Year Four: The Goblet of Fire

The three magical schools of Europe compete for eternal glory in the form of the Triwizard Tournament. Death Eaters are rising, gathering followers to join Voldemort. Dark times are approaching, threatening everything Marie loves. It's time for bravery. To be the light in terrible darkness...

Chapter Thirteen-The Yule Ball

Christmas morning was upon them in a flurry of days. Owls were delivering posts as well as dress robes, and accessories every morning at breakfast. Pansy practically squealed when her parcel arrived, showing Marie the light pink material but she snapped her box shut when Draco tried to look over and see what she had gotten. The short haired girl was very adamant about their dates being completely oblivious as to what they would be wearing.

"I would like you to be completely stunned by my startling beauty when you see me walk down the stairs," she had explained with a huff as if it was common knowledge. Draco huffed in return.

"That's hardly fair, you've seen my dress robes already," argued Draco. It was true, the blonde had been sent his dress robes just a few mornings ago. They were a deep black velvet with a stiff high collar and it was bound to be flattering on him. Since Pansy wasn't budging on the topic, he looked around her to Marie.

"What about you, Marie? What did mother send you?" he asked. Marie kept the package tightly closed on her lap as she shook her head in return.

"Sorry, Draco. You heard Pansy, no hints," she teased.

It was true that Mrs. Malfoy had sent her dress that fateful Christmas morning. To be honest, Marie was starting to worry that she had come off as presumptuous and vastly rude when she had sent her owl, Sebastian, out with the request for a dress. She almost didn't send it, she felt so guilty for asking once more of the Malfoy family. She was about to use her own savings and purchase a dress in Hogsmeade before Draco practically forced her hand to "just write the bloody letter!". Narcissa had responded in a timely manner, agreeing to her request without any qualms whatsoever. The blonde reassured her that his mother was thrilled to buy her a dress, just as she was excited to send Draco his dress robes. It was what she liked to do and she loved it when everyone looked their best, especially for big events such as the Yule Ball.

The whole castle was abuzz with the excitement of the Ball that was to begin that evening at eight o'clock sharp. Dresses were hanging, hair products were at the ready with makeup standing by. It was all anyone could talk about, what they were wearing and who they were bringing. Word of Marie and Marcus attending the event together spread like wildfire through the Slytherin House and then leaked to the other Houses, quieting the attention the male population was paying her as a female champion. Which was a welcomed relief.

The fourth years had been playing outside in the snow, using magic to amplify their snowball potential when a teacher wasn't patrolling nearby. They were all pink in the face from the chill and laughing heartily as Crabbe and Goyle fell victim to Millie's net of snow that caught them from all sides. Once they had caught their breath, Pansy shared a knowing look to the other girls.

"Well, as much fun as this is, we better start getting ready for the Ball," she announced, hands on her hips.

"What do you need four hours for?" asked Draco incredulously. "It's doesn't start until eight!"

Pansy walked over to Marie and gestured to her misbehaving hair. "We need to get this under control. So, if you don't mind." She linked arms with Marie and steered her toward the castle.

"I like my hair, thank you!" defended Marie. Pansy gave her shoulder a soft pat.

"Of course you do."

Unfortunately, Pansy was quite right. Marie's hair was rebellious and hated to be tamed. It allowed her bangs to be relatively normal but the rest of the length was typically free to do what it liked. The last time that her hair had minded anything was back in first year when she had been invited to the Malfoy's New Year's Ball and Millie's mother had used magic to make it cooperate.

After showering once more and drying her hair, Pansy had her take a seat in front of the vanity that was provided for the girl's dormitory. No one else was getting ready as they were starting early. Marie didn't have any image for her hair for the big night, she really couldn't imagine anything than it usually was. She was quite fond of her hair, no matter how often her friends teased her about it. She could see Pansy in the mirror and she was staring hard at the head of long dark hair before her. After a few moments, she spoke.

"All right. I've got something in mind." She picked up a comb and pulled the purple jar labeled Sleekeazy's Hair Potion toward her. For some reason, Marie felt an overwhelming sense of foreboding as her friend rolled up her sleeves.

"This might hurt."

