Chapter 20- Yule Ball

That morning Malik was the first to awaken. Normally this was not the case. Malik preferred to stay in bed as long as possible, especially in winter when it was freezing outside the warmth of his bed. However, this morning was going to be different to any other morning. As soon as Malik had regained consciousness he sprang out of bed and shouted, "It's Christmas!"

Upon hearing this shout Marik jumped from his bed and shouted, "It's Christmas!" He then proceeded to run out and around the common room repeating this phrase.

Seto exited his room, an angry scowl on his face. "For the love of everything technological and sacred will you shut up!" he said with barely controlled fury.

Marik took no heed and instead caught Seto in a bear hug. If Seto's arms hadn't been immobilized he would have bashed Marik's head in until he had…more brain damage than before.

Luckily for Seto that was about the time Bakura entered the common room. "Marik shut up before I rip out your voice box and castrate you!" he growled. Marik immediately went silent. As an afterthought Bakura added, "And put the priest down – you don't know where he's been."

Marik unceremoniously dropped Seto on the floor before rushing over to join Malik by the fire where the presents had been placed. Seto stood up and dusted himself off, wishing it was that easy to get rid of the Marik germs. "Thanks," he growled under his breath, hoping Bakura wouldn't actually hear it.

Bakura did hear it though and smirked. "You're welcome," he said before walking over to the present piles.

When everyone had assembled the shredding began. Those who didn't open their presents quick enough were helped along by Marik who only glanced at his own presents before moving onto the next.

When that was finished and all presents had been hidden somewhere safe (Yami had seen Bakura staring at the occult card that had come in his Duel Monster pack) it was time to give thanks for the presents. Yugi had already started writing letters to his friends back in Domino who had sent their presents through Grandpa. To contrast this Seto hadn't uttered a word of thanks; although he did hiss a threat at Malik who had given him a rather disturbing picture that he could only have produced on Seto's precious computer.

They then got dressed and headed outside. It had snowed the night before and it had been agreed that there would be a snowball fight. The only problem was that there were arguments over who should be on which team. Bakura and Yami wanted to be separate captains; nobody wanted Ryou or Yugi because they were usually pacifists and had bad aim; and Seto wasn't interested at playing at all.

Eventually the problem was settled. Bakura's team included Ryou, Seto and Marik; Yami's team included Yugi, Jou and Malik. They were given five minutes to get into position or think up a strategy. After that it was going to be all out war.

In the end there was no clear winner. Both teams were drenched in melted snow and frozen. There had even been some fighting within their own teams. Seto had wanted to get Marik back for earlier so he had thrown a particularly large snowball at him, hoping to use the excuse that he had confused him with Malik.

Unfortunately this plan backfired since Marik turned and threw his next twenty snowballs at Seto, thinking he was the enemy. Marik had only stopped when one of Jou's snowballs hit him because he was then occupied with pelting Jou with snow.

After the truce had been called but before they went in the Ishtars had tried to bury Yami in the snow but their plan was foiled by Yugi and Ryou. The two blonds had raced back to the castle when they were caught so that they would be the first ones into lunch. After eating they hoped the hikaris would have forgotten all about the little incident.

The rest of the day was spent preparing for the Yule Ball. There were fights over the showers and Seto's newly constructed hair dryer. Even Seto's straightening irons weren't safe from the Ishtars, though why they wanted them was anyone's guess when they actually seemed to like their mad standing up hair.

By Eight O'clock they were all groomed and ready. Malik and Marik had settled their purple dress robe arguments by going in different shades. Malik was in a light lilac and Marik in a dark violet.

Seto had gone with one that resembled his trench-coats. It was dark blue with the classic caught-in-the-wind look. Jou had gone for something in a plain green colour, not really bothered about looking flashy.

Yami had gone for a gold and red robe that screamed 'ex-pharaoh coming through'. Yugi had bought something in dark blue and hoped no-one would remark that he was back to wearing his school uniform.

Bakura was clothes in black, an evil smirk on his face as he revealed Ryou to the others. Jou's jaw dropped when he saw what Ryou was wearing. "Is that a dress?"

Ryou, in his light blue ball gown, was frowning deeply. "Bakura insisted that I wear it to appease the teachers."

"By insist do you mean steal your other robe, order a new one from the robe maker then replace it with the dress so you had no choice?" asked Malik.

Ryou's eyes narrowed. "You helped him!" he accused.

Malik quickly shook his head, remembering just how evil Ryou could get when he got mad. "I didn't help him, I swear! I'm just very good at guessing; like Jou."

"Hey!" Jou knew an insult to his duelling skills when he heard one.

