Chapter 15

It was early, the classes put on hold for some announcement that would be made later in the day. Nyx was sitting next to Bria, her head rested on her arm. She had had a rough time sleeping the night before, the feeling of someone stirring around in her head making her stomach ill. Bria kept her mouth closed for the most part, still knowing that her friend was still royally ticked at Fiske.

"'Ello Nyx what's up?" The gay male sat beside her, jolting the bench. Speaking of Fiske. She carefully lifted her head, glaring at him, her hand going to her wand. Snapping her hand out Bria ripped the wand out of her hand, keeping it a safe distance away from the angry girl.

"Seriously mon ami, you might not vant to mess vis 'er today. She's catty." Bria warned, but Fiske didn't mind any heed to the warning.

"So how did you and your date with Snape go? Eh? Did my plan work?" He smiled. Nyx's eyes started burning.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She snarled.

"You didn't know about my plan?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"You locked lips with the professor that's the only thing I know!" She growled again, grabbing the front of her shirt. "Give me three good reasons why I shouldn't kill you!"

"Oh, En you would go to Azkaban, to you would lose a friend and tre, my plan got him to realize you have feelings for him." He smiled brightly. Nyx stopped, her expression slowly twisting to confusion. What had he meant by that? "Or at least it should have." Grabbing her hand he pried her fingers off from around his shirt and rubbed out the wrinkles, fixing his collar. Fiske didn't wear the typical Durmstrang uniform. He wore a collared version. It was a dark green almost dirty looking tunic with a collar. It was similar to the shirt of the regular Durmstrang students only longer and underneath he wore a heavier white shirt and white stalking like tights beneath.

He didn't wear this uniform often at Hogwarts for the simple fact that his headmaster wanted him to look like the rest of the students. Nyx had asked him why his tunic was so different from the rest of the student and he said that Honor students wore the tunics so newer students would know who to ask for help on their homework. The women wore similar tunic when they were Honor students only less bulky, and the rest of the girls wore fur. "If he didn't realize that you love him from that little display then he's really a poop isn't he? You should go for a smarter man." He smiled finishing. Reaching over, grabbing her glass of orange juice he stole a sip of it and turned, catching out of the corner of his eye a group of his own class mate stumbling over.

"Ey Fiske, you gonna get a girl for the ball or are you going with your boyfriend?" One of them teased, his mindless goon of a friend laughing. Clasping his hands, putting most of his weight on his elbows he smiled at him.

"Jealous I didn't ask you?" The student looked at him confused, his friends pretending they got the insult and clapped their friend on the shoulder in a typical you got burned manner before pushing their friend down the row. "God, Headmaster chose the dumbest of the school to enter this competition." He cradled his head in his hand.

"Ball? Vat ball are zey talking about?" Bria looked after them. "Zis is ze first time I 'eard about a ball."

"I don't know but it probably includes their fist and each others as-"

"May I have your attentions please!" Professor McGonagall called out over the dining hall. Everyone turned to face her, falling silent. "Will all of students follow their house masters to be filled in on the upcoming events. Gryffindor follow me." Everyone in the dining hall stood and followed the professors that were the head of their house out the door and to different rooms. The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons would be introduced by Hagrid to the events.

Nyx followed along slowly, not liking the fact she had to be separated from her friends to sit down with a group of heartless jerks. Pushing the doors to the potions room open Severus waltzed in and flicked his wand. The tables flew across the room, stacking up against the wall out of the way and the benches were lined up against the wall, allowing a large space in the middle of the floor. "Sit down we don't have all day." He demanded. "Girls on the right side of the room, boys on the left." Everyone scrambled to sit down, chattering excitedly amongst themselves. "Hurry up!" He demanded watching them settle in. Nyx was the only one who hadn't rushed forward to take a seat.

Stopping he looked at her, everyone falling silent. She looked at him confused before he pointed at the bench on the girls side. "Miss Fairborne…sit, down." Grabbing her the back of her neck he forced her. She winced as his fingers dug into her shoulders, her knees giving out a bit as she tried to keep from running. Pulling away she sat down on the very end of the bench.

