They danced with Luna and Ron, who were with Dean and a vaguely familiar Hufflepuff girl with long brown ringlets and a very pretty smile.
"Where's Seamus?" Ron asked Dean as they danced.
Dean and Harry both shrugged, "Haven't seen him."
People kept moving around the enormous Marquee. They saw hundreds of faces including Draco Malfoy dancing rather too formally with Tracey Davis, both of them looking less than enthusiastic.
Ginny was dancing with Neville, wincing occasionally as he stepped on her toes, but they seemed happy enough.
Eventually the Champions and their partners were corralled back together and things became formal again. Mr. Crouch was speaking, but Harry only had eyes and ears for Pansy, and she him.
"What did you want to say before?" Harry asked, whispering in her ear.
She looked down, playing coy, but shook her head. "Later. Listen to Mr. Crouch."
"You mean 'uncle'?"
She elbowed him in the ribs.
"… and as such, will go down in wizarding history as a spectacular achievement." He was saying. "So it is, with enormous thanks to my opposite numbers and the thousands of hours of diligent work, performed by hundreds of workers that this event-"
He stopped as Percy Weasley appeared, a thick and tightly-wound scroll in one hand and a broomstick in the other ran into the room.
"I'm sorry sir." Was all that was audible over the noise of the space, but as Percy whispered in Crouch's ear.
The effect was both impressive and scary. Crouch's face, normally a composed mask, became one of shock and then consternation. He took the scroll from Percy and walked toward Dumbledore, his face white.
Muttering went up among the crowd as, at a wave of Dumbledore's wand, Harry suddenly couldn't hear anything beyond a strange, indistinct buzzing for several seconds.
He looked at Pansy who was clearly saying something but was inaudible. Then the sound came back to the world as Dumbledore, Crouch and Percy left the marquee.
The muttering had become shouting and panic by the time Percy came back. He pointed his wand at his throat before his voice boomed out. "I… I'm sorry, everyone. It seems that a… war in Iraq and – um – it needs his attention, basically."
Fudge appeared at Percy's side, throwing an arm around his shoulder. "Ladies and gentlemen, such is the life of a politician – especially one as respected and in-demand as Mr. Bartemius Crouch."
He grinned and stepped forward, making a huge and expansive wave of his arms. "I'm sure Dumbledore will be back momentarily. Until then, I hear there is a certain band waiting in the wings!"
The lights dropped and the stage was suddenly the only brightly-lit spot. The huge double-head bass up there rose into the air, seemingly of its own accord, followed by the cello and violin as they struck up a series of enormous, booming notes.
Then there were six musicians on the stage, three women and three men, all in huge, flowing black robes, each with an instrument.
"Oh my god!" Ginny – and several others – cried, "It's the Wyrd Sisters!"
The music that came then was huge, filling the space. It was the kind of high, pounding rhythm that found its way into the bones of those that were listening.
They were dancing again, his world full of her. It lasted years.
"Excuse me – Harry, Pansy?" It was Neville, standing there with one arm outstretched toward Pansy.
Harry took a deep breath, coming back to himself, disconnecting with a huge mental effort from the brightness of her eyes.
"Neville?" He asked, grinning.
Neville, his gawky and awkward dormmate who couldn't string two words together in potions or summon a cushion from across a room looked at Harry and smiled. "Might I have this next dance?" he asked Pansy.
Harry shook his head, stunned. He looked at Pansy who smiled and curtseyed to Neville before taking his hand.
"Sure, go for it!" Harry laughed, too stunned to have any other reaction.
Then, as if Neville had timed it perfectly, the music shifted and Luna was in front of him, stepping almost flawlessly into his arms. He looked around to see Dean's date slipping her hand into Ron's hand and Ginny stepping to Dean.
Suddenly he felt awkward, unsure how to step.
Luna took his hand more firmly and pulled him close, whispering in his ear. "Don't worry Harry, Pansy said you're not a confident dancer. Just pretend I'm her for a few minutes, okay?"
He drew back and looked into her enormous blue eyes, so radically different from Pansy's it was like the difference between sunrise and set. He smiled and nodded as his lessons came back and he could lead again.
The song progressed and the woman who had been playing a set of bagpipes moved to a small piano, tinkling out a heartrending tune. "Thanks for that." Harry said, smiling at Luna Lovegood.
"No problem at all," she said, smiling back and raising an eyebrow, "I knew someone would want to dance with her – she's so beautiful."
Harry looked over at Pansy who was being twirled around by Neville, her laugh lost in the roar of voices and music and suddenly wanted to go get her, throw his arms around her and-
"… but after your gift for Ron, I reckoned you might need a break to cool down." Luna said, turning his face to hers with gentle fingers.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked, frowning as he lifted her into a tight full turn.
Landing, she grinned – the music transitioning into another song. "Oh, Harry Potter, how blind you are: you don't even know how you feel. It's sweet." Her tone wasn't unkind, but caring, like the way one might talk to a puppy that piddled on the floor two feet from the door to the garden.
Before he could reply, she curtseyed to him and he bowed instinctively before Fleur arrived in his field of vision.
He bowed again and she responded, "Why it looks like we are to dance after all, 'Arry." She said, her rich voice at odds with her bright, beautiful, and innocent face.
The new song wasn't as explosively loud, but much faster paced. Fleur pressed him to keep up with the beat, never missing the tiniest moment herself, even when there was a break in the tempo and it became a huge and hammering, foot-stamping kind of beat. She took hold of her skirts in one hand and was roaring out the lyrics that Harry didn't know but felt in his belly like hunger and rage and elation.
By the end of the song, the magic of the music bought the words to his lips and the whole room was singing together, Harry with his arm around Fleur's shoulders and hers around his waist.
