Chapter Seven
Draco Malfoy had decided that, if he were to go to the Halloween Banquet, he would need to seem as confident and normal as possible. After all, Potter would be there, and though they were no longer arch-nemesis, Draco didn't like the idea of Potter thinking him weak. That's why, after a stomach-churning pause outside of the doors, he gathered himself and swaggered into the Banquet Hall.
Confidence no longer felt natural on him; he felt his arms swinging stiffly while his eyes darted from student to student. Almost at once he spotted Potter, Weasley, and Granger standing up at the teacher's table, talking joyfully to Hagrid. Other students who had decided not to redo their seventh year mingled around the crowd, laughing with old friends, or soaking up the attention of younger students. No one even looked at Draco.
Sauntering up to the Slytherin table, Draco was relieved to see that Silas had saved him a seat at the far end. He slid gratefully next to him.
"Thanks for saving me a seat mate." Draco said, glancing around the room before his roaming eyes landed on Hermione. She was now speaking to Ginny, who had joined the group. Beside him, Silas sat quietly, making and unmaking knots beneath the table.
"Did you hear about Weasley?" Seeing Silas shake his head, he continued. "Apparently the Holyhead Harpies are trying to recruit her. I knew she was a good player, but surely not as good as some other players that have come through Hogwarts. Only person that I've heard recruited while they were still in school was Viktor Krum, and he was a prodigy."
They continued to chat about Quidditch, switching between relaying Krum's grand catch at the Quidditch World Cup and arguing about which team was currently the best. Malfoy was actually enjoying himself, talking with Silas and watching as group after group walked into the Banquet hall. Sometimes he caught a glimpse of Leanne flitting from table to table, chatting happily with all of her friends. And of course, he couldn't help but watch Hermione when he thought Silas wouldn't see.
Finally, he saw that the people who had gathered near the teachers were moving towards their past-house's tables, sitting at the edge and looking expectantly at McGonagall. Sure enough, a moment later she stood, claiming silence from the chattering crowd.
"Good evening students. I am sure you are all very hungry, so I won't keep you long. I only wish to honor your fellow Hogwarts students who have come back for their very last Halloween Banquet. Please join me in welcoming them." She clapped politely and almost everyone joined in as the people stood stiffly, waving at the crowd surrounding them. Draco watched smugly as Harry awkwardly clasped arms with Dennis Creevey, an excitable fifth year. Draco couldn't help but smirk at how uncomfortable they all seemed to be as the applause died off and they sat down.
"Thank you. Without further ado, let's eat." And with a wave of her hands, an abundance of food appeared before them. Malfoy immediately dove in, laughing with Silas as Leanne waved a chicken leg at them. The night continued on in a very joyous and contented manner, and Draco couldn't help but feel grateful that Leanne had forced him to go.
McGonagall stood up just as Draco was finishing his third slice of treacle tart. Silence immediately spread through the tables.
"In the spirit of Halloween, I have arranged for some special guests to join us tonight." Excited whispers broke out, but they were quickly extinguished by an icy glare from the Headmistress. "Some of you might remember them from the Winter Ball a few years ago-" Again, a buzz formed throughout the room as students' excitement grew. This time, McGonagall was unable to quiet them, so instead she rushed to continue.
"Please stand and join me in welcoming the Weird Sisters!"
Applause and exclamations erupted throughout the room as eight, very hairy and artfully distressed wizards paraded through the room towards a stage at the front that had been magically conjured. With another wave of her hand, all four tables flew over the heads of students and were stacked securely against the back walls.
Malfoy, after already having such a good night, couldn't help but be influenced by the excitement now permeating the room. He clasped Silas on the shoulder good-naturedly before they both joined the crowd converging around the make-shift stage. Leanne met them, bouncing madly as the Weird Sisters began to introduce themselves. The three of them had spent many hours listening to the Weird Sisters as they worked to repair Hogwarts. And as much as Draco had tried to deny their talent, he couldn't help but smile now as Leanne sang along and Silas tapped his foot gleefully to the music.
The room shifted and swelled as the night progressed, like a wave in the middle of the ocean. At one point, Leanne broke off from Silas and Draco to join some of her Hufflepuff brethren. Malfoy watched as she disappeared into the rest of the crowd. He stood, almost joyfully, and listened to the music, observing the crowd around him. He grimaced as he saw couples breaking off from the horde to find dark corners in the room. This, however, had not gone unnoticed by the teachers. He watched as they dispersed around the room, angrily chastising the obviously embarrassed pairs. He laughed out loud as he watched Flitwick, a very short professor, chastising a boy that was at least twice as tall as him.
Suddenly, a hard object hit Draco's back and he stumbled forward. Expecting a snickering Slytherin, he turned around angrily, only to be facing Harry Potter. They both faced each other stoically.
