Chapter 15:

Danse Macabre. Or, Dance of Death

"Why are we missing study period for this?" Tanya asked. The female division of the Funny Farm was standing in a cluster of girls from the same and other halls. The boys were watching them apprehensively from the other side of the room.

"What is 'this,' anyhow?" Rachel asked. "It feels really weird not standing with Seamus and Dean…"

"No kidding," Hannah said with a nod. "McGonagall just came in and was like 'Professor Flitwick, I need everyone in your class fourth year and up.' So we got up and followed her here." She indicated the large, unused classroom that everyone was congregated in.

"She did the same for Vector's study period," Katelyn put in.

Just then, McGonagall came into the room and clapped her hands. "Attention, please," she called, and everyone fell silent. "Now, as you all know by now the Yule Ball is quickly approaching. There will be dancing involved, and this is the perfect opportunity to prove to our foreign guests just how civil we are."

She let her words sink in for a moment. "Therefore, since I won't be having you all gallivanting about like a bunch of baboons, you are all here to learn to waltz."

"What the bloody hell do you mean?" Seamus asked loudly.

McGonagall sent him a murderous look. "Today is the eleventh of December. That means the Yule Ball is in two weeks, students. I have two hours to teach you to learn to at least fake a civilized dance. Mr. Filch, if you please…"

The caretaker wheeled in a large, primeval victrola.

"I need a volunteer, please," McGonagall said imperiously, glaring at all the students. "No one? All right, Mr. Weasley. If you would come here, please."

Ron extracted himself with some reluctance from the crowd of boys and shuffled towards McGonagall.

"Take my hand…and put your other one here…"

"Where?" Ron squeaked.

"On my waist, Mr. Weasley."

Ron put his hand gingerly on McGonagall's waist, and Mr. Filch started the scratchy waltz music.

"Watch our feet carefully, students," McGonagall called. "As you see, I am letting Mr. Weasley lead. And one-two-three, one-two-three. Very good, Mr. Weasley. You may stop now."

Ron didn't need to be told twice. He lurched away and scurried back into the crowd, sending murderous looks towards Fred and George, who were collapsed on each other and sobbing with laughter.

"All right, students," McGonagall said, and Filch cut the music. "I want you each to pair up, and we will begin learning."

Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil leapt forward and immediately selected two of he cutest sixth years. When no one else seemed overly enthusiastic to choose partners, McGonagall went among everyone and did it for them. "Miss Rogers, you will dance with Mr. Boot. Miss Schreiter, you will not dance with Mr. Thomas; pair up with Mr. Finnigan instead. Miss Hekman, dance with Mr. Longbottom. Miss Barcanic, go pair up with Mr. Macmillan." And so on.

When everyone was satisfactorily paired up, McGonagall motioned to Filch, and the scratchy waltz music started up again. "And one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three, watch your feet, one-two-three, one-two-three—no, Miss Hekman, let Mr. Longbottom lead—one-two-three, one-two-three—slower, Mr. MacDougal, this is not a polka—one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three, and stop."

The music ground to a scratchy halt, and McGonagall twirled her hand in the air. "Trade partners with the couple nearest you, please."

Katelyn found herself being handed off rather suddenly, and she hoped that Ernie's toes would feel better soon. But these thoughts quickly dissipated as she found herself in none other than Wes' arms. "Er…h-hi, Wes," she stammered.

He flashed a knee-weakening smile. "Hey."

Katelyn's tongue wasn't working right, so she could do nothing but gaze up into his beautiful, sea-like, aquamarine blue, like that of sunlight dancing over the water, and his perfectly tan face, white teeth…

"Katelyn?"

"Yeah…?" she breathed.

"I asked if you were having fun."

"Oh," she said, flustered. "Yeah." At least, now I am. "You?"

"Def'," he replied, squeezing her hand so lightly Katelyn wondered if she had just imagined it. She felt her knees begin to tremble dangerously.

The music went on, and then McGonagall clapped her hands again and asked them to trade partners once more. "This is weird, huh?" Seamus said as Rachel put her hand on his shoulder.

"Well, you're a sight better than Neville and Blaise Zabini," Rachel replied pleasantly as the music started up again. "No offense to Neville, of course."

Seamus sniggered as Blaise, Hannah Abbot in his arms, gave them a nasty look as they passed. "So…whaddaya think of this whole Yule Ball thing?"

"It's…interesting," she said thoughtfully. "Oops, sorry." She had stepped on his toes.

"S'okay. Are you going to go?"

"We're allowed to, aren't we? I suppose I might as well. Sounds like fun, I guess. You?"

"Probably, yeah."

"Anyone in particular that you want to ask?" she said with a grin.

"Yeah," he replied vaguely. "Oh, my bad." It was Rachel's turn to be stepped on. "…You?"

