Magnolia Crescent

Chapter Forty-Three

The Worst Ball Ever

Harry left the noisy Hall behind him and moved into the empty corridor. "Sirius?" he called out. The music faded a bit when the door closed behind him. He frowned thoughtfully when he noticed Hagrid vanishing around a corner with another shadow. "Priorities," he murmured, letting out a sigh when he didn't see Sirius. He entertained the idea of trying to hunt him down on foot but there was a quicker and more sure way of tracking down his godfather. Harry felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of using the map. But his own safety trumped his desire to give his godfather some privacy.

He raced through the empty castle and, after a quick word to the Fat Lad, into the Gryffindor common room. The Marauder's Map was somewhere near the bottom of his chest and it took a moment of digging before he grabbed hold of it.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Harry said, feeling that the words might never have rang truer. "Sirius, Sirius," he murmured, quickly scanning the map. The Great Hall and the ball within was a nightmare to scan but his godfather wasn't there. He was scanning the dungeons when a peculiar name caught his eye.

"Barty Crouch?" he questioned, staring at the map in disbelief. He stared harder when he realized that the name was floating inside the Potions cupboard of all places. Harry frowned at it but shook his head and brushed it aside. He didn't have time to question the map; he really needed to find Sirius. And he finally found him sitting up in his office.

"Well, that certainly makes things easier. I wonder if I should mention Barty Crouch in the Potions room to anyone," he mused, clearing the map and stuffing it into a pocket. He'd figure it out later; with Sirius located, he raced down to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office.

"What did you do to 'Arry?" Fleur demanded, glaring at Leo all the way down in the Yule Ball. He shrugged as he handed her a drink.

"I charmed his shoes so he wouldn't fall. And added a bit of rhythm to make it less likely that he'd trip," Leo admitted, deciding that the honest route was best.

"Oh, zat was nice of you," she complimented rather disjointedly. Leo shrugged again.

"I like to do a bit of both good and bad. I think balance is everything when it comes to living a good life," Leo acknowledged, watching Professor Flitwick be passed around the hall. "Someone really should do something about that."

"So, what would ze interactions with me be?" Fleur asked and Leo smirked.

"What I did was wrong," he confessed, glancing over to see Hermione dancing with Krum. There was a happy smile on her face.

"Would you do it again?" Fleur asked in a neutral tone.

"Not sure on that one," Leo replied while the music faded out. Fleur frowned but didn't explode at him.

"Well, just so you know, I will get you back for zis," she stated. With her punch finished, she stalked off through the crowd. Leo sighed, lingering by the punch table and glaring through the crowd. Fleur had found another dance in a Ravenclaw he vaguely remembered as Roger Davies. With an exhilarated sigh, Hermione waltzed over and grabbed a drink of her own.

"Enjoying the ball?" Leo asked causally. He tried to hide the disgruntled note in his voice.

"Oh, it's so wonderful," she exclaimed. "Victor is such a gentlemen and the dancing is just perfect!" she gushed, a look of pure enjoyment on her face.

"Well, that makes one of us," Leo grumbled in an undertone.

"I'm sorry, didn't catch that," Hermione asked, watching him curiously.

"Oh, um, that's great," he said quickly, covering his slipup. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him but let it pass.

"Why are you over here all alone?" she asked instead, brushing a lock of hair away from her face. Leo hesitated, wondering what he should tell her. "Leo?" she pressed, waving a hand in front of his face.

"Um, just getting a drink is all," he said instead. "Besides, Davies asked to have a dance with Fleur."

"Odd, it seemed like you guys had a bit of an argument. Or did I see things wrong?" she asked. Leo shrugged his shoulders.

"Who knows," he replied.

"Leo, you better not be lying to me," she threatened, glaring at him for a moment. "You have a look about you when you lie."

"Hermione, you wound me!" he scoffed, one hand on his chest. "Why would I ever lie to a beautiful woman such as yourself?"

"Hey, has anyone seen Harry?" Luna asked, skipping towards them. She brushed her hair back and let out an exhausted breath. "I just got done dancing with Neville but I was hoping Harry might want to dance again." Hermione threw a look towards Luna.

