You should know that I love Pansy, but for some reason, I originally wrote her as insipid, and it would be too much effort to completely rewrite her character, so sorry!

Chptr12

With her shoulder length black hair tied back in a messy ponytail, and her cheeks flushed, Harry was making her way back up to the castle in a state of euphoria. After that first CoMC lesson after her transformation, Draco had been nothing but perfectly amicable towards her, and she'd had nothing to worry about with Hagrid. Draco was incredibly gentlemanly, and over the time since October, they'd become positively friendly towards each other! As it had been the last CoMC lesson before Christmas, they'd been building bonfires for the salamanders, and Draco had purposefully worked side by side with her, chatting away. She pulled her cosy scarf closer around herself and continued swapping rowdy stories with Ron, who'd completely forgotten Mrs Weasley's from the last month – she'd been making a concerted effort to spend more time with him once she realised she'd been abandoning him in favour of Hermione.

The Slytherins and Gryffindors trudged through the double doors to the Great Hall in high spirits, traipsing slushy melted snow in on their boots. They made their way through the heavily decorated hall on the way to the dorms with flushed faces and smiles. When Harry arrived outside the dorm, she gave the password 'Eggnog', and they pushed past a slightly tipsy fat lady draped in tinsel, into the warmth of the common room. As soon as they entered, Harry noticed a change in the usual atmosphere, and pulling off her woollies, she edged through the crowd around the notice board to see what was so exciting.

Due to Popular Demand by Students,
There will be another Yule Ball this year.
This will take place on:
25th December
8pm to 12pm
Please make suitable preparations.

Harry felt a flutter in her stomach. She hadn't been all that fussed with the Yule Ball last year, but for some reason – perhaps the fact that she was more female this year than she had been last year – she genuinely felt excited about the whole thing, in fact, it seemed positively magical!

"Ron! Hermione!" She called, pushing her way back to where her friends stood, "They're holding another Yule Ball this year!" She was practically vibrating with excitement as she passed on the news.

"Seriously?" Exclaimed Ron disgustedly, "It was bad enough having to do it once." He pouted and kicked his toe against the rug. Hermione cleared her throat and elbowed Ron hard in the ribs.

"Is there something you were going to ask me this time?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at the bewildered looking Weasley in front of her. Ron looked at Harry for assistance.

"If there was, I've forgotten".

Harry elbowed him hard in the side, and hissed out of the corner of her mouth: "Ask her before someone else does!"

Ron's eyes suddenly lit up with realisation. He spun round to face Hermione.

"Hermione, willyougototheyuleballwithme?" He blurted out, scratching his neck, flustered.

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed, her face beaming. She hurried off to the dormitory.

"I swear, I will never understand that girl," Ron told Harry. Harry shook her head in bewilderment. Was she ever this dim?

xxxXXXxxx

Pansy seemed determined to invite herself to the Yule Ball with Draco, but he was having none of it. He knew exactly who he wanted to ask, but he was afraid to do so. The insufferable she-witch was practically sitting on him, he kept pushing her away, but she was determined. All of a sudden, he realised what he should do both to get her off his case and get what he wanted.

"Pansy," he announced, shoving the simpering girl off his lap, "I shall go to the Yule Ball with you if I only have to dance one dance with you". He looked quite pleased with himself for the deviousness of his negotiation. Maybe he would finally get a chance to spend quality time with the object of his affections.

The object of his distaste pouted.

"Draco, that's not exactly what a date does, just dance one dance," she started walking her fingers up his arm, oblivious to his obvious dislike of her. "Dates dance a few dances, then sneak off to the grounds, or the dorms to... do other stuff". She gave him a coy look – or what she obviously thought was one, but really just looked like she was concussed and constipated. He looked at her, disgust surely written across every corner of his face.

"No, I'm sorry, if you really want to go to the Yule Ball with me, one dance. Or else you can find someone else to go with you". He really hoped she would take the latter option. Please, oh please…

"Aaaaallll riiiiight," she sighed, as though she was being especially generous. She was sure he was going to change his mind when he saw how stunning she looked on the night.

"And no... other stuff".

She stomped off to her dorm to sulk. He'd change his mind eventually, she thought, and she was going to get herself a piece of that fine pureblood ass. Most assuredly.

Draco, on the other hand, was figuring out how to avoid his one dance…

xxxXXXxxx

During the lead up to the ball, a record number of students signed up to stay behind for Christmas, including, to Harry's embarrassed delight, Draco Malfoy. She realised that she probably oughtn't to ask him to the Yule Ball specifically, but she figured, that maybe she could steal a dance with him even if she went with someone else. And there was no shortage of someone elses, she noticed.

In the week leading up to the Yule Ball, she was asked to the dance by no less than seventeen boys – it was quite flattering really -, these included: Michael Corner whom Ginny had warned her against – apparently he was a bit of a womaniser; Terry Boot, who was attractive in a boring way which matched his personality perfectly; and none other than Colin Creevey – obviously she'd been right about the crush. Eventually she agreed to go with Ernie Macmillan, who had confided in her, that he had really wanted to ask Ginny, but she was already going with Dean Thomas – oh, and that he knew about Malfoy, but don't worry, he'd never tell anyone. After her initial embarrassment, Harry was impressed. That boy was observant.

All too soon, it was the day of the ball. Harry, Hermione, Parvati and Lavender retired to the dorm a few hours before it was due to start, giggling and promising to show each other their dress robes as soon as they got upstairs – for once, Harry and Hermione both felt willing to spend time in their presence. It must have been Christmas spirit. Harry had purchased her dress robes earlier in the week on a Hogsmead visit and couldn't wait to show them off. Parvati promised to show Harry some cosmetic charms she'd recently mastered, and Lavender insisted on doing Harry's hair – apparently she could really work some magic with her fingers. Hermione was very entertained by the whole spectacle.

After making final adjustments to dress robes, last minute eye lash curling, and cushioning charms in high heels, the girl were ready to go and meet their dates, Harry just hoped she would impress the boy she really wanted to dance with. The sheer girliness of the couple hours she'd just spent no longer bothered her. She was fast at adapting.

xxxXXXxxx

Draco Malfoy was sitting on his bed, his stomach fluttering with nerves. He hoped he'd manage to muster the courage he would need to ask Harry to dance. He made his way to the common room, tugging on his smart black dress robes, and met his 'date'. He felt his lip curl in a way it hadn't since he'd befriended Harry.

Pansy looked like cotton candy, in a frilly blue concoction she probably thought was reminiscent of Hermione's Yule Ball outfit of the previous year. In reality, the colour clashed with her skin and hair, and the robes made her look as though she'd gained a lot of weight – nobody could ever say that Draco didn't notice these things. He didn't like to dwell on that. She jumped on him when she saw him, clutching at his arm, the minute he emerged from the boy's dormitory. No doubt, she hoped that her ravishing appearance might charm him into wanting to do 'other stuff', but really the sight of her made him vaguely nauseous.

"I wonder who Potter is going with," Pansy mused, "probably Weasel-King".

Draco chose to ignore this statement, although he hoped to God it wasn't true.

Yule Ball next, bitches! Are you excited? I'm excited!