Evening fell faster than anticipated as the Slytherin House was rushing about to get ready. Marie's hair had taken the longest, as was expected, and she was instructed to sit on the edge of the bed and not move, and for the love of Merlin, not to touch her hair. She kept still as she watched her friends do their hair, her own scalp burning from where Pansy had taken on the challenge and pulled, twisted and finally pinned Marie's infamous hair in place. Millie had pulled only part of hers back and loosely curled the length, pinning it with a bronze clip to set off her deep maroon dress that was very flattering. She was wearing flat shoes as she didn't want to add to the height difference between herself and her date, Theodore Nott.

Pansy's hair, on the other hand, took no time at all as it was short in length and easy to manage. She had parted her hair farther over than usual and it gave the look as if was an angled cut from left to right and she kept it where it should be with a set of sparkling pins that glimmered of their own accord. Her dress was pale pink and edged the neckline in some sort of frilly design and the girl was completely in love with it, taking every opportunity to check herself in the mirror.

Marie kept her gaze low, avoiding looking at the full mirror or the one on the vanity. She had kept her eyes closed while Pansy was doing her hair, but that was mostly due to pain. When she was done, she didn't want to look, claiming she wanted the entire outfit to be a surprise. Even when she put on the emerald dress she barely opened her eyes.

She couldn't explain it. The butterflies in her stomach were working overtime and the back of her neck felt strangely cold as all of her hair was pinned up. It was all such an odd sensation. Her hands trailed over the silk like material of the dress. It was incredibly light and almost felt like water when she first touched it. Her breathing sounded shaky as she wiped her sweaty palms on the bed cover rather than on the dress. It was so out of her comfort zone, away from her books and layers of her school uniform and robe. She was used to being in the background, it was her role and she accepted it. After all, she was nothing more than a shadow compared to the ever famous Harry Potter.

And now, everyone would have their eye upon her as the champion for Hogwarts...

"Any time now!" called Draco from the bottom of the girl's staircase as the clock ticked closer to eight o'clock.

"We're coming!" Pansy returned with a roll of her eyes. With one last look in the mirror, she smirked and vanished down the stairs to properly dazzle her date. Millie gave her friend a reassuring smile as she too took a breath and disappeared.

Inhaling shakily, she slowly rose up from the bed, her heels clicking against the floor as she stood at her new height. Taking careful steps, she finally walked up to the mirror and gasped at the sight of her own reflection. She didn't even recognize herself. Gone was the rambunctious hair she loved, and in it's place Pansy had crafted a braid to begin at her left temple, wrapping around her head to collect in a full, braided bun of sorts. Not a single hair was out of place and she could even see some of her forehead as her bangs were brushed over to the side, giving a more dramatic angle and working in the same direction as the braid. Her makeup was minimal, a thin strip of eyeliner, a touch of blush and a quick wipe of some kind of pale gloss.

And the dress. Mrs. Malfoy really outdid herself in selecting the perfect dress for the girl. It was a rich green color throughout as the length barely dusted the floor with the help of her heels. The dress wasn't overly large or layered, in fact it was very slimming as it clung to every curve Marie didn't know she had due to the silk material and formed a lovely silhouette. The neckline was some degree of sweetheart, as Pansy called it, while there was a sheer layer that provided extra modesty by adding a wide collar and cap sleeves, adorned with small green stones that matched the dress in circular designs.

Was this really her?

"Marie? Are you coming?" called Pansy.

Hurrying to the staircase, she kept a worried hand on the rail while the other lifted the length of the dress slightly, the slit that ran up to her left knee moved with the adjustment and allowed some of her pale leg to show. Doing her best not to fall in the new shoes, she inhaled deeply as she finally made her way downstairs to meet her friends.

Heart pounding as she rounded the corner, she peeked out into the common room where the others were milling about and chatting. It was such an interesting sight to see everyone sporting a variety of colors and all dressed very nicely. She hadn't realized that she had stopped on the steps, using the vantage point to see everyone. What brought her back into focus was when Pansy gave a whisper and the rest of her classmates turned to look at her.

The silence was deafening.

