…
I could see Draco wanting to date Ginny. She is after all a pureblood just like him. Just because her family is not rich does not mean he could not wish to date her. This is a brave thing he is doing, after all Ginny has seven brothers (that is counting Harry) who would defend her if Draco stepped out of line. I see Bill as a fair man and as the oldest what he says his brothers have to go by. In a very traditional family as I am sure the Weasleys are traditional in that the eldest son is in charge after the mother and father. Then there is Ginny, she can defend herself very well thank you! Besides Draco is a cute boy and she would be attracted to that.