"Ew," a girl named Missy Higgins snorted, scooting away from her. Nyx looked down, feeling self conscious again.

"Now December 25th we are holding an event that comes about only during the Triwizard Tournament. Rather useless event if you ask me," Nyx looked up in time to see Pansy Parkinson down the bench push her nose up like a pig, sticking her upper teeth out at her in a taunting manner. Pacing back and forth Severus spun around, looking at the giggling girls, silencing them with his gaze. "A ball."

The boys all broke out in dissatisfied groans and rolling their eyes. Of course Malfoy had to be the verbal one. Looking at his professor he quipped "A ball? Like…Dancing?"

"Yes, Mister Malfoy." The professors' eyes rolled back in his head at the stupid question.

"Like ballroom dancing?" He pushed.

"Isn't that what happens at a Ball?" He hissed lightly.

"Some of us can't dance worth bollocks! I mean," He stumbled for a bit not wanting to admit that he didn't know how to dance then looked at Nyx. "Nyx doesn't know how to dance, you don't want her to embarrass herself in front of the entire school do you?" He pointed. Everyone turned to look at her as her head snapped up, her eyes wide as the attention was put onto her.

"Then we'll leave her in your capable hands to be taught, Mister Malfoy. Stand up." Dracos' jaw dropped as he looked at the Slytherin professor stupefied. His little lie to cover his own behind was backfiring and he was dragging Nyx into the middle of it.

"What?"

"You heard me Mister Malfoy. Up," He signified for him to stand. Draco hesitated, the other boys teasing him, saying that he was afraid. Growling he stood up and walked over, his nose crinkled. Turning Severus looked at Nyx and pointed at her. She bit her lip, her expression pleading with him, but when she saw no reconsideration from her professor she forced herself up, praying her shaky knees would give out and on the way down she'd clip her head off the edge of a bench so she could spend the rest of these embarrassing events in a coma.

Standing in front of Draco she swallowed, not wanting to look at him. "Now grab her waist Mister Malfoy." Draco stuttered, looking at Severus horrified.

"What?" But the professor didn't repeat himself instead he grabbed Draco's hand and put it on Nyx's waist, pulling her close to an embrace like stance as he forced Draco's arm into position. He was physically posing them like dolls. Pulling away he turned and walked over to a large gramophone on his desk and lowered the needle. A beautiful waltz began to play but both Nyx's and Draco's legs were frozen. A little laughter broke out in the room as the professor crossed his arms, waiting, looking at the two.

"Well?" He shot. Inhaling deeply it was Nyx who started the lead. It seemed as if that little bit of a push was all Draco needed. He did know how to dance, but not entirely well. His dance moves were choppy, occasionally stepping on her feet as he went in for the turns. Her on the other hand, her turns and moves were flawless and graceful.

Staring at him she noticed small desirable traits about Draco. His blonde hair and his attractive features. Though she could very well do without the fact that his palm was soaking through the back of her uniform and getting her waist wet. She even half smiled to herself when he began counting to keep in step. Clapping his hands Severus signaled all of the students together, making everyone choose a partner. When Pansy stepped in yanking Nyx away from Draco with a hissing insult Nyx took it as her signal that that was the end of it. Asking for permission to leave from Severus she made her way out of the room to wash her hands.

In the hall the sound of Fiske laughing loudly with Bria caught her attention, causing her to look up. "Ah zere you are ve 'ave been lookink for you!" Bria skipped over, wrapping her arm around the shorter, black haired girl.

"You seem cheerful." Nyx grimaced but all Bria did was laugh.

"I am excited for ze ball. Fiske and I already decided zat if ve cannot find dates we're goink togezer." She wrapped an arm around the gay students shoulder who seemed equally as happy. Nyx's smile was small and bitter.

"Have fun then." She turned heading for her rooms.

"What's wrong?" Fiske followed her concerned.