Marie felt the heat rush to her face, terribly embarrassed. Did she really look that strange? Her footsteps sounded awkwardly loud as she made her way down the remaining steps and cautiously approached her group of friends. The staring continued and her face felt like it was burning, but it was Draco who snapped out of it first.

"You look stunning, Marie," he told her. Some of the tightness left her chest as she smiled.

"Thank you. You're looking especially handsome as well," she returned. He gave a smirk and stood up even straighter, preening.

"I like to think so." Giggling, Marie started to look around the common room for her date.

"Have you seen Marcus yet?" she asked when she was unsuccessful in locating him. It shouldn't be a difficult task, it was impossible to ignore the seventh year's presence. Had he changed his mind? Her pulse skittered at the thought while her face paled.

"No, I haven't," he answered. Draco checked his watch and tapped his foot impatiently. It was getting closer to eight and Marie couldn't be late as the champions were opening the Yule Ball.

There was a shuffle of movement by the stairs and Marie quickly turned around to see Marcus descending from the boy's dormitory. His dress robes were dark as well, accented with deep grey as highlighted by the cravat tied around his neck. He cut a nice figure as well, the dress robes fitting him properly rather than being too stiff or too tight. It took him a moment to find Marie and soon enough, he was walking right up to her. She could have met him halfway but she wasn't quite certain how to move her legs. The butterflies in her stomach seemed to flutter at a higher rate now as she smiled up at her date.

"You're very handsome," she heard herself say. Her face grew hot as soon as she realized what she had actually said. She meant to say that he "looked" handsome. While it wasn't untrue that she found the Flint heir attractive, she was supposed to keep that fact to herself.

Marcus barely heard her as he stared, surprised by her appearance as well. Silence hung between them for a short moment before Draco announced that they were heading to the Great Hall and everyone began to move toward the door. Shaken out of his stupor, he offered his arm to the champion. Still blushing, she looped her arm through his, hand gingerly resting against the crook of his elbow. Though she was mildly hurt that he hadn't said anything about her appearance, she smiled up at him regardless.

The walk was relatively quiet and she felt so much more confident in her new shoes with the added support of Marcus' arm. It didn't seem to take much time for the Slytherins to arrive at the entrance hall where the rest of the students were gathered. It was quite crowded, with students with dates from different Houses edging past everyone to reach each other. The large doors to the Great Hall were closed which allowed the excitement to build up. The giant front doors then opened and everyone turned to look as the Durmstrang students entered. Professor Karkaroff was in the lead, followed by Aleksander Bolokov, and then Viktor Krum as their champion, his date a very pretty witch, Marie thought she recognized, wearing blue. Just behind them, they could see that the lawn closest to the castle had been transfigured into a type of grotto filled with fairy lights. Fairy lights were quite literal, there were hundreds of fairies sitting in the rosebushes and fluttering overhead.

Professor McGonagall's voice sounded above the noise. "Champions over here, please!"

Marie tightened her grip on Marcus' arm and the taller boy looked down at her in question.

"You all right?" he asked. The first thing he said to her all day and she felt some of the nerves lessen their grip at the sound of his low timbre.

"Yes, thank you," she smiled. With that said, the pair moved toward McGonagall and the students parted to let them through once they saw Marie.

McGonagall quickly explained that the champions were to wait on one side of the doors while the rest of the students went inside as they were to enter in procession once everyone was seated. Fleur Delacour and her date, Roger Davies from Ravenclaw, stationed themselves near the front so that they would be the first to enter. The Ravenclaw Quidditch captain could barely take his eyes off Fleur as she was very lovely in her silver gown and he hardly seemed to notice anything else. Next stood Viktor Krum and his date and Marie was so startled that she didn't recognize her earlier. Hermione Granger was the date to the Durmstrang student and looked positively gorgeous in her periwinkle-blue dress, her own hair twisted back into an elegant knot at the back of her head. The two girls exchanged a wave, so stunned by the state of the other's hair it was almost comical how different they looked. Looking back, Harry had taken the last post as champion with his date Parvati Patil, fellow Gryffindor, and she was dressed in pink with gold woven into her braid and gold bracelets on her wrists.

