V2

I Don't Dance

For me, getting hurt was a normal part of daily life. A rolled ankle, a paper cut, a bruise here or there. I was a soldier and I didn't cry when I got a boo-boo. I'd broken both legs, one arm, and popped my arms out of their sockets more times than I could count.

But a dragon hurting me, now that was a different thing all together. First of all, I'd never even seen a dragon until that day, unless they were in a book, or the small ones protecting the grounds or in statues, and then suddenly I'd been put up against one. Not without warning, considering I'd known for a while beforehand, but I didn't realized how unprepared I'd really be.

So, there I was, sitting up in a comfy bed, "Get Well Soon" letters, candy, candy wrappers, and stuffed animals sitting around me in my Officer's Quarters. Normally I wouldn't have gotten it until my second year as an officer but, because of my injuries, they'd offered it up to me.

"You got a pretty good score," Mary was saying as she eyed some of my candy hungrily. "Damn that Karoof guy."

"His name is Karkaroff," I replied with a laugh, throwing a piece of chocolate her way. She caught it like a Chaser ought. "At least he gave me a better score than he gave Harry."

"A five!" she groaned. "Harry got a four!"

"Yeah, but I also got a nine from Madame Maxime, Dumbledore, Crouch, and Bagman. The General gave me a nine, too. So I'm still in second."

"Yeah, because Harry and Krum tied for first." After that argument, she pulled her chair closer to tell was sitting next to tell me about the party that had gone on right after I'd been carried to the infirmary. "It was amazing, Leigh, you should have been there. Wine coolers were flown in from the US, beer, oh, and someone spiked the punch again, plus all the German food you could eat!"

"Ew!" I exclaimed, still looking around at the pretty blue and green shades of everything. A large, four-poster bed, my own large, private bathroom, and a soundproof interior. Perfect for parties, right? Jason had asked me. I'd then wondered where I had been when he had been throwing parties in his Quarters. "Why German food?"

"Someone down in Hogsmede sells it. It was pretty good actually."

"All I want in life is a good burger. Can't find that anywhere here!"

"But it was so amazing! The Air Force boys came over with their speakers and we had a horrible karaoke going on, but still, everyone was dancing and having a good time and—"

"Sounds like fun," I said dryly, rolling my eyes and popping something called a chocolate frog into my mouth. It was pretty good, actually, if you got over the fact that it was charmed to jump. "Too bad I couldn't be there."

Mary frowned. "Sorry, Leigh…I guess that I'm rubbing it in your face, huh?"

"Yup," I said, popping the 'P'. Huh…there's a card in here. I picked it up and was surprised to see my mother staring back at me. "Hey, look, my mom's on a chocolate frog card!" It was a strange thing for a parent to be even slightly famous.

Mary took it from me, looking from it to me a few times before she handed it back. "You know, you really do look like her, except brunette."

"Yeah, and now with a broken rib and four bruised ones. I really look like my famous, Quidditch-playing mother now."

She looked a little taken back. "You know, this card only says one thing about your mother playing Quidditch. The rest is about her work in D.C."

"…Oh." I felt a little dumb then, deciding to go for the safe candy that I knew. So, Berty Bott's Every Flavor Beans it was. I felt a little bad about how bitter I was being because of her fame. It was all anyone ever saw in me but I needed to get over it. My mom was famous for quidditch and now she was in D.C. That's all there was to know about her. "Okay. Well, then, I guess I'll start my Chocolate Frog Card collection with my mom." That felt weird to say. I picked up some of the chocolate, pulling the Beans closer, and handed it to her. "Here, try one, they're pretty good."

"I'm…okay."

"Hey, its not like you need to watch your figure," I said wryly, patting my hips. "I think I got you beat there."

"It's not that, it's..." Her baby blues widened and she jumped up to flop against my bed. I hissed when it made me move the wrong way but her excitement wasn't to be dissuaded. "Oh my God, I can't believe I forgot to tell you!"

"What?" I asked, placing a hand against my sore ribs.

"The Yule Ball!"

"What?"

"Augh, when you were asleep, the General announced the Yule Ball! Merlin, I can't believe I forgot to tell you!"

