ok. dont own anything (but you already knew that) this chapter is shorter than most.
i hope you like it!
"The Yule Ball is first and foremost... a dance." Professor McGonigal explained to the Gryffindor's. All the girls in the room gasped, giggled, and started whispering to each other. Even Hermione had been swept up in the idea of a dance. Allie closed her eyes and groaned. She was not looking forward to this, did she even have to attend?
"This dance is held in honor of the Triwizard Champions, it is traditional part of the Tournament." McGonigal said.
Allie winced at her Professor's words. That would be a yes.
"Now everyone partner up so you can learn the traditional dances. I will not let you soil the name that is Gryffindor by looking like a band of bumbling, babbling baboons." The tall woman continued. Bumbling, babbling baboons? I can't even say that, how am I going to be one? Allie thought. Wow, this whole dancing thing was making her crabby.
All the girls shoot up from their seats like the thing had electrocuted them. Allie raised her eyebrows at her fellow classmates, was this completely necessary? All the boys (along with Allie) stayed in their seats.
"Boys! Up!" Professor McGonigal's gaze drifted over to the girls side, she did a double take when she spotted Allie still sitting. "That means you too Miss. Cullen." She gave Allie a stern motherly look. Allie gave her a half smile before reluctantly moving to stand behind all the other girls.
"Gentlemen, please find a partner."
The boys walked across the room hesitantly, a couple of them headed in Allie's direction. Her heart stopped. Oh, come on guys! You don't want to do this. She had to find a way to get out of this. She looked around her, trying to find an escape; no such luck. The guys were getting closer, one was about five feet away. Harry stepped in front of her (an out of nowhere might she add)and offered his hand to Allie.
She glanced up at him and gave him a thankful smile. She placed her hand in his and they walked onto the dance floor. "Your timing is impeccable, thanks Harry." She was grateful to him.
He chuckled. "Yeah, well you looked a little trapped. Besides I figured you are the only girl dreading this whole dance thing as much as I am which would make you the ideal dance partner." He explained. They walked to the a secluded corner of the floor, wanting to get as far away from the other couples as possible.
Harry took up the traditional waltz position, Allie just stared at him as he did this, embarrassment was written all over her face. Harry dropped his arms. "What's wrong?"
"I... can't dance." She rubbed the back of her neck. Allie had no clue what she was supposed to do. Heck she couldn't to the cha cha slide at that guy on the cd told you exactly what to do.
"I'll teach you." Harry replied.
Allie put on a hesitant face. "You sure you want to do that? Cuz more than likely I will step on your feet. And it will hurt and it's won't be pretty. And I will be embarrassed and I'll more than likely never dance again not that I was planning to anyway but- " She started rambling again. Harry laughed and covered her mouth like he had that day by the Black Lake.
"I think I can handle it." He told her. She smiled slightly. He once again took up position. She shook her head at him silently telling Harry he was out of his mind. She pressed her lips together one more time before slipping one hand onto his shoulder and the other in his extended hand.
They stood there for thirty seconds, Allie looked around at the other couples. They were standing like statues wrinkled her forehead and gave Harry a confused look.
"Now what?" She asked Harry. He shook his head at her and chuckled.
"Now we wait for the music to start." He informed her.
Allie nodded her head. "Right, I knew that. Can't have dancing without music. Duh."
A tapping sound caught Allie's attention. She saw Professor McGonigal step up to the ancient record play and began to play the music. The song playing on the vinyl sounded scratched and extremely old.
"Follow my lead." Harry instructed her. She nodded fiercely, a second later she was being swept across the floor. She had to look down at her sneakers to make sure she wouldn't step on his feet. Harry and Allie moved across the dance floor, passing other couples as they went. Professor McGonigal was going from couple to couple to help them with their steps and proper dance form.
She came to Allie and Harry and observed them. She stepped in close, the two stopped dancing at her close proximity. Allie dropped her hands to her sides and looked up the tall woman.
"Marvelous job Mr. Potter. But Miss. Cullen do not look at your feet, keeping your head up keeps the correct posture." She explained to the already uneasy girl before leaving. Allie let out a deep sigh, feeling defeated.
"Come on, stop being such a baby." Harry said.
Allie's jaw dropped, she snapped in closed and narrowed her eyes at the boy who lived. "You did not just go there." She replied. She was so not a baby.
"What are you going to do about it, Cullen?" Harry challenged. Allie scuffed at him and shook her head. She walked up to him,straightened her back and took up position. He started to lead her around the dance floor once more. Allie's eyes remained up, focused on Harry's bright green ones. It only took about three seconds for Allie to trip. She stepped on Harry's foot and stumbled over it. She fell onto her hands and knees on the marble. She recovered inhumanly fast. But apparently not fast enough to avoid drawing attention to herself.
The other couples around them started to laugh. Allie's cheeks became redder than they usually were. "Oh. I'm sorry, Harry! I told you this was dangerous! Are you ok?" She asked concerned.
"Allie, relax. I'm fine. I barely felt a thing. You only weigh like what? 90 pounds tops? You're fine. Now come over here and try again." He instructed. She pursed her lips and stomped her foot before going back to him.