When the students started to file into the Great Hall through the partially opened doors, Marie could feel Marcus stiffen as they slowed down to study the champions and their dates. Sensing his discomfort, she brought her free hand up to touch his hand that was clenched tightly into a fist. When he glanced down at her, she smiled and he relaxed his hand, taking the tips of her fingers in a light hold. This seemed to set him at ease while the students paraded by, openly gaping. As soon as the last student was seated, the large doors were thrown completely open and the champions made their entrance.

Everyone applauded loudly as they walked in, and Marie was in awe at the state of the Great Hall. The walls were covered in sparkling silver frost while hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy criss-crossed the ceiling that was clear that night and dazzling with stars. The House tables had been removed as well and in their place there were maybe a hundred circular tables, fitting a dozen people each. Fleur and Roger lead the way toward the head table where the judges and the former champions were standing and waiting for them. With her back straight and head held up, Marie was very pleased that she hadn't tripped, thankful for the support of Marcus, who seemed slightly less tense than earlier, still holding her hand. She even managed to smile as they approached the top table.

When they reached their table after what felt like the longest walk, she could see that the empty chairs were placed in between judges so the champions were not all sitting together on one side of the round table. Mr. Bolokov remained standing as he pulled out a chair for Marie to take and she smiled as her cheeks tinged pink from his favor.

"Hello, Mr. Bolokov," she greeted. His close trimmed beard twitched as he smiled as well.

"You look lovely, Marie," he said.

"Th-thank you, sir." He glanced away from the champion and looked to her date and Marie quickly jumped to introductions. "Marcus, this is Aleksander Bolokov, former champion for Durmstrang, and Mr. Bolokov, this is Marcus Flint, my-date," she said, tripping on what Marcus was to her.

Marcus extended his hand and the two wizards shared a firm handshake.

"Nice to meet you, sir," said Marcus.

"And you," smiled Bolokov. He paused for a moment, staring hard at the Slytherin. "Flint? I feel like I should know that name."

Marcus looked to Marie and she racked her brain as to how Bolokov would know the name Flint. The connection then came to her as her eyes widened in mild surprise. "Oh, Marcus' father is Mathias Flint, the successor to Tess Andrews in the Ministry."

"Ah, that would be it," he agreed. He was smiling but it seemed slightly strained. Everyone took their seat and Marie could see that Harry and Parvati were sitting beside Percy Weasley. Since Ludo Bagman was clearly present with his purple robes with gold stars, the girl assumed that the former Gryffindor was standing in for Mr. Crouch.

"Do you know why Weasley's here?" Marcus asked in a low voice, spotting the recent graduate. They had been in the same year but Marcus was held back while Percy excelled in his field.

"He works for the Ministry now. I'm assuming that he's standing for Mr. Crouch," she answered as best as she could. The red haired was busy talking to Harry with a level of smugness even she could see. "You could ask him. I'm getting the feeling he'd love to chat about it."

Marcus gave a soft snort. "No thanks. Rather not be bored to death." There was heavy sarcasm but underlying it was something else entirely. He didn't look up at Percy again, looking to the menu instead.

Each golden plate had a menu as there was no food sitting on the table. Glancing at each other mildly confused, it was Dumbledore that solved the lack of food. He studied his menu before speaking very clearly to his plate, "Pork chops!" and the desired food appeared on his plate. Getting the idea, the rest of the Great Hall ordered accordingly.

The top table bubbled with conversation: Percy talking about the Ministry to Harry, Hermione and Viktor in deep discussion, Karkaroff talking with Dumbledore about keeping school secrets, while Aleksander and Mei chatted quietly. Even Fleur was talking with Roger as she criticized the Hogwarts decorations in comparison to the ice beauty of Beauxbatons. It was strangely quiet between the two Slytherins while they picked at their meals, Marie's stomach still filled with butterflies.

"So..." Marcus cleared his throat before he started again. "So...how're you liking the Malfoys? Living with them, I mean." She looked up, startled that he had started the conversation.

"Oh! Well, they're...they're very kind for taking me in," she answered with some pause. He smirked, hearing her hesitation.