I felt really confused at that moment. "What in Merlin's name is a Yule Ball?"

"It's a dance!" Mary let out a squeal, her hair bouncing up and down with her excitement. "It's on Christmas Day, at eight o'clock, and we have to dress up! Okay, we've got to make plans…you, me, and a few of the other girls need to go to Hogsmede, then Floo back to America and get some kind of dress…a dress! Back to America!"

"…Can we even Floo that far away?"

"I don't know, but you can't Apparate yet, and—"

"I've already got a dress, Mary!" I exclaimed, holding a hand over my sore ribs after the yelling hurt them. "Besides, you know I can't dance!"

"What?"

"I brought one with me! My mom made me, so I've already got one."

"Good enough for the dance?"

I sighed. "Yes, Mary, good enough for the dance."

She bit her lip. "That is so unfair that you have a dress. Well, would you still go with us? Shopping and to the ball?"

"Depends on how my ribs holds up and whether or not I figure out the mystery of my egg," I said, reaching over to the desk next to me and grabbing it up.

"You have to open it at the party tonight," she said, her eyes sparkling.

"I don't think I've seen this many parties since McCoy got put on probation," I said, chuckling at my third year memories. "Is this one the 'Leigh-is-Awake-so-We'll-Party' party?"

"Pretty much. So who're you going to ask?"

That caught me off guard, and I couldn't answer for a moment. For some stupid reason Viktor popped into my head but that would never happen! Hmm...who to go with me to a dance? "Well, I really wasn't thinking about…"

"But you have to ask someone, or have someone ask you, because the Champions are opening the dance! You can't just go alone."

My heart sank. Well, that had been my plan. Looks like that's down the drain. Who the hell will want to go with me to a dance? "Well, I guess I'll ask someone eventually."

"I'm not so sure that you won't get, like, twenty invitations from the guys in the Academy." Why was Mary so happy for me? It was like she was determined for me to have a good time at the dance! I could find a date—I didn't need her help.

"I so don't want to go with a guy I've known since I was twelve," I said, giving her a wry look. "Now don't you have class?" I shooed her away, holding my egg to my chest, glancing at it. What if I...? I reached for the lid, but then I decided better against it. I'll open it at the party.

Later…

The first person to ask me was Second Lieutenant Justin Lucas of the Air Force. With him and his cute dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes and dark skin and bright, white smile, he was so handsome, and very funny.

But I didn't think I wanted to go with him. "Justin," I said, feeling bad for him, "find yourself a nice Beauxbatons girl to go with. No offense, but I've known you since we were born and I just find it a little weird."

He took it well, laughing it off. "Well, a guy's got to try, right?"

"Right."

The fourth person I turned down was Captain James Decker of our own Army, the Seventh Year Officer. He reminded me a lot of my older brother, considering he was my brother's best friend.

"Jim, you're like my older brother. It'd be a little awkward, don't you think? And besides, I think my brother would kill and/or disown you."

He laughed. "You're right. Still, you've grown up since I first met you."

"I was nine."

"Exactly!'

I shook my head and shooed him away, not wishing to go with him, and not wishing to get my brother's pants in a bunch. "Sorry, it's a no, Captain."

"Understandable."

The desolate look on his face instantly made me feel awful. It might have been counterproductive, but I opened my big mouth again. "But…I did hear that Mary might be looking for a date…you like Mary, don't you?"

He rubbed his strong chin, his handsome face scrunched up in thought. "The blonde in your squadron?"

Well, there were three blondes. But I didn't say that. "Yup. The one with the dimples and the pretty blue eyes?"

He was silent for a moment longer. "You know…I think I might just take up that offer. She's what, a Sergeant?"

"Staff Sergeant."

"Even better."

I picked up a bag of some kind of candy and threw it at him. "Oh, get out of here and treat her right, you hear me?"

He saluted sarcastically with his left hand, as his right hand had caught the candy. Damn you, you're going to steal my candy. "Yes, Ma'am!" I threw a pillow at him next, and then he left.

Man, what's up with these men…?

Later…

It took about four days, but finally my ribs were mended and I was able to get up, weighing at least four pounds more I suspected. At the rate I'm going, I won't even be able to fit into my dress.