"Can we go already?" asked Yami impatiently. "Unless someone needs to use the bathroom we should leave or we'll be late."

"I need to use the bathroom," said Marik.

Everyone waited but he just stood there. Finally Yami lost his temper and shouted, "Well go now then you idiot!" Marik made a sound like an injured puppy and ran to the bathroom. Yami rolled his eyes and turned to Yugi. "Can we go now?" he asked.

Yugi nodded and followed Yami through the portrait hole. Everyone else followed them except Malik who was waiting for his partner. They headed down to the entrance hall where all the other students were waiting for the doors to the Great Hall would open. As soon as they were spotted Professor McGonagall captured Bakura and Ryou and dragged to the side of the doors so that they could enter last with the rest of the Champions and partners.

At eight O'clock sharp the doors opened and everyone milled into the Hall. The gang found a table big enough for everyone and sat down. They were joined a moment later by the Ishtars. At the table next to them they noticed Ron but none of the rest of the trio was in sight.

Once everyone had been seated the Champions walked in. Ryou couldn't help but blush since it seemed like every eye was on him. He could imagine what they were all thinking: Ha ha, look at that idiot in a dress. It was so embarrassing.

"Don't fret Ryou," Bakura whispered in his ear. "If anyone dares to mock you I'll cut out their tongue and if they stare too long I'll gauge out their eyes."

Ryou was oddly comforted by this…macabre vote of confidence. He shrugged off the embarrassment and took the seat offered to him by Bakura up at the high table. From up here he could see everyone. He could even see Yugi giving him a small wave. Ryou waved back and smiled.

After a meal where to order you spoke to your plate (or argued in Bakura's case – it was unwilling to give him uncooked meat) the tables were brushed against the walls and the champions walked out onto the dance floor. To the side Yami was sniggering. Yugi looked at him with puzzlement on his face. "What's so funny?" he asked.

"Bakura having to dance," Yami answered. "I don't think he even knows how to dance let alone how to do it properly. This is going to be fun."

"That's not very nice Yami," Yugi scolded.

"Bakura laughs at my expense so I should also be allowed to laugh at his expense," Yami defended.

Out on the dance floor the music began. To Yami's absolute amazement Bakura did know how dance. It amazed everyone else even more that he was actually a good dancer.

"I thought I'd heard music and Ryou saying something about his toes," Jou said as his eyes followed the pair's movements.

"So that's where my CD player went to," grumbled Seto.

"And we thought they were having sex when they disappeared out of sight for ages," Malik said while Marik nodded in agreement.

Yugi smiled in an un-Yugi-like way. "Maybe this will teach you that it's wrong to delight at other people's misfortunes."

Yami glowered. "Why do the gods hate me?"

"Because you're a pompous ass."

"And now they're going to make you dance."

Yami looked at Yugi in horror. "You don't want to dance do you?"

"Yes. Why? Can't you dance?"

"Not to this," Yami muttered.

"Then let me lead," he said before dragging Yami out onto the floor.

Bakura chuckled evilly as he watched his friends walk out onto the floor. "How many of them actually know how to dance?" he asked.

"I think only Seto and Yugi know," Ryou answered.

"Idiots, they should have learnt how. They knew they were going to a Ball after all and what else do you do at a Ball?"

"Some people aren't as clever as you Bakura."

"You think I'm clever?"

"In an evil sort of way."

Bakura smirked. "I think you need to be rewarded for saying that," he said before sweeping Ryou off the dance floor towards a vacant patch of wall.

Meanwhile, Yami was having trouble with his dancing. It didn't help that he was taller than Yugi or that Yugi only knew the basics. Yami knew Yugi's toes were going to be sore in the morning because he was continually stepping on them. One thing was for certain, he definitely wasn't the Dancing King.

Jou was having better luck avoiding Seto's toes. Then again he had more incentive to avoid them as well as Seto being more cautious as to where he put his feet. Plus, after being invited to many Balls and parties Seto was an excellent dancer and a good teacher. He also got a strange sense of enjoyment over Jou doing everything he told him to. Not that this was different from everyday life but this time there was no argument over who was right (Seto) and who was wrong (Jou).

Malik and Marik didn't know anything about dancing and so had become a whirlwind of disaster. It started off accidental, knocking people over when they lost their balance. Now however it was the best game in the world. Run across the dance floor and knock them over. They would call it Dance floor Skittles. No, it would be Dancing Bumper People!

It would annoy everyone.


Harry was sitting with Ron at one of the tables. Ron was going on and on about how Hermione had betrayed them by going off with Krum, how she had ruined their friendship, how she had destroyed something sacred, how she had sold herself out, blah, blah, blah.