She placed her hands back on his shoulder and in his out stretched hand. He didn't start moving right away. "Your problem is that you aren't letting me lead you – which I expected from you and your stubbornness - you're fighting me, don't. For once just follow someone else's lead." He said in a kind, but stern voice.
"You're mocking me?" she questioned him. He smiled devilishly.
"Just a bit." Harry laughed. "You ready?"
She took one more deep breath. "I think so." She said relatively confident. They floated across the dance floor, Allie following Harry's lead. Until this moment she hadn't even realized she was battling him for control. She kept her eyes locked with his, concentrating on their progress through the room.
The more the duo danced the easier it was for her to relax. Ten minutes later she actually didn't think she was doing half bad. "How did you learn to dance?" Allie questioned her partner. Harry was an extremely good dancer, plus he knew what Allie was doing wrong and how to correct it which meant he had to have some prior knowledge about dancing.
"My aunt made he take dance lessons when I was little, I was never allowed to go anywhere were I would be dancing but she did it in the off chance I had to. She would die if I humiliated her by tripping all over the dance floor." He explained. He twirled Allie, her feet got a little twisted but she managed to untangle them, only stumbling ever so slightly. "How come you are so bad at dancing?" Harry chuckled.
Allie slapped him lightly on the shoulder. "From what I hear my mom was a terrible dancer, I guess I got it from her." She smiled. Allie was glad she had something from her mother, Jake always said she was mostly like her dad but her clumsiness was all Bella's.
Harry nodded his head. "Well, I think you're getting the hang of it." He encouraged.
She laughed, "I'm terrible."
Harry joined her, "Yeah, well, at least you haven't stepped on my foot in a few minutes. That's pure talent right there." He teased.
She shook her head and rolled her eyes at him. The song was coming to a close, with one more final spin the couples came to a halt. Professor McGonigal went up to the front podium and cleared her throat. "Well done, students. Well done. All of you have done a marvelous job. I do not doubt that you will represent Gryffindor House with grace and sophistication at the Ball." She concluded with a few more details about the dance before telling the students they were free to leave.
Harry and Ron ran off with Dean and Seamus to do some guy thing or othe while Allie and Hermione set off to the library.
"So I assume you will be going to the dance with Cedric?" Hermione asked while she stopped to study a moving painting of 18th century couples dancing. Allie came up next to her, also taking in the picture.
"Yes, I assume so too. Are you going with Krum?" Allie asked back. Hermione blushed and started walking again.
"Allie I don't like him and I doubt he likes me." Allie had to speed walk to keep up with the bushy haired girls pace.
"Yes you do. And don't even think about trying to lie to me Hermione Jean Granger I can read your mind, remember?"
Hermione started to laugh, remembering her best friends ability. She turned to Allie and smiled. "I don't know if he'll ask me." She finally admitted.
Allie placed her hands on Hermione's shoulders. "Don't worry, buddy. He will, he'd be an idiot not to. And we don't associate with idiots so he wouldn't be worth it if he didn't." she joked. Hermione smiled one more time and the two continued on their way.
"That's it! I'm not going!" Allie yelled. She had been looking through a ball gown catalog for an hour and she still hadn't found anything. Cedric sighed and ran his hands through his hair.
"You'll find something, don't worry Allie." he encouraged her search efforts.
"The ball is in two days and I don't have a dress! Or shoes, I don't wear high heels, I don't even own a pair of heels. I might as well go in jeans and a t-shirt." Feeling defeated she throw the magazine at her feet. Cedric wrapped his arm around her and brought her close so Allie was leaning against his chest.
They were sitting under Allie's tree, spending time together after classes got out for the day like they always did.
"That's fine with me. I like your jeans and t-shirts. Besides you'd look beautiful in anything. Even a potato sack." He smiled and gave the side of her head a kiss. She chuckled.
"Aww, I think your full of it." Allie said sweetly. She placed her hand on his forearm affectionately. He sighed once more. Allie turned her head to him and looked up into his eyes. "I'll try to find something. But if I don't you'll just have to look dashing enough for the both of us." She pinched his cheek playfully. He shook his head to the girl.
"Yeah, well that won't be too hard." He teased before starting to tickle Allie.
She kicked her legs up in the air out of laughter. She was extremely ticklish, like as bad as it could get, almost pee your pants ticklish. "Cedric! Stop!" She laughed out. Wide smiles played across both of their faces. He eventually stopped his attack on the Gryffindor. She settle back into her position next to him.
They stared out over the lake as the sun set over the water. Allie couldn't help but feel happy. She always did when she was with Cedric. But lately she also couldn't avoid the feeling deep down in her gut that said their relationship was wrong some how. The emotion had no name, it was more like....intuition. Something in the pit of her stomach was telling Allie that she was making a mistake.
She knew the reason why she was feeling this way, but she had been ignoring it for as long as it had been there, taunting her. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to will the thoughts away. I like Cedric, I really really do! She argued with her intuition. I'm happy with him! Everything is better this way! Just stop.
She opened her eyes and saw the last rays of the sun drop below the water. The gapping, crippling hole in her stomach still remanded. She decided to plead one last time. Allie whispered into the night air. "please..."
getting pretty intense. tell me what you think please, i always love to hear from my readers! thanks!