And the egg—nothing, nada, ZIP. I'd opened it during the party in my room and the horrible sound it had emitted was enough to kill my eardrums, not to mention the party. Somewhere before I'd heard something like it, or read about something like it, but my mind was drawing a complete blank.

And now, as I was sitting on the banks of the lake, holding the egg...nothing came to me but my brother, who stood, leaning against the tree I was sitting against. "So…you're sitting out here in the freezing cold…gazing off into the distance… holding an egg. If you weren't my sister, I'd be worried."

"And if you weren't my brother, I'd tell you to get lost, but I guess I can't really do that seeing as how you've come out here to say something." Ouch. That came out a little harsh.

"Me?" he asked innocently, leaning down and looking me in the eyes. "How do you know that I didn't come out here to just look at the lake with my lovely little sister?"

"Because you're my brother and I know you better than that. Go ahead, ask me."

"Ask you what?" I didn't grant him with a response. I just stared at him. He was silent for a moment, rocking back and forth on his heels. "Soooooo…" he drawled, suddenly getting his Carolina drawl back. "Who're ya goin' with?"

"Are you really interested, or do you just want to make sure the guy isn't too grabby?" I asked, looking up at him with wry eyes.

His lips were pursed and he looked uncomfortable. Jason reached behind his head and scratched it. "I just—want to make sure my little sister is going with someone respectable, that's all."

I moved my entire body, turning it so that it faced him. "And who are you going with, you big hypocrite?"

He instantly looked devious. "You know that girl from Beauxbatons, the one with the blonde hair?"

"I'm pretty sure that three fourths of them have blonde hair, Jase."

My sarcasm didn't phase him. "She's got the most beautiful blue eyes, and since I can speak French—"

He'd taken German and Spanish at the Academy! "Since when?" I demanded, but he didn't miss a beat.

"We've been talking quite a bit. Her hair—it's just, wow, and she's got the cutest little freckles on her nose—"

"Okay, I think I'm going to throw up. Do you mind?"

"Nope, go right ahead. Anna, I think I'm in love."

"Good for you!" I exclaimed sarcastically, throwing my hands up in the air. I hope she's a Veela, I thought bitterly. Though I don't know why I'm being so bitter. He has a better love life than I do. I then picked up the little blanket across my legs, balled it up, and threw it into his face. "Now go away, I'm trying to figure out what to do about this egg."

"How did you figure out about the first task?" he asked.

I was grateful for the deviation from the discussion of my love life. I stared out onto the lake, remembering the exact moment I'd discovered the dragons. "I was swimming. The smell came to me. I don't think it'll be the same."

"Just take a swim anyway," he said with a wink. "Take the egg. Hope it doesn't drag you to the bottom. Open it under the water, maybe. That way the awful sound that came out of it is muffled or something. Maybe take it to your room and muffle it with a pillow. Ooh, ooh, better yet, open it like a grenade and throw it and run!"

"What are you, an engineer?" I asked, elbowing him in the stomach. He hated me teasing him for what he wanted to do. He wanted to join the military and get the college credits necessary to become a field engineer. He was definitely smart enough.

"A bad one," he acquiesced with a laugh. After a few moments of companionable silence, he broke it in the most annoying way. "You still haven't told me who you're going with." It was just like my brother to remember things that only he wanted to remember.

I sighed and knew that I had to tell him. "Well…I'm stuck between three."

"What, you finally put Krum out of his misery and tell him that you would think about it?" he asked darkly, and when I looked up, he was actually being serious.

I scrunched up my nose. "No. First, I can't really stand him. He just makes me so mad every time I see him. Second, I don't think that two champions can go together. And third…I've already told him no."

"He asked you?" Jason asked incredulously, almost falling back off his hands.

I glared at him. "Well in case you haven't noticed, I am a female. I'm seventeen, Jason, and its about time you started thinking of me as a girl!"

"Yeah, a girl! You're still too young for that sort of thing!"

I raised an eyebrow at him, tugging my blanket from his arms and putting it on my lap again. "I'm a woman. And if I remember correctly, when you were in your third year, I caught you making out with Samantha Ryder. I'm in my Fifth!"