'And you'll see – we won't be denied,
We'll stand tall and scream,
You'll taste the tears we've all cried,
The light of all our dreams,
Will show you now and roar our pride!"
Then she was curtseying to him and Cho was there, her hair bound up in a tight and elegant bun as the music changed again into something slower and deeper.
He saw droplets of sweat gleaming in the million light on her brow as he bowed to her. She stepped forward into his arms and they found a rhythm immediately – she was a phenomenal dancer.
"I just wanted to say again Harry," she said between verses, "I am really sorry I couldn't be your partner."
He smiled, spinning her around again in the slower, leisurely music. "Cho, honestly I think you did me a massive favour."
"Oh?"
He nodded, beaming. "If you hadn't said yes to Cedric, I would have had no reason to… break out of my own fears. It took a leap of faith, you know?"
"To find your lady love?" She asked as he dipped her backward then back up.
Then Ginny was there, her face alight with some kind of excited, blazing energy. Her hair was dishevelled and backswept with euphoria and sweat. She was profoundly beautiful.
He bowed and she curtseyed. "You looked beautiful," he said, his hand going to her waist as the music propelled them into something new.
Pansy was on the opposite side of their huge, improvised circle dancing with Cedric who was matching her step for step with his effortless grace.
Ginny was hot, her breath and hair full of that fiery cinnamon sensation that he couldn't place anywhere else.
"You seem happy," she said, almost a question as this latest song broke down into a huge drum solo, driving them into steps so fast he wouldn't have believed them possible.
"I am. Like you wouldn't believe." He said as she mirrored his steps.
Then she smiled, stepping under his outstretched arm. "I guess not." She said as she dropped into a curtsy and whirled away, but not toward Ron beside him, but past and out into the crowd.
Hermione came to him then, her hair beautiful and gleaming, her grin enormous. They observed the courtesies and were dancing. It was like dancing with his sister, or what he imagined it would have been like had his parents had time for more children. They were close then at arms-reach then close again.
"I can't believe what's come over you, Harry." She said, breathless and clearly finding it hard to continue dancing.
He was feeling it too, his heart hammering and feel almost beyond being able to feel anything. "I know, it's amazing. You look so happy."
She smiled a coy, faux-innocent kind of smile. "I didn't expect a night like this – it's just amazing."
They hugged then, forgetting the music. They just were, swaying slightly to whatever rhythm was between them until they were joined by Ron – sweat slaked and wild with a kind of joy. He said something that was lost a wild scream of high violin.
"What?" Harry and Hermione said together.
"I said, 'I fucking love both of you'!" he shouted, putting his arms around both of them and lifting them bodily from the ground for a fraction of a second before dropping them down and whirling away.
Hermione laughed aloud as they watched him descend into a kind of wild jig, beaming with joy, until Fred and Angelina bumped into him.
They hugged him, pulling him into a huge embrace, after which Fred separated himself, miming taking a drink and stepped away, leaving Ron and Angelina dancing.
"I think that's a good idea." Harry said into Hermione's ear.
"Drink?"
He nodded, realising how dry his throat was. After dancing, pleasantries then more endless and glorious dancing, he reckoned his insides must be desiccated. "Come on." He said, taking her hand and following Fred.
As they moved, he caught Pansy's eye as she danced with a distinctly awkward Viktor Krum. He waved and she blew him a kiss which made his heart skip a beat.
They washed up against a bar full of everything from watered wine to graceful bottles of water. He took two of the latter as Fred slapped him on the arm.
"What a night, Harry – what a bloody night! 'Mione, you look spectacular!" Fred said between breaths.
"It's incredible," Hermione shouted over the music, waving off a couple of strangers who offered her their arms for a dance, "I don't think I could dance another step."
Fred scoffed, "Nah, bollocks, you'll keep dancing as long as they keep playing." He said, gesturing to the band, "now comw here, you crazy kids!"
He threw his arms around them, but kept his words for Harry. "Well done mate, I'm so bloody proud of you – you looked so happy I almost threw up."
Then he was dancing away from them, moonwalking back toward Ron and Angelina.
Hermione laughed, slouching onto a bar stool.
"I don't think I can dance any more, my feet might fall off." She said, popping loose one shoe and rubbing the arch of her foot. "I don't think I've ever danced this much."
Harry laughed, sitting next to her. "I know – I'm glad I've been practicing or this could have been a big embarrassment."
He looked over at the big circle of partners which had started to break down with several people having left. Ron was back with Luna, his hands around her waist and hers around the back of his neck.
"They look happy." Hermione said, nodding in their direction.
"They do." Harry said, looking at her. She looked suddenly torn between happy exhaustion and some distant regret. "You can go and dance with him yourself you know?"
She shook her head, taking a napkin and dabbing at her eyes, "I wouldn't dream of it – he's so excited, you know?"
"I know."
He put his arm around her and she turned her body into him, hugging him tight.
Then, as the music changed again, Neville and Pansy were standing next to them.
"Hermione," Neville said, his spectacularly sharp white robes stained with the chaos of the fevered dancing, "come for a walk with me?" It wasn't much of a question, more of a kind directive - his formality dropped and whatever energy had possessed him put to one side for a while.
She released Harry, kissed him on the cheek and whispered "Thank you" in his ear before moving off with Neville.
It was just Pansy in Harry's world again. She stepped close to him, the smell of her amplified beyond all measure, filling his world.
"I need to kiss you." He said, taking her in his arms. "Let's get some air?"
She looked up at him and nodded, the pinpricks of blue light stirring in her spectacular eyes.
"As long as I'm with you." She said, just loud enough to hear and biting her lip.
"Always." He said, taking her hand, "Forever."