"But...?" he encouraged. She glanced around quickly before realizing that her friend couldn't possibly hear her.

"Well, it's rather...boring..." Marcus actually snorted into his water goblet at her response, making Marie quickly cover her mouth in attempt to quiet her own giggles while Percy gave a disapproving glare from his side of the table. Quickly using his napkin to clean off his face before anyone properly noticed, he looked back over to her, smiling now.

"Boring? That's what you have to say?" he asked, still laughing lightly. Marie blushed despite her own laughter.

"Well, I think that's the nicest word for it," she said, ignoring her dinner now as she leaned toward him. "It's all the formality and proper protocol, it just makes it-"

"Cold and emotionally detached?" supplied the seventh year. Her eyes widened in surprise. He smirked in return.

"It's the standard for every Pureblood family," he answered without being asked. "It's not surprising, honestly."

"I assumed it was a kind of pretense," shrugged Marie. "No one can be entirely detached."

He scoffed. "I should introduce you to my mother sometime. She's as warm as I am short."

Marie thought back to the Quidditch World Cup where Mrs. Flint had given her a piercing glare when Marcus left the family to say hello to her. "So, not at all?"

"Not even a little." He took another drink from his water goblet and when he set it back down, the stem was warped and started to fall. Both reacted quickly, catching it before it fell and spilled over the well dressed table. Marcus cursed under his breath. Thinking quickly, Marie pulled her goblet over as it was empty and swiftly poured the remaining drink inside and traded with Marcus, setting the ruined chalice in front of her plate instead.

Aleksander Bolokov noticed the damaged cup and raised a brow. "Everything all right?"

"Yes! Sorry, I-I was just so thirsty, must've gotten carried away," covered Marie, smiling brightly. "I forget my own strength sometimes." Mr. Bolokov gave a knowing wink and returned to his conversation with Mei Fang.

Releasing the breath she was holding, she looked back to Marcus to find him staring at her in surprise. Before he could say anything, the tables cleared and Dumbledore rose from his seat and asked the students to do the same. With a wave of his wand, the tables zoomed back to line wall, leaving the floor completely clear. He then conjured a raised platform along the right wall, along with musical instruments such as a set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes. The Weird Sisters then took to the stage, welcomed by a hearty applause.

Marie and the other champions rose to their feet, dates standing beside each of them. The lanterns at the other tables had dimmed, leaving the floating ones above the floor. Heart beating hard within her chest, she was relieved when Marcus took her hand as they descended to the dance floor. The four couples had spaced themselves out in the open area and with the eyes of every fourth year and up, they took their positions. Marcus' hand took her waist and some of her shaking subsided, slipping her opposite hand into his large one. Taking a deep breath, she looked up to that he was a little uneasy as well. She gave a nervous smile which he somewhat returned. She could have sworn that the tops of his cheeks were pink, but that could simply be the fault of the lighting.

Finally, the music started.

It was a proper and formal tune but Marie was only vaguely aware of it. The people staring and whispering, the other champions, it all sort of melted away. She was only aware of how she and Marcus were moving. The first few steps were careful and timid, but when he performed the lift, bright green locked with dark grey. Then they weren't looking down at their feet and it became natural and not stiffly choreographed. Marcus did lead and her smaller feet were able to keep up, following his direction without difficulty or being stepped on. The other students and teachers soon joined but she was hardly aware. What she did notice was that they had moved closer throughout the course of their dancing, bodies lightly touching. His grip tightened around her waist and her hand, bringing her closer, not that she could fight against his physical strength even if she wanted to. The band played the last wavering note and the song ended, the students applauding once more.

The next song was more upbeat and the two Slytherins regarded each other carefully, both flushed. They were still holding onto the other, not quite sure what to do next. Slowly, Marcus let go of her and took a step back.

"I-I'm going to grab some drinks," he told her before quickly striding away. Still stunned, Marie wasn't left alone very long as she waited patiently, side stepping Fred Weasley and Angelina Johnson who were dancing exuberantly. She did manage to chat with classmates as they neared, paying fellow girls compliments to their dresses and hair.