He snickered, as if he remembered it. "You know, they call kissing here snogging. It's hilarious!"

"You're so immature. Tell me again why you're my brother and my Major?"

"Because I'm handsome, intelligent—"

"At least somewhat—"

"—physically in shape, and mentally. Perfect, lovely, and mature."

"A little full of yourself, aren't we?"

We were glaring at each other now, the way we always did whenever we got into a one-sided sarcasm fight, but then we dissolved into a fit of laughter. He sat beside me and put an arm over my shoulder. "You're tough, kid. But if I had put my name in the Goblet, I think I might've gotten it in place of you. No offense."

"I'd punch you right now if you wouldn't punch back and hurt me," I said sarcastically, knocking my foot against his leg. "No offense. Now, why don't you leave me alone before I tell you the names of the Army men who asked me to the Ball?"

"Ooh, tell me!" he said, an evil glint in his eye. "I told all of those maggots if they even thought about askin' you—"

"You aren't tellin' your entire bunk to stay away from me, are you?" I asked incredulously. He looked very, very guilty. You can be…AUGH! "Just for that, I don't think I'll tell you who I'm goin' with."

"But Annaaaaaaa," he whined, wrapping his other arm around me in a hug, "you said you would!"

I rolled my eyes and knew that I'd have to tell him anyway. "Okay, so I've got the choice of one of my friends, or the two I'm not sure on. Fred—or George, I'm not sure, because I can't really tell—asked me if I wanted to go, and I'm sure it's just as a friend. It'd be a lot of fun!"

"Go with this Fred or George person," he said instantly, nodding his head seriously.

"You just want me to go with him so that no one gets too grabby. Well, maybe I like him!"

He had an eyebrow raised, staring at me with sarcasm. "Since when are you attracted to tall, skinny red-heads?"

"Well, I'm not, but…"

"Okay, okay, I'd rather you go with Fred. Or George. Or whatever his name is! But tell me the other two."

I knew that the second I told him, he would confront them both. "You have to swear not to even look at them the wrong way."

"Anna…"

"Swear!"

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine, I swear, now tell me!"

"Okay, well, you won't like the first one…his name's Adrian Pucey and he's in Slytherin." My brother frowned, ready to talk, but I interrupted. "Listen, first! I asked Angelina and she said that Adrian is one of the few in Slytherins who has been honorable. So maybe he's the better side of Slytherin sorting." He wasn't bad looking and seemed very polite.

"Just—tell me the other one." He was grinding his teeth and glaring at the egg in my lap. As if it had done something wrong!

"I don't think I want to, not with the way you're acting!"

It took him a moment, but then Jason was like a popped balloon, letting out all of his pent-up anger. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. Just tell me."

"Well…he's a Gryffindor."

"Yeah?" He sounded a little more hopeful at that.

"I'm just a little nervous going with him, though, because he seems completely full of himself."

"A lot of these English dogs are, but I'm sure that he's better than the Slytherin. Come on, Anna, they sit with the Marines!"

For the hundredth time, I wished that the Marines at our school were like the Marines in the real world. "Well, I know, but Adrian seemed really nice, and Cormac McLaggen..." I sighed and hugged the egg. He was a very, very attractive man. He was very confident in himself but not in an unbearing way. At least from what I'd seen of him as I'd watched him after he'd asked me. He had quite a few friends and he looked to be the perfect gentleman.

"Look, sis, as long as the guy you go with is good, I'm goin' to be okay. But let me tell you, I'll have my eye on you every so often during the night, so please, nothing spectacular, please."

I sighed in resignation. Go with Fred—or George—and have a night I know will be fun, or go with McLaggen and maybe have fun, but still have somewhat of a date. I'd always loved the ebb and flow of a flirtatious dance. I'd done it before with my past boyfriends. Dances meant romantic glances and slow dances and lingering touches. I'd never been to one with a friend before but I was worried that it would be awkward and confusing, especially since I didn't consider either of the twins in a romantic way.

Well, I thought as I leaned against my brother's shoulder, I guess that makes it easy.