"Well besides another completely bogus event at Hogwarts? Nothing." She continued walking, heading up the stairs to the Slytherin common room.

"You are not goink?" Bria looked at her confused. Sighing Nyx closed her eyes and turned looking at them.

"No, I'm not going. I have to work that day, besides why would I go to a Ball to be all cramped up, bumping elbows only to experience a princesses dream for a single night before being insulted and taunted resumes the next morning?" She turned and opened the door to the common room. "I'd rather swallow a rat." She shut the door behind her, leaving her two friends in the hall.

She lied. Ever since she was a little girl she thought of going to prom or a big dance like this, and now that she had the chance too she was chickening out. She looked down at the floor, her eyes watering. But there was a very good reason why she was chickening out, because she knew that the last little bit of what she said came from the heart. She didn't want to be in a tiny room with a hundred people living out a princesses dream just to return to the hell she endured every day. Sighning she closed her eyes, sliding down the door, hugging her knees. She wasn't aware how much time had gone by when the door pushed against her.

Gasping she pulled away from the door and turned, quickly starting to apologize to whoever she was blocking, then stopped when she was it was Draco. He grinned laughing with Pansy, and the rest of his little gang. "Well if it isn't Nox!" Draco boomed holding his hand up to silence his laughing friends. Nyx swallowed, staring at him. "You might want to brush your teeth before you dance that close to anyone else." He taunted, causing the others to laugh, Pansy wrapping her arm around his and cackling the loudest.

"Who would want to dance with her? She dances like a Moose!" They all laughed again. Nyx felt her heart break a little as the insults bounced around in her head. She clenched her fists letting her head hang, tears welling up in her eyes.

"It's not that she dances like a moose that will chase her partner away, it's the fact that she looks like a bloody pig! I guess you could always go with one of the Weasley's, I mean they are blind as a bat."

"Stop!" She screamed. He stopped, the rest of his friends falling silent save for the quiet titters behind him. She looked up at him, pain in her eyes. She shook her head as a couple tears fell down her cheeks. "Stop, why must you rub it in?" She whimpered her voice merely a whisper. "You think I don't know this? You think I don't know how undesirable I am? I'm not trying to be attractive, I'm not trying to catch anyone's eye or compete with anyone on the Quidditch team or be important in anyway. All I'm trying to do is get by in life and get the hell out of this place. While you all have family to run home to, I don't even have uncles or aunts." She sniffled looking away.

"Nobody gives a damn what a mud blood like you feels, right Malfoy?" Pansy smiled, cooing looking for him to back her up.

"I'm not a mud blood!" She hissed. "So stop calling me that. Not that I'd care if I was, I guess that the less muggle you have in you the less heart you have." She whispered. "If you must know Pansy," She stepped forward. Grabbing the girl by the front of the shirt she snarled, her nose an inch away from the other girls. "My mother and father were both a pure blood, my mother was a Slytherin and my father was a Gryffindor. And if I were you I wouldn't allow my boyfriend to insult someone who's a little prettier than I. Because if I'm a pig then you and your hideous bowl cut must mirror a cow's ass." She shoved her back. Turning she made her way for the stairs, ignoring the harmful insults Pansy threw after her.

It was probably a bad idea to do that, after all Pansy did share a dorm room with her. She didn't care though. Pansy was all bark and no bite, besides; she could take care of herself. Heading to her room she slipped out of her uniform and crawled in bed. Putting a drop of Amare Somnium on her tongue she slipped into bed. Though she didn't fall right asleep like usual, her mind drifting a bit, soon she began thinking of Draco. He didn't seem half as bad when it was just the two of them dancing. Her eyes closed, feeling drowsy. Before forgetting she reached over setting her alarm clock she got comfortable. Perhaps Draco only acted like that to hide how he really is? Perhaps he isn't as narcissistic and asshole-ish as she was made to believe? A slight smile came to her lips as she thought about a soft and kind Draco and laughed lightly. "Fat chance."