"Leo, I know you better than you think. You'll lie for whatever suits you best," she said. "I'd hate to lose trust in you just because you thought lying to me was going to suit you." With that, she tossed her cup in the trash and walked away to find Krum.

"Did I miss something?" Luna asked quizzically, looking between a retreating Hermione and an angry Leo.

"Nothing, Luna. And no, I haven't seen Harry in a while," he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing irritably.

"Is this a bad time, Leo? You seem upset," Luna noted.

"No, it's fine. It's just, this dance isn't turning out like I hoped it would," Leo replied.

"Are you positive? I'm pretty sure I've seen some Nargles floating about. It is the perfect time of year for them to infect people's minds," Luna said dreamily.

"Why do you say that?" Leo asked, playing along with her.

"Well, they reside in mistletoe. It's always placed around during Christmas, such as right there," she pointed out, looking at a bunch hanging near Leo's left shoulder. He quickly scooted away from it and scanned the crowd for Fleur again. He might be able to still salvage the night if he could find her.

"She's right over there, chatting with Roger," Luna offered, pointing to a corner of the Hall.

"Who?" Leo asked, but looked in the direction she pointed.

"Fleur, of course," she added, smirking slightly. "Go and talk to her. I thought she was your date anyways."

"Well, she is, kinda. Or not, I'm not sure anymore," Leo stumbled, trying to get Luna to see the right idea.

"I know, just your date for the dance," Luna said, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Now are you going to talk to her or what?"

"Yeah, I suppose. Maybe I can smooth things over with her," he grimaced. Luna smiled, giving a small giggle. The walk across the Hall felt strangely never-ending for him. By the time he finally got over to Fleur, she looked down at him with disdain.

"Yes?" she sniffed.

"Fleur, I want to apologize again," Leo started. "I know what I did was wrong and I really shouldn't have done it. I just don't know what I was thinking."

"Never do it again," she stated in a tight voice. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and made to turn towards Davies once more. But she appeared to have another thought and turned back around. That's when Leo felt the world suddenly go dark.

After a few seconds, he found himself on the ground and his left cheek stinging something fierce. Fleur stalked off into the crowd while someone grabbed his arm to haul him to his feet.

"Leo, what in the world? Why did she do that?" Hermione's voice asked. There was another pair of hands on his other side to pull him up. His legs finally began to work again. Hermione led him to a seat after watching it happen. Ron was on his other side, all too keen to get out of the dance.

"Ow, that chick has a strong swing," Leo admitted, groping for the chair he was being lowered into.

"Why did she smack you? You seemed to be getting along really well," Hermione noted. Ron glanced away and Leo wasn't sure if the heat in his own face was from Fleur's backhanding or from the sudden attention.

"I'll tell you later. It's a bit of a story and I think someone else wants to spend time with you," he said, frowning at Krum waiting for Hermione. She brightened up even as Leo slouched in his seat.

"I expect an explanation later," she said, pointing at him before heading back to the dance floor.

"Don't think she will be dissuaded. She will want the full story," Ron pointed out. Leo grunted in agreement, having already known this. Ron sat down in a nearby seat, happy to get off his feet as well. "So, we both hate Victor Krum?" he asked, staring out across the dancing crowd.

"Do you even have to ask?" Leo grunted, staring at Ron with a raised eyebrow. He turned to glare at the Qudditch star.

"I take it you are going to pull something on him?" Ron asked instead. Leo's only reply was a dangerous smirk while the gears in his mind began to turn. "I'll take that as a yes," Ron said calmly. Leo was thinking hard; he would need to put in some extra time to get back at him. But it was all in good fun, of course.

Harry slipped around a corner on his way to the fifth floor but slammed into someone much taller than him.

"Harry?" Sirius asked, reaching out to steady his godson. "What's the rush?" he asked and Harry frowned.

"I was wondering something – Leo brought it up – is there anything that has come up recently?" Harry asked, practically spitting the words out.

"Harry, there are better times to talk about this then during the Yule Ball," Sirius replied calmly, looking down at him.