"Nope. I figure I'll go, and if a guy wants to ask me—" she snorted—"then sure."

Seamus was about to say something else, but the waltz music ground to a halt and McGonagall clapped her hands.

"Two weeks, students, until the Yule Ball. I suggest you practice in your free time. And I shall be severely disappointed if you misrepresent Hogwarts in any way. You're dismissed."

---------------------------------

It was the next morning at breakfast when the first exciting event of the day occurred. Dean, who'd been looking rather pale since they'd gotten up, suddenly dropped his knife on his plate with a loud clatter.

"Careful," Seamus said with a sidelong glance. "Don't think Dumbledore'd be too chuffed if you broke one of his dishes."

Dean ignored him. "Hannah—can I ask you something?"

"Yeah," she replied, and looked over at him. "What is it?"

He cleared his throat, once—twice—three times. "Er…uh…ahem…"

"Yes?" Seamus said with a grin.

Dean gave him a dark look. "Hannah…uh…ahem…doyouwanttogototheYuleBallwithmeplease?"

Her face turned a bright fuchsia color, and she stammered out, "Y-yes, I would…l-love to, Dean?"

He broke into a relieved grin. "Great! Er...okay. Good!"

Suddenly, she got up from her seat and ran from the Great Hall, and the happy grins that had been on the faces of everyone within earshot disappeared. Dean watched her go with a mixture of puzzlement and horror on his face.

"Go after her," Seamus said wisely, clapping Dean on the shoulder.

"Right," he replied firmly, and got up from his seat. He was just about to follow Hannah when he stopped and gave Seamus an appalled look.

"What?" Seamus asked indignantly.

"I cannot believe that I am taking advice from the greatest romantic failure in the history of Hogwarts!" Dean replied.

Seamus gave him a none-too-gentle shove towards the doors. "Shut it, Dean."

Dean shrugged and made his way out of the Great Hall.

"What was that about?" Katelyn asked curiously as Seamus sat back down.

"I think Seamus isn't telling us something," Rachel teased.

"You have no idea," Seamus groaned, and dropped his head onto his arms.

------------------------------------

The next exciting event of the day occurred in study period. Professor Vector had his weekly Arithmancy Club meeting, so the Funny Farm was having one of their rare combined Great Hall study periods. And since it was Professor Flitwick against sixty students, everyone did anything they wanted, short of homicide and grand theft auto.

"Come on, Seamus," Tanya was wheedling. "Who do you want to ask?"

Seamus had his fingers stuffed in his ears and was humming loudly, much to the delight of Rachel, Hannah, Dean, and Katelyn, who were in no way, shape, or form doing homework. It was the last day before the Christmas holiday began, and the Yule Ball was only a week away—not to mention Haley and Oliver's wedding, which was to be on the twenty-third (the girls were especially excited, as Haley had asked them to be bridesmaids).

Tanya was about to resort to tickling the answer out of her friend when golden-haired, white-teethed, gorgeous-nessed Hogwarts Hottie slid into a seat with them. "'Sup?" Wes asked nonchalantly.

Katelyn's face turned an interesting shade of puce, and she stammered out something that might've been a 'hi, Wes.'

"Notice you're taking her out," he said to Dean, motioning to Hannah.

"He's not taking me out," Hannah said indignantly. "We're just…going to the Yule Ball together, that's all." But she and Dean both turned pink and carefully avoided looking at each other.

"Well, whatever," he said, then turned to Katelyn. "So—you wanna go with me to the Yule Ball?"

Rachel thought Katelyn was going to explode with excitement. Finally, she spluttered, "Yes. Yes, I will, Wes!

"Cool." Wes grinned, and he kissed Katelyn on the cheek and left.

The entire Funny Farm was absolutely silent for a full minute. "Wow," Katelyn said finally.

"Wow's right," Tanya replied. "You're going out with the cutest Gryffindor ever!"

"Hey!" Seamus and Dean said in unison.

"No comment," said Katelyn.

---------------------------------------

Songs I listened to while typing this chapter: "We Will All Go Together When We Go" by Tom Lehrer. "Simple Gifts" arranged by Aaron Copland. "Ashokan Farewell," by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason. "Marching Through Georgia," from Songs of the Civil War. "Morning," from Grieg's Peer Gynt. "The Circle of Life" from the Lion King. "Battle Cry of Freedom" from Ken Burns' The Civil War. "Vacant Chair," from Songs of the Civil War. "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" by Tom Lehrer. "Somebody's Darling" from Songs of the Civil War. "Playing With the Big Boys Now" from the Prince of Egypt. "Pachelbel's Canon in D Major" by someone I don't know. "The Secesh (Shiloh)" from Songs of the Civil War—my daddy sang it to me for a lullaby!