"For God's sake Ron will you stop bitching about Hermione!" Harry finally snapped. "Bitch about somebody else. Like Malfoy – he's always good to bitch about. After all he's a disgusting, stuck-up, racist Slytherin who nobody likes. I bet everyone hates him, even his minions and that ugly Pansy cow. She's like one of those fan girls that are always chasing Ryou and Bakura. She's so clingy but I bet she doesn't like him; just like he doesn't like her! I bet he only puts up with her because he needs to look like he has friends. He might even pay her for it because, like he's always boasting, he's so rich. God, just thinking about that bastard makes me sick; talk about someone else instead because I just can't cope with hearing anymore about him."

Ron was giving him an odd look.

"What?"

"You've thought about that a lot haven't you?"

"What's your point?" Harry grumbled, not willing to answer the question.

"Well they do say that hate is close to love. The only thing that's different is the actual liking of each other."

"Just like you and Hermione then?"

Ron let the subject drop.


"Just look at him Pansy," Malfoy said as he glared across the room at Harry. "Potter's got that look in his eyes again. It's the look he gets when he's mad and ranting. He must be talking about me – he hates nobody more than he hates me. Stupid Potter doesn't know what's good for him. He should worship me not hate me. We could be great together. But that pigheaded idiot won't accept it; he hangs out with losers like Weasley instead, he…Pansy, are you listening to me?"

Pansy turned around. "No, you were ranting about Potter again so I thought you wouldn't notice." Her eyes narrowed suddenly. "You're always talking Potter you know. You talk about him more than me – your girlfriend. I'm supposed to mean the world to you but instead it's always Potter this, Potter that. What about me!?"

"Pansy you know you mean more to me than Harry so why are you getting angry?"

"Harry?"

"I mean Potter! I said Potter didn't I? I meant to say Potter! Potter is Potter and nothing else! He is stupid, arrogant, a goody-goody! He is nothing to me!"

"Is he ugly?"

"….Yes?"

"You hesitated!"

"Did not!"

And so the fight continued.


Professor Snape was not in a good mood. All the excited teenagers annoyed him. Those teenagers who were excited and kissing were particularly annoying so he had decided to rid the world of those kissing couples. All he had to do was walk around the perimeter of the Great Hall and separate them.

Snape's plan was going well until he reached a white haired couple. The action between them was getting rather…hot. Snape knew these two needed to be separated. But something held him back. Something wasn't right.

Then Snape remembered. These were two of the Domino students and they were all boys! It was two boys making out in-front of him!

Snape, suddenly feeling sick, decided he needed some fresh air.


Since their attempt at dancing had failed Yami and Yugi had headed out to the garden. It was beautifully decorated with flowers and fairy lights and other decorative things. It had been so magical that they couldn't help kissing in the moonlight.

Seto and Jou had followed tri-coloured haired boys outside into the garden. Not because Jou was crushing Seto's feet but because the Ishtars were repeatedly bumping into them when they were dancing. To control their homicidal urges they had left the Great Hall. Now they also followed the demands of their hormones and made-out under a tree.

Professor Snape had come outside to be calmed and the night air had done just that. Now, he had the urge to be evil and break up the kissing couples out in the garden. His first few victims ran away as soon as they saw him or when he blasted the rose bush next to him with his wand. But then he came upon a couple kissing on a bench. It wasn't hard to guess who it was. There were only two people in the world with star shaped hair.

Snape ran for it. His short run brought him upon another couple. Normal looking hair meant that he was safe to part them. He grinned evilly, firing his wand at the tree trunk above them. Both looked up in surprise and Snape realized he had made a mistake. They were both male!

Snape ran for it. Seto and Jou looked at each other. They shrugged and went back to playing tonsil tennis.


Ryou pulled away from Bakura, breathing heavily. "I think we should take this somewhere a little bit more private," he suggested.

"But I don't want to let you go," Bakura whined.

"I doubt our passion will end before we're locked away in the privacy of our room," Ryou said, running his finger down Bakura's exposed chest.

Bakura considered this. "It would stop others learning my secret sex techniques."

"That it would."

"Then let's stop talking and move!" With that Bakura took Ryou's hand and led him out of the Hall and up the stairs towards a passionate night.


It was midnight – the end of the Ball. Malik and Marik climbed the stairs back to their room cheerfully. They had had a great time annoying people and now it was time for bed; not to sleep though.

"It sounds like the others are having a good time," Malik commented as they heard the sounds coming from behind the closed doors.

"Want to join in the fun?" Marik asked, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Do I ever!" Malik said before dragging Marik into their room so that they could join in the act that takes two. And I'm not talking about dancing.


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