"I have been so busy as of late, but it seems like a good time to talk. You got up here awful fast; last I checked, you were still in your office. And, what's with the scarf?" he asked in just as calm a manner. Sirius pulled at it in a slightly nervous motion.

"I'll tell you when you are older," he replied, trying to hide a smirk. "And I just move rather fast. Other than Karkaroff, I really don't have a 'second person', so to speak. Unless, has the map show anyone else wandering around?"

"Well, Barty Crouch was in the Potions cupboard and I saw you in your office. Which is why I was on my way down," Harry admitted.

"Hmmm, I wonder," Sirius murmured, putting one hand to his chin. "No, it's not possible." By now, Sirius was pulling at his mustache.

"What is it?" Harry asked, watching Sirius closely.

"I am not sure; but this is concerning all the same. Harry, can I see the map?" he asked. Harry immediately pulled it out of his pocket.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," Sirius said, tapping the parchment with his wand. He scanned it so quickly, Harry couldn't follow. After stopping for a brief second, he folded it up and tapped it once more. "Mischief managed," he muttered and handed it back to Harry.

"What is it?" Harry asked. Sirius turned to walk away.

"It's nothing I can't handle, Harry. Go back to the ball; I should have this taken care of rather quickly," Sirius assured him. Harry tried to argue but Sirius stopped him with a glare. "I've got your back, Harry. Lupin and I have dealt with these things before. So try to have fun while I take care of this," he said. Harry frowned but stood up straight.

"I am coming with you," he said, holding his ground.

"I am wasting time," Sirius muttered. "Fine, I can't really think of any reason to keep you out of this," he admitted, striding off at a quick pace and moving lower and lower into Hogwarts.

"Oblivate!" a voice cried right before they could turn a corner. Sirius slumped to the floor and Harry spun around, eyes wide. But he suddenly slumped to the ground as well. The shadowy wizard glanced over Harry and Sirius, patting down their bodies. He frowned when he found nothing on Sirius. But he pulled out a stack of blank parchment from one of Harry's pockets. He stood to his feet, rustling through them before pocketing them.

"You did what?!" Hermione shouted. She was now fully glaring at Leo, who winced under her gaze. "Why I even considered you a good person – you chased after my friends and now, have all but forced someone to go out with you," she hissed.

"It was a mistake," Leo started but Hermione glared at him. He quickly clamped his mouth shut.

"Do you understand why the competition is here?" she snarled. Leo shook his head, trying to keep from shrinking under her glare. "It's to help build relations between schools. And here you are, actively knocking them down!" Leo didn't respond and stood completely still. Hermione looked to Ron. He quickly ducked behind Leo and out of her gaze.

"Look, I regret it. I let her out of the obligation and gave her back her wand, okay? Fleur couldn't find another date so she went with me. I tried to back out but it didn't work. I even apologized and I do not plan on making her day any worse by trying to explain it," Leo rushed out.

"What was going through your head? That you considered it a good idea to do this?" Hermione asked. Leo muttered something too quiet for even Ron to hear. "Pardon?"

"I was jealous," he mumbled, a little perturbed.

"You have no self-control whatsoever, do you?" she asked.

"I do, I just don't exercise it very well when it comes to you," he admitted.

"Don't do anything like this ever again. No more instigating. Do I make myself clear?" Hermione asked, glaring at them hotly. Leo nodded and she walked off up the stairs.

"So, still going to go through with the prank?" Ron asked after Hermione was gone. Leo shrugged, glancing back at Krum.

"I may need to take a more hands off approach," he admitted. "But I've got a feeling that won't be too much of an issue."

"I still think she is fraternizing with the enemy," Ron replied sourly, frowning in the direction of the stairs.

"Meet Dante and Alec here in the morning. We need to start working soon; we've only got so much time left.

"Where is the nurse?" someone cried. The music screeched to a halt and everyone glanced to see Brom rushing through the halls. Floating behind him were Sirius and Harry.

"Follow me, I know where to go," Ron called out, leading the Headmaster. Leo flew after him with Professor McGonagall close behind.

"Filius, make sure you keep an eye on things!" she hollered to the Charms professor. She hadn't even turn to look and failed to notice that he was still in the grasp of a frozen crowd.