"Do you want to step outside?" asked Marcus as he handed her a butterbeer. She agreed, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the dancing crowd. Side by side, they made their way out of the noisy Great Hall and through the entrance hall, escaping to the newly made grotto.

The quiet was much welcomed as the crisp night air hit their skin. Taking a sip of her drink, they started to walk slowly on the new path lined with rosebushes, fairy lights floating nearby and overhead. They didn't say anything for a little while, arms barely brushing as they moved. There was rustling as some students hid away from wandering eyes in order to snog in the bushes privately, only encouraging the two Slytherins to walk faster past those areas. Finally, they had come across a small area with a few benches and a short length of stone railing, to separate the path from the flowers, that was entirely unoccupied and they slowed to a stop.

"Here." There was the movement of material as Marcus shrugged off his dark robe, showcasing the black vest, white long sleeve shirt and grey cravat more clearly. Marie was caught off guard when it was draped over her shoulders, she wasn't even aware of her skin breaking out in goosebumps. Now that she notice, it was indeed very chilly outside.

"Oh, thank you," she said, "but won't you be cold?"

"Trust me, I'm dying," he reassured her, tugging at his collar. "I'm wearing so many layers right now, it's ridiculous." Marie set her drink on the bench so that she could put her arms through the sleeves.

"I believe this is ridiculous," she laughed. The older student had to laugh as well once he saw her. His robe was enormously too large for her form. The sleeves were well past her hands and she was swimming in the excess material, the length touching the ground.

"Yes. You win that one," he agreed, smirking at her silly appearance. "That looks positively ridiculous on you."

"Not quite my size, is it?" she teased, holding out her arms that now resembled wings.

"You might grow into it," he suggested. She raised a skeptical brow and stood on her tiptoes to achieve no noticeable difference. "Or not," he laughed.

The evening carried on like that, easy conversations and laughing. They didn't return inside to the noise that undoubtedly bothered Marcus and it was just fine with Marie. No lingering stares and no whispers. As it became obvious they weren't returning to the formal dance, the girl cautiously glanced around.

"What're you looking for?" asked Marcus. Marie checked once more.

"I'm making sure that Pansy isn't out here," she explained, hands moving toward her hair. "I know she would throw a fit if she saw me taking my hair down already. Or do you mind?" she asked, fingers stilling on the pin. He shook his head.

"Go right ahead."

Sighing with relief, she pulled out the bobby pins that kept her bun locked in place. From there it was simply enough to undo the giant braid. She closed her eyes as she ran her fingers through her hair, scalp singing with joy from the release of the tight up do. The waves and curls returned with full strength, slightly shaped by the braid, but it was still wonderful to feel her hair fall down her back once more.

"You look beautiful."

Marie felt her face burn with a blush as she quickly looked over to her date. Marcus was looking right at her and with the nearby fairy light, she could see that his cheeks were pink as well. Her heart was beating furiously at the compliment.

"Not that you didn't look beautiful earlier," he quickly explained, realizing how he must have sounded.

"But this...this is the version of you I like best. Hair included."

Marie could only stare wordlessly, unsure of even what to say if she could get her voice to work for that matter. Suddenly, there was an audible shifting from within the castle as the clock struck midnight and the Yule Ball came to a formal close. Clapping could be heard for the band and people started to migrate to the entrance hall so to return to their Houses.

Marcus rose to his feet and Marie followed his example, just as an idea came to mind. Smiling to herself, she turned to her date and held out her hand as if to borrow his. He regarded her strangely but complied, giving her his right hand. Gathering up her dress and the addition of his robe, she used his hand as support as she stepped onto the bench they were previously sitting on. He stepped closer, concerned for her safety as she was still wearing heels.

Using her new found height advantage, even taller than Marcus now, she faced the seventh year and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

Helping her down from the bench, Marcus dipped down to her height and kissed her cheek in return.

REVIEW! Your thoughts would be lovely as always! I hope you all enjoyed the fun that is the Yule Ball! I certainly did, it was a nice little moment for our beloved characters so I tried to take my time with it. A night of fun, dance, and not fighting any monsters. Aww, the cuties.

Next time: A Golden Clue

Enjoy!