"Malfoy." Harry said, his voice guarded, though obviously surprised by the sudden confrontation.
"Potter." Draco replied, trying his best to keep out the usual spit that accompanied the boy genius' name.
They continued to stare at each other awkwardly, unsure what to do. Finally, Harry nodded a brief acknowledgment before turning back to Ron. Draco deflated, realizing how tightly he had been holding himself. He turned back to Silas and the stage. Behind him, fervent whispers broke out, and he couldn't help but listen in.
"What was that all about?"
"I don't know."
"Did he do it on purpose?"
"I don't know."
"Why did he say your name like that? It was so- normal."
"I don't know Ron! I guess Hermione is right, he has changed. I mean, I guessed he had changed a little bit. Remember the battle? His mom saved my life and he threw me his wand. But it's weird seeing him so- docile."
His blood began to boil as Draco stood listening to them whispering. He worked hard to calm himself, trying to understand why he was becoming so hostile. Maybe it was because, not only did they no longer see him as a threat, but they also didn't see him as a worthy opponent.
"See," Harry continued, "I told you there was nothing to worry about! Hermione said that she was only helping him study. You know what she's like with a lost cause. She can't help but try to fix everything. Besides, there's no way she would go for a prick like Draco, even if they are spending a lot of time together."
There was a ringing in Malfoy's ears, but before he could confront them in his anger, his arm had been gripped tightly and he was being led away by Silas. His friend led them to an unoccupied dark corner of the room before turning on him.
"What?" Draco exclaimed, still very pissed off.
Silas didn't answer. His eyes held his own so tightly that Draco couldn't look away.
"Fine! I know I should keep better control of my emotions, but those little twats-" He was cut off by another look. "Okay! Okay! I shouldn't have listened in, I get it!" No response. Draco finished, rolling his eyes, a deep frown now plastered to his face as his ears tinged pink. "Nor will I let this private conversation between friends influence my newfound love and respect for the boy wonder and his ratty side-kick." Silas nodded firmly as if the conversation was over before leading them back to the edge of the crowd, very far away from where Weasley and Potter stood.
It was moments like these that Draco realized with respectful appreciation why Silas was in Slytherin. His quiet demeanor was a front to an amazing skill to influence others. With almost no words he was able to lead people into personal conversations where they would spill secrets or promise favors, as well as other insane things. If there was a single malicious bone in his body, Silas would have great power. However, because of his Hufflepuff heritage, he instead used his strange power sparingly. If Draco hadn't known better, he would think that it was some kind of magic.
The two boys went back to listening to the, now blaring, music. They tried to enjoy it as he had before, but Draco's mood had become noticeably more icy. Though he bobbed his head along with the band, he couldn't bring himself to be quite as joyful as he had been before the confrontation. Even the occasional appearance of Leanne could not raise his moods. Finally, almost an hour later, he turned to Silas.
"I'm going to bed!" He shouted, trying to make himself heard over the thumping bass. Silas looked unhappy, but nodded in agreement anyway. They turned together towards the entrance hall.
Hermione stood towards the back, laughing with Hagrid. She watched, still shaking with laughter, as he caught sight of two more students attempting to sneak off and barrelled after them. That's when she spotted Draco and Silas heading towards the exit. Though Leanne had told her that he had agreed to come, she hadn't seen him all night and had assumed that he had bailed. Deciding to be cordial, she walked towards the pair.
Silas saw her first and greeted her with a short nod. Malfoy, who had turned to ask Silas why he had stopped, ran straight into Hermione. The force had nearly knocked her off of her feet.
"I'm so sorry!" Draco cried, embarrassed by his inattentiveness. He grabbed her shoulders in an attempt to steady her, leaving only a very intimate distance between them. They stood there for a second, Malfoy studying her eyes in concern, searching to see if he had in some way harmed her. His fingers tingled where he touched her, even though he knew he couldn't actually feel her skin. Hermione seemed to be dazed by the blow; her eyes were locked with his. It was almost a moment. Almost.
Silas coughed suddenly, bringing the two back to the world. Standing straighter, Hermione stepped back once, her eyes still holding his. At first, she seemed uncomfortable, then a mask fell over her and she spoke congenially.
"Sorry about that Draco. Are you going back to your dorm already?"
"Erm- yeah. Silas and I have had enough for the night." Draco responded, glancing back at his friend.
"Oh! Well- did you have a good time?"
His gaze turned cold and his voice was laced with sarcasm. "Yeah, we had a great time. Really good to catch up with some old- friends." The crease between Hermione's eyes as she looked quizzically at Draco. "I'm sure you've enjoyed having Potter and Weasley around. It's so kind of you to put in a good word for me."
Hermione looked to where Ron and Harry stood, looking concerned. Her mouth kept opening and closing, but she couldn't seem to figure out what to say. Finally, looking downcast, Draco stepped past her towards the door.